Hello, hello, hello! This month I’m featuring my lovely cousin, Kim! She’s studying to be a nurse and then a doctor (best of all, she wants to be a dermatologist and has promised me discounts haha!) 

She also does hospital duty as a nurse-in-training. At the hospital her makeup looks are more subdued and natural. After hours she amps up everything from the big lashes, to the red, red blush, to the bold vampy lips. While she was at my house we had a long chat about the contents of her makeup bag and which products she felt she had to have with her, on-duty and off. 

Lips

I use Revlon Colorstay Moisture Stain in LA Exclusive and Parisian. They’re very longlasting. LA isn’t as longwearing as Parisian though, maybe because it’s a lighter color. It’s moisturizing, glossy, but not sticky. I can’t wear Parisian when I do hospital duty though, because the patients get surprised. I don’t want to give them heart attacks.

When I have extra time, I gradate the Etude House Play 101 Pencil in #23. It’s really good for the gradated lip look. It’s not drying and stays on for a long time so you don’t need to reapply it too often. It’s a bit expensive for me at over Php 300 for a pencil from a Korean road makeup shop. When I do the gradated lip, the boys in my class ask, “May kinain ka ba?” (Did you eat something?) Boys don’t get it.

I use the EOS Lip Balm (in Sweet Mint) every night after I do my skincare routine. It’s great because in the morning you feel your lips get really moisturized. Afterwards, I just scrub and apply my lip products. The scent is relaxing as well. I’ve been using it for a year and there’s still a lot of product. The only thing I don’t like is that it gets sticky and you can’t use it over lipstick because it will stain the EOS.

I just bought this Maybelline Baby Lips Electro Pop (in Mint Sheer) and it isn’t very good. It smells like Lemon Maxx candy. I expected it to smell minty. It’s very watery too and you have to blot it after applying. Unlike the EOS, you can use it over your lipstick because it’s cheaper and you won’t care out it getting stained.

I got this (Estée Lauder Pure Color #14 Rose Petal) from Mama. If I don’t do a dark lip, I use this.  I use this when I’m on hospital duty so my patients aren’t too shocked by the color. It’s like a lighter version of a berry color. It’s moisturizing too.

Blush

The Mocha MAC Powder Blush is my first MAC product. It’s called mocha, but it isn’t mocha-colored. The color is like, what is it like? Pink, but not pink? It’s mauve! That’s the word. It seems more like a sculptural blush. I use it under my cheekbones, on top of the Happy Skin powder I use to contour. It’s matte so I use it when I’m going to be under the sun. So when I’m walking to school, I won’t look oily.

I only use (Nars Blush in) Torrid for special occasions or if we’re going out at night. It’s a bit dark so you need to apply it lightly. I use a flat Etude House brush that came with a contour kit I didn’t like. I don’t like the packaging of this though. It gets dirty and end gets dented easily. So really, it isn’t okay to put it in a makeup bag unless you have partitions, but I still keep it in there in case my friends want to go out after hospital duty. For people with my coloring, instead of Orgasm, this is the shade.

Eyes

I should really throw this K-Palette (Real Lasting Eyeliner in Black) away it’s gotten so watery. I only keep it when I want to do a wing or if I’m going on a night out I don’t worry so much about it smudging.

The 3CE (Creamy Waterproof Eyeline in #1 Cats) irritates me if I use it on my waterline otherwise it’s okay because it doesn’t smudge and the color is really black and the finish is matte. I use it more for above the lashline. The finish is more natural than the glossy K-palette. Sometimes it breaks when I sharpen it though

I have the Revlon (Colorstay Eyeliner Crayon Contour in Black) for tight-lining. It’s a lot like the 3CE, but it breaks really easily. I haven’t really found the eyeliner that I really, really like. I want to try the Bobbi Brown gel liner, but it’s in a pot so I need to practice. I used the Tony Moly backstage gel liner before and I enjoyed the process of applying it so I might like the Bobbi Brown.

