Call me typical, but one of my favorite movies of all time is Breakfast At Tiffany's. A favorite scene of mine is the one where Holly Golightly wakes up late on a Thursday. She fumbles all over her flat for her shoes and her dress, rushing down the stairs to visit mob boss Sally Tomato in Sing Sing prison. Nevertheless, Holly was groomed in five minutes, finishing her look with a nude pink lipstick and a few spritzes of perfume.

Holly is the kind of woman who loves beautiful things, carefully chosen pieces that she can afford with her limited "glamour girl" money. She's also the kind of girl who isn't ready until she has lipstick. "Hand me my purse, will you, darling? A girl can't read that sort of thing without her lipstick," she says.

This memorable woman is the first person I thought of when I tried the Guerlain Rouge G Lipstick in Galia. The beautiful packaging looks just like something Holly Golightly would carry in her purse or keep in her apartment cubbyhole if she were alive today. Of course, I'm sure she would love the nude pink color of Galia, which is similar to the lipstick she's wearing in the photos.

I went to a couple of events yesterday - Estee Lauder's launch of their reformulated CyberWhite Brilliant Cells skincare line and Paul & Joe's annual Birthday Bash (they've turned 4). I really enjoyed both events since they were quick and straightforward! I'm not fond of fussy events. When I know the event will have a long program and a lot of people, I rarely go anymore. That is, unless I know it's a hot topic or if I personally know the PR/brand manager.

Anyhoo, I just want to share what I wore:

This airy linen tunic is from my online store, Flair For Drama. Speaking of, I have a lot of summery pieces at the site! Here are some of my favorites:

Rose Brier, P450. Romantic, indulgent, exotic.

I'm 23 but the sad fact is that I still break out regularly. Sometimes it's before my period, often because I am trying out a new product for a review. I've heard from countless magazines that Mario Badescu is good for acne-ridden skin but thought that it's too expensive for me - wrong! It's quite affordable so I decided to buy the Mario Badescu Drying Cream (P795) when I was at Rustan's some weeks ago.

The Drying Cream promises to "heal and conceal under surface blemishes". I was a bit baffled about what the copy meant when it said surface blemishes, but I suppose it means pimples. The cream does heal pimples (albeit slowly), but I wouldn't recommend that it be used as a concealer since it's too white!

What I love about the product

• As promised, it dries pimples. I give it two to three nights, depending on the pimple's severity. Really bad pimples won't get worse if you use this cream.
• Great for pimple poppers (I'm guilty!). It covers up the wound, dries it, and sanitizes the area without stinging.

I'm not an addict, baby that's a lie! Says K's Choice in their iconic song. I have dozens of tubes of lip products, but I still keep on buying a few here and there. I can't help it. I blame it on my curiosity! It doesn't help that most lip stuff are cheap and easily accessible, what with all the online resellers out there. NYX is one guilty pleasure of mine.

The NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream is one of the brand's newest lip color lines. It promises to be "nothing you've experienced before" - and I agree! It's certainly unique, defying the definition of what lipstick or gloss should be. I love the color payoff and how it feels on my lips, but I find that it dries in a rather unflattering way. Here's a quick run-down of the pros and cons!

Antwerp

What I love about the product

• Pigmented. One dip is enough to make the whole lip opaque with color.
• Dries quickly enough.

You guys know that I'm already happy with the jeans I have, so when Promod launched their Denim Bar, I wasn't that interested in getting a pair. They gave the guests GCs to spend on whatever we want so I went around the store looking for something to buy. A new bag? This cute cardigan? So many nice finds inside the store! Jeans were frankly the last thing on my mind. The Promod product managers insisted that I try a pair, but I politely declined.

But then I saw Shen, Tara, and a couple of other ladies clutching jeans to the cashier. I asked them why and all I got were raves! That was the point I decided to try the jeans on for myself. And this, my dear readers, is what the fuss is about.

Nine West heels/ Warehouse blazer/ Flair For Drama top/ Promod jeans

Love the fit, love the stretch fabric, love the understated wash.

The Majolica Majorca Trick On Powder eyeshadow (P795) is easily one of the best drugstore brand palettes I've tried to date. The quality is at par with the high-end eyeshadows I have in terms of pigmentation, texture, and staying power. P800 might seem steep, but for me it's already a bargain considering that, say, MAC and Shu Uemura palettes are P2,500!

I've read a lot of raves about the Majo palettes, but I thought that while it's good, it's still a reduced-quality Shiseido product. I haven't tried it then. Thank goodness I was wrong.

What I love about the product

• Smooth, silky texture. Not gritty or powdery at all since it's finely milled.
• Highly pigmented, even without a base.
• Good staying power even with no primer. I would still suggest using a primer though because it will crease a bit without it.

I first heard about Golla bags three years ago when Marco, the forever gearhead, started using them for his iPod Classic. I was like, "Wow, why buy an expensive pouch when any other pouch would do?" to which he said, "I invested a lot in this gadget and I want the best pouch to protect it." That wasn't verbatim, but you get the point!

Anyway, if you want to score a Golla bag for yourself, perhaps you'd be interested in joining this contest!

Clinique contacted me last week and asked if I'm interested in holding a Clinique party for Project Vanity readers. What a cute question - of course I am! As you know, I am crazy about the Clinique Moisture Surge and Clinique makeup. I would like you, dear reader, to try Clinique for yourself with no pressure to buy.

If you've always been curious about Clinique but never got around to trying it, going to my party is the best time. ;) Clinique agreed to lower the minimum purchase for their Clinique Bonus Time promo exclusively for Project Vanity readers. Instead of P3,900 worth of products, you only need to spend P3,000 to receive this gift.*

Avon accessories are getting better and better, don't you think? These pieces will speak for themselves:

The Spring Green Jewelry line has this faux jade centerpiece set in silver. It has tiny stones in an ornate pattern which I think makes it look oh-so sophisticated! The Spring Blossom Jewelry line, on the other hand, is gold with white enamel flowers and clear stones. 

