I think The Duchess of Cambridge looked amazingly beautiful!

Growing up in a country that is a part of British monarchy made me look forward to this royal wedding since I was 14. Yep, 14. I knew everything about Prince William Arthur Phillip Louis. I was emotional when I heard about Princess Diana's tragic death. I did a huge presentation about her life during my history class. Well, time sure has passed by and I am no longer that little kid anymore but, I surely do have lots of interest in the lives of the Royal Families, still! I haven't slept at all because I was waiting for the Wedding of the Century! I thought Kate Middleton looked stunning. I love her wedding dress by Alexander McQueen. I love, love, love the lace and the clean train of the dress, and her clean makeup. Breathtaking! I normally see black smokey eyes/club scene makeup on most brides in Los Angeles, and I thought wow, it's way too much for a wedding. I mean, a bride should look beautiful with less makeup. A bride should look like her everyday self, but only better! Just my two cents.

Anyways, here are some of my favorite shots, taken from AP. Have a great Friday, everyyone!

Origins Zero Oil Toner and Moisturizer Review - For Oily Skin ladies out there!

I've been searching for a holy grail product that could reduce oil productions (as if) since having oily skin is a curse to me. I hate it. I don't like looking greasy even though people say that a natural oil helps us aging gracefully. Hmmm, no, thank you. I want a normal skin. Better yet, a dry skin! I don't want to blot my face every hour or so. Oily skin doesn't help in makeup application, and the worst part is that oily skin can leads to acne. Actually, I was having skin problems for a while until I was put on acutane for 6 months. That medicine literally saved my life. There was no other product in the market that could help cystic acne, not even Proactive, and I had tried everything. Acutane is somewhat a dangerous drug, and I got to be monitored every month while I was on it. I was lucky not to have bad side effects like depressions and bone problems. Well, that bad skin chapter was over, and now I am looking for something that could help mattifying my oily skin, besides following this advise from eHow.com.

Instructions

things you'll need:

• Clay based facial mask
• Oil free water based moisturizer
• T-zone mattifier
• Mineral finishing powder
 

• Start off by using a clay based mask to mattify oily skin. Apply a thin layer of a prefered clay based facial mask and wait for it to dry. Wash it off. Natural clays such as kaolin and Umbrian clay have superior oil absorbing capacities. Additional herbal extracts added to these masks like algae, lavender, nettles, and olive leaf extracts help in calming facial skin to acheive a fresh and radiant surface.
  
• Use a water based mattifier on the t-zone if skin is super oily. The skin on the nose, forehead, and chin, also refered as the t-zone, especially are crowded with sebum producing glands and are prone to looking oilier than the rest of the face.
  
• Use an oil free moisturizer with sunscreen to hydrate and protect face without making it looking oily. Look for ingredients such as olive based squalene, jojoba leaf, aloe vera, algae and other marine ingredients in the moisturizer. These moisturizers create a radiant matte finish without clogging pores.
  
• Avoid mattifying products that are solely based on silicones, commonly used in mattifying products and makeup primers that promise to make pores look smaller. While these products create a smooth surface temporarily, they can clog pores and cause blackheads and acne in the long run.
  
• Apply a layer of mineral finishing powder as the final touch to reduce shine on your face. While there are a ton of mattifying powders available in the cosmetic counters of department stores, look for powders that are mineral based. Use a superfine powder that is lightweight, sheer, and doesen't clog pores.

 

Okay, these steps are not that hard. Really. But I hate doing steps, so I went out and got these two items!

Origins Zero Oil : Oil Free Moisture Lotion and Pore Purifying Toner

Review: I can't say that they are helping in reducing oil or prevent oil production, what so ever. As a matter of fact, the lotion makes matters worse. I reach for blot tissues more than usual each time I use this lotion. I can say every half an hour or so. The toner on the other hand has "Salicylic Acid", an antiseptic that prevents breakouts and redness. This one ingredient is definitely a plus! It does keep the tiny zits under control. However, I don't think it reduces any grease or oil on my face. Oh well. I am still using these two products, but only at night. I am sure some people might love these products but, they are definitely not for me.

