Clinique Day Today!

Hello ladies! Today, Friday, April 29, Clinique Rustan's Makati will have a FREE Consultation, Skin Typing and Color Open House! Everybody can try out Clinique products to their hearts' content! Girls (and guys) who will undergo a skin consultation will receive gifts from Clinique. I will be there to cover the event so if you see me, give me a shoutout, okay? See you!

Lust Smokey Eye

I used the Wet n Wild Lust palette that’s why the title has the word “lust” in it. = )

I used all the shades on the left side plus a bit of shimmer on the bottom shadow on the right to top the look. This isn’t a “clean” smokey eye. I was just testing out this palette. Plus I wasn’t really in the mood to apply makeup as I think I did this at 11 pm.

I was very impressed with the Wet n Wild palette. For 500 pesos, I get 6 very fine, very pigmented shades that can give me day or night looks. When I swatched it the first time at the SM counter, I was already impressed but I wasn’t expecting it to perform this good when I actually apply it on my lids. The colors are easy to build  and they blend well with each other. Fallout was minimal. And for something this affordable, I was surprised that it didn’t make my eyes itch. But then again, I only had this on for a few minutes. I’ll find out soon enough.

Another thing that I like about this palette are the matte shadows. I’m trying to find a good matte palette as I lack these in my traincase.  I plan to get all the palettes in this line.

I will post more EOTD’s using this palette. Next time, I’ll use the glitter shadows. 

Do you own a Wet n Wild palette? Are you loving it?

Beauty Bar VS Ellana: The Battle of the Brush Cleaners

I’ve been a huge fan of Ellana brush cleaners ever since I bought my first brush set. I buy my supply from SM Makati but there are times when it is out of stock. During one of those days, I looked for an alternative and found one at Beauty Bar. The brush cleaner is an in-house brand (Beauty Bar). This costs Php595 while the Ellana costs Php170.

I didn’t feel like words and photos would justify my preference (you'll see later on what that is) so I made a short video for this post.

Notes:

1. I used my old school digicam for this video so I apologize if it sometimes gets blurry.

2. I was holding the camera with my right hand so only my left hand was doing the actual demo. I am right-handed.

3. I used my laptop table as I did this in bed. I just wanted to say that. LOL.

4. That weird sound is the fan.

Beauty Bar Brush Cleaner VS Ellana Brush Cleaner

For the second method, if you can remember, the brush still has some of the Ellana Brush Cleaner on it that’s why the Beauty Bar cleaner was able to remove more product. If you use this on its own then you will remove less product.

If you continue to wipe the brush with the tissue (using Ellana) then you'll be able to remove most of the foundation.

I am really, really disappointed with the Beauty Bar cleaner. I shelled out almost 600 pesos for a poor product. I even used another method which is to dip my brushes directly into the solution then wiped them off but it was still a failure. I also tried to rinse/soak my brushes with it but it made my brushes hard and the hairs looked brittle.

On the other hand, the Ellana cleaner makes my brushes soft every single time. It also smells better than the Beauty Bar cleanser (in my opinion). I never tried soaking/rinsing/dipping my brushes directly into the Ellana cleanser because there was no need to. The tissue method works just fine.  I just wish they had this in a bigger bottle like the Beauty Bar bottle.

What’s your favorite brush cleaner?

Purederm Shiny & Hydrating Hair Mask

I am busy writing these backlog posts. This is an overdue review and lately I've been finding time to use my DIY products. This is another great product from the Purederm line:

I only have one of these and I used it a couple of months ago. It doesn’t give my hair a miraculous shine but my hair looked like it has Vitress on (on strategic parts).  But it didn’t look like it has oil all over. It was a natural looking shine. I like the fact that it didn’t make my scalp itch.

This product is suited for dry hair (check). It has peppermint oil that soothed my scalp. If you can recall, I’ve had shampoo problems and this product was a wonderful break from all that itching.

It takes some time to rinse this off but the effort is worth it. Will I repurchase? Absolutely! This is very affordable at less than one hundred pesos. If only I can find more time to use my DIY products. The whirlwind of a holiday went by so fast! I did a lot of chores and things that I’ve been wanting to do for the longest time. Good thing I was able to have some R&R with MB despite the heat. We only stayed at home as we will have a vacation this weekend. And now, it’s Monday again! So little time, so much to do.

Are you ready to tackle this week’s challenges?

Mood Lips?

