How to: French Manicure

Hey lovelies!

Instead of a "Nails of the Week (NOTW)" blog post, I thought of writing a "How To" blog. In this case I thought of blogging about how I do a French Manicure.

For those who are not familiar with this style, a French Manicure is basically a white nail polish painted on the tips of one's fingernails or toenails. I do my own French Manicure, or manicure in general, instead of going to a nail salon. I have started experimenting with French Manicure back in high school and I admit it is not easy to do. It takes me about 30 mins to 1 hour to do a French Manicure because I am really OC about the white tips looking nice.

So here are the steps that I follow in doing a French Manicure:

First things first, here are the products that you will need:

Basecoat, White Nail Polish, Pink-toned Top Coat

Step 1: Shape your fingernails.

I cut and shape my fingernails into squares for easier and a more precise application of the white nail polish.

Step 2: Apply base coat onto your fingernails.

Once you've cut and shaped your nails, apply base coat evenly onto your fingernails. The base coat that I use is the Caronia Nail Harderner and Base Coat.

Step 3: Apply white nail polish onto the tips of your finger nails.

For this step, I just follow the outline of that part of my nails that shows growth. You can use the scotch tape method for a more precise tip by putting scotch tape on your finger nails except on that part where you will be painting your white nail polish. I apply 2 coats of white nail polish for a better effect. The nail polish that I use is from Caronia in White Satin.

Step 4: Apply a pink-toned top coat.

Once I've painted all of the tips of my fingernails with white nail polish, I leave it for a while to let it dry. Then, I apply 2 coats of pink-toned top coat all over my fingernails. I use a pink-toned top coat because it gives the illusion that you've painted a light pink polish all over your fingernails before painting the tips. The top coat that I am using is from La Belle Nail Polish in Natural.

So, there goes the steps in how I do a French Manicure. To anyone who wants to try doing a French Manicure on their own, it can be a little tricky but it gets easier over time. Practice makes perfect!

I hope you guys will find this blog post helpful. ;)

Till my next blogpost!

Xoxo,

G <3

January 2011 Favorites!

Hey lovelies!

I know it's too early to round up my favorite products of January but I just love these products that I can't wait to share them with you! ;)

For my monthly favorites, I have decided to divide them into my favorite bath products, face products, cosmetic products, scents, accessories and a random favorite thing.

These are my favorite face, bath and cosmetic products and scent of the month.

My favorite bath product:

Dove White Beauty Bar

This is my favorite soap at the moment because of its moisturizing effect on the skin. I love it so much that I have bought 3 back ups already!

My favorite face product:

Pond's Flawless White Re-Brightening Night Treatment

I love this product for its creamy texture and it actually lightens the skin. I apply it every night after I've removed my makeup. Pond's also has a day cream version of this which I didn't like very much because of its thick texture that makes it so hard to apply.

My favorite cosmetic products:

Favorite foundation: LA Colors Liquid Makeup

For this month, I found myself reaching for this foundation the most! It does not give the best coverage, but I like how it evens out my face and it kinda gives my face a pinkish glow.

 Favorite powder, bronzer and blush: LA Colors Bronzer, LA Colors Powder and NYX Cream Blush

The LA Colors Powder gives a very nice finishing effect to my skin and I find that it works really well with any foundation that I use. The LA Colors Bronzer is amazeballs! It has a little bit of shimmer in it but it still works great for contouring. I love the NYX Cream Blush because it is so creamy and pigmented! It has great staying power too!

A swatch of the LA Colors Bronzer and NYX Cream Blush in Glow.

 Favorite Mascara and Liquid Eyeliner: LA Colors Mascara and LA Colors Liquid Eyeliner

The LA Colors Mascara is awesome! I love how it coats my lashes really well and it gives great volume to my lashes. The LA Colors Liquid eyeliner is awesome as well! It's very thin brush allows for a precise application and it doesn't smudge throughout the day (atleast it doesn't smudge on me).

Favorite lip products: EOS Lipbalm and NYX Round Lipstick in Chambord

EOS Lipbalm is a godsend! I could't live without it! It's simply the best! My NYX Round Lipstick in Chambord is amazing too! It's kind of a nudish brown color which is great for everyday.

My favorite scent:

Bench's Bratsplash in Green Apple

This was my favorite back in high school and I somehow fell in love with it again over the holidays. I love apple scented stuff that's why this cologne made my list this month.

