Concealer Madness Ep. 4: NYX Concealer Jar

I have long wanted to get my hands on the NYX Concealer in a Jar because of the rave reviews online. Of course, the price is too good to be true for the promised quality - $5 or only around P300 from resellers. I had to wait two months after paying to get my hands on it, but I didn't mind because I thought it would be worth it.

It's not.

It's my fault really. I got the one in Medium, which I read was for NC35 skintones. Imagine my disappointment when I opened the jar, swatched it, and found that it's too dark and too beige for my skin! The horror. I waited for two months and it was all for naught.

So yes it's basically as good as trash to me. There's just no way I can use it becaue it's really obvious on my face - like dark patches. More pictures and serious review after the jump!

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Wanted: Beauty and Fashion Writers

EDIT: The three spots have been filled. Thanks for your interest!

Hello! A new online news magazine will be launched this March. I will be the Editor handling the Beauty and Fashion channel and I need writers! I have three spots open.

You must be:

- Up-to-date with the latest beauty and fashion news. You're perfect for this job if the niche is your passion, or at least, a hobby.
- A good researcher. You must be resourceful and know how to maximize the search engines. Better yet, you should be good at doing offline research.
- A good writer. By good I mean having little to no grammar or spelling errors in your work as well as having impeccable sentence construction.
- A blogger. I need someone with experience in online writing that's casual and conversational. Extra points if you have an awesome camera.

So, the rate is pretty good and you get work on your own time. You will have to sign a contract (this online project is spearheaded by a publishing company), and you also get your own byline.

If you're ready to apply, send me the URL of your blog, article samples, and resume.

Thanks!



Inspired By Minute Maid

I was one of the die-hard fans when Minute Maid first came out. I drank a bottle for breakfast, for lunch, and another one for snacks. Fun times. So, I was psyched to join Sophie's contest and show you my freshest look! I used a cool lip and gold/bronze eyeshadows to capture the essence of my favorite juice. I also wanted something that would show up and emphasize my features while still keeping it light and fresh.

Face: Shiseido Supplist Poreless Foundation, Shiseido Stick Concealer, Ellana Espresso Con Panna mixed with Yellow Submarine, Artdeco Bronzing Compact to contour, Shu Uemura Glow on in Amber

Eyes: In2It brow kit, Urban Decay Primer Potion, Urban Decay Half Baked eyeshadow (gold all over the lid), the bronze in Dollface 15-color shimmer palette (for contour), Smashbox Eye Wish Palette #1 and #3 (brow bone highlight), Smashbox #14 (copper cream eyeliner), Clinique High Impact Mascara

Lips: Chapstick, Maybelline Watershine Pure in BM31

What do you think? This look is similar to the gold and taupe I did before, except the colors I used here are lighter. 

My Birthday Wish List!

I'm turning 22 next week. I don't feel old though, because I move in a world where everyone is a lot more older than I am. Most people think that I'm in my mid-20's upon first meeting me. They're usually genuinely surprised when I tell them my real age. It must be the way I talk or dress, I don't know, but I tend to appear too mature for my age.

For my birthday, I do want a few tech things, like a new phone, perhaps a nicer camera, and Final Fantasy XIII for the Xbox 360. But mostly I want more makeup! Har har.

NARS Wild at Heart Bold Lip Palette, $75. NARS is expensive for a reason. It's one of the best makeup brands out there and has been consistent in terms of quality all this time. I'm drooling over this palette! I know it's going to be worth every cent I pay, but it's still around P4,000 here in the Philippines. 

Stila All Doll'd Up Plette, around P1300. Nice to have, but I can live without this. I love that the price is more than right!

A customized MAC 15-pan palette, $177. I've never owned a MAC eyeshadow before, which is sad, because MAC eyeshadows are the industry standard. I haven't bought one yet because they cost P850 here in the Philippines (only $14 in the US) and c'mon, there are already so many nice makeup that I can buy with that price. Still, I'd like to have my own MAC 15-pan palette someday. Probably when I'm rolling in money and can afford to blow ~P14,000 on a small rectangular piece of plastic.

Seba Med Liquid Face and Body Wash, around P500 at Svelte Wellness Center.

This stuff is awesome! I only have a tiny bottle so I don't use it as often, but in those times I have, I was impressed. Majorly impressed. The texture and feel is a lot like Cetaphil. I hated Cetaphil, but Seba Med seems to work well on my skin! It's pretty cheap for a huge bottle, but Eastwood is kind of out of the way for me. I wish Svelte ships!

And that's it. I'll probably think up of more, but these are the stuff I really want in my life right now.

Beauty By SM

When it comes to beauty and the dedication that goes into the pursuit of it, no one understands the zest and inspiration it requires more than beauty experts who know what is required behind the scenes of beauty" - Victoria Encarnacion, Beauty By SM Director for Marketing

Wanna know what my top two favorite makeup places in Manila are? The SM Mall of Asia and the SM Makati beauty aisles! I also love their Watson branches. First, the makeup counters and personal care stands are always well-stocked and updated. Second, the aisles are wide and easy to navigate. Lastly, the place looks bright, airy, and clean. Very conducive to makeup shopping since we need good lighting to see how the product looks on our faces.

