Celeteque DermoScience Soothing Lip Balm

Taking a quick break from a whole day meeting drove me to Watson's inside my office's building. I haven't really bought any cosmetics during the last month or so because I wanted to rest my face with too much experiment. I had a major breakout of my life and I swear I don't want to go back to that again. My face is too far from perfect but at least now, zits are manageable and scars are slowly vanishing.

Ok. I think I am getting further from my post as lip balm does not really affect my face. Lol. I think the best reason why I was compelled to buy one is that I ran out of Carmex and my  EOS spheres are nowhere to be found. I can't stand using a lipstick without a lip balm underneath so I end up having pale lips these days.

I was about to detach a Lip Ice lip balm on its holder when a Celeteque lady approached me and introduced me to their brand's lip balm under the DermoScience+ line. Honestly, I cannot muster good words for the line as one of the causes of my breakout was the their facial wash. It must be the classic "hiyang" issue. But at the end of it all, I still managed to give Celeteque another shot - this time in their lip balm.

Winning factors:
- Opening the little round container excudes an enticing smell which might be produced by mulberry extracts. The scent is so nice I want to bite it. Haha.
- I love the mositurizing oil for it softens and smoothens my lips. I guess this is the basic principle of a good lip balm.

Drawbacks:
- I am used to a tubed lip balm so it's a major turnoff for me to dip my finger on the container and glide it on my lips. It's just gross.
- Quite pricey at Php 199. I'd rather go for EOS if this is the case.

Overall, I am happy that I have a new lip balm to do the basic job of smoothening my lips. While it is not something irreplaceable, I could say still say that Celeteque lip balm is a decent buy.

So tomorrow is a lipstick day once again!

Avon Mositure Seduction Lipstick

I am commenting now on the two lipstick shades I got before from Avon.

Rae hit the perfect adjective for this line of lipstick - marble-like. As opposed to the normal lipstick with a solid one color on it, these tubes blended in some sort of shades and produced a "marb-ly" effect. if you look closely to it, you will see tiniest glitters which pop up your lips when worn. I am not too keen on getting a specific shade so I picked Perfect Pink and Mocha Plum. Believe me Avon laid down a magnanimous variety of colors and shades which would give you a headache on what to get!

As I like my other Avon lippies, this one really stood out. Why? It is because it can be worn even without a lip balm underneath or a lip gloss on top of it! It stands out independently without the mercy of other lip vanities. It is very much moisturizing and has SPF 15. What a lovely product.

Perfect Pink

Mocha Plum

Needless to say, this glides smoothly and effectively conceals any dry and chappy lips. I've applied this with some flakes on my lips but is not very evident on the photo. I feel I can't remember the exact price but I believe this is no more than three hundred bucks which makes it such a runway winner! 

One major drawback though, these lippies have a somewhat strong scent which I unfoundedly associate with that of a lead especially on the first few tries. I don't know if it is just me and my too inquisitive nostrils but the scent is just too hard for me.

Other than the negative comment above, I love these products! =)

NYX Matte Lipstick

Two additional lippies added to my collection in the form of NYX ML's Angel and Hippie Chic! In this line, NYX wanted to respond to the echoes of her users regarding the staying power of their old lines. This brand is one of the best when it comes to wide array of awesome lipstick shades but the major fallback is the short span of time that it sits on your lips.

After the confusing search of the shades that I want, I finally picked Angel and Hippie Chic. Here are the swatches:

Angel at the bottom and Hippie Chic at the top

I am not particular as to the undertone stuff of the lips so I base solely the usefulness of my lipstick on how it looks on me when I apply them on my lips. There are just some shades that looks extremely good on you and embraces your lips with so much love and affection. Angel is one of these shades for me!

There seems to be a difference on the two photos above. This might be caused by the lighting of my camera but the lower one is closest to the real shade. It is close to a red shade rather than a peach. I wore this today as my accent as I really had no time to prep up due to the meeting after meeting schedule I had today. So there it is, Angel saved my day!

