Benefit Cosmetics Week: Gimme Brows in Medium/Dark
Sigh, I'm right in the middle of having them one of those insanely busy days. But, I always have time to blog! Even if it's just 30 minutes. :P Today I'd like to show you the Benefit Gimme Brows Brow Volumizing Fiber Gel (P1,000+). I remember loving the Brow Zings so I was pretty excited to get my hands on this one.
Gimme Brows promises to define, shape, and volumize your brows in go. True enough, this does it for me! It's long-wearing too and hardly fades even when I'm out all day. It's pretty easy to use with such a small wand - you get a lot of room to shade small sparse areas and to build them up in segments if you wish.
The texture is watery and coverage is sheer upon initial application. It's definitely not your typical brow mascara in that regard! Others would be thick so you can't really go back to re-do certain areas, plus they rather dry up quickly. Gimme Brows is buildable and gives me enough time to work with it.
Smart introduces service that nurtures a safe and connected family
Here's some news for all you fab and busy moms out there: Smart recently introduced their Family Ties Plans, which helps you stay constantly connected with members of the family while ensuring a safe and protected environment for children when they use their mobile devices.
With this plan, you no longer have to think twice about making that quick call to your son to check up on him at school or sending some sweet-nothings to your husband while at work because of the unlimited calling and texting features that come with the plan.
At the launch: Mompreneur and blogger Janice Villanueva and PR practitioner Ana Ongpin talk about how they juggle their family along with their hectic work schedules. Both love the new plan as it keeps them in touch with their kids and staff!
Here's the new TVC (which will air starting today):
Details of the Smart Family Ties Plans
Families have two choices for their postpaid lines: Family Ties Plan 900 includes unlimited calling within the family circle, unlimited SMS to Smart subscribers and 200 all-network texts, as well as 100MB of free data for each line every month.
Benefit Cosmetics Week: Rockateur Box O' Powder Blush
You've tried blushes, of course, but have you tried a fabulously scented one that seems to perfume your whole face? That's what makes the Benefit Rockateur Box O' Powder Blush (P1,600) stand out. After you squee over the cute embossed design on the powder, you won't miss its bright floral scent as you blend it over your cheeks. It's surprisingly pleasant! I like that it doesn't smell chemical at all.
And the color? It's a beautiful pink rose with a generous amount of bronze in it. Rockateur is not a bronzer - it's predominantly pink - but it has enough to warm your face up in a snap.
I love that it's not overly pigmented so you get a couple of chances to layer this the way you want it. It delivers a pretty, glowy color on the cheeks, but it's not in any way oily-looking. The golden shimmer is very fine anyway so they hardly show up.
Staying power is okay at 4-5 hours before it starts to fade. I remember Hervana staying on longer than this one even though it was less pigmented. Nonetheless, like I said before a 5-hour cap on blushes is fine by me as I'm not often out all day.
Anyway, here's a look wearing a couple of layers of Rockateur!
Why I'm most likely not doing a big wedding
Friends and family have, in recent years, asked me when I'm going to get married to my long-time partner. We've been together for seven years now - I'm 26, here's turning 32, so one could say we're the right age for marriage. We also know everything about one another and we could live with all that sordid information. We are best friends. I guess that's as good a qualification as any, although admittedly not quite romantic.
We are the least romantic people I know. It'd be awkward to do a pre-nup shoot canoodling in the grass, or even a "through the years" AV presentation. We hardly have any pictures together, nor do we take any of one another. We don't know when our anniversary is except it's sometime May. Or June? We're not sure. That's the narrowest I can get.
He doesn't like most things that I like. He is my harshest critic. I don't understand his passion for cars or why he doesn't eat spaghetti or sinigang (seriously who does that? WHO?). But we can be completely ourselves with each other - no masks or pretensions - and we like what we see even though it's sometimes not pretty.
So, knowing this, can you imagine us doing a big wedding with all the trimmings?
I suppose weddings exist so that people and the god of their religion can witness the couple's love and vows to one another. It's like...a public contract. Two people will do it in front of a hundred people so that their words are writ in the memories of their guests.
Benefit Cosmetics Week: Foamingly Clean Facial Wash + Skincare Giveaway
This week, I'll be featuring some interesting products from the cheekiest cosmetics brand in the block: Benefit! I picked out some new finds a couple of weeks ago, and I'm very excited to talk about them as I'm happy with the results. ^_^ In fact I'm so happy, I decided I can't keep all of the products to myself haha. I'm giving away a toner and moisturizer at the end of this post, so one lucky reader can also try out Benefit's skincare range!
Before all that though, here's a review of the Benefit Foamingly Clean Facial Wash (P1,200), a one-step makeup remover and foaming facial cleanser.
