Snoe SABStance High Intensity Powder Blush

I've been on a Snoe roll this whole month. I purchased these products last month, September, and I've been using them ever since. To be quite honest, I am so amazed by their quality. I absolutely adore their lipsticks. I've been using their pigment mix with my moisturizers and it's phenomenal. But for today's review, I'd like to write about the Snoe SABStance High Intensity Powder Blush (Php 899).

Just look at the packaging! Almost too cute to use!

These products are the result of a collaboration of Snoe with Sabs Hernandez, internationally-trained professional makeup artist, beauty blogger, and YouTube makeup adviser. As can be seen on the box, the product contains Amazonian clay, which minimizes oil in and around pores to balance skin and keep product in place. It helps nourish and hydrate dry skin and restore complexion harmony. It also contains pomegranate which is an antioxidant, anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory and has anti-aging properties that encourage radiant skin. Another active ingredient is acerola cherry which contains the highest level of vitamin C that can be easily absorbed by the body. It has a high content of polyphenols, some of which are unique to this fruit. And, finally, the blush has Acai berry, the most powerful and nutritious fruit in the world. It contains the highest level of antioxidants compared to any other fruit.

Lot of promises, huh? I'm not so sure about that since I've been using the products for only a little more than a month, but in my own honest opinion, I think these blushes are fantastic. When I swatched them at the store, my first thought was how creamy and pigmented they were! I mean one swatch of the product was so opaque and it went on so smoothly on my skin. A little of this product definitely goes a long, long way.

I got the shades X6 Faith and X7 Respect. Faith is a warm, peachy pink color. This is a great blush for the warmer months. Respect is a cool mauvey nude color which I prefer for the colder months of the year. Now, I have said that these are dupes for the Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blushes. Their consistency is different though, these are creamier and has more pigment, though they do go on a bit more powdery. What makes them similar with the Tarte blushes is their longevity. After a long ten hour day, these blushes can still be seen on my cheeks. Now we all know, with makeup, the blushes are the first to go. Now these are blushes that go on and on and will not quit until you take your makeup off.

They may seem quite expensive at their Php 899 price point, but these are worth every single penny. And compared to Tarte blushes, which retail at around Php 1300 each, you get more bang for your buck. Tarte blushes only contain 5.6g in their packaging, while the Snoe blushes have 8g. Now that's a big difference, especially when the quality is very nearly the same.

The best part is these are products that are made from organic ingredients, they don't contain parabens and lead like most local products do. If you're looking for good quality blushes, I highly recommend these products. I mean, all it took for me was one swatch on their testers and I knew I had to have them.

The Jewel of MAC Foundations: MAC Face and Body

I'll never understand why the MAC Face and Body Foundation (Php 2600 for 120mL and Php 1900 for 50mL) is not getting the love and attention it should in this country. I understand Filipina women are all about the matte finish because, seriously, our climate is enough to make one oil up like a bacon grease pan. But I see a lot of Filipina women opting for the MAC Studio Fix Fluid and MAC Pro Longwear Foundations and those, in my experience, are so heavy and clog up the pores so much, it feels like my skin can't breathe when I put those on. Not to mention, I broke out so horribly after wearing the Pro Longwear Foundation.

Now I have found the perfect MAC foundation that works so good for me and one that I can actually use on a daily basis. It took me so long to love the MAC Face and Body Foundation, but now that I figured out how to use it, I cannot not have this product ever. This is the foundation that I swear by, and I can honestly ditch all my other foundations and just use this for life. That's how good it is.

Texture is extremely runny and watery.

When I first got this foundation, I couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. I thought, what the hell, this is just water. But as I went on using it, because, come on, I need to get the value for my money, MAC foundations aren't cheap, I figured out that I needed to blend and buff the crap out of it on my skin! And the tool that I use to achieve the finish that I want is none other than my hands!

Now I'm usually one who doesn't like using my hands because I don't like getting product all over the place; I am a very clumsy person and it happens a lot. But I've found that using a brush with this foundation just wastes product, the brush soaks it all up. So what I do is blend, blend, blend it with my hands and then when it starts to get tight and tacky, that's when I go in with the brush. The finish is undetectable and skin like.

Coverage is nearly sheer, it only evens out the skin tone with one layer, but hey that's what concealers are for. This is even sheerer than most tinted moisturizers. It has a satiny finish, not overly dewy. This foundation is buildable, but I won't go as far as saying it can be built to full coverage, which it won't, no matter how many layers you put on. But with that being said, this is a foundation that will NEVER look cakey, even if you decide to put on a dozen layers.

This foundation looks fantastic in photographs! It makes the skin look like real skin, not with a lot of makeup on, only better. 

Now if you're one who looks for a lot of coverage, this is not the foundation for you. However, if you're all about that no makeup makeup look, all natural, lightweight makeup, this is one that you will absolutely love.

