Revlon PhotoReady Perfecting and Color Correcting Primers Review

Primers, I can never get tired of them!  It's not because I use them a lot on myself but I use primers on all my clients depending on the needs of their skin!  I've gone through and tested a whole lot of primers and so far, they've all been put to use and I always welcome new primers as one is never enough!  

Revlon created a Photoready line meant for High Definition photography!  When I was just starting out collecting makeup, I search high and low to look for face primers available locally but obviously, I didn't find a lot so I tend to shop online or ask a friend to help me purchase when they're on travel!  

Today, one of the oldest name in drugstore makeup Revlon finally created a face primer they can call their own! 

Revlon Photoready

Perfecting Primer and Color Correcting Primer

AMW Makeover: June Bride

What's the source of my happiness?

You got it right!  Prettifying other people is the answer! 

I haven't posted much on AMW makeovers for quite some time as I've been caught up with a very busy schedule so I had to wait for July to post one of my June brides! 

 The Bride

Skin type: Combination (normal and dry)

Request: None

 The bride didn't go through any trial makeover with me so the day of her wedding was the first time I met her.  Once I saw her, I can't help but compliment her nice skin and all of a sudden, I have a "look" in mind which I'm glad came out the exact way as I've imagined!

I was aiming for soft looking brows, very light, neutral eye makeup, soft pink cheeks and lips!  The bride exclaimed that she had her pre-nup shoot done in China and this was how her makeup looks like.  For me, it was a huge compliment as I've always been a fan of pre-nup/bridal makeup done in China!  I've seen albums after albums and have always wanted to re-create a fresh, vibrant, no makeup-yet blooming kind of look!

 

Final look

The bride felt a bit uncomfortable with false lashes on but after a couple of minutes, she finally got the hang of it!  I appreciated the fact that she took my advise and wore a pair as it made a huge difference not only in person, but also on photos!

She's got great smile, don't you agree?

 

 Mother of the Bride

Skin type: Normal with dry patches

Request: None

Even without uttering a word for makeup requests, at the back of my head, I know what moms are aiming for especially on the day of their daughters/sons' wedding!

Natural and fresh minus the cake-y look.  Of course, the younger looking, the better!  Who wouldn't want to look younger than their real age right?  I know my mom would!  *laughs*

Lucky her, the mother of the bride have a very young-looking skin, it was a bit tricky on my part to find a matching foundation on her as she has some red pigmentation at the center of her face. I had to mix and foundations several times before finding the right one!  I also had to correct the redness by applying green colored corrector prior to foundation application.   Just in case you wonder, I used CK Foundation on her mixing my lightest and darkest shade to create a personalized shade for her.

For the rest of the makeup, I steered away from shimmery powders but went for eye shadows with a tiny bit of sheen to make her overall look more youthful.  I concentrated on applying the eyeshadow at the outer corners to "lift" her eyes creating youthful vibe!

I finished off with a peachy pink colored blush and to be honest, I forgot the exact shade of lipstick used as we tried various colors before she finally picked the one she likes!  So I guess it's a mix of this and that shade!  :)

Mother of the Bride

Au natural and glowing!

 

 Sister of the Bride 1

Skin type: Oily

Request: Natural makeup with falsies!

The eldest sister of the bride also have good skin.  After a bit of chit chat and interview, we were able to come into a conclusion that she has acidic skin.  I'm glad I did her makeup a bit earlier as I get to glance at her skin every now and then checking on her foundation.

Note: For acidic skin, some foundations may turn dark or orange.

So far, I picked the right shade of foundation (2 shades lighter) as the end result was foundation matched in heaven.

A very light, pinky peach shade of blush and lip color was used as "natural makeup" is the trend of this family :) 

Sister of Bride 1 final look

Check out the gorgeous smile!

 

 Sister of Bride 2

Skin: Combination (Normal/Oily)

Request: None

The second sister is actually a friend/ex-colleague of mine, she was the one who booked my services even without trial and I haven't seen her for more than 10 years!  It was nice catching up with her while I do her makeup.

