I'm a sucker for bargains. I can't walk past an irresistible pair of shoes or makeup if I see that I'm getting more for my money than if I buy something else - even if I don't really need it. That's why when I saw this gorgeous set from Estee Lauder in Rustan's Makati, I just couldn't peel my eyes away from it! For P3,200 this is such an awesome find!

This box is as big as a laptop box

Ooh gold, the color of the season!

Mirror, pouch, and what can pass off as a mini train case

Like all good things in life though, there's a catch. To avail of this promo, you need to buy P4,500 worth of Estee Lauder products first. Good thing that I was buying some stuff from the brand anyway, so I took the plunge and blew P3,200 on the whole thing. You'll understand when you see what's inside!

I first encountered NaRaYa when I was still in college. Robinson's Midtown was newly constructed then and featured a lot of new shops, one of which was NaRaYa. I loved the display of fabric bags in the shop window, but I never ever ventured in. Why? Because I thought that there was no way I can afford all those pretty bags! The boutique looked expensive too.

Well, I'll let you in on a little secret: NaRaYa bags are actually very affordable! They have purses and pouches that sell for only P99 and up while the big bags range from P500 to P1000+ (bags that cost this much are as big as a suitcase). For the cheap price, you don't get cheap quality. I said in my post last Saturday that I was surprised by the quality of the NaRaYa bag I got; the stitches were fine and straight and the fabric used was top notch. I also loved the water-repellant lining!

Ms. Cecille, the owner of NaRaya Philippines, invited me to visit the store in SM North EDSA after reading what I wrote. She was super nice and accomodating, telling me all about NaRaYa and giving me a mini-tour around the store. I was amazed by what she told me about the bags!

For instance, did you know that NaRaYa bags are made by hand in Thailand? That explains the quality and attention to detail in each piece. They don't have factories here or in anywhere else but Thailand. Every aspect of the store is also replicated from the Thai flagship store, even down to the displays!

Aside from quality control, one other thing that NaRaYa prides itself in is the cleanliness of their stores. You won't see any dust gathering in corners here!

This is the full text of the talk I gave during the Vanity Fair event. Hope it can help you improve your blog!

I've been racking my head all night last night thinking about an interesting topic to present to you guys. I initially wanted to do something like “Vanity in the online space” but we’re all experts at that already - it would be redundant! 

Kidding aside, I landed on a simple, but always overlooked question: how do you take your blog to the next level? Let's make it a little harder. How do you take your blog to the next level - without losing your credibility and integrity as bloggers? Now I know that blog conferences past have already tackled the topic. But I believe that none of them have answered these questions in the context of beauty and fashion blogging.

The Vanity Fair is the second event I co-organized this year. It was stressful but totally worth it of course! I got to hang out with the beauty and fashion bloggers I see in other events. Better yet, I got to bond with new young 'uns like Krissy, Ava, and Ana! I was also happy to see Karl and Nicole (of Soule Phenomenon) - such a chic duo. I think that Vanity Fair proved that we have a vibrant local blogging community in the beauty and fashion niche.

So what was the event about anyway? Held last Friday at SM North EDSA Skydome, it was a health and beauty expo featuring brands like The Body Shop, The Face Shop, Organique Acai Berry, Philips hair and body tools, and the like. There was a special segment exclusively for bloggers where they participated in a game, a short essay writing contest, and listened to talks held by a rep from John Robert Powers (poise and posture), The Body Shop (makeup tips), and me (blogging).

Enough talking and on with the pictures!

Bloggers! photo by Kira

The Face Shop's busy booth. They did free hair and makeup for everyone!

More photos after the cut.

I've already raved about the Kotex Luxe Ultrathin pads when they came out last March. I never bought from any other brand since then! I just love they absorb extremely well without compromising comfort. This time around, the Kotex Luxe pads have gotten an upgrade: you can get them now in fun, flirty, and pretty prints. This is Kotex's answer to the question - "why only white?"

There are six different prints available, three each falling into two categories: Indie Chic and Girl-Next-Door. The one you see here is an Indie Chic design which is quite intricate and a bit artsy. If you're concerned about the ink getting to your privates, well, the concern is unfounded. The dye is applied on the other side of the cotton and it doesn't spread when it gets wet. I know, I tore it open.

Anyway, enough about the product! Let's move on to the special launch that Kotex prepared exclusively for bloggers. A lot of my favorite people were there so I really enjoyed the event held in Bizu, Glorietta 2. Of course, a great event is not complete without pictures.

Nakiki-style blogger! Haha. Photo from Lloyda

Sasha's "kissed" design, Shen's totally kikay work, and Teeyah in her Mango blouse (!)

Lauren and I have been working extra hard last month to bring you two exciting things for Ukay Manila: our new image model, Domz Tiu, and our brand new shoe collection, Love Walks In.

