Pond's Cold Cream Cleanser Review

Hi lovelies! It's my finals week in school right now so I'm really sorry if my posts aren't consistent!! I have lots of papers and deadlines to meet :( But anyway, here's a review of the classic Pond's Cold Cream Cleanser! Hope you find this helpful! (This is kinda a wordy post just because it's a skincare product!

Product claims:

Removes deep-down dirt and makeup, even stubborn waterproof mascara, while infusing skin with vital moisture. 

• Hypoallergenic
• Suitable for sensitive skin
• Won't clog pores
• Dermatologist tested 

This is actually a product my mom uses to remove her makeup. She asked me if I wanted one because she thinks it's a great makeup remover! Before, when I got home from school, I would shower and just use my normal face cleanser/wash to remove my makeup. The annoying part is whenever I would tone my face, I would see traces of makeup on the cotton pad which means that there's still some left on my face! 

That's when I started looking for a decent makeup remover that would leave my face clean but moisturized. THIS IS MY MAIN GUY! It gave me just what I was looking for :) 

Directions: Apply gently to skin, wipe with wet washcloth, and rinse if desired.

I personally apply this on my face with a cotton bud because I want to avoid double-dipping on the jar because that would just be unhygienic. I would then massage the product on my face for about a minute or so then remove with a damp face towel to remove the product and residue it can leave behind if you just use a tissue to wipe it out. I would follow up with my normal face wash :)

What are your skincare favorites? :) Let me know! 

Keeping up with your Everyday Ritual, 

A Araneta 

xx

Fashion 21: Double Up Mascara Review

Hey guys! Sorry for being gone for a week! I was really busy with school after the typhoon and had to settle other personal matters :-( But all's good now! 

Anyway, 2 weeks ago, I was thinking of trying local products because I've been reading a lot of blogs and only a few local products are being featured. And now, here I am with my first local makeup product review! 

Fashion 21's website defines this as

DOUBLE UP MASCARA - Get 2x the length and volume in an instant! Comes with a unique glide soft bristle for easy application with zero clumps

PACKAGING:

It comes in red tube that I think is pretty sleek.. Nothing too fancy! The brush is thin and slightly tapered in the end to make the application process easier! 

 

FORMULA:

It's more of a wet mascara and it only comes in one shade (Black.) It has a tendency to weigh down the curl of the lashes if your lashes aren't that thick but this is the kind of mascara that gets better through time! :) 

STAYING POWER:

I really can't say anything about the staying power other than it being water resistant. To be honest, I'm the kind of girl who never really wears mascara on a daily basis (i.e.: school) except on special occasions! 

FINAL THOUGHTS

This is a really good mascara for beginners! The wand is thin which makes you reach the roots of your lashes, tapered at the end for those little lashes at the beginning and the end of your eye! It weighed my eyelashes down a bit but I don't really find that bothersome because I don't like my lashes to look super dramatic, just natural and defined. 

PRICE: Php 225.00 
I don't think you can really go wrong with these products because they're really cheap and readily available in the market! If they don't work, then you can easily dispose it, but if it does!! AHHH that can easily become a HG product!  Don't you think so? Let me know your favorite mascaras please!! I want to find "The One." ;)


Keeping up with your Everyday Ritual,

A Araneta
xx

#PrayForThePhilippines

Hey guys!! I know this isn't like my usual blog post but the Philippines really needs our prayers.

I hope all of you are doing fine out there especially those who are living in areas that are prone to flooding:(

For those of who aren't aware, there is a really strong typhoon "Maring" in the Philippines right now. All of us are advised to stay at home with our families because some roads are really flooded and not passable. 

HERE'S SOMETHING WE CAN DO FROM OUR HOMES:

EDSA Pasay-Makati area

Araneta Ave

All photos belong to their rightful owners!! Keep safe everyone! 

A Araneta

xx

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Benefit Chacha Tint Review

Hello guys! I'm going to review one of Benefit Cosmetic's best selling cheek stains! I got this cheek stain as a gift from a friend of mine a few weeks ago and so far, I'm loving it! 

Benefit Cosmetics describes this as:

Why we love it!

This mango-tinted stain beautifully blushes lips & cheeks with a tropical coral hue. Smooch-proof & smudge-proof, our sheer stain has a natural finish that will leave you looking deliciously vibrant for hours.

(picture courtesy of Benefit Cosmetics)

PACKAGING:

Benefit Cosmetics' packaging will always be one of my favorites! This cheek stain is contained in a bottle similar to that of a nail polish! It contains 12.5 mL/0.42 fl.oz.  of product.

COLOR AND FORMULATION:
I love love love this stain! It's the perfect coral shade for my complexion. The pigmentation + staying power is amazing too! BUT! You have to work extremely fast with this stain! The first time I used this, I was left with little streaks on my face so be careful with this and BLEND BLEND BLEND! When applied on the lips, it gives it a warm coral tint that lasts for a long time :)

(can you see that tiny dot?? That could happen when you don't blend it out right away!)

