A good lipstick wardrobe has an even mix of daily, subdued shades and bright sparks of color. At least 30% of your lipstick collection should comprise of unforgettable shades, the kind that people stop to ask what you have on. Trust me, it's good for your self-esteem! Even if there aren't many occasions to wear these bright shades out, knowing that you have them and can wear them any time you damn well please already adds to that feeling of empowerment. 

The question is: when should you go bright, and when should you go light? A touch of flattering color on your lips is ideal for more conservative settings like at your office, a business meeting, or perhaps a work-related conference. It's also great for any situation wherein you want to look approachable and likeable - meeting the parents, a new group of friends, making a sale, things like that.

Bright lipstick, on the other hand, is perfect for special occasions, parties, and casual get-togethers among close friends or co-workers. If you have a creative, image-heavy job like being a makeup artist, stylist, actress, magazine writer, etc. then you can pretty much wear any color you feel like!

How terrible are your eye bags and wrinkles? I think they're never as ugly as we think they are. I have met celebrities before and believe me - their dark circles and lines are as real and obvious as any of ours. They just wear a lot more makeup than average and have the luxury of having their lesser features edited out in print. This gives us an unreasonable expectation on how much better we should look like, when in reality we already look perfectly fine.

Still, that's not an excuse to be complacent when caring for our skin. :) Eye cream, for instance, is something anyone from their early 20s up can appreciate! The earlier you begin, the more regular your routine is, the less damage your eye area will take in the decades to come.

So! Today I'll be sharing my first impressions + info on the Lancome Visionnaire Yeux, Advanced Eye Contour Perfecting Corrector (P3,295). 

Visionnaire Yeux is the first eye contour care to incorporate LR 2412, for high  performance combined with uncompromising tolerance, suitable for all skin types, even sensitive.  

Dark circle correction: immediate and long-term effectiveness 

The formula, composed of Haloxyl™ and caffeine, offers spectacular results. It has been clinically proven: week after week, dark circles fade away. A 26% improvement in their colour and 8% reduction in their size are observed after four weeks.

If there was a law limiting the number of hot pink lipsticks a person can own, I would already be in violation of it. Probably. I'm slightly afraid to count exactly how many hot pinks I have, but it appears that I still end up accumulating them! Not that I'm complaining, of course. I hope you don't mind, either, because today I have yet another smokin' pink to share with you guys.

I picked up the Nichido High Definition Lipstick in Rouge Blossom (P198) upon the recommendation of a sales attendant. This is apparently one of the best-selling shades from the Nichido HD Lipstick line - I had to try it out! It looked like a deep red-pink in the tube, perhaps something gothic at first glance, but it's undoubtedly a bright pink.

This is packed with pigment and opaque in only one layer. It doesn't have much oil or emollient in it, so you won't experience that creamy, slippery feeling like in more moisturizing lipsticks. This has a matte finish, and a slight powdery feel on the lips. It's not a bad thing. It feels like it's hugging my lips nicely, like it would stay on for hours.

I hinted that I'll be giving away a full-sized set in my Shiseido Ibuki Skincare review. This is it guys! One lucky winner can get full sizes of the Cleanser, Softening Concentrate, and Refining Moisturizer. This set is worth almost P5,000 - it's definitely worth the extra effort. ;)

Ibuki is my current HG skincare and I can tell you, it really helped my skin recover from the daily stresses life throws at it. It definitely makes my skin ready for anything! In that vein, Shiseido and I would love to know a little more about you - what does your day look like? Are you the kind of woman Shiseido envisioned when they created the Ibuki line?

I know we are! Our lives are so busy that we aren't able to worry about how our skincare is not suiting the levels of stress we get from our environment and schedule. With Shiseido Ibuki, you can get skincare that works for and with your busy life. As someone who has been using this line for two months, I can attest to the fact that it can keep my skin glowing even during the most stressful days. ^_^ So yeah, it's a must try!

Now, for the mechanics! 

