DeeWanderlust: Boracay, Philippines

Posted in Travel: DeeWanderlust by denissesamantha

Boracay is a small beautiful island located in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines. Every time people would find out that I’m from the Philippines, most especially my co-workers, I would always get asked if I have been to Boracay or either they will tell me their experience when they went there. I have been seeing and hearing how amazing Boracay is from international travel magazines, blogs, vlogs and other social platforms. Therefore, when I had plans to go to the Philippines for holiday I definitely made sure that this beautiful island is on top of my list.

Check out that fine, soft and white powdery sand!

No wasting time, I wanted to get all the photos done as quick as possible so I can enjoy the beach 🙂

I love how clear the water is, it is so beautiful. Upon arrival, I was offered if I was interested in the activities. Boracay offers so many activities such as parasailing, paraw sailing, helmet diving, mermaid lessons, island hopping and so much more.

Yummy four cheese pizza from Two Seasons Boracay Resort.

Boracay has the best sunsets! Well, I believe generally Philippines has the most amazing sunsets ever. For the whole time that I stayed in Boracay, I would never dare to miss the sunset. This is also the time when a lot of the paraw sailing comes out as it is the best time for photography.

Boracay is also well known for its night life. There are so many venues to choose from, therefore I am sure the there will be something that will fit your style, whether this may be a wild party or a nice relaxing lounge with live music. There are a few clubs to choose from but if you prefer a certain style of music, it is worth checking their Facebook page first as they usually post what they will be playing on the night.

As you can see I opted for a nice relaxing night!

Bar Hopping with Pub Crawl is really popular in the area. They bring people together and rotate between nine bars/clubs and visit five of them each night.

However, I clearly did not go down that route. I rather have my own drinks and chill!

These are some of the souvenirs that they sell in Boracay but of course they also have the usual key rings, shirts and accessories made with shells. Usually they are able to personalise them and this is what we have bought for friends and family.

This is Kuya Jay, he was the vendor that was walking around by the beach. We purchased some of our souvenirs from him such as craft engraved rock/stones that he made himself. I have read a few blogs and some of them mentioned how annoying the local vendors are as they won’t leave people alone to enjoy the beach. I must say that I had the complete opposite experience, we saw Kuya Jay when we stayed at the Station 1 of the beach and we have told him that we are not interested in purchasing. This is due to my desire of walking around the beach and was not willing to carry items with me at the time. Kuya Jay politely went and walked away from us. However, after seeing him a few times after that, we have bought some of his souvenirs. We had such interesting conversations in regards to how it is being a local in the island. He gave us tips on where to go and eat, which are not the usual tourist spots. In addition to that, we have kept in touch and every few months he sends us sunset photos of Boracay via email. It was so nice to have met some of the locals and made friends with them.

I was so happy that the water was so clear. I was skeptical at first because I was aware how crowded the island gets. However, as you can see the water was so nice and at some point I was able to see the little fishes swim around (that’s how clear it was)!

I missed taho* so much, this brings childhood memories for me. So when there were taho vendors at the beach, I would not think twice to purchase some. It is best to have early in the morning while strolling around the beach before it gets packed with people!

*Taho- is a Philippine snack food, made of fresh soft/silken tofu, arnibal (sweeter and flavouring) and sago pearl (tapioca pearls).

I will always love walking around the beach, it is definitely my thing!

Jonah’s fruit shake and snack bar is a place that I definitely would recommend. It is not a fancy place to eat in but they do have such affordable, refreshing and delicious milkshakes. When we went there, the place was packed with people but we preferred to have our milkshakes by the beach anyway, so it wasn’t a problem for me at all.

Sunsets are so beautiful and dreamy

Loved the clean and clear water, it was so picture perfect with the hues of blue as the water goes further down. It was so relaxing to be in it especially when it is a hot sunny day.

I have this thing with palm trees, theres something about it that makes me feel good. I guess its the tropical, summer vibe it makes you feel. I took a few more photos of palm trees but of course I do not want you to get bored of it so I only uploaded the one below.

I must admit I don’t think all my adventures would have been as fun if it wasn’t for this guy right here. My travel buddy, best friend and life partner! I’m forever thankful for him and I am so grateful that it is him who I share experiences and create memories with. He is such an amazing person and yes I am one lucky girl!

Boracay will always have a special place in our hearts. We have created so many beautiful memories that we will forever treasure. From simple walks while talking about our future, watching the sunsets, having conversations by the beach and exploring the place are some that I will never forget. As the day goes by, I fall even deeper in love with this guy. He makes my life so much more beautiful than it really is and I’m so excited for more adventures with him.

