I snagged these mary jane platforms from Charles & Keith as soon as I saw them. No second thoughts and no wringing of hands, which is what I usually do when I buy shoes. When I go shoe shopping I first sweep the whole mall to see everything and then decide afterwards. Is the shoe the right color? The right height? Does it have a unique yet versatile style? Is it comfortable? These are my usual considerations when buying a pair.

I think these shoes fit the bill perfectly. The arch of the heel is very low, at less than an inch, which means that they're super comfy. The height of the wooden heel itself is 3.5 inches. So I've got an extra height boost - without having to walk it.

I love the muted taupe shade; I can see it working with different clothing styles and colors. The faux snake-skin details and stitching also adds a lot of character to an otherwise typical pair of mary janes.

It was a lazy Sunday morning a few months back. My mom was slung over the sofa while talking to her amiga over the phone. They went through their usual office chismis - who's fatter, who will get demoted or promoted, who's being a bitch - the works. I love eavesdropping on their conversations. There's so much drama!

After the gossiping, my mom's friend seemed to ask advice about her dating problem. She's a single mom who's nearing her 50s (yes I know the whole saga of her life) so she feels that she needs to step up. My mom then started talking about her moisturizing regimen, how she uses the stuff religiously everyday, and how much her skin has improved. I quite agree with her; her face is whiter and more even now.

Wanna know what she swears by? The Anew 360° White Protective and Vitalizing Creams.

I've tried the Protective Cream some months back since I forgot to bring an SPF face product to the province. It was the only thing my mom had in her vanity table so I had no choice - better have something than nothing! I hate being exposed to direct sunlight with zero SPF on my face at least.

I like that this has SPF20 and has a texture that is lighter than the average drugstore sunblock. It's also beautifully packaged, with a bit of heft on it. The glass jar doesn't feel cheap at all! Makes me feel like a goddess with a secret jar of youth and beauty, lol.

I believe in love and happiness, because if they don't exist, what else is there that's worth striving for? Money, fame, success, Facebook fans? I have found the love of my life and I am happy with what I do. I will always want more, but I've got the bases covered pretty well.

That said, I'd like to announce that folks from Levi's will be sponsoring a contest for Project Vanity readers! Up for grabs are three Levi's gift certificates worth P1,000 each. That's a huge discount if you're planning to get a new pair of Levi's (I highly recommend their ID Curve jeans. Love em).

So what do you have to do? Simple.

Do you love window shopping? I do! I feel happy when I see beautiful things. Satiating my aesthetic appetites aside, I also window shop because it's necessary for me to be updated on what's new in the real world. Being informed on what people are actually buying and wearing is crucial to my roles as fashion/beauty editor, businesswoman, and blogger. Purely online window shopping and research doesn't cut it.

That's why I was excited to visit Robinsons Midtown again. I haven't been there in ages! I used to frequent it during my college days, since UP Manila is just next door. It's a shopper's paradise - the high-end brands are there, not to mention the fact that the department store is actually well-stocked and updated. 

Did I mention a free wifi lounge, with comfy seats and clean tables? Midtown is a must-visit if you're in the area!

The fashion bloggers were also encouraged to invite a reader to the event. I asked Kira to go with me, since she's been reading my blog for years now, plus we're also friends! Haven't seen her since July. Sasha, Lauren, and Lizz were also there so we had time to catch up.

Looks like a floral print no? Those are skulls! She's wearing Aldo sandals.

So, are you guys ready to window shop? Here are some of our best finds at Robinsons Midtown! 

Accessorize

Accessorize is a UK brand selling, what else, accessories! I've never taken a close look at their store before, so I was floored and overwhelmed by all the gorgeous things inside. Caveat: the stuff are expensive. The cheapest pair of earrings I saw were selling at P900. 

Oooooh

Sigh. So pretty.

Charmed

What a lovely melancholic necklace

I prefer lipsticks when it comes to lip color, but I like me some good, pigmented lip glosses too! I love the high-impact shine and how they draw light to my face. 

The Revlon Creme Gloss has been around for some time now, but it was only lately that I got to try it. They're basic, solid lip glosses that are pigmented and could pass off as lipsticks. 

What I like about the product

• Pigmented. A few swipes should be enough to get a good color pay-off.
• More sanitary than lipsticks, balms, and glosses with doe-foot applicators where you have to expose all of the product to air and bacteria. Simply clean the attached brush after usage!
• Doesn't transfer on glass and cups as much as similar products do. You can drink with confidence when you have this on. 

You've probably seen these from the shelves of all major drugstores and department store beauty aisles: the new Flawless White Blemish Prevention UV Cream and the Pure White Deep Cleansing Facial Foam. I've been using the UV cream for less than a week, while I've been washing my face with Pure White for two weeks now (yes, I bought my own bottle before the official launch. I was that intrigued!).

