Showing posts with label beauty. Show all posts
Showing posts with label beauty. Show all posts

Friday, February 03, 2017

FOTD: Everyday Post-Holiday Season Makeup

It's rare that I get to post FOTDs here considering how much set-up it requires for me to be able to get a few good shots! Regardless, I thought I'd share with you this (relatively) easy look that I've been going for these days.


Base and Blush

My base has been pretty much the same for the past four months or so. I find that this gives me the most flawless, smooth base that doesn't fade awkwardly or patchily. I use the Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer for my t-zone and the areas beside my nose to achieve a poreless look, and use Max Factor's Facefinity All Day Primer for the rest of my face. It seems a bit tedious to use two primers, but that's just me being fussy. 

The Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation has been my go to for so long because it builds to a pretty solid medium coverage and lasts well throughout the day. I use the L'oreal Lumi Magique Concealer for my under eyes, dark areas, and just below where I would put my contour for subtle definition and illumination. 

I'm pretty much obsessed with my new Colourpop Blush in Aphrodisiac as it gives the perfect hint of colour on the cheeks while being slightly cool in tone to contour. I tried using brushes but found that patting it on with my fingers and blending with my foundation brush is the best method for me. I set everything with the Bourjois Healthy Mix Powder and Skindinavia Oil Control Setting Spray (if I'm going to be somewhere without air-conditioning) and I'm good to go!

Eyes

After doing very elaborate and defined eye looks for the holidays, I've embraced my usual blend-and-go product, the Maybelline Color Tattoo Leather in Creamy Beige. It does well in adding something to the eyes without too much work. A quick curl and coat with the Fairydrops Platinum Waterproof Mascara is more than enough for me. Finally, I add a bit of the NYX Brow Mascara in Espresso to the inner and outer portions of my brow, to make my brows appear neater and more pronounced without adding too much. 


Highlight and Lips

I normally don't do highlight, but the Colourpop Highlighter in Butterfly Beach is too beautiful to resist. It's slightly pink in tone so it really livens up the face, and the lack of any visible shimmer or glitter really allows it to blend into the skin well. 

I've been going for two lip options, though I've been really into browny nudes in the form of the Etude House Dear My Blooming Lips Talk Chiffon in BE109. If I want something more sophisticated and comfortable to the lips however, then I go for the Chanel Rouge Coco in Mademoiselle.




The end result is something pretty simple, but still incorporates the essential make-up I love the most which is a perfected base. What do you think?

Wednesday, December 14, 2016

‘Tis the Season to be SEPHORA Glammin’

The holidays are finally upon us, and I'm sure by this time you're set to attend Christmas party or two, may it be with a group of friends you haven't seen for a long time, or with people at the office. Imo, these parties are a great way to experiment and try out bolder, more done-up make-up looks versus the easy, everyday base-mascara-lip balm combo. 


I've finally started wearing my red lipsticks outside the house so I'm more than happy to share a look that I would actually wear out without feeling too self-conscious. It features a warm, golden eye and your signature festive red lip. You can never go wrong with this combination as its classy, elegant, but definitely do-able! 

This is actually very similar to the look I wore last Saturday when I saw my friends. We ate Korean BBQ to our hearts content - this is our only requirement to have fun, really (maybe Soju). 




Here's a complete collage of all the products I want for this look. More than a year ago this would have been impossible, but with Sephora PH its finally a possibility to get great quality makeup easily!


Base 

I wanted the base to be very skin-like but in a more perfected way. Its how I normally wear my base and I honestly like that it isn't overly perfect that it screams 'caked makeup!'. There is never a season for that!

This calls for primer with a certain amount of silicone to allow foundation to glide on better and to make the skin look smoother. I opted for the Benefit Porefessional mixed with a bit of my moisturizer, but for drier skins I'd recommend the Becca Backlight Primer.

I used one of my older favourites, the Koh Gen Do Aqua Foundation (Shade 123) to get a skin-like finish. It lasts well on my oily skin but its definitely luminous enough for anyone with slightly drier skin to mine. I find that it also doesn't give any flashback, making it great for photos which you'll surely have a lot of for your parties!

Pair with a high coverage concealer to cover any spots, an illuminating, light-reflective concealer for any darkness around the eyes and face, and finish with powder if needed to make the base last through the day or night! Feel free to also use a setting spray to make the base almost indelible.

