Archives for October 2013

Review: Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse Foundation

October 31, 2013 by Tina Lee Leave a Comment

I am a long-time Maybelline lover because of their watershine lipstick range. I stuck to a single shade, which was Candy Apple Red for years on end even though Maybelline introduced different iteration of the watershine range.

A little back story, I just got back here in Tarlac and since I am mostly based in the city, I forgot to bring all my makeup with me, including my MAC foundation and Blot powder. Since my concealer isn’t doing a great job at hiding dark blemishes (MAC select cover up) on my left cheek and in the middle of my chin without foundation on top, I had to stop wasting product and get a decent foundation.

Unfortunately, this came around the same time I pre-ordered Urban Decay’s Vice 2 and their Shattered Face Case, both of which are part of their 2013 holiday release (will blog as soon as the package arrives). So needless to say, I’m trying to save a bit of moolah because I cannot justify all these purchases when Christmas is still three months away.

I was looking for a cheaper foundation that will not aggravate my already pot-marked fez and I came across great reviews about Dream Mousse liquid foundation. It seems the Maybelline Dream range is very popular in the US and since I need a nice foundation, I decided to try a Maybelline foundie for the first time. Really, I don’t know what to expect. For drugstore foundie, I usually head to L’oreal because I love their Lumi Magique Foundation and their face powders are awesome but turned to Maybelline instead. (I didn’t even bother to consider Revlon because I loathe their photoready mousse foundie. I oil up within a couple hours of wear!)

Well, I’m glad I did because I ended up falling in love with the Dream Mousse liquid foundation. I was relieved that I got the right shade. I usually forget to research what corresponding shade fits my NC30-NC35 skin when I buy any foundation and with the harsh lighting at the beauty counters, I have to squint really hard and compare before I got the right shade. For Maybelline, it was Sandy beige. Sandy beige Medium 1 to be exact. The salesperson kept pushing the lightest and pinkest shade because I’m fair daw. But luckily, I know my way around finding the perfect shade.

The texture is sorta gel-like, not mousse-like at all. But it is so plush, so spreadable and blendable! And the coverage, which was medium to heavy, really covered up most of the blemishes on my cheeks but fell short of covering this nasty, almost black blemish on my chin, which you can see from the first pic. This was a thin layer Dream Mousse liquid foundation with no concealer. The second and third picture is my FOTD and as you can see, the finish is flawless. The final picture from the group is my face four hours after application. There’s minor oiliness around the nose and forehead but nothing a little powder can’t fix.

Here’s a bigger picture:

From the reviews I read online, several people did complain of breaking out after using this but I can’t say the same thing. This didn’t break me out at all! In terms of staying power, it’s decent enough, expect maybe 4 to 6 hours of wear before there’s slight oiliness around the T-zone after the 4 hour mark, in my case at least.

Overall, I love the Maybelline Dream Mousse liquid foundation. The staying power is decent, the coverage is enough that you’d go easy on the concealing after and it’s has a lightweight albeit slight tackiness upon application. But if you set it with a finishing powder (I used Ben Nye), the tackiness will go away completely. The texture is the best thing about the product, it’s not watery and very plush. But a little goes a long way, it’s so easy to go overboard with the application so I suggest you concentrate on the inner parts of your face first then spread super thin layers outward the face.

Review: ZA Total Hydration Dewy Moisturizer

October 27, 2013 by Tina Lee Leave a Comment

Okay, so one of the cool finds I have with my last drugstore haul was the ZA Total Hydration Dewy Moisturizer. I got it because I was meaning to find an affordable moisturizer before I switch to a high-end face cream. The ZA Total Hydration Dewy Moisturizer is a water-based moisturizer. The formula is non-irritating and extremely light on the skin. It comes in this huge bottle and at only PhP 300+, it may be one of the cheapest moisturizers I came across with.

I’ve been using this for three weeks, I think, and I sort of get why many people were excited about ZA coming back to PH, I like the overall quality of the moisturizer. It didn’t break me out and it smelled really nice.

In terms of the consistency, it has a watery, gel-like consistency which I love. The formula is very light and easily absorbed by the skin. I love using this to prep my face for makeup. I really hate super heavy moisturizer that makes my skin feel all greasy so I used to not add my usual moisturizer before I do my makeup. I found a really lightweight moisturizer in ZA Total Hydration Dewy Moisturizer.

Unfortunately, ZA Total Hydration Dewy Moisturizer come in three variants and ZAPH only released one, the DEWY kind. Having really dry skin, this wasn’t enough to deliver ample moisture to my skin. By mid-afternoon, my skin feels parched. This is a bummer since ZA Total Hydration Dewy Moisturizer didn’t break out my skin and I loved how silky my face is right after I applied a liberal amount of the moisturizer. Methinks this will be best if used in the summer season but for colder months, I will stick to heavier creams as it keeps my skin hydrated for longer.

So overall, ZA Total Hydration Dewy Moisturizer is a great alternative to the more expensive Hada Labo moisturizer. It’s non-irritating, smells fresh and goes on light on the skin. It’s best used by those with oily skin. I wish I didn’t listen to the counter girl who assured me this was also good for girls with dry skin because the hydration ZA Total Hydration Dewy Moisturizer gives isn’t enough at all. For girls with dry skin like yours truly, this is a pass. It works great to prep the skin for makeup but falls short on delivering lasting hydration.