I've started a personal blog again. Actually, I planned to move Project Vanity to the latest version of the platform I'm using (Squarespace), but it's STILL slow and there are features I need that aren't available there yet. So, for the meantime, I'm going to use that new space I'm working on to house my personal blog. Just follow my Twitter account @lizlan and you may see links to new posts. ;) 

So. Lipstick Week is back! I know this is one of your favorite themed weeks ever. Mine too actually! I have a few (okay, not a few) lipsticks here that I haven't reviewed yet so it's about time. I'll start with something a little overdue: the Avon Ultra Color Rich Lipstick (P379). I believe these came out last August, along with a new eyeshadow formula and lip gloss collection.

The Ultra Color Rich lipsticks are all about bright, attention-grabbing punches of color. Where Vitaluscious lipsticks were sheer and moisturizing, Ultra Color has mid- to heavy-coverage that sets in half an hour. The texture is creamy and smooth; it's not moisturizing, but it doesn't dry my lips either. For formulas like this I recommend that you let your lips absorb a thin layer of lip balm first.

It smells sweet, not too much that it offends.

Carnation, Hibiscus, Country Rose Tangerine (sorry I was missing Lava Love while I was taking this photo)

The color pay-off is pretty amazing, but it streaks in some of the shades I have (Carnation and Hibiscus). Lava Love and Tangerine are already opaque in one layer! The other shades need two. That's not much of an effort in any case.

Staying power is average at 3-4 hours. I do like that the brighter ones leave a nice stain. Here are the swatches of the five shades I have!

I'm not going to be modest - a lot of people have commented here and in person about how my skin seems to be glowing lately. They've asked me to post my current skincare routine, as well! I've been holding out because I don't want to rave about something that isn't available yet, but finally, it's here!

I've been using the Shiseido Ibuki Skincare Line since I first experienced it in Tokyo last July. It's been two months and I have seen visible and even drastic results. You know how petal-like, translucent baby skin is the trend in Asia now? The Shiseido Ibuki products made that happen for me. It also helped fade blemishes quicker (wasn't even using my favorite anti-spot serum) and made my face feel considerably softer and smoother.

I've been struggling with bad combination-oily skin for most of my adult life. Ibuki made me realize that my face could be so much more.

The truth is, I didn't even intend to use the Ibuki to begin with! I was breaking out in Tokyo while I was there (summer humidity + stress) so I was mighty unsure if I should even be experimenting with new skincare.

But the Shiseido presentation and overall company culture convinced me to try this new line out. A scientist from Yokohama, Mr Aoki, even went to discuss how they structured the formula. Ibuki was born out of Shiseido's desire to address the needs of busy young women. They wanted to create a skincare line that can keep up with us - something that can battle the effects of stress and pollution on our skin. 

Shiseido is dead serious about these kinds of things. Going to their headquarters, meeting their people, experiencing their rich history in person made me realize how Shiseido values the customer and our needs.

So. Here's my review of the Ibuki Skincare line! This'll be a little long since I've been using these products almost everyday since I got them. Ready? ^_^

When I started (erm, mildly) obsessiing over my eyebrows, I loved using pencils. Then I loved powders, because I feel they give me face a softer look. Then I loved pens because they offer so much more precision with the same natural effect. But now, my absolute favorite formula when it comes to eyebrow makeup is cream. Nothing beats a cream formula when it comes to shading eyebrows - it is precise yet natural, creamy and soft-looking at the same time. The clincher is the color though. I find that they are more complex and more flattering on my skin.

I've only tried two gel/cream formulas so far, but I'm definitely interested to get more! I've already reviewed the MAC Fluidline Brow Gelcreme. This time, I have the Tarte Amazonian Clay Waterproof Brow Mousse (P1,400 from Stuff In Style). I actually discovered this by accident only, while browsing through Instagram. Stuff In Style posted this and I was like, wow! This could be the dupe of the MAC Fluidline for brows, which is limited edition and already out of stock.

So is it? A dupe? This brow mousse has the same wonderful color payoff and super smooth, natural finish. It also stays on pretty much all day - I wore it to my yoga class yesterday and it didn't budge. But that's where the similarity ends.

One of the most memorable conversations I've ever had is with this lifestyle writer. He was a famous socialite in the 80s and 90s, and he told me all about his life in Europe. He also shared some of his beauty and health tips - I just HAD to know, because he looked 40 when he could've been pushing 50 or even 60!

