A lot of girls have mentioned that they don't want to mess with their leg or facial hair because they're worried that the regrowth may be thicker. Well, I'm happy to say that's a myth! The hair that you see on the surface is already dead. Shaving or cutting it close to the skin does not in any way affect the live hair growing out.

The regrowth looks thicker and feels scratchier simply because it's been cut near the base. Therefore, it looks darker, compared to the tapered fine tips that you just removed.

This took a while! Etude House Korea actually sent the Pink Bird box to me last month, but it was only two days ago that I received it. The box was stuck in customs for some reason. 0_0 Anyway, here's what's new at Etude!

Featured this month are the Etude House Collagen Moistful Cream and the Etude House Precious Mineral BBdation Special Kit. 

The Collagen Moistfull Cream has been around for a while, and is in fact Etude's best-selling item ever. According to them, they sell nine of these jars every minute!

There's a recent article on the Philippine Daily Inquirer that has been gnawing on the my brain ever since I read it. It doesn't offend me or annoy me, but I am affected by it nonetheless. 

It’s not that I don’t like school. I’m just not one of those airheaded girls who just go to school to show off their latest artsy manicures, or some style they ripped off from “Gossip Girl.”

My school is already full of those girls, Blair Waldorf or Serena van der Woodsen wannabes. I wonder, when did our society cease to celebrate originality and elevate these goddesses of modern consumption?

It’s not that I have anything against these girls, but I have trouble seeing the point... Why do we actually need to get the same shade of lipstick? I entered college, not a beauty contest.

Basically, the writer is saying that she's better than her vain classmates because she doesn't wear "Gossip Girl fashion" to her school. She's always in jeans, a t-shirt, sneakers, and a Hawk bag. She rides the jeep. She denounces Victoria's Secret scents (because they "merit a biohazard warning"), as well as "those painful-looking high heels". She doesn't say it explicitly, but she thinks she's a cut above the girls who love to dress up and wear makeup.

Sooo, how was your vacation? Mine dragged as I didn't go out of town or even to the mall. I spent my long weekend watching TV shows, reading books, and playing a new game (Disgaea 4!). Speaking of books, if you like Cinderella-type stories, you should consider reading The Selection (Hunger Games-ish) and A Kiss at Midnight (Cinderella with no magic, more wit). They're not particularly good books but they're fun to read!

Anyway today I want to talk about my visit to Regatta a couple of weeks ago. I have to be honest, I was only expecting the usual preppy stuff like polos, collared shirts, and sensible bottoms. Regatta does carry these must-haves - in better quality than what's usually in department stores - but I like that they came out with uber chic printed pieces! You'll see them later. ;)

Here's a quick tour!

Regatta has casual stuff for you and the special men in your lives

Unisex fragrances and accessories

So you already know what my favorite bag is right now. Here's what's inside! Surprise, there's A LOT of stuff in it. I'm big on travelling light but if there's extra space I tend to throw in more things just because. Oooh I forgot to take a picture but I also sometimes stuff a pair of thin heels inside if I need to!

Breakdown:

 1. Book of the moment: The Bride Wore Pearls by Liz Carlyle. It's a romance novel, haven't gotten too far yet to tell if it's any good. I like bringing books if I know I'm in for a loooot of waiting in meetings and what not.

2. House keys. See that Happy Lemon key chain? Proof that I'm addicted to that stuff. You get a key chain for free if you complete 16 stamps on the loyalty card. I stopped getting stamps because I felt embarrassed by all the Happy Lemon I'm gulping down.

I have a few Kiehl's products but I haven't taken a serious look at the store before, not really. For instance did you know that they have hair products? They have shampoos, conditioners, volumizer, and even a hair oil very similar to Kerastase at less than half the prize. They also have specialized skincare lines with a heavy focus on natural ingredients like acai berry, amazonian clay, and sunflower oil to name a few.

Inspired by its city of origin, Kiehl's brings a piece of New York in all their stores here in the Philippines. Here's what their space in Rockwell looks like!

Moving Statue of Liberty holding a Kiehl's torch. Cheeky!

The place looks more like a bistro than a beauty store

I fell in love with Beauty Bar in college. There was a big shiny branch in Robinson's Ermita, right in front of my university. I swear I would spend hours every week just looking at their stuff! Yeah it was a little embarrassing, seeing as I rarely bought anything, but I couldn't stay away. It was my special place at a time when I was just discovering the colorful world of beauty.

