As someone who can pack five eyeshadow colors onto my lids for no other reason than I enjoy it, my eyes can feel a little bare with nothing on them. So even on chill days, I’d have a swipe of mascara, a dash of eyeliner, or - more often than not - a dab of cream eyeshadow. Cream eyeshadow requires much less precision and work to apply compared to other eye makeup! So I would always have something on hand when I need to leave in five.

When it comes to good quality makeup products that won’t break the bank, Pink Sugar is a constant favorite here on PV! From the time Liz first wrote about them in 2015, we’ve pretty much enjoyed everything from their 350-peso face powder to their pizza-proof lip tints. The formulas are good and reliable, but this local brand is continually finding ways to make their products even more user-friendly. So when they released a new variant of their well-loved Eye Candy Eyeshadow palette and a repackaged duo version of their Sweet Cheeks HD Cheek Color, I thought people needed to see these in action! 

I have an unhealthy appetite for eyeshadow palettes. Seeing colors in one box together brings me an immense amount of joy (just ask my watercolor and color pencil set collection too) so I keep them with the same fervor that Gollum has for The One Ring! Recently, MAC sent me a couple of products from their recently launched Electric Wonder collection, and this included possibly the best neutral eyeshadow palette I’ve come across.

Doing group reviews on PV are honestly quite a challenge as we all work remotely, but it’s definitely more insightful as we get more varied feedback from different types of users. We also had a lot of fun doing it for the Tom Ford Lips and Boys Lipsticks so we just had to do the same for these three Tom Ford Eye Color Quads!

Pat McGrath is a legendary makeup artist with a storied, two-decade career that found her creating iconic Fashion Week looks as well as working with top models and photographers around the world. She is known as a visionary with a distinct touch that makes one think of surreal alien glamour, and this aesthetic is reflected in her eponymous makeup line. If you love intense shimmer and seductive colors, then you will enjoy playing with Pat McGrath Labs, which is now available in Sephora.ph.

Revlon has been around since 1932. For 86 years it has innovated and defined beauty for generations of women, proving itself as a cosmetics business that has survived the test of time and fickle tastes. In the last few years, however, I’ve felt that Revlon has become boring. The brand comes out with solid, reliable products all the time, but people don’t get as excited about it when the competition for eyeballs and wallet space is so fierce.

With the new Shoot The Moon Collection though, I feel like Revlon is getting out of their funk and becoming a little (okay, a lot!) more experimental with their offerings. This recently released 16-piece collection is all about outer space in all its weird glamour - the deep blue packaging is sprinkled with gold shooting stars, rocket ships, and UFOs.

I purchased the Urban Decay Born To Run Palette at the Sephora SoHo branch in New York. I didn’t enter Sephora with intention to buy ~a lot~ of makeup, but I ended up spending quite a bit inside! The hysteria is different inside a US Sephora store. I’ve been inside the stores in Singapore and Malaysia before, but the level of shopping energy is so different in New York. It’s like…ubusan ng makeup levels of excitement. It does catch.

I wrote about Happy Skin’s Honeymoon Glow lipstick when it launched four years ago. It was an instant hit for me, as the color is beautiful and flattering on any skin tone! That’s why it’s no surprise that Happy Skin decided to create a full collection inspired by the shade. There’s now a quad eyeshadow palette, a contour and highlight duo, lip & cheek tints, and a nail polish in addition to the existing Honeymoon Glow lip products (two lipstick formulas, one liquid lipstick, and a liner).

When CanmakePH announced that the Wink Glow Eyes line was now available locally, fellow PV writer Gett and I immediately drew up our wish lists and started planning for our purchase. The liquid eyeshadows placed #2 at the Cosme 2017 Mid-year Awards (Eyeshadow Category) and I wasn’t about to miss out on that. The product promises to be glossy, non-oily, and long-wearing all at the same time. It’s basically all the things I often look for in eye makeup, so I was beyond thrilled to try these new arrivals, plus a couple more products to complete the look!

If you didn’t already know, the Philippine beauty scene is on fire. There have been waves of proudly Pinoy brands that are gaining recognition for releases that can easily compete with foreign brands in terms of quality and pricing. We’ve already featured local liquid lipsticks previously, so let’s complete the look with some noteworthy eyeshadow palettes!

I tried out five local eyeshadow palettes and did a wear test for each. I didn’t apply any eyeshadow primer underneath to see which ones offer the best color payoff and crease-resistant formula. For reference, I have dry skin that oils up on my T-zone later in the day.

I always come with a positive mindset whenever I try new products. In the decade that I've tested hundreds of products for Project Vanity, I've come to understand that each has its pros and cons and that what works for some may not work for me (that rolls the other way round too). Beauty, I love to say, is so personal. We buy things for different reasons and not all of them is based purely on how effective the product is.

That said, I didn't initially intend to write this review of some Glossier products I picked up online. There are other things for me to write about but Den our Managing Editor convinced me it should be out there. So why not? 

Brown is probably one of the most useful colors in makeup artistry. It allows us to contour our features, add contrast in strategic areas, and can be used pretty much anywhere from our scalp to our toes. Happy Skin was onto something when they created their new Eye Can Do It 3-Way Palette (P699 at happyskincosmetics.com) as this contains two versatile shades of brown that glide and blend easily on skin. Let's take a closer look!

I am fascinated by how beauty brands are born. The best ones are more than just a business - they are made by passionate people who have something special to share to the world. That's why Natasha Denona is a brand to watch. The founder, for which the brand takes its name, is a former model who decided to become a self-taught makeup artist. Just hearing her talk about her passion for makeup and the artistry that it requires is so inspiring! She particularly enjoys doing editorial, high-voltage looks that packs a lot of color.

I'm a huge fan of Make Up For Ever because they always have professional makeup artists in mind when they create products. Their colors can be as creative and exciting as they can be wearable, plus the formulas - they wear so well during the day! I always pick up MUFE when I know that I need my face to stay with me for at least a solid eight hours.

Recently, MUFE launched two new eye products: the Aqua XL Ink Liner (P1,400) and Aqua XL Color Paint (P1,495). These are designed to be water-resistant and long-wearing, with lots of fun color options. I've been testing them out for a couple months now and here's what I think!

I literally gasped in awe when I first saw the teasers and previews on the fifth installment to the Naked palettes of Urban Decay. I’ve always wanted to get the first and third Naked palettes, which were warm and rose-toned respectively, but I never had enough of an urge (and moneh) to actually purchase. Naked Heat was different - there was something about it that I just couldn't resist!