HAUL: Hong Kong and the Philippines

Welllllllll now, let's see what's happened in the expansive span of time since I last posted:

1. I started my internship.
2. Linsanity took the world by storm.
3. I started school.

Hehe, had to mention Linsanity. xD  Besides that, the other two things on my list have kept me a bit busy.  But I'm now working blogging back into my schedule!  Both this one and my reading blog (another reason I've been busier is I've been reading more! ^^)  I have quite a bit to blog about, so I should have several blog posts ready to go in the next couple weeks.  No more long gaps without any word! :]

So onto the real reason for this post!  My haul from my vacation a month ago (a month already?!)...

First up, face masks!  Pretty much all I wanted to buy in Hong Kong.  And is is all I ended up buying there, too.  Well, except for souvenirs...

I bought 3 packs of face masks and 1 pack of eye masks.  The one with the orange packaging is the My Scheming Crystal Q10 Elastin Eye Mask ($45 HKD).  Please excuse the state of the packaging; my dog got to it before I could take a picture, lol.  Next to it, in the green, is a pack of My Beauty Diary Apple Polyphenol Mask ($58 HKD).  The bottom two are both from My Scheming ($49 HKD each).  The purple one is Grape Seed Instant Brightening Mask, and the blue one is Milk Extract Brightening Mask.  I haven't tried any of them yet, but am excited to try them all!

I tried to do a bit of researching before buying, so I knew which ones I wanted.  At least, I did for the My Beauty Diary Mask.  I found a review that said it pretty much doesn't matter which mask you get, as they all kind of do the same thing, and so to just get one with a scent you like.  And ta-da...Apple!  I love apple scents, so this will probably be perfect for me. :)  The other masks had descriptions in English on them, so they were easier to choose without online help, haha.

I've heard about Asian drugstore BB Cream for a while, and had planned to buy one for myself during this trip.  I first saw Maybelline BB Cream in HK at a grocery store, and then again at Watsons, but didn't purchase because I didn't have any more room in my luggage. :x  But then, I saw it at Watsons in the Philippines!  I was so happy and bought it right away, in the lightest shade (for 249 PHP).  The packaging is different from the one in HK, though.  I will have to pick up one from HK next time I get the chance to go, to see if it's any different in formula. ^^

my favorite pair are the red ones in the bottom right

When I go to the Philippines, I always make a point of stopping at a place called 168 mall.  It's basically an indoor flea market, and I go mostly to buy accessories.  This trip, I ended up with a lot of earrings, some bracelets, and 1 ring.  Usually, I'd have necklaces too, but none of them caught my eye this time.

My cousin picked these out for herself, and when I saw them, I had to have them too!  I think she only got the colorful pair, but I couldn't choose, so I bought both.  They were only 50 PHP each, I think.

bought cuz I thought they were professional looking ^^

Yep, I went a little crazy with the earrings, haha!  But trust me, I could've done so much more damage.  There were a lot of other earrings that I really liked, and at 50 PHP each (more or less), totally could have afforded to buy them.  But I decided to show some restraint. xD

lots of bangles that actually fit my wrist!

the ring...didn't have a clear picture. :x  but this was only 10 PHP! (which is about $0.25 USD)

That's it for now~!  Hoping to get back to a more regular posting schedule, now that I'm starting to get the hang of my new schedule with school and everything. ^^

Pit Stop in Macau~

Sorry for the delay with this post!  As mentioned in my last post, I went on vacation to the Philippines and Hong Kong with my best friend, and we made a stop in Macau during our trip.  There are two parts of Macau: Macau and Taipa.  We ended up taking the ferry to the Taipa side of Macau first. You can also get there by air (plane or helicopter).

