Avon Ultra Moisture Rich Rose Lipstick Swatches

Last Valentine's Day, a pretty pink box arrived at my doorstep. It was my first V-Day Gift for the year, not counting Steven, which came last month.

The tubes tell you that these are ten of my favorite things in the makeup world - lipsticks. One lippie gets me giddy so imagine receiving ten by my doorstep. I'm hyper and I haven't had chocolate yet!

And just in time for Valentine's day, the name of this line of lipstick is just apt: Avon Ultra Moisture Rich Rose Lipstick, with its soft and gentle touch inspired from one of Valentine's Day's iconic symbols - the rose. These are all the shades for a pretty perfect Valentine's look. Aside from providing kissable pretty colors, rose extract and almond oil in the lippies help keep our lips soft and cushy so no unsightly cracking or splitting of lips that burns at a sip of wine.

It's kinda soft though due to the creamy formulas, so you see most of them appear kinda smushy on the tips. There's no irritating strong smell, really, but you have to take really extra caution in opening them because the bullets are really soft and mushy, if you're not the type to transfer them to lipstick palettes.

There are shades in peach, coral, pink, berry, and red - ten shades swatched to suit the wearer's personal taste:

L-R: Amour Rose, French Lace Rose, Apricot Nectar Rose, Blushing Bride Rose, Amelia Rose, Passionate Kiss Rose, Rosabella Rose, Carmen Rose, Royal Celebration Rose, and Jubilee Rose.

Two of my favorite colors are French Lace Rose, which is a sort of "my-lips-but-brighter-and-better" look, which is a neutral pastel coral-peach. Blushing Bride Rose is the next runner up since it caught my eye in the, well, obviously bridal department. Bright lips but not too chapped.

If you're a red girl and collecting every red shade in the market, check Carmen Rose, which is worn by 2011 Bb. Pilipinas-Universe Shamcey Supsup in the latest Avon Brochure. This is another proof that you need not be alabaster white to rock red.

As of the moment, these shades are already available nationwide via Avon representatives (you can log on www.avon.com.ph to find out how to contact an Avon representative). It's priced quite affordably at Php 299, so you can get a natural French Lace Rose one day and switch to Carmen Rose for the night or on some days when you feel adventurous, a bit of plummy stain of Jubilee Rose.

A Cat Rescue Story

As you all know I'm a proud and self-confessed cat lady and animal lover. I feed cats and I'm kept company by the neighborhood kitty friends. I keep kibble in my bag to feed strays who come my way. Let me tell you a story on a rescue mission we did on a cat that went through horrible things.

While I was pole-ling, the hubby got home with a worried look. He told me if he knew the situation that was going on outside. I said I didn't since the music was loud and I didn't hear any unusual noises. Turns out that on his way to our unit from the parking, he saw our kitty friend Chompy "meowing" at another cat. It was a gray tabby cat that looked like our other kitty friend, Jessie. This cat that looked like Jessie had deep gashes all over its body and it was severely wounded and it had a difficult time walking. The cat appeared to be malnourished and thin. At first, we both thought that Chompy and the cat had a fight. However, a neighbor who also saw both cats told us that the cats weren't fighting and in fact, Chompy was sort of "conversing" with the wounded cat. Besides, with the wounds of the cat, it could not have possibly been attacked by another cat. The wounds were so severe that you could see the intestines and internal organs. I couldn't look at it but then I decided that we had to do something.

A witness told us that he was walking that day when he saw the cat bound with plastic straw. It was bound so tight that it couldn't move and it was in obvious pain. That witness took pity and cut the string so the cat would be free. But the bounds weren't what just kept the cat in pain. It had wounds all over its body. The wounds were deep that some organs could be seen. The hind leg seemed like it was fractured then healed on its own but it didn't heel the right way so it's sort of bent. With all the traumatizing things, the cat cowered at people and it hid at the backyard. Two of our neighbors kept it company and tried to give it assurance that we were there to help it. (I do apologize that due to the high stress level at this time, I wasn't able to take photos for documentation as you'll see later why).

Since I was also online in Facebook, I immediately changed my status message asking for medical help for the cat. Since it was around 8:30 p.m., it was probably the time that people were winding down from Facebooking or being in front of the computer the whole day or trying to go to bed. I began calling my friends who I know have cats for pets who could tell me what to do. I called Arpee and he advised me to call CARA Welfare Philippines since they have experts who could help us in animal rescue. I checked their website and called their hotlines. Hubby also left a message in the voicemail, since it was off office hours probably.

