SwipeSomeGloss

Did I ever tell you how problematic and weird my skin is? Oh I did! I used to break out so bad that really, some folks from my high school don’t recognize me today (read: with clear complexion). When I hit sophomore year, I started breaking out so bad that I’d be in my dermatologist’s clinic every two weeks. It’s definitely a painful, expensive (medical facials start at Php 1000 and post-treatment kits start at Php 2000 back in 1998), and humiliating phase in my life. During which, my dermatologist would always tell me that I should try getting a peel because really, when I’m tan free, am too fair. Too fair that every single spot is visible to the naked eye. I’ve always been interested in trying it but my fear would always be superior over my curiosity. I mean breaking out is hard to deal with as it is and getting browned and burned would be equal if not gravely heartbreaking.

Ten years after that really ugly phase in my life (and countless paper spent on derma prods and treatments), am sort of enjoying the fruits of my labor. I do every single thing that my derma says and I now rarely go out with makeup on. It’s beyond words wonderful to actually go out with just mascara and gloss. Preping up for a dinner with the girls (also my good friends from high school) is worked on with just mineral loose powder, blush (NARS Mata Hari), eyeliner (MAC Powerpoint in Bountiful Brown), and lip balm (Softlips Vanilla):

Me and my girlfriends post dinner last Friday

Again, again: loose powder, blush, eyeliner, lip balm, and hair pin

To zoom or not to zoom? To zoom of course!

So anyhoo, going back to peeling (this is the kind of entry you’ll read when our house runs out of brewed coffee LOL), I thought that hey, since am done dealing with the breakouts, I might as well conquer my fear of peels right? Cause anyway, it’s been ten years since the era of those horrible and strong (usually TCA) peels. “Lunchtime peels” are quite popular and rated safe nowadays and I thought it’s also about time to shed off a thin layer of my skin that’s almost 25 years old.

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As promised:

Monday night
24 hours after DIY mani and 15 hours of hardcore typing

Wednesday morning
Spent the entire Tuesday in front of the PC and popped 4 (or was it 5?) cans of soda open

Wednesday night
Tiny chip on ring fingernail but note how shiny it still is!

So yes, my rating stands. It’s even an A++ because I got so many compliments on how pretty my hands and nails are.

Product: Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Xtreme Wear

What It Is: A nail polish that promises “xtreme strength + shine”. It’s got the easy grip and easy glide brush designed for complete control.

Ingredients: Ethyl Acetate, Butyl Acetate,Nitrocellulose, Propyl Acetate, Tosylamide/Formaldehyde Resin, Isopropyl Alcohol, Trimethyl Pentanyl Diisobutyrate, Triphenyl Phosphate, Ethyl Tosylamide, Stearalkonium Bentonite, Camphor, Diacetone Alcohol, Stearalkonium Hectorite, Benzophenone-1, Citric Acid, Dimethicone. MAY ALSO CONTAIN: Calcium Sodium Phosphosilicate, Polyethylene Terephthalate. MAY CONTAIN: Mica, Bismuth Oxychloride, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides, Ferric Ferrocyanide, Red 6 Lake, Red 7 Lake, Red 34 Lake, Yellow 5 Lake, Guanine, Violet 2, Aluminum Powder. No DBP, Toluene or Free Formaldehyde (YAY!).

Special Ingredients: Bioactive Glass (bonds to nail proteins to give a hard manicure that lasts up to 7 days)

Wallet Damage: Php 219.75

The Swiper’s Verdict: A (Day 1 verdict)

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Easy: keep all other features clean, work your tresses, and let the show stopper do the talking.

On Cristine: MAC Mattene in CLASSIC DAME
[makeup by the Beautynomist, photo by Randy Tamayo]

On Miss Jolie: MAC Lipstick in RUSSIAN RED + MAC Pro Longwear in DURASHELL
[img src]

*le sigh* Don’t you just love how the (right) red lipstick effortlessly brightens up the face? What’s your fave red lippie? Mine’s MAC Lipstick in RUSSIAN RED topped with MAC Lipglass in SQUEEZE IT (LE, from the MAC Fafi collection).

Sophie asked me sumin roughly a month back:

What are 5 things you would do if you were a billionaire?

I know this is so late but without batting an eyelash, here’s what I’ll do:

1. Feed and send as many street kids as I can to school.
2. Go to as many countries as I can and photograph to death (speaking of photos, here’s a little yabang moment )
3. Start an extensive rare gem collection (can’t blame the girl who hails from a fam of jewelers )
4. Send all my good friends from the US, UK, and Australia round trip tickets to MNL for my birthday! YAY!
5. Send everyone I know a tub of my HG body scrub:

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