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    Beauty, Reviews

    Review: Dolly Wink Liquid Liner III – Deep Black

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    I dabble in Japanese cosmetics because of their popularity here in Asia but I always often myself getting overwhelmed with the sheer amount of product choices they offer. Because of this, I’ve stuck to the more popular ones namely, Majolica Majorca, K-Palatte, etc. But during my trip to Hong Kong, I was feeling bolder than usual and I really took the time to explore Sasa. It’s been a while since I last picked up a liquid liner and I decided it was finally time to try out the very famous Dolly Wink Liquid liners.

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    I always found the packaging of Dolly Wink too distracting especially with each of them containing a photo with a cute Japanese model heavily clad in Gyaru style makeup which is TOTALLYYYY not my style. Of course these images provide inspiration on how to use their products but it just had huge effect on me which prevented me from trying out the popular brand until recently. Also, I found out that Dolly Wink is produced by  Tsubasu Masukawa, a Japanese model who was very popular in the Gyaru scene. She began he makeup line shortly after she retired from the Gyaru scene. Her fake lashes with clear bands put Dolly Wink on the map but for now, I’ll be talking about the liquid liner.

    New Packaging

    The third edition of the Dolly Wink Liquid Liner in deep black has graduated from Dolly Wink’s cutesy-amateur-looking packaging with the lavender flowers printed on top of a pink tube. Well, it hasn’t completely moved out of the overly cutesy spectrum but at least it now features a more elegant design with golden swirls printed on a pinker tube. This may not matter to some people, but it really makes me like the product more. The old packaging bugged the heck out of me. Teehee.

    New Formula

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    The new formula of the Dolly Wink Eyeliner promises a more opaque shade than before. I haven’t tried the previous Dolly Wink eyeliners but these are definitely opaque. Even still, the K-Palette’s formula is a bit more pigmented. It also has a semi matte finish. I like how it doesn’t dry too fast because it allows me to reapply and to fix my line by adding more layers. Finally, I love how it doesn’t flake out.

    Design

    The tip of the Dolly Wink Liquid Liner is what I think makes this eyeliner so special. The tip is sturdy enough for optimal control in creating lines. But my favorite part of this eyeliner it’s the ultra fine tip. It’s perfect for girls like me who prefer natural looking lines, just enough to make the eyes pop but nothing too dramatic. This is my first time to have been able to really get the liner into the inner corner of my eyelids. With my other liners, it’s almost impossible to do this because the tips are often too thick and the liner ends up getting into the corner of my eyeball.

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    Longevity

    It can last all day on my lids provided that my body doesn’t sweat easily. Although it’s supposed to be easily washed off by water but I really don’t like trying to get makeup out with just water because doing so requires having to rub the skin. The skin on the eyes are extremely sensitive so I rather just remove the liner with a makeup remover.

    Dolly Wink or K Palette?

    I’ve been a loyal fan of K-Palette because it really is one of the best liquid eyeliners out in the market. However, to suit my Pond’s-girl-fresh-look phase, Dolly Wink serves this purpose better. I find that K-Palette has a slightly thicker tip which can still create precise lines. But it’s a little more intense the Dolly Wink. Formula-wise, I find that both are quite similar. But K-Palette’s formula is slightly more opaque.

    Final Thoughts

    Like I said, I really love this eyeliner because of its precise and fine tip. I get a very unique experience out of it but I still also love my other liquid liners such from K-Palette and Kat Von D. I recommend this to those who like natural looking lines. Although, one can still easily create thicker lines with the Dolly Wink Liquid Liner as well.

    These are available in The Ramp Crossings and also in various online shops on Instagram.

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    xoxo,

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    Review and FOTD: Laura Mercier Artist’s Palette for Eyes

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    I was heartbroken when I missed out on the Laura Mercier Eye Art Artist’s Palette when it was released as part of the Holiday collection in 2013. It was really hyped and was sold out everywhere here in Manila and in the US. Imagine my surprise when I found out that it has been re-released while scrolling through the Sephora website. Second chances don’t come often and I knew that I had to get one before it was too late. I immediately put it on my grandpa’s makeup haul list and literally counted the days until he arrived back in Manila.

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    First Impressions

    One of the first things I noticed is that the packaging is different from the one from the 2013 release. Another is that it retained exactly the same shades from before. This is good news for people like me who weren’t able to get a palette for themselves then. The palette features a total of 12 shades, 6 of them matte and 6 of them with shimmer. From a far, it looks more like a cool toned palette. Apparently, the first row is designed to have cool toned shades while the second row is designed to have the warmer shades. I also like how the palette is arranged with the light shades on the left and the shades intensify as it moved to the right.

    Texture and Formula

    The texture of these eyeshadows are incredibly fine milled and are soft as butter. As I swatched the shades, I noticed that they aren’t as pigmented as I wanted them to be. I checked pictures of swatches from other reviews online and they were all a lot more pigmented than my swatches. Then, I realized that rubbing my fingers onto the shadows a bit longer finally got the pigmentation that I expected, based on the photos of swatches I saw online. Because of this realization, this palette would have to be the first palette  I own with medium intensity pigmentation. Surprisingly though, the colors showed up quite nicely on my eyes. Even the lighter shades were recognizable on the lids. I also like how they blend so easily, with very minimal effort. 

    Shades

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    I’m going to talk about the shades by dividing them into two groups. First six shades on the left and 2nd six shades on the right.

    Left (From left, counterclockwise)

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    •  Sparkling Dew  Sparkling dew is a pale champagne pink shade with shimmer. The pink is very faint and it can be used as a base color, in the inner corner of the eyes, and even as a highlight shade but I personally don’t like shimmery shadows for my brow highlight.
    • Guava – Peach baby pink with pale gold shimmer. I’d use this on my lids as a base color as well.
    • African Violet – Purple with gold frost. This is my favorite shade of all because it’s so unique and I can totally imagine building a bunch of different eyeshadow looks around this shade. I’d use this on top of a base color to intensify or elevate an eye look.
    • Fresco – Cool soft brown matte eyeshadow. I’d use this as a crease color for a natural eye makeup look and as a transition color to blend out a dark crease color for a more intense eye makeup look.
    • Primrose – Muted rosey pink with silvery white frost. This looked very faint on the back of my hand but it translated very nicely on my lids. I’d also use this as a base color.
    • Vanilla Nuts – Creamy off white matte shadow. This can be used as a bas, a transition color or even as a highlight.

    Right (From left, counterclockwise)

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    • Plum Smoke – Muted violet matte shade. Can be used as a base or a blending shade.
    • Kir Royal – Shimmery eggplant/aubergine shade. Perfect for intensifying a look or as a crease color.
    • Violet Ink – Dark Matte violet shade for the crease or for the outer v.
    • Espresso Bean – Dark blackened brown. This is the closest thing to a black shade but it’s nice that it’s not totally black to match the other shade of the palette. perfect for smoking out a look, crease, and outer v.
    • Bamboo – Muted taupe with a faint hint of golden shimmer. This wasn’t as smooth as the other shades. Can be used as a crease or on top of a base to add dimension to a look.
    • Truffle – Rick chocolate brown for the crease, other v, or smoking out a look.

    Longevity

    Although I did have a pigmentation concern with the shadows, I find that these actually lasted all day on me with minor fading. I’ll probably try to use an eyeshadow primer next time to intensify the colors.

    FOTD:

    Here’s a look I created using guava and primrose all over the lid. Fresco on the crease. and African violet on on top of the 2 eyeshadow bases to create dimension. For the other products I used on my face, I used my Armani Luminous Silk foundation, NARS orgasm blush, TheBalm Bahama Mama bronzer, and NARS Anita lipstick.

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    Final Thoughts

    The palette is such a unique palette in terms of my personal eyeshadow collection. I’d say it’s neutral but an elevated kind of neutral palette. Instead of earth tones, it has a lot of pink and purple shades. The only palette that’s slightly similar to the Laura Mercier Eye Artist’s Palette is the Urban Decay Naked 3 palette. But still, both palettes have many considerable differences.

    It’s girly in a very subtle way but it’s so easy to create a ton of different looks that can range from girly, to sexy, to edgy. I just absolutely love how they were able to curate a palette that looks very feminine at first but still very versatile.

    xoxo,

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    Rave Review: Dior Fluidsticks in Tiny Pink and Pandore

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    This is one of the moments in my blogging career where I’m too dumbfounded to rave about a product that I love too much. As I type this down, I’m at a lost of words because really, how can I possibly immortalize my love for these fluidsticks in the most perfect manner possible? But, since you, reader expect a conclusion of my review of this product at the end of this post, I’m going to give you a backstory to understand why this is one of the products that has completely changed my life.

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    When I was in grade school to high school, among the most acceptable products to have at my age then would be the following: lipbalm, lip gloss, eyeliner, and maybe concealer/powder and cheek tint. From late grade school to early high school, I  deeply treasured my tiny makeup army of less than 10 makeup products. I dabbled in trying different lip glosses because all the chick flick movies made it look like the iconic definition of a girly girl. Finally, I woke up from the spell the kept me from understanding what type of makeup suited me when I entered 2nd year high school because I had to build a kit for my dance competitions. By then, I realized that lip glosses were my enemy because of 3 reasons: they were so sticky,  they  were bad for my perpetually dry lips, and of course, they give me this ridiculous feeling of hatred every time a hair strand grazed my lips. My last lipgloss purchase was in 2010.

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    Fast forward to present day, like always when to glossy products in liquid form, I instinctively turned a blind eye to the craze that conquered the beauty community that is known as the Dior Fluisticks. I was stubbornly just seeing how it looked a lot like a gloss and refused hearing about what type of product it actually was. This was all until one fateful visit to the Dior makeup counter at Rustan’s when I bought one of their highlighters. Then, the dazzling fuidsticks just kept tempting me with their uber luxe packaging and so, I swatched. And then… eventually tried a baby pink shade on. Well damn these testers because I WAS HOOKED.

    Packaging

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    The packaging is ridiculously good. I mean, the design itself gives off an illusion that it’s floating. With the case of this product, the packaging was where our love affair began. The product has just the right amount of weight that spells, L-U-X-E but does not overdo it. The “CD” engraving at the top of the wand is a beautiful touch. It’s one of my favorite lip product packagings to date alongside with Guerlain, and Nars. I also love the applicator it comes with because the shape is so helpful in letting me apply the product within the confines of my lips.

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    Shades and Formula

    I picked two shades: 289 Tiny Pink and 754 Pandore. Tiny Pink is a gorge-iaaaas warm toned baby pink while Pandore is a warm toned vibrant watermelon red. I like Tiny Pink more just because it so much easier to wear. It’s like a no brainer because I can wear it with absolutely any look. It makes me look so young and innocent in a good way, I think. While Pandore is a lot more bold and goes well with a clean makeup look.

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    The first thing I noticed as I applied the fluidsticks, is a cool sensation on my lips. Not like what you experience when you chew mint gum though. Just a slightly cool and soothing sensation. When I checked the formula, I found out that it’s actually made out of water. Which explains the utmost comfort it gives off.

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    The product is very highly pigmented and I find that dipping the wand into the tube once does the job in applying the product on my lips. The product is sticky enough not to feel too watery on the lips and to apply evenly but it’s a comfortable kind of sticky. Oh gosh, am I even making sense here? You just HAVE to try it to get what I’m saying because this product’s formula is really out of this world. It’s very glossy once applied, but I find that the product sets on the lips as if the lips absorb the water content eventually leaving it looking like a high-shine lipstick on the lips.

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    Tiny Pink

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    Pandore

    Longevity

    It does survive some meals and some drinking. But since it’s glossy in nature, it won’t stay on like a matte lipstick would. Given its opaque formula, Pandore leaves a very beautiful stain on the lips while Tiny Pink does not.

    Final Thoughts

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    So, why is it so life changing? Well, it’s life changing for me because I’ve never experienced using a lipgloss-lipstick hybrid with a formula like this and it just looks so pretty on my lips. It doesn’t only look sooo pretty but it’s also extremely comfortable. These days, I really like going for products that make me look nice yet still make me feel comfortable.

    Now, I’ve said all that I can considering my restraint to babble more and I can go on all day. But I won’t. Because I’ll leave the rest up to you, to try this magical product for yourself and fall in love (I’m 80% certain that you will) like I did. Well of course, Matte-formula-purists will be unconvinced. But lipgloss loving sisters, and moisture formula loving sisters, the birth of this lipstick hybrid is a big WIN for our community. Please go forth and try it out in a Dior makeup counter near you.

    xoxo,

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    Review: NARS Audacious Lipstick Anita

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    My love affair with NARS began in the most cliché possible manner: NARS Super Orgasm. Ever since, I ventured into other face products but never really gotten to trying any of their lip products. Because as a beauty junky, there’s always too many makeup in the world left to buy and I just never prioritized trying any of their lip products. Shameful, I know. I was close to trying out the lip pencils but I can’t brink myself to do so because NARS pencils require sharpening and I hate the wastage that sharpening costs.

    Anyway, when NARS launched it’s Audacious lipstick line with FOURTY beautiful shades, the buzz that went with it was deafening. It was impossible not to lust after 1, or 2, or 3, or all the shades. For those who don’t know, my grandpa does my biggest yearly makeup haul because he goes to the States every year. And I always never pass up the chance to send him my shopping list! Of course, that list HAD to include one NARS Audacious lipstick, and I picked Anita based on Temptalia’s ever so comprehensive swatch gallery.

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    Packaging

    The first thing I immediately noticed as I laid my hands on my first-ever-NARS lippie is the cool sensation of the metal packaging soothing my skin. I was ecstatic to know that Francois Nars has FINALLY listened to all our woes over his dust-collecting gems! And the best part of the new packaging is that it comes with a magentic closure. It doesn’t really help with making things more efficient but it’s a new experience and I believe that premium quality products should come with experiences that you’ll remember.

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    Formula and Shade

    I had a realization recently that a lot of my bold lip colors often get neglected because as much as I loved them before, they’re actually quite a nuisance to use. And because of this, I tend to gravitate towards more neutral, every-day-wear colors. I still love my occasional hot pink or cherry red shades but I just find these shades so high maintenance. So, the predictable me went for Anita, a beautiful warm pinkish beige shade. I think the shade is so pretty and easy to wear. I can wear it with almost any look, but I can’t wear it alone without wearing any makeup because I look weird. Although it’s a more neutral shade, it’s still very opaque and can actually cover my natural lip color after one swipe.

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     It looks like a very common shade, but I thankfully have no dupe in my collection. Urban Decay Fiend is pinker, Giorgio Armani Brun Créateur is more orange, and MAC Hug Me is browner.

    The formula is out of this world. It’s been a while since I came across with a formula that’s forgiving on my naturally dry and chapped lips. The texture is so beautiful because it applies so smoothly on my lips. I can’t help but swipe on a few more layers just because the sensation is addicting. It’s also very comfortable to wear  and it almost feels weightless.

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    The Drawback

    This may be just one of my favorite lipstick shades and formulas EVER but it does come with one catch: longevity. Since it has a satin finish, it can barely survive a meal. This is a problem for me because I like to eat…. a lot. So, I’ll have to reapply once in a while. But in the end, I don’t care really. I’d rather have a chapped-lips-approved lipstick than a matte one.

    Final Thoughts

    The Nars Audacious Lipsticks are not the most unique formula in the market. I still have a lot of chapped-lips-approved lipsticks in my stash. But what makes it stand out to me are the following:

    1. The knowledge that there 39 other beautiful shades with the same formula waiting for my love.
    2. Their accessibility. I love the UD Revolution Lipstick line but we don’t have it here.
    3. Finally, the overall experience it brings. Like I said, the formula is SO WELL MADE. How can one not love it?

    I think though, that this won’t appeal as much to matte lipstick junkies. But for those who had sad chapped lips like me, you’re going to love this! To end, I can’t wait to purchase another shade. But knowing me, it might take a while because my wishlist is still full of products I’ve yet to try.

    xoxo,

    Max



     

     

     

     

     

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    MAC Wash and Dry Highlight Powder in Freshen Up

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    I haven’t been following beauty trends closely like I used to because I’ve been busy with other things but I’ve been seeing/hearing about MAC’s Wash and Dry collection here and there. I chanced upon the actual products two weeks after their official release here in the Philippines and I instantly fell in love. At first I was hesitant because I recently had 3 separate makeup hauls. But the packaging was just so mesmerising. I had to grab the best product that wasn’t already sold out.

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    At first glance, I thought that MAC Wash and Dry Highlight Powder in Freshen Up was a blush until I read the label which indicates that it’s a high-light powder. I actually didn’t find it pretty in the display counter since all the gold shimmer was already gone. It was only until I saw an unused box that I fell in love instantly because of the beautiful gold shimmer. I knew that it didn’t run all the way though the to the pan since the testers didn’t have any shimmer. I was about to walk away…..but heck I walked back anyway as if the compact was a magnet pulling me to it. 

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    Shades, Texture, Opacity

    This is my first MAC high-lighter (but really, it’s a blush!!!) containing 3 shades. The top most shade is a red-tangerine shade. The middle shade is a peachy-orange shade. Finally, the lower most shade is a yellow beige shade. Like I said, the gold shimmer doesn’t run deep at all. It already disappeared the first time I used the product with a blush brush. The product contains the least of the darkest shade and equal amounts of the two other shades.

    The powders are smooth and silky. The first layer with the gold shimmer might emphasize pores. But once the gold runs out, the powders have a satin finish leaving only a hint of shimmer. I like to run my brush through the 3 shades once to apply on each cheek. I find that these are quite opaque so I make sure to apply it with a light hand and a not-so-dense blush brush.

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     The powder translates into my skin as a girly peach/coral glow with hints of gold shimmer.

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    Staying Power

    It lasted all day on me but of course, with some fading because I live in a very humid country.

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    Overall Thoughts

    I’m so happy with this impulse buy because it’s such a unique product to have based on my own collection. I don’t have anything like it yet. Based on experience with my MAC highlighters shaped like this, they also run out very slowly. And like I said, it’s quite pigmented so you don’t really need to pack on the product for it to show.

    Although I still would use it as a blush and not a highlighter.

    I’m so glad to have purchased it and I’d recommend you guys to buy it if you find a chance to. :)

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    Review: Chanel Joues Contraste in Rose Tourbillon

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    This post is very special to me because it’s the first time I’ll ever be reviewing ANY cosmetics from the iconic French brand, Chanel. It’s even more special because my first ever “JC” was given to me as one of my birthday presents by my very own J.C. aka Joshua Cordoves (wahaha geddit? ok. I’ll stop embarrassing myself now). But truly this was one of the items that made my heart flutter as I opened the beautiful box filed with items the boyfriend carefully curated. It’s because this was the only item he bought without knowing whether I liked it or not and he bought it because the nice lady at the Chanel makeup counter suggested it. THANK YOU, nice-fabulously-Chanel-lady! <3 Josh was of course, relieved to know that this was the only Chanel Joues Contraste blush that I was eyeing.


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    Packaging

    I have forever been lusting over these gorgeous Chanel compacts from pictures all over the internet like a 4-year old eyeing her dad’s secret stash of chocolate bars. Now that I finally FINALLY have my very on JC, I was utterly shocked at how light and flimsy the compact is. The plastic material that makes of the compact can definitely be improved. I’m very clumsy and something just tells me that I have to be extra careful not to drop this. I do appreciate, however, the large mirror it has inside the compact. The small brush it comes with is awful especially since this particular product is quite pigmented but I guess they can’t really do anything about it and it’s really for emergency use.

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    Product

    Rose Tourbillon is one of my brightest blushes to date. It’s a bubblegum pink shade and is infused with tiny silver and pink glitters. I know, the blush is starting to sound like an exploded silver and pink disco ball but surprisingly, it comes across my cheeks very naturally. The shade is a true pink and doesn’t have a typical brownish-rose tone at all. When blended out onto the skin, the glitter seems to disappear  almost completely but still leaves a few specs of glitter which I do not mind. It’s very finely milled but a wee bit more powdery than some of my blushes.

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    1-2 swipes is enough for it to show up on my cheeks and leaves a beautiful satin finish. I love how it makes me look like I’m glowing from within! It’s definitely very easy to wear. I can definitely see myself wearing this while I do my daily errands, to school, and even on a date where I wanna look fresh and glowy!

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    This lasts around 4-5 hours on me and it doesn’t oxidize on my skin which is absolutely perff.

    The Only Catch

    I find this blush a bit too expensive even considering that it’s a designer brand. It only has about 4g worth of product. A typical blush can contain from 6-8.5 grams worth of product (MAC, Benefit, The Balm). When I look at the technical side of the product, it just surprised me how its price point is really high while its product content is very low. Since this costs around P2350, I would expect a bit more in terms of packaging and content.

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    Final Thoughts

    Although I’m really loving this blush, I don’t see myself buying another compact any time soon because 1) I rarely hit pan on my blushes. 2) It’s really expensive for me and I think it’s a luxury for me to own. I also like that I have one compact for now because it makes me value it even more.

    Overall, I’m still super satisfied with the quality of the blush and with the effect it leaves on me. I really love it and I’m so happy to be a proud owner of a Chanel JC. However, I barely find any HG-level blushes and this isn’t one of them so I wouldn’t push this product for anyone to buy. If you have the means to buy it, I say go for it because it’s a nice product to have and Chanel offers a lot more shades to choose from. But for those who think that P2350 for a blush would be a huge dent to their wallets, they shouldn’t feel so bad for not being able to purchase one.

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    Do you own any JCs? Let me know your thought below! :)

    xoxo,

     

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    Review: Dior Lip Glow

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    I’ve recently started to explore the world of high-end designer makeup and I have to admit, the world of high-end makeup is BLINDING and it’s getting difficult for to me to go back. But I’m on a college student’s budget so I’m going to have to go back sooner or later anyway.

    When I first read a rave about the Dior Lip Glow, I did not really think much of it because I simply couldn’t find a reason why it was worth splurging on a lip care product if my good old petroleum jelly already does the job FABULOUSLY. However, when I was exploring various products in the Dior counter in Rustans, this unassuming little pink tub got me curious as to what’s so amazing about it. The Dior lady kindly helped me sanitize it and I tried it on. Oh my dear, it was love at first swipe. The fact that it was sold out during that time fueled my desire for it even more because apparently, the product has a huge following in Manila and some women buy up to 5 tubes at a time. Luckily, my mom was in Hong Kong during the time that I decided that I wanted it and she was able to get a tube for me.

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    The silver tube is encased in a sturdy baby pink case. I love how the end of the tube has an adorable button with inscribed with the letters CD on it. The case and the tube itself isn’t too light and not too heavy either which gives me an impression that it’s quite sturdy.

