Product Review: Stila Cotouring Trio

I have tried a few bronzers and mainly used them to contour the cheekbones and make it appear more defined. But I wanted something matte because most of what's locally available have shimmers and it won't look natural if shimmers are obvious on areas that have been contoured. So I was really thrilled when I saw this product for sale - the Stila Contouring Trio - because it has a matte contouring powder. I have used it several times enough to give it a review.

It has 3 shades - Light, Dark, and Flash

It lights up when opened.

What I like:
- It has a mirror. :D
- It has three shades - Dark for contouring; Light for highlighting; and Flash as a shimmery highlighter (I guess)
- A bit powdery but nonetheless easy to blend.
- Unscented.
- The light powder, when applied just right above dark, accentuates and highlights the contoured area even more.
- Dark is a matte brown shade that is quite pigmented. But you have to be extra careful because if too much is applied, it has the tendency to have a bit of orange in it.
- Looks natural if the right amount is applied.
- Does not break me out and neither does it cause any allergic reaction.
- Staying power is acceptable, lasts for about 4 hours or so on my combi-oily skin.
- Has a shelf life of 24 months or two years.
- Locally available at Rustan's, I think.

What I don't like:
- The light annoys me so I used a sticky tape to keep it from lighting up.
- I don't get to use Flash. The palette could've gotten away without it. Just me, though.
- The packaging is bulky and takes a lot of space in my train case. Plus it is made of cardboard, though sturdy. But still...

Overall rating: 4.5/5

Will I buy again? Yes, unless I find a matte bronzer that is great for contouring and won't turn orange on me.

Tip: There is a video on YouTube with a Stila makeup artist demonstrating how to use this palette. You may want to check it out because I think it works even on other contouring and highlighting products.

Swatches

On me

Have you tried this product?

Happy Monday evening, super awesome peeps. Have a great week ahead of you. :)

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Makeup Goodies! :P

This'll just be a very quick post. I'm sharing the goodies I received in the mail recently and lookie! :P

The goodies I got from Apothica - CARGO Suede Blush in Montebello, Bobbi Brown Shimmer Blush in Pink Coral, and Too Faced Caribbean in a Compact Bronzer in Sun Bunny (2 freebies included). I also received the Maybelline Dream Matte Powder from a girltalker last week. :)

Reviews to follow. That is if I can bring myself to touch the two blushes. :D

Happy Wednesday, super awesome peeps! :P
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Product Review: NYX Bronzer #1 Powder

After my very short love affair with NARS Laguna Bronzer, I was keen on finding a bronzer that will also work in contouring the face but has better staying power too. I found that in NYX Bronzer #1. Read on for the review.

Look at the gorgeous strips of different hues.

What I like:
- The texture of the powder is really nice and soft.
- Blends very well with the skin, not patchy nor powdery.
- There are shimmers but are not obvious once on the skin, thus, making it good for contouring as well.
- Does not look muddy or dirty at all.
- Pigmented and a little goes a long way.
- There is a slight hint of orange in it but it's not something that will really scream "BRONZER!!!" and the brown tone is way stronger than the orange tone.
- Staying power is good and lasts for hours.
- HUGE! Contains 33.61g of product and will definitely last for a long, long, long, long, long time. Unless you break it and decide to throw it in the bin, of course. :)
- Did not break me out at all, no allergic reactions whatsoever.

What I do not like:
- Not locally available.
- Can make you look sunburned if you apply just a little too much.
- Might not show up on darker skin tones.

In between: Those who do not like products made in China may not like that fact that it is made in China. But then, aren't a lot of cosmetics being manufactured in China nowadays? :)

Overall rating: 4/5

Will I buy again? I don't think I will need to purchase one in, say, for the next three years or so? This will last me a lifetime. But of course, I'm exaggerating when I say lifetime. And I have a Too Faced bronzer on its way to momma.

Ingredients

Swatch

What's your favorite bronzer?

Happy Friday, super awesome peeps! TGIF! :P

By the way, I have an ongoing GIVEAWAY. You may want to join it!

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Product Review: NARS Laguna Bronzer

If you have a round face and chubby cheeks like mine, using a bronzer or a contouring powder can help you have more defined features. I, for one, like having those defined cheekbones that I don't really have so when I read good reviews and raves about NARS Laguna, I thought I had to buy one and I did. This review has been on my drafts for a couple of weeks now and it is only now that I decided to post this one. So here is the review.

As usual, it comes with the NARS rubber packaging. This one is larger than the blushes though.

 
What I like:
- It doesn't turn orange or red on me. It stays true to its color.
- Pigmented and you don't need much product for it to show on your cheeks.
- It has super fine shimmers but are barely visible once on the skin so this is great for contouring.
- Unscented.
- Not chalky nor powdery, texture is nice and easy to blend.
- Locally available at NARS counters in Rustan's.

What I don't like:
-Expensive at Php1750 per compact but if you will use it every day, I think price is reasonable since it comes with a huge amount of product that will most likely last you for years.
- My cheeks are dry and this does not last for a long time, perhaps, 2 hours max on me. Whether or not I use a primer, a liquid or powder foundation, it does not last on me which disappointed me big time.

Overall rating: 3/5 Overall, this is a good product which can do the job for you. Apparently, this does not work that much for me due to its poor staying power on my skin. But I like it for contouring. It's just that I do mind having to bring this wherever I go for touch ups if I want to maintain that contoured cheeks all throughout the day.

