Review: Skin Food Black Bean Eyel Line Pencil

Hello everyone! Happy Sunday! ^_^

As promised, here's a review of a beauty product that I have been testing out. I got this from my mom who got it as a gift hehe..My mom receives a lot of beauty products from friends and clients and she never uses them (my mom is really simple) so a lot of them tend to fall on my hands. Two months ago, I was able to get 2 Korean products: Etude House Brow pencil and Skin Food Black Bean eyeliner-- and I was using them as much as I can so I can give an opinion about them.

I will review the Skin Food Black Bean Eye Line Pencil today. 

This eyeliner pencil doesn't need any sharpener because you just need to twist it to show/dispense more product. It also comes with a built in smudger for smoking out your eye makeup.

PROS:

- It doesn't need to be sharpened

- It is very pigmented so it is easy to achieve a very black shade. Look how dark it is with just a couple of swipes!

- It comes with a smudger made of good quality sponge

- Very smooth and creamy so it doesn't tug on my lids (= less wrinkles)

- Can be used as a dark base for eyeshadows coz it can be blended quite easily

CONS:

- It smudges like crazy! An eye primer doesn't help coz even if I tried waiting for it to dry (I wait for 5 minutes before blinking normally) it still transfers on my lids and migrate on my undereyes = instant raccoon look.

Can you imagine, just 5 minutes after I've done my makeup my eyes already looked like a raccoon?! This is the worst eyeliner I've tried coz eyeliners usually smudges on me after a couple of hours because I have oily lids but this doesn't even reach 10 minutes and I'm on a cool place...eek! Can't imagine using it during a humid day. I will just probably use this as a dark creamy base if I do a tutorial coz I really can't see myself going out with this on my eyes.. 

OVER-ALL RATING: 1/5

I gave it one for the pigmentation, texture and the packaging but since I can't use this due to the notorious smudging, I can't give it a higher rating. 

Thank you for dropping by! Watch out for my review on the Etude House eyebrow pencil :)

Review: Tony Moly Backstage gel liner

Happy Monday everyone!

I love wearing eyeliners because it wakes up my eyes regardless of what color it is. Starting late last year, I fell in love with black liners on my upper lashline so I searched and searched on the best matte black eyeliner that won't smudge on my oily lids. I came across Bridgette's post about Tony Moly Backstage gel liners and I was convinced so I got myself one.

I got the dual Backstage liners instead of the single ones because I find that the black one in this product is darker and more matte than the regular...not sure though if it's just a trick on my eyes because the lighting is bright in the store hehe.

I chose the Black Eyed Girls in 01.

It comes in a pretty neat packaging. It is made of plastic so it's very light but it seals tightly so I don't worry about the product drying out.

It is also perfect to carry around on trips because it comes with a brush. You just need to remove it from the lid. I have used the brush and it applies the product with ease but don't expect a thin line with this since it's a little thick on the tip. Though I don't have a problem with that coz I like to apply my liner a little thick so it saves me time hehe ^_^

The Black Eyed Girls 01 comes with 2 shade of gel liners: a white sparkly one and a matte black.

Here's a swatch on the back of my hand without any base underneath.

I used the black gel liner on this look using a Suesh eyeliner brush. See how matte it is? I have use it on both upper and lower lashline and waterline.

* if you want to see my tutorial for this look, click here.

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THIS PRODUCT:

- It comes with two shades of gel liner. I use the white one as highlight for inner corners or as an eyeshadow base and I use the black for lining my eyes.

- The product doesn't budge once it had dried. You need to let this liner dry first so that it would be smudge-proof.

- I believe this is waterproof since I accidentally went swimming while wearing this on my eyes and I did not looked like a racoon after so I was happy hehe :)

- I like the fact that the lid closes very tighly because it prevented the liners from drying up. I think I prefer this packaging than the one from Stila and MAC because although both of those are made of glass containers, the gel liners became hard after a couple of months. While I have had this liner for 5 months now and it still looks new.

- The colors are opaque so I only need one to two swipe to get a very black line.

- I also like the fact that since the amount of the product is not that much, I would be able to finish this before it expires. I think I can finish this in a year or two.

- This is affordable. It costs around Php700+ only.

- Available locally in any Tony Moly stores. I got mine from SM North EDSA branch.

WHAT I DON'T LIKE:

- It is a little hard to remove since it is waterproof. You need a good eye makeup remover for this one.

