Updated Traincase

I'm really forcing myself to blog these days but to no avail so i thought that i'll share some small things here & there to get the ball rolling.

I want to start first with the project that i did 2 days ago.
I applied a full decal on my traincase so instead of it looking like a magician's box, now it looks so much cuter & girly (but not too overly girly,mind you).

Ta dah~!

I guess i can say that i'm sick & tired of my black traincase. I'm actually just thankful that i got the simplest traincase with the faux leather so i can easily stick the sheet on. Now,i can change the look of my traincase whenever i want to.

Not that i want to do it again though.
It's so freakin hard to snip the edges of it. It took me hours just trying to make sure that it looks neat.

It may not look obvious here but it's not as perfect as i want to, but it's manageable somehow.
I choose lilac as my main color because my room is actually blue right now & i think that lilac would be a better color to compliment the shade of blue that i have as opposed to pink.

Now my computer table is a match to my traincase too!

Actually i bought the decal for my computer table... hehe
Since i had more left to cover something else,i saw my traincase so i decided to just put it to good use.
Yay for my traincase looking all cute now!

If you want to get the same decal that i got, you can check out Japan Home Center for their sticker sheets.
I got mine for P88 a sheet... a little more than $2. I got so much more with my $2!
Though it takes some work applying it but you could definitely do it!
I did. Im sure you could too~

Hope you all are having a great day~
Jaa ne~!
^_^

brush guard dupe!!!!

We know that brushes are an investment. You can't have great works if you have crappy tools,right? You have to take care of your brushes just like how you take care of your make-up. How do you do that? Simple, buy a brush guard... or so the pros keep on saying.

I was browsing through Ebay one time looking for brush guards because i am getting irritated with the splayed bristles on my brushes. I placed a bid on an authentic variety pack brush guard when i saw a 1 meter cosmetic brush guard mesh for only $1. I immediately bought 3. I mean 1 meter for just a dollar... how cheap is that?!

Since it's cheap to start with i bought 3 & i think that it's a nice purchase.

Now, i'll just clear this from the start that i have the authentic brush guards in variety pack. So this would be a comparative review. A bit like a splurge or save post too..hehe

What i like about the variety pack is that it covers small to big brushes. I'm sure you have reviews about it already so i'll not bore you into details about it since this post is about the dupe.

In this picture you'll see the real brush guards compare to the 1 meter brush guard mesh protector that i am telling you.

See how different it looks from each other?
I'll give you my idea of how it works like but i'm not sure if i got it right,ok? This is just my opinion.

The real Brush Guard has several strands of nylon lined up perfectly then woven intricately. The ends were melted together to stop it from splaying & running out. The thickness of the nylon i guess helps it to "absorb" the water from the bristles then slides down to the tube for faster drying. That's most probably the logic behind it.

The brush guard has a specific size for different brushes. It doesn't mold to the shape of the brushes but retains its tubular shape when you use it... except of course when the brush has thick bristles.

Now on to the mesh protector...
Well, what do you expect...?
It's a mesh. It reminds me of fruits that are in a styro mesh to keep it protected.

It's a thin plastic mesh that molds to the shape of your brush to help retain its shape. Since this is made of plastic i don't think that it can easily absorb water from the bristles for faster drying but then this is thin enough to let the air pass by compare to the brush guard so i guess that it would somehow compensate for the material.

The ends of the brush guard are melted together, as what i said before, now the mesh protector doesn't need any melting at all because it has this hexagonal mesh that connects each other so you can just cut it freely without worrying over splayed fibers unlike the brush guard.

This is what i was saying about the shape. The mesh protector molds to the shape of your brush while the brush guard retains its tubular shape.

I'll let you know too that i don't actually like using brush guards when drying my brushes. 
Why? It takes a long time for it to dry. I prefer to just air-dry as is then i put the brush guard later. I hate it when my brushes has this weird scent because it took too long to dry. I know you know what i'm talking about so don't go telling me that maybe i didn't rinse my brushes really well because i do!

