* Source : Intage SRI research, suntan UV in unit sales, period: 12/2011-11/ 2014

Rash guards in the Philippines are all the rage nowadays but they don't protect everything. Obviously, your body is covered, but your face is still exposed. Bioré UV specializes in facial sunscreens; therefore, I took some with me during our latest trip to Cuatro Islas to see how effective it is and I am very pleased to tell you that it worked even better than I expected!


I applied the Bioré UV Perfect Face Milk with SPF 50+ variant first because I love the fact that it actually leaves  a matte finish that's really, really good for oily skin and I wanted to look fresh on our way to the islands. It's an awesome makeup base, too, since I was able to use my favorite Naturactor and Octard concealers and I do believe it's the reason they lasted longer under the scorching summer sun. I just can't believe how light this sunblock is and it really feels more like a makeup primer! This also comes with other variants for different skin conditions.













Towards the end of our trip and after a sweltering good time in the salt water and under the sun, I reapplied this time using the Bioré UV Aqua Rich Essence with SPF50+ and PA++++ because my face was feeling warm and I wanted something cool on it. It almost felt like putting aloe vera on my skin! It doesn't get better than this variant because of the cooling effect it has on top of the amazing sun protection you're getting.



















And at the end of the day, I was ecstatic that I have zero sunburns on my face. It didn't hurt one bit and didn't even feel warm at all considering how white sand reflects so much light.

Sunday #Selfie, because I just had to! Absolutely no sunburns from all the island fun in the sun! My new facial sunscreens from @bioreph are the bombdiggity! Although I missed my ears (don't know how I did when they practically stick out!) and now they're so red! 😳 LOL! But other than that, everything's a-okay! Will post my blog review and first impressions later. Stay tuned! 😊 #bastaigatsikat #skin #skincare #instabeauty #beauty #beautybloggersph #biore #bioreph #summer #makeup #instamakeup #japanese #cosmetics #fotd #muotd #motd #nofilter

A photo posted by ✨✨✨✨💖💜MyMaria💜💖✨✨✨✨ (@bastaigat_sikat) on Apr 19, 2015 at 10:35am PDT

So go ahead choose which Bioré UV variant fits you then go out and have fun!  If you can make it a habit especially this crazy hot summer season, don’t forget to put Biore UV every day!



Where to buy Bioré UV in the Philippines:

#BDJBOX

My 2015 started with the biggest beauty kick off with my January-February BDJ BOX containing my favorite full-sized Japanese products worth PHP 2,764 plus the vouchers. The beauty box is worth basically 4 x the cost of the monthly subscription which is only PHP 580! Whoa! I feel so lucky and loved!

I'm pretty sure you're familiar with these products already as I have featured them before in my blog but I'm doing the BDJ BOX 7-Day Challenge so here goes nothing.

DAY 1


I've used Pixy powder foundations in April of last year but this time I got two different shades. Since they didn't necessarily match my current skintone, I found a use for them by using them to contour and highlight my face. The Two-Way Cake Fit in Tropical Beige (PHP 275) is dark for contour and the Coverlast (PHP 325) in Natural is for highlight. The two way cake  is a great long lasting face base that can be used wet or dry depending on the look you're aiming for and the Coverlast is super awesome at covering blemishes + controlling oil plus giving you a smooth, even, and natural look! Pixy is a favorite brand of mine that you can buy locally at selected Watsons stores and it is very affordable, too!

DAY 2


Don't be a bed head! Wake up with super sleek, frizz-free, & more manageable hair with Lucido-L leave-on overnight treatment oil (PHP 295). For straighter hair that allows fingers to run through easily from roots to ends! Also it smells fruity and wonderful! I also use the Lucido-L hair supplements, the Curling Milk and the Styling Milk for Straight hair (PHP 295), depending on what I'm doing with my hair. For me they are great setting lotions that nourishes your hair at the same time.

DAY 3



Pixy blush (PHP 345) in Carnation Bloom for a sweet innocent look that's perfect for any date. Ahem! And you know, not just for Valentines Day because it's just the right peachy pink color for an everyday natural cute flush. It's got the right amount of pigmentation to ensure that and I never end up looking like a clown.

