In the Spotlight: Maybelline ColorSensational Lipstick in Madison Mauve

Whenever my beloved brings me cosmetics from the US, I always go to malls to check if these are already locally available. To my dismay, however, I'm almost always told, "I'm sorry but we don't have _____ here, ma'am and we won't be bringing the item to the country." This has actually happened to quite a lot of times in the past. Thank goodness my beloved always gets me what I want even without telling him! Well, I don't think I'll be asking him to get more of Maybelline's hottest new item because they're bringing it to us here in the Philippines! How did I find out? Well, I was lurking around the Maybelline counter in Robinson's Galleria during their holiday sale, when the SA mentioned that they'll be bringing this amazing line of lipsticks to the country next month. What is it? It's the ColorSensational Lipstick Line people on the other end of the globe have been endlessly raving about! Ah! Finally! I've been waiting for these forever!

From the Maybelline website:

Why You'll Love It

Fall in love with color, all over again:

• Crisper color from pure pigments
• Creamier feel from nourishing honey nectar
• Lipcolor so rich, so stunning… it’s sensational
• 48 Captivating Shades

Yay!

• Pigmentation. The color is very rich.
  
• Texture. The lipstick is creamy and applies smoothly on the lips.
  
• Finish. While I can't speak of the other shades available, Madison Mauve has quite a glossy finish, there's [almost] no need for a lipgloss. But if you want the extra shine and gloss, then gloss up by all means?
• Formula. This doesn't feel drying or heavy on the lips. It won't make your lips flake at all.
  
• Coverage. It can be applied sheer or heavy, depending on your preference. The color is definitely buildable.
• Color Range. They have a wide selection of shades from nudes/browns to reds to plums to pinks. They cover everything in the color spectrum (minus the shades you'd never really wear, i.e. blacks, blues, oranges, etc.)!
• Price. Depending on where you live in the US, Maybelline ColorSensational Lipsticks go for about $7. Not bad for a lipstick, don't you think? In the Philippines, however, I was told that the price will be somewhere in the 200peso range. Still reasonable, I think.
  

Nay!

• Color Selection in the Philippines. Maybelline won't be bringing the entire color selection to the Philippines. Just sad.
  
• Lasting Power. Just like most lipsticks, this'll probably last you a good 4 to 5hours before the color starts to fade (it probably won't survive eating and drinking. I can't really tell coz I haven't tried), leaving a hint of color and shine on your lips. Honestly, I'm not sure if this is a bad thing since this isn't a colorstay variant.
  

In Betweens...

• Scent. While some others complained of a scent that's a cross between coconut and chemical, I noticed only a faint pleasant scent from Madison Mauve. It's nothing close to smelling like chemical or wax, but I'm not quite sure if it's coconutty. Either way, I find it pleasant. Besides, it's not something you'd smell the moment you remove the plastic cap. You'd only notice that faint scent if you take a good whiff off of your tube.
  
• Glitter. If you love [high] shine, you'd love this li ne from Maybelline. Like Madison Mauve, I read that a lot of shades in the ColorSensational Lipstick line are glittery. Some complain about the glitters being chunky, gritty and scratchy, which I didn't notice with Madison Mauve.
  
• Packaging. Some ladies found the packaging cheap, but I think otherwise. While the plastic cap has the tendency to come off easily in your purse, I actually like how the plastic cap looks like. I also think it's pretty cool how Maybelline color-coordinated the shades under each family - all the reds and peaches have a red plastic cap, the pinks with a pink plastic cap, the purples/mauves with a purple cap and all the browns/nudes with a brown cap. The only thing I don't like about the packaging is that it can be easily scratched. See photo below.
  

  

Tips:

• Always exfoliate and moisturize before applying lipstick.
  
• Blot the excess moisture off of your lips.
• Conceal your lips' pigmentation by applying foundation or concealer. Set with powder. This makes the color of the lipstick appear more true when applied on your lips.
  
• If you desire more defined lips, line your lips with a lip liner that's close to the shade of the lipstick. Lining your lips with a lip liner also makes the lipstick stay on your lips for a longer time.
  
• If you desire shiny, pouty lips, gloss up.
  
