This Just In: Sephora PH and BeautyMNL Hauls

Happy New Year, makeup junkies! Let's end 2016 with a bang!

For my last post of the year, I will be showing you my recent hauls. Right before 2017 officially starts.

Since Sephora PH was nice enough to give me a discount for my birthday (plus the 2x reward points), AND they had the 12 days before Christmas gifts offer, I decided it's now or never, and grabbed the chance to finally get the palette of my dreams from Zoeva. After stressing over which palette to get, I was torn between the first/original Cocoa Blend and Naturally Yours, I opted to get the Naturally Yours Palette (Php 1,106) instead since Cocoa Blend is too similar to the palettes I already own. And because I dislike paying for delivery fees, I also added Too Faced's Let it Glow (Php 1,618) to take advantage of their free shipping (applies to orders above Php 1,300). As for my limited editon "free gift" (for Php 2,000 worth of purchases) , I picked the Mirenesse Secret Weapon Supreme 24Hr Mascara (Php 1,541) and an Enzo Laszlo draw string pouch.

Zoeva Naturally Yours Palette
DESCRIPTION

About

The Naturally Yours Palette is a collection nude-based colours made from micronized pigments. Its miniscule particles allow for superior coverage and gives off intense colour upon application. It also leaves behind a matte-satin and metallic duo-chrome finish that naturally enhances your facial features.

Benefits

• Offers a perfectly basic colour range 
• New, ultra-micronized eyeshadow formula for superior coverage
• Leaves behind a matte-satin and metallic duo-chrome finish
• Free from paraben and mineral oil.

Too Faced Let it Glow
DESCRIPTION

About

You GLOW girl! Get your winter strobe on with this adorable, limited-edition collection of Too Faced highlighting favorites in deluxe sizes. The highlighting powders use Photolite Technology to soften and diffuse unflattering light for an ethereal effect. Bronzer creates a fresh-off-the-slopes winter flush, while longwear and smudge-proof blush imbues cheeks with a warm glow.

Kit Includes

• Candlelight Glow Highlighting Powder Duo in Rosy Glow.
• Snow Bunny Luminous Bronzer.
• Love Flush 16-Hour Blush in Love Hangover.
• Heart-shaped Flatbuki Brush.

Mirenesse Secret Weapon Supreme 24Hr Mascara

DESCRIPTION

About

This mascara is an absolute favourite among party-goers. It creates long-lasting curls, without the need for lash extensions and false lashes. This product is water-resistant and smudge-proof. Enjoy wearing mascara without having to worry about clumps and flakes. Ideal for sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers, it is free from alcohol, parabens, mineral oil and synthetic fragrances. 

Benefits

• Creates fuller-looking lashes
• Protects lashes from smudging or smearing
• Prevents lashes from drying out

From www.sephora.ph

The other haul I'd like to share with you is from BeautyMNL. They had free shipping this month (for up to 2 orders) which I took advantage of to order stuff I've always wanted to try and to throw in some Christmas shopping as well.

I got several face masks, lip and cheek stains, hand sanitizers, a Spa set (includes a massage oil and body scrub), a Rosehip Oil, and tubs of cold sugar wax as gifts to friends and family. I also ordered a perfume, a setting powder, creams, and liquid lipsticks for myself.

Finally, I also ordered a couple of travel-sized makeup products from Usmadefashion on Instagram. The bundle cost Php 699 (plus Php100 for shipping), which includes Kat Von D's Liquid Lipstick in Lovesick, Benefit's Sugarbomb blush, and a sachet of Hask's Kalahari Oil Color Protection Shampoo & Conditioner.

Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Lovesick

What it is:
A long-wear, full-coverage liquid lipstick with a smooth, matte finish. 

What it does:
Now in 28 bold shades, Everlasting Liquid Lipstick gives lips long-lasting wear and high-pigment color. Its creamy, color-rich formula glides over lips like a gloss but dries to a true matte finish. It’s infused with natural comfort-enhancing ingredients, including vitamin E and sunflower seed so you can flaunt lasting matte color that leaves lips feeling comfortable. 

What it is formulated WITHOUT: 
- Parabens 

From www.sephora.com

Kat Von D Lovesick Everlasting Liquid Lipstick ($20.00 for 0.22 fl. oz.) is described as a “mauve nude.” It’s a muted, medium-dark pinky-plum with cool undertones and a matte finish. It had fairly opaque pigmentation, though there was a hint of the natural lip color coming through. The color applied evenly, though, and was easy to work with. The texture was lightweight, comfortable to wear for the first five hours, and then drying for the next few (total wear of seven hours). 

