As the -ber months roll in and the holiday collections roll out, we at the PV team have been editing our beauty wish lists. There's a lot of enabling going on in our group chat and in the Project Vanity community page! It's getting harder and harder to say no Sephora's sale and the opening of the Tom Ford store in Rustan's (both happening this weekend, btw) so in an attempt to curb our shopping impulses, we took a quick accounting on the most expensive beauty purchases we've made so far. Were they worth it? Should you get them? Do we need help for our beauty shopping addiction? Read on to find out!

Taiwan has become a travel destination for Filipinos due to cheap fares and visa-free access starting October. Think of it as a more laid-back mix of Japan and Hong Kong, with its extensive transportation system, generally kind people, and a somewhat of a smaller language barrier (though learning a little Mandarin helps!)

More importantly, it’s also a haven for beauty shopping!
More importantly, it’s also quite a haven for beauty shopping! Taiwanese brands like Naruko, 23.5°N, and Dr. Morita have been making it to our shores because of the burgeoning beauty industry that Taiwan has. I was recently there for a trip with my family, and I made sure to check out the beauty scene! If you'll be traveling to Taipei, do add these stores to your must-visit list!

In the era post-2000s bushy brow revival, there are #blessed girls... and then there’s me.

Ladies and gentlefolk, I will not mince words: my brows are a pair of jerks. While practice has allowed me to more-or-less perfect the rest of my makeup routine (even the dreaded winged liner causes me no anxiety), the very thought of having to shape my brows has me exhausted. Not only are they sparse to begin with - they’re also very uneven and ridiculously unruly. While getting K-pop bangs has helped my struggles some, I still spend a ridiculous amount of time and effort getting my eyebrows anywhere close to presentable. In fact, I was even tempted to spring for microblading, if only to cut down on my daily prep time. Unfortunately, my fear of needles trumped my need for better arches.

Welcome to a new edition of the Project Vanity Kit! This time, we've partnered with cosmetics brand Sleek MakeUp to curate a kikay kit that's all about bringing your makeup game to the next level. Containing an iconic pink brown liquid lipstick, a gorgeous colorful palette, and a flashy lipstick, our new kit is all about spicing up your everyday look. This is also perfect for all your pre-holiday events!

Browsing through lipsticks online and in the malls can be an overwhelming experience for a makeup newbie. Which lipstick should I get? What will look good on me? Which formula should I go for? These questions run through our heads like crazy especially since lipsticks these days come in every color imaginable (even white!) and some look very similar to others. So how do you begin choosing the colors for your core lipstick wardrobe? Let’s start with the basics!

I’m perpetually jealous of people with nice hair. I see people with healthy tresses all the time and wonder, how do they do it?! I had always promised myself to get better at hairstyling, so I welcomed the Healthy Heat Ceramic Styling Iron from Eva NYC with open arms.

Thanks to the rising popularity of beauty drinks and supplements, you've probably heard of the important role that collagen plays in keeping our skin looking young, soft, and smooth. Honestly, I thought that was all I needed to know about collagen but I recently discovered that there's more to it! At the Watsons Collagen event, I got the opportunity to learn more about what it is and how it works, in the most fun way possible!

Eye makeup is probably my favorite part in my routine. The endless color combinations and creating that perfect brow never fails to excite me, so I've spent most of my adult life trying out every look I can think of. I've written dozens of posts and tutorials on it; I've held so many workshops to teach what I've learned through the years! I'm excited to announce that I have a new class, this time with pro brand INGLOT. This is happening in SM Megamall on October 22, 1-3PM! (SIGN UP PAGE HERE)

One of the hazards of my job is dry, flaky lips. When you have to swatch 20 liquid lipsticks in one sitting, that's simply impossible to avoid! The weather also affects how flaky my lips get. Cooler weather means drier lips and that's even with a humidifier on all night. I'll be traveling to Tokyo again soon and already I'm dreading the painful lip peeling!