If there are mood rings, then technology has developed a mood lip gloss and a mood lip balm:

I got the NYX Mood Lip Gloss from Sol.  I don't use this very often as I am not a huge fan of lip gloss. But this is very useful when I'm out on bazaars (outdoor bazaars, that is).  I like using lip stains and the gloss gives the lip stain a boost.

The lip gloss lasts for a fair amount of time. It also leaves a nice pink stain on my lips after I've wiped it off. It sometimes gives me dry lips so I make sure to pile on lip balm before applying it. Here are swatches:

This is over Revlon Just Bitten Lip Balm. You can actually see the gloss change color if you apply it over a lip balm.

This one below is just the gloss solo:

It's a nice pink shade, perfect for teens.

On the other hand, we have the mood lip balm. Here are swatches:



This is a lighter pink compared to the gloss which gives my lips a deep pink hue. Isn't that strange? I think the gloss should be lighter. Anyway, they are both pretty.

I actually forgot about this lip balm until this post. I've been neglecting it as I'm always in a "full makeup" mood. I use this balm only on lazy days. This lip balm is okay although I don't know why Lip Ice has this certain effect on me. My mouth (inside) tends to dry up while my lips are still soft and look hydrated. Maybe it's the ingredients used. I don't know. That's another reason why I don't use Lip Ice that often. I actually gave my tinted Lip Ice lip balms to my teenage cousin. I really can't take the sweetness. Luckily, this is not sweet.

This is a new discovery. I applied a little bit of the NYX Mood Gloss over the mood lip balm and voila:

The trick with lip gloss is, do not go overboard. Do not apply gloss all over your lips unless you're gloss happy. Lip gloss is used to highlight your lips. I applied the lip gloss only on the center of each lip and pressed my lips together once. I think this is a very good use of both mood lip products. And that gives me an idea! I'm going to use this trick on kiddie clients! I think this would look great on flower girls as little girls' lips are still very, very pink. This color will look natural on them. Hey, I just learned a few things from this post. Light bulb moment!

Changpo!

Finally, I gave in to the Changpo craze! I am still on the lookout for a good shampoo as after some time, I develop allergic reactions to the usual shampoos that I try. I've already tried the ones from Healthy Options which were okay until I developed flakes. Then I've tried St. Ives but it left my hair dry. I used L'Oreal before but ended up with allergies on my skin (shoulders, arms). I tried using L'Oreal again after seeing Kitten's haul post and I'm glad that my skin has adjusted to it. But I still couldn't resist trying out this shampoo from The Face Shop:

Changpo Wave Volume Up Shampoo

This one is for curly hair.  Too bad the conditioner was out of stock.

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! Am I ever so happy with this purchase! My hair feels soft and smooth and bouncy all at the same time whenever I use this. I use this at night to remove all the dirt and gunk on my hair then I use a L'oreal conditioner in the morning. I must say that even without the conditioner, my hair looks great! It's just a bit hard to comb but it's okay. I don't need much combing anyway.

It hasn't given me rashes yet so that's a good sign. I've been using this for about 3 weeks now and I'm happy with the results. The smell is also nice. The packaging is great. It won't spill. The price is a little over Php300 but I think it's definitely worth it as I only need a small amount to wash my hair. It lathers up quite nicely.

I wish they would restock the conditioner soon as the L'oreal conditioner takes away all the bounciness that this shampoo gives. Sometimes I just want big, bouncy hair. LOL!

There's also a variant for straight hair. Lucky you, they've got lots of stocks for the conditioner as well.

Black Bamboo

I am on the hunt for a good makeup remover. If you can recall, I'm using this makeup remover from TFS to remove makeup on my face. But since this is cream-based, I won't be able to use it on all skin types. Good thing I found this at TFS:

I initially used this only for eye makeup removal but the other day I went to TFS to ask if they have a water-based makeup remover for the face. The SA said that it was out of stock so I asked if I could use the Black Bamboo Lip & Eye Makeup Remover for the face. She said yes. When I got home I tried it immediately. It was a success! I didn't use this to remove all my makeup though. I'm saving this for client use. I used the fruity makeup remover for the residue.

Water-based makeup remover is great for oily skin. I have combination/dry skin and if I use this product too much (say when I'm doing several EOTD's), my skin tends to hurt because of too much dryness. Hmmm... That leaves me thinking. Maybe I should include the cream-based makeup remover in my traincase for clients with dry skin...

