Bath and Body Works Haul

I had been seeing the Bath and Body Works shop in Mirdif City Centre since that mall opened up but never even once I made a purchase as I find them too expensive (my impression as how the shop looks from the outside) but then when I met Victoria's Secret body butter and went crazy for it I wanted to collect scented body butters and my quest for it led me to Bath and Body Works. Even so that I did not find body butters in the shop as they don't have any, it does not stop me from purchasing items that I never really intended to purchase in the first place.

If you'll walk into any Bath and Body Works you'll be like Hansel and Gretel who cant help themselves walking into the house made of candies. The scents and how these items are displayed are very tempting to the nose and the eyes. And the fact that they have a promo on weekly basis. If you'll buy 3 pieces of an item let's say the body lotion you'll get the 4th lotion for free. 

Last week their promo was buy 1 take 1 of body mist I did not avail that promo as I think it will be a waste of money and product if I'll purchase the full bottle when they have too many scents to offer. Last weekend the offer was buy 1 take 1 of body gels. And the sales assistant told me that next week it will be buy 2 take 2 for body lotions. Clearly the shop is giving customer a reason to go back every week! As well as the other usual promos.

In the first photo you will see that I got myself 3 small variants of body wash. They are offering it for buy 2 take 3. Each small or travel size bottle costs 30AED only. And OMG if only I have enough budget I'll buy them all. 

Second photo you'll see that I also purchase 3 variants of body mist in travel size. Each costs 35AED. And the good part is it's buy 2 take 3. So I'll get to enjoy 3 scents for only 70AED and the price of the full size bottle is 75AED each. 

And lastly the reason why I visited their shop last weekend. The buy 1 take 1 body wash I'm talking about!! I can't wait to use them all. But one body wash at a time. For those who have an Instagram account you can check them @bathandbodymena. They are usually posting the promo on that account. That's all for now and thanks for dropping by!

Victoria's Secret Haul Part 2

Didn't realized that my last post was about Victoria's Secret Haul and here I am again with the second part. For this month the shop called X-pressions at Safeer Malls across the UAE is having a promo buy a product (s) worth 200AED and you'll get a voucher worth 100AED. I'm not exactly crazy or a huge fan of Victoria's Secret scented lotions but then I learned that my younger sister loves the Pear Glace lotion and the price in Manila is insanely expensive. Since I will be sending a balikbayan box soon I decided to take advantage of the promo. But aside from the lotions you'll also seen three Victoria's Secret body mists and they are all for me. For only 200AED I got 8 products as can be seen in this photo: 

To be honest at first I was skeptical if the products the shop are offering are genuine. Usually US products are expensive over here. But comparing this to the other items I purchased from Victoria's Secret store in Dubai I can't spot any difference. And even the scent. Most say that scent alone is the biggest give away. So I take it everything I got are the real deal. And I have spent an ample of time reading blogs/forums on how to spot a fake VS product. Yeah they are all authentic. And as far as I know X-pressions does not sell counterfeit products. 

As of the price Victoria's Secret shops in Dubai they sell an item for 70AED but if you'll pick 5 you'll pay only 200AED which makes it only 40AED each. While at Safeer Mall each would cost only 39.75AED so you don't have to get 5 products to make it a little cheaper. And Safeer Mall just happened to be having a promo which I explained above.

I'm not too sure if Pear Glace body lotion is still available in Victoria's Secret shops in Dubai. I have seen somewhere that this has been discontinued but then I am not too sure. I also don't understand how VS operates as I am a new customer. I mean is what do they call this collection? Secret Garden Scents Collection? How many variants are out there? Are they all in permanent line? Are some just a limited edition? Why not all are included in their website? Even the body butters and I read tweets that body butters has been discontinued too. I checked their Instagram page but seems like they are focusing more on lingerie than their cosmetics. 

And even in their shops in Dubai each scent has an incomplete line. I mean one of the scents I like is called Love Addict. They have a body lotion but seems like they don't have a body butter and body wash. A complete line for me would mean: body wash, body butter, body cream, body lotion and body mist. And when I visited their shop at Mall of the Emirates I was a little lost and intimidated inside the shop. As I am not a fan of sexy and expensive lingerie. I don't like dim places as I have a poor eyesight. The shop has a huge space/place for the cosmetics. But these floral/fruity collection are nowhere to be seen. Especially the body butters. And as much as I want to leave a message or feedback they don't have a social media account for Middle East customers. 

These body mists are for me. I know said a thousand times how perfumes can make my headache worst (if I have it) but I can't help myself in picking them up. At least I can use them in the room as room sprays or at myself when my clothes smells odd (the downside of living in a small space). So far they don't give me headaches that must mean that they don't have a high alcohol content. And in the end it leave a lovely scent like a baby powder. Which I like.

