The Bitch is back!: Makeup

2017 Korean Product Festival

Beauty 7/17/2017 02:56:00 PM

One of the Philippines’ most anticipated annual product festivals, the 2017 Korean Product Festival, was held at SM Aura's SMX Convention Center. It ran from July 14 to 16, and I was lucky enough to get invited as a blogger. The event aims to support and encourage Korean companies to enter our local market as well as promote their brand and products. This year’s participants came in a huge variety: food, cosmetics, IT, construction materials, banking/finance, and more. Hanmirae Food, Bokwangkorea Co., Ltd., Penguin NSF Co., Ltd., among others were the exhibitors. Food concessionaires were also available for everyone to experience the taste of Korean culture.

While the other bloggers and I were at a booth, there was suddenly frantic screaming accompanied by a bunch of teenagers running. Then Harang walked by in front of me. He was at an arms length. Too bad he wasn't looking at my direction. That was the closest I've been to a Korean celebrity.

I like the fact that majority of the brands were offering live demos and free samples of their products for people to try. Some even gave us full sizes for which I am definitely grateful! The photo above is just half of what I received. I got so much stuff it was impossible to fit them in one frame! Thank you!

Of all the items in the 2017 Korean Product festival, I was really looking forward to getting my hands on their skin care products. We all know how amazing and effective they are! And I wasn't disappointed. In this short clip you'll see a live demo of the Dr. Lord Waterdrop Facial Cream which incorporates the waterdrop technology. It instantly transformed to a jelly-like, liquid-ish texture... Like magic!!! Dropping the price tag from 750 PHP to 150 PHP was too good of a deal I had to buy!

I will definitely post individual reviews of all the products I snagged in this event so please stay tuned. Did you miss this convention? Here's to wishing they'd have another one next year! And hopefully, this is the start of something bigger for Korean products here in the Philippines, because I'm pretty sure Filipinos are ready to welcome them with open arms... And open wallets!

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Sponge Wars: Beauty Blender Dupes Below PHP500

Beauty 10/12/2015 04:12:00 PM

Nowadays, makeup sponges are considered a necessity in every makeup junkie's loot. This tool gained so much popularity due to the inception of the most coveted sponge of all, the Holy Grail of all makeup sponges: the Beauty Blender. This product is so remarkable that a lot of companies desperately tried to reproduce a similar item.

I believe anyone reading this will agree that as of the moment, there is nothing that can beat the amazing Beauty Blender. However, I can't deny the fact that there are cheaper alternatives out in the market. If you are in the Philippines, this post will provide details of sponge options that are below Php500.

Other notable items that may not be locally available are the Cynthia Rowley Precision Blending Sponge, and the BH Cosmetics Studio Pro Beauty Blending Sponge. I highly recommend trying them as well. And if you're wondering why the Too Cool for School Marshmallow Puff is not included in this article, that's because it retails for Php650. If you would like to see a review on it please type "Marshmallow Review" in the comments.

A few things to remember on sponge usage:

1. With daily use and given proper care, life of a sponge (in general) should last about 5-6 months.

2. Long nails will puncture/cut any sponge.

3. Always clean a sponge (regardless of the brand) after each use.
4. Use damp to get best results.

Here are the contenders (clockwise in order) : Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge, Bonni Beauty Sponge, Caiqian Sponge, BYS Blending Sponge, and Moonkini Sponge. Review and testing is based on Beauty Blender standards thus, all comments and findings about each product's performance are in comparison to a Beauty Blender.

Note: This is not a sponsored review. All items were purchased using my own money. All sponges were brand new at the start of testing and were used on myself only.

Score/Result scale:

1. High
2. Above Average
3. Average
4. Below Average
5. Low

Toughness scale:
1. Very Tough
2. Slightly Tough
3. Easy
4. Slightly Easy
5. Very Easy

Makeup used:

1. Dollface Cream Corrector and Concealer Palette - applied using a brush, blending using sponge

2. Max Factor FaceFinity Liquid Foundation - 1 pump to a mixing plate, applied and blended using sponge on top of the concealer

Cleaning agents used (mixture):
1. Joy Antibac
2. Johnson's Baby Bath Milk

Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge

Retailing between Php400 to Php500 depending on where you'd order it, this remains at the top of my list. It is by far the best dupe for the Beauty Blender in my opinion. I wouldn't go into detail as there's already an abundance of reviews on this item. Google search should help you find out more information about this product if you're not familiar.

To my horror, the new sponge doesn't seem to have the same quality and texture compared to my earlier purchase. I've heard a lot of similar stories. Pictured on the right is my older RT sponge. If you have the same problem do comment if there's a noticeable difference in makeup application.

