Product Review: Fashion 21 Eyebrow Gel

As a beauty blogger and a makeup artist, I've received a lot of questions regarding their eyebrows like how they can prolong the wear of their eyebrow makeup and how to lighten their eyebrows especially if they have full set of brows. My answer for those questions is always eyebrow mascara.

The good thing about eyebrow mascaras is that they have many uses. They tame the brow hairs, set the brows in place, prolong the eyebrow makeup, and neutralize the eyebrow color. You can even wear them alone or on top of your eyebrow pencil or eyebrow powder. But before, not a lot of makeup brands carry eyebrow mascaras. Probably the first eyebrow mascaras that I knew about are the ones from MAC which are kinda expensive for some. And then suddenly, it became a big thing in the makeup industry and different makeup brands finally came up with their own formulas for eyebrow mascaras, even by the local cosmetic brands. Personally, I am really glad that there are now more affordable eyebrow mascaras in the market because that means, more people can try them and hopefully help them with their eyebrow problems. :)

One of the most famous local makeup brands here in the Philippines, Fashion 21, already carry these life-saver eyebrow mascaras. I got all perked up when I saw it on their makeup counters and immediately purchased one to try it out and quickly became a staple in my makeup kit!

Product Name: Fashion 21 Eyebrow Gel

Shades available: 5

Price: Php165

Available at: Fashion 21 counters (Watsons, department stores)

Local Products I Recommend

Hi everyone!

Few weeks ago, I decided to do a video for the local products that I recommend. I've been receiving tons and tons of questions and requests on which local products are really worth it and with great quality. The video that I filmed took so much time so I decided to split it into two. Here are the two videos, I hope this helps! :)

Stay awesome and accomplish your mission! :)

-ivsc-

Local Products I Recommend

Hi everyone!

Last week, I've uploaded a 2-part video featuring my recommended products from our local brands here in the Philippines. The reason why I decided to share those products is because I think we have tons of good-quality local products that need to be recognized more. From foundations, to powders to lipsticks --- there are awesome products from our local brands such as Fashion 21, Ever Bilena, FS Cosmetics and more.

The video was divided into two because it took me about 26 minutes to finish talking about my recommended local products! The first part is all about foundations, concealers, powders, and blushes.

♥ FOUNDATION ♥

1. San San Matte Liquid Foundation

     - I love this product because it provides a good coverage and has a smooth finish but it won't require you to spend a lot since it only costs PhP140.00! It comes in 4 different shades and it's available in all HBC outlets.

2. Ever Bilena Whitening BB Cream

     - This may not suit all skin colors because it's only available in one shade but I recommend this to those who have light skin colors like me. I love its coverage and how it makes my face look flawless. I always get compliment every time I use this and they get surprised all the time to find out that it's from our local brand. This BB cream is too yellowish though so be careful in using and blending it out. This is for only PhP198.00. For more info, watch my review here.

♥ CONCEALER ♥

1. Fashion 21 Perfect Stick with Tea Tree Oil

     - This concealer stick from Fashion 21 is also available in their regular form, the one without tea tree oil , but I chose this one mainly because of its texture. It glides on smoothly and it has a cream to powder finish so it is definitely perfect for my oily-combination skin. It works well on people with really oily skin, too. It has a light to medium coverage so it's perfect for everyday use as well plus it's very convenient to use since it's in a stick form. Only PhP195.00 from Fashion 21 counters at all leading department stores nationwide. Read my review here.

2. San San Concealer
     - This creamy concealer works for all skin types. It is creamy but it doesn't crease as much as the other local concealers (based on personal experience). It provides medium to full coverage and it's really affordable for only PhP110.00!

♥ POWDERS ♥

1. Fashion 21 Loose Powder

    - This powder provides amazing coverage! The powder is finely milled so it gives a very flawless and smooth finish. What I also love about this product is its powder puff because it's not like other powder puffs and sponges that you can't even use. The powder puff that comes with this powder is very sturdy and helps in a fuller and smoother application. This is for only PhP150.00 and can already last you for years!!!

2. Fashion 21 Two Way Cake with Milk Moisturizers

     - This is my most favorite pressed powders among all the powders from our local brands! The texture is very silky and smooth and it stays on for long hours, too. Fashion 21 Two Way Cakes are available in 4 different variants and if you want to know more about it, click here for my review. :)

3. FS Cosmetics Two Way Cakes

     - The FS Cosmetics two way cakes also provide good coverage but I like the texture of the Fashion 21 Two Way Cakes better because they are silkier and more affordable. However, FS cosmetics offers a wider range of shades of their powders and they even have shades that you can use for contouring which are the shades Rajah and Fantasia. I have collected all of the shades and they are a big help especially on my makeup gigs. Review here.

