CASE #029: Kris Aquino Ever Bilena Make-Up Collection Review

Kris Aquino had been currently making a buzz in social media, not only because of the much talk about Mocha Uson vs. Kris Aquino socialmedia war, but also because of Kris Aquino’s latest venture in her long list of endorsements – the Kris Aquino Life Kit by Ever Bilena.

The Kris Aquino Life Kit is a collaboration with the popular Ever Bilena brand. It is Kris’ own line of make-up that targets those who are looking for a good quality make-up at an affordable price. We all know Kris Aquino to be meticulous with her skin and for her to use these items, then it must have passed her own seal of approval. That and Ever Bilena’s years of credibility in providing affordable yet quality make-up products in the market.

There have been a handful of make-up experts and enthusiasts who have reviewed the product and gave their high commendations. I jumped into the bandwagon to see it for myself. I am no make-up expert but I was also one of those people who are looking for good make-up products that are not heavy on the pocket.

Read on for my review of the Kris Aquino Life Kit by Ever Bilena.

Unboxing

I ordered the products from BeautyMNL and since I ordered on a weekend, it took another business day for my orders to be delivered. 

The Kris Aquino Life Kit is composed of  the Kris Brow Liner and Mascara in one, and Kris Matte Matic Lipstick. I only ordered one shade of the brow liner/mascara and two shades of the lipstick.

Many were wondering why Kris only chose to come out with an eyebrow and lip make-up. Some were even asking for more products. But I think I can understand that Kris wanted to have the most essential make-up products that a typical Filipina would need. We all know that “Kilay is life” (Eyebrow is life) because eyebrows frame the face and emphasize the eyes. Lipsticks define the lips and provide that colorful glow that we all need regardless of skin color.

Packaging ★★★★★

The product comes in a pretty, black box printed with hearts (Kris’s trademark) and Kris’ famous signature. A vacuum plastic seal ensures that no moisture or any element can get in the box.

Vacuum sealed

The brow liner and mascara come in a 5.5 inches plastic tube that had the same circumference as that of an ordinary ballpen and provided a more controlled grip in shaping your brows. The center of the tube had the same design as the box. Both ends were colored the same shade as the product which served as the cap. A small label was printed at the edge of the cap opening. It indicated which end was the mascara and which was the liner.  

The lipstick also came in a plastic tube (around 4 inches long) with a much bigger circumference than the brow liner/mascara. It was the same size as a giant crayon or a Sharpee. Its design was also like the brow liner/mascara with the black center matching its box’s design. Both ends were in the same color as its shade. One end served as the cap that covered the lipstick.

Color Shade (Brow Liner/Mascara ★★★★★ | Lipstick ★★★★)

Both lipstick and brow liner/mascara came in just two shades. For the brow liners the shades were Happy Taupe which was the lighter shade and the darker one was Beyond Brown. I ordered the darker shade since I have black hair. I guess for colored hair, the lighter shade would be more suitable.

Beyond Brown was a little lighter than the shade I am used to so my brows turned out lighter than I expected. I am used to an eyebrow pencil, also from Ever Bilena, which was more pigmented. But when I applied the brow mascara, the shade became darker because the brow hair were held in place which complimented the color shade.

For the lipstick, the lighter shade was called Life (pink) and the darker one was Love (red). I ordered both since I also agreed with Kris that pink and red were among the essential lip colors that you should have. I normally use the pink shade when I’m wearing clothes with neutral colors and mostly during daytime. When I’m wearing clothes that are in dark colors and when I go out at night, I prefer a redder color shade.

I haven’t tried yet the pink shade, but I have tried the red one which I paired with my black dress when I went to church the other night. Red was really my shade, so I have no problems with this color. I just hope that the pink shade will also turn out to be just as good.

Application (Brow Liner/Mascara ★★★ | Lipstick ★★★★)

I had a hard time applying the brow liner on my brows because I am so used to using brow pencils that have pointed end and a harder texture. The brow liner was retractable, so you will no longer need to sharpen it and the end was angled like the tip a highlighter pen.

Filling in my brows was easy because I just had to swipe the liner upright. The struggle came when I was lining the edges of my brow because I needed to tilt the angle and adjust my grip. I was used to a more harder and pointed pencil tip. It was my first time to use this kind of liner, so I guess, it will take a while until I get used to it.

The mascara had a spoolie brush just like an eyelash mascara only shorter and smaller. It served as an applicator and glided evenly to my eyebrow hair. I did not have a hard time using it because the size provided more control in the application. I was just not comfortable because it was my first time to use a brow mascara. The brow pencil that I was used to doesn’t need a mascara.

For the lipstick, I was not a fan of matte lipsticks because they thug when I apply them, and they also emphasized the cracks on my lips. The Love lipstick changed my view over matte because it glided smoothly on my lips and did not strengthen those cracks. It was also very pigmented that one swipe was enough to color my lips. The shade was buildable because you can reapply a second layer to make it stand out ever more.

Wearability ★★★★★

I wore both the brow liner/mascara and the lippies for around four hours and they stayed in place. I went out for church which is not air-conditioned then Hubby and I went out for late dinner and my brows are still intact. It had been raining for a week now so the temperature around the city was not that high. I just hope that it will still perform well during the hot, humid days.

Newly applied brow liner/mascara and lipstick

The lipstick was not transfer proof, but it did not transfer as easily as the glossy lipsticks I am using. The shade stayed the same even after several hours. I drank a bottle of water after church and there was minimal color transfer on the rim of the bottle. The color stayed intact until we ate dinner. I saw the red lip marks it made on my spoon and food, but it did not transfer to my teeth. After eating, the lip color was erased and only a light stain was left that lined my lip edges.

After almost two hours. Drank bottled water but the lippies are still red.

After dinner. Four hours have passed and my brows are still intact. Lippies were still good before I ate dinner but was erased after having a full meal. It left some stains though along my lip lines.

Pricing ★★★★★

The Kris Aquino Brow Liner/Mascara was priced at Php275.00. A little pricier than your good old pencil but it was still worth it because you got two products in one (brow liner + mascara). That’s a good deal considering both Kris Aquino and Ever Bilena are big names you can surely trust.

The Kris Aquino Matte Matic Lipstick was priced at Php245.00 each which was very much reasonable considering its quality and performance. There are more expensive lipsticks in the market that failed in comparison to its performance, so I can consider this a real steal!

Availability ★★★★

The Kris Aquino Ever Bilena Life Kits are available in all Ever Bilena outlets nationwide. I have yet to see it to the Mercury Drugstore and Savemore outlet near our place. I have visited both stores twice last week and I went home empty handed. So, I guess, you should try looking for it in bigger stores like the beauty section of SM Department Stores and those big Watson branches.

It is also available online through BeautyMNL, Lazada, and Shopee. There could also be other online sellers that carry them just search them online.

Overall Verdict: 4.5 ★

In a nutshell, the Kris Aquino Life Kits in collaboration with Ever Bilena did a good job in terms of color shade, wearability, application, and pricing. I just wish I’d get used to using the Kris Aquino Brow Liner but all in all, it’s worth it to try.

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