Happy New Year Ladies! I know it has been a while since I last posted something. I guess I've been enjoying my days off so much that I just didn't have the time to blog. Some of you might be curious what I got during the holidays, so I am sharing it with you today.


The first makeup present that I received last December 2014 was the ever fabulous and over hyped Nars Audacious Lipstick from my dear Hubby. My shade of choice is the Nars Audacious Lipstick in Grace as I have been looking for a bright coral lipstick for some time now. I'm really glad that I finally found a coral lipstick that suits my skin tone. He bought this for me at Rustan's Ayala Center Cebu for Php1,650.

Next are the MAC stuff that I personally bought as presents to myself. I didn't buy these together because they were out of stock from our local Mac counter. I pre-ordered the Mac Matte Lipstick in Sin (Php900) and the Mac Pro Longwear Eye Liner in Definedly Black (Php1,100) from @cebumakeuponline on Instagram.

Then I discovered that a friend of mine who is also a fellow makeup enthusiast had the Mac Pro Lip Palette in Editorial Reds (Php2,600) on hand, she gave me huge discount so I quickly bought it from her.


I also got the Physicians Formula Youthful Wear Spotless Foundation & Brush in Medium Beige (Php600) and the Loreal Voluminous Million Lashes Mascara from the same friend so the prices are discounted. You can follow her @karenjap on Instagram.

Then last December, I finally decided to try and order makeup internationally and send it via JohnnyAirPlus.com because TheBalm.com was having a 50% off sitewide during Cyber Monday. My experience with JohnnyAirPlus Cebu was pleasant and they gave me a discount for the delay. I knew that it was peak season, so I understood the reason for the delayed shipment. I only got The Balm Balmsai Eyeshadow and Brow Palette (Php1,800) from the site since I didn't want to go overboard with my makeup spending. hahaha

My besty Khymm of Miss-Shopcoholic.com new that I loved lip balms, so she got me the Nivea Lip Butter in Raspberry Rose amongst other things that she gave as my Christmas present.


Lastly, a surprise Christmas present came for me. It was late and totally unexpected. My childhood friend Christine, who is a flight attendant for Qatar Airways, suddenly remembered to get me something from Inglot while she was in Poland. She knew how much I enjoyed makeup and I really appreciate the thoughtful gesture. She got me the Inglot Freedom System Blush Palette, where she chose 3 blushes and 1 shade for contouring. I am absolutely ecstatic to try these.

How about you ladies, what did you get during the holidays?

Until next time.

Cheerios!
***Hollie***

It's finally Christmas Eve 2014, Yay! Time for friends get-together and family bonding! With that said, I'd like to extend my Christmas greetings and Holiday Cheers to everyone! ^_^

Anyway, back to business. Remember my old post before about Lip Balms? I posted a mini review of all lip balms that I used about two years ago which you can read HERE. This time I'll be posting reviews on the current lip balms I've been testing out while in search for my HG lip balm. hehe


I got the chance to try out several lip balms for the past couple of years and I've yet to find an all time favorite. I only got about seven that I have in my stash right now coz I gave the rest away.

So, let's start this off with the Mentholatum Lip Ice Lip Balm with SPF 15, the one in the photo is Grape + BlackCurrant. I've already tried the Lemon and Strawberry Flavors as well. It retails for only Php89 at Watsons. I've repurchased this twice already since I love how light this feels on my lips. It is very moisturizing without being waxy and the moisture lasts longer than the average lip balm. I especially like that this leaves a minty tingle to my lips every time I use it. If you prefer minty balms like me, this Lip Ice lip balms should be on top of your list!

Carmex Moisturizing Lip Balm in Strawberry with SPF 15 retails around Php110 (price varies, depending where you purchased it). I've already tried this lip balm twice. The first time was the original unflavored Carmex Lip Balm in a squeeze type tube, then this strawberry variant. For both times I've tried this, I experienced a stinging sensation on my lips, and one that doesn't go away, unless I remove the balm from my lips. I honestly really like that it feels minty on my lips and it moisturizes very well. However, the consistency is a little too thick and sticky for my liking, also I am not sure which ingredient is making my lips sting so bad every single time I use this. So, to put it simply, Carmex is just not for me.

