After years of worshipping at the altar of perfectly-matte, shine-free face base, I've learned to embrace my natural shine, thanks to the cult of chok-chok. This dewy, bouncy glow had all of us falling back in love with moisturizing, with some swapping out foundie faves for the ultimate KBeauty staple: the BB cream.

The world of beauty seems to have grown overnight. Being a beauty fanatic and skin care addict, I have mixed feelings about it. My first thought was, YAAASSSS finally there are so many new things to try! But a few seconds later, I realized: there are SO MANY things to try! I suddenly can’t cope with all of these new products, innovations, and, let’s face it - gimmicks.

I do understand that the beauty industry is even more competitive now. Brands are pressured to come up with standout products that can get them #trending both online and off. I personally find that there’s a very thin line separating the ingenious and the gimmicky though so here’s a rundown of what works and what doesn't, based on what I've tried so far!

Working at Project Vanity means I have to stay updated about the newest products and latest trends, and I think it's amazing that there's always more for me to learn about! Because of this constant exposure, I've become a lot meticulous about adding to my beauty stash and I feel that it's really paying off. Together with the other PV girls, we've discovered quite a few HGs in the past year! We've raved about some of them in posts here on PV and on the Facebook group but we're still so #shookt about how good these finds are so we're recapping them here together with the disappointments that landed in our trash.

Despite the abundance of heat and humidity in our country, there are people like me who worry about looking tuyot. Persistently dry or dehydrated skin cracks, folds, and doesn’t tend to smooth back out, thus making us look older than we really are. I’ve had really bad days when insufficient skincare and dry foundation formulas have made me look wrinkly and washed out. While I know that aging is inevitable, it's not fun looking twice your actual age!

Aging concerns are real for people like me who have dry and/or dehydrated skin so the Revlon Youth FX line is aimed at addressing just that.

Making resolutions for the new year means evaluating the present and figuring out how to make the good better, and the better best. That's why it seems timely that Kiehl’s has taken an old favorite - one that they claim sells at a rate of one bottle per minute - and made it more powerful than ever! The star ingredient is also now more potent and more stable.

With so many brands coming in and new product releases, 2017 was a truly exciting year for beauty. As much as we loved welcoming the likes of Tom Ford and Fenty Beauty into our shores, our wallets found relief in more affordable discoveries! Drugstore beauty isn't about cheap, forgettable formulations anymore and we're definitely expecting even better things this year. Here are ten budget beauty finds that raised the bar on drugstore beauty! All were released in the Philippines in 2017

If there’s one beauty product that changed my life in 2017, it would be chemical exfoliants! I have acids to thank for helping me get this much closer to my chok chok skin goals. My skin has never been so clear and smooth. Even my husband has gotten hooked on skincare ever since I made him try using acids!

I’ve been preaching the gospel of chemical exfoliation to anyone who’s been willing to listen, and as excited as many have been to finally get into it, there’s always this one hurdle: how do you use acids? So once and for all, let’s finally answer all those questions and get you started!

Sheet masks are like an instant best friend skincare item that’s available whenever and wherever you need them. Tired and want a quick pick-me-upper for your skin? Prepping for a big event and need of an extra boost of moisture? Just feeling the desire for some me-time and TLC for your skin? Put on a refreshing sheet mask! It’s like a spa day for your face tidily wrapped in one small packet, and it doesn’t need to be pricey. Just check out our under-100 pesos picks below!