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Happy Skin Shut Up & Kiss Me Moisturizing Lippie and Eye am Here to Stay Liquid Eyeliner

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Happy Skin - Shut Up and Kiss Me, Eye Am Here to Stay

You know when you keep going back and forth, visiting a counter and swatching the same damn things and walking away? Yeah, well, I’ve been doing that dance for a few weeks before I finally caved and bought some items from Happy Skin Cosmetics, the newest local beauty brand that’s been making waves. It’s not even that hard to see why there’s buzz around this new line of cosmetics.

They released only a handful of items, which is something I actually prefer for new baby brands because you know they took their time formulating the products and getting each one perfectly. I picked up the “friendliest” items of the bunch; at least, in my opinion.

Happy Skin - Shut Up and Kiss Me, Eye am here to stay, products

I have the Shut Up & Kiss Me Moisturizing Lippie in Crushing on You, a pretty rosy mauve MLBB shade, and Summer Fling, which is a pinky peach. I also got Eye am Here to Stay 24h Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner in 01 Perfect Black. I don’t think there are any other colors available at the moment. All of the items are priced at Php 499 each.

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Oslo Cosmetics Part II feat. Pyxis, Lyra, Equinox, Orphicus, Ara and Noctem

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This is the review of the second batch of Oslo Cosmetics eyeshadows that I got from my first order. Read the first part here. Like I said in that review, Oslo Cosmetics has been my favorite loose eyeshadow formula thus far. I haven’t tried an extensive amount—just four brands so far—but these are really something else.

Pyxis and Lyra
EOTD - Radiant Orchid - Eyes2

This is the look I did for EOTD: Radiant Orchid and it features Pyxis, a beautiful pale pink on the inner 2/3 of the lid, and Lyra on the outer third of the lid. I’m not used to very cool tones on my eyes, but I enjoyed wearing this almost-silver color.

Lyra, on the other hand, is a beautiful blackened plum. I noticed in the swatch that it kind of faded into black at the edges (almost a ring around the purple-y swatch), and it looks as though it’s a very opaque purple sheen over a black base. For this look, I really had to pat on Lyra with a finger after blending a first layer of it out, just so the beautiful purple is visible.

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The Weekender No. 3

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Hey everyone! 🙂 It’s time for The Weekender, which is a series that has been progressively boring in my humble opinion. I haven’t been doing much outside of the house if only for the fact that the approaching holidays means a sudden avalanche of deadlines and yes. Hmm.

I have seen The Hobbit twice, though, and it was still excellent the second time around. I love the book, but I did enjoy the liberties that they took with making the movie. Except maybe for the romantic angle, but that’s neither here nor there.

ON INSTAGRAM
Are you on Instagram? So am I. 🙂 Follow me on @presidents if you are so inclined.


My sister & I are setting up a shop! / My brother and Noah got a haircut~ / Re-reading one of my favorite books for class
An FOTD wearing shadows from The Hobbit Collection by Shiro / New coffee shop discovery: Yardstick at Legazpi Village / Nature Republic Snail Solution Set

Oh, and another cool thing: I finally had the first roll off of my Diana Baby developed! It took me a loooooong time, because I was having trouble looking for a place that processes 110 film. Here are some photos from September 2012 (!):

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Softly Sometimes Weekly Post Round-up
Posts from this week. Check if you missed anything!

Reviews: Mizon Returning Starfish Cream* / Le Métier de Beauté Lip Crème in Crème de la Crème / BRTC Bright Eye Vitalizer Cream* / Verikos Aloe Calming Oil* / 5 Ways to Wear a Vamp + a Review feat. 3CE Lip Color in Vamp* / Oslo Cosmetics Blush in Carina / Verikos Collagen Tightening Cream* / Oslo Cosmetics Eyeshadows Part I / Graymelin Vintage Seven Tattoo Eyebrow in Dark Brown* / Nature Republic Snail Solution Set: Skin Booster, Emulsion, Cream*

Unboxing: BNTGirls BeautyBox (November 2013)* / BDJ Box (December 2013)

Miscellaneous: The Perfect Palette Tag / EOTD: Radiant Orchid (Pantone Color of the Year for 2014) / Nosy Beauty Vol. 21: Mariana / A Lazy Girl’s Face Base Tag Team Miracle

And, in other news, I watched this video on red lipstick that I really enjoyed and wanted to share:

Do you wear red lipstick? Why or why not? What’s your favorite red lip?

Also I found interesting, dissenting reviews of the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder Palette, posted within hours (minutes?) of each other, one by Arianne of Glitter Geek and another by Shari of The Misty Mom.