Beauty Blogger Essential: Inglot AMC Eyeliner Gel 77

Eyeliners are just one of those extra makeup products that give a certain ooomph to your makeup look. I love eyeliners. They're not a necessity, but if I have the time, I am going to rock a wing. Eyeliners make my lashes look fuller and my eyes more elongated. I just love the effect.

I've had many eyeliners over the years. I've tried them all. Pen liners, pencil liners, gel liners. Felt tipped applicators, brush applicators, you name it. I've found that even if liquid pen liners are the most convenient, especially if you're in a hurry, it's easiest for me to work with gel liners. Yeah, despite the separate pot and applicator. They don't smudge during application as easily as liquid liners, they last longer than pencil liners and they're a lot easier to clean up if you make a mistake. I recommend gel liners for beginners, really.

And so, when I've heard about the Inglot AMC Eyeliner Gel 77 (Php 995), I, of course, had to get my hands on it. Oh boy, this eyeliner is in demand! I had to make a reservation to be able to purchase it from the Inglot Megamall store. I live in the Marikina area, and there aren't too many high end makeup stores nearby, so I really have to make a 45 minute trip to Megamall to purchase good products, and I have to be ready with what I want since I tag a two year old toddler along with me lol. I was told this eyeliner sells out fast, in fact, when I finally purchased my reserved one, I asked if there was another so I could have a back up and, guess what, they were all gone.

This is said to be the blackest eyeliner in the market. And, I have to say, it really is. This is the blackest eyeliner I have ever tried. But the mattest? Not really. It kind of dries to a satin finish. It's not matte, it's not overly glossy either. This eyeliner is really best if you have a smoky eye look going on and you want your eyeliner to somehow stand out.

This eyeliner also dries fast. You have to be quick if you're gonna work with this because once it sets, it's there and it would be a bitch to clean up if you make a mistake. But it's exactly how I like it. Once I've applied my eyeliner, I want it to set really fast so I can curl my lashes and apply my mascara and be done with it. However, be warned, when applying this gel liner, and you need to keep the pot open, make sure you turn it upside down on your desk or vanity to keep the whole product from drying out too fast. 

This eyeliner is so creamy and applies so smooth, you'd be sure you can apply a sharp wing each and every time. It also applies very evenly, no patchiness at all. One swipe is all it takes, there's no need to go over the lash line over and over again, the product is so opaque.

This eyeliner also wears for a really long time. It did not start to smudge on me until nine hours of wear time. Let's face it, this is a gel liner, a cream product and with the Philippine climate, all the heat and humidity, even the "driest" eyeliner will eventually smudge. 

Overall, I give this eyeliner two thumbs up. This worked even better than MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack and it's cheaper too! And Inglot is a cruelty-free brand, if you must know. If you want to splurge on an eyeliner, I definitely cannot speak any more highly of this product.

Inglot Cosmetics Philippines is available in the following locations: GF Glorietta 5 / SM Megamall 2nd floor, Building A / SM Mall of Asia.

Rave Review! AC Clinic Daily Skin Care Line

Whenever I want to write a product, I try to only write about those I've tested and feel confident and secure about how I feel about them. This comes especially with skin care products. Skin care products are trickier than make up in such a way that they can take several weeks before you can really see their effect. You can also change your mind about skin care products. There are cases wherein you have been using a particular product for a very long time, years even, and then suddenly get allergic to it. So, a little disclaimer here: What works for me, may not work for you and vice versa.

I've written a little while back that I've been suffering from adult acne. It actually started several months ago, April to be specific, when I began taking medications for something I have (I'm not willing to discuss that here and it's boring lol). The acne was a side effect that I had no control over. I used to have clear skin and then suddenly BAM! Uncontrollable acne! I'd have three zits at a time and those gone would leave scars. It was a hit on my self esteem. Whereas before I'd go out with just an SPF moisturizer, powder, mascara and tinted lip balm, I could no longer live without concealer. I only used to conceal my under eye area but to conceal acne scars and sometimes pile it on because the darkness would always peek through, the whole thing just frustrated me to bits.

Over the past several months, I have purchased different acne solution products. I thank God now that I did not have to wait too long to come across something that was effective for me. And, oh boy, is it really effective for me. I've been acne free for the past two weeks now. I have not used my spot treatment for two weeks! I still have to conceal my acne scars, but they are fading away nicely now.

So, what have I been using lately? Etude House's skin care line the AC Clinic Daily line, particularly, the AC Clinic Daily Acne Foam Cleanser (Php 478) and the AC Clinic Daily Gel Lotion (Php 548). These products are my new holy grail, ride or die, I could shoot the postman products now. The effect was immediate! By the third day of using this, the acne was no longer coming on! I was so surprised, but I had to wait at least a couple weeks before writing about this because I had to confirm that these babies were working effectively.

The products in this skin care line are salicylic acid based. I've tried my hand at the natural stuff, you know, the tea tree oil based stuff and those things just did not do shit for me. Waited for months and na-dah. Nothing. So I started looking for products with different active ingredients and came across these. 

