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Beauty, Reviews

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! :)

what do you guys think? what’s your personal hg concealer?

xoxo,

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Beauty, Reviews

Review: Revlon Superlustrous Lipstick

02/06/2014

8 Comments

Revlon has got to be one of my favorite drugstore products. I’ve been loving their lip butters which give so much lalalove to my lips and I also own a matte lipstick which is pretty good as well. I’m still in the process of opening and reviewing products from my hoardscapades (haha is that even a word?) in the recent past. I have so much makeup to review, so much new makeup I just want to purchase (huhu I need to get out of this makeup rehab fast!!!) and so little time!

Product

Anyhoo, let’s begin our lipstick talk. I purchased two Revlon Superlustrous Lipsticks, one cream (berry haute) and one pearl (peach me). I’m sorry but I don’t know how much these cost as of the moment but I’m guessing that it is in the P500 price range. Each tube has 0.15oz worth of product. These come in the classic Revlon lipstick packaging. The plastic is quite shiny while the packaging of the Revlon matte lipsticks is matte. I like that the top view of these lippies are transparent and allows one to find lipstick shades conveniently.

Berry Haute

Berry haute is a purplish mauve shade. It looks a bit intimidating from the tube but applies beautifully. The intensity of the purple is medium so I think that it’s perfect for people who want to try the famous purple lipstick trend right now. It’s perfect for those who are hesitant to try deep purples and just want to get the feel of having purple lips. I think it actually looks like a purple berry shade when worn. As its name suggests, this creme lipstick is indeed very creamy and emollient although these aren’t as glossy as the Revlon lip butters. One of my favorites parts of this lipstick has got to be the fact that it doesn’t have any scent whatsoever. This lasts around 3-4 hours on my lips.

If all Revlon superlustrous cremes are like this, I’d want to try out other shades from the same line. I think that this would suit medium to fair-skinned people. It would still suit olive-skinned people but I think a deeper shade of purple would be a better fit for them. :)

Peach Me

I have to admit something. I bought this while I was under the impression that it was a matte peach shade. I was shopping in one of the supermarkets in Florida (I forgot which supermarket already :( ) when I found this. I remember the store either not allowing testers or not having completes testers for the products. My companions were in a rush to leave so I just grabbed this thinking it was the shade I wanted. :(

The shade is a creamy peach shade with tiny gold shimmer. The shimmer isn’t chunky per se but I think it makes the lipstick slightly more drying on the lips. The shade itself is quite pretty, surprisingly. I’m saying surprisingly because I was instantly turned off by this lippie the moment I saw the shimmer. This is the first and only lippie that I own that has shimmer. I really do not like having shimmer/frost/glitter in my lipsticks. However, I find that the lipstick itself looks OK on me. Its formulation is still quite good; still better than a lot of drugstore lipsticks I’ve tried. It applies smoothly on my lips and is unscented as well. This doesn’t feel cheap on my lips. However, I don’t like that the lipstick leave residues of glitter on my lips even after the actual color has faded.

Overall, this lipstick isn’t so bad as I describe it to be. I think I’m just really a glitter/shimmer hater but I think it still might work for those who like shimmer in their lippies. This is a nice neutral shade that can be worn everyday.

Overall Thoughts

Revlon has delivered quality products yet again and has not yet failed to disappoint me. I really love Berry Haute and would recommend for you guys to try if if you want to get into the purple-lip trend without going too bold. I would personally want a bolder color though just because I’m super open to experimenting with bold shades. I wouldn’t repurchase lippies from the pearl line because I’m assuming that they all have a similar finish as that of peach me’s. I wouldn’t say peach me was a complete miss. It still is a pretty good Revlon lippie. It’s a nice shade and feels smooth on the lips. I think I’m just extra biased against frosty/shimmery lippies. Teehee!

