Hello, my pretties! Today I'm doing a review for one of my favorite makeup palettes-the Blam's In the Balm of Your Hand palette. As far as complete palettes go, this is a must have for traveling because you basically have everything there to come up with the perfect motd.




  The packaging is cute like most products from the Balm. Vintage, artsy, and mostly smooth paper and cardboard. Reminiscent of old cartoons/comicbooks and prints with fun names for each product. It has two flaps--- one for the shadows, blushes and highlight, and one for the lippies.



  Above are the swatches for this palette. Upper row left to right: 1. Hot Mama shadow/blush, 2. Instain long wearing staining powder blush in Argyle, 3. Cabana Boy shadow/blush, 4. Bahama Mama bronzer, 5. How 'Bout Them Apples in caramel cheek & lip cream. The lower swatches left to right: 1. Shady Lady vol.2  in insane jane, 2. Shady Lady special edition in mischievous marissa, 3. Nude 'tude in sexy, 4. Balm Jovi in lead zeppelin,
5. Mary- Lou Manizer, which is a highlighter, and 6. The Balm Girls starring: Mila Moore lipstick.

  Basically you get a bunch of stuff in one palette because you have blushes that double as eyeshadows, your basic metallic and matte shadows, a highlighter, a cheek and lip stain and a lipstick. I got mine for under fifty dollars from an online seller. It ranges from 35- 45 dollars depending on the seller. You can create so many looks with this palette. You can go for a matte, sophisticated basic look, smokey and sultry, or even light and fresh. To create the minimal makeup look, I would recommend some tinted moisturizer, the lip and cheek stain for the cheeks or the highlighter with the hot mama blush. It looks beachy beautiful and does not look overdone. Below is a look using this palette. My motd in this pic was achieved using led zeppelin, mary-lou manizer, How 'bout them apples and Hot mama. I used mac nc40 liquid foundation, naturactor coverface and ben nye banana luxury powder to set.





The Fab
1. Versatility--Has a variety of products in just one palette
2. Wearability-- all of the colors are flattering for most skin tones
3. Great packaging-- this palette is undeniably cute and easy to maintain. You simply wipe off dust and make up and it comes off easily. It is also lightweight and sturdy
4. Gives you a sample of favorites from the Balm you might be curious about

The Sad
1. It isn't always available some may need to get it online
2. A little more pricier than some readily available drugstore brands, although this isn't really an issue if you're a fan of the Balm
3. Color payoff is not very strong, it is buildable though, so really not an issue
4. Mary-Lou Manizer looks streaky ir splotchy when not blended well, so blend it well.

  All in all, I certainly recommend this palette. It certainly comes in handy if you're traveling and need to save space. I find that there's enough variety of colors to come up with so many looks for a trip. Pack your brow kit, foundation and mascara with it and you're good to go.

  Today I'm going to do a review for a particular MAC lipstick I've been waiting to get my hands on for months. I've started seeing a return of the 90's brown lipstick and I began browsing through the net for looks that I fancied. Finally, I zeroed in on a Kylie Jenner pic. You know... the one with the over lined lip look everybody is so keen on playing around with. The associated lipstick for that look was MAC Whirl. I looked around for even more pictures using the said shade and I decided that I just had to have it.


    I had to wait for one of my favorite online sellers to restock since it was always sold out. I got mine from Bodyrockers_ph. I was always asking about it so she vibed me when she had it on hand. For you make up junkies out there, check out their online store on Instagram and Facebook.



  I swatched it on my arm for you and in case you're wondering I'm an NC40 in MAC. That's how the shade appears on my skin. Whirl is basically a pink brown shade. It's very wearable and I would classify at as a medium brown neutral lip. Not quite nude because it does have brown and rose pigments. You can go down the road of full smokey eyes or even classic shadows for this lippy. I went for a neutral look with a little contour for my motd above. It came in the trademark black bullet that I personally love. It smells like the usual MAC lippies, which is a bit like vanilla or chocolate. It's matte and while it doesn't pull or drag at your lips, it can be drying (as with most matte formula). It can settle in cracks and clump in the lines of the lips so make sure to prep your lips with some sugar scrub or gentle exfoliation before using it.