FINAL THOUGHTS:
RECOMMEND THIS PRODUCT SO MUCH!! 
I really think you get your money's worth with this product especially since it is quite pricey. It could also work for deeper complexions because you can easily build the color up. I use this stain for long days at school! 
TIP! I personally apply this with a brush because it doesn't give you weird lines on your cheeks and when used with a brush, you can blend it right away! 
(I know it's not the most practical way of doing so but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do!!) 

PRICE: Php 1800.00 at Benefit stores in the Philippines (Greenbelt 5, SM Mall of Asia, and Trinoma)

Have you tried other cheek stains that you would recommend? Comment down below please! :) 

Keeping up with your everyday ritual,

A Araneta

xx

STARBUCKS: Cotton Candy Frappe ?!?!?!

WAIT HOLD ON. 
COTTON CANDY FRAPPE? FROM STARBUCKS? 

Yuuup!! That's right. I heard about this super duper cute pink frappe from Bethany of MacBarbie07 from Youtube a few months back.  I've been wanting to try it out for some time but I was really hesistant about it since it might not be available in the Philippines. Hehe! Good thing a friend of mine was with me and he offered to order it so that I wouldn't risk getting embarrased just incase they wouldn't have it! 

So.. you might be wondering.. 

WHAT IS THIS COTTON CANDY FRAPPE? 

(got this pic from my instagram! @annaaraneta)

Well it's actually just....  Vanilla Bean Frappe with a pump of raspberry syrup
That's actually what you tell the barista if you want to get this blend. :) 

The taste isn't really for everyone though. After my first sip I wasn't that impressed but when I mixed the whipped cream and the frappe together, it tasted sooooooo much better! So tell the barista to add more whipped cream to make it taste better! It kinda reminds me of melted bubblegum icecream like the ones from Dippin' Dots!

Keeping up with your everyday ritual,

A Araneta
xx

NARS Orgasm Blush Review

I'm pretty sure everyone and their mother have heard about this cult status blush. 
This blush has been one of their most top-selling products and was awarded by Sephora as "Best Blush" for three consecutive years and was dubbed by Instyle as the "Best blush for fair skin to medium skin" for their 2013 "Best Beauty Buys!! NARS even made a whole Orgasm collection that features a lipgloss, illuminator, nailpolish, multiple stick, and of course, the iconic blush. 

Want to know what the hype is all about?
READ MORE! :) 

Quick diclaimer: I've  had this for a while now that's why the box isn't with me also the plastic thing inside the blush! 

On the NARS website, it is described as

Peachy pink with golden shimmer

PACKAGING:

This comes in a rubberized case with the NARS logo on it which feels very nice but this also means that the blush particles can stick easily on it. That being said, it might cause the packaging to look dirty after some time. 

(can you see the gold shimmer on the rim?? That's the packaging issue I was talking about)

COLOR:

The NARS description fits it perfectly. It a warm peachy pink blush with golden shimmer in it. Although I find that the color when used a blush varies depending on the undertone of an individual. I find that this turns more peachy to warm-skinned ladies and more pink to cooler-skinned ladies but definitely still warm because of the golden shimmer. 

FORMULA:

 It is finely milled blush and it blends easily onto the skin. This blush is also very buildable, which may be the reason why most women find this as a universally flattering shade. 

FINAL THOUGHTS

I like this blush but not inlove with it :( It's perfect for those nights where you want to look really glammed up. Personally, I wouldn't really use this blush for everyday because the shimmer is overpowering! I tend to build this blush up because a thin layer of it would just mean gold shimmer on the apples of my cheeks and for an oily-skinned girl like me, that's definitely not my cup of tea. But that's just me! The good thing about the shimmer in this blush is when it hits your cheekbones, it can really give you that highlighted effect! 

I think this blush would have different reviews on different people since it's just really about personal preference! I just wanted to give my two cents :) This isn't cult status for nothing!

You can get this at any NARS counter! 

PRICE: Php 1450.00

In the Philippines, this is available at Rustan's! 

Keeping up with your everyday ritual, 

A Araneta

xx

One can never go wrong with Cibo!

(photo courtesy of Cibo)

Here's a blogpost out of the usual! Featuring one of my favorite pastas of all time, the Rigatoni Al' Alfonso from Cibo.

If I had to eat only one kind of pasta for my entire life, this would be it. Cibo describes it as

Shrimps, chives, stewed tomato, chili peppers, cream-by choice

This dish is perfect for me because I love seafood and this has a generous amount of shrimps in it. The pasta is perfectly cooked. The stewed tomatoes goes well with the shrimps and the cream sauce is to die for plus it goes well with the bread!! And I love this with lots of chili flakes! 

(The plating looks off because I mixed it already before taking a picture! I was really hungry that time..)

I checked the Munchpunch website to check the price of this and according to them it is Php 325 for a regular serving and Php 573 for the family size :)


WHERE:
Shangri-la Plaza Mall, Glorietta 4, Gateway Mall,
 Greenbelt 5,Powerplant Mall, ATC, Greenhills Shopping Center,
 Robinson's Magnolia

I love how Cibo's dishes are always consistent. AL DENTE ALL THE TIME, YOU GUYS! 
Their service is amazing despite the fact that there are always a lot of customers. Hope you liked this post!

