IN LOVE. Been using this constantly for the past 3 weeks. Maybelline Japan released this Super Mineral 24 Healthy Long Lasting Foundation with Perlite (Phew, that was a mouthful!) last March, and I was fortunate enough to be in Japan a month after it was launched. I saw it being promoted in nearly all beauty stores I went to, and Mai Miyagi has a wonderful spread in ViVi magazine June 2013 issue promoting the product.

Saw a ton of girls (with the most fabulous skin and makeup) grab a bottle or two, so I was convinced this was going to be good. And it did not disappoint. I hate touching up my make-up, especially my foundation, so this was just what I was looking for. Something that lasts the whole day! It sells for ¥1995 for 25ml, which is quite expensive for something so small. 

Just now, I did some more research about the product, and in the process found out about how they tested its effectiveness in front of the public. They put the foundation on some fabric, stretched it, and displayed how the foundation kept its form despite the strong pressure put into the stretching the cloth. I guess the message behind it was that the foundation will always stay good as new, even if you move your face muscles by smiling, talking, raising your eyebrows, smiling, etc. True enough, it really does the job even if it feels super light and velvet-y. Kind of like primer!

I think the only downside to it is that it’s only available in 3 shades - OC1, OC2 and OC3. I’m an OC3, while OC1 and OC2 would probably be around Crissey’s skintone. 

Anyhow, I fell too much in love that I got an extra bottle for myself. <3 Thinking if I should get some more just in case I run out in the future!

My most recent lifesaver. I’ve been stressing out a lot these past few weeks, and sleeping at the oddest hours. As of this writing, it’s 2:30 in the morning. Oops.

Someone asked me on Twitter why my skin doesn’t seem to show any pimples or any sign of roughness, and this, my friends, is the answer. It’s not an every thing as it’s an exfoliator, but I swear this works like magic removing all the dead skin on my face (and other parts of my body). My skin has never been smoother.

Cure is the most popular skincare product in Japan and has been in the market for 10 years already. If you follow Japanese beauty rankings and reviews, you’ll notice how this is consistently top ranked in @Cosme. For a legit reason, 1 bottle is sold every 12 seconds in Japan.

Sells for P1500 at 250g and is available in the Philippines exclusively through Beauty Bar (where you can also find other Japanese brands like K-Palette, ProStyle Fuwarie and Fairydrops). I hope this marks the start of more Japanese brands coming to the Philippines! *crosses fingers*

Photography by Tricia Gosingtian. Make-up by Ais Liao. Model: Lissa Kahayon.

Last February 27, I was invited by shu uemura to an afternoon fete / press launch at SoFA where they unveiled the new spring collection, ob for shu uemura! ob, as I mentioned in my previous post, is an up and coming contemporary artist in Japan, and is also the apprentice of well-renowned artist, Takashi Murakami. 

We had afternoon tea and snacks in a dreamy setting that very much reminded me of Alice in Wonderland! 

Macarons, anyone?

No one could resist all the french pastries being served at the event! Yum!

Besides the scrumptious food, there were also other activities for the guests to participate in. There were three activity areas - the calligraphy art area, nail art area and post your dream area.

The talented girl behind the calligraphy is actually my friend Alexis who was my batchmate in Ateneo! She blogs regularly at Ink Scribbler. It was her debut as a calligrapher, and it wasn’t surprising that everyone at the event loved her work so much! You can really pass it off as a real font!

In the post your dream area, I wrote down on a piece of paper that I wished to have unlimited flights to Japan and Europe, LOL.

The spring sakura display by the entrance, featuring the four princesses in the collection. Now I can’t wait to go back to Japan for cherry blossom season!

(Not in photos: Forest Princess collection.) 

Moon Princess. High Performance Balancing Cleansing Oil Advanced Formula + UVUB Mousse POREraser 

Ocean Princess. Whitening Clear Brightening Gentle Cleansing Oil + UVUB Brightening Mousse Whitefficient

Cherry Blossom Princess Fresh Pore Clarifying Gentle Cleansing Oil + UVUB POREraser

The cutest Cherry Blossom Princess snow globe! <3 

Long-time college friend Reggie who works for Cosmo now! Bumping into her always makes my day. Also, can we trade faces please? I wish to be effortlessly stunning too T_T

Back at the press launch, shu uemura took the opportunity to recognize four prominent ladies in society as tribute to women’s month! Here is Cherry Blossom Princess Jenni Epperson and her daughter wearing matching outfits. I could only wish to be half as fashionable as her when it’s my turn to become a mom!

