All the Vanity Blog :: Beauty, Fashion & Shopping

Hello, my dear vain readers!

As you notice, I haven’t done any updates for quite a while, since I deliberately set my hibernate mode on for the holidays. But, to start the New Year right, Garnier gave me this very generous beauty gift that will keep my skin “light and radiant” all year ’round!

“Be Smart, Buy Smart”

Tada! Garnier Light Brightening Scrub Wash, Garnier Light Day Cream with SPF 15, Garnier Light Overnight Whitening Peeling Cream and Garnier Light Brightening Eye Roll-On

I used the scrub wash before, and I’ve been religiously using the Overnight Whitening Peeling Cream ever since. I’m not sure if I’m gonna opt for the day cream though, since my skin barely needs heavy creams especially during daytime (when my skin’s oiliness is at its peak ). On the other hand, I’ve been meaning to have my review on Garnier Light Brightening Eye Roll-On very soon. To clue you in:  so far, I’m really lovin’ it!

Have a wonderful 2010 everyone! More post to follow.

x, R

Albeit mineral makeups can be quite messy, there’s no denying that they’re simply one of the gentlest cosmetics ever invented! This is why, I recently got a bit of an MMU haul from Dollface Cosmetics.

Dollface Mineral Blush & Mineral Finishing Silk Swatches

So here’s what I’ve got:

Dollface Mineral Powder Blushes in Cinnamon Roll (med pink matte shade), Plum Pudding (berry shade with shimmer) and Strawberry Smoothie (light orange-pink  matte shade).

Swatches without flash (Top-Bottom: Cinnamon Roll, Plum Pudding and Strawberry Smoothie)

With Flash

I also got Dollface Cosmetics Oil-Absorbing Mineral Finishing Silk in Butter Pecan Ice Cream (light shade with yellow undertones)

Swatch without flash

With flash

Verdict?

I must say I love all of them! I’m so fond of using each everyday, since they don’t cause any breakouts even after hours of wearing them.

I really, really love the silky matte finish that the mineral finishing silk leaves. It effectively nixes oil and shine, and keeps my skin naturally matte for hours!

Regarding the mineral blushes, I either use Cinnamon Roll or Strawberry Smoothie coz both of them leave a natural shade of pink on me. I usually prefer Strawberry Smoothie should I just want a hint of pink with my medium-light to light skin tone, whilst Cinnamon Roll is best used should I want additional colour for a more flushed look. I find Plum Pudding shade to strong for me. Plus, I’m not really into shimmers for an ordinary, everyday look. So I guess, it’s reserved for special occasions!

Tsumori Chisato is one of the numerous fashion designers I like today. She has this unfathomable creative juice–mixing  cartoonish ideas & high fashion altogether–that I really envy and crave for! I really, really love her bold, playful prints that do not go overboard. Her collections are audacious yet  wearable, albeit most would only fit a woman-girl of my age–at max.

Her Fall-Winter collection mainly consists of multicolored printed tights and tunics, inspired by The Little Prince with the presence of stars and other whimsical storybook  prints and characters (do I see little twin stars here? ). Some colors are bright and shiny, while others are subtle sans losing its edge. I like this collection and  found it really cute, bubbly and uplifting! View more of the collection.

On the other hand, I got mixed feelings on her latest Spring-Summer 2010 Collection. Of course, Chisato’s signature prints are still the highlight of the whole collection, albeit it’s a tad bit subtler this time around–more like a Japanese painting. Also, notice how breezy most of the materials are. Texture, drapes and frills are conspicuously present in some of them. View more of the collection.

However, speaking of which, I really do not like this kind of draping:

It kinda looks like an undergarment, more like a  loose diaper.  It reminds me of Balenciaga‘s fall collection that fell short on my expectations — this one in particular.

Not sure if this one’s a sleepwear. It really looks like one! Unlikely to be a suit. I really wanna snug to fit in these, whilst tucked in a very comfy mattress with uber-soft Egyptian linen sheets having my fashionista dreams. I wouldn’t think of wearing this outside, lest people may think I just came straight from the bed!

