I've been looking for reviews of the Shu Uemura Art of Travel Palette, but it appears that they are few and far between. From what I understand, this palette is travel-exclusive, meaning you can only find it in airport malls. I find that sad because this is a great palette that's not only convenient for traveling - it can also do sophisticated day-to-night looks with its high-quality eyeshadows and pretty Glow On blush.

What I love about the product

• Four highly pigmented eyeshadows that I find well-picked in terms of color coordination and versatility. There are lots of ways to combine them for day and night looks.
• The cream base is a huge surprise for me. On the pan, it looks like a boring white cream base, but it actually applies as a gorgeous golden shimmer! It reminds me of Bobbi Brown's glitter eyeshadows. The shimmer is very, very fine, and I prefer applying it on top of eyeshadows to give the eyes that extra "oomph".

• The Glow On adds a pretty glow to my cheeks as promised. I've owned a Glow On previously, and I really love the effect on the cheeks. The blush doesn't have a name, but I guess it is very close to (if not the same thing as) the Shu Uemura Glow On in M Pink 33.

The reason I haven't been blogging is because I have been reading. A lot. I used to read dozens of book every month when I was younger, but all that changed when I started working. I've marathoned a few books, but always in spurts. Tis' the perfect season to devour books along with the tastiest food! Hehe. 

Yesterday, Christmas day, my dad, mom, and I visited Tagaytay. It seems as if we weren't the only ones who had that brilliant idea. It was traffic-fest as carloads of families poured into restaurants and tourist spots! It feels as if we spent most of our day trip there mucking in traffic. Still, it was fun, and I couldn't have thought of a better way to spend the day.

Now, what I'm really waiting for is New Year.

It's Christmas tomorrow! For me, this is the time to re-evaluate the things I've done in the past year as well as the things I plan to do next year. It's also time to look back on the beauty/fashion items that I loved best. Here's my top ten last year. Curious about what made it this year?

Presenting, the Project Vanity Top 10 - the best in beauty and fashion that I've come across this year! Warning: excessive raving up ahead!

1. Clinique Moisture Surge

This baby does wonders for my skin. I've raved about it several times here! Definitely the best moisturizer I've come across.

2. NARS Sheer Glow Foundation

Feels and looks like second skin - only more perfect! I can NOT stop talking about this.

3. Levi's Curve ID Jeans

These jeans promise the perfect fit and it delivers. You will never have to buy another pair of jeans again once you wear these, I bet. ;)

MAC Blankety is the first ever MAC lipstick that I bought. I regret it. It's an okay color, but it's not something that I would rave about. I wished I got something reliable like Cosmo, famous like Pink Noveau, or classic like Russian Red. I don't know what got in my head!

Okay I do. I was looking for a shade in the nude color family since I only have a few nudes while I have quite a lot of pinks, reds, and everyday shades. I picked the Amplified Creme type because I read that it's smooth and creamy, unlike Satin (I owned MAC Twig, which I gave away to my mom) which I found too dry. Blankety is one of MAC's more famous nude lipsticks so I chose it.

Anyway, on to the review!

What I love about the product

• Glides on smoothly and feels creamy on the lips
• Good wear time at four hours, barring any eating
• Opaque and pigmented

I spent last Saturday with top beauty and fashion bloggers as they enjoyed a relaxing afternoon at Qiwellness spa. It was the launch of the Asian Secrets lulur body scrub that everyone's been raving about! I organized the event, so I'm extremely thankful to everyone who made it even though I knew they had a busy schedule - Alex, Lauren, Shen, Julia, Pax, Phoebe, Jane, and Kim. 

I will write a separate post about the event next week. For the meantime, I just wanted to share a picture that Pax took of my outfit that day:

Levi's Curve jeans/ thrifted chambray shirt and brown biker jacket/ Charles & Keith platform booties

I knew it was a casual get-together so I chose to wear jeans, a chambray shirt, and a jacket.

I've had the Smooth-365 Clarity + Smoothing Peptide Serum for...oh, a few months now. It was love at first use, so I don't have a good excuse why I didn't review it sooner. Well, I partly wanted to space out expensive vs cheap products as well as rave-worthy vs meh items. The Smooth 365 is both rave-worthy and quite expensive at P2,500 per tube.

So what does Smooth-365 do? It's designed to promote skin clarity and give your skin a velvety smooth texture. "Skin clarity" is a rather vague term - does it mean fading out blemishes, or brightening skin? - but I can vouch that the Smooth-365 does make my skin look brighter and generally a nicer version of itself. It also gives a velvety texture to the skin instantly upon application. Too good to be true? Yes. But it does work.

If you're skeptical, you can visit Makeupalley, where Smooth-365 has a high rating of 4.2 out of 5. Makeupalley is my favorite cosmetics review community and the ratings are always reliable. Anything above 4 and you know you've got a keeper.

