The #NationalPamperingDay Experience.

Stress has been my best friend for the past few weeks. I had writing deadlines to meet, business transactions to complete, Yue's summative exam's to prepare for (if you're following me on Instagram then you know how OC I am when it comes to reviewers and exams), and social media projects to accomplish. To make things worse, Yue got sick which entailed sleepless nights, several trips to the doctor, and missing school for a few days. Pretty taxing, right?

And so when I received the invite to partake in this year's National Pampering Day, I said yes in a heartbeat. Held last October 17, the nationwide event was hosted by Nailaholics, the country's most popular nail salon and spa. With the aim to give every hardworking Filipino a well-deserved treat, all Nailaholics branches in the country offered free services from 10 am to 1 pm.

October 17, 2017 is National Pampering Day!

The very first National Pampering Day was held last year, and was widely-received by the public. As such, Nailaholics decided to run a sequel and make it more meaningful by adding more options to the free services that they offer. This year's event now had a foot spa and a foot massage, as well as the free manicure that had been a big hit the previous year.

Nailaholics SM San Pablo.

Anticipating a huge crowd of patrons, I visited Nailaholics SM San Pablo as soon as the mall opened. True enough, there were already plenty of customers when I arrived. Most of the seats inside the salon were already occupied, and almost all of their nail technicians had customers to attend to.

National Pampering Day is free for all, women and men alike. :)

Miss Jen, the branch manager, ushered me to an empty seat in the corner. She asked me which of the free services will I be getting (foot spa, of course) and was a bit apologetic that I had to wait for a few minutes for my turn. I told her that I don't mind the wait, and it was nice to see that many customers came to the event despite the nationwide transportation strike.

Miss Jen making the rounds, checking if each customer is satisfied with their service.

You see, for every customer who will avail of the free service, Nailaholics will donate Php 10 to a charity of the customer's choice - World Vision for the rehabilitation of Marawi City, Save the Seas to help protect the country's marine and coastal resources, or PAWS to support their campaign of adopting stray dogs. More customers meant more donations for the charities mentioned.

My nail technician, Angel.

After a few minutes of waiting, my turn finally came. Angel was my nail technician for the day, and as she sat in front of me to scrub the callus off my feet, I realized that I have not had a foot spa since my last trip to Seoul! And that's already half a year!

Getting a well-deserved and much-needed pampering on National Pampering Day!

My nail technician did a good job of exfoliating my feet and massaging my legs, asking me from time to time if the heat of the water is okay, if the scrubbing tickles, or if the pressure on my legs and feet were just right. She gave me the most relaxing foot spa I have had in years that I will most likely book her for my next appointment at Nailaholics.

The technicians in action.

Kudos to Nailaholics SM San Pablo for a job well done, and congratulations to Nailaholics for another successful run of the National Pampering Day! Thank you for having me this year, and will look forward to next year's festivities! :)

Sneak Peek | Miniso x We Bare Bears Collection.

I got hooked to We Bare Bears just recently, thanks to my cartoon-loving eight-year-old son. If you're a parent, you probably have an idea of what I'm talking about.

We Bare Bears!

We Bare Bears is an animated sitcom about three adoptive bear brothers, Grizzly, Panda, and Ice Bear. The bears awkwardly attempt to find their place in civilized society and try to do what everyone around them does - whether it's grocery shopping, going to the museum, or posting photos on social media. Created by Daniel Chong, the show first aired on Cartoon Network in 2015 and is currently on its third season.

I've been following Daniel Chong on Twitter for awhile now, and thanks to his tweets, I discovered this makeup collaboration between We Bare Bears and Chinese variety store chain Miniso. My jaw almost dropped as I marveled at this cuteness.

Miniso x We Bare Bears collection.

More of the bears after the jump! :)

Sneak Peek | Tony Moly ❤ Pokemon Collection Season 2!

Last month, Tony Moly unveiled their latest collaboration collection featuring the adorable pocket monsters more popularly known as Pokemon. The collection consists mostly of skincare products, such as hand creams, moisture creams, and foam cleansers. You can view the entire product line in this post, along with my promise of giving you a sneak peek once the second edition is out.

Well the long wait is over, as season two of the Tony Moly x Pokemon collection has been revealed!

Pokemon ❤ Tony Moly, again!

Let's go Pokemon hunting! Details after the jump! :)

Sneak Peek | Etude House x Wedding Peach Angel Sparkle Collection.

July seems to be a very promising month for makeup junkies like me as we look forward to the new product releases from some of our favorite Korean beauty brands. I'm filled to the brim with excitement as I give you a glimpse of these wonderful goodies coming our way!

First up is the Angel Sparkle Collection, which I'm sure will be a big hit among anime/manga fans. It's a collaboration collection between Etude House and Wedding Peach, a shojo manga adapted into anime television series which was quite popular in the late '90s.

