You are not required to wear bright, cheery colors during summer - but wouldn't it feel so much better if you do? More colorful outfits or makeup just feels so right for the season. It's the time of the year (at least here in the Philippines) when trees are in full bloom and families congregate in their favorite summer destinations. The mood is generally happy and relaxed, so colors are just a natural response to the season.

I've been wearing a lot of neutrals in the past few months but now that summer is here I try to wear colorful eyeshadows and lipsticks again. I find that I am quite attracted to green right now, so I bought green shoes, had my nails done in green, and got a mint belt. It's only natural that I'm taken with green eyeshadows this time.

Thus, this Paul & Joe Eye Color in Picnic (004) from their Parasol Collection is my eyeshadow-of-the-moment!

What I love about this product

• The green and combination is quite wearable. It has an iridescent finish, which makes the eyes pop beautifully as the sun hits the lids. Very flattering on the skin!
• Lovely Paul & Joe packaging, as always. 

Hi girls! Here's another contest courtesy of GoodSkin Labs, the makers of the awesome Smooth-365 serum, Eyliplex-2, and Tri-Aktiline Deep Wrinkle Filler. Get a chance to win one Tri-Aktiline Total Face Moisturizer and any GoodSkin Labs product of your choice (pssst...go for Smooth-365 if you win). Just answer this: 

Here are the mechanics!

• Answer the question, "What extra skincare step do you take during the summer?" in the comments below.
• Like the Project Vanity Facebook Page (if you haven't already) and the GoodSkin Labs Facebook Page.

Terms and conditions

• Contest ends on April 30.

Have you been under the sun lately? IT'S CRAZY. I'm trying to remember if it has ever been this hot before, but I can't recall anything in particular. Wearing sunblock, shades, or an umbrella is no help at all because the heat burns as long as you're outside. I just try not to go out at all.

But sadly that's not an option. A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do! Last Saturday, I went out to host Project Vanity's second Clinique Party after holing up in the condo all Friday working. Needless to say, the Clinique Party was a blast! A lot of girls turned up and they seemed happy with their au naturel makeovers. Hay, I have to say, I really enjoy what I do.

Anyhoo, here's what I wore that day:

I used a bunch of new products in this look, mostly from Majolica Majorca's newest collection called Sugary Trap.

Oil-based makeup removers are recommended for waterproof makeup, especially eyeliners and mascaras. The oil breaks down the product easier and faster than cream removers. I like the Muji Cleansing Oil, but I find that it doesn't do much against stubborn mascara which is why I opted for a more potent makeup remover: the Clinique Take the Day Off Makeup Remover (P1,300)

I've heard a lot of good things about this product so I didn't hesitate to spend P1,300 for a bottle. I've been using it for the past three weeks, and this is my demonstration and verdict!

What I love about the product

• Takes off even the most stubborn waterproof mascara and other eye makeup easily (yes, even the Majolica Majorca Lash Expander mascara). I massage my lashes gently with my fingers to break down the product, then I wipe it off with a cotton pad. 
• Important: doesn't sting my eyes or skin. It also doesn't make my eyes cloudy when it comes in contact, unlike other makeup removers!

I like a lot of brands, but my favorites are the ones with a rich, long history of making women beautiful. Innovation is cool, but tradition and timelessness are always winners in my book. One of those brands is Wonderbra.

It's a name you whisper with awe - Wonderbra. You've heard about it, while your moms and grandmothers have probably used it in their heyday. It was among the first bra patents that gave birth to the modern design as we know it. The company that created it was founded in Canada in 1939, but it was only in the 60's when their breakout product was created - the Wonderbra Model 1300, which was a lace push-up. Here's the ad released in 1968:

Trivia: this is the first TV ad ever shown with a live model wearing only a bra

It was a huge leap back then. During the 50's and 60's, the norm for breast support were girdles. However, the feminist movement campaigned for women to burn their bras. Hems were getting shorter, clothes were showing more flesh, so it was only practical to cut back on girdles as well.