Ever-so-bubbly Ocean Princess Tessa Prieto-Valdez and her daughter  also in the cutest matching outfits. As usual, she was so funny! Definitely the life of any party.

With Forest Princess Anna Sobrepena, and Moon Princess Rorie Carlos.

Me with shu uemura retail manager Nadia and shu uemura senior brand manager Nina. 

Bloggers with junior product manager Karen! With beauty bloggers Jheng of I Am Brigitte, Angela of Lush Angel, and Martha of The Beauty Junkee. I love how we all came in theme! I swear we didn’t talk about our outfits! (Thanks to Apartment 8 for my cut-out shoulder top.)

I’m totes getting my hands on this collection once it’s out in stores because everything just screams kawaii and I can never resist effective products WITH beautiful packaging. <3

Visit shu uemura on Facebook and Twitter for more details.

First dibs on the new shu uemura spring 2013 collection that’s inspired by one of Japan’s most closely watched contemporary artists, ob. Her artworks for shu uemura are characterized by the combination of dreams and reality, thus the surreal, fantasy-like feel to them. 

There are 4 princesses that are featured in this collection - Cherry Blossom Princess / Sakura Hime (pink), Moon Princess / Tsuki Hime (yellow), Forest Princess / Midori Hime (green), and Ocean Princess / Umi Hime (blue). I’m not going to spoil everything yet, but there are definitely more stuff coming out other than the ones in this post. Like, new rouge unlimited lipsticks… *shuts up now* :)

Thanks to the shu uemura team, I got the Moon Princess / Tsuki Hime (SO ME) High Performance Balancing Cleansing Oil, which is the cleansing oil that I’ve been using for years now. Only this time, it comes in the most adorable packaging! I really swear by this stuff. <3

I also got the UVUB mousse POREraser which I am obsessed with right now. Definitely makes my skin look so much better. I’ve been layering it under my foundation recently because not only does it make my foundation last longer but it also gives my skin a smooth, pore-less finish. Works like magic!

And where do I start with these sakura flower mini lashes? They are so pretty I don’t want to use them (as with all shu uemura lashes)! T_T There is nothing more ideal for spring than these sparkly lashes.

Will post photos from the unveiling ob for shu uemura event as soon as I can!

Visit shu uemura on Facebook for more details.

Mary Kay goodies that were given to me in a giant gift box during the Mexx Outing a few weeks ago! Haven’t tried everything yet, but I’m loving the Mineral Powder Foundation (lower left) so far. Been using it everyday now. It’s a good weightless powder foundation in a way that it makes my skin look wonderfully smooth, and (fortunately) it doesn’t break my skin out. I’m also really into the limited edition Sheer Dimensions Powder (pink sparkly one on top) because it provides a nice and subtle shimmer without making me look like a vampire. I still can’t contour to save my life, but I don’t mind highlighting at all. Cool stuff!

What a surprise! Got this in the mail a few days ago and couldn’t help but squeal at the first sight of this BDJ Box’s cover. This month, the BDJ Box Team prepared the very first exclusive BDJ Box to make us BDJ girls feel the love.

Inside are five of their most beloved beauty products from Shiseido to help us lighten, brighten, and be our most radiant selves!

It’s not the first time that they included Shiseido products in their boxes. Actually, I’ve been using one of the Shiseido samples I got from my first BDJ Box - the Benefiance Wrinkle Resist24 Night Emulsion. I’m halfway through the bottle! :)

My mom and lola are also faithful users of Shiseido for years now, so now it’s my turn to see what all their fuss is about! 

As usual, here’s a rundown of what’s inside this month’s box with prices and descriptions. I included the prices for each just so you’ll know how much you can save by subscribing to BDJ Box. You can get your own BDJ Box of deluxe-sized samples for only P480 a month! Definitely beats the thousands of pesos spent on impulse beauty purchases!

