Ecotools 5 pc Brush set

Got this from Makeupmasala and I'm not disappointed! =)

Ecotools 5 pc Brush set

From Ecotools site:

• 4 high-quality brushes inside a natural cotton & hemp linen bag
• Soft, cruelty-free bristles
• Natural & recycled materials

This earth-friendly brush set is packed with the 4 high-quality brushes you need to look beautiful. And, it shows respect for the planet:
• Bamboo handle has a low impact on the earth’s resources as it is a highly sustainable plant.
• Synthetic taklon bristles are 100% cruelty free.
• Sleek ferrule is made from recycled aluminum.
• Cosmetic case is made from natural cotton and hemp

HOW TO USE:

Mineral Powder Brush
• Apply powder or mineral foundation all over face in a circular, buffing motion and work inward towards nose.

Concealer Brush

• Use with liquid or mineral powder concealer for more coverage on blemishes and under eyes.

Eye Shading Brush

• Expertly cut to apply and blend powder eye shadows.

Baby Kabuki

• Buff powder over areas that need more coverage.

Powder brush & Kabuki brush

Eyeshadow brush and Concealer brush

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I really love looking and touching these brushes! Sooo soft!

My thoughts :

Powder Brush - perfect for highlighters and loose/pressed powders. The hair is soft and dense.

Kabuki Brush - so cute! You can use this for blush or loose powders for a sheer finish.

Eyeshadow Brush - the hair is fluffy, its to big for a crease brush. I use this for eyeshadow base and highlight color under brows.

Concealer brush - firm yet soft! I use this for cream concealer for the undereyes.

Overall:

I love them! A must have set.. Not that expensive too! And its kinder to the planet coz they use recycled materials. The brushes are 100% Vegan.

More pics (for comparison)

Ecotools powder brush and EDM Long Handled Kabuki

Ecotools Kabuki brush and Ellana Minerals baby buki

The Ecotools Kabuki brush hair are fluffier compared to Ellana Buki therefore, it gives sheerer coverage. =) I use my Ellana buki for blush application.

Hope you find this post useful. Thanks for reading! =)
I'm still waiting for my other brushes to arrive. Will post it soon..

Duwop Lip Venom Flash

Super thanks to my friend Martha!

The moment I read her post, i asked her if its ok for her to buy me one too! But she said, she can't guarantee if there are still stocks available. Imagine my surprise when she texted me the next day that she bought this na! And this is the last one available.. hehe..
Super thanks again sis! =) Hope I can return the favor soon..

*pic borrowed from their website*

Duwop Lip Venom

Description on their website:
Lip Venom was the very first lip plumper on the market, creating the lip plumping category for the beauty industry. The tingly gloss uses essential oils to enhance lips' natural color and shape by increasing circulation. The result: fuller bee stung lips.

The secret behind Lip Venom is a blend of essential oils, which include cinnamon, wintergreen, and ginger, that cause the blood to rush to the surface of the lips, flushing and swelling them slightly. The gloss also includes jojoba and avocado oil that moisturize and give the lips intense shine. You end up with a shiny, naturally rosy pout that cannot be achieved by wearing ordinary lip gloss.

DuWop Lip Venom is sulfate-free, petro-chemical-free, fragrance-free, dye-free, free of pthalates, no GMO's, no PPG's, no MEA's DEA's, TEA's, is formaldehyde-free, and triclosan-free.

DuWop does not use animal testing on any of their products.


Actual pics:

Pics borrowed from Martha
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Info on the leaflet:

Duwop Lip Venom Flash
is a spicy tingly gloss that enhances your lips' natural color and shape (our original lip venom formula) spiked with silver shimmer.

Weight:
0.12oz / 3.5ml

Directions:
Apply as often as desired. A sensation of heat and tingling is normal (some say desirable). Discontinue use if unpleasant irritation persists.

Ingredients:
Polyisobutene, Jojoba oil, Avocado oil, Mica, Microcrystalline wax, Natural essences, D&C Red #6, Balake, Propyl Paraben.

