[REVIEW] Kryolan TV Paint Stick aka The Foundation That Survived the Morning Rush Hour

Hiya, guys!

Today I'm doing a review on the Kryolan TV Paint Stick in shade LO.

From the Kryolan official website:

Successfully proven cream make-up in stick form. The special base of TV Paint Stick allows gentle make-up application that provides effective covering at the same time. The Kryolan assortment of more than 250 color nuances for selection is truly extraordinary - which makes this preparation indispensable for stage, film, TV, video work and more.

God knows how long I've been looking for a foundation that would last a really long time on me, because other foundations that I've tried so far would melt on me after only a few hours and an intense combination of sebum (oil) and sweat. This is even after putting on a little bit of primer. In Tagalog, madaling mahulas ang foundation sa akin. So I figured, maybe a heavy-duty makeup would do for my case.

A short story about this product: I've been hearing about Kryolan through Martha of The Beauty Junkee. Martha, who was a Theater Arts student prior to her career as a beauty blogger, personally swears by Kryolan for her stage makeup. She even has a post dedicated to the different kinds of Kryolan foundations, which includes recommendations for products that are suited for everyday use. One of those products was the TV Paint Stick.

Ever since reading that post sometime in 2012, I've been lemming about buying my own TV Paint Stick. It took me a long time before finally biting the bullet and purchasing one for myself.

I picked up the shade LO, which is quite a good match for my current skin tone -- medium with yellow undertones. There are over 250 shades available in this range according to the website, but I'm not sure how many are available in the Philippines.

More details when you click 'Read More'

[REVIEW] Maybelline Baby Skin Pore Eraser

Hiya, guys!

Today, I'm gonna review the Maybelline Baby Skin Pore Eraser.

I've always been on the lookout for makeup items that would pass my requirements -- it has to be long-wearing because I have to wear it at work and at school, and it has to withstand the heat, sweat and oil for a decent amount of time.

Many makeup artists and beauty experts swear by primers for people who oil up a lot like I do. But then primers are a bit steep-priced so I'm now on the lookout for a good-performing but affordable primer, though I've previously tried the Goodbye Pore Ever Primer Stick by Etude House.

Enter Maybelline Baby Skin Pore Eraser. As I have mentioned in my latest haul post, this is one of the most affordable primer/mattifiers in the market after Quick FX Pore Mattifier went out of stock for months now. So I will begin my search for the best primer with this baby from Maybelline (hey, that sounds quite alike, don't you think?)

The full review when you click 'Read More'

[REVIEW] Celeteque Brightening Eye Tuck Plus Dark Circle Remover

Hiya, guys!

Today I'm gonna do a review on the Celeteque Brightening Eye Tuck Plus Dark Circle Remover.

As I have mentioned in Watsons haul post, I have read one too many articles about establishing a habit for eye creams as early as your 20s and how it may thank you later in your life. So I looked for recommendations from local bloggers and websites, focusing on the drugstore brands because that's what I could afford at the moment.

Among the drugstore brands, Celeteque's eye cream has one of the best reviews, so much that it convinced me to get my own.

From Celeteque:

CELETEQUE DermoScience™ Brightening Eye Tuck plus Dark Circles Lightener has Eyeseryl® Tetrapeptide Complex that effectively counters the formation of loose skin around the eyes by improving skin elasticity and fighting water accumulation, the 2 main drivers of puffiness around the eyes. It also significantly lightens the skin around the eyes for a brighter look, in just 4 weeks.

My bad for forgetting to take a photo of the box itself. But to see the list of ingredients, please head to Celeteque's official website. 

And more of the review when you click 'Read More'

[REVIEW] iWhite Korea Facial Cream.

Hiya, guys!

Today I'll be doing a review on the iWhite Korea Facial Cream.

From iWhite Korea:

Whoops, forgot to take off the price tag!

Because I raved so much on their Nose Pack and Whitening Pack, it makes me wonder whether the rest of their product range will also perform well. So I decided to try out the Face Cream this time around. (And yes, this is the second consecutive iWhite Korea product review that I've done, a first on my part. Teehee!)

