Hey guys! I'm not sure if I've expressed my undying love for Hello Kitty as much as I do on this blog. Like most girls my age not too long ago, I've been a fan of this popular Sanrio character since Gift Gate was in town. Through the years, Hello Kitty has evolved from being a kid's choice to a well renowned icon adored by people all over the world, across all ages.

HELLO KITTY: Expert Complexion Sponge

Let's welcome this special month with all things cute because... why not? Kidding aside, I'm celebrating my birthday month and it's crazy how stuff I love from my childhood are still in the mainstream like Hello Kitty! Over the past years, we've seen so many Sanrio merchandise for all ages. Today, almost everywhere you look, you'll find beloved Sanrio characters on clothes, shoes, school supplies and even makeup! Like this Hello Kitty Expert Complexion Sponge I saw in Watsons.

Updated Kikay Kit Essentials

First of all I would like to greet everyone a happy and prosperous new year. I love that we get to have another chance to make things right or at least better. Though you can always start to improve yourself any day of the year it still feels different to do it on a momentous day when everyone else is sharing the same passion in the spirit of the holidays.

On to the real topic of this post, I figured that my kikay kit (vanity kit) needs to be updated for the new year. I'm making just a few changes so I can use other stuff I love.

I'm using this pouch from The Body Shop's tea tree travel set I bought a couple of years ago. It really pays to keep free pouches from gift sets. Anyway, you have to congratulate me on this because my vanity essentials are now down to 9 items.

(1) Kleenex oil control film is a must-have especially for those who tend to have oily skin in the middle of the day.

(2) The Body Shop all-in-one face base is my current favorite finishing powder since I started using it a couple of months ago. Just a few dabs help even out your complexion and reduce shine.

(3) The Body Shop mini hairbrush is a gift I got years ago but I never got to use it until lately. I love that the bristles are blunt  at the tips and don't hurt your scalp when used. The size is just right to fit in any pouch without taking too much space.

(4) Sanrio nail cutter or any nail cutter for that matter can come in handy anytime you need some nail clipping and don't have the time to have your nails done in a salon. I prefer this because it's designed to trap pieces of your clipped nail so you can use it anywhere without making a mess.

(5) Smashbox O-glow is my not so favorite cheek tint but after watching Miss Michelle Phan's way of applying cheek stains by patting quickly around the apples of her cheeks, I gave this another try and I'm glad to say that I'm loving the results.

(6) Tony Moly Cat's Wink Mascara is one of the slimmest  full size mascara I've seen. Though it's not my most favorite, it's still a good mascara that adds volume and a little bit of length to your lashes.

(7) Clinique Chubby Stick in super strawberry has been an indispensable item. I love the variety of colors available and how it instantly moisturizes you lips. The tapered tip that resembles a jumbo crayon enables it to reach the slim corners of your lips but the downside is it gets blunt after a while.

(8) Benefit Posie Tint gives your lips a natural flushed look and is best coupled with a lip balm or gloss for a more moisturized finish. 

(9) The Body Shop retractable brush is actually a blush brush that can double as a face brush. I love that it's retractable so the bristles are protected from being deformed. The bristles are so soft and densely packed that it glides smoothly on your face.

So that's it, I can't believe I'm surviving with just a few items in my kikay kit. Let's see if  I can trim it down again next year with just the most essential stuff. How about you, what do you carry around in your vanity kit?

Last Minute Holiday Shopping

If you're as forgetful as I am, I bet you've collected a number of eco bags in different colors and style from several establishments. Not that I don't like them, I'm actually impressed with the sturdy material and trendy colors of these bags that I don't regret buying them whenever I feel the need to. But there are times when I feel a little guilty about buying another eco bag when I already have so much of them in my closet. Like a few days ago when I dropped by the mall just to window shop but ended up going home with these..

Such days when you unexpectedly buy more than a few stuff make you want to routinely bring an eco bag with you everyday. I was just planning to look around and get some gift ideas for my family but I couldn't resist buying items on sale.

Well these weren't on sale but I had to get the Floria Cleansing Oil because I ran out of the Shu Uemura samples from Sample Room and the full size is way too expensive. I also got the Berry Berry Magic Lip Tint 03 which is usually out of stock because they're so much in demand. So if you haven't tried this small lip wonder in a pot, go get yourself one while they're available. They also gave me 2 free sachets of Clean Dew Broccoli Sprout Cleansing Cream which I intend to try out soon so don't miss out on my upcoming review and add me to your reading list.