OVER-ALL RATING: 5/5. I love love this gel liner! This is my favorite among all the liners I've tried. I think this is better than the MAC and Stila gel liners because this is creamier, easier to apply and the product doesn't dry up easily on the pot.

WILL YOU REPURCHASE? Definitely! I will get the brown one next haha ^_^

I believe that Tony Moly creates good cosmetics...The makeup items that I've tried from them are all great and affordable. I will definitely try out more from them :)

Review: Etude House Proof 10 eyeliner pencils

Hello everyone! I have been quite busy lately with personal stuffs so sorry I was unable to post last week...But I'm still testing out products so I have a list already of what to review :)

Now, I'm gonna do a review for Etude House Proof 10 eyeliner pencils. I have been using this for the last month and I have tested them in both cold and hot weather so I think I can give a good review on these two babies :)
Just a little background.. I have very oily eyelids (and T-zone) so my eye makeup really needs to have a good eyebase in order to prevent it from creasing and smudging. I have always experienced looking like a racoon at the end of the day because all my eyemakeup went down to my undereye...So yeah, I decided to test these two producs with and without eyeshadow base to have a good judgement :)

Etude House Proof10 eyeliners are automatic and comes with its own sharpener at the end of the pencil. The blue one is from the jewelry line which means it has shimmers in it while the black one is from their regular line and is just matte.

What I like about this product:

- No need to frequently sharpen unlike with regular pencil liners.

- Comes with its own sharpener.

- Very easy to use and apply because you can control it easily (compared to using liquid or gel liner)..

- You can also carry this around in your makeup pouch for touch ups during the day since it's in pencil form and you don't need to carry another brush with it.

- The liner itself is soft so it doesn't tag and scratch your delicate skin.

- The color it produce is the same as it is in the cap. Check out this picture. I swiped it twice each and the colors are already vibrant even without base :)

- Long staying on my oily lids with or without eyeshadow base. If without base, the vibrancy of the color upon first application stays put for around 5 hours in hot weather and if with base the whole day (8-10 hours).

Note: I did not try putting this on my waterline coz I don't like doing it. I just use liners on my upper and lower lashline...

- very affordable and accessible. There are a lot of Etude House stores here in Manila. The price for each is only around Php300! (I'm so sorry if I can't tell the price, I lost the receipt..)

What I don't like about these two:

- very hard to remove at night. You really need a good eye makeup remover because my Mandom cleansing express and Ellana makeup removers doesn't work. I still become like a racoon the next day because the liners have smuddged during washing of my face at night...

Here's an EOTD of me using both liners. I just smudged the blue liner a little because I did wear this look out and my sister is looking at me strangely when the blue was so vibrant hehe :)

TIPS:

- Buy a good eyemakeup remover. Choose one that is good for waterproof eye makeup products.

- Use cotton buds soaked with your makeup remover instead of cotton so you can remove your eyeliner in hard to reach places.

- Don't share with others to prevent contamination. If you did shared it, sharpen your eyeliner to sanitize it by removing outer coating.

I hope this review helps. Do check out Etude House. This brand really offers good quality products at an affordable price. Plus, the store is so cute and especially the packaging of the products. You'll really feel like a princess hehe :)

Till next time. Bye! :)

My Best Products for 2010 + mini reviews

Hello! I'm back! How's everyone? I hope 2011 will be better for all of us..It already started getting better for me so I'm really looking forward to the rest of the year ^_^

So, I decided to start my 2011 with a year-end list of the best products I used throughout 2010. These are products that I discovered in 2010 and loved and also products that I am still loving despite the years that have passed.

In no particular order...

*ELLANA SHEER VELVET POWDER PRIMER

- You all probably know that I love this to bits because I use this a lot on my FOTDS. It really helps control my oil and it also makes my skin appear smoother especially on pictures. This is really the cheaper version of MUFE HD Powder, IMO. I started using this 2 years ago and I'm still loving it until now. I think me and my sis used up around 2-3 pcs of this already coz we use it almost everyday hehe :)

*ELLANA UNDEREYE CONCEALER in CHEER (Peachy shade)

