Goodies Goodies!

People come and go. And so does makeup. Since I am trying to curb my spending habits, I made a pact with myself that for each makeup (or two) that I buy, I have to let go of something from my stash, to somehow feel less guilty about buying. One replaces the other - that will be the cycle unless I really like something and decide it's a keeper that I won't let go of. I have recently done a little de-stashing and have let go of most of the items I barely use and here are the replacements I have acquired since last week (and maybe a little bit longer than that for the mascara).

1. Clinique Happy Heart 100mL

2. MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural Light

3. RMK Liquid Foundation 102

4. Giorgio Armani Blushing Fabric 2

5. Kiss Me Heroine Make Volume & Curl Mascara

6. Kanebo KATE High Coverage Pressed Powder UV

7. Models Own Lip Balm in Tangerine (which I am absolutely in love with at the moment!)

8. Avon Ideal Oil Control Pressed Powder

9. Covergirl Clean Pressed Powder

10. Covergirl Tru Cheeks Blush 1

11. Covergirl Tru Cheeks Blush 5

12. L'Oreal Volume Perfect Lipstick in Fawn

13. Colour Collection Vitamin E Lip-Eye-Cheek Color in Rich Apricot - a little local lovin'!

14. Lilo & Stitch plastic jars for samples

15. More cosmetic jars

16. Make Cleansing Pad

17. Dove White Beauty Bar

18. Dove Intense Repair Conditioner

Not in pictures:

19. Herbal Essences Hydralicious Shampoo

20. Dove Intense Repair Shampoo

21. Colour Collection Moisture Intense Lipstick in Autumn Glaze

22-23. Tupperware Brand Jellies Glossy Tints in Apple Glaze and Tropical Punch

I have a lot of reviews coming up. I only need the drive to get back to blogging regularly. Anyway, I hope you're all having a wonderful week so far.

Cheers,

Read more...

In The Limelight: Kanebo Coffret D'Or Beauty Lasting Liquid UV - A Product Review

From being an avid powder foundation user, I slowly switched to liquid foundations. I thought the latter isn't suited for my skin type - combination-oily - so I avoided them at all cost. It was only until the last quarter of 2010 that I have started using liquid foundation. I must say that I liked it better because it looks so much more natural than powder foundation, of course, still depending on what formulation and coverage you prefer and how and how much you apply. I prefer sheer-light because I don't like the mask and cement-like feel some liquid (and cream) foundations give, not to mention how heavy it feels on the skin which possibly does not allow my skin to breathe.

Anyway, I realized just recently that Japanese brands of liquid foundation work best for me because I have let go of those Western brands (I'm still talking about foundation) in my stash though the last one standing is YSL Matt Touch Foundation which I will be reviewing pretty soon. As some of you know by now, I adore Kanebo and my HG powder foundation is also from the same brand. So I couldn't pass up the chance to own the liquid version of the Coffret D'Or Beauty Lasting variant that was being sold online which is the product in the limelight for this post.

Huh. I really do tend to blab.

According to Kanebo Coffret D'Or, this is what Beauty Lasting Liquid UV is:

Formulated with Pure Proof Powder
A soft, dewy translucency. For truly pure skin that lasts.

Liquid foundation that offers a more lush and soft touch than ever before, creating skin with refinement. Covers textures and pores, while comfortably blending with skin and freshly applied elegant finish that lasts for hours.

What I like:

• The packaging looks wonderful without the heavy feel. The cap, however, can be used to get your fingerprints in case the cops suspect you of something bad.
• It has SPF 26 PA++. Though this can never be a substitute for sunscreen, I like that it already contains such especially on days when I am in a hurry, which I usually am.
• The texture is kinda watery which makes it easy to spread on the face. However, it can get a bit drippy so make sure that your face is ready to catch the foundation.
• It feels very light on the skin, as if I use just a tinted moisturizer.
• Dries to a matte finish while still allowing your skin's natural glow to show.
• Scented but it isn't something that bothers me, given how sensitive my nose is to scents.
• Stays on my combi-oily skin for a long time though I need to touch up every 4 hours, which isn't really that bad for me.
• Once it mixes with the natural oils on my face, my skin looks dewy and not disgustingly oily.
• Does not oxidize on me. The shade BE-B matches my skin tone well. Though on flash photography, my face looks lighter than my neck which could very well be due to the SPF in it.
• No break outs, no allergic reactions either.
• I think it's still locally available on most Kanebo counters nationwide.

What I don't like:

• It only contains 25mL
• Pretty pricey for $39.5 or Php 1685 if purchased in HK but that's still much cheaper than if you purchase this locally as I'm pretty sure it costs more than 2k.
• It dries easily so you better be quick in spreading and blending it on your skin.
• If you prefer full coverage, you might not like this as it provides light coverage. You still need to use concealers for dark circles and blemishes.

Overall rating: 4.75/5

Will I buy again? If I run out of foundations and if this is still available, I would, but only online. I remember mentioning in one of my posts that the Coffret D'Or line is being discontinued according to the local Kanebo SAs, but seeing the Coffret D'Or website being still up, I'm keeping my hopes up. :)

Have you tried any Kanebo foundations?

Have a wonderful second week of February, everyone! :)

Cheers,

Read more...

Giveaway for the Glamorous!

Apothica is nice enough to let us know about their ongoing Valentine's giveaway and allowed us to share with you guys so you can get a chance to win their Giveaway for the Glamorous! They have put together some of their best-selling products to come up with the prize for the winner. To enter the giveaway, you just have to go to their Facebook page and take it from there. Here is a sneak peak of their fab prizes:

So seriously, what are you waiting for? Go to their Facebook page and join NOW! :)

Happy Thursday, super awesome peeps! :)

Read more...

In The Limelight: Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in 015 Tutti Frutti - A Product Review

Tinted lip balms - I absolutely adore these products. When I first read about these Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters, my heart didn't really skip a beat and thought these are a bunch of over hyped products even though a couple of shades caught my eye. I vehemently pretended to have a bad case of amnesia and I tried, believe me, just so I won't have to buy these lip butters because I am in love with Korres Lip Butter. Still, I lost the battle to my impulsive character and ended up going home with one shade which is 015 Tutti Frutti. I've been using it day and night for a week now and it's probably enough time to know the yays and nays of this product.

According to Revlon, these Colorburst Lip Butters are:

- Buttery Balm + Shiny Color
- Buttery balm with beautiful shiny color to give you baby soft, healthy glowing lips 94% of women felt lips were softer, smoother, and instantly hydrated.

- Hydrating mango, shea and coconut butter formula boosts lip moisture by 156%
- Pampering gel formula provides super charged hydration and glides on lips buttery smooth
- Sheer to medium colour with buttery shine
- Available in 20 luscious shades

HOW TO USE:
Starting with clean, dry lips apply your favorite shade of Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter onto lips. Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter can be worn with or without Lipliner. Reapply as often as desired for softer, smoother and instantly hydrated lips!

What I like:

• The packaging is nice. I like the quilted pattern just like the one on their Colorburst Lipsticks but they look playful and reminiscent of candies because the caps are colored according to their shades. The size is just a tad shorter than Chanel Rouge Allure and the tube itself is quite similar to Dior High Shine except for the base of the tube.
• The shade looks bight orange in the tube but turns to a nice peachy-coral shade with just the right amount of brightness to liven up the face. It does bring out the natural pink on my lips. Weird as it may sound, that's what it does.
• It glides like butter and applies smoothly on the lips.
• It keeps my lips moist and soft.
• For a tinted lip balm, it is pretty pigmented and has an awesome colour pay off.
• It leaves a nice tint even after the lip butter wears out. 
• No allergic reactions, no irritation on my lips and on the areas surrounding the lips.
• There are 20 shades to choose from.
• Locally available at most department stores nationwide.

What I don't like:

• Since it is a lip butter, I guess you can expect it to melt like butter. It easily melts especially with the kind of weather that we have here in the country which is pretty humid a lot of times. The lip butter broke from the base the day after I purchased it - this is the most disappointing thing.
• It sort of dries out my lips. Yes, my lips feel moisturized only when I have it on my lips but once it's gone, so does the moisturizing feel. I still wear a regular lip balm underneath to solve the problem.
• Staying power isn't fab, of course, because this isn't a lipstick. I have to reapply every 2-3 hours.
• It has only been a week and I've used about 40% of the product. 
• Pretty expensive for Php 525/tube (around $12.25) considering that Revlon is a drugstore brand. 

Overall rating: 3.5/5 I'd hate to be the antagonist here but I do think that there really isn't anything special about these lip butters. They provide nice color while making the lips feel soft and moist but hey, I've seen better. 

Will I buy again? Undecided at the moment. I may think that there's nothing special about these but I love the shade. If I were to repurchase, it would just be this shade or perhaps Candy Apple too. But I still love my Korres Lip Butter more. :)

The packaging compared to Chanel Rouge Allure
and Dior Addict High Shine

Lip swatch | Hand swatch | On me
Face makeup: Pore Serum Gel | Celeteque Dermoscience Hydration Facial
Moisturizer | RMK Liquid Foundation | Laura Mercier Secret Concealer |
Kryolan Anti Shine Powder | Skinfood Choco Powder Eyebrow Wood
Pencil | Laura Mercier Topaz eye shadow | Kanebo Coffret D'Or Highlighter |
Kiss Me Heroine Make Impact Frame & Curl Mascara | Guerlain Blush 4
Eclats 05 Rose Plein Vent | Kiehl's Lip Balm 1 | Revlon Tutti Frutti 

Have you tried these lip butters? How do you find them and what are your favorites?

