Sneak Peek | Missha x Line Friends On Air Collection.

Back in 2016, Korean beauty brand Missha teamed up with Line Friends (from the popular messaging app Line) and launched the Missha x Line Friends collection, which was made available to the Korean and overseas market for a limited time. This collaboration was one of my favorites for that year, and perhaps the cutest collection that Missha has ever released.

This year, the two brands joined forces once again for another wave of cuteness. Behold, the Missha x Line Friends On Air collection!

Missha x Line Friends On Air collection.

View the complete collection after the jump!

The Best Way to Build Your Makeup Kit for Less.

Every makeup lover should have a fully stocked kit to rely on no matter what look they are trying to achieve. You should have the necessary tools for contouring, smoky eyes, and even the right stuff to create a Halloween look to die for. If you’re starting from scratch, though, it can seem quite daunting. Makeup isn’t cheap, right? Right, but don’t worry – there are plenty of easy ways you can save money while building the makeup kit of your dreams.

Remember, sites like eBay can be a great place to check for makeup deals when you’re building your kit – don’t be afraid to branch outside of department stores.

Makeup haul, just because. 

1. Skin Care
The most important piece of your makeup kit isn’t even technically makeup. It’s the skin care. Serums, wipes moisturizers, Vaseline, and even hemorrhoid creams are a must, whether you’re a professional or you just love getting your makeup right on a daily basis. You don’t need name brands when it comes to the majority of these things, but don’t scrimp on moisturizers, wipes, and serums.

2. Your Needs
Building your kit right will take time, so it’s important that you get the basics right the first time. So, it’s time to analyze what makeup tools you have now and assess what other necessities you have. Think about what items you will use most often as that is where you’ll want to spend initially. These are also the things you may want to look for quality in and spend a bit more and save on the other items you won’t use as often.

3. Cost Isn’t Everything
A small price tag doesn’t mean that the product isn’t good, nor does a large price tag mean you’re getting the best product possible. Choose brands that are priced affordably, you get high-quality makeup products at inexpensive prices. Don’t be afraid to choose a combination palette – it is far more cost effective to go down this route than it is to buy a dozen shades of eye shadow separately.

4. Bulk Buys
You should feel confident about buying certain items in bulk because it’s cheaper and you will need to change things up often. For instance, your brushes should be changed regularly to prevent any skin irritations, rashes, or acne, so don’t be afraid to buy more than you need to get a lower price. You’ll thank yourself in the future. The same can be said for mascara wands, cotton balls and buds, foam sponges, and cotton pads. Think about it, the less you spend on these items the more money you will have to spend on the right parts of your makeup kit.

5. Research
Read reviews and check out ratings on new products before you buy. This will help you avoid spending too little on products that aren’t worth it or overspending on big brands that miss the mark.

6. Brushes
This isn’t the area to save money on – your brushes should be of high quality as it will ensure your face lasts and that you get the most of your makeup. You’ll also work faster with better tools, so don’t get stingy when shopping for the perfect brushes.

7. Invest in A Box
It doesn’t matter when it’s a tool box or a tool bag, as long as you have an organized storage area for your makeup you are set. This will allow you to fully organize everything you have and prevent you from buying the same products in multiples. How on earth do you expect to keep track of everything if it’s just dumped in one big bag?

8. Foundations and Primers
While you shouldn’t go cheap on your primers, you can save money when buying foundations. You don’t need to buy the biggest brands you simply need to choose a foundation that will provide you with the right amount of coverage and that will last the entire day.

9. Brush Cleaner
We’ve already covered how important your brushes are, so make sure they live long and prosper by investing in a good brush cleaner and using them after each use. This will help extend their life and prevent any unsightly rashes or acne breakouts from occurring. Of course, it will also ensure your finished look is flawless. You should have an antibacterial spray handy, too.

10. Makeup Remover
This is another item you shouldn’t cheap out on – ensure you invest in a brand that will adequately remove the makeup and is good for your skin type. There’s nothing worse than a remover that aggravates skin and causes breakouts.

Are you constantly searching for the ultimate life hacks and money saving tips? It’s time to bookmark Bargain Hunters blog to ensure you don’t miss out on any of the amazing tips and hints on offer.

Sneak Peek | Etude House x Kerrie Hess Dreaming Swan Collection.

I was planning to go on a hiatus until Easter Sunday, but I just could not resist sharing this wonderful news with all of you. Etude House, one of my favorite Korean makeup brands, has launched its Spring Collection today! Hooray!

Etude House x Kerrie Hess.

This new collection, called 'Dreaming Swan' is a collaboration with Kerrie Hess. She's an Australian illustrator who has worked for Chanel, Lancome, Kate Spade, and many other popular designer brands.

Kerrie Hess.

The collection is super chic and very feminine - a beautiful assortment of delicate, soft shades inspired by ballet. There are a total of eight products in this new collection - a powder, a brush, eye and cheek powders, nail polish, lipsticks, volumers, cushion cases, and a mini makeup kit.

Dreaming Swan Collection.

Let's take a closer look at these items, shall we? 

Sneak peek after the jump!

June, and Lovin' It.

The first day of June.
Can you believe that? We're halfway through 2012!
And it's already my favorite month!

Aside from December (because almost everybody loves this month, anyway), June happens to be my favorite time of the year. And why, you ask?

It's because I'm a June bride.

This year, we're celebrating - on the same day - our ninth anniversary as a couple and our fourth anniversary as husband and wife. We made it a point to get married on our fifth anniversary, because we're cool like that. And because it'll be easier for my forgetful husband to remember when to buy lavish gifts. LOL.

