Healthy Holiday Eats

If you find yourself accumulating some Holiday fluff from eating too much ham and sweets or sweet ham, enjoy the feast by eating clean with these  alternatives that are healthy as well as tasty.

Lessen the bilbil tendencies by cleaner food choices that do not taste like chalk this Holiday season

Hummus and Veggie Sticks

A fresh batch of smoky, spicy and utterly addictive #RGTK Chipotle Hummus now available. Order now! #realgirltoykitchen #slowfoodforfastlives #heatandeat #gourmettogo

A photo posted by Johanna Garcia (@realgirltoykitchen) on May 25, 2016 at 7:55pm PDT

Hummus is a dip made of chickpeas, lemon juice, olive oil, tahini, and garlic. It's great with toasted pita bread and veggie sticks. Use it as an option to chips and dip for starters. Hummus is also a vegetarian protein source that's great post-workout. Is that probably why Zohan is so strong?


Fresh Juices and Smoothies 

Have a smoothie instead of beer. You got good sugars and good energy

I developed alcohol intolerance so I don't drink alcohol. So what to drink in these Holiday festivities? The alternative may be fresh juices which are rich in antioxidants and vitamins. Cocktails also actually contain a lot of sugars which can be bad for you. Try this juice recipe, which I got from Solenn Heussaff's fitness book Hot Sos - slice 1/4 pineapple, 1/2 beetroot, 2 oranges, 1 big carrot, and a half-thumb size of ginger and place it in a juicer. Place in a wine glass and add chia seeds. The drink looks like red wine but it contains a load of nutrients your body would love. You can drink this any time of the day too! Try also a red margarita by combining beet juice, lemon juice, coconut sugar or honey, and water. moisten the rim of a margarita glass and dip in Himalayan pink salt. Pour in your concoction and drink up!


Healthy Cookies

I myself love homemade, fresh chocolate chip cookies. Too much of it though leaves me with a muffin top. These healthy cookies from Honest Junk do not scrimp on flavor as well as the pretty factor. These are gluten free, dairy free, low sugar, low sodium, vegan, and contain superfoods like malunggay (moringa) and chia that up the health factor. Try their healthy gummies too, which taste like citrusy orange gummy chews.


Salads

Juju Eats Big Boy Salad is my go-to post-workout light meal. 

Salads are refreshing as they are pretty! Have a DIY salad bar or make a family favorite. It's one excuse to literally eat a rainbow of awesome raw vegetables! Up the nutri factor by choosing light, oil-based sauces instead of heavy, creamy ones. It also gives you more space in your tummy to enjoy the main course


Grilled Food Versus Fried 

DIY Grilled lunch: Grilled zucchini and grilled salmon with chimichurri

Grill your meats instead of frying them, and choose meats that are lean like lean beef, top round chunks for stews, chicken breast, and seafood. A few weeks ago, I bought this book of healthy Mediterranean recipes with super-easy food that's fast and simple without the added baddies. I was surprised to find a healthy stew recipe that's flavorful but hardly contained salt! Yes, we can have our hearty, savory dishes  and eat healthy and low-cal! Just don't overindulge or burn the food!

I remember totally going YOLO one Christmas season and letting go and ended up having my pants a bit too snug and so much sluggishness shedding off the Holiday weight gain via training was more difficult. I mean it's okay to do a bit of indulgence. With a bit of research and switching things around, you can make healthy choices that are yummy, pretty, and you don't feel you are depriving yourself. Since these food choices contain a lot of good nutrients, it powers you through properly through the hectic Holiday schedule and can help you avoid getting sick during this time.

To introduce others to healthy food,  we can bring a healthy dish we prepared for others to try, most especially if it's something new. Choose one that's easy to prepare. It also helps to present it in a nice, Instagram-worthy way, so people can be attracted to it. For example if it's a dip, arrange the dip with veggies and pita in a nice plate. Choose a salad that's got lots of flavor and color. Present a smoothie in a pretty cocktail glass. This is one encouraging way of sharing healthy meals.

Do you have a healthy Holiday food choice this year?  Let's share this gift of health with family and friends. I'd love to see what you've got tomorrow on Christmas Eve!


