Make Up Store Makeup! – A Look with Lipstick & Cybershadow

This brand, Make Up Store, reminds me a lot of…INGLOT or even the in-house selection of Sephora for some reason and they’re now available here at the 2nd level of Podium mall in Ortigas.  It’s the whole shebang put together, pro quality products, minimalist packaging, great pigment and tons and tons of shades to choose from for a mid-range price.   The Make Up Store’s products aren’t cheap but they won’t break the bank either.  It’s a reliable brand to begin a pro kit with if you’re considering a makeup career or course but can’t afford having a buffet of MAC or Make Up For Ever products at your disposal.  I recall being in one of the Make Up Store’s huge boutiques in Singapore over a year and a half ago and I was overwhelmed.  I nearly walked out with a color corrector/concealer but I was saving my pocket money for something else in Duty Free that time.

MAKE UP STORE Cybershadow in “Golden” Php899.00 and sheer lipstick in “CRISP” for Php 1049.00, MAKE UP STORE PODIUM- (02) 654 5533

The textures and pigment of the products they sent me are good, the eyeshadow is a satin with a hint of a duochrome effect (a peachy coral with gold or a rose gold) the lipstick is a sheer but pigmented high shine finish which applies looking different from the lipstick bullet as you’ll see in awhile.

The packaging is lovely and feels sturdier than MAC cosmetic packaging.  You have the brand name embossed or pressed on both.  My only minor complaint is the eyeshadow has quite a bit of fallout pigment when you use a brush, but it performs similarly anyway to Urban Decay eyeshadow shades which also have quite a bit of fallout.  Read more to see me try these products on.

Bring On that 90s Brick Red | T. LeClerc Matte Lipstick, Non-Drying Loveliness

A non-drying matte lipstick is a prize find but for me there’s also a balance to be had when it comes to matte lipstick.  To me, matte lipsticks needn’t be completely FLAT looking, you’re allowed to disagree with me.  That’s just a personal preference because I don’t want high shine because of my massive lips but at the same time I don’t want my lips to look like a flat vector graphic pasted on my face.  I’ve found my dream matte lipstick formula by T. LeClerc, available at Rustan’s for Php795…complete value for money but I’m really sad there are only 4 or 5 shades available locally, they remind me of the IZGO lipstick I blogged about ages ago (as in like 2 years ago).   It’s great that they’ve got this sort of red, 03 Rouge Secret, a beautiful brick red that has a very slight, almost unnoticeable pink undertone.  It’s very wearable, I wore it at a friend’s wedding and because I loved the color so much I made sure I retouched at the reception (even though I was recovering from a small gaping lip wound), though I didn’t have to pack on a lot to retouch.  You better believe it, red lips have not vanished from the trend reports and hello, love month isn’t over yet.

The texture of this T.Le Clerc lipstick is like that of a MAC lipstick like Ruby Woo but creamier and more velvety, easier to bring across the lips.  Also in comparison to a NARS Pure Matte lipstick I own this is way more comfortable to wear.  You can also safely eat with this lipstick without it going everywhere…a light retouch may be required if the food is a bit greasy.  French brand T.Le Clerc has a strong following and one of my former bosses, Tinette O. Puyat, salon owner and hairdresser is extremely fond of their powder bases, too.  One of my wedding clients, Maita, wore this brand of lipstick as maid of honor at another wedding I did, but her shade was like a slightly brighter cherry red and seeing how it lasted on her is what made me go on the hunt for it.  A lovely matching lipliner for the T.LeClerc lipstick shade 03 Rouge Secret, and I mean a real exact match, is NICHIDO’s lip pencil in Coral Rust which is what I used to line and color my lips in midway first to help with longevity.  The NICHIDO lipliners have the same texture as NYX slim lipliners which are also a favorite of mine but these local ones only cost between Php100-Php200.

There’s a 90s revival ongoing and it’s bleeding through almost every style magazine feature I’ve noticed so far.  Every so often people will reminisce about what was nearly 2 decades ago and crave a reinterpreted throwback.  In my teens bell bottoms and elephant pants plus everything 70s when it came to music was the “in” thing in high-school.  Mod beauty for the 90s was earthy, brick red lips which were big on TV stars (remember Monica and Rachel in FRIENDS?), movies like Reality Bites, Empire Records, Pulp Fiction (more ox blood red than brick though), and even Clueless (check Brittany Murphy’s lips).   Here’s an inspiration photo from Reality Bites which also shows a similar sort of red on the lovely Winona Ryder.

