Beauty Haul: YouTube Made Me Buy It!

Happy Monday, makeup junkies! It seems my love for makeup and all things pretty is insatiable. After my long hiatus and coming home to a pile of makeup packages, and getting backups for backups, I promised myself I will no longer be buying any (more) makeup unless I've ran out of them or they need to be replaced. But I guess, after destashing several palettes and with parties to attend coming up, I kinda gave in. Mind you, I exercised control (with great difficulty) and only got things I feel I would really be able to use. So I only purchased 4 items...

Okay, I lied, there's more than 4, but these are the ones I want to talk about today. Lol!

I purchased these online from an IG seller usmadefashion (she now has her own website http://usmfashion.com/).

For quite some time, I have been lusting after Becca's Backlight Priming Filter, and YouTubers have been raving about it for years, but I can't, even for the love of makeup, get myself to buy a 2k Php worth primer, so after seeing it on sale for the holidays, I quickly grabbed the opportunity to get one.

A makeup primer to help blur imperfections and impart a radiant glow.

More than just a primer, it's the secret behind the iconic BECCA glow. Infused with three unique Filtering Luminescent Pearls, each one adds a different drop of diffused light. Blended together, they result in a first of its kind, lightweight, whipped fluid that creates a smooth canvas and acts as an instant filter. Blurs imperfections and give skin a healthy, luminescent glow.

From www.ulta.com

Moving on to recently released products, last year Wet n' Wild took YouTube land by storm when they released these Photo Focus foundation and pressed/setting powder. In fact, up to now, they've been reformulating and releasing new products that are making such a buzz, it's exciting to see what else they have in store for us. And I hope they release it in the Philippines as well soon. By the way, I got these on sale too, they're normally priced at 500Php each but I was able to nab both of them for just 600php (300Php each).

Wet n' Wild Photo Focus Liquid Foundation

Description:

Your skin, only better. Our new high performing, skin-perfecting foundation underwent major road testing under seven different photo lighting conditions to deliver flawless camera-ready makeup every time. Specially made with a matte, light-diffusing complex to give your skin #nofilter perfection.

• High-performing, breakthough formula
• Featuring light-adjusting complex to help prevent white cast in photos
• Tested under 7 light comditions with and wothout the use of flash

Wet n' Wild Photo Focus Pressed Powder

Description:

Your smartphone just met its makeup match. Pack this genius pressed powder in your bag for endlessly amazing photos every time. Light-diffusing pigments give your skin a veil of ailky natural looking perfection in photos and IRL. Wear it alone, on bare skin or over Photo Focus foundation for a flawless finish.

• Sets makeup with an unbelievably soft, satin finish
• Reduces shine throughout the day
• Each shade covers a range of skin tones

From www.wetnwildbeauty.com

And finally, the deal breaker and the primary reason why I temporarily suspended my no-buy status, Colourpop's Yes, Please! Pressed Powder Eyeshadow Palette (1200Php). I have seen pictures and reviews of this palette left and right and finally caved in.

The original fixed 12 pan palette is all about that golden hour glow - the hottest shades inspired by our fave time of the day.

I'll probably be doing a review of this palette soon. I just started using it and would need a few more days to come to a final verdict.

I'm excited to try all of these and see how good these products are myself. I'm sure just like the YouTubers who raved about them, I'll soon be loving them as well.

Xoxo,

Missus C  💄

Product Review: BH Cosmetics x Carli Bybel's Eyeshadow and Highlighter Palette

Are you looking for a relatively cheap palette that would give you great everyday looks?

Your prayers have been answered, makeup junkies. Presenting, the palette I've been obssessed with for the last couple of months: Carli Bybel's palette in collaboration with BH Cosmetics!

This baby includes 10 eyeshadows (5 mattes plus 5 shimmers/satin) and 4 highlighters!

If you like watching YouTube videos of makeup gurus, you've probably come across Carli Bybel. She is one of the prettiest and nicest makeup enthusiasts in the YouTube community and I'm happy that she was given the opportunity to collaborate with a good brand like BH Cosmetics. When she created this palette, she said she wanted it to be affordable, but still of good quality. 

And boy, did she make sure to follow through with that vision...

I love how the glossy cardboard (with a magnetic closure) packaging is sleek, sturdy and easy to clean. Plus points for the mirror! I also love the details she included, from the adorable penguin on the side, and the cute flowers embossed on the highlighters, to the quote "Aspire to Inspire".

