AMW Reviews: Carmex Strawberry Click Stick with SPF15

More than 2 years ago, July of 2008 to be exact, I purchased my first ever Carmex Lip product because I got to know the brand from US magazines!  I first found it at PCX store and I grabbed it right away!  It was the Carmex Click Stick Mint Flavored Lip Balm in SPF30.  I've sworn off the product and never used it again because it dried my lips even more! 

Fast forward, thank goodness for the review as the Carmex Philippines Distributor commented on my post telling me that the possible cause of dryness is because of the high SPF (Could be true because my Burt's Bees Lifeguard's Choice Lip Balm dried the hell out of my lips!).  I was asked to give Carmex another chance and who am I to shut down the whole brand just because one of their product does not work on me right?  

After 2 years, on my hand, the familiar yellow tube, red cap was on my hand and I gave the rest of my lip balms a rest and tested on this for a good 2 weeks.  Applied this before I go to bed and apply this throughout the day....

Carmex Strawberry Click Stick with SPF15 says ---

• Strawberry flavor in a solid stick
• Moisturizing lip balm
• Non-addictive and not tested on animals
• Contains SPF 15 sunscreen

Active Ingredients: Octinoxate and Oxybenzone - two sunscreen agents
AMW Says ---
Pros

• Housed in the classic yellow tube red cap that screams CARMEX even from afar.
• Safety sealed upon purchase

• The clicking sound is an added "pro" because it's addictive to listen!  *laughs*
• The mint feel lasts longer than regular minty balms!  I counted the minutes, it lasted almost 30 minutes before the minty feel is gone (tested without drinking or eating)
• Has SPF 15!  
• Glides on lips easily and does not feel dry!
• The nice strawberry scent is not overwhelming!  Tastes yummy!  
• The cooling sensation works so well especially on air conditioned room!  Lips does not feel or looks dry!
• Lipstick glides off easily after this lip balm application.
• Minimized the lines on my lips after application.
• Inexpensive!

Cons

• Has a hint of waxy feel
• Has a waxy look especially when applied outside the lips

Overall
Definitely better than my original Carmex Lip Balm!  


Tips

• Apply a generous amount onto lips especially when lips are super dry.
• Do not forget to hydrate by drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day!  No amount of lip balm can hydrate your body!
• Apply a good amount on your lips before going to bed.
• Exfoliate your lips with a wet toothbrush at least once a week.
• I try to wipe the lip balm with a clean towel prior to storing it, to lipstick wearer, clean your lip balm prior to twisting it back to prevent bacteria formation!
• If the "waxy" feel irritates you, blot your lips with a tissue paper prior to lipstick application to remove excess.
• Always store in cool, dry place.
• For hygiene purposes, try not to share lip balms!  If needed, use a spatula and lip brush.

Will I repurchase?
Yes!

To whom do I recommend this to?
People who love to use tube-type lip balm.  Men or women who likes the minty feel on lips for prolong period of time!

Where to purchase and how much?

Locally at Landmark, PCX, Robinson's Department Stores, etc.. for approx. Php99.00 (approx $2.00)

A Photo to show the color and texture of Carmex Click Stick 

I think all Carmex Click Stick have the same color

Here's to show how addictive it is to re-apply with it's minty feel! 
Used this much in less than 2 weeks time!

Bare lips applied with approximately 2 coats of 

Carmex Strawbery Click Stick with SPF15

Photo taken 15 minutes after application

Not bad, I currently have this on my bed side to moisturize my 'mwah-ers' before I go to sleep!
What do you use before you go to sleep?  Or do you even moisturize your lips?

Keep smilin'
Stay happy!

(Note from Author: Product was sent for review purposes.  All information written are based on the writer's personal experience.  Author did not and will never receive payment for positive reviews.  Please purchase at your own discretion)

I Wonder: "Conquering your Beauty-Related Fear"

To those who knew me personally would know how I've always been on a safe side but wouldn't be surprised to see me try bungee jumping, sky diving or anything crazy!  My heart would skip gazillion times but its something not impossible for me to do because I may not be the most adventurous type but I love to challenge myself!