Have a fabulous weekend, super awesome peeps! :)

Cheers,

Read more...

Welcoming the Year of the Water Dragon with NYX, Chanel, and Revlon!

Happy Year of the Dragon, everyone! Here's a quick post for today. I think I am on a lippy phase once again. I recently purchased a couple of lip products and here they are. I decided to post lip swatches as well to give you an idea on how they look like on the lips.

NYX Color Lip Balm in Sukriya, Chanel Rouge Allure in Charisma, and
Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Tutti Frutti

My favorite of the bunch is Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Tutti Frutti! I love the color on me as it looks pretty natural. I have a couple of gripes with the product itself but I'll tell you about it on an individual review.

What lippies have you purchased lately?

Have a wonderful week, everyone! :)

Cheers,

Read more...

Product Review: Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Blissful

Hi everyone! Another post for today. I'm making the most of the weekend as I'll be busy again tomorrow starting with payroll and then for the next few months. Anyway, here's the review of the blush I have been using for the past month. It's one of those blushes that were raved all over the net by bloggers and YouTubers but I guess my EQ is getting better since it took me a while to finally purchase this blush. Here is the review then.

Tarte Cosmetics says:

For those who want an alternative blush to tarte's award-winning gel and cream cheek stains, we're now offering Amazonian clay 12-hour blush in 8 shades. Inspired by our best-selling cheek and lip stains, shades range from soft pink (dollface) to deep berry (flush). Used alone or with our best-selling natural cheek stains, this blush is sure to give you that natural glow.

To know more about these blushes, check out the Tarte website.

What I like:

• I like the straight on packaging. Nothing too artsy and nothing too glamorous. The colour of the compact gives you an idea how the blush inside looks. It also doesn't hurt that it has a mirror for quick touch ups.
• The shade Blissful is described by Tarte as warm peach. It's close but I would say it's a warm coral peach with a hint of pink. It is matte but it is definitely not flat or a boring matte. It adds warmth on the cheeks while adding a faint glow that is simply pretty. On me, it looks like a natural flush.
• The texture is great. It goes on smooth, it is finely milled and silky. Certainly of high quality.
• Unscented. Nothing that gives me a headache whenever I use it.
• I love that it is animal cruelty-free.
• The blush is pigmented. You only need to swipe your blush brush on the pan once and you get enough color on the cheeks. I think this is not the case with lighter shades but you definitely need a light hand with this particular shade.
• You get 5.6g of product that is packed with pigment, and with a shelf life of 12 months.
• No skin irritation or allergic reactions with this blush.

What I don't like:

• It claims to have a staying power of 12 hours. While I wasn't hoping for it to last half a day on me, the fact that others raved about how it stayed for 6-8 hours on them gave me high hopes for this blush. It lasts only 2 hours tops on me. And that is me staying in an air-conditioned room for the whole period.
• This isn't exactly cheap for $25. I got mine for Php 1200 + Php 50 shipping (roughly $29) online. I was expecting a bit more for the tag price.
• Not locally available. You'd have to purchase this from online re-sellers or have someone purchase it for you abroad.

Overall rating: 3.5/5 While the staying power is such a let down for me, the shade and how it looks naturally glowing on me won me over. I don't mind touching up anyway as long as it's not every minute of my life that I have to.

Will I buy again? No. I guess I'm part of the minority who isn't gaga over these blushes and repurchase. I'm sure I can find a better-lasting blush that is equally gorgeous on my cheeks.

Interesting Facts:

These solar-baked blushes are infused with Amazonian Clay, nature's most perfect ingredient. These nutrient rich
and skin-nourishing Amazonian clay blushes restore harmony for a flawless finish that lasts all day.

The soft blush is great for all skin types:

• Oily skin: Amazonian clay minimizes oil in and around pores to balance skin and keep product in place
• Dry skin: Amazonian clay hydrates skin naturally to restore moisture so your blush wears better & longer
• Dull skin: Amazonian clay improves the appearance of skin clarity and skin texture
• Combination skin: Amazonian clay is completely intuitive; gives skin an overall smooth & even appearance

Skinvigorating™ ingredients

• Amazonian Clay: nature’s most perfect ingredient providing total skin balance
• beeswax: as an alternative to synthetic waxes, natural beeswax is used as a waterproofing agent, a protective barrier between the skin and the environment and it has also been know to naturally stimulate collagen production which plumps the skin and decreases the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
• vitamin C: antioxidant that fights free radical damage and prevents oxidative stress and premature signs of aging, while brightening skin
• vitamin E: natural preservative that also acts as an anti-inflammatory emollient and protects against free radical damage

