If you’re a member of the Project Vanity Community, you may have seen one of my (many) posts raving about the Human Nature Hydrating Face Toner. I’ve used up two big bottles of this since discovering it sometime last year, and that’s a big deal for me as someone who often has to try a lot of other products as part of my job. There was a point when I regretted sharing about it though because it was out of stock at several stores by the time I had to repurchase!

When I got an invitation to attend a Laura Mercier workshop featuring their all new Blush Colour Infusion with celebrity makeup artist Anthea Bueno in Rustans Department Store Cebu, I did not hesitate to say “Yes!” Known for her incredible skin work, I was more than excited to learn about Anthea’s techniques for blush application, and of course, the chance to meet and chat with her in person! Tellie wrote a feature on her last year but it’s quite a different experience to see her artistry come to life and to hear more about her story firsthand.

I know that hair vinegar sounds like a sketchy concept, but it's an idea that's been around for a while. You might have read about hair rinses that includes vinegar to better cleanse the scalp, but no one actually wants to smell like they did it. Right? Enter commercial hair vinegars. Thank me later.

So why do you need hair vinegars anyway? Think of it as the first step to double-cleansing your scalp properly. Most of the time, normal shampoo isn't enough to rid your hair of product build-up (this one more than anything), dead skin, oil, and dirt, so you'll need a separate product to break it all down. If you have that feeling of your hair being heavy and greasy at the roots, then it means that you need something with more cleansing power than your everyday shampoo.

Happy weekend! It’s time for another beauty roundup, and this time, the gloves are coming off! Get ready for an intense read of all things beauty as L’Oreal teams up with yet another fashion powerhouse, FENTY Beauty celebrates the holidays super early, and Maybelline gives us a reason to go shopping for our fave lippie shades! We’ve got new releases, epic collabs, irresistible discounts, and...a zit-zapping pen?

Last month, I did an epilating story which entailed a lot of pain and experimentation, all in the name of beauty. This time, as other writers shied away from another potentially painful procedure, I begrudgingly said yes to Brow Resurrection, a semi-permanent makeup microblading service by Browhaus. This gave me an idea to start a new column called “Beauty is Pain,” where I would try out scary-looking and “painful” (or perceived to be painful) beauty treatments. We hope that doing this will make the treatments less intimidating by explaining the process and sharing our tips to make your experience safe and comfortable.

When direct selling in the Philippines is mentioned, Natasha is one of the top brands that comes to mind. From its humble beginnings as a mall boutique, the brand has evolved by transforming its business into a powerhouse that now has an extensive reach overseas. Making it to 25 years is no small feat for any endeavor, so to celebrate its ongoing success, Natasha celebrated its silver anniversary with a concert at the Smart Araneta Coliseum last August 25. “Natasha 25 Tayo! Ikaw Ang Star!” featured celebrity endorsers, fashion shows, and a major announcement that looks to take the company into an exciting new direction!

One of the things that I wish I knew sooner in beauty was to shop for my skin type. In my rookie years as a skincare enthusiast, I would spend H O U R S watching and reading reviews of popular products that unfortunately turned out to be bad matches for my oily, acne-prone skin. I now mourn for all the time and money I could have saved! Fast forward to today, I have learned to tune out the hype and just listen to my skin and what it needs.

Stress is a daily experience for most of us. The expectations and work load at school, work, and even at home can get so out of hand. Even just getting around from place to place causes so much anxiety because of traffic and limited transportation options!

How do you deal with it? I personally find that doing little things for myself keeps me from going bonkers from all the pressure. Sure, I love caring for my family, accomplishing work goals, and making my writing deadlines at Project Vanity (I love you, Den) but I still crave a little time alone to myself regularly, doing something I like just for me, you know?

New York Times recently published an article about why essences may be more important than moisturizer. I beg to differ - I think that if you had to choose one, a good moisturizer for your skin type will serve you far well - but I do agree that essences are important to our skin. A serum, toner, and moisturizer in one, essences (or sometimes called lotions) can help moisturize and plump up the skin without adding extra texture underneath your moisturizer. Good ones typically contain actives for better results. You can use them alone if you layer them several times (read here about the Korean 7-Skin Method), but I find them most effective as a booster for my regular moisturizer.

Have you found your HG pressed powder yed? I personally have a few favorites, but I still am always on the lookout for promising options with affordable price tags. I mean, it’s the one item in my makeup arsenal that I keep hitting pan on! Finding a good formula is a challenge for my sensitive combination skin though because what works for my oily T-zone (nose and forehead) usually emphasizes texture on my drier U-zone (cheeks, jawline, and chin).

