Stockpiled!

Official Hiatus

2011-12-08T08:57:00.001+08:00

I had hoped to keep updating this blog, even sporadically, but the laptop with all my blogging stuff died. Not surprising though, since I've had that machine for more than 4 years. I'll be back as soon as I have it repaired/replaced. Thank you for reading all my posts thus far!

Etude House Proof 10 Jewelry Pencil #3

2011-11-12T12:09:00.000+08:00

This is the eyeliner I used in the previous post.

Price: around P250-P300
Location Bought: Etude House SM Mega
Date Bought: July 9, 2011

This is the eyeliner tube twisted up to maximum. Not a lot of product, but hey, it's a pretty color and it's cheap.

Even if it's the retractable kind that generally doesn't need sharpening, the eyeliner comes with a tiny sharpener on the opposite end. Great for when you want precise, thin lines!

#3 is a beautiful beautiful slightly shimmery turquoise shade that glides on creamily. The Jewelry Pencil line comes in metallic shades of gold, silver, blue and turquoise , if I remember correctly.

It appears a little more blue on my eyes, but maybe that's just the lighting.

Majolica Majorca Shadow Customize: GR162

2011-11-07T16:36:00.002+08:00

Price: P295.00
Date Bought: May 20, 2011
Location Bought: Watsons SM Mega

Packaging is simple plastic made elegant by the majomajo logo, but it's quite hard to slide out.

GR162 is an iridiscent teal-y green. It applies velvety smooth.

I like using it as a lid wash lined with turquoise eyeliner.

Sunday Shots X

2011-11-01T19:01:00.004+08:00

Welcome to the tenth Sunday Shots, aka my weekly attempt at keeping the blog constantly updated! Sunday Shots posts will be picture posts about the things I've been doing with makeup, school, and assorted cutesy shit.

(Apologies for the absence, a lot of things happened this October.)

Things in my bag. I'm still using the bag I featured in the last Sunday Shots.

Things in my makeup pouch. I keep an extra ID lanyard for when
I forget my real ID. Ssssh, don't tell the librarians.

Things in my pencil case.

Stationery always brightens up my day, especially in a bleak
environment like mine. Fight!

I've been looking for Abundance for a long time (bit of a Marie Antoinette fan haha).
Also, I've always wanted a hardbound copy of Sherlock Holmes stories, and since this
damaged (but very pretty and very hardbound) copy was selling for only P360,
it also came home with me.

One of my empty body butter tubs is now my bulldog clip container,
for my many ~~many many many~~ sheets of paper.

Nails of the sembreak. I like how they turned out. :D

After more than a month of using Pure Beauty's eye cream,
this is the result. I think it did work, even if just a little bit.

Comparison/contrast of the shot I took last September 18, and of the shot I took today, November 1.
Click the picture to enlarge.

Sunday Shots IX

2011-09-25T09:00:00.000+08:00

Welcome to the ninth Sunday Shots, aka my weekly attempt at keeping the blog constantly updated! Sunday Shots posts will be picture posts about the things I've been doing with makeup, school, and assorted cutesy shit.

At long last! A Little Twin Stars bag that doesn't look ~~too~~ childish!
(With this, I can blatantly be the oddball woman-child that I am XD)

It fits all my stuff just as well as my regular "supposed-to-be-my-age" bags.
(Yes, that's an extension cord thingy to the right. Not enough power outlets,
so I bring that to share. :P)

Freebies from a forum I attended, where one of the owners of Human <3 Nature
was a speaker. I love the hand sanitizer's candy scent. :D

Deco charms! I don't know where to put them yet though.

Yay Japanese kit kat!
A restaurant near school sells these.

Mother has been bugging me to wear earrings lately, because
"I'm wasting my pierced ears." I didn't like the earrings
she wanted me to wear (too plain and/or old lady), so I got these.

Sunday Shots VIII

2011-09-24T15:51:00.000+08:00

[This post was supposed to be up last week, September 18. Screwy internet prevented me from posting until today though, but everything's okay now. :D]

Welcome to the eighth Sunday Shots, aka my weekly attempt at keeping the blog constantly updated! Sunday Shots posts will be picture posts about the things I've been doing with makeup, school, and assorted cutesy shit.

Food! An old favorite: mooncake (one of the things I like about September!),
and a new favorite: PB&Co's Sesame Peanut Butter.
I don't eat them together though, that would be too weird!

Dotting tool acquired! I've wanted one for a long time.
This was around P60 at Landmark Trinoma. The P20 rainbow nail file
is, unsurprisingly, an impulse buy. :P

This week I had a topcoat battle. Which brand won?

This is Etude House on my left hand after 6 days. Not pretty.
Take note, I'm not even left-handed. Theoretically, this hand should
have gotten less tip wear.

This is The Face Shop on my right hand after 6 days. Tip wear on
only two fingers! We have a winner!

Remember how I said I bought Eskinol's Dermaclear-C toner in my last Sunday Shots post? I've been using it for around two weeks now, and it really works for me. (Warning, potentially squicky pictures ahead.)

Usage in the morning. It really gets all the oil my face produced during the night!

Usage at night, after washing my face. It does a good job of removing
leftover makeup that my facial wash couldn't remove.

I've been told (and I've also read) that Eskinol products can sometimes be too harsh and drying to one's face, but after around two weeks use, my face is still its normal self, only less oilier and pimplier. I can stay up as long as I want to study cases now! (Is that really something to be happy about? XD)

Inspired by the success of my pimple-clearing mission, I've
decided to work on my darkening undereyes. Let's hope this
well-reviewed budget brand works for me too.

As reference, meet my undereye. To prove whether or not Pure Beauty's
eye cream works on me, I will be posting another picture in a month,
around October 19.

Sunday Shots VII

2011-09-11T16:36:00.002+08:00

Welcome to the seventh Sunday Shots, aka my weekly attempt at keeping the blog constantly updated! Sunday Shots posts will be picture posts about the things I've been doing with makeup, school, and assorted cutesy shit.

New favorite potion. The mintiness is an instant head-clearer and breath freshener!

My usual prescribed toner doesn't seem to be working for me anymore,
possibly because of the constant late nights. (I used to be a morning person!)
I haven't got time to visit the doctor for new toner so I picked this up
at the recommendation of a friend also studying law.
I hope it works for me just as well as it does for her!

Not an eraser, but my faitfhful USB drive. I've had it since last year,
when CD-R King started making cute designs. In today's times, you can never leave
home without one of these.

Tita came home from a trip to Korea and she gave me these as pasalubong.
I've seen the green polish in local Face Shop stores but not the blue polish
and the nail stickers. The cherry ones are my favorite!

And my NOTW for this week... Orly Space Cadet. This polish is amazing. You can never really tell what color it is! (Please forgive the dents, I don't have time to redo them and photographing a color-shifting polish like this is hard!)

Sometimes it's purple,

other times it's gold,

and other times, it's green!

Sunday Shots VI

2011-09-04T17:40:00.002+08:00

Welcome to the sixth Sunday Shots, aka my weekly attempt at keeping the blog constantly updated! Sunday Shots posts will be picture posts about the things I've been doing with makeup, law school, and assorted cutesy shit.

Messy dresser drawer :P

NOTW, unknown date.

NOTW for this week.

An attempt at a pink eye look. It looks ok up close, but it makes me look sick from afar.
I think it needs liner and mascara so I don't end up looking like I'm ill.

Looks like the packaging of TBS' delipscious lip tints isn't
made of pure metal after all. See the parts where the silver paint
is chipping? Packaging issue aside, the product still works great.

An attempt at an artsy fartsy shot using my bench lipsticks.
Like my elderberry lip tint, these still work great.
(I just realized I haven't made reviews for these yet! Adding to the list!)

Sunday Shots V

2011-08-28T19:55:00.001+08:00

Welcome to the fifth Sunday Shots, aka my weekly attempt at keeping the blog constantly updated! Sunday Shots posts will be picture posts about the things I've been doing with makeup, law school, and assorted cutesy shit.

Done with midterms, and done with the Maybelline Lash Stiletto review!
Do check it out! I've also replied to all your comments. :D

More than halfway through my favorite blemish concealer now!
It's super effective!! Shame it's not good for undereyes though.

Things I bought this week, part 1. Etude sponges (using the points from
my membership card), the EB lipsticks Morbidfrank did a glowing review on,
the Tony Moly nail polish Digitaltraincase featured, a glow in the dark
topcoat, and my second pack of LTS post its! (Call me a shallow nerd,
but I find studying more entertaining with these sticky notes XD)

Things I bought this week, part 2. Two smaller notebooks for school (I've decided to downsize,
since my bags are dying from all the cases/codals/annotations I have to carry),
an adorable robot print pencil case, a yummy cotton candy scented pen, and LTS post its
in a design I haven't seen before.

Maybelline Lash Stiletto Mascara

2011-08-21T10:46:00.010+08:00

I've said many times before that eye makeup is not my strong suit. It's only recently that I've been wearing eyeshadow more often (thanks to this foolproof product), I rarely touch false eyelashes, and I really don't like wearing mascara because it makes my lashes feel heavy and uncomfortable.

But for Maybelline Lash Stiletto, I'll happily make an exception.

Price: P350.00
Location Bought: SM Hypermart
Approximate Date Bought: May 28, 2011

Shinyyyy

Packaging: Lash Stiletto comes in a sleek, glossy black square tube that really doesn't look like it's only a P350 mascara. I like that it's square because it doesn't roll off surfaces as easily.

It's tapered like a stiletto heel!

Unlike most new mascaras today, there is no "innovative technology" for the applicator, but it gets its job done.

Nothing fancy here!

Formulation: Lash Stiletto is your basic black mascara. It is meant to lengthen one's lashes, much like stiletto heels lengthen one's legs. I would rather prefer mascara that volumizes my lashes, but what I really like about this mascara is that it doesn't feel heavy. It also stays put the entire day, but is easily removable at home in the bathroom/in front of the dresser. I don't even need fancy mascara removers for this - baby oil works fine.

In Action: Here we have my bare lashes. I like to think they're long enough, hence my preference for volumizing mascaras over lengthening mascaras.

Where are my lashes?

And here is what the mascara looks like, without the help of an eyelash curler. I need to work on the lashes near the inner corner of my eye more. I'm not skilled enough (yet) to make the mascara reach them without poking my eye! :))

Oh look, there they are!

ETA 08/28/2011 6:58 PM: Today is the day I throw this mascara out, since I have this thing about keeping mascaras for only three months. Lash Stiletto is a good lightweight product, but I will not be purchasing it again since it's a lengthening mascara. I'll definitely try more of Maybelline's volumizing mascaras, however. :D

Sunday Shots IV

2011-08-14T16:52:00.001+08:00

Welcome to the fourth Sunday Shots, aka my weekly attempt at keeping the blog constantly updated! Sunday Shots posts will be picture posts about the things I've been doing with makeup, law school, and assorted cutesy shit.

My Palladio rice concealer. I've been using this for my undereyes
a lot more lately. It doesn't conceal as well as I'd like, so I need to
find a better product. Any suggestions?

I saw Zombadings at UP Cine Adarna last Wednesday. It was super funny.
Watch it when it officially releases on August 31!

The back of my planner, like I mentioned in yesterday's post.

Now all I have to do is fill up this part! (Haha yes, that's
a Medical City visitor sticker.)

The products I used for yesterday's lip shot. I actually forgot to
put the lip photo in yesterday, but it's there now.

Current favorite snack: raspberry tea with milk and honey + golden oreos

I finally gave in and bought this LTS refillable pen.

Contrary to what some may think, I do own normal school supplies.
Not ALL of my stuff is cutesy, that would be rather scary. :))

The Best Blog Award

2011-08-13T10:29:00.005+08:00

Around a week ago, Morbidfrank from Beautiful Rhapsody gave me this award. Thank you! ♥

Morbidfrank is also a law student in her first year just like me! (She can make a mean blueberry cheesecake!) Make sure to check out her blog later, ok? :D

The rules:
1. Link back the post to the person who gave you the award.
2. Share 7 random things about yourself.
3. Answer the following questions:

Favourite colour?
Favourite song?
Favorite Dessert?
What is annoying you?
When you are upset, you?
Favourite pet?
Black or white?
Biggest fear?
Best feature?
Everyday attitude?
What is perfection?
Guilty pleasure?

4. Award 7 blogs/bloggers.
(Please check my policy on tags/awards on this page, second to the last paragraph.)

7 Random Things about Me
1. I know how to change flat tires and jumpstart half-dead car batteries. I'm not ashamed to admit these things happened to me often when I first started driving. Learn from your mistakes!
2. I prefer skirts over pants because I feel I can move more freely. Worried about flashing panties? Simple - wear shorts underneath!
3. I like tofu. Recently I've been bringing an experimental tofu recipe to school: grilled tofu marinated in soy and yakiniku sauce. I think it tastes good even at room temperature!
4. Aside from the horror shooter (Silent Hill!!), my favorite part of the arcade is the photobooth. My goal is to fill the back of my planner with photobooth pictures of my friends and family.
5. When I ride the MRT, I prefer giving up my seat to lolos and not to lolas. For some reason I feel like lolas passive-aggressively obligate me to give them my seat, so I get irritated. (I'm sorry grandmothers! X_X)
6. I have been relearning to write in script, just because. XD
7. My favorite Disney movie is Beauty and the Beast.

Questions!

Favourite colour? Orange ♥

Favourite song? Currently Fly me to the Moon

Favorite Dessert? Cream puffs

Image from Corbis

~~What~~ who is annoying you? People who take themselves too seriously, and people who are whiny

Image from Corbis

When you are upset, you? listen to angry music to wash the negativity away. It's as if the angry lyrics absorb all my anger and then I feel better again.

