... Okay. Please don't
kill me. I know I haven't posted anything since last year. I'M SORRY.
...okay. Actually, maybe
you can kill me because I'm pretty ashamed of it myself. I have no excuse other
than I'm just a lazy, lazy sod. I'M SORRY (again). Hopefully, this will make up
for it?
Anyway, this post is
going to be about my makeup favorites. Since I haven't posted for a while, I
thought that I'd do something that you guys have been requesting for a long
time. You guys ask me all the time what products I use on a regular basis. And
I've finally listed them down for you. Some of them I've been using for ages
and I can't live without. This is gonna be a list of my all-time favorite
makeup products + a mini review of all of them.
Primer
First up is the Benefit the Porefessional primer. Now, this one
is a bit higher end, so it's on the expensive side, but to me, it's totally
worth the money. I've been using this tube for ages, so a little goes a very
long way. I definitely see the difference when I have this on under my makeup.
It keeps my (really oily) skin matte for longer, it helps my makeup stay on,
and it minimizes the appearance of pores. When I don't have it on, my face just
gets so much oilier and my makeup doesn't last as long. So, if you have oily skin
like me and makeup doesn't stay on your face and you want to save up and
splurge on something higher end, definitely give this a try. Or have someone
give it to you as a gift! ;)
Foundation
Okay, so, I have three
foundations to tell you about, which is a bit much, I know - but I do love all
three and I use them alternatingly.
 |
when worn: NARS Sheer Glow
+ Wet 'n Wild Megalast Lip Color in Bare It All
+ IN2IT Brow Pencil and Powder
+ Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer
+ Maybelline Gel Liner |
The first one I'm going
to tell you about is probably my all-time favorite foundation; it's the Nars Sheer Glow Foundation in Gobi. This one
is quite high end and quite expensive, just a little disclaimer. This is
probably the most expensive thing in my makeup collection, but my love for it
knows no bounds. As I've said before, I have oily skin, but I do hate matte
foundations. They look cakey and patchy on me and I just don't like matte
finishes, I think they make skin look flat and dull, so I tend to go for a more
glowy foundation. The Nars Sheer Glow isn't a super dewy finish,
which I love, because as much as I love a glowy finish, I don't really want
that overly-shiny-almost-greasy look. It has a satin finish, just the right
amount of glow that makes skin look healthy and nice. And it looks like skin.
It has a medium to heavy coverage depending on how you build it up, but I tend
to go for a lighter coverage. I don't really like to pack this on my face, I
like the look of it when I just put a thin layer on because it looks so natural
and skin-like. This also lasts ages on me which I don't really expect with
non-matte foundations, but it does. Since it is quite expensive though, I don't
really use it every day. More on special occasions or just days where I need
more of a pick-me-up. I always say, though, if you're gonna splurge on
something, splurge on foundation. You can always find really good
drugstore/cheaper dupes for other makeup products but foundation, I think, is
just something to splurge on if you want a really good one. I bought mine
from @as_cebu (on Instagram) because it's super hard to find my shade in Nars outlets,
they're always out of stock, so I decided to special order mine online since
they were taking so long to restock.
 |
when worn: Revlon Colorstay
+ NYX Lip Lingerie in Push Up |
Next up is another
favorite of mine, the Revlon Colorstay Foundation in 150 Buff. This
one is a lot cheaper than Nars.
They're not similar, but if you want something less expensive but still good, Revlon is a good one to
pick up. Some people say that this is a matte finish on them, but I don't
really get that with this. It's more matte than the Nars one but it's not completely matte, it still
has a glow to it. This one is heavier on the skin, not as light as Sheer
Glow and it definitely looks like you have something on your face. It
doesn't have as natural or flawless a finish but it's not bad at all. The
staying power of this is incredible. I don't wear this one every
day either because it is a little bit heavier on the skin, but I tend to wear
it when I know I've got somewhere to be that I need my makeup to stay.
Like when I know I'll be sweating or there'll be some... challenges for my makeup
like going to a music festival, a concert, a shoot, stuff like that. Or if you
even want to do one of those waterproof makeup challenges. I did a
pool/swimming shoot wearing this and it did not budge at all. Me being a shorty
as well, when I hug people, my face goes on their chest most of the time so if
you don't want your foundation rubbing off on their shirt, this one has no
transfer. Which is awesome.
The third foundation I'm
gonna be talking about isn't really a foundation. It's the FACEit Aura CC (Color Control) Cream in 01.
This one is a bit more expensive than Colorstay
but less expensive than Sheer Glow.
