I was lucky enough to receive a bunch of new makeup from Celeteque! I really appreciate brands who are generous to bloggers because it gives us the opportunity to try out their products. I was very interested with the face products of Celeteque. I immediately tried out these three face products from their newest collection.

Look at how it smoothens out the back of my arm by blurring the lines.

I got super excited when I saw this contouring palette at Sm Department store ( East Ortigas). I have been meaning to try out this palette because of Kathleen Lights (hindi naman ako masyadong halatang fan ni Kathleen noh haha ). Kathleen uses the shade Dulce de Leche. I preferred the Caramel Toffee one which is warmer in tone. I got this shade because of the  matte yellow highlighting powder which Reminded me of the Anastasia Banana powder.

This is housed in huge pan with a weight of 12. 5 grams. This is as big as my palm. For an affordable price of 449 pesos, I was hoping it was a gem!!! 

I primarily bought this contour palette because of this powder. Sadly, it failed my expectations. This powder can't be used as a setting powder because it too dry. It made my under eyes look cakey and it caused major creasing on my fine lines. It also clung to my dry patches.  This is best used a s a final powder or a highlighter. With a light hand and a good powder brush, sweep this on the high points of th face like the chin, under eyes, temples, and forehead. This creates a natural illusion of an inner glow which looks great on photos. 

Bronzer:

This is a very nice powder perfect for bringing warmth on the face. It works well on my yellow skintone as a bronzer. I was hoping that it would work as a contour powder but it is too warm for my liking. Like the yellow powder, this has many fall outs and is too powdery. What I love about this bronzer is that it is very blendable and extremely pigmented. This also lasts whole day on my dry skin and looks seamless on photos. The bronzer definitely gives ne that sunkissed glow! 

This is one of the many Revlon products that I received last December. I was particularly drawn to this product because I have never tried any brow product from Revlon. Since this is from their colorstay line, I presumed that this is long lasting and might be waterproof too. I got the pencil in the shade Dark Brown. 

The product is a retractable pencil with a thick slanted tip. The angled shape makes it easy to precisely outline my brows and the thickness of the pencil makes filling up the brows such a breeze. I find this very travel friendly and easy to use because there is no need to sharpen it. The spoolie that came with this brow pencil is very very nice. The brush is sturdy and the bristles are perfect in cleaning the brows and does a great job of brushing off the excess product applied on the brows. The spoolie is also very useful in blending the product to make it look natural. 

The shade Dark Brown is a deep warm brown that goes well with my dark hair. The pigmentation is just right and is not too dark in It does not have any red tint which I really like. The pencil formulation is thick and a bit waxy. This pencil glides smoothly and does not tug the skin. Since this has a bit of waxy formulation, it keeps my brows in place the whole day. However, there is tendency of this pencil to cake or build up. Applying this with a light hand is advisable while slowly building up the desired color intensity. This stays on my brows the whole day and does not budge at all.  This is fragrance and works well on my skin without causing any irritation.  

This is definitely my go to brow product for weeks now and I am definitely loving it. It works best on clean brows sans any makeup especially foundation or powder. 

This is the last cushion that I got from Etude House before giving birth. I was really curious with this cushion ever since Ma Dong Seong, one of the actors in Train to Busan, was featured in Etude House's commercial promoting this product. This has an innovative cushion that is features a net cushion different from the cushion compacts that has a sponge drenched with makeup. 

The packaging of this product is very pretty! The holographic design on the cover makes it a sight to behold! It comes with the usual puff sponge which I really like. I sometimes use this to blend out my concealer and it works so beautifully in spreading the product on my under eyes. 

A close up of my face with one side using the cushion and the other without.

ETUDE HOUSE AC CLEAN UP CUSHION: This cushion is meant for those with troubled and oily skin but surprisingly, this worked so well on my sensitive and dry skin. I like the fresh green tea scent of this cushion. It has a watery and light texture. The color Natural Beige also blends well on my NC30 skintone (though it still looks light on me). I find that this is a great everyday base makeup. For full review of the product, click the link: http://www.mylucidintervals.com/2016/07/back-2-back-etude-house-ac-clean-up.html

L'OREAL INFALLIBLE PRO MATTE LIQUID FOUNDATION: This infallible foundation is a repeat favorite from 2015. I have discovered it in 2015 and still is my favorite liquid foundation for 2016. I even bought a back up because I almost done with my first tube. Sadly, this is not available locally. What is available is the fresh infallible version. This Pro Matte version is long lasting and has a very nice medium coverage which is buildable. This works so well on our humid weather and it lasts for almost the whole day on me. It gives me that plakadong base makeup which is perfect to wear on special occasions. For comparison with the Stay Fresh version, click this link: http://www.mylucidintervals.com/2016/07/review-loreal-infallible-stay-fresh.html

