Review: NYX Jumbo Pencil in Milk

NYX JUMBO PENCIL IN MILK

I know that this has been raved by the whole blogsphere but,  I only started using this last month after my October Haul. Better late than never right? Because, this pencil does a lot of wonders. 

The NYX Jumbo Pencil (particularly in this shade 'Milk'/'604') is a multitasking product. Why? Here are the many things this jumbo pencil can do aside from being used as an eyeliner.

1. With it's creamy consistency, it can be used as an eye shadow. Not all skin tones work well with it though. 
2. You can use it to highlight your brows.
3. It can substitute primers as it makes eye shadow colors more vivid.
4. It works as a great base for loose pigments (i.e. mineral make up etc.)
5. It is also good to highlight the inner corners of your eyes with this product.

Price: P220

Where to buy: I always buy my NYX make up from Pretty Goddess who has kiosks at Pop Culture Trinoma and Alabang Town Center (Both located at the 2nd floor). You can also catch them on most bazaars especially at Eastwood during weekends.

Will I repurchase: Absoultely! I am also dying to try other shades because they really come in handy in your make up kit. Plus the price isn't that steep!

*Disclaimer This is not a paid advertisment and I bought this from my hard earned money. The reason I recommend this shop is because, it is one of the few bazaar stalls/ online shops that I trust as I am prone to being fooled when buying make up haha. Plus, they also have the friendliest staff who all don't mind if I take too long swatching products.

This is how it looks like when lined (upper) and blended (lower).

Here's how it looks like when it is being used as a primer. The same amount of eyeshadow were swatched here. You will notice that the one with the NYX jumbo pencil is more pigmented and vibrant.

And that's about the rest of it. I hope you girls enjoyed this post. Feel free to share your comments about this product if you have tried it already. And for those who haven't, I highly suggest you add this to your growing make up collection.

Until my next make review,

<3 The Beauty Geek

Review: Real Techniques Core Collection

It took me 7 months before I could write something about these brushes! What took me that long? Well, ever since my friend gave these brushes, it instantly took stardom on my desk, that I forgot that I had other brushes! This is (currently) my favorite set. I use them all the time, that I didn't get a chance to take pictures whenever they are newly washed - except for today!

The line of Real Techniques brushes is created by Samantha Chapman. If you are familiar with the Pixiwoo sisters, a famous channel in YouTube, she is the other half of it. I actually found out about these brushes through my friend Leona of Your Makeup Call. We originally wanted Sigma Brushes but we couldn't afford to buy a set (even until now haha) so she suggested we pick a cheaper alternative. Our friend who comes home yearly buys us make up and other related stuff that we can't find here in the Philippines, so we had him search for these brushes before he left the States. Luckily there were two sets left when he found it on ULTA. (I guess it was meant to be for us! Haha)

These brushes were given to me last April. That explains the scratchy plastic cover above. I kept it because I really intended to blog it even if I didn't even had a blog at that time. I knew, the moment I first laid my hands on these that they were worth the share and the hype. 

The Real Techniques brushes are separated into three categories (and color coded as well). Gold for a flawless base, purple for enhanced eyes and pink for a perfect finish.

The Core Collection (Gold) is intended to create a perfect base for make up. Four brushes are included in this set (The Buffing brush, Pointed Foundation Brush, Contour Brush and Detailer brush) which I will talk about individually, so please bear with me and this long post.

All the brushes are densely packed and super soft. I could not stop stroking in on my face when I first had it. They are light and free standing, except for the detailer brush. These were washed several times already, and yet no shedding and bleeding occured.

Material:

• Hand cut synthetic Taklon Bristles
• Aluminum Handles

Price:

• $18.00
• Around P800.00 only

Where to purchase:

• You can order it online on Real Techniques
• They also have a list of other stores where the brushes are readily available
• Back when I first had these brushes they were still not available here in the Philippines. However, I found a few online stores that sell them now. Most of them would sell these for P1500 ( a bit over priced) but I found one who gives these brushes for a reasonable value. Carefree Shopper (click the link to be directed automatically to the FB page) retails this for only P1150. If you are gonna sum up all the expenses like the shipping fee, this price is reasonable since shipping fee and tax may be a bit costly when bought overseas.

BUFFING BRUSH

*Ideal for full coverage application of powder and mineral foundation.

This is the reason why I wanted this set. If only they sell it individually, I would purchase an extra one. It is perfect for cream and liquid foundation although, it goes well with other base products too. Whenever I use this brush, my make up appears as if it was airbrushed, even if the foundation that I used  is a cheap drug store find. It makes applying foundation so easy! Despite being a newbie with make up, this brush helped me create a pro look. This brush helps eliminate the visibility of my pores. The size is perfect, it is not too large to put a lot of make up to waste, and yet not too small to make application take up too long. This is my favorite brush as of the moment, and no one stole the spotlight yet.

