It has been over 10 days! since my last post. I really feel bad about it. I've been swamped with work again and had been feeling down and tired all week long. You know that feeling when you've worked for a company for so long but your salary is just not getting any better, then you start asking questions to yourself if you should just move on to another company? Uhggg... sorry for my useless blabbing again. hehe Anyway, I've missed everyone so I'm back with another lippie review.


I received this as a gift from fellow beauty blogger Phoebe last May, when we met for the first time here in Cebu. I know, she's so generous ^_^

Anyway, I have always wanted to try the Clinique Chubby Sticks ever since they came out. Simply because I've seen and read a lot of good reviews about it in blogsphere and on youtube.  I've been using this for some time now and I have to say it's not bad at all, but not amazing either. Here's why.


I got the shade "Bountiful Blush" and from the looks of it, I would have guessed that it has excellent color payoff.  Unfortunately, that is not the case.  I was already expecting for this lippie to be sheer like a lip balm but a bit more pigmentation would have been awesome.  They already addressed this issue when Clinique released the Chubby Stick Intense version.

I like that the packaging looks chic and classy with the silver coated ends. It doesn't look cheap in my opinion (though it is still made of plastic).  There is no need to sharpen this since, you can easily twist the bottom to get the product out.


I did not notice any scent from the Chubby Stick, which is a really good thing.  I had to swipe the product several times to actually get the swatch on my hand to show.  The shade Bountiful Blush is really pretty for everyday use. I find it to be a good MLBB (My Lips But Better) lip color.


I honestly like how moist and hydrated my lips feel with the Clinique Chubby Stick. Clinique says it is a "Super-nourishing balm is loaded with mango and shea butters. Just what dry, delicate lips need to feel comfortably soft and smooth". It actually does what it is supposed to do.

What I like about it...
* very moisturizing
* keeps my lips well hydrated for over 4 hours without retouch
* fragrance-free
* does not feel sticky at all
* twist type packaging

What I don't like...
* can be expensive at $17 each, I can buy a high quality tinted lip balm for half the price

My verdict? Well, it's a good product because it does what it is meant to do, but if you want the same moisture feeling but with better pigmentation, I would suggest you try the Clinique Chubby Stick Intense Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm.

Until next time.

Cheerios!
***Hollie***

Good Day ladies! As the titles suggests, I will be showing you my choice of travel beauty essentials which I brought with me during my 3-day trip to Manila last month. It's a mix of makeup and skin care products which I've been using most of the time.

Since it's just a short trip, I only brought one medium sized backpack from Deuter Sport and a small sling bag from Parfois. (I forgot to take photos of those...hehe) Which means I really had to pack light. And I had to fit my son's and my own clothes in one backpack, but I did it! (feeling proud ^_^)


I brought a tiny amount of Mac Brush Cleanser which I transferred in that small atomizer, two small makeup bags, (the pink one is from Clinique while the gray one is from Estee Lauder) and a small Clinique tin can which was from their bonus kit. You won't believe how many skin care products actually fit in that tiny can.



Those who already own this Clinique bonus kit, would know what I'm talking about. It's practically just about the same size as your palm and I have to say this thing served me well.


These are the skin care products that I brought with me during the trip. All of which are travel sized. I will name them from left to right. First is the Bobbi Brown SPF 50 Protective Face Base (it's sample size that I got from sampleroom last year), Loccitane Hand Cream (travel size which was a gift from fellow beauty blogger Phoebe), Mary Kay TimeWise Target-Action Eye Revitalizer (will review this soon), Clinique Rinse-off Foaming Cleanser Mousse, Clinique Moisture Surge Overnight Mask, Clinique Moisture Surge Face Spray (all from the Clinique bonus kit), VMV Hypoallergenics Armada Moisturizing Protective Lip Balm 60, VMV Hypoallergenics Armada Face Cover 70 (bought at ZaloraPH) and Lastly, the Snoe Star Night Star Bright Nigh Perfecting Toner. (bought at the Snoe Beauty Stall at Metro Ayala Cebu)

I knew that it would be hot and humid in Manila, so I thought about the weather and my current skin condition when I decided to pick these to bring with me. This means, that I might bring something different on my next trip this coming October depending on my skin issues at the time.


