new best friend: Concealer and Pond's BB Cream review

I didn't understand it when beauty enthusiasts always choose concealer as their favorite beauty product among any other beauty product. I mean how can you choose concealer when (I thought) it wasn't important? I wasn't really a concealer person until my recent trip to the beach and now my whole beauty regimen has changed.

Every girl should find what beauty products and regimen works for them. What works for me might not work for you and vice versa. Anyway, I'm happy with my new found beauty regimen. It's much simpler than my old one! Will post both regimen for comparison.

I stopped using pressed powder/foundation ever since I found out about Benefit's Porefessional and Pond's BB cream. They instantly became my holy grail and I couldn't go one day without my BB cream. Couldn't stop hyping about it that I received 6 tubes of it for Christmas. It's insane! 

Anyway, since I used Pond's BB Cream, I stopped using pressed powder because the bb cream alone was enough to make my face stay matte the whole day with only a little oiliness at the end of the day. Its formula makes you sweat less and makes you less oily making your face look fresh the whole day! It also gives your face glowing the whole day. It's my secret to staying fresh ;) KIDDING! 

The light was too light for me though and the beige was waaaaay too dark for my skin tone which made me realize that it's easier to blend a lighter bb cream to your face than to blend a darker shade. I'm not satisfied with the light shade now and way unhappier with the beige shade. Thinking of mixing both shades which makes it such a hassle!! As if my makeup kit is not big enough to carry around now I'm thinking of carrying 2 tubes of bb cream! 

Anyway, I mastered the art of applying makeup while driving. That's my everyday routine. 

• Wake up
• Drink Calamansi juice 
• Drink coffee
• Eat breakfast
• Procrastinate a little
• Take a bath

(I know that there's something wrong with this routine that's taking me so much time to get ready for work. Somewhere between wake up and take a bath there are a lot of things going on. Shall do something about this! It should be wake up, take a bath and drink coffee. maybe i should eat my breakfast in my office. Will try it next week when I come back from Manila.)

• Drive to work
• Apply make up while driving
• Get to work at 10AM (WTF) 
• Be awesome. (wink)

I'm not happy with this even though I still go to my sister's office every morning to do stuff, I still want to make it to a point that I get to my office early. My target is to get to work before 8am but so far I was only able to go to work before 8am once. SO NOT PROUD ABOUT THIS. 

It should be my main target this March. I cant believe 2 months have passed and I've been slacking off like a crazy woman with my wake up early resolution. In fact, I find my self waking up later each day. I just don't understand because I have not been going out at night anymore! 

Random note: My body's craving alcohol. I want to drink beer below zero now! UGH.

The thing is, I really want to set myself as an example to my colleagues. I just cannot stomach going to work late every single day anymore!! God, please help me with this!!

Queen of disorganized thoughts. DRIFTED AGAIN.

Back to my makeup routine:

OLD Makeup routine:

• Ponds BB Cream
• Concealer (optional) only on days I feel like putting it on because I feel that the BB cream was able to cover everything I want to hide *ehemeyebagsehem*
• Shu Eumura eyebrow pencil

and anything I feel like adding on after. 

• contour cheeks
• add blush on or cheek tints
• lipstick or lip balm depending on my mood
• sometimes when Im feeling a little brow OC I use 3 to 4 products in it. You'll know I took time with my brows if it looks extra nice. If it was being uneven, I just penciled it while driving. LOL

New makeup routine

• primer (optional)
• concealer
• eyebrow pencil
• Shu Eumura Princess lip and cheek tint!!!!!!!!!!!! (HYPE OVERLOAD)
• contour cheeks (gotta give the illusion of thinner face heehee :>)

I love my new makeup routine because I wear less makeup now. I never really liked wearing too much makeup or foundation on my face because it feels fake. I want to look naturally good and I think it's every woman's goal. Women spend so much time applying their makeup to look like they didn't put on any. It still depends on my mood which makeup routine I prefer and depends on where I'm going. Lately, I've been loving my zero makeup on just moisturizer face. I no longer feel not presentable.