The T.LeClerc lipstick, I reiterate, is Php795 from Rustan’s (got mine at Rustan’s Grand Mall) and for the lovely slim size and packaging I have to say it’s a real find, a similar one by MAC would be Russian Red but that isn’t as matte.  T.LeClerc also has a bright coral pink that’s kind of like Chanel’s Rouge Allure velvet Exuberante and also a slightly more beige pink is also available.  Have you also been bit by the 90s revival you see everywhere and if so have you been incorporating it into your wardrobe or makeup looks?

Pro Tips for Light Photogenic Makeup | Bless My Bag @ Sample Room!

Today’s post is over at the Sample Room Blog!    There I lightly discuss tips on being believably fresh and photogenic during the daytime without overdoing it.  It’s a great stream of tips for people who want to practice looking fresh during the day without putting on too much.

Makeup by Julia for a lighting workshop…

I also make mention of the actual products I used for the look done on myself there (not this one on the model because this is a studio look).  Click on this image or here to proceed to the article .

Shiseido White Lucent Challenge Day 1 & Shiseido Spring Makeup Giveaway!

I’m beaming with delight and it’s all thanks to Shiseido Philippines and blogger friend, Sophie Uy.  I’ve got something special  that I’m about to sort of embark on as well as a makeup item to give you lovely readers today, but before we get to that nationwide giveaway prize, be still your beating heart…patience is a virtue, we’ve got to start at the beginning.  I’ve got a full 7 days to take two wonderful skincare items out for a “road spin”.  Something by Shiseido suddenly got us bloggers “arrested” just the other day at the Shiseido Pop-Up Beauty Lounge at SM Makati, which will by the way be there until March 31st for purchases, facials, and free consultations.  It’s amazing how one mention of revered cosmetics brand, Shiseido, drew quite a huge bunch of us Filipina beauty bloggers together…and on a weekday, too.  To be honest, my mother and I are quite a couple of Shiseido fan-girls I tell you.  The first main product the bloggers were introduced to, The White Lucent Intensive Spot Targeting Serum, coupled with a brightening mask, is designed to nourish skin, help radiance resurface, and help lighten or eliminate unwanted spots brought about by small clusters of hardened melanin beneath the surface of the skin.

1. SHISEIDO White Lucent Intensive Spot Targeting Serum – crushes melanin,

2. SHISEIDO White Lucent Brightening Mask – ejects melanin

Getting ready here for my skincare treatment, this was shot in the middle of having my own makeup removed by a Shiseido lady.  Here I am side by side with Sophie Uy of Beautynomics who has already been using the White Lucent serum several days ahead of me, she’s naturally a shade or two fairer than me.

On that day we were being presented with Shiseido’s White Lucent Intensive spot targeting serum and the partnering brightening mask.  The serum is a targeted treatment containing their proprietary “Melano crush” to cause spots to, in theory break apart into finer particles or disintegrate.  Our White Lucent 7-day skincare challenge involves the twice daily use of the White Lucent serum  coupled with the intermittent use of the brightening mask on top of it every few days.  Click “Read more” to continue to my experience at the Shiseido Pop-up lounge and get to the Rafflecopter widget at the end for my single Shiseido giveaway.

My Valentine Makeover Giveaway! | Nationwide Until Feb.10, 2013

Hey, Beauties!  I’d preferably put up a Valentine Giveaway on the 1st of February to mark the month of love, but since there’s a major wedding the following week and I’m a bridesmaid I just really had to get this up sooner.  This, Ladies, gets the gussy going starting with skincare at least a night or two before VDay which also explains why I’m making the draw on February 10.  No sulking allowed even if you haven’t got a fella, bring on the pamper and polish because you’ve got to look your best!

The winner gets to take home ALL these prizes. It’s a fine mix of skincare, makeup, and haircare this time with brands like Laneige, Lush, Nivea, Benefit Cosmetics, K-Palette and more!  I’m so happy that I’m able to share these prizes with you just before Valentine’s Day!  In order to facilitate this giveaway I’ll be using an embedded Rafflecopter widget like the last time to make it fair for everyone.  Click read more to get to the list and close-up photos of these prizes and enter the giveaway by using the Rafflecopter widget at the end of this blog post .