Delightful Illusions

          Shade 2: I can see a wider dent on this shadow, comparing to my introduction post, as shown in the picture above. It's a pretty gold shade, but it has a lot of glitter fallout. This is a nice topping on my neutral shadows. I'll use this shade as my lid color on for a week straight so I could hit the pan faster.

          Shade 7: There's not a lot of progress on this beautiful teal-cerulean blue shadow. I don't use this a lot because I think it's inappropriate for the office. I use this sometimes to top my eyeliner on my lash line to give a nice accent. I think I will use this a lot during  the Summer season.

          Shade 8: I have already hit pan on this brown shade so I don't use this much these days. As I have said, I need to focus on the other eye shadows. 

          Careline is a local beauty brand selling makeup items, colognes and some other related products which targets the teenage girls. I think the philosophy of this brand to provide fresh looking makeup for the young ones. I appreciate the brand for its simplicity; a simple makeup look is what a teenager needs. ;) 

              I'm currently doing a challenge, the Project Makeup Low Buy 2016, which aims to minimize my accumulation of makeup products for 2016 as I have been uncontrollable last year. I am allowing myself to buy a maximum of 2 makeup items per month and do a review on them. :) Last Monday, as I was roaming around at the grocery, I browsed on the makeup displays that they have. I came across this Careline Oil Control Liquid Make-up which pretty much look like a liquid foundation. The main reason I bought this was because it claims to be "oil-control" makeup; I have an oily skin and need of light foundation for everyday use so I got this. I have actually saved this one for a "First Impressions" review type of post because I wanted to share with you what will be my experience in trying this product for the first time. If you are interested, just keep on reading. :)

          We should actually see what composes this products before I tell you my experience. Looking above, you could tell that this has Dimethicone, Talc, and Parabens; harsh chemicals that causes harm on the skin and health in general which could be found on most makeup products. Uh uh, that's not good, especially for teens. Tsk. Tsk. Tsk.

          Now, let's see what this product claims. It claims to be absorbing excess oil all through the day and has a light weight texture. That sounds good, right? A light weight makeup that absorbs oil; a 2-in1 product for only Php 90! Have you noticed that little opened jar which has 24M on it? That indicates how long this product will stay fresh after you have opened it. 24 months isn't bad at all, eh?

          The nicest thing about this product is the tube packaging with cupcake decorations on the outside. This is one of the most hygienic and neatest type of packaging on my opinion. 

          I attended my class at the Graduate School today and I decided to try this product today. I have applied this product alone on my face because I wanted to see if this will really absorb the oil all through out the day even without setting it with a powder. The smell is okay though; it has that kind of light sweet vanilla scent. 

          6:50 AM: I have just finished applying makeup on my face. I still have to eat so I don't have lipstick on these first two pictures yet. We can see here that this just barely covered my under eye dark circles and pores. I didn't set this with a powder, as I have a while ago, and it has a little bit of moisture going on my face which I didn't like at all. It made me feel uncomfortable.

            10:25 AM: I was already back at home because my professor just updated us with the changes on her course requirements. I think I only stayed on the school for like an hour. Haha! Anyways, I have taken another selfie when I got home. You can see some shine peeking through, including those blemishes. My face felt so greasy again. I mean, I have only touched up almost two hours ago and here comes the uncomfortable feeling again. I washed my face after I took this picture because I didn't want this on my face anymore. 

               That was my experience on the first try of this product. I cannot tell yet if this isn't worth the money or not; I still need to use this a few times more before I can give you my verdict. I can tell you pros and cons though;

PROS:

          Hey, loves! How are you doing? Today, I want to share with you the stuff that I have loved in January. As you have noticed, I haven't done a monthly favorites in a long time. I cannot even remember when was the last time I did something like this. I will talk about products that you have never seen on this blog before, which is really exciting for me. This post does not only features beauty products; including health product, beauty tools and hygiene product. If you are interested on my favorites the previous month, just keep on reading. ☺

