Features Denise Bengzon Features Denise Bengzon

Prep your wallets: Here's what to expect at the frejya store in Glorietta

Where do you shop for your beauty hauls? I honestly love the convenience that online shopping offers, but it’s definitely more fun to be able to see everything that’s available and to swatch and try the products in person! Thankfully, we are now spoiled for choice with the launch of freyja, a unique beauty experience that allows you to get the best of both worlds!

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Personal Care Charlie Esmerna Personal Care Charlie Esmerna

We Want Scrubs: The five drugstore body scrubs to stash in your shower

When I was a kid, my mom would give me a small, clean towel before my bath. “Maghilod!” she would say. My bout with scars from breakouts and skin allergies coupled with my mom’s constant reminder have made me a stickler for exfoliation. I like how it makes me feel squeaky-clean and extra fresh afterwards, plus it actually improves blood circulation in the process. My skin is still far from perfect but regular exfoliation has made my scars lighter and my skin a little less rough and dull-looking.

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Skincare Gett Baladad Skincare Gett Baladad

Just Claying Around: Why I love Origins clay masks

One of the first things I really got into when I started my own skincare journey were clay masks. Since figuring out I had oily skin, I thought clay masks would suit my skin type best. Regular use of clay mask has definitely helped manage my oiliness and my breakouts. More than that, I always feel like I’m enjoying a mini spa session whenever I have one on!

Origins has been on my radar ever since I got to sample their Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask from this year’s PV Anniversary kit. I really liked it, so I was pretty excited two more clay masks from Origins!

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Cheeks, Lips Kimberly Anne Capeding Cheeks, Lips Kimberly Anne Capeding

New from Canmake: Cream Cheek Tint and Matte Lip Tint

I am not as well versed in J-beauty as I’d like to be. Unlike the rest of the PV team, my experience with Japanese cosmetics can be condensed to a few award winning skincare, cult-favorite mascaras, and the ever famous Shu Uemura lash curler. I’m currently on a streak of more natural makeup looks so Canmake Philippines’ newly-released matte lip tint and cream blush were welcome additions to my current rotation!

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Beauty News Karla Aguas Beauty News Karla Aguas

News Roundup: The Ordinary says goodbye (for now), Jo Malone for men, and BTS makeup?!

It’s been a fairly turbulent week for the beauty world and we’ve got another beauty roundup that’ll have you panicking and celebrating all at the same time. We collectively gasped from the shocking announcement of Deciem’s temporary closure and ooh-ed over Jo Malone’s first ever collection dedicated to men. We also have the happy news that Ellana Cosmetics now ships abroad, and that the biggest K-Pop group is set to release a makeup collection!

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Features Samantha Gonzales Features Samantha Gonzales

Full Review: blk runs away with the 90s in their new themed collection

I vaguely remember her as the super maarte Emily from the GMA show T.G.I.S., and while little budding tomboy Sammi didn’t like Emily at first, she warmed up to the idea of a flamboyant, pigtailed, Taglish-speaking Anne Curtis.

Cut to 2018. Anne Curtis-Heusaff now has her own cosmetics line that gives tribute to the decade of grunge, kitsch, and butterfly clips. Apparently, Anne Curtis is so obsessed with the 90s that she created a whole collection around it!

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Hair Marielle Ong Hair Marielle Ong

Freshly Unwashed: Three under P500 dry shampoos to refresh your hair ASAP

Having naturally wavy, chemically-treated strands that I compulsively wash almost daily means that I am basically a frizz magnet at the first sign of humidity. To help manage my mane issues, especially when I have to leave the house looking a little more presentable, I tend to wash my hair the night before to let everything settle. I also rely on the magic of dry shampoo!

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Brushes Kristel Yap Brushes Kristel Yap

A makeup artist reviews the Anne Clutz's brush sets: Are they worth it?

I love brush sets. I’m addicted to them, and the bigger, the better. I’m very maarte with my personal makeup routine, and I like to believe that the brush I use affects my final face.

As with any brush set, I have three basic review guidelines; form, fiber, and function. With form, I look at the shape of the brush heads. These must be a good size to work on my face, and a good shape to apply the makeup it’s meant to apply. With fiber, I touch the actual brush heads and check if they’re dense or loose enough. I actually prefer synthetic fibers, as well-designed synthetic fibers can mimic the feel of natural fibers, minus the staining and the cruelty. Lastly, I look at the function. Does it blend if it’s meant to blend, or line as it’s meant to line? I look at a set cohesively and determine what it’s meant for. Is it meant for a full face? A basic face? Or was it just meant to supplement existing brush collections?

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Skincare Frankie Torres Skincare Frankie Torres

A 15-second face mask exists, and yes, of course it’s from Korea

It’s no secret that, here at Project Vanity, we love a good masking sesh! From sheet masks challenges to trying different types of clay and everything in between, the PV girls are always down for a good at-home spa day. There’s one problem with this, though: I often don’t have the 10 or so minutes to spare for the mask treatments. After a long day of working and attending music school, it’s a small victory that I even manage my current five-step skincare routine daily! But what if there was a mask that works in mere seconds?

