OOTD + FOTD: Stiff on top, party in the bottom

A few girls were asking yesterday about the look I wore in my MAC Dollymix Sheertone Shimmer Blush review, so here are the details! Wasn't planning on blogging about it since this is more or less what I like to wear when I have time (same techniques, different colors) to do my makeup. But hey if you're interested in something I mention or wear please just let me know! ;)

Thrifted Giordano shirt / Forever 21 skirt / Ferretti pumps / Pinkbox necklace and bracelet / Tory Burch satchel

Okay on to the look! I wore this a couple of days ago. My day started in a corporate setting and ended in a beauty event on a hotel rooftop so I chose something that would look appropriate in both. Hence, I wanted the look to be subtly dramatic; that explains the striking eyes and toned down lips and cheeks. 

Face: Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow liquid foundation, Benefit Boing concealer (blemishes), K-Palette Zero Kuma Concealer (under eyes), Ben Nye Banana Powder to set, Guerlain Meteorites to illuminate

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MAC Dollymix Sheertone Shimmer Blush

This review is part of a series: the Blush Week at Project Vanity. Read my first two blush posts (if you haven't yet)! ;)

It's a Blushin' Week at Project Vanity: My top five blushes

Artdeco Blusher in 38 First Love

The MAC Dollymix Blush (~P1,300) is a hot pink shade with very fine silver and gold shimmer - intimidating in the pan, but utterly lovely on the cheeks.  It's is one of the brand's most famous shades, with a whopping 4.4/5 rating at Makeupalley. I can see why!

It's scary off the bat, but once you apply it you won't see much of that Barbie pink intensity or shimmer on your skin. This blush actually looks like a darling medium pink with a satin finish when worn. I guess I better show you!

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Artdeco Blusher in 38 First Love

I wish brands would stop naming their products in numbers and coded letters. It's harder to remember an impersonal "PK238" compared to something like Berry Cherry Strawberry Conundrum, for instance. Or is it just me? Oh but why am I grousing! Today's featured product as part of Blush Week is the Artdeco Blusher in 38 First Love (P550).

This is a warm, peach-pink blush with fine golden shimmer, similar to the famous NARS Orgasm. The difference is that this is more pigmented and leans more towards pink - but you can still see the similarity. This is a blush that can be worn across all skintones. You just need to adjust the intensity, using a smidgen if you're fair, and more layered if you're dark.

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The Weight Loss Initiative

Some weeks ago I had a crazy candy addiction. Whenever I'm out I'd buy a bag of candy and just chomp until I feel sick of sugar. Predictably, my weight shot up, so I'm a hundred thirty pounds now. My ideal weight is 120 pounds and 115 if I'm gung-ho about it - but 120 is the just about right. I'm not anorexic and I know that my current weight is still right for my height. I just dislike being bulky and looking terrible in my clothes!

But it's not just a matter of aesthetics. Because of all the sugar and carbs I find myself so sluggish during the day, and a lot more easily tired than when I was eating right. It's a toxic, stressful feeling.

This dress can fool anyone, I swear. It's from Forever 21 btw!

So, I've decided to work out. Dieting is not enough to make me lose weight anymore since I don't have time to prepare the food. :/ I used to have that time, which is how I at least managed to maintain my diet last year, but now I simply don't have an hour to spend in the kitchen. Exercise it is, then!

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It's a Blushin' Week at Project Vanity: My top five blushes

Since I got a lot of positive feedback regarding my first themed week, I thought I'd continue it with a new series about - guess - blushes! Every girl needs a flattering blush to make her complexion look brighter and more alive. This week, I'm going to talk about some of the latest, most exciting blushes I've come across, and hopefully I can help you find your new cheeky best friend. 

To kick the series off, I'm going to start with a list of my five favorite blushes (not including the NARS Super Orgasm because it's such a cop out to do so). These are the blushes I always pick up because their color works perfectly with my skintone and I can rely on them to stay put for a decent amount of time. They're also versatile, delicately nuanced shades, which means that I can easily pair them with most looks I can think of. ;)

Okay enough yapping, here's the list!

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Taste Central: the online store for snobs

Are you a snob? A snob is defined as a person who believes their tastes in a particular area are superior to others. You can be a music, food, bag, beauty, or shoe snob - all at the same time. It doesn't mean you're a terrible person, just that in the course of pursuing the things you care about, you've already narrowed down the qualities of a "good" find. 

I am a snob. I'm particular about how I dress and the products I use on my face and body, simply because I already know what works and what doesn't. :) However, I'm not as concerned about how luxe a brand is as I am about the quality of the product. If it works and it's affordable at the same time then all the better! In my experience though, quality - the kind I will cherish, enjoy, and maximize to the end - often comes at a price.

