Hey guys! BDJ Box, the country's leading beauty box subscription, held another successful Beauty Social last September 29 at the Skydome in SM North Edsa. I knew there will be a lot of bellas out there so I preregistered and got sure seats for the first 2 talks and a guaranteed loot bag full of goodies! 

Good thing I have a fellow beauty enthusiast, Miss Kleng of all All About Beauty 101, a good friend who was as excited as I was to attend the event. Although the talks were scheduled to start by 1:00 PM, we opted to be there during opening at 10 AM to scan the place.

Image courtesy of BDJ Box

Upon registration, we were given a passport which contains a lineup of activities and a really helpful floor map for a bird's eye view of the whole place. There were a total of 12 booths in the event providing a variety of fun activities and services that promote each brand. 

First booth we visited was that of Cure since they were already entertaining participants by the time we got there. Sorry I really have a hard time remembering names but the one who assisted me was really nice. She showed me how to use Cure Natural Aqua Gel by demonstrating it on my hand. I actually love how it felt as she gently rubbed the gel in a circular motion. In a few seconds, dead skin was beginning to come off leaving my skin feeling soft and smooth without a trace of dryness that other exfoliants tend to do. I also noticed my skin looking a bit lighter with a fresh, clean scent. 

Cure is available in all beauty bar stores nationwide and the full size retails for 1,500 Php, not bad for a 250 ml product that can last up to 8 months! After the demo, we were given 2 sachets to bring home.

 

Next stop, Too Cool for School (TCFS), a fast rising Korean brand known for its cute packaging. TCFS recently hit Manila on the 2nd quarter of 2013 when it opened its flagship store in SM Mall of Asia and was followed by another branch in SM North Edsa 3 months later. I've only tried their BB Cream and loved it to bits. I was surprised with the variety of products they offer. 

Image courtesy of Too Cool for School

One product which caught our attention was the Rules of Pore Magic Pore Balm used to minimize the appearance of pores and wrinkles. It comes in a tin pot, has the texture of a balm but finishes off smooth and powdery. It can be used as a primer to your foundation or BB Cream. 

TCFS also made us participate in a classic Korean game and we luckily won sample sachets of assorted products.

Then we headed to the Cover Girl booth where we took the clump crusher challenge. After repeatedly applying Cover Girl's Clump Crusher Mascara for 30 strokes, I couldn't believe my lashes were thicker and longer without clumping! It was such an amazing product that my friend has claimed it to be her holy grail when it comes to mascara. 

As for me, I really haven't found mine yet but this CG clump crusher is an excellent candidate. Participants were given discount coupons worth 95 Php each and I can't wait to use mine soon.

 

At the Bifesta booth, they gave away different prizes including sachets of Bifesta cleansing lotion and a pink velcro head band. They were also giving free hair makeover using Lucido-L products. Although we wanted a new do, we opted to skip it since the line was already building up and the talks were about to start.

Things were really heating up at the Beauty Social especially when the crowd was getting bigger towards the afternoon. Luckily, Garnier was giving out mocktails for everyone! The lovely ladies manning the booth also introduced us to Garnier Pure Active Fruit Energy Energizing Facial Foam, a refreshing face wash which I'll be reviewing soon.

The staff in the Ralph Lauren booth gave us an idea of which scent best suits our personality and lifestyle. I was given a choice between sporty fresh and fruity floral scents but I prefer the latter since it radiates a more feminine vibe so they handed me a sample tube of Ralph Lauren for Women 3. 

The Celeteque booth was also starting to build a long line for their free skin analysis. Although we wanted to get our skin analyzed, we were told that they have to remove our makeup so we opted to try it towards the end of the event.

Yves Rocher gave us an idea on what skin care products to use for our particular skin type. Of all the different lines they carry, Hydra Vegetal has always been my favorite.

The Shiseido booth offered a free facial and makeover with every purchase of any product from their Ibuki line. They were also giving a free Ibuki Cleanser for every purchase of Shiseido Softening Concentrate and Moisturizer. We were so tempted to avail of the promo but didn't have enough resources to do it. I hope they get to do another promo by the time I saved enough to buy the Ibuki line. 

Max Factor's booth was offering free makeup tutorial while Revlon was offering free hair color application. I was really looking forward to a new hair color but we didn't have enough time to go in the mall and buy the product to be used for the procedure so we skipped that as well.