And that's all for now. For those who are interested to purchase I was told that for the month of November Safeer Mall which have a sale. So Victoria's Secret products will be having a 25% off. That makes it 30AED. Ciao!

Victoria's Secret Haul

And because I fell in love with Victoria's Secret Sheer Love body butter, a week ago I visited the Victoria's Secret shop in Dubai. It was the first time that I went to that shop. I was not interested before as it was too expensive for me and little did I know that body butter is way better than lotion and that Victoria's Secret body butters are the best. And just because body butter is my current love and addiction I was not able to stop myself for hoarding a little. Without thinking twice. Without blinking. Without asking my wallet if it is okay and here are the items I got from that visit:

An almost complete line of Victoria's Secret Love Spell which consists of Cherry Blossoms and Peach. I heard a lot of good reviews with the body mists but did not purchase any as I'm afraid it might trigger my headache/migraine. But I'm planning to get at least one when I go back to the shop. I have a strong feeling that I'll be back there again as soon as the pay day comes. Yes, that's how I am when I'm into something. 

Here's the rest of the items I purchased. Each item would cost 70.00AED but they have another option and I'm not too sure if it is just a current promotion or that is their price the whole year long. If I will get 3 products it would cost only 145.00AED. While if I will get 5 products it would cost only 200AED making it 40AED each. So I have taken the latter. And when I visited the other shops to compare that price (and scent) makes Victoria's Secret leaning to affordable side. Other brands either don't carry body butter or would cost 85.00AED and above. 

By the way I'm still not get used to the names of each product. I don't even know how many variants are there for this line and the website is a little confusing for me. I would also search if UAE residents can apply for their loyalty (?) card. It would be useful for me as with the way I'm using the product I think I can consume one tube in a month. And that's all folks!

My current LOVE

Admittedly I was introduced to body butter only last month. Someone has given me Victoria's Secret Sheer Love Body Butter. It has taken me a few days before trying it out. First of all I had been avoiding Victoria's Secret products because it is too expensive for me. And sometimes strong scents can trigger or aggravates my headache or migraine. As of the body butters I had been seeing it a lot but ignoring it. Because of the word butter I was expecting it to be sticky in a yucky way. I don't want to experience again the feeling as if I bathed in oil. So just imagine my surprise when I tried it out and it didn't turned out with the way I was expecting it to be! It is more moisturizing than my body lotion. No oily feeling. Absorbs by the skin fast and I am just in love with the scent. At first the scent is too strong then becomes bearable afterwards. And yes body butter is my current addiction. Not lip products anymore. I can live without a lipstick but I can't live without a skin product like body butter as I have a dry skin.

Last week I visited the Victoria's Secret shop in Dubai for the first time. I had been living here in the UAE for a decade now. But only last week that I dared to visit the shop. And of course I did not forget to say thank you repeatedly to the person who introduced me to this wonderful holy grail product. I'm not too sure if the prices are like that the whole year because a product would cost 70.00AED each but it will become less if you'll buy more. 3 products would cost 145AED while 5 products would cost 200AED. So I have chosen the latter that makes each product 40AED. I'll be checking Google from time to time to see whenever they have a sale as the sales lady informed me 2 weeks ago they had a promo of 2 products for only 50AED. With the way I'm consuming the body butter I can say that I can used up a tube per month so big discount can help me a lot.

And because of I'm so in love with body butter and I'm crazy for it over the weekend I visited a few shops in Dubai that specializes in skin products. I sort of wanted to collect different brands of Japanese Cherry Blossoms body butter.

First stop was at Boots Pharmacy for the Soap and Glory body butter. I'm following someone on the Instagram who's very much in love with it so I take it that this is great too and can compete with VS. But I walked away as soon as I saw the price. It is the most expensive body butter that I know in the market. A tube would cost 85AED and I thought VS is already the most expensive. And they don't even have a tester! They have a current promo though that you'll get 3 products for the price of 2 but even so it is still expensive. Maybe I'll try it out once they have a buy 1 take 1 promo. But until then I'll stay away from it.

Second stop was The Face Shop a Korean brand of cosmetics. I was informed that they no longer have the Cherry Blossoms body butter (or never had it in the first place) and they only have mango but I was not interested in it but I looked around anyway to familiarized myself with the products and prices but this sales assistant pissed me off by telling me the name of each product (shampoo, conditioner, cream) I checked. Normally I'm chill because I'm working in customer service too but I had say something as I felt very insulted because I can read perfectly so she doesn't have to tell me what on earth I was holding. I can read for myself and I would love to see the ingredients and the benefits. I did not stay long on the shop and purchased only conditioner and hand cream. And vowed never to visit that branch again. Luckily other malls do have Face Shop also. But I'm not too sure I'll ever step on that shop again.

