Makeup Revolution I Heart Makeup I Heart Chocolate Eyeshadow Palette

So it has been a while since I've written anything new on my blog. My family has undergone some quite drastic changes and I had been busy with a flurry of activities along with the holiday craze in the course of the last month.

But I am back now and, hopefully, will be able to write more often. I've been using a lot of new products, some of them fantabulous and others not so. One of the things I've been so excited to write about is this eyeshadow palette from Makeup Revolution's I <3 Makeup line, their I Heart Chocolate Eyeshadow Palette.

The packaging is to die for, it's so cute! From the packaging alone, it's clear this company is trying to dupe the Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette. 

The eyeshadow palette has 16 shadows inside with a combination of matte, satin and shimmers. The shadows are even arranged (not exactly the same) just like the Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette. I've been meaning to buy that palette, but I just could not justify the price tag on that one. I was able to purchase this from one of my favorite Instagram online sellers, Make Up Haul PH (makeuphaul_ph don't forget to check her out!) for only Php 825. When I saw it, I had to have it.

When you open the palette, I swear it also smells like chocolate. I've heard a lot of Youtubers say their I Heart Chocolate palettes don't smell like anything at all, so I'm not sure why mine smells strongly like chocolate. I feel a surge of happiness everytime I open this palette because it's so pretty and smells so good! I actually reach for this palette more often than I do my Lorac Pro one, which I also love, it's just that this palette is cheaper and so I don't feel as bad playing with it.

The palette came with a long dual ended sponge applicator which I (obviously) threw out because it just wasn't any good.

Pigmentation wise, there's only two that I can complain about, one of which is the matte light pink shade called Meet Chocolate. It's patchy and doesn't show true to color in the pan. As well as the shimmer dark purple shade, Unforgivable, which was just, well, not dark. Otherwise, they're all so shockingly pigmented, I could hardly believe the palette only set me back less than a thousand pesos. The shadows are a dream to blend as well, you don't have to wait until your arm falls off they're so easy to blend!

I love the big generous mirror on the palette as well, it just makes it easy to find a spot with good natural light and put on my eye makeup with the mirror. What I hate about it is that the labels of the eye shadows were on this flimsy film covering the palette which, with a two year old, I'll lose eventually.

Here are the swatches:

Piece Me Together, One More Piece, Love Torn, Stolen Chocolate

Thank Friday, More!, Pleasure Girl, Meet Chocolate

Unforgivable, Love Divine, Smooth Criminal, Chocolate Love

You Need More, What a Way to Go, You Need Love (top satin highlight), Endorphins Ready! (bottom shimmer highlight)

Overall, I highly recommend this palette. I'm not sure if the quality is the same with the Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette since I don't own one of those, but if you're looking for a versatile eye shadow palette that you need to use for all kinds of occasions but you don't want to break the bank, this is it for you.

My Top 5 Fall Lipsticks!

Now, I know, this post is a little silly. Come on, who are we kidding, there's no fall season here in the Philippines. But it is October, and it's bound to get colder sooner or later.

This is the season to break out our dark, vampy lip colors. And also to show our love for the deeper nudes. Here's my favorite lipsticks for fall:

Clockwise: MAC Rebel, MAC Mehr, Snoe Rouge Deluxe Marsala, NYX Matte Lipstick Strawberry Daiquiri and Snoe Rouge Deluxe Vintage Rose

1. MAC Rebel

Who hasn't heard of this famous lipstick? This lipstick looks different on every skin tone and the color it would appear in would also depend on the pigmentation of your lips. It looks scare in the tube, but that doesn't really translate when you put it on. Instead, I get a beautiful berry purple which I can build up from sheer to full on opaque. It wears beautifully too and leaves a very lovely purplish pink stain on the lips.

2. MAC Mehr

This is one of the deeper nudes in my MAC lipstick collection. Its a blue based dirty pink and it's perfect for fall because of the darkness of its pink hue. Careful though, if you have a lot of yellow in your undertones or if you're an olive girl, this won't work for you.

3. NYX Strawberry Daiquiri

I cannot not have this lipstick. If I ever run out of this, this is one I will buy again. It's a beautiful salmon pink color that leans a bit on brown. I can't even begin to describe how beautiful this color is. I throw this on when I don't know what else to wear. This lipstick also lasts a very long time too! It can be a bit drying, so best to wear a balm underneath to avoid painful chapped lips especially this cold season!

4. Snoe Rouge Deluxe Marsala

This is Snoe's limited edition shade, color of the year for 2015. It's an opaque burgundy berry color. The lipstick is very moisturizing and smells great too! Since it's one of the darker colors in this line, it also lasts a bit longer and is very smooth, creamy to put on.

5. Snoe Rouge Deluxe Vintage Rose

My current favorite MLBB lipstick! I also see me repurchasing this if I run out of it. It's a pinky nude that leans toward brown. I can literally wear this all year round, but this color is perfect for fall.

Swatched on my NC30 skin.

So, there you have it, my favorite lipsticks for this season. What are yours and do you have any suggestions? Comment down below! 

Hauled It But How Was It? NYX Micro Brow Pencil

Brow pencil products are great. I honestly believe they are a godsend. When you're in a hurry and you need your brows filled in right away, brow pencils are absolutely the way to go! And filling out your brows is a definite must. After all, you don't want them to disappear under your foundation or BB cream. And, regardless if you're wearing base make up or not, brows define the way you look because they frame your eyes, which are the windows to your soul. Sounds cheesy, I know, lol!

I purchased the NYX Micro Brow Pencil in MBP06 Brunette (Php 650) last month during my August haul. I've heard good things about this product, including it being a dupe for another famous brow product, the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz. The ABH Brow Wiz is just a bit too much for me right now so I decided to try this NYX one instead.

Yes, it's fantabulous! I love how convenient this product is! The pencil itself is on one end and is retractable, while there is a spoolie on the other end. The pencil is also small which makes for a very precise application while still looking very natural. 

The pigmentation is also not too in your face too much. You can be a little heavy handed with this and it won't look too much. And since there's a spoolie, you can just always blend it out.

The only thing I don't like about this is that I picked the wrong damn shade! I assumed that because the pomade in Brunette was a shade match for me, this would be as well. I should've gotten it in Espresso, which is a shade darker. This shade is not the same as the pomade at all. It pulls a bit red on me as can be seen in the photo above.

Other than that, this is an amazing product overall. Inspite of its surprisingly hefty cost at Php 650 (there is so little product!), I'd have to say I'm willing to purchase it again in the right shade. Yep, that's how good it is.

Bang For My Buck? Shawill Make Up Waterproof Volumizing Eyeliner Pen

Most of my makeup products are international brands. All both drugstore and high end. I just have this kind of distrust against local products. Most of them have a lot of parabens and lead in them. So I try to steer away, but every now and then something catches my eye.

Hence, today's product the Shawill Makeup Waterproof Volumizing Eyeliner Pen, which cost me a whopping Php 99! Lol it was so measely, of course I had to buy it!

The packaging is reminiscent of another makeup brand, isn't it? Lol it's even labeled "Sleak Makeup" on its side. While shopping, I even saw a primer among the products labeled "Stay Flawless" and, I swear, you'd have to look twice or you'd be fooled it was from Benefit! It looked almost exactly the same except there was a small print of the Shawill brand on top.

It's a felt tip pen. Beware, the applicator is humongous! This eyeliner ain't for the faint of heart because this is going to give you a really bold line. Which also makes it not exactly the most precise. I like my eyeliner with just a flick, but with this thing, a bold cat-eye is the only way to go! I was going to go to the doctor the first time I used this and when my mother saw me as I was about to go out she was like "What the hell is that?!"

