A's: REVIEW ON SIGMA F50 DUO FIBRE and REVLON COLORSTAY LIQUID FOUNDATION

Perfect partners.

Pardon my not-so-clean brush. I will

do a blog on cleaning brushes with my

SIGMA SPA!

Watch our for that! :) 

I have recently decided to jump on the bandwagon and purchase my own set of Sigma makeup brushes. And though the price of the set that I purchased – Essential Kit – is way more than I would spend on any makeup item, I can still say it was worth every cent.

The airbrush effect

I have yet to fully test all of the brushes in the kit – although I already know I will love each one of them. I have, however, made full use of Sigma F50 Duo Fibre; a foundation brush. As  described on the small pamphlet that came with the package: it will work well with powder, cream, and liquid foundation, and will give you an airbrush-like effect. Now, I don’t know how an airbrush effect would look like, but if it is what I get after using F50 to put on foundation, then I am really loving this airbrush-like effect they call.

It is like clouds bouncing on your face

Okay, you got me, I have never felt clouds bouncing on my face, but I bet it would give  the same feeling as when using these brushes –specifically the F50-  for makeup. It is so soft, and comparing it with the other drug store makeup brush brands that I used to own [threw them all after I got my heavenly makeup brush package], this definitely is a lot softer, lighter, and definitely ouch-free.

Nothing can get oilier

Having oily skin, I always opt to buy compact foundations. I don’t know why, but it was what I thought I could ONYL use. But thanks to GOSSMAKEUPARTIST, and thanks to baby J who introduced his Youtube channel to me, I found out that I also have all the rights in this world to use liquid foundation. And to try out a liquid foundation, I bought REVLON COLORSTAY liquid foundation in the shade early tan (no.340). Why Revlon Colorstay? First, it’s a lot more affordable than most liquid foundations, and second, it is for combination or oily skin, which is how my skin is! Plus, Wayne Goss did a quick video about great foundations for oily skin, and Revlon Colorstay happens to be one of them. (smile smile wink wink)

The experience

The Sigma brush will totally help make your foundation application a lot easier, and help distribute the product evenly on the skin. It is very soft, that going back on areas of your face over and over again will neither be painful nor irritating. It does help give a flawless look, which makes the brush even lovelier.

Never did I need to touch up with Revlon Colorstay foundation. And I will say it again, NEVER. Depending on the look you want to have, you can go for medium to full coverage with the product. It is very lightweight on the skin too! It never felt like I was wearing foundation.

Scorecard

I will give both the Sigma Brush and the Revlon Liquid Foundation a 7/10. I am totally in love with these two items. And both make me feel like a pro, because the result that I get after application is REALLY great. Sometimes, you don't need great hands, you just need the right tools. At least I think.

Love note: To purchase your own Sigma brushes, you can simply go to: www.sigmabeauty.com Or you can check out the authorized retailers in your country. You can visit your local makeup stores for Revlon Colorstay foundation. Alternatively, you can visit their site (www.revlon.com)  to purchase items online. :)

Ooohhh spread some makeup-lovin

- A! J

A&J: Boys and girls, we present, THE ULTIMATE LIST OF MUST-HAVES!

You see something in the supermarket, you know you may need it but you still think twice about buying, you then leave the place without it. The following day, you find yourself in need of the product you thought twice of buying, but now, there isn't anywhere you can go to purchase one. Don’t you just hate those moments?

Sometimes, taking a visit on the health and beauty section of department stores wouldn’t hurt, and yes, we’re also talking to you, boys. Sometimes those things that we should have in our shopping baskets are the ones that go unnoticed.  

We’d like to share with you the things we make sure we always have at our dressers and in our purses. Products we use/apply before leaving the house, and things we carry around with us. Aside from the usual shampoo, conditioner, toothbrush toothpaste, and bringing our wallets, mobile phone, IDs with us, here are our other must-haves.

Bebi A's 5 Purse Must-Haves

There are things that I think one should always have ready, either on his/her car or purse. These are very easy-to-find and very affordable things that will never be useless once you get to know them.

