In any long-term relationship, sometimes, you just run out of things to say. Perhaps it's the lack of something new to explore, or the absence of inspiration and interest. How do you stay interested in something or someone for six years? 

Commitment, however, is not a passive thing. You choose to stay interested and to say something even when it bores you sometimes. You choose to keep the relationship because it's part of your identity and it keeps you happy. That's why I still blog, even when I feel like doing something else. It's just who I am. 

In addition to that: The thing about trying to write as quickly as possible is that I don't get to say everything I already take for granted in my head. There are simply days when it is difficult to do what I need and want to do, but often it's as easy as breathing air. There are rough patches in any relationship, but I choose to step over them instead of getting caught up. At the end of the day, it's not really an issue.

Anyway, it's time for my monthly hit list! Here are ten things that I loved last March. ^_^

Not gonna lie - the Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet in 45 L'Adoree is rather drying, but I love it because the color is so unique and sophisticated. As The Rolling Stones would say - you can't always get what you want! But this color is what I need. (Naks)

I adore the super shiny formula of the Revlon Colorburst Lacquer Balm. My fave shade is Flirtatious - it's such a fun color to wear! It reminds me of chilled fruit juice, haha. I'm always up for complexion-brightening colors like it.

The Clinique Cheek Pop in 01 Ginger Pop is a beautiful warm color that's perfect for summer. It has a buildable formula that blends on my skin seamlessly. Ginger Pop is definitely a welcome change from pink and peachy blushes!

One thing I love about the local beauty blogging community is that we are not a toxic bunch. I'd be lying if I said we didn't have egos or felt jealous, irritated, etc. at each other every now and then, but the negativity is minimal. We don't hold on to it. If there's an issue we settle it quickly and privately or just move on like nothing happened! I guess that while we find beauty blogging tremendously fun and rewarding, it doesn't rule our lives. That why (I think) we're pretty relaxed about it.

Anyway, today I'd like to share with you my top ten favorite finds last month! Here are ten things that I feel enriched my existing collection.

Ahh, Shiseido, my love. The Shiseido Sheer and Perfect Liquid Foundation + the White Lucent Brightening Spot-Control Foundation is a match made in heaven. Even when my skin looks like crap (like right now, pre-period pimples UGH), these two can hide everything without looking heavy. It's a "my skin but better" tandem!

I love all the Maybelline Color Tattoo Eyeshadows, but my absolute absolute favorite is Bad to the Bronze. It's a beautiful, rich color that can be used alone on the lids then blended up the crease. It makes my eyes look more exciting and polished at the same time. Grab it n' love it!

I don't know why I ever put off owning a metal palette. It really helped me apply makeup better since it opens up new ways for me to mix my products. Such a great find! Get the MONDA Studio Mixing Palette from Digital Traincase.

Products come and products go, but these ten(ish) things are permanently clutched to my heart. I found them all this year alone and trust me, they've managed to elevate my makeup and skincare routine to heretofore unheard of heights. Yes yes I think you get it. These things are awesome and I'm soooo lucky I got to "discover" them! 

Here's my list! (Warning: crazy, gibbering raves are about to explode in your face.)

Shiseido Ibuki Skincare Line. Are you tired of me talking about this yet? I owe the niceness of my skin now to Ibuki. I mean, guys, last night I just went out with just a dab of concealer on my face. I didn't need to powder or apply any foundation anymore. Those blessed with awesome skin may think that it's no big deal, but for someone like me who breaks out every so often, this is like, science fiction.

This is the single best thing that happened to my face. 

Cure Natural Aqua Gel. Aaand this is pretty much the next best thing that happened to my skin this year. Seriously, the Japanese have the best skincare products! If you haven't switched to Japanese brands yet (at least for your face) then you are missing a ton.

Dead skin is actually one of the top causes of our problems - acne, blackheads, even whiteheads. Cure keeps away dead skin like the plague. 

