Lullabies and Lippies

Especially for makeup newbies, I know how intimidating it can be to walk into a department store looking for a certain product – say, an everyday blush color – without knowing which brand to check out first. Knowing which beauty products to splurge or save on can take a lot of research, years of experimenting, and most likely, a significant amount of money. I've put together a short guide based on my experience to offer you some perspective to help you decide which products you can splurge, or skimp on.

Skincare: Splurge

Good skin is an investment. If you have good skin, anything looks good on you – that's my belief. Good skin means you can get away with wearing as little makeup as possible. In the long run, this saves you a lot of money and prep time in the morning. Department store brands (i.e., higher-end brands) offer a wide range of skincare products catered to different skin types. Skincare products which are formulated for a particular skin type work better than generic products. So, go on, splurge on this one.

Foundation: Splurge

Next to skincare, I think foundation is the beauty product most worthy of a splurge. Sadly, not all of us are blessed with good skin, even if we use very good skincare products. The good news is that we can cheat using a good foundation! Higher-end brands offer a wider shade range with varying finishes – from a more natural finish to one with more coverage. More importantly, higher-end products generally use better, skin-loving ingredients, so you can be sure your foundation isn't making the condition of your skin worse. As with good skin, if you have a good base (i.e., foundation), the rest of your makeup will look good.

Concealer: Save

Save your money on this one, ladies. If you have a good base, then concealer should just be an 'add-on' product to enhance your look. (Think: extra fries to go with your burger.) I find that drugstore options are sufficient to give you that extra kick of coverage or brightness and to hide that zit!

Blush: Splurge

For the most part, department store brands offer a wider variety of blush colors in different formulas and finishes. My experience with blushes from the drugstore have not been all that great – they either lack pigmentation or come across as chalky. If you find a good blush with a good formula, you won't need to pile on layers upon layers upon layers just to get the color to show up. In this way, a pan of blush will last you forever, so I think it's worth the splurge.

Lipstick, Eyeshadow, Eyeliner: Save

Once in a while, it's fun to experiment with a new lip color, eyeshadow shade, or eyeliner formulation. If you want to try out say, a new lip color, and maybe you're not quite sure if you'll end up liking it in the long-run, I suggest to scout the drugstore for more wallet-friendly options. This way, if it doesn't work out for you, then you won't feel that bad about not using it up. Also, when it comes to these three things, drugstore brands have it pretty much up to par with department store brands in terms of color variety, as well as quality.

Mascara: Save

The shelf-life of any mascara is at most six months, no matter how much you paid for it. The insides of your mascara tube are dark and damp, and because you're constantly opening and pumping air into it, it becomes susceptible to bacteria growth. For this reason, I advise against stretching out its shelf-life. Because this is something you're constantly tossing out, it's definitely more practical to pick up your mascara from the drugstore. Besides, I've found a number of drugstore mascaras to work just as well (if not better than) department store brands!

I'd love to hear which products you usually splurge on! Let me know in the Comments section below.

❤,

Disclaimer: This is a re-post. My original post is published on Zalora PH Community. All images used in this entry are from the original. (View post here)

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I know, I know, it's been ages since my last entry. Between submitting weekly articles to Zalora and my day job, I haven't been able to post proper entries here. Let me make it up to you! In the meantime, while I'm still adjusting to the swing of things, I'll be reposting some of my Zalora articles on here, just so you have some form of entertainment. Bear with me? :)

Original content was published on Zalora Community PH a month ago (link to original post is here). Only minor edits were done to make the entry more timely. :)

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The holidays are officially in full-swing! Whether it's a gathering with friends or family, one thing’s for sure: photos will be taken – and lots of it.

Getting your makeup to look good in person is easy. Getting it to look good in photos is a whole different story. The harsh flash from cameras can flatten out your features and make you look dull. Terrible indoor lighting doesn’t help either!

