Bellabox Singapore: APRIL 2014 | INNOVATIVE BEAUTY

Hello there! As the title says, I’m gonna be sharin’ with y’all the contents of my April box. And by the way, I got an SMS from TA-Q-BIN that they’d be delivering this box on 16^th April between 5-8PM but guess what?! I didn’t receive it until 18^th of April around 2 or 3PM. How accurate, right?! Tsk!

Anyway, I don’t want to ruin my day (and yours) so let’s just jump right into my “Innovative Beauty” box.

FRAGRANCE DU BOIS OUD ROSE/JAUNE INTENSE

50ML bottle: S$395 | Small pot (5 serum capsules): S$55 | Large pot (12 serum capsules): S$80

Give yourself an instant upgrade from classy to classy chic with a spritz of Oud rose’s alluring and sweet fragrance! Or be charmed with an enchanting brew of sparkling fruity floral and musky vanilla from Oud Jaune!

My first reaction: Don't they just look so cute and adorable? But I haven’t tried using/smelling 'em. And wait! What?! A 50ML bottle costs S$395? That’s expensive!

ALOXXI HYDRATING SHAMPOO

300ml: S$38

Colored hair, don’t care! Enhanced with 10 antioxidant extracts, Olive Oil and Avocado Oil, this hydrating shampoo protects against harmful UV rays and strengthens colored hair back to youthful health.

My first reaction: Um… I don’t color my hair. Hmmmm… but! Since I won a $200 salon voucher, who knows?!

JILL LOWE BEAUTY CONCEALER

10G: S$32

If you need to hide a blemish and camouflage your tired-looking skin of yesterday, try this concealer! Formulated with the finest mineral compounds, get ready for a seamless look that offers maximum, buildable coverage.

My first reaction: I’ve tried this and it’s…okay. It didn’t WOW me but what really caught my attention was its not-so-lovely scent. Did I get an expired one? Coz seriously, it smelled like an expired perfume. Argh! I appreciate that I got a full size product but I really don’t fancy the way it smells, like really!

 JYUNKA ULTRA DEFENCE UV PRO SPF50

10ml: S$48 | 30ml: S$117

This lightweight sunscreen is your knight in shining armor, boasting a SPF 50 UVA and UVB broad-spectrum protection shield against the raging sun’s damaging rays. It is slightly tinted to help even out your skin tone and give your complexion a gentle glow.

My first reaction: Yeah, it’s slightly tinted. When I squeezed a little amount on the back of my hand, it appeared somewhat like a two-shades-lighter BB cream. It also has this sort of “herbal-ish” scent which I don’t know yet if I like or not.  After spreading and blending it thoroughly, it left a certain glow, like a dewy effect. It felt a little sticky in my opinion and it didn’t seem to be easily absorbed by my skin. Hmmm… I’m not sure if I’m fond of this product but it’s good to keep coz why wouldn’t it be nice to have a backup sunscreen around? Right? Right!

SKINFOOD AGAVE CACTUS TONER & EMULSION

145ml: S$54.90

Formulated with 100% active ingredients of Agave and Cactus extracts, its toner and emulsion duo extensively and lock in moisture for long-lasting freshness.

My first reaction: I just watched Elle Fowler’s Sephora Haul and she mentioned “agave” and she sort of considers it as a healthy ingredient or something like that then I opened my box and saw this sample from Skinfood and was like, “Oh, agave...” Will probably try this soon as my Clean&Clear toner is about to run out.

And....that’s it for my April box! Did I enjoy the items? Hmmm… I don’t know! I’ll wait for my next box. If I end up feeling “Meh” again with the next one, I might just discontinue my subscription. I’m seriously turned off by their lousy courier service, so yeah, we’ll see.

***

How about you? Are you subscribed to a monthly box, too? How is it? I’m anxious to know…

Read More

My HG Brow products and tools

Brows can frame your face, it is very important to maintain and fill them in good shape, well to me at least. I know that some girls don't really do anything to their brows, just leave them as they are, well I used to be like that back when I was at Uni, but now I will never leave the house without filling my brows. Oh yes! Because they can for sure make a difference to your look. I mean even if you already have pretty perfect brows, still, apply a little clear brow gel just to keep them in place is "a must" I think. 

