Camera Haul: Canon Powershot SX40 HS + Accessories

Hello again!

Sorry I haven't blogged in a month. Just haven't had the time. Anyways I'm back :)
I just got a new camera to blog/vlog with better quality. The camera I purchased is the Canon Powershot SX40 HS. It's a super-zoom camera. I'll post a little info about the camera at the bottom.

The Canon PowerShot SX40 HS is a super-zoom camera sporting a 35x zoom lens which is equivalent to a focal length of 24-840mm. Replacing the previous SX30IS model, the SX40 HS features a 12 megapixel back-illuminated CMOS sensor, DIGIC 5 image processor, 4.5-stop optical Image Stabilizer with new Intelligent IS technology, full manual controls, full 1080p HD movie recording, 2.4fps burst shooting, stereo sound and a HDMI port, a 2.7 inch vari-angle LCD screen, flash hotshoe, a range of Creative Filters and an electronic viewfinder. The Canon PowerShot SX40 HS is available in black priced at £459 / €529 / $429.99.

I have been really liking the quality of pictures that I'm taking with this camera. Let's just say I am pretty stoked about this purchase. If your noob photographer looking for a camera which takes good quality photos and videos then this might be the camera for you. I'll be posting a couple of photos that I took with this camera soon.

I also purchased a bunch of accessories for the camera. First, a UV/CPL/FLD filter set, lens adapter ring, lens hood, pinch lens cap then a leather case bag and lastly a nylon camera bag. Purchased them all at Ebay ^^

I hope you find this helpful in buying a camera for blogging/vlogging or just an everyday camera as well that takes great videos and photos.


xo Grace

My Piercings Collection + New Industrial / Scaffold Piercing

Hello my lovelies! I know I haven't been blogging for quite awhile now. October has been a pretty hectic month for me as me & my cousin were struggling to open the store as soon as possible. Now that it is all done and out of the way I have more time to blog.

 I wanted to do a blog post on my piercings and the newest one I got 2 days ago. So here is a picture of my right ear which I had pierced maybe 2-3 years ago. It's just a couple of cartilage piercings and some lobe piercings as well.

Pain wise for the lobe piercings, it didn't hurt at all. There was this kinda burning feeling after you get your ears pierced. The cartilage piercings on the other hand it hurt just a tiny bit more than the lobe piercings but not that much. I'd recommend getting your cartilage piercings done with a needle instead of a gun because it is much safer and it's the correct way of getting it. Lobe piercings can be done with a piercing gun.

 The latest ear piercing I got is the Industrial or Scaffold Piercing as they call it in the UK is 2 pierced holes connected with a single piece of jewelry. Two piercings are made, one fairly close to the head (anti-helix piercing) the second further down the cartilage, on the opposite side of the ear (helix piercing). A straight barbell is inserted through the first piercing from behind the ear, travels diagonally across the front of the upper cartilage, then goes through the second piercing, and is secured with a screw-on bead behind the second hole.

Pain wise getting a industrial piercing hurt more than getting a cartilage piercing. Especially when they pierce on the anti-helix or the piercing that is nearest to your head. If you want an industrial piercing I'd recomnend getting it on a licensed piercier. They will pierce your ear using a piercing needle and insert the barbel or jewelry after.

After care and healing can be a bitch on this type of piercing as it is near the hair and bacteria can build up easily and cause an infection. The piercing can also get tangled with your hair as well. Healing time on industrial piercing differs with each person, it can take between 3 months to a year for it to heal. You just have to be patient with it and keep it clean. I would recommend cleaning it 2 times a day. First in the morning then in the evening with warm water and a teaspoon of rock salt. You must wash your hands first before touching your ear. Turn the earring as you clean it to get all the dirt out. Once done with cleaning just leave it alone to heal.

Hope you'd found this post helpful if you're planning to get a piercing. Industrial/Scaffold piercing is one of the coolest piercing you can get :)

 xo Grace

Collective Haul 1: Beauty/Hair Products & Studded Loafers

Hello again! I'm trying to blog a couple of times a week and I've decided to do a collective haul of stuff that I have recently purchased. Some of them are repurchased products that I have used before and some are new that I am going to try out if it works for me.

I'm going to start first with the beauty products. I have been looking for a good makeup mist that will set my makeup for me that will not make my face look too powdery that is why I bought the Evian Facial Spray, I know it's just water but it gives off a finer mist than just a regular spray bottle with water in it. Then with the Human Nature Beauty Oil, I wanted a new hair serum and I read pretty good reviews online on this product and it has a lot of different uses too. The Garnier Brightening Eye Roll-On and BB Eye Roll I also bought because I wanted a new eye product that will lighten up my dark under eye circles.

