Hair Samantha Gonzales Hair Samantha Gonzales

An exhaustive guide to dyeing your hair in ‘crazy’ colors

About five years ago, pastels, vibrant purples, and neon greens were just hair colors of fantasy characters, or rock stars, or the token ‘cool’ Asian in movies. Maybe you’d see someone with burgundy (but almost brown) hair once in a while, but in general we stuck to our blacks and browns. Fast-forward to today where non-neutral hair color is almost (but not quite) commonplace, especially in art communities and schools that allow it. Lightening and coloring hair used to be really intimidating since products need to be mixed and often had to be sourced online.

Nowadays, we have better access to these "crazy colors", with brands like Sparks becoming available in SM Beauty. If you've been curious to try it out, take advantage of the summer break and this DIY guide to have some fun with color!

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Tips and Tricks Kimberly Anne Capeding Tips and Tricks Kimberly Anne Capeding

How I save over P700 monthly with DIY facial hair grooming

I have a confession to make: I look forward to all sorts of hair grooming sessions. Brow threading dates, waxing appointments, diode laser hair removal sessions – these to me are precious me-time, self care activities. When I started tracking my expenses though, I realized just how costly these services were! So while I can’t do the latter two by myself, facial hair grooming seemed a good DIY candidate to help me save a few bucks.

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Beauty News Karla Aguas Beauty News Karla Aguas

Beauty News: Colorful brows, My Little Pony masks, and concealer for your hair

Looking forward to getting some rest and recreation in the upcoming holidays? Let's get it started with the most colorful beauty roundup! We’ve got the latest buzz on Glamglow’s newest masks and, spoiler alert: they’re freaking adorable! Check out how L’Oreal can help even out your hair color and hide those pesky grays in mere seconds. Did we mention Althea’s newest setting powder shade? Have a read on what exactly you should be buzzing about in the beauty department!

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Primer Claire Reyes Primer Claire Reyes

Matte, Shimmer, or Glow: Three new BYS face primers to keep an eye out for

Until a couple of years ago, I didn’t believe in using face primers. It seemed like an unnecessary step and additional expense, until finally trying one made me do a complete 180! Once addicted, I ended up collecting  different kinds of primers: pore-filling, oil-controlling, moisturizing, brightening, color-correcting, and even ones with SPF. You see, I have sensitive combination skin so I cycle through these primers according to how my skin looks and feels like when I wake up. Sometimes, I even end up using different primers on targeted areas of my face!

So I was excited to discover that BYS had three new face primers in rather interesting variants: one for oily skin, one with hydrating pearls, and yet another with gold flakes. The pearls and gold flakes are particularly unique in my perspective, so I was very curious to give these a try.

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Hair Crystal Rodis-Concepcion Hair Crystal Rodis-Concepcion

The five types of hair brushes you didn't think you needed

Hair, as they say, is your crowning glory. Great hair can really be a nice finishing touch to an A-game face but when it comes to my curls, I find its best to leave them alone. Before I learned to love them, I went through the whole phase of getting them rebonded regularly and using a straightening iron to remove any kinks. I use gentle shampoo formulas, conditioners and a lot of hair treatments to keep them in good shape, but I never brush my hair!  

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Features Katsy Faustino Features Katsy Faustino

All about the makeup brand famous for their oil-controlling rice powder

When a makeup brand is known for quality products that are easy on the budget, they immediately jump to the top of my must-try list. US-based Palladio Beauty is known for their botanical and vitamin-infused cosmetics, which they've been making since 1985! Their makeup products have a reasonable price point and excellent color choices. And the best news – the brand is now available at Watsons and SM Beauty!

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Beauty News Karla Aguas Beauty News Karla Aguas

Beauty Roundup: Summer steals, a beauty line by a tennis superstar, and concealer kits

It’s been another crazy week for the beauty world and we can’t help but be super excited for all the news that’s coming in! From one of our favorite athletes possibly launching a gigantic beauty line, to Kim Kardashian-West’s new concealer kits, we’ve got the tea on all things fab and fun! Plus, we'll tell you how to score a summer beauty loot while staying in budget. Here we go!

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Features Katsy Faustino Features Katsy Faustino

Our 18 sunscreen recommendations for five different occasions this summer

Summer heralds clear warm weather, perfect for activities like beach outings, vacations, and outdoor sports. While we #LovetheSun for all the fun things we can do, Watsons understands that it's important to stay protected. You really can't and shouldn't skip sun protection. Apart from avoiding painful sunburns, long-term skin damage, premature aging, and even the possibility of developing skin cancer offer convincing reasons to pile on the SPF.

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Staff Picks, Tips and Tricks Denise Bengzon Staff Picks, Tips and Tricks Denise Bengzon

Staff Picks: Our top tips for going on a Shopee spree

While there are obvious perks to being able to swatch and test products in person, I find myself doing most of my beauty shopping online. There are no busy crowds, no hovering sales people, and no traffic or parking issues to deal with. I like the option of being able to easily canvass and compare for the best prices, and most especially enjoy being able to quickly research for blog reviews before adding items to my cart! We've already listed our fave online stores to purchase from but there's one marketplace that we've become (mildly?) addicted to: Shopee!

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Features Kristel Yap Features Kristel Yap

This new K-Beauty drugstore makeup brand is surprisingly good

Just as KBeauty is starting to take a stronghold in the Philipines, we welcome another new KBeauty brand: L.O.C.K. Color Cosmetics! The packaging is fun and quirky, with anime-like characters and modern cityscapes adorning the matte black boxes; it looks like it was geared for a younger, hip audience.

Normally, expectations are lowered with this kind of marketing. Younger people don’t need hard-working makeup because they have better skin - that’s just fact. Still, every little swatch changed my mind and I can’t wait to tour you guys around the products! 

