Which do you prefer, high end makeup or drugstore makeup? ATM, I fall somewhere in between the two. This wasn’t always the case though. When i started my blog and my makeup journey, most of the products I used (and reviewed) were around 90% high-end makeup. I was a newbie so as much as possible i wanted to spend my money on “sure buy”, cult-fave products the beauty community raves about. Most of what i found and came to love were from expensive brands.

I’d go directly to the brands like Nars, MAC, Chanel…. I never really paid enough attention to drugstore brands in fear that i would waste my money and time buying them (cos some drugstore brands has 10x more products – took me almost half a day to choose what to buy from NYX lol!). I didn’t mind spending more, which is fine as long as your budget can handle it. But i realize now that i was missing a lot from ignoring drugstore brands like Maybelline.

It’s true one of the reasons why I now use a lot of Maybelline products is that they send me things for review consideration. The products are of course hit and miss — some are bad, others are so-so, and there are those unique bargain finds  that can easily compete with the more expensive cult faves, which changed my spending habits. I learned not to easily give in to buying expensive “sure buy” products right away and consider finding cheaper options. Cos there’s always joy in saving money and finding bargains. So just in case you are in the same box as i was before, i encourage you to venture into more affordable things. It doesn’t even have to be from Maybelline, or just with makeup.

Maybelline recently sent me this adorable holiday box which I used in my “one brand makeup look” photo, together with my Maybelline The Nudes eyeshadow palette. I know how it can be daunting to choose which product to buy for yourself or for your loved ones this holiday, so here are my top 3 faves from this box that i highly recommend. Maybelline is having a HUGE sale until Dec 31, 2016 so that will make these even more affordable;

The HyperCurl mascara — is one of my mega fave Maybelline products. And while the other Maybelline mascaras are also good, HyperCurl has its own category for me ‘cos it costs only P199! You can use it alone or use it the way i would, which is to prime my lashes with a coat of HyperCurl and then use a different Maybelline mascara (falsies or lash sensational) for the next coat — a trick I learned from a pro makeup artist I met at a photoshoot. Their V-Face Blush Contour palette surprised me the most cos all three products in this mini palette are pigmented, easy to blend, and lasts for about 4.5 hours before it starts fading. Their Rosy Matte and Creamy Matte Lipsticks this year have a great color selection, some are even dupes for popular MAC / Kylie Jenner shades. I noticed that the quality is also a lot better than their older lipsticks. The shade I wore in this photo is a pretty girl-next-door Rosy Peach shade. I also love the “christmas” red lipstick Rich Ruby which i wore here for a Huawei christmas campaign photo.

WHAT I WORE IN THE PHOTO: Maybelline Dream Satin Liquid Foundation | HyperSharp power black liquid liner | Rosy Matte Lipstick in Rosy Peach | Clear Smooth All-in-One Powder Foundation | Age Rewind Concealer | V-face Blush Contour | HyperCurl Mascara | The Nudes Eyeshadow Palette || OTHER PHOTO: Maybelline Creamy Matte lipstick in Rich Ruby