Image Directory:

Cover Photo by Fritz Tentativa
fritztentativa.com; facebook.com/fritztentativaphotography

Hummus Photo:
instagram.com/realgirltoykitchen


Store Directory:

Honest Junk
facebook.com/honestjunk77; instagram.com/honestjunk; email at honestjunk77@gmail.com

Hot Sos
available at all leading bookstores nationwide

Real Girl Toy Kitchen
realgirltoykitchen.com; facebook.com/realgirltoykitchen; instagram.com/realgirltoykitchen

Juju Eats
click here for store locations; jujueats.com; instagram.com/jujucleanse

Things to Quick Change Your Day Look to Party Glam

If lugging around a big bag of makeup kit is impractical if you have a get-together or party to go to after work or a daytime affair, here are a few items you can keep in a pouch that you can place in your bag, car, or desk to transform a daytime look to a stunning, glamorous evening look.

Change your look from day to night with these essentials. No need for a gigantic makeup kit!

Hair Donut

Hair donuts from PinkBox Php119,75/small, Php 129,75/medium, and Php 149.75 large

Keep sticky, sweaty hair away from your face and neck with a fuss-free hair donut which sculpts and styles your hair in an elegant bun that looks like you slaved over it. Whether it's an elegant low ballerina bun or a high bun at the top of your head (bonus: it makes you look taller!), you have a fuss-free, sophisticated updo in minutes.


Highlighter

The Manizer Sisters AKA "The Luminizers" Highlighter Palette, Php 1,395

My pole teacher Amaya loves makeup highlighters and I know why: it adds instant glow to the skin and adds texture to a matte-out look. The Manizer Sisters AKA The "Luminizers" , a highlighting palette from The Balm which combines all three highlighter shades (Mary-Lou Manizer, Cindy-Lou Manizer, and Betty-Lou Manizer) into one palette. Use this to add some glow to your cheekbones, collarbones, shoulders, shins, or wherever you want some shimmy to capture light.


Metallic Lip Color

Carmen Claire Cosmetics Matte Lip Frosting  Heavy Metals Collection
Penny Late and Rock 'n' Ruby
Php 395 each

Long-lasting metallic lip colors are making waves lately. They have both shine and pigmentation. Choose a lip color with a pretty, long lasting finish.  Try CarmenClaire Matte Lip Frosting in Penny Lane, an elegant, copper bronzey color. It's long lasting enough to last coffee, snacks, food tasting, and a plate of raclette.


Festive Polish

Morgan Taylor Nail Polish in Ruby Two-Shoes and Tinsel My Fancy
Php  350

Your tips also make an impact. Frost finishes usually dry faster so keep one if you're pressed for time. Red also is a classic that looks great on anyone. Keep a fast-drying topcoat as well with you so save lots of time


False Eyelashes 

Ingredients for sexy, fluttery eyes: sturdy lash glue (I use DUO), Red Cherry Lashes, Php 160 over at Digital Traincase  

Even with just simple neutral browns, false eyelashes and eyeliner already make a big difference. For newbies with falsies, I recommend Red Cherry lashes since they are light enough to be worn for extended periods of time (I use this on my brides). For your eyeliner, choose a pen-type eyeliner for easy maneuvering. No need for a separate brush as well!

Fragrance

Elizabeth Arden Green Tea Scent Spray 

Boost the plus points for beso with a signature scent. Choose a scent that you love. To liven up your senses in a party after a tiring day at work or sitting through traffic, citrusy scents or green tea inspired scents lift your mood. Just a few spritzes on your pulse points and you're good to go.


