Reviews and Other Stuff

Loving Right Now. Winter Faves

best beauty skincare products this winter

 

In a few weeks, Spring will be here and I’m pretty sure we can’t wait to welcome it. Aren’t you just glad to see some colors and more sunshine again? But before this chilly season ends, I’m about to feature some of the stuff I’m loving lately in this post. I will also be releasing another post featuring some of the products I’ll be reaching out constantly for Spring. I will definitely update you guys soon. For now, check these out.

 

COMPACTS

 

Hourglass Ghost Blush Palette

 

There are a lot of face compacts released this Winter, but I’ve been especially loving the Charlotte Tilbury Instant Look In A Palette in Gorgeous, Glowing Beauty because it has everything I wanted in a palette. It’s an all-in-one face compact that is easy to use, well-pigmented, and perfect for when you’re on-the-go. See the swatch here. For blushes, there are a lot of lovely blushes lately and I really love them all. I do have a special liking for the Hourglass Ghost Blush Palette because it gives a multidimensional pop of color on the cheeks, so each shade won’t make your face look flat. Read the review of this blush quad here. For bronzers, I’m surprisingly amazed by the Too Faced Toasted Peach Bronzer because it’s so creamy and it’s easy to blend. I don’t think I’ve ever tried a very creamy bronzer like this before, and it’s so good. Also, it stays on the skin for hours and it smells divine. Its packaging is also very beautiful. On the other note, I hit pan on my Armani Neo Nude Fusion Powder in #4, so I repurchased it in shade #3 because my skin lightened quite a bit this Winter. Read more about my favorite compact setting powders here.

 

Armani Neo Nude Fusion Powder in #3 swatch

 

BROW

 

Burberry Beauty Full Brow Effortless All-in-One Brow Builder in #3 Ash Brown

 

I’m testing several eyebrow products lately ever since I got disappointed with my Anastasia and Benefit brow products which kept on breaking every time I travel. So far, I’m really impressed with the Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil in Ash because it gives a nice volumizing effect. It will give you that kind of Hepburn-ish brows, and it can make you look youthful. Also, the spooley of this is really soft and not scratchy on the brow. I am also enjoying the Burberry Beauty Full Brow Effortless All-in-One Brow Builder in #3 Ash Brown, although it’s a little tricky to use, but it does give a nice volumizing effect as well. The one I seem to love the most is the Shiseido Brow Ink Trio Pencil, Powder, Brush in #3 Deep Brown. This is a very interesting brow product because you can apply this using its pencil tip or using the powder that’s also incorporated in this product. On top of that, this also comes with a spooley. I find myself using the powder and sponge tip applicator a lot because it’s fast, easy, and precise to use. It gives me a nice natural volumized brow in a few seconds, and the formula adheres well and is long-wearing. All three of these brow products have robust packagings.

 

Burberry Beauty Full Brow Effortless All-in-One Brow Builder in #3 Ash Brown

 

 

 

FOUNDATIONS

 

Tom Ford Illuminating Primer

 

I’ve repurchased the Tom Ford Illuminating Primer because it’s still one of the best skincare primers I’ve ever tried and it’s moisturizing for this dry season. The Marc Jacobs Beauty Under(cover) Perfecting Coconut Face Primer is also a very good hydrating primer that I tend to use this Winter as well. I’m also finishing up the Sunday Riley The Influencer Foundation which is an overall good foundation that gives a natural matte sort of second-skin effect and has skincare benefits. It’s a pity that it’s already discontinued. Additionally, I really love using the Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Ultra-Longwear Foundation in 2N2 Linen because it gives a really nice lightweight matte coverage on the skin. See the swatch here.

 

Armani Beauty Power Fabric Concealer in #4.5

 

As an eyeshadow primer, I use the Too Faced Shadow Insurance because it’s creamy and easy to apply on the lids. For concealers, I have a couple of them that I like and I will be reviewing them pretty soon here in the blog. One of them is this Armani Beauty Power Fabric Concealer in #4.5. I like this a lot for my undereyes and it’s creamy, easy to spread, and it covers well. It also lasts a long time. On the other hand, the Ilia Liquid Light Serum Highlighter in Nova (see the swatch here) is a beautiful golden highlighter that you can use alone or combine with your favorite foundations, which I like a lot. I’m also finishing up the Urban Decay Quick Fix Hydracharged Complexion Prep Priming Spray in mini size and I’m planning to have it in regular size because it’s so easy to use. You just spray it on your face and you get a nice prep and primed skin in seconds.