Eyes

Eye primer is essential for this look to have your eye make-up last all day. Its also very humid here in the Philippines even during December, so primer cannot be skipped. I used my ever-reliable Too Faced Shadow Insurance (don't mind the older packaging of mine in the picture above!).



To the star of the show - the Zoeva Cocoa Blends Palette. Ever since I ordered this in June from Sephora PH, I've used this for 98% of my eye looks (2% trying to wean myself off the palette didn't work in the slightest). I did a gold eye with a hint of cranberry at the outer corners (featuring Pure Ganache, Substitute for Love, Freshly Toasted, Beans are White, and Warm Notes), which is still festive without looking too predictable. Don't forget to add an inner corner highlight!


Its insane how long my lashes look in this shot. Also, I really went skinny with this liner!

Go as minimal or as bold with the eyeliner as you please! I opted for a thin line as I find this more flattering on my eye shape. It also allows the eyeshadow to stand out more without forgetting to define the eyes. Good example for this would be the Eyeko Skinny Liquid Liner, which will let you modify the thinness or thickness of the line depending on your preference. Don't forget a waterproof mascara to keep your eyes fallout and smudge-free!


Cheeks and Lips

The eyes are on the warmer side so any warm neutral blush would do. A little peachy-ness wouldn't hurt, so a shade like the Too Faced Love Flush in Baby Love would do nicely, as the shade brings a lot of life to the face without competing with the eyes and lips, which are the main focal points of this look. 

Go overboard with the highlighter, I'm serious! Now and New Year's Eve might be the only time during the year that you can do so. I personally skip highlighter due to my oily skin producing its own sheen for me, but something the like famous Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector would be ideal.

If you're seeking a bit of definition, don't forget to contour! I personally just used a taupe matte eyeshadow, but I have been very curious about the Cover FX Contour Kit for a while now. Maybe you'll see it here in the future as a gift to myself? Teehee!

And finally for the lips, any red lipstick will do! You can go as orangey red, classic red, or dark red, whatever your heart desires. There are no set rules for the holidays! A great holiday red in my humble opinion would be the cult classic Sephora Cream Lip Stain in 01 Always Red. You can never go wrong with a shade like this!

Tools


Never forget that great make-up can also be achieved with good tools! I love using the BeautyBlender but you can use a buffing brush like the one from Real Techniques in their Core Collection as well. I also love my Zoeva Brushes (namely the Luxe Sheer Cheek and the Luxe Petit Crease brush) that I got in my Sephora PH haul as they are not only amazing quality, but apply product and blend quickly.

And that's it for me! I hope you enjoyed this post and the rare pictures of my face. Portrait shots are a lot of work for me, especially with the sudden onslaught of gloomy weather. Hope it (the weather, not my self-portraits, haha!) doesn't ruin your holiday parties!




What are you wearing to your holiday parties? I'd love to see pictures down in the comments section!

Shop more make-up products on Sephora PH here!

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

The Wonder of the Japonesque Power Curler

I've used my Shu Uemura Lash Curler for about two years now, and I have to say it was a good run. Honestly it was getting a bit painful to curl my lashes with it these past few months which is why I had to look for an alternative. Repurchasing the Shu curler in stores would cost more than some high end foundations - no joke - which is what led me to the Japonesque Power Curler


Honestly, it was love at first...curl? The shape is a little more almond, therefore more flat and less curved, which I discovered to be perfect for my eye shape. It gets 90% of my lashes save for the ends, but its nothing a second curl can't fix. Best part? No pinching whatsoever. I never realized I was actually experiencing a bit of it while I used the Shu curler. No pain from the Japonesque this time!



The lashes themselves stay in position until the end of the day (>10 hours), but that can be attributed to the fact that I only wear waterproof mascara. Though for stick straight Asian lashes, I have to say that's very good. For non-waterproof mascara or for wetter formulas, I observed that they maintain 60% of the curl after 3-4 hours, so those of you who like water resistant, take note!

L - Japonesque R - Shu Uemura. The reason why Japonesque lays flat against the eye (therefore getting more lashes) is because the clamp is on the outer side. The Japonesque curler is also larger in size.

