This foundation is really pricey mostly because of the real 24K 3mg gold leaf on top of the cream as well as another 1ppm of gold within the cream itself. Originally priced at ( Althea ) Php 3,380 it's currently on sale for Php 850. (74% off from the original price)
I first introduced this product in my blog in this post, and I noticed a lot of traffic there so I thought to expound a little more on why I think you should check out this affordable contour powder.
I'm not 100% sure if the product is cruelty-free, or if the the box is cruelty-free.
Contouring - Is the use of creams, liquids and/or powders to create depth and "shadows" on the face to give it structure and dimension. These contouring products are usually a neutral to cool brown colour, ideally with gray tones in it.
PACKAGING / SCENT
Shawill's Perfect Powder in 003 is housed in a sturdy sleek and glossy compact with a nice-sized mirror —very reminiscent of the NYX Blotting Powder compact and their Matte Bronzer compact. The scent is very talc-y like those old-school makeup with perfume-y scents. Not particularly strong (I don't mind it at all) but you do smell it every time you open the compact. It doesn't linger on your face though.
Related : Shawill Coloring Eyebrow Review
TEXTURE / COLOUR / APPLICATION
This is supposedly smooth and soft but not so soft that it leaves a dent in the pan when you dip your finger in. The one I got however might have been a bad batch because it's tougher and a little hard when swiped.
I have tried the testers at different Shawill counters and they are indeed smooth. My case seems to be isolated. Other people who've tried this swears by its smoothness or "creaminess".
The colour is a cool matte brown. I would say it's mauve-y so there's still a little red in this but with taupe / gray in the mix. It's easy to build-up because of the texture but you do have to take some time in blending it in and making it look diffused.
I can't get the truest colour on camera but it's a little more light and a little more brown in real life
People who prefer extremely heavy pigmentation from the get-go might not like this. You have to swirl the brush (the denser, the better) more than once to get a decent amount of product on it. Then again, that might be because I got a bad batch.
As you can see (I actually don't know if you can) but it's definitely a little mauve, a little taupe and a little gray kind of brown.
Affordable (Php 168) and easily accessible (Watson's and SM carry Shawill) it also wears well. In a night setting it lasted well over six hours on my dry-sensitive skin until I had to take it off. No adverse reactions as well!
From my experience, it tends to react to foundation/oil in the foundation/oil on my face and pulls a tiny (like very tiny) bit more red because of it. So I make sure to set the face with a powder first then use this. It's a good tip nonetheless, since powders blend better on top of powders.
Verdict : Decent buy.
TIP
After I use this on the hollows of my cheeks I blend it in more with a warm bronzer. I find that it looks better because of the transition it gives. It's not just my skin/foundation then a cast of shadow under my cheekbones.
Have you tried this? Any other "contour" products that are easily accessible and affordable out there? Let me know below!
xx,
CJ
PS. I still use a brown bronzer to sort of mix around the contour area because I think it's a little weird looking if there's only a grayish brown stripe under your cheekbones. I find it a little unhealthy-looking. Plus I love bronzer. When I do my face, I can go without blush, but not bronzer #VSGlow #JLOGlow
Wearing someone else's hair can be off putting to some, but it's essential if you want hair extensions that are as real-looking (and feeling) as possible. My sister cringes everytime she sees the extensions and tries to scare me by exclaiming that it used to be someone's hair. That never swayed me from enjoying them though.
I've had my short hair for over two years now and while I don't miss the weight and the unnecessary heat my super long hair brought, I do miss all the different looks I could come up with it. Madison from Irresistible Me must've sensed my slight distress (she's part psychic) and asked if I wanted to try their clip-in hair extensions.
I chose Silky Natural Black in 24 inches, 200g ($219) from their Silky Touch Line because according to their site, it's the easiest to use by beginners and looks most natural.
Silky Touch is our best-selling line. These 100% Remy human hair extensions are fantastic quality for a friendly price and can be very easily washed, heat styled, cut and colored to blend in your hair perfectly. The thickness of the hair decreases slightly towards the ends just like normal hair does which will provide a completely natural look while wearing them.
