Mid-July Buys

Like I said in the post before this one, I rarely buy something that I don't feel like I really need it to save my life. Haha! But seriously, what's the point in splurging for things we don't even need, right? This blog isn't entilted She Goes Thrifty for nothing, y'know. Oh, and I'd also like to point out that all of my purchases fit the budgets of just about any student or working girl. Don't worry! I hope you don't get the wrong idea! Again, I'm not a pointless walking splurging and shopping spree. I post things that I really use and review them based on my personal experiences. 

Now that's cleared...

You know how just about every beauty guru out there will tell you NOT to sleep with your makeup on? They're absolutely spot on! Makeup sits on your skin and seeps into your pores. Leaving them overnight will not only introduce foreign materials into your skin, i.e. bacteria, it will also aggravate and irritate your skin.

I've always relied on wet wipes or baby wipes to sweep my makeup off, then I wash off my face completely with my foaming facial cleanser from Etude House or my bamboo charcoal soap from Ilog Maria. That way, I reduce the risk of breakouts and infection. Who wants that anyway? So yeah, I've been searching for makeup cleansers, as they are more intensive in terms of getting deep down into your skin and scare off every last bit of makeup you have on. Just to make sure, follow up with a facial cleanser or a facial wash afterwards! Better safe than sorry! Anyway, I've been reading reviews and comparing product notes. I was torn between the one from Etude House (the tea cleansing milk line) or this one from Pond's. The classic won me over. A lot of people rave about how their grandmas, aunts, and moms passed on this timeless legend to them. I decided to go along with the majority this time. I used it right away and I have to say, I'm glad I chose this. :)

By the way, reviews on this and other products on this post will be reviewed very soon. Please stay tuned. :)

A small tub costs Php 130

Of course, I needed cotton pads to wipe my makeup away with. Thanks to Saizen and their 2-in-1 bundles, I got two boxes of cotton pads/puffs for Php 85!

There's been a serious buzz about Cyleina soaps. I'm such a newbie, I only heard of them recently, but apparently, they've been around for quite a while. I got this from Watsons in Galleria for Php 65. You know me, I'm partial to local and organic brands. I'm sure this one will fare very well with me. I still have to consume my other soaps though. The review on this will have to wait. :)

For more information, check out the Cyleina website and Multiply site. They carry a wide variety of soaps and other organic products. You can also try to check out your local Watsons or SM Department Store for availability and stocks. The price ranges from Php 65 to 125.

Aaaand lastly, I grabbed a gift for my friend, Justine, who just graduated from CSB. Oooh, I hope she likes this! In case you haven't noticed, Snoe is one of my faves. I've reviewed a considerable number of their products on this blog. 

That's about it. I'm so stoked to review these and more! (which reminds me, I have tons of backlogs to work on and accomplish!) *facepalm* But anyway, I hope you're enjoying your Friday the 13th as well. If you're superstitious, try to beg to differ. They say today's quite unlucky, but I believe that it's ultimately in our hands what to do with our luck. We can always turn it around, y'know! It's all about perspective, in my honest opinion. So think of it this way, refuse to be part of the unlucky bandwagon and make your luck work for you! It wouldn't hurt to try. ;)

Love,

SGT <3

Nailed It!

Nail art done professionally can get pretty expensive. I discovered a few tips and tricks to cut your costs on those luxurious nail-painting appointments. All you need is resourcefulness, dexterity (which I don't have yet, but I'm working on it), and creativity. :)

