Review: Holika Holika Waterdrop Tint Stick in 01 Waterdrop Cherry

Identifying Information Product name: Holika Holika Waterdrop Tint Stick in 01 Waterdrop Cherry Price: PhP 435.00 (I got it at 20% off so I only paid PhP 348.00) Description: Water-based formula provides melting application on lips with cool texture. Provides non-sticky, clear, vivid and bright color on lips. (Korea Department Store website) Product Origin: Korea Where I bought it: SM Megamall Department Store History: I got this about two weeks ago. I dropped by the department store to go look at another brand's lip tint but it was out of stock so I went to Holika Holika and swatched some of their stuff on my hand. Lip products are my weakness so, yeah, I ended up getting this. :)) 
Physical Examination:

Review: 3W Clinic Natural Make-up Powder in 21 Light Beige and 23 Natural Beige

Identifying Information
Product name: 3W Clinic Professional Natural Make-up Powder in 21 Light Beige and 23 Natural Beige, 30g Price: PhP 265.00 + shipping fee Description: "Mixed with transparent white powder and fine porous silica multi coating powder. Excellent blooming effect without shine creates bright complexion. Silky touch remains moisturizing feeling without flakes for hours." (from Korea Department Store) Product Origin: Korea Where I bought it: www.kkochipida.com History: I got this during the first week of June 2015 and I've been using it regularly as a setting powder since then. In all of the selfies/selcas I've posted on my blog since July 2015 with make-up on, I have this powder on my face. :)
Physical Examination:

Review: Holika Holika Aqua Petit Jelly BB in 02 Aqua Neutral

Identifying Information Product name: Holika Holika Aqua Petit Jelly BB SPF 20 PA++ in 02 Aqua Neutral, 40mL Price: PhP 625.00 + shipping fee; in Holika Holika shops this retails for PhP 755.00 Description: "Jelly BB makes moist and bouncy jelly skin. Has jelly texture that helps spread evenly and creates fully hydrated and shiny skin. It is also perfect for covering up facial blemishes. Mint water hydrates facial skin, and marine jelly complex makes soft and bouncy skin." Product Origin: Korea Where I bought it: www.kkochipida.com History: I've had this for about a month now and I've been using it regularly since I got it. Prior to ordering this I read a lot of reviews as usual so I was pretty excited when it arrived! 
Physical Examination:

Review: Peripera Peri's Tint Marker in Orange Stain and Pink Stain

Identifying Information Product name: Peripera Peri's Tint Marker in No. 2 Orange Stain and No. 3 Pink Stain, 4mL Price: PhP 295.00 + shipping fee Description: "Fresh absorption for bright looking lips. Long lasting waterproof type. Hot, vivid color." (taken from Korea Department Store) Photo from Peripera Malaysia Facebook page:

Product Origin: Korea Where I bought it: www.kkochipida.com - My favorite online make-up shop!!! History: I saw this lip tint on several Instagram posts by online shops and I got curious about it because it looked so pigmented. I own a tint marker from The Face Shop but I don't like it that much so when I saw that Kkochipida had this Peripera one in stock for a really affordable price, I did not hesitate to order! Other shops sell these tint markers for about 400-700pesos each. O__O I've had these two tint markers for almost 2 weeks now. 
Physical Examination:

 

Review: Missha The Style Beautiful Tint in Moisture Red

Identifying Information Product name: Missha The Style Beautiful Tint in Moisture Red  Price: PhP 599.00 Description: "Give your lips both moisture and color with this Beautiful Tint Gloss. The soft brush tip makes it easy to apply. The ingredient, Xylitol, gives your lips a cool and refreshing feeling. Choose from different colors to express your look of the day, whether that may be lovely, casual, or elegant." (taken from Missha US website) Product Origin: Korea Where I bought it: Missha, SM Center Pasig (Formerly known as SM Supercenter Pasig; I usually just call it SM Hypermarket though. Guess I was calling it wrong the whole time hahaha. >.<) History: This Missha lip tint was one of the lip products included in the video of Meejmuse (Jen Kim) entitled Must-Have Holy Grail Korean Products. I wanted to link the video here but unfortunately it was taken down by YouTube for reasons I don't really know. Jen reuploaded the video so here it is. I passed by Missha during one of my regular trips to SM Center with my boyfriend to check if they had it and they did so I immediately bought it. Aaahh, watching YouTube videos and reading blog reviews make me want a lot of makeup products! Anyway, I've had this for several months now and though I don't use it regularly (because I have numerous lip products waaahh), I do like it! 
Physical Examination: 