Review: Snoe It's Oat-k, It's Alright Foaming Cleansing Oil

October 22, 2013 by Tina Lee 2 Comments

Snoe is a PH-made skin care and cosmetics brand. I’ve been a fan of Snoe after I got one of their much lauded beauty bar and the calamansi-based face mask last year. I gotta say, the brand definitely came a long way from being a barely-noticeable boutique into this really popular cosmetics and skin care brands here in Philippines. Most of their products contain a bevy of natural ingredients that I’m always not entirely familiar with. If there’s one thing I noticed about Snoe, it’s that they always have this crazy concoction of ingredients. Not crazy bad, the good kind of crazy.

I am quite impressed with the soap as it did a good job of lightening my pimple marks, refining the texture of my skin and basically giving my dull, lifeless skin a much needed boost. But I needed something milder to address the really bad state that my skin was in so last week, I decided to try one of their newest products, the “It’s Oat-k, It’s Alright” foaming oil cleanser.

Two blog posts ago, I mention that my utter laziness cost me my skin and I got loads of ugly pustules growing on my chin and hairline. I know, it’s disgusting. So I decided to get another cleanser that will really get rid of every much on my face and got Snoe’s “It’s Oat-k, It’s Alright” foaming cleansing oil.

You can check out what this stuff is all about at Snoe‘s online store. Basically, it’s a cleanser, makeup remover and face moisturizer in one. It promises to get rid of all the gunk you put on your face without drying the skin.

First, I love the scent. The formulation is fortified with goat’s milk so it has a mild, milky-fruity scent which I adore! Seriously, the smell, albeit super faint, is simply scrumptious! I know skin care with fragrance often lead to irritation for some but I’m a scent lover, I want the stuff I put on my face to smell so good. And this stuff, I cannot get enough of, the novelty hasn’t quite worn off.

The consistency is gel-like and melts upon application. It’s not as foamy as other chemical-laden cleansers out there which bummed me out a bit as I like my cleansers to yield more foam and bubbles. But that’s just me. The lovely scent makes up for that though, I love it to bits!

I’ve only been using this for two weeks and so far, I love how it really does go right in and strip the face off makeup. Of course, I use my makeover remover first before I cleans with It’s Oat-k because I want a squeaky kind of clean. It’s super mild and it never broke me out so overall, this is a real winner right here.

Essence Long Lasting Eye Pencil

October 16, 2013 by Tina Lee Leave a Comment

Yeah, I know I said I won’t be posting any beauty-related stuff anytime soon but I was so pleased with last night’s drugstore haul that I just want to spread the word about it.

So, I was bored out of my mind yesterday so I decided to surprise the boyf with a new backpack (his old one is getting rattier, that’s why). But before I bought the bag, I had a look-see at Watson’s because I need a new eyeliner. I have grown tired of waiting for Digital Traincase to stock up on the Milani LiquidEYES liners so I scoured aisle after aisle looking for a really good eyeliner that’s 1) inexpensive 2) has smooth, creamy texture and 3) won’t budge. I found the perfect eyeliner in Essence Real Long Lasting Eye Pencil.

Essence is a German cosmetics brand. A little search online and I learned it’s basically one of Germany’s most popular drugstore brands. I heard some of their products are a hit or miss so take that for what it is.

I swatched several liners on my hand and let it set for a minute. Once set, I rubbed each swatch vigorously and they hardly budged. Perfect! These babies are so cheap, I bought four liners in one go, two black liners, a brown one and a green one because I love a little green around the eyes!

I tested the black liner, which was so velvety smooth, it did not tug at my lids as I glide it on. In terms of the formula, this is fantastic. It’s similar to Milani’s eyeliner, they have the same smoothness and creaminess. My only gripe is, it smudges like hell. I seriously did not see this because when I swatched it and it won’t come off, I thought I found the best cheap liner there is. But yes, it does migrate to your lower lid within a few hours of wear. I wore mine for a little under three hours and damn, it wasn’t a pleasant sight at all. I have very dry skin and really don’t think I have oily lids at all so I’m not quite sure what happened.

Good thing this is easily solved with a pat of powder. You can avoid smudging by adding a bit of similar-colored eye shadow on top of the liner OR translucent power, so it sets quickly and won’t slide all over your lids. I’ve yet t try this but I will let you know how it’ll go.

Overall, I love the formula of the Essence Long Lasting Eye Pencils! It goes on smooth as butter and the color payoff is amazing. However, apart from the black liner, the other two liners I got (brown and green) are not as long lasting so if you want to veer away from the basic black liner, keep this in mind. I wish it doesn’t smudge as much though. While there are ways to keep them from sliding off the lids (primer or with a light dusting of eyeshadow/powder), the extra step is a bummer especially for lazy folks like me, hahahah!

I will be reviewing ZA moisturizer on my next post. I think this is a dupe to the popular Hada Labo moisturizers. Been only using this for a couple of days so performance-wise, it’s too early to tell anything.

