New Look Contact Lens???

COULD SOMEONE TELL ME WHAT THE HECK IS THIS???

I was browsing thru this latest optical shop in a certain SM Mall called Sabater Optical (i think). The store was actually pretty and classy. I asked for an eye lubricant and a travel sized contact lens solution. They offered me this "new" brand called New Look that they said is an Australian brand. I was skeptical but the cheap-o in me took over as the set shown in the picture above only cost me Php100 ($2). after giving it some thought....ok, i lied..i didn't think at all. I bought it and only when I got home I thought........what a waste!

1. New Look has no website whatsoever and so is Sabater Optical
2. Who in their right mind would buy something packaged like this...just look at the pictures below and see for your self :(

Contact Lens solution

Eye Lubricant

pamphlet..no website indicated anywhere

pouch didn't help at all. Looks like something given by politicians as souvenir :(

In the end, instead of saving some money I ended up wasting because there is no way I'm using this stuff. I am guilty on experimenting products on face, skin but eyes?!.... that's a different story.

If you have information about New Look Contact Lens please comment below. Especially if you're from Australia.

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The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

Its been a while since i've read a mystery novel that i actually liked :) The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo is a suspense thriller with Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomkvist as the main characters. Both are investigative journalists with opposite style and life style. Lisbeth is a peculiar girl and a world class hacker while Mikael is a controversial journalist and part owner of an investigative magazine called Millennium. The 1st half of the book discusses about these 2 characters separately until the a case involving the family of a steel magnate, the Vanger Family, brought them together.

The copy that i have, a paperback from Vintage Crime publishing -- the one in the picture-- did not contain a summary so you really have to let the book grow in you to appreciate it. The book is quite long, the letters are small. Each chapter is appox 20pages long and most of the pages are dedicated to sooo much detailing...what the room looks like, how the vase on the table is positioned and other stuff not really relevant to the scene. but maybe its just me. I know some of you actually prefer books like that, where the author writes as if you are WATCHING it instead of reading...i don't know, i'm just not into those stuff (Booyah! for thin books with big letters HAHA!). Also the book is quite graphic and there's homosexuality and old dudes having sex. If you're not in to those stuff like I am, well, JUST READ THRU IT. its not too much and they aren't a vital part of the story. I guess those were just included naturally because TGwtDT is actually a European book. Its from Sweden and the book is such a success that they already made a movie version of it. So overall it is an excellent book and it's my current favorite thriller novel. A highly recommended book if you're a fan of crime novels. By the way, you might find it odd that the book is titled "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" when it doesn't have much relevance in the story. I almost rated it 2 stars just because of that until i learned that its actually a trilogy..Yay! i'm almost halfway thru the second book and I finally understood why its titled that way which i will reveal after i'm done with the 3rd and last book and i'm sooooo excited :)

This is a repost from my other blog. I just thought it would be nice to post this first before posting a review on its second book as mentioned in my previous post http://itsallmooncake.blogspot.com/2010/05/whats-been-mooncake-up-to.html ;)

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Featured Product: Lush Vanishing Act

This is the Vanishing Act from Lush. Its a Tea Tree gel that is supposed to give you clearer skin by applying it on your spots and areas of your face where its usually oily. So basically, what it does is it mattifies your skin.

My Take: well i do have other products that does that and I prefer using over this. However, I just LOVE using this when I break out:) I just apply it on the pimple and it works AMAZING, cause, i don't know about you but when I break out its not that many. Usually, its just 1 or 2 that's really big and red. Before I started using this, I usually see the dermatologist and have my zit injected with anti-bacterial solution that will help it dry faster. With this product, i don't have to go thru that anymore, because I noticed that Vanishing Act really helps dry the pimple faster, drastically lessening redness and -- my favorite part -- minimizes the pimple mark left once it healed.

Downside: First of all, the pump. Since I just use it on a zit, the product that comes out from a single pump is too much so I always end up wasting half of it. Another reason I don't apply it to other parts of my face is because of the smell..its kind of bad.

here's how much product comes out from a single pump.