Review: Laneige BB Cushion Pore Control

Identifying Information Product name: Laneige BB Cushion Pore Control in No. 21 Natural Beige, 15g Price: PhP 1,950.00  Description: "New concept Cushion BB for Pore Control + Pore Coverage + Semi-matt Finish + Water resistant + Long lasting + Sunscreen + Cooling Effect" Here's a photo containing the description, claims, shades and instructions for use of this BB cushion. I'm placing it here since it's a lot easier to read/look at. ;)
Photo taken from the Laneige Malaysia website:

Product Origin: South Korea Where I bought it: Laneige, SM Megamall History: I purchased this for my birthday last November 2014. I have since finished up the original BB cushion in the case and I've put in the refill. I believe there's roughly about 30-40% left in it at present.

Review: Nature Republic Botanical Green Tea Fresh BB Cream

*Edited to include swatches of both 21 Bright Skin and 23 Natural Skin

The product: Nature Republic Botanical Green Tea Fresh BB Cream in 23 Natural Skin 30mL

Price: PhP 680.00
Where I bought it: Nature Republic, 4th floor, Atrium, SM Megamall

Rating: 10/10

Pertinent positive/s:

• The cream is lightweight. It is not sticky at all.
• Easy to blend with fingers
• Perfect for summer or for extremely warm and humid days!
• Has a matte finish but it doesn't feel drying on the skin
• Very good oil control
• Does not end up being cakey
• Natural, buildable coverage
• Sleek packaging
• Pump works well
• Has SPF 30 PA++
• Mild, non-irritating scent (It did not trigger my allergic rhinitis!) which goes away after application
• No adverse reactions caused on my skin: no breakouts, no allergies, no redness, no irritation
• Great value for money!!!

Pertinent negative/s:

• Comes in only 2 shades, 21 (Bright Skin) and 23 (Natural Skin)

Review: Clio Professional Gelpresso Waterproof Pencil Gel Liner

Updated on April 28, 2013^^

The product: Clio Professional Gelpresso Waterproof Pencil Gel Liner in Metallic Silver No. 6 Price: Around 10-12,000 won (400-480 PhP); This is available here in the Philippines for 475PhP!  Where I bought it: Artbox, Anyang, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea Rating: 10/10 (+):

• Has a smooth and creamy texture which glides easily on my eyelid
• Smudge-proof and waterproof 
• Lasts all day
• It's an automatic eyeliner which means it has a twist mechanism to reveal more of the "lead"
• Has a built-in sharpener at the bottom
• Cap fits the pencil liner perfectly--the eyeliner is well-protected
• Comes in a box which has a description of the product (sadly I lost the box already; it has been almost a year since I purchased this)
• Did not cause any allergic reaction or irritation

(-):

• Since it has a creamy texture, it can break easily if you bring out too much of the "lead" while sharpening or using it. Aside from that, I don't have anything negative to say about this eyeliner. I love it! ♥

REVIEW: Top 5 Products for 2011

Good day~

It's the last day of the year and with that in mind I thought of coming up with a list of products that I've loved this 2011. I read similar entries from other bloggers and here I am joining the bandwagon. I'm hoping that I don't make this into a very long blog entry and bore you though. ;)
To make up for the lack of blog entries, I will be typing a short review for these five products!
Now I present to you SUNSETGLOWLOVE's TOP 5 Products for 2011:

(L-R) Maybelline the MAGNUM volum' express super film mascara, HANSKIN Super Light Touch BB cream, Tony Moly Expert Triple BB Cream, Maybelline Baby Lips lip balm, Tonymoly Luminous Sheer Powder

5 product reviews and lots of pictures ahead!

