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.