Saturday, September 10, 2011

how to fix a broken nail

http://konadnails.blogspot.com/2011/09/how-to-fix-broken-nail.html

that is the link that will save me.  coz i am breaking my nails all the time!

i think i need OPI envy... must save up for that.

^_^

Sunday, September 4, 2011

christmas pls come soon :)

i want jared hirrrrr!!!!

but also i want material stuff :)

*sighs*

been wanting you for so long!

Thursday, September 1, 2011

huh? what??

haha, joke...

i wasn't able to blog for a few months coz facebook took most of my time :) plus having a baby girl made me busy, too...


Wednesday, April 6, 2011

glues for false eyelashes

i only have ardell lashgrip and duo eyelash adhesive, i ordered them online coz i did not find any locally sold eyelash adhesive here.  or maybe i just don't go out that much.

im still new to this stuff, so i will say what i have noticed about them so far...




ardell lashgrip eyelash adhesive is not bad to start with coz it is cheap.  it is perfect for newbies who don't want to invest too much on something new.  just squirt it (carefully and evenly) through the band of your eyelashes, maybe 1 mm thick,  and wait for 40 seconds minimum and you can place your falsies to your eyelashes.  i did not understand why but i soon found out that wet glue doesn't stick.  when it is slightly sticky, then that is the time to put them on, coz they will cling to your lashes but you will still have enough time to adjust them if you placed it wrongly, as long as the glue is still creamy white.  it will turn to clear once dried.

 though i find that it squirts a lot of bubbles than glue and if you put a very thin film (i was scared to put a lot before) your eyelashes will fall off in the middle of the day.  like this.

the right one is falling off.  good thing i can easily take off the left one, or else >.<
or when the wind blows your lashes will fly up and down your eyes :)

so be careful to put just the right amount, coz putting a lot will also deposit a lot of semitransparent latex on your lashes, it won't look transparent anymore and you can't take them off by pulling.  got to use a waterproof makeup remover.


ardell 124 lashes with ardell lashgrip adhesive, you can see the white part even when i applied black eyeshadow on top of it (because i loaded up with adhesive this time).

unfortunately, the packaging sucks.  i always close it very tightly because i don't want it to dry up, but in less than a month, the screw part tore and fell off with the cap.  so i just covered it with cellotape and cut a small hole at the end so i can still use it.


good thing my duo eyelash adhesive (dark-tone) came during the same week that my ardell lashgrip decapitated itself!



duo eyelash adhesive is also waterproof, it is gray when you squirt it, but turns to black when it is dry.  i love it coz the staying power is good, better actually, application is okay, but it takes longer to get tacky.  i already waited for 40 seconds and, thinking it was like ardell, i placed it on my eyelids and found out that it's still wet.  so you have to wait longer.

and also when you place them on your lashes, don't move them too much coz when it gets to your eyelids while it is still wet, the dark-colored glue will go to your eyelids.  and stay.  like this.


duo eyelash adhesive certainly looks better than ardell, coz it blends well with my lash color. 


see, the ardell 110 lashes looked natural here.



i can't wait to use it with my new falsies!  (they came just this week)

reviews soon!

of brushes and bristles...

year 2011, and all kinds of brushes are available for all our needs.  before, all they use in makeup was sponges: face sponge for foundation and eyeshadow applicator sponges for our eyes.  but when i went to sephora i saw a whole area just for face brushes.  wow!

i have only a few brushes, because i bought them only for what i need, or when they look so cute (hello urban decay).



first from the left is e.l.f.  foundation brush, it is now 2 years old but it still looks and feel the same as the day i bought it.  and it is cheap! i got it from watson's for $2 maybe...


i use it with benefit's foundation faker coz it leaves a light finish and doesn't use too much product.  the sponge makes a nice finish, too, maybe medium coverage, but it soaks up the product and you end up using twice the amount you need.  it is also perfect to use under my eye area, the tapered end is just the right size.

and it is perfect in getting the products left on the corners!

the next one is a blusher brush from the body shop, i got it only recently but i have been wanting it for years.


it feels soft when you brush it on the apples of your cheeks, makes you want to put your blush every now and then, but it takes practice for me to brush on the right areas coz i was used to a big blusher brush, not a flat one like this.  but i am using it everyday to get familiar with it, and it goes well with my current blushes.


next is also a newbie: bare escentuals heavenly face brush.  it is a super soft flat-top kabuki brush with a very fat body :)


now this is the brush for buffing! i love to swirl it on b.e. mineral foundation but i love it more when i buff it on my face coz it feels very soft, and it is a breeze to use mineral veil with it.


then we have my very first face brush (2009): the bare escentuals flawless face brush for b.e. mineral makeup (4th from the left).  it is perfect for mineral makeup coz the bristles gets the powder tucked inside and distributes it evenly to your face, though it reminds me of walis tambo :)


but it feels soft, especially when newly washed.  this brush glides through my face when im using it for mineral veil, and it is wide enough to give a nice finish.  i can use it for b.e. foundation, mineral veil and b.e. radiance but not for other products, especially compact powders like stila illuminating powder or ponds face powder.  the bristles gets hard and bent.

