Saturday, March 22, 2014

Lacoste: Eau De Lacoste




Lacoste Eau De Lacoste
Available: perfume counters nationwide
Price: $$

Ecuadorian roses and a perfume for valentine's day, who can complain? :)

Let's take a closer look:
(from Lacoste Fragrance Online)
Top Note: Juicy White Pineapple
                Calabrian Mandarin
                Calabrian Bergamot


Heart Note: Pineapple Flower
                   Jasmine Sambac
                   Rose
                   Orange Flower

Base Note: Sandalwood
                   Vetyver
                   Vanilla
                    Peru Balsam

Eau De Lacoste comes in 3 variant, 90ml, 50ml and 30ml.
I got a very handy, fit in your purse 30ml variant, 
and I was glad that it isn't bigger because 
I'm not crazy over the smell. 
For the last month I think I've used it twice. 
And that's when I run for grocery errands. 
Sure it smells good when you smell it from the bottle, but it's staying power is just for 
2 hours and I'm smelling something generic.

Definitely for casual days, where you're not trying to impress anyone on how good you could smell, haha!
I have a habit of putting one or two sprays of perfume in my hands,
 rubbing my hands together and patting it in my neck,
this is how I sometimes measure how long the smell stay on me. 
Sadly, this one stays for a little while.

I guess I'm more of into rusty, flowery smell that I can't appreciate the simplicity of Eau De Lacoste so much.



The packaging is as simple as how it smells. 
The cap is reminiscent of a golf ball, rounded white and simple.
With this no fuss packaging and not so potent juice for fragrance, 
the price could have been lower. 
I wouldn't repurchase this perfume.


from Google stock photo

Cool actress Amy Adams, promoting the perfume.

More reviews coming!
Have a lovely day, ladies!
XO :)


Monday, March 17, 2014

Ben Nye Banana Luxury Powder



Ben Nye Banana Luxury Powder
Price: 3oz Php1050 and 1.5 oz  Php700
Available: online (Digital Traincase)


Well, if you haven't heard of Ben Nye, you need to be penalized haha!
More than a year ago, Ben Nye Banana Luxury Powder 
became an overnight sensation when 
Kim K posted her photos on Twitter and Instagram 
using the powder to highlight her face. 
Love her or hate her, we can't deny the fact that she's beautiful 
and though her make up is on the heavy side, 
it is very impressive...that perfectly contoured face.

Kim K with Ben Nye Banana Luxury Powder
(Photo Credit: Kim Kardashian)
With the posts of  Kim K's photos with Ben Nye on 
and her make up artist's mention of the product, 
women around the world went crazy and started hoarding the powder that 
online order was set to 10 bottles limit per costumer.
The make up line is Ben Nye, it is a banana colored loose powder, thus, 
Ben Nye (Bella) Banana Luxury Powder.

The packaging is no nonsense. 
It's just a simple plastic bottle with a label.


What I do is tap a little product on the cap and use a brush to apply on top of foundation or made up face to set the make up and absorb oil from the face.


I have large pores and I noticed this tend to highlight it.  
I must say though, this setting powder will make you look good on pictures. 
After all, Ben Nye products are theatrical make up.

Before I bought this bottle, I got second thought because of the mix reviews I've read. However, I've been investing on make up needs for G since she got lots of activities which require her face to be made up. So, I thought this would be a good setting powder to use on her. And I was right! Even my niece, whom I do occasional make up, noticed how good her make up look when we use the Ben Nye Luxury Powder.

Yamaha Recital (unfiltered)
Ballet Performance (unfiltered)
Chinese New Year (unfiltered)
I don't want G to get make up from a salon or anyone who'd use products I'm not sure of. 
So, I practiced doing her face and stick to a routine which is easy and would look good.
Aside from being able to take care of her skin as she is young 
for make up, this saves me a lot of cash. :) I do her hair too.

What I do is prep the face with a moisturizer, 
top it off with minimal bb cream or foundation, let dry then do the eye, face and lips, 
after then I dust the Ben Nye Banana Luxury Powder. 
It never fail to give a good made up face every time and a good photo snap register!

Talc based, just like a baby powder.
Don't be discouraged by the yellow talc color, it perfectly blend with the skin, 
almost like you never dusted it to your face. It brightens the face a little too.

I like it that it is talc base which means it does wonders to control the shine.
Not only can you use it to set the make up but it is a good concealer too!
It is finely milled, it is silky but a good primer base is important to get that flawless silky look finish.
For the price, it is a good bargain. 
You won't finish a big bottle in a short period.

What I dislike though is its container. 
I have no qualms on the plastic bottle but the holes where the talc comes out is
 just too big it tends to be messy. 
It takes a little product to dust off the whole face but because of the big holes, it is sure you'll over spill. 
However, you can do something about it, like look for a better container to transfer the powder to.

Hope this review will help you ladies.

'Til Then!
XO :)

Thursday, March 13, 2014

MAC Girl About Town

Girl About Town On Kim Kardashian

MAC Girl About Town
Price: around Php1000
Available in MAC counters: SM MOA, New Eastwood Mall, Trinoma, 

Glorietta 2, Powerplant Mall, Ayala Center Cebu
Finish: Amplified Creamy


the black bullet
      
Girl About Town (GAT) is another cult product from MAC and perhaps 
you've heard or been using this beautiful darkened fuchsia colored lippy. 
It is one of MAC's best seller. Again this is blue based. 
And we know that blue based lipstick flatter a lot. 


bright fuchsia pink swatch
GAT is part of the Amplified range, the best MAC formula for me. It is completely opaque and you could go for a swipe or 2. It perfectly hydrate my lips and  does not dry out. Even though it is creamy, I didn't have problems with feathering and bleeding. I also love love how it leaves a bright fuchsia tint on my lips after 5 hours of staying power.
This formula transfer though. When eating, I see the color transfer to my food or utensils when it touch my beautifuly colored lips. :)


a swipe of girl about town



2 swipes of girl about town
What I love about this shade is you can layer it but the color goes deep and won't go over the top. It is a bright fuchsia but doesn't come off neon like with every swipe.