Dominique, or Domz as she likes to be called, is a freelance model, stylist, and one of the most popular fashion bloggers and Chictopia users in the Philippines. Our casual, feminine, vintage-inspired apparel is totally her style; just take a look at her blog konichiwear.com and see for yourself! Besides saying hello to new clothes, Domz likes to eat delicious food (nutella is her weakness) and traveling. She also writes a column for the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Styling by Lauren/ makeup by me/ photos by Mike

Love her! We are so happy with how the photos came out. I was a bit nervous about doing her makeup since it has been a while since I did it on another person's face, but I'm glad it came out alright. Now for the shoes!

You walk in and out of places as much as you walk in and out of people’s lives. And so we believe that it is the shoes you wear that tell the world where you’re from and where you’re going, your shoes that speak of your character and express the things about you that are not often said.

That is the idea behind our new shoe brand, Love Walks In.

Hi guys! Sorry I posted the winners late. I've been swamped lately, and unfortunately work spilled over the weekend. We still don't have winners for the Great Asian Secrets Giveaway as I am waiting for Asian Secrets to finalize the winning pair; don't worry, I'll post it ASAP!

In the meantime, here are the winning comments for two of my running giveaways. I picked them randomly, as promised. :)

My favorite toy was Barbie Like most girls my age then. I never left the mall without getting my mom to buy me a new pair of tiny shoes, clothes, or accessories! I just loved dressing up my toys and imagining their world as one grand catwalk. Oh, nostalgia. I stopped playing with Barbie, but she will always have a special place in my heart - she's one of the reasons I am who I am now. 

Drama aside, I'm impressed that Barbie has moved out of her kitschy, childish style phase into something more glamorous, sexy, and a little bit dangerous. Perhaps she's just mirroring today's woman, a woman who not only knows what she wants, but also how to get it. That's what I believe is at the core of the launch of Barbie Basics, an event held in Glorietta 5.

Members of the Young Designers Guild designed one-of-a-kind little black dresses for the muse of the night. I loved that while the designs are couture, they're still very much wearable. They've proven that the magical little black dress need not look plain!

I got this uber cute bag from the Vanity Fair event yesterday in SM North EDSA (more on that in the coming days)! The brand of the bag is named Naraya, and I believe that it can be found in Robinsons Midtown and SM North EDSA.

I'm not that much into cloth tote bags - or bags in general, for that matter - but what drew me to this one in particular was the lovely floral print, big blue bow (!), and the sturdy make. The stitches are tight and fine, plus the bag has a soft wire frame. It's big and roomy enough, but not so much that you look like you're bringing luggage when you're out.

It's impossible not to like this! It's P799

White high-waisted shorts are trending again, but I hate how they add at least two pounds to the hips and legs! I don't recommend them for hip-heavy women like myself.

I love purple eyeshadow. Its different variations seems to suit the Pinay skin color best, which is why aside from neutrals you will see me wearing purples a lot. So when I heard about the NYX Purple Smokey Look Kit from my favorite blogger Karen, I was immediately hellbent on procuring one for myself. Aside from the palette being all about purple, the $11 price tag is just calling my name!

Well, since we don't have NYX in the Philippines, the $11 price for this palette is just a dream. I asked Armie of Carefreeshopper if she had the palette so she immediately reserved one for me. I only spent P725 including shipping - not bad, not bad at all! 

The palette has a small drawer containing the applicators and lip gloss

So how was it? Well, I am sad to say that I am disappointed. I really wanted to love this palette, but there were some things about it that I thought made it a "meh" product. 

What I love about it

• The bloggers weren't lying when they said that this palette's eyeshadows are extremely pigmented. One layer is all you need to get a good color payoff.
• Compact and nicely packaged. The sleek black plastic looks quite classy.
• Has a mirror, very useful for retouching on the go.
• Travel-friendly

I've always wanted to try a Paul & Joe foundation since reading a lot of rave reviews online. The only reason I haven't bought it before now is how expensive it is. A refill and a compact costs upwards P2,000; it's a bit too hefty for me. So, when I got an invite to the 70% off sale, I jumped at the chance to grab my own Paul & Joe foundie!

I spent only P870 for the whole thing, which makes it one of the best makeup bargains I've come across. I've been using it since I got it and I must say, it IS a great product. If it's something I'll buy at full price remains to be seen.

What I love about it

• Light to medium coverage. Smooth, my-skin-but-better effect. You can't believe how very few foundations can give you this!
• The coverage is light to medium, with a semi-matte finish. Don't expect it to cover your darker blemishes. You can use the foundation by itself but it's also a great base for powder foundation due to its creamy nature. It will help the rest of your makeup show up better and stay on longer.