Ever Bilena Mousse Matte Foundation in Walnut

This is one of my random grocery purchases. Ever Bilena products are on sale in the nearby supermarket and I cannot just let that pass without taking advantage of the price slash!

Anyway, I'm gonna get down to the nitty-gritty. I haven't found much information on the Ever Bilena website, which is unfortunate. I do a lot of my background check and review check on the product on the internet. Sadly, I think they're phasing this line out. They've already phased out the mousse concealer and the mousse eyeshadows are on sale too (for clearance purposes). If you're thinking of trying out this foundation, I suggest you run to the nearest store and get your supply now.

The packaging...

It has a plastic covering on top to ensure product safety.

The shade isn't exactly what I wanted. This one suits a cool skin tone better.
The one I was supposed to get ran out of stocks. :(

A sample swatch

Swatch on the back of my hand.

When blended

 What I like about it:

• The price is such a steal! I got it on sale for Php 75 (less than $2) at a local supermarket
• Widely available. Many drugstores, department stores, and groceries carry this brand.
• It's a local brand. Support PH made!
• Matte. My face doesn't get too oily right away, much to my surprise. But it's important to set it with powder to maximize its matte property.
• There aren't much variety of selection available. Many shades are out of stocks already. It's kind of hard to find the shade that would best suit my skin tone.
• Staying power: about 3 to 4 hours. I only had to retouch my nose (since I have combination skin, my T-zone is my oiliest spot in the face) once all afternoon. For a cheap (not derogatory, promise!) product, that's kind of commendable. Weather when I used this: very humid!
• Works well as a concealer (for dark circles) too! I used it as a base to my Palladio Rice Concealer Stick and The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil Tone-Correcting Concealer, and it helped cover the discoloration from my lack of sleep.
• Doesn't clog my pores.
• Didn't break me out (so far)
• Doesn't irritate my sensitive skin (surprisingly)
• Not too creamy. (can be its downside too)
• Blends well into my skin. I had to set it with my powder so it can completely mesh with my original skin tone. I wish I had gotten one meant for warmer skin tones with yellow undertones.
• Not heavy!
• Build-able. It has sheer to medium coverage. If you want something for like a night event, this may not be for you. This is okay for day or light makeup.
• You're getting a lot of bang for your buck with the amount of product that's in this thing! Sulit!

I used to have a bias against locally-produced and cosmetics but over time, local cosmetic companies seem to really amp up their products, step up to the plate, and rise up to the competition! That said, I'm still on the fence but I'm slowly dipping my toes into the possibilities and the potential that they offer. Besides, as long as we're supporting local enterprise, it counts for something, right?

What I dislike about it:

• It has an annoying scent. It's not necessarily funky-smelling but I just don't like it.
• The packaging. It's made of plastic. It's in a pot. (Unhygienic, unless you use disinfected hands before every dip or unless you use a foundation brush)
• Again, the packaging. It's obviously "inspired" by Maybelline's Dream Matte Mousse Foundation, only this local dupe is bigger. Their copy-cat style of packaging adds to the cheap factor of their products, sorry. :(
• It's too bulky. :(
• It has glitters! UGH. One of my biggest con's for this product. I just want my foundation to be straight to the point, without any fuss like unnecessary shimmer. That's where the highlighter comes in!
• Not happy with the shade match! :( What do you think? Is it close enough?
• I actually dislike its grainy/rough consistency.

Although I cannot give a hands-down verdict to the Ever Bilena Mousse Matte Foundation in Walnut, I can honestly say that it's not a complete waste of money. It's a good transition product or something to use in-the-meantime. I don't know if I will purchase this again because I'm quite happy with my BB Cream from Etude House. I'm not really much of a foundation user anyway. But whenever I need extra coverage, I can whip this out and rely on its decent performance.

If you're still curious, I suggest you visit an Ever Bilena counter or stall and try them out yourself first and see if it sits well with you. I'm not over the moon with this product, but I'm not completely disappointed either. At Php 75, I got more than I initially expected.

