Highlighters In My Kit

  I have in this video the highlighters or illuminators in my kit.  These are used on my clients and on myself as well.  It consists of liquids, cream and powders that give a subtle glow to the skin.

Please continue reading to see the swatches.

EOTD: Happy Independence Day!

    June 12 is our Independence Day.  And in line with the celebration I have created this look earlier.  This EOTD is inspired by the colors of the Philippine flag.  I have tweeted this a while ago.  Sorry for the poor picture quality, my mobile phone camera is not that good.  However, I've taken some pictures using my DSLR while I was doing my makeup for this post.  These pictures should be decent enough to illustrate how I came up with the look.

Lips: NYX Smokey Look & Circe

  Lately I've been favoring "peachy" colors and made sure I have enough "peach" products.  =P  So I got myself Smokey Look (lip gloss) and Circe (lipstick) from NYX.  Smokey look is a translucent peach lip gloss with some gold glitters.  Circe is a creamy, peachy-nude lipstick.  Both can be worn on it's own or can be layered on top of each other for a more pronounced lip color.  These two go very well with dramatic eye makeup especially smokey eye looks.
    

Smokey Look

Circe

  Individual swatches (Left) and layered (Right):

Primer: NYX HD Studio Photogenic Primer

  I have been using foundation primers for the last 5 years or so and the main reason why I use it is to make my makeup last longer.  Being in the corporate world means less time for touch ups and more time in front of the computer.  At least for me.  =P

  My very first primer was the Smashbox Photo Finish Light and I finished the whole bottle after 3 years.  Since then I have tried other brands and that's when I learned that there are different types of primers for different needs/purposes.

   Primers prep the skin prior to foundation application.  I believe I have mentioned some of the benefits of using a primer in my review of e.l.f.'s Mineral Infused Face Primer.

  So I got this new primer from NYX which is the HD Studio Photogenic Primer and it reminded me so much of Make Up For Ever's HD Primer.  Thought they might be the same at a fraction of the price.  Gave it a chance and brought it home with me.  =) 

Foundation: NYX Stay Matte But Not Flat Liquid Foundation

  So I got this foundation a few weeks back and have been using it since then.  Got it in the shade SMF05 Soft Beige which is a good match.
       

  The packaging indicates the ff.:

• Oil Free
• Water Based
• Full Coverage
• Mineral Enriched
• Matte Finish

  I have checked the ingredients and although it has aqua (water) in it, it still has dimethicone which is a silicone polymer.  So I'm quite confused.  Although it contains dimethicone the consistency of the product is quite runny and feels lightweight on the skin.  But what really intrigued me and caused me to buy this product is the name itself.  What does "stay matte but not flat" mean?  Plus, it says it offers full coverage and I need all the coverage I can get to hide my acne scars.  So I bought it and put it to the test.

Haul: Sumrise in Bali

  NYX products are really addicting!!!  I started with their lip creams then jumbo eye pencils.  Next thing I know I got myself some base products and some more lip products.  =P

  My latest acquisition is their Bronzer & Blusher Combo in "Sunrise in Bali" which I sometimes call "Summer in Manila" just because... =P  Got this again from Pretty Goddess' store in Trinoma which I happened to pass by when I went to meet my family a few weeks ago.  Bought some lip creams for my sister and cousin then I saw this.  I just thought it was too pretty so it has to come home with me =P

EOTD: An Eye For Spring

  This EOTD is supposedly my entry for a weekly challenge but failed to submit on time.  Didn't want to waste my effort so I thought of posting it here instead.

  The theme is spring colors and although we don't have spring in the Philippines I just thought of colors that reminded me of flowers.   

  This look makes use of pastel colors.  I kept the makeup looking fresh and delicate.  Made sure it is not over the top, just simple and pretty.  

Haul: NYX therapy for a depressing Sunday at the mall...

  I was so sad the last few days because my service laptop gave up on me while I was on shift last Friday.  To make matters worst, I got a client call.  Good thing we have a secondary resource to back me up.  But what's really depressing is that I haven't backed up my data and I just lost almost 2-year's worth of email and notes.  =(

  Went to meet a colleague last Sunday at Trinoma to get a spare laptop and while waiting for him I chanced upon Pretty Goddes' store at the 2nd level near Starbucks.  The sight of all those NYX products surely perked me up =)

  I got a few items from the store and even got the chance to meet the owner.  Their collection is overwhelming and I'm so happy they have testers.  Testers are important especially when picking out foundation because it is a must to properly match the color and also it gives me an idea with regards to finish and coverage.  Also, the thought of testing out all those products is a sure way to combat my depression. =P 

  I have yet to test these out and will do a more detailed review once I get to use these more.  Products that went home with me are the HD Studio Photogenic Primer (PhP 600), Stay Matte But Not Flat Liquid Foundation (PhP 600), Round Lipstick in Circe (PhP 150) and Mega Shine Lip Gloss in Smokey Look (PhP 220).

   Until the next blog post! =) xoxo

Haul: Dollface Kaleidoscope Palette (180 Eyeshadow)

  When I started this blog I thought to myself I need to expand my makeup collection.  I've got a few palettes but I find I still lack some colors for my EOTDs.     

  I have been checking out palettes from Dollface and already got two from this brand (check previous blog posts).  But I haven't really gotten any eyeshadow palettes from Dollface before as I was undecided which to get back then.  I chanced upon another blogger mentioning the Kaleidoscope palette from Dollface and it is a 180 eyeshadow palette priced at PhP 1,450.  Thought this is a great deal so I got one, yay! :) 

Haul Part2: NYX Jumbo Eye Pencils

  The other items in my NYX haul are the NYX Jumbo Eye Pencils (JEP) which cost PhP220 each (bought from Digital Traincase).  These are so versatile they can be used as eyeliner, cream eyeshadow or eyeshadow base.  I've learned about these pencils from several beauty bloggers and vloggers.  The most popular JEP is the white one aptly called "Milk".  And most of the time this is used as an eyeshadow base rather than as an eyeliner.  I got a white (Milk) and black (Black Bean) JEP.

  Main reason why I bought these pencils is I needed an eyeshadow base to help eyeshadows show up properly in photos especially when I'm using flash.  Since I'm awake mostly during the afternoons up to the wee hours of the morning, I rely heavily on my external flash when I'm taking pictures for this blog.  And flash photography washes out color so I have to use something to make colors "pop".    
                

                                           Milk                                                             Black Bean

Haul Part1: NYX Lip Products

  My husband planned to buy some PC parts at the Eton Cyberpod E-Life Bldg. 1 last week and he recalled me mentioning the store Beauty and the Geeks which happens to be in the same building.  He knows how much I love makeup and is very supportive of my cosmetic addiction so he asked me to jot down things I wished to buy and he bought them for me =)  (He even called me up when he got to the store to check if I wanted to add some more to my loot but they were all sold out so I settled with the items on my list.)

  I realized that I have too many nude/pinky brown lipsticks but lacked bright, colorful ones.  I've been eyeing a lot of NYX lippies and can't decide which to get first.  Then I came across their new lip products that seems to be a cross between lipgloss and lipstick.  I personally prefer lipglosses because I find them easier to apply when I'm out and about, no need for a mirror hehehe =P (Skill that I've learned when I'm doing a sneaky retouch)  =P

  So I ended up getting two of their Xtreme Lip Creams (Strawberry Jam, Absolute Red) and a Soft Matte Lip Cream (Milan).       

Milan - Strawberry Jam - Absolute Red