    Conditioning Property

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    Upon first swipe, my dry lips were moisturized within seconds. My fine lines disappear within minutes. This is a bit tricky to explain but I’m hoping those who have dry lips will understand me. People who have dry and chappy lips sometimes experience lines in their lips to be so dry to the point that the skin surrounding the lines begin to stick to each other and it becomes a pain to even just smile because the lines get stretched out. After applying the Dior lip glow, the lines immediately get hydrated and that’s what I meant by fine lines disappearing. I love how the product is emollient enough to produce results right away and yet it doesn’t slip and slide nor does it feel sticky at all. It works so much like a lip balm but it doesn’t feel to balm-y and yet it’s so comfortable to wear.

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    Color Reviving Property

    One of the major claims of the product is that it’s supposed to have some sort of special chemical property that allows it to react perfectly with your lips and as a result, it produces a pink shade that unique to every individual. The idea reminded me a lot of the colored magic lipsticks I grew up with. They came in crazy colors such as green, blue and orange and gave off different shades when applied. They were a pain in the butt to remove and the thought of applying that poorly made product on my lips gives me chills.

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     Anyway, the Dior Lip Glow is so much different from the magic lipsticks I grew up with. It truly does give my lips a very unique shade of pink. When swatched on the back of my hand, the lip glow reveals a shiny color with a whisper of baby pink in it. However, when applied on my lips, I’m at a lost for words on how to describe it exactly. I notice how the product truly enhances my current lip color. I’ve tried a couple of lip balm-like products and normally, the redder/pinker the product it is from the tube, the same shade just gets transferred onto my lips. This product is so unique because just melts into my lips beautifully.  As a result, my lips adapt a shade that’s a notch better than my natural lip shade but still maintains a very natural looking color. This, my dears, is the  “my lips but better” shade at its finest. It barely has any color pay-off and for once, it’s absolutely fine with me because i feel like if it has more color pay-off, it won’t be able to allow my lips to react with its special formula and thus will not produce a unique shade that’s perfect for me.

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    Final Thoughts

    I am completely in love with this product. It keeps my lips moisturized better than most of my lip balms but the best part of this product is the natural kissable lips that it produces WITHIN MINUTES. It’s perfect for those looking for a “ponds-girl” look. It looks super fresh and I can totally go on for days by swapping this for lipsticks. I’m a lipstick LOVER and you know it’s the real deal when I say that I can switch this for my beloved lipsticks.

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    I’ve never encouraged you guys to buy any of the high-end makeup products I’ve reviewed in this blog. However, if there was ONE high-end designer product that I’ll ever say that you NEED, it would be this one. I’m saying this because it’s truly a very unique product and I haven’t tried anything that comes close to it. This is the ONE high-end product I’ve had so far that I’m willing to repurchase.

    For those who are allergic to glossy lips and for those who don’t like pink lips can skip on this though because pink glossy lips are constant results of this product.

    Thank for reading! Please let me know your thoughts on this in your comments below! I would LOVE to hear from you. :)

    xoxo,

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    Beauty, Reviews, Tips

    Review: Benefit They’re Real Push-up Liner

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    I can’t remember the last time I got all excited about gel-liners. I’ve always felt like they aren’t worth the hefty price tag  because I don’t get to maximize their value. Based on experience, my old high-end gel liner dried up too quickly for me to even finish up HALF THE POT. Because of this, I stuck to the liners that had longer shelf lives–liquid liners and pencil liners.

    When I found out about the new ground-breaking Benefit They’re Real Push-up Liner, I definitely got excited. Reading about the amazing feedback from my fellow Filipina bloggers sealed the deal and had me dying to try it out for myself. Luckily, the boyfriend (J) knew how much I’ve been lemming over the product and decided to give it to me as one of his gifts on my birthday.