DAY 4



Pixy Eye Shadow (PHP 315) in Sorrel Brown is all you need for a casual daily look. I've been using this all week and I'm loving it to bits! It makes your eye pop without really trying. You don't even have to be a pro at applying it because it glides easily and one swatch of color gives enough pigmentation.


You can take the the light shimmery peach color and lightly dust all over the lid and/or on the crease like I did, then take the dark taupe-brown and use it as eyeliner alternative. You can use this to further define your crease, too, as in transitioning from day to night. Easy-peasy! Can you guess what shade of lipstick I'm wearing in the photo above? This is also from Pixy!
DAY 5



Using the same Sorrel Brown eye shadow palette from Pixy with this Day to Night makeup transition with one shimmery peachy shade and one taupe-brown shade. From neutral to smokey eyes. Again, it is very easy to apply and won't take up space in your makeup kit. The eyeshadows last a decent 4-5 hours without primer. It's buildable, too!

DAY 6
I've been using the Bifesta makeup remover (PHP 419) since 2013 and I find absolutely nothing wrong with it so I continue using this to remove stubborn waterproof makeup. It's also water-based so you can use it when you're too lazy to wash your face before hitting the sack. And what's more? It's also a toner!  It comes in 4 variants. When I was breaking out, I used the Sebum one to help control the oil on my face. If you haven't tried the Bifesta makeup remover, grab one now!

DAY 7

Sunkiller Perfect Strong A with SPF 50 (PHP 495) is the most ultra-light sunblock I've ever tried! Honest! It even dries up matte just like powder and is a great face primer methinks. It claims to be resistant to sweat and water, which I have to test soon when I'm off to bask in the sun this coming summer season. It also contains a menthol blend for a cooling sensation. OMG! Can there be a more perfect sunblock than this??? No more sticky icky feeling during the hot and humid season! I give this my two thumbs up!!! You definitely need to try this!

CONCLUSION:
The best thing about these Japanese products is that they are friendly to the Filipina skin and even the shades match and complement our skintone. This is basically the reason why I'm partial to Asian products over imported ones from the US. Our climate/weather is also something to consider when purchasing makeup. Because we live in the tropics with heavy torrential rains, I highly recommend beauty products that are waterproof and sweatproof.

Press PLAY ▶️ for my completed @bdjbox 7-day Challenge for January-February. Japanese products are great for Filipina skin! Don't believe me? Check out my blog at www.bastaigatsikat.com to know more about these Kawaii must-haves! 👍 #bastaigatsikat #makeup #instamakeup #beauty #bdjbox #bdjbuzz #bdjbox7day #bdjboxjanfeb #instabeauty #bblogger #beautyblogger #fotd #motd #muotd #eotd #lotd #pixy #Bifesta #lucidoL #sunkiller @bifestaph @pixyphilippines @lucidolph @bdjbuzz

A video posted by ✨✨✨✨💖💜MyMaria💜💖✨✨✨✨ (@bastaigat_sikat) on Feb 19, 2015 at 8:44pm PST

There you go, folks! All these products I used in my #BDJBOX7Day Challenge are going to be mainstays in my beauty station and I see myself buying these Kawaii must-haves for a very loooong time.

One of the popular posts I have in my blog is the Beauty Battle between the MAC Girl Boy Brow Set vs Etude House Color My Brows review. Now I am happy to inform you that I found another contender... and this is way cheaper than both of them!

Meet FAIRY GIRL. I got the #2 MOCHA one from Pretty Angel Shoppe. (Thanks, sis!) It also comes in the colors #1 MILKTEA and #3 COCOA.

Fairy Girl eyebrow mascara in MOCHA

It comes with a tiny brush wand for tinting your eyebrows.

I find that the brush is quite stiff and does grab a lot of product. MAKEUP HACK: Don't pump it, but instead just swirl up as you take it out of the tube. Swipe any excess amount on the mouth of the tube. Then brush it on your brows as you do with a normal eyebrow mascara.
You actually need only a little bit of the Fairy Girl eyebrow mascara and you can just brush it all over your brows to spread it out. It dries out fast, too. It can be used with or without an eyebrow pencil underneath depending on how you like your brows done. Note that it does hold hair down in place so you can skip any wax if you require that to set your brows.
#2 MOCHA is great for my current hair color as it is a perfect match! It looks very natural, don't you think?
See how my brows match with my hair better? Before when I bleached/dyed my eyebrows to match my hair, they looked practically non-existent! And I have sparse eyebrows to begin with. So I'm never doing that again... and Fairy Girl eyebrow mascara addresses all my concerns with mismatched eyebrows and hair colors.

Photo taken by my phone, indoors facing outside at mid-day.

It does the same job as my other more expensive eyebrow mascaras and best of all, a full-size tube of Fairy Girl eyebrow mascara sells for only Php200! WOOT! Hurray for budget beauty finds!



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Been a while since I've posted, huh!? I know I really need get back to blogging, but balancing between being a real good mom to a toddler boy and a dear loving wife to Noodle Boy, plus earning a living and running a business, I'm so sorry I just couldn't find time to write. Booooo! Though I really, really want to update my blog because after all, this is my memoir and my passion. So now since I got some free time, I'd like to share with you what I've been up to. Let me enumerate:

1. Bento business. I know it's too soon but I can't wait til he goes to school and I get to prepare his food. LOL! Honestly, I've always wanted to do this. Also making my own Japanese dishes at home now. No need to go out to get sushi!

tamagoyaki, sausages, onigiri (omusubi)

paella and tuna onigiri

Makizushi and sashimi

crab & mango maki

2. Serious with skincare. Yes, I have zits. Again. I dunno, I thought I was done with puberty. Seems like my hormones are not done with me! However, I'm now following a new skincare regimen (morning and night) to make sure my skin gets cleaned and treated well. I'm going to post different entries regarding my unbiased product reviews for the following as soon as I can.

Celeteque for my acne-prone skin!

Can't go wrong with Cetaphil!

3. Be beautiful. I'll be entering my 3rd decade in life pretty soon and I don't intend to look a day over 20! That is, if I can maintain a youthful glow. Married life is really taking a toll on my looks but with awesome skincare I think I can handle the inevitable aging process. And I don't mean improving my Photoshop skills. I'm talking about make-up and what not. Enter the magic of BB creams. (Reviews on products to follow as well when I'm done testing them out.)

Korean BB creams are just uh-mazing!!!

And speaking of Koreans, I just finished watching a KDrama and I can't help but notice the dewy faces of  simply gorgeous actors and actresses. Even without makeup (though I'm quite aware they put some on, however, minimal) they just seem to be glowing! Case in point:

For sure, this one's edited. But still...  And oh yes, I finished the ROOFTOP PRINCE before the local network finished airing it. :)

And looking at these pretty Korean stars makes me feel like I should do something with my eyebrows. Do you notice what these women have in common?


Damn right! It's those blasted straight eyebrows. Ugh. Moreover, my arched brows are so '90s! Definitely a remnant of Beverly Hills 90210 and Friends. Reminiscent of Drew Barrymore or during bad eyebrow days, Pamela Anderson.

Ancient arched eyebrows?

I have really thin eyebrows (which I'll reveal in my upcoming beauty posts) and I'm dying to grow them. Hence, I have undertaken an eyebrow experiment (which I'll also blog about in the very near future, hopefully the project works! *crossing fingers*). Well, what do you know!!? It seems I'll be blogging quite a lot in the coming weeks. Yay!!! Anyway, so here's a video I found online which is really helpful for those of you who also want to get that Ulzzang 얼짱 thing going on. I know I do because obviously, I AM NOT GETTING ANY YOUNGER! Argh.


Isn't @MissWen gorgeous? So innocent, so sweet... Uwaaaahhh! I'm definitely trying this look as soon as I get my brow hairs back! So let's wait & see!

I guess that wraps up my first quarter of 2013. There's more but I'm running out of time again. Grr. So yeah, thanks for droppin' by! Until my next blog update... Hopefully, it should be in just a couple of days. ;)



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I was gonna do a blog about the whole Lenten season and post pictures from the bisita iglesia, but then I reckon so many people have posted the same things... of different variations... so instead, here's a little diversion.






My Good Friday dinner. =^_^= WHATEVER HAPPENED TO FASTING??? I know my "SushiMai" is nowhere near perfect but it's absolutely the same freaking delicious thing you pay for a hundred bucks or more in a Japanese resto. Kore wa ii sushi desu! Itadakimasu! Nam nam nam...

Hope you guys have a blessed Holy Week!


⋆✌㋡ღ⋆ ia\m/^_^\m/ai 陳美西