Tokyo is intensely hot and humid in the summer. That was quite a surprise! I thought that since Japan has winter the weather will be milder in the summer season. But that is not the case. It was already sweltering by 7:30 AM when I walked to a fish market near our hotel then! (Longest 5 kilometers of my life, btw.)

But that wasn't the most surprising thing. I noticed that even while I was sweating as if I'm in a bikram yoga class, everybody else looked fresh and composed. Take note, people walk ALL THE TIME, to everywhere, in Japan. How does their makeup stay on? I think they're on to something when it comes to the long-wearing makeup department!

Anyway! Here's another foundation review for you. The Shiseido Sun Protection Liquid Foundation (P1,750) says "very water-resistant" on the label. That's like, music to my ears! I have combination skin but my t-zone oils up anyway as if there's no tomorrow. I need something that can stay there and won't dissolve when I sweat. Does this stay true to its promise, then?

Texture. This watery foundation sticks to skin like a second layer. It has a thin, runny texture that's easy to spread all over, but you do have to work quickly to blend it in perfectly. Fingers or a dense brush are your best bets when applying this liquid foundation!

Hello Project Vanity readers! I'm really curious about skin purging. Is it really true, or is it just a hoax? I'm trying out a new skin care regimen, but I'm breaking out. When I asked a representative of the product, she said that I was just experiencing "skin purging", and that my pimples are coming out now but it will discontinue later as my skin adjusts. How do you know if you are actually skin reactive to the product, or just purging? Hope you can help me on this one! Thanks. - Beth

Hi Beth! This is a very useful question. I checked out the topic online and yes, skin "purges" (and this is only in a figurative sense okay) when we use new skincare (especially those for curing acne). Certain active ingredients like retinoids or a new exfoliating regimen can cause deep-seated dirt, dead skin, and oil to rise to the surface of the skin. So you get pimples. It's the only way for all that junk to get out of your pores.

Sometimes, your skin simply adjusts to the new ingredients in your new skincare. You're basically shocking your skin into accepting these alien ingredients, which is why it's okay to cut your new products some slack...to a certain degree, that is.

I've tried A LOT of products since I started beauty blogging, and here's what I've experienced: a product is fine for me if I just break out for one week.

A natural-looking mascara product might sound counterintuitive, but I'm sure that a lot of women just need a bit of enhancement on their lashes. They are ones who are gifted with as lush fringe so they don't really need a lot of goop to bring out the natural fullness of their lash line.

If you're one of those women, then you'd love the Shiseido Perfect Mascara (P1.000+).

This mascara has a thin texture that's enough to keep the curl of the lashes, but not to add a lot of volume on the first coat. You'll need to build it up lash by lash if you want a thick fringe. Two layers will get you natural, curved lashes, which like I said above is something other people might prefer.

Half the fun of subscription boxes is the unboxing. Removing the sleeve, revealing the layers, reveling in how prettily everything is arranged together - it's the experience of opening a surprise gift that makes the wait and suspense worth it. I just realized that after receiving my first box in a while!

When it comes to boxes, none rivals BDJ Box today, I think! Glamourbox has now focused on e-commerce and retailing if I'm not mistaken; it's a good direction, especially since they're bringing in a lot of awesome brands (more on that next time). Even if they do boxes, they're not all about boxes now. I can safely say that BDJ is the reigning beauty subscription box in the country.

Anyhoo, thought I'd share my unboxing of BDJ's October Box. This is all about a Sugar n' Spice look by Maybelline. I love the concept and how they matched the items together. You can go sweet and lovely in the day, then wear the dramatic lipstick at night. But why am I still talking. Here are the photos!

Realization: my Tweets read like t-shirt slogans. They are vague, sometimes sardonic, but often obnoxious. I write them when I am seized with A Thought that just needs to be farted out to the world. If I don't say it, then it will die in my head and no one else will know how witty I am.

That's what I think anyway. I'm not really a witty person, I just have witty things to blurt out from time to time.

So! Today I'm going to review the Shiseido Sheer Matifying Compact Foundation (P1,650 for the refill). This is a lovely foundation with a crazy smooth texture and medium to heavy coverage. It's something I can recommend to oily girls, since it delays The Shining longer and wears well throughout the day.

Let's do a rundown!

