Saturday, January 28, 2012

Eyeliner pen, Eyelash curler, and Eyelid primer


Hello everyone! How are you all doing lately? Well, as for me, I’ve been trying to keep up with my resolutions and so far, I guess I have no miss! :) I have also gone to the dermatologist, had an acne treatment and skin peeling. I got a new skin regimen as well! I might just take a snapshot of my peeling face and post it here next time. Or I’ll probably talk about the peeling itself. (Dunn dunn! Another topic on hand!)

As for now, I’ll be showing a couple of new stuff that I bought with the intention of finding something else that could replace the older one of each. The things that I bought are the e.l.f. waterproof eyeliner pen, Etude House eyelash curler, and the e.l.f. eyelid primer. I will be comparing the first two with my Dolly Wink waterproof eyeliner pen and Sephora multi-purpose eyelash curler to see which one is better in terms of quality and serving its purpose, while I will be promoting the use of primers before makeup application.

Please enjoy the short monologue discussing the Old vs. New :)

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OLD vs. NEW

~Announcer:~
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the first episode of OLD vs. NEW. In this show we will see which one is a keeper and which one should stay in the makeup cabinet for as long as we don't need it!!!

1.) eyeliner pen: DOLLY WINK vs. E.L.F. 

~Announcer:~
On the left-hand side, a tall-pink hottie with purple polka dots weighing as light as a pen without ink, our defending champion for the eyeliner pen level, please welcome, DOLLY WINK waterproof eyeliner pen!! and on the right side, the tall-dark hourglass shaped pen that will try to overthrow our defending champion, does she have what it takes to do so?! Let's clap our hands for E.L.F. waterproof eyeliner pen!

fig 1.1

fig 1.2

Height:
When placed standing parallel to each other, they have the same height with caps closed. But when you open the cap, you can see that the Dolly Wink is taller and have lengthier drawing bristles.

Packaging:
As expected from a Japan-made cosmetic, its packaging is kawaii and very girly. In comparison with a normal packaging of an American brand.

Colour pigmentation:
Both have the same Black shade but as we can see from fig 1.2, e.l.f.'s colour pigmentation is better than Dolly Wink's

Drawing tip:
Dolly Wink's drawing tip is made up of very soft nylon-like bristles that provides more flexibility in lining the lashes and drawing on different angles. Whilst e.l.f.'s drawing tip is very rigid which can be compared to the tip of a permanent marker (Seriously!).

Price:
Dolly Wink: AU$30.00 (A.K.A. Cosmetics in Sydney)
e.l.f.: a very affordable PHP129.75! (purchased at Landmark in the Philippines for AU$3!!!!!)

Personal thought:
In my own point of view, I like the Dolly Wink better than the e.l.f. one. Although it's more expensive, I like its quality than e.l.f.'s waterproof eyeliner pen as it can give me better and more natural-like lining precision. I didn't like the very hard drawing tip of elf's but I'm sure that the elf one will be a good pen to be used for filling the already-drawn higher arched eye lines.

2.) Eyelash curler: SEPHORA vs. ETUDE HOUSE
~Announcer:~
For the eyelash curler level, let's now introduce our contestants. On the left-hand corner, the black multi-purposed curler that says that "its better to be prepared now than never" is aggressive in keeping her master's lashes curly for years, Sephora multi-purpose eyelash curler!!! And on the right side, this new shiny "object" that claims to be a better one when it comes to giving her master a nice curled lash, presenting our rookie, Etude House eyelash curler!
fig 2.1



Features:
Both are very travel friendly because they are very light-weight and compact. The Sephora one has a built-in brow brush and comb that is very unnecessary because its too small to actually brush the eyebrows and comb the tangled lashes after mascara application. Both also have rubbers (that can be removed for cleaning purposes) that helps for a gentle curling process.

Arch:
The Sephora one's curling mechanism is too protruded and its arch is too narrow to get a full lash curl. I usually hurt my eyes when using this. The Etude House's just have the perfect arch for curling all of my top lashes and its curling mechanism is not too close to the eye part so I don't need to adjust my hands, very convenient!

Grip:
Using the Sephora when curling my lashes hurts me everytime because the place where you hold it is very close to the eye part, so I have to adjust my grip to a more comfortable position but it compromises the landing of the arch which usually clamps my eyelids. Whilst there are no problems as such with the Etude House.

Price:
Sephora multi-purpose eyelash curler: US$?? (Forgot but I'm sure that its cheap.)
Etude House eyelash curler: PHP198.00 (Bought in the Philippines for AU$4.60!)

