That's Sleek!

I've been hearing nothing but awesome things about this brand, bout time I've checked it out!



They're so pretty!





Sleek Makeup is a UK cosmetics brand that has found its way to almost every corner of the cosmetic blogosphere! Here's what it says on their site:

Sleek MakeUP knows the importance of looking and feeling good in your own skin. That’s why we’re the only high-street makeup brand with a whopping 30 shades of foundation. We comprehensively and honestly cater for all skin tones, with fashion-forward and innovative products at truly affordable prices.



Sleek MakeUP’s fresh and trend-led products have forged an iconic following among makeup professionals and beauty enthusiasts worldwide





Blush By 3's Guipure has a wonderful sheen that shows on all angles!

 

They're pretty midrange, pricewise. Of course, if you're used to high end signature cosmetics, then $9.99 for an eye palette may look dirt cheap to you. But if you're the kind to go for drugstore brands, then this is right up your alley :) 

 

I've been pretty happy with my Coastal Scents 42pc Double Stack Shimmer palette that I wasn't really tempted to try Sleek, until I drowned from all the raves I read about it. Even my friends couldn't get enough of it. Well, on to the bandwagon.

 

It was sheer luck that I had just scored a 15% discount voucher from online shop Luxola. It's a Singapore based shop but they ship all over Asia, even the US. Their prices are a bit steeper than buying from Sleek's own site, but with the discount code and free shipping (minimum order os P1,300), then the total are pretty much head to head.





Really cute packaging



I got the i-Divine and Blush by 3 bundle, in Oh So Special and Lace, respectively. It's list price is P1,266 for the bundle. Less 15%, that's P1,076.1. Here's the Luxola breakdown:

P1,266 = Oh So Special + Lace bundle

Less 15% (discount voucher)

P1,076.1 = Bundle, shipping fee not included

From Sleek MakeUp, that's

$9.99 | P430 = I-Divine, Oh So Special

$12.49 | P537.07 = Blush by 3, Lace

$22.48 | P967.07 = Bundle, shipping fee not included.

Now, there's about a P90.00 difference between the two, with SleekMakeup cheaper, but Luxola has something I didn't find from SleekMakeUp - a free shipping promotion. Where SleekMakeUp will charge me about $9 for international shipping, Luxola can send it to me for FREE!

 

I know most people would stop dealing with numbers over P90.00 (roughly US$2.00) but I'm not most people. I sometimes like to split hairs, down to the last five peso coin :P Factoring in shipping costs tips the scale big time, on this particular case.

 

That is, if I reach the minimum amount required. For a purchase of P1,300, Luxola will ship my items to the Philippines free of charge. I scoured the site for anything else I want to try, but passed on every other item. On a whim I decided to just double my order, and sell the extra bundle once it got here. Sleek has such a good reputation, I wasn't even worried about having difficulty getting rid of it. In fact, I didn't even have to post it on sale, I just shared the photo on my wall and a couple friends went for the spare bundle :)

Couldn't wait to go to the post office!

 

 

It reached my local post office (PO) in 2 weeks, which is great time for international parcels. I only got billed for P80 at the PO (yay!!). Luxola also declared my parcel as a 'gift' and underdeclared the value.

 



It arrived in a an envelope made with bubble wrap (what do you call those things?). The bubbles in the wrap weren't the huge ones the size of a silver dollar. They're the usual tiny air bubbles. I would feel more comfortable if they added more padding, but my products got to me safe and sound, so I let that one slide.

Sleek i-Divine in Oh So Special



 

When I opened the package, O. M. G! It's so beautiful! And SLEEK! The color, the branding, the overall product packaging is really very cute and sleek at the same time! I wanted to snuggle with it LOL! I had a hard time getting the i-Divine to pop open, and even now, 3 weeks after, I still have trouble opening it, but the Blush By 3 palette snaps on and off just fine.

Not sure if that little bit of fall out is from the shipping, or they're just that way.