And that’s it for this week’s The Weekender~ I don’t have a preview for next week because I don’t have anything queued… DUN DUN DU. I would shakefist at the world for giving me work… but really, who does that?! Thank you for the work, world. Sorry about the busy-ness, blog.

See you around next week, folks! 🙂

Nature Republic Snail Solution Set: Skin Booster, Emulsion, Cream*

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Nature Republic Snail Solution Set

I know that snail secretion in skin care is so 2010, but if it’s been around this long, there must be some merits to it, right? I got to try some items from the Nature Republic Snail Solution line, namely the Skin Booster, Emulsion, and Cream. They’re to be used in that order.

What is secretion filtrate anyway, and what makes it so special? The snail secretion filtrate is the trail of muck that snails leave behind on the ground. This is what they use to coat their delicate underbellies from getting torn or scratched when they crawl. The snail secretion filtrate in these products are procured by Nature Republic “from pristine areas.”

Nature Republic - Snail Solution - Skin Booster

The Skin Booster is a toner that has 90% snail secretion. It is used for “Revitalizing & Moisturizing,” with a boosting function that improves damaged skin. It supposedly brightens the skin and reduces wrinkles, and makes the skin look healthy and luminous by providing vitality to distressed skin.

As the first step, the Skin Booster is to be applied first, right after washing the face. You put it on with a cotton pad and let the skin absorb it. It’s the lightest solution of the three and was easiest to coax out of the bottle. All three have varying degrees of stickiness, but this absorbed into the skin the fastest.

Nature Republic - Snail Solution - Emulsion

The Emulsion is also for “Revitalizing & Moisturizing” but it contains 80% snail secretion filtrate. It goes on after the Skin Booster and it improves damaged skin while brightening and reducing wrinkles. I don’t know what the need is for this extra step, but it is thicker and more opaque than the Skin Booster. This is also to be applied down the neck as well.

These two “steps” are housed in a small sample bottle, much like most of the Korean sample bottles I’ve come across. It’s HARD plastic that you can’t squeeze, which is actually pretty nice in terms of durability, but a little fiddly when you try to get slimy gunk out.

Nature Republic Snail Solution Cream - Open

The last step is the Cream which comes in this tub that has no business being as big as it is. There is a smaller tub inside that has the product in it, and there is just a big moat of air around the smaller tub. Anyway, the Cream contains 70% snail secretion filtrate, and it is the last step of this system that I got. It is meant for “Brightening and Wrinkle-Improving.” It improves damaged skin by providing vitality to distressed skin, and brightens and reduces wrinkles as well.

You just apply it all over your skin and pat down gently for better absorption, supposedly. I’m happy it came with a spatula! This was quite sticky and took a while to fully absorb into the skin.

After initial application of the system, I did notice an improvement in the drier parts of my face. This system is especially moisturizing, though I don’t know how it will fare with oilier skin types, as mine is quite dry. I think it’s meant for a nightly treatment, since it does leave your skin quite tacky and sticky for a while, but not unbearably so. The stickiness does go away after a while, though I personally don’t want to think of my face as a snail trail throughout the day.

For the most part, it doesn’t smell like snails! The cream is probably the snailiest, but I didn’t really notice it when it was on my face until after about the third use. Unlike my fellow bntgirl, Kine, I didn’t find it that offensive. I was really bracing myself for a snail poop smell or something horrid! I’m not that sensitive to scents, so if you are, maybe it’s better to take her word for it. 🙂 I think this may be another reason why I wouldn’t wear this in the day.

If you want other perspectives on this system, check out the blogs of the other bntgirls. 🙂 Visit Kine, Joanne, Rini Cesillia, Alene, and Mariana.

After the second day I used this, I think I kept exclaiming how nice I thought my skin was (I know, so humble!), which prompted my sister to assault me and say, GIVE ME THE SNAILS. And so I did! I have yet to see how she’s liking it, but so far, so good. 🙂

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A Lazy Girl’s Face Base Tag Team Miracle

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Lazy Girl Tag Team Face Base - Tools

Hey all, just a quick post to kind of bring attention to this awesome tag team of product + tool that I used today when I was in a rush to get out of the house. I am writing this because after my nap, I noticed how glow-y and awesome my skin looked and I tried to remember what base I used today. It turns out—none, except for the Guerlain Météorites Perles d’Azur (from the Emilio Pucci collaboration last year), applied pretty frakking sparingly with the Hakuhodo G5519BkSL Powder Brush.

I literally put on eyebrows, a paint pot, eyeliner, mascara, a beach tint, and a sweep of this powder all over after swirling it in the tub of pearls once.

Lazy Girl Tag Team Face Base

Sorry about melty makeup. This was taken after seven hours of wear, a funeral, lunch, and a nap.

I know I’ve been harping on about the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders, but today was a good reminder that these colored ballz rock.