Repurchase?: yes

Generally, its a great product. I have nothing to say about the packaging...nothing different from their trademark black packaging. It also has the Manufacture and Best Before dates which is very good.. didn't take a picture though, camera seems to be out of focus.

BTW. I think its called differently in other countries. I saw from a Bubsbeauty Post that its called Grease Lightning. Lush Vanishing Act in the Philippines costs Php495 ($10).

Before I end this post, could someone tell me what happened to my YM??

Was chatting with the boyfie a couple of nights ago then suddenly I was seeing myself in my view of his webcam....weird...

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What's been Mooncake up to???

its been a while since my last post.....is it really?? i think it was just a little over a week but it sure does feel like its been a while:) sorry :P work has been a little hectic but its still suck-y as ever but the thing that really kept me from blogging is my business. I've been a little negligent boss so now I've been catching and patching up on some things.

so having said that, i know I wrote in my "About Me" that I'm a "budding entrepreneur" but there still aren't a single post regarding my business. So without further adieu, here's my small and first ever business venture.

of course it doesn't have balloons always..this pic was taken from my grand opening ;)

It was 2yrs ago when I decided to get my hands on a franchising business and the "buy 1 take 1 burger" invasion was just starting then. The franchisor that i decided to make business with is called Captain's Burger. So yeah, i know if you are from my age group you might be interested on this, I will not dwell on this for now so you better send your questions so I could incorporate it in my post;)

I also finished reading The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson and boy, I am so excited to give you my review on this:)



but life is not always boring...there's still good times. Below is a picture of my latest drugstore-beach haul. Yeah, i know rainy season is fast approaching and I am just about to hit the beach...see how miserable my life has been lately:-<

just a little sanity saver ;)

There are some good items there that I will definitely make a review of and I'll also post how I pack for a beach day tour. so do watch out for that, a'ryt?! :) i'm also thinking whether I should vlog that one instead...... would you like to see me vlog?? :P

that's all for now. time to hit the sacks...goodnight everyone :)

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Unii Palettes

First time I saw these at From Head to Toe I can't stop thinking how cute and pretty they are :).... and that there is NO way I'm getting these palettes. 2 reasons...

1. Each palette costs around $30. With the value of PHP now, this would probably cost me 1400PHP....that's EXPENSIVE!!!

2. Secondly, and the ultimate reason, is because...... I DON'T HAVE THAT MUCH MAKE-UP!!! specially eye shadows. :P

so there...I know I am such a sucker for cute packaging and cases but this one I definitely have to pass:)

.... forget the pretty palettes.....move on or...


....i could always play with my dear old Nintendo DS..they kinda look the same anyways :P

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e.l.f studio Under Eye Concealer & Highlighter

As you know I am new to makeups and I've been on the hunt for the right liquid concealer and highlighter. On my recent drugstore haul I got this Undereye Concealer and Highlighter in one from e.l.f. Well not really in one, but on a single packaging rather. Sounds like a good deal, eh? :D I tried it for the first time yesterday and here's my take on it :)

Here's the applicator. Nothing unusual. I'm not a fan of sponge applicators (if this is what you call this) because they tend to be smelly over time but since there's not too much product I think I could down both tubes before their applicators get smelly.

here's a pic showing you how much I put on. The concealer on my undereye and highlighter on my lids:) Please excuse the oily skin.. I just came back from work:P

and here's what it looked like after spreading it using my fingers :)

The verdict. Average. The highlighter doesn't give you the glow that a highlighter should bring. As you can see in the pic its like more of a powdery finish. As for the concealer I don't think this is effective for undereyes. I'm no expert but I heard that concealer with orange undertones are best for undereyes. I find this one too light and kind of gives me the 'raccoon effect'. However I find that it gives better coverage for other areas of my face, specially the sides of my nose and mouth. I think they offer this in different shades as well so I am willing to give this product another chance. I'll just choose a darker shade next time ;)

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Moon and A Star

Have you seen it?? The night sky is just awesome tonight. crescent moon with a nearby star:) is that a named phenomenon?? I managed to take a picture but it REALLY sucks



it reminded me of some countries who bore similar symbols on their flag. countries like, Malaysia, Pakistan, Turkey, Tunisia..could this be a good sign for them?? No wonder there wouldn't be any good sign for the Philippines. 3 stars in triangular form with the sun inside???:P


of course i just googled that now. The first thing i thought of when I saw the skies tonight is none other than...............


