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.

***

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.

My First FOTD & lulz :D

My First FOTD! :D
w/c my camera totally washed out

Hey, girls! Okay, so I have a question: How do you make your camera capture the makeup you have on as true to its color & vibrancy in real life? I'm using a Sony Cyber-Shot T7 & I'm not really sure w/c setting it has to be on. If anyone could tell me, I'd really be grateful!

Face Products:

Cinema Secrets Concealer
Maybelline Clear Smooth Minerals
Glow Fusion Intuitive Active Bronzer

Yep, I've used the Maybelline Clear Smooth Minerals Foundation. A lot of you have requested for me to make a review on it from the last post & I'd love to do so! Just give me, say, 2 weeks to road test the product under different (weather / environmental) conditions.

I have an oily, acne-prone, sensitive skin if anyone's interested. Quite a combination, huh?

Careline Glamour Eyes in Soft Earth all over the lid as a base. Prestige Waterproof Eyeliner in Star on the tear duct & below the brow bone. Jordana Almond e/s on the inner 1/3 of the lid. Smashbox e/s in Smashing Jpeg on the middle lid. Jordana Navy e/s on the outer lid. The Face Shop e/s in WH001 topped w/ The Body Shop Shimmer Buds e/s in Golden Dandelion as highlight. Same colors were used on the lower lashline.

The Body Shop Eye Definer in Black. Maybelline Volum' Express Hypercurl in Very Black.

This shot is miraculously clear but it didn't quite capture the navy on the outer lid.
Ew, there's a speck of e/s on my contacts! HAHA.

A final look at the look!
I'm using Smashbox Lip Enchancing Gloss in Pout, by the way.

& another pic just for lulz.
Den & me eating some sorta [washed out] fruit salad tarts yesterday.

I'D BE DEADZ FUR REALZ IF THEY FOUND OUT I POSTED THIS LULZ!11!!1!
Den, Me, Erika. Just bumming it out. So unflattering.

& I mean reaaally bumming. & unflattering (HAHA!)

Check out the huge siopao (meat bun) Erika's Mom had!


& that is all. I hope we didn't scare you. Love you. Bye.

Thursday Haul & More (Makeup, Jeans)

The Thursday Incident & a Haul

Featuring Leslie & myself

Our Thursday was divided into two parts: The Good & The Bad.

The Good
& I mean really good

I love shorts so I only have 2 pairs of jeans w/c I regularly wear: a dark one & a black one, both skinnies from Lee. As much as I'd like to buy The Shorts (ripped, bleached-white w/ tie-dye detailing & colorful plaid inside pockets) from Zara, I couldn't because I needed dress code clothes for school. Thus began my search for The Jeans.

I finally found it Thursday last week after realizing that I was sick of Lee & that Zara's jeans were way too long for me.

Enter CPS Chaps (Level 1, Trinoma), a hip & trendy boutique from Thailand. The second I stepped in, I felt that I have come face-to-face w/ The Jeans. I would have gotten it right there & then but it did have a hefty price tag. Good thing the SA told me they were having a sale on the 28th (yesterday).

After a week of waiting & wanting, I finally got my hands on it.

This gorgeously distressed pair originally costs P3195 ($64) but at 20% off, I got it for P2565 ($51). Not exactly a sale price. But for its kind, it's worth it. I love the worn-out look.

Check out the hot detailing! Totally to-die-for.

Makeup-related, I got the Maybelline Clear Smooth Minerals Foundation (P599/$12) since I've been wanting to try it out.

Now a lot of Filipina beauty bloggers have been going to this store called USA 99 at Farmer's Plaza for makeup like LA Colors & Jordana. So after asking Chrissy where it is exactly, I decided to give it a shot.

I got this matte Jordana duo in Almond/Navy for only P99.99 or basically, P100 ($2).

The "Navy" is a pretty navy in the pan but when swatched, turns into a dull black.
The "Almond" is actually a nice all-over lid color.

The Bad
& I mean really bad

Really, really bad things about this USA 99 store. As in, really:

1. The SA was watching me from super, super close while I was looking at the makeup. Think Beauty Bar SAs, only closer. Probably a face-to-face distance of around 6-inches. Hello, personal space.

2. I crouched down to look at the nail polishes. The SA ALSO crouched down at the nail polishes. Fucking disturbing.

3. When you pay, they give you this receipt & another receipt w/c they slip into your plastic bag. Upon leaving, this lady guard shoves her wood-poker thing into it to get the "another receipt." WHY DIDN'T THE CASHIER JUST GIVE IT TO HER IN THE FIRST PLACE?

4. No testers.


Despite all these, Leslie & I came back since I swatched the first duo I bought & found it good enough.


Here comes the worst part of it all, in order of how it happened:


1. We were told to leave our paper bags behind the counter for "their safety" but we thought about the crazy SAs who will probably poke through our stuff. So we didn't.

2. I was picking out Jordana shadows while holding my paperbag as far back as possible so they wouldn't suspect me of stealing. Ugh.

3. Because of this I dropped an e/s duo. & it clattered on the floor. & the stupid SAs who were chatting at the counter stopped chatting & were all like whoa omg she didn't.


4. Then this super ugly lesbo snatched from me the e/s I picked up on the floor & said in that lesbo voice of hers that it was already considered sold. Apparently, I broke the fucking thing.

5. So I stared at her & was like OK but then SHE CONTINUED STANDING THERE STARING STERNLY AT ME. Ok, so I broke it, I'll pay. BUT CAN'T I CONTINUE MY SHOPPING?

6. I decided it wasn't worth it & just paid the damned thing.

7. The cashier dude was amazed by the damned thing & shook it before punching it in. Wow, thanks.

8.. This time, the lady guard, apart from her usual wood-pokerthing-shoving-for-the-receipt act, also violently poked through our bags & paperbags. I cannot stress roughly & violently enough. WE FELT SO DAMNED HARASSED & VIOLATED. Breaking something does not make me a criminal because I didn't do it on purpose.

USA 99 in Farmer's Market = Bad Service = Fail

Totally not worth the harassment unless you're willing to go through it for the cheap makeup.

Such a painful sight. I just wanted to throw it out.

But that would be a waste so I decided to just clean it up.

There we go.

This duo is actually very pretty.

Too bad the service is very ugly :/