Well, I am not surprised. Korean skin care products are well known for their efficacy. The legend is valid. God bless the Koreans for making skin care products which are tough on acne but gentle on the skin. I don't feel any tightening of sorts on my skin when I use these. Salicylic acid on its own can dry your skin out and cause burning sensations. These products don't do that at all for me. The foam cleanser is very gentle to use, I don't even feel dryness on my face afterwards when I pat it dry with my towel. The gel lotion is equally fantastic. It's watery and sets quickly on the face. Once it sets, it feels so smooth and the finish is not dewy, not matte either. It's a perfect satin, almost powdery, finish.

I use these both day and night. At night time, since the lotion is not exactly moisturizing enough for over night use, I just boost this by using a serum beforehand.

If you've been forever looking for products for your acne problem, I highly recommend these. They also have a toner and some spot treatment products in this line. I'm already considering purchasing them, although I'm not a big fan of toners and these two have rendered using spot treatments useless. At a combined cost of Php 1026, this is already very wallet friendly lol! And you get a lot of amount of product for their price. These were exceedingly effective for me, I cannot speak highly enough of them. 

DISCLAIMER: Please don't use this if you're pregnant. Salicylic acid is not good for pregnant women.

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

Darling BB Cream: Etude House Precious Mineral BB Cream

When Etude House came to the Philippines, it was with a deluge of everything Korean. The general public was enamored with all things Korean: food, beauty and especially their music. KPop became a genre upon itself. (Which was completely annoying, btw.)

When I first stepped into an Etude House boutique, I was completely taken aback. Everything was so cute! It was all so princessy and delicate. And it looked like you could eat everything in the store with all that candy looking packaging. The kind of cute that would make you want to shoot your neighbor because you just couldn't take it in.

Koreans are known for their skincare, which is crazy good, and also very complicated. A BB cream (BB stands for blemish balm) is a makeup product infused with skincare benefits. BB creams were created to replace serum, moisturizer, primer, foundation and sunblock. BB creams come in very limited shades, not like foundations, instead they are designed to oxidize to match the wearer's skin tone.

Today, I'm going to talk about my holy grail BB cream: Etude House Precious Mineral BB Cream in Cotton Fit (Php 848). Yes, that's right, this is a rave review. I have nothing but good things to say about this product.

The Precious Mineral BB Cream comes in three finishes: Bright Fit (dewy), Perfect Fit (satin, Etude House also claims this provides more coverage than the other two), and Cotton Fit (matte), which is what I have. BB creams are said to have a lighter coverage than foundations, but I find that this has light to medium coverage. It camouflages my blemishes, although it does not completely hide them. It has SPF 30 PA ++. The BB cream also claims to be "Whitening, Anti-Wrinkle and Anti-Darkening." It comes in a white tube with a pump on the bottom (YAY!). The packaging, of course, looks very pretty.

I have it in the shade W24, their darkest shade, which still looks ghostly on me (I am NC30 at MAC). It has yellow undertones, so it's perfect for our warm Asian skin. Once blended in, it doesn't seem so light anymore. The texture is creamy, it's not so dense, but not runny either. I apply this either with a damp sponge on a good day for lighter coverage, or a brush, or my fingers, for that medium coverage. 

The finish is matte, as promised, but it's not so flat. If you're oily, and want a matte finish with a slight glow, I suggest wearing a luminous primer underneath or maybe you can go cray cray with your highlighter.

This is how the bb cream appears in natural light. (Kindly ignore the blaring zit right by my brow.) One side was applied with a brush, the other with a damp sponge. Can you tell?

Left side of my face applied with a brush.

Right side of my face applied with a sponge. The brush application provides more coverage than a sponge. Since it's a matte finish, it will tend to cling onto dry patches so make sure to exfoliate and moisturize your face first.

It has a very slight smell to it that's not unpleasant and goes away right after application. It's not as heavily scented as some of Etude House's other products. 

With a primer, this BB cream can last me all day. I've had it for several months now and the longest I've worn it was for almost 12 hours. I am oily so I do have to blot and touch up, but at the end of the day, my blush and highlighter were still visible which was a very good sign that the BB cream was holding up well. 

So, here's an overview:

1. Price: 8/10. At Php 848, the product can last you a long time. It really is worth its price what with the benefits you get from wearing a BB cream instead of a regular foundation.
2. Packaging: 8/10. It has a pump. What more can I say? The white tube does get dirty and discolored over time though.
3. Formula: 10/10. I love how this applies! It's so smooth, it smells good, it blends well, and it oxidizes perfectly on me. It also does not feel heavy on the skin, even after being worn all day. 
4. Longevity: 10/10. For a BB cream, this is extremely long lasting, especially with a primer. Even though I've been sweaty and oily during the day, I just dab the sweat off and blot, and it's good as new.

VERDICT:

9/10

This BB cream is really the bomb. I will repurchase this over and over and over again until I find something else better which is highly unlikely. It's really the only BB cream I'll need for life.

Etude House is available nationwide. Check out their local website for their locations and products: https://www.etudehouse.ph