It's not just bags and shoes that say you've "arrived" - watches are also another way of wearing your money on your body. Designer watches can cost tens of thousands of pesos but if you have the extra cash for them then why not, right? I say enjoy your money and buy what makes you happy!

Okay, enough rhyming! If you're looking to buy high-end watches, you must visit Segnatempo in Greenbelt 3. It houses several designer brands such as Balmain, Givenchy, Dior, Armani, and Burberry as well as more affordable brands like Nixon and Toy Watch.

Here are photos of what they have at the spacious and classy store!

Nixon

I like, nay, LOVE boxes. It's a good thing that my line of work ensures that I recieve boxes regularly. Wait, that can be a bad thing. I don't know. It doesn't matter!

Ok, before I start babbling endlessly I just want to share some of my new boxes and how I've recycled them.

I recieved this vintagey box from the Belo team (thanks Denise!). It's actually the same box that Ferretti in Glorietta uses to house accessories! It's cute and it's roomy. I decided to use it for storing products I have yet to review since it's easier to keep track of them this way.

I recently got this delightfully huge ring from Parfois. It makes me think of a monster toad. Mostly I think of it as an effective combat weapon, similar to brass knuckles. If i ever get in trouble, I can use my monster ring finger to deliver a punch with more satisfying results.

Kidding aside, I find the ring chich in a tough girl kind of way. It's also the sort of piece that no one will miss because of its size! I think it would look best with indie/boho/rocker type of clothes.

One of my top three favorite songs on The Phantom of the Opera is Masquerade. It carries a joyous tune but there's a strong undercurrent of malice and fear in between the lyrics, a contrast that I really appreciate. The whole sequence in the film draws heavily from Edgar Allan Poe's masterpiece, The Masque of the Red Death - even the Phantom himself comes as the Red Death to the party. I have always found this story chilling, up there with Annabel Lee and The Tell-Tale Heart.

Anyway! If you haven't watched the movie yet, I hope this clip of Masquerade will convince you.

The rambling is brought to you by this pretty ring I got from Ivy. She was the Commenter of the Month winner for July, and while I was perfectly fine with shipping her prize, she asked if we could meet up. Of course I said yes! I love meeting Project Vanity readers, they are almost always cool. And Ivy is cool. She just started her own beauty blog, you guys should encourage her. ;) There's nothing more inspiring than someone going out of her comfort zone to share the things she loves.

I was so giddy when I got my grubby hands on these Pinkbox goodies. I made sure to pick items that I'll wear a lot in my day-to-day activities since I've made the mistake of choosing accessories that are, er, too flashy for just running bank errands or doing groceries before. Don't get me wrong, I love flashy accessories! But I figured it's time to get pieces that are a *bit* more subdued than my usual fare.

Here goes!

I like this faux pearl and gold chain necklace because I can wear this with practically anything. I can jut put on shorts and a t-shirt and this won't look too much. I can wear a fancy dress and this is just the right complement. 

I was also wearing this headband in that look. It added a feminine touch to everything.

Have you guys heard of Pinkbox? It's the mother of all cute accessories in the Philippines and has been around for almost ten years now. The owner, Nelly See, started the business because she couldn't find nice hair accessories for her daughter and, she said, "I hate Disney!" So she brought in her own merchandise to Pinkbox's first kiosk in Robinson's Galleria. The rest, as they say, is lost to the misty fringes of history in a puff of pink and purple. The brand is now available in practically everywhere!

I think I've walked in a Pinkbox kiosk or store a couple of times before, but I didn't find anything compelling enough to go home with. The brand was more for moms and their kids so I couldn't really relate for obvious reasons. Just last week though, Pinkbox has come out with trendy accessories targeted towards teens and yuppies. My verdict? Worth checking out if you like dainty, cute, and feminine trinkets in your wardrobe!

Photobombed by two teens, one who dragged her friend, squealing, to check out the accessories 

When I first saw this kiosk at Shangri-La Plaza, I thought it looked small and that there was nothing to see. Was I. So wrong. I have 47 photos to prove it, so click to get a tour of this mini-wasteland of cuteness! I can only imagine how many good finds there are in the actual stores.

SM Accessories recently released their latest collection called City Safari. It brings out the urban warrior in each of us as it features sumptuous, ornate gold pieces inlaid with bright beads and adorned with fringes reminiscent of bygone civilizations that rose from the dusty steppes. 

I can't wait to check these out in person! I'm liking that necklace with turquoise beads and the gold cuff made out of twisted wire. What caight your eye?

It's a mildy wet, cool Saturday and all I can think about is doing nothing. The last week was crazier than normal so I am looking forward to the upcoming week where things seem to be lighter. Before I sign off for the rest of the day reading a book and maybe painting a little, I just want to share my newest necklace.

It's this gold-and-turquoise beauty from Ferretti. Yes, the shoe brand also sells wicked accessories, but the really awesome ones can be found in our Mindanao stores. I managed to score this one while I was in the showroom, before it gets shipped off. There are only two pieces!

I believe that this is only P550. Such a steal. 

I was in SM Bacoor with my mom yesterday. I wasn't particularly intent on buying jewelry, until I saw these NACCARA Pearls in the department store!

These earrings were the first thing that caught my eye. I'm not particularly fond of earrings, but I really love how delicate this pair looked, with its tiny majorica pearls and inset stones.

