You can use good quality brushes for half a decade or more if you take care of them well. They should even be able to withstand a level of abuse, because that's why you're paying so much for them to begin with! But no matter how expensive or cheap your brushes are, you'll notice that some of them will start to have fly-away bristles after frequent cleaning. How do you prevent this?

Simple! Just use a brush guard. :) It's basically a fine plastic net that you place on top of your brushes while you're drying them. It keeps all the bristles in good shape while still allowing them to dry properly. I'm sure you've heard of this before, but you probably think it's something you can live without. Well, yeah you can, but your brushes need one!

The one I have is called the Charm Makeup Brush Guard (P250). It contains twelve pieces of brush guards - in different sizes but any size can fit even the biggest face brush. You can even cut them up to use with your smaller eye brushes. 

Waxing was my favorite way to get rid of body hair, but most days I just shaved and called it a day. I don't really have time to drop by a waxing salon for an hour or so (including travel time), and besides it can be expensive if you must get it done twice a month. That comes down to P1,200 a month at a modest salon ha! I can buy better things with that money than getting rid of my leg hair, truth be told.

So, I embarked on a casual online hunt for electric hair epilators. Basically it looks like a razor but instead of cutting the hair close to the skin, the gadget pulls out each hair. Sounds like torture? Eh, depends on your pain tolerance. I'll discuss that later.

What is this sorcery and where can one buy it

I didn't know there were electric epilators available locally. The blog posts I've seen about it all talk about getting one abroad, or via pre-order. Clearly, my Google-fu needs improvement. Imagine my surprise when I saw one in Watsons Mall of Asia (SM department store area) a couple of weeks ago! I was actually checking out Baby Bliss hair curlers when, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted the mythical epilator. I knew I was going home with it, no questions asked!

Well there were questions asked because the first one I saw cost almost P7,000 I think. Haha. Good thing I rummaged behind the box to look for other models; the boxes look alike. The one I bought, the Philips Satinelle HP6400, is only P2,299.

"Imitation is the highest form of flattery" is a quote that I heartily agree with. When someone goes so far as to copy you then it's not just garden variety admiration - you're already held as a model for his/her self-actualization. I'm not talking about your work here (which may be copied simply out of laziness or dishonesty), I'm talking about the essence of who you are. If you're being imitated then you better recognize what an honor it is!

It's similar with beauty products. The best products - usually expensive ones - are copied by drugstore brands because there's a high demand for it. They're desirable yet often unattainable so more affordable alternatives come out. Yay for the free market, eh? One product that's been copied endlessly is the Shiseido Perfect Foundation Brush (P1,500). Guess why.

It's perfect! (As hinted rather heavily by the product name, har har.) This brush is designed to apply liquid, powder, and cream face products flawlessly. It has soft, synthetic, densely packed bristles that makes application a dream. If you want light coverage then spread out the product in downward strokes; for heavier coverage, simply press/dab the brush on the desired area and then lay off the blending.

It's rather small which makes it ideal not just for foundation but for concealer, contour, and blush as well.

I was at Watsons Mall of Asia last Sunday, looking for a new pair of tweezers as I seem to have lost my old one. Yes, mundane, but not what I found in the racks! I know this twisty hair removal thing has been around for years now but it's my first time to see it in a drugstore. Plus, it's only P89!

Yes it does look like a torture device but it's super neat. Just twist it into a u shape, apply anywhere on your face where fine hair is growing, then twist in and out. It takes out even the finest hair! I didn't find it painful as I'm used to threading/plucking on my face but if you're a newbie then it will sting a little. 

During my graduation photo shoot a few years back, the organizers hired some makeup artists to do everyone's faces. I didn't bring any of my stuff with me because I expected a certain standard - fresh applicators, at the very least.

Imagine my horror when I got there and saw the MUAs reusing the sponges and the brushes ON EVERYONE. Wet foundation sponges, eyeliner brushes, lip brushes, all reused and not sanitized. It's a nightmare but I didn't want to walk out because the place is in far away QC and I don't want to go back. So I just swallowed my disgust and let them do their worst. (I got pimples ugh)

Okay now I sound like a jerk. But my point is, please don't subject yourself to such unsanitary practices for any reason. If you're having your makeup done (by you or anyone else) always make sure that the brushes are clean and your disposable applicators, fresh. Sometimes it's not the product itself that causes the pimples - it's what you use to apply them! 

Anyway, one brand that has made a commitment to keeping makeup application as hygienic as possible is Nippon Esthetic Solutions. They have a wide range of products that makeup artists and personal makeup mavens will love, from disposable lip gloss applicators, lipstick and mascara brushes, to brush cleaners (remember Parian? Love that one!).

The effervescent Sydney of Nippon sent me a few stuff to try, and I have been using them since! Here's what I think of them.

I was dawdling in First Aid, Greenbelt 5 while waiting for a movie to start. There's a wide range of practical beauty products and tools that's exclusive there such as my fave Sebamed Face & Body Wash! Anyway, I ended up buying my first ever pack of cellulose sponges and you know what? I can't believe I only got one now.

