Ever had the problem of having grayish concealers on your undereyes? That's one of the most common makeup slips in women today. Let me show you how you can conceal those pimple marks, dark circles and other imperfections perfectly!

Hey ladies! I'm back with another series of Splurge vs. Steal! Sorry it took me a while to post a new one... I had to compile, use, assess and test each product! But anyway, I finally did it and I am here to share with you my latest "discoveries"!

I can't emphasize this more: When I do the Splurge vs. Steal series, I do not indicate which is the better product or which is superior. This is for those who would like to get same results for a lower price tag.

1. BENEFIT Porefessional (P1,600) vs. MAYBELLINE Pore Eraser (P229)

I'm not much of a pore eraser kind of girl but when I tried Benefit's Porefessional, I was impressed! I never put on makeup without it now. My first tube was about to run out and I wanted to look for an alternative so that I can compare the two. I have tried 3 other pore refining products that you can use before makeup but only one stood out, and that was Maybelline's Pore Eraser.

#getthelook

When I first saw Preview magazine's cover this month, April 2013, I immediately fell in love with the makeup look, specially that blue eyeliner. I think this look is very wearable whether to work or just window shopping at the mall. It's fresh and chic, definitely adds spunk to complete your overall look!

Back by popular demand, I was able to compile a few more products from my notes to compare for the Splurge vs. Steal Series! Enjoy!


1. Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer (P2,250) vs. ELF Mineral Infused Face Primer (P495)


For all you ladies who are addicted to face primers, ELF may be a good alternative for you. And to some who find having to put primers on the face makes the foundation cakey, that just means you have layered on too much.

I am one of those beauty junkies who have to get their hands on something as soon as a new item hits the shelves.

I was walking passed the ELF makeup counter at SM, promising myself that I was there only to buy nail polish remover. But I came across their Flawless Eyeshadow quads. Since they didn't have testers, I HAD to get one to try. Since most of my palettes are mostly nudes, browns, and golds. I decided to try a little bit bold to review about and do a how-to video on.

The packaging I would say is very attractive. I love that the eyeshadow colors are bold and it rather looked highly pigmented. So, I got the Sea Escape quad which consists of blues and silvers.

I did a how-to video on this quad and I must say. I was very disappointed with the texture of the eyeshadow. It was very chalky, and pigment was very low. You could have finished the entire pan of eyeshadow and still, you wouldn't have achieved the color you are aiming for.

The product falls off or "disappears" after a while and you will have to keep retouching if you were to get this product.

Maybe I just got the wrong color. I will try a different color tomorrow and see if there will be a difference! So verdict says? 2/5.

Check out my how-to video for this palette on YouTube: CLICK HERE


PHOTO CREDITS
Photo of complete ELF shadows courtesy of elfukblog.blogspot.com

Let’s face it, there are benefits of buying luxury brands when it comes to lipsticks. Not all, but some local brands lack that extra ingredient that we pay premium for with big international brands therefore giving that “cracked” look when applied. There is no amount of scrubbing that you can do to your lips that will mask those cracks. Yes, it’s in the formula of your lipstick.

There are only 3 products I have tried that was able to fill in our lines to mask these cracks on my lips. But before I get in to those products, let me tell you about ELF’s Lip Primer & Plumper (P249.75). The primer is a concealer type formula that you apply on your lips that I wasn’t really fond of. It was too thick and was way too light, it was exactly like a concealer stick that you apply on your lips. When I applied the lip color on top of my lips, I had to reapply the lipstick several layers to try and erase the “lip concealer” off and made my lips peel making the cracks more visible. I then smoothed on the plumper on top of my lipstick and it didn’t do much either. It smelled like cinnamon which is the only thing I liked about this product. I left the concoction on for about 10minutes but it didn’t have that tingly feeling on my lips for that “plumping” effect. But if you use it alone, it does that tingly thing for about a 30 seconds and then disappears. So, to no success, this product is a total MISS.

Now let me tell you about the 3 products that worked for me best! 

When I have less than 15 minutes to put my makeup on, I make sure that I apply an eyelid primer so that I can just apply a wash of color on my lids and not worry about it creasing if I don’t set it properly.

I am a fan of Urban Decay’s eyeshadow primer potion but it’s such a hassle getting them on EBay and waiting several days for it to arrive from NY. Not to mention, it costs $22.00 including shipping (P968) just to get the smallest tube.

