At this point, any Philippine-based kikay lover worth her salt is likely familiar with the beauty haven that is BeautyMNL. While there are no shortage of online sellers and web-based shops to browse from, this particular store is well-loved for its formidable array of authentic luxury, mid-range, and drugstore goods plus beauty services, all in one place! They constantly offer GWPs, promos, and sales, too. They make it easy to score a good beauty deal so to test this theory, I challenged myself to shop for a full face of makeup with just P1,000 as my budget. Here's what I scored!

Make Up For Ever is at it again! In line with their branding as professional-quality cosmetics, they’ve recently launched the Make Up For Ever Artist Face Colors (P1,200). These are 5g pans of high-pigment, ultra-blendable highlight, sculpt, and blush face powders.

My idea of a low maintenance beauty routine is cutting down my skincare to four steps and taking 15 minutes tops for application. My boyfriend’s idea? Skincare activities that can be done once every couple of weeks and that will require low to zero physical effort on his part! We're working on it, but if you’re lucky enough to find a guy who believes in sunscreen, hold them close and consider me envious. For SO's that are as low maintenance as mine is though, here are six beauty activities that you can still do together to help him get used to the idea of taking care of his skin.

I adore the permeating scent of spiced pumpkin, vanilla, and cinnamon inside coffee shops this time of the year. I'm not into sugary coffees so I usually pass on the holiday drinks, but the smell - it's when I know that Christmas is approaching. The Body Shop has just whipped up that mouthwatering scent and put it in their pre-holiday collection called Vanilla Pumpkin, which is already out in stores now.

Glowy yet natural-looking skin might take a village of products to achieve, but for those in the know, the Laura Mercier Matte Radiance Baked Powder Highlight 01 makes it practically effortless. The highlighter is described as “an ultra-smooth baked face powder that provides natural color with soft matte radiance”. This is the lone highlighter shade in the line.

The fact that it's "matte" yet "radiant" at the same time is what makes this unique formula the recipient of many raves from the beauty community. Priced at P1,750 for 7.5g (Rustan's Beauty), this highlighter isn't a practical option for many so I had to ask: is it possible to look glowy without having to break the bank?

Smashbox Cosmetics is one of those well-loved makeup brands that have been consistently producing hit after hit since they first launched in 1996. Born out of the famous Smashbox Studios in LA, Smashbox is known for their long-lasting makeup, their cult-fave Photo Finish Primers, and their amazing collaborations.

Speaking of collaborations, Smashbox just dropped three makeup products with great partnerships that we’re sure to love here in the Philippines! Their Cover Shot Eye Palettes (P1,500 each) are brought to life in campaigns by Pretty Little Liars star, Shay Mitchell. Each palette contains two base shades (top part of palette) and six blendable accent colors to play up your look and mood.

You've seen our beauty budgets, our most expensive buys, and our recent splurges but a true PV girl lives for cheap finds that we'd gladly pay more for (though of course, we'd rather not!). We're actually pretty kuripot at heart, so nothing compares to thrill of discovering a product that performs really well at a price that our wallets won't complain about. If you're itching to just add an inexpensive item to your cart, consider these #ragrets-free choices!

Sale season is hitting us hard this week, PV girls! Following the crazy Sephora sale that happened last week, your favorite brands are coming out with more steals and deals, and this week’s roundup will have you running to the mall with your bonus! We’re also talking about Cover Girl’s big change and statement, new additions to the ColourPop family, and our Fenty holiday wish list. Happy reading!

Since joining the Project Vanity team last year, the amount of beauty products in my stash has doubled in size. With the combination of my voracious need for new lipstick and constantly chatting with fellow PV girls who are enablers (I’m looking at you, Kim, haha!), I suddenly had more than what I need!

It’s not such a bad thing because I’m happy to try out new stuff but my responsible side screams at my makeup junkie side to calm TF down with the hoarding. So I’ve taken it upon myself to only buy the products that I need and not just want (goodbye for now, Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution, sob).