1) Shiseido White Lucent Intensive Spot Targeting Serum (Php 5650) - Diminish stubborn dark spots in 10 days. Advanced Shiseido Multi-Action Brightening System+ targets all types of hyper-pigmentation and their causes. Dark spots, age spots, acne scars and uneven skin tone begone! Best used with Shiseido White Lucent intensive brightening mask.

2) Shiseido White Lucent Intensive Brightening Mask, 6 sheets (Php 3200) - 10 minutes to brighten skin! This contoured facial mask slips on luxuriously to bring concentrated brightening and hydrating benefits to skin in ten minutes, tops! Reduces the appearance of dark spots for a flawless, even complexion. Best used with Shiseido White Lucent Intensive Spot Targeting Serum.

3) Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Resist24 Night Emulsion (Php 3250) - Achieve younger-looking skin overnight! Japanese women are known for taking extra care of their skin. Visibly reduce wrinkles and promote silky smooth skin with breakthrough wrinkle-triggering enzymes.

4) Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Resist24 Balancing Softener (Php 2400) - Soften and rehydrate! Shiseido’s Beauty Regimen’s best kept secret softens quickly and effectively replenishes moisture. As a comprehensive age-defying softener, it helps protect skin from UVA and UVB damage.

5) Shiseido Perfect Rouge Lipstick (Php 1250) - Perfect in every detail. Beautiful in every moment. Red Illuminating Pearl is the secret to truly brilliant color that blooms on your lips. Hyaluronic acid holds moisture while Super Hydro-Wrap Vitalizing DE locks it in. Improves the lips’ condition with regular use.

6) Gift cards - Free Shiseido Makeover (minimum of P2000 purchase), free Shiseido quick facial (minimum of P2000 purchase), 15% discount for purchases (at least P5000)

Along with this box is a bonus 5-Minute Touch-Up Kit from Nippon that includes lip brushes, lip gloss applicators, eyeliner brushes, mascara wand brushes, dual cotton tips and wedge sponges. Super convenient for girls on the go (like me!)

Follow them on Facebook here. Email hello@bdjbox.com for inquiries. 

Photography by Tricia Gosingtian. Make-up by Kaycee Lim-Santos. Model: Patricia Prieto.

The sequence of these photos tells a lot about what is going on / what has been going on.

Bringing the old blog format back, as promised. The old blog format means… no format. Which is just how I started. I used to do these kinds of personal and spontaneous posts often in the past, if you didn’t know and are quite new here! :D

MAC nail lacquer in Skin and MAC blush in Dolly Mix.

The nail polish was quite a splurge but justifiably one of my favorite (if not most favorite) neutral nail polishes. I’ve been looking for a light muted peach color for a while now and this is perfect. It’s not too tan but not too peach either. The in-between color makes for a good everyday nail color that can suit different outfits.

On the other hand, I’ve been eyeing this blush in all MAC counters since forever! Never got to buy it because I already have a ton of candy pink blushes, and at one point in my life I felt like I had too much. But I threw some old ones out so now I have room for more. Huzzah! First blush on my list was MAC Dolly Mix because it’s such a cute pink and it’s surprisingly not as shocking as the color in the pan when applied. Gives me a nice doll-like flush.

Etude House Lovely Cookie Blusher #6 Grapefruit Jelly, Etoinette Crystal Shine Lips in PBE001, and Bling Bling Eye Stick #5 Silver Milky Way.

I haven’t bought Korean cosmetics for months so I asked Crissey to accompany me to the nearest Etude House a few days ago. I only realized how much I missed it after seeing all the new stuff and how incredibly affordable they all are compared to my favorite Japanese brands! T_T I got this light peach-pink blush and nude-pink limited edition lipstick in time for spring! The blush is light and sheer but definitely buildable, which is my primary reason for this purchase! I needed a warm, healthy-looking color that would go well with my almost no make-up days. 

I admit the lipstick was an impulse buy. The Princess Etoinette packaging was just too adorable! <3 But you guys would know that I already have a ton of these my-lips-but-better colors based on 3 years worth of Lookbook pictures. It looks so good with the blush though. Plus stocks are running out fast because it’s only available for a limited time.