 

I was preregistered to attend two talks. Get Real with the BDJ Box Beauty Ministry at 1:00 PM was really fun! We got to hear tips first hand from Kate Alvarez, Nicole Romero and Tara Cabullo, members of the BDJ Box Beauty Ministry. The best part was, I got to ask my own question! I asked their opinion on getting facials and if they recommend non doctors performing them. Both Nicole and Tara said it's still best to visit your Dermatologist but it's okay to get facials from a trained personnel under the supervision of a Dermatologist. Both ladies also recommend the Shiseido's Oxygen Lounge for a rejuvenating experience. 

Ready for Anything Skin with Shiseido by Carmel Villongco at 1:50 PM was very informative especially of the newly released Ibuki line. Although I wasn't one of the four lucky ladies who got a full size Ibuki product, I'm still fortunate to try the entire line in sample sizes and will update you soon on the details.

Surprisingly, I was also preregistered for the Parisian Pretty with L'oreal Paris at 3:30 PM. I love how they taught us to wear vibrant colors and balance it at the same time. 

After the talks, each bella was handed with a loot bag containing an assortment of beauty products. Hooray to BDJ Box team for the orderly distribution of loot bags to all participants.

The event, for me, was a huge success! It's the very first beauty event I've been to and I'd like to thank BDJ Box for providing us bellas with such a memorable experience. I am definitely attending BDJ Box Beauty Socials in the future and so should you! Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day!

❤❤❤

JULY BDJ BOX

Hey guys! It's been  more than a week since I got the July BDJ Box and I have to admit I'm still on cloud nine. I couldn't believe I'd be blessed with such generosity. I wasn't really expecting it to be delivered that day so when I saw my brother holding a huge package, I didn't have the slightest clue it was for me. 

  

Look at these treats, 2 boxes for the month of JULY alone! I was wondering if I got the extra treat as a prize for tediously answering the monthly BDJ Box surveys or for joining the 7 day challenge or just by being a loyal BDJ Box subscriber. What the heck, it really doesn't matter as long as we're all happy! 

 

I love this catchy BDJ phrase for this month: "What matters most is how you see yourself." 

I love how neatly and stylishly BDJ arranges the products in all their boxes. Presentation is really a big deal because it shows how much they care for their subscribers. BDJ never fails to impress me with well chosen products included in every box. I believe they take time to get to know their subscribers through their monthly surveys and give us what we want including the awesome products in this month's box. So without further introductions, I bring you the contents of my July BDJ Box.

Beach Hut Sunblock, 150 ml (399 Php) 

Last time I purchased a sunblock spray (of a different brand), it cost me a fortune. It reeked of chemical odor which is why I only used it once. I saw it again in my stash a month ago and it was already past its expiration date so I had to throw it away. Good thing BDJ included this Beach Hut sunblock spray, now I don't have to purchase one. I haven't used it though, so I can't tell yet if it's any good (I truthfully hope it is!).

Enchanted Pixie Dust Shimmer Eye Palette in Nude Eyes, 6 g (179 Php)

Yey! Another palette to add to my slowly growing collection of cosmetics. I really don't have much since I'm more of a skin care product hoarder which is why I welcome eye palettes given to me with arms wide open. This one in particular is for creating nude eyes which I'm still trying to get the hang of so I'm definitely practicing with this palette soon.

Too Cool for School BB Foundation Lunch Box #1 Matte Skin, ~15 g (219 Php)

Now this sample is my ultimate favorite! I love trying different BB products since the hype started a couple of years ago. Tony Moly tops my list of BB products which is why I was super excited to try another Korean brand, Too Cool for School BB Foundation. Read my full review here.

 

Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter in Raspberry Pie (525 Php)

I have two of these in Red Velvet and Cherry Tart. I believe they are heaven's gift to women who aren't too comfortable wearing bold shades and young ladies who are still new to the makeup world. I love the sheer but pretty obvious hint of color it gives your lips. It glides on smoothly like butter and boosts your lips' moisture like no other. It also comes in playful shades to suit every occasion.

  Foot Appeal Peeling Socks (279 Php)

I've heard a lot of good things about peeling socks, that they are able to exfoliate dead skin effectively with no down time. I purchased 3 pairs from Watson's months ago but haven't used any. Getting another isn't actually too thrilling anymore but it's a welcome addition to my stash.

Sure Slim Gift Voucher (1,500 Php)

Now this looks promising. I looked up Sure Slim online and it reminds me so much of the Cohen Diet because each participant is required to undergo a blood test before a diet plan is prescribed. I'm not sure if this is as expensive but the voucher can come in handy. 

