Product Review: Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup

Good morning everyone! How are you doing? It's a thursday today meaning most of you are already looking forward for the weekend. As for me, well, things get busier during the weekend. 

Anyway, today I will be reviewing Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup. Pammy was kind enough to give me a sample and she also raved about it in her blog.

After trying it out a few times, I was really sold! I don't normally use liquid foundation except for events, since I find that it starts looking ugly after several hours because of my uber oily skin. But I think my skin has finally found its match!

This foundation gives a medium coverage. The bottle looks scary because the foundation looks cool- toned when in the bottle, but it actually is warm-toned when applied to the skin.

PROS

• classy packaging
• great staying power
• creates a smooth finish
• comes with SPF 10 for those who skip sunblock
• even after a few hours, my skin just looks dewy instead of looking oily! that way, I'm not so conscious of whether or not I have to blot

CONS

• doesn't come with a pump, so it's hard to get the foundation out
• can be a little hard to blend
• pricey at P1900. but I just think of it this way, I'm just adding P300 to a MAC Studio Fix Fluid, but I get better results!

Topped with my favorite finishing powder (which will be revealed in future posts), I finally look decent and not like an oil mine!

Here's an FOTD of me wearing Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup. I'm sorry I can't take a clearer FOTD, since the lighting here in the house is pretty bad.

Have you tried this? How do you find it? :) Have a great day!

NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Dolce Vita

Ever since I tried Pammy's lip pencil, I got hooked! Lip pencils are so much easier to use because the application is very precise, cutting lipstick application time. From my previous post, I showed you that I recently bought my first NARS lip pencil in Dolce Vita.

 

I was really excited to use it. I used it for an event but I wasn't able to put on a full face of makeup due to time constraints. Here is Dolce Vita on my lips:

I like how it looks like, and it will also be a good MLBB shade for gals with darken skin tones.There's no hint of any gloss, it's definitely matte. Lasting power is okay. I wouldn't say it lasts really long. It lust lasts a little longer than lipstick.

I'm loving this purchase! Too bad NARS products are so expensive :( I'm also eyeing another lip pencil in Sex Machine plus one more from a different brand. Oh no! :P

I'm Sorry for the Lack of Updates

How is everyone doing? I'm really sorry my dear readers, I've been busy lately, so my blogging has really lessened. As you know, the ber months spell busy-ness for all of us. So I'm going to leave you with a neutral FOTD I put on during my friend's wedding last week.

Forgive the bad lighting. This was taken in my bathroom. Hehe

Here's the version with flash. I added it just so you have a clearer view:

FACE
MAC Studio Fix Fluid NC25
MAC Select Cover-Up NW20

Guerlain Pressed Meteorites in Mythic Parfait
Stila Contouring Trio

EYES
Urban Decay Naked Palette
Stila e/s in Kitten
Maybelline Volume Express Cat Eyes Mascara
Clarins Double Fix Mascara
The Face Shop Brow Pencil in Taupe
Kate Brow Mascara

CHEEKS
NARS Deep Throat

LIPS
NYX Frapuccino

Have a great weekend everyone!

Urban Decay Naked Palette Review Part 2

Hello everyone! Still enjoying the holiday? I for one enjoyed the rest. Anyway, I promised that I would show you the Naked Palette in action. So here is some sample work showing the colors in action. I told 'ya guys that I haven't been able to put it down since I got it last week. I reckon that pretty soon, I'll be needing a new one.

Here are some samples. Note that I'm only listing the colors that came from the Urban Decay Palette. For pictures 2 and 3, I used a different brand for the highlight colors.

Sample number one using the most matte colors in the palette:

 photo by John Richard Velasquez

Highlight: Virgin
Lid: Naked
Crease: Buck


Sample number two:

photo taken by John Richard Velasquez

Lid: Half Baked
Crease: Smog
Outer V: Dark Horse




I hope this last picture won't hurt your eyes too much. I'm posting this to show some more samples. Tee hee!

photo taken by Jomel Tadeo

Lower lid: Hustle
Upper lid: Toasted


And there you have it. The colors in action! If you do a lot of neutrals, this is the palette for you :)

Me, Me, Me!

For my friend, Herroyalbleakness.

When I posted this FOTD during my last concert, she wanted to see what I was wearing. 

So here it is, it's really simple, since it was in an intimate setting like I've said before. I know, I know, I've really gained weight and I'm still in the process of losing it. It's so sad, I only have two gowns that fit me now. Argghhh... I'm at a loss for clothes...

