Happy Friday: Urban Decay BOS III look

oh yes, the Happy Friday look is back!
(and hopefully, for good)

MAC brows retractable pencil in Lingering
MAC brow set in Beguile
ELF HD eyeshadow base
UD e/s in Kush (lid), Psychedelic Sister (outer-V, crease) and Perversion (outer-V)
In2it waterproof liner in Black
Maybelline
UD 24/7 liner in Zero
Maybelline Magnum Express mascara

Smashbox photofinish primer (green)
Avon ideal liquid foundation in Nude
Shu Uemura loose powder
Cinemasecrets concealer
MAC sculpt and shape
MAC blush

NYX in Spoiled
Chanel Rouge Allure in Insolence

i hope you like it...i'll try to do more FOTD/EOTD posts, and hopefully tutorials soon. let's just hope work won't be that crazy in the days to come...or just wish me luck in waking up early so i can whip up a look for you! ^_^

til next time, tata!
(yeah, my face had gotten a lot more plump)

Fab Find: Wet n Wild palette in Knock on Wood...

just want to share another fab find during my recent trip at Watsons:

Wet n Wild palette in Knock on Wood

aside from the colors, what caught my eye are the labeling:

and at the back of the packaging:

it's like you are getting some sort of tutorial on how and where to apply the colors in this palette.

cool, huh!?

Product Review: Purederm Nutritive firming Hydro Pure Gel Mask

we all love taking some time off to pamper ourselves, right? we go to the derma, spa, nail or hair salons whenever we feel like we need to take a break and give ourselves a bit of TLC we deserve. if only we have more time to do so, i bet nobody will ever get or look stressed ever again! but of course, we don't have as much time as we want to but thanks to DIY stuff for almost anything, we can do our pampering sessions right in the comfort of our home!

a month ago, i got some stuff from Purederm as gifts. i've always loved their products, most especially their wet facial tissues for acne-prone skin. when i got the items, i was just too excited to use this mask as i was already feeling all stressed and my skin already looks dull.

Purederm Nutritive Firming Hydro Pure Gel Mask

a gentle hydrogel mask infused with high-moisturizing ingredients that penetrate deeply into skin to deliver their benefits. you will notice the absorption of the active ingredients, as the mask becomes thinner with time. this rich, invigorating mask enhanced with Caviar Extract, Green Tea Extract and Vitamin E, visibly nourishes, lifts and firms to bring your skin back into youth. it leaves you looking and feeling energized for the day ahead!

how to use
1. thoroughly clean and dry face
2. open the packet and take out the upper and lower sheets. remove the plastic from both sides of the sheets
3. apply the upper and lower sheets onto the face and smooth out any air bubbles with fingers
4. wear the mask for 20-30 minutes and peel off slowly from the edges. gently massage remaining essence into the skin

i had a hard time keeping the mask on my face for i was walking around and doing chores. i suggest you just lay down and relax ^_^

looking closely, you can see that the sheet is rich with different essences

i let the mask stay on my face for more than 30 minutes then massaged my skin with the remaining moisture. i immediately felt that my skin got a lot smoother. after rinsing, my face felt moisturized...no tightness at all! i didn't put anything on after. X was still here when i used it i was surprised when he said, "what did you do? your face looks brighter." my face indeed felt a whole lot cleaner, looked brighter and more supple.

i felt a bit of itchiness after putting the mask on. i think it was because i was on Obagi and my skin tends to be a lot more sensitive. remember that Obagi has hydroquinone and i also use tretinoin with it. but the itchiness went away in a few minutes. i didn't have any red patches (sign of allergy) after i rinsed so i'm sure my skin's fine :)

the mask is also slimy and it would be hard keeping it on the face if you are moving around. be sure to just sit still or better yet, just lay down and relax. besides, you are trying to de-stress here ^_^

priced at Php199.75, this is a lot cheaper than going to your facialist or derma. but of course, better to seek professional help for more serious concerns.

cautions
1. avoid using on blemishes, pimples, irritated or sun-burnt skin
2. stop using and ask a doctor if skin becomes red, swollen, itchy during use and if above symptoms persist after use
3. keep out of eyes. if eye contact occurs, rinse with water
4. avoid using on skin which is sensitive to bandages or tapes
5. avoid storing under direct sunlight or high and low temperature. keep away from the reach of children. to prevent dryness, use mask at once after opening pouch.

my new 'do....

i've always wanted to get curls...now, i finally got them:

then they went nadah in less than an hour!


yeah, i was just playing with my curling iron..
but i really wish to get them, soon!

