Hide Your Eye Bags using The Balm Time Balm Concealer

After posting my Christmas Haul two weeks ago, I received requests to review this concealer. (Nauumay na din daw sila sa puro lipstick. Haha.) Apparently, there are more people who cannot go out without a concealer on rather than lipstick. The eye bags probably tops the list of insecurities within the face area, together with the sparse eyebrows. You may eat healthy, drink plenty of water, and get a lot of sleep, but you can still have eye bags. I believe that genetics play a big role in it. It's in your genes girl, wala na tayong magagawa kaya daanin na lang natin sa concealer. In my case, I am one of the lucky few who has minimal baggies beneath the eyes. I have really thin facial skin, though, which makes my veins really visible. This has been me and my sister's problem since our teenage years. So we have to cover those.

As I mentioned, I purchased this theBalm Time Balm concealer at Beauty Bar in Eastwood last December. It's PHP 820 for 7.5g, but I also spotted it in Sephora for PHP 1,002. I think it's because Sephora has all the shades, while Beauty Bar only has 3 to 4 shades available. Luckily, "Light/Medium" shade fits my skin tone. This shade fits the warm undertones with fair to light skin.

Packaging

The concealer pot comes with a tiny white sponge that I tried retouching with. Though I prefer using my ring finger (cos it's the finger with the lightest touch) for application, the white sponge is more hygienic. You just have to make sure that you wash it regularly. The clear plastic pot is what bothers me since I'm really clumsy. I might crack it when I accidentally drop it one day. 

Texture

It's like butter whereas the texture is hard when you took it from the refrigerator. But with some swirling and pressing, it eventually becomes softer to apply. You should try the technique that I learned from watching Patrick Starr's YouTube videos. He sets his concealer! It's like baking, but using a concealer instead. He believes that it makes the concealer last longer, which I tried by the way and it works!

Coverage

The coverage is medium, but definitely not light which is good for daily use. The staying power is superb by the way. I usually apply it in the morning before going to work and it still looks untouched when I got home.

RAVE REVIEW!! VMV Hypoallergenics Grandma Minnie's The Big, Brave Boo-Boo Balm‎

First of all, this is not a sponsored post or whatnot. I'm just a mom who happened to discover a product that really work and I want to share the magic with you all. If you're also a mom struggling with your baby's skin rashes all the time, read on. This might be life changing and I'm really happy to help. 

So, months ago I got a tiny sample of VMV Hypoallergenics Grandma Minnie's The Big, Brave Boo-Boo Balm. (Damn, it's wordy!) It was bundled with the body wash that I usually purchase for my son. My baby doesn't have sensitive skin so he does not regularly get rashes. One time, I noticed redness on his groin so I decided to try this sample. The next day, it was all gone. I thought maybe the rash was too minor so it was gone in less than 24 hours.

My son started teething and he was pooping on an average of five to six times a day. (High-five to moms who can relate! Haha! We all know the struggle.) That was the time that he really suffered from bad rashes because of pooping too much. He had redness on his groin and bumps surrounding his bum. It was really bad. I felt so bad for him at the time since I can feel how irritated he was. That time, I was using petroleum jelly, but it wasn't doing anything at all. So I tried using the boo-boo balm before he slept. The next day, the change was noticeable. The redness has subsided and bumps are nowhere to be seen. I was really amazed, so I continued using it. Days passed and my son was still pooping a lot, but the regular usage of this product made it more comfortable for him. The rashes did not come back, even with frequent diaper change. Ah-mazing! I was sold!

That week, I binge read about other VMV products and I was already planning on purchasing this 15g version. Also, I want to try their moisturizers na rin because of how good this product is. The story doesn't end there, you guys! What made me write about this product is the fact that I recommended it to a fellow mom. Her son contacted Amebiasis and had some bad rashes. She bought it that day, then she thanked me the next day. #nuffsaid :) The SA from VMV also told me that this product is also good for bite marks, minor wounds, and stretch marks. It's Php 1,185 for 15g.