GAT is my favorite to go pink shade lipstick. I could never go wrong wearing this color.

Pros:
1. Amplified finish with a creamy texture. Applies smoothly without dragging.
2. Bright blue based which flatter different complexions. An instant face brightener.
3. Long staying power of 5hours.
4. Does not dry out lips or emphasize lines.
5. Comes in the usual black bullet packaging with vanilla scent.

Cons:
None! It's one of my favorite from MAC.

Maybe you'd want a more matte pink lippy, check out the MAC Pink Pigeon.

I say this color is a must have, ladies!

'Til then :)
XO



Wednesday, March 12, 2014

DIY: Headband Holder



This headband holder  is so easy to make, it will take less than 30 minutes of your time.


Having a girl, is an entirely different story from having a boy for a child. You get so much to do and buy for little girls. Lots of girly stuff from headbands, hair clips, sunglasses, bags, shoes, dress and all those frilly, colorful stuff that scream pretty and cute!

G's headband stocked.
We got quite a selection of hair accessories, it's been my practice to scourge the downtown area and mall sales for hair accessories before the school year starts. That is June in the Philippines. So, our hair accessories easily grow in number.

To celebrate the first day of the end of classes, we just stayed home to rest and decided to do some DIY.


Materials:

1. Milk formula can or any can that could serve the purpose
     - we would want something taller but a regular formula can will do.
     - try putting the headband first on the can to test if it is just the right size,
        i.e. it would not slide down
2. Piece of cloth to wrap the can with
     -you can use anything that would catch your fancy, but a cottony one I guess is better
3. Glue gun, glue stick and scissors
4. Laces and ribbons or anything that could be used to decorate the holder.

*We have everything at home, so this project cost us nothing.


Steps:
 Doing this project is actually self explanatory, you can do it the way you prefer
but here's how I did mine:

1. Wrap the can.

 Heat the glue gun and put a glue on the wider part of the cloth.
     - I didn't start gluing from the edge as it will be folded later.


Start wrapping the can by putting glue on both lid, a little at a time. 
Putting glue a little at a time and wrapping the cloth will prevent the hot glue from drying. 
I just wrapped the can with gluing just on the lids.


Be sure to pull tight the cloth a little (but not too hard) so there will be no movement 
once the can is wrapped. Also glue the extra fabric at the bottom and inside of the can. 
       This could be a little tricky just be patient with it. 
       I didn't bother to make the bottom wrap pretty, it won't be seen, anyway. :)

 
You'll have something like this after. 
The hard part is over. To the next step.

2. Decorate the holder.

To cover the fabric where it met, I used a ribbon. 

Put glue on the ends only. Don't glue the entire ribbon.


The finished holder. You can do so much though. 
G and I just made a very simple one
I also put a purple ribbon inside the lid to cover the fabric's ends.

Now that the project's finished, put on the headband and hair clips. This is the fun part!

We put hair clips on the purple ribbon. 
This is why we glued at the ends only.

With the headbands. It's so pretty.

G was so happy that our DIY turned up pretty!

a bagful of hair bands and clips

We put it inside the can, convenient too!

G decided to put our little project on her bedside table!

Give this DIY a try lovelies, it's so easy to make.
As we still got bagful of hair accessories, I think we'll be doing one or two more holders.

Til then!
XO


Saturday, March 1, 2014

MAC Pink Pigeon

MAC Iris Apfel Collection in Pink Pigeon 



MAC PINK PIGEON
Price: around Php1000
Available in MAC counters: SM MOA, New Eastwood Mall, Trinoma, 

Glorietta 2, Powerplant Mall, Ayala Center Cebu
Finish: Matte


MAC Pink Pigeon is a part of the MAC Iris Apfel collection.

Pink Pigeon, 2nd from right.


As described, Pink Pigeon is a bright cleanest pink. 
It is blue based.
I like blue based lipstick, they certainly flatter. 
One of which I love is the limited edition MAC Pink Pigeon.
As it is limited, it is mostly out of stock in malls as they are snapped up fast especially in such a pretty color. Good thing, I got mine reserved from a trusted supplier. 
I've had Pink Pigeon for a few months now and I've been using it non stop.  
It is my 2nd favorite pink lipstick, next to Girl About Town.


It is very pigmented and 2 swipes, your lips would be screaming 'hot pink'. 
But as other MAC lipstick, it is still very flattering.
I guess, this color is best for those who are fair skinned.
Another thing I love about it is it gives different color depending on the light. 


Because it's a matte finish, it could be drying at times. BUT it doesn't drag when applied.
Because it stays for a god 5-6 hours, 
you'd be left with flaky lips 
if you don't exfoliate and moisturize your lips well.
Although it doesn't feel dry or heavy.

2 swipes and it is a pretty color like in the tube

I think this color is the brightest I got in my stash. 
It is near to Candy Yum Yum's pigment, but a notch less brighter.
So, when I'll have Candy Yum Yum, it will reign as the brightest on my lipstick collection!


1 swipe of pink pigeon on outdoor light


Pros:
1. Very pigmented. Even and vivid coverage with one application.
2. Doesn't drag when applied despite the matte finish.
3. Lasts long. Will last for hours, minimal fading, little to no retouching for hours; thus
4. Ok price for a high quality cosmetic.
5. Vanilla smell, yum!

Cons:
1. Availability as it is limited.


Til then, lovelies!
XO