I follow a lot of makeup artists, bloggers, celebrities, and random beauty accounts on Instagram, and I noticed how most of them go overboard when it comes contouring. Originally intended for on-stage performances, I can say intense contouring has definitely gone mainstream.

To be honest, I don't think the intense contouring trend will ever be for me. For one, my skin tends to flake when rubbed immensely. Plus, I live in a tropical country. So just imagine how heavy and uncomfortable it would feel if I hit the streets wearing Kim Kardashian's face.

On the other hand, I plead guilty to being a big fan of subtle contouring. I have a round/ovalish face. So yeah, a little contouring here and there definitely adds dimension to my face.

I have been using Guerlain Terracotta as my bronzer since 2014, and it works magic for me. Earlier this month, I tried looking for a more affordable bronzer to try. And luckily, while browsing for products at SM Department store, I checked the aisle of E.L.F. cosmetics and found a blush and bronzer powder duo priced at Php 249.75! It's available in 3 shades (see below). I ended up getting St. Lucia.
For the packaging, I can't help but compare it to NARS. It features a big mirror, which I find particularly handy. The only difference I noticed is that the NARS packaging comes in a velvety matte finish.


For the product itself, I find the quality to be annoyingly chalky. I also observed that it crumbles easily. But for what it's worth, I'm willing to overlook these observations.

For the color pay off, both the blusher and the bronzer are impressive. The colors are really pigmented, which means a little goes an incredibly long way.

There are days when I thank myself for braving to do something spontaneous, and today's definitely one of those days. I literally woke up itching to get my left ear pierced for no definite reason. So I brought the idea up to my best friend, then we decided to get our ears pierced together.

I got my left ear lobe pierced at Claire's Bonifacio High Street, it's located right beside Planet Sports. The sales specialists at Claire's were very accommodating, they entertained all of our inquiries and were really friendly. We chose the 14k white gold 3mm crystal emerald stud since we are both May celebrants. The total was Php 2,545.00, inclusive of 1 travel-sized cleaning agent (Claire's Ear Care Solution) and the actual piercing process.  Since the set included only 1 cleaning agent, I cashed out an extra Php170.00 to avail of another one.We were also given a 20% off coupon for our next purchase, which I immediately used.


The process was actually pretty straightforward. The specialist clipped the strands hanging near my left ear up to get better access, then cleaned the area using a cotton damped with alcohol. She asked me to remove my left earring to have a more accurate estimate on where I want the new piercing to be placed. She marked the area using a purple marker, then asked me if the positioning was okay. After that, she went on and "loaded" the earring to the gun.

Her holding the piercing gun against my ear was probably the most heart-wrenching part. I honestly did not know what to expect. But before I knew it, the earring was already attached to my ear. Believe it or not, it felt like a brisk pinch, a brisk pinch delivered by a toddler. Nothing unbearable. Once it was done, the specialist cleaned the area using the special cleaning agent then asked me to twist the earring around. She told me to do the same 2-3 times a day for 3 weeks for immediate healing. She also told me not to remove the earring for 3 weeks.


The experience altogether was very overwhelming. And no, I'm not referring to the slight stinging I felt afterwards, it's more of a "Wow!! I can't believe I did it!!" kind of feeling. This, for me, serves as a metaphor that I can do anything as long as I trust myself. #arte

Definitely recommend getting your ears pierced at Claire's!