I started my freelance career from zero. I didn’t have money, connections, nor even the “right” degree to guide me in this particular line of work. I truly knew nothing at first, but I just jumped in and learned what I needed on the go! And of course, I had the Internet. The web is the single most powerful tool that was (and still is) at my disposal since it has made it possible for me to get my name out there, freelance full-time, and finally build my own company.

Set your alarms for 3pm this Friday, girls, because the long wait is finally over. FENTY Beauty will officially be available on Sephora PH and you wouldn't want to miss it when it drops! Until then, we've got a whole load of beauty updates for you. Now that we're in the -ber months, brands are beginning to tease at their holiday beauty collections. Kilay addicts will want to add Benefit's new wonder product to their brows-on-fleek staples, and lippie lovers won't want to miss L’Oreal's jaw-dropping markdown on MLBB must-haves.

Beauty products have come a really long way. Gone are the days when people slathered on toxic substances like mercury, arsenic, and lead in the hopes of getting better skin. People willingly paid small fortunes for miracle tinctures, elixirs and salves without really knowing what’s in them. Nowadays, manufacturers normally list product ingredients from the highest to lowest content so that consumers have an idea not only of what goes into products but also roughly how much of each component is in the mix. It’s not a completely transparent system by any means, but at least buyers can now make better choices simply by checking the ingredients list.

I cursed my frizzy, curly hair as a child of the '90s. Back then, there were no Korean stars with gorgeous perms so everyone coveted the sleek, straight ‘do they saw in shampoo commercials. Like most girls that time, I regularly rebonded my hair for years and years! When I moved to the US for graduate school, I discovered that rebonding procedures are not common there and that regular trips to the salon would be way too much for my student budget. There was also no way I could afford to spend hours with a straightening iron everyday. I felt that I had no choice but to grow my hair out and slowly cut the straightened ends until they were completely gone.

Last week I had a Eureka moment: what if the Project Vanity Community can share their thoughts on PV about the beauty products they've tried? I love loyal readers not just because you're always on PV - I think you're a bunch of intelligent, talented, and passionate women whose opinions I deeply respect. Much of what do here at PV is shaped by those who are part of it so I thought, why not pick YOUR brains a bit more?

There is something about classic cult favorites that makes us emotionally attached. They always have a special place in our vanity kit that no matter what we do, and we always come back to them. Take the MAC Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation for example; it remains a staple in many makeup artist kits because of it can be used alone, wet, and as a touch-up powder.

A love affair with skincare is fun - addictive, even - and the routine of applying various layers can be relaxing. At the same time, the skincare products you select for your daily roster should be able to target specific skin concerns and make it a more efficient overall routine. In addition to the most basic function, a.k.a. hydration, it doesn’t hurt to get the added benefit of protection from environmental impurities like pollution, sun damage, and other daily stressors.

With that in mind, Watsons developed the Pure Beauty Urban Shield line with renowned Korean dermatologist, Dr. Seong J. Kim.

One of my pet peeves when it comes to beauty products? Crazy claims. Anyone who knows how to read labels can easily see past what the product promises heaven and earth to do. And so, as someone who has been doing this for almost ten years, I can be a little jaded when something like the La Mer The Concentrate comes my way. It promises to be "beauty's best kept secret" as it "improves tone and texture, deepens hydration and helps skin feel more like itself: flexible, resilient, soft, more supple."

Graduating from baby powder was a rite of passage for most of us. It signaled the end of our pubescent years and marked the beginning of our kikay era. But do you ever wonder what sets actual powder makeup apart from the one we've been using since childhood? Can baby powders do just as good a job in setting makeup? I tested three different baby powders to find out!

Have you ever been so busy that you forgot to take care of yourself? Whether it's for school projects, work deadlines, or just managing your personal life, there are days when it feels like you barely have the time to breathe. In my case, it usually means about 4 hours of sleep, late and unhealthy meals, and a complete neglect of my skincare routine. As a result, I pretty much look as awful as I feel!

Here's what you should know about me: I've suffered from breakouts since I was 12. Unfortunately, I enjoyed picking at them and because I was barely a teen and didn't know any better, I didn't have a skincare routine. For years, I was basically the living epitome of what NOT to do if you don't want to make your breakouts worse!

It looks like September is going to be a great month for all things beauty! Let’s start the good news by confirming that FENTY Beauty is coming to the Philippines and we couldn’t be more ready for it! Read up on Rihanna’s new baby as well as the exciting new palettes from NYX that fit everyone’s style (and sign), and how an online petition turned into an up and coming MAC collection! We're even throwing in a highlighter that’s out of this world and a facial cleanser that contains meteorites! There’s lots to get through so let’s get started.

The wonderful world of skincare is a rabbit hole. It’s confusing, ever changing, and overwhelming but it also happens to be beautiful, exciting, and empowering. We here at Project Vanity consider ourselves guilty for being skincare addicts. It’s likely that you’re one of us, too! Question is, how far along are you in the four levels of being a skincare junkie?

For the skincare-obsessed there are, shall we say, rites of passage: first active, first “luxury” product, first “exotic” ingredient, and, perhaps as a result of all those other firsts, first time you over-exfoliate. Despite having been warned by several PV articles and every last K-beauty blog I could find, that “first” recently happened to me: my oily, naturally “chok-chok” skin became dry as a bone almost overnight, causing my cheeks to flake and my skin (which is naturally as white and pale as paper) to look dull and almost…is it possible for skin to look brittle?

As a teen with a student's allowance, I loved haunting department store makeup sections for beauty finds that fit into my limited budget. That's how I discovered Ever Bilena’s “little sister”, Careline Cosmetics. The cutesy packaging and affordable price made it the perfect jump-off point for a beginner’s makeup adventure! I've long since moved on to more "grown up" brands so it was exciting to get reacquainted with Careline, now looking better than ever.

It's a gloomy day today and I am in the middle of packing for a trip. There are so many last minute things to do! I thought I'd take a break though by talking about some of my favorite highlighters at the moment - these are the ones that never fail to brighten my skin and my day. Here are my top five!

Eye makeup can take your look to level 11, and lashes play a huge role in that. There are a few considerations to making your lashes look like falsies. Let’s start from the roots all the way to the tips!