Hello lovely readers! It's Thursday once again and you all know what that means, it's Thursday Thrift time. But before I plunge into my featured product, I would like to say a few words about life in general. I recently witnessed one of the best wedding ceremonies I've ever attended and when you see genuine happiness from all your friends and family you get to realize how beautiful life can be. So spread love and kindness whenever you can! To our good friends JB and Mai, we wish you a happy life together. Stay in love as always. 

GLAMOURBOX: BYS Special Edition Box

Hey guys! September has got to be the busiest month of my third quarter which is why coming home to a boxful of awesome goodies from Glamourbox the other day felt exactly like Christmas in September. Last week, I got to bond with my good friend Christine of allaboutbeauty101 over lunch and a little shopping. She told me about the Glamourbox BYS Special Edition Box and it didn't take long for me to decide I want one too, hence this unboxing post.

First of all, I love the way Glamourbox delivered on time. I also commend them for making sure the parcel is securely packed. See that bubble wrap? There's no way anyone or anything  can mess up the goodies inside. 

Opening the box initially reveals this information card which details all the products included and a brief description of each item as well as the retail price. 

Now the best part is finally seeing the variety of BYS products. Just the sight of these full sized items made my day complete. 

How can you not gasp over these lovely products? Allow me to give you an overview of the contents so you'd know what you're getting should you decide to avail it. 

BYS Nude Eyeshadow Palette (Nude 1) -- Php 1,199 

I know what you're thinking. This palette looks so familiar you almost thought it was Urban Decay's Naked Palette right? Well it may look similar to the Naked palette but it only costs a fraction of the price. This has a metal case that looks and feels sturdy. It comes with a dual ended brush and a humongous mirror. I'm not sure if it's just my palette but I'm sort of weirded out by the mirror giving a magnified reflection. The eyeshadows are further protected with a transparent seal to prevent them from damage. 

BYS Contour Trio in Sweet -- Php 449

I have no skill when it comes to contouring which is why I have yet to figure out how to make the most out of this palette. Meanwhile, I do love that it includes a blush, highlighter and contour housed in one palette. 

BYS Blush Duo in Miss Pink -- Php 349

This blush is as big as a compact powder so I'm guessing it will be in my stash for a very long time. It includes 2 shades of pink with one color lighter than the other. I'm so excited to give this blush duo a try and see if I can get more than a couple of looks by mixing them in varying intensities. 

BYS Matte Lipstick in Tango -- Php 299

I've been looking into wearing a pop of color on my lips, good thing Glamourbox and BYS threw in a lip color that appears deep red. Packaging is pretty simple but I do hope the stick retracts all the way down so I won't ruin it with the cap. I've read a lot of great things about this lipstick so I'm quite excited to try one for the first time. 

BYS Brow Definition Kit -- Php 399

I'm a newbie when it comes to brow grooming so I've only tried a brow kit once. I didn't enjoy it much and struggled with making the wax and brow powder work for me. I eventually shifted to using the mascara type which had my brows looking dyed so I also ended up not liking it. I'm currently using a brow pencil and so far so good but this brow kit from BYS might be a good way to ease my way back to using brow palettes. 

BYS Nail Polish in Reign Supreme -- Php 199

Lastly, is this nail polish in the shade "Reign Supreme" which appears blue violet. Although I prefer discreet shades like nude and blush, I'm also for trying out new things so this polish will come in handy. 

Overall, this BYS Special Edition Box from Glamourbox is a real steal! Imagine getting an assortment of best sellers from BYS worth almost Php 3,000 and paying only Php 1,100 plus minimal shipping fee. So go get your own Glamourbox now until they're available.

Any thoughts on Glamourbox or BYS? Do share them on the comments section below and I'll get back to you soon. Thank you for visiting and have a great week!

J ♥ I ♥ N ♥ G

Big Girl Pencils

Hey guys! I can't believe it's midyear already and it's back to school for most of us. I was actually in a bookstore the other day and found myself reminiscing the times I spent hours shopping for school stuff. I never thought I'd still be thrilled about pencils at my age but this time I'm talking about a different kind.. The kind every girl needs to have in her makeup stash. Cosmetic pencils have always intimidated me simply because I'm afraid I'd mess up. So imagine my delight when I finally plunged in and realized they're not too bad after all. The top three pencils in my stash are (in order of discovery) The Body Shop Eye Definer Pencil, Nichido Lip Pencil and Nature Republic By Flower Wood Eyebrow Pencil.

NYX: Nude on Nude Palette

Hey guys, this is just a quick entry of a product I can't wait to share with all of you. Remember how I've been lusting over Urban Decay Naked palettes for the longest time? Well, before the Naked 3 palette was released, the pioneer Naked palette has been on my mind since the day I learned how to apply eye shadow.

Image courtesy of Urban Decay

I've seen countless reviews on how amazing this palette is and I have always wanted one for myself but the hefty tag ($52) kept me from getting one. Good thing NYX came out with the Nude on Nude palette. 

