I have so many new finds that I'm just bursting to share with you guys! That said, however, I don't want Project Vanity to be a blog that just keeps pushing you to buy things you may not even need. This whole beauty thing is not about getting the hottest products in the market. More than anything, it's about finding, out of the hundreds of products out there, the one that works for you. That's the bottomline.

So yeah, that's why I write about the things I love. :) One of my new favorites is the VMV Hypoallergenics Skintangible SPF30 (P1,050). This for me is the ideal tinted moisturizer/ BB cream. It makes my skin look healthy ang glowing, with SPF30 to boot!

Texture and oil control. If you love the Armada Face Cover 30 then you'll definitely love Skinangible with the same sun screen properties plus a skin-enhancing tint. It has the same light texture that dries down quickly and doesn't feel sticky. It also would not exacerbate oiliness - in fact, in my case (combination skin), this product helps with oil control!

As a huge fan of the Shu cleansing oil, I was v.v. excited about their latest and supposedly greatest skin purifier: the Shu Uemura Ultime8 Sublime Beauty Cleansing Oil. Well I'm not going to beat around the bush. I love. This stuff.

So how is this different from Shu's other cleansing oils?  

• It's way lighter than usual and you need much less to remove a full face of makeup. 
• It rinses off completely and doesn't leave a film on the face.
• It can dissolve stubborn mascara quickly. Waterproof mascara just takes more work but Ultime8 can indeed remove it.

Hi Liz! I am currently looking for the best hand & nail cream since my hands are easily dried up due to our office aircon and frequent use of alcohol for hygiene purposes. In addition, my cuticles are very dry that's why I always have a nail cutter in by bag to avoid having wounds in my hands. Lately, I've been using Bobbie Cuticle Oil but I don't use them often because its too messy to use. Hope you will help me with this problem. - Tin

Hi Tin! I've been having this problem lately, as well. I play with my dog a lot so I find myself washing my hands several times every couple of hours! My hands looked like prunes, until I started getting wise and paying more attention to them. 

That said, I love, love, LOVE the Vitacreme B12 Body Milk. It's a heavy cream product that revives dried-up skin like no other. This is the best moisturizer I've tried, especially for hands and nails! I just massage a pea-sized amount and wait for it to work its magic. 

Downside is, it's almost P2,500 for a tube. 0_0 Fortunately there are cheaper alternatives.

The VMV Hypollergenics Red Better Flare-up Balm (P1,890) is a skin-saver. Whenever I get itchy from allergies or any random irritation, I just apply this and voila! Itchiness gone. I also sometimes get rashes on my neck and hands and this works wonders to calm them down and eventually heal them.

That sounds too good to be true I know, but I've been using this for months now and it has never failed me so far. Promise!

From what I understand, the Flare-up Balm is full of anti-inflammatory and microbe-busting ingredients. It's made for rosacea sufferers, but according to the website, it's also "ideal for irritations, inflammations, redness, bites, itching, rashes + microbial infections from allergic/irritant reactions; seborrheic dermatitis, eczema, atopic/contact dermatitis + some other medically-managed conditions." 

Hi Miss Liz,

Can you suggest some good blemish removers? I have these acne marks/scars and it takes a while to lighten them. I just rely on my whitening moisturizer (Olay's) but i don't know if that works. Any suggestions from affordable to high-end products are welcome in my book, since when it comes to my skin care I'm willing to spend. But if it's affordable and works that'll be great! :) - Diana

Hi Diana! What you can do to lighten your blemishes faster is to use sunscreen everyday, preferably something with SPF30 above. Why? Because blemishes are basically caused by hyperpigmentation or too much melanin in the area. That happens when skin is wounded or scarred - the skin tries to repair the damaged spot by producing more melanin. 

To keep the area from darkening more, use a broad spectrum sunscreen that protects against UVA and UVB rays. The sun triggers our skin to produce pigment so we need to deflect its damaging rays with SPF products. Here are sunscreens I like:

Clinique Derma White City Block Anti-Pollution SPF40 PA+++

My main skin problem of late is pore blockage. I had dull, rough, and bumpy skin full of icky blackheads. Ugh. You see I hug my dog a lot, and I have also been trying a lot of new face makeup, hence the dirty pores. I unfortunately haven't had time to get a facial so I limped along with my mild cleansers and go-to exfoliator. No toner.

That is, until I started using the Etude House Wonder Pore skincare line. This stuff is AMAZING. Absolutely amazing. I searched for reviews of the older Wonder Pore toner and most of them were positive so I was encouraged to use the rest of the line, which included a new mousse facial wash and clay mask. I'm so glad I did it!

This review is gonna be long since I will talk about all three products, but to summarize: the Etude House Wonder Pore line delivers its promise to clean up pores and refine skin without drying it up like a flaky prune. After using it for just a few days, my skin felt like it just shook off all the dirt and product build-up, and it became smooth and glowy once more. After two weeks, my skin has majorly improved. I will definitely buy when I run out!