Today also marks the sixth month since my blogging comeback, and it's been a wonderful journey for me ever since. I feel really blessed to have come across many great bloggers and writers, to have found nurturing and tight-knit blogging communities, to have worked with amazing and generous sponsors, and to have done a handful of lucrative writing gigs here and there. I am most thankful to the people who read my blog and follow my social media handles. Getting my Alexa stats to where it is right now wouldn't be possible without them.

The past two weeks had been no exception - swamped with blog work and busy as usual. Busier, actually, ever since I became an associate writer for Korea.com. But hey, I'm not complaining. I'm loving every second of what I'm doing right now, because I can still be a 24/7 mom while I'm at it.

Right now I'm really having the time of my life doing product reviews. And it's not just because I get free stuff along the way. It's more of the affirmation of my capability as a writer and my credibility as a blogger whenever brands or companies pitch me for a review. I've been receiving a bunch of neat stuff (some of them eco-friendly, too!) - thanks to the generosity and benevolence of my dear sponsors.

Almay + NYC + Wet n Wild from Smart Shopper.

EcoTools Travel Brush Set from Eazy Fashion.

Mineral Powder Foundation from Human Nature, BB cream samples from BHappyWithMe.

All-natural Liquid Detergent + Bottle Cleanser from DNee Baby Philippines.

And I have yet to post my reviews / features about them. Hopefully, I'll finish everything before my next giveaway opens.

So far I've got my bases covered all the way until July. Meaning, all my upcoming giveaway events already have their respective sponsors. And now, I'm actually organizing my blog activities for August all the way to the end of the year.

I'm quite excited for December, truth be told. Because by then, I'd be celebrating not only my birthday, but also the first anniversary of The Rebel Sweetheart. And yes, it is imperative that I throw a huge giveaway in commemoration of.

Who knows, I might even do some sort of prelude giveaway for Yue's fourth birthday come November. :)

Sharing with Pink Friday, Pink Saturday, Insta-Friday, Photostory Friday, Mommy Moments, and Mellow Yellow Monday, and Mom and Me Monday.

My Suesh + Kiss & Makeup Winnings!

Otherwise known as the blog post that almost took me six months to make. LOL.

I actually won these from Diane's Christmas giveaway, so imagine how long ago that was. Haha! The prize needed to be claimed at any of the Suesh branches, and the nearest from where I live is the Alabang Town Center outlet - which didn't open until February this year.

My best friend was supposed to do the claiming in my behalf, but being such a workaholic, doing night shifts, and even working overtime deterred him from going to ATC. I finally had the chance to claim 'em myself last month. Remember my out-of-town weekend with the sibs? From Cavite, we made a beeline to Alabang just so I could drop by Suesh.

And now, without further ado, I present to you my jaw-dropping, heart-stopping winnings! The first ever from a blog giveaway!

A 3-way LED Lighted Mirror, a 7-piece brush set, a makeup palette.

Woot! The lights work!

Valued at Php 8000 (more or less $200 USD), the LED Lighted Mirror comes with a lifetime warranty. In the event that the lights malfunction or the electricity gets busted, all I have to do is bring the case to any Suesh branch and I can have the lights replaced or repaired, free of charge!

Saving energy while staying pretty. :)

The 7-piece brush set, on the other hand, includes: a Powder Brush, a Stippling Brush, an Eyeshadow Brush, a Brow Brush, a Cheek Brush, a Concealer Brush, and a Lip Brush. The handles are made of birch wood, while the brushes are made from the finest animal hair.Valued at Php 2400 (around $55 USD), the set comes in a leather pouch with magnetic snap closures.

The softest brushes in my collection so far.

As for the makeup palette, the prize package originally stated a 'purple Suesh color palette'. The congenial staff of Suesh ATC, however, gave me the liberty to choose the palette that I want instead. I chose the Gold Beauty Angel palette, because I realized that I already have way too many purples and pinks in my makeup kit.

The Gold Beauty Angel palette.

The palette includes twelve eyeshadows, two blushes, a dual-ended applicator, and even a mirror. Green and Blue are the other variants of the Beauty Angel color palettes. The retail price at Suesh? Php 250 only!
Will post an FOTD using these babies soon.

Now allow me to give my thanks - again - to Suesh, for these wonderful, wonderful prizes. And of course, to lovely Ms. Diane, for hosting such a great giveaway. This makeup junkie is certainly overjoyed. Until the next! :)

Back on Board, and a Quick Weekend Recap.

Just got back from an awesome out-of-the-blue, out-of-town weekend with my sibs! I was fervently hoping there'd be wifi at the places we were going, but alas! Even the resort hotel we stayed at didn't have internet connection.

So pardon my excommunication for the past three days. I'll try to catch up on my blog roll, plus your comments, blog posts, tweets and wall posts. I'm looking forward to a busy week ahead, since the little man will be starting with his School Readiness Program. (That's tomorrow at 8 freaking 30 in the morning, good luck to my insomnia and good bye to my Kdrama marathons!!!)

Anyway, here are some snippets of the weekend that was. Full posts and more photos coming soon! :)

At The Aristocrat.

Memorial shadows.

St. John the Baptist Church.

Tiptoeing for holy water.

Between the salt and pepper shaker. :)

Arabella's.

Fancy some footwear?

Al fresco at Kainan sa Balay.

Balay. Bacoor. Brandon.

Brushes galore!

Suesh Alabang Town Center. Finally!

Turning Japanese.

And now we're back to regular programming!

*Photos were captured using Finn, my point-and-shoot Fuji FinePix J150W. Photos number 3, 4, and 5 were tweaked using Picnik's HDR (#3), Fancy Focus (#4), and Black and White Focus (#5) modes.

Sharing with Scenic Sunday, Shadow Shot Sunday, Sunday Snapshot, Blue Monday, Green Monday, MYM, Mom and Me Monday, Rednesday, Wednesday Whites, and Color Connection. 

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