Application is kind of patchy. You'll need to give it a few strokes before you get a solid, opaque color which is annoying, especially if you're in a hurry. Liquid pen liners are supposed to be your friend when you're in a rush.

This eyeliner is also messy! First time I've used it and it gets all over the damn place! Good thing I was watching out for that because it got all over my fingers and if I wasn't careful, it could've gotten on my face, or worse, my clothes. And it is such a bitch taking off makeup stains on clothes!

By the fourth hour of wearing this eyeliner, it already smudged on me. It smudged at the corners of my eyes as well as in my under eye area. And by the way, this ain't waterproof. I tried swatching it on the back of my hand and then put it under running water. It rubbed off so easily! 

I have yet to find my holy grail liquid eyeliner. I guess for Php 99 this is an okay eyeliner. This is also a great price point for students. But if you have money to spare, I strongly suggest going for something else. I know I'm eyeing that K Palette liquid eyeliner!

As Good As They Say? NYX HD Concealer

Today's product in the limelight is the NYX HD Concealer. I see this all the time in my Instagram feed, and people actually say this is good. I, of course, had to see for myself. I got it in the shade CW05 Medium and it costs Php 360. That's not a bad price point. 

It has a doe foot wand applicator so this is great for controlled use of the product. I was quite surprised upon discovering that this concealer has actually strong pink undertones. I should have swatched it, instead of just picking it up. They do have a yellow undertone shade which is Beige and I'm considering purchasing that one as well when I come across a NYX store again.

As can be seen, it looks really pink against my yellow skin.

Once blended out, the pinkness is still apparent.

I cannot use this on my face unless I want to look like a patched cow. But under the eyes, this concealer is phenomenal! I put it under foundation as a color corrector and it works great! Of course, I apply the foundation on with a beauty blender so as not to disturb the concealer and I only wait until its fully set. Which is quite a hassle if you're in a hurry, but if you have extra time, it really makes a huge difference.

This concealer hardly creases and when baked, will never crease at all. It won't quit until you want it to. It's very pigmented so it will really cover up and not just camouflage.

I'm really enjoying this concealer so far. So much, that I am considering buying other shades, hopefully my storage can take it lol! My acrylic cosmetics organizer is becoming overloaded. I need a new storage solution. But at Php 360, you just can't go wrong. 

New Favorite! NYX Tame&Frame Tinted Brow Pomade

Hello, my loves! I've been on a slight hiatus, sorry about that. I've had a very busy end of the month because of my little girl's birthday who's now just turned two years old! YAY!

I've posted about my August haul, and the first thing I'd like to post a review on is the NYX Tame&Frame Tinted Brow Pomade in Brunette, which costs Php 460.

I've been using brow pencils for forever now, and I thought I'd try my hand at using a different kind of product for my brows. I was going to buy the eyebrow gel, unfortunately, when I went to NYX SM Megamall, they had none in stock, hence I picked this one up instead.

I was to pick Espresso instead of Brunette, but, thankfully I looked closely at the swatches in the store. Espresso was too chocolate dark for me and I already have dark brows. I'm all for Frida Kahlo brows, just not on myself.

I was at, first, kind of intimidated to use this product. But when I started using it, I was amazed. The product has a very creamy consistency, it blends like a dream. A little of this goes a long way, so don't be too heavy handed on the application or you'll have a brown hot mess on your eye brows (you don't want that). The shade is a gray based brown so it's perfect for those with black hair who want to just tone down their brows. I use my e.l.f. small angled brush to apply this. I also just use a clear gel brow mascara to set my brow hairs in place since this product is already heavily pigmented by itself.

This baby is also waterproof. You'll need an oil based makeup remover to take this off. I don't mind it, I actually think this is great since I'm a person who sweats profusely (meaning I sweat great lakes) and I feel confident that even if I do, this won't come off easily. Perfect for those of you who can't even go to the gym without brows on lol!

But because of the creaminess, I won't recommend this for those of you with oily, acne-prone skin. If not taken off properly, this can clog your pores and you'll have a peeping, painful zit between your brow hairs.

