April Favorites + 10 Things I Love Tag

'Tis the last day of April and I'm sharing the products I've been reaching out for in the whole month of April. At the end of the post, I'll also be doing a tag that a few lovely bloggers tagged me to do.

1. Alba Botanica AcneDote Oil Control Lotion - helps keep the oilies at bay even under the sweltering heat of the sun. Though I still get oily, it's not as greasy as it might have been if I wasn't wearing this on my face.

2. Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Concentrated Cream - my arms, legs, hands, and feet are awfully dry and this product helps keep them moisturized. This doesn't smell as yummy as the regular variant but since this is concentrated, it's much more moisturizing and hydrating. Plus it's handy.

3. Kanebo Coffret D'Or Lasting Pact - I was reunited with this and I remembered how much I loved it. I didn't love it back then as much as I do not but Japanese foundies still rock the house way better than any US or European foundations! Will do a revisited and reviewed post for this one of these days. :P

4. Maybelline Dream Matte Powder - my touch up powder whenever my oil glands start to act up.

5. Cargo Suede Blush in Montebello - it's so pretty! Need I say more? :P

6. Shiseido Accentuating Stick in S2 Peach Flush - I use this on days when I am too lazy to get my blush brush and swirl and tap it on a powder blush. I love the pretty pink-peach glow it gives my cheeks.

7. Bobbi Brown Shimmer Blush in Pink Coral - it instantly brightens up my face and gives me a healthy flush on the cheeks.

8. Browlash Ex Water Strong W Eyebrows - A retractable eyebrow pencil with a liquid brow liner that helps create the perfect eyebrows. Too bad it's not locally available. Chel couldn't find it in HK or any Sasa stores though and even reached Macau in search for this. :( I'm left with just the liquid brow liner. Gah!

9. Max Factor False Lash Effect Waterproof Mascara - I am beginning to really love this mascara ever since my Maybelline The Magnum Volume Express Mascara dried in just a month. My mom even asked me once if I was wearing falsies (which I never do when I go out) and didn't believe me until she touched my lashes and tried to pull 'em out! Haha! :P

10. Guerlain Ombre Eclat 1 Couleur 140 L'Instant Precieux - I love using this to highlight my browbones and cheekbones, as well as the inner corner of my eyes. :P

11. NYC Lip Sliders Tinted Lip Balm in Sugar Angel - a very pretty sheer coral tinted lip balm that is moisturizing, smells and tastes yummy too!

12. Palladio Herbal Lip Slix in Rosewood - this shade is the perfect peachy-nude lippy that looks natural. Non-drying and glossy, I apply this on top of my NYC Tinted Lip Balms in Sugar Baby and Sugar Angel.

13. Mentholatum Lip Ice Lemon - my lip saver! Whenever my lips get dry, I apply this and wake up with soft and hydrated lips. Plus it hs SPF15 too!


14. Guerlain KissKiss Stick Gloss in 902 Corail Des Mers - I am digging coral lippies at the moment. It is glossy and moisturizing, far from being a sticky lip gloss and leaves a very nice coral pink tint on my lips. Plus it stays for hours. :)

So these are my April Favorites and on to the 10 Things I Love Tag. Anyone feel free to do this tag. :)

10 Things I Love:

1. I love seeing little girls and their dads being sweet towards each other. It never fails to bring a smile on my face whenever I see such a scene as it reminds me so much of my dad and I when I was a little girl. Yes, I'm a daddy's girl.

2. My mom. Since my dad is no longer with us, she has been there for me all the way. We may still have not settled our differences but in the end, she's still and will always be my mom. I may not be the expressive type but I love her. :)

3. Books. Yes, I can be such a nerd. I can read 3 books/novels in one day. I love how books can take me to different places and how I get to "experience" different things just by reading. I'm not a fan of chick lits as I prefer reading crime, murder, forensic, political conspiracies, suspense and thriller novels. My faves are Jack Higgins, Steve Berry, Mario Puzo, and Joseph Finder. But then as long as the summary at the back of the book intrigues me, then it no longer matters who the author is. I will read it. Oh, I still read and collect Archie comics.

