Month: November 2012

Drugstore Finds: Fanny Serrano Eyeshadow + a Bonus Blush

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Before I became really interested in makeup, my exposure to it was limited to trips to department stores and The Body Shop. The only brands I knew were drugstore brands, with the exception of some higher end brands like Chanel which ran a bunch of Rouge Coco ads I saw a lot on a trip to Hong Kong. Now, I prefer to buy a little bit more on the expensive side (because of overall quality), but every now and then I find that I can’t say ‘no’ to cheaper brands. My mom’s been a fan of Fanny Serrano’s makeup, especially the eyelash curler which is reportedly a pretty good Shu Uemura dupe. When I was on an eyeshadow kick, during which I bought two quads and a twenty-shade mineral set in one go, I couldn’t help but pick up a few of these. At Php 195 a pop (aka four grams), these are quite a steal. Fanny Serrano Eyeshadow Swatches, L-R: Beach Sand, Honey Glitter, Potter Clay, Mulberry Wine Beach Sand is the first shade …

Sample Stash Sunday: Laneige Multi Cleanser & Lip and Eye Remover

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Sample Stash Sunday is a day in which samples will be given center stage. I always have a bunch of samples that I end up using only once or twice, a waste much to the earth’s dismay. This is an attempt to actually use the products, review them, and maybe discover something great. This week, I’ll be talking about the Multi Cleanser and the Lip and Eye Remover by Laneige. Sarie got 4 samples from a Laneige event, and I’ve so far tried 2 of the 4. Laneige is a Korean brand with a French name (“neige” is “snow”). The Laneige Multi Cleanser is “papain enzymes-based multi cleanser with 4 functions of removing makeup, removing sunscreen, exfoliating, and cleansing.” It offers a mild & thorough cleansing and claims to provide clear and bright skin after everyday use. It’s also suited for all skin types. I normally use Shu Uemura’s cleansing oil, but I stopped using it for about four days for this review. The Laneige Multi Cleanser is opaque with a cream-like consistency and exfoliator …

FOTD: Chilis!

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Today, I just had a meeting with Toff about a project he and I are working on. Kept it simple with the two middle shadows from Shu Uemura’s Prestigious Bordeaux Eye & Cheek Palette (shimmery lilac & light satin brown), a pearly pink Fanny Serrano blush, and NARS sheer lipstick in Vendanges. Put on a little medium brown brow powder from The Body Shop, too. What do you think? 🙂 A funny little tooth is peeking out!

Karl Lagerfeld for Shu Uemura: Rouge Unlimited Lipstick

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One of my personal favorite Holiday 2012 Collections has been Shu Uemura’s collaboration with Karl Lagerfeld. I’ve reviewed part of my haul already (see: Prestigious Bordeaux Eye and Cheek Palette, Blackish Satin Purple Painting Liner), but now here’s a look at the three out of the four lipsticks I managed to snag. I got Celebrity Beige and Luxe Burgundy, while my beautiful sister Isabel got Mon Shu Red. Before all of the swatches and samples, I think we ought to take a moment to fawn over this limited edition collection’s super cute packaging. Is it annoying if I call it kawaii? Because it totally is. The top half, where the transparent cap goes, has the Shu Uemura logo on its silver body, with a bunch of red dots circling the perimeter. I love Shu Uemura’s transparent caps on lipsticks because it’s very very easy to tell what lipstick you’re reaching for with just one look. As for the bottom half… It’s Mon Shu Girl, the red-eyed wonder! I know some people (namely those who don’t …

MAC Paint Pot in Rubenesque

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For a while now, I’ve been encountering “paint pots” referred to in beauty blogs and videos, and I’ve always wondered what they were. On MAC’s website website, Paint Pots are described as: A highly pigmented eye colour that goes on creamy but dries to an intense, vibrant finish. Long-wearing, colourfast. Creates seamless coverage without weight or caking. Blends smoothly over the lids. Cream-based, can be mixed with M·A·C shadows and liners. I’d been jonesin’ for one of these pots of magic for quite a bit of time, but running into a color called Rubenesque sealed the deal. “Rubenesque” is a term that pertains to Baroque artist, Peter Paul Rubens, though it doesn’t directly refer to him. This is what he looks like: Rather, the term was applied to the ladies he was known to paint: very plump and curvy. These women were considered to be the epitome of beauty at the time. The Three Graces by Peter Paul Rubens Venus at a Mirror If you notice, there is a pinkish tinge to these Rubenesque women’s …

Browhaus: House of Construction

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I haven’t had my eyebrows done—general threading—since fourth year high school for senior prom, so I thought it was time for another session. I mean, it’s been around seven years. (Also, the eyeshadow close-ups I’ve been posting make me look like a super fancy scruffy puppy.) I went to Browhaus in Greenbelt 5! It was kind of hard to find, but I think we are just geographically-challenged. The store is located at the 4th floor, near other salons and cosmetic places. It was pretty small and fuss-free. There was a receiving area, a small nook for sitting down, and a wall with a row of rooms where the treatments are done. They looked like doors inside a chartreuse submarine! I kind of really love the name, because it’s a play on Bauhaus, the German school responsible for the clean, minimal aesthetic that’s still somehow visually striking and arresting. Bauhaus, in German, literally means “House of Construction,” so I think Browhaus was a clever little name. How freaking cooler would it have been if the interiors …

Playlist: 4 Eye Looks Using bareMinerals’ A Vision in Velvet

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Here’s a closeup of my “new discovery” in this post. I’d gotten bareMinerals’ A Vision in Velvet without prior knowledge as to how to apply and work with mineral shadows. As a result, I was met with a disastrous first impression. However, with my faith in this product renewed by the awesomeness of a layer of MAC Paint Pot in Rubenesque all over my lid, I set out to try out some more combinations. After all, the thing comes in twenty shades. My eyes glazed over as I tried to come up with the permutations for those colors. As was mentioned, the first look (above) is just the Rubenesque Paint Pot all over the lid, with Satin Plum on the crease and the inner and outer corners. Pretty. It’s pretty subtle, too, with the shimmers visible only up close. Here, I just swiped Velvet Violet over the center of a lid, for an overall purple-y look. It’s a little less warm and a little more intense (for some reason?). Next, I started with a clean …