Venus & Mars Haul

As usual, I always make it a point to read product reviews and forums before buying for myself. After a lot of reading, I guess I was convinced to finally have my first Venus & Mars haul.

At first, I was really confused on which products to buy, if you check the Venus & Mars website, you'll see that they have a lot of goodies to offer. But, I decided to buy according to my needs. Besides, I can always try the other products later (if budget permits).

For my very first purchase, I decided to buy their Cleopatra Rub in Mild Yummy Melon, Emu Oil, and their Strip Tease Package 6, which contained: Milk Salt Spa (Mango Mandarin), Bare it All Cream (Mentholated Lavender), CPC+G and Lulur Soap.

When I received the package, I wondered how Jamie tried to fit everything in it. I even thought she missed packing one item, because I didn't think it'll all fit in what I thought was a small package... but when I opened... tada!!! They're all there, packed tightly and very secured. She really must have a talent in wrapping stuff, lol!

Nuff of all the blabbing... let's get into my thoughts with regards to these products.

My take on this product: Cleopatra Rub
· I really need a lotion with SPF on it. I found this product just in time, when my own stock of SPF fortified lotion ran out. So, I decided to buy the 200 ml.
· The scent suited the product’s name well. It’s like putting a candy in cream form all over my body. From previous reviews I have read about this lotion, I thought the smell is going to be strong... but from personal opinion, it’s fine... and I love the yummy smell.
· Very rich in consistency. Although it was a little hard to spread because of it’s consistency, I was still very happy with the after effect, because my skin is certainly smooth and silky. Indeed, every millilitre I paid was worth it.

My take on this product: Spa Milk Salt
· Another yummy scent from the VNM line. Enjoyed using it while I was in the shower.
· I am not sure if I read the part where it’s supposed to be moisturizing too... but I sure felt it’s moisture effect while trying to scrub it all over my body.
· The granules from the salt I suppose didn’t cause any abrasive effect on my skin. I have been using Abonne’s Milk Salt Scrub for months now... and when I thought that one was the gentlest to my skin, I realized I was wrong. I still love Abonne though, for days when I’ll need the extra scrubbing. But for sure, I’ll be using VNM’s milk salt spa more often. I hope it’s fine if I use it on a daily basis. It’s just too yummy on my skin.

My take on this product: CPC+G
· This is supposed to have a whitening effect. I am sure I wouldn’t know the results until weeks from now. But I am loving it already, for the reason that it didn’t sting at all, when I tried it on my skin... as in pure CPC+G alone. I then followed it up with the emu oil just like one of the VNM users said in her testimony. I hope to see the results soon though. I intend to use this on my blemishes, and dark spots on my foot (might be due to wearing tight shoes).

My take on this product: Bare it All Cream
· This is actually one of the VNM products I was excited to use. I know I will be using it to a lot of my skin problems... number one will have to be my tummy stretch marks.
· It has a much thicker consistency compared to the Cleopatra Rub.
· The minty feel was so fun... Although I have read that it’s mentholated effect will last for hours, I didn’t expect it to be that minty and fun. I thought some of the reviewers were just exaggerating... but this time, anybody can surely quote me on this: “The VNM’s Bare it All Cream’s minty effect is really lasting and fun... you can feel it seconds after applying”
· Since one of my skin problems are darkened, chicken skinned underarms, I decided to apply this to this problem spot. I decided to apply it daily, if I’ll be staying at home. It gave me a fresh feeling on that same spot, lol! Like it. And as an added bonus, I didn’t smell a bit. Now I am definitely going to use this daily. And if I am going somewhere, i better use my usual antiperspirant since I kinda sweat... but i’ll still use this at night. Hope to see the results soon too.

My take on this product: Lulur Soap
· Upon opening my shipment, this one was the first thing that caught my eye. I though, it’s a little small for the price. I told myself, that with the price... this better be good. A few minutes after checking my items, I decided to hit the shower. I can’t wait the following day to try these goodies. I was too careful not to waste any product... but just a few lathering, I have already made a foam of soap. Yup... it’s sudsy as Jamie said it.
· I went out of the shower with the clean feeling... but mind you, the squeaky feel didn’t include that tight feeling.
· I bought this product for my blemishes... but I am still contemplating whether I should use it on my face or my body. I am a bit choosy with products on my face. For now, I just used it on my whole body. Hope to see the results soon though.