If you've been reading my previous posts, I mentioned about giving this Hello Kitty nail clippers to my friends. They ran out of stocks in Sanrio SM North last November so I had to go back and buy one for myself. 

I went to EO and got myself 2 pairs of colored lenses from Flex Wear Enhance at 20% discount and they generously pitched in 2 lens cases for free. I like Dali brown better because of its subtle shade that goes almost unnoticed so it looks really natural when worn compared to toast brown.

This picture doesn't give justice to these lovely fresh water pearl earrings. I love that pearl earrings are timeless and can be worn in any occasion.

These were freshly displayed at Seiko in SM North and you wouldn't believe the tag. They're way cheaper than the others yet they look great. The box doubles as a coin bank and the pink watch also comes with a small magnetic alarm clock.

Last but certainly not the least, I got gifts for my mom. A chiffon blouse printed with blue flowers and a cream polo shirt. I got them wrapped at the mall for free so I didn't have the chance to take pictures. 

Obviously I needed the eco bag to carry everything home. By the way, I rediscovered a favorite beauty guru in You Tube, Miss Michelle Phan and I got inspired by her work that I decided to play with imovie and make a new video about this entry. I hope you like it, please bear with me on this because I'm still in the process of learning how to make videos. I will appreciate your comments if you have any so feel free to use the comments section below. Happy new year everyone!

Holiday Lippies Mini Haul + Review

Like most Manila dwellers, I've been feeling the holidays in different forms such as scarcity of unoccupied cabs, crowded malls and heavy traffic. Despite these unpleasant reminders, I love the way Pinoys have the ability of blurring out the negative things and focus on the ones that make this season worth celebrating like having the time to spend with loved ones and rekindling our faith 

through "simbang gabi" (mindnight mass). 

It's also during this season that we start enjoying different Christmas treats such as mall wide sales, eating puto bumbong or bibingka (rice cake) and the most fun part, receiving gifts. 

They say that a gift doesn't only reflect the giver but it also says a lot about the recipient. For me, most of the gifts I got are makeup related (as expected) so you could just imagine my delight each time I open a present.

  

Most of the makeup related gifts I got are lip products including Etude House Apricot Stick, Cover Girl Shineblast lipgloss and Marks & Spencer Hello Kitty lipgloss set.

The Marks & Spencer Hello Kitty lipgloss set comes in different shades, Blueberry Gloss has a bright pink hue, Cherry Heaven is velvety red, Glitter Gloss is clear but filled with tiny multicolored sparkles and Strawberry Shine which has an old rose shade. These actually remind me of Victoria's Secret Beauty Rush Lip Gloss. Since I haven't opened this yet, I'm only describing the colors as I see them on the clear tubes. Don't expect them to have the exact same shade when worn because they're just glosses and not tinted lip products. I'll keep you posted when I get to open 

and try these.

The Cover Girl Shineblast has a peach almost neutral color. I haven't used it but I'll update you soon how it looks when applied. 

Among these lip products given to me, Etude's Apricot Stick is the one I got to use. I was super excited to try it because it's my very first product from Etude. I've heard a lot of great things about Etude, good thing this Apricot Stick didn't fail to meet my expectations. 

It comes in a pen type container which basically works like a classic lip gloss where the bottom can be twisted clockwise to reveal the stick. I love that the stick is slim enough to reach either corners of my lips. It has a pleasant fruity scent 

and has a faint sweet taste. 

It glides smoothly on your lips leaving a hint of flush that looks a little shiny but not greasy or glittery. The color is more sheer than Revlon lip butters but it stains more compared to a regular lip gloss. It's also very hydrating and has average staying power which I don't really mind because retouching is so easy. 

Overall, I love this Etude House Apricot Stick that I intend to buy one for myself when this runs out. I also recommend this to anyone who would love to try a very nice lipgloss which can be worn alone or on top of your favorite lip color. 

♥ ♥ ♥

NOTES:

• I got an SMS from BDJ saying that the December box is due for delivery on the 2nd week of January and will actually be considered as December-January box. I think it's quite disappointing especially since I've been expecting it to be delivered before new year.
• I am LOVING Pinterest so much. I'm getting tons of ideas about all sorts of things.
• I registered as a member of Michelle Phan's website and I'm loving her Christmas giveaways. I just hope I win.. :)

Personalize It

The night before my get together with friends, I almost panicked because my gifts were still unwrapped. To make matters worse, I had nothing to wrap the gifts with. Good thing my creative juices were flowing like crazy so I made do with what I have at home.

