People cope with disaster in different ways. Some eat, some drink, some withdraw under the cool light of the television screen. Some turn to the Internet for the sentiments and a sense of solidarity. Some people can turn nasty when they feel that others aren't as sympathetic as they should be. However, coping isn't something someone else can define for you. If it feels right and if you're not hurting other people with malicious intent, then post that motherduckling selfie.

(I wouldn't recommend it though, if you can help it.)

I wasn't sure if I should blog today, but in the end I just decided that I want to see something bright and pink on my website. Pink makes me happy. The brighter it is, the bigger the smile I have inside. :) Let's not overanalyze that!

I just want to show you a quick swatch of the Picture Polish in Shocked! Picture Polish is an Australian indie nail polish brand. I found out that this color is designed by the blogger behind Shatter Me Claire! How cool an opportunity is that? I would love to have my own personally-designed bottle of nail polish someday. 

The most useful advice that I've ever received in my life is Don't Panic. It is so difficult to remember that, you know, when everything is converging towards you in a massive wave and it is impossible to turn anywhere without being swallowed up like a piece of melting chocolate. Well. Grace under pressure is a skill. We can't learn it if we do not truly feel the heat.

The best way to deal with pressure is to take things one at a time. Sounds simple enough. So I'll do that. :)

Today I want to finally talk about the Etude House Color Pop Collection! This collection is all about bright, show-stopping colors in hues of orange, pink, blue, and green. Now it doesn't seem to be available in the Philippines just yet, but I will definitely update this space when it is! For the meantime here are some swatches and quick thoughts about each of the products I received from Korea.

I'll start with the Etude House Color Pop Shine Tint in Sunny Pop. First swatch and I thought I wouldn't like this, for it is such a fiery orange! I tried using a generous amount on my lips and it looked so patchy that I removed it immediately. However, the trick is to use only a couple of dots to get a sheer wash of reddy peach color on the cheeks and lips. It's one of those tints that you can't layer over, as it is meant to be sheer.

Second post for Drugstore Week! Nothing really ever beats the high of finding a good beauty product at the drugstore, agree? ^_^ Today I will be featuring a recent release from one of the hottest affordable brands in the country.

I have to say this, before anything else: 3D glitter nails are extremely impractical. They don't last long, and the glitter gets everywhere if you don't clean it up properly. But boy are they ridiculously fun to wear! I enjoyed gazing at my emerald nails at random times during the day. As shallow as it sounds, I felt cheered up by the bright color and the glimmer as the sun hits it juuuuust right.

The BYS Glitter Dust in Luck of the Leprechaun (P499) is a kit that includes a nail polish, brush, and a pot of fine glitter. It's quite easy and quick to use, surprisingly. I was able to do my nails in 15 minutes since I didn't have to focus so hard on perfecting the base. A single layer will do, in fact. Here's the step-by-step!

The process is straightforward, as you can see. Paint your nails with the base, carefully avoiding the skin. It doesn't matter if the color is patchy just as long as the polish doesn't go beyond your nails.

What do you plan to do on Christmas? Me, I just want to eat all my favorite things, and maybe go out to watch a movie with my family. ^_^ All very straightforward. I want to finish reading the books on my list and just relax during the holidays.

Of course, Christmas is not complete without the requisite red and glitter upon our persons. I'm celebrating this whole weekend with my Etude House nail set in Christmas Miracle!

Christmas Tree is a set of three polishes that is designed to give a gradient glitter nail effect. The red base has some fine gold shimmer - absolutely gorgeous - and is opaque in only one coat.

What's your favorite holiday collection so far? There are so many, but it's good to have choices! There's something for everyone whether they're on a budget or cost is no object. :) I did observe a general theme though. Shine, glitter, and bright pops of red are du jour, but I've also been seeing a lot of twinkly purples and violets. This is good news - for me at least! - because I find that color group rather flattering on the Pinay complexion.

This time I want to talk about the Etude House Christmas Miracle Collection. I have photos, swatches, and quick thoughts on each product!

Let's start with the Etude House Mix & Mix Eyes PK001. This is a sleek palette of six sparkly shades in the lilac/ purple color group. There's also one in BR401 Holiday Dream that is on the neutral end of the spectrum. Go for PK001 if you're out for an evening party, while BR401 is better for more reserved occasions.

