Ichi Pestano: May 2017

Sorry for the crappy audio!

Anyway, here are 4 highlighters you can get from Sephora PH. I have a pretty good mix of formulations and colors here (except the rainbow, pastel colored ones) and I've tested all of them. Check out the swatches and find out my top 2 picks!

Click here to start watching!

I enjoyed doing this mini highlighter haul. The ones being raved about by my favorite Youtubers are also there on the site. The selection is nice because it's not too limited so it's just up to you to choose the ones that are suitable for your skin tone and skin type and that can give the level of glow you want.

If you're ready to glow for the gods, click this link and shop away! You can also click the product names below. 😃

BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector 20ml in Moonstone

This is perfect if you prefer a glowing-from-within effect. I can also imagine wearing this to complete a dewy, summery makeup look.

BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed in Opal

Of course, I had to get its sister - the pressed version.

I picked Opal because that and Moonstone were like speaking to me. Haha! 😉

Aahhh! Look at that gorgeous baby! Even from the pan, it's blinding!

BENEFIT COSMETICS Watt's Up! Highlighter

This only comes in 1 shade but it's in a champagne color, so it would surely suit a lot of skin tones.

I had to get a highlighter stick because I thought it might be handy when travelling. It is also very easy to apply and blend, you could never go wrong. Just a few dabs and that's it.

TOO FACED Love Light Prismatic Highlighter in Blinded by the Light

It gives a nice sheen but for its price, I expected more. The name of the shade also sounded promising. Haha! 😄

Anyway, I'll make sure to test it further and I'll update you on a separate post.

That's all!

So far, I'm loving Becca Pressed in Opal and Benefit Watt's Up, but all of them are so pretty. I can't wait to feature them in my makeup videos. Yay! 💕

Make sure to sign up on Sephora PH so you can get news about their exclusive promos and start earning points.

What do you think?

your sweetest drug,

No comments

Before I start prepping for the video I'm gonna film tonight, let me do a quick post about Cosrx BHA Blackhead Power Liquid. If you can recall, I featured this in one of my haul videos. In case you haven't watched that, click here.

This K-beauty brand has been one of the most-raved lately. I've heard a lot of amazing things about Cosrx and people are really saying that its products are effective.

Good thing, BeautyMNL carries most of the products and compared to other online shops, they are priced reasonably.

Of course, the first one I tried is this blackhead power liquid, which is one of the best-selling pore-care items as well.

First off, I love their no-frills packaging. All of their bottled products have this simple design. The only difference is the label in front.

The formula contains 4% Betain Salicylate, a well-known type of BHA (Beta Hydroxy Acid) that can get rid of trapped clogs inside the pores. Products with this are usually recommended for oily and sensitive skin types.

As you can see, it doesn't contain paraben - only the good stuff. It also has willow bark water, sodium hyaluronate and Vitamin B5 to add moisturizing and anti-aging benefits.

Since it's a chemical exfoliant, I suggest you use it 1 to 2 times per week then go more than that after a month. Check first if your skin will react differently before applying it more frequently. I use it only at night but if you are also incorporating it in your daytime skincare routine, don't forget your sunscreen.

I apply it after the cleansing part (sometimes, after toner) using just my fingers. They strongly recommend to allow full absorption before layering your next skincare on. That way, it can do its job more effectively. Also, it's not advisable to use another BHA or Vitamin C-based products while using Blackhead Power Liquid.

It feels and looks like water except it's a bit thicker in terms of consistency. It doesn't feel greasy nor slimy and it is very lightweight.

When applying this (two pumps), I would start on my nose and cheek area, then I'd pat it on my chin as well. Afterwards, I would massage it all over and wait for it to dry.

I've been using this product since February and I really love how it makes my skin brighter and less prone to breakouts. Well, except during the time of the month but still, nothing crazy because I would only get a tiny pimple (or maybe two).

