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Review: The Beauty Bakery Charcoal & Clay Scrub Mask

/ Sunday, May 20, 2018
Clay masks are all the rage these days and of course I wouldn't want to be left behind in trying out this trend. However, it's not jut the trendiness that attracts me but also the benefits that come with using facial masks.
This one from Beauty Bakery for instance contains charcoal, crushed apricot seeds and olive seeds. It promises to pull away deep seated dirt and sebum from the skin. It also promises to tighten pores. I have  oily, pimple-prone skin with large pores and this product certainly fits the bill.
So, did it work for me?
Review is after the jump.

Beauty Bakery Charcoal & Clay Scrub Mask
Price: 199.00
Where to Buy: www.beautymnl.com

What is it?
Functions as an exfoliating scrub and purifying mask; thoroughly cleanses by drawing out toxins, excess sebum, and deep-seated dirt; removes pore-clogging bacteria to tighten and refine skin; formulated with charcoal, crushed apricot seeds, and olive seeds; smoothens and mattifies skin for a fresh, glowing look. -www.beautymnl.com


Packaging, Ingredients & Other Details
It comes in a small black tub which contains 100 grams of product. Packaging is pretty simple and all the labels are written at the top of the cap. The 'how to use' is written but the ingredients of the product is not indicated in the labels.


There's a tag at the bottom of the tub which contains the expiry month and year. The product came shrink-wrapped so that's a guarantee that the product is fresh and unused.

In Action
The clay mask takes on the charcoal-grey color. When the product is spread, you can see that it has these tiny grainy stuff which help in exfoliating the skin.
Here's a photo of me while wearing the mask and after washing it off.

My Take
I'll have to be very honest: the first thing that caught my attention about this product was the fact that it has a Php 199.00 price tag. After that, I started reading the reviews at BeautyMNL and was thoroughly convinced that it's worth trying out.

I'll cut the chase here: I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS PRODUCT! 

It smells great - like fruits but I can't tell if what kind of fruit - and doesn't feel uncomfortable when worn. If anything, it has a slight cooling effect on the face. As the instruction says, I rub it in circular motion but instead of washing it off immediately, I love to leave it on for 10 to 15 minutes.

After washing it off, I can immediately tell the difference. My facial skin feels soft and baby smooth to touch. My pores become visibly tighter. I could just be imagining that but I got compliments too from my officemate who noticed that my pores were looking tame and I'm not too oily. :) I've only used it three times as I write this blog and I promise to be more masipag in applying this mask.

A little goes a long way too with this product so I guess this 100g tub while last for a while.

If I may make a suggestion for room for improvement, I'd like a more specific label, like for the ingredients to be indicated in the packaging because I really love being informed of what I'm putting in my skin. Of course I was able to catch the ingredients at BeautyMNL but some of us may not be able to have the same access to that site. That's it. Just a little small, tiny, little baby hiccup (or something like that, as said by Liam Neeson in Love Actually).

For the price, this products can't be beat. Beauty Bakery is also a proudly Filipino company, so I just feel happy that we keep churning out great quality products in the local scene.

Rating of The Beauty Bakery Charcoal and Clay Scrub Mask


Packaging - 3/5
Quality - 4/5
Performance - 4/5
Price - 5/5
User- friendliness - 4/5
Over-all - 4/5

Have you tried this product from Beauty Bakery?
Have you tried other products from Beauty Bakery?
Drop me a comment about it. 

XO,
Carissa
Clay masks are all the rage these days and of course I wouldn't want to be left behind in trying out this trend. However, it's not jut the trendiness that attracts me but also the benefits that come with using facial masks.
This one from Beauty Bakery for instance contains charcoal, crushed apricot seeds and olive seeds. It promises to pull away deep seated dirt and sebum from the skin. It also promises to tighten pores. I have  oily, pimple-prone skin with large pores and this product certainly fits the bill.
So, did it work for me?
Review is after the jump.

