I've just finished a marathon publishing session over at the Beauty & Fashion section of thePOC.net. I've been at it for the last three hours, sifting through designers and grammatical errors (which are thankfully few). I leave the rest to the proofreaders, should I have missed anything! Next week should be the last week of our PFW S/S 11 coverage. Head on over to see what we've got so far.

Anyway, while looking through the shows, I must say that I am completely underwhelmed. Nothing stands out. In fact, some of the clothes are verging on the ridiculous. I'd like to say that most of the designers tried their best to showcase their skills (like last time), but this season, it seems like a lot of them have toned it down. Is it because most of the shows are sponsored by big brands who are naturally conservative and specific about what they want and don't want on the runway? 

I am trying hard to find the fashion in these:

"Philippine flag pinata." I quote one of my writers.

So unique and fashion-forward

La Mer is a brand that is famous for luxury skincare that many celebrities and magazines swear by. Its beginnings are the stuff of legends: a NASA aerospace physicist, Dr. Max Huber, worked for 12 long years to heal the scars he got from fuel rocket burns. After experimenting with sea kelp and bio-fermentation, he formulated the world-renowned Miracle Broth, which is supposed to help "sooth, nourish, and renew the skin". Read the interesting article of Time Magazine on it and you'll also find out why it's so expensive. ;)

Now, La Mer recently launched the newest member of the brand's skincare family called The Eye Balm Intense. It's a luxe eye cream that comes with a silver-tipped applicator to enhance micro-stimulation. It is supposed to turn back the hands of time, and it better, since it is $145 per half an ounce! That's P6,090 converted, sans taxes when sold here in the Philippines.

I've had the pleasure of using this cream these past two weeks. Here are my impressions!

What I love about the product

• Dramatically reduced the puffiness of my eyes. This has always been a big problem, especially during mornings after waking up. 
• Slightly reduced the appearance of my fine lines.
• Feels immediately cool and soothing when applied.

I abhor blackheads. They grow steadily and are so hard to remove! Argh! Good thing my blackheads aren't that obvious because I have fine pores, but still, I know they're there and I feel the discomfort.

FYI: blackheads are a type of acne and is caused by oxidized sebum or oil. This substance hardens and darkens during the process of oxidation, hence the tiny bumpy thingies all over and around our nose. Gross, I know. Facials are the best way to get rid of them since the hot vapors soften up the sebum while the pricking removes them physically, but who has the time to go to facials? They are also heavy on the pocket when done regularly (although I would still recommend them if you have an acne problem).

The next best thing to facials is using pore strips. They are basically strong adhesives that latch on to the offending bumps and peel them off neatly, saving you from manually popping and pulling them out by yourself. Now, one product I've recently tried and loved is the Purederm Nose Pore Strip.

What I love about the product

• Cheap at only P79.00, available in Watsons personal care stores. There are three individually foil-wrapped strips in one pack. The P139.00 box has six strips inside.
• Easy to apply and remove. Effortless, really. Although you need to set aside 15 minutes of your day for it.
• Took out at least 90% of my blackheads. Yay! The adhesive was pretty strong. It stung just a bit when I peeled it off (like duct tape) but nothing uncomfortable.

The lucky girl who won all these beauty products included in the Project Vanity Stash Giveaway is none other than...

Project Vanity dress/ Love Walks In heels

I want to take a break from writing about expensive beauty products, but whenever I check my photo albums, I can't seem to find a cheap beauty product that I've both A.)taken a photo of and B.)tried for at least a week. I don't review anything without good photos and actually trying it for some time. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a brand snob. In my perfect world, all the great rave-worthy stuff will come from Ever Bilena or Fanny Serrano. In my perfect world all the good things will be P500 or less. But I find that's rarely the case.

Now, one of the best products I've come across this year is the Clinique Moisture Surge. This is one beautifier that I really swear by! It's my constant companion whenever my skin is crap (which is often lol) since this gel moisturizer instantly smoothens, calms, and brightens it, however bad the condition is.

There are quite a lot of retractable kabuki brushes out there, but many of them sacrifice the quality of the brush itself for the convenience of portability. This is not the case with Sigma's version of the flat top kabuki named Miss Taylor! The brush has the same quality as the Charm Luxe Flat Top Kabuki brush so I won't go into a detailed review anymore; just click the link.

To summarize: the Sigma Miss Taylor brush is soft, dense, and spreads liquid/cream/powder foundation and blushes like a dream. If you've always wished for a flat top kabuki that you can travel with and use on-the-go, this brush is just the thing you need. The metallic purple color is a cute add-on! It's an eye-catching accessory when you whip it out to retouch your makeup.

