Review: Nivea Daily Face Fluid Immediate Sun Protection

It’s officially summer in the Philippines! With that, skin care products, sunglasses and apparel appropriate for the season are dominating the retail stores nationwide. But being a tropical country, protection against the harmful rays of the sun is needed all year around, not just during summer. It is important that we take extra steps in providing our skin daily sun protection and one way to achieve that is to use appropriate skin care products like this Nivea Daily Face Fluid.

I got this product as prize from a contest sponsored by Nivea Philippines and organized by Nuffnang Ph. Actually, this has been in my position for around a year but it’s only recently when I realized that I haven’t blogged about it. And since it’s summer, there’s no better time to review this than now.

Nivea Daily Face Fluid comes in a small bottle off-white colored bottle with yellow twist cap. The fluid itself is white and has a seemingly clean scent common in most Nivea skin care products. It boasts to offer immediate sun protection, collagen protect and has SPF 30+

I started using this daily just about a couple of weeks ago and I am now sharing to you what I think about this product.

Product Description:

Ingredients:

What I like about the product:
I love that this product is so light on the face. It doesn’t give that greasy finish nor does it leaves white residues. It can even be used under makeup and most of all, it can be used everyday. I use this even if I know I won’t be under the sun for longer period of time. The product claims to be fast-absorbing and true enough, the liquid is already absorbed by the skin within seconds. The formulation is not sticky either therefore making application a breeze.

Since this product is under the sun care line, it claims to offer immediate protection and has SPF 30 to protect the skin against the harmful rays of the sun. Furthermore, it contains collagen known to prevent wrinkles caused by sun damage.

I have been using this for about a month now and so far I haven’t had any negative experience - no redness, itchiness or breakouts.

I also love its handy size and small nozzle. I often take it with me since it easily fits my bag and the small nozzle makes it easy for me to squeeze out just the right amount of fluid.

What I do not like about the product:
One thing I do not like about this product is it makes my already-oily skin oilier a few hours after application. But then, it’s the same with many other sun care skin products. Some products are worse!

Will I repurchase?
Probably.

Rate:

Review: Victoria’s Secret Beauty Rush Lipstick

I love Victoria’s Secret lotion and colognes but for some reason, I haven’t used any Victoria’s Secret makeup. So when I saw this inside the pouch given by my US-based grandmother who went home for vacation, I got excited because I’ll be using a Victoria’s Secret makeup for the first time. Kinda superficial but it’s just one of the small things that makes me happy.

The lipstick comes in a transparent tube with silver knob in the lower part. The cap is also transparent with silver text color. There is no fancy logo, design or anything. I can’t find the product listing in Victoria’s Secret website hence I cannot be sure of the price and I haven’t found this lipstick sold in malls in my area (beauty junkie from the province here!). It's available in Amazon for $3 - $9.

Anyway, let’s move forward to my review...

Pink Shake. This is the first shade I got. Despite the name Pink Shake, I cannot see a hint of pink in this shade. It’s more like sheer brown or frosty light brown. I would like to consider this as MLBB but it’s not. My boyfriend doesn’t even like it on me. LOL! But since it’s a waste to just let this lipstick expire without allowing it to give a fight, I use this together with other lipstick. I use this as base or finishing to tone down bright and bold lipstick shades.

What I like about the product:
This lipstick tastes sweet and I seriously love it. There is no indication that this lipstick is flavored or what but I was really surprised with its sweet taste. Lipstick has never taste this good! LOL! I also love the transparent tube because it makes it easy for me to pick out the shade I would want to use at the moment (especially if I have other shades from the same brand/collection).

This lipstick is not heavy on the lips nor does it give that waxy feeling. It even helps moisturize lips and prevents chapping.

What I do not like about the product:
This lipstick has poor lasting power. It’s only good for an hour or two without eating or drinking. I wish they do something about it. Other than that, I have nothing against this lipstick.

Will I repurchase?
Maybe. I want to know if other shades have the same effects on the lips, as sheer as the one I currently got (pink shake), if the lasting power is the same, etc. However, if the next shade I will buy has the same effects,I’m really sure that I won’t be buying some more.

Rating:

Do you own a Victoria’s Secret Beauty Rush lipstick? If yes, what is your favorite shade? If no, do you consider buying one based on this review?

Domain Dilemma

Image credit: www.anna-OM-line.com

This blog has been the outlet of my emotions for almost five years but even up to now, it is still residing at Big G’s. I know after all those years of welcoming me with arms wide open and understanding me when I’m MIA, this blog deserves a home of its own. I think I finally have the confidence to get a domain for Intricacy.