Here's a funny thing about me though, would you believe that I would choose bungee jumping on top of the Macau Tower over putting on contact lenses?  I think it has to do with my super bad eye allergies from an eye drops years ago that puts a huge scare to my "eyeball" life!

Me being the pusher, I put on contact lenses to be part of my "superficial bucket list", things to do superficially before I die!  *laughs* Gosh, I've got nothing to do eh? hahaha

Anyways, on my Korea trip, I went to this Myeong-dong underground shopping and you can see shops after shops of Eyeglasses, and contact lenses.  I told Mr. AMW that since I'm in the land of GEO lenses, I might as well purchase one since it could be cheaper there and it has 3 years shelf life!  3 years is enough time frame for me to muster up the courage to at least try right?

This whole set costs 25,000 Won (approx Php1,000/$23.00)

GEO Angel Grey Lens 

B.C.: 8.60

Diameter: 14.00

Includes: All-in-one cleanser, portable case and eye dropper

I actually had it kept somewhere and I never had the courage to try it because...just because...I'm a weakling that way! hahaha  I even thought of giving it away a friend who wear contacts! Yup, giving up!

Well, somewhere out there, the universe gave me a slap on my face by telling me to get this done and not wonder how it feels to wear contact lens or how it feels to touch my eyeballs!  *laughs*  I've said NO to a lot of contact lens reviews way back and I haven't had any coming my way for a year!  Just when I was going to give away my own purchase of the GEO Angel Lens, Dashing Beauty Shop messaged me for a review of the GEO contact lenses she sells!  And she sells it for only Php670.00 LOCAL free shipping but this one is PREORDER!  I was told she gets this directly from GEO company and the retail price of this is actually Php750.00!

GEO Angel Brown Lens

B.C.: 8.60

Diameter: 14.00

with free case

A closer look on GEO Angel Brown Lens

Doesn't this remind you of WALL-E? *tee hee*

Ok, here it goes!  After a couple of YouTube viewing and tips from contact lens users, one fateful night, I finally did it!  Gosh, you just can't imagine the happiness and contentment I felt when I first put it on!  It was like winning a lottery!  *laughs*  Are you ready to see?  Please bear with me as I look quite stressed!  Hahaha it was done several hours before I go to bed...

I think I can be part of Twilight?  Or locally...IMMORTAL?  *laughs*  A closer shot on GEO Angel Grey Lens.  Sorry for the blank, soul-less eye expression, it's my first after 30 years, so please be gentle!  LOL

It looks quite natural in person.  The  moment it was put on, I didn't feel a thing so it's all good...

Now, the hardest part is..removing it!  Trust me, you wouldn't want to know how I look like trying to remove it!  I actually did!  And it's the feeling of winning a Lottery plus House and Lot plus Luxury Car!  You seriously wouldn't want to see that!  hahahaaha

Now, I wonder:
"Have you conquered your beauty-related fear?"
it could be eyelash extensions, eyelash curling,  injections, etc...


Nikki's Superficial Bucket List:
13. Wear contact lens
14. Walk around naked in public (na-ah! That ain't gonna happen! in this lifetime) hahahaha

Dashing Beauty Shop 

For all types of GEO lenses

Click FB or Multiply

Deadline for PRE-Order October 25, 2010

Keep smilin'

Stay happy!

(Note from Author: GEO Angel Grey lens purchased on my own and GEO Angel Brown sent by company for review.)