• If you want your lips to appear fuller, highlight your Cupid's bow and your lower lip by dabbing a bit of a shimmery powder on the said areas.
  
• Want a flawless look? Apply concealer to the edges to correct/erase any mistakes.
  

Madison Mauve on the lips.
Pardon the photo. This was done in a rush

Just one swipe. It's pretty pigmented, eh?

Like I said, color is buildable.

Will you be snagging some of these babies when they arrive on Philippine shores? I know I will! Leave some for me, please!

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?

Foundation Army

Happy New Year folks!

Ever since discovering the amazing finish that liquid foundations give, I've developed this itch to try foundations from various brands. But since I wasn't (and still not) too keen on purchasing liquid foundations from more high end brands (with the except of MAC because it has broken me out in the past), I decided to do a research on the best drugstore foundations. Despite getting a rating of only 3.9 on Makeupalley, the best drugstore foundation for a lot of women is the Revlon Colorstay Foundation. This is not surprising though, as I have watched tons of ladies on YouTube rave about this product and have likewise read good things about the same foundation on random blogs that I've stumbled upon. However, even with all the recommendations and positive reviews on the Revlon Colorstay Foundation, I was still on the fence about purchasing a full size bottle of it for fear of breaking out. Quickly, I searched for the sample of Revlon Colorstay Active Foundation which I got from Charry, and tested it out for a week. After a week of trying it out, I'm happy and pleased to exclaim that I did not break out from it! I may have developed whiteheads around the nose area more quickly than I do with mineral makeup, but that's not something I have no remedy for. But just when I was about to purchase one full size bottle for myself, something else caught my eye - the Custom Creations Foundation from Revlon. Since I didn't want to waste money on something that doesn't perform that well, I decided to do another research, this time on the Custom Creations Foundation. The reviews weren't all that, to be honest, but I bought it because I thought it was ingenious. I mean, I like the idea of having several shades in one foundation bottle that I can mix and match to get the perfect match of anyone's skin color. Actually, I bought this foundation with Ynez in mind, and also, since my beloved has asked me to do makeup on whoever is willing to model for him, I felt it practical to have this foundation in my stash. And yes, it did land a spot in my stash, along with the Colorstay Active Foundation. My search didn't end there, however. After buying two foundations which offer full coverage, I started looking for a foundation that wouldn't make me look as if I was wearing a mask. I wanted something that would even out my skin tone and cover flaws not my skin. Thanks to Liz of Project Vanity, I discovered Maybelline Angelfit Liquid Foundation. I had originally thought of purchasing Maybelline Clear Smooth Minerals Healthy Natural Liquid Foundation, but the reviews weren't really that convincing. But I didn't stop there. While my beloved and I were doing our last minute Christmas grocery shopping at SM Hypermart, I told him that I'll just pick up a few essentials at Watson's since we were still afar off from the cashier. So I went ahead to the Revlon counter and inquired from the SA what my shade for the Revlon Colorstay Mineral Mousse Foundation even if I already knew what it is, grabbed the bottle, and left. These are the only liquid foundations that I have ever bought. The other two Cover Girl foundations there in the photos were from my beloved. There should've been three of them had I not given one to my co-worker a while back. The reason? Cover Girl breaks me out. It doesn't matter what liquid foundation, pressed powder or blush I use from Cover Girl because everything from their line breaks me out. Also, those are not my shades. They're too dark for my light medium skin tone.

So why do I have this much liquid foundation? I'm trying things out. I am not and have no plans of turning my back on mineral makeup; I am just testing the waters to see if my mineral makeup-spoiled skin will react adversely to these liquid foundations which I have never in my entire life tried on myself. I cannot and do not want to limit myself. After all, it's always fun and exciting to try out new things. Besides, liquid foundations would be better to use when doing other people's makeup for photoshoots. Until more options for HD foundations come to our shores, I'll most likely be sticking to these.

To know more about how these foundations deliver, check back every once in a while for a detailed and comprehensive (hopefully) review on each. I'll start writing my reviews on each as soon as I finish my lunch.

Till then, thank you all for reading. I hope everyone's enjoying her first weekend of the year.