Image from Corbis

Favourite pet? the family dog, Vito

Beagle!

Black or white? black

Biggest fear? isolation

Image from Corbis

Best feature? lips? hahaha

Everyday attitude? "Good morning starshine, the earth says hello!"

(But I quickly get down to business when I must!)

What is perfection? Not being human. I happen to like being a person, so I'd rather not be perfect. :P

Image from Corbis

Guilty pleasure? Cute school/office supplies!

Image from ohyeahkawaiistuff

Thanks again for tagging me, Morbidfrank! I had fun!

Majolica Majorca Jeweling Eyes: BR381 Caramelisee

2011-08-09T09:13:00.001+08:00

If you've been following my blog since I started around 2 years ago, chances are you've seen my HORRIBLE eye posts. I like to think I've improved since then, and that quality beginner-friendly products like Majolica Majorca's Caramelisee quad are helping me improve even further.

Price: P795.00
Location Bought: Watsons SM Megamall
Date Bought: May 5, 2011

Packaging: The print on the clear lid makes it look as if Caramelisee were iced with whipped cream. ♥ The scalloped edges look like a string of pearls bordering the entire quad. Overall, the effect is rather cake-like. (I'm not sure if a cake studded with pearls and jewels will taste very good, but whatever. :P)

Functionally speaking, the plastic used is very sturdy, and the scalloped edges serve as sufficient grip stabilizers. The applicator is made of a very dense sponge and works almost as well as a brush. Finally, the clasp holding the quad closed is secure yet easy to open.

Color: Caramelisee is a bronzy-gold quad great for daytime. The colors of this quad can be used however you wish, but since I'm still not very good at eye makeup, I stuck with the instructions that came with the package. :D

Clockwise from left: a yellow gold highlighter shade, a light brownish gold lid shade (1),
a reddish bronze lid shade (2), and a deep bronze liner shade.

Pigmentation and Formulation: On my skin without primer, the scentless shadows reach pan intensity in 2 layers (3 for the yellowish gold color). All of them are creamy and blendable, almost like butter. (Or cake icing, since that's what the packaging seems to go for!) While I was expecting lots of fallout because Caramelisee is a shimmery quad, there wasn't very much of it.

From left: liner shade, lid shade 2, lid shade 1, highlighter shade.
See how the shimmers in the formula refract the light?

From left: liner shade, lid shade 2, lid shade 1, highlighter shade.
This is what the colors look like in indirect light.

In Action: Caramelisee gives my lids a very subtle and very pretty glow, just the way I like my eye makeup. The shimmery formula makes my eyes appear rounder and more awake, in my opinion.

Shot in daylight, without primer. The headband I'm wearing in these pictures
is misplaced at the moment. I hope it turns up soon, it was very comfortable. :(

The "jeweling" effect becomes more pronounced under artificial lighting, as you will see below.

The shimmers in Caramelisee are very fine, so the end result
is an elegant luster, not a cheap sparkle.

When I have enough time, this is the quad I wear to school. I don't bother with primer, as it can last 4-5 hours.

Fallout in the outer corner! Must work on that!

I'm positive Caramelisee will look even prettier with some liner and mascara, but for now, I'll take one baby step at a time with my eye experiments.

Caramelisee was part of Majomajo's limited Sugary Trap collection, so I'm not sure if they still sell it at the malls. But if you're an eyeshadow beginner just like me, definitely try their other Jeweling Eyes quads if you're looking for something that gives great results and is easy to work with.

Sunday Shots III

2011-08-07T12:25:00.013+08:00

Welcome to the third Sunday Shots, aka my weekly attempt at keeping the blog constantly updated! Sunday Shots posts will be picture posts about the things I've been doing with makeup, law school, and assorted cutesy shit.

Random lip shot I took during the week. I can't remember what
product/s I used, although I'm pretty sure there was a gloss. :P

Birthday present for a friend, complete with happy birthday
note. I got her Majomajo's Lash Expander Frame Plus mascara.

Since our afternoon class got cancelled last Thursday, the block
went out for lasertag. It was super fun. ♥

NEVER buy glass nail files from True Value! REAL glass nail files
aren't supposed to become dull like regular nail files,

but after owning this for only two months, look at how worn down
some parts already are. I only file my nails once a week, mind you.
If I had known their glass files would wear out just like regular
files, I never would've wasted my P200.

Cutesy annotating tools to keep myself entertained while studying.
I find that surrounding myself with happy things helps me retain
(oftentimes serious) information better. It also deters most parasite people from
borrowing my stuff because they can't stomach the girliness. XD

Bobbie The Big Bang was still my NOTW for the last six days.
I repaired the tip wear with a bit of black, applied a fresh layer of
top coat, and it was good as new again!

I'm scheduling a makeup review post sometime this coming week. Watch out for it! :D

Sunday Shots II

2011-07-31T11:46:00.002+08:00

Welcome to the second Sunday Shots, aka my weekly attempt at keeping the blog constantly updated! Sunday Shots posts will be picture posts about the things I've been doing with makeup, law school, and assorted cutesy shit.

I've finally tried all three Carmex flavors. Cherry is still my
absolute favorite since it smells like gummy worms, my favorite candy.
I wasn't too impressed with Strawberry, because it was just the typical strawberry
scent you find in most lip balm brands like Nivea or Chapstick.

NOTW. Bobbie The Big Bang over a black polish I got from Etude.
I used Orly's Sec-n-Dry topcoat to finish everything off.

NOTW five days later. Minimal tip wear only!

Can you guess what's inside?

It's a bento! Since the school cafe is SO BORING and there's very little
time to grab lunch at a restaurant, I've started bringing my own lunch to school.
And since I'm such a sparkly little alien princess, I figured I'd go the bento way.

Check out the funny Engrish. :P

The lunches I make aren't anything fancy. I use whatever's in
the fridge/cupboard. I prefer food that can be eaten with one
hand, so I can "study" ~~cram my cases~~ and eat at the same time.
(That's why I take a little effort to make the onigiri.)

My writing instrument of choice: a blue Dong-A My Gel 0.5.
I also like MUJI's blue 0.4 hexagrip pen, but I haven't been able
to go to High Street/Rockwell to buy refills. MUJI needs to
open more branches! (Greenhills/Shang please? XD)

A couple days ago we were talking about the best highlighter colors.
(Yes, law students have no lives :P) I said Sharpie's yellow was
better than most other yellows in the market.

I think their yellow is much better because it's not as fluorescent.
Fluorescent colors can get eyestraining after all, especially if
you read/highlight a lot of things.

Sunday Shots I

2011-07-24T15:14:00.002+08:00

Welcome to the first Sunday Shots, aka my weekly attempt at keeping the blog constantly updated! Sunday Shots posts will be picture posts about the things I've been doing with makeup, law school, and assorted cutesy shit.

I finished these products just recently! Yay!

When I cut open the BB cream, there was still enough left for a week.
I transferred these "leftovers" to a small container. Waste not, want not!

My recently discovered blush trick: in2it sheer shimmer blush softened
by buffing with a kabuki brush loaded with Pigeon (Japan) powder. I like the
soft, glowy effect this combo has in person!

Local nail polish is levelling up! The first three from the left are flakies,
the last two are multicolored glitterbombs. I've successfully killed my lemmings
for pricier foreign polishes like Nfu-Oh flakies and
Deborah Lippmann's Happy Birthday.

My new favorite hair bands. I like the red one best.

KKCenterHK ES 10 Pairs Short Cross Black False Eyelashes

2011-07-17T17:00:00.001+08:00

Instant glam without the mess! I am super inexperienced when it comes to falsies, but these lashes weren't any trouble for me at all. As long as you have time to spare before school or work, I honestly think that these are easy and comfortable enough to put on every day. Thank you again for generously sending me these, Maggie!

Price: $6.09 (or around PHP262.00) for a pack of 10. That's around 61 cents (or PHP26.20) for each pair.
Location Bought: KKCenterHK
Approximate Date Bought: shipped sometime within last summer, arrived this week

Packaging: These were shipped to me in a brown paper envelope. The falsies box itself was wrapped securely in bubble wrap. Inside, the falsies are arranged like the picture below, and are not difficult to take out of the box.

My only contention is that it took roughly 2-3 months for these to arrive, but that's my city post office's fault. I didn't want to believe it initially, but now I'm convinced it has a bad reputation. My mother and her friend ordered dresses online last year, and those also took a long time to arrive, like three to four months, whereas her friend who lived in another city (Makati), got hers in one month. Super weird. :| Moral of the story is, don't have these - or anything else, for that matter - shipped to Pasig City! (I hear San Juan post office is good, and they have post boxes available for rent to non-residents. Next time I order online, that's what I'm going to do.)

In Action: I chose ES004, a crisscross type good for daytime wear.

I used this PHP85.00 eyelash glue from Saizen (Daiso) to apply the falsies. I chose it for the applicator, since I have difficulty with eyelash glue in tubes. It doesn't smell like anything, and does not sting at all.

For comparison, here is my bare (boring) eye:

And here it is again with the lashes! Look at the difference they make! They felt very light on my eyes, unlike some other lashes that I've used. I had to trim them a little bit to fit my eye shape, but that did not ruin them in any way.

I played around a little and put on some of Majomajo's GR162 eyeshadow and one of the shades from their Caramelisee quad. I noticed some of the eyeshadow had gotten into the lashes,

so I quickly fixed that with a coat of Maybelline's Lash Stiletto mascara.

I think the mascara makes the lashes look even better!

If you have access to online shopping, definitely try KKCenterHK. Customer service is gracious, and the products are good quality at reasonable prices and are packaged securely. (Just don't have them shipped to my city hahaha)

This was a sponsored post written for KKCenterHK based on my unbiased personal opinions.

What I've Been Up to the Past Month

2011-07-17T09:04:00.007+08:00

I've been swimming in laws and cases! This picture accurately sums up all I've been doing lately. After a month of law school, I can definitely say that it's a LOT of hard work, but I'm enjoying it nonetheless. (Is it because I'm a masochist nerd?)

I don't know if you've noticed, but this particular bedspread
always happens to be the one "worn" by my bed whenever I
take pictures on it for this blog.

Cutesy school supplies to keep myself from getting bored while studying! I'm thinking of making more school supplies and stationery posts on this blog, since I've amassed quite a lot of interesting things at the moment.

These were all bought at FUNctional SM Mega. The highlighters
are pleasantly scented, and they do a good job of keeping me awake! (No, I don't sniff them HAHA)
I love the pen because it says "Everything's gonna be alright!" and it
has rainbows. ♥ ♥ ♥

Soon I'll have shelves full of these books!

See the leftmost book? It's a copy of the Civil Code in Filipino.
I won it during Freshman Orientation Day. Yes, a book of
laws, in matalinhagang Filipino. Can you say nosebleed? :))

Realization: I've been studying for 19 years now. I wonder why I haven't gotten tired of it yet!

GUESS MY SECOND NAME :P

Maybe it's because, apart from using disgustingly cute school supplies, I study with music from my equally disgustingly cute ancient ipod?

Cheesiness: This Hello Kitty case was given to me by a very very very dear friend, so I'm never taking it off, even if it raises people's eyebrows at school. >:D

I miss you P! Sorry I was such a blubbering handful during
thesis year, and even a little while after that. :*

In more relevant beauty news, these babies finally came in the mail! Thank you very much, Maggie from KKCenterHK! Review coming later today!

Law School and Beauty Bloggers

2011-06-13T14:42:00.008+08:00

An interesting thing I've noticed about the beauty blogs I follow is that a lot of them are run by law students! In no particular order, here are some of these lovely ladies of lipstick and the law:

1. Kristine of Temptalia - This girl is unreal. She's just finished a killer MBA + law degree, and yet she still manages to make so many beautifully photographed AND informative makeup and skincare posts.

2. Sugar Sugar of Whimsical Whatnots and Whatevers - Super friendly Sugar's blog is certainly a whimsical place to be! She makes many fun reviews of interesting makeup products as well as yummy restaurants. Her blog has good FOTD posts too. And she also just graduated from law school! Yay her!

3. Heatherette of Heatherette Blogs - Heatherette made detailed posts about high end makeup products - very useful reference material, even for those who can't afford them like me (hey, i can dream :P)! In addition to that, she used to post the most interesting hauls - all sorts of cool video games, books, and stationery! Currently her blog is on hiatus because of bar exam reviews, but I hope she comes back when she's more free!

4. Donnarence of My Lucid Intervals - Donnarence's blog is solid proof that makeup need not be expensive to be awesome. This girl does so many amazing FOTDs incorporating affordable brands! Like Heatherette, she is also reviewing for the bar exam and isn't posting as much anymore because of that. I hope she returns afterward too!

Law school officially starts tomorrow! I don't know if I'll be able to post as often as I did this summer, but I'll try my best to make at least 50 posts for this year. (2010's 41 posts was so close to that goal, I know! Why 50? Well, it just seems like a nice round number. :P)

Til then, I hope my reviews remain helpful to everyone who visits Stockpiled!

Are you a law student/lawyer with a beauty blog, or any other kind of blog? Drop your link in the comments, I'd love to see your blogs! ♥

About My Beauty Regimen

2011-06-08T20:28:00.001+08:00

LOL, I'm sorry I've been posting mostly blogger tags and awards lately. School's creeping back up on me, so I haven't the time to take proper pictures for product reviews. At least today's tag is about makeup? :D

I borrowed this from Diary of a Late Bloomer. Check out her blog too! Originally there was a part about skincare, but I omitted that since I'm not very confident about skincare blogging. The only skincare advice I can give with utmost certainty is to wash your face often so it stays clean! :))

Obligatory just-so-there's-a-picture picture.
The makeup I used today: the usual three suspects,
Maybelline Lash Stiletto, and TFS Cushion Touch Jelly Tint

What foundation do you use?
The Face Shop Hydro Splash BB Cream

How about concealer?
Revlon Colorstay Blemish Concealer

Do you know your undertone color?
Yellow

What do you think of fake eyelashes?
They're pretty, but I find them too heavy for my lids. I think they're great for photoshoots but not for every day.

