The western beauty blogosphere has gone ballistic over the recent news of the Urban Decay Build Your Own Palette which I mentioned awhile back. This took hold especially since a select handful of bloggers including Refinery29‘s articulate chief beauty editor, Megan, raved and swooned over the system and newly refined UD eyeshadow shades with their beautiful, dainty hands. The way Megan introduced the palette with refined, relaxed flair kind of made me revisit my strange fascination with composed stewardesses demonstrating the use of the on-board life jacket…I always have to watch and I don’t know why, LOL! The customize your own palette concept is practical, sensible, not unheard of (with MAC depotting etc) and the fact that you can build a transient collection of eyeshadow shades without having them all on hand all the time is quite appealing. The fact that you can switch up the contents of your palette with ease is the ultimate thrill because of the freedom to chase down shades you want to slide into the system as your preference evolves. Three days ago now I came across a product by a different brand, ArtDeco, that not only made me shriek on the spot while scaring the saleslady at Beauty Bar but it also made me discover a collection of some of the best single eyeshadows I’ve ever tried or touched…in my entire life.
The shades I chose for my ArtDeco Magnum palette are obviously very inspired by the first and second UD Naked palettes and by Megan’s UD build your own palette, but I made sure that these colors looked great on my skin first.
The local buzz is out that ArtDeco, the internationally beloved mid-range German cosmetics brand, has arrived in Manila and made its home in Beauty Bar. I was not at the ArtDeco launch, but in a way was glad that it left me the freedom to choose what I wanted when I went over to Beauty Bar to check out what was available. ArtDeco ALMOST made me wish I hadn’t asked my aunt to get the Naked2 palette, just almost. The Beauty Box Magnum system is that impressive. Like the Urban Decay Build Your Own palette you choose the eyeshadow shades you want and put it into a travel-happy system. What’s so wonderful with ArtDeco though is their BeautyBox Magnum system comes in mirrored 2-pan (Php295), 4-pan (Php500+), and 12-pan (Php650) magnetic empty palette options. I chose the latter to see if I could pitch it for comparison vs. both Naked palettes and the Build Your Own system by Urban Decay. Read more to see swatches and the full post.
This is a bit anti-climactic dontcha’ think? It ought to have been one of my first posts perhaps, but then again…over time I’ve collected some really interesting makeup items that work since I’m a makeup professional (folio here) and part-time beauty blogger. A few of my blogger friends can’t seem to keep their hands off my stash when I’m around for an event and of course it evolves frequently. Here, however, is my current collection. There’s one item I took out coz I don’t really use it. I’ll make a quick mention later.
I use one of Muji’s clear “kikay” kits. A lot of you must be going “Dapat ba Muji…e ang dami dami diyan na mura” oh yes I’ve had lots of those cheaper versions, the ones with zippers that tear straight off the opening after a few uses and burst or crack open at the seams and creases. Even some from beabi didn’t work well for me.
“No more” I said, a few months back, I got this medium size, fat clear case from Muji for about Php400 that embraces all without bursting prematurely and is stitched all around with fabric. So, here are the contents.
I’m pretty surprise at how many of these items I’ve already reviewed and that the kit contains exactly 30 items. Of course as a follow up to this a few posts ahead I will narrow down the kit to my TOP 10 essentials. The item I removed was the flesh colored Stila Eye pencil in topaz…it was too melty for our country, too soft. Am more excited because I have a lot of catching up to do, I have lots of goodies to review for you guys in the next few days, sorry I’ve been busy. I’ll make it up to you. Stay tuned for the MAKE UP FOR EVER Rouge Artist launch and review of the lipsticks I came away with from that event
Oooooooh, I’ve gots me own! *Rubs palms together* This Urban Decay Naked 2 palette is probably the most reviewed eyeshadow palette in the last 6 months, thought there was not as much of a frenzy bout this as its predecessor, the original Naked palette. So what, it’s high time I got to say something ’bout it, it’s my first Urban Decay palette, haha! Naked and Naked 2 palettes both come with 12 lovely shades of eyeshadow.
