A Hint of Rouge

Richenna Bubble Hair Color in Light Blonde

2013-10-22T19:12:00.002-07:00

A few days ago, I noticed that my roots were growing when I just colored my hair last month with Etude House's Bubble Hair Color in Gold Blonde. I wasn' t really looking for something to color it with but a chance visit at the drugstore yesterday made me bump into Richenna's Bubble Hair Color. I was so amazed at their wide array of colors that I had to try them out. My color choice has always been on the reds but since I dyed my hair gold blonde last month, I wanted to continue in that path. So I got the light blonde shade and I couldn't wait to try it out!

The contents are quite similar with Etude's but I did notice that the volume of product is quite smaller as compared to Etude. When I mixed it, itnemitted a very strong and ver offensive odor. I had to pinch my nose and open my windows to get it out. The product also hurt my eyes and I had to close them and hold my breath as well while applying. I was so glad I finished quickly. I rinsed it out after waiting for 30 minutes andmused the conditionrr that came along with the package.

After air drying my hair, the results were OK. It didn't color my hair much but it gave a lighter shade than Gold Blonde and it also covered my roots.

Overall, the product was good but I would not use it again after hurting my eyes and nose. I'd rather get Etude the next time I color my hair.

2013-01-31T07:54:00.001-08:00

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Palladio Dual Wet and Dry Foundation

2012-08-26T21:24:00.004-07:00

I was on the hunt for a new pressed powder/foundation after my ill-fated MAC Sheer Pressed Powder fell from my locker and broke into pieces. It was heart-wrenching especially when it wasn't my fault. My lockermate kept the door to the locker wide open and my bag fell out. Everything, but the MAC, was intact including my kindle. I guess it could've been worse.

Anyway, I wanted to try the MAC Studio Fix Foundation but I heard that it causes break outs and I can't take that gamble since I have sensitive, combination skin. So I had to crush that out if my list. I was thinking of buying another Sheer Pressed but I wanted more coverage and could double as foundation if I wanted to wear full makeup.

While strolling at a beauty shop, I came upon the Palladio stall and found their Wet/Dry Foundation which was made with Rice Formula. I haven't really heard of rice's benefits to the skin so I was kind of skeptical plus the place was kind of deserted except for the sales lady. Every other customer was with more popular brands like Smashbox and Philosophy.

What drew me to it was that it had a variety of shades. It wasn't like MAC that had a full range but they did have a color that matched my skin which is the 404 Everlasting Tan. Aside from being oil-free and non comedogenic, it was also cheap so I knew I had to try it.

So here it is, the Palladio Dual Wet and Dry Foundation. The packaging's nice. It has a mirrored compact with a separate compartment for the sponge. It's a bit more bulky than the MAC Sheer Pressed But it doesn't bother me too much. The sponge is a bit stiff but I usually use my ELF Powder brush when applying so that's ok.

As for the coverage, it's medium but buildable and It hides my pimple scars rather well. It's also long lasting. I wear it at work for 8 hours and I didn't have to do touchups which is great. It kept the oils, especially on my Tzone, at bay for that period of time as well. I'm really loving this powder. :)

32-Piece Makeup Brush -- A Late Self Gift

2012-01-14T18:20:00.001-08:00

Guess what I got in the mail today?? It's the 32-piece makeup brush set I ordered! It was supposed to be a Christmas gift for myself, however I ordered it late and considering it was the holidays, I didn't expect this to arrive on time.

I'm soooo excited to try this out! I can finally apply eyeshadows the way I like them. I'm gonna need some practice but I'm sure I'll get the hang of it soon. weeeeeeeehhh!! Can't wait until these babies dry up after washing!!

Trying Out Covergirl's Lashblast Luxe Mascara

2011-12-26T02:32:00.000-08:00

Earlier this month, I was able to do some makeup shopping in the Fashion and Makeup Capital of the country -- Manila and one of the things that I bought is Covergirl's Lashblast Luxe Mascara.

I have always been a fan of Maybelline's mascaras but I wanted to try something new this time. So, I got this pretty pink tube among the ones on display at the counter.

First thing I noticed is how huge the mascara wand is! I think it's even bigger than Maybelline's Colossal mascara. I think the wand is made of silicon just like E.L.F.'s Mineral Infused Mascara, which I bought earlier in November.