This one is more for everyday use. It's the dewiest finish out of the three
because it is a Korean brand and we all know Koreans love their dewy
foundations. This one doesn't last as long as the other two on me because
really, it's not meant to. It's a CC cream so you can't really expect it to act
like a foundation. It's light coverage if you put a thin layer on but you can
build it up to a full coverage which is actually really surprising since it's
supposed to be a light coverage CC cream. I do have to put primer on under this
and a lot of powder on top because it is so dewy that I tend to look like I can
fry an egg on my face if I don't. There are a few things I don't like about it
like; the color's not the best on me - it's a bit pink, I do like the finish
though I wish it didn't look so shiny on me but that's just because I have oily
skin, the staying power is good but it gets cakey and greasy if you don't touch
up with powder for a long while, and the cream itself is a bit sticky, but it's
probably the best CC/BB cream I've tried so far and it's fine for everyday use.
Concealer
I have two things to put
on here, but the first one I'm going to be talking about is the Collection Lasting Perfection concealer in 1 Fair.
This is a drugstore brand so it is super cheap but it's
probably my favorite concealer. The coverage is amazing. A little goes a very
long way so don't put too much on or it'll get a bit cakey, however, if you put
just the right amount on and blend it, the coverage and finish is really nice.
It also stays on for ages and doesn't move around. It's great if you want to
hide a spot or brighten and cover up your undereye circles. It's an amazing
concealer and it's so inexpensive as well! The one con about this concealer,
however, is the availability. I used to be able to buy this in Mercury
Drug outlets, the Ramp, and Trinoma, but after a
while, when I ran out and went to get some more, their stores just randomly
disappeared. I went as far as emailing Collection because I kept looking for other
branches and I just couldn't find any. It turns out, they've pulled out all
their Collection branches
here. However, they said there was going to be a sale on CashCashPinoy for a
brief amount of time so I stocked up on the concealer while I could.
Unfortunately, though, I have no idea how I'm gonna get another one once I run
out.
The next concealer
favorite is a classic, but a lot more expensive than the Collection one. It's
the MAC Studio Fix concealer in NC20. This one
is easier to find obviously, just go to a MAC store and they'll have it. The finish on
this is great, less matte than Collection and
the lasting power isn't as good but it's not bad at all. I mean, it is MAC. The color is
also a perfect match for me because MAC just
excels at color-matching. But we all knew that. This also lasts ages. One pot
has lasted me so long, so it's definitely worth the money. I've had this for a
long time now, and I haven't even hit pan.
Powder
I have two powder
favorites for you. The first one is a classic and you either love it or hate
it; it's the MAC Studio Fix Powder Foundation in NC20.
Now, I say that you either love it or hate it because I have had tons of
friends that didn't like this powder at all, but also a lot of friends who swear by
this powder. I, myself, love this powder, however. Yes, it is a heavy coverage
powder but I don't really like to use a lot of it. I just dip my brush in once
and dust it all over my face and I'm done. You can build it up, of course, but
I prefer to keep it lighter. I know some people hate that it's so heavy on the
face, but I don't really get that if I just put a thin layer on. It's MAC so it
is high-end and bit expensive, but again, it lasts ages. I did hit pan on
mine already but I bought this a long time ago, and I use it almost every day
so it's definitely worth the money.
The second powder I have
for you is gonna be a bit of a weird choice. It's the Pigeon Baby
Powder Compact or whatever it's called. I can't really tell because all it
says on the compact is Pigeon and then it's all in Japanese.
This is just a translucent, white powder (like baby powder) pressed in a
compact. For days I don't really want much coverage, this is the powder I use
because it's super light but it keeps my face matte for longer. I tend to use
it with the CC cream, because that
stuff gets super greasy on me and this powder does a lot to prevent that. This
is actually better than MAC at
keeping my face matte. I don't really know how much this costs because it was
gifted to me but I would imagine it's inexpensive because it's Pigeon.
Brows
I have two brow products
I use on a regular basis. Sometimes, I alternate them and other times, I use
them together. Both are inexpensive and from the same brand. The first one is IN2IT's brow pencil in EBT 02 Dark Brown. I'll be honest, I bought this
because I needed a brow pencil and while I was browsing through the beauty
section, this was the first one that was offered to me. I bought it, and I have
to say, now that I've been using it while, it actually a good brow pencil. The
tip part is soft enough to give a lot of pigment so I tend to apply it with a
really light hand so I don't get really intense, crazy-looking, drawn-on
eyebrows. It's not waxy like other brow pencils I've tried before, so the
product glides on easily. It stays on really well, too. I used to use this on
its own for a while but now I use it just to outline my brow shape and fill in
my brows with powder.
