MAC Girl About Town Review and Swatches

Hello everyone! It's Thursday again, and yes, I have no classes. So I decided to always make sure to dededicate an hour or two for this blog when I have free time. I've become so attached to this that this has become a part of my routine.

Enough with the blabber, I am back with my Beauty posts! Today, I will be reviewing one of my favorite MAC lipsticks. I've only had this for 2 months but I can say that it's one of my favorites already. This was a pasalubong from my tita when she went to HK. She seriously knows what I want. <3

If you already have read my current go to make up look, this is the lipstick I used in that post. I use this for school, for going out, and also to parties. If every girl needs a red lipstick, well, in my case, all I need is a fuschia or berry lipstick and I'm all set!


This shade is Girl About Town. It's formula is an amplified creme so it applies smoothly. It dries up semi-matte and it really gives a whopper of a statement! The longevity of this product lasts about 3-4 hours on me without eating. It's lasting period is just like any typical MAC lipstick but it works perfectly fine for me.

The color is more of a blue-toned fuschia pink that I can honestly say will complement any skin tone. I know it may look like a really bold color but you can also use it if you're a girl like me who loves to experiment on "out there" lipstick colors! I actually use this for college and I love it.

Don't be afraid to try out different things. Make up is all about experimenting. It's about art, in my opinion. And our faces are our canvas. Put on red eyeshadow, or maybe even try out a purple lipstick. Why not, right? It's all about expression! :)

(but ofcourse, if you're going to highschool you might as well stick to the nudes haha or your principal might call you if you wear a purple lipstick :p)

Hope you liked this post!
Until my next one.
xx, Iyah

Make Up Review: Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain

Hi everyone! Happy first of March! :) I feel really bad for abandoning this blog for almost a month now... :/ I've just been really busy lately! I won't promise anymore, but I'll do it instead :P 

Hihi, anyway, here's a review of my favorite holy grail lip stain! <3 I've been using this lip stain EVERY DAY since I bought it in Hong Kong. Totally worth the money spent on it, I must say. It's not actually a My-Lips-But-Better shade, but I love it so much anyway haha!

Basically, the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain (Phew! That's a long name!) is a lip stain and lip balm in one. Don't you just hate the formula of some lip stains that are too drying? :/ I've always been a fan of lip stains but I hate that some formulas are too drying,  but not this one. That's why I love it so much. :D

This lip stain/lip balm applies like a dream. It applies like a lip balm, with the pigmentation of a lipstick, and stays on your lips for hours just like a lip stain. My mistake, it wasn't 2-in-1, it's actually 3-in-1!

The shade I got is in Smitten. Sorry, I forgot to put a swatch here :( but it's a subtle-berry color! Which is my  favorite shade in lipsticks since forever. Haha!

It's also compact, you can stash it in your bag or make up kit without any hassle. The packaging is also cute, as it reminds me of a jumbo crayon. 

PROS:

1. Pigmented! Same pigmentation as the Revlon Lip Butter. Check out my review about it here.

2. Moisturizing, just like a lip balm.

3. Lasts for hours. Approximately 3-5 hours without retouching.

4. Kiss friendly! LOL. The product says it's kissable, right? :P It doesn't transfer when it already adheres to your lips and dries up.

5. Leaves a natural flush after a few hours after application, just like a normal lip stain

6. Has a wide selection of colors from pinks, nudes and reds (If I'm not mistaken, there are 12 shades available)

7. Retractable! No need to worry about sharpening :P

CONS:

1. The label worn out after some time

2. The tip of the lip stain eventually flattens after several uses, so it doesn't stay at it's normal crayon-like shape

3. A little bit expensive. Bought mine for PHP 500 converted from HK Dollars, in the Philippines they sell it for PHP 575. (Thank you, anonymous commenter for telling me the price! :D) But definitely worth the money you are splurging! :)

So overall, I love this product. The pros obviously outweigh the cons. 

How about you, what do you think? :) 

Would you try this product? Is it a yay or nay?

Comment down below your thoughts, suggestions and questions! :)

Make Up Review: MAC Blush in Pinch O' Peach

Hi everyone! :) It's been ages since I've posted a make up review here. So here it goes. :D

This is actually my favorite blush as of the moment. :) so onto my review...