This most especially happens on kabukis because they have thick bristles. The middle part of the bristle begins to smell weird if you let the bristles dry clumped together. Actually whenever i air dry my brushes i see to it that i fluff the bristles out by spreading them around to let the air circulate on it to make sure that any moisture left on the base of the bristles would totally evaporate.

Anyway, this is just my opinion.
I prefer to use the brush guard for storage not for drying them out. So if you'll ask me if it functions like the brush guard when drying i can;t answer you because i haven't tried it & i won't try it because i really hate smelly brushes!

This is how it looks like when put on a brush.
It keeps the bristles all where they are supposed to be. As long as it does the function of keeping my brushes in shape i don't care whether it's the original or not.

Now one thing that i find maybe a bit disconcerting is the length of them.
Since the brush guard's length is already fixed per brush, on which it will definitely cover the ferrule & a big allowance at the end. I thought that it is somehow a waste that 1 guard is about 2/3 the size of the whole brush itself on which you only need it for the bristles,ne?

See this pic?

The frugal in me thought of cutting it in half so i could maximize my money's worth. haha!
But i think that it will just look ugly if i do that. Again, the brush guard's shape is like a tube. I think part of its functionality is it's length too. That means i can't go on splitting it in two. I might just regret it.

Now, as for the mesh protector, i can maximize it without any problems at all.
Why? It's because it molds to the shape of the brush. It can retain the shape of the brush from the ferrule up to the end so it will not matter if you cut it really short. The shorter you cut it the more protector you have for your brush since you are the one deciding how long/short you want it to be.

The only thing is the appearance. If you cut it short it would look weird. I mean how funny your brushes would look if you have something that covers it only up to the ferrule? it would be like seeing a man wearing a high-waist beach short! haha!

But since these are just my personal brushes i don't care if they look like so as long as the shape is ok then im fine with high-waist short. LOL!

Now my main issue about this is that it will be hard to use this for tiny eye make-up brushes like angled brush for one. The mesh protector could accommodate big brushes because it could stretch wide but it couldn't really mold into small brushes,wouldn't it? You can still use it though, it just wouldn't really snugly fit those small ones.

I bought this at Ebay HERE for just a little more than a dollar ($1.04 to be exact) with free worldwide shipping. See?! That is already amazing by itself,ne? $1 + free shipping!

PROS:

• works great
• really cheap!
• 1 meter can cover a lot of brushes!
• free worldwide shipping!
• no need to worry of the ends running/splaying unlike the brush guard

CONS:

• not locally available (but hey, they offer free shipping!)
• would not really give a snug fit to small brushes, but it would still work though

With all of those said, what's my verdict?
Did i like it?
Yeah, it works great in keeping my brushes in tip top shape. It's also cheap & i get my money's worth, actually double my money's worth because if i'll compare it with the brush guards it can have 10 or more mesh protector with just a fraction of a price. The brush guards retail for more or less than $5 with just 6 pieces or so.

Will i recommend it?
Sure!
Again, i haven't tried it in drying my brushes because of the said reason but if you are looking for an affordable way to keep your brushes in shape then go ahead & get this. Your dollar is well-spent.

I won't mind buying again but since i have 3 of them i think i have enough to keep my brushes in shape for the time being.

Have you tried brush guards?
Will you still try this one then if you have the real brush guards?

Hope you all have a great day!
Jaa ne~!
^_^

ps:
i'm not connected to the seller. i just thought of making a post about this because it works ok & it will save you money. ^_~

Delon Cotton Rounds ~ the ultimate cotton rounds!

Up until im writing this post, im still unsure whether i should blog about cotton pads. This is just cotton for goodness sake! What's the difference of just buying a good ol' cotton to this? There is a big heck of a difference!

Why?

I'll tell you why i think this is the ultimate cotton rounds. As what i said before, i had tried this when we went on vacation in Subic, summer of last year. I bought it at Puregold & has long regretted not getting a bunch of them as back-ups. Yes, regret is the correct verb!

Let's take a look at it first...

It has 100 cotton round per pack. It retails for Php 119.75 at Landmark Makati. I know that it's way more expensive than the usual pack of cotton rounds. Heck, it's double the price of ordinary rounds but this is really worth it!