If you read this, make sure that you get the Shu Uemura Princess lip and cheek tint NOW!!!!!! because 1.) It's limited edition and I don't think they still have a lot of it in the market. :( Good news though, I asked my friend from Japan to hoard 6 tubes of this 3 tubes from me (:p) and 3 tubes will be for sale! GO GET IT NOW!
2.) IT'S SUPER AWESOME I CANNOT...................................................
3.) Ever since this makeup product, I've been obsessed with cream makeup! Blush, lip products and is currently looking for a cream bronzer because of it's convenience. I don't need to carry around a brush anymore. Just my hands. LOL

MAKEUP WISHLIST:

Nars Matte Bronzing Sticks (The Multiple)

Makeup crazy,

Annie

FOTW: Maybelline Baby Lips

I did not own a single lip balm for the longest time and the last time I went make up shopping with my sister (check out the haul here), I decided to get one. I got the Maybelline baby lips lipbalm with SPF 15 and all I can say now is that I CAN”T LIVE WITHOUT IT anymore! It's so moisturizing!!

You know when they say that you’ll never know the importance of something until it’s gone? I feel that way with my lip balm. Few weeks ago I organized my lipsticks so I put all my lip products in one place including everything in my makeup kit so I left my lip balm there also. I left it for 2 days. OMG. I felt so uncomfortable without it! My lips felt dry and mind you, licking your lips with your tongue won’t help you, it will just make your lips drier. I didn’t lick my lips, I am just trying to remind you. Ha! Anyway, my lips felt dry and heavy and uncomfortable. Really. Believe me because that’s how I feel right as I’m typing this because OMG can you believe it? I left it again today. I will buy lots of it the next time I visit the mall so I can keep one in my bag, one in the car, in the office, at home and an extra. Okay, you get it. I feel so uncomfortable right now and that’s when I knew that this is a favorite! Not just for the week but forever for a very long time unless I forget to apply lip balm everyday for a very long time and get used to the feeling without it.
What is your favorite lip balm? I want to try others too!

Xx,

Annie

Makeup Kit for Starters/Drug Store Make Up Haul

I don't usually go makeup shopping since I always just stick with the basics, brown eye shadow, good highlighter, eyeliner, mascara, lipstick and I'm good to go. My makeup collection consists of the most basic stuff you need for an everyday makeup look. I don't buy much drugstore makeup because I'm afraid of wasting my money if I don't get satisfied with what I paid for, kahit 100 pesos yan or 50 pesos, nakakahinayang if I will not use the product much. 


I always go to the makeup section to check out the makeup though, but I always end up not buying. :p Kuripot talaga ako and I can't do much about it. 


This summer, my sister, Patricia came here to visit me and I figured she should start building her makeup kit for the most basic makeup products for everyday use so off we went to SM department store. I felt so happy makeup shopping! For me, it's like hitting two birds with one stone. I get to shop for makeup products I'd like to try plus I get to help my sister pick out products for her makeup kit. :)


Since I'm a kilay fan,  I picked out an eyebrow kit I've been meaning to try! 

Wet n' Wild Ultimate Brow Kit Php399.00

My friend, Val uses this so I wanted to try this out also since I'm looking for a new brow powder to replace my who-knows-how-old Body shop brow kit. 

For me, this brow kit is a bit too dark but pigmentation is really good!!! I'd give this a 5/5 rating if it weren't a bit too dark for me. I look kind of weird and different with darker brows. 

My mom with someone who looks so much like me! hehe I look so different with thicker brows.

Used the brow kit in this picture.

Another makeup line I wanted to try out is Elf cosmetics. I bought Elf peachy keen blush since I don't have a peach blush. I wanted to try this out.

Elf peachy keen blush Php249.50

I love it! This is perfect for summer! It gives my skin an instant glow although it doesn't give my face much color. I use this as a highlighter instead. How do I explain it? It gives a very light peachy glow and oh, it has a little gold shimmer in it which explains the glow I kept repeating. :p So there, it's a peachy gold color, perfect for dark skin tones.