But while I am gushing about how this one shade looks good on me, I find the Hippie Chic not that flattering on me because for one major reason: It feels dry which is evident by the untoned lines in my lips.Yes, chappy lips.

These two shades are worn under an EOS lip balm.

Other comments:

a. I like the friendly smell of the lipstick. It has a hint of a fruity scent and is oh so gentle to the nose

b. Packaging is very ordinary, nothing to gush about it

c. The price is so-so at 325 Php - not cheap, not expensive

d. This cannot be worn alone, you need a lip balm to bring out the good color

e. Staying power is decent at about 2-3 hours (without drinking maybe?)

Little Treats for a Tiring Day

I just got home from the office after capping a nine to eight meeting. I'm so drained that I wanna just crawl on my bed, curl inside my blanket, and sleep. But my day is not that tiring at all! I was welcomed by my orders from my Avon lady when I hit my place. Yes, little treats that would enable me to shed off 30 minutes of my bed time and jotting my new purchase in this blog.

Anyhow, I won't keep this long because I just literally drop by my blog and share to you these Avon lippies from their new line - the  moisture seduction lipstick. I will weave a detailed review of them one of these days (if sloth won't kick in!). One worth saying is that it is moisturizing to the lips and the shades are pretty interesting! Here I got Perfect Pink and  Mocha Plum.

mocha plum at the left and the other is perfect pink

As usual, I used my BB camera for the photos so that explains why the color and shades were not justified. Ok ok, I can't wait to wear one of them tomorrow!

Good evening!

Myra Vita Glow and Etude House Color Me Nude

I’m blogging straight from Puerto Prinsesa! I really admire how clean this city is. Discipline is really in high spirit here. Anyhow, much as I want to leave our office and jump into the tempting waters of Honda Bay, I just can’t. Perhaps tomorrow, we’ll see. So since I am in a very beautiful city, it is just right to talk about beauty. I know, I know this is a beauty blog. LOL.

I've had a quick stop at SM Makati before I flew here last Friday and I've got some goodies which I really don't need but was just curious to try them. These are the Myra Vita Glow (P135) and Etude House Color Me Nude Lip Concealer (P228).

Myra Vita Glow is interesting in such a way that a moisturizer and a make up base were married in this tube. Perhaps, this is the first product I have encountered which has these duo. This comes in two variants (which by the way demanded my time to choose) - the Ivory and Beige. I took the ivory after an unfounded comparison. Gut feeling. Based on its texture, I would say that it is more of a make up base than a moisturizer so for me, it is more appropriate to use it by day and not as an evening ritual as it would really be awkward to sleep with a make up base on your face.

Like the Purederm BB cream, it also has some glitters but they are more "microscopic" than Purederm. You would only notice it if you drive your face closest to the mirror. Working like my BB cream, it helps me even out my face provided I really put in just right amount. It works well with my Ellana foundation. Its price and availability are also the things that make this product a winner!

Lip concealer? Why not! Interesting, right? I first saw this product in a magazine and got curious about it. This product is something that a typical woman would not really need as I think there is not much to even out in your lips except maybe if you are a fan of cigarette smoking. At first, I find it hard to use because it does make your lips look so awfully pale and there are some traces of my dry lips when I apply it. I found it useless until I went back to basic which is to use lip balm first before any other else. Combining both gives a somewhat natural lip color (as the lip concealer has its own subtle shade as well). But best of all, I was happy to discover that my long sitting Mac Pink Nouveau is now useful with the aid of a lip balm and the lip concealer! They made my first Mac lipstick wearable and I don't feel awful while sporting the shade.

And since I was surrounded by mostly guys (yeah, the likes of warehouse and sales men and all), I opted to don a "barely there" make up. Yep, the two products above greatly help me achieve the look!

Happy long weekend guys!