Maybelline the Magnum Volume Express Waterproof. This one for when I am stressed. Just this so I look more awake and so I don’t look so haggard. I like that’s waterproof. I’m oily so it’s easier for mascara to smudge. I like the brush. It reaches the lashes on the corners. The only thing is my lashes clump together so I really need to use a lash comb. It’s metal and I have a hard time cleaning it. Sometimes I get lazy and just leave the clumpy lashes.

The Oh! M’Eye Lash Top Coat is supposed to be a top coat, but I use it when I don’t want my lashes to look too done up. First of all, when my lashes are too done up, it’s hard to remove. Secondly, if you’re just in school, especially since we’re all in uniform, I don’t want to stand out too much. We’re trained as nurses not look too bold. If my makeup is too bold I might get told off by a professor. And my patients aren’t allowed to get shocked they might have heart attacks. Deadly pretty.

Powder

I used up my Makeup Forever HD powder, I’d hit pan and finished it all off.

Unlike the Makeup forever, Clinique Stay Mattte Sheer (pressed powder oil-free in 02 Stay Neutral) doesn’t make you look too matte. You still retain some dewiness. And since I have dry patches, I need certain areas to look brighter and healthier. I was supposed to get a translucent shade, but it was out of stock so this was recommended to me.

Etc.

I have Chronic Rhinitis so when I get attacks, I put Vicks VapoRub on my nose. When I have a cough I put it on my chest area and it’s soothing. I keep it my makeup bag because I need it all the time and I don’t really have a medicine bag. I keep it there so I know where to find it when I need it. It’s also the product in my makeup bag my friends borrow the most often. They dab a bit on the sides of their nose to decongest.

As a nursing student she has seen it all. From people being born to people at the end of the road and has her fair share of interesting stories and anecdotes about curious ailments. It comes as no surprise that when I asked her what she wanted to call her makeup bag, she answered, “a Myocardial Infraction Makeup Kit or a mini-heart attack kit. It won’t kill you, but it will paralyze you for life. My beauty will paralyze you.” I must agree that she is very pretty and kind of looks like Pocahontas haha. 

P.S. Kim posing as Pocahontas

Valentine's Day is upon us and while the rest of the world is going to be wined and dined, I am probably going to be binge-watching Jane Austen adaptations or finding my other single friends and making them watch with me. But before I runaway with my feelings, and my Austen men, let's get to the makeup.

Today I wanted to talk about Red Lipstick. While the Matte Red Lip, the likes of MAC's Russian Red or Ruby Woo, is beautiful, there are so many other ways to wear it. I'm personally not a very big fan of a matte lip, mostly because my lips get very dry very quickly. So the formulations I veer towards are much more moisturizing and much more sheen-y. I also unconsciously tend to go for lipsticks that have nice scents. Color wise, I tend to like playing around with the intensity and the undertones.

Tony Moly Color Fix Lip Crayon in #01 Red Corset

This one is very bright. It's an almost neon orange red. Not something I would usually wear, but fun to have all the same. The texture is really creamy for a pencil and it is ultra pigmented. Though to be honest, I've used it more on my sister's halloween costumes than myself. 

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in #096 Macaroon

Picked this up ages ago after my friend Pau showed me hers. I really like my berry tones and this reminded me of black cherry juice after you accidentally stain your clothes with it. It is probably the most moisturizing of these lipsticks and it has a sweet candy-like scent.

Tony Moly Cats Wink Lipstick in #05 Red Cat

Another one I picked up a while back, this lipstick is more of a moisturizing stain really. It's an orangey red that really warms up my skin tone. It's incredibly sheer and great for everyday And just look at how adorable that cat-shaped cap is.

Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick by Kate Moss in #10 and #12

I wrote about these two when I first got them last year. I still really like #12 with its coral orange undertone. It's a great summer color and is a classy, but still casual color. Unlike a bluer red you don't have to be terribly precise when applying it. On the other hand, #10 is a blue toned fire engine red and it quite classic. It's a bold red and definitely something you need to be careful applying. I always have the hardest time getting things symmetrical, but the color payoff is amazing and well worth the effort. They're both very creamy textures and the finish is shiny, but not glossy.