Image Directory

Headshot by Alfred Mendoza

Carmen Claire Lip Frosting
carmenclaire.com

Hair Donut
facebook.com/pinkboxaccesories


Store Directory

Carmen Claire Cosmetics
carmenclaire.com; facebook.com/carmenclaireco; instagram.com/carmenclaireco

Digital Traincase
Unit G118 Corinthian Executive Regency, Ortigas Ave, San Antonio, Pasig City;  +639173116912 dtcmakeup.com; facebook.com/DTCmakeup; instagram.com/dtcmakeup

Elizabeth Arden
available at Rustan's

Morgan Taylor
available at Nailaholics, Beauty and Butter, Sundrops, Nailandia, and other leading nail salons nationwide

PinkBox Accessories
pinkbox.com.ph; facebook.com/pinkboxaccessories; instagram.com/pinkboxph/

Red Cherry Lashes
available at Digital Traincase, Suesh, and BeautyMNL

The Balm
Available at Beauty Bar

Cranberry, Vanilla, and Ginger for the Home

The Body Shop not only takes care of our bodies and make sure that our skin's soft, glowing, and smelling so good with our faces primped, prepped, and smoldering, but it takes care of the home and make sure that the home smells just as yummy, with their collection of home fragrances like fragrance oils, candles, reed diffusers, hand wash, and body, room, and linen spritzes.

Last year, The Body Shop's three yummy holiday scents: Cranberry Joy, Spiced Vanilla, and Jolly Orange sent Christmas as early as November to me. The Cranberry Joy scented candle, I was surprised at how the candle didn't smell too waxy. I used it early this year and light it up occasionally whenever I want to waft off the smell of cooked food and I'm surprised that even after a year, it still smells super yummy, like cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving dinner. Anyway, for this year, Cranberry and Vanilla remained but Jolly Orange had to step aside. It did make way for a yummy scent, which I fell in love with I'd go for hoarding sprees when the TF hits more. This new scent is Candied Ginger.

Candied Ginger is an uplifting and energising scent. Ginger is known for its therapeutic qualities (like healing sore throat or muscle pain) with its warmth that helps soothe and relieve swelling. Now just when you think, "So will my room smell like luya on tinola?" it won't I promise. The combination of sweet and spicy notes will remind you of freshly baked gingerbread cookies. When I smelled the body scrub (which is super creamy and lush on the skin you won't realize it's sloughing dead skin off you), I was reminded of cake batter, in fact instead of salabat.

As I rave about Candied Ginger, I'm so happy I went home with two of these Candied Ginger treats - Fragrance Oil and Hand wash. You can use the hand wash in your powder room or in the kitchen sink after an entire afternoon cooking up Christmas dinner and you want to greet your guests without letting them smell the chopped garlic or onion from your hands.

The fragrance oil is my super-affordable (only Php 495) and super-sulit (a few drops is all I need) companion if I want an energizing boost when I'm sniffly or tired or if I want the house to smell like a house instead of the dinner I cooked.

I got this oil burner as a giveaway from one of the weddings I did this year. What I do is light the tea candle, put some water on the bin and a few (four will do) drops of candied ginger fragrance oil and relax. I always remember to put out the candle of course, if the oil burner is starting to dry and empty out.

For a safer alternative if you want to just drift off and sleep and not worry about putting out a candle, the reed diffuser is a good alternative. I have here with me Cranberry Joy, which I bet will smell as sweet and fresh as the candle I used.

Reed diffusers (this one costs Php 2,095) work very simple. You open the bottle, remove the cork of course, and then you place the sticks inside the bottle and capillary action will do the rest. the setup is pretty enough as a display. To be extra-safe, put it in a place where kids or pets won't knock over it or reach it to avoid any accidents. I was advised to set this up before I leave for a trip so when I come home, the house doesn't have that musty dead air smell. And since I don't have to light anything with a match or candle, it's just great to be left alone until the scent wears off (which would probably be a month or so).

Just like all holiday collections, yummies like these are only available at a very limited time so best to catch them at The Body Shop Stores while you can.

Glitter and Ice: MAC Holiday 2011

When I visited the MAC counter at Shangri-La, it really showed that it was Christmas time. Instead of rich red colors, though, it was crystal, silver, and white, as the otherwise chic trademark black MAC counter seemed to be enveloped in snowballs and crystals as their Holiday Collection arrived, aptly named Glitter and Ice.

Superhuman, mystical, and fierce is what I'd describe the design of the poster.

Carlos busy setting up the displays. As you all know, every holiday collection consists of gift pouches or sets, which are perfect gifts to self (heehee, if you're a makeup addict) or to a female friend or relative you love who you know loves MAC makeup (uuuhhh helloo!!!!!! In case you don't have a gift for me yet!).