The palette itself comes inlaid in cardboard with a minty Urban Decay Lip Junkie gloss in the shade “Naked”. This wasn’t exactly a birthday present but then in the end it was really funny because it kinda became one. Another aunt gave me Php1500.00 birthday money, then the aunt that got me this said she’ll only charge me something the equivalent of US$40 for this (about Php1600), so I slid the Php1500 I was given by the first aunt over to that aunt “There, paid”, she laughed and said “Okay, the money just went around”. And then my grandmother arrived and gave me Php1000 birthday money, we laughed again. So technically I only gave up Php500.00 for this Naked 2 palette, lots of indie makeup stockists bring this in, like House of Flair, but locally this would fetch about Php3200.00 (around $70). In the States, its original $50 price tag converts to Php2200. Read more to get the full post with close-ups and hand swatches.
The heat is on! I’ve been wanting to do this post for a few days now, but the lazy summer mood got to me. One or two of these items are new but I’ve been using them practically everyday since I got it, and two of the items are almost empty.
1. Shikai Natural Color Care Shampoo – I picked this up at S&R, I forget now whether it was Fort or Alabang, but both outlets should have it. It’s about Php500 and I like that it’s a natural lathering, UV shielding color care formula with a light scent and with an ingredients list that isn’t as long as your leg. I’ll review it soon. They also have a normal variant for untreated hair.
2. Maybelline VolumExpress HyperCurl Waterproof Mascara – I’ve reviewed this na in the past and I’m liking it even more now. It’s a great ALL-AROUND mascara that holds curl, isn’t too gloopy, doesn’t clump and gives just the right of volume without smudging.
3. The Body Shop Banana Conditioner - I LOVE THIS. Basically, this is how good it is, it’s got that yummy tropical scent, if you like bananas and a bit of coconut, I don’t think there’s coconut but something in it smells similar. It’s made my color-treated hair feel like untreated healthy hair. So far I don’t get the “frizzy” dryness that usually accompanies colored hair and I’ve got bounce and shine. Bananas in Pajamas, gotta give it to ‘em. I use this every other day when shampooing. I don’t shampoo everyday to let my hair and scalp be themselves for a bit, chemical-free at least for a day in between and also to avoid unnecessary hair-fall. I’m also not a sweaty person so that’s not disgusting for me to have a non-shampoo day. They’re on sale 50% off until April 26.
4. BeFine Gentle Cleanser – I had to switch over my facial cleanser months ago because my face was suddenly mildly rejecting the Clean & Clear foaming glycerin facial wash I’ve loved for years. I think it just needed a break from unnatural chemicals. So I picked up this BeFine Gentle Cleanser from Beauty Bar, which isn’t cheap at Php900 for 100ml but it lasted me a LONG time (2-3months) because of its economical pump. It’s a paraben free, cruelty free cleanser made of mint, oats, rice and sugar. It took some getting used to because of the minty scent on the face when lathering up, a bit like the scent of a good minty toothpaste, but there’s no annoying menthol cooling feel, don’t worry. My skin feels light, refreshed and ready for a little moisturizer and I don’t get the annoying itch after.
Mom just got back from Phuket and Bangkok. I didn’t want to send a list over there with her even though she told me to give her one because it was a business trip and she hardly had any time, but last minute yesterday she texted that she’d be at the Duty Free (tax free shopping) area and she asked me what I wanted. I told her to choose from my pre-selection of 2 MAC brow pencils and a Studio Fix powder, a full coverage powder foundation. She got both in Bangkok, ‘coz in Duty Free Phuket there wasn’t a MAC store in sight, and she threw in a pair of the highly acclaimed long-wear gel eyeliners of Bobbi Brown as a surprise bonus from in-flight Duty Shopping on board Thai Airways.
CLOCKWISE: MAC Studio Fix Powder NC30 – Price in Bangkok: THB 1190.00, Php 1666.00, US$38 (Orig cost in the U.S. $27),
MAC automatic Brow Pencils “Lingering”, “Brunette” – Price for each Bangkok: THB 595.00, Php835, US$20 (Orig cost in the U.S. $15)
Bobbi Brown Long -wear Gel Eyeliner DUO SET “Black Ink” and “Sepia Ink” – Price on board Thai Airways : US$47 (Orig individual cost in the U.S. $22 each pot)
That Bobbi Brown bonus was exactly what I wanted to have and I didn’t even tell her that I secretly wanted that. The truth is I’VE NEVER OWNED ANYTHING BY BOBBI BROWN COSMETICS IN MY ENTIRE LIFE because the price always put me off and I could never part with that much money (by myself) for just one or two items. Moms are cool like that and duty free is the best way to go for luxe cosmetics. She probably remembered that I complimented a friend’s wife at a reception who claimed she was wearing Bobbi Brown gel eyeliner. I’m super excited to review these items for you. Happy Holy Thursday!
