Swatching Viva Glam Nicki Minaj Lipstick

I love how artists and makeup brands agree to contribute to causes. When MAC confirmed that Nicki Minaj and Ricky Martin would be joining their list of celebrity spokespersons, we're all a wonder what the new Viva Glam shades would be that would definitely be as hot as Ricky shakes his bonbon. The Nicki Minaj shade didn't disappoint fanatics as I tried it on last Sunday from my friend who was really excited showing me her makeup stash.

The Nicki Minaj Viva Glam lipstick is as quirky and cheery as her candy-colored hair. It's very apt that just for Nicki, a color be super cute and happy as I always associate her with bright colors, LED lights, and super pastel and in-your-face hues. A neutral lippie just wouldn't do, right? Just like the new Viva Glam lipsticks, this one has got the Nicki Minaj signature etched on the tube holding the lipstick bullet.

MAC describes the shade as a "bright yellow pink" in a satin finish. The first Lady Gaga lipstick was a pink also in a lustre finish, if you remember it and as I have reviewed it, it functions better topped over an opaque color rather than on its own. Being a satin finish, the Nicki Minaj lippie is more pigmented, so it's nice to use this on its own. It's not really like a candy Barbie pink though like the other pinks I bought. This is a slightly warmer pink, a bright warmer one that could stand alone or flatter the face with a bit of peach gloss. I could say that it matches up more to the Cyndi Lauper in terms of how it brightens the whole face even on its own.

It's actually still a bright pink but not really like your stereotype cool blue-pink bright lipstick, but a warmer one. With just the right touch, I'd even recommend this for a bridal look toned down with a bit of coral or peach lipstick. Would I wear it? Yes I would. Do I recommend it to clients? Why not? It's quite a statement color so lazy daisies like me could get away with just this. The satin finish makes it stay put on the lips so color doesn't feather out much yet it's not as drying for those who would worry about their lips looking like the Sahara after.

The Viva Glam Ricky Martin and Nicki Minaj lippies are said to come out next month in the Philippines, to those who might be waiting.

FOTD: Neutral Eyes and Pink Lips

I've been stuck to my usual routine of concealer, brows, and bright lipstick for the past weeks, since I've been so busy. That routine I do, when I get the time to do my makeup. My face has been thankful yet hiding under big sunglasses or thick frames though, so I thought on a day when I'm not working, I think I ought to iron my hair and doll up a bit. Plus, I get to practice an eye makeup look I'd try on a client.

It's still my usual look though, of bright lipstick on neutral eyes, but I actually wore eyeshadow and mascara there complete with blending and a full face of foundation. On client work though, I'd keep the lippie neutral, but I'm not wearing a face mask so I can wear hot pink lips.

Even wearing thick frames I still didn't look like my eyes or brows are kapoof.

FACE:

MAC Studiofix NC40 + Maybelline Angelfit foundation in In the Buff applied with a MAC 187 brush

MAC Studiosculpt NC30

Maybelline Clear Smooth All In One Shine Free Cake Powder foundation in Honey

MAC Lightful nc15 on undereye

The Body Shop Bronzer to contour

MAC Stark Naked on Cheeks

EYES:

MAC Paint Pot in Painterly

The Body Shop peach eyeshadow on lids

MAC Saffron on crease to warm it up

MAC Lucky Tom on the outer V for smokiness and also to set pencil eyeliner

Prestige Waterproof Automatic Eyeliner in Expresso on lower lids

Covergirl Liquiline Blast in Black on upper lids topped with MAC Blacktrack

Make Up For Ever eyebrow corrector in 0

Ulta Bone on browbone

LIPS:

MAC lipstick in Pink Pigeon

Heavy Cat Eyes + Hot Pink Lips (and how I remove all that)

Giving my winged cat eyes a break (the one with the eyeliner-hanggang-bumbunan level), I wanted to make cat eyes again, this time smokier, fatter, darker, blacker. And... paired with red lips. This is my first attempt though, which took like an hour on the eyes alone, since with cat eyes, the biggest challenge is to creating the shape and make sure both sides are equal. Strong eyes with nude lips? Uhm. I want hot pink. Wala lang.

I can't seem to get them to smoke up enough without looking much like there's a lot of silver and gray. Maybe it's my eye shape, I think. Hot pink lips go with hot pink lipliner.

I certainly used a lot of black eyeshadow that day!

A strong and dark makeup would go well with big spiky falsies on a day out. Hmmm... maybe in the next show.