Lily, Peach, and Daisy of Wedding Peach!

Before I got into this whole Korean drama craze, I was a huge anime fan, influenced mostly by my best friend who was an even bigger otaku than I am. We actually learned Nihongo just by watching anime, the same way I learned Hangul just by watching Kdramas. Oh, and one evident proof of my anime addiction? My son's nickname (Yue) came from one of the characters in Card Captor Sakura.

Meet Peach!

That being said, these new releases from Etude House will definitely take a toll on my wallet. I'm already a sucker for (makeup) collaborations, so what more if the products are as kawaii as these?

And here's Lily!

View the entire collection after the jump!

Sneak Peek | Laneige Summer 2016 Collection.

Gone are the gusty winds and sunny days of spring as Korea welcomes the hot and humid weather coupled with monsoon rains. Yes, it's already summer in the Land of the Morning Calm - although this may not mean much for some of us who live in the tropics, where it feels like summer all year round. But for beauty junkies like me, this is great news since the change of season equates to new beauty products. New season = new makeup collection!

Laneige Summer 2016.

Case in point, Laneige's new releases specially catered to the summer atmosphere. They're already in stores in Korea, too bad they were released two weeks after I came home from my second Seoul Searching trip! Anyway, here's what you can expect from the Laneige Summer 2016 Collection.

Sneak peek after the jump!

Spotlight | Nature Republic Nail Polish Remover.

If there's one thing I've learned from riding the Seoul subway, it's that there's a Nature Republic store at almost every station. If you're following me on Instagram or on my Facebook page, you know I have been to quite a handful of tourist spots and shopping districts here in Seoul.

At the Nature Republic branch at Ttukseom Station.

All those places I have traveled to via subway, and I kid you not, Nature Republic is probably the only Korean cosmetics brand with a shop in every station I've been to. I wander through some of the stores from time to time, just to check if they have new items on sale. A few weeks back I bought this bottle of Nail Polish Remover, because my manicure was already in a sorry state.

Nature Republic Nail (Polish) Remover.

Back home, I wouldn't bother removing my nail polish as my friendly neighborhood manicurista would do the honors of taking them off for me. But alas, here in Seoul, manicures and pedicures do not come cheap! Imagine shelling out 25000 Korean won for a basic manicure?! That's almost a thousand pesos when converted - enough to get me a full body massage, footspa, manicure, and pedicure in the Philippines!

Mostly Hangul text at the back of the bottle.

So for the meantime, I had to make do with just bare nails. Don't tell me to do my own nails, because I can't even use a nipper properly for the life of me. Haha!

My manicure was in this state about a week after we arrived in Seoul.

I bought this Nail Polish Remover for 2000 won (around $2 or Php 80 when converted). There was another variant on display called Extreme Nail (Polish) Remover, which was more expensive by a thousand won. I went for the cheaper one, since my nail polish isn't one of those hard-to-remove, glittery kind.

The nail polish remover, uncapped.

This Nail Polish Remover comes with a child-proof cap - the kind that you have to push down then turn counter-clockwise to open. It also has this sort-of plastic stopper on the cap so that it covers the hole on the bottle and seals it tightly to prevent vaporization.

Just a decent amount of nail polish remover on a cotton ball will do.

To use, simply out a decent amount of the substance on a cotton ball. No need to soak it! Let it sit on top your nails for a bit, then the nail polish will come off. None of the violent rubbing that you need to do when using 10-peso nail polish removers bought from sari-sari stores, lol.

Ta-daa! 

I love how this product removes nail polish effortlessly, without making the nails dry and yellowish. None of the chemical scent either, as this product smells like green tea. Yes, the Elizabeth Arden Green Tea kind. :)

Have you tried this nail polish remover before? What's your usual brand of nail polish remover? :)

Sneak Peek | Beyond x Alice in Wonderland Collection Season 2!

In my previous blog post, I gave you a glimpse of the Alice in Wonderland collection from Korean cosmetics brand Beyond. The limited edition collection was a big hit last year, and now the brand just outdid itself by launching a second edition of the very popular Alice in Wonderland collection!

Aptly named 'Alice in Blooming', this season's collection has a more feminine vibe with vibrant hues and floral prints. The products are practically screaming 'Spring is here'!

Beyond x Alice in Wonderland Season 2!

Let's go down the rabbit hole and take a look at what's in store!
Sneak peek after the jump! :)

Sneak Peek | Covergirl x Star Wars Collection.

 If you're a Star Wars nerd, or a makeup junkie, or both (like I am), then you've probably heard about (or have seen photos of) the latest collaboration between Star Wars and American cosmetics brand Covergirl. This collaboration was officially announced a few weeks back, but it wasn't until last Friday, September 4 - that's Force Friday for us Star Wars geeks - when the collection went on pre-sale at selected online retailers.

