My Thoughts: MAC Lipstick in Faux

I'm a huge fan of my-lips-but-better shades of lipsticks because they are so so easy to pull of and does not draw too much attention because from afar, they just look like our natural lips (but better). They are quite versatile too because they can be worn alone for an every day school/office look or paired with a striking eye make up for a girl's night out. Well, talk about saving space in your make up bag if you're one to travel and go to places a lot! So today I present to you one of the few MLBB lipsticks that I own - Faux from MAC.

My Thoughts: 

Faux is housed in MAC's standard packaging which is this black bullet tube that has a silver line that goes around it. Very functional and professional looking packaging so no qualms on this department. Faux is of satin finish and as MAC describes it, a "muted mauve-pink," which I think is a very good description of this gem right here although obviously, given the different pigmentation of our lips, it is only natural that it is going to show up differently on each and everyone. 

Satin is definitely my favorite finish among the bunch because it applies opaque and yet does not dry out my lips like mad. It is quite long lasting on me too provided that I don't eat or drink but that's almost too impossible given I am a heavy water drinker. But it's such a breeze to re-apply so I'm willing to over look that. It's not a shocking kind of color anyway wherein precise application is required so the less than stellar wear time is really not a deal breaker for me. 

One thing I also adore about all MAC lippies is their scent. Some are put off by it, but I kinda prefer my lippies to have a bit of scent to them and so far, I am loving the chocolate/vanilla-ish scent that MAC comes with. I hope they don't ever change it up, ever! 

So anyway, for an everyday look, I like to wear Faux with a dash of blush and a bit of smudged eye liner because if worn alone, it looks too simple and overall just colorless. I love how it makes me look so chic and so pretty because it is always in harmony with my blush and does not overpower it in any way. I'd recommend Faux to anyone in a heart beat. I understand that it's quite pricey (ESPECIALLY HERE IN MANILA), but I own a LOT of lipsticks and I am yet to find anything similar to this (at least shade-wise) so yeah, it's unique in its own lovely way. 

Faux is definitely worth checking (and shelling) out if you're in the market for a decent MLBB/pinkish nude lipstick. xx 

    
LOVE: 

• Not drying 
• Functional packaging 
• Compliments a variety of looks (versatile)
• Easily available (counter and online) 
• No annoying cosmetic smell 

NEUTRAL

• Not long lasting as the matte ones. 

HATE: 

• Well, obviously, for a tube of lipstick, it's pricey but oh so worth it!  

Where to find: Megamall, Edsa Shangrila, Trinoma, SM Aura, Online
Price: 1000php ($23)
Recommend: YES!
Overall Rating: 4/5

Now the lipstick in action! xx

So what do you think of this lipstick dearies? Would you buy it or do you already have a similar shade in your stash? DO TELL! Would love to hear your thoughts on this one! 

-JEM-

My Thoughts: Nature Republic By Flower Autobrow

Good skin days or bad skin days, there's one make up product I refuse to leave the house with.

A brow liner.

Yup, you read that right! Admittedly, I too am surprised because I have professed my love for lipsticks but never with anything that fixes the brows. Sure I don't hoard on them, but when the time comes that I hit pan with it, I run to the mall like a mad brow person!

I mean aren't you amazed at how much they do for the face? People hardly notice it but I do, and I know I really look different without it on. They really frame my face, making it look more polished and in place which is why when I have to choose 3 make up products to wear on a school day, my top picks would have to be, a brow liner, concealer, and some lipstick.

But before we get ahead of the topic, today I want to share to you an auto brow liner that I'm currently using from Nature Republic.

My Thoughts: 

I wouldn't go into details with this product anymore, I know you can already imagine how a retractable brow liner looks like. It's not a pencil which you sharpen but instead a brow liner which you twist to let the product out. It comes with a spoolie already so there's no need to bring a separate one. Very travel friendly indeed! 

First of all, the product itself is a bit hard to work with because the consistency is quite dry so whenever I use this, I end up tugging on my brows sometimes. I would have preferred even the slightest bit of cream in it but once you get the hang of it, it gets easier. I should also mention that you have to work with a very light hand otherwise it's going to break like what happened to mine. Yup, 5 days after it just decided to die on me. Well, I can still use it but with an ever so light hand. 

Despite the cons, this thing has a few winning points too. First of all, it's perfect for precise application, pretty much like a pencil though so if you're tired of using pencils, this is a good choice. The color is also very pretty too - dark brown with a touch of red in it. 

