Ichi Pestano: February 2017

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Even if you might have already seen these in action in my makeup video, I still wanted to talk about them in detail. Click here if you want to watch the tutorial first. I created 3 makeup looks using these three palettes.

So, here's a closer look at each of them.

Each palette retails at 725 php , which I think is pretty reasonable because you get 3 colors and a primer. It actually reminds me of the ones from Heroine Make.

I think including a primer in an eyeshadow palette is a great idea because it's convenient and it adds more value to the product.

Packaging

Each of them comes in a compact packaging with a mirror and a sponge-and-brush applicator, which I don't use. Haha! They're in good quality though. I just don't feel like using short brushes in general. Well, unless maybe if I'm travelling and I don't have a lot of my brushes with me. It could be handy.

I noticed that the pan moves whenever I rub my finger against it. Nothing has come off yet though. Maybe it's just because they're not glued very well.

Formula

The eyeshadows are all powdery, not the buttery-powdery type though. The lighter shades seem to have a chalkier feel, but they don't give too much fallout.

They contain Shea butter, Vitamin E and Evening Primrose Oil that help keep moisture and give that smooth texture.

Warm Brown

This is my favorite among the three palettes. I think I've been using this almost everyday. 😃

Even with only three colors, I can still create simple and neutral eye looks.

It has a nice transition shade in tan color and a dark brown which is perfect for the outer corners or on the upper lash line.

Pink Orchid

I instantly liked the purple taupe color in this palette. If I wanna take a break from all the browns, I'd grab this instead.

I don't dip much onto the pink shade though. I think I'll try to put it on my cheeks instead. 😉

Smokey Grey

This palette lacks a transition shade so even if you wanna create a smokey, night-out-ready type of look, you'd need help from your other palettes or pots.

Maybe once I ran out of the lightest color in the Warm Brown palette, I can take out the lightest from this and glue it to the other one. Hihi. Or maybe take out the primer from the Warm Brown too and replace it with the black eye shadow. Hmmmm. 😊

The black eyeshadow is surprisingly pigmented.

Warm Brown has the least chalky eye shadows and the dark brown and black are the most pigmented ones. The rest need a little help from primer.

The primer has silicone in it but it feels more on the waxy side. I find that sometimes, if I apply the eyeshadow on top of it, it makes the color uneven. Maybe you can also notice that on the swatches above.

Each of them is easy to blend but like I said, not all of them has a nice color payoff, so some could require more work in terms of building the color.

Nevertheless, I still enjoy using Warm Brown. Let's say if I go on a quick vacay, I can survive if it's the only eye shadow palette I have with me and at the same time, I can also save more space in my bag.

What do you think?

Like Céleteque on Facebook.

your sweetest drug,

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Our "Saturdate" normally involves mall and food. We just pretty much hang out, shop sometimes (if budget allows) or watch a movie. But every now and then, Kris and I would be spontaneous and go somewhere else or do something else. Like when we decided to tick off one activity in our What To Try Next list - archery. ✔

He's also convincing me to be a little more badass and try gun shooting, but it doesn't interest me so it's a no. Painting? Yeaaaaa, still a no. Haha! 😈

So an archery range opened in SM Megamall and it's called Arrowland by Gandiva. I think they also have one in Ortigas area.

Lines are usually long and waiting time is about 1 hour, so better if you have your names listed first before you roam around the mall or eat. They will contact you anyway if you're up next.

Here are the rates.

We opted for 75 arrows and it's just fine for first-timers like us. The following day, our arms did hurt. Haha! 😊

You also pay for your target paper - 40 php per person.

The range has 10 lanes with 10 meter distance each. For kids, they can adjust the target board as needed.

Of course, we had no idea how to properly shoot an arrow. It looks simple when you watch a person doing it, coz it seems like a simple aim-and-release type of thing, but on our experience, it took us a good 5 to 10 ~~wasted~~ arrows before we got the hang of it. Haha! 😃

The staff will teach you the right form and all that stuff. You'll get 10 arrows per set until you finished everything. For us, we have 75 total and they divided it into 2. They gave us 1 additional arrow, so we both got 38 each. Then, total of 4 sets. Yay!

IT WAS FUN!

The moment when I saw my first arrow hit the target was exhilarating. I was also surprised when I scored a bullseye! #LakasChamba 😄

We also realized that archery could be sort of a stress-reliever. That's because your energy or your mind is focused on hitting that target. It's a cool way to divert your worries or your thoughts to something fun and satisfying.

It's a perfect activity for everyone. There's no special skill required and you can learn the basics on the spot.

