Random Beauty by Hollie

My ELF Loot Finally Arrived!

5:03:00 PM

After months of waiting, my ELF orders finally made it here. Whew! It took so long that I almost forgot about them. I ordered these at the official ELF website, however they don't ship worldwide so I had to send my orders to my brother's sister in-law in the US. I ordered this stuff last December and shipment was delayed for a long time because of the holidays.

The package was finally delivered to the US address around the last week of December. Too bad though, the person who was supposed to hand carry this already left for Phils. So, I had to wait again and this time it won't be hand-carried, it had to be shipped. I'm just glad that these arrived safely. hehe

Without further adieu here they are!

I actually kept the elf plastic...LOL

ELF Essentials 12-PC Brush Set

Elf Studio Stipple Brush

Elf Studio Eyeshadow C Brush

Elf Studio Lip Liner & Blending Brush

Elf Mineral Eyeshadow Primer

Elf Mineral Lipstick in Rosy Tan

Elf Beauty Encyclopedia - Everyday Eye Edition

I actually ordered 5 pcs Elf Studio Stipple Brush and 5 pcs Elf Mineral Eyeshadow Primer. I still have 2 pcs stipple brush and 2 pcs mineral primer left.

I decided to sell the Elf Beauty Encyclopedia because I already own most of the shades that is on the palette.

I'm selling some of my elf stuff for the following prices:

Elf Stipple Brush - Php 240.00

Elf Mineral Eyeshadow Primer - Php 240.00

Elf Mineral Lipstick in Rosy Tan - Php 240.00

Elf 12-pc Brush set - Php 750.00

Elf Beauty Encyclopedia - Php 440.00

Please let me know if you're interested.

This is it for now.

Cheerios!

***Hollie***

Giveaways

My Birthday Giveaway! (CLOSED)

3:44:00 PM

Hey ladies... Finally, I will be hosting my first ever Giveaway yay! My birthday is just a couple of weeks away so I though I'd give some stuff out in celebration of my 27th Birthday. Also I would like to thank all of my readers for continuing to read my ramblings. I never expected to reach more than 100+ Google Followers in such a short period of time, which is amazing. I know this isn't much but hey it's FREE...lol

I will be giving out the following items:

5pc Generic Synthetic Travel Brush Set (it's very soft and the hair doesn't fall out, I have one in polka dots)

Wet n Wild Intuitive Blend Foundation Primer in Medium

Wet n Wild Mega Eyes Trio in Venetian Violets

Wet n Wild Khol Eyeliner Pencil in Black

Cover Girl Clean Makeup Foundation in Buff Beige

Jordana Automatic Eyeliner in White

Elf Studio Stipple Brush

Elf Mineral Eye Primer

2 pcs Etude House Nail Polish

and more surprises to be added for the lucky winner...

Giveaway Rules: (One Entry)

1. This open to Philippine Residents only (my sincere apologies to International followers)
2. You must be a public follower through Google Friend Connect (GFC)
3. Email Address so that I can contact you if you win.
4. What do you like / dislike about my blog ?

For Extra Entries:
1. Follow me on Twitter (+ 1 Entry)
2. Subscribe to my blog via Feedburner / RSS (+ 3 Entries)
(you can subscribe by entering your email address found on my right side bar, just below the shout box)
3. Post this Giveaway on your side bar and link it to my blog, please send me your blog link (+ 2 Entries)
(you can do a blog post if you prefer)

Giveaway ends at exactly April 2, 2011 11:59 PM (Philippine Time). One lucky winner will be chosen via Fruit Machine on my birthday April 3, 2011.

Comment Format:
GFC Name:
Email Address:
Your answer:
Extra:
Twitter Name/Link:
Subscribed via Feedburner/RSS: Yes or No
Posted on Side Bar: blog link

You're probably wondering where I got the Elf Studio Stipple Brush and Elf Mineral Eye Primer (not available locally), I ordered those from the Elf Website last December and shipped it to a friend in the US since they don't ship world wide. My Elf loot just arrived last week. (pictures will be shown on next post)

Good luck everyone!

Cheerios!
***Hollie***

Lips

REVIEW: Rimmel Sweet Stuff Lipstick in Maniac

7:09:00 PM

Here's another interesting lipstick that I found online while I was browsing through ebay.ph. I got it really cheap, but in case you're wondering this retails for $6.36 at Target.

I was looking for more information about this product but I failed. The Rimmel sweet stuff lipstick comes the Rimmel Underground line so it can't be found on their official website. I just felt the need to write a review about this product since it's totally different from most lipsticks I have tried.

What I like about it...

