On a day-to-day basis when I'm just going to the office with no work events after, I skip foundation and just use BB cream because it...

Review: Beauty Republic BB Creams in Original Dramatic and Dramatic Green Touch

1:54 PM Joanna C. 0 Comments

On a day-to-day basis when I'm just going to the office with no work events after, I skip foundation and just use BB cream because it's quick and not too made up. I think BB cream is all you need for a fresh everyday look, especially for people who hate looking or feeling too made up.

I got these Beauty Republic BB creams from Carmen Claire in two varieties, the Original Dramatic formula and the Dramatic Green Touch formula.

Beauty Republic BB creams in Original Dramatic and Dramatic Green Touch formula

Both of the boxes indicate that these are made in Korea, and are for whitening/anti-wrinkle/UV protection. I love that they both have SPF37; sunscreen is a daily must, even on cloudy days. I use this as an all-in-one product, without using a separate moisturizer or sunblock. Great for when you need to get to work or school quickly!

Here's what they look like when squeezed out of the tube:
Left: Original Dramatic. Right: Dramatic Green Touch.

The products do come out looking very light, but they quickly blend into the skin without leaving an unnatural cast. You can see the Original Dramatic formula in action in this makeup tutorial with my friend Jacklyn of The Sunday Project. The green formula also blends in just as easily.

Both formulas are moisturizing and work very well at evening out the skin and giving a dewy but not oily radiance. Because I have combination skin, the green formula worked wonderfully for controlling my oily T-zone. I only had some greasiness on my forehead and nose at the end of the day. Because of its very slightly greenish tint, I think this would be great for people with a lot of redness from blemishes or capillaries.

I think the original formula may work better for people with normal to dry skin. The original formula worked great for the drier parts of my face like my cheeks and chin, but I had to touch up my T-zone a couple of times throughout the day.

You don't need much product at all to cover the entire face, so these will last a long time even if used on a daily basis. The BB creams are 1oz or 30ml each, meaning that they're a great size for traveling.

You can purchase these BB creams for P695 each on CarmenClaire.com. As a special treat for you guys, you can get 15% off all orders on the website when you input the code JOANNASENTME. The website also offers free shipping for all orders worth P1,000 and up. Happy shopping!

I had so much fun collaborating with my friend Jacklyn Uy of The Sunday Project  for this tutorial on how to wear bright lip color! Check ou...

How to wear a bright lip and brighten teeth + my discount code on CarmenClaire.com

5:38 PM Joanna C. 0 Comments

I had so much fun collaborating with my friend Jacklyn Uy of The Sunday Project for this tutorial on how to wear bright lip color! Check out the video below:



To sum up my must-do's for rocking a bright lip:
* Even out and perfect skin with light to medium coverage. I feel like a super-matte, full coverage foundation is too made up for daytime when you're already sporting bright lip color.
* Groom brows, as always.
* Define eyes with a neutral matte eyeshadow, a little bit of liner and mascara.
* Accentuate cheeks with just a hint of color.

Additional tip: You don't need to have perfect teeth, but bright lip colors work best with whiter teeth. I use a box of Crest Whitestrips every six months, and Colgate Optic White toothpaste on a daily basis.

I'm doing a full review soon on the Beauty Republic BB cream I'm using in this video. I highly recommend the original variant for normal to dry skin. The green variant is great for normal to combination/oily skin like mine. You can purchase it here from CarmenClaire.com .

As a special treat for you guys, input the code JOANNASENTME to get a 15% discount on all orders from the website! Philippine buyers can also enjoy free shipping for purchases worth P1,000 and up.

Follow Jacklyn on @jackkayephoto on Instagram and Twitter, and check out Carmen Claire Cosmetics on their site or Instagram @carmenclaireco . 

I've heard a lot of good things about Anastasia Beverly Hills brow products, so I recently decided to try the Dipbrow Pomade since I did...

Review: Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade in Dark Brown

8:55 PM Joanna C. 4 Comments

I've heard a lot of good things about Anastasia Beverly Hills brow products, so I recently decided to try the Dipbrow Pomade since I didn't have anything like that in my brow arsenal yet. I got mine in the shade Dark Brown.

I had forgotten to take a photo just as I'd gotten it out of the box, so this has a little dent in it where I had dipped my brush.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade in Dark Brown

This is a highly pigmented product that goes on very smooth. Its texture is very much like gel eyeliner and I am sure you can use it that way too. For me, just two dips in the product is enough for each brow; that pigmented! This pot will definitely go a long way.

I used a stiff angled brush to outline and then fill in my brows, and a spoolie to brush it out and avoid a matted-down look with my brow hairs.

Bare brows

Brows with Dipbrow Pomade

I don't really like showing my entire face on my blog, which I know is strange for a beauty blogger, but here's how Dipbrow Pomade looks like:

"Calendar girl" selfie har har

It gives quite a strong brow look but doesn't overpower the rest of the face if you wear a little bit of other makeup.

You need a steady hand to use the Dipbrow Pomade. I've used it twice so far, and I still need to get used to having a steady hand with it. Application does take patience and precision, but it's worth it if you need a brow product that really lasts all day.