SAILORMOON!!!!


Moon Prism Powerrrr...MAKEUP!!!

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Latest Pigout: Razon's of Guagua

I know... I know... it may be strange doing a review on such a popular restaurant already but believe it or not, it's the first time I tried their food this afternoon (if it weren't for some Halo-Halo craving of my Papa:P)..Why??? because I-don't-eat-halo-halo and that is what this resto is famous for :)

We ate at Razon's in Banawe, QC. It's small which is OK :) however I noticed that it's not that clean-looking. It's not dirty but i don't know, the place seems to be not very clean-looking :P

First on our menu is the Pancit Luglog (rice noodle with shrimp sauce):

sorry, i was not able to take a more adequate pic...as soon as the server placed it on our table, my bro ate it right away :-<

This is actually pretty good. The serving is just enough for a single person. I like how the 'chicharon' really tasted like pork and not too fishy unlike most Pancit luglug i've tried. The only thing I did not like about this is the noodle. It's like a little undone but that's better than soggy :) And Papa told us that most people like it that way so I guess that's not a problem either :)

Sylvanas

This is OK too:) the problem is, I kind of have high standards for sylvanas. I have a friend who would bring me sylvanas every time he comes back from Dumaguete and those were heavenly :) so that kind of raised the bar for me:P

and finally...This is what makes Razon's THE Razon's.....Halo Halo

Halo in english literally means 'mix' and the reason its called that is because there are dozens of ingredients all mixed together in this all time FLIP fave cold treat :) sweetened banana, monggo, beans, ube, lecheflan, nata, rice crisps etc. And that's the reason why i don't like this because there are lots of stuff there that I don't like :P but I do like sipping on the crushed ice with milk and the flavors of all the halo-halo stuff..sooo goood:) What makes the Razon halo-halo special for me, is the ice. It is so well crushed that makes it easy to munch on. your like eating a 'halo-halo' shake, if that makes sense:P

but for me nothing beats the Saging Con Hielo from Ugbo-- a place one sidecar ride from my house:P


its cheap, a little dirty but oh so good!!! my ultimate summer food:)

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Hair Care Routine & Tips

Just the basics. I do use other products every now and then but these are my MUSTS at the moment :)

1. Shampoo and Conditioner: Herbal Essences

I love the consistency :) very light..perfect for the summer specially the shampoo:) I think the formulation is very mild that i have less hair fall now. Very good for normal hairs. I do not recommend these to severely damaged hair. I also think it made my hair more manageable also:) The smell is OK but it doesn't stay very long. It lathers OK too and is easy to rinse off . And I like that they package it this way:) the matching curves at the side is so cute..sort off tells you that this stuff is really a pair so you could expect both will work wonders together....Does that make sense??? i don't know..anyway one thing's bugging me though... The shampoo is called "Body Envy" while the conditioner is called "None of your Frizzness"...get it?? a 'volumizing shampoo' and an 'anti-frizz conditioner'..isn't that a little contradicting?? I picked out the shampoo first in the grocery and because obviously they have the same color theme, I picked out the conditioner without even reading the labels.......they got to be a pair!! right??:) Honestly, I've just started using this for a week so it may be a bit too early for me to make a review but, whatever... i love these stuff and i think my hair did show improvements :)

Tip: towel your hair first before applying your conditioner. Do not apply when your hair is soaking wet because most of the product will just be washed away with the water dripping from your hair. Its also good to leave the conditioner on your hair for a couple of minutes. I'm ALWAYS in a rush during the morning...every SECOND counts. so what I do is I shampoo my hair first and when I already applied my conditioner, I put on my shower cap then do everything else. Wash my face, brush my teeth, wash my body THEN rinse my hair last ;)