* inexpensive

* sleek packaging, I really like the slender black tube with the silver Rimmel logo on the center.

* it smells and tastes sweet. The scent is similar to a strawberry candy. As most of you know, you can only find sweet smelling and sweet tasting lip products on lip gloss or lip balms, but this is the first time I've tried a lipstick that does the same. It awesome!

* very moisturizing, it did not dry out my lips at all.

* it has little shimmers which makes my lips look fuller

* the color payoff is excellent. With just one swipe you can already see the color.

* creamy and glides easily

* I did not experience any allergies or irritation

What I don't like...

* not available locally

* staying power is decent, but easily fades if I drink or eat something.

* there are times that the smell bothers me. Others might find the sweet smell too overpowering.

My rating: 3 / 5

So I'd say this is good product to have around. It's not that great but it's not bad either. If you're a matte lover, and don't like shimmers I'd say you skip this. However, if you like lip glosses that smells and tastes sweet without the sticky feeling, I'd say go grab the Rimmel Sweet Stuff Lipstick.

I won't be repurchasing this because, the quality and feel of this product is similar to a lip gloss. I have a couple tinted lip glosses that has a much better staying power than this.

Have you tried sweet smelling and sweet tasting lipsticks? If you have, do share.

This is it for now.

Cheerios!

***Hollie***

Looks

RBBH Look: Simple and Easy Makeup for Work

10:01:00 PM

Here's another simple look I've created which can be worn in the workplace. It doesn't take too long to finish and it's fairly easy to do. The Eye diagram will surely guide you to the eyeshadow application. Just remember to always blend, blend, blend.

Eye Diagram

Products used for my Eyes

Rimmel London Colour Rush Trio Eyeshadow in Lynx

Maybelline Volum Express Waterproof Mascara Hypercurl in Black

Elf Cream Eyeliner in Black

Elf Eye Primer and Liner Sealer

Marionnaud Angled Brush

Product used for my Cheeks

Rimmel Mousse Blush in Juicy Lychee

Product used for my Lips

Revlon Creme Gloss in Mischievous Mocha

Products used for my Face

Celeteque Facial Moisturizer

Pure Beauty Soothing BB Cream

ELF All Over Cover Stick in Honey Beige

San-San Pressed Powder in #02

The Final Look

Whew! Sorry about the messy hair. I'm currently having hair troubles, since my hair is thick and it's too dry. I'm currently testing out the L'Oreal Total Repair 5 Repairing Treatment conditioner hoping that this will help make my hair healthy. (crossing my fingers)

This is it for now.

Cheerios!

***Hollie***

Fun TAGS

Tagged! Writings on the Wall

4:23:00 PM

Good Day ladies! Just arrived in the office and feeling the headache. Thought I'd take a break. I was out shopping for groceries this morning and also stopped by at Watson's for some necessary stuff.

I remembered that I was tagged by Codename AYA a couple days ago, so I'm doing my post now. I love reading her reviews, tutorials and especially her DIY (do-it-yourself) posts. I suggest you check out her blog too.

Name/Blogger name
Blog title/URL
Write "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog."
Fave quote
Fave song
Fave singers
Anything else you want to say?
Tag 3-5 other people.

I know, I know, my handwriting sucks big time! It was fun doing this though.
I'm tagging, Lisa of Cocobella Ballerina, Donna Dell, and Elaine of Resplendent Rainbows

This is it for now.

Cheerios!
***Hollie***

Haul

Nail Polish Haul

7:38:00 PM

As some of you might have noticed, I haven't done any posts about nail polishes yet. The reason to that is simply, I suck at it!...lol

I seldom paint my nails because I just feel like my hands and toes look cleaner without them. My fingers only get painted when I go to the spa, which happens once or twice a month or when I just feel like it. Lately, I noticed that my younger sister (1st year psychology student) has been really addicted to nail polishes and nail art, so I just kind of got into it as well. (pretty lame right...hehe)

From Left to Right (Branded)

TheFaceShop - Mint Green shade (code to follow)

Maybelline Salon Expert - redish brown shade (code to follow)

Elf Nail Polish in Royal Purple

Wet n Wild Fantasy Makers Nail Color in Mytery

Wet n Wild Fantasy Makers Nail Color in Scary

From Left to Right (Local)

Chic Classics in Ash

Caress Nail Polish in Brown Fox

Bobbie Holoprism Nail Polish in Mudslide

Bobbie Holoprism Nail Polish in Purple Passion

Bobbie Nail Hardener

I bought Bobbie Nail Polishes because of Thiamere when she posted a Bobbie nail polish haul. The shades were really very pretty. I bought the Chic nail polish because the "Ash" shade is my favorite nail color (it's my second bottle). I've been looking for a similar color from a different brand, but I still can't find one. Would really be happy if you could suggest one.

