AMW Makeover: Trial Makeup for Asian Eyes

Happy Thursday AMW friends!

Today is Thursday and I'm looking forward for the weekend!  Why?  Well, there are so many things to look forward to!  For me to pack my "hospital bag" as I'm officially on my 32nd week of pregnancy and I've been very busy for the whole month of January and February I told myself I needed the rest before the sleepless nights c/o Baby AMW!  

And what's the other thing that I'm looking forward for this weekend?  My 3rd and final Benefit Fine One One Workshop!  The first and second was super fun and I met a lot of cool Benebabes so I can't wait for the third and final installment to be held at Benefit Boutique, Rustan's Makati.

Benefit Fine One One Workshop at Greenbelt 5

February 2, 2013

Benefit Fine One One Workshop at Shangri-La

February 9, 2013

I can't wait to share more tips to the workshop attendees and speaking of tips, have you read the article I've written for Sample Room?  If not, feel free to click photo below as I've written some simple Makeup Tips for Asian Eyes.

Speaking about Asian Eyes, I recently had a trial makeup client fresh from Singapore who requested for a very simple makeup for her wedding reception.  Let me share to you some of the makeup tricks that I've did for her particular feature.

Skin: Combination (Normal/Dry)

Request: The client doesn't have any particular request 

but I'm imaging her going for a very soft and natural look.

Trial makeup client exudes a very positive personality even for someone you just met for the first time.  She's jolly, friendly and very cheerful so I'm imagining a makeup for her that gives a bright and positive outlook just like her personality!  I was aiming for creating fresh, glowing skin!  

To start off, I prepared her skin by applying ample oil-free moisturizer from Paul & Joe on dry areas;  lessen the look of pores on her nose area by applying Benefit's Porefessional and a moisturizing face primer for Laura Mercier for the rest of her skin!  As I let all the products to sit and do their "action", I picked up a small scissors to trim her brows and filled sparse areas with brow pencil.

As for foundation, the client doesn't have much skin problems to cover so I've decided to use a light to medium coverage liquid foundation from RMK.  I also did a bit of concealing to even out the color around the eye area and the sides of her nose using my Bobbi Brown Concealer.

I want to create bigger-looking eyes;  I picked several matte shades for a simple day time smoky eye makeup adding a bit of light, shimmer eye shadow at the inner corner to create an illusion of big, bright eyes!  (Eye shadows used: Lancome, MAC, Bobbi Brown)

For a more natural finish, I picked Dark Brown  Gel Liner instead of regular black gel liner which I usually use for a more natural look.  Black gel liner could make small eyes look even smaller if not applied correctly.  I also added dark matte brown eye shadow on top of the gel liner for a more natural finish. 

Coats and coats of mascara were applied after curling her lashes with Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler;  I also applied falsies on her by cutting 1 into 2 as applying full lashes may make her eyes droopy.

Let's not forget to contour the face and nose area for that instant "painless" nose lift and face lift! 

As for the cheeks, I applied a tiny bit of cream based blush from Stila, and Shu Uemura Glow On Blush in Apricot.

As for the lips, I used a lip pencil from MAC closed to her lip color and gently apply it all over her lips and top it with Lancome Juicy Tubes.

Last but not the least;  I set the area that could "oil" with a Shu Uemura Colorless Face Powder.

Client's final look on natural lighting

Hair by: Kim Tan Rodriguez

Thanks to my dear client for the lovely time and for entrusting me to do a makeover!
Do you have any other tips for Asian Eyes out there?  I'd love to hear from you!

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Shiseido 1-2-3 Skincare Moisturizing Review

Good morning AMW Friends!  Today, I will be sharing another skincare regimen that I've been doing for my last trimester of pregnancy. 

I have been holding off using this set before I get a go signal from my Doctor and of course, after finishing up the products I've been using for the past months.

Shiseido is a brand I come to trust in terms of skincare as I've tried loads of sample sizes when I was still working in Shenzhen China years ago.  I would try out their different lines from brightening to moisturizing and most of the time, I get good results even with a tiny bottle of sample!  It is just one of those times I tend to "save up" on skincare as each bottle could cost an arm and leg!

Recently, I'm glad to have found a set that contains good enough size for me to finish this up at least 2-3 months without the need for me to break my cutesy piggy bank!

Shiseido 1-2-3 Skincare Moisturizing Hydratant 

1. Cleanse

2. Soften

3. Moisturize

Nail Art Tutorial: I Love My Red Plaid Shirt!

