E.L.F BeautyBook Neutral Eye Edition: a Basic Palette

Hi everybody,

This feels like an E.L.F week, doesn't it? Yesterday, I reviewed the one-dollar ELF eye shadow brush, which I think is the best eyeshadow brush for its price. Today, I am going to review the E.L.F Beauty Book Neutral Eye Edition. This is a part of the "Back to School" edition of the ELF display at Target. As I am a neutral eyeshadow aficionado, I could not resist this palette. It is $5 and you can still get it at ELF website.

E.L.F BeautyBook Neutral Eye Edition ($5 USD)

This palette is the slimmer and sleeker version of the old Beauty Encyclopedia. ELF decided to put it in a cardboard case that looks like a note book. The whole palette is secured inside a foam frame. It has a tiny mirror, a mini eyeliner in Coffee, and a dual-ended foam applicator.

The whole palette

Close up at the colors

 The weight of this palette is 24 grams. Taken away the pencil and the applicator, which I estimate around 2 grams, we still have 22 grams of eye shadows. Which means, an eyeshadow weights roughly 1.8 grams. For the sake of comparison, a MAC eyeshadow weights 1.5 grams and costs $14.50 USD compared to 5 dollars for this whole palette.

With the exception of the light colors (the ones on the first column), the rest of them are pigmented. These eye shadows are very soft and easy to blend. Except for the middle and last color at the bottom of the last column, the rest are shimmery. As you move from left to right, the colors are darker and more pigmented. The light colors on the first column are quite chalky.

Here is a breakdown of all the colors in this palette, column by column, top to bottom:

First column

1. Top: white eyeshadow with a hint of gold shimmer. Very chalky. Is a bad imitation of MAC Vanilla eyeshadow.
2. Middle: white eyeshadow with light peach/pink undertone. Is a better highlighting color. Shimmery.
3. Bottom: light flesh tone with peach/pink undertone. Reminds me of MAC Naked Lunch. This is the best color of this column.

Second column:

1. Top: shimmery light brown eyeshadow. Very pretty but light. Doesn't really show on my eyelid, though, since it's too light for my skin tone. Is a good contouring color.
2. Middle: cute ballerina pink eyeshadow, also shimmery.
3. Bottom: this is a darker dupe of MAC Amber Lights, my favorite color. It is more orange than gold but still, it's a pretty color.

Third column:

1. Top: very pretty golden brown eyeshadow, also shimmery
2. Middle: shimmery mauve color.
3. Bottom: this is a good dupe of MAC Cranberry. When I first swatched it, I was like, "This is Cranberry!" I love that there are so many colors that are similar to MAC's in this palette.

Fourth column:

1. Top: dark shimmery golden brown. It's my kind of brown eyeshadow.
2. Middle: dark purple eyeshadow, matte. 
3. Bottom: dark brown eyeshadow, matte. Probably a dupe of MAC Handwritten or Brun.

The instruction

The eyeliner is just a basic dark brown eyeliner. There's nothing so fancy about it except it creases very much.

Now, here are the hard questions:

Would I buy it again?
Probably not. This is not a small palette. I have enough materials to work for a while. Also, with the exception of the dark colors, the rest of this palette is quite chalky. The light colors are hard to work since they are chalky and light. This is a cheap palette and flaws like these are unavoidable.

Would I suggest it?
If you are a newbie and have low budget, this palette would probably serve its purpose to get your feet wet. However, if you are already waaaay into makeup like me and you love neutrals, I suggest you to save some money and get a better neutral palette.

Neutrals are a bit tricky: if they are too dark and pigmented, they get into a situation where it is hard to blend. If they are too light, they might be chalky. This palette however, has colors on the chalky side. The dark ones are pigmented and blendable. If I were to suggest anybody, I would say you should buy this palette but get a separate good highlighting color instead of using the ones in this palette.

