Reviews and Other Stuff

Shiseido Modern Matte Powder Lipstick Review And Swatches

November 8, 2018 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

Hello Everybody and Hello to all lipstick lovers! I finally got the Shiseido Modern Matte Powder Lipstick (0.14 oz: $26) during the Sephora Holiday Bonus Sale, which is still ongoing and the next round will be coming up this weekend (more details and my wishlist HERE, will be adding another wishlist soon). It’s always great to take advantage of these sales so we can finally get that lipstick or be it any makeup our hearts desire. For me, I’ve been wanting to try this Shiseido matte lipstick because as what I’ve said before, someone recommended this to me and the reviews in Sephora have been great so far, even though there’s not a lot, and also, I haven’t really found several beauty bloggers talking or raving about this lipstick which is kinda strange because this particular Shiseido lipstick is actually an Allure Best of Beauty Winner this year.

To tell you a bit of story as to how I got so interested about this lipstick, let’s go back a couple of months ago to my trip to Minnesota, specifically Mall of America, lol. I was at Nordstrom’s Tom Ford beauty counter swatching some of their latest lipsticks when one of their SAs asked if I needed some help, which I gladly accepted and I asked her several questions regarding TF’s latest beauty launches. While I was talking to her, I couldn’t help but notice her beautiful lipstick color. She had this sort of semi-glossy brownish taupe lip color that simply looked glam and very Fall-ready. My first thought automatically was, it’s probably one of Tom Ford’s, but then I was like “no, it can’t be, I need to ask her” lol. So I did, and I was so shocked when she told me that she’s actually wearing two kinds of lip products and none of them are from Tom Ford, LOL! shockerz! I was like “Whaaaat?!”, I swear I felt my invisible wig falling, LOL. She did show me the two lip shades she used, one is a Chanel Jumbo Lip Crayon which she used as a topper, kinda like a gloss, then the base is the Shiseido Modern Matte Lipstick, and she loved it so much. I totally had no clue about this lipstick at all or how good it is, not to mention ever trying any Shiseido lipsticks before. So I then decided that my next mission will be to try and test this particular lipstick asap.

The Shiseido Modern Matte Powder Lipstick is a super lightweight comfortable lipstick with a true matte finish. It is creamy and it glides effortlessly on the lips without feathering. There is no noticeable scent or any flavor at all, and the packaging has a magnetic case that feels thick, slightly heavy, and overall robust. I find the shades to be well-pigmented, wearable, and just beautiful. The formula does transfer but only a little bit and it lasts pretty much the whole day on me. I may have to retouch a tiny bit after eating but still, the color stays on my lips. Also, this lipstick might slightly emphasize the lips’ fine lines, but this never made my lips dry at all.

Here are some of my favorite shades:

Thigh High (504) – nude beige

Disrobed (506) – nude rose

Murmur (507) – rosewood

Semi Nude (508) – cinnamon, but more like a spiced cinnamon

Nocturnal (521) – brick red

Velvet Rope (522) – sangria

This lipstick’s shape and form reminded me a bit of the Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution lipsticks (reviewed HERE) but I find this Shiseido Modern Matte Lipstick to be a lot better in terms of texture, comfort and wear time, plus, this lipstick is way cheaper. With that, I do believe this lipstick deserves a 5-star rating since it’s very well done overall, and this is definitely one of the best matte lipsticks I’ve ever tried. I highly recommend this to you all.

The Shiseido Modern Matte Powder Lipstick is currently available at Sephora, Lord & Taylor, Nordstrom, and Saks Fifth Avenue

*Crown Catchall is from West Elm

*All In Good Taste Book (Kate Spade) is available HERE

*Peonies Book is from HERE

*Veranda Entertaining Book is also from HERE

*Diptyque “Figuier” candle is available at Nordstrom

Top 3 Wet Foods For Picky Cats

November 7, 2018 / PET STUFF / 0 comments

Hello guys. Let’s veer away from beauty reviews for just a sec and let’s talk about our fur babies and their eating habits, most specifically, their food preferences. You may or you may not have a picky cat at home, but I’m pretty sure you’ve cared for or encountered one in the past. Picky cats can be picky with a lot of things, be it being picky with their toys, their favorite lounge/chill area, or simply with their food. It can be quite a challenge to adapt and figure out what they really need.

