Eye Candy: Milani Quads

To those in the know, Milani stands out as one of the better drugstore brands in the US. It's not as heavily promoted worldwide as Revlon or Maybelline but their products are definitely worth keeping (especially if you are the sort who would NOT want to break the bank just for MAKEUP!) Among the brand's most popular products would have to be the eyeshadows. I discovered this because an online friend gave me a Milani eyeshadow quad palette as freebie for something I purchased from her. It was then when I learned how great these are. In fact, many of these eyeshadows (esp. the single e/s) are identified as dupes of the more expensive MAC e/s. Yes, they are that pigmented and vibrant!

 

I was so satisfied with THAT freebie that I got myself two other palettes. Hope I'd be able to score the other palettes too. I swear after discovering Milani e/s, I never felt compelled again to buy another Revlon (which I find expensive in the Phils.) or Maybelline e/s quad.

I have the Earthly Delights (Top), Sedona Sunset (Bottom Left) and Autumn Earth (Bottom Right) palettes. I chose these because they had shades that will complement my usual work clothes.

 

 I was only able to take swatches of the Sedona Sunset palette though. I will work on getting swatches of the others as soon as time permits :P  In my opinion, this is a decent and practical neutral e/s palette.  It includes a highlighter, two shimmer eye shadows, and one with matte finish.

 

 

 

And did I mention that each of these are sold at only Php 140 in Ebay?! 

Tata! 

Zoom In On: Smashbox Fusion Eye and Cheek Color in Heat Wave

Smashbox is one of the brands that are sold in Beauty Bar. Reviews for the Smashbox brand are varied. Some claimed that it is overrated and that its makeup products are not that spectacular while others say that their items deserve the not-so-friendly-to-the-wallet price tags.

Net Weight: 12 oz. , 3.4 g
Shelf Life: 12 months

This review will center on the Fusion Eye and Cheek Color which I initially liked because of the versatility of the palette. This includes three complementary shades that can be individually used as eyeshadows or blush. A blush brush can also be swiped across all three colors to create a nice blush shade.

Yay!:

• This features a screw-type lid cover. This is an advantage because it ensures that it would not be accidentally opened keeping the product that it housed more securely.
• The lid also has a clear glass on its surface which makes it easier to glimpse the shades in the palette. (Would be especially helpful if you have more than one versions of this)
• The shades are designed to complement each other so no need to fuss about whether or not they can be used together. 
• When used as eyeshadows, they have decent staying power. Based on experience, they lasted for about 4-5 hours on my not-to-oily lids with only an eyeshadow base used with it. Among the three, I like using the third shade, the most pigmented one, the most. I also use the uppermost shade as an all-over lid color. 
• Very travel-friendly packaging. 
• Does not have any bothersome scent.

Nay!:

• The lid cover can be very inconvenient to open as it features a screw-type design. This is especially so when you are in a hurry or if your hands are both occupied.
• Except for the lowermost shade, pigmentation is so-so. 
• Poor staying power when used as a blush. However, this might last longer on gals who stay inside airconditioned rooms most of the day. 
• The item is small making it a bit difficult to swirl one’s blush brush on it. 
• Fall-outs can be seen when dipping a blush or eyeshadow brush on it.
• Almost as expensive as MAC, which has better e/s and blush. 

Thanks chicas!Ciao!

Zoom In On: Nyx Eyeshadow Trio in Hippie Chic

Aside from their round lipsticks, beauty bloggers all over the world also rave about the eyeshadows of Nyx. In fact, Nyx and Milani are identified as two drugstores brands that have products that are comparable to high-end MAC. During one of my many trips to Cebu, I chanced upon Nyx in a local department store. I scored some lippies and the eyeshadow trio that time.

Since I have already reviewed the Nyx lippies, I will now be reviewing the eyeshadow trio in Hippie Chic that I got. This trio consists of a shimmer gold, green and light purple shades.



Here are my thoughts about this trio:

• The three shades have a shimmery finish.
• The texture of these e/s are creamy especially the shimmer gold. (Comparable to that of Stila if I may say.)
• Uber pigmented. A single dab of an e/s brush would already pack in too much color.
• Relatively long-lasting when used with an eyeshadow base or primer. I did not see any crease in my e/s for five hours when I wore this. ( But then again, I do not have uber oily eyelids which is the reason why I haven’t felt the need to buy UDPP until now.)
• The packaging is nice. It houses a mirror and a dual-ended sponge eyeshadow applicator. It also features a clear window in its front casing like the ELF studio blushes which enables us to see the shades of e/s inside. This is a plus for me as it eliminates the need of having to open the palettes every time we look for a particular shade.
• This is such a travel-friendly eyeshadow palette.
• Affordable. Got this at Php 250 only.
  

While I generally liked this, I am not able to use it as frequently as I wanted to since I prefer wearing neutral e/s to work or e/s with shades that are similar to any of our four official work uniforms.

So would I recommend this? Yes! Just make sure to choose the palette that includes shades that you would be able to wear regularly.

Zoom In On: MAC Viva Glam Warm Lip Palette

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Zoom In On: Stila All Dolled Up Eyeshadow Palette

An online friend texted me two weeks ago and excitedly informed me that the widely-popular Stilla All Dolled Up Eyeshadow Palette is now in Manila. She asked me if I wanted her to get one for me. I initially hesitate because then, I did not know much about Stila and about this palette. I’ve heard of the brand but I was not really that interested to try it out. My friend said that these palettes will be limited edition and that it was expected that before the week would end, all of the palettes would have been sold. Her enthusiasm bowled me over and so I decided to get one and see for myself what the fuss was about.

When I had this in my hands, I was so ecstatic. Imagine spending only Php 1,250 and getting 12 highly-pigmented colors that are very easy to blend? Another high point for me is the fact that I have the exact same palette that Temptalia raved about and the forever-OOS item that a million of girls worldwide have searched high and low to buy. I consider this one of my make-up best buys indeed. The colors are varied. Some can be worn during the day while the others are more appropriate for night outs making this a truly versatile palette. Most, if not all, shades are shimmery so if you’re a gal who prefers matte shadows, this is not for you. Personally, I don’t mind since there are some shades that have low-intensity shimmers and I can get away with wearing them even in broad daylight. The pink hologram Barbie cover is also very attractive and appealed greatly to my typical “girly-girl” self. The shadows tend to crumble easily though so it is a must to handle this item with utmost care.   

Ciao!