Beauty Review: MAC Chili

Time and again I have vowed to stay away from MAC's lipsticks--but the color selection is just way too appealing. Reds alone will send you into a tizzy, you'll spend a LONG TIME just trying on tube after tube. So when I felt like abandoning my bright reds for a more muted shade of red, of course I came running back to MAC, LOL.

A long researched ensued and I decided to settle with Chili, which according to MAC is a "brownish orange-red matte lipstick"--and it certainly is that. I am so in love with this color--it brightens up my face without being too "out there red". When I was much, much younger I was a fan of bright reds--even during daytime. Age however, has prodded me to reconsider. If you're a fan of lip liners, this goes so so well with MAC's Chicory. 

What I like:

+ The color is absolutely beautiful. You know it's red, but not entirely. I am really in love with the unique color;

+ It brightens up my face without being too loud like my old favorites--Ruby Woo and Russian Red; and

+ It's matte but glides on easily--no tugging involved; 

What I don't like:

- MAC's mattes are beautiful but they can really be drying, so you really need to prep your lips before you put this on; 

- Unlike Ruby Woo and Russian Red which both leave a nice stain, this one tends to leave a weird stain on the lips--the color stain is more apparent at the edges of the lips rather than at the center--which is why reapplication is necessary; and

- With the abundance of matte lipsticks out there, MAC lipsticks are still considered quite expensive. Though, in MAC's defense, I have yet to come across another matte lipstick that can be an exact dupe for Chili.

Have you tried this lipstick? What are your thoughts? Let me know in the Comments section! x

Mini Sephora Haul

Sharing my mini Sephora haul! Mini, not just because of the quantity, but also because I got items in travel size LOL.

I wasn't actually ready for a Sephora trip (I haven't done research so I spent a considerable amount of time going through the items in the Sephora Georgetown branch.) I visited 3 more Sephora branches and ended up buying some more stuff--none I'm guilty about.

01. TATCHA Luminous Dewy Skin Mist

My skin was super dry during our visit--heck, it was flaky, even. So I was itching to buy a mist on the first day. I couldn't bring my Avene Mist because I was concerned it would be seized at the airport. This mist however comes in the usual spray and not the pressurized one and is just 15 ml so I knew it was perfect for the plane ride home.

Pros:

+ No adverse reactions, but sadly, not enough to keep flaking skin at bay. Unless I spray every so often. Back in Manila though, this is just perfect.

Cons:
- I'm not a fan of the scent, it has a weird scent which goes away after a while (luckily)
- It's pretty pricey for such a small bottle
- As opposed to other mists, this leaves little white spots on your face upon initial spray-- it kind of looks weird so it's not something I'd put on at work, while working away behind my computer.
- I have yet to see any brightening effects though... So I don't know if I would still purchase...

02. Milk Holographic Stick in Supernova

I actually didn't plan on buying a highlighter on our trip--especially since I love my MAC Mineralize Skinfinish (Separate review on this!!!), but I saw this little stick and thought, what the heck, I can use this on days I don't want to go with a powder highlighter. Also! It's packed with mango butter and coconut oil, which were exactly what my skin needed at that point in time. 

Pros:

+ Perfect for those who prefer liquid/cream blushers (I am, on some days)

+ Moisturizing (See ingredients list HERE)

+ The glow is subtle.

+ A little goes a long way-- I have been using this for months and it seems like I haven't made any significant dent on the stick!

+ The shimmer doesn't go on other areas of my face...

Cons:

- With that last point said, I noticed it doesn't stay on very long on my face either. I need to reapply throughout the day if I want to keep the shimmer. 

03. NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer

They weren't kidding when they said creamy! This is the best concealer I have tried EVER. This is actually my favorite from my mini-haul (and from all the makeup products I bought on the trip!). This concealer does not budge, cake, or dry around the area you want to conceal. IT. IS. THE. BEST. I had the Makeup For Ever HD concealer before I tried this and I hated it. It dried the skin around the area I'm trying to conceal making it even more obvious! 

I actually don't have any cons for this product! I love this so much. 

Have you tried any of these products? Let me know in the comments section below! xx

I Vlogged!!! // First Impressions

My apologies for the very late post, but I'd like to announce that I've made my first vlog! I expected it to be much harder, but I didn't expect editing the video to be that hard. Anyway, I'm just glad the Vlog is now up on YouTube! Please watch the video, comment (and maybe subscribe? <3)!

