Contour Like a Pro with James Cooper Compact Powder Cream Foundation

April 22, 2014

Cheekbones, please!

I’ve hit major pan on my beloved NARS Laguna that I’ve been loyal to for how many years and counting. It’s the only product in my stash that I use to contour, nothing else. While I’d repurchase it in a heartbeat, I had an urge to try something new – particularly a cream formula that I felt would look more natural as compared to a powder one. So imagine my delight when I saw the the new NARS Matte Multiples that came in shades that looked perfect for contouring!

However, upon reading reviews regarding it, my excitement kinda died down. Also, they aren’t out here in the Philippines till next month which further killed the anticipation. I didn’t want to order online blindly because I wanted to test which among the three possible contour shades would best suit me. So I dragged my ass off to the local beauty sections instead and hunted down a cream contour product to test out.

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A Brilliant Red: Pixi Tinted Brilliance Balm in Rosy Red

April 19, 2014

Another Red, Another Day

I don’t have a lot of reds in my stash so a new one is always welcome. I’ve had this Pixi Tinted Brilliant Balm* in Rosy Red for quite some time now so it’s quite a shame I haven’t written about it yet cos it’s a beauty, you guys. I haven’t tried a lot of these jumbo crayon lip balm slash lipstick hybrids (only Revlon’s Just Bitten) so I can’t compare Pixi’s to others like it in the market.

Pixi is more of a “drugstore brand” in the US and UK but here in the Philippines, its prices fit somewhere above drugstore and below high-end. So, while it’s not exactly cheap by Philippine beauty landscape definition, it’s not entirely expensive either. But the quality? I’d have to say its is definitely at par with most of the more high-end brands.
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On-the-Go Makeup Look

April 18, 2014

What to do when you’ve got only 30 seconds?

As a final follow up to my On the Go vs. Take Your Time entry, I’ll be sharing my feels-like-I’ve-only-30-seconds look. As I mentioned in that post, I have a tendency to reach for products that don’t require me to use brushes or extra tools, except for finishing powders. So as opposed to my full makeup look that takes me more than half an hour to achieve, my on-the-go makeup look I can finish in 5-8 minutes, tops (I timed myself!). VIEW THE REST OF THE POST →

Mother of All NARS Shadows: The NARSissist Eyeshadow Palette

April 15, 2014

Say Hello to the NARS Mothership

I’ve pretty much convinced myself that this is a palette I am better off avoiding. Plus, I’ve read more than enough reviews that swayed in this direction so it wasn’t exactly an “omg must buy because of the hype” product. BUT. The temptation of having 15 NARS shades all in one palette was too strong and debilitating that I inevitably gave in.

It’s definitely $$$ cheaper than buying NARS shadows in duos or singles despite their size and most probably inferior quality. I’ve two other NARS palettes – Fairy’s Kiss and Voulez Vous – that were so-so (more so bad than so good) that should’ve further deterred me but then, where’s the fun in that? Haha! I’ve had this for quite some time now but wanted to fully test its capabilities to be able to give my final verdict and not just a measly ‘first impressions’ post.

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When I Have All The Time in the World Makeup Look

April 13, 2014

And Not Enough Fabric for my Tops

As a follow-up to my previous post regarding On the Go vs Take Your Time makeup, I’m sharing today the Take Your Time version. This is when I have 1023840 minutes to do a full face including the use of as many eyeshadows as I want, the whole subtle contouring shebang and even the thing I hate doing most – application of falsies (which I didn’t do for this look).

Teaser. I am not the biggest fan of needles so those marks on my left arm (your right) aren’t tattoos. I was actually swatching an eyeshadow palette prior so my left arm is filled with swatches. It’s a palette I didn’t think I would like but still was interested to experience. I was even preparing how to say shitty in 10 different ways already cos I was certain I would only like a few. If you’re interested to know what the hell I’m drivelling on about here, wait for my next posts. Wink wink! VIEW THE REST OF THE POST →