Delightful Illusions

          Hey, guys! I know, I know. I have for too long, I'm sorry. Work and practicum (for Graduate School) have almost killed me, made me sick, due to a busy schedule. This is the 4th week that I'm working on weekends and I'm starting to feel lazy. Have you ever felt like that? Haha! Anyways, I will be talking about the updates of my Products I Want To Use Up in 2016 Challenge. I started this project last January; I promised that to give updates every two months. 

          Of all the project pans I have done, this is by far the successful one, even though I'm just doing this for two months. I am actually using the products involved constantly; I am determined to finish what I have started this fine. My progress will be seen on the pictures you will see in a moment. If you are interested on my update, just keep on reading. :)

          The following products are replacements for the original items included on this challenge. My IN2IT Supreme Eyeliner was accidentally broken because I dropped it last last week. I didn't feel right in claiming that I have finished it so I picked up another item. Then, the Mary Kay Mineral Cheek Color is actually gone bad; it's stiff and hard to use up. I picked another powder blush in replacement. 

Elf Studio Blush in Tickled Pink - This is the replacement for the Mary Kay blush. As you can see, I've already hit the pan; this was included on my last project pan challenge. I love this pink blush. It has glitters on it, but is barely visible on the skin. I might use this one up before the year ends. I not sure. Haha! :)

Maybelline Clear Smooth All-In-One Pressed Powder in Nude Beige - This is the replacement of the IN2IT eyeliner. I have this powder since last year and I have used a good amount of this product. This is the best powder for oily skin and it doesn't do what it claims. It's a decent powder for setting my face though. I'm quite sure that I can finish it up this year. 

          This concludes my update. I think that I'm doing a great job on this challenge this year. I'm now focused and determine to do my projects now. I'm hoping to have a greater job towards my next update. The next one will be on May, so stay tuned for that. 

           Are you doing beauty projects too? How is your experience so far? If you are interested on my next update, just follow this blog to keep you in touch. Thank you so much for taking the time to read. I'll talk to you soon. Have a great day. Stay safe. Love you all!

            Project Pan or Project 10 Pan is one of those beauty challenges going on the community for years and years. What it is? It is a beauty project where a person pick up products, mainly makeup items, that she wants to use up or hit pan. Beauty enthusiasts have created different versions and rules of the project, but the goal is to use up products and to save money by not buying makeup products on a targeted time frame. Mostly, people do it for months and months until a long year. It is really up to the person on how she will do the project.

          I started this Project Pan last year, way back in July. I was too ambitious to aim using up a lot of products which I didn't like on the first try. It was like I was forcing myself to eat a food  I hate. I have to admit, there were products included on the project that I have just thrown or given away because I cannot stand using them. I will be giving some mini reviews and show you the products I have replaced on the items I have thrown or given away. 

           My rules are still the same and I will be sticking up to them until I finish this project. Here:

 

          MAC Veluxe Pearl Eyeshadow in All That Glitters  - As you can see, I have hit pan on this rocker. Yay! I have since 2011, I have used this a million times, but I haven't hit its pan until recently. Isn't this is a big achievement in the beauty community? I mean, who hits pan on a MAC eyeshadow easily? Their quality, consistency and color pay-off is good, you don't need a lot to get a  lot. I commit myself to continue using this until it's completely gone. That's how much I adore this eyeshadow. :)

Mary Kay Mineral Eye Color in Green Olive

          The evidence is so elusive; I haven't used that much these three eye shadows the entire duration of this project. The MAC one is so glittery, it scatters on my face when I apply it. The two Mary Kay eye shadows are okay but I don't find myself reaching for them. I need to find a motivation in order to hit the pans of these eye shadows. Haha! :)

       Products I have switched (with the previous ones):

San San Age Defense Lipstick 03

 

IN2IT Supreme Waterproof Eyeliner (Black)

