December 2019 - Reviews and Other Stuff

Month: December 2019

Lilah B. Glisten & Glow Skin Illuminator + Divine Duo Lip & Cheek Review + Swatches

December 26, 2019 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

For this holiday and for the coming year, I’m planning to test some beauty and skincare products that caught my eye on social media. There are so many interesting beauty finds especially on Instagram, and most of them look so tempting and are really aesthetically pleasing. One of the brands that captured my attention is Lilah B. It’s a brand that has a “less is more” approach to beauty in general. They make beauty products that are minimalistic, thus packaging them in sleek and simple yet sophisticated designs.

Speaking of designs, most Lilah B. products are housed in what resembled like pebble stones. They look very unique, minimal, and very easy to use. Also, most Lilah B. products are meant to be multitaskers and are also cruelty-free, clean, and definitely luxurious.

I got really curious about two Lilah B. products. One of them is the highlighter and the other one is a lip/cheek product. Both of them are in an elegant signature Lilah B. stone compact/packaging.

Glisten & Glow Skin Illuminator in b. enchanting (mini/0.08 oz: 32 USD, 0.17 oz: 60 USD) – this is a bright champagne highlighter, contained inside a shiny sleek metallic bronze stone compact. While I like the shade and the overall beauty of this highlighter, I find that this does not last very long on my skin. After an hour, this disappears off my face easily and it actually kind of feels dry in texture. Applying this meant dabbing the product on my skin several times and since it’s quite drying, it takes some time to blend it in. Therefore, this product moves the makeup, especially the foundation and setting powder.

Divine Duo Lip & Cheek in b. true (0.08 oz: 46 USD) – also housed in a nice sleek elegant stone packaging, this multipurpose lip color and blusher comes in matte and shimmer finish. B. true shade is matte and is said to be a mauve shade per the brand’s description, but in reality, it looks more like a light muted coral. It’s great for adding color on the cheeks, but still, it moves makeup. On the lips, it feels waxy and quite drying. Also, my lips feel very weird whenever I use it. I think this product is better as a blusher rather than as a lip color. I did try to put it on my lids as the brand pitched, but I only look funny with it. Also, I don’t find this product to be long-wearing and buildable at all.

Bottom line, Lilah B. promotes its products as meant to simplify your beauty routine by using fewer items, and that is by utilizing multitasking ones. Further, they promote their products are having luxurious formulas packaged in their signature modern sleek stone compacts. In my opinion, their products look very interesting on the outside but subpar on the inside. They are way too expensive for what they are, and as we consumers, I feel like we’re just paying for the fancy packaging but not for the quality. Each signature Lilah B. stones are too small for the price (see size comparison below), so there’s very little product in it. I would only recommend buying their products for the packaging because they sure do look very decorative, but overall, I don’t think they’re worth the hype. If I’m going to pay for exorbitantly-priced luxurious beauty items, they better have enough products in it, or better yet, I won’t mind using multiple products for hair, brows, eyes, etc. as long as the qualities are worth it.

Have you tried this brand before?

If interested, the Lilah B Divine Duo Lip & Cheek and the Glisten & Glow Skin Illuminator are currently available at Sephora, Nordstrom, Net-A-Porter, Neiman Marcus and Dermstore

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Natasha Denona Bloom Blush & Glow Palette Review + Swatch

December 23, 2019 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

Happy holidays! Christmas is almost here and I am definitely feeling the holiday rush. I have been extremely busy lately and had to catch up not only on my personal schedules but also with last-minute gifting. This has got to be one of my busiest Christmases ever. I really can’t wait to relax, chill, and cuddle with my kitties.

I don’t know why, but with all the holiday rush and the chilly temperature, I found myself dreaming of Summer and Spring, lol. I was actually looking for some beauty items as gifts to my dear friends, and I saw a face palette that looked really pretty and very Summer/Spring-like but one that I decided not to have some time ago. However, I regretted not making that purchase soon because I realize that it’s a palette that is so totally worth it. Oh my, nothing haunts us like the things we didn’t buy, lol.