What I love about the product

• It delivers a silky smooth finish that makes my face look flawless. It's predominantly matte, but there is a sliiiight hint of glow on the high points of my face, when I'm looking at it in direct sunlight. 
• It has medium to heavy coverage; if you use the sponge, it can already cover minor blemishes and uneven areas by itself. If you want sheerer coverage then use a powder brush.

Your nose - love it or hate it? I admit I've wished my nose was less round and large, but I've accepted it now. It's my nose. I have come to be affectionate towards it the way I would towards a ratty old pair of pajamas. I haven't really considered something drastic like rhinoplasty because, well, it doesn't honestly disturb me that much. I'm not the type of person whose positive image of herself can easily be ruined by something as minor as a wide nose.

But sometimes I just want to have more definition and height, y'know? Especially in photos where the flash or bright sunlight can wash out my features. I prefer to use a contour powder, but here's a handy trick I learned from YouTube: eyebrow pencils work pretty well too! I particularly like the Shiseido Natural Eyebrow Pencil in Deep Brown BR602 for nose contouring. It's the perfect matte brown shade, something that defines without looking weird and harsh!

You can use other brow pencils if you wish, but yes if you already have the Shiseido pencil then this is a great way to repurpose it. So, here's a quick tutorial on how you can use an eyebrow pencil like this to define your nose. It's super easy! 

Step 1: Map out your ideal contouring areas. Your goal is to make your nose look slimmer and higher. To do so, shade along the sides of your nose. Use the tip of your nose and beginning of your brows as the reference point. 

One of the readers said last Saturday, "I think I cant afford Shiseido. But do you think it is worth saving up for? I mean if I were to buy cosmetics, should I go for Shiseido rather than the more affordable but quality products [out there]?" 

I've answered a similar question like this before in my Why Luxury post. But I suppose it's worth answering again in the context of Shiseido. Why Shiseido, then? I think that they spend enormous amounts of money and work on their products. I think they are obsessive about detail (which is a pervasive Japanese quality, from what I've observed first-hand). Their products have always worked well with my skin type and tone. They have a rich history, and this (along with the packaging) gives me a small thrill of luxury whenever I use one of their products.

If you have the cash to blow on beauty products then I highly recommend Shiseido to be one of your first stops. ;) If you're on a budget then there are definitely a lot of other options that work well for the price. Or, you can always consider Majolica Majorca or ZA Cosmetics, which are Shiseido's direct drugstore counterparts.

So! For round two of Shiseido Week, I'm going to start with the Perfect Rouge Lipstick in Fuchsia RS320 (P1,250). This is a gorgeous magenta-fuchsia lipstick that has a creamy feel and a luscious sheen. The color is opaque in one swipe, and it lasts for a good amount of time (about five hours) as long as you don't eat or drink.

Are you feeling unhappy with your BB cream? If you think that it's time to replace it with something that'll hopefully work better, ZA Cosmetics has a great promo for you. From October 12 to 31, you can take the ZA Half Face Test, turn in your old BB Cream*, then get the ZA Total Hydration BB Cream at 50% off! It'll be P213 only after the discount!

You should def do this if you have old tubes of BB Creams around. ;) Or if you just really don't like your current one. The ZA Total Hydration BB Cream is supposed to visibly make skin brighter and translucent in just 10 days. It is supposedly multi-purpose and has a whitening effect with SPF50 PA+++. 

So! Let's make this a little more fun. I'm giving away the Total Hydration BB Cream UV White, True White Cleansing Foam, True White Prizmizer, and True White Day Protector to FIVE lucky winners. This set is worth P1,710. ^_^ The winner (or her representative) must be able to pick up the set at Luxasia's office in The Fort. Good luck!

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

I very rarely have crappy days because I rarely think that my day is crappy. I just think it could be better, and then mentally run through a list of things I can do to make it better tomorrow! Sometimes it really is just all in our heads. We should know the difference between a true series of unfortunate events and a series of negative thoughts.

Anyway! I just wanna give you a sneak peek of what I'll be writing about next week. ^_^ I've been meaning to do a branded theme, and wanted to try out more things from Shiseido. So. I got four new things to review!

I've read that the Shiseido Sun Protection Liquid Foundation (P1,750) is similar to the Chanel Vitalumiere. It does appear to have the same watery texture and satiny finish! This has SPF43 and claims to be "very water resistant". It's still quite a ways to summer but it's always hot in Manila nonetheless; I need this!

