Reviews and Other Stuff

Sephora Play! July 2017 Box

July 19, 2017 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

Heya! It’s about time for another Sephora Play! contents showcase. This month is all about the “Good Beauty Vibes” and I have a feeling that I’m going to like the goodies inside.

I definitely spot a few skincare products, a haircare, a lippie, and a very interesting mascara. Of course, there’s also the featured scent of the month. Hmmm, something about this box that’s telling me it’s all about having a beautiful Summer vibe.

Shall we start?

1. bareMINERALS Gen Nude Liquid Lipcolor in Swag – If you haven’t read my complete bareMinerals Gen Nude Matte Liquid Lipcolor review, click HERE. As you can see, I really love this lipstick even though it takes a few minutes to set. I find that the formulation is lightweight and non-drying on the lips. On top of that, the shades in this line are pretty and very wearable. Even this Swag color is a nice nude mauve that still looks good on my lips and it didn’t make me look too washed-out.

2. Atelier Cologne, Orange Sanguine – Reviewed HERE. I love this scent a lot and I don’t get bored with it even if I have already tried it before. It smells freshly sweet like a mix of blood orange and bitter orange. So great for the Summer, like a warm version of Atelier Cologne’s Clementine California Cologne.

3. It Cosmetics, Superhero Elastic Stretch Volumizing Mascara – One of the most weightless, long-wearing and lengthening mascaras I’ve ever tried. From the moment I saw the shape of the brush and its bristles, I knew this is going to be good for smaller eyes and it’s great for precise application on the corner lashes and the bottom as well.

4. Milk Makeup, Cooling Water – If there is one product that I’m most excited about in this month’s box, it’s this one. This is so unique and I have been curious about this one for quite some time. I’m not exactly sure how to use this though, but I’m all about any refreshing or cooling products. According to Sephora, you can use this before applying makeup or keep it in the fridge for an extra cooling effect. So far, I’ve only applied it on my face, neck and around the eye area. It’s so cool and so refreshing. It’s a great product for the Summer and I love it.

5. Briogeo Rosarco Milk Reparative Leave-In Conditioning Spray – This thing smells SO GOOD. Never knew that a blend of rosehip, argan oil, and coconut oil could smell this good. I just couldn’t get enough of this scent. It’s like a fresh rose mixed with slightly sweet milk and something else. I sprayed it on my damp hair after showering, then did a blowout and my hair felt so soft and frizz-free even on a hot and humid weather. It didn’t even weigh my hair down and my strands felt smooth and non-oily. I have a feeling I’ll be purchasing this product in its regular size.

6. Boscia Charcoal Pore Pudding Intensive Wash-Off Treatment – This black and white charcoal swirl mask looks kind of cute even though it wasn’t very swirly anymore when it arrived. It smells like charcoal but not extremely so and it feels more like a thick cream upon application, it then dries down softly. It’s not like the rough cement-like dryness of some charcoal masks that you can’t move your face after a few minutes. This one is soft but it still dries and once it does, it doesn’t transfer. It also takes out the excess oils and impurities.

I enjoyed this month’s box better than last month’s (reviewed HERE).

My most favorites are, of course, the Cooling Water and the Briogeo Milk Reparative Leave-In Spray. I also enjoyed the Superhero Mascara, the Gen Nude Liquid Lipcolor and the Atelier Cologne Orange Sanguine scent.

Have you had this month’s box already? What’s your fave?

Bye for now,

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Lancome Matte Shaker High Pigment Liquid Lipstick

July 18, 2017 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

What’s Up Guys! Here’s a nice alternative to the Giorgio Armani Lip Magnet Liquid Lipstick or the Dior Lip Tattoo with a slightly different twist or more like a shake. The Lancome Matte Shaker (0.20 oz: $22) is a lightweight and highly pigmented liquid lipstick that’s unique and entirely different from most liquid lipsticks. It’s cute and it applies using a cushion applicator that acts like a sponge to absorb the product. Kinda like its sibling, the Lancome Juicy Shaker. It’s innovative and it’s pretty interesting.

To apply, all you have to do is shake the product and swipe the cushiony and spongy applicator on your lips. Easy peasy, though I find that the applicator doesn’t always allow for a precise application. Still, it’s pretty doable. There’s not much scent on the formula, only a slight hint of something fresh and something floral, but not soapy.

This Lancome Matte Shaker Liquid Lipstick feels very thin and super lightweight like there’s almost nothing on your lips. It more of a lip stain like the Dior Lip Tattoo (reviewed HERE) and I think the Giorgio Armani Lip Magnet (reviewed HERE) is slightly creamier than this. Yet they all share that same highly pigmented formula. The thing I find with this is that it’s kinda drying unlike the others and it tends to settle into the very fine lines of the lips, but it’s not too bad.

Once this settles, the effect is satiny and it looks pretty cute. It’s also very long lasting and really staining. On the other hand, I noticed that I don’t seem to like the range of shades that were released. First, there’s not a lot of them. Second, the shades are more on the bright or neon-ish side. What’s even more surprising is that the colors on the tubes don’t really seem to match well on the lips. The 272 Energy in Peach shade that I tried in Sephora looked very different on the bottle and on the arm swatch, so I just skipped on that.

270 Beige Vintage – Beige Nude. It’s a pretty shade, but not so vintage-looking on my lips. It’s a little too bright once applied, almost glowy like a neon coral, but once it settles, it looks more muted, yet still not so nude of a beige.