Did you know that you are supposed to change your mascara every 3 months?
Yes. It's the only "makeup expiry law" I seriously follow. As for other products, as long as they don't smell bad and don't make my skin react horribly, they're good enough for me! (Then again, I really only started having makeup two years ago. If I haven't already finished something in my stash, I've either thrown it out or given it away - and only because I didn't like it anymore, not because it smelled funky. )

What brand of mascara do you use?
Whatever's the cheapest! Three month expiry, after all. I've had one from Nichido, another from Etude House, another from EB (it was amazingly BAD so I felt too lazy to review it), and my latest one is from Maybelline. I think it's safe to say I've gotten over my fear of eyelash makeup. XD

Sephora or MAC?
MAC

Do you have a MAC Pro-card?
Nope

What makeup tools do you use in make up application?
Makeup sponges, brushes, and my fingers

Do you use make-up base/primer for the eyes?
Yes, ELF Golden Peach. Sucks as a blush/highlighter, great as an eyeshadow base!

For the face?
Nope. I think the BB cream is base enough.

What is your favorite eyeshadow?
Neutrals (like Majomajo Caramelisee) and purples (like Elianto Plum Wine)!

Do you use pencil or liquid eyeliner?
Pencil. When I feel hardcore enough, I'll try liquid liner.

How often do you poke your eyes with an eyeliner pencil?
Never. But I have poked my eyes with a mascara wand before. :P

What do you think of pigment eyeshadows?
Messy!

Do you use mineral makeup?
Healthy for the skin, but messy! So no, I don't.

What is your favorite lipstick?
MAC See Sheer ♥

How about lipgloss?
TFS Extreme Rouge

What is your favorite blush to use?
I can't decide on just one! NARS Mata Hari and Etude House Cream Choux

Do you buy your makeup on ebay?
No, but I'd like to try.

Do you like drugstore makeup?
Yes! Cheap thrills yay!

Do you go to CCO's? (cosmetic company outlets)
No, I don't know where they are. If I did I'd love to go one day though.

Did you ever consider taking make-up classes?
Yes. I want to enrol myself in one of those personal make-up classes, preferably a course focusing on eye makeup!

Are you clumsy in putting on makeup?
I'd like to believe that I'm not! :))

Name a makeup crime that you hate?
Clownface! (Except when you're really a clown, of course.)

Do you like colorful shades of makeup?
Yes, on the lips!

Which celebrity always has great make up?
Internationally, Angelina Jolie. Locally, Kris Aquino. (Her personality leaves much to be desired, but I do respect her makeup "wardrobe".)

If you could leave the house using just ONE make up item,what would you use?
Stila CC in Poppy! Two for one!

Could you ever leave the house without any makeup on?
Yes! I did so as a child and there's no reason for me to stop doing it now when I feel like it. (It's just more fun to go out in makeup haha)

Do you think you look good even without any makeup on?
Barring the irritating post-thesis pimple scars I got last year, I think I look decent enough. :D

In your opinion, what is the BEST makeup line?
High end: NARS, hands down. Timeless AND trendy.
International drugstore: Revlon, although Covergirl comes a close second.
Local drugstore: Careline! Good blush and super pigmented lipgloss at dirt cheap prices! I wonder if they make decent powder too? (AHA! An idea for a blog review!)

What do you think of Makeup??
Makeup is the grown up little girl's upgrade to crayons and colored pencils. Makeup is meant to make people look AND feel good!

Anyone else feel like answering this tag? Please go ahead! Don't forget to drop the links to your finished posts in the comments~ ♥

I've been a bad girl.

2011-06-07T14:51:00.002+08:00

I mentioned somewhere in this blog that I wouldn't buy any more new makeup until I was done with my Upcoming Reviews list. I successfully completed the list before summer ended, but then...

I didn't buy everything all in one go, but I did buy all of these
during the summer.

Yep, my resistance is weak. I can justify some of these purchases though!

These two were backups.

And these were limited edition. (Also, I've been wanting to work on my eye makeup skills and read that Majomajo quads were easy to work with and produced striking results.)

And these three... well, I can't really explain myself for these.

Oops? :))

Reviews for the unreviewed products coming eventually!
(The Hydro Splash review can be found here, and the Covergirl powder review can be found here.)

Blogger Luxury Award

2011-06-05T21:55:00.003+08:00

Debbie gave me this Blogger Luxury Award! Thank you very much Debbie!

RULES:
1. Link back to the person who passed you the award.
2. Share 7 random things about yourself.
(Please read the second to the last paragraph of the About the Blog page for my policies on tags.)

7 More Random Things About Myself
(I've been doing a lot of "about me" things lately, so I made a separate label for posts of this nature.)

1. I love chai. In my opinion, the best coffee house chai comes from Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. Seattle's Best's chai tastes okay, but Starbucks' tastes too fruity for me.

Image from Corbis.

2. What I do like from Starbucks is their Green Tea Latte.

Image from Corbis

3. I love curry. Actually, my entire family does. My mom can make an amazing chicken curry, and our favorite curry places are Banana Leaf and Hossein.

Image from Drop Dead Kawaii

4. I sometimes crochet. I rarely finish my projects though, I get too impatient! Here are some of the things I've finished:

A rainbow pouch for pencils and things. Right now it's filled up
with my ELF glosses.

A cupcake pincushion I made for a friend.

5. These are my first law school readings. Mind you, law school hasn't even officially started. These are just for the 3 hour orientation this Friday. My strategy is to frequently read a little at a time until I finish everything, and so far, it's been working well. Fight!

6. I have been on a pink nail polish kick lately. I have the majomajo on my tips, while the WnW is on my toes. (That reminds me, I haven't figured out what to do with Nail Polish Ninja yet! X_X)

Majolica Majorca Lost (PK411) and Wet n Wild Fastdry How I Met Your Magenta

7. I know you're supposed to use body butter AFTER showering/bathing, but I use mine during. I turn off the shower, slather some onto my limbs, let it absorb for a bit, turn the shower back on, then wash everything off with a soapy loofah. The result is moisturized skin that smells lightly of the body butter and has no greasy feeling whatsoever.

The butters of the moment: Moringa (aka malunggay :P) and Satsuma .
Satsuma is almost out!

I was quite hungry when I wrote this, in case any of you were wondering. XD

What's in my Bag?

2011-06-03T19:50:00.001+08:00

aka Making Gaya Gaya Aya :P

Aya made a What's in my Bag post earlier today. In the last part of the post, she invited other people to show her their bags. Invitation accepted, Aya! (Haha, I hope you don't mind! ♥)

Since I don't have classes yet, this is my "grab-and-go-have-adventures" bag. I can't remember when I bought it, but it's from EGG. It looks small but it can fit A LOT of things.

Assorted notepads/books, writing instruments, hair ties, and my planner. The small black one is for lists, the red one is for personal notes, the strawberry notepad is for notes to other people, and the planner is for planning!

Tissue packs, alcohol, comb+mirror compact, lip balm, mini powder compact, "emergency" makeup + brush, alcohol. I carry two tissue packs just in case someone I'm with needs a lot of tissue, like when they spill something. My "emergency" makeup is a few ELF shadow/blush pans that I apply using the compact's included applicator and Nichido's retractable brush. Admittedly they're not very good products, but they're enough to add color to my face if the makeup I'm wearing fades away too soon and I need to look made up. (Whenever I go out, I often don't like bringing the makeup I use at my dresser .)

The tissue doesn't always have to be two different brands -
it just happened that those were the last two packs at home.

Wallet, keys, ID. I was super happy when I saw that Fully Booked Bonifacio High Street carried Little Twin Stars card cases, ~~as shallow as that may be XD~~. At the Gift Gate stores I go to, I only see ones with Cinnamoroll on them.

Phone, game. Communication and entertainment. Boredom killers!

Yes that is a LTS pouch. Whaaat? :P

And that's what's in my bag! Be sure to check out Aya's post too! There's even a cute video of her in it!

Also, there's a new poll in the sidebar! Please do answer it, thanks~ ♥

Tagged by blackshirt13!

2011-06-01T18:18:00.003+08:00

Blackshirt13 tagged me to post 10 things about myself. Thanks Nathalie! ♥

Go check out her blog too, she's a great photographer!

1. I am quite scared of nuns.

I think it was cause the nuns were so traditional in my old HS.

2. My favorite color is orange.

3. I keep getting paired up with Paos. Prom date, college blockmate in first year... I wonder if there'll be a Pao in law school too.

Not THIS kind of pao!

4. My siblings, my cousins, and I still play the Pokemon games. Except for the youngest in high school, we're all around college - grad studies age now, but we still hold mini tournaments with each other from time to time. We haven't outgrown it as a form of bonding, and it doesn't seem like we ever will.

This adorable image is from this photographer.

5. I did my thesis on the impact of Philippine mythology in media. How geeky and almost-not-masscomm, right? XD

That's not really my thesis. :P

6. My dog's name is Vito, like the Godfather.

This stock photo looks A LOT like him.

7. I do not know how to ride a bike. Can someone teach me? LOL

8. BonChon Chicken disappointed me. I am disappointed that I am disappointed. It seemed like such a great chicken place! Maybe I just got a bad batch?

Not really from BonChon. Love the color contrast tho!

9. I once jokingly dirty danced with a gay blockmate in front of our professor during a semender party. OOPS. I think I had a little too much to drink. Sir was very chill about it tho, thank god.

Not really me, and DEFINITELY NOT my gay blockmate.

10. I keep an emergency chocolate bar in the fridge for when I have cramps (you know, those cramps). Works better than painkillers for me!

(All stock photography from Corbis. No copyright infringement intended. Please read the second to the last paragraph of the About the Blog page for my policies on tags.)

MAC See Sheer

2011-05-31T13:16:00.000+08:00

This was my aunt's graduation gift, technically. She gave me a bunch of Rustan's gift certificates. I was completely tempted to spend everything on makeup, but I restrained myself and only got this lovely everyday lipstick.

Price: P1000.00 (but I got it "free" because I used a GC XD)

Location Bought: Rustan's Shangri-la
Approximate Date Bought: mid April 2011

Packaging: I really don't know if MAC is a mid or high-range brand, because some people say it's mid-priced, while others say it's high-end. Well, whatever. As far as I'm concerned, packaging is definitely top of the line. Easy to hold, high quality dirt-resistant material, timeless design - what more could I ask for?

Color and Pigmentation: See Sheer wouldn't behave for my camera. It looks rather red in my photos, but it's really a nice coral shade that suits my skintone well. Like I said previously, it's a pretty lipstick great for daily wear.

See Sheer is part of MAC's Lustre line of lipsticks, which prides itself on its sheer color with an impressive sheen. Skin-swatching the lipstick was friendlier to my lens, as you can see below:

Told you it wasn't red. This is coral all the way - a beautiful,
sheer, pleasantly shiny coral at that.

Formulation: See Sheer smells lightly of vanilla. It is neither sticky nor drying, and does not feel like anything whatsoever on my lips. I totally love that it stays put for at least 6 hours on me, and that I can go "bareback" with it. Sometimes lip balm can get so tedious!

In Action: See Sheer is my no-brainer color. I use it when I can't figure out what to wear, which is actually quite often. Thank you for giving me the means to purchase this, tita! (Even though you probably don't know about this blog LOL)

For more color-accurate pictures of the lipstick, check out Temptalia's post.

Careline Vitamin E Lip Gloss 103

2011-05-29T18:03:00.000+08:00

This is just as pigmented as TFS's Extreme Rouge, at a fraction of the price! A couple days before grad, I met up with one of my blockmates to have our legs waxed at our usual waxing salon. This time though, she wanted to go to the Robinsons branch for a change of pace. Opportunity presented itself! I had been reading about these amazing glosses during the time, and since I was already in one of the few malls that carried it, I took advantage of the said opportunity. :D

Price: P60.00
Location Bought: Robinsons Galleria
Approximate Date Bought: mid April 2011

Packaging: The test tube shape is cute but I don't see the point. Why does it have to be test tube shaped? So there's more product? Then again, I guess packaging doesn't always have to have a point. XD

The cap is really short compared to the applicator wand, like 80% wand, 20% cap. This makes me worry about the wand constantly. It's not flimsy per se, but I keep thinking the wand will break off at some point because it's so long.

Color and Pigmentation: 103 is a purple-pink, like a more wearable version of this lipstick. As you can see, pigmentation is very strong. I feel like I put poster paint, and not lip gloss, on my forearm in the swatch below.

Formulation: The gloss smells like grape candy - good grape candy that isn't too cloying. Despite its paint-like appearance, it does not feel heavy. It isn't sticky either, and it lasts a good 4-5 hours. In fact, 103 performs exactly like an Extreme Rouge gloss, except with one BIG difference: it's very drying on me. So much for the supposed Vitamin E in the formula. Pre-gloss balm is definitely needed for this product.

In Action: Careline's glosses are amazing despite their drying-ness and minimal availability. They're dirt cheap, super pigmented, and they come in a wide range of colors (I think there were 12?) - great for those who like to experiment. Hey, I think I know why they're shaped like test tubes now!

Spending an additional P100 for a moisturizing balm to pair with this product isn't too bad. Your total expenses would still be a very friendly P160.00, or even less, if you buy a balm below P100.

I only wish they sold this in malls other than Robinsons, so that we'd all be able to get at them more easily!

