Etude House Play 101 Pencils: Review + Tutorials

Hey guys! As promised I'm back with another review, accompanied by two tutorials for two different looks you can create with the new Etude House Play 101 Pencils.

These little guys  were kindly given to me at the wonderful people from Etude House to try so here's the low-down how these hold up against the Philippine eat, how they wear and about all the colors sent to me!

Packaging
So one pretty awesome thing about these liners is that they're twist up! No need for any makeup pencil sharpeners and if you want a sharp point, it comes with an attachment at the bottom which is actually a tip-sharpener. Convenient!

One thing I'm not too fond of however is the fact that they're all black, mostly because it's so easy to get dirty. But other than that, this is some pretty good packaging, and for organization purposes it's really convenient as well, since the pencils are color-coded at their bottom, and have the number labels in big, bold, artsy-fartsy print.

Colors and Wear

Let's start off with the two lip colors, shall we?

#21 is a bright, warm-toned and straightforward red, perfect for you classic red lip. It has a glossy finish which unlike the other pencils that are meant to be used for eyeshadows, means that they're prone to movement the first few minutes you apply them. After that first five minutes though, this is great for lining the lips because the color stays put like crazy! Be careful about staining though. As with almost all reds, this leaves a significant stain, but nothing that can't be dealt with with makeup remover and warm water.

#25 is more of a bright fuchsia color that has a cooler tone to it. It's on the same vein of a lot of lip-stains out there and is perfect if you want to achieve that Korean gradient-lip look. 

On to the more glittery and shimmery colors

#35 is a glittery midnight blue that's perfect for that extra pop if you want to line eye your eyes. This is ridiculously smudge proof, so I wouldn't recommend it for a smokey eye, but for some extra lining art or some nice colorful sleek liner, this is definitely what you need.

#4 is that perfect tear-drop shimmer color that can be used as a highligher for on your cupid's bow, in the inner corner of your eyes and some cute looking aegyo-sals. It's also pretty forgiving  when it comes to blending so you can use it as a shimmery base or over some eyeshadow if you want to add some sparkle to your already applied eye shadow.

The next two colors are creamy ant matte and are perfect to use as eyeshadow bases, or even on their own.

#18 is a pale lavender that's very flattering on fairer skin tones. You could probably get away with this as a blush, but it looks best on the eyes where it gives a nice matte finish on its own or as eye shadow base.

#30 is a red-violet aubergine color It has a matte to creamy finish and can be used as a deep blush or mauve eye shadow for more subtle but daring looks.

Here are the swatches of each color. They're truly a diverse bunch with different finishes and uses! Aren't they ridiculously pretty?

Longevity
So I left out the lip colors from this test because, as I mentioned before, their texture and consistency make them really smudgy and they really aren't meant for the eyes anyway.

Here I tested (from left to right) #35, #30, #18 and #4 for water resistance and smudge resistance.

As you can see, #35 and #30 are virtually budge-proof, even after rubbing them with water. #35 exhibits some glittery displacement, but the color still stays intact. #18 loses some color when smudged, but since it's a light color, it's pretty forgiving. That also allows it to be more blendable for use as base eye shadow or as an eyeshadow on its own. #4  is a bit all over the place, but because it's usually only used as a highlight or to accentuate corners that catch light, that's not too much of a big deal.

All in all, these bad boys are pretty tough and wear all day (from experience) on my non-oily lids.

In action
So as promised, I created two looks  using these awesome versatile liners. One girly, classic look inspired by a vintage rose and one rocker party chic look inspired by a midnight mosh pit. Check out how good these eyeliners work in action in the videos below!




So, which look do you like better? do you have any ideas on how else to use these awesome Play 101 liners by Etude House? Leave me your thoughts in the comments below!

Have fun, and play Etude! Ada, signing out.
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Teaser: Etude House Play 101 Pencils in # 4, 18, 21, 25, 30, 35

Hey guys! I'm back! Call this post a teaser post of sorts since I have some pretty exciting posts (and videos) ahead!

This month I was fortunate enough to try  Etude's new line of pencils - Etude House Play 101 Pencils. These pencils are some of the most diverse that I've seen from this brand and boast their various uses as eyeliner, eyeshadow, highlighter, lip liners and cheek colors.

That's some pretty legit inspector gadget-esque uses going on there.

With 50 colors and five different textures/finishes to choose from, you can pretty much create any makeup look you want with these bad boys.

For this line, Etude House has collaborated with Pony, one of the most popular Korean makeup artists and beauty bloggers, to promote the almost infinite ways to use their new Play 101 Pencils.

