Tinokla Scribbles and Doodles

Mary Kay Mineral Make-up Foundation

tinokla — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:14:08 +0000

I got my Mary Kay Mineral Make-up Foundation from my aunt who lives in Canada. Mary Kay products are so pricey in the Philippines that I’d often think twice before I buy one. When I got it, I was pretty excited because it’s my first mineral loose powder foundation. Also, it comes with this wonderfully soft brush that I know I can most definitely reuse. What I was not so happy with was the shade- which was probably around a notch darker than my face. I, however, thought wrong because I found that it blended well with my skin tone after application.

The applicator brush is perfect- it has a soft feel and it successfully evens out the foundation on my face.

I don’t know how other people use it but for me, it’s like my setting powder- if there is such a thing. It’s like the final touch after I put on my BB cream, eye makeup, and blush. Yep, it’s definitely BB cream for me on a daily basis, no two-way cake foundation or anything like that. This way, I am able to achieve a more casual everyday make-up look, nothing fancy.

This is what it looks like inside.

I also realized that it is effective for make-up retouches. Even after a long and tiring day, a few quick dabs of this foundation and you’re ready to go.

It has a pretty good coverage (taken with flash).

Overall, I like it and it’s definitely a keeper. As I’ve said, it’s great for a setting powder and for touch-ups. I, however, would not use it alone as a base for my make-up because it would not really conceal the dark circles under my eyes and other imperfections. Also, one more thing is that because it’s in powder form, the stuff gets all over the place. Before putting it on your face, you need to tap the brush lightly to remove the excess.

It gives light to medium coverage. I wouldn't use this without a concealer.

I think this is a great product from Mary Kay but if I were to choose between a powder and a cake, maybe I’d still go for a cake type of foundation.

Lancome Bi-Facil Double Action Eye Makeup Remover Review

tinokla — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:22:30 +0000

Just a quick post before I doze off. I got my Lancome Bi-Facil Double Action Eye Makeup Remover maybe last year and honestly, I didn’t exactly give it much thought. See, I do not felt the need for it back then so I neatly stashed it away in the deepest parts of my drawers. Just recently however, there is this growing fascination towards beauty products in me. This sudden interest made me and my good friends avid visitors of a boutique selling heavenly Korean beauty products. Now, the saleslady offered me a make-up remover. She said it is very important for women to totally rid themselves of makeup residue before sleeping. I suddenly remembered that I have one back at home- and that it was even a Lancome product- a truly wonderful brand if I may say so. For the many months that it has been with me I tried it out and holy macaroni, it was absolutely magic!
At first, it seemed oily for me but then I realized that the oiliness actually makes the removal of the eye makeup easy and fast. Afterwards, all the oily feeling magically disappears leaving behind dry and uber smooth skin. I love it to bits!
Definitely, this product will be an important addition to my nightly beauty regimen.

Preschoolville’s Kiddie Cookfest 2012

tinokla — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:44:17 +0000

One thing that’s so great about having your own school is that when it comes to activities- it’s sky’s the limit! In Preschoolville, we have conjured up relevant learning experiences that I’m sure the kids will remember forever. One of which is our recently held Kiddie Cookfest.

That's my daughter, Amber and her classmates doing their own rendition of pizza!

Our babies are also doing their own thing- whipping up a delicious buttercream frosting!

It's graham cake for our prep kids!

As a parent, I am truly happy to see my daughter, Amber, having the time of her life. She enjoys every minute of being in school and that is what matters most.

Always the Matron of Honor, Never the Bride (well, not yet :))

tinokla — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 14:22:36 +0000

It’s been a whirlwind weekend for me- with 2 weddings to attend to in a row! The first was my sister’s wedding and being so, I had a huge participation in it. I was tasked to perform 3 key responsibilities- be the family driver (since my hubby drove the bridal car), be the matron of honor, and be the wedding reception emcee. I was truly stressed because to top it all- we’re simultaneously having special activities at school. I prepared my emcee script on the day of the wedding itself! I woke up around 5AM and started typing like crazy. God is good because I made it with flying colors! I mean, I may not be an expert wedding host (yet *smiley*) but definitely, I’d say my emceeing stint was not bad for starters.
While being an emcee seemed like a huge task, being the Matron of Honor was easy breezy, especially since I did that already in my other sister’s wedding three years ago. The Matron is more like a ‘dakilang alalay’ or a personal assistant. I had to make sure that I keep the bride’s veil in order, the pins intact, and do other menial tasks.

The Matron of Honor walks before the bride's parents. It's nerve wracking to walk with all eyes on you!

The next day, we are yet again preparing for a wedding. Good thing my sister has a co-worker with a bunch of to-die-for BCBG Maxazria dresses that she’s willing to lend to needy women like me haha. So as regards to clothing- problem solved! I was merely a spectator in this wedding so no problems here. Amidst the hassles of trying to put myself inside a skimpy, cleavage-popping, black sequined ensemble, I did truly enjoy looking elegant and sophisticated that day. Thanks to youtube eyeshadow tutorials, I was able to do a decent looking make-up of myself. Will be posting more pics soon.

