FOTD: Rocking Red

this is my entry to Lipstick Rules 50 Days of Lipstick Giveaway :)

every kikay girl needs to have the perfect red lipstick in her makeup arsenal. for me, it's like your secret weapon. you don't use it all the time - only when you want to look super fierce ;)

to achieve gorgeous red lips, i use NYX Round Lipstick in Electra topped with Maybelline Water Shine 3D Essence in Strawberry Infusion.

Makeup for the Holidays

i'n going to spend the holidays in sydney, and apart from the age-old question of what clothes and shoes i'm going to pack, a new one pops-up this year: what makeup products am i going to bring with me? :D

as much as i would like to bring my entire collection, i can't =P so i had to pick favorites..

face

The Face Shop Span Oil Control Pre Makeup

Make Up For Ever Mat Velvet Foundation

Make Up For Ever High Definition Powder (forgot to include in picture)

The Body Shop Nature's Mineral Foundation
Ellana Bronzer in Harmony (forgot to include in picture)

cheeks

 The Body Shop Blush Trio in Warm Sunset

The Body Shop Solar Duo Blush in Radiant Pink

eyes

Urban Decay Primer Potion

Profusion Pearl Palette

The Body Shop Hot Brights Eye Liner

Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner

Maybelline Unstoppable Shiny Black Mascara

lips

NYX Round Lipstick in Indian Pink

NYX Round Lipstick in Watermelon

Smashbox Pink Power Lip Palette

other essentials i'm taking with me..

Suesh Personal Essential Brush Set

Charm Blending Brushes

The Body Shop Kabuki Brush

Suesh Brush Cleaner

Fanny Serrano Eyelash Curler
Make Up For Ever Sens'Eyes Eye Cleanser

i don't actually plan on wearing makeup every single day, but it's good to have my stash with me in case i want to get dolled up :D

happy holidays everyone! :)

FOTD: Daily Routine

i was tagged by gem to share my daily routine :)

i'm tagging anyone who hasn't shared theirs yet. would love to hear (or rather, read) it!

i did my FOTD using the products i regularly use..

>>> skincare <<<

i use these on my face every day, regardless if i'm wearing makeup or not.

~ i wash my face with SkinFood's Tea Trea Cleansing Foam
~ i use The Body Shop's Seaweed line during the morning. i use the Clarifying Toner, followed by the Pore Perfector, and Mattifying Moisture Lotion
~ on my undereyes i apply The Body Shop's Vitamin E Eye Cream (i do this before i apply moisturizer)
~ i moisturize my lips with The Body Shop'sVitamin E Lip Care
i let all these sink in for 15 minutes or so before i apply any makeup

>>> makeup <<<

my go-to products..

* face *

~ i start off by applying Skin Food's Mushroom BB Cream (shade #2) all over my face. this acts as my primer/liquid foundation. i skip this step when i don't have enough time, or i'm just feeling lazy :P 
~ i dab spots that need concealing with The Body Shop's Concealer Pencil (shade #4)
~ i set it with The Body Shop's Nature's Minerals Foundation (shade #3)



* eyes *

~ i apply Urban Decay Primer Potion all over my lid as base
~ i use Coastal Scents 78 Palette for my eye color. i use whatever color matches my outfit or mood for that day ;)
~ i don't apply eyeliner on a daily basis. mostly i would just use Maybelline Eyestudio Vivid & Smooth Liner (in white) on my lower lashline to brighten up the look
~ on my lashes, i use MaybellineVolum Express Mascara


* cheeks *
~ my everyday blush is Ellana in Happiness

* lips *
~ i don't wear lipstick every day (in fact, i hardly do). i usually just wear lipgloss. my go-to is The Body Shop's Hot Brights Lip Shine Gloss





so here's the look i came up with today :)

 