K. I will stop saying "I've been meaning to try this next item....." but they all are! This is my chance to buy these without feeling guilty since I will not keep them. These makeup are my younger sister's. :) 

Cover Girl Sheerly Nudes 265, Php450

This palette is good for everyday use, perfect for school to give that no makeup look. It gives a light color that is not so obvious but it makes a difference. Perfect for "no makeup look".

Cover Girl Wetslicks AmazeMint in Merry Berry, Php375

If you are a mint lover, you'll love this.

*COVERGIRL Wetslicks Amazemint isn't just a lip gloss, it's a smile treatment! Crest Peppermint Oil provides a minty-breath sensation while the gloss itself gives a dazzling high shine without all that "sticky."

It's cool on the lips, which I like but what I don't like is that it feels a little heavy on the lips. I am not sure if it's me, since I don't usually wear lip gloss, or it's this lip gloss. The shade matches my natural lip color but of course it will not look natural since it has gloss. (DUH?? me, DUH???) Why did I have to state the obvious? LOL.


Picked out 2 lip sticks from Cover Girl's LipPerfection Lip Color line. 

405 Fairytale, Php395

Cover Girl Fairytale without Flash

Cover Girl Fairytale with Flash

 It's a beautiful shade of pink. I must say that I really love this lipstick. It's definitely one of the drugstore brands that I'm going to repurchase! 

300 Flame, Php395

L-R: Flame, Fairytale

Flame is a reddish pink shade, pinkish red shade. I can't decide if it's more on the pink or it's more on the red shade but it is a beautiful bright lip color that you can always wear to stand out in the crowd! I love wearing bright colored lipsticks to give my mood a lift. It's an instant pick me upper. I feel happy because the bright shade gives off such a positive vibe. Don't you think? :)


The next items are finally the stuff I bought for yours truly. Finally. 

Maybelline baby lips, php 99.00 each

I badly needed one. I don't know why this is such a staple in every girl's makeup kit yet I didn't own one for the longest time. Now that I got one, I don't know how I can't live without it!

Wet n' Wild white eyeliner, php 119.00

I needed a white eyeliner to line my lower lash line to brighten my eyes! 





*from Cover Girl's website

That wraps up my sister's makeup kit for starters! Hope you enjoyed it!






xx,


Annie

Duty Free/ MAC Haul

Duty Free is one of the best places to go make up shopping here in the Philippines since they offer items tax free. Last February, my sister went to Manila and brought home loots of goodies for me from Duty Free and from my mom.

They went to Duty Free and bought lots of makeup for me. Here are the items.

Disclaimer: The Benefit 10 box you see right there is not from Duty Free. I just asked my sister to get it for me since I left it in Manila last Christmas. :)

1.)    Mac 224 tapered blending brush

I’ve been dying to get my hands on one ever since kopong kopong. I believe that MAC’s blending brushes are the best blending brushes out there. I’m in no position the judge the other brushes since I have not tried all of them yet but I’m very happy with MAC’s so far. Although I still think that the MAC 217 is the better blending brush of the 2.

2.)    MAC Paint pot in Bare Study

Heaven in a pot! Looks so nice.

Paint pots are so easy to use! I wanted one for such a long time now but I gave the first paint pot I ever bought to my sister as a Christmas gift. It looked so inviting I wanted to OWN one.

She chose the MAC Paint pot in Bare study, a *soft beige with gold pearl (frost) color. We were actually deciding (over the phone) whether we should get the Painterly paint pot or this one but we figured that we wanted to buy a paint pot with shimmer instead of just nude which will only serve as a base color or a primer.

