Pregnancy takes a toll in every woman's body. It changes her mood, hormones, her body shape, her skin elasticity, and sometimes, even complexion. Some women are lucky to have elastic skin that does not develop stretchmarks easily. However, there are women like us who, unfortunately, tend to develop more stretchmarks, melasma, and other skin darkening issues related with pregnancy.

Also being pregnant means that we can't just eat nor drink anything that we fancy, same with beauty products, not all products are safe for us to use because some chemicals are harmful to the baby when it is absorbed by the pregnant mother's bloodstream. This is why it is very important that we check the label of the products before we purchase and apply them.

Lovin' this VOV Show Case Ball on Cheek! 💞💕💖

This cosmetic caught my attention first and foremost because of its cute, girly, and pretty packaging. I have always been curious on how these "make up balls" really work. Some told me that it leaves a nice effect on the skin, making you look "flawless" on days when you feel otherwise. Seriously, I wouldn't really know how it's like until I have tried it, that's what most beauty enthusiasts told me anyway.

Let us take this time to admire its beauty even more:

This product is encased in a dainty pastel pink case measuring around 1.5-2 inches in diameter. It is pretty small compared to what I was expecting actually but nevertheless, it doesn't bother me at all.

It includes a tiny powder puff with a pretty li'l ribbon that makes it easier to pull the puff out. Frankly, using this puff isn't really my thing because I prefer using a proper make-up blush brush but the thing is, the blush brush I am using tends to be "too large" for it to fit on the casing: it has the tendency of taking out the balls as well with it whenever I pull out the brush. Errrrr..... needing a bit of adjustment.

VOV Show Case Ball on Cheek contains a mixture of 5 different pastel-colored balls: pink, lavender, mint green, yellow and peach. They leave a pearlescent effect, nothing glittery, which I prefer better.

I dipped the blush brush in the casing, swirled it 5 times then applied it on my hands. No obvious colors whatsoever, just a little bit of sheen on my hand. If you look closely, you will see a tiny hint of difference where I applied the product. 

Closer look: yup, there is that sheen, a li'l bit of glow, nothing too obvious. Nothing that screams "shimmerrrrrrrr" or "highlighteeeeeeer"! Honestly, it doesn't have the same effect of a blush or a highlighter, it's just like, you know, a sheen.

Verdict:
I feel like if my facial skin is feeling and looking so dull, applying 3 layers of this product on my face can save my appearance and give it a healthy-looking glow! It might work for those who have ultra dry and dull skin.

However, I feel like these kinds of cosmetic is not actually a necessity in one's make-up kit, that is the case for me though, personally, as I already have oily skin - a matte full-make up application will look dewy on me after an hour or two because I have acidic combination (oily t-zone and dry cheeks) skin type.

Effect:

Unedited and unfiltered photo. This is how it looked like on my face. I applied one layer all over the entire face, and 2 layers more on the cheeks above my blush-on (I used Chanel Blush Horizon de Chanel). There is nothing obvious at all but I must say that my face didn't look dry nor dull here in spite of the full matte make-up application.

Thoughts:
On a good note, according to my fellow beauty enthusiasts, this is a nice affordable dupe for the popular Guerlain Meteorites because for just a fraction of a price, it gives the face a pretty subtle luminous sheen- nothing that screams "too much makeup" or "too much sparkling shimmery sh*t" which I kinda like in some ways.
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If you have extra money to spare, a true-blue beauty junkie, a make-up collector of some sort, then go ahead and buy this as this will look good on your make-up collection. BUT if you are on a limited budget, you don't really need this product. I advise ladies to spend instead on a good-quality translucent powder, champagne-colored highlighter, and pigmented blush because those are needed.

I got mine from the Facebook shop: Cosabella Manila. They are selling VOV Show Case Ball on Cheek here in the Philippines for Php 350.

I'm excited to try out these new lip & cheek stain from La Bella Organica PH! These products are Philippine-made and created with natural ingredients which is a safer alternative compared to chemically-based cosmetics in the market (especially for those who have ULTRA SENSITIVE lips)!

