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    Beauty, Reviews

    Review: Colourpop Lippie Stix Back to Cool Kit

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    I have to say that last year was an amazing year for Colourpop Cosmetics. It was when (I feel like) Colourpop has generated a ton of buzz around their affordable, trendy and wide variety of products. Like always, I waited for a friend to go to the States to score me my Colourpop loot. I got their fall 2015 collection Lippie Stix Back to Cool kit, some matte liquid lippies, a blush and an eyeshadow. First up on the spotlight is the Colourpop Lippie Stix Back to Cool Kit. 

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    Think of any shade and finish under the sun and Colourpop is bound to have it. Their shade selection is so huge, I couldn’t decide which shades to pick. I finally decided to just go with a limited edition lippie stix kit to be able to have a well balanced selection of shades. The Colourpop Lippie Stix Back to Cool Kit is made out of 6 limited edition matte and creamy finish shades: Choke, Moshpit, Baewatch, TGIF, Out of Synch, Too Sexy.

    Formula, Consistency, Longevity

    Most of the formulas of the lippies from this kit ranges from mostly matte to creamy. The lippies swatch beautifully on my arm but proved to be quite a struggle to apply onto my lips. I know that I have perpetually dehydrated lips but I have been able to make a lot of matte finish lippies work well with my lips. These lippie sticks however just do not sit well on my lips. Most of the shades settled into the fine lines of my lips and weren’t very comfortable to wear. Some of the shades even bleed out of the corners of my lips.

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    Pigmentation for most of the lippies are very good but there’s just really something about the formula of these lippies that didn’t sit well with my lips. I also didn’t quite like the thin shape of the lippies because I had to go back and forth on my lips to apply the lippies. It just felt weird having to swipe back and forth just to come up with a nice outcome.

    What this product lacks in formulation, it makes up for it’s long staying power. These shades stay put and can survive a meal. Touch ups are still recommended after a meal, though.

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    From Left: Choke, Moshpit, Baewatch, TGIF, Out of Synch, Too Sexy.

    Formula, Consistency, Longevity

    Most of the formulas of the lippies from this kit ranges from mostly matte to creamy. The lippies swatch beautifully on my arm but proved to be quite a struggle to apply onto my lips. I know that I have perpetually dehydrated lips but I have been able to make a lot of matte finish lippies work well with my lips. These lippie sticks however just do not sit well on my lips. Most of the shades settled into the fine lines of my lips and weren’t very comfortable to wear. Some of the shades even bleed out of the corners of my lips.

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    Pigmentation for most of the lippies are very good but there’s just really something about the formula of these lippies that didn’t sit well with my lips. I also didn’t quite like the thin shape of the lippies because I had to go back and forth on my lips to apply the lippies. It just felt weird having to swipe back and forth just to come up with a nice outcome.

    What this product lacks in formulation, it makes up for it’s long staying power. These shades stay put and can survive a meal. Touch ups are still recommended after a meal, though.

    I’m not usually particular about scented cosmetics but I was really bothered with the scent and taste of these Colourpop Lippie Stix. The strong vanilla scent and chemical taste of the products really made the experience of wearing these lippie stix uncomfortable.

    Shades

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    Clockwise from left: Choke, Moshpit, Baewatch, TGIF, Out of Synch, Too Sexy.

    Choke is a creamy nude shade. Moshpit is a dark neutral brown shade that reminds me a lot of the iconic Kylie Jenner lip shade. Beawatch is quite similar to Moshpit, but is more of like a deep berry-brown shade. TGIF is a brick red shade. Out of Synch is a beautiful bubble gum pink shade. Finally, Too Sexy is an iridescent deep magenta-purple.

    I don’t know how these swatched so beautifully on my arm but ended up really different on my warm asian skin tone. I noticed that most of these shades have cool undertones which probably explain why these gorgeous shades don’t suit me.

    Final Thoughts

    I really really really wanted to love these cult favorite lippie stix but the formula and shades just really did not work for me. They are quite affordable at around at $5 a pop, but I would rather just go for other lippie alternatives.

    Don’t fret, though! I have more reviews for Colourpop coming up and they’re not all that bad.

    xoxo,

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    Beauty, Reviews

    Maybelline Super BB Cream

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    Even as someone who’s obssessed with makeup, I’m no stranger to falling into makeup routine patterns. In most cases such as with face bases, I often stick to the saying “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. My ultimate favorite choice of makeup base is liquid foundation which is why I have been away from the world of BB creams for quite a while now. Fortunately, I was able to receive one of the newest BB creams out in the market today to take me out of my boring makeup routine habits.

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    Maybelline Super BB Cream is the brand’s latest and newly improved BB cream. It’s so much more different from it’s old counterpart because of three things: SPF 50 PA++, high coverage, and Mineral Guard FilterAside from that, it also promises to hide imperfections and pores, last all day, brighten, smoothen and even out your skin tone. The gorgeous new rose gold packaging is a major plus for me too!

    3Cs: Color, Consistency, Coverage

    The BB cream comes in two shades: 01 Light and 02 Medium. The lack of shade options when it comes to BB creams is normally my biggest qualm with BB creams. But BB creams are actually designed to oxidize once applied on the skin in order for it to match one’s skin tone. As for my case, I used the shade 02 Medium which has hints of cool undertones and I was pleasantly surprised that it was able to match my skin tone quite well.

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    The consistency is right between the runny and thick spectrums. I find that it has medium coverage which makes it easy to spread and blend into the skin. It had decent coverage, but I personally still need concealer to correct the redness on my face and dark undereyes. It lasted around 6-7 hours on me before fading on a very busy day and a good 8+ hours on a laxed day.

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    Final Thoughts

    I think girls who hate having to apply legit makeup on their faces aka foundation and prefer to go for the subtle look will absolutely love the Maybelline Super BB Cream.

    Overall, this is the perfect BB cream for girls who are always on-the-go because of its Mineral Guard filter which helps shield away pollution from the skin. The SPF 50++ is a huge huge bonus for girls like me who are conscious about getting sun spots and freckles. Aside from these two fabulous features, it wears and blends well into the skin and comes with the very affordable price tag of P399 a pop.

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     xoxo,

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    Beauty, Reviews

    Into the world of Tarte: Bling It On Amazonian Clay Blush Palette

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    I’ve observed the hype around Tarte since forever from the sidelines. Mostly because it’s not available in Manila and I’ve always wanted to get their annual holiday blush palette to be able to try a bunch of shades in one go. But stocks either always run out before I get to order. This year however, Christmas came early because I finally got my hands on one of most elusive Christmas palettes ever!

    The palette is designed in such a way that makes it look like a small dressy clutch when shut close. It photographs well but the huge chunky glitter can prove to be a nuisance when it comes to having to take it around as it leaves trails of sparkly glitter all over the place.

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    The Palette comes in 5 beautiful warm shades: 4 of which are limited edition shades (Fetching, Prim, Smashing, Beaming) while 1 is a permanent shade (Dollface). I think first timers and veteran Tarte lovers alike will enjoy the fact that this palette features limited edition shades. The texture of the shades is remarkably fine and smooth. Although powdery, the blushes are very easy to blend with the exception of beaming. 

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    from left: Fetching, Dollface, Prim, Smashing, Beaming 

    Fetching is a muted rosey pink shade with a satin finish.

    Dollface is the only cool tone shade in the palette. It’s a cool toned bubble gum pink with a satin finish.

    Prim is a neutral pinkish brown shade with a satin finish.

    Smashing is a coral pink shade with a satin finish.

    Finally, beaming is a light peach shade is the only shade in the palette that contains specks of pink and silver glitter. It’s the least pigmented shade out of the entire palette and is the most challenging to apply on the skin. Aside from this minor setback, I found the other shades very easy to work with and highly pigmented.

    This blush’s claim to superstar fame is its 12-hour wear time with the help of Amazonian clay. Unfortunately, it did not give me a full 12-hour wearing time. Fading began between 6-8 hours. 

    Final Thoughts

    Overall, I’m very satisfied with my purchase but I wouldn’t say the the formula itself is ground breaking. Since it did not live up to its promise of 12-hours wear, it’s like any other high quality blush. The palette could also use a few more cool toned shades and perhaps, different finishes for variety.

