Happy weekend! It’s time for another beauty roundup, and this time, the gloves are coming off! Get ready for an intense read of all things beauty as L’Oreal teams up with yet another fashion powerhouse, FENTY Beauty celebrates the holidays super early, and Maybelline gives us a reason to go shopping for our fave lippie shades! We’ve got new releases, epic collabs, irresistible discounts, and...a zit-zapping pen?

Last month, I did an epilating story which entailed a lot of pain and experimentation, all in the name of beauty. This time, as other writers shied away from another potentially painful procedure, I begrudgingly said yes to Brow Resurrection, a semi-permanent makeup microblading service by Browhaus. This gave me an idea to start a new column called “Beauty is Pain,” where I would try out scary-looking and “painful” (or perceived to be painful) beauty treatments. We hope that doing this will make the treatments less intimidating by explaining the process and sharing our tips to make your experience safe and comfortable.

When direct selling in the Philippines is mentioned, Natasha is one of the top brands that comes to mind. From its humble beginnings as a mall boutique, the brand has evolved by transforming its business into a powerhouse that now has an extensive reach overseas. Making it to 25 years is no small feat for any endeavor, so to celebrate its ongoing success, Natasha celebrated its silver anniversary with a concert at the Smart Araneta Coliseum last August 25. “Natasha 25 Tayo! Ikaw Ang Star!” featured celebrity endorsers, fashion shows, and a major announcement that looks to take the company into an exciting new direction!

One of the things that I wish I knew sooner in beauty was to shop for my skin type. In my rookie years as a skincare enthusiast, I would spend H O U R S watching and reading reviews of popular products that unfortunately turned out to be bad matches for my oily, acne-prone skin. I now mourn for all the time and money I could have saved! Fast forward to today, I have learned to tune out the hype and just listen to my skin and what it needs.

Stress is a daily experience for most of us. The expectations and work load at school, work, and even at home can get so out of hand. Even just getting around from place to place causes so much anxiety because of traffic and limited transportation options!

How do you deal with it? I personally find that doing little things for myself keeps me from going bonkers from all the pressure. Sure, I love caring for my family, accomplishing work goals, and making my writing deadlines at Project Vanity (I love you, Den) but I still crave a little time alone to myself regularly, doing something I like just for me, you know?

New York Times recently published an article about why essences may be more important than moisturizer. I beg to differ - I think that if you had to choose one, a good moisturizer for your skin type will serve you far well - but I do agree that essences are important to our skin. A serum, toner, and moisturizer in one, essences (or sometimes called lotions) can help moisturize and plump up the skin without adding extra texture underneath your moisturizer. Good ones typically contain actives for better results. You can use them alone if you layer them several times (read here about the Korean 7-Skin Method), but I find them most effective as a booster for my regular moisturizer.

Have you found your HG pressed powder yed? I personally have a few favorites, but I still am always on the lookout for promising options with affordable price tags. I mean, it’s the one item in my makeup arsenal that I keep hitting pan on! Finding a good formula is a challenge for my sensitive combination skin though because what works for my oily T-zone (nose and forehead) usually emphasizes texture on my drier U-zone (cheeks, jawline, and chin).

Hello, September! With the Christmas season just around the corner, it’s no surprise that the beauty world is busting out a bunch of amazing new collections that have us buzzing with excitement. From Urban Decay’s leaked photos of a new palette (this will help you get over the loss of the OG) to Jaclyn Hill’s Morphe Brush Collection (you’ll be blending like a pro), these updates will have you smiling all weekend!