From www.temptalia.com

Benefit Sugarbomb Shimmer Blush

What it is:
A "sugar rush flush" facial powder.
What it does:
Gimme some sugar—with Sugarbomb! These four unique shades of rose, shimmering pink, soft plum, and peach blend together perfectly for a delicious "sugar rush flush."

From www.sephora.com

Benefit Cosmetics Sugarbomb($28.00 for 0.42 oz.) is the newest powder addition to Benefit’s line-up. It joins cult favorites like CORALista and Hoola, and Benefit describes it as a “sugar rush flush” for the face.

The powder comes with four triangles of color, which Benefit describes as “rose, shimmering pink, soft plum, and peach.” The powder is designed to be used all at once, rather than one triangle at a time. I’d completely agree with that notion, particularly because the space is just not big enough to really grab one shade over another that well.

When swirled together, the outcome is a beautiful peachy-pink shade with a very, very subtle golden sheen. This is half blush, half highlighter, because it’s not ultra pigmented and on my skin tone (which you could describe as “medium”), while it shows up, it looks very soft. It’s certainly not invisible (which would make it more like a highlighter), but it’s not vibrant. This is good and bad, depending on your usage — but it’s a good thing to me.

From www.temptalia.com

And that wraps up this post, I have a couple more packages on their way, but I probably won't receive them until next year. Let me know if you'd like to see reviews of any of the products, I've posted.

See yah next year! 💋

Xoxo,
Missus C

Product Review: Makeup Revolution's I ♡ Chocolate Palette

Like most girls I know, I am drawn to makeup like a moth to a flame. I have seen/watched so many makeup tutorials and videos, I've lost track how many they were. And whenever I watch a makeup guru talk about their top 10 or favorite eyeshadow palettes, I always see Too Faced's Chocolate Bar Palette on their list. But when I googled its price, I quickly lost interest. So when I heard of Makeup Revolution/I ♡ Makeup and how they duped the Chocolate Bar I couldn't resist getting it for myself to see what the hype is about.

I was so excited to get my Makeup Revolution order in the mail, the first thing I zeroed in on is this adorable I ♡ Chocolate palette. I threw away the box because some of the eyeshadows broke, which messed it up. But it didn't really ruin this palette's glorious half melted chocolate design. Isn't it cute? 😍 My son keeps telling me my makeup is pretty whenever he sees this.

This palette cost me Php 571.17 plus shipping. I ordered it from Makeup Revolution's website (http://www.makeuprevolutionstore.com). But since some of the eyeshadows came shattered, they were nice enough to give me a refund.

Aren't the colors lovely? By the way, if you weren't able to see my post about my recent makeup haul, you can check the previous blog.

It also has a subtle cocoa scent to it just like the Chocolate Bar, I'm just not sure how similar they are as I don't own the original one. But this reminds me of Swiss Miss, it smells so good, I could almost eat it! 😅 Here's a sneak peek of the swatches.

Product Description:

Life is a box of….

Pick and mix for your eyes. You will want to try EVERY chocolate in the box!
Mixture of mattes and shimmers.

This palette consists of 16 shades that includes mattes and shimmers. It came with a dual sponge tip applicator which I use for applying my highlight shades. It also has a big mirror I find very handy when applying makeup as that means even with poor eyesight, I don't need to hold a separate mirror near my face. It also came with a plastic sheet with the shadows' names printed on it, but I lost it the same day I got the palette (I might have thrown it away with the box). Below is the list of ingredients.

Alright, let's start swatching!

Here's how the first row looks like.

• You Need Love - This is a beautiful matte ivory/pale cream shade that's bigger or double the size of the others which I find awesome as most people would probably use this a lot as a highlight in the inner corners of their eyes as well as the browbone. At first, I thought I got a dud because I couldn't get it to be opaque enough, but after reading reviews, they all say the same thing about this first shade. It could be better if it were a little more pigmented and has less fallout but it is still creamy and fairly easy to blend.

• Piece Me Together - I was a little disappointed by this color-wise as my favorite Youtuber, Kathleenlights, created a look (which I wanted to recreate) with this color, and on her it was a lovely olive green. So I was expecting an olive shade with gold glitter, but when I swatched it, it looked brown with tiny green shimmers/glitters (eventhough on the pan it looks green). A far cry from what I was expecting. It isn't as pigmented as I want it to be and has a bit of fallout. It's a good thing I'm not that into green shades.