Before international retailers like H&M and Forever 21 even opened in the PH, home-grown brand Bench was already offering beauty products alongside fast fashion choices. If you grew up in the 90s, you probably had the Pretty When Pinched Cheek & Lip Tint in your teenage kikay kit (mainly because you couldn't afford The Body Shop lol)! The brand has since expanded their makeup collection, and I was recently surprised to see that the Bench Paintbox line now has a lot of interesting options.

We've already tested their powder for setting our makeup; now it's time to try their cosmetics! I picked out five items from the line to create a full FOTD. Honestly, the wallet-friendly prices made ma a bit wary of their quality but hey, not everything can be that bad, right? Let’s find out!

"There’s more than meets the eye” surely holds true for the clear mascara. Compared to its pigmented sibling that we frequently rely on to create thicker and lengthier lashes, the colorless gel doesn’t seem to be able to do much and so is often considered as an unimportant. The truth is, it is this simplicity that actually makes it a super versatile beauty product!  

I NEED to review my beauty stash every few months. It keeps me from buying more stuff, and gives me something to look forward to in my next shopping trip! As tempting as it gets sometimes, I've been trying my best not to open any new products while I currently have something in circulation. I end up feeling guilty about not being able to use them up before they expire. 

It’s the weekend already? That’s hot. How about we take a trip down memory lane for this week’s roundup? Everyone’s favorite socialite Paris Hilton is back and apparently the Internet is going crazy for her... wait for it... makeup line! Speaking of online buzz, one Korean beauty brand is making waves online with the first ever shade expansion for BB cushions, and RiRi has been extra busy with FENTY! From highlighters to glitter liners, this week is fun, flirty and oh so very “hoooot.”

We've already talked about Careline's millennial rebrand, so now it's time to turn our gaze to their star product: the Liquid Lipsticks! Admittedly Careline is a little late in the game, but it makes up for it by offering 13 shades, three of which are metallic and some in surprisingly crazy colors. This is such a huge step for what before was a brand that seemed stuck in the early aughts. 

So how are these lipsticks, really?

As a beauty addict, I eat, sleep, and breathe makeup recommendations. To be specific, I really love giving them! But while I can dash off a laundry list of fave eyeshadows and lippies, foundations have always posed a bit of a problem for me. See, while I have generally resilient skin (combination-oily, with a tendency for breakouts now controlled by the In Her Element Low pH Rose Gel Cleanser), many of my friends fall on the more sensitive side of the spectrum, meaning I don’t often have recommendations - especially for liquid formulations - I feel I can safely recommend.

I’ve been battling acne for what feels like forever, with topical treatments, soaps, oils, and acne sets. Anything that promise clearer skin, you name it, I’ve probably tried it. I’ve even gone so far as to DIY a number of Pinterest hacks that I eventually regretted. My skin is a bit better now that I have a trusted skincare routine but I can't help but feel curious when a beauty read introduces a new idea for treating acne and removing the dark marks it leaves behind. 

My fascination with searching for better skincare centers a lot on the ingredients used in them. I’m currently on a rice bran and/or rice-based skincare trial as it's supposed to aid in skin brightening, but a recent read about everyone's favorite probiotics drink got my wheels turning. Could the “good bacteria” in Yakult be as good for my skin as well my gut?

She's beautiful, she's smart, and she's... nerdy? Miss World Philippines 2017 Laura Lehmann is the first to admit she never expected to become a beauty queen but she's absolutely thrilled about where life has taken her. Get a sneak peek into her pageant life and learn about her beauty secrets as she prepares for the global stage.

Blush is the easiest way to freshen up our face but it's also notorious for not being able to keep up with our day. So, for today’s beauty throwdown, we are pitting some of our favorite powder blushes against each other to see which one looks the best even after hours and hours of wear! Who doesn't want that pop of color to still be as vibrant and flattering at the end of the day, right? Let's go!