The Avon Ideal Shade Liquid Foundation (P530) came in a gift pack along with other makeup and skincare products from the brand. I didn't expect much from it because, well, I got this idea that Avon makeup is just "okay" (not counting the lipsticks, which I have raved about before) - nothing to write home about. To begin with, it's hard to ask a lot for the price. 

Nonetheless I am surprised. The foundation gives a really beautiful finish that instantly enhances the skin and I have pictures to prove it! I haven't worn it out though because the shade (Natural) is rather light on me so I can't tell you about the lasting power. What I'll just talk about is the texture, consistency, and finish.

The Ideal Shade foundation is marketed to have light-adjusting pigments that provide a good shade match and natural coverage.

Last week, I had the pleasure of being a guest for Net 25's morning show called Homepage. I talked about the fashion trends for 2011 and, needless to say, I had so much fun. The hosts, especially Ivy, were super nice and accommodating. There was no room to be shy! Of course, the researchers Steph (who invited me) and Blueberry (yes that's her name!) made sure that I felt welcome. It definitely made my trip from The Fort to far away Quezon City worth it.

This is my third time to be on TV. I think I'm getting the hang of it, lol. The first two times were embarrassingly awkward. Anyway, here's a photo diary of what transpired last Wednesday!

The new year is in full swing as major brands come out with their latest products and promotions. Interested in what they may be? Read on!

High-street fashion brand Promod just released its Trendy Jet-setter Collection. It's designed with the chic traveler in mind, thus including coats, scarves, and turtlenecks for the cold weather abroad.

Complement the classy floral top with a gray cardigan, gray beret and a maroon knit scarf to turn heads anywhere in the world.

A friend of mine recently launched her own online shop called Streets of Seoul. Chrissy is a professional fashion merchandiser venturing in the world of e-commerce, and I have to say, she does a wonderful job! The clothes are edgy, looking like something you can find off Topshop or Mango. Nonetheless, they're very affordable, selling for only an average of P500-700.

Check out my top picks:

Everyone needs a faux leather biker jacket in their life. Now that the biker look is hot stuff at 2011, there's no reason not to get one that looks like it will fit gorgeously - for only P900, too!

One of the more interesting products that came out late last year is the Revlon PhotoReady Compact Makeup (P945). It's the answer to the prayers of the fans of the PhotoReady Liquid Makeup since it has none of the shimmers everyone complained about. It also toes the fine line between liquid and powder, a plus if you're the type who likes powder more than liquid foundations.

The PhotoReady Compact Makeup is a cream foundation that comes in a long, rectangular compact that features a "liquefying mesh". This mesh presses through the foundation to sort of squeeze it out. Intriguing eh? There's a small sponge that comes with the whole package.

What I like about the product

• As with other products in Revlon's PhotoReady line, this foundation gives a smooth, matte finish that registers well on camera. That is really the product's main selling point!

Last week, Net 25's morning show called Homepage invited me to talk about this year's upcoming fashion trends. Here's what we talked about! Enjoy.

What are the fashion trends or the "in" look for 2011?

I don't use planners, but I can see a lot of ladies (and gentlemen) loving this planner by Sunlife, in cooperation with actor Piolo Pascual, called Sunpiology. This stands out because it's a planner that encourages you to help save the environment as well as accomplish your goals every month. There's none of that pretentious crap that planners seem to promote these days (e.g "this planner will change someone's life"? O rly?)

It also features Piolo's photos from all over the world. It's all about nature, to show us what we'll lose if we aren't more careful of our environment.

More photos of the planner inside!

The last event I organized in 2010 was for a brand that's very dear to my heart. I invited beauty and fashion bloggers to experience the Asian Secrets lulur body scrub the best possible way - why, in a spa, of course! You'll remember that I really enjoyed my time at Qiwellness in Salcedo Village, so I managed to hook up the two brands for this relaxing event.

+

=

Happy bloggers!

It was a very casual get-together as bloggers lounged in the soft white chairs of Qiwellness. I just gave them a short introduction about how lulur is part of an ancient Indonesian beautifying ritual for brides.

thePOC covered dozens of shows by young and upcoming designers last September during the PFW S/S 11 festivities. I think I mentioned before that I found many of them rather uninspired, but there is one designer that really stood out to me: Chris Diaz. It's not so much because his designs are groundbreaking or unique - it's because the clothes he sent down the runway are exactly my style. Re-imagined 60's fashion in florals and pastels? Don't say another word!

TDF cardigan with floral appliques

Not friendly to most body types, but I like mint with white. Very fresh.

I didn't like the Paul & Joe Creamy Cheek Powder in 03 (P1,000+) the first few times I used it. For starters, it's not even decently pigmented. It takes at least three layers for me to get the color I want. Also, the actual color is a whole world away from the one in the pan! I also had difficulty applying it as no brush will pick it up properly and apply it evenly; I have to use my fingers.

I eventually grew to like it though. After all, it gives my cheeks a gorgeous peach/coral blush that stays on for at least five hours. It's also not sticky, plus it has a really nice citrusy scent.

Of course, I can't not mention the beautiful packaging. As usual, this Paul & Joe product is housed in a cute plastic case that reflects gold shimmer and features a floral design on top.

I just bought a basic sewing machine yesterday. I haven't taken pictures yet since I was busy tinkering with it all day (and all of last night), but I'll share with you what I've done with it once I have something! Anyway, for today, I'd like to talk about this Purederm hair mask.

