Maybelline BOLD MATTE ColorSensational Lipsticks | Wait…before you scream

I know you saw the photo, but don’t jump on it just yet, I knowwwwwwww… my heart leaped in the same way when I saw these in Watsons a few days ago thinking they might be like really good drugstore matte lipsticks. I don’t slam products needlessly, but I do need to tell the truth. Don’t get me wrong, I love Maybelline products, especially their eye stuff…but this time, this time FOR THE FIRST TIME, frankly I actually want a refund. I feel totally misled.

So far, exciting, right…

The short swatches are one swipe, the long swatches were my best effort to get them solidly opaque after like 4-5 swipes…when I saw pigment separating that’s when I knew something was wrong. Sheer mattes that aren’t quite matte?! Plus, why don’t these build? Not all of them were complete flops, one sort of stood out, but I’ll save the best for last and begin with the ugh…hard to say, but really the worst one. I had high hopes for this orange. Whatever you do do not get MAT3, that’s this one

A heavy handed swipe on the lower lip, I’m not kidding. What the hey. It doesn’t even register bright orange, it comes on like a lip butter with less sheen.

Um, see pigment separating and settling into my lip creases? Le sigh, I was heavy handed with this orange and I even had concealer over my lips to help the bright shade it should have been…awful that orange is. It’s more like LOWrange.

MAT5 above is a pink toned rouge, way better pigment than the orange, but tell me…does THAT look matte to you? Plus the shade doesn’t feel BOLD it’s quite mehmeh. Mom says it seems as if they may have mislabeled these or the lipsticks went to the wrong labeling batch (BOLD MATTE??!).

Last but finally not the least, bolder and more matte (still not matte enough though) is MAT1, a slightly cool but also slightly coral pop of pink that is not too bright for MAC NC30-35 skintones to use. It strongly reminds me of MAC Pink Nouveau or even a slightly less bright Lime Crime Countessa Fluorescent. I have a feeling THIS ONE would have registered completely matte in a drier country. I also purchased a more orange red hoping it would be a Lady Danger dupe but it wasn’t matte. That one was a lovely color kinda like Revlon’s Classic Fire and Ice but because it wasn’t matte I passed it on to my Lola who absolutely loved it, she didn’t mind that it wasn’t matte. I have no idea why the quality throughout the range is so inconsistent. Maybelline, I still love your brand to bits, especially the mascaras and gel liners but next time you label a range BOLD MATTE what I expect for my money is BOLD MATTE. These retail for PHp399.00 from Watsons and wherever Maybelline counters are sold in pharmacies and department stores nationwide. If you see these in store DEMAND for a tester before you decide on getting any of them. Did any of you jump on these ending up as frustrated as me or did I just get dealt a bad batch?

Dr. Woods Shea Vision Liquid Castile Soap | A Dr. Bronner Dupe for Cleaning Brushes

A possibly good enough or equally fantastic dupe for Dr. Bronner’s Liquid Castile Soap  is available locally.  It was Anna of the YouTube channel Vivianna Does Makeup who mentioned using that to shampoo her brushes.  Liquid castile soaps for some reason, no derogatory angle meant, paint the picture of Amish origin for me which is a good thing.  They’re supposed to be 100% natural, completely free of nasties, and reliable cleansing multitaskers…not just for yourself…but oh yeah for your STUFF as well as an all around cleaner.  The way liquid castile soap is used is it’s to be diluted 1 part product to 4 parts water (a smaller part diluted is recommended when for yourself). I picked up these 2 variants of Dr. Woods Shea Vision Castile soap just  a few days ago from Healthy Options for ergh, how much…need to double check if Php275 or Php375, I’ll edit it in.  What I like about the Shea Vision castile soaps of Dr. Woods is they’ll strip the dirt and grime but rehydrate or moisturize non-greasily with glycerin and shea butter.   I got the peppermint scented one to match my J&C Spot Cleaning Solution which is also minty and I got the milder fragrance free baby formula just in case.  The baby fragrance-free formula is practically the same make, just without Peppermint Oil, and is a little less viscuous and more gloopy but works just as well.  The baby variant would also be wonderful if used as a substitute for detergent on intimate apparel like your delicates if you’re the sort that gets skin reactions to laundry detergent.  What I love is that these lather nicely even if they’re free of parabens, pthalates and sulfates.