Another pet peeve I have is the flimsiness of this palette: the cover is made of cardboard. Hence, it is not the best material to travel, despite the palette being a good size. Also, it tends to bend. Once it does, the palette will not lay flat, which is annoying to me.

Of the three palettes available in the "Back to School" edition, this neutral eye palette is the weakest link in term of pigmentation and texture. While it has some nice colors that resemble those from MAC, this palette can be skipped. Instead of getting this, the Smokey Eyes palette is a lot better and more pigmented. I will review it as well as the Bright Eyes palette in the upcoming weeks.

RE: the lack of replies

Blame it on my lack of sleep which is induced by Belly. I know I haven't been replying to your comments, which is so not me. Believe me, I've read all of them. I just don't have time yet to reply them. I love all of your comments so please keep them coming. Also, I'll pick the winner of the CLEAN giveaway soon.

Disclosure: this product was purchased by me for personal use.

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E.L.F Professional Eye Shadow Brush: One-Dollar Wonder

Hi everybody,

In this blog, it's all about sharing and caring. Although I've used the ELF professional eye shadow brush for a while now, I did not do a formal review yet. Well, it's better late than never and I hope you'll enjoy.

E.L.F Professional Eye Shadow brush ($1)

I am not exaggerating when I said this is a one-dollar wonder. For those who've followed my blog, you know I love cheap products that work. Why? Because if they don't, they are just junk. And who wants junks, right? Well, as far as a basic eyeshadow brush can go, this one is pretty good. After acquiring my first ELF eyeshadow brush (the white one) from Dollar General, I put my coveted MAC 239 to a "rainy day" brush roll*. The ELF eyeshadow brush has been my stand-in basic brush ever since.

So, what makes it so wonderful? Jump to find out!


 Since I can't tell you without showing you some pictures, I guess I'd better show them to you first:

Close-up at the brush heads.
Despite the difference in color, these two brushes are the same. The white one is the standard version while the black one is the "Back to School" edition at Target

1. Loew-Cornell 3/4' Maxine's Mop; 2. MAC 239SE; 3. E.L.F Professional Eye Shadow brush

Thickness comparison
1. Loew-Cornel; 2. MAC 239; 3. E.L.F

After some intense showing (ha!), let me explain to you why I just simply can't have enough of this brush:

1. The bristles have the same height as MAC 239's:
If you notice, the Loew-Cornell, albeit being a good dupe of MAC 239, is a bit longer. The ELF eyeshadow brush has the same height, which makes it easier to apply eye shadows.

2. It is a bit thicker than MAC 239:
When it comes to makeup brushes, I'm all about comfort. If it does not feel nice on my skin, I would not use it. The thickness has its own advantage: it offers some cushion and firmness to the brush without taking away the comfort.

3. It is not scratchy or poky:
The main reason I don't use either the L-C or MAC 239 is their abrasive nature. While these two brushes pack up eye shadows quite nicely, they are as scratchy as my scrub pad. The L-C, being a painter's brush, is scratchier than MAC 239. When I switched to this ELF brush, it was a relief. I actually enjoyed applying eye makeup again. Also, as it is not stiff goat hair, this brush blends quite nicely. Those who use MAC 239 knows you can't really blend with it. All you can do is pat and go. The ELF brush gives you options to pat and go or blend, which makes it more versatile.

4. It has tapered sides
When I used the L-C brush, sometimes I felt like I didn't apply my eye shadows correctly. Then, one day when it was drying, I used MAC 239 and things just changed. All of the sudden, the outer corner of my eyes just looked a bit sharper. However, as MAC 239 is not that comfortable to use, I continued looking for an eye shadow brush that could do it all: has tapered sides, can blend well, feels comfortable, and is affordable. This ELF brush fits the bill nicely.

The black brush is as tapered as MAC 239 while the white one is even curvier. With this ELF eye shadow brush, my makeup applications have become easier. The outer corners look more defined and I don't have to use too much product for the application. This brush picks up eye shadows (regular and mineral) very well. The first time I used it, I was surprised at how well it performed. And I still do.

