Reviews and Other Stuff

Sephora Holiday Bonus Beauty Insider Event 2018 Wishlist

October 30, 2018 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

It’s that time of the year again for us beauty lovers. Sephora is currently running their Holiday Bonus Beauty Insider Event for a few weekends, catering not only to their Beauty Insider members of different memberships levels but also to those who are non-Beauty Insider Members.

For Rouge Members, you’ll get 20% OFF two weekends of sale access in advance. The first round of sale started last weekend, and the next round will be this coming November 2 to 5. Just use the code ROUGEBONUS

For VIB Members, you can still get 20% OFF on November 9 to 12. Use Code VIBBONUS

For Insiders or Non-Beauty Insider Members, you can get 15% OFF on November 16 to 19 with the code BIBONUS

Aren’t these weekend sales exciting? It’s always a great idea to take advantage of these sales event in order to try some new releases in beauty and skin care or use them to finally get a discount on some products you’ve been wishing and longing for a long time. With that being said, I have compiled a few items that have been on my wishlist for some time and also some newness in beauty that I would love to try. I will be adding another set of wishlist in the following weeks to come.

Charlotte Tilbury Stars In Your Eyes Eyeshadow Palette ($75) – This is such a pricey eyeshadow palette with a very beautiful packaging. I would really like to try this because each color seems to be very pigmented and also, I haven’t really tried a Charlotte Tilbury eyeshadow before or even own one, so I’m hoping that this would be a keeper.

Beautyblender Sapphire ($20) – Because there is always a reason to buy a Beautyblender especially in every color, LOL. I cannot stress how much of a staple this little sponge is for me and it’s still the most useful tool to apply the foundation seamlessly while looking natural. This newest Sapphire-blue shade is just too beautiful to pass up.

BKR Spiked Tutu Glass Water Bottle (Little, 16 oz: $42) – I’ve been eyeing this beautiful eye-catching water bottle for a long time. I like its edgy, unique and spunky design that is not only cool to carry around, its entire aesthetic is just perfect as a decor, plus it makes you wanna drink more water too, ha! It comes in two sizes, and I like the “little” size which is easy to carry. I know it’s kinda silly to wish for a fancy-looking water bottle because, at the end of the day, it’s just really a water bottle, LOL, but this is just so pretty, and on top of that, it looks like something made for self-defense, LOL.

Kerastase Reflection Sulfate-Free Shampoo for Color-Treated Hair (8.5 oz: $30) – I’ve always wanted to try this particular shampoo from Kerastase. I’m a big fan of Sulfate-free haircare, and this one sparks my curiosity a lot. Also, I’ve heard that this smells really great, and of course, it’s gentle not only for colored hair but also for those who’ve had some treatments done on their mane.

Viktor&Rolf Magic Liquid Diamonds (Mini 0.30 oz: $30, 2.5 oz: $190) – This is my most favorite scent from the newest Viktor&Rolf Magic Collection of Eau de Parfums, reviewed HERE. I love the clean irresistible floral scent of this and I’m dying to have this in full size.

Urban Decay Naked Cherry Eyeshadow Palette (12 x 0.038 oz: $49) – I’m excited to try this but not quite sure about what to expect of this palette, in other words, this palette is giving me mixed emotions. I’m afraid the shades might be too “bruised” looking for me, but they all look really gorgeous judging from the swatches I’m seeing online. So I’m hoping this would really work for my skin tone.

Giorgio Armani Rouge D’Armani Matte Lipstick (0.14 oz: $38) – Saw this at my local Sephora and I almost bought a few shades, but I’m waiting for this sale. These lipsticks look really pretty and they have a beautiful elegant red and black case. The texture is a very nice matte and the shades are just gorgeous.

Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Powder Foundation (0.31 oz: $62) – I’ve heard good things about this pressed powder and since I’m looking for a new pressed powder foundation to love, I’m hoping this would be perfect for me. The reviews of this are really good as well.