Rambling

October 10, 2013 by Tina Lee Leave a Comment

I’m getting fat and all the raiding the fridge and eating at spontaneous times sure ain’t helping, hahahah! So the boyfriend and I dragged our asses to the local boxing studio and started working out. My oh my. Am I out of shape or WHAT. Again, too bad I have no pictures. I got a bit shy taking pictures because there are way too many men in the gym and I don’t wanna be the maarte girl who kept taking pictures of herself while working out, hahahaa!

Anyhoo, to supplement the boxing thing, I also started doing a bit of dumbell exercises. Because my arm are scary fatty. We’re talking, flying squirrel flabby here. That’s me painting you a picture.

Okay, I have very bad skin lately. Like, really, really bad, gross skin with pustules of pimply goodness popping at random parts of my face! At first, I thought it must be one of the stuff I slather on my face, so I stopped putting stuff on my face. The pimple fest went on. So, I figured it must be the makeup brushes, maybe I don’t clean them well enough, and I started dutifully cleaning them twice per week. Still, the problem persisted and now, I suspect it’s all the gunk I’ve been putting on my face.

Ignore the eye makeup, I was brushing up on my blending skills, hahaha. See the pimple marks on my cheek and the ones on my chin? Gnarly.

I came across some online seller who showed a picture of her dirty Clarisonic Mia brush. She used it after getting rid of her makeup with makeup remover and cleansing her face with a facial wash. Imagine, she used a makeup remover and washed her face and still when she used the damn scrub the brush is full of freakin’ makeup.Everything made sense now.

I failed to clean my face properly. I was so smug, trusting my makeup remover to get rid of all traces of makeup on my face when in fact, it’s simply not enough. Yeah, I know that’s pretty basic but whatever. I digress. Well, I couldn’t leave my face all raw and gnarly so thankfully, I still have my GNC Aloe gel with me and I used it to heal the wounds and lighten old pimple marks.

I’ve only been using it for a couple of days and well, I can’t really give a decent opinion on its healing powers but it’s nicely hydrating and goes very light on the skin. My face just soaks up the gel upon application though it stung my eyes a bit (the gel turns to watery within a few seconds), it’s not that bothersome. It has a faint scent too, very clean, I quite like it. Now we wait until it helps clear my acne *fingers crossed*

(In)Decision, (In)Decision

October 6, 2013 by Tina Lee Leave a Comment

So with my master plan in full swing, I’m praying hard that I’ll get what I finally dream of, a space all my own. Meanwhile, I’m busy between work and anticipating the things that are about to come in the coming months ahead. First stop, I picked a gift for my mom. You know, my mom is so bad at getting gifts. She’s the type who, if gifted with something she loves, she’d use over and over again. But if you give her something she feels she doesn’t need or want, you’ll never hear the end of it. Like seriously. Last Christmas, we gave her a bag and she absolutely hated it and she basically said, I don’t like the style, you can take it back if you like. So yeah.

This year, I played it safe and got her a pair of diamond earrings. Here they are:

Nice eh? Well I hope she wears it, hahaha!

Next, the boyfriend and I booked a trip to Hundred Islands, somewhere in the north to celebrate our anniversary. We booked this trip with a couple of friends in tow, via Metro Deal. It’s our first time booking a budget trip of sorts and fingers-crossed, things will be okay. As of the moment, we were trying to figure out which of the four dates were approved for the trip, meh, boring details.

I know I should be saving up for the condo thing I was planning sometime next year. Actually, all the planning and mapping out of my expenses is depressing me. I think I’m getting cold feet. It’s hard to explain. My mom was supportive of my decision and even told me she’d help me secure a bank loan but after thinking things through, I’m unsure if I should go for it at all. I mean, I plan to take over our family business in Tarlac sometime in 2015 if I take a condo right now, I will only live in it for like, a couple of years. By then, I can’t even lease the place because I’d probably be still paying for it. So thinking that and a heck load of others things, like getting hitched within the next two years, blah, blah, blah, it sorta made me realize I have the worst timing in the world. Like, the worst ever. Why, why, why didn’t I think about getting a condo when I was like, 25 or something? Meh. No use crying over spilled milk.

It seems I’ve been getting more and more homesick as of late. That means, I’ve been in a really awful mood all week. More antisocial than usual, if I do say so myself. My sister and our cat Dimitri, has gone back to Tarlac to spend time with the family until she gets her visa. Since my sister and the cat is on an indefinite vacation, I’m stuck going back and forth the city and Tarlac, taking care of the general safekeeping of our apartment and all that jazz. I invited a few friends over during the first week of being alone and it was sorta fun. It was helluva hard work trying to keep the apartment together after a night of debauchery, let me tell ya. Too bad I don’t have pictures, hahahah! I was too busy washing the dishes, collecting thrash and entertaining my guests, I forgot the photo op. Maybe next time 🙂

So. New work week is up ahead and I am gearing for yet another travel back to Tarlac for my mom’s birthday. Hopefully, we will get to discuss the condo thing. Didn’t tell her about being unsure about the idea now but we’ll see. Maybe there’s a solution to be found in all of this.