Stop and Smell the Scented Candles

First Beauty Haul of 2012

2012-02-20T19:00:00.001+08:00

I have time to blog again! I'm done with my financial plan presentation, and my next presentation is a month away!

Anyway, today's blog post is my first beauty haul this year. Last Saturday, I helped my sister get ready for prom so we had to buy makeup during the afternoon. While doing that, I picked up a few products for myself too!

I went to Lush and got a couple of things. First is the Big Shampoo, which is supposed to give volume to my sad, sad hair. I've wanted this for quite a while now, and I'm super excited to finally try it! Next I got the Dirty Shaving Cream, which I'll be giving to a friend. Spreading the Lush love to everyone!

I also dropped by Make Up For Ever and got the HD High Definition Powder. My sister doesn't have any makeup besides concealer or lip balm, so I didn't know what I was going to use to set her foundation. I wanted to get something that we can both use, and I remembered this particular powder. This is another product that I've wanted in forever. I'm so glad that my sister and I can share this!

Next stop was Purbeauty. I got a Charm lip brush, and a NYX lip liner in Tangerine. I love how the lip brush can be snapped into two so the brush end can be covered and protected.

Last stop was Watsons where I got another bottle of Olay Total Effects 7 Advanced Daily Moisturizer. I've gone through so many of bottles of this thing. It's my favorite day moisturizer! I prefer the variant with cooling essence because it's better for combination-oily skin types. The regular ones are too heavy for a day moisturizer in my opinion. I also bought my first Nichido product along with the moisturizer. I got the Nichido Gorgeous Eye Pencil in Pink Diamond, which is a pinky flesh toned liner. I'm planning to use this on the waterline to brighten up my eyes. I find white liners to be a bit too bright and fake sometimes!

My next post will feature my purchases after last Saturday. I've been buying a lot of beauty products again because I now have time to! Of course, some of the stuff I've been buying are for replenishing purposes so please don't judge me. Haha! Till next time! :)

January 2012 Favorites

2012-02-06T19:57:00.001+08:00

Greetings, everyone! I haven't blogged in almost a month because I've been so busy with school. Actually, I should be working on financial statements right now! Honestly though, I missed blogging so much. I think my blog is turning a year old in a few days too. Not sure when exactly, but I know I started this blog last February. Haha!

Anyway, I've decided to start having monthly favorites posts! You know how I love sharing the products I swear by with you guys, so why not make a list of 'em every month?

Let's get started with my first list ever!

FACE

1. Benefit Watt's Up Highlighter

Best highlighter I've ever tried. I switch this up with my NARS Copacobana Multiple, but recently, I've been reaching for this more. It has a lovely warm candlelit glow that goes well with my NC35 skintone.

2. The Face Shop Perfect Stick Concealer in 02 Natural Beige

I used this religiously back in 2009, and I recently repurchased it. I use this to conceal redness and dark spots. I honestly don't know why I ever stopped using this. It gives amazing coverage. It blends well too.

3. Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer Kit in Natural

I give up on the Benefit Erase Paste and the Laura Mercier Secret Concealer. They crease like hell on the under eye area. The Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer Kit, however, doesn't. Okay, well it does, but the creasing isn't that noticeable. I love it's creamy (hence the name) consistency, and it's coverage. I now understand why people love this concealer.

EYES

1. Benefit Brow Zings in Medium

I was never the kind of girl who was keen about my brows...then I fell in love with this! It has brow wax, setting powder, two applicators and a tiny travel friendly tweezer. Filling in my brows is always fun with this little kit!

2. Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow/Liner in Samba-dy Loves Me

I gotta be honest with you guys, I'm kind of in a makeup rut. I rarely put anything on my lids nowadays, but when I do, I go to cream shadows. You all know how much I love my MUFE cream shadows, but this particular cream shadow is a close contender. It doesn't crease as badly as most products. Plus, the particular shade I got goes so well with my skin tone.

3. Estée Lauder Sumptuous BoldVolume Lifting Mascara

Say hello to my new holy grail mascara. I cannot say enough good things about this product. If you want length and volume without clumping, I suggest you try this mascara. My lashes has a natural curl to it, and this definitely accentuates it, and whenever I feel like curling my lashes, this mascara holds the curl until I take it remove my makeup. I will definitely do a full review on this soon. This mascara is the most mind blowing makeup product I've ever used. I love it to bits and pieces!

LIPS

1. Maybelline Baby Lips SPF 20 Moisturizing Balm

HOLY FREAKING GRAIL LIP BALM, EVERYONE! Use this once, and you will see a lasting difference. You will have baby lips! Buy this now. NOW. NOW!

2. Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butters in Pink Truffle, Macaroon and Créme Brulee

This product deserves all the hype. It doesn't hydrate your lips like a normal lip butter would, but it won't dry it out either. The color payoff of the shades I got are also great!

NAILS

1. Chine Glaze Nail Lacquer in Swing, Baby

Best Taupe nail polish I've ever tried! This might be my new favorite nail polish of all time. It looks pretty metallic, cause of the large silver glitter. The silver glitter actually accentuates the warm plummy tone of the taupe, which I find really cool.

2. Orly Nail Lacquer in Rockin' Rocket

This is quite an interesting color. It's a plummy maroon with gold flecks of glitter. It catches the light so well!

SKINCARE

1. Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex

My mom introduced me to this product recently. She's been using this for years, and I honestly can't believe that I only tried this out last month. I don't think it does much to hydrate or soften my skin, but it works wonders on my many acne scars. You can see instant results during your first try. Discolorations become a teeny bit lighter. The only downer to this product is the price tag. I, personally, don't have my own bottle because I don't have Php 5,000 to blow on a night serum. My mom got so many travel size bottles of these from her many purchases from Estée Lauder last Christmas, so I asked for them all. A little goes a long way so I'm not worried about my mini versions disappearing soon.

HAIR CARE

1. Organix Moroccan Argan Oil Smooth Perfection Blow Out Cream

I'm the kind of girl who never leaves the house with wet hair, so I blow dry my hair everyday. Besides conditioning my hair everyday to keep my hair moisturized, I use out-of-the-shower (LOL) products to protect my hair from the heat of my blow dryer. This particular product worked terribly during my first three tries, but after that, it worked like a charm. I can tell that it's working because my hair doesn't feel as dry when I wet my hair before washing.

...and that concludes my first favorites post ever. Looking forward to making my February list! Hopefully I'll have time to blog again before that. Till next time!

Dickinson's Original Witch Hazel Toner

2012-01-08T17:11:00.000+08:00

A belated happy new year to everyone! I haven't blogged for a week because sadly, new years signifies (at least for me) something we all dread, the end of Christmas break. Since the first of January I have been working on endless piles of schoolwork giving me very minimal time to blog. As you can tell, my current semester is really killing my blogging time. Boo! Actually, I should be working on projects right now, but I decided to take a little break, burn a scented candle, and blog!

My first review of the year will be special. It'll be about a product that I absolutely swear by. I've been using it for a month, and I have seen instant results with it. I honestly think that it's the best of its kind. Let me introduce to you the magic that is the Dickinson's Original Witch Hazel Toner!

I've heard amazing things about this product months before I even considered trying it for myself. I'm not one to buy a new moisturizer, toner or any other skin product when I still have one on stock. My friend, my sister and I were walking around High Street (with no itinerary whatsoever) when we went to Healthy Options to kill time. I went to the skin care section, and saw a super tiny bottle of the famous Dickinson's Witch Hazel toner and found it cute. I still had a third of my then toner at the time, but I figured I'd buy a back up already. Because of my curiosity, I didn't bother finishing the third of my toner anymore and tried this right away. Kind of wasted money (gave the toner to my sister), but it's all worth it. This toner is the bomb dot com.

I took the liberty of googling the uses and benefits of Witch Hazel. I found a helpful article on WiseBread.com, and learned that witch hazel is good for the following skin dilemmas:

Acne swelling and control
Large pores
Under eye puffiness
Soothe sunburns
Dry skin
Cuts and bruises

Check out the article to learn more!

I can honestly say that this is product does what it claims to do...and it does it instantly. When you hear "pore perfection" or "pore refining", you might think that it'll leave your skin tight and dry, right? If were talking about the Dickinson's toner, you are absolutely wrong! It effectively removes excess dirt and oil without leaving the skin feeling tight like most toners. Ever since I started using this product, applying toner has become my favorite part of my day and night skin care routines. It soothes my skin and leaves it clean, supple and bright. It also does a great job controlling oil and preventing breakouts. HG product? HG product. I just finished this 2-oz bottle and bought 16-oz one. Yup, I love it so much, I bought a 16-oz bottle of it. I really can't see myself switching toners anytime soon.

The main downside to this product is its scent. It smells like tequila, and it took me a while to get used to. It's not a major con, but for the purpose of this review I'll mention it anyway. Also, the packaging could be better. Putting this in a spray bottle would be more economical, but that's just me. I really am used to spray-on toners.

I highly recommend this product because it's gentle and effective. Go run to your nearest Healthy Options. Now. I'm serious. Go.

2011 Best of Beauty List

2011-12-31T18:58:00.001+08:00

Hooray for my very first year-end beauty round up! 2011 is the year when I fully developed my love for makeup. Heck, I made a blog about it! I tried a bunch of new products and brands; some were awful, some were great. My HG list last year has definitely grown and improved with the new stuff I tried this year. I went through my makeup collection and picked 20 awesome makeup products, and 5 holy grail skincare products to share with you guys today, the last day of 2011!

Without further ado, here is my first ever Best of Beauty List!

FACE PRODUCTS:

Benefit Confessions of a Concealaholic Concealer Kit

I've done a review on this product before, and I remember mentioning that I didn't like the Benefit Erase Paste under eye concealer. Well, now I do. I absolutely swear by this product. I love everything in it! If there was one product I'd recommend you get, it's this one. I cannot imagine concealing without this kit!

Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation

Amazing, amazing foundation. It gives exceptional coverage without feeling heavy on the skin. For four months, I've used this product non-stop!

Benefit That Gal! Brightening Face Primer

I finished a full size tube of this product this latter half of 2011. It's difficult to put this down once you've used it. It's light and creamy, which makes it very easy to blend. It also smells great! It creates a nice canvas for your foundation, and it helps makeup stay intact the whole day.

Make Up For Ever High Definition Foundation

This is a recent purchase. I've used it everyday since I got it, and I am genuinely happy with it! This is the lightest foundation I've ever tried. It also lasts the whole day without budging. It keeps my oily face dewy-looking all day. I swear by this product. Definitely going up on my HG list!

CHEEK PRODUCTS

MAC Blush in Springsheen

This is the blush I reach for the most. Definitely my favorite coral blush!

MAC Blush in Stunner

This blush gives me the most natural glow and color. It's a light pink shade with very very minimal shimmer. I love it!

NARS Bronzer in Laguna

This is the perfect bronzer for my skintone. It's not too warm or too muddy on my skin. It has a bit of shimmer to it, but it isn't visible once applied to the cheeks.

Benefit High Beam highlighter

I got this mini High Beam from Sephora's Benefit Cheeky! Minis set. This is my favorite among the three. I love it's pearly finish on my skin. There's absolutely no apparent glitter when you put it on. Perfect way to brighten up the face!

Benefit POWda WOWza

Uh-mazing product! Three amazing Benefit cheek products in one blush palette! I go to this palette for Coralista and Hoola. I love pairing the two to achieve a nice bronzy look!

NYX Rouge Cream Blushes

I never thought I'd like this product as much as I do now. I'm not really a fan of cheek tints so whenever I want natural-looking cheeks, I reach for cream blushes. The NYX Rouge Cream Blushes are definitely my fave. It has great pigmentation and staying power. It also works as a great color base for the cheek!

Benefit Watt's Up! Cream Highlighter

Another recent purchase right here. I love the candlelit finish of this highlighter because it goes so well with my skin tone. It's creamy and pearly, which is what I look for in a highlighter. HG makeup product? I think so!

LIP PRODUCTS

NARS Lipgloss in Oasis

I'm not a lipgloss kind of girl, but I absolutely fell in love with this one. NARS lip products are very moisturizing, and their lip glosses are definitely no exception. I love layering this lipgloss with MAC's Shy Girl lipstick!

NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams

I love the two shades that I have! Abu Dhabi and London are great nude lip colors. The formula of the matte lip creams dry my lips like crazy, but I love the shades on me. I've been trying to find dupes for these colors, but honestly, I cannot!

EYE PRODUCTS

Wet n Wild Color Icon Trios

Amazing, amazing palettes for its price! I love how Wet n Wild eyeshadows are soft, creamy and pigmented. I highly suggest these shadows. Walking on Eggshells and Sweet as Candy are great for school or work looks!

Urban Decay Naked Palette

This was my most reached eye palette this year. Need I say more? It's the Urban Decay Naked Palette!

Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream Shadows

I constantly rave about this product of my blog. This is my standard of an amazing cream eyeshadow! So far, nothing has compared to the MUFE Aqua Cream Shadows! They're pigmented, waterproof, long wearing and crease resistant. Best cream shadows ever!

MAC Eyeshadow in All That Glitters

This is my favorite all over lid color of all time!

Benefit BAD gal Lash Mascara

I absolutely love this mascara! It volumizes and lengthens my lashes without weighing them down. I love it's consistency because it's quite light. If you layer many coats of mascara on your lashes like me, you will love this mascara!

BROW PRODUCTS

Revlon ColorStay Brow Enhancer

This product is super easy to use. I only ever use the brow wax end though. The shade I got is a tad bit light, which I liked because I needed something buildable. I definitely recommend this for brow newbies!

Benefit Brow Zings in Medium

Another recent purchase! Are you really surprised that I immediately fell in love with a Benefit product? This keeps my brows nice and tidy the whole day. It comes with a brow wax, a setting powder, two synthetic brushes and a tweezer! Medium is a bit dark for me, but this the wax is really easy to blend. Another HG product right here!

SKIN CARE PRODUCTS

Lush Ocean Salt Facial Scrub

This highly abrasive facial scrub is just amazing. It's perfect for intensively cleaning the skin, both face and body. I personally use this to battle with acne and blackheads--it works like a charm! It feels really soothing on the skin too. I use this twice a week (at night), and when I wake up, my face looks relatively healthier! Definitely an investment that is worth it!

MAC Cleanse Off Oil

Say hello to my HG makeup remover! With just two pumps, his dissolves waterproof makeup (yes, that includes waterproof mascara!) in a jiffy. No brutal rubbing required. Also, the two pumps go a long way.

Olay Total Effects line

These two products saved my skin big time. I saw a great difference in terms of the softness of my skin. I absolutely love the Total Effects line! Definitely a must-have for me!

Philosophy Microdelivery Exfoliating Wash

Here we have an exfoliating wash that is gentle enough to use everyday. After using the MAC Cleanse Off Oil, I follow up with this cleanser. I used to have noticeable bumps on the sides of my nose and cheeks, but ever since I started using this, those bumps minimized.

Lush Soaps

I absolutely love each and every one of my Lush soaps! My ultimate shower staple!

And that ends 2011's Best of Beauty List! Thank you, readers, for joining me through my first months in beauty blogging! Happy new year to you all! :) See you next year!

Nail of the Day: China Glaze Soft Sienna Silks

2011-12-30T11:00:00.000+08:00

I've been experimental with the neutral colors I've been using lately. Instead of the usual browns and beiges, I took it a bit warmer today. My current nail polish is a light metallic sienna c/o China Glaze!

Urban Decay Cream Shadows

2011-12-28T12:01:00.000+08:00

I absolutely love using cream shadows during school days. They're easy to blend out even without the use of makeup brushes. When I'm in a hurry, I usually opt to use cream shadows because they're quick and simple to use. I was super excited when the owners of Every Girl's Secret gave me two free Urban Decay Cream Shadows to blog about! I've been using it everyday since I got them as a color base or as actual eyeshadow.

The colors I have are Rehab and Mushroom. Rehab is a warm chocolate brown, and Mushroom is a grayish taupy brown. Both of these shades have a hint of shimmer to it. Nothing too overwhelming though. The flecks of glitter are quite fine. I guess it's safe to say that these eyeshadows give a nice satin finish.

I didn't know that Urban Decay Cream Shadows had an applicator! All the while I thought its packaging was some sort of squeeze out tube. I personally like this packaging because it's more hygienic. The applicator can also be used to blend out the shadows onto the eyelids.

Rehab

Mushroom

The swatches on the left aren't blended out. As you can see, the silver glitters are quite evident. It gives a cool tone to the shadows, but as you smudge it out, the fine glitters blend out nicely. It's hardly noticeable until you really look at it. It catches light pretty well in my opinion. It's not as pigmented as I'd like it to be, but it's easy to build up. Up to you if that's a con or not. If you're new to cream shadows, it's probably a pro!

