"So why do you charge P6,500 for a hair cut?" I asked Jude Hipolito as he was busy snipping at my hair. He looked me in the eye and said, "It's not about me, it's about you." He explained that some women are at that point in their lives when they can afford to splurge on themselves. They're able to buy designer bags and clothes - so why not a designer hair cut? He knows what he's worth, and he has his price out there. If you can splurge for the best hair cut ever then go to him. If not, you don't have to.

Jude and Rose, the dynamic duo behind JURO Salon

Now I don't mean that to sound snobbish. Even though Jude has 20 years of experience as a hair cutter, doing the hair of the stars and training celebrity hair stylists, he's a pretty laidback guy with a genuinely warm and humble personality. He relishes telling stories and you can see that he also likes to listen. He's a quiet, soft-spoken guy, not the big shot hair stylist type who can't even part with a smile.

Jude doing my hair

Jude tells me that he trains in the US every year to be updated on the latest trends and techniques in the business of hair. He calls himself a precision hair cutter, meaning that each cut is tailored to your face shape, hair texture, lifestyle, down to how your hair will grow out in the months to come.

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?

Have you guys heard of Fairydrops? It's a fairly popular brand from Japan, known for their mascara's patented "3 teardrop" wand. The brand is so popular, in fact, that it's also distributed at Sephora in the US. Google it and you'll find a lot of rave reviews. ;)

And so, I'm happy to announce that Fairydrops is finally here in the Philippines! They set up shop last week at Beauty Bar branches in Manila. Aside from their best-selling mascaras, there's also a BB cream, loose powder, and a glossy balm in the selection. I swatched the BB cream and it looks super promising!

What I will be reviewing today is one of my current fave mascaras: the Fairydrops Platinum Mascara (P1,195). It's a super black, clean finish mascara that washes off with only water. I've been using it for three weeks now and I love it! Did I say it washes off with just water? Yet it's smudge and smear-proof, and fairly water resistant as long as you don't rub it.

Here's a more detailed take!

What I love about the product 

• It's an office and school-safe mascara since it has a clean, enhancing finish. It's not in-your-face. It volumizes and lengthens just enough to make your lashes stand out, but not so much that it looks TOO much!
• Curls lashes and holds them all day. It's best used with an eyelash curler, but the wand does wonders by itself.

Hey hey! It's been a while since I posted an outfit. I wish I have someone who can snap photos of some of my looks (I'm vain, sue me) but it's embarrassing to ask random people I'm with. So I just leave it. But I really like my outfit yesterday so I stuck the camera on a flat surface and posed without shame!

It was a toss between heels and sandals but I wanted more pink so I went with the sandals. They're cute no? I got them for only P350! They're weird though. Everytime I wear them for more than a couple of hours, my feet are sore the next morning (like right now). Might be because they're too thin and flat?

And people say heels are bad for your feet. Pfff.

Hi! My name is Mae and i need your advice and expertise badly. I'm 30 years old and a newbie in make up. As in I know no tricks, techniques or best products when it comes to make up. I was content on sponging on a powder foundationand slathering on lip balm since I have suffered from severe chapped lips since forever - thus my aversion to lipstick - and thats about it.

Ironically, I was hit with the desire to put on make up at a time when I could hardly squeeze in some time to learn, research, experiment and practice. You see, I'm a new mother to a 4-month old baby boy, very hands on and breastfeeding at that. To top it off, I have to be at the office by 8am. With the stress of adjusting and lack of sleep I realized I look pale and dry in front of my clients when I caught my reflection on a glass wall. Here I was marketing to them and I looked so unpolished! I felt myself shrink and what a jab to my confidence. That's when it hit me, the importance of make up to [achieve] a polished and professional look. Thus my hunt on beauty blogs and getting to know you beauty experts!

I've been following your blog for some time now since I can go online while breastfeeding but I admit it leaves me quite overwhelmed. Could you please help me? How can I sport an easy and speedy office look? Simple but polished and professional. Think of it as a tutorial for the dummy. What products do you recommend? 