Ellana Samples

i finally got around to trying out the samples that i got from Ellana. i got 2 shades of foundation: Almond Latte (medium light with cool undertones) and Cinnamon Spiced Latte (medium with cool undertones), 1 blush: Patience (pale nude brown with sheer finish), and 1 finishing powder: Almond Coffee Cream (cool beige with sheer finish).

i tried out the medium foundation first since my face is so much whiter than the rest of my body. i ended up looking like i had just gone to the beach. i looked so tanned, haha! which was not at all that bad, it just wasn't exactly the look i was going for :P

when i put the blush on, i didn't think it would show up. since it was a brown shade and i was so brown-looking already. but hey, it did! i think it added to my fresh from the beach look, haha

tried out the medium light foundation the next day. i would say this matched my skintone.

this time around i used the blush for contouring (or at least attempted to haha), since i think it's better suited for that and i'm not that fond of brown blush shades. i used Happiness on my cheeks instead.

p.s i'm on the search for the next mineral foundation to try out. any recommendations? :)

Tagged! 10th Picture

this is a tag and a fotd post in one ;)

was tagged by cha :)

here are the rules:
* open your first photo folder
* scroll down to the 10th photo
* post that photo and story on your blog
* tag five {or more} friends to do the same

and here's the photo :D

i am tagging ems, louie, sush, kay, and niki :)

this photo was taken tonight at paseo uno in mandarin oriental. enjoyed a buffet dinner (at 50% off, i might add!) with my ever dearest college friends :)

i went for very dramatic purple and black smokey eyes. i don't normally go for dark eye makeup but i thought i'd give it a try :P

face:
the body shop nature's minerals foundation 03
ellana bronzer in harmony

eyes:
urban decay potion primer
careline glamour eyes in platinum
coastal scents 78 palette eyeshadows
m.a.c eye liner in phone me
maybelline volum express mascara

lips:
the body shop lip liner in clover pink
maybelline moisture extreme lipstick in petal soft rose

Happiness, Lust, and Obsession

i've been meaning to buy mineral blushes for some time now, and i finally got to do so when i went back to sm makati. turns out the Ellana booth is there for good (during weekends), wheee :D i am both ecstatic and worried for my wallet, haha.

there were so many blushes to choose from! i must have swatched 6 - 8 of 'em. i got 3 blushes, teehee. but i only got the smallest size - 1g for P100 each. the 3 i picked were Happiness, Lust, and Obsession.


Happiness: Light Coral Pink with Sheer Matte Finish
this blush is very light, and just looks natural. perfect for daily wear :)


Lust: Peach Pink with Sheer Gold Shimmer
i actually don't see the pink in this blush, it looks orange. it's kind of scary how orange it is when u tap it onto your brush :P so use sparingly, and blend well! i think i'll use this on days when i look too pale ;)


Obsession: Raspberry Red with Sheer Shimmer
probably my favorite out of the 3. the shade of red is just lovely! :)


p.s photos were taken under fluorescent lighting, no flash.

Harmony Bronzer

i realized i needed (wanted? haha) bronzer, so off i went to watsons again. i literally combed through all the makeup stations there to search for one. no such luck, either i didn't fancy the shade or i just found it too expensive.

the Body Shop did have a bronzer which i liked best, among everything i tried that day. their Nature Minerals Bronzer was super nice, but considering i wouldn't exactly be using it every single day, i figured it wouldn't be worth the price (it was around P1500 i think). clap clap for self-control!

so i was about to go home when i noticed the Ellana station at the sm ground floor. i immediately asked if they had bronzer. i tried the 2 shades - Ecstacy and Harmony. i went with Harmony as i found Ecstacy too reddish for my taste. it was only P180 (2.5 grams), so i figured why not. and i particularly liked it because it was mineral make-up :P

here's a swatch as well as vanity pictures, lol. i applied it on my cheeks using my Body Shop kabuki brush. ( hmmm, might need to buy a separate brush for this one as i use my kabuki for mineral foundation) it gives off a natural sun-kissed glow, which i love.

p.s. no foundation, or anything for that matter, haha. just the bronzer