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 :)

body shop tea tree oil cover stick

a quick review for body shop tea tree oil cover stick, which i only purchased to because of combined shipping savings when i bought a blusher brush from the body shop.

it looks like this and i got mine in medium (they only have 3 shades):

it looks like a lipstick bullet

and i am so happy to say that it works!  i use this in the morning after benefit's foundation faker.  i just dab it on my pimple, blend it with my fingers, and the next day, i dont have to use it anymore coz the redness is gone.  honestly...

and even if you have a lot of pimples, i don't think you have to repurchase soon coz you only need a small amount, i think it will last for about 6 months to 1 year, depending on usage.

more quick reviews soon!

olay skin comfort cleansing milk vs sephora waterproof makeup remover

how to use:  put a small amount (green pea size) on the tip of your index fingers and massage on your eyelids, then wipe with a cotton wool/ pad to remove make up.

it really is as easy as that!  it will remove even your mascara.  the good thing with this makeup remover is that it is so gentle, but so effective.  i use it every night.

it doesn't remove false eyelashes though, i have to use sephora's waterproof makeup remover to do that.  which does work, but i hate the oily feel afterwards.

it is half blue liquid, half white with tiny crystals which you need to shake first otherwise (happened to me first time) it will sting your eyes big time.  how to use?  pour a small amount on a cotton wool/pad and gently wipe your eyelids.

it does its job but the oily afterfeel makes me want to wash my face again.  but it does a great job in removing glue in my false eyelashes!

so far, those are my only makeup removers, i had a givenchy sample before but after sampling a lot of eyeshadows it kind of burned my eyelids so i gave it away..  >.<

B.E. bare minerals TRY.BELIEVE.LOVE.

i have been using bare escentuals for 3 years now and i will never use another mineral product except b.e. even if i have to order them from US and pay for extra shipping fee.

to find out how much i love their mineral foundation and mineral veil: click  which face product? or the rest here

anyways i was delighted to see them at our local sephora store until i saw that their prices are so ridiculously high that even if i order from US with extra shipping fee, it will still be cheaper than what they have here.

but anyways, i bought the small try-me kit called TRY.BELIEVE.LOVE because i want to give one to my sister so she will not take the big ones i have.  clever, huh?

they only have it in Medium

it includes 2 foundation samples: medium and medium beige, one mineral veil sample jar and one warmth sample with a very cute miniature face brush.

i saw one kit in ebay that includes a small concealer brush, i don't know why they don't have it here.  and each kit only costs $20 in the US site of sephora and b.e., while here it costs $26.50.

but don't be fooled, when i say small, i mean small.  this is how it looks when i put them beside the normal sized b.e. powders and brush:

the kit includes only the small jar at the bottom, the middle jar is the normal 2 gram sized b.e. powder, and the top jar is the giant 9 gram powder.  the face brush is also miniature compared to my normal sized b.e. flawless face brush.

really small especially on this angle

silly me, maybe that's why it is called try me kit, hehe!

anyways i put them at the backside of my makeup table so i will not a. use them b. lose them.

but when i ran out of b.e. foundation, i sneaked a small amount from the two sample jars and mixed them up.  this is how medium differs from medium beige (i realized only now)

i hope my sister doesn't read my blog anymore ^_^

finally, brown, you're here...

i ordered brown contact lenses from contactlensxchange.com because francis is still not used to the fact that my eyes are now honey-colored ^_^

freshlook colorblends HONEY

freshlook colorblends BROWN

anyways, i got them in brown, with my new prescriptions (500/600)

and guess what? they arrived in just one week (i was expecting three-four weeks) even though i ordered in the US. although, i think they have a base in singapore coz my parcel came from there.

whatever, i was just not used to online stores being so quick in their delivery.  i was so happy and im excited to try them out later!

they are also half the price than what i paid for when i bought my honey lenses here in bahrain.  it cost me BD14 ($37) each box which has two lenses, and since i have different grades for my left and right eye i have to purchase 2 boxes, so it was a relief to find them cheap and reliable!