All the shadows are really easy to work with, pigmented and creamy. Even the matte ones. But, since they are soft and creamy they tend to kick up a lot of powder or have fall outs but that can be easily resolved by just tapping off the excess. I mean, for Php 1,100, this palette delivers more than I could ever dream of.

The first row has 4 matte shades that are mostly shades of pink or lilac.

I love the first row! And even though some of the shades are very similar on the eyes, I still use them almost every single day.

The second row has a lot of golden/copper colors and are mostly shimmers.

Since I already have several palettes with golds, coppers,  bronzes, and browns, I rarely use this row, but when I do, the looks I create always turn out really well.

The last row which is for the highlighters is my favorite! I mix the first two shades, go crazy, and put them everywhere! While the third and last one I use as a bronzer or eyeshadows.

Here's a look I created using the palette. I am not angry, the sun was just bright. Lol!

The transition shade I used on my crease is not part of the palette. I used my Bahama Mama bronzer from theBalm.

The verdict, this is an awesome palette! The only cons I see are, it's limited edition, there are shades that look really similar, the matte shades have fall out/kick up, and the lack of a brown matte transition shade, otherwise this is the perfect palette for me.

Xoxo,

Missus C 💋

Product Review: theBalm's In theBalm of Your Hand

Hello there, makeup junkies!

Today, we have the In theBalm of Your Hand Greatest Hits Vol. 1, theBalm's 2015 limited edition Holiday Palette, to review.

Isn't she lovely?

theBalm is one of the brands I've always wanted to try. Not only have I heard rave reviews about their products, especially their highlighter (Mary-Lou Manizer) and their bronzer (Bahama Mama), their packaging never fails to catch my eye.

Isn't she wonderful?

That's why when I first saw this featured by one of the YouTube makeup gurus, emilynoel83, as her "favorites", my radar automatically turned on and I started looking for it on different sites to check its reviews. What drew me to this the most, is the number of theBalm products I can try with this palette alone! Aside from that, the packaging (which is to die for) of course, also caught my attention! theBalm always has that unique, fun, and quirky vibe going on with their products. From their catchy names, down to their sexy, retro packaging. So, if you haven't purchased anything from them yet, this may well be THE ONE palette to get, as this has most (if not all) of their best sellers/greatest hits! And if you already have any of these, this will be the perfect way to get an-all-in one palette that's very convenient to travel with as it comes in a thin, compact, sturdy, and lightweight cardboard that comes complete (I just wish it also had a brush) with a mirror and a separate compartment for their cream products.

Isn't she precious?

Now, during my Just In post, I featured this palette and introduced you to the products that's included but I haven't really gotten around talking about them in detail or showing you swatches, so here they are:

The first row features their face products that includes 3 blushes and 1 bronzer.

• Hot Mama Blush - a beautiful peach with gold fine shimmer blush. It give a very natural/subtle glow when applied on the cheeks. They say it is similar to Nars' cult-favorite Orgasm blush.

• Instain Blush in Argyle - a cool-toned medium matte pink blush that stays put for an entire day. It may look scary on the pan, but looks very flattering on the skin, and I can just imagine, looking good on a lot of different skin colors.

• Cabana Boy - my favorite among the three. A dusty rose or a deep plum berry shade that doubles as an eyeshadow. It has a satin finish and when sheered out or applied lightly, gives one a very natural flushed look. 

• Bahama Mama Bronzer - a medium brown with a matte finish that lasts almost the entire day. Great for bringing warmth to the skin without making it orange. Also works well as a crease/transition color on the eyes.

Let's go to the next row, which features four of their eyeshadows from different palattes, that still complements each other and looks great together, but, can still be worn separately. And of course, their infamous highlighter.

• Insane Jane from Shady Lady Vol. 2 - a beautiful silvery taupe/gray shade with a (very fine) shimmer almost metallic finish.

• Mischevious Marissa from Shady Lady - a shimmery gorgeous copper/champagne almost rose gold that works great as a lid color.

• Sexy from Nude 'Tude - a matte cranberry/burgundy color. I love this color! And just like all the other products included in this palette, this shade is very pigmented and easy to blend. However, this particular eyeshadow, feels powdery and dry, applies patchy and can turn muddy (if over blended) really quickly and has a little fallout.

• Lead Zeppelin from Balm Jovi - a lovely olive green shade with tiny gold shimmers. Very pigmented but is a little dry, has a bit of a fallout, and creases on my lids. 

