Today's Look | In the Pink.

As a follow-up to the product review, here's the look that I've created using Human Nature's First Kiss Mineral Hydrating Lipstick. This was meant to succeed my Valentines Date entry, as I wore the lipstick on that particular day. My apologies for the delay in posting. I was just not in the mood to do this last night. Better late than never, anyway.

Pink eyes, pink cheeks, pink lips. :)

My selca session was interrupted by this rowdy little dude. Apparently, he has become a camwhore like his mother. LOL.

And now, the look - under bedroom light.

How it looks under natural light.

Products used:


Missha M Signature Real Complete BB Cream # 21
Avon Ideal Luminous Dual Powder Foundation in Shell

Avon Ideal Shade Concealer Stick in Almond

Ever Bilena Advance Perfect Eye Concealer in Light

Almay Intense iColor Trio for Hazels

Ever Bilena Eyebrow Liner in Brown

Avon Extralasting Liquid Eyeliner in Black

Kohl Royal Selections Eyeliner in Charcoal Gray

Avon Super Curlacious Waterproof Mascara in Black

Tony Moly Cheek Tint in #1 Cherry Pink

Jordana Double Length Lip Liner in Rose

Human Nature Mineral Hydrating Lipstick in First Kiss

Sharing with 366 and Look Who's Snapping!

Today's Look | Smouldering Smoky.

I'm surprised I'm even posting this. Because today, of all days, is actually the worst time to do an FOTD post.

My skin was in such a troubled state this morning. I woke up with a patch of red, flaking skin right beneath my nostrils. This usually happens to me when the weather is cold and dry, so I wasn't too surprised about it. But what made things worse were the tiny red spots sitting near the tip of my nose. They were tiny all right, but plenty enough to be visible to the naked eye! I reckon I got these from the pore strips my brother and I tried over the weekend. (It was actually even worse for my brother, who had breakouts around his nose. Damn pore strips!)

Good thing my dilemma wasn't anything my BB cream couldn't handle. Whoever invented this wonder worker is truly a genius. Otherwise, I wouldn't even dare step out of the house, let alone take pictures of myself and post them on the internet.

And so after covering the impurities with a generous amount of BB cream and concealer, I dolled my eyes up with these.

Almay Intense i-Color Trio for Smoky Eyes.

I actually have four different smoky eye palettes, but this one is my most favorite. I love how the colors in this Almay Trio are bold enough to create smouldering eyes, but not too overpowering for daytime wear.

Smoked. :)

Now here's my other smoky eye palette. It's actually a face palette complete with a lip tint and blusher, which I used for today's look. It's a gift from my cousin in London.

The NEXT Look Face Palette.

Just to be clear, I used the blusher only. I'm not too keen about the lip tint because it's too sticky in an ugh sort of way. The first time I tried them on (which also was the last), my lips felt so unbelievably dry and icky. I don't want to touch that again even with a ten-foot pole.

Almay and NEXT.

I used this for my lips instead.

Avon Smooth Minerals Lipstick in Pinkberry.

And now for the final look.

Smoky is love! <3

I have the most hideous eyebags, I know. I'll try to catch up on the zzzs as soon as my Project Lee Jun Ki is finished. (I'm done with Time Between Dog and Wolf and Iljimae, and now halfway through Hero.) Also, I have a bunch of Korean cosmetics coming within this week; let's see how they'll be able to handle the abomination that is my dark undereyes.

As for the rundown, here's what I used today:

Avon Healthy Makeup BB Cream in Light
Avon Ideal Shade Concealer Stick in Almond
Ever Bilena Advance Perfect Eye Concealer in Light
Avon Ideal Luminous Dual Powder Foundation in Shell
Almay Intense iColor in Trio for Smoky Eyes
Ever Bilena Eyebrow Liner in Brown
Avon Extralasting Liquid Eyeliner in Black
Kohl Royal Selections Eyeliner in Charcoal Gray
Avon Super Curlacious Waterproof Mascara in Black
The NEXT Look Face Palette (Blusher)
Jordana Double Length Lip Liner in Rose
Avon Smooth Minerals Lipstick in Pink Berry

I'll blog about my other smoky eye palettes next time. For now, I have to do something about these nasty dry skin and red blotches on my nose. I love how the weather is nippy and all, but I'm not loving what it's doing to my face! Ugh!

