Spotlight | Sleek Makeup Pout 4 Perfection Set (Solstice Highlighting Palette + Matte Me Metallic Lip Cream).

Currently obsessed with highlighters, I've been buying one highlighter pan after another these past few months. My latest purchase is the Pout 4 Perfection Set from Sleek Makeup, which includes the Solstice Highlighting Palette and a Matte Me Metallic Lip Cream. I bought this set for Php 1150, which is actually a good buy considering the palette costs Php 875 while the lip cream retails for Php 450.

Sleek Makeup Pout 4 Perfection Set.

Honestly, I was only after the Solstice Highlighting Palette. I've been eyeing this highlighter for quite sometime now, after watching countless vlogs about it and reading all these reviews which have nothing but praises for the product.  Unfortunately, the palette is almost always out of stock online, and the only way for me to get my hands on it was to purchase it as a set. And so I did - even if I had qualms about the shade of the lip cream that came with it.

Product details at the back of the box.

A versatile palette that suits all skin tones, Solstice instantly enhances the complexion with a radiant glow. The palette contains four shades - all of them highly pigmented with a lovely metallic finish. All four shades create a gorgeous, luminous sheen on the skin, making this palette a must-have for anyone who's as obsessed as highlighters as I am.

Clockwise from L-R: Ecliptic, Hemisphere, Equinox, Subsolar.

The palette comes in a gold metallic case with magnetic closure - looks elegant and classy, save for the fact that it's a magnet for fingerprints. Inside is a big mirror, and a small brush which I did not even bother taking out of the plastic packaging. I'd rather use my own highlighter brush, thank you very much.

From L-R: Subsolar, Equinox, Hemisphere, Ecliptic.

The four shades contained in this palette are the following:

Ecliptic - a cream highlighter which turns into a velvety, powdery formula upon application. It's rosey beige in color with a sheen, pearly finish - the perfect shade to use if you don't want a 'super shiny highlight' and prefer a more subdued glow. The best way to apply this shade is by using your fingers, applying it on top of the cheekbones and along the brow bone. 

Hemisphere - a baked highlighter with a luminous, lavender sheen. This shade was actually the one that made me fall in love with this palette, because you all know I have a thing for anything lavender/lilac/purple. Hemisphere looks a bit intense when swatched, but it looks a lot softer on the face and gives the skin a subtle pink glow. 

Equinox - another baked highlighter with warm undertones and metallic sheen. It's coppery peach in color and the most reflective out of all four shades. 

Subsolar - a finely milled, ultra soft powder highlighter with warm undertones and pearly sheen. It's pastel yellow in color and the most subtle shade among the four. It's not as shimmery as the other shades, making it perfect for everyday wear.

From L-R: Ecliptic, Hemisphere, Subsolar, Equinox.

Now let's talk about the Matte Me Metallic Lip Cream that comes with the highlighting palette.

Solstice Highlighting Palette + Matte Me Metallic Lip Cream.

Released last year as part of the Distorted Dreams Collection, the Matte Me Metallic Lip Creams come in a range of of luminous, trendy colors with metallic, foil-like finish. There are nine shades in the collection, and the one that I got is Roman Copper, a rose gold, coppery shade which screams for attention, lol.

Matte Me Metallic Lip Cream in Roman Copper.

Not sure if this is the default shade included in every Pout 4 Perfection Set, but if I had a choice, I'd probably go for a darker shade with plum/mauve undertones. I just can't seem to make this product really rock on my lips, that's why. 

Roman Copper on my lips.

Sure, it's nicely pigmented and easy to apply, but it tends to accentuate the fine lines and makes my lips look parched and dry after a few hours of wear. It is long-wearing, though (eight hours straight with no touch-ups) - I'll give this product points for that.

Roman Copper, swatched.

Nonetheless, I love this Pout 4 Perfection Set because I finally got my hands on this HG highlighter. I absolutely love all four shades in the pan, and I love how they can brighten your skin in an instant and give your face a healthy glow. I probably won't be looking at another highlighting palette again, at least for now. :)

Products used:
FACE: Beyond Alice in Blooming Skin Tone Sun Base,
Nature Republic Botanical Stick Concealer,
Innisfree Long Wear Cover Cushion in N23.
EYES: Shiseido Eyebrow Pencil in Brown,
Clio Kill Black Waterproof Brush Lienr,
Nature Republic Pure Shine Mascara.
CHEEKS: Sleek Makeup Blush in Sahara,
Sleek Makeup Highlighter in Equinox.
LIPS: Sleek Makeup Matte Me Metallic Lip Cream in Roman Copper.

Spotlight | Sleek Makeup Eye & Cheek Palette.

When I first started writing about makeup and beauty products in this blog more than seven years ago, Sleek Makeup easily became one of my favorite brands. Known for their high-quality makeup with strong pigmentation, this British high street (drugstore) brand also earned a cult following for their expansive range of shades in all skin tones.

