Fashion 21 Ultimate Cover BB Cream + Concealer

Hey dearies!

When choosing my base makeup, I always look for coverage as well as getting that natural-looking finish, which means something that's not too dewy nor shimmery, not too flat, and the shade is pretty close to my skin color (warm). Another quality that I appreciate is the high sun protection—Living in a tropical country, especially since it's the summer, we should protect ourselves from the sun's harsh effects. Even though we do have sunscreens, if your bb cream or foundation can provide as much sun protection, that's pretty much hitting two birds with one stone. Finally, knowing how hard it is to earn money, I look for affordability. I use makeup whenever I go out so that's mostly everyday since I do go to work during the weekdays. Using foundations and bb creams that often will lead me to purchase more often than other kinds of makeup, so finding a cheap alternative is always awesome.

This is why I was intrigued when I read an email about this new product from Fashion 21... the Ultimate Cover BB Cream and Concealer.

It claims to do all those things that I mentioned! Check out the press release:

"There’s no need to look far for a great BB cream and concealer—it’s all in the Ultimate Cover. Our lightweight formula provides excellent coverage that maintains its color even in the face of sweat and humidity. Both products can either be applied separately or combined for the smoothest evenly-toned and blemish-free look, and our three-color range fits any skin tone. It comes with SPF30+."

And one tube is only PhP  225.00.

It seems very interesting, right? 

Check out the labels on the box and the tube for more info:

The tube is easy to squeeze and easy to control how much product you dispense. You just twist the black cap to get to the nozzle.

At the end is another clear cap that you can twist to get to the concealer. The clear cap makes the shade visible and it adds a little class to the design.

The Ultimate Cover BB Cream + Concealer comes in three shades: 1, 2, and 3.

The lightest shade is 1 and the darkest is 3. The one is use is shade no. 1 which I think is more like a medium shade since it is close to my color. It can be a problem to the mestizas or those with lighter skin tone.

To give you an idea, check out the swatches below:

Swatches of the concealer from 1-3.

The BB Creams from 1-3

When spreaded-out

When blended

Below are pictures of the BB Cream and the concealer side by side. I used the shade no. 1 since that is my color. 

On top is the concealer and the one at the bottom is the BB Cream.

I think the concealer is a shade lighter so that it brightens the under eyes since that's where we usually apply concealer the most.

When slightly blended

Both are very creamy. The concealer is very pigmented but still feels light on skin. The BB cream has a light to medium coverage but partnered with the concealer, it can conceal the imperfections quite well. See the photos below.

Bare skin

With the BB cream (1 layer)

Bare under eye

With the concealer

And below are my pictures using the product as base with the rest of my makeup:

Looks pretty good right?

The first thing I noticed when I used this product is how lightweight it was, even the concealer, and this is something that's unusual when it comes to base products that have coverage. 

The scent of both BB cream and concealer is pleasant and none of the chemical scent. The smell is barely noticeable too. 

As I have said, the BB cream has a light-medium coverage so if you like light makeup, then you can use it alone. If you want a more made-up look, then use the concealer for a more flawless face. Both products have buildable coverage and consistency of both is creamy which makes them easy to apply. For darker pimple scars, the concealer is unfortunately not enough so you can see in the pictures that some acne scars are still visible.

The lasting power is pretty-decent. I have oily skin and since this do not have oil control, my face gets shiny in 3-4 hours. The excess sebum will cause the makeup to slide off so I have to make sure to blot to make it last the whole day. But I would rather reapply again so I look prettier. Haha! The product is pretty cheap so I don't have any problem using it often. 

I've used this product for a week and so far, I did not encounter any breakouts nor irritations. 

Overall, I like it! It does give coverage, it is lightweight, and it's very, very affordable! I like that the sunscreen is pretty good too! I also like that it's a 2-in-1 product which makes it a great travel-buddy. I just wish that it has more shades, especially for those with light skin tone. Still, the shades 2 and 3 are good news for morenas because we rarely have those, especially in warm shades.

And those are my thoughts on Fashion 21's Ultimate Cover! Have you tried this? Let me know what you think!

Cheers,

DAWN

Mini Review: BYS Brow Definition Kit 3

Hello ladies,

It hasn't been long since I've shifted my favorite brow tool from pencil to a palette, and this little kit from BYS has got me into thinking this might be my holy grail.

