March 2020 - Page 3 of 3 - Reviews and Other Stuff

Month: March 2020

Anastasia Beverly Hills Dewy Set vs Mac Prep + Prime Fix+ Finishing Mist

March 9, 2020 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

Lately, I was asked about my tips for preventing makeup cakiness. While I do have a couple of pointers for that, I also make sure to have good finishing sprays close at hand just in case. But before we talk about finishing/setting sprays, let’s first talk about a few tips on how I avoid cakey makeup. For me, the first thing is really to exfoliate. Dead skin cells create a rough surface on the skin. So, establishing a good skincare routine is very important. Second, don’t overdo on the foundation, concealer, and even powder. Layering on foundations after foundations, and adding extra concealers with too much setting powders will really give a very unnatural look. A more lightweight dewy or natural coverage will most likely be good enough. A matte look is ok too, but it shouldn’t look or feel too thick, and that means finding a good mattifying foundation is very crucial. Lastly, whatever you do, make sure to always prime the skin before any foundation. Priming is a religion, lol. 🙂

Now, there are times when we really can’t avoid the cakiness. If for whatever reason (bad skin days, heavy-handed application, etc.) it happens, I have two face mists to recommend. The ABH Dewy Set Setting Spray and the MAC Prep + Prime Fix+ Spray are setting sprays or finishing mists that you spray on your face after you finish applying your makeup. Both of them will give a dewy/glowy finish or look because they’ll soften your foundation or powder, which avoids all that cakey makeup harshness. I’ve been testing them and though they’re quite very similar especially in size and effect, I still noticed a few differences.

Here are my thoughts.

The Anastasia Beverly Hills Dewy Set Setting Spray (3.4 oz: 26 USD) is a beautifully-packaged finishing spray and is an Allure Best of Beauty winner. The bottle may look glittery on the outside, but inside there is no shimmer or glitter at all. This gives a nice glowy set on the face after applying all your foundation and setting powder. The glow is immediate and it lasts for about two hours on my skin and on most folks as well. This has a coconut-vanilla scent and is free of parabens and mineral oil. The formula is also cruelty-free, gluten-free and vegan. I find this to be very lightweight and it really makes the skin look radiant and glowy.

On the other hand, the Mac Prep + Prime Fix+ Finishing Mist (3.4 oz: 28 USD) is a well-loved finishing spray. It costs just a bit more than the ABH Setting Spray above yet it has the same size. This comes in different scents, finishes, and there’s a shimmery version of this too. So far, I’ve only tried this original version and I’m really satisfied with it. This finishing spray is pretty much very very similar to the ABH Setting Spray as what I’ve mentioned above. This is also very lightweight and this also evens and smooths the surface after every powder and foundation, and this really adds a wonderful glowy radiant finish. However, I find that this doesn’t give that immediate glow unlike the ABH Spray above. For me, this usually takes a few more minutes to notice the glowy effect, but once this works, then the effect lasts a couple more minutes or even an hour longer than ABH.

With that being said, I love both of these glowy finishing sprays and I highly recommend them for preventing/avoiding makeup cakiness. However, I don’t think that these are great for setting the makeup for hours though. Not even to prime it. If you want a good setting spray that will set your makeup for hours, I still recommend the Urban Decay All Nighters. But, between these two, I might have a slight preference for the Anastasia one because it’s slightly cheaper, the bottle looks eye-catching, and it gives an immediate glow.

Are you a fan of these glowy finishing sprays? What are your tips to prevent cakey makeup?

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(and the rest of my favorite face mists)

Kérastase Haircare Favorites

March 7, 2020 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

Hello everyone. Happy Friyay and happy weekend soon. It’s been a while since I talked about my all-time favorite haircare brand – Kérastase. For me, Kérastase is my ride-or-die haircare brand. Regardless of what my day is going to be or what the situation may call for, this brand always seems to nail my hair goals. I find their products to be reliable and they really deliver in solving your haircare needs. However, Kérastase is a high-end haircare brand where not all of their products are made of natural clean ingredients and only a few are Sulfate-free.

Speaking of Sulfates. I try to avoid using haircare products that have Sulfates in them because even though Sulfate cleanses your hair thoroughly, it can also strip the natural oils from your strands and scalp, which can make them very dry in the long run. Also, it’s not advisable to use Sulfates on chemically processed or color-treated hair for the same reason that Sulfates are really stripping.

There are only a few Kérastase products that I love, but I love them very much nonetheless. They are mostly Sulfate-free.