After we went through immigration (if you go, you need to bring your passport!), we took a free shuttle to the Ventian hotel.  Yes, the Venetian...just like in Las Vegas. ^^;  I think Macau is known as the Las Vegas of Asia, with many, many casinos...though the Venetian is kind of by itself.  Most of the other casinos are on the Macau side of Macau.  Anyway, we wandered around the Venetian a bit, which was also decorated for Chinese New Year, looking for a place to eat.  We ended up at a delicious buffet, which led to us wandering around the Venetian some more, to try and digest all the food we ate, lol.

at the buffet: the food was delicious! especially the desserts!

around the venetian: chinese new year decor

At around 3 PM, we decided that we should actually go and see the rest of Macau, so we hopped on another free shuttle from the Venetian to the Macau ferry terminal (not to be mistaken with the Taipa ferry terminal).  From there, we took another free shuttle (courtesy of another hotel) to get to the main city area, where all the hotels and casinos are out.  Once there, we hopped off the bus and went looking for the history of Macau!  And we found it!  Well, some of it at least...all just a walk away from the hustle and bustle of the casinos...

Ruins of St. Paul's

Monte Forte

As it grew dark, we left the historical sites to do some souvenir shopping and even tried a porkchop bun, which is one of the most popular snacks in Macau.  It was pretty good!  I recommend trying one. :)

Macau was fun and I'd like to go back and explore more.  But for now, I leave you with one of my favorite picture of this trip~

Chinese New Year in Hong Kong?!

Hello~ Sorry for being MIA!  I actually took a little vacation and went to Hong Kong with my best friend.  We also went to the Philippines, because we both have relatives there.  Actually we had decided to go to the Philippines first, because we thought it would be cool to be there at the same time, since we had never been able to meet up there.  Hong Kong was our side trip...and we just happened to be there a few days before Chinese New Year so it was totally decked out in decorations!

In addition to pretty decorations, Hong Kong has yummy food! We had HK Cafe food, Chinese food, Thai food, and even McD's (because nothing else was open...)

baked porkchop from a hong kong cafe gets an A+ from the bestie

hole in the wall thai place my cousin took us to...really good food!
tom yum was especially delicious!

When we weren't eating, we were doing touristy things.  It wasn't my first time to Hong Kong, but it was my first time seeing all the tourist sites, and it was a lot of fun~!  Stuff like...

Watching the Symphony of Lights!

HK island at night

Going to the Peak!

ride the tram...

...to reach this gorgeous view!

Riding a Cable Car to Ngong Ping!

there is a trail to hike instead of taking the cable car...but it's a pretty long hike...

and at the end, you reach ngong ping village...

...where you can see the big buddha!

And going to Hong Kong Disneyland!

disney also decorates for chinese new year! :)

red envelopes!

a cute display window on main street~

even the mtr line to disneyland is disneyfied! ^^

In addition to Hong Kong, we also set aside a day for Macau.  I had never been, so it was a nice experience. We did more touristy stuff, and I took quite a few pictures, so I'll do a whole separate post for Macau.

And of course, can't forget a haul post! I did do some shopping at Sasa.  Can't stop by Hong Kong without going to Sasa!  Literally.  It is on EVERY corner! lol

So, I didn't actually celebrate Chinese New Year in Hong Kong.  Actually, it would be kind of hard, because I think everything is closed there on CNY since it's a holiday.  I celebrated it in the Philippines instead.  It was interesting to experience Chinese New Year there!  My first time!  Lots of noise, with all the firecrackers being set off and lion dancing on the streets.  But my family didn't actually do anything special, lol.  I did get a red envelope from my grandpa though. :D (And if you are wondering, my family is Chinese, but from the Philippines! ^^ There is actually quite a large Chinese community in the Philippines. However, we don't speak Mandarin or Cantonese...we speak Hokkien/Fukien. :])

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take any pictures in the Philippines, because I kept forgetting to bring my camera out with me. =.=;;  Sorry~ I'm not really in tourist mode when I'm there, so I forget to bring it...

Alrighty~ See you in my next post!  Either a Sasa haul or Macau post~ Whichever pictures get edited first, lol.

IN THE RING: Physicians Formula Universal Shimmer Strips in Nude vs Eye Candy Shimmer Strips in Hazel

Today I have a comparison post for you!  I think this is my first one...and I really wanted to do this one right away, because it includes a clearance item.

When I saw the Physicians Formula Eye Candy Shimmer Strips in Hazel was on clearance at CVS, I went to check it out.  After seeing it, I immediately thought it would be a dupe for the Shimmer Strips Nude palette that I recently reviewed.  So I bought it to swatch and see if I was right, since this one would be a cheaper alternative.  Unfortunately, it wasn't!  But I think it's still a pretty palette.