Covergirl Queen Collection in #Q415 Tawny Port

I have spoken about this lipstick so many times now and it is definitely my favorite shade. It's quite a deep burgundy and brown toned red reminiscent of wine. It's more of a fall and winter color, but I love wearing this all year round. It's moisturizing and makes a great stain as well.

Chanel Rouge Hydrabase in #78 Shanghai Red

This gorgeous raspberry red was a small present from my grandmother. It's a very sophisticated looking lipstick with a great formula (though it is a teeny bit sticky). It's quite close to Covergirl Tawny Port, minus the brown tone.

VDL Expert Lip Color Lip Cube Ex in #502 Hello Stranger

This is the newest of all of the items on this list and one of the mot interesting. Some of you might remember it was in the big holiday haul. I've only been using it for a few weeks, but I can tell you that it's amazing. It's a stunning burgundy red very similar to Chanel Hydrabase Shanghai Red, but with a much better formula for a fraction of the cost. It is not as sticky and the color is really buildable. 

It has SPF 10 as well and it has really good staying power for such a moisturizing product. I had this on when I went to an all-you-can-eat buffet and it stayed put the whole night. I made it a point to really press it into my lips as I was applying it, which helped as well. The packaging is nice too, but my only gripe is that you cannot twist the product back down into the bullet. Otherwise I think it's a great shape for lipstick especially when you want defined lines, though a bit of practice may be needed.

What ever you have planned for Valentines day, I hope it goes well. If you're like me and don't really have a lot going on, I hope you have some fun and eat lots. Also, if you're like me and like getting dolled up, go do it. Sometimes I put on a red lip even when I'm just sitting at home for the day. Anyway, forgive me for rambling. Advanced happy Valentines day!

My first makeup bag post! Makeup bag posts and videos are one of my favorite things to read about and watch. I like riffling through other people's makeup bags as most of my friends already know.

This is something I've been pretty excited about for a while. Though I have to say at the get-go that my makeup bag is not at all very exciting. Still, if there is anything I have learned from rummaging through my friends' makeup bags, it's that you learn a lot about what's most important to them in the realms of makeup and skincare by what they absolutely need to bring with them. I suppose I wanted to share a bit of what I really valued here. 

The Makeup Bag

The bag I keep my makeup in was an old Ermenegildo Zegna Flight Kit. It is supposed to be for men, but I couldn't help but like it. What drew me to it initially was how the fabric wouldn't get dirty easily. A lot of light colored makeup bags can look grubby with time. I also really like that you can open it up all the way and it lays down flat. 

It also has pockets on both sides that serve as dividers and help keep the bits and bobs inside organized. It saves me from having to dig around a pouch where things tend to jostle around or collect at the bottom. Since it is made of fabric, it's expandable and perfect for when I have lots of stuff. 

Powder 

Powder is a must for makeup bags especially in hot and humid cities like mine. This Innisfree No-Sebum Mineral Powder does live up to it's name as it has managed to control shine and oiliness. (Big thank you to Danie of That Nugu)

However, I am not a fan of loose powders for travel. I've managed to keep messiness to a minimum by leaving half the sticker on where the powder comes out and lifting it up only when I need it. I also use the puff to keep the powder from going everywhere. 

It's also not the quickest thing to use because I have to sprinkle the powder onto the lid every time I want to use it. I'd really like to invest in a pressed powder for my makeup bag and keep this at home.

Mirror

Everyone needs a mirror in their makeup bag. I got this for free on my trip to Sephora in Singapore. It's a pretty standard mirror with one regular side and one 5x magnifying side (great for doing eyeliner and checking lip lines). 

Lipsticks 

I have found it impossible to leave the house with only one lipstick. I tend to do my lips in the car or when I get to work so unless my makeup look is particularly lip-centric that day, color choice is always left to the last minute. As a result of this I bring my favorites with me everywhere. 