Go try it and channel your inner Katniss Everdeen or Hawkeye! 😏

Visit their website for more details.
http://gandiva.com.ph/

your sweetest drug,

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"Now and forever

Until the time is through

I'll be standing here

Waiting and never give up my faith in you

Love has a meaning

When you are here with me"

Happy Valentine's day, world!

I've seen countless bouquet of flowers, chocolates and other romantic gestures on social media today. Ginalingan ng mga boyfriends ha! Haha! Good job! 😃

Anyway, I'm now finally writing about one of my current favorite (potentially my all-time favorite) makeup products - highlight and contour powder. I know this isn't a surprise because most likely, it's everyone's most-loved-and-most-abused too.

Aside from liquid lipsticks, makeup lovers also went crazy over chiseled cheeks, slimmer face, enhanced nose line and blinding highlight. A lot of brands have released their contour products and highlighters and most of them come in palettes or duos like this one.

I got Sleek's Face Contour kit in the shade Light. There's also one darker option, but for light to medium skin, this would do.

Since it's my first time to use an actual shading and highlighting product, I opted for a powder formula. Cream ones for me are a bit intimidating and it seems blending them would take a lot of getting used to.

This comes with a mirror and is in the perfect size as well. The packaging feels sturdy too.

The contour powder has a warm undertone, which I think is perfect for Pinay complexion. It's a bit orangey, not ashy so you can really use it as a bronzer. I would prefer a more taupe undertone for defining the nose line, but so far, I'm okay with this.

The highlight powder on the other hand, gives a very pretty glow and makes the skin appear wet. There's no annoying chunky glitters and the shimmer is really nice. Three or more layers could be a little too intense and would look too powdery up-close though. However, if you're into I-can-see-your-highlight-from-miles-away kind of glow, then just build it up (buttercup, haha 😏) until you're satisfied.

For a contour kit that's below 600 php and nicely pigmented, it's just impossible not to recommend it.

Both are also easy to pick up and blend using a brush.

For everyday shading and highlighting, this kit can do the job.

I also love using the highlight on the inner corner of my eyes. Oh I almost forgot! You can watch my makeup video here to see this baby in action. 😊

But since they're in powder form, it doesn't stay on the entire day. Whenever I touch up with powder or wipe my face, it would fade. That's no biggie though because since it's compact, I can just throw it in my bag and re-apply as needed (on special occasions only as I don't use this everyday).

That's it! Expect to see this on my upcoming makeup videos, because I'm not planning to switch to another one anytime soon. 😊

More photos!

What do you think?

You can find Sleek in SM and Landamark Department Stores. Like them on Facebook!

your sweetest drug,

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A BB cream for 25 php? Yep, there's one.

I found the perfect budget-friendly BB cream and it's from the brand that I have always loved - iWhite Korea. If you guys haven't heard of it, well, it's either you're a hardcore high-end brand fanatic or you just have lots of money to spend on cosmetics, so looking for affordable options aren't your thing. However, for us, drugstore-makeup junkies, this one's a very good find.

Virtual high-five if you're also a BB-holic like me! 😏

If you've been here for some time now, you'd probably know that I'm not into foundations. For special occasions, yep, it's something I'd use by default. For normal days though, I'd stick to my BB cream. Well, except if the foundation has something more to offer than just coverage. Let's say, a cushion foundation that's formulated with moisturizing ingredients, serums or something like that.

Anyway, bottom line, I love using something that can be both skincare and makeup. And basically, that's what a BB cream, a CC cream or other double-letter named base is all about. 😃

I bought both shades - Light and Beige. For a Korean brand to offer a not-so light color options, that's surprising.

iWhite is known for packaging skincare in sachets and this one is no exception. I think I also saw a tube version of this, so if you're sure that this is the right formula for you, then go get that one rather than buying plenty of sachets, coz you might save money. Plus, you won't need to transfer the product to a container.

Speaking of that, here's what I did.

I don't throw my contact lens cases away because they're very handy especially when travelling.

The difference in color is not so much. Beige appears a little dark on me, but once it's fully blended, it looks like an exact match. On the other hand, Light could make my face too bright, but still close to my skin color. Anyhoo, I can just mix these two to create a perfect shade.

Beige also has a pink/gray-ish undertone while Light has more of a yellow undertone.

This BB cream has a nice scent, has a cooling effect and is super lightweight. About the coverage, you might need something heavier to cover imperfections because this one is sheer. If I put on one to two layers, dark spots and veins still peek through.

It doesn't have a sticky formula, which is always a bonus point for me. It also has a beautiful demi-matte finish and it's really perfect for no-makeup makeup looks.

Since the consistency is watery, the best way to apply it is either with a brush or just the fingers. I used a damp sponge one time and it just absorbed the product.