374 Kiss Me Cherie – Deep Brick Red. Pretty shade that looks more like a slightly bright red-pink on me, even though it looks like a rich bright red on the tube. Kinda reminds me of Dior Lip Tattoo in Natural Berry shade, only a lot brighter.

Overall, I find this Matte Shaker Liquid Lipstick from Lancome to be a really good alternative to the Dior Lip Tattoo and Giorgio Armani Lip Magnet. It’s lightweight, well-pigmented, and it doesn’t transfer once it settles on the lips. It may take a few minutes for it to dry down, just like the Lip Tattoo and even the Lip Magnet, but this won’t smudge once it’s settled. Plus, the Matte Shaker is also more affordable and has a unique and cute packaging. The cushion applicator is not so bad either.

Have you tried any of these?

The Lancome Matte Shaker High Pigment Liquid Lipstick is available at Sephora, Nordstrom, Ulta, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdales, Lord & Taylor, Dillard’s, Selfridges

Ciao Bella! (Hadid)

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Stuart Weitzman NearlyNude, NudistJune & NudistFlat + Steve Madden Irenee Sandal Review

July 17, 2017 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

Hello There Stuart Weitzman fans! From their boots to their sandals, it seems like this brand is not only making good-looking footwear, but they’re also in tune with our feet’s comfort. I for one is a big fan of Stuart Weitzman shoes. Those 5050 boots, the Lowland, oh my… I may not own a lot of SW footwear but what I have are the ones I always seem to grab whenever I wanted something that looks well-put-together and comfy at the same time.

I’ve been a sucker for their sandals since the ultra-high and celeb favorite Nudist was released, but they were too high for me. I’m not a well-heeled person, even if I love the way it looks on my feet and on others, but I just can’t bring myself to it. A 4-inch heel is like a death wish for me, LOL, a 3.5 will make me do a silent whimper on the corner, haha! so I like my sandals to be somewhat on the practical side because you’ll never know, what if there’s a fire or an earthquake and you need to run really fast? Hmmm, now that I think about it…

Well, anyway, Stuart Weitzman makes really pretty and comfortable sandals, so when I saw that he released a sandal that looked like a comfy version of the famous Nudist, I jumped into the “Nude” sandal bandwagon. First, there was the NearlyNude, a stock-heeled version of the Nudist with shorter heel height, followed by the NudistJune which a comfy, all-around, low-heeled, casual sandal. Then came the cute and pretty NudistFlat, which is simple but elegant. I also own the Steve Madden Irenee Sandal that I like to use whenever I feel like not using my SWs in rugged terrains, since all of them are made of suede. The Steve Madden Irenee sandal has a great heel height that is in between the NearlyNude and the Nudistjune.

NearlyNude ($398) – This has 3.25-inch heel height that comes in either leather, suede or cork. At first, I was a bit skeptical about this, because I was like “3 inches and something?” I wasn’t sure if my elephant feet could stomach the heel height. But actually, it doesn’t really feel like 3 inches and something at all. It feels very comfy and I was able to walk for an hour with this on a hilly cobblestone. Of course, you will still find yourself sitting from time to time to chillax your feet, but you’ll see that this is one of the comfiest pair of heels you’ll ever find.

NudistJune ($375) – With a 1.6-inch block heel, this sandal gives the right amount of boost in height, making your feet look just a tad sexy. It’s extremely comfy that it almost feels like wearing a pair of flats, though not quite likely. The suede one looks very lush, feels very soft and very pliable which makes it quite tricky to put the strap on, so it’ll take a few seconds to get your footwear ready. Nonetheless, this is a great alternative to a pair of flats.

NudistFlat ($355) – Cute, simple yet sophisticated, this is the perfect all-around summer sandals. It has a 0.5-inch heel height that also comes in different colors and leathers. The suede version feels a lot firmer than the NudistJune’s, which might make the strap feel narrow, but still very comfy and doesn’t need to be stretched. Some of this particular style of sandals might be made in China, which is totally legit, so don’t be alarmed. They’re still made by Stuart Weitzman, and in fact, they felt a lot sturdier than the other SW sandals that are made in Europe.

Steve Madden Irenee Sandal ($40 & UP) – A good and affordable version of the SW minimalist sandals with a 2.25-inch block-heel height that comes in leather, denim, nubuck, and suede, each in different colors. It also has a thicker heel and a thicker strap than the SW minimalist sandals, which I also like and I also find to be cute. Now, there’s a Stuart Weitzman sandal that has a similar heel height to this, it’s called the Simple Sandal ($398), which has a 2.5-inch height that was released later on. It looks exactly like a low-heel version of the NearlyNude.

The Stuart Weitzman minimalist sandals are available in different leathers and colors depending on the store that carries them. Nordstrom has all the NearlyNudes in leather and suede with all the different colors, as well as the NudistJune and the NudistFlat. Saks has a couple of shades of the suede version of the NudistFlat and a few unique shades of the NearlyNudes. Neiman Marcus carries the unique colors of the NudistJune with some denim and cork versions. You might even find them at a cheaper price in Amazon in which you’ll also find the Steve Madden Irenee sandal. You can also purchase them at Bloomingdales, Zappos, Net-A-Porter, MyTheresa, 6PM, Bergdorf, Selfridges, Revolve, Moda Operandi, ShopBop, and stuartweitzman.com

Aren’t these sandals a sight to behold?

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