My other brow favorite is IN2IT's waterproof brow
colour in ER 01 eyebrowns. It has three colors in it: a really light brown
that's good for people with light or even blonde hair, a reddish brown, and a
really dark ashy brown. I like to mix the light brown and the dark brown for my
brows. If I feel like getting my brows really on fleek, I use
the pencil to outline them first and use this to fill them in. If I don't
really feel like doing too much to my brows, I just use this on its own. The
lasting power of this is also quite good and surprisingly, it is waterproof! I
know it actually says it's supposed to be waterproof, but I've just never
encountered a powder product that's actually waterproof, but this does a good
job staying on even while swimming.
Eyeliner
My fav eyeliner so far
has been the Maybelline Gel Liner in Black. Surprisingly, it
works better than any high-end waterproof eyeliner I've tried. They all seem to
smudge on me and at the end of the day, I look like a panda or like I've had no
sleep. Which is a bit crappy because I payed a lot more money for those
high-end ones I tried first. I bought the Maybelline one for
half the price and it does a way better job of staying on where I actually put
it even if I'm sweating or my eyes water a bit. And yes, if you cry, it still
stays on!
Blush
I'll admit, I'm not that
picky with blushes nor have I bought and tried many. I mostly just used a lip
and cheek tint and one powder blush. The powder blush I use is the BH Cosmetics Blush Duo in Daisy. It has a matte,
neutral pink blush and a gold, champagne-y highlighter in the palette that you
can use separately or together to create a shimmery blush color. I love the
blush, it's the perfect color for my skin tone, and it gives a healthy flush to
my cheeks that looks really natural. I love matte blushes so I like using it on
its own. I use the highlighter just on the top of my cheekbones. I don't use
highlighter much because I do have oily skin and that in itself is like a
natural highlight, but I do use it on special occasions where I want my
highlight to look nice in photos. The staying power of this blush is good. It
wears away a bit but it's still there at the end of the day. It also got a
little bit hard after a while so I had to get a really dense brush in there to
get the pigment but then again, I have had it for ages so that's
understandable. I got mine as a gift from @vivastyleph (on Instagram) and I've
used it for my every day makeup ever since!
My lip and cheek tint
fav has just recently run out but it's the Ever Bilena Lip
and Cheek Tint. It's super cheap but so far, this is my favorite lip and
cheek tint. I used to use the The
Body Shop one but I liked this one better because of the
color. It's a red-orangey tint that I think looks best on me, I don't really
like the purple-y red tints on me. The staying power isn't that good, I do have
to reapply once or twice during the day, but I don't really mind that. I'm
hoping to try that organic lip and cheek tint everyone's been raving about! So
I might have a new lip and cheek tint fav soon!
Mascara
I have one mascara fav
that is also my Holy Grail mascara so far; that's the Maybelline the
Falsies Volume Express Waterproof Mascara in Black. Again, I've tried a lot
of high-end waterproof mascaras before this, but I guess Maybelline jut does
waterproof the best. I wear this for shoots and tapings and I can cry (like a
lot) without this smudging and running at all. This also gives my lashes a lot
of volume and length which I love because my lashes are
basically nonexistent, but this makes them look awesome. Once I run out, I
might try the Maybelline Lash Sensational since it's been getting
so many good reviews, but the Falsies
is definitely my Holy Grail mascara so far.
Lipstick
 |
when worn: NYX Lip Lingerie in Push Up
+ IN2IT Brow Pencil and Powder
+ Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer |
Lipstick, oh lipstick. I
have a few favorite lipsticks and I'm gonna tell you all about them. The first
one is a recent find but it has quickly become my every day lipstick and my
favorite. It's the NYX Lip Lingerie in Push Up. I have another
fav lipstick which I'll tell you more about later that's just the perfect nude
for me, in my opinion, and this is like, the liquid lipstick version of it.
Although it is called a liquid lipstick, the consistency is a bit more like a
mousse. The staying power is awesome, it doesn't smudge or budge at all when
it's dry. It does wear away a bit on the inside of the lip with oily foods but
then again, I've never encountered a lipstick that survived oily food. I do
wish the wand could've been a bit better (shorter, fluffier), but so far, this
has been my go-to lipstick every day. I got mine as a gift from @the_coralreef
(on Instagram) and I've loved it ever since.
 |
| when worn: Wet 'n Wild Megalast Lip Color in Bare It All |
Okay, the other fav
lipstick I was talking about before is the Wet 'n Wild Megalast
Lip Color in Bare It All. This is the normal lipstick version of the NYX Lip Lingerie, basically. I've been using
this one for ages and it's also the one I use for shoots or tapings where they
require a really natural, no-makeup, makeup look. The staying power isn't as
good as MAC or
liquid lipsticks, obviously, but the color and consistency is just really
lovely and it's also super cheap. Both Push Up and Bare It All
have the same peach-y, brown-y, pink-y nude. That's the best I can describe it,
and I think it's just the best nude for my skin tone since I'm really pale and
I tend to look dead with a lot of nude colors. I bought mine from an
online shop that doesn't sell anymore (it's even cheaper online!) but you can
definitely find this in Wet 'n
Wild outlets really easily.
