Guess who's back? :P A post of all sorts

Hi everyone! I hope my blog still has followers hahaha! I apologize for not posting sooner. I have had some personal stuff to deal with and I have decided to make a few changes on my blog.

Anyway, I celebrated my birthday last January 22 which was also the eve of Chinese New Year so we welcomed the year of the water dragon at Li Li Chinese Restaurant with relatives and friends.

with LLB friends taken at the Li Li Bar, Hyatt Hotel and Casino Manila.

The outfit: Laetitia Dress (RED) from Luca

*Carrying a Massimo Dutti paper bag which I received as a gift from a family friend.

I love the dress from Luca. I had to go to their Eastwood store to pick it up but it was worth it! I have bought other dresses from them. Let me know if you want to see those in future OOTDs. :)

Cake number 1 from Cafe Roces. Of course I just had to eat breakfast in one of my favorite restaurants. :)

Cake number 2 from Personnalisée Cakeshop. I chose the design myself because we were also celebrating Chinese New Year.

Cake number 3 from Li Li at Hyatt Hotel and Casino Manila. 

YAY! I got another cake. :) I must be lucky this year haha! The staff at Hyatt Hotel as I have previously said are very nice and accommodating to their guests.

A bunch of cupcakes were given to me by Miss Joy of Personnalisée Cakeshop.

Thank you for the yummy and super cute cupcakes! :3 The cupcakes made me and my guests smile. 

I was obviously thinking of this and that haha! xD 

One must not forget to post the Face of the Night/Day:

FACE:

- Lunasol Smoothing Makeup Base

- Lunasol Water Cream Foundation in OC03

- Lunasol Skin Contrast Face Powder in 01 Glow

- Benefit Highbeam

- Benefit Erase Paste

- Lunasol Cheek color in Tender Glow Pink

- Becca Lip and Cheek Creme in Blossom

EYES:

- Benefit stay don't stray

- Majolica Majorca Jeweling Pencil in 71

- Lunasol Eye Shadow in Tender Glow Beige Brown

- Urban Decay in Vanilla and Blackout 

-Clio Waterproof Pen Liner Kill Black

- KOJI Dolly Wink False Eyelashes No. 2

- Benefit Bad Gal Lash

- Maybelline Long Extreme Stiletto in Black

LIPS:

- Dior Addict Lip Glow

- Paul and Joe Lipstick M in 001

- Revlon Lip Butter in Cupcake

- Lunasol Lip Gloss in Tender Glow Pink

It was just one of those days where I could not make up my mind. Hence, I ended up mixing different shades.

Manila Bay greeted me the next morning. :) I wish I could have woken up a bit earlier because the view is simply amazing!

Sorry for the long post. It was the least I could do for not posting for almost a month. I hope everyone is doing well. 

Giveaway Winner announcement + Haul

Hello! I'm so sorry for the delay in announcing the winner of the giveaway. I have been busy! >_<

Without further ado...

Congratulations sis! :D I will send the prize as soon as I can. Please email me your shipping details.

If you did not win this time please don't be discouraged. I will have another giveaway soon for my birthday. :) I hope you ladies can join again. 

For the most part, I have been good and haven't been hauling as much. I bought the eyelashes and masks from wehaveit43. The lipstick palette was given to me as a freebie. YAY! :D

I have an excuse for buying the other 2 lippies too. My lips have been chapping really bad so I picked up the Lip Glow. Plus, I was getting tired of Red and nude lipsticks so I picked up a Pink one.

- KOJI Dolly Wink False Eyelashes No. 2
- SexyLook Hello Kitty Moisturizing Pink Sakura Double Lifting Mask (pink)
- SexyLook Hello Kitty Moisturizing Firming Red Wine Double Lifting Masks (purple)
- Missha M Lip Palette 4 Colors
- Dior Addict Lip Glow
-  Paul & Joe Lipstick M in 001 The City

Paul & Joe Lipstick M in 003 Gotham

Every woman out there needs a good Red lipstick around this time of the year, for Red is a very festive color. 

