Empty Bottle 10: Corine De Farme Hand Cream ♚

Wow I am already in my 10th product in my de-cluttering project posts. As I have said if I will do it on every day basis then probably at the end of this year the room will be totally mess free. And as of hand creams I do not know anymore how many brands I've used in the past. My hands are always dry no matter what is the season. Although nowadays I don't buy any hand creams and it is another long story.

Corine De Farme

Hand Cream

Price: 13.00AED
Made in France

Purchased in Carrefour

I'll end this post quick. Corine De Farme's selling point is their products are made of organic ingredients. Perfect for those people who are using organic products only. So far I can't think of any cons with any Corine De Farme products I tried. Some are expensive while some are affordable. But this hand cream is not always available in Carrefour. I would not mind repurchasing again in the future once I am done with all the products I currently own. That's all. Thanks for dropping by. Till next time ☺

Empty Bottle 9: Baby Bench Bubble Gum ♚

And welcome to another edition of my project which is de-cluttering the room. How? Finish off all the products I'm having. But not buying anything afterwards. As I will assess what are the items that I really need and not just want. And todays post is about Baby Bench Bubble Gum Cologne. Bench is a Philippine Brand. [It is sad because the last time I was home I have seen most of their clothes are Made in PRC ~ I'm not against products being Made in PRC but with this company what I'm seeing is a lot of Filipinos would have been the one doing those jobs. If money is an issue with the company then why get so many endorsers then? I'll buy from this product only if it is Made in Philippines. And there's a flutter in my heart whenever I see brands here that says Made in Philippines.] Sorry about the Segway as I had been wanting to voice it out a long time ago. But anyway I don't judge people who still patronizes the brand it is just my opinion though and I am not exactly sure what is happening inside that company.

 

Bench Baby Cologne

Bubble Gum

Price: 8.00AED

Made in Philippines

Bought at Safeer Mall, UAE

 

This is widely available across the UAE. I don't have much to say as for the product review. We all know that cologne is a kind of perfume but with higher quantity of water hence it is not concentrated. Scent is based on a persons preference. Sadly I have now forgotten what it smells like as it has been years since I used it. And this bottle has just been sitting in the drawer together with the other unfinished bottles of body mists.

I hope they will improve it by putting a spray. Because I think spray will be more economical. Sometimes upon using can't help that some will be wasted. And if it is in spray form bottle I would have try using it as room spray. The same way I am doing with a body mist.

Product Information: To be honest I did not bother reading it. Purchased it upon seeing Made in Philippines. 

One of my Indian colleagues love it so much that she's requesting it as 'pasalubong' every time some one will go home in Philippine for vacation. And that's all for today. Thanks for dropping by. More de-cluttering posts from me to come.

Empty Bottle 8: Corine De Farme Wash ♚

Corine De Farme

Body and Intimate Care Wash

Price: 16.00AED
Made in France

Corine de Farme is a French brand of budget cosmetics and available in Carrefour across the UAE. One of their products that I tried was Corine de Farme Body and Intimate Wash. In short this is a body wash and women can also use it in their intimate areas. Only women uses feminine wash so I would assume the target market for this product are women.

 

The selling point of all Corine de Farme products are it is said to made of organic ingredients. So it is perfect for those people who uses only organic products but at the same time budget conscious.

 

It smells good but I did not use it as body wash but only as a feminine wash not because I don't want to but because that time I was trying to finish off at least 3 opened bottles of body washes in the bathroom. I would not mind purchasing this again, that is if I will finish all my stocks right now. At least it is another bottle down with my own 'Pan Project' or operation declutter the room.

That's all for now.

Thanks for dropping by.

Go ahead and try Corine de Farme and you would not regret it.

Brands For Less Online ♥

When it comes to underwear I want something simple and affordable. I don't go to fancy shops like La Senza or Victoria's Secret. Whenever I need underwear I go to only one shop: Tchibo.

 

Well Tchibo and Brands For Less are one company in UAE. I'm writing this post as this is the first time that I tried their online shopping. I was at their shop to buy some new brassiere but I can't find my size so I opted to check their website.

Price: I got the cheapest brassiere I can find in UAE market but cheap does not equate to poor quality. All my brassieres are from Tchibo and I can attest that they are all good quality. They are all still in good condition.

Ease Of Use: This is what makes the online shopping for Brands For Less stand out rather than me 'visiting' all their shops across the country.

There was a time that only Aramex is the only shipping company widely available in UAE. Those days are gone. And they are so expensive anyway. When I ordered from Brands For Less ~ I became aware of another shipping company called Fetchr.

 

 

No need to call anyone. All I have to do is to check the link they sent to my email for me to know the status of my order. My order has taken 5 days and it is understandable because maybe the stocks are in different branches.

 

 

When my order was ready for delivery I received an SMS with a link. All you have to do is to open the link and options are there. What day and time you want your package. And the link will find your location which makes it easier for them to find your place.

Saves me a lot of time. It has taken me only minutes in ordering. Inexpensive items. Low shipping fee. What more can I ask for? Will definitely do an online transaction with them in the future if I will need anything. And that item happens to be available in their shop.

Here's what I purchased. It is hard for me to find brassiere because I prefer inexpensive, simple, no wire and no thick padding. But I need a thin padding so my nipples won't be showing. That's all for now. Thanks for dropping by. Go ahead and try ordering from Brands For Less too.

Bath and Body Works Aromatherapy Body Scrub ♥

There are far too many things on my mind and so opted to write a post entry here to somehow divert my attention for a while. And since there is nothing much happening in my UAE life right now ~ what else the topic of my post will be? But another skin care product. Enjoying it while it lasts.

 

First week of April for the first time the Bath and Body Works Aromatherapy has been included in sale. It was buy 3, take 3 and so I grabbed the chance to purchase all the variants of body lotions. Second week of April again they were up to another sale. The hand soaps for only 10AED and that's 75% off dearies. Again I made a purchase as it was my first time ever to try their hand soaps. Which in the end I'm using those hand soaps as body gels ☺.. Come third week of April and Bath and Body Works does not seem to want to stop giving out promotions! Buy 1, take 1 for Aromatherapy line and True Blue Spa line. Needless to say I was not able to resist the temptation as I was in line to buy.

 

Aromatherapy and True Blue Spa are located near the cashier of the shop. As it looks like their main attraction or lead stars are the Signature Collection which I already tried last year (still got some items from that line) and the two said collection are just the last collection you'll ever see or check. And now methinks these are often on sale just so people patronizes Signature Collection might enjoy them too. So buyers would end up alternating between them and the Signature Collection. Now want to see what I got for myself this time?

 Tada!! Bath and Body Works Aromatherapy Body Scrub in Stress Relief Eucalyptus Tea and Sensual Blackcurrant Vanilla. I don't seriously think I need it but I badly want to try it. I don't do body scrub as the first one I tried years ago hurt my skin. So I never repeated it ever again well except now. And I'm planning on using it on armpit detox thing. And this armpit detox thing is another long story. Ugh.

I was planning on purchasing several items for giving it as gifts to some friends and relatives BUT my budget did not allow me to do so. In this case, I am hoping they will have this sale again next month or at least in June when there is a Dubai Summer Sale. One friend will have her birthday on June. One relative I will meet on August if my plans push through. And of course my relatives in the Philippines on Christmas.

Don't laugh. It is better to shop early than late. But those are just plans as of now. As I am not yet sure I'll come cross again with another promotion like this. But if in case they would not then I'll just look for another brand to buy as gifts.

I was multi tasking over lunch when I have taken this photos and as end result one of the dishes I was cooking got burnt. Geez, imagine me over lunch washing clothes. Cooking rice. Cooking fried chicken. Cooking my lunch and then eating lunch. And boiling some eggs too. Anyhow that's over and another lesson learned anyway. I will stop trying to be Super Woman.

That's all for today and now I will do some research about scrubbing armpits. If you want to be updated in the future promotions of Bath and Body Works follow them on Twitter and Instagram. And last but not the least each bottle of this scrub costs 60AED if purchase on regular price.

Going back to MAC ♥︎

Even when I hit puberty I was not interested in make up. The only time I used one was when I started working. In the Philippine setting though I am not sure if until now this practice exists as I had been out of the country for a decade now, having a pleasing personality also includes women wearing make up. I used to work as a service crew and the manager would scold me if I will be in the store with my bare face. I don't have make up. I don't mind women going crazy about make up but for me it feels like it should be optional. It is our own money so we should get to decide if it should goes into buying make up or not. It is our face then we should decide if we want to paint it or not.

When I came here to UAE to work I was glad that wearing a make up is not a must. Although there was a manager who suggested make up to me. Suggested. Not forced. And I was like sure why not? I will not lose anything upon trying. Well that episode lasted only for a few months and back then the end results on my face was bad. As I was not able to take care of my skin properly. Like falling asleep with the make up on. So I guess young women should learn first how to take care of their skin before learning how to put make up on. But even if I'm not wearing make up on daily basis once in a while if I am in the mood I would love to wear it.

Circa 2012 t0 2013 for the first time in my life I was interested in red lipstick. Something I avoided all my life thinking it was only for fair skinned people. And I would look like a slut in wearing one. Back then I was using Revlon, Maybelline and Rimmel. Now I can't remember which brand it was that red lipstick would bleed on my lips unlike the other colors. One Twitter user on my loop suggested to me the Russian Red from Mac. So with my eyes half closed I went ahead and purchased the said lipstick from Mac. My first ever lipstick from Mac. My first ever expensive make up. It was a big leap for me.

Mac has been around in the UAE market as far as I can remember but I don't go ever prior to me buying the Russian Red. Well buying make up for me and expensive one was and IS a crime in my pocket. But me wearing the Russian Red did not last long. I left that lipstick in Manila. I got tired of it easily as I realized I don't want people's attention on my red lips. I'm not the type who want to be stared at or be in a middle of attention. But then I still want to use a lipstick every once in a while. So from glaring red my attention shifted to neutral colors and lipgloss. At least that way I can put something on my lips and people will think that there's something different in my face but can't figure it out. Haha.

I can't remember right now the name of my first Mac lipgloss but I remember the price too well. It has costed me 130AED for a tube that I used for only a month! And so by the 3rd quarter of 2014 I started buying lip products under different brand names in the quest of finding similar to Mac but inexpensive. I have those lip and cheek tints thinking I would save money by having them. And between 2014 to 2015, in less than a year in fact. Unintentionally I accumulated at least 30 pieces or so of lip products. I wish to share photos but those are stashed here, there and everywhere. Each bag of mine seems to have a lip product. Some are at work. 

I'm the type who does not want to waste a product I purchased. A product wasted is a money wasted. But sadly seems that most of the lip products are heading that way now. Not unless someone is willing to use it. If I were to use them all seems like I would need to retouch every 5 minutes just to finish them all. And this got me thinking. If I were to round up all those products I think the price would be around 800AED. Pretty stupid of me huh? In the long run as I tried to find a brand that would replace Mac I ended up spending more money. 

Une Beauty is a French brand. I think their lipstick is superior to Mac in lesser price but they don't have the same colors of Mac that I want. Essence is a German brand and cheapest in UAE market but then again I'm not too happy with the colors. Wet and Wild is a US brand and said to be lipsticks that are perfect dupe for Mac lipsticks but I find them too drying for my lips. Gosh is a Danish brand of make up and the price is higher than Essence but lower compare to Une and Mac, but their lipstick happened to be extra creamy that it breaks easily.

Mac is insanely expensive in UAE market but then if you will think about it nothing comes cheap in this place anyway. And Mac would not have a cult of customers if they didn't get their lipstick formula right. But for me they seem to create colors that will have dupes but cannot be totally replicate. I'm drooling over their nudes. But can't have one just yet.

And so with this experiences I can see myself going back to Mac. But definitely not this year. I'm not a make up junkie. But I can't be without a single lipstick. Even though I'm not using it on daily basis. My plan? Geez. Will try so hard to finish off all these lip products I own. Painfully. Before they expires. And I get to finish them I'll go ahead and get myself at least 2 lipsticks from Mac. And I thought I was being frugal when I purchased those inexpensive products. And as of minimalism it would be better to have 2 tubes lying around rather than how many pieces scattered in every drawer eh?

Empty Bottle 7: Olay Instant Smoothing Serum ♚

As I've said I had been cleaning the flat. Well I'm always cleaning the flat but what I mean is decluttering. I mean whatever beauty products I have I'm using them all now to finish them off. And so I can throw away the boxes and bottles. And whatever empty bottles that had been lying around for whatever reason I'm looking for them and disposing them. There are still at least 270 days left before the year ends. And if I'll keep on doing it imagine if there will be 270 items out of the flat. No matter how little those items are. It would be a big help. Today I'm sharing Olay Instant Smoothing Serum.

Olay Instant Smoothing Serum

Price: 55.00AED
Purchased at Safeer Mall

I bought this last February 2015. How I wish I knew exactly what was on my mind back then that I just visited Safeer Mall and purchase less than 10 beauty items. Loreal. Ponds. Olay. Garnier. It would have been okay if I used them all up. But what happened was I used them. Keep them and forget about them. Only this year when I decided to finish them off one by one. And out of all those products I purchased the first one I finished is this:

Price: this is actually an inexpensive serum. I don't think I can still find another serum in the market with the price tag lower than this.

Verdict: I used only one bottle so I can't speak about the long term effect of this product. As it promises to be an anti ageing and so much more that I did not bother to read at all. BUT it is very true to its name as an instant smoothing serum. Upon usage you'll feel that your face is smooth enough and moisturized enough which makes it easier to apply other products like if you will be applying a BB cream or blush on. Or any make up of your choice. 

This is much better than having a cap. You just twist it to open and close. Unlike with cap that might fall and lose. The packaging is simple. Unlike the cute packaging from some Asian products. And the I think it is quite a bold statement saying it is 7 in one.

As of now I can't tell yet if I will repurchase as I've said that I still have other products that I must finish soon. And maybe when I'm done with all the products I will stop for a while and reassess my needs for cosmetics. I'm not getting any younger and so my wants/needs in life are changing.

This is the photo of the product and I have it is visible as I used up everything and thrown the bottle away. This is thick and transparent cream. So there's no way that it would leave a white cast on the face.

Tada!!! When spread. This is actually light weight. And you wont feel it sitting on your skin. So if you will not really think about its promises you will not find something wrong with this, if you will just see it as make up base and moisturizing serum. And that would be all for now. Thanks for dropping by. Till my next post again. Which would probably be about another cosmetic product again. Nothing really exciting going on in my life right now that I can't think much to share.

Upcoming vacation and Empties ♚

I created this blog to serve as my online diary. Where I can keep a record of my life as an OFW here in the UAE. And of course where I can vent out all my rants/issues/problems that I can't easily share with families and friends. But nowadays I don't rant much. Instead I had been sharing either beauty products or just little tidbits. That is because I'm trying so hard to be positive. Especially now that I am about to do something major in my life. 

This July 16, 2016 marks my 10th anniversary since I left the Philippines. The day I landed UAE for the first time. And oh, how I almost cry when I experienced how hot it was. Yeah I know Philippines is a hot country too but at least there is a rain. And even if it is hot the water is cold that you can just take a shower. And beaches tend to be cool too. 

All those years I focused on working. It has been all work and no play. Not even taking a vacation on my home country not until my beloved grandfather passed away ~ and every time this memory can bring a tear to my eye. This is the only thing that can make me cry nowadays. But after working hard all these years I just feel empty and sometimes I wonder what really is my purpose on this earth? And why I am still alive?

For the first time in a decade, I will be taking a vacation that will last up to 40 days. There's always a first time in everything. I never really took a vacation this long. Except my 2 days off. Holidays which was less than 10 days in a year and if the management choose to be crazy they'll take away that from us. My longest vacation was a year ago and it didn't even last up to one month. So this long overdue vacation is really a big deal to me.

And no I will not go in my home country. I will be somewhere else. On my own. Alone. I'm more of excited than thinking about the bad things that could happen. As we all know seems like no country is safe anymore with the terrorism that's happening all over the world. But I couldn't care less. Because finally this is the time for myself. This is my reward. And so if something bad happens at least I get to enjoy this life of mine even just a little. Even in the most simple things. I don't pray. But this time I'm praying that embassy will grant me a visa.

It is still 3 months to go before my upcoming vacation. And maybe I will apply for a visa next month or on June. Actually I wanted to apply for a visa as soon as possible in that way if they reject me I can still plan for another trip somewhere else. This is the thing that sucks if you are holding a Philippine passport. You need visa to enter so many countries. And preparing documents is not that easy. If they will approve the visa I'd book a flight right away while some flights are still on sale. And the ticket I will present to the embassy is just a dummy from a travel agency.

And so while I'm waiting for that trip to materialize I keep on cleaning the flat. Decluttering the place. And since I'm decluttering, all my posts will be all about skin care products. I've gone crazy since 2014 and accumulated so much. Girl Problems. But I can see myself totally abandoning purchasing make up and other products soon. But for now here are the products I will be sharing some time as I already have them and just need to finish them off:

Empty Bottle 6: Neutrogena Oil Free Acne Wash

And here I am with another empties post series. I found this bottle the other day I can't remember anymore why I still have it as I emptied it more than a year ago. So I have taken photos before throwing it away.

 

Neutrogena Oil Free Acne Wash

Facial Wash

Price: not more than 50AED

As I have said this is already an old bottle. And let me share the story behind this. Before circa 2014 I had been using facial wash like Ponds and Loreal. Then I got tired of it because no matter how I clean my face I always have white heads on my nose. Yes those white heads made me spent a fortune as I tried so hard to banish them for good. So after Ponds and Loreal I switched to RDL face soap but still nothing happened.

 

Then I came across some write ups saying that white heads actually are acne or pimples and so I thought anything can cure an acne can cure the white heads too. And it has been told that an oil free face wash is good for acne. And it has Salicylic Acid. So as soon as I saw this Neutrogena on discount, but I can't remember anymore the price before and after the discount. I bought it without blinking. Even though that time I was the type who would not spent more than 30AED just for a face wash.

Results?: It dried out my skin and upon smelling it I feel like drowning (and some sensation I can't understand and I can't stand). I would not mind the drying part as I can splash some moisturizer on my face but then it did not help me out with my little friends on my nose. I still have to use nose strips twice a week to lessen them. I was able to finish this bottle in spite of my dislike to as I used it alternately with some other gentle wash. But I vowed never again with this brand. Or any brands claiming to fight off acne.

And that's all for now.
Thanks for dropping by.
Till my next post again.
With stories about my quest in having a perfect skin in spite of having a tight budget ☺

Empty Bottle 5: VS Secret Charm Body Mist

Victoria's Secret Body Mist Secret Charm

Honeysuckle and Jasmine

Price Old Packaging: 70.00AED

Price New Packaging: Not sure if this scent is still available

Made in USA

 

Another 'Empty Bottle' post in my aim to finish all my stash in the house and throw out all the empty bottles lying around. Today is another product from Victoria's Secret. Victoria's Secret is a US brand of lingerie and cosmetics and I am quite a new customer. It started only last October and Victoria's Secret Secret Charm body mist is one of the VS products I owned and managed to finish.

 

Price: It is too expensive for me. Instead of buying it from Victoria's Secret Beauty Store in Dubai, I made the purchase from Xpression Style in Safeer Mall as their price is quite lower and actually closer to the US Price. I got this for only 39.75AED and as of this writing it is on promo, that you can get 3 bottles for only 99AED.

 

Scent: It said to be Honeysuckle and Jasmine. And yes it gives off that flowery and feminine scent. I mean it is not strong to trigger my headache. Just a lovely subtle scent. Not screaming that yes I am wearing it.

 

Longevity: I mostly used it as spray for the room, curtains, clothes and walls. Sadly in spite of it smelling good, the scent doesn't really lasts long. I'm lucky if it can stay for at least an hour but sadly it does not. And as of using it as a spray to 'kill' the smell of food coming from cooking ~ I need to pour the whole bottle in the whole flat which isn't economical.



This is the best photo I have ☺
Anyway I still have Secret Charm Body Butter and Secret Charm Body Wash which I'm trying to finish off soon. Means I still have far too many products to go and write about soon. Will I repurchase? No. I got this variant just to try it out and since the scent cannot last long I don't see the need of repurchasing it. Not unless it comes back in a stronger scent. And actually when I'm done with all the body mists I own I think I'll try the concentrated room spray from Bath and Body Works since my main concern right now is how to keep the room smells good even while I'm cooking.

And that's all for now.
Thanks for dropping by.
Till my next empties post again.
And I think there's more to come.

Why I became crazy to South Korean Skin Care

I had been hearing/reading the name Lee Min Ho but I don't know why it didn't capture my interest back then. The same way that I had been seeing Big Bang in my FB home feed. Maybe I was too busy? That I didn't even ask Google? I am not too sure what am I doing back then. Anyhow, fast forward 2013 when I downloaded Boys Over Flower. And please don't judge me as that is the only way for me to have a copy. I have done so because they told me how cute the series was. But then the copy has been in my external disk for months before I finally decided to watch it. I think it was between late 2013 to early 2014. Boom! I realized that I really was living under the rock for such a long time. It turned out that Boys Over Flower is South Korean version of my beloved Meteor Garden. And my oh my only then I understood why were women of all ages go crazy over him. After watching Boys Over Flower I downloaded again handful of Korean Dramas.

 

Between 2014 to early 2015 I can't remember anymore just how many Korean Dramas I had seen. At some point I had to stop not because I'm not enjoying watching them anymore but because I spent nights awake trying to finish a series which is not actually healthy at all. 2016 came and seems like there are less and less torrents available and I don't know why. Anyway out of all the Korean Dramas I have seen there's one thing that I noticed with all the Korean actors. They have radiant skin. And no not because they have a white skin. Almost all Filipino actors do have white skin. And so Americans. British. Europeans. But I was drawn into the skin of Korean actors. Their skin looks dewy but not in oily yucky way. They have the skin that I only dream of. Seems like whiteheads in the nose and sun spots are unheard and uncommon in South Korea.

 

Needless to say I was introduced to South Korean Skin Care products because of that. I thought I too would have that kind of skin if I will be using the products they are using. Aside from the skin care products I purchased some make up too. Well I also like Japanese products but here in UAE it is easier to get Korean products than Japanese products. And the prices are quite lower too. I think the only Japanese skin care line in Dubai is the ever expensive SK-II. I'm sharing only 5 products in one photo. As my other products are stashed somewhere in the room.

The FaceShop Rice Ceramide Moisturizer

Secret Key Essence

Skinfood Peach Pore Sake Serum

Skinfood Tomato Emulsion

Skinfood Peach Pore Sake Toner

Initial impression: Almost all the products are tempting because of cute packaging, colors and names. And sometimes because of the models too even though I don't know their names at all. Those product names and supposed to be ingredients sound like a break through or something like that in the world of skin care. Their constant use of words nature too helps quite a bit. Now what did I get from using Korean skin care products for more than a year now?

Well my main concern is the never ending white heads on my nose. I guess sometimes men cannot really go against nature. Because naturally our noses secrete oil the most in our face so when there is an oil then having white heads can be inevitable. Products can only hold off the oil for a few hours but not totally discard the white heads. It is in control but then I can't really attribute it to the usage of Korean skin care products.

Please don't get me wrong I'm not going to bash the Korean skin care products nor the Korean skin care regime. What I'm trying to say is they are GOOD but being good does not mean they are the BEST in the whole world. But I still use them or will buy them because as they are fun to use. The good thing that came out of all of this is now I have a hydrated and supple skin. In spite of some issues are still there. Their regime can be confusing and overwhelming at first but you'll be fine once you get used to it. I'm just a little bit busy with other tidbits in my life but soo I will be sharing about the South Korean Skin Care Regime and whatever products I own. Ciao!

Empty Bottle 4: VS Sheer Love Body Mist

Victoria's Secret Body Mist Sheer Love

White Cotton and Pink Lily

Price Old Packaging: 70.00AED

Price New Packaging: 85.00AED

Made in USA

Sorry can't find any better photos than this. I guess empty bottle or any bottle is quite harder to capture in photos than other items. Anyway this is the continuation of my Empty Bottle Post Series. First of all I am not exactly crazy about perfumes or body mists from Victoria's Secret. Last year when I made a purchase from the shop for me to get the items in much lower price I have chosen to buy in bundle. Simply put last year any Victoria's Secret Fantasy Line product costs 70AED and that is expensive, right? But they have bundle options that you can get 3 items for 145AED or you can get 5 items for 200AED. And so I have chosen the latter. So my haul last year from Victoria's Secret was body butter, body lotion, body cream, body wash and body mist. And there are other shops out there too that offers VS body mists in much lower price than getting it directly from a VS Beauty Store. One of those shops is the Xpression Style at Safeer Mall.

In short I purchased Victoria's Secret body mist just to try it out. Nothing more, nothing less. Then I became a little obsessed with body mists not particularly from Victoria's Secret only this year. When by accident I found out that body mist is a good room and clothes spray. For the longest time I don't know what to do in this small flat as every time I cook the smells hung in the walls, curtains and the clothes. I have given up on air fresheners as expensive they are but totally useless as their scents last for a few seconds only and the food smell overpowers it. I tried using a Bath and Body Works body mist and voila! It seemed to solve the 'smell' problems. 

Bath And Body Works body mist lasts longer than Victoria's Secret body mist and I'm sorry because I don't have much brands of body mist here and so I can only compare these two brands that happened to be from the same company. I'm not too sure how long did I use this bottle as I would use it every time, every chance I have even if I am not cooking. Well because the smell from other flats goes in here too like if a neighbor is smoking or worst cooking fish in wee hours of the morning. And I used it alternately with other BBW mists which would be the next in my Empties Post Series some other time. I was not able to take a photo properly of Ingredients for those who are interested, I tried but to no avail.

Let me just share that this body mist in Xpression Style at Safeer Mall costs only 39.75AED. While at the Centrepoint across the UAE they are offering it for 55.00AED. And in the V Brand Gallery in Dubai Outlet Mall they are selling it for 53.00AED. Some small shops carry it too like Giant Store or Manila Grocery Store in Ajman. I'm just not sure about their prices. And this month Xpression Style has a promo of buy 3 pieces for only 99.00AED. Victoria's Secret did not phase out body mist. What they have done is put it in new packaging and sell it in a higher price. They can do so as they can get away with it. Maybe a flock of customers would still support it though. Yeah, I am bitter with the price increase. Because I love Sheer Love and I would not mind buying another bottle again. But with the price increase when I finished all the bottles of my body mists time for me again to move and look for another brand that hopefully cheaper.

What I like about Victoria's Secret body mist ~ the smell is subtle. Not too strong to set off my headache. But when I use it for my closet and clothes the smell lasts longer. And I'm using this as well for the bedsheets and pillow cases. But unfortunately for the curtains and as a room spray I can't say the same as it lasts for only an hour. And I would need to keep on reapplying them again. Which is not affordable in the long run as I would be needing a lot of it. But even so I'd say it is still much better than an air freshener. But anyway I still have other scents of body mist from Victoria's Secret that I am using now and observing if they will be the same as Sheer Love. 

Empty Bottle 3: VS Deep Softening Body Butter Sheer Love

When I was trying to take photos for this post; I was not aiming for a creative photography as I have given up on that I was just trying to get a clear and clean photos. And I already set my camera into Auto Mode. So anyway as I was taking snap shots the more I realized that this little room has so many items that has became a clutter. I ran out of good space where I can put the product and take a photo without too many things in the background. Hence, I am in the right path of using whatever I have and not buying anything until every thing has been cleared up. 

As I have said a few days ago I sort of joined the band wagon of people posting their empty bottles as a way to track down their success of emptying their space towards to simple living. This is not only for well off people because even dirt poor people like me can also have a tendency to own a lot of items. Accumulated in so many ways. Today's Empty Bottle post is about Victoria's Secret Deep Softening Body Butter and I know that I had been talking about it since October as this is my holy grail.

I remember this tube as this was my very first body butter and it has been given to me as a gift ~ don't know what I have done to receive such a gift. But I am thankful. This was the door for me to Victoria's Secret Beauty Store World. As of this writing I don't think you can still find it anywhere as this has been discontinued and beats me if I know why? Maybe this has a low sale or something. You might find some at online shops like Ebay or Amazon but for sure there will be a high price to pay. Sad.

You can see how I emptied the tube that I really love it and I used it up ~ up to the last bit. I know that scent depends from a person's preference. But I happen to love this scent. This is called Sheer Love. Said to be made out of white cotton and pink lily. But I can't remember if I had seen a pink lily before. I had been living here in the UAE for a decade now and if you must know I see tall buildings and sands mostly than trees and flowers. Anyhow this body butter smells floral to me in a good way. I mean it is not too strong to trigger my migraine. But strong enough to stay for a few hours. When I use it before I go to sleep the smell still lingers when I wake up and about to take a shower.

Victoria's Secret Deep Softening Body Butter. To be perfectly honest the claim is true that somehow it helps to have a soft skin but as of moisturizing agents you can find other brands superior than this in cheaper price. But what makes me love it than those better and cheaper brands is the consistency. This is as thick as a mousse but goes soft on skin and sinks in immediately. No greasy or watery feeling that lotions give. So you can wear your clothes immediately and you won't feel any discomfort. I haven't found any other brands that can work like that except this one. In finding a product like this I spent money again as I purchased from Bath And Body Works, The Face Shop, Dirty Works and good old Tati Department Store. And those brands were a let down. Nothing came close to its consistency. Well BBW almost came close but with issues. BBW has an overly sweet scent that ignites my migraine so I can't use it much and it has been sitting in my drawer for weeks now.

Shea and Jojoba Butters ~ this is very common and I see this in all the body moisturizers out there that it boggles me why other brands has to be watery compared to this? I should take a photos soon and post so you will see and understand. And I love to use it whether it is summer or winter. Anyway the winter here lasts up to 2 months only. And I don't even need to wear a jacket during those times. As of the price: used to be 70AED but I did not spend 70AED on all the tubes of Deep Softening Body Butter I own as all the purchased I made was during a promotion. I maybe crazy about it but still I'm careful in spending my hard earned money.

That's all for now.
Thanks for visiting my page.
Till my next empties post.
Ciao!

My Current Favorite: BBW Aromatherapy

Out of all the body moisturizers I've tried the best for me is the body butter. But then not all body butters have the same consistency. Most body butters are just like body cream and tend to be thinner than body cream. The perfect body butter for me is the Victoria's Secret Deep Softening Body Butter which sadly has been discontinued. Yeah I have a few stocks but I will finish it all sooner or later. And so when I'm done whats next that I am going to use? When I don't want to go back to lotion anymore? 

But then Bath and Body Works Aromatherapy line made me use lotion once again. And this is my current favorite. Well it cannot replace the body butter but then I prefer it than other lotions in the market. I love its soothing and calming scents that lasts longer. It has variants of Bath And Body Works Aromatherapy Sleep, Bath And Body Works Aromatherapy Stress Relief, Bath And Body Works Aromatherapy Sensual and Bath And Body Works Aromatherapy Energy.

There are still some variants that can be seen from the US website that is not available here in the UAE market. Or maybe other BBW branches have it as I'm visiting only one branch and that is in Mirdif City Centre. As of the price I find it expensive. Lotion has the lowest price that would cost you 45AED. Body wash would cost 50AED. Body Mist/Pillow Mist retails at 65AED. While the Body Scrub/Body Cream costs 85AED. So because of the said prices I don't think I will be able to try the other products than lotion. I got my lotions when they had a promo of Buy 3, Take 3. Making a bottle for only 22.50AED ~ and I will be waiting again for next promo so I can buy again as I'm planning to give it as a gift to some friends. 

I can only WISH that they will turn this body lotion into a body butter. The only issue I have with it is it is too watery that I had to wait for a while for this to totally sink it to my skin before I wear clothes. I don't like the feel of my wet skin in clothes. But aside from that I don't have any other issues with it.

Bath And Body Works Hand Soaps

For the month of April I visited Bath and Body Works in MCC twice ~ both times I did not came out empty handed. Because both times there was an ongoing promotion. Yes I love Bath and Body Works but this is too expensive for me that I buy only when they are on sale. I wanted to talk to the SA but I was in a hurry. Instead I took my question to their Twitter account. BUT sadly I don't know why do they keep their SNS accounts when no one bother to answer the queries and questions of their supposed to be valued customers. They would not be where they are if not for customers. My question is what is their point in taking the number and name of customers when they stopped sending SMS a long time ago? I used to received SMS whenever they have an upcoming promo but it stopped after their GRAND SALE last January. If I did not stopped by at their shop I wouldn't known about their promotion. Is this a sign for me to stop shopping over there for good? 

Anyway this looks like another haul from Bath and Body Works after I told myself that I would stop buying items not unless I finished all the items that I have in the room. But then I can't help myself because these hand soaps were only 10AED. And the original price is 40AED per bottle. I wanted to try it out for a long time but I can't shell out 40AED just for this. Since I promised myself that it will be the first and last time I have taken 5 bottles. The two are not in the photos anymore as I started using them right away. 

These hand soaps have so many variants that I lost count anymore but I controlled myself so I did not end up getting all the variants. Initially I have chosen only Japanese Cherry Blossoms and Sea Island Cotton and was about to get some more Bath and Body Works Aromatherapy lotions which I'm planning to give as gift to friends. But unfortunately the Aromatherapy line's promotion was good for the first weekend of the month only. Instead the SA offered me the Aromatherapy Hand Soap which I was not aware of. I have taken only 2 bottles. I would have taken more only if I was not in a hurry. 

Japanese Cherry Blossoms ~ whenever the SA says that this is the most popular scent I don't dare to question them as even me this is my number 1 favorite. Even my friends love this scent that I got two bottles of the hand soap. One for me and one for my friend. 

It was my first time to pick up this Sea Island Cotton scent. I can't remember now the smell of it but I know that I chose this because this is not overly sweet unlike the other scents. Haven't use it yet. Maybe next month. I'm just finishing first the bottle that I have in the bathroom.

Bath and Body Works Aromatherapy Sleep Hand Soap ~ didn't even know this line has a hand soap. And I did not notice it. The SA suggested it to me when I returned the Aromatherapy line lotion upon finding out that it is no longer in a promo. 

Admittedly I'm using the Aromatherapy Hand Soap as body wash. But before doing so I asked Google to see/check if other people aside from me are doing it? Don't roll your eyes on me please. All my life I had been using bar soap on my body and I was fine with that. I switched from bar soap to body wash only less than a year ago because I read somewhere that body wash is advisable for people with a very dry skin. And I'm one of those people with insanely dry skin.

After months of using a body wash I'd say there's no actually difference from using a bar soap. Except that body wash feels luxurious. And smells great. That taking a shower using a body wash feels like giving myself a reward after working hard. But the problem with body wash is that it is so expensive. And the great smell does not last long. As you have to rinse yourself. As of dry skin? It is in control now as I'm using body moisturizers night and day. Sometimes even on lunch break I'll put on a moisturizer all over my body. So body wash is not really the answer. Good moisturizer is the answer. And not forgetting about it.

What I'm trying to say is ~ as I need to control my expenses to save money and live simply I stopped stocking up body wash. What I'm currently using are bottles I purchased when there was a sale last year from various shops. I'm just finishing them before going back to bar soap again. But then if these hand soaps can be used as body wash then it will be a win-win situation for me. I would not need to give up on smelling the scent I love on my body while taking a shower but at the same time I would not have to shell out a fortune. If I will use the 4 bottles of hand soaps that I have as body wash I think it will last for a few months more. Just in time again till the shop has another promotion as low as this. But anyway I'm still observing what will happen. But so far so good. I'm just a little ashamed to tell my friends about it as they might find it weird. ☺

Empties Challenge

The other day I was browsing photos in Instagram and I landed on this post called 'Empties Challenge'. Or 'Empties Review'. It means people are finishing off whatever products they have before buying new one again and posting it so they can track down their progress. The other term that they are using is 'Pan Project'. Mostly it is about make up and skin care products. It means I am not alone in this situation. I mean ever since I started this skin care regime thing from 2014 I have purchased quite a lot of products. Then keep them and forget about them. I stopped purchasing months ago but then it came back again this February ~ March because of promotions. It is not healthy anymore. I'm wasting money and space. The money that I should have spent on lunch/food and on vacation. I will try my very best not to purchase anymore. But except on June or Ramadan as The FaceShop goes on promo only once in a blue moon. Yeah the struggle is real but I know I can do it. 

Beats me if I know why I needed ton of them. I would recommend for women to buy this much if something good happened to me but unfortunately not. People can still have a good skin without spending this much. Oh well, at least I learned my lesson. And it did not take me long time to learn. 

Rice Ceramide @ The Face Shop

I was in the Matajer Mall ~ the only mall between Sharjah and Ajman that carries the South Korean store The Face Shop. It has been the second time since last month that I was in that shop. And for the longest time I had been eyeing a moisturizer from the said shop. It has taken me a long time to buy one because honestly I don't need it yet. I will be needing it after a month or so. And they don't even have a promotion. They rarely have a promotion. But then the SA told me that in Ramadan they will have and that's what? More than a month to go! Yay. 

Rice Ceramide Moisturizer Cream

Price: 40AED

Made in South Korea

I purchased it without reading any further reviews of the product. I was attracted to it because of its name. For me it means that this product has a rice extract or something. And being a Filipina I'm used to eating rice all my life. And if it is good for my tummy then it means that it can also be good on my skin. Here's the photo of the product. It is quite small. So you can carry it around in your purse. 

Initial Impression: I used it immediately when I got home. And it feels a little heavy and leaning on the oily side. I wish I can compare it with other Asian or South Korean brands but I can't think of any right now and I haven't tried that much. I mean I may have quite a few face products that are moisturizing too but they are not exactly a moisturizer (Serum, Emulsion, Essence etc..) So I can only compare it with La Roche Posay moisturizers I've tried. LRP tends to be on the lighter side but triple the amount of Rice Ceramide. I will keep it for now but I will definitely use it again. If it won't work on my face then I'll use it in my elbows and knees. Those parts of my body tends to be drier specially now that summer starts to kick in ~ HARD!

Trial packs of Chia Seed No Shine Hydrating Cream are the freebies ~ that is why I love that branch. They are so different from the branch in Mirdif City Center. I will use it next month. And for now I will do some de cluttering of my stuff. Thanks for dropping by.