HIP Matte Eyeshadow Duo in PERKY

Here's an eye shadow duo that I've had in my kit for quite some time but have never even swatched. For the past couple of weeks, I have been obsessed about bright colored matte eye shadows and have been in constant search for winner products. Looking in my kit, I realized surprise surprise I already have some hehe. Here's my HIP duo in Perky.

Perky is a duo of a bright almost neon green color and a dark dark blue almost gray color.


Here's the swatch of the eye shadows:


I really love the bright green colored shadow and these two colors would look good together. Another plus is the crazy pigmentation, it really is High Intensity Pigmentation. hehe

Here's the swatch on my Arm.

The quality swatched from the fingers and the arm showed the same quality and maintained the same amount of pigmentation.

I can't wait to use this product for my next looks. The only con I see though with this is that it is not available locally. :( So if you have family in the states better get them to stock up on these amazing products!! :)

Toodles! :)

The Contemporary Filipiniana Fashion Show

On May 16, 2010 Lasalle College International's graduating Fashion Design students had their showcase fashion show for their designs. This year's theme was The Contemporary Filipiniana. The designers were tasked to use indigenous local materials used in traditional Filipino costumes and turn these into modern day wearable fashionable items.

As a recent Lasalle College International Alumni for Artistic make up under RB Chanco, we were given the opportunity beautify the models for this fashion show. It was great seeing some of my batch mates and friends / new friends from other batches. :)

Here's the make up I did for Sissel Casimiro Rabajante and Mae Bueta :)

Sissel Before


Sissel After



Mae Before


Mae After


Here are a couple of their runway shots taken by Gerry Robinson

Congratulations to all the LCI Graduates! Your designs were all fabulous! :)



Toodles! :)

Bedazz special offer for Bloggers!

has a special offer for Bloggers for until June 12, 2010.

If you order a Stippling Brush a whooping PHP100 will be slashed off its original price making

The Stippling Brush only PHP600!!!!!!
(original price is PHP700)



How awesome is that?!?! :)

To avail of this offer, all you have to do is email me at:

carla.avancena@gmail.com with your order and indicate your blogger user name, or if you have no blog and just read it off my blog just let me know it's no biggie. :)

What are you guys waiting for? don't miss out on this awesome offer!!!! Hurry you have one month to place your orders!! :) :)

Toodles! :)

Kirkland Signature by Borghese Mineral Eye Shadow Palette

Aside from it's awesome pigmentation, I'm not really a fan of mineral eye shadows because I usually experience fallout when I use them. It also tends to be messy because of the loose formula. But when i received this palette, It intrigued me. A pressed mineral eye shadow from kirkland? I didn't know what to expect. Hehe This was the palette that came out during Christmas of 2009. I checked their website and now they have different colors for the palette. I wanna share with everyone how great these pressed minerals are. :)

For reference this is what the palette looks like (taken from costco website). It's an 8 colored palette which comes with 2 dual ended brushes, a dual ended eye liner and a sharpener. :)

The palette I got during December as a gift by my boyfriend has the following colors. :)


Here are the corresponding swatched of the pressed mineral eye shadows. :)

They are all frosts but with crazy pigmentation. This is actually my first pressed MINERAL eye shadow product or palette. I'm used to seeing loose mineral eye shadows, and the problems I usually have with that is easy fallout. Having them pressed are so much better, You get the same quality in pigmentation yet fallout is minimal compared to the lose ones.

Aside from that, this is my first costco product, and I'm surprised they have very good cosmetics. This is something to look out for together with their annual Christmas brush sets. :)

Yayy to pressed Mineral Eye Shadows. In my opinion all mineral eye shadows should be pressed. :)

Toodles! :)

MAC Eye Shadow in ORB

One of the recent eye shadows I had purchased is MAC eye shadow in ORB. I don't know why but i seem to have a fascination for neutral colors. I know I should start stacking up on colored eye shadows but I can't resist. My eyes are so drawn to Browns and Highlighter like colors. And ORB was no exception, I couldn't resist. I had to get it.

ORB is a soft peach color with a Satin finish. This is perfect as lid color may it be alone or as a first application color. This is also perfect as a highlighter for the brow bone. And currently this is my favorite. :)

It is such a beautiful color, gives you a sort of fresh feeling when you first see it. It looks so pure and so clean. Check out the swatch on my finger, the product really is pigmented and some what creamy like.

This is what ORB looks like when swatched on my arm under artificial lighting, as you can see, it is a light color, but not too light that it's not noticeable anymore.

I would really recommend this eye shadow to everyone. This is a perfect addition to your bridal palette or if you're one who is just starting to build their collection of MAC eye shadows, this should be added to your list. It is the perfect peach color, versatile as lid color and as brow bone highlighter.

