Happy1st birthday Althea Korea!

One of my favorite online shops for beauty is now turning one! Althea Korea www.Althea.kr  is your one stop shop for all things K-beauty! They have a wide assortment of beauty and skincare products which are not available in my country (yey!). This is my 2nd package from them already, and now planning to order my 3rd. Online shopping is so addicting! haha You cannot blame me coz I am also a sucker for cute packaging tehe

So without further adieu, here's my Althea Korea package which arrived a few days ago. The pink birthday box looks so cute!!!!

I had fun decorating the birthday party kit that came with my order =)

Starting today July 20 to 31, you will get the Limited Edition  Birthday box + DIY Party Kit for every order (until supplies last).

My order came within 10-15 days and was directly from Korea to my doorstep. Talk about fuss-free shopping! You only pay for the shipping fee or get free shipping for orders Php 1,500 and above (and no tax fuss!). Their prices are not so expensive and they have a lot of cute and trendy Seoul exclusive beauty products. All their items are 100% Authentic and offer 30 days unconditional return. What's not to love right?

Tadaa.... what's inside the uber cute pink birthday box.

Here's what I got:

Vitamin Capsules Vita 3000 E Refining cream

It's my Magic Sponge

Skin Lab Dr. Vita K cream

Etude house Play 101 pencil

Tony Moly Backgel Eye Liner (Brown)

Witch's Pouch Selfie Fix Pigment (Follow me)

I forgot to post my 1st haul from them. I got the following:

Banila and Co. It Radiant CC Cream

Innisfree Long Wear Cushion #21

Peripera Peri's Tint #1

Tony Moly Panda's Dream Brightening Eye base

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Althea's Birthday Celebration 20th - 31st July, 2016

Limited Edition Birthday Box + DIY Party Kit 

For orders placed on 20/7 onwards. While stocks last.

   

Free Goodies for first 1,500 shoppers 

Full size beauty products. While stocks last.

• Birthday Giveaway. Pick 3 Top Sellers for 100% REBATE!Rebate will be credited into your account.

• #AltheaTurns1 Instagram Contest
  - Got your Althea party kit? Wish us a happy birthday with #altheaturns1 and stand a chance to win amazing prizes such as Macbook Air, Ipad Air 2, iPhone 6S, Galaxy S6 Edge, Canon EOS M10 Selfie Camera, Althea credits and beauty hampers from Althea!
  - Prizes total worth KRW10,000,000 to be won.
  - Contest starts from 20th July - 15th August, 2016.

*Terms and conditions apply. Please refer to www.althea.kr and Althea Facebook for more information

Hurry!! Order now to get your DIY party kit =) 

Let me know what products caught your eye.

Till next time, 

Swatches: Urban Decay Naked 3 Eyeshadow Palette

Hello girls! 

Here's another eye candy for you, the Urban Decay Naked 3 Eyeshadow Palette. 

 

According to Urban Decay, this is a follow-up of the industry's all time best selling palette, the Naked and Naked 2 palettes. The Naked 3 eyeshadow palette features 12 never before seen rose-hued neutrals from pale shimmery pinks to a deep matte black with red shimmers. You can choose from every finish imaginable - ultra smooth mattes, gorgeous pearls and glimmering metallics. 
Weight: 12 x 1.3 g / 12 x 0.05 oz

This retails for $54, a bit expensive compared to the Lorac Pro Palette which retails for $42.

 Urban Decay Naked 3 vs Lorac Pro

 Urban Decay 3 Eyeshadow Palette up close

Shade description and finish (from UD website):

Strange (pale neutral pink matte-satin)

Dust (pale metallic pink shimmer w/iridescent micro-glitter)

Burnout (light pinky-peach satin)

Limit (light dusty rose matte)

Buzz (metallic rose shimmer w/silver micro-glitter)

Trick (light metallic pinky-copper shimmer w/tonal micro-sparkle)

Nooner (medium pinky-brown matte)

Liar (medium metallic mauve shimmer)

Factory (pinky-brown satin)

Mugshot (metallic taupe shimmer w/slight pink shift)

Darkside (deep taupe-mauve satin) 

Blackheart (smoky black matte w/rosy red shimmer)

 Urban Decay Naked 3 swatches (on NC20 skin)

 natural light (outdoor)

My favorite shades are Burnout, Limit, Buzz, Trick, Nooner and Liar.

