In the Limelight: Eyes Lips Face ELF Makeup Mist & Set Product Review

Hey, lovelies! Here's another review of a drugstore product. Lately, I find myself checking out drugstore makeup more than mid-range and high end ones. It's such a thrill to find inexpensive yet effective products among drugstore items. ELF is one of the drugstore brands known for selling their makeup and tools for as low as $1 and even going on sale given the very low price tag. Now I can only wish that is the same for its price here in Manila. However, since most items are below Php 500 at local retail price, I guess there's not much to complain. And they have been coming up with products with notably good quality. That is why when I was looking for a makeup setting spray to help my makeup stay longer during summer, I immediately searched for the ELF Makeup Mist & Set on ebay.ph even though there are other options like those from Urban Decay and Skindinavia that are available on ebay as well. Some reviews were pretty convincing plus the price really wouldn't hurt, however it may turn out on my skin so I settle for this one. Read more for the rest of the review.

Here is the product description on the ELF website:

Wish you could have a product for your makeup like Hairspray is for your hair? Well…keep your makeup staying in place all day with a radiance boosting invisible hold with our new Makeup Mist & Set. The invigorating mist moisturizes and soothes the skin with key ingredients Aloe, Green Tea, Cucumber and Vitamins A, C & E. The lightweight, comfortable and alcohol free formula improves makeup wearability and prevents color from running or fading.

What I like:

• I actually like the simple black, see-through bottle. Some may find it cheap looking but I don't mind how it is packaged at all. It is not bulky so it's okay to bring with you in your bag.
• I like the refreshing sensation that it initially gives after it has just been sprayed on the face.
• Spritzer works just fine. Not as nice as those from Evian and Avene but still does its job of spraying the product on your face.
• It doesn't give my face a very tight sensation.
• Does not make my face feel dry at all and makes my makeup look dewy.
• Does not make my makeup cakey.
• Inexpensive for Php 200 bucks + shipping.
• Made locally available by local resellers online.

What I don't like:

• It sometimes makes me itch though there are also times when it doesn't which I find kinda confusing.
• Does nothing to help my makeup stay longer even if I was in an airconditioned room most of the time when I used this (yes, it's just sitting pretty on my desk).

Overall rating: 3/5 I gave it a 3 for the refreshing sensation and for not drying out my skin. But as for it being a makeup setter, it's disappointing that it did not deliver for me.

Will I buy again? No. With the price + shipping, I am better off with Evian.

Have you tried this product?

Have a fantastic weekend, everyone! :)

Cheers,

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Product Review: ELF Eyebrow Treat & Tame in Ash

For someone who has sparse or thinly dispersed eyebrows like mine, it is necessary to use eyebrow makeup to make them look more groomed so they can frame the face nicely. I have tried a few and here is something I took my chance on when I saw it sold online. I was in dire need of a clear mascara to use for my brows so I figured this will do since it has clear and tinted gels. I have been using this on and off for a few months now and here is my review.

Product Description taken from the ELF website:

Create manicured and styled brows that are beautiful and defined. Treat your eyebrows with a hair re-growth, vitamin infused gel formula to help stimulate hair follicles so your once thin and sparse brows become thicker. Tame eyebrows with a fiber enhanced eyebrow mascara formula for fuller and more natural looking brows. The special fiber infused mascara grips onto even your finest brow hair to create a beautiful healthy and enhanced look.

Directions:

Use the “tame” mascara to brush onto eyebrows to define and keep them in place for a fuller and more tailored look.
Use the “treat” gel to condition, repair and restore the eyebrows.
Use alone or underneath makeup.