The eye stick is like fairy dust on steroids. I have to be extra careful not to overdo it or else I’d end up looking like an alien. I used to only improvise by using light glittery eyeshadow if I wanted to put something on the inner corners of my eyes, but this makes the whole process sooo much easier. 

Let me know if there are any “it” items that I need to pick up, beauty addicts! I’ll probably do an updated beauty must-haves posts in the next few weeks or months.

I finally got my own BDJ Box today, thanks to the lovely ladies behind the very successful Belle de Jour Power Planner. I couldn’t wait to open it since I’ve been hearing a lot of good stuff about this new concept being the best online beauty resource in the country by providing monthly beauty product discovery subscriptions.

Isn’t it genius? You get a box filled with sample-size goodies to try out for yourself, helping you to decide if you want to buy the full-sized products or not. As a beauty junkie myself, there are times when I end up wasting a lot of money for something that ends up not suiting my skin at all. Now, you can get your own BDJ Box of deluxe-sized samples for only P480 a month! Definitely beats the thousands of pesos spent on impulse beauty purchases. *guilty*

What’s even better is that you just won’t get random stuff in this box! Just log on the BDJ Box website, fill out a questionnaire about your skin type and concerns, and based on your answers, the BDJ Box team will decide on which products to put in your package.

Here is the first BDJ Box that they released on the last week of October. The packaging is super cute - I don’t want to throw it out! :)

It comes with a number of stickers that say “I’m not beautiful like you. I’m beautiful like me.” I’ll totally give these to my girl friends! <3

Here are the contents. It’s all so incredibly timely because the sample sizes are also so ideal for those like me who travel every few months (I know I just got back from Hong Kong, but I’ll suddenly be on a spontaneous trip to Jakarta for a week starting tomorrow!). I always have such a hard time to lugging around giant containers of shampoo and what have you, so thanks BDJ for reading my mind! I’ll include these products when I do my last minute packing. :)

It’s only the start of November and I’m already excited with my November BDJ Box! There’s an element of surprise to this that I just cannot get enough of.

Follow them on Facebook here. Email hello@bdjbox.com for inquiries.

Sponsored post.

Finally, gone are the days when I would always do dark, droopy eyes! I feel like I’ve really matured when it comes to doing my eye make-up recently. Blame it on my obsession on Japanese magazines (SCawaii and JELLY are my two new bibles after ViVi), and how they’re all crazy about winging their eyeliner upwards, after so many years of attempting to replicate that doll-like look with eyeliner that curves down (though I still do this, tbh). 

I’m totally chalking this up to the whole MODE gyaru revolution, which takes a lot of inspiration from Western fashion and beauty trends. Those like me who graduated from Popteen/Popsister have now found something new, edgy (and less kawaii) and age-appropriate to follow. I’m turning 24 on the 24th of November. I think it’s about time I grow up? :P

Anyhow, I hope you can try to get a copy of SCawaii October 2012 issue with Kojima Haruna (Coincidentally, my AKB bias!) for more cat eyes inspiration! It has about 4-5 pages just showing different ways how to do it. This particular style in this tutorial is something like a combination of my favorite techniques shown in the magazine. :)

1. After putting eyeshadow primer all over your eyelids, apply a neutral shimmer eyeshadow. I’m using the lightest shade of my CANMAKE Eye Nuance (#27 Golden Kuchen) eyeshadow trio.

2. Apply a darker shade of brown. I’m using the middle shade from my CANMAKE Eye Nuance (#27 Golden Kuchen) eyeshadow trio. You can actually use any color since the magic of this make-up style doesn’t rely heavily on eyeshadow. 

3. Wing it! I’m using MAKEMANIA DATA Gradation Tip Shadow in light brown. Follow the natural angle of your bottom lash line.

4. Using the same eyeshadow pen, draw a line under your eyes.

5. Draw a thin line using K-Palette Jet Black eyeliner.

6. Wing it! I like my cat eyeliner more subtle so I draw a slight curve instead of a sharp, blunt angle. 

7. Almost done! Now it’s time for mascara. I’m using Fairydrops Platinum Mascara (pink), which is perfect for both lengthening and volumizing. It’s a gift from heaven for those with sparse Asian lashes.