I'm into blue lately, light blues in particular. It's a peaceful, non-intrusive color that can easily be matched with other colors. For this look, I used light blue, an electric royal blue, taupe, and silver eyeshadows. It's a bit loud, but still wearable!

I used my Dollface 88-color palette since I haven't been giving it any love lately. I love Urban Decay, but I also love the choices available in my Dollface palette. With the right primer, the eyeshadows look a lot better.

I made a tutorial for those who are interested in copping this look!

Step 1: Do the ground work. Prime your face with concealer, foundation, eyebrow powder, and eyeshadow primer. I used the Revon Naturals concealer, Shiseiso Supplist foundation, In2It brow powder, and Urban Decay Primer Potion.

Step 2: Pat light blue eyeshadow on the inner half of your lid.

I haven't stepped out of the condo since I got home on Thursday. Yes, you heard that right. I can live on what's in the pantry and what's on the Internet. At this point I don't know how to describe my life - some parts boring, amazing, sad, exciting, empty, happy - the list goes on. I evaluate my life by every week I spend it. Was this week great? Or sucky? Or just meh. It's dynamic, and I guess that's a good thing.

My doodle

So how was this week? Let's see. 

• Monday: New arrivals day at Ukay Manila. Always a busy day. Went out in the afternoon to shop for two week's worth of stocks for the store. Then, I attended the Pond's private launch at the Manila Peninsula Hotel in Makati.
• Tuesday: Went to the Vibal office in QC for a meeting. My gosh, QC is sooo far. The meeting was less than 30 minutes while the travel time was 2.5 hours.
• Wednesday: Office day. Or marketing consultancy day. I'm always in Ortigas every Wednesday.

I've had this dress for a couple of months now. I love it to bits, but I'm too chicken to wear it out in public! It's a bright lime color so I'm afraid that I might be stared at - in a bad way. Lol. I like how it looks on me though since I'm light enough to not look that ridiculous in it. Where did I get it you ask? It's thrifted! It was supposed to be up at Ukay Manila.

I love the classic cut and the detail on the neckline

Jacket from Studioline (SM Department Store) / Shoes from Shoebox

More pictures after the cut!

I got the Sally Hansen Hard As Nails polish as part of the goodie bag during the Insta-Dry launch. I've been using it regularly since then! It's a basic product to make your nails look well-groomed and healthy in a jiffy.

What I love about this product

• Has a watery texture and applies thinly
• Dry in a couple of minutes
• Doesn't chip for five days by itself since it adheres closely to the nail

Goodness, it seems that all I've been reviewing lately are skin and body care products. I haven't been buying makeup since I have all I need as of the moment. Also, companies are releasing mostly skincare stuff. That says a lot about what Pinays prefer, I think! They do a lot of research to hit their target market, and I've observed that the trend today is skincare that whitens like nobody's business.

One such product is Avon's latest Skin So Soft variant, the Radiant Glow Whitening. It was only released on August 1. I've been using it spottily since the launch to see how it works for me, so here's my verdict!

What I like about this product

• Has a nice jasmine scent that sticks on my skin.
• It absorbs quickly, within a couple of minutes upon application. It feels cool and light, which I really like in lotions.
• Non-sticky and non-greasy. That's a great feat for a lotion in this crazy weather!
• It delivers the promise of soft skin. My skin feels immediately smoother and more supple upon application. Unfortunately, I haven't used it often enough to validate its claims of whitening when used continuously for seven days. I'm not into whitening to begin with.

I first "discovered" this product in my Mom's bathroom. When I visit her every weekend, I had no choice but to use the shampoo/conditioner that she uses, which is how I got to try this. Verdict? I absolutely love it! I've been using it for a month now and my hair definitely looks healthier, softer, with less hairfall. Moms know best, in the end.

What I adore about the product

• Keeps my hair soft and moisturized. I don't use conditioner anymore.
• Safe for colored hair
• Smells nice
• Has a creamy texture. I don't need much to get a good lather.

Does a 50% or 70% sale sign get your heart rate up? If the answer is yes, you need to visit Robinson's Starmills in Pampanga. The mall claims to have the biggest collection of outlet stores in one roof, with big brands like Levi's, Mango, Plains & Prints, and Havaianas on a year-round major sale. If you're intimidated about going to Pampanga, don't worry, Starmills is just along NLEX and only an hour away from Manila. You can't miss the big mall complex along the road.

photo credit

So, I'm sure you're wondering about the great finds in Starmills. I took a ton of photos to show you, plus price information as I remember them. Overall, I think that if you like buying from the brands mentioned here, a trip out of town is worth it. Just one downside - the sale items are from last season's stock and could even be older than a year. There are also limited sizes available. Well, they're on sale for a reason.

I don't know much about American Rag as a brand, but what they sell in their outlet store are mostly basics like tees and jeans. They have a few unique items, too. They also carry some Terranova and Calliope clothes.

Cute, staple miniskirts for only P400

A khaki beaded jacket. P1,200 if I remember correctly