Are you a certified camera whore? Do you take pics of yourself in so many angles while trying to find the perfect lighting conditions? If so, you may need the Revlon Photo Ready Powder to help you along.

Light/medium looks dark in the pan, but applies light

This face powder promises to give your face a flawless finish under any light. Does it? The answer is yes, surprisingly. I've mentioned before that I'm not a huge believer when it comes to products that promise superlative results. The Photo Ready, however, delivers - with a few caveats.

What I like about this product

• As promised, I get a flawless, even finish. This doesn't have much coverage, since it's designed to be a finishing slash anti-shine powder so it is best used on top of concealer and foundation. The end result is a matte face with a slight glow. Let me show you:

Dim indoor lighting

I'm lucky to currently live in a place where there's a lot of trees, plants, and space. I used to live in Makati, up until a couple of months ago when I moved into this condo at The Fort. Makati is pulsing with energy and the gears of business, but it's also cramped and almost entirely built out of concrete. The Fort, on the other hand, has a more leisurely feel to it, with an equal mix of greenery and cement. At first I didn't like it here, but I got used to it and now I can't think of living anywhere else!

Anyways. Nature is a good thing to have around us, but unless you're living or working near it, you'll be hard-pressed to commune with it. That is, until Rexona came up with a simple idea of bringing nature to you via the Internet.

Just this week the brand launched Nurture Nature, a Facebook app where you can watch a live garden in real time grow by giving commands to the cute gardeners. It's in line with their latest product called Rexona Naturals Antiperspirants, a supposedly more natural way to take care of your 'pits. It has sunflower seed oil and should not block your pores, thus allowing your skin breathe. I haven't used the products yet because quite frankly I don't need or use antiperspirants (I'm not a sweaty person), but I'll review when I get around to it!

In the meantime, check out the Rexona Facebook app. It's a stress-buster while you remotely take care of all those plants, but aside from that, you can get to ogle the gwapo and super hyper gardeners!

I don't know who this guy is, but damn does he move around a lot!

This is perhaps my bestest ever purchase ever! Yesterday I went to Robinson's Starmills in Pampanga on a shopping tour. Did you know that there's a lot of outlet stores in that mall which sell really cheap branded stuff? There are tons of amazing finds in that place (magic words: Mango Outlet)! But I'm getting ahead of myself. I will write about the trip in more detail soon.

I originally didn't intend to buy because I didn't need anything as of the moment - I'm stocked! But when I saw these shoes at a crazy cheap price, I just have to have them. They're not elaborate or wildly trendy at the moment, but I love the classic simplicity plus the fact that they make my feet look sexy. These are shoes I can wear forever with anything!

Gratuitous shoe photos shall follow lol.

It was one of those small, intimate events. I wouldn't even call it an event - it's more like a leisurely lunch with friends just talking about their lives. I really enjoy these types of product introduction more than the big, glitzy ones because I feel that the people behind the brand are more interested in bloggers and blogging, rather than just a quick way to get the word out about their products.

It started unconventionally. Beauty and fashion bloggers were greeted by this:

Glue, scissors, magazines, and cute scrapbooking materials

Goodness, I haven't touched glue in months. This is exactly my kind of thing, so I went on to work on the order of the day: to make a mood/inspiration board about what I believe in.

Et voila!

I believe, first and foremost, in beauty. I believe that every woman has it but that doesn't mean that we shouldn't work on it! My style is very girly so I'm all about florals, ruffles and frills, lace, occasional bright pops of color, and lots of subtle details. I love feeling like a woman and I love being well-groomed. So how does Levi's fit in all of this? 

If you've been to Watsons lately, you've probably seen these uber cheap brushes branded as "Marionnaud". Yes, the logo is even similar to Marionnaud as in the luxury beauty store at the Mall of Asia. I remember Marionnaud (the store) used to sell really expensive brushes at P1,000 to P2,000 per piece but I don't think they're the same as the Watsons Marionnaud brushes. I don't know what's the deal with that, but I was lured in by the cheap prices and good reviews I've read online.

I got the angled blush brush for only P167. So how is it?

What I like about it

• Soft and dense
• Didn't shed when I washed it
• No smell
• Fits my face well and the angle is really good for quick contouring.
• Doesn't feel or look cheap. The brush handle feels sturdy.

When I got sick, I ran out of my fave RDL Placenta soap. Of course I couldn't leave my bed, so I decided to just not be picky and use whatever cleanser is in the bathroom. Well, it so happened to be Pond's.

The one I'm using right now is Pond's Perfect Care (the one with the bright green cap). I really didn't like it at first. In fact, I severely disliked it! My face would get bumpy and lose its glow, so I'd keep on stopping after one or two times (which explains why it's in the bathroom shelf). When I used this for a prolonged period last week - completely out of necessity - I broke out along my jaw. But things ironed out eventually after around the 4th consecutive use, and now this facial wash and I are inseparable. I'm well enough to shop now, but I don't think I will be buying placenta soap soon.

