Review: NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation

Hello everyone! Happy Hearts Day to all of you! :)

Today, I am going to review one of NARS foundation. This is the 1st NARS foundation that I have tried so I don't have anything to compare it to. I have been testing this for a couple of months now, I use it every weekend when I go out. I haven't been wearing any makeup on a daily basis for 6 months now because I work night shift & I usually prefer to sleep in than wake up early to get ready haha. Anyway, I was able to avail a 5ml sample of the NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation in Ceylan late last year. Someone was selling 5ml sample sizes of her high end foundations for less than Php500 so I decided to grab the chance & try this foundation since I have been curious with it for so long. I just can't get myself to spend more than 2k for a bottle of foundation that I'm not sure if it will work for me as this has a lot of mixed reviews online. 

 This 5ml bottle costs Php 450

Per NARS website: 

"Full, natural-looking coverage with unexpectedly weightless, 16-hour wear. Highly pigmented and perfectly balanced, this breakthrough formula builds and blends effortlessly with just one drop—the result of exclusive innovation uniquely designed to deliver long-wearing full coverage, weightlessly. Shake, pump and blend in sections for complete coverage that's completely natural looking."

This has 20 shades available.

Comes in a 1oz bottle with a pump.

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THIS FOUNDATION:

- Buildable medium to full coverage that still keeps it lightweight feel. Even if I build it up to full coverage, it doesn't feel heavy on my skin. I usually forget I was wearing anything on my face because my skin feels it can still "breathe"

- I love the consistency. A small drop can cover my whole face & it will give medium coverage too. This 5ml bottle still has a lot of usage left since I just need to use a small amount each time.

- Doesn't irritate my sensitive skin. I didn't itch & break out. Although I'm not sure if that's because I didn't use it everyday, but still it didn't cause me to have any acne right after use which sometimes happens to me when I use heavy foundations.

- It doesn't smell like paint. This has a very light scent to it & it doesn't bother me.

- Hygienic. If you buy the full size bottle, it has a pump! We all know NARS foundations don't come with pumps and you need to buy a separate one. But this one already has one & it disperses half a drop so that you have control on the amount of product to use.

- This looks very natural on me because the finish is demi-matte, it still looks like my skin but better specially if under natural lighting.

 1 layer of the foundation

- It doesn't control my oils especially on my T-zone (I do get oily after the 3hrs mark) but luckily it just looks dewy looking and does not make me look like a grease-ball

- NARS is a cruelty free brand even though it has a parent company that is not. This is a personal preference so do bear in mind that personally it is okay with me as long as it is proven that the brand itself doesn't test on animals.

Here's some shots in natural lighting with full face of makeup:

Foundation is set with Ben Nye Banana powder for added oil control.


WHAT I DON'T LIKE:

- This clings to dry patches like no other. I have combination oily skin & this tends to cling to the dry skin on my cheeks, on the sides of my nose & in between my eyebrows. It doesn't look good.

- This also settles on my crater-like acne scars & fine lines around the eyes making them more obvious.

- This doesn't have a great oil control which I really need since I work for long hours and I live in a place where it has humid weather most of the time.

- This oxidizes on me! Ceylan is a shade or 2 lighter than my skin tone upon application but this gets darker as the day goes on. I usually look a shade or 2 darker after 8-10 hours which made me look "dirty" and uneven since my neck is lighter than my face.

- Sometimes give a masked effect on flash photography even though it doesn't have any SPF. I look too white like a geisha :(

Low lighting with flash photography from cellphone

-This foundation slides around on my face especially on my nose area whenever I am wearing my glasses which is 98% of the time.

- this is expensive.


OVERALL VERDICT:  3.5/5

I do love it because it is very lightweight & my skin feels comfortable when wearing it plus it doesn't make me breakout. I will definitely wear this foundation if I'm just going out for a short time & I am not getting photographed on low light situations like inside a bar. This is definitely for people with normal skin type & wants a natural looking foundation.


WILL I BUY THIS AGAIN? No. I don't think I am willing to spend that much money on a foundation that only looks great for a few hours. I tend to be out around 10-12 hours per day & I want my makeup looking fresh  until I need to remove it at the end of the day. My BB creams tend to last & wear better than this one. Also, this oxidizes badly on me. I don't think this is great in humid weather since it melts quite easily.