COLOR: It's a sheertone finish peachy-pink color that is great for asian skin tones. It appear matte though. It 's actually more on the pink side rather than the peach though.

LASTING POWER: It doesn't last long :( About 1-2 hours only in my case because I'm oily. Plus, I never had a blush that lasted long on me.

PRICE: Kind of expensive for a blush, but it really lasts long. (1,200 I think) I've had this for 6 months already and use it everyday and I haven't even made a dent.

PIGMENTATION:  The pigmented is sheer which is perfect for a natural looking flush on the skin. I personally don't like too pigmented blushes because it's hard to control.

TEXTURE AND APPLICATION: The texture is a dream! It applies smoothly and silky. It's so... soft. I hope you get what I mean. :D

MORE PHOTOS AND SWATCHES:

And that's it for my short review! I have nothing much to say about it though. It's a good buy for me. :) 

Thank you for reading! 

Comments are loved. <3

Make Up Review: Charm Retractable Kabuki

Hi guys!! Here's an initial review of Charm's Pink Retractable Kabuki. I had this for a few months now and I love it too bits.

I love anything PINK. It's an addiction, really. I've been wanting to order this online for ages but I was so lazy, and then I found a stall of Charm's Brushes in Crossings, Quezon City. Inside the Ramp. So, when I saw this, I didn't even think twice of buying it! 

Here's what the packaging looks like. It retails for PHP 580.00. Same price online.

Tadaaaaa! It's pink! It's so cute. I love the white and pink bristles. It's very unique. This brush is definitely soft. Applying powder is like a dream with this baby.

It is also dense for a powder brush. Look how much product it gets!

So to summarize everything:

 Pros

1. It's very cute and pink! Plus, it's very handy. You can put it inside your make up bag or even your purse and not even having to worry about it being dirty because it's retractable.

2. The price is just right, and you really get what you are paying for: A HIGH QUALITY KABUKI BRUSH

3. It's really dense. You get lots of product.

4. It's retractable, so you can just squeeze the metal thing upwards and you can use it as a contour brush. Multi-functional.

5. It's Synthetic. No animals are harmed! 

6. It's travel friendly

7. No shedding whatsoever after the first, second, & third wash! 

8. Available both locally and online. (http://beautyandminerals.multiply.com/)

Cons

1. It has some kind of smell the moment you buy it, but it will eventually go away after 2-3 washes

2. Takes so long to dry. Mine took 2 days.

That's all so far! I love this brush. :) 

My pretty baby sister modelling my cutesy brush! :)

That's all for now. Thanks for reading. :)

Hope you find my review informative!!

XO, Iyah

Make Up Review: Etude House Precious Mineral Sun BB Cream

These pictures were taken three months ago when I just bought this product. I have been using this for three months already and it has done really well on my skin. Now I am ready to create a review for this since I'm almost out of it! :) 

PACKAGING: I find the packaging cute. It actually looks a deodorant! Haha. You know the Dove and Rexona roll on? LOL. Anyway, I don't mind though. It's different from other BB Cream packaging. The applicator is really unique. It comes off with a sponge. (Don't worry, Etude House offers sponges like this separately so you can buy another once the old one gets dirty) Plus, you can also dispense it like a normal BB Cream. You can have it both ways!

COLOR SELECTION: Korean brand make up doesn't normally carry out a wide range of color selection since Asians usually only have similar skin tones and they are naturally fair. There are three shades available, Light Beige, Natural Beige and Sand Beige. The SA suggested Natural Beige on me, but it appeared too light on me. So I tried the darker shade, which is Sand Beige. It still appears lighter but it blends out really well on my skin and it looks natural! (I'm an NC35 in MAC for reference)

TEXTURE: Like any other normal BB Cream, the texture is similar but this one is a tad bit thicker compared to the usual ones.

COVERAGE: It has medium coverage. I can't really say full coverage because I can still see my skin peeping through, but it's build-able. It also conceals light blemishes and evens out the skin tone really well.

