All posts tagged: nars cosmetics

Growing with vs. outgrowing makeup

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It seems a little absurd to me when I realise that my obsession with — or even just consumption of — makeup began about 10 or so years ago. I came out as a lesbian*, was depressed but undiagnosed, with a freelance career that was good on paper, but gave me no routine or stability. Blogging about makeup was one of the things that helped me feel sane. It was a distraction of the best kind, even though it may have led to several impulse purchases and an undeniable overconsumption, the realisation of which led me to kind of let go of engaging in the beauty community. But, still, my stint in beauty blogging helped anchor me to the world so that I did not topple over the edge of my sadness. I look at makeup and beauty through a vastly different lens now, but I don’t even think I recognised it as a life line at the time. Blogging about beauty was just one of the things I could do where I had nothing …

FOTD: Here comes the sun

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So, after a long hiatus from mixing it up and dressing up and making myself reach for non-offensive “everyday” makeup, I’ve lately been making a bit of extra effort to, in my opinion, “look nice.” This particular look was brought about by a suggestion from my housemate, Ale, for me to wear yellow eyeshadow because I had become particularly tan. (Thank you, English summer?) The days have grown significantly colder, so these are sort of last-ditch attempts at bringing a bit of summer sun with me, I think. I’ve worn yellow eyeshadow before (see: 1, 2, 3), but funny how the overall effect differs with just a change of lip (or, in this case…  haircut, and uh… everything else). (RE: the title and potentially coming across as crass or doing something in poor taste… I know that it’s very rainy in Metro Manila right now, and I hope everyone’s doing more or less okay.) The eye look’s pretty simple: cool, reddish mid-tone brown in the crease with a warmer terracotta brown on the outer crease …

Softly Sometimes and the Holy Grail: October 2015 Update

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It’s been a while since my last Holy Grail post (July 2013). Although the point of a Holy Grail list is finding the best products for you—which means there shouldn’t be another Holy Grail list—I think I’ve found and whittled down my own list to reflect my very best finds. There are some categories that lack a product, but that just means that I a) like to play around when it comes to that part of my makeup, b) don’t wear it all that much (e.g. mascara), c) have many favorites, but no ULTIMATE. About Base Primer — always and forever the Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer. I’ve tried a shit ton and while I enjoy them all, this is my favorite, go-to, most reliable one. Bases — for foundation, my favorite is the Ellis Faas Skin Veil* which I have in S104L. I think it makes me skin look great, but I rarely wear it to the office because I prefer a lighter base for stress-heavy days. That’s where the Glossier Perfecting Skin Tint comes …

The Gang’s All Here: Recent Staples

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Like I mentioned a few posts ago, I recently took on a full-time job (the hours are flexible, but I kind of have been always working if I’m not sleeping) and I usually leave for work very early in the morning since traffic here is kind of ridiculous. I end up having to put my makeup on in the car—a skill that I feel very much proud of. I usually take along two bags: one with all the base stuff to leave in the car and one with all the things I want to keep with me for emergency touch-ups, though I’m usually too lazy to touch up at all, to be honest. Boring, Basic Stuff Sun protection comes in the form of the Bioré Aqua Rich Whitening Essence* which I love to pieces. I usually already moisturize before leaving the house so that I don’t have to bring around a bottle of oil or anything extra along with me. For my base, I definitely always use a primer always, my favorite being the Hourglass …

Beauty Inspo: One Direction

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Yup, you read that right. My One Direction obsession has leaked into my heart makeup life. Well, as far as the two gifs in this post are concerned anyway. Look 1 Let’s start with the obvious beaut, ex-member Zayn Malik: (source) I mean, I had a really hard time trying to think of an eyeshadow that would match how gloriously slick and shiny (um, lol) the stuff on his eyelids is. And even then, I failed. See, most of the ones I had in mind that could possibly pass as a “dupe” in terms of shade are a little on the frosty side. Anyway, I think this is actually something like vaseline or a lip gloss, to be honest. I ended up reaching for Shiro Cosmetics’ Baker’s Boy (from the Hunger Games collection) patted on a clear primer + eyeliner: concealer: Ellis Faas (S204)*, powder: Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder (Ethereal Light), eyeliner: K-Palette liquid liner (black)* and Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil (Crave), blush: Kjaer Weis (Abundance), lipstick: MAKE Matte Lipstick (Jakarta) A true …

My Personal (Predictable) Lip Picks Lately

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I’ve been taking a break from many things recently, and it seems that includes fun lip colors. I’m trying to get back in the mood for my corals, purples, what have you, but I figured I’d show you what I’ve usually been reaching for lately (save for the vamps, which I occasionally reach for but never as a fail-safe option). I know they all look like the same damn thing, and as a dutiful beauty nut, I’m taking it upon myself to tell you that they’re different! Ahem. NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Bahama — I love this shade! Except I realized recently that it has a bunch of v. fine shimmer that gets more and more obvious the more you load it on. So, um. Don’t. Anyway, I love this; it’s a bit of a 90s lip, IMO. NARS Pure Matte Lipstick in Tonkin — I know this as Bea’s favorite NPML (or ever?) shade. It’s very neutral, a sorta pinky-brown that’s pretty perfect for everyday use. MAC Lustre Lipstick in Jubilee — …

June Favorites

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Short post dedicated to the stuff I was using last month that gave me a lot of happies. 🙂 I’m still pretty over the moon with them a week+ into July. Skin Care — Antipodes Worship Superfruit Antioxidant Serum* This stuff’s amazing, I’ve been using it a lot with different types of moisturizers and facial oils. It’s a little boost of antioxidants and my skin’s been loving it. — Antipodes Vanilla Pod Hydrating Day Cream* This is a light moisturizer that plays well with humidity and smells so, so good and fresh. It’s got Manuka honey and the same antioxidant concoction as the Worship serum. I don’t use this everyday, but it’s always a pleasant experience when I do. Makeup — Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting Powder (Medium) I love this! I use this all the time, I don’t even use blush anymore. It’s a good contour powder and I mostly exclusively use this, putting aside even my Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Radiant Light because I can’t with the shimmer this summer. Anyway, again: I love …