Nichido Final Powder in Creamy Glow (I'm a New Fan!)

Hello loves!

I'm a fan of loose powders. I like a bit of pigment because I do the baking technique to achieve a "glow" whenever I put on my makeup. One of the powders I use for baking is the Ben Nye Banana Powder. I've used bottles of that powder and although I'm satisfied with the product's performance, I'm willing to try ones from different brands.

I've been seeing really good reviews of this product from Nichido, but I keep forgetting to buy one whenever I go to a mall until a couple of months ago...

Nichido Final Powder in Creamy Glow

Innisfree No-Sebum Mineral Powder

Hello loves!

Having oily skin is not an easy thing. Your makeup doesn't last as long, there's a higher chance you get acne because dirt tend to stick to your skin because of the oil, you don't look "fresh" after just a few hours because your face looks shiny already. I could go on and on about this because I've dealt with this issue ever since I hit puberty. The thing that makes me feel better is convincing myself that I won't get wrinkles faster than those with drier skin (provided that I make sure I have proper skin care). Still, I try to find ways to prolong the time that my face looks like a disco ball.

One of the things I do is find the right product for my skin type. I look for skincare that addresses my skin concerns and makeup that doesn't add more oil to my face (like if it's water-based, I think that's better, but I still have to try it first. Not every product like it works on me). Another thing that I do is top off my makeup with powder. I find that it prolongs the time it takes for my skin to get all shiny.

The current product I'm using is...

Innisfree No-Sebum Mineral Powder

It's PhP 260.00. Bought mine from Althea.

I bought it because I've been seeing different bloggers raving about this product. It also doesn't hurt that it's very affordable. Plus, I've been loving quite a number of products from the brand innisfree.

Before I go on with my short review, here's the product description from the website:

What it is

1. Sebum control powder that allows for non-greasy, downy baby skin 

Sebum absorption powder and mineral sebum control powder absorb excess sebum for a bright, downy skin as if presently putting on makeup. 

2. Jeju natural minerals and mint for refreshing control of oil and moisture 

Sebum absorption powder with Jeju natural minerals and mint restores an unhealthy balance of oil and moisture, leaving a refreshing finish. 

3. Absorbing excess sebum and oil for downy makeup and an even skin tone 

Absorbs excess sebum and oil to prevent makeup from becoming patchy, while correcting dull skin tone to keep the skin bright and radiant all day.

How to use

In the last stage of your daily skincare routine or makeup, use powder puff to gently apply onto entire face or sebum concentrated areas. 

Date manufactured / Shelf life after initial opening

use within 36 months

Contact us for faulty items

Livechat & Email: support_world@innisfree.co.kr

Quality guarantee notice

If you find any defects in your item, we will resolve the matter in accordance with the laws of the Republic of Korea.

Warning

1. If the following symptoms appear after using the product, stop using it. If the symptoms worsen, consult a dermatologist. 

1) Red blotches, swellings, itchiness or irritation while using the product. 

2) If the above symptoms appear when the skin is exposed to direct sunlight after using the product. 

2. Do not apply on a scar or any area of skin irritation, such as dermatitis and eczema. 

3. Cautions about handling and storing the product 

1) Keep the product closed after using it. 

2) Keep the product out of the reach of children/babies. If they swallow it, consult a doctor. 

3) Avoid extremely high and low temperatures and direct sunlight.

Ingredients: 

SILICA, CORN STARCH MODIF.IED, DIMETHICONE/VINYL DIMETHICONE CROSSPOLYMER, CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC TRIGLYCERIDE, MICA, METHICONE

Errr... I think they should edit their description from the website. haha! But I guess you get the point by checking the key words in it. :P

To be honest, I thought that it was so affordable at PhP 260, thinking that the size would be like that of the Palgantong Theatrical powder. When my order arrived, I was disappointed that it was smaller... like half of it. 5g. But still, I would consider it fairly priced. 

It's in a tub. There's a division between the powder and where you place your applicator.

The division has tiny holes so you get to control the amount you dispense.

The powder is very fine... like cornstarch! It glides smoothly on skin and it feels soft when touched. 

It has a translucent effect. You may worry that it would leave a white cast, but it doesn't.

It just makes your skin matte! At first I find my skin looking too matte but just wait for it to set and the overall finish would look natural.

Some say that the mint properties give a cooling sensation, well, I don't feel that. It just feels like the regular dry powder for me. 

I use it as a finishing powder after I put on my liquid foundation or BB cream. I apply it using a brush because I find the puff that comes with it more time consuming to use. It also moves and absorbs some of my foundation and concealer so I'd rather use a brush.

It works great when you want to set your makeup and give your look a matte finish. It also gives a softer look, like the lines and pores are smaller. But does it control oil?

Here's me without blotting after an 8-hour work day. Still shiny as ever. 