Linking the vanity here and here. :)

Today's Look | Green Eyes and Plum.

Green was never my favorite color, so I have to admit - buying this product was like taking a shot in the dark. But considering its price of Php 175, I thought 'what the heck, let's give this a try for the sake of beauty blogging'.

Almay Intense i-Color Trio for Greens.

I'm glad I didn't let myself be intimated by that dark green shade in the middle. Because this palette turned out to be very interesting and fun to work with, given the proper mixing and matching of colors, plus a good set of makeup brushes.

Photo credit: Smart Shopper

These are my tools, in case you're wondering. Personally recommended by Tita Mac (she uses a similar set), these unbranded brushes have really soft bristles that feel gentle once they come in contact with your skin. They don't have this weird smell which is the common downside of cheap(er) makeup tools. And they're pretty easy to clean, too.

As I have mentioned in my previous post, these greens can create a smokey eye look. They turned out to be a great variation from the traditional blacks and grays. I love how Almay eyeshadows are long-lasting (they last for more than eight hours on me since I don't have oily skin), and they tend to set better on your face the longer you wear it.

Greens and plum experiment - success!

I chanced upon some  Ever Bilena products while at Watson's the other day (these beelines at Watson's will eventually cause a dent in my wallet, I tell you). I've read good reviews about their products, so I decided to give their Perfect Eye Concealer a try. I need to explore more concealer brands because my eyebags are beginning to be a hopeless case. Coupled with my already deep-set eyes, an incurable insomnia, and my addiction to Kdramas, they make a pretty lethal combination - detrimental to my vanity. LOL!

Zooming in for a closer look.
Plum on the lower lid, dark green for highlighting, light green  swept all the way to the browbone.

What I liked about the Ever Bilena concealer is it's finish - basically flat and one-dimensional. It doesn't reflect light whatsoever, so when taking pictures, you'll have none of those odd-looking white swatches on your face.

It's a bit tricky to apply though, because of its gel-like consistency plus the fact that I'm not using a primer (must get one soon). Don't even think of using a brush to spread the concealer underneath your eyes. It wouldn't work. You have to gingerly use your fingers instead. 

The shade is a tad unusual, too. I got the CO1 Light, which is the lightest of the three shades available, but I still find it to be a bit dark for my light skin. I made the necessary adjustment by topping it with a few dots and feathery strokes of my Avon concealer. In the end I still had to use my old concealer, blah. Or perhaps I expected too much from something worth Php 100.

My Avon concealer in Almond vis a vis Ever Bilena in Light.

The final look.

Smoked! :)

I was very pleased with how this experiment turned out. It's not something I'll wear everyday (I mean, hello? This face while lining up in the supermarket? Har!), but steering away from my conventional colors was definitely a commendable first. Being bold and daring sure has its perks.

And now for the rundown:

Avon Healthy Makeup BB Cream in Light
Avon Ideal Shade Concealer Stick in Almond
Ever Bilena Advance Perfect Eye Concealer in Light
Avon Ideal Luminous Dual Powder Foundation in Shell
Almay Intense iColor in Trio for Greens
Ever Bilena Eyebrow Liner in Brown
Avon Extralasting Liquid Eyeliner in Black
Kohl Royal Selections Eyeliner in Charcoal Gray
Avon Super Curlacious Waterproof Mascara in Black
Human Nature Love Minerals in Pink Quartz
Avon Ultra Moisture Rich Lipstick in Barely There
MAC Clear Color Gloss

Why not try to do a similar experiment? Play with some loud, dark colors or shades that you don't normally use. You might be surprised with how great they look on you. :)

Sharing the purple lovin' on

Today's Look, and Drugstore Beauty Products You'll Also Love.

