The Kanebo Kate Gel Eyeliner (P660) has a sort of quiet yet esteemed rep among makeup enthusiasts here in Asia. You see, I've been hearing about this product for years as a great cheap substitute to the famous (and expensive) MAC Fluidline. So is it true? 

Well, yes.  

What I love about the product

• Extremely creamy to the point of being liquid. This makes the product easy to maneuver as it glides effortlessly on the lids without tugging.
• Applies as a true matte black in one swipe. No need to layer.
• Waterproof and stays put all day. There is a teeny bit of smudging, but it's not bothersome.

These days, there are a ton of products old and new in the market that it can sometimes get confusing for an average consumer to find something worth buying. There's also a deluge of enticing promises that can get us off kilter once we're in a department store - it's more difficult when there are actually good products that deliver. So how should we deal with it? 

The best way to go about is to find out for yourself what you need exactly. What are your skin concerns, if any? Dry skin? Blemishes? Eyebags? Oily lids? Chapped lips or do you just need something moisturizing with SPF? Once you have your needs specified and in order, you can start choosing the products that can help you. Believe me, there is probably something for whatever beauty concern you might have! You just need to do some prioritizing and research.

Now I've put that thought bubble out there, I'd like to talk about an institution in the world of body moisturizers. The Body Shop Body Butters (P695) have been around since the 80's and has consistently been the brand's best-selling line. It's not surprising, really, since there is something that sets these Body Butters apart from all the others: the scent. 

It's a given that these body moisturizers are moisturizing, but their scent is quite unique, and not in a fake chemical way. If the cap says Cherry, it will probably smell like cherry. If it says Pink Grapefruit, you can reasonably expect grapefruit wafting from the creamy lotion. The scent can be overpowering when you start applying it, but it mellows down into something softer after a couple of hours.

I was in SM Bacoor with my mom yesterday. I wasn't particularly intent on buying jewelry, until I saw these NACCARA Pearls in the department store!

These earrings were the first thing that caught my eye. I'm not particularly fond of earrings, but I really love how delicate this pair looked, with its tiny majorica pearls and inset stones.

Vitacreme B12 is a relatively new skincare brand here in the Philippines, but I hear that it's been making a name for itself since 2006. The Vitacreme B12 Regenerative Cream is popular in Asia and the US, with users claiming that it moisturized and evened out their faces pretty well.

Nonetheless, when the brand contacted me for a review, I requested to the Vitacreme B12 Body Milk (P2,495) instead. I have too many face moisturizers as it is! Anyway, I've been looking for info about the body milk online with little success; the product packaging doesn't help much in specifying what it actually does. I did find a useful product description on Sasa.com:

It corrects the skin suffering from fatigue, dehydration, aging or dullness.

It enhances skin’s resilience and firmness.

It prevents premature wrinkling.

It smoothes away fine lines and wrinkles.

I've already reviewed the Colour Collection Color Intense Lipsticks before (in a nutshell: awesome stuff), so this time I just want to share a swatch of my latest CC lippie. It's called Crimson Pink, a deep reddish pink that looks quite sophisticated yet very wearable. I imagine this as a rich complement on morena skin.

My CC lipsticks are some of the most frequently used ones in my rather extensive collection.

Yesterday I came from a meeting in U.N. Avenue. That place is horrible! I spent two hours getting there, stuck in Osmena Highway traffic then in a minor flood in Paco. After the meeting, the avenue looked like a parking lot, so I had to walk to the LRT station (in the rain, at that) so I can get to Buendia in one piece. I haven't ridden that train in more than two years! Taft is a nightmare when it rains, and I know this because I spent four years of university there.

Okay, after writing that paragraph, I realized that I sound like a total prick. I'm usually not. But I hate commuting to somewhere unless I can get to it by cab in under 40 minutes. Yeah, me and everyone else.

ANYWAY! At least I managed to get to the Promod End of Season sale in Greenbelt 5 after that grueling experience! It officially starts today but the kind folks at Promod invited some bloggers and their top costumers to get first dibs on the merchandise last night. Needless to say, there was a palpable shopping frenzy in the air as everyone grabbed their favorite Promod pieces at 40-50% off.

There were a lot of great items going for P1,600 below. Staples like jeans and shorts were on sale (their jeans are awesome), as well as accent pieces and tops that are bound to liven up your wardrobe. Notables are the leather jackets that will certainly be useful in the upcoming rainy days, as well as the cute skirts and airy printed dresses that will be nice additions to your current outfit selections.

I SERIOUSLY NEED TO GO BACK FOR THIS SKIRT. PLEASE STILL BE AVAILABLE IN MY SIZE WHEN I RETURN. KTHNX. I'm hitting myself in the head for not getting this pronto, but I was hesitating because there wasn't a sale tag (even though it's in the sale rack)

Creamy white skirt with tan belt. Classic and will give you an instantly fresh look.