My take on this product: Emu Oil
· I am not really sure of where I’ll use this product when I decided to buy it. I have read from forums that this oil has a lot of healing properties. When I searched more, I ;earned that VNM is one of the online shops selling emu oil without the distinct smell... that’s why I opted to buy here.

These are only initial thoughts of the products. Like I have only used them hours ago... Overall, I find my orders above average. It has always been my fear that buying online products, I might get disappointed to see them with my own eyes. Let' face it, a lot of the sellers online, post pics of their products that actually looks far from the actual things they are selling. It's a great thing that my Venus & Mars haul were able to reach my initial expectations. An added bonus is the personal touch the owner Jamie puts in her products. I appreciate the sweet note she gave me, along with the package. Although I have seen in other blogs that she leaves notes to her products, I actually thought, she usually do this to her friends "slash" customers. It's so sweet, that even if this was my first purchase, she took the time to personalize them :-)

Ellana Minerals

Although I first fell in love with Barenaturals, adventurous as I am, I decided to try out other local mineral make up brands, such as: Ellana. I have to say that their website caught my eye. Also, they gave me a free catalog on my first order. For me, it is very helpful... and it made me want to buy more products because I can just check on the catalog anytime.

Here are the stuff I bought:

I am into lip products, so if there's one thing that I usually catches my eye in any make up line... it is anything that has something to do with the lips. In the case of Ellana, I bought their strawberry lip treatment, strawberry lip scrub, lip/cheek tint in Ruby and lip gloss in Lush.


My take on this product: Strawberry Lip Treatment

Hits:

• I love it's minty feel
• No eecky consistency like other lip treatments, just glides smoothly
• At 150 php, it is affordable
• Since it is in a jar, I can use a lot of the product

Misses:

• Only treats temporarily, I need to reapply every now and then to keep my lips moisturized.
  

My take on this product: Strawberry Lip Scrub

Hits:

• I love the sweet taste
• I guess it helps keep the blood on my lips circulated through the massage motion when applying it, I just noticed that my lips look rosy after each scrub.
• Affordable

Misses:

• The sugar granules are too big (as shown in picture 3)
• Can be a bit messy

My take on this product: Lip/Cheek Tint in Ruby

Hits:

• Stays long.
• As mentioned in the catalogue they gave me... it really does not dry right away, so that, I had enough time of blending it

Misses:

• The consistency is too thick for me... can be hard to spread. But ofcourse, with a few tips and tricks I was able to master using this.
• Can be messy and hard to control, since it's in a pump bottle, I sometimes pump too much product.

I also bought some MMU products.

My take on this product: Pure Blend 2-1 Foundation Concealer (sorry I didn't have an individual picture, but you can see it on the pic on top, I only bought a sample jar

Hits:

• I uber love the coverage, it gave me.
• I don't have to add too much products when using it.
• Fits well with my skintone (I used Cafe Mocha)
• Airbrushed finish, gave me that flawless look... me happy.

Misses:

• I can't think of any, I love it too much... will be buying a bigger jar as soon as I finish this up.

My take on this product: Mineral Finishing Powder in Expresso Con Pana Translucent Finish

Hits:

• Gave my oily skin a matte finish.
• Stays long
• Fits my skintone well

Misses:

• I was disappointed with the packaging (as seen in the photos). There were scratches already on the cover when I received them.
• Although the shade suited my skin well, it was a bit dry. I was hoping for more glow, since I chose the translucent finish. Or maybe, I buffed it the wrong way on my face? Will have to experiment more on this.