♥ BLUSHES ♥

1. Ever Bilena Single Blush-On and Cheek Blush

     - What I love about the Ever Bilena blushes is that they are available in tons of different shades from light pinks to deep berry shades to brown shades. The texture is not chalky unlike other local blushes and they stay on for long hours, too.

2. Careline Oil-Control Single Blush-On

     - Perfect for makeup beginners, especially for teenagers because the coverage is sheer. It just adds a hint of color and life on your face plus it's definitely budget-friendly for only PhP85.00!

3. Shawill Collagen Rosy Touch Blusher

     - The reason why I love this blush is because of its smooth and silky texture. I love how it looks really matte but gives you this healthy glow on your skin! This is for only PhP65.00. Read my review here.

Okay, let's now move on to the second part of the video wherein I featured different eyeliners, eye shadows, eyebrow pencils, lipsticks, and a few makeup tools.

♥ LIQUID EYELINERS ♥

1. San San Age Defense Liquid Eyeliner

     - I have tried different local liquid eyeliners but this is my most favorite because the applicator is more sturdy, good color payoff, waterproof, smudgeproof, and it doesn't rubberize unlike other annoying liquid eyeliners.

2. FS Cosmetics Felt Tip Liner

     - I have really oily lids that's why I always stick with liquid dip eyeliners. The FS cosmetics Felt Tip Liner is one of my favorites because even though it comes in a pen form, it doesn't really transfer on my lids and it doesn't smudge plus the color payoff is commendable.

3. Shawill Pretty Color Eyeliner

    - If you're looking for good quality yet affordable colored liners, visit Shawill counters and check out their Pretty Color eyeliners! Available in different beautiful shades and they also have glitter liners for only PhP98.00!

♥ EYE PENCILS ♥

1. Nichido Mineral Kohl Pencil in Onyx

     - This is one of the best eye pencils that I've tried from our local brands because it is very pigmented and doesn't smudge as much as the other cheap eyeliners.

2. Fashion 21 Defining Eyeliner in Black

     - Like the Nichido pencil, this also has good color payoff and doesn't smudge as much as the other liners. I love the Nichido Mineral Kohl Pencil but I love this more because it's retractable so it's more convenient to use.

3. Ever Bilena Color Pencil in Black

     - I forgot to feature this in the video but I highly recommend this eye pencil, too because the color is really jet black and glides on very smoothly but doesn't smudge as much as the other cheap liners, too.

♥ EYE SHADOWS ♥

1. Fashion 21 Color Set

     - I highly recommend this makeup palette to beginners, new makeup artists and makeup enthusiasts because it contains a lot of different shades already from white to black to browns to primary colors to secondary and so on! Haha! The texture is good, not powdery nor chalky. Most of the shades are pigmented but some are too sheer, though. This is for only PhP399.00! Not bad for makeup beginners!

2. San San Age Defense Trio Eyeshadow

     - I absolutely love these cream eyeshadows from San San because they are very pigmented and serve as a good eye makeup base. They can crease though since they are creamy so be extra careful in using them and make sure to use a primer. Read my review here.

3. Shawill 12 Color Cream Eyeshadow Palette

     - This palette is one of my favorite eyeshadow palettes from the local brands because they are cream eyeshadow with powder finish. They are all metallic and shimmery, perfect for glamorous makeup looks!

4. Fashion 21 Roll N Dazzle Glitter Eyeshadow in Pink Diamond

     - I bought this shade because I love its two-toned effect. It is a pink eyeshadow with gold flexes in it. Yes, this is an eye shadow but I rarely use it on my eyes anymore ever since I discovered that it can be a really great highlighter on your cheeks! To know more about my favorite local highlighter, click here.

♥ MASCARA ♥

1. Fashion 21 Double Up Mascara

     - One of the best mascaras that I've tried EVER! May it be from the local brands or from foreign brands. This is definitely one of the bests! It does a good job in separating and lengthening my eyelashes. Read my review here to know more about it.

♥ EYEBROW PENCILS ♥

1. Ever Bilena Ever Original Eyebrow Pencil

     - One of the first eyebrow pencils that I've used when I was just beginning to learn makeup and until now, it's still one of my favorite local eyebrow pencils. It stays on for long hours and it's not waxy unlike other eyebrow pencils that already looks super fake when you use them.

2. Ever Bilena Advance HD Eyebrow Pencil

     - I like its consistency because it's very blendable.

3. San San Eyebrow Pencil

     - The texture is comparable to the Ever Bilena eyebrow pencils but another thing why I love this is because of the sharpener that comes with it because it works! Hindi siya mapurol. Yes, small things do count! :)

♥ LIPSTICKS ♥

1. Ever Bilena Matte Lipsticks

     - One of the local brands that carries awesome lipsticks is Ever Bilena and my favorite lipstick from them is their matte lipstick! Amazing pigmentation and they offer a wide range of shades from pinks to oranges to reds to browns!