 

INGREDIENTS: Purified Water, Saponified Coconut, Hemp, and Olive oils (w/ retained glycerin), organic shea butter, Vitamin E, (Peppermint Oil), Sea salt, Citric Acid, and Rosemary Extract. (Certified Organic by Ecocert S.A.)

For my makeup brushes I measured 2 overflowing caps of product diluted in 1 cup of water.  That 1 cup solution was good enough to clean about 10-12 powder and foundation brushes, the biggest tools which use up the most solution.  They rinse clean and when they dry what’s important is my brushes feel like they did when I first bought them.  To find out how I wash my brushes read my brush cleansing post here and just substitute this solution for the Joy solution and use the same method.  I use olive oil to clean my tiny lip and eyeliner brushes.   I’d been looking for a good makeup brush deep cleansing alternative that was more suited for facial brushes in contrast to dishwashing detergent like Joy Antibac (some people mind when they find out brushes were cleansed with detergent) and this range by Dr. Woods seemed to tick all the checkboxes.  Earlier, I used this to clean something other than makeup brushes.  Epic proof fail in the sense that I didn’t take a before shot of how grimy these two pouches looked already before I washed them, but believe me when I say it did the job well and they smelt so nicely of fresh peppermint when I held the dry pouches to my nose.

Today I used 4 caps of the Peppermint Castile soap in about less than a liter of water in a small wash bowl to soak my beansprout illustrated pouches which were due for a wash.  What I like about this for my utility pouches is Dr. Woods soap will remove any dirt but it won’t bleach the natural canvas of my pouches and it won’t fade the illustrations either.  I soaked these for about 2 hours then after I gently rinsed and hand wrung them of excess water then used a hairdryer to get them dry.  To check these out look them up at your local Healthy Options boutique.  This Liquid Castile soap stuff is therapeutic to work with because it’s so gentle and I now actually am mentally making a list of more stuff to clean…aha, I have one more brush set that needs work (rubs palms with glee).

Rethinking Skincare & Application | Top Advice From the Top

After reading hundreds of blogs, talking to local professionals, and pouring over professional sites about skincare I was steadily becoming a self-righteous “skinnie” (with sensitive skin) believing full well that I probably knew a lot ’til I came across these references and felt like I got my ear twisted. I watched the following two videos (which I will link in of course in the post), firstly about skincare products with the unsinkable Caroline Hirons and secondly a Part 1 ITG cleansing video intimately done with world renowned and accredited facialist Isabelle Bellis. First off, let’s hear some skin principles and recommended products. Please know you shouldn’t be pressured to get THESE exact products just listen to what you need to avoid (although we would get them all if we could in a heartbeat wouldn’t we?) Caroline Hirons, the revered skincare brand expert and editor of the Beautymouth.com lovingly pushed presents her product picks to Nic and Sam Chapman aka the pro MUA Pixiwoo sisters on their BodyTalkDaily YouTube channel

“Trained in over 100 brands and a globally qualified advanced facialist.
Developed bespoke facials and trained teams internationally for top brands in the UK, USA and Far East. Now working as a Consultant to brands and retailers in the Beauty Industry. Advises brands on the route into market, where they should be selling and why and puts brands into those retailers.” – Beautymouth.com

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Mandatory Manual Monday

I don’t vote based on how sure I am that it will affect turnout…not even because of my confidence in system but because I can and it’s the honorable thing to do as a Filipino citizen.

Rings by ALDO

God carries my vote.

Make Room Bamboo Mirror | Mother’s Day 2013

Just wanted to share with you a Mother’s Day pick and what I did with it   This was more of a side gift for Mom, my main gift was a bag.  I spotted this chic bamboo tabletop mirror in the window display of Make Room…I was walking fast and took several steps back.  It caught my eye and it just happened to be on sale at 25% off from Php595, so it ended up beig just Php446.00.  This isn’t my main gift and I decided to use it creatively to present the more expensive gift. For that purpose in itself the price was okay and I knew this was good because now I want one, too LOL. Prices on mother’s day gifts don’t matter by the way, that’s relative to where we are all at. What matters is you give straight from the heart and give her something you know will brighten her day.

The mirrror comes in a box with 3 parts that are really easy to assemble, the bamboo base, the stainless stem and the mirror with the joint behind it which you screw or twist onto the stem.  If you’re wondering about the lipsticks I used to personalize it just for today I used the Maybelline ColorSensational lipsticks I blogged about a few weeks ago…easily wiped off with tissue.

