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    Beauty, Tips

    Summer Essentials

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    This is a bit late but I figured that it’s better late than never. :) I was thinking of blog topics and I decided to make a summer essentials post because it’s super timely. I’m not saying that one should keep on buying new products every season but it’s important to adjust one’s makeup and beauty products according to the weather/season.

    I’ve listed down 12 summer essentials:

     

                 1. Sunblock

    Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Lotion
     
    This is favorite sunblock for the face because my face doesn’t feel oily upon application. I cannot stress enough how important it is to apply sun block every day! If you don’t want premature wrinkles, suns spots, and early sign of skin aging, PUT SUNBLOCK EVERYDAY.
     
    OTHER OPTIONS: Neutrogena has good sunblock too!
    2. Moisturizer
    Shiseido The Skincare Day Moisture  protection and Celeteque Facial Moisturizer
    Always keep your face hydrated! My go-to moisturizer is the Shiseido one but I recently purchased the Celeteque one and I’m like it so far! It’s less than 300 bucks and it’s a lot cheaper than my Shiseido one.
                  3. Lip Balm
    Carmex
    Moisturizing your face isn’t enough; you should also give some love to your lips! :)
              4. Primer
    MUD Face Primer
    A face primer is a must for those who absolutely need to apply liquid foundation. This keeps your foundation in place.
                 5. BB Cream/ Foundation (light coverage)
    Etude House BB Magic Cream

    I personally like to apply as little makeup as I can when the weather is super hot. I’d rather just conceal the imperfection on my skin than put on foundation or bb cream all over my face. However, I know that some of you can’t avoid wearing foundation, go for a light BB cream or a foundation with a light coverage.

     
     6. Powder (powder foundation or loose powder)
    Laura Mercier Tranlucent Powder
    Don’t forget to set your BB Cream/ foundation with a powder to keep everything in place! For those who don’t ike wearing BB creams or liquid foundations, you may use a powder foundation to even out your skin tone. I don’t use powder foundations which is why my picture here is only a translucent powder.
    Other options:  Ben Nye Banana luxury powder
      7. Cream Eyeshadow
    MAC Paint pots in Rubenesque or construtivist
    Cream shadows are good because they last longer than normal eyeshadows. You may also use these as bases for you powder shadow. I prefer to use these as an over color on the lid and then I’ll finish the look by liing my eyes and putting on mascara.
    Other options: Maybelline, Benefit and MUF has good cream shadows!
    8. Cream Blush
    Revlon Photoready Flushed Rougissant 200 and Make-up Designory Cream blush in Tulip
    Cream blushes last longer than powder blushes! Choose a color that suits your skin and apply with your fingers.
    other options: MUF cream blush, Stila convetibel color, Benefit fine one one
    9. Bronzer
    NARS Laguna
    A bronzer is perfect for those who can’t go to the beach and achieve a sun-kissed glow.
    Other options: Milani Baked bronzer, Benefit 10, wet n wild bornzer
     10. liquid liner
    K-palette 24 hour liquid liner
    I find that liquid liners tend to last longer than gel liners and especially pencil liners.
    Other options: Maybelline Liquid liner, Stila liquid liner
    11. vibrant lipsticks
    MAC Outrageously fun lippie 
    Nothing screams S-U-M-M-E-R more than vibrant lips! Take your pick from different shades of pinks, magentas, and oranges!
    other options: Revlon, Maybelline, IN2IT, Etude House, etc
    12. Mascara
    Majolica Majorca Lash Expander Frame Plus
    Waterproof mascaras are a must to open up those peepers!
    Other options: just choose you trusty mascara and you’re good to go! :)
    So that’s my summer essentials! Tell me yours in the comments below. <3

    xoxo,

     

     

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    Beauty, Reviews, Tips

    Review: MAC Archie’s Girls Collection Ronnie Red

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    When I found out about the MAC Archie’s Collection, I knew right away that I wanted to get my hands on some of the pieces! I wanted to secure a product or two from the collection even more when I read Temptalia’s review on the lipsticks from the collection. I  ended up loving the products from Veronica’s line more than then products from Betty’s line which is why I purchased two lippies from Veronica’s line: Ronnie Red and Daddy’s little girl. Both lipsticks have different finishes so I chose to review each separately.


    I just wanna share how I was able to get my little brother to sponsor my newest acquisitions! HAHA! So my brother’s currently graduating and it’s a pre-requisite for all the seniors in his high school to accomplish a mini thesis paper worth 15-20 pages without the table of contents and bibliography. He was preparing his powerpoint the night before his defense while I was trying to study for my pol sci finals. He started bugging me to help him prettify his powerpoint (cuz I make fabulous powerpoints) and I told him I couldn’t help him because I was busy studying for my finals. He knew that I’ve been obsessing over the MAC Archie’s Girls collection lipsticks so he suddenly offered to buy the lipsticks for me (he’s filthy richer than me because he’s crazy frugal) ! He was like dangling a bone in front of a hungry dog. Being the makeup addict that I am, I jumped on the offer and gladly fixed his powerpoint and decided to study for my finals right before my exam. HA HA.

    Anyway, enough about that. Let’s talk about my newest one true love!!!

    Product

    I would consider this lipstick a true red lipstick that has a touch of pink to it. It also has blue undertones which helps make your teeth look whiter. It comes in a limited edition packaging which is a shiny white case with veronica’s face on it.

    What I love:

    I still can’t decide if I fancy the fact that the lipstick has Veronica’s face on it but I do like collecting products with limited edition packaging so I guess that’s good. I really like the shade because even if the lipstick has a pink tone to it, it’s still dominantly red. The formulation is also amazing because of it has excellent pigmentation and it’s not drying at all, considering that it has a matte finish. I can’t bring myself to purchase the classic reds from MAC such as Ruby Woo and Russian Red because they both look so drying and I have really dry lips. It also has an incredibly long wearing power. It left a stain on my lips even after I tried wiping it off with my makeup remover.

    What I don’t like:

    none!

    Recommendations

    I really like this lipstick! I recommend this to those who have cool-toned skin. To find out if you’re cool toned, look at your veins on your upper arm. If your veins are bluish, you’re cool-toned. If they are greenish, you are on the warmer side. I also recommend this to those who have really dry lips! If you have Dry lips then this is the red for you! :) However, this is a bit similar to the MAC Marilyn Monroe collection’s Charmed I’m Sure. I already have Charmed I’m Sure which is how I noticed the similarities. If you have it, you may skip on this one. :)

    lol awkward angle but i think this photo shocases the sahde pretty well. :))

    What did you haul from the collection? Thoughts? do share on the comments section below! <3

    xoxo,

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    Beauty, LOTD, Tips

    Red

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    Everyone has those days when they feel frustrated or annoyed over things that they can’t control. I’ve recently been bothered by so many things that are out of my control. When I feel bothered, stressed, or annoyed, I do things that are within my control to make myself feel better. Among my favorite pick-me-uppers are getting my nails done, shopping, dressing up, playing around with my makeup, and pigging out! For this particular case, I went for applying my favorite red lippie! Nothing says powerful, sexy, and in control better than a fiery red lipstick! HAHA

    Here’s what I wore when I manned my panini stall at Cucina Andare last weekend:

    top from Nude || shorts from f21 || gold flats from payless

    Check out my arm candy! It’s extra special for this look because of the super gorgeous handmade burgundy wrap bracelet from the clink shop! It’s made from suede leather. ;)

    I normally go for my statement necklaces but the burgundy wrap bracelet already made enough of a statement for my look. :)

    earrings from korea

    I also very excited to announce that I will be having my second blog giveaway very very soon! It’s currently my finals week so I’m quite busy as of the moment. I’ll be releasing another post regarding the giveaway very soon! Stay tuned! ;)

    xoxo,

    For more updates, like my page on facebook here

     

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    Beauty, Reviews, Tips

    Review: Benefit Bella bamba

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    I’ve always been a fan of Benefit boxed powders. The first Benefit boxed powder that I’ve purchased is Coralista which is a cult favorite. My second Benefit boxed powder is the Benefit 10 which is a bronzer and highlighter duo. Bellebamba was released quite a while ago and I heard that it was just a better version of Coralista which is why it took me a long time to finally decide to purchase it and try it out for myself.