The Face Shop Face It Extreme Rouge Gloss: BR801 and PK102

2011-05-28T16:47:00.002+08:00

EXTREME rouge indeed! These are seriously the most pigmented, well-formulated glosses I have ever encountered! My friend and I (the same one I was with when I got the in2it shimmer blush) were mall-hopping for graduation things when I got these. After we had found our graduation dresses, we decided to stop at a Face Shop at the mall we were currently in because she was mourning the loss of Elianto and wanted some things to "fill the void". While she made off with a whole shitload of things from toner to lip balm, I quietly went away with these babies. I was so taken with their pigmentation that I couldn't resist!

Price: P545.00 each
Location Bought: The Face Shop Shangri-la
Approximate Date Bought: mid April 2011

Packaging: The Extreme Rouges look like the taller, more sophisticated older sisters of Etude's Fresh Cherry Tints. Ergonomically speaking, the tubes are very easy to hold. There is a pop-up mechanism at work in these glosses - screw them open, and the caps pop up automatically. Wannabe science nerd moment: I think this means the glosses are closed up vacuum tight, because they wouldn't be able to pop up like that if they weren't in a vacuum. (Please correct me if I'm wrong, real science nerds! ♥)

The wands have angled doefoot applicators, which make application more precise. I also find them more velvety than the ones that come with my other glosses.

Color and Pigmentation: BR801 is a lovely nude shade. It was the color I wore on graduation day, paired with a smokey eye and a super light dusting of blush.

PK102, on the other hand, is an adorable bubblegum pink. I find myself wearing it quite often when I go out. There's something about the color that makes me happy, which is why I also sometimes wear it at home, even if I'm only bumming around.

Pigmentation, by the way, is SUPER STRONG. What you see on the tube is what you get on the skin, and even on the lips.

One dab gives you THIS MUCH color intensity already!
I don't know why the camera wouldn't focus on BR801.

Formulation: Both glosses have this pleasant berry scent with a hint of mint. They do not feel minty, but they do feel surprisingly light (despite some slight stickiness) for such pigmented shades. A warning, however: DO NOT apply these over dry lips. They are not drying, but they aren't forgiving on dry lips because they make lines more evident. Make sure you hydrate your lips first before putting these on. In my experience, simply wetting your lips with some water is enough to make them go on smoothly - no more balms needed.

In Action: Did I mention how pigmented these glosses were already? Yes? Well, did I mention how long-lasting they are too? :D These glosses last 5-6 hours on me. They're pretty resistant to drinks, although they don't hold up well against food. That, or maybe I just tend to wipe my mouth a lot while eating.

BR801. The perfect nude!

PK102. Sweet and playful pink!

Would anybody like to test how long these last while kissing someone? >:D

A Blogger Award from Ayumi + a tiny Status Update

2011-05-28T10:00:00.002+08:00

Thanks for giving me this Ayumi! ♥ ♥ ♥

About Ayumi:
I just recently followed Ayumi. Her blog reminds me of all the cutesy blogs I follow on tumblr, with the adorable background and the even more adorable GIFs. I hope to see more of her makeup hauls and reviews, and maybe an everyday eye tutorial since I think she does her eyes well! *hint hint* ♥

About Me:
I'm a law student who likes playing with makeup and video games when I'm not pretending to be an adult. I'm often mistaken for the youngest child even though I'm actually the eldest. Really, I'm a little kid. Pat my head or give me a hug or talk to me about things we both like and I'll love you. Kitty has claws though - I'm often told I can be pretty scary when I mean business, and I don't deny that. >:D

If ~~you're really bored and have nothing better to do LOL~~ you feel like it, please check out the About the Blogger tab above to learn more about me.

As I mentioned in the last paragraph on my About the Blog page, I will not be tagging people. But if you run a blog, and if you read Stockpiled!, you are very welcome to claim this award!

And the Status Update:
I'm currently working on my review for TFS's Extreme Rouge glosses. The pictures are done; it's just the writing that needs to be finished now. It'll be up soonish!

Slim Down without the Sweat - on Cozycot!

2011-05-24T15:18:00.000+08:00

My May article for Cozycot has been published! It's about how I use makeup to ~~cheat~~ turn my siopao face into something a little more angular. Check it out here!

Clicking this image will also lead to the article!

If you're looking for reviews to the products I used, they're right here:
e.l.f. Contouring Blush and Bronzing Powder
Revlon Colorburst lipstick: Raspberry

Covergirl Advanced Radiance Pressed Powder: Natural Beige

2011-05-23T13:30:00.003+08:00

Covergirl's Advanced Radiance pressed powder was one of the failed candidates in my mother's "mission" to replace her discontinued Neutrogena Fine Fairness compact. (She has since found an alternative in one of Revlon's powders, but I don't know which one.) She passed this on to me because I was running low on Etude's BB Magic, my go-to powder at the time.

It's definitely "one man's trash is another's treasure" for this product! This cakes a lot on mother dear (and on a lot of other girls at the Makeupalley forums), but it's absolutely perfect on me! I don't think I'll be actively searching for any more powder products after this one!

Price: P545.00
Location Bought: a Covergirl counter somewhere (from what I know, Covergirl can be found at Watsons, Landmark and Robinsons Department Stores)
Approximate Date Bought: December 2010

Packaging: I can't decide whether I like the compact design or not. It looks bulkier than it really is when photographed.

Haha yes, I've hit pan. XD

One thing I can definitely decide on, however, is that it looks great next to my favorite makeup base. Total color coordination!

The sponge is also an undecided thing for me. While it is able to pat the powder onto my face nicely, I don't like the "leathery" protective top covering because it greatly slows down drying time. I always wash the sponges that come with compacts after purchase (or in this case, after my mom gave this to me), and it normally takes a day for them to air dry. The CARPP's sponge on the other hand, took one and a half day to dry.

Color: I am thankful to have the same skintone as my mother! Natural Beige is the middle shade in the Advanced Radiance range, and it blends beautifully on my skin - even if I accidentally overapply.

Formulation: The product is scentless, lightweight, and gives me flawless coverage. Paired with Hydro Splash, it lasts for half a day (5-6 hours) on me. The powder looks coarse in the pan but it goes on smoothly once applied. I have absolutely no complaints with the formula, which is why I've been using the powder almost every day since I got it. (I think the fact that I already hit pan is evidence enough! XD) Since I started using this last December 2010, I estimate the product's lifespan to be around six months with daily use.

In Action: I don't know why this cakes on some and doesn't on others, but if it doesn't cake on you at the counter, definitely get it!

The ABCs of Dee

2011-05-22T08:00:00.002+08:00

This meme was shamelessly ~~stolen~~ borrowed from one of the lovely nail polish blogs I follow, because it looked fun.

Here's a random shot of nail polish, because this post was started
thanks to a nail polish blog, and also so this post isn't completely bare of pictures.

A. Age:
Old enough. Early twentiees

B. Bed size:
Double

C. Chore you hate:
Washing whites and big things like bedspreads. I don't mind ironing tho!

D. Day:
Friday

E. Essential start to your day:
Splashing water on my face

F. Favorite color:
Orange

G. Gold or Silver:
Neither?

H. Height:
5'2". I'm short.

I. Instruments:
A teeny tiny bit of piano.

J. Job title:
Student. (And Attorney, but that's still far far far away XD)

K. Kids:
Sure. 2 sons preferably. For some reason, I don't like little girls. (Possibly because I don't like the competition haha!)

L. Live:
the Philippines!

M. Mom’s name:
also starts with D. Yep, we're that kind of family where the daughters and sons have names that start with the first letters of the mom's and dad's names respectively.

N. Nicknames:
Dee. Brat and bitch to my closest, dearest friends. (No seriously, those are terms of endearment for us. I call them bitch and manbitch in return too.)

O. Overnight hospital stays:
A handful in my lifetime. 3-5 I think?

P. Pet peeve:
Drivers who don't signal properly

Q. Quote from a movie:
"The secret impresses no one. The trick you use it for is everything." - The Prestige

R. Right or left handed:
Right

S. Siblings:
2: one brother, one sister.

T. Time you wake up:
6ish to 8ish. Yes, I am a morning person. It is lonely being one, most of the people I know are owls!

U. Underwear:
I would like to find rainbow printed ones someday. I saw some at Genevieve Gozum one time, but when I went back for them, they were gone.

V. Vegetables you dislike:
Monggo and baguio beans. It was a traumatic childhood story involving my parents on vacation, and my strict grandmother who wanted to get more nutrients into me. XD

W. What makes you run late:
Bathroom! My sister and I share one, and she always takes SO LOOOONG.

X. X-Rays you’ve had:
Chest

Y. Yummy food you make:
Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, tomato-basil-parmesan-olive pasta (that I totally ripped off of Giada de Laurentiis' show)

Z. Zoo:
Back when I was a little girl on my father's shoulders and Manila Zoo still had giraffes, one of the herd poked its neck over the fence and tried to get at my head. Did I smell like an edible plant?

Mentholatum Lip Ice lip balm: Mandarin Orange

2011-05-21T12:48:00.001+08:00

My favorite lip balm of all time would have to be Carmex Cherry, but since I'm a sucker for orange flavored things, I decided to try this out.

Price: P89.00
Location Bought: Watsons SM Megamall
Approximate Date Bought: March 2011

Packaging: I love the white minimalist tube and the decorative colored spots corresponding to the product's "flavor"! Think of how pretty a collection of all the flavors would look, with all those cute colored spots!

What I don't love is the twist up mechanism. Sometimes I use balms OVER lip products because the finish is smoother that way on some brands. However, Lip Ice's twist up construction makes it hard to clean leftover colors that build up in the tube's center. Instead of pushing the residue out, like what I'm used to with Chapstick, Nivea and Carmex, twisting the tube actually pushes it in. And that, dear readers, is why my tube of Lip Ice has a chunk gouged out of it. It was the only way I could remove the leftover Fresh Cherry tint bits.

In short, don't use this over lipstick/balm. Clean up is a pain.

Formulation: True to its name, the reasonably moisturizing balm does smell like oranges. It is very lightweight, making it a perfect base layer for drying and/or thick lipsticks. (Remember: UNDER, not OVER!) It gives a subtle minty sensation once applied, but I'm not a fan of that - it's not as soothing as I would have liked.

In Action: Lip Ice is a police officer, not a doctor. It's great when you're partnering it with criminally thick/dry lipsticks, but not so great when you need relief from dry lips. (To me, at least. I prefer mintier, stingy-er balms when my lips dry up like the desert.)

Etude House Miss Tangerine Follow Me tint

2011-05-18T21:23:00.001+08:00

This was the second thing I wanted from Etude's March collection, the first one being the Choux blusher. I didn't even have to buy it myself, because when I met up with an old friend I hadn't seen in ages, she gifted it to me! She knew me in my pre-makeup days, so her reasoning for the gift was because my favorite color was orange, ~~and not because I'm the closet makeup geek~~. Hee hee~

Price: P298.00 (No, I didn't ask her how much it was, that's rude! XD Got the price from the Etude House Princess Talk March issue.)
Location Bought: an Etude House branch somewhere?
Approximate Date Bought: late March 2011

Packaging: The Follow Me tint tube is made of plastic that somehow reminds me of porcelain. It feels a bit lighter than what I would have wanted, but I think its size is just perfect. The cute little orange polka dots and the coppery-gold twist-up mechanism are nice touches too - I think they're a great way to be cute and classy at the same time!

Color and Pigmentation: Being a color changing lip product, the effect of the MTFM tint varies from person to person. It starts out as a sheer orange on my skin, but transforms into a reddish-orange-pink after five minutes or so.

Formulation: The tint smells faintly of oranges (or tangerines). It is lightweight, non-drying and non-sticky. Its staying power is pretty good for something weakly pigmented. A tinge of color still remains after being wiped off, which means this product is capable of keeping your lips pretty even after eating or drinking. It also has an interesting sort of gloss that gives just enough shine to create a "candy effect".

In Action: Below is the "candy effect" I mentioned. To me, the product's gloss makes it seem as if I turned my lips into candy. I like! ♥

Followers + Recent Comments

2011-05-18T13:42:00.002+08:00

Something is wrong with my Followers and Recent Comments sidebar gadgets. They're not showing up at all! I tried switching to Firefox to see if it was just a Chrome-specific issue, but they're not working there either.

Does anybody else have this problem?

The Face Shop Fruit Jelly Tube: RD302

2011-05-17T10:43:00.003+08:00

Like the previous post, this Fruit Jelly Tube is another lip product with a story. I was waiting for a date to show up when I got this. He was running very late (never a good sign :| ), so I went into The Face Shop to pass the time. The SA was so nice to me even though I made it apparent that I was just browsing. No hard selling, no tailing - she just let me play with the makeup and answered my questions very well, when I had them. You don't see that very often anymore - most salespeople here are quite irritating! To show my gratitude for her excellent customer skills, and for basically keeping me company while I waited for my horrible date, I decided to buy something that wasn't too pricey. I didn't feel like nail polish, so lip gloss it was!

Price: P198.00
Location Bought: The Face Shop Shangri-la
Approximate Date Bought: late February 2011

Packaging: Typical squeeze tube. Enough said. This breaks quite easily though. I received the orange shade as a gift in high school (long ago!), and after around two months, the slanted part broke off of the rest of the tube - kind of like Nearly Headless Nick. I assume it was because I screwed the cap on and off too hard, so this time around, I'm more careful with RD302.

Color and Pigmentation: RD302 is a glossy, medium pigmented cherry red with a little bit of shimmer.
Formulation: The gloss is slightly sticky, and is not drying. It applies smoothly and evenly on my lips and gives them a beautiful, not too over-the-top shine. As its name implies, it has a pleasant fruity scent.