Me with our pianist.

And look what I found from the vaults of facebook, another FOTD. A blast from the past!

The light was really strong, since this was taken under stage lights. I love how my skin looks like here :P

Have a great day!

FOTD!

This FOTD is from one of my concerts recently. I didn't put too much make up because it was an intimate setup. No lipstick (since I play flute) and no falsies either. 

FACE

MAC Studio Fix Fluid NC25

MAC Select Cover-Up Concealer NW20

Stila Contouring Trio

NARS Matahari

EYES

Stila All Doll'd Up Palette

Stila Smudgepots in Black

Loreal Beauty Tubes Mascara

I can't remember what I used for my brows! Anyway, that's all for now. Have a good weekend everyone!

A Great Night for Me + FOTD

Yesterday was an important night for me as my orchestra, the Metro Manila Concert Orchestra celebrated its 10th anniversary. I was one of the three featured soloists for that concert and I was very honored to have been chosen to perform. I played Chaminade's Concertino for Flute. I was quite nervous but I'm glad the performance turned out all right. 

My good friend and co-MUA Theresa offered to do my makeup. I, of course, said yes, because it meant less stress for me. She did a great job and I really felt great.

So here's some pictures of me performing:

Congratulations to MMCO, my fellow soloists, the composers, the choir!

And, of course, I had to take a pic of myself before the night ended!

I'm sorry it's a bit dark. I took this in our bathroom before I took my makeup off! Ciao! 'Til next time.

Make Up for Ever HD Foundation and MAC 130 Brush

I've had my MUFE HD foundation for a long time but never got a chance to review it. Well, I'll finally give my thoughts about it. True to its word, it really is meant for pictures. My skin looks great in photos, but in real life, I'd say that its finish is just like any regular foundation. Its coverage is light to medium, and its finish is matte, unlike the dewy finish of the Revlon HD Foundation.

Staying power is just okay, around 4 hours. Sometimes, I notice that it cakes when I try to retouch it with finishing powder. I guess it's just me since my skin is really oily.

Lately, I've been using my MAC 130 brush to apply my foundation. If you've been following my blog, I picked up one for myself during my trip to the US. It's really much smaller than I imagined, so it takes long to cover your whole face. I have to devote extra time to apply my foundation, but I think the finish is worth it. The result was a very even medium coverage. Yes, this brush is like a hybrid of a stippling brush and a flat top brush. The result is a more precise application than a bigger stippling brush like a MAC 187, since the head is so big that it can tend to apply foundation in sporadically.

So after all my babbling, here is the result of the combination of both products I've been talking about. I first primed my face with TFS Professional Makeup Base in Green (you can read my review about it HERE). And then I applied my HD foundation with my MAC 130. I have bad skin, not because of acne but because of my large pores and depressed acne scars from my childhood, but I don't see it here.

I'll keep using this combination, because it works for me! Have a great day everyone!

I've Taken Camwhoring to the Next Level!

Hi guys! Nothing new much today. I'd just like to share with you some of my pics taken a few weeks ago. Photography by Devi De Veyra. Hair and Makeup by me.

Sorry for the messy hair in this pic. This was one of the last ones taken.

And some black and white shots

Trying to remember the makeup I used:

FACE
MUFE HD Foundation in 140
Guerlain Meteorites in Mythic Parfait
Coastal Scents Contour Palette

EYES
UDPP
Urban Decay e/s in Smog, Sin, Polyester Bride
Highlight from CS neutral palette
Fasio Hypercurl Mascara
Kate liquid liner in Black
MUFE eyeliner in Black
MAC Select Cover-Up concealer in NW20
Urban Decay Brow Box in Brown Sugar
ELF Studio Brow Treat and Tame in Medium

CHEEKS
NARS Deep Throat

LIPS
NYX B52 topped with clear gloss

My First Slightly Smokey FOTD

Not many people know this, but I actually live in three different places. Although effective this April, it will become one only! LOL So I can't always have my makeup with me wherever I go. When I had an unexpected gig, I had to put on a face since it was night time! I couldn't work with much, since I only had my Ecotools 5-piece brush set (with only one eyeshadow brush) and my Ulta Get Gorgeous Makeup Kit. I was actually pleasantly surprised with my Ulta set, the blushes have good pigmentation and last long, the eyeshadows are good although they're not really wow, the concealer is not cakey, etc. So, I actually survived! The hardest part with doing this face is that I only had one eyeshadow brush, and I used it to apply four different colors. Baaad me, I know. It's not exactly what I would have wanted, but it had to be done. Anyway, this look had no contour or anything, no brow stuff that I normally use, since I had no stuff to use. LOL