Face:

MAC Studio Sculpt concealer NC30 on redness and imperfections and also on undereyes

MAC Studiofix Powder NC25 on undereye as a highlight

MAC Studiofix Powder NC35 all over

MAC MSF in Gold Digger as a golden blush highlighter

Eyes:

MUFE Eyebrow Corrector in 0

MAC Paint Pot in Painterly as a browbone base

MAC Nylon on brows

Stilla Smudge Pot in Little Black dress to shape the cat eye

MAC Mont Black on lids.

Kohl pencil (the ones I buy in Indian stores for Php150, the one that goes really smudgy, creamy, and smoky) to line and shape and then set with Mont Black

MAC Pigment in Soft Washed on the crease, for a soft blend and transition of colors.

Lips:

Fashion 21 hot pink lipliner (I'm sad F21 phased this out na. I love it coz it's super waterproof)

MAC lipstick in Hollywood Nights

I think I'll try putting the base eyeshadow first before shaping the cat eye so the browbone highlight stays true to its natural color instead of having a silvery gray tinge to the supposedly champagne-y color it has. Anyway, this cat eye is just for practice. Maybe I'll try it out Wednesday come Sensual Grooves class time, yes as I'll be out of town tomorrow. Or whattheheck later!

And what I use to remove this, since this is such a heavy color and I used three pain-to-remove products (paint pot, smudge pot, and kohl eyeliner)? Clinique Take The Day Off Makeup Remover! I swear, I'm so glad they invented this or else I'll be having wrinkles now.

I get this usually as hand-me-downs from my mom since she loves Clinique skin care and when she gets the GWPs when she purchases her favorite moisturizer, I get the cute purple bottles since she doesn't use them anyway. Yay! I think I have about 5 travel size bottles of this. It's so ironic because I have adverse reactions to skin care products of Clinique (but not the makeup, since I use their eyeshadow and mascara) but not this one. In fact, my eyes love it.

The fact that it's so easy to use I'll show it to you in simple steps. Step 1: You see that there's a barrier separating the oil part from the water part? You have to shake the bottle well before using. Step 2: Dispense a good amount on a cotton pad. Not too much to soak it wet, but just enough. Step 3: Gently press the cotton pad on (closed) eye just to get the product in. I wiggle this a bit sometimes so I get the makeup to loosen up. Not too hard to poke your eye out. Be sure not to get product inside the eye. That can sting, so keep the eye shut. Once there's product on the lid, wipe eye area gently with the cotton pad until it's clean.

My right eye has no more makeup as compared to my left eye. Stubborn eyeliner can be removed with a q-tip soaked in makeup remover. The makeup's all in the pad almost effortlessly. The lids are a bit oily after though, from the oil so after removing the makeup, cleanse face with your favorite makeup remover/cleanser (like cold cream or cleansing oil) to remove makeup that remained on the face like foundation, blush, leftover eye makeup, etc. And wash face as usual with your facial wash.

Not only did I use this to remove my very heavy eye makeup, I was able to wipe my lips of all hot pink lippie traces effortlessly too, like on cue. I like using this product when I want to remove makeup in a flash since I'm too tired to go through an entire roll of tissue, wipes, and makeup remover and I'm wearing very heavy makeup that day.

Candy Yum-Yum? YUMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi my name is Bambi and I'm a lipstick person. To date I have probably almost 70 lipsticks in colors that you could just imagine, and I'm about to add more. The recent baby of my lippie collection happens to be one of the most-coveted lipstick in MAC's recent LE collection Quite Cute: Candy Yum-Yum.

Okay, and I have reason to purchase it, because my Hollywood Nights is almost running out and I need my hot pink lippie fix. I'm not alone who loves it though, it's much loved by everyone. While I passed by the MAC counter in Makati, they had 13 stocks, so I got one. That night, there was none left. Then Monday (i.e. yesterday), my friend Brenda was able to get the last one remaining in MAC Shangri-La. It upstaged Saint Germain even!

Candy Yum-Yum is a matte neon pink color. If you're wondering what the AC0 in the package is, it's not part of the shade name, but it's actually the batch code. The name of the lip color is Candy Yum-Yum. These are pictures of it on the tube, and what I like about it is that the color intensity of the lippie on the tube...

...is the same on the lips.

Intense pink really means intense neon pink. It's matte and it stays like no other. this lippie was able to withstand large barbecue fries, a bottle of Gatorade, fresh vegetarian spring rolls, and kung pao chicken and still have some a bit of stain remaining even after one round of makeup remover.