The Fab
1. Beautiful Color
2. Long wearing
3. Smells great
4. Very wearable

The Sad
1. A little bit pricey
2. Almost always out of stock
3. Drying

  Overall, it's a great shade to have. I've always had a soft spot for matte MAC lippies and Whirl makes 17 in my collection. It's a neutral brown that will work with any skin color and can work with both dramatic and classic looks. I highly recommend this lippy :)

  Hello, my pretties! This is the second palette I'm going to review for you and I hope you get the information that you need about Estēe Lauder's Pure Color Envy Sculpting Eyeshadow if you're thinking about getting it. Mine was a gift from my parents and I've used it about 5 times already. So far, I would give it a 7 out of 10 simply because the quality and packaging are great and it has a luxurious feel to it but I feel that the color pay off isn't as vibrant as my other palettes. The product feels nice and soft on the skin but the shades don't register as strongly when applied. That being said, the eyeshadows' colors are buildable if you feel that you need more. The shades are very neutral, some matte while some with shimmer.


   The eyeshadows all feel buttery  on the skin but some of the colors do not look too different from each other-- it has enough shades though to be able to create beautiful everyday looks. I've posted swatches of the palette following its order on my arm. I am an NC 40 in mac, so I don't know if my skin tone has anything to do with the the product's apperance but that's basically how it looks on my skin. All of which took more than 2 swipes to make the color come out. The palette alone goes for about $25.00 on ebay but you could probably get it as a set in amazon or Estee Lauder. I like using this palette best on my young daughter when she performs. I find the colors very soft and natural enough to enhance her features but not too strong to make her look like she has tons of makeup on. I even use it myself when I just want to keep my makeup light and fresh. It's not my absolute fave but I like it enough to keep it for subtle everyday looks. Tip: you can intensify the colors by spritzing a brush with a little setting spray or water. The key is using a slightly damp (not wet) brush to grab hold of the pigments and place it on your lids. When you use the wet brush method, it really renders the shadows' colors on the skin better.

  While it's important to look your best in the morning, it's just as important to take care of your skin before sleeping. If there's one beauty tip I've always lived by, it's taking off your makeup and thoroughly cleansing your skin at the end of the day. It helps keep my skin free of breakouts and gives me a totally clean feeling.

  I usually wear make up and I use removers according to the type of cosmetics I have on. For days when I use light make up--- meaning formulas that are basically of lower coverage and non waterproof eye makeup, I prefer to use micellar water. It takes off most of the products without the oily feel. I've been using the Biore Micellar Cleansing Water to remove my basic motd. It's pretty affordable and is oil free. It retails for less than two hundred pesos or four dollars for a 90 ml bottle. They say micellar water is non rinse, but I always wash my face after using it. In fact, I always wash my face after using any kind
of makeup remover as I feel that it's the only way to thoroughly cleanse my face.



  When I use falsies, I use the Estēe Lauder Gentle Eye Makeup Remover. It's oil free and fragrance free and truly feels gentle on my eyes with zero sting. I usually saturate a cotton pad with it and gently put it on my eyes for a few seconds, or until I feel the glue from my false eyelashes soften. This method allows me to remove the falsies without damaging both the sensistive skin of my eyes and the fake lashes. I gently wipe off the remaining eye makeup from my skin and clean the falsies with the makeup remover before storing them in my lash case. This allows me to reuse them a few more times before having to throw them out. The Estēe Lauder Gentle Eye Makeup Remover retails for about twenty dollars per 3.4 fl oz.



  For those days when I have long wearing or waterproof makeup on, I use Clinique Take the Day Off makeup remover. It contains oil, but I find that using water based removers, simply cannot get rid of the mascara as efficiently as its oil based counterparts. It feels a little bit greasy but not as much as other brands I've tried before. It also gets makeup off a lot faster than the previous water based removers I've mentioned. Each 1.7 fl oz bottle retails for about ten dollars at Sephora. When I have a lot of  long wearing makeup on, this is the best one to use because it does not tug on my skin and breaks down makeup quicker than the other formulas I've tried.




  After using my makeup remover of choice, I immediately wash my face with facial foam. If there's still some makeup left or when I'm too sleepy to use my makeup remover, I will usually use the Bioré Uru Uru 2-in-1 instant foaming facial wash . I need about two pumps for leftover makeup and 4 pumps for full makeup. It retails for about ten dollars per 160 ml bottle. On most days, I use the Garnier Skin Naturals Light complete Multi-action Brightening Foam. It doesn't really lighten the skin but it gives me a squeaky clean feeling and it also helps me manage oil production. I lather it for a short time on my face and thoroughly remove it because it can dry the skin if kept on longer than a couple of minutes. It retails for about five dollars for every 100 ml tube.


