If you ladies have been following me on Instagram, you'd know that I got this product last week and have been trying it out for the past few days. Althea Korea just released their very own product range, and they're starting off strong with the Petal Velvet Powder!

This debuting beauty is a translucent loose powder made from natural ingredients. It sets makeup and leaves behind a silky finish to the touch. Infused with oil from Althea seeds, this powder works to keep sebum production at bay without drying out the skin for a radiant, fresh look, all while giving out a gentle scent.


Inspired by Korean Althea petal, this petal velvet powder offers the skin a silky smooth finish. Its main ingredient comes from the Althea flower seed extract which is full of antioxidants that protect the skin's barrier from dehydration and invigorate the skin for a beautiful and flawless complexion.

It is made with micro-fine particles that minimize the appearance of pores and fine lines to reveal a flawless complexion. Its translucent qualities create a satin finish that mattifies without dehydration

What I like about it...

* very affordable, priced at Php210 only
* pretty packaging that every lady wants
* convenient for travel since it only contains 3grams of product
* the packaging comes with a puff and sifter for ease of use
* definitely feels super smooth on skin so it's very easy to apply
* It beautifully mattifies my skin, but does not leave my face completely matte
* feels very lightweight on my skin and  does not sit on my fine lines
* has a very subtle floral scent, it's almost unnoticeable
* does not leave a white cast in my skin
* did not experience any allergies or irritation.

What I don't like...
* does not have that much oil control, my skin easily oils up after 3 hours of wearing it on my t-zone. However, I would like to note that it did set my under eye are really well and it stayed longer on the under eye as well.

My rating: 4 out of 5


Overall, it's are a really good translucent loose powder for the price. It's great for setting my liquid foundation and locking it in place. I would recommend this to anyone who's looking for a smooth and lightweight setting powder without looking too matte, since this one gives out a really subtle glow.

You can buy this online at ph.althea.kr 

Until next time.

Cheerios!
***Hollie***

After sooo long of having these pretty blushes in my stash, I finally had time to take photos and swatches of my favorite cheek products from theBalm Cosmetics.

I've had these for a couple of years now and it still remains to be my favorite blush and bronzer to date. So, it's high time you find out why.

To those who are not aware, theBalm Cosmetics is a mid-range brand that carries a complete line of makeup, skin care, hair care and nail polish. All their products are cruelty-free and made in the USA.


Apart from the really eye-catching and beautiful packaging, what made me fell in love with theBalm Blushes is their formula and pigmentation. I've tried a lot of blushes from other brands but I always keep coming back to these products.

What I like about it...
* affordable, costs around Php900 per blush
* available at Beauty Bar and Sephora.ph
* really attractive designs for their packaging
* comes in a magnetic, lightweight cardboard material with mirror
* has a super smooth and fine texture which makes it very easy to blend
* has excellent color payoff so a little amount of product goes a long way
* can be used either as an eye shadow or blush
* stays long on my face, around 5 hours before it starts to fade
* unscented, at least none that I noticed
* no irritation or allergies experienced

What I don't like...
* it has fall outs but nothing too crazy

My rating: 5 out of 5


theBalm Bahama Mama is a matte bronzer that does not have any orange undertones. It also doubles as a perfect contour powder, neutral brow-filler and matte brown eyeshadow. I personally enjoy using this as a contour powder since it looks great on my NC35 skin tone. Nothing too warm and it does not look muddy on me.

theBalm Hot Mama is one of my favorite blush to date. It can be used as an eye shadow, blush and subtle highlighter. It has a pinky-peach hue with golden undertones that looks beautiful on a wide range of skin tones. I normally skip using a separate highlighter every time I use this since it gives off a pretty glow on my skin.


Both the Bahama Mama and Hot Mama have the same size and the same price. These two are a tad bit smaller, containing around 7 grams of product which is why they cost a little less compared to the other blushers.


theBalm CabanaBoy is a dusty-rose blush which I love to wear at night time. Its subtle shimmer catches the eye while plum undertones provide a glow that is oh-so-natural.


theBalm FratBoy is my all time favorite blush. It is also my most used blush among the three. This matte peachy-pink shade just gives the right flush on my cheeks making it perfect for everyday use.


Both CabanaBoy and FratBoy have the same size and price as well. It costs a little higher than the Bahama Mama and the Hot Mama since it contains about 8 grams of product. There is also DownBoy, however I didn't buy it cause it comes in a baby pink shade which does not suite my skin tone.


Here are the swatches of the three blushes side by side, so you ladies can see the difference. If you notice all of them are pretty and very wearable.

These are my favorite products from theBalm Cosmetics and I highly recommend them. I swear you wont' regret it.

Until next time.