Here's a more in-depth review of each product in the line. :)

The Etude House Wonder Pore Whipping Foam (P798) is a facial cleanser that can also double as a mask. To apply, just slather it all over your skin and then massage it where your pores are most blocked.

Argan oil has been the darling of the beauty industry for over a year now. I'm sure you've seen all these products boasting of having argan oil as their star ingredient, and I'm sure you've also wondered why! Here's the deal: this oil, which so far can only be extracted by hand from a tree that grows in Morocco, is nutrient-rich and has anti-inflammatory properties. You can use it from head to toe, if you wish! 

Most pure argan oil products in the Philippines can cost around P1,500 upwards. Understandable considering it takes 45 minutes to crack enough nuts - by hand! - to make a four-ounce bottle of this stuff (or 118ml). But according to the owner of Snoe, Jen Gerodias-Diaz, argan oil doesn't actually have to cost this much. She imports the Snoe Oil For All Argan Oil straight from Morocco and sells it for roughly ~P800 a bottle.

Granted it's not a particularly big bottle, but I find that you only have to use a little to make it work.

Receiving the Etude House pink box from Korea is something of an occasion for me. The DHL guy would ring the doorbell, bearing gifts. I never really know what's inside the box until I open it. Sure Julie of Etude tells me that it has their featured product for the month, but they always put in a few more items for good measure. That's the source of the suspense!

So if you're dying of the aforementioned suspense, here you go!

This month, Etude wants bloggers to try their Wonder Pore line. I believe that the toner, which was released months before, is pretty popular among beauty bloggers. I saw a lot of good reviews!

Last weekend, I was reading a book called Strengthsfinder 2.0. It has an awesome thesis - that many of us don't excel because we're not doing what we do best. We focus so much on overcoming our weaknesses that we overlook the cultivation of our strengths. That makes so much sense, eh? I plan to take the test soon. Wonder what I'll come up with!

Anyway, today I want to talk about a current favorite of mine: the Zen Zest Exfoliating Body Scrub. I've tried a lot of body scrubs and I tend to like most of them. I mean, how complicated can it be? But this Zen Zest one is quite different. It's very dense and thick. It feels nice when I spread it on, like thick luxurious, cool goo! Hehe.

There are some stores that, upon first impression, look too expensive for our budgets. Sometimes though, it's just really good branding and a smart interior designer! One such brand is VMV Hypoallergenics. I wouldn't say that the products are dirt cheap, but for how effective and nicely packaged (with recycled paper, to boot) they are, I think VMV offers a great bang for your buck. Most products are under P1,500 which in the realm of good skincare is fairly affordable.

Anyway! I managed to drop by the VMV Hypoallergenics store in Powerplant the other day to pick up something. I took a few pictures of products I like / am curious about.

Check this out, VMV's reincarnated foundation! It's the reformulated, re-packaged version of their Skin Savvy Liquid Foundation.

Men should be more invested in a proper skincare routine. Not for the sake of vanity, mind you, but for the future of their skin! A simple cleanse and moisturize routine today can make a huge difference in say, twenty years from now; their skin will maintain a more elastic texture with less wrinkles at the very least.

Anyway, when LAB SERIES, a premium skincare brand for men, asked the press to bring a male +1 I immediately thought of one friend: Osmond! I'm sure he'll be receptive to the idea of investing in skin care. Besides, I haven't seen him in ages. Reuniting for the love of skincare was an excellent idea.

So here's what happened. He got a high-tech skin analysis that determined his skin type and condition. Unlike other skincare brands where analysis is based on a Q&A format (it is subjective), the Lab Series analysis is objective using a sensor specifically calibrated for male skin. Cool eh? It only took a few minutes.

Osmond was found to have fairly good skin already, with a bit of oiliness around the t-zone and dryness in the cheek area. The skincare specialists recommended that he use the basic cleanser (Multi-Action Face Wash, for all skin types) and exfoliator (Invigorating Face Scrub) to maintain his skin.

I recently got new contact lenses since the pair I was wearing has expired. I bought two sets, one in my normal color which is a light brown (Cinnamon), and another one which is rimmed in brown with flecks of violet in the middle (Amethyst). Here is the latter in action!

If you have inflamed or overly sensitive skin, it's best to stop using normal drugstore shampoos with creamy textures. That's not a professional opinion ha. It's just common sense. :) Most drugstore shampoos are formulated to be aggressive with too many active ingredients that may or may not be hypoallergenic to you. Better bet on a clear shampoo specifically tailored for sensitive skin such as the VMV Hypoallergenics Essence Clark Wash (P800)!

The VMV Clark Wash is a hair and body wash for those with medically-managed conditions (such as psoriasis, rosacea, and dermatitis) or those who have easily irritated skin (acne, random rashes, itchiness, etc.). I used this for a few weeks and it worked pretty well for me! I didn't break out (of course) and it made my hair soft and manageable - compared to similar shampoos that is.

