Reviews and Other Stuff

Shiseido vs Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler Review

April 2, 2020 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

Ever since I started loving makeup, I have only used four eyelash curlers ever. The first one was the original Sephora Lash Curler which I ditched right away after a few uses because it simply didn’t work for my eye shape. The second one is the Japonesque Go Curl Curler which is a plastic curler that I still use but I mostly reserve it for traveling, and the third and fourth ones are these Shiseido and Shu Uemura Eyelash Curlers which are the ones I reach out for most of the time.

For someone with short, straight, sparse lashes, and small hooded eyes, there aren’t a lot of choices for me when it comes to eyelash curlers. In fact, it can be daunting to find one, especially one that actually works. For some reason, I just can’t use a standard lash curler because I also have flat eyelids and most lash curlers tend to be very curved and wide. Both the Shiseido and Shu Uemura ones seem to fit the bill for what I want, but they’re not exactly the same, although both are cult-favorites.

Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler (20.34 USD) – This was love at first curl. This lash curler is quite flat compared to most standard lash curlers out there and a little narrower too. I like that this curls the lashes precisely and even accurately. I don’t have to put a lot of pressure on my lashes whenever I curl with this and most of the time I only have to do the curling process twice. Also, this catches most of my lashes most of the time and I never had any pinching issues.

Shiseido Eyelash Curler (22 USD) – This lash curler is almost identical to the Shu Uemura one in terms of flatness. However, this is a bit wider than the Shu Uemura and this costs a bit more. I like this a lot but I’ve had a few lid pinching issues with this and this doesn’t seem to catch all my lashes especially the tiny ones along the corner of my eye. This also tends to curl only after doing the process three times or even four. I do like the soft bouncy silicone pads that this lash curler came with.

Therefore, I tend to look for my Shu Uemura ones every time I curl my lashes. I still reach for my Shiseido’s but I have to be a bit more careful when using it because of the pinching. While both lash curlers don’t require force or pressure to curl the lashes (they also come with gentle pads) and both don’t cut them either, I have a strong preference for the Shu Uemura ones. It’s perfect for Asian eyes, small eyes, hooded eyes, and for those with short stick-straight lashes as well. I have yet to investigate the Surratt Beauty Relevée Lash Curler (34 USD) that everyone’s talking about. Will report soon.

What’s your go-to lash curler?

Viseart Eyeshadow Collection Review + Swatches

March 31, 2020 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

There’s something about Viseart eyeshadows that made me so curious to try. At first, I was really fascinated by their pigments even before having to swatch them on my arm. Whenever I glance at Viseart palettes at Sephora, I’ve always thought that the pigments look very vivid, rich, and totally enticing. On top of that, their packaging looks unique and totally different. It made me wonder how they fare especially when compared to other big-name eyeshadow palettes out there.

With time, I’ve managed to collect a few Viseart Eyeshadow Palettes and here’s what I think about each of them.

Tryst Eyeshadow Palette (49 USD) – This palette has 9 shades which contain mostly of 7 metallic shimmery shades that are not too blinding and 2 very wearable matte shades. I would describe this palette as somewhat of an all-season type where you can find shades that are Fall/Winter-ready and also shades that you can rock for Spring and Summer. I do think that most of the shades in this palette are warm-toned and I also think that any complexion can wear them, so overall, I find this palette to be very wearable and the one that I tend to reach out constantly.

Petite Pro 4 Apricotine (30 USD) – This tiny and bright 8-shade palette is screaming Spring and Summer with its very gorgeous and very pigmented tones of apricot and melon. Although it’s a little challenging for me to pull off the peachy tones, I still find these shades to be very wearable when applied well. Also, this palette has some very flattering neutral tones that are definitely worth wearing and trying.

Paris EDIT Eyeshadow Palette (39 USD) – This is one of those eyeshadow palettes that will make you happy even before actually trying or using it. A palette designed and was released during Valentine’s Day, you can’t help but stare at the beauty of this palette over and over again. This has 12 shades that consist mostly of 4 mattes and 8 shimmers which are all very pigmented and silky. As a Valentine palette, I definitely find the shades to be rose-toned and definitely romantic. The overall size of this palette is not too small and not too big either and it’s wonderful for traveling.

Petit PRO 1 Eyeshadow Palette (30 USD) – This petite palette contains 8 shades and they are mostly neutrals. I feel like this is a starter Viseart palette and the shades are very pigmented and you can create different eye makeup looks even though this fits on the palm of your hand. There are 4 mattes in this palette and there are also 4 shimmers that complement each other.