[image credits]

The goodies such as lip glass sets, nail lacquer sets, and stacked pigments are encased in a pretty see-through sphere, that's like a crystal ball showing your wish, except your wish is tangible when you dismantle the crystal ball. Aptly named Dazzlespheres, these sets are just too pretty you'd giggle. Take note with the lipglasses that their caps are white, which matches everything.

Eye makeup junkies, here are your eye palettes. What's perfect to make them stay put on the eye? Paint pots! :)

Travel-sized brush sets in white and glittery silver. And no, that's not a design, that's a dual fibre brush set you see containing SE versions of 187, 130, 266 duo fibre taper brush, and 282 duo fibre shader brush. These are the four key Mineralize brushes, used for, obviously the Mineralize line.

What else do we see during the Holidays in the MAC counter? Viva Glam! This year's Viva Glam endorser is the ever-so-unpredictable Lady Gaga. Lady Gaga's fans will go gaga for the Viva Glam Melt Your Heart Lip Bag, which contains not one but two full-size lipsticks.

Remember the sold out in minutes Lady Gaga pink lipstick? It's back with its younger sister, Gaga2 (the nude one).

See? I'm not lying when I told you they came in full sizes.

As I'm typing this, I'm sure that some of the items mentioned are up for grabs. Anyone eyeing on a favorite now? What would it be?

Smoky Eyes This 2011 Holiday From The Body Shop

Saturday was a busy day for me. I started my day 5 am since I had to do a wedding (which I'll blog about soon). Then, I trooped over to QC for an appointment and back to ortigas, at SM Megamall to be exact to bond with one of the brands that I consider my "coming of age brands", a brand I stuck to from teenage years to adulthood. I'm talking about The Body Shop.

The Body Shop's makeup collection is all about smoke and sparkle, which means smoky eyes, glossy lips, and sparkle. Remember, come December there's gonna be a lot of Christmas parties, events, and it's definitely a must to look good.

I was given a makeover by The Body Shop makeup artist, Roma. She was really nice and had a very light hand with applying makeup. We tried out this season's palette, the 4-Step Smoky Eyes Palette. She even made me choose if I wanted to try the Silver Black palette or the Golden Brown one, I opted for warm smoky eyes so golden brown. She agreed and in fact had that same idea in mind.

Here's Roma's super awesome makeup station that I wanna take home with me.

For foundation, she used The Body Shops' Extra Virgin Minerals for foundation. She had to use the darkest shade mixed with a little drip of medium foundation on me. My my my, someone's been tanning but she got it right. I love that it didn't feel sticky or heavy at all, and it complied with my lack-of-sleep skin making me look supermodel fresh.

And speaking of supermodel, here's how the palette looks like for the supermodel smoky eyes.

It's so pretty! On its own, it looks like a gift waiting for you.

The 4-Step Smoky Eyes palette contains four colors - 3 powder colors and one sparkly cream-to-powder highlighter. It even has a mini applicator brush and pencil since smoky eyes aren't complete without eyeliner.

At the back there's a mini-lesson for you, in case you don't know what to do. When you familiarize yourself with the palette, you may create your own modification and adaptation of the smoky eye.

Swatches!

#1 is warm white base color, which can be applied from lashline to browbone if you want just a sweep of color on lazy office days.

#2 is a dark brown shadow, which can be used to contour the eyes to give depth.

#3 is a chocolate brown shadow, which can be used to further add depth or to define the lower lid or set the eyeliner so it doesn't run.

#4 is a rich brown eye liner (or definer) to be used to tightline and define eyes.

Do you notice that this palette has no presence of black whatsoever? Although black may be omnipresent in smoky eyes, can it be possible to have a purely brown smoky eye?

It looks like it! Roma gave me a warm brown smoky eye that I can take from an afternoon photoshoot to an evening event, depending on how I want it. The look is very wearable. A bride can wear it, a maid of honor can wear it, and well, anyone can wear it in any occasion. I like that the colors are so neutral but they're not so harsh or anything. Yet, my eyes still popped out. What Roma did with the cream-to-powder highlighter was use it as a topper color on my lid, so there's sparkle. It can be used for the browbone too, if you want it to pop.