Our weather's been topsy turvy, being rainy at times and hot on others. This adds up to some pretty intense humidity and makes my T-zone and brow area pretty greasy. I used this product alone with no setting gel or anything, and it was still intact after eight hours with just a little fading on the tail. I purposely smudged it with a finger at the end of the day to see how it would stay on, and it barely moved. Smudge-free, indeed, but easily removed with Shu Uemura cleansing oil.

Because this product is designed for "carving perfectly precise brows that won't fade" according to the Anastasia website, the look is just that: perfectly precise. If you prefer a really soft and natural brow look, this may not be for you, unless you combine it with a brow powder or pencil that will help achieve that look.

The Dipbrow Pomade is a very good product for smudge-proof eyebrows, but remember to allot a little extra time for application. I got mine from facebook.com/makeupyourmind.store for P1,100.

When storing this, remember to screw the cap on tightly and store it upside down, to prevent it from drying out. I use the same storage trick with my gel eyeliners and it really works.

If you prefer long-lasting but more natural-looking brows, I would recommend K-palette instead; you can check out my review on that here.

Can you believe that up until a few weeks ago, I had never owned a Sigma brush? They are simply not that easy to come by here because they h...

Review: the Sigma F80 flat-top kabuki brush and its awesomeness

6:14 PM Joanna C. 0 Comments

Can you believe that up until a few weeks ago, I had never owned a Sigma brush? They are simply not that easy to come by here because they have to be ordered from the U.S., and I am already happy with my current brush collection. My other favorite brushes for the face are the Real Techniques buffing brush and expert face brush. Those are still very good brushes, but the F80 is something else.

I was ecstatic to receive the F80 as a gift from Hazel of Make Up Your Mind online store as I was purchasing my Anastasia dip brow pomade (review on that soon). After using this brush, I finally began to understand why Sigma brushes are considered essential tools for many women.

The F80 is a flat-top kabuki brush meant for smoothly buffing in product all over the face.


It has a dense head, meaning the bristles are rather short and very close together, and is super soft. It has synthetic bristles, which I tend to prefer for the face. I've found that my face sometimes itches when I use natural hair brushes; I'm not quite sure why.


The size of the brush is just perfect, not too big nor too small. The brush handle is also very sturdy.


I've read some reviews that cleaning this brush can be quite difficult because the bristles are so close together. I haven't washed it yet, just spot-cleaned. To avoid getting too much product between the bristles I don't dip the brush into the product. I dot product all over my face first, then use the brush to blend it in.

I find that using this brush with different kinds of products makes blending so fast and easy. I used it with different liquid face products, from BB cream to light-coverage foundation to medium-coverage foundation. I even tried it on some foundations that require a bit more blending than others. 

I get the same ultra-smooth, airbrushed effect every time without a single streak. On one day that I used it, someone recognized me from my newspaper column and said I looked "flawless." Aw, shucks! I wanted to say, thanks to the F80 - and my recent diamond peel, which the lady said she also read about in my column. It's always so nice to know that people are reading The Beauty Enthusiast on print!

I also tried it with my Maybelline mineral powder foundation and it still blended well, but I started to see what people meant when they said product tends to get stuck in the bristles. Dotting mineral powder foundation on the face is not ideal, so I'm reserving the F80 to blend in liquid face products.

The hype about the F80 is definitely for real! You can get one plus other Sigma brushes and makeup products from facebook.com/makeupyourmind.store or on Instagram @makeupyourmindstore . 

I was on the fence about Tom Ford lipsticks because they are so expensive, and I simply could not justify spending over P2,000 on a lipstick...

Review: Tom Ford Lip Color in 22 Forbidden Pink

8:12 PM Joanna C. 1 Comments

I was on the fence about Tom Ford lipsticks because they are so expensive, and I simply could not justify spending over P2,000 on a lipstick. But when a friend in Singapore said she was selling one for a low price because she has other Tom Ford lipsticks, I jumped at the chance to get it.





It comes in a beautiful black and gold tube with the signature TF stamped on the top of the cap and the end of the lipstick bullet. It feels heavy and luxurious in your hand, and you definitely feel pretty rich holding it!

Forbidden Pink is a rosy pink with a bit of coral in it from the tube, but on my lips it looks like a peachy pink. Swatch below:

Swatch: Tom Ford lipstick in 22 Forbidden Pink
(That's a mosquito bite near my lower lip :-/)

The lipstick is very smooth when applied and has a creamy finish. It is neither sheer nor very pigmented. One coat gives a bit of color, but I need two for full color pay-off, and I don't have pigmented lips. The lipstick doesn't feel sticky or heavy, is quite moisturizing and applies evenly. It wore for four hours on me just with drinking water, no eating. 

To be blunt about it, this is not the best lipstick I have ever tried. It kind of reminds me of the YSL Rouge Volupte lipstick: Yes, the packaging is gorgeous, but the product itself is just...okay. There are better lipsticks out there for much cheaper. I wouldn't call this a waste of money because it is still a lovely lipstick and this black and gold tube does look so beautiful. If you have the extra money, go ahead and add this to your collection. But if you prefer to be practical about beauty purchases, I would definitely not call this a must-have, especially at a retail price of over P2,000.