Year: 2013

Made-Up History: Les Demoiselles d’Avignon by Pablo Picasso

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This look was borne out of a need to update this little section of my blog, Made-Up History, and also out of the fear of wearing blue eyeshadow. I never understood it, never knew why people wore it out of campaigns or editorials. When I heard that blues suited brown eyes, I was dubious. Still, curiosity got the better of me and thought this was a good time to do it. This is also partially inspired by both Mariana (whose personal makeup challenge was to wear a red lip in the day time) and Liz (who brought up the question that instigated Mariana’s experiment). Today, we’re going to look at Pablo Picasso’s Les Demoiselles d’Avignon or “The Young Ladies of Avignon,” created in 1907 and is part of MoMA’s collection. (Source) Wikipedia says that it was originally called The Brothel of Avignon, which I can sort of see with the provocative poses of the figures. Even though they are distorted and rendered in the cubist style for which Picasso would be famous for, you can …

A Cult(ure) of White

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This weekend, I received BDJ’s April Box, and was disheartened to see that most of the items were aimed at skin whitening. It’s probably harsh and callous to say, but it felt like a KKK theme instead of an “Oh, So Fresh!” box. It’s not that it’s really a surprise at this point. I’m aware that a large part of the Philippine population want to be whiter. It doesn’t mean that it frustrates me any less. I understand it from the business point of view… People want to be whiter, so companies want to sell them something they will buy. Already frustrated with the box chock-full of whitening products, I was further saddened by a trip to the mall the next day. I had to pick up a few things (i.e. a hairdryer, cotton buds, wipes, sun block) and was constantly peddled whitening lotions and creams. Every corner I turned, I was offered some kind of whitening product. I had just come back after one day at the beach and am sporting a slight tan …

Big in Japan: Drugstore Finds, Part II (Tools)

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This is the second installment of my Japanese drugstore makeup exploration. It’s not the most exciting one, because it’s about tools! I’ve “divided” my other purchases into drafts and there are two more coming up so I hope you watch out for those. 🙂 On to the post! MUJI Face Lotion Sheets It took all of my strength (not really) to not buy these here and wait until I was in Japan, where Japanese products are way cheaper. These little capsule things are compressed absorbent sheets of paper that fold out into a scary face mask when you drown them in some sort of solution such as a moisturizer. I don’t have a facial lotion, so I tried one of these out with my MUJI Toning Water, and holy cow! It made such a difference with how moisturized my face felt! Compared with how I usually use my Toning water—just a soaked cotton pad wiped all over my face—this method made my face feel softer and more moisturized. A++++ for me. Majolica Majorca Eye Reset …

Unboxing: April BDJ Box*

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For April, BDJ nixed the brand exclusives trend it was on (with Shiseido and L’Oreal) and gave its subscribers a mixed bag of stuff. Right off the bat, I have to say that the box had some heft to it, which sometimes translates to a good box. But, Heavy = Full-Size Products ≠ Good, so let’s see how well BDJ’s April box fared. I’ll list the products as they appear on my box card. This month’s theme is Oh, So Fresh! aimed at getting us psyched for “one super summer.” A bulk of the items will help you keep fresh in the summer months, and the rest are just fun bonuses. Sorry if I don’t have a photography~ set-up. I don’t even have a vanity table, so you get my work desk! 1. Bifesta Age Care Cleansing Lotion — Touted as Japan’s first water-based makeup remover, this mimics the effects of cleansing oils, minus the oil. The enclosed sample is not full-sized, but it’s priced at Php 419 for a 300ml bottle. I’m very excited …

Addiction by Ayako Lipstick in Gold Fish

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I did not mean to buy lipstick from Addiction. I was on the look out for their Cheek Sticks and Lip Crayons. On the last day of Japan, though, I somehow wandered to their counter while waiting for Barby and Isa, and picked up this shade and then I had to have it… and two other shades. (But more on those later.) Addiction’s lipsticks are housed in a shiny black plastic and angular tube. You can see the NARS influence even here. Though the iconic rubber packaging is absent, the thin minimalist type is an obvious influence. For now, let me express my love for Gold Fish, a pinky-gold color. If you’ve been reading for a while, you’d know how much I get suckered in by names. Slap a clever, pretty name on a product and there is a 50% chance that I will buy it. Luckily, Gold Fish lives up to its cute name. Gold Fish has a sweet, salmon pink base and almost imperceptible gold flecks. At least, on the tube. Swatched, though, …

Big in Japan: Drugstore Finds, Part I

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One of my favorite places to look for makeup in Japan was your regular ol’ Japanese drugstore. Before leaving, I made a list of things to check out at the drugstore. After a few trips here and there, I’ve found some of my favorite ones (so far). The thing is: the selection at the drugstore is so massive, but it’s so hard to come across a product that sucks. Here are some of the ones I got myself, nevertheless! I decided to just do quick reviews and split them into three or four parts. I’ll save the massive reviews for the more expensive items I ended up getting. 🙂 Lavshuca Dramatic Memory Rouge Lipstick in RS-1 Oh, Dramatic Memory Rouge, how I wanted to hoard you. I saw these first at Kate’s swatch post, and they were on the top of my list to try. I have never owned a lipstick tube so frilly as this: Of course, I gravitated towards the deepest, rosiest shade there was. This is in RS-1, which is a rosy-plummy …

Back from Japan: Some Photos + My Beauty Loot

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Hello everyone, I’m back from my trip! It was, truthfully, too short a trip and I wish I could have stayed longer because Japan is a beautiful country. 🙂 We visited two cities—Osaka and Kyoto—which are about thirty minutes and ¥430 (or about $5) away from each other. This is Doutonbori Street (the English spelling varies), which is filled with food and large recreations of food that hang outside shop windows. On the left part of this picture, you can kind of see a row of gyoza (dumplings), and a large puffer fish that looks like a blimp. This is especially fun to walk around in at night because it’s so busy and alive. Also, Japanese food is one of the tastiest cuisines in the world! Lorita, a Taiwanese tourist on a solo trip, in a kimono, setting up her tripod to take photos with the sakura or cherry blossom tree. This is a nice one, in Kyoto, because the branches were low, so you can be surrounded by beautiful little blossoms. 🙂 This is …