I used to not like makeup sets before with products that are in way smaller sizes. I mean, how can I enjoy something when I'm so conscious about finishing it up quickly? And what if I like it, what am I going to do then? But now that I'm older, wiser, and more liquid (lol), I have seen the wisdom of buying sets and smaller sizes. 

Small tubes and bottles are great if you want to carry stuff around. It's not smart to bring full sizes of stuff in your bag because of the heat here - it can spoil/dry up makeup faster. Also, if you're like me who doesn't usually bring big bags, every bit of space is valuable real estate. That's not just applicable to when we're travelling y'know!

Thus, boxed sets like the Benefit She's So Jet Set (P2,100) is perfect if a.) You travel a lot b.) You want mini-sizes of your "Bene-faves" for your daily bag c.) If you have never tried Benefit before and would like to start now. This contains four lovely and pigmented eyeshadows, illuminating powder duo, mini Porefessional, They're Real Mascara, and lip gloss. 

I understand that this is part of Benefit's limited edition holiday sets!

What is the thing you want more than anything? I think life is simpler once you've answered this. Your relationship and career choices will follow if you know where you want to go and do. You will endure and survive painful situations because they're inevitable if you must get the thing you want more than anything. So what is it? :)

It's impossible for you to not know, on some basic level of your being. But it's possible to deny you want it.

Well that's a damper. :/ I just really want to talk about the Snoe Poudre Extraordinaire (P799)! I've been using this powder since I got it two weeks ago because it gives me three things I need most in a powder: SPF protection, a bit of coverage, and a fantastic finish. It's just an extra treat that this particular powder smells like sweet berries and comes in a huge 35 gram jar.

What I love about the product

• Has a demi-matte finish that gives light to medium buildable coverage. It evens out and smoothens skin nicely - not quite foundation but if you have fairly good skin then this is enough to just polish what you have.
• Texture is fine and easy to spread around with any brush. It doesn't look caky or powdery even if you use a lot. 

When I posted this foundation review yesterday a few girls asked me what highlighting powder I used to achieve that glow. One of them even asked if I was using Guerlain! Well, the Guerlain Meteorites powder is invisible and almost devoid of any shimmer. No, I'm using something more glowy with a hint of bronze: the MeMeMe Goddess Rocks (P825 from Makeupholics)!

I love this stuff. It's a shimmery highlighter with subtle bronze and rose tints. I wouldn't call it an all-out bronzer because using too much will make you look quite shiny; a little goes a long way but don't expect any obvious color. 

Sponge topper to keep the rocks in place. The packaging is just cardboard so I wouldn't recommend it for traveling. Just keep a couple of the rocks in a clear jar if you want to apply it on the go!

I initially wanted to include my review of this powder compact along with its soul mate, the Etude House Precious Mineral Sun BB Cream, but I thought it deserved a separate post on its own. It is A Really Good Powder, after all, one that I've been using ever since I got it!

Truth be told I was initially excited and then intimidated about the SPF50 the Etude House Precious Mineral Sun BB Pact has. Would it be too white? Higher SPF products usually have more titanium dioxide in them, a minerally-derived substance that's responsible for the white cast in photos (or even in plain sight).

Oh, if we all woke up with perfect skin then the beauty industry would be out of business. We'd be cleansing our faces with only water, wearing only sunlight and a smile when we go out. But that's not meant to be, at least for me. I have several blemishes that need to be covered up while they're fading to oblivion. 

Blemishes? What blemishes, you ask? Well, you can't see them because I am somewhat of a camouflage expert. Teehee. Modesty aside I know quite a few tricks about faking flawless skin so today I'm going to share them with you! You'll find them useful if you have rough and uneven skin that may have acne/blemishes. Also, if you need heavy and long-lasting coverage.

If you already have good skin, go on your way and put my envy in your pocket!

What type of foundation should you use for maximum coverage and comfort?

Invest in a good liquid foundation that matches your skin and your skin type perfectly. Not BB cream, powder, or cream foundation. Liquid foundation. Out of all the foundation types I've tried, liquid has the best, more natural looking coverage that has a version for all skin types (dry to oily). 

Read my top six foundation picks to see recommendations!

How to apply the foundation

With a stippling brush (I'm using the one from Charm), dot or pat the foundation on the outer sides of your face moving inwards.  You can swipe the brush to blend it better. Apply a heavy layer (as needed) on the outer area of your face, not on the T-zone as most people would recommend. Why? Because the fringes of our face like the sides of the cheeks and chin tend to break out/ blemish more.

The Palgantong Theatrical Powder (P600/10 g from Beauty and Minerals) is a loose powder that's made of ultra-fine particles which deliver a smooth, photogenic finish. I've read that it has a quiet fan base among makeup artists and those who know makeup! True enough, Sophie and Brigitte (makeup artists and beauty blogger friends) are huge fans of this powder.

After using it for a few weeks, I can see why! 

