Pucker Up! | Maybelline Baby Lips in Anti-Oxidant Berry.

Although these line of lip balms from Maybelline have been in the market for quite some time now (they were launched around October last year, If I'm not mistaken), they're definitely new in this part of country. Saw them on display at Watson's (SM San Pablo) 'New Products' section for the first time last month, during the 3-day mallwide sale.

After receiving this massive loot from my husband,  I made a resolve to refrain from buying makeup for the time being. But I just couldn't resist these pretty little things.

Their design and packaging are definitely screaming for attention. The flavors look yummy, and the promise of renewed, baby-soft lips makes them all the more interesting.

I wanted to try them all, but since I still have an ample supply from Carmex, I bought just one lip balm. I went for the Anti-Oxidant Berry because it's pink. And seeing how only a few of them were left in the display rack, I figured it's the best-seller among the four flavors.

The Maybelline promise - instant eight-hour moisture, rejuvenated lips in one week.

Its active ingredient, centella, is known for its anti-aging and rejuvenating properties. Other ingredients found in the Baby Lips are shea butter and vitamin complex. The former has healing properties, while the latter is a known anti-oxidant. 

As such, this lip balm not only moisturizes, it also makes your kisser softer and more supple. Reduces fine lines, too. Sun protection is also a bonus. SPF20 on a lip balm, I'm fine with that.

Don't confuse this with the US version of Baby Lips, though. Theirs are tinted lip balms (think Revlon's ColorBurst Lip Butter) that come in six different variants. Ours are untinted, and come in four flavors.

What I love: 
- The packaging. (Very cute, IMHO.)
- The price. (Php 79 only.)
- The sun protection factor.
- The scent. (Sweet and light berry scent, that's not overpowering.)
- Non-greasy and lightweight.
- Moisturizes and softens lips.

What I don't like:
- Their animal testing policy. (Quite confusing since what the company claims is different from what the Leaping Bunny says.)

I'm tempted to try the Relieving Menthol variant, just so I could compare it against the classic Carmex. But I must restrain myself from buying since I have a pack of my favorite EOS - the real HG lip balm - arriving very soon. 

On a different note, great things are about to happen to The Rebel Sweetheart.
August is gonna be awesome, folks! I will TAKE CONTROL!
Sounds cryptic for now, but I will spill the beans very soon. Watch out for it! :)

Sharing with Pink Saturday, Great Finds Sunday, Blue Monday. 

Missha Under Eye Brightener | The Battle Against Dark Undereyes.

I went through my makeup stash over the weekend and did some sorting and organizing. This sort-of-spring-cleaning made me realize that I've become a total Missha fan, seeing the quantity of Missha products that I currently own.

You really can't blame me since most of their products really work on my skin. There's the Real Complete BB Cream and the Wrinkle BB Filler Cream, which I consider as my HG BB creams.

And then there's the Under Eye Brightener, which was sent by my husband a few months back.

I posted a photo of this on Instagram about a month ago, which means this review is also four weeks overdue. Haha!

The Missha Under Eye Brightener comes with a typical doe-foot applicator. The concealer itself has a thick, gel-like consistency - not too creamy like most stick concealers, but not watery either. It blends easily, and dries up pretty fast, too. It has a semi-matte finish, and provides light to medium coverage.

I'm #21 Light Beige when it comes to Missha BB Creams, and the same goes for the Under Eye Brightener as well. This product comes in just two shades, though - the other one being #21 Natural Beige.

There's a stark difference between the skin tone (of the back of my hand) and the Under Eye Brightener. The latter looks more white than beige, actually. But once it's spread out and blended nicely, it gives a good coverage and doesn't make my skin look pale.

What I love:
- Packaging. (Hygienic, since I don't have to dip or dab my fingers into it.)
- Creamy consistency.
- Easy to blend, dries easily.
- Doesn't settle on the fine lines underneath the eyes.
- Affordable. (Php 399 Missha Philippines / $5.99 Missha US / KRW 3300 Missha Korea)

What I don't like:
- Only two shades to choose from.
- Except for the name of the product itself, almost everything is written in Hangul.

If there's one beauty product that I can't do without, it's a concealer.

I have a perennial battle with my dark undereyes, thanks to my incurable insomnia. And since a good night's sleep is as elusive as VVIP tickets to the Big Bang Alive Tour in Manila, a concealer that does wonders is my best bet against zombie-looking eyes.