When it comes to feeding, most of the time we resort to trial and error in order to find out which particular food these diva eaters will actually like. I know that because I do have a picky diva-ish cat at home. I have tried countless wet cat foods for Frodo (Dodo) since I didn’t want him eating dry solid kibbles all the time (which aren’t good for any cat’s digestion), and he always seems unfazed. His facial reaction is the pretty much the same; stares at the new food, smells it a bit, tastes it a bit, and then leave or go flat on the floor. Sometimes, he would look up with a face saying “next food, please” or “I don’t like it”. Basically, he kept turning up his nose, and I was at my wit’s end. But before I surrendered, I found three very interesting cat foods that aren’t actually like most wet cat foods you’d come to know nowadays. They’re called cat broths, and they’re basically very juicy and brothy cat foods with a little bit of meat. Picky cats tend to like them because they’re so easy to eat and I guess they’re very flavorful as well.

Purina Fancy Feast Broths Classic Collection – This comes in two types, the Classic one which is seen in this review and is a personal favorite of my diva cat, and the other one is the Creamy type which my kitty couldn’t care less. The Classic type comes in several different flavors like Wild Salmon, Tuna Shrimp and Whitefish, Tuna and Vegetable, Chicken and Vegetable and more to mention. My picky cat loves these because there is a lot of broth in each pouch and the broth is not too thick.

Rachael Ray Nutrish Purrfect Broths – This cat broth is grain-free and made of natural and simple ingredients. There is real meat, fish, and real veggies in a silky light broth that is especially easy for picky cats to lick and eat. Also, this doesn’t smell as much compared to most cat broths or most wet cat foods.

Soulistic Wet Cat Food – This cat food may be available exclusively through Petco, but you can also find this at Amazon. This is not only one of the wettest cat foods I’ve ever seen, but this is also one of the smelliest. The smell is so strong especially the fishy ones that you can’t help but try to cover your nose, LOL. However, cats love this, even the smell, and since this has a lot of gravy instead of being brothy, this looks thick and concentrated in flavor. So, expect your kitties to go crazy with this.

Incorporating wet cat foods like these cat broths apart from feeding solid dry foods (kibbles) are the best way to feed and please a picky cat. Broths and most wet cat foods keep our fur babies from having constipation, thus promoting healthy digestion and good urinary health, especially since most cats don’t seem to like drinking lots of water.

Do you have a picky cat too? What do you feed them?

The Purina Fancy Feast Cat Broths are available in most grocery stores and can also be found at Amazon.com

The Rachel Ray Nutrish Purrrfect Broths and the Soulistic Cat Food are available at Amazon as well. click HERE and HERE

Samples of The Week

November 2, 2018 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

Hey Friends. It’s been a while since I featured some samples to test here in the blog. I do have several minis I’ve been dying to try and I’ll review them in batches for the weeks to come. For this post, I tested some Bobbi Brown lipsticks, some winter-ready scents, as well as a skincare from Dior and glow-enhancing products from Charlotte Tilbury and Cover Fx.

Here are my first impressions.

Bobbi Brown

Crushed Lip Color in Babe (0.17 oz: $29) – This is a hybrid lipstick and balm type and the Babe shade is a beautiful mid-tone salmon pink. I love how hydrating this is and the pigment is long-wearing. The finish of this looks pretty much like a balm yet it feels and applies like a lipstick. I think this is quite similar to the Dior Lip Glow (reviewed HERE), but the Dior ones feel even more like a true balm.

Art Stick Liquid Lip in English Rose (0.17 oz: $21.75) – This is a nude terracotta-ish rose. I love this a lot right from the moment I applied this on my lips. Apart from falling in love with the English Rose shade, I love how this liquid lip color wears and looks on my lips. It has a satiny sort of semi-matte finish with a creamy moisturizing feel and the pigment is totally long-wearing and staining, even if this feels a bit heavy. Sadly, this seems to be phasing out soon, I guess because the packaging is just not practical. You can still find the English Rose shade in mini size at Sephora, and there are still some other shades in full-sizes at bobbibrown.com

Lip Color in Sandwash Pink (0.12 oz: $29) – This is a nude beige pink with a full coverage semi-matte finish that feels creamy, comfy, and light. The pigment is very rich and it doesn’t dry the lips. I find this lipstick to be long-wearing and it’s a true Bobbi Brown classic.