What I love about the product

• This is the clincher: this loose powder delivers a super smooth, flawless finish. Doesn't matter what foundation you're wearing - it looks smooth even close up.
• Looks great in photos! I imagine that this is perfect to wear to events when you have heavy coverage foundation on. It helps your foundation look more natural.

I've been to a lot of events, but it was very new to me when the people of Bench handed me a credit card at the end of one. Lol! That doesn't bode well for my shopping habits, but I've been able to control it so far.

Frankly, the Bench x BDO x Mastercard is my first credit card, and I'm actually glad because shopping with it entitles me to so many cool perks. I'm already a loyal BDO customer (easier to pay through online banking), I love Bench brands, and Mastercard is accepted worldwide. This card is perfect for me!

Dingdong Dantes and Isabelle Daza are the endorsers of the Bench credit card

So, here's what you get when you avail of the Bench x BDO x Mastercard CC!

Privileges:

• DOUBLE REWARDS POINTS for purchases made at Bench & partner stores NATIONWIDE.
• 0% INSTALLMENT options for 4 & 6 month terms.
• PRIORITY ACCESS to sales events.

A product's packaging is important to the overall experience of using that product. It's not just how it actually looks like on you; it's also about how it looks like on your dresser, how it feels like when you hold it in your hands. That's why it's not surprising that people gravitate to good-looking products. The experience of using and keeping something gorgeous is just too good to pass up.

The Milani Illuminating Face Powder in Beauty's Touch (P490 at Digital Traincase) called out to me as soon as I laid eyes on it. I love the rosebud surface of the powder compact! It's too pretty to touch no? The compact itself feels like thick, sturdy plastic with a gold base. Very luxe and chic. 

Packaging oohs and ahhs aside, this powder packs a pretty wallop on skin. It has no visible shimmers or glitter but it gives this subtle pinkish glow on my face with only a few swipes.

Why do you need to "set" makeup? If you like using cream/ liquid foundation or concealers, it pays to make sure that they won't slide off when you sweat or oil up. Think of wet makeup as if it were, er, pizza dough. It's malleable and easy to form in a shape you desire. Once you're done working on it though, you need to dust it with liberal amounts of flour to keep it in that shape and prevent it from sticking everywhere.

Likewise, to protect the makeup's integrity, you need to set it with a final layer of powder that will absorb our bodily excretions as they come. Gross but it happens, so be prepared!

Currently, I love using the Smashbox Photo Set Pressed Powder (P1,550). It's a winner in keeping oil at bay, plus it never looks makeup-y. It has an invisible finish that smoothens and evens out skin. As it promises in the press materials, it blurs imperfections too!

What I love about the product

• Keeps me oil-free for a good four to five hours even in humid weather, even if I'm using it on top of liquid foundation.
• Has a light coverage that minimizes imperfections such as pores, uneven patches of skin, wrinkles and light blemishes. It can be used alone, on top of concealer, or as a finishing powder.

I planned to talk about the Dear Me BB Cream and the powder Pact in one post, but it's too long and I have too many pictures. So I decided to do it in two parts! This time, I'll be reviewing the Tony Moly Dear Me Petit Cotton Pact (P348).

This powder compact is pretty nice since it blots oil without giving any coverage. If you love the Majolica Majorca Pressed Pore Cover but found it too expensive or too matte, this compact by Tony Moly is a great substitute.

What I like about the product

• Very soft, satiny texture. The powder is well-milled and not chalky at all! The texture sort of reminds me of the waaay expensive Guerlain Meteorites.
• This translucent powder has no coverage, which makes it perfect for retouching. It can work with any skintone.

I can pretty much say with conviction that the quality of Tony Moly products is uniformly good. It won't blow your mind away like the more expensive brands, but for the affordable price Tony Moly surprisingly has nice products. The more I get to know this brand, the more I like it! There's so much more to it than just the cute packaging.

This time, I'll be talking about the Tony Moly Berry Lovely Girl Petit Powder (P348). It's a silky, well-milled translucent powder that's great for setting your cream or liquid makeup. It especially goes well with the Tony Moly Baby Doll BB Foundation.

Texture. The Berry Lovely Girl Petit Powder feels silky and soft, quite unlike the other powders in its price range. It's a lavender white when you see it, but it blends in smoothly if you use a fluffy powder brush.

If you look inside my bag - at any time, in any bag I'm using at the moment - you'll see the Majolica Majorca Pressed Pore Cover Powder (P850). I like carrying it around because the compact is pretty and unique, plus it's handy for blotting in the middle of the day without getting my face looking cakey. I find to be a basic, non-fussy powder which is exactly what I need for retouching.

That doesn't mean that this is just for retouching. This well-milled silky powder instantly smoothens and mattifies skin, blurring out pores, so it's also an excellent finishing powder on top of liquid/ cream makeup. 

