Les Fards a Joues - Blush Swatchfest

Hello everyone. I have previously featured a post on swatches and mini reviews of my foundations so I thought of doing the same with something prettier and what else could be prettier than blushes? Well, it's the blush, at least for me. Anyway, here are the swatches and the mini review or perhaps just a description of each shade.

In order of swatches:

1. Giorgio Armani Blushing Fabric 5 - while this looks dark and scary, it turns to a nice berry flush on the cheeks that fair-light skinned individuals may easily overdo. I think those with medium-tan-dark skin tones may find this to work better on them.
2. Paul & Joe Bambi from the Disney Collection - this is such a nice coral-orange shade which would look nice on summer. These are balls but I crushed one so the pigment will show up better.
3. Shu Uemura Glow On P Pink 30 - one of the more pigmented pink blushes that I have. This appears as a blue-based pink on me though it looks peach-pink to some. Applies with a beautiful sheen and gives a nice glow on the cheeks.
4. Kanebo Coffret D'Or Cheek Color PK-22 - prior to loving pink blushes, I very much prefer coral and more pigmented ones. This made me appreciate and eventually fall for the beauty of sheer pink blushes. This is a no-brainer blush for me which I grab on days when I can't decide which blush to wear. It also does not hurt that this is by far, the best texture in a blush I have ever tried - the silkiest and most finely milled that applies very smoothly on the skin.
5. Becca Cosmetics Mineral Blush Flowerchild - I have long given up on NARS Orgasm, Deep Throat, and such shades but this blush, I have to say, is like a hybrid of both Orgasm and Deep Throat, only with a better texture and a prettier subtle, golden sheen to it. It's not as shimmery as both NARS blushes too. If this is without shimmer, this would look like how I naturally flush.
6. Burberry Beauty Light Glow Blush 04 Peony - while I was utterly disappointed with Burberry Blossom, this one made me want to shriek when I first saw it. This is such a delicate and feminine pink that makes me feel girly-girl every time I wear this. I also could not stop swatching it because it is such a beautiful shade of pink - one of the prettiest I have ever seen. This may not entirely be a unique shade but I love it.
7. Chanel Joues Contraste Tea Rose  - this is the oldest blush in my stash and my first ever blush from a luxury brand as well. This is a nice peach-pink blush that turns to a nice rosy pink shade once on my cheeks. The texture isn't the silkiest but I like how it blends beautifully on my skin. It is also a no-brainer blush for me. I'm happy to report that it is no longer dome-shaped and it's getting flat, which only means that I have been using it a lot.
8. Laura Mercier Baby Pink - this is one of my least-used blushes because it's pretty bulky to bring along since this comes from the Colour Classics Face Palette with six eyeshadows and another shade of blush. It is a pretty pale pink shade which I finally got to appreciate ever since my affinity with pink blushes started. Will try to use this more often.
9. Giorgio Armani Blushing Fabric 2 - it's almost the same as the Blushing Fabric 5, only a tad lighter and has more pink in it. Same great texture, feels nice on the skin but if you're allergic to silicone, you may want to test it out first. It reminds me so much of the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer but this does not break me out which is odd but good. This lasts for hours on my combination-oily skin too. 
10. Becca Cosmetics Beach Tint Guava - a gorgeous coral-pink shade that smells nice too. It just requires a lot of shaking as the pigment tends to separate from the oil but once blended, it's a nice product to use. You get only 7mL in a tiny tube so you may want to use it sparingly. Other than that, I like it a lot for my cheeks. On the lips, it is really drying so it somehow comforts me that I would use less of this product and the mini tube will last me a few months. :)
11. Shu Uemura Glow On M Pink 30 - a nice matte pink blush with a strong peach tone in it which still gives a glow on the cheeks. Chalky at first but with a little blending, you get a lovely colour on the cheeks that can go well with any makeup. 
12. Skinfood Sugar Cookie Blush Winter Cherry - I was expecting a darker shade because of the word "cherry" but I assume that winter made it pale; thus, the light shade that is very reminiscent of NARS Orgasm (again and it baffles me why most companies come up with shades that look like Orgasm), only lighter. Texture is kinda hard and does not blend very well on the skin. As I type this, this blush is no longer with me but I thought it'd be fair to include a review of this since there is a swatch of it.
13. Benefit Cosmetics Bella Bamba - I really wanted to love this watermelon pink blush from Benefit but in as much as I dig the colour, the shimmers are just too much for my liking. And if I have to dust powder over it just to get rid of the shimmers, which will take a few seconds up to a minute to buff it, then it's not something I am willing to deal with on an everyday basis. But really, this is such a pretty shade and if shimmers are your thing, you might very well like this blush.
14. Guerlain Blush 4 Eclats 05 Rose Plein Vent - this is the blush that took me 4 months before I finally used it simply because it was too gorgeous for me to ruin the design. Then again, I purchased a blush that I can use and not simply stare at so I ended up using it. When you swirl the four colours together, it gives you a nice peach-pink shade with just a tad hint of beige with a very fine gold sheen. It is so smooth to the touch, it almost feels like butter that melts on your skin. It has a strong scent so those who are sensitive to scented blushes may want to give this a sniff before heading to the counter.
15. Shu Uemura Glow on K6 from the Aya Takano Reindeer XXXX Kiss Palette - another pink shade for me! It is a sheer medium pink shade with blue tones that looks really pretty and dainty on the cheeks. Just like the other glow ons, it imparts a natural and lovely glow on the cheeks. Unfortunately, I don't get to use this much because it is in a palette with 3 eye shadows and 2 creme products but I promise to use this more often so I decided to bring this whenever it is scheduled for use.
16. Laura Mercier Plum Blush - this is the least used blush in my stash. It is also in the compact together with Baby Pink and this also happens to be the least flattering shade on me. I appear like my cheeks have been slapped several times and bruised. Plum just isn't my colour. I just couldn't get rid of it since it is in a palette. Others may like it but it's definitely not for me.