All of the brushes in Covergirl's Lashblast line are pretty much the same, however, the difference comes in the formula for each. The one I bought is the Lashblast Luxe. It's supposed to be a silky, velvety kind of mascara that makes you feel sort-of luxurious when you wear it. It's not waterproof though so it's great for everyday use.

So what I like about this formula is that it doesn't irritate my eyes unlike most of the cheaper mascaras that I've used. It also lengthens my eyelashes but the "curving-power" of this formula leaves a lot to be desired. I usually use an eyelash curler before putting on mascara but with this, I have to make my eyelashes curl more to get my desired effect. This mascara is also buildable. If I want a natural look, I just swipe a coat and I'm ready to go but if I want a more dramatic effect, I apply 2 to 3 coats. It also doesn't clump my lashes when I apply more of the product, which is pretty good.

Overall, I like this mascara and I'll give this a score of 7/10

Santa Came Early!

2011-12-23T19:05:00.001-08:00

I got this as an early Christmas gift from my boyfriend. It's the E.L.F. 100 Eyeshadows Palette! Can't wait to try this for Christmas dinner tonight.

I know I gave a pretty bad review on the E.L.F. Little Black Beauty Book earlier but as I got to use it more often, I realized it wasn't so bad after all. It's perfect for night outs because most of the colors give a shimmery and glittery effect.

E.L.F. Little Black Beauty Book: Eyeshadow Edition

2011-12-11T06:36:00.001-08:00

At long last, I finally found E.L.F. eyeshadow palettes! I found them while I was strolling at SM Mall of Asia department store about two weeks ago while I was on vacation -- and by the way, I also got a hold of MAC Sheer Pressed Powder in NC20, MAC Studio Finish Concealer, Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler, Artnet Professional eyeshadow brush and Covergirl Lashblast Luxe. A bit of a shopping spree, huh? But I can't get the card reader to work so I couldn't finish my reviews on them but not to worry. I'll work on it ASAP.

So on to the my thoughts regarding this palette. Among the palettes available, I bought the Little Black Beauty Book: Eyeshadow Edition because I noticed that the Endless 100 Eyeshadow had lots of colors that looked almost the same and also because this one's half the price of the Endless 100.

It comes in a faux black patent leather booklet that fits right into your purse. It also has an eyeshadow applicator included in the set.

Excited as I was, I immediately tried this when I got home and I was very much disappointed. The colors were too glittery and only showed a bit of color even if I used an eyeshadow primer. What's worse is that there were tons of fallout! It was such an epic fail. What a total waste of money.

I had high expectations on E.L.F's eyeshadows as I heard they were of good quality and cheap too but this was an utter failure. Boo!

MAC Adoring Carmine Face Brush Set

2011-12-03T19:30:00.001-08:00

i apologies for their uncleanliness. =)

Hi girls! So I have here MAC's Adoring Carmine Face Brush Set. I bought this in 2009 together with ECO Tools 5pc Brush Set (--haven't reviewed it yet). The brushes included are a stippling brush, foundation brush, concealer brush and an angled blush brush. It also comes with a red makeup bag -- which is the only reason why I like this brush set.

You would think that after all these years, I would've used this set a hundred time already but it's actually the opposite. I hate the brushes. The only brushes I use here are just the foundation and concealer brush, which are just OK. The rest are just pieces of junk.

The stippling brush is unusable. There's a lot of shedding! I tried using it with pressed powder and I ended up with a lot of brush hair on my face. I also tried using it with liquid foundation and the same thing happened plus the hairs were a lot harder to remove because the liquid foundation somewhat glued the hairs on my face.

The angled blush brush is very scratchy and after a few washes, the bristles were bent in all directions! It doesn't apply the color on my face too because the color sticks on the brush.

Overall, this was a waste of money!

ELF Contour Brush and Eyeshadow "C" Brush

2011-11-17T14:48:00.001-08:00

Although I have quite a number of makeup brushes, I realized that I lack brushes for precise application of eyeshadow. Thus, I bought these two beauties: ELF Contour Brush and Eyeshadow "C" Brush and they are a real steal -- got them for php249.50 each at Watsons!

Like all other brushes in their studio line, these are made of synthetic taklon brushes. The bristles are extremely soft just like on their Powder Brush and these can be used on both wet and dry products. The brush is very dense, so you can just imagine that it can pack a lot of eyeshadow. I haven't washed these so I have yet to try them and I just can't wait!