FINISH: Matte finish! This is perfect for oily skin, like me. Hooray! :) I have tried Etude House BB Creams before and this is the only one that is matte finish. I think? The rest are dewy.

You can dispense the product two ways! Using the sponge, or just the funnel (?) I don't know what's the best word to describe it!

LASTING POWER: It lasts up to 5-6 hours on a hot day! If you are in the Philippines, the lasting power is quite long for this humid country of ours. Plus, my skin is oily. It says so in the packaging that it's long lasting.

WHAT THE PRODUCT CLAIMS: As you can see from the packaging, it says that it's Whitening, Anti-Wrinkle, Anti-Darkening, Long Lasting and Waterproof.

TRUE OR NOT? I haven't noticed any difference in my skin though. So whitening, no for me. Anti-wrinkle? I don't really mind because I don't have any yet since I'm only 17! Anti-Darkening? It has SPF50 so I suppose so. My skin color hasn't change even if the sun is striking here in Manila. Long lasting? Yep! Waterproof? Yes! But it eventually wears off after some time though, I'm sure it won't stay for 5 hours under the swimming pool. Haha.

SWATCHES:

This is how the product dispenses with the sponge. You can apply it directly onto your face using it. I prefer not to because I think that I'm wasting product when I do.

CONCLUSION: I love this product! This is my holy grail BB Cream/Foundation. It's the best I've tried so far. I'm not being biased or anything, I'm just stating my honest opinions. It's the perfect foundation for my skin type. I am actually running out on this product and I'll be buying my second one soon! :)

So, that's all I can say about this product. I hope you find my review helpful. Let me know your thoughts in the comment box below! :)

Have you tried this product? What do you think about it? :)

Thanks for reading! :)

XX, Iyah

DISCLAIMER: This is not a sponsored post. All statements are honest and non-biased. ;)

Save vs. Splurge: ELF vs. NARS Blush And Bronzer Duo

I've had this in my drafts for more than a month now and I think it needs some publishing time! So, here is a comparative review between NARS and ELF. Some say ELF is the dupe for this NARS duo. 

Hmmmm... Let's find out.

PACKAGING:
Packaging looks pretty similar and with size too. Each both have mirrors which is essential. The material is different. NARS one is rubberized. It's fancy, yes. But it attracts dust easily, while the ELF one is plastic but it's not flimsy.

As you can see, the ELF one has a larger pan.

SWATCHES:

COLOR PAY-OFF:
Obviously, all of the colors are quite different. The Nars blush is a shimmery peachy pink, while the ELF one is really peach with shimmers too, but much less compared to Nars. The Nars bronzer has more of an orange under tone while the ELF is more on the brown side.

The Nars one is more pigmented.

QUALITY:
As with the quality, Nars feels so silky compared to ELF which has a chalky texture.

LASTING POWER:
I don't know how much it lasts on the skin since I am very oily.

PRICE:

Nars - 1,850.00 PHP, ELF - 250.00 PHP... Enough said! LOL

CONCLUSION:

All in all, I can say that both of these products are good and work well on my skin. I didn't have any problems with it! 

So is it a dupe or not? Packaging wise, yes. But the colors are not. :)

How about you? Which do you like better? Will you SPLURGE or SAVE? :D

Thanks for reading!

XOXO

Make Up Review: M.A.C Red

Red lipstick has always been a staple in a girl's make up collection because it gives a whopper of a statement. I, myself, am afraid to wear red lipstick because I feel that it does not suit me and my skin color.  

A lot of people say that red lipstick is not suitable to everyone. In my opinion, red lipsticks are for everyone, and for every skin color, you just have to find the perfect red lipstick for you! :)

Last week, I dropped by at the MAC counter in Duty Free, Paranaque. My mom said that she would buy me a lipstick, and I wanted to try something new, and that is sporting red lips. I asked the SA there what type of lipstick would suit me. She sugggested Ruby Woo, which is matte. I said I have dry lips so she suggested this one instead, which is M.A.C Red. It's a blue toned red that makes it look pinkish in some lighting.

It is a Satin finish which comes out semi-matte on the lips.

Now let's go on with the review!