What do you think of these lippies? Do you own any of them? :)

xoxo,

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Beauty, Reviews

Review: Makeup Forever Aqua Brow #15

02/02/2014

3 Comments

We’ve all had our fair share of makeup mishaps. They may range from having the wrong foundation shade, over plucked eyebrows, unflattering contour/blush shades. One of my makeup mishaps would have to be having overdrawn eyebrows. *EEK* Before I unveil a photo of my makeup mishap, I’m going to share some celebrities who have had overdrawn eyebrows. Just to lessen the blow on my awful, overdrawn eyebrows and to prove that makeup mistakes can happen to the most flawless human beings on the planet.

Exhibit 1: Angelina Jolie

Exhibit 2: Katy Perry

Exhibit 3: Demi Lovato

Before I unveil my hideous brows, I’d just like to say that this mishap can happen to anyone and at the same time, suits no one. You can be a goddess and look hideous with overdrawn eyebrows. Ok, enough blabber……..

Exhibit 4: Me </3

I would not have shown you guys this photo again unless I have another one to redeem this horrible photo. Enter Makeup Forever Aqua Brow #15, my savior. I think using eyebrow pencils require a very light hand and the utmost care to achieve a natural look. I’m not totally against eyebrow pencils but they have the tendency to produce overdrawn eyebrows when used indelicately. Eyebrow gels on the other hand, Makeup Forever Aqua Brow #15 to be specific has got the be one of the easiest-to-use eyebrow products I’ve ever encountered.

Product

The eyebrow gel comes in a small tube and contains 7ml or 0.23 worth of product at $21 or P945 in Sephora. I know, P945 is a huge leap from the usual P200-P300 brow product from Etude House and The Face Shop (both of which have product that work well). I was really trying to decide on whether to make the splurge for this ridiculously expensive product that comes in a tiny tube. Well curiosity got the best of me and here am I now writing this review. The tube reminds me of the OCC lip tars tubes and you have to squeeze the tube to get the product out. I chose the shade #15 blonde to match my colored hair.

You only need the teeny-tiniest pod worth of product to fill in your brows. I have incredibly sparse brows (i cry) and yet I still need a really small amount for my brows. The formula has a very creamy gel-like consistency which helps me apply it without breaking a sweat and it’s pigmented as hell which I love. I was actually thinking twice because of the tube’s tiny size but now I know why it’s small.

It’s name really does justice to the product because it lasts ALL DAY. It can withstand my sweat caused by the Manila heat, trust me. Longevity is actually my primary concern with my lower-end brow products. I leave the house with perfectly filled-in brows and come home with slightly patchy brows. :(

I tried showering with it though and I have to say that a significant amount of the product got washed off. Considering that it’s supposed to be waterproof, it sadly did not live up to its claim. This doesn’t really bother me though because I don’t really like to swim. I’m very conscious about my body thus have an all-year strike from wearing swimsuits but that’s a story for another day. I think girls who go to the gym often or girls who play sports may fancy this product.

Tips and Final Thoughts

I like to use and angled brush from Charm Cosmetics to fill in my brows and I use the spooly that it comes with to blend everything together. The brush helps me shape my brows easily. You may use any angled brush to fill in your brows; the stiffer the brush the better.

It costs around P1350 here in Manila, so I suggest that you buy it from Sephora if you know anyone who can ship it to you here. :)

Overall, this is really a must-have brow gel. It fills in the brows beautifully, comes in various shades to match different hair colors, and perfect for busy men and women alike who like to use products that last all day.

i only applied the product on one brow to empashize this amazing product <3

behold my eyebrow savior

my brows fully made up using the Makeup Forever Aqua Brow #15

let me hear your thoughts! :)

xoxo,

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Beauty, Reviews

Review: NARS Eyeshadow Duo in Misfit and Tzarine

01/28/2014

2 Comments

I have always enjoyed using my NARS cheek products (Laguna, Orgasm, Copacabana, Angelika, etc) and thought it was time to try out some of their eyeshadows. Their counters have a beautiful spread of different colors of eyeshadows. I bought these a few months back when I was HOARDING makeup. I haven’t gotten around to playing with these because I stored them in a container with all my unused makeup items! I have so much makeup and I just kept putting off using them. Which is why I promise to try out all my current unused makeup before I buy new products.

Product

The two palettes that initially caught my eyes were Misfit and Tzarine. These cost $34 a pop or around P1545 and contains 0.14oz.

L: Misfit; R: Tzarine

Packaging

These shadow duos come in the signature matte packaging that most NARS products have unless they are limited edition packaging. The packaging is really pretty but they’re such a pain to clean! NARS products are dust magnets. I guess most people don’t complain because NARS has such a huge following and they have already established themselves. Anyhoo, the compact is made of sturdy plastic and the compact comes with a mirror which is very useful.

Formula and Pigmentation

Misfit: The left shade of Misfit is beautiful creamy beige with a touch of yellow in it. It also has a sheen that isn’t easily seen unless you really inspect it closely. The right shade is a gorgeous emerald with tiny gold shimmer. I don’t think have any colors similar to these in my makeup collection. They are finely milled and easy to apply. Both are fairly pigmented and lasted on my eyelids for a good 6-8 hours.

Tzarine: The left shade is a beige champagne color while the right shade is metallic gray color with fleck of glitter in it. I have to say that I was a bit disappointed with the formulation and pigmentation of these. I can’t remember why I bought these. :( They swatch decently. The two shades looked so glorious from the pan but these really fell short on my expectations. I expected them to have more pigmentation and I found it quite difficult to pack on the color to my lids. I wish I was in the US so that I could return these. They are quite expensive and honestly not worth the splurge.

Final Thoughts

Misfit was a hit while Tzarine was definitely a miss. While I enjoyed Misfit, I don’t think I will be buying and NARS eyeshadow duos soon because I know that it will take me a long time to use these two up. Aside from that, there are so many more products yet to be explored and so little time! I hope that when the time comes for me to try out new shadow duos, I’d be able to be fight my urge to buy on a whim and really make sure I like something before I buy it. NARS is a wonderful brand and they have a wide array of shadows to choose from! I still do encourage you to try them out and fall in love with the products of the brand. :)

xoxo,

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Beauty, Reviews

Review: Hourglass Ambience Lighting Palette

01/22/2014

4 Comments

I know, I’m late but it would be such a shame NOT to write a reviews about this treasure! This beaut was released as part of Hourglass’s holiday collection. It was so hyped all over the online beauty community. I’ve also been hearing a lot of good things about the individual powders but they are CRAY expensive at $45 (P2000) a piece! The moment I found out that I was going to finally be able to try these luxurious powders that everyone has been raving about, I lost my reasoning and asked my grandpa to get it for me. *side note: my grandpa always does my makeup hauling for me when he goes to the States and gives them to me as gifts!* Getting to try three shades, one of them being a limited edition shade sealed the deal for me. It also comes with a tiny tube of primer called the Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer (0.16 0z.).

Packaging

The beautiful limited edition palette comes in an equally beautiful packaging (which I forgot to take a photo of, darn!). The palette itself is made up of plastic. The palette looked like some kind of metal from the photos online and I assumed that it was heavy because it looked heavy. I was a bit surprised at how light it was in person. I was expecting it to be along the lines of Guerlain lipsticks which quite heavy, The price of the entire palette is certainly not cheap at $58 (P2627.4). I guess some would like the palette to be lightweight for travel purposes but I’d personally want it to be heavier to make it a bit more durable. I also don’t like how the surface is a fingerprint magnet.

Product

The idea of these powders is genius! These powders are designed to recreate how your skin looks under various types of lighting that are most flattering to the skin. Some would think that the idea sounds too ambitious but these powders have a huge base of followers which makes me think that Hourglass might be doing something right.

The palette comes with three shades: Dim Light, Incandescent Light (limited edition), and Radient Light.

from left to right: dim light, incandescent light, radiant light

Dim Light: This shade is the only matte shade in the palette. It described as a ” nude peach beige powder that blurs out imperfections and highlights the complexion.” I would use this as an overall finishing powder.

Incandescent Light: Among the three powders, this shade has the most shimmer in it. It’s described as “an opalescent pearl powder that brighten the complexion with a celestial glow.” This looks like an ordinary highlighter with very fine shimmer, the flattering kind. I apply this on the top of my cheek bones and on the bridge of my nose.