2. Ever Bilena Famous Lipstick in Watermelon

     - I'm not a big fan of the Ever Bilena lipstick line called Famous but I'm a big fan of their shade Watermelon from the mentioned lipstick line. I love its coral shade and it's perfect for daytime looks an everyday looks.

3. Fashion 21 Lipsticks

     - The only lipstick from Fashion 21 is from their lipstick line, Red Romance, in the shade Heartthrob but if you're looking for affordable with good quality lipsticks, visit Fashion 21 counters because they offer awesome lipsticks in different shades. I always test their lipstick whenever I visit their counters and I am impressed with the pigmentation of their lipsticks and their texture plus they are all very affordable! The Red Romance lipstick in Heartthrob is one of my favorite red lipsticks, by the way.

4. M&Co. Lipsticks

     - Now, here is a brand that is not yet common to a lot of people. M&Co. is a local brand that offers a variety of cosmetics from foundations to powders to lipsticks. They also have almost everything. One of their famous products is their lipstick. I am amazed with the color payoff of their lipsticks and they also offer a lot of different shades. I have recently fell in love with their matte lipstick in the shade Scarlet which is what I was wearing in the video.

♥ MAKEUP TOOLS ♥

1. FS Cosmetics Eyelash Curler

     - They say this is a dupe for the famous Shu Uemura eyelash curler and I somehow agree with that because I have already tried that eyelash curler from the said high-end brand. I've been using this eyelash curler for almost 3 years now and until now, it's still working and it was only this year that I decided to change its pad. Isn't it awesome? This is for only PhP125.00!

2. M&Co. Eyelash Curler

   - I just discovered this recently and I am already recommending it because it's as good as the FS Cosmetics eyelash curler but it's cheaper for only PhP99.00 and it already comes with 2 extra pads.

3. Nichido Eyelash Adhesive

     - One of the best eyelash adhesives that I've tried and one of the most affordable. You can be sure that your falsies won't fall down or move from your lashes when you use this lash glue. This is for only PhP60.00.

4. HBC Essentials False Eyelashes

     - I'm amazed how these falsies look so natural yet they only cost PhP20.75 per pair! The band is really thin so you can barely notice is sitting on top of your natural eyelashes!

There you have it, dears! The products that I recommend from our local brands. So, you see, we don't really HAVE to spend a lot in beautifying ourselves. Yes, we may want to splurge at times but we don't really NEED to do that. Just visit the nearest mall and check out our local brands and you will surely find tons of amazing products with high-end quality and things that you can be really proud of as a Filipino! :)

Stay awesome and accomplish your mission! :)

-ivsc-

Mascara Recipe for Volumizing and Lengthening Eyelashes

When it comes to makeup, there's always that one tube of mascara that you can't just seem to let go. You can't quite live without it because it just makes your eyelashes the star of the show for some reason. In my case, I happen to have two tubes of mascara that always complete my whole makeup look. I have different mascaras that can give me enough volumized, curled, and lengthened eyelashes but I just love the combination of these two mascaras. Both are drugstore products - the other one's from Europe and the other one is, I think, the best local mascara in the Philippine makeup market.

We all have our different makeup recipes; blush recipe - like what are the cheek products that you love to combine, lip recipe - what are your favorite lip products to mix, etc. When it comes to mascara, I love mixing the Essence Get Big! Lashes Volume Curl Mascara and the Fashion 21 Double Up Mascara. Watch this very short video wherein you'll see how I use the two:

I have very thin and short lashes and I love how the Essence Get Big! Lashes Volume Curl Mascara volumizes and curls them. It just makes my eyelashes appear fuller and thicker and I love it because that's my frustration. That's why I love clumpy mascaras because they make my lashes appear thicker. However, this mascara from Essence is not waterproof and considering the shape of my eye and my very oily lids, I need to always wear waterproof mascara because non-waterproof mascara usually smudges around my eyes. To seal in the Essence Get Big! Lashes Volume Curl Mascara, I like using the Fashion 21 Double Up Mascara. It doesn't just keep the mascara from budging, it can also lengthen my eyelashes twice its original length. So, its name, Double Up, is the perfect name for that tube of mascara. It does a good job in lengthening and separating my eyelashes. It's one of the bests!

In this photo, I only coated my right eyelashes with the two awesome mascaras so you can see the difference from my natural eyelashes.

With the very affordable price of the two, I see no reason why I shouldn't repurchase them. Of course, I may find better mascaras soon and might discover another mascara recipe but this is just my favorite combo for months and I'm still loving it up to now! Recommended for girls who are tight on their budgets! :)

I have already reviewed both mascaras.

Click here for the Fashion 21 Double Up Mascara review.

Click here for the Essence Get Big! Lashes Volume Curl Mascara review.

