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Beauty, Reviews

New Hair Don’t Care: Salon Beauvoir

03/21/2014

Review: YSL Touche Eclat Radiant Touch

03/10/2014

2 Comments

One of the most famous makeup products of all makeup history would have to be the YSL Touche Eclat Radiant Touch. Of course, there are so much more famous makeup products out there. However, it’s really hard to not know or not hear about this gold pen. A makeup addict cannot call herself one if she hasn’t at least heard about this Super Mega Holy Grail status concealer. Given this, I was so curious as to why so many women rave about this alleged magical gold pen. Fast forward to the time I was in Sephora, I don’t know what crazy spirit inhabited my body to shell out $41 or (Php 1824.09) but I did. I think it’s the Sephora magic or hex (teehee) because that glorious makeup heaven can make women (and men) go crazy!

Product

The YSL Touche Eclat Radiant Touch contains 2.5 ml worth of product (I just realized how small the product content is, ouch…). The product itself has 12 different shades to cater to women of different complexions.The gold exterior of the pen lives up to its price tag because the pen looks so damn luxurious. The pen has a small brush as its applicator and it has a neat button at the end of the pen to release product. I like how it’s so easy to apply the product because of the super soft brush and button at the back of the pen.

Shade and Formulation

I got the shade 2.5 which is called luminous vanilla is for those who have light to medium complexions with warm undertones. I think the shade matches my skin tone in general but is a touch lighter than my skin tone. I really do not mind it being bit lighter than my normal skin tone because it’s perfect for brightening the skin.

The YSL Touche Eclat Radiant Touch is supposed to be a versatile product and can be used as an under eye concealer and highlighter. I remember the girl from Sephora telling me about how great of an under eye concealer it is. After using it for a few weeks now, I honestly think it fails an under eye concealer. The consistency is really light and does not cover up the dark shadows under my eyes very well.

But wait, don’t get too disappointed just yet! This product has been raved about for a reason and I have to admit, every rave this product receives is well deserved. If this product fails miserably as a concealer, it wins triumphantly as a brightener and highlighter. As I was desperately trying to make this super-expensive-allegedly-magical pen to work on me, I tried applying it on top of my under eye concealer. GUESS WHAT? It worked! I really think that it gave my the heavy baggage my under eyes carry a push! I also applied it on top of my cheek bones, around the shadows of my mouth, my brow bone, nose bridge, and it really did brighten the said areas. I swear, it’s like instant coffee right out of a golden pen to make you like awake and radiant!

Longevity

Since the product has a light consistency, it may tend to wear off after 5-6 hours considering that I don’t sweat easily.

Tips and Recommendations

I love love this beautiful golden and wand and it’s highlighting properties. I do recommend it to those who have the money to spare. It’s a great product but not really a must have (pls don’t kill me). I feel like I can still create the same effect of this product using different makeup products for less the price. Therefore personally, it has not reached holy grail status. I’m going to enjoy every last bit of this product while it lasts but I do not think I’m going to repurchase it any time soon. This is because I don’t think it’s worth the price the second time around. A single pen of this can already get me a super nice liquid foundation. I think that the price this pen is worth it just for experience. Do you get what I’m trying to say? :)

If you do purchase it, here are some ways you can use it: on your cheek bones, around the shadows of your mouth, brow bone, nose bridge, shadows around your nose, etc. Carefully dab small amounts on the said areas and dab your ring finger gently onto your skin to blend everything flawlessly.

what do you guys think?? :) let me know in your comments below! What is your perfect under eye concealer and brightener? :)

xoxo,

Beauty, Reviews

Review: Milani Lipstick in Rose Hip

03/09/2014

Review: Fairy Drops Mascara Film Type

03/04/2014

6 Comments

I think the first time I’ve ever heard about the fairydrops mascara was when I was watching one of Jen’s (From Head to Toe) favorites videos. I was contented with my drug store mascaras then and I found the mascara too expensive to lust over. Fast forward to the time when I was oggling at all the cosmetics in front of me in Sasa (a drugstore in Hong Kong), I found out that a few of the Fairy drops mascaras were on sale! Being the sale freak that I was, I immediately purchased two Fairy Drops Mascaras just to find out for myself what the frenzy about these mascaras are about!

The first mascara I’ll be reviewing is the Fairy Drops Platinum Mascara T2 (Film Type) which replaced the first film type mascara (silver tube) they used to sell.

The new Fairy Drops Platinum Mascara T2 (Film Type) promises the following:

2 times the special ingredients for eyebrow treatments it contains (collagen, squalene oil, jojoba oil, hyaluronic acid, and panthenol
lengthening power
volumizing power
curling power
easy to remove; water resistant but can be washed with soap and water (which explains why it’s called film type)
platinum black color

The Product

I really fell in love with its glamorous packaging. The color and the design is really too cute for words! The mascara wand is seriously the most unique wand I’ve ever had in my collection. In theory, the unique shape of the wand is supposed to be able to catch all of one’s lashes. It does catch all my lashes and coats them adequately with the product. I like the idea of various elements present in this mascara to treat my lashes. I like how the mascara formula isn’t too thick to clump my lashes and it dries up quickly after application.

However, my biggest issue with this mascara is that it doesn’t hold the curl of my lashes very well. I am Asian and have thin, short, and straight lashes. My lashes really need all the extra push it can get but sadly, this mascara didn’t do much pushing to my lashes. The most that it was able to do to my lashes was to volumize it a bit. I normally would not spend even Php600-700 for a mascara so I was really desperately trying to make this work for me. Out of sheer desperation, I curled my lashes after they have been coated with the mascara and dried even if I know I shouldn’t be doing that. I discovered that it actually does lengthen volumize the lashes but since it doesn’t hold a curl well, my lashes fall back to their straight position and I don’t get the see the volumized effect.

Given it’s expensive price tag which is around Php1200 here in the Philippines (I think I bought it at around Php 600-700 in Hong Kong), I was really disappointed with the fact that it can’ hold the curl of my lashes. I think having to curl my lashes after the mascara has been applied defeats the very purpose of the mascara. I guess I’m too prideful like that, teehee. I know that this mascara is frequently called the HG mascara for a lot of people so I’m sure that it does work wonders for others. I’m sad to say that it’s just not for me.

Fairy Drops Platinum Mascara T2 (Film Type) applied on lashes on my right eye

Anyway, I still have another tube of Fairy Drops mascara to try out and I’m really hoping for the best on the other one! Wish me luck? Yes, I need the luck because I hate flushing money down the drain and I hate being let down by the hyped products I decided to try out!

What do you guys think about Fairy Drops Mascaras? Are they worth the price tag AND the hype? What’s your favorite version? Let me know! :)

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Beauty, Reviews

5 Minute Review: Nail&Co.

02/28/2014

Review: Koh Gen Do Aqua Foundation

02/27/2014

4 Comments

I’m not one to buy a lot of foundations because I don’t really wear them on a daily basis. Usually, I usually just spot conceal to brighten out and even out my face. However, on days when I feel like my skin needs the extra push (when I pull an all nighter) or when I just want to look extra polished, I whip out my favorite foundation, the Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow foundation. As I was browsing local Filipina blogs, I found out that the Koh Gen Do Aqua Foundation (old version) was 40% off in Beauty Bar accompanied with rave reviews on the foundation. To me it was luxury foundation + 45% = uhh, YES PLEASE!

I dropped by Beauty Bar as soon as I could and I picked out the Koh Gen Do Aqua Foundation in the shade Pk-1. I was really ecstatic at the thought of it being only P1512 from P2750 after the 45% reduction. Just to give a bit of background information about the brand, Koh Gen Do is a luxury Japanese brand and they focus on high definition cosmetics. I think it’s on sale because Beauty Bar is trying to get rid of all their stocks to give way to the new and reformulated version of the Koh Gen Do Aqua Foundation which is now called the Maifanshi Aqua Foundation. I’m not really sure about the in-depth details about the reformulation so I’ll talk about the Koh Gen Do Aqua Foundation for now.

The foundation is encased in a durable-looking glass bottle with a pump. It’s not the most travel-friendly foundation but I really don’t mind the weight of the bottle. I like to literally feel the weight of my purchases. ha di ha! It contains about 30ml worth of product which is about the same amount of product that the Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow foundation contains. It comes in eight different shades. I honestly had a difficult time picking out my shade because the lady from Beauty Bar kept on mixing up the shades. I ended up with PK-1 which has pink undertones. Looking back, I think I should have chosen OC-1 which has yellow undertones but PK-1 works just fine on my skin.

The foundation has light to medium coverage and is quite buildable. One layer can easily even out minor color imperfections on the skin. Another layer would be needed to further conceal a bit more intense discolorations. It doesn’t completely conceal big zits though. The texture is a teeny bit runny which allows a flawless applications and leaves a subtle luminous glow when applied. What I really love about this foundation is that it doesn’t completely cover up the skin like a mask and actually allows the natural skin to “shine” through the product. Basically, it just enhances the skin, settles into the skin so well. This also lasts all throughout the day on my skin (I don’t sweat easily) and I did not experience any allergic reactions while wearing it.

Given it’s formulation, I don’t think this will work very well with those who have really flaky skin or those with major acne because this might just emphasize those imperfections. It’s also water based (60% water) which is why I think it will work well with girls with oily skin.

Overall

I’m so glad I found out about this gem of a foundation even it’s about to be discontinued. It really feels like and works like a luxury foundation. In my opinion, this is such a steal and those who can still grab one should definitely grab a bottle of this because I really think it’s magical! This is one of those foundations that will truly enhance your skin and not bury it with chemicals so that you can easily pretend like you have no makeup on.

have you grabbed your own bottle yet? what do you think? :)

xoxo,

Beauty, Reviews

Review: Revlon Colorburst Matte Balms

02/25/2014

7 Comments

I didn’t know that Revlon released two new lines of lip products (Revlon Colorburst Lip Lacquers and Revlon Matte Colorburst Matte Balms) until I saw them on my Instagram feed. I instantly felt like a kid seeing a new toy on TV when I found out about the new lines on Instgram. I checked out some swatches online and immediately ordered 3 shades of the Revlon Colorburst Matte Balms: Showy, Complex, and Audacious. I got these at P400 each from Bon Marche, an online shop. The department store price for these is around P500, I think. The lip lacquers did not really spark my interest so I decided to skip on them.

