Review: MAC Face Kit by Rebecca Moses in Plum

Hello, lovelies! I finally got around to sorting out and watermarking photos, not to mention found time to actually write a bit. It’s a very welcome respite from the strains of law school life (sighs) so it’s nice to be writing about something of interest for once.

Today I’ll be reviewing one of my birthday loot bag presents from my dad: the MAC Face Kit by Rebecca Moses! I forgot where Papa said he bought this (I think at an outlet store?), but either way it’s nice to finally own a MAC palette.

It comes in a box sleeve.

Back of outer box sleeve.

The palette itself.

As with all my other reviews, I usually comment first on the packaging. So here goes!

The palette comes in a box sleeve with Rebecca Moses’ illustrations grazing the front, and detailed instructions on the back for a smoky eye look. When slipped out of the sleeve, I noticed that the cover was actually wrapped in FABRIC! But what I like is that the fibers are tightly woven together so there’s little chance of fraying or snagging. I personally would still be cautious every time I use this palette because it would seem to get easily dirtied!

The Seven Deadly Sins of Beauty (or, if I went to hell for being beautiful–)

HAHAHAHAHA DON’T MIND THAT OTHER BIT IN THE TITLE.

I just finished making my lengthy post on my Cebu trip and I need a brrrrreeeeaak. So here it is! I first saw the lovely V make this post, and enjoyed it, thought about making one, but forgot about it. Hahaha! Then my close friend Alexis made it too, so I decided okay, I’ll really do it this time! :p

I haven’t been into beauty for a very long time, say 2 or 3 years tops? But I like to think I’ve amassed quite a little collection already so I think I can take this tag post without too many problems.

1. Greed: What’s your most inexpensive beauty item? What’s your most expensive beauty item?

The most inexpensive beauty item I have would have to be this highlighting powder that I bought at Daiso, on my Cebu trip! According to its packaging, it’s for nose highlighting (since it comes in a teeny 1.3g pot with a sifter lid), but it can also be used for general highlighting needs. It’s a pearly shimmer with a slight pink tone, and I used it for my Purplehood Ball makeup that I did myself.

As for the most expensive beauty item I have, it’ll have to be my Dior Addict Ultra Gloss in Flash. It’s an exquisitely shimmery pink which I haven’t actually worn out of the house yet–  haha! I think it retails for around Php1500? I’m not exactly sure – because this was just given to me by one of my best friends, Lala. Hahaha! If it’s something that I bought with my own money, then the most expensive thing would have to be my Etude House Precious Mineral Any Cushion in W24 Honey Beige, costing a little under Php1000. It’s super handy since I can take it on the plane, even if it’s pretty bulky for a compact.

2. Wrath: What item do you have a love/hate relationship with?

Like Alexis, it’s with false lashes – I like how they look and I like how my eyes look super fabulous with them on, buttttt it’s so hard to put on and I’m always paranoid that it’ll fall off or look weird when nudged out of place! Another reason why I only wear falsies when I play around with makeup at home.

Another pet peeve makeup would have to be liquid foundation. My oily skin tends to prefer powder foundation, or more simple BB/CC creams. I like to build up coverage instead of slathering one layer and looking really really greasy.

3. Gluttony: What brand takes up most of your collection?

Oh man, I don’t even know. But I really think Etude House takes up most of my collection – from convenient lip tints and eyeshadow sticks to nail polish to their foam cleansers to their Play 101 pencils.. wow. They have a balance of cute style and function to justify me not being able to resist purchasing them. Also, I don’t remember how many sheet masks I’ve bought from them–

A runner up would have to be Nature Republic because their nail polishes are so inexpensive! Not to mention their skincare is top-notch, and their sheet masks. Gotta love sheet masks.

4. Sloth: What product do you neglect the most due to laziness?

Primer. I mean I know it’ll make my face look nice and smooth and poreless but.. who has time for that? Sometimes I’ll even be content with just lipbalm.

5. Pride: What product gives you the most confidence?

Definitely a good lip colour! Whether it’s a vampy, bright, or even a fairly neutral lip, it’s really something that reflects my mood. It’s also excellent for lazy girls like me who can’t really be bothered with how they look, but still want to exert a teeny bit of effort to look human. (Especially when you’re super stressed with school or work!)

