So how was your weekend? Mine was busy and I wish it was longer, but ain't that typical! I'm just trying to rest as much as I can before my 6:30 AM yoga class tomorrow. I thought I'd blog to just keep my head clear while waiting for dinner to be delivered. 

Let's get cracking! I wanted to close my Shiseido Week with a list of my best finds. I'm thinking I should end all my "branded" themed weeks this way so that I can give everyone a better idea of what to prioritize first from the brand. Of course, my top five is limited by the things I have at the moment and my preferences, but I hope you find the list useful nonetheless. ^_^

So, here are the five Shiseido things I always pick up. They're versatile and have not failed me so far!

Shiseido Perfect Rouge Lipstick in PK417. I never did get around to reviewing this in full, but it is one of the oft-used lipsticks in my collection. It's a gorgeous shade of pink - not too loud, but not a shy flower either. Texture is great and lasting power, not bad for something this moisturizing.

Shiseido Perfect Foundation Brush. This brush is perfect for concealers, foundations (cream or liquid), and even blush/contour. Indeed, it's the perfect all-in-one brush!

My allergy kicked in a couple of days ago, right smack in the middle of a busy day. I started sneezing uncontrollably and just generally feeling like crap. Eyes red, nose puffy, a wake of crumpled tissues in my path. Ugh. I don't even know exactly what I'm allergic to - my guess is it's pollen or grass. It happens only once a month, when the condo's gardeners tend the grounds.

Anyway I decided to break out my Shiseido White Lucent Power Brightening Mask (P3,250/ 6 pieces) to somehow help my skin recover from the dullness brought by the allergic reaction. It worked! I've tried it once before but didn't really notice the individual effect since a Shiseido facialist used it as part of a service. (Yes they do facials in Shiseido boutiques, fyi. Ask them about it some time.)

Anyhoo I'm so happy that this is a mask that works with my skin, instead of against it, for I have a history of breaking out with masks. That's why I rarely use them, whether they're mud or essence based. I didn't react with the White Lucent mask which is ++++ points in my book!

I used it after cleansing with my facial wash, then left it on for ten minutes as per instructions in the back.

Today is a busy day! I have to do an ocular for a possible event venue, maybe check out the Luxasia Sale, pick an outfit for the Preview Ball, then go to the said ball. Somewhere in between I must write a proposal. Buuut I love you guys so I'll quickly tell you all about the latest collection from Etude House - Color Pop!

This isn't a full review post since I have yet to complete the swatches of the items I have. I actually just want to answer a question that many of you have asked recently: what is the pink eyeliner I used in this look? It's so cute no?

It's an Etude House Drawing Show Creamy Pencil from the Color Pop Collection!

Random rants on social media don't do anyone any good - in fact, your friends may get irritated, screen you while scrolling, or worse, unfollow you. It's difficult to empathize when you have your own life happening around you. You don't honestly care when others do it, so why should others care about your daily lows?

But that's not the point, is it. You'd rant anyway because putting it out there is a lot like blowing out a bubble. All the stale air is in there and you just...let it go. Disappear into the atmosphere. Watching it burst where everyone else could maybe see it makes you feel like you've accomplished something relevant. Doesn't matter if the soap gets in their eyes.

Random ramble. :) Today I'll be reviewing the Shiseido Instant Eye and Lip Makeup Remover (P2,150) for you!

Yes it's that expensive. It's easily the priciest makeup remover I've tried per mil. 0_0 I actually considered buying a foundation or concealer instead of this (they cost much less) but I badly needed a good remover for waterproof mascara and other long-wearing makeup. I've tried a sample of this Shiseido remover before and liked it enough to get the full size.

So is it worth the expense? Okay I'll be honest with you - there are cheaper high-end makeup removers that work just as well. I would recommend this if you:  

• Have sensitive eyes and skin. This is the gentlest eye and lip makeup remover I've tried. It doesn't sting, doesn't cloud the eyes even if you soak it in for a minute.

Why would anyone want to have strong, maybe even bushy-looking eyebrows? I think that would be your first question! In my opinion, full eyebrows look good on anyone at any age. It's not a handicap or just a trend, it really is flattering to have well-defined brows. Full eyebrows can make one look younger and the face, slightly smaller. They can even make your eyes look more expressive and alive!