Yesterday I managed to get home juuust as the rain started to fall. The storm raged in earnest soon after, and Snaps came close to hyperventilating because of his thunder phobia. That said, Manila is supposed to have a Signal #1 storm right now but I don't see it yet - I hope I don't! I have a lot of plans this weekend.

Anyway, I just wanted to update you about the Naturactor Cover Face Foundation. You might remember that I loved its finish and texture, but was sorely disappointed about the shade selection. The 141 was way too light, so I thought the darkest shade won't work for me. Well, it did! The 151 is about half a shade lighter and leans more towards beige than I'd like, but it looks okay on me even though my neck is darker than my face.

Honest talk: I am sometimes turned off by Human Heart Nature's marketing tactics. I like what the brand is doing, creating a beauty brand that is sustainable, pro-poor, and pro-environment. But I don't like how they are always scaring people off perfectly fine ingredients. They don't go out and say, this-and-this is toxic and will kill you, but they will slyly say that their ingredients are 100% safe and don't you want to be safe when using personal care products? Don't you want to avoid risks?

So maybe I'm not qualified to talk about what ingredients are safe or not. But cosmetic chemists are. I am more inclined to believe them because, you know, science. Facts. I always research ingredients when I have the time and try not to be scared into submission by fear-mongering organic/all-natural brands.

Nonetheless, I'm going to introduce some of Human Heart Nature's latest products today. ;P This local, socially-conscious brand never rests on its laurels, hence the new releases every quarter or so.

Okay! The most interesting thing here for me is the Human Heart Nature Natural Day Moisturizer (P150/50ml). This has a light, non-greasy texture that smells wonderful too! It has 15 vitamins and minerals, namely Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B12, Vitamin D, Selenium, Lecithin, Zinc, Potassium, Iron, Calcium, and Magnesium.

It also has no silicone and dimethicone, two ingredients that help products feel smoother on the skin. These -ones also fill in pores and lines, which is a good way to seal in moisture and even out the surface of skin. However they can cause pimples if your skin doesn't agree with these ingredients. 

Sounds interesting! You should try it if you're conscious about ingredients like that.

Let's call it the Five-Product Face. It's what you wear when you literally only have five minutes to do your makeup and have no time to putter with superfluous products. It's your five absolute necessities working together to create your most ideal basic face. Sounds simple enough right? Yet I think that no Five-Product Face is the same.

Some people would focus on skin, making their eyes look bigger, or their face, smaller. They'd put more effort on the things they're more conscious about! They would also use different products that address specific skin concerns - mattifying powder for oily skin, BB creams for dry skin, something with SPF for blemished skin. It's an endless combination, which is why I'm not keen to recommend five ultimate products you absolutely need to have. I can only tell you about mine!

As you can see, I place a lot of importance on enhancing skin. I think that everything else can go bare, as long as my skin looks glowing and flawless! I love to use the Bobbi Brown BB Cream with SPF35 (P2,000+) to give my face that instant even-toned glow, then cover up eye bags and blemishes with a basic concealer like the MAC Studio Finish (P1,000).

I set everything with my everyday powder (my other favorite, aside from Ben Nye), the Snoe Poudre Extraordinaire (P799). I don't think I've said how much I love this thing yet.

My life isn't what you'd call glamorous, but there are parts of it that are glamorous. The events and parties, the opportunities to trade ideas and plans with remarkable women in the local beauty/fashion industry, the free things I get - these are all amazing and fun. And ultimately, superficial. If you only knew all the leg work I need to do behind the scenes to make things happen, your desk job might just sound like a breeze!

Anyway. Let's continue Organic Beauty Week with a French product this time: the Nuxe Reve de Miel Lip Moisturizing Stick (P350 from Digital Traincase).

Nuxe is a natural origin cosmetology brand originating in France. It combines high-performance with a certain je ne sais quoi, and is said to be one of the best-selling brands in French pharmacies. I've honestly never heard of it before though, that is until Digital Traincase started carrying a few select items! 

Sol sent me this lip balm and I've been enjoying it since I got it. This balm is not like any other lip balm I've tried before. It doesn't have that slippery, slick, or hard waxy texture I'm accustomed to when it comes to balms. It feels...plush. Solid on the lips, but not heavy. It feels soft and light as it hugs the skin!

