NAIL POLISH REVIEW: SAN SAN NAIL POLISH in Warm Blue and Purple Breeze

Hi everyone!!

In case you do not know, I have worked as a nurse before and of course, we are not allowed to wear nail polish when working. I ma not a nail polish junkie to be honest and I really have a hard time putting on nail polish plus I find that other nail polishes chip off after a day or two and they are such a hassle to maintain or remove as well. Not to mention, I have very unattractive fingernails to start with. :(

But, since I work online now and admit it or not, it is kinda nice to see your colored fingernails while typing on the keyboard right? I have been practicing and trying to put nail polish since last year and I have even started doing my manicure and pedicure so that I can save time and money. I am still practicing though... which means.. I am still trying and on the verge of losing my sanity because it can be sooooo frustrating especially when I use my non dominant hand...grrr.Nevertheless... let us not get off the topic here. Today, I am sharing my thoughts about these San San Nail polishes that I purchased a couple of weeks ago. :)

Name: SAN SAN NAIL POLISH

Shade: Warm Blue and Purple Breeze

Bought from: HBC stores

Prize: P37.00 each 

Warm Blue:

This one borders between baby blue and sky blue. It looks bright and will look great on those with fair to medium skin tones. 

Purple Breeze:

Now, this one is between a very light purple and light pink. In real life, it actually looks more pink on me. 

THOUGHTS:

Application/Formula:

Both nail polish are quite liquidy and thin. As shown above, they need to be layered 3 to 4 times on order to get an opaque color. What I did was that, I applied one coat first, then waited for it to dry then applied another coat again. But since, it is quite thin, it dries in less than five minutes and it does not look "thick"  so it was okay. For someone like as inexperienced as me, it can be difficult at first and the color may "spill" out of your nails but it can be easily removed with a cotton swab dipped in nail polish remover. 

Lasting power:

I usually complain that nail polishes chips off after one to two days but what I love about these nail polishes is that they lasted on me for four days without chipping and I did not use any top coat! They are also easy to remove using a nail polishes remover. Yey! 

Tip: To make your nail polish last longer, let it dry using "warm" air aka using your blower for 1-3 minutes, then place your fingers in front of the electric fan or aircon for another 2-3 minutes. This will really seal your nail polish and will make them last longer on your nails.

What I like:

-great colors

- affordable

- dries really fast

- lasts on me for 3 to 4 days without using a top coat

Some issues:

-quite thin so more application is needed

Will I repurchase: 

Yes! Hahaha...like I said, nail polishes are quite new to me. So I am not ready to shell out a huge amount of money on them. I am still discovering what colors look good on me so I try to change my nail polish color after 3 to 4 days. I recommend this to those like me who are new to nail polishes  and to nail polish junkies as well, if do not mind having to reapply 3 to 4 layers. 

By the way, I was chosen as one of the semi-finalist for the Avon Blogger Challenge. I need your help so that I can be part of the Avon Blogger Circle. 

Please vote for me here

You can see my entry here

How about you? What nail polish colors are you currently loving? Please do share your thoughts on the comments below! Take care!!

-maia

My Picks and Review: San San Single Eyeshadows

Hi everyone!!

Ever since I was young, my favorite makeup product have always been eye shadows and I am not so much  into neutral and brown ones. The brighter and shimmery they are, the more I love them!
I like wearing bright eye shadows when I was in college..ooohhh those were my makeup naive days! I must have looked weird sporting green eyeshadow during my clinical duty in the hospital.....

Review: SAN SAN WATERPROOF EYELINER PEN IN BLACK

Hi everyone!!

For years, I have been using the Nichido Liquid eyeliner because it is super cheap. You can buy it for less than P70 and I usually change eyeliners/mascara every 3-4 months because I get sore eyes or conjunctivitis often. But lately, I have been having a lot of difficulty using it and I really don't know why. So I have been looking for a pigmented but cheap eyeliner. I tried the Nichido one which costs P239.00 and I really did not like it. I watched Say Tioco Artillero's San San Haul Video and I the eyeliner and I was interested to try it. Here is my review and hopefully you find it useful. :)

NAME: San San Waterproof Eyeliner Pen with Vitamins A, C & E

Price: P85.00

Bought it from: HBC Store, Gaisano City, Iloilo

Ingredients: Aqua, Styrene Acrylates Copolymer, Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate, Retinyl Palmitate  (Vitamin A), Ascorbyl Palmitate (Vitamin C), Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Propyl Paraben, CI 77491, CI 77499, CI 77492,CI 77891

Pictures:

The eyeliner pen has a felt tip applicator and came in a light blue "pen-like" container.

