L'OREAL INFALLIBLE PRO-MATTE FOUNDATION IS FINALLY HERE!

Finally, the most sought-after drugstore foundation and most-requested product from L'Oreal Paris is here in the Philippines! L'Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte 24HR Foundation finally made it to the L'oreal counters here in our beloved country. A lot of Filipinas fell in love with this foundation because of its capability to withstand our ridiculously hot weather here in PH.

Product Review: LOL Bronzing Powder

Doesn't it irks you whenever you take a selfie and your face just looks flat and lifeless? Well, there's actually a solution for that --- BRONZER. Bronzers, if applied properly, can help give you that healthy, sun-kissed glow and can also give life to your face. It may also help make your face appear slim together with proper contouring. However, if applied improperly, it can make your face look muddy and just burnt!

There are a lot of good bronzers in the market but if you're looking for something that's on the cheaper side, you might want to check out LOL Cosmetics' Bronzing Powder.

Product Name: LOL Bronzing Powder

Price: P139.00

Available at: SM Department Stores / Watsons

The LOL Bronzing Powder comes in a plastic compact. The cover has a window which shows the actual color of the bronzer. The packaging is quite slim so you can easily slide it inside your makeup kit. If there's one thing that I wish they would change or add on their packaging is maybe... a mirror? But that's not really that big of a deal.

LOL Bronzing Powder is available in 2 shades. The lightest shade is called All Bronzed Up and the darkest is Brown Sugar and it's the shade that I have.

The texture is smooth and it has a matte finish. The coverage is actually light but it is buildable which is good because you can control if you just want to dust a little warmth on your face or if you really want to look like you just got back from the beach. Also, since the coverage isn't too heavy, it is very easy to blend.

I actually like using this for everyday looks just to add warmth on my face. I have used this in contouring my face a few times but it's just too warm and a wee bit orange-y. Just a quick tip, always choose a contouring powder with cool undertones because it will look more natural and it will give more depth. ;-)

Here's a photo of me with LOL Bronzing Powder on my face:

As you can see in the photo below, the color has a warm tone. I haven't contoured my face yet in this photo, by the way. I just used the bronzer.

Considering the price, the availability, and the performance, I would say that this is a great bronzer. You can use this as your actual blusher or you can just use it as your regular bronzer. It adds a healthy look on your face and can help avoid you from looking dull and flat on photos. Well, any bronzer can do that but what separates this from other bronzers is that it's really affordable yet the quality is commendable.

So, yes! I will definitely recommend this and and I will surely repurchase but I think this compact will last me even until 2015. Well, depending on how frequent I'm going to use it. Hehe!

Have you tried this bronzer already? What's your favorite bronzer? Share naman! :)

Stay awesome and accomplish your mission!

Product Review: Jazzy Collections Kiss Proof Lip Gloss

Okay, this post is a little late because I have already uploaded my video review of this product a month ago in my YouTube channel. Anyway, it doesn't matter. I just want to share this to you, my readers, and show you photos of swatches and before-and-after.

If you're into matte lip products like me then please continue to read. If you're not a fan of super matte lip colors then I think this will not interest you at all. This lip product is from one of the popular Philippine cosmetic brands, Jazzy Collections (or James Cooper). Jazzy Collections Kiss Proof Lip Gloss is a lip lacquer with a very matte texture and awesome color payoff.

I actually don't get why it's called "lip gloss" since it looks really matte and doesn't even give a teeny tiny bit of sheen on the lips. I agree though that it is kiss proof because once it dried on your lips, it won't transfer at all.

Product Name: Jazzy Collections Kiss Proof Lip Gloss

Price: P299.00

Available at: SM Watsons, Landmark, and other department stores

The shades that I got are LKP-02 Red Orange and LKP-05 Chocolate Brown. I'm just not sure how many shades are available for these lippies but I know they have red, MLBB shades, pink, and even orange. Here are the swatches:

without flash (Top: Red Orange, Bottom: Chocolate Brown)

with flash (Top: Red Orange, Bottom: Chocolate Brown)

Shade: LKP-02 Red Orange

Shade: LKP-05 Chocolate Brown

Like what I've said, it has a really matte texture (can't stress that enough) so it feels dry on the lips but it won't dry out your lips (did you get it?). However, if you already have dry or cracked lips, of course, it can accentuate the dry skin. Here's a closer look of my lips. My lips were super dry the day I took photos.

Even though it is very opaque, you can still see the dry skin on my lips. As for the longevity, yes, it has a great staying power, really long lasting, but once it fades out, it can accentuate more your dry lips because it settles on the cracks and crevices on the lips. Please refer to the photos below.