Beige

I used BB Holic, Maybelline Fit Me concealer and Innisfree No-Sebum translucent powder here.

Once it sets, it gives a pretty, natural base.

It stays on my oily skin for a good amount of time. It will not go anywhere until I blot the grease on my face with tissue or oil-control sheets.

Overall, I'm really enjoying this BB cream and I would not hesitate to repurchase. It's enough to improve the skin tone and did I mention that it has whitening and anti-aging properties too?

What do you think? Anyone here who also love BB.Holic?

your sweetest drug,

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Feeling a bit restless since last week. Ugh.

I didn't have a normal weekend because of back-to-back gatherings, so no 10-hr sleep for me. I ain't complaining though because I got to spend quality time with my friends. It's so funny because all we did was laugh for like 4 to 5 hours. A lot of catching up happened especially with my two BFSK (best friend since kinder haha 😁) who came back from Canada and Dubai. After so many months, we all got to hang out again and be a crazy squad as we are.

And yes, it's that kind of moment that always makes me realize how the real meaning of friendship changed as I grew up. It doesn't matter if you're mountains and oceans apart, nor if you haven't heard from them since God knows when. It's when you see each other again, you'll feel like nothing has changed and they're still the same people who care for you even if they don't constantly show it, who understand you even if you're being unreasonable AF, who will be there for you whenever you need a friend even if they're having a hard time as well.

And that's the type of friendship I'd cherish - a healthy one that I know would last. It's not a big circle but I love every single person in it. 💕

Okay, end of post. Char! 😆

That's not what I should talk about. I know. Haha! Moving on to the real topic now.

In this batch review, you're only going to see makeup stuff since I have separated the skincare items. These are just some of the products I've accumulated for the past 2 or 3 months and as usual, I included them here and didn't do a full post because the individual reviews are not going to be that long anyway.

Colourpop Mini Super Shock Shadow in Ouai (free)

I got this freebie when I had a delayed shipment from Colourpop. There's also a card in the box with "sorry, we're late" message. Cute. 😄

Their eye shadows are known to be ultra-pigmented. However, this one tends to be patchy. Maybe it's just because of the color?

Instead of using it as a lid base, I sometimes apply it on the inner corners or waterlines. I also use it as a highlighter because it gives a very subtle sheen.

I can't find it on Colourpop's website so maybe they have discontinued this shade.

Etude House Oil-Control Film (less than 200 php)

This is my 2nd pack!

I love it because it absorbs oil so well and doesn't take away too much makeup.

When it comes to oil-control sheets, I prefer the blue/film ones because the paper type easily tears apart.

Mushroom Brush from 168 Mall (100 php)

I got this one because I don't have a brush this dense. I first thought it would be very handy when putting on BB cream or liquid foundation, but when I tried it, it just takes too much product. However, if you're into sheer base, you can use a dense brush like this because it would help create a very thin layer of foundation.

Since it's angled, I'm using it to put on my Colourpop blush. I mentioned before that it was a bit tricky to apply because it's not pure powder. This mushroom brush though picks it up very well and with just a few dabs, it deposits the color onto my cheeks.

Too bad, it sheds. If you look closely, there are loose strands already.

Fashion21 Cosmetics White Eyeliner (80 php)

I don't know why but a great white eyeliner is one of the trickiest makeup products to look for. The few ones I've tried either smudges easily or would be hard to apply evenly.

Finally, I found one that can get the job done for me. Plus, it's so affordable. It's not overly creamy and it clings to the waterlines nicely.

Fashion21 has consecutively amazed me. First, the mascara and now, this white eyeliner! Should I try a one brand makeup video next time, so I could try more of their good stuff?

Miniso Color-Stay Lipstick (10 RMB - bought in Shanghai)

On the lips, it doesn't look as pretty compared to when it's swatched on the arm. The color looks okay but it's just too sheen for my liking. It's also creamy and pigmented enough but I don't know, it really lacks something.

It's almost an exact dupe of Revlon's Matte Balm lipstick in Elusive.

The label says "Color-Stay" but it's not a long-lasting lipstick and just leaves a tiny, almost unnoticeable stain. I knew about it when I purchased it but since I was only planning to give a few out as my pasalubong, I bought a bunch anyway. Did you spot this on my China travel vlog?

Aebly Lipstamp in Celeb Pink (100 php)

I can't find any info about this on Google, so I guess this is not a very popular Korean cosmetic brand. It doesn't seem familiar as well.

Anyway, it's basically a lip tint in a twist-up type of packaging. At first few tries, only tinted oil came out but sometimes, a cream would ooze out of the sponge tip. Weird. 😒

That's why I thought it's just a tinted lip balm of some sort.