Retails for $16 online / Php 995 on Beauty Bar

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My thoughts:

Really gives a tingly sensation a minute after application. I immediately felt my lips getting bigger and pouter =) Its spicy but tolerable (or maybe I'm just used to spicy glosses/lipbalms).

The tube packaging that came with it is cute, but when I opened it I got shocked coz the Lip venom itself is so tiny! Its only 2.5 inches! But you only need a small amount to make your lips shiny & full.

I think this is a bit expensive for a lip plumper but it really does the job.

For cheaper alternatives, you would want to try :
ELF's Plumping Lip gloss (Php 125) and Sally Hansen's Lip Plumper (Php 599).


See ya next time! =)

Review : Everyday Minerals Brushes

Here's my Everyday Mineral's Brushes that arrived last week (right side), while my old brushes on the left side for reference..

From Left :

Super Full Angled Brush
Flat top brush
Long Handled Kabuki
Foptic Brush

Description on EDM's Site:

EDM Angled (Super Full) Blush Brush - $8

"The Angled Blush Brush has plush silky bristles angled to flawlessly apply your blush or easily contour your face, and the 2.5” bamboo handle fits comfortably into your hand to give you optimal control."

Tip : I use this brush for bronzer to contour my cheekbones. The hair is firm but soft.

EDM Flat Top Brush - $10

"Unbelievably soft and incredibly dense, this flat top brush is the ultimate multi-tasker. From foundation to finishing powder, its plush and luxurious synthetic fibers provide the perfect coverage, resulting in a flawless finish every time."

Tip: I use this brush for powder foundation & mineral foundies for medium coverage. I really like this brush coz it cuts my prepping time in half.

EDM Long Handled Kabuki - $10

"Pamper your face with the luxuriously soft Long Handled Kabuki brush, while the densely packed synthetic bristles give you flawless coverage of your foundation, blush, and finishing powder. Vegan with eco-friendly 100% renewable bamboo handles!"

Tip: I plan to use this for Loose powders or higlighters for a sheer finish.

EDM Skunkless Foptic Brush - $10 (Discontinued)

"Your new bamboo "foptic" brush is perfect for blending application of all your EDM Minerals Face & base products. "Skunkless" means it is cruelty free! Made of super super super soft synthetic bristles!"

Tip: I think this is great for stippling liquid foundation. The hair is kinda long & flimsy but this can be fixed using an elastic band wrapped near the ferrule.

EDM'S Foptic vs. MAC 187 Dupe
See how long the hairs are?! =)

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My thoughts:

I really love them! EDM's brushes are uber soft.. so addicting! =P
Shed's 1-2 hairs on the first wash. No shedding on the 2nd wash.
Their brush hair doesn't have a weird smell coz its 100% Vegan, meaning No Animal Hair!
Their Brushes are made of Bamboo handles that's kinder to the planet (same with Ecotools).

I prefer Synthetic Hair coz:
> i read its best for sensitive skin. Animal hair can sometimes cause allergies.
> its much cheaper.
> no weird smell.
> cruelty free hair.

Next Brush review coming soon: Ecotools 5 pc Brush set
Bye for now ladies..

Blog Award..

Thanks to Martha of The Beauty Junkee for giving me this award! I'm so blessed that I've known such a kind person like you through Girltalk and online blogging. Hope to see ya in person soon! Super thanks for buying the Lip Venom for me! =) hehe. I can't believe I have that now!

The Rules!:

1. Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award and his/her blog link.

2. Pass the award to other blogs that you've newly discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

And my Nominees... **drumroll please**

Shobe
Ida
Nehs
Paula
Louise


Thanks again Martha! **muah**

MAC Blush swatches..

Here's my MAC Blush Collection. I only own 5 hehe. =P
Aside from this brand, I also own a few from Elianto, L'oreal, LA Colors, ELF, etc..