BYS Blending Sponge

Dry (Beauty Blender on the left)

Wet (Beauty Blender on the right)

Price: Php299

Purchased from: Watsons
Colors Available: 1

Packaging: Soft plastic box can be reused as desired. I did like the plastic bed it came with (2nd picture) and have decided to keep that instead

Latex feel: Above average, doesn't indicate if sponge is latex-free

Bounciness: Below average, feels full, has tendencies to deform for a few seconds when wet

Growth (when wet): High, grew double the size

Product pick up: Below average, doesn't absorb too much makeup

Product application/blending: Average, gives a sheer finish, covers area faster during foundation application because of bigger base

Cleaning: High, very easy to remove makeup deposit, slightly tough when squeezing water out

Staining: Low

Drying: Average

Stress test: Above average, showed minimal cuts after first wash

Bonni Beauty Sponge

Dry (Beauty Blender on the left)

Wet (Beauty Blender on the left)

Old Packaging Image courtesy of @agoraboutique Instagram

Old Packaging

New Packaging

Price: Php270 per piece, Php500 for 2 pcs (special offer)

Purchased from: Instagram seller @agoraboutique

Colors Available: 1

Packaging: Plastic zip lock bag, can be reused as desired

Latex feel: Average, doesn't indicate if sponge is latex-free

Bounciness: Above average, feels less full

Growth (when wet): High, grew double the size

Product pick up: Average, may absorb liquids a little more

Product application/blending: Above average, gives a sheer finish

Cleaning: Above average, easy to remove makeup deposit, slightly easy to squeeze out water

Staining: Above Average

Drying: Average

Stress test: Below Average, showed minimal cuts after several washes

Caiqian Sponge

Dry (Beauty Blender on the left)

Wet (Beauty Blender on the left)

Price: Php140

Purchased from: Instagram seller @allthingsgirly.ph

Colors Available: a few, cannot chose color upon purchase

Packaging: Hard reusable plastic container similar to cotton buds container, best packaging in my opinion

Latex feel: High, doesn't indicate if sponge is latex-free

Bounciness: Below average, feels very full

Growth (when wet): High, grew double the size

Product pick up: Above average, absorbs liquids more

Product application/blending: Below average, patchy effect, has tendencies of dragging makeup, slightly tough when using under the eyes because of the shape

Cleaning: Below average, slightly tough to remove makeup deposit, very tough when squeezing water out

Staining: High

Drying: Below average

Stress test: High, showed a lot of cuts after first wash

Moonkini Sponge

Dry (Beauty Blender on the left)

Wet (Beauty Blender on the right)

Price: Php150

Purchased from: Facebook seller Le Boutique PH

Colors Available: Several, cannot chose color upon purchase

Packaging: Flimsy plastic box, can be reused as desired

Latex feel: Above average, doesn't indicate if sponge is latex-free

Bounciness: Below average, feels a little full

Growth (when wet): Low, minimal to no almost no growth at all

Product pick up: Average to Above average, may seem to absorb a lot (liquids) but transfers adequate amount of product

Product application/blending: Average, gives translucent finish

Cleaning: Above average, easy to remove makeup deposit, slightly tough when squeezing water out

Staining: Above average

Drying: Above average

Stress test: High, doesn't have any cuts to date

FINAL VERDICT

Remember, results may vary depending on the makeup product used and skin condition. My rating doesn't affect the possibility of repurchasing because a particular sponge may have fallen short on one area but may have performed on another area. I actually found a particular use for each item.

Bottom line is, they are all usable. Your skill on makeup application will determine which sponge will work best for you. Here's my ranking in order:

1. Bonni Beauty Sponge

2. BYS Blending Sponge

3. Moonkini Sponge

4. Caiqian Sponge

Do you have knowledge of other sponges priced below Php500? Let me know and I'll be glad to include them here!

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Product Review: Daiso Brush Cleaner

Beauty 10/06/2015 11:08:00 AM

It's puzzling how fast the Daiso Makeup Brush Cleaner disappears from the shelves. I wondered what makes it so special. Some beauty community members rave about it. Some makeup enthusiasts swear by it. And I've been trying to pick up a bottle or two, if only it wasn't always out of stock. Luckily, I was able to grab a few recently.

Instructions printed on the back say (in verbatim):

1. Put the cleaner into the container and dip the brush thoroughly.

2. Wash it like drawing a circle with running water.

3. Dry it with a towel and then arrange ends of the wool. Lastly, dry again naturally.

My choice for testing: an unbranded dense flat brush used with cream concealers. It's been sitting on my kit untouched for roughly 2 weeks so the cream product has already dried up and hardened.

I left the brush submerged for 5 minutes and went back. There was no reaction. If this cleaner is concentrated, makeup will detach and dissolve in an instant.

This is how the solution looked like after giving it a few swirls with light pressure.

Found myself dipping into the solution four times to get the brush at this state.

See that colored substance? Yes you're right, that's left over concealer.

