PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: MAC VELVET EYESHADOW (BLACK TIED)

Here's an initial review on MAC VELVET EYESHADOW IN BLACK TIED

PRICE: 250PHP (ORIGINALLY AT 850PHP)

PLACE BOUGHT: EBAY.PH

OTHER LOCATIONS: MAC OUTLETS (GLORIETTA, SHANGRI- LA, MARIONNAUD SM MALL OF ASIA, POWERPLANT MALL, ROCKWELL)

THE VERDICT:

Well, this is probably one of the greatest deals I've scored via ebay. I've been looking for an alternative to my MAC eyeshadow in Carbon and this came in at a perfect timing!

Black Tied is a matte eyeshadow with silver glimmer. It is in the velvet formula, which is one of my well- loved eyeshadow variants of MAC. Second is Satin then Frost.

Check out that the glitters come off when you apply this. It goes to show that the glitter does serve a purpose, and is not meant to make the eyeshadow as a mere eye candy. It adds dimension and drama to the classic black eyeshadow. It goes on smoothly, like velvet and is hell pigmented when applied, as compared to the matte variants that can tend to smoke out when you blend it.

**WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE MAC EYESHADOW VARIANTS? :)

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: STILA EYESHADOW (KITTEN)

Here's an initial review on STILA EYESHADOW IN KITTEN

PRICE: $14

PLACE BOUGHT: SEPHORA

OTHER LOCATIONS RUSTAN'S (PHILIPPINES)

THE VERDICT:

I became curious on this eyeshadow since it garnered so many raves in Girltalk's Stila thread. And I asked hubby for this as a pasalubong. I only wanted the eyeshadow but hubby was so kind to throw in an empty eyeshadow pan to secure this eyeshadow! :) I love you bubee! :)

Kitten is a champagne peach eyeshadow with a slight pink undertone that's quite unnoticeable at all, not unless you apply this heavily. 

Here's a swatch of the Kitten e/s. It's uber pigmented! For a detailed review on the quality of this eyeshadow, please do check my review on Stila eyeshadow in Diamond Lil'. I just swatched this twice and look how incredibly pigmented this eyeshadow is! 

I hope you see the slight pink undertone because I can see it! (Look closely and inspect thoroughly) Sorry if some may not see it because my camera may not be performing that well during this photo shoot. :)

And here's an individual eyeshadow pan for my Kitten e/s!

LOVE YOU HUBBY! :)

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: NARS POWDER BLUSH (OUTLAW)

Here's an initial review on NARS POWDER BLUSH (OUTLAW)

PRICE: 100PHP (NORMALLY AT 1350PHP)

PLACE BOUGHT: GIRLTALK

OTHER LOCATIONS: RUSTAN'S

THE VERDICT:

I've been lemming for a berry colored blush. It felt like my blush collection is kinda' small and boring so for variety, I decided to add Nars blush in Crazed to my collection. But not in the near future since I don't have the budget yet. And luck is by my side when this Nars Powder blush in Outlaw was sold to me.

Outlaw is a berry- colored blush with a hint of gold shimmer. It's helluva pigmented so I suggest that you go easy on this when applying this because you might end up looking like a clown if you apply too much of it. 

Here's Outlaw on my cheeks. It gives me a nice berry glow. It compliments my tanned skin a lot, which goes to show that this shade is perfect for dark skinned chicas. Berry colored blushes can give you a nice healthy glow when applied correctly.

