Product Review: Mac Lipglass in Nymphette

 I'm not too fond of wearing lip gloss but Mac Lipglass makes me reconsider.

What I like about it?

- Medium coverage, pigmented enough that it can be worn by itself or under a lip liner or lipstick

- Sparkly glass-shine finish

- Moisturizing jojoba oil to help soften and condition the lips

- Long lasting compared to most lip gloss

- Not overly sticky, a little tacky but glides smooth on the lips

- Angled doe-foot applicator makes it easy for precise product application

- The formula smells sweet like a delicious chocolate cupcake

For this look, I am wearing one of their best selling shades - Nymphette . This is a light medium pink with warm undertones and gold shimmers. In my opinion, universally flattering for all skin tones and quite reminiscent of the iconic Nars Orgasm Blush. Definitely worth a try for any day to night look!

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Product Review: Fenty Beauty Poutsicle Hydrating Lip Stain in Zesty Bestie

Hands down, the newly launched Fenty Beauty Poutsicle Hydrating Lip Stain might be the best lip stain formula that I have tried EVER. 

What's to love about it?

- The pigmentation is top-tier for a lip stain! A little goes a long way and the coverage is buildable as well. - The innovative oil-in-water formula infused with squalene goes on glossy AND keeps the lips hydrated without the stickiness, perfect for summer.

- Definitely kiss-proof, it does not transfer on my masks at all. Feather & bleed-resistant. It lasts all-day and surprisingly waterproof too!

- Comes in 4 vibrant wearable shades that would flatter all skin tones.

- It's cruelty-free and formulated without parabens & phthalates 

For this look, I am currently wearing Zesty Bestie which is a beautiful warm red coral shade that goes so natural on morenas like me. Definitely my new favorite lip stain for this season and I'm not surprised why it's sold out everywhere! 

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Product Review: ELF-C Bright Putty Primer

 e.l.f. Cosmetics has a newly launched addition to their Putty Primer collection - the ELF-C Bright Putty Primer. With the success of their best selling Poreless Putty Primer, they have created the same smooth all-day wear formula but with 2% Vitamin C; to give you a natural radiant flawless complexion in a jar! 

I don't usually wear primers just because I find them too much to layer with on top of my skincare routine. But this one feels so velvety smooth, doesn't pill up and minimizes the appearance of my pores. Surprisingly, non-greasy and lightweight. 

However, I have not seen it do much for my dark spots. But it does a good job in gripping my makeup very well as I have noticed my blush and foundation would last longer when I have it on. Would I recommend? For $12, this one is a steal! Definitely!

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My Lips But Better: Lioele Bubi Bubi Tint Balm in #01 Tropical Raspberry Review

I don't know if some of you may already know this but I just moved to California last week. I'm still adjusting now as we speak. I didn't have much of a problem with the shift from GMT to PST. However, growing up in Manila the concept of having four seasons seemed so foreign to me. It was basically "summer" all year long so imagine my surprise (and total disappointment) when I figured some of my stuff won't "work" well in winter.

The sad part, I ended up giving away and throwing out kilos of things that I can't bring with me here. Detaching myself from material things was really difficult. However, the bright side is some of the things I brought might be of good use.

One of which that I did get to keep is the Lioele's hottest lip balm the Bubi Bubi Tint Balm - a lip balm and tint in one. According to its product description: It promises to heal dried and / or chapped lips and provide nourishment for a healthy, touchable feel. Its lip tinting effect provides the lips a natural and vibrant look - turning lips to a desirable color with just one application. Protecting your lips from winter cracks and summer dryness while adding some great color. Perfect for an anemic girl with chapped lips like mine!

Paint The Town Red - Lioele Lip Color Stick in #04 Rebecca - Cherry Red Review

The thing I like about beauty is there's no "wrong" or "right" way of doing things. Thick brows, over-lined lips, drunk blush. What ever trend there is this 2018, if you could wear it and not the other way around then go for it!

Personally, the lip shades that I prefer wearing are in the range of nudes and mauves. If there's a shade that I have a hard time pulling off, it's red. Red is a powerful color. It's a striking color that turns heads which is tricky because sometimes it makes you look intimidating.

Last month, I got to try the Lioele Lip Color Stick in #04 Rebecca - Cherry Red. It's an innovative 4-in-1 lip pencil that functions as a lipstick, shines like a gloss, moisturizes like a lip balm, and stays as a tint. We love multi-tasking products so I'm not that surprised it's Lioele's best seller for October-November 2017.

Beauty Feature: Blushing Beauty Opens at SM Mall of Asia

When we think about aesthetic clinics, the first thing that comes to mind is they're there for people who wants to look more young or fresh than they were. What we're forgetting is even the young millenials now are just as obsessed about their appearance themselves. Especially now with Facebook Live and Snapchat being the new in thing, it's hard not to look selfie-ready since you'll never know when the cameras come pointing at you!

The interesting discovery I had last weekend was this new pretty cute skin care clinic that caters best for the young image-conscious millenials out there. I ended up there because I got invited by Ms. Abi to their Grand Opening at SM Mall of Asia. This finding was very timely since my skin is starting to look terrible again from all that lack of sleep and the amount of stress that I got the past few weeks.

Product Review: Swan Dance Kabuki Makeup Brush

Here's a fact: No one likes applying makeup with a scratchy sparse makeup brush. Ever.

Why? It won't help apply and blend your makeup in a seamlessly flawless manner if the bristles are too sparse. Chances are it will end up a looking bit streaky, so don't expect an "airbrushed" look with that application. In addition to that, it will be harder to pickup more product from the pan if the bristles aren't dense enough. And that's not very helpful at all. Isn't it?

For the longest time, I have been contemplating buying any ultra dense makeup brush that I could get my hands on. More specifically, I was eyeing every Oval Paddle Brush, Kabuki Brush and Mushroom Brush in the market. So happy to say that I've already crossed out one from my beauty wishlist.

Product Review: Chacott Finishing Powder Sparkle in Lavender

I love multitasking and I'm sure most of us do. So how about a multitasking beauty product that works as much as you? Picture this.. a makeup that could take the place of three products!

Introducing the Chacott Finishing Powder Sparkle from Beauty Shopper PH! It's a long lasting, fragrance-free translucent fine powder from Japan that has won awards and has been highly raved online!

December 2014 Empties & Quick Reviews

Sometimes, I think I really suck at trying to be a beauty blogger. The products I always use up, I tend to throw away involuntarily. Ugh.. Some of the products you'll get to see here are "survivors".

I'm not a fan of hanging on to things so maybe next time I'll try my best not to throw away stuff. Lol

I may or may not have given some updates on certain products that I've promised to review since they are indeed a handful. However, these are some of the products I do have tried and tested to the point of emptying the whole product, some even repurchased. Armed with full honesty, here are my product empties for the month of December. Hope you guys could check it out!

From L-R: Celeteque Advanced Anti-Aging Cleansing Oil, Bath and Body Works Pleasures Mango Mandarin Body Lotion, Fashion 21 Perfect Stick, Cetaphil DailyAdvance Ultra Hydrating Lotion, The Cream Factory SCRUB-in-a-TUB, Syoss Airy Curl Cream, Snoe Body Ritual Recipes Honey Bath Syrup, Celeteque Brightening Tri-Benefit Power Cream, Snoe Magic Apple Whitening S-Rub, Opti-Free Replenish, Candii Nail Polish Remover Wipes and Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer with SPF 15

1.) Celeteque Advanced Anti-Aging Cleansing Oil - Ever since I started wearing waterproof make up, oil based makeup removers have always been a staple. I'm currently using the full-sized version since I have already finished a lot of these sample sized version. Check out how it easily melts off my eye makeup here.

2.) Bath and Body Works Pleasures Mango Mandarin Body Lotion - I got this from my grandma. It's a thick scented lotion that does the job at moisturizing the skin. However, I only get to wear this at night because it doesn't have any SPF on it. You can't have it all, right?

3.) Fashion 21 Perfect Stick in Almond - I loooooooove this! This was one of those impulse buys that I didn't regret having! Although it tends to crease when concealing the under-eye area, it does a marvelous job at concealing my pimple scars. Plus, it is difficult to find something close to my skintone. I love yellow undertones on my concealers since it blends well on most asian skin, like mine. I would repurchase this as soon as I get to finish up my current BB cream.

4.) Cetaphil DailyAdvance Ultra Hydrating Lotion - Staying in air-conditioned room for hours tend to dry my skin. This lotion is very hydrating without that greasy feel. However, like the Bath and Body Works Lotion... I only get to wear this at night due to the lack of SPF.

5.) The Cream Factory SCRUB-in-a-TUB - This is indeed a dessert for the skin. If you haven't seen my full review of this, check it out here.

6.) Syoss Airy Curl Cream - WHYYYYYYYYY. WHY DO THEY HAVE TO PHASE THIS OUT?!?!?! If I were to recommend a great and affordable styling product to everyone with curly or wavy hair. THIS IS THE HOLY GRAIL. Even better than everyone's HG product, the Monea's Curling Defining Milk Lotion. Trust me. Tough luck finding this as I've been searching EVERYWHERE for more than 6 months for this. (UPDATE: Finally, they already have these on stock! However, I find the P120 to P160 price increase a little bit steep. Because of this, I might try to find a more affordable curling cream in the future...)

7.) Snoe Body Ritual Recipes Honey Bath Syrup in Strawberry Smoothie - It a fruity scented body wash with bits of strawberry seeds to keep you smelling great while exfoliating the skin. Best paired with the Scrumptious Body Spritz.

8.) Celeteque Brightening Tri-Benefit Power Cream - I don't know if my skin brightened because of this, but I like this as my moisturizer because it doesn't leave my skin looking shiny. However, I will not commit to the full sized one because I might consider trying out their Celeteque Sun Care Matte Moisturizer soon.

9.) Snoe Magic Apple Whitening S-Rub - My elbows and knees lightened a little bit when I started using this product. If you like products that would last you forever, this is it! I remembered I bought this way back when I was an intern.

10.) OptiFree Replenish - Sadly, my eyes doesn't like every other contact lens solution brand out there. ReNu, Septocare, Lens Care, etc.You name it. If you haven't seen my detailed blog post about my very sensitive eyes. Check it out here.

11.) Candii Nail Polish Remover Wipes - I got this from my mom. It smells good and it's non-drying. I'd say this is a good idea when you're always on the go. However, it dries out if left unused for too long.

12.) Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer with SPF 15 - I'm not sure if I got a bad stock but sometimes this product irritates my skin a little, which is weird because the samples I've tried before didn't do the same. I like this product especially on the holidays because it really moisturizes the skin well.

There you go! A quick rundown on some quality products I have tried till the last drop!
Hope you guys could check out my next batch of empties soon!

MAC Technique Makeup Workshop

 

If there's a makeup brand that everyone knows, it's MAC. If you checked out every beauty blogs out there, they'll usually mention that their skin tone is NC 30, NW 40 or any of the variety. I'm very honored to be invited to their store at Glorietta and be taught how to execute a flawless look by using MAC Cosmetics.

 

 I know you guys are rolling your eyes and telling me, do you REALLY need this? You'll be surprised that I've learned new techniques from MAC and its best selling products as well. After reading this, you'll be equipped with an extra knowledge on which things you should get!

The well-known Makeup Maven, Sabs Hernandez is usually the one handling the brushes. 

But for this workshop she's turning the tables and sat down as a model. Gorgeous as always.

Day to Night Transformation

The theme of the workshop is Femme to Fierce. Our highly-skilled MAC Facilitator, Frances taught us a simple day to night makeup transformation for the forever busy girls that are always on the go! 

Here are some expert notes that could help you channel the inner beauty guru in you!

SKIN CARE

• Skincare first. Never ever scrimp on your skin! Concealing unhealthy skin can only do as much. Cameras are now more HD and unforgiving compared from the past.
• If you want your makeup last longer, a good base / primer is a must! Primers are not only for the foundation but they have lip and eyelid primers as well. The one they used for Sabs are Prep + Prime Lip (for the lips) and Prep + Prime Highlighter (for the eyes). Prep + Prime Lip Primer is one of their best selling products that is quite handy in preventing unflattering lines on your lips.
• Since the weather of the Philippines is truly humid, a Translucent Powder is great for setting your liquid foundation and blotting oil to keep your makeup from melting away!

EYES

• Eye makeup is not generic. Some might have deeper set eyes and some might have hooded lids, not everyone has the same eyes. The same applies to eye makeup, you have to understand your eye shape first to learn how to enhance the features of your eyes.
• Chinitas should veer away from metallic eyeshadows. It will reflect the light and will make your eyes appear smaller.
• Set your eyeliner with eyeshadow to make it last longer.
• Embark is a flattering shade for warm Asian skin since it's a brown purple eyeshadow that is not too black or red. It's an honest brown really. Shroom is good to use with this as a highlight because it's not too frosted like Nylon.
• Finish the look by defining the eyes with a waterproof eyeliner pencil in the shade of Engrave or Black Tide. But if you're into very black eyeliners like me, I say Carbon is the best way to go!
• Some of the eyeshadow brushes that are great to invest on are the 107 and 224. The bristles are made of soft goat's hair and I believe these are Sabs' personal favorite to use on her clients. For more defined strokes, opt for their pencil brush: 119.

BLUSH / CONTOURING

 

Limited Edition Alluring Aquatics Refined Golden. A perfect not too brown or not too red bronzer.

• Do not apply your makeup downwards as it will appear to make your face pulled down. 
• Frances loves using the angled contour blush brush, 167 for applying bronzers that gives the illusion of well-sculpted cheekbones.
• Highlight the apples of the cheek only. Unless you're planning to look tan, don't put bronzers all around your cheek! Remember, highlight the parts you want to emphasize and shade the areas you want to hide.
• The blush shades Blush Baby and Melba are beautiful on Filipina skin.