Mary Kay Mineral Eye Color in Sweet Pink

            I know that there's a lot of eyeshadow products included in this project, but I'm determined to hit pan on these. I plan to use up the pencils and the lipsticks, and hit pan on the blush. I hope I can achieve my goals before 2016 arrives. I don't have the biggest makeup collection, but I still have a lot compared to the average makeup users. Haha! I aim to save money and put it on my bank instead of buying so much makeup. :)

           Those are all of the products included in this ongoing challenge. I hope you are inspired to the same because it will help a lot in saving money. Haha! I'll give updates as much as I can. Busy days are fast approaching. I hope I can still blog at least once a month. I'll talk to you soon. Have a nice day. Stay safe. XOXO

          Hitting pan on a product is a makeup junkie's happiness. Collecting makeup products is easy, but using them all up is seem next to impossible. That may sound absurd but it's undeniably true. Most videos and blog posts I have seen and read related to this post are products people really love, but, in my case,  have hit pan on these products because I don't want to waste my money. I'm the type of person who buys beauty products and try to finish even if I don't like them. You cannot just throw your money all the time, that's ridiculous. Seriously. I also don't like my product to be expired without even consuming half of it. I like to get my money's worth. :) 

         Panned powder makeup products, of any kind, are the hardest to hit. These bad boys are so compact that they it takes us forever to kick with our makeup brushes until we reach the bottom. Haha! Anyways, I will talk through the products I have "kicked" and tell you some pros and cons. 

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          This warm spice blush is also from the blush trio I have mentioned above and it's the color Spice Rum.Though i'm not really quite sure if really is the Spice Rum, but it looks similar with swatches I have seen on other bloggers. I'm sorry, I forgot to look for the on the Nichido counter. Anyways, I was hesitant to use this at first because it looks scary, considering that I have really light yellow skin. Then an idea just popped into my mind as I was looking at this guy. Why not use this as some sort of contour shade because it's warm? This could suit my skintone and undertone. Well, I tried the technique and I can say that it worked. This product makes my other blushes look really good and complimentary. I use this underneath my blushes to create an illusion of contoured face structure. I do not know if this will work with other skin tones as it is really warm and orangey. Why not try it? It's not expensive. :) I have the same issues with this this blush; doesn't last long and chalky.

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        This shimmery eye base called Look At My Eyes Pearl Shadow Base is from Etude House. I have talked about this before on my August 2013 Favorites post and I still stand that this product is good on its own. Layer this with a lot of eyeshadows on top and it won't crease for extensive hours. I love how it has a creamy texture and applies like a powder in the eyes. It's luminescent, a little bit metallic and glittery. I was surprised to find out that this product takes a long time to hit pan on despite of my usage. The consistency is pretty thick though it's blendable; it could be toned down or up for intensity. The only downside to this is it's packaging; the cover doesn't lock much causing it to be opened inside my makeup bag and mess everywhere. Haha! This is a perfect eye shadow base for on-the-go ladies like me.

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       I was obsessed with this neutral brown from to-go palette of ELF which is not available anymore. This has a matte formula and is perfect for the crease. It creates dimension once I pair this with shimmery and metallic shadows. How I wish ELF would make an individual shadow of this color and in a bigger size.

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        This Maybelline To-Go Clear Smooth All In One Shine Free Cake Powder Foundation with SPF 15 in Natural (Woah, a really long name) is a so-so powder. Though it claims to have a medium coverage, it doesn't cover much. It doesn't last long either with or without a primer. It says that it controls oil but it isn't; an hour later I have already an oily face. I think this would be nice for touch-ups and not for foundation. The only good things about this are: 1.) it's matte with silky texture and 2.) it smells a little bit sweet. If you are interested, you can find this at Watson's, SM Department Stores and Robinson's Supermarket. 

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          Another blush from Nichido! Haha! The major reason why I have hit pan on this is that this was my 2nd blush that I purchased when I was just starting with makeup. I have used this a lot during my college days (5 years ago) Haha! By the way, this blush powder is called Passionate Red, also from True Colors Collection. This is a nice blush, gives me a rosy cheeks and is pigmented. All of the Nichido Powder Blushes are in fact pigmented. An individual blush retails for Php 88. 

