Spotlight | The Face Shop x Coca Cola Collection.

A few months back, I blogged about the release of this collaboration collection between Korean beauty brand The Face Shop and one of the world's biggest and most recognizable brands, Coca-Cola. The collection featured an array of lip tints, lipsticks, eyeshadow palettes, a pact, and a cushion. I've been lusting for these products ever since they hit the market (because you all know by now that I'm a sucker for collaboration collections and cosmetics with cute packaging), and I finally got my hands on them last month when I went back to Korea for our (bi-)annual vacation.

The Face Shop x Coca Collection still on display. :)

I was initially worried that these products might no longer be in stock - they're limited edition, after all, and it's been months since this collection was released. Thankfully, they're still available in all of The Face Shop stores that I've seen and been to in Seoul's shopping districts (Myeongdong, Hongdae, Edae, Gangnam, Sinsadong).

My mini haul from The Face Shop. :)

Here's what I got from the collection - the Oil Clear Blotting Pact, the Velvet Lipstick in Vintage Red, and the Coke Bear Lip Tint in Coke Red. I was supposed to buy the cushion instead of the pact, but my son, who was with me that day, made me realize that I still have a bunch of unopened cushions back home. Okay fine, I'll get the pact instead, lol.

The Face Shop x Coca Cola Oil Clear Blotting Pact.

The Oil Clear Blotting Pact is a blotting powder that absorbs excess oil and keeps your face shine-free. Colorless and translucent, this product is an ideal setting powder as it 'mattifies' the shiny areas on your face without adding texture to the skin. (Read: No caking!) I use this mostly for touch-ups, when the midday oil slick hits my T-zone.

Colorless and translucent.

Finely milled. :)

The pact comes with a mirror, a puff, and a plastic 'separator' placed in between the puff and the powder. I love how soft and bouncy the puff is - it picks up a good amount of product and makes blending such a breeze.

Comes with a super soft puff!

Right side of my face has the Oil Clear Blotting Pact
on top of my Innisfree Longwear Cover Cushion.
Left side of my face has only the Innisfree Longwear Cover Cushion on it.

The powder has a subtle cola scent which I find quite nice and quirky. Even my son was fascinated with how my makeup 'smells like Coke', haha. Well, everything in this collection is cola-scented, including the eyeshadows. The scent on the Velvet Lipsticks, however, is much fainter that you'll hardly notice it unless you sniff on the bullet closely.

The Face Shop x Coca Cola Velvet Lipstick.

These Velvet Lipsticks come in five different shades. I chose shade number 05 Vintage Red, a medium pink with a warm, peachy undertone. I super like the color, but I love the packaging even more. Just look at those adorable candy cane stripes on the bullet. Christmas vibes, yes!

How adorable is this packaging?

The Velvet Lipstick, as its name implies, has a creamy, velvet texture and a flat matte finish. It's easy to apply and glides smoothly for the most part, but it did tug a bit when I first applied this on my lips. I love that it's highly pigmented and that the color stays on for a decent period of time (about three to four hours, with a bit of drinking in between).

05 Vintage Red.

But when it comes to wear-time, the Coke Bear Lip Tints are far more impressive. The color stays put for more than six hours before it starts to fade into a soft, rosy stain on your lips.

The Face Shop x Coca Cola Gel Lip Tint.

Snow globes are such pretty little things.

This lip tint is the product that I was most excited about in the entire collection, and yes, the packaging has everything to do with it. The moment I saw the cap with the Coke Bear snow globe, I was sold!

The Face Shop x Coca Cola Coke Bear Lip Tint.

02 Coke Red.

The Coke Bear Lip Tints are available in three shades, and I chose 02 Coke Red, a vibrant, orange-based red. The lip tint is housed in a clear plastic tube (the color you see on the tube is actually the product) and comes with a slanted doe-foot applicator. It has a soft mousse-y texture which settles into a velvety, semi-matte finish. Lightweight and moisturizing, this lip tint also has buildable coverage and can be worn full on the lips or applied on the inner part to achieve the gradient look. 