Personal thought:
I'd say that the Etude House lash curler is a keeper and the Sephora one is a NO-NO! 


~Announcer:~
So, as you have all read, the winners are the DOLLY WINK WATERPROOF EYELINER PEN and the ETUDE HOUSE EYELASH CURLER! Thanks for reading and hope to see you all again soon!

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Whew! That was ... A.. Fight..! :)) haha!
Anyways, I also purchased this e.l.f. eyelid primer that I use everytime I put an eyeshadow. Applying a little bit of primer to the eyelids and to the face (ie. Face makeup primer) is an essential part in makeup application because it serves as a base that evens out the skin texture and tone, and it also helps the makeup to last longer on the skin. I myself have tested the difference between applying makeup with and without a primer. With a primer as the base, the applied makeup becomes more pigmented and it sticks on the skin more, thus, no eyeshadow creases when you sweat!! :)


Price: PHP129.75 (Landmark @ Trinoma, Philippines)
Texture: Creamy but not sticky
Coverage (On the scale of 1 to 10): 7/10

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Stay Beautiful,
Pascaley




Let's draw on Rilakkuma's face using the eyeliner pens :)

Saturday, January 21, 2012

BB Cream

Okay, to start off with the New Year, I will be talking about BB creams specifically the ones that I have already used and have been currently using. I’ll also be giving a brief introduction about its purpose and its characteristics.

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Ever wondered how Korean actors and actresses seem to always have flawless and dewy skin every time we see them on TV? Well, it seems that you are not informed about the rave on BB creams in Korea that have spread to Asia and to the whole world. (Not that I’m saying that they don’t have natural flawless skin, ‘cause they actually have flawless skin!)

BB cream (in short for Blemish Balm) is a formula that has properties that can moisturise, hydrate, brighten, even-out skin tones, provide SPF, and give a healthy and natural look. I prefer using BB cream compared to foundation because I save so much time in application, and I don’t look too cakey with it. It’s sheer and lighter than any foundation, that’s why it’s okay for everyday use as it does not dry out the skin unlike thick makeup (just make sure that you remove it completely before you go to bed!)

Characteristics at first sight:
-          - Have gray undertones
-          - Lighter feel
-          - Semi-matte, good coverage

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Bio-essence Perfect BB Cream flawless radiant nude makeup
 
The first BB cream that I have ever used was the Bio-essence Perfect BB Cream flawless radiant nude makeup (The blue packaging). 

I bought it in Guangzhou at a Watson’s store. I didn’t really have any idea about BB creams before but when I tried it out back at GZ, I immediately fell inlove with the applied look. My skin tone was evened out and my skin became sparkly. (LOL). So I purchased it right away. 

Until I bought another BB cream from a different brand, I didn’t realise that the Bio-essence one was a tad thicker and dry than the others. During winter when my skin was dry, I have used the Bio-essence BB cream and my skin showed up cracks especially when I topped a thin cover of loose powder on it. Doomed!
 



evenly spread out..........

Thick?
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 Missha M signature real complete BB cream SPF25 PA++ (No. 23 Natural yellow beige)

The second BB cream was Missha’s M signature real complete BB cream SPF25 PA++ (No. 23 Natural yellow beige). This was introduced to me by a good friend.

Pros:
-          - Very nice packaging!
-          - Meant for combination - oily skin type
-          - The coverage was good enough and sheer
-          - The bottle lasted for good 5 months
-          - Doesn’t have any strong scent
-          - Doesn’t break me out!!
-          - Has SPF

Cons:
-          - A bit pricey
photo courtesy of Missha Australia



pink-grayish undertones

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TonyMoly expert 3D collagen BB creamSPF40 PA+++

The third that I have tried (The last one that I’ll be talking about for now) is the TonyMoly expert 3D collagen BB creamSPF40 PA+++. This BB cream formulation has a lighter shade than the missha and the bioessence bb creams that I have tried. When purchasing bb creams, the shade must be atleast a tone or two tones higher than your skin colour. I suggest that when using a lighter shade, application must be done when the skin is still moist (from shower or washing the face before application) as it is easier to blend the cream to the skin in that way. This one is much better than the other two that I have used because it has a higher SPF coverage and it lasts longer on the skin.

shake well before using
dab dab dab... evenly spread out!

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Found some quotes that I think is related to the topic:

“The most beautiful makeup of a woman is passion. But cosmetics are easier to buy.”
― Yves Saint-Laurent

“Make-up can only make you look pretty on the outside but it doesn't help if your ugly on the inside. Unless you eat the make-up.”
― Audrey Hepburn



XOXO
Stay pretty,
Pascaley