What about you? What's your favorite mascara recipe? :)

Stay awesome and accomplish your mission! :)

-ivsc-

FOTD (071913): Smokin' Hot Pink!

Hi everybody!

I'm back to share another late FOTD with you guys. This was my look yesterday and nothing really special actually but I love it because the foundation and the lipstick that I used here are two of my new makeup products.

The lipstick was still sealed yesterday and it was literally my first time to use it. This is Wet N Wild Megalast Lipstick in Smokin' Hot Pink, by the way. I love Wet N Wild lippies and this has got to be my favorite shade (so far)! I just love how it instantly brightened up my face and how it makes a very simple look gorgeous! As usual, I just applied mascara on my eyes for that simple and clean look then paired it with a bold lip color. This is such a perfect combo! :) Ooh, by the way, I love my foundation here. It was also my first time to use it and I instantly fell in love with it. It's the Essence Soft Touch Mousse Make-Up!

PRODUCTS USED:

FACE

Essence Soft Touch Mousse Make-up in Matt Ivory

Glory of New York Translucent Powder

FS Cosmetics Two Way Cake in Fantasia for bronzing

Glory of New York Mineral Blush in 10

Etude House LUCIDarling Over The Rainblusher for highlighting

BROWS

In2It Waterproof Eyebrow Colour

EYES

Essence Get Big! Lashes Volume Curl mascara

Fashion 21 Double Up Mascara

LIPS

Wet N Wild Megalast Lipstick in Smokin' Hot Pink

I can't stop thinking about that Wet N Wild Megalast Lipstick in Smokin' Hot Pink! I can say as early as today that this lipstick will possibly be the product of the month this August! ^_^

More FOTDs and GET THE LOOKs soon!

Stay awesome and accomplish your mission! :)

-ivsc-

FOTD (071813) + GET THE LOOK: Neutral Glam

Hi everyone! I'm a day late and I know this may sound a cliche but it's better late than never! Haha! Last night was church day again and it's been a while since I really glammed up for worship service - with full makeup on! I used to just go for a no-makeup makeup look or just go for no makeup at all! Last night, I was really itching to play with my makeup since the other night before I went to bed, I was watching a lot of makeup tutorials on YouTube from beauty gurus whom I just discovered and fell in love with. One is ThatGirlShae. I love her personality! :)

Anyway, since I was really inspired and missed doing eye makeups with transitions and all, I decided to do this very common and simple but glamorous look.

I originally planned to wear a red lipstick but it would take me a little longer to perfect the shape of my lips because applying red lipstick can be a pain in the butt at times. So, I just went for a peachy nude lip color because I saw my Glory of New York Lip Shine collection and I rarely use them so to be able to at least use one of them, I chose to wear this lip color. ;-)

Want to copy this look? Then read further!

First, let me share with you the things that I used for this look. I did not use my favorite Glory of New York Translucent Powder today, which is the featured product of the month by the way, because I was testing my foundation if it would last just as long as when set with my favorite translucent powder. Glory of New York Translucent Powder is the bomb! It just makes my makeup last twice longer! Review soon. Anyway, here are the products that I used:

FACE

Essence Clear & Matt Make-Up Oil-Free in Porcelain

Glory of New York Dual Powder Foundation in 42

Glory of New York Mineral Blush in 10

FS Two Way Cake in Fantasia for bronzing (not in picture)

Fashion 21 Roll'N Dazzle in Pink Diamond for highlighting

BROWS

San San Eyebrow Pencil in No. 02 (not in picture)

EYES

NYX Nude on Nude palette

Fashion 21 Single Eyeshadow in 20

4U2 Dream Girl Reflections Eye Shadow Quattro

San San Age Defying Liquid Liner

Fashion 21 Defining Eyeliner in Black

Fashion 21 Double Up Mascara

LIPS

NYX Round Lipstick in Indian Pink

Glory of New York Mineral Lip Shine in 62

GET THE LOOK:

1. Apply Essence Clear & Matt Make-up and let it set on your face while you do the rest of your makeup.

2. Go straight to the brows. Use San San Eyebrow Pencil to shape and fill in your brows.

3. For the eyes, apply your transition color first. I used the taupe shade from the NYX Nude on Nude palette as my transition color. Apply this on your crease, under your brow bones.

4. From the 4U2 Dream Girl Reflections Eye Shadow Quattro, take the satin warm brown shade and apply it on your crease and blend carefully.

5. From the same 4U2 palette, take the satin beige eye shadow and apply that on the middle lids, as you can see on the photo above. blend it seamlessly to the brown eye shadow.

6. Take a darker shade of brown. I used the Fashion 21 Single Eyeshadow in 20 and with a pencil brush, I applied it on the outer crease of my eyes for more depth.

7. Tightline your eyes. Lining the inner rims helps in making your lashes more full and it makes your eyes more intense. I used Fashion 21 Defining Eyeliner in Black.

