A lot of girls seem to be intimidated by smoky eyes - I can't blame them, it is a tough look to pull off if you're just starting to play with makeup. I had to practice A LOT to get the blending and the shape juuuust right; it helped to finally acquire the right brushes for the job, too. But it was a rewarding adventure. I'm gonna call it an adventure because I can recall with horror how my early smoky eyes looked like. Hehe.

Still, I hope I'm not totally scaring you off this dramatic eye look. It can elongate and widen your eyes, perfect for evening engagements or instances where you'll get photographed! Now one drugstore palette that I really like to use for smoky eyes is the BYS Eyeshadow Palette in Guilty Pleasures (P499). This has a nice selection of colors with good pigmentation - not bad for the price!

This caught my eye while I was shopping at Watsons (only place where you can find BYS since they're exclusive)!Anyway, I like the payoff of the colors, especially the darkest ones; you'll really get an opaque olive or black if you layer it properly. You'd still need an eyeshadow base to make the light and medium colors to show up, but I use a base with almost all my eyeshadows so no biggie.

The texture is smooth albeit chalky. As long as you tap the brush before applying the color, you'd be okay. ;) Check out the swatches and my FOTD wearing it after the cut!

It's been a while since I reviewed a foundation, no? I've been so enamoured with my favorites that I haven't been exploring outside of the things I already have. That's perfectly fine, of course, but I'm a beauty blogger. I'm all about options for you guys, which is why this week I'll be talking about five foundations worth looking into. You just might find a new favorite!

Let me begin with a drugstore product: the BYS Minerals Naturale Compact Foundation (P699). I liked it as soon as I swatched it - it had this pearlescent sheen and a silky, smooth texture, two qualities that mark a good foundation. I'm quick to judge when swatching foundation, and I'm happy to say that I made a good call in buying this one!

Second post for Drugstore Week! Nothing really ever beats the high of finding a good beauty product at the drugstore, agree? ^_^ Today I will be featuring a recent release from one of the hottest affordable brands in the country.

I have to say this, before anything else: 3D glitter nails are extremely impractical. They don't last long, and the glitter gets everywhere if you don't clean it up properly. But boy are they ridiculously fun to wear! I enjoyed gazing at my emerald nails at random times during the day. As shallow as it sounds, I felt cheered up by the bright color and the glimmer as the sun hits it juuuuust right.

The BYS Glitter Dust in Luck of the Leprechaun (P499) is a kit that includes a nail polish, brush, and a pot of fine glitter. It's quite easy and quick to use, surprisingly. I was able to do my nails in 15 minutes since I didn't have to focus so hard on perfecting the base. A single layer will do, in fact. Here's the step-by-step!

The process is straightforward, as you can see. Paint your nails with the base, carefully avoiding the skin. It doesn't matter if the color is patchy just as long as the polish doesn't go beyond your nails.

BYS (be your self) is an Australian drugstore brand that has been in the Philippines since late last year. If you've seen it in Watsons, then you know how dizzying their selection of colors and products is! I think that BYS has a lot to offer in terms of quality vis-à-vis the price. It's always nice to find a brand where most things are under a thousand bucks.

I will be reviewing a few BYS products in the next few weeks, and today I'm starting off with the BYS Brow & Eye Pencil in Blonde (P250). It's a soft, rather waxy automatic pencil liner that is actually an ashy brown.

I love the flat, slanted tip (remember the Shu Uemura naginata shape?) as it gets me a nicer arch in a shorter amount of time.