My Love-Hate Relationship with MAC Pink Nouveau

When I first saw Pink Nouveau worn, it was on a MAC SA who had on a grey smokey look. I was asking another MAC MUA for a nice pink lipstick suggestion and she pointed out Pink Nouveau which I liked on the tube. The mistake was in also pointing out that her associate was wearing it too, because to me, it looked rather neonish. Not a good look for me because I needed something safer, so I passed and got Cosmo instead.

For a few weeks after that, I was feeling more adventurous and wanted a statement pink color, so I hied off to MAC again, this time, in quest of Girl About Town. This was a permanent shade so I was crestfallen to learn that while it was permanent, it was not for Southeast Asia release. I had to come home with something and so I said to heck with it and got Pink Nouveau.

And thus begins a love-hate relationship with MAC Pink Nouveau. If you would like to know how it all ends, read on after the jump.

Suesh Makeup Brushes Haul

I bought my 21 piece makeup brush from Suesh, just a few weeks before I enrolled in the Suesh basic makeup workshop (click link to see post).  That was last summer, so it has been more than six months now.

So, how did my Suesh brushes stand up to use/abuse so far? Scroll after the pictures to know what I thought.

this 21-pc suesh brush set retails for P4500

How to help your lashes look their best

Today's beauty post is from Idol Lash.

Every woman wants gorgeous, long, lush eyelashes. But not everyone is born that way! If you're one of the many women who need help getting their lashes to look long, thick and beautiful, there are plenty of options you can try to boost your eye-framing fringe. 

NYX Extreme Matte Lip Cream in Stockholm, Swatches and Review

Ever since I discovered Mac lipsticks, I rarely stray from the brand especially since I don't really wear makeup everyday and a single bullet takes me ages to finish anyway. But NYX matte lip creams have always been something I wanted to try out, even though I am not a fan of mattes in general. When I attended the Maven event a few weeks ago, I saw that Digital Traincase had a booth there and I was able to swatch me some of the lip creams. I took home Stockholm (P280).

Makeup by Yours Truly #1: Grandma

The 'victim': My 85-year old grandma (hugs)

In her heyday, my grandma was a very handsome woman. She had prominent cheekbones, a strong jawline (a very strong-willed dame, this one) and a dark complexion. She never was much for makeup, as I recall. In fact, no one in my family really had makeup artistry ambitions-- I'm actually the first  :)

At her age, my lola does not really like putting on makeup except for very special occasions like weddings and debut parties in the family. One day though, I was in the mood to doll her up just for a quick trip to the grocery, nothing too over-the-top but a fresher version of herself.

The main thing was just to tint and shape her brows, apply a smooth face base to make her skin look more plump (the hard part was buffing the creases out!), and then add some subtle eye and cheek colors. Kasi naman sa grocery lang ang lakad, di ba. The after photo was actually taken about two hours after I finished, which is why she barely had any lipstick left. Sorry for that, but at her age, our grand dame is not really into camwhoring and no one can make her.

Shoe Love in Blinged Out Flats

Hi, everyone! Just wanted to share this awesome black ballet flats that I got from Figliarina. When it comes to making a fashion statement, nothing quite does it like a pair of stilletos but every now and then, a girl has got to settle for something more sensible. The Swarovski detail on this pair, however, saved it from being just a boring pair of flats-- I love how it catches the light with every step I take.

I love that the insole of the shoe is gold-- it can't be seen when worn but small details like that sure adds to its prettiness.

Bought at Trinoma department store for P1500.

And while we are on the topic of shoes, you might want to head over to Denise's blog and join her shoe giveaway-- tomorrow she will choose three lucky winners who will get the pair of their choice from her online shoe store. You don't have to go through the whole Rafflecopter circus too: just pick out what prize you would like to win and tell her your shoe size. Pretty cool, huh? Of course I joined already :)

Revlon Colorburst Lip Gloss in Papaya and Rose Gold Swatches, Review

Just last week, I posted a rant about Revlon's Sculpting Blush palette. This week, I am reviewing two of the most popular shades in their Colorburst Lip Gloss line: Papaya and Rose Gold. Is this another dealbreaker product with Revlon, or are they back in my good graces? Find out more after the jump.

