Slash that Stash! Part 1 | Top 5 – Five to Survive

Today is all about makeup kit weight loss, sticking with stuff that works and what you need. Capsule kits are king this spring/summer because of all the holidays people will be taking and college girls are about to start school again this June. The makeup pouch, kit, sack…whatever… is what always ends up a burgeoning mess halfway out the door for girls who care (like myself) simply because we’re finicky and like trying different things. People are talking about paring down the kit but to make things easier for the variation among you I’m doing a 2-part series. First for today a bare minimum 5 products (excluding tools) for those who need to look done and don’t fuss as much and then a more trooper-esque 10 products next time for the hopelessly devoted. Bear in mind this is not as much about the branded products presented as it is essentially 5 general cosmetic items you will need to put a fresh, lightly done face on. This Part 1 post will also be segmented two ways. It will begin with the “5 to Survive” for makeup noobs (easy to use products with minimal tools) and then the 5 to survive for the part-time “pros” with more skill. Please note that these are recommendations and you can of course substitute different brands that offer the same sort of product. The mixes may or may not work for you but I’m free to present why I think they should work .

THE MAKEUP NOOB’S FIVE TO SURVIVE

So you need to primp and you don’t care as much as the rest of the female population ( And that’s okay, we are born in variants) but you need to keep staples on hand at all times to put a face on as needed. You may or may not be an athlete, social worker, a nurse, a spy (who sees you) or maybe a mother of 10 but whatever the case you do have more important pursuits than fussing with your face. You loathe needing skills to use different brushes other than a powder brush and the idea of using multiple eyeshadow and blending forever recycles itself…binned at the back of your mind. Maybe this lot is for you. I sacrificed eyeliner because mascara works for me at a bare minimum. If you can’t live without eyeliner add to the 5 and make it 6, no one’s stopping you hehe.

CLOCKWISE: 1.) A foundation or base product that can be built to conceal (Shiseido Perfect Refining foundation SPF 24), 2.) A lip and cheek product (Benefit ChaCha Tint), 3.) A volumizing waterproof mascara (L’Oreal False Lash Telescopic this is the non-waterproof , my WP one is already ugly to look at lol), 4.) A liquid brow pen (K-palette 1DayTattoo Eyebrow pen I cheated and used the eyeliner for the photo, but it looks the same), 5.) A mineral compact setting powder (MakeUp Factory Mineral Compact, you can also use MAC MSF Natural but that doesn’t have a mirror)

TOOLS FOR THE MAKEUP NOOB – See no worries, just the Shu Uemura lash curler and a retractable powder brush. My brush is an Ecotools one but you can locally get premium ones by Charm makeup brushes.

This Top 5 set I put together keeping in mind that people without the skill or any plan to add to what they can do with their hands should have convenient options. You can apply the foundation with your hands beginning at the center of your face. This Shiseido one I chose is as thin as a tinted moisturizer, comes in a dinky convenient dropper bottle and offers medium to full coverage so you can add more in certain areas to conceal more. While the foundation is still moist add the cheek tint, the one I chose by Benefit quickly stains which is why you have to massage it onto the apples of your cheeks immediately once applied. Fill in sparse areas of your brows with the brow pen and and perfect the tail. Proceed to powder the T-zone and chin with the Makeup Factory mineral compact. Lastly, curl your lashes and apply mascara thickly at the base of the roots and thinner at the tips. Read more to see the Five to Survive set I chose for part-time makeup pros.

My New HG Top Luxury Foundations | Koh Gen Do Aqua & Koh Gen Do Moisture

I first tried both these foundations by Japanese brand Koh Gen Do a few days ago at Beauty Bar in Podium. I know I’m a little late on the bandwagon because bloggers were raving about these a little over a year ago? When I tried these I crankshafted my jaw up off the floor twice, first because of the excellent quality and second because of the price. They’re painfully expensive (almost matching Becca Luminous Skin Tint in price over at Adora) which is probably why the Koh Gen Do hype didn’t last for too long…these aren’t exactly budget friendly repurchase candidates unless no other foundation at all works for you.

These KGD gems are only so far the best and most luxurious foundations I have ever…as in EVER tried. Note though that’s a personal and professional opinion based on how I like my base products to work. Some of you might want more coverage. The Moisture Foundation is the more buildable formula. They’re both formulated with a majority of natural ingredients, free of mineral oil and mainstream nasties and they are made in Japan. The local price difference of Php100 between these two I find strange because they’re not that dissimilar in quality and one contains much more product for money than the other (and they cost the same abroad). I do have my reasons for purchasing 1 of each kind in spite of the small difference. For the review you’re about to read I applied both foundations from the center of the face outward with a Real Techniques Expert Face brush. This review won’t contain hand swatches simply because I’m saving product, it costs too much and the shades are almost the same anyway. What’s better than a foundation review? Well, how about two? Read more to see the full reviews and more photos.

Maui Island Secret Browning Oil – Will Knock Your Socks Off

Sooooo…yeah, another tanning oil for you, but please know that when I feature something somewhat redundant it just means I was blown away.  Some guests who were common friends arrived at the resort I’m currently at and one of them, a lovely lady named Sunday, planted herself by me on shore as I was tanning.  She had an arsenal of tanning oils at her disposal and she ever so randomly planted  herself beside me (also probly’ coz my mother headlined my tanning quest) offered one of them and said if I recall correctly (don’t match me per word) “Have you tried this one?  Ito daw talaga ang the best.  It’s made in  Hawaii…someone told me that Rissa Mananquil, you know her?…also uses it.”  Indeed, leave it to the Hawaiians, people of perfect tans, to bring forth some of the best tanning oils in the world…and I’m not just talking about Hawaiian Tropics.  Meet the so-they-say revered original Maui Island Secret Browning Oil, word has somewhat gotten around for awhile, and it’s finally gotten to me.

