2016 felt like a breeze! It was so fast that I felt like I was always running out of time haha. Nevertheless, 2016 was definitely a good year! There were a lot of lessons, adventures and memories that the last year brought me that I will surely value and treasure for the rest of my life.

When it comes to beauty products, there were also a lot of new things that I discovered and got to try last year. I recently went back to all my 2016 favorites posts to see which of those products I actually used and liked the most. You may have seen these products already and I know at times I usually post them again and again haha. That just goes to show how much I use these products and how much I want to make the most out of them.

Anyway, here are my top favorite products from 2016.

• SKINCARE

I've used this Avene Thermal Spring Water Spray so much last year ever since my mom gave me one from her stash. Until now, this is is my go-to water spray and I use this mostly to dampen my Real Techniques sponge when applying foundation, CC or BB cream. I also use this to moisturize my dry face and also for relieving itchy areas of my body.


I also discovered this Avene Light Hydrating cream last year when it was given as a free sample when my mom stocked up on their products. This is so good! It's not very thick and heavy but it is so effective on removing dry, patchy areas on my face that their other moisturizer (Cleanance Emulsion-Lotion) can't do. I mainly use this in the morning since it has SPF on it.

I haven't stocked up on the Biore Micellar Water again but it's definitely one of my favorite products of 2016. I used it so much last year because it was so good in removing makeup from my face. I even used it after I wash my face in the morning or at night. I'm currently using a different micellar water at the moment, which is the one from Garnier, but this Biore one will always have a special place in my vanity.

• HAIR PRODUCTS

There are only two products included in the hair catergory. The first one is the Organix/OGX Argan Oil of Morocco. This is really good! I got this from a set way back and I've used this so much last year. Aside from smelling so good, this works very well in taming and moisturizing my hair.


The other product, which is a late discovery for me, is this CO LAB Dry shampoo. I've tried other dry shampoos before but this is the best one so far! Other brands of the spray type usually leave a white residue on the hair that is so hard to remove while powder ones are sometimes a bit too difficult to apply because it scatters all over the place and you really have to blend it out well. However, this dry shampoo from CO LAB doesn't leave any white residue and it's very easy to use as well. It doesn't make my hair sticky or stiff even if I use loads of this.

• MAKEUP

  FACE:

There are only two products that I've used consistently last year. These are the LA Girl BB cream and Bourjois 123 Perfect CC cream. I didn't like these two at first but after using them for quite a while, I eventually learned to like them.

I sometimes use the LA Girl BB cream on its own as a primer. I love that it minimizes and hides my pores. It's also so good for "no makeup makeup look" days. However, out of the two, I like the Bourjois one more. This CC cream is really good because it gives a very dewy, natural flawless finish! It can be a bit drying so I always apply this with a damp makeup sponge.


For concealer, nothing beats this NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer for me. I love this product because it is not drying to use and it conceals my dark circles very well!

  EYES/EYEBROWS:

This Maybelline Lash Sensational mascara has been my go-to mascara last year. I love that it separates and coats each strand to make it look much longer and thicker. However, don't expect too much volume with this mascara unless you use loads of this on your lashes.


For eyebrow products, only two products have been my go-to last year. I loved using this Essence Make Me Brow Mascara to tame, tint and add volume to sparse areas of my brows. This is said to be a dupe for Benefit's Gimme Brow since it also has fibers on it that adds volume to your brows. The other product is this eyebrow pencil from Daiso. Aside from the fact that this is very affordable, it's so easy to use and does the job pretty well!

  CHEEKS:

This blush is a no brainer kind of blush for me. When I don't want to look too made up or when I don't know which blush to wear, I'd usually go for this blush from Essence. This works well with different looks and it's so good for everyday wear. I also love the fact that this is very cheap for 5g of product.

  LIPS:


For the lips, I used these Colourpop Liquid Lipsticks so much last year. I learned that I love the satin formula more than the matte because they're more forgiving on the lips. I find the satin ones are more comfortable to wear. My favorite ones are Lumiere 2, Echo Park, Dopey and Alyssa. Lumiere 2 is the only matte liquid lipstick out of this bunch.



On days when I don't want to wear lipstick or liquid lipsticks, I'd usually go for these lip tints from The Face Shop. I have a pink shade and a red one. I wore these tints all the time ever since I received them as part of my friends' birthday gifts to me. Aside from the cute package and being very affordable, I love that they're so easy to use and very comfortable to wear.

That's it for my 2016 Favorites! So excited to try new products this 2017. Hope you enjoyed this post and for much more in depth review of these products, check out my 2016 monthly favorites posts here in my blog. 😊

I purchased this lipstick from Maybelline a couple of months ago, before we left for our Japan Trip. I felt like this was a unique and perfect shade to wear during springtime in Tokyo. This lipstick, in the shade 681 Vibrant Violet, is from the Maybelline Colorsensational Creamy Matte range. I also mentioned this product in my "What's in My Makeup Bag" post here. 

There are a ton of good reviews about the Creamy Matte range so I was really glad when they finally brought it here in Manila. The first one I purchased from this range is the shade Lust for Blush which I also reviewed here. 

The packaging of this lipstick is really nice, sleek and sturdy. Its has the usual Maybelline lipstick design but the cap is different since it's frosted and the color of the tube is dark brown with a hint of purple.

This lipstick is a straight up violet shade - my favorite color and the reason why I was drawn to it. True enough, similar to Lust for Blush, this is also matte but very creamy and forgiving on the lips. The only thing I've noticed, particularly with Lust for Blush, is that some parts melted at the bottom part so it's a bit wonky already. So, just to be safe, whenever I use these lipsticks I only twist them up a bit.

I love everything about this lipstick and I'm excited to try the nude shades next. Another good thing about this is that even though it's a very bright shade it doesn't crawl out of your lip line so you can use this even without a primer or lip pencil underneath. When used full on, this can last a decent amount of time but fades after eating, which is kind of expected, due to its formula. 

I have a number of exciting favorite items for the month of July, including two TV series and a Webtoon. I really think that I have good ones for this month so I'm excited to share them with you!

I only have two items under the makeup category. First up is this Colourpop Ultra Satin Liquid Lipstick in the shade Echo Park. I first saw this in one of Ingrid Nilsen's videos and ever since then I made up my mind that I would buy this on my next Colourpop haul. I love this shade because it's so easy to wear. This is a gorgeous, nude peach shade that is perfect for everyday wear. 

I didn't think that this would suit my skin tone but after seeing swatches online I decided to give it a try. I asked my friend to buy this for me and we got it cheaper because her uncle bought it directly in the US. I also purchased a few more items from Colourpop and I will be posting a mini haul, including the swatch of this liquid lipstick, one of these days. 😁

I decided to try this Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara after hearing so many people rave about this. This is actually one of Zoella's favorite mascaras so I couldn't help but try it! I've also finished up my K palette mascara so I had an excuse to finally buy this one haha! I'm so glad that I did so because I've been really enjoying this mascara so much until now. I love that it really holds the curl, and that it lengthens and separates my lashes well to make them much more prominent. 

I've also been using this Avene Thermal Spring Water Spray, which my mom gave me, so much lately. I use this loads before and after applying makeup. I love this product because it has so many uses. I use this on areas in my body that get itchy too and even use this to freshen up during hot, humid days. 

I have one hair product included this month. Since it's still very hot here in Manila, my hair becomes too dry and brittle even after using a conditioner. I'd usually use this Argan Oil of Morocco Penetrating Oil from Organix (OGX), which I already reviewed here, after shampooing and conditioning my hair. I've loved this product so much this July and I'm still using it as of this writing. I love that it makes my hair really soft! It detangles my hair and prevents it from becoming frizzy so that it's much more manageable.

I finally found this Taiwan 216 lashes at Trinoma last month. This is so cheap! You get 10 pairs for only P99. I'm so happy that I finally found this because I can't find it anywhere in Divisoria or in the mall near where we live. I like the fact that it looks very natural when used. I think I read somewhere that these are handmade so they really look like real lashes. 

These lashes are a little bit tricky to use though as these tend to move around if not properly applied because the stem is quite flimsy. I'm still practicing but I think I'm starting to get the hang of it. But for the price and quality, this is really good! I'm planning on buying other lashes from this same brand as soon as I totally master how to apply this.

I rediscovered these gold beaded ribbon nail stickers when I was sorting through my nail polish box. I didn't really like these stickers before because I felt like these restricted me from doing anything with my hands. But I enjoyed using these on my bare nails last month. I'm so excited to try and experiment with other designs too! I think I purchased this set for only P29.75 at Landmark, Trinoma.

For TV series, I've watched and finished the Master's Sun last month. It was a great series and I liked the fact that it's not like your usual kind of KDrama. I really enjoyed watching it and this kind of KDrama genre is really something new for me hehe.

I then proceeded to watch other series starring So Ji Sub (because I was so mesmerised by him after watching the Master's Sun hahaha) so I watched Oh My Venus afterwards. I'd usually see this in the recommendation section when I was still busy watching the Master's Sun but I thought I wouldn't like it so I passed up on this for a while. But OMG, this is really good! 

It's my first time to include a webtoon in my monthly favorites! I just can't help but share this wonderful thing with you haha! I've been really enjoying the webtoon, Cheese in the Trap, ever since I discovered it last month. I just can't stop reading it! I'm still currently reading this webtoon and, as of this week, I'm already in Season 2. 

This webtoon is really popular and it was recently turned into a TV series. I first saw the TV series when I was browsing through the Dramot+ app. I wasn't interested at first because the title made me skeptical and I didn't think that I'd find this interesting at all. I actually thought that the TV series wasn't based on anything until I discovered this webtoon when I was looking for a something new to read. I still haven't watched the series though but I'm a fan of the webtoon now! I just can't stop reading it and I keep wanting to know what would happen next! 

I read mangas and webtoons on the Manga Rock app and I also downloaded another which is the Manga Bird. Both of these apps have high ratings in the App Store. 😊

MAY 2016

There are only a few items that made it to my May 2016 Favorites. The renovation in our house started around this month so all my stuff were temporarily placed in boxes. I didn't want to be bothered with rummaging through my things so there were only a few makeup items that I used and that got into my favorites this month. I also wanted to keep my look simple so I didn't wear much either. During this month, I only wanted items that were easy to use and which can instantly brighten up my face without much effort. The whole point is just that I didn't want to look like a zombie haha!

For the eyes, I used either the Maybelline Color Tattoo eyeshadow in Barely Branded, which I reviewed here, or the Nude eyeshadow in my Lorac Pro Palette 1 on its own. I actually used the wrong cream eyeshadow in the picture above. I accidentally grabbed the wrong one when I was taking photos haha! I just took a photo of this Barely Branded cream eyeshadow again for a close up shot below. 

I also used this MAC Cream Colour Base in Hush so much this month. I've finally mastered how to put this product on my face without making myself look like a grease ball halfway through the day haha! I used this mainly as a highlight on my cheekbones. I only use my finger every time to tap and blend this in. I've already reviewed this product during my MAC week series here if you want to check it out.

I've somehow mastered the way I want my lashes curled for these past few months. And because of that, I've shown much love lately to my Shiseido 213 Eyelash curler. I also found that changing the pad really made a difference to how curled my lashes would be and how long it would hold the curl.

There are two items this month that I've included for my non-makeup favorites. The first one is this Simpsons-inspired socks. It's so cute that's why I bought it on a whim. I got this at the Japan Home Center for only P88.  

The next one, which is a food item, is this Mornflake Oat Granola. I didn't expect myself to like this because I was just looking for an alternative to my favorite Familia Muesli. But this granola is really good! You can eat this with Greek or plain yoghurt but I really enjoyed this the most with milk! I also sometimes eat this on its own during merienda haha! I love the dried fruits in this granola. So yummy! 

JUNE 2016

I was actually surprised to realize that I don't have a list of June 2016 favorites on any of my notepads haha! I guess it was due to the fact that I was busy cleaning and putting back my things back to where they're supposed to be after my room renovation. I was busy removing things from boxes and organizing them in my room. The only thing that I could remember is that I started watching How I Met Your Mother during this month. I've watched and finished the whole series already from Season 1 to 9. Yes, I already watched every single episode hahaha! I got addicted to this show but, up until now, I actually still don't know if I like the ending or not. 😅

APRIL 2016

April has been a wonderful month for me. Despite the very hot weather, which at times stressed me out and made me much more irritable, there are still a lot of things that I was grateful for. I started off this month with a trip to Tokyo with my family. We went on the last day of March until the first week of April so we were there on the very day that the Cherry Blossoms were in their full bloom. We even witnessed Hanami at Ueno Park! I also got to spend more time with my friends (mostly pigging out haha) and with my relatives since we celebrate a lot of birthdays in our family during this month! Because of these, I was reminded to appreciate life more and to be grateful even for the little things. Always take the time to appreciate moments like these in your life - no matter how big or simple it may be. 

Now, on to my actual post! Here are the things I've been loving for the month of April. 😊

This month, I've enjoyed using my Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream. I know that I've talked about this already here in my blog but I enjoyed this CC cream much more this summer. Since my skin isn't dry during this time, I was able to make this work even without using a wet sponge. I also like the light to medium coverage and the finish that this product gives.

For blush, I've been going for a natural look during this month using my Canmake Cream Blush in 08. It is a red cream blush that gives a soft and dewy look. I like that it's very light as well and that it gives a very natural flush of color on your cheeks. I purchased this in Odaiba and you can see this product in my Japan Haul here.

For the lips, I only used the Essence Longlasting lipstick in 07 Natural Beauty and the Maybelline Creamy Matte Lipstick in 681 Vibrant Violet. I was supposed to give this Essence lipstick away because I wasn't sure if it suited me well. But I eventually fell in love with this shade because I've noticed that it gives a very natural, plump look to the lips. It is one of my favorite MLBB shades now. 

This next product is part of my recent Japan Haul which you can check out here. It's the Shiseido Senka Perfect Whip Cleansing Foam that I purchased at Don Quijote. It's a very gentle cleanser that doesn't make me break out. I also love the fact that a little amount of this cleansing foam goes a long way. You only need a little amount to make it foam, and it even feels so fluffy and soft on the face haha! 

I'm still a noob when it comes to falsies but I've been enjoying using these ones from Daiso Tokyo. This is also part of my Japan Haul which, again, you can check out here. These look very natural but still adds that extra oomph to your lashes. I also like the fact that these are very easy to apply. I use my Shiseido Eyelash glue when I put them on.

There are also a lot of non-makeup items that I enjoyed this month. I really like this mirror that I recently purchased from the Robinson's Department Store. It actually has two mirrors inside it. The first one is a normal plane mirror while the other one is a magnifying mirror. The magnifying mirror doesn't magnify your face too much (if you know what I mean haha) so it works pretty well when you're applying makeup. This is perfect when I'm applying eyeshadow, mascara or eyeliner.  I like that this mirror is very compact and I actually picked this up because of its design.

I also enjoyed using these toe socks that I purchased from Daiso Tokyo. I never thought that these would be so comfortable! I also love the design that is printed on it. I only bought one pair though! I wish I hoarded more haha!

For food items, I ate so much of these marshmallows that we bought from Daiso Tokyo. These are the softest marshmallows that I've ever tried in my life!! They're sooo good! My favorite out of this bunch is the Grapes flavored one but we already finished that up so it's not in this picture anymore haha!

I've also been addicted to this French Vanilla Cappuccino from Hills Bros. I also tried the other flavor which is the English Toffee but I liked this one more. This box comes with three sachets and is around P80-90.

I also tried these Mint flavored teas from Coffee Bean (CBTL). I've stopped drinking tea for a while because I was using my Crest Whitening Strips which I featured here. But I missed Mint tea so much!! I love that this tastes so refreshing, and is really very calming and soothing. 

That's it for my April 2016 Favorites! I know that this is a very late post already but I hope you still find it useful if you want to try any of these products too! 😊