Alba Botanica Terra Tints in Bloom with SPF 15,  I already know a few friends who absolutely love this balm especially the other shade which is Ablaze. It retails for Php159 at Healthy Options. I really want to love this lip balm as well, unfortunately I experienced lip allergies with this. I first tried it earlier this year and I thought it might have been another product causing the itch on my lips. However, the allergies stopped with I stopped using the lip balm. Then, I gave it another chance later this year. Unfortunately, I got the same lip allergy I had when I first tried it.


Both the shade Bloom and Ablaze really look natural and pretty on anyone's lips. So, if you're into tinted lip balms, you might want to give this a try, however this is just not for me.

Alba Botanica Natural Hawaiian Lip Balm in Pineapple Quench. It retails for Php99 at Healthy Options. This one does not have SPF, but I really like the coconut variant of this balm since it smells really good. It has a thicker and waxy texture. It also has a much drier consistency, so it's not that moisturizing.


VMV Hypoallergenics Armada Moisturising Protective Lip Balm with SPF 60, it's the only lip balm I found that has the highest SPF content. This is actually my favorite among the bunch. It moisturizes my lips very well and lasts longer on my lips too. Also, I noticed that ever since I started using this, my upper lip lightened a little bit. It has a thick and slightly sticky consistency, so I only need a tiny amount to apply for my whole lips. Definitely a keeper!

The Body Shop Natural Lip Roll-On in Berry, I was initially excited to try this one out, since it comes in a roll-on and it smells like real berries. However, I got lip allergies with lip balm as well. I used it for three days straight and my lips became super dry, patchy and itchy so I stopped using it.

Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer in Rhubarb. I'm not really a fan of tinted lip balms, but I like this one a lot. It moisturizes well and I feel that I absorbs on my lips a well. I also like that it can pass off as a good lipstick since it has good pigmentation. Plus it smells great too.

So, among these seven lip balms, I only approve of three. First is the VMV Hypoallergenics Protective Lip Balm, then the Mentholatum Lip Ice and lastly the Burst's Bees Lip Shimmer. I will still continue to try out lip balms from different brands. I actually already have the Hurraw lip balms on my list of lip balms to try. hehe

Until next time.

Cheerios!
***Hollie***

It's December! and apart from the Holiday season, it's the month were most weddings are celebrated. Contrary to the "June Brides" that most people know about, I noticed that a lot of weddings happen in December. Since I am freelance Makeup Artist, most of my Wedding gigs happen on December. So for my view of Bridal Beauty I checked out the lovely gowns at Loverly and drew inspiration from it.


This Emma Wedding Dress is made from, layers of silk organza cascade over this modified A-line skirt, and delicately draped pleating covers the bodice. A little sparkle is added by the Emma belt made in French metallic Chantilly lace.

I was instantly drawn to this Bridal gown when I saw it. I just think it's a perfect fit for December brides especially this Autumn season.

As you can see the gown is really beautiful. It is elegant but not stiff and exudes that femininity that every Bride should have, especially on their Wedding day. I actually fell in love with a lot bridal gowns, as I was perusing through the Lover.ly site. However, in my opinion, this is a bridal gown that can be worn either indoor or outdoors. So I've come up with a bridal look that's perfect at any time of the day.


Inspired by the beautiful Emma Wedding Dress from Lover.ly, I picked out these main products that I would use for the lovely bride.

For the face base, I chose to use the Mary Kay CC Cream since, it can cover up most of the blemishes, evens out the skin tone and makes the skin look healthy and glowing. Then I'll use the Sonia Kashuk Concealer Palette in Light to cover up anything on the face that needs covering up.

For the eyes, I want to make it look soft, natural, yet still well defined. So I chose the shades Cream, Nude, Mauve and Sable from the Lorac Pro Palette. Then I'll use the Mac Opulash Mascara to define and lengthen the bride's lashes.

For the brows, I picked the Anastasia Beverly Hills DipBrow Pomade in Dark Brown, since waterproof brows are much needed during this special occasion.

For the cheeks,  I chose The Balm Cabana Boy for that perfect flush and The Balm Mary-Lou Manizer to highlight certain parts of the brides's face. 

Lastly, for the lips I picked out this Mary Kay lipstick in Pink Melon, since it looks great on most skin tones.


I was a bride once too. So, I know that I would prefer to look naturally glowing on that day. This photo was taken during our wedding day Last 2007. hehe

Until next time.

Cheerios!
***Hollie***