Key Ingredients: Kukui Nut Oil, Passion Flower Oil, Macadamia Nut Oil, Aloe, Maui Coffee Extract, Green Tea Extract, Vitamins A, C, and E.

“Our Browning Formula promotes the fastest, darkest natural sun tan while hydrating your skin and infusing it with nourishing oils and vitamins. We recommend that you have a base tan before using this as it contains no SPF. Combine with SPF for extra sun-sensitive areas where needed.”

Before I talk about this Maui wowie, need to get this other thought out of the way, first.  As you regular readers know I’ve been testing out another previous tanning oil I posted and honestly, I actually wasn’t disappointed with the the initial results considering that Ritual’s Real Tan Browning Oil is 100% organic.  As expected the results were NOT as instantaneous as more chemically charged, mass-produced oils like Hawaiian Tropics (sorry I haven’t posted a picture of myself, I will soon) since Real Tan by Ritual has an extremely short ingredients list. Read more to know why I now prefer this over the previous tanning oil I first blogged about.

Baviphat Under My Skin Moisturizing Primer | Seriously Brings It.

The thing about primers is I’ve never EVER purchased one for myself or even fully reviewed a decent one properly…ever. I tried the Laura Mercier Hydrating primer which was great in finish but the smell made me gag (something off about it). I have had my handful of primer samples flow in and out of my stash through the years but I never really paid attention…until now. The Glambox PH Airbrush team invited me over to experience their system of products (which will be a separate post) and unexpectedly before the airbrush trial I was paying way more attention to the primer that was applied on me by their MUA which happened to be this one, by Korean cosmetics brand, Baviphat. It brings it. This is somewhat of an incomplete review because I haven’t tried it with traditional makeup just yet but as a makeup professional I can already feel that this will work really well. It feels and smells just perfect. I’m telling you for me…dizzizit. Call me corny but I like that it says “Secret Recipe” in tiny writing at the bottom which sort of implies that it’s not like any other primer in the ballpark.

Baviphat Under My Skin Moisturizing Primer Php890.00 | Available at Glambox Airbrush Studio | 0922-8200172 | glamboxcosmetics@yahoo.com | The GlamBox Beauty Studio, Unit 2C, Value Point Building, 227 Salcedo St. cor. Gamboa St., Legaspi Village, Makati

You get 35ml in a glass bottle with a pump. I love the simple straightforward packaging. It’s a glass bottle that says Primer, what more do you need? My only con is the ingredients are in Korean at the back probably but I know Baviphat is a good brand so I wasn’t too concerned. The thing that most often annoyed me about other branded primers was firstly they often didn’t smell right and secondly they felt like they added too much silicone so my face felt like it had a smothering layer over it (sometimes it felt like I wanted to fan my face) or even felt itchy. I wanted a primer that made my skin feel fresh but at the same time did the job of smoothing the surface. Baviphat’s Under My Skin Moisturizing primer smells like a sensitive baby product (fresh but light) it feels like it hydrates the skin on contact and provides just the right amount of silicon priming needed (on my face anyway) to prep the surface for makeup. The MUA at Glambox told me that for her it works perfect under airbrush product as well as traditional makeup. I instantly asked her what she was applying on my face because it smelt perfect and felt good. She showed it to me and said they sold it in the studio and this is her favorite. Now, it’s mine, too.

You can get this at The GlamBox Beauty Studio, Unit 2C, Value Point Building, 227 Salcedo St. cor. Gamboa St., Legaspi Village, Makati. Like Glambox Airbrush Cosmetics on Facebook to get more updates or email: glamboxcosmetics@yahoo.com for inquiries.

Yes, They Did | MAC Cosmetics & Paramore Lead Singer Hayley Williams Collection

Breathe, breathe deeper, exhale…inhale…now shout…shout at the top of your lungs, like she would.  MAC is soon putting out a Hayley Williams collection.  Now I hear you…

VIA Temptalia.com
“The collection will feature an orange lipstick, coral eyeshadow, mineralize skinfinish, and an orange nail lacquer.  MAC just confirmed this collection via their Twitter and Facebook.”

Sounds Like Noise: Bright true orange (Lipstick) (Matte)
Daydreaming: Frosted mid-tone coral (Eyeshadow) (Veluxe Pearl)
Lightscapade: Soft candlelight beige with multi-dimensional shimmer (Mineralize Skinfinish)
Riot Gear: Bright true orange (Nail Lacquer) (Cream)

Yea, no kidding that’s all I had to say right?  If you don’t know who Paramore’s lead singer is…she’s been around FOR AWHILE and has been singing pro since she was about 15 and Hayley Williams is not just another young girl screaming at a microphone.  She really sings, as in seriously sings…and her ability to pull off pop-py, alternative grunge cool and keeping pretty without looking too androgynous is what gets her admired in the beauty community. I learned more about Hayley 4 years ago when I watched this interview about her and her development as a singer (playable only on laptops or desktop devices). The collection is a tricky one to get and will launch on April 9, 2013 and will be available exclusively online for a limited time only. Sigh* I’m glad I didn’t get any of the Archie items. I really…really dig what this is looking like. Hayley is just sooo irritatingly cool. If you’ve never heard her sing here’s one of her more popular mellow performances from 5 years ago, Paramore’s Live Acoustic Cover of the Kings of Leon song “Use Somebody” ( this link can be watched on all devices) .  Also embedding here for a slightly more recent but still not so new video their acoustic jam for the song “The Only Exception” where Hayley’s rocker chic makeup is just…just perfect to me…it’s just enough and sooo pretty.