8. Create a winged line using San San Age Defying Liquid liner.

9. Coat your lashes generously with Fashion 21 Double Up Mascara.

10. Clean any fallout then you can now set your foundation with Glory of New York Dual Powder Foundation.

11. This time, I skipped contouring powder and just applied bronzer so that my face wouldn't look flat. I contoured though my nose using the same taupe eye shadow from the NYX Nude on Nude palette.

12. To sculpt my cheek bones, I applied my Glory of New York Mineral Blush in 10. For that beautiful glow, I used my Fashion 21 Roll'N Dazzle in Pink Diamond --- my favorite local highlighter!

13. To finish the whole look, I applied my NYX Round Lipstick in Indian Pink on my lips and Glory of New York Mineral Lip Shine in 62 on top.

That's it! Let me know if you want me to do a video tutorial for this! ;-)

Stay awesome and accomplish your mission! :)

-ivsc-

FOTD (071213) + Get The Look: Trying Out New Products!

Hi guys!

I wasn't able to post yesterday's FOTD here in my blog but I did post a photo of me and a photo of the products that I used on my Facebook page. People were asking for the list of the products so I'm going to share it here. I've accumulated a few new makeup products this past month and I really want to try them all but of course, I can't use them all at the same time. So every time that I go out, I make it a point that I'll be using a couple or more of my new makeup products.

Yesterday, I used four of my new beauty toys! Three Essence products from Color Society and the famous Naturactor Cover Face foundation which I literally just received yesterday from Kikay Street! Thank you, Kamille! :)

PRODUCT LIST:

FACE

Naturactor Cover Face in 171 and 140

Glory of New York Dual Powder in 29

Glory of New York Translucent Powder No. 2

Essence Silky Touch Blush in 40 Natural Beauty

Taupe shade from Essence Eyebrow Stylist Set (for contouring)

EYEBROWS

Essence Eyebrow Stylist Set

EYES

Essence Sun Club Glamour To Go Eyeshadow

San San Age Defying Liquid Liner

Nichido Mineral Kohl Pencil in Onyx

Essence Get Big! Lashes Volume Mascara

Fashion 21 Double Up Mascara

LIPS

The Body Shop Born Lippy Lip Balm

NYX Matte Lipstick in Natural

GET THE LOOK:

1. Apply Naturactor Cover Face in 171 to eliminated the redness of your skin.

2. Apply Naturactor Cover Face in 140 on your face seamlessly. A little goes a long way so apply your foundation gradually.

3. Set your foundation with powder. This is optional but I have oily skin so I always set my foundation with powder. I used Glory of New York Dual Powder in 29.

4. Sculpt your cheek bones using Essence Silky Touch Blush in 40 Natural Beauty.

5. To add even more dimension on your face, contour using the taupe shade from the Essence Eyebrow Stylist Set.

6. For the brows, use the same eyebrow powder, Essence Eyebrow Stylist Set. Clean the edges with a concealer to make it look more neat. ;-)

7. You can use eyelid primer but I skipped that part yesterday to test the longevity of the Essence Sun Club Glamour To Go Eyeshadow. I used the dark brown shade (upper right) all over my lids then used the peach shade (lower left) as highlighter for inner corners and inner thirds of my eyes.

8. Next, I just created a winged line with San San Age Defying Liquid Liner then tightline using Nichido Mineral Kohl Pencil in Onyx.

9. For my lashes, I used two different mascaras. I coated my eyelashes first with Essence Get Big! Lashes Volume Mascara then sealed it with Fashion 21 Double Up Mascara because the Essence mascara isn't waterproof.

10. For the lips, I used my all time favorite The Body Shop Born Lippy Lip Balm to moisturize and prep my lips then I applied NYX Matte Lipstick in Natural, a great everyday pink lip color!

11. This is optional as well but if you want your makeup to last longer, seal it with Glory of New York Translucent Powder. I used the shade No. 2.

By the way, the Naturactor Cover Face foundation is very impressive! Flawless coverage and stays on the whole day without retouching. Still, I'm going to try it out without Glory of New York Translucent Powder to see if it has the same longevity without sealing it. Let me know if you want me to review any of the new products that I used in this look. ;)

Stay awesome and accomplish your mission! :)

-ivsc-

The Project Awesome's June 2013 Favorites

Are you kidding me? Already half of the year had passed! Bilis talaga! Yesterday, we welcomed the 7th month of the year and for beauty bloggers, that means it's time for sharing your monthly favorites. Hahaha! So, here I am, sharing with you the awesome products that I've been using a lot this past month.