Otherwise, this is good for those gals who have a problem with their brows being gone half-way through the day because of sweating.

NYX Cosmetics is available in the Philippines in the following locations:

The SM Store Aura

SM North Edsa Annex

SM Makati

SM Fairview

SM Megamall

SM Megamall Dept. Store

SM North Edsa Dept Store

SM Mall Of Asia

SM Manila Dept. Store

SM Cebu

Chimes Sales Davao

Ayala Abreeza Davao

Chimes Felcris Centrale Davao

That's all for now. Stay tuned for my review on the other NYX products I've hauled last August!

August Haul

So, I went a little crazy this August. I've actually purchased more this month than I'd have any other month except for July of last year. I think something happens to me every mid-year and I buy stuff as therapy. Lol, that's still no excuse.

I got a little skin care stuff and a "few" makeup items. All of these I will blog about in the next few weeks as I'm still trying to get the feel of them and I'm still unsure of what I really think about them.

First up are the skin care products: the AC Clinic Daily Acne Foam Cleanser (Php 478) and AC Clinic Daily Gel Lotion (Php 548) from Etude House Philippines. I've been using these for a little less than two weeks now and I think these are phenomenal (so far). I haven't used my spot treatment for a few days now because I don't have any zits! I only bought the facial cleanser and the moisturizer because I'm not a fan of toners. They also have spot treatment and spot masks in this line.

Now on to the fun stuff. I purchased a mid-range (high end here in the Philippines) foundation from Benefit (well, their only foundation lol), the Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Brightening Makeup (Php 1,900) in the shade Petal. I was contemplating on whether to purchase Champagne, which seemed a better shade match for me, but upon comparing the two, I noticed Petal had more yellow undertones and I'm quite a yellow girl. I've used this thrice and it's been pretty good so far. It's lightweight and it does not feel sticky even after being worn for 12 hours on a hot, humid day. I haven't tested this with flash photography yet, but I'm expecting some flashback because of its SPF 25 PA +++. This foundation is oil-free and non comedogenic, and it hasn't caused me any break outs at all.

Upon purchasing the Benefit foundation that day, I told myself why not just go to town and purchase a well known good concealer. So I got the MAC Pro Longwear Concealer (Php 1,250) in NC30. And, yes, it is the best! This does not crease and does not budge at all! I haven't tried using this alone as I always set my concealer with powder, but even without baking my under eye with this, it really does not crease. This will be my last MAC product purchase upon learning they've been testing on animals. I will not purchase any more until they are cruelty free again.

I got another beauty blogger essential, which is the Inglot AMC Eyeliner Gel (Php 995) 77. AMC stands for Advanced Makeup Components. Inglot in SM Megamall had kindly held this in reserve for me. The first time I went this was out of stock and I inquired via Facebook afterwards when they would have it again. They informed me immediately once these babies were back in their inventory and had sweetly held one for me.

It's been said to be the blackest, mattest gel liner out there. I have found it easiest working with gel liners. I haven't had much luck with liquid eyeliners. They always dry out on me within a couple of months it's so annoying! We'll see how it goes, I haven't even popped this open yet teehee.

I got a few items from NYX as well. NYX is a drugstore brand in the US and they're cruelty-free! I've already had experience with their matte lipsticks and butter lipsticks and I've really liked them.

I purchased the NYX HD Concealer (Php 360) in CW05 Medium. I've heard good things about this concealer. I've used it only once so I don't know how I feel about it yet. 

It has a doe foot wand applicator just like my all time favorite drugstore concealer, the Maybelline Pure Mineral Concealer. But whereas the Maybelline concealer is yellow, this one has pink undertones. I guess it's good for the under eye which is what I've used it for, but I haven't worn it long enough to see how it wears throughout the day.

Since I've recently been on a roll with concealers, I've also purchased the NYX Dark Circle Concealer Correcteur (Php 390) in Medium. 

