Make-up Bop Lancome Shimmer Blush in Mandarin Sky

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Make-up Bop YSL Rouge Pur Lipstick in Tea Rose 148

I finally got my hands on the very famous YSL Rouge Pur Lipstick in Tea Rose. I really love the formula of this lipstick line and the color is one of the prettiest nude lipsticks I have ever tried. It is nude but with the slightest hint of rose undertone which keeps me from looking washed out thus making the lipstick color very wearable for day. It would look even more gorgeous with a baby pink gloss on top. I have a full review of YSL Rouge Pur Lipsticks here.

I will try to swatch all my YSL lipsticks in one post soon, I just need proper lighting and my husband to take it for me because it is so difficult to take it myself using a very heavy SLR as it won't focus :)

Chanel Camera Case Purse - a review

I have a bag reveal for you guys...my new Chanel Camera Case in Matte Grey with Ruthenium Hardware.

Honestly I did not really expect this bag this year because I was really lusting over the Jumbo Black Caviar flap with SH however I stumbled upon a picture of this purse and I fell in love with it as well. Now I heart both purses but of course I can only get just one more purse this year and the other will have to wait, so I decided to get the Camera Case because it is more limited. I read that it is sold out in stores and since it is not part of Chanel's permanent line then no one knows when it will be available again. However I could also be wrong. What is true though is that these bags were on sale for up to 30% off last fall 2009 at Neiman Marcus and I can only imagine how hard it is to track one down with all the Chanel lovers out there. However, I was fortunate enough to find an online seller with it. It is BNIB with tags and I got it at 30% off the original price as well. If she got it on sale and decided to sell it to me at the same price, I will never know and I don't care because I still got it cheaper. The seller is an active TPfer (the purse forum, which I am also a member of) and was so accommodating through out the transaction. The bag in its original box, dust bag, cards and gift wrapped! Thanks again girl! See for yourself :)

 I got the Large size in Grey distressed calf skin leather with Ruthenium Hardware which I think originally came out in Fall 2008 and was still produced through out 2009. I've only seen this purse on magazines being carried around by celebrities and I always thought it looked very classic and chic, it has that vintage look to it as well. It is very light weight, roomy and very easy to pair with any outfit. Plus, I don't own any grey bags yet. I like that it is not as common as other Chanel purses, so I feel extra special when I carry it around. I was told Sarah Jessica Parker actually carried this bag in an episode of Sex and the City :)  Ohh Chanel, I fell for you again!

Make-up Bop YSL Rouge Pur Lipstick in Rose Satin 141

I recently paid Neiman Marcus a visit, while there, I remembered I wanted to check out the infamous YSL Rouge Pur lipstick in Tea Rose, however the counter was out of stock, so I looked at two other pink lipsticks and ended up with Rose Satin. I loved the pinkness it gave my lips but is wearable enough even for day. It is a different pink, more of a classy sophisticated pink that screams luxury on the lips. I think I like the formula of this one more than the Rouge Volupte, which I have in the #1 Nude Beige. This seems to stay put and is easier to apply than the Volupte line. I will still try to get my hands on Tea Rose the next time I see a YSL counter and then I'll post it here as well.  I will also post a picture of this lipstick on when I do a blog about my top 10 favorite lipsticks, I am just waiting on getting 2 more lipsticks that I have been eyeing before I do the blog because they might end up on that list. For now, here is the lipstick.

My Points
(+) light vanilla scent
(+) creamy, moisturizing and pigmented
(+) good coverage and nice sheen
(+) very nice classy packaging
(-) pricey @ $30.00 a tube

Make-up Bop New Guerlain Meteorites Perles Illuminating Powder

I am super excited with this product, I have been wanting to try this for the longest time but for $56.00, I shy away from it every time, maybe because I can already get at least 3 MAC lipsticks or 4 eye shadow refills for the money. However, I find myself lusting for other products that are non MAC, I feel like I am getting a bit bored with their collections, so I decided to try other products that I have been eyeing for a while. This is one of them. According to their site, the Meteorites Perles Illuminating Powder was inspired by light .When white light passes through a prism, it separates into a spectrum of different colours. Inversely, all of these colours together recreate ideal light. This is the principle behind the decomposition and recomposition of light. In photography and film, white light is used to erase imperfections and soften features. In 1987, Guerlain decided to use this technology to add dazzling radiance to women’s faces and thus created Météorites... In 2010, Météorites have added a new chapter to their legend. Evanescence, lightness, and transparency … They now come in 3 new colour harmonies, holding the secret to the purest radiance ever for each skin tone. Rose, Beige and Dore.