          Golden Spoon Banaba Herbal Tea Health Drink (Trial Pack) - Banaba is known to help in loosing weight here in the Philippines. My aunt and cousins drink Banaba Tea on a regular basis and I have seen some improvements on their bodies since the last time I saw. Since we don't have a Banaba tree, I have bought this tea at Robinson's Supermarket to try; to see if this has the same effect on me. I have to say that I whenever I drink this tea, my stomach feels light. I prefer this than the Senna Tea, which gives me an excruciating pain (just exaggerating) before I dispose my waste. Haha! If you are trying to loose weight, I recommend Banaba Tea as an alternative. :) 

          Penshoppe Fairy Dust Pink Dream Body Spray (70 mL) - This is one of the fragrances that seem like to smell really, really sweet because it's pink (I'm so biased), but isn't that sweet. Do you get me, guys? Haha! This smell belongs to the floral family; soft floral with sparkling sensation which results to a powdery scent when it settles on the skin. I think that this scent kind of belongs to the family where the Chanel No. 5 belongs. I love this because it gives me that fresh, baby powder scent that isn't overwhelming. How I wish Penshoppe would make a perfume version of this one. I will the happiest person in whole wide world. Haha! :)

          pH Care Naturals Intimate Wash with Guava Leaf Extract - This is just your basic daily feminine wash. The main reason why is it here on this list is because of the fresh smell of the products. The smell seems refreshing and light. I have used this during my period and I stayed feeling fresh. Okay, enough said. I don't want to expand. Haha!

         GT Carrot Lotion with SPF 60 - This product claims to be whitening, moisturizing, body concealer and sunblock, like a 4 IN 1 product. I have used this since December and I have to say that it does what it claims. I love that this evens my skin tone, feels light weight, gives a smooth feeling on my skin, and has a high level of SPF. I get compliments on my skin every time I use this. People have been asking what soap I use, and I tell them that I just use a lotion. Haha! When you use this product, just make sure that you blend this very well in order not to leave white splotches on your skin. :)

          Ever Bilena Matte Eyeshadow Trios in Tango - Honestly speaking, I didn't think that Ever Bilena will make good quality eye shadows. Their products are always made from China; I have said before that cheap products from China are pretty poor in quality and is most probably unhealthy for the skin. This particular line of eyeshadow is the bomb; very pigmented, creamy texture, smooth application, blendable, and long lasting. I love this light custard brown shade as my transition color. This shadow gives my eyes a nice gradient effect on my looks. I recommend picking up these matte shadows if you still have access them. I think that they already have discontinued these shadows.

          Avon Perfect Brow Kit in Deep Brown - There's not a single Avon makeup product purchase that I didn't like, and this eyebrow kit is not an exception. I have used this non-stop ever since I got this. This was my first time trying a brow kit with wax and my excitement wasn't disappointed. I love how he was puts my brows in place all throughout the day. The wax serves as the base that makes the powder application easy.  The applicator that comes with this is not the best; the strands are too thick for my taste. I use a flat angled liner brush to apply the powder for a more precise shape. Just don't touch your brows too much when you have this is on because this comes off easily. 

          Target Smudge and Shadow Brush Set - Oh my goodness, these brushes are rock stars! The shadow brush (bigger one) is good for applying colors on the crease, especially on blending. I love that the size of this brush fits my almond-shaped eyes perfectly. I have used this non-stop the first I tried this. The smudge brush have also blown my mind away. This is perfect for blending harsh eyeshadow application on the lower waterline. This makes the shadow give soft focus effect on shadows. I recommend getting this set because these are must haves. 

          San San High Definition Foundation with SPF 30 in Beige - I think I found the perfect foundation for my light yellow skin. This foundation shade blends into my skin excellently, like a second layer of my skin. Basing on my experience, this gives me a medium to full coverage. This has a thick, mousse-like consistency with a bearable sweet scent. I think that this perfect for people with a minimum amount of blemish on their face because this is definitely high definition. Once you apply this on your skin, this gives a semi-matte finish that emphasizes details on your face. I suggest using a good primer that fills in pores before using this product. This foundation would be great for photo shoots, I say. 