Finally there's a Bath and Body Works, I was informed that they don't carry body butter but have only lotion and cream. Sales assistants in Bath and Body Works are way better than the last shop I visited they'll come to you and greet you and ask you what you need then leave you alone to see for yourself but they are just around in case you need them. I left the shop empty handed as they don't have body butter but I came back again the next day to avail their current promo. 

And then The Body Shop and as far as I know it is a brand from UK. I did not purchase anything because there's no price tag on the products. And I don't like their version of Japanese Cherry Blossoms body butter. But as per the USA website their body butter costs 20.00USD and that's around 80.00AED but have to keep in mind that prices here are normally higher than the US prices so I'm expecting it to be around 100AED and up. With this I don't think I'll come back again in their shop.

In the end I'll stick to Victoria's Secret as long as they have their body butter and have the same price range :)

Wet and Wild Cosmetics in Ajman

Yes you read it right. Wet and Wild Cosmetics is now available in Ajman. Wet and Wild is a US brand, Made in China make up which is known for being affordable. A lot of lipsticks have been said to be a dupe for MAC lipsticks. I think slowly now this is becoming popular in UAE. I'm surprised because out of all the places it's in Ajman. Usually I have to go all the way to Dubai just to shop for brands that I want/need/interested in. And top of it the pharmacy that carries it is just a few steps away from where I live. For those who wants to know the name is Al Malak Pharmacy. It is located in Kuwaiti Street. Kuwaiti Street is in between Kuwaiti Road and King Faisal Street.

I purchased just 4 lipsticks. The most expensive it 18.00AED and the most affordable is 12.00AED. But only the 2 shades are for me. I will write a separate post soooonnn. And that's all for now. Thanks for dropping by!

Western Digital Rugged Case

These are not my photos. Got them from the Western Digital website years ago. It is called Nomad Rugged Case. Purpose is to protect the external disk. Against dust and water. And maybe even when you dropped the disk accidentally it won't be broken and you won't lose the files inside. As I have said YEARS ago. Until now I still don't own one. I don't know why it is not available in the UAE market. Even tried the online shops to see if there are any stocks. But sadly none. Nada. Asked all the electronics shop I can think of but still no result. Guys, please if ever you see it one of these days in the market let me know in the comment section.

Byphasse Nourishing Hand Cream

Byphasse Nourishing Hand Cream
Sale Price: 9.00AED
Available at Tati Mirdif City Centre
Made in EU
www.byphasse.com

Byphasse is a Spanish brand of skin care with the goal of providing affordable products to all. In the UAE it is available in the Tati shop. Tati shop is a French department store that sells affordable clothing, household items and cosmetics. So far they only have one branch in Dubai and that is in the Mirdif City Centre. They opened last November 2014 if I am not mistaken. I visited their shop only at the second quarter of the year and I'm a regular customer ever since. I hoarded products when they were on sale. One of them is the Byphasse Nourishing Hand Cream. 

I always have a dry hands no matter what is the weather. Be it summer or winter. And since last year I had been using different brands of hand cream. At the end of the day no matter how good the product is I still have a dry hands. Even though I drink a lot of water and watch my diet carefully. I have a dry skin as long as I can remember. And I need to keep on using a hand moisturizer and body creams. I consume a lot. And I used to love expensive French brands but then I can't always afford them so just imagine my happiness when I stumbled upon Byphasse. They proved that taking care of our skin doesn't have to cost a fortune.

Byphasse hand cream comes in white tube with pink cap. I love it because I simply love pink. It is so girlie. This is really what you can call a value for money as the tube is 150ML compare to other hand creams in the market that only contains 75ML. Will I purchase again? Maybe, if they will be on sale again.

My ADVANCE day off and Footwear!

Thursday... And I am calling it advance day off because next week Saturday is supposed to be HOLIDAY and at the same time my normal OFF DAY. But then since the new manager decided that in spite of us achieving the target last month and will be able to achieve the target again this month, the best reward will be taking away our off day next week! With no plans of giving us an off set the following week or the next month. As in NADA! Officially we don't have work today because of the holidays but for me this is already rest day that will be taken away from us next week. And yes I am aware that with my way of writing I'm just going back in circles. Explaining the same thing huh! I'm sorry but I have to rant about it through blog. Through writing to let it off my chest. But at least today I feel much better than yesterday. It sucks that I won't be able to go out but at least I was able to enjoy myself in little ways. So it is not wholly a rant post. A mixture of a little rant and a little happiness. Life is one big drama so one must find happiness even in little ways. 

