Essence Long Lasting Eye Pencil in Tu-Tu-Touquoise

Black eyeliners are normally staples in a girl's makeup kit. Have you thought of using eyeliners with colors other than black? Well, I have!!! I have long been searching for colored eyeliners that are affordable and will last a long time without creasing and fading. Sounds hard to find eh? Actually this product is already existent and within our wallet's reach.

Introducing the Essence Long Lasting Eye Pencil! I will be reviewing the color Tu-Tu-Touquoise. I love turquoise because the color is so pleasant to the eyes. I'm really glad that I found this great product and the best thing is, it's only P109. You can find Essence in major SM department stores like SM MOA or SM Makati. Just check out their FB page to see if there are Essence branches near you.

Essence Long Lasting Eye Pencil in Tu-tu-touquoise

When the name says long lasting, it's not joking. It can last the whole day without any smudge or creases. I remember putting it on for more than 8 hours and when I got home, it's still on my eyes exactly the way I put it. Just rubbing off the eyeliner will not work, you will really need hardcore eye makeup remover to get this off your eyes. It might even stay on longer if you put eye primer, but I think there's no need if your eyelids do not produce too much oil even with eye makeup on.

Another good thing about this product is that it's retractable which makes it even more convenient. There is no need to sharpen the product like normal eye pencils. Just be careful though, there was one time I retracted too much of the product while I was applying the eyeliner and a little bit came off. It was a good thing I could put the product back into the pencil hole as to not waste any of it.

Retractable eyeliner

I would definitely repurchase this when I finish. This is such a Holy Grail product for me and the affordability is a big plus!

Here's a picture of my eyes with the turquoise eyeliner.

Tu-tu-touquoise on my lids

Would you buy this after reading my review? Maybe you know other brands that are as good as this one. I'm interested to know if you have something to share :)

Ciao!

Kat <3

NOTD: Nature Republic Color Waltz Nail Polish in AGR601

Aside from Face Shop nail polishes, I have discovered another Korean brand of nail polish that are a dream to apply. This Korean brand is Nature Republic!

There are already Nature Republic branches in SM Megamall, SM North Edsa The Block, SM Fairview, Festival Supermall, Landmark Trinoma, Landmark Makati and Sta Lucia East Grandmall. The first branch was in Festival Supermall in Alabang which opened on Sept 2011. I had no clue at all until this month! I live so far from these places that I hadn't even noticed that this very cool Korean brand is already in our country. Crazy right?

I even hoarded so many colors of their nail polish last month in Korea just to find out that they already have branches here when I got home haha. Anyway, their nail polish line is called Color Waltz and they are super easy to apply, even the pastel colored ones! For my NOTD, I used the the AGR601. My alma mater DLSU just won the UAAP championship just a week ago, so of course my nails are green! Animo La Salle!!!

Their nail polishes are sold at P55 - P65. Not bad right? It's cheaper than Face Shop and Etude House, and the quality is just the same. If only their branches were just nearer my house. Open branches in Manila please? :)

Here are pictures of my nails with the green nail polish! I used two to three coatings to achieve this effect. Base coat used is from Nature Republic as well, while top coat used is from Face Shop.

This is in natural light.

This is with flash!

That's it! More NOTD with Nature Republic nail polishes to come soon. Thanks for reading!!!

Ciao!

Kat <3

MAC Ruby Woo Lipstick: My Current Fave

I believe every girl should have a red lipstick in her makeup bag. Red might seem to be a very intimidating color, but believe me, with all the shades available I am sure that there is a perfect red shade (or shades) for every girl out there.

So let me share with you my perfect shade of red lipstick! It's MAC Ruby Woo!!!

I purchased this at the duty free MAC store in Korea last September and all the brands were on sale so I got it for just P850. In MAC stores here in the Philippines, this lipstick is about ~P1,000.

Since last July, I have been in love with this baby when I tried out the tester at the MAC Store at SM MOA. I was actually eyeing the shade Russian Red but it seemed wrong on me when I tried it out. The red was somewhat too bright for me, or I was just not used to it. Since I was looking for a more toned down red, the SA suggested that I try Ruby Woo which she said is the exact red shade that Anne Curtis wears. 

After trying it on, I was like woah this is the perfect red for me! The finish is retro matte and definitely different from the satin finishes that lipsticks normally have. Ruby Woo is a red shade that's not too bright, and it felt oh so right when applied to my lips. I could not get this lipstick off my mind for a good 3 months, which was why I knew that I had to purchase it.

