I'm Back! Plus Haul!

Hey, everyone!

I'M BACK!

!

I have too much stuff to review for you guys, I seriously don't know where to begin!

Perhaps, I'll just let you decide.

Here is the list of things I would review:

* Revlon PhotoReady Foundation

*MakeUp Forever HD Foundation

*Coastal Scents HD Foundation

*L'Oreal Telescopic Explosion

*Maybelline Pulse Perfection

*CoverGirl Lash Blast Length

*CoverGirl Lash Blast Luxe

*Spanatics Face Masks

*GlamBox Airbrush System

*Laura Mercier Undercover Pot

*MAC Blush Ombre

*MAC Pearlglide Liners

*MAC Lip Stain Markers

*L'Oreal Glamshine 6hours gloss

*Philosophy Kiss Me Lip Scrub

There you go. Just comment below on what would you like me to review first.

I want to share with you some of the cosmetics / skincare products I've acquired in my trips.

If you would like me to review something, just comment below!

My top priority in my trip abroad is to acquire face masks so I've bought quite a number.

I bought My Beauty Diary masks as well as some random masks.

Of course visiting Asian beauty stores wouldn't be complete without buying some nifty beauty tools! I bought Dariya Hair Fringe thingy, Silk Whitia Microfine Cloth body belt, Mascara guard, Shiseido Lash Curler, Oil Blotting Sheets, and Nexcare Acne Dressing.

Let me tell you, the Nexcare Acne Dressing is so AMAZING!

On the first day of my Hong Kong trip, I broke out so bad because of the sunscreen I used; so when I saw some cosmetics store selling these, I grabbed one a tried it out immediately when I returned to the hotel. It really works! It got rid of my smaller pimples in just one night and the bigger one in 2 nights! It's definitely a miracle worker!

I also grabbed a few skincare products.

Villa Olive Gel, L'Oreal Hydrafresh Anti-Shine, and Choize Cleansing Milk.

I also bought some bargain makeup products!

Acmedica powder, BC Curvy Lip Silicone, La pensee stuff, Majolica Majorca palette, Sana Pore Putty Concealer, and some eyeliners.

I'm really impressed ny the La pensee stuff, it's really cheap but the texture and pigmentation is really up there with high end brands. The eyeshadows are absolutely marvelous! It's like the Veluxe Pearl finish of MAC eyeshadows. The blushes are great too!

I also bought a few high end stuff.

YSL Parisienne, YSL Rouge Pur, YSL The Bow Collection Lip Palette, MAC Satin Taupe, MAC Lady Bug, and Benefit Confessions of a Concealaholic.

This summer is my best summer so far!

I hope you had fun too!

Share what you did this summer!

Battle of the HD Foundations: Part 1 Kryolan Micro Foundation Mattyfying Liquid

The battle of the HD foundation begins!

This segment will be of 5 parts.

I will be comparing the Kryolan Micro Foundation Mattifying Liquid, MakeUp Forever HD Foundation, Coastal Scents Liquid Foundation, and Revlon PhotoReady Foundation.

The first 4 parts will be individual review of each product and the last one will be a comparison.

I know many of us are still trying to find which foundation would be perfect for them, so I hope this may help find your perfect foundation!

Today is the era of HD media, and the HD cosmetics isn't far behind.

With so many products popping up that says they cater to HD media, it gets so confusing.

So I hope this little segment in my blog will help you decide which products to buy.

Today, I will review the Kryolan Micro Foundation Mattifying Liquid.

This part of the Micro Foundation line by Kryolan.

The Micro Foundation line was created to cater for the High Definition resolution of today's media. There are other products under the Micro Foundation line like cream foundations, airbrush foundations, mattifying liquid foundation, liquid foundation for dry skin, and liquid foundation for matured skin.

What I have is the Mattifying variant of the Micro Foundation  liquid foundation, perfect for my very oily skin.

The packaging of this particular product isn't as good looking as other foundations of its price range. I bought mine I think for about P2500, about $50 (not so sure, since I have this for quite sometime now). The bottle is made of cheap looking plastic like the ones in cheap baby toys, but one pro about this is that even if you drop this, the bottle won't break.

I like that this product contains a nice pump, which works wonderfully!

The pump will give you alot of control.

You can dispense as little or as much as you want.

The texture of the foundation is not liquidy at all.

It's more of a mousse consistency.

It's looks thick due to its consistency but not at all heavy.

It feels like you're not wearing any foundation at all when used.

This foundation is very blendable.

It looks very natural and doesn't look cake-y.

The coverage is medium buildable.

It goes on seamless, when blended to the skin.

I find that this foundation is heaven sent for those with large pores, wrinkles, or very textured skin, because this foundation really helps to make the skin looks really smooth and even.

This due to the foundation being silicone based.

When I use this foundation, I don't use primer anymore.