1. Wet tissue / Facial tissue

No matter how careful we are, there will always be times when we will get our hands on something gross or we will have something dirty accidentally stick to us.And while wash rooms can be found available on many places, there can be chances when we will be left without an option to wash the nasty dirt off with water. And at times like those when wet tissues or facial tissues can come to your rescue.

I personally think that everyone should have wet tissues or facial tissues readily available for use. And this is regardless of the gender. These things are not only helpful whenever nature calls, you can also use them on your face to freshen up after walking under very humid weather condition, on wiping dirt off your mouth, keeping your hands clean, and the list goes on. Let us let experience tell you what kind of scenarios wet and facial tissues can be used on.

I do not have personal favorites when it comes to wet and facial tissues, but I  have been using these kinds. I find the packaging very cute, so I always just go for it (and they’re very affordable), plus the wet tissues in the purple packaging have a light hint of lavender, and that smells really nice.

2. Breath freshener

Bad breath is a total turn off. We all know that. And although we all (I really hope) spend ample time going up and down and in circles with our toothbrushes while dealing with our teeth, it cannot guarantee that we will have fresh breath the entire day. Eating and not eating can both cause bad breath. When you don’t eat, the gases from our stomach will escape from our body through the mouth (that is the explanation that I know, if I’m wrong, please feel free to correct me on the comment box below), and that can cause bad breath. With eating, and I think all of us already know this, depending on the food that you ate, your breath can smell Mexican, Italian, American, and if you’re even luckier, you’ll have that garlic breath scent. 

You’re lucky if you have a place where you can whip out your toothbrush and toothpaste and eliminate the bad smell in your mouth by brushing your teeth, or if you have a place where you can use your mouth wash to gargle. But for worse scenarios when you want fresh breath and you don’t have a place to brush your teeth or gargle, then mints can help do the trick.

My work dictates for me to either be in the office or in the field for some training. I am lucky because most times, I am able to have some teeth-loving time after lunch in the office, but during days when training are scheduled one after the other, then I go for the aid of my mints.

I always carry Clorets Actizol Plus Cool Mint Tablets. I personally like this one because its cool effect is felt until the tiniest bit of mint. It keeps your breath smelling minty for a sensible amount of time.

NOTE: There is a difference between fresh teeth and clean mouth. Mints are not a replacement for brushing our teeth.

3. Loose change

Have you ever had those days when you just wanted to buy something but it can’t be sold to you because the money you're using to pay is just a single bill and is of a big amount? I hate those moments too. And it’s because of those moments that I have learned that it is important to always have coins and bills of smaller amounts in your wallet.

If you’re in the Philippines, then it is likely that you will not be able to purchase an item worth Php15 with your Php500 bill. You will get that strange look from the person at the counter. Haha! And if you’re in Singapore, then you can say goodbye to your $2 or $5 when you left your EZlink card (the card we use to pay for public transpo) at home because the machines in buses wouldn’t give you change.

I like putting my $1 in my piggy bank, but I still always make sure I have at least three $3 coins plus couple more coins of smaller value in my wallet, and of course some bills.

4. Portable charger

Gone are the days when the only “features” a phone has is the ability to connect to another person through call or text messaging. Now we can watch movies, listen to music, take photos, play games, read e-books, among many others through these small pieces of technology. And although we are all thankful that we can now do all those things with the use of a small gadget, we all dread to see a red mark on our phone battery. We all have, one time or another, made a sad sigh upon seeing the low battery symbol on our phone. And that is not a good icon on our phone especially when our day is just starting or when we have to make or are waiting for some important phone calls or text messages.

All the worrying can end, and we can all say goodbye to phones with drained batteries, thanks to portable chargers. A portable charger, for me, is a life saver. I had found myself worrying about my phone’s battery life way too many times, until I got tired of trying to find a free phone charging area in all kinds of places.

I have the Sony Cycle Energy portable charger in black. I like it because it’s light, and it’s not bulky, so I can fit it in a small purse that I put in my bag. Although this portable charger can only charge my phone another 100% battery life before the charger drains its own battery life, I still find it helpful. I carry my portable charge fully charged, and I make sure I charge it (using my laptop) at home after I have used it.

