Yes right? Finally, I'm reviewing the whole V-Face line of Maybelline which I showcased here.
Read on for swatches and thoughts.
Cue the "Oh I thought it was Benefit!"s and "You mean Hoola right?"s. This cute little boxed powder obviously blatantly mirroring the more high-end brand is not to be snubbed just because they're copying (a tonne of brands do this, high-end or drugstore...mostly drugstore).
This is a very nice little warm sun-kissed look in a box, a 10th (or 16th) of the price of the high-end version. Read on for more.
If you've seen my latest haul I got a few things from Shawill. I'm really happy about the fact that they have a lot of new products out most of which are eyeliners and blushers.
So I road-tested the Shawill Coloring Eyebrow and The Perfect Powder.
INITIAL IMPRESSIONS
The Perfect Powder is not as pigmented as the ELF blush and bronzer duo (reviewed here) but it is matte and cool toned, which is essential for creating shadows on your face. It's smooth but a little hard because when I swirl my brush there's little fall-out (great!) but the powders on the brush (stippling) aren't enough. I suggest using a densely packed one.
In terms of blending, it does so nicely. Because it's not super pigmented you can build up the color and not over-do it.
It comes in three colors (white-yellow, brown-orange and this cool brown) and all are matte. The compact feels secure, well-made and has a big mirror inside. It also looks very sleek and professional because of the black glossy finish with the white text on top. I haven't played with it for long but I think it's a pretty decent contouring powder and for Php 168 it really doesn't hurt to try it out.
It was really a surprise to find a cheap eyebrow pen readily available in malls. I know NYX and Korean brands have eyebrow pens too and sold at a relatively cheap price compared to the coveted K-palette eyebrow pen but this one is really cheap at ~Php 200. (I distinctly remember it not going over 200)
The Coloring Eyebrow Pen comes in two colors, light brown and gray brown, I believe I chose light brown as it was a more "believable" color that complemenented my somewhat pinkish-orange-red-blonde hair.
Using it was still new to me. I've only tried K-palette once and comparing the two, they feel pretty much the same. Both have the same brush tip but this one has a mechanism inside (a metal ball maybe?) to mix the liquid..
One time I used this I inadvertently over-drew my brows which I found was easy to do if you're not used to pen liquid brow products. So take it slow and use light feathery strokes to mimic hair when using something like this or else it will be very very obvious and not the good kind.
I also found that I have to lay it down in my storage or put the brush-tip down so the tip won't dry out.
All-in-all I'm pretty happy with these. I wish the contour was creamier and more pigmented but that's just me. I imagine that to be great with beginners though.
What do you think of these products? Have you tried any of them?
xx,
CJ
Other products worn:
- Maybelline The Rocket
- Nichido Satin lipstick
- Revlon Highlighter/Bronzer in Peach Glow
- LA Colors eyeshadow palette
- James Cooper blush duo
- PeriPera BB cream + Kate Tokyo base remaker
Let me break it down for you. No matter how much people claim ELF is the more affordable twin of NARS, no matter how much similar their packaging and layout is and no matter how much they're promoted as the "poor-man's" NARS, ELF will never be NARS or even a straight-up dupe of it.
ELF BRONZER DUO in TURKS AND CAICOS
A $30 formulation + extensive research does not equal a $3 one's. Let's be real here.
A $30 formulation + extensive research does not equal a $3 one's. Let's be real here.
...BUT this is good stuff. :)
I really like ELF's studio line bronzers. I've tried their all-matte one (Cool), which was what I was originally going to get but surprise! They don't carry it here in Manila. Huhu
Asian's like their shimmer, I ain't gonna lie, I like me some shimmer too but that all-matte (cool) one is a really great shade for me as a contour. If you get the chance, try it. For reference I'm a light-medium/medium yellow-olive. (MUFE 120 Soft Sand / 123 Desert / MAC NC25-NC30) . I put two shades since I can use either depending on how much sun exposure I get and mostly I jump between them. But I tend to go lighter since I'm acidic and bases oxidize 2-3 shades darker on me.
If you want to know what I think about this duo, read on.
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