second from the last is a blush brush i got locally, it is a medium sized fluffy dome brush that i use with loreal nude brown blush because it is perfect for putting blush on the lower cheek area to contour.



and the last one is a square-sized flat brush i got locally, too, which i use only for highlighter powders.

perfect for highlighting the under-eye area

and i have a kabuki brush from the body shop, a big dome brush with squat base:

it is awesomely soft, sometimes when i stare at my table i play with it coz it feels good to touch!  i use this on compact powders coz the bristles are strong enough, but it doesn't take the products quickly, i have to swirl 3-4 times before i can buff it on my face.

i also have a few brushes for the eyes, i never used sponge applicators because they said it stresses your eyelids creating premature wrinkles.

for putting eyeshadows all over my lids i use either urban decay blender brush or smashbox blending brush.  ud blender brush has a wider area so i use it if i want to put eyeshadow all over my lids, it is so easy to use and blending became a breeze when i use this one.  while smashbox blending brush is good for that purpose too, i use it mainly to add a darker shade on the outer half of my eyelids (the size is perfect!), so it actually is, for my purpose, is more of a shader brush than a blending brush.  these two are a must-have for me coz i use them everyday.

urban decay blender brush (top) and smashbox blending brush
for blending purposes, ud blender brush wins, its soft bristles blend eyeshadows perfectly.  i find that smashbox blending brush takes more time in blending and it stresses the eyelids a little bit.


then i have a small dome brush and a smudger brush, used occassionally for applying the darkest shades on the outer v of my eyes, or to smudge eyeliners (remove harsh lines), or to make a smokey effect.
small dome brush (top) and smudger brush
but i can get away without the dome brush, i still cannot master it while the smudger brush is easier to control.


i also have two very thin angled flat eyeliner brush, to top one is slightly longer and softer, so i don't use it coz it's harder to control, while the bottom one is stiffer, so it is perfect for gel eyeliners and applying a thin line of eyeshadow on the lower eyelashes.  from watsons :)


next we have two flat shadow brushes, that i rarely use coz ud blender brush is so efficient and multi-tasking, but other eyeshadows (especially on manly palette) tend to have a lot of fall offs when you apply with a blender brush, so these brushes are good to use when you want to apply those kinds of shadows by tapping them gently on your lids.
the third one is either a point concealer brush or a lip brush, i don't know :P

last on my list is a fan brush, which is good for brushing fallen shadows on your cheeks, and extra shadows on your lids.  i got it cheap on ebay but its not an essential part of my usual morning routine so its ok.

i don't have a crease brush because i cannot see my crease anyway (chinese eyes).  and i only have one lip brush coz i use it only with my mykajy palette.  i use my normal lipsticks as they are - straight from the bullet :)



so as they say, you don't need to have a lot of brushes, just the ones you need.  and invest on good quality ones, because this is your face we are talking about.  and good quality ones tend to last longer and feel better on your skin, too.  you don't have to buy the high-end products, there are lots of brushes that are cheap and useful, like elf, smashbox, just search on ebay for trusted sellers and wait for a bargain-priced one :)

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

make your lipstick last

well, for just a little longer than usual.  and don't kid yourself, no lipstick will last when you eat. voraciously.


when i put my lipstick on at 8 in the morning they usually disappear by 9 or 10, depending on how hungry i am :)

nivea 8-hour extreme resist can last until 11 or 12 but it looks dry by that time, putting on the attached lipgloss won't help.

that's why i bought laura geller lip sealer (right).  because it is cheap ($10.28 for two with shipping) and urban decay lip primer potion and too faced lip primer costs a lot on ebay, although they got the most raves on internet beauty blogs.

the body shop spiced vanilla lip balm feels good after brushing your lips (for exfoliating purposes),  but it leaves a white film on your lips and it makes a slippery base for lipsticks.
first i apply my lipbalm (because lg lip sealer kind of dries my lips), then lipstick, then lg lip sealer.  lg lip sealer looks like alcohol, and the applicator looks like a nail polish'.  the good thing is, it really helped my lipstick stay for 3 hours more than usual, so yes, it does work.  the bad thing is, it stings.  when you brush it on your lips it feels (momentarily) like you chapped your whole lips.  but only for 3-4 seconds.  then it disappears.  you won't find any residue,  and your lip color won't change.  4 hours maximum staying power, but less if you eat and/or lick your lips a lot.

then when i went to bcc last week with fatty i saw too faced lip primer in sephora.  it costs $29.  twice the price online, but at least i can have it right then and there.  so i bought it and for five days i checked the consistency with different lipsticks.

tf lip primer's applicator is like a lip gloss', the product is a thin white cream and it is so easy to apply.  first i apply lipbalm, then after 5 minutes i wipe it off completely so tf lip primer can have a 'bare canvass'.  then i use tf lip primer, then lipstick, and lipgloss if i need it.

i have found the 'it' product!  it does its job, it doesn't sting, and it makes the lipstick's color stand out.  i also noticed that my lips looked smoother when i use it, definitely noticeably smoother.  it makes my clear gloss go along with all of my lipstick shades!  so perfect with summer!!

though i found that bright lipsticks lasted longer than darker ones, i don't know why.  tf lip primer made my nyx margarita look good on me (i usually can't work with frosty lipsticks), it lasted until 1pm, which is my lunch hour, but i admit i did not eat anything except one croissant and a cup of coffee the whole morning.  but it was good to know that i don't have to worry about my lipstick until midday, provided i won't lick them or eat greasy foods that will make me lick my lips a lot.

i fell in love with margarita's color after using tf lip primer
and doll's color (with gloss) just got better!

urban decay sellout (a shade darker than my original lipcolor) lasted only until 11 am, but that was because i had 3 different breads that morning (cheesebread, hopia and loaf bread).


so...  too bad i bought 2 pieces of lg lip sealer :( what to do with it now?