    Product

    This blush promises not to be the traditional blush and it’s supposed to be a 3d watermelon blush (I don’t know how it’s a 3D blush) with gold shimmer.

    What I Love

    Improvements

    I love that they finally changed their packaging. The old benefit boxed powders come with a detachable lid while this new and improved boxed powder now comes with a flip-top cover that stays shut using a magnet.

    I also like that the blush it comes with is a bit softer than the traditional brush/applicator that came with the old boxed powders. The brush is now also shaped in a way that improves blush application. I used to just chuck out the old brushes because they were pretty much useless to me and my normal blush brushes were a lot better. Although I still prefer using my old brushes but i’m willing to use the brush that came with this boxed powder in case of emergencies.

    Shade and Product

     The initial swatch of this product got me scared because this product is LOADED with shimmer. However, it settles on my skin perfectly after I blended it using a fluffy brush. The watermelon pink shade is also divine and makes me look flushed in a nice way. I think that Benefit was able to balance out the shimmer perfectly by packing in tons of pigment into the product as well. It is also very finely milled just like my other two benefit boxed powders. This also has a huge amount of product with 0.28 oz. A typical MAC blush contains 0.21 oz. This costs 1800 a piece. :)

    What I don’t Like

    I honestly have nothing bad to say about this blush! :)

     

    Tips

    A lot of fake Benefit products have been popping up. To verify their authenticity, flip the product on it’s back and you should be able to peel off a sticker attached on the product.

    Also, like I said, this blush is highly pigmented and has lots of shimmer. If you’re a type of girl who’s scared of shimmer, start by patting this gently onto your cheeks. You may then build up the color as you wish. :)

    Recommendations

    I LOOVE this blush and I recommend this to both fair skinned and olive skinned girls! I think it’s a very wearable shade. The pinkish side of the blush makes it perfect for fair skinned girls while the gold shimmer makes it suitable to olive skinned girls as well.

    What are your favorite benefit boxed powders? :) Let me now in your comments below! <3

     

    xoxo,

    For more updates, like my page on facebook here

     

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    Review: Loreal Voluminous Million Lashes Mascara

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    For the longest time, I’ve been loyal to my favorite mascara, the Majolica Majora Lash Expander Mascara. However, the beauty blogger in me pushes me to explore new products every so often. I’ve been hearing great things about the Loreal Voluminous Million Lashes Mascara and I just had to make sure that it was one of the things that I hauled during my recent trip to the US.

    I’ve been using this for a week now and I noticed that the blue printed background has started to chip off.

    Product

    The packaging is made up of a plastic shiny material. It comes with a large brush designed to separate lashes. Given that it’s name has the word “voluminous” in it, it claims to be a volumizing mascara.

    What I Love:

    I have incredibly short lashes and this mascara does a superb job in lengthening my lashes! It’s formula is very lightweight and does not weight my lashes down. Some formulas tend to be too heavy and let my lashes droop. It also did not cause my lashes to clump. I like that the brush was able to effectively separate my lashes. Its formula also lets my lashes hold a curl very well and I was able to wear the mascara all day. Lastly, the mascara is waterproof but is fairly easy to remove.

    What I don’t like:

    While this mascara claims to be a volumizing mascara, it was not able to do much volumizing on my lashes.

    Tips

    • make sure to curl those lashes!
    • swipe off the excess product on a tissue paper to prevent clumping
    • sweep the brush from the roots of your lashes til the tips of your lashes
    Left: no mascara; Right: with mascara

    Final Recommendations

    Although it did not really volumize my lashes, I still really like this mascara. I’ve been using it every day! Like I said, I have really short lashes and this mascara makes my lashes look longer. It’s something I would buy again and I recommend this to girls who have really short lashes. However, if you’re looking for a volumizing mascara, this might not be for you.

    Do you have this mascara? What mascara would you recommend for me to try out? I would love to hear from you!

    xoxo


    xoxo,

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    Haul and Review: Etude House Hair Silk Serum

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    Hi Everyone!

    I’ve been posting too many things about my life lately so I wanna go back to the topic that I’ve always been passionate about: BEAUTY. Last december, I went on a mini beauty hall in Etude House! The Etude House Eastwood branch is one of the biggest branches I’ve been to and I enjoyed trying their products. I also like that their products now have descriptions to help inform customers of the basic functions of each product. I used to dislike going to Etude House stores because there were too many products without descriptions. I can’t read Hangul so I didn’t really bother looking around. Props to the new and improved Etude House! :)

    Here are the items that I hauled:

    I’ll be reviewing these items one by one therefore I’ll be dedicating one post per item! Watch out for them. :)

     To be honest, I personally focus more on my makeup than my hair. On days when I have time, I flat-iron my hair but on most days, I either let it down naturally or tie it up when it’s too messy. As a beauty blogger, I wanted to widen the scope of my reviews and branch out more into hair products. I really enjoyed browsing through the hair products at Etude House. I ended up buying two hair products and I will be reviewing the Silk Scarf Hologram Hair Serum for today.

    The main problem I always encounter with serums is them being too oily which results in making my hair feel heavy. I tried this serum out in the store and really liked the effect it gave on my hair.

    What I love:

    • I love the fruity floral scent!
    • The packaging is very cute and girly.
    • The product is quite thick but isn’t too oily. I hate it when my hands feel oily after using serums.
    • You only a small amount of product. 2-3 pumps should be enough.
    • The pump is very efficient and does not release too much product. (It would be such a waste if it released too much product.)
    • It makes my overly treated hair look shiny and healthy!
    • It’s reasonably priced at PHP378 a bottle.
    • It contains a fair amount of product at 60ml per bottle.

    What I don’t like:

    • I only wish that these come in smaller bottles because it adds a lot of weight to my daily hand bag. My bag contains a lot of items so it would be better if this was smaller. :)
    Tips
    • do not put on too much serum on your hair
    • apply it on your hair from the middle section of you hair. (DO NOT APPLUE FROM THE ROOTS. It will make your hair feel heavy)  :)
    Overall  Recommendations 
    I really like this hair serum! Despite my small issue with the size of the bottle, I do not regret buying this product at all! I recommend this to those who want to make their hair look more shiny, glossy and healthy!
    xoxo,

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    Review: Limited Edition K-Palette 24 Hour Real Lasting Eyeliner

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    Hello everyone! Happy holidays! I’ve taken a short hiatus because I just wanted to make sure that I spent the holidays with my loved ones without any distractions. :) I’m back with the final installment on the series of reviews that I’ve been doing on K-Palette Cosmetics! You may find my previous product reviews here and here. Today I will be reviewing the K-Palette 24 Hour Real Lasting Eyeliner. :)

    The good ol’ eyeliner has got to be among one of the first makeup items every girl/woman will purchase. It’s one of the most basic makeup essentials and it’s very easy to use. I myself have gone through a LOT of eyeliners: Pencil liners, gel liners, liquid liners, you name it! However, the K-Palette 24 Hour Real Lasting Eyeliner has been making waves in the beauty industry and it’s getting hard to turn a blind eye on it. I’ve been wanting to try it out and I was immediately sold on buying it when I saw that it currently comes in a super adorable limited edition packaging!

     

    Product

    The K-Palette 24 Hour Real Lasting Eyeliner  is among the top 3 best-selling eyeliners in Japan. It has long surpassed it’s popularity in Japan because it’s slowly becoming a favorite of makeup enthusiasts and normal girls all over the world. According to its website, the eyeliner boasts of 3 special features: its micro-fibre brush, breakthrough and waterproof polymer molecule, and its unique conditioning formula. 