As always, Nars' blushes are long staying and easy to blend. I only needed a swipe to achieve this effect so this Nars blush will really last me long! :)

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: STILA EYESHADOW (DIAMOND LIL')

Here's an initial review on STILA EYESHADOW (DIAMOND LIL')

PRICE: $14

PLACE BOUGHT: SEPHORA

OTHER LOCATIONS: RUSTAN'S (PHILIPPINES)

THE VERDICT:

Here's another item off of Hubby's US trip pasalubong loot. :) It's also one of my much- awaited purchases since I'm revamping my eyeshadow collection. It's Stila's eyeshadow in Diamond Lil'

Diamond Lil' is a mushroom taupe eyeshadow. It has a slight gold shimmer. For color familiarity, it's a gray taupe eyeshadow with gold shimmer. Stila's eyeshadow pans are quite big so I'm sure this pan will last me long, not to mention that it's UBER pigmented. One swipe already gives your peepers a surge of color. Stila's eyeshadows are so silky, it's like applying cashmere on your lids. It blends easily and it doesn't cake, crease nor streak. It is also not chalky so you get 100% pure color. Upon blending, the powder doesn't fall on your cheeks due to the fantastic formulation.

And here's my Diamond Lil' along with Stila's empty eyeshadow pan. This pan has a magnet which holds the eyeshadow refill securely. It's easy to remove as well. I love how the pan is so convenient so i give the packaging 10 stars. :)

Here's a post courtesy of pinksith.com. MAC's Smoke and Diamonds is currently one of MAC's famous eyeshadow. And unfortunately, it's unavailable here. The reason why I got diamond lil' is because of this post. But primarily, I'm on the look out for a nice gray eyeshadow as well to compliment my black eyeshadow. Check that it duped MAC's S&D by 98%! It's cheaper and the pan is bigger so get more out of your cash. Check also that Stila's more pigmented than MAC! :)

Will I purchase this again? Of course I will! I just hope that this color is available here in the Philippines. :)

EBAY HAUL! :)

Hello darlings! This is just a quick post. I just want to post my latest love package. :)

Here's another great haul at 250php only. :)

It's a MAC eyeshadow in Black Tied. :) Lovely eyeshadow! Especially the price!

**DON'T YOU JUST LOVE EBAY??? ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU CHANCE UPON FANTASTIC BARGAINS LIKE THIS??? :)

REVIEWS AND SWATCHES TO FOLLOW!

FOTD: BORED

I got bored. So I came up with this look and is surprisingly, apt for different lipstick colors. :)

HERE ARE THE PRODUCTS I USED:

FACE:

KRYOLAN INVISIBLE MATT

KRYOLAN SUPRACOLOR PALETTE 6'S CREAM FOUNDATION (2W)

MUFE HD FOUNDATION (160)

SEPHORA MATTIFYING COMPACT POWDER (COGNAC ROSE)

MAC STUDIO FIX POWDER PLUS FOUNDATION (NC40) FOR HIGHLIGHTING

MAC BRONZER (SOLAR RICHE) FROM THE SOLAR FIELD COLLECTION FOR CONTOURING THE NOSE

EYES:

KRYOLAN EYESHADOW BASE

MAC EYESHADOW (CARBON)

STILA EYESHADOW (KITTEN)

STILA EYESHADOW (DIAMOND LIL')

MAYBELLINE COLOSSAL MASCARA (BLACK)

EVER BILENA PENCIL EYELINER (BLACK)

FASHION21 PENCIL EYELINER (WHITE) FOR THE WATERLINE

CHEEKS:

MAC BRONZER (SOLAR RICHE) FROM THE SOLAR FIELD COLLECTION

NARS POWDER BLUSH (OUTLAW)

AND FOR MY LIPS... :)

USING MAC MATTE LIPSTICK IN RUSSIAN RED

USING NYX ROUND LIPSTICK IN TEA ROSE

USING NYX ROUND LIPSTICK IN FIG

USING BOBBI BROWN CREAMY LIPCOLOR IN RETRO PINK

USING CHANEL ROUGE ALLURE LIPSTICK IN COMEDIA 74

USING YSL ROUGE PUR IN ROSE PINK 141

**CIAO! :)

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: SMASHBOX O- GLOW MICROCIRCULATING CHEEK COLOR

Here's an initial review on SMASHBOX O- GLOW MICROCIRCULATING CHEEK COLOR

PRICE: APPROX. 1200-1500PHP (FORGOT THE DOLLAR EQUIVALENT)

PLACE BOUGHT: SEPHORA

OTHER LOCATIONS: BEAUTY BAR (PHILIPPINES)

THE VERDICT:

Finally, I am now going to try this product. It garnered some citations in different beauty magazines and I was on the verge of trying it. But since I don't like the brand, I was a bit prohibitive in purchasing this though some say it's great.