Will they look nice on the lips? How will they taste like? Are they gonna be long-lasting? Are they gonna be hard to remove? Are they safe for everyone to use? All those questions, I'll answer in a bit, ​

La Bella Organica PH's Lip & Cheek Stain Swatches
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Princess - fuchsia pink
Jean - tomato red
Anne - brick red
Eunice - berry plum

Longevity
All of them leave stains that are indeed long-lasting! While lip swatching them, I had to swipe using an oil-based makeup remover repeatedly just to take them away. It was tricky, I'm telling you! Drinking and eating snacks won't totally remove them but having a greasy meal will. Once it completely dries, the lip stain doesn't transfer anymore! I just kissed my husband goodbye now on his lips and it didn't transfer on him! Love it! 

Scent and Taste:
They have a mild fruity scent and that they don't leave a bitter aftertaste! 

Texture:
Liquidy, non-sticky and non-greasy, non-drying yet non-hydrating either. It feels very light on the lips like you are not wearing anything at all.

Price:
Php150 for 10ml.

Which of these lip stains would you like to wear as well? My personal favorites: Princess and Jean!
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Based on experience, the one amongst these colors that lasts the longest is Princess. I swatched it on my arm, applying it repeatedly on the same area 5x. Guess what? The stain it has left hasn't been totally removed yet for 2 days already! Wow!

Fair-skinned girls will look good in all the colors as they are universally flattering but I feel like the shades Anne and Eunice will look extra striking on morena ladies! That is just my opinion though, some light-skinned people I know like wearing dark colors to enhance their complexions even better. What do you think? 

Buy yours now from Instagram: @labellaorganicaph

As fate would have it, the first time I discovered the Kata Mini T3 phablet, I was having a problem with my old phone. I guess, it's destiny's way of saying that it was the right timing for me to find a gadget of great quality with matching affordable price! It is a tablet that can be used as a phone at the same time! You can put a regular-sized simcard together with an SD card to maximize its potential. Just imagine my reaction the first time my eyes laid out its sight on this beauty!

1.3GHz Quad-Core Processor
An agile and robust architecture that handles multitasking at high speed, providing solutions for demanding users while remaining modest in power consumption.

What Kata T mini 3 Tells you:
96  hrs: Beat the traffic using Kata's real-time GPS system and save up to 4days per year on travel time, as well as reduce your vehicle emissions by 21%.
87M  +: Google Map is fully integrated, utilizing the best features of the popular app that has over 87,782,000 users.
20%: Kata's GPS tracking can help drivers keep vehicles at fuel efficient speeds and ultimately reduced fuel costs by 20%.

Available in colors: Grey and Gold

Processor: MTK 8321 1.3GHz Quad Core

Storage: 8GB Storage + 1GB RAM and 16GB Storage + 2GB RAM

Weight and Dimension

​Frequency: GSM Quad Band + 3G 850/900/1800/1900

Operating System: Android 5.1 Lollipop

Camera Photo and Video Recording:
Front 5.0MP FF, Back 8.0MP AF with Gorilla Glass Cover lens

External Button and Connectors

​Power and Battery: 3300mAh

Buttons: Power ON/OFF, Vol+, Vol-

Input/Output: Earphone Jack

Speaker: 8 ohm

Connectivity: WAPI: 802.11 b/g/n / BT4.0 + HS

Audio Playback: Supports various audio formats

Video: Supports various video formats

Environmental Requirements: N/A

Languages:
Afrikaans, Bahasa Indonesia, Bahasa Melayu, Català, čeština, Dansk, Deutsch (Deutschland) Deutsch (Liechtenstein), Deutsch (Österreich), Deutsch (Schweiz), English (Australia), English (Canada) English (New Zealand), English (Singapore), English (United Kingdom), English (United States) Español (España), Español (Estados Unidos), Filipino, Français (Belgique), Français (Canada), Français (France) Français (Suisse), IsiZulu, Italiano (Italia), Italiano (Svizzera), Kiswahili, Latviešu, Lietuvių, Magyar, Nederlands, Nederlands (België), Norks (Bokmål), Polski, Português (Brasil), Português (Portugal), Romana, Rumantsch, Slovenčina, Slovenščina, Suomi, Svenska, Tiếng Việt, Türkçe, Eyynvika, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional)

I am glad to finally meet in person the talented and creative people who made this event possible: Rohit and Laveen, the founders of Pink Sugar and Liz Lanuzo of Project Vanity, one of the online beauty magazines that I read every now and then!

