Here's my quick review about the BYS Matte Lipstick in Latte To Go shade. I got this from the collaboration box between BYS and Glamourbox called the Matte Maven Limited Edition box.

BYS Matte Lipstick in Latte To Go from the BYS X Glamourbox Matte Maven Special Edition Box
"BYS Matte lipstick has a creamy velvety texture that glides on effortlessly with a matte finish, leaving your lips looking moisturised and totally smouldering all day long. Feel confident and beautiful wearing BYS Matte Lipstick."

Sooooooo Nude!
My Take
I've been meaning to get a matte lippie in a nude peach shade; something that I can wear often to the office. I got so excited when I received this one through the BYS Box and thought how lucky that I EXACTLY got something that I wanted.

Check out the other colors in this range at www.bys.com.au
Based on the photo above you can see that it's really a nude peach shade. Although it says that it is matte, it is definitely on the creamy matte side. When applied, it doesn't look flat but rather, it has some sheen. For someone like me who has a tendency to have dryness on my lips, I'm definitely fine with it. My problem is not with the formula but with the color itself. Since it came from a curated beauty box, I didn't have any say with the color selection. I had a little difficulty when I applied it on my lips because it doesn't seem to get even. It doesn't blend with the lips, it just sits on top of it. And the color, it's tad too light to cover up the natural color of my lips, which is darker. As a result, it's like I'm wearing a white stuff on my lips. 

Image from www.bys.com.au
See these photos here, they were shot on different lighting. On the photo on the left, I had the flash on and on the other one the flashes were off. 

If you look closely on the photo on the left, you can actually see the patchiness of it. You may notice that it has settled on the lines on my lips. I did my best using a lip brush, but like I said, I had a hard time trying to make it look even and nice on my lips. The photo on the right is rather blurred and you may say that my lips looks lovely and pinkish, but trust me in person, it looks rather white on my lips. Needless to say, I don't think I can ever wear this in public; I won't be able to pull it off. Ha ha!

Me wearing the bespoken matte lipstick. On the left with lash and on the right without flash.
I cannot make a comment on the longevity of this product since I only wore it for pictorial purposes but based on the 'feel' of it on my lips, since it is creamy matte and not full-on matte, and that it doesn't adhere well with the lips, I don't think it will stay on as long as other matte lippies would.

I tried 'saving' the product by using it as a corrector on my under eyes. I figured that since it is peach, it can counteract the darkness, and heck, why not? Ha ha. Well, here's how it went. It really was able to correct the darkness at first but since the formula is really intended for the lips and, it was rather too creamy and heavy for my baggies. And again, as I tend to sweat a lot on that area, the product just slipped off; so never mind.

So at home with other products from the BYS Matte Maven Box
So there, lesson learned for me. If I must get  a peachy nude shade, I should go for one that leans towards the brown side because the natural color of my puckers are rather dark. I've checked out the other colors of the said matte lipsticks at www.bys.com.au and I've found two lovely shades that I would love to wear!

BYS Matte Lipstick in Espresso


BYS Matte Lipstick in Rumba
BYS Matte Lipstick
Size/Price: 3.5g for Php 199.00 (according to the curation card)
Where I Got It: www.glamourbox.ph
Also Available At: Malls, Watsons and beauty counters where BYS is sold

XO,

Carissa
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It's always exciting to be able to find good products that are incredibly low-priced. Meet my latest cheap thrill which I grabbed from the hallowed aisles of Watsons. :)

Maybelline The Hypercurl Volum' Express Mascara
Maybelline The Hypercurl Volum' Express Mascara
Price: Php 199.00 (4.30 USD) but I got it when it was on sale for Php 169.00 (USD 3.65)
Where I Got It: Watsons Robinsons Place Tacloban Branch
Other Locations: Available where Maybelline products are sold


My Take
I'm not much of a mascara girl. Like blush-ons, it's not something I wear everyday or a lot. However, there are days that I feel like wearing 'em and therefore, even if I don't wear 'em much, I still want to have one on hand. And you know, just have something when you want to add some drama for a night-out (which I don't do a lot, BTW). Ha ha. Oh! I have no social life. Me and my man are certified home buddies.

Very black.
I think this mascara is perfect for me: it's affordable and it works great. It defines the lashes and thereby prettifies me but it doesn't look like I've overdone it, especially when I'm just wearing it to the office.

It doesn't smudge and is waterproof, which is perfect for this tropical  country called the Philippine, where it's perpetually sunny. I work in a non-airconditioned workplace but it doesn't budge, even when my eyelids are already sweaty. 

