It's been great but...

Hi Friends!! This will be my last post here on this beauty blog. I am still makeup obsessed but i've been finding it too hard to keep with reviews and whatnot. I don't want to be a beauty blogger and then slack off with the details because I know that some people really rely on blogs for recommendations, tips and news etc etc :)

I've had soooo much fun maintaining this blog and I've met soooo many great people and REAL beauty gurus. You girls have taught me soooo much and inspired me sooo much so I really want to thank you all for letting me be part of this whole beauty blogger clique :D It's been awesome :))

I will still be moving to http://thoughtsthatwander.blogspot.com/ if anyone cares :D There will be occasionally post on makeup but mostly just snippets of my thoughts on a certain product ( no reviews or swatches)

Talk to you girls soon :D

Recent Haul: Jill Stuart Blush

I've been lemming this blush ever since I saw this girl using it in the bathroom at a mall in Hong Kong. At first I thought it was too expensive for a blush so I didn't get it, but the next time I was in Hong Kong, I couldn't resist anymore. *sigh* I wish I had willpower, because the blush isn't that great. In fact, it kinda sucks. It's chalky, goes on streaky and not that pigmented. In short, I paid $$$ for the packaging- which is the only thing good about this blush. It's soooo beautiful! And how handy is the attached blush brush??






How gorgeous is that??


FAB FAB FAB


Pretty huh? Too bad it doesn't go on pretty :(

Review: Revlon Colorstay Foundation Combo/Oily

For many years, I've been searching high and low for a foundation that:

A. Matches my skintone
B. Is long-wearing
C. Feels weightless on my skin
D. Wont clog my pores and break me out
E. Wont cost me too much money
F. Looks natural
G. Wont look streaky and cakey

At last, I've finally found it. Yes, ladies I'm talking about Revlon's Colorstay Foundation. Wow, what a superb product. I've tried countless foundations over the years from MAC, Everyday Minerals, Shiseido, Covergirl and Bare Minerals but I have to say that this is hands down the best I have ever tried. I'm so completely satisfied that I don't have the urge to try other high rated one from makeup forever, Nars and Dior.

Okay, enough blabbing and on to the pictures :D


What I used


This is me, with a bare face :) As you can see, I have some discoloration and unevenness


The coverage is good, this is just the foundation, no concealer or powder



My pore are huge, but look! no cakiness!


With blush, lipstick and eyemakeup



Eyes
Shu uemura beige e/s (lid)
MAC Wedge e/s (crease)
MAC vanilla e/s (browbone)
Revlon Colorstay black eyeliner
Loreal Telescopic mascara

Cheeks
Nars Desire blush
Smashbox softlights lens ( highlight)

Lips
MAC Bombshell lipstick

Haul: Shu Uemura, Essie, Seche Vite, Clarisonic & more Unii Palettes

August has been a very successful shopping month. Granted some of these were ordered last month, they all got to me this month :)


Seche Vite & Essie Nailpolish in Sew -Psyched and Lilalism - Finally caved and got the Seche Vite after reading a ton of beauty bloggers rave about it :) Will review if it lives up to it's reputation :)


In a September issue of Life & Style magazine


Shu Uemura M Beige 821- My eyelids are darker than the rest of my face and since this beige is very close to my skintone, this helps even everything out-giving my whole eye area a brightening effect. This is my first Shu Uemura eyeshadow and I love the texture, pigmentation and finish. Now I want all the shades..OH NO!


Unii Palettes. I love them so much, I ordered 2 more palettes- in pomegranate and snow. A little excessive I know, but seriously, they are awesome!


Clarisonic MIA --SOOOOOO excited about this purchase. I will post a review after I really test it out. Probably after a month :D

PS: I've gotten a couple beauty related questions on Formspring and I'm so happy about it! Feel free to ask me more questions :)

NOTD: Orly's Cashmere Cardigan

I'm usually a OPI whore but I'm starting to LOVE Orly nail polishes. The selection in Marionnaud ( Mall of Asia) is massive and I'm tempted to buy all the pastel colors. They are soooo beautiful to look at and I want it all!!


Don't you just love the name?


Tell me that isn't the most gorgeous color ever!

PS: I'm proud that it turned out pretty good considering I painted my nails after midnight and I was getting sleepy! I guess I had to concentrate more! LOL

Haul: Unii Palette

It took 27 days and an angry letter drafted to Philpost, but I finally received my UNII Palette from uniicosmetics! I got so impatient with the long shipping, eventhough the company emailed me and told me that shipping to manila could take up to 4 weeks,due to customs. Whatever, it's here and the wait was worth it :)


Pretty packaging


Instructions on how to depot, what refills can fit etc


I got the color eggplant--so pretty :)


It's got a thumb grip and a big mirror. Very convenient when you're on the go!


