Covet Me Not. Sleek Matte Me Birthday Suit Review

Sleek Makeup set foot in the Philippine shores sometime late of last year. The much anticipated opening of the company’s first flagship store has set quite a stir to makeup enthusiasts and beauty bloggers alike. It was indeed the height of Sleek then and I personally got to see how georgeous and dreamy their products were. It’s like a new branch of Wolly Wonka’s Chocolate Factory has opened, that everything the SA would offer  I can’t afford to pass. I really have to get hold of my emotions that day for I specifically put focus on to their liquid lipstick only. The one that made a colossal following since it’s debut on Anne Clutz’s vlog. But I guess it isn’t my luck, for I with the rest of the girls who experienced love at first sight on this lipstick eventually got also our hearts broken when we left the store empty handed. I asked the SA when are they going to restock the item and she said that there is still no definite date for they just recently put up the stock a day before. Oh geez, that fast! And as if she could feel my pain by saying that I could place some reservation if I want to. I’m not so sure if they allow this so I asked if it’s ok. She said that as long as I’ll be able to show up on the event that she notifies me. If not, then automatically they will put in on stand. So I said yes and waited. It took me almost two weeks until she inform me that it’s already back in stock. And when I got there, mine is the last piece that they have. Finally, I got it in my hands. Is Sleek Matte Me Birthday Suit Lip Cream worth the wait?

Before I proceed to the documentation of this experience, I would like to express to my readers that this is a honest, based on my experience review and that what I feel might not be similar to you guys, okay. Just some clarification. 

Mine is a love and hate relationship with ze Birthday Suit. If you ask me what got me to buy this product is the color. I have never seen a perfect nude that time on since I laid my eyes on her. The fact that Anne has this typical Filipina morena skin and it suits her well, what more to me ( I thought) Anyways, it really didn’t fail me on that aspect but there are just things that I forget to take note of. I know for a fact that Liquid Lipsticks/Lip Cream indeed tends to dry your lips. On that time, I failed to put up my reviews right away for my lips weren’t on their good state. They are cracking like crazy, and to base my observation with that situation would be unfair. So I gave it a good five months ( my lips) before I start.

First, the color is indeed true as to what you see on the tube. It’s the perfect pink nude that flatters the warm skin tone of Filipinas. Undeniebly the best selling liquid lipstick in the Philippines. The color is very pigmented. As you see on my swatch, this was made with only one swipe.

It sets to a min max which I find it a bit long in compare to my other liquid lipsticks. Before applying, I highly suggest that you exfoliate and hydrate your lips prior to achieve satisfying results which I did. It’s easy to apply, no tacky feeling but here is what I observed. I noticed that it accentuated the lines of my lips though I moisturized them beforehand, they looked dry. But then, I would give it a fair chance maybe because this one is on the lighter shade, I have yet to try the dark ones to see if they are alike.The process still works the same for these same as the other liquid lipsticks that if you avoid eating, drinking it’ll maximize the longevity of wear. The first part to fade would be the inner lips. Yes, you could retouch on that part only for I see that if you tend to buil it up, it’ll flake. But the most remarkable is that the way it dried my lips so fast. To think that I made sure on applying my lip balm before and after. The dryness resulted to the cracking again. Yes, I feel terribly bad. Just when I thought I found my go-to liquid lipstick. What I do now is not to make it stay longer, let’s just say 3 hrs max. And I make sure to use a makeup remover. I just couldn’t let her go. Just like in a relationship, I still would give her the chance because I so love this color. To date, she is still my favorite nude maybe not until I found another one. Though they say that Birthday Suit is a good color dupe for Kylie’s Dolce K.

As of this writing, there are still some difficulty in purchasing this liquid lipstick as it’s always out of stock. I got mine for Php 450 ( $9.66)  The packaging is okay, nothing special. I like that it has no scent and the flat applicator works well for me specially if you have the lips like mine. Unlike other Liquid Lipstick, you could readily see the product information on the tube, the name, batch number and it’s shelf life.

In this particular, I give it a rating of 3/5 since it’s drying on my lips. Though I find ways of still making it wearable. I would still want to purchase Sleek Matte Me Liquid Lipsticks this time in different shade to see if it’ll have the same effect on my lips. Until my next Matte Me Review… *mwah*

 

Product Dedication Week: Strip-it Cold Wax/Sugaring Review

As a Filipina I observed that we obsessed so much on how ideally what our armpits should looked like. We put a dedicated time and effort to keep it from looking smooth, fresh and even colored. That’s why we make it as an essential to keep it hair-free as always. As in no intervals, or procrastinating days but religiously we make sure that no hair on that area should be visible. And I believe that with maintaining this regimen, everything else follows. Like smooth, fresh and even skintone underarms.

But not all has the luxury to be a regular on a waxing salon all the more the time of the day to visit one. We all know how much it takes to book a certain schedule convinient to us. And we just couldn’t have that emergency appointments we need due to unexpected events. So oftentimes we ended up shaving, plucking or worst going to cheap salons just because we have to. In this situations that unevitable circumstances arises. Like when we shave, we ended up with chicken skin and razor burns that causes to darken our UA. Cheap salons often times becomes a tragedy of being mishandled by unexperienced staff. And if we go for depilating creams, we’re left with little stubborn hair.

