Year: 2013

First Nature Republic Haul!

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A few weeks ago, Patty alerted me to Nature Republic’s February markdown sale, so off I went! Nature Republic is a Korean brand, by the by. The name would suggest that. I asked for a list of recommendations and I just pretty much got what she told me to get (I am a sheep) because I was in a hurry. Here be my loot! Products in focus: Shine Blossom Rose Blusher (04 Lovely Rose), Aloe Vera 80% Cleansing Gel Cream, Sleeping Tonight Lavender Sleeping Pack. I will get into the blusher down below, but let me talk about the other two products in focus here. OK, so Patty advised me to get all of the items here, except for the Sleeping Pack, which I just got to make my purchase reach Php 1,000 for a free membership. I’ve tried the Aloe Vera 80% Cleansing Cream Gel when I got home to take off my makeup. It’s alright. It got rid of my eye makeup fairly well, but I should note that I wasn’t wearing anything …

Drugstore Finds: Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains

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Normally, I don’t wait several months before I make a purchase; especially if it’s a drugstore product. I first saw the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains in a mall one Sunday in October. I found them a bit pricey (Php 575 or $14) here, so I tried to ignore the hankering for them. I lasted a month and a half before I finally caved. A few people nudged me and said they were totally worth every penny. I found a cheaper retailer online (Php 450 or $10) and although they didn’t have the shade I really, really wanted, I got myself three of the next best ones. Here’s Sweetheart, Darling, and Crush. I decided to get a variation of shades (light, bright, dark) to try them out. Here are some swatches: Darling, Sweetheart, Crush Swatches—layered ANYWAY. Long story short, I love these things. I keep one (usually Darling) in my bag at all times. Darling is a cool blue-toned pink that looks a bit lilac-y. Sweetheart is a cool bright pink. Crush is a …

Faces of the Week: February 4-10, 2013

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A catalog of looks for the past week. For my own reference, but I hope it may be of some use to someone out there. I decided to do this this week because it’s a rarity that I find myself out of the house—all 7 days of the week at that. I think it would be tons more interesting to see seven looks than a measly three or four. 🙂 MONDAY Meant to do some errands, which were thwarted because school offices were closed for President’s Day. Say hello to my unruly brows! Face: Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Liquid Foundation (Cheers to me, Champagne), bareMinerals Mineral Veil, K-Palette Kuma 0 Cover Control Concealer (02 Yellow Beige) Eyes: Benefit Lemon Aid, bareMinerals READY 8.0 (The September Issue: Tres Chic for lid wash, Couture for outer corner, crease, & lower lashline, Gliteratti for middle of lid and inner corner), The Body Shop Brow and Liner Kit (02) Cheeks: Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush (Natural Beauty) Lips: Chanel Rouge Allure (Captivante) TUESDAY Light, fuss-free makeup for a food …

Online Shopping from Manila: Tips & Tricks

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I am an impulsive online shopper. I was never really one for shopping trips growing up, because it just seemed like such a hassle to haul myself over to the nearest sale. I do have an eye for bargains, though, and I have tried out several types of shipping methods, which I will share with you today. I consider myself pretty “learned” when it comes to these things, just because I’ve been lemming for things like hard-to-find books and music, even before I got into makeup. So, if you live in Manila and are currently jonesin’ for some items abroad, here are some tips I have for you. Philippine Postal Service You can always do it the old fashioned way and have your items sent through registered mail. The only thing that’s risky about this is that customs is inescapable. I’m happy to pay taxes if they weren’t derived arbitrarily, which they sometimes are. Since I live in the Quezon City area, that’s where my packages typically end up. The QC PO is usually good …

Drugstore Haul: Skin Care & Eye Stuff

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Sunday is drugstore day! That’s one of the few times I find myself in a mall, so I pounce at the opportunity to replenish my “necessities.” Well, these aren’t really necessities, but that’s the time I have to peruse the drugstore to find steals! I got these things from St. Ives: Moisturizing Olive Cleanser (Php 249.75), in hopes that I have found a cleanser that can take the place of shu uemura’s cleansing oil. I tried this today and it worked well enough but smelled yucky. In my opinion anyway. I can deal with it, because it’s an awesome makeup remover and my skin feels sufficiently moisturized! The Blemish Control Apricot Scrub (Php 197) came with this free sample size of the Oatmeal & Shea Butter Lotion. I was on the lookout for the green tea scrub, but all we had are several variants of the apricot. I used this last night, though and my skin felt so good! I want to use the scrub again tonight, but my sister said you should only do …

Pinky Up with bareMinerals’ READY 8.0 eyeshadow in The Cocktail Hour

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So, for my first bareMinerals haul, I got two of the eight-pan palettes from their READY line. I reviewed the first one I got (The September Issue) already, pretty extensively, over here. The other one I got (The Cocktail Hour) I wasn’t even eyeing, but the sale price was just too much to resist. At $17, down from $40, I get eight top-notch shadows in colors that–let’s face it—are actually more me. The palette comes with a full-sized mirror and a double ended brush. The colors are: Black Tie Optional — a matte grey black Icebreaker — a cool frosty pink nude with a bit of shimmer Swanky — a shimmery midtone plum with warm red undertones Spiked — a frosty pinky peach coral Elixir — a frosty pinky lavender Invite Only — a frosty metallic taupe with olive undertones Libation — a warm champagne with somewhat frosty finish with reflective shimmer Shaken Not Stirred — a deep navy with a matte finish and blue shimmers I love the story that this palette tells. To …

Link Love Vol. 4

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I’ve amassed quite the longish list this week. Enjoy! shu uemura x Karl Lagerfeld Smoky Velvet Swatch Comparison (North American vs. European/Asian releases) by Kate of Drivel About Frivol Sometimes, makeup collections launch items that are different per region (don’t ask me why). Kate of Drivel About Frivol compares both versions of this shu uemura release. Skin Update by Beauty and the Tomboy Is your oily, blemish-prone skin not behaving, no matter what you do? The Beauty and the Tomboy stripped down her skin routine to the basics and has become blemish-free in about two weeks. Amazing! Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupte Shine Swatches by Taylor of My Lucite Dreams Taylor swatched 12 of the 16 shades—a handy guide for people looking to purchase! How to Feed Your Beauty Addiction if you are on a budget by Emma of Beauty Bliss Practical Tips for wiser spending on cosmetics! Material Detox by Material Detox Material Detox made a beauty inventory of her makeup collection to survey the items she has, with the intention of reducing her …