What about you? Have you tried this foundation yet? What are your favorite cruelty free foundations that is good for oily skin & summer? Please share them with me on the comment section below ^_^


Thank you so much for dropping by!

Review: We Got Married Global Edition

Happy Thursday! 

Are you a fan of We Got Married? I am! I have been watching this show since Season 1 (2008) and although I don't like and watch every couple, I still enjoyed seeing the show. It is currently on its 4th season and although I love the new concept of a WGM Village, this season have been hit hard because of controversies and stuff so the first 3 couples were changed consecutively and replaced with new ones. MBC then tried their hand to make an international We Got Married (because there are a lot of foreign fans) so they created a Global Version wherein they made couples from Korea, Taiwan and Japan and it gets aired to many countries through the cable channels. Locally, it is aired through Animax but since I don't have an Animax channel in our cable subscription I just watched it online at WonderfulGeneration :)

THE COUPLES

Ok Taecyeon - rapper of Korean group 2PM (24y/o)
Gui Gui / Emma Wu - an actress from Taiwan (23y/o)

Lee Hong Ki - lead singer of Korean band FT Island (23y/o)
Fujii Mina - an actress from Japan (24y/o)


MY THOUGHTS:

I actually liked the concept of pairing a Korean singer and an actress from another country because it gave more dimension and opportunities for a story. They have different culture, working environment and views so you can really see how they adjust with each other. I also liked the fact that both couples were of marrying age because that's sometimes the problem with the Korean WGM -- They pair up very young idols (20-21 y/o) so it's not really realistic and viewers see them as "dating" instead of "married" which is what the show is supposed to be about. Anyway, there's no problem with the maturity too and viewers can enjoy the scenes without any awkward situations regarding skinship between the couple. They actually looked relaxed with each other and they progressed naturally throughout the episodes. The difference in language is also interesting to watch. Taecyeon and Gui Gui usually talks in English while Hong Ki and Mina talks in Korean and Japanese since both know how. The locations shown were also awesome! They were so beautiful and postcard perfect which added a more romantic feel to everything. Perfect backdrop :)

I only have two gripes about this Global Edition of We Got Married:
(1) This feels so scripted compared to the Korean version. Every scene and action lacks emotions and it felt forced. It's like the director said we should do this so I'll do this and your reaction will be this...that kind of feeling, you know what I mean? I guess because they don't meet regularly (like in the Korean version where they meet 2x a week to shoot) and doesn't communicate outside of shooting (they live in different countries), they lack the real feeling and it shows during filming. The language barrier, I believe, is a factor too which is very evident with Taecyeon and Gui Gui. Her English is not that good and she doesn't understand Korean that well so Taecyeon needs to talk very slowly in English as if talking to a kid. It made their relationship more like a father-daughter haha.

(2) This whole show is like one big advertisement for Samsung LOL! Really! After only one episode, I noticed it already and as I watch the following episodes it got more obvious. The cellphones are Galaxy Note 2, they uses Galaxy 10.1 tablets, they use smart TV and the most used is the galaxy camera and printer. It's like they kept on advertising every latest gadget Samsung is offering in the market.They even show and talk about the features of each gadget :(


OVER-ALL RATING: 3.5/5

I love the concept and the places shown but I still prefer the original We Got Married because this felt so scripted and there's too much screen time spent on promoting Samsung products. I started watching this for Taecyeon but I liked to watch Fujii Mina now because she and Hongki gives a more realistic couple feeling.


If you want to watch English Subbed episodes of We Got Married Global, just click the links below. Enjoy! :) 

Ok Taecyeon and Gui Gui

Lee Hong Ki and Fujii Mina

Thanks for dropping by!

