The Seven Awesome Makeup Discoveries of 2014

Happy New Year Kitties! I am currently recovering from the after-new year booboo. Actually. I thought I'd be skipping the annual Holiday booboo this year since the sniffles usually comes around before Christmas or after Christmas and into the New Year. I just had overall tiredness and fatigue, but I was taking the precautions with a lot of fluids and good food interlaced with the happy food. Towards the end of the break, I woke up with a funny throat feeling and it blossomed into a cough the following day coupled with difficulty breathing. If this was a detox or effect from all the fatigue plus fireworks pollution I don't know. In a good way, I'm just thankful that recovery was quite faster since I just had a day of runny nose and no congestion.

As I am sipping my warm water with organic honey drink (yummy), I yin out by typing out a little New Year post - and giving a happy and literally - colorful - vibe, because I'll be featuring seven makeup and makeup tools I discovered last year and are totally rocking and now are stars in their own right in my makeup kit. Now I am not saying to chuck out everything not on this list in the trashcan. I'm saying that last year, I encountered these products and they really are awesome and I thought I'd share. Actually, some of them have been around for quite some time, but it's only now that I got to use them.

These are in no particular ranking or order. They are as random as how some things are.

1. Beauty Blender. (purchased at Purbeauty Seremdra)

I know, I know, I'm a late bloomer. You can imagine what a makeup artist friend of mine told me, "WHAT? You just got yours now? That's a pink sponge that will save your life. " Uhm, yeah, and correction, I bought a black Beauty Blender, because  it's easier to clean and pink is erm.. no.

Yes, that is the black  Beauty Blender and as you can see, I just used it before I took a photo of it. for its pristine, clean, virgin state, you may view at the website here. So yes, I'm a wee bit late, but the reason why I did not buy a beauty blender was because I was like, No way am I going to spend Php 900+  on an egg-shaped sponge when it's 88 pesos a pack!" But actually, it makes blending so much better and look so much seamlessly. I should always remember to use the sponge slightly damp, and when it has I think doubled in size. It polishes brush strokes, when some paddle-brush foundation brushes can leave streaky marks and helps blend makeup to make it look seamless almost like naturally flawless skin without it looking too caked on. I should remember though, that since it's black, I should be very careful as to where I place this because losing this Php900+ sponge is painful for the heart

2. Real Techniques Expert Face Brush (bought at The Ramp Glorietta)

Another brush brand with good reviews and quite affordable SRPs. Real Techniques is a makeup brush brand created by sisters Sam and Nicola Chapman, who are awesome makeup artists and YouTube beauty gurus (these are the ladies behind Pixiwoo). I am thankful for Kalm Cosmetics, Real Techniques is now available in our tropical shores and now in retail stores such as The Ramp Glorietta where we get to see them in the flesh. The Expert Face brush is actually recommended to me by my good friend and fellow #fitmua Jinky while we were out shopping for makeup. She uses it for her Flash Colors, I found a use for it for liquid and creme foundation, to deliver that flawless-looking base color that looks natural, just like how I like it. It's easy to use and super easy to clean. Best of all, it's Php 580, a big fraction from expensive makeup brand brushes.

3.  Max Factor Skin Luminzer Foundation

Unless I'm performing onstage where I want my foundation and contours screaming "Happy Foundation Day", I want my funda to look like not really like funda but a prettier and better version of my skin. This is most especially if I'll be having close-up photos (selfies included) or will be seeing someone up close. Max Factor Skin Luminzer Foundation does the trick just right (I used Expert Face Brush for this). The coverage isn't super heavy so there's a bit of skin texture showing through (tip: applied with a Beauty Blender, the feel is lighter, just if you want a bit more sheer coverage). I think it feels lighter than a BB cream, in fact. The white swirlies on the bottle aren't decoration but they are subtle luminzers that brighten the skin, not to make it shiny sparkly like a Twilight vampire, but give you that healthy-looking skin. The bonus moisturizers also makes this makeup care for your skin as well. I would recommend this also to mature women looking for the right foundation to enhance their beauty rather than age them more. Retail price? Php 945,