The Natasha Denona Bloom Blush & Glow Palette (0.48 oz: 55 USD) is a beautiful face blush palette that I should have grabbed since the day of its release. Not sure why I was hesitant about this palette before, it must be because of its dark burgundy blush shade that made me feel apprehensive about it. I also remember that I was eyeing the Tan Bronze & Glow Palette more than this palette because I thought that that would be a much better fit for my face and complexion. Well, whatever my reasons were, I’m glad that I finally pulled the trigger on this cruelty-free, paraben-free, and gluten-free palette.

This blush palette contains four shades with two different textures: two creams and two powders. The creams are protected separately by another clear plastic covering. One of the cream blushes looks dark red or very burgundy. It’s called “Cream Blush” and at first, you may find it to be not an ideal blush shade because it definitely looks “too red”. The way to apply it is to dab a little of it on the cheeks since it’s extremely pigmented. It definitely gives a nice doll-like flushed cheeks. One that looks cute not only for Spring and Summer but also for this Winter to combat the paleness. The other cream blush is a slightly luminous peachy shade that looks very wearable especially if you’re into that natural peachy cheeks look.

The two powdery shades look more like a hybrid blush and highlighter. The Glow Extreme is the most blinding one out of all the four shades, and it definitely makes you look glowy and sparkly in a very glamorous way. It feels very fine and smooth to the touch and there’s no fallout. It’s a glowy champagne shade that complements all the other three shades in the palette. It is perfect as both highlighter and blush. Although on my skin, I like to use it as a highlighter. The Duo Glow shade, on the other hand, is a glowy coral champagne that is definitely perfect as a highlighter/blush mixed. This is the shade I like to use to highlight and add a pop of color on my cheeks when I’m in a hurry.

Nothing excites the holidays than giving a nice beauty gift to a beauty lover, and with this chilly season, the Natasha Denona Bloom Blush & Glow Palette is definitely one that will make all of us beauty enthusiasts look forward to several festivities. I highly recommend this palette for its hydrating creamy formulas that are long-lasting, extremely pigmented, and will give you that natural healthy gorgeous glow.

Are you a fan of this palette too?

Happy holidays everyone! Wishing you a safe, healthy, happy, and very Merry Christmas.

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Memories of Zurich, Switzerland

December 10, 2019 / TRAVELS & PLACES / 0 comments

Last Summer, I traveled to Europe and one of the cities I visited was Zurich, Switzerland. I spent a few days there to explore and unwind. It was my first time in Switzerland and I planned to not only visit Zurich, but I also had my trip set to Lucerne and the Swiss Alps which I will be featuring soon in my upcoming travel posts.

I arrived in Zurich on a very warm and very bright late morning. The sun was really touching my skin in a very hot and quite aggressive way. I wasn’t used to that much sun anymore and I was squinting as I lugged my two large luggages on the front door of Hotel Swiss Night, located along the quiet residential street of Steinwiesstrasse 8. The hotel looks quaint, silent, and very homey with its quintessential Swiss design, complete with red and white paints/accents all over the walls just like the Swiss flag. You can also see replicas of big round cheeses and milk barrels as main decors right when you enter the hotel. Speaking of the hotel, it is actually not very large. The entire reception area is quite tiny and so is the narrow staircase leading down the breakfast room. The place feels more like a house rather than a hotel. Outside the hotel, you will find a red cow statue facing the door. The staff speaks good enough English and are overall very friendly and helpful.

The view outside my hotel room. What a cute multi-floor Swiss house!

I only took a few makeup and skincare stuff with me on this trip since I didn’t really have much time to pack, so I just mostly took the essentials.