5. And for my girls, our holy grail; makeup kit

I don’t think I need to even type anything on here. It’s already understood. I cannot even begin to describe how I used to panic whenever I would forget my makeup kit at home. There was even a time when I was already in school when I realized that I forgot my kit. My school is roughly an hour and fifteen minutes away from my home, and you think that stopped me? Hell no. I went back home, took my kit, and traveled back to school. It was THAT important. Hahaha! I don’t panic so much anymore, but I do get sad when I forget to put my lipstick or pressed powder in my kit. When my things aren't complete, I feel a like I’m half-naked.

In my kikay kit are the basics. If you can carry your makeup brushes and palettes around, then good for you. I, however, prefer a smaller bag. I have my compact powder from The Body Shop in shade no. 04. I apply a very thin layer of this one, and it’s always enough for that fresh and natural look. For my cheeks, I sometimes use this Clinique color surge eye shadow duo and blushing powder, in twilight mauve / braided plum and smoldering plum shades respectively. Another essential item in my kit is my lip balm; The Body Shop Vitamin E Lip Care SPF15, which I love so much because it’s not sticky, and really moisturizes your skin. I've tested this in autumn/winter weather, and it helped me not have chapped lips. ;) And of course my two lipsticks, NYC Ultra Moist Lipwear in Retro Red shade, and Revlon Colorstay Ultimate Suade lipstick in Couture. Both lipsticks are red shade, but what can I say, that's how I like 'em! And last but not the least is my eyebrow pencil, which is from a local brand; Ever Bilena Original in brown shade, I definitely cannot leave the house without it.

Bebi J's 5 Dresser Must-Haves

I have to admit I have a lot going on in my dresser. It’s filled with so many different things from my toner and moisturizer to my makeup palettes, brushes, and scrungees! This list can go on forever. Well, not forever because I have my 5 key things that my dresser can never be without (in terms of makeup and skin care)! These are the things that girls (and also boys) must have, never mind if you ran out of the other stuff, but these 5 you must stock up!


1. Sunscreen (Coppertone Sunscreen SPF50/VMV Hypoallergenics’ Armada Face Cover 30)

Sunscreen is the key to escape those nasty chapped skin and early guesting of your wrinkles!! I use the Coppertone Sunscreen as a lotion for my body. It’s not sticky at all! In fact, the skin absorbs it very well and quick too. Sunscreen basically has the same elements a lotion does, so weigh which one you need more, sunscreen or lotion? It’s really useless to double up the coverage because the other one will just absorb the other and will just reduce the SPF, hence useless.

For my face, I use the Armada one but only when I won’t use a foundation or a BB cream with an SPF on it. Because using it with a foundation that has an SPF will just pack on the heat in your face resulting to a quicker makeup meltdown and besides just like what I said earlier, it’s useless to have two products that both have an SPF.

The Coppertone Sunscreen SPF50 costs Php450/tube and the Armada Face Cover costs Php1,350/tube.

2. Moisturizer (L’oreal Hydrafresh)

Okay, people! You must know that the secret behind anyone with that glowing, beautiful skin is MOISTURIZER! This must be everyone's mantra: Cleanse, Tone, Moisturize! Moisturize! Moisturize! We need this to maintain or atleast prolong our skin’s elasticity to prevent it from the early star appearance of wrinkles! So we must choose our moisturizers wisely, like our lives depend on it!

And, I just simply adore this moisturizer! It’s specially designed for people with oily skin and God (sorry for using God, but that’s just to emphasize) knows I have a very oily skin. What’s so nice about it is that it’s in a gel form, thus, faster absorption and lighter application, it also cools the face when applied. It’s really refreshing and highly effective as well.

Each jar of L’oreal HydraFresh cost Php395.

3. Perfume (Annick Goutal Petit Cherie/Clinique Happy Heart/DKNY Be Delicious)

This should be a staple on anyone's dresser! It doesn't matter if you're a boy, girl, bakla, tomboy. LOL. One must always have a perfume or atleast a cologne. I don't think I need to justify this one so I'll just share my top3 signature scents. I interchange them by week! Hehe. This is where the girly bit starts so boys, look away! Or if you're thinking of getting you girlfriend or wife a perfume, here are some suggestions:

First one is my Annick Goutal Petit Cherie Eau de Parfum. Fancy!! That's why I rarely use it. I use it on special occassions and stuff. It smells lovely. It has that subtle scent of flowers and citrus in perfect harmony! This one's kinda pricey but my mom got it for me in Doha at around QR450 and I found it here in the Philippines at Rustan's Makati, they sell it at around Php6000.

Second is the Clinique Happy Heart, I bought it from Doha as well. Clinique Happy Heart may not be as famous as it's predecessor, Clinique Happy, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't smell as good. I love it so much. I got it for QAR300 (Php3300)

The last one has been my perfume since my college days, DKNY Be Delicious Green Apple! It's citrus-y but not too strong that it stings your nose. Out of the 3, I can say this one really is my signature scent, just because I've been using it the longest plus the bottle is cut as well! ;)

4. Deodorant (J. Thomas No Sweat Deo-Spray)

I can't emphasize enough how this should be present at all times, especially if you're aware that you sweat a lot, as I admittedly am!! Sweaty armpits can cause bad odor and bad odor can cause major inconvenience and annoyance to the person beside you or, worst, AROUND YOU! Haha. So, please always put on a deodorant. This is a Public Service Announcement, really! Haha.

I just recently found out about this J. Thomas deo-spray and I am telling you it does wonders to your armpits hehe. I noticed minimal sweating in that area the moment I started using it.

5. Qtips a.k.a Cotton Buds

Cotton buds is mainly used to clean your ears or nose, but did you know that if you're a woman struggling with those nasty mascara getting into your eyelids, qtips can be you BFF? You can use it to wipe away those mascara transfer from your eyelids or you can put the qtip against your lid before putting on the mascara to prevent smudges.

These are our top 5 list of must-haves, if you also have the same list, but have a different kind of use for them, please feel free to share it with us on the comment box below. Or if you think we left out some other essential stuff or have your own must-have list, we would love to know what they are! :)



Happpppinesss! - J and A

A&J: 5 YouTube channels you don't want to miss out on!

If you know Achmed; the dead terrorist, Charlie; who bit his brother's finger, some "wins" and "fails" of different years, some bloopers from your favorite TV series, tutorials, and tons of parodies, then you probably visit Youtube as often as we do. We all know the site has a lot more other videos aside from the ones mentioned, included in those videos that some of you may also know are those Youtube sensations that are now singers with big hits. We know some of them aren't even talented, but what the heck, that's the power of Youtube!

We will always thank Youtube for saving us from those boring long trips to places, dull times at home, lousy shows on cable TV, and for entertaining us when there is no new interesting entry on Facebook or 9gag. We like going on Youtube to watch random videos, but we LOVE visiting video channels we are subscribed to and check out their latest video entries.

Today, we're going to share with you our top 5 favorite Youtube channels, and why we can't get enough of them!

Top 1 (Bebi J and bebi A's pick): ELLEN DEGENERES

Oh Ellen, Y U SO FUNNY? Haha! We are crazy about her! What's not to love about her? She's fun, she's hip, she's cool, and just the things she makes her writers and other staff do? Ugh! Such a cool boss! Ellen, if you can read this, please employ us! We will ride all the scary rides, eat gross-looking food, and do weird things! Or we can be two sexy foot rests if you're company is packed. :D -A

We also love how she engages with her audience, example, Ellen digs into some of her audience's facebook pages and makes her own story off of them! Haha! And, she really has some great staff because they always manage to find the coolest and cutest youtube videos! One of our favorites from Ellen are Sophia Grace and Rosie, they're just so cute adorable and very talented. We always watch out for them in Ellen's channel. We're also crazy for the different segments that she posts on her youtube channel like Know or Go, Just Kid Ink, Clumsy Thubsy, etc. And lastly, it's always very touching how generous and caring she is when she gives out life changing gifts to deserving people. -J

And just to show how fun Ellen's channel is, here's her latest video:

Top 2 (Bebi J's pick): PIXIWOO / GOSSMAKEUPARTIST

I am kinda cheating with this because Bebi A and i are supposed to have 2 YouTube channels each, because we already agreed who should be our top 1, Ellen! ;) But, I am just torn between these two. Both of these channels are the reasons why my mom is calling me a “makeup nazi” or a “makeup hoarder”! Haha! But honestly, everything I know now about makeup is because of them. And, I have to say I learned from (I think) the best makeup gurus there is in Youtube. They are both so nice and not alienating in any way, especially for beginners. They also give extensive product reviews to save anyone from wasting their money on products that are just not worth it! They also do not use any jargons that only makeup experts speak, and that makes them easy to understand. Just to show how helpful their tips are here are my favourite tutorials from both channels.

Pixiwoo: Is a youtube channel put up by two sisters that are passionate Makeup Artists, Sam and Nic Chapman. Sam already has her own makeup brush line, and I have almost all her brushes and I will complete them very soon ;)  

Gossmakeupartist: He is a male MUA named Wayne Goss and that intrigued me so much I had to watch his makeup tutorials! And they are all great and very practical. Wayne is very fearless when it comes to makeup reviews and does not yield even with bigwigs like “Chanel”! He’s one of the most honest makeup guru I've watched on Youtube! 

Top 3 (Bebi A's pick): JENNA MARBLES  

You think you know funny crazy? Think again.

My boyfriend was the one who introduced me to Jenna's video channel. One video was all it took for me to get really hooked to her channel. She posts really funny vidoes about random things, and that's what makes the channel really fun. You don't know what to expect. I personally love her video titled, "What Nicki Minaj looks for in a man".

 

Top 2 (Bebi J's pick): AngKikayKo by Teena Arches
 

Teena is a Filipina makeup guru and it was through her that I became aware of different local makeup brands. I owe it to her that now, I know Dollface, Shawill, and Ever Bilena (all local brands) have very good makeup products as well! It was also through her that I have come to know Pixiwoo. She is a very hyper makeup guru! I can’t help but laugh everytime I watch her videos. She also do really “Philippine weather-friendly” makeup tutorials! Haha! She also does some very funny vlogs! She is very spontaneous and I can totally relate to her because she is a body image warrior as well! She is a certified Plump Pinay and I am definitely one too. I came to know about Teena when she was featured in Plumpinay; another blog site here in the Philippines. She inspires me, and I bet tons more people, a lot, and let me tell you, she's even younger than me!!! I’ve also won some brush freebies from her giveaway, so extra love for her! :D

Here’s my favourite video from her channel. It's not a tutorial, it's more like a funny rant video:

Top 5 (Bebi A's pick):  BEBEXOXO

I have made it clear on our first joint entry that I am not someone who knows how to put makeup on. I leave the house with a dab of lipstick and lipgloss and with my brows done. I am loving the simple and very natural look, but given the chance, I'd like to be able to stay a little longer in front of the mirror and hold a brush and an eye shadow pallette and know what to do with them. And that is exactly one of the reasons why I love going to Bebexoxo's Youtube video channel.

The array of tutorials she has, from shaping your brows, to putting on blush, getting that smokey-eyed effect, and doing your hair are all amazing! And plus, she's really cute! Haha! I see her like a tiny (the courage for me to say she's tiny... like am over 5'3"! haha!) fairy who can grant you your three beauty wishes.

And, that completes our top 5 youtube channels, We hope you found some interesting stuff from this lineup of inspiring, funny, and witty bunch of ladies! And, if you have a favorite youtube channel that you want to share with everybody, please just leaave their links in the comment box and we'll check them out!

That is it for now and if we may borrow Ellen's favorite line; Be kind to one another, Bye! :)

- J & A

J: I’ve got to go…AGAIN! + Basic packing tips for long haul flights!

How time flies! It feels like I just came back home (from Qatar) yesterday, and now it's time to leave The Philippines again. But I can't say I am not excited to leave, I am very thrilled, and I cannot wait to get the hell out of here!