I recommend you use this for retouching instead of sponges since it won't disturb the makeup you already have on. 

You can find this brush (as well as other Sigma individual brushes and sets) at the Pink Slippers Boutique.

OMG! This was taken shortly before the Ipanema show started. I'd like to write something longer to gush about this momentous highlight (lol) but I need to pack for a 2-day family reunion.

You can view the gallery here. Thanks so much Stylebible! It's an honor to be included in your style spotting feature. <3

Photos courtesy of Stylebible.ph

Lookie what arrived on my doorstep this morning! I can see this with my favorite little black dresses and heels. It's such a conversation starter don't you think? I love the peacock design! But you know what it makes me think of whenever I see it? This line from The Other Guys: "I'm a peacock, you have to let me fly!" Haha.

More photos after the jump!

I bought the Muji Cleansing Oil a couple of weeks back and I've been exclusively using it since then to remove my makeup. It works really well for me, and you can't beat the price at only P395 for a big 200ml bottle!

What I love about the product

• Removes face makeup, eyeliner, and eyeshadow pretty well. I get half a pump of oil on my fingers and then gently massage it into my face. It feels oily (of course), but it does a great job of breaking down the makeup without needing to tug or pull the skin.
• It's oil, but it washes off easily with water, leaving the skin fairly clean with no greasy residue. If my makeup is light, I actually skip using facial wash afterwards. But if I have heavy gunk on, I need to soap with Pond's White Beauty Deep Cleansing wash to take out everything.
• No smell or fragrance.

Last Monday I went to the House of Obagi at Greenbelt 5 to check their products and hopefully get a couple for myself. It wasn't a big clinic, but the products we're arrayed neatly in front with informative brochures while the back area is where the treatments are conducted. I was surprised to see an endless stream of people waiting for treatments, new people coming in to book appointments, and others just to inquire about Obagi! One lady asked. "How much for the whole system?" to which the friendly receptionist answered "around P20,000!"

I gasped internally. I knew Obagi was expensive, but I hadn't known it was that expensive. What does Obagi have to merit such a hefty price tag?

The Obagi Condition and Enhance line is clinically proven to lighten, tighten, firm and turn your skin cells over on a daily basis

According to Obagi, they've got skincare down to a science - literally. Unlike other skincare systems that treat your problems at the surface, Obagi is supposed to initiate healthy skin from the cellular level, bringing it back to its baby-smooth state. The brand has lines for skin concerns like acne, eyebags, chloasma, melasma, senile lentigines, sun damage, and visible fine lines and wrinkles.

Now Obagi products are not like other skincare you can buy off the counter. Like any potent medicine, you need a prescription from your dermatologist before you can purchase Obagi. Read on for a short rundown of some Obagi systems as well as what I got from their clinic!

People have been complimenting me on my "great" skin these past couple of weeks. I always tell them "It's NARS!" I've been breaking out heavily up until last week so my skin really looked like crap underneath; only a miracle could have made me look presentable. That miracle is the NARS Sheer Glow Foundation.

Let me cut to the chase and say that the NARS Sheer Glow is the best foundation I've tried to date. Trust me when I say that I've tried quite a lot in the past! Now before I go on and on just raving about it, let me debunk a couple of things about this product.

First of all, it's not sheer. I'd say that the coverage is medium to heavy (two layers). Second, it's not glowy at all - at least, not in the sense the word is usually taken in cosmetics. It's not shimmery nor luminescent. In fact I'd say the finish is more matte-satin. Lastly, while this foundation is especially formulated for dry to normal skin, it works perfectly for my oily-combination skin.

What I love about this product

• My skin looks amazing with it on. It covers the lighter blemishes and uneven patches on my face while smoothing the overall appearance. The effect is "hyper real" - it's my skin, but loads better! The foundation just melts seamlessly.
• The feel is lightweight, like I don't have makeup on.

A couple of weeks ago I visited Ferretti Shoes in Glorietta 5. I have passed by the store many times before, but I've never entered because the name "Ferretti" already sounds expensive. I also got the impression that their shoes are for mature women who work in the office - totally not my style since I prefer trendier footwear!

