In2It Waterproof Gel Liner (Very Black): Review + Eyeliner for Beginners (Tips)

Before I go on with the formal content of this post, I would like to invite everyone to join my ongoing giveaway. I will be giving away a hair dye from the Japanese brand called Dariya Palty in the shade Milk Tea Brown, which happens to be one of the popular shades they have. It is open internationally so everyone is encouraged to join. :) (You will probably see this introduction in most of my future posts up until the giveaway is over. I hope you don't mind the post by post plug. ^^)

One of the questions I usually encounter from friends who recently come to realize their fascination with makeup is how to line the eyes. My initial reaction? Which part? Are you talking about lining the waterline, tightlining or lining the upper lash line? What type of lining technique do you want to achieve? Do you want a droopy eye, a cat eye or just simple definition of your natural lash line? The possibilities when it comes to lining eyes in general are varied that is why it is very hard for me to come up with just a short answer.

Product Used: Dolly Wink Liquid Eyeliner

For one, we all have different eye shapes. Different eye shapes have different lining styles that compliment them. Two, I'm not an expert at this field. I don't really consider myself as an expert at any kind of makeup. I mainly just view myself as an enthusiast. So ultimately, I have a lot of knowledge regarding cosmetics but all the knowledge I have are things that I've just acquired over years of inquiring and researching. I've never received professional training so I guess I can say that the technique I use is that of a beginner. I say this because I want to warn you beforehand. And I want to repeat this for emphasis-- I am not a makeup expert. But then again, if you're interested to know what this novice has to say, then by all means, continue reading. :)

I can still remember the time when I first got curious with the concept of lining the eyes. I didn't know anything. I was watching tutorials on youtube and was fascinated by the different ways and different kinds of liners one may choose to apply them. Back then, I only knew of how to line my waterline. Fortunately, I was never the type of person to be afraid of getting poked by eyeliners. Hence, ever since I was a young girl, whenever my mom would do my makeup (for special occassions), I would be the one to personally line my waterline. My mom just had to show me how to do it once and I was able to follow. So for a tip, I should say that for you to successfully line your waterline, you must have a steady hand and a brave heart. Of course, a good waterproof eyeliner would prove to be helpful as well. But if you really can't stand 'pointy' things near your eyes, then don't push it. There are a lot more ways to line your eyes that would be more appropriate for you.

The next technique I was able to master was the art of lining my upper lash line. To be honest, it took me a long period of trial and error before I actually felt like I was already doing a good job. And frankly, there are still days when I feel like my eyeliner application just looks like a mess. The only tip I can give you is to continuously practice. Remember that most people do not master this technique in just a week or two. Take me for example. It took me months and months before I got the hang of lining my upper lash line. So if it didn't work out the first time, don't be discouraged. Just try again and eventually, you will find the stroke that is most comfortable and convenient for you.

Tightlining is a different technique as it requires you to touch your upper waterline which is pretty hard at first and would most probably tear you up. But thanks to TheMakeupChair, I found the easiest way to line your upper waterline! I'm not sure if it will work for you but it definitely did for me. Here's a video of me doing the technique so you can easily understand how just a simple method of closing your eyelids would turn this chore into a habit (link). 

Personally, I was able to master these techniques by using pencil eyeliners first. The shape of it is what made me choose this as a beginner tool because it's very sturdy and I feel in control. I suggest you explore different kinds of eyeliners and choose the one that you feel most comfortable with. I have friends who learned it by using an angled brush and a gel liner first, so really, it's all about your own preference.

Also, I don't jump from one kind of eyeliner to another. I don't practice them all at the same time. I first focused on pencil liners, followed by gel liners then liquid liner. When I first mastered applying eyeliner on my upper lash line with the use of kohl pencil, I found it easiest to transition to gel liner by simply lining my lash line with it first then tracing it or topping it off with gel liner afterwards. Through this, I developed my gel liner skills and was able to apply them without the kohl pencil as a mark underneath. I followed the same trend in learning how to apply the liquid liner. You can also try to make use of this technique but again, if you don't feel comfortable doing all this work, don't push it. Just stick to a technique that, you guessed it, keeps you at ease.