The 1990s saw the Wonderbra becoming famous worldwide, culminating with Eva Herzigova's traffic-stopping billboard in 1994.  

I came with no expectations during the last Clinique Party, but I have to say I was impressed by all the readers who went. They looked gorgeous! I would like to claim that it's because of the tireless efforts of this blog (hihi) but I'd be fooling myself. Good-looking women are that way because they're confident about themselves and their daily sartorial or beauty choices. Beauty has always been in how you perceive and value YOU.

To everyone going to my Clinique Party tomorrow, I'm excited to meet all of you! Look good ha, but no pressure. :P Here are the outfits of the readers who went to the first round:

Kira in her cute modern boheme outfit

That's Marbbie looking electric! Color blocking wtf!

Good skin is easy. Yes, it is. All you need is lots of sleep, lots of water, and a skincare routine you can bet your life on. Beautiful skin, on the other hand, takes a little more effort. It's skin that glows from within, skin that looks smooth and flawless as if it was just born yesterday. That's where makeup comes in.

If there is one product I would recommend to enhance the skin you already have, it will be the Guerlain Meteorites Perles. I've been hearing about this legendary powder ever since I was a wee makeup newbie - they say it's so good, you'll forget the price tag when you see it on your face. It's true!

Precious pearls

The Guerlain Meteorites powder in Teint Dore, upon swatching, doesn't look like it could do much. It's quite translucent so it's difficult to see the effect. But don't be fooled, it's actually "pigmented" in its own way.

Yes, yes, I know, Majolica Majorca again! Can't help it! I have a bunch of Majo stuff I still need to review. I like the products from the brand so I end up talking about them anyway.

This time, I'll be reviewing the Majolica Majorca Rouge Majex lip gloss (P495). 

What I love about the product

• Non-sticky. Doesn't feel tacky on the lips.
• Moisturizing. I don't even have to use lip balm underneath!
• Great lasting power for a lip gloss. Eating doesn't take it off, a feat not many lipglosses can achieve.

Cream concealers provide the heaviest coverage, but they can be a bit drying and take a little more effort to apply. Liquid concealers, on the other hand, have lighter coverage but application is a breeze. I'm a fan of cream concealers but I wanted to shake it up a bit by buying a well-reviewed liquid concealer: The Balm's Liquid Time Balm (P875 at Beauty Bar).

The Balm's Time Balm cream concealer has a fan base of its own, so when they came out with the liquid version, expectations were high. I'm happy to say that the Liquid Time Balm is a good concealer - but not without a few caveats.

What I love about the product

• Heavy coverage. One dab is enough to hide a cluster of blemishes.
• Has Tea Tree oil, so this is perfect for acne-prone skin. It helps dry pimples quickly. I'm happy to report that I never broke out with this product though.

I promised to show you my favorite way of wearing this awesome gold eyeliner from In2It, and here it is!

It's super simple. Just use a brown eyeliner (I like the Urban Decay eyeliner in Bourbon), then top it with the gold one.

The French-Japanese cosmetic brand, Paul & Joe, has been in the Philippines for four years now. It seems only yesterday when I first heard about it. I was still in college then, and I would read so many raves about their foundation (which is really good btw)! Fast-forward to four years and the brand has grown stronger, releasing new collections every month or so.

The brand celebrated its fourth birthday here by throwing an intimate afternoon party for the press in Lusso, Greenbelt 5. A lot of prizes were given away with the grand prize being P20,000 worth of Paul & Joe products! *whistles* The girl who won that is sooo lucky! Anyway, here are the photos:

I've applied makeup on myself more times than I'd care to count. I've discovered a few shortcuts and tricks in the process because I have to streamline, to cut down the time it takes for me to put on all that junk on my face. Some of these I learned from other makeup mavens. So here are "secret" and not-so-secret shortcuts! 