2. Treatment: CREAM SILK Precision Repair

To be used once a week. You do not replace this with your conditioner. After shampooing and conditioning, dip about the first segment of your index finger then scoop out then apply this to your. I have long and thick hair so I do this twice. Concentrating on your ends then use whats left for the roots and the middle area. I have a very ugly hair regrowth so I use probably the same amount on my ends to my root :) Leave this for 3 mins before rinsing off so again, if you're always in a hurry during workdays like me:) use this every weekends:)

Actually, IMO this is just the same Cream Silk conditioner doubled up:) the formulation and the consistency and that's what makes it a "Repair Therapy" for your hair. And i think that's the reason you use this only once every week, it may cause hair fall if used more than the recommended. If you have extremely damaged and not brittle hair, i think it's OK to use this twice a week:) It still has the same smell as the regular Cream Silk conditioner and we know that smells good :)

and last but not the least..

3. Hair Serum: L'Oreal Elseve Re-Nutrition

This is a Night Serum. It says it has royal jelly that makes your hair bouncy and revitalized. I loooove this product. I'm almost done with this bottle and I'll definitely get myself another one:) Its like conditioning your hair while you sleep how convenient is that :) For my hair, I apply 2 pumps of this to my hair again, concentrating on the ends then using whats left for the middle area. DO NOT apply on roots! maybe jjjjuuuusst a little on the top area of your hair just be sure to never put some on your scalp. You might get dandruff because you don't rinse this product off. I also love the packaging. I like that its a pump and covered...very hygienic:) But my favorite thing about this is the smell:) its soooooo good! very citrus-y but you know how L'Oreal hair products are. They always smell nice that's why I love love 'em :) Oh, do not worry the product will get all over your pillow it dries quickly and doesn't feel sticky :)

Tip: You probably heard it already, Its not always good to shampoo everyday (of course with the exception of summer season. Shampoo your hair if you got sweaty! so pls don't go 'eww-ing' on me). I do not recommend this product if you're not going to shampoo in the morning. It may not feel sticky when you slept with it but in the morning if you don't wash/shampoo your hair, it will be:)

so there:) that's my basic hair routine. hope it helps somehow:) Have a gorgeous hair every one!

**bittenbefore.com on my laptop screen, ahihi ;))

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Philippine Presidential Election 2010

C-H-A-O-T-I-C @.@!!!!!!! almost 3hrs in line before i could vote. It was hot, very slow and disorganized. Why??, because...
- people with 'special favors' from the watchers passing thru the line and voting ahead of everybody else.
-people got excited for the 1st ever automated voting (or counting, rather) so the voters today, like, doubled from the last elections
- 1 barangay got squished in to 1 voting room. It used to be like, 4 rooms per barangay..that's 1 room per presinct. the reason for this is the limited number of PCOS (Presinct Count Optical Scanner) or counting machines.
- only 10 people could vote at a time. and our barangay has what...900+ voters!e
- since all the candidates' name are already listed, some people took time looking for their candidate's name.

so with all these inconveniences you may ask..WHY BOTHER??? people may have different reasons but as for me, i do it because i owe it to the next generation. my candidate may not win but voting for what i believe in gives me a 'clean conscience' feeling:) and finally its my privilege as a freeman :)

here are some scenes at the local school where i voted ;)

people waiting to vote @.@


looks like somebody can't stand the heat anymore....wait, that's my Papa! lol
and that shiny thing at the side is my finger...nice shot, becs -.-!


finally..i got 'inked' :P

Hope everyone was able to vote wisely :) now we have the counting to watch and pray for.

