Serum and shadow: New Clinique releases
Expect me to be excited when one of my favorite brands comes up with something new. This time, Clinique is bringing in a reformulted version of one of their best-selling products, the Clinique Turnaround Concentrate Radiance Renewer (P3,250) and the Lid Smoothie Anti-Oxidant 8-Hour Eye Colour (P1,550).
The Turnaround Concentrate is a "fast acting exfoliating serum that instantly creates a luminous-from-within radiance. Reveals skin's finest texture, too. Works to optimise natural cell renewal, gently, continually, unveiling skin that's brighter, healthier, more uniform." Intriguing.
9-Hour Make-Up Class at Shu Uemura's Makeup Studio
The great thing about makeup is that there is no one way to do it right. Each makeup artist has her own set of techniques and picks up new ones along the way from different sources. Brands, too. You'll notice that each beauty brand has its own story - mission and vision, if you will - and this is reflected in every product they release and makeup looks they create.
Shu Uemura is famous for its clean, colorful, and whimsical makeup that can go dramatic if the occasion calls for it. The colors are applied on a fresh, dewy face, and while the intensity of the shades vary they never smother the wearer's natural beauty. Shu Uemura is definitely one of the few names who are consistent with their "brand look"!
Amazing right? If you want to learn Shu Uemura's techniques, they're now offering a certificate makeup class at their Rockwell studio. The 9-hour course is divided into 3-hour classes, to be held within a week. Each class will only have six students to guarantee hands-on teaching. Best yet, the whole thing is only P5,000 at Dealgrocer.com (discounted from P10,000)!
Shu Uemura's classy studio in their Rockwell branch
Food Wishes
I love makeup and clothes but hey, that's not all there is to me. So I think I'll be posting something not beauty related every weekend from now on. A change of topic is always fun for everyone.
So! I found this website called Food Wishes some weeks back and IT IS AWESOME. I like all the recipes, although I can't cook many of them because I don't have a food processor, outdoor grill, and oven (I should definitely get an oven soon). Still, I love watching Chef John's videos because of his clear and concise way of explaining things. He's like the Lisa Eldridge of cooking, if you know what I mean!
Chef John's Bacon Ranch Chicken Skewers
I got inspired after marathoning Chef John's videos so I decided to cook some of his recipes. Take note, they're just, at best, approximations of what he made. The exact ingredients were not immediately on hand so I made do with what I found in the supermarket.
What's in my bag 2011
A lot of people have been doing this lately, and so I decided to join the bandwagon. Lol. It's fun! I've actually done it already last year. However, a lot of things has changed since then, so my bag also "evolved" along with them.
What's in my bag depends on what kind of bag I'm using (which in turn depends on my outfit), what I need to do that day, and where I'm going. Yesterday, I was in the office for a presentation, so I didn't wear much makeup. I decided to bring a makeup kit so I can do a full face for a media event I'll be attending later in the evening.
Forever 21 shades, Majolica Majorca makeup kit, alcohol, mint gum, keys, Tony Moly pressed powder, Estee Lauder Sensuous, wallet, iPad (forgot to add the Blackberry in the photo)
As with last year, I still don't bring a makeup kit on a regular basis, but I sometimes do when the need arises.
New Asian Secrets Variants
I really need to be visit drugstore aisles more often. It seems that I'm missing valuable news! If a reader didn't tell me about the new Asian Secrets variants, I wouldn't have known until oh I don't know, next year. Tsk. Anyways, yes it's true: there are now more Asian Secrets products to love!
AS now has two more versions of its best-selling lulur scrub: Licorice and Mulberry Extract (purple) and the Seaweed Extract with Vitamin E (blue). They both smell nice, though they're more on the soapy kind.
Dove Beauty Moisture Facial Cleanser
Meet Sara, the blogger behind I Play The Villain. Here she reviews the Dove Beauty Moisture Facial Cleanser. After using it for a couple of weeks, she finds that she loves it!
Ever since that recent trip to the dermatologist and how I was forced to go makeup-free for a week, that's when it really sunk in that makeup can only help you with so much. In fact, if you have (or like) to wear makeup every day, you must also take meticulous care of the base on which you apply all that: the skin.
The skin (face) is often something that most people take for granted; funny, considering that's where all the stress, the abuse and the evidence of carelessness, shows up.
After my trip to the derma, I re-evaluated the skincare I was using. My original facial wash claims to remove all the dirt on one's face; deep cleansing, as it were. I love it enough for it to be HG material for me, but truth is, it has a tendency to dry out my skin. Moreso, since I use it twice (sometimes thrice) a day. I also dislike that tight feeling after washing it off and I thought I could somehow live with it.
