Review: Fashion21 Blending Brush

Here goes now a brief review of the blending brush I scored in that Fashion 21 sale in my previous post.

This is love.  =)  I like my previous Fashion 21 eyeshadow brush because it came in a size that's just right enough for me.  I am not sure what it's made of but it sure was a pleasure to use it everytime. Now came this blending brush. The eyeshadow brush (which is shown alongside the new brush below) was smaller.  Both are perfect.

Notice that my new brush (the big blending brush) is bigger, more dense, and longer too compared to the eyeshadow brush on the right.  Both brushes are made of the same bristle materials.  Very soft and does their job well.  These two are a staple in my kikay kit.

My thoughts:
Over-all, both brushes are really good.  This is just supposed to be a review of the new one I got but I can't help but compare the two.  For only PhP85 for the blending brush, and PhP65(approx) for the eyeshadow brush, both are a steal!  Any average Jane like myself can bea assured of a quality brush sold at such an affordable price.

And no, I have nothing ill to say about these two.  To me, they are among my most wonderful finds!  Thank you Fashion 21 for making brushes as good as these!

From a Sale -- tiny Haul

S-A-L-E!  That four-letter word (usually printed in red) is sure to lure any sane, logical woman into defying her self-imposed shopping restrictions.  Funny but true.  I find myself falling into that trap many times over.  Like I did one afternoon when I went to hang out at Robinson's Ermita.  As soon as I entered the Padre Faura entrance, the Fanny Serrano booth greeted me.

And hey, hey, hey, how can I not take notice when that four-letter word screamed for my attention?

So here's my tiny haul.

The loot includes a dual-powder foundation and its refill, two lippies, a mono-matte eyeshadow, two blush powders, and a huge blending brush.

I got the lippies (at Php78 each) because I don't think I have those colors yet.  I've had a good experience with Fashion 21's Aqualicious Lipsticks (I got one in Little Mermaid and another in Persian Peach).  The dual-foundation was a try.  A bad one I must say because the color I got (and which was recommended to me) didn't match my skintone at all!  Anyways, I love the blushes albeit they seemed somewhat cakey (but not complaining given the price I paid for 'em), and the big blending blush which is an addition to the old Fashion 21 eyeshadow brush I long have.

Over-all, the loot was neither satisfying nor disappointing.  As any woman would perhaps agree, a haul such as mine gives a different kind of euphoria everytime.  So yes, for the measly sum, I was high and it felt soo good!

Reviews soon!

Ultimate Accessory: Painted Nails

Who doesn't like lovely nails? I think beautifully painted nails, aside from one's crowning glory, are the ultimate accessory.  Which is why whenever I can, I try to paint my nails.

Over the months, here are some of the colors I've tried and the fun shots I took of 'em.  Nothing fancy, just plain and simple as can be.

Brand: My Posh, Shade: Ruby

Ditto

Brand: Bobbie, Shade: Tropical Punch

Brand: My Posh, Shade: (not indicated) But the bottle looks bright pink

Brand: Bobbie, Shade: Vodka on Ice

Brand: Sandan, Shade: Sandy Brown

Ditto

My thoughts:
I love all the colors.  My Posh is a local brand which only costs Php11-13 per bottle (approx. 8ml).  It is manufactured by Unistar Asia Mfg. Co. and is available in many stores all over.  The texture of the regular polish is really thick. One sweep and you get nice, even coating.  The glazed ones are just as fine.  I would probly indulge in buying all the colors eventually but in the  meantime, I'd like to enjoy my select few bottles. I've noticed that the regular ones do chip easily compared to the glazed ones which last a little longer -- but I am not complaining!  For the price of each bottle?  I really don't mind putting on a new polish every day! ;-)

Bobbie (which is a favorite brand of all the local manicuristas) is manufactured by Chic Centre Corporation.  I'd like to believe every nail-conscious Pinay have a few bottles of their ever reliable Bobbie polish in their stash.  The ones I got above come in Regular Tropical Punch (a bright coral shade) and Glazed Vodka on Ice (a holo-finish color).  Lovely.  The Tropical Punch is what I wore when we went to Boracay and boy oh boy, it did stay on my nails for a good 3-days.  Yup, all throughout that fun Bora trip, my nails remained lovely.  I feared my tips would chip anytime then since I did plan to soak for hours and hours in the water, but no.  No chipping at all.  I was really truly satisfied.  Now, months after that trip, I still indulge in this beautiful funky color once in a while whenever I feel like it. And the texture remains as nice as the day I first opened it.