I am gonna show you my HG brow products that I can never live without, and some tools I use to keep them in good shape. 

I wanna talk about the Aqua Brow from Make Up For Ever first, because this is no doubt my No.1 brow product. If I can choose only one product for my brows and that is it. I would be happy with just this one. I think I will use this product FOREVER. Wow that's a pretty strong statement I think. So trust me guys, this is awesome. It gives you colour, it defines, and keep your brows in place, but most importantly it sets once it dries. It won't move until you decide to remove it. It lasts all day seriously guys, TRY IT! I swear I am not being paid to say this, I bought it with my own money in sephora so 100% honest opinion. But again, remember guy what works for me might not work you cuz everybody is different, but it's worth of a shot right?

I have the shade in 30, it's perfect for me but I think I wanna try 20 or 25 next time, cuz I like when my brows' a little lighter than their original colour. It's tiny as far as packaging goes, great for travel, hardly takes up any space in your makeup bag. 7ml doesn't seem a lot but trust me it'll last you forever, a little goes a long way with this. It looks pretty dark as you can see here with my swatch, It does tend to darken a little bit when it dries. So I suggest choose one colour lighter than your normal hair colour. That's it I have nothing bad to say about this product, it's all good. Ohh and one last thing, it has no scent at all so safe for sensitive skin! yeahhh!

I use the Aqua Brow with my Real Techniques brow brush and a little spullie (this is just a mascara wand from Mac) to brush them through for softening the look afterwards. 

Next up Gimme Brow from Benefit Cosmetics. This is probably one of the top selling products by Benefit. Everybody loves it. I got it on the recommendation of Amelia Liana's blogpost about this product, and I am glad I did. By the way if you don't know who Amelia is then you should quickly go read her blog and of course watch her Youtube videos cuz she is FAB!!! She has a great taste when it comes to makeup and skincare just FYI. Anyway as I was saying, this stuff gives you the illusion of a fuller and thicker looking brows because of the fibers in it. It's quick and easy, great for when you are in a rush or feeling lazy to fill in your brows. 

I have the shade in Light/Medium. I layer it over my MUFE Aqua Brow sometimes just to soften the darkness from it. I also use it on its own when I am running late for work. It's actually pretty opaque. I love Gimme Brow. Can't recommend it enough. 

I am gonna talk about these 2 products together just because both are brow pencils. The Smashbox Brow Tech to go comes with a gel to keep your brows in place which I really like. How thoughtful?! (shade: Brunette) The Sephora Eyebrow Pencil comes with a little brush so that you can brush them through before and after of course so that's pretty awesome! 

I got the Smashbox pencil from my local makeup store, and the Sephora one from when I was on holiday in China, but both you can easily get from Sephora wherever you are. 

The Smashbox pencil has an angled tip which makes it easier when apply, it is in a pretty hard formula which I like. And as far as the gel goes it's just a standard clear brow gel. What I like about the Sephora pencil is that it is kind of waxy which I prefer because the wax in it keeps my brow hairs in place so that I don't even need a gel afterwards. 

I normally trim and shape my brows once every week, and I hardly ever pluck them. WHY??? Because plucking brows will make your eyes become saggy when you get older. Trust me on this one guy!!! Nobody likes saggy eye lids! I do pluck them every now and then when my trimmer cannot reach some of the little hairs. That's it, no more than that! Just the standard tools I suppose, a pair of scissors; a trimmer if you can find, and a plucker (but try to pluck less).

 A photo of my brows today

Read More

CLOTHING & SHOES HAUL: SM DEPARTMENT STORE

Hi everyone! Anyone missed me? Anyone? No one?!!! Whaaaatttttt?!!!!! End of the world for me. :(

Hurhur! Kidding aside, I miss all of you! I miss blogging and putting up videos on YouTube which is why I’m here with my comeback video. Hoorah!

I hope you don't skip the video but if you did, I mentioned in the video the reason why I’ve been MIA for a while. A lot of things happened. My sister got hospitalized, we moved to a new house and we went back to the Philippines. We were there for almost a month and it’s so much fun! While we were there, I, of course, did a little bit of shopping which means I’ll be doing a ton of hauls for this blog and my YouTube channel. And here goes the first of my many hauls to come!