Thus, it was with great excitement that I attended the official launch of Beauty By SM. Basically, it's the upgraded SM Makati beauty area with new brands, new interior design, and more organized divisions. The place is now snazzy and posh, thanks to the people behind SM. They realized that the modern women's needs and tastes have evolved so they evolved right along with it.

Loved what they did with the place! It's definitely worth a visit. Now, I'm sure you're curious about the new, exclusive brands that they have onboard. I took pictures of the counters so you can check them out. 

This is the most interesting brand that I saw. It's marketed as makeup for professional artists and, what do you know, the quality actually seems to be up to par. The price is quite nice, too.

Extremely silky! The small eyeshadows were P350 while the big version is P399. If you're sick of neutrals not showing up, this is something you should try

Blushes at P450. Not bad eh? They're quite big.

Colorescience has perhaps been one of the best-reviewed mineral makeup brands out there! I've tested some of their products and I'm seriously blown away by the quality. I was also blown away by the price.

Click click!

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Nichido Girl's Night Out Eye Pencil

Every month or so I check out drugstore beauty brands to do "research". Why? I don't buy a lot of drugstore makeup lately but I still want to know what's hot in the market. Online research is well and good but nothing beats good ol' first-hand experience!

After wandering around for a few minutes, I came across the Nichido stand. I scanned it cursorily. Nothing new. I was about to leave when I caught sight of bright pops of color on the counter. There we purple, blue, navy blue, and forest green eyeliners! Since the colors were so loud, I couldn't help but try them out.

Blue and Deep Plum, P80 each

As soon as I swatched them I was wowed by the creamy consistency and amazing pigmentation. I didn't remember Nichido eyeliners being this good so I asked the sales lady. She said that they were new colors, so I assume that the formula is also new. The older shades aren't as buttery or pigmented as these new ones.

Don't get me wrong, these eyeliners are not quite Urban Decay, MAC, or Makeup Forever. They smudge and aren't rub-proof or waterproof. I wouldn't suggest using them on your waterline since they will disappear in two hours or so. However, for the price, these eyeliners are still pretty good. They stay on my top lid the whole day without smudging (even without a primer like UDPP) and goes on smoothly. 

Gorgeous! The blue is satiny while the purple is matte

If you want to try colorful makeup but don't want anything that looks too loud, the Nichido colored eyeliners are a great buy. They're the best eyeliners I know within the 100 peso price range - even beyond - so believe me, as an eyeliner fiend, I've looked everywhere. This is such a great find!

Coming Soon On Ukay Manila

Lauren and I are fans of the romantic and dreamy so this reflects on the stuff we sell on Ukay Manila. Take this collection, for instance. These long, ornate necklaces are made of brass. The hearts and rose necklaces are actually lockets so you can put a picture of your special someone there, for safe-keeping *wink*. The round owl is actually a watch! It's beautiful so I couldn't resist buying one for myself.

We also have three limited edition Rose bags. Each has a different design and print.

Stay tuned for these items this Monday, February 1 at the Ukay Manila Store!

The First Dollface Personal Makeup Workshop

Two of my favorite people have collaborated to celebrate beauty! Nikki of Askmewhats and Pearl of Dollface Cosmetics will be holding a personal makeup workshop on February 20. Nikki will teach us some of her chops while Pearl provides the makeup. How cool is that?

Nikki at work

The snazzy and posh venue

So yes, don't miss it! I love Pearl's products and Nikki's makeup techniques so I highly recommend this.

The British Council launches its Go! Campaign

Do you want to study beauty and fashion in some of the world's most prestigious institutions? There's no better time than now to scout for universities and funding options. From January through March, the British Council has opened its doors to higher education in the United Kingdom through Education UK. The campaign highlights Education UK's message of "Your Future On Track" and provides interested Filipinos a venue to explore educational possibilities in the United Kingdom.

So, for the first quarter of 2010, three key activities will be held in support of this latest campaign. Check them out, they're free!

There will be a UK Alumni Counselling Session on Janurary 29, 6-830 PM at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel. Filipino alumni from UK universities will be talking about their experiences and the opportunities they gained while studying abroad. There will also be a Funding Options Seminar on February 19, 6-830 PM at Top shelf, Fully Booked Bonifacio High Street, Taguig. This is actually the most interesting since the cost of studying abroad is the primary roadblock for most Filipinos.

The culmination of this campaign will be the Education UK Exhibition on March 5-6 at the EDSA Shangri-La Hotel.

For more info, log on to the British Council website.

Something Quick!

Unfortunately, I didn't have enough time to take decent pictures today. But can you tell? I am loving the shit out of my Nichido Girl's Night Out eyeliners! I've actually been wearing them everyday or every other day since I got them. I'm using the Deep Plum one. I promise to post the review on Wednesday!

Anyway, I love my oufit today. I'm wearing a plain blue-gray Uniqlo polo, Levi's Modern Vintage, and People R People heels. I have a thing for polos these days. I like how laid-back they look, but not too laid-back, if you know what I mean. They're also incredibly comfortable and easy to pair with most things.

What are you wearing today?