All posts filed under: Reviews

shu uemura Stage Performer Instant-Glow Immediate Radiance Skin Perfecting Cream

Published by

What this product is is a mouthful! This is actually my sister’s but we sometimes borrow each other’s makeup bits. She has a lot of base and concealer-type things, while I have an abundance of eyeshadows, so it works out. Anyway. This is the freaking best. We were at the shu uemura counter because my mom was replenishing some skin care items that she tried out and liked. And then this caught our eye. I don’t normally stray away from the color makeup offerings, but I saw this and I thought it was a new product. A review I read of this said that it’s usually stashed with skin care. My sister and I were so amazed at the luminosity it provided. Out of the tube, it looked a lot like The Body Shop’s BB Cream that I used to have—a white cream with brown particles suspended in it. I suppose they’re pigments that kind of “explode” upon blending, lending a bit of tint and color to your complexion. Blended out a little, the sheen …

y.e.t. Cosmetics Fill it Up Primer

Published by

I don’t know what it is about primers because I rarely rotate them (Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer 4eva), but whenever I walk up to the tester and feel the silicone-y smoothness on the back of my hand, I can’t not get it. It’s kind of ridonkulous how I never got a tube of Benefit’s Porefessional for myself, but that’s another story. Anyway, at a bazaar a few weeks ago, I spotted this Korean brand I haven’t heard of yet and decided to buy a few things with the spending money (about $22, lol) my dad gave me. With half of that, I bought a face primer called Fill it Up Primer by y.e.t. cosmetics, which is a super new brand that launched just in 2012. I was super impressed with their face bases as well, but I have so many to go through right now, so I resisted. It’s quite a nice primer, and the packaging is cute but pretty standard. Its packaging is made of a lightweight plastic with an easy-to-use nozzle. You can …

Quickie: Urban Decay All-Nighter Makeup Setting Spray

Published by

Here’s a quick review of the Urban Decay All-Nighter Makeup Setting Spray, but I don’t really know what to say really other than “it works.” A bullet-point list of its claims: — Long-lasting — Oil free — Paraben free — Temperature Control Technology I don’t have a lot of experience with setting sprays, but I do notice a marked difference with the longevity of my makeup and how nice it still looks by the end of the day. That’s a really big deal because I live in a humid country and I do commute pretty often. The nozzle disperses the product evenly, and I don’t have wet globs of wetness all over my face. It also dries down pretty well and quickly, and doesn’t have a weird smell or anything like that. I can’t really think of how to elaborate on this product; all I can say is that it works. I don’t set my makeup when I don’t have a long day ahead, but I can’t really think of how to go on a …

Sample Stash Sunday: HeyNature Black Diamond Moist Tightening BB Cream

Published by

Hello, Sample Stash is back! I hope I can keep this up and use up all my samples. I’m aiming for twice a month, at least, so wish me luck! 🙂 Anyway, today, I have a Korean BB Cream called the Hey Nature Black Diamond Moist Tightening BB Cream. I got this in a Glamour Box many months ago. I’m a little averse to trying sachets of samples, but I didn’t want this to go to waste so I sucked it up and put it on my face. It swatches pretty nicely and doesn’t look too white for me. Most BB creams tend to lean towards a super-cool pinky color, which kind of leaves a grey cast on people who aren’t as pale as Koreans to begin with. I don’t really like BB creams because I know I am not “pinky-white” and I do not really aspire to be. However, BB creams attained popularity because of their supposed skin care benefits that lend to a complexion as glowing and beautiful as a Korean pop star’s. …

In Defense of Eye Palettes, Plus 8 Neutrals You Should Look Into

Published by

I love palettes. It’s a pretty good way to “save” some money while getting to try a lot of colors. I think my interest in art and design also manifests itself in this preference for palettes of singles, just because a well put together palette is one of my greatest weaknesses. I accumulated a lot of makeup in a short period of time, and the culprit really seems to be eyeshadow. When a brand releases a palette that puts together colors and shades that work so well with one another, it takes a lot for me to say ‘no’ to it. Eyeshadow palettes are probably the only makeup item that I feel like I ‘collect,’ just because my logic center shuts down in the presence of a gorgeous mishmash of colors and shades. Pretty. I’ve slowly been realizing that I am much more drawn to a beautifully thought-out product than to the option of customizing something on my own. I feel like I am partaking in a story that someone is trying to tell, though …

Ace of Base: Making Eyeshadow Stay Put on your Oily Lids

Published by

One of my greatest frustrations when I was starting out with makeup was eyeshadow. I think that’s why I was so ecstatic to find out about primers. They made crappy eyeshadow look good and stay put. I eventually found some awesome eyeshadows that work well, even without a primer, but I couldn’t not wear primer once I started. Eye primers are basically the magic glue that bonds your eyeshadow to your eyelids. If your eyelids are prone to oiling up, a good primer or base will prevent your eyeshadow from ‘creasing’—or bunching up in unattractive lines, around your eye folds—and will get you through the day with pretty flawless makeup. There are a lot of good ones out in the market today, and I’ll share with you a few of my favorites. For your standard, dries-down-translucent eyeshadow primer, my top picks are Urban Decay Primer Potion and NARS Pro-Prime Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base. These have worked the best on my eyes so far. Other alternatives are the e.l.f. Mineral Eyeshadow Primer (though it didn’t agree with …

Day to Night with Urban Decay Naked Basics & a Palette Comparison

Published by

The Urban Decay Naked Basics has been treated as though it was a savior of the eyeshadow world. It’s a 5-matte-1-satin neutral palette that works as a standalone palette or the perfect companion to either of the two über shimmery Naked palettes. The pigmentation is of excellent quality, as to be expected from Urban Decay. The colors are just a bit too light for my skin tone. I feel like it’s a bit uninspired, but that’s from someone who likes playing with makeup. If you’re looking for something that will give you a great neutral eye day after day, then this might be your best bet. Swatched, top: Crave. Swatched, L-R: Venus (satin), Foxy, W.O.S. or Walk of Shame, Naked 2, Faint The colors are gradations of a standard brown, and while this is completely usable, I’d love to have seen something more “exciting,” like the purple-toned Tease from the Naked 2 Palette. The other awesome thing about this palette is the overall portability of it. This is freaking small and handy, great for traveling, …