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. :)

Today's Look: Candy Pink and Cherry Red

How I wear my makeup for a particular day usually depends on two things - the weather, and the occasion. When it's warm and sunny, I usually put on the browns and neutrals. When it's cold and rainy, I go for the plums and purples, or (more often than not) my favorite smokey eyes.

Today's weather was somewhere in between. Drizzling for awhile, then sunny the next minute. But most of the time it was nippy and blustery. When the weather is eccentric, as it was today, I usually wear my pinks and reds. Perfect for perking up your face without being too gaudy.

My 'going-to-the-mall-to-run-some-errands' look.

Zooming in a bit on the eyes.

Sunrise on the upper lids all the way to the browbone. Minty on the crease and lower lids.

Here's a rundown of my makeup, applied in this order:

Today's color scheme. :)

I seriously love this foundation. It provides great coverage (I use it dry) without looking cakey in your face. Pretty light, actually. Best of all, it's photo-friendly! I love taking selcas and I love how my photos come out when I'm wearing this. No more of those ghastly, ghost-like closeups!

Avon Ideal Shade Concealer Stick in Almond

Avon Healthy Makeup BB Cream in Light

Avon Ideal Luminous Dual Powder Foundation in Shell

Avon True Color Eyeshadow Quad in Candy Sweets

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 Blush in Pink Quartz

Jordana Double Length Lip Liner in Rose

Avon Ultra Color Rich Mega Impact Lipstick in Charged Cherry

A lot of Avon, right? That's what you call brand loyalty. Haha! The first makeup I ever wore was Avon, which was actually my Mom's makeup. And I've grown with the brand ever since. For one, it's gentle to my uber sensitive skin. I've tried other makeup brands but they've resulted mostly to breakouts and skin irritation. Another thing, they're very accessible to me. The Avon outlet in my area has been operational for ages - long before Watsons or SM San Pablo came to be. Plus, there's always the Avon lady. (I eventually became one myself!)

If you've noticed, I don't have a primer listed above. That's because I really don't use one. Yet.
While I don't have trouble even without wearing a primer, I'd like to try it out and see if it's really a crime not to prime. At least, that's what some beauty experts say.

I'm no expert, of course. Just a makeup junkie. And a vain one at that. :)

Smart Shopper, and the Start of Something Smokin'.

I said I love makeup, right? But here's the thing. While I've been wearing makeup for the longest time (I was already using mascara and lipgloss back in high school), I never really paid much attention to how makeup should be worn. Back then, I was content with just pressed powder, concealer, lipstick, and using just one shade of eyeshadow. No more, no less. That is, until this baby came along.

It's a Profusion Eye Glaze set, which I got as a present from Tita Mac of SmartShopper. I ordered a pair of Onitsuka Tigers from her last year, and this makeup was sent as a freebie. 

I almost always receive makeup items as freebies each time I buy something from her. Tita Mac is pretty much aware how much of a kikay I am, because she's seen my vanity plastered all over my Facebook page. LOL.

Seeing the shades in this palette, I knew it was meant for the 'smokey eye' look. I was never fond of dark makeup before, thinking that it does not suit me. But then again, you'll never really know unless you give it a try. 

So I Googled smokey eye, read makeup blogs, watched makeup demo videos, and experimented with the stuff I have at home. The next thing I knew, I was putting on BB cream, lining my eyebrows, wearing liquid eyeliner - all those stuff that were not part of my usual makeup routine. And as it turns out, smokey eyes suit me, after all. 

I love the transition from dark to light, and the drama that goes with it. Plus the fact that attention is drawn to my eyebrow ridge and not my (dark) undereyes. Haha!

With that, I now take makeup matters seriously - which also means an extra thirty minutes has been added to my already one hour prep time. I've already gotten complaints from my son (Mommy, ang tagal mo naman magbihis! Gusto ko na umalis ng bahay!) and my Mum (Jusko anak, saan ba ang shooting mo? Aabay ka ba ngayon?), but my husband has only praises for it. So I guess it's all good.

Quick tip: Opposites together. 

Dark eyeshadow + light lipstick. Light eyeshadow + dark lipstick. 

Never match dark with dark unless you're acting in a stage play. :)

Great makeup finds? Items from US websites? Check out Smart Shopper now! :)

Suesh + Kiss & Makeup Holiday Giveaway: I Want!

Homayfrikkingawd. I saw this awesome contest giveaway by chance, and my jaw dropped in awe when I saw the fabulous prizes at stake. It's every makeup junkie's dream!

That, my friends, is a Suesh Portable 3-way LED Lighted Mirror. It's worth Php 8000 or approximately US$190. I can just imagine how much easier my life would be if I had this. I can just stay in the comforts of my bedroom without having to go all the way to our well-lighted dining area just to work on my eyebrows. LOL.

On top of that, there's also the Suesh 7-piece Brush Set (valued at Php2,400 or more or less US$55) and a purple Suesh color palette (yes, I'm a sucker for anything pink and purple)!

Now, tell me if these goodies won't make you go homayfrikkingawd. And if not, I suggest you do a little vanity check. After all, Christmas is the time to be all dolled-up and prettified. ;)

This holiday giveaway runs until the 22nd of December only. Visit this pretty mommy's site for more details.

This Mommy is a Makeup Junkie.

I love makeup. I like wearing them, I enjoy putting them on, and I am fascinated by the skills and techniques that go along with it.

And because makeup and cosmetics are some of my favorite things, expect me to blog about them every once in a while. I'm not a professional makeup artist, but I do get compliments for the way I wear my makeup. I guess all the experimenting with my color palette, coupled with my innate vanity does pay off. Teehee! :)

For those of you who are wondering about the stuff that I use, here's a sneak peek at my so-called train case.

More makeup talks in posts to come!