Product Review: Evolution Of Smooth (EOS)

Every face of my vanity life, I do have something that I am drooling on. At the moment, I am in my lip balm hauling. Well, it all started when I was in dire need of a solution to my cracked lips. It’s been going on for weeks and it irked me more and more everyday. Then I met Carmex. It solved my problem. I thought that was the end of my search for this product behind a good lipstick application. No, don’t get me wrong, I am all praises for Carmex. It is just the “hauler” in me that I cannot sit down with only one brand for a type of product. Yes, that is me.
 

My ever reliable online shopper, the CareFreeShopper, bursted once again with a brand called EOS. As the women behind the shop confessed, it is their favorite. Add up a friend who is really not into these kinds of vanities but managed to like EOS, it awakened my curiosity on what these raves are all about.

EOS redefined the shape of lip balm. While the traditional ones are in tube, or in a small jar which you need to dip you pinky finger and dab on your lips, EOS packaged their product in a spherical shape, with a very smooth texture. Yeah, the texture itself denotes how smooth the real product is!

Twisting the sphere clockwise, you’d see a dome shape lip balm (although they got one in a traditional tube). It actually felt weird when applying it as unlike the typical lip products, I felt that a lot goes beyond my lips when applied. It is because of its big shape. But after several tries, I figured out it was designed to be rolled over you lips, not minding that it may “go beyond” since in the first place it does not have any color like a lipstick. LOL. The gliding on is a total experience. You could do it like forever!

Another thing that captured me was the scent. It just seems so natural. It is friendly for my nostrils.

Best if all, I woke up with an oh so smooth lips! Now if you ask me I permanently changed my heart from Carmex to EOS, I did not. It is sharing my heart to both!


Note: EOS can also be bought separately.

Product Review: NYX Make Up Box

Last Friday, I was depressed when I lost some of my make up toys along with my other stuff. I have scribbled those that I have lost in my other blog. Anyway, on a positive note, I may have lost some of my favorite items but God was so good - He blessed me with another toy! Thank you, too, CareFreeShopper!

On NYX's website, you can find the following description of this make up box:

" All-in-one convenience case for easy and beautiful make-up application whether at home or jet-setting accrosss the world! 16 eyeshadows, 3 blushers, 4 lip colors. Comes with applicators and mirrors."

*All-in-one convenience case

The case got the basics but of course this is not a true-blue all in one kit (you still need your foundation, mascaram eyeliners, etc, right?). The compact feature makes it a very convenient kit and thus it is so portable for the people on the go!

*16 eyeshadows

The eyeshadow collection is the flagship for me. Sixteen different shades and colors just make the eyeshadow application more exciting. Upon opening the kit, you can easily choose what to mix and match and the combination pattern is less hassle. The shadows are also a good combination of light, dark, shimmery, and dull colors. All of them are wearable, too!

The pigmentation is also commendable and it just put a right amount in your eyes when you sweep them naturally. They also easily blend with each other making your mix and match workable.

*3 blushers

The blushers are wearable also. The set is a healthy mix of shade a barely there, bronze, and hot pink. I use the barely there to tone down my heavy eyeshadow and hot pink if I have a simple overall look. I'm thinking of using the bronze if I decide to get a smokey look Would it match? Hmmm, that I do not know.

swatches of the blushers

*4 lip colors

One thing I noticed about the lip colors is that they have a more decent staying power compared to the NYX RLs. This alone is a winner for me! I tried doing swatches of them but they all look the same. So I guess the the photo below could give more justice to the lippies. It's an equal combination of a safe and wild shade. :)

*Applicators

The applicators are the downside for me as they are very mediocre. I do not use the blusher brush as it is too small and flat. I still use my Ellana brush in applying the blush. The eyeshadow applicator is a normal one. It does serve its purpose but there is really nothing outstanding about it. The lip color applicator is actually a question for me since the design of which is that it is pointer and stiff. This led me to ask if the lip colors above are for lip liner alone or serve as a real lipstick?! Anyhow, I seldom use it and would rather use my fingers when applying the lip colors.