Monday, April 4, 2011

graduation...

graduation season. sino nga ba naglakad sakin nung gumraduate ako? nung highschool si mama, nung elementary si mamang kwats ba? it must have been sad coz i don't remember...

at oo, hindi na safe magpublish sa facebook dahil andun na silang lahat :(

Friday, April 1, 2011

why do we have so much lipsticks?? :)

darn pretty engravings...


it is, after all, the weapon of love.  or so urban decay says...

when i was in college i only had one lipstick throughout, i would buy 2-3 pieces of it so i'd have spares in case it gets out of stock. it is a nice shade of semi-nude berry from avon called sugar and spice.

and when i started working i used the body shop's lip and cheek tint.  i loved it coz it looks so natural, like the color your lips get when you bite them.  and it doubles as my blush then...



but thank you ebay for giving me the chance of buying brands from US that i otherwise wouldn't know, i have a small tray full of lipsticks of different shades and brands.

my first brand though, is locally bought.  it is the nivea extreme resist 8-hour lipstick.

in roselove, tea rose and coral

but, like all advertisements on earth, it's just words.  nivea extreme resist 8-hour lipstick only lasts 4 hours of a normal office day.  without coffee or anything, maybe 5.  even though it's labelled incorrectly, it is not disappointing because 4-5 hours is ok, instead of a normal one that you have to retouch every 2 hours.  it is creamy while you swipe it on your lips but then it dries and become sticky after a few seconds so you really have to use the gloss, you can't use this in matte.  and as time passes by, your lips will start drying up and the outcome of the lipstick drying up and disappearing is really unacceptable so you have to check how your lips look by hour 5.  i have it in three comfortable shades:

nivea roselove with gloss

nivea roselove matte, i call it my nude base color coz i always apply another lipstick on top, otherwise it will look like nothing.

nivea coral with gloss

nivea coral matte, my sister calls it granny color

nivea tea rose with gloss

nivea tea rose matte, my most complimented shade


then i saw these on ebay and, im not being judgmental, but the seller being based in hongkong makes me think this isn't really original pieces, but they look so pretty so i bought two:


it is mac's liberty of london lipstick.  they were creamy when i got them but now, after two months, has dried up a little so i needed to apply lipbalm first.  it lasts  2-3 hours on my lips.

frost.  made me realize im not compatible with frosty lipstick.

spiced tea, a shade darker than my original lipcolor :)


and then, i saw the most beautifully packaged lipstick ever!  (urban decay never fails to do this to us, don't they?)


my officemate was puzzled at the existence of the dagger. i told her UD stands by its motto in lipstick, "it is the weapon of love".
even though it doesn't last that long, i never really minded reapplying anytime anywhere, this is the prettiest in all the bunch.  it glides like butter on my lips, smells wonderful, but i have to be careful not to taste it or lick my lips afterwards, i don't know why but these lipsticks taste bitter to me.

shade: sellout.  the nearest shade to my original lipcolor, i use this for 'barely there' moods

shade: indecent.  i don't use this because it is so sheer, it does nothing on my lips except put small glitters on it.



and then i saw nyx.  they are cheap, like $2-4 per piece (including shipping fee), and when i first applied it i only thought of one thing: it is so creamy!


even creamier than the expensive urban decay lipsticks, i swear!  and the colors are wow, just one swipe and you get what's on the tube. we were definitely hooked.

shade: tea rose.  light pink that should be used with smokey eyes

shade: doll. i got it free, but i ended up using it the most. i love this shade!

shade: indian pink.  i cannot use this without a gloss, it lookes so light pink!

shade: margarita.  another frosty one.. sigh

shade: eros.  bright red a la heart E.

shade: terra cotta.  brownish berry shade meant for my sister.
ps. all lipstics were applied without lip primer, which i am so excited to try tomorrow (just got it yesterday).  it is suppose to make the colors appear better and to make it last longer, too.



but i exfoliated my lips beforehand with benefit's dr feelgood buffing lip beads and silky lip balm



aside from my mykajy lip palette that i have reviewed before,

i also have three lip gloss from nyx,


but i blogged about them already so i won't blab about them anymore.  and also because nyx lipglosses mysteriously dried up even though i am sure i kept them closed very tight.  (?)

i don't know why i have so much lipsticks, but for me, it is like going with your moods, some shades are meant for happy days, some for dark days, and some for carefree days, and so on...  yes, the lame excuses we girls make :)