From Manila with Love Blog: ever bilena

I'm obsessed with these. And not the typical online beauty influencer obsesssed. I actually really like these and reach for them regularly.

Local love Ever Bilena, released these Pillow Pop liquid blushes last year and I'm late, but y'all I'm so impressed.👏

These liquid blushes tout hyaluronic acid and vitamin e as their main 'sell' that gives a 'dewy' glow. But I find that the finish is quite skin-like, if not matte. I don't see anything particularly 'dewy' about the finish but that's not what I came for anyway. Most dewy liquid blushes I've tried lately are on the verge of sticky and in this pantropiko heat, that's a no-no. 🙅‍♂️Who wants their hair to stick to their face and leave streaks of blush in their wake? Not I.

Pigmented, buildable and non-sticky, the Pillow Pop [I love saying that] blushes come in minimalist frosted screw-top component that have a whopping 15 grams in them. And for P275, it's giving she's pretty and wa-is.

The bang for the buck definitely won me over. That and the chonky-ass applicator.

The consitency is similar to gel-lip tints and which is why I apply these on my lipst too for a more cohesive look. Or if I'm lazy and pressed for time. It glides and blends out nicely on my dry skin. Be careful though and apply in dots, it can get out-of-hand fast.

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My favourite way to apply is using damp sponges but fingers and brushes work fine as well.

When I tell you this lasts the whole day. From 8AM to 6PM it's still as vibrant as when I first applied it. This has got to be my most recet favourite thing from Ever Bilena since...forever I think.

Fresno is a warm sienna. Rouge is a vibrant hot pink.

Have you tried this? Will you? What are your thoughts on 'dewy' liquid blushes that are really sticky? I personally loathe them. Because why???

xx,

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Have I mentioned these perform too? Read on to for my thoughts on this ₱120-150 local brand lip liners. If you're into lipsticks you might think you don't need a lipliner, but it really makes a difference.

Swear.

I discovered the power of lipliners when I was trying to do the 'overlined pouty lip' to make it a little more plumper and yes over-all bigger.

ever bilena lip liner close up with names

Keyword here is trying to do. Over time though I learned the trick for my particular lip shape and size. I only need to very slightly overline, like barely out of my lip line in order for my lips to look a little poutier.

To start with I don't have thin lips. My lips are quite rounded already and I would say average sized. So when I over-line a little it looks like I put lip plumpers because...DSLs. Period.

arm skin swatch of the ever bilena lip liners

EB Matte liner and Kris Matte Lip Liners

Packaging : Twist up. No sharpener included.

Texture : Creamy and soft but not brittle.

Scent : No fragrance or very faint if any.

Pay-off : Pigmented. As you can see below.

Finish : Matte but not drying/powdery.

Lasting-power : On i's own, lasting power is average after light eating and drinking. There's still color on the lipline going inside and there's still color over-all but quite faded.

In terms of its reaction to my dry lips, it doesn't moisturize or make it soft nor do I expect it to. I wouldn't say it dries it out. As the packaging says, it's a matte lip liner and I agree. It's quite a natural matte finish on me. I do recommend you to always exfoliate before any traditional matte bullets.

For this product, I think it would look better if your lips were moisturized, but the most prep I would do in general is slather on a thick lipbalm.

I've used this in conjunction with my BLK matte lippies and with my Sunnies Face Fluffmatte bullets and they work seamlessly together. These perform well at their price point and I don't think I'd want to explore anything else, because these work perfectly already.

Let me know if you've tried these and how you like it. What other cheap lip products do you like?

xx,

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Following my previous liquid lipstick review here , I'm coming at you with another liquid lipstick review. This time from Ever Bilena.

If you're a beauty lover you'd probably have or have owned an EB Matte Lipstick at least once. You know those OG squarish black-tubed lipsticks that smelled like wax (and sort-of like 'old lady' makeup) from their main line. They were truly matte and CHEAP.

I had one in Mauvey and well...Mauvey. I felt like that was the safest 'blind-buy' colour before, but that was before my obsession with deep dark wine, reds, warm nudes and roses came in to play.

So take that well beloved OG lipstick and put them in the preferred formula today( liquid format) ét voila. We have the EB Liquid Matte Lipsticks.