 

For lippies, I am so in love with the Charlotte Tilbury K.I.S.S.I.N.G Lipstick in Stoned Rose. It’s a warm coral rose that is perfect for Winter and its formula is hydrating. Also, as a lip conditioner, I’m enjoying the Laneige Lip Glowy Balm in Berry. It’s a very delicious yummy lip balm that I think is way more sanitary to use than its lip sleeping mask counterpart.

 

Pat McGrath Labs MatteTrance Lipstick in Femmebot

 

Another lippy I’m loving is the Nars Satin Finish Lipstick in Tolรจde, which is a pink rose shade that feels hydrating and looks like a natural pop of rose flush on the lips. Speaking of rosy lips, I’m also loving the Rouge Dior Ultra Care Liquid Lipstick in 786 Rosewoodย (swatched here) because of its long-wearing, diffused, and blotted rosy lip shade that looks so stunning. Another lip shade I’m loving lately is the Pat McGrath Labs MatteTrance Lipstick in Femmebot. It’s a pretty natural nude pinkish shade. I will be reviewing my favorite PMG MatteTrance Lipsticks soon, so stay tuned for that.ย 

 

nars satin lipstick tolede swatch

 

BRUSHES

 

Sephora Collection PRO Contour Blender #77

 

There are four brushes I’m loving lately and will probably be loving forever. The brushes from Real Techniques are really superb and they’re really affordable too. I’m really impressed with their Blush Brush and Eye Blend Brush because they’re so soft, so functional, and they feel like high-end brushes or way better. The Eye Blend Brush can pretty much work as my eye shader brush and blending brush at the same time. The Make Up For Ever 122 Blending Brush is a brush with a very interesting shape and design. Some people don’t like it, but I really do. I find that it has a specific purpose, and at first, you may feel like it’s way too light and too fluffy to use that it may not pick up enough product. Well, that’s exactly its purpose – to pick up less products. I love to use it with my Armani Neo Nude powder or with any setting powder because it will help set the foundation in a very light natural way, thus, minimizing cakiness. Also, as an easy contour brush, I love the Sephora Collection PRO Contour Blender #77 because it gives you a more defined well-chiseled cheekbone.

Another thing that I really find interesting lately is the Beauty Blender Wave Shadeshifter Makeup Sponge. One of my old beautyblenders broke, and I had to replace it with this cool and fun makeup sponge that changes its color depending on the water’s temperature. For nail colors, I’m still in love with vampy nail polishes, but the Dior Limited Edition Diorfic Vernis in Dream shade is too pretty to ignore. It’s a gorgeous berry purple color contained in a luxe bottle.

 

Dior Limited Edition Diorfic Vernis in Dream

 

Last but not the least of the stuff I’m loving lately is the Boscia Yes, She Can Peppermint Blotting Linens which smell great and an oily-skin savior. This absorbs excess oil from the pores and it smells fabulous like real peppermints on your fingers.

 

These are the products I’m loving lately, and stay tuned for more beauty and skincare items I will be loving this coming Spring.

 

Boscia Yes, She Can Peppermint Blotting Linens

 

Have you tried or had any of these before? What are your beauty/skin-care go-tos every Winter?

 

SHOP THIS POST

 

 

Kaja Beauty Bento Bouncy Eyeshadow Trio Review & Swatches

kaja beauty sephora k beauty bento eyeshadow

 

When I first reviewed the Kaja Beauty Bento Eyeshadows, I mentioned how lovely the Orange Blossom shade was, but I thought that its shimmers were a little too much for my lids. I did promise you guys that I will be testing their matte finish Beauty Bento Eyeshadows to check and compare them with the shimmery ones, and to see how they fare with other eyeshadows as well.

kaja beauty bento eyeshadow review

As an overview, the Kaja Beauty Bento Eyeshadow (3 shades/0.03 oz: 21 USD) is a trio of curated stacked eyeshadow shades. Each compact contains a mix of shimmer and matte finish colors, but for the matte finish compacts, there is only one shimmery shade and the other two are mattes. Kaja Beauty is Sephora’s K beauty products, and so far, I have really good experience with their formula, pigment, and longevity. To read my other Kaja Beauty reviews, click HERE for the Stamp Blush, and HERE for my initial impression of this brand.

 

Shimmer Finish

kaja beauty bento eyeshadow rosewater review

 

RosewaterRose tones. A gorgeous pink, purple, and champagne shimmery trio.

kaja beauty bento eyeshadow orange blossom review

Orange BlossomGolden tones. A bit too shimmery for my liking, but it’s a beautiful trio of champagne, coral, and golden shimmer of shades.

