Hello everyone! Sorry for not updating for weeks. I've been occupied with so many things at work (and life too) and now I owe you a lot of post now. Ugh. 
 
Anyway.

Summer is almost over here in Manila as it starts to rain now. Most of us who lives in the tropics still have that summer tan and I think it's not too late to sport that warm summer makeup.

Before summer came, I started looking for a nice and affordable coral blush to complement the tan (whether you like it or not) and something that I can wear with just bare face and a translucent powder. And with all the wide range of choices, I chose to try A:Concept Everything in A: Coral Lip & Cheek.



Claims:
 "Changeable to desiring colors and able to insert one of lip products into the pocket cushion compact depending on daily makeup styles"

Ingredients:
ethylhexyl palmitate, diisostearyl malate, octyldodecanol, phytosteryl isostearyl dimer dilinoleate, silica, ozokerite, candelilla wax, titanium dioxide, mica, ceresin, phytosteryl / iso But are not limited to, stearyl / cetyl / stearyl / behenyl dimer dilinoleate, dipentaerythritol hexahydroxystearate / hexa stearate / hexa rognate, cetearyl hexanoate, stearyl heptanoate, sorbitan But are not limited to, sesquioleate, distearmonium hectorite, isopropyl palmitate, quaternium-18 bentonite, tocopheryl acetate, triethoxycaprylyl silane, propylene carbonate, dimethicone, caprylyl glycols, , 1,2-hexanediol, Red No. 201, Yellow No. 4, Red No. 104 (1), red iron oxide,

Weight: 1.5g

Country of Origin: South Korea

Price: PhP 310 (approx. US$ 6.50)


A:Concept Everything in A: Lip & Cheek has 3 colors to choose from: Coral, Pink, and Red. I chose the coral one because it complements not only the tan but my overall medium olive skintone. I love how small the product is that you can insert this to the A:Concept cushion or you can just put it in your daily beauty kit without taking so much space. I know in the photo it looks like a regular bullet lipstick, but trust me, it is really small and compact.



The content is more or less the same as a regular lipstick. It has a creamy texture and it's easy to glide, though you need a lip brush if you use it as a regular lipstick. 



I use this more as a blush than a lip color. I love how pigmented A:Concept Everything in A: Coral Lip & Cheek is and how it lasts for hours. On days when I don't wear foundation, I use this over my primer then top it off with my favorite Shiseido Medicated pressed powder or with W-lab Sebum out pressed powder. The color really shows off and usually lasts for 5-6 hours or until my face becomes an oil-slicked pan and needs to blot. 

If I wanted it to last longer, I usually brush a thin layer of coral blush powder and it stays so nice the whole day even after blotting.

Another thing I like from A:Concept Everything in A: Coral Lip & Cheek aside from being compact, is that it's so easy to blend (as blush) and it looks so natural. It's really perfect for no makeup look, dainty and sweet, or even kawaii makeup!

A:Concept Everything in A: Coral Lip & Cheek is really a versatile product, and a good to go makeup and a travel companion. ♥

Happy New Year, everyone! Holiday feast is now over and we're all back to our regular busy schedule.

Since the holiday season is all about parties and eating, re-applying lipsticks here and there is totally bothersome, I decided that using tint is the best way to avoid this but still look awesomely fresh in photos.




I was actually in search for a nude coral tint but most tints in the market are either red, pink or orange. That’s why when I saw the So Coral [BE01] color I totally fell for it.  It’s a nude peach coral that’s perfect for date days or when copping a no make-up look. It really looks sweet and dainty.
The Tomorrow Red [RE02] is also a very nice red. I actually don’t like wearing red lipsticks or tints because I can’t find a nice shade of red that compliment my morena (caramel tan) skin. And most reds either screams red, looks too old, or just too dark. But the It’s My Bong Tint Tomorrow Red [RE02] shade is a hit.  It’s a cherry red that actually compliments any skin tones. It gives you a mix of sexy, vampy but still sweet look. It’s not an overwhelming red for women with red phobia like me. It’s a total love!

Getting the actual color for tints or lipsticks is actually disappointing when you cannot test the product in person. Most of the time it really looks good on screen but when you purchase the product it’s totally different from what you saw and you’ll realize that the color is not actually for you. What’s really nice about It’s My Bong Tint is that the colors you see on screen is really close to the actual color.

I swiped the Tomorrow Red [RE02] once and twice for So Coral [BE01]. Both lip tints are highly pigmented but not overwhelming. It doesn’t scream nor it accentuates the flaws of your lips. It really looks nice and surprisingly hydrating to think that my lips always chap with lipsticks and tints (and even lip balms, ugh!), though I still have to apply my lipbalm before and after tint application.



