Remember a few years back when everyone was crazy about high heels? That thankfully died down, and now the fashion gods dictate that sandals and sneakers are the hottest things since sliced bread. I rarely see anyone in heels now - even magazine people, unless it's a very important event. Who has the time to suffer wearing tall shoes? 

I do still love wearing them every once in a while, but now I'm on a sneaker semi-addiction. Even more after I saw most of the stylish people in Tokyo wearing New Balance, Vans, and Converse sneaks! In the same vein, women are now going for more convenient, easy cosmetics. We don't want to fuss anymore - we just want something that requires the least amount of thought and effort. There's a good and bad side to that but I think we can all agree that easy is good!

Anyhoo, today I want to introduce you to something new from a local megabrand: the Human Heart Nature Mineral Color Creme Lipstick (P295). I'm not going to prolong this review. This is an excellent lipstick in classy packaging, and it reminds me so much of the Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited Supreme Shine Lipstick! It has the exact moisturizing feel and shiny finish.

However, as with the Shu Uemura lippie, this isn't particularly long-wearing. It'll take only two or three hours before it fades completey. That's alright though as it doesn't flake up when it dries - a quick retouch definitely won't feel gross! It's very similar to other balmy lipsticks like the Clinique Chubby Sticks and Revlon Kissable Balm Stains. This HHN lipstick just like you're applying smooth, buttery balm. It's super moisturizing.

Lip stains used to be known as the most drying lip colors available in the market. Sure theyre long-wearing and convenient, but since they were mostly liquid, they don't offer a lot of hydration to the lips. But times are different now. Lip colors (and cosmetics in general) won't succeed in the market if they don't give us exactly what we want - and a litte bit more.

Cue in the L'Oreal Paris Shine Caresse Lip Stain (P595). It promises to provide long-wearing color with the shine of a gloss and the feel of a lip balm. They came out in 2012 and become hugely popular because of the 30% water and 60% oil formulation, as it's so much more hydrating while feeling weightless at the same time. 

I have here three new shades from a new line called Pearly Shine: Flora, Luna, and Ruby. I don't have the original Shine Caresse products with me, but based on swatches online, the Pearly Shine looks like it's more sheer and sparkly than the first formula.

Here's a quick rundown on these intriguing stains!

I realize that, in a lot of ways, I'm not a likeable person. I've been working on my likeability for years now and while I think I've achieved a modest amount of success in that regard, I'm never going to be one of those women other people just take to. I guess it's because for me, it's important that we know where we both stand before we can have any meaningful interaction. I don't have much time to waste (I wish I do) and if we're not on the same page then, well, we're not. No harm done. Let's move on.

(I bet that just made you like me less haha, but that's okay! We'll survive it!)

Anyway today I wanna quickly talk about the Colour Collection Ultimate Wear Lipstick (P350), which was introduced to bloggers by Sample Room recently. I'm sure you've seen the giveaways and the swatches! There are LOTS of exciting, intense colors in this collection, but to simplify I've chosen the three I like the most.

The Ultimate Wear Lipstick is a slim tube packed with this staining pigment that wears well throughout the day. It has a dry texture (even drier for colors with a matte finish), but I'm happy to say that it's not drying. It's still best to wear a lip balm though!

The minute I swiped on the Lime Crime Velvetine, I was strongly reminded of the NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream, which I first tried a few years ago. They are both in liquid form and have the same cushy, slightly powdery texture that dries into a matte finish. They even smell alike! Good thing I recently got a new NYX Lip Cream around the same time as the Velvetine. Great timing, huh? 

I even managed to get two shades that are similar - Lime Crime's Red Velvet and NYX's Morocco. These liquid lipsticks are both richly pigmented but they do differ in many ways. Here are swatches and comparisons of the two!

This week wasn't supposed to have a theme, but then I realized that many of the things I want to write about involves - guess - lipsticks. So I decided to do yet another Lipstick Week! I have quite a few new things here so the time is most definitely ripe haha. 

Today let's talk about three lipsticks that would be fabulous with everyday makeup. You know, the natural, clean face, with neutral eyeshadow and a flattering pink blush. These are colors you don't have to think too much about - you just grab 'em and go, really. 

Here's the Shiseido Lacquer Rouge in Metalrose RS322, NARS Satin Lip Pencil in Love, and Happy Skin Shut Up & Kiss Me in Just Married. Check out the swatches and my color notes!

I've already reviewed the NARS Satin Lip Pencil (P1,400+) before so this wouldn't be long. The Satin pencils shine because of their excellent color selection and pigmentation. I'm slightly miffed by the fact that you have to *gasp* sharpen them, but oh well. They are what they are!

This is Descanso, part of their Final Cut collection. It's a beautiful tea rose that looks like a nude on my medium skin.

