review: stila illuminating powder in "gold"

LIKES:

- with .32oz/9g of product, this is huge and will probably last me forever
- the packaging is beautiful
- glitter/shimmer is subtle ( in my opinion) enough to look natural
- product is hard so i don't really worry about it crumbing

DISLIKES:

- the product popped out of the pan when i first got it. thank god it was in one piece so i just super glued it together.
- at P1,500 ( $32) it's quite pricey for a highlighter

- it's difficult to get the product onto a brush because it's such a hard product. ( unlike mac blushes / highlighters which comes in a creamier formulation)

- if you don't care for glitter you might be turned off by this product.

OVERALL:

i think this product is amazing, eventhough it has chunky glitter, it does not come across as cheap and disco-ball like. it's very subtle and sheer. i wish they made this with a different formulation though, the product is just so damn hard! i feel like i have to scape it with a brush!

WOULD I BUY AGAIN? yes


RATING: /5

collective haul

it's been a while since i did one of these so here goes!!



1.cetaphil
2.mac brush cleaner
3.kerastase oleo relax serum
4.desert essence pure jojoba oil
5.sunsilk shampoo
6.benefit high beam
7.benefit benetint
8.mac blush "well dressed"
9.maybelline volum' express mascara in "very black"
10. loew-cornell 3/8 maxine's mop

i will be doing reviews for all the items shown here so watch out for my future posts!!

we don't have benefit here in manila, so i asked my relatives from hong kong to get it from me =) loew- cornell brushes are available here : http://digitaltraincase.multiply.com/photos

other products were bought in watsons, mac counters, & healthy options =)

demo: de-potting your udpp

i know this has been shown like a bazillion times and everyone here already knows how to do it, but i wanted to post it anyways ( also because i took pictures and i didn't want it to go to waste =))




you will need the following: a knife, a towel, a small travel jar, a small plastic spatula and of course your udpp



(step one) take your knife and place on the fattest area of the tube and slice that baby open. if you're clumsy or impatient( like me) be really careful. wouldn't want your fingers to get chopped off.



(step two) stand back and watch in AWE on how much udpp is STILL left in the bottle. i swear using the wand you would think there was nothing left. you really have to depot it.



(step three) take a plastic spatula and scoop everything out.



(step four) transfer everything into a travel size plastic jar. make sure you disinfect the jars with some alcohol.

this filled up almost half the jar!! urban decay is totally ripping us off!!

review: revlon matte eyeshadow in "vintage lace"

PROS:
*affordable since it's a drugstore brand
*creamy texture ( not unlike mac e/s)
*very pigmented
*true matte finish
*very neutral and perfect as a highlight color
*highly available ( i got mine in watsons)

CONS:
*the plastic pan is excruciatingly cheap
*the sponge tip applicator is even more so
*there's only a smatter of color to chose from

i didn't get all the colors because i can't seem to work with matte finishes, but i picked this up because i think vintage lace is the perfect highlight color. it's always wise to go for matte colors when highlighting the browbone, especially when using shimmery shadows on the lid.

review: OPI nail polish in " you don't know jacques!"

PROS: this color is incredible. it's very unique with it's creamy medium to dark grey taupe. it's classy AND edgy and looks great with a lot of outfit. you'll definitely be the different one when you wear this and i mean that in a good way! =)

CONS: the formulation is kinda runny and it took 3 coats to get a more opaque finish. also mine came with a jacked up brush. professional application is a must because it can look gross when it gets on your cuticles or smudges around..let's just say ..avoid sloppy application at all cost!!

overall i'm pleased with this color. it's fun to stand out amidst the sea of reds and blacks! i will definitely repurchase!