PROs

Very affordable
Easy to use
Doesn't irritate skin
Doesn't leave any odor on the brush
Conditions brush hair well
Air drying is a breeze after using this cleaner

CONs

Has a distinct smell that's not appealing but not appalling either
May not be suitable for "deep cleaning" dense brushes

Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Makeup artists with back-to-back clients on a daily basis may not have the time to deep clean brushes regularly. Thus, using the Daiso Makeup Brush Cleaner is a quick fix. It does a fair job in removing makeup residue but may require more product for denser brushes. Definitely not the best one out there, but it isn't the worst either. And for Php88 a bottle, you wouldn't go wrong.

At the end of the day, I will still go back to using mild shampoo or an antibacterial dishwashing liquid mixed with olive oil and water for my cleaning needs.

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Video Tutorial: Red Smokey Eyes

Beauty 2/03/2015 09:40:00 AM

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Product Review: Makeup Mirror with Lights

Beauty 11/10/2014 06:14:00 AM

Makeup artists and enthusiasts know for a fact how hard it is to put on makeup without proper lighting. I’ve been thinking twice about purchasing a lighted train case because I heard that it gets really heavy once filled with products. One day, a well-known HMUA (Hair and Makeup Artist) I follow in Instagram uploaded a picture of her work desk. And there it was... A beautiful lighted mirror. Just a few days after, I am now a proud owner of one!

Do you find yourself having trouble painting your facade because of poor lighting? Do you share the same love for makeup like I do? Do you find yourself wearing makeup almost everyday? Then this product might be useful to you!

Note: This is not a sponsored blog for the seller. This is an unbiased review of the product.

The product comes with a free padded bag.

After pulling it out from the bag for the first time.

This is how it looks like without the plastic.

I purchased the 17 x 20 matte black version of this mirror. I think it’s sleek and very sophisticated. Just look at that gorgeous matte finish!

6 bulb sockets are tightly screwed to the frame.

The cord sticks out from the lower left hand side of the frame.

There’s a switch.

It has a built-in stand.

The metal hooks make it easy for hanging.

It uses E27 LED lights. Since it was my first time buying bulbs, I opted to get a brand I am familiar with so as not to compromise the quality.

I plan to use white (cool daylight) at the top and yellow (warm white) on the middle. I got six of these for Php189.00, three for every color.

Luckily I found an old, random box at home that could fit all the bulbs. Now I don’t have to worry about carrying them around.

I don’t plan on using the bottom two sockets, so I bought E27 Female Plugs for the safety of myself and my clients. They cost Php26.75 a pair. Now they can be used for my hair tools!

This is how it looks like with the lights on. My protégé is definitely enjoying the view.

Image courtesy of seller

This is how big it is. The product is almost the same size of the bag.

Image courtesy of seller

Here are some of the swatches and a few pictures of the product in other textures and colors. The Gray/Silver Croc is to die for while the white one is immaculately divine!

Image courtesy of seller

The largest frame is sooooo enormous I think it would be best for personal use. Ditch your old dresser mirror and get this one instead! It has 8 light bulb sockets. Surely it’s going to be bright! (picture for size comparison)

Product Specifications:

Made to Order
Light bulbs not included
Comes with a free padded pag
23 x 24 cm (16 x 20 mirror size) – Php4,200.00
17 x 20 – Php2,500.00
12 x 16 – Php1,800.00

Pros:

Price is reasonable.
Product is well made.
Lightweight.
Custom design is a plus.
Free padded bag is definitely a plus.
Can be used standing up or hanged from a wall.
Seller ships and does meet-ups.
Seller offers after-sales maintenance service for FREE (only covers wiring or lighting issues). Mirror replacement, etc. will have a corresponding repair cost depending on the damage.
Ideal for personal use.
Smallest size is perfect for travelling.
A great option for makeup artists vs train cases with lights.

Cons/Suggested Improvements:

Male plug looks like it would easily break.
Switch positioning in the wire is off.
Wire is a bit short. The thickness and length of the wire doesn’t look like it would be able to hold that much current when the bottom sockets are used as ports for hair tools.
Edges of the frame need a rubber protector, especially the bottom ones.
Stand seems a little bit flimsy and could have been made with a thicker, sturdier material.

Overall Rating

Definitely a must-have! If you want one for personal use, ditch the idea of buying the infamous Vanity Basics Makeup Mirror! If you need one for business use, this is a great alternative! Now all you need is a big trolley for makeup and hair tools!

What are you waiting for? Get yours now! Contact and follow the seller in Instagram: @myprettyreflection and let her know my blog took you there!

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The Bitch is back!

2017 Korean Product Festival

Sponge Wars: Beauty Blender Dupes Below PHP500

Product Review: Daiso Brush Cleaner

Video Tutorial: Red Smokey Eyes

Product Review: Makeup Mirror with Lights

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