• Mary-Lou Manizer - if you haven't heard of this highlighter before, you must have been living under a rock (Joke!)! A classic champagne highlight that looks great on everyone (which is probably why it's considered to be one of the top highlighters in the market). It also works great as an eyeshadow and can be applied in the inner corners of the eyes or the brow bone. 

Lastly, let's talk about their cream lip/cheek products. 

• Caramel Lip/Cheek Cream from How 'Bout Them Apples - a flattering mid-toned peachy pink nude. I really like this color! This applies evenly without making my lips dry. It could have been better if it lasted longer and didn't come in a pot, as I am not really a fan of having to dip or use my fingers on my lips to get the product for hygienic purposes. 

• Mia Moore from theBalm Girls - a cool-toned classic red. Honestly, in my mind whilst swatching, I was thinking lipgloss or lip balm, so I wasn't expecting it to be so opaque and pigmented! It feels creamy and comfortable on the lips too. 

Truly the angels' best

(For the list of ingredients, please see my Just In post.)

The Final Verdict: While I feel that this is a great palette and I see why a lot of people have this as their "favorite", I won't say you need this palette in your life. I love their face products, and I also like how creamy and easy to blend most of their eyeshadows are, however, the shades, I find are not really unique and can be easily duped. I also expected more from them since this is not really cheap. But with the creasing, the fallout, and the lasting power (even with a primer), I am a little disappointed. Overall, I still think this is a good palette (since I only really had issues with a couple of their eyeshadows) as all their shades are wearable, it gives you variety and they still are, I would say, quality products. I would still consider this a great buy since I finally got to try a lot of theBalm's products for a lot less money compared to having to purchase them separately. I mean this palette gives you a little bit of everything, it is well-thought of, with attention given to details, includes multi-use products that are of great quality, all at a bargain price! So if you are on the hunt for one palette to buy that would have everything you need, you may want to look at this one as this may well be what you are looking for.

Until next time, I'll see you junkies on my next post!

Xoxo 💋, 

Missus C

Product Review: Makeup Revolution's New-trals vs Neutrals Palette

Hello, makeup junkies! How's your weekend going? 😊

I have another MUR review to share with you lovelies, and this time it is for their New-trals vs Neutrals Professional Eyeshadow Palette. When I first saw this palette, I have to be honest, I was intimidated by it as it had a lot of reds and oranges. However, one of the more burgundy shades caught my eye as I have a similar shade, from the first of their I ♡ Chocolate palettes, that I learned to love and was now obsessed with. And when I saw that it was a dupe of Lime Crime's Venus palette and was considered to be very similar to Too Faced's recently launched Sweet Peach palette, I decided to "suck it up" and just add it to my cart. And I'm so glad I did!

The palette came in Makeup Revolution's standard black packaging with rose gold lettering. It's very similar to their Iconic Pro palettes except the case is matte. I love how sleek looking it is, but because of the finish it attracts fingerprints and dirt like crazy! It also comes with a good-sized mirror, a plastic sheet/film with the names of the shades on them, and a decent double-ended brush I can actually use. One side has a flat brush that's good for packing color while the other side is fluffy, that's perfect for blending.

The palette has 16 eyeshadows with the New-trals, their red and orange shades, at the top and the Neutrals, their toned-down/more normal looking shades at the bottom.

I know you're excited to see the palette some more and know how the shades held up, so let's go ahead and go through them one at a time.

• Bias - a champagne shade with a pearlescent finish. Perfect in the inner corners.

• Neutral - a light mauvey/brown with hints of purple/pink with a matte finish. A great crease shade.

• Personal - a pinky peach satin shade. I use this on the first half of my inner corners a lot as it is such a pretty color, however, you need to build it up as it doesn't last as long as the others.

• Vogue - a coral/bright peach shade with a matte finish. I  love using this as a transition shade whenever creating warm orange/red looks.

• Trend - a burnt-orange/rust matte shade. Definitely my favorite shade in this palette. Great in the crease or as an all over lid color.

• New-tral - a bright cranberry/deep pink with red undertones that is a satin finish. I mostly use this on the outer half of my lids.

• Tone - a burgundy shade similar to New-tral but with more red/orange to it. It is of a satin finish as well but translates as matte on the eyes. I also like this shade a lot on the outer V of my lids.

• Custom - a cool-toned matte brown. Nice on the outer V as well to create dimension.

• Cool - an ivory matte shade that works well as a brow bone highlight or on the lids as base or an all over the lid wash of color.

• Style - a light pink metallic/foil shade. But even with the glitter, it's still surprisingly smooth and is nice on the center of the lid for that pop of color/glitter.