In Action: Since it's moisturizing, the FJT is great for people who want to hide their dry lips but don't feel like using lip balms. My lips have been drying lately because of the hot-humid weather, and this product is perfect for them. The added boost of reddish color from the gloss is a nice touch too.

See? Except for that one little spot on the lower left corner,
you can hardly tell that my lips were dry before I put this on!

Unsurprisingly, the date didn't go very well. The boy was a jerk and talked way too much about himself. (Why I stupidly agreed to go out in the first place, I'll never understand.) But enough about my love adventures of FAIL - at least I have a great lip product!

Wet n Wild Silk Finish lipstick: 528A Pink Ice

2011-05-15T18:00:00.005+08:00

A good friend and I were malling one February weekend when I told her about the amazing pink frosted lipstick my (equally amazing) thesis adviser wore the other day. She then got the idea to look for a pink frosted lipstick at Watsons. We swatched so many tubes of lipstick that day, but we both ended up with Pink Ice from Wet n Wild. The nicest part of this lipstick hunting adventure was that she paid for mine as well, as a belated birthday present. Sweet!

Price: P99.00
Location Bought: Watsons SM Megamall
Approximate Date Bought: February 2011

Packaging: I actually think this has good packaging for a P99.00 lipstick. It's sturdy enough, and it has a good weight in my hand. (I'm very particular about how things have an even weight when I hold them, have you noticed? See my previous posts haha!) What I don't like is that the lipstick peeks out of the tube and doesn't go all the way down, like ELF's lipsticks.

Color and Pigmentation: Pink Ice seems like an icy strawberry pink to me. For some reason, strawberries were the first things I thought of when I swatched this. The lipstick is buildable, starting out as a fine pink sheen and intensifying into a hot pink frost.

Top: one swipe;
Bottom: four swipes

Formulation: Pink Ice is drying, so balm is a must before wearing this. It smells like Panda ballpens (yet again, like ELF's), but the smell is not as overpowering. It also only lasts me two hours. Despite these flaws, the lipstick goes on silky smooth and feels light on my lips.

In Action: The color looks great on me and is just the same as I remember my adviser's lipstick. I never did get around to asking her what it was, but I've got a pretty good dupe!

Etude House Miss Tangerine Cream Choux Blusher: #02 Miss Peach

2011-05-14T16:06:00.093+08:00

This was one of two things I wanted from Etude House's March collection, the other one being their Follow Me tint. The shades available for this blush intrigued me, and the formulation seemed interesting as well.

I wondered a little bit about the "choux" part in the name, so I googled. Turns out choux is a type of dough used for treats like eclairs and cream puffs. Does this mean this blush is meant to have the texture of choux cream, the lovely lovely dense sweet filling used in certain amazing pastries? If so, then I'm all the more intrigued!

(Yes, I love eclairs and cream puffs. My thighs don't though. :P)

Price: P328.00
Location Bought: Etude House SM Megamall
Approximate Date Bought: March 17, 2011

Packaging: The Cream Choux blushers come in squeeze tubes, like lip gloss. This is the first time I've seen cream blush packaged like this, and I like the idea. Putting cream blush in a sleek tube makes it more portable and more hygienic. Also, because I am a very tactile person, I like the smooth "velvety" material they used to construct the tubes.

Color and Pigmentation: Miss Peach is the most wearable shade out of the four available. It's a pretty peachy orange shade that comes on very strong when unblended, but feathers out into a beautiful almost-tint-like finish when blended. Like the Shu I reviewed previously, this is one of those light colored but strongly pigmented blushes.

Formulation: The CCB does indeed feel as dense as eclair filling - love the texture! It's scentless, blends beautifully and does not require a lot of product per application. It also lasts half a day on me. I wouldn't say it was a cream blush though, because it doesn't feel like the other cream products I own. It feels more like a mousse (or like French pastry filling ♥) in my opinion.

In Action: In person, Miss Peach gives a nice, natural boost to my cheeks, making them look more defined in a "daytime" sort of way. Even my dad, who rarely ever pays attention to people's makeup, noticed the effect. "Oh, pumayat ka ata ah!" he said. "Your cheekbones are becoming more defined!"

I've included two pictures for this part of the review, a close up, to show how the blush looks on my cheek, and a full face ~~panakot ng daga~~ one to show the boosting effect. Hopefully you can see the blush on both pictures, even just a teeny tiny tinge of it. Why are peach blushes so hard to photograph? Pinks are way more cooperative.

Shu Uemura Glow On blush: P Peach 47

2011-05-12T13:29:00.008+08:00

ETA 05/14/11 1:20: Reposted. Blogger didn't post this back when it returned from maintenance. All the comments are gone though. :(

My parents bought this for me when they vacationed in Hong Kong some months ago. I was super happy when they handed me a tiny paper bag with the Shu logo printed on. How'd they know I'd want makeup as pasalubong? Awesome! :D

Price: HKD145, which is roughly PHP800. At local stores, this retails for a very expensive PHP1500. You save PHP700 if you buy this in Hong Kong! (But then you have to pay for your plane ticket and your hotel haha)
Location Bought: a Shu Uemura store somewhere in HK? They didn't keep track XD
Approximate Date Bought: February 2011

Packaging: It's small and it's minimalist. Very chic - the emphasis is on the makeup color, not on the material used for packaging. It does run the risk of looking cheap next to other products with more elaborate packaging, but that's okay. The plastic is extremely sturdy and is able to protect the product well - I've dropped mine a couple times already, and the pan hasn't broken up. Sadly, it isn't scratch proof. Mine has suffered a few scratches on its backside after spending some time in my makeup bag.

Color and Pigmentation: As indicated by the P in its name, P Peach 47 is part of Shu's pearlized blush line. I would say this is a peach that leans more on pink and less on orange. A girly peach, perhaps?

I really like this picture. :P

For a light color, pigmentation is quite strong. This swatch was only one swipe, and it's already almost the same as the product's color in the pan.

Formulation: P Peach 47 is scentless, very smooth, very blendable, and lasts a whole day on me - the Shu formula in action! Aside from the blush powder, which is pearly to begin with, it achieves its glowy finish with the help of tiny glitter particles - something I don't quite like. It would have been better if they omitted the glitter and concentrated on the pearliness of the blush itself, like what in2it did with their own glowy blush.

Left: Shu Uemura P Peach 47; Right: in2it Sheer Shimmer Blush - Peach Pearl

In Action: This blush was very hard to photograph. In person, it gave me a very natural looking cheek boost.

Does anybody have tips on how to shoot blushes like this?
Please let me know in the comments if you do! ♥

I couldn't see the glowy effect that many Shu blush owners keep raving about though.

You can see it a little bit better here, I think.
There's the color, but not so much glow.

This is a very nice blush, and I do love it, but it didn't wow me as much as I expected. Maybe it's because I expected it would be more glowy, after all the Glow On reviews I've seen online. To be honest, in2it's Sheer Shimmer is more glowy for me. It was the effect I would have wanted from P Peach 47.

Careline Rosy Cheek vs EB Rose

2011-05-11T09:47:00.004+08:00

(A versus post! I haven't done these in a LOOONG time. This post is LONG OVERDUE too, actually. I've been meaning to write this since 2009!)

What sort of local drugstore shopper isn't familiar with Careline and Ever Bilena? Both are owned by the same company, and where there's one, you can ALWAYS find the other. When I was an idiot high schooler, I used to look down on these brands because they were "cheap", and not just in the literal sense. Well, not anymore - I know better now! While not all their products are amazing, a lot of them - like their blushes - have decent quality at very wallet friendly prices.

I reviewed several Careline blushes in the early days of this blog because I liked their colors. Their pigmentation was excellent for their price too. I even went as far as calling them the poor man's NARS, but now that I actually own a NARS, they're pretty far off. I still love and use them though. XD

My Careline blushes. Clockwise from left: Starlight Shine,
Rosy Cheek, Peach Glow, Touch of Pink

However, I noticed at the forums that more people were raving about EB blushes. Shades like Raisin and Amethyst come to mind as the colors loved most by other GTalkers. This got me curious. Since they both come from the same company, why do more people seem to use EB?

To answer this, I bought Rose to compare with Rosy Cheek. Rose was the most similar color EB had compared to the Careline blushes I already owned.

Price: P80.00 for Rosy Cheek, P110.00 for Rose
Location Bought: a Watsons store? These have been with me for a long time now, I can't remember!
Approximate Date Bought: 2009

Round One: Value for Money
Rosy Cheek is 5 grams, while Rose is 4 grams. A bit of math, and we have Rosy Cheek clocking in at P16.00 per gram, and Rose at P27.50 per gram.

Click to enlarge!

Round One Winner: Rosy Cheek. I HATE numbers, but they never lie, so yeah. Rosy Cheek is cheaper and has more product!

Round Two: Packaging
Both are made of good quality plastic. Rose comes with a screw-top lid, while Rosy Cheek has a flip-top one. Rosy Cheek comes with a puff, Rose does not.

Round Two Winner: Rosy Cheek. Flip-top lids are easier to handle when in a hurry. The puff, while useless, was a nice effort too.

Round Three: Color and Pigmentation
Both blushes are a nice, bright hot pink in the pan.

When swatched, the color difference between the two shades becomes more evident. Rose leans to the red-fuchsia side of the spectrum, while Rosy Cheek is closer to orange-peach. Both have the same level of pigment.

Left: EB Rose, Right: Careline Rosy Cheek

Round Three Winner: Draw.

Round Four: Formulation
As seen in the swatch above, Rose seems coarser than Rosy Cheek, which applies nicely on my skin. (Almost like Mata Hari perhaps? Hey, maybe my poor man's NARS belief still has some merit after all!) The coarseness is due to the shimmers that Rose contains. Rosy Cheek is completely matte.
Round Four Winner: Rosy Cheek. Smoother powder, easier to blend.

Round Five: The Products in Action
I applied both products with my favorite brush!

This photo has no real relevance to the post. I just wanted to
show that the brush is so dense, I can make cute shapes with it haha!

Rosy Cheek does its name justice and gives me, surprise surprise, a rosy cheek!

Careline Rosy Cheek

Rose is more subtle and makes me look like I have a light flush.

EB Rose

Round Five Winner: Rosy Cheek, because of its consistency in the pan, on my forearm, and on my face. Rose looked constant in the pan and on my forearm, but looked watered down once I put it on.

And the rundown! (Yes, the long post is almost done!)

Value for Money: Rosy Cheek

Packaging: Rosy Cheek

Color and Pigmentation: DRAW

Formulation: Rosy Cheek

In Action: Rosy Cheek

And the overall winner is, CARELINE ROSY CHEEK.

Wait, what? But why do people talk about EB blushes more? I'm thinking maybe it's personal preference for packaging? EB blush packaging does look more elegant than Careline's, possibly because the former is targeted towards the older crowd while the latter is for teens.

e.l.f. Contouring Blush and Bronzing Powder

2011-05-10T11:18:00.002+08:00

When this came out locally last year, I thought, "Oh hey, it's that duo people keep talking about at the local AND international forums, the one they say is similar to the NARS Orgasm/Albatross duo!" I don't know how similar it is to that particular NARS product, but I do know that this is a pretty good blush/contour combo for round-faced people like me.

Price: P250.00
Location Bought: Watsons SM Megamall
Approximate Date Bought: mid 2010

Packaging: Since this is from the studio line, the CBBP has the nice not-so-cheap-feeling black plastic packaging, like NARS without the rubberized finish. It's a large compact, with a good-sized mirror.

Color and Pigmentation: Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the blush in this duo is Peachy Keen, from the same line. Both blush and bronzer have decent pigmentation.

Formulation: The blush and bronzer are both scentless and easy to blend. They last for a reasonable time on me too - half a day. One drawback is the powderiness, however. Messy messy!

In Action: Initially I thought the contour color would be too dark for me, but as you can see below, it's fine. It works perfectly with the blush.

Instant cheekbones yeah baby!!

e.l.f. All Over Color Stick: Golden Peach

2011-05-09T10:54:00.003+08:00

If you ask me, they shouldn't be calling this an all over COLOR stick. It's more like an all over SHIMMER stick.

Price: P129.00
Location Bought: Watsons SM Megamall
Approximate Date Bought: mid 2010

Packaging: Simple simple simple. I like it. And the cap isn't loose like Nichido's multiple sticks. If my older AOCS in Pink Lemonade is any indication tho, the ELF label tends to rub off over time.

Color and Pigmentation: Golden Peach is colored exactly as its name implies. On my hand it has a very nice golden, almost iridiscent shimmer. Its pigmentation seems to be pretty strong, because the hand swatch looks a lot like the product's color in the tube.

Formulation: Golden Peach feels different on my hand and on my face. It feels light on the former, but it's rather sticky on the latter. Like most ELF products that come in twist up tubes, this AOCS smells like sweetened oranges. Some people don't like that, but I do.

In Action: Golden Peach doesn't do much for me. It just seems like I sprayed microglitter onto my face. Maybe if my facial skintone weren't so close to it, the pretty color that showed up on my hand swatch would have been more obvious.

Because of its stickiness though, I sometimes use it as a base for my lighter pigmented blushes, like this one.

Also, please answer the new poll I put in my sidebar? I'd love to know what you guys think so I can improve. Thank you! ♥

in2it sheer shimmer blush: Peach Pearl

2011-04-30T16:13:00.006+08:00

I can't remember exactly where, when, or why I bought this. I think I was shopping with a friend though. Hello memory gap!

Price: P375.00

Location Bought: Landmark Trinoma or Watsons SM Megamall

Approximate Date Bought: early 2011?

Packaging: If Shu Uemura's glow on and Chanel's Joues Contraste had a secret love child, this would be it. I've never dropped mine, but the clear plastic packaging feels very sturdy and would probably be able to survive a few drops to the floor. The one thing I don't like about Peach Pearl's packaging is the flowers printed around the brand name. I think they ruin the minimalist feel of the entire thing. But oh well, I still like it anyway!

