July/August Favorites

I wasn't able to do a July favorites post so I decided to do a collective post for the months of July and August. All of these are new discoveries except for the lash glue, meaning the rest are not repurchases and are newly-tried; plus I threw in a kikay book too! As usual, everything is super budget friendly and I think the most expensive thing here is the mascara! Haha. I'll be doing individual reviews soon as well. So here are my favorites plus some short commentaries:

 Pond's Smooth Pores Pore Tightening Facial Wash with Glacial Clay (Php 57)
Didn't break me out, but did NOT tighten my pores at all; poor oil control despite the fact that it has clay (which is supposed to control oil). Does a great job of keeping my face clean though.

Erth Origins Coconut and Almond Hot Oil Treatment (Php 99)
Got this as my thrice-a-week treatment. So far so good; makes my hair soft.

Hawaiian Tropic Baby Faces and Tender Places SPF 50 (PHp 117)
Got this on sale last July because it was expiring on October, but it's all good cos a bottle of sunblock only lasts me 2 months. I use this as my everyday sunblock

Watson's Deep Nourishing Body Scrub (Php 129)
Got this humongous bottle of Watson's body scrub thinking this would be a good dupe of my favorite (Body Shop's Coconut Scrub) but sadly it isn't, it doesn't have enough scrub granules (this is subjective I guess, I just like my body scrubs to be really grainy). What I love about this though is that it smells great and makes my skin super soft and moisturized after showering. And it contains a lot of product!

Sophie Lipsticks in Caramel Sugar, Nude Velvet, and Russian Red (Php 79 each)
I finally got their famous Php 79 lipsticks! I've been seeing this around the blogosphere and hearing about it from friends at work, and I needed a new nude lippie so I tried these out. Good pigment and lasting power

Maybelline The Colossal Mascara (Php 375)
Another great mascara from Maybelline!

Nichido lipgloss in Georgia
This came with an eyeshadow and blush palette, for only Php 100

 Bobbi Brown Beauty Evoution book (Php 245)
Another steal from National Bookstore, not covered with plastic but was still good as new. Very helpful book on skin care and make up basics from world-famous makeup artist Bobbi Brown

Wet n Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Trio in Don't Steal my Thunder (Php 250)
A shimmery trio for creating easy black smokey eye looks.

Nichido Eyelash Glue (Php 60)

Nichido Eyebrow Razor (Php 50)
I had to include this, I just discovered the wonders of razors for thick brows! Of all products featured this is my favorite :)

Yoko Yogurt Spa Milk Salt (Php 89)
It's pink, grainy, smells yummy, makes my skin soft. Love.

 Etude House Happy Teatime Lemon Cleansing Cream (Php 198)
This is officially my new favorite makeup remover (sorry Pond's Cold Cream)

Have you tried any of these products? Do you like them as well? Let me know!
:)

Silver and Black Smokey Eyes using Wet n Wild Color Icon in "Don't Steal My Thunder"

Black and silver smokey eyes are really easy to do and this is my go-to look when I'm in a hurry to do something quick yet dramatic for night time events. It only makes use of 3 eyeshadow shades and 4 products (trio eyeshadow, black eyeliner, eyelash curler, black mascara). And once you've mastered it you can do this in 5 minutes, I swear :)

Here's what I used and how I did it:

 This is the palette I used, Wet N Wild Color Icon Trio in "Don't Steal My Thunder". This is particularly helpful for those who are still totally confused with where to put particular shades of makeup on the eye, because each of the shades already have labels on where to apply them (browbone, crease, eyelid)

1. Apply eyeshadow primer

2. I applied the white e/s all over the eye as base color, from lids up to browbone

3. Put the silver e/s on  the lids only

4. Using a crease brush, apply the crease color (black e/s) on the outer V and on the crease of the eyes

5. Go over browbone and lower lashline with the white e/s to highlight these areas. Don't overdo it on the lower lashline, though.

6. Smoke out the lower lashline by applying a bit of black eyeshadow with a fine brush. Blend with the line of the outer V 

7. Curl lashes, apply mascara, and top off with black liquid eyeliner.

P.S. Don't forget to blend every now and then to avoid harsh lines.

And that's it! Very do-able right? How about you, what are your favorite makeup looks for night? :)

Make Up Brushes 101 for Beginners

If you're just starting out with make up, looking at brush sets can be quite overwhelming- especially those that carry more than 12 pieces per set. When I do make up for shoots, I usually bring 2 sets, which is around 30+ brushes. The girls would usually tell me that they didn't know which brush to use for what, but here's a secret- a lot of it's pretty much useless if you're just going to do simple, everyday looks! I get a lot of mileage from only 10 brushes, and if there are times when I have to travel and bag space is limited, the number can even be brought down to 3.