I can say that with these blushes, I am a happy camper. I am pleased with the shades I have, though most are pinks, and I get to finally use them all! I enjoyed making swatches and I hope you ended up liking something. :)

I hope you're all spending a good time with your family this Holy Week.

Cheers,

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March Goodies

What nicer way could perk up a sick makeup lover like me than to receive goodies when you're stuck in bed, sneezing and coughing your heart out, looking like a red-nosed reindeer on a rainy day? That'd definitely perk and cheer me up. I was handed a few goodies that I got way back December last year from Apothica and the mailman also arrived to hand me something. I decided to just post almost all the goodies I have acquired for the whole month of March before the month ends in 2 days so you'll definitely see some products that have already been featured on previous posts. So I'd like to share what cheered me up on a gloomy, bed weather afternoon-evening.

1. Giorgio Armani Face Fabric Second Skin Nude Makeup 2
2. MAC Blot Pressed Powder in Medium
3. Burberry Light Glow Blush in 04 Peony (which replaced Blossom which I also purchased this month)
4. Becca Mineral Blush in Flowerchild
5. Becca Beach Tint in Guava
6. Benefit Bella Bamba Mini
7. Skinfood Sugar Cookie Blush in Winter Cherry
8. YSL Rouge Pur Couture Lipstick in Rose Dahlia
9. Clinique Happy
10. Caudalie Paris Lip Balm
11. The Balm Down Boy Blush/Shadow (not in picture)
12. Burberry Light Glow Blush in 05 Blossom
13. Random samples from Phytomer, Ahava, Nuxe, and Skinfood.

More reviews to follow then. :)

Happy Thursday evening, super awesome peeps! :)

Cheers,

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Current Favorites + CozyCot

I decided to stop doing my monthly favorites post since my favorites for last month is like a repetition of my favorites for the previous months so I deem it pointless to post about the same things over and over again. I decided to just do a Current Favorites post instead of a May Favorites post. And besides, due to the sweltering heat of the sun these past couple of months, I didn't feel like wearing makeup at all. Anyway, here are my favorite products at the moment.

FACE:
1. Celeteque Facial Moisturizer - I needed something very light and water-based to keep my skin moisturized without the heavy, sticky feeling. This product perfectly fits the bill.

2. YSL Matt Touch Foundation - A foundation with mousse-like texture that feels just like a primer. It lasts for a fairly long time too even in humid weather conditions. My favorite thing about it is that it feels light on the face, as if it's not there. I only wear this when I go out though.

3. Maybelline Dream Matte Powder - The powder that I use everyday that helps keep the oilies at bay.

4. Kanebo Freshel White C Mineral BB Cream UV - I recently got this from AdamBeauty. I just wanted to try BB creams from Japan since most of the BB creams in the market are from Korea. And of course, I adore Kanebo. :)

5. Kanebo Coffret D'Or Beauty Lasting Pact - my HG powder foundation. I'm not straying anymore. :)

CHEEKS:
1. Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge in Calypso Coral - A coral-pink cream blush that I am hooked into right now. :)

2. Kanebo Coffret D'Or Blush in PK-22 - A sheer pink blush that gives a glow from within look on the cheeks. I love using this on top of Bobbi Brown Calypso Coral.