Shiseido Modern Matte Powder Lipstick (0.14 oz: $26) – Someone recommended this to me and mentioned that this is such a very good yet understated matte lipstick, and judging from the reviews online, I think I may like this a lot. We’ll see, so far, I really love the shade range.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Unlocked Palette ($80) – I’m torn between this palette and the other limited-edition new Ambient Lighting Edit Volume 4 Palette from Hourglass as well. However, I seem to like this Unlocked palette better, at least shade-wise. The Volume 4 Palette looks very much like the Volume 3 which I already have from the last Holiday Season (reviewed HERE). Problem is, this Unlocked Palette is still Sold Out. Hopefully, Sephora will restock this soon before the sale ends.

Have you shopped the Sephora Holiday Bonus Event already? What’s on your wishlist?

Stay tuned for more of my Sephora Holiday Event Wishlist

Best Lip Powders

October 26, 2018 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

Ever since trying the Buxom Pillow Pout Lip Powders (originally reviewed HERE) which I love and still use even to these days, I decided to try some other lip powders from other brands just to see and compare if there’s a major difference among them. Lip Powders are fairly new to me. I find these type of lips products to be quite innovative and unique, and I like the semi-matte, soft focus, muted look that they do on my lips, kinda like the blotted type. There’s still not a lot of lipsticks like these nowadays, although I could see them being really popular pretty soon, it’s just a matter of finding the right formula to make them even more comforting and with a beautiful color range to match.

For this review, I’d like to focus more on the mid-range type of lip powders, especially the ones who look exactly similar in terms of packaging and formulation; that would be the lip powders from Sephora, Lorac, and of course, Buxom. Although, I’ll tell you later how these products compare to the newest Liquid Powder from Chanel (seen HERE).

Lorac PRO Hi-Res Lip & Cheek Powder (0.03 oz: $19): This looks exactly like the Buxom Pillow Pout Lip Powder as well as the ones from Sephora Collection. Formula-wise, this feels more like the Buxom Pillow Pout which is kinda creamy and this has a really nice very wearable shade range. Also, you can apply this not only on the lips but also on the cheeks. I like this a lot, but it’s a lot more drying than the Buxom ones and it has strong kinda weird vanilla scent.

Curated – mauve

Neue – muted raspberry rose

Wallflower – terracotta rose

Sephora Collection Lip Powder (0.035 oz: $5): Currently on sale for a very cheap price and I’m not surprised why. Even though this also resembles like the Lorac PRO above as well as the Buxom’s, the shades of this lip powder are just too metallic and they’re hard for me to pull off. This lip powder is also very drying and I don’t seem to like its weird choco scent.

Rethink Pink – metallic mauve pink

Rust Red – copper red

Red Hot – metallic bright orange-red

Buxom Pillow Pout Creamy Plumping Lip Powder (0.03 oz: $22): The formula of this is a lot better than the Lorac or the Sephora ones because this feels a bit creamier, more hydrating, and it doesn’t have a very strong scent. Also, this comes in several wearable shades and I like its tingly feel once it’s applied on the lips. Reviewed further HERE.

Cozy Up – nude mauve

Darling Dolly – mauve pink (swatched HERE)

Seduce Me – wine red

So Spicy – pumpkin spice (seen HERE)

As a summary, these lip powders look exactly the same at least on the outside. They have the same packaging, same sponge tip applicators, same blotted matte finish on the lips, same lightweight feel and almost the same long-wearing property which pretty much lasts for several hours. Yet, they differ in the intensity of their scents and shade range. Lorac and Buxom have really nice shade availability, but Lorac is a lot more drying and has a stronger scent, while Buxom feels comfier and doesn’t have a strong scent. The Sephora ones could have been better but the colors are just way too much.

Now, for the more expensive option, Chanel recently released their Rouge Allure Liquid Powders (reviewed HERE) which I think is the best when it comes to liquid lip powders with very good formulation. The Chanel ones come in a powdery cushiony liquid form and not the creamy type like the ones in this review, but it does come with a sponge applicator and the effect is soft-focus with shades that are highly pigmented, long-wearing, comfortable and are very staining. For me, this is a very reliable liquid lip powder.