Product Review: NYX HD Eyeshadow Base

Lately, I am having trouble keeping my eye makeup stay put for hours. I dunno, maybe my lids just got oilier or my HG eyeshadow primer's just stopped working fine on me. I would apply eye makeup in the morning, and find creasing and fading at midday. Because of this, i stopped using darker shades of eyeshadows and tried to get away with beige as lidwash and liner on most days.

Just when i thought it's the end of my colorful EOTDs, this new stuff from NYX HD line proved out to be my savior:

NYX HD Eyeshadow Base

Even out skin tone and smooth out lines.
Perfect prep for true color and long lasting eyeshadow
Be camera-ready in an instant!

wand is like that of UDPP's

soft shade of beige that evens out skin tone on the lids

with primer on the left, without primer on the right


compared to UDPP, this one has a lighter consistency. it applies and blends easily and keeps eye makeup for hours. with its soft beige shade, you can use this alone as it really evens out skin tone. with this, you get to blend eye makeup easy which sometimes becomes a problem with UDPP since it can dry out easily. priced at Php400, this is a lot cheaper than UDPP which sells for P900 (or more) here in the Philippines.

the packaging is also a lot more travel-friendly than their other eyeshadow base (the one in a pot). it's black, sleek and classy too. it does help in keeping my eye makeup stay put for a longer period of time. it works like UDPP (well, this one used to really work well on me), only that this one is a lightweight and cheaper version.

here's an EOTD using Urban Decay Naked Palette:

freshly applied eyeshadow (around 9am)

eye makeup more than 12 hours later
(excuse my uber oily face, and that pimple...ewww!)

i know there's a little creasing but with other eye shadow primer, that eye makeup would already be non-existent at that time (except for the liner)


here's another EOTD using UD Book of Shadows:

freshly applied eye makeup at 8am

eye makeup around 9pm

by the way, i intended to use this primer with my UD eyeshadows as i find them easier to crease than my MACs.

i really can't find anything to dislike with this product, probably only the fact that this isn't sold locally. but of course, our trusted Digitaltraincase online store will take care of that for us.

til next time!

FOTD/EOTD: Playing with colors again...

it really feels good to be finally playing with colors again..

EYES
MAC eyebrow liner in Lingering
MAC browset in Girl Boy
Revlon brow enhancer
Urban Decay e/s in Shattered, Mayhem (lid) and Smog (crease)
Shu Uemura liquid liner
Maybelline Magnum Volume Express mascara

FACE
Smashbox Photofinish primer
Estee Lauder Double Wear liquid foundation in Sand
Shu Uemura loose powder
Cinemasecrets concealer
NYX HD blush in English Rose
NYX blush in Taupe

LIPS
NYX l/s in Doll
Chanel Rouge Allure lipgloss in Insolence

...don't you think so too?

tata!

NOTD: Rescue Beauty Lounge in Mismas

Rescue Beauty Lounge polish in Mismas

a lovely violet shade, don't you think? reminds me of "Ube Halaya" during Christmas time here in PH.
^_^

I got invited to a spa party last week and Sol let me use this. I immediately fell inlove with the color: lively, fresh and can i just say, makes me hungry? LOL! too bad this shade has been discontinued already...ack, how could this be!?

sorry for the already-chipped polish, i just really want to show you how lovely this color is. hmmm, can we contact RBL and ask them to put this back? can we!?

