From Manila with Love

It's hot. No it's excruciatingly hot this summer in the Philippines. The highest temperature so far has been 34°F this summer and I don't doubt it.

While we are all content on just using sunblock whenever we go to the pool or beach we actually need sunblock even when it's not sunny or we're just indoors. The sun's UV rays penetrate the curtains/blinds and even our own home lights and computer monitors emit UV radiation that cause harm and skin darkening (which explains why some people look gaunt and gray after spending the whole day facing the computer).

It's been a hot minute since my last blogger "event" so I was pretty happy to go last April 24th for a little sparty courtesy of Dermplus (JLC Miller & Co., Inc) which was held at the charming little Manos Nail Lounge at BGC Taguig.

I wasn't a complete stranger to their products because I've used the X80 before in my Zambales adventure.

The event started a little late so I had more than enough time to take some photos here and there, which wasn't taxing because the place was cozy and sparingly decorated with lovely pieces I'd love to ~~steal~~ take home if I could.

Here they are presenting the importance of sunblock/sunscreen and their latest additions to the line — Dermplus Invisilite Sunblock Spray and Dermplus AfterSun Hydrating Body Gel.

The new Invisilite Sunblock Spray is invisible on the skin with 50++ total protection factor while the AfterSun Hydrating Body Gel cools and soothes the skin after prolonged sun exposure/sunburn (This one feels really good on the skin. It smells light and refreshing too.)

Their latest campaign "Enjoy the Sun" perfectly resonates with their products. With the combined protection against UVB and UVA rays, moisturizing properties to soothe the skin and water resistant properties for your water adventures, this PABA-free* dermatologically tested sunblock receives an A++ in by book.

John Uy the new Dermplus ambassador sharing his experience in using Dermplus products.

My second time bumping into Genzel and my first time meeting Nica.

Thanks to Mikee for the invite. I'd say it was fairly successful for your first blogger event! The food was lovely and the hand massage even more so.

This cute press kit sand pail will be coming with me whenever I go to a beach. I know I'll use every last one of the sunblocks you've gifted especially this summer.

How often do you apply sunblock? Did you know that you get skin damage from computer screens? Yikes right?

*PABA = Para Amino Benzoic Acid a sun protection ingredient that frequently causes allergic reactions.

xx,
CJ

PS. Went to have a little fun chat with Nica after the event.

What's your stand on copy-cat companies? You know the ones that release products that look similar or exactly identical to another brand's?

If you've read my recent haul here, I've finally acquired the number one (in terms of bases) cosmetic darling in Korea that's also currently gaining traction in the US — the cushion base.

This beyond pretty compact reminds me of Harley Quinn and Harlequin (not to be confused with the books) and I love the design to bits as if you can't tell by now.

Going back to my opening statement, companies do copy other brands, especially if they've come up with something new, innovative and/or highly salable.

High Beam - Benefit | Beat the Blues - MeMeMe | Golden Ratio "Face Glam" - Etude House

And obviously this compact is no different. This one is actually an exact copy of the "Hera" limited edition compact I've been lemming ever since I saw it online a couple of years ago. As I've said before in one of my posts, I don't know if I'm happy that they outrightly copy on the other hand it makes for some friendly competition and more affordable options.

This CC cream has 15 grams, typical amount for most cushion bases I've seen and includes a refill cushion in the box. I'm in the darkest shade (#23) and you guessed it, it's still too light.

The compact is sturdy enough. Not that it's a little flimsy but it does wobble when you turn the mirror enclosure from side-to-side — naturally. Duh CJ.

This "air-puff" business is new to me. The texture is quite different from the other "regular" puffs including Korean ones that I've tried. It's like it doesn't absorb that much product which should be a good thing but I don't like this particular puff very much. I guess I'm just not used to applying base products a little at a time. I've tried a synthetic buffing brush and it works quite well with it.

Germophobes won't be able to stand the sight of a soaked sponge that you dip your puff into periodically during the day. I honestly wasn't too concerned about that when cushions first came out.

As you can see it's very sheer but easy enough to apply. I have to warn you though, this isn't a summer CC cream. It doesn't blend easily onto the skin because of heat outside and/or your body.