What I love about the product

• Makes my skin smooth and velvety immediately upon application. I'm not sure if they have testers in Watsons drugstore, but

I've been looking for something lime green to join my closet for a week now. I wanted to mix it with white, brown, and black - just to break the monotony, you understand. I finally found a lime green shirt in one of my favorite ukays for only - wait for it - P30! What a steal.

It looked mustard yellow in the store, but in better lighting, it looks like a dark lime green to me.

I love the lime green, tan, and gold combination.

Yesterday I visited Duty Free with my parents. I was super excited about this trip, because as you know, MAC makeup is already available there! I read online that the price difference between the US MAC and the Duty Free is very small. For example, eyeshadows are $14.50 in the US, but they're only $15.50 here. Not bad.

I got three MAC eyeshadows (All That Glitters, Wedge, Amber Lights), a blush for contouring (Harmony), and a nude lippie called Blankety. The eyeshadows were at $15.50 (P685 at current conversion rates), blushes at $21.50 (P950), and lipsticks at $17 (P751).

I've said this once and I'll say it again: Clinique makes some of the best foundations out there. The brand has a foundation for your major skin concerns, and the lasting power + finish are always amazing. My top Clinique foundation favorites are the Perfect Real Compact Makeup and the Superfit Makeup because they give the most natural finish that actually looks like my skin. They're second only to my Holy Grail foundation, the NARS Sheer Glow.

Anyway, today I'll talk about another favorite, the Clinique Supermoisture Makeup. It's Clinique's version of the tinted moisturizer, but without the limitations that usually comes with TMs. Convenient moisturizers that provide coverage are everywhere now - some of them cleverly called BB creams - but the main problem with these is that the shade selection and coverage are very limited. Not so with the Clinique Supermoisture Makeup!

What I love about the product

• I skip moisturizer when I use this! That's one step slashed from my makeup routine. You know I love the Clinique Moisture Surge, but sometimes I'm in a rush and I prefer to skip it.
• Light to medium coverage. It covers redness and light blemishes.
• Has a glowy, natural finish, as if I'm not wearing any makeup.

Do you like seeing your makeup together? I do! I'm sure you understand how I feel if, like me, you enjoy collecting and using makeup. You get that tiny thrill inside when you know that you have nice stuff you can depend on. 

That's why I thought to feature a neutral palette face-off. It's limited to my small collection of neutral palettes, but I wanted to quickly share with you my capsule review of each palette for, well, posterity. I've been steadily using neutrals most of the time these past few months, and I guess I want to keep tabs on my constant beauty companions. Hope you find this feature useful!

Note: Most of the palettes featured here are sadly limited edition or not available locally.

Let's start shall we?

I blogged last Saturday that I was off to Mercato Centrale, posting along with it a crappy web cam photo of my Topshop t-shirt. Lol. Nona (the lone commenter) asked to see what my outfit looks like.

This is not it:

Topshop burnout tee/ SM belt and elephant necklace/ Folded & Hung shorts/ Ichigo pink flats (not shown)

I thought this outfit was cute, but I found it a bit dressy for a casual two-hour stroll to a weekend market. Because seriously most girls there are just in their jeans and t-shirts, with barely any makeup on. I would hate to be overdressed for something that's supposed to be chill.

So I wore this instead!

The Colorescience Lip Polish is perhaps the most misleadingly named product I've ever come across. One can reasonably expect that something named "lip polish" will give gloss and shine, but that's not the case with this one from Colorescience. The finish is matte, and it's unlike any gloss - or lip product, for that matter - that I've tried.

Instead, I'd say that this is the best lip stain ever. It sticks like no one's business; at times I like to think of it as a semi-permanent lip tattoo. Okay now that's just a hyperbole, but I want to give you guys an idea of the level it performs.

The texture of the lip product itself is not waxy like lipstick, tacky like gloss, or watery/gel-like like your normal lip stain. Instead, it's oily. Yes, oily. That's what it will feel like on your lips when you apply it, but later on it will turn a bit sticky. 

The color on the tube looks like a dark berry red, but when applied, it's a very natural red-pink.

I got these shoes more than two weeks ago but I only remembered to post them now. Anyway! I love these shoes because they're super comfortable. I've been wearing them quite often lately since I'm mostly running errands these days. They're perfect with jeans and shorts for that carefree, preppy look. I'd say they're a nice masculine finishing touch to any outfit.

Everyone is rushing for Christmas by now, what with all the shopping, cooking, gift wrapping and parties. I know I'm stressed! So, I thought to have this little giveaway for all Project Vanity readers out there. I want you guys to relax and take a breather. I'm giving away three GCs from Qiwellness Spa that entitles the bearer to a 90-minute signature massage of his/her choice: Qitranquility, Qivitality, or Qireflexology.

You're getting not one, but THREE Qiwellness GCs. Since Christmas is a season for giving, I want you to give two other friends/family members a relaxing afternoon at the spa.

