Review : Holika Holika Cover and Hiding Stick Concealer

Hey guys!

If you have oily and acne-prone skin like me, then you're probably familiar with what a concealer is and how important it is to our makeup routine (that is if you also like your blemishes covered like me). Before, I always buy heavy coverage foundations, but now that my skin is getting better and have less blemishes, I settle for more lightweight foundations or BB creams. It doesn't matter as much if they are sheerer than the ones I've used before. I just get a trusted concealer to help cover the darker blemishes. That being said, I do try to find concealers that work best for me.

Although I've tried good ones, my curiosity to try out other concealers from the different brands out there. One of those that I bought out of sheer curiosity is the...

Holika Holika Cover and Hiding Stick Concealer

I bought it for PhP 275.00. But now the price is PhP 315.00.

The shade I have is 02 Natural Beige.

Since the labels aren't in english, I looked for their website for the product description. Unfortunately, there wasn't much there. So I looked at BeautyMNL's website and here's what it says:

CLAIM TO FAME: A creamy concealer that helps create a flawless base

FAST FACTS: Covers and conceals dark circles, blemishes, and other imperfections; easy-to-use twist up stick gives you just the right amount of product; perfect for blending over dark spots and redness; long-lasting formula masks troubled areas for hours

PERFECT FOR: Hiding scars and spots for an even-looking face

SPECIFICATIONS

WHAT YOU GET: (1) Cover & Hiding Stick Concealer
NET WEIGHT: 3.5g
INGREDIENTS: Phenyl Trimethicone, Titanium Dioxid, Polyethylene, Caprylic/Capric/myristic/Stearic Triglyceride, Ceresin, Triethylhexanoin, Bismuth, Oxychloride, CI 77492 (Yellow Oxide of Iron), Boron Nitride, Squalane, Silica, Nylon-12, Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, Hydrogenated, Rapeseed Oil, CI 77491 (Red Oxide of Iron), Jojoba Oil, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, CI 77499 (Black Oxide of Iron), Butylparaben, Fragrance, BHT, Pearl Powder, Coral Powder, Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Peel Oil, Allantoin

What made me buy this was it's shape and packaging. It's a twist-up pencil type so I don't have to dip my fingers or a brush when I use this. I do have to make sure my face is clean when I use it or else I still have to use a brush. Haha! Anyway, the point is it's easier and faster to use

Dispensing is easy because you get to just twist it up. And for it's price, you get a pretty good amount of the product.

Another reason why I bought it is that when I swatched it, I was impressed by how creamy it was but also provided good coverage.

The next few photos are of areas of my face using the product:

Under eyes

Bare 

I apply the product in a triangle shape to also help highlight the center of my face. Although I rarely do this because I usually just apply on the eye bag and dark circle area. :P

When blended

My eyes look brighter and I looked like I slept a full eight hours. Haha! It also goes well with my warm skin tone.

It can also help get rid of the redness from pimples as see on the before and after photos above.

Blending the product was easy because it was very creamy. It's also lightweight so it doesn't feel like you're applying too much product on your face.

It can be long-lasting but my oily face makes the product cake at times. I notice that the areas where I apply this cakes but I get to prevent it if I blot off the oil as soon as I get shiny.

What I LIKE:

- Good medium-heavy coverage
- Affordable
- Twist-up version is easy to use
- Creamy texture is easy to blend
- Lightweight
- long-lasting
- Warm, yellowish tone blends well on my skin
- Didn't experience irritations nor breakouts

What I DO NOT LIKE:

- It cakes
- It doesn't cover darker acne scars and even though it is buildable, it get's cakey if I pile it up

Would I recommend it? Yes, but only to those with clearer skin than I do. As much as I appreciate the coverage and how light it feels, the caking part bothers me a lot. It's still pretty good especially considering how affordable it is!

And that is my review of the Holika Holika Cover and Hiding Stick Concealer!


Cheers,
DAWN

Review : Kiss Me Heroine Make Smooth Cover Powder in Natural Beige 02

Hey lovelies!

How's your weekend. Spent mine with a friend and we watched movies, had good conversations, and great food (which we always do when she comes over). She's gonna go to Singapore next week for a 5-day vacation and I asked her if she can buy me some makeup when she goes out shopping. Do you have any recommendations what she could get me? I would really appreciate any. :D

Anyway, tonight I would like to share my review on a compact mineral powder that I received during an event...

Kiss Me Heroine Make Smooth Cover Powder in Natural Beige 02

This compact costs PhP 695.00.

I got this for free last April during one of the brand's product launches.

