I visited Rustan's Makati yesterday for my regular "what's up" checkup. Guess who I ran into! Why, Carrot of Bobbi Brown! She was doing her usual counter visits at La Mer and Bobbi, looking all fresh and pretty even though I know she's probably already mega stressed by that time (as all the Estee Lauder girls are!). I asked her if there's anything new, so she told me about Bobbi's latest product: the Bobbi Brown BB Cream with SPF35 PA++.

Developed by Bobbi Brown for customers who want a product with serious skincare and makeup benefits, this all-in-one cream perfects and smoothes skin’s appearance—instantly and over time. Its easily buildable formula evens out and gives skin a lit-from-within glow. Skin is filled with moisture as oil and shine are kept at bay. Plus SPF helps protect skin against UVA/UVB damage.

In a short while, fine lines and wrinkles appear less noticeable, visible redness is reduced and pores appear more refined.

This new BB cream is so popular that it's already sold out within the month! According to Carrot, they will restock by the end of June or early July so BB cream fans, you have to wait 'till then. In the meantime, I have swatches and first impressions for you.

I love good questions. I love asking them, more so when it comes to answering them! Some insightful readers asked two cool questions: the first is, how does the Kate Blendzone Eyeshadow duos compare to the Majolica Majorca palettes? Second, how does the Revlon lipstick in Siren compare to Revlon Coral Berry?

Japanese drugstore cosmetics, from what I've tried so far, seem to be at par with more expensive American and European brands. These two eyeshadow palettes from Majolica Majorca and Kanebo Kate are proof. But when it comes down to a choice, which one should you blow your money on?

There's a keen demand among women nowadays for more "natural" skincare solutions. But what do we mean when we say "natural"? Usually, a product is considered such if its ingredients are from natural and unrefined sources. For example, the ingredient list must mainly consist of water, fruit and plant extract, oils, combined with naturally occurring preservatives, humectants, surfactants, and emulsifiers (link). Natural skincareproducts do not contain synthetic chemicals.

That said, Pond's new line called White Beauty Naturals does not claim to be natural. But it does feature one of nature's beautifying agents: the Camellia Leaf. Why that particular plant? Dr. Sona Pushker, Head of Research at the Pond’s Institute says, “...The Camellia leaf extract is known to reduce the formation of melanin deep within your skin, and the proven skin lightening technology of the Pond’s White Beauty range inhibits melanin being released to the skin’s surface, reducing skin darkening and imperfections.”

Nature’s most potent skin-lightening secret! With Camellia Leaf Extract, Pond’s White Beauty Naturals works double time – it reduces the formation of melanin at a cellular level and inhibits melanin from being released to the skin’s surface, thus effectively fighting skin darkening, diminishing imperfections and delivering beautiful, pinkish-white skin.

Okay! Basically, the new line is a new formulation (upgrade?) of Pond's existing White Beauty products. What sets it apart is the inclusion of camellia sinensis, which is actually known as the "tea plant", because green tea is traditionally made from its leaves!

I have already reviewed the Revlon Super Lustrous Lipsticks (P450) so I'd just like to share swatches of the two new shades here. I think these came in a couple of months back, so if you haven't seen them yet, I do think one of the shades is worth a gander in your nearest Revlon counter!

Primrose and Coral Berry

I am in love with Coral Berry! I find it a unique lipstick shade that has a very rich, satiny finish on my lips. As the name suggests, it's a medium coral pink that looks great on warm-toned skin like mine. I highly recommend this to anyone - it's currently one of my favorite lipppies. It goes beautifully with peach cheeks and gold eyeshadow. 

I woke up at 2am today and started reading blogs since I didn't feel like working yet. After going through my usual routine, I visited Pammy's post on beauty blogging again to see if there are any new comments. I've been keeping track of it since she wrote it, and I really appreciate all the insights in the post and in the comments page. This time, I'd like to share what I think about beauty bloggers "selling out" or losing credibility. This is my comment.

Been following this post for a while, and I'd just like to share what i think. :) Ideally, in beauty blogging, the blogger must pay for all the products that she reviews. But while that's ideal, it's also unrealistic. First of all it's difficult to get content unless you're sitting on a mound of money exclusively for makeup/kikay things.

Second, a good beauty blogger spends a lot of time coming up with a post - swatching, taking pics, testing, and finally, writing are all time-consuming (I spend 2-3 hours on one detailed review on average). Sure we do it out of love, but then again, it's unrealistic to continue unless there is some form of return.

Here's what I wore to a quick shopping trip last Friday! It's quite no-nonsense since I didn't have a lot of time to go around (was trying to avoid the weekend rush hour traffic!). I was in the mood to buy something since I figured I won't be able to have much fun. I'll be taking on new responsibilities that will leave me very little free time soon. 

Anyway, there was heavy downpour that afternoon so I chose to wear black to fit the mood. Do you do that, pick your color scheme according to the weather? I do! Almost all the time. 

Top from Landmark/ Shorts from Folded & Hung/ Pumps from Ferretti/ Bag from Parfois/ Necklace from SM Accessories

I like the cowl-neck and asymmetrical details of this top. Got it for only P230 in Landmark! Steal.