To my fellow moms, stop using petroleum jelly. This is what you need!

TREND ALERT!! Fenty Beauty Mattemoiselle Plush Matte Lipsticks in Midnight Wasabi and Candy Venom

A fellow lipstick lover friend of mine and I were talking about Blue and Green lipsticks just a month ago. We realized that we never gave them a try. Since we are nearing our thirties, I think we should already. (Cos medyo hindi na cute pag super tita vibes na. Haha.) We kept on tagging each other on Instagram posts from Rihanna, with photos of her wearing funky lipstick shades such as: Blue, Green, Lavender etc. And my gosh, she looks stunning in any lip color. How to be you, Riri?? HOW?

It's Fenty Beauty! She's been killing it lately with all her releases. I watched a lot of reviews on YouTube, and what I love about her creations is that she prioritizes giving shades that fits every single skin tone. Giiirl, there's a million of skin tones out there, but yeah, she's giving it a try. I heard the foundation is just okay, but the match sticks are a must-have. I was actually eyeing the Kilawatt Freestyle highlighter in "Trophy Wife", but after seeing reviews that it doesn't fit the fair skin, again I skipped. Fast-forward to the Gloss Bomb and Stunna Lip Paint. Those were really good-looking lippies but I kinda still feel underwhelmed about them. I feel like the Gloss Bombs don't have the pigmentation that I want in my standard lippies. While the Stunna Lip Paint has this bomb packaging that I would really love to have, it only offers one shade that is Red. I skipped all those collections all-together. Then finally, Fenty Beauty and Rihanna were releasing these matte goodness! 

Fenty Beauty Mattemoiselle Plush Matte Lipsticks has 14 shades with really funky names. 

All moods, all skin tone, all day!: 

- Ma'Damn (Royal Red)

- Spanked (Dusty Rose)

- Candy Venom (Electric Pink)

- Saw-C (Exotic Tangerine)

- Up 2 No Good (Nude Peach)

- S1ngle (Blushing Nude)

- Freckle Fiesta (Spiced Terracotta)

- Shawty (Warm Chestnut)

- PMS (Moody Brown) -- (I almost chose this just so I can wear it during that time of the month. Haha.)

- Midnight Wasabi (Wicked Green)

- Ya Dig?! (Periwinkle Blue)

- Clapbak (True Navy)

- One of the Boyz (Wild Lilac)

- Griselda (Bold Burgundy)

Rihanna loves changing up her lipstick depending on her current mood, so she wanted to create a lipstick collection that would empower everyone to explore new looks. She hand-picked the range of 14 shades that anyone can pull off, with shade names that embody the personality of each color.

My 2017 Favorite Lippies + Christmas Haul

My 2017 Favorite Lippies

Okay, so my New Year's Resolution is to NOT BUY A MAC Lipstick for the whole year. Literally 90% (or more) of my lipstick purchases are from MAC. What the hell? I should've called myself "MAC Monster" instead. Lol. I'm not the type of beauty junkie who purchases the whole lipstick collection just to swatch and post everything. I just pick one or two shades that I know I will use and I'll judge the whole collection based on the formulation of that particular shade. (More like a budget-conscious junkie pala. Hehe) Obviously, I can't get over my favorite formulation from MAC which is the Amplified Creme. It's just the formula for my lips. I have fine lines so I need the hydration, but I'm obsessed about full lip coverage. 

(L-R) MAC Chatterbox, Clinique Pop Lip Colour + Primer in Punch Pop, MAC Rebel, MAC Cockney, MAC Pink Nouveau 
(My arm looks like a leg. Dafuq?)

I keep on repurchasing MAC Chatterbox (on my third tube already) because it's my comfort zone. I swipe it on my lips, and it's just me. It will always be that one lipstick that will never leave my bag. MAC Please Me (not in the swatch photo) is the other all-time favorite of mine. I always wear it whenever I'm wearing a bomb smokey-eye or when I'm going somewhere that I know I will take a lot of photos. Those two MAC shades will always be my staple tubes that I'll keep on repurchasing until I can't wear lipsticks anymore.

