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? :)

Belle de Jour: Ondoy Aftermath Action Group

i'm inviting everyone to join the relief operations being organized by Belle de Jour this coming Saturday, October 3, from 1-5 PM.

it shouldn't matter whether you own a planner or not. what matters is that you are willing to devote your time and effort to this worthy cause.

details are still being sorted out. if you would like to volunteer, please send an email to ilovebdj@belledejourpowerplanner.com with your full name, mobile, and location.

other ways in which you can help out the victims of Typhoon Ondoy:

• send monetary donations
• donate medicines, clothes, blankets, towels, canned goods, bottled waters etc
• pray!

for ways on how to donate, check out this link.

God bless, everyone, and stay safe!

*update*
this will be postponed for now due to the upcoming super typhoon.
i pray that we may be spared from another tragedy. be safe everyone!

My New Blending Brushes

i bought these last month from Charm. they had a mid-year brush sale, so i grabbed the opportunity of course! :P i exchanged a couple of messages with the seller asking her about the different blending brushes they had. i didn't want to go crazy anymore trying to pick out which one i should get, so i decided to get all 3, haha!

Charm Crease Blending Brush, P250 

perfect for placing color onto my crease. i find that when i use my 217 it gets all over the place (either because my lids are small, or i just don't know how to use it properly, lol). can also be used to blend small areas

Charm All Purpose Blending Brush, P200

i alternate this with my 217 (well it does look like it huh) - for placing color onto my outer v and blending out the outer part of my lid

Charm Big Blending Brush, P200

i've read a review that it's comparable to the 224. i mostly use this for blending edges around my lid

here's the latter 2 side by side. all purpose on the left and big blending on the right

the bristles are soft and don't hurt my eye :) however, they can get quite unruly, so as advised by the seller, shape them really well while damp.

i'm happy with the new additions to my collection :) blend! blend! blend!

p.s i'm still a newbie when it comes to blending. can u tell me how u use ur blending brushes (i.e 217, 222, 224) :) my brush collection is growing but i don't know if i'm using them correctly :P 

My Body Shop Haul

The Body Shop has a special promo for LYB members :) from Sept 25-30, buy the 1st at regular price and save 50% on your 2nd regular item. apart from that, they have other items on sale. i was never one to say no to a good sale (haha certified shopaholic here), so off i went to TBS in makati.

here's my haul :D

Vitamin C Cleansing Face Polish (bought at 40% off, P417). for natural radiance. i've tried the Skin Boost and Micro Refiner from the Vitamin C range before. now i'm gonna try the facial wash

Vitamin E Eye Cream (bought at regular price, P695). for reducing puffiness and dark circles. this is my 1st time to try this product, let's see how it works. i like that it comes in a tube. no nasty dipping!

Vitamin E Lip Care (on sale for P195). for moisturizing your lips. it's vanilla flavored. and it has spf 15 too! 

Lip Scuff (bought at 50% off, P325). for exfoliating your lips. i just finished up my first tube, and i have to say it really works for me. i like its minty taste too

Strawberry Body Polish (bought at 50% off, P297.5). for exfoliating your entire body. it's gentle enough for daily use (but i still use my Olive Body Scrub once a week). i love its smell, sickeningly sweet, haha. i alternate this with my Olive Shower Gel.

Organic Cotton Rounds, 2 packs (on sale for P250). do i have to explain what these are for :P

and finally, i bought the limited edition Sundown Glow Eye Trio from their Precious Pearlescents collection (bought at regular price, P795). this was already out of stock in greenbelt, and was the very last piece in sm makati. i just had to get it!

*sigh* isn't it pretty? teehee

lookie, very pigmented!

so there! yeah i went a lil crazy with the shopping. but then again, with TBS, i always do! haha :D

Mini Kabuki Brush

ever since i bought mineral blushes, i've been looking for a mini kabuki brush to use for applying them. being the OC person that i am, i didn't exactly want to keep using my full sized kabuki (which i use for foundation) for blushes.

i decided to get the Mini Kabuki Brush from Suesh. it comes with a mini pouch and only costs P250. what's unique about it is that it opens up (but no, u can't separate them).

here are pictures from all sides:

i don't know if it's really designed that way, but the white side is way fluffier than the black side. they look pretty even from the side, but from the top, it's a whole other story as u can see. so i was quite surprised by that.

the brush is really small (that's why it's called a mini!) and fits snugly on my hand.

for size comparison, here it is alongside my full sized kabuki from The Body Shop.

this is how i use it:

i open it up and dip the black side on the blush. i use the black side because it's denser than the white. i find using the white one tends to get messy because it's so fluffy.

then i spread the blush on the apples of my cheeks using the black side.

and finally i buff it out by using the closed brush.

i also use the closed brush when applying finishing powder.

this brush lives up to Suesh's standards of super soft bristles. not scratchy at all! i did expect the brush to be more dense, it being a kabuki and all. but it serves its purpose (dual, in fact). very handy and perfect for touch-ups!