I started my 2017 with a major kikay kit upgrade! 💖
Last week, I was invited by Liz to Beauty Backstage. It was an exclusive shopping party with Bhagi's International. They are the official Philippine distributor of Catrice Cosmetics, Deborah Milano, Essence Cosmetics, Flormar Cosmetics, Jordana USA, Il Salone, Joe of London, and Entity. I admit that I am not very familiar with all of the brands mentioned, but it was fun to discover these top European and US brands!
I miss hanging out with my beauty blogger friends, so I am very grateful for this day. I spent the afternoon with Kaycee and Liz (fellow early birds) and we couldn't wait to shop! 😁 Being early during events has its perks - almost all shades are available for us to choose from. YAY!
But first, let's get to know the brands!
Catrice Cosmetics comes from Germany, and is inspired by the trends in the fashion capitals of the world. This brand is proud of their high-quality ingredients, luxurious textures, innovative formulas, and premium packaging. They don't test on animals. Price range is from P200 to P600.
Another German brand to love is Essence Cosmetics - they say NO to animal testing and YES to quality. Essence is a very popular drugstore cosmetic brand in Europe! They are able to keep the prices low by investing in product development, instead of hiring expensive supermodels to represent the brand. Price range is from P100 to P500. (AMAZING!)
With Deborah Milano, Italian creativity meets Italian style. Expertise, quality, and design are the hallmarks of Deborah Milano, the brand that stands for excellence and the Italian passion for beauty. Price range is from P300 to P800.
Flormar is the number 1 make up brand in Turkey. They have an amazing range of face bases!
Jordana is family-owned and based in Los Angeles, California. They've been in the market for over 25 years, and they're all about high-quality makeup that’s affordable. They also offer vegan products and products made in the USA. Price range is from P120 to P1,000.
There was literally a red carpet in the venue, as if we weren't already pampered enough! 😉
Now, it's shopping time! This shopping experience was both fun and confusing at the same time. I wanted a lot but I had to trim it down to 2 to 3 picks per brand. 😀
I don't have a legit contour product in my kikay kit (since I'm more into highlighters), so picking out the Catrice Prime and Fine Professional Contouring Palette in 010 Ashy Radiance (P499) was an easy decision. It comes with a cool-toned brown contour powder and a matching highlighter! I also wanted to update my blush collection, hence the Catrice Blush Artist Shading Palette in 010 Bronze Eclat (P499). (This blush shade was picked out for me by Ms. Katrina, Assistant Brand Manager of Bhagi's International.) To set my makeup and for retouch throughout the day, I also got the Catrice All Matt Plus Shine Control Powder in 025 Sand Beige (P379). These products look very promising, so I'm very excited to try them out!
I was having a low EQ moment as I approached the Essence booth and saw that they had palettes, so I forgot to take a photo of the booth itself. Haha! They launched a line called "Bloggers' Beauty Secrets" in collaboration with some of Europe's top beauty bloggers. These are great gift suggestions to your makeup junkie friends!
I had to ask them if the Essence Pure Nude Highlighter in 10 Be My Highlight (P379) is already available, since it had been out of stock in stores since late last year. Thank heavens it was! 😍 Based from all the Essence reviews I've read and watched, if you had to pick just one item from this brand, this would be it! (Now, I can't wait to try it out myself!) I needed a new mascara so I chose the Essence Lash Princess False Lash Effect Mascara (P349). It's not waterproof, so I figured it's more friendly for everyday wear. Last but not the least is this cute Essence Touch Up and Go! One-For-All Palette (P499). It contains a duo blush, 3 eyeshadows, a balm, and a duo applicator. I don't know if I'll be able to use it. It's so cute! I might just stare at it or give it away as gift. 😮
Il Salone is an Italian professional hair care brand. At this booth, I was able to pick 2 boxes of Il Salone Intense Professional Color Cream Permanent Hair Color. One of my hair resolutions is to just stick to my natural black hair color, but these babies are calling me! And so, I picked one in a lighter shade (8.3 Medium Golden Blonde), and another one in a darker shade (7 Dark Blonde) should I want just a hint of subtle color.
The first Jordana product I had is the Jordana Sweet Cream Matte Liquid Lip Color in Sweet Marsala Wine (P399) which was included in the Project Vanity Naughty and Nice Kit. Liz recommended the Tiramisu shade, which I got during the event. Another interesting product is the Jordana Complete Cover 2-in-1 Concealer & Foundation in 04 Natural Beige (P499). The last one was an impulsive pick - Jordana Fabuliner Bold Felt Tip Liquid Eyeliner in 01 Black (P399). I wanted a liquid liner pen, but this was the only one they had left and they didn't have testers. The bold felt tip (similar to a Pentel pen) might be too thick for my tiny crease, but we'll see!
I think I may have passed by Deborah Milano's kiosk at SM Beauty before, but have just never taken notice. I had the impression that this brand catered to the mature market. This Italian brand takes beauty seriously, and it's evident in the way they package their products. The product's aren't as affordable as other drugstore brands, but they do have a nice selection of foundations. My love for matte foundation won and I chose Deborah Milano 24 Ore Perfect Foundation in 02 True Beige (P749). I picked the second shade, because the first shade had strong pink undertones. My exciting find of the day was the Deborah Milano Absolute Lasting Liquid Lipstick in 13 Light Brown (P649). It's said to be very similar to Aqua Rouge Liquid Lipstick in terms of performance and staying power, only the one from Deborah Milano costs half the price! WOW! 😗
I imagined myself only taking a few minutes per booth, but it was impossible! When I reached Flormar, almost all their foundations were gone. Good thing they still had a lot of stocks of their bestselling Flormar Illuminating Make-up Base (P699). I also got 2 shades of Flormar Deluxe Cashmere Lipstick Stylo in DC 26 Festive Burgundy and DC30 Austere Brown (P399 each).
You can try the products first before taking your pick here! 😊
Joe of London
Entity
Romantic Collection
Last stop was the fragrances section, where we got to discover the brands Joe of London, Entity, and Romantic Collection. My picks were Joe of London EDPs in Sage and Orangy (which is said to smell like Jo Malone Orange Blossom Cologne). My bottle of Romantic Collection Hush of Blush Fragrance Mist reminds me of the cologne I used to wear during college.
You can find ALL these products at SM Beauty and Watsons! 💙 Will post detailed reviews of these products soon.
Thank you, Liz, Project Vanity team, and Bhagi's International for having me! 💋💋💋
Love,
Helen
