Facebook is not a good place to be in at the moment. Ideally it should be a source of stories that will inspire and galvanize the country to do more for those affected by Yolanda. However, it has mostly become a breeding ground for false news, righteous comments, and a feeling of helpless hysteria. Perhaps I'm exaggerating. In any case, I'll be keeping to Twitter for now. 

Let's all stay calm and carry on helping. 

Anyway, here are my best finds last month! I realized that I reviewed (and enjoyed) more products than usual. I'll just be picking out the best of the best. :)

The Shiseido Natural Finish Cream Concealer is my current favorite under eye concealer. It's light and easy to blend, but it covers up darkness under the eyes well. What I love most about it though is the fact that it doesn't sink into my lines in the middle of the day! Good stuff.

Another one of my recent Shiseido finds is the Perfect Rouge Lipstick in Fuchsia RS320. This is a crazy bright magenta-fuchsia that never fails to draw quick glances whenever I'm wearing it. It's a fun lipstick to have in any kit.

Aaand here is my lipbalm-of-the-moment: the Nuxe Reve de Miel Lip Moisturizing Stick! It's something I can wear under my lipstick without ruining the texture of the product. This is a pretty neat feature to have in your lip balm if you love lipsticks as much as I do.

Most days I can not be bothered to wear more than one shade of eyeshadow. Or any eyeshadow at all for that matter! But since I like highlighting my eyes, I at least make an effort to quickly swipe a cream eyeshadow on my lids. The Maybelline Color Tattoo Metal Eyeshadow in Barely Branded (golden cream) is a great daily color that'll brighten the eyes and stay on all day even with no primer.

Getting an iPhone last year changed my life. I've been an Applephile ever since I can afford one, but I was just really hesitant to cough up the cash for one of the smartest phones around. What was I thinking! Because of the iPhone (on a Smart unlimited data plan), I am able to be on track with all my clients even if I'm out running errands or attending meetings and events. I can shoot product photos and swatches on the fly, and use apps to manage my finances and increase productivity. I'm never really bored. It's pretty awesome!

I'm sure everyone will tell you the same thing: it's not worth getting an iPhone unless you have unlimited data in some form. Smart is my network of choice, not just because they work with me, but because the connection is reliable. Well there are rough patches but 95% of the time I am able to connect to LTE and have a clear phone call. That's much better than my last network.

Anyway, I'm happy to announce that you can now get the iPhone 5c and 5s from Smart today. The packages are pretty attractive, so if you're looking to upgrade to a new phone and perhaps a network, too, then check out the plan matrix after the cut. :) I think the best deal is paying the cashout fee of P6,000 for an iPhone 5c 16 gig with an P1,800 postpaid plan. Not bad!

I rarely use conditioner which is why my hair's overall smoothness rests heavily on hair oils. I find that oils are lighter on my fine hair and do not cause me to have bumps on my chin. They moisturize nicely, keeps my head from looking like a hay stack, and do not build up on my scalp! What else can I ask for?

My favorite hair oil slash serum is the Kerastase Ultime, but its amazing-ness comes with a hefty price tag. There are a lot of alternatives out there, however! One of them is the Lucido-L Repairing Oil for straight Hair (P295).

I admit that I wasn't familiar with Lucido-L until I visited one of those drugstore beauty stores in Tokyo - this is one of the most prominent brands displayed! So I got curious. I finally tried this oil which I think I got half a year ago.

The holidays are just around the corner. It's a time for celebrations and reunions with loved ones, but if you're a beauty junkie, then there's one other reason this time of the year is special: holiday sets! Most high-end brands have their own limited edition collection that features wearable art or sets for gift-giving. Now is a good time to collect some precious pieces, give an impressive beauty gift, or just get more value for your money.

Today I'd like to show you the Estee Lauder Holiday 2013 Sets. Every year the brand releases beautifully detailed solid perfume and powder compacts, and this year is no exception. These designs are inspired by the Zodiac and charms traditionally synonymous with good luck. Check 'em out!

Estée Lauder elevates the popular Zodiac theme with sleek golden-matte compacts adorned with a clear Swarovski® crystal and magnetic closure. In recognition of the 2014 Year of the Horse, Estée Lauder added a colorful, eye-catching crystal compact symbolizing success in the Chinese tradition. 

The Zodiac powder compacts feature the universally wearable Lucidity Translucent Pressed Powder. 

The new solid perfume compact collection exemplifies the theme of luck with elaborately crafted compacts, including the Golden Horseshoe and Lovely Ladybug.