You guys know that I love the cheap yet utterly trendy accessories that can be found in SM Department Stores. I've bought, oh, so many hats and little trinkets in the past few years, many I didn't get to blog about. So when SM invited me to the media launch of their accessory department, I braved the strong rains just to get to One Esplanade that wet and traffic-heavy night.

The fashion show featuring SM's latest and upcoming accessories was nothing short of a spectacle. Top models like Ria Bolivar walked the runway, as well as celebrities like Bianca Valerio, Tim Yap, Chesca Garcia, and Mariel Rodriguez.

Here are some photos (and at the end are the accessories I picked in SM).

Ria Bolivar

There are a lot of beautiful finds inside Parfois. The best thing is, most of the items are not something you'll find just anywhere! There are cocktail rings, statement necklaces, and pretty bags in the store. Shoes, scarves, and wallets are also mainstays.

Indeed, Parfois is your all-around accessory store that's not too painful on the pocket. Rings are between P380 to P650, necklaces at P600-1200 (for the elaborate ones), and bags at P1,200 to 3,000 (for the big ones made for traveling).

Here's what I got!

This necklace is perfect for low-cut dresses and tops

These golden leaves hang beautifully on the neck. Can go with most outfits. Been wearing it nonstop!

Parfois (par-fwa) is a Portuguese brand that just opened shop in Manila last year. I remember checking it out in Glorietta 4 then, but I had the impression that it was too expensive for my budget. The store definitely looked swanky and intimidating! But what do you know, the accessories are actually quite affordable. All of them, even the elaborate ones, are less than P1,000, with an average price of P380 to P600+. That's about the same price range as Forever 21 or SM accessories.

I'm really glad that Parfois invited me to be their blogger stylist of the day last Friday. It was my first time to assist customers in a store and I must admit, it's exhausting! Nonetheless, meeting everyone was a real treat; I was impressed by the diversity of Parfois customers. There were students, yuppies, working moms, and even grand old ladies with white hair. I guess this diversity speaks for the kind of items you can find in the store - timeless, versatile pieces that can be worn by anyone regardless of age.

Last week, I was asked by Avon to pick one set from their latest jewelry collection. You know that I'm into green at the moment, so I picked their Retro in the City set. It features faux peridot stones that are encased in a goldtone pavé cage inlaid with clear stones. What I like most about the pieces is how big the peridot stones are, effectively making them statement pieces!

Caged Pavé Peridot Ring, P699

Avon accessories are getting better and better, don't you think? These pieces will speak for themselves:

The Spring Green Jewelry line has this faux jade centerpiece set in silver. It has tiny stones in an ornate pattern which I think makes it look oh-so sophisticated! The Spring Blossom Jewelry line, on the other hand, is gold with white enamel flowers and clear stones. 

I haven't bought accessories in, oh boy, months. So when I was in Mall of Asia the other day, I can't help but get these super cheap (but gorgeous!) goodies:

I think I only spent P620 for all of this. The oversized flower clip is only P150, while the animal print clip is just P150. The faux beaten gold and turquoise necklace is P350. Not bad eh?

Here's an Avon post...again! I can't help it. Avon is probably the biggest supporter of Project Vanity. They don't pay me or anything, if you're curious. They just send me their latest products to try and it works out so well because I've been a huge fan of Avon even since I was a teen. Anyway, just the other day they gave me three bags of products not just for me, but for YOU! Yup, I'm going to have another major giveaway soon. If you haven't joined the current one, please do!

Today I want to share something they sent me a couple of weeks back. It's one of their newer collections called Desert Oasis, one inspired by the glittering sands of the hot dunes. The collection is quite extensive, with underwear, sandals, accessories, and bags under it. I have a few of them here. Check out the photos!

For today, I was planning to put up my lip swatches of the new and *awesome* Avon Ultra Moisture lipsticks. However since there are 19 shades and I have at least a hundred photos of them to delete/edit, I ran out of time to finish them all. I need to leave in a bit! So in the meantime I will leave you with photos of Avon's latest collection called Tokyo Allure.

It's inspired by - make a guess - the mystery and romance of Tokyo! Red is the predominant color, mixed with accents of smoky charcoal.

More photos after the jump!

I found myself with nothing to do yesterday afternoon so I rummaged through my stuff, hoping there's something interesting to tinker with. I saw some Avon necklaces, and had a semi-brilliant idea!

I thought it would be cool to combine them in one necklace. The one in the middle is from the latest Avon collection called Tokyo Allure (more about that next week) and, unlike other necklaces from the brand, doesn't have a detachable pendant. It would be perfect to have two different pendants on either side.

You all know I love Avon, particularly its makeup and underwear. But after the launch of its Summer collections last March, I was able to better appreciate the brand's accessories. Frankly they're not trendy nor something that would appeal to me at first glance, but I find that the designs and quality are enduring. I've had these for almost eight months and not a single one of the pieces have tarnished. Don't you hate it when your faux gold/silver jewelry fails in that department? *Cough* Forever 21 *cough*

Anyway, I'd just like to show you some of the newest pieces Avon is currently offering. Because! A real girl loves pretty shiny things!

What's up with black boxes tied up with pink ribbons? Eh? I'm not complaining!

Dare To Dazzle Collection (sans earrings since I forgot to take photos). I'm giving these away soon!