Sorry about the dirty product, I forgot to take a photo of it prior to testing it. So this brow kit has a black, a brown, a flesh color, and a wax to help the color stick better.

Here are some product information and instructions on how to use.

It has quite a high color pay-out, just one dab and it cover the whole of my eyebrow (well one eyebrow). It needs a little getting used to as it's easy to over do it. So when using it, I advise doing it one dab at a time until you're satisfied with the intensity. And if you're still not happy about the intensity or want it to look really strong and lasting, mix the wax in.

Here is a picture of my brows bare (above) and then with the product (below).

It's also very hard to erase and lasts the whole day long. Also, it doesn't stick onto other things when your face starts getting oily.

I really like this product and would definitely buy another one once it runs out but I think it will take a while before I'd need to buy a refill. Hopefully, they don't discontinue it.

Cheers,

LIZ

FOTD: Blonde Hair Red Lips Combo

Hello ladies,

I have always wanted to color my hair differently especially after I had that balayage treatment a few years back. So after last year, I was finally able to get my hair colored.

So I went to Vivere salon and told my stylist, Ms. Rich Abella that I wanted purple hair. However, since I previously had my hair colored blue-black and I wanted dark purple, bleaching will take more than one session. So for this coloring job, we had to divide it into two sessions.

So I actually achieved two hair goals in two weeks. Week 1, I was blonde but my hair was more yellow than the nice blonde we see on film so it was a struggle to fix up my make-up and make it look natural on me.

Dawn came to my rescue with a few brow kits (Kanebo Kate Eyebrow Mascara in LB-1 and Etude House Easy Brow Pencil) and it helped up-lift my face and make the blonde work. Which came in a good time because my cousin's wedding happened that weekend and my blonde hair was immortalized.

And this was how I wore it to the event. Simple classic red lips and a french twist hairstyle to keep everything classy.

I do think french twist looks better with colored hair since you can see the twist better than when it's done on black hair.

It's quite easy to do. I actually did this one myself. It's easier to do on short and medium length hair rather than with long hair. There are a number of youtube video tutorials on how to do it. And here is one.

https://youtu.be/F00c_e16_is

Do you think I pulled off the blonde hair look? I'll be posting my purple hair in a few days so hope you read that too. Plus, since my birthday is coming up soon, we'll be launching a birthday giveaway in a few days, wait for that as well.

Cheers,

LIZ

FS Cosmetics Colorific Lipstick in Deep Amber

Hello loves!

Just recently I made a review of FS (Features and Shades) Cosmetics' Stick Concealer which was sent to me a few months back. Now I'm going to share with you swatches of the product that came with it!

FS Cosmetics Colorific Lipstick in Deep Amber

One lipstick is around PhP 300.00.

Among the shades available, it was Deep Amber that caught my eye. Since I'm a bit of a lipstick addict, I already own quite a number of shades and Deep Amber is like a shade that I would call an "in-between." It's like a cool-toned red, like red wine, but still has that hint of sienna. I was a bit confused actually because amber to me is a dark and vibrant yellow orange color but I guess the addition of the word deep makes it darker. Maybe the brand is going for a shade like if the color amber get burnt.

Anyway, check out the info from the packaging:

More info from Features and Shades' Website:

A collection of rich, indulgent lip colors with a semi-matte finish that is sure to leave a bold and lasting statement!

The brand's Colorific Lipstick line is available in 8 shades. Deep Amber is the darkest among them.

The packaging is different from the older FS Cosmetics look (back when it was still partnered with Fanny Serrano). I actually like the simple, yet classy packaging. It's non-bulky and you can clean it easily (from stains or powders, unlike those of NARS or packagings with engraved/embossed designs).

The formulation is creamy as it glides easily on the lips, but it's not the buttery kind that melts in hot areas (ugh. I experience this a lot, especially in the summer, when I open the cap and find my lipsticks melted). The bullet is sturdy enough, meaning it doesn't break easily while applying it on the lips.

And now, I'll share the swatches...

on my hand

on my lips

And that's me wearing it!

See the semi-matte finish? I like the finish very much because it looks classy but still makes my lips look hydrated (some matte lippies usually make my lips look chappy easily). It's currently one of my most-used lipsticks whenever I go to the office because it's the red shade that is very pigmented, but not glaringly bold so it looks very professional.

What do you think of FS Cosmetics Colorific Lipstick in Deep Amber? :)

Cheers,
DAWN