It looks almost completely hot pink in this shot, doesn't it?

Color and Pigmentation: I wouldn't call Peach Pearl a pearly peach, it seems more like a pearly hot pink with a bit of peach to me. I'd say pigmentation would be medium level.

Formulation: What I like best about this blush is that it has a pretty smooth pearlized finish. It doesn't cheat by adding glitter (or as its name wrongly implies, shimmers) into the mix. No smell either. It's hard to overdo, although I find it a bit difficult to blend.

In Action: In this photo, you can't really see the "glowing effect" a pearlized blush like Peach Pearl is supposed to give. (I tried my best to capture it and this was the best shot, sorry!) But the glow is there in person, and it's a really nice kind of glow, like a "look at me, I'm blooming!" kind of glow.

This was a good buy, even though I still can't remember where and why I got it in the first place. :P

I've read some things about this blush being similar to Shu's glow ons. I'll explore that more when I get around to reviewing my own glow on in the near future.

Myra E Tinted Moisturizer: Beige

2011-04-28T16:32:00.003+08:00

Seeing Aya's and Elaine's great posts finally made me get off my lazy butt and throw in my opinions about this product. :P

I got this because I was looking for a cheapo makeup base to finish off this powder and this powder with. (It would be a waste to use my favorite almost-empty Hydro Splash, or buy something more expensive - like maybe a new Hydro Splash or the Laura Mercier TM I've got my eye on ~~OH NOES~~ - just for the purposes of finishing off leftovers, after all.) It was either this or ELF's tinted moisturizer, but that was out of stock at the time. Furthermore, Myra E's TM had more positive feedback from people at the forums.

Price: P130.00
Location Bought: Mercury Drug Shangri-La
Approximate Date Bought: December 2010

Packaging: It's slim, it's simple, it doesn't leak. Nothing fancy, but it works, so I like it. (Especially the not leaking part.)
Color and Pigmentation: Ivory seemed like it would be too yellow on me so I got Beige, the pinker one of the two variants available.

The unblended product.

Coverage, aka pigmentation, is sheer and blendable, as expected of tinted moisturizers. I REALLY don't like the shimmers this product has though, but that can easily be fixed with a layer of powder.

The blended product. I think it matches with my skin fine.

Formulation: The product is slightly runny and does not absorb into my skin easily. No matter how sparingly I use it, I have to pat dry with tissue to make sure I've applied it properly. It also smells terrible, like oversaturated floral perfume. I'm not too fond of floral scents to begin with, what more for this? Thankfully the smell does not last on the face. It also does not last very long on me - only about two hours. These flaws aside, this TM can decently even out my skintone and does not give me pimples.

In Action: I've found that the shimmers, hidden beneath a layer of powder, are least noticeable in natural light and most noticeable under incandescent light. (Incoming face spam!)

Natural light. Shimmers, what shimmers?
The powder I used was ELF's 2-way powder.
On my lips is The Face Shop's Rouge Ex Gloss.

Incandescent light. Notice the shimmers showing up
under my eye, near my nose, and near my mouth.

Fluorescent light. Invisible in photos. Not noticeable
in person unless you're REALLY close.

I wouldn't recommend this for outdoor or exercise makeup, because it simply will not last. Your face will literally melt. I think this product is best for short mostly-indoor activities during the daytime (so many prerequisites!), like doing the groceries, picking up documents from school or work, a quick shopping spree, or maybe going to church on Sundays. It's also good for finishing up powder products you've grown tired of, which is exactly what I'm doing.

I've hit pan on both thanks to this TM yay!
It makes the ELF one feel lighter in this summer heat,
and it balances out the Etude one's color, which can get
too white for me if I'm not careful applying.

This does its job sufficiently, but I wouldn't repurchase this if I needed something to finish off my leftovers once again, mostly because of the smell and the shimmers. Maybe next time I'll use ELF's TM, since it's almost the same price.

NARS Mata Hari

2011-04-27T12:29:00.011+08:00

NARS Mata Hari was my birthday present to myself a couple months ago. I decided that since I've been playing with makeup long enough, I was finally ready to own something more high-end. I decided on a blush from NARS because:

Blushes last longer and are therefore a good investment
NARS has always been the high-end brand I've admired the most because it strikes the perfect balance between trendy and classic. I also like the thought that NARS puts into naming their products, whether they're trying to be sexy!funny like Orgasm or Deep Throat, or they're being more sexy!serious like Schiap for designer Elsa Schiaparelli and of course, Mata Hari for the seductive Dutch spy. (Yes, Mata Hari was a real person. She wasn't something out of James Bond.)

Anyhow, enough nerdiness. On to the review!

Price: P1250.00
Location Bought: Rustan's Shangri-La
Approximate Date Bought: January 2011

Packaging: The rubberized packaging makes Mata Hari look very sleek and sophisticated and makes it easier to hold, but just like nearly every other person with NARS experience, I don't like it. It's a terrible dirt-and-fingerprint magnet! I can't even wipe it off properly like my other makeup products because if I do, particles from the tissue or cleaning cloth will stick to i. I have to keep it in its box because of that, and high-end or not, I don't like keeping my makeup in their boxes - it's too cumbersome. One of these days, I might rub the entire thing down with alcohol to remove the rubberized coating.

Sticky rubber aside, I like that the blush's protective plastic sheet fits perfectly within the space for the mirror. That makes it easier to figure out where to put it while applying, which is especially useful for when you're using this product in public restrooms where hygiene isn't so trustworthy.

Color and Pigmentation: Mata Hari is a scary purple-pink in the pan, but turns into a lovely pink flush on my skin, which was why I chose it over crowd favorites Orgasm and Luster. Pigmentation is very strong, as expected of NARS. Being used to weaker pigmented cheek products, I have to take extra care with its application. My usual blush brush easily overdoes this, so I use this brush instead.

Formulation: The blush powder is silky smooth and extremely fine, making it look very natural on the skin. It's also scentless and long lasting. This became my go-to blush for weeks since I first got it, and from morning to late afternoon at school, it never budged!

Look at that, Mata Hari makes my arm look like it's blushing!
That, or perhaps it has a very bad rash. XD

In Action: Mata Hari applied with my Marionnaud brush gives me a really natural, healthy looking pink flush. It's perfect for fooling people into thinking you're alive even after many sleepless nights!

Student-unfriendly price and dirt-prone packaging aside, I absolutely love this blush. Francois Nars has a new convert! (I am SO going to buy more of these when I get a real job.)

Charm Kabuki Brush

2011-04-26T12:01:00.000+08:00

My main blush brush, the Charm Retractable Kabuki, literally fell apart on me last December. The glue holding the metal parts together dissolved, and no amount of regluing could get the brush's retracting mechanism to work properly again. While I did not love the falling apart, I really loved the brush's density. I was convinced that no other brush brand would be the same. And so, to prevent any more incidents like that, I got the nonretractable variant as a replacement.

Price: P500.00
Location Bought: Shopsui Tiendesitas
Approximate Date Bought: January 2011

In Action: The Charm Kabuki Brush is every bit as good as its retractable cousin, possibly even better because it has less parts and is therefore easier to wash and dry. Its extremely soft fibers are densely packed, making it very easy to pick up powder and blend onto the skin. This is why I love Charm's kabuki brushes so much, because most of my blushes aren't that pigmented. Their brush density is perfect for the likes of Etude House, elf, and Careline.

The brush comes in its own carrying case made of water-resistant material. I think the size is just perfect. Also, the hot pink makes me smile.

The case is roomy enough to fit one blush or powder container, should you choose to.

All in all, I am very satisfied with this kabuki brush. I should've gotten it instead of the retractable one in the first place!

10 Things I Love

2011-04-25T19:23:00.001+08:00

Thank you for tagging me, Diary of a Late Bloomer!

In no particular order, here we go!

1. handheld game system- Yes, i am a giant kid.

Game of the moment: PVZ! The DS version is just as good as the
PC original, if not even better - it's portable! Some of my other favorites are:
Cooking Mama, Big Bang Mini, and the Ace Attorney series.

2. netbook

3. nail polish

4. headphones + my ancient ipod

5. notebooks and memo pads - I like having lots of places to jot down things like lists and drafts.

Can you guess who my favorite Sanrio characters are? :P

6. fineliner pens - Just like I mentioned in the handwriting post!

7. gummy worms

8. necklaces

Yes, I like robots.

9. driving - Everyone said I'd get tired of it in a couple months, but I never did. I guess if law school blows up in my face I could become a manang driver LMAO!

Sorry Rebel Alliance, I'm with the Galactic Empire!

10. lip products

The lip products of the moment.
My aunt is awesome for giving me that MAC!

2 things about life + 3 things about makeup

2011-04-24T12:47:00.012+08:00

Happy Easter everyone! This post is a mishmash of things I'd like to share, both blog and non-blog related.

First, the boring stuff:

1. I've got my bachelor's degree!

2. I'm headed to law school. Fight!

And now, the fun stuff!

3. I've accumulated more unreviewed products, either as personal purchases or gifts from relatives and friends. Oops. I think it's time for a makeup buying ban, at least until I finish reviewing everything. Click the "Upcoming Reviews" tab above to see the list!

I seem to have gotten even more lip products O_O

4. I'll be writing for Singaporean beauty site Cozycot from time to time now, but don't worry, I'm never going to leave this blog. See my first Cozycot post about Revlon's Colorstay Blemish Concealer here! Also, I've written extra details about the concealer in this post.

5. Remember Nail Polish Ninja, my other blog? I'm thinking of making it a more personal journal-style photoblog and moving it to tumblr, which handles blogs of that kind more easily. I'm also thinking of posting the swatches pre-cleanup, ~~as wrong as that might sound to some~~. The main reason why I lost interest in posting was because cleanup was turning nail polish blogging into a chore, which shouldn't be the case. Will update you guys when I've made my decision!

Revlon Colorstay Blemish Concealer - on cozycot!

2011-04-21T13:02:00.004+08:00

Yay! My first article on Cozycot.com!

~~ETA 04/21/2011 1:06 PM: will add extras to this post when I'm more free. Have my hands full at the moment. (Yes, again. And here I thought it'd be over once the school year ended hahaha!)~~

ETA 04/23/2011 4:32 PM: Here are the extras! (These are just supplementary materials for the full review on the Cozycot website. Please do read the article there too! :D )

Extra 01: The Product in a Nutshell, Stockpiled!-style
Price: P795.00 (I think this is reasonable considering its excellent performance and my frequency of use.)
Location Bought: Watsons SM Megamall
Approximate Date Bought: December 2010
Packaging: Function over form. Doe foot applicator. Unbreakable (in my experience).
Color and Pigmentation: My shade was Medium. Pigmentation was strong - it practically made my pimple scars invisible!
Formulation: Consistency was slightly thick, like my favorite BB cream. Practically scentless, save for a very light alcohol scent. Non-sticky. Long lasting - lasts a full school day on me (10AM - 5PM).

More after the jump!

Extra 02: In Action - This Concealer is Blush Friendly!

Because Revlon's concealer isn't sticky like the concealers of other drugstore brands, it makes for a very cooperative blush companion. No ugly caking or clumping whatsoever!

My whole hand has a layer of blended-out concealer
in this photo. Notice how the blush (NARS Mata Hari)
still looks smooth despite being on top of concealer.

Here's the blush on my cheek, again, over
a layer of the concealer. Look at that
nice, non-clumpy flush!

Extra 03: In Action - This Concealer is Pretty Good for the Undereyes too!

While the blemish concealer is designed primarily for pimple scars, it makes for a decent undereye concealer as well. It doesn't lighten my dark areas as much as I'd like it to, but it does blur fine lines.

My eye without concealer

The concealer dotted all over the undereye

The concealer blended out

Marionnaud Angled Blush Brush

2011-04-09T10:30:00.005+08:00

This was the temporary replacement brush I got when my main blush brush died on me.

Approximate Price: P100-200.00
Location Bought: Watsons Hypermart
Approximate Date Bought: late 2010

In Action: Marionnaud's angled blush brush is not scratchy and feels soft on my cheeks. It is just as easy to hold as Etude House's powder brush. The brush is capable of picking up blush powder and blending it into a nice translucent wash on the skin. This works especially well for super pigmented blushes, like those from NARS (my Mata Hari review is coming soon!), or this shade from Careline. It doesn't work as well for less pigmented blushes, because application takes much longer.

My biggest gripe about this brush is that it smells extremely bad when new. To get rid of the smell, I had to wash and soak this several times using several brush cleaning methods, which was quite irritating. It doesn't smell like anything now though, and I'm glad for that.

e.l.f. Lipstick: Classy

2011-04-05T12:26:00.003+08:00

ELF Classy is one of those medium pinks that I am rather obsessed with looking for. I already threw my EB Mauvey out, but this lipstick could be a possible relative of that shade.

Price: P129.00
Location Bought: Watsons Greenhills
Approximate Date Bought: late 2010

Packaging: Classy when closed is classy enough, but not so much once opened.

It's ergonomically designed - you know how I like my lipstick tubes with decent weight so they're easier to hold - but the lipstick doesn't fully screw down. Some of it doesn't go all the way in,

which leads to nasty nicks on the lipstick and smears on the rim of the tube.

Still, this is ELF we're talking about: cheapo-but-quality makeup, so we can't really fault them for this if it means prices will be brought down.

