From Manila with Love Blog: makeup

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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I love a ready-to-go, multi-purpose, sleek, and convenient catch-all for anything and everything—be it a skincare or household item.

And as it turns out, with the re-branding of Issy and Co. to just Issy, they released this 'purse-friendly' mini palette to cater to both casuals and make-up experts alike. So I snapped some shades up during a sale, along with the case, to try it out.

This (roughly) 4x2.5 inch palette can be specifically curated for the eyes or face with the multitude of pan combinations available. You can make a blush + shadow palette. An all-matte eyeshadow palette. Highlighter and contours only. Blush and bronzer. All glitter...etc. The list goes on.

The empty case retails for ₱299

The different pans you can combine :

Eyeshadows (₱149/single colour insert)

22 Mattes (shimmer-free)
4 Satins (pearlescent)
5 Foils (metallic)
3 Mirrors (glitter)

Blushers (₱249/single colour insert)

9 shades

Bronzers (₱249/single colour insert)

3 shades

Contours (₱199/single colour insert)

3 shades

Highlighters (₱199/single colour)

3 shades

If you don't want the fuss of making your own combinations, there are pre-curated palettes available for both eyes and cheeks!

I got a bronzer in Torch, blush in Rave, contour in Storm, and a highlighter in Blonde. As always the packaging is top-notch. With clear labels, text layout, and security measures all around. This designer is pleased.

While magnetic pans and DIY custom palettes with different inserts aren't new and groundbreaking, they're re-introduced to a newer generation of beauty lovers. These are distinctly branded to be marketed towards the on-the-go, tiny-bag toters, Y2K-esque, and androgynous base.

Makeup swatches

The powders differ slightly in texture but all remain soft to the touch - not creamy nor crumbly.

The payoff is pretty good. Not at all sheer nor overly pigmented. As Goldilocks said, just right.

Makeup swatches

Torch, the bronzer looks a little warm or red but that's to be expected. It was labeled as a neutral bronzer though but I think it needs a smidge more coolness to it.

Rave is a fun cool lilac on the cheeks. I'm happy it doesn't look off on my light-medium olive skin. I've been trying to experiment more with purple and lilac blushers for the past few months. The other one I've been trying is a cheek stick from Vice, their One & Done stick in Purpleism.

Storm is the perfect medium neutral contour on me. Period.

While Blonde is your typical frosty champagne, it blends well enough on me so the 'yellow' tint isn't obvious. It has fine glitters that you can't feel to the touch giving you a 'wet-look' glow.

All powders don't have any scent to them. And overall I'm enjoying everything. I can easily chuck this in my bag if I need to get ready in the car. Or as my travel palette for vacation.

Happy to report that it's a great addition to my dresser. Have you tried any of these? Which ones are you most likely to try?

xx,
CJ

Issy links

Instagram : www.instagram.com/issyandcompany/?hl=en
Shopee : shope.ee/1fqFubbCfH
Lazada : https://www.lazada.com.ph/shop/issy-company/?path=index.htm

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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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Well, mostly mask-proof. There will be a minuscule bit of transfer because hey, you eat and drink but compared to the glosses and soft-cloudy lippie textures that are the norm now, these are truly great without sucking the life out of your lips at the same time delivering great pigment.

Maybelline Superstay Matte Ink

One of the first few (second iteration) matte liquid lipsticks the beauty community had that stays all day even after eating and drinking without leaving your lips dry as the Sahara. When I say it stays all day- makeup wipes and cleansing/micellar waters can't remove this. The only way I've found to completely remove this was using lip balms or oil-based removers.

While I do find that it tends to transfer when I apply more than one coat on the lips or when I don't let it dry, it fares well throughout the day and night.

Tip : Only one coat and let it dry first!

I confidently go on about my day without me worrying if I smeared it all over my face after removing my mask (which has happened in the beginning of the Pandemic with other lip products). While it's not 'heavy on the lips' I wouldn't call this lightweight or like I'm wearing nothing at all. I do find that applying it like a tint and spreading with my fingers makes this lightweight though- still pigmented albeit muted.

Breakdown :

Affordable 349 (sale price around 199-249)
Smells like sweet vanilla cake (not cloying)
Non-drying
Dry/chapped lips? Use lip balm first, wipe off then apply a thin coat of this.
Pigmented and long lasting
Not cruelty-free

Maybelline Sensational Liquid Matte

Feather-like, smooth and extremely comfortable this liquidy matte finish lipstick still packs pigment however it does transfer even after letting it dry and blotting. So re-application after eating and/or drinking might be in the itinerary. The formula is quite similar to the Colourette matte tints with the whole oil mixed with pigment idea so be careful when handling this. Don't open/apply this upside-down because it will leak.