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The Hotel Swiss Night has only one elevator and it can practically fit two very slim people, provided that they don’t have any luggage with them. I emphasize the words very slim because I think in most instances, it can pretty much fit only one person with a small luggage. But there I was, shuffling along with my two large luggages, doing the whole Tetris thing trying to fit my stuff inside the tiny elevator, and for the life of me, I still couldn’t sneak my second luggage in. So, I decided to leave the second one out first while I took the first one to my room, then I went back for the second one. Speaking of rooms, my room was to be very honest, really really small, and really really hot. As I mentioned, it was Summer when I arrived and I was placed in an attic room with just a portable AC and with not much space for both my luggage and for my legs to walk around. I also found the very low ceiling to be very hazardous. I mentioned hazardous because there were many instances where I bumped my shoulder against that low ceiling and I eventually ended up with a dull shoulder pain that lasted for months since that trip. Apart from that, for what I paid for, the hotel has horrible Wifi and the TV channels were not translated into English. Since it’s situated in a quiet residential area, there weren’t many shops around, but there’s a 24/7 grocery store nearby. Keep in mind though that everything in Zurich is very expensive. A very basic nail cutter for 25 USD, everyone? Shockers, right? Other than that, the hotel’s breakfast was ok, you may still have to ask for water or milk in German/Swiss German for the staff to understand, but the selection’s fine enough for me to survive. Also, the bed here is really nice and comfy, but everything else is just too tiny and too claustrophobic for me. So, I don’t think I’ll be staying here again.

The first thing I went to see in Zurich is the popular Lake Zurich. I wanted to see the beautiful swans looking majestic and swimming serenely. So I spent a lot of time strolling along the lake just staring at such stunning creatures and taking all the pictures I could get. Lake Zurich is indeed very beautiful and is fun to visit. It’s pretty full of tourists though but it’s not overly congested. There are shops and cafes around, so you can shop, eat, and drink while you take in all the views.

After a couple of hours strolling along Lake Zurich, I went to take an eTukTuk ride which I booked at Tripadvisor. If you’re wondering what an eTukTuk is, it’s actually an electric car that takes you on a tour to see some of the highlights of the city of Zurich. I chose this tour because I knew I wouldn’t be staying that long in Zurich, so I wanted to get a comprehensive knowledge of the city in a short period of time. There several types of eTukTuk tours you can choose from, ranging from the central Zurich and surroundings tour even to a Fondue and wine tour. The meeting place for this tour is at Museumtrasse 1, which is very close to the Zurich Main Station. I took an uber there (driver was pretty responsive) and located my eTukTuk driver immediately. His name was Attila. He was very informative and very friendly. I learned a lot about Zurich through his explanations and his experiences living and working there. I ended the tour feeling quite knowledgeable and more oriented about the city.

After the eTuktuk tour, I decided to stop at Coop Supermarkt, which is Zurich’s most common grocery store. I love this grocery store a lot. In fact, I like most European grocery stores because there is a lot to see. In the Coop Supermarkt, I found lots and lots Toblerones which is pretty obvious because they’re Swiss-made, but I also found lots of ham, cheeses, sweets, desserts (did I mention that the ice cream here is so addicting?), European wines, various haircare products, different types of bread, and all sorts of hausgemacht (homemade) sandwiches and sausages. They’re all expensive though, but they’re also all worth it.

The following day, I took a stroll along the Limmat River where you can find the Fraumünster and the Grossmünster Church. This part of Zurich is very classic and has very interesting architectural works. I made it a point to stroll along the famous Bahnhofstrasse nearby, which is the upscale shopping avenue of Zurich. I also went to see the Farmer’s Market nearby and I found some really nice fresh flowers.

Bahnhofstrasse

As I strolled, I stopped by to eat at Restaurant Dialog for a nice Lasagna. Then I continued my stroll but I felt very jet-lagged, so I went inside Gran Mota Restaurant for an ice-breaker, lol. I did get an ice cream and that sort of kept me awake for a while. I went to continue browsing some shops and even went back to Lake Zurich because I just loved staring at those Swans (dunno why), lol. I didn’t realize it was quite dark when I headed back to my hotel room and I literally passed out from the massive jet lag.

The next day, I had a trip booked for Lucerne and the Swiss Alps.

Have you ever been to Zurich before? What’s your most memorable experience in that city?

Stay tuned for part 2 of this post.

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