Hi, Ma'am. I'm a fan of your blog and have been reading it since before. I would just like to ask some advice on make-up. What brands can you recommend, taking consideration of the budget since I'm a senior in college (still depending on allowance. Huhu.) on these following products:

1. BB Cream - matte finish
2. Lipstick - nude pink or the natural pink // super hydrating, please because I've tried a lot of lippies and after a while, my lips are cracked already
3. Concealer - to cover my eye bagsss (from lots of sleepless nights studying)
4. Blush and Bronzer in one - I find it cute to have a gold shimmer along the blush 
5. Pressed powder - mineral 
- Tricia Chua

Hi Tricia! Thanks for sending this message! It takes me back to when I was in college myself, and struggling to buy nice makeup on my allowance. I remember eating P20 palabok (a noodle dish) for lunch, which worked out very well as I am a HUGE fan of it. I can eat it everyday! :P

Anyway, I've answered your questions a few times in the past, but I'm answering it here again based on your exact preferences. I highly recommend these products! They are not mega cheap but that's because they are totally worth what you'll pay for them. None is over P800.

Here goes! 

Etude House BB Cream Cotton Fit (P795). This is a matte finish BB cream with mid to full coverage and SPF30. It's a great everyday base since it has sun protection, plus it does a great job of brightening skin! This is the most expensive thing you'll need to get, but there's a lot of product in the tube and the quality is at par with high end bases. It's a pretty good deal for the price, IMHO.

This might be old-ish news to you if you're an avid follower of beauty news but - yay! Canmake Tokyo, one of the top drugstore brands in Japan, is finally here in the Philippines. They've had an online counter over at Glamourbox for a few months now, but it's only recently that they set up a brick and mortar location in Glorietta 2, inside Somera.

When I went to Tokyo and Hong Kong last year, every beauty drug store I visited had Canmake. It's impossible to miss: the bright pink logo and collaterals, the cute little princess-themed makeup. And the price! It's very affordable. I'm happy to report that the prices here are almost the same as abroad, with the product selling for as low as P390 and at most, P680 (for the BB cream/bases). 

What products found in Watsons would you recommend for a start up make up kit? Just the basics from eyeliner, mascara, lipstick, blush and foundation/ powder. - Alyson

Hi Alyson! Thanks for your great question. I think Watsons is indeed the best place to visit if you're looking to build your first makeup kit. :) There's a huge selection of brands from the Philippines, Japan, USA, Australia, and even Europe, would you believe! Watsons has definitely gone a long way from being just a boring ol' pharmacy.

I've already posted many drugstore suggestions in the past, but I've picked out an updated list of products for you to try if you're in the process of beefing up your kit. Many of these are just fairly recent finds, and toe the fine line between quality and affordability. 

Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse (P599). This has a great lumi-matte finish with a light to medium coverage. It can definitely hide lesser eyebags and blemishes, great for everyday wear! I'd recommend this for dry to combi skin though; if you're really oily, I'd recommend something like the Revlon Colorstay Whipped Creme Makeup.

BYS Minerals Naturale Compact Foundation (P599). I like the natural, glowy finish of this powder and how well it controls my oiliness. It could be a dupe of the MAC Mineralized Skinfinish powder.

There is nothing like cheap lipstick to lift a dour mood. It's the easiest, fastest way to change up your look and it doesn't even have to cost much to look good! Now, something I recently bought is the Fashion 21 Aqualicious lipstick in Little Mermaid. I read about it in a local beauty blog some weeks back and found it interesting. It was only P150 so I grabbed it when I got the chance.

What I love about the product

• Little Mermaid is a gorgeous pink coral shade that instantly brightens my skin.
• Vibrant, opaque, and pigmented. One sweep is enough to get a good color pay-off.
• Creamy and moisturizing, although I would still suggest a balm underneath.

I've always wanted to own the famous Shu Uemura lash curler, but whenever I go there with my monies, I blanch at the thought of spending P1,000+ on a mere eyelash curler that doesn't even come with a refill. I know, I say that one should always buy the best products first to learn what true quality means and then find cheaper alternatives once you do. But right now I don't feel the need for a kick-ass eyelash curler - I can do with an okay curler because my Clinique Lash Power Mascara curls and holds my lashes pretty well.

So, while trolling Watsons for a new curler to replace my cheapo Nichido one, I came across the Fanny Serrano Eyelash Curler.

It's pretty famous in its own right, because I remember it having the Cosmo magazine stamp of approval. In fact its mini-version currently does! Seeing as it was only P175, I bought the full-sized curler.

What I love about it 

• It takes only a couple of presses to curl my lashes. 
• It makes my stumpy, stick-straight lashes show up and separated nicely.