Reviews and Other Stuff

Loving Right Now. Spring 2021 Favorites

May 29, 2021 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

Hello, my friends. I have finally gathered some of my Spring faves in beauty, home, and skincare. Stay tuned for my Summer faves soon.

Clio Pro Eye Shadow Palette in Botanic Mauve – For all of us SKZ fans out there, I can tell you that this is truly a pretty palette with pretty matte mauve tones. I like the packaging. However, this only comes with a narrow horizontal mirror. The brush that comes with this is not much of a good use because it does not pick up enough product. Therefore, I recommend that you try this with a different brush or with your little finger. You can also apply this wet on the lids

Rare Beauty Stay Vulnerable Melting Cream Blush in Nearly Neutral – Described as a soft neutral pink, according to Rare Beauty. This blush’s presentation and gorgeous packaging are giving me life. I wish I took this with me to the hospital, lol. I love the nearly neutral shade because it is not extreme in pigment yet noticeable enough for daily use. It gives a slight flush on the cheeks, but it will not make you look like a Pokémonster, hahaha.

Gucci:

Poudre De Beauté Mat Naturel Setting Powder – a matte setting powder with exquisite packaging. I really like the way this sets on my skin. This sets lightly and gives a natural look. Absorbing excess oil and did not give me any breakouts. I also use this as a mattifying powder, and the effect is naturally glowy.
Poudre De Beauté Bronzing Powder – I am not a bronzer fan, but I am a sucker for this, and again because of the packaging. This is my second Gucci bronzing powder because the first one was overused and abused so soon. I use this for contouring and for faking a healthy glow, lol. I also use this to hide some redness, and this does not make my face orange or red.

Gisou Honey Infused Hair Oil – I’m not usually a big fan of hair oils, but this one? I can tolerate, and the scent is so fabulous. I really like how this hair oil relaxes the frizz on my hair. This makes my hair look shiny and tamed without looking greasy or feeling heavy.

Supergoop Daily Dose Vitamin C + SPF 40 – Apart from the cute packaging, I am in love with this product because this is an answer to my wish of having sunscreen and vitamin C in one. We all know that Vitamin C helps lighten the skin naturally and will help with the dark spots, but when added with SPF, everything becomes perfect. The skin is protected from harmful UV rays and will look lit from within. The texture of this product is so light and very fluid. I love that this does not feel sticky and has no weird smell. I can use this on my face without any breakouts.

Dior:

Jardin D’orangers candle – A pricey candle with very elegant packaging. I thought the charm of it would stop right there, but I am so wrong. Every time I get close to it, it is like I am in some undiscovered paradise whose name is about to be placed on the map, lol. The scent is like a garden full of fresh oranges. It is not a very in-your-face type of scent, but more of a mysterious one. It will keep you guessing and will keep you wanting for more. I also have the Figue Méditerranée candle, the purple one, and it is a fabulous, mysterious Mediterranean scent. The kind that smells familiar, but you just do not know where you have smelled it before, but you know there is something that draws you to it. Ya gets? 😀

J’adore Body Milk – I keep this one close to my desk. This is a fabulous, heavy, sexy, floral (jasmine) scent. A very mature scent fit for a grown woman. The texture is on the lighter side and has a milky feel. I tend to use this as a hand cream whenever I could not find my hand creams, and this works just fine. I love love love this a lot.

Tatcha Aburatorigami Blotting Papers – My favorite oil blotting paper of all time. I have packs of this on my desk because I love this so much. I use this for midday retouch or during Zoom breaks to get rid of excess oil, which makes my face look so virtually shiny, lol. There are not many sheets in each pack, especially given the price, but this is still the best oil blotting paper I have tried out there.

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Pat McGrath Divine Rose Luxe Quad + Divine Nude Liquilust Review + Swatches

May 19, 2021 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

Hello everyone! I am back from my stint at the hospital. What an experience that was. All is well that ends well (insert Sia: Reaper). So, I am back in full swing (hopefully).

Spring is pretty warm from where I am. Most of the time, I find myself overloading on sunscreen because the heat can be too much, and my forehead is getting burned. So, please, don’t forget to apply your favorite sunscreen around this time.

The pandemic has eased some of the restrictions here. I walk around maskless, but I wear my mask indoors. I got my full shots, and most people I know had been vaccinated as well. Yet, somehow, people are still wary of the virus, and it is going to take some time to fully get back to normal, especially mentally.

I am starting to wear some full-face makeup again. I did not realize how much I miss it until I started testing this Pat McGrath Divine Rose Quad. Which, by the way, is such a beautiful quad filled with beautiful Spring-ready shades. I was kind of hesitant to try it at first, because it may not look good on my skintone, but it ended up working really well. It did not make me look like I had an allergic reaction, lol.

