The Best of 2009

Hello everyone! Christmas is done, and the year will soon end. So, I'd like to present my list of the best of 2009. Now, when I mean that it's the best of 2009, I'm talking about products that were released in 2009, or have been released previously but didn't make waves until 2009. I loved a lot of products this year but if I put them all, it might take forever. So, here's my version (Please note that they have no particular order):

1. Adorned With Grace Foundation

This foundation was released in 2008 (I think) but didn't become really popular in GirlTalk until late 2008 until early 2009. This is my favorite mineral foundation brand, although I still don't have a full pot myself (I haven't gotten to it yet). It gives me a really natural finish, but at the same time giving me coverage. I wouldn't say full coverage; it's probably a medium.

2. Saizen Charcoal Masque 

This product made waves amongst GirlTalkers and bloggers alike. And why wouldn't it? Its job is to remove whiteheads and blackheads in our faces. And it does exactly what it's supposed to do. And the best part is, it's only P85 (around $1.60).

You can read my full review HERE.

3. Kryolan Products

Makeup artists have been using Kryolan for a long time already, but it didn't make waves in GirlTalk until the 2009. A lot of beauty addicts now have turned to Kryolan as less expensive alternatives to more expensive brands. Products in particular that because sellouts were the TV Paint Stick and the Anti-Shine Powder.

4. MAC Beauty Powder Blush in Summer Rose

This beauty powder blush came out in MAC's A Rose Romance collection. The moment I swiped it I knew it was love! This quickly became my everyday blush. It gave me a sheer wash of color, very natural, as if I didn't have anything on, yet it lasted all day. And who doesn't love the rose design?

5. MAC Mineralize Blush in Hand-Finish

Another favorite blush of mine that came out this year as part of MAC's Colour Craft Collection. It goes on sheer but buildable. It has big glittery bits which not everyone might like, but since I like shimmer I sometimes put this alone for daytime, or put this on top of another blush for night time events.

6. Urban Decay Book of Shadows Vol. II

This is one of the two must have limited edition palettes this year. I missed out on Vol. I and I made sure I wasn't going to miss out on this one. How can I resist Urban Decay? They're creamy and nicely pigmented. I love UD e/s. This palette has 16 shades! It doesn't hurt either that they included two travel sized pencils and a travel sized UDPP to match.

7. Barbie Loves Stila All Doll'd Up Palette

 

 

 

This is the second must-have limited edition palette. Even though I had the UD Book of Shadows already, I couldn't resist getting this too! This palette offers great pigmentation, and it's a steal for P1250 (around $25). The advantage of this over the UD palette is that this is much smaller and easier to tote around.

So this is my list. What's on your list? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

 

Product Review: Saizen Charcoal Masque

Good morning everyone! I'm sorry I've been MIA. I've been so busy lately but today I have some time. Today is a holiday but the world doesn't stop turning for me since I'll be following my usual schedule for the day. But before that, let me leave you with a review of Saizen Charcoal Masque.

After reading a lot of raves in Girltalk, I just had to try it out. It's a masque that's supposed to take out whiteheads and blackheads. Being a gal with really oily skin, I'm very prone to skin impurities so I badly need stuff like these. I was able to try it out for the first time and I was surprised because it really did a good job of removing whiteheads. I didn't expect that there would be nothing left (that would be asking too much considering my skin type) but it was still able to remove a good amount.

At first I wasn't sure how to use it, like if I needed to wash it off or peel it off. Thank goodness my sister can read Japanese and she told me it's most likely to be peeled off.

This masque works better than other nose packs I tried such as Biore, IWhite and Bench plus the added bonus is that you can use it on your whole face or just in your nose or T-zone, depending on your problem. The tube is quite small and you do need a lot of product to make the masque black, so I think one tube will last me about 5-7 uses only if I use it on my whole face. Thank goodness the price tag makes me happy!

So here is my rundown of pros and cons:

PROS

• Cheap at P85 (less than $2)!
• Does a good job at removing blackheads and whiteheads

CONS

• Only available in Saizen, which has only one branch so far (Robinson's Galleria)
• Stocks are so hard to come by! Seriously.
• It can hurt when taking it out (I actually teared up!)

TIPS

• Take it off right away once it dries because it can hurt!
• Make sure the masque is black and not just almost black because a thick layer removes the whiteheads and blackheads better
• Keep it away from your eyes, mouth and your hair parts such as your eyebrows and upper lip because it hurts more if it goes through the hair.

Will I buy this again? Definitely!