For those girls with dry lips, I would not recommend this. The texture of the lipstick is really dry as it is retro matte. Retro matte means that it is even dryer than the normal matte lipstick. Application on bare lips is not as easy as one swipe. You would need to carefully apply it swipe by swipe, or else the lipstick will bunch up or harden in one area of the lips making it harder to smoothen out the color. It would be suggested to put lip balm first before applying this lipstick. If your lips are naturally dry, this might not be for you as it may accentuate your lip lines and chap your lips even more.

Try the tester first before purchasing. Then, leave it on for a few hours to see how it looks on you before your decide. The price is not something for you to just throw your money away just like that. Better to make sure if the shade suits you to avoid wasting precious moolah.

For me, since I have non-drying lips, I love this!!! I feel even better when my friends all commented that I look good wearing this. This is one of my holy grail lipstick products! I have mostly pink lipsticks, and I'm really glad that I discovered the wondrous joy of putting on a red lipstick.

Ruby Woo on my lips

Picture of me wearing Ruby Woo

How about you? Have you found your perfect red shade yet? If you have, do share! :)

Ciao!

Kat <3

Majolica Majorca Perfect Automatic Liner in BK920 Review

I love eyeliners!!! Don't you?

I'm sure every girl loves eyeliners. No matter what type of eyes you have, double lids, monolids, hooded lids, eyeliners would still be your eyes' best friends. It just depends on how thin or thick you apply yours to make your eyes pop out.

So, are you still looking for that perfect eyeliner that will become a staple in your makeup kit? Well, look no more! Let me introduce you to the PERFECT eyeliner (pun intended) that I have been using lately. It's the Majolica Majorca Perfect Automatic Liner in BK920 color. There are actually 7 different colors for this particular product, but I have only the BK920 to review. The BK920 is a pearly black color wherein the black is coupled with some shimmer. It's not as black as BK999, but this is perfect for me since I already have an all black eyeliner, and there are lots of other brand alternatives for plain black liners which would cost even less for the same quality.

Perfect Automatic Liner in BK920

I bought this eyeliner at the BDJ Box 2013 Fair in MOA, where Majo products were on sale. This product was at 20% off so I got it for P550 instead of the regular price of P695. I had wanted to buy this for quite some time now, and when I saw the discount, I immediately bought it with no hesitations. Too bad the other colors like blue, red, green, gold, and brown eyeliners were not included in the sale or I might have grabbed another one of the colors. The colors are quite unique, and I don't know which other affordable brands carry liquid eyeliners with colors. I know that YSL has colored liquid eyeliner, but that's a high end brand that is quite expensive especially if it's not on sale.

Photo from Google Images

Let me show you how the product works! It is carefully packaged in plastic, and you can see inside that the eyeliner is totally sealed. You can be sure that the product you are purchasing is totally new and hasn't been used by others. 

New eyeliner sealed in the package

There is a stopper in between and a tape at the bottom to prevent the product from being twisted out. Take off the stopper and the tape. 

With stopper and tape

When the stopper is removed, you have to put the head back and push hard so that the brush will fall into place.

Remove stopper and put head back without stopper

Tada! Your eyeliner is ready for use.

The Perfect Automatic Liner ready for use

Just twist the end of the eyeliner to the right, about 4 to 5 clicks to get the liquid to come out. Normally, about 3 clicks will be able to cover one eye. Make sure that you don't twist too much to avoid product wastage. It is better to do the correct number of twists before applying so that when putting the product on your eye, one swipe will do the trick! I tried doing 2 clicks before applying and only half of the eye was covered so that I had to twist again.

After 4 to 5 clicks, liquid goes to the brush

This product takes quite some time to dry, not like other eyeliners that dries up immediately when applied. You would have to wait for a minute to be sure that it has dried. Also make sure that once swiped, you do not keep on re-swiping on the same areas that have eyeliner already as your eyelids will get all messy. Trust me! Better to practice first beforehand to make sure that you will get the hang of this product.

This product may be a bit of a hassle to apply but your efforts will not go unrewarded. I tried testing this eyeliner on how long it will go without smudging. Let me tell you the good news! I had it on for 15 hours and it did not smudge one bit, I even had a nap time in between with a pillow covering my face. This is great! No need for retouching any more during the day. How's that for (super) long lasting?

BK920 is not too black and has some shimmer (this pic taken after 15 hours of wear)

Once dried, the eyeliner is totally waterproof and smudgeproof. I tried testing it on my hand and putting my hand under the faucet's running water, and it did not smudge one bit! This baby will only be removed when you try to erase it directly with your fingers. Also, the texture of the eyeliner is flaky when removed with the fingers. Using a makeup remover will be easier, one swipe and the eyeliner will totally disappear.