Here are the mechanics:

1. Like the Project Vanity Facebook page.

2. On your personal profile, paste this and tag the names of two friends: "I want to take @____ and @____ to Qiwellness spa for a free 90-minute massage. Visit this link for more details: http://www.projectvanity.com/projectvanity/2010/12/13/contest-alert-win-three-qiwellness-spa-gcs.html" 

This is what your Facebook entry should look like:

I just saw Kookie Buhain blog about these boots. Want so bad! Major shoe lust here! Whoever is handling Gold Dot is doing a fantastic job. I remember seeing Bestie tote a Gold Dot envelope bag once that also got me drooling.

I see them with socks, pleated skirts, loose shirts, polos - all in autumn colors. Now I know that the clogs trend has been rehashed to death, but I like this particular combination of laced boots and gold studs over a leather lining. These shoes have a tough look about them, but not so tough as to lose that element of femininity.  

I was browsing online a few days ago when I saw a link that led to the Avon Voices website. I was invited to the launch last December 1, but I wasn't able to make it so I just promptly forgot about it. I did have a vague idea that it was about empowering women, giving them a voice, something like that. It's Avon's advocacy after all. But when I saw the site, I was surprised that my impression was waaayyyy off the mark!

Avon Voices is actually the first-ever global online singing talent search. It's a contest for budding singers and songwriters all over the world! All they have to do is pick and/or write a song and upload it. There will be 200 finalists who will get to travel, receive professional coaching, Avon makeovers, and even record performance videos. The 200 will ultimately be whittled down to two winners - one an Avon Representative - who may get to record their own albums! So cool right?

Here are some photos during the Philippine launch at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Of course, Ms. Lea Salonga headed the charge not only as an Avon endorser but also as a world-class musician and one of the international judges for the contest.

Lea Salonga is ageless

Mechanics and more photos after the jump!

Eco bags are not a trend - they're here to stay! Using them helps reduce plastic waste, which we all know is not biodegradable. According to CNN, "What's wrong with plastic bags? Lots. They often wind up as litter, or in trees. They drift into oceans and rivers and kill fish. They can take 1,000 years to decompose. And every time we use a plastic bag, we drive up the demand for oil - which is used to make plastics."

Wow, a thousand years! Think about it. Something we used for two hours carrying a box of shoes can continue polluting the environment for a millennium. This is why I prefer shopping in stores that use re-usable paper bags instead of plastic ones! Also, when I buy something that can fit into my bag, I always tell the attendant to skip the plastic kasi kalat lang talaga. If I have to use plastic, I stuff as many things inside as humanly possible, then re-use the bag for the trash cans at home.

Now, I'm sure you've seen SM Eco Bags being sold at SM Supermalls nationwide. I'd like to invite you to use them because aside from the environmental angle, SM Eco Bags are total must-have because they're:

• Extremely convenient. Instead of toting several shopping bags at the same time, you can just put them inside the roomy fabric bag and sling it on your shoulder. 
• Fashionable. So you've got a great outfit going on while you're shopping, but you're carrying three or four plastic bags by hand. How unflattering! If you spend so much time primping, it wouldn't hurt to carry a pretty eco bag with you whenever you go out to shop. SM Eco Bags come in four wearable designs.

• Compact and light. They tie up neatly in a thin rectangular bundle and weigh almost nothing.

So yesterday one of the maintenance personnel in our condo knocked on the door and said that the power will be out from 11pm to 6am. As we had things to finish, Marco and I thought to stay in a hotel overnight. After calling up at least four hotels, we decided to settle on Marriott Manila since it's the nearest one (albeit not as affordable as I might like).

from the Marriott Manila website

I guess we just wanted to relax and break the routine for even just one day. Anyway, for those who are looking for a place to stay (especially Balikbayans, it's just right in front of NAIA 3) Mariott is a good choice. I wouldn't say the best since I expected a bigger room and at least a free breakfast because the rate is not cheap, but I am very happy with the service. I also loved the gorgeous pool area, which I sadly forgot to take a picture of before my 7am swim.

Food from the restaurant is just so-so for the price. We ordered spaghetti bolognese and kare-kare, which tasted rather bland. I think it cost P1,700 for the dinner, including drinks.

I have already mentioned a recent awesome discovery called Liberté. It's an in-house brand that can be found in Robinsons Department Stores. It sells modern, trendy basics as well as pieces with an unexpected, beautiful twist. The clothes are meant for yuppie corporate wear but I do believe that everyone who likes elegant clothes without breaking the bank will love this brand! Nothing is above P600!

Now I know that "trendy basics" sounds a bit like an oxymoron, so let me explain. Liberte takes basics, mashes them with the trending cut and fabric, and comes up with something infinitely wearable yet far from boring.

I guess I better just show you.

This is my favorite find from the brand. It's a dirty-white dress that's done in a sort of cotton-chiffon blend. It has this sexy triangle cut-out back that I sadly forgot to take a picture of! This dress is only P600 if I remember right.