More To Mica - Life & Fashion Theme Update

Before anything else let me just tell you that I am not obsessed with anti-aging products. Most of the anti-aging products I use are freebies just like these ones from Etude House.



These Etude House goodies were sitting in my drawer before I finally got try them last July 21. I've been applying all three almost every night except for just a few times where I accidentally forgot to use them. The original plan was share the post once I've finished all of them up but it's already been about four months and I have yet to empty the Emulsion & Firming Cream. Meanwhile the softener lasted for roughly three and a half months.




On the label:
Etude House Age Defense Skin Care Kit - Makes your skin firm and smooth with Age Defense Skin Care Kit consisted of 3 Age Defense items that help with total multi anti-aging care.

Directions:
Age Defense Essential Softener - Apply morning and evening after face wash. Spread the skin from the center towards the sides of the face.
Age Defense Essential Emulsion - Spread the emulsion from the center towards the sides of the face.
Age Defense Firming Cream - Pick up a certain amount of cream and spread gently onto forehead, cheeks, and chin. Pat gently afterwards to absorb.



The softener, emulsion & firming cream were different.

The softener had a rather watery consistency and is easily absorbed by the skin. I have to say the softener is my favourite among the three because it leaves my face with a fresh & cool feeling. Well, the reason behind the softener being used up first is because of its very liquid form. I would usually take more than the amount I needed.

The emulsion had a thicker consistency than the softener, it's form is similar to lotions. Getting some of the product out of the bottle was not easy though, since it doesn't pour out like the softener, and the bottle isn't really squeezable.

Lastly, the firming cream. It has a rich and thick consistency but it's not heavy on the skin. I tend to put a thin amount as possible since I kind of feel a bit of greasiness when I apply too much.

All in all, using all three together gives my face maximum moisture. My face was soft and supple even in the morning and it felt good to wash my face. Plus, the scent of these products. Sooo good!



The free kit I got were 15ml for both the softener and emulsion & 10ml for the cream. The original Age Defense products in Etude House stores costs:

Age Defense Essential Softener 130ml - P 1,348
Age Defense Essential Emulsion 130ml - P1,348
Age Defense Firming Cream 50ml - P1,578

There you have it!

Check out: Etude House on Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

I've finally taken this Fresh Cherry Tint I bought from Singapore out of the stack.  Somehow I regret not using it sooner.. I really love how it looks so natural, gives of a perfect no makeup makeup look plus I kind feel my lips become healthier after use. Keep browsing and see it on my lips, including two other shades of this Fresh Cherry Lip Tint.





Here's the two other shades of Etude House Fresh Cherry Tint I got as gift. I decided to include them in this post to compare the three shades and just check the swatch of each. (Tints was also first seen on product sample post here)



Freshly applied. Red is obviously more pigmented than the other two. The peach tone seems to be very light probably because it had been sitting in the storage for so long and had lost it's luster. Lol. The peach tint came out more of a pinkish tone on my lips compared to the swatch on my arm. (See below.)



After washing and rubbing my hands.. The red and pink shades kept it's stain. The peach one was almost invisible. Huhu.

Fresh Cherry Tint - Peach

Wearing the peach tint. I really bought the peach one instead of the other two because I'm more inclined to coloring my lips with coral and orange tones. This shade is actually a tiny bit more orangey in person but as I've said earlier it came out a bit more pinkish than expected when applied to the lips.

Fresh Cherry Tint - Pink

Personally, I find the pink & peach lip tints having a similar effect/tone on my lips, both also gave me naturally coloured looking lips. I like em both actually. Hahaha.

Fresh Cherry Tint - Red

Oh my g! What can I say? The moment I applied the red one on my lips, I felt empowered (what?). Lol.. Hahaha. Hello red lips. It's absolutely gorgeous. I kind of wished I got the red one instead but bf isn't into red lips so I go for muted colors instead... Trying this one on makes me want to shift to red lipsticks... I like that it had a more berry tone to it. Too bad it isn't showing much in photo but ughhh.. so pretty in person.

 I had to use my fingers to apply the pink & red tints since they were just in a sachet form and didn't have the doefoot applicator unlike the peach tint. Just look at how red and messy my fingers were below.