Vodka on Ice on the other hand is also a lovely color.  No, the shot I took of my nails is blurry. The true color of this polish wasn't done justice.  But Vodka on Ice is really a neat beautiful color.  Outdoors, on a bright sunny day, the tiny specks of iridescent glitters show up oh so beautifully.  At night, it looks like a glazed shade of white.  Still beautiful.

And the last one on the list is of course, Sansan which is sold exclusively at HBC.  Sandy Brown is a beautiful nude shade which compliments my skintone perfectly.  In the past, I did shy away from brown or nude polishes because while they make look perfect on others, on me they look trashy!  But not with this Sansan color.  Its an almost nude brown (perfect perhaps for doing french manicure?  But  I have yet to try it out on me.) and when applied, it looks really truly pretty.  The texture can be somewhat sheer though but on me, I was able to improve it by using a nice base before putting it on.

So there goes my favorite polishes in my favorite colors.  Found your favorite ones yet locally?

No, I don't Own a Credit Card =)

I do not own a credit card.  While today's fast-paced life entails the carrying of that little plastic card to make payment of anything (and yes, I say anything) a breeze, I am still not fully convinced I should get one if only to spare myself the hassles of having to beat a due date to avoid those surcharges.

One downside of not owning a credit card however is that it limits your power to purchase -- especially online. I have signed up for ebay a long time ago but nope, I have never made a single purchase -- ever.  One lazy morning though left with no more errands to do, I found myself browsing over ebay again. I chanced upon a store that sells very cheap items.  So just for the heck of it, I made a few clicks.  The next thing I know I received an email instructing me how I should pay and 'til when I can make such payment so as not to be blacklisted (or something to that effect).

The next day, I went to BPI (which was again, my first time after a long time since I have long ago closed my BPI account), to pay for my purchase (and surprisingly there were no extra charges! Hurray!).

I called the ebay seller to inform her of my payment and voila! A couple of days after (since I went to pay around 4pm already), my order arrived.

Funny though 'coz when the village guard rang our bell to ask if a "Ms. Burnt Raisin" happens to live in our address, it was only then I realized I made the mistake of indicating my online name instead of my real name in my ebay account.  But it didnt seem to matter anyways 'coz the package was delivered to the right address.

So here's my mini-loot. Not bad for a first time purchaser. =)

Loot consist of:

• Prostaff Women's Watch
• Rimmel Natural Sensation All Day Make-Up in Natural Beige
• Maybelline Great Lash Waterproof Mascara in Dark Brown, and
• Wet N Wild Natural Blend Mineral Foundation

I spent as total of PhP737.50 for everything including the shipping (dealer did combine shipment).  Ain't that great?  So far, I am glad my first purchase turned out okay.  Reviews of the products coming soon.  

And no, I still am not getting a credit card.  =)

Surreal!

Hello cyberworld! I am back!  And it does feel good. =)

The past few months have been critical. My last post (written in October last year) was written while I was preparing for one tough battle which I do not hope to repeat ever again. I took the bar exams.  Yup.  In between my lull moments I was surfing the web, wary of the piles of notes, materials, books and whatchamacallits screaming for my attention. But something else screamed for my attention -- a fondness I have developed over what others consider a shallow source of happiness... Aesthetics. ;-)

Wikipedia defines Aesthetics as , "...a branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of beauty, art, and taste, and with the creation and appreciation of beauty.[1] It is more scientifically defined as the study of sensory or sensori-emotional values, sometimes calledjudgments of sentiment and taste.[2] More broadly, scholars in the field define aesthetics as "critical reflection on art, culture and nature." 

Mine would have to be the simpler version of Aesthetics though.  It's a shallow as my epidermis. ;-)  I love make-up and if I didn't want to become a lawyer (and if I weren't too busy chasing that dream) I'd prolly be an aesthetician.  There is so much truth in the contention that looking good makes one feel good.  For my part, with the occasional apprenticeship training I get from doing the make up of my younger sisters and a few other willing "guinea pigs"(**peace**)heheh, the feeling I derive from helping them look good is incomparable.  Such experience enabled me to come to grip with the meaning of the word "surreal."  Yes, make-up and all its wonders gives a "surreal" feeling. Albeit fleeting, playing up with make-up is really, truly, rewarding.