It's not difficult to do, too. All you need is a dark eyebrow pencil that matches your hair and a spoolie or brush to blend the color in properly. You can opt to use a gel or pen brow filler but it's less hassle to do it with a pencil if you ask me. ;)

The best pencil for this purpose is the Shiseido Natural Eyebrow Pencil in Deep Brown BR602. It's a shade that's perfect for us dark-haired girls, since it's not terribly pigmented while providing the right amount of coverage. It comes with a natural hair brush on the other end, as well! It's what I'm using for this tutorial. 

Let's get cracking!

Step 1: Clean up your eyebrows. I highly recommend going to a brow salon if you're attempting this for the first time, but if you don't have the time nor the budget, you can at least do some basic cleaning.

Hot pink lipstick - or any bright color for that matter - can be intimidating to wear if you're not used to the idea of it. I wrote a blog post on how to overcome your fear of bright lips so I do hope you can read that some time! ;)

Today I thought of doing three looks you can wear with a hot pink lip color. I was inspired by the Shiseido Rouge Lacquer in Disco since it's easily one of the brightest pinks I have! It rather fits my skin color well, and like I said in my review, it makes my teeth look whiter than normal. Not complaining. At least now I know what to pick up if I want to take a break from the usual teeth-whitening reds.

The looks range from simple, to fun, to dramatic. Enjoy!

Look #1: Sweet and simple. This is my default look for wearing bright pink lipstick! It's easy and quick, some of the reasons I would choose a bright lip color for the day.

Choosing the most flattering eyebrow makeup is much like choosing the best foundation for your skin tone. You need to find a color match, something near to the actual color of your hair. The truth is that nothing beats a good ol' brown eyebrow shade for us dark-haired beauties!

I picked up the Shiseido Natural Eyebrow Pencil in Deep Brown BR602 (P1,100) because of its lovely color. It's a dark brown, definitely, but it's soft and blends on my eyebrow hair perfectly. I have slightly reddish dyed hair right now but it still works since I'm on the dark end of the spectrum.

What I love about the product

• The texture of the pencil isn't as hard as Shu Uemura's (a Holy Grail pencil for me), a feature I like because it's quicker to shade my brows. It delivers a soft, barely there color that mixes with the oil of the hair to create a lovely natural finish.
• Flattering dark brown shade, perfect for brunettes!
• The lasting power is pretty good. I haven't noticed any fading after six hours of wear.

A great eyelash curler can unlock possibilities that you didn't even know existed for your lashes. There are a lot of options at different price points but get one that fits your unique eyes best! I recommend investing in an expensive lash curler if you can, since it's something that'll last you for years.

Shiseido's is currently my favorite one because it accommodates my big eyes better, plus (I forgot to mention this in the review) the brand sells the pad refills. It's the easiest lash curler for me to use since the flatter rim allows me to angle it to the sides of my eyes; thus, they splay out nicer even without the aid of mascara.

I thought of doing a short tutorial to sho you how to maximize your eyelash curler (particularly this one from Shiseido)! Enjoy!

Step 1: Curl near your lash roots. Try to grab as much hair as possible in this first press! The purpose is to give the lashes that instant lift.

If I had to choose only one lip color to wear for the rest of my life I would probably choose something hot pink. Yes, not red! I noticed that while red is a seasonal or moody color for me, hot pink is something I always pick up whether I'm going to the grocery or to a party. It's a fun and happy shade, a lot more user-friendly than one would care to think. 

Speaking of hot pinks, I recently acquired the Shiseido Rouge Lacquer in Disco / RS404 (P1,250). It's a glossy, super bright blue-based pink that makes my teeth look so white! No kidding, you'll see it later. I also like the formula of this liquid lipstick even though it's not perfect. It's moisturizing, doesn't flake, and lasts a decent amount of time (3-4 hours depending on whether I eat or drink). It's solid in one dip but I prefer to dip twice to get the maximum opacity and brightness.

Is there really a difference between high-end and cheap eyelash curlers? Yes! High-end lash curlers give a better, higher curl, and keeps it up there for hours on end. They also have less of a tendency to pinch the upper lids as they fit the eyes better than cheaper curlers. If you haven't yet invested in a good lash curler then you'll think I'm just spewing BS, but promise, you'll feel the difference once you try it!

So what is the best eyelash curler out there? Many a makeup maven has sworn by the Shu Uemura one, but I have also heard a lot of great things about the Shiseido Eyelash Curler (P1,300). I'll be reviewing it for you today, and compare it with the Shu later on.