And that is why I love Taste Central. It's a well-curated online store that contains only things that cater to, well, snobs. Haha. It's a website by tastemakers for tastemakers; for people who are willing to blow cash on the good suff. Taste Central is actually the sister site of Deal Grocer. Instead of discounts though, you can buy products outright.

There are quite a few awesome things in there for beauty enthusiasts such as we. There are hard-to-find brands like Jo Malone, Aesop, Fresh, Philosophy, and Bumble & Bumble. There are also quietly famous brands you've never heard of before but are too expensive to be hipster (lol) - Chantecaille, Percy & Reed, Red Ken, Mukti, Babor, and Frederick Feckkai. 

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Vichy Dermablend Corrective Foundation

I first heard about the Vichy Dermablend Foundation (P1,390) three years ago when Lisa Eldridge, celebrity makeup artist, used it on a girl with severe acne. You'll see in the video how Dermablend magically hid the spots with only the tiniest amount of product! It was just the thing I needed since I had serious acne scarring at the time. Unfortunately, Vichy wasn't a popular brand back then. It was practically impossible to get it in the Philippines short of shipping it from the UK.

Thankfully, Digital Traincase brought it in early this year. *cue trumpets* I just had to get it when I visited the store in Ortigas a few weeks ago! It's out of stock at the moment but expect fresh stocks to arrive next week.

So how was it? It's every bit as amazing as shown in Lisa's video - as a concealer. My shade, Nude, matches me perfectly when it's just on spot patrol, but when used all over my face it looks quite, erm, pink. I suppose I could still get away with wearing it as foundation (did it once) but only if people don't look too closely! My face looked light and pinkish in comparison to my neck and shoulders.

Even if I can't use the Dermablend as a proper foundation, it's still a great find. Here's why!

What I love about the product

• It has heavy, full coverage. It can cover very dark blemishes in a couple of layers, and normal blemishes and under eye circles in one dab. Redness is easily banished even if you have fresh pimples and rosacea.
• Even with that coverage, it feels weightless on skin due to the watery, easy-to-spread texture. It's also non-sticky and non-greasy.

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Rapid fire reader questions: eyeliner for the beach, makeup for a 36-hour duty, and everyday pressed powder

Hi Miss Liz! :) My friends and I will be having our annual beach getaway this Saturday. Can you suggest an eyeliner (either gel,pencil or liquid) that won't smudge even if I get into the water? Big thanks! :D  - Kristin

Hi Kristin! No makeup, when it comes in contact with salt water, will survive for very long. The salt will erode whatever you have on your face and the water will take care of the rest. However, there are certain products that will stay on a wee bit longer!

I would recommend you try the K-Palette Real Lasting Eye Pencil as the formula is very solid and fairly waterproof. Just make sure it has set completely before you get into the water, don't rub it at any cost, and make sure you check when it starts to fade away. Remove immediately when it starts to smear.

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New brand alert: Too Cool For School

Hi folks! I was in Mall of Asia yesterday to watch Iron Man 3 on IMAX. I enjoyed the film! There were some cheesy parts but hey, it was funny and heart-stopping anyway. The third installment of the franchise showed a broken Tony Stark after New York (it's a direct sequel of sorts to Avengers). He can't sleep, he gets anxiety attacks, and on top of that he decided to challenge a terrorist called the Mandarin. All hell breaks loose as Tony finds himself on the run, fighting for his life - and his future with Pepper.

But I digress. :P What I really want to talk about is Too Cool For School, the latest Korean beauty brand to hit Manila! I was invited to the press launch last week but wasn't able to make it, unfortunately. I took the first chance I had to visit it yesterday while waiting for Iron Man 3 to start.

Now we're talking: a 3D pop-up of dinosaurs crossing a city

Multi-color Paint (P675)

So yes, the first and so far only store of TCFS is in Mall of Asia. It's on the second floor, a little ways across the stand-alone store of Etude House there (SM Department Store side). The brand is quite quirky and rather heavy-handed with the dino imagery - just the sort of thing I fall for! The products are quite promising with fairly affordable price points, with about P400-P600 as the average amount you should expect to shell out for per piece. There's nothing over P1,300! 

Too Cool For Skin BB Foundation Lunch Box SPF37 (around P900 if I remember correctly)

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Awkward but cute

So, the second episode of the Jorgen Saga is up! Christine is so awkward, but it's cute. If I were in the same situation I'd be as flustered as she is. I hate surprises, and I'd hate them more if they happened to be a guy I was in love with five years ago. How about you, how would you deal with this situation?

Episode 3 na, please!

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