Anyone who loves browsing aisles of beauty products know from experience that it’s fun to discover and test new products. When we would look around physical stores, it was easier to scrutinize whether the products are real or not. Since the start of COVID-19 pandemic, however, our choice of shopping channel quickly and heavily shifted from retail to e-commerce.

Happy Valentine’s Day, PV Community! I know this is cliché, but Valentine’s Day doesn’t really have to be about the romantic type of love. You can celebrate different kinds of love - self, platonic, family, and more. Here at Project Vanity, we’re all about love for beauty, and it’s time to show some love for the latest in beauty!

During most of my childhood I had pin straight hair that needed little to no management. Then right before high school, my curls happened! My hair started growing out curly to my surprise. I would try to hide with wide headbands and ponytails because people said it was buhaghag. In high school I was regularly rebonding my hair during the summers. By the time I was in college, my hair was fried, so I chose to stop getting my hair treated. College was more than five years ago at this point and while my hair is more alive, I wasn’t completely sold on how it looked. I knew I had curly hair; I just didn’t know what to do with it.

It’s the month of love, PV Community, and I wish you a February filled with just that. I hope you get to celebrate love, regardless of its form and kind, more than ever this month. Speaking of celebrating love, let’s talk about what’s new in beauty - one thing I know we all love.

I am of the opinion that facial oils are severely underrated. They can feel so… extra - and, therefore, not for everybody. Since they’re primarily occlusive in nature, oils work best when they’re not just used as a one-and-done skincare step. Rather, they best function as a final moisture “sealant” to go over your serum and moisturizer. That’s why some might feel that they’re excessive.

I started practicing yoga in 2012 – from the humble beginning of joining a yoga event up to enrolling in a studio for cross-training in pole and getting my first yoga teacher certification in 2014. I was in the middle of a yoga teacher training course when the lockdown happened. From the face-to-face sessions with manual adjusting that we were used to for many years, we had to continue through video conference and focus on verbal cues.

Remember the Dermaction sunscreen I reviewed last March? I ended up finishing the tube! It’s a really good formula that I especially enjoyed at the beach since it’s water-resistant. Dermaction is actually popular for their sunscreen line, but did you know that they have other products as well? Let’s explore everything!

I know it’s no surprise how time flies, but my, oh, my! January’s almost over! Since we’re about to welcome the month of love, I’m curious to know what beauty product you’ve been loving this month. If you haven’t been loving anything lately, then perhaps one of the products below might be for you.

Purple blush has been around long before TikTok made it viral: there was even an article on using purple blush here at Project Vanity back in 2017. And since I haven’t tried it before (and am currently in a cream blush phase), I thought why not jump on the bandwagon today?

Picture this: The year was 2016. Bold brows, matte foundation, and really matte lips were all the rage. Of course, I was into it - and there’s nothing wrong with that, except for the fact that I did not really care about skincare.

Yes, this self-confessed skincare addict used to be someone who cared more about hiding her imperfections than taking care of her skin.

Are you feeling demotivated and less confident these days? You’re not alone. I think some of it has to do with how everything felt so normal in December - there were gatherings with family and friends, and we felt like our old self again - but January dashed that feeling on the rocks. Many got sick and isolated at home, and the outside world felt like we’re in the first couple of months of the pandemic. Again, like a bad B-movie on loop. Anyone would be wrecked; I know I am.

Hi there, PV Community! Just to share, I’m writing this at 3 in the morning while wearing the Pat McGrath MatteTrance Lipstick in Elson 2. Whenever I need an extra push to work, I always summon the help of a red lipstick. How about you? What’s a quick beauty pick-me-up you can always rely on? Okay, time for this week’s beauty roundup!

Dear Beauté Himawari shampoos and conditioners are always well-loved here at Project Vanity. Liz featured the hair combo on her new finds way back in 2015 and the launch of the Volume & Repair variant in 2016 showed great results. A travel-size sample set was even included in the Project Vanity J-Beauty Kit!

Now a new variant was recently released and it’s especially formulated for mature hair: the Dear Beauté Himawari Smooth & Repair Shampoo and Conditioner (P745/500ml each).

Fragrances are more than just objects we use to smell good. Scent is infused in our memories, and bring them back as clearly as the day we experienced them. No one understands this better than Filipino perfumer Renato Lopena Jr. His passion for scent runs in the family, and he brings his own unique art form to life through his bespoke perfume brand Wren Atelier.

Hello, PV Community! Since it’s the month of January, let’s quickly talk about what’s something new you’d want to do or try this year - beauty-related, of course. For me, it’s false lashes! What’s yours? Sound off in the comments!

The language we use to speak shapes the world we inhabit. It’s what we use to tell stories about ourselves and other people, the most basic building blocks with which we build the Self. Words have so much power over us; often we don’t even notice this, but to be aware of how words shape, heal, and destroy helps us take some of that power back for ourselves.

The beauty industry for instance is mired in a lot of harmful language that we don’t even think twice about using.

Lightweight, sheer, oil-free and natural are what I look for in a tinted moisturizer. So many brands both international and local are promising these things, and I am glad that the local make-up scene has so many options! The first time I heard about Issy & Co. Active Skin Tint was from Miss Bea via her Youtube Channel. She compared this with a skin tint from another brand and she didn’t really like the coverage. I was curious, so I’m glad to finally try it out.

I’m sure you’ve all heard the news about the continuous rise of COVID-19 cases. Following this, we at Project Vanity hope you’re all staying safe, healthy, and informed. Now, if you are looking for a distraction, which we could all use every once in a while, then here’s the latest in beauty.

Our ever-evolving relationship with beauty will mark a new milestone in 2022. The pandemic has caused a massive shift in what we expect from our beauty and personal care products, as well as the roles that they play in our lives. What we used to take for granted - for example, the definition of “pretty” - may well already be out of touch.

I’ve been a beauty insider for almost 14 years now. I noticed throughout the years that relevant products are relevant NOT because they’re good, well-priced, or particularly useful. The ideas that power their use determines what actually makes them “trendy”. Here are three trends that I think will define 2022!

Ever since the launch of “Look Good Do Good Feel Great” social campaign in March 2021, Watsons has spread the work about sustainability to its employees and customers and forged partnerships with suppliers and non-government institutions to take part in making the world a better place.