E.L.F 100 Piece Eye Shadow Set

Good evening ladies,

My good friend brought me back a nice present from Hawaii so I thought of sharing it with you.

This is my first 100 piece palette and I'm not really sure how I'd go about using it.

Dawn and I immediately noticed that this palette has mosaic pieces. Some of the mosaic pieces are matte with the glitters mosaic-ed (if there is such a word) and some just have matte combinations.

Swatches:

These are arranged from left to right.

The second column for was the hardest to get to color. No matter how hard I rubbed the palette, the color just doesn't pop.

Same goes for this column

Overall, this palette is only so-so, I was greatly disappointed by the black palette. I was expecting a really deeply dark pigment as the gradient got darker, but that was not the case. It wasn't black, it was just smog-like if not smoke-like.

Well, that's it for this very short swatch post... I hope I put this palette to good use though. :)

Cheers,

LIZ

A Makeup Tutorial Session from Clinique PH

Hey everyone!

Last Friday I went to Trinoma because I booked a tutorial session from Clinique Philippines. I get to have a makeover done by one of their consultants and they'll be using Clinique skincare products that suit my skin. Here's what I looked like after the makeover:

What do you think?

I booked this because my friends, Helen and Robin, convinced me to try it out. I wasn't really in the mood to get out of the house during the long weekend but I realized that I'm on the hunt for other skincare products that I can try. I do believe that my current routine is good enough but maybe there are other products out there that can treat my skin problems better. So why not try the workshop and learn what among Clinique's skincare range would work on my skin best. Clinique is, afterall, one of the major brands that focus on skincare and cosmetics.

So before I introduce the products that was used in my session, here are before and after pictures of me:

Haha! I look weird and so dull without makeup! The right photo, on the other hand, looks so colorful and cheery.  

 The consultant tasked to do my skincare and makeup was Cathy. She was hands-on with explaining every product used on me. She knew exactly what to apply as soon as she analyzed my skin. 

And so, here are some of the products that were used in the tutorial. I didn't get to take photos of every product but I made sure to take photos of the ones that were very interesting for me and those that were highly recommended by Cathy.

 Clinique Anti-blemish Solutions

This is the range that deals with the problems I've been encountering for more than a decade. Cathy didn't use all three products though...

...she only used this for my moisturizer. Cathy said this will keep me hydrated without getting my skin very oily. It feels light on the skin!

To add more moisture to my skin, she applied Moisture Surge. It's also light and actually feels like gel made of water. It dries fast when applied and made my skin very soft.

She then applied the Pore Refining Solutions Stay-Matte Hydrator to keep my skin shine-free. I can't really say if this worked since I got oily after 3-4 hours. I dunno if it just didn't work on me or maybe the amount of moisturizers were too much? Not sure but I wish I get to use this more so I can be more accurate in my initial review.

And let's move to the makeup part...

She combined these three foundations to achieve my color wherein Cashew has the highest amount. She also combined their CC Cream. After blending it on my face, she topped it off with powder.

She asked me if I wanted nude eyes or smoky. Of course I chose smoky because I love bold eyeshadows! :P

 She used this for my eye makeup. I was worried just because it's blue. I don't do blue smoky eyes much just because it can get drag-like. In the end, it wasn't too dark but I wasn't fond of the finished look. I guess it was just okay. Not something I would do on me but it's just... okay, I guess. 

 For the lips, she used these very, very beautiful shades—Curviest Caramel and Mightiest Maraschino. Combined, they made an awesome peachy pink shade.

So those are the notable products used for my makeup tutorial with Cathy of Clinique PH. She was so nice to arrange the products she used from the first one she applied to the last one so that incase I decide to purchase some of them, I know how to use them. See the photo below to check it out:

 And what do you think of the look?

And also, they gave the people who attended the workshops some freebies! Two lucky ones will get full-sized products. Unfortunately, I wasn't one of them. Oh well.

But here are the products I got!

Super happy that I get to take home these. I got a free makeover and skincare lesson and I also got free stuff! Thanks, Clinique! :D

So do check out your favorite brands if they are doing workshops or seminars. You get to learn a lot and discover new products that can help you with your skin or other beauty concerns. I love going to those because I get to learn new stuff everytime about the brand and their products. 

One of the products I am eyeing on besides the products used on me in the tutorial is this:

 Clinique Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector

My skin's ultimate enemies are my dark spots that I got from blemishes. I'm looking for good products that can help me deal with that and I really, really hope that this can be my ally. It's quite pricey at P4k+ but if it works, then it's so worth it! Time to save up!

Anyway, other products I got while I was at Trinoma (and SM North which was on their 3-day sale) that day are the following:

 I answered Benefit PH's survey and they gave me all these samples for free!

 My second bottle of Ciracle's Vitamin Source C-20 — Php 1,2k+

 ZA Perfect Solution Restoring Collagen Cream — Php399.00 (original price is Php 700+)

 Flormar Mat Touch Foundation — around Php 700 but got this at 10% off

 Biokos Vital Nutrition Eye Shield Treatment — Around Php 400-500

Been looking for an affordable eye cream. Hoping this can help slow down aging. Haha!

