My Cath Kidston Love Affair

I have always struggled with finding the perfect bag.  I have gone through Louis Vuitton, Prada, Kate Spade, Longchamp and Ralph Lauren among others but I could never find the bag that fits my lifestyle and need.  

When I saw single, Ralph Lauren fit my need perfectly.  In fact, one of the oldest bag in my current collection is a 15 year old Ralph Lauren blue and black houndstooth bag with matching wallet.  I bought it almost 15 years ago for around Php 5,000 or US$100 and it still pretty much looks new.

Cath Kidston logo

However, ever since I became a mom five years ago, I could never find a bag that big enough to fit most essential items but not too big that it would be difficult to lug around. I also needed it to be sturdy because I don't want to worry about my bag breaking in the middle of a trip.  Most of all, I needed it to be low maintenance -- meaning I don't have to worry about getting stains on it. 

It wasn't until I saw one nanny from my daughter's school carry a Cath Kidston bag did I find "The One".  I noticed it was made from some kind of plastic so I knew it would be at least waterproof and the size was big enough to fit a lot of things but not too big that it would be a bother. It was all I could deduce without being creepy and asking the nanny if she would mind if I take a peek inside the bag.

So when I got home that day, I immediately went online to search for Cath Kidston and if there's any way I can purchase this locally. It was unfortunate that they do not have local stores here in Manila except for an independent shop in Rockwell, Accessory Lab, which carries a very limited number of Cath Kidston item at a given time.  I also read there are some stalls in Greenhills that sell replicas but I am not a fan of replicas.  I would rather purchase something from an unknown brand than waste my money on a replica.

My Cath Kidston collection (37 pieces!)

So I opted to shop online.  I remember my first purchase being a green spot day bag, 2 small zip bag and 2 green spot folded wallet.  The shipping was relatively cheaper since I had it shipped to a US address and had it forwarded to Manila using a third party freight company, MyShoppingbox, instead of having Cath Kidston ship it directly to Manila since I am very suspicious of our Customs Officer. 

The items I have purchased exceeded my expectations.  It is low maintenance, water proof and quite cute.  The thing that makes me love it more is that there aren't many people sporting the brand in Manila. Hurray for a great find!

I have been constantly purchasing Cath Kidston items ever since but always online so it usually takes 15 working days to arrive (via air) and around 50 days if I opt to ship it via sea.  Imagine my delight when I found out that they were opening a branch in Singapore last year! 

I was over the moon because my sister was starting a new job there and for me, it means, no more shipping cost! Although it is a little more expensive than it is online even without the shipping but I can't really complain especially when I can claim GST for purchases over SGD$100.  Moreover, my sister usually gets a lot of freebies due to a tie-up with Citibank for purchases above SGD$200. 

So far, all of my Cath Kidston items are stain-free, even after one year. This is quite a feat especially since I have a pre-schooler in the house.  This prompted me to hoard every chance I got which you can see in the photo. I didn't occur to me until now that I have 37 items but two of which are my daughter's so it's still a lot! It's not stopping me from lusting after some of the new bags in their new collection. 


What is your current bag addiction? Why do you love it? I'd love to hear it! 

Hugs!

~mtz~

REVIEW: Nivea Rescue & Care - SOS Hand Balm

Photo from: http://www.echemist.co.uk

If you read my previous post regarding my problem with dry hands due to frequent hand washing, you would have already figured out that I am a fan.  

I know that many of you are also skeptics like myself. We have our own unique journey of looking for the perfect everything --- concealer, lipstick, foundation, lotion or car.  We looked high and low for various reviews and recommendations of family, friends and strangers alike.  

We are all unique in our own way and just because something works for someone, doesn't necessarily work for us but it's nice to get a person's candid opinion about certain things. It's not really wise to be swayed by commercials since the actors/models are often paid to endorse certain products. So I don't really get reeled in by an endorsement by any paid model regardless of who it is. 

I am not in any way connected with Nivea or any of it's affiliates so this is my honest, unbiased review of the product.

My hands on a good day

As mentioned in my previous blog, my hands looks like it's the hand of an 80 year old great-grandmother rather than that of a 30-something mother. My hands used to be my best feature because they are long and slender... not anymore. :(

I have brought this concern to a dermatologist about 4 years ago but all she recommended was a steroid-based lotion that I need to apply as and when needed.  I used it for about 2-3 days but I didn't work for me but her personal formulation worked wonders for my skin allergies. 

So I looked into various hand and body lotion that have claimed to work wonders for restoring the moisture back into the skin.  Some worked better than most but all still left a stingy feeling afterwards.  It wasn't until I have tried the Nivea Rescue & Care SOS Hand Balm did my hands not sting even during application.  It was gentle and moisturizing that I use it at least three times a day however, you should put on hand cream after washing your hands for optimal benefit.

According to Nivea's website -

• Benefits - Nivea SOS Hand Balm provides instant relief and moisturization for chapped hands; rescuing very dry skin.
• How to Use - Apply on clean hands whenever they feel roughed or chapped.
• Ingredients - Aqua, Glycerin, Myristyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, DImethicone, Cera Mircocristallina, Isopropyl Palmitate, Sorbitan Stearate, Ceteareth-3, Parraffinum Liquidum Triceteareth-4 Phosphate, Glyceryl Laurate, Panthenol, Glyceryl Glucoside, Glycine Soja Oil, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Sodium Carbomer, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Parfum.

I really love this product although I have some complaints about it. For one thing, I wouldn't mind it smelling a little nicer because currently, it doesn't smell like anything. The second one is that it's a little hard to squeeze the content out. I am not sure if it maybe due to the actual balm being less watery than the competitors but sometimes it's an effort to get to the content.

I have tried to look for this locally (Metro Manila) but it's not available and I have tried to inquire with the local Nivea distributor but they couldn't give me an answer. So I get my stash from Singapore.  

In case you want to purchase this and try it out for yourself, please message us at marcusphillippe.ph@gmail.com for details.  You can also check out the our FB page (Marcus Phillippe) for more details on how to purchase. 

RATING:

• COST - 4.5 stars  
• EASE OF USE - 4.5 stars
• EFFICACY - 4.5 stars

Will I repurchase? The answer is most definitely YES! I purchase mine yearly and I usually get at least 10 at a time (because it is very affordable - GBP 3.69 is the SRP) so I will never run out.

Will I recommend this? Unless you are allergic to any of the ingredients, I will most definitely recommend this to everybody I know including you! :)

Have you tried this yourself? What's your opinion? I'd love to hear it!

Hugs!

~mtz~

Problem with Dry Hands?

I am your typical germaphobe and I have been since the birth of my daughter almost five years ago. If you are like me then you can relate to suffering from dry hands due to frequent washing or disinfecting.  My hands would getting really dry that the mere touch from another person can sting.  There would be times that it would bleed (it would look like a paper cut to another person) so my life has been a daily uphill battle with dry hands.

I have tried numerous lotions that claim to cure dry hands like Mustela, Dove, Cetaphil, Physiogel, L'Occitane and Elizabeth Arden among others. I have even tried the Triple Moisturizing lotion from Bath and Body Works but still nothing works. Most of the would provide temporary relief but it won't last long.

I read an article that there are five (5) solutions to cure dry hands from frequent washing.

1. A pH balanced soap - We have all heard of this but what normal person would know what the pH is of your usual store bought hand soap.  I usually get Watson's or Bath and Body Works foaming or moisturizing soap and still I would suffer from dry hands by mid-day.  According to Discovery Fit and Health, the proper pH for a hand soap should be below 9. Unless you have a stash of litmus paper on your medicine cabinet, this might be a little harder to achieve.
2. Paraffin treatment - A weekly paraffin treatment is advised for those who suffer from dry hands but who has the money and the time to do this regularly? In Metro Manila, a typical paraffin treatment can cost around Php500 easy. 
3. Wear gloves - Personally, I hate the smell of rubber gloves and the medical grade gloves are a tad uncomfortable for my taste.
4. Hydrate - It's important to hydrate yourself to prevent your skin from loosing it's moisture.  I have to always keep this in mind since I have a bad habit of drinking plenty of soda, juices and tea. 



Photo from: http://www.echemist.co.uk

5. Moisturize - This is by far the most ideal solution for my situation but as I have mentioned I have tried many products but I haven't had one that helped until the family wen to Singapore last 2012.  I ran out of lotion and grabbed one from a local Guardian store. I used that during the course of the day and I was amazed by the results! It dramatically reduced the redness and flakiness and completely eradicated the discomfort.  What is this magic formula you say? It was Nivea Rescue & Care SOS Hand Balm.  I immediately ran back to the nearest Guardian store and bought myself a few more for in case it's not available back home and I was right! I looked high and low for this around Metro Manila but they do not carry this somehow. I will post more about my experience with Nivea SOS Hand Balm in the next few days.

Do you also suffer from dry hands? What treatment worked for you? Share it in the comments! I'd love to hear it!

~mtz~  

The Scent of a Room

Ever since I was small, I have always liked to have a house that smells nice.  My mom has never cared for that so I didn't have that growing up but now that I have my own family, I made it my mission to find the best product that would CONSTANTLY make my house smell nice.  

I have tried quite a few products already.  I have bought various room mist but it always never works like the the first item I bought around 3 years ago.  I got the Fruits & Passion Home Fragrance in Cherry Blossom for around Php 825 in Trinoma Mall. Sure it would make the room smell nice for about 5 to 10 minutes and then ... poof... nothing! The Victoria Secret perfume would work better because I think it's more potent than this room spray. 

I have also dabbled with air fresheners like Glade air freshener but like your typical room spray, it doesn't last long. You're better off spraying random perfume brands into the air. However, I still use air fresheners in the bathroom. Somehow it works there.

Fruits & Passion

So I moved on to reed diffusers of Tarte Tatin, a local store which has branches in Rockwell and Greenbelt to name a few. They have worked for me for awhile but after buying my 3rd or 4th batch, it suddenly stops working.  I have no idea why except maybe they have changed their formulation.

I had no choice but to moved on to candles.  I wasn't keen on candles before since I had a baby in the house but now that she' bigger, I am more at ease with purchasing candles for the house. I bought one from Fruits and Passion at the time when I also bought the home fragrance.  It too didn't rise to my expectations so I went cheap and tried the ones that Our Home was selling. It worked better than the Fruit & Passion candle but it still didn't get the house smelling the way I want it to be. (I'll talk more about my journey with candles in another post later on.)

Wallflower Plug

You might think I'm nuts to care so much about this but our home is our sanctuary and a place to relax. So I am sure I am not the only one who strives to make their home beautiful.  

So when my sister told me that Bath and Body Works have opened a store in Singapore last Feb 7, 2014,  I was ecstatic! Finally, I can buy the things I want without worrying that shipping maybe a problem especially for aerosol and electronic items.  

I have been dying to try their wallflower plug and my sister got me this beige and another one in purple. It comes with two wallflower scents too. She got the Dark Kisses and Lavander & Vanilla scents. 

Separately, each cost SGD$10 but they had a promo where you can buy two for SGD$18 or 4 for SGD$35. The 4 items is definitely the better deal so she got that for me. It might seem a tad expensive at first since you'll need to buy the plug and scent separately but moving forward, I think it may be more practical.

This side up

I have the Dark Kisses plugged it right now and I was such a dummy that when I first plugged it, I was wondering why the scent was halfway gone.  It turned out that I had it upside down so the scent was dripping all over my bedroom floor! Tsk tsk! No wonder the room scent was a little overpowering.

I went and turned it the right side up. I contemplated about cleaning up the spill but the cheapskate in me decided to wait out until the scent isn't as potent before cleaning it up.  

So far, I think I might be sticking with this for now since it gives the room that subtle scent that I am looking for all throughout the day. I am not sure yet how long one wallflower bulb will last but hopefully it will last at least a month.  *crossing my fingers*

Wallflower bulb (Dark Kisses)

RATING:

• COST - 3.5 stars  (SGD$20 or Php 720 for plug and scent )
• EASE OF USE - 4 stars
• EFFICACY - 4.5 stars

Will I repurchase? Until it stops working like it should like the diffusers I bought, I will definitely repurchase again.

Will I recommend this? Unless you are in a place with no or expensive electricity, I am definitely recommending this for those who are looking into making their home smell nice!

What makes your room smell nice? I'd love to hear it!

Hugs!

~mtz~