I honestly had a hard time choosing which makeup products I should bring especially when I was picking out lippies. (I know you would be confused too if you had more than 20 lipsticks in your stash. hahaha)

So, let's break it down. First off are my lipstick picks.

Lip Products
Happy Skin Shut Up and Kiss in Sunset Kiss
Mac Retro Matte Lipstick in Flat Out Fabulous
Mac Satin Lipstick in Rebel

Face Products
Mary Kay Concealer in Beige 2
Mac Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation in NC35 (forgot to include in photo)
Mac Powder Blush in Harmony
The Balm Mary Lou Manizer
The Balm Frat Boy

Eye Products
Happy Skin Eye Am Here To Stay Gel Pencil Eyeliner in Chic Brown
Bobbi Brown Smokey Eye Mascara (sample size)
Mac Mineralize Eye Shadow in This &That

Brow Products
Anastasia Beverly Hills Dip Brow Pomade in Dark Brown
Mac Brow Set in Beguile

Now, that I'm looking at the makeup products I packed for the trip, I honestly feel relieved that I didn't bring so much stuff.


These are the makeup brushes I brought with me and yes, they are travel friendly too. I was honestly thinking of bringing the Sigma Make Me Cool Travel Kit, but I changed my mind, since I felt like my current choices would be so much lighter compared to the latter.


Makeup Brushes (from top to bottom)
Charm Luxe Retractable Kabuki in Gold
BYS Angled Brow Brush
Marionnaud N°38 Eye (angled and spoolie dual brush)
Sigma F40 Large Angled Contour Brush
Elf Mineral Bamboo Complexion Brush (travel size)
Generic Eye Detail Brush
Generic Dome type Crease Brush
Sigma E25 Blending Brush (travel size)
Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler in Gold (forgot to include in photo)

There are certainly a couple of products here that I could do without. I will have to improve my travel beauty essential picks on my next trip.


Until next time.

Cheerios!
***Hollie***

Has any of you found your Holy Grail mascara yet? I know that's a rather hard question to answer. There are a lot of brands to choose from, all of which comes with different formulations. So, that's primarily the reason why I keep hopping from one mascara to another.

I've been using the Covergirl Lashblast Volume Waterproof Mascara in Very Black for about five months and so far, I could say it is above average and I like it.

It is this kind of day where I wish, I had more free time on my hands. Do nothing and just sit quietly in front of my computer making blog posts. (wishful thinking) I've been slacking off again. So, I'll be posting a short one today and it's a very late post too. Oh well.

You ladies, especially those who follow me on Instagram already knew that I went for a short trip to Manila last August. I just visited SM North Edsa and Trinoma since it was very close to where we stayed. Thought I'd show you what I got. hehe


I'm a fan of perfumes too, light scents to be exact. Hubby spotted a perfume sale in SM North and remembered how I've been wanting to buy LANVIN ECLAT!  So he bought it for me, Yay! He also bought me the REGATTA LEISURE perfume coz he liked the scent, so glad I like it too.


Of course my visit won't be complete without stepping inside Watson's. LOL I was ecstatic to see that they already have CATRICE cosmetics there. So, I snagged a blush and an eye pencil. Also got a mascara from ESSENCE just cause I was curious. The sales lady told me that variant always get sold out very quickly. I also, bought the CELETEQUE Brightening Toner and Facial Wash cause I've been wanting to try these for a while but it is always out of stock in Watson's Ayala Cebu.