Divine Rose

Luxe Quad: in Eternal Eden – The quad feels so creamy, and you can create several looks with it. I really like the Earthy Delight shade (brownish mauve, bottom left) because it is perfect for contouring the eye socket. The shimmery shades are so fine, and there is no fallout. The matte pink and peachy shades are not very in-your-face kind of shades. So, anybody at any age can wear them. I wear these eyeshadows without any primer, and they stay on my lids for a long time.

LiquiLUST: I like this liquid lipstick a lot. The shade may be a bit too rosy for me, but it complements my skintone very well. It does emphasize the lip lines, but it does not feel very dry. And, of course, no amount of transfer happened.

MatteTrance: This is supposed to be the matte lipstick version of the same divine rose shade above. However, I am astonished by the shade of this lipstick. I look like I’ve been semi-embalmed in this shade (knock on wood, lol). The color just looks totally different from being rosy. It looks more nude, and it made me look washed out. I do like the comfortable matte texture, though.

Divine Nude

LiquiLUST: This liquid lipstick’s shade looks more like the Divine Rose in MatteTrance. Still too washed out and too nude for me. This shade would be ideal for those with fair to light skintones.

Overall, I like this PMG Divine Rose collection, even though two of the lipstick shades do not match my skintone very well. The quad got me sold, and I highly recommend it.

Until next time, darlings. Take good care.

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Dior Backstage Pro Review + Swatches

April 29, 2021 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

Hello darlings, I am back from the milky way. Now that the world is slowly getting back to normal, our makeup life is also slowly reviving, lol. If you’ve been wondering what I’ve been up to lately and where have I been, well, I finished my finals, and I am on a short break.

So, let’s talk briefly about these gorgeousness from Dior. The Dior Backstage makeup line is probably my most favorite Dior beauty line. Ever since seeing its stunning packaging during its release, I knew it set my heart on fire, ha! My collection grew from one palette to the ones below. I love that Dior releases more palettes of this line every now and then. I also love that their foundations contain different range of shades that suit everyone’s skin tone. After all, diversity is the spice of life.

As you can see all over Instagram, the Dior Backstage Pro eyeshadows is a huge hit among beauty lovers. It’s the packaging, it’s the shades, it’s the embossing, it’s the pigments, and everything that it has that makes each palette fabulous. Using this will make you feel like a real lady Dior — the type that sits at the backseat, hair all done (vintage style), red lipstick, and staring in awe and curiosity at those big bright city lights. Hmm, did I describe it well? All the eyeshadow palettes from this line are so good. One thing that captured me is the mix of cream and powder textures in each palette. Also, the shades are very complementary to each other, and you bet you can find neutral ones down to the smokey ones. The creamy shade is a primer, and it really makes for a good base. There are also highlighting shades and sculpting shades, as well as matte and shimmery shades. You pretty much have everything you need in every single one of these palettes—Muchas gracias, Dior.

Eyeshadow Palettes:

Rosewood Neutrals

Amber Neutrals

Cool Neutrals

Face and Body Foundation and Primer: First word that came to my mind when I tried these is — LOVE. What a well-done primer and foundation. The primer is creamy but not sticky and it’s subtly glowy. It makes the foundation adhere to the skin well, and it doesn’t pill. The foundation, similarly, is one of those foundations that do not need to be set with a setting powder. It’s so lightweight, and the finish is natural. It can stay on and on without any problem. It can even work without a primer. But I suggest you go with both if the budget allows. Another thing I love about these is the fabulous floral scent. It smells ultra-fancy!

Contour Palette and Glow Face Palette: How can I say no to these beautiful face palettes? My brain says “no”, but my heart says “go”. LOL. Well, you already know who I followed in the end. The face palette is beee-you-tiful. It has two highlighting shades, a blush, and a bronzer. This is the palette to wear when you go and present your theory, haha! In addition to, furthermore, moreover (wink wink), the bronzer is quite fascinating. You have to read them like a Latin square because they are mutually exclusive from each other, lol. D’ya feel me? In this palette, you have an option for a light and deep highlighter, and an option for a light and deep contour. Ya gets? See the swatches below.

Bottom line, these are the palettes that are too beautiful to touch, yet so totally worth using. I really think that each of them is so good, hands down. The pigments are TDF, and the lasting power is equally good as well. The only thing I kind of wished it had is a mirror. But, it’s not really a big deal for me.

One more look at the face palettes.

Have you tried any of these before? Which palette, in particular, is your fave?

Until then, darlings,

Take care. Stay safe.

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