-= 2 Chronicles 7:14=-

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VBS 2010 God's Big Backyard

finally our church's Vacation Bible School's over...for this year that is:) a week of hard work, sweat, headache is done:) Being part of these children's lives, even just for a week, is such a blessed experience:) but more importantly, seeing the youth from our church in action makes me rest assured that our church's ministry will continue in the years to come :)

Here are some event 'highlights' :P from Day 1 and Graduation Day

God's Big Backyard setup :)



Here's my class, the HighSchool dept. My co-teach taking charge:)



God's Big Backyard theme song :)


Graduation pic:)

and finally.................

this girl is not from my class but i took her pic because.....just look at her..the pink dress, clip on hat (hime) and the red fuffy pumps..what a little fashionista...AYLAVET!

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Happy Mother's day, ma

I would like to dedicate this post to the greatest woman who graced this earth. my Mama :)

WARNING: picture spam :P

a Career woman:) she had thought me at a very young age how important it is for women/wives to have their own money ;) the 1st, if not the only person, who believed i'll be rich 1 day :)


Very chic and stylish:) just look at her rock those sunglasses. hands down, she could pull off this look waaay better than moi:(

disco ball in the office..hehe:)

She got moves:) she may not have the least singing talent but she definitely can burn the dancefloor:)


Sexy :) when this picture was taken..she already gave birth to me and my Ate (older sister). Lord..please let me have her genes...:-S


FUN:) her jokes are often, if not all the time, corny but she sure does love having fun:)

but most of all...she is

5 stars for baby mooncake ;;)

a MOTHER. she died of Acute Myloid Leukemia 2 years ago and i'm still missing her terribly but her memory and my love for her is very much alive and will forever be for the rest of my life:)

before the day ends i would like to shout HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all your moms and to all the moms out there. You have no idea how much you are blessed to have one, believe me, life is tougher without a mother:)

How did you celebrate your Mother's Day?? show your moms some love by commenting below :)

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Today on the Tube..

Miley once again making sure everybody knows she's bound to destruction Britney style :)

happy 55th monthsary siopski and mooncake :)

i don't know in other countries but we FLIPS like to celebrate MONTHsary...at least the cheesy and romantic ones. well, i dont mind being cheezy, romantic even corny when it comes to my boyfie. so what about you? do you celebrate monthsaries???

thank you for the 55 wonderful months siopskie:) love you and i'm missing you terribly :)

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Maybelline gel liner, mascara and lipgloss

As promised, here are reviews of my recently bought Maybelline products :)

1.Long Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner in black

sorry for the messy desk..too lazy to tidy up :P

5 stars. smooth application, glides so easily. wore it for 7 hrs, no smudge and its friggin' hot in here, i was sweating like a pig:) it comes with this applicator. didn't use it though. i still prefer angled eyeliner brush :) the packaging's OK too:)

2. Volum Express Cat's Eye Waterproof Mascara

this is such a popular product that i was hesitant doing a review but what the heck :) 5 stars for being REALLY waterproof:) like i said, it was hot, i was sweating, wore it for hours and yet no smudge :) i was so happy because i was in the search for a mascara that doesn't smudge for quite some time now :) i LOVE the packaging:) black and hot pink are my favorite color combination..plus the zebra print is like the only animal print thingy i appreciate :)

and check the applicator :) instead of the usual brush this one looks like a comb plus its really flexible too:) you seriously won't be needing false lashes with this. first time i tried it on, i just couldn't stop combing and combing my lashes:) now i'm wondering why they don't make all mascara like this:)

here is a picture of my eye with the Lasting Drama liner and Volum Express Mascara


3. Fruity Jelly Lipgloss

4 Stars. very glossy:) the formulation is a little too thick and sticky. i don't really know if that's a good or bad thing :p i LOVE the smell, REALLY fruity :) it supposed to have some tint but there's nothing when you apply it but that's OK with me since i wear this over my lipstick but if you're the type who doesn't like putting too much product on your lips, well i don't really recommend this product for you. the packaging...umm..very drugstore-y..no biggie ;)

again, here's a crappy picture this time of my lips, with and without lipgloss :)


hope this helps somehow..happy shopping everyone :)

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