And here comes my hubby to answer my prayers. He got me this because he found the tube casket cute. He even said that he had his mom put this in her bag because he wanted to preserve the shape of the tube because he said that it's too cute to be crushed in his bag. And I told him: "You're cute!" Haha. I missed our landian. :)

Here comes another product off of hubby's US trip pasalubong loot. The Smashbox O- Glow Cheek Color. It's sister product, O- Gloss is concentrated on the lips. It has the same effect like O- Glow. It gives a rosy pink hue that is true to our natural flush and lip color.

It has a Goji Berry- C complex to moisturize skin while providing it with the certain antioxidants our skin needs to keep it healthy.

This is a cheek gel in silicone form. I hate the formula because I don't like silicone- based make- ups. For some weird reason, it just feels heavy on the face, although it helps battle oilies and sweat. It takes a lot of getting used to but as much as possible, I don't want to ever have silicone- based products thankyouverymuch.

But at least, this blend easily on skin.

Here's o- glow on my cheeks, perfectly blended. It just gives a very light rose flush which looks VERY natural. However, dark skinned ladies like me may find this a bit too light, which can be unnoticeable at all if you apply this lightly. I had to apply two dots on my cheeks, blending one before applying the other. There is also a technic in using this (for dark skinned ladies). When you start to blend, make sure that the pink hue is just concentrated on your apples. Because if you spread this all over your cheeks, the pink hue will be distributed, leaving your apples with a very very very subtle flush of color.

However, staying is power is relatively nice so I just have to apply this twice- thrice throughout the day. It is also unscented and it doesn't leave any pink streaks on my fingers. If it does, (usually if apply the product twice, the pink stains become a bit obvious on the fingers), it goes away with soap and water.

Would I repurchase? No. It's very light and it hate that it's in silicone form. I understand why hubby bought me this. Maybe the SA persuaded him to buy this because apparently, it's one of Smashbox's best products. But truth be told, it just caters to fair skinned people so in my standard, it's not worth every penny at all. But I like it still because it is a gift from my husband. :)

LOVE YOU HUBBY. :)

A POST FOR SIS KHYMM: NYX ROUND LIPSTICK IN FIG AND TEA ROSE COMPARISON

This is a loong overdue post. SORRY SIS KHYMM!

So for today's beauty comparison, Khymm asked me to swatch Nyx Round lipsticks in tea rose and fig side by side so she'll have an idea how both lipstick look like.

L- R: FIG AND TEA ROSE

L- R: TEA ROSE AND FIG

Both are almost 98% the same. I think the shot here is kinda' not good but in actual, Tea Rose is milkier than Fig. Fig is a pastel pink lipstick while Tea Rose is a milky pink lipstick with a slight coral undertone.

**FOR BETTER REFERENCE, CLICK THE NYX LABEL AND LOOK FOR THE LIP SWATCHES OF BOTH LIPSTICK COLORS. :)

LOTD: LADIES IN WAITING

The ladies in waiting are the attendants of the queen in the court. They are part of the middle strata and are quite wealthy.

So check out my Ladies in waiting costume and my theatre make- up. It's REALLY heavy since it's stage make- up so have a look at my LOOK OF THE DAY (LOTD)

Here are the products I used:

KRYOLAN INVISIBLE MATT

MUFE HD FOUNDATION (160)

SEPHORA MATTIFYING COMPACT POWDER (COGNAC ROSE)

MAC EYESHADOW (CARBON)

MAC EYESHADOW (RICEPAPER)

MAC EYESHADOW (GLAMOUR CHECK)

FASHION21 PENCIL EYELINER (WHITE)

MAYBELLINE COLOSSAL MASCARA (BLACK)