As can be seen it's a peach corrector for the dark circles in the under eye area. I've used this thrice and I don't know if I'm just not applying enough, but I really don't want to apply too much product in my under eye area and emphasize the fine lines even more. But no matter what I do, I don't think it makes any difference! Maybe you can comment down below to give me some tips on how this can be used? I'd be forever grateful!

I also picked up two eyebrow products from NYX. I really wanted to get the eyebrow gel, unfortunately, it was out of stock when I went to their SM Megamall store. First up is the NYX Tame and Frame Tinted Brow Pomade in Brunette (Php 460). I've used this thrice now and I've been loving it so far! 

Beware, eyebrow pomades are not for beginners, especially if you have a heavy hand with application. A little of this product goes a long way. This is fantastic really, it lasts a long time even by itself without using a brow mascara to set the brow hairs. Also, Brunette, is a great shade match for me. It's a lighter brown than my actual hair color, but has grayish undertones. It's not shiny either. Don't you hate it when your eyebrows are shiny? Lol!

And, lastly, I picked up the NYX Micro Brow Pencil in Brunette (Php 650). I think it's a little crazy that such a tiny eye brow pencil would cost so much. I've heard this is a great dupe for the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz, which cost I think is even more insane! I'm not about to drop more than a thousand bucks for an eye brow pencil, come on.

Brow Product

Spoolie 

It's a two ended pencil with the retractable product on one end and a spoolie on the other. It's pretty convenient. I haven't used this one yet so I don't know what I think about it yet. It's pretty new to me since I'm used to a sword type pencil. 

Aaaaaaaannnndddd, that's all! I was going to get a new highlighter too, thank God, all the ones I wanted were out of stock, else my wallet would probably have a huge crater by now if it doesn't already. Feel free to give me suggestions on what other products I should try! 

Holy Grail Drugstore Concealer: Maybelline Pure Mineral Concealer

I've had quite a collection of concealers over the years. Concealers were among my first cosmetic products. I started wearing concealers back when I was a freshman in college. I remember the first one I've ever had was a Max Factor stick concealer. I used it mainly for my under eye area, because I have awful, awful panda eyes. Of course, since I was so naive back then, it was the wrong shade (too light!) not to mention it was the wrong formula (too stiff) for my under eyes. I also applied it in a half-moon shape which made me look like a reverse raccoon not two hours later! GOD, WHAT WAS I THINKING?!

I think I'm quite the authority on concealers. Currently, I have six concealers. I use all of them differently, from correcting, to camouflaging, to highlighting. I know, this is just my excuse to justify the number that I have, no normal person really needs this much!

But for today, let me discuss my holy grail drugstore concealer: the Maybelline Pure Mineral Concealer (Php 419) in the shade #2. This shade is light-medium (good for NC25 to NC30 skin tone) as opposed to #1 which is reaaaaaaally light. It comes with a doe foot applicator which is perfect for that precise application. This is the kind of concealer that I would recommend just for personal use. The applicator makes it unhygienic (disgusting, really) for use on several people.

I can honestly use this concealer all ways: for under the eyes, to hide my blemishes and also for highlighting (I really just highlight under the brow bone.)

The formula is creamy, a little more dense than my holy grail high end concealer which is the MAC Pro Longwear Concealer. MAC's is a little more liquidy and runny. What I do is to apply the concealer on my under eye area (in a reverse triangle shape now lol!) and then I don't blend it in immediately. I cover my blemishes first, just use the warmth of my finger to blend those spots in before finally blending my under eyes when the concealer has "dried" a bit. This gives a fuller coverage for my under eye area. And it's really best to just use your fingers to blend this concealer in, the warmth makes it easier. This baby also sets fast, so work quickly.

(As can be seen it did a really good job at concealing the blemishes)

If set with powder, this concealer will not budge and will not crease. Yes, truly, even in this hot, humid, sweltering Philippine weather. At the end of the day, mostly, this concealer is the only thing that usually makes it through on my face.

