Product Review: Pinkies Collection's Matte Lipstick in Bark

Hiyah, lipstick lovers!

I know I purchased this lipstick weeks ago, but I never found the time to sit down and give you my thoughts about this lippie, from the local brand Pinkies Collections, until today. During my drugstore finds blog, I hauled this baby and I immediately fell in love. It was very matte, which made me fall in love with it even more. This shade, Bark, has been the talk of the town of Pinay beauty bloggers and vloggers alike since 2015. I apologize if I am late to the party and was only able to get it recently.

Pinkies Collections ML14 Bark. Php 199

Pinkies Collections is the urbane girl's favorite cosmetic. With chic and long-lasting makeup lines, Pinkies meets your delightful expectations. 
From Pinkies Collections Facebook Page

It comes in  a cute baby pink square tube (slightly bigger than Maybelline's square lipstick tubes), which I personally find bulky and not so easy to hold (but is not really an issue during application). The cap is secure and clicks shut when covered. It has a mild sweet scent. The ingredients are listed on its side and a sticker at the bottom shows the lipstick shade.

It is such  a pretty mauve brown color (with a tinge of gray/gray undertones) that's perfect for everyday wear. It isn't too loud, and for some this may work as an MLBB shade, so it can be worn in the office, but it's still pretty enough to make heads turn. It wears well for a good 3 hours, with minimal drinking and eating (non-oily food). But during the 4th hour, one can start feeling their lips getting drier by the minute. But with a little lip balm, it makes wearing it less of a chore.

Until one day, whilst applying this, I suddenly had a feeling I've seen and worn this shade before. It looks very similar to something I already have... 

From Top to Bottom (swatches on the left): Pinkies Collections in Bark, Pink Sugar's Xoxo, and Maybelline's Touch of Spice.

Yes, it looked, without a doubt, like my Pink Sugar XOXO lipstick! 😑 And it didn't stop there, I whipped out my Touch of Spice from Maybelline, and lo and behold, I have 3 lipsticks that are almost the same! Arrgh!!! *#/@&^! It just shows how much I love this kind of color.

Now, if you look closely, they still look slightly different. In the swatches, Bark is more brown than pink, it is also more matte. Whereas XOXO has more pink than brown, with the tiniest bit of shine (under their creamy matte line). Touch of Spice has more mauve in it, so one can tell which of the 3 it is right away. But it is essentially under the same shade family.

A word of advice, fellow makeup junkies, if you already have XOXO or Touch of Spice, you might want to pass on this, as on the lips all three, to me, look almost the same (with the exception of their finish).

Until the next post! Enjoy your long weekend. Tata!

Xoxo (will you look at that. Lol!),

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

Drugstore Finds: Pink Sugar Creamy Matte Lippies and Essence Lipliners

Don't leave a girl alone to wander down the beauty aisle... You'll never know what she might pick up!

So today, I found myself walking towards the mall to look at makeup with no intentions of buying anything. I remember seeing Essence releasing a new lip product (I think they're called the Velvet Sticks) on Instagram and I was wondering whether they were already available (they're not) in the Philippines and how they'd look swatched in person, when the inevitable happened. I passed by Pink Sugar's counter/booth and saw their new lippies displayed. 👀

Lipstick in Xoxo, lipliners in In the Nude and Satin Mauve

I ended up buying a new lipstick and 2 lipliners I don't really need, lol!

Pink Sugar released 5 new shades for their Creamy Matte (Php 349 each) line.

CLAIM TO FAME: A semi-matte lipstick that delivers long-lasting color

FAST FACTS: Covers lips in gorgeous color with a soft matte finish; highly pigmented formula glides on smoothly; formulated with vitamin E and shea butter to moisturize, nourish, and soften lips during use; comes in 10 bold shades

PERFECT FOR: All day lip lusciousness
From www.beautymnl.com

Their new shades are:

XOXO - a soft brown pink
Hot Mess - a mauve pink
Girl Next Door - a deep toned beige
Hotline Bling - a bright fuschia

Image from Pink Sugar Ph's Instagram account

And while the lipstick I got (XOXO) from Pink Sugar is a new release, the lipliners (Php 99 each) I bought from Essence have been around forever! They just changed the packaging! And from what I remember, the colors are still the same. Hopefully, they didn't make any changes to the formula, as I found it comfortable and not drying on the lips the last time I got a lipliner from them.

I picked up In the Nude and Satin Mauve. I already have their Red Blush, which I liked because it was very pigmented, soft and didn't tug on my lips.

Essence Lip Liner glides on smoothly and precisely to ensure perfect lip contours and endless hours of lipstick fun. The wooden lip liner is ideal for smudge-proof and long-lasting lip makeup.