Missha Under Eye Brightener is going to be a staple in my vanity kit from now on.

Win an Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette!

In celebration of 11,000 fans, Addicted 2 Savings 4 U is giving away a Brand New Urban Decay: Naked 2 Palette! With a Retail Value of $50.00! I have teamed up with some amazing bloggers to make this giveaway a huge success!!

Here's a little bit about this amazing palette! The most anticipated sequel of the decade. Naked2 has 12 pigment-rich, taupe and greige neutral eyeshadows, including five new shades. Our palette proves once again, neutral is anything but boring, (and is downright sexy when worn Naked). Feast your eyes on our shades ranging from pale to deep, matte to sparkly. This collection lets you achieve lots of neutral looks, smoky dramatic eyes, and everything in between. Let's just say there's a whole new way to get Naked! The case has an art-school inspired look with hinged lid - taupe metal with embossed chocolate brown artwork. It's smooth, modern and cool to the touch - a real tactile experience. Plus, our palette also features a travel-size Lip Junkie Lipgloss in Naked, and a double-ended, cruelty-free Good Karma Shadow/Crease Brush (available only in this palette). Any self-respecting makeup lover will have to have both palettes to get their complete neutral fix!

List of colors included in Naked 2 Palette:

Foxy, Half Baked, Bootycall, Chopper, Tease, Snakebite, Suspect, Pistol, Verve, YDK, Busted, Blackout

{Photo Credit: Frmheadtotoe}

Amazing Bloggers participating in this HOT giveaway: Pink Purse Adventures, The Rebel Sweetheart, Style N Decor Deals, Naddez's Tidbyts, Parsimonious Pash, Of Limes and Lemons, Crafts-things and Katie's Krazy Savings!

Disclaimer: I am a blogger promoting this giveaway, I am not responsible for the fulfillment of prize. Addicted 2 Savings 4 U assumes all responsibility for fulfillment and shipment of Naked 2 Palette!

Giveaway will run from Thursday, June 28th until Tuesday, July 3rd!

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EcoTools | Brushes for the Environment-Conscious.

A few weeks ago, another wonderful surprise arrived at our doorstep.

And as you can see, they were sent to me by Eazy Fashion. 

After sponsoring my Summer Splash Giveaway (which they did oh-so-generously, by the way), the kind people that they are even gave me this as a token of appreciation. Talk about perfect timing! I had been planning on buying a new kabuki brush, as my four-year-old Walgreens-bought kabuki conked out on me sometime last month.

I've seen a handful of positive reviews for this brush set, and seeing the likes here only goes to show how popular this brand is. Heck, I have three friends AND even my cousin begging me for this.

The EcoTools 5-piece brush set includes:

- Mineral Powder Brush

- Concealer Brush

- Eye Shading Brush

- Baby Kabuki

- Cosmetic Bag

So basically, it's a set intended for the entire face. The handles are shorter and the brush heads are a bit smaller than the usual as they are meant to be a travel set - the kind that you can easily stash in your purse.

Made with synthetic taklon bristles, recycled aluminum ferules, and bamboo handles, these brushes are certified eco-friendly and cruelty-free.

If you've read positive reviews of EcoTools elsewhere - how they don't smell, bleed, or shed, or how these brushes are very easy to work with when using liquid concealer/foundation or cream eyeshadow - I can easily attest to that. The secret? Taklon.

Compared to animal hair, which has cuticles that can easily pick-up dead skin cells, dust, and other contaminants (therefore making your brush an unsanitary breeding ground for bacteria), taklon doesn't have hair cuticles and has antibacterial properties. So if you're the type who doesn't clean makeup brushes on a weekly basis, then EcoTools would definitely suit you.

As for its versatility, I gave the concealer brush a run with my thick and creamy Missha Under Eye Brightener. And what do you know... it glided smoothly despite the concealer's heavy texture! Plus, the brush is shaped perfectly, at least, in my humble opinion.

The eye shading brush, on the other hand, is just as soft and packs just the right amount of color. I use this primarily as a blender, as I prefer to use those tiny applicators for my eyeshadow.

As for the mineral powder brush, it picks up and packs color easily, and to my liking. However, I find it smaller than the usual face brush so I use it as my blusher instead. 