Yesterday afternoon until today I was able to catch up on watching the current teleserye in the Philippines called On The Wings Of Love. I'm just currently downloading the episode 32 and 33. Haha. Watching the series somehow makes me 'kilig' again. And I can say that it can compete with Koreanovela that the whole world goes gaga for. It has an element of drama but not so heavy. With a bit of comedy. Pacing is fast enough. And some scenes are in line with the current trends/situation. Like the Balikbayan Box issue. I think all Filipinos all over the world knows about this one. If I am not mistaken when Jig's mother came out as a lesbian it was also during the time that the same sex marriage has been approved in the USA. How they portray the lives of OFW's and their families back home is something almost all us can relate. That I find myself crying in some scenes when they were not even crying. Meaning it really touched me. It hit a nerve. I really hope they can sustain it until the end and if the story can't really go farther then finish it off rather that drag it. This is not your usual rich guy meet the poor girl ploy. 

And the lead stars James Reid and Nadine Lustre. I know they are not dating in real life but they have this strong chemistry. I would really love to see them grow as an artists. And have a longevity in their showbiz lives. And after this I hope to see them again in another series. And that's it for now as if I don't want to end up telling the whole story as I know some people/friends/colleagues who haven't seen it yet and I'm convincing them to give it a try. Even if I have to give them a copy of it. 

You pretty much have an idea now how my 2 days passed by. Haven't been able to shop items that I need like my current favorite snack Nutella On The Go or even bring my uniform to the laundry. I will be able to go out tonight just because I'm done watching. Because if there are still available episodes on my laptop I don't think I can have the willpower to move my arse from the bed. And speaking of footwear I realized that compared to 3 or 4 years ago I don't buy much of footwear anymore. These 3 pairs I have are purchased months ago. The wedge one is more than a year old but haven't got the chance to wear them. All are Brazilian brands of shoes and you can trust them. They are affordable (on sale I don't buy when there's no discount) and lasts for years.

I used to be some sort of shoe collector having too many pairs of high heels in my shoe cabinet. But then things changed. I don't have my own family yet but when I set my goal of leaving this place for good I know that I must save all the money I have. And when I do love for shoes is one of the things I let go of. Also at this point of my life and the current situation over here even if I'm not a shopaholic I feel that money is very hard to manage more than ever. So hard that I can't even bring myself to use these new babies. As I doubt I'll be able to afford a new one in the future. Not being pessimistic more on realistic. 

Need to go now. Hopefully one of these days I will be able to tell more about my life here in the desert and why I always say that life is very hard. Or do I still need to do that? I think in my previous posts I always say how salary is not align with the prices of the rent. Also I will try to take other photos of the shoes so I can post them again. Although I haven't much to say except the quality is really good. I would not be vouching for it if quality sucks. Ciao! 

My HOLIDAY and some shoes..

Well happy holidays to all wherever you are in the world. Today is the first day of our supposed to be four days holiday. Do I sound happy? Naahhhh. Don't get me wrong please I don't have anything against the celebration but what causes my sadness is unlike some of you guys (I'm not too sure if I should share stuff like this in the internet but hey I'm disappointed) for us in the office it is like we only have one day holiday. Because next week our new manager will not give us any off day. Meaning we have to be at work by Saturday. Uhm, our business is doing well so we were expecting that we will have a reward by letting us enjoy the holidays but they love to do the opposite. The more money we bring in the more we lose our holidays because if we achieved 110% out of 100% target they want again to surpassed whatever we last achieved. Great just great. Whatever happened to the word quality time. Balanced work and life. Don't work too much that you forget how to live. Just great. Simply great. And top of it all I don't have a choice but to follow. 

In the UAE I think there are only 9 days holiday in a year and we don't get to enjoy them all. That I think it would have been better if there'll be no holidays at all for all of us. Sorry as that sounds selfish but at least that is fair for all. You'll feel this way too if you have a well deserved off day taken away from you. It is like this all over the world? That whatever is written in the labour law does not really matter? I'm just at home. Sulking. Doing household chores. Daydreaming that one day a chance to work somewhere else will come. Someday. I feel so helpless that in the end that is the only solution I can see. To be able to move away someday.

 

I was taking some photos while there is still light outside but then the camera's battery is about to die soon that I have to charge it. I may have a good camera but I don't like the shots it produces at night. Here's just one photo that I wanted to share with you. Some Brazilian shoes that I got. I love their quality. I'll be posting more photos as soon as I can. As these Brazilian brands of shoes are totally worth of every penny spent on them. I have this black slippers that I had been using since 2009. That's how great they are. But I rarely find my size. That's the only downside as I have a very small feet. 

I'll just watch some episodes of On The Wings Of Love before continuing household chores. Thanks for listening to my rants in life. And please don't judge it is not everyday that I am like this. There are just times. As I had been carrying too many burdens in life that I need an outlet to vent out. Ciao!