here is the comparison for honey vs brown:

honey is really so light in color, i have friends who got shocked when i first wore it.  brown is a more comfortable color for me.

quick review:
although freshlook is a popular brand, i would rather buy my old brand FOCUS.  although i have no difficulty in putting freshlook lenses and while it is in my eyes, it is very comfortable. however if i have to remove it from my eye and i have no solution on hand, i find it very difficult to put back because it dries so easily.  not like Focus.  i kind of panicked when i removed freshlook from my eyes because i thought it would tear because it was so dry.  good thing i placed it back on my eyes before it happened.

my original brand

my new brand

review: avon liquid freeze quick dry spray

if, like me, you get impatient waiting for your nails to dry...

and if, like me, you tend to feel like going to the bathroom as soon as you put the top coat on your nails...

and if, like me, you wake up with bedsheet marks on your nails...


and you get so pissed off because you worked so hard on your nail art, or you just felt like all the efforts waiting for the first coat, second coat, konad, then top coat on your nails to dry have been useless...

then this is one solution for you!

i have seen so many fast dry spray but this is the most environment-friendly coz it doesn't have aerosol propellants.

and the most important answer of course - yes it works!

it does dry your nails like magic, and with just three sprays on each hand since one spray can reach 2-3 nails.

problem is, the oil.  it's super oily.  so if you are super impatient and you spray after each coat, you have to wash your hands thoroughly afterwards because the next coat will not stick if your nails are oily.

so i only spray after konad and after top coat.  i just let the first two base coats dry naturally.  but, since it still cuts my nailpolish time in half, im pretty satisfied with it...

hooray for avon!

also: quick review for sephora purifying brush shampoo

of course, when my baby's shampoo ran out i tried to buy a more professional brush cleaner since the OC in me wants to wash them every week (daily for the foundation brush, which, i found out, was the cause for my previous pimples just because i didn't realize you have to wash it daily...)...

and i found it in sephora, which is triple the price of a baby shampoo but makes my brushes so soft, plus the fact that it is antibacterial :)

ive been using this bottle for 5 months now and it is still half-full, so i think you're money's worth it, and your face, too.  my bare escentuals kabuki brush never felt softer even when it was new until i wash it with this, and it decently cleans my eyeshadow brushes and eyeliner brushes, too.

never mind the eye primer on the photo, too faced shadow insurance works, everyone knows that.  im just trying to finish it so i can compare it to urban decay primer potion.

claire's nail polish

after two coats, di pa rin bonggang violet ang kulay... medyo hindi pa opaque.  at ang tapang ng amoy.  killer high.

verdict:
*will not use again*

oily crap...

last week maricel has been complaining about the oiliness of my face.  even irish said (brutally) that i was looking weird when she visited us last week.  she said it was below my usual standard of sparkling cheeks and she was not used to it.

i took this coz i wanted to experiment with my uneven brows using photoshop.  (unfortunately i got each one from each parent)  i will post the hilarious photos next time :)

so this weekend while i was squeezing some orange to make myself some fresh juice, i remembered some DIY home-made beauty stuff i saw on the internet.  i just did not remember them all so maybe i got the orange and honey was originally from two different recipes! haha

so here's what i did, i saved up the skin and scrubbed them one by one on my face.  all six of them.  if somebody from the next building saw me, they'd probably wonder why i was polishing my face with orange peel in the kitchen, hehe.  then i left it for 10-15 minutes, when i felt it kind of dried up my skin i washed it off.  and then, while i was having a bubble bath i generously rubbed honey on my face, like 1 spoonful... and left it there for 10 minutes.

it was super sticky, but at least i have something to lick on while waiting at the bathtub... mmm! (haha, pg talaga kahit saan!)

and then, after that i loaded my face with my new moisturizer, which i did not buy on purpose.  i just ran out of moisturizer when i gave mine to my mother (olay 7x total effects) so my sister bought this one for me since it was the only olay moisturizer in SM.  i took 3x of my usual dose and kind of used it like a mask and left it on my face overnight.

olay white radiance whitening cream review: at first i did not like it coz coming from a tub, my impression was that it would be too greasy to use in the morning as a moisturizer.  especially in smogged up manila.  but after using it for three weeks i have noticed that some spots i had since my early 20s have lightened up, and my face looks even.  and that was without proper skin care coz since i came back i lost interest in that whole 'self-care' routines.

then tada!  i got compliments this morning when maricel said i looked different.  and i did not even go to any salon!  what an amazing kitchen i have (*evil laugh*)...

goodbye olive oyl!