• Partial - a metallic dusky rose with lots of glitter it's almost foiled. Looks pretty on the center of the lids as well.

• Mode - a gorgeous rose gold metallic/foil shade. The most beautiful color in this palette.

• Adapt - a light mauvey brown with a matte finish. Another great transition color and is really nice in the crease.

• Buff - a taupe brown with shimmer. Has a very nice texture and pigmentation. Goes well on the outer half of the lid.

• Smooth - a dark taupe brown similar to Buff but has less shimmer as this has a satin finish.

• Strong - a very dark purple, that's almost black, shimmer shade with pink and purple glitters. A little patchy and has fall out, but, can be layered to get an intense shade.

Pros:

- These shades apply smoothly and have a very creamy and buttery feel to them
- They are easy to blend and the shades go well together
- A variety of looks (day or night) can be created with this palette
- Most of the shadows have good staying power
- Most of the shadows do not have fall out
- Comes with a decent eyeshadow brush

Cons:

- Some shades are not for the faint-hearted
- A couple of the shades apply patchy and needs building up
- Not travel friendly because of the size
- Not available in the Philippines


The Final Verdict: Definitely a must buy! One can make several looks with this palette, you can even get away with just using the New-trals row! The shades here may not be for everyone, but, they are for sure unique and are great additions to a collection! Makeup Revolution was also nice enough to throw in more wearable shades in case you're too scared to wear an in your face red or orange look (and according to reviews, some of the bottom row shades are dupes of Urban Decay's Naked 3 palette!). With these shades becoming more and more popular, this palette is a really good alternative to overpriced palettes out there.

See yah on my next post!

Xoxo 💋,

Missus C

This Just In: In theBalm of Your Hand Palette

I know during my last haul I mentioned I will put a temporary hold on buying makeup; apparently, that (quick) hold has ended and it looks like that self-imposed rule has been lifted (oh well, I tried). I didn't want to regret not buying this palette, as this is a holiday (2015) limited edition and is not really part of theBalm's permanent line. So, when I saw Sephora's website showing this as out of stock (yes, I have been stalking it since May), I had palpitations and immediately reached out to an online seller (makeuphaul_ph from Instagram) to get this palette.

If you are looking for the perfect palette to travel with or you simply want to try theBalm's 'greatest hits' without commiting to a full-sized product you might end up not enjoying, then, this palette is for you!

It (almost) has everything you need for a full face makeup, as it contains eyeshadows, blushes, a highlighter, a bronzer, and lip products. And since this is made by theBalm, for sure, this will be a quality palette. After all, this won't be named the Best Holiday Palette of 2015 without good reason.

This all-in-one face palette contains favourites from some of our best sellers, including 4 perfectly coordinated eyeshadows, 3 universal blushes, a matte bronzer, a champagne-hued highlighter, a classic red lip color and a nude lip and cheek cream. Who says you can't have it all? Here at theBalm, we believe you can - and it all fits In theBalm of Your Hand. This palette includes travel-size versions of:

• Hot Mama - blush
• Argyle - Instain blush
• CabanaBoy - blush
• Bahama Mama - bronzer
• Insane Jane - ShadyLady eyeshadow
• Mischievous Marissa - ShadyLady eyeshadow
• Sexy - Nude 'tude eyeshadow
• Lead Zeppelin - Balm Jovi eyeshadow
• Mary-Lou Manizer AKA the luminizer -highlighter
• Caramel - How 'Bout Them Apples cheek & lip cream
• Mia Moore - theBalm Girls lip rouge

It is a very well-thought of palette as everything goes together really well. One can create multiple looks whether day or night just by mixing and matching.

By the way, this retails for Php 1,876 on Sephora PH's website (although it is currently sold out) but I was able to get it for Php 1,850 + Php 100 shipping (which I received after 2 days). The online seller was also nice enough to throw in  a free Menow Lip Liner and a sample size of Origin's Anti-aging Serum, which was unexpected and at the same time really thoughtful.

Ingredients list from www.birchbox.com

I haven't really swatched or played with it as I literally just got home last night when I took pictures of it, but, I will definitely be posting a review in a couple of weeks' time after I've had the chance to use it. So, if you'd like to see more of this gorgeous palette, I guess I'll be seeing you again soon. 😄

Xoxo,

💋 Missus C

Product Review: Makeup Revolution's Naked Chocolate Palette

As promised, I am back with a review of Makeup Revolution's I ♡ Makeup Naked Chocolate Palette. I have been testing and playing with this palette ever since I received it several weeks ago. It comes in a 3D half melted white chocolate bar (yum!) form that looks good enough to eat (bdw, it smells like chocolate too) and includes a double-sided sponge tip applicator.