I hope you enjoyed reading my DeeWanderlust- Boracay Island post. Thank you very much for taking the time to read it.

For now, it is time to plan our next holiday destination. Do you have any holiday plans? If so, which destination are you looking forward to go to?

Lots of love from,

22Dec2016

Benefit ROCKitude gift set

Posted in Beauty by denissesamantha

Let me start off by saying I love this ROCKitude, rockin’ rose gold lip and cheek tint set. Thank you to my secret santa for gifting me this wonderful present!

Benefit has the cutest packaging ever, it has such a girly, colourful and positive vibe. When I was opening my present, I was trying to be careful not to rip the box as I would like to use it for storage/display later on.

Seriously, how cool is their packaging? From opening the first box I obviously already knew it was from Benefit but the additional box made me even more excited to find out what the set contains.

Just in case anyone is interested how much this gift set is, it retails for £25.50. As far as I am aware, they sell it on their main Benefit cosmetics stores and online, Debenhams, Boots and John Lewis.

As you can see from the photo below, the set includes:

Benetint rose tinted lip and cheek stain (4ml)
High beam luminescent complexion enhancer (4ml)
Rockateur famously provocative cheek powder (3g)
Rockateur ultra plush shimmering rose gold lip gloss (6.5ml)

When you open the box there are useful tips and tricks on how you can use the products inside. Behind the paper is actually a mirror, which I am so pleased about.

I am so happy when I saw the benetint and high beam as they are some of the products that I have been using over and over again. It will be my first time to try the rockateur blush as I usually use hoola or dallas bronzers. I also can’t wait to try the lip gloss!

Benefit’s high beam highlighter is one of my all time faves. It is such a perfect satin pink accent that gives a dewy glow.

How is your Christmas shopping going? There are so many gift sets like this one out in the market at the moment, I have purchased quite a few to give away to my girls but of course I bought some for myself too! Take advantage of the gift sets, while they are in stock.

Enjoy shopping and have a lovely Christmas!

Lots of love from,

3Nov2016

H&M lipstick swatches

Posted in Beauty, Reviews by denissesamantha

I have been trying to oraganise my make up collection recently and while cleaning it came to my surprise that I own these much of H&M lipsticks that I completely forgotten about. I’m sure I’m not the only one that constantly keeps buying make up products while thinking ‘I don’t have this shade’, ‘this lipstick is a good investment’ or somewhere along those lines. Then after purchasing you’ll just going to completely forget about it after few uses or sometimes you haven’t even had a chance to use it at all. Can you relate to this situation? I’m sure I’m not the only one!

These are some of the H&M Lipsticks that I have in my make up drawer. I have accumulated most shades of this collection, which made me do swatches just in case anyone is interested.

Left to right:

Downtown, up all night, love that red, purple rain, Christie, fierce, darling pink and perfect nude

As you can see, it is such a beautiful collection which offers different varieties of shades. It has nudes, pinks, reds and of course the vampy plum shades. I like how the dark shades are wearable but the ‘perfect nude’ lipstick does not suit my skin tone. My most favourite one is ‘downtown’ and as mentioned my least favourite is the ‘perfect nude’. I enjoy using the reds and the pinks within this range but I have not been using them so much as I own quite a lot of red and pink lipsticks.

Downtown, up all night, love that red, purple rain, Christie, fierce, darling pink and perfect nude

Swatches with flash:

Swatches with no flash:

These are the lip pens

Left to right: cherry lips, million doller lips, berry kiss and love that pink

These are matte lip pens in shade first kiss, hippie chick and peace & harmony

Have you tried any of the H&M beauty products and how did you find it? If not, what are your current favourite shades of lipstick recently?

Lots of love from,

15Oct2016

Lime Crime Velvetines in Red Velvet Review

Posted in Beauty, Reviews by denissesamantha

I have been using this product for quite a while now. I am currently about to finish my second bottle; therefore I believe that I can give an informative review about the velvetines (in shade red velvet in particular). Red lipstick is a must-have staple in every woman’s make up bag, which is why I own a few red lippies and I must say that Lime Crime’s Red Velvet is one of my favourite.

Pros

It is very highly pigmented.

It has an excellent staying power as it last through meals but better to avoid oily foods.

It goes on creamy and dries into a beautiful velvety matte finish.

Lime Crime in general has cute packaging; velvetines comes in a frosted glass tube with a doe foot applicator.