Products featured in the Vlog are the following:

01. COSRX Blackhead Power Liquid (This is on sale on BeautyMnl!);

02. Ellana Mineral Makeup Loose Mineral Concealer and Foundation (I use the shade Cheer);

03. NARS Powermatte Lip Pigment in Light My Fire ( I really love this product); and

04. MAC Eye Kohl in Teddy (Bronze, matte liner).

Keep Me Clean

Sharing two of my favorite makeup removers today! The Avene Micellar Lotion and the DHC Deep Cleansing Oil. The latter of course, was an afterthought purchase while I was in Tokyo.

01. Avene Micellar Lotion

Truth be told, sometimes I get home super tired from work and the first thing I do is remove my makeup with this and then... I end up falling asleep. LOL, disgusting I know, but I'm getting old and not as energetic as I once was. 

Anyway, I found out about Avene way back in high school (more than 10 years ago). My dermatologist suggested I try out their facial mist to keep my face calm. Back then Avene wasn't in the Philippines yet and I had to get my Avene from my dermatologist. And it was so costly! Luckily, Avene's here now and my skincare routine is largely powered by maaaany Avene products. 

Their Micellar lotion was also suggested by the same dermatologist, whom i still go to actually. When I'm in a hurry (most of the time) I use this to remove my makeup. I love that this is gentle enough to use for the eyes and lips. 

There's no cloying chemical scent to it and does the job real well. It removes makeup without feeling like I removed my skin as well.

02. DHC Deep Cleansing Oil

This was not on my To Buy List for our Tokyo trip in January, but I kept seeing this on each and every drugstore I went into so I thought I'd get a bottle and try it out. 

According to DHC, the Deep Cleansing Oil is ideal for those with normal and combination skin, but I'm stubborn like that so I still tried it even though I have Oily and Sensitive skin. No negative reactions from my skin though!

I like to use this product when I feel like my face is so blah and needs a bit of pampering. The Deep Cleansing Oil is meant to be massaged onto the face and then rinsed off with lukewarm water. So when I'm not rushing to go to bed, I spend a significant amount of time massaging onto my face before rinsing it off. 

Tried this on my eyes, but found it too thick for my liking. So I stick with my Avene Micellar Lotion for the eye area. 

I didn't expect much from this product, but after trying it out it looks like I'm going to be incorporating this to my skincare routine. Definitely buying this again!

What's your go-to makeup remover? Let me know in the Comments Section below!

February Faves // Japan Skincare Haul

Contrary to our first trip to Tokyo, on our second visit, I did not go crazy on makeup. This time, I made a list of things to get-- all skincare. Well there was a mascara.. and a Dior Lip Glow.. ANYWAY. So i tried very hard to stick to that list and I was pretty successful in hunting them down. It wasn't very hard really, since they were EVERYWHERE. Much to my husband's disappointment, I think...

Product description: Hada Labo Goku-jun super hyaluronic acid hydrating milk moisturizes deeply, offering nourishing hydration and skin-smoothing conditioners. Infuses your skin with moisture and leaves it with a natural, healthy-looking glow. Skin becomes smoother, softer and richly hydrated. Skin pH balanced, low irritation. Free of fragrances, mineral oil, alcohol and colorant.

There's a special technique to applying this on Youtube! I've seen other vloggers apply their serums/essence/moisturizer the same way so I've adapted the same technique to most of the skincare I use. 

I really love this product. There's no annoying scent, and it really did wonders for my skin. I've been using this DAILY (twice on some days) and it really made my skin so much smoother and softer. It would leave a very shiny effect on my face but it doesn't bother me since I put other products after it in the morning, and in the evening I like to seal this in with an Avene moisturizer. 

When I was still thinking about this post I was going to say that I haven't had breakouts since I used it. But come my period, I had two zits! Sooooooo I can't say that it totally cured my pimple problems. Maybe my pimples are just way too determined. 

According to DHC, the Lip Cream "Softens lips with aloe leaf extract and vitamin E, and gives lips a polished, neutral shine. Free of fragrance and added colorants".

I have gone through soooooooooo many lip balms, both cheap and expensive, and this is by far the one that I can honestly say, WORKS. I have extremely dry lips and lip balms are a necessity. Prior to trying this out, I was using Carmex and it worked alright. But this one! I love this so much. I've been using mine since January 24 of this year and I don't think I'm using any other lip balm. Luckily I found an online seller based in Japan who can buy this for me!

The Shiseido Oil Control Blotting Paper is a powder coated type of blotting paper. You can barely notice the powder though--or feel it. This wasn't really on my list of things to buy but I thought I'd give it a try. I really just bought it because I love that it came with this reusable little pouch, LOL. And yeah, it keeps oil at bay. On days when I cannot reapply powder on, this is a lifesaver. 