Yes, I still get clogged pores but it's more manageable. I also use nose strips every 2 weeks to remove the nasty stuff buried inside and pore masks. With regular use of BPL, it takes a longer time now compared before until clogs build up again. I noticed that my skin's overall texture has improved as well but of course, it could be because of the help of other skincare I'm using.

Overall, I'm definitely impressed and for sure, I'd be trying more Cosrx stuff later on. Next on my list - Advanced Snail Power Essence, one of their oil-free moisturizers and Good Morning Gel Cleanser.

What do you think?

your sweetest drug,

1 comments

Many locally made lip tints have been popping up recently and I've also seen a lot of great reviews about them. Well, I've tried a couple from Korean brands and I wouldn't argue that they're generally amazing, but you know me, I'm that type who loves to support homegrown brands so I just had to get one.

When I did a mini shopping spree on BeautyMNL.com (click here to watch the haul video), I stumbled upon Skin Genie's Lip and Cheek Stain Alive. The product name is catchy, but it took me some time to get the idea behind it. Hahaha! Still don't get it? Want me to play a Bee Gees song? 😤

Korean lip tints usually come in 3 to 6 shades, so it's great to see a wider color selection and not to mention, they're not your usual red, pink and orange. I wanted something purple so I got Burgundy Wine.

Each 10ml bottle costs 80 php - very affordable right?! Even cheaper than your tall frappe. Hihi. 😏

Color and Formula

Burgundy Wine looks like an eggplant color but there's still hints of red. They actually have a shade called Eggplant, which is a true violet color.

Compared to very insanely pigmented lip tints I've tried, I would say that this gives a nice flush of color yet still buildable. Maybe it's because the formula is very watery.

I don't see it as a downside though because on some products like blushes and tints, I would prefer something that I could gradually intensify rather than getting a full blast of color on one swipe.

I also don't find it very drying and possibly, that's due to the fact that this lip tint is water-based and made of food colorants.

As for the scent or flavor, think of melons! 😁

Application

It's my first time to apply a tint with a roller ball applicator. For me, it is actually not very "user-friendly" because it's hard to control the amount of product and most of the time, I would end up having a splotchy application.

I would suggest rolling the ball with a finger and dab the product on your lips. That way, you can distribute the tint more evenly and do gradient lips easily.

Lasting Power

On the cheeks, it pretty much lasts the entire day even on my oily skin. If you do powder touch ups, color might get unnoticeable though.

On the lips, the stain gradually fades after meals but I wouldn't mind reapplying.

I'm really loving this! I don't regret picking a not-so common color! Although, it makes my lips appear naturally darker sometimes. 😃

The way my lips look here in the photos seems weird and very uneven and I realized that it's because I didn't wipe off my lip balm before applying the tint. The one I'm currently using is very waxy so it somehow messes up not just this tint but any lip product I put on top of it.

If you're into lip tints, make sure to add this to your collection!

What do you think?

Like Skin Genie on Facebook.

your sweetest drug,

No comments

As promised, here's the swatch video featuring my 6 Colourpop liquid lipsticks. I think I have talked about the important deets there already, but let me sum it up here as well.

Note though that some of the shades appear differently here because of my lighting. I only noticed it upon editing so I suggest to check out the photos below. Also, excuse the messy application!

Click here to start watching!

I have 5 Ultra Mattes and 1 Ultra Satin and all of them are not-so recent shades. Next time, I'll make sure to grab a handful of new ones. 😉

They are priced at 6 USD each (I said 8 in the video, sorry) and definitely, one of the most affordable liquid lipsticks in the makeup world.

Some of the shades also have an equivalent lippie pencil and you can get them separately.

These are my 5 Ultra Mattes. This formula is described as

"...thin, lightweight that smoothly glides on the lips leaving SUPER intense pigment with a bold, ultra-matte look. It is very long-wearing and 100% kiss-proof AKA no transferring!"