Theory Eyeshadow Palette in Theory VII Siren (45 USD) – A Fall-ready eyeshadow palette with 6 microshimmery shades. This palette is one of my faves if not my most favorite from the Viseart Theory Eyeshadow line because of its gorgeous rose and coppery tones. There are only 6 shades in this palette but each pan is large and all the shades are beautiful and are very smooth to apply and blend. You can create a neutral eye look or a rosy warm metallic look with this beautiful bold palette.

In Summary, the Viseart Eyeshadow Palettes are free of parabens, phthalates, mineral oil, and are cruelty-free and gluten-free. I am very impressed with their quality especially with their pigments that are extremely rich and long-wearing. I love how they curate the shades in each palette and each has consistently good quality and has very very minimal to zero fallouts. Texture-wise and shade-wise, these Viseart eyeshadow palettes don’t need a primer and they stay put for hours on the lid, even if your lid is oily. My lid gets oily for sure but these palettes never creased on me and they never irritated my lid either which is really nice because I tend to be very cautious with eyeshadows since some can give me a terrible allergic reaction. If I have to compare these palettes with some other palettes out there, I would say that these palettes’ quality is definitely the pro-type, high-end, and they have a very similar feel and performance to the Natasha Denona eyeshadows, Charlotte Tilbury’s, and yes even similar to Tom Ford’s. Therefore, I highly recommend these eyeshadows.

Are you a fan of these eyeshadows too? What are your favorite eyeshadow brands?

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Product Fails Part 1

March 27, 2020 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

Since we’re now mostly working from home, I managed to spend some time sorting some of my beauty and skincare products. It’s been a long time since I talked about some disappointing beauty/skincare/haircare items. So, I will be mentioning them in this post. However, this post will only be part one as I am still in the process of sorting some stuff. Expect to read several parts of this post in the future.

There are four products mentioned in this post. I used to really love one of them, but now I’ve changed my mind. There is also a product here that I thought would work well for me, but it just didn’t. So, here they are.

Benefit Cosmetics Foolproof Brow Powder (0.07 oz: 24 USD) – I had been testing some brow powders because they seem to be easy and quick to use, plus they seem to also give that natural volumized-brow look. So, I thought this Benefit Foolproof Brow Powder would be a good option, however, I was really disappointed at this because of two things. First, the brush applicator just doesn’t pick up any product. Instead, it accumulates oil and transfers it into the powder. Second, the powder itself isn’t pigmented enough and it doesn’t adhere to the brow well. The two supposed to be ombré tones you see in the compact will not transpire on your brows. Overall, this was a real disappointment. I find the Benefit Brow Styler Eyebrow Pencil & Powder Duo to be much better than this even though it doesn’t have a spoolie because the Benefit Brow Styler gives a natural volumized-brow look provided that you are lighthanded on your application. For a more volumized brow, the Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil and the Shiseido Brow Ink Trio Pencil (both seen HERE) are also very good options. They are linked below at the end of this post.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz (0.003 oz: 23 USD) – I used to really really love this and so are the rest of the ABH brow products. But lately, I have shifted my feelings toward some other brands because this Brow Wiz and the Brow Definer have such unreliable flimsy packaging. I couldn’t count how many times these broke on me during my travels. Worst of all, the breakage happens on the spoolie part which gets stuck at the cap, deeming the spoolie unusable. I prefer the packaging of Hourglass or even Burberry which are more robust and reliable during travels. But, with those being said, I still like and recommend the quality and formula of the ABH brow products, I just wish they’d improve their packaging and design.

Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Triple Detox Shampoo (2-24 oz: 13-59 USD) – I had high hopes for this product. I thought this was going to be my go-to for greasy hair days, and that this was going to be my most preferred charcoal shampoo. Well, this could have been but if that meant using a ton of this product before I could get rid of the excess oil off my hair, well, that’s going to be very costly. I felt like the 2 oz tube only lasted 3 to 4 usage on me. I had better luck with the Pantene Charcoal Shampoo (reviewed HERE) as well as the Briogeo Scalp Revival Charcoal Shampoo (seen HERE) which smells so good and so invigorating.

Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask (8-32 oz: 36-115 USD) – I like a lot of Briogeo products, but not this one. I have given this product a chance many many times, but it just didn’t work for my hair. This made my hair so greasy and so heavy no matter how much I use. I do have straight hair which makes me so cautious about using thick and heavy hair masks especially the ones with coconut oil in it because those tend to weigh my strands. For hair masks, I love the ones from Christophe Robin, Kérastase, and the good ‘ol Neutrogena Triple Moisture Mask.

Have you ever tried any of these products before? What are the beauty/skincare/haircare products that disappointed you lately?

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