Last April was rich with memorable beauty finds. It has been a good month for me! And so, without any further ado, here's my top ten best products for April.

Headlining the list is the Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler. This tool is life (or should I say LASH) changing! Now I always have luscious and curly lashes even when I'm not wearing mascara. Try it if you haven't yet and forget about the price tag. Seriously.

Next up, I have the Max Factor False Lash Effect Mascara. As promised, it gives me fuller lashes that still look natural. I love the effect! I just hate the removal time, because this is one hell of a mascara to wipe off!

The Avon Shine Attract Lipstick may not be as pigmented and long-lasting as other Avon lippies, but still, it's a great everyday lippie that requires a minimum amount of effort to perfect. Oh, it's also super moisturizing and smells like gummy bears.

Color blocking remains as one of the biggest trends this 2012. Before, there were rules on which color goes with what but now, everything goes! That is incredibly fun, if you ask me. I think that everyone should express themselves with something as basic and enduring as color.

I've done several colorful looks before, but here's the most recent one I wore last Sunday. You'll see the bright iridescent green eyeshadow matched with an electric purple eyeliner and a reddish gloss. I decided to keep the cheeks and lips understated since I was just off to the mall, but if I were going to an event, I would probably go for a bright pink lip!

PRO TIP: When doing colorful eyes and lips, it's best to leave your cheeks bare. Contour with an apricot blush or bronzer to get glowing skin that doesn't compete with the colors you already have on. Here I used the L'Oreal True Match Blush in Golden Apricot - I love it! This blush really complemented my Pinay skin without looking overdone.

Okay, so here's the contest part: L'Oreal Paris has partnered with Project Vanity to bring FIVE readers to Philippine Fashion Week Holiday 2012!

Have you been to Bonifacio High Street Central yet? It opened to the public last December with only Jamba Juice in the area, but now a lot of great restaurants have set up shop in the park slash mall. We love dining there (check out Elias and Aria Cucina!) but it seems that there'll be more to BHSC than good food.

Ever New, the Australian clothing brand, will open this Saturday, and next week they'll have French brand Promod on board! So cool. If you want to be part of Promod's exclusive launch, today is your lucky day. :D Three winners will get to join me at the opening plus they'll receive P1,500 worth of GCs which they can use at the store. Here are the details!

Promod will launch its newest store at Bonifacio High Street Central on May 17, 2012, 6:00 PM and they would like to invite 3 lucky readers to join me to their launch! 

IMPORTANT: Before joining this giveaway, please MAKE SURE that you're available on the said date & time.

Mechanics:

1. Like Promod's Facebook Page.

2.  Comment on this post with your full name, e-mail address and answer the question: “Why do you love French Chic Fashion?” 

Hi folks! Just sharing some alerts I got on my inbox. ;) There's a tantalizing Suyen brands sale starting today -70% off, gasp - but it's in faraway Trinoma. Oh well, shop for me?

Press info up ahead!

There is a way to look fresh, fab, and fashionably cool without switching your spending into overdrive mode. Join your favorite brands from Suyen Corporation, Charles & Keith, Pedro, F&X, CC-OO, CPS, La Senza, and Kashieca, as they BEAT THE HEAT this summer at the Trinoma Activity Center from May 10-12, 2012. With prices up to 70% off, summer doesn’t get any cooler than this!

Thinking of what to give Mom on Mother's Day? We've made it easy for you! Get her flowers - on a dress she can wear on special days!

I can't think about ArtDeco makeup without being nostalgic. I first discovered it when I was a poor college student somewhere in Padre Faura. I was just starting my blog then and didn't have that much money to build my makeup collection. I didn't want to buy the usual drugstore fodder because I wanted to invest in the good stuff, but I couldn't afford the high end brands either. 

ArtDeco, a cosmetics brand from Germany, was my best solution. The products felt consistently high-end, but the price was quite affordable. Most of the items were less than P600; the face makeup topped at around P1,200. I remember that I bought the foundation, eyeshadows, concealer, blush, and lip gloss before! They were worth all the saving I had to do. :P

Makeup wonderland

So, I hope you understand why I'm super psyched that ArtDeco is back in the Philippines. I was bummed when they left two years ago, but now the brand is back with the complete line at the same affordable prices. I was actually expecting that ArtDeco would be more expensive since Beauty Bar (of SSI) brought them in but that's not the case.

Here's a mini-tour of the ArtDeco stand in Beauty Bar, Greenbelt 5!

The eyeshadows are to die for! The're only P350 each too.

How do you feel about new foreign brands coming to the Philippines at breakneck speeds? I'm loving it! More brands mean more options for picky shoppers like me. The important bit is that prices become more competitive. Gone are the days when new brands can enter at prices that are 50% more than their SRP abroad. (Or am I just kidding myself? Still, let's not forget to buy Pinoy!)

Anyway, there's going to be a new clothing brand in town! It's called Ever New, a  brand founded in Melbourne, Australia. Ever New emerged in late 2006 as a start-up retailer and now trades over 120 stores across seven countries including New Zealand, the United States, Singapore, and now, the Philippines.

Their PR sent me a few photos to whet the appetite. If you like elegant, feminine clothes, then I think you'll love Ever New. 

