#itsemifiedbeauty

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Beaublends Matte Lipstick Review

Dab your lips with these local matte liquid lipsticks. All shades are meant to compliment the beauty of Filipinas. 

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Althea Korea Petal Velvet Sunaway Review

Be sun-proof with Althea Korea’s latest product. Greet the sun with a big smile because the Petal Velvet Sunaway is here to stay. 

Just recently, I received a special package from Althea Korea containing their newest product called Petal Velvet Sunaway. “Petal Velvet”? Well, Althea Korea previously released loose powders in the name of petal velvets so this sunscreen is a dear companion to them. So far, the brand released 3 loose petals in different variants.

The loose powders will be up in a different review since this article is solely focused on the sunscreen. :)

When it comes to their packaging, the signature Althea Korea logo can be seen. Their minimalistic theme is still on-going. Althea Korea is focused on this kind of theme as of the moment.

The product is made out of from damask rose micro particles. Honestly, the scent smells like expensive skincare. You can definitely smell the exquisite scent of roses as if you’re in a garden of them. Feel free to imagine!

The bottle is pretty nifty. I love the white-pink combination because it’s two of my favorite colors combined. ;-) The design is pretty simple but it’s eye-catching, don’t you agree?

Here’s a drop of the sunscreen.

Here’s the outcome once when blended and absorbed by the skin. See how it leaves a brightening complexion.

Due to its effective moisturizing abilities, I use this as a moisturizer before I put my make up. I love how smooth my skin feels after using this. Since I’m a combination of dry and oily skin, I only apply on the dry parts of my face. 

I am uncertain whether or not you can use this as a sunscreen on the body. It’s advertised for the face but I feel you can also use it in other body parts although that would be a total waste of product.

If you want to buy, check the link: https://ph.althea.kr/petal-velvet-sunaway

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Superface Lights Camera Action Review

I have a love-hate relationship with Korean foundations. They’re just too light for my skin tone. Fortunately, I found a brand that’s perfect for my Chinita skin.

Sporting dewy makeup looks have never been easy. I never really hopped on the Asian dewy look train because I have a naturally oily skin and I live in a tropical country. In order for my makeup to last throughout the entire day, matte has always been my go-to.

The Superface Lights, Camera, Action! mesh cushion is truly one of a kind. Its shade is great for people with yellow undertones (sooooo me!!) who want to dive into the K-Beauty world without worrying about being too white. The coverage is amazing because it hid my pimples and blemishes.

Thanks to its formula, it can last in the Philippine weather. It definitely held on its own against the heat and humid weather. It didn’t become cakey or whatsoever!

If you want to buy this product for a discounted price, head over to hicharis.net/itsemified to have your very own. Moreover, each purchase comes with an extra refill. <3

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MAC Cosmetics Powder Kiss Lipsticks Review

THIS IS NOT A DRILL. Mac Cosmetics has finally released a powder matte lipstick formula.

I have been a MAC Cosmetics addict since 2012. My very first MAC lipstick is in the shade called Brave. Since then, I’ve been collecting MAC products in all sorts of form.

Naturally, when global MAC announced they’d be releasing a powder matte formula, I was ecstatic. I have been waiting for this for such a long time and it was finally here. I even kept bothering MAC Philippines as to when they’d be releasing the line in the country.

When the powder kiss lipsticks arrived, oh boy, most of the shades were sold out. The best-selling shades were difficult to come by. Luckily, I got My Tweedy and Sultriness as a gift.

The usual sleek bullet case has been replaced by a matte one. I believe this is a brilliant move on MAC’s part since this would give the user that it is indeed powder matte. It is soft and velvety to the touch.

My Tweedy is a warm peach and it is perfect for those who adore corals. I wouldn’t recommend this for the faint-hearted; the shade is bold and rich in color. 

Shade:

On the other hand, Sultriness is a baby blue pink lipstick and I recommend it if you want a natural or daytime makeup look. It compliments the Filipina skin tone and isn’t harsh on the lips.

Shade:

In terms of formula, I am honestly divided. It is not like what I imagined at all. It has its own set of pros and cons. Maybe I just had HIGH expectations since this is MAC we’re talking about.

Pros:

Lovely shade range

Long lasting for a powder matte

Velvety to the touch

Cons:

Lip lines are seen

Not as pigmented I thought it would be

Very light in color

You’re probably wondering, is it like Maybelline or Sunnies Face? Not at all. In terms of texture, it is lighter than Maybelline. When you wear powder kiss, it feels light as a feather on the lips. You’ll even probably forget you’re wearing lipstick in the first place. In terms of color, Sunnies Face is much more rich as compared to MAC’s. The latter is going for the subtle matte look.