Happy Monday AMW Friends!  I had a lovely weekend with the family so I'm energized to get back to work today!  Oh yeah, I forgot to add that I had a wonderful 1 week break for the Chinese New Years so I was able to finish a Korean Series called "Rooftop Prince" (which I LOVE!) and I was able to feel like a grade school kid on vacation after spending most of my nights playing Bubble Mania and Jewel Mania!  (Seriously, can I get more childish than that? Ahem!  I meant, child-like!) :P

One thing I did over the past week is to play with my short nails!  A lot of you wonders if it's possible to create nail art designs with short nails!  Well, it's definitely possible as I recently cut my nails pretty short to prevent myself from getting scars from scratching my allergies!  Here's a simple "I Love My Plaid Shirt" design!  I will explain to you why the title goes like that!

Since February is my birthday month and I looked back at my old photos on how I celebrated my birthday!  Year 2011, I celebrated it with my high school friends (and their kids)!  Looking back, it was a super fun event!  (See how the kids were all excited blowing my candle?)  As I looked at my red plaid shirt which is a favorite of mine!  I bought it in Hong Kong a couple of years ago and I always get compliments every time I wore it!  So today, my nail art design is inspired by this lovely shirt of mine which I missed wearing!  I will definitely wear it again one of these days!  Good luck to me if it still fits though! *crosses fingers* LOL

Weekend Food Trip at: Italianni's Tomas Morato

Sunday!  Ah, another weekend food trip post brought to you by AMW Family! :P  

Over the week, we had a lovely dinner at Italianni's Restaurant a day before Valentine's Day!  My brother was here for a short vacation for Chinese New Years so I've decided to take him to Italianni's as both of us haven't been back in this restaurant for a while!  I was told by my Uncle that the menu are getting better and there are a few new dishes added that are worth visiting!  

We've decided to visit Tomas Morato branch and the place was packed on a weeknight!  If you've been visiting Italianni's a couple of times, you know the extra helping of free warm bread is a great way to start any meal!  (Sorry, we weren't able to take a shot on the free bread as we were famished from traffic!)

Beef Salpicao

Php395.00 (approx $9.88)

Italian version of beef salpicao.  Spicy beef tips sauteed in olive oil, garlic, 

chili flakes, button mushrooms, black olives and cherry tomatoes.

Our appetizer for the night, I was aiming for Truffle Fries but I opt to stay healthy as I'm with my mom and dad!  Both of them are suffering from cough and colds and of course, with my current situation, eating beef is the best bet for baby to stay healthy!  With the order of Beef Salpicao, I requested to remove the chili flakes and keep the dish spicy-free as possible for my dad's enjoyment!

So far, the beef tips are really tender and the added sweet cherry tomatoes made the dish worth it!  I love the 2 extra garlic toasts as I dip it with the sauce of Beef Salpicao!  A healthy appetizer for sure!

Fish Fillet Cartoccio

Php395.00 (approx $9.88)

Seasoned dory fish and vegetables baked with butter, wine and spices.  

Served with garlic rice on the side.

Both my mom and dad's dish for the night.  Most of the chicken dishes are unfortunately unavailable that night so we opted for something healthy!  The baked dory fish upon unwrapping exudes a wonderful fragrance from all the wonderful spices used!  My mom and dad enjoyed this dish so much they finished this in an instant!  For health conscious out there, this is a  must-order!

Crispy Pork Ribs

Php425.00 (approx $10.63)

Deep-fried tender pork ribs.  

Marinated in Italian spices with garlic rice, seasonal vegetables.

This dish has "NEW" written on its menu and I'm glad Mr. AMW ordered this as I can't help taking 3-4 bites!  The Crispy Pork Ribs could come out a bit crispier but the pork ribs itself isn't dry on the inside!  The gravy is a perfect combination by the way!  Not the regular "instant gravy" taste you get from other restaurants!   Super 2 thumbs up!

Chicken Marsala Risotto

Php495.00 (approx $12.38)

Boneless chicken breast fried in our special egg batter over a rich vegetable marsala risotto.

Okay, out of all the dishes we ordered which are extremely good!  I felt bad that the "guest of honor" (my brother) didn't enjoy his dish as much as we did!  The Chicken Breast doesn't have much flavor and the risotto came out a bit unexpected!  We've had risotto in the past and so far, this doesn't come near to most risotto dishes we tried!  I wish they could have added more flavor to the chicken breast in the future!

Fettuccine Tartufo e Prosciutto

Php495.00 (approx $12.38)

 Premium pasta, truffle essence cream and Italian ham 

Another MUST order!  I can never go wrong ordering pastas at Italianni's and I'm glad the "truffle essence" caught my attention as the whole dish itself is a winner!  The thick pasta is cooked just right (al dente) and the Italian Ham on the side gives the right "saltiness" to the whole pasta dish!  And let's not get into the truffle essence, who can say no to that?  Not me for sure!

