Review : ELF Eyebrow Kit in Dark

When I started out with wearing makeup I never really put much effort or attention to my brows. Now that I'm "older & wiser", I've come to the conclusion that great brows really make a difference to your whole face. They weren't joking when they said that great brows help frame the face and eyes!
Over the years, I've tried out different techniques and products for my brows and since last year's "favorite" was my NYX eyebrow cake powder has decided to be too messy & unhygienic to use, I've decided to try out a cheaper alternative, the ELF eyebrow kit!

What : ELF Eyebrow Kit in Dark Where : Sophie J Fashion House Price : P140
ELF says : "Create brows that are fuller, thicker, and more defined! The pigmented wax defines and shapes brows and the color complementing setting powder keeps them looking arched and perfected. The doubled sided taklon brush has one side to help arch your brows while the other side aids in filling them in. This duo provides lasting color definition for a naturally beautiful look."
Brow Gel Ingredient : Paraffinium Liquidum (Mineral Oil) , Ricinus Comunis (Castor) Seed Oil , Talc , Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax , Ozokerite , Methylisothiazolinone , Caprylyl glycol
May Contain: Iron Oxides(CI 77491 CI 77492 CI 77499) , Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891)
Brow Powder Ingredient : Talc , Mica , Caprylic/Caprictriglycerides , Hydrogenated Polyisobutene , Sodium Dehydroacetate May Contain: Iron Oxide(CI 77491 CI 77492 CI 77499)

Love : Sleek packaging that's travel friendly and very lightweight. Plus points to the mirror that's included. It may be small but it's still definitely useful. Useful brush included. Honestly I usually throw out the small brushes that come in kits/palettes but I decided to keep the dual ended one that came in this brow kit because it's well made and is quite useful especially for minor touchups. Quality formulation. The brow gel isn't sticky or goopy and does a great job on keeping my brow's hairs in place. The brow powder doesn't flake off or crumble easily and also does a great job in setting the brow gel as well as in feathering out the color. Great color payoff. I like strong dark brows to help offset the roundness of my face and the pigmentation on the brow gel and brow powder definitely delivers just that! Long lasting. My brows, once set, lasts for up to 9 hours with a little fading on the 10th hour. How do I know? I tested this out on a monday morning shift at the operating room. I sweated it out (despite the Ac) because it was such a hectic day but still my brows stayed put! *yey* Comes in several shades for your different needs. If I'm not mistaken, this product comes in the shade LIGHT, ASH, MEDIUM & DARK. Something for everyone! Affordable! At P140-P250 a kit, what more can I ask for such a great product?
Hate : Not locally available in beauty stores in the city. I have to order this online.

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Review : ELF HD Blush in Headliner, Superstar & Diva

I've always been a lipstick kind of girl but recently I've been drawn into wearing blush more than lipstick. I've been getting a bit paler and need the extra "flush of color" so I don't end up looking sick. So, as I was scouring the internet for blush or blush-type products I stumbled upon two online shops that sell the ELF HD Blush. One look at the product photos and instantly I thought of how much these babies look like the MUFE HD Blushes but at a more affordable price. Though I was a bit skeptical with how I'd deal with cream-based blushes, I went ahead and placed my orders...
What : ELF HD Blush (L-R : Headliner, Superstar, Diva) Where : Headliner, Superstar  (P200/each) = The Vanity Zone Diva (P168) = The Primp Pad
ELF says : "Rich and creamy HD blush naturally sculpts and highlights the cheekbones for a soft-focus effect that is great for everyday use. The Vitamin E enriched formula conditions and hydrates the skin for a healthy, radiant glow. Velvety soft, lightweight and highly pigmented color creates a long-lasting result for all day wear." The ELF HD Blushes come in clear plastic tubes with a black lid. On the front is the logo and product type. The blushes come with a pump to disperse the cream blush. The pump is well designed because you're able to control how much product comes out. On the bottom of the tube is a label indicating the color name. The size of the packaging is great because it's easy to store and not bulky, definitely perfect for travel or toting around in your makeup kit! Each blush comes with 0.34 fl. oz (10 mL) of product which I think is definitely enough since "a little goes a long way" definitely applies to these babies. Headliner - is a soft nude baby pink shade with subtle peachy undertones. I believe that headliner is the most wearable out of the shades available because it suits most skin tones. This definitely falls under the "everyday wear" category.
Superstar - is a warm peach-coral blush with slight pink undertones. This shade screams SPRING-SUMMER! I'm definitely going to put this to use this summer topped with a dusting of highlighter though there is already a subtle shimmer in this shade.
Diva - is a cool toned hot pink! Diva is really vibrant and screams attention. It almost comes off neon-ish. Don't fret though, it still is very wearable and is a really fun perky color that adds so much oomph to the face.
Love : Lightweight and hygienic packaging - perfect for carrying around and traveling! Affordable - at around P200/tube, you can't ask for more. Great pigmentation - definitely evident in the swatches above. Long lasting - lasts around 5 hours on my combination-oily skin without touchups or setting sprays. A little goes a long way - a really tiny dot is enough for both cheeks! I swear! Versatile - aside from using it as blush, I've tried it as a lip color too and it's pretty decent. It's consistency on the lips remind me of  the NYX Soft Matte Lip creams but a tad bit drier.
Hate : Messy - especially when you pump a bit too roughly and dispense too much product. Stains - @$!* :( this is why I don't pump it at the back of my hand anymore. Instead I opt to pump it onto a plate or something similar. Tricky to apply and blend at times. You have to work fast too because it dries fast. I suggest using a face primer underneath for a smoother surface to work with. Also, I find using a small duo-fiber stippling brush or a synthetic flat top brush are the best tools to use when applying this. Apart from Headliner, there isn't any other "neutral-natural" shade that more "conservative" beauty junkies can use. Not locally available!
So there you have it guys. A bit long, but I hope you enjoyed this review. Have you tried the ELF HD Blushes yet? Which ones and what are your thoughts on these babies?

