Year: 2012

NARS x Andy Warhol Larger Than Life Lipgloss in Viva

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So I’ve come to the end (as of now) of my Holiday 2012 Haul. This is the last product from the new holiday releases that I managed to get. I’ve purchased some items after this one, but I don’t think I got anything from the other holiday releases anymore. (Yet. Hehe.) Anyway! Viva is a NARS lipgloss from their Larger Than Life line, and was also released as part of the Andy Warhol collaboration for Holiday 2012. The Larger Than Life Lipgloss is: Outrageously lustrous color meets high-impact shine. Dramatic, stay-in-place shades glide on smoothly and evenly for lips that are more luminous and voluminous than ever before. High-shine, high-impact finish gives a dramatic effect Long-lasting, stay-in-place wear Infused with ingredients to nourish and fight free radicals while natural lip enhancers pump up volume Shorter-bristle brush delivers the most precise application possible I think it’s a different formula from their normal (?) glosses, but I’m not entirely sure. Anyway, I do love the formulation, especially coming from a place where I detested glosses. It’s a …

November Favorites

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I didn’t want to go overboard so I tried to keep it under 10—here are my favorites for this month! ❤ For lip products, I have three favorites this month, all of which offer a good range in terms of price. First up is a lipstick from the shu uemura x Karl Lagerfeld collaboration—a Rouge Unlimited shade called Celebrity Beige. Here it is used as a FOTD. I love that it’s a light coral, almost-nude color with just enough sparkle and shine. The formulation is also incredible, and the staying power is decent, for an ultra-slick lipstick. Read the review here. Next up is from the NARS x Andy Warhol collaboration, a Larger Than Life Lipgloss in Viva! I have yet to review this (though, I’ve taken the pictures already), but it has changed my relationship with glosses. We are very, very good friends now. Last from the lip products is the Revlon Lip Butter in Sugar Plum. Though I was met with a quite ghastly shade in the same purchase, I rather think that …

Sample Stash Sunday: NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer in Alaska

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For this Sample Stash Sunday, I have chosen to review the NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer in Alaska. I forgot to do this last Sunday, so here ye are! I got it for a purchase of an eyeshadow trio (Ramatuelle) and a Sheer Lipstick (Vendanges), but I thought of using it only recently, when I was going through my samples. I don’t usually use foundation or face things because it breaks my skin out and they don’t really set properly. My face can’t handle compact powders either (though Shu Uemura’s works wonders for my sister). Go figure. For an even base, I only look for the lightest coverage, because I just look like a cake face and then break out afterward. My go-to face product is Ahava’s Light Foundation, topped off with a pore minimiser from The Body Shop’s Tea Tree Oil line. Being the lemming that I am, though, I love trying out new products. The Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer has a light cream consistency and goes on the skin smoothly. I only need …

How Exceptional is the Rouge G L’Extrait’s “Exceptional Hold”?: A Special FOTD Review

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I know I said I was on a makeup ban, but what do you expect me to do when my Guerlain SA, Jean, texts me about a 30% off sale. “Resist like a responsible adult, Carina,” you might say. Unfortunately, I can’t hear you as I’m drowning in lipstuff happiness. See, my friend Gracie, keeps asking me if I plan on buying any shades from Guerlain’s Rouge G L’Extrait line. And I’m just always so puzzled by the persistence. I mean, what’s so great about this lip gloss, really? What about it would make me want to drop $48 on one color? Pretty steep, if you ask me. That said, I don’t think I would ever buy it at original price, unless I had a more stable and higher-paying income. For a 30% off sale, though, I think I can forgive myself. So, the Rouge G L’Extrait by Guerlain is a line of “lip colour” that they released pretty recently, in August 2012. It’s a “lip colour” because it looks like a gloss—with a doe-foot …

My First Tube of MAC Viva Glam: Viva Glam V

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I only have one other MAC lipstick other than this recent purchase (a pretty nude-y, creamy one called Jubilee) because I can’t stand the smell of vanilla. Also, MAC seems to be the brand of which people have all sorts of opinion. I rely a lot on reviews, and I can’t go into a MAC store and just swatch things. I have to know what I’m going to try before I go there. It took me eons to decide on Jubilee and I wasn’t about to let that happen again. MAC Viva Glam V was brought to my attention by the Lipstick Bandits, for their “Universally Flattering” edition. Prior to this discovery, I had strangely assumed that all the lipsticks from the Viva Glam line were either red or bold. Viva Glam V is a soft pearly pink with a lustre finish. It’s more glossy (but not lipgloss-levels) than shimmery, which is what I feel like sets it apart from an MLBB find I had, NARS Pago Pago, which is on the very glittery side. …

Make That Face: Basic Neutral (Shimmery) Eye

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Okay, so every time I feel stress creeping up on me, I turn to my beauty blog and think of something that I can post. You know, to de-stress and to avail of its strangely therapeutic effects. (Have you tried blogging? It’s very relaxing.) I thought of doing a step-by-step tutorial, just because I want to practice and also because you guys seem to like that! I noticed that a lot of people shy away from eye makeup, aside from the standard eyeliner and mascara, but you don’t have to be afraid anymore. Really, it’s one of the funnest parts of my routine. So, here’s an eyelook that I did, using only colors from theBalm’s Nude ‘Tude Palette, the brush it comes along with, as well as the eyeshadow brush from the RealTechniques Travel Essentials Set, which I just love so much. Because I wanted to play with the palette moreso than I usually did, I ended up using seven shades (I forgot to box Snobby!), most of which weren’t what I had been using …

Clean brushes with J&C!

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Apologies for the haphazard photos, but I had an urge to clean my brushes last night, when I got home from an event. Though cleaning my makeup brushes is usually therapeutic for me, it’s sometimes a real hassle to go through the ritualistic process. Especially late at night. I mean, I just want clean brushes! Is that too much to ask for? I discovered J&C Super Clean Solutions Makeup Brush Cleaner while perusing my favorite local beauty blogs, and decided to get one for myself. At Php 400 per 120ml bottle, it’s cheaper than its MAC ($14/235ml) or Clinique ($14/236ml) counterparts. So, when I got a hankering to clean my brushes, I figured I might as well show you how this works, too. The bottle has a spray nozzle, and a clear cap. For the smaller brushes, I used the cap as a dipping bowl, as was suggested by Liz. The scent—peppermint—is strong, but I quite like it. What I like about this method, is that it’s pretty klutz-proof. I am not good at keeping …