As you can read from the photo above, it is a three-in-one product because it claims to be a whitening, (sun) protection and makeup base product all in one face cream.

iWhite Korea Facial Cream has Mulberry Root extract, titanium dioxide, Panax ginseng and vitamins A, C and E as its active ingredients. Based on my own research, mulberry root extract is known for its skin whitening properties, while Panax ginseng supposedly promotes cell regeneration which in turn delays skin ageing. Titanium dioxide, on the other hand, is an ingredient in most physical sunblock creams.

Wanna know how it fared so far? Click 'Read More' to find out!

[REVIEW] iWhite Korea Whitening Pack

Today I'm gonna do a review of the iWhite Korea Whitening Mask.

From iWhite Korea:

By now you guys already know that their Nose Pack is already part of my skin care routine. (You don't? Then click here for my review and here for my skin care routine.) But one day, I decided to change things up a bit and try out their Whitening Mask.

As you can see from the photos above, the mask comes in a shiny plastic foil sachet that has has this cute anime-like drawings on it. And this one is relatively bigger than the Nose Pack, probably because it's meant to be used on the entire face.

Based on my one-day experience, I think there is no significant difference between this and the Nose Pack except that it's bigger and has more product inside (but of course).

The full review when you click 'Read More.'

My Skin Care Routine + Quick Review

Hiya guys!

Today I'll be showing to you my skin care routine, and I will do a quick review of each of them.

As I have mentioned in my blog quite a few times, I have oily skin. I also get breakouts -- blackheads, whiteheads, pimples -- you name it, especially when I'm stressed (hello exams week!). That is why one of the things that I look for in skin products is its ability to keep oil at bay and prevent (or treat) pimples.

That being said, here are the products that I use for my usual skincare routine.

DAY

1. Pond's Clear Solutions Facial Wash

Of all the drugstore facial washes that I have tried, this wash has worked well for me so far. It leaves my skin squeaky clean and refreshed after washing.

2. Olay Natural White Light face cream

I like my day cream light and non-greasy, much like putting on water condensed in a cream. That is why I like this day cream -- it is light and non-greasy, and it does not interfere with my makeup application. But then I still think there is a better day moisturizer out there that suits the needs of my oily skin...

3. Etude House Precious Minerals BB Cream Bright Fit

Though it's technically makeup, I treat it as skincare because of its SPF30 properties. It's because sunblock is an essential skin care step, especially for me who go on long commutes nearly on a daily basis. Because of that, I usually go for products with an SPF factor of 30 or higher, thus this product.

My night routine and the latest addition to my arsenal when you read 'Read More'

[REVIEW] NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Cashmere and Rocky Mountain Green

Hiya guys!

Today I'm gonna review the NYX Jumbo Eye Pencils in Cashmere and Rocky Mountain Green.

note: photos taken on separate days

From NYX Cosmetics website:

A radiant eye liner that also doubles as an eye shadow. Made with a blend of mineral oil and powder, our creamy Jumbo Eye Pencils glide on effortlessly—no pulling, tugging or fading—and come in a rainbow of vivid hues. Some call her chubby. We say voluptuous.

Ever since I saw this product in some reseller sites, I became curious about it -- how can a big pencil like this be applied to the eyes when it's too big to be called a liner?

Turns out, it's more than a liner -- it's also an eyeshadow-on-a-pinch and, in the case of the Cashmere shade, a base eyeshadow color.

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil is an oversized eye pencil with an equally oversized 'lead' AKA the center part of the pencil where much of the product is placed. It has a clear plastic cap which protects the lead from damage when keeping it in your makeup kit.

More photos and the full review when you click 'Read More'

[REVIEW] iWhite Korea Nose Pack Sachet

Hiya guys!

Today I'll be reviewing the iWhite Korea Nose Pack sachet.

From iWhite Korea:

I used to get a facial every month, but then the last time I had that was before my best friend's wedding last November. And since I'm on a penny-pinching mode lately, I decided to buy that inexpensive peel-off mask that I've been seeing from Watsons for quite some time now -- the iWhite Korea Nose Pack sachet.