This tends to emphasize dry lips so my crusty and peeling lips need a thorough moisturisation if I want to use this. Even when it does transfer, the texture and comfortability has won me over. Masks be damned.

Breakdown :

Affordable 249 (sale price around 149-199)
Smells sweet
Matte finish and may emphasize dry lips
Pigmented
Last long on the lips but not exactly transfer-proof
Not cruelty-free

L'Oreal Paris Rouge Signature Matte Lip Tint

This thing STAINS YOUR LIPS until the next day. The texture is a creamy gel-like lip tint which makes it feel like you have nothing on your lips. This is my most reached for out of the all them in this post. I can apply a sheer tint but also full-on. I'm very tempted to get the rosier and nude colours because I enjoyed my experience with this. Unless I have a lipbalm under my lips that I didn't wipe off prior to application, this barely transfers on the mask.

It's easier to remove, micellar water and oil based cleansers work BUT it still leaves a stain. Like I said, long-lasting.

Breakdown :

Affordable 349 (sale price around 249-299)
Smells a little like a sharpie haha but not overwhelmingly so
Matte finish
Pigmented and extremely long-lasting
Comfortable and barely-there feeling
Not cruelty-free
The stain's lasting power may just be because this is a very vibrant colour- the nudes I'm not sure about

Some might think why wear lip products if you wear a mask all the time? Why not? It's for us anyway right? It's still the end of the world so let people enjoy things Stacy!!!

What are your mask-proof lippies? Do you still wear lipsticks despite the mask and/or transfer?

XX,

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Crayon type products have been in the beauty space for a while now (decades) and it's not some innovative thing especially if it's something for the lips or the eyes. With the most recent iteration by fast-growing local beauty empire Sunnies Face (Eye Crayon) let's actually shine a tiny light on the beauty fixture, tween-rebranded Careline.

These Kiss Sticks by Careline that are actually a the local answer to the ColourPop Lippie Stix -if I'm not mistaken.

Like I mentioned, in previous posts, old 'established' beauty brands are wanting, in the shade department. Most of these shades cannot work on darker skintones, medium skin has a tiny more option but as always, light to fair skin tones have the lion's share of suitable shades...anyway.

PINCH - Berry mauve

LUCID - Warm rosey-mauve

JUST BETTER - Beige pink-nude

These Kiss Sticks have been around for years now and I haven't written anything on them yet and despite these 3 shades being the only ones that I feel work on me, I'm quite pleased with them.

Priced at less than Php 200, these lippies fall into the cheap or rather, extremely affordable range. With the twist-up packaging and sharpener at the bottom of each stick, it feels reminiscent of school days - but not treading the juvenile category. It feels 'young' & 'hip' while not quite looking like a child's art supply.

As I've mentioned these 3 shades are the only ones I can confidently wear as an everyday lip look. I had two more shades that I wanted that would work, but they were almost always out of stock so I let it go.

Just better is something I do mix with other lippies in my stash -to lighten or do the 'blurred lip' look which it does well.

Lucid and Pinch, I just wear on their own most of the time. So you might ask, how well do they mix with other products?

These are very creamy. While not slippery and/or emollient, these blend out and glide on as well as can be. They aren't moisturizing at all nor do they tout that claim - so exfoliate, moisturize and stay hydrated because these emphasize your cracks, crevices, demons and dry lips.

The finish is your traditional creamy satin, not matte thankfully, but not full on glossy either.

Despite emphasizing my parched-mummy-lips to high heaven, I still reach for these from time to time because they're:

Fuss free - The narrow lip color makes for cleaner and nicer application compared to the standard lip bullets tubes. The sharpener at the bottom, keeps it nice and precise when you want it to.

Slim and sleek - The cap fits closely and has a satisfying snap on the body of the stick, so there's no chance of it drawing inside your makeup bag or purse. It doesn't take up much space, especially if the rest of your makeup kit contains 'stick'-like packaging as well (very schoolastic cute).

This doesn't have any particular scent or any additional fragrances like the usual vanilla or candy-like sweetness other lip products tend to have.

