I "Pink" I'm in Love

Spring time is coming! And I have been craving for colors that spring time can offer. What better way to start this season with the colors of universal love, tenderness and compassion--- Pink!

In color psychology, pink means unconditional love and nurturing. Pink, which is a combination of red and white, contains the need for action of red, helping it to achieve the potential success and insight offered by white. It is the passion and power of red softened with the purity, openness and completeness of white (www.empower-yourself-with-color-psychology.com). Moreover, it gives the femininity feel, inspires romanticism, exudes intimacy and sweetness,  and has been a sign of hope. No wonder, this color has been a favorite of the many, not only for the ladies but also for the gents.

Speaking of favorites and pinks incorporated with the lipstick addict in me, I gathered my top seven pink lipsticks in my collection. So without further ado, here are the zeniths of my pink lippies.

First off, is Smashbox - Be Legendary Lipstick in  Posy Pink. This shade is a warm toned light pink making it flattering to ladies with warmer skin tone. It comes off like a peachy rose or pinkish nude lipstick but more on pink shade. This lipstick is on a pricey side but I tell you, it is all worth it! I love the formulation of this lipstick. It is creamy and highly pigmented. Its quality formulation includes Vitamin C and E. This glides on nicely on the lips leaving a smooth, sheen finish and is fairly long lasting as well. This is the perfect light pink shade that would compliment medium skin toned. So fab!

Up next is definitely the most expensive lipstick I have ever owned. My hubby gave this to me as a gift during our tour to South Korea. And I have two words to describe this lipstick - Glam Overload! This is the pinnacle of all my lipsticks, the YSL Rouge Voluptes. The packaging of this lipstick is ultimate luxury - gold tube with YSL logo on the base, with glass background on logo letting you peek through the color of the lipstick itself and the perfect gold lid that clicks into place. The formulation of the lipstick is great! These lippies are creamy, really pigmented, very moisturizing, has gorgeous smell and on top of that, it gives protection through SPF 15. I am so in love with this lipstick, if not for their price, I might have own all the color, hehe! Oh well, I own two shades of this lipstick and of course, both made it to my top pink lipsticks.

I have the shade #7, the Lingerie Pink. This shade is a lovely bright bubble gum pastel pink with a subtle warm undertone to it. This gives a creamy glossy finish. I use this color mostly when I do smokey eyes. This color may work to medium skin tones, but I believe this will absolutely look gorgeous in lighter complexion. This color is just sexy!

Another YSL Rouge Voluptes lipstick I have is in shade #8, the Fetish Pink. This shade is a vibrant blue-based pink with cooler undertones. For me, this is the perfect barbie pink. I super love this color!!! Even with just this lipstick on, you will look polished and seemed like you have spent hours in your vanity, hehe! Like all the YSL Rouge Volupte lipstick, this has a rich and creamy consistency that applies evenly and smoothly. So adorable!!!

Ofcourse, when it come to pinks, I just can't leave out MAC's Candy Yum-Yum. This shade is a neon blue-based pink with a matte finish. This color is definitely as show-stopper. This lipstick is creamy and applies opaquely. This is the longest lasting lipstick in my collection. It does stain your lips. What's amazing is that its formulation is not drying at all, as expected in matte lipsticks. This may not be wearable as an everyday lipstick, but one can definitely pull it off wearing it on spring season. Love! Love! Love!

Up next is a lipstick that has a packaging to die for. It is the Etoinette Crystal Shine Lips Lipstick of Etude House. Etude House is South Korean cosmetic brand owned by Amore Pacific that is the most famous beauty house in Asia. The Etoinette Crystal Shine Lips lipsticks are smooth with subtle shimmer encased in light pink tubes with princess-y gold detailing on both base and lid. The lipstick itself has an embossed Etude House logo. Very pretty!!! Formulation of this lipstick is good. It is moisturizing and gives a pearlized finish. It also has a subtle floral scent to it. First application may not give you the color coverage you want but it is definitely buildable. Due to its slick texture, staying power is not that great, but then, I do not mind re-applying this lipstick in public (yes! in public) due to its adorable packing, hehehe! I have four shades of this lipstick. The shade PPK003, which is a light rose pink, is my favorite. It is almost the same as the Smashbox's Posy Pink, but this one has more shimmer to it.

