Piaya Diary: Makeup

L'Oréal Paris Infallible Pro-Matte 24HR Foundation: I finally found the ONE

6:03 PM

Choosing the right foundation has always been a challenge for me. In addition, buying the kind that is more than 500 is a No-No for me. When I bought L'Oréal's Infallible Pro-Matte 24HR Foundation, I nearly cried because it was a little above 500. Was it worth it? Read on.

L'Oréal Paris Infallible Pro-Matte 24HR Foundation

I was already on the verge of giving up wearing foundation--makeup in general--because I really hate that sticky feeling especially in this humid and very hot Philippine weather. However, in the back of my mind, I still dream of being able to go places, even on a regular day, looking dolled up. Well, I believe the key to achieving that is finding a foundation that works for your skin type. So, how did I end up buying L'Oréal Paris Infallible Pro-Matte 24HR Foundation?

I did some research on the best foundation to beat oily skin and heat in the Philippines. This brand is always present in various lists.

Also, L'Oréal Paris Infallible Pro-Matte 24HR Foundation promises a super air-light feel on your skin with a demi-matte finish. It also claims to have a mattifying formula that is super comfortable and lasts all day long--24 hours ahem!

It was on sale, P550, so I bought it after careful consideration. OA! Anyways I chose the shade 120. It has a yellow undertone and is actually 2 shades lighter than my complexion. I selected that shade on purpose because, other brands that I tried, always oxidize on my face. Other brands give me this nasty orange look after a couple of hours and I really hate that.

To make the long story short, here is what I think of L'Oréal Infallible Pro-Matte 24HR Foundation.

True to its claim, it feels super comfortable and feather-light, like you are wearing no foundation at all. It has a matte finish that lasts a when I am in a cooler environment. There is way less need for me to blot oil with this kind of foundation and that is a huge advantage over other brands. The best part is that it does not oxide on my face. HALLELUAH!

Under very hot weather conditions, it manages to stay put despite the oil and sweat. All you need is a light pat of tissue or blotting paper to blot the sweat or oil and tada! you are still good to go. It does not easily cake or budge or transfer.

I must say however, that if you have noticeable pores, you still need to use a primer before putting on the foundation and a trusty face powder to set your make up.

The bottom line is that I am very happy with L'Oréal Paris Infallible Pro-Matte 24HR Foundation. I finally found the one that I can wear everyday. I did not regret spending more than 500 for a foundation because it was worth it. If it is not on sale, it sells at around Php 650 at Watsons, SM and other stores that sell makeup.

Let me share my favorite everyday look:

Dots, dots, dots... Look at my freckles and spots...not to mention the sparse eyebrows.

I am very happy with the light demi-matte finish.

My present face powder. One day I will buy L'Oréal Paris Infallible Pro-Matte 16HR face powder

plus a few more favorite products...I love the fact that they are not expensive but they work wonders on my face

Oh, yeah, this look is so easy to maintain all day!

So, what do you think of this look? What are your thoughts on L'Oréal Paris Infallible Pro-Matte 24HR Foundation? What is your favorite brand of foundation and why? I love reading comments so put them down below.

A little disclaimer...this is not a sponsored post and note that this post contains affiliate links that cost you none but I will earn a small commission if you click and purchase through. If you don't want to click the link, it is totally fine. The fact that you read my blog is enough to make me happy.

Be sure to check back in for more reviews...

Or check this other must-read pieces:

3 Tips to Find Your Perfect Foundation Online + Press Release LAZADA

BEACH HUT MAX SPF 100 Review: Your Skin Will Thank You For It

Vice Phenomenal Matte Liquid Lipstick Review: Is It Worth the Hype?

Lazada

Lazada Launches First Super Brand Day with M·A·C

12:37 PM

Beauty

3 Tips to Find Your Perfect Foundation Online + Press Release LAZADA

3:18 AM

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links that cost you none but I will earn a small commission if you click and purchase through.

3 Tips to Find Your Perfect Foundation Online

Let’s face it girls - foundations can make or break your look. And everyone wants to be naturally flawless 24/7…but not OA. However, it’s no easy task to find the right foundation for you. Plus, it’s also a difficult product to shop online!

