Many of us regard Giordano as a staid and boring brand due to its track record of mainly selling basic tees (or "Essentials" as the brand would like to call it), but perhaps it's time to do a double-take. Giordano Ball Tees show the fun, carefree side of the brand with its 60s inspired retro prints featuring a more updated twist.

It doesn't hurt that each tee is only P899, plus they can be worn so many ways. A tee could go over a slinky dress, shorts, a body con skirt, or leggings. It can also go over maxi skirts or dresses, belted or knotted. 

The Majolica Majorca Aurora Tear Liner (P595) is the perfect accent for when you want to add a subtle oomph to your usual look. This eyeliner is not something that's immediately visible; the observer would have to take a closer look, but even then he or she will already have the impression that your eyes are rather sparkly - in a very pretty way, of course!

That said, this glitter liner from Majo is not a total must-have. Still, I think it's nice to have if you want something cute and sweet to spice up your usual makeup.

What I love about the product

• It looks great on top of your normal eyeliner, as well as on the tear ducts. It can also be used on the lashes (great for night makeup) or in the middle of the lips for that extra glitz at parties.

Today is going to be a super duper hectic day. I'm trying to get blogging out of the way so I won't have to fidget the rest of the time. Blogging for me has become such an ingrained habit that I'm uncomfortable if I don't blog according to schedule! I can't focus if I don't blog, so here we are. 

I just want to share a quick look I wore last Monday. The lips are a little loud for the office, but I thought I could get away with it with neutral eyes and almost bare cheeks.  It was the first time I took the Colour Collection lipstick in Crimson Pink for a spin and I have to say - I love it! The shade is very flattering on me as it brightens my whole face, plus I find it a nice break from the typical reds. 

Face: NARS Sheer Glow Foundation, MAC Studio Finish concealer, Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer Kit (for dark circles), Clinique translucent loose powder, Guerlain Meteorites

Cheeks: Shu Uemura Glow On blush in Amber

Do you know want to know the best way to sell something? It's simple. Sell something that's worth buying, something that's good and works beyond expectations and pricing. That's the reason I made an unplanned purchase of the Shu Uemura Hard Formula Brow Pencil in 09 Walnut Brown (P1,400) that afternoon at Shu Uemura in Rockwell.

I'm already super happy with my In2It Waterproof Eyebrow Color which I have been using for, oh I don't know, three years now so I really wasn't looking for a new brow product at that time. But after Patrick Alcober, Shu Uemura's MUA, demonstrated how my brows look like with the Hard Formula on, I was wowed! My brows looked like they came from a Preview magazine shoot! Lol. How can I leave the store without it?

What I love about the product 

• I can never go wrong with this pencil because it delivers soft color that looks extremely natural, no matter how heavy my hand is. The shade, Walnut Brown, lightens my eyebrows a bit (great if I'm going for that look) and matches my hair.

Opus was "THE" place to be that night Smart officially launched its partnership with mobile phone giant HTC. The popular club was full of celebrities, media personalities, and bloggers who wanted to find out what Smart x HTC has up their sleeves. I normally don't go to tech events, but I just wanted to say hi to the other beauty/fashion bloggers and of course, Jayvee, who I've worked a lot with in the past.

The willowy Sarah Meier-Albano hosted the event

Now, aside from the brand partnership, Smart and HTC also launched the "Facebook phone" - the HTC ChaCha. The main feature of the phone is the Facebook button that, once pressed, immediately updates your Wall according to the context of your activities. For example, if you take a photo and press the FB button, the photo is automatically uploaded to your Facebook wall. It can also post the music you're listening to, your location, and even updates your contacts' profiles on your phone to match the contacts' FB updates.

Photo grabbed from abuggedlife.com

If you're addicted to Facebook, then yes, the HTC ChaCha was invented for you. You can read more about it here. It'll be exclusively distributed by none other than Smart.

Here are photos of the event!

A lot of things are bothering me lately. That statement should logically lead to the "what", but since I don't really like wearing my heart on my sleeves online, well. I'm just not happy. However, I am the ultimate optimist so I know I'll get over this soon, but I just want to wallow a little, just a few minutes, until I move on.

I'll just leave the Bene Gesserit litany here because it's calming.

I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain. 

On to the kikay post! Nothing cheers me up than nice kilay, good skin days, and the color blue.

Face: Guerlain L'Or primer, Tony Moly Baby Doll BB Foundation, The Balm Time Balm Liquid Concealer, Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer Kit (undereyes), Clinique Blended Loose Powder, Guerlain Meteorites

I had very high hopes about the Human Heart Nature Natural Moisturizing Shampoo (P44.75) and Conditioner (P49.75). Just a couple of washes using both products left my hair feeling soft, shiny, and less frizzy. Of course, the fact that these two are completely natural and safe to use (no pthalates, parabens, SLS/ SLES, formaldehyde, and other toxic stuff) added to the appeal.

I also loved the texture of both products - the shampoo was delightfully foamy while the conditioner was creamy and smooth on my hair. I only had to use a little to do the job.

