GMarket Haul #4: And So The Hiatus Ends...

I couldn't take it anymore. The stress from reviewing was KILLING me. What was in order? A shopping spree at GMarket!!!^^

I controlled myself this time though, I didn't go overboard and just ordered 6 items, and 1 of those was my friend's. As you can see, my box is quite smaller this time around:

Let me give you a brief background on haul number 4. I was only able to order these items successfully after around a week, because my Paypal wasn't working on the GMarket site. It turned out the problem was I was using wrong browsers. I first used Safari, then Google Chrome, then Opera. None of them would let me pay through Paypal, even through a foreign credit card!

Finally, I used Internet Explorer. Lo and behold, it let me through! Thank goodness! I was already panicking because many of the items I initially ordered went out of stock due to the length of time I took in checking the stuff out.

It also took around 2 days for the orders to be shipped out of Korea. It was sent out on May 16, 2012 and arrived here in the Philippines the day after. Super quick!!!^^ That's what I super love about GMarket, your items arrive so quickly.

It took me over a week to get it from Customs because I had to ask someone to get it for me since I was busy with review and stuff. I only paid P500 as compared to the ginormous sums from before.

And then we open the box:

Here are my items: that silver package contains 3 pieces of clothing, namely a dress and 2 tops, plus the foundation and a cellphone case.

That cellphone case is for my LG Optimus Black, because there are ZERO phone cases available for it here in the Philippines. If you have the same phone as me, you can order it through HERE. Costs 5,900won ($3.61).

My friend ordered the GMARKET X BIGBANG Limited Edition Iphone4 case, which was to die for!!! It was pretty much perfect in every way. And so COOL. I mean duh, its BIG BANG!!!

I don't know if this case is still available, but you can try ordering it through HERE. This costs 25,900won ($23.36). Its also available for the Samsung Galaxy S2. Hahaha if you compare the cost of my cellphone case with this one, there's a huuuge difference.

Up next is my CLIO Diamond Rose HD Foundation, which I have been dyiiiing to use but can't because I have tons of foundations to finish first.

I got mine in Shade 23 which is the darkest shade, because as you guys remember, I bought the powder form of this foundation back then. Its a pretty big bottle, plus it comes with a FREE Clio White Cleansing Foam which is 40ml in size. Sulit!!!

You can get the same item HERE, plus other fabulous Clio items from the seller. They ship your orders out pretty quick and respond to your queries immediately. Costs 30,000won ($27.05).

On to the clothes! This here I just went into a buying frenzy because the clothes were so demn cheap! I got all 3 from the same seller, SARAQ. I am actually amazed with myself because I can estimate my sizes in Korea! Well, most of them are free size, except for the blouse and the dress though.

First up is the dress, which took me AGES to decide which one to get. This was the photo on the seller's page:

And here's how it looks like:

I'm very happy because the dress is exactly the same!!! You have to pardon the crappy camera taking a photo of the dress, but it fit me very well and it looks exactly how the model wears it.

You can get the dress from HERE, and its costs 15,900won ($13.92).

And now for the tops!

I got this blouse because I thought it looked really pretty on the model. I was super scared it wouldn't fit me though. But thank goodness it did.

This top is super cute and I love it. Like the dress, it looks exactly how it does on the website! You can get it HERE. It costs 9,900won ($8.71).

For my last top, I got an oversized shirt just in case the 2 prior purchases wouldn't fit me.

As with others, I was very satisfied with the shirt because the quality was good! You can get it HERE, costs 4,900won ($4.31).

Whew! Now let's all add them up and see how much I really spent:

Total Amount: 96,500won ($87.28)

Shipping fee: 15,700won ($13.82)

TOTAL: 112,200won ($98.74) -- converted to peso: P4,133.03

Customs: P500.00

GRAND TOTAL: P4633.03

What do you guys think? For all these stuff, was all of it worth it?

Buying from GMarket is always worth it for me though, I never regret shopping because I am never disappointed with any of my purchases.

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GMarket Haul #3: Can You Say I'm Totally Addicted?

That's it! After this last haul I am going on a 6-month hiatus from shopping in GMarket. I've already given sufficient warnings to my sister and my boyfriend to prevent me from buying anything from the site until June 2011. SO HELP ME, GOD.

But I've finally found the reason why I still persist in getting my stuff in GMarket...its because I get so much good stuff! No matter how much Customs taxes me (this time around, it was P1,800 for BOTH packages...you can ask me to elaborate on that if you want), I still buy! This has got to be a sickness.

So as you guys know, I won in GMarket's Blogger of the Month contest and received a GC worth 50,000won (worth around P2,000)! I used that amount to good use and purchased a couple of side items, and here they are:

The wig up there is actually not mine, so I won't be including that in my photos.
First up is the make-up:

Left: CLIO Diamond Rose HD Two Way Cake; Right: CLIO Water Proof Liner in Kill Black

I seriously cannot wait to review those 2 items above! CLIO is a South Korean make-up brand which features products made in Europe. They're more high end than the usual known brands like Etude House, Missha or Skin Food. To see more of their gorgeous products, click HERE.

What I love most about this is the packaging, plus the fact that you get an extra refill! I thought the foundation was actually pricey but its not, its very value for money-ish. 

I also love the fact that the compact is reusable and has a protective cover. The sponge that comes with it isn't bad either. Future review on this coming soon!

I got the CLIO cake from jnv for $22.45 and the Kill Black Liner from 스킨러브 for $10.21. They actually offer these in a lower amount compared to other resellers. CLIO doesn't ship internationally through GMarket so these guys are your best bet!

Also bought a basic V-neck white tee from 더페이지 for $6.00. I actually just used this to cap off the freebie in the GC. It was more sheer than I expected but fits me well (its free-size):

I also tried buying my first ever watch from BANC, which is a popular brand in Korea and features really cute robot styles (its actually endorsed by a lot of K-pop artists):

 Photo from the seller's page is that above... whatdayaknow it looks exactly the same and its gorgeous!

Looks exactly like it does on the photo and I LOVE IT!!! I immediately wore this to school the moment I opened the package. Notice the cute packaging?

Got this from seller ★클락★워크★ for $15.68.

And finally, my most treasured possession, the 2AM Saint O' Clock Limited Edition Album!!!^^

This thing is HUGE. Its as big as an 8.5x11" sheet of bond paper. I was so surprised because I wondered how it could've gotten so big! I'll be posting the inside and contents of this thing soon for all 2AM fans who want to see how valuable this really is.

Although I have to say I was really disappointed with how EMS handled my package. The seller should've labeled it as FRAGILE because the box had a lot of broken sides:

 Huhuhuhu a dent on the spine!!!

 A crack on the bottom...

 NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

I think they wanted to give a hardcore fan a heart attack with this.

I got this from 파워뮤직 for $26.91. I'm really sad because my order actually got delayed because I waited for its release (since I pre-ordered it and stocks are limited) and it arrives all dented.

If you're wondering how I was able to purchase all these, I had a lot of help from tons of discount coupons courtesy of GMarket. See how much they encourage you to buy and buy again?! Its a marketing scheme that definitely works!

But I swear I have to stop buying from this online store! Hiatus of 6 months officially starts NOW!!! 

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Getting a Paypal Account

Online shopping has definitely been made easier thanks to the help of Paypal, but some still remain wary of using it because of the fear of charges. Here's one thing I can assure you: if you're only using your Paypal account to pay for something, there are NO CHARGES. But if you're an online seller, there's a certain amount fixed for withdrawing from your Paypal account.

Why do I use Paypal? The answer is easy: ITS' SAFER.

With PayPal you can:

Shop online in more than 190 countries and regions.

Pay for things and send money without sharing your financial information.

Checkout quickly at hundreds of your favorite online stores (not just eBay!).

Accept credit cards on your website.

Make donations to your favorite charity.

Set up an online shop and receive payments.

Use your credit card and earn rewards.

The trouble with shopping online is the "unsafeness" of it all, you reveal sensitive financial info to people you do not even know. Paypal helps by hiding that info so you are more secured in your transactions. Here's a quick 3-step process of getting your account:

STEP 1: Signing up: Click on the SIGN UP at the top of the screen.

STEP 2: Choosing your Paypal Account: Click on PERSONAL if you're only using the account to pay for your shopping online.

ACCOUNT TYPES:
1) Personal: Recommended for individuals who shop and pay online, or wish to send or receive personal payments for shared expenses such as splitting of dinner bills or rental charges. We don't recommend that sellers open a Personal account to receive online payments, as the transaction fees are higher.
2) Premier: Recommended for casual sellers or non-businesses who wish to get paid online, and who also make online purchases.
3) Business: Recommended for merchants who operate under a company/group name. It offers additional features such as allowing up to 200 employees limited access to your account and customer service email alias for customer issues to be routed for faster follow-ups.

STEP 3: FILL OUT YOUR INFORMATION. Fill everything out, don't miss a single item.

And...you're done! After signing in, your status will still be UNVERIFIED. But if you use a credit or debit card to set up your account, you will receive an email where you need to confirm your account, and then your credit card will also be confirmed.
If you're wondering whether your credit card offers this service, call the Customer Service of your bank and ask them first.

SOME QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT ASK:
1) Are there fees to open up a Paypal account?
Its free! BUT here's the thing: after you sign up using a credit card, an amount will be automatically charged to your credit card bill but Paypal will refund that amount to your account (NOT DEBIT TO YOUR CARD, REMEMBER THIS!) which you can use for future payments. Ask your credit card company how much the fee is.

2) What currency am I charged?
In DOLLARS. Paypal has its own conversion system: you can choose between the conversion of the seller OR Paypal's own. I suggest choosing the latter so it's more uniform. You're also more unsure if you choose the former what the final amount charged would be.

3) Can I only use Paypal if I have a credit card?
DEFINITELY NOT. You can still use it as long as you have a bank account. Please inquire with your local bank if you can do so, but you should have no problem because this service is open to the Philippines.

That's it for now, I hope you guys learned something from this mini-tutorial. Let me know if you have any questions and I'll try to answer the best that I can from my experience. Remember, research is always the best way to answer your doubts! Good night!

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GMarket Haul #2: Too Much is Too MUCH! + Bureau of Customs = headache :((

My generous boyfriend gave me as a birthday gift a shopping spree in GMarket!!!
How nice is that? VERY VERY NICE!^^

So here are the contents of my 2nd haul from my most favorite online shopping site to date. Actually this serves as a valuable lesson learned, since I learned how to handle with the very manang Bureau of Customs when I received it.

A giant giant box almost the size of my bed! No wonder BOC secured this and didn't get it delivered to my house. 

A little background first: I ordered a total of 10 ITEMS, bill came to around P5,000+ together with shipping. Everything was shipped out from Korea on Sept. 20 and arrived here on Sept.22 but then it was HANDED OVER TO CUSTOMS. (Believe me, anything with the word CUSTOMS on it makes me palpitate, especially after my experience.) So I called up the EMS Office (854-3580) and learned that I had to go all the way to Pasay to retrieve the package. People who answered the phone were very nice though. But when I came to pick up the package on Sept. 29, I was assessed a heartbreaking total of P1,545!!! Total tax was only P400+, but together with VAT and God-knows-what charges (which were all manually computed in front me on a piece of torn scratch paper) it came to that amount.

Plus the Customs ladies are pretty rude. When I saw the final amount, I commented on how expensive it was (considering that the dude before me imported TOBACCO which has EXCISE TAXES ON TOP OF IT had a lesser tax liability than I had), do you know what the woman said?
"EDI WAG MO NA BAYARAN, BUMALIK KA NALANG KUNG MAY PERA KA NA," in this super snotty voice.
By the way, it is beyond me how the LTO can afford to have 5 brand new computers for each satellite office for renewal of licenses, while the Bureau of Customs does everything manually. Where does their money go?

The lesson here is that the next time you buy at GMarket, lessen the volume. Sure you save up on the shipping charges, but handling Customs is such a pain and you do not want to go through with it, believe me. Just get around 3 items max, and make sure the weight isn't that much so the package can be delivered straight to your house.

Anyway I'm going to stop ranting and proceed to show you guys my haul, because despite the meanness I encountered, I was very very satisfied with all the products!

 What that giant box contains: its the poster tube that needed space!

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GMarket Package is Finally Here!!! + Hera HD Foundation review

Do you guys remember my last post? I recently ordered from GMarket, and my package finally arrived!!!

