While comparisons to similar celeb-preneur labels such as Kylie Cosmetics and Jeffree Star abound, there’s no denying that Vice Cosmetics - much like its famously unkabogable founder - is a brand all its own. Formulated based on the #GandaForAll philosophy, Vice Cosmetics’ debut launch promised luxury quality at mass-market friendly prices, and featured true-matte shades that were simultaneously trendy and wearable. Still, while this first launch definitely brought fashion-forward mattes to the mainstream market, there was a conscious effort to “tone down” on the hues and finishes: to be “relatable” instead of reflecting Vice Ganda’s trademark edgy style.

Have you ever experienced falling in love with makeup in a very real, heartbeat-skipping sort of way? I've been a fan for a long time but something about luxury lipsticks just stop my heart. Now, I honestly don't get excited over lip products because I'm more of a face base fan, but when the sleek black box stamped with Tom Ford in gold lettering arrived for the PV team, I knew this was going to be a very different experience.

Lip liners are underrated makeup products here in Asia. It’s a shame, though, as many miss out its abilities to define the shape of our lips and help keep our lipstick in place. If you haven't yet, you should consider adding lip liners to your arsenal because Ever Bilena recently released a new collection of Matte Lip Liners with very budget-friendly prices!

When the PV team received the invite for the launch of the Laura Mercier Velour Extreme Matte Lippies and found the venue was at Yes Please, BGC, we were pretty shocked, to say the least. Laura Mercier has long been a staple for the Titas of Manila, so it was a little jarring to experience the new products in a blacked out, neon-lit bar.

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.

Two of the hottest beauty trends right now are glassy skin and glossy lips. Yes, we’re all about the shine this summer! It keeps your pout luscious yet lightweight - a great match for the hot weather. And since we’ve already showed you how to get glass skin, today we’re sharing seven lip glosses to complete your look – all under P500!

Whenever people see how many lip balms and ointments I own, I get odd looks - most likely because I only have one pair of lips and can’t possibly go through all of my stash successfully. But my secret love affair with lip balms is not baseless. Not only do I buy them because they look pretty on the vanity (kidding); I have Sahara-dry all year round lips! Aside from being in an air-conditioned room almost all day every day because of work, I have a bad habit of constantly chewing on my lips, especially while I'm thinking. My lips are often chapped and flaky, so I've definitely dependent on lip balm to save them!

I was a little surprised to learn that Eye of Horus is actually an indie brand. We’ve featured them extensively on the site and are always blown away by the quality of the items, so it’s easy to assume that there’s a gigantic team of chemists and researchers slaving away to perfect their powerhouse collection of eye enhancers.

But no! The secret to Eye of Horus is the hands-on mother-daughter tandem of Heather and Holly Spierings, who make it their duty to know all about the exotic and health-beneficial oils that they incorporate into the products.

I’ll be honest: I began this assignment with extreme prejudice against a metallic lip, cursing my editor (jk) and the laze-enabling weather. But after a little experimentation, I’m happy to report that I can now consider the metallic lip as a bonafide option in my lip arsenal, thanks to the Revlon Ultra HD Matte Lipcolors (P575).

If there’s one makeup product I’m guilty of hoarding, it would be lipsticks. From all the different kinds to shades beyond the basic five, I can’t seem to stop collecting and trying out the latest! Today’s focus is the reliable bullet matte lipstick. If you’re looking for the long-wearing, super pigmented kind, look no further than the matte ones. We’ve previously featured seven to try under P500 as well as the PV staff favorites. This next batch we’re trying out will hopefully show us just how far the supposedly drying matte lipsticks have come. Let's go!

The holidays are fast approaching and you know what that means - parties and get-togethers will be keeping your social calendar jam-packed and busy! For me, it’s the time of year when I whip out my bright and glittery makeup because it suits the festive holiday spirit. This time, I'll be putting down my usual lippies to give way to something more fun, like some metallic bling from J.Cat Beauty's Flash Metal Metallic Matte Lip (P329).