Bifesta Sebum Cleansing Lotion. This is the best makeup remover I've tried. It's water-based but still super effective in melting off the thickest, most long-wearing makeup. It stops short when it comes to waterproof mascara but everything else, it can wipe off within minutes. (I use the Shiseido Instant Eye and Lip Makeup Remover for long-wearing mascara).

My skin feels clearer whenever I use this. Plus, it's inexpensive and can be found in most Watsons.

Lancome Visionnaire Yeux, Advanced Eye Contour Perfecting Corrector. I've had a healthy skepticism of eye creams for the longest time. I thought they were the biggest hoax perpetrated by the beauty industry. I didn't expect them to do much other than moisturize and maintain whatever is left to maintain...but then I tried the Lancome Visionnaire for eyes. It's like a slo-mo moment. 

Facebook is not a good place to be in at the moment. Ideally it should be a source of stories that will inspire and galvanize the country to do more for those affected by Yolanda. However, it has mostly become a breeding ground for false news, righteous comments, and a feeling of helpless hysteria. Perhaps I'm exaggerating. In any case, I'll be keeping to Twitter for now. 

Let's all stay calm and carry on helping. 

Anyway, here are my best finds last month! I realized that I reviewed (and enjoyed) more products than usual. I'll just be picking out the best of the best. :)

The Shiseido Natural Finish Cream Concealer is my current favorite under eye concealer. It's light and easy to blend, but it covers up darkness under the eyes well. What I love most about it though is the fact that it doesn't sink into my lines in the middle of the day! Good stuff.

Another one of my recent Shiseido finds is the Perfect Rouge Lipstick in Fuchsia RS320. This is a crazy bright magenta-fuchsia that never fails to draw quick glances whenever I'm wearing it. It's a fun lipstick to have in any kit.

Aaand here is my lipbalm-of-the-moment: the Nuxe Reve de Miel Lip Moisturizing Stick! It's something I can wear under my lipstick without ruining the texture of the product. This is a pretty neat feature to have in your lip balm if you love lipsticks as much as I do.

Most days I can not be bothered to wear more than one shade of eyeshadow. Or any eyeshadow at all for that matter! But since I like highlighting my eyes, I at least make an effort to quickly swipe a cream eyeshadow on my lids. The Maybelline Color Tattoo Metal Eyeshadow in Barely Branded (golden cream) is a great daily color that'll brighten the eyes and stay on all day even with no primer.

I eat street food because I want to see just how tough my stomach is. I want to challenge fate, spit in its eye, you know? I feel invincible because I've never gotten typhoid from all the unnamed fishballs I've consumed. Related (but not really) is the fact that a random flu bug can take me down swifter than any street isaw I deliberately ate. Well played, Fate. Well played.

Anyway. Here's my monthly list of ten amazing finds!

My current favorite cheek beautifier is theBalm Instain Blush. This is incredibly long-wearing and pigmented! I like how it makes my skin look like it's just naturally blushing. Highly recommend this for oily girls.

Here's another one from theBalm - the What's Your Type? The Body Builder Mascara. I love this because I get major volume in just one coat, plus it doesn't smudge or smear on me. It's also very easy to take off - it melts right off with just my water-based makeup remover!

I adore the Naturactor Cover Face Foundation because it has this smooth, baby-skin finish that I haven't seen yet in other foundations. It's just one of those things you have to try and see for yourself! I promise you'll be amazed. However, the shade selection is severely limited. If you're medium yellow like me, I don't think that 151 (darkest shade) will work. But who knows! I might be able to try that shade out soon.

Man, I noticed that I only published 30 posts last month! My average is 40-50, and yes I can still get that number even when I'm busy. I guess August was just a generally uninspired month for me. Call it a minor break from blogging! I'm sure September is more interesting, beauty-wise. The brands are getting ready to launch their autumn and holiday collections so I'm sure we'll have lots of awesome things to look forward to. 

I also want to post more FOTDs this September. I remember the good ol' days when beauty bloggers would share more FOTDs and tutorials than reviews. Sure reviews are useful, but looks of the day show those products in action. I'd like to polish up my eyeshadow chops and try out new combinations - I have a few new good eyeshadow palettes that I can't wait to play with!

