This is funny. I've had this product for a week and I keep on using it as an eyebrow pencil! I thought it was an eyebrow pencil, I mean, it looks like one. It has a nutty brown shade that looks perfect for brows...right? I only noticed right now that it doesn't say anything about eyebrows, which means its an eyeliner. Oops.

Whatever the case is, I do like using the Nichido Minerals Precise Eye Pencil (P138) for my eyebrows. It's the right color for the job, although it takes quite a bit of blending to achieve natural looking brows. Still, for P134, I can't complain!

I'll be reviewing it as an eyebrow pencil since I haven't used it as legitimate eyeliner, okay. :) Now, this pencil is quite soft, which means that it coats my hair as a brow wax would.

Are you the kind of girl who doesn't have fifteen minutes to spend in front of the mirror every morning? Do you love super natural but still polished looks? If yes, then I think you'll love the Shu Uemura Eye Crayon in Misty Brown and Soft Brown (P1,375). It's a neat product that can work as an eyeliner or a cream eyeshadow, and you don't even need any brushes to make it work!

This is a good choice for girls who have no choice but to apply makeup in the car or (god forbid) the company/ school bathroom. :P It's super easy and convenient to use due to its creamy texture. However, it's not so creamy that it slides off and smudges messily. It pretty much stays put once you draw it on, with minimal smearing.

I really love the color combination, too! Misty Brown is a taupey brown that looks nice as a lid color or as a lower lid shader.

I read Jill's post on blogging burnout this morning. It's a topic close to my heart because I have experienced that many, many times in the past - you know, that feeling of weariness and futility of what I do. But each time I snap out of it. I truly love makeup and colors and how it can transform a person. There is always something new to discover, as well, and that keeps me going.

Recently, Shu Uemura gave me some of their latest products to try. I am so freakin' excited, I swear! The brand just recently released their spring collection called Celestial Garden, and I am loving the fresh themed look and relatively innovative products.

First off, they have a new blush called the Creamy Dome Blusher. It reminds me a lot of the popular EOS Lip Balm! If you think about it, the idea is so simple but elegant. Perhaps other brands have come up with a cream dome blush but this is the first time I've seen one locally.

Whoever invented eyeliner has bestowed womankind a great gift. From the ancient Egyptians, to its rise in the 1920s flapper era, to today's modern woman, eyeliner has served us remarkably well by opening and enhancing our eyes. A simple black line can do wonders for our face - provided it's applied correctly, of course.

Eyeliner can be difficult to use in the beginning, but trust me, practice is the best way to get your perfect line. Why when I started using it in my teens, I was such a klutz! I couldn't get an even line for all I was worth. I just kept repeating and repeating though until my wobbly line became straight and fine.  

Tools: Charm Vegan Pointed Eyeliner Brush and Kanebo Kate Gel Eyeliner

Now, there's no one true way to apply eyeliner. The techniques I'll be sharing here is what I prefer to do with my own eyes, so feel free to experiment and find a method that works best for you. I used a gel eyeliner and a pencil brush for this tutorial but the principle is still the same for pencil, powder, and liquid liners.

Ready? Here goes!

Step 1: Start in the middle of your lash line, then draw outwards.

You knew this was coming, right? I did a list of my top foundations, lipsticks, eyeshadow palettes, and now, eyeliners! Eyeliners come in three major forms - cream pencil, liquid, and gel. It's not a question so much of what is the best eyeliner out there. It's more on what is the best eyeliner that fits your needs?

If you're always in a rush and want a soft, natural line, go for pencil liners. If you want sharp cat-eye lines, go for liquid. If you're a pro and want your eyeliner to be immaculate and easily controled (using your preferred brush), go for gel liners. No brainer!

And so, here are my favorite eyeliners. I use them depending on the look I'm going for and how much time I have to dress up my eyes. ;) PS - my all-time favorite eyeliner is the MAC Fluidline, but I didn't include it here because I simply wanted to share other eyeliner finds.

The Kanebo Kate Gel Eyeliner is a nice dupe of the MAC Fluidline, at almost half the price for P660. It's too creamy and skids a little, but who cares as long as it doesn't budge and delivers a solid black line in one swipe?

I love the Majolica Majorca Perfect Automatic Liner. It has an excellent brush that gives me this perfect, precise line everytime, and it doesn't smudge on me all day.

What are your favorite ways to de-stress? Mine is tea (iced, hot, or with milk), shoes, makeup, and Scrabble. When I'm sick of work I turn to whichever is more accessible at the moment. Right now I'm playing Scrabble on my iPad and writing a makeup review, so yeah, I'm feeling ace. 