Waxing before is not as accessible as it was now. The ones that I saw in the market then needs to be heated in order to achieve full effect. Eventually it progressed thus Cold Wax and Sugaring was made. Much convenient, less work.and more options. I have tried all believe me and nothing beats the works of a Cold Wax. I got my first from an online shop on the year I’m not sure when. Unfortunately when I got to finished the tub, the shop is already nowhere to be found. It has been years since I got my hands on the waxing game again for a reason that I find it hard to trust a legit cold wax seller. Until my luck has changed and I unexpectedly won a  Strip It package from Kris Lumagui’s giveaway. 

Before we lead to my experience let me first share to you the benefits of Strip It Sugaring taken from their website.

• Have a lighter skin that’s silky-smooth and hairless for weeks
• Easy to use, no heating required
• 50% less pain from ordinary wax
• Hairless skin that lasts 2-4 weeks
• Exfoliates by stripping off dead skin
• Hypoallergenic and Water soluble
• Calamansi ingredient which promotes skin lightening
• Removes hair from the roots
• Hair regrowth is finer and softer
• Laced with Moisturizer

 

Prior to my waxing experience, using Strip It is far way better than my previous brand. Let me enumerate. Though I must say that it has been years way back but I vividly remember how my first wax looks like. The consistency was a bit runny then in comparison to Strip It’s solid and more compact form.  Then I understand that this is how it’s supposed to look like because the density it has makes stripping more easy and less painfull. I just noticed that some of the hair were pulled off already upon spreading the wax to the skin so the tugging could give a jolt of pain. But tolerable for me. And also because of this quality that the strip cloth were able to pull all of the hair. So no redoing or no areas are missed. A word of advice though, please follow the rules accordingly to maximize effect. Some might be too excited to have their UA get waxed again even if the hair still aren’t growing to it’s suitable length. Chances are some hair will be left unwaxed due to it’s length. And another one, the cold wax adheres strongly to the skin that at one point I wound myself upon pulling the strip.

Excuse the vulgarity of the image.

It took me a month and a half to have my armpits waxed again. Yes, that long and the growth is not as thick and coarse as before ( I used razor before I had this) My UA is not that bad looking as it was when I was shaving with hints of razor burns and uneven skintone. Though I could still experience a little chicken skin but not as terrible as it’s prior state. And no ingrown hair. To date that it’s only been my second time of use. Ms. Lumagui has been generous enough to give me two variants. I must also say that a tub could last you a lengthy amount of waxing. Not to mention that it is more affordable and saves you a lot to own some more for your stash. So I might have trouble of finishing them all. 😉 To sum it up, it has been very satisfying to find a brand after all these years that suits your standards. I highly recommend Strip It for those who are looking for a trusted and true to it’s claims. With that note that I give them a 5/5 rating.

No worries now of purchasing this product, visit their site to see the nearest distributor in your location. A tub starts of with a 100g trial size at Php 130.00 up to the biggest which is 350g at Php 295. A pamphlet with it’s procedure, stripping cloth and waxing stick comes together with the tube.The product is good for only a year upon opening so might as well use it also in some parts of your body that you want hair-free. Strip-It is made from all natural ingredients.

Disclaimer:  The following is based on the author’s personal experience and is NOT sponsored or paid.

Product Dedication Week: MUZ BB Cream Review

I had a huge admiration on how Koreans keep up such a good healthy young looking skin. We belong to the same continent but where’s justice? The reason of many on the propensity of trying and buying any Korean beauty product is attributed to this. I, myself attest to the shot in the arm purchases of such. I even want to inject the 10 steps beauty regime but the hot weather won’t allow me so. And then one fine day, as I was strolling down the beauty products bay of a leading drugstore I found MUZ.  I thought it was just another snail cream variant that they had which (lol!) I also tried. But as I leaned closer, it’s a BB Cream! (excuse the exclamation but that’s just what I felt that day :))

Moving on, I was standing there a good five minutes. I tell you, it’ll be the first Korean product I say that I buy without an impulse. Why? Because it’s a BB Cream. I know my reaction prior doesn’t justify to this. Lemme explain. I had tried countless BB’s, local and imported brands but nothing satisfies ze skin. My combination oily skin is a snub to this so no matter how hard I try literally tried different brands, I failed. But the skeptic still gave in listening to her inner self, “how will you know if you won’t buy?”.  I know this has been a broken record but sometimes it works.

The problems that I encounter with these Beauty Balms were:

• aggravated oily skin
• clogged pores the morning after
• transfer of the product 
• sticky feel
• too heavy 

I gave this product a week test to see if it solved my Beauty Balm standards and I say that after a weeklong, I gave it a 4/5 rating. To be honest, I had only a little chance in me of not having an oily skin nor it would escalate the situation. But I’m surprised that I only have minimal oil on my t-zone. I wish I knew beforehand that I ran out of blotting paper so I could show you how it is. 😦  Really beyond my expectation. Usually the following morning I’ll be having zits or bumps afterwards but as I feel my face… clear. Though it still has a minimal transfer but really nothing obvious. And this, it is so lightweight that you have to remind yourself that you wear one. Wow! (keep on talking!) It’s easy to blend with it’s average consistency. A little bit goes a long way I should say so though it’s a bit pricey ( Php 104 for 10ml) it’s worth it. This amount covers my entire face already but it’s buidable if you would want to give that extra on your problem areas. No worries of caking. It has light to medium coverage with SPF 50 PA+++ .