Manufacturing date is well indicated: expiration is usually 1 and 1/2 to 2 years from MFG date.
At the end of the day though, you might have a hard time removing it because it sticks well and leaves a dark residue; you might need an oil-based makeup remover for that, something that is gentle in the eyes. I use Human Nature's Sunflower Oil, although technically it isn't a makeup remover but
is a multipurpose stuff.

It is shaped like so.
So this is a close-up look of the spoolie and you can see that it slightly bends in the center for enhancing those lashes.

This photo on the back of the cardboard that contains the product details, in my opinion and experience is kinda accurate. It really does make the eyes come alive.

Deets.

Ingredients
This product is also a part of my July 2016 favorites, you might want to check that out.
And I am always always on the lookout for affordable and great-working products and Maybelline has always been a good source of such products.

XO,
Carissa
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It's a great feeling, to be able to receive something from the mail. FINALLY! My order from the Bench Online Shop has arrived, after more than two weeks of waiting. But I have no qualms about it though; I know that some areas in the Metro have experienced flooding this past week.
Well, what do we expect? It's rainy season again. 
Check out my loot from Bench
Bench is one of the most popular homegrown brands in the Philippines. It is endorsed by some of the well-known celebs, local and international. For me, I've known the brand since I was in high school. I've purchased stuff from their popular lines of fragrances. In 2004 I convinced my mother to buy me one of those shirts that Jerry Yan (from the Meteor Garden fame) endorsed. Oh! It made me so happy. 

I owned one of these  in high school for the love of Jerry Yan!
I'm thrilled that I no longer have to go to a physical shop just to get stuff from Bench. You can go to http://shop.bench.com.ph/  and check it out for yourself. Meanwhile, here are the goodies that I got from the said shop.

Michael Cinco Collection Padded Push Up Bra
1. Bench/Cinco Limited Edition Push Up Bra. I decided to grab this because I thought I should start owning grownup looking bras: by that, I mean lacey, black and no prints. Ha ha. Just a teensy bit of flub though: the tag said that its straps are removable but then I double checked and they are absolutely not removable. Maybe that's why they went on sale.

Ladies' Scarf
2. Ladies' Scarf. I know I would be needing this for the coming months. And the polka dots just pop! Absolutely adorbs, and it's made from 100% cotton; so soft!

Shirts for my daddy!
3. Shirts. For my partner. He requested for shirts from Bench because he likes the quality of the cloth. And also the colors because he prefers 'em plain. I would've asked him to model these here but I don't think he'd agree. Ha ha.

New stuff for my mani-pedi sesh!
4. Nail Polishes. The bottles are bigger than I expected. The colors are just pretty and the formula just applies smoothly on my nails. The shades are Baked Apple (Red), Paradise Green, and Blueberry Cheesecake.

The loot!
..And that's about it. They ship free for purchases over Php 1,000.00 and mine just totaled Php 1094.00 (approx USD 21.00). Yes, for all of it! Amazing deal, right? All of the stuff that I got were on sale. Daddy was especially happy about the shirts. The polishes would soon be featured for an NOTD and  the push up bra is doing its job quiet well. Ha ha ha.

I'm soooo looking forward to shopping with Bench again in the future.

XO,
Carissa
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I got this duo from Sample Room, and after the jump is my review.
 
Olay CC Cream SPF 15 in Medium and The Pore Minimizing Toner
Olay CC Cream SPF 15
Shade: Medium
Size: 20g Price: Php 499.00
Available at drugstores and beauty counters nationwide

Olay Pore Minimizing CC Cream reveals flawlessly beautiful skin instantly. As assessed by expert graders, it has been proven to reduce the look of pores in 80% of women and improved skin radiance in 91% of women. See the instant results for yourself!
Olay Says
Olay Total Effects CC Cream is an all-in-one multi-tasker, contains:
a) Smart Color and 3D Pore Coverage technology to instantly even skin tone, smooth skin’s pore appearance
b) Niacinamide to intensely hydrate the skin, resulting in long-term improvement of skin appearance.

SEE THE RESULTS!
Olay Pore Minimizing CC Cream reveals flawlessly beautiful skin instantly. As assessed by expert graders, it has been proven to reduce the look of pores in 80% of women and improved skin radiance in 91% of women. See the instant results for yourself!
For its long-term skin benefits, check the appearance of your pores and dark spots before and after application on days 4, 7, 10 and 14.

My Take
I love using this stuff when the weather isn't too hot, simply because the SPF content is only fifteen and I can easily look greasy when this is on my face. It has a creamy consistency that spreads easily on my skin and feels light. It smells quiet nice too.
The Olay CC Cream, as applied and blended out on my hand.
Coverage is only light to medium, so you would still need a backup concealer if you have darker marks on your face. I love how it softens and moisturizes the skin and you can see on my photo below that it also has a brightening and pore minimizing effect.

Olay CC Cream applied on half of my face.
Nice, isn't it? Because of this it has become one of my go-to base when I want to go for the simple, no make-up look. 

If there's a CON about this product I would have to say that it's the steepness of it's price at Php 499.00 (USD 10.79) for a 20g tube. Some ladies may find that tad too high.

***
Olay Total Effects Pore Minimizing Toner
Full Size: 150 ml
Price: Php 849.00
Available at drugstores and beauty counters nationwide

Olay Total Effects 7 In One Pore Minimizing Toner
Olay Says
Total Effects toner gently exfoliates to prepare your skin for instant and long-term pore minimization.
Apply product on cotton. Use twice a day before applying a moisturizer.

My Take
I'm a grease ball, boo hoo! The only consolation I have is that even though my face is ridiculously oily, at least I don't have a bad case of acne. I do get pimples occasionally, about once in a month and that's about it. I guess I'm lucky. But I still have one of the other problems of having oily skin: de facto, grease balls also have huge pores I was really joyful when I was given the chance of sampling this, especially when it didn't come in a sample size, but rather a full sized one. It was basically monstrous at 150 ml.

The deets and ingredients list.
This product is really REALLY gentle and mild on the skin, no stings at all, as opposed to all of my previous experiences with other toners. It gives a fresh and clean feeling. It also blurs out the pores for a while, so that is cool. Just blurs and not completely erases.
I've used up my whole bottle so I totally love it.

So clear, isn't it?


Again, if there's any CON about this product, it would be the steep price too!That's Php 849.00 for a 150 ml bottle, and I know it could really hurt the pockets.

XO,

Carissa
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I grabbed this product last month. 'Correct' and 'Perfect' seem like big words to begin with. Let's see if how this one held up.

City Color Correct and Perfect Palette
Name of Product: City Color Correct and Perfect Palette
Price: Php 390.00  (about 8.00 USD)
Where I Got It: Pre-ordered from MakeupInboxPh

City Color says:
Correct & Perfect palette is a revamped version of a City Color past favorite. With all new shades in muted tones for easy wear and new formulation for seamless blending, this palette is your go-to for any color correction.

Pink: Correct dull tones
Orange: Correct blue tones and undereyes
Lavender: Correct yellow, sallow tones
Green: Correct redness
Yellow: Correct grey and purple undereyes

Hey there! Take a closer look at the City Color Correct and Perfect Palette
My Take
You can see on my photos below that I have quiet a bad case of dark under eyes and I am always on the lookout for affordable products that can correct the problem. Or if not, just help lessen it. I found out about this product while checking out the stuff at MakeUpInboxPh. I was available on pre-order and took about a month to arrive, fresh from the US. When it finally did, I was so excited to try it out.

It comes in a not-so-durable plastic packaging with a transparent cover and I recon that it can't survive a drop. It comes with a brush that actually works well with the product so I decided to keep it instead of tossing it.

It smells plasticky, but it doesn't linger. It has a creamy consistency and blends well on my baggies, even without an under-eye moisturizer. My only problem is the color pay-off of the product. And no matter how many times you layer it on, it won't give better coverage.

List of ingredients
Here are the swatches and you can see that they are very light on my skin. 

Swatches: Pink, Orange, Green, Yellow, and Lavender
Upon blending, you can hardly tell if which color is which.
Swatches blended out.
I tried using the orange on my dark under eyes. You can see that it has lightened the darkness a bit, but I think that the coverage is still not enough as it turned my under eyes into an ashy shade. I tried layering the product but it produced the same results. I tend to sweat in that area a lot so it didn't take long before the product slipped off. It's always great if you can set it with  a yellow-toned powder.

Applied and blended the orange corrector on my baggies.
Overall, I'm not so happy with my purchase. :( I am just not contented with the coverage. But for the price, you get what you pay for. I've also tried the Green one for redness on my face due to pimples but it also  didn't perform well.

My bad though. I think I was impulsive again when making this purchase. 'Correct and Perfect',  yeah it corrected for a bit, but definitely no perfect. :)

XO,

Carisssa
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I did say something about being a royalty nut, didn't I? Well, yeah it's true. One of my favorite hobbies is to stare at tiaras, particularly on The Royal Order of Sartorial Splendor Blog  where they have a segment called Tiara Thursdays. *sigh*  This little fondness of anything royal may have started when I was introduced to Princess Diana and how she was pegged as the ordinary girl, barely out of her teens, who was swept off her feet by a real-life Prince Charming! Of course, and still unknown to many, she was no ordinary girl after all because she's a member of the nobility being a spawn of the aristocratic Spencer family. She may not have been royalty but her father was an earl; she was raised in fancy Althorp.  