Tsumori Chisato for Shu Uemura

In case you haven’t heard, the Japanese designer has teamed up with Japanese cosmetic brand, Shu Uemura, for the latter’s Little Prince collection:

The collection consists of palettes, a highlighter, mini brush set, lipsticks, make up bag and studded false eyelashes in its shiny, shimmery packaging.

I’mma include this palette on my Christmas wishlist:

Tsumori Chisato Planet Cat Couture Palette

A limited Edition Couture Compact palette that contains 3 Pressed Eye Shadows (Black Glitz , Shiny Silver, and Copper), 1 cream eyeliner (Black Purple), 1 cream highlighter (Gold Iridescent), 1 blush (Apricot Pink), and 2 dual-ended applicators (wide tip/narrow tip and cheek brush/liner brush)-Shu Uemura USA

Has a royalty damage of $65. Available at  Shu-UemuraUSA.com.

The most anticipated Holiday Collections from MAC Cosmetics are finally here, and will be hitting the stores real soon!

From from tools to makeup palettes and sets, looks like everything you crave for is in store this season.

MAC Magic, Mirth and Mischief Collection

The collection features mineralize eye shadow duos, softsparkle eye pencils, pro lash mascaras, lipsticks, cremesheen & dazzleglasses, mineralize blush and nail lacquer–all sure to bring the shine, sparkle and seduction you need to dazzle and delight this holiday season! Sport a dollface look with this wonderful collection.

I’m soo eying the mineralize eye shadow duos in It’s A Miracle, Under Your Spell, and Blue Sorcery and cremesheen glass in Partial Pink in particular. View the complete collection here.

MAC Lip, Eye and Face Kits

If you’re a wee bit practical about spending on makeup, then these eight precociously pretty holiday palettes are sure to love your purse literally and figuratively, as each set is impeccably packaged in a posh, bubbly compact.

The Sorceress, Mystic Cool and Devil May Care eyeshadow kits caught my attention big time! View the complete collection here.

MAC Exclusives

If you’re a mineral makeup lover, then these sets are perfect to satiate your MMU craving! The collection features  two mineralize sets, each with a mineralize skinfinish, mineralize blush, mineralize eye shadow duo and 181SE mini buffer brush. View the complete collection here.

MAC Lip and Eye Bags

If you wanna give your either peepers or smoochies an extra treat, then you could  grab one of these lip or eye sets stashed inside a fab high-tone metallic bag. Grabbing one is like owning your very own kikay (makeup) kit in a single purchase! View the complete collection here.

MAC Brush Bags

Applying makeup won’t be complete sans the right tools! Each of the three sets consists of 5 special edition short-handled brushes that caters to your direst needs–Eye Brushes, Buff and Line Brushes and Sweep and Define Brushes–all complete with purple tinge brush bags for that glam packaging these fabush brushes deserve! View the complete collection here.

Mischief Makers

The collection features an assortment of lip gloss (lip/lusterglass) and loose eye shadow (pigments/glitter) set in a fancy metallic box that’s just perfect for holiday giving. Avid lipglass, lustreglass, pigment and/or glitter junkies will surely rejoice grabbing one of these shiny, iridescent sets in six glam-ly giftable versions. View the complete collection here.

Miracles Happen Viva Glam

MAC’s Viva Glam Lip Kit is perfect for giving in so many ways, as every cent of your purchase goes directly to MAC AIDS Fund. View the complete collection here.

No, I didn’t get a receptionist’s job.   A few weeks ago, I ought to deserve a quick break from having bad nail days. Ever since I relocated to Eastwood, I haven’t been frequenting Ortigas-Shaw area–Shangri-la Mall to be exact. I was a loyal Nail Spa customer then, so not going for a long time seems like forever that my nails are starting to scare me.

That’s why, I didn’t mind checking out Dashing Diva‘s newly-opened branch in Eastwood Mall, since my pedis were indeed in dire need of pampering. The nail salon caught my attention with its lovely rose pink interior. I heart!

I tried one of the lavish treatments available called Spoiled Diva Pedi for Php 600. Really expensive, eh? Wait till you know what’s in store for you!

First, the technician put some lathering foot bath and had my footsies soaked for a while. It was kinda daunting esp that the water was really hot! Never mind, I thought, for as long as I could still bear the heat.