So, if any of you use a special product that helps controlling oil production, please share in the comment below. I am looking forward to try a new product!

X.O.X.O

Rinz

Me and My "New Hair"

I posted a lot of pictures of Ms. Tila Tequilla's hairstyles a few days ago, hoping those pictures would give me the courage to chop my hair to chin length. I went in and out hair studios many times, indecisive, because I refused to cut my hair. My hair is my security blanket, you know what I mean? :) Well, at the end, I decided to do "this" instead. ;) What do you guys think about the cut? :) I have always wanted the "Vidal Sassoon" signature hair cut, and now I have it! I will tell you more about this tomorrow! I am sleepy, I need to go to bed now!

XOXO!

Rinz

World Most Beautiful Woman......

Have you guys checked out the latest People magazine? I just bought it today, and I am happy to see Jennifer Lopez graces the cover! I have always been a big fan of hers since "Love Don't Cost A Thing" day, and I always thought she was beautiful. Now, she actually looks better than ever. One thing that never goes away is her signature bronzey/glow and her "au naturale" makeup look. I remember she had Scott Barnes as her personal makeup artist for years, but I am not sure about it now. Well, it doesn't really matter whether it's Scott Barnes, or some other unknown Makeup Artist, because Jennifer Lopez looks beautiful every week on American Idol without having tons of makeup on. And oh, her outfit each week is to die for, and I love, love, love looking at those amazing legs of hers!

J.LO on Scott Barnes About Face:

PS: Scott Barnes, I love your Bento Box collections!

 This week People Magazine:

Tracy Anderson's Method. I personally had tried this, and it was super hard to do! But the result is amazing! Look at those abs!

What we all could learn..... though most of us know this stuff already.......

That's all for today ladies!!

Have a great Sunday!

X.O.X.O

Rinz

I am obsessed about my hair! I am getting a short hair cut :D

Happy Saturday!

I felt so unmotivated these few days to either blog, or do anything in general. I guess I needed some push or some changes in my life. So I took the initiative to look at myself in the mirror and see what I would like to change about myself. No, I am not talking about plastic surgery, though I have nothing against that. I wanted something that is not permanent, but it has to be very drastic. So I said to myself, HAIR! Change my hair style, color, etc! So, today I went to a wig boutique, and tried on several short wigs. I really wanted to see if a short hair would look good on me since I've been having  a long hair for so many years, and I am somewhat ready to change and chop it all off. Well, to be honest, I wasn't really enthusiastic with the idea of change, since I don't do well with it. I like to play it safe but now, I am kind of bored with myself having the same hair, same style, and if I don't try it now, I won't do it ever.  I was actually quite shocked with the transformation. Looking at myself in the mirror today with an auburn and dark red highlight short wig was actually quite cool. I felt different. Finally. However, I am scared of changes. I want to rock a different style, yes, but I am scared I might regret it later. Since I am talking about changes and all, I would like to continue my 30-Days Challenge. :) I would like to hear your opinion of having a short hair.

Day 14 — Photo of a Hairstyle/Haircut I'd Like to Have

I am so obsessed with Tila Tequila hair style now, so bear with the pictures of her in this post.

So this is how my hair looks right now..somewhat. Long and with a short layer, that's it.

...and I was having the ideas of cutting an inch of my hair and get some bangs just like these following pictures:

...or perhaps just do this style? side swept and clip some bow on my hair without cutting my hair? :)

...but that is not drastic enough! So I kept on looking, and saw her pictures with these styles!

..and no, not the blonde color because I would be looking weird. I just love the cut. However, the more I browsed, the more I got interested into having a short hair with highlights. After seeing these following pictures of Tila,  I thought to myself: OK, I would like to try this style!

 Well, that's the style I want to try, but with a reddish auburn color and red highlights. We'll see. Also, I just found out that Tila has changed her hair style, once again... darker hue, more sophisticated version of Tila Tequila, which I think looks really good on her.

So, what do you guys think? To cut, or not to cut? I am anxious!

X.O.X.O

♥♥ Rinz

Get Sinfulicious! It's yummy!

Hello Ladies,

I was away for a 3-Day mini-vacation last week in Palm Spring, California. It was lots of fun even though it was so hot during the day. I did a lot of shopping of course, and during my shopping spree at night, I saw this one pretty boutique that specializes in skincare/bodycare products. Maybe the yummy scents from the boutique that drew me in, or perhaps its pretty pink and white design, who knew! :) My friends and I were greeted by this lovely associate, Jenna, who demonstrated how the scrub, body oil and lotion were made or mixed together, and also let us tried the products first before we decided to buy some. So, we scrubbed our hands with this pink exfoliating salt which smelled wonderful by the way, and before we could rinse our hands, Jenna sprayed this scented oil to lock in the moisture. Few seconds later, our hands were softer and smoother. And oh, the scent lingered till the very next day by the way. Since we were amazed by the result, and of course by the amazing scent as well, we then decided to buy some. It was actually hard for me to decide on the scents because there were too many of them, so I went ahead and asked Jenna to make me the same one like the one we tried earlier. I think it was a mixture of mango, papaya and another fruit, but I forgot what it was. Ha!Ha! So Jenna mixed everything right in front of us from scratch!  It was indeed amazing to watch (I recorded this!). Basically the bath and body products were made from natural ingredients, and everything were made on the spot upon order, except other stuff like bath bombs, and facial moisturizer.

Anyway, here are the pictures from the store, and you guys can check them out at sinfuliciousbodycare.com. They carry a lot of products for head to toe! If you are visiting Palm Spring, don't forget to stop by at the store!

Selection of Scents

Bath Bombs

Salt

Bottles / Packaging

Candles, Moisturizers, Lip Balms

Moisturizers and soaps

MY GOODIES!

Salt Scrub and Oil

Salt Scrub

X.O.X.O
♥♥ Rinz

My Apothica Order Just Arrived. Picture & Reviews

The stuff I got from Apothica and yes, I got some free goodies as well with my order. :) Thank you Toni for organizing the giveaway! The giftcard was worth it! I got the package a week ago actually, and I have been using these following items for almost a week as well.

What I bought:

100% Pure Coffee Bean Eye Cream

 

About the product

Anti-inflammatory, caffeine rich Green Tea and coffee reduce puffiness and reduce swelling while increasing circulation to alleviate and brighten dark circles. Concentrated with potent anti-aging vitamins and antioxidants.
1.00 fl oz
Who it's for Ideal for those with dark circles, and aging skin around the eyes.
What it's for To reduce puffiness and dark circles in the eye area.

My Review:

I have severe dark circles due to lack of sleep. I blame that on hereditary and school days. I slept late and that's what I got. This product has helped reducing puffiness and dark circles. Thumbs-up! I definitely recommend this product. It's not that expensive and it smells good. P.S - I have tried those expensive eye creams but nothing worked. So thank you Apothica for carrying this product!

La Roche-Posay Lipikar Surgras Cleansing Bar

About the product

Gently cleanse your entire body. La Roche-Posay Lipikar Surgras Cleansing Bar is a safe cleansing solution for severely dry skin. It will not alter the pH of the skin and it maintains the skin's natural lipid balance to fight dryness. It is a cleansing bar that cleans better than soap, without drying the skin.
5.30 fl oz
Who it's for Ideal for moderate to severely dry, itchy, flaky skin.
What it's for Cleansing and hydrating the skin of the face and body without irritation.