• One More Piece - A very nice mid matte brown colour. It's very easy to blend, feels so smooth and creamy and is a great blending or crease colour! I use this with another shade on my crease for a gradient look. This shade has little-to-no fallout.

• Love Torn - A lovely burgundy/maroon with small gold and pink glitters. The color payoff is fantastic and it goes on really opaque which becomes more red when blended out. It's also very smooth and creamy with a little bit of fallout (because of the shimmer).

• Stolen Chocolate - This is a cool-toned matte brown with slight purple undertones. Feels creamy and smooth. It's not that opaque and doesn't last long on the lids but builds to a very nice color. I like using this on the outer V as it is fairly easy to blend and is great for adding dimension to the looks I create.

Moving on to the next row.

• Thank Friday - This is has got to be my favourite crease shade. It is a matte light warm brown that is orange-toned, this is what I use with One More Piece on my crease. Even though it is not as pigmented as the other shades, I love it because that's what makes it the perfect, subtle crease colour for me and it's very easy to blend. It's just a bit powdery with little-to-no fallout.

• More! - This is an exquisite shimmery warm champagne color. Eventhough it has tiny gold shimmers, it's a lot finer so it doesn't cause any fallouts or difficulties in blending. It's extremely pigmented and I like using this in the center or the inner half of my lids for that pop of color.

• Pleasure Girl - A mid warm chocolate-brown matte that is slightly darker than One More Piece. It also has a creamy texture but is not pigmented as the others. It's also good for blending but be careful lest you overdo it as it pretty much disappears if blended too much.

• Meet Chocolate - A lovely matte pale pink. It doesn't last long and you really have to build it up for the color to show. It's also powdery, almost chalky, and has fallout. I still use this a lot since it's the only light matte shade in the palette (not including You Need Love) especially in the inner part of my lids, I just need to use a primer and pat it on to layer it.

• Unforgivable - A dark purple/violet shade with lilac and pink glitter/shimmer. Quite powdery and not as pigmented as in the pan. Has a bit of fall out and is not so easy to blend.

• Love Divine - A warm mid coppery brown/red brown shimmer shade that's really pretty. It is very smooth and creamy, very easy to apply and has no fallout. Pigment is awesome and easy to blend.

And finally, the last row, which also happens to be my favorite because of how smooth, creamy (almost like butter), and pigmented these shades are.

• Smooth Criminal - A stunning mid brown copper shimmer. The color payoff is superb. It's similar to Love Divine except this is more gold while the other is more of a red brown. Really opaque and blends well with little to no fallout.

• Chocolate Love - An amazing warm rose gold with a shimmer finish. As with most of the shadows in this palette, it's very creamy and easy to blend. It's nice to use in the center of the lids to make dark brown looks more dimensional.

• You Need More - This is a cool-toned bronze or gold mid brown shimmer. Very similar to Smooth Criminal and Love Divine but has a more purple undertone. Another buttery eyeshadow that has strong pigmentation with little fallout.

• What A Way To Go - An intense matte burgundy/dark maroon with really fine shimmer or glitter. Very pigmented. I love using this with Love Torn to make it look gradient and the combination is fantastic! There's a bit of fallout and it is a bit powdery, but is nevertheless, a pretty color.

• Endorphins Ready! - A very pale shimmery cream shade. It is so pigmented it almost looks like a frosty white shimmery eyeshadow. It has a little bit of fallout, but is great as a higlight. And just like the You Need Love pan, it is slightly bigger than the rest.

Here is a look I created using the palette.

Pros:

- Offers very similar or spot on colors as Too Faced's Chocolate Bar Palette
- Majority of the shades are creamy and easy to blend with good color pay-off
- Less expensive than TF's palette
- 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

The Final Verdict: I would say that this is a nice enough palette. I have been using it everyday since I received it, but I end up using the same colors, as there were a few I just don't want to be bothered with using. I read so many good reviews about this palette that it was kind of a let down for me to see that there were some shades that were not really great. I was expecting for this to blow my socks off, but sadly, it didn't. I know that if you get a palette with this many colors, you will get a couple that are not as nice as the others, I guess since MUR was trying so hard to dupe the original one, they focused on getting the color right too much and forgot the quality of the others (especially the mattes). Don't get me wrong, I still love MUR for trying to make safe but affordable versions of higher end makeups and giving us, for the most part, great and rave-worthy products. And if you're someone like me who can't bear the thought of spending over a thousand pesos on one eyeshadow palette, then I think this will still be a great buy. Just be ready to get yourself a primer and not expect the same quality as the original one.