Clinique Pop Lip Colour + Primer in Punch Pop was a pasalubong from my Tita Myla. I saw one of my favorite vloggers wearing it on her video, so I was happy to have one too. The color payoff of this Pink lipstick is just intense! Layering it will make you look like you're wearing a neon lippie already. I think it's because of the primer mixed with the lip colour formula. The staying power is great too. I can eat a meal without getting worried about how it will look afterwards. 

I remember trying MAC Heroine in amplified creme formula before. This one I have here is in matte version. I wasn't updated on why they came up with a matte version last year, but I remember they have perfume counterparts too. I'll bet my money they're called Shadescents (?) -- Ha! I googled it and I was right! I have the Candy Yum Yum shadescent sample at home and it smells so sweet. I wear this MAC Heroine shade whenever I'm feeling bored with my Pink lipsticks. It's a pigmented Purple shade that adds a bit of attitude in your look without being too loud. I like it better in matte formulation because it gives more intensity to the color.

MAC Cockney is also a pasalubong that I got last year. I'm not a huge fan of the Lustre formulation because the pigmentation is limited and they do not hold very long on the lips. But what I love about this shade is how it makes you look like you're wearing a Red lipstick and a gloss at once.

MAC Pink Nouveau is becoming a candidate up there for my staple lippies. It's a subtle cotton candy Pink that I can wear whenever I'm feeling lazy. (That's why it's almost empty. Lol.) It's my second lipstick in Satin formula from MAC. The other one is the shade in Rebel. Satin formula feels a bit sticky compared to other MAC formulas, but the pigmentation and staying power can definitely top the others. 

So those were my 2017 favorites. I swear you won't see a single MAC lipstick in this blog for the whole year of 2018. I promise to try other brands and shades (other than Pink). Pasalubongs doesn't count though. Hehe. :)

Blair Liquid Matte Lipstick in "Cams" for New Year's Eve

Happy New Year! Finally, I found some motivation to write about lipsticks again! YAAASSS! Last holiday season, it was like the world was pushing me to blog again. Every single group of people that I hang out with was asking me about my blog. It's been years since I stopped blogging regularly, but they never forget. Thanks you guys! This post is for all of you. They even told me that I'm that one friend of theirs whom they tell their other friends about. They're like -- "Oh, I have that friend who blogs about makeup, let me look her up!" Lol. I even got some beauty products as Christmas presents. Thank you friends and family! This product was actually one of those presents that I received. 

I've been seeing a lot of instagram posts from celebrities using this liquid matte lipstick. They were promoting an online seller that exclusively sells this brand. But they sell it for a hefty 800 pesos. My mom got me this from her re-seller officemate for just 500 pesos. She even has a bundle sale where you can buy two for a lower price. If you're interested, you can visit her Carousell page here.

Blair Liquid Matte Lipstick in "Cams" SWATCHED by Lippie Monster

This photo is not just a swatch, it's also a warning sign that I'm going to be addicted to gel nail polish from now on. My Red nails in this photo are over a month old. It's still so freaking shiny and in full coverage after a month of me doing laundry and washing the dishes. Damn, they really are bullet proof. Lol.

Channel Rouge Coco in "Liason"

Oh wow! I can't believe it's been a year since I purchased this lipstick. It was a gift to myself for going out of my comfort zone. You know, I like rewarding myself whenever I feel like I accomplished a milestone. Purchasing this lipstick is another risk for me since I usually go for MAC because I already tried and tested that brand. Now that I mentioned it, I actually finished a couple of tubes just recently and I'm so happy about it (I'll post about it soon.) I haven't done much research before going to Chanel so I took advantage of being the only customer that time and swatched like crazy. I fell in love with the texture of this particular range "Rouge Coco". 

Liason is a shade in between Pink Salmon and Coral but leans toward nude Pink when applied. The texture is buttery that it glides like a dream while application. Though it is not that pigmented upon first swipe, it builds up really nice. This lipstick is great for daily use since it can pass as your daily MLBB shade.