Pictured here are my Covergirl Queen Collection Lipstick in Tawny Port for my red shade, my VDL Tint Bar Tripleshot in Triple Burgundy for my everyday pinky berry shade, and my Rimmel Lasting Finish Kate Moss lipstick in #08 for my MLBB.  I've managed to whittle this down quite a bit because I used to bring six around with me and many of them were essentially the same color and finish (oops!)

Eyeliner

Admittedly, this is not something I bring every day as I make it a point to finish doing all my eye makeup before I leave the house. On the days when I am in a terrible rush or when I know I am going  to primp a bit after work, I've been opting to bring this rather old Tony Moly Easy Touch Eyeliner in #02 Brown.

Moisturizers

A definite must for me. I need to have moisturizers because I get dry patches in the weirdest places. My lips chap easily so I need an extra strong product that counteracts that. I've talked about this C.O. Bigelow Mentha Lip Shine in Ultra No. 1122 before in my recent haul and I meant it when I said it was a makeup bag staple. 

I have really loved this Nature Republic Hand & Nature Avocado Hand Cream. So much so that I've bought my third (and fourth because it comes in a 1+1 deal) tube. I really like the light fresh and fruity scent is has. Avocado has a lot of benefits for your skin as well (lightens scars, skin, and spots, prevents wrinkles, is an antioxidant, prevents breakouts, and is a natural sunscreen). The texture is not too heavy either, so it does not make your hands sticky for too long.

Brush

I used to prefer puffs for applying powder products until I realized how much product a puff packs on. I picked up this Body Shop Blush Brush a few months back and I've been using it to apply the Innisfree No-Sebum Mineral Powder. I love that it's retractable because not only is it great for travel, it also means you can control how densely packed the bristles are. In effect it becomes a powder brush for applying product onto larger areas and a mini domed buffing brush for applying product onto corners and under the eyes.

Sprays

These next two sections are really just tiny bits I feel I need to bring with me all the time and fit conveniently into my makeup bag. I always need to bring a hand sanitizer with me, which in this case is rubbing alcohol in an atomizer. I also carry around a few perfume samples whenever I get my hands on them. Here I have samples of Victoria's Secret Angel Dream and Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet.

 For Emergencies

My family and I absolutely swear by Axe Brand Universal Oil. It's one of those brilliant Chinese ointments that does everything. I've used it for headaches, nausea, insect bites, muscle pain, and as a decongestant. You will not believe how many times this has come in handy (it is a godsend on road trips out of town).

I also pack a lot of bandaids. I use them less for cuts and scrapes and more for when my shoes rub me the wrong way.  Better to have it and not need it than to need it an not have it.

Back in school I'd have a mascara, cream blush and sometimes two colored eyeliners in addition to the three extra tubes of lipstick. Aside from that I had wet wipes, medicine, and at one point a shoe mitt. For work though, I saw the need to get it down to the essentials.

Evidently, my makeup bag philosophy of late has more to do with practicality than anything else. I put a lot of stock in having things that I know will be useful. Each item usually addresses certain needs and I tend to save the fun stuff (pink eyeliner, purple lip tar, blue mascara, and the like) for nights out on the weekends. 

I do make an exception for my lip products. I packed three lipsticks and a lip treatment - four products dedicated to just one area to me says a lot about what I find important. Because lips are very, very, important.

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All of this aside what this post really way for was to make an announcement and serve as a starting point for this new project. Ladies and ladies, I am very happy to announce the launch, shall we say, of The Makeup Bag Series! Every month I will feature a makeup bag I've riffled through and the makeup philosophy of the beautiful person who owns it. 

Fingers crossed I will have the posts up at the end of the month every month (if I interview more people, maybe more makeup bags~ who knows?) so that by this time next year I will have featured twelve or so makeup bags. 

I'm beyond excited about this project and  I am happy to report I already have four lovely makeup bags lined up for posting. At any rate, if you've read this far thank you and I am sorry this turned into an inconceivably long post.