First Impressions

2015/02/21

Polish Nailbar Zamboanga - First (2) Impressions!

Last month, a new nail salon opened up called POLISH Nailbar. I was scheduled to leave for my Singapore trip at the time of their opening so I was only recently able to avail of some of their services...
Polish Nailbar is located on the lower level of Azenith Royale Hotel, Gov. Camins, Zamboanga City. Last year a flurry of nail salons had opened up in different areas of Zamboanga but I could never find a place that I genuinely liked and genuinely would recommend to other people... Until I went to Polish Nailbar.
I'm the kind of person who gets very concerned about cleanliness and sterility of items used on me during pedicures and manicures that's why I usually stick to my trusted "home service manicurista" that's been doing my nails for years... The downside to that is she offers no nail art services, branded polish or foot spas... So I was forced to venture out to find a place that would pass my standards... Needless to say, Polish Nailbar happens to be one of those places...

Photos grabbed from Polish Nailbar Zamboanga page.
Woman on upper right photo is Dra. Azenith (AVP) on lower left is Dra. Lala (Owner)

A wide assortment of nail polishes & nail products to choose from!

The place has a very clean vibe to it with walls painted white and purple. Purple has always been associated to royalty and that's exactly what you'll feel when you avail of their services. You'll feel 101% like a V.I.P.! I also like their big and comfortable chairs and pillows. Another perk is the complimentary drink. I always go with iced tea!

My first visit to the place was for a combination of foot spa, basic pedicure, gel nails removal & basic manicure... I spent a little over P500 but it was worth it. I opted for the peppermint scrub for my foot spa. I really like the fact that the nail technicians take a lot of time to really make sure you're left with feet as soft as a baby's bum!

I chose OPI's Chicago Champagne Toast for my nail color during my first visit. It was no easy task because they had A TON of different brands, colors & finishes to choose from that my head was spinning from it all. In the end I opted for a frosty pink-brown shade perfect for everyday wear. The nice thing about Polish Nailbar is that they use good quality base coat and top coats aside from the branded polish!

For my second visit, which was earlier today, I availed of their footspa & basic pedicure which amounted to only P270! Not bad for service that is definitely high quality. My nail technician for today wast Ate Lheny (highly recommended if you have rough/cracked heels & ingrown nails or dry skin) and she did a terrific job with my feet. I tried out their strawberry scrub this time and I liked it for the scent but I would still choose the peppermint one over it because the peppermint one had a cooling effect.

This time I opted for a bright orange-red polish from Nature Republic. I wanted a color that would catch your attention from a mile away! *laughs!* What do you think of my color choice? Leave your comments and suggestions on what color I should paint my nails next on the comment section below! I hope all my Zamboanga based friends take time to check out this awesome place. I swear to God I'm not paid in any way to recommend Polish Nailbar to you guys. It's just that I honestly really like the place, their staff & their service! Definitely a big contender among the nail salons in Zamboanga!

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2013/01/24

First Impressions : Real Techniques Core Collection & Blush Brush

Every now and then I take a look at my lil purse for "splurges" and check if I have enough extra cash for a small "splurge"... The other day I took a peek and said to myself, "Yey! I can finally splurge a bit for something I need." A few days later, I got "hired" at a local hospital (details of which I cannot disclose right now) so I decided to finally use that "splurge" opportunity and got myself a couple of Real Techniques brushes.
Now if you don't know what Real Techniques brushes are, it's either you're : A. A boy/guy. B. Been living under a rock...
Kidding aside, Real Techniques is a brush line designed by the one and only Samantha Chapman, pro makeup artist & beauty vlogger (Pixiwoo on Youtube!). These brushes are made of taklon which are extra plush & smooth plus 100% cruelty free!

What : Real Techniques Blush Brush Where : Beauty's Treasure Price : P780
Pink handles, perfect size, perfect shape & just the right density. What more can I ask for? Off the bat, this brush is definitely going to be put to good use. I haven't really tested it because I need to wash it first and check for bleeding and/or shedding but against my face (yes I swiped a few times) it feels super soft and the right size to apply color onto my chubby cheeks!

What : Real Techniques Core Collection Where : Beauty's Treasure Price : P1200
They don't call it the "core collection" for nothing. It has most (if not all) the brushes you'll need to create a flawless canvass. You get a buffing brush, detailer brush, foundation brush & a contour brush. Like the blush brush, these babies are so soft and just the right density. Looking forward to using these babies very soon!
How about you guys? Have you tried Real Techniques brushes? If not, what brushes have you tried & recommend? *winks*

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2012/10/15

First Impressions : Virginia Olsen Mineral Eye Makeup

A week ago I finally received my *free* Virginia Olsen Minerals samples and I squealed with excitement. To be perfectly honest, I'm not into loose powdered makeup because of the hassle of working with it BUT after reading so many great reviews regarding the Virginia Olsen Minerals brand & products, I just HAD TO get my hands on them. I'm glad they were willing to send over some lovely eyeshadow samples for me to try out... So today I'm going to be doing some sort of a first impressions-overview type of post regarding my samples...

"Virginia Olsen Mineral eye colour has been produced with a high density of mineral makeup ingredients, so a little goes a long way. These natural cosmetics can be used interchangeably as eyeliner, highlighter or eyeshadow." - Virginia Olsen Minerals

FACEBOOK | TWITTER : @Virginia_Olsen

I received three (3) different eyeshadows samples. They arrived with a free cd of the Virginia Olsen Minerals' press kit so I could check out more information about the brand & products. They also included a sweet little note in my goodie bag!

This first sample is called SUMMER SUN. It's a very bright yellow with very fine silver shimmer to it. It applies a bit sheer without a primer underneath but once applied on top of a primer ( I use NYX's jumbo eye pencil in milk) it really pops! It's such a fun color and I'm looking forward to incorporating it into my looks.

SOLAR FLARE is another very bright shade. It's a matte warm-toned orange that reminds me of a toned down pumpkin color. I think this would be a nice shadow to layer over a darker base to get sultry "fall inspired" smokey eyes...

Last but not the least, ORACLE is a shimmery bronze-brown shadow that I am in love with. On lazy days, I like sweeping two layers of this onto my eyelids and fade it into the crease. I add a chocolate brown eyeliner and several coats of mascara and I'm good to go with a very sexy eye look that didn't take much effort to pull together...

Check out the swatches below!