Geez, I was gone for almost 2 months. Again, my apologies. I would understand if you would not believe me anymore if I say that ‘I vow to be a better blogger this year’ hee hee. I mean it! I swear, I will allot more time updating this blog (nose getting longer now) oh well, moving on

One time during lunchbreak, I got really bored and lacking of energy (my body has taken its toll due to rigid workout routines which include: zumba for xbox 360). So I decided to list down my Make-Up Christmas Wishlist for 2012 hahah! I know way too early, might as well label it as my TO BUY LIST for 2012. Seriously, I am trying my very best to simplify my make-up kit, I want to stick to my tried and tested items and to stop trying new collection. But, a make-up junkie can never have too many lippies, you know. Maybe, I’d be able to stop trying out concealers, foundation, eye shadows and blushes but not/NOT lipsticks!

Initially, I started out with this short list (photo above), but to date my current 2012 Must Buy Make-up List is this:

1. NARS Lippies: Casablanca, Niagara, Catfight, Damage, Dolce Vita.
2. NARS Oasis Blush.
3. Benefit Hervana Blush.
4. MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium.
5. MAC Bare Again Lipstick.
6. Make-Up Forever Aqua Liners.
7. Make-Up HD Invisible Cover Concealer.
8. Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder.
9. Chloe Perfume.
10. No. 5 by Chanel Perfume.

Uh-oh, that was quite a long list and it’s just January hahah! Care to share your list?

When it comes to make-up, it is very rare that I do not regret buying at eBay. I used to really get my limited edition make-up fix at eBay but I had a horrible experience last year that I decided not to get from the site anymore, especially when these are health and beauty related products. However, MAC x Wonder Woman collection was so irresistible that I succumbed to a higher eBay rate.

This is my first ever MAC Mineralized Skinfinish loot and because of this, I plan to retire my Studio Fix powder foundation tthis Summer and get the MAC Mineralized Skinfinish Natural in Medium (or light medium) as replacement.

Moving on to my review: Huge, Massive, yes bigger than my palm. Totally worth the price but like the other beauty junkies who wished this could have come with a brush and a mirror considering the price, I wish the same. It was a bit harder to build up the product at first so I used a stippling brush + flat-top brush just so I could get a bit more of the product. But as soon as I got used to it, all I used was my contour brush for the middle shade, blush brush for the blush shade (bottom part) and the kabuki brush for the combined shades. I love the warmth it gives my face, perfect for this summer. The bronze shade (middle part) gives me just enough contouring shade, not muddy at all. The highlighting shade is also perfect and contrary to my initial perception of this product, it is not super shimmery, just enough shimmer that would give your cheekbones the right highlighting it needs. Will I recommend it to a friend?, only to my fair-skinned friends because it sure is a lighter version of your usual bronzer shades.

Pardon the poor lighting, I should get this energy efficient outdoor lighting for better photo output. You can search Tempatalia.com for better swatches of this product.

VANITY.KIT’s RATING

Overall Product: A+

Value: 4/5

Ease of Use: 4/5

Packaging: 4/5

Oh boy, I never thought I could be this hooked on MAC’s Wonder Woman collection! After getting their Russian Red Lipstick look what else I got: (i hope the husbo isn’t reading this hee hee )

I was so desperate that I got the massive (yes huge!-bigger than my palm!) MSF in Pink Power over at eBay. Yes, I succumbed to the overpriced rate at eBay because this collection was SOLD OUT already. It took me more than a month to finally read reviews and decided to buy. But no regrets, the Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Pink Power was totally worth it. Now why are MAC’s good stuff on limited ed almost always? I also got another lipstick in Spitfire shade, too bad I no longer have a budget for Marquise d’ . Reviews coming up shortly, I just need to check out custom laptops for now.

I do not know if you still remember how my love affair with make-up started.
Just to refresh your memory or if you have skipped on that entry, I started tinkering with make-up when I started to grow terrible and very dark circles under my eyes. I started to mix different foundation shades to conceal perfectly those tired eyes, then I moved on trying out all sorts of concealer: stick, powder, liquid, etc…

Up to now, I still find myself non-stop reading under eye cream reviews and I would not mind spending a bit more on on concealers and undereye cream over any other beauty product. I always want my eyes to look bright and never droopy.

Laura Mercier Camouflage is for me the best undereye concealer but not practical enough to use it on a daily basis. So I discovered Smashbox Camera-Ready Full Coverage Concealer which is so much affordable compared to Laura Mercier’s Camouflage concealer.

But with the colder season, this stick seems so hard to apply and makes my skin a bit more dry. I bought myself this Smashbox High Definition Liquid Concealer and tried out the very famous Smashbox Photo-Op Undereye Brightener. Guess what, they work well together. My eyes look very bright for straight 12 hours and I do not have to retouch at all. The good news is this liquid concealer is more economical in terms of usage than the stick. Oh and yes, as soon as you apply the Undereye Brightener, you’d notice an instant brightness in your eyes. Make sure to use them first before any concealer.

Verdict: You will never go wrong with Smashbox!