 

kaja beauty bento eyeshadow rosewater swatch

 

Matte Finish

kaja beauty bento eyeshadow glowing guava review

 

Glowing GuavaMauvy pink tones. This is such a beautiful stack of matte beige-pink, shimmery mauve, and clayish copper. An ideal shade for Fall and Winter.

kaja beauty bento eyeshadow chocolate dahlia

 

Chocolate DahliaNeutral cocoa. If you like the neutral everyday brown and nude taupe with a golden champagne shimmer, then you’ll love this gorgeous and pigmented trio.

 

kaja beauty bento eyeshadow glowing guava swatch

 

I find the Kaja eyeshadows to be highly pigmented even just at one swipe, and they last really long. They never irritated my lids and the shimmers are very fine and they adhere well on the lid with no fallouts. Their quality is really outstanding and I find that they’re comparable, if not better than most high-end eyeshadows. When it comes to their finishes, I do find the matte finish to be more wearable for me just because it looks better given my lid space and forehead structure. Additionally, I find the packaging of the Kaja Beauty Bento Eyeshadows to be very very cute, very functional, and definitely space-saving. I like that they’re easy to travel, easy to use, and they make for a cute decor on my vanity. Also, they’re sulfate-free, paraben-free, phthalates-free, and an Allure Best of Beauty Winner.

kaja beauty bento bouncy eyeshadow

 

Have you tried any of these eyeshadows before? Which trio is your fave?

 

*Thanks to Kaja Beauty (Sephora) for these Beauty Bento Eyeshadows.

 

Stay tuned for more Kaja Beauty reviews.

 

SHOP THIS POST

 

 

Pat McGrath Labs Obsessive Opulence MatteTrance Lipstick Review & Swatches

Pat McGrath Labs Obsessive Opulence MatteTrance Lipsticks

 

There’s always something about a Pat McGrath Lipstick. Whether its the gorgeous luxurious casing design or the saturated long-wearing pigment, a lot of us have fallen in love with Pat McGrath’s lip products. If you’re a fan of her MatteTrance Lipsticks and a collector of such, then you’re going to love her Obsessive Opulence Collection (0.14 oz: 38 USD) released last holiday 2019. These lipsticks feature a few of Pat McGrath’s MatteTrance bestsellers but now encased in an updated ultra-gorgeous and elegant colorful baroque-style packaging. They still have that signature Pat McGrath golden lip bullet design and they’re still at the same price point.

 

The PMG MatteTrance Lipsticks are award-winning matte lipsticks known for their lightweight comfortable texture and high-impact colors that last for several hours. The shades are really well-saturated at one swipe and the consistency is not drying on the lips. There is no scent detectable on these lipsticks and they don’t bleed. They are pricey though, but once you find the right shade for you, then it’s worth investing in a few. I will be reviewing my favorite PMG MatteTrance lipstick shades soon, so stay tuned that. In the meantime, let’s take a look at the new packaging of Omi, Christy, and the gorgeous 1995 shade.

 

 

Pat McGrath Labs Obsessive Opulence MatteTrance Lipstick

 

Pat McGrath Labs Obsessive Opulence MatteTrance Lipstick swatches

 

 

ChristyMatte beige nude. It seems more like a light coral nude to me. Hard to pull off on my light-medium skintone, but a gorgeous shade nevertheless.

 

OmiMatte mid-tone rose. The perfect rosy mauve shade for my lips, and the one that fits my lip shade the most out of all the PMG MatteTrance Lipsticks.

 

1995Matte warm light-nude. This has a slight brownish undertone that works as an everyday nude color for my light-medium skintone. Befitting to its name, this is a shade that will take you back in time, yet it’s still hitting trends nowadays. If you’re a 90’s kid, then you’re going to love this beautiful nostalgic shade. Think TLC, Spice Girls, and All Saints vibe. ๐Ÿ™‚

Pat McGrath Labs Obsessive Opulence MatteTrance Lipstick in 1995, Omi, ChristyThese gorgeous Pat McGrath Obsessive Opulence MatteTrance Lipsticks are definitely a must-try and a must-have if you don’t own one yet. The updated gorgeous bullets make for a nice decor in your vanity and the quality of these lipsticks do not disappoint.

 

Pat McGrath Labs Obsessive Opulence MatteTrance Lipstick

 

Are you a fan of Pat McGrath lip products? Which matte lipstick brands do you prefer?

 

 

SHOP THIS POST