CONTOUR BRUSH

*Delicately applies highlighter to contour or create sheer, soft focus finish.

I have to admit, I didn't like this brush at first as I was used to the angled brush for contouring. But, when I tried this on, it became an instant favorite like my buffing brush. Unlike an angled brush, the tapered cut of this brush makes it easy to soften the lines of contouring. The size just makes it easy for you to apply it precisely on your face especially if you have a smaller frame. Didn't know that it was possible to make contouring appear natural on the face until I found this brush. 

POINTED FOUNDATION BRUSH

*Use with liquid foundation to build custom coverage.

Contrary to what the product says, I do not use it as it's purpose. I find it too small to be a foundation brush and it will take forever before I finish of my huge face when I use this in applying foundation. The buffing brush is just too good to be true that you wont be needing this brush for applying foundation. However, this works well as a concealer brush. The pointed shape makes it easier for you to reach the corners of your eyes and nose. It doesn't give out a scratchy feeling either when you use it.

DETAILER BRUSH

*Precision cut to effortlessly conceal problem areas; or use with lipstick for a long lasting shape and definition.

I use this brush the least, among all the brushes in this set. But having this set for more than half of the year, you gotta find something special about it right? And so I did, as I use it now to highlight my brow bone. I don''t use this as a concealer brush, since I find the foundation brush more efficient in doing the job. This could also serve as a lip brush.

PANORAMIC CASE

*Dual carrier and stand keeps brushes organized on your counter or on the go.

The case is one of the most interesting things that the Real Techniques brushes have. Fold it on one side and it could stand neatly on your make up station. Fold it on the other side, and you are ready to go. I don't use this on my make up stand though. I am preserving the elasticity of the garter that holds the brushes. Just kidding! Haha! I find it a hassle to shoot them on the garter so I opt to use the acrylic stands I have as it is more convenient and easy to pull out and put the brushes back. I also don't use this case for travel, because the little knob on the toggle deforms my brush when you fold it close. I prefer a brush roll when travelling, because it secures the brushes more than this kind of case. But, I love this case for another reason! I use it to dry my brushes! How? I just place them upside down to allow the water to drip! Similar to the use of the Sigma Dry n' Shape (I think so! haha). Although the Dry n' Shape is still on my wishlist. I have yet to prove my assumption when I get to purchase one already haha.

Pro's:

• Very affordable! The price of the set is actually worth it even for the buffing brush alone. 
• Versatile! I would love to call these the MacGyver brushes because you could use them in so many ways than the ones intended for it.
• Unlike other ferules of brushes, these ones are made of aluminum rather than wood. It's an advantage, since wood expands with water. When we wash our brushes with wooden ferules, it may cause permanent damage to our brushes. That's the reason why we try as much not to let water touch the ferules when cleaning.
• It is made of synthetic taklon bristles, which means no animal was harmed in the process of making these brushes.
• The taklon bristles also makes it dry up faster than the brushes with real animal hair.
• The white bristles on top makes it easier to see if the brushes are in need of cleaning already.

Con's:

• I have no qualms about these brushes except that it is not available locally except through online stores. I recently had a bad experience from an on-line store (they sold me fake Eco Tools brushes which I will blog about sometime soon), that explains why I am hesitant over buying on-line.

Will I repurchase?

I will in a heartbeat if I have extra money. The buffing brush and contour brush is worth a repurchase, especially if you are the kind who separates make up brushes for you clients and those for personal use.

Overall:

These are quality brushes that won't burn your pockets. I still could not believe how much it costs because of the quality it gives. I have always wanted to blog about this ever since I started The Beauty Geek, but the brushes never had the chance to rest for pictures as they currently are my go to brushes. Whenever it dries after cleaning, I use them right away. They were that essential to my make up routine. It goes to show that these are my favorite brushes.

And that's about the rest of it! It is getting a bit long and I think I am boring you out already. hehe. I hope this has been helpful if you are deciding whether or not you will purchase Real Techniques. I still have another set up for blogging and I might do it this week so keep posted!

Would love to hear a thing or two from you ladies! By the way, what do you think about my new way of posting pictures? Would you believe that they were just taken from my trusty phone? I learned something today from a fellow blogger Carla Samson about how to enhance pictures using a DIY light tent. Really amazing! Anyway that is it for now! Hope you enjoyed this post!

Love <3,

The Beauty Geek

Halloween VOTD: Cruella de Vil

VOTD : Villain of the Day!!! Because Halloween is just around the corner!!

I thought of doing Villain portrayals last night.. I hope I can post every day until Halloween. Wish me luck..and free time for that!