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Sunnies Face Fluffmatte Lipsticks Review

Sunnies Face is fairly new in the beauty industry but has already gained both local and international presence. They started on lipsticks and the hype isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

When Sunnies Face came out in the public, everyone was in a riot on how amazing the product was. They were selling out to the point the physical stores have to close in the afternoon since they ran out of stock. There were lines and there was even a limitation implemented as to the number of lipsticks you can buy!

It took months before I could get my very own. No, I didn’t fall in line in their physical stores or ordered from their site itself. I got mine from Shopee, Lazada and Zalora. Yes, I had to resort to ordering them from various online shops since some of the shades were sold out.

After I first tried Milkshake, I knew I got to have ALL of them. I can attest that their lipsticks are worth having. It is definitely the real deal.

Sunnies Face released a total of 9 lipstick shades. They are called: Mood, 143, Milkshake, Baked, Nudist, Vacay, Girl Crush, Major, and Hot Sauce. The most often sold out shades are Baked, Nudist and Vacay late last year (2018).

The original packaging is the famous beige case. The frosted packaging is meant for their holiday edition but even up to now (June 2019), it is still the same packaging. People are clamoring about the old packaging in Sunnies Face’s social media accounts. They clearly want the old one back!

Top to bottom: Milkshake, Nudist, Vacay, Baked, Mood, 143, Girl Crush, Hot Sauce and Major.

My favorite shades are: Milkshake, Nudist, Vacay and Baked. I can live without the others but those 4 are very much essential pieces.

What people love about the Fluffmatte lipsticks is the powder matte formula. It is velvety to the touch and it is rich in color. Users are complaining that it doesn’t last long in their lips but in my experience, it did and it survived an entire day of eating and drinking.

Sunnies Face added that Fluffmatte is not just for the lips, it can also be used on the lids and cheeks. If you’re talking about versatility, Sunnies Face has your back. 

Overall, I recommend the Fluffmatte lipsticks. For P345, you’ll be getting a high-quality product. Local cosmetics are definitely quaking in their boots because this line is a hard contender to beat.

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Chica Y Chico Matt Powder Review

Whenever I’m wearing full face makeup, powder is a must for me. This is a step that I certainly don’t skip at all.

If you’re living in the Philippines, using powder foundations are a must after applying liquid foundations. Due to the intense humid weather, makeup can be stifling and uncomfortable. Chances are, you’d notice your makeup going cakey. 

Your makeup going cakey doesn’t mean your foundation’s quality sucks. Most of the time, it’s the lack of pre and post foundation application. A smooth base is achievable if you use a primer, liquid foundation and powder foundation. Those are the holy trinity in achieving a flawless base aside from great skincare products.

When you’re entering a makeup store, you’ll definitely find yourself confused as to why there’s a loose and pressed powder being sold. Yes, they’re different and both have their own set of benefits.

Pressed powder:

Great coverage

Wider shade range

Portability

Recommended for starting makeup enthusiasts 

Loose powder

Perfect as a setting powder

Contains less oil than pressed powder

Achieve dewy makeup looks with this

For me, I use both depending on where I’m going and what the occasion is. If I have an event that requires me to be out for almost the entire day, I go for the pressed powder. If you see me in blogging events or special occasions, I’m definitely use my pressed powder. If I’m just out and about, you’ll see me with my loose powder on.

Recently, I acquired a Chica Y Chico Matt Powder from hicharis.net/itsemified and I’m loving that Korean brands are incorporating powders in their products. I adore K-Beauty but due to the love for “dewy” and “glossy” makeup looks, powders aren’t the priority for Korean makeup brands. Fortunately, since they’re targeting a bigger audience now, powder foundations are now “in” in the K-Beauty industry.

Naturally, Korean makeup products find their way incorporating a wee bit of skincare. This matt powder acts as a sebum controller as well. Although this is not the first Korean brand to do so, I’m glad that Chica Y Chico decided to make this happen for their company. After all, we do enjoy makeup products that care for our skin as well.

Loose powders are normally contained in a jar and this is no exception. Usually loose powders are applied with a brush but this one comes with a puff. For me, I prefer using brushes since puffs don’t work great when it comes to loose powder.

The Chica Y Chico Matt Powder line comes in two variants: Matt Pink and Matt Mint. I prefer mint because it addresses the skin concerns I have.