However, if you really want to step up your make up game, here are some basic brushes that will help you achieve picture-perfect looks:

The Face Brushes

L-R: Contoured blush brush, powder brush/face blender brush, foundation brush

1. Contouring Blush Brush

What to Look For: 

A loosely packed, slightly angled/tapered version of the powder brush

What it Does: 

Use this to contour the face and make it look slimmer by strategically applying darker powders underneath the cheekbones, on the temples, and on the jawline. After contouring, you can also use this to apply color onto the cheeks.

2. Powder brush/ Face Blender brush

What to Look for:

 A loosely-packed, fluffy brush

What it does:

Use this to dust finishing powder on your face after foundation application

Can also be used as a bronzer brush

3. Foundation brush

What to Look For:

 Flat, tightly packed synthetic bristles so that it can pick up and spread the foundation well. Just make sure it's soft enough to avoid irritating the skin

What It Does:

Use this to apply liquid, creme, or mousse foundation over the face

The Eye Brushes

L-R: eyeshadow brush, fine eyeliner brush, cream shadow brush, eye contour brush

4.  Eyeshadow Brush

What to Look for: 

Medium sized, dome-shaped brush

What It Does: 

For applying base color all over the eyes and highlights on the browbone

5. Fine Eyeliner Brush

What to Look for: 

Thin, small brush made of synthetic fibers

What it Does: 

Since it's small and tightly packed, you can use this to spot correct areas that need concealing, or you can use this as an eyeliner brush. I also use this to apply shadow to the corners of the eyes

6. Cream Shadow Brush

What to Look For:

a small brush with synthetic bristles

What It Does:

For application of cream shadows on the eyes

7. Eye Contour Brush

What to Look For:

A skinnier and tapered version of the eyeshadow brush

What It Does:

to contour the eyes with a darker shade, or to blend in shadows on the crease of the eye. This brush really helps in creating dramatic eye looks.

The Extras

8. Slanted Eyebrow Brush

What to Look For:

 A tightly packed, thin, and small slanted brush

What It Does: 

For filling in and defining eyebrows; you can also use this as an eyeliner brush

9. Lip Brush

What to Look For: A small, firm, and tightly-packed brush 

What It Does: 

For precise application of lip color. This is especially helpful when you want to wear bright, pigmented shades

10. Mascara Spoolie

What to Look For:

A basic mascara wand

What It's For: 

This may seem like a useless tool, but it's great in brushing out clumps of mascara from the lashes, and for blending out brow color if you applied too much of it.

Generally, when picking out brushes, look for high-quality ones so that you can apply your makeup products better, and you won't have to constantly replace them if they keep on getting worn out. Choose ones that don't shed so much, and whose bristles don't feel rough or scratchy on your skin. You don't have to get the super-expensive brushes, as many online sellers already have a lot of cheaper (and good quality) options available.

So these are my 10 brush must-haves, I'm sure others have different recommendations, and you can most definitely select only the ones that suit your needs. Hope this post helped you out! 

What about you, what make up brushes can't you live without?

The Perks of Being a Bookworm

   Ok, so this post isn't exactly beauty-related, it might in fact even be a little nerdy. But who says you can't be kikay and nerdy at the same time anyway? Lol. I'm just really thankful and happy that today, my entry for The Philippine Star and National Bookstore's my favorite book contest got chosen as this week's winner! This is such a blessing for me in many ways, because it has always been my dream to be a writer; but since I can't pursue it full-time at this moment, sending in contributions (I also got published in Philippine Daily Inquirer's Youngblood last April 2012, I am very thankful to God for all these opportunities) and maintaining this blog has been my outlet. I think I'd go crazy without books or writing. Hehe. It just means so much to me that the people behind those big national broadsheets would consider my pieces as worthy enough to be read by the entire country.

   It's so great that PhilStar and NBS hold these kinds of contests, it really encourages people to read and to write their reflections about books that have made an impact in their lives. I have a lot of favorite books (one per genre) but Viktor Frankl's "Man's Search for Meaning" simply blew me away and gave me a lot of new learings and insights. Incidentally, I also bought my copy of this book at NBS! I encourage my fellow bookworms to send in your entries as well, check out contest mechanics here: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?publicationSubCategoryId=86&articleId=827558

P.S. Here's the link to my long-ass article (that is, if you're patient enough to read it hehe)
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=839418&publicationSubCategoryId=86

Drugstore Steals: Nichido

This mini haul was totally unplanned, I was actually looking for a new nude lipstick, but then this sales assistant walked up to me and told me she really liked the color of my lipstick, then I complimented her expertly done eye makeup, and before we knew it we were talking about different eyebrow shaping techniques. She led me to the Nichido counter and taught me how to use a razor to shape my brows. I could never do it by myself until she taught me! I normally use a tweezer, a tiny pair of scissors, and an eyebrow brush to shape mine before, because I'm deathly scared of having a blade come in close contact with my eyes. Using a razor really simplified my routine. Love love love her!