My Review: 

This soap is very moisturizing, and I love its clean scent! I use it as a body soap, and I know I am quite sensitive to anything that has fragrance, or weird ingredients. Well, so far this soap hasn't caused any rash or redness on my body, and no break out even.Will definitely repurchase! :)

XOXO

5 Night Dream Vacation for 2 to Barbuda!

Hello Ladies,

Happy Wednesday. I've been away for a week, and I missed blogging and reading posts a lot! I thought I wanted to start later in the evening with a personal review on my latest purchase; however, I just received something exciting in the e-mail that I would like to share with all of you! :)


Well, I received an e-mail from Debra at LuckyChic.com about this amazing opportunity to win 5 Star Lighthouse Bay resort 5 Night Dream Vacation for 2 to Barbuda.

This is what Debra says in her email:

Lucky Chic is offering a vacation package opportunity for two to Lighthouse Bay Barbuda, on a private island off of Barbuda, which sits next to the island of Antigua. This 5-star resort has all the amenities for a dream getaway for two and includes all meals and beverages. Don't Miss out on this opportunity girls!
It ends tomorrow evening!

Experience a once-in-a-lifetime escape to Lighthouse Bay Barbuda, on a private island off of Barbuda, which sits next to the island of Antigua. This 5-star resort has all the amenities for a dream getaway for two and includes all meals & beverages. All rooms are suites. Package includes helicopter ride from airport in Antigua to this private island sanctuary! This spectacular, uber-luxe resort - is one of the Carribean's best secrets - Lighthouse Bay was featured in Vanity Fair Magazine and referred to as "quite possibly the greatest gift to mankind: a virgin stretch of incredible beachfront."

Please note: Portions of the proceeds from this Special Event will be donated to the Lili Claire Foundation.

For more Details, please go to:

Get Up to 80% off a 6 Day VIP Dream Vacation Package to Lighthouse Bay Barbuda Don't Miss Out.

What people say:

http://www.webteacher.ws/2011/03/17/with-luckychic-youre-thrilled-or-youre-screwed/

http://www.talkreviews.com/luckychic.com

Hmmm.. mostly mix reviews...almost like gambling...hmmmm..I am just gonna bid for fun I guess..I wont put too much chips on it! LOL

My Review:

I wanted to test it out and purchased $12 Lucky Chips and lost them all on this:

https://luckychic.com/auctions/view/24935

And I wont be bidding  anymore because I'd get addicted LOL.
 The girl (winner) is lucky to have won Sephora Giftcards worth $50 each, besides this H&M giftcard! I checked her profile LOL ;)

PS -  1 Chip will increase a $0.10 on a bid; but you need $6 to buy 10 chips. Unless you have lots of money to keep on bidding, or free time (you gotta sit in front of your computer, and wait till the bid timer ends with your name as the last bidder in order to win the bid) and hope that one chip will get you the prize, I'd suggest stay away, or you will get addicted! And no, you won't get back the chips you used to bid on the item!


X.O.X.O

Has any one ever tried Smashbox Halo Foundation? Coz I just did!

Hello Ladies,

Happy Thursday! I can't wait for tomorrow to come because I will head to Sephora Hollywood & Highland to get some new foundations right after work! :) Yes, more foundations! In my previous post, I had mentioned that I bought several items from Sephora last week, unfortunately some of them did not work well with my skin type.
One of them is Smashbox Halo Foundation, and let me tell you why......

HALO Hydrating Perfecting Powder & Brush Set

What it is: A face-perfecting anti-aging powder and brush duo.

What it does: Smashbox HALO Hydrating Perfecting Powder HALO is the first anti-aging powder with the science of skin care built in. It's advanced formulation of pure gold, 48 minerals, 11 amino acids and a powerful peptide deliver powerful anti-aging benefits while the patented hydration system continuously revitalizes skin and provides a hydrated look that won't accentuate lines and wrinkles. The built-in shaver allows for the convenience of a pressed powder combined with the radiant finish of a loose one, and the super-sized brush deposits the perfect amount of powder every time.