Just as an ender to smoky eyes are subtle contours and peach glossy lips. The hi-shine lip treatment in coral was topped on a natural peach lip color so all blends in.

With regards to my brows, I was actually surprised that I could carry a darker brown shade than my usual. I like! Another discovery.

The 4-Step Smoky Eyes palette costs Php 1,495. The palette used on me is the Golden Brown Palette, but there's also the Silver and Black palette, which is stronger and more on the cooler side of the spectrum.

Tis The Season To Smell Fab With The Body Shop

Start of December everyone! Have you girls done your shopping yet? If you girls haven't, I've scoped out a few stocking stuffers for all of us. First up, I've checked out this Holiday's collection of The Body Shop. As I blogged about the winter collection, let's check the stuff out to keep our body skin squeaky clean, baby-soft, and yummy smelling, right?

This year, The Body Shop brings back memories of Thanksgiving turkey with the fruity scent of Cranberry Joy. If you want red and berry scents, that is.

Cranberry Joy shower gel, shimmer lotion, body butter, body scrub, hand cream, and lip balm give the festive vibe that would last us from Thanksgiving to New Year. The hand cream is handy enough to tote in our purse and would be great to moisturize your hands after subjecting it to a hand dryer or to harsh detergents. The body butters take away the chappies on our heels or whenever we need spot-correcting. Or if skin's super dry, slather it the night before to wake up with cushy skin in the morning. The lip balm moisturizes the lips that's chapped from too much hot drinks or exposure to dry recycled air.

What I do like though is the improvement on the body scrub formulas. I'm not a fan of scratchy and oily-based scrubs since they leave my skin raw and sticky. The scrub here is gentler, in a gel-like base that reminds me of strawberry (err... cranberry) jam.

If you want the scent of cranberries to fill your home or to deodorize a lavatory after doing your nasty business, you could check out the pretty home candle that smells good even if it's not lighted yet.

If you're more on citrusy scents though, something more fresh check out jolly orange, with scents that remind us of orange gum drops.

Of course there's also a lip balm at hand too, if you prefer the fruity citrusy taste on your kissers. :) The lip balm isn't waxy when I tried it (I tried all 3 flavors in store) and the TBS lippies gets my lips some definite lovin'.

The third scent is my absolute favorite, Spiced Vanilla, since I gravitate towards the spicier warmer scents since the weather's colder. Also, my signature scent is vanilla.... ooops. I didn't mention that. :P

It says vanilla has a very sensual scent, but I really think it just reminds me of cookies, spice, and a hot cup of cocoa with a dash of nutmeg, since this one has got just a hint of spice, at least that's what the scent says. Instead of the gel formula of the body scrub that Cranberry Joy and Jolly Orange has, this one takes a creamy lotion form. I suggest as the scent of Cranberry Joy and Jolly Orange are more uplifting and energizing, the warm cozy scent of vanilla would be perfect to wind down with a cup of hot tea reading your favorite book curled up with a quilt after a long day. Quite a description, but you get the picture.

Hand creams and lip balms are perfect tiny stocking and purse stuffers for girls on the go. There are also bath sets available, depending on the budget you want. The full sizes are perfect if you're a fanatic of a particular scent. Shimmer lotions would be perfect for the party girl or for anyone who's out and about at night who wants to shimmer and shine like a disco ball.

Whether fruity or spicy, the choice is up to you so be sure to catch The Body Shop's bath and body line this Christmas!

Naughty Little Vices Swatches

I passed by MAC last Monday to purchase Fix+ as my bottle is about to run out and I need a decent amount come the wedding. Spotted five little bottles among the collection sets definitely catching my attention. This year's Holiday collection, A Tartan Tale, features also a nail lacquer set with five cute mini-bottles in curt proper colors.

I like that the set comes in a reusable tin so it serves its purpose later on to hold cotton buds/cotton pads/cotton balls/sponges in the vanity rather than a carton box which looks too pretty to throw away but ends up collecting dust later. The mini-bottles are about half of the regular nail lacquer, and IMHO, I find this size best for those who are fickle with their nail color. Although MAC nail lacquers are quite famous for not drying up too quickly. I love my underlacquer basecoat and although it's less than half the bottle already, the quality's just the same as the day I bought it (on sale).