What I love about the product

• Zero pinching on the upper lids! This is actually the most important thing for me when it comes to lash curlers! I would hate for my lids to have wrinkles before their time. Plus pinching is motherthumping painful, ha! Shiseido has a thin metal clamper (I think it's called) so it doesn't fold the lids over. Hope that makes sense.

My first post for Shiseido Week was supposed to be about the eyelash curler, but I found some very interesting tidbits while I was researching the origins of the brand. So here's a little history lesson on Shiseido, something that I hope you'll find as fascinating as I did!

Did you know that Shiseido is credited to be the oldest cosmetics company in the world? It's actualy 141 years old this year! It was founded in 1872 by a pharmacist of the Japanese Imperial Navy. Arinobu Fukuhara was the first person who established a Westen-style pharmacy in Japan, complete with a soda fountain and eventually an ice cream parlor.

He started selling indigestion lozenges, beriberi pills, and soft toothpaste in the beginning. These were revolutionary products at that time, because Japan was only familiar with herbal medicine and tooth powder before Mr Fukuhara set up Shiseido.

Image from twinvulcan.com

Shiseido is not just a pharmacy and eventually one of the leading cosmetics brands in the world. According to an MIT paper, "Shiseido’s innovative product and promotional production tells a distinctive story about Japan’s experience of modernity, including the impact on national culture of mass market consumerism, urbanization, and changing gender roles." It was also a pioneer in advertising design and product marketing at that time.

 It played a huge role in defining comopolitan glamour for young women in Japan, bringing in Western imagery to one of the most traditional cultures in Asia on the cusp of a new, uncertain century.

The best advice I can give to young women is this: always listen to your mother. Seriously. It might sound ridiculous because she may appear so out of touch with the realities of your life, but she would always understand and guide you - if you'd let her. The biggest mistakes I've made so far are due to my stubborness, my certainty that I know more than my mother. I don't. I would have avoided a lot of grief had I just listened to her.

That's not to say that I'm miserable or mired in deep regret right now. I'm quite happy and I regret nothing that I've done in my life so far. But if I listened, growing up would have been less painful and I would have been able to see the big picture earlier. So please, if you are facing unbearable things right now, tell your parents. Most of the time they will know the right thing to do.

You have to remember that they are the only people in the planet who love you unconditionally - where lovers and friends would always act with their best interest in mind, your mother in particular would always put you first. :)

Sooo that was a random thought brought on by a Tweet. I actually just want to show you my recent Shiseido haul! I was waiting for Man of Steel to start at SM Aura the other day, so I decided to pick up a few things I've been meaning to get from Shiseido for a while now. You can pretty much guess what theme I'll be having for next week, haha.

Okay, I love everything I got. ^_^ I didn't mind the splurge because I've tried these four items waaaay back and thought they were pretty good.

I am once again late in announcing this so I decided to schedule the next CoM gift for July. It's a pretty exciting loot from Benefit which I'm sure you'll love! But first, congratulations to the Commenters of the Month for May and June respectively: Paulina and Maggie! They've been very active not just on the blog post but on the Ask Liz! forum as well. Even I'm learning lots of interesting tidbits from both these girls.

Paulina will be getting the Clinique gift for May, while Maggie will also get a pouch from Clinique with some samples and a few full-sized things from other brands. :) Again, congratulations and thank you for your intelligent and kind words on my blog. Please email me your full name and addresses so I can ship your gift.

Moving forward, I requested for two of my favorite products from Benefit for the July CoM gift : the Cha Cha Tint and Hervana Blush. If you read my reviews, you'll find out why I love using these two cheek prettifiers whenever I'm craving for a coral or pinky flush. The kind folks at Benefit also added their latest product, the Benefit Fake Up Concealer! So jealous, as I haven't tried this yet myself haha. 

Please do like the Benefit Philippines Facebook Page to keep updated about the brand's latest promos and prizes. ;)

I hope you've enjoyed M.A.C week! Some of you have requested me to extend it, but unfortunately the other products I have here have not yet been photographed or used. That means I won't be able to write a proper review. Which then means, I might do another M.A.C week in the future for you guys! ^_^ For now I'll post the reviews any time they're ready.

To close this themed week, I thought I'd talk about five of my favorite M.A.C products. These are the things that I always pick up and would really, really hate to run out of. Check them out!

MAC Brow Set in Girl Boy. You know, I didn't like Girl Boy this much when I first started using it, but I've eventually developed a dependence on it. I haven't found anything that can create depth and highlight on the brows the same way Girl Boy does. The secret is in the shimmer.