Hola! Sorry this was really late. It's been extra hectic lately. Like super. Anyway, the Commenter of the Month for May is Issa Chavez! She commented on almost every post I published last month. Dedication ka, 'te! Hope you like your Pond's Gold Radiance set.

Now, are you ready for the new Commenter of the Month gift? It's from one of my favorite brands ever. ;)

I’ve reviewed quite a few Myra products in the past and you know that I’ve been consistently impressed with the brand. Before, I thought that the low price points speak for the quality; I was obviously wrong. If you’re on a budget and you want affordable products that are similar to high-end brands, then Myra is for you. I really like their moisturizer with SPF, face powder, and lip balm.

My absolute favorite, however, would have to be the Vitaglow Tinted Moisturizer. It’s the cheapest and best tinted moisturizer in drugstores right now at only P150!

The best thing about the Vitaglow is that it's touted to be mineral makeup, which means that it doesn't clog pores and should help your skin in the long run. It also contains a powerful antioxidant. Vitamin E is vital in protecting skin cells from ultra violet light, pollution, drugs, and other elements that produce cell damaging free radicals. It also helps the skin by strengthening its moisture barrier and maintaining its oil balance whenever you cleanse.

I'm quite surprised that some people have never heard of KATE cosmetics before or the fact that it has arrived in the Philippines some years back. It's been around since I was in college (well at least, I only noticed it when I was in college and started getting interested in makeup) and I've been cursorily browsing ever since. Hmm, maybe it's not so surprising after all. KATE doesn't have a stand of its own since it's just displayed in the Coffret D'Or counters with no big sign.

Anyway, one of the products that the brand sent me is the KATE Blendzone eyeshadow in BR-1 (P780). It's a duo eyeshadow compact with colors that are designed to be used together. 

What I love about the product

• It's highly pigmented, creamy, long-lasting, well-milled - everything I'm looking for in a quality eyeshadow. Blendzone is comparable to the MAC and Urban Decay eyeshadows that I own.
• Fine shimmery finish that draws light to the eyes.
• Great for traveling. You can easily do a quick neutral look with the sponge applicator that comes with it, or you can use your fingers. 

The dark shade is a shimmery chocolate brown while the other one is beige/white

Once the novelty of the gel formula and wand applicator wore off, I started to look at the new Majolica Majorca Majoromantica scent in Fruity Forest (P995) with a more critical eye. Does it have good staying power? Is it all cute and no substance?

What it is: Fruity Forest is a strong scent with juicy fruits as top notes, floral as the mid notes, and sugary sweetness as its base notes. It assaults the senses as soon as you pull the wand out, but it mellows down quickly as it spreads on your skin and dissipates in the air. Fruity Forest is part of Majo's latest collection called Fake Sleeping.

Lasting power: The wand is designed to apply the gel cologne on your pulse points (on the wrists, behind the ear, base of the throat, back of the knees). Doing so allows the scent to heat up and stay longer. However, I find that the fragrance is completely gone from my skin in three hours - not surprising, because this is not even an EDT, it's a cologne.

I did discover something else though.

I wore this look to a gloomy Saturday out with Marco. I had some time to play with my toys so I thought of using some Estee Lauder makeup that I bought, but don't wear out as often as I would like. I was inspired by my Forever 21 jeggings (cheesy but true!) so I used some dusky blue eyeshadow and added smoke almost up to my eyebrows. For a change!

The colors don't quite appear as they are in the pan when applied, but I do like the effect nonetheless. They're very subtle, very classy together.

Face: The Balm TimeBalm liquid concealer, Ellana mineral foundation and finishing powder

Cheeks: Estee Lauder Silky Powder Blush in Tender Petal (I really should review my EL blush palette soon)

Eyeshadows: TFSI primer, Estee Lauder Pure Color eyeshadows. Refer to the diagram for the shades.

There were a lot of beautiful looks sent in, but in the end I had to pick one winner. Her name is Radz Bolambao. She sent in not one, but six FOTDs! I like that she maximized all her makeup and came up with flattering looks that anyone can cop with affordable products. I also like that her looks ranged from bare to smokey, with different themes.

Here's all of her six looks, and the link to the page where she detailed all the products she used. I highly recommend checking out all of them and maybe you can be inspired just as I was! As they would say, effort ang lola mo!

Go Bare (Click the link for product details)

Peaches n' Cream look

I paint my nails whenever I'm stressed or when I need to focus. If you've ever done a perfect paint job, then you know it takes quite a bit of concentration and patience to achieve. Painting my nails calms me down and allows me to be single-minded for the next hour or so. That's valuable for someone whose day requires too much multi-tasking!

Anyway, one nail polish brand that I really like is the Etude House VIP Girl Nail Polish. It's pretty awesome! It's cheap (only P48), applies smoothly, pigmented, and dries quickly with no streaks or bubbles. I didn't experience any staining so far. For P48, I think I got a great deal.