This season’s solid perfume compacts feature Estée Lauder’s Beautiful, pleasures and Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia fragrances. 

Other than collectibles, Estee Lauder also has great sets that'll make even the hoariest makeup enthusiast giggle in excitement. Lol. (I've been meaning to use the word "hoary" here for years now). Click after the jump to see the sets + prices.

Take a makeup sponge, then try to imagine why it should possibly cost a thousand bucks. Can you? I couldn't. I've said several times before that I am skeptical when it comes to the Beauty Blender hype. Until I got my own, that is! This was a surprise from Digital Traincase after attending her workshop with Jigs Mayuga (more on that soon).

Anyway, now I know why makeup artists adore the Beauty Blender. It blends wet makeup (liquid or cream) onto the skin seamlessly! I've tried brushes that blend makeup seamlessly before, sure, but the process is not as effortless and simple as using the Beauty Blender. With brushes, I end up blending and patting several times to achieve what Beauty Blender can do in two passes. This stuff really works!

What makes the Beauty Blender so different...and so expensive?

This sponge is non-latex, non-comedogenic, and doesn't have that weird chemical smell from cheap sponges. I didn't break out from using this at all! The shape is also ergonomic so it fits into the awkward corners of the face.

But that's just superficial, and obviously easy to copy. The difference lies in the material of this sponge. It swells up to twice its size when its wet, thus becoming exponentially softer and increasing its ability to deposit and blend the makeup perfectly. With little effort, might I add!

It's hard to move on to business as usual when a tragedy of awful magnitude just struck our country last week. Everyone is still reeling from the loss of life and property, and then the feverish desperation that comes after it. I'm not an emotional person but everytime I read the news about Yolanda's destruction I feel like there's a small twinge near my heart. That's not just because of the graphic stories of suffering on the ground; it's also because of the heroism of our people and the kindness that other countries have shown us.

I don't know what else to say. I just wish that help to those in need comes swiftly, and that in the future we can pass laws that will help minimize the risks from natural disaters (among other things). 

Shall we move on to lighter stuff? If you're here, perhaps you're also looking to feel slightly less burdened from the news. :)

Plains & Prints just released their Holiday 2013 Collection last weekend! There's over a hundred pictures of all the new pieces in the press kit (see the full lookbook here), but for brevity I decided to post Anne Curtis's looks as styled by Liz Uy. Anne as you know is Plains & Prints latest endorser, and I think that it's such a perfect fit!

Anne has a glam-next-door, slightly eclectic taste in fashion. P&P has pretty much the same aesthetic so it was only a natural progression for both fashion powerhouses to work together.

Plains & Prints' Holiday 2013 has four sub-categories: Camo-Chic, Fire, Earth, and Holiday Dresses. See them in detail after the cut!

If you want to achieve that effortless yet elusive blushing beauty trademarked by stars like Jennifer Lawrence and Emma Watson, it's actually counter-intuitive to pile on makeup. Wearing more cosmetics can make you look more mature and haggard! It's best to work on your skin by enhancing it with tactical products instead of hiding it.

That said, this month's BDJ Box is all about becoming a blushing beauty, like you didn't even try! ;) Check out what's inside.

Love the stickers

Everybody loves a multi-tasking beauty product. We get more value for money, plus it cuts down the time rummaging for stuff to use on separate parts of the body! My latest multi-use find is the MoringaO2 Malunggay Herbal Therapy Oil (P99 for 30ml). This is a blend of pure malunggay oil, olive oil, husk oil, and sunflower seed oil that may be used on the skin, scalp, and hair.

Malunggay is a super-ingredient with several anti-oxidants, vitamins, and minerals distilled from the plant. It's not only a great way to nourish the body, but the skin as well.

So did you read the product info? It sounds too good to be true I know, but only time will tell if the product can do ALL of the abovementioned miracles. I can however testify to it being an effective moisturizer for the body and hair!

What products found in Watsons would you recommend for a start up make up kit? Just the basics from eyeliner, mascara, lipstick, blush and foundation/ powder. - Alyson

Hi Alyson! Thanks for your great question. I think Watsons is indeed the best place to visit if you're looking to build your first makeup kit. :) There's a huge selection of brands from the Philippines, Japan, USA, Australia, and even Europe, would you believe! Watsons has definitely gone a long way from being just a boring ol' pharmacy.

I've already posted many drugstore suggestions in the past, but I've picked out an updated list of products for you to try if you're in the process of beefing up your kit. Many of these are just fairly recent finds, and toe the fine line between quality and affordability. 

Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse (P599). This has a great lumi-matte finish with a light to medium coverage. It can definitely hide lesser eyebags and blemishes, great for everyday wear! I'd recommend this for dry to combi skin though; if you're really oily, I'd recommend something like the Revlon Colorstay Whipped Creme Makeup.

BYS Minerals Naturale Compact Foundation (P599). I like the natural, glowy finish of this powder and how well it controls my oiliness. It could be a dupe of the MAC Mineralized Skinfinish powder.

I have never believed in love at first sight, until I set foot in Japan. It is a country of extreme contradictions - modern with gleaming towers and newfangled inventions, yet still traditional at its core. For example, there is a 700,000-square meter forest right in the middle of Tokyo's busiest district, Shibuya, that contains a shrine to their deified emperors (Meiji Shrine). The Japanese always remember and honor their roots. 

They are also obsessively practical and detailed, at least compared to the Philippines where we have a happy-go-lucky attitude towards things. But the Japanese, well, they really think of everything! They have built-in bidets in toilets that have perpetually warm seats. 

The people are also always courteous, disciplined, and prompt. Go into any shop, and you'll get a smile and a hearty konnichiwa or ohayō gozaimasu! They also always walk on the left side of the road or corridor, so as not to hassle those in a hurry. 

I can go on and on really. I want to regularly visit Japan as long as I'm able. That's now one of my life goals!

I thought I'd post some random photos I took during my trip last July. :) They aren't all particularly nice photos, but each one has a small story.

JAL Airline offers a LOT of yummy food! And I like that it's healthy too.

New nail polish from Revlon rained down on my doorstep the other day, so I just had to wear one immediately! I'm a huge fan of Revlon polishes because of the sophisticated color selection, fast-drying time, and nice pigmentation. They chip in a day or two without a top coat, sure, but that's acceptable to me. I would much rather have something that dries in like 20 minutes and looks good in two coats.

The Revlon Brilliant Strength Nail Enamel in Impress (P300+) was the one that immediately called out to me. I am seriously feeling the fall mood right now, with our colder, gloomier weather as it is. Deep red, sepia brown, berry, brilliant gold and cranberry are shades I am currently gravitating towards. ^_^ Hence, this particular nail color!

Occupying my mind right now, other than work, is Yolanda and Napoles. But there is a time and place for everything. I just don't feel like talking about heavy current events here because this blog is where I go to indulge the makeup lover in me. Perhaps it is the same for you. So let's keep it a happy fluffy place!

Soooo. If you watch YouTube makeup tutorials I'm sure you notice many gurus double-lining their eyes with a liquid liner than a pencil eyeliner in a similar color. I must admit that this has baffled me for years, I mean, why on earth would one do something like that, twice? I thought it was pointless.

As I discovered recently, however, it's not. Layering eyeliners with different formulas gives my lash line the darkest, most opaque effect I've ever seen!

The runaway favorite from the latest cosmetics brand to hit Manila is the Happy Skin Shut Up & Kiss Me Moisturizing Lippie (P499). I think that us girls are just naturally thrilled about crayon-type lip colors (part nostalgia, part insta-fun), but it's not just that. The seven colors available are all crazy gorgeous and super pigmented - each one was obviously chosen with a  lot of thought. From sunny corals to a seductive plum purple, Happy Skin has something for the color-loving you!

So let's get down to it! Shut Up & Kiss Me has a creamy texture and a nice opacity with just one layer. Two is enough to get a solid blanket of color! Staying power is pretty good at four to five hours; there's also a stain left even after I eat and drink. It's the kind of lipstick that's perfect for those who like bold colors but don't like to retouch or apply balm all the time. It is a little moisturizing, indeed, although I prefer to use a layer of balm underneath first.

The formula has no scent and no taste. It also doesn't flake when it dries. The lippies' finish look like a creme to me, but they become decidedly matte after an hour or so!

Girls Night Out is a stunning purple red that could be a dupe of the famous MAC Rebel. I noticed that it changes color as I wear it; the first hour, it looks like a plummy fuchsia red.

The big beauty trend this year is bright and bold eyeliner. The eyes are mostly left naked except for that intensely colored line - thick, thin, geometric, it's all in style as long as the liner is in a jewel or matte neon tone! I really enjoyed this particular trend, as you can see in my past FOTDs. It's easy to do and works well with pretty much any outfit I wear.

One eyeliner that stood out to me recently is the Clinique Quickliner For Eyes Intense (P1,100). This, I believe, is another reformulated version of a Clinique staple. I haven't tried the old one so I can't compare; I can tell you though that this one is quite good, with such a buttery smooth texture, intense color payoff, and good staying power!