Gosh Velvet Touch 151: Lady Luck

Gosh Velvet Touch Lipstick 151 Lady Luck

Retail Price: 45.00AED
Sale Price: 33.25AED

Available at Beauty Bay/Centrepoint

www.goshcosmetics.com

Good morning/good evening guys wherever you are in the world. I am about to sleep but decided to write a post since I'm listening to some good songs. Well back to the product this is my 10th lipstick from Gosh. Gosh is a Danish brand of cosmetics and available across UAE via Beauty Bay and/or Centrepoint stores. With the exception of NYX this is the most affordable brand in the said shop. The cheapest European brand. As I have said only in the said shop. 

I don't have much photos to share tonight as I have given up I took a lot of shots for only 2 photos came out a little decent. Sorry for that. This Gosh Velvet Touch 151 Lady Luck is orange red kind of lipstick but becomes pinkish when applied on my lips with the hint of orange. And I don't mind wearing it at the office. It gives color to my lips but not so bright unlike the other red shades. I am not against wearing red lipstick in the office as long as it looks decent but I'm refraining to do so as to avoid teasing from my officemates haha!

Typical Gosh tube. Matte with glossy part in the middle where the name Gosh is embedded. Bottom is where the sticker indicates the shade name and number. And the color of the sticker corresponds to the color of the lipstick.

And the swatch. Gosh lipstick is the creamiest brand of lipstick I own so creamy that it breaks so easily so I am very careful when using it. And they have fairly wide selection of shades. And that's it!

Actually since Friday last week I have an ample of time after work meaning I could have taken a lot of photos and write posts but I don't know I end up sleeping a lot. Making up for those weeks that I was not able to sleep/rest properly. And catch up with some series that I missed. I'm currently watching On The Wings Of Love. It is a Filipino romance comedy series and I surprised myself as I was not really into teleserye before. I'm also watching kalyeserye of the longest running noon time show in the Philippines called Eat Bulaga! As of today they already have 57 episodes and I have seen less than 10 episodes. Meaning I have a lot of catching up to do. But then those nights of staying late and watching has taken its toll on me today as I woke up not feeling well. Got a little headache and if I did not rest it could lead to another migraine again and migraine is something I don't want to experience again ever in my life. As I will surely not be able to do anything even eating. Okay.. Got to go to sleep now.. Thanks for dropping by. Ciao

Gosh Velvet Touch 164: Adorable

Gosh Velvet Touch Lipstick 164 Adorable

Retail Price: 45.00AED
Sale Price: 33.25AED

Available at Beauty Bay/Centrepoint

www.goshcosmetics.com

This is not a lipstick blog but I'll be posting another lipstick today as lipstick is my current addiction since late 2014 and not too sure if this will go away soon. But then even so I buy only those I can afford and if I don't really have an extra budget I don't buy at all even though I'm dying to have a new shade/brand. Today's lipstick post is about Gosh Velvet Touch 164 Adorable and I had it since January 2015. I purchased it during the Dubai Shopping Festival or DSF. And I wonder if the in the coming DSF I will still be able to shop for items that I love. 

I know this post is supposed to be for the lipstick only as the title suggests but at the same time I can't help but share tidbits about my UAE life (hoping others planning to move here can at least have ideas about life here) I may not be able to purchase lipsticks again not because I don't want to but I'm dreading about the price of goods in the coming months as you know there has been a price oil increase that started last August. So this might be the last year/months that I'll be having lipstick posts. It's hard nowadays to stretch the budget even with basic needs like food. Oh well that's life. What to do yani. But back to my Adorable lipstick the shade is bright pink. 

Photo was taken during my lunch break so there was still sunlight from outside but it's not going through the room and I can't open the door as the terrace is one big mess. Not much space inside the room that we have to use it as a storage. And once again not much time to practice. Above photo I used the Automatic mode of my Sony Alpha 600 while the next photo was taken using the Aperture mode. 

Gosh for those who are not aware is a Danish brand of make up. In the UAE it is available at Beauty Bay and/or Centrepoint. I had some extra bucks back then and I wanted an affordable lipstick and that led me to Gosh. Gosh lipsticks are the creamiest lipsticks I own. They are moisturizing. Does not dry out my lips. But the down side of being this creamy is I have to take a very good care upon applying as compared to other brands I have this brand breaks so easily. I only have 11 shades. Bought them without swatching first so as a result only few are quite decent enough on me. 

Took a photo of it at every corner of the room hoping to capture its beauty and color perfectly and this is the best shot I got. It is a bright pink that I thought I can rock it. But I was wrong and the last two photos are the swatches to give you an idea. Still working on how to take my selfie photos wearing it. Taking a selfie should be effortless nowadays but it is one of the talents that I lack.  