Revlon Colorburst Lipgloss in Rose Gold 

Beauty confession: Foundation Color Matching

There was a time when I insisted on wearing pink-tinged foundation shades on my very Asian skin. In my naivete, I actually thought that foundation was like eyeshadow in that you should pick the color that you want your skin to look like.No wonder I looked so chalky! Also, whenever I wore foundation, it looked so unnatural rather than flattering.

It took me a while to realize that even though I had relatively light skin tones, I had warm yellow undertones!

I'm so yellow! How could I have missed that?

How about you, do you have any beauty confessions you would like to share?

Rant: Revlon PhotoReady Sculpting Blush Palette

Since I switched to trusted makeup brands like MAC, Urban Decay and Wet n' Wild, I only have to do minimal touch-ups during the day. At most, I would only need to blot and reapply powder and lip color because I have oily skin and well, I talk a lot. While I love putting on a full face on makeup, I don't do it everyday just to let my skin rest. So sometimes, something comes up mid-day and I need to put on a more elaborate face than my usual minimal look.

I prefer doing my own makeup at home because there I have all my tools and whatnot. As much as I would love doing a complicated three-color foundation routine on the go, I can't always tote a traincase around. This is why I am on the lookout for palettes that are both small and sophisticated enough to bring in a kikay kit. And I thought, since Revlon is generally a good drugstore brand, the Revlon PhotoReady Sculpting Blush Palette would be a good buy.

Beauty Confession: I can never have enough lip balm

I have lots of lip balm tubes. In fact, I don't recall ever being able to finish one. I carry them around when I'm home (and then often forget where I left them), I always keep some in my bag, and always in my train case. I skip moisturizer and sunblock (bad, I know!) but I swipe on lip balm after washing my face or taking a bath.

Half of the gang is somewhere around the house...

My favorites lip balms: Avon's Simply Pretty Jelly Belly lolly lip balm (love how it subtly enhances the color of my lips) and Estee Lauder lip conditioner (because it's packaged just like a lipstick bullet).

I don't buy popular lip balms like Kiehl's, Jack Black or Lucas Papaw because they are expensive locally and my lips do well enough on the more affordable ones so I just save my money for other beauty treats. I stock up when Avon puts Jelly Belly on sale. However, I have always wanted to own a tub of MAC tinted lip balm-- if you give me one, I surely won't refuse  :)

Off topic anecdote: One time, my son the Wonder Boy swiped on one of my lip balms without me knowing. I only found out later when I used it, and noticed that it felt gritty. Turns out that the gritty bits were chicharon (pork rind) crumbs!

What's your favorite lip balm? Any lemmings? Do share!

Kikay Mom Beauty Day at Nail Spa & Co

It was with a great sense of relief that I pulled in the parking space at Nail Spa & Co. It has been YEARS since I last treated my self to a spa day and I could really use a break. Running after the Wonder Boy, not to mention working full-time, has really taken a toll.

Nail Spa & Co's welcoming facade

I push open the glass doors of the spa and I am greeted by nature sounds and soothing music. I like the smell, akin to mildly-scented lotion. The color palette used in the place also happen to be a favorite: purples and tiffany blue.

 The efficient and pleasant manager, Alwyn, greets me with a friendly smile and we plan project pampering; I wanted a body scrub and massage (package B) but sadly, the body scrub service was unavailable for that day. I just opt to have an extra long full body massage, foot spa, and a manicure-pedicure combo.

Thoughtful touches like rose petals in the soaking water make each treatment extra special.

I sink into one of the comfy chairs and eagerly anticipate my treatment. From that point on, everything was bliss. Nail Spa & Co is certainly much better than other nail salons which just appropriate the term “spa” in their business name. They had extra touches like warm herbal pillows for my shoulders and legs while I was getting my foot scrubbed; and a complimentary snack of hot tea and yummy chocolate cookies that were obviously homemade.

This light but satisfying snack made me enjoy the spa treatments even more.

The massage nook: gold and Tiffany blue. I likey very much.

But the piece de resistance of the day was the full body massage. Now, I am a fan of the Swedish technique but I have certain peculiarities. See, some parts of my body are sensitive to pressure while others are less so. What I hate about most therapists is that they do not seem to have a sense of proportion. I mean, areas like the forearms and the foot should be kneaded less strongly, while fleshier areas like the buttocks and the upper thighs should be massaged with more force because they are denser, in a matter of speaking. In a typical massage, I have to tell the therapists: “not so hard” then later “More force, please”.  But the therapist Rachel (I asked the manager for her name, she was THAT good) hit each spot perfectly without me saying a word.