Overall Comments:

The kit is a wise buy for only 850 php! It is best to use if you don't have a particular look in mind and later on play with the combination. It is great for everyday use considering the low key price. After all, that is what NYX is all about!

Product Review: Avon Smooth Mineral Lipstick

 Photo grabbed from Avon's website

I am into lipstick shades these days. Before I got hold of my two new NYX lipstick, I was able to grab two new shades from Avon. This new line from Avon offers a wide variety of shades to choose from. I got pink quartz and rosy brown.

Unfortunately, my pink quarts was already in a state of R.I.P. when my niece smashed it and used it as her crayons. Awww... Anyway, here's my review of my rosy brown smooth mineral lipstick.

I always adore a very good packaging, and this tube passed my taste of exuding a sophisticated look. I love the black and brownish silver combination of the product.  As to its shade, I favored this one for the purpose of matching it with my smokey brown eyes (in case I think of doing so in my eyes). As you can see, it is not much of a pink and at the same time, not much of a brown. It balances these two colors making it wearable not just for a smokey brown eyes but for other make-up theme as well.

As evidenced by the photo above, you'd see it's luminous effect. There are small sparkling elements which gives my lips a fuller life. The sparkles are just enough and does not offer a christmas-light effect. My lips is also showered by a shea butter making it smoother and I felt like the pigment is absorbed more by my lips than merely sitting on top of my lips. Longevity wise, it is decent enough to stay relatively long.

One thing that I hate about this product though is that you have to glide it over and over again to see to it that you applied the shade, otherwise, it seems like you are having a nude lips which is not suppose to be the case. And just like the other lipsticks that I have, I still apply this over a lip balm or lip shiner.

 Wearing my rosy brown lippies!

Overall, I am starting to love this product primarily because of its shea butter and conditioning oil ingredients. It is more friendly on my lips and decently stays at an accepable time frame!

Another NYX Haul!

Although having that drawback of NYX's lasting power, this does not discouraged me to continually use the product. Why? It is because the affordability and the tremendous shades outwit the weakness. And so because of this, I  availed of CareFreeShopper's Independence Day Sale. Ooops, I am not confused of the Independence and Inauguration Day, it's just that this is a super late post. :p

I left the shade choices of my first haul of NYX to Armie, the woman behind the successful multiply site mentioned above. I love the variety of shades that she picked up for me each has their own use in my task-filled everyday schedule. Everything was wearable. In my second purchase, I thought of getting a more daring and wilder shades.

wild, wild shades!

Electra and Medusa. You'd feel a strong personality when you hear these words even if not in the make-up world. Strong, fearless, wild - that is how I describe these two shades of NYX! 

 You want the truest RED? Get the Electra shade. I honestly do not have the guts to use this in a normal day but maybe, if things are in rush and I don't have time to do my make-up, this will be a best alternative. And oh, this will certainly be a runaway winner during an all-night party! 

Medusa takes the place of being the most difficult shade that I have right now. I seriously do not know if I will ever get the chance to use this. :p Costume parties will definitely make this shade useful though. 

I love seeing my make up collection grow and I don't regret getting these unusual shades. After all, my ultimate reason was to get wild, bold, and extremely unusual colors! Hooray to NYX!

Product Review: Ellana Mineral Make Ups

Ellana mineral make-ups. I personally think the owner behind this product has a revolutionary mind. I love the idea that she comes head to head with foreign brands with three most distinct winner factors: affordability, quality, and very good customer service. These factors make up a promising business venture.

Let me get down to their products and services. Ellana offers a FREE sample for each individual who are interested to try out their products! You can get it from here.

Ellana encourages that their clients to go to their office so that they can take a look at your skin undertone. One make up tip that I learned from them is that in order to know the best foundation shade for us, one should look into our undertones.  There are warm, cool, and olive undertones. Each has a corresponding foundation shade.

