New Layout..

Do you like my New Blogger Layout? =)
Thanks so much to Dulcette! She's a very talented lady.. and so pretty too!
Want your blog revamped?
Visit her site at www.dulcettes.blogspot.com

Review : MAC Brow Set in Girl Boy

My makeup artist friend/business partner Jessie Glova used this product on me during my daughter's birthday party, and I love how natural my brows look. Since then, I wanted to buy this product for myself. Luckily, I found a local online seller! She's selling some of her MAC Makeup for almost half the price (she only used them once during her wedding). FYI, there's no MAC store here in Cebu.. BOO!!

*photo from MAC website*

PRODUCT INFO:

Slick! Strokes on. Adds shine, style, grooming, overall wow! to the brows. A brush-on gel that grooms and slicks brows into shape without flaking or stiffening the brows. Available in several tinted shades or clear, it can be used on its own, or for a nice natural look stroke over Eye Brows. May also be used on lashes, sideburns, and chops - any facial hair.

PRICE: Php 800

WEIGHT : 8 grams / 0.28 oz.

SHADES: Available in 4 shades.
Clear (color-free)
Girl Boy (fawn- blonde)
Beguile (full-bodied taupe)
Show-off (rich brown)

WHAT I LIKE:
* color looks so light in the tube but once applied it really looks natural on me
* did not stiffen my brows
* packaging! this looks like a mascara tube.
* tube holds a lot of product
* feels so light, sheer formula

WHAT I DON'T LIKE:
* smells weird! but does go away after a few minutes..

TIPS:
Can be used alone or on top of your brow color or pencil. I use In2it's Brow Color to fill my brows then topped with MAC's Brow Set.

ADDICTION FACTOR:
Not anytime soon coz I think this will last me a long, long time.

RATING :
4 out of 5.

*sorry for the low quality pic.. just used my phone cam =P *

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And by the way, Jessie Glova also used this on our model (my sister) EDA NOLAN during our product shoot.
Looked familiar? She's plays the older sister of Nene (Erich Gonzales) in ABS-CBN's Teleserye, KATORSE.

Click here to get the LOOK.


And don't forget to check out Jheng's Product Review too!
Click here.

Review : Avon Simply Pretty Dual Powder Foundation ( A MAC SF Dupe)

As mentioned on my previous post, this powder foundation is a MAC Studio Fix Powder Foundation dupe. For reference, I have normal to oily skin (T-zone). Let's take a closer look at this baby..

PRODUCT INFO at the back of compact:

Put shine on hold while protecting and keeping your face fresh and clean! Special micro-powders absorb shine while wet/dry formula allows you to control its coverage for a fresh, clean look. SPF 13 shield skin from damaging UVA/UVB rays.
Oil free. Dermatologists tested. Clinically tested.
Non-comedogenic and non-acnegenic.
Made especiall for Asian women.

TO USE: Apply dry for medium coverage and wet for heavier coverage.

PRICE: Around Php 200 in Avon stores.

WEIGHT : 10 grams

SHADES: Available in 3 shades?
Still have to check. I have it in Light Beige.

WHAT I LIKE:
* has spf 13
* almost no scent at all
* texture is not chalky
* good oil control
* didn't give me breakouts. Used it for more than a month.
* nice packaging, with separate sponge compact like MAC SF.
* very nice coverage

WHAT I DON'T LIKE:
* nothing!

TIPS:
Make sure to always wash or replace the sponge to prevent bacteria from growing.. I hate dirty sponges or puffs!

ADDICTION FACTOR:
Will repurchase.

RATING :
5 out of 5.

See the packaging looks like MAC's SF.

I really love this powder foundation! I can't believe its so inexpensive, only 1/5 of MAC's Studio Fix price tag! Quality is good too for the price..

I have this in Light Beige and am using MAC's Studio Fix in NC25, both shades looks close together. Click here to read my review and swatches.

Spend vs. Save : MAC Studio Finish Concealer

So which one is the MAC Studio Finish Concealer dupe? Read on to find out..