Review: Hada Labo BB Whitening Cream

Happy Tuesday! I am now ready to share my thoughts on the Hada Labo BB Whitening Cream. I have been testing this out since the first week of December 2012 and I have tried a lot of ways on applying it. I have also used it in both cold and hot weather just to compare :)

BRAND: Hada Labo
PRODUCT: BB Whitening Cream
SHADE: #1 
EXTRAS: sun protection (SPF 32 PA+++), whitening, moisturizing
NET WT: 45g
PRICE: sorry, I have no idea because this is a gift

I have decided to try this BB Cream because Hada Labo is a very famous Japanese brand for skin care. They are known for being gentle on the skin and basic on their ingredients. I am currently using 2 of their skin care products and this BB Cream, but for now, I will focus on the makeup first.


YAY!!

- This didn't broke me out or cause any allergies. Very mild to the skin :)

- Very light. You can hardly feel anything on your skin even if you applied a couple of layers.

- Buildable upto a light-medium coverage. Although if you have some acne scars, this won't be able to cover it. I tried it with my scarring and even if I apply a lot of layers, they still peeps through hehe.

- Blendable. I can easily blend this on my face using my fingers or a brush so you just need to use small amounts per layer.


- This have SPF 32 PA+++! Good sun protection for every day.

- Shade 1 is an exact match on me (I'm around NC 20-25 in MAC) because it has a slight yellow undertone.

- Doesn't make me oilier. I have naturally oily skin and this doesn't control it but at least it doesn't make me oilier at the end of the day.

- Even though this have a high SPF, it doesn't give me whitish cast on pictures.

- I love the squeeze tube packaging. It is so sanitary and gives me control in dispensing product.


NAY!!

- Like with the Tarte Smooth Operator TM, this oxidizes on me too. It gets 2-3 shades darker after a couple of hours so I can't really wear this alone if I plan to stay out a long time. I just mix it with my Tarte TM (1:1) for better oil control and apply a lighter shade of setting powder on top to counter act with the darkening that may occur.

- This is not brightening even though it has a whitening content. I love Korean BB Creams because they give a brightness to my face even though it's temporary but this don't do it for me.


OVER-ALL RATING: 3.5/5

I'm quite disappointed, to tell you guys honestly. I was hoping to be wowed as this is a well raved product and it is quite affordable so if I loved it I can easily buy another tube. But, I think I need to move on and find something new.

I'm not sure if it's just my skin acting up or the products itself, but even my Tarte TM that I have loved oxidizes badly on me now. I can become darker after 30 mins! Can you believe that? So if anyone of you have acidic skin and have found your HG foundation that doesn't oxidizes, please share them with me. I really need to wear full face makeup in my work so I need help asap. Thank you so much!


XOXO,

Review: LUSH Soak & Float Shampoo Bar

Happy Monday everyone! I hope all of you had a nice weekend like me. My family and I spent the whole Sunday in our place at Tagaytay with some family friends for my dad's birthday.. I really enjoyed eating a lot of delicious foods :)

For today's post, I decided to do a product review for LUSH Soak and Float Shampoo Bar. I have read and watched a lot of good reviews for this shampoo that it is great for itchy flaky scalp. I have been having problems with my scalp for a long time and I can't find a shampoo that works...I decided to try this because 1) I haven't tried a shampoo bar and 2) this is made by Lush and is popular among Lush fans.

Ingredients/Description from LUSH.com
- Antibacterial dandruff prevention -

"We’re just going to say it upfront: this shampoo bar smells like tar and campfires. A rather pungent shampoo bar, Soak and Float is incredibly effective at fighting flakes and dry scalps. Cade oil is what gives Soak and Float its distinctive smell, and works wonders against the microbes that cause dandruff, and it also works to alleviate bothered scalps that are dry and itchy. Lavender oil helps to improve the smell, and works its magic with marigold petals to soothe and clear up dry and irritated scalps. Don’t be ashamed, if you have dandruff all you need to do is Soak and Float."

WHAT I LIKED:

- cleanses my hair and scalp really well. 

It made my hair feel lighter since it removes all excess oil that weighs down my hair. I really love the clean feel I get after every wash.

- Helped in lessening the itchiness of my scalp. 

There's definitely improvement in the condition of my scalp.

- A bar of this shampoo is said to last 80 washes. It's a really good deal for the price.

I think this can be true because it doesn't melt easily. I have used mine for a month already and it still looks the same as when I bought it.