Those who loves pink will surely love this. I can't say that this will look good more in women with fair complexion or not. I mean it I can't say that it will suit best a woman with a certain complexion as I had been seeing women Filipinas who have the same complexion with me rocking this color. [BTW, I heard that this brand is now available in the Philippines and in spite of it being a European brand this is one of the most affordable out there. Yes it is still available even if the amount is converted to Philippine Pesos]. But I don't feel good with it. What I do with other lipstick colors that I don't like is I blend them with others. As to not waste them. You know money is hard to come by.  

And that's it for today. Thank you for dropping by to my page. Feel free to leave a comment just please don't be rude. 

PS. Now the Aldub Fever has caught me. And I see this Yaya Dub most of the time rocking the red lips. I used to love red lips for a brief time some 2 years ago and because of her I find myself reaching for the red lipsticks I own. Just too bad that I can't wear them at the office. I'm working in Automotive company and it is a male dominated industry I'm getting conscious as some are teasing me. It is not hard for them to notice it as I don't usually wear make up in the office let alone a red lipstick. Been wearing nude lipsticks that they don't even know that I'm wearing any. One of these days I'll post about the red lipsticks I have. Have a great day everyone while I try to watch some KalyeSerye via FB!

Gosh Velvet Touch 161: Sweetheart

Gosh Velvet Touch Lipstick 161 Sweetheart

Retail Price: 45.00AED
Sale Price: 33.25AED

Available at Beauty Bay/Centrepoint

www.goshcosmetics.com

Initially I wanted to write a rant post but then changed my mind a few minutes later as I believed somehow things will get better soon. And I am so happy to know that my superiors give nothing but good feedback about me. The law of karma. You reap what you sow. I work hard and I get recognition in spite of me not saying anything. And so instead of ranting I'll just share another Gosh lipstick that I own. Featuring Gosh Velvet Touch 161 Sweetheart.. Tada!!!!!! 

Gosh is a Danish brand of cosmetics. In UAE Market Beauty Bay or Centrepoint carries it. I believe in all their branches across UAE as I got mine at Ajman City Centre branch. Admittedly the first factor that lured me into buying this brand was the price range. This is the most affordable brand I found at the shop. And the black tube looks expensive. Purchased this at the time my lipstick hoarding started. Chose this shade as this is nude even without swatching it first at the store. As you can see the black round tube does not come with a box. There's a glossy part in the middle where the name Gosh is embedded. The bottom sticker represents the shade of the lipstick. And where the name is written.

Name Gosh is also embedded in the lipstick. And look at that gorgeous shade of nude brown. This is so far the Gosh nude lipstick that looks good on me. I went crazy and purchased all the nude lipsticks without trying them out first or even reading a review about them. Lesson learned anyway. 

Gosh is the creamiest lipstick I own. The good is it glides on smoothly on the lips and moisturizing. The bad is this creaminess make the product breaks easily when pressed a little harder on the lips. 

This is yay for me. Perfect for everyday use especially at the office. My favorite shade. If I will get a good incentive on this coming salary and Centrepoint is still on sale I might get myself another Gosh lipstick or get a cream blush from them if they have any. How about you? Do you love Gosh? Are you crazy about their lipsticks like I do?

Essence Makeup Haul Part 7

For the month of September there's no occasion and my birthday is over. But then I visited Carrefour Express at Oasis Mall and as expected I did not walk away empty handed. There's no way that I can resist buying anything from Essence. Since it is the most affordable makeup in the UAE market. For those who doesn't know Essence is a drugstore brand of makeup from Germany. The brand is targeted for students and young ladies hence the low prices. Only a few shops in UAE carries this brand. Here's what I got myself this time:

I'm not into red lipsticks now but as I've said since it is very affordable it wouldn't hurt to get myself a few shades eh? Each lipstick costs only 12.00AED so bought 2 sets of these. One for me and one for my little sister in Manila. The sad part is there are so many Essence items that are not available in the UAE. But can't blame the shops though. For them to bring them all there must be a huge demands from the customers, right? This is not really popular over here. This may not be the best lipstick in the world but not bad either. It does not bleed. Color pay off is great. Won't hurt the pocket. But a very few color selection. In fact I think I already have almost all the colors in this line of Essence Long Lasting Lipsticks.

That's all for now. Thanks for dropping by. And I'll try to get some sleep now.