Keeping up with your everyday ritual, 
A Araneta

xx

Rimmel London Natural Bronzer Review

Photo courtesy of Rimmel London ™

If you've been into bronzers for a long time, then you will agree with me when I say that not all of them in the market is a good one. We've all encountered the "why-is there-mud-all-over-my-face" bronzer, the "hello-im-trying-to-look-like-Snooki" bronzer, the "omg-i-love-my-cheekbones" bronzer, and of course the "i-look-like-a-VS-model" bronzer. 

So in which category does this bronzer belong to? Read more to find out! 

Rimmel claims that this bronzer is..

"Natural Bronzer with minerals. Gives face a sunkissed glow. Dermatogically tested."

This bronzer comes in 4 shades. Sun Light, Sun Bronze, Sun Glow, and Sun Dance. The shade I'm going to review for you is in 022 Sun Bronze and it has 14 g of product in it.

PACKAGING:

This comes in a twist-off lid which is supposedly to lock it in place since it kind of "ticks" when you turn it but it doesn't work! This product is one of those products which  I am scared to put in my makeup bag since it might open and crumble. But, with that being said, that is the only con i have found in this product. Do any of you guys find that sun on it super cute also? It reminds me of NYC bronzer in Sunny! 

FORMULA:

The formula of this bronzer is really good. It's very pigmented, not powdery, it lasts a long time, and it blends well into your foundation or skin like a dream! No patchiness at all :) 

(blended out, 2 layers, one layer)

COLOR:

It's a really good bronzer for an all over bronzed look! It's doesn't turn orange on my face (it quite does in the picture but that's due to the lighting. I'm sorry!! :( ) It has a little amount of fine shimmer in it that makes your skin glow, but if you're not a fan of the shimmer, you can tap the product off  your brush and I find that by doing so helps to lessen the amount of shimmer on your bronzer. Plus! It's not really that noticeable on the skin. Just make sure you do it in light layers! 

MY FINAL THOUGHTS

A definite repurchase! This bronzer is a good value for your money and it's really cheap! It gives you that Victoria Secret glow!! This retails at 3-5 dollars in the States (That's where I got mine!) depending on where you purchase it. I'm just sad that it's not yet locally available here in the Philippines! Good thing there are lots of local online shops that make it easier for us to get our hands on those imported makeup goods, don't you think so? :) 

Oh if any of you guys know of any local online shops that sell Rimmel products please let me know!! I would love to try more products from this brand! It's very promising!! :)

Hope you liked my review for you guys! 

Keeping up with your everyday ritual,

A Araneta

xx

Mac Pro Longwear Foundation Review

 I got this foundation last month, June 2013. I initially wanted it because I have read reviews that says it controls oil really well and the staying power is stellar, hence the name: Pro longwear.Now on to the review! :)


The MAC Pro longwear Foundation is described by MAC's website as

A comfortable, long-wearing foundation that gives up to 15 hours of wear in any environmental condition. Lightweight and creamy, applies and blends easily leaving the skin feeling soft and free to breathe all day while controlling oil. Specially treated micronized pigments help give a smoother, more flawless, natural finish with stay-true colour.

So this foundation comes in a glass bottle that contains 30 mL of product or 1 fluid oz. This is typical for most foundations in the market

The product is contained in a glass bottle with a twist nozzle where you can lock it in place. I think this is pretty convenient since you don't have to wary in losing  your foundation cap/cover. The pump is also nice since you can easily control the amount of product that you want to dispense :) 

I got the shade in NW25. This shade is prolly 2 shades darker for me since the color leans a bit more to the peachy side and my skin tone is quite yellow but I can still use this foundation all over my face by applying 1 pump of it and mixing with a foundation that is lighter than my skintone to get a full coverage or by just applying it on my face with a light layer and setting it with a powder that is a shade lighter than my skin.

Here are some swatches! The swatch below is 1/3 of a pump. 

COVERAGE:

Coverage can be medium-full depending on the amount you use. Just take note that you have to work in sections with this product since this product sets pretty fast, and when it does, it will not budge! :) 

FINISH:

This foundation has a matte finish. This is perfect for days where you will be taking lots of photos with your girlfriends or a special occasion! (i.e. GNO!!)

STAYING POWER:

Since I have oily skin plus the Philippine weather, I expected this foundation to not last as long as 15 hours, but this definitely proved me wrong! The lasting power is awesome. It also is a good foundation to use on long days where you still want to look presentable and good even in those "haggard" days and. 

MY FINAL THOUGHTS

Unfortunately, I will not repurchase this foundation since I think this broke me out. Although I love the finish, coverage, and it's staying power I don't want to risk any more breakouts! (MAC foundations are known to break some people out) But if your skin is not sensitive, this foundation is definitely worth it. 

Do you guys know of good foundations in the market that you would recommend? Comment down below! 

So that's my review for you guys! 

Hope you liked it. 

Keeping up with your everyday ritual, 

A Araneta

xx