6. Lust: Which item is at the top of your beauty wishlist?

Oh goodness, I’ve only managed to make a list of my beauty lemmings. Seriously. There’s so many items, so I will casually bend the rules and give you one item per general category..

Eyes: Too Faced Chocolate Bar eyeshadow palette
Lips: MAC lipstick in Lady Danger

7. Envy: Which makeup product looks great on other but not on you?

Nude/pale lips. I have yet to find that perfect nude that won’t make me look washed out, sickly, or even dead. Hahaha! I actually purchased a NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Tokyo (a pale bubblegum pink) before out of curiosity, and when I tried it on.. it was a mix of shock and laughter, actually. I looked weird!

__

Why don’t you try this little tag post out too?

xx Marianne

Review: NYX Butter Gloss in BLG06 Peach Cobbler

Hello, my lovelies! I never thought I’d do yet another review on lip makeup, or makeup for that matter.. but here I am, crushing my own expectations. Hahaha! 😀

Last Valentines’ Day weekend, I took it upon myself to go out of two and off the the Queen City of the South, Cebu City! I’ll do a separate post on that, but for now I’ll give a little bit of a background as to how I purchased this little baby.

Basically, I was wandering around SM City Cebu and trying to familiarize myself with the mall. It was HUGE! Not quite Megamall huge, but definitely bigger than SM Southmall. I didn’t know anyone in Cebu (save for a couple of friends who, alas, had work that day so I was left on my own for Saturday) and for some reason, the hustle and bustle of an SM mall gives me a vague sense of comfort.

BUT

THEN I SAW A SHINING BEACON IN THE DISTANCE

/cue angelic choir/ HAAAAALLELUJAAAAAAH

HOLEY CRABSTICKS IT WAS A NYX STORE.

NYX Cosmetics is well-loved here in the Philippines (and in the whole world, for that matter) for affordable, high-quality cosmetics. It’s a favorite of online sellers (and buyers) for its wide range of shades and products. So how do you think I felt (as a relatively new lover of makeup) when I found an ENTIRE SHOP just for NYX? (Hint: It involved a bit of jaw-dropping and slight wheezing to myself.)

Apparently they also have branches at SM Megamall and SM Mall of Asia, but maybe I can visit there when I come home to Manila– /excited/

They were having a sale on selected items, which led me to check out this particular display:

HOMINAHOMINAHOMINA

See the little orange tube near the top left hand corner of the display, by the lip crayons? It’s hanging out in front of the lip glosses.

It was the last Butter Gloss in the whole store.
They were having a sale on selected items, and the Butter Glosses were the first to go.. So how lucky was I that the last tube of Butter Gloss left on sale was in the shade that I was most curious about – Peach Cobbler? So of course I immediately bought it, and went on my way. /no regrets/

I finally got to try it out when I came back to Dumaguete.

Review: Manic Panic Lethal Lipstick in Nosferatu

AHAAAAAAAAAAA! The review you’ve all (okay.. maybe just some of you) been waiting for! (Previous review on Daughter of Darkness is HERE.)

I originally swatched this a few days ago (on the 6th, to be more precise) while I was trying to practice my contouring. You’ll see a photo of it later in this post!

Like Daughter of Darkness, this was purchased from GWYSHOP, a lovely shop that sells mainly cosplay items such as wigs and circle lenses. I can’t really say I’m a regular since I don’t go to cosplay events anymore mainly because I’m miles and regions away here in Dumaguete, but I’ve purchased quite a few items from them. ^^

Nosferatu is a lovely velvet black shade. Velvet, because it has a matte finish! I’ve really been loving matte lips these days and this black lippie has really appealed to me because of its finish!

Yes, I reused the photo from when I received the package– ^^;;

Now, I admit I was pretty apprehensive to try a black lipstick.. but ever since my friend Alexis nudged me in the direction of the dark side (of the lippies), I don’t think I’ve ever really thought of purchasing any lipstick/gloss/shade other than something deep and dark. Purchasing Nosferatu was really stretching my limits – I mean, on what occasion would I wear it? Would I even have the guts or style to wear it outside the house??

Review: TonyMoly Kiss Lover Style in PK10 Pop Pink

Surprise! Another lipstick review! 😀

I purchased this lipstick during my holiday Manila visit. I probably have a lot of lipsticks already (and only one set of lips) but well.. it was calling me. And I haven’t tried anything from TonyMoly other than their eyebrow pencil (which I use almost daily), so I think this would be a good starter.

First, the packaging!

Here's what the box sides look like. (I don't read Hangul--)

So nice and bright!

It comes in a cutely patterned box, with black and pink as its main color theme. The lipstick itself is encased in a nice, sleek plastic tube; with the usual click top and twist-up parts.

Review: Manic Panic Lethal Lipstick in Daughter of Darkness

Yesterday, I woke up early for my 10 a.m. Saturday class, which is Legal Writing. I don’t normally wake up an hour before class but– I wanted to make sure I looked human so I could take nice selcas with the lipstick that I’m reviewing today. 😀 (But then it turned out that we had no class today – I received the news just as I arrived at school. Guuuuuuh.)

Just in case you missed my first glance post on Manic Panic Lethal Lipsticks, click right HERE!

I purchased this lovely lippie from GWYSHOP, though I believe Rainbow Head sells them for around Php50 cheaper.

Daughter of Darkness is a deep oxblood colour with a matte finish. I’ve never worn dark lips outside the comforts of my room, so it was really exciting to go out wearing such a bold shade.

In the Mail: Manic Panic Lethal Lipsticks in Daughter of Darkness and Nosferatu

First post of 2015, woo!

I apologize to my readers for the long delay in posting. It feels like months since my last post. I’ve been swamped with law school, and I chose to spend my holiday vacation bonding with my family and catching up with my friends (especially if we’re friends on Facebook or connected via Instagram). Also, when I returned to Dumaguete on the 5th, I found out the next day that I was in the early stages of chickenpox, which meant 2 more weeks out of school spent in a super-sedentary lifestyle because I couldn’t even take a few steps without groaning in pain from the high blood pressure. I need to lose weight, too–

ANYWAY! This first post of the year is about my first big purchase of 2015 –  Manic Panic lipsticks!

I’ve always known about Manic Panic hair dyes, because my friends use it and I’ve also seen a lot of bloggers and celebrities use it to dye their hair all rainbow-brite. Hopefully this summer I’ll get a chance to dye even just part of my hair with it! (I’ve already contracted my friend Gax to dye for me. Muhahahaha!) Then I found out they had a cosmetics line and I just HAD to browse through their site, after which I browsed through some local online sellers for availability.

I purchased mine from GWYSHOP, whom some of you may have seen manning a booth with a couple other sellers during cosplay events. I’ve actually bought a few things from them such as NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams and contact lenses, but this is my first online purchase from them.

Because I currently reside in a dormitory in Dumaguete City, it’s not very easy to get things sent to me. I usually opt to get items picked up at a nearby courier branch, most likely LBC since it’s the nearest one I know, not to mention there’s so many branches in Manila so it’s easier for the sender to send it to me through branch pickup. (Am I making sense..?)

Compared to the LBC and FasTrack wrappers, the sent items are actually quite small. ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

If you’ve known me for a while, you’ll know that I love love LOVE receiving things in the mail, whether it’s a package containing a photobook or an album, or an order from an online shop, or even snail mail like postcards and letters. So of course, when I receive something I tend to go snap-happy and take photos of it!

Let’s take a glance at the packaging first, shall we?

Inside The Pouch part 2 – One face, three different lipsticks.

This is somewhat of a companion post to my previous one, as so you can see what I look like when I’m not too lazy and actually use the products I’ve enumerated. ^^;

Quick recap:

 

Clockwise from the compact:

• ZA Perfect Fit Two-Way Foundation in P020
• K-Palette Økuma Concealer in Type 1
• Etude House Rosy Tint Lips in #8 After Blossom
• Majolica Majorca Brow & Lash Colorist in BR555 Maroon Brown
• Marionnaud mini eyebrow razor/lash comb/ brow brush
• Clio O’Tank Volume Mascara
• Maybelline Baby Lips Lip Balm in Anti-Oxidant Berry
• Too Cool For School Lost Identity Lip Crayon in Lost in Hawaii
• Revlon Colorburst Lacquer Balm in Whimsical

 

My “not feeling too much like a lazybutt” makeup regimen starts like this. Assume that I have already washed and cleansed my face properly. Other than that I don’t really put on any other skincare products like toner or emulsion or essence.

 

I can’t guarantee that I look this presentable at all times when I have no makeup. Haha!