I received an interesting question on my Kiehl's post last week. Says Dewi:

Hi liz! I'm really clueless about skincare... I'm in my mid 20s and my only regimen is cleanse, tone, sunblock (AM) and eye cream. Do i really need a serum especially kasi acne prone ako? I'm afraid na serums might cause me to break out or be more oily! Help! 

Oh, you! You're not clueless about skincare at all. You have the basics down pat, although I would recommend that you invest in a good night moisturizer to keep your skin supple. I don't think that a sunblock is enough to maintain your skin's moisture barrier (and by extension, its elasticity) since you're probably using something that's very light.

I do think that everyone should moisturize their skin at night, especially if they have a fan or an aircon unit in their room. These appliances can dry up our skin much more than we think. Besides, night time is the best time to heal our skin from the day's stresses (like pollution, sun exposure, etc). Most moisturizers - especially those designed for evening use - have the basic properties to recharge your skin for the day ahead.

Have you seen the new Block & White commercial? It shows a young, tanned girl skateboarding with the boys. Her two girl friends, who are sitting on a bench nearby, decides that this tomboying will not do; they whisk her away to shop for new clothes and give her a makeover with makeup. But wait! She's dark! So, they hand her a bottle of the new Block & White lotion. She is now transformed into a fair, dress-wearing, skateboarding beauty who makes boys' heads turn.

I wish I can find the commercial on YouTube, but feel free to watch it on Block & White's Facebook Page. There's over a hundred comments condemning it. They say that it sends the wrong message to impressionable young girls, telling them that only white is beautiful. 

Don't expect fire and brimstone from me, criticizing women who want to have whiter skin. If that's what they need to make them feel more beautiful and confident then by all means! Let's not patronize them. Girls who want to change their hair color do not necessarily hate their hair. Likewise, women who want to be fairer do not necessarily hate their skin (and/or themselves).

I've been awake since 5 am today and so many things have been running through my head. Work, random bits of information, what I'm going to say online today. Those kinds of things. In the wee hours of the morning when I am the most alone, it's my dog who keeps me sane.

So! It's going to be an extremely busy week! To kick it off, here's a review of a couple of Estee Lauder CyberWhite Brilliant Cells products.

I'm not really into BB creams per se, but I do like tinted moisturizers when they actually have skincare benefits. The Estee Lauder CyberWhite Brilliant Cells Extra Intensive BB Cream is a skincare product first and makeup second. It doesn't have much in the way of coverage, but my skin always feels smooth and bright after using it.

It's the kind of product you throw on when you just want an evened complexion and SPF protection (it has SPF35). It does stay on for at least four hours, and works with my combination oily skin once set with powder.

We women love our skincare potions, but of course that's not all there is to it. We still need novel solutions to small yet equally important concerns. Say, where to get a hand sanitizer that also doubles as a hand moisturizer? Things like that! That's why I'm into Snoe. This brand isn't just about cooking up great face and hair care products, it also addresses our daily needs as women.

Snoe recently released new products that I am loving right now (surprise, surprise). Here's my favorite among them - the Snoe Oh My Wash (P169)!

I'm used to feminine wash that smells a little clinical and obnoxiously soapy, so this pink Oh My Wash! is quite the breath of fresh air. Really, it smells quite fruity. I would hazard a guess of pomegranates?

Well they're not exactly new seeing as I've been using these for almost a month now. Thought I'd let you know what I like about them though!

The Avon Outspoken Intense Body Wash (P250) is an offshoot of Fergie's Outspoken fragrance line. Specifically, this body wash is a partner of Avon Outspoken Intense which was released last year. I liked the fresher, floral take on Outspoken, and this body wash certainly has the same gorgeous scent.

If you liked Outspoken Intense, I suggest you get the body wash as well. It's an open secret that in order to make your scent last longer, you have to layer it over the same body wash and lotion. Crossing my fingers for an Outspoken Intense moisturizer! X

Next up, you know how much I love the Avon Ultra Moisture Rich Lipsticks. The brand released a new shade for a special collection called Smoke and Mirrors. The shade is named Apricot Mystery (P375), a sheer deep pink with pretty blue shimmer.

No matter how well I try to take care of my skin, I still break out a week or two before my period. Sometimes I get puny pimples that are easy to manage. But sometimes, like last week, I get red and angry cystic pimples on my chin or temple! Ugh. I need to see a derma for this hormone problem soon.

In the meantime, I've come across an awesome pimple treatment called the VMV Hypoallergenics Red Better Spot Corrector (P400 for 8 grams).

It's part of VMV's recently-launched Red Better line. Red Better is designed for those who suffer from rosacea, but while the rest of the line is for dealing with irritation all over the face, the Spot Corrector is specifically for inflamed acne. Oh, sign me up. I used it as soon as I got it.

I hate suspense, so here's a before and after photo of my horrid cystic pimples!