Check out how it looks on me. (All shots are done in natural lighting)

Eyes:

  ~ NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Lime from Digital Traincase

~ Maybelline VolumExpress Mascara

~ Etude House Oh M'Eyes Volume and Length Mascara

~ The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil Tone Correcting Concealer in 01

~ Palladio Rice Concealer Stick

Face:

~ Myra Daily Sun Protect Moisturizer SPF 10

~ Ever Bilena Mousse Matte Foundation in Walnut

Cheeks:

~ Ever Bilena Mousse Blush in Cinnamon (contour)

~ 17 All About Nude Summer Palette Cream Blusher

Lips:

~ Forever 21 lip gloss

Please pardon the sabog hair. I haven't combed my hair yet. :))

Please pardon the messy background. :P
It's so hoooot inside the house!
The dirty kitchen/the garage seemed like the better-ventilated areas at home. :)

What's your latest cheap thrill? Have you tried this foundation yet? How was your experience? :)

Love,

SGT <3

SMthin' Like That

I've been trying to run away from my computer, so much so that I had to find an excuse to get out of the house. Since I seemed to have another boring day at home on my to-do list, I figured, why not run a few errands and check out The Body Shop's 60-Minute Sale, and enjoy myself at the mall while I'm there.

First things, first, I had my picture taken for my visa application. Then, I ran to The Body Shop downstairs to check out what the sale was all about. Unfortunately, photos were not allowed to be taken inside the store and I wasn't able to buy anything because I was too pissed that I can't shoot pictures to share with you all.  *insert sad face here*

Afterwards, I headed off to Etude House to cool off and to scour their racks for a solution to my pimples and for things to pack for Myanmar. I ended up buying their Lemon Tea Cleansing Foam (I already tried their Aloe Vera variant and I loved it!), which  according to the friendly saleslady, is very good for my combination skin as it is most effective in keeping the shine at bay. Given the humid weather in Myanmar, an oil-control cleanser that's gentle enough for everyday use is just about what I need.

I also jumped for joy when I got hold of their Styling Eyeliner in 01 (Black), a retractable liner that's perfect for tight-lining and filling in those hard-to-reach corners. It's definitely a steal at Php 128 (~ $3), don't you think? (I'll write separate entries for today's purchases later on.)

After a long while at Etude House, Chammy (my friend) met up with me. We had lunch at Pizza Hut (bye, bye, diet!)

What's for lunch: two solo-sized pizzas, a plate of Ceasar's salad, a bowl of cream of mushroom soup
(sans the croutons; I hate croutons!), a plate of carbonara, and two iced teas. Carbo-loading, definitely!

We sure did not waste time to burn what we just consumed. After I claimed my passport-sized portraits, we headed off to the bank so Chammy can do her thing and I slid off to the bookstore next door (I swear, I can live inside a library and/or a bookstore happily). Got myself a Vapur foldable water container in pink and a pink case for my makeup brushes.

We decided to meet up at the department store where nothing much really happened. We just looked around, hoping to spot a good bargain and take home new things to call ours... only we both were in a tight financial situation. It's fun to window-shop, nevertheless. I was looking for the perfect red lipstick. Chammy suggested I try out Maybelline. I was never a big fan of lipsticks, especially red ones , but with the workplace situation rearing its head in the horizon, I may have to adjust my preferences in order to "grow up" and try new things. After spotting the perfect shade, I was told that they had no more stocks of that particular hue. I was devastated. And to think that its price had been slashed down from Php 299 to Php 249! Good thing, Watsons had one last tube of the Maybelline Color Sensational Moisture Extreme Lipstick in Summer Sunset! I did not hesitate and grabbed the sole tube on the shelf. It's a really deep red. I love that it's not too bright and perky, just the right shade to suit my skin color and personal preference. (I'll write a separate entry for this one too!)

That's me wearing the Maybelline lipstick in Summer Sunset. Bagay ba? :)
I have always been scared of donning red lipstick.
It's like I never had the guts to wear this truly outstanding and second-look-worthy color. 

