MY TOP 10: CHEAPSTEAD Vanity Finds

Variables:
Let ‘friend’ be = Rachi Camille C. Acol
It’s been such a long time since I last posted in my blog, and now that I am back (due to some work holding me back, tsk!) I am going to write about something that I love, which is VANITY! Since I was little, I have always been fascinated about my mother’s make-up and whatnot, and until I grew up and turned into a teenager I have never stopped loving make-up. I remember way back in high school, I was stuck in this emo phase where I always wore black eyeliner in both upper and lower lids. It was cool back then but when I looked at myself from a five year-old photo, I thought I was a train wreck-- a messy, fashionable, emo train wreck. Nowadays, I take my time watching beauty tutorials in youtube, channels like pixiwoo and xsparkage really inspire me to look my best all the time (even after gym… yikes!) with make-up. Maybe you’ve wondered where I have been since my last post. Well, I have been working online writing articles which, I must admit, is tedious but I do earn enough just to suffice for my vain hobby-- which is shopping. Some of my closest friends know that when I go to the mall, you could always catch me in the make-up counters of L’Oreal, Maybelline, Revlon and even at Beauty Bar trying on some samples. Though I have very imperfect skin, I always thank God for not giving me an oversensitive one or I wouldn’t even think about buying some Qianyu made-in-China make-up from 258. I don’t really mind using China-made make-up but I do prefer high-end and even drugstore ones because they stay longer.
Back to the real deal, I am going to write about my top favorites for make-up which I call CHEAPSTEAD, because not only are my top picks affordable but my cheap alternatives are the cheapest there are in this city and I guarantee that they have decent payoffs. All the products that I will feature are products that I use in a regular basis and I have them all here, either in my make-up bag or in my budoir. Some of these products I possess due to my inheritance from mamâ, some of them I bought with my salary and some of them are given by a friend of mine. The top ten list is in no specific order, so this could be as random as it could get.

MY TOP TEN

one: liquid foundation

Unfortunately, I only have one liquid foundation in my collection and that is my L’Oreal True Match Liquid Foundation in True Beige. This foundation is very decent even though it’s from a drugstore brand. It covers my skin perfectly sheen and it stays on my face for about three hours which is great for everyday wear. When it wears off, it doesn’t leave any undesirable spots on my face like other liquid foundations do. However, I still wish I could buy myself an HD or a DoubleWear one, it is much more efficient for parties and events.
Cost: nearly a thousand pesos

two: powder foundation

I must say, the powder foundation is very good when you need a quick retouch and works better than a normal finishing powder. I absolutely love The Body Shop Pressed Foundation in Light Beige since it has an HD effect and covers my whole face perfectly. I love this product more than anything else.

Cost: about 1,200 pesos

Cheaper Alternative: 
The cheaper alternative is the Maybelline Angel Fit in Ochre which works well on oily skin and does a lot for me for a really cheap price. I wear this every time I go out of the house and even at the gym. It wears off nicely for a drugstore brand.
Cost: about 500 pesos

three: blush-on

I am not that big with blushers because even a slight red on my cheeks looks rather fake. I am tan, yes, but I must say when an occasion calls for it, I can pull off a great blusher even this Maybelline Mineral Blusher in Pink which gives me a great, playful look. What I love about this is when you buy one, you will get a free kabuki brush. I love kabuki brushes, somehow they make me all giddy about applying make-up.

Cost: about 600 pesos (I’m not sure)

Cheaper Alternative:

What I love about this cheap alternative is that it is really, really, really cheap and it is so effective for a China-made blusher. The Qianyu Double Blusher which does not have a name for its colors is crazy affordable and crazy usable. If you have a hypersensitive skin, then I advice you not to try this one out.

Cost: can you believe it? It’s only 45 pesos!

four: on-the-go eye shimmers

I love subtle eye shimmers, they work well for me because they really do work for an every day look. These shimmers add a little detail to your eyes, making them quite romantic sometimes and dainty for the most. My favorite is this Jane Cosmetics Shimmer in Camel-lot which is like a mauve color. This pot was given to me by my friend and I love this to bits.

Cost: about $5, but I think it would cost more since you still have to ship this from the US.