Okay so, despite my inclination towards the red cherry tint.. I still like the other two and been using the peach one, hoping I would empty the bottle one day. Hahaha. Before I forget to mention.. after taking photos for this post, I had the red tint last and after drinking and eating.. nothing changed my lips were still stained. Came dinner.. I ate and drank again, the tint started to fade a bit on the edges but the stain is still visible. The next morning, my lips were still stained. I guess these tint may pass as long lasting. Though I've always thought that lip tints are originally the ones to last longer than lipsticks. (JMO - just my opinion).. Also, the scent of these tints do give a bit off a cherry fragrance and for me it's more of sweet candy, something like that scent.

After all those positive feedback with the tints, what I don't like about it is it's a bit sticky on the lips, probably for moisture (which is great if that's what it's stickiness is for) coz' a winning lip product for me is the one that's light and something that doesn't feel like you've applied something on your lips.

Will I buy again? I would absolutely get one again if I've got extra cash. Andddd..I've just purchased a number of lip tints from Althea (will share soon!!) and some lipsitcks from US (so excited to get my hands on em)... Plus, I have another pending lipstick post that needs photos (haven't even opened the lipsticks). It breaks my heart when my lippies expire and I don't get to use them as much as I'm supposed to.. If I can't empty them might as well use more than half of the product.. So I'm trying my best to empty/make most of the lippies I currently own (and I'm probably failing, Lol) and storing some in the fridge too. So best of luck for me on that.

I'm actually tempted to try the Dear Darling tint from Etude as well but maybe next time. Boo! Haha. Anyway, that's it loves.

Okay, my to-do list is killing me but no one actually died of a list, right?. Death by to-do list sounds hmmm.. pretty off. With a lot of things going on in my plate, the words earlier just popped in my head while I was about to take a me-time at the bathroom and thought it might be a good opening statement for this not so fancy blog-entry - review on product samples from Etude House & Max Factor. Haha. I don't care if you care or don't care.. I'm posting anyway. I'm happy to get at least one down off my to-do (blogging) list.


I have here two sample packs of Etude House Pearl Aura Brightening Essence & Max Factor Whipped Creme Foundation each and Etude House Fresh Cherry Lip Tint in two variants.

Etude House: Pearl Aura Brightening Essence

Product Description (source-etudehouse.com):
Pearl Aura Brightening Essence contains Tahiti black pearl extract based fine aurora particles that enhance the skin’s natural transparent glow, brightening up dull areas for the effect of just awakened, fresh skin. With sufficient moisture and skin-friendly properties, This essence absorbs quickly w/o the use of cotton pads, hugging the skin With its smooth texture for a healthy looking glow. (In short, it's a brightening moisturiser)

Etude House: Fresh Cherry Lip Tint

Etude House Fresh Cherry Lip Tint promotes moist & shiny cherry lips with a creamy, smooth texture.




Top: Red / Bottom: Pink

First Impression:
Absolutely love it! I'm a real lip tint lover ever since. Haha. But what I love about Etude's Fresh Cherry Lip Tints is the colours of both pink & red tints. I do have the actual product in peach shade that I bought before I even got these samples. The tints did come in a creamy and smooth texture. The reason why I love tints is because they look natural, they actually last long plus they didn't dry my lips. Drink, eat, sleep.. It's still on! Haha. I did a swatch on my lips which I will be posting with the peach shade in a separate post soon. I was struggling to remove each lip tint on my lips for the shoot. I applied the red one last, note I applied the red tint at around 4 in the afternoon and though some areas of my lip lightened I still had parts of my lip tinted in the morning. Haha.

Max Factor: Whipped Creme Foundation

Product Description (source-maxfactor.co.uk):
Max Factor Whipped Creme is a foundation whipped, non-oily formula that glides over the skin, to create a flawless demi-matte finish. Unlike some mousse foundations this is claimed not to cake and flake on drier areas. It is perfect for creating a demi-matte look, hydrated with glycerine and water so it glides over skin, won’t clog pores and is oil-free and fragrance-free. Suitable for sensitive skin.




