Reviews and Other Stuff

Bite Beauty Matte Crème Lip Crayon Review

May 31, 2017 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

Hey all! Another lip product of the moment here. A couple of months ago, a sample of their Bite Beauty Matte Crème Lip Crayon was included in one of my beauty purchases. It was in the shade Glacé. Somehow, for some reason, I misplaced it but when it magically popped up on my vanity table, I knew I had to give it its much-needed attention. To my surprise, I was blown away by the quality of the said the said lip product. First of all, I really love its texture. It gives a soft matte finish, non-drying and it feels really light on the lips. It’s very much like a lipstick, but velvety. It has a perfect complementing matte effect that doesn’t really settle into the lips’ fine lines, unlike most matte liquid lipsticks. Second, because of its “pen type” applicator, the application is smooth, easy and accurate. Thirdly, it has the most amazing scent of a lip product I’ve ever tried. The hint of orange is really interesting on this particular lip product.

One thing that struck me the most about the Bite Beauty Matte Crème Lip Crayon (0.05 oz, $24) is how beautiful the Glacé shade is. It’s a gorgeous dusty mauve that really complemented my lips’ natural tones. It looks like something I could wear every day and it looks my kind of shade. Because of that, I couldn’t help but take note to drop by at the Bite Beauty aisle for more shades of the Matte Crème Lip Crayons for my next Sephora visit.

When I finally had a chance to check out the other colors of the Matte Crème Lip Crayons, I realize that they’re almost all good. Lots of very pretty everyday shades, lots of muted colors, and wearable pinks and browns. It was so tempting to buy them all. But I couldn’t get crazy, so, I decided on two starters, the Pastille shade and the Amaretto.

Pastille – Dusty Mauve. A shade that’s very similar to Glacé but more on the mauve-purple/pink side. The shade is very pretty and will complement any skin tone. It’s muted for daily wear I’d say that this is the next best thing especially for those who wanted a bit more color from Glacé.
Amaretto – Peachy Nude. I’m normally not crazy for nudes, but this particular nude is a yes for me. It’s peachy warm and it’ll look great on anybody with a light to medium skin tone. It’s even great a perfect neutral nude for darker tones. This particular nude hue is very versatile for sure.

Glacé – I’m really gogo gaga about this shade. I still have my original sample size that I’ve been using constantly lately, but I’m pretty sure I’ll be purchasing it in its regular size soon. This is a beautiful shade of dusty mauve rose that I tend to prefer in most of my lipstick shade. It also kinda reminds me of YSL #66 Bois de Rose which is my signature lip shade.

About the packaging, it seems like every Bite Beauty products feel really comforting to the touch. I love their velvety textured containers and tubes, so the Matte Crème Lip Crayons are no different at all. Also, its packaging allows for no-mess application and there’s definitely no need to sharpen the product at all.

Verdict, these are definitely one of the best lip product finds for me lately since it has everything I’d want in a lippy; the ease of application, great pigments, lightweight comfortable textures, non-drying matte finish, and colors to last for 4-6 hours with delicious non-boring scent. What more could you ask for?

The Bite Beauty Matte Crème Lip Crayon is available only in Sephora.com

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Sephora Play! May 2017 Box

May 29, 2017 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

Hello! This month’s Sephora Play! Box has been pretty exciting with its “Beauty On The Rise” products. A couple of new and interesting brands, a cult-favorite, and some really unique formulations of products were included in my box. There’s a highlighter, a few lip products and another mysteriously featured scent. There’s even a hair care and skin care in there. Hmmm, this is definitely one of the most exciting box I have ever received. Oh, and also, the products didn’t come in a cute pouch this time, instead, it came in a cute transparent envelope marked with the words “Play” on it. A different take on the usual Sephora Play! pouch bags. Hmmm, Interesting…

1. Grande Lips Lip Plumper in Clear – Gone were the days when you can just purchase a Grande Latte, now you can definitely purchase a Grande Lips, Hahah! This clear lip gloss can be worn alone or under a lip product with the promise of plumping your lips with regular usage. It has hyaluronic acid to soften the lips as well. While I haven’t noticed the plumping effect, I did feel the stinging feeling on my lips once this product was applied, which is quite similar to Too Faced Lip Injection. I’m not really a fan of the tingly sensation on my lips, I feel like I’m having that bee-stung allergic lip reaction, but I do get the intention and effect of making the lips feel and look full.

2. Trèstique Highlight + Perfect Multipurpose Stick in Maldives Luminescent – I love this gel highlighter a lot, and I now love Trèstique. This multitasking product can be used to add a subtle or layered glow on the face, or it can be used as a shimmery eyeshadow. I like its soft smooth texture the Maldives Shade is just perfect for daily use.

3. Christophe Robin Cleansing Purifying Scrub with Sea Salt – Don’t be mistaken by thinking that this product is a body scrub like I did, because I almost used it as one. That’s what happens if you don’t read the instruction. You will always fail the test. LOL. This is a product for the hair and it’s more like a shampoo, or should I say, a hair scrub. Designed for oily hair or dandruff-prone scalp, this hair care product smells divine. Slightly lemon-ish and slightly perfumey, this feels really good on the hair and the scalp. Best of all, it didn’t leave my hair dry and I like that this foams very well, making my hair feeling so clean. A little bit goes a long way and follow it with your favorite conditioner. I love this product much already.