At a dollar each, the ELF Professional eye shadow brush is a steal. While I've reviewed many basic eyeshadow brushes, this is so far the best. Believe me when I say this: you can pay more for a different brush but you won't get anything better than this. The only downside is the quality control: ELF does not have the best QC in the world when it comes to their brushes. You can buy 10 brushes of the same category and they would all look different. I find going to stores that sell ELF such as Dollar General or Target is useful. That way, I can actually touch the brushes and choose the best out of the bunch. It takes time but when I get out of the store, I know that my brush is a real performer.

How about you? Do you like this brush?

Disclosure: I bought the above products for my own personal use. Since the quality exceeds my expectation, I decided to write a review.

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Eye Creme: Less is More?

Hi everybody,

Confession time: I have never finished a tube or a jar of eye creme (not ice-cream, though!) I would use it for about 2-3 months. Then, the eye creme just plateaued and I would lose interest. The next thing I know, I have quite an expanding collection of half-used eye cremes in my bathroom.

"Ah, the eye creme, the eye creme, it doesn't work!"
("Home Alone" has nothing to do with eye cremes but this is too cute to pass.)

I wrecked my brain trying to understand this phenomenon. It only applies to eye creme because I actually finished full-size bottles of face wash, body wash, face lotion, body lotion, and bar soap before. Only the eye cremes are left unfinished. Then, one day it dawned on me: I haven't used enough of it.



To explain, I do have normal to oily skin. Therefore, I use a lot less products to avoid feeling like an oil grease by lunch time. However, after observing my mom and BFF, I realized they go through their skincare products a lot faster than I do. My mom basically spackles on her cremes and stuff. She went through a giant jar of Elizabeth Arden face creme in less than a month. If it were in my hand, that jar would last forever and some more because I only needed a pea size to moisturize my face. My BFF, on the other hand, slathers sunscreen like it's the end of the world. She goes through a big tube of Banana Boat SPF 50 pretty fast. Both of them have amazing skin for their age.

With that in mind, I went back to Z Mei Correcting Eye Serum. It was an accident that I grabbed this jar of eye creme 2 weeks ago and started to apply it heavier than usual around my eyes. Screw Forget the pea-size amount recommended by beauty magazines, I went for half a lima bean size instead. And I had the first shock of my life when it comes to eye creme: when I woke up the next day, the skin areas around my eyes actually felt a lot softer! Hallelujah! I have to retract my previous comment, this $60 eye creme actually works!

Now, I totally change my mind: when it comes to applying eye creme, more is more. Unless my eye creme is a Chanel something-something which costs more than my monthly rent for a half-ounce jar, I would use more of it than I did. I also tried on another eye creme and saw better results.

Of course, after some time, your eye creme will not be a cure-all anymore. It's not the creme's fault though. It has more to do with you and your skin. After a while, if you have a decent eye creme, it will moisturize the area around your eyes to its maximum level and alleviate dark circles. After that, it's a matter of maintenance. You would not see any improvements but you definitely would not notice anything bad, either. If you reach that stage and you're not happy with what you see, you will have two choices: use the same Ye Ole Faithful eye creme or switch to something else that hopefully may improve your condition.

Which leads to one of my pet-peeves: skincare companies' claims to erase wrinkles around your eyes.

I bet you've seen something like, "x percent of participants saw improvements in their wrinkles" in some eye creme ads. Then, when you move down to the fine line, you'll realize it's a perception-only measure, meaning if the participants said they saw improvement then it would be recorded so. There's no scientific measurements in this matter, only what they see.

The reason why they worded it that way is to avoid litigations. Also, the ugly truth is there's creme so far that can knock down or erase out a wrinkle. Sure, vitamin A (retinol, tretinoid, pro-retinol) can improve the look of wrinkles and hyaluronic acid can plump up your skin but the moment you stop using the product, your skin would be reverted to its previous state.