This used to come in a shiny black rectangular sachet which, in my opinion, is good enough. But now the peel-off mask is packaged in an oddly-shaped sachet, still in a shiny material, and with anime-like graphics. And can I just say? Korean beauty brands gain brownie points from me just for their packaging alone!

More on iWhite Korea Nose Pack when you click "Read More"

[REVIEW] Etude House Precious Minerals BB Cream Bright Fit

Hello everyone!

As you have read on my previous post, I just marked my official return on the blogosphere, as well as a few of the reasons why I was absent for quite some time. And now that I'm back, let's start with a few of the overdue posts -- those that I'm planning to write here in this blog, but was not able to do so because of so many things that caused my absence.

And we begin with a makeup post. It's been quite a while since I made one, and how I miss it...

So in here we have the Etude House Precious Minerals BB Cream Bright Fit in W15 - Sand Beige.

From Etude House:

"BB Cream formulated with Pearl Powder with an improved adhesive texture to promote moist, radiant looking skin while protecting against UV damage and wrinkles."

Backside of the bottle. I like the "Brightening: OK! Darkening: Zero!" in here.

A little FYI first: I had this with me since September last year, and I took these photos upon unboxing it. So this review will be based on many months of using this product.

This was not the first time that I used a BB cream from Etude House, or any other product from the Korean brand for that matter. I've previously used their Goodbye Pore Ever Primer Stick, and as I've mentioned in my review, I have already used their Dr. Oil Solution BB Lotion.

Like most BB creams, this baby is in a liquid formula which comes in a tube packaging with a pump. While you may not see what's inside the tube as it is opaque, you can 'feel' how much product is left as it becomes skinnier with time. Kinda like toothpaste, but with pump for easier product control.

straight from the pump...

spread out a bit...

blended well...

Consistency is a bit like moisturizer -- thick but not like Dairy Queen ice cream in that it does run a bit when turned upside down. As you can see in the swatches here, it appears opaque as it comes out of the pump and when spread out a bit. But when spread out further, it thins out to a sheer to medium coverage.

Etude House Precious Minerals BB Cream Bright Fit comes in four shades, Sand Beige being the darkest. And it does look dark against my skin, under natural light, when taken from the pump, but then it produces a white cast when spread a bit. Once blended out, it blended to my skin tone but with a bit of white cast still present due to the SPF content of the product.

from pump -- indoor light

from pump -- flash

spread a bit -- indoor light

spread a bit -- flash

blended out -- indoor light

blended out -- flash

Photos above are taken in indoor light and in flash.

Before photo, with Olay Natural White Light Day Cream, and my hair still wet

After photo (smiling mugshot, anyone?! hahaha!)

It improved my skin a lot, like it looked brighter than the before photo. As for the white cast... What white cast? It looked like a light lit from within! Haha! But then it did not significantly cover dark under-eyes (getting home late at night from law school is a bane!) and acne scars (facial alert!) as it only had sheer coverage. Maybe it will cover up a bit more if I put on another layer...

After photo, with CoverGirl AquaSmoothers Compact foundation as concealer and Natasha Beauty Perfect Finish Dual Powder Foundation

But then nothing that a good concealer and powder foundation can fix. Learned that tip from Martha of The Beauty Junkee.

In here is my usual work+school makeup, the simplest that I usually do. But this deserves another post so I'll reserve that for later.

I was not able to take a photo of myself upon getting home, so I'll explain what happened after seven hours. Staying power was good enough with the help of the powder foundation, though it oiled up after four hours, thus the need for blotting sheets and a oil-mattifying balm on the T-zone and other oily areas.

And it lasts me a long time -- I have this product with me for five months now, and it's still 3/4 full even while sharing this with my mother (she also loves this product so much that I might get another bottle for her own use).

Overall, Etude House Precious Minerals BB Cream Bright Fit is a pretty good base makeup for everyday use -- good buildable coverage without the heaviness of foundation, SPF30, that glow effect, a shade suitable for morenas like me, and last you a long time. So much to offer for a 60g tube of BB cream, isn't it? :)