But...don't be deceived by the huge box, it only contains a single thing. My item was shipped out on SEPTEMBER 6, and within only 3 DAYS, it arrived at my doorstep! I had to pay an additional P40 upon its arrival but ohwellsies!

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GMarket: Touched for the Very First Time!

Since it's the long weekend and I wanted to distract myself from the sadness that Ticketworld is not selling moshpit tickets anymore for Rain's concert on Sept. 11, I spent the hot afternoon scouring GMarket and finally ordering something:

1) Rain lightstick! (8,800 won)


My sister and I felt that we deeply needed these lightsticks in order to commemorate the concert that's about to happen. Hopefully this reaches our house before the event itself!

2) Hera HD Foundation in 21 (28,300 won)

I have heard so many good things about this foundation, its apparently the leading HD foundation in Korea right now (like in the US its MUFE, but for Korea it has to be Hera). This is a bit expensive than most Korean brands because its on the high-end side and I really took a chance with the shade, 21 as the medium fair.

From all the reviews I've read, GMarket takes really quickly for the orders to arrive, around 6-7 days and its already at your doorstep! But learning how to order can take quite some time as compared to YesAsia because of the language barrier. Although there's an English version of the site, you'll need a website translator on hand so be careful!

I'll keep you guys updated when my package arrives and then I'll write a step-by-step tutorial on how to order.

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YesAsia Shopping Guide!

After numerous questions regarding my online shopping through YesAsia.com, I'm finally providing a shopping guide for all noobs. But first things first:

What exactly is YesAsia?
In the YesAsia.com website, you can choose from a vast range of products, including books, electronic goods, music CDs, videos in both DVD and VCD formats, comics, video games and accessories, and gift items such as posters, photo albums, calendars and collectibles.
YesAsia mostly specializes in Asian CDs and DVDs and actually has a sister site called Yesstyle which features Asian fashion for men and women.
What do you like most about YesAsia?
Their customer service is excellent, they respond to your questions quickly and they address all your concerns before and after purchasing. There are also many payment options and they offer FREE SHIPPING if your order is more than US$39.
Any downside to YesAsia?
A lot of people may find that the site has more expensive goods than other online shops like GMarket, but what makes up for it is that it is so much easier to browse and search for the product you want to buy.

Let's get on with the guide!

STEP 1: GOING TO YES-ASIA.COM. On your browser, type in yesasia.com/global and proceed to either SIGN IN (if you already have an account) or REGISTER (if you still don't have an account).
Note: The YesAsia website for international orders is different from the one for US orders. So if you reside in the US, make sure you do not go to the global site and register instead in the US site.


