I’m lumping two unboxing posts for my Le Métier de Beauté Beauty Vault VIP because the January box shipped a bit late and I couldn’t get the post up last month. It’s been a big blush time for Le Métier de Beauté, which I’m enjoying since I haven’t bought tried any blushes on my own aside from the cheek products I’ve gotten from this sub. Read More
This was supposed to be a New Old Face post, but I realized that most of these products, I’ve used quite a bit already anyway, there was no “new” factor to it. Anyway, I wore this on our Taiwan trip. I didn’t remember to take many FOTDs, so here’s one I did remember taking, heh.
After years of overpacking makeup when I travel, I finally realized that going with a neutral eye is the best way to go. You can pair it with so many things like a bold lip or pops of color, and so on.
I didn’t have to powder my face, either. I quite like this base combo!
— Kosé Suncut Water in UV Protect Essence SPF 50+ PA+++
— Glossier Perfecting Skin Tint in Medium
— Le Métier de Beauté Peau Vierge Corrector in Medium
— K-Palette 24H Real Lasting 2Way Eyebrow in G101*
— NARS Pro-Prime Smudgeproof Eye Base
— SUQQU Eye Quad in Sumiredama
— K-Palette 1Day Tattoo Real Lasting Eyeliner in R01*
— 3CE Under Eye Flash in Pitter Patter
— Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Exposed
— MAKE MAtte Lipstick in Jakarta
* Items marked with an asterisk are PR Samples.
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This post is quite overdue, given that I bought these pencils way back in November. Since I don’t do colored liner very often—which kind of makes this purchase questionable—it took me a while to gather my thoughts on these products. Long story short: I really like them! 🙂 I’ve been pretty much liking my 3CE purchases anyway, so this comes as no surprise.
Featured in this post are two kinds of liners by 3CE: the Creamy Water Proof Eyeliner (that reminds me of NARS’ Larger Than Life pencils) and the “Under Eye Flash,” which I imagine helps achieve the sparkly waterline/lower lash line look that Koreans seem to really like. I’ve already tried a shade in the latter formula, which I like, but makes me look a little stoned as it’s quite coppery and brings out the red on my waterline.
Swatched, L-R are the 3CE Creamy Water Proof Eye Liner in Mojito, Wow Pink, and Moulin Rouge, and the Under Eye Flash in Pitter Patter. The first two shades are completely matte, which adds such a great POP of color to an otherwise neutral look. My favorite way of wearing the first two is lining the top of a small black wing on my eyes and throwing a neutral shade in the crease for definition. I don’t like wearing them over eyeshadow, since they don’t seem to go on very well, but what I like about them is that they are smudge- and crease-proof. Pitter Patter is a beautiful antique gold that adds a little somethin’ on the lower lash line. I love it!
Here are some of them worn:
Pitter Patter on lower lash line.
Moulin Rouge on upper and lower lash line.
Pitter Patter on lower lash line.
Wow Pink on the outer half of upper lash line, with black liquid liner.
They’re a little bit harder to get than your standard MAC or NARS, but they’re available on Luxola, which is a site that’s been nothing but a pleasure to order from. Here are affiliate-free links: Creamy Water Proof Eye Liner (Wow Pink is not in stock) and Under Eye Flash.
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Hey all! Apologies for the radio silence, but if you’ve been following me on Instagram (@presidents, if you are so inclined), you’d know that I was in Taiwan. And between that, shuffling around the Art Fair last week, and getting work stuff done, I’ve neglected this space a little bit. Sorry about that.
Anyway, as is customary, here’s what I brought along on this trip to Taipei. We flew on the 10th and got back on the 16th. I feel like it looks like a lot for that length of time, and honestly, I could have left a few things home. I still didn’t go crazy packing eyeshadows and palettes, so I’m a little bit proud of that.