There is no single way of telling you how you should learn eye lining. It is for you to discover on your own. Just make sure to practice, practice, and did I say practice? You will eventually learn by repitition. Don't stress over it so much and definitely don't give up half way.

Now let me take this opportunity to share with you a product that you might be interested in. This is a good product especially for those who are most comfortable with using pencil type eyeliners. It's a gel liner packaged as pencil type! It combines the ease of use of pencil type eyeliners and the opaque and creamy formula of gel liners! The best part is it's waterproof so it's perfect to be used for lining the waterline and tightlining.

 

The product is called the In2It Waterproof Gel Liner in the shade WG01 Very Black. The first thing I noticed was the packaging. I really like the design that's printed all over the pencil. The flowers make the pencil look girly, which I like. It has a cap to cover the tip and protect it from getting chipped.

It also comes with a sharper that is very useful. I find that when I use a different sharperner for this product, there is a higher chance that the tip would just simply break off. It also has a cleaning stick at the back to remove pencil residue in between the blades (not pictured, sorry).

It claims to be waterproof and long wearing, which I can attest to. It also claims to not smudge and helps avoid panda eyes. I wouldn't necessarily say it's totally smudge proof but comparatively, this eyeliner withstands smudging, running and bleeding better than other eyeliners out there. It dries and sets after a couple of seconds. I personally don't really time it so I'm not sure if the 60 second claim is true. I feel like it dries sooner than that.

True to its shade name, this eyeliner is "very black".

It is super creamy and easy to apply. I really like this product and I got it for PHP 379.75 at Watsons in SM Makati. If you're transitioning from pencil liners to gel liners, or maybe you're just finding it hard to work with angled brush and the typical gel liner in a jar, then this might be the answer to your problems! I highly recommend it.

I hope this post has helped you in one way or another. If you have other tips or stories to share, please don't hesitate to comment down below as I'm sure many people reading this would appreciate it.

I'm sorry this post turned out to be lengthy. Mian~

Vision Check: Tip

The Almighty Father has given us one pair of eyes to last us a lifetime therefore we must take care of it properly. Admittedly, I don't have 20/20 vision. I have astigmatism on my right eye and probably myopia on my left (not sure 'cause it could have healed but I haven't had it checked yet). Nonetheless, this had cause my vision to be less sharp. It's not that I can't see without my glasses but light seems to be refracted differently. I just wanted to share this so you'd know.

When my eyes started having problems, I noticed that light emitting devices form "rays". I'm not sure if you know what I mean but let's say I was looking at the time stamp on the dvd player. The lines of the numbers actually emit "rays" like when we draw the sun in our elementary art works. I also noticed that I had frequent headaches and it was hard for me to concentrate on doing something intricate because it would then lead to another headache.

When my eyes are both opened, I can see clearly. But when I cover my left eye, my right can't see fine details clearly. Some letters of a certain size would come comepletely blurred. I suggest when you have a feeling your vision is getting worse, check your eye one at a time. Cover one eye and check the uncovered one. Use reading magazines and read it about a feet away from you.

If you notice something weird, don't hesitate to call for a doctor's appointment. Four years ago, I noticed having the symptoms I specified above and I did not have my eyes checked. I only found out I had vision problems a few months after and now the problem of my right eye is pretty bad. I'm almost 20/20 on my left and my right is 20/40. Anyway, I just wanted to share this with you guys. I know its not something new. Just treat this as a reminder. That's all for now! Take care! :)

Oily Bangs: Tip

Ever since I started having my hair cut with side bangs 4 years ago, I've always loved the way it looks and frames my face. I only have one problem with it. As I have combination skin, my face tends to get a bit oily in the middle of the day. My bangs naturally lie on my forehead and as my face builds up oil, some of it gets absorbed by my bangs. Result? Coagulated (oily/ greasy) bangs!

Now what do I do to as a solution to this problem? Loose powder! I get a bit of powder and I run it down my bangs. I rub it until the powder color blends to my real hair color. As a result, my hair becomes dry and fluffy once again! Yay! :)

Current Skin Care Routine: Combination Oily Skin

Hi guys! Thought I wouldn't do a post today? Haha! You guessed wrong! I've been really lazy these past few days. I'm not sure if you've noticed but my posts have been really short and effortless. Anyway, I plan to make it up today.

