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FASHION & BEAUTY

Kรฉrastase Haircare Favorites

Kรฉrastase lately is the Ciment Thermique Resistance Blow-Dry Primer for Damaged Hair

 

Hello everyone. Happy Friyay and happy weekend soon. It’s been a while since I talked about my all-time favorite haircare brand – Kรฉrastase. For me, Kรฉrastase 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, Kรฉrastase 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 Kรฉrastase products that I love, but I love them very much nonetheless. They are mostly Sulfate-free.

 

Kerastase Discipline Sulfate-Free Smoothing Shampoo & Cleansing Conditioner

 

Discipline Sulfate-Free Smoothing Shampoo & Cleansing Conditioner – These are the first-ever Kรฉrastase 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.

 

Kerastase Reflection Sulfate-Free Shampoo

 

Another great Sulfate-free product from Kรฉrastase 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.

 

Kรฉrastase Aura Botanica Shampoo

 

For weekly cleansing, I use the Kรฉrastase 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 Kรฉrastase 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 Kรฉrastase 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 450ยฐF), and this also controls frizz and reduces breakage. Will talk more about this product soon once I’m done testing it.

 

kerastase review

 

That’s it for my favorite Kรฉrastase products of all time guys. I don’t think I will be adding more to this roundup unless Kรฉrastase 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 Kรฉrastase fan?

 

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Loving Right Now. Winter Faves

best beauty skincare products this winter

 

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

 

Hourglass Ghost Blush Palette

 

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.

 

Armani Neo Nude Fusion Powder in #3 swatch

 

BROW

 

Burberry Beauty Full Brow Effortless All-in-One Brow Builder in #3 Ash Brown

 

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.

 

Burberry Beauty Full Brow Effortless All-in-One Brow Builder in #3 Ash Brown

 

 

 

FOUNDATIONS

 

Tom Ford Illuminating Primer

 

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.

 

Armani Beauty Power Fabric Concealer in #4.5

 

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.

 

Pat McGrath Labs MatteTrance Lipstick in Femmebot

 

Another lippy I’m loving is the Nars Satin Finish Lipstick in Tolรจde, 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 Rosewoodย (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.ย 

 

nars satin lipstick tolede swatch

 

BRUSHES

 

Sephora Collection PRO Contour Blender #77

 

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.

 

Dior Limited Edition Diorfic Vernis in Dream

 

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.

 

Boscia Yes, She Can Peppermint Blotting Linens

 

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

 

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Kaja Beauty Bento Bouncy Eyeshadow Trio Review & Swatches

kaja beauty sephora k beauty bento eyeshadow

 

When I first reviewed the Kaja Beauty Bento Eyeshadows, I mentioned how lovely the Orange Blossom shade was, but I thought that its shimmers were a little too much for my lids. I did promise you guys that I will be testing their matte finish Beauty Bento Eyeshadows to check and compare them with the shimmery ones, and to see how they fare with other eyeshadows as well.

kaja beauty bento eyeshadow review

As an overview, the Kaja Beauty Bento Eyeshadow (3 shades/0.03 oz: 21 USD) is a trio of curated stacked eyeshadow shades. Each compact contains a mix of shimmer and matte finish colors, but for the matte finish compacts, there is only one shimmery shade and the other two are mattes. Kaja Beauty is Sephora’s K beauty products, and so far, I have really good experience with their formula, pigment, and longevity. To read my other Kaja Beauty reviews, click HERE for the Stamp Blush, and HERE for my initial impression of this brand.

 

Shimmer Finish

kaja beauty bento eyeshadow rosewater review

 

RosewaterRose tones. A gorgeous pink, purple, and champagne shimmery trio.

kaja beauty bento eyeshadow orange blossom review

Orange BlossomGolden tones. A bit too shimmery for my liking, but it’s a beautiful trio of champagne, coral, and golden shimmer of shades.

 

kaja beauty bento eyeshadow rosewater swatch

 

Matte Finish

kaja beauty bento eyeshadow glowing guava review

 

Glowing GuavaMauvy pink tones. This is such a beautiful stack of matte beige-pink, shimmery mauve, and clayish copper. An ideal shade for Fall and Winter.

kaja beauty bento eyeshadow chocolate dahlia

 

Chocolate DahliaNeutral cocoa. If you like the neutral everyday brown and nude taupe with a golden champagne shimmer, then you’ll love this gorgeous and pigmented trio.

 

kaja beauty bento eyeshadow glowing guava swatch

 

I find the Kaja eyeshadows to be highly pigmented even just at one swipe, and they last really long. They never irritated my lids and the shimmers are very fine and they adhere well on the lid with no fallouts. Their quality is really outstanding and I find that they’re comparable, if not better than most high-end eyeshadows. When it comes to their finishes, I do find the matte finish to be more wearable for me just because it looks better given my lid space and forehead structure. Additionally, I find the packaging of the Kaja Beauty Bento Eyeshadows to be very very cute, very functional, and definitely space-saving. I like that they’re easy to travel, easy to use, and they make for a cute decor on my vanity. Also, they’re sulfate-free, paraben-free, phthalates-free, and an Allure Best of Beauty Winner.

kaja beauty bento bouncy eyeshadow

 

Have you tried any of these eyeshadows before? Which trio is your fave?

 

*Thanks to Kaja Beauty (Sephora) for these Beauty Bento Eyeshadows.

 

Stay tuned for more Kaja Beauty reviews.

 

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