Face/Blush Stuff: Kosé Suncut Water in UV Protect Essence SPF 50+, Glossier Perfecting Skin Tint in Medium, Le Métier de Beauté Peau Vierge Correcter in Medium, Le Métier de Beauté Peau Vierge Anti-Aging Pressed Powder in Shade 2, Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Exposed
Eye Stuff: K-Palette 24H Real Lasting 2-Way Eyebrow in G101*, NARS Pro-Prime Smudgeproof Eye Base, LUSH Cream Shadow in Sophisticated, K-Palette 1 Day Tattoo Real Lasting Eyeliner 24H in R01*, 3CE Under Eye Flash in Pitter Patter, 3CE Creamy Water Proof Eye Liner in #10 Mojito and #9 Wow Pink
Lip Stuff: ILIA Lipstick in Funnel of Love, MAKE Matte Lipstick in Jakarta, 3CE Matte Lipstick in Sweet Impact, ColourPop Matte Lipstick in Feminist, NARS Pure Matte Lipstick in Mascate
Here’s a closer look at the palette I brought a SUQQU quad called Sumiredama:
This is a fun palette with enough neutral tones to wear without much thought. 🙂 I love finding palettes I’ve long buried into the ether because of over-buying. It feels nice! I used my blush, a neutral matte, along my crease, too.
I ended up a) not using Mascate or Feminist because it felt iffy drawing attention to myself with makeup because everyone I saw seemed to only bother with lashes?? and a bit of blush!, and b) unwittingly bringing 4 lip treatments and mostly using just 2, the BITE Agave Lip Mask and the Aesop Rosehip Lip Cream. The only brushes I brought were a Hakuhodo tapered eye brush, and a Hakuhodo H601.
I know it sounds like a lot, but everything fit quite nicely in this NARS bag I got as a GWP:
If you haven’t joined my MAKE giveaway, you still have about a week and a half to do so!
* Items marked with an asterisk are PR Samples.
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Hello fair people of the Internet! I come bearing gifts.
So, this giveaway has been in the works for a few months now, but between the holiday rush and international postage times, well… let’s just say it took a while. Although I meant for it to be a holiday giveaway, I’m opting to do a Galentine’s Day Giveaway, instead.
For this round, I’m randomly picking 3 winners who will each get a bag filled with MAKE goodies. 🙂
MAKE is an amazing company and they put 33.33% of all direct purchases from We See Beauty towards the We See Beauty Foundation, which establishes and supports cooperatives. One of the reasons why I am so glad that I get to do this giveaway is knowing that it may lead to further support for a company that values craftsmanship, artistry, and prioritizes a good model for business and partnership. I’ve written about them numerous times, and you can see all of those posts here.
— 1 MAKE Solstice Bronzer in Warm #1
— 1 MAKE Face Gloss
— 1 MAKE Matte Finish Eyeshadow in Hudson Green
— 1 MAKE Matte Lipstick in Magma
— 1 MAKE Custom Finish Effects in Matte/Dew
I’ve used 3 out of the 5 and love them all. Again, if you’d like to find out more about MAKE and their fantastical (ha!) products and vision, please click here.
— Must be a resident of the Philippines.
— Must enter with a valid email address.
— Limit 1 account per person (i.e. enter once per entry, i.e. no “ghost” accounts)
— Contest runs until 28 February 2015
Instead of a question, I’m doing a random Rafflecopter draw. Click the link below to enter.
Enter here: a Rafflecopter giveaway
If you can’t wait, MAKE’s doing an extremely great offer of samples on We See Beauty, with these minis available for only $10 (incl. shipping!). It’s such a great value, I’m kind of bummed I can’t avail!
The sampler kit includes Mini-bullet of Silk Cream Lipstick Maraschino Cherry, Satin Eye Shadow in Bentonite Clay, Matte Eye Shadow in Cement, travel size makeup remover, and a sample of the Soft Focus Foundation. Click here to check it out.
* All products provided by MAKE.
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I typically spend most of the working hours at home, since I work freelance. This past week has been crazy hectic because my family’s gallery is participating in this year’s Art Fair Philippines. When I got home one day from setting up, I think, this huge package was greeting me! I figured it was a BDJ Box because they’re usually quite generous with their mailings. 🙂
The BDJ Box for January-February 2015* is called “Kawaii Must-Haves.” If you didn’t already know, kawaii is the Japanese word for “cute.” The contents of this box are must-haves for you to be kawaii, apparently. I was pretty excited, not only because I want to look cute as frak, but also because I love Japanese beauty products.