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         I loved this 2-Way Cake Powder Foundation from Ever Bilena in Natural. It has a medium coverage, it isn't cakey and lasts all throughout the day even without a primer. The oil may come up but the products still stick on my face. The downside to this product is the mirror it came with; it fell and broke. I was on verge on finishing this product when it suddenly slipped on my hands and fell on the ground. It cracked and was broken apart. ;( So sad! Haha! You can fin this at Watson's, SM Department Stores and Grocery. 

         Ola! :) Today's post is about this Etude House's Mango Essential Mask; my initial impressions, experiences and judgement if I recommend this or not. A lot of us loves sheet masks and I jumped into the bandwagon. So here I am, giving you my thoughts on this particular mask. :) 

        Upon reading the information at the back (at least there's English words), my attention got caught. I thought that this was interesting to try and see what will this do to my skin. I have to admit that I don't use a lot of masks because they make my skin moist after using, which I don't like because I have oily skin. 

         I was surprised to find out that Etude House already puts an English translation of their product's information at the back. I found it really useful because that served as my basis; if the product suits my skin's needs. I was impressed at the packaging as well. Good job, Etude! The packaging is of nice quality as well. 

         My skin looked like this after taking a bath. Please don't mind the shower cap on my head, I was doing a hot oil treatment on my hair. Haha! I have lots of blemishes on my face. See that white spot on the left side? That can only be removed by laser according to the derma clinic I had a facial before. After using a facial scrub, my skin felt tight and drying. 

         The first thought I had when I put the mask sheet on my face was: "Oh! This is a heating mask! And the mango extract smells so sweet!" Yeah, this is a heating mask. It's quite heavy on face, I felt the moisture on my skin. But, the most amazing thing about this mask sheet was that it instantly removed my white head below my left eye. I was so amazed! Oh my goodness! I was rubbing the extract under my eyes and the white head just came off. 

         Upon removing the mask, massaged my face, and washed off, my skin felt so soft. I felt the moisture stayed on my skin. But, I was really happy that my white head was gone. A one genuine happy smile! Haha!:)

       Yes, I will definitely recommend trying this product. Though people with oily skin should rethink before buying because this feels heavy. Yeah, really heavy. Anyways, It's an overall good sheet mask. :)

          I hope you find this post informational and helpful. Please let me know your thoughts if you have tried this product. If you have any requests, just leave a comment down below. I'll  talk to you soon. Have a nice day. Stay safe. Love you all!  XOXO

              Happy Valentine's, my lovely readers and guests! How did you day went on? Mine was really great. :) Today, I am posting about my very first "First Impressions Review". My aim for 2015 is to do more reviews on beauty products to share my thoughts on blogosphere. If you are interested on this post, keep on reading. :)

               Beauty mask sheet is not a usual part of my skincare routine. In fact, I don't think that I have a concrete skincare routine. Yes, I admit that. The only products on my face are cleansers, scrubs and toners. I don't use creams because they make my face feel heavy and sticky, considering that I have only skin. I was kind of neglecting the needs of my skin, which resulted to a flaky and at the same time greasy skin. 

           Going back to December, me and my cousin were strolling inside SM North Edsa and I remembered that Etude House had 30% off on all their items nationwide. I was planning to get some makeup items but all of the products I wanted were sold out. I was too shy not to get anything because the sales lady was following me. Haha! So, I picked up 4 of their masks and I will be reviewing them one by one. The first mask I tried was this I Need You Bamboo Mask. 

Before:

              My skin was flaky and feels dry because of the cold weather experienced by Philippines during the month of January. It looks worse than the picture. I took this before taking a bath so that you could really see the condition of my face. 

Putting it on:

           *Please excuse the wrong position. I was new to this. Haha! #awkward :D

           Upon putting it on my face, it gave a cooling sensation. It's like putting bits of ice on your face in a good way. The extract has a thick consistency but doesn't feel heavy on the skin. The smells is nice. 

