The Comeback of the Olive Dry Oil Mist! Yay!

Weeks ago, there have been teaser posters at The Body Shop stores as well as the Facebook fan page showing a "Mystery Item".

Just an outline. Definite clue was a product making a comeback. If you're a TBS follower since day 1 and a user, I think that even without clues, you'd know what it is. Well, the secret was finally revealed a few weeks ago. It was a product making a comeback and it's the Olive Dry Oil Mist!

This shot will tell you that it's really back.

Apparently, the Olive Dry Oil Mist is a very popular product here in the Philippines. The clean olive scent and the luxurious feel of moisturized skin without the greasy afterfeel (yes it's true it's oil but not a greasy slick was felt) made it a bestseller here. However, globally, it wasn't as popular so they had to let it go. This is a special order for the fans of the product here in the Philippines who love it a lot.

Actually, it's my first time to use this product. I asked them, if it's like the bath oils you apply while the skin is damp and then towel off. Turns our it's just like lotion. You towel off, spray, and then spread. Ironically, despite the fact that it's oil, my skin wasn't left greasy or yucky. In fact, the reason why it was such a bestseller in the Philippines was because it had the moisturizing action we need without the slick greasy feel we hate. In fact, it was easily absorbed by the body and I didn't feel greasy all throughout the day.

Where do I use this? All over. During the night, I couple this with The Body Shop's Olive Body Butter on my super dry areas like my elbows, knees, feet, ankles, and I take extra TLC on my body parts that need extra moisture as well as the parts where my skin gets chafed a lot.

This however, is available for a limited time only. When I visited The Body Shop branches in Makati, I found out that the Olive Dry Oil Mist bottles were already gone, and some stores have only little bottles left. So if you must, it's best to stock up on the bottles right away, now that it's available still and for a sale price of Php495.

I do wish that the Olive Dry Oil Mist would remain as a permanent stock though, even here in the Philippines. But seeing how it's fast flying off the shelves now may bring The Body Shop to make it a permanent stay hopefully. :) It's such a pretty stocking stuffer especially now it's colder and we need extra care for our dry skin.

Summer in July with Surf, Baby!

On the other side of the globe, summer starts in July. That's why MAC's latest collection, Surf Baby is all about fun in the sun, sunkissed cheeks and skin, and just-eaten-a-fruit-pop lips. At one of my visits at the MAC counter, I was able to peek at the Surf, Baby! collection, which will hit MAC counters in a matter of days.

Since summer is more about having fun instead of being cooped up indoors perfecting the contours and blowdrying hair, Surf, Baby!'s got easy-to-wear colors for that sunkissed skin that summer left us, makeup could just enhance it.

The Skinsheen Bronzer Stick reminds me of NARS the multiple. The bronzey shades could be used to contour cheekbones, enhance a tan, or just put some warmth to the face when you feel blah. It's not too bulky too so you could stash this in your bag or whatever if you want a pretty portable equipment.

Eyeshadows are repackaged in Surf, Baby! packaging that's so pureety!

Swell Baby, Surf USA, Sun Blonde, Saffron, and Short Shorts at your service, depending on the look you want. Surf USA can stand on its own, as a fresh pop to tanned skin, while foolproof colors Saffron (it's like Paradisco, but warmer) and short Shorts are great to take past surf season. I haven't figured out how to use Sun Blonde as it's a tricky yellow color, but I think it would look great as an accent while Swell Baby's gray could give depth to an eye.

Cheek Powder is a pretty, pretty peach color with this pretty gold hibiscus overspray pattern on top. I think I'd wear this with a spash of Surf USA on my lids.

For lippie colors, lustre and cremesheen finishes imitate popsicle-stained lips with lush moisture, and the semimatte Mocha are for those who would like more staying power.

Mentionables are pigments in Melon and Naked, and if you're a bridal makeup artist, I think you'd love this in your stash even though you're not doing makeup on a summer bride. Just don't forget to put loose powder under the eyes as dealing with pigments (i.e. loose powder shadows) can get really really messy.

I guess for me personally, I'll be eyeing more on the warm eyeshadows and nail lacquers. But for a bit of bronzey power, I might check out the line of bronzers the collection has.

Wow-ing on the NARS Bento Box

So exclusive, this new set this is, that this set is non-returnable, according to the NARS website.

The Bento Box Lip Set is an extremely limited edition set (just when the label "limited" isn't enough) for a beauty fanatic who loves NARS and lipsticks.

"NARS captures the majesty of the kabuki lip – the ideal of feminine beauty – with Maiko and Sakura, unique lip colors in this exquisite keepsake."

That's a handmade bento box (no mass production here, the whole set is treated practically like a sacred work of art) and a set of two Kabuki cups that were hand-poured with two lipstick shades named Maiko and Sakura. Yep, that orangey-red and fuschia colors on the cups are actually exclusive-to-NARS lipstick formulas. The set also comes with a Kabuki lip brush for precise application.

Maiko is a rich warm orangey-red color while Sakura reminds us of cherry blossoms with a happy fuchsia color, as seen on the swatch:

Sakura on the left and Maiko on the right. Sakura does remind me of Schiap when swatched on my hand. I expected it to be a hinty glaze but it's quite matte and highly pigmented. It can be a bit drying though, but not too dry that your lips would be reminiscent of a land in drought.

Sakura passes the test on my lips. I used my ring finger to swatch Sakura on my lip, as I tried the tester on the counter this morning. I was surprised though, that the pigments were quite intense.

Yay intensity! I presume using the Kabuki brush that came with it with its specialized shape reminiscent of art brushes, the color payoff would be more intense than swatched with my pinky finger. The set is actually quite pretty to have on my vanity, looking like an elegant set served to me. Obviously, I can't travel out of the house with my Bento Box, and if I had my own set, it would just stay on my vanity and never leave the house and I'd keep it immaculately clean so it stays super pretty that the guys who made all the parts by hand would not conk me on the head for ruining their work of art.

A work of art like that doesn't come cheap. The Bento Box Lip Set retails at around Php 7,250 at NARS counters here in Manila. An avid NARS or makeup collector would have this as one of her most prized possessions, much like jewelry.