• On making the nose look more high-bridged: swipe a concealer across the bridge of your nose starting from between your temples to the tip. Use your forefinger. Make sure the concealer is just one shade lighter than your skintone (the usual). You don't have to use contouring powder and brushes to shape your nose!
• Speeding up concealer application: use your finger. Brushes sometimes deliver lighter coverage, less than what your concealer can actually do.

I don't have any major scars thanks to the fact that my skin heals pretty well. I had a nasty bout with chickenpox when I was a high school junior, but most of the scars have faded way within two years. My childhood scars are still here, but they're hard to detect unless you look closely. So yeah, I am not that concerned about any skin disfigurement.

What I am obsessed about though are my face blemishes. While my skin heals easily, it also becomes damaged easily. I get a blemish whether I pop a pimple or not so I look like I have freckles when I'm not wearing concealer. If we are to be technical about it, I guess we can say that my face is full of small scars. Ugh. My only solace before is that the blemishes fade in a month, so I just buckle down and wait them out.

When Hiruscar sent me a tube a couple of weeks back, I practically forgot about it. But I had a crazy idea the other day - can Hiruscar remove blemishes?

It is incredibly hot today, the kind of heat that burns like laser on skin. I know because I've been running around the metro since this morning. First, Mercato Centrale for breakfast (those Tea.ology drinks are the bees knees). Then we went all the way to Fairview to pick up something. Then we went to Greenhills, where I bought a couple of cute accessories while Marco had his battery replaced.

All in all a nice Sunday. I'm thankful for my SPF 100 lotion. And Ferretti espadrilles, they are perfect for weather like this.

Clinique Philippines was happy with how the first party for Project Vanity friends and readers turned out. So, upon insistent public demand (humor me) we have decided to throw a Clinique party again!

Who is this party for?

• It's exclusive only to Project Vanity readers
• Girls (and boys too) who want to experience what Clinique has to offer
• People who want to make new beauty addict friends!

What's going to happen?

• You'll get a Clinique skin consultation. Are you oily, dry, combination? What products will best work for your skin type?

When I first used the Strivectin-SD Instant Retexturing Scrub, I immediately thought: "Oooh! It's a facial in a tube!" My face felt as if it just came out of a 30-minute facial, which is saying a lot for a couple of minutes of scrubbing. My skin was moisturized, smooth ("retexturized"?) and my pores were flushed out.

What I like most about this scrub is that the beads are very fine, so the skin doesn't feel rubbed raw after using it. The product felt gentle on my face, but Strivectin strictly recommends that you use it only twice a week because of its potency. 

So, remember those Ferretti clogs that I was yapping about last Saturday? I visited the store yesterday to get them - I was dead set - but then practicality kicked in. I just got a pair of oxford heels (which I haven't even gotten to wear yet!) and I already have a pair of clogs. They're a bit redundant for my shoe collection, so I decided to buy something I don't have yet - espadrilles.

They're perfect for summer and utterly comfortable on my feet. They're versatile enough to be worn with most outfits, but they're not that plain. I ask you this: why wear flip flops when you can wear espadrilles? ;)

I bought it for only P899. I have been abusing my old Ferretti wedges since I got them last October, so I can vouch for their comfort and quality.

I'm stressed out lately. Well, who isn't? My excuse is that I'm busy with my new work, juggling all my other priorities, and then there are all these issues plaguing the local blogging community right now. I just want to go on vacation - again.

I'll be vacationing with the family in a couple of weeks, but for the meantime the next best thing to do is to visit a spa. I got a gift certificate  for a free facial at The Spa a couple of weeks back (won it from a contest). I finally made time to use it last Monday, and I enjoyed it so much that I decided to pay for a massage! That explains my good mood. :D

I first visited The Spa last year when I treated our Asian Secrets bride, Kirby, to the Bonifacio High Street branch. Just stepping through the wide doors gave me such a rich sensory experience that I promised myself I'd go back. You'll understand me when you go in, too - there's this sweet tangerine smell that immediately surrounds you.