Ichi Pestano: May 2019

With all of the liquid matte lipsticks swamping the market nowadays, there are several of them that although not recently released, still make it to the crowd's list of favorites. One I can name and actually in my top 5 is The Balm's Meet Matt(e) Hughes.

There are more than ten colors to choose from and I love that most of them are MLBB shades. Of course, there's also a good red and a good plum in the mix.

The Balm is available at Beauty Bar and you could also find them in some online shopping sites like Sephora and BeautyMNL.

Color

Sincere is a nude pink while Trustworthy is a terracota shade. Both are pretty shades and perfect as everyday lippies.

Color payoff is impressive. No need to build up the pigmentation because one swipe is solid.

Finish & Formula

They are not watery kind of liquid lipsticks nor mousse-like. The texture is light and the finish is totally flat.

There's a peppermint scent, which some might find weird because most lipsticks smell like cupcakes, but personally, I like it!

They do dry fast but there's still a bit of tackiness.

Application

I can't speak for the deeper shades but these two are fool-proof. Both go on smooth and there's no patchiness whatsoever. Although for Sincere, sometimes I go for two dips because it is a muted color.

Lasting Power

Matt(e) Hughes is clingy AF. Hahaha! 😚

The color stays on for hours even after a meal more so a drink. Since these two are natural shades, even with some fading, they would still look fine on lips. I also don't find them drying.

Moreover, they don't get clumpy and crusty throughout the day.

These lippies are undoubtedly long-wearing yet comfortable and you won't need a special makeup remover to take them off. My facial wash does the job. Micellar water works okay too.

I seriously can't tell you a single bad thing about these. All good. I can't think of in-betweens too. Hands down, one of the best long-lasting liquid lipsticks I've tried - formula-wise and color-wise.

What do you think?

your sweetest drug,

No comments

Althea recently unveiled yet another fun and interesting collection. I love how this bunch speaks truly of the brand. The products suit the needs of modern urbanites, which are focused on quick skincare fix. They also did not forget to add some cuteness to the whole thing, from concept to packaging.

Have you seen these yet?

There are four masks to choose from depending on how your skin is feeling. You could get the boost you need from any of these juicy sheets.

Each pack contains 25g of essence. The mask itself is made of 100% natural eucalyptus and it adheres well. It shapes the face nicely and it's a breeze placing it properly in one try.

Unlike other mask sheets I've tried, these are thoroughly soaked and the formula is not so much on the watery type.

I picked Ac-Me-Peach since my face has been a bit spotty lately. It's basically an anti-blemish mask that helps soothe the skin and regulate oil. It's infused with peach extract and tea tree oil, but surprisingly, it doesn't smell like one. It has the same scent as with Althea's Bamboo Pads and Calming Cream.

Water-Me-Long mask is like a moisture treat for the skin. It also contains lavender extract. Imagine drinking a watermelon smoothie on a hot summer day. That's how you quench your skin. 😚

Avo-Cuddle-Me mask is packed with anti-oxidants to nourish the skin and fight aging.

Sparkle-Me-Bright, the citrusy one is made for those who need rescue from dull skin. It comes with a double dose of Vitamin C from lemon and lime extracts plus, green tea for extra radiance.

I'm not sure if it's just an introductory price, but as shown on the website, each pack costs 20 php. I mean... wow. You could definitely stock up on these! 😯

In this collection, they also included a wonder stick for the pores and it's called BHA Blackhead Blaster.

The stick is formulated with BHA from willow bark for chemical exfoliation and apricot seed for physical exfoliation. It also contains charcoal, which we know a great pore cleanser and tea tree oil to keep the excess sebum at bay.

As you rub it on, it feels like a gentle facial scrub. It melts like butter and there's no stinging sensation whatsoever. The scent is also light and not irritating because it smells like tea tree oil, not artificial.

If you can't deal with nose strips, try a painless way by using this BHA stick. Plus, you'd only need a minute or two.

It didn't get all of the blackheads out especially the ones rooted in, but it did slough some that were already in the surface.

The best part is after rinsing because it makes pores tighter and sebum-free. It's like giving the pores a deep-cleanse. It's surely a perfect buddy for a greasy gal like me. 😛

Althea also created their own reliable makeup tool - Meringue Puffs. There's a big and baby version for applying everything makeup base-related.

The momma is perfect to use when applying foundation or BB cream, while the babies are made for concealer or cream contour application. I use the pointy end to really get into the corners of nose and eyes.

It gets bigger when soaked with water and it helps create an even finish for the makeup base.

Giant Puff (100 php per piece) currently works well with my liquid foundation from Maybelline and my BB cream from Missha. Even the Baby Puffs (140 php for 3 pcs) are so bouncy and don't absorb too much product.

Better if I feature this two in a makeup video so you could see how they work in action. 😉

Here's my final makeup using the BHA stick, sheet mask and Meringue Puffs.

You can check out the entire A'Bloom collection here. Nothing over 200 php! 😀

What do you think?

your sweetest drug,

No comments

For someone who's pestered by clogged pores, I know a thing or two when it comes to dealing with those pesky blackheads. I've tried a bunch of products that help get rid of the gunk and I have to say, my favorite is a good nose pack. Well, I do also get impatient and would often extract them using my magical wand. You know, that metal tool with a loop at one end. However, I still prefer getting that weird feeling of satisfaction when you get to take those bad boys out with one peel.

When choosing a nose pack, I go for the cream/cement-like type because unlike the strips, it covers the whole area. But then, I saw a couple of 3-step kits on Althea and I thought of trying them and see if they could also be as effective as my trusty nose pack from iWhite Korea.

Each kit comes with:

a soaked mask that softens and preps the pores
a strip that extracts the junk
a soaked mask that treats and tightens the pores

The masks all work pretty much the same - very soothing and they all have a cooling and tightening effect. They just differ in terms of scent and key ingredients.

The actual strip is what I want to compare here. If you wanna know which one removed most clogs, keep on scrolling. 😚

By the way, the info you could read in the photos is from the product description.

sorry, I forgot to take a photo of the strip after removing it

I tried each kit on a different day. I can't remember the exact interval but I think it's like a week in between or even more. Also, maybe when I used the others, my pores were not so clogged than other days or maybe I didn't get to really properly place some strips, so I don't want to say that they are totally not effective. For the two pink ones, it's also hard to tell if they removed a good amount of junk because of the color of the strip.

Anyway, the only strip that did a pretty good job was Innisfree Jeju Volcanic Blackhead 3-Step Program. It's also the most adhesive. 🙌

So yea, on my next Althea shopping, a few more of this kit will get into my cart. 😙

What do you think? Have you tried any of these five kits?

your sweetest drug,