Beauty Bakery Charcoal & Clay Scrub Mask
Price: 199.00
Where to Buy: www.beautymnl.com

What is it?
Functions as an exfoliating scrub and purifying mask; thoroughly cleanses by drawing out toxins, excess sebum, and deep-seated dirt; removes pore-clogging bacteria to tighten and refine skin; formulated with charcoal, crushed apricot seeds, and olive seeds; smoothens and mattifies skin for a fresh, glowing look. -www.beautymnl.com


Packaging, Ingredients & Other Details
It comes in a small black tub which contains 100 grams of product. Packaging is pretty simple and all the labels are written at the top of the cap. The 'how to use' is written but the ingredients of the product is not indicated in the labels.


There's a tag at the bottom of the tub which contains the expiry month and year. The product came shrink-wrapped so that's a guarantee that the product is fresh and unused.

In Action
The clay mask takes on the charcoal-grey color. When the product is spread, you can see that it has these tiny grainy stuff which help in exfoliating the skin.
Here's a photo of me while wearing the mask and after washing it off.

My Take
I'll have to be very honest: the first thing that caught my attention about this product was the fact that it has a Php 199.00 price tag. After that, I started reading the reviews at BeautyMNL and was thoroughly convinced that it's worth trying out.

I'll cut the chase here: I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS PRODUCT! 

It smells great - like fruits but I can't tell if what kind of fruit - and doesn't feel uncomfortable when worn. If anything, it has a slight cooling effect on the face. As the instruction says, I rub it in circular motion but instead of washing it off immediately, I love to leave it on for 10 to 15 minutes.

After washing it off, I can immediately tell the difference. My facial skin feels soft and baby smooth to touch. My pores become visibly tighter. I could just be imagining that but I got compliments too from my officemate who noticed that my pores were looking tame and I'm not too oily. :) I've only used it three times as I write this blog and I promise to be more masipag in applying this mask.

A little goes a long way too with this product so I guess this 100g tub while last for a while.

If I may make a suggestion for room for improvement, I'd like a more specific label, like for the ingredients to be indicated in the packaging because I really love being informed of what I'm putting in my skin. Of course I was able to catch the ingredients at BeautyMNL but some of us may not be able to have the same access to that site. That's it. Just a little small, tiny, little baby hiccup (or something like that, as said by Liam Neeson in Love Actually).

For the price, this products can't be beat. Beauty Bakery is also a proudly Filipino company, so I just feel happy that we keep churning out great quality products in the local scene.

Rating of The Beauty Bakery Charcoal and Clay Scrub Mask


Packaging - 3/5
Quality - 4/5
Performance - 4/5
Price - 5/5
User- friendliness - 4/5
Over-all - 4/5

Have you tried this product from Beauty Bakery?
Have you tried other products from Beauty Bakery?
Drop me a comment about it. 

XO,
Carissa
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It was my first time try out anything from Icebergs and the experience certainly did not disappoint. Thanks to mama for bankrolling this eating sesh.

Here are some of the treats that we sampled at Icebergs.

We shared this plate of Nachos. 
Nachos//Price: Php 218.00
We also had a plate of Country Fries (Price: Php 148.00) but I wasn't able to take a photo of it because I was already too busy devouring with my Halo Halo. Moreover, if there's fries on the table, it's almost immediately gone. Anyway, the fries weren't like thin sliced McDo or Jollibee fries but more like potato wedges with some spices and a tasty mayo dip.

This Godzilla is a bit pricey at Php 418.00 but it's a huge serving which can be shared by three to 4 people so it's ideal for family or for barkadas. I mean, that's a lot of ice cream. 
Godzilla//Price: Php 418.00
Club sandwich, y'all. It also has some fries.
Club Sandwich//Price: Php 218.00
Mama had this Caramel Flan and I was able to sample it too. I loved the mixture of fruits plus the caramel flan flavored ice cream. I particularly enjoyed those round, white stuff which is macapuno.
Caramel Flan//Price: Php 148.00
And here's my halo halo, the Halo Dozen, which I had a bit of a hard time trying to consume. Not because it wasn't good but because the serving was BIG! For Php 118.00 I think it's very sulit. Mama came to the rescue when I could no longer go on. That's what moms are for. :) 

Halo Dozen//Price: Php 118.00
Here are a few candid shots while we were waiting and eating. Thankfully the topic didn't revolve around 'who among mama's kids is adopted'. See now, I am struggling with my Halo Dozen. Celestine is still reeling over the fact that the strawberries taste sour. It was the first time that she tasted strawberries. 


