My first Zoeva Brushes | Filipina Tries Out Zoeva Brushes

A few posts back, I talked about my favorite makeup brushes. In that post, I talked about how much I love affordable brushes. I don't own a lot of expensive brushes aside from one bamboo kabuki brush from Tarte which I barely use. It's not that I don't want to experience these hyped up brushes, it's just that I would rather allot my money on other things like makeup, clothes or food. I keep thinking that if ever I get these brushes, I don't want to get just one. I have been eyeing several brushes from Zoeava and Morphe in the past few months. So when Sephora Philippines had a 15% off discount in its entire site, I grabbed the opportunity and got these brushes. I got a good deal but I still think that I paid a pretty penny for both of these.

The brushes came in separate zip bags (as seen in the photo above) that are sturdy enough to be reused. I could definitely use these when I travel. The two brushes that I got are the ever famous 102 Silk Finish Brush (804 Php) which is usually out of stock in the Sephora Ph site, and the 103 Defined Buffer Brush (804 Php). Like I mentioned before, I love face brushes, so I decided to pick these two.

Here are the brushes up close:

Aren't they beautiful?

Now, let's talk about each individual brush.

Zoeva 102 Silk Finish

On the Sephora site, it says:

The 102 Silk Finish is a vegan foundation brush that helps you achieve a natural, streak-free finish. Its bristles are soft but sturdy, perfect for applying and blending of powder and mineral makeup.

I don't own anything like this. I also got if because I find that a lot of makeup artists on Youtube seem to own this. I will give this brush a whirl using several products to see where this works best. I don't think I like this for powder, maybe for setting my under eyes?

103 Defined Buffer

The description for this brush on the Sephora site is:

The 103 Defined Buffer is a vegan foundation brush specially shaped for a full coverage application of foundation. Its angled head is perfect for applying and blending foundation on the eye and contour areas.

I'm also planning on using this for foundation or BB Creams. I love the shape of this brush. It reminds me of my favorite angled brush from Landmark. The difference, of course, is that this one has a sharper edge compared to the round edge of my beloved brush.

Here they are side by side:

These have such great weight to them. They're so shiny and spanking brand new that I don't want to use them! Of course, that won't happen, since I really do need to use them. Haha.

Now, here are closeups of the handles. They have shiny handles with specks of glitter in them. There are no other words to describe them but beautiful. Better yet, they are vegan. 

I will definitely use these in an upcoming video. 

Have you tried Zoeva Brushes before?

Love,
Maple

Maple Loves: The Face Shop Design My Eyebrow #2

The Face Shop Design My Eyebrow Pencil

If someone told me that I can only use one makeup product for the rest of my life, it would have to be an eyebrow pencil. I haven't been wearing makeup for that long but I have developed a love affair with eyebrow pencils. I have really sparse eyebrows, so just imagine my glee when I discovered the power of eyebrow pencils.

Filipina Tries On: Zoeva Cocoa Blend Palette

Zoeva Cocoa Blend Palette

Hi there!

I hope you're all having a wonderful holy week, if you are from the Philippines. If not, then I still hope you are having a nice day. :)

For today's 'Filipina Tries On' segment, I would like to talk about my favorite palette as of the moment, the Zoeva Cocoa Blend Palette. I got this from Sephora Philippines. I actually had to wait for this to come back in stock because it has been out of stock for a while now. Even as I type, it is, again, out of stock at the Sephora PH site. I got this for 1,100++. If you are not willing to wait for this on Sephora, you can find it floating around Instagram or other online cosmetics stores. They are a little bit more expensive, though. Come to think of it, the Sephora PH shipping fee is also expensive. But if you buy a total of Php 1,300, you get free shipping. I just added a pair of nice false lashes to my cart to avail of the free shipping. Mind you, this was my first transaction with Sephora Philippines, but it was smooth and delivery time was short. So, two thumbs up for that. :)

Filipina Tries On: Pink Sugar Eye Candy Palette

Pink Sugar Eye Candy Palette

First off, let me explain my title. "Filipina tries on..." The phrase seems to be popular on Youtube nowadays. It's not that exactly but you can find all sorts of "Filipinos try," "Americans try," and so on. SO, I thought maybe I can use it for this blog. You know how cosmetics look different on every skin tone? That's what I was going for. So readers will have an idea how a particular product will look on a particular person. Am I confusing you yet? Anyways, this is somewhat a first impression / review of items that I will be featuring. I want to make this a segment on my blog.

So now, onto the main attraction! In today's "Filipina Tries On," I will be trying the Pink Sugar Eye Candy Palette in 01. :) To those of you unfamiliar with the brand Pink Sugar, it is a Filipino brand that was launched in 2015, if I am not mistaken. They used to only carry scents, but recently they came out with cosmetics. This is the second product I will be trying from the brand.

Weapons of Choice: Affordable Makeup Brushes + Where to get them

My favorite makeup brushes

 I believe that the tools we use to apply makeup on our faces are just as important as the makeup itself. I am a huge fan of makeup brushes. I have never tried the mainstream brands like Mac, Sigma, Zoeva, and Morphe to name a few. Fortunately, in the last several years, more affordable and accessible brands have made their way in the cosmetics scene here in the Philippines. Let me share some of my favorite brands and finds.