         I bought Teint Rose, which has all 5 colors for correcting skin tone, decreasing dullness and redness as well as providing a nice sheer radiance for the face as well as making it look more luminous. I did not bother swatching it because it won't show anyway, but the effect can be seen when applied over the face to finish up your make-up. The scent is really pleasing, it is of violets. A brush is also made especially for this, however any round full brush will do. I have never owned a meteorites powder before but I got lucky because this summer they revamped their packaging and changed it from the regular cardboard type to this really chic aluminum container with an etched floral pattern on the cover. Just having it on my vanity is eye candy enough :)
My Points:
(+) very nice and classy packaging
(+) multipurpose powder
(+) a well loved and proven product 
(+) adds radiance and luminosity to skin
(-) pricey @ $56.00
(-) bulky for travel but there is a pressed form which is about $10 more.

To know more about the wonders of this product, the Sephora website has a section devoted to this.

Make-up Bop MAC to the Beach Collection- mini haul

I actually had 4 items that I pre-ordered from this collection however when it came out, I decided to just take 2 because I was not as in love with the other 2 products as much when I first saw it. I ended up with the Marine Highlighting Powder and Lazy Day Lipstick (which is one of my favorite pink lipsticks from MAC now). Here they are:

I used half side of the powder only, so you can still vaguely see the gold overlay on the other side. This product was sold out on pre-orders even before it came out. I use the product as a blush obviously, it gives the skin a gorgeous pinky coral color on the cheeks that is perfect for summer! Use with a light hand because it is very pigmented. Lazy Day lipstick on the other hand is a really pretty true pink color, it is a lustre finish however it is more pigmented than the usual lustre finishes from MAC. It feels more like a cremesheen but with that nice lustre finish. If you weren't able to score this lipstick, try the shade Angel, it is sort of similar. Here are more pics.

Make-up Bop More Revlon Super Lustrous Lip Gloss

Here are 2 more of the limited edition Revlon Super Lustrous lip glosses in CORAL REEF.

 and PINK POP

swatches:

Again, no complaints on these lip glosses, I have a full review on this product here. I now have 6 in total and I love all of them.

Hello again !

Hi everyone! It has been a while since my last blog, June has been such a busy month. Besides work, our new dog has been keeping me and my husband busy. I will definitely post some blogs about him soon. Honestly, I have not been shopping for make-up or for anything else lately because I had been saving up for a big splurge. Once it arrives, I will definitely do a big REVEAL. Hint, hint... it is gray, quilted and has chains. Are you excited yet? Anyways, out of topic here, but I love reading blogs of different fashionistas on line, if you are filipina like me and you want to keep in touch with trends in the Philippines then I highly recommend 3 bloggers, they are the bag hag diaries, shen's addiction, askmewhats and iambrigitte. I also recommend temptalia, larkie at large, hrh collection, cujo931, sparklemissA, lollipop26writes, mia apres chanel, belle du jour nyc and michelemacpink. Some of them have you tube accounts which I also love to watch for make-up tutorials, hauls and reviews (make-up, purses, clothes, accessories etc). These are some of the people who inspired me to come up with my own blog however I am still to shy to actually make videos on you tube, I don't know, let's see if I find the courage. Please continue reading my upcoming posts :)

Make-up Bop Revlon and Milani Lipgloss Review

Lately, I have been scoping my local drugstore for cheaper alternative make-up that can help save me some money for my upcoming big purchase in a few months. So far, I have found a cheaper alternative foundation, eye shadow, blush, lipstick and mascara. I will review the foundation on my next post. Now I have found cheaper alternative lipglosses that work fairly well. Let me present a few of Revlon's Super Lustrous Lipgloss in Peach Petal (ltd) Pink Whisper (reg) and Lilac Pastelle (ltd).

Peach Petal - opaque enough to nude out lips, gives you a milky light peach finish but has tendency to settle into lines. Better worn over a peach hue lipstick.

Pink Whisper- buildable to give off an opaque pearly pink finish, my favorite out of the 3. Can be worn on its own.

Lilac Pastelle - similar to Peach Petal, opaque enough to give off a milky lilac finish but is easier to smooth out than Peach Petal. Can be worn on its own for a light hue on lips or over pink or purple lipstick.

My Points
(+) cheap and affordable about $7.00 each
(+) non sticky, smooth and fairly easy to apply.
(+) has decent color pay off and a good range of finishes from opaque to sheer
(+) no funky smell and nice packaging
(-) some are limited edition
(-) cannot be swatched in the store because of the seal

Now, I have also discovered Milani's 3D Glitzy Glamour Gloss and bought 2 out of the 5 available. They have been compared to MAC's dazzleglasses due to the very sparkly finish it delivers. I have them in Stylish and Movie Star.

