I love going to bazaars all over the world and exploring what each stall has inside. I can spend HOURS just turning over every trinket, and particularly enjoy hauling home my favorites so I can wear them ASAP. It’s the kind of place where you can find something truly unique, especially from small business that don’t have as much capital to be in retail full-time, but still have a lot to offer!

“Oh, we have one gentleman here,” said Dr. Rica Cruz while looking at me, in the middle of her talk about women sexual empowerment. Taken by surprise, I responded, “Yes! Power to all the women!”

Project Vanity celebrated its 14th Anniversary last August 27 at the Rockwell Club in Makati, and it was an afternoon filled with beauty, stories and most importantly, conversations. Now, in true beauty roundup fashion, I’d like to go through them one by one.

This year, our theme is Brave & Beautiful for our 14th Anniversary Event, and you’re invited as always! It’s happening on August 27, Saturday, and Palm Grove at the Rockwell Club, Makati from 1-5PM.

We have amazing speakers in our line up to talk about their stories of reinvention, self-discovery, and determination.

My mother-in-law is one of my favorite persons and I’m lucky to have a good relationship with her. You know what they say - when you marry someone, you marry their family too! I can’t - and don’t - even want to imagine having a combative relationship with a MIL. I don’t have any complaints about her. Well, okay, there is one thing: she has dishwashing fluid doing double duty as hand wash soap in her home!

The Project Vanity annual anniversary event is something I look forward to, and I can’t wait for the day that we can celebrate in person again. I miss the talks, the catching up, and of course doing all it in our best pink looks. But that doesn’t mean that we’re skipping our kit this year! In fact, we have our most luxurious one yet, as we partner with Estée Lauder, MAC, Bobbi Brown, and Clinique for the first time to bring you some of my best finds for statement yet stress-free beauty.

We're looking for inspiring stories to share on Project Vanity's 13th anniversary month. The chosen stories will win P13,000 worth of gifts from our brand partners. Send your story to liz@projectvanity.com by March 6, Saturday to be reviewed or fill out the form below. We can't wait to read about your nominees!

When I wrote “It's okay to be ugly. What's not okay is to give up on yourself.” last December, I didn’t expect it would resonate with people as much as it did. That’s why when we were thinking of the theme for this year’s 12th Anniversary, we wanted to explore this idea more. In a world where it is impossible to be perfect, what are the ways in which we can empower ourselves?

Taking a break is important for physical, mental, and emotional health but when was the last time you were able to disconnect and relax? To be honest, this is a real challenge for me because of how busy and fast-paced life can get! But the truth is: the busier you are, the more important it becomes for you to recharge. Slowing down and resting to take care of yourself also means you can find new energy to do what you have to do without burning out.

This idea of bravery is the central point of the Project Vanity x Revlon Beauty and Bravery event that we recently held in Makati. Project Vanity community members gathered with us at Xception for an afternoon of milk tea, coffee, and sharing brave moments. It was a one-of-a-kind event as it was very intimate and really allowed us to talk and listen to each other. Plus, it turned into a bonding session as we became real-life friends with people we’ve only interacted with at the PVC Facebook group!

Have you ever been to a beauty convention? If you’re the type of beauty lover who loves staying ahead of trends and getting in-depth knowledge of the industry, this is the place to be! I’ve only attended a couple of local cons so far, but I found my current go-to sunscreen stick (it’s not available locally) at the one we attended a few months ago. There are free demos and talks, and hair, makeup, and nail competitions. You might even find an exclusive sale or convention-only prices.

As a beauty enthusiast, I naturally gravitate towards skincare discussions—whether in websites and online platforms (shout out to The Project Vanity Community on Facebook!), at beauty events, or with friends and family. I do appreciate all of these venues, because I learn a lot about skincare from them. The conversation has changed a lot through the years, with many participants becoming *woke* about how to properly care for their skin. At times, I even feel like I’m preaching to the choir!

There’s better than basic, and then there’s outta this world! When Ever Bilena first introduced the revamped Careline collection dubbed as the “Careline Girl Gang” with Andrea Brillantes two years ago, we were wowed by how the company embraced a trendier, edgier look for their teen-centric line. “Pa-tweetums” is now a thing of the past, and the brand did not shy away from bold eye makeup, blingy highlighter, and metallic/non-traditional lip colors.

When I was five, my parents took me to watch Mulan on the big screen. She instantly became my favorite Disney princess, and I loved wearing the Mulan costume I got for Halloween. Even after watching all the other Disney movies, Mulan remains to be my favorite because of her strength and her courage to challenge the norm. So I was super happy to see that she’s joining the other princesses in Happy Skin’s second collab with Disney!

In the 36 years that Ever Bilena has been playing and slaying in the local beauty biz, the brand has clearly mastered the fine art of adapting with the times. Far from being relegated to distant memory as your lola’s tukador staple, EB has grown and expanded with several notable sub-brands for makeup and body care, an edgy beauty line for today’s trendsetters, and even a high-profile cosmetics collab with the Queen of All Media.

11 years strong - what a crazy feat! Whenever I think about how far Project Vanity has come, my heart swells with pride and joy. I’ve been a PV reader since 2012 and a writer since 2016. I’ve seen firsthand how much the content has evolved and how big the community has grown. I feel very grateful that I found this space that Liz built on the internet many moons ago. Project Vanity to me has always been a fun, safe space to celebrate beauty with smart and passionate women.

I am currently in Tagaytay for the 3-day Unilever Summit. Yesterday was the first day, and members of the press, social media influencers, vloggers, and bloggers got to know more about the new innovations of Unilever’s different brands. What struck me the most however was the opening program where Dorothy Dee-Ching, Unilever Philippines’ Vice President for Personal Care, talked about how the company aims to be future-fit and purpose-led.

You guys might know that I started Project Vanity while I was still in college. It was a simple review blog featuring the best makeup that my public school allowance can buy - i.e. not much! I was a different person back then, being utterly self-conscious and secretly ashamed that I looked like the way I did. Now, I am myself. I run a pretty good business with an amazing team, living a dream that didn’t even cross my mind whenever I thought about my future, 11 years ago.

What could be more fun than going beauty shopping? Why, shopping with gift certificates, of course! More than getting a straight-up discount, there’s something very satisfying about handing over a bunch of GCs to pay for your purchases. This is the experience that four Luxasia Philippines brands try to recreate with their first ever Beauty Shopping Wonderland in Mega Fashion Hall!

Last November 23rd, Human Nature celebrated their anniversary with a bang at the PICC Banquet Hall. In attendance were hundreds of their employees and advocates. The positive energy was palpable as the husband and wife tandem of Paolo Abrera and Suzi Entrata-Abrera introduced themselves as hosts for the night, as well as long-time supporters of the proudly local brand.

There was a time in my life where I went for a foot spa sesh every two weeks. It was my refuge during a particularly stressful time and in those sessions, I always felt pampered and relaxed. A staple I had then, aside from the insanely bold polish shades, was a pair of slippers from Brazilian brand, Havaianas.  The soft slippers with a ton of styles and designs to choose from thrilled the picky twenty-something me and I slowly built a small collection flip-flops.

Slippers are more than just a necessity - a well-chosen pair can also showcase your personal style! Havaianas celebrates this with the annual Make Your Own Havaianas (MYOH). Here’s a peek at my #MYOH2018 experience!