Discipline Sulfate-Free Smoothing Shampoo & Cleansing Conditioner – These are the first-ever Kérastase products I’ve ever tried years ago, and they’re still my faves nowadays. These are what you’d call hydrating and moisturizing shampoo and conditioner, and they definitely make your hair frizz-free, soft, and super manageable. The shampoo itself feels light and it lathers very well with just one drop. It leaves a moisturized feel after rinsing. The conditioner is very lightweight yet very moisturizing at the same time. It does have a distinctive scent that is pretty hard to describe, but it’s not heady or anything like that. What I really like about this duo is that this really makes the hair look relaxed even on hot and humid days. I would say that these are perfect for any hair types, but also especially for those with dry or damaged hair, and of course for those with chemically-processed, colored, permed, or treated hair.

Another great Sulfate-free product from Kérastase is the Reflection line. This line is geared towards color-treated hair. I especially love the Reflection Sulfate-Free Shampoo and it has a very interesting light floral scent. I find the consistency of it to be not as thick as the Discipline line above, yet it still delivers maximum hydration. Since it’s designed for color-treated hair, it aims to preserve color, add shine, and vibrance. So, take note, if you color your hair, this will work very well for you.

For weekly cleansing, I use the Kérastase Aura Botanica Shampoo. This is a very lightweight Sulfate-free cleansing shampoo that has Micellar Water as one of its main ingredients. I don’t think this shampoo is meant for those with dry hair since this can be a little too drying for everyday use. It is made of clean and natural ingredients though and it’s definitely gentle. However, I would say that this is more suitable for once or twice a week use/cleansing only because this can remove impurities and product build-up from the strands, but the Micellar ingredient of this might be too drying for some.

Products not mentioned here that I also love from Kérastase is the Discipline Oleo-Relax Anti-Frizz Oil Serum. This lightweight dry hair oil can actually tame the frizz ASAP even with just a minute amount. I love using this on hot and humid days and it smells wonderful. I’ve read that this is also one of Jared Leto’s haircare faves. Now, judging from Jared’s/Jordan Catalano’s mane, he surely does have an amazing crowning glory.

Another product that I seem to love from Kérastase lately is the Ciment Thermique Resistance Blow-Dry Primer for Damaged Hair. I received a sample of this and even though I’m still currently investigating this product, I have nothing but good impressions so far. The scent of this is a lovely fruity one and it doesn’t weigh the hair down. I love that this protects the hair from constant heat styling (up to 450°F), and this also controls frizz and reduces breakage. Will talk more about this product soon once I’m done testing it.

That’s it for my favorite Kérastase products of all time guys. I don’t think I will be adding more to this roundup unless Kérastase will come up with something extraordinary or perhaps will launch another Sulfate-free line. For now, I’m very satisfied with these haircare products and I highly recommend them.

Are you a Kérastase fan?

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Loving Right Now. Winter Faves

March 3, 2020 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

In a few weeks, Spring will be here and I’m pretty sure we can’t wait to welcome it. Aren’t you just glad to see some colors and more sunshine again? But before this chilly season ends, I’m about to feature some of the stuff I’m loving lately in this post. I will also be releasing another post featuring some of the products I’ll be reaching out constantly for Spring. I will definitely update you guys soon. For now, check these out.

COMPACTS

There are a lot of face compacts released this Winter, but I’ve been especially loving the Charlotte Tilbury Instant Look In A Palette in Gorgeous, Glowing Beauty because it has everything I wanted in a palette. It’s an all-in-one face compact that is easy to use, well-pigmented, and perfect for when you’re on-the-go. See the swatch here. For blushes, there are a lot of lovely blushes lately and I really love them all. I do have a special liking for the Hourglass Ghost Blush Palette because it gives a multidimensional pop of color on the cheeks, so each shade won’t make your face look flat. Read the review of this blush quad here. For bronzers, I’m surprisingly amazed by the Too Faced Toasted Peach Bronzer because it’s so creamy and it’s easy to blend. I don’t think I’ve ever tried a very creamy bronzer like this before, and it’s so good. Also, it stays on the skin for hours and it smells divine. Its packaging is also very beautiful. On the other note, I hit pan on my Armani Neo Nude Fusion Powder in #4, so I repurchased it in shade #3 because my skin lightened quite a bit this Winter. Read more about my favorite compact setting powders here.

BROW

I’m testing several eyebrow products lately ever since I got disappointed with my Anastasia and Benefit brow products which kept on breaking every time I travel. So far, I’m really impressed with the Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil in Ash because it gives a nice volumizing effect. It will give you that kind of Hepburn-ish brows, and it can make you look youthful. Also, the spooley of this is really soft and not scratchy on the brow. I am also enjoying the Burberry Beauty Full Brow Effortless All-in-One Brow Builder in #3 Ash Brown, although it’s a little tricky to use, but it does give a nice volumizing effect as well. The one I seem to love the most is the Shiseido Brow Ink Trio Pencil, Powder, Brush in #3 Deep Brown. This is a very interesting brow product because you can apply this using its pencil tip or using the powder that’s also incorporated in this product. On top of that, this also comes with a spooley. I find myself using the powder and sponge tip applicator a lot because it’s fast, easy, and precise to use. It gives me a nice natural volumized brow in a few seconds, and the formula adheres well and is long-wearing. All three of these brow products have robust packagings.