This blog is thus dedicated to "surrealism" -- one that stems from playing and exploring the wonderful world of -- make-up (or something like that)! =)   

A Review: BLUSH 3-pc Dual Ended Brush Set

Among the many definitions of "versatility", this is what I find most apt when I talk about my new 3-pc dual ended brush:

(a.) Capable of being turned round.

It summarizes the ease, the convenience, and the functionality of using these make-up brushes.  I got mine from Suesh.  Being a reputable online seller of quality make-up brushes, I thought I'd give their featured product a try.

The 3-pc dual ended brush set made by BLUSH is a combination of synthetic (concealer and foundation brush) and b-grade goat hair.  The set includes: an angled blush brush opposite the powder blush, foundation brush opposite the concealer brush, and angled contour brush opposite the eyeshadow brush.

Large Eyeshadow Brush

Slanted Shadow/Contour Brush

Slanted Blush Brush

Dome Powder Blush

Foundie Brush

Concealer Brush

What I Like:

• Affordable.  This set costs only PhP450.
• Long enough. Allows comfortable handling of the brushes.
• All natural (save for the foundation and concealer brushes which are synthetic) thus picks up right amount of make-up.
• The slanted contour brush is my favorite as it allows me to blend eyeshadows well.  Its also perfect for doing nose contour.
• The slanted (I know it doesn't look slanted in the pic but it is actually slanted! ;-)blush brush is suggested best for doing face contour (something I've yet to learn).  In my case, I use it to apply blush.  It works. It picks up the right amount of powder.  I use the other end (the round tipped blush brush) to blend the cheek color.  Both brushes work satisfactorily. And I say that with a wink. ;-)
• The foundation brush is also a favorite.  Its very soft and it does a good job of distributing liquid foundation quite well.  
• The concealer brush is also good.  Its perfect for cream or liquid concealers.  I use it to pick and apply a concealer and thereafter use the foundation brush to blend it in.  Perfect.
• The brushes come in a zip-locked pouch.  The backing of which contains tips for doing facial contour.  Haven't had the patience to try out the tips but they do seem very smart.

What I Don't Like:

• The eyeshadow brush is well, "too large" for me.  It's nice, I just wish it's smaller so I can use it to apply eyeshadow evenly.  Because of its size, it's better used as a blending brush rather than as an eyeshadow applicator.
• Both blush brushes are kind'v small for my liking.  I wish they were atleast 20% bigger.

Over-all these are  good brushes for a beginner like myself. I purchased these primarily for use when I'm mobile as the brushes fit well in my purse.  (I just bring a smaller eyeshadow brush for touchups.)  Thank you Suesh for making these available. I am one satisfied costumer. **wink**wink** ;-)

Making-Over my Sister

My sister was marveling at the new make up brushes I just purchased from Suesh and asked if I could try them out on her.  I eagerly complied, ecstatic at the thought of playing around a bit with my little make-up collection.

Here's her before shot:

She asked me to give her a simple make-up that would be perfect for office or other day events. I moisturized her face and used two kinds of foundation: jade(Kokuryu) which also served as a concealer, and beige (EverBilena Two-Way Cake)to go with her natural skintone.

Her brows are naturally thick, so following their natural shape using an eyebrow pencil (SanSan Eyebrow Pencil in Brown) was easy.  I filled them in with my Natasha Sketches shadow in brown to even out the sparse areas.  I also used a very light shadow from my ELF Blackbook Palette, copper shade from the same palette, lined her eyes with Nichido Liquid Eyeliner in Black, and finished off her eyes with Avon's Voluminous Mascara in Black.

Her cheeks earned these healthy glow courtesy of ELF Bronzing Powder and Ever Bilena Blush in Everyday Shade.  I also contoured her nose and I've to admit I was very pleased with the results.  Her full lips have been painted with a very sheer combination of a coral shade Ever Bilena l/s topped with a Penshoppe Gloss.

And of course, the whole process entailed the use of my new acquisition:  the Suesh Blush Dual-Ended Brushes.

So here's my masterpiece sister's final look: 

On a note, I have noticed the big difference that emphasizing the eyebrows create. My sister has naturally lush and beautifully arched eyebrows. By filling them, I was able to make them stand out.  She seems to look a lot younger with her hair (which is also naturally wavy) loose and which such barely-there looking make-up, I think she's more pretty. =D

Pardon me for not being modest.  I am just one proud sister. ;-)