Read on for my thoughts and swatches about this DELICIOUS smelling, LIGHT-as-a-feather and SUPERBLY pigmented liquid lipstick.

Here it is dried down. The colour dried-down has darkened very slightly.

I purchased five colours that I know would work well for me and that I can actually wear on more than one occasion.

Bare lips.

Packaging | Consistency | Application

Right off the bat, I like that it's just a simple clear tube so you can see the inside and the standard doe-foot applicator. Having tags of the shade on the top of the tube as well as the bottom is a great touch.

As you open the tube you do get a whiff of something sweet but not overpoweringly so. Something like cupcakes? Pulling the wand you can immediately tell it's very liquid-ey. As such the application is smooth and tug-free leaving an even application of colour. Some colours like the Vamp Red, need at least two swipes to make the colour on your lips even. Matte lovers rejoice because this dries to a powdery matte finish that's transfer-proof.

Sexy Nude a peachy salmon colour.

Siennas as an warm light orangey brick.

Wear time | Formula

If you wet your lips with water (anything non oily) it does get slightly tacky and very slightly separates. I've noticed that while using Careline's formula as well. But it didn't crumble and my lips didn't look like the Sahara desert. It was still comfortable enough for me to wear all throughout the day.

Plus I didn't have to worry about it bleeding, moving around and crumbling like I have colored polvoron on my lips.

Toast of New York a warm milk chocolate with red tones.

Vamp Red - A cool-toned red.

Price : 195
Net Weight : 5. 5ML

Ingredients : Isododecane, Hydrogenated styrene/isoprene copolymer, talc, ,trimethylsiloxysilicate, phenoxyethanol, ethylhexyglycerin, fragrance, may contain tintanium dioxide, red iron oxide, yellow iron oxide, black iron oxide, d&c red 6, d&c red 7, fd&c blue 1

Dusk is a deep dark red with purple tones.

Once dry it's quite a challenge to remove. So you have to use oil-based removers. I used Simple's Micellar water (not oil based) and had to rub hard multiple times for it to come off. The good news is that they won't transfer (unless you eat or put on something oily).

I noticed that since the consistency reminds me of Colourpop Satin Lips and some of the shades from EB are from the same colour family I decided to put them side by side for comparison. (Plus Careline's Gotta Go)

Siennas, Sexy Nude and Echo Park are close to each other. Sexy Nude is lighter and more pink, Echo Park is darker with more brown in it, Siennas is darker then Sexy Nude and has more red.

Final thoughts?

Great buy. For 195? Absolutely get your 'everyday' and 'for special occasions' shades. Great job EB!
Have you tried any of these? Would you want to try them? Let me know!

xx,
CJ

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pinkies_collection_bark_callalily_secret_key_lip_tint_pack_revlon_matte_balm_essence_lip_gloss_EB_Ever_Bilena_Liquid_lipstick_Maybelline_Lip_polish_glam6_haul_1

For the latter part of 2015, I dare say I've accumulated a few new lip things. This isn't counting the already sizeable lip "things" I currently own. But let's just focus on these fairly recent ones. Besides I haven't done a makeup haul post in a while.

Most were bought but two in particular were given as gifts by family (EB Advance Liquid Lipstick and Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm). Here's a run-down with the prices.

Pinkies Collection in Calalily and Bark - Php 169 (Price is currently Php 199)
Secret Key Chubby Jelly Tint Pack in Plum Purple - Php 300
EB Advance Liquid Lipstick in Soft Lace - Php 180
Maybelline Lip Polish in Glam 6 - Php 150 (Sale)
Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in Sultry - around Php 287 (Sale)
Essence XXL Shine Lipgloss in Nude Candy and Wood of Roses - Php 50 each (YES)

You know how enabling instagram is. With the perfectly arranged outfit, lunch, motd or ootd it can both be inspirational and envy-inducing. Especially with makeup, at least for me. I got these Pinkies Collections Matte Lipsticks after I've seen a few pictures of it online. I have swatched a few in person way before I saw the pictures, but turned the other cheek as I deemed it too drying or too unwearable. That is until someone posted Bark. Next thing I knew I was at the counter with said colour and another in tow—Calalily. Both are "natural" "nude" colours. Bark is a deep mauvey-old-rose kind of shade while Calalily is a light pinky light-nude beige—perfect for dark dramatic looks.