Just a few downside though why I didn’t give a perfect grade. It only has one shade available which is light beige (though it suits my skintone) From the tube it has this strong foundation-like scent ( what I could remember) but fades when applied. You can’t really see any information from the tube aside from the bar code, it’s manufacturer and the cruelty-free logo. Not even a product website to consult with.No expiration, batch no. or ingredients.

 I just hope that they could also come up with other shades specifically fit for the morena skintone. And that they could state beneficial information of the product. All in all,  I’m still satisfied with this product and could finally end the hunt for my ideal BB Cream.

MUZ BB Cream is available at all leading drugstores nationwide.

Disclaimer: The following are of the author’s experience. This is not sponsored nor a paid ad.

 

 

 

The birth of KJM Cosmetics ( Review)

I have been vocal of my liking lip tints as my go to lippie. My adoration of lipsticks I say is never ending. I mean, it doesn’t stop when I own one, it accelerates to a brand then comes the color variation, then the degree of this color variation. I laugh at the degree of the color variation thing, it is when you already have this color but if you’ll come across another you’ll still buy it. In any  makeup line only a makeup junkie will understand this behaviour. I said this because when I recently checked my lipstick acquisition, I found that I own a few ( a few?! common) lip tints. And I found this one that I purchased later of last year that I haven’t used yet. Let me introduce you to the lip tints and balm of KJM Cosmetics. 

As I’ve said, I want  my lip color come in different degrees. This serves well when I chose this Cheek and Lip Tint. Aside from the fact that the very lovely and ethereal beauty of Sophia Andres has made this a cult following by claiming as her favorite, the decision of owning one came a surprise. I guess it really helped seeing her sporting that natural looking luscious lips, but I didn’t know that my far-fetched ( I guess…) thought of finding a lip tint with that vampy, after-blood-sucking color could finally come true. So even if I still have some unused ones waiting their chance, I opted to make this on top of them. I just noticed that ever since my love for this bad boys had started, there aint any color variation in my stash. They all fall to the cherry red color family. Nothing deep which I wanted to be. Yes, I’ve tried the Korean brands but I guess nothing has came up to my standards.

With my lip tint experiences in mind, I’ve come with my own tick list of the qualities that I would love these babies to have.

• long lasting – because some tints just aren’t
• non-drying – sometimes I couldn’t understand why a certain would leave my lips so dehydrated
• doesn’t leave a filmy residue in my inner lips – I find a product sucks if I notice that it gives me this filmy residue when I open my mouth. I just couldn’t put a finger to describe it but it’s just awful.
• should be like a second lip – this should be on the top, I know. There are just some kind that settles in your lip lines and then they’ll know it’s a lip tint alright!
• doesn’t bleed on my teeth – I know I wish to have a vampy color, but please I don’t want to portray one.
• doesn’t have a taste – I could get away with this I guess but it’s much better if it hasn’t.

Okay, comparing KJM Cheek and Lip tint with this categories, I’m happy to say that it came up with a good rating of 5/5. I know it seems too good to be true but that’s why it became my favorite right? I just don’t know why I prefer to use those colors on a summer month though. Some notes that I want to highlight, the colors really stays true to what’s in the roller bottle (which is a plus to prevent spillage and waste of product ) Though I must say that it might vary ( through oxidation) for those who have a high acidity level in their skin. The swatches of bittersweet magenta (which I chose for my summer lips) is also very suitable for your cheeks, if you want to have that long lasting flush ( my recent summer flush that is ;)) I see that it didn’t settle on my pores. This is really non-drying so I got to achieved that hydrated lips even if it’s a hot season. And I love that my lips feels soft and really natural looking. I also got to try their Pandora Lip Tint Balm. The minty flavor really makes your lips look full. The color is also very pigmented it’s just that it’s too dark on my lips. Maybe this coming rainy season, when the weather gets cold that I could wear this color. All is made with all natural ingredients so nothing to worry about. I know that not all are accustomed to these kind of colors but good thing KJM has a wide variety that you can choose from. It’s affordable at Php 150. I bought mind directly from the supplier all the way from Davao. Lol! But don’t worry it’s now readily available from distributors in diffrent parts of Metro Manila. Packaging is neat with it’s minimalist vibe and thumbs up to the roller bottle that gives a good control on the amount of product you’ll use .

Come rainy season, I know I might be pulling the Vibe variant now along with Pandora. Hooray to local brands. Hooray for KJM!

Disclaimer: The following is based on the author’s personal experience and is NOT a paid ad.

May Favorites

I noticed that I’ve been so preoccupied for the past months that I lost track of time. I haven’t even took note of the things that I love and made me happy. As what they said, Live one day at a time. And so I took time, retrospecting and found some pety material ones that took part of that summertime happiness. Oh yes, pretty shallow but then it’s the simple things that matters the most.

