Review: Victoria’s Secret "Backstage, Bombshell!" Makeup Kit

Hello there!

      Today, I want to share with you my 1st Victoria's Secret Makeup Product! My mom and I have always been two of the biggest fangirls of VS's perfumes and body lotions. However, we never actually owned any product from their lingerie line (too expensive O.O) and makeup line (I only discovered that they have one a few years ago).

      Well a month before my graduation, a friend of my mom gave me this all-in-one Victoria’s Secret "Backstage, Bombshell!" Makeup Kit as a graduation gift! (I will forever thank that friend! :D) which I'm very excited to show you guys :)

 Victoria’s Secret "Backstage, Bombshell!" Makeup Kit

 Victoria’s Secret "Backstage, Bombshell!" Makeup Kit

The Bombshell Make-up kit has the following components:

• A (huge) vanity mirror

• mascara, 1 lip liner, a couple of lip brushes, a couple of eye applicators, a mini face brush, 1 black eyeliner

(this one is also not my pic, I can't find these in my makeup cabinet T.T; CTO)

• A translucent powder, Luminous powder, 4 blushes, 30 eyeshadows (shimmery, a few matte) & 5 lip gloss shades, 5 lipstick shades

(now my own photos xD)

• my eyeshadow swatches

• my lip gloss & lipstick swatches

yays: what can I say? all in one product! | very classy black & sturdy packaging | i super love the huge vanity mirror | there are different eyeshadow colors to choose from (you can create different looks) | good color payoffs (pigmented) & easy to work with | all except the brushes smell amazing! | still intact after 4 months | travel friendly kit | affordable for $30.

nays: the eyeshadows tend to have a lot of fall outs because of the shimmers & glitters | you really need a good primer with the eyeshadows, they didn't last long w/o a base or eye primer | the lipsticks & lip gloss give a bit of sticky feel | pricey to some people (including me haha) | not locally available.

some looks I created (tried my best haha) using Victoria’s Secret "Backstage, Bombshell!" Makeup Kit ... ^.^

Elf eyeshadow primer
Avon blue eyeliner as base
VS blue eyeshadows from column #3
VS white eyeshadow from column #4 as highlightVS black eyeliner for upper waterline
VS black mascara

Elf eyeshadow primer
VS black eyeliner as base
VS green eyeshadows from column #5VS white eyeshadow from column #4 as highlightVS black eyeliner for upper & lower waterline
VS black mascara

Elf eyeshadow primer
Ever Bilena eyeshadow pot? in Amber as base
VS neutral eyeshadows from column #6VS white eyeshadow from column #4 as highlight
VS black eyeliner for upper & lower waterlineVS black mascara

I also used the bronzer  in the kit:)

Elf eyeshadow primer
VS purple eyeshadows from column #1 & #2VS white eyeshadow from column #4 as highlight
VS black eyeliner for upper & lower waterlineVS black mascara

      I just really wish Victoria's Secret improve the lasting quality of their eyeshadows. But overall,  I really like this makeup kit,  great for beginners like me :) I mean the eyeshadows, gloss, and cheek products are easy to work with and inexpensive. $30 (around Php 1,200.00)? I say, great price for 30 pigmented eyeshadows, blushes, lipsticks and bronzer! plus c'mon this is a GIFT! and I'm very very thankful for it :)

GOOD DAY!

Review : Etude House Precious Minerals All Day Strong BB Cream

Hello there!

      How are you feelin the weather? Here in the Philippines, we've been receiving the love of both sun and rain everyday. It has been the same pattern for weeks now, the sun is so high up smiling in the morning and the sky cries in the evening O.O

      Since the weather is a bit friendly to my oily skin nowadays, it gave me a chance to finally use some of my liquid beauty products. :) So first up is my 1st BB cream. The Etude House Precious Minerals All Day Strong BB Cream in Sheer Silky Skin.

(photo not mine; cto)

            

      I think Sheer Silky Skin is meant for fairer complexion (as the EH Beauty Consultant told me) and the Sheer Glowing Skin is for darker complexion.

Etude House Precious Minerals All Day Strong BB Cream spf30++ in Sheer Silky Skin.

      So as you can see, my BB cream is pretty much loved not only by me, but also by my mom :) I like that it has a pump and cap (i lost the cap T.T thank goodness for the pump!). I'm not a fan of liquid beauty products such as foundations and bb creams with packaging that doesn't have pump or those in a jar, they are a bit unhygienic for my taste. I am very clumsy and get my hands dirty all the time. >.<

      When I first put this on my face, I was shocked because it was grayish on my skin and it didn't look natural on me! It looked like I over powdered my face! haha. Gladly, I was able to work it on my skin. Don't be afraid girls! or guys? the key is to blend blend blend. And a little goes a long way ... :)

blend ...

blend blend blend ....