Then I picked up the Dove Beauty Moisture Facial Cleanser (P200).
What I love about it
- After weeks of using this, I could tell that my skin became smoother and more moisturized. Sometimes, I can even get away with skipping my moisturizing night cream and my face won't feel parched the morning after.
Jane Iredale Mineral Makeup Starter Kit
Jane Iredale is one of the few brands that offer truly 100% mineral makeup. It costs a pretty penny - up there with Colorescience, just less expensive - but unlike cheaper MMU the efficacy and convenience of the products are compararable to high-end traditional makeup. If you have super sensitive skin, true mineral makeup is definitely the way to go.
I've heard so many good things about Jane Iredale way before, so I was psyched to try out their Starter Kit in Golden. It has everything a girl can need for a full face of makeup - tinted primer, foundation, concealer, blush, lip color, and even brushes! However, it's not something you should get for daily use since the products are in sample sizes. It's really more for people who want to try out JI makeup without paying full price.
After using it for a few weeks, here's my review of and recommendations for each product in the kit. You can buy them separately so you don't have to shell out the P5,000+ this Starter Kit costs. ;)
Pressed Mineral Powder with SPF20: This light coverage mineral powder is da bomb. It has a nice glowy finish that looks like skin, just better!
Human Heart Nature Tinted Lip Balm in Flame Tree
Remember my review of the Human Heart Nature Lip Balm in Peppermint? I mentioned that I didn't like how hard and waxy it was. It seems that HHN listened with their new Tinted Lip Balm (P75)! It glides on more easily and feels slightly less waxy, so yay for that. I also like the shade of Flame Tree since it's very rich - not far from legitimately being a sheer lipstick.
Texture and feel. The HHN Tinted Lip Balm in Flame Three is more emollient and easy to apply compared to its plain lip balm cousin. It still has that waxy feel (that I hope it would lose someday) but it's more bearable now.
Moisturizing properties. Helps moisturize with its essential oils. I like that it takes some time before it dries up.
Estee Lauder Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign 2011
Women from both sides of my family suffered from breast cancer. Knowing that, I check my breasts regularly for lumps. I do know I should take it further by getting a mammogram yearly, but for now, I'm just satisfied that there are no lumps!
On that note, did you know that breast cancer is more or less curable if detected early? You can save your and your loved ones' lives just by encouraging them to do a breast self exam, even if they're just in the shower. This is the advocacy of the Estee Lauder group of companies - they want to raise awareness about breast cancer so that women do not have to suffer needlessly just because they were not informed.
Mel Lerma of Estee Lauder talking about the campaign
Estee Lauder currently has a Facebook app that encourages everyone to share a message of hope. Just by typing a few inspiring words in the app, you can help light the world pink - literally! There are illumination sites all over the world, where landmarks are lit pink in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Red for fall
It seems that I've been wearing some form of red in the past few weeks. It could be a lipstick, dress, shoes, and now recently, a skirt. It was unconscious but I do believe that red is my Color of the Moment!
Here's what I wore to the Human Nature event at 7th High last Friday. I should've put on something more "clubby" but I was in a major rush that evening because I thought the event was slated to start at 6pm. It started 5pm. Got there 7pm, so.
Thrifted shirt | Forever 21 bandage skirt | Tonic shoes | Tiangge satchel |
SM necklace | Parfois bangle
The story of Snaps
Marco and I have always talked about getting a dog, but we never got around to actually pushing through with it. We live in a condo with rather strict pet rules, plus our schedule can be unpredictable sometimes! All the logical reasons point us toward NOT getting a dog. But last Saturday, we did not listen to reason.
I was in Tiendesitas, having a late lunch after a meeting. I knew that Marco was passing my way so I waited for him to pick me up. I've never EVER been to Tiendesitas before (I know, I know), so I took the opportunity to explore what the fabled shops have to offer.
I saw this Pomeranian.
There were lots of dogs everywhere, but they weren't interested in me, nor I with them. I wasn't looking to buy a dog to begin with. But when I met this Pomeranian puppy, he looked so happy to see me and immediately held his paws out of the cage. He also put his nose out so I can pat his head. We spent a few minutes like that, but I had to go since I knew I couldn't afford him right now.