I figured there must be another fantastic primer out there that is easily accessible just in case I can’t get my hands on Urban Decay. First stop, ELF Cosmetics.

Just my luck would have it, I came across ELF’s Eyelid Primer. As you may now have noticed, ELF is always my first choice when looking for affordable, quality products. The reason why I like using these products is because most women who ask me about products are more interested in products that their money would go a long way without having to spend thousands to look good! And most of the products I use in my professional kit are tools that are too heavy, pricey, and difficult to use for everyday.

The first ELF eyelid primer I bought, tried and tested was the shade SHEER (the only shade they carried before). It’s very velvety to the touch, I love the feel of it when you spread the formula on your lids with your ring finger because it doesn’t feel heavy. It dries quickly so you have to spread it evenly fast. You only need a thin layer and you will still get the maximum effect!

I found that applying a base color on top of the primer like beige or nude will really make your eye makeup stick and pop! The eye makeup amazingly stays on and doesn’t grease or crease the entire day! The color does fade a little bit after long wear so I suggest spraying your lids with water with an atomizer (keeping it about 6 inches away from your face) after you are finished applying your eye makeup to set the eye shadow properly.

A few .08oz tubes of primers later, they came out with a 3-in-1 package deal called The Eyelid Primer Collection (P249.75) that includes the classic Nude, Pearl, and Champagne.

The nude primer is my most favorite. The Champagne Primer has iridescent particles that applies a bit darker on the lids that can be worn as eyeshadow alone. It’s not really dark, but it gives a pale grey-ish hue that looks nice during the day or at night. The Pearl Primer has bigger glitter particles that I’m not really fond of. You can use it on your brow bones to make them stand out. Applying it on your entire lid can make your lids look puffier and your eyes smaller so avoid doing so. You can make your eyes appear brighter though by applying a small amount on the inner corners of your eyes.

If I were you, I would go for the single eyelid primer in SHEER which you will be using more often the the other shades. Use every time you will be applying eye makeup. Apply after you set your foundation with a loose powder.

I have never been really concerned about the use of makeup primers on my client’s or my own’s makeup routine. I have personally always thought it was an unnecessary extra step that really didn’t make much of a difference in the application.

I have tried Smashbox’s Photo Finish Primer on my clients way back but I found that it was unnecessary. When I tried it on myself, it felt heavy on my skin so I stopped using it.

One makeup primer I believe in as well was Lancome’s La Base Pro. It’s lightweight and is easily absorbed even on extremely dry face. But, Lancome is what you call an “investment” and a luxury so I don’t recommend it on students or yuppies on a budget.

For maturing skin, if you are looking for a good fine-line filler, there’s nothing better than Makeup International’s Light Lift formula. It’s a clear liquid that instantly lifts and fills wrinkles, prepping the skin for makeup application. (P1,800 at Media Makeup. G/F Evekal Bldg, Pasay Rd.)

Anyhoo, I decided to give primers another chance. I looked around for affordable alternatives and it really boils down to ELF when it comes to QUALITY and yet affordable makeup.

Be sure to shake the bottle well before you start pumping product on your fingers, sometimes the oils get separated that if you don’t shake it well, all you get out of that first few pumps is oil.

ELF’s Mineral Infused Face Primer (P399.75), feels a bit oily on first application when first contact on skin. I actually felt a bit weird after 1 layer because I felt like I was wearing some kind of oil mask. Although it didn’t look oily (it was matte even!), it’s just that you know there’s that layer of primer there.

The BB cream glided on smoothly using my fingers. It didn’t have any streaks when you apply it, you know, like it’s as if it’s sliding off and you need several applications to cover? This however, made a perfect canvas for my BB cream and liquid foundation.

All throughout the day, I didn’t shine as much on my T-zone which was great! I didn’t have to use so much oil blotters, in fact, my skin looked dewy and healthy looking. Even when I got home, I looked at myself in the mirror before washing it off, my makeup looked natural and not as if it’s just plastered on at the surface of your skin.

The thing is, I don’t know if I was just conscious that I had primer on my face, or if it really feels that way. But overall I would have to say, I would definitely buy this product again and would recommend it to people who are looking for a good everyday primer!

Who doesn't love eyeliners? Don't you?

I just love eyeliners! Whether it be pencil, liquid, kohl, or black eyeshadow, I just adore them! I am always on the lookout for the perfect eyeliner.

I discovered another great eyeliner aside from that Liquiline from Cover Girl. This time, I wanted to tell all the other girls who are in a tighter budget.