You’ll need a simple screwdriver to attach the base to the stem, I did it myself.  I personally think it would have been nicer as an oval or better yet a circle but it still looks great.  You can adjust the tilt and rotate it left or right! You may have to spritz the joint with WD40 though to make it move easier. Anyhoo enough material talk for now, it’s time to let our mom indulge in our hugs and kisses plus time, prayer, and attention. I pray God blesses each of your moms and don’t forget to make them feel special not just today but everyday. If you are a Mom, I praise you today…if you feel you aren’t a good one, recognize it but don’t dwell on it, your children don’t just need you deep inside they want you in their lives. Begin today! We’re all works in progress, just don’t wave the WIP flag. God loves you! Have a joyful day!

Zoya Pixie Dust Polish “Vespa” | Believe in Ebay PH

Close your eyes, wait (doh)…no open them, a moment of silence, a deep breath…now with me in unison say “Whoaa…”

For awhile there I thought I’d gotten over nail polish until I saw these pretty Zoya Pixie dust polishes up on Ebay.PH, yup lokal gals. Gotta gasp. You can also search the close-up feature on these in the blog All Lacquered Up I’m obviously still on a celadon /sea green kick and this just hits the spot with a satisfied sigh.

Zoya Pixie Dust Vespa is a matte, sparkly yet sandy version of YSL’s Jade Imperial. Give me a matte sparkly sand finish any day. These pixie dust polishes are like Boracay sand mixed with color and sparkle pigment once they dry over the nail. BTW these first photos are a little gray because mom’s office windows had blue tint and it was overcast earlier, here’s a better real life color shot from my cousin’s sun filled apartment earlier in the day.

They’re absolutely gorgeous and you can bet I got a nude shade (I got 3…spoiler). These were posted online for Php550 each by EbayPH seller “stuff.in.style” aka “SIS” who also have lots of other beauty things of interest for sale in addition to more shades of this.  Dare I say it…NOOO…ok fine…how about Real Techniques Brushes for only Php20 more (Php600 for single brushes + Php60 shipping) than the actual Boots pharmacy price abroad (£9.99 = Php640)? My purchase, 3 Zoya polishes and 1 Real Techniques Expert Face Brush arrived the day after I deposited my payment. I still had a Euro trip hangover as my friend called it because i was not able to relax and take my time in boutiques since we were on tour. I’m glad that online sellers like stuff.in.style aka SiS randomly fill the gap .

NARS ProPrime Eyeshadow Base | Something I Actually Use

You know how it is with primers.  Whether it be for eyes or the entire face lots of us end up with samples or actually purchase them full size but as the wind and grind of daily life progresses…many of us just skip them altogether.  I myself have a very much neglected genie tube of UD primer potion that’s just sat sulking somewhere around here.  However, since I got a mini NARS ProPrime Eyeshadow Primer with a palette I’ve been actively making it earn its place in my bag.

It’s a simple slightly creamy consistency that’s translucent white but when blended in is practically colorless. It goes on creamy and moist then slowly dries down to a matte with some stick to it. With 2 swipes across the lid and the rub of a finger you’re all set and powder eyeshadow stays on at least for over 8 hours without gathering in eyelid creases. I used this lots of times on my Europe tour in the last 2 weeks…it actually makes me want to wear eyeshadow more. Since it does that’s the whole point that makes it worth my while. Local price when converted from UK price is Php1200+.

My UK Spring Beauty Giveaway! | Nationwide ‘Til May 31, 2013

What rocks this nationwide (Philippines only) UK beauty giveaway is it is a leap forward into spring (globally niweiz), it will blind you with coral pink, and frankly these bits of beauty aren’t readily available in retail here. I still haven’t made up my mind on whether I should sneak in past all of you and join in myself under an alias LOL (I kid alright).

LOVELY LOOT:

• Soap & Glory Pulp Friction Body Scrub 250ml £8.00
• L’Oreal Elnett Hairspray (Extra Strength) travel size 75ml £2.39
• Jo Malone Travel Candle(Lime Basil & Mandarin) 60g £22.00
• Rimmel London Apocalips Lip Lacquer (Stellar) 5.5ml £5.99
• Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer, (Medium3 /MAC NC30) £4.19
• Maybelline SuperStay 14-hr Lipstick (Stay With Me Coral)
• L’Oreal False Lash Telescopic Mascara WP (Black) £10.99
• Givenchy Bloom Compact Mirror, w/ red velvet sleeve (gift w/ purchase)

All this stuff is seriously soooo hard to give away. To join simply follow the instructions given by the Rafflecopter widget at the end of this post, there are 3 required actions and 1 bonus action for more entry points. In the meantime click Read More to jump to close-up photos of the prizes and what I know about the praises sung of them. The trivia about a couple of these is quite compelling. The Rafflecopter mechanics follow immediately after.