Top: Golden / Bottom: Light Ivory

First Impression:
Tried this on top of my Naturactor Cover Face and on it's own. First, with Naturactor.. it seemed to give a little more flawless finish but since I was already using a great foundation underneath I didn't really see how great it is with coverage. The following day I used it on it's own, I have to say it covered my redness and it's coverage is pretty much an ace. At first, I thought it's not remarkable in concealing my pimple that had popped above my brows, but after it had set on my face, it was fairly concealed and less noticeable.

Light Ivory has a more pinkish tone than the Golden which had bit more yellow undertone but once spread on the skin it would also turn out to have a bit of a pinkish undertone too. I used the light ivory all over my face since it's closer to my skin tone then applied the Golden one to my jaw line and temples, just to look a bit three dimensional. The only cons about the product is it's smell! I hate it, huhu. It kinda smells like cream cheese. The scent lost me. It would have been a great foundation since I didn't end up as oily as I normally would.

Full Look Wearing Max Factor Whipped Cream Foundation (Light Ivory & Golden)

I actually went to the salon that day to get my hair straightened and while Mark, the junior stylist assigned to me was washing my face he commented and said to his co-worker na parang naka-camera360 ung mukha ni ma'm - me (my face looked filtered with camera360). He said he tried checking the washed part of my face near the hair to see if I had applied a lot of product on my face to look flawless but then I didn't since there wasn't any difference. I only had Max Factor Whipped Creme Foundation and set it with powder. I think I'm somehow blessed with great skin. I'll need to take good care of it (all of us should take care of our skin anyway)...



Overall, Etude House Fresh Cherry Lip Tint is my top choice of all the samples and the product I would most likely purchase. It was still fun and great to try and test the other samples. After doing this product sample blog post, I realized that samples are actually better for blogging sometimes. You don't have to worry if the product would work or if you'll be wasting the product itself or money you've spent for one whole container. And that is all! Hope to see you on my next post.

Got this Petit Bijou Baby Bubble trial kit from my previous Etude House loot. It so happened that it had been sitting for quite some time and only got a chance for the testing department until recently. I wanted to share this product because I just can't get enough of it and happy that I got to try the product out.





The Petit Bijou Baby Bubble Soft Body Wash - it had a very translucent liquid-ish form, it's baby powdery scent is very pleasant, I looove it . The scent is actually strong enough that I could smell it instantly even without opening the box yet. My skin felt light, soft and it had a slightly noticeable glow after shower. I have fair skin so actually sometimes I'm can't see the difference if the product helped lighten my skin or not but with Petit Bijou it seemed to have a certain kind of glow, it's minimal but visible. Plus, the scent (again) I just really love it.




With the Petit Bijou Moisture Body Lotion - it's a nice moisturiser specially if you'd like to feel and smell like a baby, haha. Though I have to give the points to the body wash when it comes to scent. Btw, I applied the lotion after shower the same day I used the body wash.

I loved both products and probably purchase again. These are obtained for free as gift from Etude House so I don't know the prices, I haven't checked but will do once I get to step out of my home (where I usually am). I'm planning to try other variants from the Petit Bijou Collection like the Allover spray or the Cotton Snow one.

Summer is upon us! And what makes summer feel summer is fruity, warm & sunny hues. Thus, the color of my nail polish. I used the #21 Life Jacket shade from Etude House's Enamelting Gel Nail range.  It's more of a red-orange pigment. I like how it brightens up my skin tone and makes me feel that I have vibrant and happy nails.



You may check out the review/tutorial (Etude House Enamelting Gel Nails Review) I've made previously & a different shade of Enamelting Gel Nails from Etude House (Etude House: Gotham City).

Hey! I got to try the Color in Liquid Lips from my previous Etude House Haul (check out the post by clicking this link). Etude House’s new line of lippies was released this year for spring and summer. I first heard about the product through the newsletter sent by etude house, it was probably late December or early January. I don’t quite remember when exactly and I’ve accidentally trashed Etude’s email (boohoo). It was around February to March when other bloggers started to blog about the product. Now, it’s my turn to share my thoughts.



