Reviews and Other Stuff

Winter Eyeshadow Favorites

March 14, 2020 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

Hello! In just a few days, Spring will be here and before you know it, there will be more sunny days and lots of colorful blooms. Even though we are at a trying time nowadays, I hope for new seasons and new beginnings. Wherever you are and whatever you’re doing, please stay safe, stay healthy, stay strong, and be well. This too shall pass. So, before we end this season, I would like to share with you some of my top picks in eyeshadow palettes. These are the ones I’ve been enjoying since last Fall and also this Winter. These picks are not comprehensive since there are other palettes I also love but I prefer to feature them separately in my succeeding reviews.

In this collection, you will find a combination of high-end eyeshadow palettes, along with some drugstore palettes as well.

Take a look.

The Dior BACKSTAGE Eyeshadow Palette in Amber Neutrals is one of my top picks for this season’s eyeshadow look. I love how beautiful all the shades look and they are all saturated with very good pigments. Even the whole packaging of this eyeshadow is TDF and the type you would reluctantly use because it’s just so pretty. The shades in this palette are on the very warm coppery and bronzey side plus with an intense shade of matte red which is so perfect for Fall-Winter. There is also another Backstage Eyeshadow Palette released recently by Dior, and it’s the Rosewood Neutrals which looks so ethereal and so intriguing. I will investigate that palette soon.

For gorgeous well-curated matte eyeshadows, you can’t go wrong with the Chanel Multi-Effect Quadra Eyeshadows in Candeur et Expérience, Clair Obscur, and Blurry Mauve. These are my go-tos for a quick, easy to apply, and wearable matte look. I love how these compacts complement my eye color and they look so natural and so pigmented as well. Also, these are easy to travel. See the swatch of Clair Obscur here, and the Blurry Mauve here. Also, if you haven’t seen the Spring-Summer releases of Chanel Beauty, see some of them here.

Pat McGrath Mothership V Eyeshadow Palette in Bronze Seduction – This palette is still the mothership and the queen of all my eyeshadow palettes. There is a lot of love and attention to details in PMG’s Mothership eyeshadows, and this Bronze Seduction palette is still, in my opinion, the best eyeshadow palette PMG has ever created. This palette is the ultimate Fall-Winter eye makeup look vibe, and its packaging is so well-done. See the swatch here.

Lately, Tom Ford has released more shades of its iconic Eye Color Quad Eyeshadow Palette and some of them are on my wishlist. However, out of all the TF Eye Color Quads, the Honeymoon quad is probably the prettiest, if not one of them. I feel like you can wear all of its shades at any season, but I can definitely see myself constantly reaching out for it during Fall-Winter. Take note that the bottom right shade may look purplish online or in some photos, but in reality, it actually looks more brown.

Drugstore

There are two e.l.f eyeshadows I’m loving this season and it’s the Rose Gold Eyeshadow Palette in Sunset and the Mad for Matte Eyeshadow in Nude Mood. These affordable eyeshadows are so pigmented, buttery soft, and they have very very minimal fallouts. I can apply them without a lid primer and they still stay put throughout the day. I love that they don’t irritate my lids and the shades are reminiscent of Urban Decay’s Naked Heat and the original Naked palette.

Last but not the least is the very beautiful Nyx Love Lust Disco Shadow Palette in Rosé And Play. This palette is so stunning with its rose-gold pinkish tones that are not only perfect for Fall and Winter but are also perfect as transitional eyeshadow shades for this coming Spring and Summer. The compact itself looks very delightful, and each shade looks fun and unique. Unfortunately, Nyx discontinued this palette, but you can still find the golden version of this palette at Macy’s.

These are some of my top picks in Eyeshadow palettes since last Fall and also this Winter. I would also like to mention and add the latest palettes from Viseart in this roundup, but I will be doing a separate review of this brand soon. So, stay tuned guys.

Have you tried any of these eyeshadow palettes before? What are the drugstore palettes you’re loving this season?

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Anastasia Beverly Hills Dewy Set vs Mac Prep + Prime Fix+ Finishing Mist

March 9, 2020 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

Lately, I was asked about my tips for preventing makeup cakiness. While I do have a couple of pointers for that, I also make sure to have good finishing sprays close at hand just in case. But before we talk about finishing/setting sprays, let’s first talk about a few tips on how I avoid cakey makeup. For me, the first thing is really to exfoliate. Dead skin cells create a rough surface on the skin. So, establishing a good skincare routine is very important. Second, don’t overdo on the foundation, concealer, and even powder. Layering on foundations after foundations, and adding extra concealers with too much setting powders will really give a very unnatural look. A more lightweight dewy or natural coverage will most likely be good enough. A matte look is ok too, but it shouldn’t look or feel too thick, and that means finding a good mattifying foundation is very crucial. Lastly, whatever you do, make sure to always prime the skin before any foundation. Priming is a religion, lol. 🙂

Now, there are times when we really can’t avoid the cakiness. If for whatever reason (bad skin days, heavy-handed application, etc.) it happens, I have two face mists to recommend. The ABH Dewy Set Setting Spray and the MAC Prep + Prime Fix+ Spray are setting sprays or finishing mists that you spray on your face after you finish applying your makeup. Both of them will give a dewy/glowy finish or look because they’ll soften your foundation or powder, which avoids all that cakey makeup harshness. I’ve been testing them and though they’re quite very similar especially in size and effect, I still noticed a few differences.

Here are my thoughts.

The Anastasia Beverly Hills Dewy Set Setting Spray (3.4 oz: 26 USD) is a beautifully-packaged finishing spray and is an Allure Best of Beauty winner. The bottle may look glittery on the outside, but inside there is no shimmer or glitter at all. This gives a nice glowy set on the face after applying all your foundation and setting powder. The glow is immediate and it lasts for about two hours on my skin and on most folks as well. This has a coconut-vanilla scent and is free of parabens and mineral oil. The formula is also cruelty-free, gluten-free and vegan. I find this to be very lightweight and it really makes the skin look radiant and glowy.

On the other hand, the Mac Prep + Prime Fix+ Finishing Mist (3.4 oz: 28 USD) is a well-loved finishing spray. It costs just a bit more than the ABH Setting Spray above yet it has the same size. This comes in different scents, finishes, and there’s a shimmery version of this too. So far, I’ve only tried this original version and I’m really satisfied with it. This finishing spray is pretty much very very similar to the ABH Setting Spray as what I’ve mentioned above. This is also very lightweight and this also evens and smooths the surface after every powder and foundation, and this really adds a wonderful glowy radiant finish. However, I find that this doesn’t give that immediate glow unlike the ABH Spray above. For me, this usually takes a few more minutes to notice the glowy effect, but once this works, then the effect lasts a couple more minutes or even an hour longer than ABH.

With that being said, I love both of these glowy finishing sprays and I highly recommend them for preventing/avoiding makeup cakiness. However, I don’t think that these are great for setting the makeup for hours though. Not even to prime it. If you want a good setting spray that will set your makeup for hours, I still recommend the Urban Decay All Nighters. But, between these two, I might have a slight preference for the Anastasia one because it’s slightly cheaper, the bottle looks eye-catching, and it gives an immediate glow.

Are you a fan of these glowy finishing sprays? What are your tips to prevent cakey makeup?

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(and the rest of my favorite face mists)

Kérastase Haircare Favorites

March 7, 2020 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

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

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

Another great Sulfate-free product from Kérastase 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.

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

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

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