Gosh Velvet Touch 162: Nude

Gosh Velvet Touch 162 Nude

Retail Price: 45.00AED

Sale Price: 33.75AED

Available at Beauty Bay/Centrepoint 

www.goshcosmetics.com

I discovered Gosh late December of 2014. Prior Gosh I was crazy about Mac lipsticks. I am not a make up junkie but I developed a habit of being addicted to lip products especially lippies. And Mac simply became too expensive for me. I'll try to buy if the UAE price will be the same as US price but that is just so impossible. So with my quest for alternative to Mac my feet took me to Beauty Bay inside the Centrepoint where I met Gosh Cosmetics. I was drawn into it because the sleek tube looks expensive. Price wise it's one of the most affordable brands I came across at the shop. And in UAE. Price was the number one factor why I have chosen it out of all the other brands the sales associate offered me. Well Essence is a different story. And they seem to have a lot of nude and light colors so I went ahead and purchased some. Today I'll be sharing you my Gosh in 162 named Nude and here it is:

Gosh for those who are not aware is a cosmetics and fragrance company based in Denmark. Their products are Made in EU otherwise stated. But I'm not too sure if this lipstick is made in EU as it is not written anywhere on the tube. But I don't mind. It does not come in a box. The middle of the tube is glossy where the name Gosh is embossed. And at the bottom of the tube you'll see the name name/number of the lipstick. The color of the paper/sticker correspond to the shade of the lipstick. I bought this one sometime in January during Dubai Shopping Sale means it has been sitting inside my dresser untouched for such a long time. 

There's a very slight difference between the photo and the actual lipstick and believe me it has been my long time frustration in taking photos as I wanted my photos to be exactly the same color with the objects as much as possible and I'm trying to work on that. But anyway without swatching it and by just looking at the lipstick the color looks like pinkish brown and I think the name Nude just suits it perfectly.

Here's the swatch. 

And another swatch. Gosh Velvet Touch 162 Nude in color looks like pinkish brown but leaning more into brown but when swatch you'll see it more of a peach. Sadly photos did not really do justice. This is nay for me. But just because it does not work for me does not mean that Gosh is a bad lipstick. I love Gosh lipstick. But this shade does not suit me. And I purchased it at the time that all I know was I want nude lipsticks but do not know yet how to choose one based on my skin tone and/or lip pigmentation. That being said I have quite a few epic fail lipsticks in my drawer. But at least now I know better.

Gosh lipstick is creamy and glides on smoothly but you have to be careful as it breaks easily. It happened in one I owned just because I put on a little pressure while applying it on my lips. That's all for now. I'll be back again with another Gosh Lipstick post. Thanks for dropping by and feel free to visit my page again and/or leave a comment below. 

My Friday and some lipstick swatches

Every Friday I'm out of the flat. Eating out in some fast food chains and doing some window shopping. Then the weekly grocery shopping. But today it is different as no one will be with me. So I had to stay home. Before I went to bed last night I decided how my day will go. Will try to take some photos for this blog. Will pack some goods for my cargo this coming December. And clean up the room. Alas, the day is about to end I haven't accomplished much. It started when I woke up late. Woke up at 9 instead of 6 as I originally planned. I was dying to watch all the episodes of Aldub as well but then I overslept! And when I woke up ended up reading my favorite blog then watched some clips via YouTube. What a day.  

Here's the swatches of the lipsticks I own. Taken using aperture mode and during my lunch break last week. My Sony Alpha 6000 will be one year old soon and yet I haven't master it at all. I still suck. As of the lipsticks I planned to write each post but even that until now is just well a PLAN! But I will try. 

Photo taken when I placed my hand under the brightest light in the room. But the messy background is not a good sight for me to take photos which led me to my original plan weeks ago to clean up the room especially the floors and the corners! Hay buhay OFW. I always end up not doing it as every night I am too tired to do anything else. 

Clear photo because I used the Auto Mode of my camera and sadly I'll be using much of it. Sad because it means that I'm not improving at all. Well the day is not yet over but instead of sulking because I lack the photography skills I'll try to at least finish something before I go to bed again. Bye for now! Hope you are enjoying your Friday :)

Daiso Product #13: Lemon Peeling Gel

Daiso Lemon Peeling Gel

Price: 7.00AED @ Daiso Dubai Mall

Made in Korea

Peeling gel is a product from Asia that's serve as a cleanser. Not only for the face but also for the body. It is an a very gentle exfoliant that uses fruit enzymes to remove dead skin cells. The most popular brand right now is the Cure Aqua Gel which happens to be expensive and unavailable in UAE market. Thankfully good old Daiso decides to release their own version of peeling gel. I think this is a new product from Daiso. I purchased it from Daiso Dubai Mall and haven't seen it yet in other branches. Daiso Lemon Peeling Gel.

Nectar of Nature and LCS Wax Strips

Good morning/good evening wherever you are in the world guys. Well a week ago I have seen over the Instagram a quote that says don't keep on trying to make a living that you forget to live your life. I can't help but to smirk at the said quote. It is easier than done. And once again I asked myself the same question that I asked a countless times before 'what exactly am I living for?'. For me having a good life means having a balanced work and personal life. But then I think that concept might exists only in a few countries, mostly in European countries I heard. But that idea is totally unknown to the rest of the world. Rich people are too busy how to become richer at the expense of little people like us. Not having enough time for myself is my rant of the day. I know I am not the only one in this boat. Sorry guys that I have to share my rant first before going on into details about the product I'm about to introduce to you. I'm feeling bad because there are so many things that I want to do like general cleaning of the whole room/flat but after writing this post I need to go out and pay bills. Then shop for food that I am about to cook later. And before I know it the day is over. The place now looks like a mini warehouse. But what to do yani? This is the life over here. And this is my life. Who knows one day some good changes might come my way.