Both of these palettes are quite neutral.  The main difference is the undertone of each palette.  The Eye Candy one is cooler, while the Nude one is warm....even the black shades!

top is eye candy, bottom is nude palette

I haven't tried out the Eye Candy palette, so can't say how well it holds up or anything right now...I'll probably do a separate review for it on it's own.  But from the swatches, I am leaning towards liking the Eye Candy one more.  I just like the colors more...except that pink one in the middle.  It just seems like such a random color to include!  Plus, it's very chalky...definitely a con to this Eye Candy palette.

Availability: CVS
Limited Edition? Yes, Eye Candy in Hazel is on clearance
Price: $10.99 for the Nude one & $3+ for the Hazel one

New Years Resolutions

So, the start of the year means it's time for some new resolutions!  Here are some of mine:

1. Eat healthier (more veggies!) and drink more water.  I really want to aim for 8 glasses, as I usually don't drink 8 a day.

2. Save more, spend less! I want to aim for a $100-a-month budget for clothes, shoes, accessories, makeup, and dining out all together.  I hope I can keep with it!  It would definitely save me a lottt of money.

3. And in that direction, I want to shop my stash more!  I have quite a few products that I've pushed aside, as I use the same products over and over.  It's time to give those forgotten products some lovin'! ;)

4. Finish my in progress knitting and crocheting projects.

5. Read at least 1 book a month.  I really want to get back into reading more books and book blogging.

6. Blog more!  I have a whole list of future blog posts that I hope to get out soon. :)

7. Make more progress on my Day Zero list!  Because time is ticking, and the days to complete the list are half gone already!

That's it for now!  I might add a few more later, but these are my main ones.  I especially want to concentrate on the eating healthier and getting healthier one!

So what are your resolutions? :)

SWATCH+REVIEW: China Glaze - Lorelei's Tiara (Eye Candy Collection)

Well, hello 2012!  Here's the first post of the new year!

Lorelei's Tiara is the perfect polish for ringing in the new year.  It's silver, blue, and shiny!  This polish is one of six from China Glaze's Eye Candy collection, which was inspired by Marilyn Monroe and released for the holidays.  This particular polish is a clear base filled with small silver glitter and more dispersed bigger specks of round blue glitter.  I used two coats to reach this opacity, and it applied really nicely!  Dried really fast too!  I didn't use a top coat, so not sure how well it does (i.e. if it's a top coat eater)...

Very pretty!!  Unfortunately, I didn't get to wear this to ring in the New Year, because I didn't have time to do my nails until now.  But wearing it on the first day of the New Year is just as nice. :)  Hope everyone had a fun and safe time celebrating last night!  I went to a dinner party thrown by my old roomie, and then went to my family's shindig to countdown to the new year.  All in all, had a very fun time at both parties!

Sorry I haven't been swatching much because winter doesn't treat my skin very nicely, especially my hands!  I look like I have elephant skin on my hands...very unattractive, lol.  You can see in these pictures that my cuticles are very dry...But I've got some other posts coming up. ^^  It's the start of a new year, so there's lots of new things to come!  One of my resolutions is to blog more, so please stay tuned~!

Availability: Sally Beauty Supply, Ulta, Nail Supply Stores, Online
Limited Edition? Yes - Eye Candy Collection (Holiday 2011)
Price: $4 - 7

Merry Christmas~!

It's Christmas!  How do you like my little Christmas tree?  I got it from Walmart for $9 and it sits on my dresser.  It already has lights attached to it! (The bright white spots, lol.)  Got the little ornaments on sale at Walmart too.  I think this is a great color combo!  Not your traditional Christmas colors, but still very pretty! ^^  I hope everyone is having a fun and safe holiday~ Relax and be merry! :)

I'm so excited for the upcoming weeks and next few months!  First off, it's the prime of holiday season!  Love this time of the year.  So festive!  And then, I interviewed for an internship on Monday and got it!  So happy and excited for that!  It gives me a feeling of accomplishment to know I'm finally on my way to a future career. :)

Next, I've got to work on my New Year's Resolutions list...Hmm...Well, that's still a few more days away! :P

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

my dog, Jello, dressed in her Christmas pajamas wishes you good night! isn't she so cute? ^.^