Clayfest 2011

This past weekend, I've been supporting my sister on one of her yearly events. She is into the polymer clay craft for about a year already and had participated in the same event also last year. But this year was even better because the event ran for two days. A lot of people had turn up this year to check out the booths and the different artistic creations from different polymer clay enthusiasts. Here is a shot of my sister and her booth:

Aside from the various clay accessories available, the event were also filled with fun activities for everyone. On day one, they held a clay sculpting competition for the exhibitors. Each one was given a small box and was only permitted to use limited tools to be able to make their clay creations.

 Free demonstrations on basic polymer clay sculpting techniques were also done to show visitors how these works of art are created. The Beadlady, which is the organizer of the event, also offers workshops to those who are interested. Their shop's located at the Cubao Expo in Quezon City (you won't miss their shop it's the cutest one with the red door :D).

Different types of accessories all made of clay could be found at the event. Check out these pieces!

Creations of  my sister: Crazy Notions



Hmmm...does he look familiar to you?



Creations of  my sister: Crazy Notions

The event was such a huge success!! So if you're interested, maybe you could join us next year. Do check out my sister's multiply page: http://crazynotions23.multiply.com/ to keep you posted on next year's clayfest schedule or to just check out some more of her creations.

This is the curiouszealot (in yellow) with her crazy sister (crazy notions), which, by the way, is the proud winner of the clay sculpting contest! She won a framed creation from Ms.Christi Friesen. And we're signing out, peace y'all!! :D

Hauls

Yesterday, I was supposed to go to Alabang Town Center for a meeting but it got cancelled at the very last minute. So instead of all my preparations going to waste, I decided to drop by SM Bacoor instead to buy some food for my cats. As usual, my trip to the mall would not be complete without checking out the beauty counters. I've been actually lemming to buy an eye make up remover that could remove those stubborn waterproof mascaras (I usually use q-tip and petroleum jelly, but it's too time consuming). So when I saw this one from maybelline I decided to give it a try. Also, I got a nose pore strip from Glam works I haven't tried  this one before, but then again, I haven't tried one for a very long time since the last one I tried from a brand I forgot, was much of a waste since it didn't stick at all lest remove any black or whiteheads. I was also intrigued by this Firming and lifting serum I saw from pure beauty so I decided to buy one to test it's effectivity.

So, what's your latest beauty haul? Care to share? Good Day! :D

Product Review: EYEBROW KITS --> Part 2 : Wet n' Wild Ultimate Brow Kit (Dark Brown)

So, some of you may not be familiar with the brand Wet n' Wild. But if you're an avid eBay shopper, you might have probably checked out an item or two from this brand.  Wet n' wild is actually a drugstore brand in the US which offers a great range of cosmetic products at an affordable price. It has only been introduced to the Philippine shore just recently and can be found at various SM Watson's branches. Anyways, I first saw this particular product from their line while I was browsing through the net looking for eyebrow kits. I've also gotten to read some great reviews about it. Since most of the blogger I read got theirs from eBay, I thought it wasn't available locally. But, when I went to SM Cubao (mainly to look for a particular Sally Hansen product) I approached the WnW counter and saw a tester of the Ultimate Brow kit on display!Yay! But, problem was, I couldn't find a new stock on display just that single tester and I couldn't find a sales person to ask! Geez! So, I left SM Cubao and decided to try my luck at SM Makati. So when I got there, I immediately hurried over to the WnW counter. Thank goodness this one had a sales person. I browsed through their display and couldn't find the Ultimate brow kit so I asked the lady if they carry it she said they do but it's out of stock! Just my luck. She also told me that she was expecting the new stocks to arrive later that day but I couldn't linger around the mall just waiting. That would be ridiculous considering it was only 12pm and she said later in the day which means around night time. Since I couldn't wait that long, I just gave the Sales person my number so she could contact me once stocks arrive. But before I went ahead, I asked how much it was sold for and she told me it was P399. I was taken aback a little because I was expecting it to be a little bit cheaper since E.L.F offers a much more cheaper alternative. When I got home, I decided to try and search eBay if they have a listing. To my delight, shopper's hub was auctioning one that time at a much more affordable price! I left my bid and hoped I'd win. Guess what? I did! So, read below for my review of the Wet n' Wild Ultimate brow kit.