After a long day of walking around and window-shopping, Chammy and I decided to rest and have a snack at Dunkin' Donuts, where she ate a pizza pocket (from a stall somewhere), a bavarian-filled donut (another flavor I cannot seem to agree with), and iced coffee; while I had a medium cup of Summer smoothie (forgot the flavor combination) from Fruitas.

So happy togetheeerrrr!

There's just never a dull moment with these two-peas-in-a-pod!

Stolen shoooot! :p

... and of course, there's the obligatory outfit post!

Purple top from Encore, Random leggings, TOMS sneakers,
Multi-strand bangle from Thailand, New York & Co. necklace 

What's your favorite bum-day escape? :)

Love,

SGT <3

P.S. All the photos in this entry are owned by She Goes Thrifty. Please ask for my permission when intending to use these photos elsewhere. Thank you. :)

Lip-locked

I have been an avid user of lip balms for as long as I can remember. It probably started when I was in high school, when all the girls got conscious of how they looked but were not quite allowed to wear makeup and sky-high heels yet... so I chose lip balm as my weapon of mass destruction instead.

Over the years, I have grown and loved a lot of brands and tried out pretty much everything there is when it comes to what brands of lip balms are available. These are some of my tried-and-tested brands... (click photos for sources of images)

Forgot how much this costs but I've tried the cherry and mint flavors. Absolute classics. Has low SPF.

This has got to be one of my absolute faves. It's medicated, so it's sure to treat even the worst chapped lips ever (which I often times have. And putting it on is like kissing ice or mint... or minty ice. Very cool. I think this costs around Php 90 in any drugstore. Another perk is that is has SPF for your lips. It goes on clear so you might want to use a lip stain or a separate lip stick if you want a little color.

I LOVE BURT'S BEES! I used to own a watermelon shade of this shimmer lip balm (well it's more a shimmer lip thing than it is a lip balm, but it does not dry my lips at all and it packs on that glitter that no girl can ever resist!). It's pretty expensive though, as it costs around Php 300 or more for one tube. They also have the original or plain kinds of lip balms available. Oh, and this one's organic too. If you have sensitive skin, the splurge might just be worth it.

The Body Shop's Born Lippy in Pink Guava. This is my third pot, if I'm not mistaken. It tastes really yummy and it will bring back moisture to your cracked lips. I'm quite concerned about its container though, since you're gonna have to use your fingers for applying this, bacterial contamination is very much a possibility. Make sure to clean your hands first before digging in, okay? Oh, and a pot costs Php 250.

This is my first ever pot of the famous Born Lippy. It's in cherry and it smells A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. You might not be able to resist a chance to pucker up with this baby on your lips. It's lightly tinted. Same price.  I also bought a limited edition lippy a long time ago, it was for AIDS Awareness I think, kind of a fund-raising activity for the Body Shop. They release limited edition products every now and then so keep your eyes peeled for those.

Then, there's Human Nature's lip balm in Peppermint. I was disappointed with this product. It doesn't deliver much moisture and healing to my chapped lips as I expected (as with the success stories of my previous purchases in lip balms and Human  Nature products in general), but at Php 70, I would be better off sloughing on Chapstick. The cool feeling evaporates quickly and my lips become dry after such a short while. I have to say, this would have to be my least favorite.

And last, but certainly not the least, my current lip-locking partner (as if I have any), Carmex in Strawberry. I chanced upon this at PCX in Alabang Town Center. Got it for a little less than Php90. This baby really surprised me. It sent moisture on my lips into overdrive, and it hasn't disappointed me yet. It tastes yummy but it's really mentholated at the same time. However, my only critique is that when you apply this, it leaves a greasy or slimy feel to your lips, not very ideal for when putting on lip stick or lip gloss after. But using in on its own is probably when it works best. Love, love, love this! <3

And that is all for today's rundown on my favorite lip balms. What's yours? :)

Love,

SGT <3