Take a makeup sponge, then try to imagine why it should possibly cost a thousand bucks. Can you? I couldn't. I've said several times before that I am skeptical when it comes to the Beauty Blender hype. Until I got my own, that is! This was a surprise from Digital Traincase after attending her workshop with Jigs Mayuga (more on that soon).

Anyway, now I know why makeup artists adore the Beauty Blender. It blends wet makeup (liquid or cream) onto the skin seamlessly! I've tried brushes that blend makeup seamlessly before, sure, but the process is not as effortless and simple as using the Beauty Blender. With brushes, I end up blending and patting several times to achieve what Beauty Blender can do in two passes. This stuff really works!

What makes the Beauty Blender so different...and so expensive?

This sponge is non-latex, non-comedogenic, and doesn't have that weird chemical smell from cheap sponges. I didn't break out from using this at all! The shape is also ergonomic so it fits into the awkward corners of the face.

But that's just superficial, and obviously easy to copy. The difference lies in the material of this sponge. It swells up to twice its size when its wet, thus becoming exponentially softer and increasing its ability to deposit and blend the makeup perfectly. With little effort, might I add!

I randomly found these Pond's wipes in S&R while I was doing my groceries. I normally avoid the beauty and body care section because the things there can get quite expensive, but this product just looked too good to pass up - especially when I saw the ingredients list!

The Pond's Original All Day Clean Towelettes (P129 at S&R) are designed to remove makeup and other impurities in the gentlest manner possible. Yeah, it's the first time I've heard of it too! As far as I know this is not available anywhere else in the Philippines aside from S&R - but do correct me if I'm wrong. 

This is a water-based makeup remover that contains extracts of chamomile, Vitamin E, green tea, white tea, and honeybush. These ingredients can help freshen up skin and improve its clarity. True enough, my face feels really nice and smooth after using the wipes! These don't sting or taste like anything AT ALL.

They say expensive brushes are some of the best investments you can make if you're serious about getting your makeup right. That may be true five years ago, when only high-end brands would make brushes fit for the high strandards of makeup enthusiasts and professionals alike. But it's different today. It's easy to find good brushes without going over a thousand, maybe even 800 bucks a piece.

You can go even lower, if you like! Take for example this Ecotools 5-Piece Mineral Brush Set (P549 at Kalm Cosmetics). This travel-sized brush collection is a great buy for beginners and those who like to apply their makeup on the go! It's specifically created for loose mineral makeup but it can definitely be used with traditional pressed makeup as well.

The set contains a Mineral Powder Brush, Concealer Brush, Eye Shading Brush, and Mini Kabuki Brush. They're mainly for applying powder base makeup. The synthetic bristles are super soft and dense where it counts, thus turning your makeup into a smooth, even layer all over your face.

You know I gotta mention the Beauty Blender sponge here, right? It's only proper. :P I've never tried it before so unfortunately I can't compare, but I was just never convinced by the hype. Sure the sponge is conveniently shaped for reaching awkward areas around the face, but a thousand bucks for one sponge? Hmm, I don't think so. Maybe I'll change my mind in the future. Until then, I'll go for more reasonable alternatives!

The Too Cool For School Marshmallow Puff Sponge (P279) has been sitting on my vanity since March. I never got around to using it after my first try though, because I felt that the sponge just ate the liquid foundation and didn't do a good job of applying it. BUT! I was just using the Puff all wrong, it seems.

Instead of sheer watery foundations, the TCFS works amazingly with cream compact and thick liquid foundations. It does a wonderful job of buffing in such formulas seamlessly!

I have a new hobby - crafting. I love doing things with paper, but I'm partial towards cardmaking. It is ridiculously fun! It's like I'm building my makeup collection all over again, this time with cutting tools, adhesives, and paper. It allows me to indulge in the process of creating something with my bare hands. I don't often get to do that in my line of work, but I believe that making something - any thing - is crucial to my sanity and happiness. So I do it when I can.

Anyway, while I was looking for more supplies to add to my crafting collection, I came across this set of Royal & Langnickel art brushes. I found them in Deovir in Megamall (Megamall A, 5th Level)! I wanted to have reaaaallly precise brushes for my acrylics and gouache paints; these three taclon brushes look perfect. And guess what - I only paid P120 for the whole set!

Royal & Langnickel is famous for their cosmetics brushes, but their other business is art tools. Their basic makeup brushes actually aren't expensive, but the ones from the luxe lines - whoa. They're gorgeous and will gouge a hole in your wallet. I wish they're available here though! I would love to try them someday. For now I'm happy to have these three.