I am tired of dry, crusty, flaky, uncomfortable lip products that make me want to take of all of my makeup in the middle of the day. I think the makeup community has been collectively sold on the liquid lipstick hype that some of us have forgotten what it’s like not to have to perform 70 lip preparation steps in order to appease the liquid lipstick gods. That’s why traditional bullets, like the American-made Milani Color Statement Lipsticks (P300 from Lannel Boutique), are a breath of fresh air!

Celebrity makeup lines are all the rage these days. From Fenty Beauty by Rihanna to blk Cosmetics by Anne Curtis, stars are acting on the fact that they can wield their influence to grow their own business empires. The latest star to launch a beauty collection is Vice Ganda. Known for his roles as actor, comedian, and TV host, Jose Marie Viceral can now add "beauty entrepreneur" to his list of accomplishments. Officially introduced to the public through a jam-packed Smart Araneta Coliseum, Vice Cosmetics stays true to Vice Ganda’s unkabogable style with the Vice Cosmetics Ganda For All Concert: The Phenomenal Launch.

While I might have dabbled in lip tints when I first started getting into makeup, I've built my lip color collection around the traditional bullet lipstick. I don’t have anything against tints (or glosses, stains, and liquid lipsticks, for that matter), and I do see the appeal of getting a pop of color from a more lightweight (and supposedly longer-wearing) medium. I just feel that bullet perform better! 

Still, when I was assigned to test local lip tint brands, I was very curious if any of them would be my new go-to favorite. I wasn't able to get hold of the famous KJM stains but we've done a review on those before. I decided to try six other brands instead! Did they manage to change my mind? Read on to find out!

I can be a little - okay maybe more than a little - judgy at times. When I received the new Ever Bilena Liquid Lipsticks (P185 in stores) I immediately had low expectations. It's not because of the brand. Ever Bilena has proven itself as a drugstore name to beat this year in terms of quality, but I did not expect much because the colors look pretty dark in the tube. Dark colors in liquid lipstick form tend to be streaky and sad. Not these Ever Bilena ones, though!

It might just be my age, but I find that my skin is drier and drier every year. That also goes for my lips. I rarely had chapped, flaky lips so it's a bit frustrating that I'm getting them more often now! I actually use an amazing overnight lip mask to help with that but during the day, my fave lip balm at the moment is the Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment (P1,387 at Sephora.ph).

Browsing through lipsticks online and in the malls can be an overwhelming experience for a makeup newbie. Which lipstick should I get? What will look good on me? Which formula should I go for? These questions run through our heads like crazy especially since lipsticks these days come in every color imaginable (even white!) and some look very similar to others. So how do you begin choosing the colors for your core lipstick wardrobe? Let’s start with the basics!

One of the hazards of my job is dry, flaky lips. When you have to swatch 20 liquid lipsticks in one sitting, that's simply impossible to avoid! The weather also affects how flaky my lips get. Cooler weather means drier lips and that's even with a humidifier on all night. I'll be traveling to Tokyo again soon and already I'm dreading the painful lip peeling!

We've already talked about Careline's millennial rebrand, so now it's time to turn our gaze to their star product: the Liquid Lipsticks! Admittedly Careline is a little late in the game, but it makes up for it by offering 13 shades, three of which are metallic and some in surprisingly crazy colors. This is such a huge step for what before was a brand that seemed stuck in the early aughts. 

So how are these lipsticks, really?

Tom Ford Beauty is coming to the Philippines on October 6, in Rustan's Makati. If you've always wanted to experience the brand full stop then you must visit the soft launch! There are bigger plans early next year (*wink*) but by next month, you'll be able to try on the brand's famous perfumes, Lips & Boys Lipstick, Lip Color, Patent Finish Lip Color, and selected pieces from the Soleil Collection.