Friday, February 22, 2013

AMW Reviews: Yves Rocher Pure System SOS Blemish Corrector 6H

Happy Friday AMW Friends!  I realized that I did a review on a whole lot of concealers but I haven't really blogged about concealers that are focused on blemish correcting!  Maybe, it's because I'm born perfect and I don't have zits?  *laughs*  Just joking!  I do have my fair share of zits and acne-related stories but that happened when I was still in high school and I wasn't allowed to wear makeup then!  And to be honest, I don't see much makeup brands back then!  Yes, I know, high school seems like CENTURIES ago!  :P

Today, I'm finally reviewing a concealer that's made for spot correcting! Don't get me wrong, I do have zits and spots every now and then but I am too lazy to use products that specifically target those problems!  I'm an all-in-one product type of girl!  *winks*


Yves Rocher says ---
Hide imperfections and dry in one step.
Targeted dual action:
  • All day long concealed pimples.
  • After 6 hours: dried pimples.
Formulated and tested under medical supervision.  Paraben-free.
Size: 10ml

AMW says ---
Pros
  • Easy to carry tiny tube packaging.
  • Easy to control amount of product needed to squeeze out.
  • Paraben-free.
  • Has a cooling effect and does dry out pimple and spots.
  • Gives good amount of coverage if applied correctly.
Cons
  • 1 shade only.
  • Could be drying on skin.
  • Product may not be effective on long time zits and spots.
Overall
A good spot corrector as the color can counteract redness and other acne marks.  Has a cooling effect and according to my sister, it does dry up "newly sprouted" pimples not in 6 hours, it takes longer but it has a drying effect.

Tips
  • Apply a small quantity of the product directly on the blemish.
  • Use patting motion.
  • For zits, I strongly suggest to use a very fine concealer brush to apply the product directly on the area and blend out harsh edges.
  • If the Yves Rocher SOS Blemish Corrector shade is different from your skin, it helps to apply this concealer prior to foundation application!
  • Feel free to re-apply concealer after foundation application (if the shade matches your skin tone).
Will I repurchase?
Not for me but I wouldn't mind recommending!  My sister loves this!

To whom do I recommend this to?
Anyone who suffers from pimples, acne marks, spots and blemishes of all sorts.

Where to purchase and how much?
Php450.00 (approx $11.25) at Yves Rocher  TriNoma Mall, SM North Edsa The Block, SM South Mall, SM Fairview and Ayala Center Cebu.

Photos


Lipgloss-like packaging

Application
I prefer to apply a tiny amount of product at the back of my hand and warm it up with my fingers before applying directly on to the areas needed for concealing.  The reason for this is the warmth of my fingers can make the product apply smoothly as compared to direct application as I have dry skin!  
If you have oily skin, it is okay to apply product directly on zit using your fingers or brush. 

 Yves Rocher Pure System SOS Blemish Corrector 6H has a salmon shade.  If not for its pimple fighting properties, this shade works so well for my under eye circles.

 Warming up the product at the back of my hand makes it easier to create smoother application.  The product tends to sit in lines around the skin so be careful!
 

Note: Do not apply this product on the under eye area just like I did, this is only for demonstration purpose.  The product has cooling effect which is meant for spots and blemishes and contains ingredients that can dry up unwanted pimples. 

Do you agree with me how perfect the shade is to counteract the darkness around my eyes?  Unfortunately, this product isn't meant for the under eye area!  According to my sister, this covers her pimples and red marks pretty well and she's okay with the product even if the drying effect doesn't take quick effect.

Do you use separate concealer for under eye area and for spots?
I am quite lazy and straightforward with my makeup application, I may do all sorts of steps for clients but I prefer using one concealer for both under eye circles, redness around the face and some spots!  Call me lazy...yes I am! :)

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Thursday, February 21, 2013

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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Wednesday, February 20, 2013

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

Monday, February 18, 2013

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

Sunday, February 17, 2013

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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