AMW Reports: Skin Dermatology and Laser Center

Remember how I've always been telling you that I have the simplest and most basic skin care when I was growing up?  I just started to be vain when I worked in China for a good 3 and a half years!  I worked in a language learning center back then and schedule was crazy!  I can start work as early as 7:00am to 12:00nn and will have another class scheduled from 7:00pm until 9:00pm!  I usually ended up staying inside the office the whole afternoon to prepare for lessons and that entails to sitting in front of the computer for the whole day!  On rest days, I would go to nearby Spa centers just to relax and unwind!  There's one a couple of blocks away from my place and I started to go there to enjoy their spa services!  But they turned out to be good friends of mine and they would give me free facials!  Seriously, it was the best 2 hours spent in a week!  I always get VIP treatment with my own special room and get extra services! I guess it really helps to be friends with them huh? hehehe

I ended up purchasing a membership card (10 sessions + 5) and went there at least once a week!  Those were the times I had my faith in facials!  My skin has to go through 4 seasons and it gets really painful and dry during winter, with the facial treatment done for my skin type, I breezed through winter without issues at all!  Because of stress and work schedule, I do have more breakouts during those times, teaching in front of a big group of professionals took a toll on my skin!  With breakouts starting to rear its ugly head, I would go visit the center and it'll be gone in no time!  

When I came back home, sad to say, I had a couple of bad experiences so I ended up not going through facials anymore!  It has been more than 5 years!  Either I visit some facial salons and just have the usual facials without the painful pricking or peeling or not do anything at all and depend on my trusty at-home facial treatments!

Recently, I got an invite to try a beauty center --- SKIN Dermatology and Laser Center.  I nearly said no but thanks to my researching skills, I've learned that The Spa moves into the beauty world with this extension.  In this center, you can come in and have Philippine Dermatological Society (PDS)-accredited dermatologist to give you an in-depth skin consultations.  That's a number one priority for me for anyone to touch my skin!  I also had wonderful experience with The Spa on my Purifying Moroccan Mud Therapy so it's another "yes" point for me!

At SKIN Dermatology and Laser Center, though the term Laser made me feel like running to the opposite direction, I was quite surprised that I was never intimidated with it!  I guess because of the welcoming and cozy atmosphere that greeted me when I got in the center.

Let's not forget the best Ginger tea I've tasted a couple of months ago at The Spa, they serve it here as well!

While enjoying my cup of ginger tea, I had a consultation with the attending dermatologist.  I told her my skin concerns and my allergic reactions experiences on products I've used.  I also told her that I am not into hard core peeling as my skin is very sensitive.  She listened to my concerns and she created a personal skin plan for me that my skin would appreciate!  

It will be the Ultimate Diamond Facial which combines a Signature Facial with Diamond Peel.  My heart skipped a beat when I heard the word "PEEL" but I was reassured it won't do bad for my skin!  We'll see...

First thing I asked before the facial was done are the products to be used.  I was told by Maricel that it's Dr. Jeff.  Dr. Jeff Skin Care is from the USA and the company constantly expand its product lines to offer new treatments and state of the art ingredients for spas and skin centers just like SKIN.

Let the treatment start...

Thanks to Maricel for the wonderful treatment and for answering my queries.

Here's step by step treatment base on my understanding and good 'ol memory!

• I actually went there without makeup but just to make sure, Maricel cleanse my skin with Dr. Jeff Cleansing Lotion.  She did it with massaging motion.
• After cleansing, she gently wiped off the cleansing lotion with cotton cloth.  Applied toner all over my face and neck.
• A gentle scrub, Honey and Almond was applied all over my face.  I again, advised Maricel my issues on scrubs and dry skin, she reassured me that Honey and Almond works really well for dry and sensitive skin. 
• Gently massaged the scrub all over concentrating on the sides of my nose, gentle on my cheek area and a bit of pressure on the forehead.

• After gentling removing the scrub, Maricel applied an enzyme on my skin thinly.  This will harden up and peel off including my dead skin!
• Maricel  uses her fingers to gently remove the hardened enzyme, it wasn't as rough as it sounds!  It's actually quite relaxing!
• As the face is clean and ready, steaming was done for 10 minutes to help unclog pores.  The rest of the 10 minutes went really fast because I was given a lovely massage on my back, neck and scalp! 
• Diamond Peel was done.  It felt super weird at first.  I feel a bit of pain because I can literally feel the tiny diamond pieces scratching against my skin while a tiny vacuum sucks away dirt and dead skin cells.  At this stage, I was acting the mature Nikki because I advised Maricel on the tiny pain I felt and she lowered down the vacuum strength which felt way much better afterwards!  Its really important to speak up when you do treatments like these!

