I admit. I admit! I really love high end brands. I feel that my skin is safe with them, at least. But that’s just my mentality, so please don’t judge me. I don’t usually go below 800 PhP specially for a liquid foundation because I believe that my complexion is already as “complex” as it is ( hahaha! ), and my skin, being not so nice, deserves something good. I can get even a low-priced lip product, but for foundation, I’m not taking any risks. If you ask me what my favorite foundation brands are – may they be liquid or in powder form, I would have to say Lancome, Clinique and Coverfx. There are even other high end liquid foundations that feel so heavy on the skin, that I don’t really like them, even. These top three loves of mine feel really light, look natural, and have crazy nice light diffusers that create the illusion of really flawless skin.

As alot of my readers are asking me about budget makeup finds, I am really, really trying my best and am constantly on the lookout for the best budget finds, and I must admit that sometimes I find it hard to find good budget foundation. The reason would be my skin is far from perfect. I have large pores, I have depressed scars, and I recently explained to a friend of mine that I need a skin care that is water-based that can prevent oily skin and banish my breakouts, but also cannot be too matte that it would magnify my pores, and show my depressed scars. My skin is so weird – it needs to be balanced and dewy – just right, just the way my skin wants it. Same goes for liquid foundation – I’m really really particular about it, that I’ve thrown away alot of foundations that I thought of giving a try, but end up disappointing me. Alot of good-skinned gals have found their loves with really affordable foundation brands ( even below 500 – you’re really lucky! ) and as for me, I’m having a hard time. I was able to find my favorite foundations in high end brands, but it’s a good day today, that I’m about to share to you one of the great exceptions, and one really good budget find for foundation!

It’s the L’Oreal Lucent Magique Two-Way Cake Foundation

Light. Translucent. Fair. The 1st skin luminating Tri-powder foundation for a seamless lit-from-within skin complexion. A finest quality powder foundation with seamless trace coverage. Infused with 3 powder finish: Luminating Pink Tourmaline, Translucent Light Pearls and Vitamin C whitening Complex.

Skin is transformed with the lit-from-within skin finish. Sensorial upon touch with the light as a feather texture that lets your skin breathe. Suited for the young modern woman.

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My hair’s awfully wavy. Really. And awfully thick! Every hairstylist that has come across my hair has told me how impossibly thick my hair was that it was a bit difficult to style. During college, I had to rely on hair relaxing services over at David’s Salon across my school just to tame my hair somehow. When hair irons were introduced to the market, I was one of the first who purchased, and tried ironing my hair every single day, getting nice comments from my friends, such as, “hey your hair looks so straight and nice today!”

Yeah, that went into my head. Sooooo…I used that not-even ceramic coated hair iron on my hair every single day until one day, I saw that my hair looked stick straight, with really ugly, flyaway ends. Mukhang walis ( looking like a broomstick ). It became really dry and really awkward looking. I stopped.

Rebonding happened. Thank goodness for rebonding that I was able to have beautiful, frizz-free, well-tamed hair for a good year, before undergoing it again. It really made my life easier, but at the expense of my hair’s health. My hair was getting more brittle by the minute, and after three successive rebonding treatments ( that’s three years, ) I finally stopped for a mini-hair-vacation, just letting my hair be (BUT I didn’t say anything against hair coloring hahahaha! ohhh Sophie! ) .

As of late, I’m crazy about steam technology. Steam technology veers away from ceramic, or even tourmaline technology, if you talk about hair irons, as steam technology is powered by steam pressure from water, and does not harm the hair. If you notice that my hair’s been curly in some of the photos ( or most of them ) last year, it’s because I’ve used Caruso Steam Rollers. They’re really hair-friendly, that do not damage my hair at all. Bleached, colored hair is fragile enough, and can really be pushed to the brink of damage-dom when styled too frequently. My hair really needs gentle, but effective styling tools. I’m counting on steam technology. With my steam curlers as one of my precious possessions right now, imagine my glee when friend Mikki, representing L’Oreal Professionel told me about L’Oreal Professionel’s new Steampod – it’s a hair iron powered by steam technology! Heaven has just arrived. It heard me!!!

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United Colors of Benetton has been that “aspirational” brand for me as a kid, way back in highschool and college. My classmates would have bags from Benetton, and would sport fragrances from them, and I think I got my first Benetton wallet when I could first afford it. The brand’s been there for the longest time.

Body mists – those were also part of me, growing up. When I was in high school, classmates would bring their bottles of body mists from imported brands, and I think I actually bugged mom ( and was successful at that ) to buy a bottle of my own, of course, with me choosing what I exactly wanted. In this area, it has to be YOU who has the affinity for the scent, and not just some “uso” or “in” thing. You’ll suffer for it if you choose the most popular scent, or worse, smell like everyone else!

Oh, Benetton, why did you release this just now? You could’ve contributed to an even more exciting childhood/teenagehood for me! Hahaha! Continue reading

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An airport lounge within a mall?

Super cool.