LIPS

 From Top to Bottom: Viva Glam 1, Viva Glam Rihanna & Russian Red. My camera didn't do the colors much justice.

• Bold eyes can be paired with bold lips as long as the colors compliment each other.
• Highlight the Cupid's Bow and the side of your lips to make them appear more plump.
• Ruby Woo is their one of their best selling red lipstick ever.
• Kinda Sexy is a new matte shade that is not very nude and not very pink at the same time. It's great worn alone or paired to tone down bold colored lipsticks. Frances highly recommends this universally flattering shade.
• Their lip brush which is the 106 is highly recommended if you're into blending two lipstick shades together.

Rocking MAC Heroine with my friends! Still on the lookout for something similar to MAC Riri Talk That Talk. *sigh*

I'm glad I learned a thing or two from my visit to MAC. I'm sorry it took me a while to post new things here. I recently started working full time so I had to learn effective time management skills. Lol. I promise I'll still keep this blog very much alive than it was before.

 

Anyway, for those who are interested in their workshops do visit their stores to learn more! I'll keep you guys posted if they have these workshops in the future. TGIF! Hope you guys enjoy the start of this wonderful weekend!

Sophie Magic Pink Cream Review

I'm anemic. Those two words alone already justifies why I need to put on blush. A lot of people find I'm "maputla" even though I don't even have a pale complexion. It's really odd.

 As much as I love blushes, not all could withstand long wear. Powder blushes tend to get rubbed off while cream blushes seem to slide off my oily skin. 

Sophie Magic Pink Cream has never ever failed me since I've been using this since 2011. I've always seen this item being sold at Multiply from way way back so it really made me curious about it. 

Plus, for a price of P85, it wasn't something too expensive to risk buying anyway.

Prior to applying, this product when dispensed looks like a creamy white lotion or moisturizer. Now here's where the "magic" begins.. It transforms into a flattering pink shade after a few seconds!

The better part, it's long wear. One time I accidentally squeezed out too much product and smeared some on my younger sister's cheek just to annoy her. After she washed her face with water, we've noticed that the product wasn't even removed to begin with. Hahahaha

FOTD with the blush on. Check it out! No filters! :3

Pros:

• Inexpensive.
• No breakouts.
• Long wear and waterproof.
• Easy to dispense.
• Hygienic to use.
• Color suits all skin tones.

Cons:

• Long wear and waterproof.
• Sometimes you'll tend to overdo putting it on because it takes a while for the color to change.
• Not readily available at department stores, you have to buy through Sophie stores or members.

All in all, it's my HG blush that I'd always repurchase in a heartbeat. I think I'm on my 4th or 5th tube already but who's counting anyway? Hahaha. I'm still looking for potential HG blushes (preferably orange or red) that would dethrone this baby! Someday... Someday...

Miss Philippines 2014 in a Beauty DIY with Mader Ricky

It was a fun-filled day as we beauty bloggers and Miss Philippines-Earth candidates got to learn how to achieve a stunning pageant make-up and quick hairstyling from the beauty expert himself, Mader Ricky!

These beautiful bloggers Sol, Sheena, Denise and Alice were there as well.

You might be wondering why teach these Miss Philippines-Earth some beauty DIY, right?

Contrary to popular belief, a day in the life of a beauty pageant contestant is not all glamour and fun. Believe it or not, these girls are always on-the-go hopping to the next venue to the next, packing suitcases, attending endless rehearsals with minimal rest and sleep. Always under the public eye, a beauty pageant candidate must always look her best even in case a professional makeup artist is not on hand to do their makeup.

Here's a quick rundown of some essential makeup tips and tricks we've learned from Mader Ricky to achieve that right look...

Sample Room Haul #4

Sample Room is a sampling site that banks on the power of free product sampling. 

It is an online community that changes your beauty-shopping pattern; and an interactive community where your opinions matter and where all beauty lovers are valued.

For this month, I had 105 points to spare so I got to order three products with me for this haul. Yay!

BDJ Box Beauty Social: Primp and Prettify

This is the 2nd BDJ Box Beauty Social for this year! Primp and Prettify was held at the SM Skydome!
The event was bigger and better compared to the 1st BDJ Box Beauty Social held last March.
During the event we got to explore some of the newest products that premium skincare, makeup and hair care brands had to offer! Glad I bought Ash and my mom along. :D

NYX Mini Haul!

Lookie what i've got here from GWYSHOP!

NYX Mini Haul

NYX Round Lipstick in Pumpkin Pie

Luscious Lipgloss Palette in the Nudes Matte

NYX Round Lipgloss in Mauve

Can't wait to review them! :D