So I got one for myself, and checked out some of their other stuff as well. I saw this travel-sized makeup palette with 8 eyeshadows and 2 blushes (one for contouring, one for coloring). All for Php 100, such a steal right? But wait, there's more! They threw in a FREE lipgloss as well. I was curious so I decided to try it too. I also picked up their lash glue (my favorite) since I already ran out of it.

I went home with 4 products, and it only cost me Php 210 :) I'm totally happy with the lash glue, razor, and lip gloss, but I have yet to try the makeup palette. Will do a review once I road test it. For now, here are the photos:

 On the box, it claims to be "matted" but there are very fine sparkles scattered here and there. I like the shade selection, which is a mix of pastels and earth colors. Great for daytime looks

 The lipgloss, in shade "Georgia" is a nice, peachy red color. Kind of like mimics the natural lip color but gives it more pigment and a bit of sparkle. Good color pay-off but poor staying power, lasts only about 2 hours.

 My favorite lash glue ever! Dries fast, easy and not painful to remove, didn't cause me any kind of eye irritation. 

Newly discovered eyebrow grooming tool. I'm addicted already :)

Have you tried any of these products? Did you like them? Drop me a comment below.

:)

Real Women, Real Looks. Makeover #3

This is my aunt, Tita D. She rarely applies makeup and when she does, it's just pressed powder and neutral-colored lipsticks. When we were able to get together, she asked me to give her a makeover and requested that we use this black liquid eyeliner which she recently bought. Of course, being the makeup obsessed niece that I am, I happily obliged and came up with this easy-to-do look for her:

sorry for the blurry "after" shot, these were the only photos that survived after I accidentally deleted an entire album :(

For some reason, I took one look at Tita D's hair and I got inspired by Liz Taylor! So I was able to work with her request to wear the black eyeliner, and to finish it off I used a blue-based red lipcolor that Liz was always seen wearing in photos.

For Tita D's face, I used the Coastal Scents concealer palette to cover up dark circles and discolorations, set it with her own pressed powder foundation, filled in her brows with eyebrow powder, and used a warm rose blush on her cheeks.

The inspiration:

(source: http://www.jewishjournal.com/)

(source: dailytelegraph.com.au)

I just love the combination of liquid eyeliner and red lips, very timeless and classic and works for women of all ages. How about you? What's your idea of the perfect classic makeup look? :)

Jennifer Lopez-inspired makeup look

In celebration of Jenny from the block's 43rd birthday (which was three days ago), I'm dedicating this post to a look inspired by her. J.Lo always looks so amazing from head to toe, she is actually one of the main reasons why I look forward to watching American Idol! Her hair, makeup, and clothes on the show always look sooo perfect.

One of my favorite J.Lo looks of all time is her sexy, smoldering bronze goddess look. Her tanned glowing skin is just the perfect backdrop for a great smokey eye, strategically plazed bronzer, and pale lips.

Here's my interpretation of the look:

How To:

1. Face Prep (helps makeup last longer)

Celeteque gel moisturizer

L'oreal Base Magique Smoothing Primer

2. Face Products:

Applied Maybelline Aqua Gel Foundation in Sand all over face with foundation brush

Concealed small spots/minor discolorations with Coastal Scents camouflage pallette

Set with L'oreal True Match Super Blendable Powder

3. Eyes:

Prime lids with Etude House Proof 10 Eye Primer

Used Coastal Scents 88 Warm Palette, applied pale gold shadow over entire eye

Used ELF's cream eyeshadow in Olive; used the bronze shade all over lids

From the 88 Warm palette again, used a yellow gold shade over the lids

Matte brown shadow for the outer V and crease of the eye

Lined upper lashes with ELF liquid liner in black

Lined lower lash line with Nichido Eye Pencil in Gold

Applied natural-looking but thick false eyelashes

4. Cheeks

Used a shimmery peach blush from the Coastal Scents 32 Palette

5. Lips

Ever Bilena Matte lipstick in Skin

then topped with a peachy gold lip color from Coastal Scents 32 lip palette

6. Hair

And of course, we can't forget one of the crucial parts of Jennifer's look- sexy, wavy hair! Apply mousse onto hair, place curlers, set with stronghold hairspray. Uncoil curlers after about 25-30 minutes (it's best to set the hair before doing the face so you'll finish everything at the same time) and just finger comb so you won't ruin the curls. 

Did you like the look? What are your other favorite J. Lo looks? :)

Model: JC Ann Sotelo

Photos by: Arvin Tonogbanua

Jason Burgos

Pictures of J.Lo: Google Images