My Everyday Makeup Routine

     This is actually my first makeup tutorial post! Let me give you a back ground on my makeup "journey." When I was in high school, I always received makeup from my mom in the US. She would send me Maybelline and Covergirl mascaras and eyeliners, not that I knew how to put them on. It wasn't until my freshmen year in college that I started taking interest in wearing makeup. I had on simple makeup: powder foundation, mascara and blush. That was it! Then, my mom introduced me to Youtube beauty videos that I took more interest in the art and started learning simple techniques here and there. The first ever Youtube beauty guru I've ever watched was fafinettex3 or Aubrey, in real life, a Filipino beauty guru based in the US. Then I subscribed to the Fowler sisters, Elle and Blair (allthatglitters21 and juicystar07 respectively), Michelle Phan, Julie of julieg713, Kandee Johnson, the Pixiwoo sisters to name a few and I haven't looked back since. I am an official Youtube beauty channel fiend, watching a ton of tutorials everyday! I have subscribed to a ton of channels on Youtube all focused on beauty and fashion. Long story short, I have been influenced by this new form of media with regards to makeup. Watching on Youtube is like getting free makeup lessons from makeup artists with the likes of Lisa Eldridge without ever leaving the comforts of your own home.

     With that out of the way, here's my everyday makeup routine! I love to keep it simple and looking fresh and awake. My makeup routine has evolved ever since but I still keep it within my comfort zone, prefect for everyday.

  

Princess of Random

     Consistency. That's something I lack. If you've gone through this whole blog and read the few articles I've posted on here, you'll see that I'm VERY inconsistent. I post whatever floats my boat. Haha. Since yesterday, after attending the Digital Influencer Bootcamp conducted by THE Janette Toral, held at the Kalayaan Center in Pasig City, I could not help but over think the purpose of this blog. Number one, it's titled the Girl in the Floral Dress. I hardly wear florals anymore. I was dubbed with the title because of this one summer when all I fancied was anything printed in floral, thus where the title of my blog was coined. Number two, I'm in a constant changing phase. One day I like pants, the next I'm into skirts or dresses. I should have named this blog "Girl in a dress" instead. But that sounds too funny. Haha. Boy, do I crack myself up. Excuse me. One that has remained constant is that I am forever in love with fashion and beauty. I may not be the most stylish person you'll encounter but I keep an eye on the latest trends out there whether I try it myself or not. My personal style is comfortable, and for a few months now, I love injecting it with my own definition of class. I feel like as my age progresses, so does my clothing choices. It is true that you can only wear a certain style for a certain span of time. Save, of course those gorgeous ladies (ahem, Hollywood) who don't look their age. I mean, I don't expect my grand mother to wear a bandage dress ala Kim Kardashian or Beyonce. Get my drift? So from now on, I dub myself "Princess of Random." That's just me, my personality. I'm totally random. I'll post random things on here that are of course, related to fashion & beauty and tidbits of other things from here and there. :)

     So, for my next order of randomness, I give you my outfit last Sabbath day during Father's day. :) You might ask me, why in the world are you wearing heels just to attend a Sunday service at church? Well, it's because I can and because I want to! Besides, Sunday is the few times I get to wear heels in a week. You see, I'm not the most graceful person in the whole world. I trip even with my own two feet. :P

     Outfit details: tank top - Forever 21; skirt - Liberte (Robinson's Dept. Store); cover-up - gifted; heels - People are People

Love lots,
Maple (the Princess of Random. Hihi.)

Screaming Neon

Neon colors are one of the rage these days. I'm not really one to dress up loudly, but when I came across this tulip skirt from Liberte at Robinson's department store, that was so cheap, who was I to pass it up? :)

Shirt- Forever 21; skirt- Liberte; heels- People are People; accessories- Mia Casa

I still can't believe I got a great deal for such a wonderful skirt. If you guys are wondering, I got it for only Php 550! I'm now so in love with Robinson's department store. :) I wore this outfit on a day at church. Since I was going neon, I put on my loudest, colored heels.

They went well together, don't you think? For the rest of my outfit, I just wore a simple shirt and matching black accessories to tone down the look a bit. :)

I am in love with these pieces. They are inspired jewelry from famous fashion houses. If you're like me who's on a budget, cheap, fashionable jewelries are the way to go.

Photo credits: my sister, Adelle

 Love lots,
Maple

Merry Christmas!

top and skirt- Forever21; sandals-Russ; bag-Tomato

A close up on my accessories:

feather necklace- Forever 21; bangle- WTC Bazaar

Just wanted to share with you a quick outfit post on what I wore on Christmas day. I celebrated this special day with my dad's side of the family. :) I had so much fun because I got to see my loved ones whom I only see on special occasions. As always, I'm all about comfort. Let's not forget the FLORAL touch to my outfit. ;) I will be posting pictures from our little gathering once I get the photos. :)

Hope you guys had a lovely Christmas day!

Love lots,

Maple

Cupcakes

During weekends, I normally hang out with my sisters. Yesterday, we went to three different locations. In the morning, we were supposed to drop by Bloggers United Bazaar held at Treston, Global City. We decided to hit Cupcakes by Sonja at Serendra instead and decided to go to the bazaar after we went to the, surprise, surprise, Forever 21 "sale" :)).

Look at those lovely "cotton" clouds!

Meet my sisters:

Despite the VERY hot weather we pretended to chill outside the cupcake house. :))

And, the star of this post, the yummy cupcakes:

Red Velvet and Carrot cupcakes! :D

How was your weekend?

Love lots, 

Maple