-For a years, I loved using yellow undertone concealers (Mary kay concealer, Ellana Awake, Monave Buttercup, etc) to brighten up my eyes, but this year, I learned that peachy concealers can cover dark undereye circles better so I tried this one.. I loved this because it doesn't give me the reverse racoon look wherein your undereye area is just too bright for it to look natural especially in pictures. This product can make your eyes look awake and brighter too but not excessively. Great to use alone if you don't need too much coverage or you can apply it on top of a peach undereye concealer on days where you have dark dark circles due to lack of sleep.
TIP:
-moisturize undereye area first to prevent the product from setting in the lines.
-Use a fluffy brush in applying on top of a creamy concealer to prevent caking.
-Use concealer brush if you want a heavier coverage



*TIANUO LIP OIL & LIP ICE SHEER COLOR
-I love these two because I can blend these easily on my lips for some color with added benefit of moisture. Both are non drying and long lasting. They give off a different shade of pink as you can see in the swatches below so I just switch them up everyday.
For me, Tianuo lasts longer on the lips and gives off a more vivid shade of pink than Lip Ice, so if you want a bolder lip look, go for Tianuo.
Although I usually carry Lip Ice with me for touch-ups during the day because it's in a stick form and won't stain your kikay kit. I also love that it just gives me a just-bitten look everytime. Really a YLBB lippie.

*BRUSHES

- Here are my favorite brushes of all time. I think I can live with just this set.

My must have brushes.

ELLANA BUFFFER BRUSH - One of the softest brush I own. I have tried a lot of face brushes and this is the best for me. I love MMU so I usually have powder foundations and setting powders and this brush delivers for the on-the-go girl like me. Since it's big, I can do my whole face in less than a minute with even coverage and smooth finish. I also did not experience any shedding, deforming or even having scratchy hairs even after a year of frequent washing (Unlike with natural hair brushes). And since it's synthetic, it's cruelty free.

ETUDE HOUSE DUO FIBRE BRUSH - I just love the size of this brush. Perfect for the whole face for applying liquid foundation or for your cheeks for applying blushes. I just love how soft and compact the hairs are which helps in creating that flawless finish. It's also quick drying so you can wash it as freqent as you want. I did experience a little bluish stain on the white hairs but I don't really mind coz it ddoesn't really transfer on my face. I love this way better than my MAC 187 SE because this doesn't shed.

LUMIERE DUO FIBRE BRUSH - I got this 2 years ago and it's still the same as when I got it brand new. Really good quality brush. Doesn't shed and bleed. It's also very soft and easy to clean. Perfect size for appplying blushes and highlighters. Although it says "powder" on the brush handle, it's too small for that function.

MAC 217 E/S BRUSH - This is already more than 2 years old and I'm very glad that it's still white haha. I love how it is very multi-functional (blending eye makeup, putting colors on lid, applying highlighters and concealers) and very easy to dry. I would love this brush to bits if only it's not scratchy. I really hated it when after a couple of washes, it became scratchy. I need to wash this after every 2-3 uses just to condition the hairs so that it won't irritate my eye area that much. But nevertheless, I still give this 4/5 because it delivers.

LOEW CORNELL 3/8 mop brush - a very affordable alternative to MAC 239 shading brush. Delivers well and very cheap. I'm very happy to be able to get this last year through Sol. It packs color on the lid very well and I can also use it for blending harsh lines. I can really recommend this as a good buy.

CHARM CONCEALER & EYELINER BRUSH - These two brushes are included in the first ever batch of Charm brushes produced (Is it 4 years ago? not sure). Although I'm pretty sure Chram brushes now are a lot better in quality than before, I'm still not in need of getting a replacement because they still function well even though I've used them thousands of time already. Look how old the handles look now haha but I still love them to bits. Good job on these ones Sophie!

*SHISEIDO EYELASH CURLER

- This curler is already going 4 years old and it still looks brand new. I just replace the rubber every now and then but the curler itslef is good as new. Very sturdy and reliable. It did not get rusty, bended whatsoever. I don't even buy Shiseido rubber, just Fanny Serrano refills but it still works the same as when I use the original one. Really a good investment to buy good quality products that you know you will use frequently for a long time. It really pays-off.