Wet n' Wild Ultimate Brow Kit (Dark Brown)
Price: P 79.00
Place bought: Shopper's Hub store EBay.pH

that little compartment at the side is actually a mirror that can be pulled out and that cute little pair of tweezers  was one of the reason that sold me this thing. :D

So here's the comparison from my bare brows to the one wherein I filled it with the lighter shade of the brow powder.

Likes:

• It has everything you need to have for quick touch ups even a small pair of tweezers for those stray hairs.
• It comes with two shades of brow powder to match the look you want to achieve and a brow gel to keep those unruly hairs in place.
• It can double as a matte eyeshadow, therefore, you get more functionality for what you paid for.
• The brush that comes along with it is stiff enough to give you control.
• Small enough to fit your kikay kit.
• Very pigmented. So you know, this will definitely last you for a very long time.

Dislikes:

• Again, the plastic material it's packaged in is prone to easy chipping and breaking. But I guess it keeps the cost at bay to make it affordable to consumers.
• the pullable mirror is a bit flimsy and might come off if pulled out too hard. It would have been better and easier if it had been placed at the cover instead of the side.
• Very pigmented. You could could end up looking like Helga from Hey Arnold if you're not careful.
• The brow gel is just okay with me. It couldn't hold my brows up for a very long period of time.

Verdict: Actually, at the big difference on the price I got this one for, it's a great buy. But, If  I would have gotten this at the Wet n' Wild counter for P399? I would have chosen the Ash brown instead because I think Dark brown is a bit too brown for me. But what I liked about it is that the darker shade of brown in the kit is actually perfect for contouring and I've been looking into buying some contouring powder so it's like striking two birds with one stone! Again, a great buy but be careful to pick the right shade that is much suitable for your hair color. :D

Product Review: EYEBROW KITS --> Part 1 : E.L.F. Studio Eyebrow Kit (Light)

Hey there!! Another week has passed and I've been obsessing about my eyebrows just these past few weeks. I remember way back in college I used to fill in my eyebrows with black eyeliner pencil thinking that the color you should use has to be the same color as your hair which is black for most Filipinas. Only then when it was time to have our yearbook photo taken that the MUA (Make Up Artist) told me that the eyebrow color should be 2 shades lighter than the natural hair color (for dark hair, for lighter haired people it works the opposite way). So this information has been stored at the back of my mind for the longest time but never have gotten to follow it. I tried filling them in with brown color but the natural hairs would always be evident and I hated my eyebrow shape on my right eye basically because I have overplucked that area and it never grew back the same way..(though still hoping I could find a great eyebrow grower!). So, the late bloomer that I am, finally gave the brows some attention. I've been reading on blogs lately about these new eyebrow kits wherein everything you need for shaping and grooming your eyebrows are compacted into one small package-Cool! But of course, it's not wise to spend so much on branded kits so, I searched for the more budget-friendly versions of these babies.

I've been browsing the E.L.F. kiosk for the longest time and have seen the studio line eyebrow kit but never thought of trying it out because I was not obsessed about my brows a little way back. So when I started this mission, I decided to finally try it out.

E.L.F. Studio Eyebrow Kit

Price: P 249.75 (approx. $5)
Place bought: E.L.F. kiosk at SM Bacoor

(L-R) Tinted Brow Gel, Eyebrow Powder


Here's a swatch on my backhand:

(L-R) Gel, Gel w/ powder, Powder

For comparison, here's a shot of my bare eyebrows

So I start off by outlining my eyebrows using the tinted gel using the slanted brush. Be careful though because it's so subtle, you may go outside your desired brow shape.

