Review: Christian Dior Mini Perfume Set

I've basically left my blog to rot for almost a month... I'm sorry for the lack of updates, but I've been really busy with work, plus I got sick a few days ago. To make it up to you, I have a bunch of stuff lined up for the month of December :)

The first of my comeback posts is about perfumes, something I have yet to discuss here. I am unfortunately a victim of allergic rhinitis and I couldn't tolerate scents very well, my worst enemy being body sprays. Baby cologne and perfumes I could tolerate, but after a week or 2 of continuous usage my rhinitis symptoms would manifest and I couldn't be able to wear any scents for the next month or so. But that doesn't stop me from sampling (and buying) scents that are just too delicious to pass up.

We went to Cebu for a business trip a few weeks ago, and of course I couldn't miss out on visiting the airport Duty Free shop to score beauty goods for less. They didn't have a lot of makeup to choose from at that time so I ended up at the fragrance section, and saw this really cute travel size set from Dior.

Aren't the bottles super pretty and delicate-looking? This set is just perfect if you have olfactory ADD (read: you easily get bored with scents and you have to have different perfumes for day, night, special events, etc). This is also very convenient for those who don't want to lug around full-sized bottles of perfumes when they're on the go. 

This set contains some of Dior's best-selling scents in 5 ml bottles, which are mini replicas of the full-sized ones.

L-R: Miss Dior Cherie, Dolce Vita, J'adore Dior, Hypnotic Poison, Dior Addict

I've sampled the 5, and I like everything except for Dolce Vita (I find it a bit too "mature" for my taste, like something my mom or grandmother would wear lol)

Here are my top 4:

1. J'adore Dior

-has a light scent, great for everyday, lasts 5-6 hours. Currently has a permanent place in my for-work kikay kit

2. Hypnotic Poison

-has a strong vanilla scent, great for evenings out, lasts a lot longer on me than the rest despite it being eau de toilette. I love this one, and I like the bottle made to look like an apple  

3. Dior Addict

-has a sweet, fruity scent; wearable for daytime

4. Miss Dior Cherie

-Of the 5, this just has THE cutest packaging ever. It has a deep, sweet, fruity scent. I prefer this for daytime though because it isn't very long lasting. 

Have you tried any of these perfumes? How did you find it? :)

The Very Late Halloween Post: Egyptian Princess

Hi girls! This was supposed to be posted a few days before Halloween, but I unfortunately misplaced the flash drive where I saved all the photos from this set :( I'll just have to make do with what I have- which are the photos of the finished look. I'll upload the step by step tutorial once I find the flash drive.

My inspiration for this look is Elizabeth Taylor's version of Cleopatra, which also happens to be one of my favorite movies. Her makeup is gorgeous and super fierce! I love liquid eyeliner, and I love any excuse to just pile it on.. and on.. and on. Hihi. But instead of the usual black, I played around and used a navy blue liner instead. And I liked the way it turned out!

 

 What I used for the eyes: Etude House Proof 10 Eye Primer, Nichido Color Intense Eyeliners in Turquoise, Metal Blue, and Gold, Coastal Scents 88 Shimmer Pallette, ELF Liquid Eyeliner in Navy Blue, Maybelline the Falsies mascara

 

 

The Inspiration:

(source: Google Images)

I also recreated this makeup look for the daughter of one of my colleagues at work :) 

How about you, what was your makeup inspiration last Halloween? 

Blue and Pink: Barbie-inspired Makeup

Hi girls! Hope you're all enjoying the long weekend. I did this Barbie doll look after a reader sent in her request, and I must say that doing this look was a lot of fun! I got to play with color, contour, and of course, the best part- false lashes and hair extensions! It would have been a lot better if I wore a blonde wig and blue contacts, but I don't have a wig and I can't wear contacts so please settle for my interpretation of a dark haired and dark-eyed Barbie instead :)

What You Need:

• Full coverage foundation
• Concealer
• Eyeshadows (matte pale blue shadow, shimmery pale blue shadow, matte hot pink shadow, pale pink shimmer shadow)
• Eye primer
• White eyeliner
• Highlighter (I used a white cream-based product)
• Matte contour powder
• Black mascara
• False eyelashes
• Eyebrow powder/gel

1. To achieve Barbie-perfect skin, use full coverage foundation all over the face and cover all imperfections with concealer.

2. Highlight with a cream product. Here's how I did mine:

3. With a matte brown powder, contour your cheekbones, temples, and the sides of the nose to make it look slimmer. Blend everything well to avoid harsh lines.