Paul & Joe Lipstick M in 003 Gotham

The classic Paul & Joe packaging in White. :3

Too pretty! :)

All Paul & Joe lipsticks are embossed with a very pretty floral pattern.

- I have several lipsticks from Paul & Joe. All their lipsticks are moisturizing.

- Goes on smoothly. Application is a breeze.

- Of all my P&J lipsticks, this one is the most opaque. The color payoff is amazing!

- Lasts for a long time but may be hard to get off at the end of the day.

It comes out a bit lighter in pictures than it is in real life. 

Swiped twice.

A deep Reddish-Maroon shade with somewhat a bit of Blue undertone. 

-It has gold micro-shimmers but there is no gritty feeling. The shimmers won't scratch your lips nor will those make it dry.

- Don't let the color scare you; There are so many ways to wear a Red lipstick.  

- The finish is more on the matte side, however it has a lovely sheen to it because of the micro sparkles.

Worn on the lips.

FACE:
Kose Sekkisei Supreme Makeup Base
Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua in B20 Beige Tendre
Benefit Highbeam
benefit dandelion
Paul & Joe Sahara Collection Finishing Powder - 002 Healthy Medium Beige

EYES:

Smashbox Brow Tech Trio in Taupe/Soft Brown

Benefit Stay don't stray

Majolica Majorca Jeweling Pencil in 71

Paul & Joe Secret D'Or (01

Fasio Gradation in I-2

KkcenterHK ES A111

Benefit Bad Gal Lash

An unexpected Haul

I said I would go on a shopping ban. I am trying to save up for gifts for my family and friends this Christmas and some things I wanted which aren't beauty related. I seriously don't need more makeup at the moment but shopping with my parents proved to be hard as they kept telling me to get things for myself. :P I don't like stressing myself or people around me so I obliged but proceeded with great caution. (Note the use of the word caution.)

My father will always be my favorite shopping buddy. He is the most generous person I know; he's always on a hurry, he would let me buy things so just I won't be a brat and waste his time.

Lipstick M in 003 Gotham

Everyone needs a gorgeous red color around this time of the year.

My 2nd ddung doll. :) I really want to collect these dolls because I find them really cute.

A gift set from Kiehl's.

My set was supposed to contain these items inside. 

I re-purchased Ultimate White Intensive Whitening Essence and received a bunch of travel sized samples. YAYYY!!!!!

Thank you duddy for buying everything for me. :3 Don't worry, I won't run off and leave with a guy very soon. 

A few nights ago, I showed my father a picture of my crush. He sternly told me that if I planned to marry someone like that, I ought to start working very hard and not stop because no amount of money will be enough to keep the guy around. -__- I asked him if he thought I looked like a monkey and he just smiled. HOW MEAN CAN HE BE? LOL! Up to now, he refuses to detract from his statement. GAAAHHHH!!! Hahahaha! :D

Paul & Joe Eyebrow Powder in 02 Light Brown

This was given to me by my little sister since she has too many eyebrow powders, and well, I did not have any because my eyebrows are quite thick. However, I have noticed that the flash most of the times washed out my eyebrows and highlighted the sparse area (*insert a picture of Mona Lisa here), that made me consider filling in my brows like most people do because I do not want to look like Mona Lisa even if most of you think she is beautiful! :p

It has also come to my attention that eyebrows play a major role in framing our features. As such, I am very happy to be given a chance to stick to a brand that I love and trust. (And if my little sister didn't give this to me, I would have bought one for myself anyway. xD)

ABOUT THE PRODUCT

Don't settle for the one-color-fits-all attitude of other eyebrow colors! Paul & Joe Beaute Eyebrow Powder - 02 Light Brown provides you with two shades for more options in blending color to match your natural brow. The soft formula blends well to create a gradation of natural-looking colors. Light Brown contains a light and medium brown color.

.07 oz (source)

Comes in a small and elegant compact and a brush, making it portable for traveling. :)

.

The eyebrow Powder contains two colors - A light and Medium Brown.

Comes with this handy brush that works well with the product.

Hooray for applicators that actually work!!

Swatch.