The shade that I got is black. 

Swatches:

 When applied, the eyeliner is quite pigmented. The tip of the pen is hard but flexible and pointed so it is easy to make a variety of lines.

The product claimed to be smudge proof and waterproof. When I tried smudging it, I had to swipe my finger a few times to get the product off. It also dries fast so it does not transfer easily.

After smudging, I sprayed some water at the back of my hand and it did come off a little bit. I had to swipe my index finger on top of the product to smudge it more. As you can see, there is some redness on my skin because even though it is wet already, I had hard time smudging the product.

So this is how it looked like after smudging and spraying the eyeliner with water.

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

Packaging:

The packaging looks kinda cheap at first and does look sturdy at all. I actually thought that the markings on the pen will rub off after sometime but it did not so it a good thing.  The felt tip is also easy to use and does not become flimsy after a few uses.

Price/Availability:

The best thing about this product is the price of course!! It is cheap and for someone who replaces liquid eyeliners every 3-4 months, (like me!)this is good because I don't have to feel bad about throwing away a certain product and buying a new one.

Formulation:

It  is quite pigmented and dries fast.

Longevity:

In my case, it lasts for more than 8 hours. I usually put on my makeup before I go to work or go somewhere else and when I come home, it is still intact. I would not say that it is 100% waterproof because it comes off once I rub my eyelids using wet wipes but I have cried while watching a movie and  I really tried not to rub eyelids. When I went to the restroom, thank goodness, my eyeliner is still there. 

What I like:

-Affordable

-Pigmented

-easy to use

- the tip does not get flimsy after many uses
- long lasting 

- dries fast after applied on the lids

- the product itself does not dry easily when inside the container.

-does not rub off /smudge easily

-does not irritate my eyes

-no overpowering smell

Some issues: 

- it would be nice and much easier to work with if it has slimmer and longer felt tip

Recommendations:

-Store the product away from sunlight and store it upside down.

I love love this eyeliner!! I have read a few reviews and some say that it rubs off easily, but in my case, it did not rub off easily.This has been my go-to liquid eyeliner for a month now and I will definitely repurchase. I might also try the brown one. 

REVIEW: SAN SAN MATTE FINISH LIQUID FOUNDATION

HELLO EVERYONE!!

I have been trying out foundations from local brands here in the Philippines but so far only two has stood out. One is a cake foundation from Pinkies Collection and the San San Matte Finish Liquid Foundation. However, there is no Pinkies Collection here in Iloilo so I was not able to repurchase one. HBC can be found in almost all department stores here. I have been reading a lot of reviews about this foundation for a long time and there were some who liked it and some who don't. If you have seen my videos, you will see that I have been using this foundation and I guess, it is about time that I do a review on it, so here it goes:

PRODUCT INFO:

NAME: SAN SAN MATTE FINISH LIQUID FOUNDATION

SHADE: #3 (Shades are available from 1-4)

PRICE: P132.00  (US$ 2-3)

AMOUNT: 30ML

WHERE TO BUY: HBC STORES

It comes in a glass bottle with a blue twistable cap.

INGREDIENTS:

 The cap is attached to a small spatula so that it will be easier to scrape the product inside.

The formula is quite liquidy but thick.

This is how it looks like when blended and with flash. Quite scary!!

When blended, without flash.

 Me: 

Problem areas:

-Uneven skintone

- Dull skin

-some scarring from my pimples

Skin type:

Normal to Dry skin

I applied some on the right side of my face first. The formula itself is quite liquidy so I have to use a lot of product to cover my whole face. It smells like coconut.

I used  my Beauty Cosmetics Flat Top brush to blend the product. It was not difficult to blend since the formula is not thick and does not dry easily. As you can see, it did brighten my face and evened out my skintone. It also felt a little oily and I can really feel that I have product on my face.