Those two photos above were taken 5 hours after. As you have seen, it had already faded out on the middle part of the lips but the color is still there so it's still not bad. Here's a side-by-side before-and-after image:

5 hours later

The after shot was taken 5 hours later. I had drank water and eaten already but it still looks pretty good.

Jazzy Collections Kiss Proof Lip Gloss comes with a doe-foot applicator. I don't really have a big problem with the applicator but you should be very careful in applying the lip product. I suggest you use a lip liner first to trace the shape of your lips and then use the actual applicator to fill in your lips. The doe-foot applicator is a little thick so it might be a little difficult to use it in lining your lips and since this lip product dries fast, it can be messy once you created a mistake with the application.

Final words? Heck yeah, I LOVE THE JAZZY COLLECTIONS KISS PROOF LIP GLOSS! Even though it can accentuate dry skin on the lips, I still love it. It has amazing pigmentation and I'm just in-love with matte textures! It just makes your lips standout. Not to mention that the shades that I have are quite head-turners. My favorite is Red Orange because it makes my complexion appear brighter but I still want to try other shades, especially the red one. Everytime we visit the Jazzy Collections counters at malls, their other shades are out of stock. I wonder when are they going to re-stock? Hmm...

If you want to see if it's really kiss proof, you can watch my video review. Here's the embedded link:

If you have already tried these lippies, let me know which is your favorite shade. :)

Stay awesome and accomplish your mission! :)

1-Brand Makeup Tutorial: ESSENCE Cosmetics

Hi everyone! So I've got another 1-brand makeup tutorial for you. This time, I featured Essence cosmetics. Essence, I think, is one of the best drugstore brands of cosmetics in the beauty industry. Most of their products have great quality but the prices won't hurt your pocket. In this makeup look, I've picked out some of their greatest products that are really worth trying, especially the foundation and the translucent powder.

Most of the Essence cosmetics that I have have neutral shades so I decided to go for a soft look that you can wear at a wedding. It can be a bridesmaids makeup or even a wedding guest makeup.

I used an eyebrow powder in this tutorial which made the whole look softer and more natural. I also maximized the use of the eyebrow powder by using it as my contouring powder. Unfortunately, everytime I visit Essence counters in malls, their matte bronzers are always out of stock!

For the eyes, I went for a very simple eye makeup. Honestly, Essence eyeshadows don't have that WOW factor. It's a good thing that they have a good eye primer so it helped in making the eyeshadows appear more pigmented.

PRODUCTS USED:

- Essence Stay All Day 16hr Foundation in Soft Beige

- Essence All About Matt Fixing Loose Powder

- Essence Eyebrow Stylist

- Essence I Love Stage Eyeshadow Base

- Essence Sun Club Glamour-To-Go Eyeshadow Palette

- Essence I Love Stage Liquid Eyeliner

- Essence Get Big! Lashes Volume Curl Mascara

- Essence Silky Touch Blush in Natural Beauty

- Essence Lip Liner in In The Nude

- Essence XXL Shine Lip Gloss in Nude Pink

Here's the embedded video of my Essence 1-Brand Makeup Tutorial:

Have you tried Essence cosmetics? What are your favorites? :)

Stay awesome and accomplish your mission! :)

Product Rave-iew: Essence Stay All Day 16-Hour Long Lasting Makeup

Hi everyone!

I'm back to share with you another AMAZING foundation! When I tried the Essence Clear & Matt Oil-Free Foundation and wrote a review about it, a lot of people told me to try the Essence Stay All Day 16-Hour Long Lasting Makeup because they said it is way better. It took me half a year before I could find the chance to finally try it out and now, I fully understand why those people said that this foundation is way better.

I'm planning to do another 1-brand makeup tutorial featuring Essence cosmetics and I wanted a foundation with fuller coverage. Since the two Essence foundations that I have (Clear & Matt and Soft Touch Mousse) can only provide light coverage, I decided to buy another Essence foundation. When I swatched the Essence Stay All Day 16-Hour foundation, I was sold. I was impressed with the consistency of this foundation that I decided to buy it without hesitance.

Product Name: Essence Stal All Day 16-Hour Long Lasting Makeup

Shade:  Soft Beige

Price: P299.00

Available at: SM Department Stores / Watsons

PACKAGING

- This foundation comes in a plastic bottle which I thought was a tin can. It contains 1 fluid ounce of the product which is pretty standard or typical for liquid foundations. The bottle comes in a pump which I absolutely love.

SHADE AVAILABILITY

- Essence Stay All Day 16-Hour foundation is available in 4 shades only. I hope they can come up with more shades. This shade that I got, Soft Beige, looks a bit orange-y once it sets on the skin. This is the closest to my natural skin color thought that's why I chose this and since it matches my skin color already, I always set it with a translucent powder instead of a colored setting powder.