As for the Maybelline Lip Polish (Or Colour Elixir depending on the country) they were having a 50% off and Php 100 off sale on a lot of their items so being the opportunistic little ~~twit~~ beauty enthusiast that I was, I grabbed a shade that really "spoke" to me. I just wanted to try out the texture and Glam 6, a seemingly creamy (non-glitter) deep purple shade was something a little more unique in my eyes. That and there weren't a lot of choices at the time. Touted as the first of its kind, this liquid lipstick+balm+gloss hybrid is smooth, moisturizing and pigmented. It's a pretty and shiny non-sticky lip gloss for non-lipgloss wearers (me).

I asked my sister to buy me the Revlon Matte Balm in Sultry as my advanced Christmas gift a few months before December. It was on sale for half off and I've wanted to try it for the longest time. I settled for one of the three shades available because these were flying off the shelves. Apparently our Revlon here hasn't been that generous (huge discounts) in a long time. Sultry is a deep old-rose shade a tad similar to bark (I'll be investigating this soon). A little mauvey but on my lips pulls a little more brick red. It's still pretty and moisturizing despite the matte part in the name. It's so weird using something dubbed as a matte balm, but it does feel really comfortable. Not at all drying. Glides on smoothly and really delivers on pigment akin to a matte lipstick. Good job me.

Same story as the Maybelline Lip Polish, I got suckered in by Essence Cosmetic's half-off sale and settled on Nude Candy and Wood of Roses. I figured if they were too sheer I can always put them on top of my lipsticks to alter the colour. Surprisingly these pack quite the pigment. It's not as sheer as I thought especially Wood of Roses—a slightly reddish brown with multi-coloured shimmers. Also it's not as sticky as I thought. Like the Lip Polishes, these are very comfortable to wear. As you can see there are glitters but they aren't chunky nor do they look "kiddy", you know like play makeup? It also has a scent that reminds me strongly of Fruit Loops (a little "kiddy" but who cares).

I learned that Nude Candy, the creamy baby nude pink with silver shimmers, is a good dupe for Nars' Turkish Delight lip-gloss.

If you remember my post about the Korean gimick that is the lip tint packs/masks, you'd know that while I was intrigued I was also perplexed. So I got one to try out. Ssssh it's for SCIENCE.

I think it's a little pricey considering you need to use a thick application each time but it stays true to the lip tint claim. The gimick lasted until after the first try then I realized I'd rather use a regular lip tint than wait for this to dry and peel costing me precious minutes. Minutes I could be using to eat.

I'm still testing these out but I'll definitely be posting reviews about most of them. What do you want reviewed first? Let me know!

xx,
CJ

PS. Maybelline only had the sale until Dec 31, 2015. Revlon isn't on sale anymore :(. Essence might have a few things still on sale but I wouldn't bet on it.

UPDATE :
Review of the Pinkies Collection Matte Lipsticks and lip pencil here.
Review of the lip glosses here.

These are just one of the times I'm thankful I have a sister close to my age instead of a brother or my ever coveted fantasy of a "cool older brother who could beat up bullies or exes in a jiffy". We understand each other and by that sense I mean skin care and make-up kind of understanding.

I didn't buy SQUAT in this latest haul of mine and I'm so giddy and super excited because I really love all of "my" purchases.

Let me tell you a little bit about these brands. Ever Bilena and Fanny Serrano are just a couple of household names when it comes to local makeup products that are tried, tested and very much loved.

Despite those facts I've never tried anything from their respective lines, powder and foundation-wise {except a lip and cheek tint from Ever Bilena that I didn't care much for because its smell turned rancid while I was using it; it has the doe-foot applicator and THIS dip eyeliner a.k.a waste of freaking space.} because the smell from the products, the powders especially, turned me off so much when I was younger.

I always attributed that smell to old ladies and grandmas, so you can imagine my aversion to them. Plus I didn't want to experiment with my own face, with it being super sensitive, oily and adding the rosacea I have, which adds to the ingredient-sensitivity of my "princess skin" I wasn't that game to just trying whatever. Ugh aren't I the lucky one?

The two palettes in comparison.