Stylish - is a bright coral orange that has decent pay off. It appears sheer but the dazzle in this gloss definitely stands out. Perfect for summer!

Movie Star - appears sheer but with a good hint of blue and purple hue, this would rock the lips when worn over a purple or a blue-pink lipstick.

My Points
(+) cheap and affordable about $7.00 each
(+) non sticky, sheer but with a good amount of dazzle/shimmer, I agree with it being very comparable to MAC dazzleglasses.
(+) brush applicator
(+) no funky smell
(-) tacky packaging
(-) limited range

Shop Hop - Madden by Steve Madden Cage Platform Heels

I went to DSW or Designer Shoes Warehouse near my area and I stumbled upon these shoes from Madden Girl by Steve Madden :)

They were really cute on display however I am not really the heel/platform/wedges/stiletto type of gal, I mostly wear kitten heels/flats/sandal/flat boots/flip flops/sneakers, I usually trip or hurt my feet whenever I wear the very few of these towering babies in my collection. So, I did not get too excited about this pair. But for fun I tried them on...and I was amazed at how comfortable it felt, it definitely made my feet aware that I am wearing heels but for look that this pair was going for, it was comfortable enough for me. The heels are about 4 inches @ topmost but they don't look it. FYI: my husband is about 2 " taller than I am, so another reason for me to stray away from heels. But with these on, and of course with my husband wearing his dress shoes (gave him a boost), we look about the same height, which made me feel a lot better and bias to purchase the pair. I love the whole cage look and the 2 straps around the ankle, I guess my feet arches fit well in these. I think I have a low to medium arch. The model came in 3 colors, black, a very dark brown and a bright fuschia. I went with black to be safe. They are 6 1/2s and priced at $39.00. A very good deal for a signature pair of shoes with a bang! Check your local DSW and try them on yourself!

Make-up Bop -N.Y.C. Blushable Creme Sticks

I found a new love! well 2 new loves, the newest colors of N.Y.C.'s blushable creme sticks are just to-die-for! I am super impressed with this product. I looked at their website but they don't have it posted, which baffled me because these products are amazing and should be marketed well! Basically, I'll describe it based on my opinion, it is a cream blush in stick form, similar to MAC's paint sticks and NARS multiples. It is cream not gel so they are not like the Tarte Cheek Stains in terms of consistency. I find it can be applied with fingers or an angled or stippling brush. I like using my MAC 168 angled blush brush for it.

I bought 2 shades, I think it is part of their spring/summer collection, I am not sure if there are other colors. I got wild berry and pink flash. I love them both but I love the second one more.

Wild Berry - true pink, blends into a nice rosy pink on the cheek once applied.
Pink Flash - bright peachy-pink, blends exactly into a bright peach pink hue on the cheek once applied.

wild berry (right)
pink flash (left)

wild berry swatch (right)
pink flash swatch (left)













My points:
(+) cheap and affordable
(+) long lasting! about 10 hours at work and I'm not kidding! (a little bit goes a long way and if you apply a similar blush hue then it lasts even longer!)
(+) non greasy...at least it for me it does not feel that way and I am an oily-combination skin type.
(+) blends so easily and definitely buildable!
(+) emits a light sheen, no shimmer, so perfect for nice healthy glowing cheeks ;)
(+) no break-outs yet
(-) maybe limited edition :( 
It is definitely worth the $4.00/stick for 8 grams of product. It is a good bargain for this season! Grab yours now!

Make-up Bop- NARS sheer glow foundation and Laguna Bronzer

Time for my 1st make-up post, I recently purchased NARS sheer glow foundation in shade Punjab.This foundation is described as a silky fluid foundation that delivers immediate hydration evens skin tone and leaves the skin brighter and more radiant. When used daily, skin's texture improves over time, becomes softer, smoother and more luminous. It provides weightless and buildable coverage with a natural radiant finish.  According to the NARS website, it is for normal to dry skin types, however I can strongly say  that it also works for me very well despite my skin type being more on the oily-combination category. I love how smooth it blends and how light weight it feels. It does emit a glow but not overly dewy and the finish is more of like a satin finish to me. It lasts about 6-8 hours for me with hardly no touch ups. On average, it definitely gives me a good medium coverage but it can be less or more depending on how much is needed. Once it has settled and blended into the skin, it emits a healthy glow that I really love and have been looking for in a foundation. It is like the expensive alternative to my Revlon Photo Ready Foundation, less shimmery I guess. Anyways I find that it is best when buffed into the skin with a buffer brush or a brush similar to a MAC 109 (which I use) than a stippling or synthetic foundation brush. Less is good with this foundation. At this point, it has not broken me out. A major plus for me! It is quite expensive for an everyday type of foundation, however it is a great one to use if desired. FYI: sheer glow does not mean its coverage, I'm pretty sure it means the effect you get from the foundation - a sheer glow- :) 