• Himalaya Herbals Purifying Neem Face Wash  My concept then of an effective facial wash measures to the lather it produces. Some might laugh at this thinking but I definitely you would agree with me. Unfortunately, that doesn’t apply to this. The formulation of this kind is a first to me having less or no lather at all ( or it just didn’t measure up to my lather expectations??) But to be honest, it is my favorite amongst all the facial washes that I’ve used.( bending the more lather, more effectve rule) I just forgot where I read it somewhere that too much lather could also cause dryness (Just help me out on this whenever you’ll find it) And I kinda believe that it’s true. This facial wash doesn’t have that tightness after after feel thus moisture wasn’t stripped off from your face. Making it less irritant. That 100% herbal actives claims seems true to it’s word. Neem has a high level of antioxidants, is anti-inflamatory and has high content of fatty acids and Vitamin E good for the skin’s cells and elasticity. Whereas Tumeric controls oily skin and cures acne. My face has never been so contented after this.
• St. Ives Collagen Elastin Moisturizer I have my moisturizers in rotation because my skin has this tendency to get immune on products that I use for a long period of time. I feel that gravity seems to be so present lately as I feel my sagging skin. I usually lay on my right when I sleep which by the way girls is a big NO specially if you want your face wrinkle free. And so the inivetable happend, my wee laugh line seems to be much noticible by now. This just have to stop before it gets worst. So I reached out to my ever dependable collagen dose. What I do is that I slather a generous amount of this on my face ( I apply it before bedtime) The feeling is like putting on your favorite collagen sheet masks. You could feel that your skin drinks in all the collagen that you applied making your face plump and fresh in the morning.
• Dermplus Moisturizing Sunblock This has been my long time favorite. What I love about this is it doubles up as my sunblock and moisturizer. I also use this as a makeup base for it’s slight tint. I just finish it off with my Pink Sugar Dual Finish Face Powder if I’ll be heading out. But on an ordinary day, I religiously apply this after washing my face in the morning because the lighting fixtures in our homes also emits UV rays. Not to mention being in front of the computer the whole day.
• Glutathione with Rosehip Oil This has been sitting on my vanity table for so long now. I’m not really sure who’s the owner and since I don’t want it to end in my trash bin or gets expired to non-usage, I decided to find it of some use. Every night I apply this on my feet, knees and elbows and noticed that the skin on these areas has lightened in just a few days time ( really of my intention since the summer has brought about some tanning on my skin) not to mention it feels soft to touch. I got an instant remedy for my uneven tanned skin the problem is I’m already nearing to finish not knowing where to purchase one.
• Bio Oil  This beauty oil is very effective on lightening my strechmarks. Whenever I need to cure some dryness on my skin and hair, I also reach to this. And since summer is a bikini season, this has specifically lighten the stretchmarks on my behind.
• Strip It It’s His Cold Wax Another summer essential is this cold wax which come in handy. With less trouble of scheduling those waxing appointments,  I find it’s formulation so effective on getting rid of your unwanted hair.You can be so sure that it’s 100% pure as the application of the sugar wax could already pull out some hair moreso the stripping itself. Making it less painful and officially hair-free. I noticed that for only a month of usage that my UA hair is not that thick when it grew back which is a big thumbs up. If you want to know more about this product click here. I’m so thakful for this giveaway from the vlogger Kris Lumagui

 

• KJM Cheek Tint/Pandora Tint Balm

This lip tint has given that perfect hint of vamp on my lips. The blood sucking color that I’ve always wanted to have for a lip tint was captured by this product. I love how it didn’t dry nor chapped my lips. It even gives a softer feel.

The  lip balm is also not your unusual one for the solid tint it gives. It is hand pressed, with all natural ingredients and has a minty feel giving you a plump, luscious lips. See my review here.

• Bobbie Cosmetics Matte Lipstick in Sugar Babykisss/ Maybelline Color sensational Shine Gloss in Fuschia Glow

This lipstick is my MLBB kind that pretty much reminds me of MAC Please Me. A good color duplicate for only less than Php 100. The formula is semi matte, non-drying and 100% lead free.
I love to use the lip gloss together with my lip tint since we don’t want to look so vamped up on a summer, this with it’s enough sheen has given them life.

• Bath & Body Works Body Mist Endless Weekend
  
  This summer calls for everything light because of the hot weather. And this body spray has given me that enough confidence in those days.
  I’m a sucker for any vanilla scent which explains why I love this to be my summer air when I walk.
• Youtuber Tina YongMy spare days ( if I have any…) has been spent mostly by watching Tina. She got me with her How to contour for beginners video and since then, I’m hooked. I love that she gives an easy, uncomplicated step by step tutorial that you could easily remember. I highly suggests for those who are starting with their makeups and want to know the tricks, basics and easy way of doing them check out her channel.

That’s it for my May. Mostly, I want you to know that my profound happiness is YOU my loyal readers, who has been with me through my absence and recurrence :). This eternal bliss, I owe it all to you.

What’s in my Makeup Bag?