Image from www.essence.eu

So, eventhough I don't really need these new lip products, I'd have to admit, the colors I got are so pretty, I don't regret buying them. Plus, I can always tell myself it was Mother's Day last week and these can be considered as gifts to myself *wink wink.

Until next time.

Xoxo 💋

Product Review: Essence's Waterproof Eyeliner Pen

Here's another review for you. This time from a European drugstore brand, that launched in the Philippines a couple of years ago, Essence.

Essence cosmetics gives you easy access to great products that inspire you to express who you are with style, confidence and fun. We say NO to animal testing and YES to quality with prices affordable enough to try a fabulous new look whenever you want. With a full range of breakthrough beauty products and the season's hottest colors and formulas, you'll look great and your skin will feel great too! Express yourself with essence - europe's no. 1 cosmetic brand!* - source: Euromonitor International, 2013 - from Essence's website.

Essence claims:

Back to Black - Accurate eyeliner styles are easy to achieve with the smudge and waterproof eyeliner pen with a felt tip. Waterproof without a stain effect, your eyeliner can withstand spring showers with ease. For intensive eyeliner looks in urban black.

Image: Screenshot from Tati's Favorite Drugstore Liners video

For quite some time now, I have been on the look out for the best eyeliner. My ideal eyeliner has got to be an intense matte black, waterproof, smudgeproof, long-lasting, and of course, cheap! I know it's too much to ask, but a girl can always hope. After watching Tati rave about this eyeliner, I knew in my heart of hearts (lol!), I would one day, be holding this in my hand.

I was so excited to try this liner out that as soon as I saw the Essence counter in SM Makati (279Php), I immediately grabbed an eyeliner and a couple of their lipliners and rushed to pay for them without realizing I took the wrong eyeliner. I ended up just giving it to my sister-in-law because I wasn't too fond of its finish. I learned my lesson since and made sure to get the waterproof one with the blue writing as Tati instructed the next time.

This waterproof version also came in a pen form with a felt tip, similar to the first liner I got, but I noticed the tip is thicker and stiffer, which wasn't really a big deal for me as it was still easy for me to draw a wing. The only complaint I have is, since the tip is stiff, it sometimes skips when I try to draw a straight line because it drags the skin more. However, I figured with frequent use, it would eventually lose its stiffness and be 'just right'.

Initial Application

I love how black this liner is, it was made even more perfect since it dries matte! As for its staying power, it lasted the entire day! And I mean, the WHOLE day, it even survived my 6-year old's nighttime shower (which consists of my son trying to spray water everywhere, including me)! Not only did this liner last all day on my combination normal-oily skin, it also survived water being splashed on my face without running and minimal to no smudging or fading at all.

8 hours after application

12 hours after application

As for removal one must use cleansing oil or makeup remover to completely remove since it doesn't come off completely with just a regular facial cleanser.

Pros:

-Dries to a matte black
-Intense color
-Waterproof
-Long-lasting
-Did not irritate my eyes

Cons:

-Hard to remove
-Not smudgeproof
-Pen may dry out easily (after a month or 2)
-Stiff applicator tip that skips and drags the skin

The Final Verdict: I love Tati, and if she says this is the best drugstore eyeliner there is, then I believe her. This is a great purchase, as it is not as expensive as the other "imported" eyeliners available in the drugstore and it delivers its promise of intense color pay off, waterproof, and easy to control and use tip.

Ingredients:

AQUA (WATER), STYRENE/ACRYLATES COPOLYMER, ALCOHOL DENAT., METHYLPROPANEDIOL, CETEARETH-25, SORBITOL, SODIUM CARBONATE, LACTOBACILLUS FERMENT, PANTHENOL, GELLAN GUM, XYLITYLGLUCOSIDE, ANHYDROXYLITOL, XYLITOL, ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL, SIMETHICONE, PHENOXYETHANOL, METHYLPARABEN, CI 77266 (BLACK 2).

What about you, what's your favorite eyeliner from the drugstore?

Xoxo

Product Review: Maybelline's Color Sensational Creamy Matte Lipstick in Touch of Spice

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I am back with another lipstick review and this time it is for Maybelline's Color Sensational Creamy Matte Lip in Touch of Spice. This line has been around for ages but this just recently arrived in the Philippines and I am stoked I was able to nab one of their more popular shades (because of its similarities to Kylie Jenner 's frequently worn lipstick shades).

Maybelline's claim:

Now, lips slip into our creamiest matte
New mattifying cream pure pigments.

Why You'll Love It- The Creamy Mattes by Color Sensational deliver a burst of color and a surge of creamy texture for the creamiest matte in 20 make-a-statement shades (10 in the Philippines).