I bought some basic footwear at SM North. I got the Montego Bay Sandals from Payless, Flipflops from Olympic Village, and Sneakers from SANUK cause it was on sale too. hehe


I also joined the BDJ Power Planner Event (BDJ Unstoppable) while I was at SM North. Unfortunately, I felt like my 4 hours was a total waste of my precious time because I didn't enjoy the said event at all. I'm never joining any event in Manila ever again especially if my stay is very short. Unless, if it's an invite by a brand or company, I might think about it. (lesson learned)


I also went to Trinoma so that I could checkout the brushes at Landmark. LOL I just bought small brushes since it is what I needed in my kit. I also bought some of their false eyelashes and a couple of tiny, empty jars.

I will be back in Manila again this coming October 27, 2014 so I'd love to meetup with fellow beauty bloggers if anyone is interested. hehe

Until next time.

Cheerios!
***Hollie***

Wednesday is Yoga day! well, for me at least. hehehe Anyway, I know some of you are already familiar with the Colour Collection Ultimate Wear lipsticks which came out last year.  I was able to snag a couple of shades at Sample Room and had already worn these in several occasions.

I'm slacking off from my posts again. huhu. It's been a really rough week, and I'm literally drained.  There's so much going on at work lately and my baby Ehron had fever for the past 4 days. Good thing he's all better now.  Anyway, I just wanted to show you this lip gloss that I had in my kit for some time now. It's pretty and it's something that can be worn on a daily basis, if you like glossy lips.

So, a couple of months ago I ordered a few products from Dresslily.com. After about a month of waiting, the items finally arrived!


Dresslily is a leading international online fashion clothing and accessory store. They offer everything from gorgeous Women's Clothing, Intimate Lingerie, Bags, Women's Shoes, Wigs, Fashion Jewelry and Accessories, and many more fantastic items at super affordable prices.

Would you believe me if I told you, that I got all three items for less than $20 dollars? Yes, that's right. My total amount was only $19.00+ and the best part is, they offer FREE Shipping Worldwide to more than 200 countries!

I won't keep you waiting, here's what I got.


Some girls are more drawn to buying shoes and bags. However, I on the other hand have a thing for wrist watches. I tend to be attracted to white watches most of the time. hehe


So, the first thing I bought from the site was this Fashion "WoMaGe" Rhinestone Decoration Oversized watch. I liked how this looked in person, unfortunately both the long and short hand were already broken when it arrived. huhuhu... I had this checked and the cost for repairing it is just the same as buying a new one since this only cost around $4. So, I didn't proceed with having this repaired.

I've recently enrolled to an Ashtanga Yoga class and I've discovered a couple of products that proved to be long lasting even with all the sweat coming out due to yoga practice.

Wouldn't you love to place your bets on someone you can trust? Imagine this: Someone who promises to stand by you through tears—both happy and sad. Someone who helps transform you into the best you that you can possibly be. Someone who brings out the sparkle in your eye. The same criteria apply to eyeliners.



The Happy Skin team sent me two shades of their eyeliner, in Chic Brown and Peppermint. This was sent together with the Summer Collection a few months ago which you can check HERE.


I honestly love the packaging of this gel eyeliner. It's quite cute but still chic at the same time. This is an Auto pencil, so you only need to twist in order to get the product out. The tiny sharpener at the bottom always comes in handy, whenever I want the tip of my eyeliner to be sharper.



Here is how Chic Brown looks when worn. If you notice it is not completely matte since it has visible gold shimmers.

Happy Skin Eye Am Here To Stay 24h Gel Pencil Auto Eyeliner in the shade Chic Brown – is a deep cocoa tinge that gives eyes a soft, natural shape. Best for those who want their eyes to appear bigger.


This is how the Peppermint shade looks on me. I was skeptical with this shade at first, since it's the first time I've seen a mint shade eyeliner. But when I tried it on my waterline, it definitely was an instant wake me up kind of eyeliner!

Happy Skin Eye Am Here To Stay 24h Gel Pencil Auto Eyeliner in the shade Peppermint – is a better alternative to white and flesh eyeliner, this is the perfect eye brightener!