From Left:
MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NC20 SPF 35 (7grams) - Php 870
NYX Concealer in a Jar in Beige (7 grams)- Php 250
VOV Cover Foundation in #2 Natural Beige ( 20 grams) - Php 500+

COVERAGE:
MAC - full coverage
NYX - light to medium coverage
VOV - medium to full coverage

TEXTURE & CONSISTENCY:
MAC - kinda dry; make sure to warm it up first
NYX - very creamy
VOV - is perfect! Not too dry or creamy on normal temperature.

FINAL WORDS (used on my undereyes)
MAC - love its full coverage but sometimes it creases. Make sure to blend very well. SPF 35 is a great plus too!
NYX - easy to blend but does last the entire day and does not completely cover my dark circles.
VOV - a muti-purpose product! Can be used as foundation or concealer. They say this is a dupe of Cinema Secrets concealer. Nice coverage but sometimes it melts/creases if the weather is hot.

Swatches

Excited to find out who's the MAC Studio Finish Concealer dupe?!

For me its VOV's Cover Foundation..

Since MAC SF is a full coverage concealer, NYX didn't do the job of concealing my dark undereye circles. VOV for me is a great dupe and its multi-purpose too! Its cheap too coz for 20 grams you'll get a lot of product!

A year older!

*Pic from Mr. Frank Ayran*

Gosh! Can't believe I'm already 27! Hehe..
How fast time flies! Seems like yesterday when I celebrated my birthday in the hospital last year coz I gave birth to my daughter. We also celebrated her 1st birthday two days ago!

In the pic, my hubby and me with our daughter Jillian Keyshia.
Hair & Makeup by Jessie Glova.
Venue: Cebu Grand Convention Center

**************

and also, Happy Birthday dear Thiamere!

Concealers!

Just want to share the pics of NYX Concealers so that you can compare the colors.

For my NYX Concealer in a jar review, click here.

NYX Concealer in a Jar in:
Fair - for NC15-20 (yellow undertone)
Light - NW15-20 (pink undertone)
Beige - NC20-25 (yellow undertone)
Medium - NC30-35 (beige undertone)

*Note: based in MY opinion only..


For the Light, Beige and Medium Swatches, click here.


The Jessie Glova 15 pc Concealer palette with the NYX Concealer in a jar.

The NYX Colors are really dupeable.. See?!

In terms of coverage, the 15 concealer palette reminds me of the MAC Studio Finish concealer, that has a "kinda" dry coverage compared to NYX.

Spend vs. Save : MAC Red Lipstick

MAC lipstick in MAC Red is described as a "Vivid bright bluish-red" on MAC's website.

MAC Lipstick in Mac Red (Satin finish) - Php 900
NYX Round Lipstick in Chaos - Less than Php 100 (if bought online)

Swatches:

See?! They really look the same. I can't tell the difference!

I really love NYX's Round lipsticks! They are really pigmented and creamy!
Nice colors too!

TIP:
Make sure to apply lipbalm before applying ANY lip product.

Review : MAC Studio Finish Concealer

PRODUCT INFO FROM MAC:

A lightweight, creamy, discreetly opaque concealer. Provides a smooth, long-wearing invisible coverage for all skin blemishes. Water-resistant, fragrance-free and non-acnegenic. This emollient-based, lightweight concealer is so concentrated that a tiny amount can provide opaque coverage of the skin's imperfections and discolourations. It effectively covers dark circles, blemishes, moles, tattoos and birthmarks. Enriched with antioxidants (derivatives of Vitamin A and Vitamin E), it also contains Silica to help adsorb the skin's oils. Concealer has an SPF of 35 and is available in a wide range of colours. It can be applied with a medium to firm fiber brush (try the 242 Brush), a latex sponge, or the fingertips.

PRICE: $16.50 or Php 792; Php 870 in Philippine stores

WEIGHT : 7 g / 0.24 US OZ

SHADES: Available in 14 shades.
Check out MAC's Shade Guide here.


