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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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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Etude House Play House Princess Academy and Pink Artiste 2013 Haul/Prizes + GIVEAWAY

So after my rather lengthy post about Etude House Philippines' Play House Princess Academy, I'm sure most of you are quite interested in my haul from the actual event. I know I was! Read until the end for an exciting giveaway!

It actually would have been more had I participated in some games and claimed the Blogger Press Kit, but knowing I would at the very list get 15,000 worth of products, I thought I shouldn't be too greedy haha. I'm very very blessed to be able to own these for free :P

Let's start off with what I'm most excited for from my prize winnings - this cute and convenient 3-set Favorite Collection from Etude's Moistful Cream Line which consists of Moistful Flower Cream. Moistful Collagen Cream, and Moistful Aloe Soothing Cream.

I've totally been needing to spruce up my facial care routine. Once I've got that down, I can probably update you all with my everyday (and night) facial routine, no matter how crude it may be haha.

Another exciting addition to my Etude House Collection is this Etude House Princess Etoinette Special Kit, which includes an Etionette Rose Brush (like a Flower Kabuki), Etionette Princess Mirror, Etionette Crystal Shine Lips in PPK02 Dewy Petal Kiss and Etionette Heart Blusher PK001 Pink Petal Kiss.

The box is super useful as well and can be reused as a box for general knick-knacks haha. It's so princess-y looking, isn't it? I'm definitely posting a review on this set as soon as I can, so watch out for that!

The next thing on the list is 3 sets of Etude House Party Queen Gradient Nails in Silver, Gold and Pink!

Because of labwork, I won't actually be able to try these babies out until Sem Break, but these are definitely some exciting additions to my nail polish collection :)

My prize also came with NINE lipsticks from Etude's Look at My Lips Line.

I've been on the hunt for some new lip colors because I haven't really been very adventurous when it comes to lip products, so this was like having one of my wishes come true haha. Feel free to ask for reviews on any of the colors above :) I find they're all quite wearable and cute :)

And what would lipsticks be without accompanying lipgloss? I also got NINE tubes of Etude House lipgloss. Six from the Dear My Milky Gloss line and three from the Dear My Crystal Gloss line.

They just look so darn stunning, don't they? Again, feel free to ask for reviews on any of the colors above :)

The prize also came with Etude's Drawing Show Creamy Liner in BK803 (I've been waiting to try this for ages, quite timely since I just ran out of my usual black gel liner), four Drawing Show Creamy Pencils (Green, Red-brown, Brown and Beige), and Milk Talk Body Wash in Steam Milk (Totally excited to try this).

The prize also include 4 out of the 5 Sweet Recipe All Over Colors and a Face Color Corset in #5 Tight Shading Corset, which, surprisingly, I both already own (Yes, I am that much of an Etude House Buff. Sue me LOL). I also received some new blushes - a Lovely Cookie Blusher and a LUCIDarling Over the Rainbow Shimmer blush (this is ridiculously pretty guys).

What with all those prizes, you can't really go without a bag to put them in, right? I also received this Limited Edition Anika Wester x Etude House Wannabe Makeup Box/Bag. It's so cute and chic at the same time!

That's the last of my huuuuuuuge prize from the Pink Artiste Showdown. And like the title implies, there's a giveaway in store for my readers for being so utterly awesome and supporting me all the way :)

So like I said, a lot of the things from my prize, I already own myself. At the same time, I really want to be able to give back to my readers, so I've selected a few of the things from this haul to giveaway. I threw in one of my favorite cream cleansers, a Happy Tea Time Cream Cleanser in Lemon Tea.

One winner will receive all of these prizes, and the mechanics for the giveaway are simple! Accomplish the FIVE MANDATORY entries in the Rafflecopter App below and you're immediately eligible to win! You can also follow the other instructions to gain extra entries everyday. Please be reminded that incorrect entries and incomplete mandatory entries will automatically disqualify your entry so please make sure you follow the instructions to the tee!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You may use the banner above or the button below for your blogpost or blogroll link.

<a href="http://ada-nikki.blogspot.com/2013/08/Ada-no-Nikki-Etude-House-Giveaway.html"><img alt="Ada no Nikki's Etude House Giveaway" src="http://i.imgur.com/2xNSjfG.gif" title="Ada no Nikki's Etude House Giveaway" /></a> This giveaway, unfortunately, is only open to Philippine Residents. I will be having another International Giveaway soon, so please bear with me :) Also, if you are under 18 years of age please make sure to obtain parental permission before entering this giveaway.

This giveaway ends on September 18.

Have fun and thanks once again for all the support!

Ada, signing out!

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Etude House Play House Princess Academy + Pink Artiste 2013

Hey guys! This post has been put off long enough! Today I'll be blogging about my fantasmical experience at Etude House Philippines' Play House Princess Academy 2013 held at SM North EDSA The Block last July 28!