     

     

    What I Love:

    • The packaging is SUPER CUTE!!! Pink is one of my favorite colors and I love the limited edition packaging of the eyeliner 10x more than it’s regular packaging.
    • Easy to use! No need to shake.
    • The super fine tip makes it very easy to use! This is perfect for girls who are new to make-up and have yet to perfect their “flicks”!
    • You may create various looks with this: sexy Cat eyes, thin lines, thick lines, etc!
    • It’s very pigmented.
    • It’s not shiny unlike other eyeliners. Other eyeliners that produce shiny lines often “crack”, if you get what I mean. haha.
    • IT DOES NOT BUDGE!
    • You may take it of by splashing water on the eyeliner and rubbing it. (I suggest not to rub though because skin around the eyes is extremely delicate. You’re better off using a makeup remover than having to splurge on expensive eye creams in the future . (; )
    •  

    What I don’t like:
    • NOTHING!
    •  

    Tips for application:
    • For beginners, start from the middle of your eye lid. Take you time and you may start out by applying tiny dots close to your lash line and then connect! End by completing the line from your inner eyelid. Try to line as closely to your lids as possible.
    • To keep it from drying out, make sure that you store it with the TIP of the liner facing the surface of your cup/eyeliner holder.
    Recommendations:
    THIS EYELINER IS GOLDEN!! It has definitely reach holy grail status! It’s such a fuss-free product and it has definitely saved me a lot of time on my daily routine. I recommend this to every girl out there. It’s THAT AMAZING. Every girl deserves to know about this amaazing product. :)

     

    xoxo,

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    Review: K-Palette 2 Way Eyebrow

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    For the longest time, I’ve been hearing about how amazing Japanese cosmetics are and I finally gave in to discovering the magic of Japanese cosmetics first-hand.I recently went on a mini haul in Beauty Bar and snagged some online cult favorites that I have been eyeing for a long time now: K-Palette products! I bought a K-Palette 2 Way Eyebrow, a limited edition K-Palette Real Lasting Eyeliner, and 2 K-Palette Kuma cover Control concealers!

    My latest beauty obsession is groomed eyebrows! Eyebrows are so underrated and girls often skip fixing up their brows. I used to ignore my brows and focused on piling on makeup on my face. Thank goodness that I finally saw the light when I learned of the importance of groomed eyebrows!  My extra lazy day makeup routine consists of fixing my eyebrows and putting on concealer. 2 steps and I’m ready to go!

    Today I will be reviewing the K-Palette 2 Way Eyebrow in honey brown. There are two colors: 01 Chocolate brown and 02 honey brown. The former is for those with dark hair while the latter is for those who have light hair like me! The K-Palette 2 Way Eyebrow is a 2 way brow liner which consists of a liner (physically similar to a liquid eyeliner) and an angled powder sponge. It costs PHP 1050 a piece.

    What I Love:

    • The two-way feature of this brow liner makes the product very functional. It’s all you’ll ever need for your brows.
    • The liner is perfect for filling in the gaps in my barely-there eyebrows and my eyebrows still look natural once filled up with the liner.
    • The angled sponge with eyebrow powder is perfect for setting the brow liner.
    • It’s very long-lasting and stays on all day.
    What I don’t like:
    • The liner takes a bit of getting used to. You have to take some time when using it because the brush isn’t very stiff which makes it prone to errors. (I think the the brush is soft for a reason. The soft brush contributes to the natural effect that the brow liner produces.)
    • There are only two shades. I have a really light hair color and it’s still a tad bit dark for my hair.
    Me with absolutely no makeup. Well me with only the K-Palette Two Way Eyebrow Liner.  I think the only catch that comes with beauty blogging is having to appear completely barefaced to the entire world. This may sound shallow but there are some girls who refuse to go out of the house without makeup. It’s a very personal thing to some girls. :) Nonetheless, I love my readers too much so here I am with no makeup. :D

     

    Final Thoughts
    I really like this brow liner! It gives my brows a very natural look and I love it so much that I’m willing to just add a tinted brow gel for it to match my hair color. I recommend this to those who want to experience having “fashion-magazine-ready”/artista-looking eyebrows!

     

    Do you have this product? What are your favorite Japanese products?

     

    xoxo,

    For more updates, like my page on facebook here

     

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