Just looking at the pan, the colors from both palettes look delicious! So delicious, in fact, that I headed over to SleekMakeUp's online site that very night. (Oh, trouble!)



Scrapping this

It came with the usual crappy eyeshadow applicator- a dual ended sponge type. Like most palettes, the default brushes or applicators they come with are pretty useless. If you want to make the most of your eye makeup, then invest in decent brushes. That's what everyone says, and with good reason!

 

I swatched everything, and they look great. But I didn't use them on my face just yet. I waited that coming weekend. I am just too lazy to put on makeup just to see how it looks, then wipe it all off within 15 minutes. As much as I liked the product upon opening, it didn't tempt me enough to go through the whole cleansing routine just to try.

I did manage to put them to work that weekend. So, is it really as great as everyone says it to be?

 

 

 

..... maybe I don't know how to maximize this palette, or I lack the knowhow to make the most of it.



Pardon the oil slick of a face you see

 

I find myself happier with my CS Double Stack eye shadows. The i-Divine seems to be giving more difficulty in blending. The lighter shades are well and good and creamy, but the darker hues are a bit stubborn to blend. Like I said, maybe I don't know HOW to do it right. But my limited knowledge seems to be sufficient when it comes to blending my CS shadows. Same brushes, same hand, same technique.

 

I have used the Sleek i-Divine three times (at least), and three times, I've encountered some kind of issue with blending out the darker shade.

 

 

Yeah, I sorta need to look like a deer caught in the headlights for any eye makeup to show. Darn hooded eyelids :P

 

All in all, the shadows sure look pretty, but I prefer to use my CS Double Stack for now.

The outer two shades are crazy pigmented, too crazy, and the middle one is subtle but beautiful!

However, when it comes to the blush, Sleek's Blush by 3 got my CS blushes beat by a mile- all for one shade- Guipure! The so-called NARS Orgasm dupe.

 

 

Check out the lovely sheen from Guisepe! On this photo, I wore all three blush shades. I only planned on using Guipure, at first, but I kept getting all the sheen but not much punch on the color. I decided to swipe my brush on Crochet for a touch of pink, and BAM! The color went on like WOOSH! One light tap was enough to add a touch of color on both cheeks. I swiped my brush on the third color, Chantilly, and applied, and got the same power punched hue!

 

Like with the shadows, blending could be an issue if with the blush but that's if (a) you got too much of the product on your brush, and (b) you're a bit slow on the blending. So take it easy. Don't slap it on, layer it one.

 

I could live without Crochet and Chantilly because I have a blush palette on my CS Double Stack, but Guipure is so much a favorite of mine, I want to take it with me everywhere! It gives more sheen than color, so I don't think I'd be wearing this alone, but layering a matte blush over it does wonders!

 

At P1,076.1 for a bundle plus P80 between the two bundles for the PO fee, that's knocks it up to P1,116.1 for a bundle- all in!

 

It's pretty safe to say that the Blush By 3 takes the bigger slice of the pie at P600, and the I-Divine for P516.10. If you factor in the spaghetti you'll have to buy the Little K for the trip, that's it's P650 and P550 respectively. Still an awesome price for such high quality products.

 

Overall, this was a good buy. If I don't have any other eye or blush palette with me, I'd be ecstatic with these Sleek babies :)

Just because

 

I took this photo a couple days back. Was just trying out some stuff. Happier days. Lately, it seems that makeup is my crack. They make me giddy and excited. I hope its magic doesn't run out.

 

This is a reminder that happier days do come. Happier days do happen. And sometimes, you get to eat lunch at lunchtime, and it won't take 4 hours to finish because you have to run off every 2-3 bites. Sometimes, a leisurely bath can last as long as 30 minutes. And 2 out of 4 weeks a month, you're not worried about growing pimples or fading pimples.

 

Half the time, things are good. Really good. And that's worth more than the unhappy days combined.