So wait why am I writing about these art brushes in my beauty blog? Three guesses. ;)

Brush Week is finally drawing to a close. I think it's only fitting to write about my five favorite brushes, the ones that I never fail to use! I mean, there are a lot of brushes that I rotate quite often, but these five are absolutely indispensable to my routine. 

You'll notice that my picks here are mostly inexpensive. I don't feel the need to invest in a lot of expensive brushes since I only apply makeup on myself, and the ones I have here work perfectly. In fact, my favorite powder brush is only P120! Seriously. It's so awesome but unfortunately I can't find it anymore.

Anyway, here's why I LOVE these brushes!

The Large Powder Brush is my favorite foundation brush, hands down. It's super soft and quite large, but I like the size because it really cuts down the amount of time I spend on powder application.

This is a common question: "I'm new to makeup, what are the basic brushes I need to buy?" I always recommend just three brushes - a powder, kabuki-type brush that can double as a brush brush, an angled brow brush, and a mid-sized fluffy eyeshadow brush. You can use your fingers for liquid and cream makeup. These three brushes, IMHO, are indispensable. 

When you start to feel the need for more precision, that's when you should start purchasing individual brushes or brush sets - not before! Some girls would flat out get a set and then later on think that they got a crappy deal. Thing is, they should have considered first if the brushes in the set are something they would need in their routine. When buying brushes, think of your normal makeup routine first - what kind of makeup do you prefer to wear? What kind of look and products do you want to incorporate in the near future? Then, buy brushes accordingly.

Anyhoo! Today I have here the Charm Travel PRO Sonia Makeup Brush Set (P2,750). This is a special edition set from Charm to celebrate their fifth (going on sixth) anniversary! The case is extra pretty and the matte gold ferrule whispers "luxe".

The brushes inside are the same ones as the current, slightly cheaper iteration of the Charm Travel Pro. I have already reviewed that one with tips on how to use it so I won't go into detail on Sonia. Just enjoy the pictures! ;)

It's been years since I tried anything from Mary Kay! A couple of weeks back, I received a brush, loose powder, and mirror compact from the brand. I fell in like with all of them, especially since they are beautifully packaged, effective, and inexpensive. Today I'll quickly talk about the Mary Kay Cheek Brush, a beautiful brush that can be used for both blushes and powders.

This brush is made of soft animal hair. It's dense enough to blend loose powder effectively, but not so dense that it becomes too stiff to apply blush properly. This is generally good at packing color and blending it. I always love having brushes that can be used two or more ways! Saves me time from trying to pick out my next tool.

If you love watching YouTube makeup gurus, then you already know how popular and ubiquitous the MAC 217 Blending Brush is. It's been on my wish list since I saw Lisa Eldridge use it with cream eyeshadows - it looked so easy to use, and the results were stunning! I finally got my own MAC 217 a month or so ago since I got to visit Duty Free with my family.

It retails for about P1,300 locally if I remember rightly while it's 26 USD in Duty Free. The price difference is only minor so just buy it from the MAC counters. I thought it'd be considerably cheaper at DF but nah, the wait wasn't really worth it for a savings out about P170.

Anyway, on to the brush! I had mixed feelings about it the first few times I used it. It didn't wow me, I mean, my eyeshadows looked the same as when I used a cheaper brush. As you know I have been using the Suesh Pointed Blending Brush and it works super well - why bother with the MAC 217?

The MAC 217 has long bristles that taper to a rounded edge

It took me a while to notice it, but there is a marked difference, not just to the naked eye!

Do brushes make the artist? I'm inclined to say no. For me it's not the tools that make good makeup (or any creation for that matter), it's the vision of the artist behind the work. Some people acquire the skills while some are just plain talented, but in the end the beauty of the finished material is dictated by the person's creativity. 

Still, good, specialized brushes can make application easier and quicker. The results are also cleaner and better blended! That's why you should only use brushes that have nice, soft hair and a shape that does what it's meant to do. Naturally the best brushes costs a pretty penny, but there is always one within your budget - just make sure to look and compare!

I have reviewed many brushes for you guys in the past. This week I'll be reviewing a few new ones I haven't featured yet. So, without further blabber, I present to you Project Vanity's Brush Week!

I'm gonna start with three brushes I purchased from Suesh early this year. I love these eye brushes since they are fairly affordable, soft, and excel in applying eyeshadow. I have been using the Large Eyeshadow Brush and the Pointed Blending Brush almost exclusively since I got them. As in, I panic whenever I don't find them in my table!

