One quiet Saturday we took a trip down the famed 17-Mile Drive, a scenic road on California's Monterey Peninsula that runs through Pebble Beach and Pacific Grove. Through the wind and the chill, the overcast skies lit the eerily desaturated photos.


The official symbol of Pebble Beach is the Lone Cypress, a salt-pruned Monterey cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa) tree. This species is found only around Pebble Beach and Point Lobos. Already perched on the rock before the year 1813, it now has a supporting cable to keep it from falling. Pebble Beach Corporation claims it holds copyright to the Lone Cypress as a registered trademark of the property.

Mary Kay Translucent Loose Powder is a sheer powder for makeup setting and oil control. Finely milled, silky as heck, it blends in seamlessly with numerous bases. Remember when I said I needed a finishing powder when using Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer locally? This is the perfect solution.

This giveaway reflects my career goal to bring back to my country the expertise (or in this case the beauty!) already thriving in more advanced technological landscape. Everything here was acquired in good ol' America, and to my knowledge are not yet available on our shores. In celebration of blog anniversaries, career launches, and new adventures, join my humble Rafflecopter giveaways below!

From time to time I'm asked how I shoot the photos on this blog. Figured I would share what I know in one big post! I've tried to keep it as simple as possible, but feel free to ask me for details.

For any product shot, all you need are three things:

1. background
2. light source
3. camera

The Maybelline Eye Studio 24HR Color Tattoos are cream gel shadows that are meant to be long-lasting and intensely-pigmented. Of course, these claims vary per shade. The finish is more satin/shimmer, as opposed to the frostier L'Oreal's Infallible eye shadows. Being creams, they're great for summer -- a quick swipe and you're set for the day, even for swimming. They're also multi-purpose, able to serve as shadow, base, or liner, making them perfect for those trips out of town.

I've previously reviewed the L'Oreal Infallible Eye Shadows, focusing on the shade Iced Latte. Above are the rest of the shades I acquired. I'm only keeping two though, the rest are for gifts and giveaways! ;)

In brief: these shadows feel like a pressed wet pigment, very silky, very blendable. They can be applied wet or dry. The formula varies with each shade, but for the most part they've got good color payoff and are long-wearing when used over primer.

The day I arrived back in Manila, I set off for a 3-day medical mission in Ilocos Norte (plus 1 day R&R, hihi). It was sensible to bring only a carry-on, so I brought only the essentials. This would be sufficient for longer trips as well.

When I traveled back to California, I had the chance to send home some of the unnecessary products I'd brought with me. At the same time, I was road-testing most of the new things I'd acquired. Here's my pared-down travel makeup/skincare kit, which I used for 2 months. I'll be covering only the new additions. Do comment if you'd like something reviewed.

When I packed for my US trip, I didn't know whether I would be staying 2 weeks or 2 months. As I moved from state to state, my traincase fluctuated from light to jam-packed. In the next few entries you'll see the evolution of my travel kikay kit(s).

For this first part, I erred on the side of caution and packed pretty heavily in terms of makeup and skincare. TOO heavily, I think, even if I did end up state-hopping and staying for 3 months. Looking at these photos, it's like an inventory of nearly all the products I own. And after weighing my enormous luggage, I had to pare down my choices. The ones with strikethroughs didn't make the cut.