Most of the time, you see wrinkles looking more pronounced because of the lack of hydration in your skin. I am blessed with not having wrinkles yet, just some fine lines around the eyes. Whenever I skipped moisturizing for a couple of days, my skin looked terrible. But after 2-3 consecutive days of applying moisturizers and toners, the skin just springs back.

So, the take-home lesson of the day regarding to eye creme are:

1. If you don't see the result, don't give up. Just increase the amount of material used and chances are, you are going to see a difference. 
2. They are still looking for a creme that can totally erase wrinkles. It hasn't happened yet. My prediction is: whoever can come up with that (a) will be very rich and (b) earn a Nobel Prize as well.

So ladies and gents, please tell me what do you use to moisturize the skin around your eyes? Does it work? Do you like it? I'm all ears.

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Belly at Large: Black and White and Gorgeous

Hello home boys and girls,

Today is Friday, tomorrow is Caturday. I know, the weekend is near but that doesn't mean we should slack off. Au contraire, we should finish the week off as strong as possible.

I know I haven't been around. Vacation and Fashion Week was good but I miss you guys. And I have a question to you lot: who's black and white and gorgeous?

Me kissing my gun :)

It's yours truly, of course! Don't you want to touch my body?

As we're talking about black and white, don't you realize how under-appreciated these two colors are? Of course, I live with them. They are the two colors I wear every day. I manage to pull it off with attitude but truth be told, you can do a lot of things with just black and white.

Don't believe me? I have a case study for you. And I'm bringing in a big gun, too. Drum roll, please!

Let me introduce you Mrs. Obama in black and white. The First Lady brings sexy back with two basic colors.

The President and First Lady together. Love her check board dress.
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The President with his umm... mom pants(?!) but the First Lady looked hot. Also, love the ballet flats!
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The Obamas with the Queen of England. Mrs. O looked lovely here in an Isabel Toledo ensemble
Also, notice Queen Elizabeth II's choice of color :)
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Mrs. O in Spain, looking effortlessly chic
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With the ladies of "The View"
This White House|Black Market dress started the black and white trend
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Bold choice with a flowery black poka-dot dress
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I hope I convinced you about the wonder of wearing only black and white. These two colors bring classic beauty to the wearer. You can mix and match the pieces and many different ways and still look wonderful. Believe me, black and white fashion can be so easy.

Love, peace, and tuna fish,
Mr. Belly, xoxo

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The Laziest Way to do Smokey Eyes: a Tutorial

Hi everybody,

In 2008, My Makeup Blog brought you the easiest way to do the smokey eyes. Recently, I've come up with a new way that's even easier. This novel approach does not require the use of eye shadows. All you need are two or three reliable and blendable eyeliners and a makeup brush. I've been wearing it out for a few times and I got compliments all the time.

Here's the look. It's still smokey but it's a lot easier to do.

Want to know how to do it? Jump!

What you'll need:

1. Eyeshadow primer: I use ELF eyelid primer
2. A chubby white eyeliner: I use Wet n' Wild eye pencil in Pixie
3. Two eyeliners: you can get by with one but I wanted something soft and something hard so I use L'Oreal HiP Color Chrome eyeliner in Black Shock and the cheap $1 Brightening eyeliner from ELF.
4. A pencil brush: ELF contour brush is a good one.
5. A reliable mascara: this one is also from ELF.

Now, we're ready to rock and roll!

Step 1: Prime your eyes with the eyeshadow primer. This will prolong your eye look and keeps the liners from creasing.

Step 2: line your upper and lower lashes with your chubby eyeliner. Make sure you line them thick.

Step 3: With the soft eyeliner (L'Oreal HiP Black Shock), line your upper lash line and wing it out at the end. Do this step one eye at a time. Don't be shy, line it thick. Then, with the pencil brush...

...blend the line up and out. At this point, you start to see a gradient with the black and white mixing together. If you want a darker look, line and smudge again.

