Spotlight | Urban Decay Ammo Eyeshadow Palette.

A few weeks back, Mommy Windy of Stuff in Style sent me a package containing the Benefit Erase Paste and the Ammo Eyeshadow Palette from Urban Decay.

Ammo!

This being my first UD palette ever, I couldn't help but be a little too giddy as I took the palette out of its plastic box. The packaging itself is a beauty, with Urban Decay's signature swirls, butterflies, hearts, skulls, and what-have-you printed using purple velvet and metallic foil.

Up close: velvet + foil.

Released in celebration of their tenth anniversary (that's like, five years ago haha!), Ammo contains ten of Urban Decay's best-selling eyeshadows, organized in coordinating duos.

Top Row L-R: Smog, Mildew, Oil Slick, Last Call, Chopper.
Bottom Row L-R: Maui Wowie, Shattered, Polyester Bride, Grifter, Sin.

Smog is coppery bronze, while Maui Wowie has a pale gold color with glitters in it.
Mildew is a metallic green color, with gold undertones while Shattered is a pretty shade of teal.
Right in the middle is Oil Slick - it's black with rainbow glitters in it.
On the other hand, Polyester Bride is white, shimmery, and glittery.
Last Call is a plum shade, Grifter is a glittery lavender.
Finally there's Chopper which is light beige/fawn in color, and Sin - a pinkish, shimmering champagne color.

Pretty shades all in a row!

Take a look at the swatches. They're a tad shimmery, but the colors are undeniably gorgeous. Highly-pigmented, too!

Top Row L-R: Smog, Mildew, Oil Slick, Last Call, Chopper.
Bottom Row L-R: Maui Wowie, Shattered, Polyester Bride, Grifter, Sin.

What I love most about this palette - aside from its versatility and the variety of looks that you can create with it - is that it bears the Leaping Bunny and Cruelty Free sign.

Not tested on animals!

A few months back, reports of Urban Decay being removed from the list of Cruelty Free brands circulated online, much to my chagrin. As most of my regular readers know, I prefer - as much as possible - to use brands that are either organic, all-natural, or at the very least, cruelty-free.

I checked with LeapingBunny.org just now, and I'm pleased to inform you that Urban Decay is back on the list. Yes, Urban Decay is certified Cruelty Free!

In a nutshell, here's what I think of the Urban Decay Eyeshadow Palette.

What I love:
- Chic and compact packaging
- Gorgeous, highly-pigmented shades
- Smooth and creamy texture
- Blendable and buildable colors
- The looks you can create with this palette are endless!
- You get what you pay for.

What I don't like:
- Some of the shades are too glittery.
- Fallout.

And now for the look:

On my eyes: Chopper, Sin, and Smog.

Products used:
FACE: L'Oreal Base Magique Primer, Missha Under Eye Brightener,
Skin Food Good Afternoon  BB Cream in Rose Lemon Tea.
EYES: Urban Decay Ammo Eyeshadow Palette, Avon Ultra Luxury Eye Liner in Dark Brown, Avon Mega Impact Gel Eyeliner in Blackberry, Missha Viewer 270 HD Curl Mascara in Black.
CHEEKS: Sleek MakeUp Pomegranate Blush
LIPS:  Revlon Color Burst Lip Butter in Lollipop.

If I were to have just one Urban Decay Palette, Ammo would be it. Gone are the days when I'd pine over Naked2, haha!

The Urban Decay Ammo Eyeshadow Palette is available at Stuff in Style for Php 1,600 only! Other Urban Decay products and US-brand cosmetics are on-hand and in-store, too!

Pucker Up! | ELF Super Glossy Lip Shine in Candlelight.

Last week, I had the honor of receiving a package from ELF Cosmetics Philippines. And I say honor because ELF is a pretty popular brand of cosmetics in the US.

Nowadays, the brand is definitely making waves in the Philippine shore. I've read one too many blog post gushing about how great their products are. I'm grateful towards ELF Cosmetics Philippines for sending me these goodies.

Total Face Brush, Liquid Eyeliner, Super Glossy Lip Shine, All Over Cover Stick.

Having developed a penchant for lip gloss as of late, I decided to try the Super Glossy Lip Shine first.

For the lips. :)

The 10-gram tube of lip gloss comes in a simple, no-fuss packaging. And you get sun protection from each tube - SPF 15, to be exact.

