NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream Swatches

When it comes to cosmetics, I don't really invest much on shiny, glittery items. I've always considered myself a matte girl, especially on lip products. And I just adore these ones from NYX! It's cheap (costs 280 php each), very pigmented and long wearing. So if you consider yourself a "matte girl" just like me, or if you're just looking for a really good lip product, I highly recommend this.

It comes in 11 gorgeous shades, and below are the swatches of my favourite ones.

Purchased from: Digital Traincase 

How To Do: Strawberry nail art

I asked some people which design they would like to see a tutorial for, and this one's the top pick. So once again, I put up a simple step by step tutorial on how to do this very cute and yummy looking Strawberry nail design.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

• A Red, White & Yellow nail polish
• Green striper
• Toothpicks

And this is what you should have... Easy, right?

TIPS: 

• Make sure to let your first coat of polish dry first before layering it with another to prevent bubbles.
• Finish with a top coat to prevent it from chipping. 

REVIEW: Beauty UK Palettes

I've been seeing good reviews about these Beauty UK palettes for months, so I decided to get some and test it out for myself. And by the way, each palette only cost me 300php ($8) each, so you can't really go wrong with it!

Beauty UK Eye Shadow & Eyeliner Collection: AMAZON

Beauty UK Eye Shadow Collection: TWILIGHT

HITS:

• almost all the colors are very pigmented. It shows up beautifully even without a primer.
• the white tones are very good to use for highlighting.
• the cream eye liners that comes with the first palette is actually decent. It glides on pretty smoothly.
• both palettes are very compact. You might not notice on the picture but these are actually a bit smaller than the usual 7-inch palettes, these ones go for 4 1/2 inches wide. To me, that's a thumbs up because I like to travel with a lot of make up!
• unlike most palettes that are on the cheaper side, these ones are placed on a very thick and sturdy plastic cases. 
• thumbs up for the transparent lids. It makes it easier to see the colors inside so you don't have to open and go over each palette. Very useful in times when you're trying to search for a specific color.

MISSES:

• some of the lighter colors are a little chalky.
• some color tends to break for no reason, especially the blue ones.

SWATCHES:

Beauty UK Eye Shadow & Eye Liner Collection: AMAZON

Beauty UK Eye Shadow Collection: TWILIGHT

All products purchased from: Cute7teen Store  

My Kiss 'n Make-up Giveaway!

To my fellow bloggers and cosmetic fanatics! My Kiss 'n Make-up is doing a huge comeback giveaway! Just click the picture below to know more about the mechanics and the prizes. Go ahead, click away and join! Good Luck!

How To Do: Piano keys nail art

I never really thought of doing tutorials, but when someone asked me to do one for this particular design, I just knew I had to do it. So today, I put up a very simple step by step tutorial on how to do Piano nails. It looks intricate but you'll be surprised on how easy it is!

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

• White nail polish
• Black striper
• A toothpick or a dotting tool (for detailing)

CLICK TO ENLARGE

REVIEW: Etude House Brow products

The most crucial part of my make up routine are the brows. I prefer it really defined, slightly-arched and bold. And I always make sure that it's perfectly drawn, blended and tamed before I leave home, mainly because it really does make a difference when you really have nice brows, especially on pictures.

Brow products comes in a lot of forms, there's pencil, gel, cream, there're treat and tame ones that comes in mascara-like tubes and then lastly, there's powder. I've used it all but the best ones I've tried so far are these ones from the Korean brand, Etude House.

Etude House 'Drawing Eye Brow' Brow Pencil

HITS: 

• the pencil itself is uniquely designed to make the application very easy. 
• it comes with a spoolie, it is nothing special, it's just the usual ones you can find on typical brush sets. But the fact that it's attached on the other end of the pencil makes it very convenient.
• it fills the brows perfectly. You get the perfect shade instantly as long as you apply it with light strokes.

Etude House 'Color My Brows' Brow Gel

HITS:

• it does a good job on taming untrimmed brow strands.
• the size is very compact, so it doesn't take too much space and weight on your kit when you travel with it.
• it has a nice small sized applicator which gives more precision and control.

MISSES:

• it has glitters. It does't show that much on a regular room lighting but I'm just not sure with brighter ones. Kinda weird having sparkly brows, eh?
• it only comes in two shades, light and dark brown. Although the one I got, which is the dark one suits me quite well.

And here is a picture of my brows right after using both products for the first time. First, I filled it up with the pencil, shaped it with the brush and applied the tame on top to seal it in.