3. Giorgio Armani Sheer Blush 10 - I grab this blush when I can't decide which blush to wear. :P

LIPS:
1. Korres Lip Butter in Pomegranate - I love tinted lip balms and this is coral-pink. I could not ask for more.

2. Maybelline Color Bloom in Peach Blossom - Works just like Mentholatum Lip Ice Sheer Color but this one  turns to a peach shade that looks more natural and more inexpensive too.

EYES:
Skinfood Choco Powder Eyebrow Wood Pencil - Looks natural on my eyebrows.

SCENT:
DKNY Be Delicious - refreshing fruity scent

MISCELLANEOUS:
Japanese Kokeshi Doll Pens from Kimmi Doll (Php 325) and from eBay (Php 30) - the cutest pens everrrrr! :P

So these are my current favorites. Hopefully, they change on a monthly basis.

Anyway, I'd like to share a short article I have written for CozyCot. To read the write up, please click on the picture.

What are your current favorites?

Happy Saturday, super awesome peeps! :P

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Product Review: Skinfood Salmon Dark Circle Powder

When concealing dark under eye circles, we need something to set the concealer in place. Most of the time, translucent powder will do but wouldn't it be better if there is a setting powder made especially for under eye concealers? It was pretty smart of Skinfood to come up with a tag team for dark circles with their Salmon line. I have tried the Salmon Dark Circle Concealer Cream and it was an okay product but I honestly think it works better when set with the Salmon Dark Circle Powder. Having used the Dark Circle Powder for almost a month now with different concealers, I think it's about time I give it a review.

What I like:
- Powder is finely milled and texture is not too powdery nor chalky.
- Does not settle on fine lines unlike the concealer.
- Nice enough to use even on other concealers.
- Brightens under eyes. The amount of yellow is just right which isn't screaming yellow.
- Comes with a cute puff that I sometimes use when I am too lazy to get my brush.
- Packaging is really nice. The gold-bronze lid adds accent to it making the pot not look tacky.
- Has a faint scent but smells nice, actually. Does not in any way smell like salmon.
- Locally available at Skinfood outlets but cheaper if purchased online.

What I don't like:
- Not enough to be used alone.
- A little expensive for an under eye setting powder.


Overall rating: 4/5

Will I buy again? Yes but I won't buy it from the stores. I got this online for only Php471 whereas this costs twice as much when purchased from the store.

Tip: For cheaper alternatives, yellow mineral concealers in loose powder form work just the same as this one.

Tip2: To avoid caking, use a fluffy eyeshadow brush and lightly blend on the under eyes. Too much of this product will help make the concealer cake even more.

Have you tried setting powders for the under eyes?

Happy freaking hot Wednesday, super awesome peeps! :P
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Product Review: Skinfood Peach Sake Pore BB Cream (#1)

After having my faith restored in BB Creams, thanks to Maybelline and Purederm, I decided to try other brands and tested them as well. I know I have already mentioned a couple of times that the reason I did not use any for 2 years is Skinfood Mushroom Multi-Care BB Cream as it gave me such negative results. But being hard headed, I tried another variant from that brand - Skinfood Peach Sake Pore BB Cream. I got the lightest shade again which is #1 and I gave myself almost a week (or probably even less) to test it. And here are my thoughts on this product.

Description at the back of the tube:
Containing Peach extract that soothes oily, troubled skin and Sake that controls excessive sebum secretion, this light-textured blemish cream effectively conceals skin impurities and gives a natural coverage for a flawless complexion.

What I like:
- The scent. It smells really good (like peaches), one of those very few scented face products which I can actually tolerate the scent.
- Shade #1 matches my skin tone very well.
- Thick and creamy and applies smoothly on the skin, without the heavy mask-like feel, providing light coverage which can cover minor blemishes (see swatch below)
- It has SPF20 PA++.
- Locally available at Skinfood stores and online resellers (which, by the way sells this for less than half of the store price).

What I don't like:
- It oxidizes on me. It initially matches my skin tone but give it a few minutes to turn dark on me and it will.
- It's supposed to be good for oil control but it makes my skin look not oily but rather greasy and dirty - the same exact experience I had with their Mushroom variant.
- It gave me 3 pimples after using it for less than a week, probably 3-4 days.
- It emphasizes my pores and the dry patches on my skin.
- My face gets red spots looking like mosquito bites that are itchy a couple of minutes upon application.
- The pump is annoying, don't even get me started. Alright, it doesn't give me the control I need when pumping out a product. The first time I pumped it, a little product was wasted as it shot across the room. It wasn't that much though, probably a pea-size that would've been enough to cover the entire face and neck. The amount of product it gives you is inconsistent. I mean I really do not get the point in having a pump in a squeeze out tube.

