The Real Deal on Nars Laguna

Nars Laguna Bronzer

just a hype or totally my type?

I gave in to the hype last January. The bronzer I was using had already hit pan & I was just dying to buy another one. So I thought, Might as well be Laguna since I've never tried the brand before.

It comes in the signature rubbery black casing w/c i love. It gets dirty really fast, though. So I don't even bother trying to clean it because it would just dirty up again the next time I use it.

Comes w/ a plastic insert you can use to protect your mirror from the mess.
The applicator is totally useless but has "NARS" embossed on it so you might wanna keep it.

After 3 months of everyday use, I've already hit pan. This is what it looks like now.
Makes me want to buy a new one so I could have a pretty one again.

Okay, I won't lie: I didn't like it the first time I've used it. It took some effort to get the product off of the pan & the color barely showed up on me at all! So I thought, This is it? This is the product everyone's been raving about?

But I gave it another chance.

After using it for some time, it became easier to swipe off the color from the pan. Maybe it just has a hard outer coating that had to be broken into?

See how brown & beautiful Laguna is?
Glow Fusion is too orange & Pout is more of a highlight color.

But check this out: it contains green pigments!
(Chromium Oxide Greens, Chromium Hydroxide Green, Ultra-Marines)

This is my face w/o Laguna.
I have non-existent cheekbones & pasty skin.

& this is with! It's like photoshop-ing cheekbones onto my face in real life.
I love how it's more pigment than shimmer -- great for contouring.

I use a regular blush brush for this & just blend out the edges using a flat top brush. I don't recommend this for all over the face since the color is too concentrated.

My only complaint about this is that I need to swipe on the product at least thrice on each cheek before I get the desired amount of color! So Laguna would probably be best used by fair-skinned girls. & guys.

Has anyone tried Casino? I would love to try that one out next :D

Beautiful Editorials & Where I Blog

Free Bridal Magazine
& a gorgeous one at that

For every purchase of this month's issue of local fashion magazine Preview.

I've been buying Preview ever since third year high school even if the current issue is ugly. Not that they ever are, but I hate swimsuit specials because I'm not a fan of half-naked, fake-bronzed women.

This month features Barbie's 50th Anniversary. Could've been a That's Hot issue, but no, Marian Rivera had to [dis]grace the cover page w/ her super amateur posing. She is so not a "living doll,"as Preview puts it, & most definitely not a Barbie one.

Love how the colored specs clash but enhance the makeup at the same time.

***

Black Sheep Sale Alert!
Basic tank tops down to P150/each

The gray used to be P399 & the one w/ pink used to be P199. There are a lot more styles & colors. I don't know if they are only on sale at SM North Annex, though.

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Where I Blog
tagged by Abby & Nehs

1. Post a picture of where you blog.
2. Feel free to tell us a little about your space or explain certain items in detail. Or not.
3. Link back to the tagger's original post.
4. Tag five other bloggers to show their blogspot.

Thanks for tagging me, girls! If you hadn't, I'd never have cleaned my desk! HAHA.

A close-up of my colorful bulletin board.

That's a My Chemical Romance CD from my emo days -- I couldn't find the case.

What are you wearing right now?
a long, floral dress-turned-housedress

What's the last thing you've read / are currently reading?
the newspaper

Do you nap a lot?
I don't nap. I think sleeping is a waste of time :D

Who was the last person you hugged?
my high school friends

What's your current obsession / addiction?
finding good (& cheap) cardigans & tank tops, wanting a Nikon camera

What's for dinner?
it's only 2:58 PM :D

What was the last thing you bought?
2 tank tops on sale

What are you listening to right now?
LADY GAGA LADY GAGA

If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
teleportation

What is your favorite weather & why?
cool & cloudy so I wouldn't sweat

What time do you usually wake up?
7 AM. It's insane.

What is your most challenging goal right now?
saving up

Say something to the person who tagged you.

Abby: I DIDN'T KNOW YOU WERE ALSO A COLLEGE JUNIOR. So, hi :D I used to bake back in high school, but I got bored eventually. Parang same lang lahat e: cream the butter & sugar, mix the dry ingredients into the wet alalala. Good luck w/ wanting high grades, girl! Ako rin!