The Tomorrow Red [RE02] started to fade around 4-5 hours of non-stop eating and drinking, while the So Coral only lasted around 2-3 hours of non-stop eating and drinking. (Ok, I sound like a pig here. But hey! It’s the holidays. It’s a good excuse to test this lip tints! Hahaha)

Both It’s My Bong Tint Tomorrow Red [RE02] and So Coral [BE01] really smells fruity sweet and doesn’t have a weird taste. 

I have a few complaints though: I find cushion tints hard to apply. The tips are really bulky so you really have to be careful when applying. A lipbrush is also a must for precision. It also took me 13 push in the barrel for So Coral [BE01] for the product to come out and 20++push in the barrel for Tomorrow Red [RE02]. I thought both tints are defective that I wanted to cry (there’s a free return, though). Good thing they aren’t. Patience is really a virtue! Haha. I also find the pens a little bulky and long. It’s actually the same size of a sharpie. For someone like me who has a pretty small kikay (beauty) kit, it actually takes a little more space. But that’s just me. I just don’t like carrying heavy and huge make-up kits.

My complaints are nothing to worry about because It’s My Bong Tint is really worth to have.

Price: P280 (roughly US$6) each

Ingredients:

Bees are heaven sent, so as the W-Lab Propolis Soothing Booster.

I google(ed) what proplis is and this is what I found: “a red or brown resinous substance collected by honeybees from tree buds, used by them to fill crevices and to seal and varnish honeycombs.”

So what exactly is W-lab Propolis Soothing Booster? According to the description found in Althea: “It is a multi-booster that contains propolis extract and vegetable ingredients to soothe, nourish, and vitalize the sensitive skin. It is a new conceptual multi-booster applied with hot-gelling melting technology and therefore makes good skin condition and smoothes skin texture so as to give synergy effect when wearing make-up or applying other cosmetics.”
I was originally planning to get the W-Lab Propolis Vital Energy Ampoule because my skin is really oily but flaking and it has red patches that looks like rashes, aside from the pimples I have in my jaw area. Ugh. But for some reason I changed my mind and got this one instead maybe because it’s a little cheaper. And I never regretted that decision.

When I opened the product I’m glad it’s sealed with foil.


The smell is like honey with medicinal herbs in it. If you find that kind of smell unbearable, just don’t breathe for a few seconds. Hahaha. The smell gradually fades after you apply the product and goes away after a minute or two.


The texture is like cold honey. It’s yellowish and thick but glides easily when you apply and it doesn’t leave any “film-coated” feeling. Just use a pea size and pat the product all over your face and jaw area when using as a primer. It creates a thin layer in your skin where it seals all the nutrients you put before this booster.


 Unlike before I always get small bumps at the end of the day because of makeup, though after using this for a month I still get pimples but it’s not as bad as before. I think this product creates a thin barrier where it also protects your skin from harmful chemicals. My skin is seriously much much better than it was last month. Though the W-Lab Propolis Soothing Booster doesn’t give you a good oil control, I noticed that my makeup doesn’t slide, doesn’t look cakey and lasts almost the whole day—well maybe you want to do a little retouch during your afternoon break.


Through experiments I found out that the W-Lab Propolis Soothing Booster can also be used as:

• Overnight sleeping pack. Just apply a pea size then pat on your skin. Let it sink for about 30 sec then apply a second layer. Maybe you can do a third layer if your skin really needs nutrients.
• If your pimple suddenly popped in the morning before your makeup, you can use it as a spot treatment. Just let it dry for a few seconds before applying your make-up.
•  If you feel like there’s a threat of a ginormous pimple coming out, apply a thick layer on the pimple and let it dry overnight. Though it doesn’t work like an emergency pimple treatment, it actually helps soothe the redness and inflammation.
• After derma treatment. If you or your derma/aesthetician popped your whiteheads/and blackheads, you can use this product to help soothe the redness in your skin as well as prevent any further irritation or inflammation.
• Moisturize dry elbows or knees. Though I haven’t tried using this as a heel moisturizer (because I don’t have a cracked heels).

W-Lab Propolis Soothing Booster Ingredients list:
           Propolis Extract (74.4%), Honey Extract (5%), Royal Jelly Extract (5%), Portulaca Oleracea Extract (5%), Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Powder (10,000ppm), Arginine, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Saccharide Isomerate, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Extract, Chondrus Crispus Powder, Ceratonia Siliqua Gum, Cyamopsis Tetragonolaba (Guar) Gum, Agar, Potassium Chloride, Glucose, Allatonin, Beta-Glucan, Sodium Hyaluronate, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, 1,2-Hexanediol, Illicium Verum (Anise) Fruit Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Caramel

 If you’re allergic to bees, propolis, or any bee by-product, or have sensitivity with any of the ingredient, do a patch test first before using this. We all know allergies are nasty!

W-Lab Propolis Soothing Booster is definitely one of my HGs and will be part of my staples until I find something better! I’m really happy I found this product and it worked with my problematic skin.