          Revlon Custom Eyes Shadow/Liner in Naturally Glamorous - I love this specific rustic brown shadow as my crease color on most of my eye looks. This gives a deeper, different look on my eyes which I really enjoy nowadays. If you'll ask me two years ago if I will use this on my crease, I will definitely say no. This shadows is more on the red side, making it look vampy. I have a change of heart as I have said. I love this shade now and this is most used out of the other shades on this palette.

           Hi, guys! Today's post is about the outfit I wore today on my niece's birthday party. It's her 7th birthday celebration today; a Frozen-themed party. All of the decorations were colored either blue, white or silver. Anyways, I wore something comfortable (as always) yet still colorful and youthful. 

           As you can see, I'm chubby right now. Haha! I have been eating a lot the past few months and I honestly didn't care. For my dress, I chose this high-low cut, flower-printed short dress that I purchased from Boracay. I though this was so suitable for the venue which is on the beach. My cousins wore maxi dresses, but I didn't want to trouble myself being uncomfortable on the bus. I cannot explain the specific style of this dress; it has cinch on the waistline and has this overlay fabric of the same print on the neckline. See this picture from Instagram to see what I mean: Colorful Dress.

           I layered my dress with a cropped, light wash denim jacket which I got from a thrift store in Baguio. I have big arms right now and I don't feel like exposing so I have to cover them. This jacket seems to have matched with my dress pretty well. What can you say? I was actually inspired by Demi Lovato to pair girly dresses with denim jackets. Remember the Camp Rock 2 days? Her outfits were so cute! 

          Then I chose a brown sling bag with studs and fringes from Stradivarius. I cannot find this bag on their online store anymore but here similar ones on this page. This bag is spacious enough to put my wallet, sunglasses, earphones, small body mist and makeup at times. 

          To spice up my outfit, I wore this some sort of a connector ring; one band one the middle part and the other band on the bottom connected by a chain. Please tell me what do you call this type of ring because I clearly do not know. Haha! 

          For shoes, I chose these brown sandals from the brand Spring Fling which I bought online at Zalora. Fortunately, you can still purchase this online on this page.I think that these pair of flats went well with the rest of my outfit. These have put on a bohemian vibe on the overall outfit, together with the bag. These shoes are so comfortable to wear on and looks unique compared to other strappy sandals I've seen. 

       This was my outfit for today's family occasion. I loved this overall look because it's cute, youthful, and vibrant. I felt like I was a teenager again. I think that it suited pretty well for a children's party. It's comfortable, simple yet playful at the same time. Did you like my outfit as well? Let me know by leaving a comment down below. I enjoy making posts about this because I like sharing my style with you, guys. I hope you stay tuned because I will share my favorites next. Thank you so much for visiting. Have a great day. Stay safe. XOXO

          Hi, guys! I am going to share to you today about my disappointing experience on an online purchase; it's way of packaging and the time I waited for to be delivered to me. This post will be composed a lot of rants and some cursing to express my emotions. If you don't like this type of posts, you can click the close button for this window right now. :) I do not intend to this to get attention, be famous, bash the website, or anything. I just want to share my experience as this is the first time that this was happened to me. 

           Last December, I decided to order a pair a shoes from Zalora PH to match some of my outfits for the upcoming holidays. I ordered the shoes on December 13, 2015, 7 days before we leave for a vacation in Manila. I was confident that I will be receiving my order on the 18th at most; Cash On Delivery (COD) transactions for provinces usually arrives 3-5 working days after they have shipped the orders. So, I waited patiently for my order as I was expecting that I will be putting it on my luggage when I start packing. Friday came and my order didn't arrive. I said to myself that maybe my package will arrive the next day. I wasn't worried so much yet. 

          As you can see on the picture above, Zalora verified my order the same day I ordered the shoes. It's good that they post tracking of orders on their customer's account. 