Covergirl x Star Wars.

Available for a limited time only, the collection includes six new lipstick colors, three shades of nail polish, and ten tubes of mascara featuring quotes from the Star Wars films - including the first six films and upcoming film, The Force Awakens.

Star Wars Limited Edition Colorlicious Lipstick.

I am in love with the lipsticks. All of them. Seriously, I want them all! :)

From L-R: Dark Purple, Gold, Red, Lilac, Silver, and Nude.

And here are three shades of nail polish from the collection. Apparently, there are now six shades of the Star Wars Outlast Nail Polish listed in the Covergirl website. The other three shades are Nuclear (yellow), Mutant (blue), and Fury (red orange). 

From L-R: Speed of Light, Nemesis, Red Revenge. 

Finally, we have the mascaras, which are classified into two - the Light Side and the Dark Side.

The Light Side mascaras.

The Light Side Mascaras are waterproof, while the Dark Side Mascaras are not. Guess I'll be choosing something from the Light Side, since I prefer waterproof mascaras (and eyeliners, for that matter). 

The Dark Side mascaras.

I have not bought any new makeup lately, mostly because I realized that I still have too much unused makeup in my stash, but seeing this collection makes me wanna... hoard them all. Haha!

How about you, will you be getting anything (or everything) from the Covergirl x Star Wars Collection?

Sneak Peek | Etude House x High Cheeks Bling Me Prism Collection.

I get super excited whenever there's news about my favorite Korean makeup brands teaming up with another brand. All the more if it's a fashion brand. There's this sense of anticipation that they'll be coming up with a collection that's fun, funky, and screaming with creativity.

And true enough, Etude House's latest collaboration does not disappoint. This time, they teamed up with High Cheeks, a hip and trendy Korean jewelry brand popular among Kpop idols and Korean fashion magazines.

Etude House x High Cheeks.

Together, they came up with the 'Bling Me Prism' - a makeup collection with stunning colors and quirky, eye-catching designs. This will officially be Etude House's Summer Collection, and will hit the stores in Korea tomorrow, July 15.

Here's what you can expect from the Bling Me Prism collection.
Sneak peek after the jump!

Sneak Peek | Etude House x Kerrie Hess Dreaming Swan Collection.

I was planning to go on a hiatus until Easter Sunday, but I just could not resist sharing this wonderful news with all of you. Etude House, one of my favorite Korean makeup brands, has launched its Spring Collection today! Hooray!

Etude House x Kerrie Hess.

This new collection, called 'Dreaming Swan' is a collaboration with Kerrie Hess. She's an Australian illustrator who has worked for Chanel, Lancome, Kate Spade, and many other popular designer brands.

Kerrie Hess.

The collection is super chic and very feminine - a beautiful assortment of delicate, soft shades inspired by ballet. There are a total of eight products in this new collection - a powder, a brush, eye and cheek powders, nail polish, lipsticks, volumers, cushion cases, and a mini makeup kit.

Dreaming Swan Collection.

Let's take a closer look at these items, shall we? 

Sneak peek after the jump!

Nailed It! | Etude House Shining Dream Twinkle Nails.

So I just realized that it's been almost a year since my last nail polish blog post. Wha-at?! I can't believe that I took for granted all those pretty nail polishes that I've worn in the past. They never got featured in my blog, despite the countless #NOTD posts (that's Nail of the Day) on my Instagram. My bad.

While tinkering with a new set of nail polish yesterday, I made a mental note to take decent photos of the nail polish (not just my nails) and post them here in my blog. And without further ado, I present you the Shining Dream Twinkle Nails from Etude House. This was included in the loot that I received from Etude House Philippines last Christmas.

Shining Dream Twinkle Nails.

 As always, Etude House does not fall short when it comes to visuals and packaging. I can't help but feel cheery and festive just by looking at this house-shaped box. Feels a lot like Christmas, right? :)

L-R: Holy White, Holy Deep Blue, Holy Silver Pearl.

There are actually two different sets in the Shining Dream Twinkle Nails line. This is set 02 Holy Twinkle, which consists of the following colors: 2-1 Holy White, a frosted pearly white shade; 2-2 Holy Deep Blue, an 'electric' shade of blue with fine iridescent glitters; 2-3 Holy Silver Pearl, a clear nail polish with silver stars and holographic sparkles.

Yay for the labels! :)

The set also comes with a sheet of nail decals. As you can see, there a lot of stickers to choose from, each with very intricate designs. I'm not a pro when it comes to nail art, but just by looking at these silver stickers, I can tell that they'll create a lovely contrast with the blue nail polish.

