I have been using the Crayon Concealer since 2009 and realizing that it's currently The Body Shop Philippines' 2nd best seller, I must say that I'm not the only one loving the product! (All-In-One Face base tops the list while the Oil-Free foundation came in third).

Product Description. Our creamy concealer cares for your skin even as it hides its imperfections. With community Trade marula oil. It effectively covers blemishes and blends easily to conceal redness. Available in a variety of shades.

• Medium to high coverage
• Blends easily
• Dermatologically tested

Results. The Body Shop's Crayon Concealer's thick texture works well in making my non-peeling/non-flaky zits less visible. It fares even better in concealing redness and post-acne blemishes. During the initial several uses though, I struggled with blending and making the concealer look smooth & natural when working with huge zits. I figured that using a brush to work on the periphery of the makeup works better than using the fingertips.

Also, the very creamy concealer can appear cakey when set with powder foundations that provide great coverage (like the Shiseido Perfect Smoothing Foundation). If you plan to use the concealer under a medium to heavy coverage powder foundation, be sure to set the concealed area/s with a sheer powder  before applying foundation.

Shade Range. The Body Shop's Crayon Concealer comes in six shades, 01-06. 02 fits my NC 25-30 skin.

Product Versatility. The concealer isn't for the undereye --- the texture is too rich. But it can pass for an eyelid base for eyeshadows especially if you don't oil up a lot. I have oily lids but I was able to prime mine to make eyeshadow colors look better.

Comedogenic? It neither caused nor treated zits. It's plain makeup on my skin and does not double as skincare.

Cons.

1. Difficult to blend with fingers without appearing cakey 
2. Does not hold well on oily skin types (4 hours max on me)
3. Needs a special sharpener (costs P200+) --- but you can have it sharpened at The Body Shop stores 
4. Emphasizes skin flaking

Other Info: How much: P600+/3.2g; Shelf-life: 3 years; If you plan to have your concealer sharpened at The Body Shop stores, don't forget to sanitize right after sharpening.

Overall Impression:

True to its claim, The Body Shop's Crayon Concealer hides imperfections by providing medium to heavy coverage. Though blending it out was initially a problem for me, I strongly feel that makeup pros will find the concealer's texture very easy to work with. 

My greatest gripe is that it slides off easily exposing my plump and inflamed pimples in just a few hours. The biggest advantage on the other hand, apart from its being an effective concealer, is its shelf-life. I needed so little of the product that my 2009 purchase lasted me till first quarter of this year --- that's huge savings! I definitely dig why it's a best seller.

The Body Shop has come up with a new mineral makeup line, the Extra Virgin Minerals. For the mineral makeup junkies out there, this line definitely deserves your attention and critique.

Photo taken from The Body Shop website

I've read a couple of posts about it and because of the beautiful swatches and FOTD's made by the bloggers (you'll see them below), I'll definitely check this line out at the store.

Steal Factors:

• flawless and creamy finish
• extra virgin oil (EVOO) has been highly reviewed as a beauty staple over the years and is favored by majority of skin types, the Extra Virgin Minerals line is basically cold-pressed Italian EVOO
• website lists 12 awesome shades for each foundation variant

Snob Factors:

• poor oil-absorbing properties
• its steep price (1,600+PHP locally)
• mineral makeup purists will definitely scream at the mob of ingredients the liquid and cream foundations have. Only the Extra Virgin Mineral Powder is a true mineral makeup, ingredients-wise

The Body Shop Extra Virgin Minerals' Liquid Foundation

This liquid mineral foundation is a unique combination of pure minerals and cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil. It provides light to medium, ultra-blendable coverage with a smooth, dewy finish. Key Features: light to medium coverage, dewy finish, ultra-blendable, no added fragrance, paraben free

The Body Shop Extra Virgin Minerals' Compact  Foundation

This cream-to-powder mineral foundation contains pure minerals and cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil for a smooth, matte finish. It has an ultra-blendable formula and contains a custom brush for flawless application. Key Features: medium to full coverage, smooth, matte finish, integrated cruelty-free brush, fragrance-free, paraben-free.

The Body Shop Extra Virgin Minerals' Powder  Foundation

This featherlight powder base gives a radiant, natural-looking finish and can be built up for extra coverage. It is non-comedogenic and suitable for sensitive skin. Key Features: buildable coverage, radiant finish, covers imperfections and fine lines, non-comedogenic, dermatologically tested

Now, let's look at these pretty girls' take on each foundation type:

Shen is so pretty with the Compact Foundation. She raves about the brush that came with it. Read here review HERE:

Katie tests all three bases and was partial to the powder foundation. Read her review HERE

Mag, like Katie, tests all three types of the Extra Virgin Minerals. She loved the compact foundie. Read her review HERE

I love my Oil-Free Foundation but it just sucks up the oil so good it leaves my cheeks a bit dry. The Body Shop's Extra Virgin Mineral line might just work for my extra dry patches on the cheeks and on the sides of the nose. My eyes are set on the compact foundation and mineral powder!

I've told you about my boyish sister's transformation several posts ago.  Lara of NARS Shang did her makeup and hairdo and she looked totally stunning.

A couple of months ago, she had an event she needed to go to and we no longer had Lara around.  And so, half-heartedly (i can tell!), she obediently entrusted me to 'transform' her.

Grabbed this pic from her facebook page.  This makeover surprised her friends and they wanted to keep a memento of it.   They even made an effort to create this fancy pic.

This is her on normal days:

With Ate's Makeover (this was 3 hours after the party already and the cheek makeup's no longer visible):

after clinique's toner and moisturizer:
FACE: Clinique's Pore Minimizing Serum as primer on tzone area only
Clinique Superfit in Neutral applied with fingers
EDM Golden Medium in original glo applied with Charm stippling brush
Joppa Full Coverage in Grecian gold (2-3 layers) applied with Charm stippling brush
buffed mineral powders on face using Nichido kabuki brush
Aromaleigh finishing powder in peaches n cream applied with Charm stippling brush
EYES: In2it eyebrow powder using my bleak angled brow brush
Nichido liquid eyeliner (black)
Fanny Serrano curlash
Maybelline Unstoppable Shiny Black mascara
no eyeshadows, i'm still a newbie with it
Freshlook contact lens
CHEEKS and LIPS: Nichido pink blush (forgot the name)
 The Bodyshop Lip and Cheek Tint on lips

It was such a simple makeup that I did considering she was going to a function where practically all the ladies were glammed up.  We had no time to visit the salon and my poor sister was hoping I could help her with her look.

I don't think I failed, did I?