Monday, October 31, 2016

Meguiar's Carwash and PowerShift Auto Repair

I can still remember the first time I got a scratch on my then new car and how heartbroken and shaken I felt. After several more heartbreaks, I finally decided to bring my car for repair.

Meguiar's/PowerShift is located along Blas Ople road, Malolos City. They also have other branches in Quezon City I think.
They do carwash, waterless engine wash, waxing and repairs at a pretty affordable price.





Before and After pictures of the repair
the first three before and after shot is from when I "accidentally" hit the accelerator instead of the break pedal and rammed the dog cages in our garage. Don't worry the dogs are all safe (a bit shaken maybe).

this one was the first scratch I got just before I got my non-pro license.

this one really amazed me, it's like nothing happened.
the next three were from when I collided with another car when I was getting out of the parking lot.

the last one was from a counterflowing motorbike.

I paid a total of PHP12400. PHP4000 for repair, PHP8000 for the paint and PHP400 for the headlight scratch removal. I left my car at their place Saturday morning and got it back Monday evening and will be taking it back for buffing after a week.

I do have an insurance but based on the stories I've heard, it would take months for me to get my car back so I just opted to have it repaired on my own.

Overall I am really satisfied with their work and how fast I was able to get my car back. I can't say I want to go back ( no more scratches please) but maybe for their car wash services yes please.

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Kylie Lip Kit Swatch & Review

I recently got to try the Kylie Lip Kit in shade Ginger special thanks to my friend who sold it to me at a much cheaper price otherwise I would still be drooling at KylieCosmetics.com website window shopping for lipsticks.
You can purchase a Kylie Lip Kit at KylieCosmetics for 29USD (excluding taxes and shipping fee) which contains a Lip Liner and a Matte Liquid Lipstick. 

The set comes in a white box with the shade shown at the top and sides.


Lip Liner and Liquid Lipstick

Lip Liner and Liquid Lipstick in shade Ginger.
It is matte and smells good like vanilla. It quite resembles the smell of NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream but sweeter.

Shade comparison with other liquid lipsticks. The closest color that I previously own is the NYX Lip Lingerie in shade Exotic but Ginger is more of a brownish shade while Exotic is more of a reddish shade.

after sometime, you can see it really is long lasting


without/with lip liner/with lipliner and lipstick.
(sorry for the picture quality)

Start of Day

End of Day

It does transfer a bit but nothing major.

The Feel
Well it feels like any other liquid lipsticks which can be drying depending on your lip condition. It is drying but it's tolerable. It's not exactly lightweight that I can feel I have something on my lips. It can highlight lip lines like most liquid lipsticks do.

Longevity
It is really long lasting I give it that. I did put Maybelline Baby Lips Dr. Rescue which could affect longevity but it still lasted the whole day and didn't budge (though I didn't eat anything oily). I didn't need to re-apply or even retouch because it still looks fine.

The Price
You can buy the lip kit in the Philippines from local re-sellers from about PHP2000-PHP2500. Anything too cheap is probably fake (yes there are a lot of fakes being sold everywhere) so be careful when buying. Only buy from trusted sellers which you can check by reading reviews.

Is it worth it? Would I re-purchase? For me not so much. It is worth it to satisfy my curiosity but I don't see myself purchasing again. Why? Because it is too damn expensive and there are other liquid lipsticks that are just the same with a much much cheaper price tag. Sleek's Matte Me Liquid Lipstick for example. I think they feel pretty much the same and they also have some similar colors for only PHP450. You can also try NYX Lip Lingerie which I really like enough to purchase another shade.

UPDATE: 11/26/2016

My officemates ordered directly from kyliecosmetics.com and I was able to confirm that I bought the real one. It came in a plain black box and it looks like this when opened.

Kristen and Posie K

Left: Posie K
Right: Kristen
I was surprised to see the swatch because I expected Kristen to be more pinkish and Posie K more purplish?


Before and after eating the colors stayed intact except from the inner lips because we ate a lot of oily foods.

Left to Right: Wearing Ginger, Kristen and Posie K. This is the after eating picture by the way.

A closer look at Kristen. It appears darker for some, lighter for some and orangey for some. It really depends on your lip color.


Please check out my other blogs as well:
Holiday Edition Kylie Mini Matte Liquid Lipstick
Fake Birthday Edition Kylie Mini Matte Liquid Lipstick

Saturday, October 22, 2016

Digital Perm at Das Raum (Beauty Brick)

I have already curled my hair a lot using traditional perm in the past but it's my first time to try digital perm. Why? Because it's too expensive!!!

A traditional perm only costs around PHP400 - PHP800 at local salons (yung sa tabi tabi lang). While digiperm costs around PHP3000-PHP8000.

I stick to traditional perm in the past because I feel like they last longer than digiperm though I'm not really sure..yet. Anyway I had this spur of the moment urge to curl my hair (after watching Barcelona) so yeah I ended up trying a digiperm.

