NOTD: OPI Dutch Ya Just Love OPI

Price: $165 HKD at Mannings HK

Human Heart Nature Heritage Oils Collection

I've always been curious about essential oils, since online health gurus keep going on about which oil can treat what kind of illness or help with anything from mosquitoes to migraines. So I was pretty excited when I found out that one of my favorite homegrown brands introduced their own line of essential oils which claim to do a lot, from improving concentration, to keeping away stray dogs and cats. Don't worry about having to memorize the benefits and uses for each, as each box contains a little cheat sheet on how to use the oil (I mostly use them for aromatherapy and as linen scents).

The best part is that these come with actual droppers, and not that little plastic nipple you usually find on teeny little bottles of aromatherapy oil, except for the orange oil, which has a roller ball.

Ingredients are caprylic/capric triglyceride + the essential oil. It's not 100% essential oil, which affects the longevity of the scent -- it's more of "scent of the moment" rather than "ambient room scent"

DIY: Repotting into an old eye shadow container

I cannot throw out anything cute. Polly Pocket pencil case from Kindergarten, tiny erasers from my 2nd grade back-to-school kit, a pen with a little crown that ran out of ink 3 months ago, an empty eye shadow container I'd used up 7 years ago, an old hamster that died of natural causes; all of these -- well, except for that last one, who we buried beside the duhat tree -- are still hidden in various drawers, pen holders, and piles of other more useful clutter, waiting for me to dig them up, briefly consider throwing them out, then put back in place, crammed between even more stuff that I can't throw out.

To justify all this hoarding, I refill these old containers. Travel-sized lotion and bath products are the easiest to justify keeping, since they often cost almost as much as the ones packaged the next size up. Pen bodies and eye shadow containers, are another thing, though, since it can take years of many failed attempts when things have to match up by the half-millimeter. (Thanks for discontinuing the refills of my multi-pen, Muji. Thanks a lot.)

Case in point: This eye shadow container from Skin Food that I got in 2008.

 How can you throw out something with all these cute golden curlicues?

So, inspired by a few depotting videos for universal makeup palettes, I dug this up and set out to give it new life.

NOTD: OPI It's Totally Fort Worth It

Price: P645 at Rustans

 

 

 

It's Totally Fort Worth It is from the 2011 Texas Collection. Limited edition.
(OPI usually has funny/witty names for their nail polishes but I just don't get this one -- somebody please explain in the comments) 

Review: Happy Skin Shut Up and Kiss Me Moisturizing Lippies in Hold My Hand and Bride-to-Be

Like every beauty rule I've imposed on myself, I've broken my No Limited Edition Lipstick rule. It's heartbreaking when your favorite fragrance or nail polish gets discontinued, as a cruel reminder na #WalangForever (that there is no forever). But unlike your favorite ballpen that you can tuck away by the box for years, lipsticks will go bad.

But, like the sucker that I am, I caved because of the witty name and the cute packaging

 P599 each for 2.7g; P999 for the pair
Made in Taiwan

According to Happy Skin:
"This lippie offers three-fold "lip service": the shine of a gloss, the pigment of a lipstick, and hydration of a balm! Spoil yourself with Shea Butter & Collagen to keep your lips in lip-lockin' shape!"

Quite a lot of promises to live up to. Review and swatches after the jump!

Review: Pantene Pro-V 3 Minute Miracle Conditioner

Any product that is advertised as a "zOMg super bestseller evar!!!! <3 <3" at the exact moment it hits the shelves gets an adequate amount of side-eye from me. It's about as believable as a "bestseller's" list of a new restaurant on soft opening.

That said, I wasn't terribly excited to try Pantene Pro-V's new 3 Minute Miracle Conditioner. But when your chemically-murdered waist-length hair costs you enough conditioner to make you reconsider your life choices, you'll find yourself skeptically putting every new product on your shower rack, hyperbolic promises and all.

Price: around P57.00 for 100ml
Sample from BDJ.com

Benefit Brow Wax Experience at the Beauty and Brows Bash with The Beauty Junkee

Brows have been receiving a lot of love in the past year or so, which is fitting because do so much for us. They keep sweat and dust out of our eyes, convey expressions, and not to mention, frame our faces.

I used to think that since I have full brows, I didn't have to do anything with them anymore.  I would try shading in some of the bald patches from years of errant tweezing, but kept getting than angry cavewoman effect because of the added definition.

See the bald patches from the thin early-2000s style? Thanks, high school me!

A month ago, I decided to start over; grow everything back in to have them professionally shaped. Step 1 of having a forehead that can literally stun from 5 feet away. The kilay gods decided to shower some blessings on my instagram account and I got invited to Benefit's Beauty and Brows Bash for The Beauty Junkee. The other 5 winners and I got treated to a free Benefit Brow Wax, sugary treats, and a few Benefit goodies. Ms. Martha, the Beauty Junkee, gave a demo of her signature 3-minute Billion Dollar Brows.

Details after the jump!

NOTD: Ice Queen var.1

Time for a 2-step nail art design for weeks when a mere "accent" finger doesn't cut it anymore.

This is one of the many variations of the Ice Queen theme I often play around with. The perpetually scorching weather here makes me quite a hothead (hello, heat-induced migraines), so it's good to have something cool and frosty to focus on when you're trying to imagine away the heat. Plus, my arms and hands always feel like icicles in spite of the heat, so might as well look the part, right?