This is their third "installment" (the first two being dupes of Too Faced's Chocolate Bar Palettes) under their chocolate bar line and is a popular favorite of makeup gurus on YouTube and beauty bloggers. In fact, I consider this as one of my "YouTube Made Me Buy It" purchases. It didn't really catch my eye, that's why I didn't include it in my first Makeup Revolution haul, instead, I went with the original I♡Chocolate palette.

The Love Affair with Chocolate continues with the stripped back eyeshadow collection in our collectable chocolate bar palettes.
Naked Chocolate is here. Containing 16 stunning eyeshadows for perfect bare to smokey eyes, mixture of shimmer and matte shades. 3D chocolate palette with full size mirror and applicator.

It has 16 eyeshadows, 2 of which are bigger than the others, as they are highlight/brow bone shades. 5 of its shades have a matte finish while 11 have shimmer/satin.

Pretty, right?

So, let's talk about the shades, shall we?

First row: Smoothly, Divine, Mocha Lover, Dipped, and Choc-fest

• Smoothly - a light pink matte shade that's great as a base color to make colors on top pop and easier to blend.

• Divine - a shimmery rose gold that is gorgeous as a lid color.

• Mocha Lover - a shimmer shade similar to Divine as it also belongs to the rose gold family except it has a hint of copper and is a bit darker.

• Dipped - a light brown satin shade. Perfect for neutral looks.

• Choc-fest - a satin deep reddish brown almost burgundy shade that's great on the outer corners to create dimension. One of the darkest shade in the palette. This would have been perfect if it wasn't patchy/hard to blend and does not kick off a lot of powder.

Second row: Adorable, Buttons, Frosted Choc, Delight, Sweet Shop, and Sugar

• Adorable - an icy pink shimmery shade that works great as a highlight. I mostly use this on the inner corners of my eyes or on the middle of the lid with dark looks for dimension.

• Buttons - a cool-toned brown with shimmer that is dark it almost looks grey on the pan but swatches brown.

• Frosted Choc - a warm shimmery pretty bronze color.

• Delight - a dark brown-grey, that resembles Buttons (when in the pan), except it is a bit darker and the shimmer particles are finer.

• Sweet Shop - a matte warm mid-brown that's great as a crease shade.

• Sugar - one of the other darker shades, similar to Choc-fest except it is more brown than red and has tiny shimmers.

Third row: Double Dip, Tob-le-rone, Wonka, Milky, and Way

• Double Dip - a very shimmery golden orange color. Looks spectacular on the lids.

• Tob-le-rone - a matte taupe color that works really well as a crease color. Not as pigmented but is really easy to blend.

• Wonka - (White on some palettes) a dark matte warm brown. Also works great on the outer corners for neutral/smoky looks.

• Milky - another matte shade that's identical to Tob-le-rone except it's more pink almost old rose color.

• Way - a great highlight color. Looks white on the pan, but when applied looks almost transparent with really yellow gold shimmers.

Left side

Right side

By the way if you're wondering, MUR's shipping has improved immensely, in fact all the items I ordered during the last two hauls arrived in mint condition! 😄

Going back to the palette, similar to my review of the first chocolate bar edition here are its pros and cons.

Pros:

- Majority of the shades are creamy, buttery and easy to blend with good color pay-off and minimal fall out
- a lot of neutral colors
- Most shadows have good staying power
- Smells like cocoa

Cons:

- Not available in the Philippines
- Some of the shades do not have great pigmentation and have fallout
- Not travel friendly because of the size
- Colors do not have enough variety

The Final Verdict: This is a very pretty palette and it is indeed a neutral lover's dream. But like what I initially thought when I first saw this, and is partly the reason why I didn't add it to my cart the first time, the shades are too similar and didn't have enough variety. Don't get me wrong, this is a very lovely palette, but for me, it works more as "support/addition" to what I already have since I still find myself, reaching for other palettes to get, say, a really dark brown or a warmer crease shade. I find I cannot create a lot of "looks" from this palette alone. I'm not sure why, maybe it's because of my skin tone (as none of the others who purchased this seem to have the same issue), I would still give this palette a go, as who knows, maybe it will grow on me like how the first one did.

Till next time 💋,

Missus C