Swatches from thumb to pinky finger: Asiatique, Beyond Jealous, Vice Is Nice, Nocturnelle, Vintage Vamp

Among the five, Asiatique catches my eye for being the classic bold bright cherry red that transcends time and beauty icons. Beyond Jealous is a deep pine green that needs two coats to get the full effect. A conservative girl with nail color would give away the four others and keep Vice is Nice to herself for a sheer gold frost to go with a white party dress. Nocturnelle, I already have in full size and I think the simple black shade looks better on a Halloween Party or on the MAC counter when I'm guesting. Vintage Vamp is another red, but in a deep blood color. Think of it this way, if Asiatique is Russian Red, then Vintage Vamp would be the Diva counterpart. The color is deeper. The shade could enhance alabaster complexions so you could use this if you want to bring out your inner vamp. All you need are pincurls and fingerwaves.

I'm not much of a nail polish girl, but I think this set absolutely makes a cute stocking stuffer. Wear one today and another one tomorrow, it's up to you. Like I said earlier, my experience with MAC nail lacquers are quite good, liking the fact that it's easy to apply and it dries fast once applied. My only problem though is that when used alone, it's prone to chipping. I guess that's what topcoats are for though.

Ala-ka-zam, Abracadabra with Shu Uemura

One visit to Rustan's Makati yesterday had me glancing over to my left with new candy-colored pink displays. Shu Uemura, the Japanese brand who I love for creating the Hard 9 eyebrow pencil in seal brown and the cleansing oil that wipes out all traces of makeup in a snap before sleep enters my system also has got a Holiday treat up its kimono sleeve colored in whimsical and pretty candy colors with pink and sorbet dominating the palette

Shu Uemura collaborates with Japanese pop artist Aya Takano in this collection inspired by magic and symbols. When I googled her, Takano's drawings often depict heroines with large eyes and usually almost partially nude. She uses ink and acrylic as her medium, as depicted in the cosmetic cases.

These pink palettes would pop out in the sea of reds and greens as department stores are now bedecked for the Holiday season, yes? The packaging popped out even in the Shu Uemura counter.
The triangle-shaped box holds the LE brush set,The brushes with the super-cute hot pink handles got the face covered here for makeup application on the go - lip brush for the perfect lip, powder brush for blush and powder foundation, and two eyeshadow brushes, one for blending and one for depositing color for eyes that pop and sparkle. That little mesh on the left could be used to store cotton buds, sponges, makeup, stuff like that.


Cleansing oils get the LE design too, and yes, they are still priced at Php 1,700.

You could view the collection at the Shu Uemura website. If you're a US resident, you could shop online at the Shu Uemura USA website. Philippine residents could check out this collection at the Shu Uemura counters in Rustan's Tower, Makati, and the Shu Uemura boutique in Rockwell.

Spending the Holidays at the MAC Counter

Christmas is not Christmas without MAC unleashing the Holiday Collection, and here it is. I spent one Friday at Glorietta since it was their theme day, and I photographed the collection

I like how ultra-feminine the displayer looks with the pink, purple, and silver schemes with lots of sparklies. The displayer was quite bare when I took this, as the store was just being set up.

Here are the palettes I've been telling you about. The Smoke and Mirrors eyeshadow palette caught my eye because of the neutral colors that could be used for brides. Plus, these are classic blacks and browns that never go wrong regardless of skin color. It goes on quite sheer though so I recommend a MAC eyeshadow lover's best friend: a nude paint pot color before eyeshadow.

Traditional brush sets for the collector. The case is pretty cute, taking on a silver theme this time. The 227 takes on a short handled form, but I found it too soft for me.

Pigments were the most sellable items, due to the high color delivery. Although they come in mini-containers, a little goes a long way with these babies. I like the Sexpot set, which feature smoky colors for a highly pigmented smoky eye. The downside of pigments is that they can be tricky so our best bets with these are: a dense 239 brush, patience and layering, paint pots, and loose powder to catch pigment fallout. Pigment "stains" could be cleaned with Studiofix.