To be honest, I don't see much difference. My face starts to get shiny after three to four hours, just as when I use other translucent powder. 

So to summarize, I think it's a good product. It's effective in giving a matte finish. It sets makeup nicely. It feels and makes your skin look soft and smooth. It didn't irritate my skin. Finally, it's somewhat affordable. I don't think I have anything bad to say about it except that I would have love a bigger-sized product.

But would I say that it's the best? No. I've tried others that I like more BUT if I consider the price, then I would say it's one of the better ones at this price range.

And those are my thoughts on the Innisfree No-Sebum Mineral Powder. I hope this was helpful.

Cheers,
DAWN

Palgantong Theatrical Powder

Hi loves!

My friend went to Korea last November and I asked her if she can buy me some products and one of my requests was the... 

Palgantong Theatrical Powder

She was able to get this for only ₩7,000 (that's around Php 280.00 here) somewhere in Ewha Womans University. It's original price was ₩14,000! (Good job, Jho! *insert Facebook like symbol here*)

I requested for this because I've read great reviews about this powder and I would like to try it for myself. They claim that this product is being used by many celebrities from Korea, and I just think that their skin looks so flawless. I've read that this is very soft and smooth and it gives a natural smooth finish on the skin. Exciting right? Here's a product description from sasa.com:

description

PALGANTONG Theatrical Powder from Korea is make up of Ceramin ingredient from UK. The size of particles is just half as the other particles. It reflects more light from your skin to even the tone with natural appearance. Thin and comfortable, brighten your skin just like Movie Star. So, it is also called “Star Powder” in Japan and Korea.

Over these 10 years, this powder is commonly used in Korean Movies, TV programme and drama. Over 5,000,000 powder were sold in Japan, as No.1 loose powder in Japan!

how to use it 

Tap the bottom of bottle 3 times, twist open the lid and take out the brush. 

Tap the brush to remove excessive product. 

Gently brush on the forehead, cheeks and chin. 

Apply light layer of foundation by making continuous circular motions on clean and dry face from the T-zone out until the desired coverage is achieved. 

Tips: 

Take light and small portion each time and build up to the coverage you desire.

For oily skin, absorb excessive oil with facial absorbent paper and re-apply the mineral foundation to get the same natural effect.

I've seen some pics of the previous packaging of this product and the present packaging is definitely an improvement. This design is classier with the metallic red lid and the clear acrylic container. I like that there is a mirror and that the product is separated from the applicator. 

The surface that separates the powder has holes so you can control the amount of product you will get and it has a sticker so that no powder is spilled. Some people do not completely peal off the sticker to avoid spills and also reduce the amount of product taken.

The applicator is a white puff that is actually pretty soft but I don't use it because I prefer using my powder brushes when I apply this.

The product is a bit pinkish. This shade is called Original Beige. I've seen another shade which is Beige Ochre, a darker and warmer shade.

 The powder is very light and fine and when you spread it, you can feel how soft and smooth it is.

Thickly applied powder lightly smudged on my skin

It may seem like the powder is very light but it's actually translucent. Once you spread the powder and blend it over your foundation, the finish is still like your skin tone but you look more radiant and glowing. Here's proof of what I am talking about!

I apply the product just like how I apply the Ben Nye Banana Powder (click here for the post).

Left: With liquid foundation mixed with BB Cream on
Right: With the powder on and concentrated it on areas of the face where light usually touches

I leave the powder on for 5 minutes or more. I usually do my eyebrows and apply the rest of my eye makeup while I wait. I like this technique since while I apply powder eyeshadows, I don't worry about the fall out of the shadow because it will just land on the large amount of finishing powder I applied under my eyes. I just sweep the powder off after a few minutes and no eyeshadow smudges from the fall out!

When my eye makeup is done, I sweep off the powder and blend it around my face and this is what happens.

My face looks brighter. It's like a subtle highlighter and finishing powder in one! If you think the powder is too much, just spray some face mist and it will set faster and it will just look like your natural skin! Check out my photos with the rest of my makeup on...

I find that my skin looks really good on photos when I wear this. It's like the pores are gone and your skin is healthier and brighter. And this won't cause any white cast on flash photography if you're wondering.

I find finishing powders great for setting and prolonging makeup and this product does those very well and I like that this effectively controls oil. It takes me a good 4 hours before my face gets shiny. Yay!

And those were my thoughts on the Palgantong Theatrical Powder in Ordinary Beige. :D Do you use finishing powders too? Which one do you use? :)


Cheers,
DAWN

Know Your Shade—Ellana Samples Set

Hey loves!

A month and a half ago, I made some online purchases from Ellana's online store. One of the stuff I took was their Free Sample Set. Yup! It's free, except for the shipping fee unless you've purchased products amounting to Php 1,000 and above if you live within Metro Manila, or Php 1,600.00 or above in Greater Metro Manila and the rest of the Philippines.