Best Buy: Vanity Table Mirror

7" Diameter, solid handle and base, rotating mirror, dual sided, swivels to angles- BOOM!

Don't you just love a good bargain? Specially if you paid for it with a gift coupon? Even moreso when that coupon was gifted? Woooyeah!

 

I'm hot. I know it, baby!

I have been looking for a table mirror for a few weeks already, but had never found the right one, until last Sunday!

Before then, everything I saw was either too small, too wobbly, too fixed, one sided, no magnification, too dull- etc. I wanted a simple  swiveling (word? probably!) double-sided mirror, with magnification on one side. Why was it so hard to find? I'm a bit choosy, I know. I had a picture in my head, and I wasn't ready to settle for less. It's out there... somewhere. I see it all the time on top of beauty counters. Hmmm, is there some special place they go to for this?  I was contemplating a visit to Wilcon Builder's Depot, but decided to drop by Ace Hardware (the third hardware I've visited since May) all because

(a) We were at the SM Bowling Alley because my brother had game coupons;
(b) the bowling alley was making us wait so long
(c) there was an Ace store right on the opposite side of where we were at
(d) I've been openly griping about mirrors the past couple weeks; and
(c) Upon checking, he ALSO had a gift coupon for Ace,

So what the heck, let's go! Don't you just love it when things fall into place?

 

Such a find!

LO AND BEHOLD! It's the perfect mirror! Even better than what I had in mind! And while I was expecting it to push me back at least P800, it costs almost half that much! P450! Steal! This is fate! Me and  Mirror! She remains un-named. I'll think of one, soon enough.

 

It has 2x magnification on one side, and actual reflection on the other. It swivels AND rotates, giving you access to almost all angles imaginable! How many angles do you need? Well this definitely covers the basics, and then some.

 

It's crystal clear, sleek, heavy, and looks well made. Mine came in dingy packaging, but I didn't mind. I inspected the mirror, and it had no damage. The product has just been shelved waaay too long, it got dirty.

 

The magnification side would seem a bit distorted if you're too far, but that's a given. Easy tradeoff. I wouldn't be feet away from the mirror if I wanted to see things on ZOOM!

 

The base of the mirror did have light, light scratches. Unnoticeable. Insignificant. I'm still in love with it.

 

Setting it up is as easy as ABC!

It's very simple to setup, no need to call your caveman husband to tinker with it. Just tighten three screws, and you're good to go. Two screw go at the base, then one on the mirror part. I found I didn't even need to use screwdrivers, as the bolts that came with it are super easy to handle and twist! I have a feeling they had prissy ladies in mind for this one, LOL! Kidding ...not!

 

Overall, I love it!! I'd buy three of it, if I had three houses haha!!

 

There was also a wall mirror on sale, and I was SO TEMPTED- but I wasn't sure it would fit in the vanity I plan to make. So I took a pass on that.

 

Left Ace Hardware very happy!!

 

PS: I got this from Ace Hardware, SM Annex Basement, SM North EDSA. There were only TWO of these left, aside from the display unit. I brought one home, so yeah, only ONE left. :)

Washing Brushes

This really should have been up first, but, well, it just didn't. So here's a link on how I dry my makeup brushes.

How I wash them, well, I'll try to show you. Sorry for the grainy pics, the bathroom is poorly lit (oh, how I wish this entire house is armed with studio lighting, LOL)



These are my only dirty brushes.

For this recipe, we will need- dirty brushes (duh!), your choice of brush cleaner OR mild baby shampoo, a clean towel, and if you want to take the extra step of pre-rinsing, a small bucket and some lukewarm water.