MAKE UP FOREVER STAR POWDER No. 902 & MAC COCOMOTION PIGMENT

- This combination is my go to night time eye makeup. My eyes look so pretty and put together whenever I use this combo. Both eyeshadows are very pigmented and lasts very long so they are perfect for my oily lids. I've been using these eyeshadows for 2 years and I have used a lot of them already. I'm still debating whether to buy a full pot of MAC cocomotion or I'll just get another sample online so I can save some money and buy another product hehe...anyways, I am still in love with them so I included these two in my best products list :)

*ETUDE HOUSE PROOF 10 EYELINERS

- I discovered this late last year and I fell in love with them right away. I just love how easy and simple it is to use compared to using gel liners. This is a pencil, so you have control in applying your liner unlike with liquid liner that it's so hard to create a straight line. This also have a sharpener at the end if you want a pointed one to create a finer line or a wing. Etude House carry different types of liners but I have only tried Proof 10 ones because they are the waterproof ones. I really have oily lids and even with a base, my liners smudges after 5 hours, but with this one, that doesn't happen. I really love how long lasting it is on my lids. Although I can't say the same if you use it on the waterline coz I haven't tried that. I just apply liner on my upper lashline to have an illusion of a fuller lashes haha.

The blue one is under the Jewelry line which has shimmers/glitters while the black one is from the regular line. Both are waterproof :)

Isn't it vibrant? I'll do an in-depth review on these liners next time so I can discuss it more with lots of pictures too :)

*BASIC BEAUTY 2-Way powder
-I came across this brand in Landmark Trinoma. It is a hypo-allergenic brand like Clinique and VMV. I don't know if this is a local brand or imported but it is really affordable. This powder is just around Php280. I've been using this everyday since I got it last month. I even showed it to my derma so she can check the ingredients for any irritating substance and she gave me a thumbs up (yay!) . I have not experienced any kind of allergic reaction from this powder. No itchiness, pimples, redness whatsoever (even on very humid days). It also controls oilies very well. I usually get oily within 30 mins after washing my face but this powder can keep me shine free for around 5 hours! For a very affordable product, it really delivers!

The packaging is a little unusual because the mirror is at the bottom of the pan and the label in at the top but it looks cute.
I will also do a separate review for this since I want to share a lot about this product. All I can say for now is, this is my HG powder at present :)

*DERMA ROLLER
- Last but not the least, my savior, derma roller. I really really am grateful for this product because it salvaged my skin. I am now acne free, yay! I have finished my 6th session and I am still planning on finishing the last 4 to totally remove my acne marks.



Please watch out for my next post because I will do an update on my Derma Rolling experience.. I will show you guys how improved my skin is now :)
Sorry for a very long post. I think I missed blogging so much that's why I can't stop typing haha...Till my next post! bye!

Review: Stila Smudgepot in Black

Hello everyone!

First off, I want to thank each and every one of you for your support on my Derma Roller expedition ^_^ That really means a lot to me coz very few people around me understands why I'm undergoing through this and why I'm paying a large amount of money for that. So, it's really great "hearing" your support.

Now, let's go to the review! I got this from my GTalker friend Chrissy. She messaged me that she has a Stila Smudgepot in Black in a travel sized container. And she informed me about it because she knows I wanted to try it for the longest time hehe ^_^

What I like about this liner:

-Very easy to apply. I like this better than MAC fluidline coz this is creamier.
-Very true to color on the pot. I only need one swipe/layer to have an opaque black liner.
-Dries up pretty fast so it doesn't transfer on my lid when I blink during application and even during the day.
-Affordable because you only need a very small amount of product per use.
-Doesn't fade or smudge if you have an eyeshadow base underneath it.

What I don't like about it:

-It smudges (I have oily lids) if I don't put a base underneath. As in I look like a racoon haha

Over-all Rating: 4/5. This is a very good eyeliner in terms of staying power and color payoff as long as you have a base. And since I always put a primer anyway, it's not really a problem for me :)

Will I repurchase? Yup! But I don't think I need to buy another one soon. This pot will last me a long time fore sure.

Here's a shot when I swatched it without any base.

And I wet it with water then rubbed it. It did not disappear totally, just got blurred.

This is what makes me wonder though. It doesn't smudge on the back of my hand even if I wet it and scrub it but whenever I put it on my lids without any primer, I will definitely look like a racoon after 5 hours. Even with my sister who has dry skin, this liner smudges without primer. Hmm, good thing that I don't mind having another step on my eye makeup application.

Will I recommend it? Yup! It's really worth the money. Everyone has different type of eyes so it may smudge on me without primer but not on you. But nevertheless, I will definitely and strongly advice everyone to apply an eyeshadow primer before using this product ^_^

What about you? What's your favorite eyeliner? Till next time. Bye!