And then there's the baby kabuki, my favorite brush in this set. Despite being smaller than the regular-sized ones, this baby kabuki is dense enough for my Krave Luxurious Perfection. Yes, the handle may be small and the brush head may not be big enough to cover my entire face, but I love it nonetheless. 

Finally, the cosmetic bag, which is made of 55% hemp linen (yes, hemp, as in Cannabis sativa, lol) and 45% cotton. At first, I found it a bit too snug for the mineral powder brush. But after stretching the bag a bit by gently tugging at its corners, lo and behold, the mineral powder brush fit inside perfectly, along with the other brushes. And there's even some space left for a lipstick, a lip balm, or maybe even a Sleek MakeUp blush.

All in all, I'm pretty satisfied with this set and grateful because I received this as a gift. :)

And in case you want a set like mine, you can purchase it for only Php 590 at Eazy Fashion. You can even get the EcoTools brush set for only Php 495 if you include five other items in your order. Pretty affordable for something this nice, right?

My Love Affair with Human Heart Nature's Perfect Coverage Mineral Foundation.

If you're a regular reader of my blog (or my makeup posts, at least), then you've seen me try all sorts of BB creams, work with different eyeshadow palettes, and wear different lipstick brands from time to time. But have you noticed that I'm pretty much 'stick-to-one' when it comes to foundations?

I've been using Avon's Ideal Luminous Dual Powder Foundation in Shell for as long as I can remember. And the only time I used another foundation was when I received a pot of Krave Luxurious Perfection for review. Other than that, it has always been just one brand/variant for me.

However, I have always been looking forward to the day when Human Heart Nature would include foundations in their makeup line. My wishful thinking came to reality when they finally released the Perfect Coverage Mineral Foundation last May 5. It was love at first sight, at first touch, at first contact with my skin. I love the product for so many different reasons, which I have enumerated below.

1) It comes in a pink stationery box that screams of cuteness. The compact comes in purple, which just so happens to be my favorite color.

2) It compliments you with all honesty. Haha! How many foundations are there in the market that call you 'gorgeous'? I bet this is the only one.

3) It's all-natural and chemical-free - which is of course, what Human Heart Nature is all about.

4) It's also the first 100% natural powder foundation tailor-made for the Filipina skin. It understands the complexity and uniqueness of the Filipina complexion, which is neither yellowish like most of our Asian counterparts, nor pinkish like most of the women from Western countries.

The Perfect Coverage Mineral Foundation comes in four shades: Vanilla (light skin), Honey (fair skin),  Caramel (medium skin), Toffee (morena skin).
I'm a 'Honey'. :)

Medium to full coverage but barely there! I love! :)

5) Best of all, it works well with all of my favorite BB creams! (You know how much I love BB creams and how I never leave home without 'em.) I've tried it with my favorite variants from Etude, Missha, Skin Food, and The Face Shop and they've all blended harmoniously with the Perfect Coverage Mineral Foundation.

Human Heart Nature's Perfect Coverage Mineral Foundation is currently being sold at an introductory price of Php 475. You can order it online, or purchase it at Human Heart Nature branches near you.

Now I'm squeezing in these FOTD photos just because. :)

Products used:

L'Oreal Base Magique Primer
Etude House Precious Minerals All Day Strong BB Cream #3
Human Heart Nature Perfect Coverage Mineral Foundation in Honey
Avon Ideal Luminous Concealer Stick in Almond
NYC Color Wheel Eye Powder in Beyond the Sea
Avon Extralasting Liquid Eyeliner in Black
Kohl Royal Selections Eyeliner in Charcoal Gray
Ever Bilena Eyebrow Liner in Brown
Avon Super Curlacious Waterproof Mascara in Black
Sleek MakeUp Blush in Pomegranate
Jordana Double Length Lip Liner in Rose
Miners Matte Factor Lip Paint in Warm Red
Wet n Wild MegaSlicks Lip Gloss in Candy Apple

Sharing with i Heart Macro, Blue Monday, and Green Monday!

Join | Sleek MakeUp Mother's Day Giveaway!

Everyone loves their mom and always wants to find the best gift to make her feel loved and appreciated. These are the gifts I have found - a bunch of Sleek MakeUp products - and I would love to share them with you. 

1 Dip-it Liquid Eyeliner

1 Cheek Foundation in Flamingo

1 Wonderlast Lip Color in Pink Parakeet

All these made possible by Sleek MakeUp PH, the official and authorized distributor of Sleek MakeUp products here in the Philippines. Details of each prize item can be found in this sponsor spotlight article. Other Sleek MakeUp products that you might find interesting are posted here and here.


