L.A. Girl Luxury Creme Lipstick : Review, Swatches & Giveaway!

It's been a while since I last posted anything makeup-related on my blog. It's a funny thing since this blog used to be mainly a beauty blog. *lol* Anyway, I'm here with a couple of lipsticks that I've had for over 2 months now. They're the L.A. Girl Luxury Creme Lipsticks  which I purchased a while back from Makeup Inbox PH (formerly known as NYX Wholesale PH). I purchased over 20 pieces because some friends had ordered with me and I even sold some other shades through my old online shop (Unicorn Delight) but I kept some shades for myself as well. I kept 8 shades that really caught my eye. Take a look at them below! What : L.A. Girl Luxury Creme Lipsticks Where : Makeup Inbox PH Price : P100/tube Product Description (based on the site) : "Luxury Creme Lipstick delivers ultra rich colors in a lightweight formula. Its blend of moisturizing ingredients of aloe, shea butter & vitamin E enhances lips, leaving a smoother, healthier feel. Glides on effortlessly with the slant top for a flawless, even coverage. What I Liked : * At P100/tube, it's a very affordable product to "collect" (like I do!). They are probably one of the most affordable tubes of lipstick I have in my collection. * They are very pigmented. One full glide off the tube is enough to deliver a beautiful and even coverage. * It lasts a pretty decent 4-6 hours for the darker shades and an acceptable 3-4 hours for the lighter ones. It doesn't feather which is another plus! * It's very moisturizing, creamy and application is a breeze. Even on days that I have chappy lips, this products doesn't aggravate the situation, and because this product has aloe, shea butter & vitamin, I know that it's helping my lips too! What I Didn't Like : * I have a slight problem with the fact that it's scented. The product gives off this slightly soap-like smell which I don't really like. It disappears once the product really settles into the lips. * I don't really like the packaging on these lipsticks. Though the locking mechanism on the cap is great (unlike the Wet N Wild megalast lipsticks) it still feels pretty "cheap" and prone to breaking. The transparent cap makes it easier for me to check the shades but it's also very prone to getting dirty with product stains. I also wish the product name label was on the actual bullet body than on the cap. Now, onto swatches! (1 full swipe each) * Promiscuous is a brownish red which most would consider as a brick red shade. It definitely belongs with my other "fall" lipsticks. This is similar to Wet N' Wild's megalast lipstick in Cinnamon Spice, only with a creamier consistency. * Devoted is a natural peachy pink which goes with about almost everything. I like reaching for this shade when I want a no-brainer wash of color. * True Love is a berry tinged pink (blue based) which I usually reach for when I want a pop of color. * Forbidden Love is a nude-brown. I'm pretty careful with this shade because it can make me look a bit "sick" at times.   * Soul Mate is a bright pinky red which looks pretty amazing on my medium skin tone. * Rendezvous is a pinky-nude which is my current go-to nude lipstick. This can even pass off as a my-lips-but-better shade! * Romance is a purple berry shade. It can be a bit frightening in the tube (and on my swatch!) but a thin/blotted layer of this on the lips leaves a beautiful mulberry-like shade. * Promise is a mauve shade which I usually wear when I want a darker shade but I don't want to commit to something as dark as the romance shade. Now for the exciting part, a giveaway! Checkout the rafflecopter app below for the mechanics. This giveaway starts today, August 24, 2015 and ends on August 31, 2015 at 11:59pm. It's open to all my Philippine based readers & supporters. Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

view post

Currently - V4

Here's another "currently" post, the first for August. It's been a pretty slow & long month. I'm going through a lot of things and I'm just barely hanging on but I'm grateful for the family & friends that are still with me through it all. Like I always tell people, there are two sides to me and you're lucky if I introduce you to both...
Reading : Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire I am a huge #Potterhead and I always go back to the books when I feel that my life is lacking in the "imagination" department. This particular book in the series is my ultimate favorite even if there's a bit of a tragedy in the end. I'm currently on the 14th chapter - The Unforgivable Curses. Can anyone say Avada Kedav--...
Writing :  This "currently" post as well as another beauty related post regarding some L.A. Girl lipsticks.
Listening To: Somebody That I Used To Know by Gotye It's a pretty sad song if you really read into the lyrics. I've been listening to a lot of sad and sappy songs the past few days. This particular one is for all the friends I thought I had but lost. Check out this particular playlist that's on repeat. It's called Breakup Songs. Let's be clear that I'm in no way going through any breakup, I'm just really liking most of the songs in this particular playlist. Smelling : Palmolive Naturals "Healthy & Smooth" shampoo & conditioner because I just finished with a quick evening shower. Wearing : My pink pajama set made of soft flannel cloth. The woolen type that's sometimes used for those uber cute and comforting baby blankets. *teehee*
Thinking : About what to do first... I have a lot of stuff to accomplish that sometimes I wish I was an octopus so I have the extra arms to be able to multitask.
Feeling : A bit lost, to be perfectly honest.
Loving : The Colorfy app. It's kinda stressful yet relaxing at the same time. I've only recently started using it and already I'm in love!
Wanting : A vacation to somewhere I can immerse myself in nature and food for a bit. I'm itching for that Cebu trip to push through next year. So many plans... Crossing my fingers!
Needing : A massage. A mani-pedi-footspa session. A hug.
Wishing : For answers to all the questions running through my mind.

view post

Sugar Works : The Baker In Me

Around 19 months ago, I started a little online home based bakery to fuel my love of cakes, cupcakes, & cookies (plus, to support my lipstick addiction). I had a really long list of possible names until I decided to go with Sugar Works... It was supposed to be Sweet Works but I felt that it would be too common. Funny though since I've come across a couple of other Sugar Works shops online as well. *chuckles* I guess it's a popular shop name then.
Recently I've decided to spruce up my little bakery's logo with the help of Maren Torres of Callico Prints (check her out, she's amazeballs!)... She was very easy to talk to and didn't mind doing all the little revisions to the layouts till I was 101% satisfied with everything... I'm going to keep this a short post before I start rambling on and on again... So, without further ado, I share with you the new layouts!

Official Logo

Official Page Cover Photo

Official Business Card (omfg, I finally have one!)

view post

Hello, August!

Source

I sailed through July like it didn't even happen! August is finally here and before we know it it'll be the start of the "ber" months already... There's definitely been a change in the air. Mornings are a wee bit cooler and so are the evenings too. That's probably why I don't mind the power blackouts (normal thing in Zamboanga!) in the evenings because the air is a bit cooler than usual.

I have a pretty full August schedule. I'm glancing at my planner-calendar while I'm typing away on the iMac and seeing all the sticky notes posted everyone and the scribbles is making me a bit dizzy. I have a ton of cake orders due the upcoming days and I feel so lucky to be able to have this kind of sideline to help me along financially while I'm still just a reliever nurse (no work, no pay y'all!)

I know I haven't been such a good blogger but right now I've been channeling all my energy into my "real life" work, baking & personal family matters. There are so many things I need to do and yet I feel that 24 hours per day isn't enough. Time and again, I've said that I wish I were an octopus so I can get multiple things done with all those extra hands!

Anyway, I'll try to schedule several posts so that I can at least keep a decent flow of activity on the blog. Watch out for changes in  the layout very soon as I transition to more of a lifestyle-personal type of blog. *winks*

Ciao for now!

view post