Something New: NYX HD Grinding Blush

it's true when they say "when it rains, it pours.." only this time, we are being showered with good (and beautiful) new stuff from NYX Cosmetics.

we all know about HD makeup...it's makeup that is made of superfine, micronized pigments that allow people to achieve a flawless, almost airbrushed look. in front of HD cameras, the slightest amount of imperfections can be seen if makeup of inferior quality are used. so having said that, if we can use everything HD..we will, right!?

the first HD blush that i came across with was that of CARGO (which i still have, and still love)..so when Sol told me about that the new HD line from NYX has blush, i was just too excited.

NYX HD Grinding Blush

A revolutionary system for face blush. This genius system grinds mineral-enriched high-definition blush powder that deflects light from skin an makes pores appear smaller and smoother. Perfect for photos an filming. Grinding powder allows you to control the amount you need and keeps remaining product fresh. Say goodbye to oil trappings on powders, contamination, and cracking.

the lid comes with a mirror

grinding blush

alright, i know what you're thinking...it does remind us of this grinding foundation from another brand. yep, it does look like the Smashbox Halo Hydrating Perfecting Powder.

(wait til you see the grinding foundation also from NYX)
^_^


to get this to work, just rotate the lid clockwise until the desired amount of blush is chopped off:

turn left...


tadahh!

now on to the swatches:
(first pic on natural light, second under flash)

American Girl, Apricot

English Rose, Georgia Peach

Menage a Trois, Nutmeg

Sangria in Madrid, Terra Cota

my personal favorites are English Rose, Menage A Trois, Sangria in Madrid and Georgia Peach (though Sol doesn't approve of it...well, i guess i don't really look good in peaches!). these blushes are pigmented and blends easily into the skin. with the "grinding" technique, you can control the amount you need and it does keep the product from contamination.

priced at Php750, i can say that it does come with a hefty price tag for a drugstore brand...but hey, it's HD and still affordable as compared to other brands that offer HD line.

again, these babies are not available locally but you can get them by placing your orders at Digitaltraincase. and yeah, i am just one of you ladies waiting for these to be available in her online store soon!

Product Review: Purederm 3 in 1 Magic BB Cream

Purederm 3-in-1 Magic BB Cream

Moisturizes and protects stressed skin
With SPF30 PA++, it blocks out UVA and UVB rays from the sun
It's waterproof feature makes sure that the 3-in-1 attributes remain against water and sweat
Enriched with natural and herbal tea extracts increases skin elasticity and improves skin conditioning

whenever my skin becomes problematic (be it due to stress, or too much experimenting on skincare), i always turn to BB creams. i've always considered these creams as "medicated" foundations that can provide medium to even heavy coverage for skins that can no longer keep up with the harsh ingredients of other traditional foundations. whenever i have a bb cream on, it makes me feel that i am somehow letting my skin heal.

i've tried a lot of brands already, and i can only name a few that i liked. though some have promising healing ingredients, they either make me look too pink or grayish. also, some fail to give me the coverage that i need. i would sometimes end up using thick concealer, or layers of powder just to cover up those nasty blemishes. and yeah, those things would just aggravate my already-sick skin.

having used Purederm 3-in-1 bb cream for weeks, i now consider it as one of my HG.

swatch

blended

here's a before pic:

(okay, you may stop freaking out now...^_^)


after 2 thin layers, applied by fingers:

i love that it covers my blemishes well. applying another layer on my cheeks would hide those nasty pimple scars more. it's also yellow-toned, easy to apply by either fingers or a stippling brush. i've been using it for almost a month (alternating it with other foundations, of course) and i haven't had any allergic reactions. it also provides a fresh, dewy look after a few hours. i am still on Obagi regimen and it does make me a lot oilier than the usual, but it's nothing that a good blotting paper won't be able to fix.

the pink-tube packaging is an eye-candy and it makes me reach out for it a lot more often. a little goes a long way, so i'm sure this tube would last me for months.

it has SPF, anti-wrinkle and whitening properties (though i can't really vouch for it's whitening/anti-wrinkle properties since I am on Obagi), what else can you ask for?

after setting with Shu Uemura loose powder:

i just wish that like my long-staying foundations, it would stay for hours on my skin. but i guess, that would be asking for too much already.
^_^

available in Watsons stores, priced at Php695