      After blending and werkin the bb cream on the skin, it looks very natural and glowing. :) 

yays: It smells great! | with spf30!! | it's mineral | No irritations/allergic reactions. | very Light on the skin | Meant for oily skin | Easy to work with | brightens my skin tone | Hygienic Packaging | a tube lasts you a long time | it has a clear print of its expiration date

nays: i don't know if this version is already discontinued | still needs a primer for those with very very oily skin | all info at the back are in Korean characters | a bit pricey for Php 800php

      Overall, Etude House Precious Minerals All Day Strong BB Cream is a great product. Yes, it's a bit pricey but it's definitely worth the price (as i said earlier, a tube lasts you a long time!). The experience and results using this product weren't that bad, it was unexpectedly great for a first time bb cream user :)

Good day!

Review : Nyx Soft Matte Lip Creams

Hello there!

     You know what? I never actually paid attention on Lipsticks back then, I don't even like wearing one.. My makeup bag actually contained a powder and a mascara. But after the invasion of Beauty gurus on YouTube, Beauty blogs, magazines and college classmates, Lipsticks became my beauty staple! I've come to realize that it's not that I don't need it, I just didn't understand its importance. If you are a girl who wear and loves makeup, IT IS VERY IMPORTANT. It gives the face a whole new level of look... You can actually look like a sweetheart and transform into a rebel chic by just changing the shade or type of your Lipstick. Some people are actually famous because of what and how they wear their favorite shade. I believe that every lipstick was made with its own personality.

      One of my favorite brands when it comes to lipstick is Nyx Cosmetics. Why? some of you guessed it! They are amazing and AFFORDABLE. They also have a wide range of shades and wide variety to choose from. They have matte, gloss, satin finish types and etc. The Soft Matte Lip Creams were my favorite, I think they are one of the best formulated affordable (or what others called Drugstore) lipsticks!

What I love about them are:
1. very pigmented, the color you see in the tube is exactly the color when applied on lips
2. non-drying, no irritations, creamy & smells really gooooood :)
3. matte finish, but gives softness to the lips (oh that's why it's called soft matte cream :D)
4. I like the brush applicator.
5. a tube lasted me a long time
6. the colors suit my skin tone, great shades!
7. Accessible, lots of Online shops sell these/ and you ca find these in some malls like ATC and Affordable, 270-300php.

Nyx Soft Matte Lip Cream (L-R: Antwerp, Tokyo, Monte Carlo)

swatches:

Nyx Soft Matte Lip Cream in ANTWERP

     A pretty pretty! pink shade.. This is actually my favorite among the bunch, I wear this everyday in school. <3

pls excuse my brows xD

Nyx Soft Matte Lip Cream in ANTWERP worn in different occasions:

Nyx Soft Matte Lip Cream in TOKYO

      This is more like a washed out pink. It looks great with bright eye makup or the popular smokey eyes. Tokyo is actually a shade that is hard to pull off especially when you're not used to wearing washed lips (guilty here). 

pls excuse my brows xD

Nyx Soft Matte Lip Cream in TOKYO worn in different occasions:

Nyx Soft Matte Lip Cream in MONTE CARLO

      I actually bought this shade because I was looking for a red lippy with a blue undertone, and I thought this was it, well apparently Monte Carlo is a red shade with a pink undertone. I still love it. :) I think I'm gonna pair this with simple eye makeup because it already gives a strong color. But if you feelin bold and sexey, you can actually pair this with smokey megan foxy eyes! :D

pls excuse my brows xD

Nyx Soft Matte Lip Cream in MONTE CARLO worn in different occasions:

Nyx Soft Matte Lip Cream in ADDIS ABABA

      I don't have a picture of this because I lost mine when I had my internship in Mandaluyong T.T It's actually my second favorite in the SMLC range. It's a bright hot pink color. I usually just wipe one coat with a light hand to tone it down a bit.

Nyx Soft Matte Lip Cream in ADDIS ABABA worn in different occasions:

I love my lip creams! and I am planning to buy all the shades available :) 

Good day!

Review : Avon Style Specialist Curling Iron | AJI

Hello there!

      I am seriously a late bloomer when it comes to beauty stuff >.<. I had my first curling iron when I was 20 years old and used it only a few times, so you see I'm a bit of a curl-deprived girl. When I had my first curling iron I did not know how to use it so I watched a bunch hair curling how-to's on YouTube. :) and what can I say? YouTube never disappoints beauty deprived young women :D.

