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. 💋