My take on this product: Multi-purpose mineral eyeshadows

Swatches shown (L-R): Sensation, Delicate and Raven

Hits and Misses:

• Since I oredered only three eyeshadows, I can't really generalize. However, from the three that I ordered, I noticed that Sensation and Delicate are very pigmented. Although Raven gave that ashy look, perfect for smoked effects... I still prefer for it to have a more intense darkness in it. On the good point, Raven has more staying power compared to the first two. I am yet too try it as an eye/brow liner.
• The Sensation eyeshadow is my favorite. Very versatile, and perfect for highlighting too. It blended well.

Barenaturals Minerals

I have always loved makeup, and have used quiet a lot of products already. However, when I heard about mineral makeup, I decided to give it a shot. Everyday Mineral Makeup was the first MMU product that caught my attention. I have heard good reviews from them in Youtube and through other MMU users. I have ordered from them through their online site... yet, I still can't wait to try using mineral make up...and can't wait for my EDM shipment. With that, I decided to try out MMU products that are locally available.

It has always been my habit of checking product reviews before buying. When I checked around, I noticed that Barenaturals are one of the local products with wonderful feedbacks from buyers. With this, I decided to buy from them first.

My first purchase were brushes, and some MMU. However, on my next purchases, I started investing on non MMU products which they also offer, which includes their: brushes, oils and extracts. For this post, I decided to share a little on their MMU though.

I have gathered their 3 types of Mineral Foundation: Therapeutic Skin Perfecting Mineral Foundie, Classic Foundistay... and my favorite, Premium Glow Foundie.

My take on this product:

Hits

• I especially love the airbrushed, and dewy finish that Premium Glow Foundie gave me... Love the finish, not to mention, it indeed gave me the glow I hope to get
• Staying power is perfect for my day to day activities. I don't have to retouch often.
• Affordable
• I have a Golden Medium skintone...and all three foundation variants fitted me...how cool is that?
• I love the packaging... the matte gold suited my makeup purse...lol

Misses:

• Therapeutic and Classic Foundie almost have the same effect on the skin (in my opinion)...although I believe their formulations are different so are their benefits.
  

My take on this product: BN Skin Perfecting Primer

Hits and Misses:

• Feels light on the skin... I don't feel I have them on, when I use them.
• No eecky feel, not greasy and easy to apply
• Affordable
• Has a weird smell though, but it is not overpowering.

Overall, I love my Barentaurals products. Although I didn't post everything I purchased from them (brushes, emu oil, etc), I am still a Barenaturals suki. Not only are their products worth the price (very affordable) but also because, Lami, the seller, is one of the best online sellers around (peomise!). Very accommodating, especially when I just started switching to MMU, she helped me on which products to buy, that'll suit my skintone.

There are more goodies in the BN website that I am yet to try :-)

Sharing, Caring...and Budgeting

My baby may have inherited his sensitive skin to me, that’s why, like me... he can’t just use any products in the market. A few days after his birth, he had Infantile Acne... I pity his skin condition, that we did not only shop for products to suit him, but also looked around for the best pediatrician and, or dermatologist. He even tried a lot of products that is suited for teenagers considering his very young age (few days old). I thought of buying Aveeno and Burt’s Bees products due to their good reviews... but not only are they difficult to buy here, they’re also very pricey, for me (as an average single mom?).

Until finally, we found the right stuff that suited him... Funny, coz I have been using this product long before I gave birth. I can’t believe, that after the long search, we’ll end up with something...that’s right in my bathroom, and have been with me all along.

My baby and I, are currently using Cetaphil Cleanser.

My take on this product?

I never had problems with it...and it’s amazing that it’s also perfect for my baby. An added bonus is it’s availability here in the Philippines, considering that we are in the southern part.

Now, my baby never had a recurrence of his infantile acne... which according to his paediatrician, might normally come back after a few months. I am very happy.

I guess, this is one of the best tips that I’ve learned in keeping a budget, at the same time, still looking and feeling good... sharing a few things with my baby. It’s very convenient for me, especially in travelling, coz there’s little stuff to pack for both of us.