Luxe Lipstick in Neutral Rose (0.13 oz: $37) – Mid-tone rose pink. A full coverage and highly pigmented moisturizing lipstick with a creamy finish. I love how vivid and beautiful this Neutral Rose shade is and this does last for several hours. I do feel like this is so close to the Bobbi Brown Lip Color above in terms of the finish and feel, but only with a slightly more pigmented formulation.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Lip Gloss in St. Tropez (0.16 oz: $16) – This is probably one of the best lip glosses I’ve ever tried, and I love the scent of this, which is kinda vanilla fruity. The St. Tropez shade is shimmery and metallic but it’s not over the top and it actually feels light. This looks pretty on the lips especially as a topper, and I find the formula to be long-lasting.

Hermès Twilly d’Hermès Eau de Parfum (1 oz: $79, 1.6 oz: $100, 2.8 oz: $130) – A powdery floral scent that will remind you of cashmere and cozy fireplaces. This is a sexy irresistible feminine scent but it’s the kind that needs to work with some body chemistries, or it could take some getting used to. Take it from me, I didn’t like this scent much before, but I find this to be alluring and irresistible now.

Kilian Good Girl Gone Bad Eau de Parfum (mini 4 x 0.25 oz: $195, 1.7 oz: $295) – This is supposed to be a floral scent, but it smells kinda fruity floral on me especially at first spritz. I find this fragrance to be classic and somewhat musky. It’s a little too strong for my taste, but I can see the appeal.

BVLGARI Omnia Pink Sapphire Eau de Toilette (1.35 oz: $68, 2.2 oz: $84) – If you’re familiar with most Bvlgari Omnia scents, then this particular fragrance is really not that different, except that this has a more fruity hint. I especially love the Omnia Coral and Crystalline scents, and if you have those already, you could either skip this one or you’d probably like this fragrance even more. I do notice that this doesn’t last as much as the other Bvlgari Omnia fragrances.

Berdoues Somei Yoshino Eau de Parfum (0.34 oz/travel size: $25, 3.4 oz: $88) – This is a delightful fruity floral fragrance that is feminine and light with a hint of cherry blossom, reminiscent of a stroll in the Japanese Garden during the early Spring. As much as I find the scent to be captivating, I feel like I’ve smelled this scent before, I just couldn’t pinpoint what it is. So I think this is kinda dupeable somehow.

Cover Fx Custom Enhancer Drops in Moonlight (0.5 oz: $42) – This illuminating drop is just epic. It imparts a customizable glow that is versatile for any use, be it as a highlighter or as an add-on to the foundation for soft or blinding glow. The Moonlight shade may look golden on the outside, but it’s actually silvery. You can get lots of glow with this, so try not to put a lot. A little bit goes a long way.

Charlotte Tilbury Wonderglow Face Primer (1.35 oz: $55) – This primer has a subtle glow for those who want to achieve that lit from within look. Also, if you want a bit more glow, you can add a drop of this on the cheeks as a highlight. On my skin, I could barely see the effect when used as a primer, since my foundation seems to overpower it. I prefer to use this mixed with my foundation.

Dior Hydra Life Fresh Hydration Sorbet Crème (1.7 oz: $69) – Love the fresh fruity scent of this light-green cream and it’s super hydrating with a lightweight gel feel. It’s great for normal to oily skin and perfect for any dry or rough patches on the face that needs moisturization.

Korres Pomegranate AHA & Enzymes Resurfacing Mask (2.54 oz: $34) – This is a gentle exfoliant that goes deep into the pores. I love its resurfacing ingredients and its fruity bubblegum scent which is really good, though it can be too strong for some. I like how my skin looks after using this a couple of times, it just looks glowy, smooth, and my pores look less pronounced and thoroughly cleaned. Will be purchasing this in its regular size.

Top favorites: Bobbi Brown Art Stick Liquid Lip, Luxe Lipstick, Crushed Lip Color, ABH Lip Gloss in St. Tropez, BVLGARI Omnia Pink Sapphire, Hermès Twilly d’Hermès Eau de Parfum, Cover Fx Custom Enhancer Drops, Dior Hydra Life Fresh Hydration Sorbet Crème, Charlotte Tilbury Wonderglow Face Primer, and the Korres Pomegranate AHA & Enzymes Resurfacing Mask.

Stay tuned for more sample tests in a few weeks.