What I love about the product

• Very smooth, airbrush finish. It's subtle, but it's there. Does it even out pores? I don't have big pores so I can't tell. But I notice an overall smoothness when I use this.
• Translucent shade can easily match fair to medium skintones.

I bought the Mario Badescu Special Healing Powder (P795) on impulse. It looked and felt a lot like T. Le Clerc's famous Loose Powder so I was interested in trying a cheaper version. Now, the MB powder is pretty good at oil control and quite helpful in fighting pimples because of its disinfectant properties. It also has very basic non-comedogenic ingredients - all four of it! It's practically mineral makeup.

However, I don't use this much mainly because I'm anal about how finishing powders should look like on my face

Don't you just hate how our faces turn into impromptu grease pans when the heat goes up? When I know that I'll be out the whole day, I take extra precautions to keep oil at bay. I use a reliable primer (Guerlain L'Or) and dust a generous amount of loose translucent powder on top of my makeup.

The Clinique Blended Face Powder and Brush in 20 Invisible Blend (P1,800) has been a trustworthy ally this past month or so. It's a huge help in absorbing oil! I like that it has very little coverage; since it's translucent, it doesn't make my face look too white. I love using it on top of tinted moisturizers like the Clinique Supermoisture Makeup and the Colour Collection Gluta-White BB Cream. This combo feels lighter than full makeup, plus it looks more natural since coverage is sheer. I just cover up spots with concealer.

What I like about the product

• The powder is fine and well-milled. It is easy to distribute evenly with a big fluffy brush.
• Helps control oil. When I have it on, oil becomes a problem only after four or five hours. (But then again, I use the Clinique Liquid Facial Soap for oily skin, which helps tremendously).

Good skin is easy. Yes, it is. All you need is lots of sleep, lots of water, and a skincare routine you can bet your life on. Beautiful skin, on the other hand, takes a little more effort. It's skin that glows from within, skin that looks smooth and flawless as if it was just born yesterday. That's where makeup comes in.

If there is one product I would recommend to enhance the skin you already have, it will be the Guerlain Meteorites Perles. I've been hearing about this legendary powder ever since I was a wee makeup newbie - they say it's so good, you'll forget the price tag when you see it on your face. It's true!

Precious pearls

The Guerlain Meteorites powder in Teint Dore, upon swatching, doesn't look like it could do much. It's quite translucent so it's difficult to see the effect. But don't be fooled, it's actually "pigmented" in its own way.

Last Thursday, I had the pleasure of finally meeting the product manager of Guerlain and Bulgari, Sigrid Villamil. She's a vivacious, beautiful woman who is obviously passionate about the brand. Over delicious food (thanks Sigrid for letting me know about Chelsea's cookie dough cheesecake!), we talked about Guerlain and how it is one of the oldest brands in the industry, representing quality, tradition, and the ultimate luxury when it comes to beauty.

Guerlain was founded in 1898 by Pierre-François Pascal Guerlain in Paris. His perfumes were so popular that he became the perfumer of the royals, first by the King of France, then by Queen Victoria in England, and also by Queen Isabella II of Spain, among others. Some of the Guerlain scents that are part of perfume history are Jicky (recognized as the first modern perfume), Après L'Ondée, Mitsuoko, and Shalimar, the flagship fragrance. Read my review! 

The 183-year old house of Guerlain eventually started producing skincare and makeup, the most famous of which is the Orchidee Imperiale skincare line and the Meteorites. 

Guerlain must-haves: Midnight Secret, L'Or makeup primer, Orchidee Imperiale Cream, Rouge G lipstick, Meteorites, Lingerie De Peau liquid foundation

According to Sigrid, Guerlain believes in beauty - the kind that a woman naturally has and in the things that she uses on herself. Hence, Guerlain products are always in beautiful, luxurious packaging which makes them keepsakes in their own right.

Are you a certified camera whore? Do you take pics of yourself in so many angles while trying to find the perfect lighting conditions? If so, you may need the Revlon Photo Ready Powder to help you along.

Light/medium looks dark in the pan, but applies light

This face powder promises to give your face a flawless finish under any light. Does it? The answer is yes, surprisingly. I've mentioned before that I'm not a huge believer when it comes to products that promise superlative results. The Photo Ready, however, delivers - with a few caveats.

What I like about this product

• As promised, I get a flawless, even finish. This doesn't have much coverage, since it's designed to be a finishing slash anti-shine powder so it is best used on top of concealer and foundation. The end result is a matte face with a slight glow. Let me show you:

Dim indoor lighting

I was on my way home from the PFW opening night when I had an inexorable urge to visit the Beauty section in the department store. I immediately saw a mineral makeup brand I've never seen before: Beauty Treats! I checked the prices and oh boy, these are cheap. Most of the products are under P500. I was delighted to see a pressed face powder, since I've been dreaming of one that's cheap AND mineral for the longest time. I grabbed it without a second thought.