The UD Cream Shadows have a very light and creamy consistency which makes it easy to blend out. It doesn't dry out quickly so you can take your time with blending. No quick eyelid tugging required! It will work okay without a primer if you use a thin layer of it under powder eyeshadow. Used alone, and it will crease a bit. No surprise there. Whatever eyeshadow you use, it will crease even just a little bit!

PROS:

Light and creamy consistency
Good staying power (with a primer and/or set with powder eyeshadow)
Useful applicator
Blends out easily
Buildable
Travel friendly packaging
Easy to use
Works great as a color base

CONS:

So-so pigmentation

VERDICT:

I'd love to get more colors! This is a great no-brainer product perfect for students and working girls who don't have time to put on eyeshadow in the morning. Just a quick swipe of Rehab on the lids, Mushroom on the crease, and you're ready to go! I highly recommend this product.

Check out Every Girl's Secret's Facebook page and check out their selection of Urban Decay Cream Shadows. Watch out for their upcoming bazaar schedules too. I swear, they have the best prices in town! Happy shopping, everyone!

Anna's Top 5 Makeup Brushes

2011-12-27T17:10:00.001+08:00

I absolutely love makeup brushes. Using the right kind of brushes for specific makeup products really make a difference in terms of results. Using makeup brushes is also more hygienic than using your fingers. Our fingertips are breeding grounds for bacteria and excess oil that may trigger breakouts!

Today I'd like to share with you my favorite makeup brushes. I swear by all the following products so yes, I highly recommend you invest on these babies.

MAC 217 Blending Brush

I cannot live without this brush. Once you have this brush, it'll be pretty difficult to put down. The MAC 217 is a fluffy blending brush made out of goat hair. It's dense enough to get the right amount of product for crease work. I swear, blending out harsh lines and creating gradients is freaking child's play with this brush!

Sigma F84 Angled Top Kabuki

I used to hate using brushes to apply foundation...then I met this brush. The F84 is made of synthetic bristles with Sigmax HD filaments. This brush is nice and dense, which makes buffing in foundation easy and seamless. It's also super soft! I opted for the angled one because it makes applying foundation on the sides of my nose so much easier.

MAC 239 Shader Brush

No other shader brush can pack on eyeshadow like the MAC 239. Like the 217, this is also made out of goat hair. It's flat and slightly tapered at the tippy top. It's dense and stiff which makes applying eyeshadow flawless. The tip of the brush can be used to accentuate the crease and outer v, and apply e/s on the bottom lash line. If you're thinking of buying a MAC brush for the very first time, I highly suggest this brush because of its one-of-a-kind performance and versatility.

Landmark Kabuki Brush

I did not expect to like this brush as much as I do now. I love using this to set my foundation because it's so soft and dense. It also washes better than expected. Very minimal fall out! This is definitely a steal for Php 129!

Marionnaud Premium N3 Blush Brush

This soft and fluffy brush is just perfect for applying blush! Unlike the non-Premium Marionnaud angled blush brush, this fans out to a more circular top. It gets just the right amount of product so there is no need to fear super pigmented blushes.

Etude House Party Queen Gradiation Nails in #3 Party Gold

2011-12-26T18:00:00.003+08:00

Changed my nail polish yet again! Decided to try my new Etude House Party Queen Gradiation Nails kit in #3 Party Gold a few hours before Christmas eve.

I believe this set comes in silver as well. I opted for the gold one because I'm a sucker for warm colors! I didn't have any complaints with the first Gradiation Nails kit I got from Etude House so I had high expectations for this one.

I would've liked it more if the base coat was more opaque. I hate how the white part of my nails are still visible under the flecks of glitter. It makes my nails look dirty. I do love the "I-played-with-Christmas-decor" feel of the nails though. Very festive!

The Benefit Brow Bar Experience

2011-12-24T16:28:00.001+08:00

Last month, I got an email from Benefit Cosmetics Philippines regarding their free brow waxing service for their subscribers then. If you've read my earlier blog posts, you should know that my mother prohibits me from doing anything with my brows. I usually clean my brows in the wee hours of the night to ensure that she won't walk in on me! When I got the email from Benefit, my second favorite brand of all time, I knew I had to take a chance on their brow waxing service! I sent my preferred schedule, and got a slot.

BlackBerry photography right hurr!

Sadly, I wasn't able to go to my December 20 schedule due to family reasons. Two days later, I decided to pay a visit to the Benefit Boutique to buy stuff. Just that. I told one of the sales clerks there that I had missed my free brow waxing service last December 20. I showed her the text message of one of their staff, and luckily, the girl who texted me was there! They told me that I can avail of my free brow waxing service then and there! I went for it right away!

More BlackBerry photography!

The girl who did my brows explained to me that Benefit's signature brows are thick and straight, which was the brow look I wanted! Does that make me a true blue Benebabe? Haha!

Eyebrow raise!

Benefit uses hot wax on the brows. I always preferred hot wax in general because it feels quite comforting. Haha!

...and again.

I love how my brows turned out! My first brow grooming and shaping experience could not be any better! A big thank you to Benefit Cosmetics Philippines for giving their subscribers the opportunity to try their brow waxing service for free. Definitely coming back! I think I can now say that I don't want anyone else to touch my brows but Benefit!

Benefit Haul!

2011-12-23T16:35:00.000+08:00

I was finally able to pay a visit to the Philippines' first Benefit boutique yesterday. Imagine my excitement when I saw the Benefit signage and the Bathina cut out from afar! Can I just say that I am so glad that we finally have Benefit here because most of my everyday makeup products are from the brand!

I actually went there with a "shopping list" that consisted of the Ring My Bella perfume, the Watt's Up! cream highlighter and the Lady's Choice lipstick. Too bad two of the things on that list were sold out when I visited. :( I ended up buying the following:

Lucky for me they still had tons of stock of the Watt's Up! cream highlighter! Since I Benefit offered free brow waxing services for their first few subscribers, I got to try Brow Zings, their best selling brow product. I loved it so much, I bought myself one!

Watt's Up! is a cream highlighter for the face. It works a lot like the NARS Multiple sticks, only Benefit's comes in just one shade. I am absolutely in love with it's candlelit tint! Its smell also reminds me of cupcakes.

Then we have Brow Zings in medium. It's a brow kit containing a pan of brow wax, a setting powder, a stiff angled brush, a powder brush and mini tweezers. I used it today, and I am absolutely in love with it!

I'll do a separate post on their brow waxing services next time. Be sure to drop by their boutique soon before your favorite products run out! There are tons of Christmas wishlist items there!

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Nail of the Day: Orly Luxe

2011-12-23T11:44:00.000+08:00

I haven't worn gold nail polish in the longest time! I love how Orly's Luxe is shimmery and metallic. I've gotten a lot of compliments on my nails since yesterday.

My luck is at the pits with Orly nail polishes because they chip on me easily. I got this because I loved the color so much. Hope this will last longer on my nails with the Seche Vite top coat!

Holiday Eyes: Gold and Green

2011-12-21T18:23:00.002+08:00

Christmas season means party season. What better way to show your Christmas spirit than dressing your eyes in lovely Christmas colors?

Even my favorite brushes are getting all festive!

Red eyeshadow is something I steer clear from because it makes the eyes look stressed, so I decided to go with golds and greens.

First off, I primed my eyes using the Urban Decay primer potion. I decided to go with a bronze-y chocolate brown color as my base color. I applied the Urban Decay Cream Shadow in Rehab all over my lids and my crease. For my brow and inner corner highlight color, I used MAC's Bisque eyeshadow, a creamy matte color. All of these items I got from Every Girl's Secret for a great price. The UD Cream Shadow, I got for free!

I packed Urban Decay's Half Baked on the middle part of my lids, and sweeped Smog on my crease. To diffuse the rich color of Smog, I used Buck as a buffer color. This helps feather out the color of Smog against my skin tone.

Using an angled eyeshadow brush, I packed on theBalm's Makeout Mary on my upper lash line as an accent color. I winged it out just a little bit to define my eyes a bit more. I opted to use an eyeshadow to line my eyes because I wanted a soft look.

Topped it off with lots of coats of Benefit BADgal Lash mascara!

Nail of the Day: ZOYA Anja

2011-12-19T18:02:00.004+08:00

6 days till Christmas, everyone! Since break started, I've been switching up my nail polish like crazy, which is just perfect 'cause I'm currently into greens and reds. Talk about being festive! Expect more holiday inspired NOTDs in the coming days!

I'm spicing up the holidays by dressing my nails in a lovely burgundy nail polish.

Straight from the Smoke & Mirrors collection, I present to you the Zoya nail polish in Anja! I love me some dark (but not black) nail polish, and I just have to say that I am in love with this particular shade. I've worn this thrice in the last three weeks!

Don't you just love the high gloss finish of my nail polish? I achieved that by using the Seche Vite Quick Dry top coat. I apply it approximately a minute after I put on my last coat of nail polish, and it'll be dry to touch within seconds! I swear this is made for impatient little Anna!

These two nail products were given to me by the wonderful owners of Every Girl's Secret! Be sure to drop by there booth at the Shop @ The Fort bazaar at NBC tent, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City this week and get yourselves Zoya polishes and Seche Vite top coats. Here are some of their ongoing promos:

They also carry authentic MAC, Urban Decay, Benefit, Too Faced, OPI and Essie products. I swear, they have the best prices in town! Visit their Facebook Page to learn more.

Make Up For Ever Sale: Haul

2011-12-18T10:50:00.001+08:00

Make Up For Ever is one of those cosmetic brands that I've always wanted to get into. As you may know, I am a huge huge fan of MUFE's Aqua Cream eyeshadows. It's my holy grail cream eyeshadow--hands down. Besides the eyeshadows, I have two of their Aqua Cream liners, which I don't like as much as my Urban Decay 24/7 liner. That's all I have from MUFE because it is quite an expensive brand. When I heard about their Holiday Sale, I hesitated no more! Imagine up to 30% off their regular items! Decided to blog about this as soon as possible so you guys can grab your favorite MUFE products for a fraction of the price before the weekend ends! Today, December 18, 2011, is the last day of the sale!

I got a couple of things that I've been eying for the longest time.

You'll be glad to know that their entire HD line is part of the sale! You're looking at 20% off their HD foundations, primers, blushes and setting powders! I took advantage of this opportunity and bought the following:

The Make Up Forever High Definition Foundation is one of their most popular products. This product is supposed to give medium to full coverage without feeling heavy. Since it's an HD product, I'm expecting it to reflect light beautifully. I've thought about trying Revlon's version of this product, the Photo Ready foundation, but I heard that it had tiny flecks of glitter. Turn off! I have high hopes for this product. Hope I get value out of my money! From Php 2300, I got the HD foundation for 1840. Not bad!

I actually wanted to try the Elixir primer, not this one (not that I haven't heard good things about the non-elixir primer), but when I tried it out on my hand, it felt quite drying. Oddly enough, when I asked the sales lady about it, she said the elixir primer was for dry skinned people, which I am clearly not. Since I am running low on decent--and by decent I mean not breaking me out--foundation primer, I decided to go with the Make Up For Ever High Definition Primer in #0. They have two more variations of this primer: the green one for color correcting, and the purple one for brightening (not lightening) dull skin. The HD primers originally go for Php 1950, but with the 20% discount, I got mine for Php 1560.

If you're curious about the Aqua Cream shadows that I'm constantly raving about, they are also on sale together with the loose pigments. I believe MUFE is slashing 15% to 20% off their original price. I'm thinking of getting another pot today! Oh, and their lip products are also on sale! Hurry up and visit your favorite MUFE branch today! :)

Make Up For Ever - Philippines
Bonifacio High Street, BGC, Taguig City
Shangri-la Mall, Mandaluyong City

Festive Nails by Every Girl's Secret

2011-12-16T19:29:00.000+08:00

Hello, everyone! I haven't blogged in the longest time! I've been so busy with school, it's crazy. Now that I'm on break, I can devote enough time for blogging again!

I believe it's only right that I write about something related to the holidays seeing that Christmas is nine days away! I visited Every Girl's Secret's booth at the Shop @ The Fort bazaar a couple of weeks ago, and scored three holiday appropriate nail polishes! I big thank you to the owners of Every Girl's Secret for giving me two Zoya nail polishes for free!

I wore this shimmery cherry red nail polish during the last week of school. I am absolutely in love with it! I think it's safe to say that OPI's Color to Diner For nail polish is my new favorite red.

Today, I decided to go with another Christmas-y color. How beautiful is Zoya's Yara nail polish? It's an interesting alternative to the typical emerald green/Christmas green nail polish. As you may have noticed, I've cut my nails short because I got a new phone. I need short nails to type with it because it's not a touch screen. BlackBerry Bold users, you should know what I mean. Oh iPhone, you will be missed. :(

Zoya nail polishes are just amazing. Its quality is right up there with China Glaze and OPI! I love how one coat completely covers my nails, but of course, I do my usual second coat to increase its staying power. It also dries quickly, which is perfect if you hate waiting for your nails to dry! Since I've been busy with school for the past two weeks, I constantly reached for my new Zoya nail polishes because they dry quickly.

The owners of Every Girl's Secret also gave me a Seche Vite Quick Dry top coat for free! You guys will be hearing more about this soon. It's supposed to be the best top coat in the entire world! I'm still in the process of testing it out. Watch out for that!

You can get all the nail polishes mentioned in this post from Every Girl's Secret's Facebook page! Keep a close watch on their upcoming posts for their bazaar schedules. Happy shopping, girls!

First Blog Giveaway Winner

2011-12-03T22:49:00.000+08:00

A big, big thank you to everyone who joined my first ever giveaway! As promised, I shall be announcing the winner tonight! But before that, don't you guys want to know the answer to the 3-point swatch game?

The choices were: Urban Decay E/S in Virgin, MAC E/S in All That Glitters, Stila E/S in Kitten and theBalm E/S in Devilish Danielle. The answer is actually (drum roll please) C. STILA E/S in KITTEN! Congratulations to those who got it correctly!

Now it's time to announce the winner! Congratulations...

...FRANCES! I shall tweet you in a bit! :)

Thanks again for everyone who joined! Hope to see you again in my next blog giveaway! :)

Weekend Haul: Lush and Every Girl's Secret

2011-11-29T21:22:00.000+08:00

Quick haul post, everyone! Since I don't have class tomorrow, I figured I'd blog tonight. I seriously miss blogging regularly!

I went to Lush with the intention of buying a new pot of my favorite lotion, Karma Kreme, because I completely finished my old pot a week ago. I ended up buying Coco Lotion instead because my favorite Lush sales lady, Ms. Belle, suggested that I try all the lotions they had. I was open to trying a new lotion anyway. Coco Lotion was the least greasy in my opinion. It's also very light. I've been using it for three days now and so far I am liking it. It definitely sinks into the skin faster than Karma Kreme. I hope Coco Lotion tops Karma Kreme because it's a hundred pesos cheaper!

Since I was already there, I decided to check out the holiday collection bath bombs. I was torn between Cinders and Li'l Lush Pad! I went with Cinders because of the crackly orange stuff it came with. It also smells warm, cinammony and orangy! Thanks to Ms. Belle for giving me the one with loads of crackly stuff!

Lastly, I finally got a full size Urban Decay Primer Potion from Every Girl's Secret at the Shop @ The Fort bazaar. My previous UDPP bottle was a travel size tube from my Naked palette. I've loved it ever since! I swear this thing is an eyeshadow magnet.

Also, when I bought the full size bottle, it came with a free travel size Urban Decay Primer Potion in Greed! I'm so excited to try it! The UDPP is originally priced at Php 1050, but the owners gave it to me for Php 950 because it was already closing time when I got there. Haha! Thank you so much for the great deal, Every Girl's Secret!

Lucky for you guys, I found them on Facebook! Check out the rest of their awesome products and other bazaar scheds by visiting the Every Girl's Secret FB page!

By the way, don't forget to join my first blog giveaway because it's ending in a few days! Deadline of entries will be on 2 December 2011, Friday, 11:59 PM. I'll be announcing the winner on Saturday. Good luck everyone! Click the photo below for more information!

Revlon ColorStay Brow Enhancer

2011-11-26T19:00:00.001+08:00

Hello, everyone! It's been more than a week since I last blogged because I've been swamped with school work! I also moved back to our old house, which is pretty far from my school. My school days usually end at 6 PM so I get home a little past dinner time, giving me no time to blog because of school work. I actually have an impossible task to finish by Monday, but since it's a Saturday, I'll take it easy and write a review of one of my favorite products.