Clinique Airbrush Concealer
I'm a huge, huge fan of Lisa Eldridge. She's a celebrity makeup artist based in London, who has done the faces of Emma Watson, Katy Perry, and Nicole Richie to name a few. Even with a successful career in makeup artistry, she still took the time to go into vlogging on YouTube. What sets her apart is how clearly she explains and demonstrates makeup techniques and trends with the experience of a true professional.
So, when she posted this video of her top makeup favorites after twenty years of using tons of products on herself and her clients, I got interested in the Clinique Airbrush Concealer (P1,300). If you've watched a number of her videos, you'll notice that this concealer is one of very few products she constantly uses. It's practically her default undereye concealer. Of course I had to get one for myself!
What I love about the product
- This concealer was not designed to be opaque like, say, the Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer Kit. Its coverage is quite light, working more as an undereye illuminator than as a traditional concealer because of its light-reflective properties.
Why have a facial?
For today, I thought I'd feature an interesting question from the Ask Liz! forum. If you have your own beauty question, just leave it there and I'll try my best to answer. Do make sure I haven't written about it before though!
Hey Liz, when I read the post, "6 Things I Learned From My Chemical Peel Experience" it shed more light on how I need to take care of my skin. And so I also worried. Aside from the basic 3 (cleanse, tone, moisturize), I was thinking about getting a facial and then maybe maintaining it since I heard it cleanses and rids dead skin cells (not sure). Also, I have acne scars. They are pretty small but they make a constellation in my face. Bottom line: do I consult to a dermatologist first? (having doubts since my case isn't as crucial) or get a facial already?
Audrey
Hi Audrey! Yup, that's definitely true, facials take off the old skin and clean blocked pores (blackheads, whiteheads). You can also have your pimples pricked so they won't get too big and leave a bigger blemish. Everyone should definitely do a facial once a month or, if your skin is pretty good already, once in every two months will do.
Of course, have it done by a derma instead of going to spas - a lot of people make that mistake!
UNIQLO is coming to the Philippines
Don't you just love how Manila is fast-becoming a world-class shopping mecca? All the best brands are finally arriving in our shoes, and the latest to join the growing list is Japanese casual fashion brand UNIQLO. It's definitely something Pinoys will love because we're very much into laidback basics.
SM, who recently brought Forever21 to Manila, will also carry UNIQLO. It's slated to open come early 2012 so that's something to look forward to next year! The good news is that judging by the pricing of F2, it's reasonable to speculate that UNIQLO pieces will still remain affordable.
Great find: In2It Waterproof Blush Set
I miss going to thrift shops (ukay-ukay). I used to visit once or even twice a week but these days my schedule rarely permits it. Nonetheless, I made time to go to one of my favorite haunts a few weeks ago. I only wore sunscreen and the In2It Waterproof Blush Set (P375), just to test out the latter.
To give you a backgrounder: it was HOT. Not just normal hot but really hot. On top of that the humidity was crazy, and it was even worse inside the ukay store. I came out after an hour or so, waited for a cab for around 15 minutes, and finally went home, sweaty, with two kilos of thrifted goodies.
So did the blush stay on? Yes. Yes it did. It was as vibrant as I applied it and stayed color true. Aside from the reliable lasting power, it also looked very natural, unlike other similarly-priced blushes that seem to just sit on top of the cheeks!
What I love about the product
- Stays on for at least five hours with no fading. It's waterproof (meaning it doesn't melt upon contact with water, even if you rub it) so it can withstand sweat and occasional splashes of rain. It's also great for oily skin.
- Impressive shade selection that's designed to flatter Pinay skin. There are four shades, but you actually get three different colors in one pan.
How to choose the best makeup remover for your needs
After writing the Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil post, I got to wondering how many makeup removers I've stashed in the past year. I have a tendency to hoard, in case you don't know yet! After taking stock, it seems that I have...sixteen different makeup removers at the moment. I have the Clinique Take The Day Off but I forgot to add it in the picture.
Anyway, this won't be a battle royale a.k.a comparison post because I haven't reviewed some of these products yet. However, I thought I'd write a little more about the different types of makeup removers. Hopefully this information will help you better decide on what's ideal for your skin type and lifestyle!
Cream-based makeup removers are milky in appearance and rich in texture. They're best for girls with really dry skin because they moisturize while taking off the makeup. Usually, you need to massage cream removers into your skin to break the makeup down completely so they take more time to use. Can work for face, eye, and lip makeup.
Best buys: Estee Lauder Take It Away Total Makeup Remover, Pond's Cold Cream, Yves Rocher Serum Vegetale Cleansing Milk