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    Product

    I went home and excitedly tested it out on myself as soon as I could. The first thing that caught my eye was the accuflex tip which is truly a genius idea. I’ve never heard of anything quite like it. It’s a flexible angled rubber tip uniquely designed to hug the lashline and angled in order to easily create a flick at the end of the lash line.

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    I had to twist the butt of the pen a tad bit too many times in order to let the product out. Finally after what seemed like forever, the gel liner started coming out of the the tiny slit at the tip.

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    As I started applying it as close to the lash line as possible, I noticed that it’s very tricky to create a very thin line due to the way the tip is made. The gel liner is a true matte black and is pigmented enough for my liking. Initially, the formula was a bit drier than I would have wanted it to be and its texture was almost clay-like. So much so, that there are times when I have to tug on my eyelid and in order to fill out the broken line. It also dried out way to quickly for me to do minor damage control (aka evening out the line) and going back on a line that’s already dried caused flaking and clumpling.

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    Around my 4th try, I noticed that the gel became a bit easier to work with because the texture of the gel became a teeny bit more liquified. I don’t know if what happened to my pen happens to all other pens or if the gel in my pen just became a bit more liquified due to accidental exposure near my heated curling tools. However, even after the formula became a bit wetter, it still never dried out to a clean solid line. From a far, the line looks fine but upon closer inspection, one would notice how the line it creates is slightly crooked.

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    clumping under my eyes………. yikes.

    Despite all this, this eyeliner still had some saving graces up its sleeve. It stays put and does not budge at all. This can be a good thing and a bad thing. Experts in eyeliner application will love this feature but beginners will hate it because the liner isn’t easy to fix even with a cotton bud soaked in makeup remover. Initially, I thought that the accuflex tip was genius to be designed to hug the lash-line and create thin lines. However, I think the accuflex tip is perfect for creating bold graphic lines with equally bold flicks/edges.

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    Final Thoughts

    So the burning question is: WILL I RE-PURCHASE?

    Sadly, the answer is no. I really wanted to LOVE this product. I wanted to love it more because it was a gift from J. And it broke my heart to tell him that I turned out not liking the product. I couldn’t lie to him because he reads my blog (Hi Josh!) so, there.

    Although I know that there are quite a number of women out there who have found their way into making this product work for them, I’m just going to be honest and say that I don’t think the results of the liner do not justify the struggle of the entire process of applying the liner. I was so excited about this product for two reasons: the convenience of not having to bring a brush around to apply gel liner and the longer shelf life. I find that applying the liner makes a huge mess and I especially hate how I have to tug on my extremely delicate lids to even come close to a “perfect” line. It also takes a good 5-10 minutes before I get to create a look I’m satisfied with. I barely have enough time to get ready for school and I just don’t have the patience to work with this product. Finally, trying to edit out mistakes with a cotton bud soaked in makeup remover also proved to be a struggle.

    I can see how this product can work for a lot of other people but I just really don’t have the time and patience to work with it enough to fall in love with it.

    Being a HUGE fan of benefit products, I was extremely surprised at how disappointed I was with this product. All of my Benefit products have turned out to be favorites of mine and I hope that they can release another formula that’s more user-friendly.

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    Recommendations

    Given that it creates very thick lines, the eyeliner is perfect for those who have a lot of lid space. Unfortunately, I have typical Asian eyes and barely any lid space which is why I find that this liner really does not suit me.

    However, I think this liner is perfect for those who have a lot of lid space and those who like to wear thick lines on a daily basis.

    Tips: (for those who want to try this product out anyway)

    • DO NOT THROW OUT THE ORANGE STOPPER IT COMES WITH, in order to make your liner last longer
    • work quickly as the product dries faster than you can blink you eye (I’m just kidding, but it really dries quickly)
    • do not try to draw on your existing lines as it will only cause flaking and will make your line even more uneven

    That’s all for now, guys! Do you have this product too? I’m dying to know your experience with the product so LET ME KNOW in the comments below. :)

    xoxo,

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