For her makeup, I didn't have a hard time picking a foundation shade as she doesn't need much coverage, I used a light foundation from Paul & Joe and focused a bit on her eye makeup, creating more "depth" to her eyes.  I also thickened her brows a tiny bit using a shade lighter than her hair color so it'll show up a more natural and sweet.

Sister of the Bride 2 final look

I love her curls!  Suits her well!

Hair done by : Kim Tan Rodriguez
Photos by my loving husband Keith Tiu!

Which among the 4 is your favorite?
Keep smilin'
Stay happy!

AMW Reviews: Clinique Age Defense BB Cream

Western brands creating they're version of BB creams.  How good are they?

Well, they aren't bad!  I actually liked my Estee Lauder's CyberWhite Brilliant Cells Extra Intensive BB Cream so much I get to alternate it with my favorite Skin 79 VIP Gold BB Cream because *gasp* I only have a bottle of it left!  Mr. AMW, if you're reading this, time to book a flight to Korea!  *I wish*

Clinique, one of my to-go-to skincare brand came up with their version of BB Cream called Age Defense BB Cream.  

SPF - Check!

Anti-Aging - Check!

Is it worth he purchase?  Let's leave it blank for now and read my review to know my thoughts on this BeBe cream *laughs

Clinique says ---

This instant morning routine gives skin just about everything it needs for a quick start. SPF protection, antioxidants for prevention, plus enough coverage to banish imperfections. The perfect primer, too.

Why is BB Cream an Asian cult favorite?
Clinique's clients in Asia know it means perfect-looking skin. It will take you a minute to realize it's true.

AMW Reviews: Benefit Hervana Boxed Powder

When I mention Benefit, what comes to your mind?

Most of you probably would say Benetint!  In my case, I've always been drawn to Benefit's Box O' Powders (blushes) and I've always wanted to include this inside my train case but what's stopping me?  The bulkiness of the box and I'm a pro-space saver when it comes to my makeup kit.  But the brand never escaped my thoughts in terms of my personal blush collection, I've always been lemming for Benefit blushes but whenever I get online, I can't seem to pick one product because I tend to want at least 3 of them! (which isn't good for my credit card!)

It was great news when we finally have Benefit locally and I was one of the few lucky bloggers who get to "play" with testers and I went straight to their Box o' Powders!  I have to be honest, after all the testing, I came into a final conclusion, I want them all! 

BUT!  That's not possible, so I trimmed down my choices and went for Bella Bamba instead  (review HERE)  as it showed up  best on my skin. 

With my strong willpower, I can let the rest go, but there's ONE box that did not escape my mind for the past months, it must be the marketing strategy or the name?  Whatever it is, it's working!

A "good karma" face powder, that's how they call the newest boxed powder from Benefit. 

It didn't help that their online commercial was such a cutie too!  I watched it again and again and at the end of the day, I was weak, I gave in!

Weekend Food Tripping at: Yabu:House of Katsu

One of the many wonderful experiences we had during our Tokyo trip was definitely, the Food!  During our last day, Mr. AMW and myself went for authentic Tonkatsu (Note: Tonkatsu = Pork Cutlet) as based on research, Japanese cook Tonkatsu  in a very unique way!  Is there any difference with how pork chops would taste base on the way it was cooked? 


The answer is...DEFINITELY!

This was the dish I had in Tokyo that took my breath away, Keith and I weren't talking for 10 minutes as we were quietly enjoying every bite of the Tonkatsu slice with cold, finely shredded cabbage bursting inside our mouths!   It was a strange yet overwhelming sensation!

Now that we're back home, 3 months have passed and there were days I crave for the perfect Tonkatsu I tried in Tokyo and even complained why no one would bring the AUTHENTIC way of cooking Katsu here in Manila!

Well guess what?  Someone finally did!

Chef Kazuya Takeda, the head chef of Tonkatsu Takeshin (a popular Tonkatsu restaurant in Tokyo) is Yabu's partner on all things Katsu!  With the skills and knowledge of Chef Takeda on Katsu passed on to our local chefs, I have full faith that I will get to try authentic Tonkatsu here in Manila!

It was a busy weeknight and as soon as we're off from work, we went all the way to SM Megamall (Mind you, we haven't been back for almost a year!) just to visit the newest House of Katsu that recently opened at SM Megamall's Atrium --- YABU.