This dress was so tight-fitting that I literally was out-of-breath after eating. Even so, I tried to carry it with poise. After all, it's only rare that I get to wear something as fancy as this!

I tried to do a simple make-up. I did not want to get too much attention on myself (especially since my dress is already doing the job!)

Easy Breezy Shakey’s Birthday Party

tinokla — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 11:30:38 +0000

One of the most challenging tasks of being a mom is balancing work and family. Sometimes, work takes most of my time that I need to improvise, just so I don’t neglect doing mommy thingies- like preparing for my kids’ birthday parties.
This year, I had to focus on Padma’s 1st birthday. Now when you say 1st birthday, well that’s a big deal! I remembered putting in a lot of effort during Amber’s (my 2nd daughter) 1st birthday. It’s only fair that I do the same for our new baby. But honestly, it would be too stressful for me to think of everything- games, food, host, cakes, balloons, etc.etc., especially on a January when I needed to renew all sorts of business permits and prepare school letters. So given this premise, I looked into the birthday packages of popular fastfood joints. When Amber turned 4, we had her party in Jollibee. The whole thing- food, games, host, balloons, give-aways, cake, and prizes cost us roughly around 16,000 pesos. The party was great- the hosts tried their best to communicate with the kids in english. No problem also with the food because you can never go wrong with a jollibee chicken and spaghetti. However, I was a bit disappointed with the prizes and give-aways. Good thing my guests still avidly participated with the activities even with lame prizes haha. Because of my mixed feelings with Jollibee, I turned to Shakey’s for Padma’s birthday.
Shakey’s proved to be a better alternative. We had her party in Shakey’s Waltermart, San Fernando City. I was a bit taken aback to see that only one person was manning the whole thing. She turned out to be an expert after all- handling multiple tasks at once. Also, they had great prizes and give-aways which I love. Food wise, it was OK. Again, you can also never go wrong with a bunch-of-lunch. The whole Shakey’s package- party, prizes, games, balloons, food for 50, except for the cake, cost around 12000 pesos… truly a great value for my money.
If you ask me if any of my kids will celebrate their birthday again here, then I’d say yes, definitely.

Celebrate your children’s birthday parties at Shakey’s. Just go to Shakey’s, reserve a date, pay a small reservation fee/deposit (minimum of 1000 pesos), then you’re set to go. You can even have some add-ins in your party like face-painting, photo booth, and the like.

Turonikoy! (Tikoy Spring Rolls)

tinokla — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 10:27:28 +0000

Kung Hei Fat Choi! Thanks to the internet, we have unlimited access to a vast range of information- including new and exciting recipes for tikoy!

Oh I so love tikoy! Maybe, what makes it even more exciting is the fact that you only get to buy and eat it for a short period of time. I am not Chinese but I do have a penchant for Chinese cuisine! I love pansit, siomai, siopai, hopia, and of course tikoy. Thanks to our Chinese students, we get to have tikoy for free! Besides the usual way of dipping sliced tikoy in beaten egg and deep frying, I found a recipe that turns tikoy into something like turon (saging na saba/bananas wrapped in lumpia wrapper). When Ms Cleng, our school cook, first made this, I adoringly named it “turonikoy”. Upon browsing through the net, I found a similar recipe, but this time with cheese– funny enough, they called it lumpiang cheekoy. As for me, I would like to call it Cheese Turonikoy . I also made Nutella Turonikoy.:-)
Here’s my take on Cheese/Nutella Turonikoy

My Cheese Turonikoy and Nutella Turonikoy with some confectioner's sugar.

I like the cheese more- sweet and salty is just so yummy! My husband said it needed more sweet on it so I drizzled some sweetened milk or condensed milk. It was delicious!

That condensed milk gave the dish that extra kick!

Yummy, yummy… Until my next post, happy chinese new year everybody!

My Eyeshadow Attempts

tinokla — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 06:55:13 +0000

Ever since I laid my hands on Tony Moly’s Backstage Gel Eyeliner, I somehow got interested to try out different eyeshadows as well. When it comes to eyeshadows, I am pretty much naive. If I put them on, I stick to one color only since I didn’t know how to do all those blending stuff. Thanks to youtube, I know have a wealth of eyeshadow information at my disposal. But of course, if I want to really learn something, I need some practice materials. After reading tons of reviews, I came across E.L.F. eyeshadow palettes as a promising choice. My first requirement was of course affordability and E.L.F. products easily meet that criteria. Fortunately Metro Department Store in Marquee Mall sells them. For a little less than 500 pesos, I got myself the E.L.F. Eye Shadow Collection Palette 48 piece Set.

ELF eyeshadow palette in 48 colors. It has an array of colors to choose from- perfect for beginners like me!

On the negative side, all the choices are sparkly. No satins or mattes.

I got totally excited to try them out right away and I thought I needed new brushes to go with it. I am so hyped that I bought myself a 7-piece brush set from Fashion 21- yup, I am indulging wisely choosing only items that are budget friendly!

This 7 piece brush set costs roughly about 450 pesos, very affordable!

According to Eyeshadow 101 tutorials, I need 3 colors to start with. I followed youtube instructions closely and this is what I came up with:

I'd say not bad for starters! But of course, that's according to me!

I think it looks OK... Not scary or anything lol.

For best results, you need an eyeshadow primer which I am getting really soon! Also, I am on the look out for more affordable eyeshadow palettes. Hope to sharpen my skills in eyeshadow application eventually!

In Love with BB Creams: Skin 79 Diamond Collection Shimmering Pearl BB Cream

tinokla — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 04:37:15 +0000

I do not regret winning this item in an eBay auction. For days and nights when I feel I need a little sparkle in my get-up, I turn to Skin 79′s Diamond Collection Shimmering Pearl BB Cream. Maybe that’s an understatement because this BB cream can truly make your face shimmer like crazy. If I have it on, I feel like a vampire from Twilight. Needless to say, even if I feel that it’s a good buy, this definitely is not your everyday on-the-go BB cream. Still, it is a good addition to my make-up kit. I find it especially useful during our school programs. I tried using it one ordinary day and my student said I looked like I was sweating… rather funny really, especially coming from a 2 yr. old. Anyways, when I use it, I usually put a BB cream primer first because the coverage isn’t that pronounced. What’s pretty dang noticeable really are the glitters. I also tried putting my Missha BB cream first then this one and it seems to be better that way. Here are snapshots of this BB cream.

I love the simplicity of its packaging.

I was amused and excited when I first saw the applicator brush. I thought it was unique! My only problem was that cleaning it was another task to do.

It's a bit light at first, but very soon, it will get absorbed by the skin.

This BB cream blends well with my skin tone. I do like it if it would be more effective in concealing skin imperfections.

See how it sparkles?

Overall, my penchant for all things sparkly suggests that this one is definitely a keeper. Whenever I get an opportunity, I will surely not hesitate to put this on.

Bag Love: Coach Signature Daisy Large Tote

tinokla — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 22:42:40 +0000

I’m really happy to tell the world about my new love- My Coach Daisy! Being a happy mom of 3, choosing a bag that would be convenient and baby-friendly is a must! My good-old fashionista buddy, Karen, told me that slings are in for 2012. Well, that alone is an answered prayer for trying-hard-to-be-fashionable-while-slinging-a-baby-around mommies like yours truly, haha. I have proven the hard way that a baby plus an LV Alma or Speedy or any short-handle bag is a no-no!
While my big-timer friend got herself a Prada Gauffre Tessuto in Nylon for a slingy, I got a cheaper but really pretty one for me.
I bought my Coach Daisy from a friend of a friend who just arrived from the states a month ago. Similar items sold in eBay Philippines cost approximately Php11,000. I got mine a few thousand pesos lower than that *yey*. I got this bag because I wanted a sling bag that can double as a mommy bag. Yes, more than its outer appeal, I love that its also very sturdy. Since it’s a sling, both of my hands are free, which is very nice since I need ‘em most of the time especially when I’m with the kids. Here are snapshots of my new everyday bag.

Coach paperbag and box!

Bag still fresh and covered with cc monogram printed wrapper.

Another covering- this time plastic! Wish it had the cc prints, too

Sneak peak

With all tags in. The feeling girly in me absolutely adores the pink daisy hangtag!

Something I'm not really fond of is its screaming dark pinkish interior. Well, I could live with it.

It comes with detachable slings. I use the long and short handles alternately and I just love its versatility.

Patchi Chocolates- My Mouthwatering Birthday Present

tinokla — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 06:33:12 +0000

I was greeted with an unexpected present a while ago. The packaging reminded me of something expensive and classy, more like Louis Vuitton! Instantly, my first impression was that it was probably something leather- like a wallet maybe? But Patchi? I have no inkling of what that brand was. To my surprise, inside the beautiful brown package were intricately wrapped chocolates. I was instantly swept with excitement. I knew in my heart that something so beautiful could only mean one thing- heaven in a bite! And true enough, it was!

Oh, who would have thought that chocolate could taste that pure? Just the right amount of sweetness to tickle my senses and make me yearn for more. It breaks my heart to share but I must, hahaha… I believe that the more you give the more you receive.

The packaging looks like a Louis Vuitton box doesn't it?

Oh, isn't that beautiful?

I’ve had Royce and between the two, I’d choose Patchi in a heartbeat. I just wish I can afford them haha. Here’s an article showcasing the awesomeness of Patchi.