Holiday Gift Guide 2012 | Gifts from Php99 to Php999.

With a quick trip to the mall over the weekend, I was finally able to cross off the last few items on my Christmas shopping list. If not for the little man's last confinement, I'd be done with buying gifts weeks ago. I try to avoid the Christmas rush as much as possible, as I really hate it when the malls get overcrowded and queues at the cashier and the gift-wrapping counter hold up for an eternity.

Now I'm sure there are still some of you who aren't done (perhaps haven't even started) with their shopping yet. To make this task a bit easier, I came up with my first-ever Holiday Gift Guide and rounded-up a few items that you can give as gifts for your family, your friends, and even yourself. And because money don't grow on trees and it's always the thought that counts, we're keeping the spending to a minimum of Php 99 all the way to Php 999 only.

1. Mini Twinkle Star Necklace, Php 100.

Bronze-plated star pendant on a soft leather necklace. Perfect for teens and tweens. 

Available at Eazy Fashion.

2. Etude House Milk Talk Body Wash 3-piece Miniature Set, Php 192.

Moisturizing body care line in sweet strawberry, banana, and choco milk scents.

Currently on sale at BHappyWithMe.

3. Slick and Yummy Watch. Php 249.

Silicone watches in an array of fun and funky colors. Best when bought by two's. :)

Available at Eazy Fashion.

4. Human Heart Nature Jolly Body Christmas Bundle, Php 259.

Set includes the all-new Cleansing Bar, Bamboo Body Scrub in Vanilla Paradise (50g), Healthy Lotion (50mL) in your choice variant. Comes in a Christmas paper bag with ribbon and gift tag.

Available at Human Heart Nature. 

5. InstaMUG, prices start at Php 280.

A must-have for all Instagram addicts! Your IG photos comes to life on coffee mugs... 

even on tablet covers and phone cases, too!

An original product of InstaMUG.

6. Spud 'n Squishy eSPUDrilles, Php 370.

Handmade and handcrafted by local craftsmen, these espadrilles for babies and toddlers are made with breathable canvas/cotton uppers, organic Abaca fiber foxing, and non-marking, non-slip rubber soles.

An exclusive product of Spud 'n Squishy. 

7. Wallet Case with Stand for Samsung Galaxy Note2, Php 430.

Protective case fit for the Samsung Galaxy Note 2. Made from PU leather, 

this flip case turns into a stand and contains pockets for your ATMs or credit cards. 

Available at Hokkoh.

8. Clarissa Clutch by Ichigo, Php 520.

From the Clarissa collection comes these oversized clutches accentuated with pyramid studs. 

Comes in five pastel colors. 

A product of Ichigo Shoes. 

9. Finn and Jake Plushies, Php 600 each.

It's Adventure Time! Upcycled, handcrafted, and made with love, 

these plushies are a surefire hit with kids and kids-at-heart! 

Made especially for you by PopJunkLove.

10. Amber Lights Reed Diffuser, Php 620.

Organic, eco-friendly, and guaranteed phthalate-free, these reed diffusers come in 

six aromatic scents that can last from six to eight months. 

Available in 100 mL bottles at Amber Lights Laguna.

11. Look Beauty UK Brow Perfect Kit, Php 900.

Fool-proof, picture perfect brows made easy with this handy kit! 

Contains eyebrow stencils, fixing gels, mini tweezers, 

double-ended precision applicators, and brow shades.

Available at Skye Avenue.

12. Stila Lip Glaze Trio, Php 990.

Pucker up with Stila's most popular lip gloss in three gorgeous hues. 

Guaranteed to give your lips a splash of color and a healthy, glossy shine.

Available at Stuff in Style.

And there you have it - my Holiday Gift Guide with something for everybody. Hope you all get your shopping done within the next few days. After all, Christmas is just two weeks away!

EcoTools | Brushes for the Environment-Conscious.

A few weeks ago, another wonderful surprise arrived at our doorstep.

And as you can see, they were sent to me by Eazy Fashion. 

After sponsoring my Summer Splash Giveaway (which they did oh-so-generously, by the way), the kind people that they are even gave me this as a token of appreciation. Talk about perfect timing! I had been planning on buying a new kabuki brush, as my four-year-old Walgreens-bought kabuki conked out on me sometime last month.

I've seen a handful of positive reviews for this brush set, and seeing the likes here only goes to show how popular this brand is. Heck, I have three friends AND even my cousin begging me for this.

The EcoTools 5-piece brush set includes:

- Mineral Powder Brush

- Concealer Brush

- Eye Shading Brush

- Baby Kabuki

- Cosmetic Bag

So basically, it's a set intended for the entire face. The handles are shorter and the brush heads are a bit smaller than the usual as they are meant to be a travel set - the kind that you can easily stash in your purse.