FOUNDATIONS

I’ve repurchased the Tom Ford Illuminating Primer because it’s still one of the best skincare primers I’ve ever tried and it’s moisturizing for this dry season. The Marc Jacobs Beauty Under(cover) Perfecting Coconut Face Primer is also a very good hydrating primer that I tend to use this Winter as well. I’m also finishing up the Sunday Riley The Influencer Foundation which is an overall good foundation that gives a natural matte sort of second-skin effect and has skincare benefits. It’s a pity that it’s already discontinued. Additionally, I really love using the Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Ultra-Longwear Foundation in 2N2 Linen because it gives a really nice lightweight matte coverage on the skin. See the swatch here.

As an eyeshadow primer, I use the Too Faced Shadow Insurance because it’s creamy and easy to apply on the lids. For concealers, I have a couple of them that I like and I will be reviewing them pretty soon here in the blog. One of them is this Armani Beauty Power Fabric Concealer in #4.5. I like this a lot for my undereyes and it’s creamy, easy to spread, and it covers well. It also lasts a long time. On the other hand, the Ilia Liquid Light Serum Highlighter in Nova (see the swatch here) is a beautiful golden highlighter that you can use alone or combine with your favorite foundations, which I like a lot. I’m also finishing up the Urban Decay Quick Fix Hydracharged Complexion Prep Priming Spray in mini size and I’m planning to have it in regular size because it’s so easy to use. You just spray it on your face and you get a nice prep and primed skin in seconds.

For lippies, I am so in love with the Charlotte Tilbury K.I.S.S.I.N.G Lipstick in Stoned Rose. It’s a warm coral rose that is perfect for Winter and its formula is hydrating. Also, as a lip conditioner, I’m enjoying the Laneige Lip Glowy Balm in Berry. It’s a very delicious yummy lip balm that I think is way more sanitary to use than its lip sleeping mask counterpart.

Another lippy I’m loving is the Nars Satin Finish Lipstick in Tolède, which is a pink rose shade that feels hydrating and looks like a natural pop of rose flush on the lips. Speaking of rosy lips, I’m also loving the Rouge Dior Ultra Care Liquid Lipstick in 786 Rosewood (swatched here) because of its long-wearing, diffused, and blotted rosy lip shade that looks so stunning. Another lip shade I’m loving lately is the Pat McGrath Labs MatteTrance Lipstick in Femmebot. It’s a pretty natural nude pinkish shade. I will be reviewing my favorite PMG MatteTrance Lipsticks soon, so stay tuned for that.

BRUSHES

There are four brushes I’m loving lately and will probably be loving forever. The brushes from Real Techniques are really superb and they’re really affordable too. I’m really impressed with their Blush Brush and Eye Blend Brush because they’re so soft, so functional, and they feel like high-end brushes or way better. The Eye Blend Brush can pretty much work as my eye shader brush and blending brush at the same time. The Make Up For Ever 122 Blending Brush is a brush with a very interesting shape and design. Some people don’t like it, but I really do. I find that it has a specific purpose, and at first, you may feel like it’s way too light and too fluffy to use that it may not pick up enough product. Well, that’s exactly its purpose – to pick up less products. I love to use it with my Armani Neo Nude powder or with any setting powder because it will help set the foundation in a very light natural way, thus, minimizing cakiness. Also, as an easy contour brush, I love the Sephora Collection PRO Contour Blender #77 because it gives you a more defined well-chiseled cheekbone.

Another thing that I really find interesting lately is the Beauty Blender Wave Shadeshifter Makeup Sponge. One of my old beautyblenders broke, and I had to replace it with this cool and fun makeup sponge that changes its color depending on the water’s temperature. For nail colors, I’m still in love with vampy nail polishes, but the Dior Limited Edition Diorfic Vernis in Dream shade is too pretty to ignore. It’s a gorgeous berry purple color contained in a luxe bottle.

Last but not the least of the stuff I’m loving lately is the Boscia Yes, She Can Peppermint Blotting Linens which smell great and an oily-skin savior. This absorbs excess oil from the pores and it smells fabulous like real peppermints on your fingers.

These are the products I’m loving lately, and stay tuned for more beauty and skincare items I will be loving this coming Spring.

Have you tried or had any of these before? What are your beauty/skin-care go-tos every Winter?

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