BTW, everything I used came from Ulta except for foundation and mascara. And another BTW, I don't do the darker color on the crease area anymore on my self ever since I discovered that in MU school that it doesn't go well with my eye shape. I'll start doing it again if ever I get eyelid surgery in the future. LOL

I didn't do an uber smokey look since I wasn't sure I could pull it off, so I just did something more subdued.

So here's the look with flash, just so the colors would be more obvious:

 Please excuse the hair. It was still wet when I took the pictures.

A closer look at the eye makeup:

 

 

It's funny how my contacts look blue in pictures, it's actually more gray than blue in real life.

And here is how it finally looks like, without flash:

 

 

So do you think I can pull off an even smokier eye? I'm still quite scared on my own face. Or I should stick to more neutral looks? Next time I will use more appropriate brushes.

Camwhoring!

Who knew I could be such a camwhore? Just want to share with you some pictures I took with my friend during our concert last week. The lighting was really terrible that's why there are some shadows. We did what we could :P It was actually a bad day for me to be taking pictures because my right eye was red. I hope these won't hurt your eyes too much :P

















P.S. For Philippine residents, if you haven't joined my giveaway, check it out!

FOTD time!

Hello friends! I know I've been busy lately but hopefully I'll be able to post more the next few weeks. Anyway, let me just leave you first with an FOTD I did the other day. Since I went to makeup school, I've steered away from doing the darkening of the outer crease since I realized that it does not work for me because I'm mono-lidded and it was also advised to be. I now do the darker-in-the-bottom-and-lighter-going-on-top and I find that it suits me better.

Most of the e/s I used are from Urban Decay which I totally love!!




FACE
Bare Naturals Skin Perfecting Primer
Ellana Sheer Velvet Finishing Powder
Buff'd Concealing Mineral Foundation in Buff
Aromaleight Ultra Resolution Finishing Powder in Peaches and Cream
Stila Contouring Trio

EYES
UDPP
Urban Decay Ammo Shadow Box
MAC Creme Royale
Stila Smudgepots in Black
Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes in Black
Urban Decay 24/7 Liner in Yeyo
Maybelline Cat Eyes Mascara
E.L.F. Studio Brow Treat and Tame
E.L.F. Studio Liner Sealer
Ellana Undereye Concealer in Cheer

CHEEKS
Lumiere Ditto "O"

LIPS
Earthen Glow Minerals Lip Gloss in 110012
Ellana Liquid Lip Color in Allure

My fave eyeshadow quad and my everyday look..

Hello my dears! I love eyeshadow quads because sometimes I have to apply eye makeup on the go and I don't have the convenience to reach out for one of my big palettes. Quads are convenient because they can be brought around and there are already four different shades for your eyes. The downside is that they can put a damper on your creativity since you can only choose among 4 colors, but I still like them. I'd like to show you my favorite eyeshadow quad. It's my Coffret D'or eyeshadow quad. The SA told me that's it's one of their bestsellers and I can see why. The colors are soft and very wearable and it comes with a powder eyeliner.

Here is a picture of it that I've labelled:


Colors A, B, C are powder eyeshadows while D is a small eyeliner. It's a pretty color but I recommend that you use this strictly as an eyeliner and not as an eyeshadow because I find the consistency to be very different. It's harder to blend them with the other eyeshadows especially when used with a primer like UDPP.

I've noticed that most Kanebo eyeshadow palettes come with an illustration on where they recommend that you apply the makeup. Here is the illustration that came with mine. Of course, you don't have to follow it if you don't want to.

Here's my version. I didn't follow the illustration to the letter. This is my favorite everyday look. I don't make it too dark and I normally don't deepen my crease for day looks since it's quite odd in my line of work. So I added grey eyeliner and an everyday lengthening mascara.

So here's my final everyday look:

Light Blue and Purple Look + Award

Hello my dear readers! I'm really sorry I've been MIA for a while. But the good news is, my laptop is finally working so I can finally blog properly again. Anyway, I'd just like to share with you a sort of blue and purple look. All the eyeshadows are from my Coastal Scents 88 Shimmer Palette. I rarely wear colorful eyeshadow, so my friends aren't used to it. Please excuse the small gap in the crease of my left eye. I think I scratched my eye accidentally. LOL.

