What products found in Watsons would you recommend for a start up make up kit? Just the basics from eyeliner, mascara, lipstick, blush and foundation/ powder. - Alyson

Hi Alyson! Thanks for your great question. I think Watsons is indeed the best place to visit if you're looking to build your first makeup kit. :) There's a huge selection of brands from the Philippines, Japan, USA, Australia, and even Europe, would you believe! Watsons has definitely gone a long way from being just a boring ol' pharmacy.

I've already posted many drugstore suggestions in the past, but I've picked out an updated list of products for you to try if you're in the process of beefing up your kit. Many of these are just fairly recent finds, and toe the fine line between quality and affordability. 

Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse (P599). This has a great lumi-matte finish with a light to medium coverage. It can definitely hide lesser eyebags and blemishes, great for everyday wear! I'd recommend this for dry to combi skin though; if you're really oily, I'd recommend something like the Revlon Colorstay Whipped Creme Makeup.

BYS Minerals Naturale Compact Foundation (P599). I like the natural, glowy finish of this powder and how well it controls my oiliness. It could be a dupe of the MAC Mineralized Skinfinish powder.

I am a huge believer in traveling as light as possible. If I can live without something for the next few days then it is highly unlikely that I will be bringing it! I actually just lugged my trusty gold NaRaYa bag  (this is such an awesome bag, it is incredibly light and tough! I've had it for years!) and a tote bag from Ferretti in my recent trip to Japan. I honestly felt I overpacked even with just two bags.

In the end, I had to buy another big bag just to store my purchases hehe. Shopping in Japan is quite inexpensive, more so when it's sale season (which is right about now). Most of the stores were at 50% to 70% off. And the drugstores! Oh my gosh! I just went batshit insane - but mostly for food lol. I wouldn't know what to do with more makeup or skincare, I seriously do not have any space left at home. In any case, do you think I should still post my haul?

Anyhoo, I just want to show you my makeup kit while I was over there. Again I packed too much, but it didn't feel like it while I was throwing everything inside. The actual pouch (from Bobbi Brown) is small but roomy. It fit pretty much everything I need, and a little bit more.

The pouch was part of a promo last year, I believe, so I don't think they sell this anymore. :( Well, I'm sure you can find something similar. Here's what I brought with me!

I get a lot of questions from girls who are just starting to discover makeup. "What do I need to buy first?" they ask. I have actually answered this several times in the past but I thought I would update my list to also include must-have tools.

So, if you have absolutely no knowledge of makeup or if you want to build a kit that has the absolute minimum items, this post is for you! This is everything you need to achieve a flawless, no-makeup look that can be amplified with bright, eye-catching lips depending on where you're going.

1 - Concealer brush from Charm. This is for applying concealer on small blemishes and eyebags.

2 - Flat-top brush from Charm. This is for buffing in foundation if you don't want to use a sponge. For heavier coverage, you can apply some concealer on your face then buff it in with this brush to cover large, uneven areas.

3 - Concealer for blemishes and undereyes. I think the Cinema Secrets Foundation Palette #2 is an absolute must-have. It can be used as a foundation or as a concealer, depending on how opaque you want to go.

I just realized - I took oodles of photos of my makeup and skincare during my out-of-town trip the other week, but I only have two or three shots of myself to show for it. They weren't even good! I guess I just don't like taking photos when I'm busy doing something on a vacation. Next time though, perhaps I should take more just for posterity. :P

Anyway, I want to show you what I brought with me on the trip. I rather overpacked buuut at least I knew I was prepared for whatever! Hope you like this little show and tell. I brought products that I feel suited the demands of summer - bright colors on the lips, light shades for eyes, and warm cheek colors. For the face base, I just brought a long-wearing concealer + a light, illuminating powder foundation. It's too hot for cream or liquid types. 

I housed my cosmetics in this neat Rustan's pouch that Pond's gave it to me a few months ago. I like that it's big but slim, roomy enough to fit in lots of stuff while keeping them from bouncing around.

It's quite silly to wear makeup during a vacation, unless it's the type where you're going to meet a lot of new people you expect to see more of in the future. Why wear makeup when you should be spending time exploring the place right? I brought a bunch of makeup but I only used the concealer, powder, and eyeliner during my trip to Bellarocca. The goal is to just chill.

I used a nifty pouch from Estee Lauder. It can house my stuff securely without having them bump around too much. 

Good morning from Baguio! I'm here with Marco to chill - quite literally. It's very cold here. Unfortunately I was naive enough to think otherwise, so I brought only one jacket and mostly flimsy clothes. Horror, I tell you, especially for someone who has low tolerance for cold. How I wish I sneaked off some of the new Ukay Manila blazers from my store! (Yes I just have to say that lol. New arrivals today ladies!)

Anyway, I'd just like to share with you the kikay stuff I brought. You can easily guess from my what's in my bag post that I prefer to travel extra light. I don't mind sacrificing a few comforts, routines, and favorites if that means that I don't have to worry about the weight of my bag, breaking anything, or god forbid, losing anything important. 

Only three small pouches and the rest are clothes. Yes I brought my POSH Pocket Shoes! Soo travel-friendly.

This VNC bag is perhaps the most useful thing I ever got from an event. It has divisions, garter holders for brushes, and has this hook so I can hang it. It's also a shoe bag. It's thin and small but very roomy so I prefer to use it for stocking makeup when I'm out of town. Everything is protected and nothing jiggles around while my luggage is in transit. I'm not sure if this is for sale, but if you ever see it, get it asap!