ELIZAVECCA SKIN LIAR PRIMER: This primer is such a great find from Althea Korea (http://ph.althea.kr/makeup). My skin was at its worst last 2016 due to pregnancy hormones that primers did not work for me. Then, I accidentally discovered this primer. I was supposed to purchase the Banila Co primer due to raves from bloggers but decided to pick this one instead because it was on sale for only 280 pesos. I told myself "okay na ito tutal my skin is too dry I not even need a primer to begin with." When I tried it, it was a perfect mixture for my skin. It hydrated my skin and prepped it really well for base makeup. I used it on my maternity shoot and on my model modelan stint with KPalette (with the Pay Dy as the photographer). It made my base makeup last longer and it blurred out my dry patches too. This is one of my fave finds last year.

APRIL SKIN MAGIC SNOW CUSHION: This cushion is not for everyone. It is dewy and has very creamy texture. What I love about this is its coverage. It can cover my imperfections even my eyebags. It evens out my skintone and makes my skin appear smooth and flawless. It also looks exceptionally great on photos!! Here is the link for my full review: http://www.mylucidintervals.com/2016/08/review-april-skin-magic-snow-cushion.html

NICHIDO FINAL POWDER IN IVORY GLOW: This is such a great find at the drugstore for only 150 pesos. Thanks to youtubers and other makeup enthusiasts, I discovered this product through them. This has been in the market for quite sometime but I did not give much attention to it probably due to the fact that I prefer using powder foundations to set my makeup in place because of the added coverage. This is a great setting powder. It is smooth and finely milled and feels lightweight on the skin. It is best used for the baking technique and can be a close dupe for the Laura Mercier translucent powder. For my full review, click this link: http://www.mylucidintervals.com/2016/06/makeup-battle-laura-mercier-translucent.html

GUERLAIN MULTI PERFECTING CONCEALER : Probably one of my most expensive concealer, this product is a breath of fresh air in my concealer stash. I usually prefer thick and heavy concealers but this one is a gane changer. This is a lightweight and hydrating concealer. It sets beautifully on my undereyes with minimal to no creasing. The shade medium warm is perfect for covering my dark bags. Above all, the coverage of this concealer is awesome! I must say this product has probably one of the best concealer formula I have ever tried. 

BANILA CO. PRIMER PRIME FINISHING POWDER: Having dry and troubled skin, I am not a fan of finishing powders but last year I noticed that my  usual powder foundation would either cake or melt due to our humid weather and my very thick moisturizer. I reached for this powder and it amazingly made my skin smooth and flawless.It also made my base makeup last the whole day sans retouching!!! I really love that it does not cling on to dry patches of my face and does not give a white flashback on photos.

ESSENCE PURE NUDE HIGHLIGHTER: Thanks to Kathleen Lights for raving this product! I would not have purchased nor give any attention to this product were it not for her recommendation. This may looked like an ordinary baked highlighter. Even when swatched at the back of the hand, this does not give a very good impression. Magic happens when this highlighter is applied on the face (cheekbones abd other high points). This highlighter is very wearable and when compared to other highlighters this does not scream "GLOW". This one rather gives off a soft radiance on the skin. You can't tell that it's there but it's there. For full review on this product, click this link:  http://www.mylucidintervals.com/2016/09/cheap-thrills-essence-pure-nude.html?m=1

L'OREAL MAT MAGIQUE  BB VEIL: Still the best powder foundation for me! I have tried other affordable powders from the drugstore but I keep on going back to this one because the finish of this powder is very natural compared to the other drugstore powders that I have tried, it is also lightweight and does  not have that mask like effect, and lastly, the shade G2 is a perfect match for my NC30 skintone.

PIXI NATURAL CONTOUR POWDER: This powder is a cool toned brown which looks perfect in creating depth and shadow for contouring. The color is very natural on my skin tone and is very blendable and smooth. It blends well with my other bronzer. I used this on my wedding day and I must say I love how it looks on photos.

ETUDE HOUSE DREAMING SWAN EYES AND CHEEKS COLOR IN ARABESQUE ROSE (#3): This is a 2in1 product that can be used for both eyes and cheeks to achieve that trendy monochromatic look.  This has a bit of sheen to it and subtle sparkles/shimmers (which becomes unnoticeable when worn). On the cheeks, it gives me that fun summer viber becaus of its glowing coral rose hue. I love the puff applicator and a little goes a long way. 