My favorite accessory:

Expandable flower ring from Payless

The first time I saw this ring, I fell inlove! It has this huge rhinestones in it that make it look so sophisticated. Plus, I got this on sale for Php 90 instead of its SRP of Php 225!!!

My favorite random product:

Belle de Jour 2012 Planner

I can't live without this planner! It keeps me super organized and the coupons inside just give the best deals in food, beauty and fashion!

It seems like this month is the month for LA Colors! Hehe. I just fell in love with their products and they are very affordable. 

The products featured in my month favorites can be bought at:

1. Dove White Beauty Bar - any supermarket

2. Pond's Flawless White Re-Brightening Night Treatment - any supermarket

3. LA Colors Products - any SM department store and the Landmark

4. NYX Cream Blush, EOS Lipbalm and NYX Round Lipstick - I got these from my friend Beauty's Treasure

5. Bench's Bratsplash in Green Apple - available at all Bench outlets in leading malls

6. Expandable flower ring - Payless outlets

7. Belle de Jour Planner - it was a gift but National Bookstore and Powerbooks has them

So that rounds up my favorites for the month of January! I hope you guys had a lovely month so far! Enjoy the rest of the month!

Till my next blog post!

Xoxo,

G <3

Product Review: Le Faerie Cosmetics Blush Palette

Hey lovelies!

I love blushes! I collect blushes because I feel like an entire makeup look wouldn't be complete without color on one's cheeks. A part of my blush collection is this palette that I bought from Le Faerie Cosmetics.

The palette consists of 10 gorgeous colors that are very wearable and pigmented! 

Here are the swatches of the blushes:

This palette basically has all the colors that anyone can need. In fact, I bring this palette with me whenever I go out of town because it is very versatile and it is very compact that it fits perfectly in my luggage. If you're a makeup artist, this palette would be great to have in your makeup arsenal as well. One can create different kinds of looks with these blushes and some of the colors in this palette may be used as eye shadows!

Product Rating:

Quality - A

The pigmentation of these blushes are awesome! As to its staying power, I admit that touch ups are necessary throughout the day. I find that with my oily skin, it doesn't stay on the whole day. I have to reapply after 4-5 hours, which is not a bad thing really.

Packaging - A+

As I said, the packaging is so compact that I take it with me whenever I travel. It's so convenient to carry around; very hassle-free.

Price - A

I got this palette for Php 850. Which is not bad at all since you get 10 blushes. Most individual blushes are sold for more than Php 100. So technically, you are saving money with this palette.

This 10 piece blush palette is available at  Le Faerie Cosmetics. The owner, Ms. Bee, who I've met a couple of times because of the palettes that I've brought from her is cool! She will truly entertain your questions about the products.

All in all, I love this product and it's definitely a favorite of mine! 

I hope you guys liked my review. ;)

Till my next blog post!

Xoxo,

G <3

NOTW: OPI's Tickle My France-y

Hey lovelies!

I did my nails today! And, instead of a bold color, I chose a very feminine color. I chose OPI's Tickle My France-y.

This is the very first OPI nail polish that I ever bought. For me, it was love at first sight! I always go back to this color for its sheer beauty and simplicity.

Here are my nails painted with Tickle My France-y:

I love how my nails look with this color! 

What's your NOTW color? Please comment below and let me know!

Till my next blog post!

Xoxo,

G <3

I am on Twitter!

Hey lovelies!

I created a twitter account exclusively for this blog!

Please follow me: GoddessWannabe

Till my next blog post!

Xoxo,
G <3

Product Review: New Hair Products from Cream Silk

Hello lovelies!

I have rebonded hair. And if you never had your hair rebonded before, you can't even imagine how stressful it becomes to maintain the straightness and shine of your hair. That is why I have always been on the lookout for great hair products that will help maintain the straightness and shine of my rebonded hair.

Lucky me, I happen to stumble upon this new line of hair products from Cream Silk. It is called the "Full-Bodied Straight Perfection". As the packaging says, it is the "first ever premium specialist range from Cream Silk specially designed for straightened hair". The line consists of 3 products: a detangling spray, an intensive treatment mask and a leave-on conditioner.

I bought the detangling spray and the intensive treatment mask and I decided to give these products a try.

