Are you feeling unhappy with your BB cream? If you think that it's time to replace it with something that'll hopefully work better, ZA Cosmetics has a great promo for you. From October 12 to 31, you can take the ZA Half Face Test, turn in your old BB Cream*, then get the ZA Total Hydration BB Cream at 50% off! It'll be P213 only after the discount!

You should def do this if you have old tubes of BB Creams around. ;) Or if you just really don't like your current one. The ZA Total Hydration BB Cream is supposed to visibly make skin brighter and translucent in just 10 days. It is supposedly multi-purpose and has a whitening effect with SPF50 PA+++. 

So! Let's make this a little more fun. I'm giving away the Total Hydration BB Cream UV White, True White Cleansing Foam, True White Prizmizer, and True White Day Protector to FIVE lucky winners. This set is worth P1,710. ^_^ The winner (or her representative) must be able to pick up the set at Luxasia's office in The Fort. Good luck!

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

I hinted that I'll be giving away a full-sized set in my Shiseido Ibuki Skincare review. This is it guys! One lucky winner can get full sizes of the Cleanser, Softening Concentrate, and Refining Moisturizer. This set is worth almost P5,000 - it's definitely worth the extra effort. ;)

Ibuki is my current HG skincare and I can tell you, it really helped my skin recover from the daily stresses life throws at it. It definitely makes my skin ready for anything! In that vein, Shiseido and I would love to know a little more about you - what does your day look like? Are you the kind of woman Shiseido envisioned when they created the Ibuki line?

I know we are! Our lives are so busy that we aren't able to worry about how our skincare is not suiting the levels of stress we get from our environment and schedule. With Shiseido Ibuki, you can get skincare that works for and with your busy life. As someone who has been using this line for two months, I can attest to the fact that it can keep my skin glowing even during the most stressful days. ^_^ So yeah, it's a must try!

Now, for the mechanics! 

The rose has symbolized many things through the centuries - eternal love, secrecy, unity, and even the turmoil of revolution. For you, a rose might have a more personal meaning. It may not even be something that you consciously choose; but when you enjoy a rose, you will forever be reminded of that soft first kiss or a memorable evening that could have happened years ago but is still fresh on your mind today.

That is the beauty of flowers. That's why we try to preserve them no matter how fleeting their lifespans are.

That said, DKNY has finally bottled their own version of this romantic flower's scent. Called pureDKNY Drop of Rose, they have created something akin to a garden full of blooming roses, with verdant green notes growing in the background as the fragrance deepens. If you love the pureDKNY line or just a fan of roses, this is something you must sniff stat! 

So! I have an exciting bit of news. DKNY has chosen Project Vanity to host a massive contest for their newest fragrance. We are giving away P30,000 worth of prizes to the lucky person who can make a creative, romantic video that shows the pureDKNY Rose's elegance and timelessness.

Here are the mechanics!

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What makes a good soap? For me, it has to be moisturizing with a creamy lather. It has to smell nice - never obnoxious, never chemical-y. If it has a few promised skincare benefits then great, but I'm not going to expect more than smooth and soft skin after a bath! (That's not too much to ask right?)

So lately I've been using this new bar called the Beauty and Bright Moringa Soap (P114). I love it because it fits all my qualifications for a good soap. It smells like this old peppermint and oatmeal soap I used to steal from my mom's bathroom, and that alone scores it extra points! It's been more than half a decade since I used that one. :P Other than the smell, the Moringa Soap lathers up nicely and does not leave my skin feeling tight after a shower.

Its main active ingredients are papaya enzymes, moringa extract, and kojic acid. Hmm, did I notice any lightening? I've been using the soap for almost three weeks now and I have noticed that my skin is more even somehow.

I've had my Bench MasterCard Credit Card for half a year now and it's been great so far. It's my primary card, so I use it to shop for groceries and random luxuries. It's also extremely useful for buying online - not just fashion and beauty items, but apps and website hosting too. I don't know why I held off getting a credit card for so long! 

So yes, the Bench MasterCard is not just for Bench purchases. It's actually a credit card accepted in different stores nationwide, so you can use it practically anywhere - whether you're in the Philippines or abroad. BDO's partnership with Bench simply means that you get special perks and double the points when shopping at Bench/ Suyen brands.

Examples are Charles & Keith, Aldo, Repetto, La Senza, Cotton On and The Face Shop! If you're a discriminating shopper with an eye for style and quality, then you most probably shop from a few if not all of these brands. :) As with all high quality brands, the products are not particularly cheap so it's easier to rake the points in.  For every P200 you get 2 credit card points for Bench/Suyen purchases*. All other purchases outside of Bench/Partner Stores are P200 = P1 credit card point.

Oh boy do I have a treat for you! One lucky Project Vanity reader will win a Michael Kors pouch set from Estee Lauder. It's basically a small clutch full of Estee Lauder goodies! I love the design as it looks very classic and easy to match up with any outfit. ^_^ 

Basically, Estee Lauder would like help in reaching the 80,000 mark on their Facebook Page. Once this has been reached, all four blogger partners will raffle off an MK set each on their blogs. So let's make quick work out of it, yes? Like the EL Philippines page now!

Full mechanics

1. Like the Estee Lauder Philippines Facebook Page. Say hi on their page and let them know you came from Project Vanity. 

Are you feeling Christmas in the air? I sure am! It's not just the cool air in the evening - mornings are misty, more gentle. And the smell! The holiday season has a scent to it. I don't know, maybe I'm just crazy but if you agree please assure me I'm not. :P

Anyway! I just thought to share Smart's Christmas promos. With the “All I Want for Christmas is Bro” holiday promo you get a FREE eco bag with every holiday purchase of a Bro product. The bag is entirely environmentally friendly and a good place to stash away all your new holiday beauty products, shopping or wardrobe for travel! 

Smart is also holding a massive contest where 50 winners shall receive a much-coveted gadget. If you want to join the fun, do check out the contest mechanics. (You can view bigger images by opening them in a new tab)

Hi guys! The folks at CACI 6750 have chosen the two winners who will get to try the Glow and Defy Facial for free! They are Jas Lucero and Raych Ramos. Congrats guys! I will be emailing you shortly.

For the second and final week of my CACI giveaway, we will choose three winners who will receive the Refresh Facial.

The Refresh Facial is a great way to sample the MD Dermatics products as it relies fully on them and doesn't use a machine. First is cleansing, using C-Cleanse for oily and acne prone skin, Gentle Wash for dry and sensitive skin. Next is the facial massage, followed by the Soothing Splash toner (for all skin types). After this, we use PeelPlus to gently exfoliate the skin. After exfoliation comes the masque - Cucumber gel masque to sooth and calm those with acne or inflammation, Collagen Nutrient masque for those with anti-aging concerns. So basically it's a facial that's customized per patient based on skin type and skin concern. The final step is to moisturize: oxygen therapy cream for those with oily skin and ultra skin revitalizer for those with dry skin or daycalm soothing moisturizer. 

Here are the super easy contest mechanics!

1. FACEBOOK ENTRIES: Like CACI 6750 on Facebook. Make sure to leave a message on their Wall just saying hi and that you got there via Project Vanity! (So we know that you did like the page ;P )
2. TWITTER ENTRIES: Follow me on Twitter (@lizlan). Tweet "Want skin that glows? