You might be wondering how I got my hands on this brush.  No fuss, I'll tell you. I got this in the mail a few weeks ago, after having waited for almost 2 months. This is the freebie I received from Sigma when I signed up for their Affiliate Program.  You can also be a Sigma affiliate by clicking this LINK.

Hello lovely readers! :)

This is YUKLUI's birthday giveaway as her birthday is on the 11th of April and she's turning 20! :O
And she is giving away this Urban Decay, The Black Palette:

 And a few extra goodies which is a mystery!

EDIT! Revealed the mystery prizes which are:





Also a few British sweets :)

All items are new and has not been touched or used.
I post internationally, to all countries :)

There will be one lucky winner!


JOIN NOW! and visit her blog.




Cheerios!

Hello ladies, I was tagged! Yeepee, here's another fun tag post. I was tagged by Amy of Daydream Amy to do this post and I'm glad she did, now I have something to blog about today...LOL! Thanks Amy!

While I was rummaging through my makeup loot, I realized that I own several makeup that I've had with me for almost a year now. (lost most of  my old makeup when our house turned to ashes last April 30, 2010)  And it came to me, "How long does makeup last?".  I know for a fact that makeup and cosmetics don't last forever. So, I did a little research and here's what I found.

Unfortunately, some makeup companies are not required to post expiration warnings on their labels.  According to The Cosmetics Products Safety Regulations of 1996, only products that won't last longer than 30 months need to show a use-by date, whereas all other products don't need one. So, you have to use your judgement and be informed of the guidelines recommended by experts.

Contaminated Makeup Can Cause Breakouts, Boils and Eye Infections. For health reasons, you should know when to throw them out.

Shelf Life below is based on "Period After Opening".

EYE Products 
Mascara: 3 - 6 months (should be used quickly once opened because they're easily contaminated by the pumping action of the brush)
Eyeliners or Eye pencils: 6 months
Cream Eye Shadow: 12-18 months
Powder Eye Shadow: 18 - 24 months (if never wet)

FACE Products
Liquid Foundation: 12 months
Cream or Compact Foundation: 18 months
Concealer: 12-18 months
Cream Blush: 12-18 months
Powder Blush and Bronzer: 2 years
Pressed or Loose Powder: 2 years

LIP Products
Lip gloss: 18-24 months
Lipstick: 2 years
Lip Liner: 2 years

Nail Polish - It won't go bad from bacteria. Eventually though, lacquer will dry out and become thick and clumpy, with the pigments settling along the bottom of the bottle. Shake it, and if the formula remains separated, get rid of it. 

Tools
Keep your Makeup brushes clean by wiping them on a dry paper towel or washcloth after every use, and giving them a thorough cleaning every two weeks with a gentle hair shampoo. The best way to store them is propped upright in a glass, where they can air out and won't be squashed and deformed.

Cheap makeup sponges should be replaced after two uses—one side, then the other. (The exception: "high-quality ones that come with a cleanser, such as the Beauty Blender, which clean out well.) Not only will old, porous sponges suck up too much makeup, but they are "little bacteria pits" if left sitting around.

Tips to remember:
Always store your makeup in a dry, cool and clean place and avoid exposing it to heat or sunlight.

Sharpen your eye and lip pencils regularly to remove the bacteria on the outer layers. And clean the sharpener regularly as well.

Wipe down your lipstick, or shave off the top of it with a blade especially if you have shared it with someone else. (as much as possible never ever share your makeup with others). Do not use lipstick and lipgloss if you have been sick or replace them if you have.

Clean and check your makeup bag or makeup storage regularly.

If you use powder foundation, scrape off the top layer occasionally.

Also, never use makeup if you have an eye infection. The bacteria can spread and fester and infect everything it touches.

Lastly, discard of any makeup that seems like it has changed color or smells funny.

RachelRayShow

I hope you all found this helpful. This is it for now.

Cheerios!
***Hollie***

I haven't done any looks for a while now because I currently have tons of breakouts. However, I still wanted to wear a simple summer look when my hubby and I went to Ayala to buy groceries. I hope you guys will like it.