WHAT'S INSIDE
- 100% Indian Remy human hair extensions
- 200 g sets (10 pieces)
- 1 pc of 4 clips (7.5") very thick!
- 2 pcs of 3 clips (6") only received 1 piece in the box.
- 5 pcs of 2 clips (4")
- 2 pcs of 1 clip (1.2")
WHAT WORKED FOR ME
As I've mentioned I've never tried clip-in extensions or hair extensions period. So it was a challenge for me to put them on. I tried placing it every which way on my head and for the life of me, I could not get it to blend in.
My short hair kept peeking through despite the numerous tutorials I've tried. It's possible that I need more pieces for it to blend in better OR I need to give the extensions a trim so the layers would be more evened-out so it can cascade naturally. Curling it was a big help. Here are the tutorials that helped me tremendously.
The second video's result is what I achieved.
My braids look a little dead because the hairspray I used wasn't very good. Any suggestions?
My head did feel heavy, I mean what do you expect? I did put 200g on it. It didn't hurt as much as I thought it would. If you have sensitive scalp and brittle hair I wouldn't recommend clip-in extensions, as they might weigh your hair down and make it more prone to breakage.
CONCLUSION
For people who want more volume and/or length Irresistible Me has a wide range of hair colours with varying lengths and weight. The length might be a little longer than what's advertised. I think the measurement doesn't start until after the clips. Which isn't a bad thing at all (more hair for you!)
Customer service is top-notch as well. Just email them for help about proper care or application etc and they're right on it. (Had a bit of trouble with the postal office and they kindly helped me with it!)
As for quality, I've washed it, coloured it, put styling products and used heat tools. They seem to be taking the damage well. They're great quality but I have to remind you to take extra care of any kind of hair extensions especially those made from real hair. Shampoo, treat and brush it very carefully so it lasts longer.
They're very natural-looking and when you get the hang of it and know what works best for you, it's such a fun way to change up your look from time to time. Your friends' and families' faces when they see you is a treat as well. I might just grow my hair out more or take the plunge and have it shaped at the salon. Either way I'll be keeping them and I'll wear the heck out of them until I decide to change my hair colour again. :)
xx,
CJ
PS. Good hairspray. Non-aerosol please!
PPS. The postal office taxed me when it was a gift!
PPPS. You can tease the roots first if your hair is super smooth. I only did it once because couldn't handle the tangles after I took out the extensions.
Irresistable Me Website | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest
The week of trial finally came to a close. No, this isn't some tragic story. I'm talking about the BDJ 7-day challenge wherein a subbie uses one/a couple of products for seven days straight. And I'm here to recap the entire experience.
Day 2 Asian Secrets Lulur Face Scrub (Php 120/100g)
It's a slightly liquid-y consistency compared to the St. Ives "sensitive-skin" scrub but it's as gentle . I can easily use this for everyday and I have throughout the rest of the week.
Day 3 Revlon Highlighting palette (Php 625/7g)
Like I mentioned in my instagram post, this highlighter reminded me of the Bobbie Brown shimmer bricks. It was even touted as an affordable dupe to it.
At first I wasn't into the whole subtle highlight shtick this does but after a while I grew to appreciate it. If used in photo shoots I don't think it will be as obvious but it works perfect for everyday.
Day 4 - Day 7 Scrub galore
After using the Asian Secrets Lulur facial scrub everyday twice a day, it still wasn't abrasive enough to make my skin feel raw or dry it out. The creamy base made it perfectly light against the skin while still micro-exfoliating with its beads.
The MyChoice bubble salt scrub was written as something that can be used for everyday and I think that's a bit too much. The salt does hurt after a few days of continued use (at least for my skin) and I suggest to limit this or any salt body scrub to once every three days. It does smell really good and when hit with water suds up a little, which is where the "Bubble" aspect of it comes from (I guess?). This does leave the skin uber soft and supple plus MyChoice products are all-natural which is absolutely amazing apart from the fact that they're really affordable.