Before I go straight to the topic posted above, I went out yesterday to check if the salon was open and it was once again closed! I tried calling their number but I couldn't get through. Always busy. I think it closed down for good. Oh no! I'm the type of person who's really hesitant to let 'strangers' touch my hair. I felt really comfortable with my previous stylist but I don't know what his personal number is! I should've asked him! I'm really hoping they just went for a two week vacation because we asked the stall next to the salon and they told us they haven't opened in two weeks so there's this possibility that they've closed down for good. *tantrums* :'(

Okay, so onto my other skin care routine. I posted my acne control skin care routine before and I believe I told you I would be sharing my 'other' skin care routine so here it is! I have combination skin, more on oily actually but let's just stick with combination (cause I do have dry patches at times). Here's my skin care routine when I don't have noticeable breakouts:

1. Clean and Clear: Clear Fairness Cleanser
2. C.Y. Gabriel Soap 
3. Nivea: Visage Refreshing Toner
4. AHA + Antioxidant
5. Ponds Flawless White Day and Night Cream
6. Pure Beauty Super Brightening Eye Gel
7. Sugar

That's just the list in case you're not interested in what I have to say on each product. If you want to know my thoughts on each product, please continue reading. :)


1. Clean and Clear: Clear Fairness Cleanser

- works just as well as the normal Clean and Clear foaming facial wash, which was what I was originally looking for. The grocery didn't have it on stock that time so I just grabbed another Clean and Clean cleanser and this is what I got. It has soft beads for mild exfoliation. It did not break me out, thankfully. No noticeable skin lightening, which is a good thing but I kind of wanted something that would help me evenout my skin tone because I have pimple scars.

2. C.Y. Gabriel Soap: Special Pink

- I have lightly touched this product on my previous post about my backne getting better. It has a strong soap smell. If you're not a fan of soaps with fragrance, this is not the soap for you. It's a whitening soap but ever since I used it, I did not see any skin lightening although my backne scars has lessened. It has also decreased the amount of backne I had. You are required to use a face towel for this soap. You can't apply it directly onto your skin. I read the literature the soap comes with. Yay for me! :)     


3. Nivea: Visage Refreshing Toner

- This toner works well. It has a mild powdery smell that I like. Reminds me of babies. Haha! Anyway, it has a moisturizing agent that's why after applying, the product doesn't immediately dry up. It leaves skin really smooth and soft. I think this is a good product but I still want to try other brands. Personally, I want a toner that would leave my skin feeling squeeky clean instead of smooth and soft. I let my moisturizer do its job in terms of smoothness and softness. The problem is not the product but just my personal preference.

4. AHA + Antioxidant
- It's just the same thing I use with my acne control skin care routine. I get this from my dermatologist.


5. Ponds Flawless White Day and Night Cream

- It's also the same product I use with my acne control skin care routine.


6. Pure Beauty Super Brightening Eye Gel

- Please disregard the lipstick featured in the photo above. I was too lazy to take another picture of the eye gel. I have been using this eye gel for two weeks now and I want to use it some more before I actually say something about it. I plan to do a more in depth review on this product in the future. I've also added this in my acne control skincare routine, after my day/night cream.


7. Sugar

- I use kitchen sugar to exfoliate my skin once a week. I usually use the muscovado one. My face feels super soft after. :)


Hopefully, this post was helpful in one way or another. I will be going to bed now. Toodles! :)


*I just got some of the images over the internet. I was too lazy to take my own picture. Sorry.

Egg White Pore Strips: Tip

I have tried different commercially available pore strips that promises to reduce if not remove the number of blackheads/whiteheads onto your nose. To my disappointment, none of them worked for me. Thankfully, though, I'm not afraid to try out kitchen beauty tips. This is, by far, one of the best kitchen beauty tip I have ever known, which is why I'm sharing it to you guys.

 

You will need:
- 1 pc. egg
- tissue/ toilet paper
- 2 bowls (container)
- face towel
- warm water

Preparation:
Wash your face and apply heat (steam/ use a face towel soaked in warm water and lightly dab it on your nose area/face) to open up your pores.

