Month: April 2013

Quickie: shu uemura Eyelash Curler

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The shu uemura eyelash curler is the sort of thing that has reached a certain level of cult status that no one else bothers to write about it anymore. And, really, why would you even bother? I didn’t really care for curling my lashes because I always seem to get uneven “curlage” anyway. My right set of eyelashes would be more curled up than the left set and my eyes would look wonkier than it already does, which you’d think would be a hard thing to pull off, but it’s really not. Anyway, I don’t really know what to say about this eyelash curler, so I’ll let the pictures speak for it. I have pretty short and invisible lashes, so I tried to do only one eye with the curler and let you see how it compares to my uncurled lashes. See how it opens up my eyes? 🙂 The eyelash curler comes with an extra silicone pad, in case you need to change them. Be warned, though, that they do not sell extra pads. …

Quickie: Suqqu Quad in Ex-11 Sumiredama

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I have only a handful left of my Japanese makeup loot to show you guys and it’s quite sad. Weirdly enough, I have these intense cravings for makeup but I don’t really go out (or go online) and buy any of that. Is this maturity? In any case, this is one of my favorite purchases, the Suqqu Blend Color Eyeshadow in Ex-11 Sumiredama, or “Violet Pearl.” I got the translation from Kate’s review. When I got home, I noticed that the name is similar to the heroine’s of my favorite Haruki Murakami novel, Sputnik Sweetheart. She is called Sumire. Obviously, this was a delightful surprise. It seems like a pretty basic color selection, but with a couple of complex shades thrown into the mix. There’s a pearly cream, a shimmery pale peach-pink, a pretty metallic taupe-y color that has turquoise shifts, and a blue-purple duochrome that I just love to bits. The texture of the shadows is exceptional, though the application on the eyes really is quite sheerer than I’d like. The compact is quite …

Sample Stash Sunday: Addiction by Ayako Tinted Skin Protector

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For this week’s edition of Sample Stash Sunday, I have a little packet of Addiction’s Tinted Skin Protector in Tint No. 3. If you’ve just tuned in to this blog, Sample Stash Sunday is a sort of quick, first impressions type of review. It’s also a way for me to get through the numerous samples I’ve acquired, so win-win! The Tinted Skin Protector is basically a foundation that has a) great suns protection, and b) is a primer as well. It’s meant to protect the skin from drying and from UV rays, while also providing even coverage, even over pores. It’s also designed to be light, feel fresh, and wear long. It has: moisturizing ingredients “centifolia rose flower extract” combination. emollient ingredient “Rose hip oil” combination. no fragrance SPF 50/PA+++ So, this little packet right here contains 0.9ml worth of product. It doesn’t seem like a lot, and it didn’t feel like a lot. So, being a dumbass, I assumed it was tinted moisturizer (because I didn’t research before trying) good for one use and …

BECCA Beach Tint in Raspberry

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The BECCA Beach Tint is quite an expensive find, but one that I’ve been looking for for so long. I went to Adora to pick one of these beach tints up, but after purchase I found out that the mark-up was nearly double the original price. I would love to buy more of these, but I might have better luck online, since the price mark-up is so high and that’s the only retailer I know in Manila that carries the brand. However, after everything that’s been said, I highly recommended the Beach Tint and I don’t regret this purchase. I haven’t extensively used this until I went to Japan on vacation. I wanted to keep my makeup bag light and portable and I succeeded, somewhat. I wanted to bring this because it is a multi-purpose product, for use on the lips and cheeks. It is also supposedly waterproof (which explains the name). It was when I was on vacation that I appreciated the versatility, ease of use, and overall greatness of this product. I got …

The Quest for the Fudge Dupe

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I mentioned in an earlier post that I was on the lookout for a Fudge dupe, since I couldn’t figure out if it was actually a dupe-able color. It seems like a simple warm medium brown with a somewhat frosty/metallic finish, but I had to make sure if it was complex enough to recommend it to someone who may encounter it in the future. So! Here are most of the shimmery browns I have. I didn’t include obvious too-cool shades. The Contenders: MAC eyeshadow (Amber Lights) Urban Decay Naked 2 (Snake Bite) Urban Decay Naked 1 & 2 (Half Baked) Urban Decay Naked (Dark Horse) theBalm Nude ‘Tude (Seductive) Addiction eyeshadow (Fudge) shu uemura x Karl Lagerfeld Prestigious Bordeaux Palette, the brown Silk Smooth Eyeshadow Wet n Wild Comfort Zone Palette, first crease color Urban Decay Naked (Smog) Wet n Wild Eyeshadow Single (Penny) Hmm, as you can see, there aren’t any super close dupes, so if you have your eye on Fudge, I think you could go for it. If you do already have …

Drugstore Finds: Wet n Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Palettes

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For people starting out with makeup, it’s not really a good idea to splurge on high-end eyeshadow palettes. I mean, just look at this douchebag. Some of the best purchases a budding makeup enthusiast could make are the Wet n Wild eyeshadows and eyeshadow palettes. Here are two of the best ones on the market, a trio called Walking on Eggshells and an eight-pan palette called Comfort Zone. It got a lot of rave reviews, and honestly, it was the only color trio that I felt safe enough to try out just because it was a neutral brown palette. As is typical of Wet n Wild Eyeshadow Palettes, Walking on Eggshells has designated specific functions for the shades. The lightest, cream shadow is for the browbone. The light, champagne color is for the eyelid. The darkest shade, a medium brown, is for the crease. Once you’ve been playing around with makeup, this will feel like a sort of affectation, but it is a very helpful and very simple guide for beginners. This is also helpful …

Let Addiction’s Cheek Stick in Revenge Help You Get Cheeky This Summer

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With this post, the Addiction train has finally come to the end. At least, for now. It’s crazy how much I bought from this counter on my trip and how I still feel like I missed out on some good shades or products. I don’t think it points to a hoarder mentality, necessarily—though of course a hoarder in denial would say that. Seriously, though, I think I’ve found another favorite brand. Funnily enough, NARS, which is where Ayako used to work with, has been one of my favorite brands even before I got makeup-crazy. 🙂 (Whoap, too bright!) LOL I am so sorry about the titles, but I just need to put something up there other than the name of the product and the shade. I mean, really. I HAVE TO. This is a cast-off title: Getting Cheeky with It. Get it? Will Smith? Ahem. So far, I’ve shown you the lipsticks and the lip crayon. I have only two more full-sized Addiction products to show you, and I got some samples of their tinted …