charmed life♥

source: Google.com Finally, I found something that could tame my "tutchang" (hair frizz), baby hair - every time I wear my ponytail.  I normally use hair spray to make it look smooth, yes it holds our hair in place but it looks hard. Utena Matomage is made in Japan and it comes in regular (pink) and strong (green) hold.  It's a hair wax in balm form. I got the green which is the strong hold and I loved it.  It really holds the loose hair without making  it look stiff and hard - giving my hair a natural finish.  It is also non-sticky and does not look greasy. It's super easy to use, just apply it directly to you hair and it automatically does it magic. I know it's already available here in the Philippines and you can get it from Online shopping sites.  Prices at around Php265.00 to P350.00.  I got mine as a pasabulong from Japan.   If you will ask me if I will buy this product? Definitely Yes!♥ Til my next review! xo, Chiq♥

Are you also having problems with dark spots on your face?  Whether it's Sun spots, Pimple marks or Freckles?  Don't fret! Because it's finally here!  A new breakthrough innovation was discovered by scientists known as W630 which is said to be effective in treating dark spots in the span of 2 to 4 weeks.  It was exclusively patented to Nivea - the product is known as Nivea Luminous 630.   In my mid-40s I started to notice sun spots on my face.  I do have a daily face regimen but I felt it was too slow in treating the dark spots.  So when I learned about this from Nivea I immediately went to Watsons to check if it is available there. Luckily, there is a value set available : The Luminous 630 Intensive Treatment Serum and Spot clear sun protect - priced at P1,419.00.  If you purchase them separately it's at P999.00 and P799.00 respectively. I found these products very effective.  You can see visible results after two weeks of use.  I ...

I love supporting local and small businesses because I myself is a small business owner.  Last weekend, I received a cake from a friend made by The Cakery by Yca.  As I have said on my previous blog entries,  I do cook and bake that is why I am not really easy to please when it comes to food or desserts.   For this blog entry, I want to make an honest review on the Boston Cream Chocolate Cake of The Cakery of Yca.  To those who are not familiar with Boston Cream (actually it's currently popular in  TikTok but it's the no-bake version)  it tastes similar to custard or cream filling in your donuts. The Cake :  The Chocolate cake is super moist, it's not dry even if I tried it without pre-heating the cake.  (Thumbs up for this!) The Chocolate Ganache :  The rich chocolate ganache is oozing with goodness and garnished with chocolate bits  - it's really chocolatey! The Boston Cream :  This is really the star of the cake.  ...

It was my sister's special day last week.  For a change we decided to try Burrow Café located in Taytay Rizal.  It was our first time there, but unfortunately I find the place - overrated.  I'm sorry, but I always give an honest review on everything that I post.  We know it was an underground café... We never expected that it was too steep to climb and go down on around 70 steps.  We brought our senior parents with us (both 80 years old).  They have a ramp aside from the stairs, but honestly my parents did not enjoyed the going up and down session... struggle is real.  The restaurant not suitable for senior citizens. As we entered the café, honestly there's nothing spectacular.  I was hoping for something amazing but it was just too ordinary.  Maybe we expected too much.  I did not tried to go around the place anymore.  Another thing, there is no separate restrooms for male and female, two are available but they are both common comf...

Here is another make up foundation review.  I bought this Dream Focus foundation by Vice Cosmetics from their Endlezz G Collection before I got the BLK Life Proof serum foundation.  Unfortunately, I wasn't able to use it right away because I forgot about it. When I was spring cleaning my closet I found it still inside the Watsons paper bag.   I just started using this product two weeks ago... (in order to come up with this review).  If you have read my previous make up foundation reviews, you will know that I love matte finish (for foundation and powder).  What I love about this Dream Focus foundation it's demi-matte, weightless but it has a wonderful coverage.   It's also buildable, it does not cake.  I also tried applying it on top of the BLK Daydream life proof foundation since it kinda dewy to mattify it a bit - promise it worked! Blendable?  Yes, it is.  As I have said on my previous blog entries, I don't use brush or sponge in...

Recently Poléne has become one of the sought after bags here in the Philippines.  A little background about the brand, it is a top-end leather goods brand based in Paris founded by siblings (two brothers and a sister) in 2016.  According to it's website : their "collections embody confident and classical true line combined fluid and graceful curves."  No wonder their bag designs have beautiful curves.   Before I forget to mention, their bags are handmade in Spain.  The first Poléne bag that became a hit here in the Philippines was their flagship model Numero Uno.  I will try to feature that Numero Uno soon.  Today I will share about the Numero Dix. Poléne Numero Dix in Taupe The Numero Dix is an equestrian inspired saddle bag.  This handmade half moon design bag is made from full grain smooth calf leather.  It comes with two adjustable shoulder straps in 106cm and 138cm.   The bag also comes in variety of colors: click the link...

After trying Blk's Airy Matte serum foundation, I decided to try their Daydream foundation.  I bought the same shade in Butterscotch.  It is also available in five (5) shades: Oat, Vanilla, Butterscotch, Chestnut and Latte - like the Airy Matte Foundation. --- click here to see my review on the  Airy Matte Serum Foundation It's very similar with the Airy Matte foundation:  Lightweight, fragrance free, blendable and buildable.  This is not a full coverage foundation but it perfectly covers blemishes, hides pores and camouflages redness giving you a super natural no-make up look.  Since it's not full coverage, you need to use a concealer to hide those dark spots.   It's not a natural matte finish: find it kind of dewy (giving the skin a little glow, adding some sheen).  Honestly I am not really a fan of dewy make up finish.  Having a combination skin, I like the airy matte foundation more. Lastly, it's also long lasting and transfer proof....