From the start, when these first Body Jewelry Tattoos by Urban Decay came out in the beauty news I thought they were ridiculously priced, pegged at an absolutely ridiculous amount for whatever feeble amount of tattoos you got. They came out shortly after the Chanel ones did. At the time if I’m not mistaken they were about $29.00. It’s nice to finally see the price of these drop to something more sensible (for temp tattoos) even just for a short while.
I’d certainly get these for $4.00 after it dropping from the $25 mark. If you’re interested I suggest now is the time to contact houseofflair.multiply.com and ask for some Pre-ordering help. Hehehe. The XL sized Eden Primer potion (a matte skin shade) is also marked down at 50% off from $24, so it’s now $12, and that XL size contains 60% more product than the original size. Oh, and of course it’s impossible that you haven’t heard about Urban Decay’s latest foolproof bait for all us beauty fish in the sea, the reformulated, relaunched Urban Decay single eyeshadows hand-in-hand with the Build Your Own custom palette. I personally like Jen’s simple little video demonstration and swatching of her own Build Your Own palette which was given to her since she was one of the bloggers at the launch. The smoother now longer-lasting single eyeshadows come in cases with a little skylight window so you can see the shades instantly, BUT WAIT…THERE’S MORE. They pop out of their little houses like so…
This tiny tin I think will far outdo the NAKED craze in different ways, especially for makeup professionals like myself, and what if, just what if, they come out with an 8 or 12-pan size palette…omg. I personally thing an 8 or 9-pan one would have been more tempting, but still this has me all over it already. The custom palette comes with a brush and a default eyeshadow “Walk of Shame” which is conveniently a flesh toned matte if I’m not mistaken, just to get you started on the popping out and in, quite clever. Practice makes perfect, practice makes you want to buy more eyeshadows to pop in…hehehe. For a limited time only the Urban Decay Build Your Own starter palette is priced at $18, the price of each newly reformulated single eyeshadow which are also 18 bucks a pop.
I included a video of the featured Build Your Own Launch below, and while you’re at it join me in wondering why they didn’t call it something like the Urban Decay DIY palette instead, I love the idea but Build Your Own gets lazy. At the TOP SECRET launch, the Urban Decay team invited 4 YouTube Bloggers, whose names I’ve linked to their individual Urban Decay video features, Leesha (xsparkage), Kandee (kandeejohnson), Jen (frmheadtotoe), Christine (temptalia), and 1 online Beauty Editor, Megan McIntyre of Refinery29.comto test, feel, and think about the newly reformulated eyeshadows and create their own individual custom palettes. I personally thought that was quite brilliant, except for one thing, they didn’t invite me, tsk, LOL!
There are HUNDREDS of mascara products that unabashedly promise to add volume to lackluster lashes, but I think only a good minority out of all of them actually do so without compromising curl hold or being smudge-proof. Sans the bulky wand, I think Max Factor False Lash Effect is an ideal BIG lash mascara for medium to large eyes, but small oriental eyes can skip it. It also comes in a non-waterproof formula which has 3 colors. I have mine in Black, thanks to the Max Factor team for sending this over!
False Lash Effect Mascara is available in 3 shades: Black, Black Brown and Deep Blue, False Lash Effect Waterproof Mascara is available in 2 shades: Black and Black Brown
Doesn’t it remind you of something called Cover Girl Lash Blast Waterproof mascara? I know, right, you’re not seeing double. They’re sister companies so I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s the exact same formula, except Cover Girl’s mascara in the orange tube is marketed for Americans and Max Factor False Lash Effect is marketed for Europeans. This is pro MUA Lisa Eldridge’s staple mascara for simple volume and longevity. Read more for the full post.