I've been doing this for four years but I still get giddy whenever I receive a product that everyone seems to love. I want to know if I will get the same experience, I want to know if it's something that I can proudly add to my kit. More importantly, I love the act of running to you and saying "Hey you should try it, it's absolutely amazing!" That's why I find beauty blogging so fun! It never gets old. 

The said, the Revlon Colorstay Whipped Foundation arrived on my doorstep a couple of hours ago. It's one of most requested products for me to review, so I hope I do it justice! I'll let you know what I think of it soon.

For now I will be reviewing the Revlon Colorstay Longwear Nail Enamel (P325). This comes in 30 drool-worthy colors and is supposed to last for 11 days when used with the accompanying base and top coat. Well, I'll tell you now that 11 days is simply unrealistic, but it does stay fresh for four to five days on me. That's not bad considering most nail polishes would disintegrate in three days tops.

I haven't heard of NCLA until Monica of Polish Please, an online shop dealing in popular and hard-to-find nail polishes, contacted me and asked if I wanted a bottle. There can only be one answer to that. ;)

NCLA is a fairly new brand off Los Angeles that first became famous for their no-heat DIY nail wraps (or stickers). They decided to expand to nail polishes, and right now they have 24 drool-worthy colors like Santa Monica Shore Thing.

Santa Monica Shore Thing is a tiffany green shade that's ultra posh. It has a lovely, opaque creme finish with a smooth texture. It dries pretty quickly - 20 minutes - and stayed on for three days without chipping. That may be due to the new topcoat I'm using though! See these swatches? I have actually been wearing this color for three days already. It still looks fresh no?

In 1895, an enterprising man called Dr. George F. Smith set up the Rosebud Perfume Co. to sell a homegrown balm that fast became a hit among his neighbors. He was able to grow the business by setting up a mail order and door to door sales system that not only sold the trademark Rosebud Salve but also perfumes and aftershaves. At one time, he had 70,000 salespeople going door to door to sell this popular product!

More than 100 years later, the Rosebud Salve (P420) is now a favorite among bloggers and celebrities like Natalie Portman, Eva Longoria, and Beyonce to name a few. This petroleum-based product is infused with oils, smells of roses, and is housed in a vintage-looking tin. It can be used as a lip balm, but it's really for any patch of our body that needs some TLC!

The Rosebud Salve is just okay as a lip balm (thin and moisturizing vs its greasiness and slight waxy texture). But you aren't really maximizing this if you just use this on the lips! It can be utilized several ways, but IMHO it is the best at reviving dry nails and cuticles.

I wish that women would remove their nail polish as soon as it starts chipping obviously. I think that leaving cracked and fading nail polish on looks shabby; if you can't maintain it, don't wear it. Just keep your nails au naturale if you don't have time to touch it up!

Hmm, I should make a tutorial on touching up nail polish. For the meantime, I just want to share my current favorite polish eraser: the Etude House Nail Remover #3 Sensitive Nail (P278)!

This is all new to me. It's acetone-free and also supposedly infused with orange oil. It's oily and smells like tangerine, if that's any indication.

Last May I saw Agoo Bengzon (Summit's beauty director) in an Instagram photo wearing gorgeous hot pink nails. I thought, "Damn! I bet that's Chanel or something equally expensive!" The color stuck to my head for a couple of days. On the third day (I kid you not) a box from Korea arrived on my doorstep with almost that exact same nail polish color in it. What a happy coincidence!

The Etude House Dear My Blooming Nails in #3 (P178) is a hot pink shade that sizzles without being neon. It has a very smooth, very glossy finish that's characteristic of Etude House polishes. I can not believe it's only P178; it feels much more expensive than that.

Today I want to talk about the Color Club Professional Nail Laquers (P310). The distributor, Beauty Lane, kindly sent over a couple of nail polishes for me to try. I've been curious about the brand ever since I heard that it's finally available in the Philippines last year, so I'm only too glad to finally get my hands on 'em!

Okay, first off, they're not exactly cheap. They don't look expensive like O.P.I., Orly, or China Glaze but the price is curiously in the same range. What gives?

A good pair of heels can make your legs go a loooong way. The heels don't even have to be particularly high! Here are some visual tricks to make your gams look longer: 

• Wear strappy heels, preferably one that has an ankle strap. This slims your feet and ankles.
• Nude-colored shoes blend with your skin, fooling people that there's more flesh exposed, therefore your legs look leaner.