For months I have been meaning to visit Tanay, Rizal.  Recently, Tanay has become a popular spot for travelers especially the bikers and motorcycle riders.  I have been to Tagaytay last December and the traffic is worse.  Maybe that is why people opted to go to Rizal area aside from the scenic view, cool weather and most importantly - "no traffic". We drove to Tanay on a one fine Thursday morning... from our home to Tanay it took us 1 hour and 20 minutes.   We are welcomed by a spectacular view of the mountains and the super chilly weather.  Good thing that I brought a jacket but unfortunately I was wearing shorts (haha).   Had breakfast at Tanay Highlands Cafe while enjoying the breathtaking view: Overlooking the Pililia Windmills.  Fresh air, blue skies, all the greens, mountains and the cool breeze  - a day off from the hustle and bustle of Metro Manila. The Alfresco Cafe serves wide variety of dishes from Classic Filipino Breakfast, ...

Here is another make up review.  This time I will be reviewing a local brand make up owned by Anne Curtis the Blk Life-Proof Airy Matte  Serum foundation .  A little backstory:  I use the L'Oreal Infallible fresh wear Make up foundation, but I think they have already discontinued it because there are limited shades available online (and the shade that I am using was already out of stock for months already).    Ever since L'Oreal cosmetics pulled out their make up from physical stores like Watsons and SM stores and shifted to online selling platforms they have not replenished their stocks.   Sad, but I need to find a good alternative.  Yes, I use make up foundation with SPF because I am in front of the computer for more than 8 hours.  And using it really protects my skin from the skin damaging light from the computer screen. There are two (2) kinds serum foundations of Blk: Daydream and Airy-Matte.  It's really hard to choose, but th...

I recently discovered this conditioner from L'Oreal.  Yes you read it right, not Pantene.  Don't get me wrong I still love Pantene but recently I am in search of something that will tame my frizzy hair.  Well my hair is not curly its naturally straight but there are some parts that really look frizzy. I wanted them to be smoothed out.  I don't want to use hair dryer or flat iron regularly because I am afraid that it would damage my hair.  I tried hair rebonding to tame my buhaghag (frizzy) hair which really worked but I only do that once a year.  But when I turned 50 I realized that my hair became more dry, that is why I also take supplements - Vitamin E and Collagen.   While I was in Watsons, found this Ever Pure Frizzy defy Conditioner of L'Oreal it's sulfate free.  Sulfate on shampoos can strip off - hair's  natural moisture that can leave it dry and possibly damage it.  At the reverse side of the package it says that it has maru...

source: Bark & Spark Before bed time I have a night clean up routine with my dog Mochi.  I brush his teeth, wipe his whole body with wet wipes and brush his fur before tucking him to bed.  Cleaning his paws is really a big deal to me because Mochi always wanted to go up my bed or our sofa.  Though he is just inside our house so normally the dust from our floor are accumulated on his paws, and there are times when he accidentally steps on his pee: and it becomes so stinky.  Using the wet wipes is not that effective in removing it.   Then recently I discovered this on TikTok. - Bark & Spark Waterless Paw Cleanser.  At first I was hesitant  to try it to Mochi, that is why I did a little research on it's ingredients.  Same with the other products that I use for him, I make sure that it's organic and does not have toxic chemicals that may harm him.  Organic - It's plant based and non-toxic that is super safe for our fur babies. ...

source: Sephora.com For those who is not familiar with this make up line, it's owned by Patrick Starrr.  Patrick Starrr is a Fil-American make up artist who recently launched his own make up brand.  Honestly, I have learned about this brand through the vlog of Small Laude, when she had a collaboration with Patrick Starrr.   I admit (super curious) really wanted to try it.  I have tried American make up brands like Clinique and Colour pop and they did not disappoint.  So why not try One/Size to support a fellow Filipino.   One/Size is available in Sephora Philippines online:  One/Size on Sephora PH .  Since I have a hard time sourcing Clinique Super powder double in Matte Honey, I decided to try it's powder foundation.  What's good about the Sephora website they can help you find your shade.  To find your matching shade: just choose the brand, product and shade.  In  my case, I chose my favorite Clinique shade - and th...

This is a long overdue review.  Mr. Paws Ph is a Pet Grooming Salon and Hotel located in The Grove - Rockwell, Barangay Ugong Pasig city. I first learned about Mr. Paws in January 2021, through Moira dela Torre's Instagram: when I was looking for a grooming salon for Mochi's first haircut.  There are a lot of things I really considered in choosing a pet salon.  My sister had a bad experience with a pet salon near our place because her furbaby died due to a broken skull, and I don't want to experience the same.    Grooming by appointment - Since the Covid-19 cases that time was really high, I really opted to find one that is not crowded.  It's really a plus factor that they don't accept walk-ins.  You need to book an appointment for your furbaby's grooming.  You can book here:  Mr. Paws Ph - Online Booking . Cleanliness -  Aesthetically the salon was at par.  It's clean and they use organic and high quality cleaning products in the s...