Joining is easy peasy! Enter the giveaway through the Rafflecopter below. Please be patient as it takes a few seconds to load. This giveaway is open worldwide and will run until May 18, 2012.


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After you enter my giveaway head over to Makobi Scribe to see her mothers day gift ideas worth over $3000. Then stop by Sason & Pobi to enter the grand prize drawing of a Toshiba 32SLV411U - 32" class 720p 60Hz TV/DVD Combo!

Makobi Scribe Reviews, LLC or the Mother’s Day Gift Event Bloggers are not responsible for sponsors that do not fulfill their prizes.

Spotlight | Skye Avenue.

Whenever I'm not busy watching Korean dramas or spazzing over Kpop music videos, one of my other favorite pastimes is online shopping. For a self-confessed shopaholic, it's the most convenient method of splurging on all sorts of merchandise. And for the more congenial ones (like uhm, me!), it's also a great way of making new friends online.

Case in point, Ms. Dee Tan, who agreed to provide my prizes for the Mama Love Giveaway.

Ms. Dee is the owner of Skye Avenue - home of authentic and quality slimming products, whitening products, and now, even beauty products. She was more than happy to collaborate with me in this global event, and earlier this week, I received these from her.

Aside from sponsoring my giveaway, Ms. Dee even sent a bunch of beauty products for me to enjoy. Yes, that's how kind she is. :)

Both packages were secured in bubble wrap, and had thank-you stickers on them. I opened mine, and here's what I found inside.

A jar of Krave Luxurious Perfection Mineral Foundation, a tube of Miners Matte Factor Lip Paint, and some Ecorre BB Cream! I'll do a separate review on these items. Hopefully I can get 'em all done within the next 48 hours. Hopefully. :)

I dared not open the other package because it's sealed and nicely wrapped as it is. So instead of taking actual photos, I copied these photos from the official websites instead. I can't resist not giving my lovely readers and fellow makeup junkies a glimpse of what they should be looking forward to come May 1.

A 3-pack sachet of Ecorre Artist BB Cream.

A NYX Round Lipstick in Peach Bellini.

A Beauty UK Cosmetics Eyeshadow / Eyeliner Palette in Amazon.

Sweet, isn't it?
Told you May will be another giveaway-filled month for me. Thank you Ms. Dee, for making this giveaway possible. :)

The Mama Love Event will go live from May 1 to May 6, so be sure to come back and enter my giveaway then!

Skye Avenue is all over the web!

On Facebook http://www.facebook.com/skyeavenueonline
On Multiply http://skyeavenue.multiply.com/
On Sulit http://skyeavenue.sulit.com.ph/
And on Twitter https://twitter.com/#!/skyeavenue

Sharing with i Heart Macro! :)

Pucker Up! | More Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters.

You know what's better than a Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter?

My first, the Sweet Tart.

More Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters!

Plus two new babies, the Cherry Tart and Lollipop.

The two new tubes are actually gifts. When my cousin discovered how much I loved my Sweet Tart, she wasted no time in buying two new colors for me. She sent them via mail, and thankfully they arrived at my doorstep safe and sound.

Photo filtered via PicMonkey. Because Picnik is saying buh-bye in a few.

Uncapped and placed together side by side, here's how their colors look like.

From L-R: Sweet Tart, Cherry Tart, Lollipop.

I feel like a kid in a candy store just by looking at them like this. 

Now here's how the colors look like when swatched on the skin.

From L-R: Sweet Tart, Lollipop, Cherry Tart.

Compared to Sweet Tart, Lollipop is a darker shade of pink - fuchsia, actually with specks of purple shimmer and light blue undertones.

Lollipop, up close.

Cherry Tart, from the name itself, is a shade of cherry red - warm and bright, with a bit of shimmer to it.

Cherry Tart, up close.

This is how they look like on my lips.

That's Cherry Tart on top, and Lollipop at the bottom.  

Both are highly pigmented, very creamy, and absolutely hydrating. And despite the minimal staying power (two to three hours max), these Lip Butters continue to impress me with their knock-your-socks off colors and non-drying features.  

And I certainly will not complain if somebody - anybody - sends me more of these babies again!

Sharing with This or That Thursday, Happiness Is, Pink Friday, Pink Saturday.