There's a lot of diversity in this line of pencils, with cream, matte, glossy, glitter and shimmery finishes to choose from. Creamy and matte textures can be used as eyeshadow, shadow base, concealer and eyebrow colors. Glossy textures, can be used as blusher or lipstick for a more glowy look. Some shimmery and glitter finishes provide a soft glitter look that is a staple in Korean makeup trends.

Because of the multi-functional nature of this line of pencils, these are the perfect convenient makeup tool, whether you're a veteran makeup artist or even just a casual beginner. And because each pencil is made from waterproof polymer, you're supposedly guaranteed all-day wear.

Mix and match your favorite pencils to create the look that's perfect for you. For some ideas on how to achieve different looks with these pencils, check out some pretty useful tips from Pony herself.

Pure Girl's Look : Angel’s Drop (left)

EYES

• Draw eyebrows with #41. 
• Spread out #33 along eyelid. Blend #28 to the outer corner of eyelid and lightly smudge with finger to soften the harsh line. Create a tear on lower eyelid with #4. 
• Define eyes with #48 as eyeliner. 

FACE

• Brush about 3 times with #18 alongside the cheekbones and spread out with hand.  

 LIPS

• For gradient lips, apply #20 on the middle of lips then spread it out using finger tip. 

@}~...........~{@

Lovely Dolly Look : Baby Doll (right)

EYES 

•  Draw your brows with #41.
• Apply #6 on the entire eyelid. Spread #33 evenly from the head to the tail of eyes in layers. 
• Draw eye line with #50 and use #4 for the inner corner of  lower eyelid. 

FACE  

• Draw diagonal lines on your cheeks with #15 and blend. 

LIPS

• For gradient lips, apply #26 on the middle of lips then spread it out using finger tip. 

Now, I was fortunate enough to be sent six of these babies to try out, and while I'll definitely be reviewing these, in the spirit of Etude House's new line, I'll also be creating two of my own looks with these babies in the coming days, so make sure to stay tuned for when those out!

For more information, visit Etude House Philippines' official website at www.etudehouseph. Like Etude House Philippines on Facebook, follow @etudehousegirl on Twitter and @etudehousephilippines on Instagram for more updates and promos.

I'll be back soon! Ada, signing out.
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Review: Etude House LUCIDarling Over the RainBlusher in #03 Apricot

Hey guys! I'm back with another much requested review from my last Etude House Haul. Today I'll be reviewing Etude House's LUCIDarling Over the RainBlusher in #03 Apricot.

So this blusher claims to be a prismatic multi-colored cheek blush and highlighter for expressing all the coors of the rainbow. I wouldn't say all the colors of the rainbow, but it's pretty close ahaha.

Like the packaging says, this is a blush-highlighter. If you're expecting a matte blush, you're going to be disappointed. This blush is shimmer galore! The back of the packaging gives you tips and instructions of how to use each color of the blush individually or how to use it mixed all together :)

Packaging, Durability Design and Quality
As always, Etude excels in its packaging with the cute girly ribbon accent in this chic blusher. The blusher is packaged with a good-sized mirror and the plastic isn't too flimsy either. It comes with a small brush applicator which is surprisingly soft. If it were a little bigger and denser, I could totally see myself using this everyday, but because it's so small, it's only ever good for light application or touch up.

The blush itself comes in five shimmery colors within the range of peach-apricot colors. There'a  pink, peach, apricot, light orange and champagne colors all arranged in a cute rainbow design on the palette of the blush. If there's one thing that the small brush is good for, it's for isolating each color so you can use it on its own, or mixed together with other colors! The shades range from a semi-deep peach to a nice light one for a highlight, so there's a lot you can play with when going for more dimension in the face.So technically, this blush is almost a five in one (more if you consider the permutations when you mix and match the colors).

Color, Finish and Pigmentation
I'd say this blush is pretty decently pigmented. The colors are very subtly different from each other, but what's really noticeable is the distinct sheen each one gives! This blush gives a lot of glow, so if you're into that nice fresh glowy look, this is the blush for you. I wouldn't wear this out in broad daylight however because the shimmer, although very fine, is a bit dense and can be a little overwhelming in direct sunlight. I wouldn't wear this out on a sunny day lest I be mistaken for a Cullen.

When mixed together, the colors give a very 3D glow that gives flat planes body and volume. You can see this effect pretty well on the back on my hand, but it works wonders on the cheeks themselves. However, because this blush is so shimmery, it also has a powdery consistency to it, thus you can expect a lot of fallout on the palette itself. If you're using a brush ake sure to dip into the blush with a light hand to avoid the mess!

