I'm quite surprised that some people have never heard of KATE cosmetics before or the fact that it has arrived in the Philippines some years back. It's been around since I was in college (well at least, I only noticed it when I was in college and started getting interested in makeup) and I've been cursorily browsing ever since. Hmm, maybe it's not so surprising after all. KATE doesn't have a stand of its own since it's just displayed in the Coffret D'Or counters with no big sign.

Anyway, one of the products that the brand sent me is the KATE Blendzone eyeshadow in BR-1 (P780). It's a duo eyeshadow compact with colors that are designed to be used together. 

What I love about the product

• It's highly pigmented, creamy, long-lasting, well-milled - everything I'm looking for in a quality eyeshadow. Blendzone is comparable to the MAC and Urban Decay eyeshadows that I own.
• Fine shimmery finish that draws light to the eyes.
• Great for traveling. You can easily do a quick neutral look with the sponge applicator that comes with it, or you can use your fingers. 

The dark shade is a shimmery chocolate brown while the other one is beige/white

It was the eyeshadow that drew me into the wonderful world of cosmetics. I loved the fact that you can paint your eyes with them, just as if you were working with watercolors or oil pastels on paper. Now, I like a pop of color on the eyes as much as I like neutral well-contoured eyes. I find that whatever look one goes for, it all comes down to color combination. Does this taupe look good with this bronze? Does this pink look good with blue? And so on.

One palette that has a seemingly non-coordinated color combination offers a really good color story: the Avon True Color Eyeshadow Quad in Romantic (P319).

What I like about the product

• Great color combination. You think pink, blue, mint, and white gold doesn't work together or looks too much - but you're wrong! They come out pastel, giving off that spring-y vibe.
• Nice packaging.

Head's up! Paul & Joe, the French-Japanese cosmetics brand, is releasing their latest collection next week at their Rustan's counters. It's called L'Horizon Bleu, inspired by that tropical and romantic place where the sea meets the sky. If you've ever stared off towards the sea's horizon, then you've probably seen the rich colors of swirling blues and sunsets that P&J has in this collection.

The ‘Twin Fish’ Bronzer (P2,250) is perfect for creating that light, glowing, sun-kissed look you want

Fabulous new Eye Colors (P1,250) give you a real sense of the movement of the waves. Choose from 3 fascinating shades. L-R: Adrift, Le Midi, Tranquility

Majolica Majorca released two new Jeweling Eyes Palettes (P795) in their Sugary Trap Collection - one in bronzy browns and another in candy pinks! So pretty, I tell you. I've been using Caramelisee (BR631) pretty regularly since it's so flattering on the eyes. Sugar Cookie (PK330) is cute, but I have yet to find an occasion to wear it. I promise I'll take a snap when I do!

Both palettes have warm colors that can work with our tan Asian skin. I like that they show up well even without a base, plus the sponge applicator is actually useful.

While randomly browsing the Interwebs today, guess what I saw! A mega cute video of the Majolica Majorca Sugary Trap press launch! It was held at Bizu in Greenbelt, where we were surrounded with colorful macarons and cakes. Guests were also given icing, candy sprinkles, and sugar dust to use in designing our own cookies and cupcakes. It was the perfect setting for such a sweet collection from Majo.

Watch the video to see pictures of that beautiful Thursday afternoon.

Everyone also got personalized macarons with their name on it. Of course, we also received products from the latest collection. I've been using these delectable cosmetics lately and oh boy, they are such a treat.

You are not required to wear bright, cheery colors during summer - but wouldn't it feel so much better if you do? More colorful outfits or makeup just feels so right for the season. It's the time of the year (at least here in the Philippines) when trees are in full bloom and families congregate in their favorite summer destinations. The mood is generally happy and relaxed, so colors are just a natural response to the season.

I've been wearing a lot of neutrals in the past few months but now that summer is here I try to wear colorful eyeshadows and lipsticks again. I find that I am quite attracted to green right now, so I bought green shoes, had my nails done in green, and got a mint belt. It's only natural that I'm taken with green eyeshadows this time.

Thus, this Paul & Joe Eye Color in Picnic (004) from their Parasol Collection is my eyeshadow-of-the-moment!

What I love about this product

• The green and combination is quite wearable. It has an iridescent finish, which makes the eyes pop beautifully as the sun hits the lids. Very flattering on the skin!
• Lovely Paul & Joe packaging, as always. 

The Majolica Majorca Jeweling Eyes palette (P795) has pretty much the same quality as the Trick-On Powder Eyeshadow palette, so I won't review it in detail anymore. It does have one discerning quality from the latter, though: it has more of a sheer, iridescent effect. It's not quite shimmer or glitter. I would describe it as something with a very fine sheen.

Packaging is slightly different as well, with the Jewelling Eyes palette having embedded beads on the side and sporting a jeweled print cover design.

The Majolica Majorca Trick On Powder eyeshadow (P795) is easily one of the best drugstore brand palettes I've tried to date. The quality is at par with the high-end eyeshadows I have in terms of pigmentation, texture, and staying power. P800 might seem steep, but for me it's already a bargain considering that, say, MAC and Shu Uemura palettes are P2,500!