4. Maison Margiela ‘Replica’ Beach Walk Eau de Toilette Spray – With bergamot, ylang ylang, pink pepper and cedarwood, this is a light musky scent. I’m normally not a fan of musky fragrances but this one is especially pleasing to the senses. It’s light enough for day time wear and even though it smells like a thousand jasmines, this scent is bearable enough for me and it’s not too heady.

5. Nudestix Magnetic Matte Lip Color in Greystone – Another new formula and new brand for me. It’s supposed to be a lip stain, a lip color, and a lip liner in one. The pigment is so rich in this interesting lip color. It’s also very long lasting that it almost didn’t budge when I first tried to take it off. Hmmm, it’s another surprise love for me, though I didn’t really like the Greystone shade, but I’ll be off looking for some wearable shades of this very very promising lip product.

6. Sunday Riley Ceramic Slip Clay Cleanser – Apparently a fave in the fashion industry, this greenish clay cleanser is meant to minimize pores and balance the skin. It smells slightly spicy and earthy at the same time, but not clayish at all. It also has a hint of neroli and is actually quite refreshing. It cleanses my face well, but it doesn’t lather much. I usually leave it on my face for one minute as instructed and complement it with another face cleanser whenever I feel like I needed more cleansing.

Bottom line, I enjoyed this month’s Sephora Play! box contents. Never knew I’d like Replica scents, while now I know that I’ll be on the lookout for other Christophe Robin and Sunday Riley Products. I have my eyes set on more shades of the Nudestix Lip Colors for sure and perhaps a full size of the Trèstique Hightlighter + Multupurpose Stick.

What’s your fave from this month’s Sephora Play! goodies?

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La Mer The Moisturizing Soft Cream Review

May 22, 2017 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

Oh hey everybody! The brand that we’re gonna talk about needs no further introduction, except only that you could say the brand makes the cream of all creams, perhaps? Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m implying and asking that because who doesn’t know La Mer and its miracle broth ingredient? It’s like a magic potion for the skin that everyone raves and swears by through time.

The original La Mer Cream or Crème de la Mer has come a long way than when it was first unveiled, especially in terms of texture. In fact, the entire La Mer brand has branched out into making products that are not just creams. But for this review, let’s start with the “almost equally” popular La Mer Soft Cream, plus a bit of comparison with the original cult-classic Crème de la Mer.

When I first decided to finally pull the trigger and try my hands into La Mer, I went into my local Nordstrom that has a La Mer counter. The lady at the counter had me try the Crème de la Mer first and told me to rub the cream between my palms or hands to warm it up because the cream is really really thick. Soo thick that you’re really gonna need the provided spatula in order to scoop it out. It was funny because I asked the La Mer lady if their creams have Spf (yeah, ignorant me) and she’s like “nope, just a classic cream” and then she proceeded to instruct me to rub the products more between my palms, and I was like “but I rubbed it already? And she be like “you gotta rub and rub and rub a dub dub” and I thought “how long do I have to do this? Is it supposed to be like this? I don’t have all day.” So, long story short, I was finally recommended something that can be easily spread on the face. The lady made me try the La Mer Soft Cream and I love it at first application. Sans rubbing.

Unlike the Crème de la Mer which is thick and time-consuming to apply, the La Mer Moisturizing Soft Cream has a more luxurious soft creamy feel. Of course it still has the same scent and hydrating property as the Crème de la Mer but way easier to use. As someone with an oily-prone skin, this is my preferred La Mer cream as it doesn’t feel too heavy. Although I haven’t really tried the Gel Cream, but I would eventually. Who knows? My opinion might change later on and I’ll update you ASAP.

Both the Crème de la Mer and the Moisturizing soft cream requires you to only apply a little bit due to their creamy consistency. However, you may still need to apply more of the Soft Cream.

For the price and packaging, I don’t know why but I was really kind of disappointed when I had my first ever La Mer Soft Cream, which I bought in small size at 0.5 oz for $85. I remember that I first thought there must be a mistake and I was probably given a sample. For that amount of money, the packaging is way too small. Much like a travel size that felt tiny with respect to the palm of my hands. For someone who likes to douse her face with moisturizers, I felt like I couldn’t really do this with La Mer’s, at least not for some time. I mean don’t get me wrong, but I’ve had creams this worth before yet they weren’t really that small, you know. It’s just disappointing. Oh well, I guess, La Mer is La Mer, they must have a desired or specific clientele that can truly afford this stuff. Buy why so small? It’s almost insulting. Yet still, La Mer remains popular and a cult-favorite. Simply because they always say that this cream works. PersonalIy, I really love the scent of this cream. It smells like a freshly-milled, unscented and unbleached soap. Something refreshing and pure. But why do I feel like I know this smell before? It smells like Nivea Creme.

Speaking of the cream’s effect and its miracle secret ingredient. I do notice that my face looks radiant, no dry patches, and just glowy. It also provides intense hydration on the skin and it seems to repair and sooth my skin problems fast, like swollen acnes and dark spots. I usually use the Soft Cream at night and it keeps my skin moist, though I find it to be too thick for the summer. I love the texture of this cream a lot and it feels luxurious on the face. As with its miracle broth and the whole sea kelp thing, it sounds a bit too magical for me. Overhyped? Perhaps. The La Mer Cream was created years ago, it’s classic and has a lot of following, so it probably works for a lot of people, especially to those who swear by it, but I also think that there’s a lot more creams out there that are newer and have revolutionary ingredients that are priced and sized reasonably.

The La Mer Moisturizing Soft Cream is available here: Sephora, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdales, Barneys New York, Bergdorf Goodman, Net-A-Porter and Selfridges.

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