Overall rating: 2/5

Will I buy again? No. I give up on Skinfood skin care/face products. They just do not work for me even though they work for others.

Swatch

Blending it

Blended, see how it somewhat concealed the freckles and sunspots on my hand?

Have you tried this BB Cream? :)

Happy Tuesday! :P
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Product Review: Skinfood Rice Concealer Tip #21

This is the second installment of my concealer reviews. I have been using this concealer since 2008 (but of course, not the same one I had back then) and I really like it a lot. I remember raving about this on GT until I crossed paths with MAC Studio Finish Concealer which became my HG for quite some time. But since the NC30 shade is now dark for me, I started using the lighter ones for my under eyes and blemishes. So here is the review it deserves.

 

  

 

What  I like:

- The scent. I won't mind using this over and over because it smells really good.

- The consistency is thick and creamy yet it dries to a powder finish.

- Applies smoothly and blends well with the skin.

- Provides medium coverage. 

- I like how it brightens my under eyes making them appear as if they were well rested.

- The shade I have is #21 and although it appears a tad light upon initial application, blending is the key to make it look more natural and right for my skin tone.

- Staying power is good and lasts for hours.

- I would recommend this to those who have oily skin.

What I don't like:

- Since it dries to a powder finish, it has a tendency to cake when too much is applied.

- It dries quickly so you have to be quick in blending.

- Although it gives medium coverage, I find that this isn't enough to conceal my dark circles. 

- Oxidizes even on my under eyes. It turns ashy gray after a couple of hours.

- Tends to be a bit drying, thus, the caking and settling on fine lines especially on the under eye area.

In between: Although the doe-foot applicator is easy and convenient to use, it will become not so hygienic if you dip the wand and apply it straight on your skin then dip it once again to get more product. For it to become hygienic, get the product from the wand using a concealer brush and make sure you get enough so no double dipping for you and use the brush to dot the concealer on your face.

Overall rating: 3/5

Will I buy again? Since I used this mainly for the under eyes, I'm actually not sure if I would repurchase because I was reunited with Skinfood Salmon Dark Circle Concealer Cream  which I find works better for the under eyes (see my review of Shade #1)and this time, shade #2 suits my skin tone perfectly. And I will review Shade #2 once I receive its matching Skinfood Dark Circle Powder. :P

Swatch

 

Blended

  

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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Product Review: Skinfood Salmon Darkcircle Concealer Cream

I purchased the Skinfood Salmon Darkcircle Concealer Cream last week due to the review I read from IAMSUTIL's addictions and I was really intrigued. Since I'm on the graveyard shift, I want my eyes to look well-rested, without that pesky and annoying dark under eyes. I'm happy with my MAC Studio Finish Concealer but I sure can try other products that seem promising.



So I went ahead and got myself one in Shade 1. I decided to get the lighter shade because I am acidic. But then I think I made the wrong decision. It's taking quite a long time to achieve the coverage I want on my under eyes. I had to put 3-4 layers of concealer alone just to cover it up and I set it with powder. That takes a lot of time as compared to the 2 layers of MAC for me.






What I like:
- Not so hard to blend
- It really conceals well and is suited for dark under eyes
- Helps make your eyes look well rested and brightens it up
- Locally available at any Skinfood store and a couple of department stores
- Price isn't so bad at PHP975, considering it contains 10g of product
- Doesn't cake if you apply just the right amount of setting powder
- It doesn't become dry when stored in cool place, unlike MAC Studio Finish that gets a little hard.
- Buildable coverage

What I don't like:
- It's a bit oily and greasy. No, it really is oily and greasy that's why a good setting powder is needed. Otherwise, it'll cake.
- I need to apply 3-4 layers on each under eye to achieve the coverage I need
- It tends to settle on fine lines after a couple of hours

Basically, it is my fault that I had to use more product by choosing the wrong shade and not testing it first before buying it. Now I know better.

Overall, I'd give this product a 4/5. I don't like greasy and oily but it delivers.

And here's something to really show you ladies the difference this concealer made on my under eyes.


I set it with my Kanebo Revue Still Keep powder foundation because I need something light to set it with. It does a pretty good job, eh?

Ta ta! Have a great Sunday, everyone! :) Read more...