- Lathers really well for a shampoo bar.
You just need to run it under water and rub your hands with it to create enough lather to coat your scalp and hair.

- LUSH is a cruelty-free brand that uses natural ingredients which is always a plus in my book.

WHAT I DON'T LIKE:

- I hated the smell.

It really smells like smoke just like in the description. I love sweet smelling shampoos so this is a sacrifice for me. I don't like the idea that I smell like I've been sitting near a campfire when my bf is hugging me.

- It didn't totally helped in removing the flakes.

I used it very consistently and though it helped with regards to the itchiness, I still have flakes on my scalp.

- It dried up my hair and increased hair fall. 

This shampoo definitely needs a conditioner as a partner. The ends of my hair are so dry and tangled because this doesn't give any moisture to it. Also, I noticed a lot of hair falling whenever I shower.

- You can't use this directly on your scalp because it will break the strands.

I did this the first time I used it and I had a lot of hair falling due to breakage. It is really best to lather it on your hands and then apply it on your scalp.

OVER-ALL RATING: 3.5/5

This is a good clarifying shampoo. It definitely leaves your hair and scalp feeling light and clean after every wash. I just wish it works as great as what the reviews says with regards to dandruff treatment.

WILL I RE-PURCHASE? No. I wanted to try other shampoo bars from Lush once I've used this up...maybe Seanik or Godiva.

What is your favorite shampoo from Lush? Please share them with me so I can check them out too :)

Thanks for dropping by!

Gale Reads: The Wolves of Mercy Falls Trilogy by Maggie Stiefvater

Hello everyone! I'm back with another book review and this time it's a YA book trilogy by author Maggie Stiefvater who is known for Shiver trilogy and the Scorpio Races. I'm gonna be reviewing The Wolves of Mercy Falls Trilogy or sometimes known as the Shiver Trilogy.

GENRE: Young Adult, love story, fantasy
TITLE: Shiver, Linger, Forever
AUTHOR: Maggie Stiefvater
SERIES STATUS: 3 books/trilogy - Complete
SYNOPSIS:
This is a story about a girl (who was attacked by wolves when she was young) named Grace and a boy (who turns into a wolf during winter) named Sam. After meeting each other in person and falling in love, they learned that they need to fight to stay together. 

This story also includes Cole (a suicidal rockstar who became part of the wolves of Mercy Falls) and Isabel (Grace's best friend who lost her brother). The two were attracted with each other from the start and they had faced a lot of ups and downs together throughout their search for the cure.

You can read a more thorough synopsis in Goodreads or you can click here.


MY THOUGHTS:
I have read the first 2 titles late last year or early this year consecutively in ebook format while I've read the last installment in paperback last month.  

I really enjoyed reading Shiver because the concept of having ordinary people turn into wolves when the climate turns cold (winter) due to a virus is a unique approach on shapeshifting. It was actually a breath of fresh air for me because I was getting tired of the same story line that time. Also, the author's way of writing is quite nice too. I really appreciated her approach of showing both character's thoughts every other chapter. 

And so, I immediately downloaded Linger because I wanted to know the continuation of Sam and Grace's love story. While Shiver is really entertaining, Linger became a little boring. I'm not sure if it's because the author added 2 more main characters (Isabel and Cole) and viewing the story through 4 eyes can be a little dizzying OR the story just got complicated at times and shallow at times. I'm not really sure which is which. I still enjoyed it enough for me to want to read the last installment though, so I can't say it was bad. Maybe in the middle?

It was hard for me to find an ebook format for Forever and so I was unable to read it directly after.  Luckily, my cousin bought a set of this trilogy and I was able to borrow it last month. I brought it with me in the hospital but it was so boring that I just decided to buy a new book to read. I don't know what happened but the story got so slow and boring and I was already halfway through and nothing exciting was happening. To tell you honestly, I can't make myself finish it up, and I returned it unfinished. That's saying a lot for me, because I really wanted to read the conclusion but I can't make myself flip another page anymore. Sam's self-absorbed thoughts are boring, Grace's thoughts are a blur, Cole's thoughts are so shallow and Isabel's parts are so snobbish. I don't know what else to say except it was boring and I don't know how the story ended.