Let's begin with the Large Eyeshadow Brush (P400). It's made of stiff yet soft sable hair that's great at picking up and packing in powder eyeshadows. I actually prefer to use this kind of flat, rounded brush for my lids instead of the usual fluffy ones - it just works better in making the colors vibrant!

Thought I'd end foundation week with a tool instead of makeup! The Charm Pro Angled Foundation Brush (P700) is the latest creation from the popular local brush brand. It's a flat brush with a gentle angle to it that allows you to blend in liquid foundation even in tight spots. It's super easy to use, and works best with watery foundations and BB creams to get maximum coverage.

The brush has soft synthetic hair that's dense and stiff at the base. It's pliable on the tapered edge, which gives it this nice blending action if you swipe it back and forth. I wouldn't recommend it for heavy-coverage, thick foundations since you will need a denser, rounder brush to get those properly worked onto the skin. This however is perfect for light foundations that have sheer coverage - it somehow increases the opacity of these types of foundations, and give them a smoother finish. 

Is there really a difference between high-end and cheap eyelash curlers? Yes! High-end lash curlers give a better, higher curl, and keeps it up there for hours on end. They also have less of a tendency to pinch the upper lids as they fit the eyes better than cheaper curlers. If you haven't yet invested in a good lash curler then you'll think I'm just spewing BS, but promise, you'll feel the difference once you try it!

So what is the best eyelash curler out there? Many a makeup maven has sworn by the Shu Uemura one, but I have also heard a lot of great things about the Shiseido Eyelash Curler (P1,300). I'll be reviewing it for you today, and compare it with the Shu later on.

What I love about the product

• Zero pinching on the upper lids! This is actually the most important thing for me when it comes to lash curlers! I would hate for my lids to have wrinkles before their time. Plus pinching is motherthumping painful, ha! Shiseido has a thin metal clamper (I think it's called) so it doesn't fold the lids over. Hope that makes sense.

Remember my Real Techniques Core Collection Brush Set? I still abuse those brushes regularly. They've kept their shape well through repeated washing, and still have soft bristles even though they've been mercilessly rubbed and wiped on different products. Not a bad deal considering they're only P1,100 for four full-sized brushes!

I told myself I'd get more RT brushes when I get the chance, so here are two new ones I've managed to add to my collection thanks to Stuff In Style. ^_^

I have here the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush and Blush Brush (P600 each). These brushes sport an interesting shape and size for what they purport to do, but I swear, they do the job quite well. That's what I like about Real Techniques - the brushes are real solutions to real makeup application problems. 

More details on each brush below!

I got the Travalo Refillable Perfume Spray (P680) last Christmas, lost it, but recently found it. Hence the extremely delayed post on it after I promised to review it last December! Anyway, it's a pretty nifty storage solution for people who love smelling fresh during the day but hate bringing a glass bottle or plastic atomizer. It's also perfect for travelers who want to save space during a trip.

The Travalo is a small capsule tube that can easily fit in the palm of your hand. It has a clear slot in the middle so you can see how much liquid is inside. The spray nozzle and cap seem pretty secure and tight, which means that there are less chances of leakage and evaporation compared to the average drugstore atomizer.

Have you tried customizable palettes yet? They're a pretty cool tool for keeping your makeup in one place where you can see them. If you like to collect, I'm sure you know how it can be difficult to remember the stuff you actually have! Customized palettes are also useful to people who like to travel light, without the uneccessary clutter of bulky compacts.

Now there's a few of them special palettes floating around already, but I'd like to present a local and affordable brand: Wild Peach Cosmetics.

Magnetic palettes like this usually cost P500 to P900 a pop, but Wild Peach sells them at P280 (small) and P550 (large). That's quite a price cut from the competition, ha. I thought it would be flimsy when I found out! But contrary to my low expectations, WP palettes are excellently made with a little bit of heft. The cardboard material feels thick and sturdy, while the matte finish is quite classy in person (there's also a glossy finish but why bother haha).

Here's the small sized version in action. I have the large but I haven't photographed it yet! I'll blog about it when I've filled it up.

I feel like a total traitor saying this, but the Bobbi Brown Eyelash Curler (P1,200) can rival the one from Shu Uemura. There. I didn't think it was possible for me to like any other lash curler as much as I like Shu's, but hey I've been wrong before.

Now let's backtrack first. What makes Bobbi's curler surprisingly amazing?

The thing I love most about it is that it never goes near enough to pinch my lids and lashes. In so doing, it doesn't erase the careful eyeliner work I've done on my upper lids! It also fits my eyes perfectly so no lash is left uncurled - yes, even the innermost ones. It's easier to angle than the Shu curler because it's sliiiighly smaller, so I get to all the hairs I want to reach.

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.