 As you can see, though it claimed to give a matte finish, it is NOT matte. It gives a very dewy finish.

I dont like the finish so I always set it with a setting powder. Here I used  a small amount Bench loose powder and dusted it on my face using a  large powder brush.

 As you cans see, it looks way better when set with powder and  has no white cast.

It does not cover my large pores though.

My overall thoughts:

Packaging:

It does not come in cheap looking bottle so it is a plus, however I would have preferred a pump bottle for hygienic purposes.

Affordability/availability:

HBC stores can be found almost anywhere in the Philippines but shade 3 which is my shade gets sold out a lot so I usually buy two or three at a time. It is quite cheap!

Formulation:

Though it says it is a matte finish foundation, it is NOT a matte finish foundation! It is oily and has to be set with powder. It is easy to blend though and I could say that it gives a light to medium coverage depending on your skin condition. However, a bottle will only last me for 1-2 months since I use it at least 5 times a week since I have to use quite a lot of product. 

Lasting power:

It does last on my normal to dry skin type.
If used with primer/ setting spray, it can last up to 6 to 8 hours without retouching and I kind of notice that my t-zone is not that oily. Without primer/setting spray and just setting powder, the product itself is still there but  I  do notice that my T-zone becomes shiny after about 4 hours (of course it depends on the weather) so I have to retouch with a light dust of powder or blot with an oil control film.

Color Range:

With only four shades, I was quite lucky that it matches my skintone. They should have more colors to suit a lot of women. But, since it is quite cheap, you can buy two and just mix to get your desired shade.

What I like:

-Cheap

-No pungent smell

-matches my skintone

- has little to no white cast 

-blendable and offers good coverage

- good for those with dry skin

-did not irritate my skin or gave me breakouts

What others may not like:

- You have to use a lot of product so you might be repurchasing again after 1 to 2 months

-The spatula is not hygienic.

-Gives a dewy finish so you have to use a setting powder 

-might not be good for those with oily skin

Recommendations:

-Make sure to set with powder.

- Use a small amount first then blend. Continue layering the product until you get the desired result.

- Use a sponge to apply your setting powder then brush the excess using your powder brush. This will make your setting powder stick better to your skin.
- Since it is summer and the product can be quite oily, I mix it my water-based moisturizer and I feel that it makes my foundation less oily but the coverage is still there and I do not have to use a lot of setting powder to set it. 

  Though I have used other foundations in the past, I still keep on coming back to this. I have been using this on and off for more than a year now and I love it. It is quite cheap so I don't feel bad about using it on a daily basis.

Here is my before and after picture: 

MAKEUP CHALLENGE DAY:4

30 DAY MAKEUP CHALLENGE DAY 4: DO YOU LIKE WEARING FOUNDATION? IF SO, WHAT'S YOUR COLOR AND FAVORITE? 

I am not comfortable going out with a "naked" face. I need to have some sort of coverage because my skin is very pale and I look sick if I don't have any foundation or tinted moiturizer. Currently, I do not have a holygrail foundation and what I use on my face depends on where I'd go and what I'd be doing. 

ME: no makeup, just filled my eyebrows a little bit

So, instead of my favorite foundation, I will juts blog about what foundation is CURRENTLY use on a daily basis. :)

FS BB CREAM

I used to love the Precious Mineral BB Cream from Etude House but when I ran out, there was no stock for shade #3 which was the shade I was using. I tried this BB cream and I love it. It is on the  oily side but that's okay with me. The color suits me well and the price is not bad also. 

It can be a little oily/shiny at first but once I set it with powder, it is okay.

Look Ma! no white cast :)

Pinkies Collection Cream Foundation

I discovered this foundation on Youtube because many Filipino beauty gurus have been raving about it.When I saw Ms Say's demo and review about ii, I was sold. Unfortunately, we don't have this in Iloilo so when I went to Manila, I immediately bought one. I love using this especially when I need to go somewhere special or on time when I need to have more coverage. I was very impressed with this. It offers full to medium coverage and lasts on my skin as well.

HOW TO: "No makeup " Makeup look (Using a beauty sponge)

 I just uploaded a video of my "No makeup" makeup look and here are some of the snapshots from the video. Id updating this post for other pictures and more details. Bye for now! :)

Here is the video by the way :)