I've been wanting to buy Rimmel London Lipsticks for a while now, ever since I saw it on one of xteener's youtube videos. I've also read a lot of very good reviews about this product.  It's one of the most popular drugstore makeup in the US.

I actually purchased 5 shades but I only kept the Azteque shade because I gave the rest as Christmas presents to my girl friends. I just fell in love with this lipstick. I've been using it non-stop ever since I got it.

What I like about it...
* inexpensive
* awesome color payoff, very pigmented
* soft and creamy
* glides easily
* has a very mild scent
* does not make my lips dry
* I didn't feel any itch or irritation
* lasts long (for more than 5 hours)
* cute packaging (it has a shimmery dark violet color)

What I don't like...
* none, I absolutely love this stuff!

My Rating: 5/5

I will definitely recommend this.  It's a great everyday lipstick and the shades they offer are very pretty. There's no doubt that I will buy more Rimmel London Lasting Finish lipsticks.

I hope you all had a great time last Christmas.
Happy Holidays everyone!

Cheerios!
***Hollie***

This is the first time that I've really splurged on makeup. I bought several items as gifts for my girlfriends and for myself.  I've been doing so much online shopping this month because I received some $ payments from my online clients through paypal.

I don't want to spend the salary I get from my regular job on makeup since it all goes to household expenses and needs for my little boy. So, I do some freelance work online and spend my online earnings on makeup and beauty stuff.


I bought most of the items from http://www.ebay.ph/ .  The Elf products were purchased from SM City Cebu Department Store or Ayala Center Cebu Metro Department Store.

Here is my December Haul makeup list:

Sassy Magnifying Mirror
Generic Powder Brush
Nichido Glitter Powder in white
Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Almost Nude
L'oreal Wear Infinite Quad in Landscape
Jordana White eyeliner
Jordana Bronze lipliner
Cover Girl Clean make up Foundation in Buff Beige
Cover Girl Multiplying Mascara in Black
Rimmel London Powder Blush in Berry
Rimmel London Lasting Finish Lipstic in Azteque
Rimmel London Lasting Finish Lipstic in Bordeaux
Maybelline Mineral Power Illuminator in Peach
Maybelline Moisture Extreme Lipliner in Nude
Maybelline Shine Seduction Lipcolor in Nude Glow
elf Brightening eye color in Butternut
elf Brightening eye color in Pretty n' Pink
elf Duo Eyeshadow in Black Licorice
elf Wet Gloss Lash & Brow Clear Mascara
elf All Over Color Stick in Pink Lemonade

There are several products which I didn't include here in my haul since I will be giving them to my girlfriends as Christmas Presents.

How bout you, share your recent Hauls...

Cheerios!
***Hollie***

I know that everybody is having a hard time with choosing the right foundation. I'm even still searching for the right foundation shade myself.  A makeup foundation is basically one of the most essential tools for achieving a beautiful and radiant looking face.  It evens up skin color and lightly covers unwanted scars, blemishes, and pimples.  The sole purpose of a foundation is to even out your skin color.  Concealers are made to cover or conceal your scars, blemishes, pimples and other unwanted dark spots.

I'm not sure if there really is a perfect shade of foundation, but I've learned from various makeup artists, that they mix two different shades of  foundation to get the perfect shade they want.  As for me, if I use a foundation with a lighter shade, I just apply a slightly darker finishing powder to get the shade that is closest to my skin tone. (or the other way around)

I am not an expert but I did a little research. (sources from google.com)

Step 1: Recognize your skin type.

Normal Skin
- Complexion is even
- Surface is neither too oily nor too dry
- Face is supple with few lines, creases and wrinkles
- Face has few breakouts

Oily Skin
- Face has all over shine
- Shine happens quickly
- Pores are large and/or open
- Face suffers from frequent blemishes (blackheads and/or whiteheads)

Dry Skin
- Pores are undetectable
- Face looks and feels tight and dry
- Cheeks and/or chin are flaky and dry
- Face has lines and wrinkles around the eyes and mouth

Combination Skin
- has an oily T-Zone and dry elsewhere.

Sensitive Skin
- Face has distinct dry/red patches
- Skin is delicate or thin
- Face has sensitivity to products (burning or flushing)
- Face has Rosacea (Rosacea is a chronic, inflammatory skin condition which principally affects the face. Rosacea causes facial redness and produces small, red, pus-filled pustules (bumps). It is often mistaken for acne or eczema, or some other skin allergy.

Step 2:  Determine your skin undertone.

You must know whether you look good in Warm or Cool undertones.
Here's a simple trick I've learned from beauty gurus.
Look under your forearms, if your veins are mostly Green, that means you look good in foundations with  Warm undertones.  If your veins are mostly Blue, you will look good in foundations with Cool undertones. If it's combination of green and blue then you will look good in foundations with Olive undertone.

Warm undertone 
- these are for people who are dominantly yellow or has a golden skin tone.

Cool undertone
- these are for people who appears to have a pink or beige skin tone.

Olive undertone
-  these are for people who appears to have a slightly green-brown skin tone.


Step 3: Choose the proper formulation.

- Cream Foundation is ideal for: Normal, combination and dry skin. It is especially well suited for women with uneven pigmentation, or those requiring a heavier coverage.

Hey ladies, I just wanted to share with you my makeup collection. I know it's not much, but I do use all of them. That way they don't go to waste or reach expiry date.  I'm still saving up for a decent makeup train case because they are so pricey.  I would be so lucky if somebody gives me a train case this Christmas. (wishful thinking...lol)

Anyway, I'm just using this plastic organizer which I bought from Ace Hardware for Php 75.00 pesos each.

Here are the NYX swatches as promised!  I decided to show swatches on the lips so that you can really see the color when worn.  I forgot to let my husband take a picture for my NYX Lips in Bravo, so I did it myself but its blurry...What color you see in the tube is what you really get. They are so pigmented.

This is my very first NYX haul! I was so excited to try these lippies out when I got them.  I originally ordered 6 NYX lippies but forgot to take a picture of the other one (it's in a separate image below). Here they are!



From the left: NYX Megashine Lipgloss in Sunrise, Megashine Lipgloss in Silver Plum, NYX Round lipstick in Tea Rose, Doll and Topaz.

So excited to share this with you girls.  I've been wanting to do makeup for my friends and I finally had the chance to do a makeover for them.  My friends called me and asked to do their makeup for Stream's (cebu) Fashion-ish Christmas Party held at Waterfront Cebu and I was so happy that they did.

I went to Robinson's Place here in Cebu last week, and had no plans on buying any makeup.  My husband and I were just window shopping and decided to visit the Perfect Savers shop.  (it's a store that sells imported products)  We went in particulary for the chocolates, and found the LA Colors products by accident since it was right beside the cashier. I couldn't resist and had to buy one...lol.