Here are 3 useful tips to make shopping for foundation online easier:

1. Know Your Skin Needs.

There are thousands of foundations available on LAZADA and to help narrow down your choices, list down what you need. Do you need a formula with that absorbs oil or one that hydrates dry skin? Do you want sheer or full coverage? Do you want a matte or luminous finish? What you find will help you a lot when you type on that search bar.

2. Do Your Research!

You don’t have to leave the comfort of your own home just to check if a foundation is good or not. Google reviews. Beauty bloggers and vloggers are your friends. You can easily find out through online reviews if the foundation you want is the texture you’re looking for, if the coverage is good, or if the shade is actually perfect. Sometimes a shade will say, “Golden Goddess” but a vlogger will test it and show that it’s actually brown.

3. Know Your Skin Tone.

Warm or Cool? Watch for these words when you’re reading the item description. It can help you find your perfect match.

Try out by looking at your veins. If your veins are blue, your skin tone is cool and your skin usually has a pale, rosy tint. If your veins are green, your skin tone is warm and your skin has a yellowish tone. Another way to determine your skin tone is through the jewelry you wear. If you look best in gold, your skin tone is warm. If silver looks amazing against your skin, then you’re cool-toned.

You can also visit the Brand Official Stores and look at the Product Description page. The product info will usually say if the shade is “warm” or “cool,” narrowing your choices even further.

Helpful tip: The lower the number, the lighter the shade; the higher the number the darker the shade.

Here’s a cheat sheet to finding your perfect foundation:

Oil-Free	Maybelline Fit Me! Matte & Poreless Foundation, P399
Poreless	Maybelline Dream Satin Liquid Foundation, P499
Long-Wear	L’Oreal Paris Infallible Pro-Matte Liquid Foundation, P700
Full Coverage	L’Oreal Paris Infallible Total Cover Liquid Foundation, P700
Skin-Caring	L’Oreal Paris True Match Liquid Foundation, P520

Good news, beauty shoppers! This June 1 is Foundation Day! To help you find the perfect foundation that will make you snap your selfie and tag it with #MySuperBase, shop for exciting promos available on LAZADA now! L’Oréál Paris and Maybelline is offering 35% off on their bestselling foundations, an additional 15% voucher for a minimum spend of P799, and exclusive Foundation Day Sets every makeup maven will love.

Beauty

Finding the Right Red Lip Color for Your Skin Tone and Guide to Wearing It

3:18 AM

Bold red lips is a the ultimate classic look but not all women have the guts to sport it. It is probably because it feels hard to find the right shade of red lipstick that would suit your skin tone.

Out there, Pinterest most especially, there are thousands of guides, cheat sheets and infographics on how to find the perfect red lipstick for your skin tone.--and they do help! But, for me, choosing the right red shade takes time and patience. Also, it is about how bold you want to go.

Finding the Perfect Red Lip Color for Your Skin Tone

Needless to say, many of the guides I have read share the same general rules that go like this:

Dark skin tones go well with the ones that have berry undertones or those that have a deep shade of red.
Warmer skin tones go well with bright red shades or bright like the orange-red lipsticks.
Light skin tones should suitably go with cooler shades of red.

Well, to be honest, I totally forgot all those things when I was at the mall shopping for makeup. It suddenly occurred to me that I want to be able to sport bold red lips every once in a while, say at least once a week. With that in mind, I needed to find a shade that was okay to wear even during daytime.

So, I patiently took the time to swipe different shades and brands of red lipstick on my morena skin--on the back of hands, first. When my choices were down to three, I tried it on my lips. I had to because my face was lighter than the rest of my body.

That is because of the whitening moisturizer that I apply day and night--never skipped a day. As for my the rest of my body, erm, sometimes I use whitening lotion, sometimes just regular lotion. But that is besides the point.

Before I tell you what shade and what brand I bought, here is a little illustration of how red lip color should ideally enhance your face. I chose the pictures from Pexels based on my own understanding of the many different guides I have read online.

Oh, screw the rules of make up! It is so confusing. In my understanding, the idea is to get the red lip color to pop without being too overwhelming on your face.