For its price, it's a really good product. Imagine, a drugstore concealer that performs just as well as a high end one. And also one that can be used in a variety of ways.

I cannot recommend this concealer highly enough. It's so good, my sister raids my vanity for it before finally taking it for herself and I had to buy myself a new one, because, really, nothing can stand in for it. 

Maybelline is available in department stores, Watsons nationwide. Link to their Philippine website: http://www.maybelline.com.ph/ and their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/maybellinephilippines

REVIEW: Maybelline Dream Satin Skin

Hello my loves! Today, I'm going to talk about the newest foundation from Maybelline New York here in the Philippines: Dream Satin Skin.

Finding the right foundation for my skin has always been such a feat. My skin is oily, but I do have dry patches on the sides of my face. I find that matte finishes are too flat for me, and makes me look like I have a lot of makeup on. I prefer the satin finishes that seem to look like my skin, only better.

I purchased the Maybelline Dream Satin Skin two weeks ago in the SM Beauty Department of SM Marikina. The Dream Satin Skin is Php 499, not a bad price point. I took B4, in the light range, though I have medium skin tone. Foundations usually oxidize on me because I'm acidic (and oily! T_T) so I usually purchase the ones a shade lighter than my actual match.

According to the packaging it has SPF 24 PA ++ (The + stands for the level of UVA protection). It's an air-whipped liquid foundation. "Our unique air-soft formula provides poreless, satin-smooth looking skin. Extraordinary coverage that does not clog pores. Long-lasting and moisturizing all day." The formula is non comedogenic which means this is fine for acne-prone skin, provided you don't usually break out from spf products.

As can be seen, the packaging comes in a glass bottle with a pump. The plastic cover makes it look cheap though, but a pump is always a plus for me. It doesn't make much of a mess, you can control the product that comes out and overall it's just more hygienic.

I pumped a small amount on the back of my hand. The formula is creamy and dense, does not run at all. In my experience, this kind of formula is best applied with a damp sponge or your fingers. This photo was taken in natural light, and you can literally see my green veins lol. The foundation looks like it's a bit lighter than my skin tone. 

Once blended, it almost matches my skin to a T. The coverage is medium, I wouldn't suggest building it though. The humidity in the Philippines is bound to make it look cakey if too much is applied. The finish is skin like. Not a flat matte, and not greaseball dewy. I do have to set it with a powder though especially on my T-zone area else I'd look like a pan of cooked adobo within a couple of hours. With primer and setting powder, this foundation has lasted me a good 7 hours with *controlled* oiliness. I do need to blot within the fourth hour, but that's because I'm extremely oily and sweat a lot.

Here's my two cents:

1. Price point: 9/10. At Php 499, this is a pretty good foundation for the price.
2. Packaging: 7/10. I really don't like the plastic cover on this one, it feels cheap, but it does the job of keeping the dust and other microbes away from the pump. The pump is great though.
3. Formula: 8/10. Creamy, not runny, not messy. It doesn't take forever to blend either, great if you're in a hurry. I do have to beat my face with my sponge with this, I prefer the sponge rather than my fingers, I just don't like the feel of product on my fingers.
4. Longevity: 7/10. It's a satin finish, but it did promise to be long-lasting all day. It started breaking down on me by the seventh hour. Not cool. I gave it a 7 anyway, because come on, for its price, it's not so bad. 

VERDICT:

7.75 / 10

This is a good foundation, especially if you're just starting in makeup and don't want to break the bank, I would recommend this. You don't need to be a professional to blend this into your skin. It has a pretty good SPF, which is great for everyday, but not so good for flash photography. 

Maybelline has a pretty good deal this August, buy two items and get one free. This is available in all Maybelline stores nationwide. 

Maybelline is available in department stores, Watsons nationwide. Link to their Philippine website: http://www.maybelline.com.ph/ and their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/maybellinephilippines