It's in a resealable bag.
I know that some cotton pads are also in a resealable bag, but this one is more sturdy. You know the resealable zippers that are usually found in Ziplock bags? This is almost as good as those! So you are sure that the cotton won't come pouring out if it "accidentally" popped open.

How many times have i accidentally sat or step on my cotton bags & because of air pressure the cotton would come out, exposed to all the dirty things in the environment?! I can't even count it for im so clumsy that it's a part of me already...LOL! So, yes, this is good for OC people out there! You can be sure that your babies are all locked up clean in this bag.

It's lint-free!~ It has this cotton mesh sitting at the top that prevents lint from surfacing.

If you do nail arts, it's a must to have a cotton soaked with polish remover in cleaning your orange stick, nail pusher or dotting tool right next to you. I had a lot of good designs that got totally trashed all because lints kept on clinging to my tools...transferring to my wet nails therefore ruining my design that i worked so hard for. Grrrrrr!!!! Kuyashii~! Annoying!

So, a lint-free cotton round is what i am really looking for!

Also when i remove mascara & eye make-up. Sometimes, i would have a couple of lint stuck to my eye balls because im trying to remove the liner that i apply on my waterline. Yes, i know that sounds disgusting, but it's true! I mean sometimes even Q-tips would have lint sticking out which makes removing my waterline-liner really tricky to remove.

But not with Delon, it won't leave lints! It might.... if you start "peeling" it layer by layer if you are maximizing the use of each pad, but not if you just use it as is. I'll tell you about the "peeling" later.

It says there that it has premium sealed edges, which is love!

See how you can easily distinguish each round from one another?

I have destroyed a couple of good pads just because the edges are fluffed out & i don't know where the edges are. This is also thick! Each pad is packed with enough cotton to absorb any liquids that you apply. Again, with it being thick, you can maximize it by just "peeling" each layer after it's already full of dirt or anything. This is when lints can happen...

Would you believe me if i say that i only use THAT ONE cotton pad in removing nail polish for all 10 of my fingernails?! Well, if you don't, then you can even drop by here at my house & give you a live demo..LOL! This is what i was saying about maximizing each cotton pad. How many cotton pads do you use in removing nail polish in all 10 fingernails?

So, this pad is really perfect in make-up removal!

I have tried those square cotton pads, but they're a pain to work with because they're so thin that if you accidentally put a big amount of liquid product on it & you apply pressure, it would just dribble down on your fingers.Hate that!

Each pad has that mesh sitting on the top which is actually good in exfoliating especially when you apply astringents or toners!

If you don't like that mesh exfoliator, then you can just use the other side of the cotton.

You can use this based on your preference!

This pad is definitely stronger than your average cotton rounds!
^_~

I guess there's also a bonus in each pad for it says that it has Aloe Vera & Pro Vitamin B5. It says at the package that it's not tested on animals, hypoallergenic (wow! i guess there are some people who are allergic to cotton?!LOL).

Let's do a summary
PROS:

• sealed edges
• has a mesh for exfoliating
• has a good resealable bag
• thick pad that is really absorbent
• you can maximize the use of each pads!
• locally available (im just not sure if it's available in other areas as well)

CONS:

•  more expensive than regular cotton rounds

I'm so happy that i was able to buy a pack here in Manila. I don't mind going at Landmark Makati just for this cotton because it is sooooooooooooo worth it! If you know any place where this is sold please tell me too. I hope that this is available at Landmark Trinoma too!

I never realize that i would be blogging about cottons, though i know that it is a must for us, but then this is something worth blogging for~!

Hope y'all have a good weekend!
Jaa ne~!
^_^

Pill boxes for storing sample pigments

I have a lot of mineral eyeshadows that are in baggies..& we know that not only is it inconvenient, but it makes everything all the more messy than it already is...

I also hate individual plastic jars...it's because im so clumsy that often times i end up misplacing them...so i prefer stackable jars....

If any of you have read my post about travelling with ease, i mentioned something about using pill boxes as my pigment storage... read that post for more info about what i do when i travel & have to bring my cosmetics with me.