- I use both colors for my brows. I use the lighter one to fill in the gaps and the sparse area between my brows and I use the darker shade for the outer part of my eyebrows to emphasize the line. :) I also sometimes mix both brow colors for a more intense color since thick brows are in for the holidays. 

- It may seem a bit crumbly in the picture above and in real life it does have a fall out but the fall out is tolerable. I sometimes spray the brush with mac charged water or plain water for maximum effect and I find that it works better when I use a damp brush. The colors may come out as a bit sheer but are build-able. You may opt for softer or stronger looking brows that would not look as harsh.

- I have no complaints with this particular eyebrow powder and find it very easy to work with. It's almost fool proof! It does not give me harsh looking brows and blends well with my hair color. I think the pigmentation is decent as too much would make your eyebrows stand out and look fake. The finish is matte and natural. 

- It also doesn't smudge like some eyebrow type eyebrow pencils. It's such a horrible site when the eyebrow pencil/powder begins to smudge and get all over. >.<

- I really can't think of any con. I have already stated that I don't mind paying extra as long as the product is worth it, but for those who are on a tight budget, the price is something you may want to consider. Although it comes in such a small compact, there is a lot of product inside the pan! I have had this for months and there's still a lot of product inside. 

- For FOTDs you may look at the ones I have posted. I will also be posting more since this is my everyday go to brow powder. :)

UPDATE: Jenny posted about our swap HERE. I sent her some Paul & Joe items too! :)

By the way, Paul & Joe is having another sale!  Look for Marlon! He will help you with your needs. :3

Paul & Joe Protective Fluid Foundation S in 103

NOTE: 103 is lighter in real life. Panasonic Lumix always makes things/people appear a bit more yellow. The pictures below are more accurate than this one.

Loyal blog followers know that I am an avid fan of Paul & Joe Beaute. :3

This is one of the reasons why I remain loyal to the brand. 

The bottle is so pretty! :3 It has a pump dispenser that's very handy and easy to use. Never pumps out more than the amount desired.

1. swatch. sorry about messing it up. 

2. blending...

3. partially blended. 

4. I forgot to take a picture with the product fully blended in, ok? I have many FOTDs wearing this foundation and will take another one next week so you can see what it looks like when it's applied.

I can only say good things about this foundation. I like it as much as I like Chanel's Vitalumiere Aqua. The only downside is the price, which some people may find a bit expensive for them. I don't mind investing on foundations because I think base makeup is very important to people like me, who don't have perfect skin. 

And if I may add, Paul & Joe's ingredients are always safe and never break me out. 

I also have Paul & Joe's Foundation Protective Fluid Foundation N. There were mixed reviews on it before and that does have a very fluid like texture whereas this one has more of a gel-like consistency that reminds me of my other favorite foundation. Once applied, it gets easily absorbed by the skin. One can use fingers, sponges or brushes and I find that it's almost fool proof.

It feels light on the skin and actually has a mild tingling effect which I really like because of the weather we have in my country. It feels more like tinted moisturizer because it's very light. The coverage is medium; while you might need a concealer to cover dark eye circles and pimple marks it will help hide minor flaws.

The finish is dewy but not to the point that it will make you like a grease-ball. It actually looks rather natural, as if you have very healthy and glowing skin. It photographs well too. I am obsessed with foundations that don't have a flashback as you may have noticed by now.

For those with dry skin, I believe this won't dry or flake on you nor settle on fine lines. 

I think I have collected most of Paul & Joe's Foundation and this one if my favorite among the bunch.

Paul and Joe Philippines is located at Rustan's Makati in the Philippines. Their SA's are very nice, well informed about their products and attentive. :)

Etude House - Nymph AURA Volumer in #1 Pure Nymph Aura

Nymph AURA Volumer in #1 Pure Nymph Aura

Description from Etude House: Multi Cream maximizing the radiance and dewy glow on skin, completing flawless skin with plumped up moisture. 

- Comes in a white plastic bottle with a very cute cap.

- The pump is convinient and easy to use. Be wary that it might dispense too much if pressed too hard - Press gently to avoid wasting the product!

I will mix it with Paul & Joe's Protective Fluid Foundation N in 30.