I have warm undertone so my Ellana make up artist recommended the hazelnut latte. Matched with Ellana Foundation brush, the loose mineral foundation glides smoothly on my face. The effect was so natural looking and it was just very flawless. I love how it finishes in my face! The good thing about this one is that you can buy them for as little as 100 php! Yes, 100 php for a mineral make up - how cool is that? :)

Just like the other mineral make ups, I just find it less efficient in applying them because of the very reason that they are loose. The tiny powder forming on your clothes just makes it more time-consuming whenever you apply them. So I do use this if I have ample time to play around. But if I am so tight up, I use my VMV compact powder since I can easily apply it even if I am inside a car.

Dainty is a pale reddish brown frost

Inspiration is more of golden beige frost

Next stop are the multi-purpose mineral powder. Why multi-purpose? It is because you can use them as an eyeshadow, a blush, and can even be blended on your lip glosses! Now, this is much, much cooler! What I like about these two shades are basically the effect they give on your eyes and lips. I have used Dainty as a blush but I can't seem to picture out Inspiration as a blush. For me, it is a bit brighter to be used as such. Both give you a very natural look and just shimmers at the right amount. It is best to wear the shades during daytime.

Just like Liz, I also find it hard to get the right amount of lip gloss during my furst few tries with this tube. The worse feeling is when they gush out of the tube giving you a total mess. I learned then that rotating it twice at 360 degrees would give you the right amoun of gloss that you need. Lush lip gloss is now my lip's found friend. The minty feeling makes it distinctive of the other glosses. Lush is best combined with Dainty powder. The duo exudes a sexier lips even on a day time.

The verdict:

The same Ellana Make Up Brush Set, I highly recommend the products to the beauties who seek for an affordable yet very high quality products and gearing for a less harmful type of make up!

Product Review: Urban Decay Face Case

When I first laid my eyes on the photo exhibited on CareFreeShopper, I instantly fell in love with this violet case. It took me ages to resist this but having a dear friend as the seller, you can't help but simultaneously utter the words, "yay" and "nay"! Yay as Armie brought this make-up set on top of what I ordered from her (knowing that I badly want it!) and nay since I can't let it off my hands the moment she handed it to me - it means, I am shedding another 1200 php off my pocket. LOL! Bottomline of it is equals to SOLD.

But it seems like it's not yet time for me and UD Face Case to be partners in crime. When I went back to Manila after my normal weekend Bacolod escape, I realized that I haven't got any make up for my other friend Ermalyn. Since she was asking me to get a blush and eyeshadows for her, the closest that I can hand to her is my new-found love. Another yay-and-nay moment for me!

Nevertheless, I wanted to make a review of this one at least on how I see and feel about it. 

I always believe that the silent salesman of a product is the packaging. And for make ups, I have that biased feeling that every time I see neat and classy packages, I feel that they are good ones. After all, who would want to put their very good products in cheap cases or tubes? :p This UD Face Case is packed in a violet suede texture which puts you in make-up mood whenever it rests in your palm. I love it!

A sneak peek! The rest of the case contains the exciting shades and colors of eyeshadows, blush, and lip glosses. But before we get into the real deal, take a look into the small brush. One this that is good about it is that it is a two-end brush. At first I thought it is solely for the eye shadows but when I checked on it again, the two brushes are not exactly of the same size, length, and thickness. So I supposed, these are for eye shadows and lip gloss. Personally, I would not prefer having the same brush for my different lipstick shades. It's just messy. On the other side, I thought this might be for the inner lid and the crease. Either way, you can use them as a brush - in whatever manner you want to use it. :)

The Face Case's pride! Three shadows, three lip glosses, and a blush just makes it the most compact case I've seen. This is best for the beauties on the go! It is getting rid of bringing all your vanities in your bag especially if you don't know what to wear on your face or if you have two separate events with different mood to go into for a day. 

And.. that's me beaming! Hehe.I am dying to share the swatches of these shades but I will leave it to the hands of the new owner. :D Rest assured I will post it here once I get one.