Now Reviewing LA Colors Pressed Powder

2011-11-12T23:52:00.001-08:00

This is a review for the LA Colors Pressed Powder.

I was looking for a good pressed powder to set my liquid foundation -- Revlon Age Defying Liquid Froundation (Still to be reviewed). I found this while window shopping a few days ago and I decided to try it. The shade that seemed to match my skin is Beige so I took that one.

I first tried it after wearing my foundie and it gave a matte look to my oily/combination skin. However, the matte-ness lasted only for about 3-4 hours, afterwhich, I had to reapply. It also gives light to medium coverage and is quite buildable but not cakey, which is good. However, I noticed that the powder looked ashy on my skin but I did get compliments from my coworkers about how great my skin looked so I may be wrong with my previous observation. This powder is also good on its own and still build-able and not cakey. It still gives a matte finish but needs to be reapplied after a few hours.

Overall, this powder is good for its price -- very cheap and does its job well.

A Bit of Retail Therapy

2011-11-10T04:47:00.001-08:00

Today started out good -- I got a php45 fuel discount from Shell (for their php15 off promo for every php500 worth of Premium gasoline bought) and when I got to work, I found out that the O.R. theater I was assigned to had no scheduled cases for the day (yey!). Unfortunately, around noon, some bad news came that made me sad for the rest of the day so when I dropped by the mall after work, I did a teeny bit of retail therapy and lookie what I got!!

E.L.F. Brightening Eye Color quad eyeshadow in Pretty 'n Pink

L.A. Colors Pressed Powder in Beige

L.A. Colors Duo Blush -- Pink Mauve and Blushing Pink

E.L.F. Mineral Infused Mascara

Along with these babies, I also got myself a couple of cute boxer shorts which had nice prints and also a couple of pairs of undies -- the cosmetics section was just beside the lingerie department so I just walked by and saw these cuties.

I'll do some updates once I get to use the mascara and swatch the eyeshadow and blush!

A Growing E.L.F. Makeup Brush Obsession

2011-11-09T04:07:00.000-08:00

This is a follow up of my previous post where I bought an E.L.F. Studio Powder Brush -- which by the way, I am loving to death! Seriously, I 've never been in love with any of my makeup brushes until now and although my other brushes are going to be jealous with the new E.L.F. brush but I just can't help it. Favoritism has begun.

So what's not to love about this brush? It is extremely soft and goes on smoothly on my skin. It doesn't irritate or do anything like that. It smells nice too or maybe that's just from my foundation...?? Anyway, I've tried using it with both powder and liquid foundation and it works wonderfully! Really amazed with this brush and it's very cheap too!

And yes, I am quite obsessed with collecting E.L.F. Studio makeup brushes now and that is where I am having trouble with. You see, there are limited shops that sell E.L.F. and these shops have even more limited stocks of E.L.F. products. *sigh* At least somehow, something's stopping me from splurging my meager salary on E.L.F. But then again, if there's a will, there's always a way! So until then, I'm off to do some more E.L.F. hunting.

I Got An E.L.F. Studio Powder Brush For Only Php250!

2011-11-06T17:22:00.000-08:00

So yesterday I was looking for a powder brush with a flat top at the mall. Naturally, I went first to Watsons to see if Marrionaud has them but I remembered quite clearly they didn't have one but it wouldn't hurt to look again, would it? Expectedly, I didn't find what I was looking for so I went to the pricier stores like Rustans and Beauty Bar as I was bordering on desperate looking for a flat top powder brush.

What I found in Beauty Bar was a small flat top brush by Young Blood and do you know how much it cost?? Two-thousand-freakin-pesos for a small freaking brush! What the he----! Ok, I can't continue that train of thought as it was a Sunday and it's a no cursing day for me. As much as I wanted it, I had to put it back because it was too much for a single makeup brush. I was desperate but not too desperate.

With a heavy heart, I headed to Metro, my last stop, to see if E.L.F. Studio has any new brushes on sale. I remember I bought their Foundation brush years ago and it was so disappointing that the only good thing I use it for is cleaning my Braun Silk Epil epilator. Anyhow, I browsed through the display and instantly singled out a big flat top brush in it's studio line! What a great find! I have read that the E.L.F. Studio line has waaaaaaaay better quality than their regular makeup products including brushes. The bristles are made of taklon and their very soft and very dense, plus comparing it to the Young Blood small powder brush that cost php2,000.00 this big php250 brush is a steal! I went home happy.

