Pucker Up! | Korres Cherry Lip Gloss in Light Purple.

I don't think I'll ever get used to this waking up at 5am. After that long Christmas break, coupled with the cold weather that makes you want to stay in bed for the rest of the day, waking up early has been quite a feat for me since the year started.

These days, I no longer have the luxury to wear full makeup because I'm always pressed for time each morning. There was actually one time last week when I woke up so late that I was forced to take Yue to school with hardly anything on my face - just BB cream and lip gloss on. Que horror, I left the house without 'drawing' my eyebrows, lol!

Speaking of lip gloss, here's one that I have had in my stash since God-knows-when but never had the chance to write about. Until now, that is.

Korres Cherry Lip Gloss.

The Korres Cherry Lip Gloss is a high-shine, full color lip gloss formulated with cherry oil (hence the name Cherry Lip Gloss) that hydrates the lips and keeps it soft and smooth. It also contains vitamins E and C that have anti-oxidant benefits.

#23 Light Purple.

There are 13 different shades to the Cherry Lip Gloss Line, and the one that I have is shade #23 Light Purple.

Up close. :)

It's actually more pink than purple - milky pink to be exact, with a hint of shimmer to it.

Comes with the usual doe-foot applicator.

Swatched once, and as you can see, it's quite pigmented.

Milky pink. 

This lip gloss is nicely pigmented, as you can see, plus it's very comfortable to wear with its smooth and non-sticky texture. It's not as lightweight as your average lip gloss, but that bit of weight actually translates into staying power. No need to retouch every so often, unless after a full meal. :)

Light Purple when worn.

What I love:

- Mild, cherry scent.

- Highly pigmented.

- Smooth, non-sticky formula.

- Decent wear time.

- Made with natural ingredients.

- Paraben-free.

What you might not like:

- They're a bit pricey at 15 euros each. 

That's $17 or around Php 750.

- Not available locally, though I believe Luxola sells Korres on their site.

Products used:
FACE: Laneige Water Base CC Cream in Pure Beige, Benefit Erase Paste in Medium.
EYES: Ever Bilena Eyebrow Pencil in Brown, BYS Waterproof Eyeliner,
Love & Beauty Eyeliner in Dark Brown, Fairy Drops Volume Burst Mascara.
CHEEKS: Tony Moly Cristal Blusher in Pleasure Peach.
LIPS: Korres Cherry Lip Gloss in Light Purple.

 Oh, and yes, I used a new CC Cream in the photo above. You know what I'm gonna review next! Stay tuned! :)

Spotlight | Klairs Rich Moist Soothing Cream.

I think I've mentioned this before -  while I do have a skincare routine that I follow religiously, I make adjustments to it depending on the season. And now that the temperature dips low and the winds are awfully cold, I have tweaked my skincare routine accordingly by using a brightening ampoule on top of my moisturizer. (And that's after cleansing two ways, exfoliating, and toning.) Also, I have switched to a creamier moisturizer to fight the moisture-zapping temperature that we are experiencing these days.

This is the Klairs Rich Moist Soothing Cream, which I have been using since last month. Got this product from WishTrend, where I also got my Klairs Illuminating Supple Blemish Cream.

Klairs Rich Moist Soothing Cream.

One of Klairs' best-selling products, this concentrated facial cream 'provides immediate and long-term hydration for a radiant complexion'. Made with all-natural ingredients such as Jojoba seed oil and Centella asiatica (it's the same ingredient found in Kiehl's Skin Salve), this product also boasts of an infusion of yeast-derived beta glucans that 'support the skin's natural defense system and improves repair capabilities'.

Gotta love the eco-friendly packaging!

Hangul text (I reckon it's the product description) plus company info.

The Rich Moist Soothing Cream promises deep hydration, and as far as I'm considered, Klairs delivers on its promise. My skin, which tends to look dull and feel awfully dry during the cold months, could not be more grateful to this moisturizer. After a few days of continued use, the dry patches on my face were gone, no more redness around the nose, and my skin felt softer and smoother.

Comes in a jar; no spatula, though.

I use this twice a day - in the morning before I put on my makeup, and at night before I hit the sack. But I guess it'll take awhile before I run out of this product, since it's very economical to use. Because of its super creamy texture, you only need a teeny dollop for your face and neck.

See how creamy this product is?

Just a little goes a long way.