FACE
Sweetscents Hide-a-pore in Medium
Ellana Sheer Velvet Finishing Powder
Earthen Glow Minerals Cover Me Foundation in Yuan Yuan
Milan Minerals Perfect Presentation
Dollface Cosmetics 15-piece concealer

EYES
UDPP
Covergirl Brow and Eye Maker in Midnight Brown
Coastal Scents 88 Shimmer Palette
MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack
Coffret D'or Liquid Eye Pen in Natural
Loreal Telescopic Mascara

CHEEKS
Coastal Scents 42-piece matte and blush set

LIPS
Ellana Lip Gloss in First Kiss

Anyway, I received this award from Mitch!

RULES:

Grab this award on my blog by leaving a comment on this post, a smiley face will do hehe. Please make a post of this award on your blog then link the person who gave this award to you. Also, you must pass this award on to bloggers you choose.

I'm passing this award to:
Martha
Nlng*Star

Anyway, my Ecotools Retractable Kabuki broke! WAhhh! I read about this happening to someone and now it's happened to me :( Luckily it's fixable.

Just a reminder, if you're from the Philippines, you still have time to join my giveaway!

Being Filipino!

Finally, here is my entry to Mszcheysser's contest!

Here's what the contest is about:

ATTENTION MY LOVES :) I am holding a contest - just for you.
Ever since, I joined blogger, I made several friends from the Philippines who contacted me about how they are not able to get NYX and other American's brands. Because I know how it is to be in their shoes (alot of websites, doesn't want to send to Guam either!), I decided to do a contest for those only in the Philippines! (Since there's alot anyways, mainly for the United States) So what are the requirements? 01. You must be a follower of my blog, of course! 02. You must be in the country of the Philippines. 03. You must be able to get a package from USPS. So what's the contest? 01. In your blog, list down

• 5 things that you enjoy about being a Filipina/Filipino
• 5 things that about being a Filipino
• 5 values that you keep as a Filipino
• 5 stereotypes that represent you (Pointing with your lips, when you give directions)
• Talk about one filipino celebrity that you admire

Pick any one of them! I'M NOT SAYING TO TALK ABOUT EVERYTHING. That's too much. =P

02. Be creative, add pictures/videos e.t.c
03. Link me in your blog! :)

How do you win?

01. I will be judging - and I will ask 1-2 other fellow bloggers from Guam to help me!

What are the prizes?

01. In my package, I will include products from NYX (Mainly, because this is the most common thing that I get comments about) and "Insert SECOND common Drug Store Brand in here".

** Please comment me, telling me which drug store brand that you are having a hard time finding in the Philippines, as well. If you are the winner, I will shop for your prize. :) And also, that you're entering in my contest! LOL.

IF YOU'RE CREATIVE...

And create a look with the Philippines' flag color, I will include a GRAND PRIZE. That is if you win.

WHEN DOES THIS END?

I would like to end this on June 7, 2009, so that I can send the package with my parents when they go to the Philippines but date might change to June 30, 2009 if I decide to just send it with USPS. I will let you know. =)

PS:
Sorry that I will not be able to provide High-end prizes - I'm being realistic! I need some more of those myself, lol. xD

PSS:
Just to let the public know, I don't mind how many people join. It could be 1 or it could be 100, I just want to help someone without having to swap - I just did a different approach. & It's a great way to learn know more about the ladies. [Edited 8:51pm of 05/22]

So here is my version:

5 things that you enjoy about being a Filipina/Filipino
1. Being bilingual: We have our own language but we can speak good English as well! In fact, if you're not Tagalog, you can probably speak 3 languages (English, Tagalog and another dialect)!
2. It's easy to find your way because everyone is always willing to give you directions on the street
3.We have so many beautiful beaches. A lot of tourists go visit there. I admit that I'm not much of a beach person but just the view of the beaches are really beautiful.


4. I enjoy being courted! Hhere, the old-style way of courting is still being done, especially in the provinces. The guy's job is to woo the girl, making us feel like princesses! Then the time will come when you say yes or no to the guy, then after that you're officially bf-gf.
5. We have a lot of godparents! Seriously! We add more godparents for each rite of passage (baptism, first communion, confirmation). Hence, lots of presents during Christmas!