As I write this, am saying goodbye to my Posey Blushcreme.. I love the color, but I prefer to use powder blushes... Thanks to Lovely for adopting my baby! =)

MAC Blushes from Lower left:

Dollymix - Pure Candy Pink (sheertone shimmer)
Springsheen - Peach with Pearl (sheertone shimmer)

Afterdusk (Moonbathe Collection) - raspberry/plum with gold shimmers (sheertone shimmer)

Pink Swoon - Clearly Pink (sheertone)

Posey Blushcreme - Dewey-fresh rosey pink (cream)

My thoughts:
I'm NC20-25 for reference

Dollymix - my favorite among the 5. Really gives me a nice flush. This looks scary on the pan, but the key in applying this is to use a kabuki brush or duo fibre brush so that it will not look too harsh on fair skintones.

Save: Everbilena blush in Shy. I had this before, but gave it away coz the color looks kinda similar but the Dollymix is pigmented compared to EB.

Springsheen - gives warmth on my face. The color is a subtle bronzey-peach on my skintone with a hint of shimmers.

Save : ELF bronzer in sunkissed + ELF Glow blush if applied with a light hand. First apply Glow then the bronzer to achieve a peachy-bronze glow.. =)

Afterdusk - my fave blush to use during nighttime coz of its shimmers. I layer this with any pink blush. When used alone, its really hard to get the color to show up on my skin and its not that long lasting compared my to other MAC blushes.

Pink Swoon - A no-brainer blush. Gives a subtle baby pink flush that compliments blue, green or smokey eyeshadows. I read Kim Kardashian is a fan of this blush!

Posey Blushcream - a pinky-red color on the pan. You only need a dot per cheek area. The only thing I don't like with cream/liquid/gel blushes is that it leaves a stain on my fingertips! =P


Hope you like my review.. See ya next time!

Makeup Masala mini haul

Good morning everyone! I got my 2nd package from Toma of MakeupMasala a few days ago. Still expecting my 3rd package around next week.

Here's what I got:

Ecotools 5 pc Brush set
LA Colors 5 pc Metallic Eyeshadow Palette in Wildflowers, Enchanted, Soiree
LA Colors Dual Blusher in Blushing Pink/Pink Mauve as freebie
MakeupMasala Mineral eyeshadow sample (i forgot what shade)


I'll be posting my review soon! Bye for now ladies! =)

Pasalubong gifts..

My friend who just came home from Japan gave me these as pasalubong! Thanks Che! =)

KANEBO LAVSHUCA LIPGLOSS IN RS-01
(red shimmer)

RS-01 is a shimmery berry red color.

What I like:
* its shimmery like MAC's Lustreglass
* staying power up to 4 hours
* no smell or weird after taste
* pigmentation & color pay-off (sheer but buildable)
* kinda sticky - comparable to MAC Lustreglass
* tube packaging - hygenic compared to the wand types

What I don't like:
* nothing! =)

I hope its available locally.. I really like this gloss! =)

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SHISEIDO MAJORLICA MAJORCA LASH EXTENSION MASCARA

This mascara promises to extend lashes up to 120x! hehe
That's the only info I have, can't understand their website coz its in Japanese! =P Lol!

What I like:
* comb type wand separates lashes to avoid clumping
* really lengthens my lashes
* waterproof

What I don't like:
* hard to remove
* not volumizing
* has a weird smell on the tube
* expensive for a mascara (costs approx. php 1,000)

I'll continue to use this though on special occasions that calls for a waterproof mascara. I prefer to use Maybelline since its much cheaper.

I also noticed, using Waterproof mascara everyday damages the lashes.

I'm the type of person that doesn't spend more that Php 600 on a mascara! Lol! Coz it only lasts 3-6 mos! =)

Actual Pics:

**Click to enlarge**

Charm Holiday Set Prebuy..

Thanks Nikki for posting! Its been a long time since I want to own a brush set from Charm but the Professional Brush Set is kinda expensive for me..

Thanks to Beauty and Minerals for having a Prebuy! This set is priced at Php 850 with free shipping nationwide! Its more affordable than their Professional set which costs Php 1,800! Yey!

** images taken from Beauty and Minerals site**

Want one? Just click here.
Hurry! Prebuy period is from June 2 - July 1, 2009!

Happy Birthday Mommy!

I'm so thankful that you're my Mom!!

Thanks for everything..

We love you so much!!!

