Author: Carina

Drugstore Finds: essence Stay All Day Long Lasting Eyeshadow

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This was one of the two items I got during my Makeup No Buy, the other being an elf Liquid Eyeliner. I had points to spend and I was picking up stuff for my sister’s birthday, so I thought, why not? I’ve been meaning to try something from this brand, and I can’t say ‘no’ to cream eyeshadow. The shade I got, Glammy Goes To…, is a cool pale gold, almost like a champagne. The texture is a bit stiff, similar to the Stila Smudgepot, but this is actually a bit more workable because the texture is better. It still has a tendency to make eyelids crepe-y if you pack on too much, but you can just use it as a light wash of color. I find that unlike MAC paint pots, though, I can’t wear these alone. Perhaps it’s the color, which is extremely light, but I suspect it’s the texture as well. It’s not very blendable when it sets, and it does set fairly quickly. Here, I’m wearing it all over the lid, …

Quickie: ADDICTION by Ayako Cheek Stick in Tea Rose

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Here’s a quick review on one of the ADDICTION Cheek Sticks I got recently, Tea Rose. Sorry this isn’t the best picture, but I mistakenly thought it was clear and then used it. Tea Rose is . For a more in-depth review on the Cheek Sticks, click here to read my review on the shade Revenge. Tea Rose is a pretty, muted soft brown with a slight pinky undertone. I froze when I opened the tube, assuming that it would be too light for my face. It turns out, it’s rather pretty! It’s the similar feeling I got when I got Tarte’s Amazonian Clay blush in Exposed. I brought Tea Rose on vacation and wore it for eight days straight without feeling like I was missing out on blush action. Again, it’s awesome on the cheeks, not that great on the lips and I haven’t tried it on my eyes, but I can imagine it being great for that, too. It adds the perfect amount of warmth and a slight, subtle contour on the face, …

Save Face with Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer

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One of my favorite new acquisitions is the Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer, which Sarie brought back for me from her trip to the States two months ago. Because it’s been so humid in Manila, I’ve taken to using just my bareMinerals Original Foundation (loose) in Medium Beige. I’ve found that using it with this yields the best results. I was never a fan of primer, really—I didn’t see the need—so I’m surprised that I had asked Sarie to bring this back for me, as I had my eye on a lot of other things. I’m incredibly glad I did, though, because it works wonders! Product Description: A mineral-based, water-resistant primer with SPF 15 that neutralizes the skin, minimizes shine, and creates a smooth, uniform canvas for flawless makeup application. What it does: This clean, satin-finish formula helps keep makeup looking fresh and prevents fading. Veil Mineral Primer also absorbs excess oils and minimizes the appearance of pores by evenly distributing light to help hide and soften skin imperfections and fine lines. It is formulated without …

Nosy Beauty Vol. 4: Gia

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For Nosy Beauty Vol. 4, we have Gia! She is currently a grad student at the journalism school in Ateneo and a full-time news writer for ANC (among several side-gigs) and my Internet friend. I don’t really even remember how we became friends, but when the makeup talk happened, it just became one big giant flailing party. “My favorite makeup product is matte red lipstick, hands down.” Let’s take a look at what’s in her bag! Here’s my “everyday” kit! I say “everyday” loosely; I really only wear a decently full face of makeup 3-4 afternoons a week including weekends. BASE: Vichy Aera Mineral BB Cream in Natural, Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation in 52 Vanilla, MAC Studio Fix powder foundation in NC40, CVS Advanced Healing ointment “The CVS ointment is basically heavy-duty moisturizer, for my lips and dry skin patches. On hot days in Manila, I also like to use Revlon Photoready Perfecting primer instead of the BB cream, because it’s great at making your foundation sweat-proof. I use Studio Fix to set.” CONCEALER: YSL …

Quickie: MAC Lipstick in Ravishing

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Described as a “clean light peachy coral,” Ravishing is a color that I wanted to love but didn’t. I mean, I like it, but it pulls a little bit more orange on me than on some other people. Probably because of my skin tone, but who really knows? Ravishing is a creamsheen lipstick, which means that it is very creamy and goes on quite glossy-shiny. It should be said that creamsheens are NOT my favorite lipsticks. I can’t stand how they apply. It feels quite heavy (for me) and I find that it clings to dry patches. When the lipstick “sets” and dries down after a few hours, it’s just an unpleasant overall feeling of tackiness and accumulated soaked dry flakes. LOL it’s probably not as bad as I’m making it out to be, but like I said: not my favorite finish. This swatch is closer to what I hoped Ravishing would be on my lips. I think I was looking for a slightly less pink Betty Bright, which is a color I prefer but …

Drugstore Finds: Rimmel Apocalips in Nova & Celestial

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I’ve been wanting to get a hold of the Rimmel Apocalips for a long-ass time. When it was finally available for order on the ASOS website, so I jumped at the chance and ordered two shades, Nova and Celestial. Though both are soft shades, bordering on neutral, Nova is the brighter pink shade of the two. Nova is a pinky-brown that reminds me of a girlier version of the Guerlain Rouge L’Extrait in Avarice. The formula is pretty nice; it doesn’t really feel heavy and sticky on the lips as some of the other cream/liquid lip products that I’ve tried so far. These are pretty comparable to Guerlain and Shiseido, at least in terms of consistency, where as the Revlon Liquid Lipsticks dry down to a tacky sort of finish that is not comfortable in any universe. Celestial on the left, Nova on the right. Not much of a marked difference, though I do still prefer Celestial, as it’s an easier pink for me to wear since it has a lot more brown in it. …

Quickie: MAC Satin Lipstick in Twig

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Have you noticed that I am slowly trying to feature each MAC lipstick I have? 🙂 MAC’s Twig is a “soft muted brownish pink,” and is a satin finish. The only other MAC Satin Lipstick I own is Betty Bright from the Archie’s Girls Collection. I find this to be less creamy than that one, and it is very similar to another “everyday lipstick” I got, Mehr, which is a matte. Swatched, you can definitely see how Twig gets its description. I love this color. Really, based on the bullet and the swatch, Twig should be a favorite, but it pulls really dark and pink on me. All of the brown is lost somewhere out there. I don’t dislike the color. It’s a very nice color. 🙂 I think that the finish has a lot to do with it, for some reason. I have a feeling that’s why I use Mehr a whole lot more; it’s “true to bullet,” so to speak and it’s very what you see is what you get. Twig reacts weirdly …