The pre-rinsing step with lukewarm water is not that necessary, in my opinion. I only do it if I have brushes that are especially gunky! Oh, and if a brush has something that's quite stubborn to remove, like lipstick (honestly! You really have to work those bristles to get all the residue out! Is there some technique to this that I'm missing? I'm so happy I no longer use lip brushes, thank you MAC)

Before we get things going, let me make a few things clear:

1. Do not, at any point, wash, soak, or soap your brush handles. Not necessary, and frankly, damaging.
2. As much as possible, don't let water get in between the ferrule and the handle.
3. Always wash at an angle- bristles pointing down. You don't want water pooling in the ferrule.
4. Don't pull on the bristles.

Glad that's clear, let's start!

Pool some warm water on the bucket. If you have a water heating system installed on your sink, well woot for you! I don't, so I have to collect the water in a bucket.



Lukewarm water for pre rinsing- optional.

 You really only need a little bit of warm water- just enough to dip the bristles in. No more than an inch deep. Maybe half an inch to three quarters of an inch. I filled this bucket all the way because apparently, shallow water and tiny bucket does not a good photo make :P



Add caption

Add a bit of brush cleaner to your SHALLOW pan of water. Again, this is only deep for photo-op purposes. I can't get a good angle if the water's half an inch deep. So just pretend, ok?

Have you added some brush shampoo to the water? Mix. Tada, warm soapy water!



Oooh, gunky Sigma F50 Stippling brush!

 Get your extra gunky brush out, and give it a swirl in the warm solution.



Just the bristles!

You'll see some of the makeup residue wash away already! Be very careful not to soak the whole head of your brush, or the ferrule. Normally (when the water is but a centimeter deep), I'd run the brush over the surface of the bucket. Swish it around.

Yes, on the bristles. That's just how I roll.

To make lathering more easy, you can wear those oven mitts that have grooves. The bumpy surface will help getting the shampoo in the packed bristles. I haven't bought the cleaning mat I want, yet.

Kaya ng buhok ko yan!

Instead, I run my fingers into the core of the brush head. Yep, I do. I swipe the brush along my fingers. I shampoo all my brushes, one after the other, then rinse them that way. I find that this is just more efficient for me. You can opt to shampoo then rinse each brush before moving on to the next. That's fine! Just make sure that the brushes are standing, head down, when they are not in the wash.



Foamy! It took a while for me to get the photos on the previous brush, the foam run out LOL! This is ELF Studio's Small Stipple Brush. I use this for blending in concealer. It's a multipurpose nook and cranny brush. Currently loving it! :)

Check that out! I use this foundation brush with Maybelline's Age Rewind Under Eye Concealer. This is Sigma's concealer brush, and it's packed so tightly- look at all those concealer hiding inside! It turned the liquid beige!

I gave this TWO shampooing. Just to be sure. After this first one, where I've got the concealer run out, I gave it a quick rinse and another drop of shampoo. Lathered again.

Time to rinse! I don't need the showerhead or the bucket here. I just rinse straight from the tap.

I swirl it around my hand. This will loosen the bristles and get the water all in between them.

For some brushes, I scrunch it up with my hand. Thick brushes that might have residue hiding in the core. Then I swirl the brush on my fingertips.

If your brush is holding quite an amount of water, gently squeeze it off. Don't pull out the hairs! Just ease the water off. Then run the bristles through the clean towel. Hmm.. I'm not very sure if this step is necessary. Is it? If you have loads of time to dry them, then maybe this is a skippable step.



 

I swirl and turn the round brushes.

That's about it!! Washing done- drying next! Check out my separate post on drying brushes here, click me!

Toodles!

Kikay Kit

Hello WoC means hello Kikayness, and that means a Kikay Kit is a given! KiKayKit, aka KKK.

 

I want to have the option to switch shoulder bags easily, so I need to have all the retouching basics kept together in one container. I know there are those 'bag in bags' organizer that can carry everything from Kikay stuff to documents and gadgets, but I want a real kikay kit! Or maybe I'm just looking for a reason to utilize with Too Faced Leopard Pouch?

 



I love this pouch I love this pouch I love this pouch!