ELIZABETH ARDEN BLUSH IN SUNNY: The gold and silver packaging makes this blush one of the most classy and posh blushes in my stash. The blush itsef is well formulated from its long lasting formula to its smooth and pigmented color pay off. This last for almost half a day on my cheeks sana retouching. The color gives me a natural rosy flush. I love using this both for everyday and on special occasions.

ESSENCE SILKY TOUCH BLUSH IN NATURAL BEAUTY: This blush was such a steal for 100 pesos during a sale. The shade natural blush is a head turner in the sea of pinks and peach blushes in my makeup drawer. It is a neutral shade that looks like a muted brownish rose with shimmers. I like the color so much I wish they have it in matte. Click here for my full review:http://www.mylucidintervals.com/2016/05/essence-silky-touch-blush-review-and.html?m=1

CEZANNE SILK TOUCH CHEEK: One of my best buys during my trip to Japan last 2016. Got this because it only costs a whopping 115 pesos! Eh alam niyo naman ako pag mura, bili na!! Haha Despite being powdery with tons of fall oits, this blush is very smooth and blendable once applied. It is very easy to apply and the brush that came with it is surprisingly useful. For its price, this is a steal because it lasts fairly well on my cheeks plus it has two colors which when mixed creates a third shade. I promised myself to get all shades when I have the chance to go back to Japan! Check out my Japan haul here: http://www.mylucidintervals.com/2016/03/the-japanese-drugstore-experience-tips.html?m=1

From L to R: Etude House Dreaming swan in No. 3, Elizabeth Arden in Sunny, Essence in Natural Beauty, Cezanne in No. 2 ( 3 swatches)

Contouring and highlighting sticks were very popular in 2016. Happy Skin nailed this trend with their contour and highlighting stick. The contour stick is very blendable and the shade taupe looks very natural on my skin. It does not have any red tones to it making it perfect for creating shadows. It is also long lasting. The highlight stick is such a beauty. It looks stunning when worn and gives my cheeks a gorgeous glow. Click here to check my review: http://www.mylucidintervals.com/2016/06/happy-skin-prints-made-pretty-strobing.html?m=1

ESSENCE LASH AND BROW GEL: I discovered this way back in 2014 and up until now it is still one of my go to brow products. This keeps my brow hair in place and does a great job of prepping my brows.

PINK SUGAR HONEY I'M GOOD EYEBROW KIT AND EYEBROW GEL: I was thrilled when Pink Sugar launch their brow products! These brow products are very pigmented and lasts all day on me. I specifically kove tha shade Taupe in the gel and kit form. The eyebrow kit is such a useful product because I don't use it only for my brows but works well as an eyeshadow and contour powder. The brow gel can be used alone or together with other brow prodducts. It does not dry quickly and blends well with my brow hair. For full review, click this link: http://www.mylucidintervals.com/2016/06/review-pink-sugar-honey-im-good-eyebrow.html?m=1

K-PALETTE 3way EYEBROW PENCIL AND 2way EYEBROW LIQUID: My Holygrail brow products since I have discovered them years ago deserves to be in my 2016 favorites because it is newly reformalated. The 2 way brow liquid gives my brows a sharp and well defined look. For natural looking brows,the 3way brow pencil is the answer.I made a review here: http://www.mylucidintervals.com/2016/09/whats-new-k-palette-3-way-lasting_28.html?m=1

I used Kpalette products during the Brow Authority Photoshoot with Pat Dy. 

For 2016, if I had to choose one brow product that outstood all that I have tried, it has to be the Shiseido Brow Pencil!!! Priced at only 65 -100 pesos per pencil, this was my go to brow product for months!! I used both colors in dark brown and brown. I have stocks and will surely stock up once I go back to Japan. This is very easy to use and is not too waxy. It is not too waxy either making it perfect in creating natural brows using light strokes to fierce on fleek brows by layering both colors on my brows. 

Having the chance to collaborate with Etude House for months last year was probably the highlight of my blogging career in 2016. Not only did I have the opportunity to get first dibs on their newest releases, I got the chance to know the brand more by trying out their products from makeup to skincare to tools. One of my eureka moments was discovering these single eyeshadows and quad. I have hear people talked about Etude House's mascara, brow products, skincare, and bb creams but I never heard much rave about their eyeshadows. 