REVIEW: Dr. Jart Rejuvenating Blemish Base Silver Label

Click on the photos to enlarge them.

The product: Dr. Jart Rejuvenating Blemish Base Silver Label
Price: 740pesos (~US$16-17) for the 15mL tube Rating: 9/10 Where I bought it: SM Megamall Department Store Bldg. B (+): Blends well with my skin tone, easy to blend, has SPF 35/PA++, has whitening properties, controls oil well, has medium to full coverage (I could skip concealer with this actually), lasts long on the skin, no allergic reactions (-): Quite expensive compared to other BB creams available locally; smells like foundation while in the tube but this isn't really a bother, smell goes away immediately after blending; only one shade available

Blended, no flash

Blended, no flash

Blended, with flash

Before I discuss this product further, I'd like first to explain what BB cream is. From what I've read online, BB creams (blemish balm or in this case blemish base) were formulated in Germany for the use of post-laser surgery patients as cover-up treatment. Some sources say that South Korean actresses who have undergone laser surgery used it and the cosmetic companies caught on and developed it into a makeup product. BB creams are multi-functional products. They are marketed to have whitening, anti-aging/anti-wrinkling, and anti-acne properties. They are thought to be an all-in-one product--moisturizer, sunblock and foundation in one. BB creams are also touted as being healthier than foundations--skincare + makeup in a single product.

This Dr. Jart BB cream is the most expensive BB cream I've used to date but from all that I've used, this is truly my favorite. It gives medium to full coverage that's enough for me to actually skip using concealers, even on my dark undereye areas. But the thing is though, because my undereye areas are notoriously dark, I still use a bit of concealer on them. If I choose to just use this BB cream though, I think I'd look decent enough still. :)

I can't say exactly whether this has a pinkish or yellowish undertone for sure, but it does blend very well on my skin. Please just refer to the photos I've posted. Sorry for this. :s

I used this instead of foundation when some of my batchmates and I went to an amusement park (Enchanted Kingdom) during our semestral break. I only topped it with a light dusting of In2It powder foundation and my favorite Etude House Precious Mineral BB compact. I applied waterproof eyeliner and mascara and I was good to go! It lasted me the whole day despite getting very sweaty because of the extreme heat and getting wet because of the water rides! Is there a tougher test for a makeup than wearing it to the amusement park? There's is none that I can think of, hahaha.

It did control my oil well but I still had to blot nonetheless. What I liked about it is that it didn't clump on the sides of my nose and other parts of my face even when my skin got oily. That deserves two thumbs up from me! ^__^

I didn't experience any breakouts immediately after using this. I'm not sure how it fares on prolonged usage though (like more than a week of continuous usage) because I usually interchange the products that I use. Also when I'm too lazy to fix myself up for school, I usually just use concealer, mascara and face powder so I haven't had the chance to use it for a long, continuous period of time. All that being said, I'm very happy with this product and when I finish all the BB creams I have I will most likely repurchase this one.

I have lots of BB creams right now... around 5-6. So I really should be using BB creams more often and STOP buying until I finish them all. >__<

I have one specific BB cream that I'm thinking of giving away since it doesn't suit my oily skin. It's the Etude House BB Bright Cream. Anyway more on the other BB creams in my future reviews. :)

Please forgive the SUPER TIRED look! This was taken at past 12midnight already; I've had the product on for more than 12 hours. Lack of sleep+very tiring day at the amusement park :) As you can see, my face is already oily. Was about to remove my makeup and wash my face so I didn't blot anymore :)

Yes another tired looking picture! Omo, so sorry. Haha. Just wanted to show how it looked even after several hours! :)

Taken last night after mass, dinner and hanging out at Starbucks.

3:20AM so still looking tired haha.

The first photo I took when I first tried out this BB cream.