 

I mean look at it! It's adorable!! It's plush, with a steady Velcro closure, and neon pink lining. Neon pink! How can it get any better!!! Well, it's also double flapped, so the items don't spill out even if the bag tumbles over. Keewlness!!!

 

Now, on to the goodies within! I have a very oily skin tone, especially along my T-Zone, and oil control films are a MUST for me. If you don't already know, retouching with powder (loose or pressed) before removing the oil on your face can do horrible things for your look, and your skin. First, you're layering powder on top of oil, on top of your makeup, on top of whatever you used to prep your skin- moisturizer, sunblock, primer, or all three. That, my friend, is gonna get cakey. Cake-y. And cakey is NOT the look this season.

 

We want to look fresh. Glow. You can't achieve that by covering your face with pressed powder and looking a cakey matte mess, no ma'am! If you must retouch, do lightly. And always, always BLOT FIRST. I'm not sure if this is how it is for you guys with dry skin, but for people like me who can go from matte to oil slick in a few hours, BLOTTING PAPER is a must.

 



I had JUST run out of this the other day, thanks LilK. Got spare, good thing!



I really like this one from Kleenex. You can get this at any drugstore, or in a department store's beauty section. It's cute, it absorbs well (one sheet is enough for me), and it doesn't affect my makeup. It's also sturdy, it doesn't feel like it's about to rip in pieces, and it's not super flimsy that you worry about peeling off two to three sheets at a time. There's adhesive on the cover to assist you in sliding off one sheet. The sheet should come off with the cover once you open it, tada! But when you're about 2/3's through the pack, the adhesive starts to give. You can remedy this by simply adding a small double-sided tape to replace the old one, or you can just slide a sheet out yourself. It can be done.

 

The sheet has two sides with different textures. One side is felt-like with flower patterns, I think this is so the oil doesn't go from one side to the opposite. Helpful. The other side is the sleek one, which absorbs and lifts oil from your face. Makes it easy to remember, thanks to the difference.

 

After blotting, I sometimes take time to do a quick retouch. I have been using loose retouch/finishing/dusting/whathaveyou powders since March, I think I just started to lose interest in them. Kinda like the flavor of the month thing? It just became too much of a hassle. Sure, I've got a small sifter jar with me, and a retractable kabuki. But it's still a messy ordeal, compared to retouching through pressed powder!

 



There was a debate between THIS or LOOSE BEN NYE. This won.



I started to hunt for the perfect retouch powder for me, and lo and behold, here it is! Physician's Formula Les Botaniques in OopsiDaisy! Got mine from Amazon, about $5-$5.5 when you figure in US shipping. I just love the name! And look at that pattern? Cute, yes? Very, very cute! But besides that, the product itself is pretty banging!

 

It has antioxidants (I am a sucker for this) and botanical compounds (am I saying this right?) that helps fight skin irritants, and keep your skin healthy and glowing. There is a slight (emphasis on slight!) shimmer on the flower pattern in the middle, which helps boost your natural radiance. No, it won't make you look like a Cullen, the shimmer doesn't even register when applied. It's just to make you bloom! AND it has SPF15, as well. It gives a semi matte finish that is just lovely and natural looking. Not greasy nor shiny, but just right. And it's pretty! Pretty pretty pretty!!! It's also discontinued so I hoarded as much as I could. Look how pretty! (Yeah, I'm shallow. Get over it!)

 

You can opt to apply this with a powder puff (purchase it separately, and change ever so often), or use a brush. I went with the brush. It's more hygienic, I think... And I feel like the brush fibers help remove more oil and dirt from my skin, as opposed to a puff pressing everything back in. I like the sweeping motion. And I get a more controlled, lighter finish which I can build up.

 



Always handy



A mirror, which I got for a friggin steal from CD-R King (I will never tire of saying this, that place rawks!!) at P50, or was it P20? Either way, steal!! It's so pretty!! Classy print. The mirrors themselves (yes, both sides are plated with mirror) are very clear and scratch free. It closes tightly but opens in a snap. And it's just so pretty, did I already say that? Pretty! A mirror is always welcome, when retouching is concerned.