4. Set with loose powder.

5. Do the eyes:

1. Apply eye primer all over lids

2. Apply the cream highlighter on the browbone

3. Apply matte pale blue shadow on the lids

4. Layer the shimmery pale blue shadow on the lids

1. Apply hot pink eyeshadow on the outer V and on the crease. Using a thin eyeliner brush, apply the same color on the lower lashline as well.

2. Apply the pale pink shimmer shadow on the inner part of the crease. Blend everything well. 

3. To add definition to the eyes, use a brown liquid eyeliner closely on the upper lashline. Don't make the line too thick

4. To make the eyes "pop" and make it look bigger, line your waterline with white eyeliner. Apply shimmery cream product on the tear ducts and inner corner of the eyes as well, then top it off with the pale blue shimmer eyeshadow.

For the finishing touches, fill in your brows, curl lashes and apply mascara, and pop on a thick pair of false eyelashes.

6. But of course, we're not done yet :) With a fluffy blush brush, apply soft pink blush on the apples of your cheeks.

7. Complete the look with a blue-based pink lipstick. I actually couldn't make up my mind at first about what shade I wanted to use for this look (I initially used a lilac pink lipstick) but then I tried it with a vibrant hot pink color and I liked it better. So it's totally up to you what pink suits your fancy :)

Hope you enjoyed this look! Would you wear something like this on a regular day (or probably night)? Or would you save a look like this for a special occasion or Halloween? :)

Review: Etude House Look at My Lips in Spotlight Beige

I've been wanting a creamy nude lipstick that didn't have too much red/brown/orange undertones, and I spotted this during my last visit to Etude House. I was just supposed to restock on lip tint but I couldn't resist this! It was my idea of THE perfect nude lipstick, beige with just the right amount of orange yellow undertones. It's great for everyday use and it doesn't wash me out (some nudes make me look like a corpse), and it's perfect with smokey eyes.

(Etude House stores, Php 328)

    

The shade is written on the bottom, #10

 arm swatch, without flash

lip swatches

You might like this if...

1. You couldn't get enough of nude lipsticks. This is a great addition to anyone's makeup kit

2. You need a nude lipstick

3. You like cream-finish lipsticks

4. You like formulas that moisturize your lips

5. You don't mind a little shine on the lips

6. You like mildly-scented cosmetics

7. You like products that come in simple packaging

8. You don't mind reapplying after drinking/eating

You might not like this if...

1. You don't like wearing nudes

2. You prefer mattes

3. You like nudes with slightly pinkish or reddish undertones

4. You want you lipstick to be very long-lasting

I really love this and would recommend it to anyone :) How about you, what's your favorite nude lipstick? 

September Favorites

Hi ladies! Time for my monthly favorites post... This just made me realize how time seems to be going by so fast! So anyway, this is my mini beauty loot for the month. I splurged a bit on a new hair iron (cos the ones I had were all so crappy), got some stuff for my hair as well, a couple of nail polishes, and everyday makeup essentials. 

JML Wet Straight Pro Titanium Flat Iron

(Watson's)

Love this! A multi-tasking flat iron that can straighten and dry your hair at the same time. You can also use it  to create curls or waves. I like that this has temperature controls, you can adjust the heat as needed; which is great for ladies with thicker hair.

Sunsilk Co-Creations Amazing Straight Detangling Spray (Watsons)

Does a great job of taming my frizzy hair, also makes the ends less prone to tangling.

Paradise Island Virgin Coconut Oil

My new favorite hair treatment. Locally made, organic, and unrefined. What's not to love? Plus, it doesn't have that strong, distinct coconut oil scent that lingers on the scalp or hair after washing it out.

Makeup Essentials: 

ELF Liquid Eyeliner in Brown, 4U2 Dream Girl Baby Love Lip Gloss, Maybelline Clear Smooth Shine-Free Powder Foundation in Nude Beige

Nail Polish: 

Etude House in SBE 103 (pale peach pink), PP905 (glittery pale mauve shade), Caronia in Trance, Etude House polish in PBK801 (red glitters in black jelly base)

Have you tried any of those products above? Did you like it as much as I did? Let me know! 

:)

Kikay Kit Starters

My first decent kikay kit was assembled with the help of my mom, and consisted of the neneng-nene basics like face powder, lip balm, and clear mascara. Sometimes I managed to steal something of hers with more color like fuchsia lipstick or red lipliner but she never allowed me to keep them for myself because she said red lips and black mascara was only for older ladies. But that was 10 years ago and now that I'm older I can wear all the bright colors I want on my face and pile all the volumising mascaras I want on my lashes! Mwahaha.