I've read a lot of raves about the Majo palettes, but I thought that while it's good, it's still a reduced-quality Shiseido product. I haven't tried it then. Thank goodness I was wrong.

What I love about the product

• Smooth, silky texture. Not gritty or powdery at all since it's finely milled.
• Highly pigmented, even without a base.
• Good staying power even with no primer. I would still suggest using a primer though because it will crease a bit without it.

Remember my post last February? Majolica Majorca is now available in the Philippines! You can already find it in SM Makati's Beauty By SM area. There was supposed to be a big launch at Opus yesterday, but due to the unforeseen disasters in Japan, it was only right that the event was moved as a sign of respect and mourning for the country's losses.

Moving on, I was so delighted when I received a gift from Majolica Majorca last Sunday. It was hanging by the door knob when I got home from my vacation - cute, but thank goodness it wasn't stolen! Haha. Here's what I got:

If you follow Hollywood red carpet affairs, you'll notice that a lot of celebs prefer what looks like minimal makeup. They usually wear flawless foundation, a bit of contour, lined eyes, lashes heavy with mascara and falsies, and an MLBB lipstick or, depending on the look they're going for, something loud yet classy like red. You'll rarely see Hollywood celebs wear heavy, colorful eyeshadow!

Mila Kunis at the 2011 Oscars: the quintessential Hollywood look

The eyeshadows they choose to wear are kind of sneaky. Like a good contouring powder for our face, their eye color of choice (like what Mila Kunis is wearing) serves more to contour the eyes rather than to make them pop. The color is subtle, barely there, yet it does a great job of prettifying the peepers without a lot of hassle and drama.

MAC Soba seems to do just that for me.

I was really impressed by the color payoff and texture when I first swatched the Nichido Stardust Eyeshadow in Blue Lagoon (P168) at the mall. I didn't think twice and added it to my cart. When I got home though, I was really dismayed when I re-swatched the newly opened palette. Well, it wasn't a total bust, but it's honestly not something I would use.

So why was there a difference of quality between the tester and the new palette? I read an explanation somewhere that the oils in the fingers of those who swatch makeup tend to mix in with the powder, making it creamier and somehow intensifying its color. I know, gross! But that's how it works. 

The eyeshadow is pretty useless by itself, but over a base like the Urban Decay Primer Potion or the Too Faced Shadow Insurance, it will come out nicely.

A couple of weeks back, Kira and I were in a Make Up Forever classroom at The Fort. The whole line of MUFE merchandise was there, but I zoomed in on the MUFE Star Powders. I read that they're one of the best eyeshadows around, and I guess Makeupalley agrees with me because it has a 4.7/5 rating!  

The Star Powders are incredibly pigmented and smooth. It has only one caveat (and deal-breaker) for me: it's in loose powder form. It's quite messy to work with. But if you don't mind the extra hassle and if you're also ok going the extra mile to bind the pigments into a solid eyeshadow, then by all means, get these! They're a bit pricey at P1,080 but that's just about the same price as other similar brands like MAC or Smashbox.

I have swatches of the most interesting colors out of the bunch. They're sooo drool-worthy. My top three faves are the shimmery beige (their best seller), iridescent mint, and this black with multi-colored shimmers. Enjoy!

When I started to get into makeup I harbored the secret fantasy of becoming a makeup artist. I never did push through with it though, because I'm not as happy about applying makeup on other people as writing about it! My forte really is writing, hence this blog. I enjoy the process of gathering information and sharing it.

As my dreams of becoming a makeup artist faded away, I do still want to own a makeup artist's ultimate symbol: the train case. That's why I was blown away when Avon handed me this awesome train case made by Suesh. The huge case was full of goodies Avon thoughtfully put in! This will sound really cheesy, but thanks Avon for making one of my dreams come true! Haha. 

Curious to see what's inside? Click click!

When I started getting into makeup, I would always ogle at beauty bloggers who use mostly MAC eyeshadows in their FOTDs. It seemed to me that the best eyeshadows in the world are made by MAC. I've always dreamed of owning a full customized palette, but I couldn't afford to start my collection since these eyeshadows aren't cheap at P870 per pan.

Three years down the road, I realized that there are other great eyeshadows that offer more value for money (like Urban Decay). Nonetheless I still want to complete a 15-pan palette someday even if I have to buy one pan of MAC eyeshadow every month or so! Haha. I actually just bought an empty palette after waiting for MONTHS for one to become locally available, but that's for another post. Today I'll just review the eyeshadows I have. Most of them I bought from Duty Free, while two came from a swap.

Predictably, they're all neutral. I want to start my collection with a solid foundation, hence the wearable colors. Later on I'm going to add more adventurous shades! For now I have some of MAC's more famous eyeshadows.

What I love about the product

• Extremely pigmented. I don't even need to use a base to make the colors pop.
• Amazing texture. Each eyeshadow is smooth and blends in without a fuss.