EVER BILENA PENCIL EYELINER (BLACK)

NARS POWDER BLUSH (MADLY)
CARGO POWDER BLUSH (MENDOCINO)
MAC STUDIO FIX POWDER PLUS FOUNDATION (NC40)

MAC MINERALIZE SKINFINISH POWDER (DEEP DARK)

GUERLAIN KISSKISS EXTREME LIPSTICK (160PLUS QUE JAMAIS ROSE)

So yeah, am camwhoring. :)

And here are my fellow ladies in waiting Margareta (Standing, Left), Alixt (Middle) and I, Gertrude (Right) and Rosamund (Sitting down).

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: TOO FACED LASHLIGHT

Here's an initial review on TOO FACED LASHLIGHT 

PRICE: $25

PLACE BOUGHT: SEPHORA

OTHER LOCATIONS: SEPHORA ONLINE; DIRECT RESELLERS

THE VERDICT:

This is another product from hubby's US Pasalubong loot. This is the last item that he handed me because he said that this is the most special item that he has bought for me. 

Truth be told, I was really surprised because I've never expected to get such a wonderful present. He told me that he wanted to get me something unique so he got me this one. He found the LED lighting cute and he also told me that he kept on seeing the image of this mascara on my laptop. I'm a mascara eater and yes, I was really eyeing this. It's something I like, but I would not go the extra mile to purchase it. And if it were given to me, it would be great. And hubby just made my dream come true. :)

Let's now go to the packaging. The pink box is cute and quite sturdy.

As you can see, the tube has a compatible mirror attached to it for those emergency touch- ups.

Kikay techies will find delight in this innovative mascara. The oscillation technology is slowly taking the cosmetic industry by storm and the LED lighting technology, which is a trend in Hollywood, is also slowly making it's way in the cosmetic industry.

The LED lights were installed for precise mascara application. However, I find this a bit too harsh on the eyes since the light directly hits your pupils. But nevertheless, it proves to be VERY useful, especially for emergency touch- ups.

This mascara formula is infused with microscopic liquid crystalline particles to bounce light off and around lashes for sexier, fuller, glossy and black lashes. I really don't know how the crystal particles work but I do know that sometimes, fluffy lashes can reflect light around the eye area or cast a shadow around the eyes. In photography and film, this mascara may prove to be very valuable. It also has red algae to condition lashes.

I'm not really sure if this lengthens or volumizes since there's nothing indicated on the box. But check out the product on my lashes.

It did lengthen my lashes so I presume that this one lengthens. Forgive me for the messy application because I was in a rush while taking the pictures. I saw the volumizing ability of this mascara so with precise and careful application, it could serve two treatments: Lengthening and Volumizing.

It's quite long- lasting, but it takes some getting used to so I would be able to apply the mascara perfectly, sans the clumps.

Overall, I love this product. It's new for me and most especially, it's from hubby that's why it's very special. But to those who are willing to purchase this, it's worth trying, but not worth repurchasing. More than the good design, the formula should be equally good as well. If you have extra moolah, why not?

*I WAS THINKING OF PAIRING THIS UP WITH THE LIPGLOSS WITH LED LIGHTS. BUT THEN AGAIN, I DO NOT LIKE WEARING LIP GLOSSES. SO THAT'S ALREADY OUT OF MY LIST. :)

LOVE YOU HUBBY! :)

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: CHANEL ROUGE ALLURE LIPSTICK IN COMEDIA

Here's an initial review on CHANEL ROUGE ALLURE LIPSTICK IN COMEDIA

PRICE: $33 (PLUS TAX)

PLACE BOUGHT: BLOOMINGDALES

OTHER LOCATIONS: RUSTAN'S (PHILIPPINES)

THE VERDICT:

Next off of Hubby's US Pasalubong loot is Chanel's Rouge Allure lipstick in Comedia. This is part of the Venice (?) Collection that I missed here in the Philippines.