I remember that he had this off-shoulder blouse on (we're Facebook friends, it's like his trademark look). He dared me to touch his shoulder. I did, and I swear he had the softest skin I've ever touched. Softer than mine, at any rate! Of course I asked him what his body lotion was. He said that he has been using Physiogel religiously for a long time.

I keep meaning to pick up a tube of the stuff but I'm very rarely in Mercury. Good thing Sample Room sent me one! 

The Physiogel Intensive Cream (P574.50) is a heavy moisturizer specifically formulated for moderately dry to dry skin. It smells like a blend of coconuts and butter - not too overpowering but you won't miss the scent. The texture is very creamy and is absorbed by the skin easily enough.

A matte, neutral brown eyeshadow can do more than just shade your eyes - it can also perform well as eyebrow makeup. You're basically paying once for two items! How's that for a good deal? 

One of my favorite eyebrow powders is the MAC Espresso Eyeshadow (P1,000). This single eyeshadow is a neutral, mid-brown that suits most skintones, making it famous with makeup artists as a brow color. I actually like it better on my eyebrows than on my lids; it sticks to the skin so well, it can be a tad difficult to spread.

It lasts on my eyebrows all day. It's great for oily skin, where other more emollient products  seem to break down faster. It's also fairly easy to work with as long as you have a stiff eyebrow brush like this one from Charm.

I find that Esperesso isn't intense on the first layer so you can get more control in terms of pigmentation.

As you know one of my favorite eyebrow pencils is the Shu Uemura Hard Formula brow pencil. It is quite expensive, but it is AWESOME. Most people would think twice in spending for it (I know I did) but I find that it's totally worth the expense. Still, if you want something like it but don't have the cash to burn, I highly recommend the Majolica Majorca Brow Customize Sword Cut Pencil (P520 for the set)!

The shape of this auto-pencil is actually the same as Shu Uemura's Naginata sword cut. This shape makes it easier to get more precision when shading your eyebrows, although you do need to wear down the sharp sides first. The tip is just a little awkward in the beginning.

I have a love/hate relationship with SM Aura. I hate that the food choices are limited (as are seats during the weekend) and that the cinemas are almost always full. Seriously what's the point of having an IMAX theater near me when it's fully booked most of the time? I love the SM Store - so many well-curated items in there - but it's also limited. 

Still, the shopping at SM Aura blows High Street, Serendra, and Market! Market! out of the water. Before I would need to go to Makati to shop at stores like Forever 21, Uniqlo, Miss Selfridge, and Bershka. Now all that is 10 minutes away! I also love Suite Blanco (it's like a much cheaper Zara) and L'Indochine. 

Aside from clothes though, beauty shopping at SM Aura is also leveling up. The SM Beauty and Watsons there have excellent drugstore selections, but I love that MAC is also now available in the mall.

It's a huuuuge store, bigger than the one in Rockwell I think. It's all gleaming black surfaces and bright lights, as if you're in a real studio. The latest collections are also available there - check out these palettes!

The MAC Illustrated Ccllection by Rebecca Moses features limited edition kits and palettes. The palette containing the blush, four eyeshadows, and two lip colors retail for about P3,000. Not bad!

Here are more photos from the event!

Due to celebrities and perhaps even makeup bloggers, eyebrow makeup is now on top of the Filipina's to-buy list. I've heard a lot of brand managers say that eyebrow products are some of their most-requested items! This is not the case five years ago, when most of us was clueless about eyebrow makeup. 

You gotta love the Internet.

This week, I thought I'd pay homage to a product that I just can't survive properly without. I'll be discussing some eyebrow favorites, and (if time permits) do a video tutorial showing you my current technique! Do read back on my old eyebrow posts - I've already shared some awesome tutorials and reviews there.

Right, let's get the ball rolling! I'll begin with a P90 eyebrow pencil that I'm sure y'all would love (or at least like a lot). The Hayan Brown Auto Eyebrow Pencil in Dark Brown is an automatic pencil that comes with a spoolie on the other end. I like the neat packaging, the fine non-scratchy spoolie, and shade. 

Heya folks! Announcement time! The Commenters of the Month for August are Caterwauler and Rochelle Rivera. I also super appreciate Marie Watson's helpful comments (she already won last month actually), so I'll send her something nice as well. Kindly email your addresses, girls!

