Swatches + a quick wear test of Happy Skin’s Here to Bloom Collection (new release)
Generation Happy Skin has always been about high-performance, everyday-wearable makeup. And with superstar Kathryn Bernardo as the face of this line, her minimalist beauty philosophy of combining healthy, glowing skin with touches of flattering color is a spot-on fit with the brand’s latest releases. After trying several pieces out, I have to say that the Here to Bloom collection isn’t just an inspiring statement. It’s a promise.
An in-depth review of Issy & Co's new Brow Refiner (a brow tint + castor oil duo)I
Filipinos may love their lipsticks but eyebrow makeup is what they can’t live without! Having a nice pair of kilay is something of a national obsession, so it only makes sense that this would be the focus of Issy & Co’s newest release. ICYMI, this new Filipino brand recently broke into the local beauty scene with their vegan lipstick line in pretty, minimalist packaging. If you haven’t tried anything from them yet, I’m here to rave about their latest drop, the Brow Refiner!
Our newest Vice: P195 micro pencils & tinted brow gels that deliver perfect feathery brows
We were legit shookt when Vice Cosmetics started teasing what looked like a brow kit on social media. It was high time the local brand took on brows! Still, I felt it was a tad ambitious to start off with a retractable microbrow pencil and a brow gel as both are regarded as relatively more advanced and premium tools for makeup enthusiasts. I was truly curious with what the brand would come up with, considering their affordable product price range.
Rant: I'm not the makeup-optional girl that Glossier wants to sell to
I always come with a positive mindset whenever I try new products. In the decade that I've tested hundreds of products for Project Vanity, I've come to understand that each has its pros and cons and that what works for some may not work for me (that rolls the other way round too). Beauty, I love to say, is so personal. We buy things for different reasons and not all of them is based purely on how effective the product is.
That said, I didn't initially intend to write this review of some Glossier products I picked up online. There are other things for me to write about but Den our Managing Editor convinced me it should be out there. So why not?
Which brow product should you use for your brow type?
In recent years, Pinays have become more and more kilay-conscious. It used to be that the general pulse for minimum makeup was face powder and lip gloss but now, many women swear that they'd never leave home without drawing their brows on. I feel naked without them is an oft-heard sentiment, followed by the overused but appropriate #kilayislife.
This rings particularly true for those with less than perfect eyebrows, a.k.a. 99% of the population. We try our best to copy the on-fleek looks we see in YouTube videos and on Instagram but the truth is, technique is only one part of the solution. It's also important to know which is the right type of brow product for your particular condition. Today, we tackle the most common eyebrow problems and the best ways to fill them in!
New brow love: MAC Pro Longwear Waterproof Brow Set in Quiet Brunette
I went in the MAC store other day to grab a concealer, but also walked out with a brow mascara in tow. Well, I was overdue for a new one anyway! I was super curious about the limited edition MAC Pro Longwear Waterproof Brow Set (P1,000), part of the Waterproof Brow Collection Summer 2014, so I chose this instead of the regular one.
I originally wanted the color that's similar to Girl Boy, a golden blonde, but since most of the shades were already out of stock I went home with Quiet Brunette. Boy am I glad! It's a taupey brown shade with a reddish tint to it, just the perfect color for my dark hair. I think this is the first EVER brow mascara I've tried that doesn't require me to layer it with other colors. This is pigmented enough that I can just wear it straight from the tube, plus the color suits my hair and complexion.
The wand is now small and conical so it's easier to coat eyebrow hairs without making a mess. Staying power is excellent - I've sweated quite a bit while wearing this, but it didn't fade or smudge at all!
Benefit Cosmetics Week: Gimme Brows in Medium/Dark
Sigh, I'm right in the middle of having them one of those insanely busy days. But, I always have time to blog! Even if it's just 30 minutes. :P Today I'd like to show you the Benefit Gimme Brows Brow Volumizing Fiber Gel (P1,000+). I remember loving the Brow Zings so I was pretty excited to get my hands on this one.
Gimme Brows promises to define, shape, and volumize your brows in go. True enough, this does it for me! It's long-wearing too and hardly fades even when I'm out all day. It's pretty easy to use with such a small wand - you get a lot of room to shade small sparse areas and to build them up in segments if you wish.
The texture is watery and coverage is sheer upon initial application. It's definitely not your typical brow mascara in that regard! Others would be thick so you can't really go back to re-do certain areas, plus they rather dry up quickly. Gimme Brows is buildable and gives me enough time to work with it.
My mini beauty haul from Tokyo
You know what (and this is just an observation, not a complaint) having a beauty blog and getting sent a lot of free stuff takes all the fun out of makeup shopping. Whenever I see something that makes me go "oooh-I-want-that-looks pretty-awesome!", that enthusiasm is quickly followed by a dour practicality "But-I-have-like-twenty-of-those".
Every so often I do buy something because I feel that I absolutely need it and don't have something like it yet. However, it ends up getting buried by all the other products that I still need to start using and reviewing. I told you. It's sometimes not at all fun to be a beauty blogger.
Image credit: muza-chan.net
That's why when I went to Japan a few weeks back, I only grabbed three beauty products for myself. These were things I felt I needed at that time. Besides, they were inexpensive so it'd be totes fine if I don't use them often or like them at all. :P
I stopped by Matsumoto Kiyoshi in Akihabara to look for some pabili and to check out the drugstore beauty stuff (of course). Here's what I got!