My only Ultra Satin is in the shade Prim. This formula is described as:

"A creamy, bold lipstick with a satin finish. This formula has the same high percentage of pigments as an Ultra Matte Lip but contains emollient ingredients for added moisture, keeping lips looking fresh and feeling super comfortable. Though this lipstick is super long-wearing, it is not completely kiss-proof and does transfer."

Some people who find matte liquid lipsticks very drying and uncomfortable go for the Ultra Satin ones.

Colourpop also has collaborated with a number of Youtube personalities and influencers like Kathleen Lights and Jenn Im (my favorites). The one I scored is co-created by Karrueche Tran. They also released two other colors and a few Super Shock Shadows from the same collection.

Before I talk about each color, let me show you a close-up photo of the doe-foot applicator.

Like I said in the video, the size is not consistent. Some tips are slimmer and some are fluffy. Good thing, they're still in good quality. Although, I would prefer a slimmer tip because it helps in creating a less messy outline.

Color

Color payoff is very impressive. Out of all the liquid lipsticks I have tried so far, these are the richest and most pigmented. Given the price point, it's hard to beat.

Beeper is an old rose, brown pink color. I love how it looks like a darker version of a typical MLBB shade. It's super wearable and can go nicely with any eye makeup. It suits my morena complexion very well too.

Kae is a deep warm brown color. It has a grungy 90's vibe to it and I can imagine it looking so perfect with darker skin tones.

Kapow is a slightly cool-toned purple gray color. I didn't expect that it would look good on medium skin tone. It's definitely not an everyday lipstick but whatever, I would still wear it. Haha! 😄

Prim is described as a blackened red. On sheer application, I could see hints of berry but if worn as a full lip, it looks like a very deep red.

Solow is a bright pink, a color that I don't usually wear. Hihi. 😊

Trap is described as dusty greige. For me, it's a muted pink lilac-ish color with hints of gray.

Application

I normally do one swipe and just blend it quickly, but that's not because doing a full lip is difficult. It's manageable except for darker colors since they require extra effort if you want a very neat application.

As for Prim, I would suggest using a lip liner first then fill in because if not, cleaning up the edges will likely be a nightmare. The color goes everywhere once you start wiping the color off.

Formula

Ultra Mattes have a strange sour-ish scent but only if you smell it up close and while putting it on, it's unnoticeable. My Ultra Satin smells better. It has a slight vanilla fragrance.

All of them has a thin yet creamy and smooth consistency except Kae. Maybe it's because I have used it more frequently than the others and it's starting to dry out already.

They don't dry that fast during application so you have ample time to fill in your lips and blend the product in.

Of course, since it's a matte liquid lipstick, you can still feel that you're wearing something, but they do feel light and comfortable. The best part, there's no tackiness whatsoever.

All of my mattes are also not streaky even Kae, which is a dark shade. I don't need to do layers to get a full color.

Some shades don't look too "dry" on the lips. The problem I have with a few shades and with other liquid lipsticks, they emphasize the lines too much to the point that my lips would look like a dried plum. Haha! 😜

Lasting Power

Ultra Mattes are 100% transfer-proof. They don't budge once they're fully dried. Even when drinking, they stay put. During meals though, they would start to fade and crumble on the inner part which is okay for some shades because they still look fine. For other colors though, I would take them off completely and just re-apply if I need to.

I also noticed that Prim and Solow stain the lips so as the product transfers, the color appears to fade evenly.

Color Dupes

I only found dupes for Kae and Solow.

This one, I have already shown you on my post about Wet N Wild Megalast Lipstick. They don't have the same finish obviously and I have to really build up Night Cap to get almost the same intensity, but the color looks similar.

Yes, that's really the name of this shade by Detail and yes, it's my name! Haha! 😄

I know, these are not dupes but it's close and Solow is just warmer.

That's all! Please show some love by hitting the like and subscribe button.

Hopefully, I can release a second video this May. I already have something in mind but crossing my fingers that my camera would get fixed soon. Huhu! 😭

Watch til the end of the video to know my top 3 shades. Let me know as well in the comments below which one do you like most and what other shades do I need to get.

your sweetest drug,