The doe foot applicator makes it easier to apply on the lips.

Personally, I like the smell of it but I just can’t pinpoint as to how it smells like (vanilla cake batter kind of smell).

Cons

It is quite pricey and the price varies depending on which website you purchase it on.

It is not readily available especially in the UK. The UK websites that sells lime crime are usually out of stock of velvetines. Therefore ebay and amazon are sometimes the only options. Unless, you purchase from a US based website but you must remember that there is an extra cost for shipping charges.

The main issue for me is all the controversy of Lime Crime as a company and its owner Doe Deeree regarding identity/credit card information theft, restocking, repackaging and availability of the products.

Tips

Make sure to exfoliate your lips especially if it is dry and peeling. Apply balm to give moisture to the lips before applying the product.

Use a lip liner for a more precise lip application.

I usually scrape off the excess from the applicator on the side of the tube to make sure that I don’t pick up too much of the product.

Stay away from oily foods to make it more long-lasting.

Verdict

I give Lime Crime Velvetines in Red Velvet the rating of 4/5. I took out 1 point due to the controversy regarding the company and owner itself (identity/credit card information theft). However, I love the product because of its formulation and opacity. I feel like it has blue undertones, which makes the colour bright and very flattering on the lips. I like the lovely velvet matte finish of it. For me, the longevity of the product is great as it can last me all day without re-applying it, but of course that is when I’m cautious of staying away with oily foods. Overall, it is still one of my favourite red lipsticks of all time. This is the reason why when I first tried it I had to purchase another two pieces of the same shade, hence why I have the original packaging on the images above (not the current up-to-date packaging). I definitely recommend this product but after I finish the tube I’m using right now I still have a brand new one. Therefore I won’t be repurchasing anytime soon until I finish my third velvetines. I also want to try other similar products such as NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream (in Monte Carlo), Stila Stay All Day Lipstick (in Beso) and Jeffree Star Cosmetics Liquid Lipstick (in Redrum).

I hope my review helped you in any way. Comment below of what your favourite red lipsticks are? Have you used LC Velvetines and what do you think of them?

Lots of love from,

17Sep2016

DeeWanderlust: Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar

Posted in Travel: DeeWanderlust by denissesamantha

Another post on my DeeWanderlust series and this one is all about Las Casas. I very much enjoyed the experience I had here because I have always been fascinated with Filipino history. I was told by our tour guide that some of the houses were built way back from 18th-century. I believe that the houses from different parts of the Philippines were reconstructed ‘brick by brick, plank by plank’. I enjoyed looking around the mansions, wooden houses and stone buildings. The cobblestone streets definitely added drama into the place. It creates that feeling of re-living from the ancient times. The ambiance was lovely; seeing mountains, rice fields and a running river with matching beautiful houses in one place was truly amazing!

Location: Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar, Brgy. Ibaba Bagac 2107, Philippines

I think having someone tour us around the place was worth it. We were told some stories behind the Casas and it literally took us back in time.

The view was breathtaking; mountains, river, cobblestone and ancestral homes.

The Hotel de Oriente is a premier luxury hotel located in Binondo, Manila. However, this has now re-opened at the Las Casas. The hotel was originally built in 1889 and it served as Philippines first premier luxury hotel.

I got to see the artistic and cultural elements not only of the ancestral homes but as well as its interiors. The paintings has got to be one of my favourite one. The photos below shows some of the paintings inside the houses:

How I wish I can have big paintings like this around my own mansion one day. It’s free to dream right? 🙂

I like the details of this particular house. It’s so cool!

Overall, I had so much fun. As I was entering the premises I read something along the lines of ‘pride in giving you a glimpse of the past, reliving the age old yet distinctive Filipino traditions’. This is exactly what happened, for few hours I got to relive the past and learnt so much about the Philippine heritage but in such a fun way.

Thank you for reading and taking interest in my adventures!

Lots of love from,

31Aug2016

DeeWanderlust: Baguio City, Philippines

Posted in Travel: DeeWanderlust by denissesamantha

Baguio City is the summer capital of the Philippines as it is one of the coolest places in the country.

Last time I was there was more than a decade ago. I was so sure that a lot of things has changed. Therefore, when I knew that I was visiting Baguio City I was so excited. I had so much plans; the places I wanted to go to, things I wanted to see and dishes I wanted to try. However, the problem was I did not have much time to stay in this city. I wasn’t able to stay as long as I had planned to but I did not let that get in the way. I still had so much fun even though it was only a short sweet visit!