You can check out Bobbie nail polish swatches on Thiamere's blog HERE, she's really great when it comes to nail art. By the way, I bought the Wet n Wild and Maybelline nail polishes online. Let me know if you're interested (Pinay Readers), I can sell them at an affordable price.

This is it for now.

Cheerios!

***Hollie***

Face

REVIEW: Pure Beauty Soothing BB Cream

8:02:00 PM

Product Info from Pure Beauty

Soothing BB Cream is a natural botanical cover cream that effectively helps soothe and protect sensitive and troubled skin. It contains Vita Extract, EMX water and Na-Complex to help protect skin and activate skin cell restoration for a healthy skin tone. Suitable for all skin types, even sensitive skin.

Retail Price: Php 199.00 (at Watson's)

made in Korea

This is the very first BB Cream I've ever tried. Ever since I read several blogs with raves about their favorite BB creams, I've been looking for a BB cream that I can afford since most BB creams I've read from blogs are too pricey.

I was just buying some necessities for me and my hubby at Watson's when I saw this blue tube on the rack. There were only two left, and I got curious. I picked it up and saw it was a BB cream. I checked the price right away and to my surprise it's only Php 199.00 pesos that's around 4 USD. Honestly, I was hesitating to buy it because it's so cheap, but when I read the details at the back, it said suitable for sensitive skin and it's made in Korea! I quickly placed it on my basket. (most effective BB Creams came from Korea)

I have been using this product for over a month now, and I must say I'm really loving this stuff. I haven't used any tinted moisturizer, concealer or liquid foundation since I started to use this BB cream. It saves a lot of time when I'm putting my makeup on. I just use my Celeteque moisturizer, then followed by this BB cream, and then my pressed powder and that's it. I also used this product on the look I created with avon, you can check it out HERE.

What I like about it...

* inexpensive

* has mild herbal scent

* cute packaging with floral details

* has a squeeze type tube which makes it very easy to use

* a pea size amount goes a long way

* awesome coverage, evens out my skin tone

* feels really light on my skin

* easy to blend when you get used to it because it has a thick consistency

* really makes my skin glow

* my pimple marks are still visible but are starting to fade

* didn't experience any breakouts or irritation

* written on the back of the tube says, storage period for 3 years

What I don't like...

* the shade is too light for my skin, but my pressed powder makes up for it

* it doesn't have SPF like most BB creams do

* it doesn't actually say what are its benefits in the packaging (I had to research about it)

My rating: 3/5

I wanted to give this a higher rating, but I haven't used other BB creams yet, so I can't compare. I'm not sure if I will repurchase this, because I still want to try other BB creams. I would recommend this BB cream to you ladies since it's suitable for all skin types. You can also check out another review of this product from Donnarence of My Lucid Intervals for a second opinion.

This is it for now.

Cheerios!

***Hollie***

Eyes

REVIEW: Maybelline Volum Express "The Falsies" Waterproof Mascara in Black Drama

11:41:00 PM

Product Info from Maybelline

The most dramatic false lash fab volume!
• Patented Spoon brush reaches lashes from corner-to-corner, while Black Drama formula fills in every gap.
• Matte black lashes from corner-to-corner.
• No gaps from any angle.
• Contact lens safe and Ophthalmologist tested.
• Washable; also available in waterproof formula.

Retail Price: $5.94 in the US,

I'm not sure how much this retails locally since I haven't seen it on our local Maybelline counters. (can be found at Duty Free)

I have tried quite a few mascaras already but I must say I'm impressed with this. The Falsies is one of Maybelline's wonderful creations. I got this mascara from my friend (Loien) and have been using it for about a month now. I just thought it's time for my thoughts to be heard.

What I like about it...
* inexpensive
* super black color
* curved applicator
* clump free if applied carefully
* smudge proof and waterproof
* it lengthens my lashes
* gives extreme volume, hence the falsies name
* nice packaging, love the color
* lasts all day
* easy to remove with an eye makeup remover
* does not sting

What I don't like...

* not easy to find locally
* needs time to apply, this is not the type of mascara you can use when you're in a hurry

My rating: 4 / 5

my lashes without mascara

my lashes with The Falsies mascara

with The Falsies Mascara

I truly love this mascara, and I would highly recommend this to ladies who are looking for that natural length but extra volume. I won't be repurchasing this anytime soon since I still have other mascaras on hand.

This is it for now. Enjoy your weekend.

Cheerios!
***Hollie***