L-R: Under Your Spell, It's a Miracle, Mayhem, and Midnight Madness

Here are swatches of the mineralize eyeshadows. They come in two colors per pot, one in a plum/gold/gray shade, and a metallic one. The main color comes out really pigmented when swatched (for Mineralize, I recommend a dense brush such as a 242 or 239 brush). The metallic is more of an accent, and comes out like a topping of glitter. Suggestion to wear this: as a highlight on cheekbones or on top of pigmented eyeshadows for contrast.

Lippies come in glaze and lustre finishes, putting the focus on the eyes. Dazzleglasses are sheer and sparkly and are great to add moisture, shine, and sparkle to the lips. Cremesheen glasses glide smoothly when swatched and on lips.

From L-R: Dazzleglass: She-Zam, Phiff!, Jingle Jangle, Cremesheen Glass: Boy Bait, Ever So Rich, Lipsticks: Total Wow!, Utter Fun, Pervette, Surprise Me

I actually like She-Zam on top of a rich matte red lipstick like Ruby Woo, since the silvery sparkle gives it a festive sparkly touch. Another thing I recommend is Surprise Me, which is a corally pink color. If it's too sheer, I suggest using Spice lipliner before Surprise Me, so there's more color.

Since I spent Friday documenting the products, Saturday, I worked as a MAC guest artist at Mall of Asia. It was also the theme day so I got to wear the shirt as well.

Me, guest makeup artist and Frances, who happens to be one of MAC Marionnaud's artists. My eyes happened to be plummy and smokey that night. I got to spend an entire day in black and high heels. :) Sales was really good that time. Looks like everyone's in a good mood to shop.

I'll be posting a more in-depth review on an eyeshadow palette plus a tutorial soon.

Anyone grab a MAC Holiday item yet?

Magic, Mirth, and Mischief for MAC's Holiday 2009 Collection

Two months left til December with the chilly weather as a giveaway. As I chanced upon the MAC website, I saw that their Holiday collection's now up, featuring palettes, kits, and brush sets for the MAC fan who wants to look absolutely dazzling for the Holiday. Okay, they wouldn't hurt too as gifts. :)

Check out the Mineralize kit here, for those who fell in love with the MAC Mineralize line:

A silverized square-shaped box that contains mineralize eyeshadow, and two Mineralize Blushes and the bonus of a 181SE Mini Buffer Brush for proper application. The box shown here is the Fun In The Sun Mineralize Kit, which warms the skin to give it a warm glow in the chilly nights. In here, I'm eyeing on the Shimpagne blush, which makes an excellent highlighter on the tops of the cheeks, temples, and browbone. I actually missed this after not seeing this in counter for a while. The other kit, Pinkzapoppin!, is more on the pink and rosy side and would be forgiving for those with fair skin. The mineralize blush really looks good on brides, and since December is wedding season here in Manila, you could give this as a special gift to your makeup-loving bride-to-be friend.

Of course what makes us go gaga are brush sets. While last year's collection made my eyes pop with the reds, this collection goes darker with grayish tones

Do I see an SE version of the tapered blending brush?

Lip bags and eye bags are again a staple in collection pieces. I'm personally eyeing on the Naughty Noir Eye Bag, which has Blacktrack fluidline, Shimmertime Pigment, and Zoomblack mascara with a bonus of a 209SE liner brush to apply the fluidline properly. What I like? Full-sized pigments and Blacktrack liner! :D Oh, did I mention the lovely silvery vinyl bag?

Ooooh and check this out: Blush Sets. WE HAVE BLUSH SETS NOW! Although these sets do not come with a brush, I recommend applying these products with the 129 blush brush and use the 188 brush as a highlighter.

The polka dot details actually designate the colors in the palette

This kit is the Hocus Focus colorful face kit which contains Sunsparkled Pearl, Pretty Baby (limited edition shades), and the staple Peachykeen, which is one of my favorite MAC blushes. I sure can't wait for these to hit MAC counters and pretty sure a whole lot would be buying these babies.

[images taken from maccosmetics.com]