This foundation is gives a soft matte look, which I like because it looks so natural and it doesn't look flat.

Most mattifying foundation can accentuate dry patches/flakes in the skin, but this doesn't!

This foundation is great for oily skin too!

My skin is so oily, but this foundation keeps the shine out all day!

I was really amazed by the oil control properties of this product!

This foundation is water resistant too, and very long wearing.

I have this on when I played paint ball under the scorching heat and it didn't budge or move or shown some wear!

This is the first HD foundation I used so this definitely set my expectation on other HD foundations very high.

This foundation is a must try!

I really love this foundation!

Verdict:

9.5/10

The only con is the price,

but for me, every penny is worth it!

Summer Make-Up Top 5 Picks

Summer is here!
I can already feel the summer heat!
I can't help but daydream that I'm enjoying the beach, my feet on the warm, white sand, smelling the fresh breeze of the sea, and having fun in the waters!
Oooh! I'm definitely in summer mode!

Might as well share you my travel/vacation plans this summer.
Two weeks from now, I'm going to be on Thailand for two weeks, then I'll be back in Manila for a week, then I'll be going to Macau for a week, then by May I'll be going back to Macau and visiting HongKong for another week. When I get back to the Philippines, I'll be heading straight to Pagudpod, Ilocos, which is insanely beautiful white beach and the place isn't packed with so many people like Boracay!

But no matter where we go, we beauty junkies would like our skin to be at its best, cared for, and protected, and still look fabulous!
So, I want to share my MUST-HAVE products to tote along with you this summer!
This is also all I'm carrying in my travel makeup kit, not only will I pack light but all these things are basically foolproof!

1. Sunscreen, with atleast SPF30 and maximum SPF50.
The sun is exceptionally harsh this time of the year, so you really want so extra protection, so the minimum SPF you should be wearing is SPF 30. Why maximum of SPF50, you might ask? Because the skin can only absorb up to SPF42, and the higher the SPF the more greasy it will feel, and it's a bit hard to look for sunscreen with exactly SPF42 so SPF50 will be good.

If you're not going swimming, my personal pick is MAC Prep and Prime Face Protection Visage SPF50. It's a multipurpose product. It's a primer, sunscreen, and mattifyier in one!

I f you're going to dip in the water, I suggest picking the Shiseido Sun Protection Very Water resistant Lotion SPF42. (The picture is actually the foundation, I know, I'm blind sometimes! hehehe) I really like this sunscreen for swimming, because as the name suggest it is reallt VERY WATER RESISTANT! Only con is that it's a bit difficult to remove at the end of the day, and it's white. and if you put too much, it will give a white cast on the skin!

2. Tinted Moisturizer.
You don't want to look overly made up, specially in the summer. So, I say ditch your foundation, and replace your foundation with a tinted moisturizer! It will cover up imperfections without looking too made up, and it will give your face a really nice summery glow! You can also create your own tinted moisturizer by mixing your liquid foundation with moisturizer and you can jazz it up by mixing in a luminizer too!

My personal favorite is the Laura Mercier Oil Free Tinted Moisturizer SPF20.
It gives a nice coverage, a healthy dewy glow, it has SPF20, and it's oil free!
I've been using this for a few months now, except when testing out new foundations for review, and boy oh boy I'm in love with this!

3. Gel Bronzer.
Tanned skin is hot this summer, but skin cancer is not!
Here's a quick fix, gel bronzer!
It's definitely far more long lasting than powder bronzer, and it will look really natural and seamless when applied properly. Plus the gel bronzer will compliment the dewy glow you'll get from the tinted moisturizer.

My pick is the Guerlain Terracotta Fresh Bronzing Gel. A more affordable alternative is the Maybelline Mineral Power Gel bronzer, which is also great but it tends to be very sheer, which is fine for my skintone, but not for deeper skintones.

4. Bright and Fun Lipsticks
In the summer, you can get rid of your pale lipsticks and bring out fun, funky, and vibrant lipsticks! In the summer, I usually wear very minimal makeup, and when traveling I want to pack very light. So I opt for fun and bright shades of lipsticks since you can only wear it and you're good to go! Your face will look brighter and you'll look fab, without piling on makeup! I suggest bright pinks and corals! Plus these bright coral and pink lipsticks can also double as a blush! Just dab a teeny bit on the apples of your cheeks and blend towards the hairline, and swipe on that lipstick on your lips, and you're good to go! You'll look great, in a matter of seconds, plus you're not wearing too much makeup! I usually wear big chunky sunglasses, so I want to have bright colors on my lips, because more or less my lips are the only ones that will be seen!

My pick is MAC lipstick in Total Wow!
It's a bright berryish pink shade. It's bright and fun, but still very wearable!

Another, is Show Orchid, for those who want to have extra fun!
It is a really bright pink with a bit of magenta tone.