CONSISTENCY AND TEXTURE

- This foundation is very creamy, almost like a mousse. When I apply it on the back of my hand, it doesn't run but the consistency is not really that thick. It has a silky texture that's why it's always a joy to apply and to blend.

COVERAGE AND FINISH

- The coverage is medium to full. It can definitely conceal imperfections on the face. With just one layer, it can already cover dark circles around the eyes, redness of the skin and lighter pimple scars. For darker and bigger spots, you might need two layers to fully conceal them. Essence Stay All Day 16-Hour foundation almost has a semi-matte finish and it sets really well on the skin. This foundation claims to give you a flawless, silky complexion and I ABSOLUTELY agree.

AWESOME COVERAGE AND FINISH!!!

Watch my review/demo video here:

LONGEVITY

- The longevity of this product is really commendable. It stays on for long hours on my skin. I've tried wearing this for longer that 16 hours. Since I have oily-combination skin, I got oily on my t-zone area by the middle of the day but very slightly. At the end of the day, it had already faded a little around the nose area and under my eyes but overall, the coverage still looked pretty great. It's a shame that I didn't get to take photos during that time so I did another road test but with shorter time.

PHOTO TEST

BEFORE (7:30PM)

AFTER 4.5 hours (12:00MN)

Overall, I can say that the Essence Stay All Day 16-Hour Long Lasting Makeup is an AMAZING product. The quality is really awesome yet the price is really affordable for only P299.00! I actually wouldn't mind using this on my makeup clients because this is actually better than a few of my more expensive foundations. I will definitely repurchase and I absolutely recommend this to you guys, especially to people with oily or oily-combination skin. :)

Stay awesome and accomplish your mission!

Essence Soft Touch Mousse Make-Up Review and Swatches

I'm back baby dolls!!!

It's been a while since I last posted a product review and I feel really bad about it because there's just too many products to share with you guys! Anyway, I won't tell you the story why I've been MIA, instead, I will tell you my story about the Essence Soft Touch Mousse Make-Up! :)

I've had this foundation since last June and I started using this last July and I'm sorry if it took this long before I posted a review about it. Anyway, the first time that I tried it, I immediately fell in love with it. Since I have oily-combination skin, I love that it really provides a matte finish that you won't even be needing a powder to set it. However, since I am not comfortable without setting my foundation, I still set it with powder everytime I use it. Hehe! BUT I've tried to leave it just like that without setting it with powder and it still stayed on my face for long hours but of course, setting it with powder will help make it last even longer.

Packaging looks decent because the mousse make-up is stored in a small glass jar. It looked really nice when I opened it that's why it broke my heart when I first used it because I have to ruin the beautifully swirled mousse foundation. Hehe! It is thick and has a velvety, matte texture that gives a powdery but smooth finish. Actually, when you rub it against your skin, it will look like it's forming into small crumbles that's why I was a bit surprised when I first tried it but then as you blend it, you will get a smooth and matte finish.

I just have to warn you that this mousse foundation can accentuate dry skin because it has a very matte finish. That's why it can emphasize newly healed pimples and acne marks so you have to be conscious about that when you use this. So, yeah, I won't recommend this to people with dry skin. When it comes to coverage, it can provide light to medium coverage only. For me, one layer is already enough for everyday look but I'm telling you, it won't fully conceal imperfections on your face. It can't even conceal redness of the skin with just one layer. You'll be needing about two to three layers to fully cover the redness and dark circles. I've used this a lot of times already since it's my favorite everyday foundation as of the moment and I can say that it can't conceal pimple scars that well. And even though it lacks coverage, I still love it because I just love how it gives me that very natural-looking skin.

I've read somewhere that this is available in 8 shades but here in the Philippines, there are only 3 shades available. I got the shade Matt Ivory which I think is the lightest out of the three and it's a shade lighter than my original skin color. I got this when I attended the Color Society event last June so I wasn't really the one who picked this shade for me.

Let's now proceed to my usual test with photos taken chronologically.

1. This is how it looks like on my face with two layers. As you can see it is lighter than my skin color so I always use a darker shade of powder to neutralize the shade. You can also see that the finish is really matte, like I've already set it with powder but that's just the Essence Soft Touch Mousse Make-up alone. (Sorry for my sabog na kilay. Hahaha!)

2. Now, this is how it looks like after setting it with powder and after doing my full makeup. This was taken around 3:00pm.

3. Straight from school! I took this photo at around 8:00pm so about 5 hours had already passed. It still looked good but it started to fade around my nose already and there's a small creasing under my eyes, too.