For Best Results - Apply in the center of your upper lip to the outer edges, following the contours of your mouth. Then glide across the entire bottom lip. Can be worn under lip color.

They have 9 other shades available in the Philippines: Divine Wine, Siren in Scarlet, Craving Coral, All Fired Up, Rich Ruby, Ravishing Rose, Faint for Fuchsia, and Mesmerizing Magenta.

Image from BeautyMNL

Similar to their Bold Mattes and their other lines under Color Sensational, the packaging is a translucent/transparent plastic cap that snaps into place over a  shiny silver tube except the cap is matte and mauve instead of beige or pink. I was able to get this from Watson's during their 3-day promotional/introductory sale for Php 199 (regular price: Php 299).

Note: Images on the left were taken with flash.

One swipe of Maybelline's Color Sensational Creamy Matte Lip in Touch of Spice.

Touch of spice is a muted, mauvey brown/medium-dark rosy plum color with a matte almost satin finish. It has a really opaque pigmentation and goes on evenly and smoothly. And just like what the name suggests, it is super creamy and buttery, it applied so well on my lips it made them look smoother and softer without drying them out or tugging at them which is rare for a matte lipstick.

From www.maybelline.com

It wore well for about five hours and I didn't have any issues with the color bleeding or pulling into the lip lines. It did transfer but not as much as my other lipsticks. It also has a subtle scent to it similar to Play-Doh which wasn't really bothersome to me.


Pros:

-Creamy and soft on the lips
-Not drying as other matte lipsticks
-Affordable
-Applies opaque, evenly and smoothly
-Lasts up to 5 hours


Cons:

-Not all shades are locally available and Touch of Spice is sold out in some of the stores I visited
-Transfers a little and is not really budge-proof
-Not a true matte


The Final Verdict: Even with the cons, I still love it simply because of the color and texture. It also didn't hurt that I got it on sale, so it was a steal for me. In fact I'm thinking of getting more shades like Divine Wine which is a nice marsala color or if they release new shades, the nude ones  (Daringly Nude) I saw on their international website.

Till next time. Cheers! 💋

Product Review: E.L.F. Waterproof Eyeliner Pen

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Notice anything different? Yes, I changed my blog name and blog address, an ode (although not exactly a poem) to my makeup madness! And for my first post...a product review!

I have been purchasing and using Eyes, Lips, Face products since my college days. They are inexpensive and mostly okay which were my deciding factors in purchasing makeup then, being a student and all. They've had hits and misses but due to its affordability, one cannot really go wrong with E.L.F. So when I saw an E.L.F sale online, I went berserk (lol)!

This Waterproof Eyeliner Pen is not a new product, it has been around for ages. In fact, E.L.F. has offered different kinds of eyeliners in the past, I think they even have a black version of this (I'm not exactly sure how different it is from this white pen. I guess this comes from their essentials line while the black one is from their studio line). This costs Php 150 to Php 200 (Php 199.75 at the malls), one of the cheapest liquid eyeliner pens you'll find.

Just like what I mentioned in my last post, since this comes in a pen form, I found it easy to use, especially when I have to create a winged look or a cat eye flick.

During initial use, it went on really dark and even. I couldn't really tell it was brown (Coffee) since it looked almost black.

But after several uses, and lately, when I get to my second eye, I find it less saturated and the color not as intense or dark as it was before (especially if I'm putting it on top of eyeshadow).

As for its wear time and waterproof claim, it lasted longer than 8 hours and it stayed put without smudging.

Don't mind the eyebrows, I'm trying to grow them out so I can have them groomed and shaped. I wore it the whole day running errands and at work and it did not budge!

Ingredients:

Aqua(water), Styrene/Acrylates/Ammonium Methacrylate Copolymer, SD Alcohol 40 (Alcohol Denat), Butylene Glycol, Sodium Laureth-12 Sulfate, Benzyl Alcohol, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone. May Contain: Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Maganese Violet (CI 77742), Ultramarines (CI 77007), Chromium Hydroxide Green (CI 77289), Yellow No. 5 Lake (CI 19140), Ferric Ferrocyanide (CI 77510), Blue No.1 Lake (CI 42090)

This eyeliner really delivers! It lasted the entire day and looked as awesome when I first applied it! The only downside is, it dries up really quickly even if I follow their storage tips. Too bad... I'm giving it a month before it dries up on me completely. My final verdict, if you're looking for a good waterproof and smudge proof eyeliner, then this is a great product, but, be prepared to buy a new one after several weeks since it will not last long. I will definitely be giving this another go, I probably will get the black one next time after I finish this one off.

Till next time! Teehee. 💋