I washed my new E.L.F. Studio Powder Brush last night and I'm still waiting for it to dry completely. I can't wait to use it later before heading to work!

Benefits of Co-Enzyme Q10

2011-11-03T06:12:00.000-07:00

I apologize for the prolonged absence. I was quite busy the past few weeks as I had to work late on occasions, I also had a number of projects to finish and not to mention a pool party and a weekend trip combined. It was so exhausting but fun, nevertheless.

So anyway, let's get on to business. I have here Avalon Organics CoQ10 Wrinkle Defense Serum. According to the bottle, it is a concentrated anti-aging treatment and potent antioxidant protection. I got this from a health shop that carries tons of U.S. organic food, supplements and skin care products.

For those of you who haven't heard of CoQ10 before it is vitamin-like substance and has been observed to possess anti aging properties. It is short of Co-Enzyme Q10. Because of this, it has become a popular supplement especially when you hit the 40's and also a main ingredient in anti aging serums and creams.

I've been using this for about five months and I think that's enough time to be to see effects of the product on my skin. I bought this because I started noticing horrible lines on my forehead last May and I'm only 25 years old. I panicked! I searched through the net on a good serum that would make the lines less noticeable and hopefully erase it altogether (it's a long shot but it doesn't hurt to hope.)

I massaged a tiny bit of the product on my forehead, near the eyes, between the brows and on my laugh lines. After months of use, I have noticed that the lines on my face are less pronounced than before and my skin is softer and smoother too.

I love this new serum that I found. It is not cheap but a tiny squirt can cover your entire face and that means that this small bottle can go a long long way. Not bad really. I'm sure to get another one when this runs out.

Venus and Mars Smooch Lip Butter Balm: aka "Lip Detox""

2011-10-20T19:51:00.000-07:00

Have you ever experienced having really dry chapped lips and because of it, you dread wearing lipstick or lip gloss because it will show the peeling and chapping?? I have and it's a phase I never want to return to. I tried using Carmex and good old petroleum jelly which works nicely but I find that when I miss putting it on at night, my lips would be drier than ever the next day! It's really frustrating.

But then, I bumped into a thread in a forum (Istorya.net) that I'm following where girls, living locally, swear over V&M's Smooch Lip Butter Balm and they also mentioned that it whitens darkened lips, which I have, so I knew I had to try it for myself. Luckily, there's a seller here in Cebu and I got mine without paying for shipping fees!

A week into the lip detox, and I've realized that I can't go on living without this lip balm! It's very moisturizing and has a nice icy peppermint feel after swiping it on. I can't say that my lips have grown lighter since I wasn't able to snap a photo before starting the detox process but I have noticed that lipstick colors are more pronounced and noticeable on my lips.

The Venus and Mars Lip Detox is a keeper!

Almay: Truly Lasting Color Pressed Powder

2011-10-17T18:21:00.000-07:00

Last summer, I was looking for a pressed powder to replace my Skinfood Cucumber and Lettuce powder (see review here.) which was too light for my skin. I can not stress enough that it's hard to find a shade that fits my dark morena skin and although Revlon and L'oreal both have a good collection of shades for face powders, they just won't fit my budget (that is when I'm sane. But when there's a sale, I hoard, so it doesn't help much).

Luckily, while on an online shopping spree I found they had stocks of Almay TLC Pressed Powder in medium. I had read great reviews of this powder in MakeupAlley so I went and ahead and got myself one. And boy how wrong was I to get only one. I should have bought tons! LOL. I fell so deeply in love with this face powder that I forgot about Skinfood in an instant.

The shade matches my skin. It's offers light to medium coverage and it's buildable. It lasts for the entire day -- except when I'm at work where I have to wear a surgical mask most of the time. I do hate that the powder sticks on the mask but I guess pressed powders do that.

What I don't like about this is that there's not much of the product in the compact and when you use it everyday (like me), you'll find that it will easily run out.

I need to start looking for a supplier ASAP!

Extremely Huge Makeup Haul!

2011-10-16T07:31:00.000-07:00

I was makeup shopping online and I got *tiny bit* overboard with adding things on my shopping cart that I didn't realize I had ordered this much!