Ingredients:

Tame Ingredients: Water (Aqua Purificata) Purified, Alcohol Denatured, PVP/VA Copolymer, Butylene Glycol, Carbomer, TEA Carbomer, Mica, Benzyl Alcohol, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone
May Contain: Iron Oxides (CI 77491 CI 77492 CI 77499)

Treat Ingredients: Aqua(Water), Acrylates/C10-30alkylacrylatecrosspolmer, Polysorbate 80, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Retinyl Palmitate, Panthenol, Benzyl Alcohol, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone

Tame

Treat

What I like:
- I never really gave Treat a chance to do its job in aiding my brows to re-grow and no longer be sparse simply because I am already using something that does an amazing job at it. I had the intention of using this as a clear brow gel to set the brows and keep them in place. It does an OK job. Nothing really fantastic since it was not designed to work that way. I also sometimes use it as a base for my brow pencil and it works as well though still nothing remarkable.
- On its own, Tame with the shade being Ash, makes me look older and add years to my face when used alone. That could very well be due to Ash not being the right shade for me. It was the only shade available online at the time of purchase so I settled for it. However, I like using it to set my Skinfood Choco Powder Eyebrow Wood Pencil since it tones down the darkness of the latter product.
- Keeps the eyebrows in place for a couple of hours though not evident on my EOTDs because I only use the pencil on them.
- Has 4 shades to choose from - Light, Medium, Dark, and Ash. I now see other shades on eBay. Snap!
- Inexpensive at Php 250.

What I don't like:
- Not locally available at ELF counters (my last visit was yesterday and the sales assistant gave me a puzzled look when asked about this product)
- The shade Ash makes me look older and sort of makes my brows seem blurred from afar.
- Does not stay for a long time, say 3-4 hours at most.

Overall rating: 3/5 It does not tame my brows as much as Revlon Brow Fantasy does. Don't get me wrong. It works but not as good as my darling Revlon.

Will I buy again? No. I'll stick to Revlon Brow Fantasy.

Left: ELF; Right: Skinfood Brow Pencil + ELF

Have you tried this product?

Happy Thursday, everyone! :)

Cheers,

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Current Favorites

Hello dearies. It's a rainy start of the week, I hope you all stay warm and safe. August is finally here and in a few days, I'll be a year older again. Anyway, I'm sharing my favorite products at the moment and a brief explanation as to why they made it on the list.

Let's start with skin care products

1. Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief - I've never had any luck with Clinique's skin care products so I had to keep my fingers crossed that this would work for me without causing me to break out, but didn't have high hopes for it either. Much to my surprise, it works! And it keeps my skin hydrated while keeping the oilies at bay.

2. Caudalie Paris Vinoperfect Night Correcting Cream - I like how my skin is softer, smoother, and brighter upon waking up. First time I used a night cream and I wasn't disappointed at all.

3. Eyebrow growth accelerator - my brows are no longer as thin and sparse as they used to be :D

4. Kanebo Freshel White C Mineral BB Cream UV - I wear this when I don't feel like wearing foundation even though this seriously feels like foundation. I like how my skin looks glowing and radiant when I'm wearing this.

5. Becca Mineral Powder Foundation - I initially disliked this product because it didn't do much for oil control but eventually learned to like it. I found out that it does not work with one of the products I use before applying it. I like how it makes my skin tone look a bit more even while providing light coverage.

6. Sigma F80 brush - this is a bb cream/liquid/cream foundation's best friend. It applies makeup flawlessly without eating too much product. It's as if it makes the skin absorb the product, thus, using less and not wasting a lot.

7. Korres Lip Butter Glaze in Pomegranate - I ♡ it because it is coral pink and it keeps my lips moisturized. I can get away wearing just this and no other lip products.

8. Dior Addict High Color Melting Shiny Lipcolor in 432 Rose Orgasme - love the texture of this lipstick, how smoothly it glides on the lips and how gorgeous it looks when paired with Korres Lip Butter Glaze in Pomegranate

9. Kiehl's Lip Balm #1 - I apply this before going to sleep and I wake up with smoother and softer lips.

10. Benefit Posietint - I use this when I want to look fresh without much effort. It instantly brightens the cheeks and a very pretty poppy-pink shade

11. Benefit Coralista - I pair this with Benefit Posietint when I want an added coral-pink glow on the cheeks. Plus I find the tropical scent addicting. :)

12. Maybelline Dream Mousse Concealer - I recently reviewed this and love it to bits. I only hope it won't dry out too soon. :)

13. ELF Eyebrow Treat & Tame in Ash - digging the Treat (clear) one as I use it as a base for my eyebrow pencil. I then use Tame to soften the intensity of the pencil's color.