Overall, servers were really friendly that night but service was slow!  They probably lack staff that night as I only see a few taking orders and serving dishes!  As for the food, I'm glad to have returned to Italianni's Restaurant after YEARS as I'm glad to taste good food that makes me and my baby happy! :D

Restaurant accepts Cash and Credit Card Payments.  There is a separate service charge that will be added on the bill!  I highly recommend everyone to purchase The Bistro Group card as I was able to get 25% off the total bill for my birthday month! :)

Italianni's Restaurant

G/F Unit 1 CKB Center, Tomas Morato Ave  

Laging Handa, Quezon City 

Tel no: (632) 376-2382

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AMW Reviews: Pevonia Botanica Micro-Emulsified Massage Oil “Anti-Stress”

Happy Saturday everyone!
The week passed by pretty quickly and today, I'm off to spend quality time with my family as my brother will be leaving the country again after a week long vacation!  We're staying overnight in a hotel for relaxation, speaking of relaxation, I'll definitely bring my Pevonia Botanica product in which I will be reviewing today so you'll understand why I'm taking this with me!  There will definitely be some massaging session for both my mom and sister! :D

Pevonia says ---

Exhale and De-stress! Enjoy a relaxing massage any time…anywhere. Elegantly creamy, Micro-Emulsion Massage Oil Anti-Stress releases pent up tension and fatigue as it easily glides onto your skin. Delightfully aromatic, nourishing Safflower, Geranium, and Orange Oils blend to activate circulation, replenish elasticity and hydration while relieving dryness.

Nt. weight: 150ml/ 0.5 oz
Ingredients:

AMW says ---
Pros

• Simple packaging that's perfect on my bath area.
• A little goes a long way.  
• Smells wonderful and relaxing.
• The product is non-oily and non-greasy.
• Hydrates skin immediately after use.  Moisture stays for the whole day.
• The product says "oil" but it's actually a light cream texture that gets absorbed into the skin easily.

Cons

• Price.
• Not widely available.

Overall

The Pevonia Botanica Micro-emulsified massage oil is called "oil" amidst the light cream texture is due to the fact that it can activate the skin's natural oil release which helps the skin feels silkier and smoother.  The product is lightweight upon application and grease-free for the rest of the day.

Tips
from Pevonia

• Use as desired for a relaxing and renewing massage by applying a small quantity on areas of tension or all over your body and applying desired pressure. 
• Your skin's own warmth promotes the oil’s release and helps it become increasingly silkier. 

from AMW

• Best applied after shower or bath.
• I like applying more on areas that needed more moisture, my knees, my elbows and my ankles.
• Take time in application, if you worry about the product feeling heavy and greasy the whole day, wipe off excess "moisture" by patting your skin with a clean towel.
• It helps to have someone massage you.  Now that I can't reach my toes, Mr. AMW helps me apply lotion on my legs and feet before I go to sleep.
• Apply on pressure points like the bag of the neck, temple etc... for relaxation.
  

Will I repurchase?

I just did.  I have a friend who just gave birth to her second daughter in the US and I think she deserves some relaxation!  Well, she's probably reading this so I'm not saying anything more! :D

To whom do I recommend this to?

Anyone who needs to hydration plus relaxation.  This is perfect as gifts for busy moms and even single women out there who's busy with work!

Where to purchase and how much?

Available locally online for Php2.570.00 (approx $64.25). Like Pevonia Botanica Philippines on Facebook and visit http://pevoniaskincareblog.com.ph/ to read more about our products, promotions and other skincare and wellness articles.

Photos

Packaging 

Twist cap and squeeze tube in which I appreciate as I'm sure to get all the products inside!

A pump packaging will always be appreciated but I don't mind this.

Light cream texture in which I was a bit surprised as I was expecting "oil" to come out!  I'm glad it's not as I tend to worry about the greasy feel most oil-products give!  

Upon massage, the effect looks like regular lotion but its more absorbent than regular creams/lotions.

So far, this is my second Pevonia Botanica products that I've tried and both experiences are positive!  Their prices are a bit higher than regular skincare/bodycare but at the end of the day, if it works for you and can satisfy the needs of your skin, why not?  You deserve it!

Just in case, if you don't have the budget to purchase their wide range of products, you can always have a massage at The Spa as I believe they also offer Pevonia Botanica products there!  I actually learned about the brand during my stay in Shenzhen, China as the Spa place in which I bought my 1 year membership from uses all Pevonia Botanica products and both the facial and body care works for me!

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