Made with synthetic taklon bristles, recycled aluminum ferules, and bamboo handles, these brushes are certified eco-friendly and cruelty-free.

If you've read positive reviews of EcoTools elsewhere - how they don't smell, bleed, or shed, or how these brushes are very easy to work with when using liquid concealer/foundation or cream eyeshadow - I can easily attest to that. The secret? Taklon.

Compared to animal hair, which has cuticles that can easily pick-up dead skin cells, dust, and other contaminants (therefore making your brush an unsanitary breeding ground for bacteria), taklon doesn't have hair cuticles and has antibacterial properties. So if you're the type who doesn't clean makeup brushes on a weekly basis, then EcoTools would definitely suit you.

As for its versatility, I gave the concealer brush a run with my thick and creamy Missha Under Eye Brightener. And what do you know... it glided smoothly despite the concealer's heavy texture! Plus, the brush is shaped perfectly, at least, in my humble opinion.

The eye shading brush, on the other hand, is just as soft and packs just the right amount of color. I use this primarily as a blender, as I prefer to use those tiny applicators for my eyeshadow.

As for the mineral powder brush, it picks up and packs color easily, and to my liking. However, I find it smaller than the usual face brush so I use it as my blusher instead. 

And then there's the baby kabuki, my favorite brush in this set. Despite being smaller than the regular-sized ones, this baby kabuki is dense enough for my Krave Luxurious Perfection. Yes, the handle may be small and the brush head may not be big enough to cover my entire face, but I love it nonetheless. 

Finally, the cosmetic bag, which is made of 55% hemp linen (yes, hemp, as in Cannabis sativa, lol) and 45% cotton. At first, I found it a bit too snug for the mineral powder brush. But after stretching the bag a bit by gently tugging at its corners, lo and behold, the mineral powder brush fit inside perfectly, along with the other brushes. And there's even some space left for a lipstick, a lip balm, or maybe even a Sleek MakeUp blush.

All in all, I'm pretty satisfied with this set and grateful because I received this as a gift. :)

And in case you want a set like mine, you can purchase it for only Php 590 at Eazy Fashion. You can even get the EcoTools brush set for only Php 495 if you include five other items in your order. Pretty affordable for something this nice, right?

Be Stylishly Chic this Summer. | Enter the Summer Splash Giveaway!

After revealing two of the items included in the prize package, I'm sure a lot of you have been dying to know what the rest of the prizes are. Look no further and wait no more, as the Summer Splash Event officially goes live today!

Hosted by Life With Two Boys, With Our Best, and Bella So Savvy, this event will run from May 14, 2012 at 12:01am EST until May 27, 2012 at 11:59pm EST.

For this particular giveaway, I have the honor to be working with Eazy Fashion - one of the top suppliers of Korean accessories and apparel here in the Philippines. Eazy Fashion has generously provided us with this awesome prize package. Included are:

Black Pears and Gold Tone Necklace

Leopard Queen Print Earrings

Hepburn Black Closet Shades.

Asian hair curler trio.

Sassy Girl Casual Dress.

Whoa, that's a lot! We're actually dolling you up from head to toe! Valued at Php 1800, this prize package will surely make you stylishly chic this summer. One lucky reader will get ALL of these items for FREE!

All you have to do is cast your entries via the Rafflecopter form below. The tasks are pretty simple, and you don't necessarily have to do them all. However, finishing all of the tasks gives you MORE entries, which translates into MORE chances of winning. Please take note that my giveaway is open to Philippine residents only. (My sincerest apologies to my international readers. I know some of you are looking forward to this.)

Ready to win this giveaway? Set your eye and the prize and start clicking on the Rafflecopter! Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Once you're done with my giveaway, please take the time to visit my fellow participants in the Summer Splash event. Each blog is giving away at least $25 worth of prizes, plus we have an awesome grand prize for one very lucky winner. Be sure to hop along to each of the participating blogs because the more giveaways you enter, the more chances you have at winning the Grand Prize!


So what's this Grand Prize we're talking about? Thanks to Kid's Creations one very lucky winner is going to win a Two Ring Adventure Playset valued at $3,598! Made from the highest quality Redwood and loaded with fun activities, this swing set is sure to make this summer one to remember! (Please note that the grand prize is only open to residents of the Continental United States and does not include assembly/installation.)

Enter the Grand Prize!

Please note that the Summer Splash hosts and participating bloggers are not responsible for sponsors that do not fulfill their prize. We have represented each sponsor with the expectation that they will fulfill their prize in a timely manner. While we are not responsible, we will make every effort to assist the winner in obtaining their prize.