          We can see on the picture above that they have shipped my order the following day, December 14, 2015. I have one question though; when they say shipped does that mean my order is already on its way to my house or it has been given to the courier to be shipped out? Usually, couriers ship packages on the same day if the transaction has been made before 12 noon. Am I right, guys?

            Going back to my story, I actually did not receive any package. I went on vacation without the shoes I ordered on my luggage. I was already disappointed because Zalora haven't delivered my package super late. They have been true to what they say that orders to be delivered on provincial areas will arrive 3-5 working days after they have been shipped. 6 working days have passed and I still haven't received my order. On the 20th of December, we left for vacation. What I did was that I left my payment to my grandmother. I told her if LBC comes, she should just get my package and give my payment to them. 

         My grandmother called us to say hi on the 21st; I asked her if my order has arrived already because it's already Monday. She said that LBC hasn't come yet and delivered anything. I just said: "Ah, Okay". I thought that maybe there's a lot of orders and a traffic on the shipment of packages considering that it was holiday season. I shrugged it of because I was thinking that the package will arrive that week.

         When we got home on January 3rd of 2016, my grandmother handed me over the package. I was excited to open my package because I wanna see what the shoes look like in person. My grandmother said that my order arrived yesterday, January 2. I was like: "Whaaaat??". That was too long already! Anyways, before I go to my ranting, I want to share with you the pictures I took as I opened my package. 

          As I said, I was excited to open my package. When I opened it, this is what I saw. Look at the picture above, that's what I exactly saw. My reaction was: "What the fuck is this!? Did someone open this?". Who could do this? I'm not sure if the courier did this thing because the package is sealed and has the Zalora tag on it. If LBC opened my package, the plastic should be ripped off. The plastic wrapper was not ripped off in any form and I couldn't see any opening. The thing that pissed me so much was the box. What the fuck is that? A reused box that looks like it has beaten. Who the hell is Jay Ann Hernandez? What does the numbers mean on the box? I am so sorry for cursing but this is so disappointing. Don't they have the decency to give their customer a decent box? 

          Orders from Zalora comes with an envelope containing the receipt and return form. I was even more shocked that when I opened the envelop, I was that the papers inside were already folded in a messy way; like somebody opened this first, read the contents, folded it and put it back on the envelope. Who the fuck opened this envelope? If you have to sneak into someone's order, make sure you leave no evidence. What the hell!

           When I opened box, I saw that the shoes were still there. Good thing, huh? I have noticed that the silica gel that usually comes in shoe box is not on this box. Did somebody took it? I was even thinking that maybe somebody tried this is on and just put it back in the box. Like these items were already used before I even received them. I was so mad that time I wanted to mail Zalora right away and curse them for their negligence. Yes, I call this negligence. My items were on sale but that doesn't mean they won't give the proper box I deserve. I may be nobody to the blogging community, but I don't think I deserve this mess. I don't know if this is Zalora's fault or the courier. One should have done, Zalora should secure all their packages. When the shipment to the courier has done, it doesn't mean that they won't track leniently anymore. I made orders from the site before but this is the first it has happened to me. And I tell you right now, I am not really happy about this. I was thinking to just move on with my life but people should know my story. People deserve this story because they must be aware of the consequences of buying online. 

         I feel bad for saying all of these, but I can't just sit here and keep this experience to myself. There are lots of dangers on shopping online. I realized that even grandiose fashion website like Zalora can never ever guarantee the safety of products we buy from them. I just don't feel like buying from them any time soon. This is so disappointing. I am so sorry for the curses I have said but I need to let this one out. I will understand if you will be turned off with this post. This is my story and I just want to share it. Anyways, thank you much for reading. I feel like people will react to this post and leave some comments. I will answer them but I won't be back at home until Thursday. I will go for a work travel tomorrow. If you have anything to share to use regarding this matter, feel free to comment. I hope you still read my blog after you read this posts. I will talk to you soon. Have a great day. Stay safe.