First off, I really like the packaging. The quad is housed in a sleek glossy plastic case. Not completely black as there's some blue or violet in it. The logo stamped on the top is in classy script, very simple and elegant. The manufacturing date is also printed on the box as well as at the back part of the quad itself, which I commend. The lock mechanism is also well made and not flimsy at all. This actually reminds me of the Chanel Les Fleurs Summer shadows.

The four colors are bright crayon green, golden yellow, deep purple and this gorgeous forest green shade that's my favorite out of the palette. It also comes with two sponge-tip applicators, which aren't considered sponges at all in my opinion. They're, tougher, sturdier, smooth as well. I guess they're comparable to insoles of most shoes, more specifically the jelly-like middle between the two cloth-like strips. That's the best I could do to describe them hahaha.

Swatches on some linen paper.

The consistency is smooth, not buttery smooth per-se but not powdery or chalky either. They're actually kind of hard in my opinion, as opposed to this duo. Fall-outs are minimal and has good pigmentation as you can see. It also applies really well and blending them is non-problematic.

Swatches on my arm with some home-made primer.

All of the shades has some tiny glitters in them that are a combination of gold and pink, as far as I can see. Not overly glittery, and definitely not metallic. But blended out, especially the dark green and deep purple, you can barely see the glitters.

It retails for around 400+ Php but I got it for 150 Php (around $4) at SM Megamall because they were re-stocking I think?

Next up is my new favorite waterproof pen-type black liquid liner. And when I say waterproof, I really mean it.

I tried removing it with soap and water, olive oil, wipes, oil-based makeup remover and gentle toner, all in that order {I repeated some steps as well and I still had some bits of eyeliner on} . I was wowed and annoyed at the same time. Now I have to get myself a proper waterproof makeup remover. {Any recommendations?}

On another note, I'm completely singing a different tune when it comes to this product unlike here. I like everything about it. It has the typical inky liquid liner smell and inconsequential in my book since it isn't that strong and goes away quickly enough. It dries pretty fast. The felt-tip is precise, not too hard nor flimsy and opacity of the ink is just ♥.

It retails for around 200 Php (around $5)

UPDATE 10-19-2013 : It smudges on me now. I think the formula tends to break-down after a while. :( New liquid liner suggestions please!

Next up is the Ever Bilena Powder Foundation with UV/UVB protection in Soft Beige.

The packaging is simple and professional like the Fanny Serrano quad I mentioned. The compact is black with a matte finish and logo stamped on top. Nothing fancy like the Fanny Serrano but this one's cheaply stamped, you can see it's fading already and with a couple more uses it will be completely erased. Too bad. The lock mechanism is ok, not as sturdy as the Fanny Serrano quad but I don't think it's going to be breaking too soon.

It has a good amount of product since it's 11 grams, with a mirror and sponge included at the bottom compartment. The sponge isn't bad either, not the cheap kind that're stiff, this one's pretty soft.

The scent is very powdery, like sweet milk candy tablets. To those who have an issue with scented make-up this might not be your cup of tea, as the scent lingers on the skin. The consistency is very smooth and soft and applies really well on my oily-combination skin. I use a big fluffy brush to apply this for a lighter coverage but you can still use the sponge that's included for a more opaque application.

The color Soft Beige, which has a yellow undertone is also a good match for me and blends well on my skin.

The color range caters to most skin tones and the powders have either a yellow undertone or pink-beige undertone. But unfortunately they don't have {in this foundation line}, anything for tanner and more deeply colored skin.

This compact retails for around 300 Php (around $8)

UPDATE 10-19-2013 : The powder cracks and crumbles when you've hit pan. And by hit pan I mean, leave a big gaping hole. This is still an OK powder in my book but I noticed the lock mechanism became loose after so much use, still locks but not sturdy like before.

That's it for this post! I'm going to be looking at all the other products that they have since I've been thoroughly impressed with these. All-in-all I'd say they're definitely worth checking out.

As you can see, they're a bit pricier than Drugstore make-up in the U.S. , especially the powder foundation. I believe you can get the same consistency, quality and pay-off for a lot less with brands like L'oreal, Maybelline, Jordana and Wet n' Wild just to name a few.

Have you tried anything else from these two brands? I heard the FS powder foundations are really really good as well as the EB concealers.

xx,

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