I feel that this is not as popular as other MAC highlighter shades but I am really impressed with this color, so far this is my most favorite go-to highlighter after Yogurt and Bamboo. I will need to re-stock starting now as I see this finishing up sooner than expected! Hehe :)

Toodles! :)

I've been Inked

I will deviate from the regular beauty related posts because today is dedicated for my motherland. This is supposed to be my 3rd time to vote as a citizen of this country. However the past 2 elections, I failed to register because simply I didn't want to, I thought it was a waste of my time, I was pessimistic.

This election was different, there was an urge to go out and register, I wanted to vote, my friends wanted to vote, the nation wanted to vote. This time around, I really felt the spirit of nationalism. I was at my precinct at 7am, the dawn of the voting. To my surprise, the precinct was already full and lines were starting to build up. As a first time voter, I had no idea if this was normal or not, but hearing other people complain deemed it wasn't. So I lined up in my cluster (a bunch of precincts put together) under the scorching sun, alone since the rest of my family members were in another cluster. 1 hour later, i stayed put and the line had not moved. After half an hour, my mom handed me water, then a hand fan until she handed me an umbrella. Given all these self coolers, nothing would last, it was crazy! 2 hours later at around 9:30am, i was still far from the voting area. By this time, I had already made friends with my neighbors in line. Sharing sentiments of the poor system in the precinct.

It was hot it was insane, but me and my new found friends stuck it out, without complaints. This is what we came out here to do, to vote, to be citizens. After almost 4 hours, we were already by the precinct, by the machine. Almost 4 hours in line, less than 5 minutes of voting. That's a small sacrifice for the betterment of the country. Of course there were tons of hard headed individuals who kept on complaining about practically everything. People who cut through lines, people who lie and try to get their way. But this is something I learned about today. Corruption is not defined by the monetary gains of an individual, it is defined by simple people who fail to follow rules. These non politicians who are corrupt by their attitudes are the ones who make this country slow to progress.


On the other hand I am very proud of everyone who waited in line to vote. This has been an experience of a lifetime. :)


Here's me and my finger with indelible ink. And in true no beauty post, I am bare and have no make up on (que horror!!!!). Hehe

For those who haven't voted, go out and vote. Voting is extended till 7pm! :)


Toodles! :)

How to beat the heat!

For my fellow bloggers residing in the Philippines, I'm sure you all will agree with me that this year's heat has literally been unbearable. For readers not in Manila, let me give you an example on how hot it has been in Manila, we average on temperatures of 34c - 36c only 2 degrees celcius more and the heat we are experiencing is a full blown fever! It's that crazy.

So how do I beat this heat? If I had it my way, I would stay indoors inside my air-conditioned room but guess what MERALCO isn't cooperating too so here are a couple of tips to beat this summer heat.

1. Be Hydrated - Keep cool by drinking tons and tons of water all day, you need to keep cool inside. A good cup of cold water every now and then will help regulate your body's temperature. Tip: water with rock salt saturated to drink is a lot better according to my dad, the salt helps keep the water in your body for longer, plus it's filled with good minerals for your body! :) Oh occasional Juice is also good, my favorites are Grape Juice, Cranberry Juice and Orange, and sometimes, a cold Soda helps too! :)

2. Take at least 2-3 showers a day (2 If you're out most of the day) to feel fresh and was out the impurities of the heat stuck on your skin. And of course, who will disagree that a shower is always refreshing. :)

3. If you're a person who can't do without a lotion, I suggest using a lotion that is less thick or water based. The perfect lotion for me in this unbearable heat is Skin MD Natural lotion, I use it for my face, and my arms and there is no icky feeling at all! :)

4. Last, my handy best friend in this heat is Aromacology Sensi's Body Cool Mist! I swear, this cool mist really cools you. I used it for one of my outdoor shoots and it was my life saver. Plus the citrus smell is also pleasing and helps you smell fresh amidst the crazy sweat you get from the heat. It's the best I tell you, I spritz it after I take showers to smell fresh and anytime in the day I feel i need to cool from the heat. So handy I love it!!! :)



How about you guys, how do you beat this crazy summer heat? :)


Toodles! :)

MAC Mineralized Satinfinish Foundation

A few days ago, I decided to try the MAC Mineralized Satinfinish Foundation and luckily found a person selling one online. Based on the reviews, they were all recommending you get a shade or two darker since for this line, the regular shade you would probably get tends to come out lighter. So I'm usually an NC40 or NC42 and therefore I decided to get NC44.