Left to right: Detangling spray, Intensive treatment mask

Detangling Spray

According to the label, this product:

"Helps detangle hair to make it well-aligned and enhances hair's shine"

This detangling spray is awesome! I am so in love with this! I apply it after I take a shower while my hair is still wet and I comb through my hair in the style that I want. It un-tangles my hair and keeps it straight and shiny all throughout the day. It smells really good too!

Another good thing about this product is that you can use it as a heat tamer. You can apply it to your hair before you use a blow dryer or a straightening iron to protect your hair from damage. Now, talk about dual purpose!

Intensive Treatment Mask

According to this label, this product:

"Deeply nourishes up to 3 layers of hair fiber and reconstructs hair"

Of all the the hair treatment masks that I have tried, this is by far the best! I love it because it maintains not only the straightness of my hair, but it also makes my hair smooth and shiny. I use this product once a week after I shampoo and I leave it on for 5 minutes. This works well with the detangling spray and my hair just looks naturally straight throughout the day.

Just to show you how much I love this product, here's a picture of what's left of its contents:

I am almost done with my first tub of this mask and I am definitely purchasing it again! My detangling spray is almost finished too!

Product Rating:

Quality - A+

This product is so awesome that I would recommend this to everyone who has straightened hair and even for those with normal hair. *wink*

Packaging - A

The packaging is quite nice too. It's gold packaging makes the product look cool and expensive. :)

Price - B+

The detangling spray cost me Php 284 while the intensive treatment mask cost me Php 200 and I got a free cropped top when I bought it. Haha. Anyway, the price range of this line is a bit expensive. All products in the cost more than Php 200. I'm sure there are cheaper alternatives in the market but since the quality is amazing, I think I will stick to these products!

I hope you guys liked my review. If there are other products that you want me to review, please write a comment below.

Till my next blog post!

Xoxo,

G <3

A blessed 2011 it has been...

Hey lovely readers!

I know I have not been blogging a lot lately. It's not because I don't have anything interesting to blog about; I kinda have a lot (product reviews, hauls, etc.). However, I literally have been swamped with work that I really thought of quitting my job. Like seriously! I even sent out my CV's to companies already.

But, this post is not to whine about my job. I wanted to make a post on the last day of the year to look back at my 2011. There have been a lot of things that happened to me this 2011. Bad things have happened too but I am glad that the good things outweighed the bad. Here is a rundown of the great things that happened in 2011:

1. I turned 22 on March 1, 2011. I know that for most people, reaching your twenties is a bad thing. Yeah, we're getting old. But we should really be thankful for every year that we get to celebrate our birthday. We should be thankful for our lives! I am also thankful that in 2011, I didn't have any major illness, nor did any member of my family. I hope the new year will also be illness-free. ;)

2. I felt like a jet setter in 2011. Well, I've only been to other places in the Philippines in 2011, but I traveled a lot this year. In April, I went to Cebu for Holy Week. Then a week after Cebu, I went to Davao and stayed there for another week. Well, I went to Davao for work related reasons, but who cares? Haha. Then in July, I went to Boracay. Boracay had to be my most memorable trip yet! I just loved the island, the blue waters and the white sand! In September, I went to Davao again for work related reasons. To add to those travels are the two times I went home to visit my family. Whew!

3. I survived my first year of work! Ohh my gosshh! I never thought it would happen but I did survive my first year of work at my job! I admit that this first year has been stressful, both emotionally and mentally. But I am happy that I was able to survive. :)

4. In 2011, I have seriously started my collection of beauty related products! And now I think I have a lot! Haha. My collection is seriously growing that I feel like I should do a make-up collection post. I hope to discover more good quality products in 2012 and I am looking forward to expanding my collection!

5. I started blogging in 2011! Yep, it was during the last quarter of 2011 that I started blogging. I have always wanted to blog but my tight schedule was always in the way. However, I decided to start blogging because it is a cool way to express myself, my interests and hobbies and to learn about other things as well. Ever since I started blogging, I have met some cool people in the blogging world too! I know I have not been faithful in writing blog posts, but I plan to remedy this. ;)

2011 has been a very blessed year. I have been blessed with good health, a job, a great family and good friends. I hope 2012 will bring even more blessings to me, my family, my friends and to the blogging community! I am looking forward to a life changing 2012. I hope I'll meet new friends, blog more, travel more, find a fulfilling job and find myself.

I hope everyone out there had a wonderful 2011 and I hope 2012 will be even more wonderful for you!

Happy New Year!

Till my next blog post!

Xoxo,
G <3