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Foundation Claire Reyes Foundation Claire Reyes

The Face Shop Ink Lasting: Is Korea’s favorite new foundation worth the hype?

Guess what my favorite lip tint, eyebrow pencil, and vitamin C serum have in common? They’re all from K-Beauty brands that I’ve discovered over the past few years! No doubt about it, I’m a fan of how a lot of Asian Beauty (AB) products fit my needs and deliver results, at very decent price points. Even then, my go-to foundation products came from Western and local brands. I dislike being biased, but I generally find K-Beauty foundations to have limited shade selections, unflattering cool undertones (at least on me), and “dewy” finishes that make my face look like a major oil slick.

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Skincare Gett Baladad Skincare Gett Baladad

Grease Girl Diaries: We compare five blotting sheets under 200 pesos

My control freak self always likes to be prepared, but on the days that I get lax about it, things will go wrong. Case in point: last year, I was visiting nearby towns from Tokyo. It was summer, and I was dying from the heat. While I tried my best to summer-proof my makeup, I’m an oily gal and things are bound to move around. When I checked on my makeup in the bathroom, I was met with Grease Kelly and discovered that I had left my powder at our Airbnb! Luckily, there was a nearby department store that housed several beauty brands. I grabbed a pack of the blotting papers, and have never been without them ever since.

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Beauty News Karla Aguas Beauty News Karla Aguas

Beauty Roundup: Origins lipsticks, Kylie's skincare, and a Sunnies restock!

Boo! Happy October, PV fam! Despite Halloween being just around the corner, we’ve got a roundup that won’t scare you as much as it will excite you! We’ve got the 411 on Origins’ latest launches (think makeup and skincare in one) and the long-awaited restock of Sunnies Face lippies. Rumor has it that Kylie Jenner is working on a skincare collection, and while waiting for your STUNNA package to get to your doorstep, you’ll want to start planning for FENTY’s icy holiday collection!

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Lips Liz Lanuzo Lips Liz Lanuzo

My life is glossier now that I have Revlon's new lip balm and gloss hybrid

Is the Revlon Kiss Plumping Lip Creme (P375 for 7 grams) a lip gloss or a lip balm? The answer, for me, is both. I was pleasantly surprised by these new gloss balms from Revlon. Off the bat, I thought they looked like a basic lip gloss, but I found them more interesting due to the fact that they feel more like an ultra glossy lip balm than anything else!

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Foundation Kristel Yap Foundation Kristel Yap

This is how MAC Studio Fix face bases are leveling up their game

The MAC Studio Fix range is basically an institution, known for its wide shade range. In fact, beauty enthusiasts often refer to the MAC foundation shade coding system even when talking about other brands! Now, MAC aims to be even more inclusive than they already are by embodying All Ages, All Races, All Genders. They have looked at even more undertones and shades, and recognized what consumers have long been saying – one shade does not fit all.

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Health & Wellness Marielle Ong Health & Wellness Marielle Ong

Canesten and Marian Rivera get upfront about body care

When beauty lovers obsess over the face, hair, and nails, it’s easy to forget that body care isn’t always as simple as soap and water. Proper TLC is a must in maintaining healthy skin all over, with activities like full-body exfoliation sessions to regularly slathering on lotions. Sometimes, it can even mean nipping fungal infections in the bud, and being honest about the need to address this kind of issue is the first step to regaining flawless skin.

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What we love (and don’t love) about the Happy Skin Honeymoon Glow Collection

I wrote about Happy Skin’s Honeymoon Glow lipstick when it launched four years ago. It was an instant hit for me, as the color is beautiful and flattering on any skin tone! That’s why it’s no surprise that Happy Skin decided to create a full collection inspired by the shade. There’s now a quad eyeshadow palette, a contour and highlight duo, lip & cheek tints, and a nail polish in addition to the existing Honeymoon Glow lip products (two lipstick formulas, one liquid lipstick, and a liner).

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Lips Liz Lanuzo Lips Liz Lanuzo

Bye, dry lips: The In Her Element Nourishing Cocoa Balm is our dream lip balm

The very first product of In Her Element when it launched almost two years ago is the Nourish & Cleanse Balm. It was a multi-purpose balm that you can apply all over your body but we had to discontinue it since we wanted to focus on new products down the road. Some months back though, a friend of mine shared that her friend LOVED our balm in the harsh Australian winter since it was the only thing that kept her lips alive. That’s when I had the idea of making a more portable version of the balm - something people can travel with or just casually throw in their bags everyday!

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Lips Stacie Chan Lips Stacie Chan

Lips No Longer Sealed: The secret lip products K-idols keep in their kits

I’m on a high from SEVENTEEN’s concert last weekend - it was AMAZING! I have been crazy for Korean pop idols for almost a decade, and seeing them perform knife-like choreography while singing AND maintaining perfect hair and makeup at the same time amazes me. K-idols are one of the reasons why I got into makeup and skincare (and particularly K-beauty) in the first place. Most of them are brand endorsers and while we PV girls have been known to buy into these endorsements, I really wanted to find out what they actually use. So, I have been on the lookout for backstage clips, shows, and news to see what products are in these idols’ kits. I’ve managed to hunt down five lip products that idols have been spotted using - and they’re all under P500!

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