It comes in a 30ml bottle with a built in pump already which I really like so I can control the amount of product I get. Also the packaging is unlike the Studio Fix Foundation where it comes in a glass glossy like bottle, the Mineralized Satinfinish comes in a glass matte like bottle hehe.


Here's a little swatch, this is not even one full pump, this is about only 1/4 of a pump. I like it since it's so economical and I don't waste any products. :)



Now, through all the videos and reviews that I've watched and read with the product, everyone says that it has some shimmer to it. I sort of downplayed that and figured oh It can't be that bad. But when I got it and I swatched it, all I said was "okay, wow shimmer" haha. I'm not sure if you can see it from the swatch but uhh yeah, it is full of shimmer.


Here's a swatch of the product unblended. You can't really see the shimmers through the pictures, but believe me they are there!! The shimmers are what gives you the "dewy look" when using this foundation.

This is what it looks like when fully blended on hand.

With Flash

This foundation has a light to medium coverage, but this is definitely buildable. The only thing that holds me back are the shimmers! It really bothers me haha. I'd definitely use this out on the beach or something. Also I'm glad I got NC44 a darker shade, because as we know, Mineral products tend to make your face a lot lighter on pictures with flash, so choosing a darker shade sort of balances that.

I did give this a test try though, even though the shimmers kinda bothered me. I went out last night and decided to use it. What I just did though to sort of tame the shimmers was to set the foundation with Graftobian Pro Powder Foundation to also help give the foundation a little more coverage. The Mac Studio Fix Powder would do great too. And it did help tame the shimmers a little. :)


Pic was taken with flash, however it is a little blurred because I took this in a moving car (hence the seatbelt) hehe.

So overall, It is a nice foundation, I just highly recomend setting this with a powder foundation to help tame down the shimmers. However if you really are looking for that dewy look, this is perfect for you. :)


Toodles! :)

L'Oreal Wear Infinite Studio Secrets in Desert Sunrise

Part of the loot of make up that my boyfriend gave me included this L'Oreal eye shadow quad which had neutral colors. I was ecstatic since I am a prime look girl. Hehe So I thought about reviewing this quad since I use it very frequently.

Each eye shadow has a little number mark which corresponds to how it can be used illustrated at the back of the quad. My bad, I forgot to take a picture but its just a tutorial. :) As you can see, the top two colors are shimmers while the bottom two are matte. I really like how this quad is a mix of shimmers and quads since I'm not really a fan of all shimmer eye shadow look. :)

Here's a swatch of each shadow. :)


Aren't the colors pretty? I really love this quad since it's usable for everyday simple to glam make up. It's also convenient to fit in any pouch may it be big or small so whenever I need to rush in the morning, I just bring this quad and I have complete shadow colors wherever I go.

As for the price, this was a gift so I love it none the less. haha Although basing it from the website, this quad is worth about $7.15 online. So for what you're getting this is a good price! :)

Too bad you can't get Studio Secrets by L'Oreal here in the Philippines, this line is what holds the famous L'Oreal HIIP too. I really hope L'Oreal decides to bring it to the Philippines (hint hint to Mr. Marquet! Hehe ). I assure you the Studio Secrets line will be a big hit in the Philippines! :)


Toodles! :)

Woman Today 27 @ 27

A week back, I together with Maui was invited to do make up in our alma mater LCI for a fashion show. This fashion show was for the anniversary of Woman Today Magazine. The special part about this fashion show is that the clothes being featured by the models are done by fashion students of LCI and one designer happens to be my fellow classmate in Artistic Make Up Claudine Enriquez. :)

Congrats Claudine amazing work!! :)

Here are some pics of KC Gonzales, the model that I did make up for. :)

KC Before

KC After :)


Here are some photos borrowed from Claudine Enriquez during the Fashion Show. :)

It was such a wonderful experience, congrats to all the designers for a sucessful show! :)


Toodles! :)

Sweet Sweet Honey for your face!

Honey from bees, unprocessed fine honey. Who would have thought that this miraculous product from bees can be used directly on your face? Actually it has been a long kept secret. It may seem weird putting honey directly on your face but think again, most soaps and beauty products actually have honey as one of their ingredients. So better yet just put it directly on face yes? YES. That's what I have been doing for the past 2 months.

Pic taken from here

I just get pure honey, put some on my fingers and then spread it all over my face and leave it on like a mask for about 20 mins (or more if you want!) then rinse with water. What I noticed was my face was well moisturized, and my pimples disappeared (because of its anti-microbial properties). Here's a little list on the benefits of honey and what you can do with honey for your body.