Your eyes should look like this at the end of step 3. Repeat step 3 on the other eye.

Step 4: line your upper and lower lash lines with the hard liner (ELF brightening liner). Use the white eye pencil to highlight the area under the brow bone and the inner corner of your eyes. Curl your lashes and apply mascara.

Then, proceed to do makeup to the rest of your face as usual.

You can really see the smokey action going on here. I use Rimmel London Airy Fairy lipstick and VS Blush lip gloss in this picture

Yup, I've been breaking out for no reasons. Argh! Also, those are my real lashes with my new mascara. I have to do a review on this mascara. It is so good!

Same look, different lipstick. 6 hours later.
My face is not even shiny. Yay to my new foundation!

I hope you enjoy this tutorial. It really doesn't take a lot of time at all. I did it for less than 10 minutes, including taking pictures in between. If I don't have to take pictures, it will end up around 5 minutes. I love this look and the L'Oreal HiP liner. If you are in a budget, using only this liner will be sufficient. However, I am a pain and I want different liners of the same color in my upper and lower lash lines because they have different textures. Yup, that's how you're going to be after you become a beauty blogger.

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L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes is Coming Soon!

Hi everybody,

I'm so excited! My favorite L'Oreal mascara is going to have a newer version. For those who have been following My Makeup Blog for a while, you know how much love I have for the original Voluminous. Then, I used Voluminous Carbon Black and my life has never been the same again. Hands down, if you want the darkest mascara that volumizes your lashes like nothing else, you have to use Voluminous Carbon Black.

Soon enough, you are going to see this guy everywhere: the new L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes mascara

L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes mascara (tentative price $8.99)
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From Walgreens website:

L'Oreal introduces New Voluminous¤ Million Lashes™ mascara, our most revolutionary collagen-infused formula and Millionizer Brush for amplified volume and definition.

Our No Clump Formula : This luxurious, buildable formula amplifies each lash instantly. Glides on smoothly, and lasts all day, while thickening and separating every lash for clump-free flake-free, smudge-free look.

Our Millionizer Brush : Uniquely designed to amplify and separate lashes from corner to corner while building breathtaking volume.

Our Clean Sweep Wiping System : This built-in wiper ensures that just the right amount of formula is deposited on the brush for ultra-volumized, defined lashes.

Ophthalmologist & allergy tested.

Suitable for sensitive eyes & contact lens wearers.

Fragrance-free.

To Use : Place brush at base of lashes and gently sweep up to tip. Removes easily with soap and water.

What makes me so giddy about this new mascara is the brush. Those who use Voluminous know how awesome the juice is. It thickens, darkens, and lengthens your lashes at the same time. However, the bad part is the brush: it doesn't separate the lashes very well. By the end of the second coat, if you don't blot the brush well, it is going to clump your lashes. With this new plastic brush, the Voluminous finally steps to a new era and level the field with CoverGirl LashBlast and Maybelline The Collossal Lash mascaras. For a while, I wonder why it takes L'Oreal so long to come up with something like this. I'm just glad that they finally did and I can't wait to try.

This mascara was already out in the U.K and soon, it will be in store in the U.S. For now, you can order it online at Walgreens, CVS, Target, and Ulta.

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Revlon Nail Polish in Midnight Affair is Dark and Mysterious

Hi everyone,

Those who know me really well understands how much I love dark colors. I blame my time living in the North for it. In cold weather, dark clothings keep you warm. I didn't realize how many black t-shirts I had until I moved to the South. I could comfortably live for two weeks straight on black shirts and t-shirts. Of course, they were in various styles but still, you couldn't really tell the difference.

The variation of the black shirt is the dark navy one. And yes, between the black and the dark blue, I could probably get by for three weeks without doing laundry. Of course, I don't encourage the practice but it was a difficult habit for me to break. And by habit, I mean buying dark tops.