While I personally prefer soft creamy cloud-like matte formulas ala Sunnies Face lip dips and fluff mattes, these are something worth mentioning. It did got me thinking though, if Careline released this or reformulated this but with something similar to Sunnies fluff mattes texture....ooooh can you imagine? I would for sure check that out. I hope they do create it, but with more universally flattering shades across all skintones.

xx,

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Finally writing another review. I'm getting back to writing more on this blog, albeit extremely slowly. To start my foray back into the beauty world are BLK base products!

I confess, I'm a fan of BLK. After first trying out their Travels All-day Intense Matte Lipstick reviewed here, I decided to venture more into their brand which tout 'uncomplicated beauty' regarding their products. A very alluring tagline for makeup newbies and makeup aficionados alike.

blk All-day Matte Powder Foundation

Details (from blk website) :

Shade : Natural beige
Buildable medium to full coverage
Soft-matte finish
Skin-like/natural finish
Contains SPF 15 PA++, Vitamin E
Retails for PHP 399.00
Made in Taiwan

Ingredients: Talc,ÿmica (c.I 77019),ÿsilica,ÿzinc oxide (c.I. 77947),ÿnylon-12,ÿmagnesium stearate,ÿoctocrylene,ÿpetrolatum (cas# 801295-1),ÿpentaerythrityl tetraisostearate,ÿethylhexyl methoxycinnamate,ÿsilica dimethylsilylate,ÿcyclopentasiloxane (and) dimethiconol,ÿbutyl methoxydibenzoylmethane,ÿphenoxyethanol,ÿethylhexylglycerin,ÿtocopheryl acetate,ÿtitanium dioxide (c.I. 77891),ÿred iron oxide (c.I 77491),ÿyellow iron oxide (c.I 77492),ÿblack iron oxide (c.I 77499)

Thoughts :

Touching the powder itself- it feels fine and smooth. It's not dry or chalky and has the faintest smell of typical talc powders. It feels lightweight on the skin and the finish is quite natural. Application-wise, I typically use a fluffy brush and lightly apply this on top of my base whether that be sunscreen or on top of the blk skin tint. The result is a soft matte finish and yes, skin-like. I wouldn't say this is a powder foundation in the original sense of the word, this feel most like a typical pressed powder with sheer-light coverage. Something to set the makeup, keep the oil at bay or touch up with.

While I do like the texture and the small amount of coverage it gives, I have a tiny problem with the shades. This only comes in a whopping TWO shades. Light beige and this one. I would feel a little bit better if they release a translucent one and maybe 2 more shades that have an olive or yellow undertone. Because after a while, this leans a smidge orangey on me- which makes me look off. Which brings me to the their other product...

blk Skintint Sun Shield Spf 30 in Vanilla

Details (from blk website) :

Fresh coverage and finish
Light buildable to full (wow)
SPF 30 (UVA/UVB)
Retails for PHP 499.00
Made in Taiwan

INGREDIENTS: Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimenthicone, Titanium Dioxide, Silica, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Isotridecyl Isononanoate, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, PEG-10 Dimenthicone, Cetyl PEG Dimethicone, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Sodium Chloride, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Cetyl Phosphate, Parfum. May contain (+/-) CI 77891, CI 77492, CI 77491, CI 77499

Thoughts :

No this can't be made to full coverage no matter how much you put on, just needed to get that one out there. It does look skin-like and natural but at most it can be built up to a semi-medium (if you push it) without sacrificing the nice natural finish it gives.

Right off the bat, I like the runny texture. It gives you the idea that 'I am just a tint with some moisture nothing more' and I love it. On the skin it feels like an emollient moisturizer but not heavy or extremely tacky. It's not a matte finish, more of a slightly dewy natural one. The component (tube) is something I like as well, as it provides a more precise dispensing of product. And the bottle is small and sleek (everything from this whole line looks perfection btw love the 'neutral/skin' minimalist packaging) making it an easy addition to any a makeup kit/area.

Here comes my beef... the shades. The skintints come in 4 shades, a welcome change from the previous 2 shade powder foundation mentioned above. Not a big selection but 4 shades is way better than 2. Now as I've mentioned, I quite like the texture and finish on my dry skin but the lightest shade is the only one I can seemingly work with and it's not even the closest match to my undertone by a long shot.

I feel like their darkest, Chestnut would work better in terms of undertone, but it's just too dark on me when I tested on the counter. So I decided on Vanilla, despite being obviously pink-beige. I felt like this is easier to work on as it is only a 'tint'. The undertone is prominent with being as light coverage as it is. I find that most of the shades in the skin tint are prominently red/pink in their shade. ----WHY IS THAT. I'm not saying no one in the Philippines has that undertone, but why not release some more extra shades that are more blue/green, heck I'll take a yellow undertone over this pink.

