All posts tagged: nyx

NYX Blush - Taupe

NYX Powder Blush in Taupe

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A long overdue review, mostly because I had to revisit this blush again before I realized how great it is. That, my friends, is one of the perils of setting up a beauty blog without knowing much about it. But anyway. The NYX Powder Blush in Taupe is a much talked-about product in the beauty world for a reason. Because most bronzers are too warm or golden to be used as a “proper” contour shade, this near-grey blush has been high up in the ranks of the too-few products that can mimic an actual shadow. The “correct” contour shade relies heavily on the preference of the wearer, but if you’re someone who wants to lay off the orange, this one’s for you! It’s been mentioned a million times, and that’s because it works. It’s a great way to try out this shade, too, because NYX is cheaper than most of the grey contour powders or blushes out on the market. The packaging is very un-glamorous and nondescript, but when a product works, you hardly notice …

Takashi Murakami's 727

Made-Up History: Takashi Murakami’s 727, 1996

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A quick look based on Takashi Murakami’s 727, which features DOB as the main character of the piece. I’ve been intending to do this look for a while, but just never got around to it. Takashi Murakami is a Japanese artist who’s known for blurring the lines between “high” and “low” art, that is, fine and commercial art. He has exhibited in international venues (I saw this piece in a retrospective/special exhibit by the Brooklyn Museum many, many years ago) and is involved with many commercial projects such as special edition Louis Vuittons.

5 Things Friday: Change Your Makeup Game

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If you’ve ever longed for a simple step in your makeup routine that will add just a little bit of ‘oomph’ to it, well… I’ve got five! Obviously, you don’t need to do all (or any) of these steps, but they totally improved my makeup. At least, in my opinion! 1. Finishing Powder If you don’t want a defined highlight, but want to keep a little glow all over your face, grab a finishing powder like this gorgeous tin of Guerlan Météorites. They add just a bit of ‘wow’ to your face that most people will notice, but can’t quite place. Other favorites are the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders. 2. Primer This is a tricky product, but investing in a primer is seriously one of the best things I’ve done. They make my foundation—liquid, powder or mineral—go on much more smoothly, and they extend the wear time of my bases. This is my favorite, the Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer, but worthy contenders are the Ellana Minerals Make it Last Primer* and the BECCA Resurfacing Primer. …

FOTD: Layered Mascara & a Neutral Lip

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Here’s a recent FOTD~ using a bunch of new-ish and old products! My sister said these photos made me look unapproachable; I on the other hand thought that I looked nice, lol. It’s a pretty simple smoky eye. My default has been to use the Le Métier de Beauté Kaleidoscope Eye Kit in Gravité, for a dark and subtle smoky eye for the daytime. I just layered each tier over the Le Métier de Beauté Dualistic Eye Pencil in Tamarack, lined my upper lash line, and loaded up on the mascara. I also used Le Métier de Beauté True Colour Eye Shadow in Naked on the brow bone for some highlight and a soft transition. Speaking of mascara, here’s my arsenal: Maybelline The Hypercurl Mascara* topped with Fairy Drops Volume Burst on curled upper lashes, and the Le Métier de Beauté Anamorphic Lash Mascara in Noir on the bottom lashes. I usually just use the last one on a daily basis since it looks natural but also adds ample definition. I used Tom Ford Cheek …

FOTD: Golden Brown and Toasted

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Today’s post is just a quick Face of the Day featuring the Urban Decay Naked Palette. After deciding not to purchase the Naked 3 (for now, for hoarding avoidance), I picked up the original Naked Palette and decided to play around with it. Sometimes, I find it absolutely genius. Other times, I find it quite uninspiring. I think this is a great natural look, though I do find that some of the Naked shadows to be a bit too frosty for my liking. I used the Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze as a base. I applied it with my finger all over my mobile lid, blended upward around the crease. I used Buck as a transition shade (applied on crease and blended out), patted on Dark Horse on the outer third and blended into Smog which I patted on the inner half. My inner corner highlight is Sin. On my lower lash line, I smudged on Dark Horse (outer half) and Toasted (inner half). For definition, I added Rimmel ScandalEyes Waterproof Kohl …

Just a Hint of Cranberry for Autumn

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Here’s a subtle jewel-toned gradient—a perfect look for fall! We don’t have four seasons here in Manila, but I still seem to pattern my makeup accordingly, for some reason. I think the natural inclination towards the end of the year is to go a little bit darker and vampier, though I couldn’t tell you why! A really popular direction is to also incorporate lots of berry colors, whether it be on your eyes, cheeks, or lips. The focus of this look is the little peek of cranberry down at the end. I kept the rest of the face bare. Because I have no imagination. STEPS: 1. Cover the entire lid with a blackened purple base. (shu uemura x Karl Lagerfeld Painting Liner in Blackish Satin Purple) 2. Pat on a cool, periwinkle blue with violet undertones on the inner two-thirds of the lid. (Art Deco 82) 3. Apply a midtone cranberry color on the outer third of the lid. (Stylenanda 3 Concept Eyes #Saturn*) 4. Blend the two colors together. 5. Add a matte ochre …

Drugstore Finds: NYX Butter Gloss

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Okay, so these were a ‘trick buy’ during my makeup ban (as detailed here) but I’m almost not sorry because these are fantastic. The NYX Butter Glosses have been celebrated pretty much everywhere. I wasn’t a big fan of many of NYX lip products, including the round lipsticks (hit or miss for me) and the soft matte lip creams, so I don’t know why I was so drawn to these. Anyway, I got two: Apple Strudel and Maple Blondie. They look pretty similar, but Apple Strudel is peachier while Maple Blondie is a touch pinker. These were the colors that attracted me the most. I’m not a HUGE fan of super saturated glosses, so these were kind of perfect. Swatched, you can see that they are sort of milky, but that doesn’t translate on the lips as opaquely as the swatches. They are a cinch to put on and spread out and the sweet vanilla-esque scent isn’t as overwhelming as the SMLC’s. Wearing Maple Blondie: These are freaking amazing; they aren’t tacky or heavy or …