My love for dark colors also transcends into dark nail polishes. Believe me, if you want to look marvelous and mysterious at the same time, go for the dark colors. I bought Revlon Midnight Affair last year, used it once, and totally forgot about it. Please don't ask me why, because I have no idea.

Revlon Midnight Affair nail polish

For those who are nail polish lovers, you already know this is an unbelievably good dupe of Chanel Blue Satin. It has all the essence of Blue Satin without the price tag. Without flash, you are looking at a satiny dark navy nail polish. Nice, but not so interesting. However, under bright light, this color came alive. There are tiny specks of shimmers suspended in the juice and only bright light like sunlight can bring them out. You don't believe me? Take a look at this:

Midnight Affair with flash

Same hand, same nail polish, without flash
See the difference?

A closer look at the nails

Ok, you just saw something unusual: the hand in the swatch is my right hand. Nope, I'm not ambidextrous. I managed to dent my nails in the stupidest manner while trying to open the lid of a jar. The nail polish on the left hand was ruined but those on the right side remained intact. Hence, the ugly paint job.

This nail polish goes very smooth and the color is very intense. It is dark to almost black but when you go outside, it looks more navy. I only needed one coat on my fingers and used a base coat and two top coats to preserve it. I do type a lot but did not see any chipping during the one week I wore it. The Revlon nail polish brush is easy to apply and doesn't leave any streaks at all. Overall, this is a decent nail polish and you definitely save a lot of money by buying it instead of Chanel, unless you want the intertwine C logo, of course.

Would I buy it again? I have no idea since I've never finished a bottle of nail polish before.

Will I recommend it? You betcha!

Price: $4 USD, available in drugstores and mass market stores.

Disclosure: I bought this product myself.

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Custom Blend Foundation at Formula D Minerals

Hi everybody,

Recently, I got an opportunity to do a custom blend foundation for one of my friends. She's a strong supporter to Formula D Minerals, my tiny Etsy store, and she needed foundation. Selling mineral foundation is a lot of work as they are not fast selling items. Also, making mineral foundation is messy and requires a lot of tweaking to make it look right. Therefore, I decided to only do foundation whenever someone requested it.

Here's the foundation I made for her:

Customized foundation blend

The jar has a resealable shifter :)

My friend sent me her closest color match and I started from there. A bit of tweaking and blending here and there and finally, I was done. The foundation is around the neighborhood of NC35 and I was lucky enough to have a jar with a resealable sifter available. It's very convenient because you can close the holes of the powder jar after using and just pop the powder in the bag. In the past, whenever I traveled, I had to pack a roll of scotch tape to seal off the holes. This just takes the pressure off. Also, depending on how wide you open the sifter, you can actually control the amount of material pouring out. Hence, chances are you don't waste so much good stuff.

A closer look at the foundation. I packed it very tightly.

If you bought mineral foundation from Bare Essentuals, you know how loose they pack their material. It's kinda swishy-washy and I hate it. How come there is so much space between the foundation and the sifter? That doesn't make sense to me. I pay my money for the material, not empty space, right?

I did an impromptu swatch. My friend's foundation is the second one from the left, mine is the last one.

After I was done packing the foundation in the jar, I still had a bit left so I tried it on my face.

Looking good, right?

Except for a little bit of lip gloss and mascara, I had nothing on beside the customized foundation blend. Although you don't see it, I have quite a lot of nasty scars and acne bumps around my chin. This foundation manages to cover them all up while making my skin look quite natural.

So yes, I count this as a success. Foundation-wise, I haven't bought any of them- mineral or liquid- since even before I started my shop. If you go through my previous FOTDs since April, you will see I have been wearing various shades of Formula D Minerals foundation. Even in the scorching temperature of the South, I manage to look good, all thanks to my own foundation.  If you want to try my foundation, please leave a private message to my store on Etsy and we'll take it from here. Right now, the store only has one item because I am in the middle of preparing a new lot of colors for the fall.

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