Eyeliner dissolves into flakes when rubbed with fingers

So that's it! This product is totally worth purchasing. Try the other colors if you're already bored with your black eyeliners! 

Know of any good eyeliner products? Share it with me in the comments!

Ciao!

Kat <3 

Etude House Goodbye Pore Ever Primer Stick Review

Big pore problems anyone? I have big pores too, and I'm always on the radar for any product that would help minimize the appearance of big pores. So lo and behold, I have found it, and it's quite affordable too!

It's the Etude House Goodbye Pore Ever Primer Stick!!! I bought this in Korea at 30% off, so it cost me only 5600 won which is equivalent to P230. Here in the Philippines, it is priced at about P425.

So, how does this work? Actually, it's super easy. Just pull off the cap, twist the stick, and just apply the nude colored product to the parts of your face where you have big pores.

The appearance of pores will be instantly minimized. At first, I tried using the tester at the back of my hand, and it really works! I actually was not really solved on this product even after testing it on my hand because as I said, I have big pores on my cheeks. I then decided to try the tester on my face. Not really sure if it worked because I could still see my pores. I did not buy it immediately, but after a few hours, my friend was looking at my face, and she said that my face looked really clear. Wow, so it really is effective after all! I bought the product immediately the next day that we went shopping again.

The finish of this product is matte, which most of you would really like. It's just like Benefit's Porefessional but this Primer Stick is in solid form, while the Porefessional is in liquid form. I have the Porefessional as well, but that's for another review. Etude House actually has this Goodbye Pore Ever product in liquid form also, but the finish is glossy not matte. I did not buy this anymore since I just wanted to pick one only between the two. You can apply makeup after putting on this primer. This product serves as a good makeup base as well. There's also a nice fragrant smell after you apply this, a big plus!

Look at the 2 photos below. It shows how the Goodbye Pore Ever works at the back of my hand. See the part near the curve of my thumb? You can see that the lines are not visible anymore after using the product. There is really a difference!

Without Goodbye Pore Ever

With Goodbye Pore Ever

Here's a recap of the product:

Pros:

- affordable

- matte finish (really feels smooth on the skin)

- effective
- fragrant smell

- packaging is handy for travel or everyday use

Cons:

- hard to find (easily sold out in stores)

- only 4.5g worth of product

- product is easily consumed when used everyday

Would I repurchase this? Maybe. I like trying out different pore cover products and I might try another one after I finish consuming this product. Maybe I'll repurchase when I go back to Korea and this is on sale again haha.

There you have it! Have any of you tried this product? Would you prefer it in the solid or liquid form? Share your thoughts! 

Ciao!

Kat <3

Cure Natural Aqua Gel Review

Hi Gals!

I'm baaack! It's time for my review of the Cure Natural Aqua Gel from Japan. 

Cure in Beauty Bar stores

So, where did I first know of this product? I actually read about Cure from different skincare blogs. I got really really excited to buy this product immediately after I learned that this product can exfoliate skin and remove dead skin cells. 

I have some acne scars left on my cheeks because when I was in high school, I was very stubborn and did not heed the advice of my parents to not scratch off my pimples. So, I am now paying the price of having acne scars that are hard to get rid of. I have been on the lookout ever since for any product that can remove my acne scars.

After hearing that Cure is now being sold in Beauty Bar branches, I immediately set off to buy a bottle. Okay the P1,500 price tag is kind of heavy for a 250g product, but thinking that Cure may be the solution to my skincare problems, I felt that the price is very much worth it. No need to go to the dermatologist anymore that will cost hundreds and thousands of pesos every visit. See how much you will save in the long run?

Front view

Back View

Cure is said to be sold in Japan every 12 seconds! Wow, that good eh? I'm not really sure how accurate that phrase is, but if it really works that well, I'm sure customers like me will repurchase again and again.

How is Cure used anyway? You just put a pea-sized amount of product into your palm and then use your finger to rub it into your face. You will see white particles coming out as you start massaging your face. These are actually dead skin cells, and they kind of look like "libag" which is kind of gross, but actually the old skin from the upper layer of your face is being removed. The new skin is very soft and smooth like baby's skin. You can even use it on your lips, arms, neck, cuticles or anywhere you feel that you have rough and uneven skin.

Instructions on how to use

What I like about Cure is that the formula is very mild, and it doesn't hurt my skin at all. The texture is just like water, and when you rub it into your skin, it dissolves just like water and all you have to do is to keep on rubbing your skin to get the dead skin cells out. The packaging is also very simple, but quite effective as the pump is very sturdy so the product will not leak out. There is also a small stopper near the nozzle, so that you won't get to accidentally press the pump and waste the product.

