Pucker Up! | Nature Republic Provence Long Lasting Lipstick

Mum came home for her bi-annual vacation last Saturday, and as customary, the sibs and I swung by Festival Mall before heading to the airport. After a quick lunch at Wendy's (where I finally got to sink my teeth into their all-new Pretzel Bacon Cheeseburger), the little man and I went to some of my favorite stores, including Nature Republic.

I made it a point to visit this store, as I've been wanting to try their Bulgarian Rose toner. Whilst there, I tested, tried, and swatched some of their products and ended up purchasing more than what I had planned to buy. That includes this new lipstick. Yes, another new lipstick. Haha!

Nature Republic Provence Long Lasting Lipstick.

One of the reasons why I bought this lipstick was its unique, rosebud-shaped tip. That, plus the fact that I got this lipstick at 25% off its regular price. (Originally priced at Php 525, I bought this for only Php 394. Not bad, according to my wallet. Lol.) Anyhoo, the lipstick looked so pretty that I actually felt a pang of remorse as its tip touched my lips. I didn't want to ruin such a pretty, dainty little thing!

Pretty rosebud!

Even the packaging is pretty, with the ombre design on the tube, and the rosebud-shaped cap.

Hangul text at the back of the box.

This lipstick is formulated with various oils such as macadamia oil, almond oil, and rosehip oil to keep the lips moisturized and healthy-looking. It also has a lovely, floral scent. If you love smelling rose, then you'll love taking a whiff of this lipstick, too.

Product description on the side panel.

There are thirty shades in the Provence Long Lasting Lipstick Collection, and the one I got is BE102 - also known as Angel Beige.

BE102, or Angel Beige.

It's a nude, peach-brown shade with a hint of shimmer. Kinda reminds me of my Chant d' Aromes, though this one has a slightly lighter shade. Color is buildable, with a semi-opaque coverage. When worn, this shade looks very natural and makes the lips look healthy.

One swipe on the left, two swipes on the right.

It has a creamy texture, which allows for easy application. Its formula is lightweight and non-drying, and I love how this lipstick doesn't settle into the fine lines on my lips.

BE102 (Angel Beige) when worn.

My only gripe about this product is that it doesn't last on the lips for very long. Quite the contrary, since it's tagged as a Long Lasting Lipstick. On the average, I was able to wear this for about three or four hours with a bit of eating and drinking. I don't mind reapplying, I just find it ironic that they called this a long-lasting lipstick.

What I love:

- Pretty packaging.

- Luminous finish.

- Buildable color.

- Creamy texture.

- Lightweight, moisturizing formula.

- Easy to apply.

- Makes the lips look healthy, without looking too made up.

- Affordable price.

What you might not like:

- Doesn't last on the lips for very long. 

Products used:
FACE: Missha Wrinkle Filler BB Cream, Benefit Erase Paste in Medium,
Markwins Bronzer Powder, Skin79 Skinny Mirror Pact.
EYES: Ever Bilena Eyebrow Pencil in Brown,
BYS Waterproof Eyeliner, Fairy Drops Volume Burst Mascara.
CHEEKS: Tony Moly Cristal Blusher in Pleasure Peach.
LIPS: Nature Republic Provence Long Lasting Lipstick in BE102 Angel Beige.

On Countering Text Scams and Spams.

A few months ago, I received this text message from an unknown number.
It read, "Your postpaid has been charged P500 for LTE use. Is this a wrong charge? Text 500 send to (2909*******) for Refund."

Just another text scam.

I knew right then and there this was a text scam - an attempt to 'extort' money through 'share-a-load transactions'. After all, I am subscribed to Globe's Unli Data Plan and there is absolutely no chance in hell (pardon the idiom) that I'd be charged extra for my supposed LTE use. Also, I'm pretty much aware that advisories from Globe do not come from 16-digit numbers such as the one above. Instead, they are labelled 'GLOBE' and appear as such on your inbox.