4. Rain. I love the rain! I hate the sun, I hate summers. :)

5. I love cats though I'm now starting to love dogs, thanks to Hachiko, Mari, and Marley. :P

6. I love stars and stargazing. It somewhat gives me hope in everything. Childish as it may seem, I still make wishes on stars. And some of them came true. :p

7. Coke and Iced tea. I know I should cut back on them since I need to lose weight but I can't help it. It's freaking hot and those refresh me.

8. Makeup. This is self-explanatory, I think. :P

9. Friends. I'd rather have a few friends whom I know are real than know a lot of people and not know who my real friends are. :0

10. Myself. Not to sound self-centered and full of myself but if I don't love myself, how can other people love me? I'm not perfect, I can sometimes be shitty but that's me and I have to accept myself. Hehe. :P

Anyway, like what I mentioned above, feel free to do this tag.

Happy weekend, super awesome peeps! :P

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Product Review: Shiseido Accentuating Stick in S2 Peach Flush

I have always been a fan of powder blushes because given that I have mostly combination-oily skin, they last longer on me. But sometimes, I just cannot resist something pretty even though it's not in powder form and I made an exception for the Shiseido Accentuating Stick in Peach Flush.

What I like:
- I like the practical yet nice-looking packaging. Still looks sleek, imo.
- It is a very pretty pink-peach shade that has very fine shimmers.
- It is quite pigmented so you only need a light swipe for the color to show up on your cheeks.
- Easy to blend and does not cake even if you used powder foundation under it.
- Texture is creamy but dries to a powder finish.
- Contains 10g of product and you don't need to pile it on so it will take you a long time before finishing one stick.
- Gives a very natural and pretty flush on the cheeks. It somehow gives an iridescent glow.
- Works as a nice base for blushes but since it is pretty pigmented, it is nice to use on its own.
- Does not break me out or cause any allergic reaction.
- Locally available at Shiseido counters.

What I don't like:
- Staying power isn't superb. It stays for about 2-3 hours max on my skin type. May last longer on those with 
dry to dry-combi skin.
- Expensive for Php 1800 or so at Shiseido counters.

Overall rating: 4/5 Even though the staying power is not as great as other blushes, I still love the color so much and how it gives me the glow that I still gave it a 4. The color is enough for me to overlook the not so good staying power and won't mind re-applying since it comes really handy.

Will I buy again? Yes, but only when it goes on sale. :)

Swatches (Left - blended; Right - swiped once)

Have you tried this blush from Shiseido?

Happy Monday, super awesome peeps! :P

P.S. Shout out to
Crystal, Argie, Thiamere, and Gale! Had a lovely dinner with you guys last night at Va Pensiero in Gateway Mall. Looking forward to seeing you guys again! And Donnarence, you owe us a song and dance number. Haha!
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Makeup Goodies.. yet again. :D TBO Lux Asia Sale, etc.

Went to the The Big Outlet Sale (Lux Asia) this morning with Tish and bumped into Bec at the Guerlain stall. There weren't much brands to choose from and only saw Guerlain, Shiseido, Max Factor, Covergirl, and a stall selling palettes reminiscent of Coastal Scents. No Kanebo. Boo! And since I set a budget of Php 1500 for myself, I am happy that I didn't reach it and only got two items. It's a good and bad thing that Kanebo wasn't there. Good that I spent less than 1.5k and bad because I was looking forward to buying lippies from them. Anyway, here's what I got.

Guerlain Ombre Eclat 1 Couleur (single eyeshadow) in 140 L'instant Precieux and Guerlain Kiss Kiss Stick Gloss in 902 Corail  Des Mers (The scent again! I just remembered how much I hated the scent when I tried it on but I'm hoping I can get over it because I love how a pretty coral pink shade it is.) The gold Guerlain clutch is the freebie the Guerlain SA or otherwise known as Ate FF (feyl fink) saved for me since January. Went to EDSA Shang with Tish after going to the Lux Asia sale and that's how I got it.

My other online purchases:

Charm Retractable Pink Kabuki 

Bath & Body Works Pocketbacs in Cucumber Melon and Japanese Cherry Blossom + a glow in the dark holder. Couldn't wait for my pre-ordered pocketbacs so I decided to buy a couple from eBay.ph.

