All posts filed under: Reviews

The Coolest Neutrals: A Review of the Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette

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A few days ago, I posted a review on the original Naked palette, so you might be thinking “A Naked Palette? Again?!” Well, I bought both in one go when UD had their 20% off Friends and Family sale. I figured I should just get both because I couldn’t choose and it’s not exactly the easiest brand to get a hold of here. It’s such an in demand brand—particularly the Naked line—that online resellers tend to mark these up quite highly. Essentially, I got both palettes for about Php 1,640 each. My sister got the Naked Basics palette, and I got a primer potion duo (original & Sin). We paid a total of about $24 in international and door-to-door shipping. I should have gotten more and sold online, but I’m a poor thinker. Anyway, on to the review! So, unlike the Naked Palette which comes in a felt/suede type of compact that closes with a magnet, the Naked two is housed in a sort of metal tin compact that feels sturdier. It also locks and …

Unboxing: BDJ Box for March 2013*

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I was out yesterday and came home to the BDJ Box for March! Exciting. I wasn’t sent last month’s Shiseido bonanza, but BDJ Box has a lot of L’Oreal goodies this month that I’m sure a lot of subscribers would enjoy. OK, a head’s up: this month’s box is hefty. It was so heavy! I put two and two together and figured that they included full size hair products, and I was right! Here are full sizes of the Fall Repair Hair Shampoo (Php 110 for 180ml) and the Full Repair Hair Conditioner (Php 119 for 180ml), which are meant to nourish your hair and make them less fragile. I’m not too picky about hair products, and my hair “rejects” very few variants (the old Dove shampoo, par example), so these were OK things for me to get. Hair fall isn’t really a major problem for me. It was, but I fixed it with the red-capped L’Oreal shampoo. I’ve been using products from their new range—the Ever Strong shampoo and conditioner—which I love. It’s a …

Make Up Store: In which I tried to resist but couldn’t

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I had no real desire to go into Make Up Store (That’s the name. Really.) when we first saw it being erected in The Podium, but I changed my mind when I learned it was from Sweden. I clicked around their website once and got interested in their Microshadows (eyeshadows, basically). And if you follow my other blog, I made a promise to myself not to buy anything that was not of the 4 items listed on the post. Obviously, I failed… but I’m just going to try again soon. 🙂 Maybe I should save it for another post, but I have cut out one habit that I feel makes me buy more stuff. This habit is: browsing makeup counters. I am now actively trying to only look at makeup in a physical store with an intention to buy something (a product I read about, want to try, etc.), and not to browse and end up buying 15 things by “just looking.” But there, that is not a part of this post. Anyway, I finally …

Lit from Within: L’Oreal Lucent Magique Liquid Foundation Review

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I’ve said it before: I’m not really a foundation type of girl. Or so I thought. There just really comes a point when you get tired of trying several variants of one thing only to be disappointed. Repeatedly. Funnily enough, I have been wowed by several “face base” products as of late. My first re-foray* into foundations and bases was through the most excellent Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Liquid Foundation (Review here). BHFOWLF (ridic initialism, I know) is a great light foundation with SPF, which is why I wanted to start wearing foundation again in the first place. I now realize that I could have just gone with face sunscreen, but it’s too late now. Anyway, I like using it a lot, though I do rotate it with a BB Cream from either The Body Shop or Snoe Beauty. For days when you feel like covering your face up a little more, though, try the L’Oreal Lucent Magique Liquid Foundation. I’ll go ahead and post the claims on the box: “Lucent Magique Light-Infusing Foundation …

NARS: Spring Gifting 2013 And God Created the Woman Set

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My first makeup brand love was NARS. After reading through countless blogs and reviews, the first items I bought for myself on intentional trips to the makeup counter were an eyeshadow trio (Ramatuelle), a lipstick from their sheer range (Vendanges), and of course, the ever-famous blush in Orgasm. All are still favorites, so I’m patting myself on the back for those awesome purchases. Fast forward to today, and I’ve flirted with a lot of new products. This blog doesn’t get a lot of NARS love just because I got them prior to starting this blog. From time to time, though, I will get an itch that only NARS can scratch, and a particular instance of this was when the Spring 2013 palettes came out. Introducing the And God Created the Woman Set! I got suckered in because of the awesome name, but I got it because it’s a beautiful neutral palette with such a great value (you’ll see why). The Spring Gifting Collection (?) for 2013 has two palettes, if I’m not mistaken. The other …

MAC Archie’s Girls Review & Swatches: Boyfriend Stealer & Veronica’s Blush

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I have here two items from one of the latest MAC Collection, Archie’s Girls. Though I pretty much wanted to get everything, I controlled myself and reassessed my life choices made the executive decision to just get only a few items. Which is a pretty great feat for me, because let’s face it—if there’s any sort of Beauty Bandwagon, I’d probably jump on it. Technically, I only have one item (a pearlmatte powder), since I got the Ronnie lipstick for my sister, who loves dark plummy shades. I do have my eye on a Betty lipstick (Betty Bright), but I can’t seem to get a hold of it. I’m not sure if these are officially out on MAC counters now, but it should be any day now, as the press launch coincidentally happened yesterday. OKAY, up first is the lipstick. We have Boyfriend Stealer, which is the darkest of the six shades that came out. It’s a cremesheen lipstick, which is basically a MAC range that is “ultra sheer and uber moist, it features flat …

Drinking the Kool-Aid: A(nother) Review on the Urban Decay Naked Eyeshadow Palette

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I know the world doesn’t need another post on the Urban Decay Naked Palette, but holy shit you guys, this is one of the best beauty products I’ve ever owned. If I’m not mistaken, this palette was released some time in mid-2010 and has achieved crazy cult status since then. I mean, I can see why. It’s a bunch of neutrals that go freakishly well together… but as with many-a-fawned-over things, this is so much more than that. With the Naked Palette, you get 12 shades: Virgin — pale shimmery beige-y nude. I thought it looked a bit 90s-browbone highlight in the pan, but it actually goes on very well and more subtly. Personified, this beige shadow would be Emma Watson. Sin — frosty pink champagne. This is a gorgeous wash of color on the lid for everyday. Naked — matte beige brown. Oh, another beige. Fancy that. Naked‘s beigeness is akin to The Carrie Diaries. It’s nothing special, but it gets the job done. Sidecar — shimmery medium bronze/brown with a little pink thrown …