It looks so pretty on its own with just liner and mascara or go ahead and do a bit of playtime with smoky eyes and wavy curls. It's your right to be gorgeous!

While at it, you could check out Quite Cute's oh-so-purdy blushes. These are mineralize blushes that look pretty as highlighters on top of matte blush.

Love pinball and Quite Cute? Then play Cute Pinball on Facebook.

Clean lines and Short Hemlines

So here's what I wore to the Downy event last Monday. The night before, I stared at my closet for what to wear. As usual, I'm more of the clean silhouette type when it comes to clothes. I knew I was going to eat, so I didn't want anything cinching my waist or abdomen yet since it was a hotel event, I still had to look good.

I settled for my favorite classic: The (very) little black dress:

My nice and naughty dress from Carlotta Manila walks the red carpet with me. The hemline's up to the midthigh already, elongating and exaggerating my height. Throw in wedge leopard sandals to add more height and if anyone asks me, I'm 5'11".

The bareback dress enhances toned shoulders and balances my wide hips too. It's a good contrast to the relatively high neckline the dress has. I kept accessories simple with not too much blings and baubles. I just had a watch that day and that's it, one of my staples and something I can't live the house without, superstitions and old wives' tales begone. I'll wear a watch even if it's old as long as it works. My shoes were quite comfortable and they provided me better support than stilettos.

In contrast to the clean lines and shapes, My hair was pincurled with lots and lots of volume. I take inspiration from Angelina Jolie's trademark long and wavy locks. I wanted hair with shape and character. Curls made my hair shorter than it usually is though, but it's long enough for the effect I wanted. I don't want curls that are too structured and I just pulled the top part back to give a bit of height. Okay, now I'm 6'1".

With the hair wavy and voluminous, I thought makeup should be clean this time. The dress is already short, even though the cut is very clean, so I wanted makeup that's fresh. Besides, it still is a daytime event. Pinks and peaches was the color of my palette here. Pure pink might be too cool for my skin tone and I bronzed prior to this event so I wanted a tad of warmth too.

On Face:

• Olay Total Effects with Cooling essence as Moisturizer
• MAC Just a Pinch Gel blush for a rosy glow from within
• MAC Studiofinish concealer in NC30
• MUD Corrector in BC3 on undereyes to neutralize only 5 hours of sleep.
• MUD foundation in YG1.
• MAC Studiofix powder foundation in NC35 to set and then topped with MAC Select Sheer in NC30

Contour:

• MAC MSF in Dark to contour cheeks, nose bridge, jawline, and forehead.
• MAC MSF in Light to highlight

Blush:

• The Body Shop Blush #06
• MAC MSF in Blonde as a highlight

Brows:

• Make Up For Ever Eyebrow Corrector in #0
• Paul and Joe Eyebrow Pencil #04
• MAC Brow Set in Beguile

Eyes:

• Laura Mercier Eye Base in Eyebright
• MAC Paradisico on lid
• MAC Amber Lights on crease
• MAC Espresso on Outer V and lower lashline
• MAC Bountiful brown to line top and bottom lashes
• MAC Ricepaper to highlight brows.
• MAC Blacktrack for top lash only

Lips:

• MAC Pink Nouveau

I forgot to put mascara here. At first I thought I'd do that at the restroom, but since I was wearing glasses, I got lazy. Anyway, I'm glad for the Blacktrack, which created the illusion of full lashes even though I haven't curled them yet. If you've notice how much fond I am of layering blush, I like to focus on creating a 3D look by combining several colors and textures.

A little trivia I had for you with my dress was that prior to wearing, I washed the scent and used Downy Attraction fabric conditioner, which I purchased a few weeks ago at the grocery so I could try it out. The light and fresh floral scent combined well with my fragrance at that time, which was D&G Light Blue.

Pretty on a Budget: Ever Bilena Matte Lipstick in Off Beat Pink

I can't snub on the cheap-but-works-just-as-well stuff. We do need to save money after all. Of course, most expensive names really are expensive for a reason - quality, name, and added benefits. Not all, however, could afford the brand-name makeup. Some would plunk three days' worth of work on the phone or medicine bill rather than a pan of blush. There are newbie makeup artists starting out as well who are apprehensive about purchasing a four-digit amount of product.

While talking with a makeup artist friend of mine, she mentioned to me that while window-shopping at Watson's, she chanced upon the Ever Bilena matte lipsticks and gave good notes about it. "If you're practicing on your face chart or you're saving up on your lipstick, check them out." Another makeup artist that I know loves them to think she's been exposed to all the expensive brands from A to Z and even in fact studied makeup abroad. "I have all the shades! I just love them!" She beamed.