First.. What is Color in Liquid Lips?
Color in Liquid Lips fills the lips with a light and smooth texture for vivid color and a transparent shine. Color in Liquid Lips is a melted liquefied lipstick with intense color and high shine that gives off a provocative yet lovely sheer lips. Its cushiony water-sliding texture helps make lips look supple and hydrated.

What it claims to do?

• Lovely splashing color: Vivid colors like melted liquefied lipsticks make delicate and supple lips. (Exclusive "One-Touch-Color" technology is applied to express vivid color with one touch)
• See-through glossy lips: Smooth water-sliding texture cares lips lightweight, glossy, and non sticky. (Water-Sliding: Light and non-sticky texture for cushiony and sleek application)
• Long-lasting hydrated lips: It contains Sweet almond oil and sunflower seed oil to coat lips comfortably and smoothly long time without getting dry.

(info from etudehouse.com)



I bought two out of the twenty other Color in Liquid Lips line. This one is #OR202 Peach In Dream.




The lipstick comes in a tear drop shaped applicator with a hole in it.



This shade did give a peachy color to my lips. I did like the texture when I applied the lipstick, it wasn’t sticky as usual lipsticks. I think this orangey shade is new to me so I was a bit shocked by its color on my face. I was able to work with it by letting the product set and slightly tapping my lips with a tissue paper to reduce the color.



The other shade I bought is #BE102 Beige in Chic.




I also liked the color even though I haven’t applied it on my lips.



And loved it moree when applied. I’m not sure but I think this color suits me better than the shade earlier. This one is a lot more vibrant and compared to the other one, it’s less drying and it’s easier to spread the color evenly on the lips.



Overall, the Color in Liquid Lipsticks did give lovely splashing colors. These lipsticks are really pigmented. It gives of just a right amount of gloss but slightly mattefies after a few hours. It’s nice that the lipstick is lightweight and I didn’t feel much stickiness. It didn’t dry up my lips but my lips were already a bit dry from late nights and lack of water so I assume that the product is best applied after a lipbalm or when the lips aren’t chapped and dry.



The Color in Liquid Lips tend to get lost upon grabbing a meal and drinking so we’ll need to re-apply like how lipsticks usually are. I’m fine with that but I’m usually lazy with retouching my make-up.

I’ve used both lipstick shades for about 2-3 times and I did like it. Will I buy again? I would say yes and I’ll probably try other shades but I’m shifting to lip stains instead of lipsticks since I find lip stains to last longer than lipsticks. I’ve read a blog that Color in Liquid Lips is also a lip stain, not sure if it is a lipstick or a lip stain. Please enlighten me.

Here are the other shades available (from paradeoflove.com). The colors look so lovely, makes me want to try all of them...

I bought my Color in Liquid Lips loot from the Etude House Festival Mall branch for Php 598.
Rating: 4/5



That’s about it! Btw, featuring Yhansy in the photo above. Lol. Hope you guys got something!

Decided to try another shade from Etude House’s range of Enamelting Gel Nails polishes - #19 Gotham City. To be real honest, there’s a reason why I changed my polish.. you’ll find out if you read my other enamelting gel nails review.



Added a touch of white to my nail polish. Just a simple french mani using the same Enamelting Gel Nail - #1 Marshmallow.




Lovin these rings that I ordered from Taobao. Thank you Bungeee (my best cousin in the world!) again for bringing it here to me all the way from Singapore. I love youuu! Mwuah!



Hope I could keep the polishes on my fingernails for two weeks. I’ve already had it for 5 days and it still looks lovely, there is a subtle part of my thumb that chipped (somewhere at the edge of the nail where the french manicure is) but it’s not very noticeable at all. So hopefully it’ll last for more days. I made a blog post update of the first time I used this Enamelting Gel Nails, check it out by clicking this link. I also shared my uhmmm.. ‘discovery’ I guess on how we can easily remove the gel nail polish.

Hope you liked my current nail polish.
*Btw, I also painted my painted my toe nails with the same colour.

UPDATE: June 10, 2015



Here’s my nail polish after two weeks! Still intact! :D It has grown a few cm which means I’m about to change my nail polish soon and try a new colour from Etude House’s Enamelting Gel Nails.