As I opened the little pot, I can’t help but smile. It looked so beautiful in a small little pot! It looked so perfect and I didn’t want to use it at first because I didn’t want to dent it but I can't wait to use it. I fell in love as soon as I applied it on my lids. I always wanted my eye makeup to be complete for me to be satisfied meaning I need to have eyeliner and mascara on when I apply eye shadow because it just doesn’t look complete with only eye shadow. With this paint pot, I instantly loved it as soon as I applied it to my eyelids. It served as my all in one eye makeup, highlighter, base, etc. I didn’t felt the need to apply eyeliner nor mascara anymore, it looks so pulled together.

The only reason I don’t use it every day is because I’m actually trying to save it. :p

Rating: 5/5

3.)    MAC Studio Fix Powder Foundation NC 25

The last time I remember, my foundation shade was NC20 so I asked my sister buy a shade darker for me and it feels just right but I feel like I still need to go a shade darker since my powder has SPF, it tends to absorb lights in flash photography. Personally, their powder does not suit my skin type. Like what I said in m previous post (click here), finding a foundation that fits your skin really varies and I tend to get a bit oily with MAC powder.

Review: The foundation may be good for others but just not for my skin type. I know it’s good because I get just the right amount of coverage, not too light and not too heavy, upon application. It is good for dry skin.

4.)    MAC Eye shadow in Shroom

Shroom is a *soft beige with shimmer (satin) shadow which can be used as a highlighter and it's really good! It looks so good on the brow bone. It gives your brow bone a definition and the color is just perfect. I like how good the shadow looks on, it's not so shimmery but with a little shimmer that's enough for highlighting, perfect would be the perfect word for it! As well as the other MAC highlight shadows. I just can't get enough of them. I super love my first one too, which was Ricepaper, *a peachy gold with shimmer. They are just perfect! <3

5.)    Lipstick

Fashion City. *Neutral coral with pink shade. New favorite summer lipstick! I don’t have much peachy-coraly shade lippies since I always went for pink so this one was something new in my makeup kit! ;) I love it!

Gotta dash - *Pale clean coral shade. Haven't used this yet!

Please me. *Muted rosy-tinted pink (matte) shade. Most favourite pink lipstick.

Myth- *light neutral nude (satin). Another nude lipstick I haven't used yet. Thinking of selling this. Comment if interested. :p Reason for selling is.... read more to find out why. :)

Honey Love. *light beige toned with rose (matte). Bought a new nude lipstick because I’m almost running out of my Viva Glam Lady Gaga and I didn’t want to use it all up so I had to buy a new nude lipstick. My sister bought 2 nude lipsticks, with different undertones , then I realized I don’t like any more nude lipstick because I feel like it makes me look washed out.

At the end of this post, you probably know how much I love MAC cosmetics and that's because they deliver and work magic! The products are really pigmented, easy to apply and has long staying power. I don't have a lot but they are enough for me. :)

6.)    Maybelline The MAGNUM SUPER FILM VOLUM EXPRESS 3 Mascaras
      Best drugstore mascara! I just had to buy a lot since you need to replace mascaras once in every 3 months although I usually keep mine longer than 3 months. :p

7.)    The ONE BY ONE VOLUM EXPRESS 2 Mascaras + 1 free kohl pencil
      Mascara hoarding alert.

Just spot the following items in this picture:

My bad attempt at photography! 

8.)    Sunglasses

9.)    Ear caps

Don’t they look so cute? They do! Although I don’t use them because I find them so hassle since I always use my headset. I will just lose them because I’ll keep removing it then misplace it. So now, it’s just here somewhere in my room.

10.) Fancy Earrings

Just because my mom is too sweet. J

*descriptions of products from MAC Cosmetics website.
**All the photos above were taken by my sister Wuns except for the last picture which was taken by yours truly!

P.S: And this is a looong overdue post I've been meaning to post.
P.P.S: This is my attempt at beauty blogging.

xx,

Annie

Favorite of the Week: Mac Prep and Prime BB Cream

Had this for almost a year now but never used it because I always thought it was too white for me. This was my problem with BB creams, I think they are too white and they're supposed to be make up bases so I still had to put a powder on top just to make my face matte, especially that I have oily skin so I never really liked it because it was too much for me. Tinted moisturizer + face powder is my usual face routine.

