My favorite makeup brushes

I am a big believer in fingers when it comes to applying concealer and liquid foundation, but for other products, I have a small coterie of brushes that I prefer to use on a regular basis. I have other similar brushes that I reach out for but this set is always my first choice! 

If you're into makeup for personal use, then you don't really need an elaborate set of specialized brushes to apply your products. Just get few basic brushes and you're good to go for everyday looks. Like me. :P

So, here are my favorite brushes!

From left to right: Sigma E55 / E40 duo, Estee Lauder lid brush I got from a set, fake NARS crease brush, Charm blending brush (from the Charm Travel Pro V3 brush set)

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Part 2: Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Concentrate review

Okay so, I've been using the Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Concentrate for a week now. And these are my observations!

• My skin is incredibly smooth right now. The roughness from dry patches, blackheads, and random bumps are very much reduced. 
• Skin is more even and has a glow, so I tend to use less makeup.

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Colour Collection University Tour

Okay, here's something I've been looking forward to since last year! Colour Collection, one of my favorite "dark horse" cosmetic brands (read my reviews here) has invited me to do a university tour. Along with Bianca Valerio and Ning Hilario of Meg Magazine, I'll be visiting a Manila campus to talk about - what else - beauty!

We're still finalizing the schedule at the moment, but I'll definitely update you when I have the date and school. In the meantime, you can catch the first leg of the Colour Collection University Tour: The Colour Collection mobile store will be at UP Diliman from February 1 to 3. It will be located at the College of Arts and Letters.

 

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How to apply eyeliner like a boss (plus a stub on drawing a mean cat eye)

Whoever invented eyeliner has bestowed womankind a great gift. From the ancient Egyptians, to its rise in the 1920s flapper era, to today's modern woman, eyeliner has served us remarkably well by opening and enhancing our eyes. A simple black line can do wonders for our face - provided it's applied correctly, of course.

Eyeliner can be difficult to use in the beginning, but trust me, practice is the best way to get your perfect line. Why when I started using it in my teens, I was such a klutz! I couldn't get an even line for all I was worth. I just kept repeating and repeating though until my wobbly line became straight and fine.  

Tools: Charm Vegan Pointed Eyeliner Brush and Kanebo Kate Gel Eyeliner

Now, there's no one true way to apply eyeliner. The techniques I'll be sharing here is what I prefer to do with my own eyes, so feel free to experiment and find a method that works best for you. I used a gel eyeliner and a pencil brush for this tutorial but the principle is still the same for pencil, powder, and liquid liners.

Ready? Here goes!

Step 1: Start in the middle of your lash line, then draw outwards.

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EOS Lip Balm in Summer Fruit

In a world full of lip balms that you can buy for close to nothing, it's quite a challenge to tell a product apart. Lip balms are made of practically the same ingredients to begin with. The EOS (Evolution of Smooth) Lip Balm, however, became popular not just because of its formula, but how it looks like.

I finally got hold of my an EOS Lip Balm in Summer Fruit (P250) from Digital Traincase, and this is what I think about it!

What I love about the product

• It tastes sweet, with a hint of peach. I've tried quite a few lip balms but none has tasted this good! Even if I lick it a little the balm doesn't come off.
• Smells great, like a confection of fresh fruit - thus the name of this particular variant, Summer Fruit.

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Capsule reviews: Etude House x Annika Wester Wannabe Collection

Annika Wester is a famous illustrator who has done work for big names like Vogue, Anna Sui, MAC (to name a few) and has shown her art in galleries all over the world. According to her blog, her "...work presents a various number of characters, silhouettes and items displayed throughout her own stylish way of drawing. The features are softened and the colors often bright, which gives the viewer a feeling of joyful indolence..."

The Etude Girl illustrations by the talented Annika Wester

Cool right? And now, Ms Wester has partnered with Etude House for their Wannabe Collection! It's a rather expansive collection with a face palette, powder, lipsticks, nail polishes, scent and gloss combos, and even falsies all incased in Ms Wester's trademark artwork.

The Etude Girl is, surprise surprise, Sandara Park of 2NE1

Okay, this is a rather long intro, but I am just amazed by Annika Wester and Etude House's awesome idea in partnering with her. Whoever said that art and makeup can never mix is deadly wrong! So! I'll be reviewing some of the Wannabe pieces I have with me.

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Bed Head 4-Play Eyeshadow Palette

Bed Head is famous for its hair care products, but did you know that they actually made makeup? Yes? Bah. I had no idea. When the brand sent me the Bed Head 4-Play Eyeshadow Palette, I thought it was going to be a crummy product simply because makeup wasn't their specialty. Buuut this palette is actually pretty good!

What I like most about this palette is how sophisticated its colors are. There's a dusky purple, a white gold, a taupe-purple, and a pretty pink in the mix. They're something you can wear for the day then intensify for night time. 

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Beauty and fashion advice for moms

I'm not a mother yet, so I can't presume to know how it's like to be one. But I do have a general idea because I have a mom, after all! I'm pretty sure that moms must always be busy and exhausted, with very little time to spend on primping themselves. So how do they ever find the time?

Super mom May Samson with her daughter

They should make time. It's understandable that family always comes first, but it's important that moms - or any person, for that matter - set aside some personal time to maintain their looks. It doesn't have to be a lot, but it has to count. It's not just vanity at stake here but one's self-esteem. 

So, here are some beauty and fashion tips for busy moms!

1. Ageing is a natural course of things, but there's no need to hasten it by being remiss in your skincare routine. It's a fact that the older you get, the more your skin is prone to sun damage and dryness. Invest in a great day moisturizer with SPF, a night moisturizer, serum, and eye cream to keep your skin elastic and glowing.

Some product suggestions:

VMV Hypoallergenics Armada Face Cover 30

Lancome Visionnaire Advanced Skin Corrector 

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Snoe Body Spritz in Honey Dew Melon Yogurt

The name of this product cracks me up. Get this: according to the label, it is the Snoe Body Ritual Recipes Scrumptious Body Spritz in Honey Dew Melon Yogurt (P249). The person who thought of the name is a sigurista, that is, he or she definitely wants to cover all the bases when it comes to naming things. :P 

Kiddng aside, I like this cologne. It smells of sweet melon candy, with a touch of the creaminess of yogurt. Lasting power is not too bad for a cologne at two to three hours too.

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FOTD: Unapologetically purple

I've done quite a few looks in the past, but I think this purple eyeshadow confection is my favorite yet. This deep-socketed, sunken eye look gives the face a sense of drama and mystery without looking overdone, methinks.

For this look, I used the Lancome Teint Miracle + Benefit Watts Up highlighter to get luminous skin. I did my eyebrows using the Benefit Brow Zings, contoured with the NARS Laguna Bronzer, and blushed with Benefit Hervana. And now, for the eyes!

Step 1: Apply an eyeshadow primer like the MAC Prep + Prime Eye Base. Then, apply a matte purple like Allure from the Sigma Flare Eyeshadow Palette on your lids.

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