INDIVIDUAL RATING:
Shiver - 4.5/5
Linger - 3/5
Forever - 2/5

OVER-ALL RATING: 3.5/5

Would I recommend it? I will definitely recommend this to readers looking for a fun and unique story but definitely not for those who are used to exciting and fast-paced stories. I know a lot liked this book and there's a movie tie-in on the works, so I suggest you try it first and see if you will like this trilogy or not :)


Thanks for dropping by!

Movie Review: The Bourne Legacy

Hello everyone! I hope all of you had a relaxing weekend just like me. I've spent it bonding with my family -- We have decided to watch The Bourne Legacy in Trinoma cinema ^_^

I have watched the Jason Bourne series and I liked them. I'm not supposed to watch Bourne Legacy coz it's not Matt Damon anymore but since it was filmed here in the Philippines, I was really curious on what it looked like hehe...Yeah, I'm kinda weird like that but hey, I really am curious how Philippines is depicted in the film.

PLOT SUMMARY (wikipedia):

The Bourne Legacy is a 2012 American action thriller film and the fourth installment in the Bourne film series, which is based on Robert Ludlum's Jason Bourne novels. It is directed by Tony Gilroy, screenwriter of the first three films.

The film uses the same title as The Bourne Legacy, a later Bourne novel written by Eric Van Lustbader, and like the previous three films in the franchise, it has a completely different plot from the eponymous novels.

CAST:

Jeremy Renner as Aaron Cross

Rachel Weisz as Dr. Marta Shearing

Edward Norton as Eric Byer

(click here to see the list of the full cast & crew)

MY REVIEW:

Let's start with the good first. I loved the cinematography of the movie because they look so real and the images are crisp. It made me feel like I'm part of the scene and not a viewer. I especially love the special effects like the wolves and the overview of the snowy mountain of Alaska while Aaron Cross was travelling on foot. The action scenes are great too and they were executed beautifully by the casts. I also liked how they showed the different sides of Manila and the ending scene with Palawan (I'm not 100% sure it is Palawan but it looks like it) as the backdrop is gorgeous. I am so proud that we got to be showcased in an international film and we did not jinxed it. The local actors did a great job and I'm glad they decided to use credible actors as extras on the film :)

But on the side note, honestly, the The Bourne Identity Saga is way better. I liked the story a lot more and it has great pacing and have few/no dull moments, for me at least. I am not saying that the Bourne Legacy is a bad movie but it does not have that extra something to make it stand out for me. It didn't gave me any feeling of satisfaction and I doubt that this will leave a lasting impression on me. 

I feel the scenes are a bit rushed and it took me so long before I understood what's happening because it keeps on going back and forth from present to past. There is also no chemistry whatsoever on the lead characters. I didn't feel their relationship developing so it was kind of awkward when they hinted they "love" each other at the ending (on board the boat).

Lastly, this is the highlight and the reason why I watched this movie in the first place without reading any kind of movie review -- The scenes shot in the Philippines. It was so fun to watch these scenes because I keep on  trying to identify the places and also trying to hear the background chatter. My favorite scene was during the chase scene on the squatters' area wherein the policemen keeps on blowing their whistle while running after Rachel Weisz on the skinita. It reminded me of old Tagalog movies wherein all the policemen are blowing their pito and waving their batuta while running after the lead characters. It really made the whole scene funny to me. Also, I can't help but laugh out loud because you can clearly hear the extras cursing (the infamous P.I.) all throughout the movie tsk tsk. Oh, and have you noticed that they were able to pinpoint their location within 24 hours so easily and they used a SWAT team to enter the boarding house but regular policemen did the chasing? That is the big ? on my head while watching it.

The beta guy who are chasing them is really funny. Whatever he do, I can't stop but laugh just because he doesn't look like a tough guy who will kill and also his stunts look funny as hell (his death especially). I also can't believe they were able to shoot a chase scene with their motor bikes on the busy street of Manila. I really salute the director for making it look so real and yet at the same time execute it flawlessly. Thank you for choosing the Philippines as your setting.

