Unwind at Posh Nails With A DETOX MANI-PEDI *

Who doesn’t like spending a relaxing afternoon at the nail salon? Seriously, even men find that they like to have a quick cleaning done if they can get themselves around to trying it out. I personally have a mani-pedi professionally done at least once a month and I will very often choose to have a foot spa thrown in with those basic services. It’s just a really great way to relax.

When Posh Nails asked me to come over and celebrate their 13th anniversary with them by trying out their DETOX Mani + Pedi, I was very happy to accept the invitation. I think it’s safe to assume that everyone is at least familiar with Posh Nails — they have so many branches and they have been around for over a decade. In a country where mani-pedi parlours abound like Starbucks stores, only a few can really withstand the test of time. During my visit, I was reminded why Posh Nails is one of those few.

Posted by Mariana

Introducing: L’Oreal Miss Manga Mascara & A MEGA SALE ANNOUNCEMENT (May 1 – 31)*

So, how is everyone faring in this summer heat? Admittedly, I’ve taken to putting the air conditioning on from around noon to 3pm when I’m at home. On other days, I mooch off mall air conditioning… which isn’t technically mooching because I end up paying for parking and maybe also getting an iced coffee anyway.

I’ve said it in other posts already, but the heat is so bad that it really does limit what kind of makeup I use. At the launch of the Miss Manga Mascara, I posted a photo of the product and wrote in the caption that mascara is pretty much the only thing I can pile on in this heat. I meant that, and when you’re going hyper-minimal with everything else, having long and thick lashes makes all the difference.

Miss Manga, formulated especially for stick straight Asian lashes, is perfect for the heat. The waterproof formula ensures that it really isn’t going anywhere. On top of that, you get loads of curl. The L’Oreal Miss Manga Mascara will be regularly priced at 599.00 Php, BUT come May, you can get it at its introductory price of 500.00 Php. Miss Manga won’t be the only thing on sale though, as the entire month of May will be…

The Great L’Oreal Sale! You’ll be able to get your fave L’Oreal makeup for up to 45% off, plus skincare and hair color will also be discounted. It’s the perfect time to stock up on stuff!

There will be more information about the specials at the end of this post, but I also wanted to give you an idea of what the Miss Manga mascara can do, as well as show you photos of the adorable press kit I got my sample in. It’s a winner (both press kit and mascara)!

The Cutest Press Kit That Ever Was

This “magazine issue” is the press kit itself. How cute is the Manga Panda on the cover?!

Posted by Mariana

Maybelline White Super Fresh Launch & First Impressions

A week ago Maybelline hosted a luncheon to announce the launch of their newest foundation: White Super Fresh (299.00 Php)*. The formula is an Asia-exclusive as it was created with our hot, humid weather in mind. It’s been dubbed the “no touchup powder foundation” because unlike other foundations that just melt off over the course of the day, this one is meant to stay put and stay fresh for 12 hours.

Whenever a foundation claims to last that long my interests are piqued, so I was glad to be able to attend the launch and get to know and understand the product a little better. White Super Fresh won’t be available until February 28, but let me tell you now that it’s something you’ll want to mark your calendars for. At the launch, press and bloggers got to play with some samples and discover what makes it different–why it’s going to live up to its claims.

Posted by Mariana

Her Royal Highness Princess Himeko Presents: Heroine Make Philippines

This post is long-overdue, but the news is still worth making a formal announcement: Heroine Make has come to Manila! :) For the brand launch, bloggers and press were treated to a lovely afternoon tea get-together, hosted by none other than Princess Himeko herself. Being a princess is hard work. You’ve always got to look poised, pretty, and overall presentable all the time. Good thing Princess Himeko is not only all of those things, but kind and generous as well– with her beauty tips, no less! Heroine Make is a Japan-based brand that anyone who has been to a Hong Kong, Japan, or Singapore drugstore is familiar with for sure. They’re best-known for their awesome mascara formulas and eyeliners, but they have lots of other products to offer and they’re all now conveniently hoard-able from Watson’s. Another notable thing about Heroine Make is the adorable packaging and the presence of a beautiful female character on most of it (Princess Himeko, duh). The illustrations are based on Shoji Manga, which features the “most emotional heroines.” Not necessarily in a bad way–they’re just in touch with their feminine sides. Some of the pictures even depict a crying princess–good thing the eye makeup is waterproof and can definitely stand up to a little crying bout. So yes, practical and pretty. Those are words I would definitely use to describe Heroine Make products.