WHAT I LIKE:
* really covers up my dark circles
* has an opaque coverage
* its fragrance-free
* a little amount goes a long way, very concentrated
* this is the only concealer I know that has a high spf of 35!


WHAT I DON'T LIKE:
* hard to blend because of its texture
* can get cakey
* oxidizes during the day
* settles into fine lines.. boo!!


TIPS:
"Make sure to blend, blend, blend.." as what my friend Martha says.. She's a fan of this concealer and considers it her HG! Can you belive that a pot of this little guy lasted her more than 3 years?! That's how concentrated this concealer is!

Since the texture of this concealer is not as creamy as NYX's Concealer in a Jar, its better to use your fingertips since it will warm the concealer up. You can also use a concealer brush first (its more hygenic!) and apply the concealer in the desired area and blend using fingertips. Set with loose powder.

***************

I really expected a lot from this product. I'm kinda disappointed... I still need to practice on how to blend it correctly and make sure it doesn't crease especially that I have fine lines in my undereyes . Don't know what I did wrong. I applied eye cream (let it dry) prior to applying this concealer and set it with loose powder.. That's why I seldom use cream concealers since it has a tendency to cake and settle into fine lines compared to liquid concealers.

I'm surprised that I would prefer Maybelline Mineral Power concealer over this! It effectively covers my dark circles and doesn't oxidize during the day, unlike the Studio Finish concealer. But I won't give up on this product! Will try experimenting with different techniques till I get it right.. hehe..

UPDATE 12/28/2009 : Its currently my HG concealer! The technique that works for me is to use a concealer brush first to apply the concealer all over my undereyes and blend, then using your fingertips blend again in patting motion. Set with loose powder to "seal" the concealer then apply MAC mineralize skinfinish to set everything.

ADDICTION FACTOR:
Will not buy for now coz I think this will last me a long time.

RATING :
4 out of 5.

Swatch:

What made my day..

Love package I received yesterday from blogger friend Gem coz I won her First giveaway contest. I'm really excited to receive this coz I've been lemming for G-lish products since its not available here in Cebu. I just found out that they have a website and they only charge Php80 flat rate for shipping! Cool...I wanna try their other products! =)

Gem gave me the ff:

Cute bronze bag
G-lish (Patrick Rosas) Blush in PRG-B-001
Elianto nail polish in Aqua
Blue Eyeliner
Estee Lauder Pure gloss in Star Pink
Clinique Color Surge High Brilliance Lipstick in Berry Licious
Clinique High Impact mascara in Black
G-lish (Patrick Rosas) Eyeshadow Trio in PRG-E-002


Closer look at the G-lish palettes

Very pretty right?! They are shimmery but not glittery.
Sorry for the low quality pics, just used my Phone Cam =P
Can't wait to use them.. Reviews coming soon!

Thanks Gemma! Hope to see ya in Cebu soon.. *muah!*

Concealer Shade Guide

HOW TO CANCEL OUT SKIN IMPERFECTIONS

Let's take a look at the color wheel

*Image from Northlite.net*

For example :
Since green is opposite red, so a green concealer cancels out pimples /redness.
Purpluish undereye circles can be cancelled out by a yellowish concealer.
For Bluish undereye circles use an orange/ salmon concealer.
Lavender / Lilac corrects/brightens sallow ( yellow) skin

Other Color Correctors
Credits to Womanjunction.com

• Apricot / Peach - Brightens cooler skin tones
• Rose - Lifts sallow complexions and gives a glow
• Blue - Takes down orangey skin tones, also corrects bad self-tan applications!
• Bronze - Brightens and lifts nearly all skin tones. Gives a healthy sun-kissed look
• Gold - Accentuates golden skin tones and suntans
• Silver - Brightens cooler skins. Usually only done in the evening!
• Yellow - Brightens warmer skin tones, downplay bluish discolorations.

Shade Guide for MAC

*Image from MAC Cosmetics*

Still wondering what's your MAC shade for foundation, concealer or powder?
Are you a N? C? NW? NC?
So confusing right?!