Color and Pigmentation: Classy is a semi-matte, decently pigmented medium pink that works well on my skintone unlike Etude's PK007. No ganguro here, just a nicely matched shade.
Formulation: The lipstick smells like Panda brand ball pens, which reminds me of this super corny joke,

Anong dream ng Panda? (What does a Panda dream about?)
Edi maging pilot! (To be a Pilot, duh!)
>> the Pilot in question being the Pilot ball pen brand. Anyway, I fail. Moving on. :P

Classy is drying and feels thick on my lips. That's okay though, because I never plan to wear it without a layer of protective lip balm anyway, considering the dodgy smell. I don't really mind the Panda ballpen smell; it actually brings back memories of early school, but a lip product that smells like a pen bothers me slightly.

In Action:

If Classy's shade of pink didn't work so nicely on me, I would have added it to my list of fail. This will have to do for now, but the search for a decent medium pink continues!

The Stylish Blogger Award

2011-04-04T15:47:00.004+08:00

Elaine gave me this award! Thank you!

To accept the Stylish Blogger Award there are some rules to follow:

Thank and link back to who gave you the award.
Share eight things about yourself.
Pass it along to eight other blogs that you’ve recently discovered and enjoyed.
Leave those bloggers a message telling them about their awards.

Instead of 3 and 4, I've decided to make this a free-for-all (as usual :P). Anyone who wants to do this, please feel free ♥

On to Eight Things about Myself!

The first four are non-food related, the last four are food related. LOL what does that say about meee?

I love BBC's Sherlock. Awesome writing, cinematography, and SOUND! (Series soundtracks are the best way to get me hooked. They're the reason why I like Grey's Anatomy and Dexter, and never got around to finishing Firefly.) Also, the actors who play Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Watson (Martin Freeman) totally represent the types of dudes I go for. Cumberbatch for the guys I only like to look at (cheekbones!), and Freeman for the guys I'm more likely to end up with (because they're so cuddly!).
I'm not a brandist - I don't care where my clothes come from. As long as they're comfy and they fit my style, they're good. I invest more in shoes however, but mostly for comfort. Walkable 'flops, sneakers, and heels are a must!
I like writing lip product reviews the most because swatching and taking pictures is so much easier compared to other types of makeup. Choosing the best pictures for a blush review takes hours for me!
I am a bookworm-parasite. I like reading books, but I am very lazy at looking for good titles to read. So I subsist on my bookworm friends' recommendations.
My favorite ramen place is Ramen Bar at Eastwood City. Best. Ramen. Ever. Pricy for students though, so I can't go there very often. But still! Best. Ramen. Ever.
I like eating tuna straight out of the can. No bread, no rice, no crackers, just tuna. Meow?
This is my favorite tea shop. Huge, delicious drinks for tiny prices! And then I like this shop, for the weird-but-yummy drinks and the equally weird name. (Would you believe that when I first mentioned this to my family, they said I was making it up? XD) I'd like to try tea from this place, but I don't usually travel near its branches.
I survived thesis using a combo of this and this. For some reason those two were the only things that worked. Energy drinks put me to sleep (I'm looking at you, Cobra Strawberry!), and other chocolates didn't give me as much buzz.

My Routine, v.2

2011-04-04T12:01:00.002+08:00

One lovely anonymous commenter suggested that I write an updated version of my old makeup routine, and here it is!

ETA 4/5/11: Thank you for your suggestion, Nicole!

Anyway, on to the good stuff! Reviews for unreviewed products coming soon!

Base: Still good old Hydro Splash. I've been getting A LOT of use out of it, despite having it for a long time now. On the occasional super!barat days, I use Myra-E's tinted moisturizer, which smells terrible but works surprisingly well.
Blemishes: Thesis left me with a couple horrible pimples, whose scars have been very slow to heal. So I cover them up with Revlon's awesome concealer!
Eyes: I am a very lazy eye makeup person. I rarely ever do eye makeup anymore. But if I do, it's usually just a light dusting of whatever shadow I feel like. No eyeliner, and definitely no mascara.
Face: It used to be Etude's BB Magic, but I hit pan (yay!) and switched to Covergirl's Advanced Radiance, which was an accidental find. My mother was on a "quest" to find the perfect replacement for her discontinued Neutrogena powder foundation, and this was one of the failed candidates she gave to me. Much like the makeupalley reviews that say it works for some and fails for others, it cakes on her, but it's great on me!
Cheeks: I'm levelling up in this area! Sometimes it's Mata Hari (which was my birthday present to myself), other times it's P Peach 47 (which my parents brought home for me from HK). Lately though, it's been Etude's Cream Choux #2. Such a cute, instant-cheekbone-creating color! My siopao face is very pleased!
Lips: I ran out of Carmex and I don't want to use my backup tube until I get a backup for that backup (and there you have quirk #12493758931579 haha), so I'm using mandarin orange Lip Ice. Not as good as Carmex, IMO, but it'll do. Then I top the balm off with whatever gloss or lipstick I feel like. At the moment it's in2it's Juicy and herbench's Orange Fizz.

The Handwriting Tag, aka the Writing Meme

2011-04-03T12:35:00.001+08:00

Last Feb-March, this meme became popular among many of the bloggers I follow. I saw it first on K's blog, then on Mai and Kat's blog, then on G's, Asami's, and Pao's. By far, the most creative I've seen is hers. Pretty highlighters! ♥ (She used slightly different questions too!)

I'm quite late to the party, but who cares. At least I'm fashionable? Har har~

Click to enlarge!

Anybody who wants to do this, please go ahead! And link me your posts! :D

Maybelline Colorsensational Lipstick: Summer Sunset

2011-04-02T12:05:00.000+08:00

Yet another red. I'm experimenting with the formulas from various American drugstore brands. I have yet to try Covergirl's lipsticks - I can't seem to find any good shades. Any suggestions? :D

Price: P299.00
Location Bought: Watsons SM Megamall
Approximate Date Bought: late 2010

Packaging: DO NOT WANT. Well, it works, but when I saw the Colorsensational line's Western packaging, it made me sad. How come Asia doesn't get the nice crystalline-style tubes? But for what it's worth, the Colorsensational packaging available here does not feel flimsy and is very easy to spot on a crowded dresser (or inside a messy bag) thanks to its bright red (or pink, or bronze, or orange, depending on the color family) body.

Color and Pigmentation: Summer Sunset is a semi-opaque, glossy red with tones of pink and orange.

Formulation: Summer Sunset applies smoothly, but I find it drying. It also feels heavier on me somehow. I prefer Revlon Colorburst's consistency. Maybelline Colorsensational's formula is good for its price, however.

Actual Usage:

My Makeup Story

2011-04-01T20:30:00.003+08:00

This post was backlogged December 12, 2010.

I was watching this video by one of my favorite makeup people on YouTube (I love how down-to-earth she is and how calming her voice is), and I decided to do the tag here on my blog too.

1. How old were you when you started wearing makeup?
12, first year high school. It was just lip balm and face powder. I went to a Catholic school with very strict nuns, so I never wore anything beyond that. I started getting into other types of makeup like eyeshadow, liner, foundation and mascara in my fourth year, where most people were having proms, grad parties, debuts, and other similar events. Except for parties, I rarely wore makeup for regular days until I decided to start this blog in third year college. At that point, I started getting into blush and lip products with more intense colors like gloss and lipstick.

2. How did you get into makeup?
Before third year college, most of my makeup was just gifts.

3. What are some of your favorite brands?
Revlon, Etude House, The Face Shop, NARS

4. What does makeup mean to you?
Makeup is an escape, a form of stress release.

5. If you could only wear 4 products on your face what would they be?
The Face Shop's Hydro Splash BB cream, Covergirl's Advanced Radiance powder, Revlon's blemish concealer, Carmex lip balm. Actually, this is pretty much what I have on every day, minus the blush and lip products.

6. What is your favorite thing about makeup?
Makeup can reanimate zombies, so to speak. No sleep for several days? Easy. Slap on some lipstick, concealer, and blush, and you're alive again!

7. What do you think about drugstore makeup vs high end makeup?
Since I'm a bum who still lives off her parents and random odd jobs, I LOVE drugstore makeup. It's cheap, good quality (if you look hard enough), and less frustrating in terms of stocks compared to more expensive brands. Well, for my case at least. By the time I save up enough money for something from MAC or NARS, it's always out of stock at the store. Maybe I'm just unlucky. :P

8. What is one tip of advice you can give to a beginner?
Light makeup is the best kind!

9. What is one makeup trend you never understood?
Eyeliner on the tear ducts. I know it's for making the eyes look bigger and idk, "cuter", but it just reminds me of eye crusts, aka muta. Yes, I'm disgusting.

10. What do you think about the beauty community on YouTube?
I prefer blogs. They take less time to load. But there are a lot of good youtube tutorials out there. Also, I'm very picky about voices, and that probably affects my opinion too.

Revlon Colorburst Lipstick: Raspberry

2011-03-31T12:33:00.001+08:00

I think this is my favorite red lipstick.

Price: P575.00
Location Bought: Marionnaud MOA
Approximate Date Bought: Late 2010

Packaging: WIN! I love quilted textures! (My dream high-end bag is one of those classic black quilted Chanel ones!) The Colorburst tube is classy despite being made of cheap material, and it has a good, sturdy weight.

Color and Pigmentation: Raspberry is a slightly sheer, very wearable red.

Formulation: The Colorburst formula is smooth, light, and slightly glossy. It doesn't need a layer of lipbalm underneath either.

Actual Usage:

A Post Done Entirely In Pictures... mostly.

2011-01-27T13:43:00.001+08:00

Products I have yet to review. (Look look, a NARS blush!
My first high-end product!)

The things I have in my bag.

The things I've been putting on my face lately. Surprisingly,
Hydro Splash is still going strong even though I've had it for
a long time now.

Why am I inactive? The usual reason: real life. Will I get back to posting more often soon? We'll see.

Shawill Make-up Blusher 003

2010-11-15T15:00:00.001+08:00

This was the other thing I bought with the gloss a few posts back. I took these photos last week, when my face was finally clear enough to use blush. Pimples are back on my face again this week though, which is really annoying! (And here I thought high school would be more than enough time for them to plague me. Apparently not, because they're back with a vengeance! X_X)

Price: P89.00
Location Bought: Watson's SM Hypermart
Approximate Date Bought: September 2010

Packaging: If memory serves, Shawill has two blush lines, one which comes in silver and black packaging made to look like a cut gemstone (like this blush I'm reviewing now), and another one which comes in circular pink and white packaging.

The difference between the two lines is that the silver and black line has space for a tiny blush brush, while the pink and white line does not.

The brush is completely crap though. But nice effort for a cheap brand.

Color and Pigmentation: 003 is a light, buildable pink that I don't think anyone can overdo. Pigmentation is not too strong or too weak, which makes it a nice product to layer on. It's not evident in the pan, but it has some slight shimmers when applied. Or perhaps luster would be a better term?

Formulation: 003 is scentless and applies decently. The blush powder is not velvet smooth, but it is still easily blendable. This only lasts about 3 hours though. In terms of staying power, I think Careline is still the best among locally available budget blushes.

Actual Usage: The color gives me a very gentle, flushed glow. I like how it lifts my cheekbones and adds a small amount of sharpness to my round siopao face.

I don't know if you've noticed, but I always
seem to be wearing this pink spaghetti strap
top whenever I swatch makeup for this blog.

I hope these pimples go away soon so I can swatch more blush products. (I kind of look like Pikachu right now. :S) Currently I have two "suspects" for this pimple trouble: Etude House's sunblock, or my recent transfer to my sister's bathroom, which is considerably more humid than my old one.

The Face Shop Face&It Lipstick: OR201

2010-11-12T12:27:00.028+08:00

Two weeks ago, I came across Pink Sun Spots' review of a peachy orange (or salmon) lipstick from Etude House. I liked the shade so much that I decided to buy my own, but it was out of stock at my usual Etude store. So I went around in search of a similar color and found this lipstick from The Face Shop.

Approximate Price: P575.00
Location Bought: The Face Shop SM Megamall
Approximate Date Bought: November 4, 2010

Packaging: It seems they've locally discontinued the TFS lipstick line with the pink petal-like packaging. In place of that are several new lipstick variants with sleek packaging that makes use of translucent and opaque plastic in dark colors, such as this lipstick from the Face&It line. There were two other lines that I cannot remember the names of, although those came in dark red and dark brown, respectively.

I like what they did with their new lipstick tubes.
Despite being only made of plastic, they managed to make
a rather classy looking product. The only drawback, however,
is that the tube tends to gather fingerprints easily.

Color and Pigmentation: OR201 is a semi-matte peachy orange that I think is similar to Pink Sun Spots' lipstick. The swatch below was one swipe, so it is safe to say that this product is quite pigmented.

Formulation: The lipstick is light, creamy and has a very small amount of shine to it (hence the "semi-matte" description). It is also odorless. However, like most lipsticks with matte properties, OR201 has a slight tendency to dry lips and settle into lip lines. Therefore, lip balm is the best solution!

Actual Usage: On me, the lipstick is its most true-to-color shade under artificial lighting. It turns a bit pinker in natural light, but I believe the overall effect is just the same as Etude House's VIP OR205.

Left: Fluorescent lighting
Right: Natural lighting (indoors)

The only thing I don't like about this lipstick is that it's a little more expensive than the Etude House one! But other than that, it's all good. :D

Elianto Pearl Eyeshadow 17 Copper Brown

2010-11-10T15:00:00.003+08:00

This is my fourth and final Elianto eyeshadow. (Why "final"? The explanation for that is at the end of this post.)

Price: P119.00
Location Bought: Elianto SM Megamall
Approximate Date Bought: October 27, 2010

Packaging: In my palette with its fellow shadows from the same brand

Color and Pigmentation: Like its name implies, Copper Brown is a medium-level coppery shade, which I think is really pretty.

Formulation: Copper Brown is the only pearl finish shadow I have from this brand. It goes on just as smoothly as its matte cousins (except maybe Misty Grey). It also doesn't have much fallout, which is a good thing, because fallout is a common weakness among shimmery shadows in this price range.