We will be having Cruella de Vil for tonight. She is a fictional character from "101 Dalmatians" and plays as the villain who keeps stealing the puppies for their fur.

I hope I give justice to the cartoon. Hehe please don't hate! :)) I originally intended to glue my eyebrows to make it easier to conceal. But I do not have a washable one at the moment. Since i am itching to do this make up look, i decided to continue without it. That explains the messy eyebrows. You will notice alot of improvised things here. I used my suesh brush as a cigarette, and wrapped my sweater because that's the closest I got in my closet that would give that Cruela look.

What I did for this one was just conceal and set my face with baby powder. I made sure to hide my eyebrows and made a higher arc - reaching my forehead. I did alot of contouring since Cruela has a prominent jaw line and pointy nose. For the lips, I simply lined it and swiped on deep red matte liptick.

Sale Alert: Loreal

I have been checking out the Base Magique Primer at the Loreal Counter near work for quite some time now. And because I kept coming back at the counter just to check and weigh down my options if this primer is really a good buy, I noticed this little sign.

Hooray!! All make up from Loreal will be discounted from Oct 20 -28! We have until Sunday ladies! Is this a sign that I should purchase the base magique now? I am nearly running out on my ellana primer anyway.

I found this at the Loreal counter at SM Department Store (Marikina). Go and check the ones near you!

Please hit a comment if this has been helpful. I really appreciate it! :)) I'd love to know your purchases too!

<3 Katrina

Haul: MAC, The Balm, e.l.f., NYX, etc.

Hello girls!! This is a very very late post, I know! I have been really really busy lately. Good thing my phone works wonders! Lately, I use it as a blogging device. I take pictures here (my phone) edit, and post via the blogspot application! Good for those who are always on the go!

Anyway, I just wanted to share with you girls my September haul. Hehe told you it was really late! These are just accumulated purchases. I haven't been buying make up lately because I am saving up for Make Up school and league fees for my favorite sport ---- Ultimate Frisbee. So here they are:

•MAC Studio Fix foundation (NC30) -P1700 (MAC kiosk at Eastwood)
•The Balm's Time Balm in medium - P750 (Beauty Bar)
•e.l.f. Stipple brush and Powder brush- P249.75 each (SM dept. Store)
•Andrea modlash adhesive "Lash Grip" - P195 (Beauty Bar)
•False Eyelashes -P300 @kayboodles instagram shop
•Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation in Warm Sand - around $7
•NYX Jumbo Pencil in Milk -P200 Pretty goddess booth in Trinoma Pop Culture
•24 pcs brush set -P990 Ensogo Deals

Well, that's about the rest of it. I really bought only the stuff I needed - or I think I needed.

I bought the Balm's time balm because I was looking for a concealer at MAC, unfortunately they didn't have the shade closest to my skin tone so I headed to Beauty Bar which is just beside the MAC kiosk. Luckily I found this gem!

I will be posting reviews later on! Let me know which one's you'd love to read about! ;D

Love,
Katrina <3

How to: Spot a Fake Coralista

Hi girls! Well, if you are wondering why I am writing this blog post, that is because (as much as I hate to admit it), I was fooled months ago into buying a fake benefit product. I was aware of  fake benefit make ups lurking around online stores and bazaars. That was why, when I bought my benetint I thoroughly checked the samples they had on this bazaar at Eastwood.

The samples they had were authentic! But I failed to check and inspect the exact product they gave me when I purchased. So when I went home, and I compared it to my old bottle, I was shocked to see that what I have with me was a fake one. Believe me, it feels awful! You were at the thought of saving up 600 pesos (I bought the benetint for 1200) only to realize that you spent more. Lugi! as what we Filipinos always say.

When I was at Divisoria, I found a store that was full of fake products. Mac, Bobbi Brown, Ecotools, Benefit, Urban Decay - and the list goes on. I purposely bought a fake Coralista Box O' Powder to blog and compare it to my old one which was bought from Sephora. I just don't like another 'girl-gets-fooled-into-buying-fake-makeup' incident. So I hope this blog entry would be a bit helpful to those who will purchase this coveted box o' powder.

 

 

FRONT PACKAGING:

I am sorry if my Coralitsa is a bit old and worn out. To help you more on comparing, here is benefit's site, directed to the Coralista blush: http://www.benefitcosmetics.com/product/view/coralista

Just by the texture of the cover, you would know if it is fake. The original has a matte texture, despite the little shimmer it gives when you move the box. The fake one on the other hand is more glossy. You would also notice bumps from glue when you run your fingers on it.

Check the font. On the lower left of the box, you will see that the original Coralista has a normal font on the 'benefit' written on it while the fake has a bold font. Below that should read '12.0 g Net. Wt. 0.42 oz' the fake one has a mispelled one saying '12.0 g Nef. Wf. 0.42 oz'. This may vary, but any mispelled label is a fake one.