Radiant Light: This shade reminds me of a very subtle bronzer. It’s described as a “sun-kissed golden beige powder” that is designed to add warmth to the skin. I apply this on the apple of my cheeks. This reminds me of a bronzer but I don’t think it’s pigmented enough for contouring. It really does add warmth to my skin.

Used all together, these powders breathe life to my pale skin. At first it was difficult to notice major differences when I applied the powders on my face. However, I noticed how my skin looked like it was glowing form within. None of these powders are too pigmented. They all have a really subtle way to make my skin look radiant.

Is it worth it?

Each powder is 0.116 oz, and the palette has a total of 0.35 oz (P2627.3). A full sized compact is at 0.35 oz (P2000). As you can see, the palette is a lot more expensive than the individual powders and the added weight of mini powders amounts to one full sized powder. Personally, I think this palette is worth it when it comes to being able to try 3 powders in one go but not really worth it value-for-money wise.

I think that the effect of these powders can still be achieved by different powders. However, I really love this palette because of the way it makes my skin look. *I’m in love.*

In the end, it depends on what you value more: being able to try 3 powders in one go or getting a value packed palette. This palette is perfect for me because I’ve never owned any Ambient Lighting Powders. Now, I don’t have to keep on wondering whether these constantly raved powders are really amazing or not. I probably won’t be purchasing any more of these powders for a while though.

Availability

They are available but currently out of stock on the Hourglass Website.

xoxo,

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Beauty, Reviews

Review: Avon Ultra Glimmerstick Lip Liner

12/11/2013

3 Comments

I have to admit, I haven’t always been a fan of lip liners and they aren’t really a part of my makeup routine. I used to think that they were old fashioned and not really worth the extra step when it comes to doing my makeup. I only have a few minutes to do my makeup on a daily basis because I always wake up late for school (oops) so I usually have do it SUPER quickly! The few times I use lip liners is when I go for bold red lips. However, being the makeup lover that I am, I got really excited when I got to play with the Avon Ultra Glimmerstick Lip Liners from Avon. I received the ff: Pink Bouquet, Peach Envy, Red Brick.

Product

These pencils look like any other pencil liners in the market. I don’t think people can make more innovations when it comes to lip liners anyway. Each pencil costs P250 and contains 0.28g each. I like that each pencil indicates its color near the end of the pencil. The pencil is retractable which is also nice.

What I Love

The colors of these pencils are beautiful and wearable. Pink Bouquet is a beautiful pink shade, Peach Envy is a peachy nude shade while Red Brick is literally a brick red shade. The shades are color true to what you see one the pencil. I like that these are retractable which is perfect for girls who are always on the go and who don’t got time for sharpening. I hate having to sharpen my eyeliners. Imagine having to sharpen an eye or lip pencil and having to look for a trash can to dispose the shavings.

from left to right: peach envy, pink bouquet, and red brick

I also enjoyed applying these pencils on my lips because they are very creamy and glide on easily. The quality of these pencils are simply superb. Applied by themselves, the finished look is similar to a matte lipstick. It is best to apply a lipstick or a gloss though because lipliners are really supposed to be applied as a base to lipsticks and lipglosses. I also like that the lip liners make my lips look fuller and let my lipsticks stay on longer. Lastly, these lip liners also help intensify the colors of lipsticks!

What I don’t like

I find these lip liners to be a bit small than the usual lip liners. My Nyx lip liner pencils are about 1G each and cost only $3.50 (153.61). I don’t really mind paying a few pesos more for these though because of all the good things I just said above.

On Me

pink bouquet

Avon glazewear vitaluscious lipgloss renewing rose on top of pink bouquet

peach envy

Avon glazewear vitaluscious lipgloss rose flush on top of peach envy

red brick

Avon glazewear vitaluscious lipgloss reviving red on top of red brick

Final Thoughts

For those of you who are like me who have not been using liners ever, these liners might be a good place to start. The quality of these liners are quite excellent which makes these pencils worth trying. I have to admit that I still don’t have time to apply these everyday however I think I can squeeze in a minute or two for these lovelies on days that I have more time to do my makeup.

xoxo,

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