When I talk about myself from all those years ago (well, barely three years ago) it's like I'm talking about an entirely different person. Today these opportunities are open to me and sometimes, it's hard to believe that's it's all because I blogged. I feel giddy that one of my favorite stores invited me to visit their new branch. I feel good that if I want anything from the store, I can buy it without batting an eyelash.

I'm not bragging ha, I'm just looking back with a twinge of pride that I've come this far. :) Anyway! You can now find Beauty Bar in Bonifacio High Street, on top of Muji. The place is breathtaking - it's well-lit, spacious, and luxurious-looking. There's even a Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf in one corner, which spills out to an al fresco area that looks over to Serendra. Do I sniff a new hangout place?

“When I shop, I just get what I like on the mannequins! I don’t like looking around!” said a friend of mine over lunch. I was marginally scandalized. I’m a person who can’t settle on a purchase without seeing everything first. How can I possibly make an informed decision if I don’t know all my options? How can anyone else?

Hehe, seriously, I think of shopping somewhat like a game. And I loooove having a companion to shop for. A couple of weeks ago, I accompanied the winner of my Palmolive Naturals Stylista Speaks contest  to her shopping spree at Forever 21 Makati. It was such a fun experience because it’s my first time to go shopping with a new friend!

Her name is Marie. She’s a pretty just-out-of-college woman who is very sweet and kikay. Ahhh, a girl after my own heart (well except for the sweet part, har di har har). She wanted to find good deals at first since some items were on sale, but I persuaded her to invest in some pieces that I think she’ll enjoy wearing again and again! I also gave her my tried-and-tested shopping tips, which I shall post here!

There's a survey that says that the marketing and PR industry is the #2 most caffeinated of them all. I'm in it and I like caffeine (tea please!) but I don't normally rely on stimulating beverages to get me through the day. But! This month is so hectic that I might need to start smoking tea! (Random, I just googled that and people actually do smoke tea leaves. FYI. Don't do it though, you will still kill your lungs.)

Anyway, I'm planning and hosting two events to be executed in the next two weeks, plus there are so many beauty releases this month. If September is fashion month, October has got to be the beauty month. The holiday season is near so people are starting to shop for gifts and prettifiers to use for the inevitable string of parties. Beauty brands know this so they're either launching or promoting their best products of the year!

I thought I'd show you a sneak peak of what I'll be talking about in the coming days. Here are a few new things I received in the last two weeks

Fall isn't just a season, at least, not when it comes to the fashion and beauty industry. Fall is a change in the overall mood of women, perhaps brought about by the colder weather and longer nights. We adjust our routines and with it our clothing and beauty products. That's why even if there's no autumn in our country, we're still affected by the global fashion zeitgeist during this time of year.

So! Today I want to talk about the Guerlain Fall 2012 Collection which is now available in the Philippines. Everything is beautifully packaged in gleaming bullets and compacts, and the color selection is just wonderfully rich and seductive.

There are two themes: Femme Fatale, which is all about fiery passion in deep red and chocolate colors. In contrast, Femme d' Amour is more romantic and angelic, with rose and dainty pinks in the color story. I found a nice video where Guerlain's National Makeup Artist Marcus Monson showed how we can achieve the looks. Which one are you today? ;)

Here are more photos and pricing info on the featured products!

When I started Ask Liz! I just wanted a centralized, public place to store all my answers to your questions. Now, 275 questions later, I find that it has evolved into a sort of micro-community for beauty enthusiasts. I love that you guys are interacting with each other and answering other questions that I can't help with. How awesome is that? Cheers to everyone who posts! :D

Here are my answers to some recent questions.

I saw a quote earlier today that went something like, "Creativity changes the way people behave". I believe this. Creativity has a role in functionality, but creativity for the sake of it is also powerful. A pretty picture, for example, has no practical use except for the emotions or ideas that it evokes in the observer. It can change how a person looks at the world and that's a damn amazing thing, if you ask me.

I think it's the same for beauty products that are nice to have but are not necessary to keep. Why make them if only a few people can truly appreciate them? I somewhat answered this in an old post. An object, however useless it may seem, can make a person feel cuter, refined, more put together. If something can do any of these things then I wouldn't call it useless!

I scoured through my photo archives and found three products that are nice but unnecesary to have. Of course, this list is subjective, so what might not be super useful to me might be useful for you. Have at it!