Xoxo 💋,

Missus C

Makeup Revolution Haul Part 2

Here's another Makeup Revolution haul for you makeup junkies/enthusiasts! After my first successful purchase, I couldn't help but look at Makeup Revolution's website and lust after their eyeshadow palettes. I have been eyeing their infamous chocolate palettes and I figured why not get the dupe of Kathleenlights' favorite eyeshadow palette of all time, the Too Faced Chocolate Bar? And since the shipping fee is quiet expensive, I decided to throw in a couple more 😉 items in my cart. So, if you'd like to see what I got this time, keep on reading/scrolling.

Since I already kind of hinted at getting the dupe of Too Faced's Chocolate Bar Palette, let's start with that one, the I ♡ Chocolate. And yes, it was damaged during shipping, I apologize for its less than perfect appearance, I did my best. 😂 By the way, some of the items I got are from I♡Makeup, which is a line (or maybe a sister company, not entirely sure) under Makeup Revolution. They were all ordered from MUR's website.

The shades You Need Love, More!, and Smooth Criminal shattered into a million pieces so they look weird on the pan (I tried Michelle Phan's hack and fix them with a bit of alcohol) and the colors are slightly off (since they kinda mixed with the other broken shades).

They smell like cocoa and it sort of reminds of Swiss Miss (Yummy, I know!). This palette has 16 shades. 6 of which are matte, 3 shimmers with small gold glitters and 7 satin shades.

Next, I got one of their Redemption Palettes in Iconic Elements which was not in as sad state as the previous palette because the eyeshadows were still intact, but the lid was smashed. I just glued it together so it would still cover the shadows 😢.

They say this is a dupe of Urban Decay's Naked Basics 1 & 2. This palette contains twelve neutral shades ranging from light to dark and includes cool and warm tones. Perfect for everyday use.

The next item I got is, their I am in Love palette (I♡Makeup) which comes with 6 eyeshadows and a lipstick. They also have I am Sexy, I am Powerful and I am Naked.

Yes, I tried fixing one of the shadows in here as well... 😣

Perfect for ladies on the go. The colors are reminiscent of Urban Decay's Naked 3 Palette. This handbag hero includes 2 mattes, 2 satins, 2 shimmer eyeshadows and 1 creamy satin lipstick which are color coordinated (pink hues) for the perfect sweet and romantic look.

I also got one of the Ultra Blush Palettes in Hot Spice. (Let's all take a moment to appreciate this beautiful palette 😍).

It comes with 8 blushes (unfortunately 2 of them broke). 2 baked, 3 mattes, and 3 with tiny golden shimmers/glitters.

Our ULTRA Blush & Contour palette is perfect for the professional application desired by all of us. Perfect for highlighting and contouring too.

Professional and highly pigmented, yet easy to blend, these contain 8 shades consisting of shimmer and matte blushers, merged baked blusher, and merged baked highlighter powder. The ULTIMATE blush palette offering you 8 shades in 1 to suit any occasion!

And lastly, their lipsticks! I got 3 (Crime, Dusky, and Mystify) of their Amazing Lipsticks - Your MUST HAVE lipstick!

From nudes to brights, and mattes to creamy there is something to suit everyone. And 1 Iconic Pro Lipstick - Be Bold. Be Iconic. Be Revolutionary. ICONIC Lips are here. Makeup Revolution brings you an outstanding collection of the most desired lipstick shades Super-Intensive coverage and comfortable to wear. Our contemporary packaging is now lacquered to give you the ammunition you need all the time. Be Bold. Be Iconic. Be Revolutionary. There are 20 shades to choose from. - in Looking Ahead.

To be honest, I wasn't as happy with this purchase as I was the last time, eventhough, I got more palettes from this order, they were all damaged or broken and I had to fix them to make them look presentable. I already mentioned this during my last haul, and I still feel the same way, customers pay a lot for shipping, the least MUR could do is to make sure it gets to their customers in 1 piece. It's a good thing they responded to me quickly after I e-mailed them. Hopefully, they do something about it and ensure my next orders (or most of them at least) arrive intact.

Update: They gave me a refund for the palettes that were damaged during shipping. I'm impressed by how they handled my issue and how quick they were able to address it. Now, I won't be as worried to order more stuff from them knowing how good their customer service is.

Till next time. Xoxo 💋