The day would have ended perfectly if it weren’t for a pair of clients who came in the last thirty minutes of my spa visit. They were both having foot spas. Though they were together, they somehow chose to seat themselves across the room from each other and then proceeded to gossip about their complicated family history. By the time all my nails got painted (they have a wonderful array of designer nail polish), I was ready to bolt out. God, that was really really annoying. Maybe the spa should institute (mandatory) adjacent seating protocol for clients who come in together, to keep the noise level down to a minimum.

Overall though, their services were definitely exceptional and reasonably-priced too. (Click here for their spa menu and rates) I found it interesting that they even offered pre-natal massage and For HIM packages.

But I will be back, soon. I just have to remember to bring earphones next time.

Nail Spa & Co. is at 39 Malingap St., Teacher’s Village, QC

You can call them at 383-4707 or Like their Facebook Page



Note: This is another blog post which was originally published January 30, 2012
Disclaimer: This post features a product which had been provided for review purposes. However, all opinions are entirely my own.

Kikay Mom was there: Maven beyond the Blush Beauty Blowout 2

After learning from my tita that I missed out on such a great event when Maven magazine held a beauty event at Trinoma, I just knew that I couldn't miss the second leg at the Glorietta. So despite a rainy afternoon, I hied off to Ayala Avenue and signed up for a day of workshops and beauty loot.

Yummy Specialty Cakes on Sale by Sweet Sentiments, Anyone?

I usually frequent group buying sites like Ensogo and Metrodeal because although they do include some bad apples every now and then, the majority of their offerings come from merchants who offer great products and services. One of the deals that really gave me bang for the buck was discounts on baked goodies from Sweet Sentiments.

I have availed of Sweet Sentiments vouchers time and again and despite being a home-based business, I have to admire that their quality is very consistent. The truffles, cake pops and cupcakes are what I have purchased from them (because they are the ones offered through discount vouchers) but Kathy, the mommy baker behind SS, does make very lovely fondant cake designs too.

Truffle cake: very sophisticated because of the bittersweet taste. My personal favorite too.

I just found out yesterday through Facebook that Sweet Sentiments is holding a cake sale for the entire month of September: an amazing 30% off their yummy creations. They are including their bestsellers such as the truffle cake, the rocky road, cookies and cream, and caramel. At 30% off, they are slashing their prices from P1200 to just P700. I have to say, the P500 discount is really something, especially since each cake is lovingly baked and decorated, not just slapped together in mass assembly fashion. I have already placed an order, needless to say; my sweet tooth is up for a treat. Woot! woot!

For orders, you can send a PM on the Sweet Sentiments Facebook Page. Kathy usually just offers pick-up in various points in QC and Makati but for the duration of this sale, you can opt for delivery depending on your loaction, so just ask.

Feast your eyes on these lovely cakes-- don't they just call out to be taken home?

Choco caramel cake-- another winner, promise.

Cookies and cream

The classic: Rocky Road

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with this company, nor am I being monetarily compensated for writing this post.
Images courtesy of Sweet Sentiments

MAC Russian Red Lipglass is like a secret lover

When it was time for me to go to college, one of the things that I was excited about was finally being grown-up enough to wear lipstick everyday. I figured that because I was no longer in high school and I was going to UP (known for its freedom), I could assert my adulthood by wearing lipstick to classes. Yes, it was that shallow :0  You see, I grew up in a very strict home (my grandparents raised me) and before UP I couldn't even lay claim to tinted lip conditioner.

Now that I'm a mom myself and earning my own money, I can be as kikay as I want to be. And while I can be quite comfortable walking around in the daytime sporting a smokey eye every now and then, I have yet to own up to red, in-your-face lips. And that is why my MAC Russian Red lipglass is being treated like a hot and steamy secret lover: in the privacy of my bedroom, I love the heck out of it and sing its praises. And yet, before I go out in public, I remove all traces of it on my lips and pretend that it does not exist...

Poor MAC Russian Red lipglass; what we have is so beautiful but I just can't bring myself to let the whole world know. Alas!

Ok, ok. I'm stopping the melodrama. On to the review, shall we?

