Convenience Store Beauty: A 500-peso face with finds from 7-Eleven
Have you ever found yourself in a makeup emergency? I’ve certainly had days when I regretted going out without makeup on and itched to slap my face with some color! While it’s true that the best look to wear is confidence, it wouldn’t hurt to know you’ve got options when you’re truly stuck in a makeup crisis. If your makeup bag and the next drugstore are nowhere near, you might be surprised with what 500 pesos can do at your neighborhood convenience store. I certainly was with this Convenience Store Beauty Challenge! I raided a nearby 7-Eleven to see what they've got.
Cathy Doll Speed White CC Cream (P49 for 6g)
If you can find a foundation or concealer shade match in your local convenience store, consider yourself lucky! I didn’t - sad to say - so I settled for a CC cream + face powder combo. The Cathy Doll CC Cream is a light face base that neutralizes redness and hyper pigmentation.
It doesn’t offer much coverage, of course, but that’s not what CC creams are made for. It brightened my skin (it’s called Speed White, after all) and boosted the ease of application and coverage of my face powder. This gave me a generous SPF50 PA+++ and I estimate this sachet pack will last about five to eight uses, which ain’t half bad!
Clean and Clear Essentials Face Powder in Naturally Beige (P150 for 10g)
While it doesn’t offer the perfect coverage, I was pretty satisfied with the fresh, workable base I got from layering this on top of the CC Cream Naturally Beige. I may have looked more matte than preferred at application, but my oily skin did melt the powder into my face after a few hours in. I used the sponge that it came with and that honestly resulted in a patchy application. I’m keeping this pact for retouch purposes as it works well for mattifying but I’m sure to use a proper powder brush next time.
EB Advance Perfect Eyebrow (P75)
We all know that kilay is life and I rejoiced upon spotting a dark brown Ever Bilena brow pencil hiding among the black pencils in the makeup shelf. This brow pencil is richly pigmented to a fault and oddly offered a comb instead of a spoolie so I had to proceed with caution in defining my eyebrows. It didn’t turn out too badly; get this if you have a kilay emergency!
Careline Extra Shine Lipgloss (P95)
I’d have preferred a lip and cheek tint TBH but it was slim pickings at my nearest convenience store. I applied it on both my lips and cheeks since it seemed to have a sort of tint. This has a slight glitter that looked flattering on my pout, but a little yucky and goopy on my face. I patted some face powder over the top to kill the shine. Day saved from looking dull and lifeless!
Ever Bilena Thick Lash Mascara (P95)
This was the last mascara in the shelf and I wish I just had left it there. This didn’t offer much in adding either thickness or length. Get a lash curler instead, if you can find one!
Keeping an FOTD under P500 is not an easy feat, I tell you, especially when your options are limited to the convenience store! Despite its imperfections, this simple office-friendly look is good enough for a makeup emergency and should prove that you don’t have to result to fake makeup for a budget-friendly look!
Share your stories: have you ever shopped for makeup in a convenience store? What products did you end up getting and how did your look work out? We’d love to hear it!