Today I am rekindling my love for Sleek Makeup with this Eye and Cheek Palette, a gift from my Mum a few months back.

Sleek Makeup Eye & Cheek Palette, retails for £10.  

This palette is called Dancing 'Til Dusk which contains four eye shadows and two blushers from Sleek Makeup's bestselling i-Divine and Blush range. Packaged in a handy-sized travel compact with magnetic closure, the palette comes with a mirror the size of the entire lid, a mini brush, and a mini sponge applicator.

What's inside the palette.

The brush and sponge applicator that comes with it.

I personally love this magnetic closure concept, because now I don't have to worry about stubbing my nails or ruining my nail polish just to get the palette open. This has always been my issue with my older Sleek Makeup palettes - they're too difficult to open! Thankfully, the brand seemed to have resolved this common issue, and most - if not all - of their palettes now close magnetically.

The larger pans are the blushers, the smaller ones are the eyeshadows.

Dancing 'Til Dusk features complementary and bold shades suitable for all skin tones. The eyeshadows are velvety browns and shimmering fawns from the Au Naturel i-Divine palette. As for the blushers, one is from a limited edition release while the other is from Sleek Makeup's current range.

From L-R: Mirrored Pink (blush), Cappuccino and Mineral Earth (eye shadows).

Mirrored Pink is a cool-toned, bright pink shade with silver shimmers. It has a pretty nice texture and glides on smoothly on your cheeks when applied. It's also well-pigmented, and has great color payoff with just one or two swipes. 

Cappuccino is a light beige matte shade. This eye shadow has a different texture, a little too hard if I may say, and it took me a few swipes to make the color noticeable in the swatches. It's the least pigmented product in this palette, and you really have to make extra effort to get good color payoff from this shade.

Mineral Earth is a deep brown shade with a hint of gold. It's shimmery, nicely pigmented, and has a smooth, easy-to-apply texture.

From L-R: Sahara (blusher), Taupe and Regal (eye shadows).

Sahara is a matte orange blusher with a touch of brown. This shade has a lovely, smooth texture and is highly pigmented. You need to be light-handed in applying this on your cheeks as the color can be pretty intense with just one or two swipes.

Taupe is a champagne shimmer with a smooth texture and good color payoff.

Regal is a cool-toned purple shade with a hint of brown. Unlike the Cappuccino, this matte eye shadow has a smooth and creamy texture which makes it easier to apply. It's nicely pigmented, and you get good color payoff with just a swipe or two.

All six shades - Mirrored Pink, Cappuccino, Mineral Earth on top,
Sahara, Taupe, and Regal on the bottom.

All six shades have great staying power, especially the blushers. Both Mirrored Pink and Sahara can last for more than six hours on the skin, while the eye shadows can stay put the entire day with a good primer/eye shadow base underneath.

Sahara on my cheeks.

Mirrored Pink on my cheeks.

Overall, I love how every shade in this palette is wearable for both night and day looks, and is suitable for most skin tones. With its sleek and sturdy packaging, this palette is perfect for traveling -and I will most likely bring this along on my next Seoul Searching trip. I'll bring my own brushes though, as I'm not very fond of the brush and applicator that's included in the palette.

Products used:
FACE: Beyond Alice in Blooming Skin Tone Sun Base,
Nature Republic Botanical Stick Concealer.
Innisfree Long Wear Cover Cushion in N23.
EYES: Shiseido Eyebrow Pencil in Brown,
Clio Kill Black Waterproof Brush Liner,
Nature Republic Pure Shine Mascara.
CHEEKS: Sleek Makeup Mirrored Pink Blush.
LIPS: Vice Cosmetics Good Vibes Matte Lipstick in Ekzaj.

Spotlight | Laneige Winterland Magic Makeup Collection.

Better late than never!
I finally got my hands on the Winterland Magic Makeup Collection, which is part of the Laneige 2013 Holiday Collection. It's a limited edition set that's no longer available in stores, so I consider myself lucky to stumble upon this baby on the worldwide web.

Laneige Winterland Magic Makeup Collection.

The set contains three of Song Hye Kyo’s most popular Silk Intense Lipsticks and four crystallized shades of Pure Radiant Eye Shadow plus an eyeshadow brush/applicator in a specially designed case.

Hello, My Little Winterland! :)

The packaging alone is a winner. The illustration on the box has a cheery, festive vibe while the silver and red hologram sparkles around it give a glamorous feel. The edges of the box and the lid have a magnet inside, so it's easy to open and close.

Pure Fantasy Look. 

And on the inside of the cover, there's a booklet with step-by-step instructions on how to create looks using the contents of the Winterland Magic Makeup Collection.

Glow Fantasy Look.

Here's a closer look at the eyeshadows.

Clockwise from L-R: Pearl Light Pink, Pearl Pink, Pearl Coral, and Pearl Khaki.

Save for Pearl Khaki, these eyeshadows aren't heavily pigmented, which is quite understandable since Laneige is all about 'natural beauty'. All four shades are shimmery, but don't get intimidated as they have just the right amount of glitter to make your eyes sparkle.