Don’t get me wrong, I love coming home to the Philippines, but I am always excited to go back to Doha every time, mainly because my mom is there and it is there where our family can be complete. I have said this before; Doha feels more like my home now. It doesn't matter which country we're in, what's most important is that we're (physically) together. For me, that's all that matters.

We came home December 2012 for the holidays and also for the renewal of vows of my mom and dad. They just celebrated their silver wedding anniversary! That was really exciting not just for me, but for the whole family as well. Valentine’s Day came on a December for us ;)

March is just around the corner, but before that 9-hour flight to Doha, my dilemma is always how to fit my things in my luggage, haha! I’m a lady and travelling light is a huge problem for me! But years of going back and forth from Doha to the Philippines has taught me a thing or two when it comes to packing my stuff properly and these techniques, I am going to share with all of you. Say goodbye to the troubles of packing the wrong way.

For my Clothes:  I never fold my clothes, I roll them. With this, I can fill the space of my luggage more efficiently and then layer them. This means I can fit more clothes in, and then just fold my jeans and delicates then lay it over after.

I normally have tops and dresses that has a sheer and cotton material so it's easier to roll. But this trick does not apply for jeans or sweaters because these are too thick, it might take up more space when rolled, so it's much better to fold them and lay them over the rolled clothings.

After a few layers of rolled clothes, this is how your luggage should look like! Very compact and efficient.

For my Shoes: The last time we went to Doha, I weas literally in tears while I bid adieu to some of my shoes. But then, I am not planning to go through all that this time. I decided to pre-select what shoes to bring and then put them in a hygienic plastic wrap so I can squeeze them in my luggage and then some on my carry-on bag. ;)

I got this vacuum storage bag kit from Avon. I love it because it's super sealed and it allows the shoes to be mixed with my clean clothes.

For my Make-Up and Fragrances: I have a small hard case luggage for my makeup and perfumes, because I am more convinced that nothing bad will happen to my makeup when they’re in a tough luggage, haha! But I don’t just throw them in there, I also wrap them in a bubble wrap, because I am OC like that and to prevent leakages for the liquid and cream ones, it’s also a perfect excuse to play with those bubble wraps. ;)



I have a small luggage for my makeup, brushes, fragrances and some pieces of clothings and delicates

For my Brushes: I’ve got tons of makeup brushes at this point and I pack them a little different. I put brush guards on them to protect their bristles and then put them in a separate pouch to keep them safe because they’re like my babies and quite pricey as well! So better keep them safe, right? ;)

I got the brush guards from Suesh Makeup Toolkit and the pouch came free with the Suesh Smokey Eye Brush Kit.

For my Gadgets: I always try to bring my gadgets in my carry-on luggage but they can be too bulky, like my DSLR or my hair dryer, so I put them in my check-in luggage. I strategically put them in between clothes so they’re quite snuggled in, because we know how rough the luggage handling in the airports could be.

Among my gadgets, My DSLR and my Laptop are the most bulky. I tend to squeeze my DSLR inside my luggage or let someone else carry it for me. As with my other little gadgets, I put them in my shoulder bag :)

For the Pasalubong/Baon: My aunts/uncles and grandmas always make sure that I bring a slice of home as a pasalubong to my inay. This means tons of Goldilocks polvoron, dried mangoes,  pastillas, etc. I usually just let them do the packing for these yummy treats, and how they usually do it is by the "classic" way; wrapping them whole with packaging tape and then squeeze them in our luggage. Believe me, it works all the time! ;) The pasalubong are the last ones to get inside the luggage. :)

The very yummy pastillas

Giving the classic polvoron to anyone we know that's leaving the country is almost like a tradition in our family. It's a staple pasalubong or pabaon.

Banquet of all sorts of native knick knacks

And that is it for now. If you’re travelling anytime soon, I hope this helped and enjoy! :)

-J




Photo Sources:
http://sartoriography.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/04_rolling-clothes.jpg
http://www.prolificliving.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Folding_Clothes_in_Luggage.jpg