The Super Glossy Lip Shine has eleven different colors. The one I received is Candlelight, which is a nude color, with a hint of peach to it.

Peaches and corals are the 'in' thing these days, so I was more than happy to receive this variant. Plus the fact that I have very few peach/coral-colored lip products in my traincase and vanity kit.

The easy-to-squeeze tube comes with a smooth glide applicator.

It does a good job of spreading the lip gloss all over your lips, although I prefer to use my fingertips to even out the color.

ELF gets plus points from me because they're cruelty-free! Good job for NOT testing on animals! 

The Super Glossy Lip Shine is a steal for just Php 129. If only the Watson's at SM San Pablo carried ELF products, I'd definitely purchase another tube of this lip gloss in a different color. No, make that colors!

What I love:

- Color pay-off.

- High-shine!

- Moisturizes the lips.

- The yummy grape vanilla scent.

- Sun protection factor.

- Affordable price.

What you might not like:

- The gloss itself is thick and sticky.

Visit an ELF branch near you to score this lip gloss, and other amazing ELF products!
I'll be doing the reviews of the other products in the coming days (hopefully not weeks, haha!) so please look forward to it! :)

Disclaimer: Product was sent to me for review. Thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Some sneakpeeq Steals!

A few months ago, I had the privilege of hosting a giveaway for sneakpeeq. I was still a newbie at giveaway events and PR activities back then, so it was quite an honor to be pitched outright by the company.

Much as I enjoyed hosting their giveaway, it's the shopping itself that I love most about sneakpeeq. Not only do I get to discover new brands and great products, I also have the chance to buy items at discounted prices (often at astounding dirt-cheap prices, mind you!). I can also 'share' the deals that I 'peeq' into, which can earn me leaderboard points and badges that translate into even better deals (e.g, free shipping, additional 15% discount on a particular brand, etc.).

You might be wondering if sneakpeeq ships outside of the US. At the moment, they don't. I just happen to have the kindest friends and relatives whose addresses I use for my US-restricted shopping finds. They, in turn, ship the items to me. I will forever be indebted for stamp and postage fees, haha! :)

Now let me share with you my amazing sneakpeeq finds.

BWC Lip Gloss, BWC Nail Polish, Freshwater Pearl Earrings.

1) Freshwater Pearl Earrings.

Valued at $49, I got these babies for FREE. It's some sort of welcome gift to new sneakpeeq members, and I've seen a lot of bloggers out there who also received the same gift as mine.

2) Beauty Without Cruelty Nail Polish.

Originally priced at $16.95, I snagged this for $1 only! Yes, one freaking dollar only! This was priced at $11 after sneakpeeq discount, but thanks to my extra $10 off (which I got as a badge for sharing my peeqs), I got it for an even lower price! How cool is that?!

$1 is an incredible steal, I tell you. The color is intense, it doesn't chip off easily, it dries quickly, it's phtalate and formaldehyde-free and best of all... BWC is certified cruelty-free! No animal testing whatsoever!

3) Beauty Without Cruelty Lip Gloss.

My regular blog followers would know that I'm not a huge fan of lip gloss. But having the opportunity to get this for only $1 (from its original price of $16.95) isn't something you come across with everyday, so there.

See the Leaping Bunny and Vegan Society logo? That's proof that Beauty Without Cruelty is living up to its name.

Color pay-off, check. 

Doe-foot applicator glides on lips smoothly, check. 

Not tested on animals, check. 

And, surprisingly, non-sticky - check!

I'm glad I stayed away from the pinks and got this instead. I have waaaay too many pinks and reds already!
The color's just right for those days when I don't feel like putting on full make-up. And yesterday was one of them.

Let's end this post with an FOTD, shall we? :)

Products used:

Missha The Style Under Eye Brightener in Light Beige
Etude House Precious Minerals All Day Strong BB Cream #2
Human Heart Nature Perfect Coverage Mineral Foundation in Honey
L'Oreal Wear Infinite Eye Shadow Single in Sable
Avon Extra Lasting Liquid Eyeliner in Black
Kohl Royal Selections Eyeliner in Charcoal Gray
Ever Bilena Eyebrow Liner in Brown
Avon Super Curlacious Waterproof Mascara in Black
Tony Moly Cheek Tint #1 Cherry Pink
Beauty Without Cruelty Natural Lip Gloss in Coral Mist