Cheerios!
***Hollie***

It is that time of the year again, when our favorite one stop shop for all things korean beauty is celebrating their birthday. Althea Korea Turns 2!!!

I'm sure you're all very excited to see what items I picked this time around. If you follow me on Instagram, you would know that I buy the Althea Box from time to time. So, I really just bought items that I needed at the moment and the rest are freebies and samples.


Here's the list of items I got, in random order:

Witch's Pouch Selfie Perfect Eyebrow in Gray Brown
Etude House Sunprise Watery Light Sunscreen SPF50
Aritaum Magic Contouring Highlighter
Beauty People Fast 10's Gel Liner Auto Pencil in Real Brown
Banila Co. Prime Hydrating Primer

Since it is Althea Korea is celebrating their second Birthday. They have prepared a lot of exciting giveaways for all of you.

Here's a sneak peak:


The First 5,000 customers will get the Limited Edition Althea Birthday Box design that looks like a cake! which includes a Birthday Kit and a Birthday sample pack for lucky early bird shoppers.


There will be Birthday Sales & Promotions for customers:
- 20days of Beauty Giveaway on @Altheakorea (Instagram)
- Althea Birthday Giveaway Festival for customers
(free products every other day in July to add into cart)
- Althea Beauty Box July - Birthday Makeup Box (theme) 3/7 released


Weekly Lucky Shopper Contest to win Althea credits


Instagram #AltheaTurns2 Contest - snap & show your decorated birthday box to win amazing prizes from Althea!


So what are you waiting for!?! This is the perfect time to shop for your favorite Korean Skin care and Makeup products.

You may visit their site HERE
Follow them on Facebook and Instagram

Enjoy Shopping!

Until next time.

Cheerios!
***Hollie***

Yes you read that right. We were very blessed and lucky to have our first Cebu Beauty Bloggers Meetup at the Beauty Affair Face and Slimming Hub. We all got to experience different services depending on what our skin needed. In addition to that, we got to hang out with the gorgeous Owner Ms Reese Borromeo and fabulous Host Nico Ivan Velasquez.

Beauty Affair offers you the best facial care services with organic selection, whitening solutions and non-invasive body slimming procedures that makes use of the latest technology available in the scene. All services always come with touch from the heart coming from their professional line-up of beauty attendants who are there to make sure you feel and look good after every appointment.


The place has a really nice and calming ambiance. It was very clean and feminine. They offer a lot of skin care services as well as slimming services, thus explains the top of the line equipment they had. Despite the expensive equipment they offer their services at an affordable price.


One thing I noticed was that, their staff were friendly and personable. They wore genuine smiles on their faces which made me feel really comfortable and welcomed. Their Wifi is extremely fast too, which is a definite Bonus!

I tried their ELP Acne Laser Treament with Facial. I don't really have an acne prone skin, but I opted for this service since I had a some pimple spots on my face. This treatment, will help reduce pimples and lighten acne scars as well.

They first performed the facial procedure on my face and thoroughly cleaned it. Once done, they began the laser treatment then completed the service with a sunscreen.


Overall, it was a really pleasant experience. I even already plan to get some of their packages. Beauty Affair Hub is Hollie approved and would highly recommend this place for your facial care needs.

Visit them every Tuesday to Sunday from 12:00 NN to 9:00 PM at the 2nd floor of the Alcon Arcade Building, F. Cabahug Street, Mabolo Cebu City. You can also reach them through 09772020598 or 09179789809.  You can find them on Facebook and Instagram

Ongoing Discounts

They offer a 10% discount to Hoteliers, BPO Employees, Residents of Mabolo Area and Followers on my Blog until December 31, 2017.

All you need to do is show them this blog post and avail your 10% Discount!

Until next time.

Cheerios!
***Hollie***

What it is:
A limited-edition blockbuster palette featuring cult-favorite blush and bronzers.

What it does:
Iconic Benefit Cosmetic blushes and bronzers rally together in this cheeky, must-have palette. The all-new GALifornia blush teams up with top players like Hoola bronzer, both original matte and lite, to warm up the complexion. Rock on with a rose-gold flush or baby pink pick-me-up. With five shades to flatter any skin tone, this Cheek Parade is sure to get the good vibes rollin’.

What it includes:
Full-size GALifornia blush (golden pink).
Full-size Hoola Matte Bronzer (natural bronze).
Full-size Hoola Lite Matte Bronzer (natural light bronze).
Full-size Rockateur Box o’ Powder Blush (rose gold with shimmer).
Full-size Dandelion Box o’ Powder Blush (radiant pale pink).
Mini natural-bristle powder brush.