As much as I want to really love these products though, I got quite a few pimples while using them.

Are you a makeup snob? I wouldn't call myself one because I do use drugstore brands that do wonderful things for the price. However, in my experience, the more expensive products tend to work better than their affordable counterparts. That's why I would rather save my money and spend it on big-ticket beauty items if I'm going to have to buy a specific type of product anyway.

Take foundation, for instance. The best foundation I've ever tried hurt my wallet pretty badly, but it was one of my best buys ever. I have found that foundation is something that's difficult to get right so the good ones tend to cost a really pretty penny. That's why I kinda don't know why I purchased the Tony Moly Baby Doll BB DollFoundation, because it's just P398. I didn't know exactly what I expected from it!

Well, I was impressed when I swatched it in the store and thought it was quite interesting. The clincher though was the fact that Tony Moly was new and I want to try something new. Good thing that this foundation is actually a nice product so I feel that my 400 bucks went to the right place.

Coverage and finish. I wouldn't call the Tony Moly BB Doll Foundation a proper "foundation" though. It's really more of a BB cream or tinted moisturizer to me, judging by the texture and coverage.

It's out! The latest version of the popular Charm Travel Pro brush set (P2,200) is now in stock at Beauty and Minerals! I'm not going to do a review of this set just yet since I got it only a few days ago, so for now I'll just show you some pictures and do a quick comparison between this and the Version 2 from last year.

The new Charm Travel Pro V3 has 14 brushes for the eyes, face, and cheeks. It's a powerhouse of high-quality brushes that can do a variety of advanced makeup looks while still being convenient to travel with.

Dark eye circles can not always be cured - well, short of surgery that is. They may simply be a genetic predisposition, or stress and sleepless nights are just part and parcel of your daily life. I do love Eyliplex-2 for lessening dark circles, but undereye creams can only do so much if you're stubbornly prone to darkening in that area.

The next best thing is to use a great undereye concealer. Mind you, not all concealers are good for the undereyes. That area requires something that can both stand sweat and watery eyes without being too opaque and hard. A good eyebag concealer is creamy, moisturizing, natural yet with good coverage, and wears well throughout the day.

The new Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer Kit (P1,900) fits all those qualifications. It contains a pan of concealer and a pressed powder that goes really well together. I believe that this is the improved, reformulated version of the old kit (double-deck compact with loose powder at the bottom), which I think is too emollient and messy to use because of the loose powder.

What I love about the product

• Opaque, yet looks like skin when applied. It only takes a few dabs to completely cover up my dark circles! It melts on skin, looking natural and invisible (you'll know what I mean when you see the before and after photos).
• I've worn this during long work days outside the house, and this has withstood the humidity and sweat during the whole day. It doesn't become patchy nor does it fade considerably. 

I saw a swatch of the OPI Lucerne-tainly Look Marvelous (P395) polish in a blog somewhere and couldn't stop thinking about it. This particular nail color was from a limited edition collection so I don't know if I can find it again. Good thing that the only OPI collection that Market Market carries is the Swiss Collection for Fall 2010 - the one that has Lucerne-tainly Look Marvelous! Ha!

The shade is a gunmetal grey with micro sparkles. It's unexpectedly smooth to the touch once it dries, with a high-shine finish to it.

Let's face it, we're all much too young here to be using heavy-duty anti-aging products like the Filextra Facial Revolumizing Treatment with Collagen (P2,800) *wink*. But I'm sure you know an aunt, grandmother, or even your own mom, who might need something like it!

Filextra is a face moisturizer that is designed to "revolumize" a face that has devloped sunken cheeks or eye sockets due to loss of collagen over time. As we age, we produce less collagen, thus resulting in sallower, thinner skin that sags. Filextra targets that particular sign of aging by providing instant brightening with light-reflecting ingredients. In the long term, it's supposed to rebuild the skin using collagen boosters, refill by replenishing H2O levels in the skin, and revolumize by using an advanced lipid filling complex.

Of course, I can't use and review this for you since I'm quite young, but I can tell you about how light and easily absorbed the texture is.

I did mention before that I'm not a bag person, so I ever rarely buy bags for myself. This is why I super appreciate it whenever I get good bags as a gift. XP I got this plastic/mesh bag with orange pleather straps from Avon. It's where they housed their press samples of the recently launched Advance Techniques haircare line (more on that soon).

It's the kind of bag I can actually bring everywhere shamelessly since there are no tawdry logos or details. It's simple, elegant, and looks well-made. It reminds me a little of this cute line of bags from Furla:

I first laid eyes on these Parfois platforms last May, when I became their stylist for the day. I found the shoes a bit pricey though at P2,280, and besides, I was in an accessories craze at that time. 

Good thing I waited! Last Wednesday, I was in Megamall running errands. I decided to drop by Parfois because of the screaming 70% off sale signs, and while walking inside, I was muttering in my head "please be on sale pleasebeonsale pleasebeonsale". It was! I got the shoes for a little over P1,500! 