After: 

              After 10 minutes of soaking it, I removed the mask. I massaged the remaining extract on my face so my skin could suck it. Then I washed my face to remove the residue. My skin felt clean and smooth; the oil on my skin was completely gone. I was happy even more because my skin was oil-free for a couple of hours. 

Overall Evaluation:

             This mask sheet is a must-try and is suitable for all skin types. What's good about this is that it has natural ingredients which is good for the skin. I would love to use this again. This is only Php 58. So affordable!

Overall Rating:

              4/5

            How did my post go? Do you want more first impressions review? Please let me know. You are always welcome to leave a comment. Thank you so much for stopping by. Have a great day ahead! XOXO

          Oh my goodness, this next products is unbelievable. I never liked a cream-based eye shadows before, but this eye base from Etude House is the bomb. This is the Look At My Eyes Pearl Shadow Base from their Look At collection. This does not make my eyes crease even without a primer for hours. It's creamy at first but when applied to the lids, it dries in a powder form. It makes my shadows pop. I wanna buy more of these! 

          Honestly, I have doubts with Ever Bilena products because of their origin. They were made from China and as you know, beauty products from the country are most often toxic because of some harmful ingredients. Plus the quality of their stuff are so-so. Last July, I attempted to do the $20 Makeup Look Challenge but I failed because my bill was almost $30. I opted for EB products together with Careline Cosmetics because they're the cheapest in my local Watsons. These shadows have a sheer to medium opacity. I love this palette because I can create various looks and can tone down or up the colors, depending on my mood. It lasts for hours as long as I use an eye primer. 

          The next two products are lippies, one is the Glam Works Cheek and Lip Tint in Strawberry Red  and the other is the Beauty Rush Colorshine Gloss in Wonder Melon. This combo is superb, it matches at some various eye looks that I wear. The tint does not stay for a long time, maybe for an hour or two. The gloss has specks of  gold glitter but when applied to the lips, they vanish. It tones down the redness of the tint.

This is what combination looks like. It's more subtle when I apply it on my lips.

Hair

         The easiest way to style a short hair? Headbands! This month, I used this braid headband which I bought from a local store. I will feature it soon. I've used this at some occasions and looked so pretty.  I love how realistic the hair look like when I put it on and how it blends on my hair color. Unfortunately, I don't have a picture for the hairstyle. But I have a closeup picture of me wearing the band. I hope you can see it.

Fragrance

          Okay, I cannot say enough with this Marc Jacobs Eau So Fresh Toilette (4mL). It's fruity and girly, lighter than the original Daisy. I bought this in a gift set, including another Daisy Toilette and perfumes Dot and Oh, Lola! This is my favorite scent of them all. I'm usually obsessed sweet smelling fragrances but this one captured my nostrils. It's not sweet, but it's charming and isn't overwhelming. Perfect for day dates.

Publications

        I'm an avid fan of Harry Potter ever since. I watched all of the movies but I haven't read any of the books. To widen my understanding about HP, I purchased the first two books. As I read further, my obsession with HP grows. The books were written comprehensively, Ms. Rowling used simple words which an advantage for the series' million readers. These books also helped me in Pottermore.

          I have found the perfect magazine for my age. It's Meg! I've been a reader of an another magazine but it's so too teenager-ish so I checked this magazine. I was shocked when I found out that Bianca Gonzales is the editor-in-chief of this mag. This is packed with load of information about, life, relationships, beauty and more. I love how broad their topics are, and less ads. I'm doing the big switch. :) P.S. Maja Salvador looks so fab in this cover.

      So, those are my favorites for August. Please let me know if you want a detailed review in any of the products mentioned and also your product recommendations. I love interacting with my readers. :D Also, if you are interested in my mini giveaway, you can enter here: Mini Giveaway. Talk to you soon. Have a nice day! XOXO