Mini Haul : NARS Plein Eté Mini Multiple Set and Mini Lipgloss GWP

Me wearing NARS Multiple in South Beach and NARS Lipgloss in Rose Gitane

The cute red box of my baby Multiples


NARS Plein Eté Mini Multiple Set contains the bestselling shades such as Orgasm, South Beach and Copacabana.

Top to Bottom: Orgasm South Beach, Copacabana

Got this mini lipgloss set as GWP. It contains small version of Supervixen, Female Trouble & Rose Gitane.


L-R: Female Trouble Rose Gitane and Supervixen

Female Trouble is a nice MLBB shade for me while Rose Gitane looks like a lipt tint on me but I guess it will look best when applied on top of a red lippie. Oh I think Rouge d'Enfer will look good with Rose Gitane. While Supervixen is a very nice pale lippie perfect for smoky eyes.

BTW, I think Super vixen and/or Female Trouble can be used in this look. Same with South Beach Multiple. I got this from Troy Jensen's Blog.



I wonder what e/s was used here? Would you know guys?

NARS Blush in Gilda, Roman Holiday Lipstick and Oil Free Foundation in Sante Fe

Sorry for hibernating so long. I’ve been busy after the holidays because I am doing skin care and appreciation workshop nationwide. I’ve been to Baguio and Cebu last week and now I am here in Davao. Tomorrow I am bound to Zamboanga. Plus, I organized a spa party at Terra Wellness Spa in Discovery Suites, Ortigas. What a way to start 2010!

And to bribe myself for all these toxicity, I knew I had to see Lara in the middle of my PRESS rounds. And so I did. I visited NARS in Shang Tower last January 14, 2010 and got the following items: NARS Blush in Gilda, Roman Holiday Lipstick and Oil Free Foundation in Santa Fe. Ooooppsss...one of these is a GWP.

NARS Gilda Blush is a very nice peach blush that gives me instant flush naturally. It is not shimmery and very pigmented that I really have to just apply it with lightly. A little goes a long way with this blush. If you are too acidic, this one can turn too orangey on you. During the makeover that Lara did to me, she contoured my face first with Laguna bronzer then applied Gilda at the apples of my cheeks and presto! I look fresh and blooming already. I must say, the reviews in GT and other blogs are right, it is a must-have NARS blush. Next target, NARS Desire Blush.

NARS Roman Holiday Lipstick is a delicate pink lipstick with sheer formulation. I’ve been lemming this since last year but it is always out of stock. When Lara texted me that it is already available, I reserved one immediately. I was about to buy the Velvet Matte Lip version instead of the sheer lipstick one but I do not have a jumbo pencil sharpener. And I am not ready to invest on a Php 395 worth of sharpener from Lara. And so i got the lipstick version. I love the color! Just enough pink color. Not too cold, not too loud and not too pale too! I was able to try MAC Pink Noveau and thought that it was too loud for me (but my thoughts are now reconsidering getting one since I saw gorgeous reviews about it, I just need more courage!) Revlon Matte Pink is too light for me and makes me look zombie-ish. And so I did not get one. But Roman Holiday just gives me the right delicate pink. I think this one is also perfect for bridal makeup because of its pastel pink color. The only downside I see with this one is its staying power. But I think you can layer it with a nude lip pencil and top again with another layer of Roman Holiday for a stronger staying power. Next lippie project, NARS Niagara or Rouge D’ Enfer. I was eyeing at Jungle Red at first but Lara told me that this is a more wearable one).

NARS Oil Free Foundation in Sante Fe knocks me off my feet! I used to try NARS Firming Foundation in the same shade but I feel though turns oily on me. But NARS Oil Free Foundation in Santa Fe is way different! It lasts up to 8 hours on me without any oiliness at all! I think I will stick to this one. Plus the shade is perfect. I used to think that Barcelona is my shade but since I am a bit acidic, Sante is just perfect! I am NC30 in MAC for reference. I hope Lara would give me Santa Fe Powder Foundation....paging Lara, NARS goddess! Yohoooo!!!!

I am sooooooo happy with my latest NARS haul. These truly relieves my stress over the past 3 weeks. Makeup is really therapeutic for me!

Since I asked Lara to do me a makeover, here are some of our pix and a rundown of what she used on me.

Face:

Oil Free Foundation in Santa Fe

Powder Foundation in Santa Fe

Alhambra Eyeshadow Duo

Ipanema Brow Pencil

Mambo Eyeliner Pencil (lower lashlines)

Laura Mercier Caviar Eyeliner (upper lashlines using NARS Push Liner Brush)

Laguna Bronzer for contour

Luster Blush to add contour

Gilda Blush at the apples of my cheeks

Roman Holiday Lipstick

All for now!

Click on the photo above to see the mechanics of herroyalbleakness and babyjap's adopt a bb cream contest.

I wanna try this ever since the BB Cream craze started because I am a big fan of waterbased/gel-based products. I find other BB cream too thick and rich for my skin. Also, since Missha is only available here in the Philippines through online sellers, I am hesitant to purchase it because I am afraid that it might not work for me and the price is not that cheap huh.

I would be very glad also to share this with my kikay friends for them to try the wonders of BB creams.