Posted by Mariana

Bioderma’s Long-Awaited Philippine Debut

Two weeks ago (as my instagram post can tell you, hehe) I attended the official launch of Bioderma into the Philippine market. That’s right–it’s offish! You can now pick up the world-famous micellar water from the brand at Watson’s branches nationwide. It’s not just the Sensibio H2O Micelle Solution that’s come in, though. You can now enjoy Bioderma’s entire range of skincare. The brand launch was the perfect opportunity for me (and, consequently, you guys too) to get to know the brand better as a whole. After everything was said and done, I was beyond ecstatic to be able to say that this French brand has washed up on our shores. The night before the press launch, Bioderma also held an event for dermatologists around the Philippines. The brand really focuses on helping the skin repair itself and remain healthy with the help of natural biological ingredients. Our host for the afternoon, Bianca Valerio, filled us in on the brand’s innovative approach to the world of skincare: with a model of healthy skin in mind, the concept of biological mimetism to guide, and a driven mission towards dermatological safety. Ok so now you are wondering: what is this “biological mimetism” hullaballoo?

Posted by Mariana

Brand & Product Reveal: PIXY Cosmetics

Around the beginning of August, I got to attend the official launch of the Japanese brand, PIXY cosmetics. This isn’t the first time I’ve encountered PIXY though. If you remember my April BDJ Box, then you’ll have seen some of their products already. What surprised me most about PIXY back then was the price range–everything is very affordable (still is, obviously). This time around I got to know more about the brand and the products from Mandom Corporation’s (distributor company) CEO and Xeng Zulueta, one of the bigger names in the local makeup industry. CEO Hiroyuki Mitsuoka in the grey suit and Xeng Zulueta in the leopard-print scarf. Also in the photo are the marketing heads, product planning specialist, and the two demo models. PIXY really set out to say “we have arrived!” with this event, and it’s always nice to see brand heads being hands-on.

While I did not get to stay for lunch, I did catch the makeup demonstration. I learned several new things from Xeng, but the most important thing I picked up was how to use a two-way cake foundation. I had always been confused as to what that actually meant… turns out that two-way foundations can be used in, well, two ways: wet and dry. For heavier coverage, you’re ment to dampen a sponge and use that to apply the foundation to the face OR you can mist water onto the skin before you swipe on the foundation using a brush. Xeng employed the latter technique for the demo and the results were beautiful. She used the PIXY UV Whitening Two Way Cake Perfect fit. I also learned that the thickest skin on your face is your cheek area. I always thought it was the T-zone! So while you can afford to build up coverage on the cheeks, leaving the foundation on the rest of the face as light as possible is key for creating a more natural look. To complete the look, Xeng used a light wash of eyeshadow, tons of mascara, and a matte PIXY lipstick smudged into the lips. To touch-up throughout the day, use the foundation dry so it can sop up excess oil. The adorable bucket of goodies that I got to take home that day! :) Photo from my instagram account.

I’ve been getting to know the products over the past couple of weeks and I’ll be giving a separate overview of them, but I can tell you now that the lipsticks and the foundations are items to look out for. You can find PIXY at Watsons branches nationwide. For more information, check out the PIXY Facebook page. :)

Thanks for having me, PIXY team!