This is actually my much- awaited purchase. This is my pabili in the States. Too bad, I was short on cash due to impulse buying so I messaged hubby and told him that I'll pay the lipstick some on December. Then, he told me that he'll just include it as one of his pasalubongs. YAY! I love you! :)

I've already reviewed the formulation before (Please check my labels) so the review is pretty much on the color. Comedia is a cotton candy pink lipstick with a subtle gold shimmer. 

Oooh... Ain't the color pretty?

It doesn't make my lips look garish and I like how the cotton candy pink color stands out without looking unnatural. Probably this is one of the loveliest pink lipsticks that I've encountered so far.

MY CHANEL LIPSTICK PROJECT IS COMPLETE! :)

LOVE YOU HUBBY. :)

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: CARGO POWDER BLUSH IN MENDOCINO

Here's an initial review on CARGO POWDER BLUSH IN MENDOCINO

PRICE: 300PHP

PLACE BOUGHT: GIRLTALK

OTHER LOCATIONS: SEPHORA ONLINE; DIRECT MULTIPLY RESELLERS (THROUGH PRE- ORDERING)

THE VERDICT:

This is my first Cargo product. I've been wanting to try their blushes and HD line. Unfortunately, it's unavailable locally and the direct sellers would charge exorbitant rates for pre- orders. God really does answer prayers because I've never thought that I could own a Cargo blush at just a whopping 300php. Isn't that a COOL bargain?

Let's start with the packaging. It comes in a stainless metal pot which is cute for me. Inside comes a ginormous pan of blush that will last you for decades (lol I'm exaggerating). Seriously, Cargo's blushes are so far, the biggest blushes I've seen.

Let's now go to the product. What I got is a pre- owned product. Surprisingly, it looks 95% brand new. The actual product looks as if it was just swatched by the previous owner! 

Anyhoo, the texture is silky and fine. One swipe can give you a burst of color which goes to show how good the pigmentation of this blush is.

Mendocino is a rose blush with a hint of gold shimmer which is noticeable in the swatch.

And here is Mendocino on my cheeks. It's gorgeous! It's a bit darker in actual, but a good amount can give you this rose- flushed look. I suggest that you apply this sparingly for this blush is HELL pigmented. Check out the gold shimmer. It doesn't look unnatural on the cheek. In fact, it enhances it and makes it look glowing!

Other concerns: Staying power, awesome; Smell, unscented; Powder: finely milled

I would love to own another Cargo blush. I'd like to buy one in Siena (I wish the seller would sell it to me! LOL). 

As far as I'm concerned, I wouldn't dare collect all the Cargo blushes because 5 or more pans can last me for a century! And I wouldn't want that to happen. (LOL)

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: MAC LUSTRE LIPSTICK IN LIGHTLY RIPE

Here's an initial review on MAC LUSTRE LIPSTICK IN LIGHTLY RIPE

PRICE: $10

PLACE BOUGHT: IN A CCO IN NEW YORK (FORGOT THE NAME)

OTHER LOCATIONS: MAC ONLINE; MAC OUTLETS

THE VERDICT:

Here is hubby's first item off the U.S. Pasalubong loot. It's MAC's Lustre Lipstick in Lightly Ripe.

I really thank him for the effort of visiting a CCO. He said that he wanted to have a huge selection so he'll be able to choose from so many brands and colors. :)

Lightly ripe's shade reminds me of a fruit, which I don't know, but it reminds me of a fruit. :p 

It's a brick- peach color with hints of gold shimmer. It's in the lustre variant so this one has a light color pay- off but is buildable.

Lip Swatch

As always, the lustre variants are very moisturizing. Layer this one for the color to show up and apply lightly for a hint of color.

**It's a unique MLBB. It gives your lips a juicy sheen with the help of the shimmers and the overall brick- peach color enhances your lips!

Hubby said that he thought that I wouldn't like the color but I guess he just knows me too much. It's perfect! I love it! :)

LOVE YOU BUBEE. :)

HUBBY'S BACK!+ US TRIP PASALUBONGS :)

Hello dahlings! How's your monday? Well, you could pretty much guess that my day's PERFECT. Hubby arrived and we had a good preview night of our play. 

