Grooming gifts for the baby!

My little boy is so lucky. Here he is, in my tummy, working hard to develop his little body to become strong and healthy and already he's got pampering products waiting for him!

Kiehl's Baby Gentle Foaming Hair & Body Wash 

and Nurturing Baby Cream for Face & Body

This New Year, use Kerastase--and only Kerastase!--for your hair

I love Kerastase. I use the Resistance Bain Volumactive line for my flat lifeless hair. Of course, with Kerastase, my hair is revived and bouncy and beautiful! I also use the Reflection Bain Chroma Riche line when my hair's newly colored, to keep my hair looking redder longer. I cannot emphasize just how much I love Kerastase for my hair! Even my husband is spoiled rotten--he loves it, too, and switches between his Phyto shampoo and my Kerastase bottle because this stuff really works.

Now, Kerastase is not cheap. Why, it's the hair care line used by Hollywood celebrities like Jennifer Lopez, Jennifer Aniston and Emmy Rossum! So I'm so happy I'm friends with Kerastase's Senior Product Manager, the affable and totally wonderful Birdie Salva--he sends me my bottles and jars for free! Thank you, Birdie!

Birdie's so generous, he's extending his offer of free Kerastase products to YOU! Look at what he's giving away on his fantabulous blog, Hair in Manila:

My darlings, that is one box of beauty! Hop on now to Hair in Manila for details on how you can win that fab box!

P.S. Birdie, thanks for my Kerastase Resistance Bain Volumactive shampoo and conditioner and the yummily scented candles, too!

Win a pot of La Prairie Platinum Creme!

All of these women love the December issue of OK! magazine. And because of that, they get a chance to win La Prairie Cellular Creme Platinum Rare--currently the most expensive moisturizer on earth!

I was able to get two sample sachets before and then a 5 mL pot, too! I used the sachets but, because I'm oily, I guess I didn't really need a rich moisturizer. Here's my review. So now I have an unopened and unused pot of this pricey cream and I'm giving it away!

Want to know how you can win this pot for yourself? Go here now!

Support Breast Cancer Awareness with beauty

My weekend had a lovely start when I checked out the World Pink event yesterday at Rustan's Makati. The pink-themed affair was sponsored by Estee Lauder Group of Companies so I was very excited to see not just Estee Lauder products but products and activities from their other brands as well (La Mer, Bobbi Brown, Clinique).

The focus of the event is our wellness. So women attendees, especially those from the I Can Serve Foundation, had a fun time learning to value their health. There were cooking demonstrations, yoga classes, makeup lessons, facials, skin consultations plus the yummiest hors d'oeuvres served by Intercontinental Hotel. And, did I forget to mention the fabulous freebies? We all got a little pouch with a fluffy towel, a Bobbi Brown lip-and-cheeks pot rouge and mini blush brush, and--of course!--a pink ribbon.

Healthy food need not be yucky, guests learn at the cooking demos.

Exercise is needed for complete wellness so guests gamely do yoga.

This lady has her skin professionally scrutinized by a Clinique expert.

Everyone gets pointers on how to look good!

Beauty writer Marie Calica gets a pampering session from La Mer.

A guest goes through a makeover at the Bobbi Brown counter.

Each guest brought home a pouch full of prettifiers

Raise awareness on breast cancer and care more for yourself and the women in your life by going to World Pink this weekend. You still have all of today and tomorrow to enjoy some pampering!

First photo details: With the Estee Lauder ladies and fellow editors. That's me at center in a white Kate Torralba dress featuring embroidered pink cherry blossoms, Bayo cardigan, Schu flats and Longchamp clutch.

WIN! Gift certificates for face and body treatments at Aesthetic Science

CONTEST CLOSED

I promised my readers a giveaway and here it is!

Sitting on my desk are fabulous gift certificates from Aesthetic Science Clinic for Cosmetic Dermatology and Plastic Surgery.

I am giving them all away to ONE LUCKY READER!

Here's what the winner will get:

• Diamond Peel worth P1,200 - This innovative non-chemical exfoliation treatment corrects the signs of aging and sun damaged skin with no downtime at all. It also helps in the improvement of acne scars and stretch marks. For optimal results, a series of treatments is advised. It is a safe and therapeutic approach to skin care when done in combination with other facial treatments.
• eMax Skin Rejuvenation worth P3,500 for face - uses combined energies for effective and gentle restoration & rejuvenation of skin appearance
• Body Scrub with Bleach plus Massage worth P1,400 - A 2-hour relaxing body treatment for softer, smoother and lighter skin. A rich sea salt is blended with the finest oils that has exfoliating properties and is used to remove dead and unwanted skin. A bleaching agent is then applied all over the body.
  
• Reshape worth P4,000 for abdomen/butt and thighs - employs cutting edge RF technology to heat the inner layer of skin to achieve a Total Body Reshaping and sculpting. This revolutionary heat wave therapy will improve your body contour and skin texture to give you that toned, firm look without aggressive exercise or dieting.

That's a total of P10,000 worth of facial and body treatments!

Want to be pampered? Here's how you can win:

1. Write about the contest in your blog.
2. Make sure to link your post to this post.
3. Leave a comment informing me of your post.
4. Wait for 7 days. Contest ends on July 3 midnight and I'll announce the winner the next day!

The winner will be drawn randomly. Of course, I'll be checking if he/she also did a post on his/her blog first! I will then send the fabulous gift certificates to the winner--shipping's on me!
Gift certificates are valid until August 31, 2009. Winner may claim the treatments at:
Aesthetic Science Clinic
G/F Jupiter Place, Jupiter Street
Bel-Air, Makati City

Good luck! Spread the word!

The Beauty Writer

I know I promised a giveaway...

... and I do have one, too! Just finalizing the details with the medical spa that's giving away the prizes. I'll post the details on that one as soon as this beauty giveaway is done! It's over on my other blog, Topaz Horizon. It's just a fun little contest. Hope you hop on over there. Enjoy!

The Beauty Writer

Prize winners' thanks

I'm already planning my next beauty giveaway. It's not going to be as spectacular as the first contest (I don't have any Shu Uemura makeup brushes anymore!) but it will be just as fun anyway so I'm hoping my regular and fabulous and beautiful readers will still join.

Meanwhile (just so you know I really do send out the prizes!), here's the thanks of the three winners of my first ever blog giveaway:

Ekimura from the USA
Daphne's Diary from the Philippines

Dunibagz from Germany

It is so much fun to make other people happy. So let me make you happy, too. Check this blog in the next few days because I'll have another lovely giveaway!

The Beauty Writer

Getaway for the weekend

Hi! I'll be going away for the weekend so I'll be posting stuff again next week (and, boy, do I have some new beauty loot to talk about!). Meanwhile, here are some beauty-related things you might want to read from Topaz Horizon, my personal blog...

My spa day with Jennie, author of Kikay Corner
I cut my hair! So short, so chic! Yey!
Inside SkinLogic, my go-to derma clinic

The vain complains. Maybe you won't?

Red is my hair color this year.

And here are some things you can do...

• Join Makeup in Manila's contest! She's giving away a P6,000 discount voucher for a beauty school.
• Shop for Organic Thanakha products at Kikay Corner's online shop.

See you all next week!

The Beauty Writer

Kerastase launches Oleo-Relax Slim in a chi-chi party

Hailed as the haircare line used by the stars (Jennifer Lopez, Emmy Rossum, Paris Hilton are fans), Kerastase is definitely the gold standard when it comes to hair products. Even I'm convinced! Whenever I use Kerastase, my hair is always perfect. I just can't use it all the time because (a) I have to test other brands now and then and (b) it's expensive. That's why whenever Kerastase launches anything, it's lovely to attend becasue I get to bring home Kerastase goodies!

The goody bags had a bottle of leave-in conditioner
and a tub of treatment

Last night was the launch of Kerastase Oleo-Relax Slim, the latest product that is guaranteed to tame frizzy and rebellious hair. Now my hair is naturally behaved (thank the heavens) so I'm going to let my sister try this one out. Will post her review in a week or two.

The event was held at chic new club The Establishment at The Fort Strip. There were art installations for guests to marvel at but I found the drinks and the food more inspiring, to be utterly honest. But, for art's sake, marvel below...
Beautiful people everywhere (or beautifully dressed, at least!). Very well attended event so congratulations to Oliver Salva and the Kerastase team for a gorgeous night and for another new product that I'm sure will be a success!

Preview's beauty editor Cindy Go and Real Living's art director Arlene Sy

SM's marketing manager for kids and teens fashion Jasmine Mendiola (in pink),
me (in yellow), Cosmopolitan editor-in-chief Zo Aguila (in gray) and
Cosmopolitan fashion editor Kat Dy (in black)

The Beauty Writer

NARS and my new Orgasm!

NARS makeup artist and West Coast Lead Trainer Dawn Stultz was here last week and I was able to have a lovely chat with her about--what else?--makeup! First, I just want to say how incredibly mesmerizing Dawn's eyes were. I have no idea what color they are. Because of the warm soft light in Rustan's Essences, her eyes kept changing color from gray to blue to a light hazel. Incredible.

So anyway, I asked Dawn what makeup essentials a woman should have in her bag. She replied that it really depends on the woman since some girls love playing up their eyes or just having powder and blotting paper or really piling it on! However, she did quip, "Stop any woman in this store right now and I bet you'll find three kinds of lip products in her purse!"

For summer, Dawn recommends simple makeup so a powder, a lip gloss and a bronzer stick are enough to take a girl from day to night. She's really in love with the NARS bronzer stick in Palm Beach. She applied some on me and I looked healthy and glowing! The trick is to apply it in the figure 3--temples, cheeks, jawline--and blend, blend, blend. You can use the bronzer on your eyes, too, and on lips then just top with gloss. Simple and easy. I like that a lot!

Oh, and not only did I get to chat with such a lovely woman, I also got to take home these lovely products! Thanks, Dawn, NARS, Rustan's Essences and Visions & Expressions!

I did buy my own blush, the phenomenal Orgasm. Dawn says that NARS Orgasm is the bestselling blush in the entire world. I believe her. All the Hollywood stars and makeup artists swear by it--it's the only blush that looks great on every skin color and tone! Dawn adds that it's almost always out of stock. I believe her, too, since I've been trying to buy Orgasm forever. Just my luck, at her interview, NARS had new stocks! I immediately bought one! Now I look so pretty. Yey!

NARS cosmetics are available at Rustan's Essences, Glorietta 4, Makati City.

The Beauty Writer

*bronzer stick image from Sephora.com

And the winners are...!

Okay, that was one crazy contest--So many people joined my first ever blog giveaway!

Sitemeter says that bloggers from all over the world blogged about my giveaway

Thanks! I'm so encouraged by the enthusiastic response that I plan to do this regularly!!! I have an unbelievable amount of yummy beauty loot for you! Next time, though, I'll just assign numbers to people and then throw dice. Writing down blogs on pieces of paper seemed like a good idea until the entries approached 100.
And now, without further ado, here are the winners!

1st Prize
Shu Uemura Mika Hearts Shu Portable Makeup Brush Set
Winner: Ekimura from the USA

2nd Prize
Jurlique Moisture Balance Introductory Set
Winner: Daphne's Diary from the Philippines

3rd Prize
Shu Uemura Lipstick Case
Winner: Lovely Purses from Germany

Congratulations to the lucky ladies! Please email me at frances@topazhorizon.com so we can talk about the details.

Thank you to everyone else who joined (I linked you up as my thanks!):
A Girl Should be Two Things: Classy and Fabulous, A Life Without Love is No Life At All, A Piece of My Mind, Accidentally In Love, AhCapp, Akisalove, All the Vanity, Amanda's Sunshine, Anything & Everything, Baby, You Make My Heart Beat Faster..., Be Happy, Beautification, Beauty, Life, Love and Many More, Beauty is Within, Beauty Moogle Zone, Beauty Reviews, Beauty Snap, Becoming a Yummy Mommy, Bienvenida A Mi Pagina!!!, Bunnie, Cake, Cherrie Bosa, ChinkyMel's Corner, Chomfifi, Cogito Ergo, Scrap!, Confessions of a Makeup and Fashion Lover, Confessions of a Soapaholic, Crazy Mama, Dazzling..., Documented Days, E.motion in Motion, Enfant de L'Amour, Enjoying Life as I Live It, Facets of the Fire Fairy Princess, Fly. Soar. Land., Fully Awesome Babyy, Goddess, I Am, Hello, 'moto, Her Royal Bleakness, I am Kaith, Innovative Essence, Invisible Pathos, Just Another Day, Kikay Corner, KXY, Kylie's Blog, Laugh and the World Laughs with You, Le Miroir de Wanderita, Lights and Shades, Life is Full of Beautiful Complications, Life with Jemboy and Joyce, LipstickFever Makeup Blog!, Little Miss Julienne, Living Life to the Fullest, Lost in the City, Love Eve Beauty, Lush Angel, Make My Not-So-Interesting Life Interesting, Makeup in Manila, Maldeetuh Ramblings, Mango Pepper, Me You and a Dog Named Boo, Miss Girl Interrupted, Mrs. Dumpling, Ms. Giling's Spot, Musicalfan Loves Minerals, My Blog, My Life in This Wonderful World, My Lucid Intervals, My Own Spot, My Place Under the Sun, My Soap Opera Life, My Wonderful World of Colors, Naturals and Minerals, Nevergirl's, Newbie to Beauty, Nling*Star House of Collection, No, I am not a Genius, Not Enough Hours in a Day, On Beauty Stuff and What Else's, Pensieve, Pinay Mind, Pinkfish Pie, Plan B, Popcorn <3>, Quarter Life Chronicles, Sanniet, Science's Box of Nice Things, Shan Shan Style, She R0XX, Sh0be, Siamese, Simply Glamorouxx, Simply Susie, Sippinslow, Sneak In, Somekinda. Aliw., Spoiled Rotten, Still Life, Sweet Hopia, Sweet Lisi, The Drama Queen Can Tell Stories, The Grazing Land, The Journey Continues..., The Mystery of Me, The Soundtrack of My Life Now, Thinking Out Loud, Time Outs, Tournesol, Twenty-Four Periwinkle Street, Ugly is In, Vanity Kit, Vintageday Blog, Voodoo Dolly, What Have You Learned Today?, Where Air Time is Free, Will Work For Shoes, Xtine, Yen <3, You Lite Up My Life

Thanks for joining my giveaway. My new blog got a ton of traffic! Yey!

The Beauty Writer

WIN! A Mika Heart Shu Makeup Brush Set - UPDATED!

CONTEST IS CLOSED.

NOTE: Contest ends on May 7, 6 PM. I'll announce the winners on May 7, 11:59 PM. Manila time!

UPDATE!!! MORE PRIZES BELOW!

To celebrate my entry into the beauty blogging world, I am giving away this limited edition Shu Uemura Mika Hearts Shu Portable Brush Set!

The brush set is a collaboration between the Japanese beauty brand and photographer Mika Ninagawa. (Here's what Vanity Fair has to say about the partnership.)

Shu Uemura describes this super pretty set: "Carry your brushes in a portable Mika Ninagawa work of art! Purple on the outside with a special Mika red rose photograph lining the inside, the limited-edition brush case includes a set of four Shu Uemura brushes, each handmade in Japan by professional artisens for optimal makeup application for the face, cheek, eye and lip."

The set includes 4 brushes: goat brush for the face, pony and squirrel brush for cheeks, sable and kolinsky brush for eyes, and sable brush for lips.

Here are the guidelines:

1. Write about the contest in your blog.
2. Make sure to link your post to this post.
3. Leave a comment informing me of your post.
4. Wait for 7 days because I'll announce the winner on May 7!

The winner will be drawn randomly. Of course, I'll be checking if he/she also did a post on his/her blog first!

MAY 3 UPDATE!!!
I love the response! My page rank went up dramatically! I thought that maybe only 2 or 3 people will join but now... I've decided to give away more prizes!

2nd PRIZE: Jurlique Maintain Balance Introductory Set. This is actually more expensive than the brush case above! This is about P4,000 from Jurlique Greenbelt 5. The kit contains a Balancing Foaming Cleanser, Rosewater Balancing Mist, Daily Exfoliating Cream, Herbal Recovery Gel and Balancing Day Care Cream.

3rd PRIZE: A Shu Uemura Lipstick Holder. This is a super cute case that will hold 2 lipstick tubes. Specially designed with delicate artwork, it also comes with a little mirror for quick touchups wherever you may be!

Good luck! Spread the word! And thanks for joining!

P.S. Yes, I will send the prize anywhere in the world (shipping's on me!) so this is open to everybody in the world. However, if you aren't from the Philippines, I'll have to use regular post which can take up to a month in transit.

The Beauty Writer