Product Showdown: L’Oreal Clean Definition Telescopic Mascara vs Maybelline Unstoppable Shiny Black Mascara

The eyes are the most expressive facial feature of any human being. They reflect a person’s sadness, agony, anger and joy and reveal one’s honesty and sincerity among many others; hence the label “the eyes are the windows to a person’s soul.” However, if I may rightfully add, a person’s eyes can likewise be an expression of beauty.

On a side note, the eyes and the smile are the first two that I notice in a person, be it the opposite sex or not. Why? Because the eyes light up a person’s face which creates a huge difference.

Big doe-eyes ala Audrey Hepburn and Kelly Rowland reflect youthfulness and naiveté while sharp eagle-eyes ala Megan Fox and Keira Knightley mirror seduction and ferocity. However your eyes look like, keep a good eyeliner and a volumizing mascara to do the trick in defining and making your eyes pop.

As much as I’d like to cover both eye make-up essentials in this post, only mascaras will be featured for two reasons: 1. I haven’t tried enough eyeliners to make a good judgment; 2. This post is going to run forever if I cover both products here. Now, since I’m still on the lookout for the best mascara, aka Holy Grail mascara, on this planet, I’ll only be able to make a comparison between the two mascaras I recently road tested. My recently purchased Max factor 2000 Calorie and Maybelline Volume Express mascaras have yet to be opened and tested.

On one corner we have the L’Oreal Clean Definition Telescopic Mascara. True to its name, this mascara comes in a sleek silver tube that resembles a telescope. (see photo below)

What it claims?

For clump-free, perfectly defined longer lashes. L’Oreal introduces new Telescopic Clean Definition Mascara for lashes with telescopic length, perfect definition and a clump-free, natural end result. The patented No Clump Brush cleanly defines and lengthens up to 60%.

Why I like it:

· While this doesn’t add any volume of some sort, I love how the awkward rubber brush cleanly lengthens (a bit) and separates my lashes.

· It doesn’t smudge nor flake even after having it on for 12hours.

· It holds a curl quite decently.

· It can easily be removed with water and any facial cleanser.

· It’s perfect for coating the lower lashes.

What disappoints me:

· It doesn’t do what it claims to do --- lengthens lashes up to 60%

· It makes lashes appear somewhat “spidery.”

· I can’t really dislike it for not adding volume because it never promised to do it anyway.

The final verdict?

It’s a pretty good mascara for its price of Php450.

Will I repurchase?

I haven’t decided yet. Maybe, maybe not.

On the other corner, we have Maybelline Unstoppable Shiny Black Mascara. This one comes in a simple black tube. (see photo below. photo taken from http://askmewhats.com)

What it claims?

100% smudge-proof full-length mascara lengthens up to 50%. Resists smudging and raccoon eyes for up to 12 hours.

Why I like it:

· It lengthens lashes! While it may be hard to believe, this mascara really lives up to what it claims to do --- lengthens lashes up to 50%. It made my lashes so long that they would touch my eyebrows!

· It separates lashes.

· It holds a curl really well. Believe me, this one keeps my lashes curled until I leave work at midnight.

· It can easily be removed with water, even without any soap or facial wash.

· It doesn’t smudge.

· It gives me an-almost-false-lashes –look without the annoying glues and whatnots.

· It doesn’t run even when you cry. Trust me, my eyes get so watery every time I yawn, which would be around every ten minutes.

· The price. For Php349, this baby is a steal.

What disappoints me:

· Same with L’Oreal Clean Definition Telescopic Mascara, I can’t really hate it for not giving me that volume I so want my lashes to have since that’s not what this mascara was made for.

· It doesn’t make lashes shiny/glossy.

The final verdict?

I would say that Maybelline Unstoppable Shiny Black Mascara has become an instant favourite after I compared it with L’Oreal Clean Definition Telescopic Mascara by wearing one type of mascara on one eye. Though both are lengthening mascaras, Maybelline Unstoppable Shiny Black Mascara does a better job at it.

Will I repurchase?

Definitely. Unless, I find a better one.

The Winner?

It’s Maybelline Unstoppable Shiny Black Mascara, hands down. You’ll definitely get your money’s worth with it.