I recently discovered Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick and has quickly become a favorite of mine. Not only were they affordable, but their quality is comparable to Revlon's Lip Butter and Urban Decay's Revolution Lipstick. I went crazy over these lipsticks and bought all the colors I can see in the shelf in Walmart, hihihi! Rimmel Moisture Renew lipsticks are very pigmented and highly moisturizing. It is formulated to reduce lip dryness with vitamins A, C and E. It is very creamy, colors are vibrant and is simply beautiful. It comes in a purple colored  squared tube with its logo is engraved at the lid.

The shade that is worth mentioning is Rimmel's Back to Fuchsia. Hands down, the most gorgeous shade of pink that everyone can wear, everyday, all-season! I'm in love!

Pink Chic is another shade I love. This color is blue-based light pink. Even with its cool undertone, it still looks good on warmer complexion. There is something in this color that exudes playfulness. And I like how this color makes me feel happy even by just looking at it, hehe! Believe me, I  am attached to this color. This, for me, is a perfect spring lipstick!

Ok lovelies, this is pink overload! heheh! I hope you had a great time reading my blog. Tell me what you think. What is your favorite pink lipstick? :) 

Think pink and stay beautiful!

Simply Blushful

Happe New Year beautiful!

As promised, I am posting reviews for my pretty blushes!!! I was never a fan of blushes, but when I tried Milani Baked Powder Blushes, I am obsessed! These blushes have easily become one my holy grails in make up. Colors are fabulous with good lasting power, texture is sensorial and the powder is considerably light and finely milled. It is so easy to use, very blendable and very affordable. In this post you will see swatches of these blushes, how they  look on me and my thoughts about. So, without further ado, lets blush!

Milani Baked Blushes come in gold packaging. It is made out of plastic making it light-weight, but could be bulky at times making it not travel-friendly. The blush can be seen through the transparent lid and when you open it, you can see a brush encased at the bottom compartment along with a mirror. I am not a fan of their brushes though, it is scratchy and of poor quality.

Ok ladies, believe the hype! Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso is simply gorgeous! It is true, it is universally-flattering. This is my most-used blush. When I cannot figure out which blush to use, I always end up reaching to this. It is a peachy color with a subtle sheen to it giving a sheer glow to the skin - luminous it is! Trust me, my picture does not do any justice at all, hehe! 

Another favorite blush of mine is the Milani Baked Blush in Corralina. Corallina is a beautiful coral shade with white and gold shimmer. This blush is super pigmented; you will need a light hand to apply this. One swipe is all you need! This is an intensified Luminoso - brighter peachy-coral color and more glitter. I find this color flattering on medium to darker skin tone. May work on lighter skin tone but has to be careful not to look orangey. One thing to be careful with this too, is the presence of the glitter. Some glitter may set on your pores making it humongous, so just make sure it is blended well and buff out the chunky glitters. 

Up next is my Milani Baked Blush in Red Vino. As the name suggested, it rich rosy-red color with gold sparkle and sheen to it. This blush is heavily pigmented! You need just half a swipe and it is enough. I rarely use this blush, just because I still have not mastered way to apply this and use this. I was trying to just tap the color on my cheeks and still it looks too much (see below! lol!)

Surprise, surprise! Milani Baked Blush in Berry Amore is my new love! Off from the rack, I thought this color will not be flattering at all with the lilac color peeking through intimidating me. Girl, I am wrong! Berry Amore is a golden mauve pink with heavy shimmer. It gives that luminosity that Luminoso gives but in dusty lilac-pink color with intensified sheen. I love it! I feel that this blush will flatter all skin tones also. This color just blend out dreamy!

Another beautiful blush perfectly made by Milani is the Baked Blush in Rose D'Oro. It is described as pink and gold blush with shimmer. Applying it on me, it appears peachy-pink with gold shimmer. I love this color too, a beautiful everyday blush. Shimmer is not overpowering the color. When blended out well, golden shimmer would appear sheer.

Lastly, but definitely not the least, is the Milani Baked Blush in Dolce Pink. Another stunning color! It is a pink blush with silvery shimmer. I am not that a fan of pink blushes, just because I feel like peachy shades flatter me more, but not this one. If lightly applied, it appears like my natural blushing color. Love! Love! Love!

Obviously, I LOVE these blushes! I enjoyed the colors and I highly recommend it. If you are looking for quality-highlighting-gorgeous-super-pigmented-gives-you-healthy-glow blushes, then you are on the right page! 

Stay beautiful!

My Favorite Fall / Winter Lippies

Here are my go-to lipsticks for fall or winter time! I hope you lovelies will like it too.