Notes:

• Despite the claims of BB creams, they are still makeup and could possibly clog the pores. Treat it as makeup and remove it as you would any other makeup product.
• Products with high SPF give out white cast on pictures taken with flash photography. This is one of the reasons why I sometimes look extraordinarily white in some photos.
• Dr. Jart has other variants of their BB cream such as the Black Label and the Gold Label. I bought the Silver Label because it's the one for oily skin.
• It would be best to test it out first before buying the big 50mL tube which costs around 1500pesos. This may not work for you. Finding the BB cream that best suits your skin is quite an adventure.
• Most BB creams have only 1-2 shades making it difficult to find one that matches your skin perfectly. Some claim that their products "adjust" or oxidize to suit your skin tone but really, that's not so reliable.

If you have any questions about BB creams, please feel free to comment. I'll try my best to answer your questions. If you're interested to know the complete ingredients of this product, please comment too. I wanted to take a picture of the ingredients list on the box but the box has some sort of holographic design making it difficult. :)

REVIEW: Etude House Precious Mineral BB Compact

Click on the photos to enlarge them.
The product: Etude House Precious Mineral BB Compact in Sheer Glowing Skin Price: 778pesos (~US$17-18) Rating: 10/10 Where I bought it: Etude House, Bldg. A, SM Megamall (+): Brightens the skin, controls oiliness, has SPF30 PA+++, didn't break me out, didn't cause any allergic reactions, blends on my skin easily, makes my skin look glowing instead of just oily, soft and finely milled powder (-): None for me but others might find how it looks a bit shimmery a little intimidating. I do think that contributes to the brightening effect though and they aren't noticeable when you put the product on your skin. It has sheer to light coverage, but it says so on the label so it's not really negative, right? It's just face powder anyway, doesn't claim to be powder foundation. :)

This is the my 2nd powder, a freebie I got from Etude House. Unused. The one I'm currently using has a crack in the middle because I dropped it hence no photos here.

A swipe on my hand (without flash)

Blended on my hand (without flash)

Same swipe on my hand (w/ flash)

Blended on my hand (w/ flash)

The last time I've updated my blog was over a month ago. School has been very demanding as of late, with the management course having started and is already piling on us lots of work. (The Ateneo offers a double degree, MD MBA) I've been tempted lots of times to put off studying and update my blog but fortunately my priorities were in check during those times. :))

Anyway, this product right here is my FAVORITE face powder. I bought it a week or so before Etude House's grand launch party in October without knowing that they were giving it out as a freebie after the event. I'm happy that I got it though, because now I have a ready replacement once I finish my powder up!

When I was in EH there were two shades available, Sheer Glowing Skin and Sheer Silky Skin. From what I know about their BB creams (blemish balm), the Sheer Silky Skin is the one for oily skin so I thought that it would be the same for the powder. Upon looking at it though I found it too light so I opted for the Sheer Glowing variant as it was a bit darker. Sheer Glowing Skin in BB cream is for dry skin, by the way.

I love how this truly brightens my skin, making it look healthy and glowing. On lazy and extremely busy days I just use this on top of concealer. On days that I have the luxury of time to fix myself up, I use it on top of foundation and of BB creams. Sometimes I also use powder foundation and I pat some of this powder on top of it for that brightening effect. ;)

I'm happy to say that this powder controls my oiliness too. With this on my face I blot once to twice a day. Another thing I like about it is when my skin gets oily, it doesn't look like an oil slick; it gives off some sort of a glow. It also has SPF30 PA+++ which based on my research means that it has protection for both UVA and UVB rays. PA+++ is for UVA and the three plus signs means it's the most effective form of protection right now. SPF is for UVB and the recommended daily SPF is SPF15 so this is actually good!