I was so surprised that hubby called me and told me that he will visit me today. I was expecting that we will see each other tomorrow because he just arrived 5am this morning so I thought he would spend the day sleeping. But he said that he just misses me so bad that's why he went to UP Diliman today.

Ahhh... LURVE. :)

Finally, here are hubby's us trip pasalubongs. I never expected that it would be this much! :)

CHANEL ROUGE ALLURE (COMEDIA)

STILA EYESHADOW (KITTEN)

STILA EYESHADOW (DIAMOND LIL')

STILA EMPTY EYESHADOW PANS X 2

MAC LUSTRE LIPSTICK (LIGHTLY RIPE)

MAC BRONZER (SOLAR RICHE)

BATH AND BODY WORKS COLOGNE (VELVET TUBEROSE)

SMASHBOX O- GLOW CHEEK COLOR

TOO FACED LASHLIGHT MASCARA

AAAAHHH!!!! MY OWN WICKED SOUVENIR! I already have a souvenir but I still have to see the show! Broadway, I'm gonna visit you one day. :) And the shirt on the left is from hubby's sister. It's a shirt from sea world, san diego. :)

As far as I can remember, this is the only day where I received this much make- up in my entire life. :p

***TONS OF REVIEWS AHEAD! :)

FINALLY, MY EXTRAORDINARY HAUL. :)

Hello hello! I've finally met with the seller in Glorietta 4. And she's so nice! Anyhoo, without futher adieu, I present you:

ZE BLUSH HAUL :)

**REVIEWS AND SWATCHES TO FOLLOW! :)

**I'm sorry, I've asked permission from the seller if I can post her contact no. and name here in my blog but she said no. She is really busy and is overwhelmed with all the queries and not to mention, mean buyers. She's uber nice and is the shy- type so please, to the mean buyers, ask her nicely. :) She will attend to all the queries once she fixes her schedule. After doing her priorities, she'll answer your queries one by one.

TODAY'S HAUL+ CONGRATS MANNY!

Hello ladies! Howarya guys? Had a great day of rehearsal, hauling and dinner with friends and co- actors. It's been a tiring week so I decided to treat myself to a good dinner hours ago. And during the day, Mom was in a good mood. She was in the mood to treat someone else. Glad I was present! :)

Before I went to the rehearsal, Mom and I went to the Powerplant mall to avail our waxing session in Basement Salon. I've never been to a waxing session for almost 2 years so what I had was a pretty painful experience. :p

I took pictures of all my hauls and mom deleted the pics. :/ Here are my hauls from the Face Shop and PCX. My PCX hauls were personal care stuff. Wet tissues, panty liners, gums, travelling tissue and mom's l'oreal collagen boost mascara.

And here are some of my hauls.

Here's my The Face Shop Haul. I've ran out of facial wash so I decided to give their Charcoal Fine Foam Facial Cleanser a try. It's 455php. Not bad. I still have no budget for a Kiehl's facial cleanser. Mom bought the 4 nail polishes and I asked her to get the blue for me. I love the color! :)

Oops, forgot to include this in the face shop haul pic. It's the easy liner in black. I needed this to create sharper lines around my eyes.

And finally, I got my Starbucks planner. Actually, it's not that appealing (in terms of design). I was after the coffee. I'm a coffee monster and I've no plans of collecting stickers for the planner. I just thought that it would be waste not to get the stickers. I've told myself that I'll give the planner away. I had my coffee fix in Starbucks Powerplant mall and I was so surprised that I'm finally done filling the card with stickers! It's nice. But not great. I've changed my mind and decided to keep the planner to myself. Technically, this planner is expensive! :)

So here's my 2009 Starbucks planner. Cute but not my type. But I'm gonna use it anyway. :)

CONGRATS MANNY PACQUIAO! YOU HAVE GIVEN OUR COUNTRY ANOTHER REASON TO CELEBRATE! :)