Since I've already talked about these items in the video, I'll just be showing you the photos here and won't blabber much about 'em - just another way to say that I'm a lazy blogger, hehe. 

Alright! Maybe I'll blabber a little... just a little. Hoho! <3 span="">

I got these shoes for such a great deal. Individually, they cost PHP299 but if you buy two pairs, you get one pair for only PHP199 - 2 pairs of flats for only PHP400! How can I pass up on such a good bargain?! That's why I got myself not only two but four pairs, hohoho!

FRONT (499.75 PHP)

BACK

FRONT (400 PHP)

BACK

I bought two pairs of short-shorts because my old ones are... well, old, hahaha! And it's been years since I bought new shorts. I'm really not a shopaholic and I rarely shop for clothes, so I guess it's just right that I treat myself to these two beautiful and lovely shorts. Don't you just love the colors I chose?! They're so spring-ish and summer-ry! I LOVE EM!!!

For some reason I got drawn to this tees the first time I saw it. I don't know what's with it that I wanted so bad to have it. Got it for 499.75 php. I still don't know when I'm gonna wear it though, and where to. 

I simply can't wait to use this denim-looking jacket! I love how it fits on me and I love the color. I'm so happy I bought this. I got it for only PHP 599.75 - what a steal, right?

And how can I not have this hoodie jacket? I love me some pink hoodie jacket! Oh yeah! Bought it for PHP 899.75.

Lastly, I got myself a dress that I can wear to work. I'm gonna go back to the employment world real soon that's why I bought this, hehe. 

And that's it, folks! Have you gone shopping lately? What's your recent purchases? Let me know! And oh! Thanks for reading. :)

Read More

My Top 5 Facial Oils

I am a big fan of facial oils if you haven't noticed it already from my Morning and Evening skincare Routine blogposts I did like a month ago, which by the way check them out if you are into skincare like I am. Just click on the links above. Anyways as I was saying facial oils are so so good for your skin and much more hydrating than moisturisers. Here are my 5 facial oils which I am currently loving and I'll tell you why in a minute, I have a couple more are on my wish list and when I get to try them eventually I will report back how they are. Always trying out new face oils  I know... By the way I don't actually have dry skin, it's more normal to combo but I do enjoy using oils. Think about it the reason why your skin produces so much oil is because your skin is dehydrated. So don't be scared of oils if you have oily skin because they can balance out your complexion. 

There we go. My top 5. I guess I'll start with the Kiehl's Midnight Recovery concentrate. They are in no particular order by the way, I love them all the same but for different purposes. 

This stuff is seriously amaze balls, and I'll tell you why.

• It hydrates instantly
• It penetrates deeply into your skin
• It smells OMG divine if you like Lavender
• It's so light, not sticky at all
• You'll wake up with a nice glow on the face (seriously)
• It cost 39 euros but it lasts like forever, seriously this stuff never finishes. 

TIP: try mixing it with your favourite clay mask, it'll just give you an extra boost. It worths every penny, so try it guys. If you have never used oils before the Kiehl's one is a good start! It's a serum but moisturise enough to be a moisturiser. I personally layer it with another oil which I'll get into it in a minute, but if you don't have dry skin this is good enough on its own. 

Now I know that everybody loves the Rosie Maran's Argan Oil so I am not gonna get into too much of detail but I'll tell you why I LOVE IT. It hydrates like nobody else's business! Exclamation point!!!! That's it, that's why I love it, I think that's a pretty good reason right?!!! Plus It's very natural and has all the good skincare ingredients in there. It's rich in Vitamin E so great source of Anti Oxidant for delaying ageing. I got the miniature version and definitely would pick up the full size when this runs out if it ever does. A little goes a long way with this oil. I also wanna try the "light" version. Does anybody know how it is compare to the original one? Please let me know. 

This Nude ProGenius Treatment Oil is actually a deluxe sample which I got from Sephora when it had a promotion. I am glad I got this because it is lovely. It's light yet hydrating, it doesn't have a smell to it which is okay although I do prefer a light relaxing scent to be honest, but it's good for those of you who are sensitive to fragrance. It's a treatment oil so you only need to use this one after washing your face in the evening, and you WILL wake up with a nice glow and more eventoned complexion. It's suitable for vegans as well just FYI. I will definitely pick up a full size when I finish up my other face oils. 