Not just another French tip

Most of you will probably agree when I say that French tip is still the simplest and the most elegant manicure there is. When I run out of nail design ideas, I always go back to this one. But this time, I decided to give it a little twist.

REVIEW: 'Polished' Nail Art Book

I've been a nail art enthusiast for a few years now but it still excites me when I see something new. From the latest nail trends to the latest tools. Now, I will be reviewing something that has never been done before. A nail art book. 'Polished' is basically a compilation of the cutest and trendiest nail art designs both newbies and enthusiasts will surely enjoy trying on their own tips.

Besides the very lovely packaging, the book also comes with four mini-sized nail polishes that comes in Blue, white, pink and tangerine. 

Each nail design also comes with step by step instructions that are very easy to understand. It also features tips and tricks on how to easily amp up a design.

      

     

  

For just 195 php, this book is definitely a must buy! Sure, you can do designs on your own, but in times when ideas are just nowhere to be found and you just lack inspiration, this book will surely come in handy!

Published by Summit Media and Berry Books.

This post is not sponsored.

One of my first original designs

A flashback from two years ago. T'was my first time to try out nail stripers and dotting tools, and this is what I came up with.

DIY: Dip Dyed Acessories

Do you have an old piece of jewelry or accessory that just doesn't look as cool as it did before? Don't toss it out just yet! Not until you try dip-dyeing all of them!

WHAT YOU'LL NEED: 

Click to enlarge

STEP 1: Dab some white polish on the sponge.

STEP 2: Dab the white polish all over until it covers the whole jewelry, it will serve as a base coat so the next colors you apply will show up better.

STEP 3: Apply the first color. You can choose whatever shade you want to use. If you're planning to use 3 or more colors like what I'm doing, it's easier if you apply the 'transition color' first, which goes right in the middle part. In my case, it's purple.

STEP 4: Dab/paint on the rest of the colors on both sides. 

And voila! 

A new piece of jewelry!

Piano Keys Nail Art

I love music. But I'm not so good in playing the piano, so I decided to show it through what I do best --nail art. What do you think?

REVIEW: Bobbie Magnet-Ficent Polish

After crackle nail polish, another nail trend really got everyone in the beauty world talking. And this is the magnet polish. It's basically a type of a nail polish that creates a 3D design just by holding a magnet against it after you apply it on your tips.

It was first introduced by the brand Nails Inc. in London and then a bunch of other international nail polish brands from high-end to low-end produced their own versions. I've been dying to get a hold and try this particular polish for months. I went online to check different brands and their prices are insane! Not to mention, I still have to pay for shipping!

So imagine my surprise when I saw these babies on my trip to the mall today. Bobbie just comes up with the best and trendiest polishes among all the local brands. And they're the first ones to produce crackle polishes in the local market as well! About these magnetic ones, I'm not sure how many shades this product comes in, but these are pretty much all the shades that are currently available at Watson's.

SHADES (L-R): VI-201, GR-101, GR-203, VI-104, BR-202

The magnet is located at the top of the cap, it's not detachable so you do have to screw the cap on right after you apply the polish, so you can use magnet. There are only two magnet designs as of the moment, these are pretty much the basic ones but it'll do. But I do hope they come up with more.

HITS:

• the packaging is great. 
• it comes with instructions. Well, I didn't really need any more instructions since it's pretty simple, but it would be very helpful for those who are trying this product for the first time.
• you get a lot of product. Each bottle contains 10mL of product. The standard ones only goes for 5-8mL.
• the 3D design shows up fast. The instructions indicates that you should hold the magnet over the nail for 5-10 secs.
• the brush applicator has very fine and soft bristles, which gives you an even application and better control.
• lastly, it's cheap! Each bottle costs Php 79.00. Well, not exactly cheap but compared to the prices of imported ones that ranges from Php 400-700, this is dirt cheap!

MISSES:

• the magnets only comes in two designs(shown above), I hope they come up with more.
• some shades are quite similar, especially the violet and the green ones.
• it chips fast without a top coat. Well everyone loves putting on top coats anyway!

SWATCHES:

Tribal Aztec Nails

I've been spotting a lot of Aztec designs on clothes and accessories lately, that's why I thought of recreating this original design by my all time favorite nail art designer Cutepolish (visit her YouTube Channel here)  on my own tips. What do you think?

Leopard Print Nail Art

I haven't done a cute manicure in a while so I visited the channel of my very first and all time favorite nail art designer/nail artist to get a bit of inspiration. And one of her latest uploads caught my eye so I decided to do it on my own! Check out her YouTube Channel.