These items already made my day, imagine how ecstatic (yet speechless) I was upon seeing the contents of the other box. 

The box that launched a thousand smiles! 

Now these Dove products sky rocketed me to the moon! Imagine getting full size body and hair care products from Dove so you'd know why I feel so elated. Products included in this separate box are as follows:

 ♥ 2 bottles (180 ml) of Damage Therapy Intense Repair Shampoo (106 Php)

 ♥ 2 bottles (180 ml) of Damage Therapy Intense Repair Conditioner (108 Php)

 ♥ 1 tub (200 ml) of Damage Therapy Intense Repair Treatment Mask (235 Php)

 ♥ 1 piece  (135 g) of White Beauty Bar Moisturizing Milk (52.50 Php) 

 ♥ 1 bottle (40 ml) of Whitening Original Anti-Perspirant Deodorant Roll-on (83.50 Php) 

 ♥ 1 can (169 ml) of Whitening Original Anti-Perspirant Deodorant Aerosol (170 Php)

The Dove products alone cost almost a thousand pesos while the ones in the BDJ Box are valued cumulatively at more than 3,000 Php. So this means I got a total of 4,000 Php worth of products this July from BDJ. What an absolutely amazing deal! Needless to say that I love the July Box and as I said before, I highly recommend subscribing to them the soonest you can because boxes get sold out pretty fast. You may click here to start your subscription. As for me, I will continue mine and hopefully post my reviews on the products included each month. Any requests on which of these products you want me to review next? Let me know by posting on the comments section below. Thanks for reading and have an amazing week!

 ♥  ♥  ♥

Too Cool for School BB Foundation #01 Matte Skin

Hey guys! It's been raining most of the time this week but I do hope your days weren't as gloomy as the weather. Mine on the other hand have been pretty much productive. I was able to rearrange my stuff, make an inventory of products I haven't used and update my newly established online shop, BeautyRx. If you have time to spare please take a look, hopefully you might see something you like.

If you read my last post, you'd know that I recently got my July BDJ Box and of course the first sample I tried is a BB product made in Korea, Too Cool for School BB Foundation.

The sample included in the box comes in a trial size tube with a twist off cap. The package didn't say how much product is in the tube but I'm guessing it's around 15 ml. 

Image courtesy of Too Cool for School Facebook page

The full size comes in a 40 ml plastic jar with a spatula underneath its twist off cap. The main difference between a sample and full size is that the latter comes with a concealer and highlighter incorporated in the bottle cap. I wish they did include those in the sample so we could see how they work with the BB Foundation.

Image courtesy of twofacemall.com

Too Cool for School BB Foundation comes in 2 varieties, #01 which gives a matte finish ideal for oily skin and #02 which offers a dewy look best suited for dry skin.

The BB Foundation in my box is #01 intended for oily skin. I love that they sealed the tube to prevent spillage and that it has a pointed nozzle to dispense the cream easily. 

This BB Foundation has a subtle scent which fades almost instantly after application. It has a creamy texture and is a bit difficult to apply because it dries off quickly. Patting this with your finger pads is by far the most convenient way of applying it but using a flat top brush is much quicker. 

Above image shows you how it looks like when spread and blended. It does look fairer but it matches my face better than the back of my hand. It doesn't leave a white cast, instead it gives you fairer and glowing skin with a matte finish that you won't be needing a powder on top of it. It lasts for 4 to 6 hours without caking and looking greasy. You may notice your T-zone getting a little bit of shine in the middle of the day but a few dabs of oil control film or face powder are enough to fix it. 

This BB Foundation got me really interested in trying the other shade which gives a moisturized finish. I've always known I have oily combination skin type but when I had my skin assessed last year by Clinique, they said I'm a #2 which falls under the dry combination skin type. Despite that, I somehow think of my skin oily than dry and have always had that in mind when choosing skin care products. Well after trying this, I'll consider leaning towards moisturizing my skin more than trying to avoid it getting oily. This way I won't strip my skin with the moisture it really needs and hopefully get a better match when choosing skin care products next time. 

Overall, I love this BB Foundation in terms of consistency, shade and finish. I do recommend it to those with oily skin because it can really give you that gorgeous matte finish and control oiliness throughout the day. If you have dry skin, you may want to try the other variety, #02 which gives a more moisturized finish. I won't be buying the same shade, instead I'll give #02 a try. Who knows, it just might make it to my top rated BB products.

♥ ♥ ♥