While I’m sure that I will be sticking to the niche I already have, I am stuck in domain name selection. I know this is a major decision and undos are not allowed so I must proceed with caution. I don’t wanna be stuck with a domain name I don’t really like.

I am excited for this to come into fruition but I want to take things slowly and think it over. If you have domain name suggestions for my lifestyle and beauty blog, please feel free to comment below. Thanks.

Review: Nivea Essential Lip Care

I’ve been using this lip balm for quite some time now and I think it’s about time I publish a post about it for others to read how this product fares. I am a Nivea-user for years (from lotion, facial wash to lip balms) and have built a solid trust with this brand over time. So when I bid farewell to the organic lip balm I am using, there’s no other better replacement than this Nivea Essential Lip Care.

This lip balm comes in a typical Nivea packaging, royal blue and white; the tube is white and the cap or cover is blue. It doesn’t look glamorous or cute at all but it doesn’t look cheap either. The total package makes it look like a plain lip balm you will typically find in various drugstores or health and beauty sections in malls nationwide. But does the packaging say much about the lip balm itself? Keep reading to know more about my review...

Product Description:

Ingredients:

What I like about this product:
This product claims to protect the lips from drying out and true to its words; my lips don’t feel or look dry after application. I used to have chapped lips (probably due to the air conditioned office setting) that sometimes bleed when I try to peel off the skin but after using this, my problem significantly decreased. I rarely suffer from chapped lips and I can now apply lipstick before leaving the office without having to worry that it will emphasize the line of my lips since they tend to become dry at the end of the day without a good lip balm. I also like that Nivea Essential Lip Care is not producing that gooey or waxy feeling even when applied under a lipstick.

The lip balm itself is white and gives that just-right gloss finish - no speck or swirl of color, no shimmer or whatsoever. Like what I said, it is just a plain lip balm you’ll reach out to anytime of the day; to condition the lips before applying lipstick, before going to bed and any time you feel that your lips ought to be moisturized.
It’s also worth a mention that this lip balm contains jojoba oil and natural shea butter, two ingredients known to have beneficial effects to the skin. It doesn’t even have “high hazard ingredient” based on Cosdna analysis. With today’s rise of illnesses caused by dangerous chemicals, it is really important that we pay attention to the skin care products we use.

One has got to love this product because of its price. This is displayed with Php 89 price tag but I only paid Php 67 in the counter and I’m not sure why. It could be new pricing, the mall is running a sale at that time or well, just a glitch in their system. I wasn’t able to clarify this at the counter because I’m already home when I discovered the issue. :D Anyway, Php 89 is not that big amount for a lip balm so it’s still cheap.

The manufactured date is printed at the bottom of the tube so you can be sure that you are not getting an expired product.

What I do not like about this product:
An SPF, even just SPF15, would have made this lip balm perfect. I could have used it even when I’m out under the sun and still feel confident that my lips are protected from sun damage.

While this lip balm has good moisturizing properties, applying too much as lipstick base gives a sheer finish and can make the lipstick smudge. I once left the house with perfectly applied lipstick only to find out later (after being out in public for a while) that my lipstick smudged. This lip balm plus moisturizing lipstick is a big no! If you prefer using a lip balm under a lipstick, better blot your lips first to lessen the chances of smudging and make the shade come out as it is, not sheer.

Will I repurchase?
Yes!

Rating:

Have you used Nivea Essential Lip Care or any other Nivea lip products? How do you find it?

Welcoming Pope Francis... in style

So the Vatican has chosen a new pope to lead the Catholic community all over the world. I am always interested to witness world events such as this and in this case, I would love to keep watch and be there when the smoke, regardless of color, comes out of the Vatican chimney. But since I am in another part of the world and I have no resources to be there, I just try to find joy and contentment in reading news about it.

Rather than feeling disappointed for not being there, I find happiness in trying to come up with outfit I can wear when out and about in Vatican. LOL!

Here's one look I come up with...

Polyvore Discovery

I once find happiness being a virtual stylist through Looklet (now Looklet.biz). However, the site took a different path and no longer offer such feature for users so with a heavy heart, I bid to them (along with many looks I created) farewell. Then I learned about Glamstorm through a newsletter sent to me. It also allows users to create looks or style models virtually but the site being in beta mode, there are still errors, bugs and other issues that prevent me from unleashing the wannabe stylist in me.