Okay okay I'm done with the small talk. Here is my monthly list of favorites! :)

The Clinique Long Last Lipstick in Runway Coral is probably my banner lipstick this August. I love the formula and the elegant silver bullet, but really it's the color that got me all infatuated. Coral-watermelon-pink shades never fail to brighten my complexion even if I'm not wearing much makeup!

The ZA Plumper Lips Lipstick in Rose Vintage is a more subdued lipstick - something more appropriate for work engagements or errands. Hey, a girl can't have too many MLBB lipsticks if you ask me! (Which just gave me an idea for a blog post, hehe).

I've lost count of the number of lip balms I have - and their exact locations - so I pick up whatever is in my line of sight. I make sure that the Hurraw! Grapefruit Lip Balm is always in my line of sight. It's one of the best lip balms I've tried so far! Check out my other picks: my top five favorite lip balms.

July was a crazy awesome month for me. I was able to visit Tokyo for the launch of Shiseido's latest skincare line, Ibuki! Even with the surprise trip, I also managed to organize a press and blogger event for Pinkbox (more on that soon). I'm not bragging, honest. I'm saying all this with a mild disbelief: how?

Counting chairs

August should be a quieter month, I think! I am going to Hong Kong today to relax a little, see the sights, shop for interesting things. I've scheduled a few posts for you that I think you'll like, so keep on visiting and commenting! ^_^ Let me start off with my monthly favorites.

I must have at least one lip balm in every bag. My latest find is the Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm! This doesn't actually tint my lips at all, but I love the buttery texture and caramel scent. It also moisturizes my lips for hours on end. 

The IN2IT Moisture Intense Lipstick in Pink Alarm is an eye-catching hot pink lipstick with a nice formula. If you like hot pinks, I dare say that this is a must-have - it's just so bright and fun! The price is very affordable too considering the quality you get. 

I just realized that I did three themed weeks last month! Do check out the Lipstick Week, MAC Week, and Shiseido Week. My plan was just two with a week in between, but I found it easier to have some direction when choosing what to write about. There are so many unreviewed products here that I have stopped trying to figure out which goes first! I'll just go with the theme, or whatever I am liking at the moment, because I want to hold on to my sanity.

If you have suggestions for future themed weeks, I would love to hear them! I actually got the Lipstick Week idea from one of the comments on this blog. ;) Anyway here's my top ten favorite products from June. Let me know if you found anything interesting.

Lipstick fiend that I am, one of my favorite things last month is MAC Rebel. It's an amazing purply fuchsia that I feel works with my coloring perfectly! It's a unique shade that I'll keep close to my heart for years to come.

The NARS Satin Lip Pencils have been making waves in the beauty world ever since they came out early this year. The buttery texture, opacity, and gorgeous shades had everyone swooning over these sophisticated black pencils. My favorite shade is Lodhi, but I would also grab Yu in the near future! Hyde Park, a berry red, is also a great shade to have on hand.

Last month was a good one since I found so many interesting beauty products! It was quite a challenge to whittle down this list to ten items, but it must be done. Here are my ten favorite things from May.

My review of the Ben Nye Banana Luxury Powder is one of the most popular posts last month - and for good reason! It's an amazing powder that truly controls oil and extends the wear of my makeup. I wish that it has more, skin-toned coverage, but it's okay since I have a hack for that. ;) I usually mix this with my Snoe Poudre Extraordinaire, another awesome powder that I've been consistently using for months now.

CC creams are slowly but steadily making their way to the Philippines. One of the first to arrive is the Clinique Moisture Surge CC Cream. It's an illuminating, light coverage face base that makes skin glow with only one layer. It has the Moisture Surge base which also happens to be my favorite moisturizer of all time! This saves me extra steps in my routine since this can be my primer, moisturizer, SPF, illuminator, and light foundation in one bottle.

Another CC cream I'm loving is the Etude House CC Cream in Glow. I honestly didn't think I would like it this much!