For September, I decided to give away something from my personal stash, from one of my favorite brands. Three guesses.

That's right, MAC! The loot will include a full-sized MAC Lipglass in Naked Space (a lovely nude) and MAC Fluidline Eyeliner in Little Black Bow. The CoM will also get 30ml bottles of the MAC Lightful Marine Bright Moisturizer and Cleanse Off Oil. Awesome right? 

Okay, same mechanics as before! Every month, I'll pick a commenter on my blog. She must be able to leave useful comments, such as sharing feedback about a product I reviewed.

I just found out that this girl I've been seeing for the past few months has some issues with underarm hair. She says that she's "balbon" in the said area and the strands are fatter than common underarm hair. It had always been an issue for her since adolescence and has slowly grown into an insecurity. Because of this, her parents paid for laser hair removal sessions; she's about to go into her 4th of 15 sessions.

She says it's working fine naman daw, and she's seeing some improvement. However, session intervals are long, and are getting longer as she progresses with the program. In between these sessions, she would simply let the hair grow out, and settle for clothes with sleeves. She won't shave because she's afraid that it may darken her underarms. She only does so when absolutely needed, like when she has to attend an event where she has to wear a dress or something.

Anyway, I heard about epilators from my girl friends. I'm thinking of getting her one for her to use in between sessions. I googled about them and ran into this blog. Now, I ask, would you recommend that I buy her an epilator? Would it work on underarms? Kasi, most product reviews I read say na the product is for legs only. Also, do consider that she's getting laser sessions.

Miss Liz, and other Filipinas out there, I hope you can help me help my girlfriend. Thank you! - Thoughtful Boyfriend

Hi Throughtful Boyfriend! You are thoughtful indeed! And sweet. I like that your letter was well-written and thought out, so I thought I'd answer it on the main blog. :) 

I'm glad you asked me this question because one of the worst things your girlfriend can do is epilate while on a laser regimen. Epilating pulls out hair from the roots (well, most of it) - hair will take longer to grow out and it shouldn't damage the skin as much as a razor would. However, laser requires hair follicles to be present. Otherwise, there won't be anything to zap off permanently. Laser works best when there's some hair growth!

In other words, it's not recommended to wax or epilate while she's doing her laser.

What I'm curious about though is why it would take 15 laser sessions to remove her hair permanently. Is she doing IPL laser?

I suppose I should feel wasteful that I opened about seven brand new tubes of mascara in service of Mascara Week, but that's just part of the job! I hope you had fun reading through the reviews and discovering just what makes an amazing mascara. It's different for everyone but for me, I like lots of length, volume, and ease of removal. I prefer clean lashes with no clumps or flaking, and a brush that can reach even the most awkward corners of my eyes. 

With that in my wishlist, here are my top five favorite mascaras this year. These are what I love picking up! I rotate them depending on my requirements for the day (the look, activity, estimated wear time). Check them out. ;)

If you've read my Holy Grail products post then you know that this is my favorite mascara. The Fairydrops Platinum Mascara meets all my requirements and a little bit more. It gives me just the right volume and length without toe-ing the "are you wearing falsies" line. I do love big lashes but I prefer something less obvious for everyday wear!

It stays on all day with minimal to zero smudging, and it comes off with just warm or soapy water. I still use a makeup remove though. It's just simpler.

New vs old packaging - which one do you like better?

There is a dichotomy in my personality: I'm a creature of habit, yet I am always actively searching for change. My day is dictated by a strict routine since it's the only way for me to accomplish all my tasks for each account and project I'm working on. However, I also have an eye out for new hobbies, acquisitions, any sort of plans. Once I go on a new, erm, rampage I simply can't stop until I'm done with it. Sometimes something else outside of my own actions change. Whichever it is, my routine is then ruined. 

It takes me some time to recover and get back to regular programming, so I'm working v. hard to make sure my Priorities are in The Right Place. I ask myself, "Do I really need to do this right now?" Glob I'm weak. I wish I can buy focus and turn into a low-calorie drink for whenever I need it.