… But worry not! I’ve put together a guide to make sure you’re photo-ready from here on out. :)

Avoid products with SPF content

Stay away from products which contain sunscreen. Since they’re made to shield your skin from the harsh rays of the sun, these types of products will typically give you a white cast in flash photography, making you appear ghostly. Some foundations do contain sunscreen in them. I’d say an SPF of lower than 15 is generally okay to use, but I’d steer clear just to be safe. Opt for foundations especially formulated for flash photography! (Tip: They’ll usually have the words HD, or photo finish affixed somewhere in their name.)

Keep it matte

Products which contain high levels of shimmer bounce off the light that comes from the flash of the camera. When this happens, the color is lost, and your features are flattened, defeating the purpose of putting makeup on in the first place. Matte shades are your best bet for flash photography – be it your eyeshadow, blush, or lipstick.

Contour

So, we’ve established that flash photography can make your features look a lot less defined than in real life. Aside from opting for matte products, contouring is key in bringing out your features a little bit more. Contouring is basically emphasizing the natural hollows of your face – in short, shading in where your face naturally sinks in i.e., under your cheekbones, around your temples and jawline, and down the sides of your nose. I promise you, it makes a world of a difference. This makes you look up to five pounds slimmer, too!

Brow up!

Filled-in brows provide a nice frame for your entire face. Because you’re going to be dealing with flash photography, kick it up a notch and go a bit bolder than you normally would! This keeps the focus on your face.

Go a bit bolder on everything

Where makeup and flash photography is concerned, the general rule of thumb is to add a little more than you normally would. Flash photography can take away a good amount of color – so go a bit heavier on… well, everything. Make sure not to go overboard, and…

Take a test shot

Before heading out, take a test selfie! Make sure to take one with the flash on. This way, you can check and still make some last minute adjustments to get your makeup looking exactly how you want it to.

Above all, smile!

Makeup is great, but there’s nothing quite like a smile to ensure you nail that shot every single time!

Lily Collins is one celebrity whose makeup is always on-point.

Where’s your first party this season? Let me know in the comments down below!

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It’s no secret: I love online shopping. In fact, that’s how I do most of my shopping these days! I mean, really, what can’t you get over the Internet? A lot of times too, you score even better deals online than you do at the mall! Sites such as, say, Zalora and Lazada – sometimes, the deals they offer you are really ridiculous!

So, let’s see, no sitting in traffic, no long queues at the cashier, and huge discounts. The best part about online shopping? You can totally do it at home, in your pajamas.

But what if I told you, you could also get paid to shop online? Nope, I haven’t gone completely bonkers (yet!)

Let me explain - it’s this new site I’ve just discovered called ShopBack, a Singaporean site that just recently launched in the Philippines. Basically, it’s a site that gives you access to the best deals in hundreds of online stores – stores which include Zalora, Lazada, and Ensogo. Aside from the usual deals you get from these sites, ShopBack gives you additional discount in the form of cashback! Where’d the cashback come from? That’s really just ShopBack sharing with us a portion of the commission it earns from their partner online shops. I mean, it’s practically the same thing as being paid to shop, right?

Say, just yesterday, I was able to score a good deal on Lazada for two (2) Nextbook 8GB Tablets for only PHP4,799. And since ShopBack offers a 6% cashback on these items, I received PHP273 in my account which I chose to redeem via bank deposit (PayPal is another option!) Effectively, I paid only PHP4,526 for two tablets. Two. TWO! That’s less than PHP2,300 a piece! I know, saying it out loud sounds crazy! Head on over to their site to check out all Lazada promotions and discount codes, and gain access to cashback!

It’s the easiest thing – just log on to your ShopBack account, click on to any one of their partner online shops, then shop as you normally would!

You can easily track your total earnings by viewing your Cashback Summary. The summary also tells you when exactly and how much you can already redeem from your account. Pretty nifty, right?

Try it to believe it! Just sign up thru my link shopback.ph/heynicoleyu and instantly get a PHP250 sign up bonus (broken down into P150 upon sign up and P100 after your first purchase). My makeup and travel-obsessed self loves Luxola and Agoda.com, but sometimes, I morph into a tita and gush over home & living accessories at Lazada! Online shopping made even better.