I've been looking for reviews of the Shu Uemura Art of Travel Palette, but it appears that they are few and far between. From what I understand, this palette is travel-exclusive, meaning you can only find it in airport malls. I find that sad because this is a great palette that's not only convenient for traveling - it can also do sophisticated day-to-night looks with its high-quality eyeshadows and pretty Glow On blush.

What I love about the product

• Four highly pigmented eyeshadows that I find well-picked in terms of color coordination and versatility. There are lots of ways to combine them for day and night looks.
• The cream base is a huge surprise for me. On the pan, it looks like a boring white cream base, but it actually applies as a gorgeous golden shimmer! It reminds me of Bobbi Brown's glitter eyeshadows. The shimmer is very, very fine, and I prefer applying it on top of eyeshadows to give the eyes that extra "oomph".

• The Glow On adds a pretty glow to my cheeks as promised. I've owned a Glow On previously, and I really love the effect on the cheeks. The blush doesn't have a name, but I guess it is very close to (if not the same thing as) the Shu Uemura Glow On in M Pink 33.

Do you like seeing your makeup together? I do! I'm sure you understand how I feel if, like me, you enjoy collecting and using makeup. You get that tiny thrill inside when you know that you have nice stuff you can depend on. 

That's why I thought to feature a neutral palette face-off. It's limited to my small collection of neutral palettes, but I wanted to quickly share with you my capsule review of each palette for, well, posterity. I've been steadily using neutrals most of the time these past few months, and I guess I want to keep tabs on my constant beauty companions. Hope you find this feature useful!

Note: Most of the palettes featured here are sadly limited edition or not available locally.

Let's start shall we?

A friend of mine (hi Anne!) sent me this Maybelline palette from Canada. I don't buy Maybelline palettes because whenever I swatch one in the store, I always feel underwhelmed. However, I was really surprised by how this particular palette performed! The eyeshadows were silky, highly pigmented, and performed well over a base. Definitely a keeper.

Maybelline Expert Wear Eyeshadow Quad in Natural Smokes

I love the color selection because they make for a quick, flattering smoky eye that's not too dark. I'm not sure if this palette is available in the Philippines, but if they are, I will definitely buy one in different colors. 

Face: Clinique Supermoisture makeup, MAC Studiofinish concealer, Ellana mineral foundation and finishing powder, NARS Super Orgasm

Hola! How's your long weekend? Me I didn't do much except shop, eat, read and watch fantasy movies. It's cool. I spent it with my family. 

At the Bobbi Brown Beauty Rules classroom!

So! I'd like to tell you what's new at Bobbi Brown. They recently launched the Bobbi Brown Beauty Rules Book and a Face Palette to go with the theme. The book is about makeup for teens and young twenty-somethings, so that's something you should own if you want to learn new techniques on the best possible makeup for your age and features. Of course, it also features Bobbi Brown's philosophy not only on beauty, but motherhood as well. 

pictures from Temptalia.com

The Beauty Rules Face Palette ($45, around P3,000 locally) is created for girls who are just starting to use makeup. It has the colors you would need for a natural day to an evening party look, and the makeup is formulated in such a way that you don't need to use a lot of tools. In fact, the makeup artists recommend using your fingers! Bobbi Brown Singapore makeup artist Cecilia Tay demonstrated how to pull it off to the press:

I haven't been wearing colorful makeup for months now. Well, okay, there were a few times during evening events but most of the time I have neutrals on. So what happened? Just two things, really. When I go to meetings of course I have to look polished and professional. When I go to events, I sometimes meet people I want to work with in the future, so I don't want to pile on the color. In between meetings and events I run errands, and even though I love makeup, I don't love it enough to wear eyeshadows all the time!

BUT. If there's one thing that will bring back my love affair with colorful eyeshadow, it will be the Mini Bobbi Brights Palette by Bobbi Brown!

I saw this in an event for Bobbi Brown's new book and palette called Beauty Rules. Anyway, I swatched some of the eyeshadows and was wowed by the pigmentation and how buttery smooth the texture is! Love.

I love the Urban Decay Primer Potion, so when I "ran out", I made sure to follow the advice of the makeup gurus. I prepared a clean jar and cut the violet tube up to get the last remaining drops of the stuff. I knew that the packaging wasn't practical since the curves made it difficult to maximize the product, but I was surprised when I found out that there was still so much left! I estimated around 50%!

Now I know that the UDPP now comes in a squeeze tube, and the later genie tubes had a bent doe foot applicator, but I wanted to dry something new. Karen of Makeup and Beauty Blog swears by the Too Faced Shadow Insurance so I got it to see what the hoopla was about.

It contains more product than the normal-sized UDPP, and it only cost P1,100 at Get Sophisticated. Good thing it's available here at a nice price!

What I love about the product

• Easier to spread and blend in than UDPP. UDPP dries up quickly so sometimes there are beige streaks left that I can't remove anymore. UDPP dries and hardens, while TFSI simply dries. The texture is like creamy liquid concealer.
• Colorless when blended properly.