I’m an avid watcher of “What’s in my Bag?” videos of youtubers. Even on bloggers, I find it all addictive. Prying on someone’s personal belongings is really fun, don’t get me wrong but I just find it gratifying to find some things that we have in common. Most especially if that person is famous, you just want to covet what they have or really try to squeeze that in to your wishlist. That is always the fun part, at some point you feel that you are both equal. *grins*

Okay, so I also wish of unloading what’s in my bag, only I have to change the bag into makeup because this is the only interesting thing as of the moment. I still don’t have the courage to show the inside of my bag for the fear of being judged. Lol! Someday… when I get famous and stuff. La…La…La…

1. Kipling Navy Blue Pouch – all this 19 pieces of makeup stuff are stored inside this pouch. Really roomy and heavy.:) This was given to me from an Aunt. I really don’t buy my makeup pouches. They are mostly given as a gift or hand me downs from my Aunties abroad. I personally love this one because all fits here, and it’s easy to wash just in case there’s an accident spill or my lipstick cap went loose. No worries on cleaning. I just added those metal thingy on the zipper head as a personal touch ( see my initial )
2. Pink Sugar Dual Finish Face Powder (Shell) – I got this from Plump.Ph Magazine giveaway. I don’t usually own a powder compact, let alone carry one. The last compact that I religiously used and fell in love with is from Bench’s Zui makeup line. That thing was discontinued, unfortunate me. My face is really sensitive and oily. In addition to that, there’s this large pores situation now so I get pretty prone to breakouts if I use one. I never really expected that this compact and my skin will get along. It sits well just like a second skin and no breakouts. What’s more is it’s a local brand which makes me all the more proud of.
3. Maybelline COLORSensational Shine Gloss ( Fuschia Flash) – Another gift from my Aunt, I believe this is not distributed in my country. I haven’t seen one though they have the colorsensational line here. To be honest, I was close to giving this away simply for a fact that I’m not a fan of glosses. Not until I paired it with my lip tints that it found home.
4. Pink Sugar Honey I’m Good Eyeliner Duo – Another item from the giveaway. I was so excited to own this liquid eyeliner to practice my cat’s eye which until now hasn’t become even. This comes with a liquid eyeliner on the other end while white eyeliner on the other. I really have a terrible oily eyelids so the product smudges so easily. Unfotunately, I just use the white eyeliner instead, in times that I want to make my peppers looked fully slept.
5. Bobbie Cosmetics Baby Doll Eyes Bold Liquid Eyeliner – Again, I’m in the stage of practicing my cat’s eye skills so you can’t blame me if I own another one. I just noticed that local eyeliners could not cope with these eyelids of mine. I think I have to temporarily give up on the local ones.
6. KJM Cheek and Lip Tint- This I should say is my favorite summer lippie of 2016. You might think that it’s just another lip tint again. NAHAH! What makes it special? A different color of tint. ( did I say it right?) All of the tints that I own/used were reds. if not pinks, well not really but more likely leans also to red. So when I saw this, I told myself that I really have to have it. My urge of owning one brought me to placing an order all the way to Davao. My fartest on my online order history. I think we’ll just have to put all of that stories under one blog post.
7. Eyelash Curler- For me, this is the thing that leveled up my being vain. The thouight of this while writing just made me laugh. On an eyelash curler being the meter of vanity? Anyways, I got this for Php 50.00 only. Not even a fancy one but it suits the eyes well so why bother. It’s been with me for almost two years now and it still serves it’s purpose.
8. San San False Lash Effect Mascara- This I used for my collab with Lipstick and Bottles Collab: $20 Makeup Haul Challenge ( Philippine Edition)  I love anything shiny and holographic. Again, for a late bloomer like me, I don’t also use mascaras when I go out. I mean, not really all does here but my lashes are too thin. I really don’t bother before but this is what I meant when the eyelash curler leveled up my vain self. If you’ll ask if it lived up to the false lash effect claim… Yes. I just don’t wear it that long for the fear of panda eyes though it doesn’t smudge that easy.
9. Vaseline Lip Therapy (rosy lips) – I tend to hoard.. I know. ( 2 pieces!) But I didn’t bought it, this came together with Maybelline. I use this every night. My Hurraw lip balm has already hit bottom and I can’t find any good substitute. These are the tinted kind so I also reach to these whenever my lipstick has worn off.
10. Bobbie Cosmetics Matte Lipstick (sugar babykiss) – My summer everyday lipstick or MLBB. I admit I gave this an unfair judgement. Curiosity got me to buy it. Imagine, a lipstick under Php 100? With a no lead tag on the seal. I mean, common?? But low and behold. I never though that with it’s price it could live up to it’s claims. No lead: Check. I could wear this everyday all throughout the year without worrying my lips getting dark which usually the case if you’re an all lipstick user.Matte: Check. The matte that is non-drying and very comfortable to wear plus it leaves a faint tint. Most of all, affordable.
11. Daiso Eyebrow Pencil- It’s a retractable pencil with a spollie brush on the other end. I love that it gives me a precise definition on my brows and with a built in spollie, very handy.
12. EB Advance Lip and Cheek Stain- Aside from being my most read blog post, this is my all time favorite. If you want that au naturale look with a flush that is not makeup obvious, I highly recommend this.
13. San San Eyebrow Mascara- Another collab item with lipstick and bottles. I value my eyebrows that much that I want it to look neat everytime I go out ( eyebrows and lips are fine with me) This product keeps everything in their proper places.
14. Colourpop Lippie Stix (tutu) – I’m a vampy red kind of a lipstick girl. Maybe because it blends well with my skintone. And this for me is my perfect vampy night lipstick. It’s actually my first Colourpop. I just don’t know why it took me that long.
15. Essence Eyebrow Styling Set- Again, anything for my brows. This I use for filling in. Another thing is that it comes with stencils so for that not so perfect eyebrow day, this you can rely on.
16. Kate Tokyo CC Lip Cream- Actually this is of my sister’s. The CC got me. I was expecting it to be Color Correcting as it says, lessens the dark pigmentation on your lips? But sadly, it failed. All I see is just an ordinary tinted lip balm. It can’t even cure the dryness of my lips. Such a waste Kate!
17. Menow Long Lasting Lip Gloss (#2) – Don’t be mislead by the lip gloss! It’s actually a liquid lipstick. This brand has gotten it’s name for being a good high end lipstick duplicate. I just don’t know what mine is. I use this simultaneously with Bobbie. Another my summer lipstick 2016 favorite.
18. KJM Lip Balm (pandora) – Finally, my second to the last. This lip balm is hand pressed and made with natural ingredients. I love that it’s not your typical lip balm color and it has a minty feel making your lips a little bit plump. What else can I say?
19. Eyelash Glue – I laugh at the randomness of this. I don’t use any false eyelashes to have one but I guess it’s here to save someone else’s day. :))