I know this post is long overdue, but I was super busy this week and nearly didn't have time to blog. Any way this was an FOTD taken by my hubby when we went shopping at Park Mall the day after my Birthday.

This is the facial wash I bought after I emptied out my celeteque facial wash. I used this for 3 days and guess what happened... I had another set of breakouts! yayks!  The breakouts I suffered from the Sansan face powder hasn't even cleared out yet and here comes another one. (sigh)

If you've read my previous post "Skin Care Empties" I've had quite a few skin care stuff that I've emptied out. Yay for that! So naturally I have to replace them, and here's what I got. By the way, I've been using all these for over a week now, so I can say that I'm quite happy with them.

naFlora restore feminine wash 60ml
- retails around Php 62.00

Out of all the feminine washes I've tried, I think I finally hit the jackpot! I've tried, Betadine, Lactacid, PH Care, Gynepro and finally naFlora.  It really does relieve itchiness, and really feels refreshing after washing. It has a really mild scent which I love and gives a really minty sensation. In addition to that, the packing is awesome, it doesn't use a flip cap.
My rating: 5 / 5

- retails around Php 119.00

I really looked for this body lotion when I saw MaricarlJanah raved about this on her February Wins video. And guess what I love it too! It smells so good and the texture is perfect. It isn't sticky at all and it absorbs quickly too but others might find the consistency a little thick. My skin really feels soft and moisturized after applying. I only use this at night  or days that I don't get exposed under the heat of the sun because it doesn't have SPF.
My rating: 4 / 5

- retails around Php 98.00

I haven't noticed the lightening effect this lotion yet since I've only been using it for a week. But it did do a pretty good job with protecting my skin. I've tried walking around under the heat of the sun for hours and my skin darkened only very slightly. The scent is mild and texture is nice. Its definitely not sticky and I like the fact that it's not too thick like other whitening lotions are.
My rating: 4 / 5

- retails around Php129.00

This is the first body wash I've used regularly. I've tried body washes before but mostly free stuff that my dad brings from his trip...LOL. I'm really liking this, it's really moisturizing and it also lathers very well. It smells really mild, almost like baby powder. In addition to that, it also contains really fine beads which is almost unnoticeable.
My rating: 4 / 5

- retails for Php 80.00

After all the raves I've read about this body scrub I finally gave in. Okay, so here's what I think about it. Haven't seen any whitening effect yet, well it's only been a week. It's super moisturizing but I think the scent is a little too overwhelming for me.  It does a pretty decent job as a body scrub but I've already tried something better. So in conclusion, this scrub is pretty much average.
My rating: 3 / 5

I'm not really sure about the prices above so I just placed a very close estimate from what I can remember on the top of my head. And Oh, I also bought the Neutrogena pure mild facial cleanser and repurchased the Maybelline Eye and Lip Makeup Remover, I just forgot to include them in the photo.

This is it for now.

Cheerios!
***Hollie***

I'm excited to show this, since I've finished several Skin Care products that I've been using for a couple of months. It just feels great to really finish and empty out a bottle or a tube.

So here it is from Left to Right:

SkinWhite whitening body lotion Papaya Variant.
Celeteque facial wash
GynePro feminine wash
Celeteque facial moisturizer
L'Occitane body lotion
Maybelline Eye and Lip Makeup remover
Human Nature Body Butter Mango variant

L'Occitane can be found at Rustan's. It was gift from my best friend, she actually gave me 2 bottles of the lotion. It smells really good and it's super moisturizing. As for the Human Nature Body Butter, I got it from my mom before I became a Human Nature dealer, you can visit their website HERE or you can contact me if you want to purchase Human Nature products.  The rest of those products are items I purchased at Watson's, my favorite Beauty Store.

And also, I would like you to know that the SkinWhite papaya variant smells super nice and it has SPF10 as well, you should try it out!

This is it for now.

Cheerios!
***Hollie***

If you have been reading my blog, you would know that this blush is one of the Avon items I won from AskMeWhats during her 3rd year anniversay Giveaway.  Curious? check it out HERE. Anyway, on to the review.

How to Use It

Cheerios!
***Hollie***