Fanny Serrano Black Gel Eyeliner

Since I was going gaga over the Troy Jensen look using hot pink lips and dramatic eyes, I rushed to the nearest and cheapest makeup store I could find, and that’s Watson’s at SM Makati. I was thinking if I will be getting MAC Blacktrack Fluidline or Stila Barbie Smudgepot in Little Black Dress , but then again, I read reviews about Fanny Serrano’s Black Gel Eyeliner and thought that i can give it a shot.

It is cheap at Php 225 a pot compared to MAC Fluidline (about 1k) and Stila Smudgepot (about Php 700). It is easy to use and glides on to my eyelids well. Staying power is good...on my upper lashline. But when I tried using it on both upper and lower lashlines, there I saw some smudges in the mid-day. So I see to it that I only use it on the upper lashlines. I also noticed that it makes my brush stiff and unflattened. Anyways, perhaps I should invest in a good flat eyeliner brush.

Aside from my silver and black eyeshadows, I like creating smoky-ish look with this eyeliner with Ellana Multipurpose Mineral Powder in Temptress or Twilight. I apply a thick line using the gel eyeliner and smudge it right away with either Temptress or Twilight. The latter looks like NARS Nomad by the way, just the powder version.

I just find this gel eyeliner difficult to remove even if I use Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil or Petroleum Jelly. Is it really like that when you use gel eyeliners? Is MAC Fluidline and Stila Smudgepot as stubborn as this one?

NARS Schiap lip swatch

As promised, here are some of my photos wearing NARS Schiap. I really love this lipstick. It gives instant pop to my face even without too much effort on eyes and cheeks. Just nice eyebrows and I’m all set.

NARS Schiap for me is very versatile. Yes, you read it right. Though it is a shocking pink lippie, I can easily create an office look or a party look out of this posh tube.

Here, I used NARS Schiap for an office look. I just used the following:

Face:

Ellana Mineral Foundation in Chai Tea Latte (sometimes I use French Vanilla Latte or Almond Latte, depending on the mood of my sometimes acidic skin)

MAC Studio Finish concealer in NW 30 for my dark undereyes.

Ellana Mineral Finishing Powder in Almond Coffee Cream (This is my staple finishing powder. I can live without the foundie but I cannot live without this one. Espresso con Panna is too yellow for me.)

Cheeks:

I just swiped a little of NARS Silvana blush

Eyebrows:

Ellana Multipurpose Mineral Powder in Wish using Suesh Slanted Eye/Brow Brush

Lips:

NARS Schiap topped with Christian Dior pink shimmery lipgloss to tame down a bit the hotness of the color.

The best gifts I received this holiday 2009: Bobbi Brown Makeup Manual and 2010 Belle de Jour Planner

The year 2009 has been a tough year for me. I was born at the year of the Ox, and predictions for me for the year 2009 is quite not good. Some says it’s gonna be a year of hardwork for me. And I must say it’s true! I’ve been working big time last year! Though there’s no big time financial gain for me last year, I was able to enjoy many perks with my job. Free spa treatments, haircuts, facial and diamond peels, coffee and lucky as I am, I even enjoyed a free trip with all expenses paid accommodation and lodging at Marco Polo Cebu because of my job. Oh, how can I forget, I started the year with a free Sony Cybershot camera that I got from our 2008’s Christmas Party. I am so blessed!!! But nothing beats my joy from receiving simple gifts from special people in my life. This holiday season, the very first thing I received was a 2010 Belle de Jour Planner from my hubby. Yipee!!! Discounts galore again! Actually, i already ordered one when I discovered that he secretly ordered one for me. When I told him I was about to pay the one I ordered, he had no choice but to spoil his surprise and told me about it. Hurray!

What I am so excited most about this year’s BDJ planner is the discount coupon for Barre3 studio at The Spa. I read in one foreign magazine that Barre3 is Sarah Jessica Parker’s secret to a lean physique. Plus, the marriage of yoga, pilates and ballet at a studio within a spa is love song to my ears.

Also, I am so excited with the discount coupon from The Spa and other salons. Too bad, there is no Charles and Keith coupon this year but i guess I will find nice shoes with the various shoes discount coupons inside BDJ. But wait there’s more! There’s another Suesh and The Ramp coupon inside! Not to mention that Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf has lot of coupons again this year. Though I liked the CBTL coupons better last year.

The next best gift I received this holiday season is Bobbi Brown Makeup Manual I got from Tita Lei (Tita Lei, thank you soooooooooo much!). I’ve been trying to locate this book but it was always out of stock.

The book teaches makeup principles in a very digestible way. There are illustrations and instructions that are so easy to follow. I think this book inspires me more to take formal classes in makeup artistry (so help me God!). I wanna go to makeup school...plsplspls...

Also, my thirst for Bobbi Brown Pale Pink Pot Rouge heightened as I browse the book because here in this manual, most of the models wear Pale Pink blush and Lippie (or at least I think it is). I hope BB brings back this goddess shade of a pot rouge!

Oh well, what a way to end 2009 and start 2010 with these gifts!!! Hooopsss... I forgot to mention, I won another Canon ixus camera last Christmas Party. Hurray!