Mines View Park is one of the oldest attraction in the city. The photos below shows the entrance of the park. There are no fees to enter the premises.

This is such an amazing photo of the Cordillera mountains.

I love the backdrop of this photo. This shows the lovely view of Benguet’s gold and copper mines as well as the Cordillera mountains.

I had the chance to dress up in full Cordillera regalia. As you can see on the photo below, I got to wear tapis, vest, necklace and a headdress. For men’s, they usually make them wear the bahag, and accessories such as necklace, shield and spear.

In addition, souvenirs were everywhere around this area. They offered different items such as knitted wears, woodwork and food. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to take photos of the souvenirs/market stalls. However, I can say that strawberries, ube jams, cashew, peanut brittle and lengua de gato are the most popular ones. They also have the usual souvenirs such as key rings, t-shirts, hoodies and many more.

I know. I know. I know. How pretty is this pink horse? As soon as I saw it, I just had to take a photo with the adorable pink horsey.

Where have you been recently for your holiday? Comment below and share your experience.

Lots of love from,

29Aug2016

DeeWanderlust: Philippines

Posted in Travel: DeeWanderlust by denissesamantha

Hi guys,

I know I haven’t been posting for quite a while. However, I have so much to post but unfortunately I didn’t have the time to do so. This is an introduction post for my DeeWanderlust series to the Philippines. I will be sharing with you my adventures of my trip to the Philippines.

The thing I love the most about getting on a plane is being able to see from up above. It’s like seeing things in a different perspective. I love looking out the window and taking pictures. I am fascinated about the views, the clouds and everything else that you don’t usually see from the ground. Here are some of the photos I took while on my flight:

Have you been to the Philippines before? How was your experience and what was your favourite place? If you haven’t, please share where you have been recently for your holiday.

Lots of love from,

4Jun2016

Ardell Lashes in Demi Wispies Review

Posted in Beauty, Reviews by denissesamantha

Let me start off by saying I love these falsies, they are my absolute favourite lashes. I have tried a few different brands and different styles but I always find myself going back to this one. I like how it is very comfortable to wear as it has a lightweight thin band. I feel that the lashes are versatile as it gives a natural look but can also be glamorous at the same time. The natural criss-cross style adds volume to lashes and it creates a beautiful look. They are perfect for everyday wear and night outs.

Pros

Very natural looking, not too thick

Flexible, thin and lightweight band

High quality and blends in with natural eyelashes

Versatile- natural and glamorous look

Good for everyday use and night outs

Last a long time with proper care

Reusable and made of 100% sterilised human hair

Comfortable and easy application

Cons/Tips

I seriously can’t think of anything in specific as negatives. It is more of tips on how to take care of them, which is applicable to any false eyelashes.

I recommend to first cut the lashes to fit the shape of your own eyes

The band can be fragile so be careful when removing the glue

Carefully clean lashes with a lash comb after use and store in container

Verdict

I give the Ardell Demi Wispies 5/5 because they are very comfortable to wear and I love the natural look it gives. They are high quality and are reusable depending on how they are taken care of. I usually wear contact lenses and it doesn’t irritate my eyes. I suggest purchasing the value multipack, which contains four pair as it so much cheaper than buying four individual packaged ones.

Comment below on what your favourite brand and style of false eyelashes are? Have you tried Ardell Demi Wispies and what do you think of them?

Lots of love from,

8May2016

April favourites

Posted in Beauty, Reviews by denissesamantha

I can’t believe it’s already May and so far the weather has been lovely. I love it when the sun shines, it somehow makes me feel extra happy! My first week of this month has been amazing and I hope you enjoyed your first week too.

I love writing about my monthly favourites and I always feel excited when it’s that time to gather the products that I have been loving. I try my best to use different brands and varieties of products but sometimes I can’t let go of my staples.

Here are my April favourites:

MakeUp Revolution Ultra Professional Cover & Conceal Palette: Concealer is one of the main product in every make up kit. However, finding the right concealer has been such a long and continuos process for me. I have my very few concealers that I love but I always enjoy trying different brands from high end to drugstore. I decided to buy this one as it intrigued me. Make Up Revolution as a brand is very affordable and some of their products are amazing. I must admit when I first tried this palette I did not like it at all. I felt like the consistency was so weird. It feels too greasy and not more of a cream formula. I also found that it creases and sometimes does not give me the coverage that I desire. However, after few weeks I decided to give it another try but this time I made adjustments with the products that I use. I usually put eye cream on top of my moisturiser but with this I don’t. I also found that putting a primer is the best thing to use with it. It made it more blendable and buildable and it doesn’t crease as much. I noticed that it stays longer and covers so much better. Therefore, since finding the right way to use it I have been using it quite a lot last month. I also enjoy the varieties of colours that it offers. It is such a multipurpose paletter and you can always customise the colors by mixing them which is what I do.