The Revlon ColorStay Brow Enhancer is one of the first brow products I ever used. I absolutely love this because it's a no-brainer product. Among all of the ones I've tried, this actually made it to my face routine basket (the one I pull out from my collection everyday!). I only have to non-face products there, the Revlon Brow Enhancer and the NARS Multiple in Copacabana for highlighting.

The Revlon ColorStay Brow Enhancer is a dual ended retractable pen that has a stick form brow wax on one end, and a cream highlighter on the other. The one I have is in Light Brown/Champagne. The brow wax end comes in various variations of brown, and the highlighter end comes in various neutral and non-neutral tones (I remember seeing a pink highlighter).

The brow wax end of the product is the only thing I ever use (will tell you why later). I love how it's not super super pigmented, which makes it easy for me to build the color without worrying about overdoing it.

It also glides on smoothly. You can apply this with a light hand and still get decent color payoff.

Now on to the highlighter end of the product. I only use this when I'm too lazy to put on eyeshadow. I'm not a fan of this end because the flecks of glitter are too big (for me at least) for a brow bone highlighter. It also looks blotchy. If they made the formulation a little big creamier, maybe I wouldn't have that problem.

I suggest applying this with your finger. That way it'll warm up a bit before you apply it on your brow bone.

PROS:

Available in most Revlon counters
The brow wax has just the right amount of pigmentation
It's a no-brainer product
Convenient double ended packaging
Lasts all day

CONS:

The highlighter end could be creamier
The highlighter leaves a blotchy finish when applied directly to the brow bone
The highlighter's flecks of glitter are too big
A bit expensive for a drugstore product (as all Revlon products)

VERDICT:

Although I showed a lot of disappointment towards the highlighter, the brow wax makes up for it. I love everything about the brow wax. I am definitely re-purchasing this the moment I run out. I highly recommend this for "brow beginners" like me!

Eye of the Day: Double Liner

2011-11-15T20:50:00.000+08:00

I honestly don't know much about Lauren Conrad, but I do love her makeup looks. I took inspiration from Beautylish's Why We Love Lauren Conrad article for my eye makeup today.

I fell in love with her eye makeup the moment I saw this photo! I thought I'd recreate this eye look today. I didn't bother winging out the double liner 'cause I didn't want it to look "too much" for school.

I wish I had a better white eyeliner 'cause the one I used for this look sucked big time. It wasn't that pigmented or creamy or smudge-proof! As you can see, the white line wasn't as defined as how I wanted it to be. I tried using my NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk, but I found it too thick for my asian eyes. I really love the Make Up For Ever Aqua Liners and the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On eye pencils, but they're a bit pricey. :(

The sucky eyeliner I was talking about is the Wet n Wild Color Icon eyeliner in White. I drew a thick line above my upper lash line and topped it with a black gel liner. For this look, I used the MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack (which I got from TameraOnline.com by the way). I don't have much to say about it. It's doesn't suck but it's not all that great either.

Do any of you know of reasonably priced drugstore eyeliners that are pigmented, creamy and smuge-proof? I'm planning to buy another NYX Slide On Pencil, but I don't know where to get them online. I bought my single NYX Slide On Pencil at a bazaar. :( Help!

Nail of the Day + RedGirlTag Promo Prize!

2011-11-14T19:26:00.001+08:00

Today's post will be a quick one because I have n pages of Business Law and Taxation homework to study. Yes, I am back in school! I won't be able to blog as regularly as before because 6 out of 7 of my current classes are majors. One of which is NBV 2 where I'm required to create the marketing plan, operations plan, financial plan and final business plan of the business I'll be putting up by next year. I am going to hate this semester big time.

On to the beauty-related segment of this post! If you've read my previous NOTD, I mentioned that I was quite impressed with the first Revlon nail polish I ever tried. I'm not a huge fan of Revlon so I never really noticed their nail polish until I saw their emerald green polish. The Revlon matte nail polish in Emerald City stayed on for quite a number of days without chipping. It topped my Orly and Zoya matte nail polish by a milestone! So when I went out last Saturday, I decided to pick up a few non-matte nail polishes to try.

The shade I have on today is Copperglaze Platinum. It comes off as orange in the photo, but it's actually warm peachy gold. I think it's a bit too light to be copper. They probably put the word "copper" in the name 'cause of its metallic finish. Haha!

The applicator of this particular nail polish wasn't as dense as my Emerald City's applicator, so it ended up looking pretty streaky on my nails. This is such a waste because the formulation of the polish is really good. It seems watery, but a single coat of this looks opaque on my nails. I used two coats in the photo above.

I got a couple more polishes from Revlon! They have a great selection of neutral toned polishes. I looove it!

On a different note, I won the RedGirlshop Facebook giveaway last week! I was super excited about this one because 1) it's my first time to win a giveaway and 2) I won a Benefit product!

Thank you, RedGirlshop, for the full size Benetint! :)

For those of you who missed round one of RedGirlTag, you can still join their current giveaway! They are currently giving away great skin care products from Clinique. Be sure to visit their Facebook page for more information! :)

That ends today's blog post! Time for me to hit the books. Have a great week, everyone!

Oh, and don't forget to join my blog giveaway! Click the photo below for more information. :)

Majolica Majorca Lash Bone Black Fiber In

2011-11-09T20:10:00.001+08:00

I'm not one to use lash primer, but the Majolica Majorca Lash Bone Black Fiber In lash base really intrigued me when I saw it on the shelves. The only lash primer I've ever used was a Face Shop double ended mascara. That's it. I love the effect that particular lash primer gave, but I knew I could live without it. If it wasn't for the tiny fibers of the Majolica Majorca lash primer, nothing would have lured me to try their lash products (Well, not really. The cute packaging really helps.).

The Lash Bone Black Fiber In is basically a lash base with black fibers. The semi-clear solution coats the lashes for a more thickened effect, and provides a strong hold for the actual mascara. The black fibers stick to the tips of the lashes to lengthen it.

Like every other Majolica Majorca product, it is housed in the cutest packaging!

The plastic wand has tiny spikes, which I think is perfect for separating lashes.

The Majolica Majorc Lash Bone Black Fiber In does what it's supposed to do. It lengthens and thickens my lashes. I don't care much for how well it holds my mascara because I never had problems with fallout. I didn't notice much a difference in terms of my mascara's longevity.

Without the Lash Bone Black Fiber In:

I honestly think my lashes are of decent length. It also has a natural curve to it. Honestly, I've been on an eye makeup rut, and I'm looking for products that will give me va-va-voom lashes. That way I won't have to put on eyeshadow to achieve a polished makeup look!

With the Lash Bone Black Fiber In:

The white fluid thickened my lashes by coating it. Don't worry, it dries up clear! I don't wait for the formula to dry up though. It makes my lashes stiff, which I don't like when I'm applying mascara. See how some lash tips don't go with the natural curve of my lashes? That's the Lash Bone Black Fiber In at work!

With Lash Bone Black Fiber In + Benefit BADgal Mascara

Since the fibers don't follow the curve of the lashes, applying mascara gets tricky. What I do is I brush the bottom part and the upper part of my lashes properly to make the fibers appear more natural.

LEFT: With Lash Bone Black Fiber In + Benefit BADgal Lash

RIGHT: Benefit BADgal Lash

PROS:

Lengthens lashes
Thickens lashes
Smooth consistency making the product easy to apply
The brush does a good job of separating lashes
Adorable packaging!
Available in a lot of places

CONS:

Makes lashes stiff once it dries up
The fiber fallout goes to my contacts :(
Pricey for a drugstore product

VERDICT:

Putting this on is a tedious task, but I am in love with how my lashes look whenever I wear this. I love how it lengthens my lashes! I swear this product makes me feel like a pin-up girl! I really do love this product. If you're struggling with short lashes, you might want to try this. It works great!

Don't forget to join my blog giveaway! It's open till the first week of December! :) Click the photo for more info.

http://electroanna.blogspot.com/2011/11/first-ever-blog-giveaway.html

Benefit The POREfessional

2011-11-08T20:27:00.000+08:00

Today's post will benefit (no pun intended) people who have combination to oily skin...like me. Girls like me usually have visible pores on the forehead, chin and/or nose area. As an effort to minimize my pores, I make sure to rinse my face with cold water and tone it regularly. Sadly, this doesn't ensure a pore-less face throughout the day. I'm well aware that a number of primers are geared to address this problem, but since I also have acne-prone skin, I'm quite hesitant to try other primers at the moment. I'm currently using the Benefit "That Gal" Face Primer (85% of the time) and the Laura Mercier Oil Free Face Primer, and neither of the two products promised to minimize pores. I figured I should just try my best to ignore it. #insecurities

Luckily, I discovered the magic of the Benefit The POREfessional!

As I've said in my recent haul post, I never bothered to read about this product despite all the hype it's currently getting. Before I tried this first hand, I thought it was a primer! Well, silly me, this is actually a balm. A big thank you to Ms. Jen of RedGirlshop for suggesting this product! I visited their booth at the Shop @ The Fort Bazaar and tried this product. My sister and I loved its instant effects so much, I just had to buy it! I've been using this product everyday since I got it, and I have to say, I am in love with this!

The POREfessional is an oil-free balm that you pat over or under makeup to minimize the appearance of pores and to smoothen out problem areas.

As usual for all Benefit products, I love the packaging of this thing. The nozzle of the tube is quite small, which helps me control how much product I want to use. Talk about economical!

The POREfessional has a light and creamy consistency. It is very easy to blend. I wouldn't say that this has any form of coverage because it is meant to blend onto the skin like a moisturizer would. Besides, my sister is way lighter than me and we share this tube!

It doesn't say this on the packaging, but it leaves the skin matte for a fair number of hours. I feel like this product works better over makeup especially if you're a liquid foundation user like me. You wouldn't want your makeup to slide off. But either way, it is long wearing. After setting my foundation with a translucent powder, I pat this on the sides of my nose (my pore problem area). Immediately, the balm fills in my visible pores and leaves my skin insanely velvety and matte. Yup, this product does what it claims to do!

I tried to take before and after pictures, but I think the photos look a bit washed out. Just keep a keen eye while comparing! Haha!

WITHOUT The POREfessional

WITH The POREfessional

PROS:

Has immediate results
Fills in pores nicely without clogging it
Gives the skin a smoother texture
Mattifies the skin
Long wearing
Economical packaging
Easy to blend
Light and creamy consistency

CONS:

Could make the skin look a bit cakey if you pack on a lot
If you think this is a primer (as in makes-the-foundation-last-all-day kind of primer), it's not

VERDICT:

I absolutely love The POREfessional! I seriously want to buy a travel size version of this product for my makeup bag. I love how it mattifies my skin and leaves it velvety soft. Sometimes, I'd rather blot my face with this rather than my MAC Blot Powder. I highly recommend this product.

If you're interested in trying The POREfessional, drop by the RedGirlshop's booth this Sunday at the Hotel Intercontinental Manila Grand Ballroom. If you want it delivered on your doorstep, check out their official website. They have tons awesome stuff on their website (I recommend the Benefit POWda WOWza cheek palette! <3). Also, you might want to like their Facebook page and watch out for their upcoming giveaways!

By the way, my blog giveaway is still open! Get a chance to win an E.l.f. Smokey Eye Kit and an OPI Nail Set! Click the photo below for the mechanics! :)

So When's the Birthday of Your MAC Product?

2011-11-06T20:00:00.001+08:00

As much as we women hate to admit this, makeup products do expire eventually. Some girls are keen about the manufacturing date of their products, some aren't. I'd like to think that I belong with the first cluster of girls. In this circumstance, I buy my makeup like I buy my [soy] milk. Most people pick a milk carton based on its expiration date; the later, the better. People do this to make sure that they'll be able to use the product for a long period of time. Besides, you wouldn't want to waste your money on a product that will expire in two months, or worse, a product that's already expired! I learned this the hard way a few months ago. I bought a liquid foundation without checking the expiration date. After two weeks of using it, I finally noticed the expiration date stamp. To my dismay, I found out that it had only three weeks of shelf life left. After that experience, I make sure I check the manufacturing date and expiration date (if available) of the makeup and skin care products I purchase.

Luckily, brands like MAC stamp the manufacturing date of its products!

What if you forgot to check the manufacturing date of your MAC product before purchasing it? What if you've thrown away the product's original packaging? Don't fret! There's a 3-character code at the bottom of each and every MAC product indicating its manufacturing date! Let me teach you how to decipher the code!

See the 3-character codes I was talking about? A80 for the lipstick, AA0 for the eyeshadow. What do these letters and characters mean?

The first character represents the production batch of the item. Batch A being the first batch, B the second, and so on and so forth.
The second character represents the product's month of production. This may be a letter or a number. Refer to this legend:

1 = January
2 = February
3 = March
4 = April
5 = May
6 = June
7 = July
8 = August
9 = September
A = October
B = November
C = December

The third character represents the last digit of the product's year of production.

Here's an example:

My MAC MSF Natural's production code is A50, which means that this particular product was part of the first batch of production (A) during the month of July (5) year 2010 (0).

If the product code seems to have faded, tilt the product until the code catches light (if that makes sense). You can also take photos of it...like what I did! The A70 on my MSF Natural in Medium Plus can barely be seen in real life! I use Medium Plus more than Medium Dark, go figure.

Let's try another MAC product with a different kind of packaging:

Here's a bottle of Fix+. As you can see, the bottom stamp is still present! A21 = First batch, February 2011.

It's that simple! Before using any of your old MAC products again, refer to this post and see if it's still safe to use. You wouldn't want to risk breakouts! :)

BTW:

Don't forget to join my blog giveaway! Click this photo to join!

My Makeshift Traincase

2011-11-04T21:09:00.001+08:00

Some of you may have noticed that I've been shooting at a different location. That's because I'm staying in a different home at the moment. I figured that I won't be able to bring my whole makeup collection with me so I was forced to make my own little traincase. I'm not going to bother buying myself an actual traincase because 1) I'm not a makeup artist nor do I intend to be one in the foreseeable future and 2) I'd rather use my money on other things. I've nothing against traincases or anything--I'm actually found the cutest one on Multiply a few days ago--but at the moment, I have no use for it. And to be quite honest, I'm pretty content with the one I made! It'd be better if it had a strap, but it does the job anyway!

Today, I'll be sharing with you how I made my own traincase. It's organized, convenient and cheap! I made use of things I already had at home. If you're skeptical about buying your own traincase, this post is for you!

Here's an overview of my makeshift traincase. These are the makeup products that I reach for a lot. What I have here is about 2/3 of my whole collection which goes to show that I do use most of the products I buy. I think the amount of makeup I have now is good enough for a non-makeup artist makeup magpie like myself. I don't feel like I need more stuff (especially in the blush and eyeshadow categories!).

I'm using this beautiful gold box thing that I got from my mom a few years back. It used to house my mom's Estée Lauder makeup set. I love it because it's sturdy and roomy. I'd say the top is as big as an A4 sized paper.

Here's what's under the containers

Basically, all you need to make your own traincase are the following:

Containers
A box-type bag with a handle

Peachy, right?

I got this kind of container from Japan Home Center. I loved it so much, I bought three more sets! For 88 bucks, you get two clear trays. This is what I use to organize my makeup in my makeup drawers at home. I just took 'em out and put them inside my gold box. On the left, we have my favorite blushes and bronzers, a fresh pack of contacts and some eyeshadow palettes that I don't want moving around my "traincase". On the right, we have my daily face stuff like my foundation, tinted moisturizer, finishing powder, primers and concealers. I put my cheek palette there because it wouldn't fit else where.

I used an old rectangular lunch container to store my pencil products and gel/cream eyeliners. This is also the container I use to organize my other pencil products at home. I love that my pencil products are all in one container because I'm sure it'll scatter if I store them loose inside my box.

I couldn't fit any more of my containers at home so I had to use my makeup palettes as a partition! Using my eyeshadow trios and concealer kit, I formed a little area for my lip products and stick highlighters!

Not bad eh?

I had to stack other products to maximize the space.

I filled every space available (best tip I can give you). Haha! Luckily, the right side of my box still had a little space. I decided to bring some nail polishes. I've been loving dark polishes lately!

Here is the end result:

There you have it, my makeshift traincase! I stored everything in a way that won't budge during travel. Good luck with yours! :)

EXTRA TIPS:

Leaving no space empty will help the contents of your traincase stay in place.
If you still have extra space, I suggest you borrow your mom's rubber pads/heat protector pads. I'm pretty sure she has one in the kitchen! This prevent your products from scattering inside.

SIDE NOTE:

Don't forget to join my blog giveaway! Click this photo to join!

FIRST EVER BLOG GIVEAWAY! [CLOSED]

2011-11-02T21:57:00.005+08:00

Hello to my lovely readers! Am I the only one feeling a little festive lately? Christmas is just around the corner and, coincidentally, this is my 100th blog post! What better way to celebrate [almost] everyone's most favorite holiday and my 100th blog post than a blog giveaway?