The Diamond Peel was worth it!  She showed me the filter from the Diamond Peeling machine and here are the dead skin and excess hair from my gorgeous face!  *laughs*  In fairness to me, Maricel told me my skin isn't that dirty and its actually well taken care off! 

Applause to Nikki for taking care of my skin!  *claps claps claps*

After the Diamond Peel, dermatologist came in to do pimple injection, I had one rearing its ugly head on my chin area, the injection is obviously painful but its bearable!  Worth it because I don't have that pimple at this very moment!  Sorry I forgot to take a before and after shot of it!  But mark my words for it!  There's a couple of comedone extraction performed to remove some tiny marks like millia that we thought its just white heads!  

I was a bit scared that I'll be walking out with marks on my face, the dermatologist reassured me that it'll be fine because they will apply anti-inflammatory cream on my skin!  But I advised her if the ingredients of the anti-inflammatory cream includes steroids, she said yes, and I told her I'll give it a skip as I'm one of the few exceptions who's allergic to the said ingredients.  Better safe than sorry right? 

But the wonderful part?  Even without the anti-inflammatory cream,  I came out the center without red marks or scars!  I actually look refreshed and super clean and I even went out for dinner inside a mall!  

It's a great experience for sure!  The in-house dermatologist is super friendly and she understands how scared patients are especially on injections or extractions and she would make sure to divert your attention by telling you stories or asking you questions!

I was told these type of treatments can be done twice a month or once a month depending on your skin condition!  They did not hard sell me on any products and the dermatologist can also prescribe a daily regiment perfect for post treatment if needed.

I would like to thank people from SKIN Dermatology and Laser Center for making me feel comfortable!  I am not the type who would go for SKIN treatments weekly but if I have days wherein I really need to detoxify my face from all the cosmetics and pollution, I will definitely go back!  

Ultimate Diamond Facial price: Php2,800 (approx $63.00)

They also offer various treatments like  Body treatments, Anti-aging treatments, Complexion Recovery, Skin Whitening, Fillers, Facial Peels and of course, for those getting ready to tie the knot --- Laser Hair Reduction!  Feel free to contact them and and book yourself a consultation!  It's nice to know the dermatologist who work there are licensed and part of the PDS! 

SKIN Dermatology and Laser Center

The Spa Wellness at the Fort

Building 8, 908 Bonifacio High Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig

tel. no: (632)403-8000/(632)856-5858/(632)856-3035

Website: www.thespa.com.ph

Keep smilin'

Stay happy!

(Note from Author: Service was done for review purposes.  All information written are based on the writer's personal experience.  Author did not and will never receive payment for positive reviews.  Please try their services at your own discretion)

Weekend Food Tripping at: Rockwell Bazaar + AMW Gives Winner

Hi everyone!  Hope Saturday went well to a lot of you!  How did you brave the traffic over the weekend with sales here and there?  I, tried to stay away from those areas!  I actually had a nice chat after lunch by the way with the YT Guru Michelle Phan as I was told she will be collaborating with Close Up Philippines, she doesn't have all the details yet so I can't share any juicy information for now!  But it's nice to know she wanted to visit the country especially Boracay!  

I've decided to fill in the day for official Nikki Relaxation day!  I've booked myself a Facial (which my last was gazillion years) and I am so happy that the facial "steps" were similar and as relaxing from my previous facial experience when I was still working in China!  After facial, I skipped to the next relaxing location!  Hair Salon!  I've booked myself a Kerastase Hair Treatment because my hair is getting long and instead of getting a cut!  I have them specially treated so I can enjoy my long hair more before they decided to commit suicide and I have to chop them off!