I'll make this review short: I love it. It smells super minty, and feels minty on my hair. Come to think of it, it's like I put toothpaste on my head! The white cream itself feels heavy and luxurious yet easy to rinse off.

When I started getting into makeup, I would always ogle at beauty bloggers who use mostly MAC eyeshadows in their FOTDs. It seemed to me that the best eyeshadows in the world are made by MAC. I've always dreamed of owning a full customized palette, but I couldn't afford to start my collection since these eyeshadows aren't cheap at P870 per pan.

Three years down the road, I realized that there are other great eyeshadows that offer more value for money (like Urban Decay). Nonetheless I still want to complete a 15-pan palette someday even if I have to buy one pan of MAC eyeshadow every month or so! Haha. I actually just bought an empty palette after waiting for MONTHS for one to become locally available, but that's for another post. Today I'll just review the eyeshadows I have. Most of them I bought from Duty Free, while two came from a swap.

Predictably, they're all neutral. I want to start my collection with a solid foundation, hence the wearable colors. Later on I'm going to add more adventurous shades! For now I have some of MAC's more famous eyeshadows.

What I love about the product

• Extremely pigmented. I don't even need to use a base to make the colors pop.
• Amazing texture. Each eyeshadow is smooth and blends in without a fuss.

One of the gifts I got last Christmas was a set of Etude House face masks (thanks Tanya!). I have to admit though, I don't like using face masks. I have this sneaky feeling that leaving on a concentrated product for more than five minutes will cause a breakout. But since I have really bad skin lately and I didn't have much to lose, I opened up the Essence Mask Vitamin C (P58) and hoped for the best!

Too pretty to open: Lemon mask, Pomegranate, Essence Mask Vitamin C

Well, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The foil pack is full of this gel-like substance that neither stinks or smells good. It smells serum-y, if you can call it that. The mask itself is incredibly moist and stuck on with no trouble. It felt cool and relaxing on my face, so I was content to just let it stay there for 15 minutes while I was taking (backlog) product photos.

I have terrible memory, which is one of the reasons I started keeping notebook diaries, and then eventually, blogs. I want to be able to remember the things I've done and thought. However, since I stopped personal blogging, I only have what little this beauty blog has on my personal life.

Now, I want to capture the year that was in one post, just for posterity, you see. I mentioned earlier that 2010 was an awesome year for me. I had so, so much fun! Let's do a review, shall we?

Press Mentions

April. I was given a half-page feature on The Philippine Star! I talked about (what else) blogging. My mind was blown. I still keep a copy of this page in a special folder, lol.

Holiday hangover? Hating the fact that it's the first working Monday of the year? Well! Don't let it show on your face. *Wink* There's nothing like a natural flush to instantly make you look more alive. A lot of blushes these days boast of shimmers to give that just-came-back-from-a-run sheen, but if you're looking for cheeks that look like you're just glowing from within, then matte blushes may be better for you.

The Revlon Matte Powder Blush (P625) is as matte as you can get. Nonetheless, the color doesn't look flat and boring, which I found completely unexpected! I made it my business to stay away from matte blushes, but it seems that they have found me - and I am not regretting that day.

What I love about the product

• Very natural finish, as if you're not wearing blush. 
• While the powder is not pigmented upon first application, I find that it's easily buildable, and better at preventing a clown face.
• I like the compact, since it comes with a mirror for application on-the-go.

Perfectly Peach

Oh my gosh! It's already the 31st! Can you imagine that it will be next year tomorrow? I try to backtrack everything I've done on 2010, but it's too overwhelming. Suffice it to say that I immensely enjoyed this year, and it has made me grow so much in both the professional and personal departments.

As for Project Vanity, we have enjoyed modest success, closing the year with more than 500 entries and thousands of readers every month. This could not have been possible without you! :D

So, allow me to close the year with something this blog does best: a makeup review.

The Avon Smooth Minerals Lipstick (P375) is supposed to give "luminous, luxurious color", and it does! It's sheer upon first application, but I believe that it's designed to be buildable. Avon is not really known for their excursions in the shocking color department, which is just as well because every girl needs a beautiful lipstick that feels comfortable on the lips.

What I love about the product

• Smooth, glides on easily.
• Has a glossy, luminous finish. Really gives dimension to the lips and draws light to the face.
• Non-waxy, light feel.

Making makeup stay put in our hot and humid country is always a challenge. That's why primers are a must if you're always out wearing makeup for long periods of time! One of the newest primers out of the market is the L'Oreal Base Magique, also known as the Magic Perfecting Base in other countries. It claims to smoothen the skin and cover pores on top of helping your makeup last longer. 

L'Oreal recommends the Base Magique for oily skin, and I rather agree since this silicon-based primer is non-greasy and feels like nothing on my face - if applied correctly. 

What I love about the product

• It's a good primer. It helps foundation and blushes stay on longer! I once used it in an all-day shopping event, and my makeup looked great at the end of the day. There was a bit of oiliness, but nothing major.
• Helps makeup glide on, preventing patchy application.

Hi guys! Sorry for the late post on the winner for my Qiwellness contest. I only managed to list down all the entries last night and pick via Random.org. So, are you ready for the winner? There are two, actually!

Unexpected packages are always a joy to receive. It's nice to know that someone is thinking of you out there, right? So imagine my glee when this package arrived on my doorstep just yesterday:

I know the message is generic, and Avon probably had their media agency send dozens of these out to the press, but I really appreciate that Avon remembered me and of course, Project Vanity!

Click after the jump to see what's inside!