I learned to appreciate this product this summer because of the weather!! With the heat outside you sure wouldn't want to leave the house without SPF. That is a big no-no. NEVER leave the house without SPF, you want to protect your face from the harmful rays of the sun. It is recommended to use SPF 15 everyday all year round and my old tinted moisturizer provides me that but since it's summer time and the sun is scorching hot, I switched to MAC Prep + Prime BB Cream which has SPF 35/PA+++. PA+++ is the ranking of protection against the UVA rays so the more +, the higher the protection. I feel so safe with my BB cream since it gives me protection from the sun. If you will be exposed from the sun most of the time, then you should choose a higher SPF and you may need to reapply.

Since I am in field work most of the time now, I stopped applying make up because I'm almost always sweating (EWW! It's hot outside and it's field work ya know!) and it's not necessary to put makeup as it melts away less than an hour after so I opt for just this and I'm ready for the day. No need to worry for heavy coverage after powder because I don't even apply powder anymore. I don't even have to worry about how I look anyway. Ragged look is the way to go!

xx,

Annie

Meeting Say

This post is like a breathe of fresh air from all the 30 day challenge posts I have been posting. It's called a challenge for something. I feel like I'm in school, given a title and I have to submit an essay everyday.

One of my favorite past time is to watch YouTube videos. I love watching makeup tutorials, I follow some of my favorite YouTube gurus and always watch their videos. That's how I spend boring days and nights. That's my lullaby before I go to sleep. I have an obsession have a passion for makeup and I watch different girls do their makeup to learn different tricks. I've been watching Michelle Phan, Elle and Blair Fowler for almost a year and then I found Say Artillero's channel. To make the long story short, I'm a bored girl who finds watching YouTube gurus doing their makeup entertaining!

Have you ever liked someone you haven't personally met yet? That's how I felt with Say. I liked Say immediately so I followed her on twitter, read her blog and watched more of her videos. Knowing more about her made me like her more. She came here last April 2 and I got to meet her! :) Yay! Fan girl mode.

Annie and Say at the meet and greet in Red Mango, Ayala Center Cebu

We went to dinner at Moon Cafe, IT Park after.

Poor photo quality taken using my phone.

And dessert at La Marea!

At La Marea

With Paulo and Say
Photo grabbed from Say

I feel like we've known each other for a lifetime long time. We're like long lost sisters. She's definitely one of the nicest person I know and she's very down to earth that's why a lot of people love her.

We met up again for dinner last April 3 at Zubuchon. I was quite disappointed with their lechon that night. Maybe because we went there for dinner. The previous times I went there for lechon were lunch time and they tasted really good. 

Tip: It's best to eat lechon during lunch because that's when it is freshly cooked. 

Looks so good!
Photo grabbed from Say

I forgot that tip and only remembered it when I tasted the lechon. So disappointing. 

Kamias shake. The only photo I took the night we went to Zubuchon.

I have always loved their Kamias shake but the shake they served me that time was bland. Anyway it didn't matter because I was with good company. :)

Zubuchon with Say and Paulo
Photo grabbed from Say

If you want to learn how to apply makeup, watch Say's video. They're informative and she definitely knows what she's doing. :) 

Watch here videos on her YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/saytiocoartillero

Visit her beauty blog: http://saytiocoartillero.com/

Follow her on twitter!  https://twitter.com/#!/saytioco 

xx,

Annie

Material Girl

Good morning It's 5 o'clock in the morning, conversation got boring, except I have no one to talk to right now. Everybody else must still be sleeping now or it's still so early to be bothering other people. I hate how I always start my posts with a very long introduction not related to what I'm supposed to write. :p Daldal ko lang. 