Step 2: SIGNING IN OR REGISTER. Proceed to SIGN IN or SIGN UP NOW. Choosing the latter option will lead you to a short sign-up form that's pretty self-explanatory. Just completely fill out the necessary details then you might have to confirm your email address. After confirming, log-in and proceed to Step 3.
Step 3: SEARCHING FOR YOUR ITEM. On the search box placed on the topmost part of the website, enter the keywords of the item you're looking for. For example, I want to buy SNSD's Run Devil Run album so I type in 'SNSD' as my keyword.
Note: Remember to uncheck the box which states "Include Out Of Stock Item Results (#)" as not to make a mistake of ordering an out-of-stock item. Even if you choose an out-of-stock item, YesAsia will not allow you to order this.
Step 4: FINDING YOUR DESIRED ITEM. Scroll down and look for the product that you want. Ah, here it is! Click on the name of your item and proceed to Step 5.
Step 5: ADDING TO CART OR SAVING FOR LATER? Clicking on your item's link will lead you to this page. You can either choose to add the item to your cart OR choose to save it for later.
Step 6: SAVING FOR LATER. If you click (2) or save for later, this pop-up would appear and there will be a notification that you have already saved this item for later. The benefit of having this save for later is that it doesn't immediately go to your shopping cart and you wouldn't make a mistake in purchasing it if in the end you don't want to.
Step 7: VIEWING YOUR SAVED ITEMS. When you view the items you have already saved, the page will show you that your shopping cart is empty. But you have the option to add your saved item to your shopping cart OR deleting it. I suggest saving the items you want prior to adding it to you shopping cart so that you are sure of your purchases.
Step 8: ADDING TO YOUR SHOPPING CART. If, however, you choose to add the item to your shopping cart, this pop-up would appear stating the number of items in your shopping cart.
Step 9: VIEWING YOUR SHOPPING CART. From either the item page or your saved items list, proceed to view your shopping cart if you are ready to make your purchase. Review the items first prior to clicking PROCEED TO CHECK-OUT. If you want to view the gift card options as you are giving the item as a gift, do not forget to check the box below the PROCEED TO CHECK-OUT link.
Step 10: ACCOUNT SIGN IN FOR CHECKOUT. One of YesAsia's protocol measures before payment is that they ask you to sign in again prior to checking out your item/s. You can either sign in on this page if you are paying through Credit Card, check/money order, or direct deposits. But if you are using your Paypal to pay for you items, click on (2) SIGN IN & CHECK-OUT WITH PAYPAL.
Methods of Payment:
YesAsia allows credit card, Paypal, check/money order and direct deposit as the various modes of payment.
Credit card - you would have to enter your credit card information in your account page. Make sure that all the information is correct. It might take some time for your card to be validated so be patient. Remember, its for your own security!
Paypal- if you have a Paypal account or have plans of making one, you can use this to purchase your items.
Check/money order- if you choose this option, you can send your check or money order to YesAsia's office:
YesAsia.com Limited
(Attn.: Accounting Department)
9/F., Watson Centre
16-22 Kung Yip Street
Kwai Chung, N.T.
Hong Kong
Remember that it may take up to 7 days for your check to be cleared and you can only make your payment in either US Dollars or Hongkong Dollars, they don't take other currencies.
Direct deposit- ONLY AVAILABLE FOR HONGKONG DELIVERY!

Step 11: GOING OVER PAYMENT DETAILS. Go over your payment details, such as your shipping address, your credit card billing address, etc. Make sure to double, triple check this! (Sorry, no more screenshots after this because I'm sure you guys know all about security, right?) During this step, you will also choose the type of shipping and delivery.


SHIPPING AND DELIVERY:
As I said before, YesAsia offers FREE STANDARD SHIPPING for orders more than $39. Unfortunately there is no free express shipping regardless of how much you order. Here is a shipping calculator so you can compute how much you might be spending!
STANDARD SHIPPING- takes 6-14 days. Around $5, but it depends on how many items you're ordering. For us living in the Philippines, my experience had me waiting for a month for the goods to arrive. But you can always message the people from YesAsia if you have haven't received your goods during the said time and they will re-ship your product without extra cost.
(NOTE: the 1 month waiting was my experience BEFORE, when I recently ordered, it arrived within the promised timeframe. I think they changed couriers or something, so choosing FREE STANDARD SHIPPING is now highly recommended!) 
EXPRESS SHIPPING- takes 3-5 days. Aroudn $13, and also depends on how many items you're ordering. The good thing about this is that you're given a tracking number and you're not left wondering where your package is. But beware of extra charges that the shipping company might charge you when your package does arrive.

Step 12: CONFIRM YOUR PURCHASE. Finalize your purchase and WAIT. I suggest waiting for the orders to be shipped out and letting those number of days pass before you contact YesAsia looking for your package.^^




MOST COMMONLY ASKED Q's:
Here is a compilation of the questions you asked me from my 1st blogpost about YesAsia. If you have any other questions, please do feel free to ask!

1)  Q: hi ate!!! pwede po ba malaman kung pano ung process and mga kailangan para mkapag order sa yes asia?? gusto ko po kc mg order eh,, pls reply po ,, thank you,,

lovinia viloria

A: ordering in yesasia is pretty easy, but you should first get an account by registering in their global site if you're from the philippines. there are instructions from there.

the basic premise is that like any online shopping, you first choose the product/s you want then you have the option to have it shipped through standard or express. express will be pricier (esp bec DHL puts in some extra costs that aren't suppose to be there when your package arrives). my 1st order was standard shipping and it arrived within a month rather than the 7-14 days which is "normal" daw. but anyway if you don't get your package within the said number of days, yesasia will re-ship it free of charge when you inform them.

btw you also need to have either a credit card or paypal account to pay for your item.:)

2) Hi there! I'm also interested in buying stuff from YesAsia, and I'm also from the Philippines. My main concern is if your package gets delivered to your home personally, or if you have to pick it up pa from the post office. (When we ordered stuff from Amazon, we had to go all the way to the post office to get it!)