This concludes my #bdj7day experience. Have you done this 7 day challenge before? Have you tried the #BDJbox yet? What do you think about subscription boxes? Let me know in the comments below!
xx,
CJ
This was my second box and suffice to say I thoroughly enjoyed this one most since I made use of almost everything compared to the Pond's exclusive one (But I did give away the mascara, Mustela and a couple of scrubs). Most of the products I used were for body care and I had been very diligent during that week in terms of scrubbing and polishing my skin.
Day 1 MyChoice Bubble Salt Scrub (Php 100/225g)
The smell reminds me of melon candy and I really really really really really likeyou it. It's dry salt scrub inside the squeeze tube which I found weird at first but I understood why it didn't use the typical tub packaging — water won't go in as easily compared to the tub-style one.
The smell reminds me of melon candy and I really really really really really like
Day 2 Asian Secrets Lulur Face Scrub (Php 120/100g)
It's a slightly liquid-y consistency compared to the St. Ives "sensitive-skin" scrub but it's as gentle . I can easily use this for everyday and I have throughout the rest of the week.
Day 3 Revlon Highlighting palette (Php 625/7g)
Like I mentioned in my instagram post, this highlighter reminded me of the Bobbie Brown shimmer bricks. It was even touted as an affordable dupe to it.
At first I wasn't into the whole subtle highlight shtick this does but after a while I grew to appreciate it. If used in photo shoots I don't think it will be as obvious but it works perfect for everyday.
Day 4 - Day 7 Scrub galore
After using the Asian Secrets Lulur facial scrub everyday twice a day, it still wasn't abrasive enough to make my skin feel raw or dry it out. The creamy base made it perfectly light against the skin while still micro-exfoliating with its beads.
The MyChoice bubble salt scrub was written as something that can be used for everyday and I think that's a bit too much. The salt does hurt after a few days of continued use (at least for my skin) and I suggest to limit this or any salt body scrub to once every three days. It does smell really good and when hit with water suds up a little, which is where the "Bubble" aspect of it comes from (I guess?). This does leave the skin uber soft and supple plus MyChoice products are all-natural which is absolutely amazing apart from the fact that they're really affordable.
This concludes my #bdj7day experience. Have you done this 7 day challenge before? Have you tried the #BDJbox yet? What do you think about subscription boxes? Let me know in the comments below!
xx,
CJ
Website : http://bjdbox.com
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/bdjbox
Twitter : https://twitter.com/bdjbox
Instagram : @bdjbox
In my arsenal of bases this one doesn't offer the most coverage, or rather it's completely non-existent.
That was a bit of an exaggeration, so let's go with sheer to light coverage. I bought this on sale at Watsons as my official initiation to the brand and it wasn't love at first try, let me tell you that much. Currently, I'm treating this as my sunscreen as it has SPF 50 PA+++(Protection Grade of UV-A), one of the highest I've tried in BB creams.
At 20 g/.07 oz it's light and doesn't take up space in my bag. The white and pink scheme is pleasing to the eyes too.
Consistency is creamy and thick but doesn't feel heavy on the skin. It also has a very slight floral-like scent when you get really close. Application-wise is ok, it blends nicely, a little at a time with fingers, brush or sponge. It sets to a nice dewy and natural finish on me, albeit still a tiny bit tacky.
As you can see, it just lightened my skin by about 2-3 shades. I noticed some grayish areas when I tried this on my face, probably due to the pink undertone of this BB. The whiteness tones down after 5-10 minutes and of course you can always color-correct with a powder.
Let's look at the claims.
Now, it definitely brightened my skin tone instantly but I'm skeptical on the skin lightening after said 10 day period. It has, as I said a slight tacky finish so setting this is non-negotiable if you're oily so the non-sticky finish claim is a definite stretch. I imagine this to be a good base for other creams or liquid bases because of its tackiness, it just has to set completely otherwise it would just move the BB and the other base on your face. It looks good under powder foundations/setting powders though.
Oil control is virtually non-existent as well, but one thing I commend this on is its lasting power. It stayed on for about 2 hours set with a powder under a typical humid day (Note: I sweat a lot and I have an oily t-zone) before it started to show signs of fading .