Guys, their eyeshadow are really realy great! As in legit! Their single matte eyeshadows Look At My Eyes Cafe Line are finely milled, pigmented, and blends well on the lids with the use of either a finger or an eyeshadow brush for application. Although with fall outs,they have awesome formulation for a matte eyeshadow. They are great transition shades or an over all eyelid color. I equate these matte shadows to my high ends ones like zoeva or urban decay.

Another great eyeshadow quad with colors reminiscent of some shade from the Anastasia Modern Renaissance is this Blend For 4 Eyes Quad in Dried Rose (#1). These quad has an awesome color combo. It contains 2 shimmery shades and 2 matte shades. 

For eye primer, I fell in love with ETude House Look at My Eyes Pearl Base. Surprisingly I use this more often than the Proof 10. Despite not being a long lasting primer, the ease of application made me reach for this more. It makes shimmery shadows pop. Full review of this product,click this link: http://www.mylucidintervals.com/2016/08/etude-house-eyeshadow-primers-featuring.html?m=1

LOREAL LA PALETTE NUDE: Scored these at a Loreal Event and this has been my "it" palettes for months. Despite not having the soft texture like the eyeshadows from my Naked palettes, the shades found in these palettes are all very wearable and the shade selection are well coordinated for each palette. I can create a daytime to night time look using these palettes without reaching out to other eyeshadows in my stash. Like my Urban Decay palettes, these have a combination of matte and shimmery shades. For full review and swatches, click here: http://www.mylucidintervals.com/2016/06/loreal-la-palette-nude-review-plus.html

In 2016, I got the chance to try out new eyeliners! There are three products that I really love and used everytime I had the chance to wear makeup. First is the Lifeford Paris Eyeliners. This is a new brand available at Suesh and Nippon Ph. These retail for 375 pesos each. These liners applies instantly on the lids without tugging and are very long lasting. I love the shade Brown which is a deep brown color perfect for everyday use (without any hints of red).

CANMAKE LIQUID EYELINER: This is an old school dip liner that delivers a very intense black pigment. This stays put the whole day and has a thin maleable brush for easy application. 

MAYBELLINE HYPERSHARP: This is a very nice liquid liner because I can easily draw thin and thick lines using it. Its nice pointed brush tip applicator makes lining the very thinly and close to the las line very possible to achieve the no makeup makeup look. It is also long lasting on the lids. (Forgot to include in the photo)

MAYBELLINE HYPERCURL: I have been seeing this mascara for  quite sometime always on sale and heard raves about it. I finally caved in and bought myself one for 150 pesos and it was definitely a good buy!! It volumizes my lashes really well and even lengthens it! (forgot to include in the photo)

HEROINE MAKE MASCARA: I have been a fan of this mascara since 2014 but life came in the way so I was not able to blog about it (charoot!). When I went to Japan, this was on top of my to buy list. I really love this mascara. It does make my lashes fuller, longer , and this is definitely waterproof! 

My most favorite product last 2016 is Bohktoh lashes!! I was given the opportunity to join Nongchat's workshop and he showed different ways on how to apply Bohktoh Lashes. Bohktoh lashes is a product from Thailand and offers awide array of falsies that are featherlight and easy to apply. With Bohktoh lashes, I can easily transform my eye makeup from simple to glam. They are also natural looking and blends really well with my lashes.

PINK SUGAR HD LIPSTICK: When I became pregnant last 2016, my lips suddenly became so chapped and crusty to the point that I could not wear any lipstick. It would always bleed and have cuts and wounds because I tend to peel off the chapped skin (bad habit I know). One of the lipsticks that I love wearing is the Pink Sugar HD Lipstick! I am super duper in love with the formulation of this lipstick. One of the best in my stash. It is very pigmented. It does not emphasize my chapped lips. The finish is very nice too! It is creamy and matte. The color selection is impeccable especially the nudes and natural shades that are perfect for everyday wear. Once applied thsi lipstick stays put for hours sans bleeding! The only con about this lipstick is the scent since I am not fond of lip products that are scented.

Here are my top faves: Butter, Girl Next Door, Hot Mess, Sinful, Wicked, and XOXO

BOBBIE COSMETICS MATTE ABOUT HUE LIPSTICKS: I learned about this from Lipsticksandmoe in IG. I got curious because the shades are really nice and I could not resis the 145 price tag! Haha This is one of my most abused lipsticks in 2016 aside from Pink Sugar's and Shiseido's Rouge Rouge Collection. I got the shade timeless taupe and fawny pink. I heard Bobbiereleased more shades and I am excited to get more shades like the gorgeous Beach Plum. This lipstick is soft and creamy. It is also very pigmented. I need not use any lip liner to make the  cover up my dark lip lines. Like Pink Sugar's this does not emphasize my lip lines and chapped lips. This has a very sweet candy scent which I am not a fan of. 

