Review: Clinique Pore Refining Solutions Instant Perfector

Php1,500 (about $40)

Clinique Pore Refining Solutions Instant Perfector in Invisible Light

I started growing pores a couple of years after I got married. And yes, I said grow because I literally watched them blossom from cute little baby pores to humongous angry mommy pores. Every time I look at my husband's smooth as a baby bottom skin, I wanted to scream and throw mighty tantrums.

See? Almost poreless.

Pissed off and insecure, I felt the need to wage an all-out war with my pores (yes, I'm crazy like that), trying just about every pore-erasing toners, serums and creams I could get my frantic hands on, only to come to the bitter realization that they simply cannot be shrunk. I was fighting a battle already lost. But hardly anyone has ever went for the orange-peel look and surely, I'm not the only one who has pores big enough to live in, so what do people do? Well, pore correctors, of course! These are primers you dab on pores - you can use it by itself, under and/or over makeup (so they say, but I find that it works better if I apply it right after moisturizer). What they do is minimize the appearance of pores. Basically, the pores are still there but they become so much less noticeable. These stuff work up to a certain degree. In my case, I achieve the soft-focus effect if I finish the look using an HD powder rather than a regular powder. I do need to apply powder a couple more times during the day to maintain the not-quite-poreless-but-the-closest-thing-I-could-get-to-having-small-pores look. I know it sounds like a lot of work but well, you got to do what you got to do. I've tried both Clinique Pore Refining Solutions Instant Perfector and Benefit POREfessional. I don't really prefer one over the other. Just that, if I have to choose, I'd only choose Clinique because it's Php100 cheaper. So, below is my before and after using Clinique (I'll make another post using Benefit soon). On the left is barefaced; on the right, with Instant Perfector and HD powder.

Swatches and Review: MAC Studio Perfect SPF15 Foundation

Php2,750 (about $70)

Not a fan, here's why -

1. It broke me out. None of my other foundies make me break out in red, angry bumps. Not even the cheaper ones. And I know this was the culprit because a) it wasn't my time of the month, b) the only new product I used when breakouts started was this, and c) breakouts stopped when I stopped using this, which was also the first and only time I ever used this, as you can see, I barely disturbed the surface. A shame really because now it sits on my vanity, collecting dust.

2. MAC counters are inaccessible. The closest to my location is at Eastwood Mall. As someone who lives just a few minutes away from major malls along Marcos Highway, even Libis is pretty far-off. Clearly, only a handful of malls carry high-end cosmetics brands. So distance alone is a non-issue. Obviously, if I really love the product, I will go get it no matter how out of the way. But throw pimples into the mix and I will run for the hills faster than you can say spot corrector.

3. Expensive. It costs Php2,750 - Php650 for the compact and Php2,100 for the foundation. Studio Fix Powder Plus foundation is cheaper (Php1,700) but it has no SPF and it's not refillable, at least that's what the MAC SA told me. Ridiculous! I've had this foundation awhile so whatever made me choose the more expensive one that time, I can no longer remember.

I am NC25 - fair, with yellow undertones.

NC25, without flash

NC25, with flash

So there. Maybe I'm just a Revlon girl or maybe my humble skin is unaccustomed to really expensive stuff, but whatever it is, I am swearing off MAC products.

Book Review: The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

From Goodreads: "After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up."

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey 

Series: The Fifth Wave, #1

Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Post Apocalyptic, Dystopia

My rating: 3 out of 5 stars

I can understand the hype, why people say it's the next Hunger Games. I wouldn't go so far as to say that it is, only that I get it. The 5th Wave is a fast-paced post-apocalyptic survival novel with a touch of romance. It's a fun read really, some parts dragged a little bit but other parts kept me at the edge of my seat. I thought Rick Yancey did a good job finding the right voices for his characters. Some did say that Cassie's POV doesn't match that of a typical teen girl's but I didn't really notice until it was pointed out. The romance for me is just OK, not nauseatingly cheesy but just a small amount of cringe. I was rooting for Cassie and Evan but almost lost it when Cassie came face to face with Zombie. What I loved the most is that though right in the middle of an alien invasion, people still seem to care about their own personal hygiene. I have yet to read a post-apocalyptic/dystopian novel that involves characters brushing their teeth, showering and taking a bath. And that's a plus for me because call me crazy but I always obsess about the quality of the characters' breaths, especially when kissing, so thank you Rick Yancey, for being very detailed about that. I just wish he's detailed about other things as well. Because behind the heart-stopping action and suspense is a plot that doesn't make sense to me and if reviews on Goodreads are any indication, then to a lot of people too. But disregarding all those little plot holes, the 5th Wave is rather entertaining.

Recipe: Lasagna Soup

I love lasagna but hate how big a production making it requires. Also, I'm not very good with the oven, so apart from baking cookies, I don't use it much. Good thing I came across an easy alternative, yummy lasagna soup adapted from a Paula Deen recipe.

Serves 4

Ingredients
¼ lb ground beef
¼ lb ground pork
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
½ teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
¼ teaspoon salt
½ tablespoon sugar
2 cups chicken broth
1 small pouch tomato sauce
6 small tomatoes, peeled
1 ½ cups broken lasagna noodles
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup grated mozzarella cheese

Directions
1. In a large pot, sauté garlic and onion until they are soft. Add the ground beef, ground pork, and bell pepper, then cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the beef and pork are browned.

2. Add thyme, Italian seasoning, salt, sugar, chicken broth, tomato sauce and peeled tomatoes. Bring it to a boil over high heat. Stir in lasagna noodles, reduce the heat and simmer until al dente.

3. Sprinkle cheese over the top.

Swatches and Review: Revlon ColorBurst Lipstick

I too went through a nude lips phase. I loved the effortless, neutral look. I still do but I just can't seem to do the nude lip without streaking, I don't know if it's the color or the texture, maybe both. Anyway, some of the nude lippies in my collection are the Revlon ColorBurst lipstick in Soft Nude, NYX Round lipstick in Circe and MAC Creme d'Nude lipstick. All of which are super creamy that at high temperatures, they may melt. Revlon for me is the most workable among the three because I can't stand Circe's taste and smell and Creme d' Nude almost always makes me look corpse-y. So in light of Revlon discontinuing their ColorBurst lipstick line, I thought I'd post swatches before everyone forgets about them. I have 075 Peach, 070 Soft Nude and 012 Cherry Ice.

From left-right: 070 Soft Nude, 012 Cherry Ice, 075 Peach

Without flash, from left-right: 070 Soft Nude, 075 Peach, 012 Cherry Ice

With flash, from left-right: 070 Soft Nude, 075 Peach, 012 Cherry Ice

Php575 (about $15)

070 Soft Nude is a peachy, pinky nude, with no shimmer.

070 Soft Nude, without flash

070 Soft Nude, with flash

075 Peach is a soft coral, peachy shade with gold shimmers.

075 Peach, without flash

075 Peach, with flash

012 Cherry Ice is a sheer, blue-based cherry red with gold shimmers.

012 Cherry Ice, without flash

012 Cherry Ice, with flash

The colors are really pretty but they don't stay on very long. The rounded paddle shape of the lipstick doesn't really bother me, although some might say that that makes application a bit of a challenge. Soft Nude tends to move around my lips. Peach sometimes settles into lines but nothing a good lip smacking cannot remedy. Cherry Ice is my favorite.

Resto love: Chefs' Quarter

Tessie Tomas Salad, Solo Php390 | Family Php720

Mesclun salad with marinated salmon, roasted prawns and grilled shiitake mushroom drizzled with balsamic dressing

Grilled Tiger Prawns, Php550

In lobster cognac sauce, served with baby potatoes and house salad

Chefs' Quarter Steak, Solo Php450 | Family Php650

Grilled US top blade with roasted potatoes, vegetables and parsley garlic butter

Marinated Duck Confit, Php430

In lemon orange sauce, served with potatoes and vegetables

Stir-Fried Seafood Paella, Small Php250 | Large Php430

Beef Salpicao Fried Rice, Solo Php195 | Family Php395

North Carolina Pulled Pork, Solo Php195 | Family Php395

In raspberry sauce, served with bread, cabbage relish and tomato-coriander salsa 

Strawberry Cheesecake, Php130

A slice of cheesecake with fresh strawberries

Book Review: The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa

From Goodreads: "Allison Sekemoto has vowed to rescue her creator, Kanin, who is being held hostage and tortured by the psychotic vampire Sarren. The call of blood leads her back to the beginning—New Covington and the Fringe, and a vampire prince who wants her dead yet may become her wary ally. Even as Allie faces shocking revelations and heartbreak like she’s never known, a new strain of the Red Lung virus that decimated humanity is rising to threaten human and vampire alike."

The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa 

Series: Blood of Eden, #2

Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Supernatural, Paranormal, Dystopia, Post Apocalyptic

My rating: 1 out of 5 stars

I loved The Immortal Rules. I thought it was a refreshing spin on the modern vampire tale. Allison Sekemoto has easily joined the ranks as one of my favorite heroines. I devoured it in one sitting. Well not exactly, it was more like four days but you know what I mean, unputdownable. That it took me almost a month to finish the second book bums me out. I thought there was an awful lot of rehashing from the first book. That was well and good for those who have not read the previous book but I read it just a couple of months ago so Allison's frequent trip down memory lane bored me silly. I also felt like time, as I have very precious little, could have been better spent in character development. I would have loved to have seen more how certain characters got from point A, where we left them off in the first book, to point B, where we pick them up in the second book, instead of them appearing seemingly out of nowhere. And finally, unless Sarren dies prematurely in the next book, facing the same enemy over again, after everything they've been through, just sounds exhausting to me. I didn't understand "Mr Stephen", I don't get his motivations or has he always just been such an ass? Zeke and Allison romance - I didn't buy it. Kanin was mostly absent. And Allie? I really loved her in the first novel but here, she was too busy with her inner monologues to notice I was losing interest. Call me crazy but the only character I did like was Jackal. I know a lot of you guys loved this book but I must've missed something or Julie Kagawa may just be paving the way for a spectacular book three, I don't know,  I guess I'll have to wait and see.

The Zesty Guy

I haven't been making magic in the kitchen lately. Oh, I still cook, but, just the task of styling and photographing food has become somewhat daunting. Plus, it's not like anybody misses my food posts on Facebook anyway. OK so now I'm just fishing. Hey, have you guys seen Kraft's Zesty Italian Dressing commercial series? I must've been living under a rock because I'm seeing them just now. But to you uninspired cooks out there, who for some reason have not seen these yet either, I give you The Zesty Guy.

Happy Wednesday, ladies!

Swatches and Review: Revlon ColorStay Ultimate Suede Lipstick

Being a huge Revlon fan, I draw no satisfaction of saying that these suck. To be honest, I have read mostly negative reviews about the new ColorStay Ultimate Suede lipstick online but I still wanted to try it and see for myself. Also, I thought, no, more like hoped, that it would be different for me. That while it dries the heck out of most people's lips, it would somehow moisturize mine. Yes, I live in a parallel universe where everything goes my way. So anyway, the Ultimate Suede lipstick line comes in 20 shades - pinks, reds, corals, purples, they all look so pretty I wanted to get them all! But I'm glad I didn't because that's just about the only good thing I could think of to say - gorgeous colors. I exfoliate my lips, apply lip balm under and a lip gloss over it and it still manages to suck all the moisture out. I had to apply lip balm every so often to get through the day. 10 minutes after application and my lips feel tight, 30 minutes and they're chapped. By hour 2, the product settles into lines and accentuates the cracks and oh my gosh if that's not bad enough, it makes my lips flake. I get that as with most long-lasting lipsticks, a little drying comes with the territory. But this one is just painful to wear. Not just because one would tend to peel or pick, sometimes bite off the flakes but one time I swear, I went to the movies wearing this and my lips got stuck together. Prying your lips apart may sound like a line straight out from romance novels but if it's your upper and bottom lip you're talking about, it's just sad, not to mention, excruciating. I'm thankful that though I was super excited when these first came out, I managed to rein my impulsiveness and just bought 2, well 3, but I gave the other 1 away. Flashing Lights I believe it was called, a peach coral shade. So what I'm "stuck" with are Preview and Iconic.

Php575 (about $15)

Top-Bottom, with flash: 070 Preview, 055 Iconic

Top-Bottom, without flash: 070 Preview, 055 Iconic

070 Preview, with flash

070 Preview, without flash

Preview is a muted dusty rose with shimmer, reminiscent of Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie.

055 Iconic, with flash

055 Iconic, without flash

Iconic is a peach nude shade with gold flecks. Looks to me like Peach Parfait, again from the Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter line.

Resto love: Italianni's Restaurant

Shrimp and Asparagus Alfredo, 

Abbondanza Php925 | Regular Php625 | Lunch Php350

Fettuccine in Asiago-Parmesan sauce, plus asparagus tips, shrimps and bacon

Crispy Pork Ribs, Php425

Crunchy outside juicy inside pork ribs with spicy scallion dip, served with garlic rice and veggies

Pepperoni Pizza, Php450

Mozzarella, pepperoni, and arugula

Tropicale Pizza, Php425

Mozzarella, bacon, pineapple, and arugula

Herb Roast Chicken, Regular Php595 | Springs Php425

Roasted chicken with Italian herbs served with vegetables, garlic rice or mashed potato and Italian gravy

Seafood Cioppino, Abbondanza Php895 | Regular Php595 | Lunch Php395

Linguine in a red wine sauce with clams, mussels, calamari and shrimps, drizzled with basil pesto

Grilled Pork Chop, One Chop Php425 | Two Chops Php695

Pepper-crusted grilled pork chops served with vegetables and garlic rice

N.Y. Cheesecake, Php450

A slice of New York cheesecake with strawberry amaretto sauce

Yum!