 

There you have it! My apologies for the lenghty post but I hope it brought excitement in you guys as much as mine everytime I pull them from the bag. It’s like pulling something off from the magician’s hat. Do we have anything in common? Or should I be including a more fun brand? I wish to see yours too!

Say What?? SG Authentic Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick?!

Disclaimer: The following could be harmful to your health. Strong discretion is advised.
If you are based in Asia, this kind of makeup is very rampant here. And if you will ask me what is it, I only have a few knowledge to offer. Okay, let us start first from the definition. At a glance, you probably might have an idea that it’s just a makeup manufactured in Singapore basing on the acronym “SG”. Yep, there’s a point. But if you’ll ask the question what kind, then a huge picture of difference comes in. To be honest, there is no such thing to as a product be named after a country or to it’s authenticity. To make it legit, there is what we called patenting to make it known that the product is lawfully from the maker itself. Now, you see these kind of branding of products here in Asia ( Hong Kong Authentic, Korean Autentic….) were fake ones. Sold at a much cheaper price, who wouldn’t be enticed? And I say, some are pretty much the same as the originals. How did I know? I tried one for myself.

Actually, it’s not just makeup, there are also perfumes, bags, apparels or even the ones you saw on Home TV Shopping. I just noticed that every year it changes. For last year and the present, these makeups had built a trend. I chose to buy myself a liquid lipstick for the obvious. I found this Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick floating every second on my Instagram feed. I’ve also seen MAC’s Giambattista Valli edition, Limecrime, and some Korean brands.

I was thinking that it was indeed a far cry from the original judging on the tube itself. But I just made a mistake in basing it on their lipgloss type which is with a black cap.

From the original Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick

 

www.anastasiabeverlyhills.com

And from what I’ve purchased.

Does it strike a resemblance?
Unfortunately I don’t own an original so I couldn’t make a side by side comparison. With a little help from the net, I was given a glimpse of how physically the original looks like. From the box, the ingredients, the bottom label, name design which for me pretty much looked the same.

Even the same doe foot applicator.

As for the swatches.

Stating that I can’t fully compare, I will just tell you how is it like vs the imported liquid lipsticks that I had.
It amazed me though that they really did have the same name. I mean once I searched for the different Giamvattista lipstick names that I saw from an online shop and nothing matched. With this, Blush’s color looks similar from the original. Contrary to Electro though they have the same name but not with the color.
Electro has a good color pay off. Very pigmented and sets easily. And mind you, no tacky feeling. With blush, I got frustrated with the streaking. I ended up layering just to cover the streaks. Consistency wise, this is a fail. Not to mention that it easily faded on the insides of my mouth. It sets a little longer than electro. And blush leaves a tacky feeling. The smell tho I must say is quite profesh for an imitation. No chemical scent, even a faint one. It resembles more of a chocolate for me. Longevity wise, electro won. I mean, I didn’t expect that it could come by par with the leading liquid lipsticks that I tried. And it leaves with a very good tint on my lips. Both applies easily.
Everyone should know by now how drying liquid lipsticks could be. Undoubtedly this didn’t come with an exemption. I got to used it for a week’s time and thankfully didn’t experience darkening or somewhat ended my lips from getting burned on that matter knowing somewhere from the stated ingredients on the box, nothing is true.
I must say that my experience with this Anastasia SG Authentic Liquid Lipstick is not of what I expect it to be. I did even had some worst ending with the legit ones in compare to this. Impressed is a presumptive word to describe. My experience isn’t necessarily similar with others though some may agree with me. Also, knowing that this isn’t the sole manufacturer, even if the name is the same some might have a different product than what I used here. Just what I stated, same name, but not the color or vice versa.
Purchasing such is at your own risk so if you decided to have one, be ready of the consequences that it may lead to because again, with full emphasis, this isn’t legit and may cause harm to your health.

Fashion 21 All-Day Matte Lipstick Review

Fashion 21 has been around for as long as I remember. I specifically still got a good recollection of their face powder compact and eye shadow pallettes. It’s one of those few local makeup brand who has stick around through time. Just recently that I got the chance to check them out again and have a good note of it’s progression. It’s a tough game here when it comes to makeups. The competition with the imported brands is so stiff that you could only count through fingers the ones who keep up with the game. Fashion 21 is one of them. So being a lipstick enthusiast, I came for the obvious and so far I’m loving what I have seen.
I discovered their All-Day Matte Lipsticks through my sister. Her sporting a very striking vampy lippie made me hurry up to the mall and have one for myself. I’ve seen and read also the raves for their All-Day Bronze which is what I also have in mind on that day. Unfortunately, as predicted it’s out of stock in SM MOA nor in Watson’s. With a sad face, I began looking at the other colors to see what I could end up with and amongst the other available I got two. I bought All-Day Russet and All-Day Sushi.