      My First Ever Curling Iron is an Avon Style Specialist curling iron, the one with a pink handle (they usually change the handle's color). It costs around 800-900php but since it's on its intro price sale plus my mom's membership discount I got it for almost half the price! awesome! I forgot how long in mm it is because I lost it's box O.O (boowee T.T). It's a 1" black ceramic barrel if I'm not mistaken and it doesn't have a feature that says how high the degrees or how hot it is. It creates tight and precise curls. From what I learn on YouTube, the smaller the barrel, the more precise and tighter the curl will be.  

Avon Style Specialist Curling Iron

      It has an on and off switch and a mini red light that turns yellow? (it was in the instructions, but I never saw it turn yellow/orange) when it has already reach its highest heat point. And like any regular curling iron, it has this metal attached where you can clip your hair to curl it and has a long cord which I like.

      My first attempt wasn't that good but it's not that bad either. xD since it's my first time, I got confused on how I will turn the barrel, clockwise or counter clockwise? sigh.. confusing. So I just pulled some strands and curled it, and hey not bad for 800php considering other reputable curling iron brands cost thousands. I got what I paid for (which I think is nice) ^_~.

(I didn't use hairspray or wax, so the curl lasted for like an hour only)

      This Curling Iron impressed me the most when I used it to curl my hair and transform it into a doll like hair! My character was a doll of an insane girl named Alice xD. What I did was clipped my hair to the barrel, curled and hold it for 10-20 seconds. Then I clipped the curled hair using bobby pins, sprayed a huge amount of hairsprays (I used Avon Advance Techniques Firm Hold Hairspray, which smells nice =)) and removed the hairpins after 20-30mins (before the Play started). The curl actually lasted till bed time :) amazing :)

I played as a doll named Cindy in "Alice in Underland"

     I also used this to style my hair when I graduated :) No, not a doll-like hair haha but a big bouncy (almost beachy-style) curls. I used the same process as I did in our play except I used a different hairspray (Suave Max Hold Hairspray) and I combed it with a paddle brush to loosen the curls.

      The curls lasted til bed time, good curled hair days I must say :) Overall, I really liked this, I mean you get what you paid for. That's pretty practical, right?. My friends liked this too, my friend Melissa even tried to have a bargain with me. haha. I think I had a good story to tell about my first ever curling iron and I used this in my most memorable moments. :)

Good day!

Everyday Makeup | AJI

Halleow diary! 

      A new day today! It's actually already in the afternoon here and after a few hours it'll be bed time..whew! time flies so fast O.O It's been 4 months since I graduated from college and I'm still on the job hunting phase :) that's not so bad right? Well back in college, I often get compliments about my skin (face makeup), that I looked glowing, blooming and stuff. I don't always wear makeup, I think 30% of the time I looked like a panda, or a very hardworking sleepless citizen xD because of the dark circles I have under my eyes (curse you thesis and night time work?!).

(girl just got to have at least one CR mirror shot! xD)

      I did not use makeup when I was in high school because I don't like putting things on my face and our school prohibits makeup. If the school inspector caught you wearing lipstick, eyeliner or mascara, they will wipe yo face out! haha. When I entered college, I saw a new, bigger and confusing jungle. Girls dress well and put on a lot of makeup. Even some professors taught us to wear some makeup. and so I learned to beautify myself a little :)

Here's my five easy steps to simple everyday face..

(favorite everyday beauty products)

1. I put on my daily moisturizer, Olay Natural White Healthy Fairness Lotion or my Nivea Daily face Fluid if it's super sunny and hot. Though I have a very oily skin, I don't use primer because I never knew anything about it back in college haha. And I can get away without using one because we had our classes in air conditioned rooms. Lucky me.
2. I blend my Avon Smooth Mineral Foundation (ivory pink) first, then my Avon Smooth Mineral Pressed Powder (ochre? or buff?) with my Marionnaud Blush Brush. I don't use liquid makeup for school because it feels sticky and hot. Also, I've read that  mineral makeup is very skin friendly :) it helps your pores breathe.
3. And of course my forever favorite blush! San San Blush On Age defense with Spf15 and vit A,C,E (whew! mouthful). I put this on the apples of my cheeks using the Elf Flat top powder brush. I swear on this blush! It gives my face a natural glow and fresh blooming cheeks. I love it so much!
4. My favorite Avon Mascaras in Super Shock and Super Magnify to gives eyes a pop! I love the Super Shock more, it makes my lashes look thicker and longer and it holds the curl pretty well! I actually prefer this than the ever popular Maybelline Falsies Mascara because super shock doesn't feel heavy on my lashes at all and doesn't sting my eyes and holds the curl better. (yes! I don't use eyelash curler when using super shock.) I heard Avon Phil already launched the Super Shock MAX and I really really really want that?!!