Retail Price: Php 3,400.00 ($58 in the US)

What I like about it....
* value for money. I get five full-sized products for the price of two.
* has beautiful and sturdy packaging
* pretty shade selection
* comes with a free brush
* has a big mirror
* has a really nice citrus scent, not overwhelming
* excellent color payoff
* has a smooth texture and very easy to blend
* did not experience allergies or irritation

What I don't like...
* Some of the shades don't show up well on my NC35 skin tone
* a tiny bit powdery

My rating: 4 out of 5

This was one of the products released by Stila last year for their Holiday Collection which was exclusive for Sephora. I just thought it was perfect since I've been wanting to try their liquid lippies for the longest time. Especially when I came across great reviews of the shade Patina.




Caramello is described as Neutral Nude, Patina is described as Dusty Rose, Como is described as Bright Violet, Aria is described as Magenta Plum, Chianti is described as Deep Plum and lastly Fiery which is described as Deep Red.

What I like about it...
* affordable since it comes with 6 lippies
* comes with a versatile shade range
* has a pretty packaging
* it has a creamy matte texture that is not drying
* feels lightweight which makes it very comfortable to wear
* applies smoothly so it helps with even application
* it does not flake or crack on my lips
* stays for a good 4 to 5 hours on me depending on how much I ate and drink.
* has a nice scent, kinda smells like caramels
* did not experience any allergies or irritation
* easy to find locally, you can find Stila at Rustans

What I don't like...
* The shade Caramello looks too pale on my NC35 skin tone.

My rating: 4 out of 5


Until next time.

Cheerios!
***Hollie***

I recently had the opportunity to experience the TIGI Bed Head workshop here in Cebu City. It was held at the Expose Salon in Crossroads, Banilad. It was the first time that I joined a workshop related to hair styling, since I honestly don't know much about hair products. (teehee)

I was just in awe seeing Ralf and Andy, teach the hair stylists from all over Philippines, their tips and techniques in cutting, coloring and styling the hair. They worked on several models swiftly yet still precise and the results were just amazing.


Ralf Boss, owns a TIGI Salon in Germany for over 15 years. He became the TIGI Art Director in Germany and soon joined TIGI in 2007. He moved to Taipei to lead the first TIGI International Academy in Asia. He is currently the TIGI Creative Director for Taiwan and Asia Pacific who also leads the Asia Educator Team.

Andy Cheong, has been in the hair industry for over 30 years and has received several awards for hairdressing in Asia. He is currently the TIGI Regional Education Director for TIGI Copyright Colour and closely works with Ralf touring all over Asia.


I saw them both in action and definitely learned a thing or two. The workshop was geared towards hair professionals since it was very technical. It also talked more about the new Shift Collection 2017 using the Tigi Bed Head Colour Trip line.

 
The 2017 Tigi Collection: Shift, shows a changing mood in hairdressing and colouring, embracing natural texture and creating personalized, distinctive styles. Eight new cuts and colours have been created to inspire creation of forward thinking looks for the contemporary client.


The workshop took all morning to finish. Then they showcased all the models they styled and worked on that morning, explaining what the main points were. (It's where I learned, focal point for the hair...lol)


I was fortunate to have the TIGI Bed Head experience. Andy, asked me what color I wanted and I told him something purple so he suggested and mixed the perfect color that he thought suit me. I also left Ralf to decide what hair style would suit me best.

This is the first time I had my hair bleached, and I was surprised that it remained soft and healthy. I was honestly dreading that it would become dry and brittle, but they proved me wrong.


There is one thing, I noticed about TIGI Bed Head products. Everything smells divine, and I mean literally. That even includes the bleach they used on my hair. I honestly did not smell that strong chemical scent you normally get at a local salon. From the bleach, the hair color, to the shampoo, conditioner and the styling products. It all just smells so darn good.

You can head to the Expose Salon, located at Crossroads, Banilad and experience it yourself. You can also buy Tigi Bed Head products at the Salon. For those looking for the Purple Shampoo (used to maintain hair color), they have it! It retails for Php1,800.

Until next time.

Cheerios!
***Hollie***

I know this is long overdue. But I just had to share my thoughts on this Becca Champagne Splits Shimmering Skin Perfector Mineral Blush. It has been hyped since the holidays last year (2016) when it was launched with the Becca x Jacklyn Hill collection. I was able to snag one of the shades during the Sephora VIB sale late last year. (thanks to my good friend and fellow beauty enthusiast Mykym for making this possible...hehe) 

I initially wanted the Champagne Pop-Flowerchild variant, but it got sold out so quickly and Champagne Pop-Hyacinth was the only shade available for the Champagne Splits line. And I was like, "oh well, at least I finally got to try the very hyped up Becca Champagne Pop".