I wrote this draft in January and forgot about it, so now I am finishing it because I started thinking about these brushes again. I’ve invested a lot of money to uproot myself from one career to another. When I chose to do professional makeup after 7 years of digital post production for TVCs one thing that frustrated me every time I would do research was the cost of good, professional makeup brushes. If you’ve been inside a M.A.C. store you know what I mean. I’ve worked with Suesh brushes as well (which I recommend for beginner artists) and Sigma brushes also do the job nicely but quite a number of Sigma’s brushes tend to SHED like pets after a several uses (actually even some MAC brushes do, too). Becca brushes are exquisite as well, but cost a fortune. As an artist I’m particular about how a brush APPEARS to me, I’m not drawn toward the likes of pink, aqua, or purple when it comes to makeup brush colors simply because they don’t look professional to me. Online, I’ve just come across a lesser known brand, Bdellium Tools, from California. I couldn’t believe it, on my brush checklist this brand ticked every box, affordability, appearance, and evident professional quality, but their range of tools also have a brilliant bonus, some of their brushes are even antibacterial. They remind me of how professional the Make Up For Ever brushes also look.
I’m proud to be able to present something for the second time from Anastasia Beverly Hills that’s due to launch this May 2012. Last month, The “A” team in Beverly Hills sent me an email to expect a parcel with their new baby, Anastasia Lash Genius Waterproof Topcoat which is basically a clear mascara sealant that will waterproof any favorite non-waterproof mascaras you might have. I know what you’re thinking, that it’s too specific a product and might take up too small a niche to get noticed, ah but I discovered other uses for it aside from its initial purpose.
Dermatologist Tested | Opthalmologist Tested | Hypoallergenic | Paraben Free | Fragrance Free | Made in Italy
I’ve tried this and discovered a number of multiple uses for it other than its marketed purpose. Read more for the full post and get my professional opinion on this nifty new product.
For Europe’s top makeup artists in the high fashion industry only one French makeup cleansing solution meets the standard which combines value with “excellent cutaneous (skin) and ocular (eye) tolerance.” I’ve tried Bioderma Sensibio H2Otoday and got the best first hand product trial moment in quite awhile. Lisa Eldridge would definitely approve, it’s the only steadfast makeup remover she consistently uses.
“Cleanses, removes make-up, soothes, NON-RINSE, FRAGRANCE-FREE. A BIODERMA innovation, Sensibio H20 gently cleanses and removes makeup from face and eyes. The micelles contained in its formula effectively micro-emulsify impurities while maintaining the cutaneous balance. Soothing active ingredients prevent the skin feeling irritated. Excellent cutaneous and ocular tolerance.”
Considering that I practically hadn’t slept properly for two days at a TVC shoot that ended at 6am this morning (with makeup on) it was the best time to try this prized, well-known makeup remover that industry insiders in Europe particularly swear by and which you will find on almost every makeup table backstage of Europe’s major catwalk and studio projects. If I were to review this in one line, it feels like water that removes makeup and soothes the face afterwards.
When the cotton pad soaked in this solution sank into my eye it was cool and refreshing and I wanted to keep the cotton on longer, I felt absolutely no stinging sensation. I was happy to see waterproof mascara coming off with a few gentle rubs (after gently pressing and leaving it on the eye for a few seconds). I like that this contains cucumber extract, it maintains the beauty regimen stereotype with cucumbers on the eyes in my mind. What I also love is that after this removes your makeup, since it acts like a cleanser and non-drying toner as well (without the sting) you don’t need to use toner or necessarily wash your face after, though you still can of course if you feel more comfortable with that. An additional tip would be to go over your lash line if you have stubborn mascara with a cotton bud aka Q-tip dipped in this solution. I purchased my quite heavy 250ml bottle of Bioderma Sensibio H2O for EUR 16.90 or about Php950.00 + Php40.00 (post customs tax) from Ebay’s Krystian aka ebay seller virunga.eu , expiry is Dec.2013 and the bottle cap was sealed tight when it arrived about 2-3 weeks from purchasing it online. It’s been awhile since I’ve been THIS satisfied with an Ebay purchase. This makeup remover in my opinion levels up my professional makeup kit significantly, I’m super glad I have it. Here’s a video where Lisa Eldridge shows how she removes her makeup using Bioderma Sensibio H2O. I also added another video under that where Lisa mentions Bioderma first in her French pharmacy favorites.
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