Below you can see how the blush looks when used s a highlighter on my cheeks (mixed all together) and with the darkest pink on the hollows of my cheek. The color isn't very noticeable because I have very yellow toned skin, but it's enough to give my face a nice natural glow. This color will probably show up better on people with lighter and pink toned skin :)

Another use that I've found for this blush is for highlighting collarbones and parts of your neck/body which you want highlighted in pictures or for formal occasions. I've used this blush on more than one occasion for my collar bone and shoulders when wearing a strapless dress :)

Alternatively you can use this or the champagne color that comes with it for more subtle highlights on the nose, cupid's bow, ears (yes! you can highlight parts of your ear) and browbone.

So what do you guys think?

Look forward to more posts! And have a happy long weekend everybody!

Ada, signing out.

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HUGE Collective Haul! -- U.S. Makeup Swap + Beauty Bar + Korea Haul + New Vanity Setup

Hey guys! I really haven't been able to post much, so as you can imagine, a lot of stuff has been backed up that I really want to blog about!

In addition to my huge Etude House Pink Artiste haul from a while back, I've accumulated a whole lot of other stuff from makeup swaps, general shopping trips and my Korea Trip.

I can't possibly review them all so I guess I'd just share what I got with you and let you do the picking as to what you'd like me to review :) If you see anything you'd like me to review feel free to drop a comment! :)

So first up is a huge haul from my makeup swap with the wonderful Amanda from RiceySupreme (youtube: ahyedizzy). 

This haul is singularly responsible for my recent addiction to lipsticks. I've never been a lipstick junkie before, but I've been more open to exploring different colors after this haul. I'm particularly in love with the Wet n' Wild Lipsticks she sent me, especially the one in Bare it All. It's my favorite nude lipstick thus far!

I've also discovered one of my HG BB Creams from this haul. I never thought I'd fall in love with a U.S.-made BB Cream, but here I am totally in love with my Flower BB Cream in BB2. It's a perfectly yellow-toned BB Cream that's completely matte and ridiculously long lasting! It's perfect for the humid climate here in the Philippines and definitely works wonders on oily skin :)

Another favorite from this haul is the L'oreal HiP High Intensity Pigments Matte Shadow Duo in 807 Poppy. The colors are ridiculously pigmented without being powdery and they remind me of Banana and Nutella! It's my go-to neutral eyeshadow duo and I wear it almost everyday haha.

Needless to say, everything from the swap was extra extra special, but these were the ones that totally caught my eye :)

Next up, one of my smaller hauls. I had to stock up on my essentials before my Korea Trip so I got two of my fave products in the world. The K-Palette Real Lasting Eyeliner was on sale so I just had to get it. It's my HG eyeliner and literally lasts the entire day (even longer). How do I know this? Let's just say a day-trip to Myeongdong and an overnight stay at the Airport put this eyeliner to the ultimate test ahaha. The same goes with the FairyDrops Platinum Mascara Water Proof Type.

And now, probably the largest haul is from my trip to Korea. I probably would've bought more, but baggage and time constraints really limited what I could get. It's a shame really, since practically all the cosmetic shops were on sale when I went there.

The amount of samples the shops in Korea give out is ridiculous. I actually have more samples than photographed above but I set them aside for giveaway purposes *wink wink*.

I don't have a lot of individual pictures of each thing I bought becuase I haven't had the time to schedule a product shoot yet, but the things that I'm totally in love with as of now are the Precious Mineral Any Cushion, the Drawing Show Creamy Pencil in BE103, the Dear Girls Tint and Lip Balm in RD301, Rosy Tint Lips in #7 and the TheFaceShop Daily Beauty Tools Eye Lashes.

Feel free to request reviews as you feel necessary! :)

Korea is also definitely a fashion haven. I couldn't NOT come home with a few things. Plus they were surprisingly cheap! I love the fact that South Korea takes pride in their clothing being made in authentically in Korea! The make is amazing, and because they make clothes primarily for the domestic market (not for export) the price is very very reasonable, especially around college areas!

I couldn't resist getting some cute socks! Just 1000 Won each pair (~1$).

Not to mention these ridiculously adorable Big Bang socks >_<

There were also an abundance of affordable skater skirts of extremely good quality for 5000 Won each!

I was a bit of a cheapskate when I was in Korea because I wouldn't dare buy anything more than 10,000 Won (~10$). All these tops, tights and skirts are 10,000 Won or less (most are 5000 Won), with a few exceptions. I'm such a bargain shopper ahaha.

One thing I did splurge on is a new bag and a pair of cute sneaker wedges. Can you believe the bag is only 15,000 Won??? It's extremely durable, really good quality and the leather trimmings are legit. The shoes were a bit pricey but I wasn't in the mood to bargain, so meh ahaha.

And last but not least, I have new makeup organizers c/o the wonderful Miss Bella PH. I totally love their new Bella Box and Bella Tray. They are invaluable additions to my growing vanity area ahaha.

You Jelly?

Feel free to drop me any questions and requests! I have more exciting posts to come!

Ada, signing out!

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