Will I buy again? I'm on the fence with this one. I have sold this last week and even though I am thinking of repurchasing this in the future, the fact that it doesn't last long on me keeps me from doing that. But knowing myself, I just might.

 Swatch

On me

 

Have you tried this product? What bronzers do you use or contouring products can you recommend?

Happy Saturday, super awesome peeps! :P

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ELF Studio Golden Bronzer and Contouring Blush & Bronzing Powder + Kryolan

My orders from the ELF Pool last month finally arrived this morning. I just saw the package when I woke up a few minutes ago. I only got two items from the last pool - ELF Studio Golden Bronzer and another ELF Studio Contouring Blush and Bronzing Powder (which is my 2nd compact).




ELF Studio Golden Bronzer
- 4 shades perfect for bronzing and highlighting.
- I tried it and the shade is just right for me. Not too light, not too dark.
- Needs a light hand when applied. They are pigmented.

Very pretty!

ELF Studio Contouring Blush & Bronzing Powder

- My second compact which I'm planning to use as a back-up for my first one.
- Of course, still very pretty

I can't wait to use the Golden bronzer. But since my skin is in a bad state right now, wearing it will just make my skin look worse. So hopefully, my skin gets back to its normal state so I can start wearing it.


Ta! ^_^


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EDIT: By the way, a fellow Girltalker sent me a sample of the Kryolan White Eye Sparkle so I can try it first before buying. That's really nice of her. ^_^ I received it today.

The pigment's so lovely. It has pink reflects when the light hits it.

Another Kryolan must-have. Thanks, Heatherette. :)

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My first attempt to contour my cheeks, ELF Sunkissed Bronzer and Bare Lips Review

Since I already have my very first bronzer, I tried to contour my face using it. I just used my Blusche angled blush brush and that's it. I made a fish face and applied it right on the hollow of my cheeks, just below the cheekbones. I dunno if I was successful in doing so or not. Here are two pictures. Apologies for the poor quality.




I hope I did it right. Anyway, on the first picture, I was wearing Nichido's Bare Lips sheer lipstick. It looks so natural on the lips.

Here's my initial review on the product.

Pros:
-very moisturizing, not drying on the lips
-glides on smoothly
-very sheer color, lives up to its name, Sheer Lipstick and the color Bare Lips is so right
-cheap for PHP163 (a little over $3)
-i find it more of a tinted lip balm than a lipstick
-on the label it says it has Shea Butter
-contains Vitamin E
-with sun filter that minimize the harmful UV rays
-a local brand

Cons:
-this isn't the lipstick for those who want lots of pigment

Other than that, this is ablsobloodylutely a great buy! Plus the case is pink! ^_^

Bare Lips on my lips

As for the ELF Sunkissed bronzer, here's my initial review.

Pros:
-locally available
-cheap for PHP129 (a little over $2---the mark up is more than 100% because it cost only a dollar)
-quality's okay for the price (I have no other bronzers to compare it to)
-I only need two swipes to make it show on my skin

Cons:
-cheap packaging (sticky glue is seen at the back of it)
-powdery (I only dabbed my brush on it and I can see powders, product gets wasted)



See the sticky glue? it's a little icky but I can manage. Read more...

Rambling, Cyleina Haul + 2 Others

I had a very tiring evening. What started out as a good day turned out to be one of the worst nights in my entire life. I just experienced verbal abuse from some guy. I couldn't post exactly what happened because he knows the link to this blog but all I can say is that I was so scared for myself last night. I had to tell a few friends what happened to me because it was really that bad and I was sort of shocked. They were pissed with the guy. Who wouldn't be? Yeah, verbal abuse is a big no-no. It affected me emotionally and psychologically. It affected me so bad that I was walking around Robinson's Galleria with tears.

My rambling ends here. X_X

Anyway, so I just had to divert my attention somewhere else and I walked around the mall for a few minutes. I have been browsing eBay for like a week now looking for a bronzer. There are a few but I find them a little pricey because I do not want to spend much on a bronzer. I'm more of a blush fan. I saw on a thread at Girltalk that ELF's (eyeslipsface) Sunkissed bronzer is good. So I checked out the ELF counter and got myself a Sunkissed bronzer. Then I passed by Nichido and I saw one particular lippie that caught my eye. It looked so pretty when I tested it so I got it as well.



Damage: PHP129 bucks for the bronzer and PHP163 bucks for the lippie. Not bad at all.


So when I finally got home, I saw another package. My Cyleina soaps haul. I went up to my room and opened the package. The seller was kind enough to include 3 soap samples.


I cut a piece of each soap to try. The anti-acne soap seems promising and so does the tomato soap. Since it's time of the month, I had two zits -one on the nose, one on my chin. The chocolate milk soap smells so yummy but it sort of reminds me of Rice Bran. Or it's just me?


I also tried the bronzer and the lippie at home. I was able to sort of make the bronzer work for me and contour my chubby face. I think I'm going to like bronzers. ^_^ The lippie....it's so sheer and glides smoothly on the lips. I love it! I found the best MLBB so far! And it's just cheap for PHP163. I want to get the Nude shade too.

I wanted to look for more stuff but I wanted to go home so much. This wasn't much of a shopping therapy but it helped me in a way. Whew! I'll get over what happened last night soon. Soon enough.

Goodnight. Er, good morning. :) Read more...