Have you tried any of these Lip Powders already? If so, what’s your fave?

The Lorac PRO Hi-Res Lip & Cheek Powder is currently available at Ulta and Kohl’s

The Sephora Collection Lip Powder can be found at Sephora and at JCPenney

The Buxom Pillow Pout Creamy Plumping Lip Powder is available at Sephora, Ulta, Macy’s and JCPenney

The Chanel Rouge Allure Liquid Powder is currently available at Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Macy’s, Harrod’s and Chanelbeauty.com

Favorite Essie Nail Colors

October 25, 2018 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

Essie is one of my favorite go-to nail polish brands of all time. Apart from loving their range of gorgeous eye-popping nail colors, I also like the fact that their products are pretty much easy to find. Whenever I’m at my local drugstore or grocery store, I always make it a point to drop by at the nail polish aisle and look for what’s new in Essie nail colors. I must have collected a ton of Essie nail polishes already, but I do have some colors that I tend to reach more often and I’ll be showing their swatches in this review.

As you can see, I’m a fan of reds and pinks when it comes to nail colors, that’s because these shades tend to always look great on me, and I guess it also applies to most of us, but I still have some favorites in blues, nudes, and even a green. Lately, with the introduction of the newest Essie Gel-Couture nail polishes, I kinda stopped collecting the original Enamel shades as I find the Gel ones to be a lot more long lasting and less prone to chipping, although the Enamel ones have really good longevity as well. I’m still at my early stage of collecting the Gel-Couture shades, as of now, I only have some reds and mostly nudes, but I plan to expand my collection to some shades of blues, violets, and some other colors hopefully soon, and I’ll do a separate post for my favorite shades of the Essie Gel-Coutures only.

Here are my favorite Essie Nail Colors

Enamel ($9) – Original, lots of beautiful shades to choose from. Lasts about two weeks on me with some chipping. The brush applicator is a miss for me because it’s so thin and it takes a careful maneuvering to apply the shades.

Hide & Go Chic – teal

Big Spender – plum

Wicked – vamp

Mrs. Always-Right – terracotta rose

A List – classic red

Aruba Blue – metallic sapphire

Dress To Kilt – deep red

Splash of Grenadine – pink magenta

Angora Cardi – deep dusty rose

Scarlett O’Hara – shimmery ruby red

Stylenomics – rich dark green

Gel-Couture ($11.50) – Very long wearing, lasts about three weeks on me with very minimal chipping and I love the brush applicator since it’s wider than the enamel and kinda tapered/rounded towards the tip. However, the color range has not been completely expanded yet and there are some inconsistencies with the shades, like the Pinned Up color having two different intensities; one being lighter and the other being darker. On the other hand, these nail colors are great to use with the Essie Gel Top Coat to set immediately and for a brilliant shine.

Sew Me – cream caramel

Bubbles Only – creamy burgundy

Pinned Up – nude pink rose, there’s an inconsistency with this color. One bottle may be lighter than the other. Lighter shade looks very close to Sew Me, while the darker one is closer to All Dressed Up. Love both tones though.

Spiked With Style – wine red

All Dressed Up – medium rose pink

Bottom line, it’s hard to tell the Enamel nail colors when compared to the Gel ones, especially at eye value. They both pretty much smell the same, feel the same, and look the same. The only difference between them is the lasting power, which the Gels obviously are ahead at with barely any chipping. The nice thing about Essie is that they tend to have beautiful bold colors that are easy to find, not that crazy expensive, and reliable. Perfect for all your nail polish needs.

Are you an Essie fan? What are your favorite Essie Nail Polish shades?

The Essie Nail Colors can be found at most local grocery stores and drugstores everywhere, as well as at Ulta, Target, Dermstore, Kohl’s, Walgreens, and Macy’s