Eye of Horus Natural Smoky Eye Pencil in Black

My blogging backlog is alarming. I probably have over a hundred reviews and features filed away by now but I have stopped knowing where to begin! :( I can probably just quickly mention things here, but then I'd be wasting space. I don't want Project Vanity to be a repository of random beauty/fashion features - whatever I put out here should count. Be valuable. There are a lot of good brands and products out there but the point should be curation - what is worth writing and reading about?

So I figured, I will just write about the things I really, really like at the moment while I am organizing everything. It happens that the Eye of Horus Natural Smoky Eye Pencil (P960 at Glamourbox) has caught my eye!

I've had this for maybe three months now but honestly thought it wasn't anything special. I've seen some rave reviews, sure, but I was still incredulous. I've swatched it a few times in the past but I assumed that the consistency was too soft to be reliable when it comes to long hours and oiliness around the eye area. Wrong! This is an awesome pencil for that smudged smoky eye, or for something simpler like a soft natural line. It is buttery but most importanttly, it stays in place!

Can't believe I'm saying that of a pencil this ridiculously soft, but it's true.

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Penshoppe at Philippine Fashion Week Holiday 2013

Are you loving the cooler weather lately? It's still hot, but at least it's not scorching hot! I would sometimes go out at 8am to walk my dog and already the sun was unbearable. But now there's a cool wind blowing, the sun is bright but not burning. Perfect!

A change in the weather means a change in your wardrobe. We're in a tropical country so floral prints, bright colors, or anything short and airy are du jour, but I'm sure you also get bored wearing the same things. It's always a relief to get the chance to layer clothes and wear sweaters again.

If you're looking a for some inspiration on what to wear this rainy season, check out these new pieces from Penshoppe! This is what they presented at the recently concluded Philippine Fashion Week. I got to attend the show and it was pretty fun (albeit over in like 15 minutes). These looks are great for everyday shindigs, with a street smart edge to them. Have a look!

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Lipstick Week: Avon Vitaluscious Lipstick

One week is not enough for lipstick week, it seems! I have three other features in mind for this, but I suppose I can always do another LW in the near future. ;) I decided to end this themed week with a bang, with something that I received just two days ago! I got pretty excited about these lipsticks because I'm a huge fan of the Avon Ultra Moisture Rich line, plus I know how y'all appreciate Avon swatches in particular.

The Avon Ultra Moisture Rich Vitaluscious Lipstick (P299) is the latest addition to the UMR line. It features ten on-trend glossy shades and a moisturizing formula that contains Vitamins B, C, and E. In terms of texture and lasting power, the Vitaluscious is the same as UMR - it's lightweight, slinky, and moisturizing, but it doesn't stay put beyond three hours. That's the trade-off for the moisture so I don't mind. I just re-apply as needed!

The scent is the same as all UMR lipsticks - juicy candied watermelon. I really love this scent, and I hope that they never discontinue it. It smells as expensive and fresh as high-end lippies. 

I do wish that the Vitaluscious could be as pigmented as the Avon Totally Kissable Lipstick. Most of the lippies need to be layered over several times to get that solid color, unfortunately. But again, that's their trade-off for the heavy oil content! Actually, they feel more like glossy lip butters than legitimate lipsticks.

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How to take care of your lips

It's important to take care of your lips because it's one of the more sensitive parts of our body. The sun and whatever sits on or passes through your lips affect their appearance, so you must be careful if you want to keep your puckers even-colored and smooth throughout your life!

Here are a few do's and don'ts on how to keep your lips in tip top shape.

DO

Exfoliate your lips gently and regularly. There's no need to use harsh scrubs; indeed, a home-made scrub is the best thing you can use! Just combine honey, lemon, and sugar then gently massage the mixture on your lips. The sugar removes the dead skin, the honey moisturizes and smoothens, and the lemon helps lighten the skin. 

If you don't have time to play DIY goddess, you can exfoliate your lips easily after a shower. Your lips are usually softened after a bath so it's easy to wipe the dead skin with just the damp tip of any towel. You can also brush your lips gently using a soft-bristle toothbrush. ;)

Wear a lip balm with at least SPF15 during the day. A lipstick with SPF works too! Like any part of your skin, you lips darken when you expose them to the sun.

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Lipstick Week: Japonesque 35-Well PRO Lipstick Palette

You're not a true-blue lipstick junkie unless you have the Japonesque 35-Well PRO Lipstick Palette (P1,450 at Digital Traincase). Okay, okay, I'm only half-kidding, but you have to admit that this is such a cool thing to have. Even Lisa Eldridge keeps a few of these! 