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Haulage : The Vanity Zone

Where : The Vanity Zone Mechanical Eyelash Curler P95 Daily Brush Cleaner P200 HD Blush P200 Small Stipple Brush P200 *not in photo - lipgloss freebie!*
A week ago I received my little haul from The Vanity Zone. I decided to get a few essentials since I had a little extra cash from my recent makeup jobs. I got a spare eyelash curler for my kit, a daily brush cleaner for spot cleaning my brushes, two HD blushes in a coral and a peach pink shade and lastly the small stipple brush that I plan to use when applying my HD blushes.
I'll be posting a review on the HD blushes soon. In the mean time, don't forget to stop by The Vanity Zone to purchase your own US authentic makeup at a really affordable price!

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MLOTI 2 : Meeting Kai D. of LilPink.Info

Blurry photo is blurry. LOL. Credits to Cj for this quick shot with my iPhone.

Last week I posted a "My Life Outside The Internet" post and I've decided to try to make it a regular thing by posting a "personal" post at least each week to update everyone on what I've been up to.
This week's highlight so far is meeting Kai Darul of LilPink.Info. I initially met Kai online through a blogger's group on Facebook. I liked her instantly and her blog too. Since she graduated recently and is in Zamboanga for a really quick visit with relatives, we decided to get together and I treated her to lunch at Gerry's Grill (partly because I was craving for Crispy Tadyang again!). We had a lovely time talking and Cj even joined in too. Personally meeting Kai indeed was a great way to spend my "day off" from duty. I love all my blog sisters and I love having the opportunity to personally meet them. I'm really hoping to see Kai again soon. Maybe next time she'll be a full fledged ZC Blogger already! :)

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Review : Slimina!

A few weeks ago I reviewed the GEO Nudy  Brown lenses from Miss Valerie of Dull to Doll but that lovely pair wasn't the only thing I got from her. She sent me a free bottle of one of her "best selling" products which is the Slimina Weight Loss Capsule. You might be surprised or rolling your eyes at me but I'll try anything once so I decided to give this a go and share my experience with you guys. Prior to starting with taking Slimina I decided to weigh myself since it's the logical thing to do, right? I weighed in at 98kilos (yes, not afraid to admit it!). Here's what they say about the product: SLIMINA Weight Loss Capsules is formulated from herbal plants that are recognized for their unique properties and have been widely used for centuries. The capsule has passed the RC Drug Certification and is Manufactured by SFDA approved GMP ( Good Manufacturing Practice ) factory. This product has been proven to be safe and effective; it has no negative side effects such as palpitation, nausea, diarrhea and rebounding.
Not applicable for women in pregnancy and lactating mother.
Serving Size: 1 capsule

Perilla Leaf Extract 80 mg
Oriental Waterplantain Rhizome Extract 50mg
Tuchkahoe Extract 45 mg
Cassia Seed Extract 35 mg Price : P990 Where : Dull to Doll After more than 15 days, here's what I can say about this product. I take 1 capsule 15-20 minutes before breakfast.  * You will have a dry mouth. You'll be craving water like crazy! I've been increasing my water intake the past few months but while taking this product, I drink even more water than usual. The dry mouth can be a pain sometimes especially when I'm in the middle of work but it's still tolerable. * You will have the tendency to always want to pee. With all that water, I'm usually off to the comfort room after an hour or so. For me this isn't such a bad thing because it helps cleanse the body. * Decreased appetite. The first three days, I didn't really experience this but on the fourth day onwards, I did experience a decrease in appetite but not really "big" enough that I won't actually eat. Plus, even if I don't have the appetite to eat, I make sure not to skip meals. * There is a tendency of experiencing insomnia. Prior to taking Slimina, I don't typically have problems falling asleep but during the days that I took Slimina, I felt that I had that lil bit of "extra" energy leftover at the end of the day and I end up being able to fall asleep at 3am instead of the usual 11pm. Nevertheless, I really appreciate the extra energy in the mornings when I'm at work! * Weight loss wasn't a drastic as I've heard it was for other people. I've read about people loosing more than 8 or 10 kilos with Slimina on the first week. I, on the other hand, lost only 3 kilos in the last 15 days. This is with an active lifestyle alerady (I work as a nurse and I'm on my feet most of the time.) I'm still looking forward to loosing more weight. * Despite the claim that there are no negative side effects like palpitation I did experience these side effects when I took Slimina then had an intake of caffeine. So caffeine is a no-no when you're taking Slimina. You'll end up having headaches and palpitations like me! I stopped my caffeine intake while taking Slimina and all went smoothly. * Slimina did not break me out, just in case anyone is wondering. I've read that other slimming products can break you out. There really aren't any significant photos to post yet. I took a before photo, but I've decided to post that once I finish the bottle. Still, I urge those of you who intend to start using Slimina, to also partner it up with a healthy and active lifestyle. You can purchase Slimina from Miss Valerie of Dull to Doll at P990 (exclusive of shipping).

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