Dust is a lovely shade to highlight the inner corner of the eyes, but it is difficult to work with because of the chunky glitters that might irritate the eyes. 

 white light (indoor)

For comparison, here's the Naked 2 palette:

 

 

 Urban Decay Naked 2 palette swatches

 

The first shade Foxy is hardly visible on my NC20 skintone.

Both palettes are pigmented and smooth to apply, but I prefer the Naked 3 because I am a sucker for Rosegold shades and I find the Naked 2 "too warm" for my skintone.

 I'm thinking of getting the Urban Decay Naked Smoky because of the cute packaging (don't judge me haha) or the Urban Decay x Gwen Stefani Palette next time =D **drools**

What's your favorite Urban Decay palette? 

Till next time, 

Swatches: Lorac Pro Eyeshadow Palette

Happy new year Shopcoholics =) 

 For my first post this year, here's some swatches of my favorite eyeshadow palette LORAC Pro.

 Product Description from LORAC:

  Go PRO with the LORAC PRO Palette! Created by celebrity makeup artist Carol Shaw, this PRO artistry palette is packed with 8 Shimmer and 8 Matte Eye Shadows in all the shades you need to create the hottest looks straight from the Red Carpet. LORAC’S velvety-smooth shadows are infused with soothing botanicals and are ultra-pigmented to perform wet or dry so you can shade, shadow, line and define your eyes, just like a PRO.

Go PRO with the LORAC PRO Palette! Created by celebrity makeup artist Carol Shaw, this PRO artistry palette is packed with 8 Shimmer and 8 Matte Eye Shadows in all the shades you need to create the hottest looks straight from the Red Carpet. LORAC’S velvety-smooth shadows are infused with soothing botanicals and are ultra-pigmented to perform wet or dry so you can shade, shadow, line and define your eyes, just like a PRO.
PRO Palette Contains 16 Eye Shadows and a Mini Behind The Scenes Eye Primer for stay-true color that lasts, a PRO must-have!
- See more at: http://www.loraccosmetics.com/make-up_pro-palette.html#sthash.aTZkINDg.dpuf

Go PRO with the LORAC PRO Palette! Created by celebrity makeup artist Carol Shaw, this PRO artistry palette is packed with 8 Shimmer and 8 Matte Eye Shadows in all the shades you need to create the hottest looks straight from the Red Carpet. LORAC’S velvety-smooth shadows are infused with soothing botanicals and are ultra-pigmented to perform wet or dry so you can shade, shadow, line and define your eyes, just like a PRO.
PRO Palette Contains 16 Eye Shadows and a Mini Behind The Scenes Eye Primer for stay-true color that lasts, a PRO must-have!

- See more at: http://www.loraccosmetics.com/make-up_pro-palette.html#sthash.aTZkINDg.dpuf

Go PRO with the LORAC PRO Palette! Created by celebrity makeup artist Carol Shaw, this PRO artistry palette is packed with 8 Shimmer and 8 Matte Eye Shadows in all the shades you need to create the hottest looks straight from the Red Carpet. LORAC’S velvety-smooth shadows are infused with soothing botanicals and are ultra-pigmented to perform wet or dry so you can shade, shadow, line and define your eyes, just like a PRO.
PRO Palette Contains 16 Eye Shadows and a Mini Behind The Scenes Eye Primer for stay-true color that lasts, a PRO must-have!

- See more at: http://www.loraccosmetics.com/make-up_pro-palette.html#sthash.aTZkINDg.dp

Go PRO with the LORAC PRO Palette! Created by celebrity makeup artist Carol Shaw, this PRO artistry palette is packed with 8 Shimmer and 8 Matte Eye Shadows in all the shades you need to create the hottest looks straight from the Red Carpet. LORAC’S velvety-smooth shadows are infused with soothing botanicals and are ultra-pigmented to perform wet or dry so you can shade, shadow, line and define your eyes, just like a PRO.
PRO Palette Contains 16 Eye Shadows and a Mini Behind The Scenes Eye Primer for stay-true color that lasts, a PRO must-have!

- See more at: http://www.loraccosmetics.com/make-up_pro-palette.html#sthash.aTZkINDg.dpuf

 

PRO Palette Contains 16 Eye Shadows and a Mini Behind The Scenes Eye Primer for stay-true color that lasts, a PRO must-have!