Cheaper Alternative:
This cheap alternative I have here is one of my all-time favorites. This is an Avon Dual Tip Liner-Shadow Stick in Sunshine and Sunbeach. The liquid liner is in gold and I think it is rubbish but the shadow stick is just gorgeous. It has this goldy, coppery color which works well with my tan skin. This is perfect for summer. I do not have a picture of it, I tried swatching it but it failed, this picture right here is a better swatch.
Cost: 300 pesos

five: mascara

I love mascaras and I think they are an essential to every girl. I wear mascara when I go out, when I go to the gym, when I’m working and even when I’m at home just lounging. Among the kinds of mascara there are in this world, I just love the volumizing ones, they make my eyes pop out and appear bigger. My favorite mascara is the Esteé Lauder Magnascopic in Black which does loads for my eyes, this mascara does the job well I must say. I’m really glad that my friend gave me this one, this mascara makes me feel very beautiful (oz?).

Cost: $21

Cheaper Alternative:

The Avon SuperShock Mascara is one of my ultimate must-haves from Avon, I absolutely recommend this to those who want a great deal with a beauty product. Not only is this cheap but it is really a SHOCKER, hence the SuperShock label. This is also waterproof so you won’t have to worry about it producing some sorry-ass panda eyes.

Cost: 420 pesos

six: gel liner

I love eyeliners, they define the eyes and make them irresistible as ever in just minimum effort. One product that I love is the Clinique Gel Liner in True Black which is just too beautiful to be given a full-on definition. When you apply it, it is really soft and movable and it dries on really nicely with no smudge. When it dries, it dries black unlike other gel liners. I must say, with all honesty, that this gel liner lasts for hours. I even slept with this on my eyes and woke up with this still on. Totally worth the money.
Cost: $17

Cheaper Alternative:
One of the most decent and cheapest gel liners here in CdO is from the HBC beauty exclusives, the SanSan Gel Liner in Black. I believe this is the best around when it comes to the cheap gel liners ever because it really lasts long, it stays on un-smudged and it even comes with a mini-brush which is really usable.
Cost: 119 pesos

seven: pencil eye liner

My favorite right now is something my mamâ bought for me at Beauty Bar. This is the Stylí-Style Twist Eyeliner in Black which I adore so much. I always carry a pencil eyeliner in my kikay kit because you’ll never know when a moment comes when you find yourself in front of a hottie and you need your looks to impress him (?). A simple black liner can change your whole look from damsel in distress to femme fatale.

Cost: 650 pesos

Cheaper Alternative:
This cheap alternative I am going to introduce to you is something that I have tried and tested and have been using since I was in high school (which, trust me, is a million years ago). the Avon Gimmerstick Eye Liner in Blackest Black is your perfect alternative and it is also a Twist so you don’t have to sharpen after every use. This does not smudge and it has a very good payoff for something that is so cheap, I must say.
Cost: About 200 pesos

eight: bronzer

Bronzers are a must-have for me since I love contouring my cheeks and adding a little bit of shimmer to my summer-inspired face. The bronzer that I always use when I go out and even when I am at home is the Lancôme Star Bronzer in Poudre Sôleil. This bronzer is just amazing and I have it in a compact and not a single entity. I love how slightly shimmery this is, unlike other bronzers which is dominated by shimmers and every time you swatch it, your skin turns into a layer of gold glitter. This bronzer is two-thirds matte and one-third shimmer and it is perfect for summer.

Cost: $36.50 (however, my mamâ bought this as a compact and a set, their prices may differ)

Cheaper Alternative:

Funny enough, I never thought that products from the brand Careline were decent but I think I was proven wrong. I bought this Careline Girly Frill Bronzer & Blush Compact and thought, ‘why don’t I give it a chance?"’. So here it is, it even made my list.

Cost: 95 pesos

nine: lip gloss

Lip glosses are my own necessity, I have a lot of them in fact. Among those small collection of lip glosses are my tubed and my non-tubed.

Among the tubed ones, I’d say I am very much in love with my Lâncome Juicy Tube in Tickled Pink. It looks really nice being a near-natural color, it does not have a foul taste to it and it wears off perfectly minus the white left-overs in the sides of the lips. Oh yeah, my friend gave this to me.