Next up, the Pure Maracuja Oil by Tarte. You can always find this under Sephora's best sellers, and now I know why. It's definitely a must have if you are into facial oils. I mix this with my Argan oil as my moisturiser and let me tell you the combination of these 2 is incredibly moisturising, but remember to use it in the evening it is too "oily" for morning use. It's rich in Vitamin C which is great for brightening your complexion if you have dark spots' marks and uneven skin tones. I got mine again in the miniature version, which by the way is great for travelling, and great value for money , trying it out before splurging on the big bottle right guys?! It also comes in a roller ball form, and I think I will get it next time just to experience the sensation of rolling this oil all over ma face! haha

I applaud you if you are still with me. I know I ramble, but we are almost there, I promise. 

Last but not least, the Normalising Day Oil by Dr. Hauschka. This is the only oil that you should use it in the morning as your moisturiser. It really balances out your skin no matter what skin type you have. I used up the whole bottle and it lasted me more than a year. I know right?! You only need a couple drops for entire face and neck. I found my face a lot less oily on the T zone and my foundation stays on all day. I love this so much and I am gonna have to pick up another bottle soon. I prefer using it in the winter, spring and autumn except summer, I just find a little too heavy in the summer. I love the scent, it smells like oranges, absolutely joyful to use in the morning. The only downside is that it leaks, it leaks everywhere. The bottle is a pain in the neck but they have changed the bottle I've heard so that's good news. 

There you have it, my beloved facial oils which are very very good for your skin no matter what age you are, and what skin type you might have. Try to use oils instead of creams in your skincare regime and you will see the difference once you get into it. 

Read More

My Top 5 Blushers

Into blushers? I've got 5 for you!

When it comes to choose the "perfect" blusher, I tend to go for something more on the coral, tanned/mauvey, and peachier side, as you can see here. Warm toned blushers just suit me more than some cool toned pinky shades. I am a NC 15-20 with slight yellow undertoned complexion in case you are wondering.

Let's get right into it shall we?! I know that alot of you beauty junkies out there like myself are into blushers. I just love to buy blushers even though I know I already have like 10 different corals in my collection. That's just what I do.

First up, Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Mood Exposure. This is easily one of my favourite blushers if not THE favourite in my collection. This shade looks so flattering on me.  It's a soft plum fused with Mood Light Ambient Lighting Powder to brighten the complexion. It is so pretty. I use this blusher almost everyday and I think that says alot cuz I do have loads blushers believe me. I use my Real Techniques Blush Brush to apply on my cheeks and be careful as this stuff is seriously pigmented in my opinion. I sometimes even use this as a "bronzer" because of the shade and it works pretty well. Love love love it!

Ok now I know what you all think. This is a bronzer. Aren't we talking about blushers?! Yes we are, but in my opinion this is the perfect blusher/bronzer/highlighter all in one. Seriously it is gorgeous, and easy, on those lazy days when you can't be bothered to put on bronzer then blusher then highlighter, just apply this and you are good to go! I have the shade in 04 Sun Blondes, oh and did I say this is from Guerlain? I think Guerlain does the best bronzers/blushers in my opinion, I also am dying to try the four seasons bronzer/blusher. I have to say that if you are not a fan of shimmers then this is not for you as it does contain shimmers, but I think look great on the cheeks you don't even need a highlighter. Can I just take a moment and say how gorgeous it smells!!! Ahh I need take another sniff. 

I just have to mention Nars Blushers because they definitely know what they are doing when it comes to blushes. Nars do some of the best blushers, and this Orgasm is my favourite. This is a duo, it also comes with my fav bronzer which is Laguna, we'll get into bronzers some other time. I got it from sephora.com I won't ramble too much as we all know Orgasm is a peachy pink shade with some gold shimmers running through it. It's gorgeous. 