And last but not the least,
14. VO5 Curl Up Control Curl Defining Mousse - my permed hair is no longer all over the place because of this. It does what it's supposed to do and that is to define the curls.

I also have other favorites that are non-beauty related but I'll probably end the post here. I hope you all have a great week ahead of you. :)

What are your current faves?

Happy Monday night, everyone! :P

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Recent Cosmetics Purchases + Goodies

Hi again! Another very quick post. Thought I'd just share the stuff I purchased for the past couple of weeks. Though these aren't a lot, I think I'd go on a shopping ban. I may not have bought a lot of makeup but I have purchased mostly skin care, laptop accessories, books, shoes, a few novelty stuff, cosmetic bottles from Beabi, and a really neat necklace too. Didn't take pictures of everything but I'm sharing the makeup items I got and a few others too.

For makeup - Becca Mineral Powder Foundation, Bourjois Blush in 54 Rose Frisson, Benefit Posietint 4mL, Benefit Coralista mini 3g (I miss the Coralista I sold, must be seller's remorse), Maybelline Dream Mousse Concealer (which I love!), ELF Eyebrow Treat & Tame in Ash, ELF Mineral Eyeshadow Primer (since my friend got my UDPP and I couldn't say no), and Vaseline Lip Therapy in Cherry. Everything was purchased online except for Vaseline.

The "vintage" necklace I got from eBay for 120 bucks (a little less than $3)

And lotsa samples from my exchange gift with Sugarpaopao. Oh, thanks to her for also introducing me to...

Happy Lemon!!! Love the Cocoa with Rock Salt and Cheese, thanks for the reco. :) Sucks that I wasn't able to meet you on the iWhite event and Happy Lemon session with the other girls.

Oh, I also finally had the time to drop by the PO and claim the package/sample sent by Maggie from kkcenterhk. Hopefully, I can do a review soon. I don't have an eyelash glue yet. :P

So that's it for now. By the way, is it really the rainy season or summer had a month-long extension? It's freakin' hot!

Happy Thursday, everyone! :P
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Christmas Collective Haul

I'm a happy girl this Christmas season. I got a couple of the things on my wishlist and then some. I'd like to share what made me broke now. Haha! :P These are basically some of the stuff I got for the past couple of weeks (December). I have a mini eBay haul coming up soon. :)

From Rustan's

From Duty Free - got 2 from my Christmas Wishlist (The Chanel lipstick shouldn't be part of this haul but something went wrong that I had to just keep it.)

From SM :D

I can't get over the brush included in the Chanel compact. :P

Laura Mercier Colour Classics Face palette + 1 mini lip glace (Pink Diamond)

2 blushes and 6 eye shadows (will review soon)

My latest fave scent - Acca Kappa Hibiscus

Did you get items from your Christmas wishlist? Went shopping this Christmas? :P

Happy Sunday, super awesome peeps! :)

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Product Review: ELF Brightening Eyecolor Quad in Ivy

Here's another ELF makeup review, this time, it's the Brightening Eyecolor Quad in Ivy (Greens). I only use drugstore eyeshadows because I'm obviously a newbie when it comes to eyeshadow and I can't bring myself to spend a lot .just for something I don't often use.

What I like:
- The color combination is great. All four colors work together.
- Pigmentation is pretty decent. Not super pigmented (which may be a con to some) and can still be used for a natural look.
- Texture is creamy for a powder eyeshadow.
- Not chalky though some complained about it being chalky but this one isn't.
- Did not experience having fall outs.
- Inexpensive at only PHP129.75 (around $3 which could already be the Studio Line in the US).
- Locally available at selected Watson's branches and department stores nationwide.

What I don't like:
- Lasting power is kinda poor if used without primer especially for those with oily lids (like mine).
- Packaging is pretty flimsy and tacky. There is a small mirror where the applicator compartment is, designed for touch ups but kinda useless since it's too small.

Overall rating: 3.5/5

Will I buy again? I would like to try the other quads. :)

Swatch. Each shade swiped just once.

On my eyes.  Applied lightly with no primer.

(See the concealer settling on the line under my eyes? Bad.)