Here are swatches of the Velvet Lipstick and the Coke Bear Lip Tint:

Coke Bear Lip Tint in Coke Red on the left,
Velvet Lipstick in Vintage Red on the right.

Coke Bear Lip Tint in Coke Red on the left,
Velvet Lipstick in Vintage Red on the right.

And here's how they look like when worn.

Velvet Lipstick in Vintage Red on my lips.

Coke Bear Lip Tint in Coke Red on my lips.

If you're into collaboration collections, love makeup items with unique and quirky packaging, or simply someone who finds joy in owning Coke/Coke-related products, then this collection is right up your alley. Definitely worth-investing - not that it will cost you an arm and leg. They're pretty much within the affordable price range, and now that this collection has just been released in the Philippines, you won't need to fly all the way to Korea or spend a fortune on shipping fees just to try/own these products. :)

Sneak Peek | The Face Shop x Coca-Cola Collection.

Coca-Cola, the most popular soft drink brand in history AND one of the most iconic brands in the world, has just dropped new products that are better than their beverage. But that's just my opinion, because I'm forever on a diet and trying my best to stay away from sugary, carbonated drinks, lol.

What's better than Coke, you ask?
Makeup! An entire collection. In 'Coke red' packaging. With the world-famous Coca-Cola script logo.

The Face Shop x Coca Cola Collection.

View the complete The Face Shop x Coca-Cola Collection after the jump!

Signs of Happiness | Coca-Cola's 5by20 Campaign.

If you've been wondering why I have not been blogging very often these days, it's because I'm pretty busy (too busy) with stuff at home. You see, my aunt, uncle, and cousins are home for the holidays. This is the first time they're celebrating Christmas here in the Philippines after they migrated to London ten years ago, and we (my siblings) want to spend as much time with them as possible. It may take awhile for this kind of reunion to happen again - after all, plane tickets don't come cheap.

Speaking of reunions, no party or family gathering would be complete without everybody's favorite drink - Coca Cola. When my cousins arrived last week, the first meal that they had were buckets of fried chicken from the local fast food chain (which they do not have in London), partnered with ice-cold bottles of Coke. Ah, happiness!

We never run out of Coke here at our place, as we have a sari-sari store in our compound. My aunt used to own that sari-sari store (which is now managed by my grandmother's relative), until she finally decided to go back to the nursing profession and try her luck in London. Back in the days, I would help my aunt tend the store by doing simple tasks like taking payments (bayad) and giving change (sukli). It was a lot of fun, and I think my people skills were actually honed by helping out in the store and attending to my aunt's loyal customers (suki).

And this is why Coca-Cola's latest video ad is close to my heart. In this video, Coca-Cola focuses on the power of women entrepreneurship, and how small businesses contribute to the growth of the community in more ways than one.

Take for instance Mercy's Sari Sari Store, which is not only a sari-sari store, but also a hangout for the local 'homecourt heroes'. (In my aunt's case, her sari-sari store is like the employees' lounge of the motor shop across the street.) There's also Elvira's Carinderia, which is not only a place for people to dine, but also a place for people to hang-out, spend time, and have fun with friends.

This video ad is part of Coca-Cola's 5by20 Campaign, which aims to empower women and help improve lives. Through 5by20, Coca-Cola aims to address the most common barriers to success that women face. This can be achieved by giving women entrepreneurs access to business skills training courses, financial services, and connections with peers or mentors.

Why 5by20, you might ask. It's because the goal is to empower 5 million women micro-entrepreneurs by the year 2020. Hence, 5by20.

5by20.

And with that, let us all continue to support every business woman out there - the way Coca-Cola does. Because when a woman owns a business, you can count on them to open happiness as well.

Click here to learn more about 5by20 Campaign.

*This is a sponsored post. Thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Wordless Wednesday #90 | Share a Coke!

Little man was so happy to find this Coke can with 'Mommy' on it.

He was all the more thrilled when I showed him this bottle with his name on it. :)