Note that I have fairly dark undereye circles (my panda patches, ehe), and the sides and under my nose are quite red.

 

Time for concealer! Yes, yes, I look funny. But then again, it’s always a good idea to map it out. I use a very small amount of my K-Palette concealer and it’s enough, really. So how much is a “small amount” for me?

 

 

 

 

Yes, I didn’t blend it out to my neck and chest because.. you know, lazybutt. XD But my face looks so nice and.. fairly even-toned. Buffing makes the finish even more natural, and for me, it gives a slight airbrushed look. I’ve also filled in my brows with brow powder, and brushed it with a bit of browcara (brow mascara, lol). I also don’t usually wear any cheek color, so there’s none here.  (Once in a while, I do use a light bronzer instead so I don’t look so sallow.)

Alright! Time to fill in those lips. ^^/

 

Inside The Pouch (plus some of my favorite things)

Warning: PHOTO HEAVY!

So it’s been almost a month since I wrote anything here – I blame law school, haha! It really does take an enormous amount of hard work and effort just to get through each day. I’ve also been getting sick, and I think it’s also due to all the acacia trees in the campus – ALLERGENS GALOOOOOOORE! In the range of a month I’ve had 3 separate allergic rhinitis spells, and most recently, a sinus infection (it’s my 3rd day today–).

Just a little while ago, I sneezed.. and there was blood spatter all over my hands. My nose was bleeding! ;A;

Okay, enough gross stuff now. Time for a post!

Ta-daaaaaaaah! For today’s post, I’ll be revealing to you what’s inside my trusty pouch. I’ve actually been bringing this around quite often, but because there are times that I am just too lazy to do anything other than wipe my face with a tissue and hope it doesn’t look like a shipping vessel dumped oil all over it (heh), I end up just leaving it untouched in my bag. Oh well. /sighs/

First of all, let’s discuss the pouch.

Would you believe this was a purchase from NATIONAL BOOKSTORE? It’s actually a pencil case!

Makeup pouches, or small and stylish pouches in general, can be ridiculously expensive. A good alternative is to check out your local bookstore, school supplies outlet, or even department store for cute pencil cases. I bought this mainly it has my two favorite colours (blue and purple), and also because the print looks like INFINITE’s logo (coughfangirlmomentcough) – and it was a little under Php100. How could I pass it up?

I also originally bought this for a Boracay trip with my cousins last December; so an important thing for me when I was looking for a suitable pencil case was a strap so I could just loop it around my wrist. I tend to forget about small bags or clutches, so the wrist strap was a really good feature to it. Functional, too.

Time to open the pouch!

Such a hodgepodge of mostly lip stuff. Heehee.

It’s not very impressive.. but these are pretty much enough for me to get through a day. That is, if I decide to put on makeup, haha~

If you notice, most of my products here are for lips. I’m usually too lazy to put on eye makeup or hassle myself with getting an even coverage with concealer and powder (oops), but the thing I love about lip products is that sometimes you just need a few swipes of a good colour to really pick you up. These days I’m into stick/crayon type things because they’re easy to carry and so easy to hold as well. They remind me of My First Crayolas!

Review: ONL Ugly Farm Rice Cleansing Tissue

So I actually bought this last month at ONL Dumaguete, but only got around to making a proper review now. I don’t really get to play with makeup much these days. Law school is so time-consuming, but I’ve somehow managed to sneak in a bit of makeup time – before long-haul study nights, I’ve developed a mild habit of putting on lipstick before doing so. Earlier tonight, it was different..

I tend to gravitate towards neutral-coloured eye makeup, so all my products for eyes are in that colour palette. But I was feeling a tiny bit adventurous, so I busted out the purple (!!) lip gloss and here’s the result:

After that, I did my LegRes reading, which was boring (oops).. but I managed to finish it though not understanding much.

Of course, a cardinal rule is to never sleep with makeup on. But because sometimes, a girl is too lazy to trudge to the bathroom to wash her face with cleanser and water, cleansing wipes are the next best thing. Enter this wonderful product:

This is ONL’s Ugly Farm Rice Cleansing Tissue. It’s quite affordable at only Php140 for 20 wipes, so that is around Php7 for each wipe. Pretty good deal for me!

The descriptions in the back are all in Hangul, which I don’t know how to read. Sorry~ >