Anyway, aside from those effects, this product is gentle enough for my sensitive skin. I don't experience any allergic reactions to it. Plus if I just use it once, it leaves my skin feeling soft and smooth. I haven't experienced any stinging in the eyes but I will be on the lookout for that. 

The packaging is also great as it does not spill even though I put it horizontally in my traincase. This will definitely be a staple.

The Black Bamboo Makeup Remover retails for Php400-500 pesos at your favorite Face Shop branch. I highly recommend it if you are oily skinned and are looking for an effective, gentle and affordable makeup remover.

Make Me Classy

After a month of using my Sigma Make Me Classy Brush Set, I am now ready to give a decent review of them.

Here’s the case which is very useful as I use one part to store my clean brushes in and the other part to store the dirty ones in. The only thing I didn’t like about this was the scratch. Yes, my case was scratched. I ordered this from the US and so I have no choice but to keep it.

The clasps can sometimes be annoying too. They’re a bit hard to close. Here are the brushes:



This set includes 12 brushes:
1. Large Powder brush
2.Duo Fibre brush
3. Foundation brush
4. Tapered Blending brush
5. Concealer brush
6. Small Angle brush
7. Large Angled Contour brush
8. Large Shader brush
9. Pencil brush
10. Eye Shading brush
11. Medium Angled Shading brush
12. Eyeliner brush

I like the fact that each brush is labeled with its name and number.

These brushes very rarely shed (wet or dry). The large powder brush still bleeds whenever I deep clean it. The Duo Fibre also bleeds when I wash it.

The bristles are very soft although sometimes the foundation brush tends to prick my skin a little. It’s okay, it doesn’t hurt but it’s a bit annoying at times.

My favorites are the duo fibre brush, concealer, foundation and blending brushes. I think you can create a whole look with just these brushes.

They are very easy to clean but the tricky part is drying them. I bought brush guards just to maintain their shape. My other brushes (Charm and Ellana) don’t need brush guards when drying.

The brushes are a mix of natural and synthetic so if you are allergic to one then it’s best to just buy individual brushes. So far I haven’t had any allergic reactions to these brushes.

I can say that these are the best brushes that I own, so far. I am planning to buy another set to bring to gigs but I’ll be buying the ones in a brush roll. The black case is too heavy to be lugging around along with my traincase.

These brushes are available in black, coral, aqua and purple. I was thinking about buying the purple one before but Kitten said that black looks more professional. I’m glad I listened to her.

What are your favorite makeup brushes? I wanna know!

First Time with Makeup? (Part 2)

Now that we know the basics of skin care, let’s move on to the exciting part which is makeup!

But first, you need a good sized makeup kit such as this:



Make sure everything fits!

Next, you need primers. Now, you may ask, “I’m just a makeup newbie so why do I need primers?” Primers make a good foundation for your makeup. They help make your makeup last longer and make the colors pop. Also, if you’re just starting, better start right.

Here I have Benefit’s That Gal Face Primer, the ever famous UDPP and Rosebud Salve for my chapped lips.

Now, let’s start with the eyebrows, down. You need a good eyebrow kit. For beginners, in2it’s eyebrow kit is very popular:

But I prefer Fanny Serrano’s Eyebrow Kit that can double as eyeshadows and great for smokey eye looks. The powders are highly pigmented and can easily be blended into your brows.

Next, we need correctors and concealers. If you’re just starting out, buy a good concealer. If you have oily skin, use a liquid concealer but keep in mind that this only gives you a light coverage. For other skin types, buy a cream based concealer.

Bobbi Brown Corrector

Benefit Confessions of a Concealaholic

For the eyes, I would suggest a palette. Actually, if it’s your first makeup purchase, I would suggest buying a complete palette as it is more economical and practical (as long as you are sure that you will use everything in that palette). Buy a palette that is in basic colors or colors that you normally wear such as browns, pinks, etc. 

May I suggest something like this:

Clinique Milly Palette

These colors are definitely wearable for day or night. You can also use this palette for special occasions. You can also try something like this:

NARS 15th Anniversary Palette

Everything that you need (blush, bronzer, eyeshadows, lipstick and lip gloss) are in here.

Find something that is in your budget range but make sure that you buy wisely. There are some makeup that are cheap for a reason. Invest in something that will last a long time.

If you’d like to try lining your eyes, buy a good eye liner that will not smudge especially if you have oily skin. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can also try gel liners.

