I've always kept myself updated on new Happy Skin releases, be it skincare or makeup. Two of their recent ones really piqued my interest: a sunscreen primer and a tinted moisturizer. I know I need both but realistically speaking, how will they fare in my daily routine? These can be used separately or together, so let's see.

How’s it going, PV Community? How’s the month of April treating you? Well, there’s a week left before the month ends, so make it count. Do something you’ve never done before - order something new for a change, try a new recipe, or listen to new music. Speaking of new, time for another round of the latest in beauty.

I need to preface this post by saying that I am currently recovering from a bad sunburn on my back. I don’t even remember the last time I was sunburned in any way! I think I would have still been a kid the last time something like this happened. But I have to take the blame on this one. Sunscreen is meant to be re-applied every three hours, more often if you’re getting some serious sun exposure. I was having so much fun that the veteran beauty editor in me forgot all about it! So yes, DO NOT forget.

In the last two years I’ve developed extra sensitive scalp and facial skin. Now I can’t just use hair products unless I really want to risk rashes on my scalp and pimples on my face! But when Aveda sent me a set of samples to try out last December, I thought I’d give it a chance since the products are supposed to be for “strengthening” hair. I have fine hair and hair fall so I was curious to see if it would help.

Well, let’s just say that I loved the sample size so much that I bought the 1 liter bottle!

It’s graduation season! I have fond memories for this time of the year. My Lola used to bring me to Baclaran a few weeks before graduation to look for a new dress to wear to the ceremony. She was so proud of me - I was always an honor student - so she wanted me to have something nice when I walked up the stage to get my diploma. I think this went on from elementary to high school!

It’s been a while since then, but I’d like to share some graduation dress recos from my favorite plate to shop for clothes online - Zalora!

For 2022, Watsons held its first DO GOOD For Earth, Sa Watsons Ako webinar with “Smart Waste Management Towards A Sustainable Future,” where two resource persons shared valuable insights on how waste management and recycling affects global warming and climate change.

Hey, PV Community! How’s the month of April going for you? Sorry if I’ve been MIA with the beauty roundup - I moved to a new place last week and have been unpacking ever since. Now that I’m finally done, it’s back to regular programming - time for this week’s beauty roundup!

Have you heard about NACIFIC? It’s a K-beauty brand that’s been quietly getting a strong following recently. It stands for Naturalistic, Affordable, Clean, Innovative, Fresh, Iconic, and Caring. Their approach is a trendy minimalist aesthetic coupled with formulations that spotlight nature-derived healthy ingredients to relax the skin. It is an inclusive brand, because each product line targets specific skin concerns. There’s the Fresh Cica Plus (acne care/anti-inflammatory), Pink AHA/BHA (exfoliating), and Blackhead All Kill (pore refining) to name a few. But their all-time bestsellers are still the OG Fresh Herb Origin line and their brightening Phyto Niacin line!

My earliest memory of makeup was watching my mother put on this gorgeous deep red on her lips as she got ready for Sunday mass. And like all children I thought my mother with her lipstick on must be the prettiest woman in the world.

Although my memory of lipstick only goes back twenty years, this iconic product has been glamming up the women (and men) of history for centuries.

I was a malikot kid growing up, always running around and getting into all sorts of accidents. From scraping my knee, breaking my arm, to getting my head bashed on a wall by an overzealous cousin, I’ve had the kind of childhood that was possible only because we didn’t have Internet at home yet. You’d think my skin would be covered in scars, but I only have a few discreet ones thanks to my mom’s favorite wound cream: Terramycin.

Beauty is subjective, but good health is not. It’s important to ask ourselves how we’re being more proactive with our health especially during pandemic times. In my case I’ve been more conscious of eating right, going to the gym, and taking vitamins regularly. I have to confess that I always forget the last one! This is why I particularly love vitamins that can also count as a fun, light snack.

Hey, PV Community! How’s it going? I don’t mean to shock you, but the first quarter of 2022 is about to come an end. I know, I know - where did the time go, right? Speaking of time, it’s time for another roundup of what’s new in beauty.

I used to think of acne as a punishment for me not being careful enough with my skin, not being more mindful of what I expose it to. But overtime I realized it’s just a natural function of skin to let me know what’s not working out in my routine. Often it’s also because of my hormones or stress, which I can’t do too much about. I’ve accepted it as a part of myself - not a flaw, but a built-in feature that I don’t have to hate.

We all have our go-to shopping platforms, right? What I noticed is that we visit different e-commerce websites based on what we’re looking for. There’s a place we go to for appliances, a place for cheap abubots, and then a place for more high-quality items we KNOW will be authentic. That last one for me is Zalora.

People always ask me if I’ve tried or want to try the lash lift procedure. We’ve had writers on Project Vanity do a review before, but I personally think it’s not for me. I prefer to rely on really, really good mascaras instead! I know the power of long, voluminous lashes in framing my eyes, so I rarely skip mascara (only on gym day).

I first heard about the Maybelline Sky High Mascara about a year ago, but I couldn’t get my hands on it because it wasn’t available in the Philippines. Finally, it’s here! I bought it from Lazada for P499 from the Maybelline Flagship Store.

Multinational consumer goods company Unilever Philippines teams up with top health and beauty retailer Watsons and social enterprise Plastic Bank in the efforts to protect and preserve the environment.

Through Watsons, Unilever launched Gift for Good in 2021, offering shoppers sustainable beauty products, including the hair and skin product brand Love, Beauty, and Planet.

This pandemic deemed many of our cosmetic products useless, like colorful eyeshadow palettes or loose pigments that we may have bought on a whim or for that one party we needed to attend. Not everyone has the energy or time to play with makeup and post on social media, or wants to donate the palettes because it’s a limited-edition item. It’s an even bigger problem when they’re about to expire.

Allow me to share some ideas on how you can utilize those rainbow palettes so they won’t entirely go to waste!

Kérastase is a haircare brand that I’ve had great experience with so far. It addressed my post-partum hair fall a couple of years back with the Kérastase Genesis Anti-Hair fall line while I’ve used up a couple of bottles of the Kérastase Discipline Oléo-Relax Hair Oil. It is one of their best-sellers after all!

I was shopping in Landers BGC when I spotted the E45 Cream (P575 for 350 grams) on the shelves. I’ve not heard of it before, but looking at the claims in the front and ingredients in the back immediately convinced me to try it. I’ve been suffering from dry skin on my hands and feet, and needed something that can fix the issue fast. Normal heavy creams and lotions aren’t doing it for me as I always wash my hands and neglect my feet.

I take a few pills every single day for my maintenance medication, so believe me when I say that I prefer my vitamins to be more interesting than the bitter tablets I have no choice but to take. I love gummy vitamins because I can pretend they’re just candy while still getting the benefits! I love fruit flavors too.

Wellspring Gummy Vitamins is the newest player in town and they’re now available in Watsons. There are five variants available. Let’s check them out!