I'm not going to sell them. I purchased them when they had a sale last month on Carrefour. Each box costs 1AED only. And maybe it was for one day only. Because when I came back after a week they were back on their original prices and not only that those prices increased a little too. Guys if you are here on my page hoping to see an in depth review and dissecting the information about this product then I'm sorry to disappoint you. This is a personal blog where I write my rants/experiences in life and beauty products like this happens to be a part of my life. The purpose is for me to introduce the product. Or spreading awareness that such product/brand exists. I'm always after brands that are affordable and easily available and if ever that are having a massive sale then I would like to share that information too.

Nectar of Nature underarm wax strips ~ I had been buying this brand since forever but I don't use it on my underarms. I'm using it on my legs. I have a small legs because I am petite so this one is enough for me. Price was 8.75AED they it went on sale for only 1AED and after the sale it becomes 10.75AED! If I had know that they will be increasing the price I should have taken all the items on the shelves that day. I don't know how often I use wax strips but as soon as I feel some hairs growing on my legs I remove them immediately. I don't have flowery words to describe this brand but I can assure you that it can do the job properly and this is the cheapest brand in the market. 

Nectar of Nature face wax strips ~ I had been buying it too for the longest time but then I don't use it on my face. I'm using it on my legs especially when there are just small areas that the bigger strips missed. I went on sale for only 1AED so I hoarded a little. Good thing is after the sale it did not have any increase on price. So maybe when I finished all the boxes I'll stick to this strip.

Nectar of Nature ~ a name to remember when looking for an affordable line of toiletries or skin care. It is a French brand with a goal to create products that every household can afford. Admit it everywhere the prices are increasing so it is good to know that there are still companies that cares. That's why I just can't help but shake my head whenever I see an overpriced items. Would you believe that other brands of wax strips in the Carrefour are insanely expensive? Double the price of Nectar of Nature! Duh!

Nectar of Nature and LCS are both brands under one company. I don't know why they have to introduced two brands anyway when both are the same when it comes to performance and price range. Or well maybe aside from packaging the ingredients used on both products might be different. Haven't read/inspected the box yet. 

LCS mini gentle wax strips ~ it used to be 8.75AED before the sale of 1AED each and now the current price is 10.75AED. I don't like it much because even if it is supposed to be gentle this is most stickier of them all and sometimes hurt a bit. But then if Nectar of Nature is nowhere to be found I will still choose it than the other brands in the UAE market.

Country of Origin and Ingredients for those who cares. Okay guys thank you for visiting my page. Thank you for reading this post. Comments are welcome just don't be rude. And I'm about to throw out the boxes now to lessen the mess in my little room/flat. Hopefully I'll have a time like this again so I can take more photos and get to share them. Yes as much as possible I write a separate post on each product that I'm using. If you have any suggestions about affordable products I can try on please feel free to say so. Ciao!

Essence Makeup Haul Part 6

August is my birth month and recently I celebrated my birthday. I'm not the type who would tell people that it's my birthday. Having a party is not my thing. But then as my friend says I should be happy and celebrate it as life is meant to be celebrated. Well what can he expect from the drama queen like me? And because of my birthday I decided to treat myself to some make up. But honestly it left me with guilt feelings afterwards as I barely wear make up and it might just be one of those items I purchased but I never use. Anyway, I can't return these anymore and I opened them already so since I have I might as well share them with you through photos:

Essence is a brand of make up from Germany. And so far it still holds the top spot of being the most affordable makeup in UAE. The only shops I know that carries them are the Carrefour in Oasis Mall and Geant in IBN Battura. But if I were you don't bother visiting Geant as they seem to be always out of stock unlike Carrefour Express that seems to replenish the items from time to time.

It is so affordable that I'm able to have an almost complete collection. I have all the lipstick shades that I like. I think I also have all the shades/line of lipgloss. All the shades of Essence Silky Touch Blush. And I don't know what has gotten into me that I purchased a lot of Essence Mono Eyeshadows and now as I think about it I should have just spent the money into buying another Timberland Boots. Each Essence Mono Eyeshadow costs only 9.00AED. While the Essence Silky Touch Blush in Sweetheart costs only 23.00AED. That's all for now. Thanks for dropping by. Will post some swatches as soon as I get time to take photos.