1. Glory of New York Translucent Powder No. 1 and 2

- I used to avoid translucent powders because I always thought that it would leave a white cast on my face. I was scared to use them until I conquered my fear (LOL) and tried one of the products that Glory of New York sent me - their Translucent Powder. I use shades 1 and 2 but mostly no.2 this past month. I must say that translucent powder is my new favorite kind of powder! It just seals my makeup and keeps oiliness at bay! Sometimes, I only use concealer and set it with this translucent powder. It's just a whole new me! Before you can't let me finish my makeup without setting my foundation or concealer with a colored powder but now, I can ditch my pressed powders and just stick with my beloved translucent powder. Hihi! The Glory of New York Translucent Powder really makes my makeup last all day, keeps oiliness at bay for long hours especially on my eyes (I have very oily lids) and my t-zone area. Please visit Queen B. on Facebook for your orders and inquiries. :)

2. Glory of New York Total Coverage Foundation No. 210

- Hands down, one of the best foundations I've tried! I'm not a fan of cream foundations but this changed my whole perspective. It provides amazing coverage that's perfect for videography and photography. It stays on for long hours and doesn't wears off or slides off. Of course, I only use this occasionally since the coverage is medium to full. I'll be writing a thorough review about this very soon. :) Please visit Queen B. on Facebook for your orders and inquiries. :)

3. Glory of New York Total Cover Up Concealer No. 104

- In times when I'm too lazy, I just conceal my dark circles and other imperfections on my face. I found myself always reaching for this concealer because it has good coverage and even though it's a cream concealer, it doesn't cake and doesn't move even when I sweat. Please visit Queen B. on Facebook for your orders and inquiries. :)

4. Glory of New York Dual Foundation No. 42 / No. 29

- This is also one of the best powder foundations that I've tried. The texture is smooth and silky and doesn't fade out easily. Longevity is awesome! When I'm not in the mood to do full on makeup but wants a little more coverage, I apply concealer and use this powder foundation to set everything. Amazing results, I'm telling ya! Please visit Queen B. on Facebook for your orders and inquiries. :)

5. Glory of New York Mineral Blush in No. 41

- Great color payoff, impressive staying power and gives me a healthy glow on my face. 'Nuff said. Read my review about Glory of New York Mineral Blushes here. ;) Please visit Queen B. on Facebook for your orders and inquiries. :)

6. Glory of New York Lipstick in No. 635

- Okay, you all know how much I love my GNY lipsticks but last June, I always reach for the shade no. 635! It is a mauve color that's perfect for any occasion! :) Please visit Queen B. on Facebook for your orders and inquiries. :)

7. Essence Get Big! Lashes Volume Curl Mascara

- THE BEST drugstore mascara everrrrr! It really saves my thin eyelashes all the time! It gives length, volume and thickness to my eyelashes and the best part is that it's very affordable for only P169.00! :)

8. Essence Eyebrow Stylist Set

- I hit pan on my In2It Waterproof Eyebrow Color already but I haven't emptied it yet but I always find myself reaching for this brow set everytime I do my brows! Since I've been using it a lot, In2It brow powder is always left hanging, waiting to be emptied. Haha! I've written a review about the Essence Eyebrow Stylist Set and if you haven't read it yet, click here. :)

9. Cara Airfit BB Cream

- I'm not a big fan of BB creams but I think this is, by far, the best BB cream that I've tried. Impressive longevity and covers up imperfections well. Read my review about it here. Please visit MyrSkin on Facebook for your orders and inquiries. :)

10. Fashion 21 Perfect Stick with Tea Tree Oil

 - This stick concealer from Fashion 21, I must say, is one of the best local cosmetics in the market. Well, that's just me, ha but I am really loving this stick concealer. It can be used as foundation, too! Coverage is light to medium and stays on for long hours as well. To know more about it, please click here. I've been using this a lot to school! :)

11. Fashion 21 Defining Eyeliner in Black

- It may not be the best local eyeliner but I don't know why I keep on reaching for this whenever I do my eye makeup. It's not the blackest eyeliner that I own but I love using this in tightlining my eyes and using it as a base sometimes for my eyeshadow. It's only P100.00, FYI! :)

12. Artist Studio Angled Brush

- Soft bristles, not super dense but dense enough to use in applying blush, bronzer and contouring powder. This brush has awesome quality yet super affordable at around P150.00 or maybe even less! Try it out! I got this from Landmark, Trinoma. :)

13. Virginia Olsen Minerals Sculpting Brush

- The name of the brush explains it, it's the perfect sculpting brush or contouring brush! It just makes it easier for me to achieve that gorgeous sculpted cheek bones to make my face look slimmer. The bristles are cruelty-free, uber soft and very gentle on the skin. :) Please visit Virginia Olsen Minerals on Facebook for more inquiries. :)

14. Beauty Cosmetics Natural Blending Eye Brush

- This super affordable blending brush is made out of high-quality goat hair. The bristles are surprisingly soft even though it looks a little porous. It blends eyeshadow faster than my older blending brushes. Please visit Beauty Cosmetics on Facebook for your orders and inquiries. :)