I like that my face is smoother and clearer. In fact right now I'm at the office and I just have BB cream and mineral translucent powder on - no need for a concealer or skin-enhancing foundation. Since I've been sick, I've stopped my skincare regimen and only used this cleanser. Yeah, I was too pukey to be vain last week. Good thing the adventure turned out fine.

Wow, that week was harrowing. For most of it, I suffered a 38 to 39 degree fever, vomited, lost consciousness etc etc. Well I'm not too excited to remember that. Suffice it to say that I am feeling a lot better now. I am only just taking anti-nausea pills and antibiotics now. Thank you to all who wished me well - you can't believe how you helped. Thanks especially to Marco who never left my side and took very good care of me.  

So where were we? Ahh, the The United Colors of Benetton fragrances! Here's what happened during the launch, in a nutshell:

photo from Alex for thePOC

Gorgeous models

Got their shirts spray-painted on

Something called "Ultra Color Rich Mega Impact" can really set high expectations. The promise of Avon is that this line of lipsticks can give our lips high-def drama, with pinks pinker and reds redder compared to their other lipstick lines. Well, that's a fair enough claim, but I would have loved to get my hands on their older collections to see if there really is a difference. 

L-R: Pink Pop, Fuchsia Fun, Kicked Up Coral, Really Rosy, Brilliant Berry, Rockin' Red

In any case, I've been using these lippies for a week now and found them really good. However, they are not as pigmented as their name would suggest. I initially thought they'd be similar to Revlon Colorburst, NYX Round Lipsticks, and NYX Lips. No, this particular line may have meant differently when they went under the name "ultra color rich" and "mega impact".

These lipsticks have a brilliant, glossy finish that I haven't come across yet. I think they're on a class of their own - the finish isn't satiny, plasticky like lip gloss, or creamy. I'd call it lustrous. There are 11 shades available in the Philippines, from nude to daring red.

What I love about this product

• The texture is very creamy, which means that it glides on easily. It's very moisturizing - I don't even use balm underneath.
• I would agree that the colors are high-impact in the sense that they do stand out when they're worn. They tend to draw in light to my face!
• Wears comfortably. It doesn't feel heavy on the lips.

Binky Burrow is a brand that sells t-shirts and lifestyle products that are all about cute bunnies. Each bunny has a personality which may just match yours. They sent me a couple of shirts from their summer line, the ones with the Bunny In A Tea Cup and Rawr designs. Take a look!

My favorite out of the two shirts is this one. I'm not a huge fan of bunnies but I do love it when one of them terrorizes an entire city, lol. The fabric used is really soft, plus I like the distressed cotton they used for this particular design. The shirts are affordable at only P380 (plus shipping if you order online).

The kind folks behind Olay sent me these soaps, oh, almost a month ago! With so many things to blog, I have half-forgotten to write about these. That's ironic since I've been using them for a month now.

There are three variants: the Ultra Moisture, Age Defying, and Fresh Reviving. My personal favorite is the Ultra Moisture. It's so creamy that I just rub it on my loofah and then proceed to spread it around just like liquid body wash. Yeah, I'm too lazy to use soap as one normally would! The Ultra Moisture is highly rated at Total Beauty, scoring 9 out of 10.

There are brands that stick with us in our lifetime. Avon is definitely one that is closely intertwined with mine. My first ever makeup (it was a Simply Pretty blush), my first bra (a beige plain one, because my mom thought colored bras were scandalous) - they're from Avon. I'll probably patronize that 123-year old brand until I die! My Lola and my mom are also avid Avon fans.

That's why I like attending Avon events. I like being among the first to know about their products, as well as having first dibs on them. So what's new?

Avon launched three new beauty products last Thursday, July 15, at the Blue Leaf Pavillon. The very gwapo and debonair DJ Eri Neeman hosted the event. 

DJ Eri Neeman

Avon Philippines' President and General Manager Mr. Mike Gudgin welcoming the guests

Three new products were introduced: the Anew 360° White Intensive Correcting Serum, Skin So Soft Radiant Glow Whitening Hand and Body Lotion, and Avon Ultra Color Rich Mega Impact Lipstick.

I was super duper duper bored with my hair. All I can do with it before is just wash it and tie it up. My last hair cut was at a Korean salon called Beauty Brick, way back in March, so obviously my hair has grown a lot since then. I craved for something new, something I haven't tried yet! But what?

The answer was clear as day. I had to dye my hair for the first time. And get bangs! Now, if you have wavy hair like me, you know that bangs are slightly equivalent to having hell on your head. Okay, that's over the top. But you see, when I last had bangs (a decade ago) it was something I hated dealing with everyday so I just stopped having them. That's until last week, when I wanted to be challenged by my hair for a change.

The result, blow-dried:

Here is my hair washed (sorry for the yellow tinge, forgot to adjust my camera's settings):

I had a voucher to try L'Oreal INOA for free, so off I went to Regine's Salon at The Link, Makati to claim the free treatment. It was Karina Mantolino, the head stylist, who accommodated me. I asked her to give me a hair cut first before we got on to the dyeing session. The whole thing was pretty quick at less than 15 minutes since she just gave me layers, and it only cost me P450.