The other day, while I was going through lifestyle blogs, I came across a blog post from Ramshackle Glam where I learned about Polyvore. It is also a virtual stylist site like Looklet and Glamstorm minus the models. The site allows users to create collage or sets of clothes (aptly called sets) to help them visualize what the look/ensemble would look like when worn together. One can also create collection (as in Spring Collection) to help stylists organize the sites they created.

When I see fashion blogs and magazines using cute visuals, I often wonder how they made such cute images of clothes. Now I know it’s Polyvore. It’s a shame that I have discovered this just now but I’m really glad I did and I look forward to many sets I will create on my free time. *giddy*

For now, here’s the first set I created.

It’s summer season in the Philippines and the first set I created highlights one of the summer must-haves - the floral shorts.

Announcement: SM City Iloilo 3-Day Sale

photo credit: SM City Iloilo Facebook Page

Shop at SM City Iloilo on March 15, 16 and 17 and avail up to 70% off on selected items mallwide. Plus, get a chance to win one of three Devant 50” Smart Internet TV’s.

Mall Hours:
March 15; 9AM-10PM
March 16-17; 10AM-10PM

You can also get an additional 10% discount during the 1st 2 hours of the SM City Iloilo 3 Day Sale on March 15. Just present your SM Advantage, Prestige or BDO Rewards card when shopping from the following mall stores: The SM Store, Ace Hardware, Our Home, Watsons and Adidas. The additional 10% OFF that you get during the 2-Hour Special sale on top of whatever sale item and price you get.

February Finds

Here I am again, back with a new post and new name for this series. I just want to make things sound simple thus the change of name. Anyways, here are the four products that have gotten my attention last month. I will be reviewing them in the following days so stay tuned!

1. St. Ives Blemish Control Green Tea Scrub
This is supposed to be for my March finds and I only realized the mix up just before posting. I have no time to edit hence its inclusion in my February finds.

2. Raw Honey
When you have a boyfriend who hates mainstream everything, expect that there will always be unexpected things coming your way. I got this raw honey (from Palawan) for Valentine’s Day and I am expected to use this as food. But being a homemade-lover, I have better ideas in mind. LOL! I add a drop or two to my facial wash and sometimes conditioner and I am excited to share to you how this natural product fares.

3.  L’Oreal Re-nutrition Shampoo and Conditioner
I bought this on impulse. I was doing grocery shopping and looking to buy the shampoo I am using but this got my attention. It comes with free six sachet of conditioner. Being a freebie addict :)) I added this to my cart before leaving the aisle.

4. Victoria’s Secret Beauty Rush Lipstick
This was given to me by a relative (distant grandmother) who went home for vacation from the US. I haven’t tried using Victoria’s Secret makeup before so this got me excited. :D

5. Nivea Essential Care Lip Balm
This is my first lip balm purchase in months. I kind of got fed up with the local organic lip balm I am using hence I decided to try something new. I have tried and enjoyed other Nivea lip balm and other lip products before but not this one and I’m seriously hoping that this lip balm can live up to the Nivea’s tagline, “Live life with a smile.”

That’s all for now! It’s a shame I posted this on the 9th day of March when it should be live on the last day of the month or first day of the succeeding month. I was just too busy for timely update.

Crochet: Sleeping Mask

Since mid January, I have been busy with a lot of things that I rarely have time to blog and crochet. In fact, it makes me a bit sad because I have lots of crochet projects and ideas in mind but I simply do not have the time to play with threads and yarns at the moment. However, a few days before Valentine’s Day, I really forced myself to stay awake for at least an hour longer each night to create this sleeping mask in time for Valentine’s Day.

I have always wanted to create this for my guy who has been complaining about his sleep  problem due to working on night shift and since I can’t think of anything special to give him on Valentine’s Day, my motivation to finish this project soared to 110%. :D I used two strands Monaco yarn (blue and black) and 3/0 crochet hook. I followed no pattern whatsoever, I just crochet while imagining what the outcome will be. LOL!

This amateur sleeping mask is well appreciated by the recipient but I still need to alter the string though as the knot is causing him pain when lied down on.

BrandBacker: Bringing Brands and Bloggers Together

A few weeks back, I got an email from Band of Blogs, a group that aims to help bloggers receive unique opportunities from the brands they love. This group aims to work as a sort of mediator between the blogger and the companies who are giving free samples for beauty, fashion and lifestyle bloggers (to test, review and blog about) and other opportunities that will benefit parties involved. Full access of the site isn’t available at that time though.