Skinvigorating™ benefits

• formulated without mineral oil
• formulated without paraben
• formulated without phthalates
• cruelty free
• formulated without sodium lauryl sulfate
• formulated without synthetic fragrance

Makeup: Pore Serum Gel, Kanebo Coffret D'Or Beauty Lasting Liquid UV,
Maybelline Dream Mousse Concealer, Kryolan Anti Shine Powder,
Skinfood Choco Powder Eyebrow Wood Pencil, Laura Mercier neutral eye
shadows from Colour Classics Face Palette, Sleek Noir Eyeshadow from Bad
Girl Palette as eye liner, Kiss Me Volume & Curl Mascara, Tarte Amazonian
Clay Blush in Blissful, Korres Lip Butter Glaze in Pomegranate, MAC Sheen
Supreme Lipstick in Ultra Darling

Have you tried any of these Amazonian Clay Blushes? How do you find it?

Happy Sunday, super awesome peeps! :)

Cheers,

Read more...

Non-Beauty Related Purchases - Novelty Stuff

I've always featured cosmetic and beauty-related hauls ever since I started blogging. But this one's different. First thing is that I never actually did any holiday shopping - no trips to Rustan's the drove me crazy and left my wallet bleeding. I haven't been buying a lot of cosmetics lately. One or two purchases for the past couple of months and I'm already a happy girl. Anyway, I somehow went a little bit crazy buying novelty items and a couple of accessories and books. I'm sharing them on this post. Here they are..

Accessories from the Eastwood Bazaar and eBay.ph

Stickers, planners, memo pads, post its, a trinket with postcards and stickers

Books by John Sandford. I want to complete his Prey series. I'm hooked!

That's pretty much everything. Have a wonderful week ahead, everyone! :)

Have you purchased non-beauty related stuff lately?

Cheers,

Read more...

Product Review: MAC Sheen Supreme Lipstick in Ultra Darling

It has been over a year since I last used a MAC lipstick. I decided I was so over the MAC hype and that there is more to makeup than the brand, especially with lipsticks and blushes. Blame it on Japanese and high end brands for my ditching MAC. It wasn't only until I got to try the Sheen Supreme lipsticks that I wanted something from MAC again. It was love at first swatch with Ultra Darling though I had my eyes set on Full Speed and Korean Candy at that time. I've been using it everyday for almost a week now so I guess that's a fair enough time to give it a review.

Sheen Supreme Lipsticks according to MAC

Combining the colour impact of a Lipstick with the shine sheen of a Lipglass, Sheen Supreme creates the perfect hybrid - with no compromise. Lightweight, non-sticky, slick to apply and comfortable to wear. This is a must-have for all those who have craved this kind of fusion.

Ultra Darling is described as a mid-tone yellow pink.

What I like:

• The shade is a very pretty watermelon pink with just the right hint of coral in it. It also has the right amount of sheen to make the lips look healthy and glossy. 
• I love the formula. As I have mentioned earlier, I have given up on MAC lipsticks since I had my love affair with a few high end ones but I can confidently say that MAC earned a second chance because of this Sheen Supreme Lipstick line. It's creamy, glides smoothly, and is very comfortable enough to wear on the lips. It feels like I'm wearing my Dior Addict lipstick. It is definitely a hybrid of a lipstick and a lip gloss with a touch of a glossy lip balm, if I may add that.
• It is non-drying. I have used it a couple of times without a lip balm underneath but it never dried out my lips.
• I love how the color instantly brightens up my face. It's kinda bright on my lips as compared to my usual lip color choices but I can't help but love this. I can definitely see those with fair and medium skin tones rocking this shade.
• No irritation on my lips.
• Lasts fairly well for 2-3 hours (without drinking/eating) but definitely not as long lasting as matte lipsticks because of its glossy formula.

What I don't like:

• The packaging/tube. Not a huge fan of it. I like the regular bullet-looking one better. Plus it's kinda hard to open.
• Maybe pricey for Php 1000/tube but I'm loving the formula so I really don't mind the price tag. MAC is crazily raising their prices to compete with high end ones, I guess.

Overall rating: 4.75/5 Well, ain't this lipstick the Ultra Darling for getting this rating? :)


Will I buy again? Expect to see another shade from the Sheen Supreme Lipstick line in a month or so which is Full Speed. Unless I get over my coral-pink affinity, I'd probably get an everyday nude shade instead which is Bare Again. :)

Swatch

On me

Have you tried any MAC Supreme Sheen Lipsticks? If you haven't, what shades would you like to try?

Have a great week ahead of you, everyone! :)

Cheers,

Read more...