RATING: 3/5

This film is entertaining enough and will be much appreciated by Filipinos just because..I just hated the cliff hanger ending and the slow movement of the story. Is there gonna be part 2? If it's not shot in Pinas anymore, I don't think I will watch it again. The casts are great in acting but I don't like how the film looked rushed and not at all serious.

Have you watched it yet? Share your thoughts on the comment section below! I would love to read what you thought about the movie ^_^

Thanks for dropping by!

Gale Eats: Kogi Restaurant

Hello again! Me and my aunt went out for lunch yesterday in the new mall at Divisoria. I forgot the name of the mall but it has a feel of Glorietta. You can find great shops and restaurants and even coffee shops inside so I can safely conclude that the mall's target customers are the Chinese community and the other Class A & B in the area of Divisoria.

We have decided to eat at the Korean restaurant there called Kogi Bulgogi coz I love Korean food and I haven't tried that restaurant yet.

We ordered 2 dishes:

JJAJANGMYUN - this is made up of wheat noodles, black soy bean paste, vegetables and small strips of meat. This is the most delivered noodles in Korea according to Wikipedia and this is the first time I have eaten this on a Korean restaurant locally. I usually buy the instant version on Korean grocery stores but this is better. 

 

WHAT I LIKED: It has the perfect consistency of noodles and it doesn't taste too sweet which sometimes happen in instant versions. It is also affordable and can be shared by 2 people if you have other dishes.

WHAT I HATE: The only problem I have with this is that, you can hardly taste the meat because they are so small and minute in number. It feels like there's no meat at all. Oh, and this is quite messy so make sure to have a napkin on hand and be cautious of your clothes.

BIBIMBAP - Rice with different stir fried vegetables, egg, and beef. 

It comes in a heated stone bowl like this:

WHAT I LIKE: It taste so good! One of the best bibimbap I tried locally. Rice is not soggy and the vegetables are well flavored. I love how they cooked the meat like they are bacon bits. It gave a nice flavor to the dish. Another plus point is that they didn't mixed the chili paste on the rice so you can control the spiciness of the dish.

WHAT I HATE: Again, the meat in this dish is so little (Around 1 tbsp only of meat bits)! It's like you can't see any bits of meat once you mixed everything together. We even asked the waiter if it has meat coz we can't see anything. Luckily, they gave us another batch of meat to add in this dish coz my aunt can't believe it's supposed to be that amount only.

They also serve FREE refillable side dishes -- kimchi, kangkong, banana heart, bean sprouts, dilis (anchovies) and sweet potato & banana.

WHAT I LIKE: These are free and they taste good. I liked the kimchi, bean sprouts and dilis the best. They go nicely with my bibimbap. You can also ask for refills if you like.

WHAT I DON'T LIKE: You can only refill this once. I prefer the one in Bulgogi Brothers wherein it's unlimited side dishes.

OVER-ALL RATING FOR KOGI: 3.5/5

I liked the dishes we got and also the side dishes, they are priced affordably and the serving amount is good with pretty plating.  BUT they are so stingy with the meat on their dishes. It's like you're just paying for a meat dish full of vegetables and little meat. 

WILL RE-VISIT KOGI? I'll probably go back for the jjajangmyun whenever I visit Divisoria but I won't go there for meat dishes. I prefer Bulgogi Brothers for meats coz they taste better and the serving sizes are bigger with only a slight price difference.

Would you know if Kogi have a branch somewhere North? I live in Quezon City and Divisoria is too far from my place.  Thanks!

Thanks for dropping by!

Review: Beauty kingdom (BK) 18" Nail Polishes

Hello! ^_^

When me, my sister and my mom went to Divisoria at 168 Mall, we came across a store that sells a lot of nail polish and nail art stuffs. We went inside to check them out coz the items are really nice and perfect for summer. We ended up getting these because they have a unique characteristic. Each color secretes a certain scent when it dries. For example, if you get a brown color you'll smell chocolate. I think it was so cool so I got a variety of colors from that line.

The brand is called BK 18" and it is made from China like almost all nail polishes available on the market so I didn't mind. This costs Php50 each for retail but since we bought 6 pcs they gave us a discount and we got it for Php30 only. This variant only comes in matte finish and in an 8ml glass bottle.