And then, to set the tinted brow gel, dip the other end of the brush into the powder and gently dust over the brows. Now, you'll notice the color becoming a bit darker. The more powder you put in there the more it will get darker.

Likes:

• It's very affordable.
• Easy and not complicated to use.
• The pigment is not that strong, it's buildable.

Dislikes:

• The packaging is made of cheap plastic so it can easy chip or break if you drop it.
• the slanted brush is a bit too soft to my liking. I prefer a slightly stiffer brush when doing my eyebrows for better control.

The verdict: It's a great find! E.L.F. is the brand known for offering quality products at a very affordable price, so this one lived up to the brand name. It's got enough quantity to last you a long time and you don't have to break the piggy bank to get it either so it's a deal!

Product Review: K-Palette 24-hr Real Lasting Eyeliner (Waterproof)

So, this year I'm trying to put more emphasis on my eye and really am concentrating on perfecting my eyelining technique. As part of this goal, I am on a mission to find the best smudge proof and waterproof eyeliner out there especially for girls who have oil mine for a lid such as mine (hehehe..). It was in my older sister's kikay kit where I first saw the eyeliner in a pen form. This one's from E.L.F. I was so curious that I had to try it out (but that is for another review...). Unfortunately the eyeliner did not last long on my oily lids. So I was scouring the net for various brands that has the eyeliner in the same pen form when I came upon this...

K-Palette 24-hr Real Lasting Eyeliner

Price: P900.00 (P50 shipping fee included)

Bought from: http://japanichi.multiply.com

According to the K-Palette website:

K-Palette 24H Real Lasting Eyeliner-Best-selling Liquid eyeliner
Stunning eyes lasting for 24 hours!
This long-wearing liquid eyeliner gives guaranteed results in its ability to withstand humid weather
and punishing dryness of our air-conditioned interiors. Its water-resistant polymer molecule
intimately adheres to your skin and the highlighted eyeliner stays on the entire day. Superior fast
drying properties allow for immediate use of eyelash curlers.

Its magic lies in its patented ultrafine micro-fiber soft-brush application which ensures that the liquid
eyeliner does not drip messily or draw heavily on your eyelids. This provides the ease and freedom
of drawing that fine eyeline to the outer corner of your eye. Even beginners can simply draw the
ideal natural-looking eyeline.

You need not compromise on the care for the delicate area. The eyeliner is made of a unique
conditioning formula consisting of sage essence, pantenol and chamomile essence, and would not
irritate even the most sensitive of eyes.

Enough said, let's move on to the actual road test. Here is a swatch of the eyeliner pen on the back of my hand just to show you how easy it is to make both thin and thick lines with this thing.

tried rubbing it off my hand as hard as I could but it won't budge!

Here's a swatch of it applied on my eyes, or shall I say Oil mine? :D

(excuse my attempt to achieve a perfect wing it's still a work in progress and the shiny face I just did my quarterly face peel.)

I left it on for an hour and this is what I got. I got some creasing and the wing I did flaked! I was totally disappointed.

For the waterproof part, I poured some water on the swatch I did on my hand and tried rubbing it off again...

It came off without a hitch so I'm not sure about it being waterproof either.

All-in-all, I think this kind of eyeliner is not suitable for people with oily lids like mine. Maybe if you apply an eye primer prior to lining will make this tolerable and work. But I think I might have to stick to gel liners for the moment. Who knows, this product might work better for you than it did for me, so if you have cash to shell out, as this is a little hefty, go ahead and give it a try. (",)

* I've gotten to try this pen over my eyeshadows and I must say it held its own. And yes, it's better to use a primer or have something underneath so the liner could hold onto something. :D

BLOG SALE!!

A place to find a new home for my precious gems.

CONTACT ME:

If you have any questions about anything under the sun; or would just like to chit and chat; or if you're a company who's interested for me to do a review on your products: may it be cosmetics, gadgets, clothes, accessories, events, or skin care line; don't hesitate to drop me a line or two at:


thecuriouscat08@yahoo.com