Good serums, I find, come at prices that will make you unconsciously swallow. A lot of research and technology goes into making them so that they actually work! But do you need them? If you already have great skin then you could skip using serums. However, if you feel that you need that extra healing power, nourishment, or a boost in solving a particular skin concern, then yes serums help a great deal.

One of the serums that I loved to use was the Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair. This serum has been around for 31 years now and is reputed to sell one bottle every 8.5 seconds! I wouldn't be surprised, considering how well it works. I actually did a weekly report the first month I used it. I've seen a visible improvement in just one month with my blemishes fading quicker and my skin getting a nice glow.

That was last year. I'm constantly reviewing new skincare so I haven't been exactly faithful to ANR, but it's still on my top five list of serums. Perhaps it's time to try it out again? Estee Lauder just created a new version of it. It's called the Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex II (P5,300).

This new formula is said to be lighter yet more moisturizing with hyaluronic acid added into the mix. I have yet to try it out since I have just committed to a new skincare line, unfortunately, but it looks really promising. I don't know if I mentioned this already in my past reviews but I wished that ANR is more moisturizing; I'd prefer to skip moisturizer on top of it to immediately see the full effect.

Anyway! I'm rambling. Here are more details about the new serum, for your reference. :)

Made by David Organics is one of the latest local beauty brands here in Manila. They are "all about providing you with carefully crafted products that are naturally healthy, generously nourishing, and sweet little pleasures to use", according to their About page. Sounds interesting right? Wait till you see the chic packaging and the price tag!

Made by David has an interesting hair range that includes shampoos and conditioners, masks, Dry Shampoo, Split End Sealer, and Hair Potion. Most (if not all) of the products are less than P300. Seriously! You can check the full product line here. I'll be trying out the Rose and Geranium shampoo and conditioner soon, as well as the Hair Potion since it promises to do wonders for curly hair. I'll let you know how they work!

For today though, I'll just be talking about the Made by David Hand Sanitiziers (P100/50ml). 

You know I gotta mention the Beauty Blender sponge here, right? It's only proper. :P I've never tried it before so unfortunately I can't compare, but I was just never convinced by the hype. Sure the sponge is conveniently shaped for reaching awkward areas around the face, but a thousand bucks for one sponge? Hmm, I don't think so. Maybe I'll change my mind in the future. Until then, I'll go for more reasonable alternatives!

The Too Cool For School Marshmallow Puff Sponge (P279) has been sitting on my vanity since March. I never got around to using it after my first try though, because I felt that the sponge just ate the liquid foundation and didn't do a good job of applying it. BUT! I was just using the Puff all wrong, it seems.

Instead of sheer watery foundations, the TCFS works amazingly with cream compact and thick liquid foundations. It does a wonderful job of buffing in such formulas seamlessly!

Zenutrients is not your typical beauty brand. Aside from hair care and body care products, Zenutrients has these nifty troubleshooters that can get hasten the relief of headaches, body pain, skin irritations, and insect bites, among other things. 

Health and wellness is at the core of the brand. The ingredients are herbal in nature, with a local heart. Think virgin coconut oil, gugo, ginger, and essential oils!

I have a couple of body care and ginger-infused balms from Zenutrients and I really enjoyed using them. ^_^ Let's start with the Zenutrients Organic Opaque Herbal Soap in Blueberry, Vanilla, Milk & Caramel. I don't have the price right now but it should be around P100 to P150. This is a yummy smelling soap that lathers wonderfully. It doesn't dry my skin too, which is always a good thing to have in any soap.

My bathroom always smells good when I use this! Downside though, this runs out easily. It becomes gooey quickly too so you need to cut the soap up in segments before your first use.

What does "organic" mean when it comes to the beauty industry? It's murky and confusing until today because there is no industry-standard meaning to the word. There is also no agency that regulates organic beauty products. A company can come and say, "We're organic" or "Our product is 90% organic" and no one can stop them from lying outright or tiptoeing around the truth. 

For example, a brand can claim that their moisturizer is 90% organic. That's true if the base of the moisturizer is something like shea butter. But the remaining 10% could consist of all sorts of chemicals and preservatives traditionally found in cosmetics/body care. They aren't necessarily "bad", but it's certainly not what people have in mind when they bought into the organic catchphrase.

"Organic" is usually attached to terms like green, healthy, safe, chemical-free and natural.