I really appreciate that they offer this service because using the right shade is serious business when it comes to makeup application. Who wants to look like your face is floating above your neck because your foundation is too light? 

Though I already know my Ellana foundation and concealer shades, I still decided to get the sample set so that I can share the swatches to you and also inform you about this offer. The pictures that follow are the samples I got so that you will have an idea on what shade/s would suit/s you.

I was too lazy to scan a pic of the booklet about the products so I just took pictures and cropped them. Haha! Just click the photos to enlarge them. :)

I separated the swatches according to warm, cool, and olive skin tones. First photo is the actual samples, second is on paper, and third is swatched on my arm. 

The samples—Cafe Breve, French Vanilla, Hazelnut Latte, Caramel Latte and Macchiato.

I guess pinays mostly have warm skin tones (yellowish or golden) that's why they provided more warm shades in the sample set.

Right in the middle is my shade—Hazelnut Latte but I think I'm currently more like Caramel Latte since I got darker due to travelling. :P

These are samples from the cool tones (pinkish or beigey)—Chai Tea Latte, Almond Latte, and Cinnamon Latte.

And finally, two sample of the olive shades (bronzy)—Cafe Mocha and Toffee Mocha.

So that's 10 shades of mineral foundations...

now on to the finishing powders...

Finishing powders are often skipped when applying makeup. But it can actually help a lot in making your makeup look better and stay longer.

You'll get 4 samples—Almond Coffee Cream, Pumpkin Pie Latte, Espresso Con Panna, and Sheer Velvet.

Please refer to the brochure image for each sample's description.

My favorite is the Sheer Velvet because it gives that poreless finish and it makes the skin feeling so soft!

And finally, my favorite product from Ellana!

Their Mineral Powder Concealers are the bomb! I like the coverage it gives and I use this as my foundation. Check out my review here.

The shades included are Awake, Cheer, Radiant, Revive, and Smile.

My shade is Smile. A few months ago, it was a bit darker; but after my trip to the US, it's now my exact shade!

And that's that! Those are the swatches of the samples I got from Ellana! I hope this helped you in deciding what shade to try and also convinced you to get the samples and find your perfect shade yourself. You can also go to their physical stores and get some help from their SA's to make it easier. :)

For more info about Ellana, check out their:

Website
Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Ellana is available online and at the following branches:

Glorietta 3

The Ramp, 2nd Floor Glorietta 3, Makati City

Shangri-la Plaza

The Ramp, 2nd Floor Shangri-la Plaza Mall, Mandaluyong City

Trinoma Mall

The Ramp, 1st Floor Trinoma Mall, Quezon City

Pasong Tamo

Unit 203 La Fuerza Plaza 2, Chino Roces Ave. Corner Sabio St., Makati City

Cheers,

DAWN

Look Flawless with Ellana!

Hello loves!

Ever since I first tried Ellana Mineral Cosmetics, I became an instant fan. 

I've actually avoided mineral makeup until I attended one of Ellana's blogger events which gave me the opportunity to take home some of their products. I've already shared the reasons why I was hesitant to use mineral makeup and how Ellana changed it in my previous post, so for today's entry, I'll share with you how I achieve a flawless look using 3 Ellana Mineral Cosmetics products—Let's Make It Last Makeup Primer, Smile Cover It Up Mineral Powder Concealer, and Sheer Velvet Mineral Finishing Powder.

I've already made a review on the Let's Make It Last Makeup Primer so I will be skipping that one for this post. You can read the full review here.

And let's go to the product that saved mineral makeup for me,

Ellana Mineral Cosmetics Smile Cover It Up Mineral Powder Concealer

This is their medium shade with warm tones and it's only for Php 460.00.

Why saved? Because it gave me the coverage I wanted that I didn't get from the mineral makeup products I tried from other brands!

Smile is exactly my shade! I'm happy that Ellana's products have warm tones so it blends well with most Filipina skin. Their Mineral Foundation and Concealer products are available in other shades as well:

Radiant—Light with warm tones

Cheer—Light with cool tones

Revive—Medium with cool tones

Before I go on with the product details, let's admire the very fab packaging first. The beautiful illustrations were made by Ms. Soleil Ignacio. 

Here are product descriptions from the website:

WHAT IT IS

Complete coverage without the mask-like finish - that is the promise of our new Concealer Foundation. This dual-purpose product can be used to spot-conceal and to cover up under eye circles. It can also be applied, in sheer layers, as a foundation for maximum coverage.

HOW TO USE

As a concealer: Use your fingers or a concealer brush to pick up the product. Blend onto your eye bags and blemishes in quick feathery strokes. 

As a foundation: Pick up a small amount with your kabuki or powder brush. Apply only a sheer layer to color correct and/or cover problem areas.