These text scams have become pretty rampant these days, and Globe has addressed this issue by implementing a new process where customers doing Share-A-Load transaction will be sent a validation text message.

Validation message.

Customers doing a Share-A-Load or a Share-A-Promo transaction will be asked to confirm their transactions. The step is intended to address proliferation of text scams that trick customers into doing Share-A-Load transaction without their knowledge.

The validation message reads as follows: “You are about to share PXXX load with 0916XXXXXXX. Reply YES within 5 minutes to proceed. P1/transaction. Report text scams to www.globe.com.ph/stopspam.” The validation message would come from 2652xxxxxxxxx where the last 9 digits are the transaction number. Replying to the message is free of charge. On the other hand, customers who fail to reply within 5 minutes will receive the following message: "We're sorry, but your Share-A-Load/Promo transaction has been cancelled because the response time exceeded 5 minutes. Please try again. Thanks!"

Last month, Globe reduced the amount of Share-A-Load transaction to a maximum of P150 for prepaid customers and P300 for postpaid customers to counter text scams asking for P500 Share-A-Load transactions. Text scam messages are varying everyday using spiels like rewards, loyalty, MSF discount, roaming and bill overcharge, waiver of charges, refunds, etc.

Globe urges its customers to immediately report thru http://www.globe.com.ph/stopspam and provide all the details required. Numbers that are reported as source of text scams will be immediately blocked from the network. Following the telecommunication company’s intensified efforts to combat text spams and text scams early this year, the number of reports using the website has reached over 42,000 since it was created in June 2014.

Foodie Goodie | Morning Muffins.

It's been awhile since I last posted a recipe on this blog! Wouldn't have realized it if not for one of my  dear readers who dropped me a line saying that she misses my food photos and home-cooked meals. Thanks for the kind words, Sarah! :)

And so today, I'll be sharing with you this muffin recipe. We call this 'Morning Muffins' since we almost always have muffins (or bread, for that matter) for breakfast.

Morning Muffins

Ingredients:

1 cup sour milk*
1/2 cup applesauce
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup oat flour**
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup instant oats
1/4 cup almonds, chopped

*To make sour milk, add a tablespoon of vinegar to a one cup measure and fill to the top with milk. Let stand for 5 minutes.
**To make oat flour, puree instant oatmeal in the blender until a fine dry powder is formed.

Procedure:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease 12 muffin cups.
2. Combine sour milk, butter, vanilla extract, egg and brown sugar and blend well.
3. Stir together oat flour, wheat flour, baking soda and cinnamon.
4. Add flour mixture to wet mixture and blend well.
5. Fold in oats, and almonds.
6. Fill muffin tins. These do not rise very high, so a full muffin cup is fine.
7. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

As seen on Spoonful.

More food photos? Follow me on Instagram! :)

Wordless Wednesday #99 | Window Shopping.

Where's Yue? :)

Buying Golf Carts and Parts is Easy.

If you live in or near a golf community, you know just how important golf carts are to everyday life in such areas. There are countless communities just in South Florida alone that offer this easygoing lifestyle. When things go wrong with your cart, or you're in need of a new one, it helps when you have access to top experts.

When you use the Contact Us link on the website, you want assurance that you'll receive a fast answer to questions. Reputable golf cart companies like Blockbuster Golf Cars know how to make sure that customers are satisfied. There are several ways in which golf cart professionals are available to help you.

Photo credit: Village Golf.

A good dealer will have all of the parts and accessories that you need, from tire and wheel assemblies to seat kits and mirrors. It's important to have access to a full range of parts and accessories from the proper manufacturer. There's nothing more frustrating than being unable to get the parts that you need because a store doesn't have a diverse range of parts.

One thing that will often provide peace of mind is knowing that inspections for your golf cart are available. Inspections that cover all 10 safety points will help reassure you that your cart is good to go. An inspection is also an easy way to spot problems before they become a major issue.