Product

These are like spin-offs of the Revlon Kissable Balms Stains which we all know were inspired by the Clinique Chubby sticks. I honestly don’t mind that these look so similar to the Clinique Chubby sticks because these are more affordable and I’m not yet willing to splurge on a Clinique chubby stick.

The Revlon Colorburst Matte Balms are encased in beautiful matte tubes. I love that these pencils can be twisted up and down easily. This feature is a HUGE plus for me because I hate having to sharpen these beauties because it will cause a lot of product wastage. This is actually the reason why I never got myself to purchase any NARS velvet matte pencils and Urban Decay Super Saturated High gloss lip colors. I also tried to twist them until I couldn’t anymore and WOW, the amount of product of these are impressive! I think it’s going to take a long time before I get to finish up on tube.

The formula of these aren’t completely matte even if they ARE called matte pencils. The formula has a satiny feel to it because these are quite moisturizing on the lips to some extent. Although my sad dry lips aren’t the best match with these matte balms, the moisturizing factor of these balms really help. These also have a subtle minty flavor which I really like. These are very pigmented but they can’t survive a full meal. I think the true matte lipsticks are the ones that can really survive full meals. I honestly would rather have semi-matte lippies just because I really really have dry lips and my lips appreciate the moisture loving!

Showy is a beautiful bubblegum pink and works well with my skin tone.

Audacious is a gorgeous bright orange and I feel that it suits my skin tone the best. This also has to be my favorite shade and I’ve been using this quite often recently.

Complex is a peachy nude beige. I really wanted to like this but this shade settled on the lines of my lips the most. It also makes my lips look really washed out. I make it more wearable by mixing in Showy to create a pinky beige color.

Overall

I don’t regret buying these Revlon Colorburst Matte Balms but I don’t think I’ll be repurchasing more shades JUST BEACAUSE I have really dry lips and these aren’t really a good match for my lips. I’m so tempted to purchase the other shades because they look so divine on other people! But, I have to be smart and save my money for other makeup purchases. :)

The line has a huge array of colors to choose from and I can really see these working for other people who have more luscious lips! For those with dry lips like me, you can still try these out and make it work by trying to condition your lips with petroleum jelly or something of the like. Don’t forget to wipe off the moisturizing product before you apply the lippie because the lippie won’t apply as nice as you would like.

What do you guys think? Have you bought any of these Revlon Colorburst Matte Balms?

xoxo,

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Beauty, Reviews

Review: ZA Perfect Fit Concealer

02/20/2014

2 Comments

I follow a lot of beauty bloggers or simply beauty-grammers (makeup addicts on Instagram) and I’ve seen this product come out amidst beautiful, drool-worthy, high-end makeup a couple of times already. I did not know it was a super affordable drugstore product until I laid my eyes upon it when I was in SM Makati. Naturally, I swatched it and tried to figure out what’s the fuss with the tiny pink tube and then I got amazed when I found out that it was around P350 only. Having seen it in amidst designer brand makeup frequently and finding out that it was really affordable really sealed the deal and thus another impulse buy. teehee!

There are a total of 4 shades, and I got the shade in 02. The products comes in a pink tube with a twist cap and contains around 9g worth of product. Having used it a couple of times already, I feel like it doesn’t contain a lot of product because after around 5 times of using it, I already had to gently squeeze the tube to get product out.

Product

The Za Perfect Fit Concealer is a liquid concealer. It has light to medium coverage and the consistency of the product itself is creamy and it reminds me of a light liquid foundation. Application of this product is such a breeze. It blends right into the skin as I carefully tap the product onto the skin under my eyes and on my blemishes. The product conceals the darkness under my eyes and even brighten the skin to a certain extent. It perfectly conceals minor discolorations and redness but I do not think this will be able to cover up major acne. This lasts on my skin from the morning to early afternoon. Given that I go to a university that barely has airconditioned classrooms, it’s understandable to have touchups.

When Applied

eek. I really haven’t been having a lot of sleep for the past 2 weeks which also explain why I have been absent from blogging.

Final Thoughts

This concealer really works like a dream especially on the skin under my eyes. I think I’ve found my HG concealer as of the moment. It’s affordable and does magical wonders for my face. I know that there are a lot of amazing high-end concealers out there but for now, I’m sticking to this. I’m just going to keep on repeating “happiness is bliss” and “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” to myself for now. I wish that they had more shades to choose from to be able to cater to more people though! It does all the basic things a concealer has to do flawlessly.

I recommend this to EVERYONE to try this concealer out. It’s affordable and you really have nothing to lose! :)