 |
when worn: Colourpop Ultra Matte Liquid Lipstick in Midi
+ FACEit Aura CC Cream |
The next one is another
nude (can you tell I love nude?), and it's the Colourpop Ultra
Matte Liquid Lipstick in Midi. I got this without actually swatching or
trying it on because there were no testers and obviously, I wasn't allowed to
swatch the sealed ones, so I just Googled the swatches and decided that okay, I
can work with that and got it anyway. The first time I tried it on, I was a bit
horrified. I looked dead. I was disappointed as well because I had
wanted a Colourpop lipstick
for a while and the first one I got was completely the wrong color. Or so I
thought. It took a couple of tries and a couple of different techniques, but I
finally managed to make it look nice on me. Midi
is a really picky color so definitely swatch and test it on your lips before
buying it, but I found out that if I put some Chapstick on before and apply it in a thin
layer, it actually looks quite good! Midi is a very pale nude pink with a blue
undertone, so you can understand why it's a bit of a picky color in terms of
skin tone. Once I managed to make it look good though, it actually became one
of my all-time fav lipsticks. It's not an everyday shade, but I do wear it to
parties and other special occasions where I have a bit of a smokey eye. It goes
particularly well with a brown smokey eye! I got mine as a gift from Uniqube at
the University Mall in Taft, but they also have an Instagram which is
@uniqubeph.
 |
| when worn: MAC Viva Glam III |
The next lipstick
favorite is on the high-end side and - surprise, surprise - not a nude. It's
actually far from a nude; it's the MAC Viva Glam III. This is what some would
call a "vampy" lip color. It's a matte brown-ish, plummy color
and when I wear it I always think, "I look like I've just freshly eaten a
person" which I love. It's limited edition in MAC which is
appropriate because I've never tried or seen a color like this before,
it's super unique and I love it a lot. Obviously, I don't wear this every day,
but when I'm feeling a bit vampy, like I need a bit of "freshly eaten a
person" vibe, a night out, or slap on some sassy sunnies and this lippy
and I immediately feel a little bit more badass.
My next lip favorite is
not a lipstick but a lip tint. It's the Peripera Lip
Marker in Red. First of all, it literally looks and acts like a sharpie. It
has a felt tip and you just kind of draw on your lips which is kind of awesome.
It's smudge-proof but it does wear on the lips after a while. It's a bit of a
berry red which means it does have a purple-y undertone but in this instance, I
do like it. I wear this when I don't really feel like wearing lipstick but I
don't really wanna look pale af so I just dab a bit of this on and go.
Lip Balms
Lip balms are a must for
me. Since I was just a wee child, I've had the problem of itchy, irritated,
burning, swollen and after a few hours of that, dry lips. I've never really
gone to the dermatologist about it but it basically happens in cold weather, if
I've been in an air-conditioned area for too long, or if I eat salty and spicy
food. It's really annoying, and I've tried so many expensive, medicated lip
balms to try and get rid of it. You know which one that worked though? Good old Chapstick. Yes, that's right.
I've tried just about every lip balm out there to help my lips out a bit when
they get irritated, but the only one that actually worked was good,
old-fashioned, cheap-as-all-heck, Chapstick.
I do sort of dislike the artificial smell of Strawberry and Cherry, but this is
the only one that can handle my super sensitive lips and I'm just gonna have to
deal with that.
My other lip balm fav is
the EOS Lip balm in Honeysuckle Honeydew. Now, this
doesn't work as well as the Chapstick in
terms of healing my irritated lips, but it does work, just not as fast or
effective. If my lips aren't irritated though, this works super well at just
moisturizing my lips. It's not as sticky as Chapstick as well. And the smell. I
absolutely love the smell of this. It tastes and smells like Melona ice cream
which is my fav. And EOS also
only uses organic ingredients which makes me feel better about putting it on my
lips because while Chapstick heals
my lips a bit better, it does have still have some chemicals in it. I got this
one as a gift from @the_coralreef (on Instagram) as well.
And... That's it! That
was a long one, wasn't it? But those are my makeup favorites! I'm gonna keep
updating these as I find new products that I love and maybe turn this into a
monthly favorites type thing? Let me know what products you love and maybe want
me to try out as well. Maybe it'll end up on my next favorites!
Love,
PS. My Twitter got hacked and it'd be great if you followed my new one: @maelizapineda.
Disclaimer: This post contains products that were kindly gifted to me, but of course, all opinions are my own.