This stuff is amazing. A pack of two Aqua Massage sponges is only P52 (crazy) but you can do a lot of things with it! Here's how I like to use these sponges:

• With my facial wash as a pore cleanser and exfoliator. The sponge is soft and firm at the same time so it can take off deep-seated dirt and flaky skin without being abrasive. 
• As a physical makeup remover. I soak it in warm water then gently rub it on my face to dislodge the makeup. No need to use anything else while doing this.

I get a lot of questions from girls who are just starting to discover makeup. "What do I need to buy first?" they ask. I have actually answered this several times in the past but I thought I would update my list to also include must-have tools.

So, if you have absolutely no knowledge of makeup or if you want to build a kit that has the absolute minimum items, this post is for you! This is everything you need to achieve a flawless, no-makeup look that can be amplified with bright, eye-catching lips depending on where you're going.

1 - Concealer brush from Charm. This is for applying concealer on small blemishes and eyebags.

2 - Flat-top brush from Charm. This is for buffing in foundation if you don't want to use a sponge. For heavier coverage, you can apply some concealer on your face then buff it in with this brush to cover large, uneven areas.

3 - Concealer for blemishes and undereyes. I think the Cinema Secrets Foundation Palette #2 is an absolute must-have. It can be used as a foundation or as a concealer, depending on how opaque you want to go.

To be honest, I don't actually spend a lot of money on makeup. I've been running this blog for four years, and in that time a lot of brands have come to support it by sending free stuff my way. I'm very thankful because this allows me to write regularly and of course discover products that I will keep on using waaay after I finish my first tube or jar.

That's why it's a big deal (for me) whenever I buy any beauty-related product. I may not need it per se - not at this point in my collection - but it must be so good that I just gottahaveit. My best seal of approval comes with personal purchases. If I bought it, then it must be worth the money.

One of my recent beauty purchases is the Studio Makeup Pro Shadow Shading Brush (P745 from Beauty Bar). I first saw it in an event and promptly fell in love. It looks like a MAC brush I've been seeing around but it's much more affordable, so I just went ahead and got it!

I have many other similar brushes but I like it because it looks professional with its the sleek black handle and sturdy-looking silver ferrule.

I've been on the lookout for a new eyeshadow base for a while now, but I didn't actually get a new one because I wanted to use up my MAC Prep + Prime Eye Base. I didn't want to put an ok primer to waste! But the summer is pretty harsh this year. My eyeshadows crease and fade too much because of the heat, and that's just not acceptable. So I turned back to the best eyeshadow primer I've tried: the Urban Decay Primer Potion (P1,200 at Digital Traincase).

It's been two years since I first met the UDPP. After all that time, I still think it's one of the best - if not the best - product for making your eyeshadows stay put.

I'm sure you've heard about the fabled Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler before. I have too, but I never seriously considered buying one before because it was so expensive for a curler! At P1,000+ locally, it's too much compared to curlers that never go beyond P300. I thought there must be some reason it was so pricey, but whatever it was, I couldn't see how the cost could justify it.

Oh, how wrong I was.

I got to try it because of my advanced makeup class at the Shu Uemura Atelier (in Rockwell) a couple of weeks ago. John Pagaduan, Shu's accredited makeup artist, lent me his eyelash curler. It was love at first use. I immediately bought my own after the class!

Why I LOVE the product

• It curls like no other. The curl looks natural and not awkwardly crimped. It lasts for hours on end, even without mascara! I counted four hours minimum. Mind blowing.

Can someone please explain business card etiquette to me? Some of the people I've met extend their business card carefully, with two hands and a little bow. I'm wondering if that's how it's really done. Then they leave your card on the table respectfully, as if they're considering it. As for me I simply give my card, then slip theirs in my bag after checking it out.

Whatever the accepted practice is though, I think it's important to have a stylish card case. It makes one look more professional and keeps the cards from getting all frayed swirling around a bag. Practical, in other words.

I got this case from Avon. It's actually a set that comes with a compact mirror.

I am extremely lazy when it comes to applying false eyelashes. I can also never get it right, but I think it's because of lack of practice! However, Sophie makes it easy for lazy daisies like me to wear falsies without committing too much time to it by introducing her 3S Pre-Glued False Eyelashes (P250 from Beauty and Minerals). 

This stuff is so easy to use. You just remove the lashes from the base, cut the excess (if it's too big for your eyes), then apply it to the roots of your lashes with your fingers or a tweezer. It's idiot-proof. According to Sophie, you can use the lashes around two times before the adhesive loses its stickiness. She's right, I did use these twice and they won't stick anymore.

I am a big believer in fingers when it comes to applying concealer and liquid foundation, but for other products, I have a small coterie of brushes that I prefer to use on a regular basis. I have other similar brushes that I reach out for but this set is always my first choice! 

If you're into makeup for personal use, then you don't really need an elaborate set of specialized brushes to apply your products. Just get few basic brushes and you're good to go for everyday looks. Like me. :P

So, here are my favorite brushes!

