I was never the pretty girl growing up. I wasn't rich, either, nor did I have a sparkling personality to offset the ugliness and the lack of beautiful expensive things in my life. What I did have going for me was my intelligence. I wasn't the brightest in my class but I was the only one who devoured fiction and dreamed of worlds beyond my own, adventures beyond my imagination. 

What I had was a strong sense of identity and purpose. I knew who I am, what kind of skills were at my disposal, and I knew what I wanted out of my life. Was I wrong about how I identified myself or my goals? I think that's  the single biggest potential blow to anyone's self-confidence: how sure, how secure can you be about your identity and purpose? Answer: you're only as sure as you allow yourself to be. No one else should help you with that but yourself.

My motto then (and even now) is this: no guts, no glory. Or put less dramatically, if you don't do something, then nothing happens. That's just common sense but I know a lot of people who are afraid to try something because they're not perfect enough. Can't sing in public because they miss a few notes. Can't speak in public because they lisp. Can't wear a mini-skirt because they have marks on their legs. Can't quit a full-time job they hate because they're not sure they can make it as a freelancer.

Well I have news for you, toots: you'll never be perfect enough. Work with what you have and just. Do. It.

I've rambled on and on about the Colour Collection Color Intense Lipsticks (I do that if I like something consistently) for the better part of the year. However, until recently, I didn't know that CC makes other lipstick lines! Silly me. Let me introduce you to the Colour Collection Moisture Intense and Sheer Coverage Lipsticks, two products with different formulations that target specific lipstick needs.

Colour Collection Moisture Intense Lipstick (with SPF15)

Color Intense is a little on the dry side (which helps its lasting power), so if you don't like that particular feature, you must check out Moisture Intense instead. It's more moisturizing and less waxy than CI, but it also comes in high-impact (read: loud!) colors that can give NYX or MAC a run for their money.

Okay, here's something I've been looking forward to since last year! Colour Collection, one of my favorite "dark horse" cosmetic brands (read my reviews here) has invited me to do a university tour. Along with Bianca Valerio and Ning Hilario of Meg Magazine, I'll be visiting a Manila campus to talk about - what else - beauty!

We're still finalizing the schedule at the moment, but I'll definitely update you when I have the date and school. In the meantime, you can catch the first leg of the Colour Collection University Tour: The Colour Collection mobile store will be at UP Diliman from February 1 to 3. It will be located at the College of Arts and Letters.

Last Christmas, my boss from Pinkbox gave me this lovely jewelry box as a gift. You know how I'm such a sucker for boxes so I shall say no more!

Exfoliators are useful in removing product build-up and other accumulated junk on the skin's surface. They also clean up dead skin and pore blockages, two common causes of acne. Nonetheless, you don't actually need to use exfoliators everyday. As with everything else, use them only when you need them!

That said, many exfoliators out in the market now have a tendency to be harsh on skin. Their scrub beads can be abrasive and the formula drying so they may do more harm than good. If you feel that your current exfoliator fits that profile, then perhaps it's time to switch to something more gentle yet equally effective.

Say, the new White Result Exfoliating Gel (P300 ish), for instance. It is a gommage exfoliator that starts out as a gel and dries to form physical scrub.

This Exfoliating Gel is mostly water infused with botanical extracts like bilberry, sugar cane, and citrus fruits. It also has moisturizing ingredients and film-formers in the ingredients. Once it's massaged (a minute or two), it becomes this soft, papery film that scrubs out all the junk on your face.

Observe:

Thw White Result Exfoliating Gel starts out as a cloudy gel

Whenever I wear my Colour Collection Color Intense Lipsticks, I always get compliments and questions about where to get them. That explains why I looked forward to the new Colour Collection Mineral Lipstick line (P350), touted to be a long-lasting lip product with the benefits of mineral makeup. 

I love that this lipstick line is intensely pigmented and has no parabens or preservatives. Not bad for a P350 lipstick. Not bad at all.

What I like about the product

• It stays on for five hours with only a little fading. It'll leave a stain after you eat or drink.
• Colors are opaque in one swipe. 

My mom and I are lipstick buddies. When I was still in school, I would always borrow her lipsticks. But now that I have a collection of my own, she would always borrow mine! So when we had lunch the other weekend she complimented my loud pink lipstick - mind you, she's 51 - and asked if she can wear it too. Of course I said yes. We went around the mall, arm in arm, wearing the exact same shade. Ah, how beauty products make fond memories!

The Colour Collection Color Intense Lipstick (P350) is supposedly patterned after NYX's wildly successful Round Lipsticks, but I dare say that CC lipsticks are better than NYX ones. Why? Color Collection has the intense pigmentation and moisturizing properties of NYX lippies, but they last longer and smell better (NYX lippies smell and taste kind of soapy).

Let's go through the pros and cons!

What I love about the product

• Intensely pigmented. One swipe will deliver rich color on your lips.
• Creamy and moisturizing, although I would still suggest a light layer of lip balm
• Delivers a satin finish (my favorite kind).