All posts filed under: Reviews

Quickie: Addiction by Ayako Cheek Stick in Suspicious

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Ah, the last Cheek Stick I have in my possession—Suspicious. This Cheek Stick is not like the rest. It’s a little bit on the dry side and can take a bit if work to blend out. Still, it’s a gorgeous one to have if you sometimes like to have a deeper flush on the cheeks, with a but if a contour thrown in. Like most of the Cheek Sticks I own, it has no glitter or shimmer; Suspicious is just a delicious deep burgundy red. For the initiated, Cheek Sticks are multi-purpose products that you can use on your cheeks, lips, and eyes. I only like them on my cheeks, but for that purpose alone, they are amazing products. On the face, it’s not so severe-looking and you can definitely wear it out without drawing too much unwanted attention, though I find that it is also great for drama if that’s something you might be looking for. Because of the drier texture, I wouldn’t use it on my lips except over a heavy layer of …

Quickie: Make Up Store Brush Soap

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I love this stuff. I have been using a facial cleanser for the past few months, but when I ran out of that, I made it a point to give the Make Up Store Brush Soap a shot because I heard somewhere that it was good. Holy crap. This is great. It’s a bit pricey but you only need to swipe your damp brush once or twice on the soap and it works up a pleasant lather that gets rid of all of the makeup. I actually kind of really like the smell, which is sort of a generic soap smell, kind of medicinal… if that makes sense. Like part of an apothecary, but it’s not very herb-y. I don’t know what I am typing, but I like the smell. It comes in a sleek, plastic case that keeps it from melting, which results in less waste. It also rinses out fairly easily, and provides decent conditioning to my brushes. It’s going to be a while before I use the bar I have up, but …

Liquid Foundation Swatch Fest

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After I posted about the Ahava Liquid Foundation, fairytalesandcoffee asked me to do a swatch comparison with my other liquid foundations. I said OK because it’s fairly different from the other liquid foundations I have. Here are four types of foundation I own, since I have the L’Oreal Lucent Magique Liquid Foundation* in two shades, and strictly that. I didn’t include BB creams or tinted moisturizers, etc. From left to right, they are Ahava Light Foundation in Sand, Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow in Cheers to me Champagne, L’Oreal Lucent Magique Foundation in G4 (I also have N5), and Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum, which is technically a “gel” foundation, but I found the consistency to be similar to my other liquid foundations. Here are unblended swatches in the same order: I hope it’s evident that the Ahava foundation is thicker and creamier, whereas all the others are quite runny. Also, this goes to show you how sucky I am at shade-matching. (Although, I feel like I pick the correct shades. Agree?) Here are the swatches …

Drugstore Finds: Maybelline Color Tattoos

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I’ve been wearing a few Maybelline Color Tattoos for a while now, and I realized that I hadn’t shared them with you guys yet. I have three colors: Audacious Asphalt, Bad to the Bronze, and Tough as Taupe. It’s the kind of product that has been raved about so many times that I can’t say anything new about it anymore, really. I suppose that’s a good thing? These are essentially cream eyeshadows that you can wear on their own or as a base for other eye products. These go on very smoothly and are incredibly waterproof and crease-proof. I seriously went for a swim with Bad to the Bronze on my eyelids and it did not budge. These babies are such a great budget product, though a con I think would be that some of them dry out pretty quickly. If you can see my pot of Tough as Taupe up there, you’d see the product separating from the glass, so that’s not a good thing. It’s still a great thing to try out, though, …

Quickie: Beach Hut Clear Spray Sunblock (SPF 75)*

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One of the things I was most excited about from the BDJ Box last month was the Beach Hut Clear Spray Sunblock* which is an aerosol sunscreen with SPF 75++. A lot of people were disappointed about getting this, since we are easing our way into the rainy season, but I am a firm believer in slathering one’s self in sunblock anyway. The clouds can’t be your sole protector, you know! Anyway, this is great for a number of reasons. One, it doesn’t smell like coconut. Two, it doesn’t leave you feeling lotion-greasy. There is a slight “oiliness” upon application, but that fades away after a while. Three, it’s waterproof and sweat-proof, and four, it has UVA/UVB protection so all the bases are covered by a generous SPF of 75. There is no white cast either and the spray applies and dries down translucent. You can tote this around for easy reapplication because the spray has a top that locks it shut to prevent messes in your bag. Beach Hut is cruelty-free and made in …

Majolica Majorca Mascara Smackdown: Lash King vs. Lash Expander

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My first foray into mascaras included the Majolica Majorca Lash Expander. Since then, I’ve tried one other Majo Majo mascara, Lash King. They’re two of the mascaras that have worked well on my stubborn Asian eyelashes, but how do they compare against each other? Let’s start with the wand, which is one of the most obvious differences. The Lash Expander has a double-sided comb with teeth that are spaced differently—one side to pack on the mascara and the other to separate the lashes. I don’t find them to be anything special, really. When I use the separator side, my lashes do separate but they become spindly, too. I prefer the wand of Lash King, which looks more like the traditional mascara wands out in the market today. It’s a long, fibrous brush that’s tapered at the end. It can be a challenge to maneuver but nothing that’s exceptionally hard. I like how this coats my lashes more. Lash Expander Frame Plus 12 (Blue) Here is a photo I’m which I use the Lash Expander in …

Bring the Sunlight to Your Face with Addiction Cheek Stick in African Sunset

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What? A highlighter again?! Fear not, dear reader. It is not. It is a blush that looks like there is a bit of highlighter thrown in there. HEH. This is the only cheek stick I have that has shimmer in it. It’s a pretty light golden orange, and it’s just marvelous. It was a bit hard to take a swatch of, so have three: Again, I thought this would be too light for my face, but au contraire, it actually adds depth to my round face. Here it is as a blush. Check it out—so beautiful and warm and summery! Perfect for the gloom and doom and humidity that is Manila weather currently. I say perfect, because boo clouds! (Just kidding, I prefer the gloom and doom, but I like brightening up my face, heh.) And here it is on my eyes: You can see a little bit of the prettiness of the blush right in there, too. 🙂 Anyway, while it looks pretty on the eyes, it settles into the fine lines and creases. …