Have you used cheap drugstore eyeshadow? What do you think of them? :)

Happy Wednesday, super awesome peeps! :P
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Product Review: ELF Studio Line Mineral Infused Mascara

I love how mascaras instantly open up the eyes. If I were made to choose just one make up product for my eyes, I will definitely go for mascaras. I am done with my mascara phase but having to get rid of them in 3-6 months (depending on the shelf life indicated on the tube itself), I need to purchase one and my latest acquisition is the ELF Studio Line Mineral Infused Mascara. I am getting hooked into ELF Studio products and is kind of becoming my favorite drugstore brand of makeup. Well, time for the review!

 Silicone Brush Perfect for Volumizing and Lengthening (on the box)

What I like:

- Perfect for natural looking lashes. Skip this if you are after dramatic lashes.

- I see the lengthening effect of this mascara.

- I quite like the very simple packaging. Matte black tube with silver label.

- No clumping after 2 coats.

- I did not experience major smudging and no raccoon eyes even after a few hours.

- The size of the brush is just right and reaches even the shortest lashes on the inner corners of the eyes.

- Cheap for only PHP249.75 just like any other Studio Line products.

- Scent is the typical smell of mascaras, nothing rosey like Maybelline The Colossal.

- Locally available at Watson's and leading drugstores nationwide.

What I don't like:

- No volumizing affect as opposed to what it claims to do. 

- Takes a bit longer than other mascaras I have tried to dry.

- Even though the size of the brush is just right, I still end up with mascara smudges on my lids no matter how carefully I try to apply this. I kinda have shaky hands and this isn't good for those with hands like mine.

- My lashes sometimes end up sticking with each other.

- Holds the curls only for about an hour or two max!

Overall rating: 3/5

Will I buy again? No. I will stick to Maybelline The Colossal and/or Covergirl Lashblast. Or I might even consider investing on Clinique Lash Power as I get the same effect from this mascara without weighing my lashes down.

On me

Happy Sunday! :P

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September Favorites!

Heya! This is the first time I will be doing a favorites post though I have been planning to do so since July buy have never gotten around to doing that. So these are my September favorites!

PureDerm Acne Wash Cleansing Tissues for removing my makeup and an instant facial cleanser.

Dove Intensive Cream for keeping my skin hydrated and moisturized - this works best for the driest parts of my body (elbows, knees, ankles, hands).

Maybelline Clear Smooth Minerals BB Cream - works like a tinted moisturizer for me. Feels so light on the face with minimal coverage. Perfect for hot days and when I don't feel like wearing makeup.

MAC Studio Fix Powder Foundation - rediscovered my love for this product. Never broke me out and gave me the coverage I needed.

Shu Uemura Glow On Blush M Pink 30 - my go to blush. I reach for this blush almost every day since I got it and I barely made a dent on it. Seems like it's bottomless! Perfect for daytime or everyday makeup.

Chanel Joues Contraste Blush in Tea Rose -  I have recently made a revisited and reviewed post for this blush. I have finally learned to appreciate sheer blushes. Another go to blush.

ELF Studio Line Eyebrow Kit in Light - my brows never looked better! Makes filling my brows easy as pie!

Nivea Fruity Shine Pomegranate Tinted Lip Balm - moisturizing with a hint of color. I sometimes skip lipstick or lipgloss with this lip balm.

MAC Satin Finish Lipstick in Twig - another MLBB lipstick that is perfect for everyday makeup.

Adorned with Grace Ingenue Dual Fiber Brush - perfect for blending concealer especially on the under eye area. helps concealer blend well with the skin to avoid the cakey look.

Clinique Lash Power Mascara - my lashes but better. Smudge proof and holds the curls very well. I have not experienced any clumping at all, no spider legs either.

Maybelline Mineral Power Natural Perfecting Concealer in Ivory - I like using this on my under eyes and even in covering up blemishes on my face. Blends easily and doesn't cake as long as it is blended well. Works well with the AwG stippling brush and MAC 188.

L'oreal Paris Total Repair Deep Repairing Mask - made my hair healthier, smoother, softer, and more manageable. My hair no longer feels dry and damaged.

L'Oreal Paris Total Repair Repairing Shampoo - saved my hair from total destruction.

So these are my favorite products for the month of September. What are your favorites?
Happy Sunday! :P

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