I went to the mall last Friday and asked the sales associate for the matte lipsticks. She showed them to me and I was quite impressed when I swatched them. The shades were quite on the warm side, making it flattering for Filipino skin tones. She told me also that they were really long-lasting. Knowing that the price was only Php 125 for a tube, I resisted the urge to buy all shades knowing that I have still a bunch of lipsticks at home that are still unopened and unused. So I settled for a fresh and lovely pink instead.

This is Ever Bilena matte lipstick in Off Beat Pink. On the tube, it looks like the pale, cool, and plasticky pink that's seen on every magazine editorial. They also have a shade called Mauvey, which was more brown than pink, and it's what I suggest for those on the conservative side of pink. I compared also Off Beat Pink with two of my favorite pink lipsticks from MAC, Strayin' and Pink Nouveau.

Off-Beat Pink is on the center. The frosty Strayin' (Strayin' is from the Hello Kitty collection) is on the left while Pink Nouveau is on the right. In comparison, Off-Beat Pink is more matte and warm. I'm thinking it looks more of a matte version of Bombshell or Pink Nouveau combined with Brave or Satiate. On me, It's quite pale but more like my own lip tone with a bit more pink. If the matte is too dry, a slick of lip balm 5 minutes before lipstick should moisten things out. The pink gives an instant freshness to the face. Older women could still wear this, since the pink is a bit warmer than candy pink. I love matte lipsticks because they're such a classic. If matte is too flat, top this with lip gloss with a bit of shimmer particles. I like too how this pink could make a face look fresh and youthful without trying too hard.

Another mentionable matte lipstick from Ever Bilena is their bestselling red, Love That Red. It was sold out in one store that I visited but I was able to swatch it in another department store. It's a bit more orangey in color, again favoring warm skin tones. The only complaint I have with this though, is that it has no sweet candy-like scent, but that could be remedied with a flavored lip balm before.

For those in a budget, this could be a nice alternative to wear a pretty pink color while saving up for that luxury brand lipstick. I could also recommend this to starting makeup artists or makeup school students looking for good quality lipsticks for practice or for any kikay girl who would love a pale pink lip without breaking the bank.

[NOTE: Pretty On A Budget is a new section I'll be adding on my blog that features cheap but high-quality tools, makeup, and products worth-reading, addressing the needs of girls who want makeup but are on a tight budget constraint and start-up makeup artists and students.]

Pale Pretty Pink With MAC's Pink Nouveau

I'm here out to review one of MAC's bestselling lipsticks, Pink Nouveau (pronounced noo-vow with a long "o"). This pink is a regular item that's obviously been in demand for its pretty pale look. Being lazy to do eye makeup, I've always gravitated towards deep and bright colors to save time without looking pale. I save the nudes and light pastels for the times when I need a bright smokey eye since a pale lip and pale eye could leave me looking washed out.

Pink Nouveau is a pink that's hard to miss. A favorite in beauty editorials and girly shots, this color has created a fan base on its own. It's a pale pretty pink in a satin finish. Satin in MAC means it's semi-matte.

From the swatch, we see that it's not a slick and shiny as those in the lustre finishes. The finish is quite opaque though, and it covers the lip's (or in this case, the skin's) color just like matte finishes do. Despite the opacity, it's not that drying as matte but not as moisturizing and cushy as the amplified or cremesheen finishes. Since it's part of MAC's regular items, the packaging would still be the iconic black packaging. I actually thought that this was a bright pink but actually, it looks quite natural comparing it to two of my pink lipsticks.

On the left is Saint Germain from the Euristocrats collection last year. On the right, we see the bright KSP-pink of Hollywood Nights from the Heatherette collection. Pink Nouveau is an in-between of the two in terms of brightness. Saint Germain would be too pale to wear on its own so it needs a dramatic eye or bright blush so the face doesn't look too dead. Hollywood nights would be brighter than this and would need a face that's more tamed-down.

It really looks pretty on the lips. I like that it's not too shiny and the pink is pretty classic. It could be used on a bride, even. I could match this up with smoky eyes like I did with my Tek Tok TV guesting yesterday (for those who are curious about the pink shade I was wearing) or a fresh face. This shade also could be worn by morenas as well. I wore this shade without a lipliner. I suggest pairing this with a pinkish-nude lipliner so preserve the pretty pastel pink hue. For girls with very dry lips, prep lips up with lip balm first before applying lipstick and lipliner, so it's not too dry.