 Enter Kate Middleton and we may have found a truer sense of a commoner marrying a prince; you know, someone a prince meets while going to the Uni, and all that.
But did you know that Kate may just be one of the latest addition to the list of commoners marrying a future king? You'd be surprised because it's a trend going on in European royalty. Here's the rundown.
William and Kate on their wedding day. (c) http://orderofsplendor.blogspot.com/
HM Silvia, The Queen of Sweden
Silvia Renate Sommerlath, as she was known before she met the future King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, spent time between Germany and Brazil, the respective countries of her parents, during her younger years. She majored in Spanish at the Munich School of Interpreting,  and after graduating, she worked at the Argentinean Consulate in Munich. She also  worked as a hostess trainer with the Organising Committee for the Munich Olympic Games between 1971 and 1973 and  became Deputy Head of Protocol of the Organising Committee for the Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria.

At the 1972 Olympics she met Crown Prince Carl Gustaf. They got married four years later, when was already king  and she has been a Queen Consort for four decades. They have three beautiful kids (because hey, it's never too bad to be blue-blooded and partly Brazilian-blooded at the same time).

The Interpreting course she took in college came handy for her role as a queen. Swedish is her sixth language. She speaks her native German, her mother's language of Portuguese, as well as French, Spanish, and English. She has some fluency in Swedish Sign Language, a national sign language used by the deaf community in Sweden. So, heads up girls! If you want to be a future queen, try majoring in Interpreting and doing some time in the Olympic Committee. *Ha ha*

HM Sonja, The Queen of Norway
Miss Sonja Haraldsen was initially not accepted by King Olav V of Norway because he wasn't so warm about the idea of having a commoner as wife of his heir, Crown Prince Harald. The Crown Prince made it clear though that he would remain unmarried for life unless he could marry her (now that!). It took nine years (!) before King Olav finally gave permission to his son to marry her and in 1968 Sonja officially became the Crown Princess of Norway. And what a well-loved Crown Princess she became! *Now does that sound like plot line of a Hollywood movie? You could say so. :)* Very Cinderella-ish ha!

Harald inherited the throne in 1991 and together they've been King and Queen ever since.

Sonja has a diploma in dressmaking and tailoring (her father's a clothing merchant so that explains it) from the Oslo Vocational School, and went on to receive a diploma from École Professionelle des Jeunes Filles in Lausanne, Switzerland. Her studies there included social science, accounting and fashion design. She returned to Norway for further studies and received an undergraduate degree (French, English and Art History) from the University of Oslo. A brainy queen with able and creative hands for dressmaking and tailoring? What's not to love. :) She's also a long time avid photographer.

Silvia and Sonja, respectively, back in the days. Could seriously give beauty queens a run for their money, no?
Maxima of the Netherlands and Letizia of Spain, respectively,  are the newly crowned queens in Europe. To no one's surprise, they had actual day jobs before meeting those guys named Willem-Alexander and Felipe.*Like, no big deal*
Freshly crowned queens.
HM Maxima, The Queen of the Netherlands
Máxima Zorreguieta Cerruti who is originally from Argentina isn't just Queen of the Netherands. She also serves as the United Nations Secretary General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development (UNSGSA). The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon designated her to this role in September 2009 in order to raise awareness on the importance of inclusive financial systems for achieving economic and development goals such as poverty alleviation, food security and education. No big feat maybe, after all, Max holds a Bachelor and a Master's Degree in Economics and has worked for international finance agencies before she became Mrs. Orange. She met Crown Prince Wilhelm-Alexander at the Seville Spring Fair in Spain. *Because that's where princes normally hang out.* They got married in 02-02-02. That's February 2, 2002. Upon the abdication of Queen Beatrix in 2013, Wilhelm-Alexander became king and with that Maxima became the first Dutch queen consort since 1890.

HM Letizia, The Queen of Spain
Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano *Oh, I love the sound of that name* was a journalist and a news anchor before she got married to Crown Prince Felipe of Spain. She wrote for news papers and worked for the likes of Spanish Bloomberg and CNN+ before moving to TVE where she was news anchor of a popular evening news.

She has reported from DC during the 2000 presidential elections and was also at the Ground Zero in New York after the 9/11 attacks. She also reported from the front lines when Iraq was invaded. She started dating Felipe, Prince of Asturias after they reconnected in November 2002 when she was sent to northern Spain to cover the sinking of the oil tanker Prestige.  They got married in 2004.