Spotlight | Posh and Pretty with Eazy Fashion!

There are two things I can't ever and will never leave the house without - makeup and accessories. Of course, you all know how much I love makeup. It is, after all, written all over this blog.

As for the latter, well, I haven't really posted much about this, save for my Vera Wang watch and the surprise from my husband. However, if you're one of my regular readers and if you have an eye for detail, then perhaps you might have noticed the trinkets I wear in my selcas (self-capture) and/or Mommy and Me shots.

Case in point,

this Kate Middleton-inspired necklace.

And these, too.

Dangling pearl earrings.

England charm bracelet + my college ring.

You see, I'm a jeans and t-shirt girl. I'm not into fancy shmancy tops, girly girly dresses, and floral prints. Especially floral prints! (My goodness, I'd rather wear tattered sweats and baggy pants than something that resembles the curtains in my grandmother's house!)

This is where the accessories come in. I jazz up my otherwise bland and boring outfit with showstopping baubles - a pair of dainty earrings, a quirky necklace, a chunky bracelet, or a funky ring. Hence, I am always on the look out for interesting jewelry pieces whenever I go to the mall or browse online. The more it screams for attention, the better. Best if they come in reasonable prices, too.

Just recently, I've discovered Eazy Fashion - a haven of all things posh and pretty. Take a look at some of the items available at their online shop.

Black Pearls and Gold Charms Bracelet.

Leopard Queen Prints Earrings.

Pink Love Locket / Charm Necklace.

They sell mostly Korean accessories, and you know I have a deep affinity for all things Korean. They come in pocket-friendly prices (wholesale prices, even) too, which is the icing to the cake.

Rummaging through their vast collection and limiting your purchase to just a few items can be quite tough. Especially when everything you see tickles your fancy and catches your attention. I managed to resist the temptation of hoarding everything, and was able to narrow down my shopping cart to just six items.

L-R: Starry Starry Night Black Chain Bracelet, Ruby Heart Stud Earrings, Purple Moon Stones Earrings, Pink Marmalade Star Earrings, Kissing Star Necklace, Sparkling Silver Star Studded Ring.

As a promo, customers get the wholesale price when they purchase a minimum of six items. That way, you enjoy bigger savings as you buy more items. And for a single purchase of at least Php1000, you can have your orders shipped for free!

Now let's take a closer look at my loot. First up, the earrings.

I am impressed with how elegant these pieces are. They look so elegant, you wouldn't even think they're costume jewelry! The one in the middle is my absolute favorite. Yeah, you guessed it right. Because it comes in my favorite color. 

I'm a huge fan of charms, and needless to say, I'm totally smitten by this piece, too. It's a Disney-inspired kidada wrap complete with beads, stars, and a pixie charm. The price? Cheaper by a long shot than the ones sold at Disney Couture. Waaaay cheaper, if you understand what I mean.

Now if you're a Kdrama/Kpop fan, this piece needs no introduction. But for the benefit of those who are not, this my friends, is the Kissing Star Necklace made famous by the 2009 Korean drama Boys Over Flowers. 

Let me just make it clear though, I am not a fan of the Goo Joon Pyo-Geum Jan Di tandem. I was rooting for Yoon Ji Hoo all along, which was portrayed by no other than Kim Hyun Joong. (insert fangirl screams here)

Finally, this ring, which I wore for the first time yesterday. 

Wedding band + engagement ring + Star Ring = daebak :)

It matches pretty well with the Kissing Star Necklace, don't you think?

I was actually looking for those neon-colored rings that Siwon wore on the 5th jib cover, but I can not - for the life of me - find a local store that sells them. This adjustable Sparkling Star ring is the closest I can get my hands on, and I have no regrets getting this instead. Banjjag banjjag! (That's sparkling sparkling in Korean.)

Now here's the thing. I have the pleasure and the honor of teaming up with Eazy Fashion for a huge summer giveaway. And when I say huge, I mean HUGE! 

We're giving away a prize package worth Php 1800 (more or less US$45 depending on the exchange rate for the day, lol)! Two of the items included in this package are the Black Pearls and Gold Charms Bracelet and the Leopard Queen Prints Earrings, which I've mentioned above. I'm not squealing the rest of the prize package to keep you all in suspense, hehe. 

But I won't keep you hanging for too long as I'll be revealing the prizes come May 14th, when my Summer Splash Giveaway goes live. That's barely two days away! 

This event will run until May 27th, so mark your calendars and set your eyes on the prize! See you all on Monday! :)

Shared with InstaFriday, Photostory Friday, Pink Friday, Pink Saturday, Happiness Is, Mommy Moments, Mom and Me Monday, Blue Monday, and i Heart Macro.