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.

Announcement of Week 2 winners! I also have good news. :) Since it's Valentine's Day today, there will be a special draw for those who will register today. There will be 14 winners for the Valentine's Draw - yes, 14! The Valentine's gift will also have 14 items in total.

Before we get to that, here are the winners as drawn for the second week of February!

Valentine's Day is a day away and I'm sure a lot of you are wondering (well I at least I am)...why should you care? Excellent question. It pressures couples into making grand gestures of love on a pre-determined day, and singles just get to feel like crap. I love love. I am in a five-year old relationship. But I dread scheduled stresss.

Be that as it may, Valentine's Day has its uses. It's another excuse to dress up and go have a fun date with your special other or friends, even. So, I thought I'd do a post on beauty tips to keep in mind for the day of love! Take note that they are specifically for a romantic date with smooshing and what else in mind. ;) Consider these as reminders.

Prep time

1. Wax. Depilate. Shave. Say adios to the mustachio and the leg fluff. You want to be smooth and silky all over! I know it's so much work and you think he won't notice anyway but honey, he will. I like using Veet wax strips and depilator creams.

The winner for last January is Aidisan. She has commented on almost, well, everything! She has also been reading this blog since last year so I want to say thank you. :)

And now, for the February gift!

I am giving away a Concealer Kit from Cinema Secrets. It has five shades that you can mix and match to get your perfect concealer and foundation shade.

My heart always skips a beat whenever I get a package from Avon. They send a lot, but there's always something new that I get excited to share with you guys. This time, it's the new Avon Ultra Moisture Rich Rose Lipstick (P199 intro price).

What's the difference between the UMR Rose and the original one? This collection is done exclusively in ten rose shades - from baby pinks to a deep almost black red - and has a wonderful sweet vanilla rose scent to show for it. The black tube also has a shiny pink band around it, versus the silver of the normal UMRs.

But this is the most important thing: I think they reformulated! The lipsticks are creamier, more opaque, and more moisturizing than ever. They just glide on like a dream without the waxiness of normal lipsticks. Lastly, the annoying glitters are completely gone from this version of the UMR. Before, Avon lipsticks would always have at least two colors with chunky shimmer in each collection, but this time they are nowhere to be found!

And now, for our favorite part: the swatches. Thought I'd show a full face here so you can see how beautiful the shades are. The photos are a little saturated and blurry but in my defense I am still not used to the settings of my new camera. Hope you get the idea though!

French Lace Rose is a delicate nude shade that is brown-based with hints of pink

It's that time of the month again! Here are my favorite finds last month. There's quite a few lip products here, I noticed, but there's also a couple of skincare gems that I think I'll stick with.

Here you go!

The Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter is not perfect, but the beautiful color selection, texture, and packaging more than makes up for its shortcomings. It still is a pretty kickin' lip product!

Sleek MakeUP True Color Lipsticks are amazingly pigmented and the colors are just wow! They feel rather dry to me, but nothing lip balm can't fix. Mystic, a deep purple shade, is such a statement color.

Hear ye, hear ye! If you're a true-blue makeup enthusiast or a practicing professional, you must visit these upcoming beauty events. You'll get to revel in new products, techniques, and looks that I'm sure you can use for yourself and/or your clients.

Don't miss them!

What's happening: See Kanebo's new line of cosmetics, product preview, private sale and event only specials.

I know I promised to show Avon's Valenine's offering today, but I haven't done the swatches for the new lipsticks yet so that will have to wait tomorrow. Today I'll just be showing you some of the brand's new releases last January!

They have new variants of the uber-good Skin-So-Soft Lotion, plus body washes in that range. I love the body washes - they smell clean and girly without being overly drying. The jewelry, on the other hand, are in Avon's signature classic style. 

Here be photos and pricing info!