The Prince of Asturias ascended the Spanish throne as Felipe VI when his father King Juan Carlos I abdicated in 2013. She is the first Spanish-born queen consort since Mercedes of Orléans, the first wife of Alfonso XII. She is also the first Spanish queen to have been born as a commoner.

***

These two here, Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark are married to the future kings of their respective countries.
Queens in waiting: Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, respectively.
HRH Mary, The Crown Princess of Denmark

Mary Elizabeth Donaldson hails from Australia but both of her parents are Scottish in origin. Her dad's professor of Applied Mathematics and her mom has worked as an Executive Assistant to the Vice Chancellor of The University of Tasmania. She enrolled at the University of Tasmania in 1989 and graduated in 1994 with a Bachelor's degree in Commerce and Law (B Com. LLB).

Her career path moved towards advertising, marketing, and business development and as such she has worked for various companies around the globe.

Like Queen Silvia, she also met her prince Frederik at the Olympics when it was held in her native Australia in 2000. *Apparently, princes do hangout at random pubs and disguise as random boys.*

HRH Mette-Marit, The Crown Princess of Norway
There was some controversy in Norway (again!) when its Crown Prince Haakon and his fiance Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby announced their engagement. She was then a single mother and she grew up in a social environment where drugs are readily available. Not so long ago, we discussed about Sonja who was given nine years of waiting time before she can be married to her prince. I didn't think she and King Harald would be hard on their own son after what they did in their younger years so of course, they blessed the pairing. Haakon and M-M had been married since 2001. 

She has been actively involved in various HIV/AIDS-related work; in fact she has her own post in UNAIDS. She is also a champion of humanitarian projects.

*You can start going to festivals.* Like Queen Maxima, she also met her prince at a garden party of the local Quart Festival.


See, it's not just Kate who hit big time in the marriage lottery. But we all know that being Queen (or Princess or Duchess) is not just about luxuries, palaces, tiaras and lovely dresses. They uphold tradition and serve as good examples to their subjects. They also champion causes that will be beneficial to their subjects. They work to bring awareness to issues, diseases, etc and thereby help raise funds to help those in need.  The world has shifted from absolute monarchies to constitutional monarchies so technically, they no longer rule but are still consulted about the go-abouts in their respective parliaments. 

It's nice to know that these beautiful ladies who stand next to their husbands have good heads on their shoulders. Smart, brave, and independent. And did I mention beautiful.

The newly weds. Got off that traditional carriage and drove around in an Aston Martin. Oh, why not?


XO,

Cassie, The Royalty Nut
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I got this one ages ago when I ordered the BYS Matte Maven Special Edition Box from Glamourbox. I finally found time to play with it and let's see how it went.

Looks promising, 'ayt? Let's try to create a fuller look with the BYS Liquid Brow Pen
Product Name: BYS Liquid Brow Pen in Natural Light Brown Shade
Price/Size: Php 449.00 for 1.5 ml
Where I Got It: www.glamourbox.ph

The deets.
Too bad that unlike my mother, I have not been naturally blessed with full eyebrows. What a stinker! Hahaha. But seriously, drawing brows is one of the most important makeup routine for me, just because. And I have always been up to trying different ways to improve the condition of my sparse brows, so help me God.

When I got this one Glamourbox, I got really excited since it's the first time that I've ever tried anything of this sort: a liquid brow pen, that is. I usually go with the pencil and the powder. So, how
did this experience go?

It really looks like a pen, does it? Where do I sign. ;)
So here it is. That tip right there is easily bendable so you would be able to draw you brows nice and easy. That tiny tip there is very essential in drawing the tail of the brow. However, every good thing that I can say about this product is overshadowed by the fact that this isn't the right shade for me. It is too light for me, as you can see in the swatch below. It should have been a darker, chocolate brown. But given that this was included in a 'curated, pre-selected products for a box', then I didn't have much say about the color selection.

Check out the tip.

A swatch of the Natural Light Brown shade
So you see, I won't be able to draw full brows with this. I would need the backup of a brow powder or pencil to be able to create better results. Since this brow pen is in liquid, wet form, the powder would be able to cling better on the brows. But in all fairness, if you would go back to the photo of the back label above, it merely says:

"Use it as a base or to fill in sparse areas for a fuller look."

I could swallow that statement in whole and accept it, if it weren't for the price tag that comes with it: that's Php 449.00, almost 500 pesos, for a 1.5 ml product. If that's the price then I really have high hopes about the product.

In action.
So there you go. I'm disappointed that I wasn't able to create fuller brows. But hey, it's ok. This'll still be a great companion  for the other products that I have, so of course, I will be making the most out of this.

XO,

Carissa
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