Christmas celebrations will start tomorrow, so you should be done with your gift shopping by now. In case you aren't though, troop to VMV Hypoallergenics to get rescued! They have gorgeous holiday sets available, like this one:  

There are tons of sets out there but I think VMV trumps them all. The packaging is gorgeous - boxes come with tissue and some fluff inside, neatly tied with a grosgrain ribbon accented with mistletoe - plus you get products that your recipient will probably love. It looks expensive (but it's not since one set is on averge P1,500). It's already wrapped. The products of VMV are amazing. 

Everybody wins!

The set I have here is called Merry Goin' Round.

I'm a voracious blog reader. Personally, I enjoy reading honest-to-goodness writing and lovely photos. Professionally, I need to listen to the pulse of the industry. That's why I'm happy that there are so many new beauty and fashion blogs that cropped up this year! They introduced me to more individuals with interesting styles and points of view.

Photo from Paul

Aside from following popular beauty and fashion bloggers (like Nikki, Sophie, Shen, Jill, Laureen, Camille, and such), I also like to browse through every blog in the niche that I can find. There are other bloggers, however, whose updates I really look forward to reading. I like how they talk, mostly. :)

Bless My Bag. Gorgeous photos, writing, and blogger. Julia is now working as a professional makeup artist, which I really admire! If you don't follow her blog yet, you MUST.

Anartechoke. Ae looks like a model, but she's actually an architect. Her makeup musings and looks are practical and straight-to-the-point, but she has a quiet glamour about her. I know because I met her once. Love.

The other day, a package arrived from Pond's. One of its contents was a gold box:

With a note:

I’m thinking of getting a new camera lately. The one I’m using now is an oooooold, old model that’s about five years old! It does take good photos though, no? My beauty blog wouldn’t be anything without such a trusty and amazing gadget.

If you're a girl with a budget to mind, it pays to know where you can penny pinch or spend big on beauty goodies. It should keep you from buying expensive items that have more affordable substitutes.

However, if you have a bit of windfall once in a while, it wouldn't hurt to buy big-ticket beauty items simply because they feel luxurious to use (in terms of packaging and texture), plus they're simply more reliable (in terms of overall efficacy or staying power). Most expensive products are pricey for a reason.

Ok let's go!

Beauty products to splurge on:

• Moisturizer. Moisturizers are the kind of things you can't take a chance on. Use the wrong one and you break out. Simple. Use the right one and you have moisturized skin. Period. Use a great one and you have glowing skin! These are usually expensive, but that's for a reason.

• Serum. If you like giving your skin an extra boost, serums are your best bets. They offer to alleviate problems like wrinkles, oily skin, blemishes, roughness, and so on. And whoop tee do, the really good ones actually do. For a price.

Yesterday, I dropped by Market! Market! to pick up a lovely gift from Etude House. We agreed that I was to pick it up today, but since I was in the area yesterday, I thought I'd take a chance and just see if the package was already available. And it was! I know that sounds like a small thing but it was a very pleasant surprise for busy bee me.

I got the Wanna Be Collection as illustrated by Annika Wester. The packaging is, to put it mildly, absolutely gorgeous! The illustrations are ace but the matte, thick cartons really add to that expensive feeling. I can't bear to throw the boxes away!

The Etude Girl illustrations by Annika Wester

Morning, guys. Today we have a pretty guest blogger to review an interesting liquid foundation. Say hi to Tracie, and don't forget to read her blog, Tracie the Diva! 

We all know that mineral foundation is healthier for our skin, especially for problematic skin. Without the harsh chemicals, the skin could benefit from fewer breakouts. But the annoying thing about mineral make-up is the mess since it’s usually in loose powder form. It takes more effort in applying the make-up and cleaning up your dresser. 

I think Kanebo has heard the woes of MMU users and created the KATE Mineral Liquid Foundation (P900). Though they are not the first to release mineral foundation in liquid form, so far it is one of the best I’ve tried!

Texture. As most liquid foundations are applied with either a sponge or a brush because most are thick and getting it even on the skin is a challenge, the texture of this liquid foundation is light but not runny so you can use your fingers to blend it out when you’re in a hurry.

This is the first time I've been acquainted with the organic brand, Venus & Mars. Yes I know, I know, but I'm not big on organic stuff to begin with. In any case, I can say that we're off to a good start! I'm currently loving the Venus & Mars Lip Butter Tints. I have the one in Cherry Berry and it's pretty good.

It gives a pigmented, lipstick-like wash of color that looks lovely with a couple of swipes. I love that the colors leaves a nice stain even after eating or drinking. Plus, the product is moisturizing and doesn't feel greasy or waxy at all.

The first thing you'll notice about the Shu Uemura Cleansing Oils is the price tag. They're quite expensive, there's no way to get around it! I used to think that there are equally good alternatives and for a while I've even used some like the ones from Muji and Pure Beauty, which are less than P500 for a big 200ml bottle.

However, when I got sample bottles of the Shu oil, I found out why it was so expensive. It is the best makeup remover + skincare product I've ever tried! And you know I've tried quite a number of them. Thus, I committed to a 450ml bottle of the Shu Uemura High Performance Balancing Cleansing Oil (P4,000).

What I love about it:

• Removes all makeup (except long-wearing, waterproof mascara) in a jiffy. I use less than one pump for my whole face and just massage gently to dissolve the makeup. It gets rid of waterproof eyeliner and liquid foundation, primers, lipstick, and powder makeup. They all wash off.

• It's skincare. Ever since I started using it, my skin looked better.

Working for Filipino retailers has made me appreciate the hard work and talent that goes into each garment, shoe, bag, or accessory. It's really different when it's Pinoy made. Lacking heavy machinery that mass-producing countries like China have, our workers have resorted to more or less creating things by hand.

At least, when it comes to homegrown, small brands. It's the same for locally produced cosmetics brands like Leyende and Venus & Mars.

Anyway, I was surfing blogs a couple of weeks back when I first read about Jewelled Bags. It's a Pinoy brand that makes these beautiful bags that are heavy with beads, semi-precious gems, glass, and other appliques. They also come in indigenous fabrics and luxe skins like snake and leather. 

Each bag is elaborate and obviously carefully made. From what I understand, there is only a limited number made for each style, so you're assured that what you have is more or less unique.

Christmas and New Year are two of the most stressful holidays of the year. It’s even worse because they’re just a week apart! We need to buy gifts and food for the festivities, squeezing between throngs of people to get things done. Then we have to attend parties with a healthy dose of crazy traffic in between - and by crazy I mean spending hours on the road when it used to take only minutes. 

It’s no surprise that our skin looks dull, puffy, and dark around the eyes. That’s because of the stress and over-eating. You may have also probably observed some dryness around the mouth, nose, and eyebrows too, which is usually caused by the cooler December weather. 

So, given all that, how do we look fresh during the holidays? Short of going on a long beach vacation, that is. I’ve got tips!

Adjust your skincare routine. Retire your heavy duty anti-oil, mattifying products in favor of gentler, creamier ones that do not strip your skin of moisture. When my skin is feeling dry, I like using the Sebamed Liquid Face & Body Wash and the Clinique Derma White moisturizer. I also use serum more regularly. More affordable gentle alternatives can be found from Cetaphil, Myra, and Neutrogena.

Exfoliate. Once skin is peeling, there’s nothing you can do to revive it. Just slough it off! Use a holey sea sponge with your facial wash for a natural exfoliation routine (Beauty Bar has those). You can also try using microfiber cloth with warm water; it works wonders! I like the Jane Iredale Magic Mitt but I am sure that normal microfiber will do.

If you must use a product, try the newly-released White Result Exfoliating Gel (available from Tupperware sellers). It does the job but it’s probably the gentlest of them all.

Saturday, and I finally have time to settle down and pick the commenter of the month for November. :D She is Jean Melgar. She's been reading Project Vanity for years now, I think, and I'm glad to give her the Clinique set as a hearty thank you. 

And now, for the December gift!