  Once I've washed my face, I use Garnier Pure Active Multi-Action toner which tones my skin, tightens my pores and prevents acne because it contains salicylic acid. It also further removes any dirt left behind. A 150 ml retails for about ten dollars.



  After all the cleansing and toning is done, I use the Clinique Smart Custom-Repair Serum. I find that using it helps my skin absorb my moisturizer better. It also leaves a velvety feeling on my skin. Sometimes I even use it as my face primer in the morning. What's special about it is, it targets specific skin problems for every skin area--like dry patches or redness. It feels great on my skin, does not have a greasy residue and a little goes  a long way. Two pumps covers my entire face and neck. After this I use Clinique Moisture Surge or Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizer. I know it sounds weird but restoring moisture in the skin after cleansing makes it produce less sebum because it doesn't have to compensate for the dryness after cleansing and toning. I've been doing this for over two months and I've already noticed the fine lines around my eyes and at the corner of my lips have been minimized. I only do this at night, though, because it just feels all too much on my skin combined with my primer and makeup. It also affects the longevity of my my foundation. Each 10 ml travel size of Clinique Smart Serum costs about 27 dollars from amazon and the Clinique Moisture Surge goes for about 8 dollars per 15 ml jar.


  It's wonderful when we look our best during the day but we also need to care for our skin with a nightly routine. I've tried being careless about it before and I ended up with breakouts and slight wrinkling around the eyes and mouth. I find that these extra steps I do gives me that certain glow--- free from blemishes and dullness as well as marked improvement on my fine lines.

  You can use any brand that you like. What's important is that we clean our skin after an entire day of being covered in makeup and exposure to dirt. Let's all give our faces the night off. It definitely deserves every bit of pampering we can give.  :)

  This is my first time to write about makeup and I hope you find this useful if you are looking to buy the Lorac Pro Palette.

  I was actually looking at Urban Decay's Naked varieties when I stumbled upon Lorac. I was looking at videos online telling people what their holy grail palettes are and a lot of them recommended the Lorac Pro Palette.

  TRIVIA: Lorac's founder,Carol Shaw, is a Hollywood fave in the makeup artistry scene. Stars have been known to book her months before any red carpet gig. LORAC is CAROL spelled backwards.  :)

   After going through some of my favorite vlogs about palettes, I finally decided to get it.


  One thing beauty bloggers always mentioned was its versatility and wearability because it came with both matte and shimmer shades and the colors were simply wonderful. It was classic enough to please those who prefer a conservative everyday look and edgy enough to create something dramatic and completely over the top. Each palette comes with a small tube of eyeshadow primer which definitely makes a big difference in terms of application, finish and longevity.


  You get a total of 16 colors. The top row of shadows are matte while the bottom ones have shimmer. Above is a picture of the swatches on my skin. Top left to right are 1. White, 2. Cream, 3. Taupe, 4. Lt. Pink, 5. Sable, 6. Espresso and 7. Black. The bottom left to right shades are 1. Nude, 2. Champagne, 3. Gold, 4. Lt. Bronze, 5. Pewter, 6. Garnet, 7. Deep purple, and 8. Slate.

  You can get a variety of looks from this palette. Want something light and appropriate for an everyday office look or maybe you're going for something that matches your unique style? This palette will definitely deliver. It has become my favorite palette in my makeup collection and I'm so glad I purchased it.

The FAB
1. Versatility- variety of colors will let you complete a look of choice with shades in matte and shimmer. Sombre and sultry in one palette
2. Quality- feels buttery and soft on the skin and has no chalky feel.
3. Payoff- intensity is buildable and vibrant
4. Longevity- when used with the primer, it can last all day
5. Price- cheaper than urban decay's Naked line and other mid priced luxury brands

The SAD
1. Availability- outside the U.S. it isn't readily available in stores and access to it may mean purchasing it online.
2. Fallout-you need to tap off excess product before applying because it gets everywhere!
3. Packaging- I was initially excited to see the matte black palette but later noticed that it looked dirty when makeup got on it and it's pretty hard to keep it looking clean. Fingerprints and powder smudges are particularly hard to get out.
4. Price- a lot more expensive than drugstore makeup such as Maybelline, L'oreal, and NYX.

Final Verdict--- Holy Grail, must buy palette. If you can get your hands on it, never ever let it go, sweeties. :) #loracpropalettereview