BKK haul: Gino McCray eyeshadows and blush

A friend of mine went to Bangkok the other week so I googled for makeup brands I can try. I went to Bangkok once but back then, I wasn't that interested as I am interested in makeup now. One brand that called my attention was Gino McCray. I only found a couple of reviews about it but it was enough to pique my interest to try it. I decided to have my friend buy me 4 eyeshadows and 1 blush. I only gave him the number codes, which I wasn't really sure if it was the colors I wanted. I originally wanted a shade in white, yellow, brown and blue. Apparently the number codes that I gave my friend corresponded to brown, gold, black and blue. Not bad, though.

So I got the following:

Gino McCray Benefique Blusher in 06 Lush Raspberry
Gino McCray Pro Make-up Eyeshadow in 02 Black Charcoal
Gino McCray Pro Make-up Eyeshadow in 03 Deep Sky Blue
Gino McCray Pro Make-up Eyeshadow in 10 Wheat Gold
Gino McCray Pro Make-up Eyeshadow in 12 Golden Brown


What the products say:

Gino McCray Benefique Blusher

Gino McCray Benefique Blusher offers the best way to give cheeks color that look natural and fresh. This luxurious blusher glides on smoothly and effortlessly for a soft, youthful glow.

Gino McCray Pro Make-up Eyeshadow

A soft and sily formula that illuminates your eyelids and enhances your natural eyecolor. Gino McCray Pro make-up eyeshadow brings back dimension to your eyes so they look refreshed all day long.

My verdict:

The Blusher is a nice sheer shade of raspberry with a hint of shimmer. I like it because as what the product claims, it glides smoothly and gives a natural glowy finish. I am definitely interested in the other shades.

As for the eyeshadows, I was surprised on how pigmented they were, especially the blue one! The eyeshadows are shimmery and unlike cheap brands, it is not powdery. The colors glide smoothly and are easy to blend. I love it! I just wish I got to try the yellow and white eyeshadows.


Swatches:

L-R Blusher in Lush Raspberry, Eyeshadows in Golden Brown, Wheat Gold, Deep Sky Blue and Black Charcoal

All in all, this was a good buy for the 135 Baht (Php 183) blush and 148 Baht (Php 200) eyeshadows, which all go a long way by the way.

Gino McCray products are available at Cosmeda Shops in Bangkok.

Review: Careline Oil Control Blush-on in Starlight Shine

Over the years, I've had the biased notion that anything too cheap does not deliver well. And that it specifically rings true to makeup products.

WRONG.

Well I was proved wrong after reading reviews of cheap makeup brands that worked well for others. And that started my relentless search for good quality bargain makeup products. I can't go to a mall without rummaging through racks of makeup in Watsons or in the department stores. Don't get me wrong. It did not change completely my preference in brands. I just think that it's in a matter of finding the stuff that work for you.

Just last week, I went out with some friends. I noticed one of my friends had an unusual aura to her. I was trying to pinpoint what it was that made her look different. It could have been her complexion, it was glowing (she really had good skin btw). But what I noticed most was her blush-on. It was a nice healthy brownish shade (actually, I'm not good at describing colors. I'm thinking a mauve taupe mix?) that shimmered in a natural way. Now, let me just point out that I am not a fan of shimmery makeup. I usually want it matte. But hers just floored me. And I complimented her about it. Of course she was flattered. I asked what it was she used. I was expecting her to blurt out a high-end brand of makeup since she usually uses one. To my surprise she said:

"Oh, its Careline!"

I laughed it off at first, thinking that she was joking. But she was dead serious. And to prove it to me, she took it out of her makeup kit. And it was Careline, indeed! Careline Oil Control Blush-on in Starlight Shine.

I absolutely loved how it looked on her that I decided to try it myself.

I've used Skin Alison Raffaele Inner Glow in Charming for the longest time. And just recently, I bought the Smash Box O Glow (I'll try to make a post on this). I've also tried some minerals. But so far, I've been using the Careline blush-on everyday since I bought it. I don't have a picture of me wearing it but I swatched it for this post (which isn't exactly how it looks like in person)

Well what can I say? I love the color and so far, no breakouts whatsoever.

Pros

- the shade is so natural

- it gives a natural glow

- it comes with a small (cute) powder puff (but I still prefer using a blush brush)

- it's so cheap for Php88!

- I just love everything about it

Cons

- I have to retouch a bit after 7 hours (not bad though)

I would definitely buy it again! So there.

On  a different note, I passed by some makeup counters on a trip to the mall earlier today. I've been curious about the BB cream hype so I ended up buying the Face Shop's Quick and Clean Blemish Balm for Php595. I noticed that they also carry another BB cream which sounded like super BB cream (I'm not sure). The consistency was heavier so I decided to buy the Quick and Clean BB instead because I have oily skin. I've tried the Quick and Clean Sunblock before and it kind of controlled the oiliness of my skin so I think this will do good. I also passed by Elianto and saw that they now have the BB cream too (in 3 formulas I think). Unfortunately, there were no testers. The sales lady said its a new arrival and testers are yet to be delivered.

I am now officially declaring a no-buy mode for at least a month. I am flat broke (and in debt). I have been hoarding on makeup products and tools that I can use for makeup school. I'm planning to enroll for the March class. So far, I'm waiting  for a contour palette, brush and gel liners from Coastal Scents.I hope I get it in good condition.

For now, I'm crossing my fingers for me to avoid spending anymore. :(