I'm presuming yours got delivered on your doorstep even with standard shipping?

:D

A: if you choose standard shipping, you have to pick it up at the post office. you also can't track your package and won't be receving a tracking number. if it's express, they deliver it to your house with an extra charge. ganun talaga with DHL, they have weird charges for "handling". but you can track your package all the time with the tracking number they'll be giving you.

i honestly don't know why it takes so long for the package to arrive since its supposedly from HK, but i guess that's just the way philippine customs handles it.

3) Q: HMM,thank you po.. so sa jan 23 po kc expect arrival nung cd so,,jan 23 po kaya tlga xa darating?? sa nman pong post office kukunin sa main po ba or ung pinkamalapit smin?? my nkpagsabi din po n may darating n notice from post office pag ready to pick up n po ung package,, is it true.. thank you again

A: if its express, yes it will arrive by that date. if its standard, you have to wait for the notice from the post office to arrive so you can pick up your package from there.
4) Q: matagal po ba talaga ung process ng card verification sa credit card pag first time mg order sa yesasia.. it's been 3 days na po since ng order ako(sat-mon) credit card verification pa din ung status ng order ko,, thank you po,, again,,
A: try inquiring to yesasia why its taking a long time, sometimes you have to call your credit card company to let them allow yesasia to process it. for me, it only took a few minutes to get my credit card verified.


That's it! I know a lot of you are emailing me asking about GMarket, I'm going to try it out by next month, I've already made a Paypal account so stay tuned for that!

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Beauty & Minerals' Kabuki Brush + Monave Blush Review

Call me totally out of touch, but as much as a make-up whore as I am, I am still pretty much a newborn to the whole mineral make-up concept. I got curious when I noticed my friend using it on an everyday basis. It got me thinking, is there really a difference?

I guess I never bothered with the thought because ordinary make-up doesn't make me break-out nor cause other imperfections. But I think mineral make-up is a godsend for those who do. I finally got around to buying myself my first mineral make-up blush from Beauty & Minerals, together with a Charm kabuki brush, courtesy of their Charm Luxe Kabuki Promo (Get the Charm Luxe Kabuki and a Beauty & Minerals minipot mineral for only P880! The minipot turns out to be only P300, so you save P50!).
I got my order around 2 days ago (delivery was very prompt after payment), and here it is:I ordered this set thinking that I could use the Kabuki brush for my MAC press powder (because their powder puff totally sucks) and use the pouch as storage for both. No, so wrong! The pouch and the brush was smaller than I expected. Its about this big:
I also compared it to the size of my iPOD Classic. Its around 3/4 of it.
But size aside, the brush is very soft. Its made of vegan hair, meaning its synthetic. I don't really like the idea of having animal hairs on my brushes so this is good for me. I also love the color! The hairs do not come apart while you use it. No falling hairs for this brush.
IMPT NOTE: After a few months of using the brush, I washed it ONCE, and the glue that held the metal part is coming apart from the actual brush. I don't mean that the hairs are falling apart, but the metal part is coming OFF. Makes me regret getting this because how will I use it hygienically if I can't wash it!?!?
Next up is the blush. I took my chances in choosing this shade because obviously, you can't swatch what you see on their website. I was disappointed when I first opened it and swiped some on my hand and saw how many shimmers it had. (Totally hate shimmery anything unless its for your eyes) But oh well, I had yet to try it on my face so I was hoping it would get better.
And it did! I'm impressed with how subtle it brightens up my cheeks. I had to build up the color a little to get this shade though I used an ordinary blush brush for it. I like the texture of the kabuki brush as compared to my previous powder brush. Its softer and less rough on my skin.So there's my 1st mineral make-up experience. I doubt if I'll ever be getting more of these babies because I'm sticking to my chemicals. I'm just glad I got to experience it and judge for myself on what the hype on mineral make-up is all about.
CHARM Kabuki Brush + MONAVE mineral blush in Mystic Rose = PHP880 + 70 (shipping fee) = PHP950 all available at Beauty and Minerals.

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