TIPS AND TRICKS

This is a foundation for oily and extremely troubled skin. As a

concealer, it can work with all skin types. It comes in five color correcting

shades to effectively keep imperfections under wraps.

Ingredients:

Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Mica, Methicone, Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide, Kaolin, Magnesium, Stearate, Allantoin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Yellow CI 77492, Red CI 77491, Black CI 77499, Green CI 77288, Blue 77007

Swatches on my hand

This product has heavy coverage, great for those who suffer from acne and dark spots. If you have clearer skin, I suggest you stick to their mineral foundations which also has good coverage and carries more shades.

The product is fine and soft and it feels very light on skin. Application is very easy. I use a flat top synthetic makeup brush or a flat kabuki brush for application.

The next product is the finishing powder:

Ellana Mineral Cosmetics Sheer Velvet Mineral Finishing Powder 

This is also worth Php 460.00.

Details about the product from the website:

WHAT IT IS

Look poreless, matte, and ultra-smooth up close with our best-selling Sheer

Velvet HD Powder. This translucent powder can set your makeup and help ward

off oil during the day! The pure white shade matches all skin tones.

HOW TO USE

After your foundation, use only a small amount of Sheer Velvet

on the center of your face. Simply retouch as needed!

TIPS AND TRICKS

This powder is recommended for oily and troubled skin. It can

also diminish the appearance of pores. It’s great to use with all

skin tones due to the colorless coverage.

INGREDIENT LIST

silicon dioxide, nylon-12, mica, Polymethylsilsesquioxane

Who doesn't want poreless skin??? It has been a dream for me especially since I have acne-prone, oily skin. As mentioned in the description, this product is recommended for my skin tone! Yay! 

Swatches on my hand

This powder is silky soft! It's also very fine that it gets in and fills those pores and lines thus giving you that smooth and silky finish. It sounds too good to be true but I'm not kidding! I'm impressed! It mattifies the face making it a great product to lessen shine (whether it's from your natural oils or if you use foundations or BB's that give dewy finish).

With the combination of this and the Let's Make It Last Makeup Primer, you would really get that lovely poreless finish! Don't believe me? Then check out the next photos below!

Here are shots of my bare face...

My skin is slowly clearing up (thank goodness... it may not look like it but it was worse before) but I'm still suffering with acne scars, especially on the jaw line. I also have enlarged pores on the cheeks and forehead.

After I cleansed and moisturized my skin, I apply the  Let's Make It Last Makeup Primer first. It's transparent so it doesn't make much difference so I didn't take any shots of my face anymore.

And then I apply the  Smile Cover It Up Mineral Powder Concealer...

I apply a very small amount on areas that are not so problematic like the apples of my cheeks and forehead. I concentrated more on the jaw area where many acne scars need concealing.

See how great it works on hiding those dark scars? Amazing! And I didn't have to use so much product.

And then I top it off with the Sheer Velvet Mineral Finishing Powder...

All smoothened now! Skin looks matte and feels so soft and pores are smaller!

I actually put the Sheer Velvet after the foundation but it can also be used as primer before you put on your mineral foundation to smoothen your canvas aka your face. :P

And then I just add some color on my face...

I LOVE the finish! It looks natural and my skin looks like it's glowing! The products feel so light on my skin that I don't even feel like I'm wearing makeup! Besides these, Ellana Mineral Cosmetics are cruelty-free, paraben-free, and fragrance-free! 

As for the staying power, well, it doesn't really control oil so I give around 2-3 hours before my face starts getting shiny. I have to blot and retouch using the Sheer Velvet powder. But even if I get very oily, the makeup doesn't fade. I only reapply foundation (I use the pressed powder form of their mineral foundation in Hazelnut) once for the whole day when I'm at the office. And does my makeup cake? No, it does not. But I'm not completely sure if the concealer/foundation will if it is applied on top of a non-mineral liquid foundation because I only use this with other Ellana products.

Overall, I love these products. I strongly recommend them! Like I said, I am now a fan!

For more info about this primer and other products from Ellana, check out their:

Website
Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Ellana is available online and at the following branches:

Glorietta 3

The Ramp, 2nd Floor Glorietta 3, Makati City

Shangri-la Plaza

The Ramp, 2nd Floor Shangri-la Plaza Mall, Mandaluyong City

Trinoma Mall

The Ramp, 1st Floor Trinoma Mall, Quezon City

Pasong Tamo

Unit 203 La Fuerza Plaza 2, Chino Roces Ave. Corner Sabio St., Makati City

And btw, If you click this link (or the Ellana banner at the side bar), you get a discount when you buy online and I get a small amount of money because I joined their affiliate program. But even though I benefit from this, rest assured that all I stated in my posts are honest reviews. :)

So that's how I achieve a flawless face with Ellana! Hope this post helped you. :D

Cheers,

 DAWN