PINK SUGAR TINT in CRAZY IN LOVE and PLUM PERFECT: 2016 was the year of liquid lipsticks! Having dry and chapped lips for amost all year in 2016, I did not appreciate liquid lipsticks at all. Finding the right formula for my troubled lips was hard. They either make my lips crack more or make it drier! Luckily, I found love with Pink Sugar's Sugar Tint particularly in the shades Crazy in Love and Plum Perfect. These tints have an air whip formulai and feels light and velvety on the lips. Compared to other liquid lipsticks that I try, I find this less drying but of course I still need to apply lip balm beforehand. These tints are affordable and available localy. They have gorgeous nude shades and 90s inspired colors that everyone loves! 

SHISEIDO ROUGE ROUGE in Murrey and Sweet Desire: These gorgeous lipsticks from Shiseido have a beautiful sheen to them giving my lips a plump and juicy look!They are hydrating and despite having a moisturizing texture, they do not bleed! I also mix this with my other matte lipsticks to give them some shine and a bit of a twist! 

LOREAL MATTE REDS in Pure Garnet and Pure Rouge: When I got myself a MAC Ruby Woo years ago,I told myself that my search for the perfect red lipstick has finally reach an end. From then on, I veer away from red lipsticks! Nothing can compare to Ruby Woo until I found these gems at the drugstore! These matte red from Loreal are so beautiful! The consistency is way better than Ruby Woo because these lipsticks feel lighter and velvety when worn. These are also matte and have an awesome color pay off! 

 First event for 2017 where I got invited was from Watsons. I love this store so much that I could not say No to their invite. Watsons is having a big white blowout featuring some of the best whitening and anti ageing products  in the market at a discounted price. They are offering amazing deals on hottest brands and products like Ponds, Olay, Belo. Skinwhite, L'orea and many more.

Hello blogosphere! I am back!! I am typing this post with high hopes that my baby will have a nap and will not cry anytime soon. I finally gave birth last November 22, 2016 via emergency C-section.  Ang daming ganap after giving birth (new products and stories as a new mom). Anyways, I am still thinking if I should do a 2016 beauty favorites post. I took photos of the products before giving birth but I did not have time to start the article. Do you think it is too late to post my 2016 favorites? Tell me on the comment box kasi kung hindi pa huli ang lahat, Pagpupuyatan ko ang pagttype habang tulog ang anak ko. hehe (Naks, may anak na ako!)

To start the year 2017, I will be reviewing this luxurious eyeshadow palette from Guerlain. Dun muna tayo sa sosyal post pampabwenas!! haha I got invited to an event last year and I picked an eyeshadow palette, foundation, and a concealer from Guerlain. It was my second time to try products from Guerlain at super excited ako to try a yayamanin brand like this.

This is palette is housed in a sleek and posh black packaging with a good sized mirror included.  Despite its steep price, the brushes that came with it ( a sponge tip and a dual ended flat brush/angled brush) are nothing special. Unlike other eyeshadow brushes that I threw away because the are not useful, I just keep the brushes of this palette for aesthetic purposes. Ang ganda kasi may label pa yung handles eh. During the press launch, there were two shades available - Tonka Imperiale and Coque D'or. I chose the Tonka Imperiale primarily due to the neutral colors. All 5 shades are very wearable and I imagine wearing these colors to a meeting or a hearing. Aside from being an everyday palette, this could work as an emergency palette  because I can easily glam myself up with its selection of matte and shimmery shades.  It comes very handy and perfect for travel. I can easily create a no brainer EOTD with these colors. 

The eyeshadows are very silky and pigmented. This is probably one of the most velvety and smooth eyeshadows I have ever tried. This palette has a great color payoff especially the darker shades. I have an issue with the two lightest shades because it takes layering for them to show up on my medium skin. 

The colors in this palette are: matte ivory shade with pinkish iridescence (I was hoping it was aplain matte ivory). The second shade creates a beautiful was of color but needs building up to show up on my lids. It is a gorgeous pale camel brown. The third shade is a medium chocolate brown that works well on its own and as crease color for transition. The fourth shade is a bronze shade is deep and rich in hue. It is a cross between a matte and shimmery eyeshadow and has beautiful texture and depth once applied. It is also has hints gold flecks. The last shade is a great contour color for smokey eyes. It is a deep matte brown.  I am in love with the colors in this palette. I know the colors are nothing special and most drugstore brands carry the same shades at a lower price.