Ta-dah! The commenter of the month for December will get a VMV Hypoallergenics facial of her choice.

Do you know how the Bobbi Brown empire started? No? Ten lipsticks. That's how. Bobbi Brown is famous for her foundations, gel eyeliner, and blushes, but it was with lipsticks that the cosmetics company started off in the 1990s. You should read her lipstick diaries, an account of the inspirations and descriptions of her first ten lipsticks to understand the love that went into making them.

I got my first Bobbi Brown lipstick around two years ago when I got acquainted with the brand. It was called Brownie Pink and became my constant companion to, well, everywhere. It was a wearable color that was my perfect MLBB! For Bobbi, lipsticks are considered as foundations. That is, the most flattering lipstick is the one that's the exact shade of your lips. That's what Brownie Pink was to me: my lip foundation.

Of course, you should also have fun with your lip color by trying out bright and sultry shades. I recently got a Bobbi Brown lipstick simply called Pink, and oh, what a gorgeous pink it is!

Skincare, whether you are a man or a woman, is not an option. There's no stigma when women take precious care of their skin, but men? It seems that the prevailing thought is that if you're a guy and you use something other than soap and shampoo, you're considered metrosexual or even gay. That's unfair and quite counterproductive. If men can't not brush their teeth, then they also can't not use a proper facial wash, toner, and moisturizer.

Maybe the stigma lies in how products are packaged. Let me share a conversation I had with someone from a giant skincare company. The rep remarked that they are surprised that their new facial wash (then) was so successful, even men were buying them. It appears that men thought the new facial wash was for them simply because the tube was black.

Maybe guys don't feel as shy about skincare when the packaging is very much male. What do you think? If that's the case then they will love Watsons Men skincare line, with it's macho metal tubes and sporty bottles.

These days I am scrabbling for time to properly blog. :( I want to write more how-tos and tips, but those usually take me a good two hours to do. So, for the meantime, I'll be doing rapid-fire posts instead.

Snaps watching over my stuff as they wait to be photographed.

I just finished with a massive product photo session so I'd like to give you an idea of what I'll be writing about in the coming weeks!

Benefit Hervana blush. This much-awaited blush is much-awaited for a reason.

Benefit Triple Performing Facial Emulsion. Awesome stuff, this from a girl who is super picky about moisturizers.

Benefit Watt's Up Highlighter. Cream-to-powder illuminator that doesn't look weird.

Lancome Teint Miracle. "Light creator" sums up what it does!

Since Benefit is opening today, I thought I'd direct the spotlight to one of my favorite products from the brand: the Benefit Brow Zings (P1,600). I was quite loyal to my old routine (pencil + powder) but after coming across Brow Zings, well, it was love at first try!

Before, I usually did my eyebrows a shade lighter, a bit blonder. But as some readers said in my light vs dark brows post, darker eyebrows frame my round face better and somehow matches my personality. That's why I've lately taken to wearing darker brows with the help of Brow Zings. 

What I love about the product 

• The colors look dark in the pan but they never give me scary, harsh-looking eyebrows. I'd say the effect looks quite natural. The wax + powder is pigmented but just enough to shape and shade, not draw on the eyebrows.
• The wax keeps my eyebrow hair in place. It thickens the hair and shades the skin underneath so it looks like I have lush-looking eyebrows. The powder sets the wax wonderfully and helps fill in the gaps. They work wonderfully together!

If you're lazy when it comes to washing your makeup brushes, raise your hand! *Raises hand* Well, you and I are in luck. There are such things as instant brush cleaners to make our lives easier. You simply spray it/ swirl on your brush, wipe, and voila it's as good as new.

I've heard and read of such wondrous inventions before but it's my first time to actually use one: the Parian Spirit Brush Cleaner (P800). It's a solution that melts makeup off your brushes, leaving it sanitized, deodorized, and ready to use in less than a minute. Professional makeup artists, theatre performers, and makeup studios love this stuff because it allows them to reuse their brushes quickly.

Scent. The first thing you'll notice about Parian is that it smells strongly of oranges (it has the essence of California organes, I hear).