Next are the hair products Richenna Magic Fix to make my curls lasts, JTomas No Tangle Leave in Hair Mist and the Monea Curl Defining Milk which enhances curls. Another beauty product is the Glam Works Makeup Remover Cleansing Wipes.

And the last beauty product is the Nivea Sparkling White Pore Minimizing Whitening Toner, I wanted to switch out my toner because my old one doesn't seem to work for me anymore and my skin just got used to it. Then more hair products with the TRESemme Smooth & Shine Conditioning Treatment and the TRESemme Smooth & Shine Conditioner.

Lastly, my only non-beauty related purchase is these studded loafers I bought yesterday at our local mall. I have been looking for this shoe everywhere. I was going to buy this in black as it won't get dirty easily but they don't have it in my size anymore which is a bummer but oh well I still like it. The color is kinda like tawny brown that is pretty perfect for this fall season and it also matches with everything. I am going to do an outfit of the day with these babies soon.

That is it with my collective haul. I hope you guys found it interesting. I'd love to know what you guys have bought recently, comment down below to let me know. Till next time! :)

xo Grace



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Haul/Review: Nyx Wholesale PH

Hey! Today I'm going to share with you guys my makeup haul from an online pre-order shop. Basically I was looking online for a shop that sells NYX Cosmetics at a reasonable price and I found it on NYX Wholesale PH (http://www.nyxwholesaleph.com/testopencart). They sell a bunch of makeup products with different brands from NYX, ELF, Wet N Wild, EOS, Hard Candy, Physicians Formula, Milani, L.A. Girl, Rimmel London, Barry M and etc. I was particularly interested on their NYX products because there is no NYX store where I live and also on their ELF products. For a background info on the store check out the picture below.

On with my haul ... I got a couple of products from NYX, ELF, L.A. Girl and EOS. The products came in this blue wrapping paper with a sticker of the store's logo and inside the makeup products are in a bubble wrap which provides additional security for the items to avoid breakage.

NYX Wholesale PH packaging

Bubble wrapped makeup products

NYX HD Studio Photogenic Foundation in 04 Sand Beige, ELF Makeup Mist & Set and ELF High Definition Powder

Elf Zit Zapper, L.A. Girl PRO.conceal HD.high-definition concealer in Creamy Beige, NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk, NYX Eyeshadow Base in ESB03 Skin Tone, EOS Lip balm in Sweet Mint, NYX Round Lipstick in LSS 529 Thalia and LSS 503 Medusa

Overall I had a good experience with NYX Wholesale PH and very satisfied with the products I've purchased. The sellers are very accommodating and the items arrived ahead of schedule which I'm pretty stoked about. If you aren't bothered with the items being pre-ordered then go ahead and check them out. I can't wait for my next purchase from them.

P.S. I'll be doing a review on the makeup products I purchased from this haul. So keep on look out for that :)

xo Grace

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HAUL: Longchamp Le Pliage Shopping Tote Bag (Black)

Hi my lovelies!

I have been looking for the perfect bag that I can use pretty much everyday and when I go travelling. I've found it on the Longchamp Le Pliage Shopping Tote. The design of the bag is pretty simple, matches with everything I want to wear and it's also the perfect bag for travel because it's light weight and you can just fold it up and put it on your luggage then take it out once you need it.  The Le Pliage bags are pretty popular but I justified buying it because of the quality and durability. I read reviews online on this particular bag and have found good feedback and the only negative feedback seems to be that everyone seems to have it. I'm not worried though because there is no Longchamp store where I live and if people here do have a Le Pliage bag it seems to be fake.

A Longchamp Le Pliage Shopping Tote, sometimes called the medium/large shopping tote is a nylon bag with leather accents. It has a long handle. Dimensions of the bag are 19 inches (zipper-part), 12 1/4 inches (bottom), 7 1/2 inches (diameter), 12 inches (height) and 10 1/2 inches (strap drop). It comes in a variety of colors. I chose a black one though because it goes with everything and it won't get dirty easily as I'll be using it as an everyday bag.

Regarding the Le Pliage Tote bags being faked alot, there are a couple of signs you can look for to know if the tote bag is authentic or not. For more info on authenticating a Le Pliage Tote bag, check out this blog post here.

xo Grace :)

BLOGLOVIN

Hello! I made a Bloglovin account to follow blogs I like alot more easier.
And this is more convenient to follow my blog as well right?
I know alot of bloggers have Bloglovin :)

                                                       

REVIEW: AVON STYLE ESSENTIALS PROTECTIVE GADGET ORGANIZER

Hey! Sorry for being MIA this last couple of weeks. I've been sick with the flu. Anyways I'm better now. Back to blogging, I've been looking for awhile now for a gadget organizer I can take with me while while travelling to organize and protect my electronics. Well I don't have to look for it anymore. I found it on a Avon Brochure I have been browsing. It's the Avon Style Essentials Protective Gadget Organizer.

I purchased this product from an Avon Representative for P250.00. It says on the packaging that it is a padded gadget holder that comes with 6 mesh pockets for gadgets and electronic items and a pocket for chargers. Also comes with 2 zippered compartments for flash drives, SIM cards and memory sticks.

I really do like this product. This is just so helpful in organizing all my electronics and chargers that I must bring when I travel. I don't have to dig around my handbag to look for things anymore. It is a definite plus that it's padded, protects the gadgets more from bumps and falls. The fabric of the organizer is kinda waterproof as well, protects the contents from spills.

How do you like to organize your gadgets and electronics while travelling? Let me know on the comments below :)

[MAKEUP REVIEW] ETUDE HOUSE PRECIOUS MINERAL BB CREAM (SHEER SILKY SKIN)

This is a makeup review on my all time favorite bb cream, Etude House Precious Mineral BB Cream in Shade 01 Sheer Silky Skin. If you're a newbie on bb creams I'm going to do a quick little intro on it. BB Creams otherwise called Blemish Balm, Beauty Balm, Blemish Base and/or Beblesh Balm (due to the a copy right of the word blemish at Korea *weird*) is a cosmetic item sold in East and South East Asia, it is promoted as an all-in-one facial cosmetic product to replace serum, moisturizer, primer, foundation, and often sunblock (courtesy of Wikipedia).

So on with the review, my shade is the 01 Sheer Silky Skin which is the lighter shade of the 2 (other shade is the 02 Sheer Glowing Skin). I chose this particular shade not because of the color but on how it applies on my skin. The Sheer Silky Skin gives a bit more matte finish that the Sheer Glowing Skin, my skin is on the oily type that is why I prefer this shade/formula more. The color is a little white on my skin but after awhile it just pretty much blends in. This gives a lot of coverage (I no longer use a foundation during the day) and there is no need to use a concealer to hide those red marks and blemishes. I have a pretty sensitive skin and I'm pretty happy to say that this does not break me out (yay!). This particular bb cream I use on a daily basis and it lasts quite well on my face in this really humid weather. At the end of the day I just need to apply a bit of powder to combat the greasiness that usually appears on my face then I'm good to go. The SPF 30/PA++ is awesome, it's a 2.10oz product which lasted me for months and is just right for the price of P700.00+. I have nothing bad to say about this product as it just works wonders for my face and I just love it. I'm pretty bummed out that this product with this particular formula is not available anymore but I know they came out with a better (they say) version of this bb cream which is the Etude House Precious Mineral BB Cream All Day Strong, I hope this will work for me because I just ran out this bb cream and need to purchase a new one. So that is my review on the Etude House Precious Mineral BB Cream. I hope you find this helpful in choosing the perfect bb cream for you :)
 

[MAKEUP REVIEW] MAYBELLINE CLEAR SMOOTH BB CREAM

Hello my lovelies!

For a change I'm going to do a makeup review and it's on the Maybelline Clear Smooth BB Cream which is currently available on the market right now. I purchased this at my local Watsons because I ran out of my favorite bb cream which is the Etude House Precious Mineral BB Cream in Sheer Silky Skin and I wanted to look for a more cheaper one too.

I have been using this consistently for a week now as to give a better review on this product and how it works for my skin. Let me start on the pros, it does not break me out, the packaging is pretty small (and I like it that way) because it's just right to place on your makeup bag when traveling with a carry on as it does not exceed the 100 ml limit, it moisturizes pretty well and it has SPF 26 PA+++. For the cons which is much longer that the pros, first this bb cream doesn't last on my skin at all, within a couple of hours there is no sign of the product on my face. Second, the product is really sheer and for a better coverage you need to apply alot of the product (this won't work for you if you are looking for more coverage, it is more like a tinted moisturizer than a bb cream). Third, there is only 2 shades to choose from which is the 01 Fresh and 02 Natural, good thing the 02 Natural shade worked for me (at first I thought it would be too dark but once applied on the face it pretty much just blends in the skin). Fourth, for an 18 ml product it's pretty expensive for P250.00. And lastly it says that it conceals which is totally not true, it's so sheer that it just evens out the skin tone and that's it. Sad to say I just wasted P250.00 pesos on a crappy product. I better go back to my old bb cream. Well that's about it. I hope this review helps you out and I'll see you guys next time. Bye!

PRETTY THINGS BOUTIQUE

Hello!
Sorry for not blogging these last few weeks. Been pretty busy because I'm opening a boutique called Pretty Things Boutique at my hometown with my cousin, Therese (cookiesingarden.blogspot.com). Construction of the store is taking place right now and we're opening an online store (facebook.com/shop.PrettyThingsBoutique) for the mean time. Currently up on the site is a pre-order of Crystal Contact Lenses from Korea which is available in plano or with grade (I'll talk about the lenses on my next blog post). Oh yeah, tomorrow/later (because I'm blogging at one freaking AM) we'll be picking up at the pier the boxes of store products we bought from our buying trip last week which I talked about in my last blog post. Apparently picking up cargo at the pier instead of the door to door service is much more cheaper :) Feeling sleepy already. I'll talk to you guys next time. Goodmornight! xo

WEEKEND HAUL

Hello. I went with my cousin Therese (She has a blog as well if you want to check it out, cookiesingardens.blogspot.com.) on a buying trip to purchase products for our boutique which is named Pretty Things. We spent 3 days to buy retail products and 2 days to relax and shop for ourselves. I think we bought pretty amazing stuff which alot of different people will like. So be on the lookout for our boutique which will hopefully be open by the middle of September 2012. So on with the haul ...

 

Spiked top (Zara), Floral Dress (Divisoria)

Spiked top (Zara)

Dark Blue Floral Scarf, Old Rose Floral Scarf, Black & Gray Leopard Print Scarf (Divisoria)

Snake Skin Faux Leather Wallet (Mango)

White Round Over-sized Sunglasses, Brown Over-Sized Sunglasses (Baclaran)

Gold & Black Cuff Bracelet, Neon Pink Spiked Bracelet, Brown & Gold Faux Leather Wrap Bracelet (Divisoria)

White & Gold Faux Leather Skinny Belt, Turquoise Faux Leather Skinny Belt (Baclaran)

Lower East Side Leopard Print Ballet Flats (Payless)

That's about all the stuff I bought on this 5-day trip. I hope you found it interesting and I'll see you guys next time. Bye! :)

xo Grace

CHICTOPIA

Hello again!
I recently just updated my Chictopia account which I made ages ago. For those people who aren't familiar with Chictopia, it's a fashion community where members share their outfits, find inspiration, socialize and share fashion. It is also a place where you can discover new brands and even start selling your own. Members are then rewarded with chicpoints which can be used to redeem rewards in a form of clothing or accessory. Yay for Chictopia!

CHICTOPIA

MsGraxie

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SALMON PINK

Hello!
I just started blogging as I want to share with you guys the outfits I'm wearing or whatever floats my boat. This will be my first ever blog post here and I decided to upload this picture of me taken last thursday at my grandma's 83rd birthday which took place at my family's resort. It was just an intimate party with close relatives and friends invited.


Salmon Tail Hem/ Mullet/ High-low Dress (Mango), Gold-tipped Quilted Black Ballet Flats

Btw I got this tail hem dress at Mango's Sale last May 2012 when me and a couple of cousins went on a weekend trip at Manila just to hang out and go shopping. This was 50% off, I think. I really love the salmon-pinkish tone of the dress which complements asian skin (or any skin color for that matter) and it's in the tail hem/ high-low / mullet style too which is pretty on trend right now. I also paired the dress with my Bucherer Gold Diamond watch which I got from my mom as I can't afford to buy this one for myself (too expensive), assorted gold bangles (vintage & a couple of new pieces), my new gold choker necklace with colorful dangling stuff hanging on it that I got for $3.00, can you believe it?, and lastly my trusty gold-tipped quilted black ballet flats that I wear all the time because it is soo comfortable.


Gold Choker Necklace

Gold Diamond Watch (Bucherer), Assorted Gold Bangles (Vintage), Quilted Black Clutch Bag


Link for the tail hem dress at the Mango Philippines website is here if you guys want to check it out. It's still currently on sale for PHP 995 (original price PHP 1,450) and is available on their website now for purchase. They are also have free shipping on any order worth PHP 6,000.

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