                                                        My Verdict:

As you can see from the picture, the design of the case is quite remarkable. I can't deny that. The built-in shaver only shaves a little amount of powder, which means you won't have a messy and dirty looking case. ;). It has a mirror too, which is a plus! The only thing I don't like is that the case is quite bulky and heavy. It's not the type that I would like carry around in my purse. =/

Now, let me talk about the foundation. The texture is so light and "airy", and it does not get "cakey" on my skin. Most powder foundations I have tried in the past were not helping the appearance of my skin at all. They ascentuate the lines (that I don't have) and pores! If you don't have pores, and suddenly you see them all, you become self-conscious, you know? This Halo powder is great, awesome, and amazing; however, I have to keep on reapplying it every single hour, and I was annoyed by it. I don't like reapplying my makeup at all. Once or twice is fine, but constantly? Hmmmm nope. Another thing that bothers me too is that the coverage is not as great as Bare Minerals. Don't expect this powder to cover imperfections because the coverage is very light, but somewhat buildable. If you are looking for a medium to full coverage, this powder is not for you. But, if you are looking to minimize the appearance of fine lines and pores, and have a glowy healthy looking skin at the same time, this HALO powder is definitely it.:) Give it a try! :)

Anyway, I have to return this back to Sephora because I don't like a bulky powder that doesn't fit in my makeup bag, and the constant "buffing" and reapplying. Sorry Halo. It's not you, it's just me! =/


X.O.X.O

Rinz

Haul of The Day: Illamasqua Foundation (Pictures & Review)

Happy Sunday everyone!

I can't believe a week has passed by since my last post. Geez, I've been busy with personal and work issues, sorry. Anyway, I just bought some new products, and I am going to share my experience with you guys. :)

Yesterday, I bought these some amazing stuff from Sephora. I was actually eyeing them for quite a while, but I stopped myself from buying any cosmetic product because I have tons of MAC sitting inside my bathroom drawer. Well, it was my BF who said, "Get them and get it over with if you want them so bad". LOL. I am so thankful to have a BF who is very supportive. In many occassions, he had helped me picked my dresses, and my lipsticks. Ha! Ha! :)

This is one of the products that I have tried:

Illamasqua Rich Liquid Foundation in RF 240

Color Swatch on my NC 42 Skin

You can find the color selection at Sephora.com

What this foundation does:

Lock away your inhibitions and bring your confidence to the fore. Touted by professional makeup artists, Illamasqua Rich Liquid Foundation provides maximum, long-lasting coverage without feeling or looking heavy. It blends easily and hides problem areas perfectly. Create your canvas and then paint your work of art.

 

My verdict:

I absolutely agree that this Illamasqua Foundation provides a long lasting coverage without feeling or looking heavy. It also covers dark circles like a great concealer, which is a plus. The only thing that bothers me a bit is the color selection. It only has about 9 colors to choose from. I am NC 42 in MAC, and I can't find my exact shade. Bummer! I should be in between RF240 (for deep olive skin with golden undertones) and RF210 (for medium skin with neutral undertones) since I have a medium golden/yellow undertone. RF210 is lighter than my skin color, but I tried it anyway, and of course it made me look pasty/ashy! Blaeh! One thing I hate to see is the color of my face is lighter than my neck! Some girls I know don't mind it, but I sure do! The RF240 color is darker than my overall complexion, but I don't mind it at all. (See above pic). I'd rather look tanned than pasty. LOL. All I have to do is blend it well, and set it with a powder than is a shade lighter, and voila, I am good to go! It does stay for a whole day, and does not cause any breakout. I will definitely repurchase. Oh another thing, IT HAS NO SPF, which is awesome for photography. ;)

I am going to post about others sometimes this week since I have not yet tried them.

Till then!

X.O.X.O

Rinz