Having enlarged pores and oily skin, I love the that it promises to cover pores and control oil. The SPF32 and PA++ is also a great plus for a powder as well as the light and silky texture. All the claims seems SUPER for me! 

The product packaging is quite different to the usual look of Heroine Make Products. It's color is black, which looks very classy but different from the usual pink and fuchsia colors of their other products' packagings. The labels are still in the same font and metallic gold in color.

The compact has a built-in mirror as well as an applicator.

The puff applicator looks really cute and fluffy. It's very soft and I like using it. But after a while, I find that using a brush provides a better finish for me. 

But seriously, this puff is super soft and I would still use it.

The shade Natural Beige has a yellowish tone that suits warm skin tones like what most Asians have (this is a Japanese brand after all).

Here's a swatch on my arm.

And before and after application shots of my cheeks.

As you can see, the product is about two shades lighter than my NC30 skin tone. I'm not sure how many shades are available but I think the 01 shade is lighter than this so I guess this will be an issue for those who have darker skin tones. 

If you like your powder with coverage, then this product has that! And it did cover my pores as promised. The redness of my pimples as well as majority of my acne scars were hidden and I didn't even have to use a concealer or liquid foundation underneath! Do take note that I didn't just dab the powder on skin to achieve this coverage. I used a kabuki brush for application and swirled it on my face. Although if you prefer to only mattify the face and not cover too much, a light swirl then tap before application can do the trick. 

(Sorry for the ugly brows)

With contour and a blush, the shade match looks pretty close to my normal skin color. The powdery matte finish will look more natural as it sets on my skin. A good setting spray can hasten this.

Oil control is pretty good since I only notice my face get shiny after 4-5 hours. It's pretty good! And I never encountered any irritations nor breakouts!

So here's the summary:

What I LIKE:

- Medium-heavy coverage

- Light and silky feeling

- Has SPF32 and PA++

- Good oil control

- Classy packaging

- Warm tone suits my skin

- Long-lasting

- No skin irritations nor breakouts

- Comes with a mirror and soft puff

- Pretty affordable

- Covers pores

- Locally available

What I DON'T LIKE:

- Limited shades available

I would recommend this to those with fair to light skin tones. For medium (like me)-dark ones, I guess we'll have to skip it until the time that they come up with more shades. This is pretty good especially how great it covers blemishes and pores. :)

And that's my review of the Kiss Me Heroine Make Smooth Cover Powder in Natural Beige 02. Have you tried this product yet?

Cheers,

DAWN

Review : Etude House Precious Mineral Perfect Fit BB Cream in Natural Beige

Hello dearies!

Remember when I use to say that I prefer foundations over BB Creams because I prefer more coverage? Well, recently I've tried pretty good BB creams that give satisfying coverage and the one I'll be sharing today is one of my latest discoveries...

 Etude House Precious Mineral Perfect Fit BB Cream

Php 848.00

Product Description:

The packaging is in a simple but cute tube with a pump dispenser.

I really like that when it comes to BB Creams, even liquid foundations actually, because this is more hygienic and easier to get the product out. I can also cut the tube when I'm almost finished with it so I can scoop out the remaining BB cream.

This BB Cream comes in three shades and the one I got is the middle shade—Natural Beige.

This is how the product looks like

The scent is really pleasant and mild. You'll barely notice it after the minute you applied it.

Consistency is thin and very easy to spread. The shade is warm but I think this isn't yellow enough for my skin. I've tried a different shade from EH that suits my skin more.

This is how it looks when blended.

As you can see, it gives an almost matte finish. It still leaves a little dewiness to it to make the skin look natural.

Above are my photos before and after application

As you can see, it perfectly covers redness and most of my scars... BUT you can still spot the dark ones so I guess the product description is wrong for claiming that it can perfectly cover imperfections. Haha! But I really like the coverage! I'm actually impressed that a product that feels so light on skin can cover my blemishes so well.

I usually apply this after my skin care and primer. I top it off with powder to prolong the makeup and to lengthen the time before my face becomes shiny. It can last pretty much the whole day but it doesn't really help with oil control so it is a must for me to blot and retouch powder every three to four hours or so.

So here's a summary of my review:

What I LIKE:

- Medium coverage

- Has SPF30 and PA++

- Pleasant scent

- Locally available

- Sort of affordable

- Packaging

- Feels light on skin

- Easy to spread and blend

- Love the semi-matte finish

What I DON'T LIKE:

- Only comes in three shades. Actually, that's already good since most BB creams only has two, even one shade. It's just that I think that those with darker skin tones won't be able to appreciate this because the darkest shade is actually close to my skin color already.