Check the lettering of CORALista. Notice the 't' on it. The original has a pointed 't' while the fake one has a shorter tip on the upper part of the 't'. Also the sticker of the coralista looks more like a foil sticker and it hardly sticks on the box.

 

The edges of the original are more flat and sharp while the fake one is a bit cuved and irregular.

 

 

 

 

BACK PACKAGING:

 

Again, when you find any mispelled word, what you have is fake product. At the bottom, you will see 'PEEL HERE'. The original one can be peeled twice, and inside you'll see 17 different versions/ languages of the product content. The fake one that I have cannot be peeled completely, but I checked other's which can be peeled once, and they have chinese characters in it. If it is all written in chinese, that is one big sign that you have a fake one with you.  Beside the BARCODE you will see a 4 digit number in grey (left side) where as the fake does not have any. You would also notice that the first and last numbers of the barcode should fall right after the first and last lines below. The fake one is a bit far than the original one. On the last paragraph you will se the DISTRIBUTOR. London is underlined boldly on the original one and the site 'benefitcosmetics.com' is written in a smaller font and is bold as well.

 

 

SIDE PACKAGING:

 

The original Coralista has the colors, pink (salmon), black and a little bit of gold streaks. The fake on the other hand has less streaks and is in black and bright pink. You will also notice that the leaves on the original one is thinner on the fake and the color is in a lighter green as well.

 

 

 

SIDE (INNER) PACKAGING:

 

The leopard print (correct me if I am mistaken please, this looks like a leopard print to me hehe) is smaller, but fatter than the fake one. The colors are also more of a salmon pink, and this time it has orange 'streaks'. The fake one has orange on the sides of the leopard print only. Again the edges are symmetrical, flat and a bit sharp on the original. While on the fake one, you will see the sticker peeling out on the corners.

 

 

BRUSH:

 

This one is obvious. The HANDLES of the original Coralista is made out of wood, while the fake one is made of plastic. You will also see that the original is slightly longer than the fake one. While the fake one is already soft, it is still not as soft as the original brush. There is also shedding on the fake one even if it has not been washed yet.

 

 

 

 

BLUSH:

 

OOOPS!! I hit the pan with mine, sorry for the big hole. There you will see that the original has a more salmon tone of pink, it also has a bit of shimmer. While the fake has a baby pink color - not even close to being 'coral' as it should be.

 

 

 

SWATCHES:

 

The original is more pigmented and has a hint of shimmer when swiped as swatches. The fake on the other hand is more pink, and chalky.

 

 

This is how it looks like when blended. Not close enough right? Also, try smelling the product, because original benefit make up has a floral kind of scent with it. And the smell doesn't wear out. The fake smelled a bit musty at firt then it now smells like plastic.

 

 

BOTTOM LINE:

 

It's better if you buy from the store itself. Benefit opened a number of stores here in the Philippines. Back then, I was lazy to go to Makati to buy Benefit so I resorted in this Bazaar and got fooled by it. (Lessons learned for me!) Well, another good thing is, Benefit Philippines opened more branches and I found one near my area! HOORAY! If you are to buy online and on bazaars, make sure you purchase only to those you know and trust.

 

You will initially feel that you are saving alot when you buy fake products, but quality wise, you still loose in this part. Say, you bought a number of fake products, but since it is not of good quality, you hardly get to use them. The coralista that I have, obviously served me well, as I forgot that I had other blushes when I first used it. And who knows, that 500 peso you saved up from buying the fake one orignally costs 50 pesos on a factory some where in China.

 

The reason high end make up is expensive is that it goes through alot of quality control before being released in the market. They make sure that what you put on your face is safe. This is something you won't gurantee from fake products.

 

Okay this has been pretty long already. Hehe. I hope this has helped in any way. I appreciate your comments and if you like something to add up in this post, go lang! Stay smart ladies!

 

P.S. To the lady who fooled me into buying fake make up.. I believe in karma. =)

 

Love,

Katrina





 



Bollywood Make Up

Client: Lean Aliangan-Domingo

Face:
•Ellana Make it Last Primer
•Bobbi Brown Compact Foundation in Warm Beige
•Ever Bilena HD powder
•Smashbox concealer stick

Eyes:
•Purple and Brown matte eye shadows from BH cosmetics 120 color palette 1st edition
•Gold eyeshadow from Profusion shimmer palette
•Gel liner BH cosmetics
•Liquid Eye liner BH cosmetics
•Maybelline Hyper Curl Volum' Express mascara
•IN2IT waterproof eyebrow color
•Etude house drawing pencil 03

Cheeks:
•BH cosmetics contour Palette

Lips:
•Carmex lip balm
•NYX round lipstick in Indian Pink