It comes with a extra sheet of magnet


Makes my heart flutter

I really really love this palette, it's made really well and you know your makeup is safe because it feels really sturdy. Not like the mac palettes, which feel flimsy. I suppose you can fit more pans if you arrange them better, but I'm pretty lazy so i just popped these in, not bothering to arrange them properly!

Overall, these palettes are great, especially if you have a ton of eyeshadow and like to depot them. I'm super in love with them, I ordered 2 more palettes!! One in snow and promograte! So frigging excited!

August Favorites

So I totally forgot to post my August favorites, but since a lot girls seems to be late on doing their favorites, I thought what the heck! Haha. Better late than never right?



1. Rosken Bio Serum
2. Lush Mint Julips
3. ELF blending brush ( My HG brush soooo perfect)
4. MAC e/s # modest tone
5. MAC e/s # wedge
6. MAC e/s # shroom
7. Lucas Papaw ointment
8. MAC lipstick # blankety
9. Covergirl lash blast length ( perfect for lower lash line)

Review: Etude House Proof 10 Eye Primer

I like the chic packaging


The tube has 10g / 0.35 oz of product






It has a slight shimmery finish

Likes:
- Very affordable at P 298 ( roughly around $6.78 )
- Cute packaging
- Very effective. My shadow did not crease for hours
- Makes my eyeshadow more vibrant
- Creamy and blends well

Dislikes:
- The packaging is cute but when I go through the product more, It might be a pain to get the product out
- It's not available in ALL the malls in Manila. I guess I need to go to SM Manila more :)

Overall:
This is a fantastic primer. I still have TFSI and a backup but I find myself reaching for this all week. My eyeshadow stayed put for the 6 hours I was out last night and I'm sure it would lasted longer than that. I can't say it is better than TFSI or UDPP but it's definitely comparable. So if you're on a budget and in need of a primer, BUY THIS PRODUCT!

Will i repurchase?
YES! When I run out of my TFSI and my backup :)

Haul: Etude House

I'm supposed to be on a shopping ban but when my sister and I passed an Etude House store, I couldn't resist dropping in and picking up a few things that I have heard so much about :) I promise to review all these products, but from the looks of it and the reviews from other people, I'm gonna love all these :)



1. Black Charcoal Chin Pack
2. Gingko Lip Patch
3. Proof 10 Eye Primer
4. Fresh Cherry Tint #2. Pink

Haul: Revlon Colorstay Foundation & Falsies Container

I finally caved and bought myself a bottle of the infamous Revlon Colorstay foundation! I don't wear foundation on a daily basis, only on special occasions like weddings, dinners, drinks with friends etc. so i didn't want to spend on MAC's Studio Fix Fluid ( which is double the price) People have been touting this product as their holy grail so I really couldn't resist it anymore :)Hopefully I wont break out though :/

The falsies container is actually a pencil case from BEABI. A local store like MUJI. I wanted something to store my falsies in when I travel and I thought this was perfect!! It cost P70 which is like $1.25? Very cheap and a very good buy :)

PS: You can fit more that 2 pairs of falsies in the container, it depends on how you store them :) I"m not really good at maximizing my space though :) hehe

So that was my mini haul of the week! What did you buy this week??

Review: Bed Head After Party

Likes:
-Smells divine
-Non-sticky
-Tames the frizz and flyaways
-Last for ages
-Awesome packaging
-Doesn't make my hair look greasy and wont weight hair down

Dislikes:
-Expensive! The next time I go to Hong Kong, I'm going hoard on these
-The delicious smell is ADDICTIVE

Overall:
This is a wonderful product for anyone with frizzy or tangled hair. It's a light cream product that didn't weigh my thin hair down. I'm not sure how well it will do on girls with coarser hair but I've read reviews on makeupalley.com and this stuff works on them too . I bought this from BONJOUR BOUTIQUE in Hong Kong for like half the price it costs here, so if you can get this there or ask friends whos going to Hong Kong to haul it for you.

Would I purchase again>
YUP YUP YUP !

DIY: Aspirin Mask

Everytime I feel a zit coming up, I whip up a batch of my fool proof not so secret recipe- The Aspirin Mask. It's a super easy recipe that I swear by. And almost always the zit wont even pop up the next day. Of course there are times that a monster zit will show up NO MATTER WHAT, but c'est la vie!

There is a ton of versions of this mask-but I like my version the best! haha It's very simple and cheap! What's not to like about that? The versions with yogurt or honey freak me out, eventhough a ton of people swear by them. I'm just scared that those version will break me out. Bla bla bla bla! I guess what I'm trying to say is what works for me, may not work for you so if you haven't done the aspirin mask and want to try this, please do so with precaution.

The ingredients are as simple as it can get: Jojoba oil, Aloe Vera Gel and Uncoated aspirin. I got the jojoba oil and aloe vera gel at Healthy Options and the aspirins at Mercury Drugs


I usually use 5 tablets ( this covers my cheeks, nose and chin) 1 drop of jojoba oil and a tablespoon of aloe vera gel. The liquid will dissolve the aspirin.