The Story of My Life: I cannot live without a concealer .
Seriously, I want to undergo those laser-injection-type which could lessen the darkness of undereye circles, but I am too coward since the skin in that area is extra sensitive. So for the meantime, I am happy to have discovered these concealers.

The 1st 2 concealers are my staple concealers as these are the ones I use on a daily basis. The Smashbox is very good for humid and hot season while the Revlon Colorstay during winter.

The 3rd concealer, I have been using for almost 4 years now but the catch is I only use it during special occasions or events which I know I have no time to retouch. And yes, the price is a factor why I do not use it often.

The last 2 concealers were gifts from make-up artist-friends and I love them, I use it during my job interviews and when I know we have meetings or when we have guests and yes, no time for retouch is a factor. They are long-wearing and are not cakey at all. The coverage is very nice, very good for corporate and barely there make-up .

1.) Smashbox Camera Ready Full Coverage concealer

Dark circles and blotchy spots are a thing of the past with this vitamin-infused, portable fix-it stick. The innovative formula contains a soft focus powder to help minimize imperfections and vitamin C to fight free radicals and keep your skin looking younger. Provides natural yet buildable coverage on any area of the face.
$18.00

2.) Revlon Colorstay Undereye Concealer

Exclusive ColorStay™ formula and soft-touch applicator work to gently conceal dark undereye circles and discolorations, while giving you natural looking coverage all day. SoftFlex™ technology provides a lightweight, comfortable feel. Oil-free. Non-pore-clogging. Non-irritating. With SPF 15 UVA and UVB protection.
$9.99

3.) Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage

Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage completely camouflages dark circles, minor imperfections and discolorations.
Allure Best of Beauty Editors’ Choice – Best Concealer 2009
$28.00

4.) Bobbi Brown Corrector

For very dark circles and extra coverage, Bobbi’s secret is her Correctors. Use daily or just when you need extra coverage. Designed to be layered under your yellow-based Creamy Concealer shade, Correctors come in a range of twelve Bisque and Peach shades. Use fingers or the Concealer Brush to apply up to the lashline and into the inner corner of the eye. Smooth and blend by gently patting with the pads of your fingers. Follow with a layer of your regular Creamy Concealer shade.
$22.00

5.) Benefit Erase Paste

This concentrated, creamy concealer brightens and camouflages in one easy step! Targets dark circles, discoloration and imperfections.
$26.00

Ciao for now, I need to research on green shopping and yes, will blog about cosmetics that also contribute to saving mother earth .

Two weeks ago, I received this package full of Maybelline Loot plus a bagtag which I find very cute in the mail. I was not expecting this to come after I spoke with my friend who was supposed to send this last year haha. So yes, this loot came my friend, H, who is one of Maybelline’s NY Color Artists and he would often give me a portion of his make-up allowance. hee hee. This was what he sent me, a first Maybelline loot in 2010. Looking forward to more freebies this year.

I am going to make an extensive review on this however, I need to check on these acne pills first. So these include the following: (most are new products)

• Angel Fit Flawless Natural Two Way Cake Foundation
• Watershine Collagen Shimmer in B23
• Watershine Pure in M31
• Clear Smooth Minerals Healthy Natural Luminous Blush in NOO Soft Mauve
• Vivid & Smooth liner in Plum and Green
• Volum Express Cat Eyes Mascara Waterproof Hypercurl

I was checking on furnace filters, when I chanced upon this email from Smashbox. How genius of Smashbox to give their customers a chance to try out the best of their best products. My friend, J was just asking me how Smashbox cosmetics are in terms of their foundation finish and texture. I told her that after years and years of searching for the right concealer, the Smashbox Camera-ready Full coverage Concealer Stick (in #2) is the best concealer to cover my dark undereye circles. Too bad it is not part of this sampler kit. But for all of you who wants to try Smashbox foundation and primer, this is a practical. Think of the bonus o-gloss and other lip glosses that are part of this sampler kit. Enabler mode, on!

Includes: Mini Artificial Light in Glow, Mini Photo Finish Foundation Primer SPF 15 + Dermaxyl, Mini Photo Finish Foundation Primer Light, Mini O-Gloss Intuitive Lip Gloss, Mini Photo Op Under Eye Brightener, Cream Eye Liner Duo (full size!) in Caviar/Midnight Brown, Mini Eye Shadow Trio in Headshot, Mini Baked Fusion Soft Lights in Stardust, 2 Mini Lip Enhancing Glosses in Pout & Afterglow
$35.00

My make-up artist friend, H swears by this and in fact hoarded this item when he was in NYC for a training. It is really a lot cheaper if you purchase this in the U.S. and wait for Urban Decay’s quarterly discounts. Anyways, I am talking about the Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion. I have tried a couple of other eyeshadow primer brands but by far, this is the one that lasts more than 8 hours leaving my 2-3 blended eyeshadows without crease and smudges. It can also act as a nice base color and gives your blended eyeshadows long-lasting sharp colors. Now that I found the best Eyeshadow Primer, I’m off to find the  best acne treatment.