See ya later.. =P

Weekend mini haul

I bought these stuff last week from an online seller in Mutiply whom I met in a local forum.

Left to Right:

Cover Girl Tru Blend Foundation in Natural Ivory
> tested it first on my jawline to check whether am allergic to the product (thank goodness i'm not). I'm NC20-25 in MAC, the color matches my skin but has a little pink in it. I dunno if this will work.. Still have to test this on my entire face.. **crossing my fingers**

Cover Girl Advanced Radiance Age defying Concealer in Light Beige
> used this on my undereyes.. I just love the consistency of this concealer! It feels so light and very easy to blend. The shade is almost similar to MAC Select cover up in NC20. When I checked Cover Girl's site, this product is discountinued na pala! =(

Cover Girl Wetslicks Crystal Lipgloss in Hottie
> a no fuss, non-sticky, shiny lipgloss with sparkles! Not that long lasting though..

Wet n Wild "Wet Shine" Lipstick in Pink Shine
> love the color! Its a shiny light pink, my MLBB shade! (my lips but better shade). When applied on my lips, it doesn't feel heavy at all..

Bottom:

Avon Daring Curves Mascara in Black
> I asked my friend who's an Avon member to buy it for me. The brush looks new to me coz it has curves too! I'm dissapointed coz it didn't thicken my lashes. I'm still learning on how to apply this properly.

Eyemake Mirror

I'm clueless on how to use this one.. hehe. Bought it at a local department store..

What's in my makeup kit..

This week, take a peek on what's inside my kikay kit . This is what I carry around inside my bag (changes from time to time depending on my mood)..

Tadaa... =)

For the brushes and blushes, I prefer a closed zipped plastic mini bag so that my brushes will be free from dust.. and for the lippies, a mesh wide open bag ( i don't know what to call this =P)
so that it will be easy for me to retouch and find my desired lippie.

I forgot to include my Maybelline powder foundation & Skinfood Lemon pressed powder =)

What's inside :

From left to right..

Ever bilena brush used as mineral concealer brush
Sembem eyeshadow brush ( so soft for a cheap brush! hehe)
Ellana Baby Buki (case not shown)
Everyday Minerals Super full Angled brush for blush & bronzers
Everyday Minerals Flat Top brush for powder foundation / powder

Counter clockwise:

Elianto Baked eyeshadow duo in Gold
MAC Blush in Dollymix
Ellana Mineral concealer in Awake ( really love this for my undereyes! )
E.L.F. Radiance Blush in Glow (now on my 3rd pan)
Elianto Baked Blush in #3 Natural purple (pink when applied w/ shimmers)

Left to right:

MAC Satin Lipstick in Mac Red
NYX Round Lipstick in Femme
Carmex Strawberry Lipbalm (love this stuff!)
MAC Lustreglass in Venetian ( i use this on top of any Red lippie)
NYX Megashine lipgloss in Beige (its actually baby pink.. hehe)
Maybelline Moisture Extreme Lipstick in Empire Rouge
NYX Round lipstick in Louisiana (the perfect pink for me)
Lancome Juicy Tubes in Peche

Bottom:
Lancome Juicy Tubes in Cherry Burst

How about you? What's inside your bag or kikay kit?
Xiao for now! =)

Latest mini haul..

I'm expecting my 2nd & 3rd package this month from Toma of Makeupmasala.. Yey!!
Been wanting to buy this brush sets for a long time, but always go out of stock.

Here's what I got:

ECOTOOLS BAMBOO 5 PC BRUSH SET

ECOTOOLS BAMBOO 6 MINI BRUSHES



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I already have 2 L.A. Colors palette from my previous order (Tea Time & Fabulous). They're pigmented, shimmery and long lasting. Really brightens my eyes! I want to get more colors!! hehe =P

L.A. Colors 5 color Metallic Eyeshadow Palette in the ff. colors:

Enchanted

Wildflowers

Soiree


and a freebies from Toma

Serenade

LA Colors Dual Blush in Blushing Pink/Pink Mauve

"Silky smooth blush adds a touch of color that stays true for hours. Two expertly coordinated shades contour, color and highlight cheeks beautifully."

