Month: July 2013

Made-Up History: Claude Monet’s Rouen Cathedral Series

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Hello, everyone! Here’s a really, really (and I mean really) quick look I made for Made-Up History. If you’re new here, Made-Up History is just a series I’ve been doing where I translate works of art into makeup looks. I also take this opportunity to take a bit more about the art. Today, we talk about Claude Monet’s Rouen Cathedral series, this one in particular: I feel like although this series is fairly popular, Monet is still most associated with his waterlily paintings. Monet is an impressionist, which just means that he likes to paint “impressions” of light, instead of copying a scene or a picture in detail. Impressionists liked to paint from life, which explains the appearance of movement in their pieces. They generally liked to explore the influence of shadow and light on objects and environments. Monet painted the Rouen Cathedral in France, across which he set up a temporary studio. Fascinated by the different effects these times made, Monet made paintings during different times of the day and the year, using different …

Unboxing: BDJ Box July 2013*

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Imagine my surprise when I got home to another BDJ Box for the month of July! When the team originally emailed me, I was supposed to get a certain number of boxes to try and I thought my BDJ time was up last month, but I counted wrong… HEH. So, I was so happy to get this month’s because I was eyeing that too cool for school BB Cream! This month’s box is freaking awesome, by the way. I’m so happy I was sent one. Thank you to the BDJ Box team. 🙂 And for my next trick—pictures!

Quickie: Hakuhodo H601 Powder Brush

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The Hakuhodo H601 Powder Brush is one of my all-time favorite brushes. It’s a retractable brush that is intensely soft and fluffy. Whenever I wash brushes, this is one of those that take the longest to dry, because it’s so dense. The hairs are black and made from goat’s hair, I believe. I got the H601 in Japan, and it cost about $30 in Japanese yen. It was the only Hakuhodo brush on my list that I was able to get, since they don’t have the full range at the Osaka counter. I use this brush for most of my powder products for the face, so I feel like it’s such a great deal. I’ve used this for a pressed powder, a loose powder, setting powders, finishing powders, et al. and it has worked great every time. This is also an awesome blush brush, because it picks up and deposits just the right amount of pigment. The fact that it retracts makes the “head” of bristles smaller or bigger, catering to your needs. Big and …

Drugstore Finds: essence Stay All Day Long Lasting Eyeshadow

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This was one of the two items I got during my Makeup No Buy, the other being an elf Liquid Eyeliner. I had points to spend and I was picking up stuff for my sister’s birthday, so I thought, why not? I’ve been meaning to try something from this brand, and I can’t say ‘no’ to cream eyeshadow. The shade I got, Glammy Goes To…, is a cool pale gold, almost like a champagne. The texture is a bit stiff, similar to the Stila Smudgepot, but this is actually a bit more workable because the texture is better. It still has a tendency to make eyelids crepe-y if you pack on too much, but you can just use it as a light wash of color. I find that unlike MAC paint pots, though, I can’t wear these alone. Perhaps it’s the color, which is extremely light, but I suspect it’s the texture as well. It’s not very blendable when it sets, and it does set fairly quickly. Here, I’m wearing it all over the lid, …

Quickie: ADDICTION by Ayako Cheek Stick in Tea Rose

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Here’s a quick review on one of the ADDICTION Cheek Sticks I got recently, Tea Rose. Sorry this isn’t the best picture, but I mistakenly thought it was clear and then used it. Tea Rose is . For a more in-depth review on the Cheek Sticks, click here to read my review on the shade Revenge. Tea Rose is a pretty, muted soft brown with a slight pinky undertone. I froze when I opened the tube, assuming that it would be too light for my face. It turns out, it’s rather pretty! It’s the similar feeling I got when I got Tarte’s Amazonian Clay blush in Exposed. I brought Tea Rose on vacation and wore it for eight days straight without feeling like I was missing out on blush action. Again, it’s awesome on the cheeks, not that great on the lips and I haven’t tried it on my eyes, but I can imagine it being great for that, too. It adds the perfect amount of warmth and a slight, subtle contour on the face, …

Save Face with Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer

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One of my favorite new acquisitions is the Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer, which Sarie brought back for me from her trip to the States two months ago. Because it’s been so humid in Manila, I’ve taken to using just my bareMinerals Original Foundation (loose) in Medium Beige. I’ve found that using it with this yields the best results. I was never a fan of primer, really—I didn’t see the need—so I’m surprised that I had asked Sarie to bring this back for me, as I had my eye on a lot of other things. I’m incredibly glad I did, though, because it works wonders! Product Description: A mineral-based, water-resistant primer with SPF 15 that neutralizes the skin, minimizes shine, and creates a smooth, uniform canvas for flawless makeup application. What it does: This clean, satin-finish formula helps keep makeup looking fresh and prevents fading. Veil Mineral Primer also absorbs excess oils and minimizes the appearance of pores by evenly distributing light to help hide and soften skin imperfections and fine lines. It is formulated without …

Nosy Beauty Vol. 4: Gia

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For Nosy Beauty Vol. 4, we have Gia! She is currently a grad student at the journalism school in Ateneo and a full-time news writer for ANC (among several side-gigs) and my Internet friend. I don’t really even remember how we became friends, but when the makeup talk happened, it just became one big giant flailing party. “My favorite makeup product is matte red lipstick, hands down.” Let’s take a look at what’s in her bag! Here’s my “everyday” kit! I say “everyday” loosely; I really only wear a decently full face of makeup 3-4 afternoons a week including weekends. BASE: Vichy Aera Mineral BB Cream in Natural, Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation in 52 Vanilla, MAC Studio Fix powder foundation in NC40, CVS Advanced Healing ointment “The CVS ointment is basically heavy-duty moisturizer, for my lips and dry skin patches. On hot days in Manila, I also like to use Revlon Photoready Perfecting primer instead of the BB cream, because it’s great at making your foundation sweat-proof. I use Studio Fix to set.” CONCEALER: YSL …