Instructions:
1. Separate the egg white from egg yolk and place them in different bowls. Set the egg yolk aside and whisk the egg white.
2. Prepare your tissue/toilet paper (1 ply).
3. Spread the egg white on the area you want the strip to be on.
4. Apply the toilet paper over before it dries.
5. Once it has completely dried, carefully remove the strip as you would remove a commercially available pore strips.

And you're done! :)

Even though this is ideal for your nose, you can actually use this for your entire face. You may also use the egg yolk as a mask.

Baby Oil as Make-up Remover

I'm pretty sure you guys know that one of the key things to achieve good looking skin is to keep it clean. After a day's work, one must NEVER forget to remove one's make-up. It doesn't matter how much make-up is on your face but I'm telling you. Remove it before going to sleep! Let your skin breathe! If you don't, then you better be prepared for breakouts and the sort.

I'm not actually the type of person who wears a lot of make-up every single day. When I'm at home, I actually don't put anything after cleansing, toning and moisturizing. When I go out though, I use pressed powders, blush, lippies and eyeliners. I only use foundation, concealers, mascaras and other cosmetics when I have a special event to attend to or if I'm trying out looks I've learned over youtube.

All that aside, I make sure that before going to sleep, I remove the make-up on my face. Regularly, I don't have much to worry because most of my everyday make-up can be removed with just my facial wash. There are times, though, that my eye make-up tends to be stubborn. For this, I use baby oil! Yes, you got that right! Baby oil! Just place a few on a cotton pad or a soft tissue and I easily swipe it over my eye make-up.

Specifically, I use Johnson's baby oil like in the picture above. I have both colors actually but I usually use the green one for no particular reason. Using baby oil is as good as using commercially sold make-up removers out there. Personally, I have tried Clinique's make-up remover and I don't see any difference, performance wise.

Okay, so maybe baby oil is cheaper and was not originally made for that. But trust me, it does the job just as well. You can try it too! I am aware that other people's skin does not really match well with commercially available make-up removers. Either they experience this stinging sensation or get their skin irritated. Baby oil is made especially for... well, babies! Therefore, its ingredients are gentle to match babies' skin. Anyway, I'm not forcing you to try this too. If you're not comfortable using baby oil, then you can just stick with your trusty make-up remover. :)

I was actually going around youtube earlier and I saw Michelle Phan's video about virgin olive oil as make-up remover and I saw featured videos of other people who use baby oil as their make-up remover too! This may not be the world's biggest secret but I just wanted to share this with the other people who doesn't know yet.

As for my experience, baby oil is effective in removing make-up. Just make sure to wash your face to remove oil remains after. :)

Conditioning Hair is Important: My Hair Story + Tips to Shiny Hair

Let me brief you on this post. This will have 3 parts. The first part will be the story on how my hair lost its shine. The second part will be the importance of hair conditioner and will be followed by the remedies I did to regain my hair's shine.

WARNING: This post includes self praise. Forgive me for doing so. LOL

MY HAIR LOST ITS SHINE

When I was in high school I had long, straight, waist-length hair. It was cut in V-shape and only had few layers. My hair is one of my assets. I even got a recognition during my junior prom because of my hair. To cut it short, my hair was beautiful, long and shiny... up until my senior year.

During my senior year, I got more and more lazy with taking care of my hair. My parents used to buy me shampoo and conditioner whenever they go do the groceries. As I got lazy, I asked my parents to just buy me the shampoo with conditioner products in store. Yes, it was because I was lazy to condition my hair after shampoo-ing. They eventually got me Palmolive Naturals (Shampoo with Conditioner) Anti- Dandruff Therapy. The said product was actually good. It smells nice and got rid of my dandruff. Since it already had conditioner, my hair was actually kind of soft.

I have read somewhere that it's better if you don't shampoo your hair everyday. It's better if you just use conditioner (alone) from time to time. I'm not the expert in this area but I guess you can tell when to use your shampoo and when you can go alone with just conditioner. My hair strands are super fine and I can't go through the day without shampoo-ing my hair. It tends to get greasy in less than 24 hours. Thus, I shampoo my hair everyday and I use the product mentioned above for everyday use.