It comes in a box which is double the thickness of an Iphone 5 and almost double the length. 

On the bottom of the box is an illustration of the shades included in the palette. The colors aren't named like that of Urban Decay's palettes but that's just fine.

The packaging is made of hard plastic which really appeals to me but I'm afraid this isn't sturdy enough and might break apart if I accidentally drop it. Regardless, I still love the rich brown casing and transparent windows on top of each shade.

Once opened, the palette reveals a slim mirror and 20 different shades of eye shadow.

The palette consists of neutral shades in matte, satin and metallic finishes. I'm loving the array of colors that you can mix and match to achieve different looks from a basic day time makeup to a gorgeous night time look. These are well pigmented shadows with great color pay-off especially when paired with a good primer. They're a bit powdery so you only need to dip your brush lightly to pick up your desired color otherwise you have to tap off the excess to prevent fall-outs. They last for a decent amount of time and still look vibrant towards the end of the day.

This palette also has a pull-out compartment on the bottom that houses 10 lip colors. These are mostly pink shades with a few reds and berries. They feel creamy and apply smoothly on your lips with sheer finish that you can layer for a bolder look. Half of them are shimmery and don't appeal to me much but the remaining lip colors are glossy and look very lovely. Notice that NYX included a double ended eye shadow applicator and lip brush that I don't actually use but are okay to have just in case I need to do touch-ups. 

 

Image courtesy of NYX

 

Overall, the NYX Nude on Nude palette is a great value for your money. You're getting 20 lovely shades of eye shadow and 10 lip colors for just $25 (roughly 1,100 Php). The colors may not be exact dupes of Urban Decay's Naked series but still it's a decent palette that you can start with if you're new to the makeup world. This can also be a good addition to your growing number of makeup collection without causing much dent on your budget. NYX products are widely available in the US but you can also get them locally from online sellers.

Have you tried the NYX Nude on Nude palette? Share your thoughts on the comments section below. Thanks for reading and have a beautiful weekend!

♥♥♥

CHEAP THRILLS: San San, elf, Ziaja

Hey guys! As mentioned in my previous post, I've accumulated several products in the past couple of months that I haven't reviewed hence this entry. I wanted to post them in groups so I could cover as many stuff as I can. So this post is all about cheap finds that turned out great! Well, credit for finding these products should go to people who, I know, personally recommend them. I'll mention them as I go through each item. 

First cheap find is San San Cosmetics Waterproof Eyeliner Pen in black which has been out of stock for the entire time since Miss Say raved about it on her You Tube channel. I'm not a regular user of eyeliner since I find it quite tedious to apply, but trying this wonder product from San San changed my mind. 

 

I've used pencil type eyeliners before but I really suck on application that I end up removing it and redoing my eye makeup, not a good way to start a busy day. This however, is a pen type eyeliner with a tapered felt tip which I think is a better option for beginners like me. This really appears like a regular pen with a snap on cover.

The tapered felt tip allows you to make a fine line if you want to go subtle on your eyeliner. It's also buildable so you can do several coats until you get your desired thickness. What I love most about this product is the color pay off. A single stroke already gives you a jet black hue making this product all the more economical to use. Above image shows you swatches using single stroke for the thinnest line, 2 strokes for the line in the middle and 3 strokes on the 3rd line.

This San San eyeliner also dries off pretty quickly that in a few minutes I was able to run my fingers and a tissue on it without smudging. I was so amazed that I filmed it for you guys to see. What's more impressive is that it stays that way for the entire day! This is virtually unscented, non irritating and so easy to use. It retails for only 85 Php which I think is really affordable even for a measly 2 ml product. 

On to my next cheap find, the elf (eyes, lips, face) eyelid primer which was highly recommended by a good friend, Trina. I've been using this primer for a month now and I must say that it truly deserves to be mentioned. It comes in a slim tube with a sponge tip applicator underneath the cap which I personally like because it's easier and faster to use. 

 

This primer appears beige and has the texture of a light cream. Just a few dabs on your eyelid, crease and brow bone is enough to prime your skin for eye makeup. It spreads easily and gives you a velvety soft finish. Notice in the image above how it somehow gave my skin an instant glow. I love how this primer seem to make any brand of eye color look more radiant, noticeable and most importantly long lasting. I bought this at the elf counter in Trinoma for only 110 Php, a really great deal for an eyelid primer that can do so much. 

 

The third and final entry for cheap finds is Ziaja Jasmine Micellar Water. I saw this on the Instagram wall of a friend, Erika of The Erikaloca Files and according to her it's the nearest thing to Bioderma but way more affordable. It's being sold at Beauty Bar for 295 Php, well not that cheap but more reasonable compared to Bioderma's 1,000+ Php tag. 

It comes in this cute 200ml bottle, has the color and consistency of water making it nongreasy when applied. This has a subtle scent and doesn't sting or cause any skin reactions.