Remember I told you I almost always need reasons to do or get something? Read it here then. My birthday is coming up and I can't stop thinking what to get myself. I know birthdays are not supposed to be big deals but I want to get me something I really like. It doesn't have to be expensive, it should be something I really like. I feel so guilty that all the things that I want are make-up related. Why can't I just stop with what I have? I have enough. Because I'm human! And human do not get contented. They have to have something desirable for them to work harder to achieve. It's just that in my case, it's make up. I know a lot of people are materialistic. Deny if you want but... why deny anyway?

I'm guilty for denying I'm not materialistic for the longest time. It's just now that I keep lusting over make-up stuff to buy that I realize that I am materialistic. I'll share with you what I want to get myself for my birthday. A little help won't hurt though. *Ehem ehem* to my sisters who are reading my blog and to my BFF who owes me my Christmas gift yet *Ehem*

Urban Decay Naked Palettes

Naked or Naked 2 Palette, I don't mind. I just need to get my hands on one. Di ako matatahimik I swear. 

Complete Mac brush set

This is too ambitious so I'm setting down my standard, A Sigma Make Me Classy Travel kit will do. I want the brushes in black ha. I can here my sister say "Picture nga" in my mind so here they are.

Sigma Make Me Class Travel Kit $59

Look how complete this set is. I wouldn't need any other brushes.

Eyeing the small angled brush. E65. Photos from Sigma

Okay, so I admit I only need a small angled brush. I don't need a whole set anymore, I just want a small angled brush. A Mac 263 brush.

Mac 263 small angled brush

Fine. It need not to be Mac, okay? I just can't help lusting over them. I feel like it's going to help me with filling my eyebrows more beautifully. My old one is almost beat up and it doesn't help much anymore. LIE!!!! I just want a better angled brush.

Okay, I'm not asking for more. This is my subtle birthday material wish list but I still want everything listed in my previous wish list. I just don't need to re-write everything. :p

After everything that I listed, I will still appreciate a non-make-up gift because it will be something I didn't expect. :) but I am not expecting any gifts either since I don't receive a lot of them anyway so I'm not expecting. So to my sisters, surprise me please!!!!! HIHI

xx,

Material Girl

Sephora Haul

I have been meaning to make this post for such a long time now and here it is! TADA!

I'm in no way a shopaholic. I dread shopping so much because I hate trying on clothes. More often than not, I find clothes too expensive so I don't shop for them very often. I leave that part to my mom. My mom's always in charge shopping for my clothes. She's always updated with fashion so I get updated through her. Now that I am away from my mom, my wardrobe don't get updated that much too. That is a sad true story.

One thing I don't feel much guilty buying are make up. I know it's not practical to buy a lot of make up but I don't mind that much. I love spending on make up more than on clothes. The reason behind is unknown but I'm crazy like that. Being the kuripot that I am, I don't just go crazy shopping for make up also. I do this in moderation. I still have my limits. I try to think what I like most before I go buy it.

Recently, I went make up shopping at Sephora Singapore and after much thought, these were what I purchased.

Mac, Urban Decay, Sephora

Mac Mineralize Skin Finish Natural in Dark

I wanted a matte bronzer for the longest time. I swear. The only reason that kept me from buying a matte bronzer is that because I already have The Body Shop Shimmer Wave Bronzer so I stuck with that. I used it last summer to give me that bronze-y glow. I liked it, it served it's purpose but I stopped using it when summer was over. It's shimmer was a bit too much for everyday use.

I also have my Benefit 10 box contour and highlight kit which I am so in love with. Yes! If I can marry it, I will. I kid. I use this almost everyday to contour my cheeks so I didn't feel the need to buy a bronzer ASAP.

I love contouring my cheeks so I decided that I need to buy a matte bronzer since I don't have one. I was so torn between this one and Benefit Hoola. I love love love love Benefit products so for a while, I was supposed to get the Hoola but I ended up getting this Mac MSF because Benefit's packaging is too bulky for on-the-go make up kits. I would have to carry 3 boxes with me because I was also planning to buy Benefit Coralista. 

Anyway, I chose Mac instead because it was easier to carry around.