    Although this product hasn’t completely changed my life, I love it for a variety of reasons.

    1. It’s my first ever Tarte blush palette!
    2. It lives up to its hype of being a high quality blush.
    3. All the shades are so wearable! I’ve been reaching out for this for over a month now.
    4. Its high value for money! A full sized blush contains 20 oz and is $28 a pop. The entire palette contains 75 oz, making each blush 15 oz and costs $44 each.
    5. It’s portability. It’s relatively thin and being able to carry around 5 shades of blushes especially when I travel is a huge plus for me!

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    wearing Prim on my left cheek and Fetching on my right cheek

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    closeup..

    xoxo,

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    Beauty, Reviews

    Clinique Whole Lotta Chubby Set

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    One of the first few brands that I was able to tinker with as a kid was Clinique. Because it was part of my mother’s and grandmother’s makeup staples.  Because of this, I haven’t really been able to explore the world of Clinique makeup  save for their Clinique Cheek Pops (which I love!!!). So, when I was looking for new things to try at the Sephora website because a beyond-fab-friend-whom-I-will-love-forever agreed to get me some stuff, I immediately thought that it was the best time to dip my toes into the colorful world of Clinique! I chanced upon the Clinique Whole Lotta Chubby Set which contains 5 sample sized items from their Chubby Stick line… All for S35 only! Although the items are considered as sample sizes, they don’t look like samples at all! The items included are the following:

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    • Chubby Stick Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm in Curvy Candy 1.2g (full size contains 3g)
    • Chubby Stick Intense Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm in Mightiest Maraschino 1.2g (full size contains 3g)
    • Chubby Stick Baby Tint Lip Colour Balm in Poppin’ Poppy 1.2g (full size contains 3g)
    • Chubby Stick Shadow Tint for Eyes in Bountiful Beige 1.7g (full size contains 3g)
    • Chubby Stick Cheek Colour Balm in Amped Up Apple 3.6g (full size contains 6g)

    Lip Colors: Mightiest Maraschino, Curvy Candy, Poppin’ Poppy

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        Mightiest Maraschino Chubby Stick Intense Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm stays true to its name by being the most intense chubby stick lip formula in the entire Chubby Stick line. The product has a delicate buttery texture that glides onto the lips and has the chubby stick trademark glossy finish. The shade is a cool cherry red shade and is highly pigmented. One swipe easily covers my natural lip colour.

    Curvy Candy Chubby Stick Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm is the original Chubby Stick formula. It is THE chubby stick that inspired numerous chubby lipsticks from countless of other beauty brands. It has quite a following from makeup noobs and makeup lovers alike. And I finally know why. It’s classified as a balm but it looks and acts like a very hydrating lipstick. Normally, brands release lip balms in a shade or two and more often than not, in pots. Yes, some brands like Chapstick, Lipsmacker, EOS, etc offer many flavors and shades in stick form. But Clinique was the first beauty brand to successfully elevate plain old lip balms to a whole new lipstick-lipbalm hybrid. Their huge selection of shades also helps solidify its hybrid status for me.

    I love curvy candy because it’s such a perfect product for a lipstick junkies like me who has perennially dry lips. I love me my lip balms but I hate that I’m always out of color options. Having to moisturize my lips before applying an actual lipstick can also be time-consuming during times when I just need to rush out of the house. And so, this is when I proclaim my love of Clinique Chubby sticks! The shade by the way, is a warm candy pink shade, which is perfect for everyday use.

    Poppin’ Poppy Chubby Stick Baby Tint Lip Colour Balm is the product of the bunch that least interested me. It’s like any other lip balm, it comes in four shades, and provides the sheerest tint of colour to the lips. This, my dears, is perfect for those friends/sisters/mothers of yours who can’t stand looking made up. Although it’s not as exciting as the original chubby sticks, these are terrific for moisturizing the lips. It actually remind me of my holy grail lip treatment product, Dior Lipglow. I might just have found a more economic alternative to my HG product. I’ll have to try the pink shade before I can confirm this claim.

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    Maraschino Cherry, Curvy Candy, Poppin’ Poppy

    Bountiful Beige Chubby Stick Shadow Tint for Eyes

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    This is a gorgeous champagne colored eyeshadow stick. I can’t say for sure if it’s the best formula around because this is my first eyeshadow stick. But it’s very useful and easy to use. It’s perfect for those who can’t apply eyeshadow to save their life because you just literally have to roll it onto the eyelids and blend it with a ring finger. Finish it off with a liner, and voilà!

    Amped Up Apple Chubby Stick Cheek Colour Balm 

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    I have bronzer and highlighter sticks but this is my first blush stick as well. I have to say, I absolutely L O V E it! It’s more emollient than creamy and it applies so easily onto the cheeks with a soft powder finish. It also sheer but not annoyingly sheer which is perfect because it allows you to control how much product you want to apply. It’s hard to overdo application of this product but like I said, the color translates seemlessly into the skin. Amped Up Apple is a muted brownish pink shade. I think it’s a very neutral color and it creates that stunning glowing-from-within look that I love! It lasts around 4-5 hours on my cheeks.

    My only concern about this product is that it only comes in 4 shades. I hope they create more shades to cater to more women of different skin tones.

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    Amp’d Up Apple, Bountiful Beige

    Final Thoughts

    WOW, Clinique! I bought this with the intention of trying out a variety of Clinique products in one go but I’m not writing this as a Clinique convert-fan-for-life! The common denominator among the chubby stick line (aside from excellent quality) is that it delivers CONVENIENCE. I absolutely find makeup application therapeutic but there are days when I would honestly rather have more minutes of sleep than transform my face into its usual form. I was able to create an entire look with all of these products from this set plus concealer, eyebrow pencil and mascara. Tinkering with these lovely products was a breath of fresh air. I didn’t need to think so hard to blend eyeshadow after eyeshadow, match it with a lipstick, etc, etc. Thank you, Clinique for creating this line of products for those who need more sleep and still look spankin’ wherever they go. Love you!!!

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    wearing everything except marsachino cherry.. #cliniqueFOTD

    xoxo,

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    Beauty, Reviews

    Falling Head Over Heels With MAC Mehr

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    My first few makeup hauls when my love affair with makeup was beginning to blossom involved me buying bullet after bullet of MAC lipsticks all of which I ordered online. Ever since, I’ve never had any MAC lipstick hauls anymore and just occasionally buy tubes here and there (and even witht his restraint, a huge majority of my lipsticks are from MAC).  Because I want to try as much shades and formulas from other brands too! This is why I was so happy when my close friend Isa gave me MAC Mehr as a birthday present when she found out that Mehr was on my must-buy list! Thank you Lord for giving me friends whoo understand the makeup-addiction-struggle.

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    Shade

    Ever since MAC Heroine and Evening rendezvous broke me out of my pink-nude color spectrum rut, this has been the only lipstick in the pinky nude lipstick army that’s had the ability to shake me out of my love for my bold colored lipsticks. Seriously guys, it’s so good! MAC describes it as a “dirty blue pink”. And I agree. I used to buy lipsticks that look good on the tube, aka colors that look good to my eyes. But after a lot of errors, I’ve grown to learn that more than usually, ugly looking lipsticks in tubes (brownish pinks) look more flattering on me than the typical girly pink shades. The shade applies a tad bit deeper than the usual MLBB shade because my natural lip color isn’t as pigmented as others. But I still would consider it as a PERFECT everyday pink shade.

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    As for dupes, I think it’s very similar to Urban Decay’s Lipstick Revolution in Fiend. Fiend is a lot more moisturizing and glossy while Mehr is a tad bit deeper, browner. I’m currently liking Mehr over Fiend because my Fiend lipstick has a really weird rusty smell which I’m guessing is coming from its packaging. What’s so weird is that my UD lippie in anarchy which I bought at the same time as fiend smells perfectly fine.