Yesterday when i went to the bookstore to buy some bubble wrap envelope to have my prizes shipped, i went to a japanese store& saw this cute colored pill box...i remembered that i still have lots of pigment samples that are in baggies so i bought one.

Cute,huh?
7 colors...which stands for 7days actually..

This pill box have individual cover which makes them perfect for storing the colors...

So i went to action & put them one by one...


organizing them based on their color family....blue goes together with other blues...just so that it will be easier to remember...


And of course, i put the names of the pigments underneath...using a sticker label

Now i have everything neat & tidy!
The only downside is, the box that i got doesn't have rubber sides on them so it's not exactly spill-proof...Well, doesn't matter...as long as i have everything organized then im ok. Plus the fact that it saves me a lot of space compare to using individual jars,right?

If you have a pigments on baggies..you can also put them in pill boxes!
^_~

Dariya Hair Fringe

Im pretty sure most of the beauty bloggers know this especially for Fuzkittie's followers. It's that pink thing that she puts on her hair so that it will not get in her way when she applies make up. When i saw her video & she put that i was so curious & said to myself that i want it...Even if i didn't know what it is yet...

How can i not?
it's pink & its cute!


How does it exactly work? I thought it was a velcro...I even tried putting a velcro on my hair just to try it out XD But it doesn't exactly work like that..But i guess the inspiration behind this product is actually like how a velcro works...

This is how it looks like.


You would see that it had that curved but open 'spikes' that hooks the hair up & keeps it in place. This would be perfect for people who used to style their hair before doing their makeup...especially if your hairstyle has volume. If you use a conventional headband or scarf (like i do!), oftentimes it leaves a distinct wave...which ruins your look...But this doesn't! It's easy & convenient.

I actually think that this is not a must, but it's nice to have.

Before i used to put my bangs on top of my head by making a small hair poof, when i take it off, it will have this wave which i don't like because it makes me look like a sheep...all curly & wavy...framing my forehead...im serious! it irks me to see it everytime im in front of the mirror. ekkk! (>_<)

I use this ever since i got it & im quite happy that it keeps my hair at bay without making them wavy. In fact it keeps my bangs straight. from this -> (>_<) to this -> (^_^)/


I stash the other one on my wallet because you never know when i'll be needing it. It fits my wallet perfectly. You can buy it from Sasa or at Ebay.

Ecotools 6pc Brush Set Review

The last time i did a brush review it was the Ecotools foundation brush, now its gonna be the 6pc brush set. After a couple of weeks with me, i can give my opinion on this one already.

This had been a nice addition to my kikay kit. Instead of the eye makeup brushes inside the earphone holder (lol), this one had taken its place & i must say that i like it.

Let's get to it one by one:

1. Foundation brush - not included in the kit, but i just want to give an update on it.
-I was able to wash off the oily residue on the bristles & i think its almost back to its original state...though not that much.. there's still some left. Up to date, i have washed it 7 times (7 frickin times!) & its still a tad bit oily...I can use it now...though i just don't want to. I guess its really just with synthetic brushes that's like that, but if you're gonna ask me if im gonna buy it again...ill readily answer no...

I dont want to experience washing brushes over & over just to remove the oily residues..

2. Blush Brush
-I freakin' love this brush! It's soft yet firm that makes the application of blush a breeze. May it be a loose blush powder or pressed powder, it gives me an even application. I have tried a couple of cheap brushes & i always end up looking like a drag. I love the fact that it got long handle which enables me to control the pressure that im gonna use. I can just make a light sweeping motion by holding it at the edge or a circular application on the apples of my cheeks when i hold it on the ferrule. This is the ultimate brush on this set... i love it!

Maybe ill just buy the individual brush if ever i need a blush brush.
If you don't have this yet....get the blush brush!

3. Eyeshadow Brush
-I think there's nothing special about it. It applies like the rest of ordinary eyeshadow brush. Ok, i make it sound like i hate it..not exactly. In fact what's good about it is that its thin enough to hold pigments & fluffy enough to hold pressed shadows... That's confusing,huh? thin but fluffy..lol

It's just that i was used to ELF Eyehadow brush & i prefer it in applying pressed shadows. I have less fallout (since its fluffy) compare to super thin nylon brushes. Whereas for the Ecotools eyeshadow brush, i can pick it up, but there's some fallout so that's why im not in awe of this. But then again...it serves 2 purpose.