Beyu Soft Liner in Black — Php 450-500

Bought this because my sister took my very black eyeliner to Australia. Haha!

So that's all for this post, guys. :)

Cheers,

DAWN

Nature Republic Shine Blossom Rose Blusher in Baby Rose

Hello lovelies!

If I've been asked which makeup product I do not prioritize the most, I would probably say blushes. It's because I usually wear bold eye makeup or bold lipstick that I need my blush to be subtle so that I don't look... errr... drag-ish? Anyway, I think I only need 5 colors of blushes—light pink, medium, cool-toned pink, peachy pink, nude or old rose, and a really nice peach shade. All of these I prefer either matte or very minimal shimmer and I'm all good!

If you've seen my hauls, I probably bought only a handful of blushes in the past two years (the others I own were gifts or blushes given by my sister). The latest of the few is this one that I bought just a month ago...

Nature Republic Shine Blossom Rose Blusher in Baby Rose

Bought this for Php 375.00.

I bought this because I realized I didn't have a nice matte-ish peach blush in my stash. All of my peach ones are shimmery which doesn't look nice on my cheeks especially when I begin to oil up.

So before I show you the swatches, here are the labels on the box:

And here's the cute, tin can packaging:

I find it super cute but a bit bulky in my vanity bag. i prefer thin ones and with mirrors. :P

The puff is really cute too with the purple and peach bow design...

But I don't really use it because I prefer applying powdered blushes with brushes. Plus, I think this is hard to clean and might get deformed after some washing.

And here's the blush!!!

A really soft, light peach! Gorgeous!

It also smells soooo good. It has a mild, rosy scent that I'm so digging. I don't mind my makeup scented as long as I like how it smells and the rose scent is one of my favorite.

A swatch on my arm

It may look powdery but that's because that is a very thick swatch so that you can see the color. I have used many blushes who are much powdery than this.

So let's see the blush in action. Here are pictures of me wearing it...

Simple, subtle and brightening! I love how it makes my cheek look glowing. I like using this especially if I'm just going to work. I also pair this with smoky eye looks. I'm glad that I bought this because I wasn't really planning on buying a blush when I saw this. And it's affordable too so it really is a great purchase!

So what are your thoughts on Nature Republic's Shine Blossom Rose Blusher in Baby Rose? Would you wear a blush shade like this? Are you a fan of blushes or are you just like me? :)

Cheers,

DAWN

Unboxing : Jan-Feb BDJ Box

Hello dears!

I'm super enjoying the long weekend. Been hanging out with friends, oversleeping, shopping and my first ever BDJ Box arrived a couple of days ago and I've been using some of the items inside already.

It took me only now to get a BDJ Box because they're always out of stock whenever I felt like ordering. Actually, I ordered this around September or October. The boxes for November and December were out of stock already so that's why I was subscribed for the January-February box. I guess people really love BDJ Box... I often see unboxing posts and BDJ boxes almost always contain interesting products that I would love to try myself.

And so, let's open the box and see the goodies!

It contained a list of the products included in the box: 

So here they are:

I included the price of the products in their full-sizes.

 2 full-size Beauty and Bright Moringa Soap - Php 114.00

Honestly, I don't see the point of getting two bars. I thought this is a way to try out products so one full-size is enough. Besides, I've been using this soap for months now... probably why I wasn't so cheery when I saw this. :P But just so we're clear, I do love this soap! 

 Avon Face Pearls - Php 599.00

Another full-sized product! I guess this is Avon's version of the popular Guerlain Meteorites. 

 Revlon Nair Art Expressionist in Monet, Monet - Php 375.00

Oooh! It's named after one of the most popular painters of all time. The wannabe artist in me is happy. :D

 Yves Rocher Sexy Pulp Mascara - Php 650.00

Got a deluxe size version. I'm excited to try this the most. :D

 Ellana Minerals Lip and Cheek Tint - Php 220.00

Not a fan of tints but this seems interesting. I swatched it on my arm and it lasted the whole day on! Amazing lasting power!

Sachets of My Amazing Blow Dry Secret Shampoo and Conditioner - Php 1,200.00 per bottle

Tony Moly Tomatox Magic White Massage Pack - Php 548.00

Tony Moly Oriental Gyeol Emulsion - Php 1,398.00

 Tony Moly Intense Care Live Snail Cream - Php 2,098.00

Tony Moly  Luminous Pure Aura CC Cream - Php 948.00

I've tried some of the items from Tony Moly from the GWP's I got from my previous purchases from the brand.

Garnier Color Naturals - Php 199.00

I don't usually color my hair that dark but the good thing is my mom does! 

and finally, some GC's!!!

3 Gift Vouchers worth Php 500.00 each from Aesthetic Institute of the Philippines.

Free Brow House Construction from Browhaus worth Php 548.00.

A Php 600 off for Brazilian Keratin Treatment or Php 800 off for Cynos Nano Digital Perming.

I'm very satisfied with the products I got especially since more than half of them are in their full sizes! For the amount I paid, I got a really good deal. There are products that I didn't appreciate as much since I've tried them already but I think I'll be using everything that's included in the box for sure. I'm happy with my first ever BDJ Box and I'll be buying another one soon!

Cheers,

DAWN