There are intense, opaque lipsticks, and then there is the Lime Crime Velvetine (P950 at Stuff In Style). This is easily the most ridicuslously pigmented lip product I've ever tried, even more than the OCC Lip Tar or MAC's mattes! It's so pigmented you need a makeup remover just to knock off the top layer. Then you'll need a toothbrush to remove most of the stain left over.

I've had my eye on Lime Crime for a while but was hesitant to purchase due to some of the controversies surrounding the brand. A quick Google should enlighten you. ;) But all that drama aside, this liquid lipstick is quite one-of-a-kind in terms of intensity and staying power. It feels like pure pigment just suspended in oil.

Yup, it's Shiseido Week again! I've been debating with myself whether I should do one whole post on the brand's Spring collection, but everything deserved their own features - that's how much I like them. :) I hope you can explore with me this week as I discuss the latest products from my favorite cosmetics brand in the world!

Let me begin with the Shiseido Lacquer Gloss in Plum Wine RS306 (P1,250). This is a super shiny, balm-thin lip gloss that feels slinky and plush on my lips. It's so thin, it almost feels like a watery lip balm! It's also fairly moisturizing that I don't need to prime my lips anymore.

Texture aside, the color is just right. It's not completely opaque - it's designed to be semi-sheer - so it allows the natural color of my lips to show through. I have even-toned lips so this isn't a problem, but if you have uneven coloration then it's best to wear this on top of a lip liner or lipstick. Either way, you'll be getting a beautiful, uber glossy finish that'll make your lips look full and sexy.

Why do I draw and paint? It's a long list of reasons but it boils down to that feeling of joy of having created something from nothing. I take photos and write for this blog, but my work here is derivative. That doesn't mean it's unimportant or meaningless, but it's just not the same as making something with my hands. So I draw lines and sometimes I color them.

It also keeps me sane. I place a lot of pressure on myself to excel in what I do and be bigger, better. Sometimes, I want to escape from that. Painting for me has no agenda other than to please myself. Although, if in the future I can turn this into a commercial undertaking, then that'd be awesome too! I should know, there are few things more rewarding than earning something from doing things you love.

Buuut let's get back to makeup. I just want to share an FOTD and review of some Canmake products! Like I said in my earlier post I think Canmake cosmetics are beyond cute and offer pretty good quality for the (drugstore) price. I didn't truly understand that, however, until I wore the Canmake Glow Fleur Cheeks and Candy Wrap Lip Gloss together some weeks back.

Ta-dah! I loved this look. Even better, I did it in under ten minutes! I used a Maybelline Color Tattoo cream eyeshadow in Bad to the Bronze and then a brown Essence eyeliner. I think the cheeks and the lip gloss stole the show though. They really made my complexion look amazing!

The Canmake Glow Fleur Cheeks #5 looks like something from a toy store but this is nicely pigmented with a beautiful glowy finish. The four colors mix together perfectly to create a cotton candy pink that just melts on top of my cheeks. Such a pretty blush!

Where do I even begin. Revlon recently came out with their Colorburst Matte and Lacquer Balms (P575). If you've read my past reviews on the brand's lip products then you'd know I'm a huuuuge fan of them! I love the Colorburst line as well as the Kissable Balm Stains - so imagine that combination of bold color and moisturizing texture without your head exploding. Thought so.

But how are they, really?

All hyperbole aside, these new Revlon Balms are pretty good except for uneven application when it comes to some shades. The Colorburst Matte Balms look amazing in the packaging and arm swatches but tend to be rather patchy and a bane to all ye who have dry, flaky lips. Well I don't even have dry lips and only experience minimal flaking every now and then, but these mattes seem to not work out so well for me.

The Lacquer Balms, on the other hand, are WOW. I love them. The texture is super smooth, it stays on for a good four to five hours, and the finish is just so high-end! This formula doesn't just offer some meek, drugstore-level shine - it's brilliant and solid-looking at the same time, like a high-end color would look like.

Both formulas do not dry out my lips and I can even afford to skip lip balm (yes even with the Matte formula). The Lacquer is solid in two swipes, while the Matte takes more than that to build up. The Matte also fades rather easily and unprettily, but the Lacquer stays on reliably. I don't know if I just got the "meh" shades with the Matte but this has been my experience with the formula so far.

Swatches: Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm vs the Lacquer Balm

Overall, I love the Revlon Colorburst Lacquer Balm SO MUCH while I feel just a grudging affection for the Matte for what it tried to do, which is offer moisture with the zero-shine finish. Can't wait for the day when Revlon would reformulate it or come out with something better.

Anyhoo, here are swatches of all the shades I have! Enjoy, and do let me know which ones rock your socks off. ;)

One of my latest lipsticks is the Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet in 45 L'Adoree (P1,650). It's my first Chanel anything ever so at first I was eyeing one of its classic reds - it can be a nice signature color for years to come. But then I saw this dark purple bullet at the counter. I decided then and there that I'd much rather invest in a unique color, and a limited edition one at that! I have maybe over 200 lipsticks currently and I do not want to personally purchase anything that looks like something I already have. 

