The first time I heard of Advent calendars was in college, when I saw a YouTuber take out chocolate from a Cadbury-branded Advent calendar. It looked like a fun idea to enjoy a little treat in the days leading to Christmas, though I had to wonder how much self-control I’d need to not open everything at once! Assuming you have enough impulse control, I can certainly imagine how “receiving” a small gift every day can set the mood for Christmas cheer. Now imagine doing that with beauty products!

Have you done any Christmas shopping yet? Between that and the parties to attend and plan, December is surely going to be a crazy hectic month! So take a breather and check out this week’s beauty Roundup, which has loads of fun things that’ll put a smile on your face, and quite possibly add another item on your wish list. 

It’s been three years since I founded In Her Element Skincare. In those three years, everybody kept asking me: “Why not makeup? I thought you’d do makeup!” This is understandable because I am a makeup geek and it has always been my first love in this industry, and what got me in to begin with. Skincare though has always been a bit of a challenge for me, because Fact #1 I am lazy when it comes to applying skincare and Fact #2, I’ve always loved expensive brands that’s painful on the wallet to repurchase. So, I thought I’d take it in my own hands to create something that would fit my budget and my needs!

Aging is a natural and inevitable process that we all experience. In fact, we experience it every day, in every part of our bodies! As the largest organ and an external one at that, our skin is where the signs of aging become most obvious. With decreasing elasticity and our body's repair processes slowing down, skin becomes thinner and more fragile as we age. Applying products won't stop the wrinkles, age spots, or sagging, but they can definitely slow down the process and help protect your skin against external damage. The key is to make sure that the anti-aging products you use actually have ingredients that work! 

They're 36 and thriving! 2019 has certainly been a fruitful year for Ever Bilena. Earlier this year, the proudly homegrown beauty company expanded their range of products with Kris Aquino through the release of some seriously hydrating tinted lip balms. They then tapped Jodi Sta. Maria to be the latest face of the flagship brand. This was followed by celeb collaborations that were launched with Andrea Brillantes (Careline's Blythe Cosmetics) and Ara Mina (Ara Colours). The year may be almost over, but this local powerhouse is continuing to keep us on our toes!

Merry Cliniquemas! We recently went to the brand’s Holiday Preview in SM Mega Fashion Hall, and were dazzled by the numerous skincare, makeup, body, and fragrance sets curated for seemingly everyone. It’s like Ophra saying, “You get a set! You get a set! You get a set!”

From doodling on the pages with my favorite poems, to using them solely to keep track of work, the way I’ve used planners have changed a lot over the years. But I think that’s also because the designs have changed so much that they’ve become more than just a way to keep track of our schedules. Planners are super useful for keeping your life organized, productive, and fulfilling as well! Belle de Jour played a huge role in bringing about that change.

Ho ho, how is it already December?! With Christmas just a few weeks away, our beauty roundup is full of good tidings and holiday cheer. From Dior’s newest face (and her favorite Christmas-perfect lippie) to Sunnies Face’s solution to your holiday shopping woes. We’ve also got Benefit’s newest baby and an incredible vegan nail polish solution! Happy reading!

Issy & Co. is a new local makeup brand that you’ve probably seen around on Instagram or from their celebrity endorser Alex Gonzaga. Apart from the star power though, I was particularly drawn to their minimalist packaging and thoughtful approach to beauty. Not only are they cruelty-free, gluten-free, paraben-free, their formulas are also vegan! 

I rarely ever finish lipsticks. I can’t even remember the last lipstick I used down to the base, which is why mini lipsticks delight me endlessly. Recently though I’ve come by two absolutely gorgeous lipsticks that deserve a spotlight here on Project Vanity, and a permanent place in my actual makeup vanity (which is btw a perpetual mess, the very definition of chaos, so favorites must ALWAYS in front and center!). These would be the Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy Lipsticks in Rose Tea and Boldface (P1,900 on Lazada)- the ultimate MLBB and the ultimate red lipstick for me, respectively.

As a 90s kid, I was thrilled to find lip gloss returning as a beauty trend in 2019. After seeing too many dry and cracking lip looks in the years that matte lipstick reigned supreme, I’m ready for juicy, shiny pouts to be back in business. And local brands are picking up the trend, too. Here are five local lip glosses under P600 that explore the different ways you can wear a super shiny lip!

One of my favorite parts of the holiday is shopping for presents, and as a PV girl, I love giving gifts of beauty and wellness. Because I’m pregnant, I have to be extra careful of the products I use. I’ve also become extra sensitive to the scent of a lot of commercial brands so I’ve had to make a lot of changes to my routine. Zenutrients was one of the first brands I turned to for their naturally-derived ingredients and non-synthetic fragrances. And it looks like I will be gifting them this Christmas, too!

We’ve got our list and we’ve checked it twice, but OMG we’re still freaking out! Get into the festive spirit with this week’s beauty roundup featuring everything you need to know about SnailWhite’s Holiday Glow Factory (think the winter wonderland of your dreams plus discounts) as well as Kylie Jenner making bank right before Christmas! We’ve also got a gorgeous limited-edition collection from beabi and Lady Gaga’s perfect red lip for the holidays! Happy shopping, I mean, reading!

Happy Holidaze, PV fam! Have you started ticking names off your gift-giving list? If you’re racking your brain trying to find gifts for different ages and diverse tastes, a bazaar might be your best bet! In fact, you may want to check out the Flair Pop Up happening this Saturday and Sunday (November 23 to 24, 2019) at The Fifth Rockwell in Powerplant Mall, Makati.

On a scale of one to ten, how stressed are you this season? Christmas is juuust almost a month away, so I’m sure that you’re (like me) running like a headless chicken with all the errands and parties you need to get to. If your skin is looking a bit worse for wear, I think you should check out Kiehl’s best-selling serums to help out with some possible skin issues!

From snail mucin to sunflower oil, many skincare lovers swear by certain natural ingredients as must-haves in their routine. While I don’t have a go-to just yet, this latest ingredient from Human Nature is a pretty strong contender. I usually have latô along with my favorite inihaw dishes, but I never thought it would be the star ingredient in Human Nature’s Marine Caviar HydroMiracle skincare line!

It’s never too early to start preparing your holiday looks for all those family reunions, office parties, and barkada meetups! After all, the festive season is the perfect time to be adventurous with your FOTDs. If you’re tired of the same old, same old, here’s something new and sparkly from Inglot to rival those brightly-lit trees and parols!

With over 2.39 million YouTube subscribers and nearly 1 million Instagram followers, Michelle Dy is one of the biggest online local personalities around. I figured it was only a matter of time before she released her own beauty product, so I wasn’t surprised when she announced her makeup brush collaboration with Beauty Sensation!

Beauty Sensations x Michelle Dy Basics features two brush sets in pastel-colored pouches bearing Michelle’s embossed signature as well as a duo of makeup blending sponges. The kits are available in Watsons, and online via Lazada and Shopee.

The holidays has descended upon us in full force, so your calendar is probably full of office parties, family reunions, school reunions, friend parties, possibly even weddings and engagements. ‘Tis the season to see people you haven’t seen in a while and that includes your nosy Tita and noisy Tito! So, for lack of anything better to say or maybe even just to feel a weird sense of superiority over you, they are going to be making some nasty comments about your looks. This article is to prepare you for the inevitable: the yearly sucker punch to your gut, squarely in that tiny space where your self-esteem resides, as they say “Tumaba ka! (You got fat!)”