 



This is not fragrance-free, but does well moisturizing my lips.



A moisturizer is also something I think belongs in the KKK. For you, for me, for her, for him, for everyone! Dry normal oily alike! I may not use it that often, but when I am in need of some moisture, I would much rather have a product at hand, rather than letting my skin thirst forever! Nivea is a good name to trust, but I've been looking at La Roche-Posay lately, and might switch to that. Til then, this Nivea Ultra Hydrating Crème is my current go-to. The tin is such a good buy as well, it contains a lot of product, will serve me well on a trip out of town, and doesn't eat up much space in my KKK. I also have the tube version of this.

 

I love the whipped texture of this, it's really, truly, creamy!

 



And last, but most definitely not the least, is a tinted lip balm, or a lipstick of choice (will insert pic, later). I always have a lip balm with me, my lips get chapped like heck so easily, it can go from chapped-not-chapped-not-chapped-not before the sun goes down. Now, back when I hadn't had a taste of MAC lipsticks, I would say that I would never substitute a lipstick for my lip balm in my KKK. Back when! After trying MAC tubes, my thoughts have changed. Those babies are amazing! I get the price point, now, and yeah I'm definitely willing to purchase them at full price. And that's saying a lot, from me! I think the cheapest tube is at $14? Gah! The game has changed! Wallet, savings, credit card, husband, run now, run! Run for you lives!!

 

Now, I have two tubes on my KKK. The other is whichever MAC lipstick suits my that day, and the staple is this: Smashbox's Lip Treatment in Shine.

 

 

I know what you're expecting me to say- it's pretty. Ha! Well! ...isn't it? And it serves it purpose, too! It's conditioning, and it doesn't leave my lips looking naked all day. Let's face it, whatever lipstick you wear in the morning, fades after you've lunched your way through the afternoon. (ELF's makeup lock and seal wants to prove me wrong, let's see!)

 

Smashbox's Lip Treatment gives me such a perky pink finish. It's not matte, but not sleek nor shiny. Not glossy, no. And no, I don't have a lip gloss on my KKK. I just HATE their thick, greasy feel. yes, they make your lips look so juicy and luscious, but I hate the tradeoff. I can actually feel the glossy gunk bringing weight on my lips. Oh, gravity! Nope, no thanks.  Until I find a gloss that's naked light, and doesn't transfer to every little thing, then I'm pretty much solved retouching with Smashbox.

 

I always have my Smashbox Lip Treatment here, but left it on my bag pocket. Easy access :)

So that's about it, I think! I quite enjoyed this post. What's on your KKK right now? :)

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

There can be only one...

Heeeeere we are! Born to be kings! We're the princes of the universe!



I don't know why I always, always have to shout that out whenever the phrase 'there can be only one' comes up. I. Just. Have to! I am immortal, I have inside me blood of kings!

 

 

Sigh! Yes, growing up, I had the biggest crush on Duncan MacLeod. If I sounded like a deranged loony to you, ("what the heck is she italicizing about??") then you, my dear, are either too young to know, or too clueless to have noticed. Either way, I feel sorry for you for missing out on Duncan. He was there before the McHotties got their big breaks. No, no McDreamy or McSteamy can ever replace McDuncan.

 

Mia 2, Top with Mint Green Buttons; Aria, Bottom with Grey Buttons

But enough about that, I'm not posting to reminisce of the era of the Immortals. Their head-chopping days are long gone... this post is a battle between two different kinds of princes- the princes of the consumer skin care products. Facial care, in particular.

The Clarisonic Mia 2 and the Clarisonic Aria. As much as I love these babies, I absotively possolutely cannot keep both! I underlined it, italicized and posted it in bold. That makes it final. Final final FINAL! Only one! And so the battle begins...