Then,  she [technician] brought out some plastic wrap. I had no idea what she’s gonna do with it, until she put some solution on my soles and covered both of my feet with the plastic wrap. I was a bit weirded out. I figured out later on that the solution was to make my soles (and calluses) softer. After wrapping, she started cleaning. I felt bad for her at that moment. lolol.

After the painstaking task, she grabbed some contraption  from her stuff, which appeared to be a microdermabrasion wand (like Clarisonic). It felt so amazing that I forgot to steal a snap on it, because it was the first time my feet ever experienced something suuper vain like that! It felt soothing as the pads ran through my legs, with the microbeads gently sloughing the dead skin cells off of it.

The spoiled brat diva treatment didn’t stop there, my now exfoliated feet underwent another exfoliating treatment–using sugar scrub this time around! I oh-so-loved it… It almost brought me to slumber.

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Anna Sui caught my attention with its latest TVC starring this ever stunning British model (and singer, yes) Agyness Deyn. I have been seeing the ads for a time on cable TV, and so I thought of making it a blog feature.

Anna Sui recently launched its newest makeup collection, featuring Anna Sui Moisture Rich Foundation. It’s packed with SPF 15 and promises to create naturally flawless, pore-perfecting finish. It’s enriched with botanical ingredients such as rose extract, grape seed oil and raspberry extract that have aromatherapheutic, anti-oxidizing and moisturizing properties to make skin healthier and prevent it from drying. Best of all, it’s encased in an iconic rose motif compact that’s just utterly gorgeous!

Honestly, I haven’t tried a product yet from Anna Sui. Yet, this one looks pretty convincing, as it swears by the flawless, pore-less part! Also, one to try out is the Anna Sui Loose Powder that has oil-absorbing ingredients to create a long lasting, soft luminous finish.

Anna Sui Moisture Rich Foundation TVC

If you haven’t seen the TV ad yet, here’s your chance to take a sneak peek:

Furthermore, you can learn more about the whole collection by visiting this link.

A package came a week ago containing my small haul of Korean beauty product samples. And so, I had a chance trying out Skin Food Gold Caviar Lifting Prime Skin for the first time. It’s an anti-aging primer with Russian Caviar and Nano-gold Ingredients that helps moisturize the skin and improve its elasticity. The ingredients sound luxurious, don’t they?

I remember hearing from someone that the quest for keeping the skin from premature aging starts at age 25. I haven’t reached past that age, but I believe the earlier the better!

And yes, though the term moisturizer quite haunted me in the past, I’d say this moisturizing primer is simply a must-have addition to my ever-growing skin care/makeup armament. Here’s why:

Hydrates the skin sans over-moisturizing, leaves skin softer and smoother

I never religiously used a moisturizer during my teenage years since my face was so sensitive and overreacting then. Hence, rich, creamy moisturizers often aggravate my oily, greasy skin condition. Given so, they also give me the worst breakouts you can imagine! That’s why I try to lay off using them as much as possible, since I believe that my skin is well, if not, over hydrated with all the gunk of sebum on it. However, this has changed when I started working few years later.

The oiliness has lessened, and from very oily, it has become a combination of oily skin on the T-zone and normal-dry skin on the V-zone. At times, I feel that my skin is way too dry. To cut the crap, this is when my love of moisturizers all began.

Going back to the product, the gold caviar lifting prime skin does not leave a greasy feeling most moisturizers do. For me, it gives just-enough moisture my skin needs. It’s not that emollient, which I like the most. However, I don’t think it has enough moisturizing capabilities on those who have extremely dry skin types. Additional potent moisturizer should be followed, had the skin been quite dry.

I have also started to feel that my skin has smoothened since I started using the product. Unsightly bumps and roughness were reduced.

This actually perfect for someone on-the-go like me who sometimes apply as little skincare and makeup as possible esp when rushing to work! I can wear it alone sans applying another moisturizer.

Breakout-Free, Dewy Finish

Another thing I love about this product is that my skin didn’t react to it! There were no breakouts occurred. Also, the gold caviar lifting prime skin has a watery, creamy consistency that is easily absorbed by the skin. It doesn’t leave a sticky feeling, and has a light, dewy finish. I don’t have to wait for a minute or two before applying base makeup. It also does not make makeup cakey or streaky.