I still continued contacting people. I googled vets near in the area. I also contacted friends who might know people involved with CARAPHIL or other animal welfare groups. Definitely the cat needed medical care and it's best to seek advice on how to handle this from the experts. We didn't have proper catching equipment since the cat has wedged itself further in its hiding place. Any DIY attempts we do could stress the cat and besides we didn't have a cage to keep it in. Finally, we were able to contact Reb and Tanya of CARAPHIL (thanks Gail and CD for giving us their contact info!) and they were able to direct us as to what to do. Basically, what we needed was to get the cat to be easily and safely transported for medical care. Fortunately, Reb sent me the contact information of Ms. Nancy Cu Unjieng, the president of CARA Welfare Philippines. She had her staff come over the house and safely catch the cat using a cat net. They put the cat in a cage, and we took her to the vet.

The cat was attended by Dr. Dan, the doctor taking the night shift. According to him, the gashes of the cats weren't fresh, so it could have been there before the cat was bound tightly (so the cat was mutilated then bound? how bad could her torturer be?). According to Dr. Dan, the cat would have to be confined and observed.

Kitty in the hospital, Day 1. Don't worry lil one, you'll be okay. See the leg that juts straight out? that's her injured leg. It fractured then healed on its own but without proper alignment.

While at work this afternoon, I was contacted by Dr. Riza, the surgeon. She gave me updates on the cat. As of the moment, she's responsive and she's been given antibiotics and dextrose and her wounds taken care of. Since the cat's in pain, it was difficult to examine her wounds while she's conscious. She would have to be sedated so that the wounds could be examined carefully and see what could be done. Her surgery would be tomorrow. I asked about the blood tests. She said that all results are within normal limits except for elevated white blood cells, which meant that the cat had an infection.

After work, we visited the cat to check on her. We found out that she's a girl. She doesn't have a name yet, though. She hasn't pooped or peed yet judging from the medical records. She was awake when we visited her.

Actually, if you do look at her, she's a very pretty cat. She's got long whiskers and expressive eyes. Her meow is really pretty though. And it's just adorable that when I do my "meow", she meows back. Her meow seemed polite and enunciated well. This cat seemed to be a proper aristocratic lady . Being alive despite the injuries, I could tell that this is one fiesty kitty who could still put up a fight.

She's been in that position all day since she's still in pain.

She must be scared of people because sometimes the doctor told me she hisses when approached.

From how it looks like, our kitty friend seems to be putting up a good fight. I don't expect her to be up and running the following day. We're taking baby steps but we're both hopeful that she'll be okay. Cats are hardy animals and this little one has been on the street for most of her life so I'm getting my hopes up high that she's gonna be in a good fight.

It breaks my heart that there are people who actually torture animals and subject them to all sorts of cruelty. I wasn't able to look at her wounds when she was found due to my weak stomach but the hubby and the neighbors told me it was really severe. here are some people who aren't fans of animals but if that were the case, it's best that we let the animal be instead of subjecting it to torture and mutilation. This cat had undergone all sorts of torture - it was starved, fractured, mutilated, and bound and strangled and left to die.

But with the presence of those who torture innocent animals in our community, I'm glad that we were with people with compassion towards them who helped us somewhat in helping the cat. Hope that someday, animal welfare awareness could be encouraged.

To those who have helped us bring the cat to recovery, Thank you very much. We'll constantly update everyone with regards to the cat's condition. We're currently looking for a family who would love to adopt the cat as their own when she gets better.

A Healthy and Zen Afternoon with Leyende

I first heard of Leyende products over at Jill's blog and her raves on their products got my attention to get myself aware of this brand in the market. Apparently, Leyende is another organic skin care brand that started right here in our shores. Yes, another Philippine skin care brand made from locally-grown products. So when Nina passed my email and blog over to them, I was really thrilled to meet the people behind the brand personally. By this time, I've seen Leyende products on my client's kikay kit as well as a co-worker's gig kit while we were doing a play together.

In a very intimate setting at Sugarleaf in Makati, I met with Neva and Claude of Leyende where they showed me some of their products as well as gave me a short background and lowdown of their ingredients, in a simplified and non-jargonic manner, of course.

Before starting, my man-hands were treated to a spa-like treat by the girls of I do nails. My hands were cleansed with the cleanser followed by a scrub called la dolce scrub.