1. If you have old, unfinished nail polish bottles lying around the house, don't lose hope yet. You can bring them back to life with the help of solvent. You can buy a bottle of this substance in Watson's or any other department store or supermarket. I use the Caronia brand. What it basically does is it thins out clumped polishes and helps remove other nail implements. Just pour a minute drop or two into your nail polish bottle, close the cap, and shake the bottle to submission. Please don't sniff it as the smell can get addictive. (Php 31.50) 
2. Invest in a great base and top coat polish. Well, you don't really have to sell your organs to afford one. Caronia has a good top coat (Php 44.25) that's widely available, plus, it's fast-dry too! For my base coat, I rely on Etude House -- a bottle cost me around Php 48. I also use this kwik-dry thing that I put on my cuticles after I finished painting my nails to help the polish dry faster. Saw this technique whenever I went in for professional manicures and pedicures. Mine's from Bobbie. Again, these are department store/supermarket/drug store brands. Easy accessibility. :)
3. There are a wide variety of options for nail art stuff. You can go with decals, stickers, stick-on jewels, fimo sticks, artificial nails, nail art pens and tools, and so much more! Jazz up your digits in more ways than one! The price range varies from 10 pesos to infinity! Hehe. It really depends on what you're more comfortable using. If you're a DIY nail art newbie like me, I suggest you start off with nail stickers, as they can be the easiest ones to apply/use. Watsons shelves have them. You can also check out your nearest Hortaleza branch. They're available online as well. (If you know where else to get them, please comment down below, thanks!) Just search for them on Multiply. :) For how-to tutorials, please check out Youtube, as many nail art gurus posted helpful videos on the matter. I've been dying to try the ombre and this marble thing I saw on Youtube once -- maybe not now. Perhaps when I've gained much confidence and when my crabby hands decide to hold steady long enough for me to finish an entire hand.
4. Invest in a really good mani/pedi set and DIY mani-pedi yourself, or have your nails cleaned and buffed professionally, if you're more comfortable with that. Usually, cleaning, shaping, and buffing (without the polish/nail art) cost less. You can work on the nail art design at home. Tutorials on how to do your own nails are all over Youtube as well.
5. Fear not! The first couple of tries won't be perfect (check out my crappy right hand nail art -- or something like it), but over time, you'll get the hang of it and you'll be more comfortable with doing it yourself. It really takes a lot of dexterity to get the design dead-on. Start with simple designs, such as this French Tip-esque neon orange style. I just added on a few floral nail stickers to make things more interesting. I'm pretty happy with the outcome. Not bad for a first-timer, eh? :)
6. Look for nail art inspirations online. Tumblr and Pinterest can help narrow down your search, but then again, there's always Google to rely on in times of need.
7. Just go for it! It will take a lot of patience, practice, and polish to get you going on this DIY nail art business. :)) I'm only beginning to reap the benefits of DIY nail art because at the end of the day, I can do whatever I want with my nails and I don't have to spend a fortune while I'm at it! Plus, they look really cute and different! I hope to try out more techniques really soon. :)

Left hand
Used an old bottle of neon orange nail polish and some nail stickers.

Crappy right hand here. :)) sorry. Not ambidextrous!

Got these cute nail stickers from Pacita Complex (a market place a town away) today. Each sheet costs Php 10. Can you believe it?!

These ones are from Watsons. Got them the other day for Php 15 per sheet. I have them on my nails right now. :)

Hope these tips help! Feel free to post your DIY nail art projects on She Goes Thrifty's Facebook page. Share with me and everyone else your masterpiece. Let's get inspired together! :)

Love,

SGT <3

FOTD: Pink Eye

Many beauty bloggers post their "face of the day" looks. Maybe it's time I start posting mine as well. Haha! As if you're all interested in how I do my makeup. :P

Wore this makeup look to my friend Paola's despedida dinner in Marikina. I had to do a lot of walking and commuting that day, so I had to make sure that my makeup won't run and go all over the place. :))

I call this look Pink Eye (not the gross disease, okay? HAHA!) because I applied just a wash of pink with golden tones on my lids and topped it with brown liquid eyeliner for a presentable and not-that-dramatic over-all look. I also took my new Human Nature colored lip balm in Island Kiss for a spin. I think my search for an orange-tinted lippie is over! I'll post a review on this very soon. ;)

Base:

- Etude House BB Magic Cream

- Ever Bilena Mousse Matte Foundation in Walnut

- Myra Daily Sun Protect

Eyes:

- E.L.F. Eyelid Primer

- Ellana Minerals Concealer in Smile

- Ellana Minerals Concealer in Awake

- Ellana Minerals Translucent Loose Powder in Espresso con Panna

- 17 Nude Palette

- E.L.F. Liquid Eyeliner in Brown

- Maybelline VolumExpress Mascara

- Etude House Oh M'Eye Mascara for Volume and Length

- The Face Shop Brow Duo

- NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Lime

- Etude House Bling Bling Eye Stick in Butterfly Star

Cheeks:

- Maybelline Pure Minerals Blush in Pink

Face:

- Maybelline Clear Smooth Shine-free Pressed Powder

Lips:

- Human Nature Tinted Lip Balm in Island Kiss

- Careline Extra Shine Lipgloss in 02

What do you think about this look? Would you like me to post more "face of the day" looks from now on? :P

Love,

SGT <3

Nails and Notes

Hello! As you may have seen in my last entry, my mint-green nails have already chipped. That meant it's time for a fresh layer of polish! Check out what I did in between making my presentations. I have a job interview tomorrow and I want to look presentable. Chipped nails just won't cut it! As for these notes you see on the background, they're for my part-time job. :)

Base and Glitter Polish: Etude House

Clear Polish and Kwik Dry: Bobbie

Please pardon the poor quality of the shots. I used my phone to take these. 

Don't you just love glitter nails? :)

Love,

SGT <3

Weekend Warriors: Pink Sisters + Mile Hi Diner

Every weekend my mom and I try to unwind. She's been very stressed at work, so whenever we get the chance, we make gala. This Sunday's choice of destination: nearby Tagaytay City. It's roughly a 30-minute drive from our house, so getting there isn't much of a hassle. Plus, we really like hearing mass at the Pink Sisters Chapel. The mass there is so solemn and the place is just downright comforting. Afterwards, we headed to our new-found fave breakfast place, the Mile Hi Diner on the opposite side of Tagaytay. They also serve full meals and appetizers for lunch, dinner, and happy hour. :)

Check out what happened here. Warning: Photo-heavy post up ahead. ;)

I love their 50's-inspired interiors!