It may be bit pricey for about Php 1,874 ($ 38.66), but it’s definitely worth it. 

Fin’lly I’m back on track, and just wanna share a quick review to you on my recent beauty find: Maybelline Volum’Express Cat Eyes Mascara.

I haven’t really done cat-eyes on my peepers. Quite honestly, I don’t have a time to pull off such look. But, I’ve always wondered how my eyes would look like with it. I know many Hollywood stars are going ga-ga with this look. So, it won’t hurt for me to try it out.   Good thing, I have this mascara on my beauty armament.

I’ll definitely try the cat-eyes look on me in the future, and of course, to share to you!

Anyways, I did some testing on this Maybelline mascara with bare eyes (meaning no mascara or eyeshadow). So let’s have a quick look on what this mascara claims:

Maybelline Volum’ Express Hypercurl Cat Eyes Mascara has spiky comb that sculpts every lash, giving an instant 5x boost of volume and a 75-degree lift for wide-eyed curls and wild volume. The curl-lock formula holds curls for 18-hours giving a long-lasting and waterproof wear that does not clump. Using the easy Cat Eyes Mascara applicator and combing the outer lashes to create a glamorous fan effect – outer lashes are longer than inner lashes and giving you gorgeously feline eyes. The result—purr-fect, sexy, glamorous lashes that’s sure to attract any prey.

Putting Maybelline Volum’Express Cat Eyes Mascara to the Test

So, I give it one heck of a try. I believe I should’ve done a before and after pics (maybe next time I will!). Hence, please see the “after” pics below:

So, the mascara really lengthens my lashes literally into great heights, whilst visually volumizing them! Notice that it appears thicker in the first pic, and longer on the second. I really, really love it! I think one application is enough, though you could go swipe it twice to notice more remarkable results–especially in terms of volume!

The downside, it’s really, really prone to buildup whilst application. So better get these eyelash brushes ready to nix the clump and buildup. Luckily, it dries fast, so never fret about the clumping after. It’s not really of washable type, but can easily be removed by makeup removers or cleansing oils (I use Shu Uemura cleasing oil). Another is, it’s only available in black.

I tried wearing this all day long, and I really notice that it lasts and stays long throughout the rest of the day! xx

Of course, the price is definitely affordable at Php 429/ about $ 9. It’s one mascara must-have!

I’ve been a great fan of Mario Badescu way back in college with its buffering lotion. I remember the pink drying lotion being featured in now-defunct Seventeen Mag here in the Philippines, so I never hesitated to try it asap. And then, I made a perfect switch to buffering lotion as soon as I found it really, really effective in nixing those nasty cystic pimples away!

Now, Mario Badescu has something new to offer that could actually be a great addition to anyone’s skin care regimen.

Mario Badescu Vitamin C Serum is something to look forward to, as it contains 7.5% Ascorbic Acid (Medical term for Vit C) that effectively reduces discoloration, thus brightening the skin. It’s also packed with hyaluronic acid to moisturize the skin, and collagen to improve skin’s firmness and elasticity. Just a few drops of this potent solution every other night, and voila, expect skin to be noticeably radiant after religious use.

I haven’t tried it myself yet, and would be very much happy to grab a bottle and luxuriate my skin with it soon! Price is a bit hefty though, as it costs $45 for a small bottle.

DuWop, best known for its lip plumping glosses with a sting, has something to offer for the much anticipated Twilight series. Surely, fans have something to go gaga into aside from the upcoming movie, New Moon, this fall.

Unleash your inner Bella Swan with a swipe of DuWop Lip Venom V, which is a shimmering crimson lip stain suspended in a venom-laced liquid lip conditioner and contains argan, avocado, olive oil and vitamin E.

Here’s how it’s used:

The product should be shaken before use to represent the blending of the human and vampire worlds and applied repeatedly until lips are plumped, revitalized and the desired intensity of color has been reached.

And yes, it also leaves a biting effect, just like your dreamy Edward Cullen’s kiss would. Aww! Unfortunately, though vampires may live forever, this offer will not. It’s available in limited stocks only! (more…)