Skin-So-Soft Signature Silk Replenishing Hand & Body Lotion 250 ml. This body lotion works two ways to provide the most sensual, touchable skin. Price: Php 290.00

Sleek is the UK equivalent of NYX, and like NYX has gained popularity by offering affordable yet colorful and highly pigmented makeup. I first heard about it when raves of its eyeshadow palettes started circulating around the internet. Naturally I was curious, so I finally scored one for myself called the Sleek iDivine Eyeshadow Palette in Me, Myself, and Eye (P650 in Digital Traincase).

The short of it is, it's pretty good! The color selection doesn't make sense to me but I actually like it that way. I already have so many color coordinated palettes so at this point I'm just looking for unique, stand-out colors I don't have yet. Me, Myself, and Eye definitely has those.

What I love about the product

• Colors, hands down. Salt N' Peppermint, Primal Green, Lilac Allen, Supernova, and Blue Monday are memorable shades you can build a whole look on!

Remember those colorful rubber strings that were popular when we were kids? You can knot them into bracelets, necklaces, and what not. I remember they only cost P3-4 each. I wonder if they still sell that?

Anyway I was at the Pinkbox office the other day and spotted these shimmery shoe laces (P60 per pair) in a heap. My boss gave me a couple, and as soon as I got home I turned one into a braided bracelet.

If you ask me how I braided four strings into this, I wouldn't know what to say! It was pure instinct. :P

Worn with Pinkbox bangles

There's a lot of buzz surrounding a new foundation, the one called the Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Brightening Makeup ($34/ P1,900 locally). It sounds like the foundation to beat! It promises to feel like tinted moisturizer but with the coverage of foundation. It also has vitamins E and C combined with antioxidants to help brighten skin.

I just got mine yesterday after my meet-and-greet with Maggie and Annie, and I am so excited to use this in the next few days! It's not even out in the US yet, and in the Philippines, the target release is April.

What do I think about it? I was wowed the first time I used it, that's what! It has coverage but it lets my skin peek through. It doesn't look and feel like makeup at all, due to its very light, watery texture.

You better see it to believe it!

The shade I'm using, Petal, is two shades lighter than my actual skintone.

Yesterday I was at Makati Shangri-La for a one-on-one interview with Maggie and Annie Ford-Danielson, the global brand ambassadors of Benefit. It was such at treat! The girls we're sweet and approachable, so I felt comfortable asking them questions. I'm still working on the story so stay tuned!

Phone cam, hence the quality. Also caught in mid-blink. Hay.

Anyway, I wore a dress from Vestito, which I've had since December. I just never figured out a way to wear it without looking like a wedding sponsor (the matron kind) but I finally got a brilliant idea. What if I tied it with a lace ribbon? My shape came out and the dress fell nicely. Success.

Vestito dress / Ferretti necklace and shoes / Pinkbox bangle

Simple but chic, I think. As for my makeup I did a light smoky eye with my Bobbi Brown Tortoise Shell Palette in Sand and a loud like with Sleek True Color Lipstick in Mystic.

Face: Lancome Teint Miracle foundation, Cinema Secrets concealer, Smashbox Photo Set Pressed Powder, Guerlain Meteorites

Last Sunday I was at Megamall with my family. We had a carb-laden lunch at Amici - so good! I missed that place! I ordered from there a LOT when I lived in Makati. Anyways as we were walking off the food, I spotted an oriental-themed kiosk called Hua Mulan, near Payless. The store sold precious-looking combs so after dithering about whether I want to blow P330 on a wooden comb, I just went for it.

It's not a lot of money but I think it's the most I ever spent on a comb. :P I feel it's worth the "splurge" though, because the product looks really well-made. What really sold me on it is the smoothness of the sandalwood. Combs and brushes usually catch on my curly hair, so the roots are weakened and I get hair fall. I think a wooden comb would produce less friction with my hair!

According to Hua Mulan's Facebook Page:

Sandalwood Combs - This kind of wood is very precious. It needs a hundred years to grow up.

I am 24 today. After all that drama about my age earlier, I just don't care anymore! Lol. This morning I was dour, but then I walked the dog and the weather was so nice - who can be dour on a nice day? So yeah I'm quite happy on my birthday, thanks to everyone who wished me one.