Aside from Cetaphil, below are two other products we share:
1. Johnson’s Baby Cologne (Forever Mine Scent) – I love my perfumes... but on regular days, me and my baby share the same cologne. This has been my choice, because of all the colognes I’ve smelled, this one has the best scent for me. I think it’s fresh and powdery scent gives me and my son a refreshed feeling. Not to mention, the price is also very friendly to my budget.
2. Johnson’s Baby Powder (any variant)- My baby seldom has rashes, but I love to put a little powder on his bottom after each diaper change to have that fresh feel. As for me, I also powder my chest and back area, because I perspire a lot... I do this usually after each bath.

Stretch Mark 101...anyone?

I just came home from the drugstore and bough for myself a Palmer's Tummy Butter. This is actually my second jar. I finished the first one before I became an official mommy. I just thought of buying another one, since I have a friend who swore that her stretch marks vanished (maybe lessened) after using this butter.

I didn't have any problems with it's formulation. It is a bit greasy, but I guess, that's supposed to be how it normally should be, to moisturize my skin, and avoid stretch marks. I also love it's yummy smell. It's more like coca with vanilla.

The only thing I didn't like about it, is that, despite my religious use of it, I still had a bunch of stretch marks a few weeks before giving birth. I know a lot of my friends are going to ask me, why the hell, would I want to try it again, if it didn't help me the first time I used it... and I thought, maybe because, I believe it's worth a second try.

I am very patienbt with the products I use, and I am crossing my fingers that this time, my stretch marks will vanish with this second jar of Palmer's Tummy Butter. I haven't tried the other Palmer's products that also promised erasing stretch marks. I opted for the Tummy Butter, because I heard a lot of good reviews about it. It shouldn't be that bad, trying it out, 'again' this time. Wish me luck guys!

EDM Flat Top Brush..Me, Happy!

It has arrived!!! For two days, I can’t stop checking the gate, hoping to see the courier bring my goodies...and now here it is...my very own Everyday Minerals Flat Top Brush! Oh okay, I also bought the EDM eye shadow brush, but I just can’t contain my happiness for finally having the flat top brush!!!

You see, I am a certified mineral make up convert. Starting my make up kit from ground zero is not that easy. It took me a lot of patience with the trial and error part: which shade is better, which brush works better with what, and etc.

I bought quiet a number of brushes already, and I especially spent much on kabukis. So far, with all the purchases I have online... none of them really made me this excited. I thought of finally giving up my search for my favourite brush, and just be contented of what I have...until I came across video reviews of the EDM Flat Top Brush...and not to mention, reviews made by my favourite Youtube gurus: Xteeener and Kitcat627. Right after I saw their reviews, I checked the Everyday Minerals Website. It was love at first sight, I must say. The moment I saw it, I just want to have one the SOONEST. I realize that if I opt to buy from the EDM website, I will have to wait for weeks... so definitely I must find another option: Multiply shops!!! Many thanks to tianggeatbp.multiply.com, for selling their EDM brushes at very affordable prices, despite their popularity. Besides, I need them to be cheap... being a mom, and with the not-so-friendly to the pocket price of my son's milk, I can't splurge on cosmetics and the like!

I was able to purchase the flat top brush at 450php, and the eye shadow brush for 300 php, not that bad if you compare their prices to everydayminerals.com. And my favourite part, I don’t have to spend that much for shipping, nor do I have to wait that long to have my EDM brushes :-)

My take on this product?

The EDM Flat Top Brush is indeed the softest brush that ever touched my hands...you can quote me on this, when I say it's the best for it's price! Not only that, it's handle is just the right length for applying foundie and mineral veil. It gave me effortless applications because it is also so dense! I am so happy :-D The velvety feel of the brush tips glided on my face, without poking me, my face feels so pampered. Also, I didn't just use it on mineral make up... but also with other conventional makeup, and it worked fine too.

I didn't mention much about the EDM eye shadow much, because I wasn't as happy with it as I am with the Flat Top Brush. I find it too stiff to apply makeup on my lids. It was not as soft as I expected it to be. I am still happier with the eye shadow brushes I purchased earlier.

I took some pics a few seconds after opening the shipment, and posted them below, for you guys to check out: