Sunday 28 June 2015

SLEEK BROW PERFECTOR (LIGHT BROWN) REVIEW


Summer is all about a pop of color and being a lipstick junkee that I am, I usually neglect the power of a well-defined set of brows. 95% of the time, I don't wear eye shadow because, well, that's just not me. However, I've been discovering that you can make your eyes noticeable with some few strokes away.

Most of my recent purchases came from this brand. SLEEK is common on all beauty stores in the UK. If there's one thing that this brand is well-known for, it is that their products are PIGMENTED. As in PIGMENTED, people! I've bought this beauty from Superdrug for £4.99 (Php 350-ish) and here's some info from their site:

This highly-pigmented brow gel fills and shapes brows providing a long-lasting finish. The lightweight, smudge–free formula seals brows in place and brushes on easily for a thicker, natural-looking finish.
  • Great for giving brows definition and taming strays without leaving a stiff looking result
  • The brush combs through every hair for an even finish and will not streak, clump or flake
  • It is also perfectly portable for on-the-go touch-ups anytime

Extra: I got the Light Brown (041) shade and I'm using MAC Ruby Woo below.
*

CMK HAPPY THOUGHTS
Let's start with the packaging. It's super tiny and cute. Yea, I'm a sucker for matte and sophisticated cases, so that's a plus for me. Another is its pigmentation. You literally need one dip and that that's it. No retouch needed, trust me! 

TIP: Product can be too overpowering if you're a beginner. Be careful not to put in too much and remember to go as light as possible (in terms of application). You want to make the brows appear as natural as possible. In case you've overdone it (oops!), not to worry. Get a q-tip (cotton bud), dip it on your fave makeup remover and ever-so-lightly pat the area. Problem solved!


CMK WISHFUL THOUGHTS
Colour selection is too few. This is the lightest shade and unfortunately it doesn't suit my hair colour quite well :( It's darker than I thought it was. Substance hardens my brow hair too. Some bloggers like it, but uhm, I'm not a huge fan of any glued situation, so that's a nay for me. 
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Friday 26 June 2015

CMK LONDON DIARY: WHAT MY (SPRING) DAY LOOKS LIKE?


The mere thought of spring makes everyone happy. Spring signals a new beginning, that more day light will come, that great possibilities are just around the corner. I remember writing a similar what my day looks like post on my London Diary series but that was in Autumn, I guess. I came back in London some time in May, and it's almost spring. Now, spring is in full bloom and summer is just around the corner!

So, really, what does my normal day looks like in Spring?

Alarm clock snoozes off and 99% of the time, I lull on my bed for a couple of minutes. Next, I get up and have some brekky. I usually have cereals but lately, I've been loving my Nutribullet smoothies! I'm not sure if you've heard of them but it's like a tiny blender where you put in all bananas, strawberries, kales (name it) and there you have it... power brekky!



I then take a bath and it's a bit longer this time, thanks to Victoria's Secret Love Spell Body Wash! After which, sun is completely up (on most days) which gives you more energy to go out and catch its warmth. Before that, I open up my Bible and pray. I've been starting to read Ephesians, chapter by chapter. It's not easy, to be honest. But whenever I recall all the time I've spent in social media - I'm all the more determined to take a small portion of my time nourishing my spiritual side.

There's one quote I saw and it's worth sharing:

"Our prayers may be awkward.
Our attempts may be feeble.
But since the power of prayer is in the one who hears it
and not in the one who says it
our prayers do make a difference." -Max Lucado

Next stop, is no other than make-up time! Here are some of my favourite products to date. I've been going cray-cray over contours and bronzers! Woop! Performance level ang peg! I'll put on my work clothes on (depends on my mood, you'll usually see me in dress + white blazer combo these days) and off I go.


I take a national train to work. My flat is 2 stations away from our office hub. Here's a sneak peek of our working area. Such a shame though as we have moved out just recently. They are tearing the whole place down to build a school. Well, there's always another chapter, so they say.

I super love my desk because it's so spacious! I normally use 2 monitors and lately, been bringing my packed lunch with me plus my yummy smoothies. It's during lunch time that I do my groceries. ASDA is just some few walks away so yeah, might as well do something fun during my free time.


Fast forward 6 pm, it's time to head home. That's what I appreciate in western culture, they have work-life balance in the truest sense of the word. I remember one time that I stayed until 6:45 and my boss said things can wait, work will always be there so I need to go home. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is one of the many reasons why I love my company. It's such a blessing in so many ways!

So I go home and say hello to my room! It's more of a reality situation rather than a picture-worthy one guys! :P
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Wednesday 24 June 2015

MAYBELLINE FIT ME! CONCEALER (HIGHLIGHTER) REVIEW


Maybelline Fit Me Concealer comes in 6 shades (Fair, Light, Medium, Sand, Deep, & Cafe). However, most drugstores in the UK retail Light (10), Medium (25) and Sand (20). Each tube contains 0.23 fluid ounces and costs roughly £6.00 (around Php 400).

Being a true to form late bloomer, I only got enticed to try concealers / highlighters quite recently. Well, it all began when I fancied watching Youtube tutorials of contouring and stuff, the rest is history :) So guys! Beware, it's quite addicting. Make sure to muster up will powers specially when you pass by Boots or Superdrug (or any beauty shops for that matter).


CMK HAPPY THOUGHTS
Almost all blog reviews tout this as a perfect dupe for NARS Radiant Creamy concealer (which costs £22, by the way!) It's almost 4x costlier than the dupe. Maybelline totally won the price war, hands down. I like the consistency of this product. It's not too heavy but the coverage is buildable. My favorite use for this is it being a highlighter. 

Tip 1: Create an inverted triangle on your eyebag area then pat it using your ring finger. You can also do the same on your forehead (just a tinyyy amount) and on your cupid's bow (lips).
Tip 2: Everyone's different but I usually follow this formula: Primer + Foundation + Concealer.

I currently use THIS primer and my all time favourite foundation, HERE.



CMK WISHFUL THOUGHTS
I got mine in Light (10) shade and I've been using this for a while now. noticed that the product tend to wear off after 8 to 10 hours. You can see traces of crease if you'll look closely (especially on the under eye area) but it's not significantly obvious from afar. As such, it's best to use a setting powder to prolong the effect. You can either dab your favorite foundation or use a loose powder after doing your makeup. Colour options are not that elaborate compared to NARS.
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Sunday 21 June 2015

GARNIER MICELLAR WATER CLEANSING REVIEW



Hi Loves! It's 7:56 am London time and boy, I am in the mood to blog today! Woot! This side of me comes by rarely, let's make the most of it! Right, so I was walking past Waterloo station to ride a Bakerloo underground tube when I saw a billboard saying: It is so easy, you can do it even while lying down (or something like that). It's Garnier! Garnier is a part of L'Oreal Group company, btw.

The banner intrigued me, but not yet to the point of buying the stuff right away.

However, I got some breakouts because of my yoga / pilates classes. You know when you get to lie down on a mat then forget about washing your face (out of fear of pasma?), so yes - that's when I recalled this pink and white bottle. 

What's Micellar water, anyway? My brain doesn't have the energy to splash scientific gobbledygooks in the morning so I'd say think of it as water that attracts oil and makeup substance, puts it on your cotton and voila, stuff leaves your face. Quite a kindergarten way of explaining things, but you get it! :)

CMK HAPPY THOUGHTS
I bought mine from Boots for £2.79 (about Php 300), not too bad for a 400 ml container, isn't it? It is indeed a no-brainer task. Pour a generous amount on a cotton pad, gently swipe it on your face, and gunks begone! It doesn't have a scent (which is a bit weird, it feels like it's only water, but it's water anyway?! sorry guys, I'm confusing you now).

Seriously though, it's my go-to makeup remover to date. I'm halfway through and I've been using this for months! You'll probably see there's virtually nothing on my cotton pad but I think it's because a) I do light to medium coverage, hence there's not much to remove in the first place and b) London weather is makeup and skin friendly. Place doesn't have too much pollutants, which is lovely!




CMK WISHFUL THOUGHTS
While the product helps to remove impurities, I still recommend to complete your skin cleansing routine (wash + tone + moisturise). It doesn't remove the deep-seated dirt, 100%. To be fair, nothing beats cleansing wash and water to do such task. Another thing is it only comes with one gigantic size, would be nicer to have a junior version of some sort. 

Tip: Have a little bottle ready so that if you have to go to gym / travel / overnighter - you still have your cleansing potion with you! I sometimes pour them on wet wipes for more hydration. 



Beauty reviews say that it's comparable to popular makeup removers like Bioderma and Bifiesta, here's my reco:
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Wednesday 17 June 2015

SAY HELLO TO CMK'S NEW LOOK!



2011. That was the time I first tried blogging. I've used so many platforms before. From LiveJournal, Multiply, Tumblr, Wordpress and finally, Blogger. And ever since, I have a love-hate relationship with my writing stint. Sometimes, you'll find me drifting over my own posts quite pleased with my craft. Another, I am cringing and say 'Seriously, did I write that?!' to myself! Anyways, the thought of a major blog revamp has been hanging over my head for so many months. Then, before I left for London last May (2015), I've decided to give my blog an overhaul.

Here are some few good changes:

WEBSITE ADDRESS
Have you noticed the new web addy? Tell me yes! It's www.callmekristine.com now! To be honest, I was thinking of jumping the bandwagon 2 years ago, but I was just too lazy to execute. Now, with the help of Deann, this to-do box was finally ticked.

BLOG TEMPLATE
I am very much pleased on the outcome of the whole thing. Thanks to Deann Sarmiento who patiently curated this masterpiece. I won't lie, this look is not ultra-unique. It was a brainchild of so many blog inspirations. Blogs that I personally follow and adore!

ABOUT ME PICTURE
This is embarrassing but it occurred to me that the picture before this was taken April 2012! Ack! I offer no excuse for not being proactive for the last 3 years. That is true for my FB profile picture as well. Last update was October 2012. I am just amazed by those people who change their profile picture every week! I wish I could do that as well :) 

That's about it, really. To you guys who've been reading my posts for the last months / years, a big virtual hug to y'all. Cheers to more fashion, beauty, travel and personal finance chit-chats! -CMK
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Thursday 4 June 2015

FASHION ALERT : BLUSH LACE DRESS


It's not everyday that one feels like dressing up. Toot! That's not for me. Since I was 5, or maybe even younger, you'll see me wrapped in a beach towel strutting like Victoria's Secret model. When I grew up, I came to terms that I can't be a professional model for reasons more than one, but that didn't stop me to be happy and dress pretty! Life is too short to wear boring dresses, they say! So recently, we've visited Cardiff, Wales and had so much fun! 

I was overjoyed that the weather was warm enough to don a dress. However, don't let the sunshine fool you, when the wind blows, geeez it still gave me the chills. On to my outfit, you can't go wrong with Kate Middleton inspired dress, that's for sure. The long sleeved number in lace has been a peg of so many wedding and casual dresses, to date. It will be a classic, moving forward I can imagine.


I got the blush dress from H&M. I've always been top heavy, hence I totally fell in love with it being a long sleeve. Denim jacket is from Primark, Brown backpack is from Jansport. Watch is from Fossil and Chuck Taylor, from Converse.


The whole outfit is somewhat bipolar, formal slash casual-ish. But I like it! You see, when you're sight seeing, comfort is important as well. I've realised a couple of things when we did the Wales trip:
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