Remember these uber pretty yellow pumps from Ferretti? Well I love them so much that I asked my boss for a pair to give away. Yes, I want one lucky Project Vanity reader to win my current favorite pair of shoes! It's super easy to join. Just pick the color of Annabel Lee Pumps (out of four) you want to win and why you think it suits your personality. Go! Full mechanics after the cut.

  Aqua Blue Annabel Lees: Fun and outgoing

Lemon Yellow Annabel Lees: Cheery and positive

Pro tip: if you're too lazy or too proud to layer on makeup, at least have the decency to keep a lip and cheek tint on hand. It looks natural and takes no time at all to apply! One tint I like is the Majolica Majorca Blood On Cheek Tint. It's idiot-proof and so pretty to look at, too.

So, if you want to get one (or restock!), you can score it at 50% off in Deal Dozen. Yes, it's only P250 there! FYI. ;)

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!

Sharing (and knowing) things as they happen is probably one of the coolest things in the 21st century. It's mindblowing that you can snap a photo and have it up within a minute for all your friends to see, and vice versa! I usually use my cellphone to share photos but sometimes, if I just happen to be in front of my Macbook Air, I take pics with Photobooth instead. 

I've already mentioned our Huawei MiFi device before. It's a handy portable router that you can use ANYWHERE - at least, in all the places I've been to! We use a SMART sim with it and are patrons of the Smart Bro UnliSURF 50 (unlimited browsing for 24 hours). It's hella reliable.

Let me tell you a story. Last year we were in Bellarocca, Marinduque, when the devastating earthquake hit Japan. Bellarocca's internet wasn't working at that time, so we had to resort to using our MiFi to get information. We wanted to know if we would be hit by a tsunami! Lol.

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).

This is a sponsored post.

There are so many things we love about summer – we love the music, the fashion and the lighter, longer days. Longer days mean we’ll need more fashion to go around, so we’ve put together a list of essentials for a fearless festival style. You don’t have to hit the festival circuit to rock this look, and you can show it off all season around for a style savvy wardrobe with an indie twist.

No fashionista should be seen without her Aztec prints this season, and the festival circuit calls for statement colour that gets you noticed. The jersey mini skirt does well in colourful prints and we suggest you go as bright and as bold as you dare. Oranges, greens, reds and blues create a striking contrast that’s vibrant, fun an of course, ultra fashionable.  

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. 

After reading comments from readers day in and day out, I realized that few people actually know about proper skincare. That is, they don't know much beyond what TV advertisements tell them about their skin problems and how to solve them. Make no mistake - Filipinas are serious about skincare in the sense that they try a lot of products in their quest for healthy skin, but they're not informed enough to decide when to quit experimenting and to just see a professional.

I should know. I used to think I can solve all my skin problems myself. It was only after my visit to a derma that I realized I just can't! Now I'm not saying I have perfect skin, but it's definitely a lot better after I had it treated. The best thing to do is to go to a dermatologist and ask for advice, but other than that, read up! Here I have Dr. Frank, the brand endorser of GoodSkin Labs, answering three of my skincare questions from New York. ;)

What is the quickest way to calm red, inflammed acne at home?

Dr. Frank: To calm red, inflamed acne at home is to place a cold compress over the spots to help alleviate some of the pain. If the pain persists and the blemishes aren’t going away, visit your dermatologist to best determine how to treat.

The cool thing about my job is that I can work anywhere most of the time. It means that I can multi-task and shoot down errands whenever I need to! I just have to be connected to my email accounts (five of them) at all times, which my Blackberry takes care of. For heavier work like Facebooking, blogging, editing photos, or anything involving documents, I turn to my ever reliable Macbook Air.

A few weeks back, we had our condo fumigated, so I had to bring Snaps to the day care for a few hours. Try Pup Culture btw, if you're looking for a great day care center for your dog. Anyhoo! That day I decided to kill three birds with one stone: take my dog to Pup Culture, do my bank errands, and work. For the latter I decided to park myself at Bubble Tea. I love their tea and the Japanese food!

It's in the tiny bubbles!

It is not a secret that I love lipsticks and other lip products. I think that it's the easiest, most accessible, and most prettifying thing a woman can wear. Thus, I've been steadily collecting lip stuff in the past couple of years, and I think I've amassed enough for a fun guessing game! Are you ready? :D

Snaps is challenging you to a battle of educated guesses and dumb luck. The game is super simple: just guess how many lip products (lip stick, stain, tint, balm, gloss - so technically not just lipsticks) are inside this box. 

If you guess correctly, you win this Avon loot! (thanks Avon team!) 

Contest mechanics

1. Follow Project Vanity on Facebook and me on Twitter.

2. Share the contest over both platforms! The more players, the merrier. Don't forget to tag me and please make sure it's public. :)

Sunday fun day! I am bringing Snaps later to a dog meet in Bonifacio High Street. I hope it's fun. Anyway, I just want to share a contest that Benefit Cosmetics Philippines is running as part of their grand launch on February 7!

The prizes at stake are pretty major - P10,000 worth of Benefit goodies, the chance to model at the grand launch in Greenbelt 5, and a meet & greet + makeover + photoshoot with Maggie and Annie Ford Danielson, the daughters of Jean Ford, founder of Benefit Cosmetics.

Open image in another tab to view a larger version

Cool right? So join! But if you just want to be part of Benefit's official and exclusive launch at Greenbelt 5 this February 7, I am giving away two passes to one lucky girl. That's right - you can get the chance to attend a fun event and inhale Benefit for an evening. The mechanics are super duper simple:

This time, I have two people that I want to say thanks to. They always comment, and they offer useful - and sometimes funny - tidbits about the stuff I write about. :P So, for the Commenter of the Month for December, I have Iko Hanajima, who will get the VMV Hypoallergenics gift certificate. Nicole Eniego will also get something, I just haven't decided yet! But it'll be fun. 

And now, for the January gift!

The winner will get a P2,500 gift certificate from FReSH Fragrance bar. FReSH has an extensive selection of premium imported scents—from luxury designer brands to retail favorites, as well as the latest from sports, fashion, and entertainment superstars. 

There's an upcoming party that's gathering a lot of buzz lately. Can you guess? ;) Well, it's the Multiply Shopping Party happening this October 18 at Whitespace, Makati! It's for fashionistas and makeup enthusiasts who love shopping for unique finds online. This time, all your favorite Multiply stores will be brought to you in an exciting night featuring a fashion show and live performances from DJ Mars Miranda and rock band Techy Romantics.

The catch: you have to have tickets to get in. But since I love you, I'm giving away 20 tickets to 10 Project Vanity readers! How to get the tickets? It's painfully easy. 

I’m not that big on mouthwash because the stuff tastes awful. You know it’s true! Maybe it’s just me but using most mouthwashes these days is equivalent to mild torture - it stings your mouth and leaves it with a burning sensation for a while after you spit it out. That’s not really something I want to subject myself to on a regular basis.

I do however still use mouthwash every now and then, particularly when I want my breath to be fresher for a few more hours. It’s really useful when I’m going to a meeting or an event where I need to be at my most confident.

Still, I know, I know, we should all use mouthwash everyday. It goes beyond giving us fresh breath - it also helps with preventing plaque build-up and tooth decay. It’s just one of those unpleasant things you have to live with I guess...but not really. It seems that I’m not the only one with ~issues~ so Swish swooped down to solve the problem!

There are three neat things that sets Swish apart from other mouthwashes that I’ve tried before.

1. Swish is super fun to gargle, so I can actually swish it around for a good 30 seconds (and more!) without wanting to throw it up. It’s because these mouthwashes don’t have any alcohol content.