Drugstore makeup are often prejudiced to be substandard and ineffective. As a fan of drugstore makeup, I beg to disagree. Just because they're low-priced and affordable doesn't necessarily mean their quality is cheap as well. While there may be some beauty products that can't hold a candle against their high-end counterparts, there are a lot of budget-friendly brands out there that truly deliver.

Don't get me wrong. I like high-end makeup, too. I have some of them in my traincase, and I usually wear them during special occasions, say, a wedding or a cocktail party. But for makeup junkie moms like me, even my vanity has to step aside for my son's needs. Between an Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette and my little man's vaccine (they're pretty much within the same price range), the latter would have to come first. But between a counterfeit version of high-end makeup (yes, they're out there!) and authentic drugstore makeup, I'd rather have the latter - hands down.

And when it comes to drugstore makeup, there are brands that I love not just for the price, but because of their product values as well. Coincidentally, two of my favorite brands were also last week's haul.

Clockwise from L-R: Montagne Jeunesse Muds in Flower Zen and Chocolate, Almay Intense i-Color Trio for Hazels, Bath and Body Works PocketBac in Peanut Butter and Jelly, Almay Intense i-Color Trio for Greens.

The Montagne Jeunesse muds were a steal at Php 72. That's Php 72 for both! I chanced upon them at the Watson's section of SM Department Store. I love how these mud packs smell really good (the Chocolate one, in particular) and how they work wonders for your tired and worked up skin. Best of all, Montagne Jeunesse uses naturally derived ingredients; their goods are free from harmful chemicals and are not tested on animals. The company also takes pride in keeping their products green and eco-friendly. (I'll feature the muds on a separate post later.)

The Almays, on the other hand, I got from Tita Mac of Smartshopper. It was actually her who introduced me to the brand. She had a smokey eye trio on sale last year, and I bought them out of my penchant for the smokeys. I was so delighted with the product that I asked Tita Mac if she could possibly sell other Almay eyeshadow colors as well. When these two trios went on sale at her site for just Php 175 each, they practically had my name written all over 'em. And when she sent them to me the other day, she threw in the Pocketbac as a freebie. (Thanks, Tita Mac!)

Almay, from the makers of Revlon, is actually the first hypoallergenic cosmetics brand. They're also the first to create 100% fragrance-free products, and the first to formulate for contact lens wearers. I wear my contacts on a daily basis, and there had been instances when my eyes would get irritated from wearing eyeshadows. I've never experienced that with Almay, which is why I'm very fond of this brand. They stay on my face for long hours, too. To think I'm not even using a primer of any kind.

I was so excited with the Trio for Hazels, so I gave them a try when I attended my goddaughter's birthday party last Saturday.

Light Hazel, Dark Hazel, and Pink.

It's an afternoon event (with mostly kids in attendance) so dark eyes wouldn't be too appropriate. 

Strawberry-choco fudge sundae look! :)

These hazels were just right for a children's party.

Wearing a pink top to match! :)

The paraphernalia I used were pretty much the same as the ones I wore with this look. I just used a different shade of blush and lipstick, and added a wee bit of shimmer in my undereyes using another eyeliner. And now the rundown:

Can you spot the Pig Rabbit? :D

Avon Ideal Shade Concealer Stick in Almond

Avon Healthy Makeup BB Cream in Light

Avon Ideal Luminous Dual Powder Foundation in Shell

Almay Intense iColor in Trio for Hazels

Ever Bilena Eyebrow Liner in Brown

Avon Extralasting Liquid Eyeliner in Black

Kohl Royal Selections Eyeliner in Charcoal Gray

Kohl Royal Selections Eyeliner in Arctic Frost 

Avon Super Curlacious Waterproof Mascara in Black

Avon Smooth Minerals Blush in Blushed

Jordana Double Length Lip Liner in Rose

Avon Ultra Color Rich Mega Impact Lipstick in Fuchsia Fun

I'll save the Trio for Greens for another post, as they're still unopened. The way I see it, I can play with the colors to come up with another smokey eye look. Let's see how it works next time. :)