December Haul

December is the month of bazaars and endless sales in the Philippines. Although bazaars usually start as early as November, it is (usually) still the (best) time to go shopping for gifts for yourself and for your loved ones when sales are up and when bazaars are left and right. That is, of course, if you'd discount the traffic. Though I didn't really do that much Christmas shopping, I pretty much hit the biggest bazaars in the metro and took advantage of the sales. I didn't score that many great deals at the bazaars that I went to because nothing really caught my fancy apart from the vintage-y accessories that I spotted. So when L'Oreal and Maybelline announced a sale in mid-December, I knew I had to take advantage of it. Revlon didn't announce a sale but they slashed off 20% off of selected items.

So without further adieu, here's a photo of my December haul (not in it's entirety, though). I didn't include the accessories, nail polishes, some random hauls from The Face Shop and my Etude House haul, coz I was too lazy to take out everything that I got in December just for a photo.


So what did I get?

• Four different foundations. Three from Revlon and one from Maybelline.
  
• The Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Liner. I got it in both black and brown.
• Maybelline Cats Eye Hypercurl Volume Mascara. What a mouthful!
  
• Eye Pencils from Maybelline and Prestige.
  
• Revlon Matte Lipstick in Nude Attitude.
  
• Revlon Colorstay Mineral Lipglaze. I love this! This is actually my second tube and I think I'll be getting the other shades, too! Oops, my wallet just ran away from me.
  
• Some ELF False Eye Lashes. I was looking for some more items from the ELF Studio Line but it seems like Robinson's Department Store isn't carrying most of the items.
  
• Some mineral makeup from Pureglow Mineral Cosmetics. Jamie, I love your products!
• Vintage accessories (not in photo).
• Nail polishes from The Face Shop and Elianto.
  

Ah! I can't remember all that I got. I spent quite a lot in December but I justified my spending as "a way to treat and reward myself for all the hard work."

Anyway, I didn't really feel guilty after spending so much coz I got a good 20%-30% off of some items. Revlon slashed off only 20% while Maybelline gave me 30% off of every item I got (which is around 6. haha!).


As of this writing, the only thing I've purchased is the Romantic Beauty Stand from Etude House. I got it the other day when I returned the tester bottle of the nail polish that I talked about here. I would've gotten more than the beauty stand but I'm still waiting for them to stock up on their duo fiber brushes. Besides, I was running late for work that day. So technically speaking, I think I've been a pretty a good girl so far. We'll see how long I'd be able to keep this up.

So have any of you beautiful ladies hauled yet?

Product Review: ELF Studio Blushes

Top: Peachy Keen; Bottom: Tickled Pink

ELF is one of those brands that I was quite hesitant to try despite the many rave reviews it gets from beauty bloggers worldwide. See, my skin breaks out to rashes (and those little bumps also known as whiteheads) quite easily when I use products that contain parabens and the like. Even ELF's mineral line wasn't a hit with me. But after seeing swatches of ELF's studio blushes, I just had to have them. I was initially going to purchase all six shades of the blushes but when I realized how long it would take me to finish all the blushes I have (I have 25blushes, mostly mineral blushes), I narrowed down my choices to two. What did I decide on getting? Peachy Keen and Tickled Pink.

Click pictures to enlarge

First two photos with flash; third photo without flash

First two photos with flash; third photo without flash

From the ELF website
The soft sheer texture blends into the skin for a silky finish. Designed to be worn alone or layered for more depth. Highlight your complexion with a subtle healthy glow!

Yay!

• Price. Prices of ELF products range from $1-$3. The studio blushes are sold at $3 a piece though I got mine at $6 from a local reseller.
• Color Variety. There's a lot of shades to choose from on the ELF website.
  
• Unscented. Though this isn't really a big deal, I prefer products to be fragrance-free
• Luminous glow. These two blushes that I have give me a natural luminous glow that I like.
  
• Packaging. The clear "window" on the front lets you identify the shade without having to look for its name at the back. The small mirror inside is also an added bonus.
  
• Travel friendly. With its size, it certainly won't occupy too much space if you plan to tote it along with you.
• Net Weight. I don't know 2.75g is a lot for you, but it certainly is for me!

Nay!

• Lasting Power. It lasts for about 4-5hours, after that, reapplication is needed.
  
• Color Payoff. Peachy Keen and Tickled Pink are not as pigmented as I expected them to be. The blush that comes in the blush&bronzer duo is much more pigmented than the studio blushes. If your skin color is darker than NC35, you'll probably be disappointed with the blushes.

Click to enlarge

I had to swipe my fingers on the pan more than thrice just to get the color to show.

Tid Bit:
Notice than Peachy Keen's swatch appears to have a more luminous glow compared to Tickled Pink's which looks semi-matte.

• Skin Reaction. After using them for about 3weeks, I started noticing the appearance of whiteheads on my cheeks.

My Verdict
ELF's studio blushes are just OK for me. They're not too impressive but they didn't disappoint either. They're okay for everyday wear, especially if you're aiming for an au naturel look. For the evening, you might want to opt for something that gives off more color than glow. If you want color on your cheeks, this is not the product for you. But, if an ethereal glow with a hint of color is your thing, go ahead and grab one.

NOTW: Weng Weng + Latest Haul

I did my nails again. I got a little bored with my Christmas nails so I decided to change it to something prettier two nights ago.

I was choosing between this shade called Weng Weng (ridiculous, I know) and a pretty sparkly sky blue one called Sleigh (both from Bobbie), until I decided to paint Weng Weng on my nails.


As you can see, Weng Weng is a gorgeous but very complex hue. It looks somewhat like a hologram to me, with touches of purple, blue, green, gray and silver. The micro glitters/sparklers are another complex thing. Oh, and there's some kind of a purplish pearly iridescence to it, too. Really, I can't describe this shade. It's such a gorgeous shade that gives a somewhat sophisticated appeal.

This shade is so one of a kind. I've seen nothing quite like this shade here in the Philippines. I'm not sure if this is part of Bobbie's holiday collection, so I suggest you grab yourself a bottle of it and their other nail polishes. I will surely get myself a back up of this as I see myself wearing this color on both my tips and toes for quite a long time. I guess the complex but beautiful tones of this nail polish make up for the silly name, eh?

I am in love with it. The photo just doesn't do it justice.

Before I end this quick post and go back to sleep since I'm still feverish, I'll post a photo of my latest haul for the week. I have about three packages coming next week, though I'm not sure if I'll be posting those. I just thought I'd add this one.

1. ELF Contouring Blush and Bronzer Duo
2. NYX Runway Collection 10pc Eyeshadow Palette in Champagne and Caviar
3. ELF Mineral Blush in Tickled Pink
4. ELF Mineral Blush in Peachy Keen
5. NYX Long Lip Pencil in Pinky
6. NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Black Bean
7. NYX Round Lipstick in Fig (Finally!)

a. The Face Shop Mask
b. Sample of UDPP
c. Wine Elixir sample (anti-wrinkle and firming night cream)
d. Aqua Vita sample (24hour moisturizing cream for normal/dry skin)

Will do reviews and swatches of these in the coming weeks! So keep an eye on them!

*Sorry for the crappy picture quality. I took all pictures with my phone since I'm still sick.