 MUFE (MakeUp ForeEver) HD Cream Blush in #6 Quickie and Shiseido Accentuating Stick in Peach Flush

And from the smokey-eyed lovely Tish, a sample size of Benetint Posietint and other goodies.

Have you gone to the Lux Asia Sale? If you are also disappointed with it, you may want to go to the Paul & Joe Sale or the CAS Sale in Makati. :P

Happy Friday shopping, super awesome peeps! :P
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Product Review: Shiseido Sheer Mattifying Compact

I love Shiseido Supplist Poreless Powder Foundation but since it has been discontinued, I thought that trying what supposedly replaced it is a good idea so I can tell if I should forget about Shiseido foundations and just stick to Kanebo. Although I still have Supplist, I decided to buy the Sheer Mattifying Compact and it's what I have been using lately. Here is my review on their newest foundation.

I like the sleek black compact better than the dark purple one for Supplist.

My perfect shade is O20 though I have O00 in Supplist because I am acidic. But I have Sheer Mattifying in O40.

Description on the box:

Coverage: Medium
Finish: Matte
Skin Type: Normal to Oily, and Combination

An oil-free powder foundation that maintains a silky-smooth touch and a natural sheer matte finish all day long. Can be applied with a dry or moistened sponge.

Non-comedogenic
Dermatologist-tested

What I like:
- Texture is smooth and silky and powder is finely milled, amazing overall.
- Powder makes the skin feel smooth, soft and silky.
- This feels so much lighter on the skin that Supplist.
- Although it says that it provides medium coverage, I find that it provides light or sheer coverage which I like but may be a con to those who prefer heavy coverage foundation.
- Since the shade I have - O40 - is a tad dark on me, it still works especially when I use it to set a lighter shade of foundation or BB cream. When used alone, the shade difference isn't too obvious as this goes on sheer or light.
- Did not break me out nor did it cause any allergic reaction.
- Oil-free
- It has SPF10 which is pretty okay for a powder foundation.
- Staying power is pretty decent. It does not last all day on my combi-oily skin but 3-4 hours is acceptable in my case. :)
- Locally available at selected malls.

What I don't like:
- Just like any Japanese brand, it's pricey. SRP is PHP1650 (introductory price and may or may have already increased to PHP1850) for the refill and a more or less than PHP1000 for the compact alone.
- I find this darker than the O40 shade I had in Supplist before so it seems pretty inconsistent to me. (see swatches)

Overall rating: 4.5/5 I actually like this better than Supplist.

Will I buy again? Yes! But I have my heart set on trying another one from Kanebo. :P

Swatches

What's your fave powder foundation?

Happy Saturday, super awesome peeps! :P
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Mini Haul for the Week

I haven't hauled in months. Well, I've been buying products every now and then but I haven't posted a collective haul at all. Now this isn't really a "haul" haul but a mini one. These are the stuff I bought for this week.

1. Pure Beauty Pomegranate Antioxidant Eye Cream
2. Shiseido Sheer Mattifying Compact Refill
3. Shiseido Sheer Mattifying Compact Case
4. L'egere White Multi Blemish Balm Cream
5. Skinfood Peach Sake Pore BB Cream #1
6. Skinfood Salmon Dark Circle Concealer Cream #2
7. IN2IT Sheer Shimmer Blush SB 04 Peach Pearl

Not much but yeah, it is a mini haul! :P Happy with my purchases still. :)

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Blushes: Japanese Brands - Shu Uemura, Shiseido Majolica Majorca, Kanebo Kate, La Pensee

Just like what I have mentioned before, I now like sheer blushes more than pigmented ones as it is hard to overdo and go wrong with them.  Back then, I would always go for pigmented blushes like NARS and MAC but I always have to apply them very carefully with a very light hand so as to not overdo them and end up looking clownish, which isn't good if I am on a rush. Well, I have to thank the Japanese brands for the big switch. Now I'd like to share the blushes that changed my mind about sheer ones.

Shu Uemura Glow On M Pink 30 blush - matte pink blush though there is a very slight hint of peach on this one. Very finely milled and texture is really smooth. Very buildable color and can go on with any makeup.