4. Angled Brush
-I like this brush too!It's thin enough to use as a liner brush & eyebrow groomer. Though i think this is better suited for just setting the liner. I have tried using it on a gel liner...but since its synthetic, i find that its too soft to be able to give me a smooth thin line plus the gel just sorta go to waste when it clumps at the mid part whenever i try to. I prefer nylon bristles in using gel liners. But since i use this to set my line & to groom my brows so i like this one a lot!

5. Concealer Brush
-I think this is also a good brush. Again, same wit the eyeshadow brush, thick enough to apply loose concealers. I have tried to apply a cream concealer using this brush & its just ok. I actually prefer my ol' artist brush in applying cream concealer better for it holds it better. If i use my artist brush it bunches together making the application easier because there is no single bristle 'flying away' from the group & im able to save a lot of product by that.

Whereas for this, when i tried to apply cream ones, it will form little clusters of bristles. I feel like i am wasting a lot of product if im gonna use this to apply cream ones..But since i only carry mineral cosmetics with me so im happy with it...

6. Lash Comb
-Nothing special about this one...in fact i dont like it. I hate the bristles...it's too rough. I can't even use it to groom my brows because i feel like its gonna scratch my skin if i do so. The lash comb is ok though...works like normal lash combs out there...


As for the brush roll, i was able to get it to roll without the edges bunching up. I just toss it on the washer & iron it when its dry. I just hate it when it bunches up at the edge when i try to roll it.

I wash the brush roll everytime i wash the brushes too. I don't want the clean brushes lying inside a dirty case. So good thing that this is washable because i can just put it on the washer.

Overall, i like the set. For the price that i paid for, no major complaints.
I also like how handy it is, its small enough to bring it with you & its already complete...from eye to cheeks! Though i think this will be even better if it have a lip brush,ne?

^_^

Ecotools foundation brush review

I'll take a break from my contest entries & get on with a review...

As what i said before, im gonna be doing a review on the brushes that i got from Ecotools. I'll just leave the 6pc brush set for the meantime & focus on the foundation brush first.

Im having mixed feelings now...I was pretty excited when my packaged arrived from Makeup Mix Shop all because of this brush. I used it first without cleaning it so that i can see for myself how it actually feels (all brand new) & i freakin' love it! It's perfect!.....well,that is..until i cleaned it... *sigh*

This is how it looks like before:
happy & full of life...

with its shape all intact & no fly-aways

it gives a little fight back which i do like a lot.

That was the day where i thought that it would stay like that...

but now....sorry if its blurry..i took it in my room

look at its sorry state....its shapeless...oily...doesn't even have life...& is LIMP & FLIMSY....


It seems oily..on which made me think if its just what i used...

First time that i used it...i used the Wet n' Wild Ultimate Cover...maybe it got oils on them or something...so i cleaned it...& dried it...it was like that already...

Then i used it on my cooling tint (which i know is actually oily) before i clean it again...This time i cleaned it twice...first with a baby bath (details here) then with a regular dishwashing liquid (ha!talking about removing oil residues!)...but its still like that!!! arrrrggghhhh!!!

If you don't have an idea how 'oily' it is...look at this 'test' that i did:

i gave it a bit of a shove (the bristles....)...let it go...then..look at that...

it would not even return to its natural shape..which means that its stuck with something somehow... *sigh*

It kinda annoys me to see it like that...actually i have another brush like that that got the same problem...

its an eyeshadow brush..a round,slanted brush

look at that....annoying,isn't it?

i can understand if the foundation brush will be like this (because i guess some foundations can have mineral oils on them or something) but not an eyeshadow brush..

i brought this at Nu-yu for i think less than Php300 (i think its less that $6)...such a disappointment!

Anyways, im not stopping there...if dishwashing soap didn't work....ill try laundry soap! lol

But one thing that i can say about it is that it disn't shed..not even one hair..not even when i used the dishwashing liquid & washed it hard...plus the ferrule would not even budge..which is an indication of a good brush...it's just the bristles...