Hi Mae, thanks for sending in this letter. I've already done a tutorial on a quick office look with long-wearing makeup (try Bobbi Brown - expensive but the best!), so you can check that for one way to do it. :) I decided to show another routine here with only nine products and 15 minutes of your time every morning! 

You will only need one brush and your fingers to do this look. If you use the right products, they'll stay on all day with only minimal retouching. :) Before you do all this though, don't forget to wear sunblock and some eye cream! That will keep your skin protected from the sun and other environmental stressors. Here goes!

Step 1: Use a face primer like the Benefit POREfesshional to smoothen your skin, cover up pores, and help your base makeup stay on longer.

I was at the Mall of Asia last Sunday with my mom. I dragged her to Uniqlo to check out the perpetual sale going on there (not that I'm complaining), and that's where I found this beauty!

It's only P390 at the current sale price and I love it. It's super comfy as a body shaper, not too restricting and hot, plus it doubles as shorts for days when I'm wearing short dresses. Did I say it was only P390? A similar thing from Bench would cost as much sans the nicer fabric.

Hey folks! I have some new products from Maybelline that I'm excited to finally talk about. I've had them for a few weeks now and, well, color me impressed! It's been a while since I used anything from the brand so I'm surprised by how nice their stuff are now. 

Here are capsule reviews of Maybelline's latest: The Jewels by Colorsensational Lipsticks, Master Liner 24-Hr Cream Pencil, and Eye Studio Lumineyes Eyeshadow.

The Jewels by Colorsensational Lipstick (P399) is a collection of six jewel-toned lip colors in uber creamy, pigmented formulas. They're not waxy and they stay on for a loooong time given that the colors are on the dark, brilliant spectrum. They leave a nice stain too without feeling too drying!

Hi guys! I finally have a name. It was a difficult decision as many of you were commenting almost everyday, so what I did was, I put all the names in a bowl and picked one randomly. So! The winner is Jaja. Please email me  your full name, address, and contact number.

For October I have a big prize to the lucky commenter of the month. Avon kindly sponsored all these goodies for this giveaway! I was actually just asking for a set of lipsticks and maybe a couple of blushes, but they pulled out all the stops for this massive set of some of the best Avon pieces.

The winner will be getting nineteen products:

“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!

I've read so many positive reviews about Tarte blushes that I just had to get one when Windy asked if I wanted to review anything from her store. I chose the Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Blushing Bride (P1,100 from Stuff in Style) because I don't think I have anything like it in my stash! It's a plummy-berry blush that's touted to have a long-wearing formula.

Texture and staying power. Blushing Bride is very pigmented and smooth, with a liberal sprinkle of golden sparkle mixed with the color. The shimmer doesn't look tacky or thick so it shouldn't show on your skin. You'll just get this golden glow which I think is a nice add-on.

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

I've had this drastic hair cut for two weeks now and I feel guilty not telling you about it sooner. It's just that for a few days I didn't know how to feel about it. When I left the salon I was squealing in delight. When I woke up the next morning I was all "What the fck did I do to myself?" But now I am super happy about my new look. 

Given that my hair is wavy, frizzy, and my face is wide and chubby, only a master hair cutter can make my bob look this good. Oh and a blow drier along with some awesome hair products! Anyway I will write a separate post about my salon experience, but I'll tell you now that this hair cut is worth P6,500. Well, P7,500 including the dye job. I didn't pay for it although when my hair is long again, I have half a mind to go back to that salon!

So why did I do it?

September was a mighty blur to me. If you ask me what I did exactly, I wouldn't know without consulting my calendar. I would spend an entire day operating on the impression that it's a day or two ahead. Is that a bad thing? Yes because I am sometimes disoriented and out of focus. No because I love and enjoy what I am doing. And through my blog-related efforts, this website has been pushing 5,500+ page views a day! Even reaching 7,000 on a good day.

via

That said, I'm so thankful for your support. I wouldn't keep pushing without your comments and questions as readers, without your trust as sponsors. :') You're the best!

Okay, that's it for the emo rambling. On to my my top 10 favorite finds last September!