The Makeup Suite, a local online store that sells UK makeup, recently sent me a package containing some Models Own cosmetics. I've seen Models Own around, but I didn't think much of it. I should have paid more attention though, because I am really liking these products!

Models Own Powder Blusher, Hyperbrite Lipstick, and Nail Polish

First surprise: the packaging looks and feels expensive. The cases are made of glass or thick, sturdy plastic, and has some heft in them. If I didn't know that Model's Own is a drugstore brand in the UK, I wouldn't have guessed that they're are just P350-400! I've tried more expensive products that aren't packaged half as well as these.

But I am getting ahead of myself. I will review everything separately, so for now I'll talk about the Model's Own Nail Polish in Tangerine Queen (P350).

This nail polish looks like sunkissed oranges on my nails, all sweet and loud at the same time. It's very pigmented - two coats and I have an opaque coverage.

We can't all be gods, professional nail artists, or innately ambidextrous when it comes to applying nail polish. I for one have been painting my nails for years now and I still make a mess, depending on my lack of practice! Nonetheless, people always wonder how I paint my nails so neatly. It's simple: I just clean up the mess with an eyeliner brush.

From messy...

To OC!

Yes, a brush! I saw the technique being used in Dashing Diva. The nail attendant used a straight, short-bristled brush to remove excess polish quickly and efficiently. The brush is kinda hard to find, so I used a disposable lip brush and then an old eyeliner brush to see what works best. I now go with the latter since it's bigger, angled, and thus cleans up faster in a more precise manner.

You can do this yourself as easily as I can. All you need are a few basic materials! 

I kinda stoppped wearing nail polishes regularly after I got my dog. Snaps is always running about, so he ends up ruining wet nail polish whenever I bother trying. Hmp! That's not to say that I've sworn off nail polish forever. I sneak in a nail job when he's napping, but I only risk it when I have an important event to go to.

That said, the Revlon Top Speed Fast Dry Nail Enamel (P325) is heaven sent for busy women who can't afford to sit still for long. It gives me glamorous tips in 15 minutes, and that's a guarantee (I counted)! I love that this polish hardens in such a short amount of time.

I've tried other "fast-drying" polishes before but some of them can be misleading. Sure the top layer feels dry, but the lower part is still wet and tacky. Everything WILL fall apart if you happen to bump your nails on something, which totally defeats the purpose.

That's not the case with Revlon Top Speed.

Annika Wester is a famous illustrator who has done work for big names like Vogue, Anna Sui, MAC (to name a few) and has shown her art in galleries all over the world. According to her blog, her "...work presents a various number of characters, silhouettes and items displayed throughout her own stylish way of drawing. The features are softened and the colors often bright, which gives the viewer a feeling of joyful indolence..."

The Etude Girl illustrations by the talented Annika Wester

Cool right? And now, Ms Wester has partnered with Etude House for their Wannabe Collection! It's a rather expansive collection with a face palette, powder, lipsticks, nail polishes, scent and gloss combos, and even falsies all incased in Ms Wester's trademark artwork.

The Etude Girl is, surprise surprise, Sandara Park of 2NE1

Okay, this is a rather long intro, but I am just amazed by Annika Wester and Etude House's awesome idea in partnering with her. Whoever said that art and makeup can never mix is deadly wrong! So! I'll be reviewing some of the Wannabe pieces I have with me.

I loved the concept of the Etude House Party Queen Gradation Nails from the minute I saw it. Frosts and silver glitter, oh, count me in! It's a gorgeous set of matching polishes that'll really draw attention to your hands in any party.

I've had Etude House nail polishes before and really enjoyed using them. They're easy to work with and dry quickly which makes them such a steal at only around P50 each. Please do read the review for a few more details, but the short of it is that these polishes are pretty good considering the price. 

To use this gradation nail set, all you have to do is apply them in three layers, from the lightest to the darkest.

I bought this nail polish maybe two months ago, at the height of my green phase. I was looking for a nice yellow green, specifically! This nail polish called Cutex in Green Tea (P110) looked like the best choice out of all the colors in the mall at that time.

I applied it as soon as I got home but I was disappointed by how sheer it was. As in, it was super sheer. For a P110 nail polish, you'd think it would have more to offer. The drying time was also dismal plus you'll only get 7ml for your trouble.

Yesterday though I was looking for a new color to use, and decided to give Cutex another chance. These are the results, after FOUR layers:

I absolutely love the color on me.