I told myself that I’d always stick to NAIA 1, 2, or 3 ( okay, I like 2 and 3 better ) , and veer away from Clark even if I come from the North, but who can ever make me stay away from the mall? Hahaha! Continue reading

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Oh my goodness. If you’ve seen me tame down a little bit ( juuuust a little bit! ) on my MAC addiction for the past few years, this is the first time that I’ve hyperventilated, and got really excited ( to the moon! ) as I saw the visuals for MAC Cosmetics The Stylish Brow Collection.

I love my eyebrows. So much. I used to stay after my formal classes in makeup in Singapore to practice shaping and drawing eyebrows until I perfected it, and I am just so obsessed with it. I believe that it frames the face, and you can go bare-faced for all you want for the day, but the eyebrows always need to be perfectly shaped, whether it is just naturally shaded for that effortless, polished look for a simple day, or that well-defined, elegant look for night time. Brows are everything. Repeat after me. You’ll thank me next time when you finally realize it! I feel so naked without eyebrow makeup. Really.

MAC Cosmetics holds the one product that I swear by over, and over, and will never get tired of searching, and hoarding – the MAC Brow Set in Girlboy. After shading the eyebrows, I always like to soften it as my brows are pitch black, and no amount of shading would make it lighter. I shade my eyebrows with a soft shade of light brown, and proceed to apply girl boy like a brow mascara on my eyebrows until it looks really soft focus and light-colored. I love it with all my heart!

Now, MAC Cosmetics has launched Stylish Brow, a limited edition collection of eyebrow products that I’m sure alot of you would love! Here are the products with some of my commentary to further guide you on which you might want to get!
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“Retouching Powders instantly make your skin look better — yet they’re completely undetectable.”
– Bobbi Brown

Bobbi Brown…did not just claim…that this new product is magic! It’s such a bold claim. But, I believe in it! How could I not? Her under eye concealers did just that to me – magic! Seriously!

Can I be more joyful in reporting to you this new product from Bobbi Brown? As a super Bobbi Brown girl that I am, I love her products because Bobbi Brown’s pegs for makeup are more on natural, elegant, and sophisticated. They aim to make you look your best version of you, and not changing a thing or getting it overdone. I am just so in sync with her philosophy and her products!

As for finishing powders, I LOVE them with all my heart. When you have oily skin, first thing you should know is that you’re not supposed to blame it on your liquid foundation, or pressed foundation if they don’t control oil and make your skin like an oil mine. For me, that job goes to your primer that is worn before makeup, and the finishing powder worn after all makeup is applied, to “finish” and “set” the look. Two products that “sandwich” the foundation will definitely make all that difference.
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Don’t you just love intensity? There is so much passion. So much…boost! I might say that I can be an intense person when it comes to work, and my business!

So, happens when something that you really, really love, gets stronger? Amplified? Intensified?

What happens when it just so happens to be your favorite perfume?

Sophie’s Thoughts : ” Is that so? Then I will smell good for eternity! Woot!”

DKNY Be Delicious and Be Delicious Fresh Blossom are two of my most favorite scents in the whole wide world. These are the two scents that I would feel really, really comfortably fresh and just wonderful, by spritzing this to start my day, and even bringing my bottles with me wherever I go for that instant fragrance boost when I need it. These two scents never fail me, and are perfect match with my body chemistry. Continue reading

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I’ve been hearing this brand alot for years now, with my friends always buying some from abroad, and even asking me to buy extra for them to give away as gifts for Christmas. They must love it so much, so when I bought some for a friend while I was in Hong Kong, I also bought some for myself, just buying randomly, and picking a good color, not knowing what is the difference of one to another! Haha!

Fairydrops is a Japanese cosmetics brand that specializes in their mascaras. Their mascaras have a cult following that is not only within Asia, but also in the US, with it being a bestseller in Sephora!
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A few weeks ago, I had so much fun at Shiseido’s event that was for beauty bloggers, and members of the press. At the Ampitheatre of Greenbelt 5, the guest of honor was no other than the Regional Training Manager for Asia, Ms. Angela Boh. She was there to teach us makeup tips and tricks!

Angela Boh did a makeup demo on applying makeup, the Shiseido way. What I learned from this demo, was that you need to layer foundation little by little if you want more coverage, and not slap a thick pack of it in an instant just because you need alot of coverage. She was also able to use the famed Shiseido Perfect Foundation Brush, an angled flat top brush, to apply almost everything, from liquid foundation, to applying powder foundation, and even blush on! The key is control on your hands. Apply with even, medium strokes for liquid products, and apply feather-light for powder products, and blend well. I also got a trick that for fuller, and a beautiful mascara application, while the mascara wand is on the base of the eyelashes, let it stay there for 5 seconds or so, to make the base darker, and make the eyes more well-defined. Japanese makeup is really different from Western makeup, as the key is really a flawless canvass ( the face ), and the features would merely be well-defined in the most subtle, natural manner. Don’t be fooled by the word “subtle,” as there are alot of tricks to bring out one’s features naturally!
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Ahhhhh!!! This is my most awaited event of the year!

The much, much anticipated by both the beauty, and fashion world is already here!

Karl Lagerfeld x Shu Uemura = world domination.

I attended the exclusive preview launch of the Karl Lagerfeld x Shu Uemura Collection. The red doors filled with red-clad sexy ladies just drew me in! Continue reading

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