Have Dropper, Will Travel

Because no one ever wants to lug around heavy baggage while traveling, I'm teaching myself to pack light. I've read lots of packing tips throughout the years. The ones I remember are:

1. Fold clothes instead of rolling them up. Folded garments take up less space because they compress better into each other.


2. Bring only 1 pair of jeans. Wear another pair to the airport.


3. Whip out the multipurpose beauty products, so you won't have to bring one of each kind. (e.g. 3-in-1 lip, cheek, and eye color)

In response to number 2, I don't much like re-wearing anything, so I'd rather bring lots of leggings because the fabric is practically weightless. That's why I tend to plan my outfits according to the leggings.

As for point number 3, I hardly ever follow this because I get excited and end up packing most of the full-size beauty products anyway. Almost always, I end up regretting it. Like I said, the intention was to pack light, so I've been trying to reign it in by going for mini-containers. I found these travel droppers that I went gaga for in Daiso, Busan. For W 1,000 (PHP 38.oo) each for both big and small sizes, these glass vials with droppers are such a good deal!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="360"] 10mL and 5mL droppers are a steal[/caption]

I bought a 100ml pump bottle of argan oil some months back and I've been trying to figure out a way to have it with me while I'm traveling. The tiny 5ml dropper is perfect because a little bit of oil already goes a long way. 5ml is good for over two weeks of use, and I can even have it with me in my carry-on purse.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="360"] Big bottle, small vial[/caption]

Creams are a slightly different story, so I typically bring free samples when traveling or I transfer contents of the full-sized tubs/jars into old eye cream jars. By the way, eye cream jars are also great for busted eye shadow. Due to some rough handling, my eye shadow cracked and turned into dust. Instead of throwing it out, I turned it into pigment. Voila!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="360"] Insta-pigment[/caption]

I love packing less-is-more essentials. It's just a matter of remembering to practice what I preach the next time I have to get a piece of luggage filled. Lol.

Instant Brush Cleaner

From years of old hoards, I've unintentionally collected about 5 bottles of makeup remover in my closet. As I said, I don't stock them on purpose. My reason for having so much is simply because I've bought products that I ended up feeling ambivalent towards. Some formulas stung or caused cloudy vision, while others simply couldn't strip off waterproof makeup. What a waste to throw them out though, so why not use them to clean my brushes?

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="480"] Ponds, Eskinol, and Sara Lee.[/caption]

I've just started to do it recently, and it's worked quite well so far. Though I have to say that I don't possess sensitive skin, so I don't know if it'll work for others. I've used just about anything to clean my soiled makeup brushes: body wash, face soap, and bath soap to name a few. Obviously, some soaps contain harsh formulas that tend to dry out or stiffen the brush hairs, so pick and choose carefully.

As of late, I've been using Body Shop's Cocoa Butter because it's creamy enough to leave the brush soft afterwards. One day, I accidentally reached for the wrong bottle and ended up holding onto Sara Lee's Beauty Touch makeup remover. I debated whether to throw it out or not, but ended up pouring some on my cupped palm to loosen up the long-wearing gel liner from my brush. It worked like a charm, despite having sat on bathroom counter for over 2 years!

I know it sounds icky, but it really does the trick. Plus, I didn't just wash it with makeup remover alone. After most of the color had come off, I lathered the fibers with moisturizing soap twice to really get out the oils. (Regardless of what soap, I always lather twice. It's just cleaner that way.)

If you want to skip buying the brush cleaner solution, old makeup remover is a really good substitute. Just don't forget to wash it with the right kind of soap afterwards.

Getting My "Essence" On

My first encounter with newly Philippine-distributed European cosmetic brand, Essence, was back in February for a post-Valentine's date. I was looking for comfy flip-flops in SM MoA's Deaprtment Store because of a shoe-selection faux pas (a.k.a. I was wearing heels that turned out to be too painful for Baywalk strolling), and did a quick stop by the cosmetics section out of habit. That's when my eye caught sight of the Essence counter.

Confession time: It's the first I've ever heard of this brand, but when I read user reviews, I found plenty of good comments to go around. The common thread that linked all those comments was about the affordability of the brand's quality products. Naturally, I wanted to see what all the fuss was about.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="560"] Packed with goodies[/caption]

What item do I want to get? Aah... My million dollar question. I wasn't in the market for anything in particular, especially because I just bought myself a brand new haul last month. In fact, I had to pass on purchasing anything from the counter at MoA in February because I already felt like I had too much loot. So what didn't I have yet? Gel eyeliner, that's what!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="560"] The Essence of it all in SM Makati[/caption]

What's fantastic is that Essence opened another makeup counter in SM Makati (and also SM Noth Edsa, according to the sales staff). Bliss! I was thrilled to find out that I didn't have to go all the way to MoA for my fix. With fingers crossed, I am waiting for a counter to appear in SM Megamall.

Because of an event I had to attend near Fort Bonifacio, I finally found the time to drop by SM Makati yesterday. Sweating like crazy from the commute, I breathlessly came up to the Essence sales staff to inquire about the eyeliner. (Those counter ladies were quite nice and really helpful.) I swatched some on the back of my hand and tested out some concealer as well. The initial results were good, but I'll save the full reviews for later.

Here's the "Mini Haul" I got:

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="504"] A 3-item mini haul totalling to PHP 487[/caption]

Gel Liner Brush (PHP 109), Stay Natural Concealer Pen in Soft Nude (PHP 149), and Gel Eyeliner in Midnight in Paris (PHP 229).

The price range is around PHP 80 - PHP 300, and most products are in the PHP 150 - PHP 250 zone. Drugstore prices that are particularly impressive for imported products. Plus, it's a good sign that I'm already plotting out my next purchase. (Next time I'm building a haul, I'm looking to try their Ready for Boarding Collection Lip and Cheek Cream in Beauty on Tour, a coral-pink shade that somehow reminds me of bright-looking Tarte blushes. That, and/or their Fruity Collection Blush Sorbet with its fine pearly pink shimmer and liquid-gel texture.)

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="560"] Their newest collection[/caption]

From this visit alone (and from all the swatching I did), I can tell you that I generally like their products. The only items I found to be lacking were their lipsticks that came off as too lightly pigmented for my liking. Think Maybelline's Watershine Pure lipsticks, but less glossy. It took a lot of swipes to get the color to be well-defined, which makes me think of it as more like a heavily tinted lip balm than lipstick.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="640"] SM Makati actually has 2 Essence counters. The other counter (one of the photos at the top) has the big vanity mirror.[/caption]

How I wish this brand was here when I was still in high school! I would've been all over this like crazy. It's cheaper than Maybelline and they've got a good variety of cosmetics going on, in addition to having shades that range from bold to teen-friendly (i.e. light, subtle colors). Moms, if you've got teen daughters who are only just getting into makeup, get them age-appropriate cosmetics like these--though I'm not saying that older ladies can't pull off this brand. Essence may be packaged a la girly-girl, but I'm willing to bet there's something each lady will love.