Here's a swatch of the nail polishes. Shade 04 is their top coat.

PROS:

- Pigmented colors. You can get away with 1-2 coats depending on the color to get the shade in the bottle.

- Scented. I like the candy scents and it lasts for a couple of days too.

- Stays long on nails for at least a week before fading and chipping.

- Comes in a small container so I can bring it anywhere if I need to during traveling.

- Can be bought by bulk to get discounted price.

- It did not made my nails yellowish which is a plus.

- Dries fast enough.


CONS:

- It is quite expensive for the size IMO. Php50 for an 8ml nail polish that is not a popular brand is a little too much for me. (Or is this popular? Does anyone know?)

- This is made from China so it might be a con for some. I don't mind it but others might.

- The brushes are not of good quality. Some of them are flayed so it's hard to apply it evenly.

- It is a matte finish. I'm not fond of mattes :/

- The scents may be too over powering for some who have sensitive noses.

- Cannot be applied too thickly or you can just easily scrape them to be removed hehe.


OVER-ALL RATING: 3.5/5 - I like this better than locally available nail polishes in that price range but I still prefer my Korean and Japanese nail polishes over these. They are good quality and unique so I am giving it above average rating.


WILL I REPURCHASE? Not sure. I'm not the type who buys nail polish all the time.

You can definitely check this out if you're able to drop by 168 ^_^

Till my next post. Bye! ^_^

Review: MBM Lipsticks

Good morning world! It's a bright Sunday morning and I'm happy that it stopped raining already. I can now go out of the house hehe ^_^

I wanted to review another My Beautiful Me (MBM) product. You all know how I love their skin care line (especially their acne kit) because it helped my skin so much in the past years but their makeup line is new. I have already reviewed the pressed powder and I want to move on to lipsticks.

MBM's owner formulated 3 colors for her lipstick line: pink, red and coral. The packaging is very Clinque-like. It is made of a light green plastick material but it seems sturdy enough. It comes with a plain box in the same shade of green. I threw the boxes out since there's no label on it so it's just hard finding which is which if I placed it inside the box.

I pasted a hand written label on the side of the lipstick because when I got mine, it just came out and there's no label yet. It just came with a sticker on the bottom to indicate the shade.

*sorry for the red one...I don't know what I'm thinking when I drew a circle around it haha*

As I've said, it comes in 3 shades. The pink one has a frosted finish, the red one has a watery feel finish and a little sheer and the coral one is almost matte.

Here's some swatch on my hand

And swiped on my lips ^_^

Frosted Pink Daiquiri

Bloody Mary

Orange Blush Surprise

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THIS PRODUCT

- very affordable. It only cost Php250 each ^_^

- It is pigmented and you can cover your lips with just one swipe of the product.

- Moisturizing like Revlon Lipbutters. I have very dry lips and this product did not aggravate the dryness.

- There are 3 different colors and finish I can choose from although I wish there's more..

- Made by a licensed dermatologist so it has no harmful chemicals and preservatives

- Locally made and is created by batch so freshness is guaranteed.

- It leaves a light tint of color when it fades so your lips doesn't look completely bare.

WHAT I DON'T LIKE ABOUT IT

- since it's very moisturizing, it doesn't last that long on my lips. I need to reapply because it fades after eating and drinking like with any moisturizing lip color.

- Again, since it's moisturizing, it melts quite easily. My frosted pink one melted in the tube and is already leaning on the side...DON'T leave it inside a hot car :(

- I don't like the finish of the coral one. The color is unflattering on my skintone and because of the finish it tends to accentuate my lines. I don't think I look good in orange hehe.

OVER-ALL RATING: 3.5/5. It's not the perfect lipstick but it performs well. I do reach out for my Revlon lip butters more than this because of the shades. I like satin watery-feel finishes so among the 3, I tend to use Bloody Mary more followed by Pink Daquiri applied lightly.

WILL I REPURCHASE? hmm, probably not. I don't think I can finish this up anytime soon. I'm not really a lipstick person so I tend to buy tinted lip balms more.