What will your first ShopBack purchase be? Let me know in the comments section below!

Happy shopping!

❤,
N

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One of my 2015 New Year Resolutions is to take better care of my skin. Happy to report that not only have I gotten my skincare regimen down to a T (which I talk about here), but I've also been quite religious about it! Another step I've taken is to trade in some of my make-up for new ones which are infused with skin-loving ingredients. I love it when brands do that - it almost feels like skincare and make-up in one, so it makes you look good and feel good. :) My pick for these types of products is Happy Skin Cosmetics.

Happy Skin is the brainchild of Proud Pinays Jacque Yuengtian-Gutierrez and Rissa Mananquil-Trillo whose promise was to bring us “best skin-caring make-up products.” Since its launch in October 2013, the brand has released an extensive line of products infused with healthy, skin-loving ingredients such as Shea Butter, Collagen, Argan Oil, Cherry Blossom Extracts, and Hyaluronic Acid.

My favorite item from their product line-up is their Shut Up & Kiss Me Moisturizing Lipstick of which I have quite a few shades. Actually, I have seven. I swear I haven’t gone crazy (yet), but they’re my absolute faves! They give you everything – moisture, shine, and color. Infused with Shea Butter and Collagen, these lippies sure keep your lips nice and nourished without compromising color payoff. Color payoff is insane! I find with most shades I have (and others which I’ve swatched in stores), one swipe is enough to give you an opaque color. (I’ll show you in the swatches down below!) I cannot stand the look and feel of dry lips underneath lipstick, so I usually apply lip balm first before going in with any lipstick. These, however, are so moisturizing that I find I’m able to skip the lip balm and just go straight in with this. I’m always, always rushing in the morning to leave for work, so I’m more than happy to be able to skip an extra step! The Shea Butter and the Collagen in these do something magical to your lips – they just glide on perfectly without accentuating dry patches or lines. I think the Collagen plumps up the lips so that the lines seem less obvious, making your lips look that much healthier. I get about a good three or four hours wear with these before I have to reapply, which I’d say is pretty good wear time for lipsticks this moisturizing!

The line consists of an extensive color range from nudes to mauves to peaches to pinks to reds to plums to terracotta and to everything in between! Majority of these lipsticks come in a satin finish, so they provide a nice shine on your lips. Recently though, they've launched a matte formula which promises to be matte AND moisturizing at the same time! I usually stay away from mattes since I don't like the dryness that comes with it, but I am pumped to give these a whirl. :)

Another thing I love is the packaging on these. They come in a jumbo twist-up crayon form reminiscent of the Clinique Chubby Sticks which makes application so easy! Just putting it out there, too, that the packaging of the entire range of Happy Skin products is adorable with the quirkiest product names. Get this – they have a Don’t Get Mad, Get Even foundation, a Get Cheeky With Me blush, and a Make A Clean Sweep micellar make-up cleanser. Precious! Reminds me a lot of Benefit.

These lippies retail for about P549 to P649 each, depending on the shade you're getting. They're on the pricier side for local cosmetics, but for the quality you're getting, I think they're totally worth it. Happy Skin products are available at Plains and Prints stores nationwide, and also in select Rustans locations. I usually get mine in-store so I can try the products firsthand. If you prefer to do a little bit of research first and browse through other products, ZALORA offers many different make-up brands with skin-loving ingredients including Happy Skin. While I enjoy collecting make-up, I do do my homework first before actually purchasing them. See? I haven't gone completely bonkers. ;)

L-R: 1-Crushing On You, 2-The Morning After, 3-Style Icon, 4-Valentine Kiss, 5-24 Carat, 6-My First Time, 7-Red Carpet; all one swipe only. Multiple swipes done next to each other to make swatches more visible. Multiple swipes are done next to each other, never one on top of the other. :)

Valentine Kiss mixed with Crushing On You, blended in with my finger. No filter, in natural daylight. :)

Have you tried these lippies yet? What are your favorite shades?

❤,

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