 The place was packed and it was a weeknight, we were led into our table and that's were the fun begins!

After we took our orders, we were given a bowl of sesame seeds and we were asked to grind it to make our Tonkatsu sauce more aromatic and flavorful!  This was quite new as I didn't get to experience this step in Tokyo!

 After grinding the sesame seeds, you can pour the Tonkatsu Sauce and mix it well.  Okay, while waiting, I dipped my fingers and gave the sauce a try, Tonkatsu Sauce is actually a thick Japanese Worcestershire Sauce but this one is definitely not the type that you can purchase at the grocery!  Keith and I agreed on liking this sauce more than the one we had in Tokyo!  (Must be the additional newly ground sesame seeds that makes it more flavorful.)

 

 Available on table: Tonkatsu Sauce, Sesame Salad Dressing, 

Salad Oil, Pig Salt, and various spices

Hire and Seafood Katsu Set

Php475.00 (approx $11.00)

Hire (pork), Black Tiger Prawn, Cream Dory, Scallop, Eggplant & Pepper 

served with unlimited Japanese rice, miso soup, Japanese pickles,

 unlimited cabbage and sesame dressing plus bowl of fruit.

 If you're a first time Yabu customer like us, This is one of the best starter set to try!  You get to try their Tonkatsu and other seafood!  The Tonkatsu is definitely the exact (or even better version) of the one we had in Tokyo, and what took our breathe away?  How the medallion of scallop was thick yet very tender (how'd they do that?  I have no idea!)  From one bite to another, we were having this huge crazy grin on our faces!  

Each of the ingredients were coated with the right thickness of bread crumbs deep fried into perfection by maintaining the right temperature  There's no oily feel left on your taste buds!  If you like a zest of lemon, they have a slice of lemon for you to lightly drizzle it and top it with the special Tonkatsu sauce or feel free to be more adventurous and try on Japanese mustard.  Whatever choice you make, it'll be a happy experience!

Yabu Special Katsudon Sets 

(Chicken Katsudon)

Php330.00 (approx $7.70)

 Served with miso soup, Japanese pickles, unlimited cabbage

with sesame dressing and bowl of fruit

As I took one glance at the photo of this dish, I excitedly pointed it and ordered it right away!  Guess what?  Most of the restaurants have great looking pictures but looks disappointing once served, for Yabu, the dish served looks EVEN BETTER than on photos!  The bowl of "surprises" as I call it!  What do you get upon ordering this dish?

Chicken drizzled with miso based sauce accompanied by our ultimate favorite Nori, bonito flakes (used on Takoyaki) and fried sunny side up egg on top!  Once mixed together, the sauce, the various ingredients all mixed together was enough to make me ruin my diet!  Mr. AMW exclaimed: "This is the most unique Katsudon I've tried to date!" I second the motion.

Creamy Crab

A La Carte

 Another unique tasting dish, imagine biting on crab salad with crunchy "shell" on the exterior!  I left the lemon on the side and went ahead enjoying every bite even without condiments!

Our drinks for the night!  Of course, Mr. AMW has his trustee Coca Cola! I went for ripe Mango Shake.

 Before I end this post, let me share to you how unique Yabu, House of Katsu is not only in terms of their food but also their interiors!  As I got in to their wash room, check out the "Wall of Fame"!  Reviews, features by various publications were visible!  It was a fun read as I know a lot of the bloggers that were featured! The next person waiting outside the restroom probably didn't enjoy the fact that I was taking my time inside!  *sorry* hehehe

Overall, service was great!  Though the restaurant was packed, the servers were very friendly and patient in explaining the menu!  They seem to know the food really well as I get to pick my orders easily!  

How about the food?  Well, I've got nothing more to say but Yabu definitely surpasses all my expectations!  They have definitely brought authentic Katsu straight from Tokyo to Manila!  I'm very happy with my experience and would definitely go back!

 

Yabu: House of Katsu

2nd Floor Mega Atrium,
SM Megamall, Philippines

Tel. no: (632) 576-3900
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/yabuhouseofkatsu

 Have you tried Yabu?
What's your experience?

Keep smilin'
Stay happy!