All posts filed under: Miscellaneous

Unboxing: BDJ Box May 2013*

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Hello everyone! I’ve got a video unboxing for the May 2013 BDJ Box. If you recall, I’ve already unboxed a BDJ Box this month, but that was the BDJ Box Elite and I apparently was in for another surprise! Thanks, BDJ Box Team 😀 Here’s the video. I tried to make it as short as I possibly could, so I hope this is short enough. There were a lot of items to fit into the video, so it was a challenge, but a welcome one. I think this may be one of my favorite boxes. BDJ really hit the ball out of the park with this one, since it covered all the bases, pretty much. There is skin-care, makeup (like, a full face, practically!), and a plethora of fragrances to choose from. Interested in your own BDJ Box? You can subscribe in 1-month, 3-month, 6-month, and year-long increments here: http://bdjbox.com/ * This item was sent to me for editorial consideration. I was not compensated for or required to write this post. All opinions are 100% …

Instagram FOTD Rewind: Vol. 1

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So, I’ve been thinking about the stuff I post here and wow, it’s mostly product reviews and swatches… which I feel probably gets kind of repetitive and boring after a while. The thing is, those are the easiest to write because you kind of have a mental checklist of things you should mention, and you’re pretty much done! (Which isn’t to say that those are easy to do, but just in the grand scheme of things I could write, they’re not that bad.) Anyway. I always have plans to write more innersting~ posts, but I guess I’d like to try posting more about looks, too. The reasons behind this are a) I can show you how I use the makeup I buy, past the hauling and swatching, and b) I can keep a record of my favorite and not-so-favorite looks, for my own reference. Since I don’t go out everyday, I’ll maybe a few weeks worth (10-12 or something) of Instagram looks. This is where I document most, but not all, of my Faces of …

Swatch Experiment: Goldy Purple Eyeshadows

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I was writing about the Le Métier de Beauté Melange de Colour Fashion Palette, when I noticed that one of the shades looked remarkably like one of the eyeshadows I already owned, MAC Trax. They had the same flecks of gold and purple base. I pulled it out to compare and decided to look at all my other shadows as well. These seemed to be the strongest contenders. From left to right: Laura Mercier’s African Violet. The gold is very strong in this shade. It was part of my Artist’s Palette for Eyes, which is Limited Edition, but you can buy this shade individually. Le Métier de Beauté’s Tapestry. This is very close to Trax, but it has a more opaque base. This is part of the Silk Road Kaleidoscope Eye Kit, which is Limited Edition. Le Métier de Beauté’s Ikat. This is actually more of a frosty plum-gold, with the gold infused in the base, rather than as a separate component/glitter element. This is part of the Silk Road Kaleidoscope Eye Kit, which is …

Unboxing: BDJ Box Elite* (May 2013)

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Hello! It’s time once again for a BDJ Box post. If you’re not familiar with it, it’s a subscription service in the Philippines. This month, they sent out limited edition “BDJ Box Elite” boxes, which I am verver excited about. This box contains a lot of full-size products, as well as generous samples. None of that sachet nonsense! (JK I am mean, but really, small tubes rock.) The theme is “Summer Indulgence,” and for once I do think it fits the products inside. Instead of the folded-up card that usually comes with the box, the BDJ Elite Box has a collection of small cards that highlight a certain offering they have that month. They’re kind of like playing cards. 🙂 The nifty thing about these new cards is that they show you the original size and price, and the sample size they give and the calculated cost. That way, I don’t have to do any math! Ahava Essential Day Moisturizer — This is supposed to kind of bring out the skin’s natural moisture, and allow …

A Rather Sizeable MAC Haul

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You’ve been warned. OK, so I don’t have a lot of MAC products. Before this haul, I had three lipsticks, two non-neutral eyeshadows (Amber Lights and Trax), a lipgloss, a pearlmatte powder, a paint pot, and two brushes. I never go into MAC stores here because looking for colors stresses me out. However, when Laura, a friend of mine from Canada-land, told me that she could help me out by picking out colors and products (at least in terms of color makeup and brushes) she liked, I couldn’t say no—especially not to help and cheaper cosmetics. ETA: MAC has a considerable (almost 50%) markup here in the Philippines. To illustrate, the lipsticks are $15 each or about Php 617, but they’re being sold in Manila at Php 1,000 or $24.32. I don’t think they even sell the eyeshadow refill pans here, so instead of paying $12 or Php 493 per color (refill pan), I have to pay Php 1000 or $24.32 per color, even though I’m going to have to depot it anyway. It doesn’t …

Big in Japan: Drugstore Finds Part III

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Welcome to the third installment of my Japanese drugstore “haul”! So far, I think I’ve shown four products in each post, and I have four (sort of) to show you today. I haven’t actually opened one of them yet (you’ll see why), so it’s just going to be a peek at it. Anyway, let’s start! Here is my face that looks like it is shaped like an egg: Media Creamy Lasting Lipstick in PK-20 Ah, the last tube of my drugstore lipsticks. This purchase was really sort of like an afterthought, and although it is a good lipstick, I kind of wish I got one more Lavshuca instead (see here). These are almost half the price of those at ¥895 or about $9. PK-20 is a dusty pink with no shimmer, which is quite unusual for Japanese drugstore lipsticks, at least from what I observed from my excessive swatching. The tube is a bit flimsy. It reminds me of the way my Avon lipsticks felt in my hand, kind of like the pieces don’t really …

My Personal Cruelty-Free Pledge, Or a Step Towards It

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I have been a regular makeup user only for about six months, but I’ve been burdened by the issue of animal testing and what it means to me as a consumer and—what I’d like to think—me as a responsible human being. I know it happens outside of the beauty industry as well, but I think a large part of why I feel bad is because beauty products are, at the root of it, pretty unnecessary to the general public. We beauty lovers use products because it is enjoyable and it makes us happy. It’s not necessarily a necessity, though I’m sure there are special cases, so I can’t be at peace knowing that a bunny or a hamster suffered so I could be itch- and allergy-free, wearing a lipstick or a foundation. Because of this burden, I have assessed my current collection and divided the brands into several categories, which you can see here. If I can amend anything on the list, please feel free to let me know. 🙂 A large part of why …