I got lots of stuff like these Nyx Single Eyeshadows,

powder blushes,

round lipgloss and lipstick were among the lot.

Haven't tried them all yet and to be sure, it's gonna take some time to do reviews for all of these!

I swear, I won't shop online again. Again! *crossing my finger behind my back*

Airbrush Legs by Sally Hansen

2011-10-12T18:58:00.000-07:00

The bane of my life has been to wear short shorts and mini skirts in public! And I can't help but wear those leg-revealing outfits sometimes because pants are way too boring to wear everyday. Anyway, when I do wear shorts or skirts, I'm always self-conscious of my dark knees and a few scars that I got when I was a kid so I end up being uncomfortable in the clothes I am in. So when I attended a wedding a couple of months back, I dreaded the day -- not because I didn't like the bride or the groom -- but I knew I had to wear a short dress in midday.

Thankfully, I found a solution to my cosmetic problem -- Sally Hansen's Airbrush Legs. I swear it's a miracle in a bottle! It evened out my leg's skin tone and covered the imperfections that I've been trying to hide for ages. I have this in tanned glow and it's perfect for my morena skin. Although it is quite expensive but the bottle lasts for a long time and you don't really have to use a lot of the product to produce results.

I am so keeping my Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs! =)

**just a thought. you might be wondering why my photos mostly have the same background. That's my bed sheet. I'm taking photos on my bed. LOL.

Marionnaud Premium Makeup Brushes: N8 Pointed Eyeshadow Brush and Retractable Lipliner Brush

2011-10-11T19:11:00.000-07:00

My makeup brush collection is quite lacking when it comes to eyeshadow brushes so when I bumped into Marionnaud's stand at Watsons and found their Pointed Eyeshadow Brush, I knew I had to get one!

I have noticed their brushes before but I never paid much attention to them because it didn't seem to be made of quality materials at first glance. However, recently they came out with Marionnaud Premium brushes that look way better than their old ones.

The brush is really nice! I tried it immediately when I got home -- after cleaning it of course. The brush fibers are soft and doesn't hurt the eyelids at all which is great. It's excellent for use on the crease of the eyelids and it also holds eyeshadow pigment very well. The handle has a luxurious rubbery feel to it compared to other makeup brushes of the same price that are made of cheap plastic.

I also bought the lipliner brush coz I don't have one yet and I've been having trouble applying my favorite red lipstick from Styli-Style.

Overall, I love these two makeup brushes and I'm planning to buy the rest of the lot -- one at a time though, I still have other expenses to worry about.

Now Reviewing: Skinfood Products!

2011-10-08T23:14:00.000-07:00

I first heard about BB Creams back in 2009 in some makeup blog (i forgot the name). I was really curious as to what it was so I searched for it online and found that it's very popular in Korea and other Asian countries unfortunately it hadn't broken into the Philippine cosmetic market yet. Luckily though, Skinfood had a shop in a mall here in Cebu and I was so happy to try their Aloe Sun BB Cream and I have been hooked ever since.

Here's another almost empty tube. NNNOOOOO!!!

I love this BB Cream. It goes on nice and smooth on my skin and lasts all throughout my 8-hour shift and even after work. I have oily skin so I was worried that it would make my face oily as a frying pan but it didn't. Although, I patted on a bit of powder on my T-zone.

One thing that I don't like about this is that it only has two shades. #1 has yellow undertones while #2 has pink undertones. I have #1 but it's a tad bit too light for me but it's not really noticeable so I guess it's ok.

After getting such great results from their BB Cream, I also bought the Lettuce and Cucumber Mild Two Way Cake. It's also nice but still a little too light. It's designed for Korean skin so what can I do? I'm a tanned Filipina.

Another Skin Food Product that I have is the Peach Sake Pore Serum. I have big pores so I was looking for something that could lessen its size and make it less noticeable so I tried this. It was great for a while and it didn't make my skin oily however it broke me out. Too bad though. I stopped using this for a couple of weeks and tried it again but I broke out so I had to stop. The bottle's still more than half full so it's gonna be a waste. *sigh*

Overall, I love Skin Food Products. Their great for the skin and it's made from organic ingredients which gives it a plus. However, they have limited shades for face powders and bb creams and are mostly leaning on the lighter skin tones so it's not really suitable for the tanned.