A year later and after countless conversations with different women who have fast become fans of Pink Sugar, Laveen came up with idea of a lipstick line centering around the little lies we all love to tell, "We wanted to create something fun and cheeky, but with an edge - just like Pink Sugar's personality. We want to appeal to women who are sweet on the outside but sardonic and funny on the inside," he remarks.

He tapped Liz to refine the story and design beautiful shades that everyone will be psyched to wear on their lips. Liz's expertise from all sides of the fence - as a blogger, a marketing and PR consultant, and a lover of all things related to beauty - came in handy for this collab. Ït's like being given keys to ultimate makeup playground!"she enthuses. It's a dream come true for me to be given the opportunity to create the ultimate lipstick line."

Here's the Pink Sugar owners, Rohit and Laveen, and Liz Lanuzo of Project Vanity, with the event host/blogger, Janeena Chan, talking about their makeup collaboration.

And so the Pink Sugar x Project Vanity These Lips Don't Lie Matte Lip Crayon (Php 399) was born. These crayons are creamy and moisturizing even though they have that coveted matte finish, and that's because they've been infused with Vitamin E and Shea Butter. As expected of a Pink Sugar product, the crayons are highly pigmented in one swipe and stay on the lips for hours without being drying.

Don't you just love their bright carnation pink packaging? It makes it easier to spot the lipstick when reaching out for it inside your bag or kit!

So here's my lipstick swatch! Check it out! Which one do you like best?

Woke Up Like This
is a muted pink "my lips but better"(MLBB) shade tat is designed to look flattering on all skin tones. It's a versatile color that can be worn to an important work presentation or to a first date!

Love at First Swipe
is a peachy cocoa, a fresh take on the brown lip trend. It's dramatic yet wearable for everyday.

Ready in Five
is a brightening perky pink that's bound to cheer you up even i the gloomiest of days. A girl can't go wrong with this modern pink color!

Nothing to Wear
a sexy deep plum, is set to be a new staple at parties formal or high-octaine.

Personally, my FAVORITE amongst the whole collection is the shade "Ready in Five" çause I am such a sucker for pink lipsticks! It's the shade that I can pair with a soft neutral eye make-up or strong, smoky eye shadow. I can match this color with any clothes I wear!

The reason why I love pink shades is because they instantly brighten my skin tone, making me look youthful and blooming! Aside from that, the pink colors tend to soften my sharp facial features as well.

All I can say is I can never go wrong with using pink lipsticks and I will never have enough pink lipsticks in all tints and shades, hehe! So here's a close-up photo of my favorite "Ready in Five!"

Product Review:

In my experience, the formulation of these matte lip crayons are non-drying on the lips although they are not hydrating either. It is best to exfoliate your lips and put on a lip balm prior to application of the lippies to ensure a more comfortable wear. 

Pink Sugar's matte lip crayons are tough: they don't easily melt or become misshapen unlike the other soft lipstick crayons that I have tried in the past. They also don't tug my lips which is nice because applying these lippies are so easy!

Regarding its longevity, I have noticed that it still stuck on my lips even after drinking and eating desserts. Eating oily food will remove the lipsticks easier though. Also I found it hard to remove with tissue alone, I had to use a makeup remover or baby oil just to completely remove the lipstick!

My verdict: totally worth spending for! I can totally recommend these lippies to my friends because I know that they are long-lasting and non-drying on the lips! If you are a fan of muted, neutral shades or their pink and berry shade, then you should definitely try these out!

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Here are more photos taken during the event. I feel honored to be part of this because I am such a huge fan of Pink Sugar, for they offer great quality products for a reasonable price!

​I know that I can recommend their brand to my friends and other beauty enthusiasts and can be so sure that they are gonna love it too!