From left to right: Sigma E55 / E40 duo, Estee Lauder lid brush I got from a set, fake NARS crease brush, Charm blending brush (from the Charm Travel Pro V3 brush set)

Last Christmas, Tony Moly Philippines sent over a sweet package containing some products and this handy dandy cosmetics kit. I really like it because it's the perfect size for putting in a full face's worth of makeup, plus it has a neat section for brushes!

The Charm Essentials Pretty in Pink Vegan Brush Set (P2,500) is not your normal brush set. What sets it apart from the multitudes of other sets out there is the carefully designed brushes that are also multi-purpose. A slanted mini-flat top brush, a fluffy highlighter brush, and a fine smudge brush are just some of its more distinctive charms. Pun intended!

What makes it more interesting is the fact that the brushes perform really well even with what should be a handicap - they're made of synthetic fiber, not animal hair. The former is amazing at picking up cream and liquid makeup but normally not so good at working with powder. In these Charm brushes though, the vegan hair does the job of picking up and applying makeup wonderfully, no matter if it's a powder or liquid.

If you're lazy when it comes to washing your makeup brushes, raise your hand! *Raises hand* Well, you and I are in luck. There are such things as instant brush cleaners to make our lives easier. You simply spray it/ swirl on your brush, wipe, and voila it's as good as new.

I've heard and read of such wondrous inventions before but it's my first time to actually use one: the Parian Spirit Brush Cleaner (P800). It's a solution that melts makeup off your brushes, leaving it sanitized, deodorized, and ready to use in less than a minute. Professional makeup artists, theatre performers, and makeup studios love this stuff because it allows them to reuse their brushes quickly.

Scent. The first thing you'll notice about Parian is that it smells strongly of oranges (it has the essence of California organes, I hear).

One of my readers requested for a tutorial on how to apply mineral foundation. I thought that was an interesting question. After all, mineral foundation IS different from normal powder foundation and therefore requires a slightly separate set of tools and techniques. 

But wait, why use mineral makeup? It depends on your needs and preferences. MMU is great if you want a smooth, luminous finish without all the added chemicals traditional foundations have. You also don't need to use a lot of MMU to get the skin you want, which means that you only use a thin layer that lets your skin breathe.

Unlike normal powder makeup where you just pat it on to get your desired coverage, you have to sort of break down and really spread mineral makeup all over your face. That's why even if you only use a small amout of mineral powder (well, good MMU anyway), you get a lot mileage out of it. It's basically concentrated pigment, unlike traditional makeup where there are comparatively more binders, extenders, and preservatives included in the formula.

That said, I'd just like to share the tools and techniques I use in applying loose mineral foundation!

Choose your weapon

Dense brushes allow you to break down and spread the MMU efficiently.

While I LOVE the Charm Travel Pro V3 brush Set, I don't take all of the brushes with me to use out of the house. If I need to apply makeup outside, I probably won't have the time and space in my bag to do something elaborate; a few key brushes and my fingers should be enough to do a full face. Same thing when I need to retouch.

What's in my travel kikay kit

As you can see, I just bring along a blush, eyebrow, eyeshadow, and powder brush when I'm out. These are my essentials when it comes to brushes! That's why it seems that Sophie read my mind when she made the Charm Pocket Brush Set (P500): it has everything I need and a little bit more.

What I love about the product

• Has multi-purpose brushes to save space and cost. There's a powder/blush brush, eyebrow/eyeliner brush, eyeshadow/concealer brush, lip/liner brush, and a lash/brow comb. 

I'm a huge fan of Sophie's brushes. Not because we're friends, but because I know that her product is something she thought long and hard about, painstakingly honed to near perfection. She's a little bit OC and a workaholic, which is what makes her a successful businesswoman AND the ideal person you want working on your brushes.

Thus, I'm very happy to present her new tools: the Charm Vegan Brushes. She has been developing this for a year! She explained that the synthetic vegan hairs are a challenge to get as stiff or as soft as you need them to be. If you've tried synthetic brushes before, you'll notice that they're harder to control than animal hair brushes especially if you attempt to use them with powder makeup.

That's not the case with these vegan brushes - at least, from what I've tested so far.

Jane Iredale is one of the few brands that offer truly 100% mineral makeup. It costs a pretty penny - up there with Colorescience, just less expensive - but unlike cheaper MMU the efficacy and convenience of the products are compararable to high-end traditional makeup. If you have super sensitive skin, true mineral makeup is definitely the way to go.

I've heard so many good things about Jane Iredale way before, so I was psyched to try out their Starter Kit in Golden. It has everything a girl can need for a full face of makeup - tinted primer, foundation, concealer, blush, lip color, and even brushes! However, it's not something you should get for daily use since the products are in sample sizes. It's really more for people who want to try out JI makeup without paying full price.

After using it for a few weeks, here's my review of and recommendations for each product in the kit. You can buy them separately so you don't have to shell out the P5,000+ this Starter Kit costs. ;)

Pressed Mineral Powder with SPF20: This light coverage mineral powder is da bomb. It has a nice glowy finish that looks like skin, just better!