Shu Uemura Glow On P Pink 30 - a very cute pink blush with very fine shimmers though I would not really call it shimmery, I would rather call it sheen. This is the most pigmented among these blushes. Gives a nice pink flush to the cheeks.

Kanebo Kate Cheek Color OR-1 - although it is supposed to be orange, I find this to be a peachy coral shade that looks really lovely on the cheeks. This has very fine shimmers though not as shimmery as other blushes like NARS Orgasm. It has a lighter shade which can be used as a highlighter or you can mix both shades.

Shiseido Majolica Majorca Blush in PK333 - another matte pink blush with sheen. It also applies smoothly and kinda pigmented. Texture is also really nice.

Shiseido Majolica Majorca Blush in RD255 - although it is RD, which I suppose stands for red, I find this pink peach. It somewhat reminds me of NARS Orgasm and Deep Throat too. 

La Pensee pink blush - I really cannot find much information on this blush online except for one particular website. Although it is the cheapest among the 6, this one is also nice and the texture is also smooth and finely milled. The only difference is that it tends to look a little chalky when more than 2 layers are applied.


Swatches: MM PK333, MM RD255, Shu P Pink 30, Shu M Pink 30, Kate OR-1, La Pensee

Overall, it is the texture that I really fell in love with. Plus the fact that they are sheer and the intensity of the color is easily buildable depending on your preference. They go on really smoothly and are really silky. I now miss the other 2 blushes I had - MM OR 322 which I gave to a friend and Shu Uemura Tranquil Pink. But then I am happy with these 6. I would definitely buy more blushes from these brands but not any time soon. :)

Happy Tuesday! :P

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Product Review: Shiseido Supplist Poreless Powder Foundation

Time to finally review my HG powder foundation which is Shiseido Supplist Poreless Powder Foundation. The shade I was using back then is O40 which turned out to be a tad dark for me. As I am finally getting my old skin color back, my shade jumped from O40 to O00 which is the lightest shade. My exact match is O20 but since I am acidic, I have to go a shade lighter as it will eventually turn dark on me. So that makes O00 perfect. Anyway, on to the review.



What I like:
- Texture is super amazing. Smooth and silky.
- Powder is finely milled.
- Although it does not totally make your skin poreless, it somewhat blurs out the pores on you skin.
- Oil control is good as it lasts for a few hours on my oily skin.
- Blends amazingly well with the skin, as if it's your second skin.
- Skin feels soft and smooth upon application.
- Gives medium - full coverage, depending on how you want it.
- Finish is flawless and simply amazing.

What I don't like:
- It oxidizes on me.
- You have to buy a compact and refill separately as you can see on the third photo above.
- Kinda expensive but hey, my first compact lasted for more than a year (though I used it on and off)
- Discontinued and replaced by Sheer Mattifying.

Overall rating: 4.5/5. I don't know if you noticed that I used the word "amazing" thrice on my review. Well, that's how much I love this. :P

Will I buy again? No. As by the time I use this all up, Supplist Poreless may no longer be available so I'm off to try Sheer Mattifying next.

Price: PHP1650 for the refill and PHP998 for the compact.

Tip: If you want sheer or light coverage, use a kabuki or powder brush in application.

Swatch

Blended

Anyway, it's almost weekend. It's freaking hot! Anyway, I hope it's officially the start of the rainy season. I hope you're all having a great week so far. :P

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Product Review: Shiseido Majolica Majorca Blushes

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Majolica Majorca Blush Love! :P

Good morning! Been MIA for almost a month, I got a little busy with work. Anyway, I'm back with 2 pretty blushes from Shiseido Majolica Majorca. I got these through a pre-order from a Cake sister. I ordered only 2 shades - RD255 and PK333. They are both absolutely pretty! Plus they are cheap. I got both for only PHP990! Ain't that a great deal? Lookie! :P

PK333
(a very feminine pink with very subtle shimmer that is barely noticeable)

RD255
(not in any way red but rather NARS Deep Throat-ish)

Swatches

PK333 and RD255

Here's what cheered me up yesterday as I've been sick again for 3 days now. And a nice note from Smile. :P


I want the highlighter and the blush compact where I can put both shades. I'm contemplating on whether or not I should get them. :P

Ta-ta! :P

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