The wear time is pretty decent. It stays put for the whole time that I have to be out, which is normally 10 am to 5 pm. Not bad honestly but my HG brow kit remains to be ELF and while this comes close, I'd still choose the former in a heart beat. xx 

LOVE

• Affordable 
• Travel-friendly 
• Light-weight 
• Easily available 
• Comes with a spoolie
• Decent color pay-off
• Decent wear time 

HATE

• I don't think it's water resistant 
• Breaks easily (brow product itself) 

Overall Rating: 3/5 

Available where: Megamall, Landmark Trinoma, SM North the Block, eBay, Lazada

Price: 155php ($3.46) 

And in action! xx 

SORRY FOR THE MESSY HAIR YOU GUISEEE!!! :))

-So what do ya think of this product? Love it, hate it, or leave it? Tell me on the box below! xx

JEM

My Thoughts: Palladio Herbal Foundation Primer

In all honesty, I 'm not a primer person. I hate going through that extra step in the morning (or night) when I'll look just as fine without it. I mean, why buy make up that does nothing to your skin, except look cute in your make up pouch? Drugstore or high end, I wouldn't want to waste my money on anything that doesn't seem to  do its job. (ehem Benefit Porefessional)  But looking back now, maybe I just wasn't using the RIGHT primer for my skin type. Maybe I was using something for dry skinned gals when my skin type is leaning towards oily? Or maybe my skin's really crazy and wouldn't take anything silicone-y? 

I have used soo many primers in the past and while some were okay, I simply refuse to settle for anything okay. I wanted something that would really blow my mind away. As in, damn! I'm wearing a full coverage foundation today but it still manages to look like skin all thanks to this new primer I'm using, that kind of feeling. Or, damn! I left the house at 7 am and it's already 8 pm but my foundation is still intact, all thanks to this new primer I'm using - that kind of feeling. I have searched high and low, from Maybelline to Laura Mercier, from Benefit to E.L.F, but all were just meh. Like I said, I wasn't settling for anything okay. For once, I wanted something that would turn out to be worth it. 

I've almost given up on the search for the perfect primer until I came across. 

Palladio... what?! I know, I know. It's not exactly as famous as Maybelline or Revlon and I myself haven't the faintest idea as to why. First of all, I'm not sure whether to call it a drugstore brand because I think it can only be found in specialty stores and not really widely available as of yet. The price is slightly higher than drugstore so I guess you could say it's semi high-end? 

Anyway... did you know that this brand has been around for 25 years already? They're basically famous for putting herbs and vitamins on their cosmetics which is great news for those with uber sensitive skin. Stuff like green tea, ginseng, gingko biloba, vitamin e, and other natural humectants such as Aloe Vera & Chamomile. Palladio claims to be beauty and beneficial. 

My Thoughts: 

Out of all my other primers, this is my definite favorite. For starters, it agrees with my skin which is combination skin leaning towards oily these days because of the ever so humid weather. It also improves my foundation's wear time and for that alone, I'm sticking to this cos isn't that the purpose of a primer after all? If your concern however is to blur out the appearance of your pores, I don't think this'll do much. Also, if your concern is dry skin and you want your make up to go on smoother, I don't think you'll find this of any use at all. BUT! If you have combination/oily skin and you want your make up to last longer if not the whole day, then this one's perfect for you. It is for me. It comes out clear and thick so if you're worried that maybe it would somehow alter the shade of your foundation, then worry not. This primer is as clear as it comes and its purpose is to simply improve the longevity of your make up. 

(Pardon for le hairy hands you guise haha) 

Anyway, I think it's also worth mentioning but last month when we experienced the coldest weather here in Manila I found my skin to be a lot drier than usual. Even on top of a moisturizer, my skin still felt tight and just overall unattractive. I used this primer when I was going through that horrible phase and yes, it didn't look amazing on my skin, not even one bit. It clung to dry patches and felt really uncomfortable on. That said, I don't think this'll work if you have dry to extremely dry skin. I think you're better off using something else a lot more hydrating. Laura Mercier has amazing primers that caters to just about every skin type so I guess that's one brand for you to check out. 

For my skin type, I find this very effective for what it is. I love it and I can't believe it's taken me this long to find out that Palladio makes amazing primers! My original rating would have to be a perfect 5 but since it's not yet widely available in the Philippines, I'm taking one point down. 

Overall, I would recommend this if you have combination/oily skin and if you want your make up to last throughout the day. xx

Where to buy: Beauty Bar, eBay 

Price: 625php ($14) 

Overall Rating: 4/5 

How about you, what's your favorite primer to date? xx 

-Jem- 

My Thoughts: Holika Holika Petit BB Cream in Clearing

If there's one beauty product that I cannot live without, my answer would have to be pretty basic: Foundation/BB cream. 