I love the look of fresh, dewy and glowing skin. Can you give me a few products that will help me achieve that? Thank you. - Therese

Hi Therese! I love this question because I love glowy skin as well. I don't understand the obsession with matte skin because our skin is not matte in its natural state. Nothing screams *makeup* than a face that's covered in a blanket of matte powder, for me! Shine is fine as long as you're able to control it and place it strategically on your face.

A dewy-looking face starts with good skin, of course, so make sure that your skincare routine is up to spec. I find that using serums make a huuuuge difference - try the Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate or the Shu Uemura Tsuya Skin Serum (which I am testing recently). These work super well! As for makeup, there are many products that you can use to achieve a glowy face. The trick is to use only one or two of them at any given time, depending on the look you want to achieve.

Face Base: for an all-over glow

A thin, light-coverage foundation can deliver dewy skin simply because it allows our natural skin to shine through. Remember, in order to achieve dewy skin, you must not cover up your bare skin with too much makeup. Light, illuminating makeup will just enhance your skin, not blot it out.

The Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Brightening Makeup gives such a nice dewy finish. If you want something with even lighter coverage, try the VMV Hypoallergenics Skintangible SPF30 which is a tinted moisturizer with SPF30. 

As a beauty blogger I am in a unique position to try a LOT of makeup, skincare, fragrances, and other nifty gadgets and services related to beautifying our body. Brands and companies usually send me products to review, and that's cool because I get to sift through a pile of stuff to bring you a curated list of what's worth trying out. But nothing beats trying something yourself, right? That's the proposition of online beauty sampling services, a fairly new phenomenon in the Philippines!

Basically, you can subscribe to a sampling site, pay a fee (depending on the business model) and get a curated box full of products in trial sizes. This way you won't need to buy a full-sized item item only to find out that it doesn't suit you. In the same vein, you can also discover good, spend-worthy products that you otherwise won't venture to try by yourself.

Remember my list of five expensive beauty products that are actually good bargains? That turned out to be a pretty popular post! So I thought I'd do another version, this time on super affordable products that I think should cost way more. :) Isn't that the sweet spot, beauty products that are too good for their price tags?

Here's my top five!

Etude House Nail Polishes. Smooth, opaque, fast-drying, and fairly tough, it's hard to believe that these nail polishes only cost P50 to P175 (for the pricey lines). In my opinion, they're better than O.P.I. and Orly in terms of quality. High-end brands do have the best colors, but Etude is simply easier to wear. Can't believe they're only fifty bucks.  

In2It Waterproof Blushes. Actually, anything In2It is such a steal! I love their eyeliner, foundation, and eyeshadows. I thought of including the blushes here though because they're my best find from that brand. Smooth, pigmented, and long-lasting, In2It blushes are worth more than P375 (for me). The colors are so flattering too!

The richest people that I personally know are ironically the most frugal ones out there. If they can save on something, they would. Every cent counts when they’re doing business or just simply purchasing something for themselves! This means that, even if they have the money to buy something (say a designer bag) they won’t do it if it sets them back more than what they get out of the deal (vis a vis personal gratification).

And yet, these people understand the value of high quality products, and spend accordingly. They have cost-per-wear down to a science. So that got me thinking: what are high-end beauty products that are absolutely worth their hefty price tags? I have five suggestions!

Guerlain Meteorites Perles in Teint Dore 03. I reviewed this wonder powder last April 2011. I’ve been using it almost every time I wear makeup. In one year and five months, I’ve only used up maybe 25-30% of the powder! That aside, however, the powder is the best complexion enhancer that I’ve tried EVER. It smoothens and illuminates skin instantly. To do all that you only need a bit of powder. It’s worth P3,000 but for a product that you can use up to three years, that price is a steal.

Benefit Hervana Blush. This is a fantastic blush because it goes perfectly with fair to medium skintones and most makeup looks you can think of. It’s a harmonious blend of peach, pink, and mauve, so it’s very versatile. It’s P1,600 but you get 8 grams of product which will take forever to finish. (The blush has good staying power on skin too!)

Last Thursday I guested at Karrots Nazareno's show, Live Love Lolz. It was the most fun I've had in a while! There we tried the Pagoda Cold Wave lotion (the real thing), talked about beauty and fashion tips, and blogging of course.

Click the image to view the 44-minute podcast!

Before you watch I would like to apologize in advance for my very obvious scalp (got my hair blowdried and the salon person put something in my hair that sort of separated them on top) and for fidgeting a lot. But! It's okay. Hope you still enjoy watching.

Some highlights:

Pagoda Cold Wave lotion review: the ultimate beauty review. Hehe.

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.

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.