I ended up choosing the shade I was comfortable with. And I so far made the right choice--I think. I have been using this color since then.

The brand I bought was Maybelline Rich Ruby Creamy Matte Lipstick. I am not endorsing this product, this is not a paid review. I simply wrote this as a regular consumer who has found a lipstick in the shade of red that she can wear daily.

Maybelline Rich Ruby ColorSensational Creamy Matte Lip Color

As I have earlier said, I have morena skin so this is how Rich Ruby looks like on my hand.

Maybelline Rich Ruby ColorSensational Creamy Matte Lip Color

And here I am wearing the red lipstick from Maybelline...

Just the lipstick and eyebrow makeup...oh...the clear skin filter of my cellphone's front camera. :)

Now that I have the courage to wear red lipstick. There are a few rules that I follow. Read on below:

Guide to Wearing Bold Lip Color

Balance your make up. To minimize the intensity of your makeup, especially during daytime, I believe that if you are sporting bold lips, the rest of your face should have subtle makeup. I choose to wear only mascara and eyeliner on my eyes and keep my eyebrows neat whenever I wear my new red lipstick. (There are, of course, occasions where you are allowed to have bold eyes and bold lips.)
Carry a mirror. Trust me, you will want to check on your lips from time to time just to make sure the bold red pigment stays only on your lips.
Use bold lipstick with a lip liner. Lip liner defines your lips and keeps the color from bleeding to the skin outside of your lips. It also extends the wear of your lip color.

I hope this helps those who think they can never pull off bold lips. I have never worn red lipstick before. I did not think it was possible for me to do. If you have anything to share please leave it in the comments below. I would love to hear from you.

Beauty

Fake M.A.C Cosmetics: How to Spot Them

3:31 AM

Now a days more and more counterfeit products are being sold because reality-wise there is a market for those things. However, what about those who are against fake products? Some of them fall victims to this awful money making scheme.

One of the brands that are being continuously imitated by makers of counterfeit makeup is M.A.C. Usually the price of a dupe M.A.C cosmetics, which is unusually very low, is a dead giveaway or the most obvious indication that it is not the real thing. However, there are even more stubborn sellers who would sell these fake ones at a price similar to the authentic counterpart and that's a rip off, is it not?

Some would go as far as saying that the reason they can sell these fakes at a low price is because they bought it online in bulk--aka wholesale. Don 't fall for it.

As the official M.A.C website would define it, the counterfeit version is actually an illegal imitation. Often the intention is to deceive buyers as they take advantage of the name and value of the product being copied.

Because counterfeit M.A.C makeup often lack the superior quality, there is a chance that the fake version will have an reaction to the wearer's skin.

In effort to protect their customer's and their name, M.A.C says that they do not sell its products through individuals, street vendors, flea markets, internet auctions, independent boutiques or unauthorized online retailers. In short, the company only distributes its cosmetics through their official website or their official retailers. The company also does wholesale its products online.

Still their are fake M.A.C products that circulate the market. To avoid becoming a victim of these dupes let us take a look at this fake M.A.C eyebrow palette. If you go to either the international or local website, they do not have this palette. The original M.A.C Brow Duo looks entirely different.

This product comes in a box that looks authentic at first glance. The logo of the company is makes it look legit. But flip it over and check the back o the box.

You can immediately tell that something is fishy with this brow palette by looking at the instructions written on the back.

"Reconcile with the color," says at the first line...okay what does that even mean? Read the rest and be the judge.

Here is what is underneath the palette itself.

Usually, you just need to take a look at the logo on the counterfeit product. High quality beauty items, such as M.A.C. makeup items, will also invest in the quality of their packaging and their overall product look. This means that even the logo that they etch on their makeup should be as perfect as the product itself.

Here have a close look at the logo on this fake brow palette. Compare it with the logo over the official website. This imperfection is something you will rarely or will never see at all in real M.A.C Cosmetics.

Now you know how to spot fake M.A.C cosmetics. Let us help put an end to this illegal acts. Also, you can report to the company information such as name and location of the shop or person selling fake counterparts along with pictures by sending them an email.