See, I used to have nearly if not totally flawless skin until, thanks to college life, the word sleep and eat healthy suddenly took a day off in my vocabulary. Thanks to my trusted skin care routine, my skin is slowly but surely getting better but it sure wasn't easy I tell ya.  It took me months, close to a year actually, to get it into looking nice & healthy again.  I had to avoid a lot of stuff (yes dairy I'm looking at you) and get a decent amount of sleep. I had to start and keep up with an exercise regimen and on top of that I also had to make smart food choices, well, basically eat healthy and drink lots and lots and lots of water. A decent skin care routine isn't gonna cut it for me so I had to work from the inside as well. All the efforts seemed to pay off so I couldn't be more happier. Sure I still get the occasional pimple now & then, which I think is totally normal for us girls but nothing that would drive me bonkers anymore. 

That said, I would like to share to you today a BB cream which I have been wearing a lot of lately, if not abusing because it feels so so comfortable on the skin all the while giving me a decent amount of coverage. I received this as a birthday gift from one of my friends in college last year November. She knows me as a BB cream freak so I guess you could imagine how delighted I was when I received this. So, let's get into the details of this gem right here, shall we?

PACKAGING: 

The BB cream is housed in an anti-gravity plastic tube that comes with a cap which you twist to open/close. I somehow prefer it as opposed to ones that come with a pump because it's less bulkier. It's pretty small at 30ml so it's really ideal for travelling as it's so easy to just throw in your make up bag & be on the go. However, because it comes in a squeeze type tube, you get less control of the product so it's more prone to wastage so overall, just be wary. 

SHADE: 

I'm happy to report that this BB cream right here has neither pink nor yellow undertones and instead has the perfect blend of both worlds. I am always, ALWAYS in the look-out for something as such because my Missha Pore BB cream gives me terrible grey casts on photos, so much as I love it for day-time, I have completely shunned it for good for fear of making a spectacle of myself in candid photos (which gets tagged on my Facebook account in no time, thanks to my ever so thoughtful friends). To cut to chase, if you have fair skin, you'll love this. However, if you belong somewhere in the middle, I would highly suggest you mix this up with a darker concealer/foundation for a better match. 

FINISH: 

The finish is quite dewy on me so I really have to set it with a translucent powder to avoid looking like a grease ball at the end of the day. My T-zone becomes shiny after 2-3 hours, depending on the weather. 

WEAR-TIME: 

As I mentioned earlier, my T-zone becomes shiny after 2-3 hours, but nothing that those good ole blotting sheets cant' fix. The rest of  it remains intact though so I would say I'm pretty impressed. I wear primer by the way, so on me it stays for about 6-8 hours with minimal touch ups. 

SMELL: 

This BB cream is not fragrance-free & if you have used Tony Moly's Luminous Aura BB cream in the past, I would say they're quite similar. It has a soft floral scent to it which goes away almost immediately upon application. It's not too strong like Skinfood's Peach Sake BB cream so if that bothers you as it does me, then you'd be fine with this. 

PRICE: 

I'm not so sure how much this is exactly, but in stores I think this is around 360php ($8) so it's really affordable all things considered. I'm pretty sure it doesn't go over 400php. 

AVAILABILITY: 

As of now, Holika Holika has only one branch here in Manila, and that's in SM Fairview so lucky you if you're near that area. If not then there's always eBay for you. You can also check out Lazada because they also have Holika Holika items there, and good news, they also do cash on delivery meaning you don't have to go through the hassle of withdrawing cash from your ATM, falling in line & basically waiting forever for your turn in the bank. 

      So to sum it all up! 

      LOVE: 

• Travel friendly packaging 
• Affordable
• Perfect color match 
• Contains SPF30 PA+++ 
• Stays put for a decent amount of time 
• Lovely dewy finish 
• Sheer-medium coverage 
• Feels comfortable on the skin 
• Does not break me out 

      NEUTRAL:

• Does not show up nice on photos due to the SPF content 
• Not easily available 
• Has a bit of fragrance in it 

      HATE:

• NOTHING, really! xx 

     QUICKIES: 

• If you have combination/oily skin, I highly suggest you use primer underneath for better wear time. 
• If you suffer from dry skin, make it a habit to exfoliate regularly, and moisturize daily. This BB cream, or any foundation for that matter, will show up better on your skin if you do so. 
• I wouldn't recommend this as your ultimate sun protection if you're going to be exposed to the sun a lot. A separate sunscreen is still your best buddy. 
• Use a finishing veil for better wear time.  

Price: 360php (approximately) or $8 

Where to get: Holika Holika store (SM Fairview) or online (eBay, Lazada, Cosmetics Love) 

Overall Rating: 5/5 

 

                                                      And now the BB cream in action. xx 

And there you go! What do you think of this BB cream? Would you give it a shot, or do you already have a similar one in your stash? Let me know your thoughts on this one! xx 

- JEM