Okay, so these are all my June 2013 favorites! I know I've featured 6 Glory of New York products but what can I say, I love their stuff! :) Share your monthly favorites, too! :)

Stay awesome and accomplish your mission! :)

-ivsc-

1-Brand Makeup Tutorial: Fashion 21 Cosmetics - "Rebel Girl"

It's been almost two months (or already two months) since I completed my Fashion 21 Cosmetics stash for my 1-brand makeup tutorial but it was just a few days ago that I filmed it. I just want to make sure that the products that I'd be using are worth sharing to you guys. I already have Fashion 21 products such as their powders, eyeshadows and their Double Up Mascara (which I absolutely love) and they all impressed me --- that's why Fashion 21 is my favorite local brand of cosmetics here in the Philippines. Last May, I bought their stick concealer, eyeliner, blush, and lipstick so that I can do a tutorial using only Fashion 21 Cosmetics.

After road testing the products and not finding any huge problem about using them, I decided to push through with the tutorial. I've been planning for this for months and a lot of makeup looks and themes came to mind since I have their Color Set (eyeshadow palette) which contains tons of colors! So my mind is going insane! The first theme that I came up with was Mafia Lady but I realized I've been using a lot of browns and neutrals in my previous videos so I decided to go for something wherein I can use different colors! I thought of the theme Rebel Girl and this is what I came up with:

Purple eyeshadow paired with red lip color just looks so beautiful for me. A couple of years ago, I saw this photo in Google. It's an image of a punk / rebellious kind of girl and she has this purple smokey eyes paired with wine red lip color and that image stuck in my head ever since! In this look, I also used Michelle Phan as my inspiration. She likes doing winged-out eyeshadows and that's what I did in this look!

Oh, and don't you think the gray lenses gave an extra oomph on the eye makeup? Fab Beau Lusst sent me these lenses and it was right on time and I was so glad that they sent me a gray pair since me and my sister think that gray eyes make any eye makeup look mesmerizing and more attractive. It was my first time though to do a makeup tutorial with lenses on so I was really happy and excited! Haha!

Here's the video tutorial:

Out of all the Fashion 21 products that I used in the tutorial, my favorites are the Loose Powder, Two Way Cake with Milk Moisturizers, Perfect Stick with Tea Tree Oil, Double Up Mascara, Defining Eyeliner, and of course, Roll N' Dazzle in Pink Diamond (okay, almost everything)! I think those products are really worth raving for because they are so affordable yet have good quality. The Color Set is great, too but some are not that pigmented. Same with the Single Blush-On, too - not really pigmented and just... eh, okay! The Dipliner is also just okay for me. It's actually a little sticky so I'm not really a fan of it. And I'm not crazy about the Red Romance lipstick since it bleeds. I love the color Heartthrob, though! If you want me to review any of the Fashion 21 product that I haven't reviewed yet, please let me know. :)

This is how my makeup looked like in flash photography:

PRODUCTS USED:

FACE

Fashion 21 Perfect Stick with Tea Tree Oil in Milk Tea

Fashion 21 Two Way Cake with Milk Moisturizers in No. 2

Fashion 21 Loose Powder in No. 1

Fashion 21 Color Set (brown eyeshadows for contouring)

Fashion 21 Single Blush-On in No. 14

Fashion 21 Roll N' Dazzle Glitter Eyeshadow in Pink Diamon (used as highlighter)

EYES AND BROWS

Fashion 21 Color Set

- Brown for the brows

- Purple, Gray, and frosted Aqua for the eyes

- Satin Beige for highlighting the nose bridge

Fashion 21 Defining Eyeliner in Black

Fashion 21 Dipliner in Black

Fashion 21 Double Up Mascara

LIPS

Fashion 21 Red Romance lipstick in Heartthrob

Fashion 21 is available in all leading department stores nationwide.

Let me know what brand you want me to feature next! ;-)

Stay awesome and accomplish your mission! :)

-ivsc-

Product Review: Fashion 21 Perfect Stick with Tea Tree Oil

Stick foundations are not really my thing. It's just that two of the stick foundies that I've tried before didn't really work out that well on me. I thought they're both cakey and just not the perfect match for my oily-combination skin. However, maybe it's just the way how I used it? Hmm... Not sure but after using those two, I decided I won't use stick foundations anymore, well, not for the rest of my life naman. Hehe! Stick foundations are so convenient to use sana, however, I guess we're not really meant to be (or so I thought?).