So. I just want to show a look I did last Saturday. It's not groundbreaking but there are two things that are *new* to me here: using the Shu Uemura eyeshadow in Soft Gold with MAC Amber Lights - they are made for each other! - and then this new lipstick I got which I will keep a secret for now. Okay fine. It's from Colour Collection!

Face: Cinema Secrets concealer, Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation Mineral Makeup, Smashbox Photo Set Pressed Powder, Cinema Secrets makeup sealant

Tommy Hilfiger's Eau de Prep Tommy Girl (50ml P2,800/ 100ml P3,800) is a cheerful, feminine scent that won't have you smelling like an awkward kid. It speaks of elegance and poise, but it never even remotely strays into the territory of "too much" or "too old". I also appreciate that it's not light and forgettable.

Eau de Prep features pink peppercorn and violet leaf top notes, with musky white roses in the middle and then beautifully finished with a homey sandalwood note. Lasting power is pretty good - the woody base warms up on skin wonderfully and stays on for hours.

It appears I made a mistake. Instead of one winner weekly for my Asian Secrets giveaway, there will actually be five! So hurray! We've drawn the winners for Week 1 yesterday.

Here they are after the cut!

Something with a name like "hair heroes" better live up to it! Snoe Beauty's Hair Heroes with Intense Argan Oil (P499) is a cleansing conditioner that's designed to "save you from a bad hair day" - and it does. It revives dry hair and transforms it into a silky miracle only after one use. Too good to be true? Well, it's true, but the product is not perfect.

Hair Heroes can be used several ways: as a cleansing product (that is, no need to apply shampoo), a separate hair conditioner after your shampoo, a deep treatment mask (wait for 15 to 20 mins before washing off), and as a leave-on treatment.

What I love about the product

• One wash. That's all it takes for you to see a major difference in your hair! Hair feels A LOT smoother, silkier, and moisturized. Must be the famous argan oil!
• Smells like coconut cream. I like it, a bit strong but it doesn't stay like that for long.

Mature skin tends to be duller, with age spots, wrinkles, and dry skin overall. That means normal makeup just won't cut it anymore! To enhance older skin, makeup artists would recommend products that have intense moisturizing and brightening effects.

One foundation that fits the bill is the Revlon Age Defying with DNA Advantage Cream Makeup (P975). I wouldn't recommend you put too much stock on its "DNA advantage" that is, its claims to protect your DNA from aging, but it is certainly a good foundation for its intended market.

Texture. It's thick, creamy, and easy to spread on even the toughest, wrinkle-ridden skin. It also helps soften lines due to its light-reflecting properties. Has SPF20.

Coverage and finish. Coverage is medium to heavy.

I see Cinema Secrets in beauty aisles all the time, but I've never purchased from them. The price is one factor but another thing that kept me away is how medieval this brand feels! It's not hip (like MAC), cute (Benefit) or aspirational (Lancome), if you know what I mean. It's Cinema Secrets and you take it or you leave it.

Branding aside, Cinema Secrets is famous for being exactly that - the secret of makeup artists for cinema and even the stage. Their products are designed to withstand the heat and effect of harsh lighting, sweat and oil, long hours, and other unpleasant side effects of being an actor in front of the camera or audience.

Cinema Secrets makeup has uses beyond the entertainment industry, however.

I've already shared some of 2012's upcoming makeup trends, and this time, I have more! MAC Philippines recently launched their Spring-Summer 2012 Trend Recap, which features four looks that will be huge this year. We're talking iredescent, lit-from-within skin, strong eyebrows, matte/satin lips, metallic shades, and bold swatches of color in strategic areas.

Nicole Thomson, a Senior Makeup artist at MAC, flew in from Australia to demonstrate the new beauty looks to the press at Midas Hotel. 

And here are the looks to beat this year!

Neo-N

Gorgeous, not grittily graffiti-esque, it’s about wearing neoprene colour against plump, workout-fresh skin and an aerodynamic brow in an effortlessly chic, considered way.