Month: November 2013

Ellana Minerals Loose Mineral Powder Foundation and Let’s Make it Last Makeup Primer*

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I usually wait a while and use a product several times before putting up a review, but I wanted to do a medyo first impressions post on the Ellana Minerals Loose Mineral Powder Foundation* and the Ellana Minerals Make It Last Makeup Primer* both of which I got from the Ellana Minerals relaunch last November 19. I’m actually pretty impressed with the primer. It is a clear, gel-like substance, but it goes on velvet-y soft when you smooth it over your face. Texturally, it’s closest to the Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer, among all of the primers I own, and from what I have experienced personally. Product Description: “Our new blend of makeup primer to make your makeup last longer, instantly smoothens your skin. Oil-free, mattifies completely, smoothens fine lines, and enhances your complexion. Now with Allantoin & Moroccan Argan Oil for cell regeneration and moisturizers. Fragrance-free, Paraben-free, Mineral oil-free” So far, I’ve found that it lives up to its claims. The dispenser is quite nice, with the packaging close to Snoe’s Emu.Tox. The foundation is …

Poreless Perfection: Ellana Minerals Re-Launch

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I went to the Ellana Minerals Re-Launch last week, which was held at Rastro in Burgos Circle. Many thanks to Liz for inviting me. 🙂 I am afflicted with terrible shyness, so I was relieved x 1000 when I was seated next to Tellie, Tina, Shari, Bea, as well as new friend Yuki! Ellana Minerals is a local brand that has recently changed their look. They are re-launching it with packaging featuring Manila’s top lifestyle illustrator, Soleil Ignacio. You may have seen her illustrations grace the likes of Trinoma, Giordano Philippines, and Meg Magazine. See more of Soleil’s work here. Ellana’s new look—and new product offerings—redefines dependable daily wear. She made a total of five illustrations, which makes me want to catch them all. 😀 Ellana Minerals has been around for quite a while, but I never really got around to checking out their products. While I feature “traditional” makeup products here, I absolutely love using mineral makeup from time to time, though I primarily use mineral foundation these days. My Holy Grail foundation is …

Quickie: Canmake Powder Cheeks in PW05*

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The Canmake Powder Cheeks* is a powder blush that is probably always in the shadow of Canmake favorite, the Cream Cheek. As a fan of the cream formula, I had high hopes for this product. Recipients of the November BDJ Box got a chance to try this, since it was included in that month’s box. PW05 is a super pale peach shade with a smattering of very fine golden shimmer. You can see here that it is quite pale and borders on dangerously ashy territory on my recently tanned skin. Swiped on the cheeks, though, it’s quite nice. Because of the shimmer, it lends a pretty, subtly warm sheen to the skin. It certainly isn’t the most pigmented blush on the market right now, but it’s something that’s easy to wear and pull off. The texture is silky and quite buttery, but it’s not a soft blush. Compared to the Cream Cheek, it is definitely not as pigmented. Here I am wearing the Canmake Cream Cheek in CL01, which is one of their shimmer-free jelly-ish …

Nosy Beauty Vol. 18: Alene

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On this week’s edition of Nosy Beauty, I have none other than Alene of Paper Kitties. I found Alene’s blog through the bntgirls network, set up by bnt news. We were part of the same batch. 🙂 Paper Kitties is full of posts about beauty, lifestyle, and travel. Hi everyone, my name is Alene! Whilst I work as a full time Accountant in Singapore, I take great joy in being a part-time lifestyle and beauty blogger 🙂 I suppose you can say that this is where I get to destress from work and do something I absolutely love. I am also an instagram addict (follow me at Paperkitties) who loves posting snapshots of my daily life. Travelling and experimenting skincare products are my favourite so I reckon these two topics tend to be written much more passionately than the others. In June 2013, I was announced as the Laneige Ambassador for Singapore and it had since opened doors of opportunity for me that I can’t be more grateful of! “Less is more” has always been …

Revisited: The Lip Slip by Sara Happ

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I’ve dismissed The Lip Slip by Sara Happ as overhyped once upon a time. I couldn’t bring myself to fully enjoy a $24 lip balm, though to be fair I got it at half the price. Fast forward to today and I am eating my words. This saved my lips. I had an extremely dry spell on my top lip, that felt almost like a film. Nothing helped it—not even Vaseline’s Advanced Lip Therapy, which has often been touted to be the saving grace for lips as dry as the Sahara Desert. The Lip Slip is quite heavy and emollient. I put it on in a last-ditch attempt to bring my lips back to life after obsessive treatment with aforementioned Vaseline in another heavy lip balm. I left it on overnight, just like I used to do when I first got it and when I woke up, it had worked! 🙂 I’m pretty sure it’s cruelty-free, though I’d have to double check. I know that the price tag is a bit hard to swallow but …

Nude Lip Liner: Does it Work?

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I’ve never been one to call lip liners ‘indispensable.’ In fact, I hardly ever use them. It feels a little tedious to me to have to color match your lipstick to a separate liner, doubling your efforts and your makeup inventory. I’m personally not too bothered with super-clean, razor-sharp lip lines, I decided. I stopped buying them after dabbling a little, deeming them quite unnecessary for myself. Lipstick doesn’t really bleed or feather on me, so I failed to see the point. In any case, there has been a theory on lip liners. Just a single nude liner is believed to work on every lip color imaginable. The Smashbox The Nude Lip Pencil comes in several shades of nude (mine is Light) and is marketed as the only lip pencil you will ever need. That’s a fine idea! But does it work? Here is what it looks like, swatched. It’s a pretty close match to my lips’ natural pigmentation, though it’s maybe one or two shades darker and warmer. Here, I’ve lined my lips with …

Swatchfest: Le Métier de Beauté Kaleidoscope Eye Kit in Gravité

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I guess it’s safe to say that I broke my ban a few weeks. In the worst way. I’m paying for it—figuratively and literally—but for now, I shall enjoy my third eye kaleidoscope to date. I think that’s a pretty good exercise of self-control, given my intense love for these. Anyway, I got Gravité, which was offered exclusively as a GWP (!) on their official website when you spend a certain amount of money. This was the first kaleidoscope I’ve owned that I fully appreciate the concept behind the couches de couleur technique—layering each tier over the other for a beautiful, complex effect. The shades of Gravité are as follows: — Nova: effervescent tan for warmth — Solar: gilded saffron for femininity — Levity: patina brass for contrast — Dark Matter: jewel-toned aubergine for depth Usually, the layers are warm-cool-hot-cold, so I’m not sure what’s going on here, since it seems largely warm-toned, but like I said, I love the overall effect. Swatched, L-R: Nova, Solar, Levity, Dark Matter, 1-4 layered I mean, check out …