Hello, September! With the Christmas season just around the corner, it’s no surprise that the beauty world is busting out a bunch of amazing new collections that have us buzzing with excitement. From Urban Decay’s leaked photos of a new palette (this will help you get over the loss of the OG) to Jaclyn Hill’s Morphe Brush Collection (you’ll be blending like a pro), these updates will have you smiling all weekend!

Editor’s Note: Before Buwan ng Wika ends, we want to celebrate a Filipino language that has risen in popularity in recent years - Swardspeak! More popularly known as Bekinese or Bekimon, this gay lingo has also become common in the beauty world, especially with the arrival of the Vice Ganda brand. A glossary of terms has been included below for those who are not familiar with the terminology. We hope you enjoy this article as much as we did producing it!

Long before I’d jumped on the K-Beauty hypetrain, I was already a big fan of The Face Shop. Their Lovely Me:Ex Angel Skin Powder Pact was my first upgrade from drugstore pressed powders (and still holds a soft spot in my heart for its finely-milled, soft-matte finish). I still hold their My Lips Eat Cherry Aqua Tint as one of the gold standards for Korean lip and cheek tints: viscous enough to not be messy and bleed into my teeth, as other, more watery tints are apt to do. I’ve grown to be such a fan of their products that, despite being on no-buy, I can’t resist at least taking a peek when I pass by their stores, excited to see what new products or deals are on offer.

Kathryn Bernardo, to me, is the epitome of gandang polbo and lip tint. While I have not followed her body of work as an actress, I am a huge fan of her face and have admired her beauty journey through the years. In many past interviews, both she and her go-to celebrity makeup artist, Denise Go-Ochoa, would emphasize how little makeup Kathryn actually wears. She prefers to wear little to no foundation and would often stress the importance of good skin. Her signature makeup look consists of dewy skin, straight brows, defined lashes, flushed cheeks, and just a hint of lip color.

Picture this: You’re getting un-ready after a horribly hectic day of rushing deadlines, running on coffee, fast food, and three hours of sleep. You change out of your clothes and pass out on your bed. No ceremonies, no frills - understandable after a rough day! The next morning though, you wake up to find makeup on your pillowcase and new pimples on your face. It’s a sucky start to what already feels like another sucky day, but it could have been avoided with just a bit of self-care.

When local brands claim to be local, we expect it to mean that they are proudly made in the Philippines. But this isn't always the case. Their teams and concepts originate from the Philippines but manufacturing the actual products is a different story entirely. They go to Taiwan, China, Korea, Thailand, Japan, and Indonesia to bring their concepts to life. Why is this?

Raise your hand if you own more makeup and skincare than you know what to do with! I’m sure I’m not alone in this! I always thought that beauty was a great collector hobby to get into, since you can use and enjoy your purchases instead of simply putting them on display. Like any collection, we carefully create our beauty wardrobes to be filled with products that we love and can’t live without. And to make sure that we never run out, we get backups! Whether it’s by taking advantage of sales or friends traveling abroad, there are things we PV girls just need to stock up on:

Are you excited for another long weekend ahead? I know I am! Let’s you all get settled and relaxed for the next three days with a beauty roundup that has gotten us planning our next vacay, vamping up our skincare, and thinking about growing out our locks. Oh yes, we’re dishing on blk’s travel-inspired lipstick collection, ColourPop’s sister skincare line, Chanel’s bold move into the realm of male beauty products, and BeautyMNL’s latest Kardashian-approved product. We’re also shocked and saddened to say goodbye to a beauty icon - we didn’t see that coming!

You’ve said “yes” to the dress, blinged out your shoes, scheduled your facials, and decided on whether to book a makeup artist or do your own makeup for the big day. A must-add to your wedding prep list: get your nails did! Aside from being a great way to relax from all the stress of wedding planning (and I KNOW that there are many!), your digits are actually going to be photographed to show off your new bling so you want to make sure that they look every inch as polished as the rest of you!

While we know Elizabeth Arden mostly for its feminine fragrances (White Tea remains a personal favorite since trying it last year), they’re not one to be left behind on color cosmetics and skincare.

The introduction of the SUPERSTART Skin Renewal Booster has inspired a full-on SUPERSTART collection. This collection features skincare technology that focuses on improving the radiance and appearance of the skin’s topmost layer, the stratum corneum. The line heavily features probiotics, which aims to strengthen skin’s own natural defenses leaving your skin feeling resilient and refreshed.