- No oil control. It never claimed that it did but I do appreciate a product that gives that property. :P

Overall, this is a good BB cream and I do recommend you to try this especially if you're looking for a BB that gives good coverage. 

Have you tried this product yet? Which Etude House BB cream do you like the most? :)

Cheers,
DAWN

Misslyn Skin Corrector in Natural Beige

Hello dears!

So while I was at SM Aura last September, I first encountered the European brand, Misslyn. I just wanted to buy something from them just so I can try it.

So the product I bought was...

Misslyn Skin Corrector Cover Stick in Natural Beige
Php 249.00

So below are pictures of the labels on the pencil:

I bought this because it has been a while since I had a stick concealer. I find the texture quite similar to soft eyeliners as well so I can probably use them like that too.

More info from the website:


USE THE SKIN CORRECTOR FOR EASILY CONCEALING MINOR SKIN IRREGULARITIES. THE PRECISION LEAD ALLOWS TARGETED COVERAGE AND IS ALSO SUITABLE FOR INVISIBLY CORRECTING THE LIP AREA. CARNAUBA AND CANDELILLA WAX KEEP THE SKIN FEELING SUPPLE. VITAMINS C AND E PROTECT AGAINST FREE RADICALS, AND THUS ALSO AGAINST THE CONSEQUENCES OF PHOTOAGING. FRAGRANCE-FREE. CONTAINS NO PRESERVATIVES

Closeup of the pencil

Swatch on arm

It effectively conceals blemishes except for really dark ones. I have lots to conceal so I find this a bit tedious to use so I went back to using creamier concealers that are easier to blend.

But I found another way to use it...

As a nude eye liner pencil!

I usually apply it on my waterline to brighten my eyes. It stays for a good couple of hours before it slides down so reapplication is necessary throughout the day.

So what are your thoughts on this product? Have you bought any products from Misslyn? Do you have favorite ones?

Cheers,

DAWN

Review : BYS Foundation Stick in Natural Beige

Hey loves!

BB Creams are quite popular now but I still prefer foundations. I don't have the gorgeous skin that only needs a little tint on their face when they go out. I look for coverage to hide a lot of those nasty imperfections and that's why I still and probably always prefer foundations over BB Creams... Unless the BB has uber good coverage. I've tried a few but just not my exact shade. But anyway, foundation is my skin's best friend and I'm quite fond of trying new and different ones.

This is why I'm glad that I received one from an event by BYS some months ago. And I shall share with you my thoughts on this product.

BYS Foundation Stick

I'm not really a cream foundation type... I usually wear liquid foundation and top it off with powder. But was still excited to try this out nonetheless.

The shade is got is #4 - Natural Beige.

Here's a product description from the website:

Stick form provides easy application and formula will smooth your skin tone for an even finish. Acts as a full coverage foundation and also perfect for concealing any blemishes or imperfections. Ideal for touch-ups on the go throughout the day and/or night.

The package is quite neat. Very classy looking. It's easy to use since you just have to twist the end to get the product out.

This is a closeup of the product. This is not the entire amount of product since I've already used it three times before taking this picture.

Here a swatch on paper.

and a swatch on my arm.

Clearly this isn't the right shade for me. Though my arm is fairer than my face, my face's shade is still a shade lighter, probably Sand Beige. Good thing this is available in 6 shades.

So let's see how it works on my face...

My bare cheek

Applied a generous amount to my large face. haha!

I know I should have just dabbed it or use a brush to get the product but I'm just too lazy. HAHA! Please do not do what I just did on that picture. Be a lot subtler. :))

When blended

And finished off with a translucent powder on top

The coverage is quite good. It's buildable too so it passes my number one criteria in getting a foundation. Though not the right shade for me, it blended well easily. It's really quite easy to use and blending it on the skin is not a difficult task at all especially if you use a good foundation brush. It feels light on skin too.

It lasts all day long! Doesn't cake on my face but it doesn't have oil control so expect a lot of blotting if you have oily skin like me.

This doesn't look good if you have dry skin and have flaky areas like I do when I use some peeling solutions to get rid of my dark marks from acne. Just make sure you take care of your skin and moisturize daily.

What I LIKE:

Medium - Heavy Coverage

Feels light on skin

Easy to use

Matte to semi-matte finish

Long-lasting

Locally available

What I DON'T LIKE:

No oil control

I think 6 shades aren't enough for a foundation! More shades, please! :)

Will I repurchase?

I'm still biased on liquid foundies but I do believe this is perfect for travel so I probably will when I decide to have a long vacation out of town/country. :)

So what do you think of BYS' Foundation Stick?

Do you prefer cream foundations than liquid or powder?

Cheers!

DAWN