Mac blush in Pink O' Peach

The only reason I got this Mac Pink O' Peach is because my BFF is using this color and I'm inggitera like that. No, seriously, I love how this blush give her face a nice flush without looking like she has so much going on on her cheeks. So I was convinced that I was going to get the same blush and I did not make a mistake. I love how it applies to my cheeks. The blush is matte so I still apply highlighter over it. I love a little highlight. It really doesn't matter, it's just a personal prerogative. ;)

Note to self: Next blush on purchase would have to be one with a little shimmer. 

Urban Decay Naked Palette has long been in my wish list and they released a Naked 2 palette. I was supposed to get that except it was out of stock in the Sephora I went to so I got the Urban Decay Sustainable Eye shadow Box instead. 

This palette did not disappoint. There were numerous palettes to choose from but I chose this because I feel that it has the most variety of eye shadow colors and all of them are wearable. They are so pigmented  love using them.

Urban Decay Sustainable eyeshadow box. It comes with a mini sample of UD primer potion and an eyeshadow brush.

I will not let this trip pass without getting myself a nice lipstick. I love lipsticks. I don't have a lot but they're one of my faves. They make me look alive. 

I did not get any more Mac products since the price is not cheaper compared here. It actually costs more there but considering the 7% GST refund that I will get, I still bought stuff. So I got something that I cannot buy here, Sephora matte lipstick in baby pink. I realized I didn't have much pink lipsticks so I want to stock on them. It's a bit too matte, it feels too dry on your lips but you get used to it after a while and it stays long on your lips so for me, it's an okay lipstick. I don't see why I won't get Sephora lippies again. :)

I also picked up a body scrub on my way to the check out but I still have yet to try this product! I bet it's good in moisturizing your skin because my BFF loves this. She got one and told me it moisturizes her skin very well. 

This was the last thing I purchased. I even purchased it in a different Sephora branch because they were out of stock in the Ion Orchard branch. I wanted to try these out since they were only SGD12.00. I even bought two! 

Sephora make up brush cleanser

My thoughts with this make up brush cleanser is that it's not worth the money. It may cost less than the mac cleanser but it's also because it's smaller. It doesn't perform as well. I have to spray so much product in my brush before it cleans my brush. I am not satisfied. I want to throw these away because they annoy me. But oh well, maybe I'll just give one bottle away and deal with the first one I opened.

I may have not bought a lot but they were enough to make me a happy shopper! Simple things make me happy and I am glad that they do. I don't need to spend to much to please myself. :)


xx,


Annie

Building Your Make-up Kit

Building your make up kit can be tricky if you do not know what to buy first. Well, here are some of the most basic things that a make-up kit should carry.




1.) Powder Foundation/ Pressed Powder
This is very important in our kit, it is probably the most important. Powder foundation can make you look fresh instantly!It is always wise to keep a powder foundation/pressed powder around to matte-ify our skin. You don't want to be seen with a face that looks like you can fry an egg under the scorching heat of our sun.


Recommendations: There are a lots of brands out there, find the one that suits you. Different products cater to different skin types. Some people break out in some products while some don't.

Lunasol Skin Fusing Powder Foundation

I'm loving Lunasol Skin Fusing Powder Foundation. It's a bit pricey, retails at more than P2000.00 but I'm sure it's worth your money! Its coverage is just the right coverage between light and heavy. It is heavy enough to cover your imperfections (i.e, pimples, scars, veins) but is light enough not to make your face cake-y. Let's not get started with the finish, it's just perfect! It gives you silky smooth skin and I am not exaggerating on this.Whenever I use this powder foundation on my face, I get lots of compliments on how "kinis" my face is. :) The secret is to choose the right powder. ;) 


Since I ran out of my previous one, I have tried other products and although they are also from a good brand, it's not as good as this Lunasol. I'm currently using Clinique Travel Club Powder and Lipstick Duo.

In choosing the right products, know when to save and when to splurge and I say that it is okay to splurge on foundation because as the word says, it's your foundation, your skin will be first one people will notice.

