Year: 2013

Liquid Foundation Swatch Fest

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After I posted about the Ahava Liquid Foundation, fairytalesandcoffee asked me to do a swatch comparison with my other liquid foundations. I said OK because it’s fairly different from the other liquid foundations I have. Here are four types of foundation I own, since I have the L’Oreal Lucent Magique Liquid Foundation* in two shades, and strictly that. I didn’t include BB creams or tinted moisturizers, etc. From left to right, they are Ahava Light Foundation in Sand, Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow in Cheers to me Champagne, L’Oreal Lucent Magique Foundation in G4 (I also have N5), and Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum, which is technically a “gel” foundation, but I found the consistency to be similar to my other liquid foundations. Here are unblended swatches in the same order: I hope it’s evident that the Ahava foundation is thicker and creamier, whereas all the others are quite runny. Also, this goes to show you how sucky I am at shade-matching. (Although, I feel like I pick the correct shades. Agree?) Here are the swatches …

Drugstore Finds: Maybelline Color Tattoos

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I’ve been wearing a few Maybelline Color Tattoos for a while now, and I realized that I hadn’t shared them with you guys yet. I have three colors: Audacious Asphalt, Bad to the Bronze, and Tough as Taupe. It’s the kind of product that has been raved about so many times that I can’t say anything new about it anymore, really. I suppose that’s a good thing? These are essentially cream eyeshadows that you can wear on their own or as a base for other eye products. These go on very smoothly and are incredibly waterproof and crease-proof. I seriously went for a swim with Bad to the Bronze on my eyelids and it did not budge. These babies are such a great budget product, though a con I think would be that some of them dry out pretty quickly. If you can see my pot of Tough as Taupe up there, you’d see the product separating from the glass, so that’s not a good thing. It’s still a great thing to try out, though, …

Nosy Beauty Vol. 7: Ae

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This week’s Nosy Beauty features another one of my favorite local bloggers, Ae from An Artechoke. I’d been following her blog for a while before I realized that she was the mom of our dog Noah’s brother, Mochi. 🙂 “My name is Ae, I’m an architect and I’m married to a visual artist. Aside from my job, I will be co-managing a design store with my husband and some friends—we’re set to open later this year.” “I’ve always been into beauty—I grew up with two older sisters who are just as into it, and I’ve always been doing my friends’ makeup for school presentations, then later parties, dates, weddings and whatnot. I started my blog about two years ago; I wanted it to be strictly about beauty so I tried to keep everything else about me to a minimum. At that time, I was just amazed that people took to the internet to write and share what they know, and that there exists an active and thriving local community of beauty enthusiasts!” “Anyway, a huge …

Quickie: Beach Hut Clear Spray Sunblock (SPF 75)*

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One of the things I was most excited about from the BDJ Box last month was the Beach Hut Clear Spray Sunblock* which is an aerosol sunscreen with SPF 75++. A lot of people were disappointed about getting this, since we are easing our way into the rainy season, but I am a firm believer in slathering one’s self in sunblock anyway. The clouds can’t be your sole protector, you know! Anyway, this is great for a number of reasons. One, it doesn’t smell like coconut. Two, it doesn’t leave you feeling lotion-greasy. There is a slight “oiliness” upon application, but that fades away after a while. Three, it’s waterproof and sweat-proof, and four, it has UVA/UVB protection so all the bases are covered by a generous SPF of 75. There is no white cast either and the spray applies and dries down translucent. You can tote this around for easy reapplication because the spray has a top that locks it shut to prevent messes in your bag. Beach Hut is cruelty-free and made in …

Majolica Majorca Mascara Smackdown: Lash King vs. Lash Expander

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My first foray into mascaras included the Majolica Majorca Lash Expander. Since then, I’ve tried one other Majo Majo mascara, Lash King. They’re two of the mascaras that have worked well on my stubborn Asian eyelashes, but how do they compare against each other? Let’s start with the wand, which is one of the most obvious differences. The Lash Expander has a double-sided comb with teeth that are spaced differently—one side to pack on the mascara and the other to separate the lashes. I don’t find them to be anything special, really. When I use the separator side, my lashes do separate but they become spindly, too. I prefer the wand of Lash King, which looks more like the traditional mascara wands out in the market today. It’s a long, fibrous brush that’s tapered at the end. It can be a challenge to maneuver but nothing that’s exceptionally hard. I like how this coats my lashes more. Lash Expander Frame Plus 12 (Blue) Here is a photo I’m which I use the Lash Expander in …

Bring the Sunlight to Your Face with Addiction Cheek Stick in African Sunset

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What? A highlighter again?! Fear not, dear reader. It is not. It is a blush that looks like there is a bit of highlighter thrown in there. HEH. This is the only cheek stick I have that has shimmer in it. It’s a pretty light golden orange, and it’s just marvelous. It was a bit hard to take a swatch of, so have three: Again, I thought this would be too light for my face, but au contraire, it actually adds depth to my round face. Here it is as a blush. Check it out—so beautiful and warm and summery! Perfect for the gloom and doom and humidity that is Manila weather currently. I say perfect, because boo clouds! (Just kidding, I prefer the gloom and doom, but I like brightening up my face, heh.) And here it is on my eyes: You can see a little bit of the prettiness of the blush right in there, too. 🙂 Anyway, while it looks pretty on the eyes, it settles into the fine lines and creases. …

Quickie: Snoe Beauty Hair Heroes Super Fresh Texturizing Beach Waves

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I am a sucker for beachy, wavy hair worthy of a spot on Blue Crush. (Do you like my dated reference?) The problem is that I have pin straight, very thick hair that gives a whole new meaning to “pony tail.” Alas, I didn’t inherit my mom’s naturally wavy hair, and nothing ever really worked out for me and my hair. I remember a photoshoot for a magazine where I got my hairz did, and while waiting for everyone else, my curls unraveled so the hair stylist just gathered my messy waves into a side ponytail. So, the Snoe Beauty Hair Heroes Texturizing Beach Waves (Php 299) was something I was eager to try. Product Description: ” Summer hair all year round! Embrace imperfection! Tousled , messy sexy beach hair is this seasons latest hair trend! 🙂 Hair Heroes Super Fresh Sage Tea Tree & Peppermint Texturizing Beach Waves Sea salt. Moringa. Softly separates for shiny, sexy, mussed waves. Heat Safe.” I should have known better, because it did not work for me at all. …