First off, my MAC Rebel Lipstick. It is described as a mid tonal cream plum color with a satin finish. This semi-matte lipstick just screams fall / winter season. It looks to me like it is a combination of red and violet color. This beautiful color is creamy and is buildable to give an opaque look. But if applied with just one coat, it could appear sheer. I believe this color is good for almost all skin tones. With this color and confidence, for sure one will look good with this.

Next is my MAC Up the Amp Lipstick. This lipstick is described as lavender violet. For me, it looks lilac with a pinch of pink to my skin tone. I love this color. It makes me feel fierce without being over-the-top or being steered to goth department. It is under an amplified formulation making it one of my favorite lipsticks. It is very moisturizing while giving off great pigmentation. Love! Love ! Love!

Who says we cannot wear nudes on fall / winter? Well, I love wearing nude lipsticks during fall or winter! And that is also because I love wearing dramatic, bold, strong eye-makeup on these seasons. MAC Blankety Lipstick is one of my favorite nude lipstick. I feel like this is the perfect nude for the cold season. Its color is a muted browny pink. Being an amplified finish, it is so creamy, very moisturizing and very pigmented as well. I believe this color would suit well for lighter complexion. But it doesn't look bad on a tan skinned like me. It may look pale when applied heavily. I just pat this on my lips and whoalla! Perfect nude lipstick.

 Lastly, but definitely not the least,  MAC Jubilee Lipstcik. I adore this lipstick!!! It has a lustre finish to it, which is one of my favorite finishes as well. With this lipstick, I do not have to be precise making to so easy to wear. Moreover, it gives a slight shine making your lips look healthy as well. This naked beige-pink color falls under my-lips-but-better category. I so love it! This is my second stick already, making my most used MAC lipstick. You should try it!!!

So, what are your favorite fall or winter lipsticks???

Enjoy your day! Stay beautiful! :)

Highlight of Seoul City Tour - October Escapades Continued...

So, after the Temple Tour we joined the Highlight of Seoul City Tour. The course is good for 5 hours and  highlights the must-see in Seoul. 

First stop, Insadong. Insadong is a neighborhood of the Jung-gu District of Seoul. It is an antique alley which is lined with art galleries, antique shops, craft shops, pottery shops, traditional restaurants, tea houses and street food stalls. We ate lunch there, gladly an authentic Korean food!

The food was amazing! Me and my hubby love it! It has some distinct taste to it… and I don't even know the name of the food we had, hehehe! But this is not my favorite food while in Korea. My favorite is a street food, believe it or not! It is the Ho-tteok - a sweet Korean pancake!!!

This yummy treat is basically a cinnamon and brown sugar pancake, fried on a griddle. It cost a 1000 won, approx $0.90. I shared one with my hubby at first, but it wasn't enough, so I got another one.

And then another one… nyahahaha!

And, I am going to make one, now… I'm not kidding, I am looking on recipes on how to do this one now, hehe! But before that, I will finish this blog, hehe!

So aside from the gastronomic adventure, we saw some exciting and note-worthy finds while roaming around Insadong. This place truly exudes local and traditional charms-- so amazing, so authentic. An hour trip to this place is just never enough.

Next stop is Jogyesa Temple!

Jogyesa Temple is the head quarters of jogyejong sect, the main sect of Korean Buddhism. This temple was first established on 1395, at the dawn of Joseon Dynasty. This historical temple is located in Gyeonji-dong, Jongno-gu, in central Seoul.

After a brief visit to Jogyesa Temple, we went straight ahead to Gyeongbokgung Palace.

Gyeongbokgung Palace, a former seat of power, is probably the Korea's most famous royal palace.  Its name means a palace greatly blessed by heaven. This was built in the late 1300s, and has been destroyed and reconstructed numerous times. It is located at the northern end of Seoul's main boulevard, Sejongro.  It took us a good hour to tour the place.

It was a long, cold, tiring walk touring this place. This place is ginormous! And we have only toured half of it. Some parts of it are still under construction, some we refused to go into, hehehe! But, it was all worth it. It is amazing how the Koreans took pride in restoring and preserving this historical place making not only the Koreans, but also the foreigners understand the people, their culture, their way of life before and the power that this place exudes. Each of this structures showed how creative, innovative and skillful Koreans are. No wonder that a nation such as theirs is strong, dynamic and beautiful. Nothing changed with the way I look at South Korea. It will always be my dream home away from home.

Stay Beautiful!