Pros:

1. Not drying on the lips

2. Long lasting (Lasts about 5 hours with eating)

3. Leaves a gorgeous stain on the lips if not re-applied within the day

4. The smell is nice. Like some sort of Vanilla scent. (Like every other MAC lipstick smells like)

5. True to color (What you see is what you get from the tube!)

Cons:

1. A little expensive for some (...but it's worth the price for me!)

Here are some swatches:

And then there's me, trying to sport this pretty red lipstick! 

Do you think it suits me or not? :)

How about you? Do you love to wear red lipsticks? What's your perfect red? :)

Comment down below!

Thanks for reading.

Xoxo, Iyah

RAVE: Can't get enough of Revlon's Colorburst Lip Butters!

Revlon's ColorBurst Lip Butters has been a recent hype and rave in the Youtube world of many beauty gurus. Since I have always been concerned about products, I wanted to try it out. I also read a lot of positive reviews about this product, that's why I didn't hesitate to order one.

According to Revlon...

"Buttery balm with beautiful shiny color to give you baby soft, healthy glowing lips 94% of women felt lips were softer, smoother, and instantly hydrated."

(Click for source)

If you are someone who loves to wear lipstick and still have smooth, soft and hydrated lips, then who would even say "no" to that statement?

I purchased these babies from Stuff in Style for 320 pesos. Our local drugstore outlets that has a Revlon counter sells this as well, but it is priced at 525 pesos. So if you want to purchase this, I suggest you just order from Stuff in Style instead because it is definitely cheaper.

Don't worry, this online shop carries US Authentic Cosmetics! Just a heads up for those who are worried about buying fake make-up.

I already have two lip butters before these three, so that is why I wanted to get more because I had loved it so much.

Lip Butters in Red Velvet, Raspberry Pie & Lollipop. Don't you just love the yummy names? :-)

The packaging is similar to their Colorburst lipsticks which is a quilt-like pattern but this one is colored and translucent. It automatically indicates the color. If you don't know the ColorBurst lipsticks I am referring to, here is a picture and also a short information about it in Revlon's website: CLICK HERE.

Drugstore make up brands don't often have boxes for lipsticks, but I'm glad they are sealed for protection.

These are all the lip butters I have! Including the old ones I had two months ago.
Respectively; Raspberry Pie, Red Velvet, Cherry Tart, Lollipop, Sweet Tart.

All these lip butters have shimmer, but it is not too noticeable when applied on the lips. You can never expect these to be matte during application as it is a lip butter, which means it has the consistency of a lip gloss, lip balm and lipstick put together in one tube.

Raspberry Pie lies between the color of a fuchsia and a red.

Red Velvet is a dark reddish shade with brown tones.

Cherry Tart is a bright red. This one has the most shimmer.

Lollipop is a fuchsia color. Simple as that, but it gives a whopper of a statement.

Sweet Tart is a bright and bold light pink color. This one is my favorite. :-)

Left side, top to bottom: Raspberry Pie, Red Velvet & Cherry Tart
Ride side, top to bottom: Lollipop & Sweet Tart

This picture actually annoys me. It is not in a landscape position. :-( I actually took this using my iPhone because my Nikon D90 is so hard to use when taking close up shots. Nonetheless, I hope you enjoyed my photos! :-)

PROS:
- It definitely lives up to it's claim. My lips gets really dried up when using lipsticks, even high-end ones like Mac, but this one does not. It really softens, smoothens, and hydrates my lips!
- Has a variety of shades that ranges to nudes, pinks, reds, orange, and even browns. Has 20 shades.
- The colors are very wearable despite the fact that some colors are very bold.
- Cheap! :-) Hooray!

CONS:
- Because of the buttery consistency, it easily sticks to coffee mugs, glasses, and the like when you drink.
- Doesn't contain a lot of product :-( I think the bullet is only 2 inches? I'm not sure though. By the way, the pictures shown above is not the exact length of the bullet, it is much more longer. I just don't want to expand it too much as it might break or something. Haha!

So, I think that's all I can say. That's about it so far! Haha. All in all, I love this product. This is my favorite lipstick ever. I'd give up MAC over these babies. ;)

Hope you find my review informative. Thank you for reading! :)