*Apparently, the PA+++ rating is a Japanese system. The PPD (Persistent Pigment Darkening) method, also a way to measure UVA protection, has been recommended by the European commission and has been adopted by Japan, Korea, and China. Read more about these here, here and here. Hmm, I guess a blog post regarding sun protection must be done soon. ;)

*UVA rays penetrate deeper layers of the skin than UVB. UVA is thought to be a major cause of photoaging (wrinkling, loss of elasticity, etc.) while UVB is the one causing skin reddening and sunburn. Recent studies have shown that both UVA and UVB play a major part in skin cancer. Read more here and here. :)

It's the best face powder I've tried from Etude House so far. I've tried their BB Magic Pact and Dream on Pact but this beats those two hands down. I'm definitely repurchasing. :)

This may seem off topic but I finished watching the Korean series Personal Taste starring Lee Min Ho during our semestral break. That show made me fall in love with him! It's great that the powder freebie Etude House gave out has Lee Min Ho on the cover (he's an endorser) and the statement "You are my girl" and his signature on the mirror! Definitely a keeper, hahaha. ;)

Hope I get to post reviews more often! I want to share so much! ROAR!

REVIEW: Etude House Oh~m' Eye Line and other eyeliners

(click on the pictures to make 'em bigger)

The product: Etude House Oh~m' Eye Line black liquid eyeliner

Price: CORRECTION: Based on Etude House Ph website, this eyeliner costs only 198pesos not 398pesos as I posted earlier. Sorry for that! Mianhae!

Rating: 10/10

Where I bought it: Etude House, SM Megamall Bldg. A

(+): Long lasting, doesn't smudge, good quality, waterproof (even if it doesn't say so on the packaging or I just couldn't read Hangul? Hahaha.), relatively easy to apply, comes off easily with make up removers, doesn't irritate my eyes

(-): Takes a bit of practice to apply because it is a brush-type liquid eyeliner but once you get the hang of it, it's easy to use! I really don't have any complaints about it. ;)

Eyeliners (together with eye shadows) used to intimidate me. When I was in 1st year or 2nd year college I had a pencil eyeliner which I rarely used because I found it complicated. I tried experimenting by myself but I got impatient and gave up. Come 3rd year though, I bought a felt-tip liquid eyeliner from The Face Shop. I used it more often than the pencil ones but still not as often as I do now. :) I finished up two eyeliners from TFS before I started exploring other brands.

My love for KPOP ignited my love for eyeliners. ♥

One product I tried was Maybelline's felt-tip liquid eyeliner. I loved how it was so easy to use and how it was very pigmented. It was as if I was literally just using a marker on my eyelids. It didn't smudge but it wasn't waterproof making it not suitable for hot, humid days and of course for rainy days too. I also tried their gel eyeliner which I still haven't finished up yet. It's a wonderful product--it's smudge proof, waterproof, and long lasting but I don't know why I take so much time applying it on my eyelids. >.< I also tried using a pencil eyeliner from a local brand, Ever Bilena, but it was kind of difficult to apply. It tugged on my eyelids when applying and that is a no-no when it comes to our eyes. Our eyelids are the the thinnest skin on our body and tugging on them can cause premature wrinkles.

*I'd love to talk more about some other eyeliners I've tried, but maybe I'll reserve those for future reviews. This entry is getting very long already anyway so, yeah. ;)

Etude House is a Korean make up brand that opened their first shop here in the Philippines late last year. One word to describe it is PINK. It's a very cute pink-filled shop and their products come in equally cute packagings as well. Their prices are relatively cheaper compared to other Korean make up brands. I can't comment on how their quality differs from other Korean brands though because I didn't try out enough products from other shops. Mianhe.

Anyway, I like using this eyeliner of theirs. Like I said above, I find it easy to use. It's well pigmented, smudge proof and water proof making it a good buy. ^.^

I like how eyeliners emphasize the eyes, making them seem bolder and more beautiful. And even though I have issues with my eyes (I plan on consulting an oculoplastic surgeon someday) I grew to love eyeliners so much!

Don't be intimidated by eyeliners. Go ahead and practice applying it on your eyelids and see how much of a change it can bring to your face. It will make your eyes pop, emphasizing your beautiful eyes and making it seem as though you have full, thick eyelashes. You can start with pencil eyeliners because those are the easiest to handle and mistakes aren't so obvious. ;) I'm no expert when it comes to eyeliners or eye make up but whatever I know about make up application now I credit to self experimentation and YOUTUBE videos! :)

***You can check out Etude House Philippines' website for more info and product list & prices! ♥