Benefit isn't exactly famous for skincare, but I have tried the brand's Triple Performing Facial Emulsion as well as the It's Potent! Eye Cream before and really enjoyed using both. The skincare range smells fantastic - clean, light, and expensive. I love that very little goes a long way, and that their creams work well with combi to oily skin.
The skincare line looks like it's designed for maintenance more than anything. It's pretty basic, with nourishing ingredients, but they don't promise (nor deliver) any drastic changes to the skin. If you're already happy with your face and just need something gentle to maintain its glow, Benefit's skincare line can do it for you.
Now, the Foamingly Clean Facial Wash. This is a "1-step gentle wash" that can remove makeup and cleanse your face of impurities.
My top 10 favorite finds last February
One thing I love about the local beauty blogging community is that we are not a toxic bunch. I'd be lying if I said we didn't have egos or felt jealous, irritated, etc. at each other every now and then, but the negativity is minimal. We don't hold on to it. If there's an issue we settle it quickly and privately or just move on like nothing happened! I guess that while we find beauty blogging tremendously fun and rewarding, it doesn't rule our lives. That why (I think) we're pretty relaxed about it.
Anyway, today I'd like to share with you my top ten favorite finds last month! Here are ten things that I feel enriched my existing collection.
Ahh, Shiseido, my love. The Shiseido Sheer and Perfect Liquid Foundation + the White Lucent Brightening Spot-Control Foundation is a match made in heaven. Even when my skin looks like crap (like right now, pre-period pimples UGH), these two can hide everything without looking heavy. It's a "my skin but better" tandem!
I love all the Maybelline Color Tattoo Eyeshadows, but my absolute absolute favorite is Bad to the Bronze. It's a beautiful, rich color that can be used alone on the lids then blended up the crease. It makes my eyes look more exciting and polished at the same time. Grab it n' love it!
I don't know why I ever put off owning a metal palette. It really helped me apply makeup better since it opens up new ways for me to mix my products. Such a great find! Get the MONDA Studio Mixing Palette from Digital Traincase.
Money is only funny in a rich man's world
I'm earning a tidy sum of money at 26. I started freelance writing when I was still in college, so I got a good head start and was able to meet a lot of awesome people who gave me valuable opportunities. I'm grateful for them and very lucky, indeed, but the luck would have turned to dust if I didn't work hard and smart everyday.
It's been fun, these last five years, but I seriously have to consider where I put my money. My rent and bills are my biggest expenditures every month - kids, if you're still living with your parents, be extremely grateful for their generosity! Don't be lazy, sweep the floor or wash the dishes when they ask you to. If you lived by yourself, you'd be bleeding money AND sweeping the floor AND washing the dishes every day.
I remember, when I moved out two weeks after graduation and did my first groceries, I cried in the supermarket. Like a baby. I didn't know things cost so much.
And then there is shopping. I'm cutting down on that because it's a vicious cycle. I buy stuff but end up not using them as often as I initially thought I would. I think I've been good these last few months because I managed to lessen miscellaneous spending, but the figure could be better. I'm sure I didn't need six shirts in one go.
Why am I sharing all this? I guess I just wanted to give you some context on what my financial goals are.
Canmake Cheek Brush
I don't know why exactly but Japan is on my mind these last few days. I've been obsessively checking flights, hotels, and the weather on my preferred dates. Honestly I'm starting to feel a wee bit crazy. Why now, why so suddenly? It's like an urge that just dropped down my gut.
I'm trying to convince my parents to go with me this year, but if that doesn't happen I will most likely go by myself. Is this what they call lovesickness? Well. I suppose so!
In any case, here's a little piece of Tokyo for us: the Canmake Cheek Brush (P600)! This is part of the brand's Spring collection and I'm loving it. Not as a blush brush but as a - wait for it - foundation brush. It's the perfect shape and density for applying liquid foundations and BB creams.
Don't let that cute, toy-like design fool you. This is a crazy soft brush with fine synthetic bristles! It's quite small yes but it's about the same size as the Shiseido Perfect Foundation Brush. They work pretty much the same way except this is only 600 bucks. ;)
The bucket bag that changed everything
When I was younger I had no brand preference when it comes to clothes, shoes, and bags. I just purchased whatever was cheap and looked good at the time, because hey, it's not like I earned a lot of money. I also believed that it was all the same thing, more or less. I'd hate to spend on something that I could get for cheaper.
But through the years I realized that cheaper does not equate to better. My stuff broke down and those that didn't looked outdated, too quickly. So now I'm a little more careful about the things I purchase! I have come to prefer brands that offer the best value for my money - even if they're expensive, I find that I can get more mileage out of them.