If you haven't tried Laura Geller Blushers then you should definitely do so cuz they are just to die for. I have the shade in Mauve Mocha Latte and it is one of their baked impressions blushes. I got mine from qvc uk and it's actually part of a kit but I don't think qvc still has it. You can however go to Laura Geller website to purchase it separately. This is a baked blusher which handmade under terracotta pan and baked for 24 hours in Italy. The quality of this blusher is incredible. It's sheer but buildable. It is also paraben and mineral oil free so yeah! It's matte and sometimes I use it as a bronzer and it works pretty well as this shade is a warm terracotta mauve pink, but a little less pink I should say.

Lastly, Sugarbomb from Benefit Cosmetics.I got this like a year ago and look how much I still have it left. It never finishes. I love this one cuz it is so subtle on the cheeks and gives you a nice glow as well. It's got peachy, pinky, soft plum shades in there and all you have to do is swirln them together and apply. You can of course choose the shade you want and apply to your cheeks, and that's the beauty of this blusher. I sometimes even use it as eyeshadows why not?! Ohh and it smells so good.

Read More

My top 5 Cream Eyeshadow choices

Hey guys...

Who loves cream eyeshadows? I know I do! They are just so darn easy to apply, stay in place all day (if you choose the right ones), and good for lazy days when you just want some definition on your eyes without using brushes and all that blending work! Just blend with fingers and boommm done. Am I right?!

There we go... My most used cream eyeshadows. Let's get right into it, shall we?!

You can't go wrong with Mac Paint Pots. Loads people love them, and I am obviously one of those people. They last long on your eye balls, loads colours to choose from, creamy, easy to apply and easy to blend. I am not gonna ramble more about paint pots cuz I know for sure you beauty junkies out there already know why they are so popular. Let's just say they are good and worth checking out if you haven't already! This is called "Quite Natural", and it's a great base for a dark smokey-eye, or use it on its own to give some definitions on lazy days.  

There we go, another paint pot. The shade is called "Groundwork". It might not look appealing but trust me, it's a great base for all kinds of coloured eyeshadows. You can of course use it on its own for a subtle "no makeup" makeup look if you will. It's also a great shade for blending on the crease. I know in fact that some Mac makeup artists use this shade for crease work. You can purchase paint pots from all Mac counters near you or online of course. 

Next up, Wjcon Soft Mousse Eyeshadow in N10. It doesn't have a name unfortunately but it's a great cream eyeshadow by all means. This is an Italian drug store makeup brand. It's like KIKO but I personally prefer this brand. It's pretty affordable, only 6.90 euros. Unfortunately you can't get it anywhere else in the world apart from Italy. Sorry, but I know KIKO does something similar so... Anyway this stuff is seriously god send. It stays on all day, trust me I have the world oiliest eye lids and this wouldn't come off until I remove it with a makeup remover in the evening. It's very light in texture, kinda mousey, very pleasant. I love this shade, it's a bronzey neutral colour if you are into "neutrals" like I do. 

We are almost there I promise. The 4th one is by Benefit. It's their Ceaseless Cream Eyeshadow in the shade "Birthday Suit". I've just checked their website and I don't seem to find this shade. I don't know if it's discontinued or sold out, but do contact Benefit if you are interested. 

Another neutral shade I know, but what can I say I love my neutrals. It's a great shade to apply on its won and/or layer it with another colour. It stays pretty well throughout the day. I might have to check out other shades too. Mine dried out a little bit, I've had it since last year, but it works still. It's all good. 

Last but not least Avon Super shock Eyeliner in Flashy Brown. I know it says eyeliner but I use it as a cream eyeshadow. It works really well as a base and of course on its own. I love this colour. Very natural but with a bit more reddish brown in it. It is quite opaque so you don't need a lot. It's great for a neutral browny smokey eye. So make sure you get it from your Avon Rep cuz it is worth it in my opinion. 

So there you have it. My top 5 favourite cream eyeshadows. They are all pretty affordable so do check them out if you are interested it. 

As usual leave me comments if you wanna make me happy, tweet me @eflicciardello for daily updates. Take care guys! xoxo 

Read More

My Top "5" Favourite Lipsticks of All Time

I love buying lipsticks just like every other beauty junkies out there. Every colour looks pretty so I wanna have 'em all! However there are "5" in my collection that I tend to reach the most, well there are 6 actually but 2 of them are from the same brand same line so I guess it's "5+1", you know it's pretty hard to narrow it down to "5" so... ...

