Joys of Christmas

Christmas has come to a close, though the cool breeze we feel at night suggest otherwise.  In remembering the past holiday I would like to share with all of you the blessings Christmas has brought - from overseas!

This post is picture-heavy and a somewhat preview to the things I will be reviewing.  Thank you to all my family and friends for this loot!

1. Physician's Formula Smoky Eyes Eyeshadow Palette

Thanks to my tita for this lovely present.  This palette comes in 9 colors with a redundant silver eyeshadow.  As it turns out, the silver eyeshadow is repetitive because it is the "smoky" factor in all the eye looks physician's formula recommends you to do with the palette.  It comes in a glossy cardboard packaging that is quite sturdy and compact.  I can't be sure but I think there are no magnetic closures or locks so this little baby might not be best to travel with, although for it's size some would think otherwise.

I've tried it out on one occasion, Christmas day, because my outfit was blue and I thought it had the perfect colors.  Upon application I found that color payoff was not so good. I had to foil the eyeshadow for the colors to show intensely.  I was quite dumbfounded since the palette claims it is used for smoky eyes because you cannot create smoky eyes if your eyeshadows lack intensity which this one does.  Nevertheless, I love the color selection and sheer finish and I don't mind foiling.  It's also very small that it's easy to tote anywhere.

2. Physician's Formula Happy Booster Glow & Mood Boosting Blush in Rose

I don't have much to say about this product as I have only used it once.  This product claims to boost your mood through it's smell because it contains endorphin.  Now I can't be too sure about that but the smell is lovely and the pretty hearts do make me want to smile.     

This blush also happens to be the second best blush according to totalbeauty.com beating a mac cream blush and a smashbox cheek color.  It comes with a brush, of the same color scheme, that actually feels soft on the face and deposits color quite well. 

3. Physician's Formula Happy Booster Glow & Mood Boosting Lipstick

Forgive the abused table on the background.  This lipstick gives a cool, pink color to the lips.  It is very moisturizing and long lasting and it smells as lovely as the blush.  One swipe is all you need to produce a beautiful pink color.  

 

not sure if you can see it but there is a little pink heart embossed on the center of the bullet

4. Essential Beauty Starter Kit Brush Set

This set includes 3 brushes - 1 powder/blush brush, 1 foundation brush and 1 flat eyeshadow brush.  As you can see from the picture the powder brush is brown-er than the others because I've been using it to apply my mineral foundation for everyday wear.  These brushes are super soft, I mean super soft!  My tita was even surprised to hear that I love them because they were a drugstore product in the states and she thought they would feel "cheap" to me.  

That's it for the makeup Christmas-y goodness.  Although my Christmas gifts from Australia did arrive but that's for another post as there are more makeup products in that package.  See you next time!

  

A LOT of makeup (part 2)

So I was running late yesterday morning so I had to stop the previous post to get myself ready.  Hence, the creation of part 2.

There are only a few items left so let's start off with the other Ever Bilena mousse eyeshadow in Amber (again I got this for Php75.00 from the original price of Php125.00).

I love the neutral smokey eye so this is a perfect base for when I'm doing that.  The consistency is creamy but blendable for when you're smoking the color upwards, inwards or outwards.  I used this on my tita and it worked like a charm even with the wrinkles on her eyelid area (shhh... don't tell her i told you that).  A neutral cream eyeshadow is a very crucial part of a girl's makeup arsenal because somewhere along your personal makeup life, you will use a brown eyeshadow.

I don't know what it is but I've had an insatiable appetite for cream eyeshadows the past few shopping trips. The L.A. Colors Jumbo Eye Pencil (Php 129.75) fed that hunger quite well.

The color is a wonderful deep purple that is very much similar to the Bobbi Brown Cream Eyeshadow in Deep Plum minus the hefty price tag.  And anything I can get for a cheaper price but with the same quality, I'll get.  Do I hear an amen?  A little goes a long way with this product.  Too much can actually make it more prone to creasing.  It has a sort of metallic sheen, but not too shiny, which is a plus because I have oily lids.  If you remember my wet n' wild palette?  I topped this cream eyeshadow with the purple in that palette, blended the edge so there are no hard lines and voila!  Instant sexy!  This color is best paired with a bright pink or a nude lip.

Now we have a Liquid Mineral Blush (Php 399.00) in LM-02 by the James Cooper Jazzy Collection.

Let's dissect that.  You have liquid and mineral together in one product which in my experience is a first.  I have not heard or seen any product similar to this.  A liquid blush goes under your powder blush to make it last longer and the fact that it's mineral makes it healthy for your skin.  The first time I applied this I squeezed the product onto the back of my hand thinking that the heat would make it more spreadable.  Wrong.  The blush on my hand was absorbed into my skin even before I was done spreading it on my right cheek.  So the next time I used this I put it on my mixing palette.  The liquid mineral blush gave my cheeks a natural pinkish glow that looked like I was just pinched.  And it lasted for about 6-8 hours.

Moving on.  We have the Ever Bilena Matte Lipstick in Skin which is one of the most famous lip products in the market.

You've all seen this product and the fame of Ever Bilena in the country is unmatched.  One of the more famous shades of the matte lipstick line is off beat pink and it is a beautiful shade which can match both fair and darker skin tones.  And the fact that it's matte makes you more confident that it won't slide off easily.  The shade in skin appears too dark on my nc35 skin tone.  My face looked gloomy because the supposed nude color of skin was too dark for my actual skin.  Nonetheless, I warmed up the color by dabbing a light pink lipstick on top which immediately fixed the problem.  The matte lipstick also contributed to making my lip color last longer.

Last but definitely not the least are my Snoe purchases.

I got the S Skin Stem Cell Sunblock Cream which is a moisturizer, makeup base, anti-aging and sunblock rolled into one as eloquently stated by their very engaging Sales Personnel.  Talking to her will make you feel like buying everything you touch.  She knows her products well which reflects well on the owners because it shows they educate their staff and that they are passionate about their products.  I've used the product only once, today in fact, and I was surprised.  First, because the product was spreadable and it applied very thinly on my skin as if nothing was there.  Looking at the product and taking into consideration the fact that it's a sunblock, that wasn't to be expected.  Another is that it is fragrance free or it has no scent.  This is good for people with sensitive skin as fragrances found in cosmetics can trigger an allergic reaction.  With regards to it's performance as a makeup base, it worked quite well.  I have very oily skin and when I get ready in the morning, because of my running around the house looking for my stuff, I usually end up with a slight shine on my nose before I even step out.  While on this cream I had a dewiness to my face which I actually like and the onslaught of the oiliness of my skin only appeared nearing the end of my day.  That's a good 8 hours. One last thing, when I bought this they had a promo which entitled me a free bar of soap.  The kind sales lady suggested the licorice bar and I obliged.  I have yet to try that.

So that's it for my LOT of makeup.  Now you know that when I said lot I didn't mean just many but rather a batch counted as one.

Thanks for enduring this long post and see you in the next.  Toodles! :)