We've been to Tokyo twice in a year, and I'm making sure that we will return to Japan again in succeeding years. Until then, I'd like to know what other Japanese products you recommend I try!

Beauty Review // Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso

I've been seeing this blush from beauty vloggers long before I purchased it. I thought, I don't need a coral blush. I'm fine with the pink ones I have. Besides, I don't have a coral lip product to pair it with. HOWEVER. While we were at a mall in Tokyo, I saw A LOT of Japanese ladies buying the Dior Lip Glow and I saw this coral shade that I really, really liked. I didn't buy it right then and there however as it was EXPENSIVE. On our way home however, while we were at Duty Free, I saw the Dior Lip Glow in the shade I wanted and at a lower, more reasonable (I think) price so I bought it! So anyway, I had a coral lip, without a coral blush to match HAHA and so that was my push to buy this blush already.

This blush is beautiful. I love it since it combines both color and highlight. Therefor minimizing  my makeup time in the morning. I thought this was going to be expensive and unavailable in Manila, but I was so happy I found it on Beauty MNL.

Here's how Milani describes the Baked Blush-- 

At first I thought the product was really powdery on the pan, but I was pleasantly surprised as it was powdery but it didn't go all over the place. The color is also very buildable and gives that glowy look. As I have very visible pores, I make sure that I double up on pore primer with this one as it can really highlight visible pores with the fine shimmer.

I haven't seen what other people have said about Luminoso but this really reminds me of the NARS Orgasm. The color is peachy-coral and the shimmer is GOLD. I love it. It's like NARS Orgasm at a better price. 

See how pretty? SWOONING. 

Anyway, here are the pros and cons:

PROS:

+ affordable

+ combines two products : blush and highlight

+ this is a product that will go well on any skin tone; but will flatter medium to dark tones more I think

+ staying power is pretty impressive

+ that's a lot of product in the pan. I've been using this very often and it still seems new!

CONS:

- the brush. Never mind the brush, get yourself a better one.

- can highlight visible pores; primer necessary!

- will take some time to get used to where to put the product on because you want the shimmer to just highlight the apples of your cheeks, right? Not the entire cheek

If you're on the lookout for an inexpensive coral blush (with a highlighter!) I highly recommend this xxx

The Milani Baked Blush Luminoso is available at BeautyMNL for P499. 

Berry Stain: The Body Shop Lip and Cheek Stain in Dark Cherry

Most blushes I've ever owned are pinks-- I veered away from the usual pinks twice only to get two (2) mauve blushes. I've been looking for a berry-stained one for a while now just to mix things up. I have a preference for stains since they stay on my face the entire day and I love the idea that they can let my skin breathe. One time at the Office pantry, a colleague suggested the Body Shop Lip and Cheek Stain. She even gave us the bottle to swatch-- I fell in love. What I loved even more was that it was available in a berry tint! The Dark Cherry. It retails for P795, but one weekend, Watson's had it on sale, and I got it for P595.

I've gotten so used to watery stains that the thicker consistency took a bit of getting used to. One time, in my haste in getting ready and forgetting that this was far thicker than my previously go-to stain (Benetint) I put on a bit more product and I ended up looking like Raggedy Ann. 

Not that it's hard to blend-- it's very easy! It's just that I put on much more than necessary (HEHE)

It's such a small and light bottle (it only has 7.2ml of product), but a little goes a long way so this tiny, powerful bottle will last a really long time. If you're looking for a perky tint that's blendable-- I highly recommend the Body Shop Lip and Cheek Stain in Dark Cherry. 

My Current Lip Balm

Yup, the dry lips problem persists! Well, somewhat abated because of this lip balm I'm currently using. I found that it really helps when I keep applying every few hours so I always have this on hand. Like at work, it's beside my keyboard; I don't even keep it in my bag anymore. I actually used Carmex in the past, and I don't know why I stopped using it for some reason... Maybe because it's in a pot and I found it unhygienic to keep poking my finger in? Oftentimes I would get a Q-tip and use that to apply the product on my lip, but sometimes I forget to stock up on Q-tips in my small beauty bag. I guess i found it just a hassle as opposed to the usual lip balm in stick form.

I have been using this for a week now, and so far, my lips have been doing pretty well! I've also steered clear of matte lipsticks for now, opting for creamier ones like my Laura Mercier Attraction. 

For those of you who are struggling with dry, flaky lips I recommend you try this out. It's just P150 in Watson's and PCX. It's effective and smells amazing-- like vanilla.