Posted by Mariana

New Year, New You! with Watsons Philippines

I don’t know about you guys, but I love submitting entries for raffles and trying my luck at online giveaways. I’ve actually won a couple of things in the past and I think it’s more about persistence than it is luck–or maybe it’s half and half! :) No matter how it goes, I actually really enjoy the process itself… hopefully I’m not alone, because Watsons has an awesome promo out to start the new year with! You get a chance to win an iPad mini OR a product package that you can create yourself. To begin, think of your beauty and/or health goal for 2014 and imagine the products that will help you achieve your goal. Once you’ve got that in mind, go over to Facebook to like the Watsons Philippines page, download a template image, and fill it in. You can see the rest of the mechanics in the photo above and it’s really quite simple. Share your product package (a.k.a. the ultimate wish list of Watsons & SM Beauty goodies) on your timeline and don’t forget to tag Watsons Philippines. Here’s my entry with just the 2014 resolution filled in because I couldn’t figure out how to add photos into that space… yes, I’m that terrible with technology. Lol. Check out another example here, but here is the product package I made for myself:

Posted by Mariana

The Beauty Bee’s Christmas Giveaway!

Hey everyone! As you may be able to guess from the title of this post, I’ll be conducting a giveaway this year! :) I’ve wanted to do one for a while now but you know… life gets in the way. Hehe.

Just wanted to do this to thank you guys for reading my blog. Sometimes it’s still funny to think that other people are as obsessed with beauty/cosmetics as I am, if not even more! I love the beauty blogging community in the Philippines–bloggers and readers both. So thank you, everyone, especially if you’re a regular reader. I’m wishing you all a very happy Christmas and a kick-ass New Year. :)

This giveaway will be limited to Philippine residents, as I’m not sure I can handle international logistics just yet. Let me show you what you stand to win before we go into what you have to do to enter: Beauty Box A:

Yellow Yadah! makeup pouch
Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal in 014 Bright Blue
Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquer in Apocaliptic
Maybelline NY baked eyeshadow duo in 75 Persuasive Plum
Shu Uemura Gloss Unlimited (travel size) in CR 30 G
Modo Arte “Beauty” notebook

Beauty Box B:

Blue Yadah! makeup pouch
Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal in 005 Nude
Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquer in Luna
Maybelline NY Lumineyes Palette in Wine
Shu Uemura Gloss Unlimited (travel size) in AT 50 C
Modo Arte “Coquette” notebook

SO, TO WIN ONE OF THESE BOXES (there will be two winners):

All you have to do is leave a comment on this post telling me (1) what your favourite Christmas collection from this season was and also (2) what your best beauty find was in 2013. :) Please leave me your e-mail address as well so I can get in touch with you!

This giveaway is open from now (12/20) until the 31st of December and I’ll make the announcement on the 2nd of January. The winner will be randomly selected. You can also specify which box you prefer to get. Good luck! Merry Christmas, everyone! :)

THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED! Thanks to all those who participated! :)

The winners are Pat Abiog and Matromao! Congratulations, girls! Expect an e-mail within the day. :)

Posted by Mariana

BRTC Bright Eye Vitalizer Cream || Quick Look

One of the four skincare items I received in my BNT beauty box was the BRTC Bright Eye Vitalizer Cream.* To me it was the most interesting product in the box simply because I had never seen an eye cream in stick form before. I was happy to receive it and start testing it out immediately because I never really replaced my Lancome eye cream samples from a few months back. I’ve been testing out the people-don’t-even-need-an-eye-creams-at-all theory and it’s been all good so far, but I did miss that extra pampering step.

This particular eye cream looks almost medicinal because of the packaging. I feel like I’m about to use some really advanced technological device when I pick it up–but it’s really just a simple twist-up stick. Still, I appreciate the very hygienic-looking packaging. I suppose it does remind me a bit of vitamins, which this product is packed with, apparently. The BRTC Bright Eye Vitalizer Cream is a “vitamin eye cream” that has both anti-wrinkle and whitening effects as well as moisturizing properties.

Posted by Mariana

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