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    Left: Mehr, Right: Fiend

    Formula

    One of the most iconic matte shades from MAC is Ruby Woo, which also happens to be one of the driest matte lipsticks I’ve ever encountered. This is why I have always had the impression that Matte lipsticks from MAC are dry as an overbaked red velvet cake, making me essentially allergic to MAC’s Matte formulations. I was so surprised to realize that Mehr is anything but dry. In fact, it’s as creamy as a matte lipstick can be without actually dropping its matte status. It doesn’t tug on my lips as well. I’m not saying that my dry lips are completely immune to this matte formulation because I still have to take the necessary steps to moisturize mah lips.

    Longevity

    I eat a lot… but I’m happy to report that this can survive a full meal of eating and drinking with minor touch ups. With proper lip preparations, this stay on and doesn’t flake my lips out.

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    Final Thoughts

    Overall, I just love the specific matte formulation of this lipstick and of course, its shade is utterly divine. I like shades that I can wear with different makeup looks and this is definitely one of them.

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    What’s your favorite nude pink lipsticks? Let me know!

    xoxo,

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    Beauty, Reviews

    Etude House Mini Haul

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    Etude House is one of the Korean brands that I like to dabble in once in a while. To be honest, I always get so lost in the gazillion products that Korean brands offer. It also doesn’t help that they aren’t reviewed as much online. Most of the time, i buy products based on research but when it comes to Asian cosmetics, I tend to just go with my gut and buy whatever that catches my attention in the store. Two items that caught my eye during my most recent trip to Etude House were the Tear Drop Liner #2 and the Color in Liquid Lips BE102.

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    Tear Drop Liner #2 The tear drop trend is one of the beauty trends that is uniquely Asian. The Western side of the world has a counter part to this trend by highlighting the inner corner of the eyes using shimmery eyeshadows or eyeliners. But only Asian cosmetics have created a liquid liner specifically to emphasize the inner tear duct of the eye. Cool, eh? The product is housed in regular eyeliner container and contains a clear base with multicolored micro shimmer. The consistency is slightly thick and semi-sticky.

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    I was actually looking to find a cheaper alternative to Urban Decay’s Heavy Metal Liners for a shimmery pop of glitter to line the lids. It swatched fine so I decided to give it a try. However, upon trying it again at home, I found that the product isn’t ideal for my intended purpose. It doesn’t show up very much on the lid, and takes some time to dry up which results into smudging my eye makeup. But it does its job well as an inner tear duct highlighter. It definitely gives my eyes an instant pop of glitter. I just wish it has more staying power. But it’s a nice product to have for special occasions.

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    Color in Liquid Lips BE102

    Liquid lipsticks are all the rage right now and I knew that I had to try Etude House’s version. The line features 20 gorgeous and highly pigmented shades.  The packaging is adorable and is very trendy as well. It showcases the shade of each lipstick which will make it easy to find in my pool of lipsticks. I also like how it’s made the illusional-floating-lipstick design that we’ve seen in other brands its own.

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    The first thing I noticed as I applied the product is its scent. It smells like cotton candy jelly beans! I seriously want to just keep on smelling it. Next up is its formulation. The product is a thin liquid lipstick and is super pigmented at the same time. The applicator is also designed beautifully because it applies the product onto my lips in a precise manner. When applied, the product feels like a fine liquid lipstick but dries out and settles into the lips after a few minutes. Once it settles, it feels like a regular moisturizing lipstick, which means that it doesn’t dry out completely into a matte lipstick. The  shade I picked is a warm rosy pink which fits my everyday-lipstick-shade obsession. The staying power is average but is undrstandable considering that it’s not a matte lipstick.

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    Overall, I’m really impressed with this lipstick. It’s a good alternative to many high end liquid lipsticks and the huge selection of shades ensure that there’s something for everyone in this liquid lipstick line.

    Final Thoughts

    Like always, I enjoyed trying out new products from Etude House. The princess theme is so M E and they always churn out a huge variety of makeup, skincare, hair care, and more. It’s impossible to go in an Etude House boutique and leave without buying anything. Of the two products, I highly recommend the Color in Liquid Lips! It’s such a good product and is quite affordable too. You can’t lose with a product like this.

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    What are your latest finds from Etude House? Do let me know!

    xoxo,

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