(And besides, MAC Russian Red is already a winner. I can't possibly need another red lippie.)

Chanel L'Adoree is part of the brand's Spring 2014 collection. I believe it's a limited edition shade, the only one out of the new lip products I believe! I knew I had to have it because it was dark, dramatic, and not easy to dupe. It's a creamy plum purple that is surprisingly quite wearable!

It's a muted shade so it's far from garish once worn. You won't look like a cartoon or something straight out of a goth romance novel (I'm sorry if that was what you were looking for, goth lips are awesome too!), because this is such a sophisticated shade. I'd stick my neck out and even say it's timeless, in its own way. 

It's MAC Week once again! The brand just sent me some press material + a bunch of products so I'll be going through them and letting you know what's up. ^_^ MAC remains one of the most relevant brands in the beauty world so it's important to pay attention to its trend reports and collections. It's great if you can buy the products, but more than anything it's the inspiration you take away that really improves your makeup style.

For my first post, here's a daring lipstick from the Magnetic Nude Collection, which was released last month. This collection features a lot of shimmery skintone nudes and molten metals. It's a winter collection, hence the dramatic play in contrast and colors. I know we're moving on to summer but the Carnal Instinct Lipstick (P1,000) is still a beautiful color to wear!

MAC describes it as a deep brick red with gold pearl. It's a dark, dramatic color that can turn off those with weaker constitutions (lol) but if you adore unforgettable lip colors then this you shouldn't miss. Carnal Instinct is a heart-stopping, dare I say vampiric shade of red that you won't easily find in other brands.

Sue me, I have a lot of eyeshadows yet to be written about! They will always be my greatest weakness, along with lipsticks. Now I know many of you ain't a fan of wearing a lot of eye makeup but I hope you'll consider this palette from The Body Shop. It's part of their Spring 2014 Collection along with a pink version, two new glosses, and hair chalk!

I've seen the pink Shimmer Cubes, which are cute, but I think the Shimmer Cubes Palette 30 (P1,295) here is more wearable for Asian skin. They are quite shimmery but I think that the finish isn't all that distracting. Shimmery neutrals are appropriate for any occasion as long as you don't splash it thickly over your eye area.

Let's get started! I've tried TBS Shimmer Cubes a loooooong time ago and was thoroughly unimpressed by the pigmentation. But that was before. Now, the colors are super pigmented! You won't even need to wear a primer to make the colors solid. In fact I'd recommend applying the colors wet instead. They'll stick and won't crease too much, even after three hours.

Top, L-R: Dusty Fawn, Rich Espresso | Bottom, L-R: Burnished Gold, Warm Copper

I felt like a bee drawn to honey when I opened the latest package from The Body Shop just the other day. The smell was so intoxicating, so sweet, so yummy - I just had to use the new Honeymania products immediately! This new collection includes the Body Butter, Lip Balm, Soap, Shower Gel, and Eau de Toilette. I suggest you get everything if you like to layer and intensify scents.

The Honeymania fragrance isn't your traditional syrupy honey; it's actually quite floral, since the bee-goop was supposed to be harvested from wildflowers in Ethiopia. The honey is just the base here and not the main note of the fragrance. It's not at all what I expected but I love it!

On to the products. The Honeymania Shower Gel is my top pick because it makes my bathroom smell like a sweet floral paradise. I also like that it lathers easily and thickly, without me having to use too much in one wash. It's also non-drying on my skin even though it's a gel.

Instant bathroom freshener

Last Sunday, the latest lipstick shade from Happy Skin Cosmetics was featured on the front page of The Philippine Star. Have you heard of something like that before, a lipstick being mentioned right above the headline of a national daily? It's such a huge coup for Happy Skin - a local brand, no less!

But what's the fuss about? Kris Aquino, perhaps the most influential lifestyle personality in the Philippines and a cultural icon in her own right, recently collaborated with Happy Skin to create her first ever lipstick shade: The Happy Skin Shut Up & Kiss Me in Valentine Kiss (P549). She was quite involved in the process, swatching different shades of pink and being very specific about the color she wants to have for her limited edition shade.

I was actually surprised that Kris hasn't done something like this earlier considering how much of a beauty fan she is. Apparently, she really loved the formula of Shut Up & Kiss Me and asked the co-founders, Jacqe Yuengtian-Gutierrez and Rissa Mananquil-Trillo, to help her make her perfect pink.

So that's how Valentine Kiss came to be. I've already reviewed the formula of Shut Up & Kiss Me, so this post will really be more about the shade and swatch comparisons. Read on!