4. Ofra Cosmetics Long Lasting Liquid Lipstick

Left: Hollywood Right: Laguna Beach

Ofra Cosmetics have been here for quite a while, thanks to the lovely ladies of Glamourbox who introduced this to me a few months ago. The Long Lasting Liquid Lipstick (Php 950 at the Glamourbox website) is less gloopier than lipglosses, glides on easily, super economic (the highly pigmented formula only needs a little amount of product for color to show), buildable coverage, and dries to a matte, almost-lipstick finish that melts and blends with your lip texture. Another bonus: smells like cake. 

Left: Laguna Beach Right: Hollywood

Laguna Beach is the best-selling shade, a flattering neutral mauve shade that's perfect for day wear or night wear with smokey eyes. 

Same makeup, different lipstick. Switch up to a brighter pink, Hollywood. Actually the two lipsticks can be used for bridal. Use Laguna Beach for the day ceremony and then come the dinner reception, switcheroo to Hollywood. Hollywood can be used for the entourage, especially for the Mommies and principal sponsors, as this can really brighten up their features. 

I recommended this to bridal gigs because of  the long-lasting capacity. Again, I really recommend applying little product and build along as you go. 

5. Red Cherry Lashes

Ah yes, my new discovery of gold mine of lashes. #213 is one highly-recommended length  that enhances the eyes without interfering with the eye makeup you worked hard for. Again, I like that the nylon base is soft and pliable so it molds better accordint to the eye shape and blends well with your own natural lashes. DW gives a wispy, flirty flutter and enhances Asian eyes. Another mentionable is 747XS, which I let the mothers of the bride wear. Php 160 at The Ramp Glorietta and Digital Traincase.

6. MAC Prep + Prime Lip 

I love my retro-matte MAC lipsticks but I don't like the drag during application, where the lipstick, since the formula is so much drier than the usual matte, drags the lip as well. The solution is actually Prep + Prime, which not only makes lipstick last longer but lessens the drag and in fact, my retro matte lipstick looks so much better on my lip, Php 1100. Here's my Ruby Woo applied 30 seconds after a coat of Prep + Prime Lip

7, Anastasia Beverly Hills Tamanna Palette 

 There are a lot of good reviews on Anastasia products, particularly their brow products. Their eyeshadow palette is very promising and quite affordable too. The Tamanna Palette is a fall and holiday eyeshadow palette designed in collaboration with makeup artist Tamanna Roashan (@dressyourface) and the colors are inspired from a makeup masterclass on East Asian bridal makeup taught by Tamanna herself.

These rich, warm and very pigmented shades are flattering most especially for us Asians.

Swatches:

Top (L-R): Fresh, Blush, Venezia, Gilded, Custom

Bottom (L-R): Sangria, Bengal, Chocolate, China Rose, Noir

Fresh, Bengal, and Chocolate are my usual go-to's for a quick neutral look with just eyeliner to take the center stage. The teal-ly shade Venezia can be used as an accent, which is in fact a very strong complimentary color to the orangey and rich browns and coppers. The Noir is as solid as a matte black can get, and I am not very disappointed with it at all. I like using Sangria on the crease, as it warms it up quite dramatically. 

The set also comes with six cheat sheets with step-by-step instructions on how to create these lovely looks. The downside to this is that they are not locally available in retail department stores. They are available abroad though, so you can ask a friend or relative abroad to get these for you through Sephora or the Anastasia Beverly Hills website.

Of course, these are just subject to my own personal opinion, and some might have a different take on her top 7 or may limit it to 5 or increase to 25 if you must. I kept it at 7 because 7 is a lucky number (heee,..) and through the year I may discover new products or find new uses for my old products. 

Happy New Year, kitties, here's to more love and health.