There we go... And may I just say how much I like just by looking at them?! I know what can I say I love my makeup!!! 

I'll start with my Dior Addict Extreme in 639 Riviera. By the way they're in no particular order, I love them equally! This is in my opinion the perfect coral, it's a little bit towards the orangey side but that's how I like my coral. I think this is the perfect shade for this time of the year, and of course for summer too. It's sheer but you can build it up for sure. It has the perfect shine to it so you don't even need to layer it with a gloss, but you can if you want to obviously. You can do a low-key makeup look to go with it (photo on the right) or an intense smokey-eye look. It goes with everything! 

This is the "+ 1" I was talking about earlier. It's from the same line which is the Dior Addict Extreme in the shade 667 Avenue. This is "the shade" for all year round. It's a glossy rosy pinky kinda colour which in my opinion goes with every makeup look. You can build it up or just wear it sheerly. Don't mind my photo on the left side, my lighting was a bit warm so it looks a little orangey but it really isn't. The one on the right however was taken with the actual day light so you can tell it's definitely pink. I did my eye makeup quite heavily that day but it looked pretty darn good with this shade. Don't you think?! So definitely check it out if you are after a "goes with everything" lipstick. I got this one and the one above from, and it costs 30.50 euros. 

Ok yes "nude". I love "nudes" they are just perfect for everyday use, well, even going out in the evening with a heavy smokey eye. Who said we can't wear "nudes" in the evening?! This is hands down my fav nude in my "nudes" collection. It's from Hourglass, and it's their Femme Nude Lip Stylo in 05 Nude. I got it from spacenk for £22. It's a peachy nude with this gorgeous golden shimmer but very subtle on the lip. It suits my yellowish skintone very well. This shade will look absolute gorgeous when I get a tan in the summer. Can't wait... Come on summer!

This is the Lancome L'Absolu Rouge in 008 Rose Reflect (sorry guys the name is actually rubbed off, but I think that's it). I got it from my local makeup store which is called Profumerie La Gardenia. It's an Italian makeup and perfume store which carries all major luxury makeup brands. This is, like the name said "Rose Reflect", that's exactly what the colour is. Blue toned rosy pink with white shimmer through it, gorgeous for when you have a tan. It, in my opinion looks better with a natural-eye makeup. Just a liner, loads mascara, a little pinky blusher, and that's it. Very creamy in texture, very comfortable to wear it.

Now we are onto RED. My fav colour of all time. It's my go-to evening lip colour. This is the Rouge Dior in 999. (Can you tell I like Dior lipsticks?!) Perfect red in my opinion. I got it again from sephora italia, and it costs 31 euros. This is unlike the Addict Extreme line, it's more creamy in texture and very, I repeat very opaque. One layer and you are good to go. And may I just say It's a tad glossy as well, just a little, it's more velvety so don't need a gloss over it. Well I don't like my red too glossy anyway so this is perfect. But you can wear it with a gloss if you are into glossy effect. It's not drying on the lip, feels very comfortable. It wears quite nicely throughout the night but you do need to touchup after a meal. 

Last, but certainly not least, it's my matte lip choice, the Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick in Empress by Hourglass. I got it from spacenk, and it was £23. I always go for this when I need my lips to last the whole night without worrying it wears off. The lasting powder is incredible, and it's very opaque. It's matte but not drying, and that's the main reason why I lean towards it so much. when I apply it, I normally put it a little on the back of my hand before to my lips, it's that opaque yes! All you need is one layer, you can however go for another if you really like deep shades. The colour is a deep aubergine, purplely toned wine colour if you will. It's definitely the colour for autumn and winter, and more evening appropriate, but do whatever makes you happy! Wear it in the morning if you want, who cares right?! But for summer day time?... emmmm, not so much! That's just for me. Again, do what you like!

Disclaimer guys. I know they are all highend lip products. That's just personal preference. I, to be 100% honest with you, haven't had any good experiences with drug store lipsticks, but I'll keep on looking, and fingers crossed I will find "the ones" oneday!

Read More