Starting off with their claims, here is what’s written on their site:

On swipe of this matte lipstick gives full, intensely colored and lasting coverage to your lips. And it doesn’t just look good – the formula is light on the lips and does not dry them out.

Hmmm, key words: light and not dry
All-Day Matte Lipsticks are available in 15 colors which are divided into browns, reds and pinks. I specifically chose a nude shade because of the coming summer and a MLBB everyday wear in mind. And of course the love of my life, red which in this instance I got what my sister is wearing.

My Experience
Starting with All-Day Russet with whom I fell in love with being a MAC Diva-ish dupe ( color wise ) I even made a side by side comparison with it alongside MeNow Just in case you’ve missed it, read here.

As I take note that though their colors looked so beautiful from the tube, sad to say that it is not intensely colored as it claims. Don’t loose hope tho, they are buildable. Again stressing out that it is not straight out matte, the finish is semi-matte and it transfers. One thing outstanding is that it is really lightweight and didn’t make my lips Sahara dry.

As for Sushi’s case, I’m a bit dissapointed of how it turned out on my lips. It is streaky no matter how many times I apply. Sad though I just loved the color so much. What I did is primed my lips, put concealer and blot just so I could achieve the color.

Applying them is such a breeze, glides smoothly. Longevity wise, both only lasted me an hour. With Sushi, I was able to prolong it’s duration on my lips with the help of priming and concealer but I wasn’t liking the dry look it’s giving. I also feel uncomfortable wearing them all together with a tacky, tight feeling. From the tube, I smell a faint chemical scent but nothing offensive when on the lips. Packaging is legit with a box something that I like the local lipsticks would be. Imprinted in the box are the ingredients ( another check on my would be’s ) and where it is made ( which is in Taiwan )
The tube is bullet shaped kind of similar to MAC but chunkier.

Really a lot similar I should say with it’s click lock also. What I want every lipstick tube ( again ) would be so it won’t go everywhere inside your bag. Price point, it’s a steal at Php. 175 ( $3.73)
My Thoughts
I guess my devotion for mattes have ended that I want to shift to semi-matte instead ( forgive me but I still need that full coverage in my life ) Tad a bit drying as oppose to the other that I can bear. So even though All-Day Matte wasn’t able to live to it’s claim ( matte lipstick)I wouldn’t mind. As long as it gives me that light feeling and comfort especially this coming summer. I see this wearing everyday and for a good price point, I give it a thumbs up. 👍
Claims Check
▪ matte ❌
▪ intense color ❌
▪ lasting coverage ❌
▪ lightweight ✔👍
▪ doesn’t dry your lips ✔👍
Though it checked 2/5 I still give it my thumbs up bearing that comfort and non-drying a must in my checklist.
Thank you again my lovelies and I would like to give you all my *hugs and kisses* for being with me as I reached my one year mark in the world of blogging last February 28. I love you all!

💋 M

My Month-end Dupes

Dupes are something that I always get excited about. It fancies me to look for a somewhat kind of similar but in a lower price range alternatives to my favorite lipsticks  or any makeup products. I decided to put everything that I find in this blog and share it to my beautiful ladies hoping that this could give them an idea or be of help perhaps. Schedule of this post would be at every end of the month so I could have some time for my search.

For my initial Dupe this month will be leaning towards burgundy-red wine-deep red tones of lipstick. Since we’re still in the month of hearts, I believe i could still use this as my excuse to feature the dark reds. *winks* All dupes are based on a three category namely 

• price point
• color pay-off
• longevity

Based on my observation, I noticed that most Filipinas love to wear dark shades of red. On my personal account, I chose this type of color because I have full lips and it at least lessens the look of fullness whenever I wear one. In relation with this, genetically I believe most of Filipinas have full lips so I think it’s already a second nature to automatically fell in love with this type of color. 

 
 
Let’s start with my first MAC in the shade of Diva. I can’t deny that this is expensive here, depending on the dollar-peso exchange rate. It is something that you wouldn’t buy on a daily trip to a mall. A tube of a MAC lipstick ranges from Php 1,000 and up. ($21) On an online store, you might get it at around Php 800 just make sure that it’s legit and authentic. Diva  is an “intense reddish-burgundy” . It’s a creamy texture making it easy to apply. Color is very opaque and lasts up to six hours max on me without any activity. ( eating & drinking) Leaves a faint tint on my lips when it fades. Though it’s a semi-matte finish to me, I still find it a little drying at the end of the day.  

Next is Menow Kiss Proof Lipstick in the shade #11. I discovered this thru BeautyMNL while I was browsing for an affordable dupe for MAC Diva that is available here in my country. Suprisingly, it’s way a lot cheaper than I thought it would be. Tagged as MAC Dupes I got this for only Php 149 ($3.13) Only a fraction of a price! Color wise, Menow #11 is a lot more on the reddish-brown side, on my lips it looks a lot darker as oppose to the red-wine color of MAC. If you are a fan of bone matte, this one is for you. It has a powdery finish and very drying to the lips. Application is difficult for the tugging happening and it’s formulation is tacky on my lips. Color pay-off is good, one swipe and your good to go. Only its not buildable so retouching is not applicable because it smudges. This lasted for four hours on my lips. 