Nehs: I LOVE YOUR MAKEUP LOOKS, GIRL :D Thanks for being so nice to me.

If you could have a house anywhere in the world totally paid for & fully-furnished, where would it be?
Tuscany! Seems so rustic & laidback. Or New York. Lulz, opposites.

Favorite vacation spot?
The nearest one -- the mall :D

Favorite item of clothing?
shorts shorts shorts

Favorite pair of shoes you keep going back to even though your closet is overflowing w/ a zillion others
Any pair of slippers in the house. Because mine's not overflowing, sorry.

Name one thing you can't live w/o
Contact lenses. I'm blind.

Where would you want to wake up tomorrow morning?
my bed at home :D

& now I tag:

Chrissy
Crystal
Gia
Hana
Sian

Mickey Mouse Glasses & Tag!

New Mickey Mouse Glasses
because Hello Kitty is so over

Not really. I still love the pretty kitty. It just so happened that these glasses are the cutest ones I've found in the store. I wear contacts outside, but glasses at home. You just have to give your eyes a break, you know?

I love how it's oversized like a pair of sunglasses!
It complements my prominent jaw pretty well.

Can you spot the hidden Mickey?

***

My First Tag! :D
tagged by the lovely Louise

Include the award logo in your blog or post.
Nominate as many blogs as you like.
Be sure to link the nominees.
Let them know they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
Share the love & link to this post & to the person from whom you've received your award.

I tag!:
Chrissy
Gia
Hana
Leslie
Martha
Shen
Shayna

2 Lipsticks & a Comb (Haul/Review)

Goody Ouchless Detangling Comb
the comb w/c made me buy the 2 lippies along w/ it

I've been using this comb ever since I had my hair permed last November. But recently, I found two of its teeth on both ends had come off, leaving me w/ an ugly comb thing. Is my hair that hard to actually be able to destroy plastic? HAHA! You should've seen how funny it looked. But I lost it anyway so I just bought a new one.

I love how this doesn't give me falling hair. A definite HG for me!
Costs P290 ($6) where Goody products are sold.

Ever Bilena Matte Lipstick
because I was too cheap to buy MAC Myth

In an effort to save up the remains of my summer money (it's back-to-school season in the Philippines), I bought 2 of Ever Bilena's Matte Lipstick in L: Mauvey & R: Skin instead of Myth. I read that Revlon's Nude Attitude was a great dupe but when I swatched it, I was like, "No way, this is nude?" It was way too peachy-beige for my pale lips.

What it reads on the box:

Pure impact. Pure luxury. Ultra Matte Finish! The only Matte lipstick that makes your lips stays supple and smooth. Delicately scented in al long-wearing formula that accentuates and pampers your lips. Incredibly luxurious, with Vitamin E that gives your lips the natural moisture.

I LOL'd at "that makes your lips stays" & "in al long-wearing." Bad grammar, but whatever.

I moisturized my lips w/ Lip Smacker prior to swiping on the lippie.

I was skeptical about "pampers your lips" & "natural moisture" -- a matte is still a matte.

This is what Mauvey looks on me.
Looks like my lips, only better & a tinge pinker from afar.

"Supple & smooth," huh? Check out those fine lines & chapped bits.
My lips were in good condition even before the Lip Smacker!

& then Skin.
Barely any noticeable difference, but this one's got a beige undertone.

My lips are in better condition here -- I swiped on the balm real thick.
Kinda defeats the purpose of a matte, doesn't it?

Comparing their texture alongside MAC Viva Glam III, also a matte.
As you can see, MAC is far richer & more pigmented.

As for longevity, my Ever Bilena swatches faded after a few minutes.
The MAC remained a deep berry stain even AFTER washing my arm w/ liquid soap.


Before I forget: check out that color cube ^^^

A FUCKING TESTER ON THE CAP OF THE LIPPIE! No kidding. The SA popped it right off of a fresh tube, saying that it's a tester. In short, these lipsticks I've bought might already have their "testers" dipped by nasty fingers. Gross, right? I would've tossed them out right away but the lipstick tubes look better w/ them on.

What do you girls think?

Overall, for P125 ($2) each, these lippies are good enough for everyday wear. Just pile on the balm & make sure to check your lips before leaving the house.