Moving on! I saw the Wet n' Wild Coloricon Eyeliner Pencil (P119) last time I was in SM Makati. I was impressed by how creamy the texture is, plus it was so cheap, so I grabbed one immediately!

What I love about the product

• Super creamy. It glides on the lids easily so there's no tugging or pulling. 
• Pigmented. It's no MAC or Urban Decay, but the color payoff is very good for the price.

The Majolica Majorca Aurora Tear Liner (P595) is the perfect accent for when you want to add a subtle oomph to your usual look. This eyeliner is not something that's immediately visible; the observer would have to take a closer look, but even then he or she will already have the impression that your eyes are rather sparkly - in a very pretty way, of course!

That said, this glitter liner from Majo is not a total must-have. Still, I think it's nice to have if you want something cute and sweet to spice up your usual makeup.

What I love about the product

• It looks great on top of your normal eyeliner, as well as on the tear ducts. It can also be used on the lashes (great for night makeup) or in the middle of the lips for that extra glitz at parties.

The Kanebo Kate Gel Eyeliner (P660) has a sort of quiet yet esteemed rep among makeup enthusiasts here in Asia. You see, I've been hearing about this product for years as a great cheap substitute to the famous (and expensive) MAC Fluidline. So is it true? 

Well, yes.  

What I love about the product

• Extremely creamy to the point of being liquid. This makes the product easy to maneuver as it glides effortlessly on the lids without tugging.
• Applies as a true matte black in one swipe. No need to layer.
• Waterproof and stays put all day. There is a teeny bit of smudging, but it's not bothersome.

If you haven't noticed by now, I am a fan of Majolica Majorca. I'm impressed by the quality of their products, especially by the fact that they come in affordable prices. The Majolica Majorca Cream Pencil Eyeliner (P595) is not an exception - it's a smudge-proof and water-proof eyeliner, perfect for our humid weather.

What I love about the product

• Doesn't budge even when worn all day. It's smudge-proof and more or less water-proof.
• Pigmented, it goes on a matte black in one swipe.

While randomly browsing the Interwebs today, guess what I saw! A mega cute video of the Majolica Majorca Sugary Trap press launch! It was held at Bizu in Greenbelt, where we were surrounded with colorful macarons and cakes. Guests were also given icing, candy sprinkles, and sugar dust to use in designing our own cookies and cupcakes. It was the perfect setting for such a sweet collection from Majo.

Watch the video to see pictures of that beautiful Thursday afternoon.

Everyone also got personalized macarons with their name on it. Of course, we also received products from the latest collection. I've been using these delectable cosmetics lately and oh boy, they are such a treat.

I've ranted before that I don't like liquid eyeliners. I found their built-in applicators difficult to use - they're either too thin, too stiff, too awkward to maneuver around the contours of the eyes. Don't get me wrong, I love the precise effect and lasting power of liquid liners, but the applicator is usually the deal breaker for me.

And then I met the Majolica Majorca Perfect Automatic Liner (P695).

I am in love with the brush of this automatic pen. It's made of synthetic hair that's actually close to the quality of a professional makeup brush. It's soft and delivers a perfect line with no fuss. It does take a bit of practice,so you have to try it for a couple of times to get a feel for it.

I like the brush so much that I plan to use it for my gel eyeliners when I run out of the Majo liner! :D Anyway, it's time to talk about the formula.

What I love about the product

• Stays on all day with zero smudging

I rarely buy makeup at this point in my beauty blogging career. Aside from the review products I get for this site, I also have this (stupid) belief that I've found the bestest best makeup I can possibly use for my face. My mind is already fixated on NARS for blushes and foundation, MAC or Urban Decay for eyeliners and eyeshadows, L'Oreal or Majolica Majorca for mascaras. But who am I kidding! There are so many other great finds out there, and like Bianca Valerio said (met her yesterday! Starstruck!), you don't really need to spend a lot to be beautiful.

But let me clear that up. There are certain expensive brands I like, and I like them because I can rely on them. If I run out and if I can afford them, I don't see why I shouldn't buy again. It's that simple. Buy what works if you can afford it - quality, not cost, should be the issue.

So. One thing that works amazingly well is the In2It Waterproof Gel Eyeliner. The quality is similar to Urban Decay and MAC and better yet, it only costs P380! That's a steal considering how good this eyeliner is.

What I love about the product

• Goes on like butter! It's like applying the Urban Decay 24/7 liners or even the MAC Fluidline. Swear.
• Waterproof. Doesn't smudge. 

Remember my post last February? Majolica Majorca is now available in the Philippines! You can already find it in SM Makati's Beauty By SM area. There was supposed to be a big launch at Opus yesterday, but due to the unforeseen disasters in Japan, it was only right that the event was moved as a sign of respect and mourning for the country's losses.