Lastly, Fashion21 All-day Matte Lipstick in the shade of All-day Russet. Fashion21 is a local brand of makeup only available here in the Philippines. You could find it at all leading department stores nationwide (me sounding like a commercial ad) For those who find placing orders online a bit tricky, this is an alternative. The lipstick color for me is much closer to Diva. Though color pay-off is not impressive, it is buildable. It is priced at Php 175 ($3.73) still on the budget. It’s a straight out matte when applied though the formulation is creamy. Even it’s matte, this lasted only an hour on my lips. Nevertheless, I should say that it’s something that you could wear on an everyday because it’s light on the lips. 

 

I applied lip balm prior to Diva application hence the subtle glossy finish

 
There you have it, my initial Dupes featuring MAC Diva, Menow Kiss Proof Lipstick and Fashion21 All-day Matte. See you again next month for another product comparison, 

Bourjois Rouge Velvet Review

As I mentioned from my recent blog ( Code Red ) my first encounter of the brand Bourjois was from Fivezero, if my memory served me right she made a comment regarding this brand. From there I understand that this was also with the same manufacturer as of Chanel. So does that mean they are sisters? The intriguing question hit me first before the Rouge Velvet. Thus came my little background check ( a short trip to history lane) and here is what I learned.

Bourjois started in 1863 and originated in the theater district of Paris. I believe it was intended for theatre purposes only until in the 1950’s that they carried their perfume line. It is on the 20th century, that the Wertheimer family, who is the owner of Chanel today took control of the makeup brand. But this was not mentioned on their site, I read it on Reuters. I also found out from that article dated Oct. 7, 2014 that

“Coty made a binding offer to buy French-makeup brand Bourjois from Chanel and give the family-owned French luxury company a stake in Coty worth an estimated $240 million.”

 Which just supported some of the theories from the forums that I read falsifying the ownership of Bourjois from that of Chanel because of the quality of the prior doesn’t match the latter. So I leave it there, though Coty and Chanel declined to comment. 

Fast track to my review. I know I should have asked for the Healthy Mix Foundation also ( next time, for sure!) but because of the obvious, Rouge Velvet Edition it is. I also want to have the Nude-ist but only got Grand Cru. Bourjois isn’t available yet in the Philippines, hopefully someone would hear me and send this here ( calling Rustans!) This was purchased in Watsons Singapore. You could find this at major Watsons branch only. From it’s website it says:

Matte finish and incredibly light. 

It’s soft, melting texture glides on the lips and turns into a matte, velvety and incredibly light colour. Lips are left smooth and soft as velvet.

Enriched with evanescent oil, it’s incredibly sensuous formula provides a soft, second-skin feel, without drying or fading lips.

The Claims

• Bold colour with matt finish
• Flawless hold
• Lightweight velvety texture
• Non-drying formula

My Experience

The product comes in a clear plastic bottle with a cap that matches its shade. This makes it easy for you to see the exact color of the content and is helpful for me in a way that I get to see it easily alongside with my other lipsticks. It comes with a slant foam applicator again is a plus  because it applies evenly on the corners of my lips. I’m just bothered with it’s strong chemical scent that reminds me of a paint it automatically sends negative signals on my brain but also fades eventually when you wear it. It has a mousse type of consistency so application of the product glides smoothly on my lips. It sets in for about a minute or two into a bold matte finish. No tacky feeling, or tightness on your lips and is non-drying. It it really lightweight as it claims to be. Though it has minimal transfer as oppose to it’s smudge-proof claim. Longevity wise, it stayed on my lips for four hours without any activity (eating & drinking) there is no fading and no feathering. I also suggest that since this is a bold red, application for first timers could be a bit tricky so outline your lips with a lipliner first. It also helps for the product from bleeding which could be the case for this type of lipstick. Because of it’s high pigmentation, there wouldn’t be a problem when the product starts to fade because it leaves a faint stain. Unlike any matte lipsticks, this could be easily removed by any makeup remover.

 

I applied lip balm prior to the application hence the glossy finish

 
 

with the lip product alone

 
My Thoughts

What makes this lipstick a thumbs up is because it has checked three out of four of it’s claims. I’m not sure about the Flawless hold though because for me there ain’t a matte lipstick yet that could hold a solid 8 hours or so, not even this. I love that it’s velvety matte because it didn’t hurt my lips. The lightweight feel is true which I believe is all we would want our lipsticks should be or else you’ll find discomfort all through out the wearing time. Though it is matte, my lips didn’t crack or chapped after which is my recurring problem with the matte liquid/creamy lipstick of today. Despite of the good points that it gave me, I have to give it a thumbs down. Remember that strong chemical scent it has, I come to think if it’s an indication of a really strong chemical component apparent in the product. I noticed that after a week of using, my lower lips darkened on the sides. For me, it only indicates that the product is strong  based on prior experiences. Sad to say that I have to discontinue using it. Unfortunately the ingredients is not available on the website or on the tube.

  

Bourjois Rouge Velvet comes in six colors and is priced at 25 SgD or Php 848.19 .