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N.Y.X. Megashine Lipgloss in Sunrise & Plush Red

I love these glosses! IMO, these are the save version of the MAC Lipglass - though its not that sticky compared to MAC but staying power is good!

Sunrise - shimmery berry red

Plush Red

I like wearing RED glosses & lipsticks lately.. I dunno why! =)

Click here to know what other RED lippies am using.

Hmm.. I'm also thinking of getting the ever famous MAC lipstick in Russian Red.. Do you think it will suit me ladies? I heard Lucy Torres-Gomez is also a fan of this lippie..

Let me know what you think? Bye for now! =)
Reviews coming soon..

True Colors 5 stack Mica Shimmer Powder Review

Thanks to my friend Dona from the US for giving me this.. It's so generous of her, always showering me with gifts!! I got almost all of my MAC makeup from her because of her 40% discount! LOL!

When she gave me this Mica powder, I wasn't sure on how to use this. I thought it's just a regular eyeshadow with the cute packaging! And am not so familiar with the brand too! =)

When I researched this online, boy I was wrong!! You can use this powder on almost anything!! Read on to learn more =) Details taken from their website.

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TRUE COLORS MICA POWDERS

True Colors shimmer powders can be used as eyeshadow, eyeliner, mascara, blush, bronzer, lipstick, nail polish, highlighter, temporary hair color, and every other cosmetic item. One pot of our mica makeup has enough pigment that other cosmetic companies will mix enough additives into to make hundreds of dollars.

True Colors Cosmetic Powder is the most unique makeup that exists. It is pure mica powder with no additives or ingredients of any kind. Other cosmetics use fillers, which cause allergies, reactions, creasing, clumping, and are generally bad news for the skin. Mica is the basic coloring agent that colors all make up, and can mix with any base to color it. Try the following applications and enjoy your new collections!

Used as an Eye shadow or Blush

Use a sponge applicator, shadow brush or blush brush and lightly touch the mica (dust off any excess mica) and apply to the eyelid or cheeks.

Used as an Eyeliner

Use an angled eyeliner brush, dip it in water, lightly touch the mica, (dab it on your hand to remove any excess mica) and apply it on your eyes.

Used as Lipstick

Use your favorite clear gloss, pick out your mica color and apply it on your lips. You can also mix the mica with the gloss and then apply. Which ever you prefer.

Used as a Nail Polish

Dip your clear nail polish in any mica color and apply it to your nails. Wipe off excess mica before putting brush back into the clear nail polish.

Used as Highlights or Lowlights

Use a blending brush, dip it in your mica color and start at the root and stroke all the way to the ends. For longer hold use it with gel or hair spray.

Used as a Tanning Lotion

Use your favorite lotion and mix it with a skin tone mica color, then apply it to your legs, arms and face. It will give you a beautiful and youthful glow.

True Colors 5 stack Shimmer Mica Powder in Neutral I just love Neutral Colors!!

Swatch time!!!

Aren't they lovely?!

PRO's:
* the packaging is unique and its easy to carry around.
* i just love the shimmers!!
* its mineral makeup, no allergies..
* pigmented


CON's:
* its not available in the Philippines.
* expensive! $30 for the 5 stack/colors

For more info about their product, just click here.

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Til next time ladies, Happy Mother's Day to all moms out there!!


To my MOM MAE, i love you so much!!!

Le Blogger Award

Thanks IDA for passing this award! So sweet of you sis!

The rules are:

1. Take your award here.

2. Put the logo on your post.

3. Link the person who awarded you.

4. Nominate at least 7 other bloggers.

5. Add the links of those bloggers on yours.

6. Leave a message for your nominees.

My nominees are:
Nikki - thanks so much for always answering my makeup queries! You inspired me to make a blog of my own! =)

Jheng - you're such a funny & cute gal! You always make me smile..

Shen - still saving up for the Charm Set! hehe.

Martha - thanks for the quick transaction.. excited to receive the item! =)

Paula , Crystal , Shatz - Pretty Ladies! Hope to get to know you more!

Hope to meet you all when I visit Manila soon!