Month: August 2014

Recent Acquisitions / Currently Testing

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Yup, another one of these things! I guess these are kind of like the offspring of hauls and first impressions posts. I don’t know. I had a moment in during which I splurged and now I’m in a very zen place of not spending money but spending time with the stuff I already have. I’ve got a package coming in with more ILIA and Kjaer Weis, but other than that, I haven’t been shopping. I’ve been trying to be more mindful of what I purchase, but I’ve been thinking that purchasing might be the bigger problem, so I’ve been limiting that as well. I know it doesn’t look it, but these things were ordered and received quite a while ago (international postage and all). But that’s another story. Anyway, onto the actual products! Makeup Geek Blush in Rendezvous (pictured above) This was the only available shade on my to-try list from the new Makeup Geek blush releases. I feel very lukewarm about it because I thought it would be more purple. As far as blushes …

5 Things Friday: Five Things I Wish I Knew

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I thought this would be fun to kind of look back into this hole of doom (i.e. makeup obsession) and think of five things I wish I knew before I took the plunge. Research is your best friend. Trawling the WWW in the dead of the night and reading reviews without taking much in is not research. Take note of colors that work well on you—don’t be happy with “it swatches well” as a criteria. Think of what you, as a person, would like to wear on a daily basis and then take it from there. Hype fades away. Refrain from letting yourself being swept away by the newest fad or product. Sometimes, you’ll run into a few gems—ahem, Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder—but hyped products are usually things you can live without. Be smart and level-headed about your purchases and consumption. Don’t always just base your opinions on a collection. I know, I know. This is your favorite thing about makeup—when the collections make sense and look whole and well thought-out. The problem is that …

Feelin’ Fancy

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I’m not really that fussy or picky with my things—usually—but I do recognize the power that something fancy holds. When I put on something just a little fancier than my normal wares, I feel my mood perk up a little bit. Call it superficial, but it’s the truth! (Perhaps I am just a superficial person? Cue another existential crisis for Carina.) I don’t really rely on much makeup for pick-me-ups, though I do have to hand it to Guerlain Rouge G L’Extrait in Orgueil for making me feel like the HBIC and not a tiny, awkward mouse. I also feel a little bit better about myself when I pull out the Dior Addict Lip Glow to moisturize my lips, which was given to me by Laala from our swap! Recently, I’ve taken it upon myself to spritz on some perfume, something I used to do a lot in high school, but have outgrown now that I’m actually at an age when perfuming yourself is the norm. For extra fancy fumes, I use Diptyque’s Vetyverio. Normally, …

FOTD: A Failed Minimalist

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I was going for another 5 Product Face… but things got out of hand. I wore this to an IMAX screening of Guardians of the Galaxy (dying so much) and I thought it looked cute. Oh, bee tee dubs, I cut my hair again. The next time you see me, I’ll greet you as a baldy. Half-kidding. Face: NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer (Ginger), Le Métier de Beauté Peau Vierge Anti-Aging Pressed Powder (Shade 2) Cheeks: Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush (Diffused Heat) Lips: Maybelline PinkAlert By ColorSensational (POW2)* Eyes: K-Palette 24H Real Lasting 2-Way Eyebrow Liner (G101)*, MAC Paint Pot (Groundwork), Makeup Geek Eyeshadows: Unexpected in the crease, extending past the outer corner, Cinderella and Bleached Blonde all over the lid, Mocha and Twilight in the outer ‘v’, Rockstar on the inner corner; KATE Super Sharp Liquid Liner (Black) And that’s that! I hope you guys like this look. 🙂 Tellie asked me about my “eyeshadow diagram,” so I’m working on that… probably to be posted later this week or early next week. I’ll keep you …

Just Sheer with Kjaer Weis Cream Foundation

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For months, I hemmed and hawed, thinking about whether or not I’d spring for this $68 foundation. Yes, $68. It’s kind of ridiculous—jk, it’s really ridiculous—but I’m kind of ridiculous, so there’s that. I have a few face bases already, but I wanted to try out Kjaer Weis because it’s pretty known in the green beauty world (and otherwise). The reason for the hefty price tag is the hefty compact, I’m guessing. All the Kjaer Weis products come in a “Refillable Make-Up System” that feature really heavy cases that remind me of my Guerlain Rouge G lipsticks and refillable compacts. In theory, there’s less waste and you can elect to go case-less if you really want to go minimal. There’s a refreshingly short list of ingredients for this cream foundation: Sweet Almond Seed Oil, Capylic/Capric Triglyceride, Coconut Oil, Corn Starch, Cera Alba, Carnauba Wax, Jojoba Seed Oil, Polyglyceryl-2 Diiososterate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Mica, Titanium Diocide, and some iron oxides for the pigment. It’s certified organic, too! The texture of this foundation is fairly light for a …

Top 10 Luxury Products Under $25

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So, I saw this video over at Tati (or GlamLifeGuru)’s channel and even though it’s not exactly a tag, I thought I’d go right ahead and do it. This video basically shows you some of my favorite luxury products under $25. It’s called Top 10, but it’s entirely possible that I’ve been able to try some awesome new high-end products that are under $25 that I might like better than these… we’ll see! For this video, though, I ended up picking some not-so-luxury brands that aren’t exactly drugstore. So, I’ve got a mix of high-end (e.g. BECCA, Hourglass, Le Métier de Beauté) and mid-range (e.g. MAC, bareMinerals, Urban Decay) products here. To watch Tati’s original video, click here. She did it as a collaboration with Fleur (FleurdeForce) and they gave 5 products each. Heh, I got to pick all ten. 😀 // PRODUCTS MENTIONED: 1. Le Métier de Beauté Hydra-Crème Lipsticks: Cashmere, Sahara, Signature Red ($25 ea) These are some of the easiest things to wear, I swear. LMdB’s older range of lipsticks (aka Colour …

Unboxing: BDJ Box July 2014* & Some Thoughts on “Value”

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On the last day of July, BDJ sent me the month’s box, which may explain why this is late. BDJ is one of the top subscription boxes in the Philippines, if you’re not familiar, and it only costs Php 580 (or a little over $13) each month. Here’s what’s inside the BDJ July 2014 Box*: To be honest, I was contemplating on not posting about this box because I didn’t really find it too exciting. Thought I’ve been sent these boxes for a few months (maybe even a year now), I was never required to write these posts. I usually find BDJ boxes to be quite OK, if not great… Good enough to post about anyway. BDJ has built a reputation for itself as a kind of reliable subscription box with thoughtful picks for boxes. This box was so dull to me that I didn’t even want to post about them, but going through each item, I had a thought (more on that later) and ended up writing up a post anyway. Here are the …