From L-R: Pearl Light Pink, Pearl Pink, Pearl Coral, and Pearl Khaki.

As for the lipsticks, they come in 1-gram tubes with cute little prints on the cap. These are miniature sizes, so yeah, they're smaller than the regular 3.5 gram lipstick.

L-R: Beige Chiffon, Blonde Coral, Pink Garden.

All three shades are nicely pigmented and have buildable color. Texture is creamy, glides smoothly on the lips, and they moisturize quite well. They smell wonderful, too!

L-R: Beige Chiffon, Blonde Coral, Pink Garden.

And in case you didn't know, these lippies were made popular by the 2013 drama 'That Winter the Wind Blows'. Song Hye Kyo wore all three shades in the drama, and that's actually one of the reasons why I wanted to own this set so badly, haha.

SYR36 is Beige Chiffon, LR104 is Pink Garden, and SR105 is Blonde Coral.
SR102 is Glam Pink, not included in the set.

Beige Chiffon is a lovely shade of nude, which looks very natural on the lips. Perfect for days like today when I'm too lazy to wear makeup and just want a bit of color on my face. Pink Garden and Blonde Coral are two gorgeous shades that closely resemble each other, though the latter is less shimmery and has a more peachy hue.

Products Used:
FACE: Etude House Beauty Shot Face Blur,
Etude House Precious Mineral Any Cushion,
Benefit Erase Paste in Medium.
EYES: Shiseido Eyebrow Pencil in Brown,
K-Palette Real Lasting Micro Eyeliner in Black.
CHEEKS: Ever Bilena Cheek Blush in Raisin.
LIPS; Laneige Silk Intense Lipstick in Pink Garden.

I love all three shades so much that I'm considering buying full-size tubes once I've used them all up. (More like I'll ask the husband to get them for me, haha!)

The Laneige Winterland Magic Makeup Collection retailed for Php 1950 (around $44) when it hit the market in 2013. As I've mentioned earlier, this set is no longer available in stores, but you can still purchase the Silk Intense Lipsticks (Php 1150 each) and the Pure Radiant Shadow (Php 1450 per quad) separately.

Have you tried Laneige eyeshadows and lip colors before? What are your favorite shades? :)

Spotlight | Majolica Majorca The Little Humming Book I.

After about a month or so of sitting in my makeup box, (I've been too lazy to do/wear full makeup since summer began) I finally had the chance to play with my newest palette - Majolica Majorca's The Little Humming Book I. Bought this at SM Makati together with the Skin Lingerie Pore Cover, which I've featured in this post.

The Little Humming Book I.

The Little Humming Book is a series of limited edition palettes released in celebration of Majolica Majorca's 10th Anniversary. The Little Humming Book I is the first from the series (obviously), and it comes in a lovely little 'song book'.

Inside the Little Humming Book I.

Although I had no intention of buying a new palette that day, (I wanted to at least use up my Urban Decay Ammo before getting a new one) I ended up paying Php 995 (approx $25) for this at the counter anyway. Lol. Talk about low EQ, haha!

But tell me, makeup junkies, can you resist something as quaint and lovely as this? The packaging alone was enough reason for me to buy as it reminded me greatly of one of my favorite Korean dramas - Secret Garden. 

Flip through the pages...

But wait 'til you see what's inside. Contained in this 'song book' are four stunning colors - two eyeshadows, one eye cream base, and one lip gloss.

Oh, Little Humming Book I... why you so pretty? :)

Moonless Night is a cream-based primer that comes in a blackish plum color. It's the perfect base for creating a smokey eye, and in my opinion, gives this palette that 'ooomph' - if you know what I mean. :)

Swatches, no flash.
Clockwise from top left: Flower Dust, Green Shower, Tulip Red, and Moonless Night.

Flower Dust and Green Shower are pale duochrome eyeshadows with metallic finish. Both shades look luminous and sparkly when used alone, but are absolutely gorgeous when worn with the primer. Tulip Red, on the other hand, is a light pink (not red, lol) lip gloss.

Swatches, with flash.

Here's the Little Humming Book I in action - Green Shower applied on my inner lid, blended with Flower Dust on my above crease. Moonless Night on my outer lid and outer crease. Tulip Red is the pinkish part on my gradient lips. :)

The Humming Book I in action! :)

What I love:

- Cute, one-of-a-kind packaging.

- Lovely colors.

- Very fine shimmers on the eyeshadows.

- No fall-out.

- No creasing.

- The duochrome eyeshadows combined with the eye cream base 

create a stunning, pearl finish.

- Reasonably priced at Php 995.

- Available locally.

What you might not like:

- The lip gloss looks great on the pan, but it actually lacks pigmentation 

and doesn't look good on its own. 

(Hence the gradient lips in my FOTD.)

Now I can't wait for The Little Humming Book II! I heard they're already out in the market, and I must have one! There goes my EQ again - out the window, haha!