My mommy! :)

Some of their selections of wine.

The female restroom. Guess who's posted on the male side?

Saloon-style restrooms  a la Wild, Wild West!

...it's Zorro!

Some souvenirs and items you can take home.

The view from our table. Woops. Stupid menu's blocking the way. :))

Effervescent. :)

Managed to squeeze in some vanity shots too.

I was playing around with my camera's features and settings. Check out the end-products:

Selective color: Red
Pretty neat, eh? ;)

Selective color: Yellow
That's my mango shake. <3

I had this watch since I was a kid!

Arm candy. :)
I'm not dead, okay? I just used the selective coloring option. ;)

Chipped nails = NO-NO! Not a pretty sight. :-/

Overlooking the view outside.

Our usuals. :) Above: mine, Below: Mommy's

The food is very good! (hey, that rhymes!) LOL. For about Php 150 (around $4), you will get a full meal with rice, a viand, and a side of tomatoes and a leaf of fresh Tagaytay lettuce! The mango shake costs Php 70 (less than $2). We walked out of Mile Hi Diner with full tummies and uplifted spirits, for sure! :)

Do we look an awful lot like each other?

Awkward leg alert! :)) I'm not the best poser in the world, I know! 

Striped top: from Greenhills

Black cover-up: Penshoppe
Belt: Genevieve Gozum

Pants: Terranova

Sandals: from Liliw

First two bracelets: from Landmark

Last three bangles: from Quiapo

Took some more vanity shots while waiting for mom in the car, as she purchases fruits for our table. :)

No foundation day today! Just used the following:

• Etude House BB Magic Cream,
• E.L.F. Liquid Eyeliner in Brown
• Careline lip gloss in 02
• Ellana Minerals Concealer in Smile and Awake
• Ellana Minerals Finishing Powder in Espresso con Panna
• Ever Bilena Pro Liner (for my eyebrows)
• Maybelline VolumExpress Mascara
• Etude House Oh M'Eye Lash Volume and Length Mascara
• Etude House Bling Bling Stick in Shooting Star

Hope your weekend went extremely well! I know mine did! Heard some very good news about a possible career here in the Philippines. I might not have to leave after all! ;)

It's true what they say, when one door closes, another door opens. In my case, about ten bigger ones opened up in place of that one I've been waiting on for 8 months. T____T We'll see how things will go. I don't want to jinx it! >_< Wish me luck! :)

Love,

SGT <3

Birthday Blowout!

Hello, fellow girls on a budget! I am so excited! 10 days from now and I'm turning 21! I can't believe it. And my graduation is rearing its pretty little head in the horizon too! I have so much to be grateful for and She Goes Thrifty is definitely one of them! I started blogging seriously in January of this year. I was hungry for a blog that searched the best of affordable luxuries and hidden deals or tips and tricks about how not to splurge too much but not sacrifice quality at the same time. I'm really glad that with every entry, I get to share my own experiences and thoughts about things that I discover along the way or things that I have been doing (like thrift shopping) and are worth sharing with dear friends and it's heartwarming for me that I also get to learn a lot from you.

In line with my birthday this year, I would like to host a little blog giveaway. I'm aware that many bloggers do this as a way of giving back to their reader friends. Think of it as my gift to you on my birthday. So anyway, here's what you can win:

1. Human Nature Intensive Hair Mask

 2. Etude House Pomegranate Face Mask

3. A cute purple beaded bracelet

4. A pearl necklace with floral applique/brooch

5. Lynderm Kili-kili and Singit Whitening Cream

Goodies galore!

Here's how you can take home these humble prizes:

1. Like She Goes Thrifty on Facebook.

2. Follow ME on Twitter.

3. Tweet this: Join She Goes Thrifty's birthday blowout and get to win cute prizes! Go to http://shegoesthrifty.blogspot.com/ for details on how to win! @adjadjbaby

4. Comment on this blog post with your Facebook name/link to your page, Twitter username, your Tweet (the link to the one above that you posted on Twitter), and your e-mail address.

Only those who will follow ALL the steps will be eligible for this giveaway. I might add more stuff to this loot so you better stick around for announcements. The winner will be chosen via random sampling, I will assign each valid entry a number and create a raffle-type draw. The winner will be notified via email. Teehee! Contest ends on April 24, 2012.  

Join now! :)

P.S. This giveaway is open for Philippine readers only. Perhaps the next couple of giveaways will be open to international readers as well. :)

Love,

SGT <3