Moving on, I was so delighted when I received a gift from Majolica Majorca last Sunday. It was hanging by the door knob when I got home from my vacation - cute, but thank goodness it wasn't stolen! Haha. Here's what I got:

You know what, it's been ages since I last reviewed eyeliner here! It's just that I'm so happy with my MAC Fluidline and Urban Decay 24/7 Pencil that I've stopped bothering to look for something new. However, when Revlon sent me their ColorStay Liquid Liner in Blackest Black (P550), I just had to try it. I've read really good reviews about it so I put it to the test.

What I love about it

• Solid black line in one go. No need to layer! It creates lovely winged eyes that even Dita Von Teese would envy.
• Characteristic of Revlon's popular ColorStay line, this eyeliner stays on all day with no smudging. It's very reliable in our humid, unpredictable weather.

When I started to get into makeup I harbored the secret fantasy of becoming a makeup artist. I never did push through with it though, because I'm not as happy about applying makeup on other people as writing about it! My forte really is writing, hence this blog. I enjoy the process of gathering information and sharing it.

As my dreams of becoming a makeup artist faded away, I do still want to own a makeup artist's ultimate symbol: the train case. That's why I was blown away when Avon handed me this awesome train case made by Suesh. The huge case was full of goodies Avon thoughtfully put in! This will sound really cheesy, but thanks Avon for making one of my dreams come true! Haha. 

Curious to see what's inside? Click click!

One product I've been using ever since I got it last September is the Paul & Joe Eye Crayon in 01. It's a shimmery beige pencil that, at first, I didn't know how to use. The point was too big to line the upper lids with any precision, and it was too shimmery and creamy to be a useful eyeshadow or eyeshadow base. So I decided to use it on my waterline and poof, problem solved!

It's the best thing I've come across to line the waterline. It provides that instant brightening effect (indispensable for puffy or tired eyes) when applied. I use it on the inner corners of my eyes as well as the inside of the lower lash line, or the so-called waterline.

What I love about the product

• Creamy, shows up nicely with just one swipe. This is an admirable feat when you're lining the wet waterline.
• Stays on all day! This is the best thing ever, since it sticks even after I wash the makeup off. 
• The shimmery beige color looks very natural when applied; I don't want any of those white eyeliners that look weird on the waterline. 

I am born with stick-straight pudgy lashes. It sucks because my brother was born with curly, thick lashes that no decent boy should have had! When we were kids all my parents' friends and visitors would compliment his lashes! Huff. Oh well. Even though I'm not happy with the lashes I have, I'm not obsessed about them at all. I don't use lash enhancing products and services unless you count mascara - I'm much too lazy for anything else.

Bare lashes

So I wasn't that psyched when I received the Glambox Mink Lashes for review. I seriously can't afford to put extra time in my usual routine, plus I have really short patience for "matrabaho" procedures when it comes to beauty. But hey, I might as well try these falsies right? Always be adventurous when it comes to beauty, I say.

So how did I find the Glambox Mink Lashes? One word: transformative! I loved how it looked on me. Read on for my detailed review!

What I love about the product

• It's made of 100% genuine mink hair. No animal cruelty involved is the claim.
• Hypoallergenic. There are lots of cheap plastic lashes out there, but when it comes to putting stuff at or near my eye, I don't want to leave it to random testing. I didn't suffer any allergies or redness from these mink lashes.

I'm a sucker for bargains. I can't walk past an irresistible pair of shoes or makeup if I see that I'm getting more for my money than if I buy something else - even if I don't really need it. That's why when I saw this gorgeous set from Estee Lauder in Rustan's Makati, I just couldn't peel my eyes away from it! For P3,200 this is such an awesome find!

This box is as big as a laptop box

Ooh gold, the color of the season!

Mirror, pouch, and what can pass off as a mini train case

Like all good things in life though, there's a catch. To avail of this promo, you need to buy P4,500 worth of Estee Lauder products first. Good thing that I was buying some stuff from the brand anyway, so I took the plunge and blew P3,200 on the whole thing. You'll understand when you see what's inside!

Urban Decay produces some of the best palettes around, and their new Alice in Wonderland Book of Shadows is not an exception. It contains sixteen of their best-selling shades, two 24/7 Eye Pencils in Zero and Flipside, and one mini eyeshadow primer potion. If you've seen trailers of the upcoming Alice in Wonderland movie, you'll notice that the color scheme Urban Decay used for this BoS is damnably close.

So, without further ado, here are pictures of one of the first three Urban Decay Alice in Wonderland palettes in the Philippines!

The Book of Shadows is as big and as heavy as a hardbound book

Pretty amazing pop-up eh? Urban Decay spares no expense when it comes to packaging

More pictures and details after the jump!