Dolce means "sweet" and the grains are actually muscovado sugar, which explains the sweet sugary smell, which reminds me of calamansi juice (that's also because there's calamansi extract in the product, which acts as an antioxidant and it's also got benefits which helps even out the skin tone). The sugar melts into the skin instead of coating it with a slimy, oily, or heavy layer and it left the skin feeling soft.

Leyende takes inspiration from our lolas and their own kikay routines back then when spas and commercial skin care products didn't exist yet. Using calamansi to whiten skin, VCO to condition and thicken hair, the same principle of taking trips to the kitchen to make beauty concoctions synthesized into products without losing their potency and active enzymes. When I asked if the La Dolce scrub would attract ants upon storage, Neva told me it won't. Although Leyende products use ingredients derived from food products (pineapple and calamansi extracts, Mango butter, muscovado sugar, virgin coconut oil), they won't cause ant invasion since these aren't cooked and heat wasn't use to make the products. So not to worry about pests here. Also, it is important to note that although these smell yummy, the products are not to be ingested, even if sugar really is used.

After exfoliation, My hands were coated with Lift Off, a natural peel-off face masque with calamansi extract (the label "F" means it's for the face, although it's pretty okay to use this on the hands, it will just be a bit costly to use this all-over body). Like peeling glue off hands when we were kids, it's the same principle. It was brushed on my hands and let dry till it was okay to peel off. It gets stiff and crusty but once you peel it off, there's soft skin underneath. There will be areas that are hard to peel, probably on areas where the masque was applied thinly. A cotton pad or damp towel could be used to remove this so we don't go out looking like a molting snake.

While snacking on pita wraps, my hands were massaged with the Face Canvas moisturizer. The first time I saw this moisturizer, it was still in a jar. I think packaging it in a tube makes it more hygienic, especially using this on clients. The face canvas also acts like a makeup primer also, so that's two birds in one stone, er, tube. Instead of using silicone to fill in lines and make the skin velvety-smooth, it uses mango butter which nourishes the skin with no greasy afterfeel. I sure could keep this in mind especially if I'm doing gigs which need everything fast.

I noticed that if not unscented, the products have a very faint scent that reminds us of food. For skin care on clients, I prefer those that aren't heavily perfumed since perfumes mean added chemical fragrances, which can irritate some clients. Not only too are the products friendly for the skin and wearer, they're also friendly to the environment. I'll get into detail with that when I review one of their products, the Place In The Sun sunblock, which I'm currently testing on myself.

Thanks to Neva and Claude of Leyende as well as Nina of justwandering.org.

Swatching Pink Pigeon

Two weeks ago, I woke up early and ran to Rockwell and fell in line and purchased another hot pink lippie for my lipstick collection. I know that I have a lot of pink lipsticks but I couldn't resist another hot pink lipstick. As springtime comes, out comes pretty bright colors! When MAC launched their recent collections, and one of the highlights is a hot pink lipstick from the Iris Apfel line, a bright neon pink called Pink Pigeon.

Pink Pigeon is a bright pink color that's super in-your-face in a very pigmented matte finish. Looks familiar? I compared it with last year's Candy Yum Yum, which is pretty similar.

Pink Pigeon on the left and Candy Yum Yum on the right. You can see very well that Candy Yum Yum is much brighter and more neon bright pink. If you ask me, it's more on the cooler bluish side too.

On lips, there is a difference

Candy Yum Yum

Pink Pigeon

If you have both shades, you'd notice Candy Yum Yum is a drier matte. It has probably the same texture as Ruby Woo. Pink Pigeon is also matte, but it's a little bit less dry. Think the consistency of Russian Red or Diva. They're both very pretty shades though. Pink Pigeon is also deeper in color. It fades t0 a nice and pretty deep pink stain, so it's pretty long lasting too in keeping your lips colored.

Both are really pretty shades to wear with a bare eye or full-on smoky for events, a-la Katy Perry. As my advice for makeup, just have fun with it!

Winners of the Weekend Avon Giveaway

How was your weekend, everyone? Well, as the week starts, let me start by announcing the winners of my Avon Giveaway. Again, I used the fruit machine to know who the winners are. Since there are three giveaway sets though, and there were three entries (mmm... must be since it's a short run) everyone's a winner, so yay!

Anyway, the first winner of the Floral CZ Marquise giveaway:

The next winner is the winner of the Knotted Collection:

And lastly, we have the winner of our Avon Skin So Soft Whitening Hand and Body Lotion and Body Wash, which was the obvious pick since it was the only entry left:

Congratulations winners! Please email me your full name, contact number, and shipping details (mailing address) at makeupbybambi@gmail.com. Thanks and have a great week ahead!