Here's a simple guide I want to share with you.
Credits to Sokissandmakeup.com

The Letters stands for the different skin tones while the numbers refer to your skin's depth from 15 (fairest) to 55 (very dark skin)

N stands for Neutral skintones (Beige skin)
C stands for Cool skintones (Yellow, Golden, Olive skin)
W stands for Warm skintones (Pinkish skin)
NC stands for Neutral Cool skintones (Golden Beige skin)
NW stands for Neutral Warm skintones ( Pink Beige skin)

I know, MAC's shade guide is really confusing coz from what I know WARM skin has a yellow undertone, while from their description its the other way around.

According to Sokissandmakeup:

"The reason for this is that MAC uses the makeup artists color wheel which is pretty much the opposite of what we usually think of as cool vs. warm. An easy way to look at it is like this: Think of each MAC foundation shade as being named with either the cool or warm shade that would neutralize and balance out your skin tone."

Now, to detemine your skin undertones take a look at your wrist or the underside of your arm.

If your veins are purplish blue - you have pink undertones
If your veins are greenish blue - you have yellow undertones

TIPS:

Pink undertones look good on white gold / silver jewelry.
Yellow undertones look good on gold jewelry.

Hope you find this post useful! Xiao! =)

Spend Vs. Save : Bright Pink Blush

MAC Blush in Dollymix (sheertone shimmer) - Php 1,200
NYX Blush in Pinky - Php 350

I really love NYX's blushes! (and their other products too!)
Staying power is good (about 4 hours) and its not that chalky..
I have 2 NYX's blushes, the other one is Desert Rose.
Both are really pigmented, I only need to tap my kabuki brush once or twice.


Other Inexpensive (but Good) Brands to Try:

Ever Bilena Blush in Shy - Php 100+
Ever Bilena Blush in Baby Pink - Php 100+
Fanny Serrano Blush in Angel Pink- Php 200+

I used Shy and Baby Pink, the former really looks like Dollymix so I gave it to my sister in law. Baby pink is a nice shimmery pink blush that instantly brightens my face.

ShadeofU's Viral MAC Giveaway Contest

The lovely MAC prizes up for grabs

This MAC Giveaway for The Shades Of U followers and subscribers!! This contest is open to everyone eighteen (18) years old and older worldwide. Take a look at the prizes in store for the winner (all items are brand-new, untested MAC products):

1. Blackware glimmerglass
2. Blackfire glimmerglass
3. Blingblack glimmerglass
4. Black Knight cremesheen lipstick
5. Blue Flame mineralize eyeshadow
6. Cinderfella mineralize eyeshadow
7. Wisteria eyeshadow trio (Dame Edna collection)
8. Kirsch mattene lipstick

It is easy to join. First of all, you need to be a subscriber or follower of this blog, either via Twitter, Blogger or Google Friend Connect, RSS Feed, Facebook or e-mail.

Also, this is a viral contest, so you need to post a link to ShadeofU's post or a link to The Shades Of U homepage, on your blogs (Blogger, Vox, Livejournal, Xanga, etc), forums you visit, or social networks (MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, Friendster, etc). Re-tweeting on Twitter or sharing this link on your Facebook account fulfills this requirement. One post about this contest is enough to become eligible. Then come back to the Shadesofu blog entry and fill in the form below, answering the question "How Are You Subscribed to The Shades Of U?", and including the link to your blog/forum/social network post about The Shades Of U or the contest.

Wanna join?! Click here to go to ShadeofU's website for more details..
Hurry Contest ends on October 9, 2009 at 11:55 p.m. EDT.

Spend Vs. Save : MAC Studio Fix Powder Foundation

MAC Studio Fix Powder Foundation in NC25 - Php 1,500
Avon Simply Pretty Dual Foundation (Light Beige) - Php 290

Tested Avon for almost a month and I didn't break out
Both have the same medium to full coverage
Can be used wet or dry
Has a separate sponge compartment
Long lasting finish
Flawless, non-cakey, natural coverage
Almost unscented


Surprisingly, this is really the SAVE version of MAC Studio Fix!

Swatches:

Click here to read my MAC Studiofix Review.