Anyway. I thought I'd do a quick review of something I've been sitting on for a while - the Too Cool For School Super Cleanser TAKKOZA Cleansing Tissue (P555)! This is awesome. I know I should have told you sooner but I get sidetracked so easily! So why is this awesome? It removes pretty much all types of makeup, even water-resistant mascaras (tube, film-type) with the exception of waterproof mascara. This is a water-based makeup remover after all, so I'm alright with that. I don't regularly use waterproof mascara anyway!

The smell is clean and mild while the liquid in it doesn't sting my eyes at all. I also did not get any breakouts; I feel that this cleanses my skin well. 

If you don't cook, you should learn how. Not sure if I'm repeating myself here already but - you should cook. It's ridiculously easy, not that expensive, and much more fulfilling than eating someone else's food. You don't have to start with guns a-blazin', attempting to cook something complex like beef bourguignon. You can experiment with simple omelettes, a grilled cheese sandwich, maybe some spaghetti. The recipes you learn will serve you for the rest of your life.

So glad my Dad taught my how to cook! I'm not the best but I like what I come up with. Last night I made mushroom and chicken risotto for dinner (inspired by Ina Garten), while breakfast was bacon pancake (inspired by Jake the Dog). That song is still stuck in my head btw! I topped the pancake with butterscotch sauce and a lick of whipped cream. Sinful but definitely worth it.

Anyhoo, let's move on to the next product for my Mascara Week! The Revlon Lash Potion Mascara  (~P600) is the brand's latest lash enhancer. I have here the waterproof version in Blackest Black.

The Lash Potion's staying power is flawless - it is indeed waterproof and smudge-proof! I've worn this all day and I didn't notice any smearing. It doesn't come off with just my water-based makeup remover, but it slides off with my oil-based remover so no biggie.

As for the finish, I do like how it fattens and lengthens my lashes in two coats. Blackest Black is also as the name hints: very very black and practically matte. 

I'm sure you've seen other beauty bloggers posting about this already! Two reasons, really: Lancome Philippines has an ongoing contest for your guys AND these glosses are pretty rad. I don't wear a lot of lip gloss since I find that most of them sticky and drying. But the Lancome Gloss In Love (P1,295) is a game changer!

They feel like butter on the lips - very creamy, a wee bit thick, but there is no stickiness or greasiness. It doesn't feel like your lips are sweating inside (if you know what I mean). They are also extremely, well, glossy. Juicy-looking. They definitely make my lips look plumper and dare I say sexier!

See? The lasting power is pretty nice, at two to three hours without eating. The gloss doesn't feel flaky once it's completely dry; indeed, I don't even need to wear lip balm underneath. It's moisturizing enough by itself. I also love the slightly curved wand as it helps the gloss sink into the lips better. Make sure to wiggle the wand all over to avoid spidery wrinkled-looking lips!

I just wish that all the glosses are as pigmented as the one I'm wearing up there (#385) but I suppose fairer ladies will love the paler shades. Check out Sabs' swatches here, the lighter colors look great on her fair skin!

Here are my own swatches. ^_^ What's your favorite?

Ebooks are convenient to read. I don't have to turn the light on and off, and I can lie down on any side, put my arms anywhere. Printed books, compared to stuff I just read on my phone, are inconvenient and prone to murder by a dog who loves paper. Still, I always seem to walk out with something whenever I pass by a book store.

I've read H.P. Lovecraft before and loved his macabre yet awe-inspiring stories. I remember seeing the Necronomicon in National Bookstore many years ago, but I was poor enough (first job!) to feel that P800 was too much for one book. I wanted it badly though; I went back for it a week after. Unfortunately, it was already out of stock! It's one of those books that I just need a copy of. In my hands. Finally got it yesterday!

I also grabbed Neil Gaiman's newest novel, The Ocean at the End of the Lane. I've read a few pages and already I can see how this is different from his other works. It starts with a feeling of slow dread. I can't wait to see where it will take me.

Well anyway, we're actually here to talk about mascara. Haha. This time, I'll be reviewing theBalm What's Your Type? The Body Builder Mascara (price to follow, available in Beauty Bar). 

On a side note: I wonder if there's, like, a world competition for crazy mascara names?

It may be too soon to say, but I LOVE this mascara. It's my first time to try a theBalm product for lashes! So happy it didn't disappoint.