See the white particles?

Stopper near the nozzle

Of course, this product should not be used everyday on the face. What I do is I use it after every 3 days. As indicated in the package, the ideal usage is twice every week and it will last about 4 months. I guess it will vary upon usage. Everyone in my family (4 of us) actually uses it, and 1/3 of the product has been used up already, and I just bought this product 1 month ago. 

The Verdict: After 1 month of continuous usage, I have observed that my acne scars have lightened considerably. They have not totally disappeared yet as the change is gradual. I should be religious in using this product, and I'm sure after a few more months the scars will totally fade away.

So, what do you gals think of my review? I hope you'll find my review useful. Do give me feedback also once you get to try out the product as well. :)

Note: This is not a sponsored post.

Ciao!

Kat <3

Artdeco Eyeshadow Anyone?

To start off this post, I would like to share to you gals that I am currently addicted to eyeshadows. Blame it on the Clinique Chubby Stick Shadow Tint for Eyes (will have a separate review on this) which I bought just last week. After buying that particular eyeshadow stick, I have been obsessed with checking out different eyeshadow colors and brands. When I went to Beauty Bar at Lucky Chinatown, I happened to chance upon this German brand called Artdeco. There were so many different eyeshadow colors on their shelf, and each color is labelled with a different number with samples displayed as well. I'm not sure if this method makes it easier to remember the colors you like, but I guess it would also be hard to name all of these since there are already 500+ different colors.

Eyeshadow colors on display

I can't believe my luck when the SA told me that there were some eyeshadow colors on sale. It was at 65% off! What a steal!!! Each eyeshadow color costs P350 at regular price, but I got mine at only P122.50 each. This sale lasted the whole July. I'll keep you posted when I have news of another sale again.

I bought 2 colors to try out first, numbers 57 (green with a hint of gold) and 247 (blue silver). Then, I asked the SA if they had palettes for these eyeshadows. The individual eyeshadow cases are quite small and I feel that I could easily lose them. Okay, no sale on the palettes booo, and they cost around P295 to P425 depending on the number of colors you can put inside the palette. No way was I going to buy a palette more expensive than the eyeshadows I just bought!

Green and Blue Eyeshadows

Not one to give up so easily, I tried going to Beauty Bar in Greenbelt 5 to check out the other colors on sale, and if there were any palettes on sale. Wow I'm so lucky again, the palettes in that store are 65% off as well, and it's the limited edition designs too! So, from the price of P425, I got it at P148.75. 

Artdeco limited edition customizable eyeshadow palette (mirror and magnet inside)

These Artdeco palettes are really cool because they are customizable. You can put in 4 eyeshadows inside the palette. There are magnets at the back to attach it to the palette. You also have the choice to put in 1 blush and 1 eyeshadow, or 1 concealer and 2 eyeshadows. 

Magnets at the back of the eyeshadow

Well now I had 2 colors missing, and my palette is still incomplete. I just went back to Beauty Bar Lucky Chinatown to buy 2 more colors. Numbers 97 (light pink) and 83 (dark purple) were my best choices as these colors are easy to match to any outfit. 

Pink and Purple Eyeshadows

So yay, my customized palette is finally finished, and here's how it looks like! I just put in a sample eyeshadow brush that I got from Beauty Bar also. There is no brush included in the palette either. So, instead of shelling out P1825 for the whole thing, I only paid P638.75. Talk about big savings!

My customized eyeshadow palette!!!

Of course, I would also like to give you a review on how these eyeshadows fare when put on the lids. The colors actually look really nice when applied, and you can even mix and match or combine the colors to make a more unique but still workable look. Since the colors are all quite light, it will be easy to blend any of the 4 colors together. Even the hint of shimmer is just right, not too glittery on the lids. As I observed, the colors stay on for only about 4 hours. After 4 hours, you will see that the colors are somewhat faded. Just a little retouch will solve this, or you can also use an eyeshadow primer before applying the eyeshadow to make the colors last longer than 4 hours. If you're not planning to stay outside for a long time, this eyeshadow palette will surely come in handy.

Swatches from L-R: Nos. 83, 97, 57, 257

There you have it, I hope you all enjoyed reading this review. What's your favorite eyeshadow brand and color? Just leave me a message if there are some eyeshadow brands that you want me to review. Thanks for dropping by!

Note: This is not a sponsored post.

Ciao!
Kat <3