(here with just ponds powder and olay moisturizer)

review time

ok, as promised, no more wallowing.  so im gonna do the second thing i most usually do in my blog which is to make a review of things i own so that you don't have to buy them and make the same mistakes i did.

(...there is laughing in my head)

anyways, nothing bad to say about the first thing on my list which is JML's wet straight pro.  its the hair iron that can be used on dry or damp hair.  because irish' very happy recommended it to me i never thought twice in buying it even though i already have:

philips 8-in-1 hair styer.  very helpful but it takes a lifetime to heat up and forever to finish styling your whole head, especially for curling.  even the simple straightener pisses me off.

conair plimatic trix stix hair straightener.  it heats up decently but my hair gets tangled all the time.  apart from the fact that it only has 3 inches of heating plate.

now we happily go to wet straight pro...

if irish is happy with this product, i am happier!  i can actually straighten my hair even if it is still damp!  (damp, ok? you'll electrocute yourself if you use it on wet hair... then you'd be back at one in straightening your hair :D)  and not only that, i also tried curling my hair and it took only 20 minutes without hurrying.  (for a tutorial on how to curl your hair using a flat iron, click here)  what's more, i did not notice any drying or stiffening in  my hair, which usually happens when your hair dries up from all the heat of the iron.  one morning when i did not have time to style my hair and just went to the office just brushing it, it was still straight and soft.  you can also select your preferred temperature.  i am so impressed...

the only disadvantage is that if you look at it, the buttons for the temperature and power is on the side, and i always accidentally push this every time i use it.  i have learned to avoid it, though the first times were a pain.

quick trivia:  i have read that the peace sign in photographs have been in fashion because the japanese started using them to promote world peace, then the rest of asia followed (that is why most teenagers in asia have photos with the peace sign in friendster and facebook) then the rest of the world.  so, let's promote world peace, everyone!

next review is for a hong kong-made MAC Hello Kitty eyeshadow that i purchased from ebay for just $10 and revlon 12-hour colorstay quad which is a gift from ariane.

yes, it's not really MAC, but who cares?  as long as that mouthless cat with a ribbon is on the label, id be happy to bid for it (lol), but seriously i was suprised to see that it was of good quality, the shadows are so creamy and the bright colors are so lovable!

even the applicator is so smooth and soft!

compared to the applicators i bought from lifestyle which looks spongy, i actually love using mac hello kitty's applicator.  it earned its space in my cosmetic case (i leave my big 120-eyeshadow pack at home and bring mac hello kitty for touch ups or for late mornings :)

meanwhile, ariane sent me this eyeshadow in hope that i might evolve without her knowing that i already did in less than a year when she left.  i guess san diego made her miss me so much that she even sent me a watch from style&co... thanks pokie!

anyways, the revlon eyeshadow's color is very helpful if i want smokey eyes, which is rare.  i tested it for a few days and the colors do have staying power.  and it did not crease or fade.  the only downside is that it came with this applicator that looks worse than my lifestyle sponges.

apart from that, she also sent me 2 nail polishes which i really felt bad about because maricel's pack only has a watch while mine has a lot, so i told her that i only had one nail polish.  ooops...

i love sally hansen nail polishes!

of all the blue nail polishes that i own, i love this the most!  it looks royal blue and my konad plates were happy too!  i began using them again this week..

i was so happy staring at my nails so i gave myself the same pedicure:

that's what i call happy feet! :)