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!

I think it’s safe to say that a lot of us have picked up new hobbies in the last two years. Some have even started small businesses out of these freshly acquired skills. Luckily, accessibility to these activities are at an all time high, thanks to the internet.

One thing that I found on Lazada randomly is this DIY kit for those looking to start their own fragrance hobby or business. The Chemworld Fragrance Factory’s Fragrance Play DIY Perfume Blending Starter Kit (P750) has two types of starter kits. The Fragrance Play is the more basic one, while Starter Kit A (P3,865) is the pro-level version that’s meant for those planning to start their own fragrance mixing business.

If you’re working from home for the foreseeable future and are in video calls day in and day out, you might be thinking about getting a ring light. Lighting is everything when it comes to looking presentable online, after all! However, if you don’t want to spend on a fancy rig, I’ve got a super easy DIY solution for you that you can source from the hardware store and/or the department store and do in five minutes. Let’s go!

I am an introverted person, a true homebody. Everyone I know will agree that this is true. So staying in and working from home to help keep the community safe at first felt like such an easy task. Of course, I do realize that I am privileged enough to have a roof above my head and food to eat even during this time, but after a week of being stuck at home, I got this urge to do something different because every day started to feel the same.

It’s one thing to know how to cook and bake, but the beauty junkie takes it to a whole new level by knowing her way around the kitchen scraps. That’s right, we're challenging you to get nifty with what some might consider as refuse! Aside from repurposing your coffee grounds, there are more food leftovers that can double as beauty treatments. Get thrifty with your routine, and save a few pesos with these DIY hacks! (Hint: Use the extra funds for cheap thrills or set them aside to splurge on a big-ticket item!)

Disclaimer: I actually finished this project before the coronavirus quarantine. I wanted a more compact and complete makeup kit for my workout bag; I was swimming and playing tennis at the club as often as I can, and I shower there then go to the office or to a meeting after. I needed a comprehensive face! So I thought long and hard about what went in here and how everything is arranged.

Have you ever heard of the old Hollywood trick of using soap on eyebrows? It may sound crazy but many professional makeup artists (both local and international) swear by this beauty hack for fixing brows into place! In fact, it has made such a huge comeback into the beauty scene that there are now several local brands that offer brow soaps in little tins that can fit into your makeup kit. But if it’s literally just soap, we can probably recreate the same effect using regular soap from the grocery, right? So, I decided to try it and find out!

When I was in high school, we didn’t have any Watsons in my province. The only way to buy makeup was through Avon and Ever Bilena resellers. Because shopping options were limited and so were our allowances, I would see my female batchmates sticking a finger inside their bags, quickly ducking down, then reappearing with red lips and a red-tipped finger.

"There’s more than meets the eye” surely holds true for the clear mascara. Compared to its pigmented sibling that we frequently rely on to create thicker and lengthier lashes, the colorless gel doesn’t seem to be able to do much and so is often considered as an unimportant. The truth is, it is this simplicity that actually makes it a super versatile beauty product!  

A daily sheet masking habit can be good for your skin, especially when preparing for a special occasion. It’s not quite wallet-friendly though, since each individually-packed mask can range from P65 for the Watsons Collagen Face Masks to P248 for a Leaders The Gold 24 Secret Mask. In looking for a cheaper alternative earlier this year, I tried a DIY lotion face mask that cost roughly six pesos: it was that cheap because all you have to buy is the multi-layered cotton pad which you can use with whatever moisturizing toner or Japanese lotion that you already have.

There’s something therapeutic and empowering about using something you made yourself. I know we PV girls are not lacking in our own DIY experiments but some DIY inspirations we've found online are frankly irresponsible and can put your health at risk. If you're looking for a cheap alternative or just wanting to have a bit fun, please PASS on these four ideas - and we'll tell you why!