And this is why I like Vice cosmetics better in terms of shades. They have a wider array than most locally available cosmetics brands with most of them being yellow and/or golden in undertone. While I don't particularly like their extreme oxidation on me (turns at least 2 shades darker) I applaud the idea behind the release of more than the 'standard' 4 shades from the get-go.

I really really like these two products -don't get me wrong. The price-point is very fair. They're cruelty-free! The packaging looks good. The components of the products are sturdy. I love their matte lipstick formula. Their philosophy is nice...

but the shades. Man the shades. I think they have to work on that. They have to release more colours for warm and olive skinned individuals and really make their products uncomplicated. Because if I have to use extra products to counter the mismatch of shades, then how uncomplicated is it really?

xx,

PS. I've also tried their original brow pencil and it's ok. I like that it's not too waxy or creamy (I also have a problem with the shades) but the actual texture is ok. So far I'm also loving their multi-tasking stick. I'm also testing out their creamy all over paint and liquid highlight - thoughts (maybe) soon on IG (@manilawithlove).

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Traveling with make-up can be a little more stressful than it needs to be especially for the makeup lover. There's the issue of the liquid bases and huge canisters eyeshadow and powder. Not to mention the many lippie choices you have to consider for day-to-day, depending on the finish and itinerary, how it doesn't clash with your outfits or when you're so spoilt for choice but can only bring at most 2 lippies etc etc etc.

Made for the wanderer and jetsetter in mind, these mini (and when I say mini I mean the bullet is about 2 inches in height the product inside even less) lipsticks are the quick and easy companion of people who need options when they're traveling and don't add up on the airport scale.

Ingredient list

The names are must-visit locations of every traveler.

Isn't the packaging beyond adorable? From the box to the tubes themselves - this collection feels very well thought-out. I do appreciate the matte lego aesthetic and the animal icons on each tube it can come across to some as a little juvenile given the packaging and how mini this is (about 2 inches in height).

The blk travels set retails for P1,499 with eight creamy matte shades to choose from. Why all the animal icons? It's because the set donates a portion of the sales to the WWF or World Wildlife Fund .(If you haven't tried their lippies, isn't that a good incentive to try them? lol)

These particular lipsticks are made in Taiwan while I believe makeup in their other collections are made in Korea. All their products are cruelty-free and PETA approved.

On to the swatches :

These lipsticks were released in a set way back, around this time last 2018 I believe. Hence the 'holiday' main box packaging. I might've switched the labels of the hand swatches. Sorry!

LA and Paris are shades I'm lukewarm about. They work when I have a specific look in mind, but I prefer them more as washes or tint rather than full on color on the lips.

*Colour on photo shown is London*

Application-wise there's full color with one swipe but full opaqueness can be achieved with two full swipes.

*Colour on photo shown is New York*

LONDON and DUBAI are my most favorite shades out of everything. Majority of the reason being that they're nudes and they're so flattering.

*Colour on photo is wrong. From left to right (new york and london)*

Hongkong is the perfect blue-based deep red on me. It's perfect.

The texture and consistency for most if not all the lipsticks are the same : matte and creamy but not soft. The finish is definitely matte and it's creamy enough to apply without heavy dragging but not easily meltable(?) There's some stability to the formula. Don't expect kiss/budge-proof as these do transfer but I find that they leave a slight stain on the lips as it fades throughout the day.

As for how it feels on my dry lips, sufficient prep is needed as these are matte. The small size offers a little more precision than the usual normal sized tube and you can easily finish a tube in a couple of months before it even expires - so that should boost your hitting-pan lemmings. Some of the shades might not work for the darkest of skintones, I think these are perfect for fair to medium-tanned skin, anyone darker some shades would look ashy or too odd.

Try this if you want an introduction to the blk matte lippie formula or you're the type to bring more than two lippies whenever you travel or you just want to finally finish a tube before it even comes close to expiring.

As for me, I like its size and the different shades and the fact that it answers my particular quirk when bringing lippies with me. I personally would like at least two universally flattering options for when I travel. So this set is a cute little addition to my travel makeup bag.

Have you tried any lispticks from blk or any other makeup? What else is good with the brand?

xx,
CJ

PS. Thanks to my beau for gifting me these. I personally love the story more of how confused you were when you got these though. The lipsticks are just a sweet bonus. :P

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