Madiha's Sigma Eyeshadow Give-Away!

They say the best things in life are free! In the case of blog-hopping, you come across a chance like this to win an eye palette of choice!  Ain't that cool?

Check out Madiha's awesome give-away by clicking here. And discover for yourself what treasures await in her posts.  She makes awesome reviews, make-up tips, and tons of make-up ideas that'll make you swoon in no time.

Cheers to an awesome lady from Pakistan who never fails to inspire us to stay beautiful -- inside and out! Stay pretty lovelies! Cheers!

It Wasn't Meant to Be---

I was looking for a perfect shade of brown to fill in my sparse browse.  Being a curious observer that I am of local beauty blogs, I did manage to take a sneak at the tips of fellow Pinays.  But alas, I stumbled upon a beauty find that I would like to brag about.

It's from Natasha's Teen Line called, "Sketches."  I found this beautiful brown eyeshadow duo which I ordered right away not for any other purpose but to have a staple brown shadow in my everyday kit.

Soo tiny.

Sold for PhP150 at Natasha website/dealers nationwide.

 

Swatch taken with Flash. (Left, Dark Brown; Right, Beige)

 

 

 

 

 

The lighter brown shade works well for contouring my nose and well, of course my browbone.  But the darker shade, alas! was the perfect kind of brown  I needed to fill my brows!

Take a peek at moi using it for a purpose for which it was not intended, heheh!:

At a friend's wedding.  Indoors, daytime.

Night-out, indoors.

 What I Like:

• Well-pigmented. 
• Shade compliments my skin-tone very much. (and I believe most Pinays' too)
• No weird scent, whatsoever.
• Lasts all day notwithstanding my oily skin.

 What I don't Like:

• Can't think of any. Oh, save the fact that it's only available thru Natasha dealers perhaps. =)

Over-all, I like this duo.  I am amused at how my brows have found their match in this tiny pair.  So yes, these weren't meant to be used for brows but hey, they work just fine so why complain?  I am pretty sure this'll be a staple in my kit for many months to come. ;-)

A Black Book Meant for Me

A "little black book" can mean different things to many people.  In the ancient time, a black book is synonymous with power. Whoever gets hold of it will have the key to having significant information that could spell power, success, or failure and even death.

It is perhaps this shroud of mysticism that led ELF to create their "little black book" series.  I got hold of one which I now happily consider, truly meant for me.

Its unbelievably tiny its just as big as m palm!

Although it says its Volume 1, Vol.2 was nowhere available just yet.

It has a built in mirror and a tiny sponge applicator.

The neutrals.

The fancies (along with more neutrals).

The colors are just what I need.  Plenty of neutrals and just enough fancy hues to play with when the need arises. 

What I Like:

• The myriad of colors! Gosh! How can I not drool when there's FORTY-EIGHT of them! 
• So tiny I can carry it with me all the time!
• No weird scent, whatsoever.
• The price! Geez, I only shelled out PhP399 for this!

What I don't Like:

• Pigmentation of some.  Without a primer, some colors just don't show up much.
• A seeming duplication of some hues.. One taupe is akin to another, another brown pretty much like the other.  They could have concocted more distinct colors, I wish!

Over-All:
I am loving this pallete...and thanking ELF for coming up with something as useful as this. Which leads me to wondering however, what could the Volume 2 be about hence?

Oh well, I can only wait.  For now, I am still basking in my love affair with this find.  Afterall, it's what I consider, "A Black Book Meant for Me." ;-)

Hearting HBC!

One thing I like everytime I go to HBC is the possibility of finding something that would tickle my fancy.  And this particular visit was no exception.  Why?  Because my purchase came with a freebie!

Here's what I bought (freebie included):

(L-R) Eye-Lash Kit; Soleil l/s in Peach Ibiza, Eye Pencils in Dark Brown, and Age Defense Concealer in #2

Top: Eyebrow Pencil in Brown (PhP55); bottom: Kohl Eyeliner in Brown (PhP105)

PhP109 (approx.)

Taken under Daylight, no flash

Swatch with flash under daylight

Without flash

Taken Indoors, daylight, without flash

indoors with flash

And here's the freebie (which I doubt I'll ever use) they gave me:

(L-R) Dip Liner, Faux Lashes in regular and fancy, a mounting guide (where you're supposed to apply glue in which to mount the lashes first before you put them on), and a lash holder (that you use to pick up the lash from the mount to put on your lids)

At the back of the box is a seemingly easy application guide.

What I Like:

• About the lipstick: well-moisturized, glides easily, somewhat yummy, color goes with just about anything.
• The concealer (which I forgot to shoot apart): blends with my skintone, has a very mild smell that vanishes right away, does a good job covering up minor flaws, lasts up to six hours!
• The eyebrow pencil: very nice texture, the color goes well with my complexion and haircolor, blends well with my brows.  I have yet to try the Kohl liner.
• The Lash Kit:  The lashes by themselves are great. I didn't have to cut 'em to fit my eyes.  The fancy lash can be pretty trendy for someone younger perhaps (not for a 30something like me =).  The holder and mount did a good job of helping a newbie false-lash user like me. 

What I did not Like:

• About the lipstick: seemed somewhat frosted of which I am not much of a fan.  Otherwise, it was okay.
• The concealer: works for me so I've no qualms about it.  Afterall, it's my 3rd tube. ;-)
• Eyebrow Pencil: works for me too. No complaints.
• The Lash Kit:  since I got it for free, I can't really complain. :P

Doesn't it feel good to get something for free especially when you least expect it?  Oh heavens!  I <3 you Hortaleza!  Mmmmuah!

I Do Aido!

I met these two lovelies and I was flabbergasted!  Heheh..

Oh, I drooled.. Over-reacting? Maybe.  But the culprit that got me ecstatic are these:

 They are so tiny they can fit even a a tiny coin pouch. Hence, they are very discreet.  But that's not just what convinced me to get' em..  Here's how they look.

This is shade number 12. Looks somewhat pink and peachy, very light and sheer but since the color is buildable, a coupla swipes can turn out like this.

And shade number 11.  Contrary to how it turns out in the picture, its not a bold red.  Its somewhat subdued and very wearable.

Why I like it:

• Moisturizing (although I'm originally a fan of matte colors)
• Beautiful, buildable shade
• No weird scent 
• Very smooth texture
• Savvy packaging
• Tiny size can make it very discreet

What I don't like:

• Limited choice of colors
• Doesn't last very long (but honestly, not complaining! =)

Will I buy Again:
        Certainly! =)

On shade#12, natural lighting without flash.

Of the two, I like shade #12 better.  I feel it suits me well and can definitely be anyone's pick.  But hey, that's not the best part yet.  The reason why I am actually saying "I do" to Aido is this...

Yup! You read that right. Heheh! TWENTY-FIVE PESOS! And they're not even on sale!  Witwew! I do <3 you Aido! Very, very much!

Life is beautiful!

Life is beautiful...and so are we!

To be human is such a beautiful thing!  We get to choose our experiences and frolic in all things real and non-existent.  I have chosen to start a blog that shall frolic in all  things beautiful - ethereal and earthly, gentle and bold, funny and serious.

This blog is a celebration of life!

Welcome!