Nyx Studio Liquid Liner vs. Nichido Liquid Eyeliner

2011-10-04T17:53:00.001-07:00

I had been using Nichido liquid eyeliner for years and I was quite satisfied with it even if it's not waterproof and it's not completely black when it dries. But what really makes me so attached to it is the brush which, for me, is the ideal liquid eyeliner brush. It follows my every move which is great for that minute details and of course, it is extremely cheap.

You see, I had this notion that I don't really need to purchase expensive liquid eyeliners because I'm still going to dump them in the trash every six months (it's for hygienic purposes -- same with mascaras).

But then, I came across Nyx Studio Liquid Eyeliner and I became a convert. I have it in extremely black and it really is "extremely black" -- perfect for smokey eyes. The brush is very much like Nichido's albeit longer but that didn't cause much of a problem. What attracts me most to this little piece of magic is that it doesn't smudge after it dries. It feels almost gel-like to touch which probably helps keep the pigment together. But that's just a theory.

As for the price, Nyx Studio Liquid Liner is not as cheap as Nichido Liquid Eyeliner but the quality is way better than it's competitor which makes it a keeper!

Maybelline Express Care Makeup Remover

2011-10-01T20:34:00.001-07:00

Removing makeup is not as exciting as putting them on. In fact, if you don't have the right tools, it would be really hard to take out all of the makeup especially waterproof mascaras and eyeliner. However, you really have to take them all off before hitting the sack because it can clog your pores and lead to break outs.

Back when there makeup removers were unavailable in Watsons, I used to remove makeup using wet wipes and petroleum jelly or cold cream. These do the job pretty well however, it caused me to break out.

So when I found Maybelline Express Care, I was so thrilled to finally have a decent makeup remover.

It removes makeup rather easily even when using just a few drops in a cotton pad. I love it!

Cheaper Alternatives: Mac Vs. Nyx

2011-10-01T18:57:00.000-07:00

The most sought after makeup products by professionals and newbies alike would be MAC Cosmetics, however, to covet such HG of makeup, you have to shell out a huge sum. Good for us that their are people who are willing to share secrets on how to get MAC dupes from affordable beauty products like Nyx which are pretty cheap but they are really good and a great value for your buck.

So here's a list of what I've compiled from sources in the internet:

FOUNDATION & CONCEALER:
NYX Liquid Foundation = Mac Hyper Real SPF 15 (Mac Pro only):
NYX Twin Cake Foundation = Mac Studio Fix Powder or Studio Tech
Maxfactor Pancake Foundation = Mac's Full Coverage (Pro only)
NYX Concealer Jar = Mac Studio Fix Concealer
NYX Concealer Stick = Mac Studio Stick Concealer
NYX Concealer Wand = Mac Select Moisture Cover

POWDERS:
NYX Bronzer Powder = Mac Bronzers
NYX Loose Face Powder = Mac Select Sheer Loose
NYX Highlight & Contour Set = Mac's Sculpt & Shape (Mac Pro only)

BLUSH:
NYX Mosaic Powder Blush = Mac Mineralize Blush
NYX Rouge Creme Blush = Mac Blushcreme
NYX Powder Blush = Mac Powder Blush**
** I noticed a lot of the NYX blushes have the same name as Mac's blushes and are very similar in color (dupes).

BRUSHES:
NYX B07 Flat Top Brush = Mac 187/188 Duo Fibre Brush
NYX B01 The Big One Brush = Mac 150 Large Powder Brush
NYX B24 Kabuki Brush = Mac 182 Buffer Brush
NYX B02 Cheek Brush = Mac 168 Large Contour Brush
NYX B03 Blush Brush = Mac 129 Blush Brush
NYX B05 Foundation Brush = Mac 189/190 Foundation Brush
NYX B06 Powder Brush = Mac 134/150 Powder Brush
NYX B08 Fan Brush = Mac 184 Duo Fibre Fan Brush
NYX B09 Flat Foundation Brush = Mac 191 Square Foundation Brush
NYX B10 Blending Brush = Mac 217/222 Blending Brush
NYX B20 Concealer Brush = Mac 194/195 Concealer Brush
NYX B15 Smoke Brush = Mac 219 Pencil Brush
NYX B13 Shadow Brush = Mac 213 Fluff Brush
NYX B14 Shading Brush = Mac 239 Shading Brush
NYX B11 Primer Brush = Mac 242 Brush
NYX B12 Crease Brush = Mac 224Tapered Blending Brush
NYX B16 Contour Brush = Mac 275 Medium Angle Brush
NYX B17 Smudge Brush = Mac 228 Mini Shader Brush
NYX B22/B18 Angled Brush = Mac 266 Small Angle Brush
NYX B19 Liner Brush = Mac 209/210 Liner Brush
NYX B21 Definer Brush = Mac 212 Flat Definer Brush