But there's another but. Haha. As you know I run my own household and pay my own bills. I like expensive things but I also like being able to pay my rent and keep a healthy savings account. :P That's why I love Rabeanco. The leather is ridiculously smooth, the colors are fairly unique, and the styles aren't something you'd see SM knock off.
Thoughts on temptation and cosmetic procedures
The other day I visited a reputable aesthetic clinic somewhere in The Fort. They do almost everything there, from something as mundane as facials and waxing to more complex treatments like Ulthera (a skin tightening and lifting procedure that uses ultrasound) and cosmetic surgery. I dropped by to try my favorite facial, but before that I settled down to talk with the owner's daughter.
She said she has had Ulthera done on her face, and then showed me a picture with one side finished, mid-procedure. It was dramatically thinner! It was non-surgical too so my jaw almost dropped to the floor! She said she used to have a wide face, and it's probably the same procedure Kim Chiu had to achieve her now-pixie face. This treatment is meant to be done only once a year, and costs about P90,000 per session.
I tell you, I have never been as tempted to alter my face as I had been that time. Cosmetic procedures are more advanced so the pain and downtime are now minimal - the cost is manageable too, if your income is in the upper-middle bracket. It was tempting to try, whether or not the clinic generously offers an x-deal.
This reminds me of a post Regina Belmonte wrote on her Tumblr - it's not about cosmetic procedures per se, but it's related. Regina is Cosmopolitan Philippines' beauty editor-at-large and I believe also editor of The Philippine Star's YStyle Section.
Skinny bitches, feel free to contradict me. Because sometimes, I really, truly, honestly feel that the only reason I don’t have more going for me is that I’m not thin. And in my head, the reasonable half of my brain is like, “That’s stupid, Regina. Your worthiness isn’t dictated by your dress size,” but the less reasonable half still can’t help feeling that way anyway.
THIS. It was a nameless feeling before reading this post, but I feel this way sometimes too (note the operative word okay - sometimes).
Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Brow Lift Duo
The Estee Lauder Double Wear line is gold. It features the brand's longest-wearing products, which are a godsend in our humid tropical weather! I have the new pan concealer and it's quite reliable for all-day affairs. But that's a review for another day. Today I want to talk about the Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Brow Lift Duo (P1,000+), an excellent double-ended pencil for perfect, understated eyebrows.
If you liked my eyebrows in my recent looks, this is what I had on! At first I was unconvinced about the shades - the brown end looked very faint in the swatches while the champagne is almost invisible. But once they're on my brows all I can say is, much wow! This is my current fave brow product. <3 I am aware I have A LOT but I can't help it! I'm particular about my eyebrows and I get a high whenever I discover new products for them.
Have a look!
Left is Soft Brown, right is Highlight
My ultimate weight loss tip
I wanted to write a review post for you but I need to see a doctor today. Oh it's nothing serious - it's just allergies! I've been putting off this visit since last year but I feel I need medication at this point. I don't know what I'm allergic to, just that sometimes I wake up with a runny nose, teary eyes, and crazy sneezing fits. My voice now sounds weird because my throat feels damaged with all the sneezing. My face hurts also when this happens. The quality of my life is already affected! So, I'm off to to Makati Med to look for an allergist or at least anyone who can prescribe something for this.
Anyway. I may have mentioned a few times on IG that I lost some weight. Did I do anything special? Yes, I started to draw and paint again! The more I used my hands, the less I ate. I realized that I eat when I'm bored or when I'm watching TV, so now I try not to get bored and I only watch shows during legit meal times. Simple no?
Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet in 45 L'Adoree
One of my latest lipsticks is the Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet in 45 L'Adoree (P1,650). It's my first Chanel anything ever so at first I was eyeing one of its classic reds - it can be a nice signature color for years to come. But then I saw this dark purple bullet at the counter. I decided then and there that I'd much rather invest in a unique color, and a limited edition one at that! I have maybe over 200 lipsticks currently and I do not want to personally purchase anything that looks like something I already have.
(And besides, MAC Russian Red is already a winner. I can't possibly need another red lippie.)
Chanel L'Adoree is part of the brand's Spring 2014 collection. I believe it's a limited edition shade, the only one out of the new lip products I believe! I knew I had to have it because it was dark, dramatic, and not easy to dupe. It's a creamy plum purple that is surprisingly quite wearable!
It's a muted shade so it's far from garish once worn. You won't look like a cartoon or something straight out of a goth romance novel (I'm sorry if that was what you were looking for, goth lips are awesome too!), because this is such a sophisticated shade. I'd stick my neck out and even say it's timeless, in its own way.