8. Do the same with your bottom lashes. 

9. Get some eyelash glue, stick your falsies as close to your lashline as possible and there you have it. I’m using Diamond Lash brand ones that I got from Japan. I also put eyelid tape from Etude House (or was it Tony Moly?) because imho falsies look better with parallel eyelids.

I hope you guys enjoyed this tutorial as much as I did! This is my most favorite one so far because it’s quite easy to do and it’s not too intense to wear daily. You can wear it with pink lipstick like me, or with red lipstick for a more classic, sophisticated look. I haven’t really tried wearing this with nude lipstick yet, but I can already feel that it might end up looking too pale, if you don’t match it with dark, smokey eyes.

As always, much thanks to Japanese Candy for my pretty circle lenses! 

Some of the products that I used for this look: Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion, Okuma Concealer in 02 Yellow Beige, CANMAKE lipstick in Marshallow Pink, Fairydrops film type mascara, MAKEMANIA DATA eyeshadow pen, K-Palette Jet Black liquid eyeliner, K-palette eyebrow tint, Benico x Hello Kitty petit macaron can cheek blush in PM03.

Feel free to comment if you have any questions :D Let me know if this works for you!

“I wanted to invent my personal vision of a Japanese manga.”-KL

Mon Shu Girl is here in Manila! Don’t you think the mascot is super quirky and stylish? It’s even sporting Karl Lagerfeld’s signature tie!

I’ve always been a huge fan of Shu Uemura AND Chanel, so it was such a dream come true to be able to ogle at all the new Karl Lagerfeld x Shu Uemura holiday collection way before it was launched in the boutiques.

I could liken this collaboration to your ultimate OTP producing the most perfect baby you can ever imagine. Flawless of combination of fashion and beauty, if I should say so myself.

Did you know that for over 20 years now, Karl Lagerfeld has been using Shu Uemura eye colors for his fashion illustrations? 

I was invited to this exclusive blogger event at UMU Restaurant in Dusit Thani Hotel. I’m always joking that I’m allergic to events, but this one was one event that I couldn’t miss because it’s something I feel very strongly about. Love!

Here’s most of the collection! Colors aren’t accurate because of the intense purple lighting, but let’s just focus on the packaging first, shall we? It’s Mon Shu Girl everywhere! Red, black and white is a classy combination as always. I absolutely love the adorable limited edition eyelash curler with the bright red rubber and the Mon Shu Girl keychain. These lipsticks are the same size and container as their regular ones, but they all have the mascot printed on them, making them extra kawaii.

Internationally-accredit Shu Uemura make-up artist (and friend) John Pagaduan working his magic using the Smoky Velvet Palette. He did a glittery smoky eye look which he paired with matte red lipstick… which was coincidentally my HG red lipstick Rouge Unlimited Supreme Matte Lipstick in M RD 165. 

The finished look. I can’t believe John did this in like, 10 minutes! Teach me your ways. I can’t even put dark eyeshadow without it all falling on my cheeks.

Patrick Alcober did another look using the Bordeaux Palette, which is my favorite palette from this collection! I COVET. It features a few jewel tones that can make for a more playful smoky look that isn’t as harsh as compared to black or gray. 

The final look, finished with a peachy nude lipstick. I want to try this on myself too!

Real life Mon Shu Girls modeling different looks using the products from the Karl Lagerfeld x Shu Uemura holiday collection. They were all so in character, with their clip-on bangs and black suits. Even I was inspired to dress up like this after the event. I couldn’t go to the launch in Rockwell last weekend (October 20), but I heard they gave away special prizes to those who went in Mon Shu cosplay! Talk about turning Japanese!

I don’t know if there are still stocks left but I do hope there’s still some left for me after I get back from my HK trip! ;_;

Thanks to Nina Solano, Karen Crisostomo, and Nadia Bautista for this successful launch. “Feeling Mon Shu Girl” Tricia Gosingtian loves you and Shu Uemura forever! <3