I prefer gel and pencils over liquid liners as I have more control over them. Also, I hate waiting for liquid liners to dry.

Don’t forget to curl your lashes!

Even if you don’t line your eyes or wear mascara, curling your lashes instantly opens up your eyes so invest in a good eyelash curler. Also, if you’re going to buy a mascara, I would suggest that you buy a waterproof one especially now that it’s summer. You don’t want black tears/sweat running down your face. And you never know, you may be caught in an emotional situation. If you’re going to cry then at least cry and still look pretty. Well, that’s just me. If you prefer regular mascara, by all means, go ahead!

For the face, of course you need foundation:

Here’s a guide on choosing the type of foundation for your skin:

Normal – You can use anything! Liquid, Cream or Dual Finish
Oily – You can use a liquid foundation then set it with a dual finish powder but use it dry.
Combination/Dry – I use a liquid foundation first then set it with either a regular foundation or a dual finish powder. You can also use a loose powder. Ladies who have combination skin can also use a cream foundation.
Acidic -  I am acidic so I prefer a dual finish powder. I recently discovered that Bobbi Brown’s BB Cream works wonders for my skin. It slows down the oxidation process. After the BB Cream, set it with a dual finish powder.
Problem skin (acne, marks, etc.) – If you’re going to a special occasion, I would suggest using a liquid foundation first. See if it covers all the marks. If you still see some marks, try to cover them up with a cream foundation. After that, warm the dual finish powder with your hands then pat gently all over your face to set.

Cheat Sheet:

Liquid foundation – light coverage
Cream foundation – Medium to heavy coverage
Dual Finish – Heavy coverage

For cheek color, you can buy whatever you want!




Same goes for lip colors:



Here are some things that you may or may not have in your kit depending on your needs:

You need brushes. Period.

I would suggest that you invest in good quality brushes especially if you’re serious about makeup. For starters, buy a brush that can double as a powder and blush brush. If you can only buy one brush for your eyes, I would suggest a blending brush because you can make different eye looks with only this one brush. I will show you one eye look that uses this one brush in a future post. You can also opt to buy a foundation brush. If it’s not yet in your budget, use a sponge but in the long run, sponges are actually more expensive as you need to chuck them after every use.  Examples of good, affordable brushes are Ellana, Marionnaud, some ELF brushes.

It’s always a good idea to have oil blotting films in your kit especially during summer. A setting spray is also a good investment especially if you’re going to a special event. It keeps your makeup in place. Examples are MAC Fix and Urban Decay All Nighter.



Lastly, you need something to take your makeup off:

Water-based makeup removers are good for all skin types. Use an oil-based makeup remover for waterproof and hard to remove makeup. I use a cream makeup remover for the rest of my face. If you can find a water-based makeup remover for the whole face then go for it! It’s just more expensive than a cream makeup remover. A good water-based makeup remover is Bobbi Brown’s. For oily skinned ladies, try to avoid oil-based makeup removers.

So that’s it! I hope I was able to answer your question Anonymous! To all you ladies, feel free to ask me questions and make topic requests and I will do my best to answer all of them.

Makeup can make or break your look. Makeup is powerful. It can boost your confidence, make you feel beautiful and stand a little bit taller in a crowd.

First Time with Makeup? (Part 1)

There are times when I receive requests/questions about makeup. One such question was:

“HI. Nice post. I'm kinda starting to collect my kikay kit and I wonder if you could help me out on what to have and what not. “

This was an anonymous post  and I apologize for not being able to answer it quickly. I like doing some research first and test out products before I answer questions.

So Anonymous, you’ve finally reached that point where you want to explore the world of makeup! Good for you! Here are a few essentials to keep in mind when building your first makeup kit or collection.

First, you need good, clear, clean skin. Makeup is nothing without a good canvas. I personally use the Clinique 3-Step System:

Be sure to keep in mind your budget and your needs when choosing a skin care system. I would recommend that you go to your favorite brand and get a skin consultation to determine your skin type – normal, dry, oily, combination and if you’re acidic. If your brand doesn’t offer that service, go to Clinique at Rustan’s Makati and ask Malou, Baby or Dindin for a FREE Skin Consultation. Tell them you’ve been referred by Lady E of bitsandtreats. (No, I do not get a cut from this recommendation. I believe in the product that is why I’m recommending it). Now that you know your skin type, you can choose your perfect facial wash, toner and moisturizer. Be sure to test if your skin is acidic as this is important in determining your correct foundation shade.