Project Vanity and the people who read it mean a big deal to me. I've been working on this blog for four years now (imagine!) and of course, I want to make it even better, more useful to the people who read it. I can guess, but you can just tell me. ;) That's why I'm holding this giveaway!

Basically, I just hope to get your valuable feedback on how to make Project Vanity better. Just answer three questions and that's it! The winner, who shall be picked randomly, will get this makeup loot. Easy right? Here are the mechanics!

Mechanics

1. Follow me on Twitter (@lizlan) and Project Vanity on Facebook.

2. Answer these questions in the comments below. Don't forget to leave your email address, along with your Twitter and Facebook usernames (so I can track entries).

If I had television, I would have watched the Bb. Pilipinas Coronation last night! As it were I just had to get my news from my Twitter feed (please do follow me btw!). Many of them were catty comments on the evening gowns and the Question and Answer portion. Haha. I guess that's part and parcel of the festivities. 

May I present the Bb. Pilipinas court!

The Bb. Pilipinas 2012 queens are: Janine Tugonon as Miss Universe Philippines, Nicole Schmitz as Bb. Pilipinas- International 2012, Katrina Dimaranan as Bb. Pilipinas - Tourism 2012, Elaine Kay Moll as 1st Runner-Up, Annalie Forbes as 2nd Runner-Up

Photo from Adventures of a Beauty Queen

Janine Tugonon is a 22-year old pharmacy graduate from the University of Sto. Tomas. From her profile, you can see that she's a veteran in joining beauty contests, unlike Shamcey Supsup from last year. 

If you've seen Memoirs of a Geisha, don't tell me you didn't wish you were a geisha, even for a moment! Screw the fact that your whole livelihood will depend on pleasing men, or that you have to enter a form of slavery (back then) just to train to be one. The beautiful kimonos and the makeup made it such an exciting and glamorous career.

The geisha tradition may have declined throughout the years, but one aspect of it remains an eternal symbol of Japanese culture: the kimono. Artisans still pour their life's work on this garment as the Japanese still prefer to wear it during special occasions.

One of these artisans is Mamechiyo, who recently designed Shu Uemura's limited edition packaging of their Cleansing Oils, UV Under Base Mousse, and powder compact.

I missed doing this last February, but my Top 10 Monthly is back! Here I talk about my favorite products last March. :D There's a lot of makeup in the list, but I also included a couple of hair gems.

My favorite lip color last March was the Colour Collection Moisture Intense Lipstick in Paradise Pink. It's a high-impact hot pink that really stands out, so I especially like wearing it with ho-hum neutral makeup. Love it!

Another lip color I am loving is the Revlon Super Lustrous Lip Gloss in Pink Pop. It's a pretty plumping gloss that's a pigmented pink. Such a fun and flirty shade. :D

Feeling pretty is not the be all and end all of life, I know. But doesn't it feel so damn good to know that you look great? When you feel good, then you're probably more productive and sociable. That's why everyone should put some effort into looking as pretty as they can! 

Allow me to help by giving you the chance to win some pretty sweet (get it) items from some of our best local brands. Up for grabs are Anthology Piccadilly flats and a Charm Holiday Brush set. Whoever wins these is super lucky as I'm sure that the products will be a permanent part of your Can't Live Without list. :P

Mechanics

1. Show some love! Like the following pages on Facebook: Project Vanity, Anthology, and Charm Makeup Brushes.

2. Follow us on Twitter: @lizlan, @anthologyshoes, and @beautynminerals.

3. On the comments below, tell us what makes you feel pretty. It can be anything - from the perfect shade of lipstick, your hubby tucking your hair behind your ears (yihee), to a dainty dress that makes you look like a doll. 

I apologize for the lateness of this announcement. I decided to pick two Commenter of the Month winners so that the next announcement comes in neatly at the end of April. The February winner gets the Cinema Secrets palette while the March winner shall get an Avon bag, Avon perfume, and Pond's skincare. 

Okay, for February we have Joana Chua and for March, Mikha! I will contact you gals shortly about how to claim your prizes. (Mikha please leave your email ad below, I'm afraid I don't have it).

And now, for the April gift! Flawless, one of the top derma and aesthetic clinics here in the country, has generously offered one session of Laser Hair Removal on the winner's preferred area (bikina, underarms, legs, or back). This is the perfect summer treat as I know most of you has plans to hit the beach.

Some info on LHR:

Laser Hair Removal is a Laser treatment to remove hair follicles and leave the skin smooth and hair-free.

I don't mind spending for shoes and makeup, but I am extremely stingy when it comes to body care products. I think that the stuff we use on our bodies have very basic functions and thus need not be be expensive. In my mind, basic products should be as cheap as humanly possible. On the other hand, complex products we intend to use a for a long time should be things we invest in (cost-per-wear).

I'm a cheapskate where it matters

I mean, why spend more than P30 on a pack of cotton buds? Or more than P200 for a body wash? Hand washes (the ones that come in 200ml bottles mind you!) that cost more than P70 is already highway robbery for me. Yes, I'm very particular about prices when it comes to buying such things! I don't see the point of spending a lot for something when there are alternatives at a much cheaper price that can do the same thing or differs only minimally from the expensive option.

That's why I really appreciate Watsons Switch & Save campaign. It encourages shoppers to turn to incredibly affordable but good quality Watsons label products to be able to save for things that actually matter.