Beauty Brick is located at Jupiter St. Makati. My friend has already tried their digiperm service (she made her research on different salons offering digiperm) saving me from having to research myself and end up not actually doing it. In short, Beautybrick is known for good digiperm results at a more affordable price than it's counterparts. So here are 3 simple steps to get that curl you've long wanted.

Step 1: Secure a reservation.

You can call or text 09175200044 to schedule an appointment with Mr. Shin. They reply promptly and and they were very accommodating with my questions.
Q: How much for a digiperm?
A: Depends on hair length and condition. Ranges from PHP3300 to PHP4300.
Q: Do you accept credit cards?
A: Cash only basis
Q: Can I color my hair beforehand
A: Depends on your hair condition we will check first.

Step 2: Getting there

From MRT Buendia southbound, ride a jeepney with "Washington" signboard beside McDonalds.


Get off at Petron Gas Station (right side) then walk to the street behind Petron (Jupiter St.)


Walk to the left until you see Anytime Fitness. Beauty Brick is located inside Doña Consolacion Building.

You wouldn't see any sign board of a salon or beauty brick outside (even inside).

Step 3: Show up for your appointment

When you enter, you'll instantly be reminded of a Japanese restaurant because the staff will greet you upon entering. Makes sense because Mr. Shin is a Japanese.


The salon is just simple. White walls, mirrors and chairs. Unlike other salons which stink of chemicals, I can actually breathe normally inside. The only downside I guess is the comfort room which is located at the second floor of the building (outside the salon).



Mr. Shin (the one with the hat) seems to only speak Japanese (and very little English) so he always has his translator by his side. Sometimes it's very confusing because my mind is trying to process what Mr. Shin is saying (which is in Japanese) at the same time, I need to listen to the translator for well.. translations.

What amazes me is how a nameless salon (literally) became so popular. When you check on google, there are only a handful information about the place. By the wall hangs some magazine clippings about Mr. Shin so I guess he really is famous.

Before Shot (Saturday)


We had our appointment for 10:00AM. We arrived 10minutes before 10 and was shortly called for shampoo afterward. The salon was already full this early Saturday morning.

Then Mr. Shin (through his translator) will ask you what type of curls you want (small, medium, big, combination). I showed him some pictures but unfortunately he told me the curl I wanted was created by setting and using curling irons and not digiperm. He advised using medium curls because I have short hair so that it would last longer. Then he trimmed my hair and the translator gave me a quote of PHP3400 all in (haircut, treatment and digiperm)

After trimming my hair, they put on the treatment. They will walk you through the steps one by one and introduce what product is being used clearly.

Then they shampooed my hair again and put on collagen and then blow dried.

Next is the winding and setting (with heat).


After removing the curlers, they will set it again and put another chemical. Then they'll give you a head and back massage.

Last is blow drying and styling.

Result
It was not the type of curl I imagined but Mr.Shin didn't really give me any false hopes. He said that curls turn out differently for everyone depending on your hair so there isn't really a pattern.

Can't manage to smile because I was sooo sleepy not because I didn't like the result. Mr. Shin will also teach you how to maintain your curls. I know it wouldn't actually look like this when I wash it so I'm quite nervous about what it would actually look like

Mr. Shin is very hands on on each of his clients. Their process is very organized. I didn't notice it at first but my friend pointed out they were using a kanban. With post its to keep track of the status of each phase and timers. It's a bit noisy though with Mr. Shin giving out orders from time to time and all the staff answering in unison "Yes Sir, Yes Manager" (really like in a Japanese restaurant).
The service is superb! and I'm not even exaggerating. I felt like a princess with the service they were giving. Always checking if you're comfortable and what not and making you feel your money was well spent even if it's a little expensive.
But honestly I really love the service (I can't stop gushing about it). Unlike in other salons where they will tell you how horrible your hair looks like so they can push you to buy their products and avail of other services. Beauty Brick is nothing like that. If I didn't ask they wouldn't even mention that they also sell some hair products they use.
So aside from the service, I find digital perm more acceptable than traditional. The medicine they use for traditional irritates my eyes and sometimes my skin too. Not to mention the horrid smell that makes it hard to breathe. I didn't experience any discomforts during the digiperm process so definitely a lot better than traditional.
What's left really is to test the longevity. I'll update this blog in a few to see what happens.

After Shot (Monday)
It's easy..they said..You just twist and scrunch.. they said.. but boy was I so lost the first time I had to "maintain" it. 

Some people say it's easier to maintain curly hair because you don't need to comb it. But if you have straight hair and don't usually comb like me then I beg to disagree. I had to wait for it to dry a bit then put a combination of hard wax and oil to 'hold' the curls while twisting and scrunching. X_X

Tuesday
 This time I used a curl defining mousse and found that the wax and oil combination holds better


One month later and this is how our hair looks like
 Check out the link below if you want to know more on how I maintain it.
Maintenance for Digitally Permed Hair