For 199 Philippine Pesos/PHP with 20g I would recommend it as a moisturizing SPF for dry skinned people. It's also very travel friendly and can act as a suitable primer for powders. But if you're looking for coverage this isn't it.
Now, would I repurchase? No. Since I treat this solely as my SPF, I much prefer lighter, water-based formulas.
Have you tried this BB cream or have you tried any bases from ZA?
That was a bit of an exaggeration, so let's go with sheer to light coverage. I bought this on sale at Watsons as my official initiation to the brand and it wasn't love at first try, let me tell you that much. Currently, I'm treating this as my sunscreen as it has SPF 50 PA+++(Protection Grade of UV-A), one of the highest I've tried in BB creams.
At 20 g/.07 oz it's light and doesn't take up space in my bag. The white and pink scheme is pleasing to the eyes too.
Consistency is creamy and thick but doesn't feel heavy on the skin. It also has a very slight floral-like scent when you get really close. Application-wise is ok, it blends nicely, a little at a time with fingers, brush or sponge. It sets to a nice dewy and natural finish on me, albeit still a tiny bit tacky.
As you can see, it just lightened my skin by about 2-3 shades. I noticed some grayish areas when I tried this on my face, probably due to the pink undertone of this BB. The whiteness tones down after 5-10 minutes and of course you can always color-correct with a powder.
Let's look at the claims.
Now, it definitely brightened my skin tone instantly but I'm skeptical on the skin lightening after said 10 day period. It has, as I said a slight tacky finish so setting this is non-negotiable if you're oily so the non-sticky finish claim is a definite stretch. I imagine this to be a good base for other creams or liquid bases because of its tackiness, it just has to set completely otherwise it would just move the BB and the other base on your face. It looks good under powder foundations/setting powders though.
Oil control is virtually non-existent as well, but one thing I commend this on is its lasting power. It stayed on for about 2 hours set with a powder under a typical humid day (Note: I sweat a lot and I have an oily t-zone) before it started to show signs of fading .
For 199 Philippine Pesos/PHP with 20g I would recommend it as a moisturizing SPF for dry skinned people. It's also very travel friendly and can act as a suitable primer for powders. But if you're looking for coverage this isn't it.
Now, would I repurchase? No. Since I treat this solely as my SPF, I much prefer lighter, water-based formulas.
Have you tried this BB cream or have you tried any bases from ZA?
xx,
CJ
Well just one actually...so brush not brushes. Hmm yeah...ok.
So when I chanced upon this brush, I had to get it because.
- My ELF flat top brush has been monstrously resurrected after I attempted to prolong its life using pliers on the ferrule.
- It's synthetic hence perfect for creams and liquids.
- The hairs are red.
- It's cheap at around 130-180 Philippine Pesos/PHP
Truth be told, I wasn't sold on the color initially. I mean, metallic red? Welcome to tacky-ville. But as I held it firm upon my mortal hands it seemed more eye catching than black or white (my usual brush color preference).
I've had it for close to a year now I believe, and it hasn't shed or bled (contrary to the striking red brush hair) at all. There were admittedly 1 or 2 instances I had to pluck a stray out of place but that was it.
I also put the synthetic aspect of the brush under neutral as some people like natural hair. I think the same too when it comes to picking up powder - natural is the best BUT taking care of them is a hassle compared to synthetic ones - whose hairs keep their shape longer even with just minimal care.
Bottomline, I recommend this brush or any brush for that matter you can find at The Landmark. I haven't tried all of them, but I'm sure they're ok for the price. I've tried some testers of the kabuki brushes there and they're SUPER soft, as soft as the ELF kabuki brush (for reference).
Have you tried some brushes there?
xx,
CJ
PS. Hooray for awkward intros. NOT. Seriously sometimes I just don't know how to open my posts, doyafeelme?
PPS. So I've heard The Landmark tried to sell some replica Real Technique brushes. I read somewhere that someone liked it and it wasn't bad. For the price, I bet it wasn't. :) I wouldn't mind buying those too! Haha #realTalk Seriously though, even if it said dingdong brushes, I'd still get them.