So a reader of mine sent in a question about what products she should start with in building her makeup kit, and the products must be affordable and versatile enough to cover all her makeup needs- from day looks to night looks.

Here are my recommendations, broken down into different categories:

Face:

1. Concealer

to cover imperfections and to fake 8 hours of sleep

Try:

 Maxfactor Panstik, Maybelline Super Stay 24 Hour Concealer

2. Liquid foundation/tinted moisturizer/bb cream

 to even out skin tone

Try: 

Cover Girl Trublend Foundation, Maybelline Aqua Gel Foundation, Etude House All Day Strong BB Cream, Face Shop Face It Power Perfection BB Cream

3. Compact powder

 a must in a tropical country like ours, especially for girls with oily skin

Try: 

Maybelline Pressed Powder, 4U2 Pressed Powder, Myra E Face Powder

4. Bronzer/blush

 You can purchase them separately, but there also products which come in duos

Try: 

Elf Bronzer/Blush duo, 4U2 Dream Girl Double Blush

Eyes

5. Eyeshadow primer

 Makes even the cheapest eyeshadows look more vibrant and long-lasting when used to prep the eyelids

Try: 

Etude House Proof 10 Eye Primer, ELF Eyeshadow Primer

6. Eyeshadows 

Start off with the more versatile neutral palettes (earth tones, blacks) because you can already get a lot of great looks from these. Choose those that have more of a matte or satin finish, because glitter overload doesn't look very pretty during daytime.

Try: 

Wet n Wild trio shadows, ELF, Maybelline, and Revlon quads 

7. Eyelash curler

 To open up your peepers and to prep lashes before putting on mascara

Try:

ELF Mechanical Eyelash Curler, Etude House Eyelash Curler

8. Mascara

 Preferably in black, to make eyes look dramatic

Try: 

Maybelline mascaras

9. Black Eyeliner

 Start with pencils or gel liners, since they are a lot easier to control than liquid liners. Use to define the eyes

Try: 

Maybelline Eye Studio eyeliner in Black, Etude House and 4U2 Dream girl eyeliners. Maybelline and Fanny Serrano gel eyeliners

10. Eyebrow Pencil/Brow Gel/Brow Powder

 this totally depends on your eyebrow type (thick/sparse) and preference (I actually use all three, depending on my mood for the day)

Try: 

Etude House Drawing Eyebrows (pencil/spoolie in one) Wet n Wild Ultimate Brow Kit (powder, wax, angled brush and small tweezers in one set) Etude House Color my Brows (brow gel) Nichido brow powder

Lips:

11. Lipbalm

 Which I totally forgot to include in the photo; but I'm sure you probably have this already. Always keep it handy in case of flaky lips emergencies

12. Lipsticks

 Start with the basics: a nude, a pink, and a red. Choose one that matches your skin tone

13. Lip Stain

An easy way to add a pop of color to your face for those days when you just don't feel like wearing lipstick

Hope this was helpful!
P.S. How did you start your kikay kit? What was the first makeup product you ever bought?
:)

Review: Etude House Happy Teatime Lemon Cleansing Cream

 Where there is makeup, there must be makeup remover. I always choose oil-based ones because of their ability to easily remove every smidgen of makeup from the face without having to exert a lot of physical pressure on the skin (which can cause premature wrinkles). 

I've tried alcohol and water-based ones but I need to use a lot of product (and tissues!) so I can erase everything. I also noticed that alcohol-based removers dry my skin and cause eye irritation.

My current favorite is this cleansing cream from Etude House, which I just recently discovered. The last one I used was Pond's cold cream, which I have been using since high school. This one from Etude is actually cheaper than Pond's! 

Read on to see why I like it so much.

• Smells good.
• Very good at removing makeup, from heavy foundation to stubborn waterproof mascaras.
• Didn't cause any breakouts or any other bad skin reactions.
• Very affordable at Php 198 for a huge jar.
• Cute packaging
• Comes in 2 variants to suit different skin types. This one is for combination-oily skin, while the Milk Tea variant is for normal-dry skin types.

Overall I really like this, but just a tip: since this comes in a big jar, use a spatula every time you use it to avoid double dipping and contaminating the product, which can shorten its lifespan. You'll know if your cream's contaminated/expired if it smells different and if it causes eye irritation.

Have you girls tried this one? Did you like it too?

:)