Actual Usage: Unfortunately, this shadow does not photograph well, most likely because it's rather close to my skin tone.

I don't think I'll be buying any more eye makeup from Elianto considering:

Their quality isn't bad, but it isn't good either. Out of the four I have, Plum Wine is the only shade I definitely like.
I'm not really an eye makeup person. I'm more of a lips and cheeks girl.
I have a lot of other eyeshadows from other brands like ELF and Etude House (check the Tags section to see reviews for them), and I need to use them up!

I'm quite curious about Wet & Wild's color icon palettes and the new shades of Lovely:Me ex shadows at The Face Shop, though. :P

Elianto Matte Eyeshadow 03 Misty Grey

2010-11-08T15:00:00.003+08:00

This is my third Elianto eyeshadow. I don't know WHY I got this gray, I just thought it would be nice to have more cool-toned colors in my eyeshadow stash, considering I mostly have browns, golds and pinks.

Price: P95.00
Location Bought: Elianto SM Megamall
Approximate Date Bought: October 27, 2010

Packaging: I keep this in my Elianto palette along with the other three shades I own.

Color and Pigmentation: Misty Grey reminds me of cement. Pigmentation is medium.

Formulation: Misty Grey is a matte like Plum Wine and Early Dawn. The formula feels pretty much like the other shades, but Misty Grey seems to be a bit harder to blend.

Actual Usage: Here it is as a light wash of color on my lids. I think this color would be better as a base applied from the upper lashline to the browbone, and then combined with a darker shade on the lids like a purple (like NARS Melusine!), navy blue, or even black.

Shawill Crystal Lip Gloss 08

2010-11-05T15:00:00.025+08:00

I was having trouble with a lot of real life things around the time I bought this. Along with another thing, this was a "cheer-up-with-cheap-makeup-thrills" buy at the mall I happened to be in at the time (and it wasn't even a mall). Retail therapy appears to be very effective on me, because I felt much better after my purchases!

(The other thing was a blush, which I will review as soon as my skin clears out. Annoying pimple!)

Price: P89.00
Location Bought: Watsons SM Hypermart
Approximate Date Bought: September 2010

Packaging: It's the usual squeeze tube. I like that it's taller and thinner than most conventional squeeze tube glosses, though. I find it makes handling better. The slanted tip does not have much of an angle to it, just like ELF's glosses.

Color and Pigmentation: 08 caught my eye because it was a fairly opaque-looking jelly pink when I swatched it on my hand. I was hoping it would be like Etude's peach water glosses, but this does not show up very well on my lips.

Formulation: The gloss is scentless and is sticky, but not as much as ELF's. It's not drying, but it's not moisturizing either. I still use balm underneath as a precaution. This lasts around 3 hours on me, unless I eat or drink.

Yup, this has parabens. Not surprising, since it IS budget makeup.
I wouldn't worry so much about parabens unless your family has a
history of breast cancer though. There's still no conclusive evidence that
parabens cause breast cancer, or any other type of cancer for that matter.
Just correlations, and correlations DO NOT equal causation.

Actual Usage: 08 doesn't add much color to my lips, but it does give a nice shine to them and hides their chappedness fairly well. (The one thing I hate about cooler weather: easily chapped lips!)

Etude House Petit Darling Eyeshadows

2010-11-03T15:00:00.008+08:00

Today I'll be reviewing the rest of the Etude House single eyeshadows I have in my stash: Matte #2, Matte #5, and PK007. (I have previously reviewed Matte #3.)

Price: P148.00 each
Location Bought: Etude House SM Megamall
Approximate Date Bought: January-May 2010

From left: Matte #5, PK007, Matte #2

Packaging: These shadows are housed in fairly sturdy plastic. I don't care much for the colors used for the plastic, however. But they do their job, so they're fine by me.

From left: Matte #5, PK007, Matte#2

Colors: Matte #5 is a dusty pale pink. Matte #2 is a brownish beige. PK007 is a shimmery candy pink.

Matte #5

PK007

Matte #2

Pigmentation: Medium for all of them. PK007 ends up looking more like a pale pink than a pink with shimmers. I like that, actually. Better than just being a shimmery mess without any color whatsoever.

From left: PK007, Matte #5, Matte#2

Formulation: The shadows are pressed well; there was not much fallout when I applied them, even for the shimmery PK007. Their texture isn't as smooth as Elianto's shadows though, and they're a bit harder to blend.

Actual Usage: Matte #5 has been one of my everyday shades ever since I got it. I don't use PK007 much because I think it makes me look too girly. Sometimes I put a little bit of it over #5 for some depth, though. Matte #2 turns nearly invisible on my skintone. I usually use it as a base shade for Matte #3.

Matte # 5

PK007

Matte #2

Elianto Matte Eyeshadow 02 Early Dawn

2010-11-01T15:00:00.003+08:00

Price: P99.00

Location Bought: Elianto Trinoma
Approximate Date Bought: late 2009, probably along with this

Packaging: I finally got around to buying an Elianto palette (and some other shadows to fill it up with), so I store this there. At P199.00, the palette is a bit of a letdown because it only uses double-sided tape to secure the eyeshadow pans. I was expecting it to be magnetic like ELF's P129.00 palette. Speaking of which, I cannot find any more local stalls that sell those. Has ELF Philippines phased them out?

I accidentally dropped Plum Wine while transferring it. :(
Plum Wine and the gray above it, Misty Grey,
slightly remind me of the new NARS Melusine duo.

Color: It's an off-white, pale yellow/beige shade that reminds me of full cream milk. I think it's best used as a base layer or as a browbone highlight.
Pigmentation and Formulation: Pigmentation is weak even with primer, as you will see below. The yellowness in the pan disappears when this hits my skin. The shadow has no shimmers, as its name implies. I'm not fussy when it comes to eyeshadows since I only do very simple eye looks, but even I think this product is pretty chalky. (Maybe because it does look like chalk har har)

Chalkiness aside, Early Dawn is as nicely pressed and as smoothly textured as Plum Wine. It doesn't leave any fallout like this quad.

Actual Usage: While I'm not impressed with the pigmentation and formulation (and believe me, I am easily impressed), I do like how it draws attention away from my dark undereyes.

Skin Food Candy Moist Rouge: 333

2010-10-29T15:00:00.002+08:00

I find Skin Food's local prices very prohibitive, so I don't buy from them very often. I've wanted to try their lipsticks, but have opted not to since they're nearly the same price as other, better brands in the market.

However, I happened to walk in on one of their 50% off sales a couple months ago, so I got this peachy-pink lipstick from their Candy Moist Rouge line. Score!

Price: around P300.00
Location Bought: Skin Food SM Megamall
Approximate Date Bought: August 2010

Packaging: The silver material used to house the product looks more like plastic than metal, even though it retains temperature just as a metal object might, based on my experience leaving it in an airconditioned room. The tube is not too light and not too heavy, and doesn't feel flimsy.

I really like the embossed Skin Food logo at the top of the tube.
I've always wondered what it was. Is that a cherub?

Color: 333 is a peachy pink that has quite a bit of orange in it. It looks shimmery in the swatches but actually isn't.

Pigmentation: Medium. The lipstick isn't opaque, but isn't sheer either. You can still see through to my skin in the swatch below, which was one swipe. (The swatch for Color was two swipes.)

Formulation: The lipstick seems like it has shimmers because its formula is actually rather glossy. I guess that's why they call the line "Candy Moist". It has a citrusy-waxy scent to it that I find pretty strange, but it isn't too bad. It doesn't smell expired; I just find the scent weird. While the swatches make the lipstick look like it goes on smoothly, there's something in it that makes it feel slightly grainy. Despite the graininess, the lipstick feels lightweight and moisturizing and minimizes some of my lip lines. Lasting power is around 5 hours for this, provided you do not eat or drink. (It disappears pretty quickly once you do, though.)

Actual Usage: 333 is a very nice everyday color for me. If I don't feel like TBS elderberry or Etude's cherry tints, this is what I use. This color seems to complement a lot of my clothes for some reason.

Another review for this product can be found here, while a review for a similar lipstick in their Honey Glossy line can be found here.

If Skin Food were more reasonably priced in this country, I would totally go for this lipstick from their Fresh Cream line. But alas, it is not. (Come on, who in their right mind would pay P1000+ for a lipstick that sells for WAY BELOW that in Korea and in other countries? If it's going to be that expensive, I would rather spend my money on real high-end brands like MAC or NARS.)

Carmex lip balms

2010-10-27T15:00:00.007+08:00

A lot of people have been saying good things about Carmex lip products sold at PCX stores. I naturally got curious, being the cheap thrills person that I am. However, I don't normally go to malls in the south where all the PCX branches are, because they're too far (and I am lazy :P). So when my sister asked me to accompany her to Alabang Town Center for a school project, I jumped at the chance to finally feed my curiosity.

Price: P100.00 for the squeeze tube, P99.00 for the click stick
Location Bought: PCX Alabang Town Center
Approximate Date Bought: August 2010

Packaging: The yellow and red that both the squeeze tube and click stick variants use immediately make me think of McDonald's. Being reminded of greasy fast food by a beauty/healthcare product doesn't seem to be a very good packaging idea to me, so boo to Carmex manufacturers for that. Color issues aside, both variants get their jobs done reliably. The squeeze tube, despite not being angled, dispenses the balm cleanly and evenly (if not a little disturbingly, or maybe that's just me). On the other hand, the click stick pushes the balm up and down properly no matter how many times you twist it around unlike other twist-up balms in my experience, such as Chapstick. I think the clicking noise the twisting mechanism makes is a nice touch as well.

Formulation: I totally get why people like these lip balms so much. I can safely say that they're much better than other "everyday" balms in their price range, like Nivea and Chapstick. They smell and feel great, and provide instant relief to my lips, which have become especially prone to painful chapping now that the weather's getting cooler. The squeeze tube has a soft vanilla smell, while the click stick has a "cherry" scent that reminds me more of gummy worms than of actual cherries. (That's a major plus! I LOVE gummy worms!) Both variants have a soothing, cooling effect once applied, and both do not have any potentially nasty ingredients like parabens.

Click the pictures to enlarge

There's not much difference between the two variants' ingredients, except the squeeze tube has cocoa seed butter, while the click stick has meadowfoam seed oil. I had never heard of the latter before, so I googled a bit and found that meadowfoam seed oil is actually a very effective moisturizer that absorbs quickly into human skin. Meadowfoam flowers are also pretty cute:

image borrowed from flickr user philipbouchard

The balm is available in three flavors (original, cherry, strawberry) for both types of packaging, but the PCX at ATC only had the squeeze tube in original.

Actual Usage: The squeeze tube provides a glossier finish than the click stick. Both variants perform equally well, but I prefer the click stick because it is more convenient to apply.

Squeeze tube. I leave this on my dresser for use at home

or before leaving the house.

Click stick. I bring this with me when I go out.

Other reviews can be found here, here, and here.

Etude House Baby Skin Veiling Pact

2010-10-25T15:00:00.018+08:00

This is my fourth (!) powder product from Etude. (I believe it is time for me to stop buying powder products ahaha.) Lately, I have been cycling it with this powder, and also this.

Price: P478.00
Location Bought: Etude House SM Megamall
Date Bought: June 2, 2010

Packaging: As usual, it's girly, it's princessy, it's pink. The plastic used has a bit of shimmer, which I think is a nice touch. The entire compact has a good heft to it and comfortably fits in one hand, which saves it from looking and feeling cheap like this poor thing (which is still an awesome product nonetheless). Somehow, this also strikes me as the sort of thing little girls would be happy to play with. A possible Christmas gift idea for nieces/daughters/little sisters, maybe? :D

Strangely, this is the only Etude powder that makes use of rectangular pans. No worries if you need a powder puff replacement though - the store stocks rectangular puffs too. I think a pack of two was around P78.00. However, I apply this with a brush more often.

Color: This is shade 2, the darker of the two available, which (surprise surprise) is still light for the Filipino skintone spectrum. (Wishful thinking: Dear Korea, please add darker tones to your makeup if you're going to export to other countries.) This matches my skin fine, although I find myself having to blend it in a little longer compared to the other powders I use.

There used to be cute little flowers etched along the corners of the product,
but constant use has already rubbed them off.

Formulation: The product scent reminds me of Johnson's baby powder. It feels silky smooth when applied and does not leave my face feeling heavy. It gives me medium coverage and evens out as well as brightens up my skintone. It also has sun protection, SPF22 PA ++ to be exact. Unfortunately, BSV wears off in around 2 hours WITHOUT the dewy effect that the BB magic pact provides when it starts wearing off. Yes, shininess again in just 120 minutes. Since retouching will be required often, I don't recommend using this when you're going to be outdoors and/or moving around a lot.

Actual Usage: It's my bare nose again! Take note of the shine and slight redness in the area.

And here it is with the powder applied. No more shine, no more redness! The area itself also looks more brightened up. Too bad it only lasts for such a short time.

Other BSV reviews can be found here, here and here.

Etude House Princess Finger Food Hand Lotion: Lemon Sugar

2010-10-25T12:34:00.005+08:00

O HAI THAR~ :P

Price, Location Bought: Same as Strawberry Lollipop

Approximate Date Bought: June 2, 2010

Packaging: same as Strawberry Lollipop, except with a lemon-print label. The bottle holds 65ml.

This moisturizes and absorbs just as effectively as its strawberry version, only it has a lemony scent. Great for people who prefer citrus smells over candy smells. (Personally, I like both.)

I finished Strawberry Lollipop around the same time I bought this. So, since I bought SL around January and LS in June, Etude's hand lotions last me about six months.

Another post coming up this afternoon!