I'll just end this by saying that this isn't the last time that I'll be seeing Icerbergs. :)

XOXO, 
Carissa

Icebergs is located at the 1L Robinsons Place Tacloban Extension
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I'm answering these 50 Random Q's like I'm a teenager. Ha ha. But I do feel like I am quiet young at heart. I copied the question this blog: Truly Yours, Tram. Someone is supposed to tag you to answer these questions but I realized I just can't sit out here waiting for that tag. I'll just answer it for fun.,tag or no tag. Maybe make my brain work on something that's not work-related. Here are my answers to the 50 Random Questions.

1. What's the name of your best friend?
His name is Dan; he is my husband.
If my daughter could read this, she might react badly because as far as she is concerned, she is my best friend. Actually, she also is. Her name is Tin.

2. Who would you throw into the Bermuda Triangle?
None. Ha ha.

3. Do you sleep with lights open or closed?
Closed.

4. How many time a day you look at yourself in the mirror?
About 50 times.

5. What is your strongest sense?
My sense of smell. It's stronger than my common sense. LOL.

6. Do you always smile for pictures?
No. I schmize.

7. Do you ever dance even if there is no music playing?
Yes! Definitely yes! I even make my own music. My officemates can attest to that.

8. How many people have you slept with this week?
1. 2? Including my daughter.

9. What is your song of the week?
Ha! The Tide Is High by Atomic Kitten.

10. Do you still watch animes?
No. I stopped at about 4th or 5th grade.

11. Where would you bury hidden treasure if you had some?
The backyard. I did this when I was young; I even made a treasure map.

12. Heels or flats?
Flats.

13. What movies could you watch over and over and still love?
There's plenty of them. Schindler's List. Gladiator. 3 Idiots. Titanic. Pride and Prejudice. A bunch of war movies. The list goes on...

14. Last person you texted?
I don't remember. I'm not much of a texter.

15. Would you ever strip or pose nude in a magazine?
No.

16. When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone on paper?
I do not remember.

17. Any hidden talent?
None.

18. Which character from books you'd like to be?
Annabeth Chase from the Percy Jackson books.

19. What super powers would you like to have?
To never get tired to helping other people anyone.

20. Are you lazy?
Ha ha. I am lazy by some other people's standards. It's hard to move me if the work does not interest me.

21. Any other languages can you speak except your native languange and English?
Waray, and a bit of Bisaya.

22. Are you stubborn?
At times.

23. Ever watch Korean Dramas?
Yes but it was a long time ago, before the current K Drama explosion.

24. Nicknames
Ca, Cars, Caris, Cassie, Cass, Aissa, Ate, Mummy. I answer to all of that.

25. Biggest lie you ever told?
The ones that can save my a**. I can't divulge it here.

26. Does any celebrity follow you on social media.
None.

27. What color was the last shirt you wore?
Red.

28. What color of clothes do you prefer?
Black, white, gray, dark blue.

29. Do you want any tattoos?
No.

30. Snapchat or Instagram?
Instagram.

31. What’s your favorite clothes to wear?
My husband's loose shirts paired with my short shorts. He's been complaining that I wear his shirts too much.

32. What is the strangest thing you believed when you're a child?
Aswangs.
Those stories about kutos or head lice, where you would be flown up to a high Dau tree if you had too many on your head.

33. Type of Music?
Pop.

34. Are you a risk taker?
Not much. Just calculated risks.

35. What happened the last time you cried?
I was just listening to Taylor Swift's 'New Years Day'. I dunno what got into me.

36. Honestly, are things going the way you planned?
Yes, some things have fallen into place but I am still working on a few more things.

37. What’s your worst habit?
Procrastination.

38. What’s your favorite thing about your bestfriend?
He's not judgy. He makes me laugh all the time. He loves me unconditionally.

39. Coffee or Tea?
Tea, hands down.

40. Pizza or Burger?
Tough. Can I have both?

41. Do you miss anyone right now?
Yes. My family in Leyte.

42. Who are you in love with?
My family.

43. What is your asset?
My creativity, and my writing, I guess.

44. Who do you stalk in social medias.
Queen Letizia of Spain, Queen Maxima of the Netherlands. Taylor Swift. #SosBolz, they are such a fun couple. David Beckham. Britney Spears.

45. Do people ever take you seriously?
Well, they would have to, especially if they have to enlist my help.

46. Why do you have a blog?
Because...I have always loved writing and expressing myself in this form. I've been blogging since Friendster and Multiply days.

47. How old are you?
I'm forever 22, baby. Everything will be alright if you keep me next to you.

48. What is the one thing you’ll never do again?
Hurt the person I love.

49. If you were the opposite gender. What name would you like to have?
Dylan.

50. Which celebrity would you change lives with?
Ha ha. I wouldn't change my life with anyone. But for the purpose of answering this question, I'd like to be Victoria Beckham.

There you have it.
Friends old and new, hope you learned something new about me.

XO,

Carissa
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First of all, I brushed up on my little Photoshop skills to create this banner. I'm glad that I've still got it. I mean, I don't do as much graphics as I used to. So it's simple. I just played up with the colors of her uniform. :)

On April 2nd, Celestine officially finished Kindergarten and was deemed ready, along with a hundred others, to move up to 1st grade.

While waiting for the Processional, I took these photos. It was a sweltering day by the way. Summer is here! She's looking lovely and excited on these photos. She decided beforehand that she wanted braids and a butterfly headband. Her Tita Jeny did her hair. I put some light makeup on her and just dabbed a lip and cheek tint for a hint of color. I also pinned that pink ribbon corsage on her. I noticed that no one else did that so maybe it's not a thing here in Allen. But growing up in Burauen, I always had a corsage on during Recognition Days so it's a tradition. Anyway.


Hot outside, and also hot inside the venue with hundreds of warm bodies all crowded up to witness the sea of yellows, marching up to get their awards. But we didn't mind at all.
No, we didn't mind. Especially if we came here to rack up a few awards. She got the Dancer Award (really?!), Golden Heart Award, Mathinic Award and Star Reader Award.
She also played a part in the Program. She delivered the "Pasasalamat" or "Thank You". It's funny, she wouldn't even start her speech until I came up front to take the video. I'm glad that she did well because we practiced a lot. I also reminded her to not fidget around so you see, she's well behaved onstage.

Here she is with her adviser, Maam Mary Jean. This one's really special because she really adores her teacher. We also have a photo here of some of the teachers and administrators of Allen Central Elementary School headed by Ma'm Maribel A. Formaran.



And here's our family photo!

Getting into the first grade will be  challenge for my daughter and I promise as a mom, ka- career -in ko and pag support kay baby girl.
Go go go!
She did say that she's ready to be a Grade 1 with full conviction. Aja!

XOXO,
Carissa
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Well, to start off - it's the third month of 2018 already and here I am talking about a planner! Ha ha. But it's not yet too late, I guess, since I still have the rest of the year to write stuff. Moreover, the Mercury Drug Suki Day Book is not just  a regular planner or a journal. It is dubbed as a "companion to a mindful life".
Let's check it out. Open, open.
These are regular planner fairings: the personal information, the calendar (with Philippine Holidays), and the planner proper itself. There are also pages for writing journals.
The Personal Info page.
The Calendars for the years 2017, 2018 and 2019.
The planner.
In between the journal pages are the pagebreakers with "interesting information and tips on how you can be mindful in living your life". Here are examples of those pagebreakers.
Here's to being mindful of your sleeping habits.
Here's to being mindful of your eating habits.
Here's to being mindful of your water intake.
Here's to being mindful of your priorities.
Here's to being mindful of your posture.

Here's to being mindful of what you post on social media.

There are also some activities to try out.
We all know what these doodles are for, don't we?

There are other doodles of this sort, suggesting some fun activities like tracing constellations or going to museums but this particular one kinda reminded me of myself. 

This'll be a must-try the next time I go out and take a stroll. My plan is to not just to do the checklist but to take photos of each item as well.

I'd love to try this one out: the 30-Day Social Media Detox. It'll be kinda hard I guess but adjustments always require some form of sacrifice. I have noticed that I have become screen dependent of lat and I'd like to get rid 


+++
Now, I know you might wondering how much this Suki Day Book cost me. Or rather, how many stickers did I have to collect to get this.  :P
Well, anyone who has 30+ points on her Mercury Drug Suki Card can avail of this planner. But the stocks are limited, I guess. I was lucky that even at this time of the year, I was able to grab one of these. I spotted only three pieces of it in my local Mercury Drug counter

Props to Mercury Drug for coming up with this well thought-out planner. Even the material doesn't feel or look cheap.
The pagebreakers are making my rusty mind work and I've been reassessing how I've been dealing with, and taking care of me, so far.
This planner will certainly be useful to me even next year.
But I will keep my eyes peeled for Suki Day Book 2019! :)

XO,
Carissa
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Here's a review of the ZOEVA En Taupe Eyeshadow Palette.


ZOEVA En Taupe Eyeshadow Palette
Price: USD 27.00 (on www.zoevacosmetics.com) or around Php 1, 400.00
Where To Buy: www.sephora.ph

What Is It?
Always en vogue, the ZOEVA En Taupe Eyeshadow Palette is determined by a sophisticated variation of warm and cool-toned taupe shades, complementary to every skin tone. Inspired by precious fabrics and the art of couture, the exquisite brownish-grey, iridescent beige and edgy metallic hues with violet undertones are velvety-soft to apply and indispensable for artistically extravagant beauty statements and elegant contemporary looks.

Finishes: Matte, Matte with glitter, Satin

The formulation of the eyeshadows is enriched with vitamin E and is 100% free of parabens, mineral oils, perfume and phthalates. Made in Italy. - www.zoevacosmetics.com

Ingredients
Up Close
Palette size: 18.8 x 8.8 x 1.0 cm
Diameter per pan: 2.6 cm
Net weight: 10 x 1.5 g / 10 x 0.05 oz
Swatches/Shades Description
Here we go again. :) I'm not that much of an expert in naming shades so I would just call 'em as I see 'em.
Top Row
Stitch by Stitch - matte creamy white; ideal for highlighting the brow bone or just for applying all over the lids
Handmade - duo-chrome peach that shifts into a subtle gold when applied; lovely for highlighting the inner corner of the eye.
Gallery - matte taupe but you get a bit of lilac when you apply it
Hour by Hour - matte sand on the palette but when swatched, looks like pale rosy brown
Old Master - matte dark grey with tiny golden flecks

Bottom Row
Spun Pearl - frosted silver-y white
Sheers & Voiles - duo-chrome light grey that shifts into pale pink when swatched
Outline - shimmery brown-taupe
Wrapped In Silk - shimmery grey-taupe
Exquisite - matte plum

In Action
First Photo : I used Hour by Hour all over the lids, then I topped it with Outline
Second Photo: I used Gallery all over the lids, then topped it with Wrapped In Silk

My Take
Anyone who sees this palette thinks that it's a bar of chocolate. Needless to say, I love how sleek it is. The packaging is made of sturdy cardboard which closes up tight with a magnet. It also has a cardboard sleeve which holds the whole thing together.

The color selection is in the taupe (gray-brown) range but it also includes some silvery, bronzy and plum colors.  Some colors look alright on my light-medium warm skin tone but I can imagine that they would all really look better, and even dramatic on someone who has a fairer skin tone. The shades look lovely actually and are quiet pigmented but some the colors just don't translate well on me. The powder blends well, they don't get chalky, and are easy to apply. Barely any fallout and applies smoothly on my lids. The staying power is great on me. I would apply it in the morning and even up to 6 - 7 hours it's still there.

My favorite shades are Handmade, Sheers & Voiles, Outline and Wrapped In Silk and Exquisite. They are the only ones that I can full off with my warm skin tone. They are basically fragrance-free and according to the packaging, can be used up to 36  months after opening.

To conclude, I will get myself another ZOEVA Eyeshadow Palette in a different range of colors, probably with warmer tones because I love the quality of it. I think I just got the wrong shades, LOL.

Rating of ZOEVA En Taupe Palette

Packaging - 4/5
Pigmentation - 4/5
Quality - 4/5
Performance - 4/5
Price - 3.5/5
User- friendliness - 4/5
Over-all -  3.91/5

 XO,
Carissa
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Yass! I love sticking to the basics especially when its about makeup for the office.


To break it down, I used the following products to create this look.
You may click the bold fonts to read a review of each product.

Belo Intensive Whitening BB Cream  as moisturizer and sun protection. It leaves a matte finish but the color is kinda off for my skin tone so I just use it underneath my foundie . I also love the SPF 50 content.

Maybelline Baby Skin Pore Eraser as primer. It really minimizes the appearance of pores. 




ZOEVA En Taupe Palette - review coming soon! I also used one of its silvery shades as an eyeliner.

Becca Highlighter in Moonstone - review coming soon! I'm addicted to this highlighter!


I mixed these two lippies. Maybelline's Nude Nuance is kinda dark for the office so I try to tone it down with the peachy-pink Stockholm from NYX.




I hope you liked this simple look.
Drop me a comment.

XO, 
Carissa
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Here's a review of the Human Heart Nature 100% Natural Bug Shield DEET-Free Lotion.

Human Heart Nature 100% Natural Bug Shield DEET-Free Lotion
Price: Php 99.75
Where To Buy: Online at www.humanheartnature.com

What Is It?
This mosquito repellent is 100% free from harmful chemicals. It has no DEET, parabens, synthetic fragrance and other toxic substances. Its active ingredients are citronella oil and soybean oil.

Ingredients and Other Details

 My Take
I will admit that this product has taken a back seat for the last year. I literally forgot about it. However, the recent news related to the Dengvaxia Vaccine has put me on my toes and even though the said vaccine has never been introduced in the Visayas, I want me and my family to be free from mosquito bites, as much as possible.

Our home is not particularly overpopulated by mosquitoes but there was a time when there were one too many and I was having a hard time sleeping. I actually remembered that I had this is my stash and decided to apply it. The packaging said that you have to reapply it every 2 to 4 hours but I never got to reapplying it. You know why? It's because I slept so soundly after applying it. It really kept the bugs away.

The creamy lotion doesn't feel heavy when applied. It just has a little hint of oiliness, which keeps the skin from feeling dry. If there's a downside to this product, it's that it has a really strong scent. It's really fragrant, sharply sweet and a bit tangy, must be because of the mixture of natural oils. Well, if the scent is what's keeping the bugs away, thank you very much, I will take the smell over the bites, itchiness or worse, Dengue.

Am also glad that it's 100% natural and free of harmful ingredients.

Human Heart Nature 100% Natural Bug Shield DEET-Free Lotion Rating:

Packaging: 4/5
Quality: 4/5
Performance: 4/5
User-Friendliness: 3/5
Price: 4/5
Overall: 3.8/5

XO,
Carissa
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I've been a beauty junkie for quiet a while now but I've only made my first purchase from Sephora PH recently.
What's taken me so long?
Well, Sephora is associated with some the most luxurious brands in beauty and with that luxury comes the hefty price tag. I've told myself, gah, don't even dare go looking at their website 'coz you'll just end up being heartbroken because you can't afford the products. 
But there are affordable brands in there like ZOEVA, Sleek MakeUp and their own Sephora brand to name a few.
And then they had a SALE during the holidays! So I decided to pick up a few stuff or myself. More on that later.

Another thing that puts me off when I try to shop online is when they have limited payment types accepted. I don't have a credit card. My debit card no longer works for online shopping because I think my bank has been more cautious to avoid fraudsters. That usually leaves me with the bank deposit option but there aren't many banks this side of the universe. #probinsyanaproblems.

I was so surprised when I learned that Sephora PH accepts Dragonpay! I've had previous experience with Dragonpay when I shopped with Shopee so I know that it is a gateway for over-the-counter payments such as LBC, Cebuana Lhuillier and M. Lhuilier, etc. See photo above! Yes! You can shop with Sephora PH and pay through those very pang-mass (for the masses) payment options!

So, without further ado, these are the contents of my package from Sephora PH. 


ZOEVA En Taupe Palette

Kate Somerville Skin Health Experts Samplers

BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed in Moonstone

I will be reviewing these products here in my blog very soon.

XO,

Carissa
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