Boy was I wrong. Ferretti had shoes for different styles - for the yuppie who needs versatile and comfortable office shoes for commuting, for the older woman who needs something for a semi formal to formal party, for the ultra-casual urbanite, for the trend-setter who likes edgy shoes - there's something for these people in Ferretti. The brand has teetering heels, sophisticated flats, wedges, and even those canvas espadrilles we see everywhere now. It also has handmade bags and clutches.

Best part? The shoes are not expensive at all! The most expensive pair I saw in the store cost only P1,500. Flats and wedges range from P800 to P1,000. That's pretty good considering the fact that the shoes look sturdy and feel really comfy.

Ms. Cecille, the super nice owner of Ferretti, let me pick three shoes to take home, and these are what I got!

Let's take a break from makeup and clothes today, shall we? I'd just like to share my newest toy!

It's true what they say: once you go Mac, you can't go back. Okay that doesn't really apply to everyone but it does to me and Marco. We love Apple computers because of the functionality and design. We love that Apple thinks of computers differently and encourages other people to do the same.

Tools of the trade: 16-gig iPad, Macbook, 32-gig iPod Touch, 4-gig iPod Shuffle

When I first got my Macbook I had no idea how to use it.

When I meet Project Vanity readers, they always tell me that they're surprised I'm not...fatter. I don't know what's up with cameras, but in my photos I look five to ten pounds heavier! I fit into small and medium clothes. Bah.

Case in point:

Ukay Manila dress/ belt from Market! Market!/ Ferretti wedges

Oh well. I really like this dress. I didn't want to wear it to the La Mer event at first because it's too Stepford wife for the occasion, but I was in a hurry.

I am born with stick-straight pudgy lashes. It sucks because my brother was born with curly, thick lashes that no decent boy should have had! When we were kids all my parents' friends and visitors would compliment his lashes! Huff. Oh well. Even though I'm not happy with the lashes I have, I'm not obsessed about them at all. I don't use lash enhancing products and services unless you count mascara - I'm much too lazy for anything else.

Bare lashes

So I wasn't that psyched when I received the Glambox Mink Lashes for review. I seriously can't afford to put extra time in my usual routine, plus I have really short patience for "matrabaho" procedures when it comes to beauty. But hey, I might as well try these falsies right? Always be adventurous when it comes to beauty, I say.

So how did I find the Glambox Mink Lashes? One word: transformative! I loved how it looked on me. Read on for my detailed review!

What I love about the product

• It's made of 100% genuine mink hair. No animal cruelty involved is the claim.
• Hypoallergenic. There are lots of cheap plastic lashes out there, but when it comes to putting stuff at or near my eye, I don't want to leave it to random testing. I didn't suffer any allergies or redness from these mink lashes.

A lot of enterprising Pinays have built a business out of selling US-brand makeup online. This is great news for us makeup lovers, but many of these resellers overestimate the demand for such luxury products so they tend to overprice their goods. But really, while I want this really nice piece of makeup, there's no way I would pay for a 40%+ markup! Frustrations just rage all around.

Thus, I'm glad that Shirlina of Get Sophisticated contacted me to check out her site. She sells Urban Decay products, Coastal Scents brushes, NYX makeup, China palettes, and a mix of popular items from other US brands like Too Faced, Rimmel, and E.L.F. What I like about her store is that the prices are competitive. The items she sells are also well-picked - she's obviously a makeup enthusiast because she knows some cult favorites.

I decided to get a Too Faced Shadow Insurance eyeshadow primer (only P1,100) since I read some rave reviews. Many contend that this is better than the Urban Decay Primer Potion.

So you've read all the raves for Asian Secrets lulur on GirlTalk and on my posts. Have you ever wondered though - what makes Asian Secrets effective in terms of whitening and moisturizing? Well, some of its key ingredients are green tea, Vitamin E and squalane. They're nothing extraordinary since there are tons of beauty products featuring the same ingredients but together they are an unstoppable force.

Green tea helps with sun protection and aging. It combats free radicals and reduce inflammation instead of blocking UV rays (which is what sunblock does). The result is smoother, more supple skin.

I had a grand time yesterday accompanying Kirby (Asian Secrets grand winner) to her makeover as well as hanging out with the Estee Lauder girls. Thanks so much for the company! Anyhoo, I decided on a super laid-back outfit for the day since I knew I would be waiting and walking around most of the time.

Muji shirt/ Levi's ID Curve jeans/ Ferretti flats/ NaRaYa bag/ SM belt/ Avon accessories/ Landmark headband

I was already late for my appointment so I threw on the fastest look I could think of: red lips. Fifteen minutes tops and I'm done! Full FOTD details after the cut.