These are cute nail clippers I got from Gift Gate SM North Edsa. I thought of giving away Hello Kitty lip gloss but I instantly changed my mind when I saw these. Aside from being cute it's also functional and is guaranteed to be a good kikay kit stuffer.

So this post is obviously a do-it-yourself (DIY) entry and my own version of Art Attack. I made use of bond paper, scissors, transparent tape, double sided tape and a stapler. 

First thing you need to think of is the theme or the occasion. Since I got Hello Kitty stuff, I decided on making Hello Kitty wrappers. I just googled the images, copied and pasted them using Microsoft Word and here's how they turned out.

To make small gift bags, start by folding both sides of the paper making them overlap by half an inch. Stick the edges together using a double sided tape or glue.

Fold the bottom by an inch then spread the edges to make 2 triangular folds on either sides of the paper. Fold the bottom sheet by at least more than half an inch then fold both sides of the paper such that the edges fit perfectly.

Fold the upper sheet and appose with the lower sheet using a transparent tape.

Put in the gift item and seal the top with a stapler and overlap with a sticker or greeting card.

Here they are, all wrapped and ready to be given away. By the time this is posted, I've already given them to my beloved friends. I hope they like it as much as I do and give it a space in their kikay kits. 

So if you ever want to make things personalized and have time to spare, 

try wrapping your gifts with these easy steps and make your loved ones feel extra special on every occasion. 

♥ ♥ ♥



Hello Kitty Brush Set

          No matter how old you get, there will always be a child within you. In my case, the child within me never fails to show up at the sight of Sanrio's most loved character, Hello Kitty. Though Hello Kitty's style and looks evolved in the past years, it still managed to maintain its charisma not only on little girls but big girls as well.

          In the past, Hello Kitty products are limited to stuffed toys, stationery and school accessories, but now, you wouldn't be surprised to find jewelries, cosmetics, apparels, gadgets, appliances, even food, bearing the famous Hello Kitty logo. 

        Of course, being an avid follower, I have accumulated a few HK stuff as well but none of them compares to what I got as a gift from my fiance. 

Seriously, what could be more adorable than this? I love it just the way it is, a 3D image of my favorite character in a shiny white pearl finish.

It actually took me a while to unbox this because I was still admiring the packaging. It was securely placed in a sturdy transparent box with its base snugly tucked into place. 

The texture is comparable to a perfectly applied nail polish and the head can be turned freely towards both directions. If you're an avid fan too, I know what you're probably thinking.. Could this get any better?.. YES!!!

Inside is a 5-piece brush set in travel size. The brush handles come in light blue and silver, not the typical pink color that you expect from Hello Kitty, but they look cute just the same. 

The set has one face brush, 3 eye brushes and a lip brush. I also love the way each brush is labeled with Hello Kitty on one side and their specific function on the opposite side.

This one's obviously a  face brush which can be used as a powder brush and blush brush. You can also use it for contouring or highlighting. The fibers are so densely packed that you wouldn't believe it's in travel size.

The eyeshadow brush has the right volume and thickness that can easily pick the color from your palette and effectively pack your lids with it in just a few strokes. This also doubles as a blending brush when used upright in a circular motion. 

This brush works well with blending but I find it more useful in applying a contrast highlight on your lid's crease line because of the bristles' tapered edge. I use this to accentuate the color on my lids.

I am not a fan of eye liners but for the sake of doing this review, I tried using this several times and I must say I am impressed with how soft this brush is. Judging by the way the angled brush looks like, I thought the bristles were stiff but they weren't. It did a precise job when used to apply color on the lower lash line.

This lip brush became an instant favorite because it really looks cute in its silver cap. The brush also looks stiff but is really very soft and glides on smoothly when used with lip balms. I also tried using this with lipstick and the color applies evenly with each stroke. What surprised me was the minimal color stain on the bristles which comes off entirely after cleaning with a cleansing towel.   

This product is almost too good to be true for an avid HK fan like me because aside from looking really cute, it also functions exceptionally well. All the brushes are densely packed with soft bristles that glide smoothly on your skin. If you're familiar with make up brushes from The Body Shop, these brushes feel almost exactly the same. This set is also good in terms of brush selection because you can have a complete look with this set alone. Although an extra face brush for applying blush would've made this set all the more complete, over all, I think this set DELIVERS great function with superior quality.

NOTES:

• All products mentioned in this blog are personal preferences and purchases and are in no way intended for advertisement.