Just last week, the group sent out an email about their change of name to BrandBacker and the day after that, the site is opened for registration. Being the opportunity-grabber that I am (LOL!), I immediately signed up and explore what the site has to offer. Like blog directories, this site requires the blogger to register his/her blog and input relevant information not just about the blog but the blogger’s preferences as well. Bloggers are asked to input the blog’s description, blog categories, tags or specialties as well as blog demographics including languages, reader base, blog focus (women and men, mainly women, mainly men), age range and monthly traffic. Campaign preferences are also asked such as content types (brand/product write-up, contests, free sample giveaway, product reviews, videos and others), compensation types ( payment for posts, brand discount, free product samples or no compensation needed), mailing address (for samples) and paid post options (minimum price per post and payment method).

My dashboard

Given that the site is new (still in private beta), there are only five campaigns running and I believe that it will increase in the coming days. I requested to join one of the campaigns since it is the only campaign feasible to me (given my location) and it is still being reviewed until now. Once my application is approved, I will be writing about the brand and will be paid for it once my write-up is accepted.

I would definitely love to receive free samples or special blogger discount but then shipping to the other side of the world can be costly so I am kinda picky about the campaigns I consider sending a request to. For now, my campaign preferences is limited to paid post only until they’ve built their international brand offerings or I have found a way to get samples without costly shipping fees.

FYI, BrandBacker is based in San Francisco and built by GoMakelt Labs backed by grants from UC Berkeley’s Venture Lab and Start-Up Chile.

I will be posting more about BrandBacker as the time goes by so stay tuned!

Review: Avon Naturals Tea Tree Oil & Green Tea Purifying Mask

It’s been a while since the last time I made a blog post but no complains here though. I am blessed with a new opportunity that is just too tempting to take for granted considering my situation right now thus explains my disappearing act in blogging. Lucky if my creative juice and my spare time occur together at the same time, I can give this blog some love. If not, then it needs to sacrifice for a while. :D

Anyway, I must proceed to my review quick before I run out of time and idea to write. Actually this has been in draft status for more than a month but I simply do not have the time to finalize the post due to time constraints. But here I am now, gathering all my creativity and determination to come up with an informative post and hit the publish button as soon as possible. The product in highlight is Avon NaturalsTea Tree Oil & Green Tea Purifying Mask . This is originally priced Php 169 but I got this on sale (December brochure) for Php 99. Actually, I was kinda hesitant to get this considering my previous experiences with some Avon skin care products but for such price, I think there is nothing to lose in case this won’t work.

This face mask comes in an oval-shaped upside down bottle. The color of the body is light green while the cap is two shades or so darker than the body. The mask itself is white and a bit viscous hence the tendency to flow down when placed on the fingers during application. This is supposedly used every week as recommended on the product label but given my time constraints, I only use this like every couple of weeks. I will state below how this product fares.

Product Description:

Ingredients:

What I like about the product:
I love that this product can be easily applied to the face straight from the bottle. No heating, mixing or other pre-application process required. Plus, recommended time for this product to stay on the face is 10 - 15 minutes only, not inconvenient or time-consuming at all. Application is not that messy either. As long as you keep your hair away from your face by tying it and using a headband, you will never have problems during application.

I love that sort of tingling and cold feeling I get when the mask touches my skin. I can feel it slowly tightening and then dry up until the mask is ready for peeling. For the mask to dry within the 10-15-minute recommended time, it needs to be applied thinly hence one 50ml bottle will surely last long when used once a week. Additionally, I prefer applying the mask thinly because I believe that good results are obtained through that way. I once tried applying it thickly and regret doing so because there is no way I can peel off the mask in a snap since it hasn’t completely dried within the time specified in the instruction. What I did to remove the mask is to gently wipe the wet mask with tissue paper. It’s kinda messy really!

This product claims to contain natural ingredients which is also one of the reasons why I went for this. It has tea tree oil and green tea, two natural ingredients known for their cleansing, astringent and antiseptic properties.

What I do not like about the product:
I find this mask’s smell a bit strong especially when applying around the nose area. Thankfully the scent slowly subsides after a few months so you never have to endure it all the way.

I hoped (and expected) that this mask can help remove deep-seated blackheads but to my disappointment, it hasn’t done anything that can prove it. Well, it gives me that clean and tightening feeling during and shortly after application but apart from that, there is no more. I cannot even tell of it indeed remove excess oil.

Will I repurchase?
No. This facial mask is something I can live without.

Rating: