Review: GT Witch Hazel Extract Clarifiance (Toner)

I had a major breakout when I got pregnant. Not that I already have clear skin prior to becoming pregnant--I already have problematic skin even before pregnancy, but pregnancy made it worse. It's hard not to be conscious about how you look while pregnant, thanks to the major changes going on with the body mainly caused by fluctuating hormones. But it doesn't stop with the physical changes. Since being pregnant means taking care of your body while nurturing a baby inside, it also meant that one cannot just take anything available out there, especially strong and harsh products. So to find a solution for my pimpled face during pregnancy, I went out on a search for something mild, natural, non-chemical based skin care products. One of which I decided to try is the product that's up for review right now, the GT Witch Hazel Extract Clarifiance toner.

image from GT Cosmetics' Facebook page album

GT Cosmetics is a local, non-mainstream Filipino brand that is based in Cebu. I really am not aware that they exist if I had not seen their products in Watsons' shelves. I've read good benefits about witch hazel and its potency and effectiveness against pimples so I decided to give this a try.

My bottle, already all used up.

Bought this at Watsons for Php 70.00. Also one reason why I didn't hesitate to try--it's quite cheap.


Claims and Ingredients

A skin cleanser and freshener with rejuvenating effect. Effectively removes make up, dead skin, dark spots and other skin blemishes, leaving skin smooth, wrinkle free, fresh and young looking. Very mild and safe even to sensitive skin.

DIRECTION FOR USE:
Wet cotton ball and gently rub on face using upward circular motion. Clean face morning and evening, once or as required.

Ingredients:
Water, Ethyl Alcohol, Ethanol Enert, Hamamelis Virginia (Witch Hazel) extract, CI 42053

So from what I understand according to the ingredients, this product contains more alcohol than the Witch Hazel extract.


My Experience
I found it too drying on first use, like my face is going to crack. Maybe because of the alcohol. So even if I hadn't seen its effect on my pimples yet, I decided to stop using it then for the fear of wounding my face because of over-dryness. It might be also because I was using it then with an already drying facial soap. So this sat for quite some time in my cabinet.

After a while and so that my Php 70.00 won't just go to waste, I decided to give it another try. My face has changed into a very oily one so I guess the alcohol won't be a problem (though it still kind of bothers me) and was using a milder facial wash at the time.

For the cleansing and makeup removing claim, I don't really rely much on toners for facial cleansing, so I am not inclined to use this as cleanser alone no matter how tired I am to wash my face. I would rather use a makeup remover, preferably water based, for that purpose. For the freshening and rejuvenating effect, yes it has that but I think it's because of the alcohol again. Although this time, I didn't feel it dry my face much, probably because my facial skin has shifted into being a very oily one. In fact it felt milder than using Eskinol facial cleansers. That's why I've come to use up all the contents.

As for the main purpose I bought this for which is to help with my breakout, I think it did. There were times that I even just use this as last step at night before I go to sleep, because adding moisturizer made my face icky and sticky already, then it itches and will add more breakouts. Yes, my face went crazy like that. But using this toner helped to stop, minimize, and even heal some pimples. I have 2 cystic ones that's already dried up now, but I didn't achieve it overnight. It took me at least one week's everyday use to see improvement. I know it's quite a while but better that than no results at all. My face is slightly, but significantly clearer now compared to before. I think it also helped with the oil control.

Will I buy this again? There's a possibility because it's cheap and effective, but the alcohol content holds me back so I'm still currently searching for a better alternative. I am currently using Dickinson's Original Witch Hazel pore perfecting toner which I got from Healthy Options and just started this week so I'm still yet to see if this would be a better option.

My Experience with a Konjac Sponge

I'm here to share my experience in using the konjac sponge. I didn't bother to capitalize the letters as I'm not talking about the brand, but the thing itself. I got a generic one.

I was on the search for a more effective way of cleansing my face and was Google-ing (since when did this become a word?) for options. I saw my husband is in the habit of cleaning his face with a face towel and he has a clearer skin than me so I thought maybe I should incorporate the same method in cleansing my face. I'm just not fond of using a face towel because I think it accumulates soap residue over time, which makes it feel icky and makes it a double effort to wash. It's just so hard to maintain. My interest in using this started when I read about this in one beauty blogger's post.

A bit of more background:
I am currently 21 weeks pregnant (about 5 months). My skin broke out bad when I started my pregnancy. Because someone pregnant can't just use anything for the safety of the baby/fetus, I was not able to use my go to skin treatment during a bad breakout because it contains harsh chemicals, including Retin-A, and this is no no if you're pregnant. That and several chemicals that are usually contained in products to help eliminate a bad case of acne the soonest possible time. Not only was I not able to use my trusted regimen in case my acne goes out of hand, but I was also limited to just using mild cleansers. And so my search started again.

It was very hard for me to have a trial and error during a bad breakout because people notice if it goes worse and they tend to blame me for using a lot of products and think that's why I get pimples. I have a really pimple prone skin, and I noticed that when I get to find something that works, the effect starts to wear off over time and I'm again having bumps and redness even if I didn't change anything with my routine. I guess my skin is the type that needs variety and most of the time, it's really tiresome and money consuming because it means I have to search and purchase for what will work again once my skin get used to something.

Okay... so that didn't turn out to be a "bit". I'll get on with the subject.

What Is Konjac?

"Amorphophallus Konjac" the KONJAC POTATO is a perennial plant, native to Asia and sometimes known as  Konnyaku. For over a century, the Japanese have been using the konjac vegetable as a beauty treatment for their delicate skin.

Amorphophallus konjac is an alkaline and is loaded with goodness. It contains  so many natural goodies, we won't name them all, but here are just some of them! Protein, carbohydrate, iron, phosphorus, copper, zinc, vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin D, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin C and  folic acid, (Source: The Konjac Sponge Company Ltd.)

I find the last paragraph a bit of an oversell but maybe it's a fact. I just don't think it would be of any benefit if you're having it as a cleanser because all those vitamins and minerals would just be touching the surface of your skin, and would be rinsed afterwards so I don't think the benefit lies in there. Anyway, I just read it like this: IT'S ALL NATURAL. Not synthetic. And safe for sensitive skin (or a vulnerable person, like a pregnant woman).

That alone is reason enough for me to give this a shot. I have also read that it's gentle so I tried to shop online first for something I can get. However, the cheapest I saw sells at Php 365. Kind of expensive for some kind of foam I think. Besides, I also got a bit more info from that same beauty blogger that one can get this in Landmark at a much much cheaper price. So on I went to Landmark Makati to get myself one. And I ended up getting four :).

See the reason why? It's so cheap for only Php 54.75!

Side by side with the one showing the product view side

(Excuse the image quality. I took this from my table situated in front of our window, and the curtains are colored pink, hence the pinkish hue and the seemingly washed off lighting.) I got so overwhelmed with how cheap it was compared to getting only one piece online so I decided to stock up for future use, and because Landmark Makati is quite a long travel from where I come from. And I came to like this more because the size is just right for the face, whereas the one sold online I think is maybe about double or triple the size of this. It's sold dehydrated and feels hard like a pumice stone but expands and turns into soft and fluffy sponge once wet.

See? Like a pumice stone, only white.

How to use it?

There were instructions in the back of the plastic so no worries about how you'd go about starting to use it, although it's fool proof because this is basically just a sponge. You dip it in clean water (preferable warm since this is for the face), wait for a few minutes for the sponge to soak and absorb some water and it's ready to use. It says in the packaging that it can be used alone without any soap or cleanser (so is with the branded ones) or you can use it with a facial soap or your favorite cleanser. I personally use this with my organic facial soap. I rinse my face, lather with soap, then put some soap on the sponge and use it to clean my face. Then I rinse, and massage my face again with a rinsed sponge and splash my face with water again.

Beside the wet and ready to use sponge. The dehydrated one fits into my hand and I can still slightly close my fingers, while it's almost the size of my whole hand when it's wet. I'd just be able to grip it on the edges but since it's become so soft, it would bend easily.

How to store

The product comes with a string attached to it so you can just hang it to expose to air or to dry when not in use. Something soft and organic like this would tend to attract mold if left wet and not exposed to air. I've read that these things can last up to a month's or more use but my first one didn't last for more than 2 weeks for a certain reason. I did follow the instruction to hang it to dry but one time, I forgot to hang it and just left it sitting in my bath caddy and when I was about to use it next day, I found it looking like a bitten cookie, or dough bread. Apparently the cockroaches made a meal out of it. The image of dirty cockoaches crawling and nibbling on the sponge that I use on my face disgusted me so sad to say, I threw it with just a few days use. I am now using a new one, thankfully I purchased back ups. What I'm doing right now to save it from the cockroaches is to keep it in a clear jar with air vents to still give it some air circulation when I'm not using it for a long time (i.e. at night time before I sleep) and hang it to open air on frequent use. I just have to make sure not to forget or else the roaches would again feast on it.


How it went for me

First thing I noticed when I saw and touched it after it became wet is it's really soft. Visually, I describe it as like a "puto" because it's white and fluffy, only you can't eat it. I'd say I had a good experience with it, for I find myself sometimes lingering with massaging it in my face. And like I said, I use it in 2 steps: with soap and after rinsing. It's not abrasive for a sponge and even if it looks grainy because of the holes, it doesn't feel grainy at all because of its jelly-like texture. The feel is not even comparable to wiping a soft cloth on your face, for it's a lot softer than that. I do find myself massaging it in my face for about a minimum of 1 or 2 minutes or longer because it really feels great. It's like giving your face a massage. The softness doesn't affect its cleansing properties at all because when I rinse, I feel a significant difference compared to just lathering soap or cleanser in my face using my hands. It really feels clean, but not to the point that it's squeaky that your face would feel dry and taut. Just clean and still soft. Amazing effect actually.


I don't think though that this helps with blackheads or whiteheads, at least instantly. I still think it offers exfoliation because it's still rougher than your fingers, but only very gentle exfoliation that it's safe for everyday use. It just offers a little more leverage than just wiping foam or bubbles or goop over your skin. But the feel after cleansing with this is much much better than just with using your bare hands. So I'd still prefer using this every time I cleanse, for it also helps it rinsing off left over micro or nano particles of cleanser that may accumulate and clog pores. Also, using this saves me the effort of using a toner to prep my skin for moisturizing. I don't use toner anymore. As I mentioned I use this 2 step for the reason of making sure that no soap is left over my skin. And it does feel that way. So I use this to cleanse and tone. I have not noticed any remarkable difference with the condition of my face with the breakouts, but it did help control future pimples from developing, maybe because it cleanses off any product that would clog up pores, it's that effective in cleansing. And so with the help of this and since I just maintain a mild skin care regimen, my breakout were at least minimized and my skin's condition is gradually improving.

I am honestly seeing myself having this as part of my staple in skin cleansing. I would certainly choose this over a cloth. I've read that this can't be relied on to remove makeup and I think it makes sense because some makeups are waterproof and so it's still advisable to start with a makeup remover first before cleansing with this to fully clean your face. Putting that aside, I personally believe this is a big help in cleansing without overdrying. I'd do buy again when I get to use my last piece. :)

HBS Gluta Reformulated Soap

I've been using this soap for about 4 to 5 months now (which now that I think of it, it's already become a regular part of my bath routine), so I guess it's about time to share my verdict about this product.

I have fair complexion. Not that fair but fair enough compared to the usual Filipina skin tone. I'd say it falls in the line that crosses between a light tan and fair. My color would be the darkest in the fair category. And you know how Pinay's can get obsessed about anything that offers lightening. I was not really planning into getting something that's whitening because I'm already quite satisfied with my color and I was thinking I wouldn't get any lighter than this because I've also already used several commercialized whitening soaps and even lotion but it didn't whiten me more, though it helped me maintain my what I thought was already fair complexion.

However when I was browsing HBS products and the feedbacks album, the Gluta Reformulated Soap is one of the HBS soaps that first got my attention. This is one of the most popular whitening soaps ever mentioned. All feedback I've heard were great and that really made me curious so I decided to try it. Even Jamie herself vouches for the effectiveness of this product that she even qouted this as this soap's description in her Facebook album:

NEW GLUTA DS, REFORMULATED..NOW WITH 3X MORE GLUTA CONTENTS THAN GLUTA MILK W/ OATMEAL!!! SOBRANG GANDA!! PUPUSTA KO PNAGALN NG HBS JAN..WHITENING ANTI AGING MICRO PEELING SUPER SOFT ON SKINWLANG HARSH CHEMICALS,,HAAYY NAKOOO... AS IN IM SO HAPPY W/ THIS SOAP!--TAMA BA? AKO NA NAG FEEDBACK HEHEHE

The Soap
Packaging: All of HBS soaps come in a full packed, big (bigger than the usual soaps available) size of 150gms for less than a hundred peso price. It feels very solid when held, and though it's bar shaped, it doesn't have very sharp edges. It comes in ahm, I think you call it cerulean blue? (just check the pic), which has initially weirded me out, probably because I'm not used to seeing soaps with a quite vivid color. I first thought, won't my skin turn blue with this? Hehehe. Luckily it didn't. :p. You would've expected that a soap with Glutathione as base would come in white, I know. But Jamie has reasons why it's oddly colored. You won't see a trace of this color during bath though so nothing to worry.

Scent: I am not that good yet at describing scent specifics but I would probably put it as somewhere between vanilla and milk. It's really sweet smelling :). One downside of this sweet smell though is I found my soap one time with mice bites :(. The rats here were nibbling on it. They've probably thought it's food, hehehe. But on the good side, I've really enjoyed every bath using this soap. Not the type that lingers though. I'm not sure if it's just with me, but it's not the scent that stays on the skin. I found this an advantage if you're a lover of strongly scented lotions or perfumes. The scents won't clash.

Consistency: It's not slippery when dry. I've encountered some soaps that already feel slippery even when they're not wet yet. But I think it's because of the moisture content. I think this soap doesn't mainly promise any moisturizing effect, just whitening and micro-peeling. When wet, the soap is still fairly easy to hold and it doesn't melt easily so it lasts quite well.

The Experience
My first use doesn't really have different feel. Well it was mentioned that the soap is quite drying because it is said to have a micro-peeling effect so I was kind of already expecting that it will feel dry. First thing I noticed though is that my whole day lasted without me feeling icky even when it's super hot (I've tried to soap during the extreme heat of the summer). I felt fresh all day!

I noticed on the 3rd day of use though that my skin feels kinda dry and itchy. Not the allergy-like itchiness. I never experienced that with this soap. It's the itch that one would easily ignore if you're not really paying attention. Of course with any kind of itch, our natural reaction is to scratch. With this feeling though, I haven't found myself yet wanting to scratch but my body's usual response is to rub the itchy part. it's dangerous to scratch a wet skin because skin is a lot softer when wet. When I was rubbing my back, I got so amazed at the dead skins that are coming off! Andami! This is the micro-peeling. The feeling after every dead skin cells were removed a lot fresher and cleaner. I felt like every libag I had came off. Hehehe. It's like scrubbing using a panghilod without the extra stress on your skin. And oh, another thing to note: I used to have pimples in my back but now, my back's clear! Yay!

What might be seen as a side effect:
As mentioned earlier, this soap is quite drying because of the micro-peeling effect, so it's best to use a moisturizing lotion after every shower. I've noticed my skin is flaking within the first 5 days of use, but it's gone within a week. I guess it does after it removes all the dead skins in the surface. But this drying stage has to come to pass in order to achieve a lighter and softer skin. This soap works by helping dead skins come off easier then remove all of them through micro-peeling to expose a cleaner, fresher, and softer skin. It removes the rough deads. So naturally, the result is lighter too.

Is it effective? Oh yes, very effective. Jamie was not kidding and her confidence in this soap is very well grounded.

Would I repurchase? I've actually been repurchasing this product since March, and I plan to keep on repurchasing it.

Recommended? Highly recommended, especially to those who'd want to be whiter faster.

And to show you proof that this is not all talk, here are my before (left) and after (right) pictures.

 

If you're interested with the soap, feel free to visit House of Beauty Secret's Facebook page and send Jamie a message for inquiries.

An Unsolicited & Honest Review for HBS

Note: This is going to be a review of my general experience with ordering from HBS. I was initially planning to include reviews of the products I've used as well but I think I will already be able to write a book (chos!) if I do that so I decided I will just make a separate entry for the products I've tried, and so for easy categorized searching as well. Enjoy reading :).

http://houseofbeautysecrets.multiply.com

As I was starting to write this entry, I was trying to remember how I got to using HBS products. As you may know, I can already say myself that I've already become a suki of Ms. Jamie Prado's products because well, one only becomes a suki for the following reasons: The products are affordable and most importantly, the products are EFFECTIVE.So just to provide a fact based writing, I went to my Facebook to see when was my initial contact with the lovely and very accommodating seller, Mrs. Jamie Prado.

My initial contact with her was just this year of 2012, on March 26. I found out about HBS when I was desperately looking for a solution to whiten my groins or inner thighs (singit). Normally, when I get to try some products from other not so commercialized sellers (meaning they don't pay for advertisement and they are mostly online sellers and the marketing solely depends on feedbacks, reviews, and referrals), I would not be much of a repeat customer. I've already tried a few but so far, of all non-commercialized products I've tried, HBS has already been a staple in my personal grooming/beauty products. I had only realized that I've already been ordering from HBS for almost 5 months already when I decided to write this entry.

I got to HBS through a post I saw from a thread in GirlTalk about whitening solutions for singit and underarms. One poster posted the link to HBS' site and I checked it out immediately. Upon browsing HBS' product line, I found them really very interesting and enticing. It offers mostly whitening solutions that are easy to use and fairly low maintenance for their kits/sets. I said that because some kits tend to include a lot of products which you'd need to apply all at once, one after the other, for every use. I find that very tedious and nakakatamad. That's why sometimes, I can't maximize the effectiveness of a set because: 1) They only work effectively if used all together. Cannot be combined with other products; 2) Hello? I don't (always) have all the time in the world to spend for just grooming because in my opinion, that will already be called vanity. Time is precious and so I would like to be able to use every minute of my time productively and of course I won't be able to do that if I've been applying a certain set of products for almost 30 min, aside from the time to spend in the bathroom or sink for sets that also include a soap (which mostly does). And that's mostly before I sleep, eh most of the time I'm already too tired to perform all these rituals. I mean, I understand the concept of “tiis ganda” but why spend money, time, and effort, for something that takes up a lot of our precious time then ends up with very little effect or sometimes, no effect at all when you can find something that works better in half the time?

I understand the concept of “tiis ganda” but why spend money, time, and effort, for something that takes up a lot of our precious time then ends up with very little effect or sometimes, no effect at all when you can find something that works better in half the time?

With HBS products, I had more time flexibility. Why? Because each HBS products can work on its own in an effective and fairly fast way. Put them all in a set and it speeds up the effectiveness even more. Saves a lot of precious time really. And because of that, I consider it not only affordable, but a real bang for the buck. As in whatever amount of money you spend with it, it’s super sulit because of its effectiveness. Not that you will have to spend a lot for HBS products. As I’ve always mentioned, they are affordable and really worth every peso spent for something so effective, you won't even regret whatever amount you will spend even for trials in case it doesn't work for you. But generally, almost all of them works for most types of skin, even for men! No wonder I became a suki :).

I did say that this review is honest and factual so, I won't be saying that all of what I'm writing here would be favorable for HBS. There are still some HBS products that I've tried yet did not work much for me. I said that because they still had an effect somehow, but not as fast as what I've tried from other sellers, or at least compared to other HBS products I've tried. However, one cannot always expect a certain product to work for him/her just because it worked really great from another. Hiyangan pa din yan. The best would still be to try the product and see for yourself.

However, one cannot always expect a certain product to work for him/her just because it worked really great from another. Hiyangan pa din yan. The best would still be to try the product and see for yourself.

As for Jamie herself, as a seller, she's very accommodating and to top that, she's caring and considerate to her customers. She goes out of her way to check and see what she can do as soon as she becomes aware that there's an issue, regardless if a customer notifies her. Sometimes when she senses there's an impending issue, she would contact all parties involved (customer & courier) right away if she notices it before the customer does. I would call that initiative. Aasenso talaga 'tong si Jamie. She used to do everything alone so there were really times that she doesn't respond right away but I never took that as lack of concern because it's understandable. She's still like anybody that lives a life other than selling. She's still a wife, a mother, a sister, a friend. Even so, she still responds even if it's late and that already matters. She would even give advice which product to use best for whatever purpose you want to achieve. She's not the type of seller that would just shove anything to your face just so she can earn money. She values customer service. In my observation, she doesn't have this business to solely earn money, but to help people become more beautiful easier and faster. Money is just a reward, but her true fulfillment lies in having a very satisfied customer. Her genuine purpose is to help others.

I did this review as a token of appreciation for all Jamie's hard work. She really helped a lot of people and you can find proof of that in her feedbacks album. It just keeps growing. I hope she continues this and if she'd be able to reach out every Filipino, I would say, wala nang Pilipinong pangit. Hehehe. Kung pangit ka, kasalanan mo na yun :p. Andaming pampagandang available dyan e so kung hindi pa din maayos itsura mo, katamaran na ang tawag dyan. :D

I hope you liked my review and I hope it helped. As for the products I've used, I shall be making a separate entry for them na lang. I will just put a hyperlink here. God bless everyone and more power to HBS.

First Time Order Experience with Bare Naturals

I just placed an order with Bare Naturals since I've been hearing raves about some of their products. They offer a line of skin care and make up that caters to most Filipina's needs. It's gawang Pinoy!

I spent about Php903 for my loot and I'm excited to get all of them!

Here's my purchase history...

February 6: I texted them to inquire about the Emu Oil Plus which is their anti-pimple emu oil 'cause I'm prone to breakouts and I've read this is effective to most. This is Php428 for a 30ml bottle. Quite expensive but that's how much emu oils are. And I've heard some raves about it and since I'm a sucker for anything anti-pimple, I was sold. They responded within the day (not immediately because they're probably busy). I inquired of the availability and verified how much would it cost me with shipping fees. They told me it's in stock and that I would add Php50 for shipping anything less than 500gms. I also inquired if Face Perfector Concealer in Bisque Camouflage is available and they told me that everything is available. Also asked if they're accepting BPI deposits because that's the most convenient for me (transfer to anyone through BPI Mobile) and they said yes and provided their account number. Having answered my questions, I decided to place an order but was not able to do it this day because I was still checking all of their products for anything that I might want so I'll pay only one shipping.

February 7: I got ready to place my order. I did it through their Multiply site's order form and had the option to state what kind of samples I'd like to get with my purchase, but this is still subject to assessment. I still found it generous of them to offer samples. After I placed my order, I texted them right away and waited for their response. Irine texted me and asked for my name and told me that they will check it later. We had this text exchange before lunch. It was already afternoon but I haven't heard anything from them so I texted them again. twice I think. The day finished without getting any text from them after that.

February 8: I made a follow up of my order after lunch. They texted back asking for my name again and told me to always include the complete name when texting. Makes sense because they're probably getting a lot of inquiries and they just can't save all of those numbers. I asked what's the status of my order so I can already settle the payment. Turns out they responded to my order by email but the message landed in the Spam folder. They responded yesterday. So I immediately made the payment and sent them the confirmation by email. They told me the cutoff for payment for items to be shipped next day is until 6pm. I paid like about 4pm so I'm still within the cutoff. They said if my items get picked up by the courier tomorrow, I will get it Friday or Saturday. Well I just live in Sucat, Parañaque which is not far away from their office at Muntinlupa so it shouldn't take that long.

February 9: They told me that the Face Perfector Concealer in Bisque Camouflage is already out of stock. They said that it's going to be discontinued (got sad upon hearing this) and will be relaunched in 3 colors in 1? I got kind of confused about it but I guess I will just wait for that to come out. I wanted to get this because the product description says it's a pimple blemish stick that heals and covers dark under eyes, acne, and acne scars, and it comes in a handy twist tube, and is quite affordable for only Php158, 4gms. I was really looking forward to getting this so just imagine my disappointment. Besides, I was initially told it's available. The other color available is too dark for me.

So they offered me to get their powder concealer, the Ultimate Concealer in Linen for Php215 but thinking about it, I was actually more after the fact that the earlier was a blemish stick, and I consider the concealing feature a plus. I don't really need a concealer, and I find it tedious to apply one. So I said I will just find a similar product. I then looked for a different product with the same price but I only found the TNT Lip Tint and the Natural Pink Lip & Nipple Solid Gel and I don't need these too. I still have another product that I wanted to buy, which is the Illumiglow Setting Powder in Invisiglow which is Php200 for a 10g pot, so I just decided to get that and pay the balance since it is more expensive than the Perfector Concealer.

I didn't know if it was Ms. Lami the owner, or her staff Irine who I'm texting with but to my surprise, they told me to just pay the Php42 difference on my next purchase. Sweet! I know that's just quite a small amount but I didn't really expect they would have that much confidence that I'd be buying with them again, and that they trusted me for it. It was really such a nice gesture. Well they have probably sensed that there's still something that I wanted to get but I thought it's already too late for me to add it, but then...

At the last minute, I decided to get their Skin Perfecting Primer. I remember I had long been looking for a primer to try because I read it's good to use a primer for your makeup to last long and I don't really like frequent touch ups, in short I want my makeup as low maintenance as possible. Since I've hearing a lot of good feedback about this primer, I decided to add this in my order. I told them by text but thinking they may have already shipped my order, I decided to make a call for a quicker check. They told me it's already packed and ready for pickup but I still asked if I can still add it to save shipping and that I can pay immediately. They accommodated my request so I paid the difference together with my balance for the Illumiglow powder. That's Php225 for a 10ml pump bottle of primer plus Php42 balance. That's Php267 additional.

So that's how my order transaction with them went. Now I'm in wait mode for my orders to arrive. I have ready some negative feedback about them having some of the items wrong, so I'm hoping my order would be okay until it's arrival here.

Until next post. God bless!

Smart Sucks.

I am talking about the SMART telecom service. I tried to use their promo SMARTalk Lite 15 as I need to reach a few loved ones to check if they'd be able to come on my wedding. SMARTalk Lite 15 gives unlimited calls from 1am to 11am to all Smart networks. So I registered this morning, and thinking this saves me a lot of money because I can get to talk to them without worrying about per minute charges and I have until 11am pa to do that. I got the confirmation at 8:48 AM, which still gives me 2 hours plus a few more minutes to call any of them in the province.

So I immediately dialed at once. Instruction says use prefix *6402 + the smart number you're calling. I did that. But.. IT DOESN'T CONNECT. The heck. It's now 10:03 AM and I am still not able to talk to a single Smart subscriber I am trying to reach. The call gets cut off even before it's connected. I don't even hear a "your call cannot be completed" nor "all lines are busy now" message. Now I'm frustrated. 15 pesos gone to Smart's pocket without me being able to use even a few seconds of their service.

I am still not sure though if they start counting from 1 AM the next day from the day you registered, but it doesn't make much sense. I know the service usually gets activated from the time you registered it and ends at exactly how many hours it said it's valid, not until what time their promo is effective. For this instance, mine's going to end at exactly 8:48 am tomorrow. But it doesn't make much sense if I am able to register now but not able to use the service if I'm still well within the time their unlicall promo is active. Globe works that way so all along I thought it should be the same for all networks. I still have to see if it works the other way but if it's not, Smart will prove themselves to be a  money-hoarding company with extremely crappy services. This is not the first instance my Smart load was gone for nothing. That's the very reason why I don't use my Smart sim that much anymore. Mahal na nga mga promo nila, anlakas pang kumain ng load. Dugas!

I hope the people from Smart gets to read this. I might just be a prepaid user but you know, if your services are excellent, I could actually consider getting a postpaid plan and you'd get my money permanently and on a regular basis. But no thank you na lang.

Update: I was not able to use the service, not a single minute or second call. Crap talaga.

New Phone: Nokia 101 Dual-sim

Current status: Taking a break from work
Listening to: Terrified by Katherine McPhee

I got myself a new Nokia 101, the cheapest dual-sim Nokia phone that is currently out in the market. I got mine for Php 1,450 from Fone Style Accessories store at the ground level of SM Bicutan yesterday. Not really the cheapest price, but this phone is currently selling like hotcakes so the store I inquired that happens to be selling this at only Php 1,399 already had it sold out. It's CellBoy, located at the same floor, and they had it on sale but it's already out of stock when I inquired.

I was initially looking for a MyPhone B15 duo but I've already asked all of the stores at SM Bicutan and they're all out of it. Well except for one who's selling packaged with a 2GB memory card at Php 1,790. I don't need the extra memory and even if I compute it by the cheapest price I know I get can this phone for which is Php 1,299 plus the getting an additional 2GB memory for Php 300 the most, it's still way too expensive for their price so I left it. After all, I'm just getting a second phone so my priority is budget. They said though that this phone is already phased out so I got my second option, Nokia 101. Certainly not cheaper, but I'm sure is of good quality.

I've taken pictures of my newly acquired gadget, the Nokia 101 dual-sim. It comes in 2 colors: black & red. I got the red one because my sister also got this phone in black and so I got the other color to avoid confusion.

Mine's red. The faded hand strap is mine. It's not included in the package.

Both black and red colors look nice (of course depending on one's preference), so getting the red color is not much of an issue for me. Besides, black is so common and most of the phones I owned is in black. My main phone, which is also a Nokia, the phased out model 6220 classic is also in black.

with its plastic from Fone Style

The receipt with the warranty card. Decided to keep a copy in case I re-sell this item.

Inside the box is just the charger, the headset, and the manuals. Nothing more.

The phone with its headset

Menu. I opted for the list view. It's also available in grid view.

My phone's software version. You can get yours by typing *#0000#

Back. This comes with a BL-5CB battery which
according to the specs lasts up to 25 days on standby with this phone.

The back without the battery. You'll see the 2 sim beds.

Summary of features:

• Dual-sim, simultaneous standby.
• Plays mp3 files
• Support up to 16GB
• Up to 25 days standby
• 1.8" TFT display
• 3.5 mm AV connector for standard earphones
• GSM dual-band
• Torch light
• FM radio

What I liked about this phone:

• A basic phone with an expandable memory. It claims to support up to 16GB, and the slot is strategically placed at the side of the phone for hot swapping and easier access. I haven't tried using a 16GB card though so I can't support that claim. I'm not sure if anyone's going to do that, but I won't because I have my iPod Touch for my portable media player and storage.
• The torch light. Very useful indeed, especially when I rummage my chaotic bag for my stuffs in a public transportation and when looking for things in small dark spaces.
• The 3.5 mm AV connector, though I'm not really using it. But I find it brilliant as one can use a standard earphone if they left the in-box headset. I've tried my iPod earphones and it worked, even with the radio. I initially thought that you can't play the radio without the Nokia headset but it appears that, the radio can't just be played without anything plugged in the AV connector. I don't know if a standard headset will work with this phone though. I didn't have the chance to try.
• One inbox for all. Unlike other dual-sim phones like MyPhone for example, where the messages are stored 2 separate inboxes. It's not much of a bother really for me if that's something that I have to live with, but finding this feature of Nokia 101 is liberating. The messages are all in one inbox, determined by an icon on the right side to indicate from which sim the message was received. It's still more time consuming to exit and enter submenus just to access your messages so this feature is really cool.
• Message counter. They've included a message counter for the number of SMS sent from each sim. Sweet! The message counter helps me see how much I saved and how much I was able to utilize my unlimited texting services.
• Speaking clock as alarm tone. Surely, the time I should wake up cannot be more emphasized. Hehehe.
• The finger friendly island keypad. It's soft and sensitive enough for pressing. A text addict's best friend.

What I didn't like:

• There's no option to change the date format. It's dd.mm.yyyy by default. I would've wanted to be able to switch between mm.dd.yyyy & yyyy.mm.dd formats, but this is tolerable. Still a little disappointing.
• No option to change the time format too. It's only in 12hr, no option for a 24hr clock or military time. Pinanindigan talaga ang pagiging basic. Gara.
• I find the torch light somehow weak. It only has one LED and it has this lens part (I don't know if there's any specific term for this) that spreads out the light into a big open-mouth smile shape and I think it's the cause why it's weak. I prefer a light that's concentrated in the middle so at least there's a part that's strong, and I prefer that it darker places. MyPhone's better at this, having 2 LEDs and concentrated light. I don't want mine dispersed.
• I would've loved an FM radio that doesn't require a plugged headset to play. MyPhone B15 duo has this feature.
• The speaker at the back makes the sound weak if you place the phone front side up. If you're using this phone as an alarm clock, I suggest putting it face down so you're sure that you'd be awakened by its sound. The same principle would apply if you'll put the phone in loud speaker during a call. Could've been better if the speaker is placed anywhere on the side of the phone.
• Earpiece loudness could be better. I've had better quality in my MyPhone, even when their speakers are compared. MyPhone wins in this part. It's really loud.
• You cannot transfer files from your memory card to phone memory and vice versa. I wanted to have a custom ring and message alert tone but I'm not able to because you'd only be able to get 3rd party files if you have an extra memory storage plugged in the slot. I don't have a spare memory card so I just thought of copying at least a few in the phone memory for more custom options but the phone doesn't have this feature. Well you'd probably be able to get additional content in your phone memory if it's received OTA (over-the-air), not by hardware. Another sucker.

I've also read in forums that this phone has a restart problem, and voice leakage where whoever is beside you would be able to hear what your caller is saying even if you're not in loudspeaker mode. So far, I have not experienced any restart, having used a TM/Globe, Smart Buddy, and Sun SIMs but I'm still on my day 1 so I might be wrong. I have used this on a call too and I'm not sure of the voice leakage thing because I don't have anyone with me when I used it on a call. I have a wireless landline SIM which I haven't tried with this yet. I would just add to this post if something unusual happens when I get to use this with my wireless landline SIM.

Overall, my verdict is so-so. I find this phone not so great, but not so bad either. It can always be an option. But this is really just a basic phone, even with an mp3 player. Yes it can play mp3s, but don't expect much on the sound quality, and most phones now can play mp3 anyway.

Do you plan to get this phone too? I hope this post somehow helped. Have a nice day :).

Sony Cybershot DSC-TX5: A User's Review

Alright! Here's my much awaited personal review of my new gadget, the Sony Cybershot DSC-TX5. I've blogged a few days ago about my plan to get this little piece of wonder tool and actually, I got it on that same day. LoLs!

I bought this from Kimstore at Php 11,900. Way cheaper than how much you will get it from the malls, which I believe at this point ranges from about 22,000 - 24,000 Php. I have been shopping for this item for a long time already and so far, Kimstore is one of the cheapest that sell this, brand new and with warranty. I got the black color as what I mentioned with my previous post. Now on with the review. :)

 Primary reasons why I decided to get this over a wide range of other compact digital cameras:

1. It's an all-weather, rugged camera. Waterproof to as deep as 3m/10ft (for 60 minutes. Based on Sony testing standards), shock-proof to a drop height of 1.5m/5ft, dust-proof, and freeze-proof down to to -10◦C.
2. It's super slim at 17.7mm thickness, and almost the same size as a credit card (pictures will be shown for this)
3. Takes great pictures on low-light conditions, thanks to the Exmor R™ CMOS Sensor

...Plus it's a Sony digicam which has already established a name when it comes to taking clear pictures.

Aesthetics
The Sony Cybershot DSC-TX5 belongs to the line of compact cameras. And mind you, this one is ULTRA compact--which I liked most about it. I've always been after the handiness of a gadget, as I own a number of them and carry them almost all the time. I have 2 phones, and I carry around my favorite of all the gadgets I own, the Apple iPod Touch 4G, 32GB. So if there's anything I first consider when I shop for a gadget, it's its handiness and compactness, to fit in a decent sized purse or bag.

It's so small it's just the size of a credit card. And I find it soooo cool.


The TX5 beside my Unisilver warranty card


I find this camera beautiful, owing to its diminutive size. The body, as I see it, looks like it's made of metal at least in some parts. It's made in Japan, and it feels solid in my small hands, not wobbly. Feels sturdy even with its small and compact/light size. The body itself has a matte color, but the lens cover is glossy, which attracts finger prints and it really doesn't look good. It makes me always wipe it with a cloth for the prints irritate my OC eyes.


See how it attracts fingerprints
Well, this can be helped by carrying a cotton cloth always to wipe all those prints if it bothers one much. I can live with that so I still find this cool gadget pretty.

Image Quality
Like I said earlier, Sony is already one established name when it comes to digital compact cameras that take great pictures. I will be showing some sample images here taken from my own DSC-TX5, by myself. I am not a pro when it comes to taking pictures, I'm just a regular photo taker. I was surprised though at some of the images I was able to produce with this small but terrible tool.

One of the features that the Sony Cybershot DSC-TX5 boasts is its ability to take clear pictures even in low-light, and this is the first one I tested because this is actually one of the reasons why I kept changing digital cameras over time.

10.2 megapixel Sony CyberShot DSC-TX5 camera
Beneath the tough exterior you’ll find some equally serious imaging features. With a resolution of 10.2 effective megapixels, the advanced Exmor R CMOS Sensor ensures detail-packed pictures, with superlative low-noise imaging performance in low light. It’s a perfect complement for the superb Carl Zeiss lens with 4x optical zoom and 25mm wide angle for perfectly framed shots - from intimate portraits to dramatic travel scenes.

from www.letsgodigital.org

Brief history of the digicams I owned:
I first owned a Canon Powershot A495 which was the first best digicam I owned, but its size is not too compact and it's not waterproof. The time I owned that one though, waterproof models are not yet out in the market. At the first sign of these all weather cameras, I got myself a Pentax Optio W10 and fell in love with it. It's a lot more compact and the best of all, it's waterproof. It also takes great pictures, but still not comparable with the image quality a Canon or Sony digital camera produces. And it sucks on low-light. However as time went by, the waterproof line of cameras are being a lot more competitive overtime and Canon & Sony started producing their own. But they're way more expensive than the others when they first came out so I got myself a Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1 as replacement for my Pentax due to the reviews I've read in the internet, it being one of the most recommended waterproof cameras. When I owned one though, I was not happy because I found it too bulky for me, though I liked it's wide angled lens, which became a very welcome upgrade from my Pentax which can only take in a small portion of a scene in its frame. I was not happy with the image quality though. I found it too soft, and it still sucks in low light. The gadget, unfortunately didn't even last a year with me. I sold it after a few months.

I chose the Sony DSC TX5 over Canon Powershot D10 because of its compactness. I was going to go for the Canon, if it only didn't look like a submarine. It's waaay bulkier than the Sony, and it's even bulkier than the Panasonic and I didn't like that. Besides, it's more expensive compared to TX5. Though I'm sure it delivers the best image quality because I owned a Canon before and I attest to that but it's just too bulky for my liking. So Sony won over it because of its size, and price :D.

I was supposed to be talking about image quality here, right? Check these out:


One of the great features of the TX5 is being able to select from the touch screen the point of focus. Cool, right? I played with the selective focus feature of the TX5 and this is what I got. I made the camera focus on the little calendar. This is with flash.


Now I made it focus on the pen holder, still with flash


without flash, focused on the calendar. The light is only coming from the window, though our window's big so it's actually quite bright. This is still taken with a natural lighting


pen holder focused, natural day light


Macro shot of the calendar


macro shot of my lip balm, with natural light, which is quite low because this is somewhere in my table in front of curtained windows. Indeed it still can take clear photos in low light, and this is just a macro shot.


Low light macro of my icky laptop stickers

I just tested the macro low light shots, because in my opinion, this is where most of the compact digital cameras struggle. I am always sure that digital photos always look great with a generous supply of lighting so I no longer tested this with outdoor shots, though I've placed one in my photo stream. If you want to see the rest of the test shots, you can check my Sony DSC-TX5 User Review set in Flickr.

My verdict: Great low-light photos! I'm one happy owner! :D :D :D


a portrait shot of mine holding my black Sony Cybershot DSC-TX5
It will take a lot of words and a long blog page for me to make a comprehensive review of this thing so I just covered the parts that made me choose this camera over its other competitors. I still believe the best would still depend on the preference of the user so it still varies from person to person. If I'm to be asked, I'm pretty satisfied upon purchase of this gadget, but I can't answer for someone else who might not like this because they have a different preference. I no longer did a review on the waterproof feature because I don't think there's much to see there. Much of the picture quality still depends on the amount of light the camera can take in and we all know this is greatly reduced if you go under water so I'm not expecting much on this anymore. As long as I'm able to take pictures under water, it's already a great plus. So a good photo quality would already be considered a bonus.

So would I recommend this camera? I think so, if you have have the same preference as mine :).

I would welcome other questions if you want my opinion on the other features of this camera. Feel free to post your comments and I would probably just make a new blog entry should I gather a few more inquiries about the other features.