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My Most Pricy UK Buy | Back From Europe!

With the obvious fact that I am jetlagging out of the way I just wanted to rub this in…I’m back. I also wanted to share that I was in Urban Outfitters for the first time. I actually felt really “poor” inside surrounded by too many “my type” items. Since it was my maiden visit to UO I decided to make it memorable and with my 30th birthday for razor sharp reason I exactly got away with my most memorable, most pricy single non-beauty purchase. This gorgeously spring-y MADE brand for Urban Outfitters pullover.

It was £75 so yes it is expensive and I had a long think for it in-store while my cousin fit her stuff. That’s about Php4k++ with the current exhange rate of Php64 to a £, but as a result I didn’t buy anything else in the shop. It’s gorgeously artsy with sort of smeared not too light pastel colors all over, so at least it wasn’t like Care Bear crack lol. It stood out in a Unicorn-ish way on the rack and ad a more classy tie-dye-but-not-tie-dye feel to it. It is comfy and not too warm to wear here…it isn’t heavy at all.

I felt for once that I didn’t want to get something off the sale rack on a maiden visit to a good brand. My cousin Kiana tried hilariously spewing criticism at it to see how I’d defend it LOL after 2 attempts she said “OK you have to get it, I just did that to see how much you wanted it.” What a girl. She was right and so I made it mine. By the way be on the alert, in the next day or two I shall be putting up a UK Beauty giveaway with stuff that to my knowledge you can’t really get here locally, before that a review might go up first.

Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Scrub | Hello Yum Hello Smooth

One of the brands I was way too excited to get my hands on in London was Soap & Glory a beauty range that actually looks like a bath & body first cousin of Benefit Cosmetics…they’re not related though. These guys do bath and body like nobody’s business.  They do an excellent blend of clean and gourmande scents with a balance that’s uniquely hard to come by.  This Sugar Crush Body Scrub seriously does not smell sickeningly sweet to me…it’s a yummy, tart sort of sweet.  It makes me think of those sweet cola jelly bottles with a zesty dash of tart lime.

I made a mad dash for this at the Soap & Glory shelf and contemplated getting this or the body wash.  I thought having the scrub which is more “touchworthy” in experience would set me off better the first time around. It’s got moisturizing and smoothing almond oil which I fully believe in aside from the scrubby bits of brown sugar and macadamia grains. The better way to use this so you get a thorough scrub and don’t waste product is to not have the shower running while applying this. Slather it on and rub generously…it isn’t painfully abrasive but it’s abrasive enough to be your smooth operator. As you will see in a bit I soooo needed this scrub right now as I delightfully thumb-type this from Norway. For a moment for truth’s sake, let me show you the semi-disgusting reason why I’m ever so glad I bought this when I did (believe me this was the compromise…showing my leggings instead of my scaly legs).

Don’t.judge.me…lol, and I have been bathing don’t you dare suggest that I wasn’t! What you’re seeing right there are my leggings having been pulled inside out so you can probably guess in what sort of state my lower legs were…it was not a pretty sight. I’d been faithful in moisturizing my face and hands here in Europe but I’m afraid I can’t say the same for my body. I used the scrub 2 nights ago and it set me straight for a day and a half but coming to Norway really dried up my legs again so it was time to convene with this star find once more.

“Use in the shower once, twice, or three times weekly, depending on the level of scaliness you struggle with. (Four times-even-if you’ve ever been labelled ‘old lizard legs’.)”

Two hours ago I used the Sugar Crush Body Scrub on damp legs with my feet in warm water sitting on the side of a hotel tub. It’s best on legs that aren’t too wet so the dense thick pasty consistency with the grains can exfoliate to the fullest. Whats lovely is you don’t just get the physical exfoliation…the almond and lime oil just makes the job a smooth, moisturizing, and nourishing experience and once you rinse your legs off you get a soft supple feeling that suggests no lotion required…but because we’re in a really dry country I still finished off my legs with my fave Nivea Baby Smoothy Cream which you can get in Manila. However you could walk out the door without doing so…because this is just a really fantastic scrub that moisturizes and doesn’t just exfoliate. Love this stuff.