Information taken from: http://www.knowledgebase-script.com/demo/article-388.html

• "Honey has anti-microbial properties and is known to treat minor irritations and sun burns.
• It is a good substance that should be used in moisturizers, creams and other beauty products as honey has the ability to retain water.
• One teaspoon of honey poured in a mug of water and if used for the last rinse will bring a shine to the hair. It will work wonders and make your hair soft and silky.
• It works well with alpha hydroxy acids - it helps soothe the skin against an abrasive treatment.
• Apply equal parts of honey and milk and leave for twenty minutes, you will notice a glow on your skin.
• Honey fights against any kind of skin damage and ageing as it has antioxidant properties.
• It also helps to fight against the damage caused by sun's UV rays.
• Honey is one of the easiest foods to digest.
• Honey is used in many cough syrups because its smooth, thick texture soothes throats.
• As a result of honey's unique ability to readily absorb air, it is often used as a moistening agent in baking.
• Honey comes in all types of colors and flavors. The color and flavor of honey depends on the how old the honey is and the kind of flower that the nectar was extracted from."

If you want to read the full article, read it here.



I really love the effect of honey to my face. Honey really is a wonder product. As we speak, my face has honey sitting on it, and I suggest you do the same. You will see your skin improve after a few applications. Honey won't just sweeten you food it can also help in improving your skin! :)


Toodles! :)

Tomato from the heart! :)

Let me share with you something that works. If you have been actively following my blog, you may have gotten the idea that I am in constant search for skin care products to tame my oily skin. My oily skin can sometimes be uncontrollable, this oily skin brings me breakouts! Who doesn't hate breakouts right? We are all are in the search for products to help us achieve that. And I have gone through tons of failed products, but this one proves to be strong. I am now on my second bottle, a little bottle called Human Heart Nature Tomato and Lemongrass Toner.

We all know that tomato has plenty of benefits for the skin, especially for drying up pimples. I know a few fellow bloggers who swear by tomato as HG for skincare, now I can say i am one of them.

PHP100 for 100ML

I had no hesitations in trying the product since I am a sucker for natural products. Also at the time I was eyeing this toner, my face was sort of peeling as a result to a previous failed product I had tried and I needed a new product that would be sensitive enough not to sting my skin. And it when I first tried it, there was no sting! its smells so fresh and your face feels so clean right after.

I also noticed that after a few days of using the product, my face was less prone to breakouts. Now I'm not saying i totally don't get breakouts instead what I say is that I can see that breakouts are lesser and less frequent. Which is of course a good good thing. :) But nothing can beat the fresh feeling after using the product, that is a winner for me. :)

I love it so much that I'm already on my second bottle, and when I bought the second bottle , I bought the Tomato and lemongrass facial wash counterpart. So I use my Human Heart Nature Tomato and lemongrass facial wash and then the Human Heart Nature Tomato and Lemongrass Toner and end my cleanse tone and moisturize with the Skin Natural MD moisturizer. It works like a miracle. :)

If you are in the Philippines, I definitely recommend this product to everyone. For its very affordable price (PHP100) you are getting maximum top quality! :) Human Heart Nature also has a wide range of products also worth looking into! :)

Toodles! :)

Prestige Total Intensity Eye Liner

I was never particular with the brand of eye liner I used, whatever was in my kit was good to go. However along the way, the liners I had been using for the lower and upper waterline started to cause me delays especially when I apply this on clients. The problems I was encountering was usually having a hard time getting good color output from the liner hence me spending lots of time. This posed as an uncomfortable situation to my clients since well as we all know, the water lines both upper and lower may well be the most sensitive part of our face and where we must be the most careful when applying make up.

So, early this week, I decided to finally go to the store and get a reasonably priced eye liner to solve all the problems I have been encountering. And with the recommendation of make up guru and my mentor RB Chanco, I purchased Prestige Eye Liner. Now, prestige has a couple of eye liners in line but I chose to get the Prestige Total Intensity eye liner in Black. (We want all the intensity we can get! haha)

I decided to get the Total Intensity eye liner because I really wanted a product that is easy to use yet gives the full output of color. And I must say, It did not fail. For only PHP350 purchased at The Beauty Bar, this very creamy liner impressed me the moment I swatched it.

See how INTENSE the Total Intensity Liner is with just one swipe? I totally love it!!! I found the answer to the problems I was encountering with my previous experiences with my past liners. Why did I not buy this before? Here is what the liner looks like when applied on my lower and upper waterline (take note: Just one swipe).

Now that is Intense! This is really true to its name. There is no other word best to describe this than intense. :) I definitely would recommend this to everyone. :)

I have been using this liner for the past 2 days for make up gigs and have used it n about 15 people, and it glides so smoothly and easily. I want to re-stock on the product already since it is so nice I never want to run out!! :)

Definitely two thumbs up for me. :)


Toodles! :)