Needless to say, this was undeniably the pink-est event I've ever been to, and I'll be honest -- I'm not usually the biggest fan of pink, but Etude really knows how to pull it off and the air of princess-y (and prince-y) cuteness was saturated all throughout the event!

The Play House Princess Academy is, I think, Etude's way of saying thank you to all its valued customers out there with two days of fun activities, makeup workshops and cute pink sweets. The event played host to a number of different attendees - little kids, teens, girls who will stay forever young ;) (*coughmecough*).

Etude House Philippines' President, Andrea Amado wasn't lying when she said that Etude aims to make every customer feel like royalty. So I tried my best to live up to the occasion and dressing in my best cutesy outfit.

Okay, so it's not exactly that cutesy. My makeup was pretty neutral with nude-pink accents on the eyes and lips and my hair was more of an intricate cheat than anything. And while I tried to look as cute and pink as possible to suit the occasion, my outfit turned into more of a pin-up crossover with a milkmaid than a princess haha. But really, I'm not one of those cutesy types of girls - I'd rather stay true to my style but also bring some of my own princess-y cuteness to the table :P

While engaging yourself with the various activities, you also have the opportunity of brushing up on your makeup and fashion know-how with all the workshops Etude House organized just for you!

Activities like Kiss the Prince were definitely a huge hit and there were free makeovers galore to make you feel like a true Etude House Princess. Not to mention you get a cute princess-y souvenir photo afterwards.

*Ninja Shot of my good friend, Amz from Punky Bunny http://amz88.blogspot.com/. Please don't kill me haha*

Unfortunately, I wasn't exactly in the position to enjoy all the activities of the event, having been asked to be on standby backstage. As a result, I didn't even get a chance to meet all the awesome blogger people I had hoped to see during the event itself D: *sadface*. I eventually just gave my ticket to my good friend and partner in girly-crime, Joanna haha. Full support all the way :P

While Joanna was out enjoying the activities, I was backstage, being utterly starstruck at the number of celebrities there. I'm not a huge follower of local media so I barely knew anybody, but good thing Kyala, one of my fellow Pink Artiste Finalists, and her sister were there to clue me in.

Backstage with the Pink Artiste 2013 Finalists, Shebby Liquete and Kyala Cristine Oplado

I was surprised as to how down to earth all the celebrities were, and while I didn't exactly have the guts to muster up the courage to actually talk to them, let alone ask for a picture with them, at least I can say I got to see them face to face haha.

The event kicked off with a few words from Etude House President Andrea Amado and the bulk of the event was hosted by the lovely Carla Humphries. There were guest workshops by Ryuji Shiomitsu and the lovely Bianca Valerio, not to mention appearances by Coleen Garcia, Brett Jackson, Miles Ocampo, Paul Salas, Niel Coleta, Ella Cruz, and Dominic Roque! Whew! I'm surprised I remember all of their names LOL. Not to mention, last year's Pink Artiste, Orange Tuazon was there as well!

Despite the star-studded ensemble of guests, we were all surprised to hear that the "main event" was actually our makeup showdown.

I am hardly an expert at applying makeup on other people. I can only reall vouch for makeup on myself. That being said, I tried my best to do justice to the products provided by Etude. We were all rather caught off guard actually. We were hanging on the basis of having 5 minutes to pick up and organize the products we were to use, but because of time constraints, that entire segment was cut and we had to just go straight on ahead to the actual application :P

Despite that, we all managed to finish a Glam Princess look within 15 minutes - albeit my model looked like a hot mess haha. I definitely don't do makeup well under pressure x_x

Not your best angle Andie -- blame the photographer haha.

A special thanks to the lovely Andie Reyes, one of my underclassmen in college, for allowing me to ravage her face with my lackluster professional makeup skills haha. Just goes to show you how she could probably pull of any look :P Seriously, you could probably paint her face brown and she'd still look high fashion.

In the end, Shebby bagged first, I got second and Kyala walked away with third! But by the end of it all, we all felt like winners. We also felt like ants, by the way, considering how tall Bianca and Carla are. We look like hobbits in comparison haha! But like I told Kyala - we're not short. We're FUN-sized. haha

Shebby's absolutely glowing, isn't she? Congrats and do us proud!

Despite not getting first, this truly had been a wonderful learning experience for me and has motivated me to try and pursue makeup to greater heights :) That way I can be the first Molecular Biologist / Makeup Artist / Fashion Model / Blogger to grace the covers of renowned magazines haha.

Also, I got to walk away with these awesome prizes. Tada~! Three mystery bags of Etude House products worth 20,000PHP!

There's still a lot more in store for me, and for my readers *wink wink*. I really would not have been able to come this far without you and your support, so I have a few things planned ahead!

Stay tuned for Part II of this series of Etude House posts, my Etude House Play House Princess Academy Haul! Stay tuned~!

Ada, signing out.

Photos courtesy of Brandon Sy.
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