(my lashes with my forever love Avon Super Shock Mascara, I can't wait to get my hands on the super shock MAX!)

        5. Lastly, a hint of pink or pinky nude color to my lips :) My Sophie Martin Velvet Nude or Nyx Soft Matte Lip Cream in Antwerp are my to go lippies! :D

      I forget to put there the brows! I use Etude House's Brow Pencil 01 for my brows! :)

      Easy and simple :) and super affordable. I really love the brands Olay, Nivea, Sophie, San San, Etude House, Maybelline and Avon. They work really great, doesn't irritate my skin and are very affordable especially Avon products. Everybody who knows me knows that I'm an Avon Beauty Products addict. haha Their products are super affordable and definitely high quality! My mom was an Avon Lady (she's now inactive) so we get huge discounts. Imagine buying the products on sale like a slash of 10-30% off its price plus my mom's 10% membership discount! :) More importantly, I really like Avon because I actually found the products there that really suit my skin :)

      So yeah, I wore this look almost everyday in school. I don't usually wear makeup at home or when I'm hanging out with some friends because I still want my skin to breath fresh air xD As a disclaimer, I am not a beauty expert nor a makeup artist, what works on me may or may not work on others :)

Good Day!

Review: NIVEA WHITENING DAILY FACE FLUID spf 50+++

          Hello there! Hooray for 2nd post! Now I'm gonna talk about my favorite and very affordable sunscreen!

      I swear Philippines has become hotter this days... and the sun is oh so shining super bright, it's blinding O.O I love the summer because it's the season of cute trends like bright fun colors, shorts and cute tops. However, yes, there's always a downside, the more sunny and hot the weather, the more we are exposed to UVB and UVA rays... a major no-no for my skin T.T

        I've been actually aware of how much damage the sun can cause our precious skin since I was young (thanks to YT beauty gurus such as mish :) and I've already tried a few sunscreens such as Olay, Garnier, VICHY, Ponds and Maxi Peel and etc that caused me a lot of ughhh! skin problems.  I could not find a sunscreen that suits my skin type and my skin needs and of course the most important factor, my pocket capacity. As a working student who carefully spends her earned dimes, I prevent myself to even imagine buying an expensive stuff that could badly impact my student needs (projects, tuition fee, allowance) and stomach needs (when i was still a student, now unemployed) haha. I consider Beauty Products that cost higher than 500php very expensive.

      Why are sunscreens important again?

It protects us against the harmful effects of UVB and UVA rays such as skin damage, premature aging, and skin cancer... The higher the SPF, the better, because those with higher number of SPF  actually give the longer (in terms of time) protection. 

       Three years ago, as I was surfing the internet desperately digging through local beauty blogs, I saw this blog raving about the Nivea Daily face fluid spf50+++ (sorry, forgot the blog =p), she said that It was her HG sunscreen with a very high spf, locally available and yes! wait for it.... AFFORDABLE. :D I didn't think twice, like 30 minutes after reading it, I went out to get it! Lol. It has become my ultimate fave, I use it everyday since and still going strong for almost 3 years :).

                               

(NIVEA WHITENING DAILY FACE FLUID spf 50+++)

According to Nivea Website:  The perfect choice to your daily protection routine. The light formula is quick-absorbing and non-greasy, making it perfect for daily use, even under make-up! The highly effective UVA/UVB filter system protects skin against sun damage, premature ageing and wrinkles. Helps reduce skin pigmentation and melanin production to effectively lighten the skin and prevent uneven skin tone.

THE YAYS!:

1. it has both UVB & UVA protection system

2. it has a very high SPF! spf50+++

3. fast absorbent, light on skin, non greasy feel

4. no skin irritations / allergic reactions

5. i have oily skin type and it works great on me

6. it doesn't leave a white cast after application

7. a bottle lasted me a long long long time O.O

8. POCKET FRIENDLY :) 287PHP-300PHP & LOCALLY AVAILABLE :)

THE NAYS!:

1. it still gives off that sunscreen smell but I find bearable (disappears 10 minutes after app)

2. some may find it too watery (i'm fine with it xD)

3. even with a pointy mouth, it still create a messy lid/ mouth

HOW & WHEN I USE IT:

1. only on Summer Mornings, if the weather is a bit colder I switch back to my regular day moisturizer with Spf30

2. I shake this before applying.

3. I don't need to wait for hours to go out after application because I don't need to. haha It has this immediate sun protect system thingy.

(Left photo: NDFF applied, Right photo: with a little makeup on; it's also a good makeup base imo =))

I really love this product <3

GOOD DAY!