Jessica Choy

10/4/13

Nuxe Rêve de Miel Ultra-Nourishing Lip Balm

Nuxe Reve de Miel Ultra-Nourishing Lip Balm HKD 165

Nothing irritates me more than chapped or peeling lips - it can get painful, it ain't cute and looks horrible underneath lipstick. I try my best to keep my lips healthy and plump by using a lip balm during the day, at night and even overnight. My pick for an overnight lip balm is the Reve de Miel Ultra Nourishing Lip Balm by Nuxe, another product I purchased in Sasa in Hong Kong.

The texture is as thick and smooth as a balm gets and a tiny amount goes a long way. It's heavy, as if it was made for cold weather conditions or for overnight use - how I prefer to use it. Concentrated with ingredients like honey, shea butter and grapefruit essence; it's a gem that nourishes, repairs, soothes and protects the lips. The morning after I apply this, I wake up with soft and supple puckers. For the day time here in rain-or-shine Manila, I go for a lip balm with a lighter consistency preferably with a tint, my favorite's Apivita's Lip Care with Black Currant.

It comes in a compact little frosted glass pot that contains 15 g of the balm. It also smells of lemons and kind of reminds of key lime pie. The original price in Sasa retails for HKD 165 but I got lucky since it was on sale for HKD 132, which is about 733 pesos. It comes in stick form, too!

Have you tried this by Nuxe? What's your lip balm of choice for overnight?

10/2/13

September '13 Favorites

I just came to the realization that all the products that made the cut to my September Favorites were all bought from Hong Kong, except for my Dr. Jart BB Cream and Arajera Ear Pins. A lot of the items I bought are hyped and raved by other beauty bloggers so I had high expectations on their performance and quality - and they did not disappoint!

Let's kick things off with the items I purchased here in Manila. I've been crazy about my Arajera Ear Pins and you'll know that if you saw my post on it. I love both of them equally as much but I usually gravitate towards gold accessories on an everyday basis, so I've been getting a lot of wear from my Gold Wing Ear Pins. Next up is my Dr. Jart Water Fuse BB Cream, which was actually a repurchase and is my second tube of the glorious stuff. I used it a couple of times on my mom too and she liked it so she decided to pick one up for herself. I think I can claim that it's my favorite BB cream - guess that pretty much sums up my thoughts on it!

When it comes to cleansers, I look for something that doesn't strip off all the oils in my face but still manages to remove all the makeup and dirt. Apivita's 3 in 1 Cleansing Milk does just that plus it smells really good, too. The Origins GinZing Energy-Boosting Moisturizer is a lightweight and oil free moisturizer that my oily/combination skin loves. When my skin's feeling dehydrated and dull, I slather on my Origins Drink-Up Intensive Overnight Mask, and I wake up with soft and healthy looking (and feeling) skin. I hate the way chapped lips look and feel, so I always make sure to take care of them. During the day I like to use Apivita's Lip Care with Black Currant because it has the slightest tint that sorts out my pale lips and looks natural. Nuxe's Reve de Miel is an extremely rich lip balm that I like to use overnight for super soft lips.

During the days when I'm not using my Dr. Jart BB Cream because I want more coverage, I go for my Bourjois New Healthy Mix Foundation. It gives a medium coverage but surprisingly feels really light at the same time. The only thing I've been using on my cheeks lately is Benefit's Rockateur Blush, a peach rose gold color with subtle shimmer.

And lastly, another favorite of mine has been midi rings! I know I know, I'm kinda late because I haven't seen stores in the Philippines selling them anywhere yet so I stocked up from H&M and Topshop.

What were your favorites last month?

9/30/13

Project Pie Philippines

I've passed Project Pie a couple of times and their bright big sign always caught my attention and got me intrigued. Although it wasn't until I saw some photos of people's custom built pizzas on Instagram and hearing raves here and there, that I decided I needed to try it out for myself. I did a bit of research about the restaurant (as I always do before trying something new) and found out that it's from the States and there are only a total of three operating locations at the moment. One in Las Vegas, another in San Diego and lastly...Mandaluyong?? We even beat Manhattan, Washington and Atlanta to it, which are all opening their own Project Pies soon.

My family and I went on a Sunday night right after hearing mass, which is a big thumbs down unless you're up for a long line and wasting a chunk of time hawking for vacant tables. They just opened last month and they're receiving a lot of love from Manila so go on a weekday if you can!

If you're in a hurry I suggest just going for one of the pizzas on the menu instead of customizing your own. It'll save you loads of time since you won't have to dictate every single topping, and you'll be directed straight to the cashier.

For custom built pizzas.
First Stop: Red (sauce) or white (no red sauce, in olive oil) pizza?

Second Stop: Cheese! Mozzarella, parmesan, feta, gorgonzola, and ricotta.

Second Stop: Meat! Pepperoni, italian sausage, crumbled meatballs, bacon, grilled chicken, canadian bacon, prosciutto, anchovies,

Third Stop: Veggies and other stuff. Red onions, green bell peppers, caramelized onions, cilantro, tomatoes, black olives, garlic, pesto, BBQ sauce, pineapple, artichokes, fresh chopped basil, rosemary.

Once you're done creating your own pizza, you'll be handed a piece of paper with your name and order, then settle with the cashier your additional orders like drinks or a salad (y'know, if it'll make you feel better about that pizza you're about to devour).

Still or sparkling water, a few choices of beer and tiny adorable bottles of white and red wine if you're feeling classy. Oh and refillable Coca-Cola branded soft drinks and house blend iced teas (think slightly sweetened literal tea)!

My tita's pick: pizza #5 (white pizza)! Mozzarella, ricotta, gorgonzola, parmesan, cracked black pepper, olive oil, garlic and fresh chopped basil.
My tita and I agreed that this one was pretty salty. I don't think it's the combination of ricotta and gorgonzola, but the amount topped on the pizza that made it too salty.

My pick: pizza #7 (white pizza - prosciutto, caramelized onions, mozzarella and parmesan) plus additional mushroom and fresh chopped basil.
I was happy with my creation and thought the flavors complimented each other well, but I do regret not asking for more caramelized onions.

My mom's pick for her and my dad (white pizza): artichoke, prosciutto, mozzarella, feta, gorgonzola, parmesan, dried cranberries, candied walnuts and caramelized onions.
My dad and I didn't exactly know what my mom was going for... The salty (prosciutto, feta, gorgonzola) clashed with the sweet (dried cranberries, candied walnuts, caramelized onions) but hey as long as she likes it and I don't have to eat it then we're all happy. Haha just kidding mom!

For a nineteen year old girl with a hefty appetite, I was stuffed with my 12 inch pizza. All the pizzas (except for the classic cheese pie) cost PHP 285, even for the custom built ones, no matter how much or how little toppings you want! One tiny disappointment though was how they put the basil before they put the pizza inside the oven, which made them shrivel up. My parents also said that they've eaten pizzas with better dough, this wasn't something I noticed or got bothered by though. To each his own, I guess!