Snowflakes, and then some.

Now here's the look I created using the Holy Twinkle set. I didn't use the decals, because like I've said, my nail art skills leaves much to be desired. Haha!

Winter vibe! :)

Snowflake, snowflake, I love snowflake...

If you're into nail art, and love frosted nail polish as much as I do, then I bet you'll enjoy working with this set. You can mix and match the colors and create a variety of looks with the decals. The polishes are glossy and highly pigmented, and they dry pretty fast, too. Not sure if they're easy to remove though, because I haven't tried taking mine off yet. Haha! :)

The Shining Dream Twinkle Nails set sells for Php 348 (around $8), available at Etude House branches nationwide.

Sneak Peek | xoxo Minnie Etude x Disney Collection.

Tomorrow, October 15, will be D-Day.
And I mean 'Disney Day', as Korean cosmetics giant Etude House launches the xoxo Minnie collection - a collaboration with the multinational mass media corporation, Walt Disney.

Pretty Sulli!

Makeup enthusiasts, Korean cosmetics junkies (like me!), and even Kpop fans have been buzzing about this upcoming collection, and here's a sneak peek at what Etude House has to offer.

Click the image to enlarge! :)

I see a lot of shimmer and sparkle in this photo, with those nail glitters and pink and red nail polishes. There's also a Volumizer Mascara, single eyeshadow pans, and false eyelashes to boot. Of course you can't miss that pink lipstick - front and center, and that pan of blush with Minnie Mouse embossed in it.

I'm officially lusting over the second blush.

There are two blushes in this collection, with two different illustrations on the cover. The third pan, as it turns out, is a case for the Precious Mineral Any Cushion. The Cushion pact is actually refillable, so if you have refills in stock, you can simply insert it into this uber cute Minnie Mouse case.

Now here's the thing. This collection will be released in South Korea only. I'm not sure if Etude House even has plans of releasing this collection in other parts of Asia in the near future, but for now, it's just gonna be South Korea. Having a husband who works in Seoul sure comes in handy, lol.

If you have friends or relatives who are in South Korea or are planning to visit the country, then perhaps you can ask them to get this collection for you. Or maybe, just maybe, my favorite online stores will be able to source out this collection. Let's keep our fingers crossed and I'll post updates just in case. :)

Nailed It! | MUA Nail Constellation.

Remember that bottle of MUA Nail Constellation that came with my MUA Lip Boom purchase from Updated Trends? I finally had the chance to use them two Saturdays ago, during my Mum's '50 and Fabulous' birthday party.

Caviar nails!

This is my first attempt at doing caviar nails, so pardon me if what I did looks amateurish. It's the same reason why I chose to wear them on just two nails for each hand. I didn't want the product to go to waste lest I do something wrong while applying it.

Starry, starry nails. :)

Here's a description of the product as seen on the MUA website.
MUA’s amazing NEW Nail Constellation is inspired by the patterns formed into stars in the earth's night sky is a 3-dimensional extravagant nail art system you can create easily from home that leave your nails looking ‘wow!’.

These Constellation beads have a beautiful shine to them in five amazing space theme colours. They are easy to use and with them you can create many different designs. Supplied in a funnel for easy application with a re-sealable top! Using the Funnel application simply bed the constellation beads onto to a thick coat of your favourite MUA nail polish in a line design or just placed randomly.

Lovely colors, sleek bottle.

The new range comes in five variants: Pisces, Gemini, Libra, Leo, and Scorpio. I'm not sure where the other seven zodiac signs are; perhaps they'll be released as a separate collection in the future. Mine is Scorpio, as you can see. It's a combination of yellow, green, and purple beads - the most colorful combination and the prettiest in the collection, in my humble opinion.

Scorpio!

Anyhow, here's an instructional video uploaded on the MUA Cosmetics YouTube channel. It shows the step by step procedure on how to use the MUA Nail Constellation.

Just so you know, I used the Sassy Colors Iced Mocha as my base coat. It's the same color on my nails without the Nail Constellation. I applied a top coat, too, and (contrary to that comment on YouTube) it didn't ruin the effect on mine. If anything, adding a top coat made the beads adhere better and last longer on my nails. I wore them for about a week - quite surprising actually, since I did grueling housework during that period of time (ergo, handwashed the laundry and washed the dishes).

Next time, I'll just pour the beads in a bowl or a container of some sort and dip my nails into it. That way, no beads will go to waste and it'll save me time from putting back the unused beads inside the tiny jar.

MUA Nail Constellation is available at Php 300 per bottle at The Updated Trends. They'll be participating at the upcoming Super Sale Bazaar, happening on March 1-3 at the World Trade Center, so I suggest you take this chance to check out the MUA Nail Constellation and other MUA products at their stall. :)