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Skincare Marielle Ong Skincare Marielle Ong

Finally, Happy Skin now has a skincare line for anti-aging and oil-control

Can you even imagine what it was like before Happy Skin Cosmetics? This brand revolutionized the local beauty scene when it successfully introduced the concept of makeup with skincare benefits, offering stellar formulations to address specifically Pinay concerns. So it came as a pleasant (though not completely unexpected!) surprise to find out that the next logical step for them was to create a dedicated skincare line, Happy Skin Beauty!

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Features Samantha Gonzales Features Samantha Gonzales

PatrickStarrr comes home: The trials and triumphs of the famous beauty guru

Patrick Simondac, who we know as the fabulous Youtube beauty guru PatrickStarrr, admits that his journey was full of guilt. He was the son of Filipino immigrants who wanted him to go for a traditional job. It was difficult for such a non-traditional person to both make his fantasies real and be a ‘good example’ to his two brothers. “[When I was] 14 or 15, when I was shaping my identity, [it] was really hard because my parents wanted me to do one thing and I was fighting so hard,” he recounts over our interview.

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Beauty News Karla Aguas Beauty News Karla Aguas

Beauty Roundup: Women’s Month sales, Oscar-worthy eye looks, and Maybelline Philippines’ new IT Girl

It's #GIRLPOWER all month long, ladies! International Women’s Day may have been last March 8, but I say we celebrate being women all day, every single day! To make the month of March even more special for us, a ton of our favorite brands are bringing in sales and new drops! Speaking of celebrating women, Maybelline’s newest IT girl is absolutely gorgeous and we're living for the eye look that debuted on the Oscars red carpet recently. Benefit may have just brought out the perfect cheek palette. Happy reading!

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Skincare Frankie Torres Skincare Frankie Torres

This is what happened when I tried Mediheal masks for six days

Fans of Korean skincare are probably very familiar with the sheet mask. This supercharged K-beauty innovation basically acts a concentrated “booster shot” for the skin, delivering a potent dose of active ingredients in the form of a saturated cotton or hydrogel mask. Skincare junkies swear by them, and any pretty unnie worth her salt probably has a preferred brand. Here at PV, our editor-in-chief Liz swears by Leaders, while the other ladies prefer more familiar labels like Etude House, The Face Shop, and Skinfood. Personally, I am solidly #TeamInnisfree.

Or, well, I was. Until a KPop group shook up my life, and my skincare routine.

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Skincare Crystal Rodis-Concepcion Skincare Crystal Rodis-Concepcion

Top Picks: The eight best body lotions for every budget

The term "skincare" usually makes us think of the best ways and products to keep our faces clear, smooth and shine-free but that's obviously just a small portion of our skin! It would be very expensive to use toners and serums for the rest of our body though, so the next best thing is to make sure you get a good lotion for every day use. Apart from the ability to moisturize, many now offer other benefits, and you can pretty much get them at any budget. Here are our top picks!

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Events Marielle Ong Events Marielle Ong

Here’s what went down at BDJ X Project Vanity Beauty Confidential

The BDJ Beauty Bootcamp has been a much-anticipated annual event for kikays to discover new brands, deepen their beauty knowledge, shop exclusive deals, and meetup with fellow Bellas. This year was extra special to us as Project Vanity co-presented the event with Belle de Jour, and it was a Sunday packed with fun activities at the Glorietta Activity Center. If you weren't able to make it and wonder what you missed, here’s a recap of what went down.

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Lips Gett Baladad Lips Gett Baladad

Battle of the Velvet Tints: 3CE Velvet Tint vs Peripera Airy Ink Velvet Tint

Hi, I’m Gett and I easily fall into the trap of hype marketing, minimal packaging, and soft matte lip products. Even with my day job as an ahensya slave and my daily exposure to different marketing tactics, I am only but a human with measly wants and needs. These days, I need a lippie that feels comfortable but still looks matte. I’m at this point in my life where I’d rather reapply lipstick than have to wear a drying formula that stays put all day long.

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Staff Picks Denise Bengzon Staff Picks Denise Bengzon

Staff Picks: Our Tita purse must-haves

Believe it or not, we PV girls comfortably wear the mantle (pashmina?) of the The Real Titas of Manila. Head Tita Liz is soundly asleep by 9pm, and our team meetups usually involve lunching at Mary Grace. Instead of late night walwal parties, we sip sangria with extended pinky fingers or have Korean BBQ night at my house. 

Like any self-respecting Tita, our purses contain a lot more than just makeup. Being a Tita means you've got you sh*t together, so you're never left in a bind. We all have different priorities though, so here's our different takes on what should be in a Tita survival kit!

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Tips and Tricks Charlie Esmerna Tips and Tricks Charlie Esmerna

This is how to avoid buying fake K-beauty products

Late last year, I came across the news of a Malaysian woman getting severe allergy from using a fake Nature Republic 92% Aloe Gel. To say that I was scared shitless that my favorite moisturizer was getting counterfeited may sound like an exaggeration but that’s exactly how I feel about Korean cosmetics getting faked. It’s already difficult enough to try not to buy fake US cosmetics; counterfeit Korean cosmetics are much harder to recognize!

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Beauty News Karla Aguas Beauty News Karla Aguas

Beauty News: Happy Skin skincare, mermaid highlighting palettes, and MAC on Lazada

Hello, summer! Can you girls believe it? It’s finally March, which means beach trips, summer hangouts, and more importantly, a ton of summer launches from our favorite brands! This week’s sizzling roundup has everything you need to know about Bretman Rock’s latest collab, MAC on Lazada (it's the real deal), Happy Skin’s new skincare lines, and something rosy and romantic from Urban Decay. Let’s get cracking!

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