Curve comparisons with Japonesque on the left. As I mentioned, the Japonesque one is a little less curved and more of an almond shape.

I also love that I can get free refills of the curler pad from Japonesque online or Beauty Bar where I purchased it, for as long as the lash curler is in tact. Since I'm pretty careful with my things, I'd say thats a good couple of years.

All in all, the Japonesque curler was a very worthy investment and will be something I will be repurchasing in the future. Sorry, Shu Uemura!

Not really. You pinched my eyelids for years.

Thursday, November 10, 2016

Online Shopping Tips and Recommendations

Lets start this with a confession - I am a shopaholic.

Kidding, that's not really anything new if you're a regular around here! Ever since my teens, I've always seen shopping as a very fun experience - digging through sales racks, finding that last piece from a store you've been visiting for three months, and sometimes falling in love with a very impulsive purchase. These were the days when offline shopping was big, and my how times have changed.


If you're new to online shopping or just want to hear about tips to make your shopping experience smoother, keep on reading!

Subscribe to their newsletter or create an account

For big websites like Sephora and BeautyMNL, they ask you (usually when you open the website) to enter your email addresses to receive emails from them. I do admit these emails can get annoying sometimes especially when they flood your inbox, but a lot of their content informs you of new releases and restocks. Creating an account also allows you to sometimes get a head start in sales, especially when you obtain membership.

Read reviews about their service

Several online shops and websites offer a forum-type page wherein previous buyers leave their praises, comments, and complaints about the shop. These kinds of comments range from things like  service, ease of use of the website, shipping and delivery time, and the condition of the products once you receive them. These are more often than not on Facebook, so I highly recommend reading through three or four pages to see how these shops fair.

Similarly, reading reviews from people who've purchased a few products from the site or who have done a haul typically dedicate a short paragraph about their experience. I do these in all my hauls and try to mention the store where I bought it, especially if I had a good experience in dealing with them.

Search for discounts and cash back portals

We all love getting discounts and would go great lengths to get one (clearly my being Asian shows). While discount codes and flash sales are always great, they can be very difficult to come by. Fortunately, there are ways to save money that are more readily available, and the one I'm going to introduce today is ShopBack.

ShopBack is a cash back site that allows you to receive rebates while shopping at your favourite online sites. It has gained fame in countries like Singapore and Malaysia, and I'm very happy that they are now available in the Philippines!

ShopBack homepage with an extensive list of merchants that range from health and beauty, to dining, and even travel!
The way it works is pretty simple - after signing up, simply choose the store where you want to make a purchase. They have an extensive list of partner merchants so you will surely find your favourite store here! All online shops are also verified so you're assured that each of them has been deemed trustworthy. For Lazada and Aliexpress however, don't forget to check reviews to know the reputation of each individual seller.

I'm going to use Sephora as an example. After clicking, you will be redirected to their site where you can shop and purchase as normal.

Using the search bar function as Sephora isn't on the home page!
Click on the 'Shop Now' button to start!

ShopBack will redirect you to the Sephora website!
The cashback gets credited to your ShopBack account 48 hours after purchase (under the 'My Cash Back' tab), and becomes redeemable once the seller validates it. This can take from 30-90 days depending on the store which may seem like a long time, but a little waiting never hurt. Patience is always rewarded, from my experience!

Detailed Cashback information that shows your pending and redeemable rebates, as well as a bonus!
Once redeemable, you can opt to cash this out to your PayPal or directly to your bank account once the amount reaches PHP 300. They even reward bonuses simply for signing up or updating your account details. This just means more savings, and more shopping! Its really great to have a program like ShopBack now available online, as these kinds of cashback options used to only be available for offline shopping.

Wait for online sales

Even for offline shopping, this is a great way to save a lot of money especially when you like a lot of things from certain stores! There is usually a sale for every season (as in spring, summer, fall, and winter) so you are always assured to save your purchases until then.

Some sales coming up that are worth checking out: the Singles Day Sale (11/11) tomorrow, Lazada's Online Revolution, as well as Christmas sales! We don't have Boxing Day sales here in the Philippines, but for those of you who do, take advantage. I heard the biggest discounts are given then and during the Black Friday sale!