This palette retails for $42 and includes a mini sized Behind the Scenes eyeshadow primer.

Pro Palette shades:

    Top Row: White (Matte), Cream (Matte), Taupe (Matte), Lt. Pink (Matte), Mauve (Matte), Sable (Matte), Espresso (Matte), Black (Matte)

    Bottom Row: Nude (Shimmer), Champagne (Sparkle), Gold (Shimmer), Lt. Bronze (Shimmer), Pewter (Shimmer), Garnet (Shimmer), Deep Purple (Shimmer), Slate (Shimmer)

Lorac Pro Palette Swatches

Swatched on NC20 skintone

 I love all the neutral shades included in this palette! You can create natural to dramatic looks with it. As for the formula and pigmentation, I can say LORAC really nailed this one. The eyeshadows are buttery smooth to apply, very pigmented (even without eye primer) and has lesser fall-outs compared to Urban Decay Naked Palettes. I highly recommend this palette to makeup pro's and newbies. 

I can't wait to get my hands on the Lorac Pro to Go Eye/Cheek palette which I ordered online. Will post swatches soon. 

Till next time, 

November 2015 Favorites (Skincare)

Hello Ladies!

It's been a while since I have posted a review of the skincare products that I am currently using and loving. That's why I've decided to do a round-up for you guys on my favorite products dedicated to skincare.

 Bifesta Cleansing Express Eye Makeup Remover - Php 300 (145 ml) at Watsons

The oil and water formula mixes together to quickly remove waterproof eye makeup without stinging the eyes. 

Sunkiller Perfect Water Essence Spf 50 - Php 499 (50 ml) at Watsons

It is non-sticky, lightweight and easily absorbed by the skin due to its unique watery gel texture. I love the cooling effect it gives, plus this product doesn't have the typical chemical scent compared to other sunscreens.

Mary Kay Skinvigorate Cleansing Brush - Php 2,190 via Mary Kay Beauty Consultants

I've been curious about cleansing brushes like Clarisonic, but I cannot justify the hefty price tag. Imagine paying Php 5-8k for a product that you are not even sure if it works for you right?! I'm glad I've found a cheaper alternative and at the same time works for me! I only use this once a week (nighttime) together with the Mary Kay Foaming Cleanser with MELA-CP (Php 785 for 100 ml). I immediately noticed that my skin looks radiant and glowing whenever I use this.

 BN Extreme Whitening Face and Body Soap - Php 180 (220 g) at BN Whitening Shop

This soap contains glutathione, rose hip, kojic acid and arbutin to exfoliate and lighten the skintone. This is my 3rd bar already and I am quite satisfied with the results. I only use it on my body because i find it a bit drying when used on the face.

BN Whitening Scar Cream - Php 168 (10g); Php 294 (20g); Php 525 (40g)

Hormonal imbalance and stress causes breakouts especially on the chin area. I use this cream to lighten and dry up my pimples, and usually would notice results 3-5 days after application.

Olay Natural White Hydrating Glow Toner - Php 299 (150 ml) at Watsons

I think my skin got immune already to the old toner I am using. My fashion blogger friend Sweet recommended it to me when I asked her what skincare products she's using. I did her makeup during their Giordano Bank on Basics shoot and I can't help but notice how glowing her skin looks. This toner is alcohol-free which I love and doesn't cause breakouts.

Physiogel AI Lotion- Php 560 (100 ml) at Watsons

This moisturising lotion is heaven sent for super sensitive skin like mine. Hypoallergenic, contains no colorants, perfume and preservatives. I only use this on my face 2x a week during nighttime to moisturise and hydrate my skin.

 

 Purederm Makeup Remover Wipes (Argan oil and Collagen variants) - Php 80 each at Watsons

These inexpensive makeup wipes removes my face makeup (BB Cream and powder) gently and effectively without drying my skin. Does not remove waterproof eye makeup.

The Argan oil variant restores hydration and softness, while the Collagen one is anti-aging. I have tried Nivea's makeup wipes, the Hydrating and Exfoliating ones but I like Purederm better coz it doesn't irritate my skin.

 Hope you enjoyed reading my skincare favorites. 
 

Till next time,