The box was hefty, and it was also filled with papers and stickers. Aside from the usual information card for the products, there was also a mini magazine that’s filled with tips, photos, and coupons! Here’s what subscribers should expect from the Jan-Feb box:
Bifesta Cleansing Lotion (300ml, Php 419) — I’d been wanting to try this for a long time, but never got around to actually buying it to try. It came at the most opportune time, as the cleansing water I’ve been working on for my Project Pan 2015 just recently ran out.
Lucido-L Styling Milk (70ml, Php 295) — I got the variant “airy,” which I’m assuming makes your hair look a little windswept in a deliberate but kawaii way. These milks are formulated with hyaluronic acid.
Lucido-L Treatment Oil Perm (50ml, Php 295) — This is an overnight treatment for treated hair, but it can also be used as a protective serum when you style your hair with hot tools.
Pixy Eyeshadow (2.8g, Php 315) — I got a pretty useful neutral duo with a light lid shade and a darker one for gradation. It’s perfect for a simple or everyday look that you don’t even really have to think about!
Pixy Blush On (3.5g, Php 345) — I think I received this shade already, so I’m passing this on to a friend. It’s a cute dusky peach shade that’s convenient to bring along when traveling.
Pixy Two Way Cake Fit (12.2g, Php 275) — This is a “UV Whitening Powder,” and can be used wet or dry. It has SPF15 and squalane oil, which I don’t use anymore unless it’s derived from non-animal sources.
Pixy Coverlast (10g, Php 325) — This is a new Pixy product to me! It has “microsphere powder” that covers blemishes in a natural and even way. It also claims to control oil and shine.
Sunkiller Perfect Water Essence (30ml, Php 495) — Based on my experience with a Kosé water essence suncsreen, I’m sure I’ll end up liking this. It’s SPF 50+ and I’m hoping that, like the Kosé one I’m using up, it will play well with my dry skin, despite this humidity. I’m also LOL-ing at the name.
Here are a few pages of the magazine it came with:
All in all, I think it’s a pretty good box if you want to sample Japanese cosmetics from head to toe. As a “kawaii must-haves” box, I think it’s missing liquid liner to be honest, but it otherwise covers most of the bases anyway.
* Items marked with an asterisk are PR Samples.
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A long overdue review, mostly because I had to revisit this blush again before I realized how great it is. That, my friends, is one of the perils of setting up a beauty blog without knowing much about it. But anyway.
The NYX Powder Blush in Taupe is a much talked-about product in the beauty world for a reason. Because most bronzers are too warm or golden to be used as a “proper” contour shade, this near-grey blush has been high up in the ranks of the too-few products that can mimic an actual shadow.
The “correct” contour shade relies heavily on the preference of the wearer, but if you’re someone who wants to lay off the orange, this one’s for you! It’s been mentioned a million times, and that’s because it works. It’s a great way to try out this shade, too, because NYX is cheaper than most of the grey contour powders or blushes out on the market.
The packaging is very un-glamorous and nondescript, but when a product works, you hardly notice the rickety mechanisms. You just enjoy it for what it is. The powder is not the best quality, but the pigmentation is good enough to show up and subtle enough to be able to blend away nicely and imperceptibly into the skin.
Swatched: NYX Powder Blush in Taupe
Overall, this is a great, budget option if you’re considering a great grey-toned contour. I’ve got light-medium skin tone (click here for foundation matches), but it shows up really well on me. I use a NARS Yachiyo Kabuki brush, a Hakuhodo H601 Powder Brush or the Real Techniques Multi-Task Brush (from the Travel Essentials Kit) to apply this to the hollows of my cheeks and blend away.
Here’s what it looks like used:
Now, the cruelty-free issue. NYX claims to retain its cruelty-free status despite being bought out by L’Oreal. Typically, when a CF company is owned by a non-CF parent company, I will still support it. But, as much as possible, I do not want to purchase from L’Oreal in particular because of reasons that go beyond animal testing. This is a personal consumer issue; I urge you to obviously only support companies you are comfortable supporting.
Because of this, I probably won’t be repurchasing it when I run out. Which will be a long way away. Thankfully, the Kjaer Weis Cream Blush in Abundance, though not a dupe, lends a similar effect. But yes, it’s a cream, so there’s that.
* Items marked with an asterisk are PR Samples.
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Softly Sometimes 