Assess online shops at your own discretion / Trust your gut

Sometimes, your gut feeling will be the deciding factor. This is especially true for online sellers. If you don't feel safe placing your order after everything, then maybe its best not to or to hold it off until you're convinced. Its better to be safe than sorry, especially when money is involved!

I hope you guys found this post helpful. If you have some online shopping tips of your own, I would love to hear about them in the comments below!

Tuesday, November 08, 2016

Quick Review: Bourjois Healthy Balance Powder

As much as I enjoy doing in depth reviews, sometimes I just want you all to know about a product without going into too much detail. Its also great for older products especially popular ones, as I'm sure many of you have read a million or two reviews at this point. 


On the chopping block today is the Bourjois Healthy Balance Powder. Hailed as the drugstore dupe for the Chanel Les Beiges Powder, it has rightfully earned its fame as one of the best products from the drugstore. 


It's housed in a slim compact plus a mirror that is easy to take around for touch-ups (and touch-ups can happen with this, as it never looks cakey when applied over old makeup). It is finely milled aka close to undetectable when applied on the skin, and doesn't make foundation bunch up or collect after hours of wear. I find that this fairs well with oil control, as it takes a bit longer for my natural oils to shine through with this, especially after touch-ups! I've had this for four months now and it looks like I haven't made a dent, so it looks like it's going to last a while with me.

I will say that at 11.99 EUR/13.3 USD/649 PHP, its quite pricey for something categorized as "drugstore". It is advertised as 'hypoallergenic' but it is scented, so stay clear if you are someone who reacts easily to scented products. It is also (to my knowledge) only available in the UK and Ireland, so it isn't as easily acceptable as I would have liked. 

Nonetheless, it's easy to say that I'm quite smitten with this powder and I'm glad that it is as good as it was hyped up to be. I've been recommending this to everyone who will listen, and that's quite rare for me considering I hold very few products in high esteem. 

What about you guys - have you tried this? Have any powder recommendations?

Friday, September 09, 2016

Zoeva Cocoa Blend Palette Review



This review has been a long time coming! I purchased this palette back in June as I felt I needed more  variety in my eyeshadows. I had both cools and mattes, but strangely not enough warm colours, which compliment my skin tone very well. After a long period of indecision, I settled on the Zoeva Cocoa Blend Palette, which got a lot of praise with its launch last year.



It's housed in a very slim cardboard palette with a magnetic close, something I thought I wouldn't buy for myself but here we are! I do find that because of its size, its easy to slot in, making it (hold your eye rolls, I know you hear this all the time) "perfect for travel". 


The palette itself contains 10 shades that lean warm. It has a good range of lights and darks, and includes 6 shimmery shades and 4 matte shades. Honestly, I would definitely wear all the shades save for the last two (Infusion and Delicate Acidity) only because I don't know how to incorporate them into a look I would wear daily. The rest however, have already been used numerous times!



As soon as I swatched them, I was blown away by the quality of the shadows. It came out pigmented, buttery, and very even, something not even my best Urban Decay eyeshadows can manage (yep, I said it). Its not overly pigmented that its hard to work with, but you're not constantly building colour just to achieve opacity, either.



I find that there is little fallout on the pan and on the skin, which is a huge plus in my book. I do keep the transparent guard that comes with it which helps keep the palette clean, which might explain why my palette still looks almost unused. I like my things very clean, what can I say?

I find that these last for a good 5-6 hours before they begin to fade, but take note that this is in humidity. I tried these on when I was in Ireland and I found they lasted for about 2 hours more. It creases around the 7 hour mark, which isn't too bad considering my oily eyelids! I do always wear primer, though I'd imagine that this would wear better on drier lids.

This cost me around 1106 PHP when I purchased it at Sephora PH. It retails for 21.80 EUR on the Zoeva website. It may not be available in offline stores but it is widely available online; you would just have to pick the site depending on your location.

This is easily one of the best eyeshadow palette purchases I've made (which is a bold statement considering how much I loved my Naked 2 and Too Faced Natural Matte Palette) and I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for warm eyeshadows on a budget! 

Friday, September 02, 2016

Etude House Chiffon Lipstick (109) Review

For the beauty post! 