TIP:

Apply sparingly and in light sheer layers, wait to dry then apply more if needed.
Set immediately as this leaves a dewy finish.
To avoid cakey-ness use as a primer similar to the texture of your base.
Use a synthetic brush and buff in for faster application.

Here it is on my face. I have a lot of redness on the sides of my nose and some on my cheeks (left image) . Aside from the fact that it made me about 100 shades lighter, it was able to neutralize the redness (right image) and lighten my bags a smidgen.

The color does settle and darken after a while but it's still noticeably lighter.

Here is my look after neutralizing the liquid base with a darker face powder, adding some blush, eyeliner and putting on a tonne of highlighter. The CC cream has a pink/neutral tone to it so some areas of my face appear grayish especially in person. My skintone is yellow-olive so my face bases have to have enough yellow and/or yellow-green tones in it.

It wears the whole day but doesn't look as good as initially applied under the current heatwave.

I would recommend it to people who live in cooler places and like dewy and sheer finishes. Add to the reasonably affordable price of ~~$14.66~~ $8.80 plus the discount code (CJSH10) and free shipping it's a pretty good bargain if only just for the compact itself. You can just put in your preferred foundation/bb/cc (which is what I did after reviewing it :P ).

xx,

PS. What's your stand on copy-cat companies/products?

PSS. What do you think of cushion makeup in general?

Price : From $14.66 it's currently $8.80
Link to product : http://www.bornprettystore.com/whitening-round-cream-cream-portable-moisture-cover-blemish-balm-colors-p-18345.html
Website : http://bornprettystore.com
Instagram : @bornprettymua

This has been my go-to palette for nights out, day time, events and what have you. Apart from being sleek-looking and compact, the quad is definitely a no-brainer neutral palette. Especially since it has the names on the lid.

PACKAGING

KATE Tokyo's brand is very sleek, modern, sophisticated with none of the frilly, girly and "kawaii" we tend to associate when we think "Japanese makeup". This is because they cater to the more "mature" modern woman on-the-go, making the aesthetic of the makeup straight-forward.

The ingredient list and instructions at the back of the quad and the plastic box it came in was in Japanese which might irk people who want to know more about the ingredients.

The sponge applicator is useful! Don't dismiss it like you would your super annoying friend just yet.

PERFORMANCE

The shadows are soft, easy to blend and pigmented --The last two shades especially. You'd have to use a primer to make the white show up very white but the three shades are pigmented enough on their own as evidenced by the swatch.

Yes all shades are shimmery. You can't tell by the picture though. There's glossy light (the iridescent pink), base color (light white-pink), medium color (bronze) and dark color (dark warm brown) all have pink and white shimmers in them. Yay shimmer!

SPOTLIGHTING SHADOW?

The "spotlighting" in the name comes from the glossy light shadow - a pink iridescent shade you put on top of another shadow. Very much like a top coat on nails, it just adds more shimmer/light hence the "spotlighting".

Aside from white and pink I think this one has magenta shimmers. It's very soft as evidenced again by the dent on my palette. Because they are soft (this shade especially), they tend to get fall outs if you're not careful and you'll have shimmer where you don't want to. Tapping off the excess on the brush helps, but I advice to use your fingers instead then pat it on.

The color shows up more and applies better when using the fingers anyway. If you don't want to use your fingers the sponge applicator included works well with it. Here's a typical eye look I do using the dark color , base and glossy light shades.

I used the dark color with the base color and glossy light in the middle.

I recommend this for minimalists, working women and of course beginners. I didn't think this would be a staple in my makeup arsenal since the all shimmer palette threw me for bit. The shimmers of the darker shades aren't obvious in pictures but they're really pretty IRL.

What's your go-to, no-brainer compact palette? And maybe an eye look? Let me know below!

Price: Php 960
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/katephilippines
Website : http://www.kate-global.net/en/katetokyo/index.html

Disclaimer : I got this palette from the Kate Tokyo Bloggers event last year (Yeah I know! Super belated review). Thanks Kate Tokyo loves!

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