Matt Pink

Brightens skin

Provides subtle glow

Matt Mint

Covers redness

Pore Blur

Waiiiit, there’s more! It isn’t just a loose powder to make your makeup last longer. You can use it as it is to control sebum in the T-Zone, apply on greasy hair, nail primer, and even make it as your deodorant.

Upon application, despite it being green in color, it blends with my skin and the weird green color disappears. It becomes translucent so you don’t have to worry if you’re going to turn out as Shrek.

I always use this after I use my cushion foundation to make it last longer throughout the entire day. It keeps my face soft and fresh like a baby. :-)

Are there any cons about this product? Yes, the puff is useless for me; users can definitely live without it. I think the brand should have invested on increasing the powder instead. Making the holes a bit bigger would help a lot since it’s quite difficult to get the product out from the jar. 

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Sixteen BrickIt Shadow Kit Review

What’s better than chocolate? An eye palette that looks like one! ;)

The beauty industry has certainly produced unique and insane products. When it comes to eyeshadows, there are numerous brands that would simply make the consumer have a difficult time in choosing.

Food-inspired eyeshadow palettes are definitely not unique. The trend is still ongoing and I don’t think I’ll see it die for quite a while. The food theme is rampant and people are eating it up.

Sixteen Brand (16Brand) is a Korean beauty company that specializes in makeup. Launched by Korea’s top celebrity makeup artist, Chosungah, the brand has become a massive hit.

One of their creations is a chocolate bar-inspired eyeshadow palette called BrickIt Shadow Hit 10 “Choco”. The name is lengthy and a bit hassle if you pronounce it fully. I wished they shortened the name.

The packaging is a typical chocolate bar. Its exteriors remind me of Hersey’s old packaging style. At the back, the shade names are located and is in Korean.

Once you take the palette out of the box, you’ll immediately notice that its container is designed as a chocolate. The long rectangular container reminds me of Etude House’s eyeshadows. There’s not much uniqueness when it comes to their packaging style. 

The shades are very friendly for both a daytime and nighttime makeup look. The colors can be used for a soft contouring or bold smoky eye look. There’s a perfect mixture of matte, glitter and shimmer.

Left to Right: Egg Nog, Cotton Sugar, Sweet Latte, Milk Coco, Rose Macaron, Hazelnut Syrup, Cinnamon Powder, Deep Brownie, Melting Ganache, Cacao 100.

In terms of formula, the 5 from the right are rich in pigment while the others are a bit lacking in color. If you have a fair skin tone, this palette would definitely compliment your skin. As for medium skin tones, the lighter shades are easily unnoticeable. 

The brush applicator is different from the usual Korean applicators. For me, the 16Brand brush is well thought of and unique. Thanks to the applicator, both ends have sponges in different sizes: wide and small. The wide sponge is perfect for applying the base and blending the colors while the small sponge is great for definitions.

Overall, I’d rate the product a 4 out of 5 stars. There are factors in the product that could have been worked out more, especially in terms of packaging, but it works just as fine as any other Korean eyeshadow palette.

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Inga Liquid Lipsticks From Hi Charis Review

The matte lipstick fever is still alive. Despite the rise of dewy and glossy makeup looks, matte is still a preferred option by beauty brands. Inga’s Flat Liquid Lipsticks are a testament to this.

Truthfully, I have no idea what the brand, Inga, actually. I didn’t even know it exists until I got the entire set of their lipstick collection. As I’m checking out the shades from hicharis.net/itsemified, I noticed that the colors are very friendly for the Filipino skin tone. I just knew that I have to own all of them!

The packaging is well made. The box feels and looks expensive. I love that you can see the actual shade color from the exterior. As I took each bottle out, I got disappointed because the bottles look terribly cheap. With just one touch, I noticed how different the vibes of the bottle from its box. They’re pretty light and quite small.

Their entire lipstick collection is composed of 6 colors. As of the moment, their line has no definite theme. It’s just a feel good, look good kind of makeup.

Top to bottom: Autumn Rosy, Wannabe Chili, Coral Cocoa, Vintage Red, Carrot Brick and Rose Marsala.

As you’ve noticed, the shade range are mostly composed of reds and pinks. They’re all “safe” colors for both daytime and nighttime looks. The colors are universal and perfect for all skin tones. My favorites have to be Coral Cocoa and Carrot Brick.

Despite the cheap packaging, the formula would not let you down. The colors are vibrant and pigmented. The lipsticks could last at least for 8 hours since it’s smudge-proof and water-proof. I had to use a couple of makeup removers and creams just to take the lipstick off.