If its still like this..then maybe ill just grab The Face Shop's foundation brush...hope it will not be like this too...Then also a brush cleaner just to be on the safe side...

One of my wishlist would be to be able to have the beauty blender...if i have that, i dont think ill need to use a foundation brush anymore.

Has this happened to any of your brushes before? What did you do? Do you think its just because of what i used?

2nd Make up Mix Shop haul - Ecotools

Its Package day for me today...its the one i ordered from Makeup Mix Shop...i highly recommend that shop..

Moving on...here it is: ...fresh from the package....

And of course, we wanna see what's inside...
Mostly Ecotools... The moment that i read Nikki's blog about it, i knew that i have to have it...so i put on my order because im afraid ill ran out of it..lol..

All in all, i got the:
-Ecotools 5 piece brush set
-Ecotools 6 piece brush set
-Ecotools foundation brush (this is what im looking forward to the most)
-Avon Shimmering Powder (i believe we dont have it here)
-plus some freebies too! Miss Toma sure is very generous!

Since the total amount of my order is above $30 so i was able to have another NYX Megashine Lip Gloss in Nude...then i used the code PRETTY NIKKI (im sure Nikki will have a kick out of this one...but im serious!!! XD), i was able to get the sample jar of Tanushree eyeshadow...then she included a sample bag of the Aishwarya blush plus i also got a coupon!...wow..isn't that such a great giveaway...?
That's why you have to shop there...!!!

Ok, on with the brushes...first one on the row is the 6pc brush set, then the foundation brush & the 5 pc set...

I like how earth-themed the package is...considering that it really is an earth-friendly product...so yay for that!

Nikki already gave an in-depth review of the 5pc brush set...click here to read it. So, ill skip that one...

As what i said, the foundation brush is what im looking forward to the most... mainly because of all the brushes that they have this is said to be really good..though i think all the brushes are good, but the foundation brush got the most positive remarks...Upon opening it, I saw a coupon inside...though i dont think i will be able to use it... It says "Save 50cents on ANY Ecotools product"...

I haven't used the brush of course, but i like how soft but firm it is.
I like brushes that are firm (but still soft) because i am able to control it unlike with super soft brushes..I think this is a very promising brush...though i dont use liquid foundations that much, but if i do, i guess that this will be perfect for the job.Look at how it forms in a perfect curve...it means that its resilient so applying foundation will be easy since you have the total control of it...I'll just have to test it first to see if my impressions stand true...

Then on with the 6pc piece brush set:
I got another coupon again....I need to test all of it first to know if its good or not... Especially on the shedding part...I'll get back to it as soon as i have tested everything out.

Although if you're going to ask my initial opinion, i think its a great set...except for the Lash & Brow Groomer...It's just that for the groomer, the brow bristles seems a little too rough to the touch..

I got one question though... Why are the brush pockets outside?I mean look at it.... Aren't cosmetic brush rolls supposed to protect the brushes inside them from dirt & whatever?...So, how the heck will this do its job?See the inside of the brush roll?...its empty...no pockets whatsoever...i can't just put the brushes inside without anything holding it because it will just eventually fall off.I can't just roll it the other way around because the crease of the roll points that it should be like how it was. If i do, then it would just form a budge & ill end up ruining the form.. *sigh*

Then on with the pigment samples...

The last time i did a swatch of it on my skin, i end up ruining the color of the red pigment...so to avoid it, i just put it on a piece of white paper...so that you'll get to see it.

Tanushree is a baby pink eyeshadow sheen that is so pretty...i think it can even be used as a blush & even on the lips...how cool is that?...i love this one...
Aishwarya is more of like a taupe-y brown blush...on which i guess its more of a bronzer...

Well, that's all there is....

Hope you'll all have a great day,lovelies!
^_^

PS:
if you notice my nails, i dont have anything on right now because i wanted my nails to take some time off from too much nail polish...
I just brought 2 artist brushes that i think i could use for nail arts...but i have to experiment first...
I'll put an update if im able to use them for my nails...
^_~