Here are their literatures :P from A Serenity

 
Mia 2 is an extension of our popular Mia family that gives you all the  benefits of sonic cleansing in a compact, easy-to-use style. Mia 2  features two speeds, a one-minute pulsing T-Timer® and a protective  travel case for on-the-go sonic cleansing. Now you have more choices for beautiful skin.

Clarisonic Aria infuses sonic cleansing with a harmonic blend of  function and form. Sleek, modern, intuitive, Aria sings with 3 speeds, a real-time battery life indicator, USB-enabled pLink charger, and a  drying stand that converts to a charging station when coupled with the  pLink charger. 

I have been using Aria the past couple of weeks, and I must say that the sight of it on its stand, beside my sink, got me giddy! The three oscillating 'strength' selection (should I say speed?) was one thing I utilized as early as second use. The default was set to the lowest speed, and it just didn't feel like it was doing anything. I should have known better, but what can I say, I'm wild and reckless, and went straight to speed 3.

 

A 2 minute session with Aria on that power level left my face tingling as if I've just gotten electrocuted! It was bliss! LOL! After a week and a half, I started to notice that this speed setting was a bit too much for my skin, especially since I was using it twice a day. My skin felt abnormally tight, and dehydrated.

It was love at first cleanse between me and my Aria, I cherished out 2 minute morning and night dates. My pores instantly seemed smaller after 2 weeks, and no new breakouts occur. Nothing apart from my usual monthly troubles.

Then, a sudden mishap drove our family to go out of town for a few days- couldn't leave my Aria behind. As I was packing, my mind kept drifting back to the Mia 2's hard travel case.

My Aria felt naked among my stuff! I wrapped her up in a towel, but that just isn't what I had in mind when we travel together. THAT SHELL, that MIA 2 SHELL, I WANT!

I googled to no avail, there just isn't a shell for the Aria. Oh, sad. But I got over it. Minor throwback, I mean how often do I travel? Once in two months? Aria will survive. Everything was back to normal. until.....

A Clarisonic Mia 2 fell in my lap! WTF! Is this a joke? Days after we got back home, the Mia 2 showed up. What to do, what to do? It came with that even niftier hard shell!

Granted that the charger sucked, compared to Aria's sleek USB-Plug outlet, that hard shell really feels like a necessity.

Mia2 does everything Aria does! Her shortcomings aren't really shortcomings. Sure, she has only two speeds/strengths to choose from, versus Aria's three, but  like I said, my skin got tired from Aria's third setting, I've really switched back to the medium setting, and now to low. Aria can go on for two minutes straight, Mia2, uhm, I'm not exactly sure. Does it? If it doesn't, well, how hard is it to press the switch again for another minute of cleansing? Takes less than a second.

Some basic comparisons, they weigh basically the same for me

They both beep when it's time to move from your forehead to nose+chin, then to one cheek and the other. They both have magnetic chargers that are quite fuss free once you tie the excess length of the cord back. And hey, Mia2 charges quicker! I only have to leave it overnight to charge. Aria takes well longer than that! They feel just as heavy to me, and texture wise, the Mia2 is a bit matte and the Aria, glossy, but not to the point that it slips out of my wet hand. They both fit the same brush heads, they're both white, and they both give me that same refreshing feeling after each cleansing session.

Oh, trouble! Time to get help! Off I went to seek advice from my dear Dalagindings. I wasn't surprised that Maria Masungit was the first to give her opinion, and really led me to my answer. She even made a chart, look! LOL!




c/o MariaMasungit

Truth is, the answer's been there all night in my head. It was just dancing around in the moonlight, a bit hard to see, but now I know.

Dear Mia 2, you are very pretty, and you cheered me up lots the past few days, but unfortunately, I am not the one for you. You belong to someone else, as do I.


Dear Aria.. will you accept this rose?


PS: I wasn't feeling this post very much. Sorry! It shows!