The Quickliner is meant to be smudged for that undone rockstar look (it comes with a soft smudger tip), but it's sooo creamy that it can be used as a cream eyeshadow by itself. I also love to use this as a base for my 5-minute smoky eyes technique, since it sets solid after a few minutes.

This eyeliner doesn't budge for about five hours, after which I notice minor smudging. It's acceptable, and easy enough to clean with tissue. 

It is a truth universally acknowledged that when your skin is happy, your makeup looks 100% better. But it's kind of an oxymoron when the makeup you use end up causing acne or worse, allergies. It's hard to say what won't work for you until you've actually tried it!

That said, ideal makeup not only keeps your skin looking good on the surface, but also nourished on the inside. It's tough to find something like that. So two women went on to create it. 

I'm sure you've heard all about this exciting new local cosmetics brand called Happy Skin. It's the startup of two beautiful and beauty-savvy women, Rissa Mananquil-Trillo and Jacqe Yuengtian-Gutierrez. Rissa as you know is one of the top models and hosts here in the Philippines, while Jacqe served as an executive in a multinational consumer goods company, handling some of the top personal care brands in the country. It was really only a matter of time for two friends so involved in the beauty industry to come up with something of their own!

And they did such an impressive job. Jacque and Rissa have been involved in the whole process, from formulation to packaging. The product line is fairly small - they only have a brush set, under eye concealer, lipstick, liquid and powder foundation, blush, and tinted moisturizer - but each SKU was obviously designed with care and thought. Most of the products are manufactured in Japan. That explains the quality! There are no misses, as far as I know based on the products I've tried.

So how does Happy Skin products make our skin, well, happy? The makeup actually contains skin-loving ingredients like Cherry Blossom Leaf Extract, Japanese Tea Leaf Extract, Hyaluronic Acid,Collagen, and Argan Oil to truly help nourish skin while you have it on.

Freelancing is fun, but there is a huge BUT. It requires me work, more hours, more frustration. Then, come payment time, it's extra drama for everyone involved in processing the money. I used to be timid when demanding what is owed to me, but I'm all done with that nonsense. I have no time to play nice when someone, say, haven't paid me for eleven months.

When will I ever learn.

But on to more positive things! One of the most-recommended eyeliners out there is the Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner in Black Ink (P1,000+). I've been hearing about this for years now, back when I had just started getting into makeup and was looking to invest in a gel eyeliner. I ended up with the MAC Fluidline (a product that's been my HG for a long time), but I'm glad to get the chance to try this Bobbi Brown one!

Black Ink is a matte, opaque black eyeliner that glides on smoothly without being overly wet. That's what some people actually don't like about the MAC Fluidline - it's so creamy that it ends up skidding all over the lids if not applied carefully. The BB liner has a slightly harder, waxier texture that allows for more control, no matter what brush you use.

I know I said this already, but I'll have a go again: sunglasses are some of the best beauty aids ever. They can cover up a face blotchy and puffy from crying, or just hide bags and blemishes if you're not in the mood to wear makeup. They also reshape a face, make it more angular or less squarish just by the shape of the frames - no need to contour! Sunnies are the bomb, you guys.

Anyway, I purchased these Sunnies by Charlie shades last Sunday in Mall of Asia. I love them because they're super cool...and super affordable. I kept seeing Sunnies by Charlie over at Georgina Wilson's Instagram account (she's one of the owners I believe), and I adored the designs so I just had to get one for myself!

Aaaaand I'm back. I've been a little distracted lately since I'm preparing for the launch of one of my clients this month - it's a cosmetics brand that many of us know and love. It's going to be awesome! Of course, lol. I'm sure you'll be happy to know that the brand is still affordable, but better than ever.

Enough with the teasin'. You'll find out what it is soon enough! ;) This week, I'll be talking about some of the eyeliners that came my way, plus a technique I've been doing when wearing eyeliner lately. I'll start off with a new find: the Maybelline Hyper Sharp Liner (P399).

If you've been reading this blog long enough, you know that my HG eyeliner is the K-Palette Real Lasting Liner. It's simply the best when it comes to getting a precise line and staying put ALL freakin' day with zero smudging. But it's about P800, an amount that some people might find a bit expensive. It's actually cheaper by a hundred bucks now but yeah if you want to save a little but still get almost the same quality, then you must try the the Maybelline Hyper Sharp eyeliner!

This has the same bendy brush as K-Palette, which makes it a joy to paint over my lash line. I hate stiff eyeliner pens; hate is a strong word but there it is!