Stephen Gallup Book Review: What About the Boy? A Father’s Pledge to his Disabled Son

(Kikay Mom Note: This is yet again one of the posts from my former blog which I just couldn't bear not to republish. I read this book about a year ago, when I was considerably less confident of my ability to keep up with an active toddler while being a newly-singled mom. You can also read Stephen Gallup's guest post by clicking here.)

With free time at a premium, I have been very selective about what I have been reading lately.  Reading Stephen Gallup’s memoir took me about a day, in between attending to the Wonder Boy.  Now that I have read it twice, I can say that it was free time well-spent.

A few minutes after I had picked up my copy of the book at the Post Office, I read a few pages while sitting in the backseat of the car.  The first few pages telling of Joseph’s difficult birth had me instantly hooked, and I could hardly wait for my Wonder Boy to settle down for the night so I could continue reading.  I read the rest of the book straight until the wee hours of the morning, and it left me so affected that I felt I had to let a few weeks pass before writing a review.

The Multiply Frenzy: Seche Vite, CND, Zoya and Queen Helene

About a week ago, shopping site Multiply held one of its frenzies. Apparently, this is a regular thing where you get an amazing P500 off P1500 when you buy from their trusted online shops. I only got to know about it because some sellers like Digital Traincase hyped it up on their Facebook pages. So I followed the trail and was led to Multiply's own FB page and waited around for the frenzy to begin.

This was my first time to join this, so I didn't quite know what to expect but from reading previous entries and following conversation threads on the page, I understood that for one hour, Multiply will be releasing a P500 discount code applicable for minimum purchase of P1500 from trusted shops (these are stores which bear the Trusted Seller logo). A good strategy is to browse ahead of time and place your picks on your shopping cart, so that when the discount code is activated, all you have to do is to key it in and checkout within the allotted hour.

Do you have to spend the entire P1500 at just one Multiply shop?
This is actually something which was asked by another Frenzy newbie like myself.

When Your Child Has a Disability– Three Things to Remember

Guest post by Stephen Gallup

(The Kikay Mom note: I initially published this guest post last year on my now-defunct blog. At that time, my own Wonder Boy was still less than two years old and it got me thinking how blessed I was that he turned out so healthy, so intelligent, and so loving. Steve is the author of the book What About the Boy? A Father’s Pledge to His Disabled Son; I will be republishing my review of the book next week because I still feel then, as I do now, that it was a good read, containing interesting insights in between gritty anecdotes of a family dealing with a special child.)

Sooner or later, all parents deal with unexpected crises. Worry is just part of the adventure of raising kids. However, a surprisingly large number of parents also discover, usually sometime in the first three years of their child’s life, that a developmental disability is also part of the picture. Their child could be given a label like Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, ADHD, or autism. Or perhaps no diagnosis is offered, despite obvious problems.

My son Joseph was one of those who with no useful diagnosis. His birth in 1985 started our family on a very long odyssey in search of help. Here are a few lessons I learned along the way.

Steve with son Joseph at 3

Kikaymom Find: Ellana Angled Kabuki Brush

It’s no secret that I love Ellana’s mineral foundation (click here for review). With my skin acting up lately plus me having to wear makeup a little more frequently, I really needed something that will give good coverage while still letting my skin breathe. And so, I ended up putting away my MAC Studio Fix and using up my entire stash of Ellana French Vanilla in Perfect Blend.

A good thing too, because as it turns out, their Intensive Blend is actually much more suited for oily skin types like mine. I just had Perfect Blend before because when I shopped online on their website, I failed to see the distinction between the two formulas. Perfect Blend was actually for normal/combination skin. I was also glad that this time around, refills were available. And so, for 6g of product, I only had to pay P295 instead of P425, quite a savings for just reusing my old tub with the rotating sifter.

When I headed over to their West Avenue showroom to buy the refill, I also got to see that they had new makeup brushes in stock. Now I already have flat top and conventional kabuki brushes, but I still didn’t have an angled one so this baby came home with me:

(Scroll after the pictures to know what I thought)

Blog Anniversary Giveaway by ShensAddiction

Hullo, ladies! Just wanted to let you know that the lovely Shen of Shen's Beauty Blog is holding a blog anniversary giveaway (her 4th!) from Sept 8 to Oct 8. Lots of cool sponsors have given fabulous loot too. Of course, yours truly has joined already. Head on over to her blog and show her some love, won't you? Have a great Sunday-- will be reviewing some yummy Revlon Colorburst lipglosses just as soon as I have formed a opinion about them :)