Now as far as potency is concerned, I have no complaints about this product. In fact, this baby even exceeded my expectations! My only gripe is that it does not come with a spatula - and you know how partial I am when it comes to (skincare) products in tubs, with the sanitary and contamination issues and all. Anyhoo, I guess I'll just have to buy another spatula from the local beauty store.

The Klairs Rich Moist Soothing Cream comes in one size only (50 mL) and sells for $23.99 (around Php 1000) at WishTrend. They do ship internationally, and offer free shipping for products worth $70 and above. You also get free samples for every purchase. :)

Wordless Wednesday #116 | Fambam Fun!

Welcoming 2015!

We-fie!

Can't get enough of the selfie stick. Haha!

Wackos!

Spotlight | Love & Beauty Eyeliner Pencil.

And we're back to regular programming! The long Christmas break is over, the little man went back to school this morning, and I'm back to blogging again! Yay!

I went to a few parties during the Christmas break (it is, after all, a time for reunions and such) and did some catching-up with some of my friends. In one of those parties, a friend of mine asked me what's the cheapest makeup that I own. She was rather surprised to know that I do own (and use) a makeup item that costs no more than Php 70. I'm pretty much a cheapskate at times, you know. :)

Love & Beauty Eyeliner Pencil.

This is the Love & Beauty Eyeliner Pencil from Forever 21, which costs $1.50 (around Php 67). Not sure if this item is sold at Forever 21 branches here in the Philippines, but I got mine directly from Forever21.com. I actually bought this out of curiosity, and yeah, because it is pretty cheap.

Cute doodles on the cardboard packaging.

Product info at the back. Love that it's not tested on animals.

The Love & Beauty Eyeliner Pencil comes in different shades; I reckon there were three shade selections during the time I bought mine, which is Dark Brown.

Comes with a clear plastic cap for easy shade reference.

Here's the very brief product description from the website:

Create a subtle or dramatic look with the Love & Beauty Eyeliner Pencil. Matte finish. Lightweight.

Brown/Brun. :)

And here's how it looks like when swatched.

Lined once on the left, twice on the right.

Application is smooth and easy - it glides well, and does not tug at all. I also like how this product stays on my lash lines for hours before the color gradually fades.

However, the Dark Brown shade isn't as dark as I wanted it to be, and the color looks even weaker when worn on the lash lines. I need to swipe a few times on my lower lash line (which unfortunately makes my eyes water) for the color to actually pop. But then again, considering how much (or how little) I paid for this product, I guess I can't complain. Haha!

This is how I usually line my eyes during the day - black on brown.
Black lifts and defines the eyes, and brown makes my eyes brighter and look less tired.

How about you, what's the cheapest makeup that you own? :)

Foodie Goodie | Yakisoba.

Hello everyone! Happy New Year! How has 2015 been treating you so far?
I spent most of January 1st hibernating. Everyone else here at home did pretty much the same thing since we're all tired from the NYE party, plus it was raining cats and dogs the whole day. Bed weather, definitely.

I was a bit more productive yesterday. The sun was out, and I took advantage of the nice weather by doing the laundry. All the clothes were dry by sun-down thanks to the gusty winds! Oh, and I also watched Summer Nude yesterday, and was able to finish the entire drama - all 11 episodes of it. Watching Summer Nude made me crave for yakisoba, which was like, everybody's favorite food in this drama.

Wanting to satisfy this craving, I went to the supermarket today and bought ingredients for yakisoba. Yup, I decided to take a stab at making it from scratch instead of buying the instant kind. :)

Yakisoba

Ingredients:
250 grams yakisoba noodles
2/3 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
5 tablespoons sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon ginger, grated
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 bundle of green onions, diced
1 carrot, julienned
2 boneless chicken breasts, diced
1 tablespoon Japanese mayonnaise
Aonori powdered seaweed (optional)
Dried bonito flakes (optional)

Procedure:
1. In a small bowl mix half the soy sauce, water, sugar, ginger, 2 tablespoons sesame oil, and the garlic.
2. In a frying pan, cook the chicken breast over medium heat.
3. Take half of the sauce mix and add it to the frying chicken to cook flavor into chicken.
4. When the chicken is just about ready, turn the heat to high and add the sesame oil, carrot, onions and half the green onions and the remainder of the sauce mix. Stir fry the mix for a couple of minutes.
5. Add the noodles the chicken and vegetables. Sauté until noodles are lightly brown, mixing all in the wok and cooking until the meal done.
6. Garnish with the remainder of the green onions before serving. For extra flavour you can add powdered seaweed, dried bonito flakes, and mayonnaise.

Ittadakimasu! :)