2.) Blush On

Sweep this lightly with a brush to give you that instant flushed cheeks. Who doesn't want to look blooming? This is a no brainer because every girl I know have a blush on so no need to explain further. 

In applying blush, you have to make sure to blend your blush properly. Start on the apples of you cheekbones. Do not leave a mark in your cheeks that makes your blush looks like it's shouting "hey, look at me! I'm a blush on!!" so make sure to blend it towards your hairline. Do NOT over blush! Blush on are supposed to just make you look flushed and glow and not make you look like you are joining the circus. The less obvious your blush is, the better.

There are a lot of drug store brands that are good. 

I'm currently using MAC Pink O Peach 

3.) Eyebrow Pencil/ Shadow
    I swear that every girl should learn how to groom their brows. Visit the nearest threading salon near you. Since I wasn't blessed with nice full brows, I rely so much on eyeliner pencils for my brows. If only I had known it earlier in my life, then life back then would be much better.


   I only used eyebrow pencils when I was already graduating from college. I was always intimidated by eyebrow pencils and eyebrow kits just because I did not know how to use it. I swear I regret not learning how to use this earlier in my life. This is one of the best inventions! 


I will make another post on how important it is to groom your eyebrows. :)

Shu Eumura H9 Hard Formula Eyebrow Pencil

I am currently using Shu Eumura H9 Hard Formula Eyebrow Pencil. It's a bit pricey for an eyebrow pencil but it's so worth it. I am using mine for more than a year now and it's still super long. I haven't use 1/4 of it yet. Take note that I use it every SINGLE day. In the end, you will save more rather than if you keep buying new eyebrow pencils because other pencils run out very easily because you have to sharpen them regularly. Have your Shu pencil sharpen in the store, they have a unique way of doing it (see photo above) to eliminate waste of product if you sharpen it normally using a pencil sharpener. I just can't stop recommending this product to everyone. It's a must have!


4.) Lipstick
When it comes to lipsticks, the sky is your limit. There are endless choices of lipsticks. The most common shades of lipsticks are pink, coral and peach. For everyday use, find the one that matches or is the closest to your natural lip color. 


Save or splurge? I say, BOTH, since a girl can never have just enough lipstick. It is okay to splurge on lipsticks that you will use the most. Chanel, Mac, Dior and Lancome are good lipstick brands. They have richer and creamier formula that makes your lipstick stays on for many hours. There are also some good lipstick brands like Revlon and L'oreal. 

MAC Please Me

A lot of local drugstore brands also has nice collection of lipsticks but what I don't like about their formula is that it may seem like plastic when you apply it, a bit dry on the lips and it doesn't stay for long. After an hour of wearing it, you can see the color is already fading out. The formula is not as rich and as creamy and as pigmented as the other international brands. But it doesn't hurt if you buy one or two or three or maybe a lot of it, you can always switch lip colors. It's the most fun makeup to play with. Ever Bilena Matte Lipstick in Pink Flame has a nice shade of pink.


I recommend Mac Matte Lipstick in Please Me for everyday use as it has a rich matte texture which glides on perfectly on your lips and stays on for hours. It's the perfect pink which is not too catchy and bright. Perfect for everyday use. 

5.) Eyelash Curler and Mascara
Give your eyes that shine by curling your lashes and adding mascara. The best eyelash curler is the ever famous Shu Eumura Eyelash Curler. Fanny Serrano also has a good eyelash curler.

Shu Eumura Eyelash Curler

If you are thinking if you should save or splurge in mascara the answer is to save. Drugstore brands work just the same. The brand that is very true to their word is Maybelline. They have a lot of different kinds of mascara that you can choose from. 

Maybelline Magnum Volum Express

So there. This is where you will start and once you get yourself familiarized with make-up I'm sure you'll never stop buying for more and building your collection. :)


What are your all time favorite make up products? :)


More posts to come. :)


xx, 


Annie