MAC Lipstick in ‘Cyber’: I love dark lipstick and I always used to go for my MAC cyber. However, I haven’t been using it for a while as my collection for dark shades grew. I also wanted to try different brands and different hues of plums, browns and anything dark. Last month, I have been using this a lot and I love the vampy vibe it gives.

Face Masks- Snail Cell Illuminating Multi-step Treatment and Purederm Brightening Essence Mask: These masks are from Asia, which I got from my holiday. I love the effects it gives and how moisturising it leaves my face after using them. How I really wish I bought so much more than I did but hopefully I’ll be able to get hold of these soon! I have been using Purederm masks from before but it was my first time to try the two specific ones below and it made me fall in love with the brand even more.

Barry M Natural Glow Shadow and Blush Palette: I love this palette! I usually only use neutral colours for my eyeshadows and this palette is amazing for it. As you can see, it also has a blush which is really good considering how affordable it is.

Accessorize False Eye Lashes: My ultimate falsies fave are still the demi wispies but I don’t mind these ones. I like the effect it gives and it feels lightweight when I have them on. They are not too long but it is thick enough to give you an amazing lashes look.

Batiste Hair Dry Shampoo in fruit and cheeky cherry: This was included in my March favourites and I can’t help but mention it here too. I just adore the smell of it and how it gives me a big voluminous hair.

Max Factor Colour Elixir Lipstick in ‘Mulberry’: I love everything about this lipstick. As you can see, this mulberry shade looks so pretty. It is a very flattering shade and very moisturising on the lips. The packaging looks gorgeous as it looks very sleek and expensive than it actually is.

Benefit Blush and Bronzer in ‘Dallas’: This has been my go to blush/bronzer recently. I use it almost every day apart from weekends, which is when I usually go for a more pigmented one or either when I don’t wear make up at all. I really like how it doesn’t make me look cakey, it is very natural looking but with a very lovely glow. I don’t tend to usually use the brushed that comes with whatever products I by cos they tend to not work as well as the proper individually brushes but this one is an exception. The brush that comes with it is very soft and I feel like it is the perfect shape for this particular product!

What are your favourite products recently? Please comment down below as I would like to explore different products and hopefully I will also end up loving it as much as you do.

Lots of love from,

2May2016

The Body Shop Strawberry Prime Selection Set Review

Posted in Beauty, Reviews by denissesamantha

I have been using Body Shop products for so many years and I usually end up loving their stuff, especially the skincare range. I usually like the fruit scents that they offer but the strawberry range has got to be my most favourite one! I’m not sure if I’m just being biased because strawberry is one of my favourite fruits ever (mango and strawberries are my faves). I also own some make up products from Body Shop, which are pretty decent but I think there are a lot of better products out in the market. However, Body Shop skincare has always been part of my routine.

The photo below is ‘The Body Shop Strawberry Prime Selection Set‘. Most of Body Shop’s boxes/gift sets can be purchased individually but they usually work out cheaper when bought together. In addition, they come in pretty boxes or pouches that I use for storage.

It retails for £28, which I think is amazing as you get five products in the box. It includes: strawberry shower gel, body butter, body polish, body mist and hand cream.

How I use it? I usually use the body polish in a circular motion to exfoliate, though I don’t use it everyday (currently using it alternatively with my other body scrubs). I like using the shower and the body butter onto my skin as they are moisturising and of course they smell so good. I use the Spritz Body Mist in different ways; I sometimes use it on the body or clothes but usually I will spray it around my room to make the whole room smells nice. I use the hand cream as normal but I also like to bring this in my bag. I transferred some of the hand cream in a travel container which will be more convenient for me to bring anywhere.

Would I recommend it? Yes, I would recommend it mainly because the products are actually good. I personally like the smell, I love how moisturing they are and I think that they are a good amount of product sizes. If you don’t like the strawberry smell, Body Shop offers a lot of other alternative scents. I’m pretty sure you’re bound to find a scent that you will love. In addition, you can always just buy the products individual if that’s what you prefer to do rather than buying them as a whole set.