The first skincare product I EVER reviewed was the Pond's White Beauty cream. That was in 2008! I loved it, and I used it for two years until I switched to the Flawless White variant (more potent and slightly more expensive than White Beauty, but almost the same thing). I switched moisturizers again - I found awesome, expensive ones in the course of trying out so many things for this blog - but at the back of my head I sometimes wonder if they're better than my first love, Pond's.

Best skin ever with Pond's: A few pounds lighter, two years younger

I encourage you to click the links above because they document my long-time affair with Pond's, and maybe you'll also understand why I work with the brand. :) If you read beauty blogs, I'm sure you've already seen that there is a Pond's Flawless White Blogger Contest where bloggers and their friends document their 14-day experience using the Flawless White line exclusively.

It's a contest with a prize, so of course everyone wants to win. I think that fact may make you think that the point of the contest is undermined. You may think that our "reviews" are already compromised because of the campaign. There's a high probability that you'll be reading raves for Flawless White from all the contestants, and it may also be difficult to believe 100%.

As a beauty blogger, the only thing I can really be proud of is credibility

I rarely buy makeup at this point in my beauty blogging career. Aside from the review products I get for this site, I also have this (stupid) belief that I've found the bestest best makeup I can possibly use for my face. My mind is already fixated on NARS for blushes and foundation, MAC or Urban Decay for eyeliners and eyeshadows, L'Oreal or Majolica Majorca for mascaras. But who am I kidding! There are so many other great finds out there, and like Bianca Valerio said (met her yesterday! Starstruck!), you don't really need to spend a lot to be beautiful.

But let me clear that up. There are certain expensive brands I like, and I like them because I can rely on them. If I run out and if I can afford them, I don't see why I shouldn't buy again. It's that simple. Buy what works if you can afford it - quality, not cost, should be the issue.

So. One thing that works amazingly well is the In2It Waterproof Gel Eyeliner. The quality is similar to Urban Decay and MAC and better yet, it only costs P380! That's a steal considering how good this eyeliner is.

What I love about the product

• Goes on like butter! It's like applying the Urban Decay 24/7 liners or even the MAC Fluidline. Swear.
• Waterproof. Doesn't smudge. 

My oldest pair of Ipanema flipflops were from waaay back in 2009. I don't use them anymore mainly because they're at my mom's house (I keep forgetting to bring them here), but I'm happy to report that they're as good as new! The print has faded a bit, but the rubber isn't worn down or scuffed. They're quite sturdy and comfortable, to boot.

My current house slippers are Ipanema as well. The thick rubber feels so soft on my feet, and yes, they're also as good as new since I got them last year. They have lived through many out-of-town and mall trips!

My other pretty Ipanema flip flops

All my Ipanemas are well-worn yet they've withstood time in terms of quality and trendiness. I used to think that paying more than P1,500 for a pair of flipflops is ridiculous, but after two years of wearing this brand, I can confidently say that it's definitely worth it. They don't get outdated, they're comfy and sturdy at the same time.

Anyway, I'd just like to share Ipanema's new summer collection with you. It's called the Gisele Bündchen Hot Sands Collection. It was launched via a fashion show held at the SM Prestige Lounge, SM Megamall, featuring young models wearing Coco Cabaña’s swim wear creations complemented by colorful flipflops.

I haven't bought accessories in, oh boy, months. So when I was in Mall of Asia the other day, I can't help but get these super cheap (but gorgeous!) goodies:

I think I only spent P620 for all of this. The oversized flower clip is only P150, while the animal print clip is just P150. The faux beaten gold and turquoise necklace is P350. Not bad eh?

A lot of girls loved the colorful MAC Peacocky look I posted a couple of weeks back. Are you ready for the next round? :D This time, Mikee will be showing off MAC's Wonder Woman collection. It will be launching on March 19 (Saturday) here in Manila!

Launch dates at the bottom. Open image to view full-sized.

The MAC Wonder Woman collection comes in super-sized, toy-like packaging that sports the heroic femme fatale's signature colors. Notable products are the dual-color Mineralized SkinFinish powders (P2,125), Eye Quads (P2,500), and the colored Opulash mascaras (P900). 

Excited to see the look Mikee came up with? Here goes!

Before photo: Say hi to Janelle, our model!

After

Mikee priming the canvas (Lip Conditioner + Fast Response Eye Cream + Prep+Prime Skin). She used the Studio Fix Fluid foundation to even out the skintone, set it with loose powder, then dusted a bit of MSF for a natural glow.

Remember my post last February? Majolica Majorca is now available in the Philippines! You can already find it in SM Makati's Beauty By SM area. There was supposed to be a big launch at Opus yesterday, but due to the unforeseen disasters in Japan, it was only right that the event was moved as a sign of respect and mourning for the country's losses.

Moving on, I was so delighted when I received a gift from Majolica Majorca last Sunday. It was hanging by the door knob when I got home from my vacation - cute, but thank goodness it wasn't stolen! Haha. Here's what I got:

Trivia: Project Vanity has received 3,395 comments since it went live last year. I don't get to reply to every comment (I try though) but I read each one and I do appreciate them. I don't really earn anything significant from blogging - sometimes it's grueling, sometimes I even wonder why I keep pouring so much time on this. But when I get a comment saying this small project of mine is useful to someone, it's all worth the work.

To thank Project Vanity followers, I run contests (check out the current one for Inches Off shapewear) but winning contests are too chancy. So, I thought of setting aside a personal thank you gift to readers who follow this website regularly.