I wasn't alerted to the release of this product until my best friend raved to me about how amazing the formula and colour of their nude lipstick was. Since I do vouch for the quality of Korean cosmetics, I knew I had to give the Etude House Dear My Lips Talk Chiffon Lipstick in BE109 (what a mouthful) a go.


Packaging-wise, its different from Etude House's usual design where they have a bow in the middle where the lipstick opens. Instead the tube is lighter, sleeker, and more minimalistic, though it is still in the usual colour pink outside. It's nothing too special, but you do have to admit that its really cute.


I've also been on the hunt for a decent nude lipstick myself, but I wasn't so willing to splurge on MAC Hug Me, which was the one I've been eyeing for a good few years now. I took a chance with this colour and I do have to say that I am pleasantly surprised. The colour is a browny nude that leans a little dark, but not too dark that it looks unnatural or too stark. There aren't any hints of peachiness or pinkness to it, which is why I think it doesn't wash me out. 


Formula-wise, its definitely a cross between a satin and a matte. Its definitely not a drying matte at all, but if you rub the lipstick between the lips, you can feel a very slight graininess to the texture. It definitely doesn't have that shine as most nude lipsticks do, but its not flat like liquid lipsticks. The dryness peaks at about 3-4 hours, by which I would recommend a lip balm just to make the wear more comfortable. It is very lightweight, so much that I do forget I'm wearing it from time to time.

There is a light, candy scent upon application, but its pleasant and fades after 20 minutes or so. It lasts 3-4 hours on me without eating or drinking, and leaves a very light stain. I didn't expect it to last for hours anyway, but those looking for a long-lasting nude lipstick should take note.

I will say that I'm slightly pissed that this broke from the base (pictures to follow). I'm pretty sure I didn't drop it, but its something that has happened to lipsticks that I did drop, so do be careful when handling this so you don't have to struggle repairing it like I did. 

It cost 12000 KRW, which is roughly around 500 PHP. If my memory serves me right, this is a little more expensive than Etude House's usual lipsticks even with the change in formula, so I can't really say that the price hike is justifiable. I got this during my stopover in Seoul, but you can purchase this at your local Etude House, or on online stores such as ibuybeauti.com

Overall, I like this enough and would recommend it for people who want to get into the browny nude trend, and are looking for an affordable lipstick that is neither too glossy or too drying. 

Friday, August 26, 2016

L'oreal Infallible Sculpt (Medium/Dark) Review

Finally, a Friday post!

I wasn't originally intending to purchase this product, but the L'oreal Infallible Sculpt was something that looked too interesting to pass up. I've seen YouTube personalities like Suzie from Hello October rave on about this and with my Too Cool for School Createur du contour running out, I figured it was time to try another contouring product. 


The packaging is slim and very compact. Its only slightly thicker and a smaller in height to my iPhone 5s, which makes it every easy to take around. I don't find that the compact is flimsy in any way, though I will say that the chances of it breaking when dropped is quite high. 

It comes with a mirror, the highlight and contour, and a small instruction pamphlet. I would say the mirror is pretty good if you're using this on the go, but I prefer using larger mirrors and fixing my make-up at home. 


This comes in two shades - Light/Medium and Medium/Dark. I went for the latter as when swatched, the contour for the L/M was too light for me. I wasn't initially drawn to it considering the colour is quite warm, until I realized that slightly warmer contours can work on my skin tone. I find that the colours appear just fine on my skin. The highlight shade isn't too light and the contour is neither too dark nor too light. If you have cooler tone skin, this will definitely come off as a bronzer so you might want to check out the lighter shade. 

The formula isn't a cream as I initially thought. It is instead a lightweight cream-to-powder formula that blends very easily and doesn't slide around too much. It has enough silicone for it to apply smoothly to the skin (though maybe not over a powder) but not too much that it makes the base underneath ball up. 

Built up with two layers.
The product is matte and also came out a bit sheerer than I thought it to be, but it is still very build-able. Having the product not overly pigmented makes it great for beginners, or for those new to cream products as you will not have the tendency to over-apply and mess up your make-up. The highlight, I would say, is much sheerer than the contour, so you will need to layer the highlight up more for it to show up on your skin. 

The end result is something that is not too pronounced, but not too subtle either. As the product is build-able, you can make it more noticeable or not depending on your preference. 