5 things that about being a Filipino
1. We're multicultural: Filipinos are made up of ethnic groups, with its own language, tradition, dishes, etc.
2. We have soooooo many words to refer to family members, including distant ones and in-laws. For example, in English, in-laws are referred to as mother-in-law or sister-in-law, but in Tagalog, each in-law has a different name.Ii admit i can't keep up with all those names!
3. We have a lot of nice churches. These little gems are found in the provinces. They are small, old but wow! The art inside is quite breathtaking!
4. We throw great "fiestas!" These fiestas are also very popular attractions! Some of the most popular are the Pahiyas Festival in Quezon and the Ati-atihan in Aklan! Be prepared for a lot of free food, street dancing and bands!


5. We're everywhere! There are Filipinos all over the world.

5 values that you keep as a Filipino
1. Being family-oriented: In the Philippines, most people don't move out until they marry. In fact, some people don't even leave home even after they marry! The family then becomes an extended family.
2. we're great at hospitality. When we have guests, we always make sure they are extra comfortable. We prepare special food and give them the most comfortable accomodations that we can.
3. we're known as being warm, patient people.
4."Utang na loob." This is hard to explain. Literally, it means "internal debt." It's like when someone does you a big favor, you show them kindness and generosity in return. It's like saying, "I'm forever in your debt." Whether it may be good or bad, it's one of the values that we keep.
5. Optimism. I saw a news report once that said that a survey showed that filipinos are one of the happiest people in the world. I believe so too! Even if we're a developing country and life is not easy, Filipinos still manage to keep their heads up high and look at the bright side.

5 stereotypes that represent you
1. the way we use flowery words to talk about our sexual organs. When i say flowery, i mean it! We have words like hiyas (jewel), perlas (pearl), ari (own) to refer to our sexual body parts.
2. The way we always understand each other from using the word "ano." It means, "what." For some reason, even if we say, "kunin mo yung ano sa ano (get the what from the what), we understand what the other person is saying!
3. We can eat food on a banana leaf. Yep!
4. We have a technique for eating with our hands (newly-washed hands, of course) without looking like slobs.
5. We love to sing! karaoke is everywhere! in the mall and in the streets!

Talk about one filipino celebrity that you admire
I admire Chin-Chin Gutierrez. Not only is she pretty, but she chooses her projects well. She chooses shows that have substance. It's sad that there's a lot of not-so-good quality tv shows and movies out now. she sings too! But that's not only what she does, she's also an activist. In fact, she was even featured in the cover of Time Magazine Asia.



And now for the look...

The Philippine flag is red, white and blue, with yellow for the stars. So here's what I did:


I place blue on the outer 2/3 of the lid (I didn't have a blue like this so I mixed two different colors to get this blue), yellow on the inner 1/2 of the lid, white on the brow bone and in the lower lashline, and the red on the lips!

I'm not smiling!

Products used:

FACE
Lauress Minimalist

EYES
Coastal Scents Gel liner in Silk White
Coastal Scents 88 Shimmer Palette for blues and yellow
Coastal Scents 28 Neutral Palette White
Urban Decay 24/7 eye liner in Zero
Urban Decay 24/7 eye liner in Yeyo
Loreal Telescopic Mascara

LIPS
ELF Mineral Lipstick in Ripe Rose
Ellana Liquid Lip Color in Allure

Another Neutral FOTD for an Outdoor Graduation

I'd just like to show you the FOTD I took during my graduation from UP. I kept it very neutral since it was held outdoors.



FACE
Monistat Anti-Chafing Gel
Sweetscents Hide-a-Pore in Medium
Ellana Sheer Velvet Finishing Powder in White Chocolate
Earthen Glow Minerals Cover Me Foundation in Yuan Yuan
Lauress Minimalist Foundation in Pure Yellow
Aromaleigh URFP

EYES
UDPP
Covergirl Brow and Eye Maker in Midnight Brown
Lunasol Brow Styling Mascara in Natural Brown
All eyeshadows are from Coastal Scents 28 Neutral Palette
MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack
Urban Decay 24/7 pencil in Yeyo
Loreal Telescopic Mascara
Ellana Undereye Concealer in Awake

CHEEKS
Coastal Scents Contour and Blush Palette

LIPS
Silk Naturals Lip Gloss in Breathless

And also my medal...