Directions: Mix with 1 drop/part with every 2 drops of foundation or BB cream.

You may add more or less according to your preference. I will be using more since I want everyone to see the effect/look it produces. 

Using this stippling brush from the Etude House, I will combine and mix the products. You may use your hand or a sponge.

Mix well then Apply and distribute evenly on skin.

Color: Peach but goes on translucent. 

It is more subtle - looks more natural than #2. I would recommend girls with medium to darker skin tones choose this because it won't give a chalky or ashy finish and would blend perfectly on your skin.

Texture: The texture surprised me. It is gel-like and sticky. It feels like a thick lip gloss and tends to just sit on top of the skin for a while. Once it settles it will make the skin smoother.

Scent: Has a very faint scent which smells like Etude House's other skincare products.

Finish: Gives a dewy finish. 

- at first it may resemble the look you will get when you apply Vicks/petroleum jelly over your skin, but once it settles,  it will start to look more natural and dewy. (Think you just stepped out the shower and your skin is still moist.)

Lasting Power: The shine/shimmer it gives will last around 3 hours on me since I have very oily skin. For those with normal or dry skin it might last a bit longer.

Price: Around 700++Php

Swatch. 

Paul & Joe's Protective Fluid + Nymph Aura Volumer

It can also be used as a highlighter or layered with other products.

Swatch on bare skin.

Worn over Paul & Joe Moisturizing Compact Foundation in #30.

There's a long list of foundations and bb creams that claim to give a dewy finish. I suppose most ladies like me want a luminous and glowing finish that would make skin appear healthier. As such, I was really looking forward to trying this product and I actually wanted to like it but I'm still on the fence with it right now. Perhaps my mind will change after I get used to the texture which I'm not really very fond of. 

I prefer the Etude House's method of mixing it with a bb cream or a foundation rather than using it as a highlight over those products. It does take quite a while for the skin to absorb the product if used as a highlighter.

Note that it tends to highlight skin imperfections such as large pores; after all, it is somewhat of a highlighter that can be used together with a makeup base. The glow or shimmer it produces is quite different from that which I am used to as it makes the skin look moist and wet. I would say that this is perfect for countries with colder weather as it can give the impression of nice-glowing skin without glitters! Unlike other Korean highlighters which I have tried in the past, the shimmers of the Nymph Aura Volumer are hardly visible and will just cast a luminous appearance once applied.

It's not really a bad deal for the price. Especially if you are just starting out or experimenting with highlighters. It is far better than other highlighters on the market but I have tried better ones. But then again, this product isn't being advertised as a highlighter, it supposed to be something a bit different. Maybe the novelty will be the selling point of the item. 

I would like to point out though that I don't regret the purchase and think that I shall be using more of the product when I'll be indoors in an air-conditioned room. :) 

Paul & Joe Lipstick C - 074 Lower East Side

My favorite new lipstick 

from the 2011 Paul & Joe Fall Collection.

Paul & Joe Lipstick C in 074 Lower East Side

Limited Edition

Comes in a sturdy paper packaging adorned with a very pretty print of floral patterns.

Price - Php 1,550

Scent - Has a very subtle signature Paul & Joe scent which is not at all noticeable, unless you hold the lipstick under your nose and sniff it.

Colour - Mauve with beige undertones that will compliment and suit most skin tones.

The perfect nude or my new MLBB (My Lips But Better) lipstick. It will compliment many looks and is one of the most wearable lipstick shade I own! I fell inlove with it and knew I just had to purchase it when I swatched it on the Paul & Joe counter.

Consistency - Very creamy and moisturizing - goes on smoothly. It feels like butter and melts once applied to the lips;  it does not however feel heavy nor gunky.

As it is very creamy the lipstick is very soft and might melt if not properly stored. It might also get deformed if not properly handled.

Lasting Power - Around  3-4 hours but has to re-applied after eating, drinking, etc...

Pigmentation - Comes out a bit sheer, but the colour can be built with a few swipes of the lipstick.

Swatched on MAC NC30 skin.

swiped once.

Please excuse my uber dry lips. 

Swatch 1

2 coats of lipstick.

Swatch 2