Cost: $18

Among the non-tubed ones, my favorite would have to be the Clinique Dual Tip Lip Gloss in Berry Flirt. This one was given to me by my friend, I love this to bits. Again, it does not have a foul taste but it smells weird (a smell which is so hard for me to describe) and berry flirt is such a beautiful color, perfect for my skin tone.

Cost: I don’t know, this has been discontinued by Clinique, much to my dismay.

Cheaper Alternatives:

In the tubed category, I’d have to say that my favorite cheap alternative for this is the Victoria’s Secret Beauty Rush in Cherry Bomb. This tastes absolutely wonderful, really close to being cherry and it has a really nice smell. What I don’t like about this is that it wears out really clumpy and it is very sticky. But overall, it’s really nice to have in your kikay kit.

Cost: $7

In the non-tubed category, my favorite would be the Revlon Super Lustrous in Cherries in the Glow. This has a smooth finish, wears out perfectly and it has a fruity taste and smell which I love. It looks really natural on me although it appears really pink on the outside or pre-swatch.

Cost: about 500 pesos or more

ten: everyday lipstick

My top pick is a strange one because I never thought it would actually look good on me, at first look at the shade that is. My top pick is the MAC Huetopia which is a part of the Huetopia collection from years ago. This was given to me by my friend. When you first look at this lipstick, you will feel rather uncertain if you can pull this off but… surprise, surprise! The shade is a bright peachy-orange and even when you swatch it it turns into orange still, but when you apply it on to your lips, it has this effect of making your lips appear a sheen orange rather than a solid one. This is absolutely great for a summer brights look.

Cost: I don’t know, this has also been discontinued by MAC.

Cheaper Alternative:

My cheap alternative is something that I’ve had in my kikay kit for years. I love the Maybelline in Roasted Almonds because it appears to be of a bright color but it really looks nude on fair-skinned people. I can wear this everyday when I go out. This really looks great when paired with black-lined eyes.

Cost: about 300 pesos

others

make-up removers

TOP PICK: Lâncome Bi-Facil

Removes make-up in just a little amount

Cost: $26

CHEAP ALTERNATIVE: Maybelline Make-Up Remover
Removes eye and lip make-up efficiently with moderate amount
Cost: 200 pesos

nail varnishes

TOP PICK: Revlon Nail Varnish in Red Hot Tamale
Gives out a solid color even in just one coat; dries perfectly
Cost: 225 pesos
ALTERNATIVE no. 1: Skin Food Nail Varnishes
Really nice colors, dries up fairly and takes about 2-3 coats for a beautiful finish
Cost: Blue-Green: 195 pesos; Red & Orange: 225 pesos
ALTERNATIVE no. 2: The Face Shop Nail Varnishes
I love the colors they have, the brights are very solid, dries fairly and has a perfect finish
Cost: about 150 pesos each

make-up brushes

I absolutely love these brushes from Marionnaud which can be found at any Watsons store. They are very decent at a very low cost unlike the ones from Smashbox at Beauty Bar which are crazy expensive. These are very much affordable, the most expensive of them is the No. 32 brush or the angle blush brush which retails for 200 pesos at least. The angle brush with the spoolie is also one of my favorites and I use it every day to shape my brows.

 

hair is trademark

I love the Monea Hair Curl Defining Milk because it really does the job. Having a curly set of hair is not an easy predicament, I have to make sure that my curls look as presentable as they can be and I thank God that I found this product while skimming through Watsons. To gain the perfect curly locks, apply this while your hair is still wet and it is preferable to let your hair dry inside rather than bare out in the sun so that your curls can be tamed and won’t look dry. This retails for 99 pesos which is so cheap and a jar lasts for a month, I guarantee.

So, that’s the end of my vanity rambles. I love the products that I just mentioned and I fully assure that I use them on a regular basis. I hope I have imparted some teeny tiny bit of knowledge and I hope that this will help you in getting products for yourself in the future, especially if you live here in Cagayan de Oro or if you look a lot like me.
Until my next blog post.
Tâ-tâ for now!
Nyma