Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay in Place Foundation

Some months ago, there was a conversation with some beauty community friends about formal event makeup and whether or not hiring a makeup artist was necessary for the ladies who pretty much know their way around a beat face. My thoughts: If I ever got to HD-levels with the help of a couple of workshops or YouTube vids, then why not? Then I’d spring for some holy grail pieces to get the job done.

At the time, the prospect of finding that next-level full coverage foundation seemed like a distant dream. But getting my hands on the Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay in Place Foundation in 2W0 Warm Vanilla (PHP 2,400 / USD 42) takes the vision closer to reality.

Quick Specs: 30 ml ; made in Belgium; waterproof; oil-free

MAC Studio Waterweight Foundation

After years of trials and errors in the quest to find my perfect foundation shade match, I found myself equipped once more with enough confidence to broaden my horizons by trying out a different brand. What better than to turn to an industry standard? Hello, MAC Studio Waterweight SPF30 Foundation in NC20 (PHP 2,200 / USD 36).

Quick Specs: 30 ml / 1.0 fl oz ; made in Belgium

Active Ingredients

Inactive Ingredients

Laneige BB Cushion Whitening

I always need to have an SPF product underneath my makeup for my peace of mind. And ever since I started using my first cushion compact, I’ve swapped the dedicated sunscreen for these convenient, colored face bases that do the multitasking for me. My latest one is Laneige BB Cushion Whitening SPF 50+ PA+++ in 21N (PHP 1,320) that I got from Althea Korea.

Laneige BB Cushion Whitening

Quick Specs: 15 g (comes with a refill and replacement sponge) ; made in Korea

Etude House Berry Delicious Precious Mineral Any Cushion

The piece of makeup that probably wound me up the most this year has been the cushion compact. I definitely started as something of a hater, especially after I heard friends complain of how quickly the stuff runs out or dries up. But then again, there is a reason behind the raves. My dismissiveness shifted into curiosity and, inevitably, temptation. So when a press kit containing Etude House Berry Delicious Precious Mineral Any Cushion in Natural Beige (PHP 1,098) came my way, I couldn’t wait to start furiously patting.

Etude House Any Cushion (Berry Delicious)

Quick Specs: 0.52 oz. / 15 g ; made in Korea; SPF 50+ / PA+++

Ingredients

Essence I Love Stage Eyeshadow Base

~Just a quick note: Happy Chinese New Year!!!~

For the longest time, I’ve stubbornly used my pore eraser as an eyelid primer. It’s partly because I try to avoid product redundancy and partly because I’m playing the cheapskate game. It’s actually not recommended to use the product on the eye area, so I was using it at my own risk. But now I want to be a tad more legit with my eyelid primer choice. I nabbed Essence I Love Stage Eyeshadow Base (regular price PHP 229) on sale just last week, and I’ve been using it everyday since.

Essence Cosmetics I Love Stage Eyeshadow Base

Quick Specs: 4 ml / 0.13 fl. oz ; made in Poland