It sets within a decent amount of time, giving you more than enough opportunity to blend the product. I personally wait for the product to set before blending it out with a Beauty Blender, as I find that blending it right away can cause the product to disappear completely. If you were to use a brush, I would recommend those specifically targeted for contouring and are quite slim, as the product does disperse a lot before setting. You want your contour to be in a very specific place, not all over your cheek and forehead, after all!

 


When set with a powder, I find that this product lasts for about 4-5 hours before it begins to fade. This is the case in hotter, more humid weather, so I expect those of you living in more temperate climates to have this last longer, maybe about 6-8 hours. This is pretty decent wear time given my circumstances, though I'm definitely still on the look out for cream products that will last longer. 

This cost me 14.99 EUR, which roughly converts to around 16.90 USD or 785.25 PHP. Its a little more pricey considering that L'oreal is a drugstore brand, but I observed that L'oreal products were in this range anyway. I purchased this from Boots, and they had a 3 for 2 offer at the time which made the other products I purchased with it much cheaper. This product is not available in the Philippines (yet?), though you might want to try your luck in online stores if they do sell this. 

Overall I think this product is pretty great though not excellent. Its great for its purpose, though the lasting power could definitely be improved. I would recommend it to people who are new to the concept of contouring, or who would like to try an affordable cream contour palette!

Friday, August 12, 2016

Charlotte Tilbury Hot Lips (Secret Salma) Review


By now you've probably heard of Charlotte Tilbury, a makeup brand created by a makeup artist of the same name who has been in the industry for decades. Bloggers and YouTubers alike have sung their high praises for her products, and I figured that since i had the opportunity, I should try at least one product to see what all the hype is about.


I was initially going to get one of her original Matte Revolution Lipsticks but found most of the shades to be too light on my skin or too different compared to the swatches online! Luckily, the new Hot Lips Collection was just released around a month prior my trip to Europe, so I immediately searched for a shade in the collection that would best suit me.



I settled on the shade Secret Salma easily, as I now gravitate towards shades within its spectrum. It's official description is a 'deep rose plum', which I find to be accurate once worn on the lips. Its a very  pretty, sophisticated colour that is not too garish or too plain, and can be easily paired with a very simple or a very elaborate look. Its also very unique as it doesn't have any brown tones to it as most lipsticks in this shade range usually do. It swatches lighter on the skin, so do take note if you're trying this out in stores.



It applies very easily onto the lips, without any tugging or extra effort to get the full colour. The formula is pigmented without being too opaque, making it a little easier to wear and handle. Two layers will be enough to get the full colour. It feels very lightweight and non-drying within the first hour, but becomes slightly drying afterwards. It is however, significantly less than normal matte lipsticks, so if you like matte formulations, you might even find this hydrating.

The lipstick bullet is an interesting one with its square shape, as it does help in making the edges of the lips more crisp and clean without the need for a lip liner. Though I do say I did have to make minuscule adjustments in learning to apply with it as I'm used to the teardrop shape.


I find that this lasts for about 4-5 hours, which is pretty standard for any lipstick. It will definitely last longer if layered or if a lip liner is used underneath. Its kind of disappointing, as many have said that this tends to last for much longer. Perhaps because its not a red or a dark lipstick? It does leave a small stain, though not enough for it to be noticeable.

This cost be 30 EUR, which is about 1560 PHP. Its within the same price range as other high end brands such as Chanel (Rouge Coco is 1650 PHP) and NARS (Audacious is 1450). Quite expensive, but it is a nice treat if ever you have the extra cash.

I purchased this in Brown Thomas on Grafton Street (Ireland), but its available in her flagship store in Covent Garden, Selfridges, Harrods, and Fenwich if you live in London. It is also available in Nordstrom in the US. Its currently not available in the Philippines but few online stores have begun stocking this, though the markup is extremely high! I would recommend just waiting for a relative to go to the UK or US if you intend on trying this out.

Overall, while I do agree that it is a fantastic lipstick in formulation, colour selection, and packaging, it is not as revolutionary as the bloggers make it seem. Its very good, but slightly overhyped. I would recommend it if you want something new in your lipstick collection, but maybe not if you're looking for the perfect lipstick (that still belongs to Chanel for me).

Have you tried Charlotte Tilbury lipsticks before? Do you have any favourite shades?