Author: Carina

Makeup No-Buy Update: Three Month Mark

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Welcome to the third month of Makeup No-Buy, and it’s time to report my progress, so far! Many people have been asking if I’m still on it, and the short answer is ‘yes.’ The long answer is ‘yes, but I have purchased makeup here and there.’ This month, I got myself two Bourjois products from my Vietnam visit. We don’t have that brand in Manila, which I guess explains why I felt like I should grab them… Hehe. So, a recap of purchases! MAY/MONTH ONE: — e.l.f. Liquid Eyeliner — essence Stay All Day Eyeshadow * used Department Store points JUNE/MONTH TWO: — 3 x Addiction Ready-to-Wear Palettes — 3 x Addiction Cheek Sticks — 3 x Addiction Single Eyeshadows * Den’s Japan trip; can’t get these products in Manila JULY/MONTH THREE: — Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum — Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer * Vietnam trip; can’t get these products in Manila Despite the obvious failure on my part to completely eradicate makeup purchases for six months, I think I’m doing pretty well. Especially when it …

Be Bright: Illamasqua Lipstick in Immodest

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Okay, so I hauled an Illamasqua lipstick a few months ago. It was called Immodest, and it was part of the I’mperfection collection last Spring. It’s a beautiful bright, light pink that looks almost neon and it is definitely not a color I would normally choose. It took a while for me to review because IT BROKE. I was trying to apply an even coat on my lips, and I guess I didn’t notice pressing too hard on the bullet and it snapped clean off! I only was able to fix it recently, being a lazy MacGyver and all. (Just kidding, it’s still broken. I am the WORST MacGyver.) But there, that is evidence of its extreme dryness. It is quite difficult to apply because there is very little slip. I didn’t want to have to resort to a balm underneath because it compromises its matteness, but it was virtually impossible to apply (at least for me) without one, so this lip swatch was made with a glossy neutral balm underneath: I found that it …

Made-Up History: Gustav Klimt’s “Judith I,” 1901.

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Apologies for skipping out on last week’s Made-Up History post! I was working on the last minute details of my latest one-man exhibit, which opened on Wednesday, and couldn’t really play with makeup and do other things. But anyway! Here is a peace offering. If you’re new here, Made-Up History is a series I’ve been doing in which I translate some works of art into makeup looks. 🙂 I’ve already made a bunch, and you can check them out here. For this week’s post, I have Gustav Klimt’s “Judith and the Head of Holofernes,” or “Judith I,” which is one of the first works of art that Klimt infused with gold leaf. He popularized this technique and made a name for himself when he created the much-postered-up work, “The Kiss.” I’ve also always been drawn to the story of Judith and Holofernes, because she is definitely a strong woman in my eyes. She is one of the few brave women in Biblical accounts, though her book is part of the apocryphal texts, which means that …

Quickie: Addiction by Ayako Eyeshadow in Deep Forest

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Here’s a weird color that doesn’t seem like me at all. On my Osaka trip, I kept swatching this color, Deep Forest, at the Addiction counter because it was so pretty. It’s a lovely blue-green color, with a “Pearl” finish. Like your usual Addiction eyeshadow, this is very buttery and easy to blend and apply. I remember swatching it alongside Midnight Drive, and really wanting to get it because they looked really good together, but talked myself out of it because I don’t wear blue eyeshadow. Since I have a newfound love for colored eyeshadow, or at least a new semi-adventurous streak, I decided to get it. It’s great as an outer corner color because the color is not as bright as you’d think and is quite easy to wear. It’s also awesome for a smokey eye. It creates a nice little gradient from Midnight Drive, a perfect eye look to wear if you’re feeling tired of neutrals. This is actually a pretty unique shade. The closest I have to it is Editor’s Pick from …

Quickie: Physiogel Hypoallergenic Intensive Cream*

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Here’s a quick review on the Physiogel Hypoallergenic Intensive Cream* which I got from a BDJ Box (May, I think!). I mistakenly thought this was a facial moisturizer, but it turns out, it’s a moisturizer for all over, for sensitive skin! I’ve used this for about seven days straight, once in the morning and once at night, and I still have about half the tube full. I think that’s a bit too fast to go through a product, but considering it’s a body product, maybe that’s to be expected. In any case, the cream itself is very thick and a bit hard to blend out. It makes you use more product to cover more surface area. The cream itself doesn’t really sink in and I leave greasy marks (eee) on some surfaces like my cousin’s leather-ish dining chair. Le sigh. As for effectivity, though, I would say it was decent at moisturizing, though it left a sort of sheen (grease!) on my skin, most notably my legs. It’s not a miracle product, but if you …

Make That Face Monday: One-Shadow Smoky Eye Using LMdB Alexandrite

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Alexandrite is the first and only eyeshadow single from Le Métier de Beauté that I ever bought, and for the longest time, I wished that I had gotten a more sensible color, like the often celebrated Corinthian. I bought it during my “purple shadow phase,” which I am not completely out of but am moving slowly away from. Recently, however, I realized that I can actually use Alexandrite, a pretty red-toned violet with a bit of a golden sheen (as far as I can tell), for a one-shadow smoky eye. But more on that later. As for Alexandrite, it has a wonderful, smooth texture that is also apparent upon application. It’s not incredibly pigmented on the first layer, but it’s very easy to work with and it’s a dream to layer and blend. The Le Métier de Beauté single eyeshadows come housed in a rubberized circular compact, with a texture that’s more similar to the NARS compacts than the LMdB Kaleidoscopes that I’m more used to. Each shadow has a mirror on the lid, and …

Sample Stash Sunday: Le Métier de Beauté GWP

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When I asked Sarie to get me some items from LMdB while she was on her trip to the States (2 Lip Cremes, 1 Lipstick), she was able to get a GWP for me! Woohoo! The Gift With Purchase includes an eyeshadow duo called Brown as a Berry and an itty bitty sample size of the Anamorphic Lash Mascara. Both came in a cute little drawstring pouch. This is a late review, but I was waiting to finish up a couple of mascaras before I opened this one up. Brown as a Berry is comprised of two light shades: a rosy pink with a golden sheen to it, and a mushroom brown with a similar sheen. Texturally, the shadows are a bit drier than the Le Métier de Beauté shadows I’ve owned and used previously, the main offender being the brown shade. Still, with a bit of coaxing, both are rather pretty mid-tone shades, great to use all over the lid. These are a little light on my skintone, but they are gorgeous in person, …