SHADOWS:
NYX shadow trios are similar to the Mac special edition palettes that come with three or four shades together. I believe NYX makes 45 different trio palettes alone, not to mention their single and loose shadows. Their single shadows have the same finishes as Mac ones, ie. Pearl, Frosty, Matte, etc. Some shadows I can attest for:

NYX Black = Mac Carbon
NYX Cream Cheese = Mac Nylon
NYX Midnight = Mac Black Tied
NYX Irises = Mac Electric Eel
NYX Morocco = Mac Deep Truth
NYX Golden Orange = Mac Orange
NYX White = Mac Gesso
NYX Deep Bronze = Mac Bronze
NYX Herb = Mac Brun
NYX Yellow = Mac Chrome Yellow
NYX Hot Pink = Mac Passionate
NYX Platinum SIlver = Mac Electra
NYX Seafoam Green = Mac Newly Minted
NYX Khaki = Mac Mink & Sable
NYX Marrakesh = Mac Greensmoke
NYX Deep Purple = Mac Beauty Marked
NYX Lime Juice = Mac Bitter
NYX Antique Gold = Mac Woodwinked
NYX Odyssey = Mac Contrast

LIPS:
NYX Tube Lip Gloss = Mac Lipglass
NYX Lip Gloss w/ Mega Shine = Mac Lustre Glass
NYX Lip Plumper = Mac PlushGlass
NYX Sheer Gloss = Mac LipGelee
NYX Tinted Lip Spa = Mac Tinted Lip Conditioner
NYX Diamond Sparkle Lip Gloss = Mac Dazzle Glass
NYX Round Lipstick = Mac Slimshine
NYX Black Label Lipstick = Mac Lipstick

A special thanks to @omahdarling from candymag forums for this list! :)

Almay: Clear Complexion Concealer

2011-09-28T21:44:00.000-07:00

This is a review for Almay's Clear Complexion Concealer in 200 light/medium. I've been using this for about a year now and it's matches my skin color perfectly. I sometimes use this as an eye shadow base if I can't find my Nyx HD Eye Shadow Base.

Product Information:

Indications
Helps clear and prevent acne blemishes.

Ingredients
Active Ingredients: Salicylic Acid 1%.\

Ingredients
Inactive Ingredients:Aqua (water, eau), Cyclomethicone, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Boron Nitride, PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone, Talc, Tribehenin, Trisiloxane, Cetyl PEG/PPG 10/1 Dimethicone, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Alumina, Nylon-12, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Polyisobutene, Synthetic Wax, Cera Microcristallina Cire Microcrystalline (Micocrystalline Wax), Sodium Chloride,

It blends really well on my skin and covers my dark eye bags after graveyard shift. Regarding it's claims on clearing pimples, I'm not really convinced that it does the job although, it covers it rather well.

I'd score this an 8/10 -- a point down on it's clearing complexion claim.

Maybelline: The Magnum Volum' Express Mascara

2011-09-28T21:19:00.000-07:00

I bought this mascara a couple of months ago just in time for a wedding I attended. Comparing it to other Maybelline mascaras, it was the more expensive type but for waterproof mascaras in general, it was rather cheap.

When you open the tube, the wand has a big curved brush applicator. It's really nicely designed because it follows the contour of the eyes so it's easy to apply on the inner and outer lashes.

A couple of things I like about this mascara is it goes on thick with just one swipe and it's extremely black. It also doesn't clump a lot and it only does that when I swipe it a couple of times but when it does, I just use an eyebrow/lash brush to separate the lashes.

What I don't like about it is it dries out pretty fast so I have to limit opening the tube to prevent it. But then again, I do have to change mascaras every couple of months so it's not much of a worry.

Overall, I give this mascara a 9/10.