I didn't notice dramatic changes on my hair until my mother pointed out that my hair was loosing its shine. I was surprised and examined my hair closely (which I haven't done in a long time). It has indeed lost its shine! All because I was too lazy to condition my hair separately!

IMPORTANCE OF HAIR CONDITIONER (AND HOW IT WORKS)

One should use conditioner after shampoo-ing hair. Why? Let me tell you some nerd-ish facts about hair, shampoo and conditioner.

I want you to imagine one strand of hair as a straight line. Done? So let's discuss what happens to the hair when we shampoo it. Most shampoos are basic in nature meaning they have a high pH. This is because it has to rid the hair of dirt and oil build up. Now, when our hair meets shampoo, some parts of the hair tends to stick out. I can't find an exact illustration of how this would look like but supposing our hair is a straight line, just imagine that from side to side, there are flicks (fly away lines), much like roots branching out from one main line. Now when this happens, light that are directed on it cannot convey shine because there are little flicks that destroy the light concentration. This results to dull, non-shiny hair. Adding to this, imagine if you comb through hair that has flicks from side to side. It may damage it by enlarging the flicks that may cause split ends in the long run. Since we're not talking about split ends here, let me go back to our topic and discuss the conditioning parts. If you're concerned about split ends, just comment below and I might talk about split ends in the future. After all, I was also a victim of excessive split ends.

Anyway, back to what I was saying... Even if you run water on your hair after shampoo, the flicks would not go away. Now here's where conditioning of hair comes in. Most hair conditioners are, on the other hand, more acidic in nature. Meaning, it has a lower pH than shampoos. When base meets acid, it neutralizes. Right? The same thing happens when our shampoo-ed hair meets hair conditioner. It neutralizes the basic effects of shampoo and reverts our hair strands back to a straight line (no flicks) so that when light is directed upon it, light can be concentrated, resulting to shiny hair. Thus, conditioning after shampoo-ing is a MUST.

Now why did I get dull hair when in fact, I used shampoo with conditioner? Analyzing the facts I have stated above, shampoos with conditioner cannot bring about the same effect. True, these products may have lower pH than normal hair shampoos but since it's a combination of two products, it would most probably have both properties at the same time. I guess that's why my hair was still soft. And I also guess that's why it wasn't able to revert back my hair into a straight line (if you've read my nerd-ish fact above, I know you know what I meant). In conclusion, the product I have specified above did NOT cause me to have dull hair. It was my negligence. And yes, I learned the hard way. You still have to use conditioner after using products such as those.

GAINING BACK MY HAIR'S SHINE 

Given that my hair was already damaged, I could do nothing but change my habit and be a little more patient in separately using shampoo and conditioner. After all, it did not take me too long to do so.

To aid the process of giving my hair back its shine, I used this product called Citre Shine. It was, once again, suggested by my best friend and it did wonders for my damaged hair. Of course, I used both the shampoo AND conditioner. Citre Shine costs a little bit more than your usual advertised shampoos and conditioner. I bought it in Landmark Makati.

Now for those who are on a budget, if you have damaged your hair the same way that I did, I suggest that you use Johnson's Baby Shampoo (in yellow). Yes, no more tears! Haha! Baby shampoos apparently have lower pH than most shampoos. I don't know about other baby shampoos but I was able to use Johnson and Johnson partnered with Cream Silk conditioner and the results were great. I used it for a duration of 1-2 months right after Citre Shine corrected my problem.

Other people have mentioned that Shine Moist Henna Wax makes hair soft and shiny. Actually, I have a tub of it in Natural (meaning there's no color in it) and I used it a while ago but I don't exactly remember if it actually made my hair shiny. I do remember that my hair was remarkably soft. As for the shine, I would have to use it again and probably make a review on it in the future.

I hope this entry was helpful for you and I really hope you get the shiny hair that you've been yearning for.


(I bought this/these product/s with my own money and I am not getting paid for anything I say about it. Note that these are just my opinions and I do not guarantee that what I say would hold true in everyone's case.)