If you're OC about perfecting your face makeup (as I am) then you'll love the Real Techniques Core Collection Brush Set (as I do). It's a set of four wonderful brushes to conceal, smoothen, and brighten your complexion. It's a great deal too for only P1,100 for full-sized brushes and a travel case. My favorite brush in particular is the contour blush - it deposits blushes and contour powder cleanly. Love!

Nice, affordable mineral powder foundations are like unicorns. They're not so easy to find, even harder if they're in pressed form!

The more I like a scent the more sparingly I use it. Is that weird? Like good memories and golden moments, I just want to preserve it for as long as I can. I even have a flacon of perfume just barely half used after three years!

A strong candidate for my all-time favorites list is the Elizabeth Arden Green Tea Cherry Blossom EDT. I swear, it was love at first spray! The aromatic scent of green tea is perfectly melded with the sweet, dainty scent of the cherry blossom. It makes me feel happy, awake, and so feminine, like a lady who walks primly to high tea with her friends. 

The launch of this fragrance was memorable and intimate since Elizabeth Arden just invited a few beauty bloggers to a spa date (NEO Day Spa in The Fort - one of my fave escapes!). They also introduced the Aurora Collection, which is comprised of rosy, illuminating hues perfect for spring/summer.

What do you know, I have a video blog of the whole thing (shot by Marge Manabat). ;) Watch!

People ask me why I didn't become a makeup artist. Well, for many years I didn't think it was a good fit. I was just happy doing makeup on myself, writing about it, growing this website. Recently though I've seriously considered going for it. I was supposed to do makeup for a couple of bridesmaids last month, but that was the weekend Snaps was horribly sick so of course I couldn't leave him. I was so excited about that gig! It just wasn't meant to be.

Anyway, a couple of weeks ago Shiseido invited the press to a makeup workshop conducted by their Regional Training Manager for Asia, Angela Boh.

Angela demonstrated Shiseido's 2012 Autumn/Winter collection which features the Radiant Lifting Foundation - a new foundation that takes the reflective properties of light into play to create an illuminated base, the Camellia Compact – a soft, velvety highlighter and blush compact, and the Lacquer Rouge Collection which has intense liquid lipstick shades for Fall.

Shiseido Camellia Compact - highlighter, blush, and contour in one

She also showed us how to apply makeup the Shiseido way.

I'm not a food blogger and I won't start now, but it doesn't mean that I won't talk about food I like. :P A few weeks ago I got to visit this new Asian fusion restaurant in Marikina called Tiyo's by Chef & Brewer. The place is operated by the same people behind Ferretti shoes, so we had a meeting there to discuss business. The usual!

What wasn't usual is the food. We had this chicken sisig wrapped in warm tortilla, drizzled with mayonnaise and mustard. It was heaven! And simple too, if you want to make it at home. I loved the salty, creamy, then sour flavors of the dish. It sounds weird but wait 'till you try it! They say it's perfect with beer as pulutan.

Something about the cooler weather and the season makes me want to wear smoky eyes all the time. I've demonstrated how easy it is to do the look, so there's no excuse for me (and you!) not to wear it whenever I feel like it! Ha. One palette that makes smoky eyes incredibly easy is the Etude House Dolly 3-Step Eyes in Cute Doll (P648). It contains three eyeshadows that combine perfectly to give you the gradient smoky look.

The Cute Doll BR401 palette contains full-sized, super creamy matte eyeshadows in bone white, caramel, and charcoal brown.

Hi girls! It's a glorious Friday morning and I'm excited! I've been several shades of lazy and busy to go out lately so I've stored up all my appointments for this day. Call it streamlining operations - if there's anything I dislike, it's wasting time when there's a smoother way to accomplish things.

Anyway, I just want to tell you about an upcoming workshop by Estee Lauder. They are bringing in their Director of Global Makeup Artistry, Blair Patterson, to conduct the class! It will be held on October 13, 4:30pm at the Lubang function room of EDSA Shangri-La. Sounds fab right?

All you need to do is reserve and pay the P3,000 workshop fee, which is in reality consummable GCs at Estee Lauder.