4. After a total of 7 hours!!! The mousse foundation was already fading out on my nose and above my lips and it's already wearing off under my eyes. I did got oily, especially on the t-zone area, but very slightly. If you look on my cheek area, it still looks pretty matte.

VERDICT! It's great for everyday makeup looks and daytime looks only since it can't provide full coverage. Staying power is okay but not really that awesome but it's already good enough for me. This is priced for P289.00 by the way. If you're going to ask me to rate it, I'd give it a 3.5 out of 5 and it may seem like a low score but I actually love this foundation. Considering its price? Not bad! Not bad at all! :)

Let me know what do you think about the Essence Soft Touch Mousse Make-up if you've already tried it out.

Stay awesome and accomplish your mission! :)

-ivsc-

The Search for the New 8 Maybelline BB Top Models is ON!

Last week, the Maybelline PR Kits were sent to the chosen bloggers and I was in our province that time so please excuse me if this post is a bit late. My Mom was the one who received the package.

Anyway, Maybelline proudly present to you the 8-in-1 BB Cream Collection!

MAYBELLINE Clear Smooth BB has sold over 30 million units in Asia and is one of the widely popular BB brands. Known for its 8 healthy benefits, the 8-in-1 BB Cream brightens, evens, smoothes, refines, clears, conceals, moisturizes and protects to give you perfectly flawless skin in an instant.

FIND THE PERFECT 8-IN-1 BB FOR YOU

The MAYBELLINE Clear Smooth BB collection now has a total of three different formats in varying natural shades to perfectly suit the skin and lifestyle needs of every Asian woman.

BB STICK (for oily skin)

The first BB Stick with 12 hour anti-shine powder finish! With its silky smooth application, it gives you a shine free powder finish every time! ONLY P289! Available in shades Fresh and Radiance.

BB CREAM (for normal/dry skin)

Covers like foundation but doesn't cake, protects like sunblock but isn't sticky, and moisturizes like skincare without being oily! ONLY P259! Available in shades Fresh and Natural.

BB WHITE (Sun Protection with SPF 50)

Conceals and protects-the ultimate sun protection for brighter skin in just one step! ONLY P299! Available in shades Fresh and Natural.

SALE ALERT

ALL MAYBELLINE BB PRODUCTS ARE AT P50 OFF ALL MONTH OF NOVEMBER!

Now, ABOUT THE COMPETITION

Because MAYBELLINE Clear Smooth 8-in-1 BB gives you perfect skin with its 8 healthy benefits, we’re looking for all aspiring models who believe they have what it takes to be one of 8 MAYBELLINE NEW YORK BB Top Models who will represent Clear Smooth 8-in-1 BB in a photoshoot and win a P100,000 modeling contract with Ideal People Models.

HOW TO JOIN

Interested ladies ages 15 and above* can join via the 2014 BB TOP MODELS Application on the MAYBELLINE Philippines Facebook Page from November 4 to November 30, 2013. Candidates should provide the following for participation to be valid:

(1)  Headshot

(2)  Body Shot

(3)  One-sentence statement on why they believe they should be a MAYBELLINE BB Cream Top Model.

*Ages 15-17 are required to submit parental permission to participate.

THE COVETED PRIZES

·         8 winners will be named MAYBELLINE 2014 BB Top Models and be ambassadors for Clear Smooth 8-in-1 BB for a year.

·         The highest scoring model will receive an exclusive 1-year modeling contract worth P100,000 with Ideal People Models, one of the country’s most reputable modeling agencies, while the runner up will receive a P50,000 contract.

HOW TO WIN

Candidates should collect as many votes as possible for a chance to be part of the finals. Each voter is allowed to vote a candidate only once, and can vote for up to 10 candidates.

The top 30 candidates who get the most number of votes will be invited to a casting on December 6, 2013. The jury composed of representatives from MAYBELLINE NEW YORK and Ideal People Models will select the Top 8 winners.

I am absolutely excited about this model search because we, bloggers, get to help you out and mentor you in this competition!

If you are interested to join this search, let me know by sending me an email at ivsc1989@yahoo.com or send me a message on my Facebook page, Makeup by Bing Castro, so I can help you and give you some tips! This is going to be so much fun! When you join and submit your application on Maybelline Philippines' Facebook Page, please don't forget to write my name on the Mentor tab. Let me help you and please help me, too to win the blogger challenge! :) If my candidates will get the highest votes, I will be chosen as one of the top 3 bloggers! Oh, this is so awesome! Let's accomplish this mission!

Good luck in joining the competition and remember I'm here to help you, especially in campaigning your entry! ;-)

Stay awesome and accomplish your mission! :)

-ivsc-