I love myself a pretty, natural flush that takes no time to apply. That's why I keep a few cream blushes on hand, just in case I need to step out quick without looking like a zombie. You guys may remember my review of the Glossier Cloud Paint, which I liked a lot, but there's something similar and locally available: the Inglot AMC Face Blush (P1,195 /15ml) and the Face and Body Illuminator (P1,195 / 15ml).

Sheet masks may be in the limelight right now but if you have oily or combination skin, then a clay mask can be a great addition to your skincare regimen. While sheet masks are mostly designed to infuse the skin with moisture, clay masks work to draw out impurities and help reduce oiliness.

Early this year, the internet went abuzz when L’Oreal released a line of pure clay masks that got rave raviews. We at PV hoped that the brand would bring them here in the PH, and our prayers were answered!

When I first started doing my own makeup, I thought that all good concealers were expensive and far beyond the means of my student budget. Even now, I have to content myself with reading about the NARS Radiant Creamy concealer, MAC Pro Longwear concealer, YSL Touché Eclat Radiance pen concealer, and the Tarte Double Duty Shape Tape concealer. I'm sure those are all amazing and I'd love to add them to my collection someday, but right now, my needs require me to use concealer almost all the time and it would be impractical for me to splurge on something I use every day.

A couple of days ago, I came across this video where guys were getting facial hair waxed. Then when I looked at the comment section (big mistake), there were comments that said how these men were “pussies”, or accusing them of being feminine. Sigh pie, it saddens me that men get judged for simply wanting to groom themselves! It’s really not anyone’s business what people want to do with themselves, whether it be removing body hair or wearing makeup. The process of grooming not only makes one look clean and neat, it’s also important me-time for focusing on what we need mentally and emotionally! Men also enjoy the feeling of relaxation and rejuvenation when they get groomed so why should this exclusively be a "girl thing"?

Fragrances are more than just accessories. A good scent is a work of art. It undergoes the long, tedious process of making art - from the inspiration, to the skill required to make that vision a reality, up to the statement that it makes about the world. That’s why brands like Jo Malone are sought after and even copied by others. It's not about being trendy or cool; for Jo Malone, it's about creating a piece of art that tells a beautiful story.

The key to looking fresh everyday is to look wide awake! That’s why we go to great lengths to draw attention to our eyes with mascara and eyeliner. Unfortunately, if we have dark undereye circles, we can end up detracting attention from our beautiful peepers and end up looking haggard instead.

Just when you thought those awkward teenage breakouts were over, it comes back haunting you as an adult. This happened to me when I started my first job. It's fun to work in advertising but the long hours and piles of deliverables can often be stressful. While most of what I do is desk work, I do always want to look my best at all times! Dealing with day-to-day stresses on top of work - that’s when I found my face ridden with acne.

Next to using makeup, shopping for makeup is one of our favorite things to do! The thing is, getting new haul every so often can mean having a messy pile of makeup that makes circulating through your collection a huge challenge. Our editor-in-chief Liz has previously shared how she organizes her makeup but apart from knowing when and how to declutter, having the right tools in the form of makeup storage options can help get the job done! They keep your stuff in order and looking neat, not to mention protecting them dust and dirt.

Environment-friendly and proudly Filipino, VMV Hypoallergenics boasts of more than 30 years in the beauty industry. Their products, both skincare and makeup, are rated on their hypoallergenicity and are well-known for their incredible #skinthusiasm. Since Liz previously reviewed and loved both the Skintangible SPF30 and the Fine Finish Pore Minimizing Skin Mattifier, we've got high hopes for their latest release, the Boldly Glow Coconut Oil Skin Bloom Blush Sticks!

As the -ber months roll in and the holiday collections roll out, we at the PV team have been editing our beauty wish lists. There's a lot of enabling going on in our group chat and in the Project Vanity community page! It's getting harder and harder to say no Sephora's sale and the opening of the Tom Ford store in Rustan's (both happening this weekend, btw) so in an attempt to curb our shopping impulses, we took a quick accounting on the most expensive beauty purchases we've made so far. Were they worth it? Should you get them? Do we need help for our beauty shopping addiction? Read on to find out!