Next, do not forget to take care of the area around your eyes. For this, I use:

Make sure you apply eye cream once in the morning and once before going to bed.

Next, you need a good sunscreen. There are a lot of products out there so choose the best one that fits your needs and your budget. I use this:

Now that you have the basics, let’s move on to makeup proper. Stay tuned for part 2.

When shopping in Forever 21…

Shop SMART! First off, I do not have anything against Forever 21. I shop there. But I do not agree with all their prices, period.

Number one,  do not be swayed by all the pretty colors and all the girls running around with the black mesh F21 bags on their shoulders almost filled to the brim. Nope, do not get swayed.

If you have a list or an idea of stuff that you’re going to buy then great! Try to stick to that list as much as possible. But you and I know that you’re going to add a necklace or a bracelet or a purse to that list at the last moment, right? No worries as long as you know you can afford to splurge and that you’re going to use that piece for a long time. A little treat for yourself is good every now and then.

Not everything in Forever 21 is affordable and worth its price tag as I’ve said. Of all my visits in that store, there was never a time when I didn’t see something that was not worth its price. For example, I saw a really cute dress once at the Mega branch. In my head I was thinking it was retailing for 700 pesos but when I looked at the price tag, it was Php1500. I mean the material was very flimsy and it looked like it was going to crumble in the wash. No offense to F21 diehards but some SM clothes looked better than that. More affordable too.

Here’s another example:

Boxers

I wouldn’t buy this for Php365. Why? They are very thin and some of the materials used were similar to a canvas tote. HerBench has better and prettier boxers for 200-300 pesos with better packaging too. And it’s a Filipino Brand.

Based on my experience, I tend to avoid the basics. I bought several basic shirts in the past and after 3 washes, they got deformed. The material also became thinner. They are cheap for a reason.

Dresses

Tops

I love the clothes here:

When buying accessories, use your head. If you like accessories as much as I do, you’d know the different price points from different stores, right? I go to SM, ALDO, Accessorize, etc. and look at stuff and their prices just so I have an idea in my head. Sometimes I see pieces in SM that are in ALDO but for a more expensive price, of course. So do the same with Forever 21. Have an open mind.

Pretty Floral Purse

Not so pretty price

I zoomed in on this purse when I arrived at the accessories section. Can I afford it? Yes. Will I buy it? No. I would rather shell out this amount at a store that specializes in bags and purses. I’m just being careful. Forever 21 specializes in clothes and I still ended up with a few fails, what more with purses? I don’t want to risk Php1,600.

Some of the belts are priced okay but if you look at some of them closely, you may be reminded of belts from 168.

The scarves are priced right – Php300-600. I am starting to develop an addiction to scarves. Mom got me a couple.

I’m not so sure about these sunnies:

If you have acidic skin like I do, avoid the silver and gold lines. I know I’ve said it a few times in the past but really, I am so disappointed with their accessories. They tarnish and they fade.

But there are still some accessories that I couldn’t resist:

If you’ve noticed, these are all pearls and beads. They sure wouldn’t tarnish but I’m hoping that they are made well. We’ll see.  Mom got me these as well.

Some of these hair accessories are overpriced. You can buy them at the local department store or specialty stores for half the price!

I don’t know about you but I find these sneakers overpriced too at Php1,000+. Again, I’d rather go to a shoe specialist.

These platforms cost Php1600+. I got a pair from Shoeology (not floral) for only Php1,100. So sue me, I like supporting Filipino brands.

I didn’t buy any clothes because mom decided to hoard clothes from Plains & Prints for me. Well, that’s because I’m too small and I find it hard to buy clothes (and shoes). So when I find nice clothes that fit me, I buy them immediately. I’m an XS at Plains & Prints, by the way, and they don’t always have that size. Some XS (like shorts) are still waaayy to big for me.

Anyway, back to Forever21. When I do decide to buy clothes, I inspect the material and the stitching first. If it passes, then I put it in my bag. After going around several times and choosing pieces that I like, I head to the dressing room and try everything on. After that, I sift through all of them again and finally decide which ones I’m really going to buy. This has saved me a lot of money. I always ask myself these questions - is this worth it?, is there anything in my closet I can pair this with?, will I use this for a long time?  There are also times when I ended up returning everything just because one is too sheer, another one doesn’t fit me well or I finally decided that they’re too expensive.

I love the concept of Forever21 and I love looking at its merchandise but I will always shop smart at this store.