Anyway, I am home on a Saturday because I have to work. I hope you don’t have a weekend as basic as mine. See you around, everyone! ❤

Nosy Beauty Vol. 21: Mariana

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I forgot how I found Mariana, I think I might just have been starting out on my blog then. But I was instantly drawn to her type of blog and style of makeup. Reading The Beauty Bee, I really admired how laidback her it was, but still remained informative. She’s a bit busy these days (read on to figure out why) but I always look forward to her posts. Funnily enough, she is also a member of bntgirls, like me, and Kine and Alene, both of whom I’ve featured on Nosy Beauty before. 😀

Here’s a little peek at her everyday essentials. 🙂

FACE PHOTO 1

Hello! My name is Mariana and I’m a full-time student at the Ateneo Law School. When I’m not studying, I’m usually still reading (mostly fantasy fic) or trying out new restaurants with the boyfriend. I love animals (most especially horses and dogs) and I love being outdoors, though I’ve lived in a city all my life. Makeup is something I’ve always been interested in, but it’s only in the last few years that I’ve really gotten into it. Keeping a beauty blog is definitely one of the ways I like to de-stress and unwind.

Today I’m going to give you guys a peek at my makeup bag(s) and what I like to keep in them. I never really did this (lug around a makeup bag) until recently, so this is interesting even to me! Have a look:

MJB1

First, the bag. I got this pretty “Marc by Marc Jacobs” bag at a Christmas bazaar last year. The brand name is in quotation marks because I’m pretty sure it’s an export overrun. Hehe. I doubt I would drop money on a real one. Still, for an overrun, it’s very durable. I picked it for the kiss mark design, of course.

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Graymelin Vintage Seven Tattoo Eyebrow in Dark Brown*

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Graymelin Seven Tattoo Eyebrow - Dark Brown

One of the two makeup items I got in November’s bntgirls box is the Graymelin Seven Tattoo Eyebrow in Dark Brown. It’s essentially an eyebrow marker with a super fine, flexible tip—almost like the tip of a brush pen. I have a similar product from K-Palette, which is also marketed as a waterproof eyebrow pen.

Graymelin Seven Tattoo Eyebrow - Dark Brown - Point

I love the brush on this. It goes down into a really fine point because I can draw on hairs well. The pen in general is not very flimsy, so you have pretty okay control over your eyebrows and what you want the shape to be. The tip kind of flops a bit, if you’re not careful or paying attention. It’s a great tool if you have very sparse eyebrows, since the ink is quite pigmented.

Graymelin Seven Tattoo Eyebrow - Dark Brown - Swatches

Compared with my K-Palette eyebrow pen, this one by Graymelin is darker and less warm. I think it’s a better match for my natural hair color. The tint of the K-Palette pen is so light that you can kind of just haphazardly draw the “hairs” and not think about it, but Graymelin requires precision as the lines are more visible.

Graymelin Seven Tattoo Eyebrow - Dark Brown - Eyebrows

From left to right eyebrow (screen), I’m using K-Palette then Graymelin. I went on Google Translate because the Graymelin website is not very helpful for non-native Koreans, and in the comments, one of the moderators (or perhaps the creator?) commented that using this for 3 consecutive days will give you the ideal color that will last for seven days (as indicted by the name). Above is day one, below is day 2 and day 3:

Graymelin

By the third day, and after the third face wash, I did notice a faint, very light and warm tint to my Graymelin eyebrow, but I don’t think it would last 7 days, to be honest. The tint/stain on the skin actually made my Graymelin eyebrow appear lighter and browner, which I donut like! I like setting with a darker eyebrow powder, though, so this isn’t a dealbreaker for me.

I continued to use the K-Palette on one eyebrow and saw if the Graymelin on the other would hold up for the next two days after that. It’s really odd, because the tint that the Graymelin left behind is really light and much more similar to the K-Palette swatch. In any case, I don’t think it does what it’s supposed to—which is last for 7 days—but it’s great for everyday use, if you’re not nitpicky or particular about product claims like 7-day longevity in your makeup.

Here’s my condensed opinion of this product:
— I like it a lot.
— It’s easy to use.
— It matches my eyebrows well.
— I would buy it if I run out.
— I don’t mind drawing on eyebrows everyday.
— Great to travel with, easy to use for touch-ups.

However:
— It does NOT last for 7 days.
— You CAN go overboard and overdraw if you’re not careful.

I think it’s pretty useful for people who already have a decent set of brows. If you’re not used to eyebrow markers, this may not be for you. I really have been enjoying using it, though, plus it’s great to travel with since it’s so small and gets the job done.

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* Items provided by BNTNews. All opinions are my own and 100% honest.