I know publishing 100 blog posts isn't a cause for celebration, but to me this is a milestone. As I built my blog over the months, I've come to love this hobby more and more. It used to be just a past time, but now, it's something I really look forward to. I never thought I'd enjoy blogging because I'm not, in any way, a writer--I'm more of a picture taker. One of the main reasons why I created this blog is to salvage my passion for photography. I've loved photography since I was 12 years old, but come first year college, it started to fade. Yes, through this blog, I was able to appreciate photography the same way I did 7 years ago, but I was also able to hone and develop my new found passion in makeup and blogging. Now I have these hobbies that keep me inspired each and everyday, and I am more than thankful for that. I am also thankful for the people who take time and read my blog posts. I know that I don't have a lot of readers, but it's nice to know that some people in this world appreciate the passion and effort that I give to each of my blog posts. :)

Enough of my sappiness! Let's get on with the giveaway!

I am giving away an E.l.f. Get the Look Kit in Beautiful Browns and an OPI Holiday Wishes Mini Merries Nail Lacquer Set! These two kits will help you create classy, timeless looks perfect for day-to-day wear. After all, my blog is all about school/work appropriate looks because I am a college student!

The E.l.f. kit contains a brightening eyeliner, a lengthening & defining mascara, and brightening eye color quad, a smudge brush and a mechanical eye curler. I've tried E.l.f.'s Brightening Eye Color quads (mine is in Luxe), and they're pretty good! The colors last all day with minimal fallout.

The OPI set contains a classic red color, a deep wine red color, a sparkly brown, and a shimmery bronze. Seriously, guys, OPI nail polishes couldn't be better!

Joining is super easy! All you have to do is complete any, some or even all of tasks that could equivalent to 1, 2 or 3 entries. Obviously, the more entries you have, the more chances of winning!

Publicly follow electroanna.blogspot.com on Google Friend Connect. The follow button is on my side bar, if you don't know. This equivalents to 1 entry.
Blog about (or "reblog") my giveaway contest. You can use any of the photos in this blog post for that. This equivalents to 2 entries.
Put the giveaway contest banner on your blog's sidebar. Copy paste the code below. This equivalents to 2 entries.

<a href="http://electroanna.blogspot.com/2011/11/first-ever-blog-giveaway.html"> <img src=http://i39.tinypic.com/2dqr4zo.gif> </a>

To make things interesting, let's have a little game of Guess the Swatch for those who don't have a blog! Below is a photo of a swatch. If you correctly guess what makeup product it is, you get 3 entries! Thanks to the smartypants who suggested this. ;)

Here are the possible answers:

A. Urban Decay E/S in Virgin

B. MAC E/S in All That Glitters

C. Stila E/S in Kitten

D. theBalm E/S in Devilish Danielle

The contest is open to people who reside in the Philippines. To qualify, comment below with your name, e-mail address (I need this to contact you if you win!), Google Friend Connect username, blog post link, blog address for those using the banner, and the letter of your Guess the Swatch Game answer.

This contest will run from 2 November 2011 until 2 December 2011, Friday! I will announce the winner a day after that.

It's as simple as that. I am looking forward to your entries! Tell your friends about it too!

Good luck, everyone! :)

NYX Eyeshadow Base in ESB3 Skintone

2011-11-01T21:55:00.000+08:00

I'm almost out of my mini Urban Decay Primer Potion, so I've been looking for alternatives for the past couple of weeks. My Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream Shadows work well as a base 'cause, for the most part, it holds my eyeshadow with minimal creasing. Sadly, the two Aqua Cream Shadows I have are quite shimmery; it ends up intensifying my satin finish eyeshadows. I need a primer that will blend with my skintone, so I went to Pure Beauty, Serendra to buy the NYX Eyeshadow Base in ESB3 Skintone. This eyeshadow base also comes in a stark white variant, which is supposed to really bring out the pigments of eyeshadows. Since I'm not ready to experiment on eyeshadow bases, I went with the beige one.

The NYX Eyeshadow Base, according to the pot seen above, promises to hold, intensify and prolong eyeshadow on your lids.

I expected this base to be creamy and sheer, but actually, it's quite thick in consistency. The texture of the base makes it a little bit difficult to blend onto the skin. I also don't like its opacity, but that's my personal eyeshadow primer preference. This is a much better color base than it is a primer. It makes my eyelids look chalky and uneven, so as expected, it made my eyeshadow appear pretty blotchy and powdery. To top it all off, it doesn't prevent creasing.

With NYX Eyeshadow Base, Without NYX Eyeshadow Base

In terms of intensifying eyeshadow color, it's evident that the NYX Eyeshadow Base does exactly that. Here I used a MAC single eyeshadow in Jest, which is a very light baby pink with a hint of peach. The (very) muted pink is fairly vibrant with a base. Without the base, it looks like a cream eyeshadow.

PROS:

Affordable
Evens out the tone of the eyelid
Intensifies eyeshadow color
Decent hold
Nice glass packaging

CONS:

Thick consistency
Opaque (again, personal preference)
Slides off my super oily lids after 2-3 hours
Not crease resistant
Difficult to blend out

VERDICT:

Well, this is just a color base for me. Honestly, I don't use eye primers to make my eyeshadow appear more vivid; I use it to keep my eye makeup crease-free. I tried so hard to like this product, but because of the creasing, I'm gonna have to give this product a thumbs down. I'll probably never buy this again because it doesn't do anything for my super oily lids. Maybe people with normal eyelids will have better experiences with this product.

Nail of the Day + RedGirlShop Haul

2011-10-31T19:55:00.001+08:00

Happy Halloween, everyone! While everyone is still in the peak of Halloween spirit, my nails are already celebrating Christmas. For the first time ever on my blog, I'll be doing a "Nail of the Day" kind of post.

Also, I'll be doing another haul! More Benefit products from RedGirlShop coming your way in just a bit.

First off we have my nail polish of the day, the Revlon Matte Suede Nail Enamel/Vernis in Emerald City. This is actually my first nail polish from Revlon.

In the bottle, the nail polish looks like a true emerald green, but on my nails, it ended up looking like a forest green. All in all, I used three coats of nail products: 1 coat of the Orly Top 2 Bottom Basecoat and Topcoat All-in-One, and 2 coats of the Revlon Matte Suede polish in Emerald City. I really like how it turned out. I'll probably try other Revlon polishes soon! I love the consistency of the product and the application that comes with it. Definitely worth the Php 225.

Moving on to the Haul part of this post! Last Saturday, I went to the Shop @ The Fort bazaar at the NBC Tent and caught the RedGirlShop booth once again! I swear, I love their products!

I specifically went to RedGirlShop to purchase the Benefit BADgal Lash. For the longest time, I've been curious about this product. I've heard a lot of good things about it from one of my favorite YouTube beauty gurus, Amerixe.

The Benefit POREfessional was one of those talked about products that I never bothered to read about. Before last Saturday, I thought it was some sort of face primer! Good thing Ms. Jen of RedGirlShop let me try this product when I visited their booth because now I am absolutely in love with it! I was pretty skeptical at first but after patting some of the product on my problem areas, my pores were immediately minimized--I was completely sold! I will definitely do a more in-depth review of this product soon!

That's pretty much it for this post. What do you guys think of my first Nail of the Day post? Did I do it correctly? Haha!

Going "Bene-crazy" for Benefit Philippines!

2011-10-31T11:49:00.001+08:00

Greetings from Pico de Loro at Nasugbu, Batangas! Since it's too hot to do anything outdoors right now, I whipped out my list of blog ideas and decided to blog. You might think it's pretty lame of me to go to a country club and blog, but seriously the heat is too much. I'd rather enjoy the view and the free wifi from an air conditioned room.

I'm currently at the library watching people die of heat outside. I kid.

Going back to that list of blogging ideas! I actually have a few of the products I've been meaning to do a review on, but of course, I did not bring a USB cord or laptop with me. Instead I'll be sharing another wish list!

Most of us makeup nuts already know that Benefit Cosmetics is finally coming to the Philippines! The wait is seriously getting me Bene-crazy! I've been using all of my Benefit products almost everyday now, and I'm loving them more and more! Let me share with you the other products by Benefit that I seriously want to try. (All photos from Sephora.com)

1. Ring My Bella Eau De Toilette Spray - I caught a whiff of this from the Benefit Holiday 2011 catalog and fell in love with it immediately. Ring My Bella is a cross between a floral scent and a fruity scent, which is totally my kind of perfume. It's not too sweet or too strong.

2. They're Real! Mascara - I've been curious about this mascara even before it was released. The fact that Benefit included focus group results in their ads got me itching to try it. When it finally came out, I watched a whole bunch of demonstration videos of this mascara and I was sold!

3. Watt's Up! Highlighter - This is Benefit's newest addition to their line up. I love love love highlighters so my curiosity towards this product comes as no surprise. I love the neutral champagne color of this highlighter. I've a strong feeling it'll go well with my beige undertones.

4. One Hot Minute Face Powder - This is supposed to be a luminizing finishing powder that is flattering for all skin tones. The rosy gold color description is what got me interested in this product. The gold will probably go well with my skin tone, and the hint of rose might give my face a natural flush. Interesting.

5. Crease-less Cream Shadow/Liner - I have wanted this cream shadow since forever! I've heard many good things about this product, and being the cream shadow junkie that I am, I feel like I have to try this soon!

6. BADgal Plum Mascara - Nothing like a plum mascara to bring out my dark brown eyes!

7. Moonbeam Highlighter - I am a huge fan of High Beam (I use it everyday!), but I'm on the lookout for a more neutral toned highlighter. Since this product is practically High Beam's sister, I am willing to take a change on it!

8. Benefit Full-Finish Lipsticks - I've been gradually getting into lipsticks recently. Why not try the lipsticks of one of my favorite brands? Can't wait to get my hands on the shade Lady's Choice!

9. Dr. FeelGood Balm - Okay, here's another product I've wanted to try since FOR-EV-ER! It's an oil controlling balm infused with vitamin C and D. Vitamin C has been very good to my skin, so I can't wait to finally try this. Gotta finish my current oil blotting powder though!

10. Garden of Good & Eva Eau de Toilette - This has a citrus-y smell, which is my weakness! Can't wait to get a whiff of this one!

That's my Benefit wish list/shopping list! I swear, when Benefit finally opens, I'll stop eating and reserve all my allowance for their products! What about you guys? Share you wish list below! :)

HG Makeup Remover: MAC Cleanse Off Oil

2011-10-29T20:47:00.000+08:00

I have struggled with different kinds of makeup removers over the years. I've tried liquid removers, cream removers and makeup removing towelettes. All of which required forceful rubbing, which irritated my skin big time. Almost all of them sting too. I read up on other kinds of makeup removers and learned about oil-based ones. My top three choices were the NARS Cleansing Oil (basically 'cause I love NARS), the MAC Cleanse Off Oil, and the Shu Uemura removers. The NARS Cleansing Oil felt a bit heavy when I applied it on my hand, which I didn't like. Even though I've heard a lot of good things about the Shu Uemura removers, I didn't feel a hundred percent confident with it 'cause I'm not really a Shu Uemura user. So, I ended up with MAC. Best decision of my life!

The MAC Cleanse Off Oil is my holy grail makeup remover. It's a clear, lightweight oil that melts heavy makeup off your face faster than you can say "MAC Cleanse Off Oil". It also works uh-mazing with waterproof makeup! I am no longer afraid of waterproof liners or mascaras because of the Cleanse Off Oil. Before I discovered it, taking off waterproof makeup was some sort of punishment to my skin. I really had to rub the product onto my face. Ouch.

One day, I got really bored and decided to do a little research about the different ingredients of my products. None of these ingredients are said to be harmful. Less than five of these were either low risk or medium risk. So far, I've no complaints about this. It never broke me out. (Note: I'm not saying that this product is sure to work well with everyone. Use at your own risk!)

Here is a photo of me trying to show you guys how light it is. It looks more watery than oily, right?

Unlike other makeup removers, MAC shits you not when they tell you to gently massage the oil over your face. No rubbing required even if you're wearing waterproof products. That's all you have to do to dissolve your makeup! Make sure you apply the product using a dry hand onto a dry face. The oil-water thing (lol) applies here. If you don't keep that in mind, this product might not work.

PROS:

Effectively removes any kind of makeup
Not at all time consuming
Lightweight
Doesn't require rubbing
Doesn't sting
Leaves my skin soft
A little goes a long way

CONS:

Pricey

VERDICT:

I lalalove this product to bits and pieces! I highly recommend this. I mean, look at all those pros. It's everything I wanted in a makeup remover and more!

Cheap Finds: Makeup Brushes

2011-10-27T22:25:00.000+08:00

I spent last Sunday at Glorietta with my sister. While I was at Starbucks, she went to a photo shop to have stuff printed. I called her up a few minutes later to ask where she has gone. To my surprise, she was already at Landmark. As I was looking for the bridge thing connecting Glorietta and Landmark, I remembered reading about their cheap makeup brushes. My friend, Erika, also talked to me about it one time. I took the sort-of-lost-sister situation as a chance to finally check out those cheap-ass brushes (don't worry, my sister and I met up eventually).

I found the makeup brushes near the Revlon counter. There wasn't a huge, huge range of makeup brushes during my visit--the table was dominated by fluffy face brushes. The other brushes I saw were various kinds of eye brushes and fan brushes. I don't think I saw brushes over Php 200, which was pretty exciting. While I was contemplating on the super soft brushes of Landmark, I remembered The Body Shop Brushes--soft as hell, but doesn't pick up product well. They were cheap anyway so I ended up buying a super fluffy kabuki brush, a small face brush for my makeup kit, and an angled eye brush all for less that Php 350!

Here's the angled eye brush:

I got the densest angled eye brush I could find. I looked at the top of most of the brushes there and picked this one. It's not the softest brush out there, but it does the job. It picks up product fairly well. I wouldn't recommend this for blending though. It tends to get the eyeshadow all blotchy.

The next one I got is a mini face brush for my makeup bag:

I've always wanted a small and decent face brush to lug around. I never had the option of bringing powder blushes outside the house because I didn't have a small enough brush for it. Plus, my MAC Blot Powder's puff sucks big time.

This brush is also pretty dense. It's light and portable--perfect for my makeup bag! I love that it's so soft!

Lastly we have the softest brush I own, the 129-peso kabuki brush:

This brush is dense, fluffy and cute! It seriously reminds me of a rabbit tail. I intended to use this to apply my bronzer, but to my dismay, it didn't pick up product well. This will probably work better for setting my foundation with powder.

If you're in a tight budget, check out these brushes from Landmark! They're not the best out there, but they do the job. I also recommend Marionnaud brushes if you're looking for cheap, good quality makeup applicators. :)

What's in My Makeup Bag: October 2011

2011-10-26T20:00:00.004+08:00

I've built my makeup bag according to two Bobbi Brown books, the Bobbi Brown Teenage Beauty and the Bobbi Brown Makeup Manual. These two books gave me an idea of what my essentials should be. She wrote that the perfect school makeup kit for a teenager consists of the following:

a pressed powder compact
any kind of foundation
a 3-in-1 pencil for lips, eyes and cheeks
a lipstick or pot of gloss.

In the Makeup Manual, she wrote that the everyday bag could more or less consist of the following:

one or two palettes that contain foundation, concealer, blush and lip color
a pressed powder compact
a simple eye palette
mascara
lip gloss
small brushes
sample sizes of face creams.

Of course, I didn't strictly follow the lists Bobbi Brown made. I didn't feel like I needed this product or that product. Her lists were simply starting points for me. For example, I don't think I have to lug around my liquid foundation to school because 1) I rarely do my makeup outside the house and 2) I don't usually retouch my makeup during the day. Similarly, I don't think I have to bring eye makeup because I use primers on my lids anyway; I expect my eyeshadow to last all day already.

With Bobbi Brown's lists and my personal needs (and wants I guess) in mind, I built this makeup kit. Not everything here is a constant because I like to switch things up every now and then. In the case of lip products, I switch it up almost everyday, but some items never leave my makeup kit. I'll take about each of the stuff in a bit.

I store everything in a quilted navy blue pouch from Estée Lauder, which was given to me by my mom. She got it from an EL gift, I believe. I wouldn't say that this is huge; it's definitely smaller than the usual 5x8 index card. I've used this for so many years, and it still hasn't failed me.

On to the contents of my makeup kit!

L-R: NARS Lip Gloss in Oasis, Rosebud Perfume Co. Rosebud Salve, MAC Tinted Lip Conditioner in Petting Pink, MAC Lipstick in Taupe, NYX Soft Matte Lip Creme in London

Among these items, the MAC Tinted Lip Conditioner, the Rosebud Salve and the NYX Matte Lip Creme never leave my makeup bag. The MAC Lip Conditioner is my go-to item when my lips are looking a bit pale and dry. The Rosebud Salve is a new addition to my kit. I've tried the Vaseline lip balm and the EOS lip balm, but I they did absolutely nothing for my lips. I prefer the Rosebud Salve because it moisturizes my lips, other dry areas on my body and minor burns. It has a bit of gloss too! Unlike petroleum jelly, it doesn't have a thick feeling, which is also a plus! As for the NYX Matte Lip Creme, I just like having it there in case I feel like putting on a matte lip.

Random face brush, theBalm Liquid Time Balm, Benefit Benetint

The face brush is also a new addition to my makeup kit. I might do a separate post on this one so watch out for that! I'll talk about this brush there instead. For concealer, I lug around theBalm's Liquid Time Balm concealer. I'm not a big fan of this concealer, but among my concealers, it's the easiest to travel with. Concealer is a must for me because I have butt loads blemishes. As I've said before, I carry my mini Benetint all the time. Beats bringing a huge pan of blush!

House keys, Strepsils, Hair tie, MAC Blot Powder in Medium Dark, Denman brush and mirror compact

All of these things never leave my makeup kit. For some odd reason, I put my house keys inside my makeup kit. I rarely use 'em anyway so whatever. Moving on, Strepsils is a must if you're a sickly kid like me! I prefer the lemon flavor over the orange one though. Until I decided to make this blog post, I never knew I had a hair tie in my makeup kit. I never put my hair up in public so I might just keep this in here for my friends! Next I have my MAC Blot Powder. This proves that I'm really not into touching up when I go out. The only pressed powder I have barely has coverage. It's meant to just mattify my face. I don't know if any of you MAC Blot Powder users notice this, but it makes my pores shrink too! Then I have a Denman brush and mirror compact thing. It's not the most comfortable brush to use, but it's practical. Plus, the mirror of the MAC compact is pretty small.

Cellufresh MD Eye Lubricant, Clean & Clear Oil Control Film, Nivea roll-on deodorant

Okay, so why do I have deodorant inside my makeup kit? I honestly don't know. I guess I can use it in case...I don't know. LOL. I bring oil blotting film because it's fun to use. A friend of mine said that the Gatsby films are better than the Clean & Clear ones. I'll be sure to try that once I run out of my current pack. Lastly, I have my trusty eye lubricant for my contacts. I like bringing it better than solution. I'm afraid of it spilling everywhere! The great thing about this eye lube is its fast action relief! Whenever my eye gets itchy, I put two drops of Cellufresh on my eyes then voila, comfort!

That ends today's post! Hope you found my what's-in-my-makeup-bag post interesting. :) Tell me about the contents of your makeup bag by posting a comment! Happy Wednesday, everyone!

FOTD + Holiday Collections Haul: Lush and Benefit

2011-10-23T21:45:00.003+08:00

Happy Sunday, everyone! I had a pretty exciting weekend beauty-wise. I was able to pick up some Holiday Collection goodies from two of my favorite cosmetic brands, Lush and Benefit!

But before that, let me share with you my Sunday FOTD! It's nothing special, but I do love my cheek color and lip color today.

Yay for nude lips! I love how this shade doesn't make me look dead or dehydrated.

For the face, I used the usual Benefit "That Gal" primer, Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation, MAC MSF Natural in Medium Plus, Laura Mercier Undercover Pot Concealer and MAC Fix+.
For the cheeks, I used Benefit High Beam and my new Benefit POWda WOWza (Coralista and Hoola)! Will talk about that more in a bit.
For the lips, I used Rosebud Perfume Co. Rosebud Salve and NYX Soft Matte Lip Creme in London.
For the eyes, I used NYX Eyeshadow Base, MAC Mineralize E/S duo in Mix & Switch, Make Up For Ever Aqua Liner in brown, and Maybelline Hyper Curl Volum' Express mascara.

Okay, back to the haul. Let the Lush and Benefit lovin' commence!

It's so girly. I'm not sure if I like that about the Snow Fairy shower gel and shampoo (LOL). Look at those glitters!

Here we have two heavenly soaps, Candy Cane (which is decorated like a candy cane, btw) and Angel's Delight! They both smell like candies. Mmm.

Lastly I got the Benefit POWda WOWza! I finally have Coralista (blush), Bella Bamba (blush) and Hoola (bronzer)! I am too excited about this product. Three of the Benefit cheek products I've always wanted in one beautiful palette! I might have a new go-to cheek product, guys. Haha!

I got Benefit POWda WOWza from RedGirlShop at the Shop @ The Fort Bazaar. If you want to buy authentic Benefit products, be sure to visit their website or their Facebook page. They also carry other brands that might interest you guys. :)

That ends today's post. Hope you guys had a wonderful weekend! :)

Face of the Day + Haul

2011-10-20T21:42:00.000+08:00

It's been so long since I last did an FOTD blog post (main reason: I don't particularly enjoy taking pictures of myself)! Today, I'll share with you my current favorite makeup look and products through my FOTD. I also picked up a few beauty-related things today. Thought I'd share those as well!

Please excuse my active breakouts :(

I haven't changed my foundation routine since my Go-To Items blog post. I still use Benefit "That Gal" face primer, Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation, Laura Mercier Undercover Pot and MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural in Medium Plus.

Here's the new makeup look I have been loving for my cheeks! I do C's on my cheeks with the MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural in Medium Dark (a shade darker than my finishing powder) then stipple a bit of bronzer on the hollows of my cheeks while bringing the color up to the apples of my cheeks. This creates a subtle bronzy look. I love how simple and neutral it is! As for my lips, I used a pigmented berry lip gloss.

For my lips and cheeks, I used the NARS Oasis lip gloss, the MAC Equilibrium blush and the MAC MSF Natural in Medium Dark.

This is my everyday eye look. The only thing different is the eyeliner.

Products used: Urban Decay Primer Potion, CoverGirl Lash Blast Volume, Revlon ColorStay Brow Enhancer, MAC All That Glitters E/S (all over lid color), MAC Satin Taupe E/S (crease color), Maybelline Gel Eyeliner in Brown.

Quick haul time! I went to Saizen (for the first time!), Watsons, Etude House and Healthy Options today and picked up a few stuff.

I got the Majolica Majorca Perfect Automatic Liner in black from Watsons, the Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque from Healthy Options, a taupe matte nail polish from Etude House, a brow thing (lol) from Etude House, a shimmery teal nail polish from Saizen and this container:

I used it to store my single eyeshadows!

I'm especially excited to try the Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque! I never knew we had this here in the Philippines. I actually found it while looking for protein drinks and tea boxes at Healthy Options!

That ends my FOTD and haul post! If you've tried any of the products I recently bought, please tell me about your experiences by commenting below! :) Happy Thursday, everyone!

Current Obsession: Brownish/Orangey Lips

2011-10-19T19:12:00.001+08:00

When it comes to lipsticks, my color comfort zone will always mauve because it's the closest to my lip color. Lately, however, I've been exploring other color families. Among the colors I've tried, browns and oranges would have to be my favorite. Since I can't rock a nude lip, I decided to try brown lips, and because I wanted a color substitute for red, I decided to try orange lips. So far, so good.

I picked out three of my most worn lip colors right now that are either orangey or brownish. For my skin tone, these are all wearable colors--perfect for school, work or casual days out.

First off we have a lipstick from my number 1 favorite makeup brand, NARS. I love NARS lipsticks because it contains conditioners and antioxidants that keep my lips moisturized. Well, that and 'cause I really trust the brand. Haha!

The lipstick is in the shade Morocco, which has a semi-matte finish. It is an orangey red with the slightest hint of brown. The swatch above took me three strokes to achieve. Yes, it is a bit sheer, but I find this a good thing because it gives me more freedom to play with the vividness of the color. For everyday looks, I usually dab just a bit of it. For special occasions, I'll definitely build the color more.

I just love NARS' semi-matte lipsticks. It has just the right amount of gloss to it.

Next up is a matte finish lipstick from MAC. Honestly, I have a love-hate relationship with MAC lipsticks. Some of the finishes look godawful on my lips (e.g. frost finish lipsticks), but I will always love their matte lipsticks. Like the NARS lipsticks, this isn't drying as well. I'm not sure if it also protects the lips, but yeah it does the job.

This lipstick is in the shade Taupe, a reddish brown shade. This is currently my most worn lipstick. I love how it looks against my skin tone. The swatch above took just one swipe, so it's safe to say that it's pigmented and opaque.

Yeah, I think this is my new favorite lipstick.

Lastly, we have a NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream. This product dries out my lips like it's nobody's business...even with tons of lip balm under it! Luckily, my addiction to the color makes up for it.

My NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream is in the shade Abu Dhabi, a nude-ish brown color. This is my alternative to the nude lip. I don't think I can pull off a nude lip so I work around that dilemma by going for brown shades. This one is more muted than MAC's Taupe lipstick. The swatch above took my just one swipe so like the NARS lipstick, it is a bit sheer.

Soft Matte Lip Creams are quite easy to apply because its formulation is quite smooth. Another thing that makes up for my drying problem.

There you have it--my current favorite lipsticks! Tell me what you think about these colors below! :) Happy Wednesday, everyone!

Benefit Feelin' Cheeky! Minis

2011-10-17T20:19:00.002+08:00

Here is part two of my back-to-back Benefit review. Next up is a product perfect for Benefit Cosmetics beginners, the Feelin' Cheeky! Minis value kit! It contains three of Benefit's best selling cheek products, Posietint, High Beam and Benetint. I got this value pack because I didn't know which of the three I wanted to get. I believe Cha Cha Tint wasn't out yet when I bought this.

Please excuse my bottle of Benetint. I've kept it inside my makeup bag for four months. The print doesn't travel well. LOL.

Each bottle contains 0.13 oz of product, while the full size ones contain 0.42 oz. Posietint and Benetint are lip & cheek stains, while High Beam is a highlighter. For Benetint and Posietint, I think 0.13 oz is enough for me. Since I use High Beam almost everyday, I'm seriously thinking of buying the full size already. I'll probably wait till the first Benefit store in the Philippines opens!

Like the full size bottles, each of the minis come with synthetic brush applicators.

Posietint is a bright Barbie pink color without any shimmer, High Beam is a pearly pink color with fine silver flecks, and Benetint is a strawberry red color also without any shimmer. The first two are creamy in consistency, while the third one is quite water-like.

The products blended out

Benetint gives a natural flush to the cheeks and lips. On my lips, Benetint leaves a just-bitten effect. I find that compared to Posietint, Benetint looks more flattering on my NC35 skin tone. Posietint will probably work better for skin tones lighter than mine. I use it mostly on my lips because it accentuates its natural mauve color. I'd use the two stains on my lips more often if it didn't taste bitter. A little warning though, these two dry up quickly so you have to blend it right away. If you let it sit, it'll leave marks.

High Beam is my favorite among the three. This is my day-to-day cheek highlighter, alongside the NARS Copacobana Multiple stick. It's smooth and creamy, which makes it easy to blend into the skin.

PROS:

Mini bottles travel well
Easy to apply and blend out
Pigmented
Buildable
Cheap

CONS:

Bitter taste
"Okay" longevity
Unavailable locally (It's a Sephora Exclusive)

VERDICT:

This is addition to anyone's makeup bag or travel kit. Each of the three can prettify you in seconds! Definitely a good buy!

Good News + Benefit "That Gal" Brightening Face Primer

2011-10-17T18:00:00.000+08:00

Happy Monday, everyone! Today I'll be doing a back-to-back review of Benefit Cosmetics products! If you haven't heard, they'll be landing on Philippine shores soon! I read on Project Vanity and Coffee and Lipstick that Benefit has already set a month for their grand opening! I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one super excited about this. I don't have to worry about running out of my favorite Benefit Cosmetics anymore! I'm sure my aunt in Canada will feel the same (I ask her to buy my Benefit stuff. LOL!). This will surely be a good Christmas for us Benebabes, am I right?

Anyway, let's start with the review! First off is my day-to-day face primer, Benefit "That Gal" Brightening Face Primer. For some odd reason, I've heard a lot of negative reviews about this primer, which I don't understand because it works wonders for my skin.

I have a full-size bottle, and an unopened travel-size tube from my Benefit Confessions of a Concealaholic Concealer Kit.

The primer is housed in a glue-stick type meets click pen kind of bottle bottle. You have to twist the lower end of the bottle to squeeze the product out.

It works like a click-type concealer pen, which means you can't squeeze out a lot of product at once. The packaging is both economical and fuss-free!

I took me about 5 to 7 clicks to get that much product. I usually do 10 clicks, which is just enough for my face. A little goes a long way with this product.

The product has a nice strawberry scent. It has a light pink tone that leaves my face nice and rosy. Putting it on is cake because the formulation is more liquidy than creamy, so it glides on to the face smoothly. As for it's brightening function, it does leave a bit of a glow to the skin. Nothing remarkable though.

The product blended out

The product leaves my skin smooth and evened out. It provides a better canvas for me when I apply foundation. It also helps my foundation stay on much longer. It doesn't keep my face looking flawless up to 8 hours, but it does a pretty good job holding everything together.

PROS:

Nice scent
Liquidy formulation
Easy to apply
Leaves skin smooth
Packaging is practical

CONS:

Not advisable for people with pink undertones. It might accentuate redness.
Not YET available locally

VERDICT:

This primer is my comfort zone. I don't think I'll be trying other primers in a while. This one works great for my combination to oily skin type. I love how easy it is to apply. Also, it doesn't leave a heavy feeling on my skin.

My second Benefit review will be up in a while. Watch out for that! :)

Wishlist: Holiday Collections Edition PT. II

2011-10-14T19:18:00.001+08:00

The first semester of my third year in college is finally over. Time to rest, be lazy, and blog! Today's post is a continuation of my Holiday Collections Wishlist post. More companies have released their Holiday 2011 collections since my last post. Being a makeup nut, I continued to lengthen my Christmas wishlist!

First off we have a product from the Guerlain Holiday collection. I've always wanted to try their Meteorites powder, but it's just too overpriced. Right now, my colegiala budget just can't handle that much damage! Till then, this will be in my yearly wishlist.

Photo from Temptalia.com

Guerlain Metorites Perles de Nuit (Limited Edition), $56

Next, we have Bobbi Brown. Since I am a sucker for mauve-ish lip products, this combination palette immediately caught my eye. The lip products and the eyeshadows look perfect for everyday looks. The packaging is looks pretty nifty too. It's also not bad for it's price!

Photo from Temptalia.com

Classic to Go Palette (Limited Edition), $25

Next up are a couple of MAC sets from their Ice Parade Holiday collection. Each of the sets contain one frost lipstick, one Lipglass, three makeup brushes, and one eyeshadow-blush palette. I haven't decided which one I like more so I'll show both!

Photo from Temptalia.com

Warm Fabulously Festive Face Kit (Limited Edition)

Photo from Temptalia.com

Cool Fabulously Festive Face Kit (Limited Edition)

Next we have a palette from Laura Mercier. It contains three makeup brushes, six eyeshadows, three liners and two blushes. Talk about a complete palette! I love how all the shades are wearable! Too bad it's too expensive. Not surprised though.

Photo from Temptalia.com

Color Portfolio (Limited Edition), $98

Next up is Benefit Cosmetics. Damn, this company is really generous. Their Holiday Collection value sets are packed with so many products! My pics from this collection contain regular line products I've been dying to try. POWda WOWza contains three of their famous cheek powders, Coralista, Bella Bamba and Hoola. This palette is an absolute dream! I'm not passing out on this one. Project Flawless contains the following: Girl Meets Pearl primer, Bad Gal Lash mascara, Ultra Shines lipgloss and Bella Bamba blush. How awesome is that?!

Photo from Temptalia.com

POWda WOWza (Limited Edition), $28

Photo from Temptalia.com

Project Flawless (Limited Edition), $32

Lastly we have Make Up For Ever. If you've read my previous posts, you will know that I am IN LOVE with their Aqua Cream Eye Shadows. For the Holidays, they released a limited edition set that contains TEN (10) neutral cream eyeshadows! Sadly, it's too goddamn expensive. I shit you not. MUFE also released a kit that is an absolute dream: a train case containing butt loads of MUFE cosmetics! I think this one will remain a "wish" forever. Scroll down for the insane price tag.

Photo from MusingsOfAMuse.com

Wild & Chic Aqua Cream Collection (Limited Edition), $175

Photo from MusingsOfAMuse.com

Wild & Chic Collector Case (Limited Edition), $330

That concludes the second part of my Holiday Collections Wishlist! I am honestly not hoping for a third part if you know what I mean. Have a great Friday everyone!

theBalm Cabana Boy Blush

2011-10-09T19:11:00.000+08:00

My obsession over berry-toned blushes started with this particular blush. Again, here is another cheek product from my number one favorite brand in Beauty Bar, theBalm! Say hello to the theBalm Cabana Boy blush.

Like the Bahama Mama bronzer, one side of the box has a magnet to help keep the flap closed at all times. I swear, I love the packaging of theBalm products. The color of the blush goes so well with its packaging!

Cabana Boy is a muted magenta color with very minimal shimmer. Spice up your makeup look with a berry-toned blush for a change. Like coral and salmon pink, this color will also look good in different skin tones.

The color payoff of this blush is just amazing. It's easy to overdo so you'll need a light hand during application especially if you're going for a soft cheek look. The blush leaves a nice glow to the skin even though the glitters are barely noticeable. Always a good quality in a blush, right? Its staying power is so-so, but can be remedied by dabbing a little cream blush before application.

PROS:

Economical (Php 800+ for a 8.5-gram pan)
Unconventional color
Pigmented
Leaves a glowy finish to the skin
Cute packaging
Available locally (Beauty Bar)

CONS:

"Okay" staying power
A bit powdery

VERDICT:

I am in love with this blush! I highly recommend this. The color is just beautiful, and I'm sure anyone can rock berry-toned blushes. Step out of your comfort zone and get this now!

theBalm Bahama Mama Bronzer

2011-10-08T20:14:00.001+08:00

theBalm is one of my favorite brands in terms of packaging. I mean, who does not love their pin-up girl theme? I am also a big big fan of their eyeshadows. About a month ago, I decided to finally try their cheek products. I've eyed Cabana Boy blush for quite some time, and I was excited to get that. I also picked up the Bahama Mama bronzer to go with it.

The box is equipped with a magnet to ensure that the packaging will remain closed. I don't know about you, but I personally like box-type packaging. I rarely do touch-ups during the day so I pretty much leave all my makeup at home. I don't have to worry about super sturdy packaging.

Bahama Mama has a rich tan color with a little bit of shimmer. It contains silica, which is known for controlling oil. For Php 775, you get 7.08 grams of product. Not bad considering the price of 8-gram NARS bronzers, which is around $33.

This bronzer is quite tricky to apply. This is one of those products that are easy to overdo because of its mad pigmentation. I usually just stipple my angled brush on the pan, that's it. If you put on to much, this will make your skin look a bit dirty. It doesn't help that the product is quite powdery.

PROS:

Pigmented
Stays on for 4-6 hours
Economical
Adorable packaging
Available locally (Visit Beauty Bar)

CONS:

Easy to overdo
Powdery
More brown than bronze

VERDICT:

This is one of those so-so products. I don't love it, I don't hate it. I think this is a bit too brown for my NC35 skin tone. I wouldn't recommend this for bronzer beginners because like I said earlier, this is easy to overdo. I still prefer my trusty NARS Laguna over this.

MAC Me Over Collection Haul + Swatches

2011-10-07T20:48:00.000+08:00

The long wait is over--the MAC Me Over collection has officially arrived in the Philippines. I've waited for this collection since I saw its preview on Temptalia.com last August! I had my eye on the Stunner blush since then. I went to Rustan's Shangri-la yesterday and today to check it out. Figured I wasn't the only one waiting for this collection so I felt the need to hustle. (Okay, LOL.)

I got two powder blushes in Equilibrium and Stunner, and a single eyeshadow in Satin Taupe. The two blushes are exclusive to this collection, the eyeshadow isn't. Satin Taupe is actually part of the regular line, but it's difficult to find in the Philippines. I usually don't see it on MAC's tester racks (Powerplant and Glorietta).

Here's a closer look of the blushes. We have Equilibrium, a muted bronze with warm orange-y undertones, and Stunner, a muted coral pink. Both leave a satin finish on the skin.

Equilibrium is warm and gentle enough to use as an overall cheek color. If you're not big on neutral blushes, this should be a great bronzer. It won't look dirty on the skin at all. Stunner looks really bright and pink when swatched, but it's actually quite flattering on the skin. It leaves a nice rosy glow despite the lack of shimmer.

Here is one of MAC's famous eyeshadows, Satin Taupe. I've wanted this eyeshadow for a long time (As I've said, this is also part of MAC's regular collection), and I am so glad to finally have it. This is an amazing crease color!

Since this is a frost eyeshadow, it has a lot of shimmer. It catches light pretty well, don't you think so?

That was a lot of descriptions for a haul. This turned out to be a mini review! I'll end my blog post here and get back to my That 70's Show marathon. Just one more week of school, and I can blog away. Happy weekend, everyone! Don't forget to visit your favorite MAC counters for the long-awaited MAC Me Over collection!

Trend to Try: Ombré Lip

2011-10-05T21:05:00.000+08:00

I've been noticing a lot of buzz about ombré lips lately, and I've been dying to try it out myself. I think it's a great trick to dress up any makeup look. This also creates an illusion of plumper lips because of the gradient of colors. With the right color combination, this trick can be used for day-to-day looks (I am college student). I love how this trick won't take you more than a minute. It's a no-brainer. All you have to do is find a your-lip-color-but-better shade and a lighter shade that still belongs in the same color family. For this lip look, I decided to go with the two NYX round lipsticks I got from Digital Traincase.

I'll be using my NYX lipsticks in Summer Love and Frappucino. Summer Love is a cross between pale rose and beige, and Frappucino is a rich coral color.

Frappucino and Summer Love

Apply the darker shade all over you lip, apply the lighter color on the middle part of your lips, blend it well, and you're done! Here's how mine turned out:

I think the color combination is pretty wearable, don't you think so? The ombré effect of the colors I used gave my lips a bit of oomph that is soft enough to wear in school, work or casual days out. Definitely an interesting way to wear lipstick! Try it out. :)

Current Obsession: Coral + Monotone

2011-10-03T20:18:00.000+08:00

Happy Monday, everyone! Hope all of you had a better day than I did. To counter the sucky day I had, I shall blog about makeup! This post was inspired by an article I found in one of my all-time favorite beauty websites, The Beauty Department. Today's topic is monotone makeup looks--wearing the same color on your eyes, cheeks and lips. I decided to go with a color that I'm currently loving on my eyes, coral! Conveniently, this is a color that is common on the cheek and the lips. Nothing new there.

Here are some of my favorite makeup products under the coral shade:

Coral colors from the Dollface 88 Shimmer Palette
MAC single eye shadow in Paradisco
MAC Frost lipstick in Bombshell
MAC Sheer Tone Shimmer blush in Springsheen
Majolica Majorca Jewewling Eyes in RD784
NARS Mini Multiple in Orgasm
NYX Rouge cream blush in Rose Petal

Coral is definitely a shade that anyone can pull off. If you want to try a monotone look, coral is a good starting color. Here's my take on the monotone look:

I used the NYX Rouge cream blush in Rose Petal as a color base, and finished it off with MAC Springsheen. For the lips, I used MAC Bombshell.

For the eyes, I used the light peach color from the Majolica Majorca palette all over the lid then applied MAC Paradisco on the outer corner of eye. I accentuated my crease by applying a coral color from the Dollface 88 Shimmer palette on my crease. I finished the look by softly lining my eyes using a brown eyeliner.

Once I get the hang of the monotone look, I'll branch out to other warm colors. So excited! You should try it too. :)

Revlon Beyond Natural Cream to Powder Eye Shadow

2011-10-01T16:26:00.001+08:00

Here I go again with another cream eye shadow review. I know I've found the perfect cream eyeshadow (check it out here), but as I've said on that review, it is quite pricy. The color range is also quite limited, not to mention the dominance of flashy colors and shimmer, shimmer, shimmer. Now I'm on the lookout for cheaper alternatives.

I went on YouTube and searched for videos on good drugstore products. Meganheartsmakeup mentioned a Revlon cream eyeshadow quad in one of her videos so I figured I'd check it out. Sadly, that particular cream eyeshadow quad isn't available locally. I found another Revlon cream eyeshadow quad and decided to give that one a try. Say hello to the Revlon Beyond Natural Cream to Powder Eye Shadow in 510 Peach.

This cream eye shadow quad comes in four natural-toned palettes. Since I'm a sucker for peach/salmon-toned shadows, I decided to get the Peach quad.

I shall go about the colors in a clockwise motion starting with the lightest shade. Shade 1 is a basic cream color, Shade 2 is an old rose color, Shade 3 is a neutral peach color, and Shade 4 is a rich chocolate brown color. All of which have a bit of shimmer to it.

Okay, here's a little confession. I did not read up on this product before buying it, but honestly, I had high hopes for this product. I'm not a big Revlon fan, but I am aware that they make good quality makeup products. The shades swatched beautifully on my hand at the store. Wish I could say the same when I applied it on my lids when I got home. The color payoff was pretty bad. Naturally, I packed on a bit more product to make the colors really show, but it ended up looking blotchy and dry. I didn't reach for it again till I realized that I was almost out of the Urban Decay Primer Potion. For review purposes, I decided to wear it as an eyeshadow last week. Shades 2 and 3 looked too similar on my lids. Packing on Shade 1 barely made a difference. I also noticed that the shimmery flecks didn't catch light very well. As for longevity, it's stayed on pretty well for a good 3 hours. After that, it creased like hell even with a primer. At the end of the day, it left the ugliest crease marks known to man. I am never going to wear this alone ever again.

The next day, I opted to use it as an eyeshadow base. My powder eyeshadow stayed on a bit longer, but it still creased on me. I honestly don't know how I'm going to finish this up. I guess I can use this on my lids during short school days.

PROS:

Packaging

CONS:

Horrible, horrible crease marks
Doesn't stay on
Poor pigmentation
Blotchy finish
Doesn't blend well
Price tag (For that quality? Really?!)

VERDICT:

I do not recommend this product to anyone. The E.l.f. cream eyeshadows perform better than this, and if you've read my review on that, you'd know that I hate that product. Revlon, I am disappointed. :( This is definitely a product I regret buying.

Wet n Wild Color Icon Palette in Vanity

2011-09-23T20:41:00.001+08:00

Wet n Wild makes the best drugstore eyeshadows in my opinion. After falling in love with their Color Icon trios in Walking on Eggshells and Sweet as Candy (my go-to eyeshadow palettes btw), I decided to get one of their bigger palettes. Among all of their 6-eyeshadow palettes, I picked up the Color Icon Eyeshadow Palette in Vanity because of the neutral color selection. Who doesn't love a good neutral palette?

I apologize if my palette looks a bit beaten up. I've had this for a while now, but I only started to really appreciate it recently. I've been reaching for this almost everyday now. I love mixing up the mattes and the shimmers! I've also love using the darkest matte shade to line my eyes.

The first column stores three matte eyeshadows--a creamy apricot color, a deep medium tan color, and a deep brown color that has a burgundy undertone. The next column stores the shimmery eyeshadows--a cream color, an amber yellow color, and a chocolate brown color. All of the shimmery shadows seem to have a yellow undertone because of its fine gold flecks.

I have different opinions about the matte colors and the shimmery colors, but generally, all the shadows are long wearing. Although some of the colors look intimidating for day-to-day looks, these shadows are actually really easy to blend. If you over do it, blending won't be a bitch.

The matte colors are very pigmented especially the darkest one. Among the three matte shadows, it has to be my favorite. The burgundy undertone is great to amp up any neutral smokey eye. I love how these matte shadows don't leave a powdery finish unlike other matte shadows from the drugstore.

The shimmery colors aren't as pigmented as the matte colors. If you don't pack on enough product on your lids, it'll leave a sheer finish. Not to worry because the shimmery shadows are easy to build up. Also, packing on a lot of shadow won't make your eyelids look like disco balls because its shimmery flecks are quite fine.

PROS:

Matte shades are pigmented
Matte shades aren't powdery
Shimmery shades have fine gold flecks
Gold flecks don't fall off in the middle of the day
Long-wearing
Good color selection
Easy to blend and build up
Price tag (Php 499)

CONS:

Shimmery shades aren't as pigmented as the matte shades

VERDICT:

I highly recommend this palette! Its great selection of neutral colors that are perfect for everyday looks. It's easy to mix up the colors because they all jive well with one another. Also, If you're new to smokey eyes, this is a great palette to start with because it does have a margin of error. The dark shades blend out easily.

Last Week in Photos

2011-09-18T20:41:00.002+08:00

Hell month has officially commenced. Let me share with you the stressful and tiring week I had...through photos!

TUESDAY:

Meet my new boyfriend, Niles.

WEDNESDAY:

History field trip @ Malolos, Bulacan. Our trip involved a lot of walking under the hot, hot sun.

THURSDAY to FRIDAY:

Cut all my classes last Thursday to do my market research paper, then another last Friday. I'm having trouble compartmentalizing.

SATURDAY:

Rest day...for the most part.

I'll probably cut more classes tomorrow and the day after. The submission of the market research paper is on Wednesday and I'm only 70% done. Gotta hustle! Can't beauty blog till I'm done with the paper. Wish me luck, everyone!

By the way, I noticed that I've already reached 10,300+ views! Last time I checked it was 9000 something! Thank you for still visiting my blog even though I've stopped blogging! :)

Weekend Haul: Shop @ The Fort Bazaar + Some Others

2011-09-12T19:09:00.003+08:00

Before I dive into buttloads of schoolwork, I shall de-stress myself by making another blog post. "Beauty" blogging is quite fun. I never thought I'd enjoy it this much!

Anyway, on to the actual "beauty" blog post! Last Saturday, I went to the Shop @ The Fort Bazaar at NBC Tent. It's one of the bazaars I frequent because I always find unique and affordable pieces there. I rarely see makeup booths there so when I saw a bunch of 'em last Saturday, I got extremely excited! I saw a lot of NYX products and (original) Benefit products. Since I haven't fully convinced myself that a 1800-peso box of Benefit Coralista is worth my money, I decided to get more NYX stuff! This time, from The Make Up Store. Be sure to check their Facebook for awesome beauty finds!

I am officially a HUGE fan of NYX's Rogue Cream Blushes. The first shade I got was in 01 Rose Petal, a lovely coral color. Since then, I've been googling swatches of the other shades. I immediately fell in love with 11 Boho Chic, which is a beautiful old rose color. Luckily, The Make Up Store had stocks of that shade last Saturday! I didn't think about it anymore; I had to get it. The other thing I got was something I've been meaning to try for the longest time, the NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams. The shade I got is 09 Abu Dhabi, another my-lip-color-but-better shade. I would say that it's a deep mauve color.

The next thing I got is from Pure Beauty. My friends, Erika, Abby and Jessica, have been encouraging me to pay for attention to my brows, so I've been in the lookout for a tinted brow wax/pencil/powder/whatever that will fit the color of my brows perfectly. I've tried the NYX pencils and NYX brow wax, but I found their color selection too dark for my brows. When I checked Pure Beauty's Revlon shelves, I found the Revlon ColorStay Brow Enhancer, a double-ended twisty pen with a tinted brow pencil on one end, and a stick highlighter on the other. So far, I am loving it!

Lastly, I got a couple of stuff from Maybelline. I finally got myself a brown gel liner! I chose the Maybelline EyeStudio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner because Temptalia (my favorite beauty blogger EVER) gave it an A-. Plus, it's a drugstore product, which means it's cheap and accessible. It comes with a brush that doesn't look fine enough to be a liner brush, but it does the job. The other thing I got is the Maybelline Angelfit Brighten Up Blush in Creamy Cinnamon. Okay, I didn't really plan to purchase this product. Since I gave the Maybelline Pure Blush Mineral a good review, I figured this blush will be of good quality as well. Besides, I love blushers! The shade I got is too pretty to say no to!

That ends my weekend haul. I am bankrupt again. Looking forward to the next Shop @ The Fort Bazaar though. I'm hoping more makeup stores will join!

BY THE WAY! If you have time, please answer THIS survey about clothes. :) I need it for my market feasibility study. Your input will be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance! :)

My Go-To Makeup Products

2011-09-11T14:20:00.002+08:00

Today's post is inspired by yesterday's makeup routine. I thought I'd spend the day at home yesterday, but when my mom and my sister were about to leave for the mall, they insisted I go with them. I didn't have much time to get ready so after dressing up, I grabbed a bunch of makeup, stuffed them inside my makeup bag (which is usually empty) and ran out the door. The products I took with me were the stuff I knew I could put on while inside a moving vehicle; stuff that don't require special brushes for great application. I guess it's safe to say that these products are my go-to products whenever I'm late for something.

Top row: Make Up Forever Aqua Cream Waterproof Eyeshadows
Middle Row: Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation, NYX Rouge Cream Blush,
MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural, Benefit That Gal Face Primer
Last Row: CoverGirl Lash Blash Volume Mascara

For the eyes, my go-to eyeshadows are my Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream Waterproof Cream Color. If you've read my MUFE Aqua Cream review, you probably know how much I love this product. With the shades #13 and #16, I can create a beautiful neutral smokey eye in less than 2 minutes. I don't even have to use a primer because the MUFE Aqua Cream shadows last forever in my eyes. For mascara, I grabbed my trusty CoverGirl Lash Blast Volume in Dark Brown. This mascara gives my lashes volume like it's nobody's business! I didn't bother bringing an eyelash curler because I didn't want to risk pulling out my lashes while the car was moving. Luckily, I was blessed with lashes with a bit of curl.

The face makeup I grabbed are the products I don't even think about in the morning. I use these products every time I put on makeup. First, I use the Benefit That Gal Brightening Face Primer. This makes my foundation stay on all day. I wasn't a big fan of its rosy tint when I first tried it, but I learned to love it anyway. Next, I put on the Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation-slash-the best foundation in the whole world. This foundation gives me insane coverage even though it feels very light on my skin. Best foundation EVER! Next, I set my foundation with the MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural. It's not much of a face powder because it is quite sheer (hence the name "Skin Finish" I guess). I love that about it because it doesn't leave my face too cake-y. Finally, I dab a bit of the Laura Mercier Undercover Pot Secret Concealer on my dark circles then set it with some more MAC MSF (just under my eyes this time). The Secret Concealer is great for people in a rush because it's really easy to blend.

I grabbed just one cheek product to complete my look. I chose the NYX Rouge Cream Blush because...well...it's a cream blush; no brushes required. I dab three dots on each cheek bone then blend. Since it's a cream product, I had to set it with the MAC MSF again. This step will diminish the color of the blush a little bit, but that's my trick to creating a "flush from within". LOL. Setting the cream blush will also help it last all day.

As for brushes, I took my Charm Holiday Brush Set Face Brush for the MAC MSF. I was able to do a full makeup look inside the car using those products without problems. All the products mentioned in this post are highly recommended!

If you want a more in-depth review on any of the products mentioned, feel free to comment below!

E.l.f. Contouring Blush and Bronzing Duo VS. NARS Orgasm blush and NARS Laguna bronzer

2011-09-10T21:59:00.005+08:00

The E.l.f. Contouring Blush and Bronzing Duo compact is said to be "good dupes" for a couple of my all-time favorite cheek makeup products, the NARS Orgasm blush and the NARS Laguna bronzer. I got curious, so I swatched the blushes and bronzers side by side. Let the games begin!

E.l.f. Contouring Blush and Bronzing Duo

NARS Orgasm (From the NARS Orgasm-Angelika blush duo)

NARS Laguna bronzer

Judging by the pans, the E.l.f. blush and the Orgasm blush look nothing alike. The E.l.f. blush looks like a washed out pink, while the Orgasm blush looks like a deep coral-y pink. The E.l.f bronzer and the Laguna bronzer, however, are almost identical on the pans. The Laguna bronzer appears to have a richer color though. Let's see how the colors swatch:

L-R: E.l.f. Blush, Orgasm Blush

Judging by the swatches, the E.l.f. blush and Orgasm blush is nothing alike. Whoever said that these two blushes are dupes of each other is obviously colorblind. When swatched, the E.l.f. blush is leaner towards a coral pink, while the Orgasm blush is more of a salmon pink. Both blushes have gold flecks, but Orgasm has a more significant amount of it. Also, the flecks of Orgasm is relatively finer.

L-R: E.l.f. Bronzer, Laguna Bronzer

Clearly, the two bronzers have differences. The E.l.f. bronzer is an orange-y brown, while the Laguna bronzer is more...well...bronze. The two bronzers also have a bit of shimmer to them, but like the blushes, the NARS bronzer has finer flecks.

Here they are side by side: E.l.f. bronzer, NARS Laguna bronzer,
E.l.f. blush, NARS Orgasm blush

I think the E.l.f. Contouring Blush and Bronzing duo is only associated with the NARS Laguna and the NARS Orgasm because of the packaging. If you've seen the NARS Orgasm-Laguna duo, you know what I mean.

Does anyone want more in-depth reviews of the E.l.f. and NARS products? Feel free to comment below!

Laura Mercier Undercover Pot Concealer

2011-09-10T13:13:00.001+08:00

Happy Saturday, everyone! I've decided to start my weekend with a review! Today's product is from my favorite face makeup brand, Laura Mercier. A few weeks ago, I did a haul post featuring the Laura Mercier Oil-Free Flawless Face Kit. Today, I'll share with you my thoughts on the Laura Mercier Undercover Pot concealer that came with the kit.

I am so glad the Undercover Pot, Oil-free Tinted Moisturizer and Oil-Free Primer actually came in one glorious kit. I've been itching to try the mentioned products for the longest time! Thank you, thank you, thank you, Laura Mercier!

The Undercover Pot contains two concealers and a setting powder. The top part of the pot houses the Secret Camouflage concealer (left), an oil-free concealer for blemishes and other imperfections, and the Secret Concealer (right), a creamy concealer for under-eye circles. Unscrew the top part of the pot and you will find the Loose Translucent Setting Powder.

L-R: Secret Concealer, Secret Camouflage, Loose Setting Powder

Both concealers have great coverage. I absolutely love Secret Concealer for my under-eye circles because its creamy formulation lets me apply the product on my sensitive eye areas smoothly. This is the best under-eye concealer I've used so far. Secret Camouflage is harder to apply because of its consistency. It's definitely more solid than Secret Concealer, which makes blending quite difficult. I don't hate it, but I feel like I'm scraping off my foundation when I blend it on my skin. I remedy this by warming up the product with my fingers before I application. The Loose Setting Powder is great because it's translucent. It won't give you uneven skin tone or anything like that. I'm so tempted to get this one in a large pot!

PROS:

The concealers have great coverage
Secret Concealer's creamy formulation
The Loose Setting Powder's translucent finish
Okay longevity
Packaging

CONS:

Secret Camouflage's consistency
Price tag

VERDICT:

I love this product! I reach for this everyday now. Although I still prefer Benefit Boi-ing Concealer over Secret Camouflage, 2/3 of the Undercover Pot is still pretty good. If you apply concealer before foundation, my blending issue shouldn't be a problem for you.

Maybelline Pure Blush Mineral

2011-09-08T19:45:00.002+08:00

One of the best things in life is finding a cheap good quality makeup product. You have to admit, sometimes it's more exciting to shop for drugstore makeup than high end makeup. It's nice to know you can get more products out of your allowance when you go to...say...Watsons or SM Department Store.

Honestly, I only go to Maybelline for their mascaras. I absolutely LOVE their The Magnum Volum' Express mascara! I'd go to their counters more often if they'd bring Dream Mousse products, Fit Me products and other mascaras like One by One, Falsies and Great Lash. Till then, I'll settle for what they have now. I decided to try the Maybelline Pure Blush Mineral a few weeks ago, and I am loving it.

The shade I got is 01 Pink. The color may look daunting in the pot, but the product is quite easy to blend. I've a feeling this blush will last me a long time because it's very pigmented. You don't need a lot of product to create a beautiful pink flush. It comes with a tiny kabuki brush, but I prefer to use my Charm blush brush for this one. I put a small amount of product on the lid, and swirl my brush a bunch of times to ensure even application on my skin. If you don't, you'll end up putting too much product on certain areas of your skin. You wouldn't want to look like a clown, right?

How beautiful is that color? Just imagine a thin film of that shade on your cheeks! It has a bit of a sheen to it, which I happen to find flattering. The fine silver flecks give the skin a nice subtle glow. The best part is, drumroll please, it's long-wearing! It lasted me a good 8 hours or one whole school day. I can definitely say that I did not waste my money on this product.

PROS:

Very pigmented
Long-wearing
Leaves the skin glowing
You don't need a lot of product
Price tag
Easy to find

CONS:

Packaging. I never liked the packaging of loose powder in general. Too messy.
Limited color selection
Easy to overdo

VERDICT:

This is a great drugstore product. I love how it's long-wearing, which means I don't have to worry about it throughout the day. This is great for people who hate touching up in the middle of the day (like me) .

NYX Single Eyeshadows

2011-09-07T18:30:00.002+08:00

NYX will always be one of my top "drugstore" brands. I love how they have a huge range of makeup products, and a variety of shade options. Since I've already tried their jumbo eye pencils, brow/eyeliners and lipsticks, I thought I'd try their single eyeshadows.

The shades I got are in 134A Sparkle Cedar, a warm taupe color, and 38 Cotton Candy, a coral-y pink shade. Both of these shades are quite shimmery. MAC frost eyeshadows are nothing compared to these NYX singles and its huge glitter flecks.

Judging my the photo above, these shadows are shimmery. You can really see the flecks of glitter on the photo.

The two colors look absolutely beautiful on the pan. Both swatched beautifully at the store and at home. However, it doesn't produce the same pigmentation on my lids with or without a primer. I noticed that the silver flecks overpower the eyeshadow, which results to washed out colors. Packing on more product isn't an option because the eyeshadows are already too shimmery.

I usually wear Cotton Candy all over my lids using a flat brush, and Sparkle Cedar on my crease using a pencil brush. After blending and softening the edges of Sparkle Cedar, I noticed that my eyelids looked like it had only one shade on it: a shimmery champagne with purple undertones. All I could see were the silver flecks. NYX, I'm quite disappointed.

PROS:

Price tag
Easy to apply

CONS:

Too shimmery
Bad pigmentation
Not long wearing (even with a primer)
Packaging doesn't feel sturdy

VERDICT:

Yeah, I don't like these singles. I should've gotten an actual champagne color. Please comment if you've had better experiences with NYX singles. Maybe I just got the wrong colors.

Love & Beauty Crystal Eyes Eyeshadow Palette with Highlighter

2011-09-06T20:06:00.001+08:00

I was pretty doubtful about Forever 21's new cosmetic line, Love & Beauty, when they were first released it in the Philippines because 1) they didn't look promising at all (for me at least) and 2) they didn't have testers. How am I supposed to check if what I'm buying is of good value? I'm not one to buy makeup without swatching it (at the very least). Because of that, I never bothered visiting the Love & Beauty section of Forever 21 until they offered testers.

A few weeks ago while I was looking for a pocket mirror at Forever 21, I saw the cutest palette I've ever seen, the Love & Beauty Crystal Eyes Eyeshadow Palette with Highlighter. Since I'm a sucker for black studs, I wanted the palette the moment I saw it. After swatching the shadows and highlighter, I was convinced that it was worth its Php 305 price tag.

The palettes come with nine shimmery eyeshadows, a highlighter and a double ended applicator (not in photo). Pretty good for the price, right?

Color 1 -- Champange
Color 2 -- Burnt orange
Color 3 -- Muted pink
Color 4 -- Bronze with a green undertone
Color 5 -- Light peach
Color 6 -- Chocolate brown
Color 7 -- Chestnut brown
Color 8 -- Burgundy
Color 9 -- Taupe
Highlight color -- Shining shimmering splendid white

The palette I got contains warm tones--great for day-to-day use (If you love wearing shimmery shadows like me!). I saw another version of this palette last Friday that contains cool tones. I don't think either palettes have distinct names, but I noticed that the cool palette had white studs instead of black.

PROS:

Okay pigmentation
Long wearing (with a primer at least)
Adorable packaging design
Price tag
Light and compact

CONS:

Plastic packaging
Rough texture
Some shades require you to pack on a lot of product

VERDICT:

Will I buy another Love & Beauty eyeshadow product? Yes. I was quite impressed with my first Love & Beauty palette. I recommend this to people who are starting out in makeup. The quality is pretty good for its price if you take into consideration the variety and longevity of the product.

Wishlist: Holiday Collections Edition

2011-09-04T11:01:00.001+08:00

Some of my favorite makeup brands have already released information about their Holiday 2011 collections! The Holidays is that time of the year when cosmetic brands go all-out on their gift sets and palettes. Hooray for us girly girls. I am aware that it's too early to make a Christmas wishlist, but I don't think it's early to make a "save list"! Here are the some of the products I'm going to save up for!

1. Stila Dream in Full Color palette ($39)

Photo from Sephora.com

This huge palette contains 29 eyeshadow shades, 7 cheek colors, a Smudge Stick liner and a 12-page look book for "inspiration". I'm a fan of Stila eyeshadows and blushes so I'm really hoping that this product will get good reviews.

2. Stila Lip Glaze Set ($25)

Photo from Sephora.com

This is basically the two versions of their Lip Glaze trios mixed + some others combined. Imagine getting 8 Lip Glazes (0.05 oz each) for $25 when the full size Lip Glaze (0.08 oz each) is $22! Not bad, right?

3. Urban Decay Midnight Emergency Kit ($39)

Photo from Temptalia.com

Urban Decay kits are just awesome. For their Holiday 2011 line, this is the palette/kit that caught my eye. It contains four totally wearable colors, a Lip Junkie lip gloss and a travel size eyeshadow brush. I really want this kit. It's kind of overpriced for $39 dollars though. :(

4. Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Shadow Pencil Stash ($34)

Photo from Sephora.com

Here I go again with the cream eyeshadow pencils. I can't seem to get enough. Let's see if this is any better than the NYX ones.

5. Urban Decay Holiday 2011 Nail Kit ($28)

Photo from Temptalia.com

How lovely are these colors? They're so "me"! I think all of these shades will look okay with my skin tone.

6. Too Faced Beautiful Dreamer Makeup Collection ($46)

Photo from Sephora.com

Look at all those products. I'm excited to try the blush-bronzer duo, the Shadow Insurance and the eyeshadow quad! I don't like the design of the cosmetic bag it comes with though.

That ends my Holiday Collections Wishlist so far! Time to save up, ladies!

Phil-Cosmetics Expo Haul

2011-09-03T22:30:00.001+08:00

Last Friday, Erika, Jessica and I hit SM Megamall for the Phil-Cosmetics Expo. We looked forward to this day like it was our birthdays. If any of you follow us on Twitter, you probably witnessed the three of us tweeting one another about Dollface Cosmetics palettes. We couldn't decide which ones to get until the day itself!

We were pretty disappointed when we got there though. We expected an expo, which is, by definition, a huge exhibit. We expected makeup galore to welcome us, but when we entered the venue, there were only a few booths. It wasn't all bad though. We had tons of fun trying out makeup from Digital Traincase and Dollface Cosmetics! I bought a bunch of stuff from the two booths!

I kind of bought a lot (This may not be a lot for some people, but this is "a lot" for my allowance!) of stuff from Digital Traincase. I got two NYX Lipsticks in Summer Love (nude-pink) and Frappuccino (deep rose - my-lip-color-but-better shade), a NYX Rogue Cream Blush in CB01 Rose Petal and an EOS lip balm in Summer Fruit.

I wore the cream blush today and I absolutely loved it! I wore it over my foundation and under my setting powder, which resulted to natural-looking flushed cheeks. Can't wait to do a review on this one!

The last thing I got was the Dollface 88 Shimmer palette, which is a lot like the Coastal Scents 88 Shimmer palette. I was torn between the 88 Dollface palette and the 88 Color palette, but when we got there the 88 Dollface palette wasn't available, and the 88 Color palette matte shades didn't swatch as well as I expected. I considered the Earth palette, but since I wanted variety, I ended up getting the Shimmer. I'm pretty happy with my decision. I'm not big on matte eyeshadows anyway.

How beautiful are those colors?!

I am definitely a fan of these two stores now. I love how Digital Traincase offers NYX Cosmetics in a much cheaper price than...where I usually get my NYX stuff (I don't want people to stop buying from them, but yeah, some of their prices are 100% more expensive than Digital Traincase's prices). Next on the list: Zoya and China Glaze polishes! As for Dollface, I still want the 88 Dollface palette. I hope they have testers at their Glorietta and Serendra branches!

Be sure to visit their websites soon!

Digital Traincase: http://digitaltraincase.com

Dollface Cosmetics: http://dollfacecosmetics.com.ph

Like their Facebook pages while you're at it!

Digital Traincase: http://www.facebook.com/DigitalTraincase

Dollface Cosmetics: http://www.facebook.com/pages/DollFace-Cosmetics/147680689108

Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream Waterproof Cream Color

2011-08-31T15:59:00.000+08:00

Brace yourselves for another cream eyeshadow review. If you've read my past posts, you should know that I've been on the lookout for a good quality cream eyeshadow, and by good quality, I mean long-lasting, crease resistant and pigmented. I am glad to tell you guys that I have found that cream eyeshadow line! Say hello to the Make Up Forever Aqua Cream Waterproof Cream Color!