5. Waterproof Mascara
In the summer, I always opt for waterproof versions of mascara rather than the normal version; because one way or another you're going to get wet through sweat or the water. So define the eyes with a waterproof mascara. Waterproof mascara will be your best bet this summer because not only because you might get wet,but also your skin will produce more oil in warmer weather, thus you'll be more prone to mascara smudges.

My favorite summer on the go mascara is the Covergirl Lash Blast Waterproof.
It gives a nice length and volume, and it's cheap so you won't mind losing this in the trip.
What I also love about this mascara is eventhough it's waterproof it easily removes with just soap and water. So there's not really a need to carry for a separate makeup remover!

Hope this post helps you!
BTW what are your plans this summer?
Can you share your summer makeup essentials too?
Would love to hear from you!

Product Alert! Revlon Photoready Now in the Philippines!

Hey beauties!

I want to share a good news!

Revlon PhotoReady has arrived in our shores!

While I was in the streets of Makati waiting for the traffic to move, I peeked through the window and observed the area, and I saw tarpaulins of Revlon PhotoReady in the streets.

So before going to Rustan's and MAC, I dropped by the Beauty Section of SM Makati, which btw is so fab thanks to the recent renovations, to check if its already available.

And guys and gals, it's already available! 

The liquid foundation is about P950 (which is about $20 - yeah, what a markup!)

If you're curious go check it out!

I'm not sure if it's already available in all SM department stores.

BTW the SA's there are really kind and accommodating, they'll definitely answer your queries about the products. 

I suggest testing it out first before buying coz as many says it does contain shimmers, anyway testers are always available for use in Revlon counters, which is one thing I love living in the Philippines, since all cosmetics brands even drugstore brands always provide testers.

Have fun testing these out!

I personally think, the line in quite nice!

Here are a few pictures I took at SM Makati...

My PhotoReady has arrived, but it's still in the Post Ofiice since I'm super busy to get it...

But I'll use it immediately so I can give a full on review and finish my War of the HD Liquid Foundations post.

I'll also post my haul in the next few days!

Sephora Haul and Birthday Shout-out!

Before anything else, I want to greet

my ever so kind

and ever so beautiful

friend,

Nikki Tiu of Askmewhats,

a Happy Happy Birthday!

She just turned 31, and she's fabulous than ever!

-------------------------------------------------------------

Now for my tiny haul from Sephora!

I got a Cargo blu_ray bronzer, which is on sale for $15!

I really like this bronzer, it looks natural on my skin and it has very understated shimmers so it doesn't look flat. I also love how finely milled the powder is, and definitely suitable for high definition camera, because it really blends in the skin so nicely and seamlessly.

Sephora Platinum Brush #55

This is called the "airbrush brush" by Sephora.

And I couldn't agree any less!

Indeed it's airbrush in a brush!

I've been lemming for this brush for a long, long time and I'm happy I got one!

I think this will topple my Shu uemura #18 brush in the top spot of my favorite foundation brushes. Let's wait see... I'll give an update on this!

MakeUp ForEver HD Foundation in 120.

Last year when this was released in the Philippines, I tried this in the store, but I didn't liked it at all. It looked streaky and the shade that the MA applied on me looked too orangey and dark! So I really stayed away from this foundation. But me being a believer of second chances, I wanted to try this foundation again, and I'm planning to review different HD foundations on my blog. But our MUFE stores here doesn't have stock of it every time I visit. I wanted to try it to see if I would like it if I used another shade that really matches my skin, and if I apply it myself. Thanks to sis Jheng of Abubots, I was apply to try it again. She gave a generous amount of sample of the HD Foundation. She was asking me if I like the shade 117 or 120, but since my skin is slightly darker than hers and her shade was 117, I asked for 120. And LO and BEHOLD! 120 is a perfect match! I have never seen a foundation that matched my skin so perfectly! So that alone, I was sold! And with the sample that sis JHENG gave me, I was able to use different techniques. I liked it so I decided to purchase one for myself.

Last is Rosebud Salve. I just got this to replenish my dwindling stock of this.

That's all folks!

Wait for my Battle of the HD Foundations post!

Now that I have the MUFE HD Foundation, I'm just waiting for my Revlon Photoready to arrive which may arrive next week!

 The Battle of HD Foundations will compare 4 HD foundations: Kryolan High Definition Mattifying Foudation, Coastal Scents HD Foundation, MUFE HD Foundation, and Revlon PhotoReady Foundation. I would like to add the MAC Face and Body Foundation, but our MAC stores here doesn't carry it! And I don't want to buy online because I'm not sure what is my shade. Does anybody have the MAC Face and Body Foundation, and wouldn't mind sending me a sample? It would be great if I could review it too, since it's one of the widest used foundation that claims to be suitable for HD.