Then just a month ago, I went over to Fashion 21 cosmetics' counter at SM North Edsa to complete my stash from the said brand for my one-brand makeup tutorial. I realized that Fashion 21 cosmetics doesn't have liquid and cream foundations. They only have powder foundations and their Perfect Sticks which are actually concealers but can be used as foundation. So, with no other choice at all, I decided to purchase one of their stick concealers for the sake of my one-brand makeup tutorial and also, to see if it's worth sharing to my readers. There are two kinds --- the classic perfect stick and the one with tea tree oil. I went for the latter since the Fashion 21 sales lady told me that it has better coverage than the former. Of course, before buying it, I tried it on the back of my hand and I was kind of intrigued with its texture because it glides on smoothly, blendable and seems to have an almost powder finish.

Product name: Fashion 21 Perfect Stick with Tea Tree Oil

Price: P195.00

Bought from: Fashion 21 counter at SM North Edsa

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:

soft concealer stick with tea tree oil

PRODUCT FEATURES:

- Tea Tree Oil (fade blemishes)

- UV Protection

- Oil Control

- Mild on skin

- Smooth and easy application

- Cream to powder finish

- Can act as foundation

The first thing that I thought when I bought this was "Oh please, don't let me down.". I mean, yes it's affordable but if it's not worth buying for then I'd rather just spend my P195.00 on something else (like a meal from Burger King, oh yum!). Fashion 21 Perfect Stick with Tea Tree Oil is available in only 3 shades. I got the shade Milk Tea which is the second lightest shade. The first one, which is Irish Tea, is lighter than me and the last shade, Warm Tea, is already too dark for me. Milk Tea is the perfect shade for my skin color!

The product comes in a mint green plastic case with a roll-up barrel which is pretty sturdy. It has a slight mint scent which I like because you know naman how much I love minty products! Some though doesn't like the scent. Oh, well!

Direction for Use:

Best applied with a soft, flat sponge or with your fingers. Apply in even strokes, working towards the hairline and jaw line.

When I first used it, I was already impressed with it! I use it as foundation and concealer most of the time and I use both my fingers and buffing brush (synthetic kabuki brushes from Beauty Cosmetics) to apply it. I double up on some of the areas of my face that need more concealing. It glides on smoothly as you apply it and not at all thick and cakey. One layer is equivalent to medium coverage but you can, of course, build it up to achieve your desired amount of coverage. As for me, I apply one layer all over my face then just add more on my imperfections, especially my dark circles, redness around my nose, and blemishes but really, it covers up mild imperfections in just one application.

I was absolutely in awe when I first tried it because it has a really good quality, considering its price of only P195.00! Good coverage, smooth texture and finish, and the longevity is really striking, too! The powder finish doesn't bother me since I have oily-combination skin but for people with dry skin, you might want to moisturize well your skin before using this because it might accentuate your dry skin and might create patches. What I also love about Fashion 21 Perfect Stick with Tea Tree Oil is that, it has a good amount of coverage without looking like you're all photoshopped and used layers of foundations. It just looks almost flawless and natural and it doesn't feel heavy at all even with 2-3 layers.

Let me show you my before-and-after photos from the first time that I've tried it. I used Fashion 21 Two Way Cake with Milk Moisturizers to set it:

Impressive, ei? The first image was a photo of me with the stick foundation set with their two way cake foundation, then second image with finished makeup and then the last one was taken 4 hours after! I looked shiny on my t-zone area already but the coverage is still awesome!

Okay, okay, I thought to myself that maybe the Fashion 21 Two Way Cake with Milk Moisturizers helped with the result. So, I did another test just recently to really see how long it would last. I only used a loose translucent powder to set it:

Want to take a closer look? Let's break it down, photo by photo:

Picture No. 1: Bare face

Picture No. 2: Applied the Fashion 21 Perfect Stick with Tea Tree Oil as foundation/concealer.

Picture No. 3: Set it with a loose translucent powder, did my brows, and then contoured my face.

Picture No. 4: With complete makeup on.

Picture No. 5: After 7 hours. My skin looked shiny already but the coverage was still almost as good although some of my pimple scars were starting to show.

Picture No. 6: AFTER A TOTAL OF 9 HOURS, my skin looked really oily already, the foundation was starting to wear off on my nose area and under eye area but overall, the coverage still looked pretty good! FYI, I did not retouch at all!!!

Isn't it imposing? That's a total of 9 hours, for pete's sake! Now, I can really say that Fashion 21 is one of the best (if not the best) local cosmetic brands in the Philippines! You've seen it all in the photos that I've provided for you. ;-)

I absolutely recommend this to all Filipinas who are tight on budget. The Fashion 21 Perfect Stick with Tea Tree Oil is definitely worth it. I honestly can't think of any negative thing about it. Maybe just the scent because it might bother some but it's totally fine by me, I actually like it. Oh, and I'm just not sure if it will really help fade out blemishes because I don't use it everyday but if we're just going to talk about texture, coverage, staying power and overall quality, it's very surprising. Let's just put it this way, it changed my view towards stick foundations. Hehehe!

Stay awesome and accomplish your mission! :)

-ivsc-