The shades I have are #13, which is a champagne color with a peach undertone, and #15, which is a shimmery medium brown/light taupe color. Both of these full size pots were included in the Make Up For Ever Lesson 1: Natural Eyes kit, which I mentioned in my first ever haul post.

L-R: 13, 15

I'm not kidding when I say that these eyeshadows last all day on the lids. I wore this one time on a very hot school day. I had insanely spicy korean ramen for lunch, which obviously made me sweat a whole lot more. When I checked my eyes later that day, I noticed very minimal color fading and creasing near my tear ducts. That's it. When I got home, I tried rubbing my lids (Kids, do not do this unless you want to have wrinkles before you're 30) to see if the color would finally wipe off, but it didn't! Only the small flecks of glitter stuck to my fingers. It wasn't even a lot! In my opinion, the waterproof factor is just a little bonus. It's not like I'm going to need makeup when I swim. Heck, I don't even swim that much. It really is waterproof though. To test it, I swatched the shadows on my hand, let it dry, and placed it under running water. Nothing really happened until I rubbed the swatch with my fingers for a long time. This product is too amazing for my life.

This is how I wear it:

I put 13 all over my lids, tear ducts and lower lid

I dabbed 15 on the outer corner of eye for a soft smoky effect, and a little
on my crease to create a bit of depth

PROS:

Long-wearing
Waterproof
Smudge-proof
Crease resistant
Pigmented
Creamy in the pot
Can definitely be worn alone

CONS:

Plastic packaging
Strong chemical smell, which reminds me of paint
Price tag! (Php 1450 - individual sale)
Hard to build up because it dries easily
Appears flaky at first, so you have to wait for your skin to warm it up (you can also rub it against your fingers to warm it up before application)
It's not smooth

VERDICT:

I was truly impressed with this product. I highly recommend it to people who are looking for good quality cream eyeshadows, and to people who are always on the go. Will I buy it again? Well, I really want to try its coral, peach and pink beige variants! I'm not sure when I'll buy another pot though. It is quite pricy (It's a bit more expensive that MAC Paint Pots). I was able to save money because I got 13 and 15 from a kit. Besides that issue, I love this product. It's definitely my holy grail cream eyeshadow!

Tutorial: How to "Depot" NYX Jumbo Eye Pencils

2011-08-29T22:10:00.000+08:00

Something terrible happened to one of my NYX Jumbo Eye Pencils. I think I've told you guys before that I pulled the cap of NYX JEP "French Fries, which caused the tip of the pencil to break. Well today, I dropped it and cracked its clear cap. When I tried to fix it, I pushed the cap into the pencil too much that I squished the broken tip. Can't imagine? Hold on, here's a photo of the tragedy:

Wait, it gets better. I don't have an eye pencil sharpener big enough for the NYX JEPs. I googled my problem, and came across "depoting" tutorials. I took tips from different websites and simplified it. Let me share with you what I did:

You will need:

A clean container
A pair of scissors
A hair dryer (forgot to include it in the photo lol)

The idea is to melt the product so it'll flow out of the pencil.

Step 1: Securely hold the pencil using the scissors, and hold it above the clean pot. You need the scissors to avoid the heat of the hair dryer later.

Step 2: Hold the hair dryer close to the pencil for a few minutes. Be patient!

Step 3: While the product is oozing out of the pencil, tap the container on a surface to even out the molten eyeshadow.

Step 4: Let it dry for a while.

There you have it! You have successfully depoted your NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil! It will look something like this:

I cut it open because I got curious HAHA

How do you guys depot your NYX JEPs? Share some tips below! :)

Another Haul + NBV Update + EOTD (Eyes of the Day?)

2011-08-28T20:42:00.002+08:00

Today's destination was supposed to be Sta. Rosa, Laguna. I actually mustered the strength to not be lazy and start my NBV1 market survey today! Too bad my dad decided to postpone our trip there because of heavy rains and strong winds.

First batch of surveys! Is 40 enough?

Instead, we stopped by Alabang Town Center to have my survey questionnaire photo copied. Since I had a little free time, I decided to hit PCX and Rustan's. Yup, I got freaking makeup again. I should really spend my savings on food instead of makeup. After all, food > everything.

I first went to PCX and got the ELF Contouring Blush & Bronzing Powder. This duo is supposed to be dupes for NARS Orgasm and NARS Laguna, which happens to be two of my all time favorite cheek products. Maybe I'll compare the four shades in a review soon. My next stop was the Stila counter at Rustan's. I got a Beach Palette in "Stunning in Sayulita". It contains four lovely eyeshadows, an almost-matte blush and a beautiful highlight color. The price tag wasn't bad at all. It looks like a four digit palette, but it's not! I am so excited to use this palette! The last thing I got was a Stila single eyeshadow in their most popular shade, Kitten. I swear it's the perfect champagne color. I could stare at it all day.

As for my EOTD, I used the Forever 21 Love & Beauty eyeshadow palette I got yesterday. The color payoff wasn't bad at all! I only got to wear it for four hours though. I don't think that's enough to judge its longevity.

Felt like doing an old rose eye look today

Here are the shades I used from the palette:

A muted pink for my lids
A toffee brown for my crease
A plum color to blend the colors 1 and 2
A sparkly white for my brow bone

I guess I'll do a review on this too. It's a long weekend after all. ;)

Haul + FOTD (c/o Laura Mercier) + Gloomy Day Remedy

2011-08-27T22:52:00.003+08:00

Because I refused to stay at home and feel gloomy today, I went out. Retail therapy can make any day great! Am I right or am I right?

I spent the afternoon in Makati, and I was able to stop by Laura Mercier, Forever 21 and SM Department Store. Here are the beauty-related things I got!

First stop was Laura Mercier, Glorietta. I've been meaning to try their primer, tinted moisturizer and Undercover pot. I went to Laura Mercier's Sephora page and saw a kit containing all three products! I didn't think the Laura Mercier Oil Free Flawless Face Kit would be available in our local counters because its Sephora product page said "exclusive". Obviously, I thought it was exclusive to Sephora branches. Turns out, it's exclusive to all Laura Mercier counters! I was so happy when I saw it at Rustan's, Glorietta!

The Laura Mercier Oil Free Flawless Face kit in Sand (for light to medium skin tones) contains the following: a travel size oil free face primer, a travel size oil free tinted mosturizer in Sand, an Undercover Pot in Shade #3, a concealer brush (thin tip), a flat setting powder brush, a huge powder puff, an oval sponge and a roomy cosmetic bag. Not bad for its value!

I asked the counter girl if I could try the tinted moisturizer included in the Sand kit on my jawline only, but the girl insisted on giving me a makeover using all the products in the kit and some others. Since I had nothing better to do, I went for it. She removed all the makeup on my face and packed Laura Mercier products on it. After she was done using the products in the kit, I didn't hesitate any longer! I loved how natural my look was.

Yay the tinted moisturizer in "Sand" fits my skin tone perfectly!

Next stop was Forever 21. I got some clothes and a Love & Beauty (F21's cosmetic brand) product! I was lured by the awesome packaging. I'm not even sure if the quality's pretty good. I usually do a little research on makeup products I want to buy, but this palette was cheap and pretty. I wanted it. HAHA! Will do a review on it soon!

9 shades...

... one huge pan of highlight color

...inside the cutest packaging ever

The last place I shopped at was the SM Department store. I got a heat protectant spray (that looks like a freakin Baygon bottle), containers for loose pigments and the Maybelline Pure Blush Mineral in Pink. How cute is that super tiny kabuki?! The Pure Blush Mineral is my first ever blush from Maybelline. I hope it doesn't break me out!

This next part isn't beauty-related anymore. As promised (by my blog title), here is my gloomy day remedy: good music c/o Ellie Goulding!

Have an awesome long weekend, everyone!

NARS Sweet Disposition Mini Multiple Set

2011-08-25T20:00:00.001+08:00

NARS has got to be my number one favorite makeup brand. I am a HUGE fan of their blushes, bronzers and lipsticks! One of their famous products is the Multiple, a multi-use cream-based stick for the eyes, cheeks and lips. The first Multiple I ever got was in the shade Copacabana, which is a highlight color. I fell in love with the texture right away. Since I've been looking for cream blushes, I decided to go to the NARS website to check out their blush-tone Multiples. I originally wanted to get the shade Riviera, but when I saw the NARS Sweet Disposition Mini Multiple Set under the "Gift Ideas" category, I knew I had to get that one instead (See? I love value sets!). The set contains three Mini Multiples namely Luxor, Orgasm and Malibu.

L-R: Luxor, Orgasm, Malibu

I decided to go with the Multiple Set because of the variety. Also, the regular sized Multiples are rather long, and I wasn't sure if I could finish it all before it expires. I guess I'm kind of biased with the shade, Orgasm, too.

L-R: Malibu, Orgasm, Luxor

Luxor is a muted lavander pink with a sheen to it, which is perfect for highlighting the cheekbones, the inner corners of the eyes and the lids. Orgasm is a deep salmon shade with tiny gold flecks, which is a great blush color. Malibu is deep ruby color, which can be used as a contour color or lip color.

Like my Copacabana Multiple, these mini sticks apply smoothly on the skin. My only concern is the pigmentation of Orgasm. I'm okay with Luxor being sheer because it is a highlight color. Orgasm, however is a different story. You get minimal color and a lot of glitter in 1-2 swipes. My face ends up looking a bit oily. I have to dab a piece of tissue over it to take some of the glitter off. To fix the pigmentation problem, I usually dab the stick on my cheeks 3-4 times to get more color. I don't suggest using applicators for Orgasm. Slide the Multiple directly on the skin for better pigmentation. As for Malibu, I have no problems. Since it's quite dark, one swipe goes a long way. It's too dark for my cheeks, so I use it as a lip color instead.

L-R: Orgasm Multiple, Orgasm powder blush

Okay, I just had to compare. As you can see, the Multiple is leaning towards a pink shade, while the powder blush is more of a coral color. The Multiple also has more gold flecks. I use the Orgasm Multiple to make my face look a bit alive during lazy days. I dab some MAC MSF Natural on top of it for a "glow from within". I use the Orgasm blush powder more often because the lasting power is great for school days. Also, I look more finished when I use the powder.

PROS:

Variety of colors
The size is perfect if you want to carry it around
Smooth texture
Easy to apply and blend

CONS:

Pigmentation of Orgasm
Not for people with really oily skin. It feels a tad bit greasy.
You get more value out of your money with a regular-sized Multiple. The mini Multiples are 0.14 oz each, while the regular sized ones are 0.5 oz. The regular Multiples and the Sweet Disposition sets cost the same.

VERDICT:

I'd rather buy powder blushes. NARS isn't famous for their powder blushes for nothing. Better pigmentation and lasting power always wins.

Benefit Confessions of a Concealaholic Concealer Kit

2011-08-23T20:21:00.002+08:00

Benefit Cosmetics is definitely one of my favorite makeup brands (not top one, but it's up there). Browsing through the Benefit website with my friend, Erika (Benefit happens to be her top one), inspired me to do a review on a Benefit product we both have, the Benefit Confessions of a Concealaholic Concealer Kit.

Benefit Confessions of a Concealaholic is a all-around concealer kit that contains notable Benefit products such as the "That Gal" brightening face primer, the Erase Paste brightening camouflage, two shades of the Boi-ing industrial strength concealer, the Lemon Aid color correcting eyelid primer, and the Eye Bright instant eye brightener. It also comes with an instruction guide and two double ended brushes for Boi-ing, Erase Paste, Eye Bright and Lemon Aid.

I asked my aunt to buy me this kit from Sephora last June, but I only started using the product this month. I use this everyday now because it has lots of the stuff I use in the morning: under eye concealer, blemish concealer and eye primer. Convenient, right?

"Legend"

Close up

L-R: Lemon Aid, Eye Bright, Boi-ing (02), Boi-ing (01), Erase Paste, That Gal

"That Gal" Face Primer

I'm thinking of doing a separate review for this. Watch out for that!

FYI: I'm starting to really love this product!

Erase Paste in Medium 02

The kit comes with a small pot of the Benefit Erase Paste (Medium 02), a concealer for hiding dark circles. Although Benefit says that Medium 02 is their most versatile shade, I found it way too light for my skin the first time I used it. I also didn't like its pink undertone because I was worried that it would make my eyes look rather tired. Another downside to this concealer is its sticky formulation. To make Medium 02 blend into my skin, I dab the product instead of sweeping my finger. The sticky formulation makes blending a lot more challenging than it should be. Lastly, since this product is not that creamy, it tends to crease a bit right after application. I just let it sit and let my skin warm it up.

Sadly, the only good thing I can say about this product is the reasonable coverage it gives. Will I buy this product individually when I run out of it? Nope. I'm using this product everyday because I want to use it all up already. I really want to try a new under eye concealer, but not until I've finished this. I don't want to waste.

Boi-ing in 01 and 02

How I wish this came in a pot like the Erase Paste! I absolutely love the Boi-ing concealer! The product is smooth and creamy, making application and blending a breeze. The thing I love the most about this concealer is that I don't have to pack on a lot of product to cover my blemishes and discolorations, and when I do pack on a lot, it never looks that caked on.

Will I buy this product individually when I run out of it? Absolutely! I think I found my holy grail concealer.

Eye Bright

Eye Bright is used to brighten the inner corners of the eyes (the tear ducts) to make you look more awake. This product really does brighten your eyes. No problem there. My only concern is the product formulation. It feels rather dry when you swatch it with your finger.

Will I buy this product individually when I run out of it? This is too much of a luxury. My light eyeshadow shades will do.

Lemon Aid eyelid primer

The product is really creamy and smooth, but when you blend it on your eyelids, it tends to leave a powdery finish. This is definitely no Urban Decay Primer Potion, but it works as a good color base.

Will I buy this product individually when I run out of it? Nope.

Yucky nails!

The brushes leave some streaks. I'm not a fan. When I asked Erika about 'em she advised me to use my fingers instead. I recommend the same thing because some products have to be warmed up, like Erase Paste, Eye Bright and Lemon Aid.

I RECOMMEND...

I recommend this product to people who want to start using Benefit products but don't know what to get. This palette is packed with best sellers. Most of the stuff work great. You can't go wrong (except for Erase Paste lol)!

First Haul and FOTD Ever: Warm and Subtle

2011-08-21T22:07:00.002+08:00

My first "Face of the Day" ever! Oddly enough, I felt inspired to really do my eyes today even though it's a Sunday. Since I kind of liked how my lids turned out, I took photos of it! Okay, honestly, that's the only thing "special" about my face today.

Please don't expect much from me. I'm only a college student who likes experimenting with makeup. #insecure

Hello, all!

Colorful picture hehe

Bushy bushy eyebrows

I decided to create a bronzy orangy eye look today using my favorite eyeshadow palette, theBalm's Shady Lady Vol. II. Among all the Shady Lady palettes, I like the second volume the most because it has a lot of wearable colors. I highly recommend this. I can't even explain the quality and pigmentation of these eyeshadows! They're absolutely wonderful.

Before I continue, I would like to address my bushy eyebrows. My mom prohibits me from having my brows done. To remedy this, I secretly pluck my eyebrows at night. I'm not very good at it; I only started a few weeks ago. #fail

Stuff I used today:

Benefit That Gal face primer
Benefit Erase Paste in Medium 02
Benefit Boi-ing concealer in Medium 02
Benefit Lemon-aid eye primer
Lush Color Supplement Multi-Purpose Base Color in Dark Yellow
MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural in Medium Plus
NARS Orgasm Multiple (cheeks)
Covergirl LashBlast Volume Mascara in Dark Brown
theBalm Shady Lady Vol. II palette

lid color: Devilish Danielle (champagne)
outer corners: Mischievous Marissa (muted orange)
crease: Insane Jane (taupe)

Yeah, I pack a lot of stuff on my face. Don't judge. I'm having fun with the Benefit Confessions of a Concealaholic concealer kit (contains Boi-ing, Erase Paste and Lemon-aid) my aunt bought me a month ago.

Moving on to the haul part!

I got some beauty-related stuff from Metro, Lush and Make Up For Ever today. My mom and I are out of cuticle remover so I bought the Sally Hansen Instant Cuticle Remover. I heard this works great. The next thing I got was the Lush Uluru Shower Gel, which is a limited edition product. It smells like sweet oranges! I really am a sucker for fruity scents. Thank goodness the Bonifacio High Street branch still had a couple of bottles! The last thing I got was the Make Up For Ever Lesson 1: Natural Eyes kit. It contains two full size (!) Aqua Creams and two mini eyeliners. I will do a review on this soon! Just a side note: you will soon notice that when it comes to buying high-end makeup, I usually go for the value packs to get more out of my money.

That ends my first FOTD and haul post! Should I do more posts like this? Feel free to comment below!