Author: Carina

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 …

Nosy Beauty Vol. 33: Danika

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Hello, and welcome to another installment of Nosy Beauty. 🙂 Today, we’ll be peeking into the makeup life (and bag!) of one of my friends from college and church, Danika. She probably doesn’t know this, but she was one of the first people in school that I noticed wearing not-so obvious makeup and it made me want to try it back then. I was really surprised with what she sent (you’ll see!), but then again, I wasn’t because she was always going the extra mile, even when we were in school. • Hello! My name is Danika, 25, creative director at Classified and Nava Boutique (MNL), letterer and style blogger at Hello-Rio.com. 🙂 Whenever I use makeup, I always try to go for the “natural look”. Just enough is always the right amount. I don’t like putting too much on. Actually, I think I can even live without cosmetics! Cause sometimes I do leave the house barefaced and feel perfectly comfortable. But, you know, for the sake of looking presentable and appropriate for my job, …

July Favorites & August Beauty Goals

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Hey everyone, it’s time for my Beauty Favorites this July! I made a point to pay attention and actually take note of the things I’ve been loving this month (at least for half of it), and these are the items that came to mind. — NARS Sheer Glow (Punjab): I bought a primer with a high SPF so I could keep using this (I hadn’t been since it is SPF-less) and I reminded of why I loved it so much. — MAC Paint Pot (Groundwork): This is probably the eye base/primer that I reached for the most in July, switching out Painterly, since it looked really pale and ashy against my summer tan~ — shu uemura Eyeshadow (ME medium brown 885): One of my top 5 eyeshadow singles, this is a great all over the lid color if you truly can’t be bothered. — Urban Decay Primer Potion: A rediscovery as I’ve been using paint pots and using up my NARS eye primer (yech). This stuff is amaaaazing, my absolute favorite eye primer. — Le …

FOTD: Winging It

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Ever since someone pointed out that my eye looks would look better with the definition of liner and mascara, I’ve rarely gone without them. Mostly because I agree. Adding a touch of eyeliner can add a world of difference to your looks, so I usually smudge some eye kohl, at least, when I don’t have the time or patience to do a wing. Given my eye shape/s (they are vastly different from each other), I’ve had a bit of trouble doing traditional winged liner. My eyes fold differently from each other—something I rather dramatically called My Ocular Affliction—so I stayed away from eyeliner wings… until I got the hang of it. I just begin in the middle of my eye, aligning it to the centre of my pupil. I draw a line, very thinly, and extend it to a wing that’s a little farther out than where my eye ends. The angle and incline of the wing are also quite small, so they don’t extend that far up, giving me the illusion of a more …

5 Product Face No. 1

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bareMinerals Liner Shadow (Bark) / MAC Paint Pot (Rubenesque) / Le Métier de Beauté Anamorphic Lash Mascara in (Midnight Blue) / Ilia Multi-Stick (All of Me) / Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder (Mood Light) I purchase a lot of makeup, but I don’t really like putting a lot of effort into my everyday looks, especially when I’m in a hurry. I thought I’d do a five-product face series in which I feature “full looks” using only five products. I used bareMinerals’ Bark for my eyebrows and my eyeliner and my MAC Paint Pot in Rubenesque as an all-over lid shade. I then curled my lashes and added mascara. I used the Ilia Multi-Stick in All of Me as my blush and lip color (over a balm, as it’s a bit dry), and dusted my face off with the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Mood Light… for no reason. I usually use them as a finishing powder, but I like wearing those on their own, though. I feel like they add a glow to the skin or …

Le Métier de Beauté Kaleidoscope Lip Kit in Gemini’s Kiss & a Beauty Vault VIP Recap

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For the last and final month of the Le Métier de Beauté Beauty Vault VIP Subscription, subscribers got a Kaleidoscope Lip Kit in Gemini’s Kiss, which features 8 lip colors (4 lipsticks & 4 crèmes or glosses) in split pans. I don’t have the individual names but I’ll email LMdB to ask then append this post if they are individually named! I wasn’t supposed to post this until much later. I just got this yesterday and haven’t been able to play with it much yet, but I wanted to get this post up because LMdB is closing their subs soon… and I wanted to show you what they’ve sent, so far, in case any of you are interested in subscribing to them. Here’s the last shipment for the first round, which went on from August 2013 to July 2014. Le Métier de Beauté Kaleidoscope Lip Kit (Gemini’s Kiss): left pans are lipstick, right pans are glosses/lip crèmes Swatches: Le Métier de Beauté Kaleidoscope Lip Kit (Gemini’s Kiss) Face Swatches: Le Métier de Beauté Kaleidoscope Lip …