I will definitely share you all about my experiences as the days come!  I know it should be relaxing but it's nice to report what happened and share to readers my experiences!  

After the relaxation day, I have to let Mr. AMW relax too right?  And everyone knows that good tasting food is close to his heart next to Mrs. AMW!  I'm no. 1 and food is no. 2 for sure! :P  

We went to Rockwell and we saw a couple of food stalls right outside!  It was a bit late and we don't want to eat too much so here's our simple weekend food experience! 

Swiss Gourmet Hotdog Sandwich

Php80.00 (approx $2.00)

We weren't able to take a photo of this but we ordered 2 Hotdog sandwiches!  Tastes really good!  The sausage is crunchy on the outside and seriously juicy on the inside.  Poured over some ketchup and mustard and its great tummy filling food!

Piri Piri Chicken

Php130.00 for the Chicken pieces  (approx $2.95)

Php70.00 for Jambalaya Rice (approx $1.60)

It's not the best place to eat chicken using paper plates and plastic spoon and fork!  But boy oh boy!  The chicken was cooked on a charcoal and the scent is just nose-tacular!  Poured over with mild or hot sauce (Chili mixed with Extra Virgin Olive Oil), combined with the very tasty Jambalaya Rice, we did not mind eating this while standing up!

Jambalaya Rice serving

We actually love to share food and we were a bit full!  Yogurt definitely is the best bet on dessert but we can't seem to find our favorite Red Mango at Rockwell.  We settled on Lulu Belle and ordered a large size of Plain Yogurt, no toppings!

Plain Yogurt Large

Php120.00 (approx $2.70)

Sad to say, I've been a plain yogurt eater for the longest time even way back before they got famous down here (one bragging rights I am proud of).  Anyways, I am quite disappointed as the yogurt taste wasn't there!  It's just too bland for my liking!  Just my opinion though!  I'm sure if you mixed it with your favorite toppings, it'll be ok!  Mr. AMW on the other hand mixed this with Oatmeal Crispies we purchased and he was fine with it!

As you can see, we've been food tripping again no matter how simple our dishes are!  So off we walk around the mall with full tummy!  And suddenly, we passed by Mc Donald's and we have to slap our forehead for not leaving a space in our tummy for our ultimate favorite junkfood that's available on certain months of the year....

Mc Donald's Twister Fries!!!We swallowed our gluttony instinct and walked away *sobs*

Someday...someday....later?!!? hahaha

Before I end this post, I will finally announce the winner for the AMW Gives: L'Oreal Wear Infinite Pressed Shadow thank you so much for joining the contest everyone!  I am really happy with the responses and I love how most of us have faith in the Lord, our family, friends to give us the strength to survive any trials that may come our way!  Don't we all have problems and issues in life?  We're obviously not alone! :)

Because it is a contest, only ONE winner will be chosen and I've pasted all the "User Names" that has correctly replied the query with the right requirements and used my trustee Fruit Machine to pick up one winner!  Congratulations to...

Sarah Curativo!

I will email you Sarah for your mailing address!
To the rest, hey!  Don't worry, as you know, there's always hope and there will be more contests coming up soon!

Keep smilin'
Stay happy!
Have a great weekend food tripping!

Nail Art Tutorial: Easiest Polka Dotted Nails!

Happy weekend everyone!  I am quite excited for this weekend because I've been really busy working my cute butt off!  *laughs* My weekend ended on a good note though, I've had wonderful dinner with highschool friends and it was a night spent with loads of stories and of course, laughter!

After my Korea trip, I removed my nail polish and left it "nude" for almost a week!  I wanted it to rest from polish application because that's how we should take care of our nails!  Give it a time off!  

I am not planning to do anything drastic and I wanted to spend only 10-15 minutes!  So here's the easiest nail art design (I think) I've ever done!  I find doing this takes shorter time than nail art stickers!  Inspired by the gorgeous polish shade I bought from Korea!  Very playful and reminded me of playful 60's dresses while dancing on the tune of "Great Balls of Fire!"