My points:

(+) light weight, blends easily and has buildable coverage

(+) emits a "sheer glow" perfect for that healthy and natural look this summer

(+) no break-out...so far (2 weeks use)

(+) long lasting enough for an 8 hour day (blotting and retouching will prolong its coverage even more)

(-) expensive $42.00/bottle for 30mL

(-) has no pump

(-) if you're skin type is excessively oily then the "sheer glow" might be too much for you, try the other type called sheer matte instead.

Since I needed a bronzer for the summer, I decided to get the infamous Laguna Bronzing Powder from NARS as well. The MA who did my make-up at the NARS counter in Nordstrom used it on me and I liked how natural it looked on someone fair like me. FYI: I do not tan in the summer because I do not like exposing my self to the sun, it's one of my major skin care rules. So I have to fake my "sun-kissed" look everytime he!he! Laguna is not too dark nor is it too orange or golden for me as other bronzers I've seen, so I happily dust it on my face every single day since I've purchased it and i'm loving it. It definitely gave my face enough warmth and glow that's perfect for summer! Again, less is good with this powder. All skin tones would definitely fit. It is described as brown with golden shimmer. FYI: I wear an NC20 from MAC so I am fair with yellow undertones. I highly recommend it! No (-)s at all. The price is worth it!  $32.00 for 8 grams of product.

I'm still hesitant if I should show pictures of looks I've created with products I do a review on. I'm still a bit shy on that area. I'll see, maybe after a few more posts :0 More make-up reviews to follow!

Shop Hop - H&M and Enzo Angiolini Sandals

Time for my 1st Shop Hop Post, basically this is what I will call my haul posts if it involves clothes, shoes and accessories. I thought of the label because I will do a collective post every now and then which will contain items I purchased from different stores thus I "shop hop" from one store to the other :) he!he! I will label my make-up/skin care haul post differently as this might be more often than the others :) So watch out for my 1st ever make-up/skin care post because once my package from NARS arrives (hint!hint!) I will definitely do a post/review.   

So I went to H&M because I wanted to get a new scarf for spring/summer however I ended up with more than one scarf. I ended up with 2 scarves, a nice pink/salmon cotton with fringe and a bold animal print  with no fringe. I also picked up a gorgeous gold cuff adorned with cute ornate plastic gems . I was in line at the cash register when I spotted this nice tan long coat on the sale rack (urggh! why do they always put up sale racks by the counter?!) I could not resist not checking it out especially when I saw the tag, $20 bucks! What a good deal! It can be dressed down or dressed up and is light and airy with polka dot lining inside. The collar is stiff enough to be worn up or just down. So, I went ahead and added it to my pile. Tsk, tsk.  After H&M, I hopped over to Nordstrom's where I got a pair of gorgeous bronze Enzo Angiolini  T-strap sandals, again so ready for summer! this pair  was on sale too, so score! BTW, my hubby approved of all my purchases except for the animal print scarf he!he! too bold for him I guess, but I told him I can pull it off...hopefully :) So here is my loot...

Louis Vuitton Damier Ebene Verona MM - a review

As promised here are some pictures of the newest addition to the Louis Vuitton Damier Ebene line- the Verona MM.

Out of the 3 sizes, I find the MM being the perfect size for an everyday, multipurpose bag. I'm petite but it fits me just right. It comes with adjustable flat shoulder straps, zippered top (which I like) and the lock and key feature (very LV). The base studs help the bag keep its shape when filled and the pleats on both sides make the bag expandable if needed to accommodate all your stuff. I personally love all the details of this purse, the style and form is very chic, modern and timeless. Plus, since it is in the Damier Ebene line, I won't have to worry about staining the vachetta leather, thus making the bag a bit less delicate. I highly recommend checking out the Verona if you are looking for a new shoulder bag. It is definitely well made, sturdy yet feminine at the same time. It comes in 3 sizes PM, MM and GM so you can pick what best suits your needs. The prices range from $1030 for the PM, $1280 for the MM and $1430 for the GM. Till next time!

P.S.
I was so excited to see that this particular Verona was made in France since it is from the first batch that was delivered to the store. I know so pathetic of me :) The next batch will probably be made in USA. Apparently that's how it works.