My 6 Christmas and New Year Wish List: 2018 Edition

I can’t believe there are only 44 days left before Christmas! I’ve been very busy lately, mostly because of work. To be honest, it saddens me that I don’t get to travel right before the holidays, but I just think about going home for Christmas and that’s something I’m super thankful for.

After more than four months of working in Singapore, I don’t think I’ve ever treated myself to a massive shopping haul (except that time when I went crazy with Playdress' dresses and my need for a Samsung Gear Fit 2 Pro. Lol!). I did some shopping recently, but that’s when I bought Christmas presents for family (75% done!). For myself? Nothing yet.

This season is a season of giving and it’s not all about material things. Even if I don’t get 5/6 of these for Christmas, it doesn’t matter. It just feels nice to do a bit of retail therapy after a stressful season of work.

So what do I have in mind for Christmas 2018 and New Year 2019?


1. Arlésienne Eau de Toilette

I wasn’t always a fan of floral fragrances because they leave me dizzy. Then I discovered Arlésienne from L'Occitane. I’ve been eyeing this perfume since March, but I just never considered spending Php 4,000 in a 75ml bottle of perfume. I tried looking for this at NAIA, Changi, Incheon, and Guam International airports, but it seems this is only sold at big L’Occitane boutiques.


My ideal perfume always has the fruity and citrus scents. That’s why I’ve finished bottles of Jo Malone Blackberry and Bay cologne. However, this doesn’t last long on me. On the other hand, Arlésienne embodies the light scent of floral bouquet, citrus bergamot, and spicy saffron that stays on my skin for at least 6 hours.

Despite the floral musky scent of this L’Occitane creation, I still find this light and pleasant even under the humid weather. I’ve sprayed this on my wrist on several occasions and I tried other perfumes at Sephora, but I just can’t forget how Arlésienne had cast a trailing spell on me.

January 2019 Update: I got it finally! L'Occitane had a 10% discount last December, so I got mine at around S$10 off. The scent lasts on me for 8 hours, so I don't need to carry the bottle when I go to work.


2. Ellana Cosmetics Loose Mineral Foundation

Ellana Minerals is a Philippine-based beauty brand that sells natural, mineral makeup designed for the Southeast Asian woman. I’ve known this brand from my early corporate slave days fresh from college, and I remember owning their brush for many years. It’s only recently that I found out about their loose mineral foundation from beauty vloggers.

Ellana Cosmetics Loose Powder Foundation. Image from www.ellanacosmetics.com.

According to their website, their products use 100% vegan ingredients. In addition, their cosmetics are cruelty-free, fragrance-free, and talc-free. From watching videos in YouTube, I can see that even beauty influencers are amazed at how this loose powder foundation provides them full coverage and oil control throughout the day. I haven’t used this type of foundation before, but I do like using powder as a base for daily use instead of heavy, liquid foundation.

I’m excited to try this one when I go home. I hope they carry a shade that’s perfect for my medium, yellow skin tone and I hope my face doesn't breakout from this!

January 2019 Update: I bought a jar and loose powder foundation from Ellana last December at Landmark, Makati. For my skin tone, I was matched with the shade Hazelnut. So far, I'm liking this powder and it hasn't irritated my skin for the past week that I've used it. It doesn't last for more than 6 hours and on me, it's only medium coverage. I apply this with a dense buffing brush and I find that this product performs better without a setting spray. I find that this is a quality, makeup base for everyday use.


3. L'Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte Liquid Lipstick

I’ve watched and read so many good reviews about this new L’Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte Liquid Lipstick, being transfer-proof and dry-proof. Plus, the shades are wearable, especially the Les Chocolats line which smells like real chocolate (yum!).

I want to be able to wear this at the office the entire day. All throughout the office hours, I drink water from my tumbler and I've got to say, I’m getting tired of wiping where my lipstick have been. I don’t mind reapplying lipstick, but sometimes, I'm just too busy with work that I forget to apply a fresh coat of color.

L'Oreal Infallible Pro Matte Liquid Lipstick in Plum Bum. Image from www.loreal-paris.com.sg.

So what shades am I considering? I’m thinking of getting Plum Bum, Shakedown, Cowboy, Volupto Choco and Truffamania (yes, I do love 'em browns!), but I have to wait until I get home to the Philippines. It only costs Php 390 each there, but here in Singapore the normal price ranges from SGD 15.90 to SGD 19.90 (Php 604 to Php 756) a piece.

I have high hopes for this product, because the Infallible Pro-Matte foundation is a product I swear by. I hope this won’t disappoint!

January 2019 Update: This L'Oreal Infallible Pro Matte Liquid Lipstick works really well. True to its claim, it's transfer proof and lasts a freaking long time, even after having a meal. My only gripe is the shade selection, which I think turned out to be darker than expected. In my opinion, the most wearable shades that I got are Cowboy and Volupto Choco. Cowboy is my favorite color, but the scent of Volupto Choco in the Les Chocolats line is just so irresistible!


4. Fresh Sugar Sweetcase Lip Set or Tarte On-The-Go Glam Set

I recently visited Sephora in ION Orchard and I just remembered how much I love makeup! I think I was inside the store for almost 2 hours before I handed my purchase at the counter. Since it’s the holiday season, there are plenty of gift sets ranging from skincare and lip treatments, to on-the-go makeup kits, and a bunch of mini lip products from NYX, Stila, Tarte, and a whole lot more!

2018 Limited Edition Fresh Sugar Sweetcase Lip Set. Image from www.sephora.sg.

I narrowed down my makeup addiction to two. The first one is Sugar Sweetcase Lip Set from the brand Fresh. Fresh Cosmetics is known for their lip treatment balms that moisturize the lips and leave a hint of tint on those pretty pouts. This kit not only comes with two full size balms, but also a travel size sugar lip polish to exfoliate dry lips.

I was able to try their tinted lip treatment before (in Tulip) as part of the best of Sephora’s Give Me More Lip kit in 2015 - and I loved it. I also loved how it tasted like sugar and citrus at the same time.

Tarte’s On-The-Go Glam Set. Image from www. sephora.sg.

January 2019 Update: I decided not to purchase any of these makeup anymore because I still have makeup I hoarded from last year.


5. Converse Chuck Taylor All Star Leather Sneakers

I had three pairs of Chucks in the past, and I can definitely attest to the quality of these footwear. I love my pair of all-white tennis shoes from a different brand, but after a year of regular use, I can already see the cracks along the rubber edges.

White and Black Converse Chuck Taylor All Star Leather Sneakers. Images from www.converse.ca.

I want a comfortable pair that I can use and will last me a long time. It’s a good thing I can wear sneakers to the office and even have these paired with basic shirt, trousers, and a blazer. Why leather? Because it's easier to wipe and clean than its canvas material counterpart. I’m just not sure what I want more: the white or the black one.

January 2019 Update: I picked the white one while I was in Tang's and it was on discount at 20% off! Same as with other leather shoes, you have to break-in this pair because the material is stiff. I wore no-show socks the first time I used this and it's not the most comfortable type of socks to wear. However, using these leather Chucks with a pair of short-length socks does the trick.


6. My Husband

My final and most important wish for Christmas and New Year is to be with my husband again. No, we’re not going through rough patches. We’re just separated by distance for now. It’s so hard because while I’m probably having a once in a lifetime experience in another country, it also means that we’re mostly away from each other. And I don’t know how long we can keep up with this set-up.

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To more adventures with you, my love.

A post shared by Jena | JenaPastor.com (@jenapastoronline) on Jun 11, 2018 at 3:18am PDT

Long distance relationship sucks. And it’s always a challenge not to tear up everytime he needs to leave. I just pray that one day, we’ll be living together in the same location again, wherever that might be in the world.