Thrifted secretary blouse/ Forever 21 embroidered skirt/ Parfois bracelet/ Naccara majorica pearl cocktail ring

It was raining cats and dogs plus half of Manila was stranded that night, but it didn't stop the launch of one of my favorite lipsticks, the Estee Lauder Pure Color last June 23 at Opus. I already reviewed the two variants, Long Lasting and Crystal, and the short of it is that I highly recommend EL Pure Color if you want to give your lips a treat. The lipstick is expensive (P1,350 a tube) but it's nice to indulge in if you're looking for something luxurious for a change.

Me and Liz of Estee Lauder

Beauty queen Priscilla Meirelles, pop songstress Isabella Ledesma-Gonzalez, sportscaster/TV host Cesca Litton and Fil-Korean radio jock, TV host and journalist Grace Lee presented the lipsticks to the press. Each of them represented a specific hue from the brand’s thematic color palette, namely: Coral Red, Plum, Nude and Pink.

Haven't been to a SuperSale Bazaar in a while, actually! But I'm going because Ferretti and our sister brand, Simply Felice, will be there. You guys know I love Ferretti, but you MUST also check out Simply Felice. It's our clothing brand that is only currently available in the Gaisano Mall of Davao, but we're debuting it in Manila tomorrow.

The clothes at Simply Felice fun, girly, and affordable at an average price of P700, but they're not the sort you'll find just anywhere. Of course, the accessories are also worth a gander - they're of the same quality and styles as this necklace I scored last week.

But I guess I better show you some of the pieces you'll see tomorrow. All of them come in very limited quantities so if you like anything, you should go ASAP. ;)

Yesterday, I dropped by Tony Moly's recently opened branch in Megamall. I wasn't able to attend the press launch last Tuesday due to work but Foz, their marketing person, kindly set aside my press kit for me anyway.

The kit included a bunch of goodies, but I also bought this Baby Doll BB Foundation (P398) because it looked super promising when I swatched it in the store. So yeah, here's my Tony Moly loot! It'll take a bit of time to review them but I'll add my first impressions here for your reference when you visit the store. ;)

The Baby Doll BB Foundation is supposed to control oil. I tried it on half my face and it's light, it dried quickly enough. It's the only foundation at Tony Moly that can match medium skin like mine - everything else is too light. The cute bunny bottle is a face mist, I haven't tried it yet. It's called Pocket Bunny Sleek Mist. The tomato jar is their best-selling Tomatox Brightening Mask that instantly brightens skin (I swatched it on the back of my hand, it does).

The Shiseido Supplist Poreless Powder Foundation was my HG foundation for a while. I think I used up two or three pans of it before moving on my current favorite! While I wouldn't mind buying this foundation again for lazy days or as setting powder on top of liquid foundation (when I really need coverage), the Supplist has sadly been discontinued last year. 

Now, its younger, flashier sister has appeared on the makeup scene - the Majolica Majorca Skin Remaker Pore Cover Foundation (P895/refill while the case is ~P500). The quality and finish of this foundation reminds me so much of the Shiseido Supplist, and it's not a surprise really. Shieseido makes Majolica Majorca after all! 

The main difference between the two would be the better powder quality and coverage of the Shiseido Supplist. Otherwise, I'd say that the Skin Remaker Pore Cover is a cheap dupe of its pricy sister.

What I love about the product 

• Delivers a very smooth, flawless finish.
• Coverage is light to medium. I recommend applying this wet if you want heavier coverage.

Sometimes, all it takes to have and spread good vibes is to just look the part. I was all about good vibes last Friday when I went to a shoot for Ferretti. I knew it was going to be a fun day, a good one, so I made sure my whole outfit was in tune with it.

Topshop blouse/ Soiree jhodpurs/ Ferretti tan wedges/ Parfois gold leaf necklace and ring 

I really liked my outfit that day but, yes, I should really learn how to pose. Never mind! The color combination and silhouette was what mattered. For makeup, I wanted to road test my Color Atelier palette from Shu Uemura for the first time. I only had 10 minutes to do my face since the call time for the shoot was early, so I just lined my eyes with two shades for that nice cheery pop of color.

Face: NARS Sheer Glow Foundation, MAC Studio Finish concealer, Makeup Forever Full Cover Concealer (for those really pesky blemishes), Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer Kit (for dark circles), Clinique translucent loose powder, Guerlain Meteorites

It was a slow hour at work when I saw the Zoya Mod Matte Mini Trio at Digital Traincase. I didn't really intend to buy anything online, but I have wanted to try Zoya and matte nail polish for some time now. I slept on it for a couple of nights but I decided to get the set anyway since P800 for the set is an ok price plus the colors looked fantastic.

Well I was going to write a few more lines saying how I was so excited about this set, but I'll save myself the trouble and say that I am sorely disappointed by these Zoya matte polishes. They are smooth, pigmented, dries fast and the colors looked even better in person. However, even with a base, these nail polishes will chip within a day. If you carry something heavy, or open something with a planed edge, or if you just happen to wash the dishes, several of the nails will already have big chips. :/

Phoebe, Lolly, Mitzi