In a world deeply entrenched in the age of digital media and constant visibility, there's an overwhelming pressure to be in a perpetual state of greatness. The carefully curated snippets of our lives on social platforms, the highlight reels of achievements, and the incessant call to be more, do more, and show more paint a distorted image. In today's age, we are often bombarded with notions of consistent greatness, of being the best at all times. But how realistic, or even desirable, is this notion of unceasing heroism?

Yesterday, as I was in the car on my way to an event, I started thinking about what success means to me. Why is it that to be considered successful at something, we have to do that thing forever? If we stop, then we have failed. If we stop, then we were too weak to continue.

We tend to laud the unwavering dedication to a craft or profession as the epitome of success. If you've been a lawyer for 20 years, a makeup artist for 30, or even a dedicated beauty enthusiast like myself for a decade and a half, people often attribute your success to the fact that you've done it for so long. Even relationships are only considered successful if they never end.

I’ve been a feminist for as long as I have understood what the word meant. I thought it made perfect sense—but why is it that many women don’t want to be labeled as a feminist? They sidestep it, like a bad word, despite the fact that this movement is rooted in advocating for our rights. Isn’t this movement good for us? Today I'd like to address why some women shy away from identifying as feminists, and why that shouldn't be the case.

I am what people call a wearer of many hats - editor, influencer, entrepreneur - though I must admit, some hats fit better than others. There's one hat, however, that I put on every day that isn't always met with the same recognition: the hat of a woman bravely navigating the minefield of societal beauty standards. Like a cat chasing its tail, I've often found myself eyeing my reflection, wondering if I would ever catch up to the tantalizing and somewhat elusive ideals of beauty. Enter stage left: face positivity, our new hero challenging these exact ideals.

The day I learned how to read price tags as a child was when I asked my mother to buy me a particular Barbie that I liked in Rustans. I can’t remember what the doll looked like anymore; but I do remember it was somewhere around P256 pesos. It was a lot of money to me as a child, but Mama always indulged my love for dolls.

I’m currently reading the 2023 Pulitzer prize-winning book called Trust by Hernan Diaz. It’s a tale about ambition and wealth set in New York at the turn of the 20th century, told from three different perspectives. I’m enjoying it so far! Today I want to share a quote from the book that had me thinking about it for days.

Hello there, PV girls! Welcome back to another installment of our Monday Musings. It's that time of the week where we pause for a moment, set aside our skincare routines, and dive deep into the pool of contemplation. Today, we're stepping away from our familiar beauty talks to focus on a different kind of pageantry – one that deals not with the realm of concealers and color palettes, but with crowns and coronations.

“How do you know what you’re supposed to do with your life? Do you follow your passion, or what’s practical?” asked a senior high school student from my alma mater. I was part of a panel talking about my experience graduating from a prestigious university (UP Manila!) and the kids wanted to know how to figure out what to do after high school.

When I first watched the Tiktok of the teen who proudly talked about her first luxury bag from Charles & Keith, I only had two thoughts. First, that Charles & Keith isn’t typically considered a luxury brand* BUT, second, good for her, what a lovely gift from her dad! I checked the comments though (an unhealthy habit of mine) and of course there were people coming at her to tell her that she is NOT the proud owner of a luxury bag. How can people live lives so joyless that they can’t let a young person just enjoy a nice thing? People can be so mean.

Last night, I rewatched Soul by Pixar Films. It’s about a band teacher named Joe Gardner who has always dreamed of becoming a real jazz musician, but just as he gets his big break in his middle age, he apparently dies. It was as beautiful and inspiring as I remember it, but it hit a little different this time. I’m turning 35 next month and as with any birthday I can’t help but wonder if I’m fulfilling my purpose in life.

I’ve recently moved out of the apartment I’ve been living in for 12 years. It happened really fast - my husband and I viewed our current home on a Saturday and by Friday next week we were fully moved in. We’ve been wanting to make this change for a while because most of James’s work is in Pasig and Mandaluyong, and our friends and family are also in this area. As you know, traffic in Manila is extreme so we needed to be closer to where we spend most of our time.

James asked me a really interesting question the other day. He asked, if money is no object, what would you buy to make yourself as beautiful as possible?

I really had to think about this. Makeup can only do so much because there’s a certain point where it will look like the caricature of a person no matter the skill level. Skincare, even dermatologist-prescribed skincare, also has a limit as to how much it can transform skin. It’s not magic.

Dubai Bling on Netflix follows a group of millionaire socialites living it up in one of the most fabulous cities in the world. It’s trashy reality TV at its finest, with the cast all possessing a complete lack of self-awareness and finding themselves devoid of basic social skills in highly improbable situations.

I was scrolling through Facebook earlier this morning when I chanced upon this comic strip by War and Peas. I shared it on my social media platforms but I thought it deserved a spot on Project Vanity too!

It has been four years since and I have gone from having a little basket of makeup goodies that I could store in my cabinet to having a collection that demands its own space. It feels like this happened overnight and I realized that was because my makeup use and purchase habits became a form of coping during the pandemic.

With all of the health and safety guidelines in full swing - especially masks and working from home, I have been forced to reevaluate the way I see my collection and habits.