So what is it, really? It's a classy black box that has space for 35 lipsticks. It can also be used to store cream foundation if you wish, which makes it incredibly useful if you're a makeup artist. The case and mold is made of a thin, lightweight plastic, and is closed by a silver clasp.

I spent a whole morning selecting and depotting the 35 lipsticks that I wanted to put in this baby. It was a fun activity, albeit rather messy in the end!

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On asking to be paid as a blogger

I just want to get this out of the way because it's been bothering me all day.

As you know I handle PR and marketing for a few clients. When I first started approaching top fashion bloggers to collaborate with, I was a little taken aback by the fact that they ask to be paid just to have my brand worn or mentioned on their blog. I've been blogging for almost a decade and I have not yet subscribed to that business model, although I've done a few paid months-long campaigns for different brands in the past. Campaigns, I believe, are not the same as paid mentions. 

But I do understand where the fashion bloggers are coming from. I am well aware that blogs take A LOT of time and resources to run. Blogs at a certain level are raking in hundreds of thousands of views; just being mentioned there can be the boost a business needs. Naturally, it ain't free.

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My top 10 favorite finds last May

Last month was a good one since I found so many interesting beauty products! It was quite a challenge to whittle down this list to ten items, but it must be done. Here are my ten favorite things from May.

My review of the Ben Nye Banana Luxury Powder is one of the most popular posts last month - and for good reason! It's an amazing powder that truly controls oil and extends the wear of my makeup. I wish that it has more, skin-toned coverage, but it's okay since I have a hack for that. ;) I usually mix this with my Snoe Poudre Extraordinaire, another awesome powder that I've been consistently using for months now.

CC creams are slowly but steadily making their way to the Philippines. One of the first to arrive is the Clinique Moisture Surge CC Cream. It's an illuminating, light coverage face base that makes skin glow with only one layer. It has the Moisture Surge base which also happens to be my favorite moisturizer of all time! This saves me extra steps in my routine since this can be my primer, moisturizer, SPF, illuminator, and light foundation in one bottle.

Another CC cream I'm loving is the Etude House CC Cream in Glow. I honestly didn't think I would like it this much!

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Lipstick Week: MAC Pink Nouveau, Lavender Whip, Viva Glam Nicki 2

Lavender is an intimidating color to wear with Asian skin - some are virtually unwearable - but they can work with the right supporting colors. If that fails, just blend them with your other lippies to create interesting shades! Today I thought I'd post swatches of three MAC blue-based lavenders with various levels of pink in them. ^_^ 

I have a permanent and popular shade (MAC Pink Noveau), a limited-edition repromote (MAC Lavender Whip from Baking Beauties), and the MAC Viva Glam Nicki 2 which is for the brand's AIDS charity. I have already reviewed MAC lipsticks before so I won't go into details, but quickly, these lipsticks vary in pigmentation and have a decent staying power (three hours). I have to admit that while MAC lipsticks aren't THE BEST when it comes to formula, they come in trendy, one-of-a-kind shades that other brands try to copy.

Here are the swatches and color descriptions!

MAC Pink Noveau is a bright pink with strong lavender undertones. It's a cool shade and a struggle to wear if you're morena, but on my medium yellow skintone it looks striking and interesting. I usually prefer to pair this with a dark, smoky eye to balance the coolness. A barbie pink blush always works with this particular lipstick!

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Style is all in the head

Dressing beautifully isn't about the clothes you wear or the face and body that you have. It's about being secure in your identity, about being confident and accepting of all the things you are (and are not). This self-awareness combined with self-confidence is then reflected in your attitude towards fashion.

Example, a woman wearing a white t-shirt and a pair of jeans. She can leave the house thinking, "Oh gosh I look so plain and boring", "My shirt makes me look fat", or worse "I'm wearing this so I don't get any attention because I'm not worthy of any attention". She'd be hunched down and timid when dealing with people, and others won't really see her outfit beyond how she sees it herself. 

But then she can also see it differently.

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Lipstick Week: L'Oreal Color Riche Intense Lipstick

High-end lipsticks are nice to have, but if you're on a budget there are also wonderful alternatives out there. You won't be getting the same fine texture, lasting power, and packaging of course but for the price you're still nabbing a pretty good deal. ;) Take for example the L'Oreal Color Riche Intense Lipstick (P625). This drugstore product can give those luxe tubes a run for their money!

It's weird that these lippies aren't receiving a lot of noise here - they're quite good! Pigmented, creamy, and beautifull packaged, these come in a variety of show-stopping colors. The texture is smooth and light on the lips. It doesn't feel waxy at all.

Worth mentioning is the fact that these lippies also have no scent or taste. They definitely don't feel drugstore!

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