I use my fingers to mix the ingredients into a paste, and when it's ready I apply it to my face. Try to avoid your eye area and nostrils ( haha) Leave the mask on for 10 minutes or until it hardens and wash it off!

Trust me, your skin will look and feel phenomenal after using this mask. It's so inexpensive and effective so I really encourage everyone to at least try it :) Unless of course you're allergic to any of the ingredients! Good luck :)

Review: Yoko Papaya Spa Salt

Likes:
-Very affordable. I got this for like P89 which is like $2
-Makes skin silky and smooth. It has vitamin e so skin feels awesome afterwards :)
-Smells really good
-Easy to use. Just pour some in your hand and apply to skin
-Salts feels rough at first, but the stuff almost melts into my skin
-Available locally. Just o to your local Watsons

Dislikes:
-Packaging sucks. The ziplock bag is hard to "zip-up" so I usually leave it open, which makes it so much easier to spill or get moisture in
-Since the packaging sucks, You can't control the amount you pour, which results to TOO much most of the time. Luckily this stuff is cheap, so it's really okay to waste some :)

Overall:
I really like this product because honestly, it makes my skin really soft and silky. The salt really does scrub well and it preps my skin for lotion. It promises "whiter" skin and i've been focusing the scrubbing on my elbows and knees but i haven't notice my skin getting lighter. But a very fair skinned SA at Watsons swears by this product.

Will I purchase again?
Yes. I've already run out!

Back to M-A-C

One of the many reasons why mac is my favorite brand is their back to mac program. Return six empty containers and get a lipstick..FREE! Who can resist that? If you want more information on this amazing program go to the mac website..www.maccosmetics.com :) You can even do the program on the website if you live in the US or Canada :)

I don't know if mac does this in other countries, but here in Manila you can't choose any shade you want, they have a bunch of lipsticks stashed in a box and you can only select from there. Sucks huh?

If you're in Manila, make sure you go to the mac in Glorietta. They have the widest range of colors in the back to mac "box" The branch in Rockwell only had browns and oranges and i cannot pull those shades off! haha

I got BOMBSHELL and BLANKETY because i needed a light pink and my HUG ME liipy ( my hg nude ) was running out! I've heard so much about BLANKETY so i snatched it real fast :D


L: Bombshell R: Blankety


L: Bombshell R: Blankety

Review: Beyond Belief - Alpha Beta Hydroxy Pore Refining Scrub

Likes:
-Very affordable at $6.49 on http://sallybeauty.com
-The beads are tiny and very gentle on my skin
-Leaves my skin soft and glowy
-Huge tube has 113g/ 4oz of product so this stuff lasts forever. (a little goes a long way)
-The ABH is good for tiny wrinkles

Dislikes:
-Unavailable in Manila. My friend Anne got me a bunch tubes a while back so I'm lucky I still have a few to go through before i run out :)
-The ABH makes skin sensitive to the sun so it's a must to wear sunscreen

Overall:
I am very satisfied with this scub. Before this i was using Clarins Gentle Exfoliating Refiner and i always felt guilty using that because it was so darn expensive., but seriously i could compare Beyond Belief with this. The beads are extremely fine and my sometimes sensitive skin doesn't have a bad reaction to it. It's Heaven sent :) If you can get your hands on these, please try it out. I'm pretty positive you wont regret it :)

Would i purchase again? definitely yes!

New Stuff : Rosken Bio Serum

With daily use of Rosken Bio Serum:

Immediately

soothes and moistens skin

seals in moisture

leaves skin feeling smooth and healthy

With continued use

helps reduce the appearance of scars and stretch marks

promotes skin elasticity

reduced the appearance of uneven pigmentation

provides long lasting protection from the elements like sun,wind and air-conditioning

helps smooth wrinkles and fine lines

**I've been using this for a little over a week, still no results of course, but this product is relatively cheap and available everywhere here in Manila so I'm going to continue using it. I have some scars (on my leg) and stretch marks ( on my tummy) so this seems like the perfect product for me :D

review: the brush guard

i got the medium and extra small


this is the medium one for face brushes


extra small for eye brushes


clean brushes to dry :)


the medium fits perfectly on mac brushes


tadah!


the proper way to dry brushes :)

likes:
-allows my brushes to dry properly - bristles down, so that the excess water wont seep down to the ferrule
-keeps my brushes clean when in storage
-keeps the bristles in brand new form
-very affordable
-locally available here: http://mybeautybasket.multiply.com

dislikes:
NONE!

overall:
these brush guards are an absolute must if you have expensive brushes. they maintain quality and my brushes honestly look brand new after every single wash. i actually keep these guards on even after drying because they protect the bristles from the dust and germs too!

would i purchase again?
i will! again and again and again!

****note****

i completely forgot to post pictures of the brushes when they were dry. i really wanted to show you guys how well they looked afterwards! same with the small brush guards for the eye brushes :) i will post them soon, so watch out for them :)