Everything's Up In Chocolate

Something yummy's in my drawer but it's not for my tummy. In line with Valentine's Day, The Body Shop takes inspiration from an iconic Valentine treat that's not just for grownups but for everyone, regardless of sugar level - CHOCOLATE. Their bath and body line, Chocomania, isn't just a treat for the skin but also for the senses.

Sensual, sweet, and tantalizing, the Chocomania bath and body line came in time for Valentine's day. Taking a whiff from the products, it really does smell like chocolate. I'm reminded of chocolate cake or brownie batter, had I closed my eyes, I would've taken a taste. But let me remind you that although they smell sweet and yummy, the Chocomania range is best left for the skin instead of the digestive system. It's not an edible treat okay?

What I have here with me are the Chocomania body lotion and body butter, both for moisturizing my skin on off-pole days or relieving chafed skin (I always have to stress that I use moisturizer only when I'm not dancing) after an hour of class or practicing. The one I have is just half of the entire Chocomania range, though.

For sloughing off dead skin, the body scrub (Php 995) makes showering and exfoliating a nice treat. This one was the one whose appearance reminded me so much of brownie batter, and it smells like it too. Then use the shower cream right after (Php 895)

To retain the soft baby smooth skin in the shower, seal off moisture with the moisturizer. The moisturizer left my skin feeling nice and soft, and it's easily absorbable on the skin. I'm glad that it didn't rub on my clothes after, or else that would be a pain to remove.

The Chocomania body butter is pricier than usual body butters (Php 1095). It is not your usual body butter. Your usual body butters provide only 24 hours moisturization. This body butter is a little more generous in adding another 24-hour duty, so that's a total of 48-hour moisturization. If you compare it to other body butters, if you're a body butter user like me, it's richer and heavier in consistency, almost like real spreadable butter on bread except that it's semi-solid on room temperature. I use only little amount and on areas that are super dry and need extra care - elbows, knees, feet, hands, and sometimes my tummy and back. It works well, too well that it's scary to pole if you have this on your thighs, back-of-knee and tops of the feet the night before. The best time to use this? Saturday night, when there's no pole on Sundays.

Aside from layering the entire line for an intense, yummy, and chocolate-y feel, feel free to experiment and mix with your favorite The Body Shop lotion/body butter "flavors". I've tried mixing my Chocomania lotion with my Candied Ginger hand cream from the holiday scents and I got a really nice, warm, spicy-sweet scent that reminded me of hot cocoa and gingerbread. A very romantic concoction could be classic romance icons - strawberry and chocomania - like sweet strawberries dipped in dark chocolate. How about mixing satsuma and chocolate? or if sweetness is your thing, try vanilla and chocolate. I have yet to try the combination of Moringa and Chocomania, which can be interesting, but so far the ginger and chocolate scent is in my favorite list. Now that's something yummy!

FOTD: Neutral Eyes and Pink Lips

I've been stuck to my usual routine of concealer, brows, and bright lipstick for the past weeks, since I've been so busy. That routine I do, when I get the time to do my makeup. My face has been thankful yet hiding under big sunglasses or thick frames though, so I thought on a day when I'm not working, I think I ought to iron my hair and doll up a bit. Plus, I get to practice an eye makeup look I'd try on a client.

It's still my usual look though, of bright lipstick on neutral eyes, but I actually wore eyeshadow and mascara there complete with blending and a full face of foundation. On client work though, I'd keep the lippie neutral, but I'm not wearing a face mask so I can wear hot pink lips.

Even wearing thick frames I still didn't look like my eyes or brows are kapoof.

FACE:

MAC Studiofix NC40 + Maybelline Angelfit foundation in In the Buff applied with a MAC 187 brush

MAC Studiosculpt NC30

Maybelline Clear Smooth All In One Shine Free Cake Powder foundation in Honey

MAC Lightful nc15 on undereye

The Body Shop Bronzer to contour

MAC Stark Naked on Cheeks

EYES:

MAC Paint Pot in Painterly

The Body Shop peach eyeshadow on lids

MAC Saffron on crease to warm it up

MAC Lucky Tom on the outer V for smokiness and also to set pencil eyeliner

Prestige Waterproof Automatic Eyeliner in Expresso on lower lids

Covergirl Liquiline Blast in Black on upper lids topped with MAC Blacktrack

Make Up For Ever eyebrow corrector in 0

Ulta Bone on browbone

LIPS:

MAC lipstick in Pink Pigeon