Etude House VIP Girl Nail Polish in GR605 and YL802

I love both the shades I got, especially the turquoise one. It's more green than blue with a matte finish. Very in season right now and surprisingly versatile - it feels right with whatever outfit I have for the day. The egg yolk yellow (no other description for it!) shade instantly brightens up dark and tired-looking cuticles.

It was the eyeshadow that drew me into the wonderful world of cosmetics. I loved the fact that you can paint your eyes with them, just as if you were working with watercolors or oil pastels on paper. Now, I like a pop of color on the eyes as much as I like neutral well-contoured eyes. I find that whatever look one goes for, it all comes down to color combination. Does this taupe look good with this bronze? Does this pink look good with blue? And so on.

One palette that has a seemingly non-coordinated color combination offers a really good color story: the Avon True Color Eyeshadow Quad in Romantic (P319).

What I like about the product

• Great color combination. You think pink, blue, mint, and white gold doesn't work together or looks too much - but you're wrong! They come out pastel, giving off that spring-y vibe.
• Nice packaging.

VMV Hypoallergenics is not particularly known for its makeup, but from what I've tried so far, I would have to say I'm impressed (remember the Ooh-La-Lash! Volumizing Mascara and the Lip Glitter Gloss?). VMV cosmetics is quite underrated but I do hope that will change in the future since their formulas are ace, with the added bonus of being truly hypoallergenic.

This time, I'd like to share my review of two VMV lipstick formulas: Velvet Matte and Glitz. Velvet matte lipsticks are, well, as matte as you can get. They feel very soft on the lips and isn't too drying. Glitz, on the other hand, has a shiny, glossy finish that's very look-at-me. Here's a quick rundown of each formula's strengths and weaknesses!

VMV Hypoallergenics Velvet Matte Lipstick in Kitten

"Soft kitty, warm kitty, little ball of furr!" is a song that plays in my head whenever I think about this lipstick. Kitten is an incredibly soft lipstick - both shade and texture-wise - that's quite unique for me.

There are a lot of beautiful finds inside Parfois. The best thing is, most of the items are not something you'll find just anywhere! There are cocktail rings, statement necklaces, and pretty bags in the store. Shoes, scarves, and wallets are also mainstays.

Indeed, Parfois is your all-around accessory store that's not too painful on the pocket. Rings are between P380 to P650, necklaces at P600-1200 (for the elaborate ones), and bags at P1,200 to 3,000 (for the big ones made for traveling).

Here's what I got!

This necklace is perfect for low-cut dresses and tops

These golden leaves hang beautifully on the neck. Can go with most outfits. Been wearing it nonstop!

I've read a lot of good reviews about the Human Nature Sunflower Oil. This is the very intriguing product description:

Radiant, soft skin touched by the sun! Our premium, cosmetic-grade Sunflower Beauty oil is packed with vitamins A, D & E to help fight wrinkles and naturally protect skin from infections and irritants. Best applied to the sensitive under-eye area. Many customers, including our Global Ambassador, Hollywood actress Rachel Grant, use this a make-up remover too. And due to Sunflower oil's properties, it can also help lighten dark circles under eyes and even stretch marks with daily use! A final tip - Rachel Grant likes to take a drop of it, rub it all over her palms then run her hands through her hair to add healthy-looking shine and vigor to her hair every morning. Is there anything our Beauty Oil can't do?!

With a killer description and a killer price (P120 for the 50mL bottle), who won't buy this? My curiosity got the better of me so I decided to get one when I visited Mercato Centrale.

I try not to go to too many events lately because I do have work and I want to spend my free time just relaxing. But when Majolica Majorca calls, you know it, I'm there! It's one of my favorite makeup brands right now (if you haven't noticed yet, hehe) so I wanted to show my support.

The event happened last Wednesday at Opus, Resorts World. The set up was quite enchanting, as if the guests stepped inside another world. Take note, it was 3pm in the middle of a work week! The Majo team really transformed the space - it was quite an achievement ha. I'll just let the photos speak for themselves.

An installation by Tina Daniac is the first thing we saw upon entering

The beautiful and talented Bianca Valerio hosted the event

Last Wednesday, Japanese cosmetics brand Majolica Majolica officially launched here. They also introduced the latest collection called Fake Sleeping, a two-product affair that is quite unique if you ask me. Will talk more about these in a bit! In the meantime, I'd just like to share what I wore to the event.

Thrifted peach dress and printed cardigan/ SM lace up heels/ Ferretti satchel/ Parfois gold leaf necklace

It was kind of difficult to dress up for this particular shindig because (1) It was held in Opus, a night club in Resorts World and (2) It was 3pm on a Wednesday! Should one wear a clubbing dress? A breezy tea dress? Night makeup? Day makeup? Lol. I just went along with my mood and the weather that day (which is super hot btw). In any case, the dress code is supposed to be playful, fun, and whimsical.

For the FOTD, there was no question: I used my fave Majolica Majorca makeup!

Face: NARS Sheer Glow Foundation, MAC Studio Finish concealer, Clinique Blended Powder to set, Guerlain Meteorites