Hi folks! I apologize for missing a M.A.C post yesterday as I was busier than usual. Anyway, we're back on track just in time for the last day! I'll *try* to post my top five favorite M.A.C products later just to show what I always use in my collection. It's that kind of brand where you can get a lot of cool, memorable things that you won't really wear that often because they're too, well, striking. 

So! Today I'll be showing you my updated 15-pan M.A.C palette. I only have two empty spaces left (yay), and my plan is to get one bright purple and possibly a bright green or Carbon. It took me a couple of years to fill it up because I didn't want to blow P15,000+ asap on one palette. I mean, I can but I won't because that's too much for a simple hobbyist like me. Thankfully, I get M.A.C eyeshadows as gifts every once in a while. :P

One of the more common questions I get is, "which M.A.C eyeshadows should I start with?" If you have Asian skin like mine, yellow-toned and possibly medium going on morena, I highly recommend the following: 

Ricepaper (for highlighting the browbone), All That Glitters (a warm champagne which is great as a lid wash), Wedge (a matte neutral, light brown, perfect for crease contouring), and Espresso (a neutral brown which creates a great smoky brown eye and perfectly shaded eyebrows). Those would be four great eyeshadows to start with, for in the future you'll be able to mix and match them with various other shades.

Hi, Liz! I've been hearing and reading that mineral oil is not good for your skin. How true is this? Because a lot of beauty products, especially makeup removers, contain mineral oil and they work well for me. Even baby oil and the classic cold cream are made with mineral oil. But if they're not good for my skin, I'd like to look for alternatives. Would you know of any good eye makeup removers that don't contain mineral oil? Thanks! -Jix

Hi Jix! Thanks for the question. The answer is no. Mineral oil - the kind that has been refined for cosmetics use according to FDA standards - is safe. While this ingredient is indeed derived from crude oil, it is in no way anything like its original form after it has undergone the refining process. It's said to be one of the best skincare ingredients out there is since it's completely natural (literally, from the earth), doesn't cost much, and is considered non-comedogenic.

Before sharing rumors about beauty ingredients we must always do some basic research to find out if any of them are true! There has been a lot of misconceptions about mineral oil in the past, but I hope to clear these up briefly. Do note that I'm not a chemist or dermatologist, okay. This is just what trust-worthy websites like The Beauty Brains and FutureDerm have been saying all along.

Now, we have been scared into thinking that mineral oil can block pores and cause pimples. The truth is that it doesn't, not by itself. Mineral oil is an occlusive agent. It strengthens the skin's moisture barrier by filling in the tiny cracks and holes in our skin to prevent moisture from evaporating from it, which is why some people think that it harms the skin by "suffocating" it.

M.A.C usually has a release or two every month which reflects the trends of the season. This June, where it's summer in the U.S., M.A.C presents Temperature Rising, a sizzling collection that is inspired by steamy summer nights and sweaty bronzed skin. The collection is all about warm, smoky colors with well-placed dazzle and requisite brights - the M.A.C trademark, of course!

The Philippine launch happened last Saturday at Rustan's Glorietta. One of the country's top models, Jessica Yang, graced the event. A M.A.C makeup artist demonstrated the scorching hot look of Temperature Rising using the products from the collection while a DJ scratched tunes in the background.

Here's a demo of the look, in photos! Later on you'll see a few swatches I've done on the lipsticks. 

Have you guys heard of Hayan before? It's a Korean beauty brand that has been in the Philippines for a year now, with 18 branches already opened as of this month. It seems to be quietly successful so far - I can see why! Hayan's products are quite affordable. According to the brochure (which I will attach for your review later), there is nothing over P500 in the skincare line, and the P390 BB cream is the most expensive makeup they have. 

Of course, I had to try the makeup. I'm always on the lookout for inexpensive products to recommend to girls who want to beautify on a tight budget, particularly students who are building their first makeup kit. I'm happy to say that there are a few things here that are worth the purchase - whether you're trying to scrimp or not!

The packaging of Hayan products are surprisingly nice considering how affordable they are. Most of them come in a matte black box, with the appropriate product information. The cases look fairly sturdy and solid, again, not bad for the price.

The quality of the products are nice - some nicer than others, exceeding my expectations - but you do have to remember that they are affordable for a reason. :) They won't smell as good or feel as light as more expensive Korean brands. Imagine our local drugstore makeup, but Korean. They work well and look good, but you must adjust expectations.

That said, I want to show you a look I did with all of the Hayan stuff above. ^_^ I will also be discussing my favorites briefly!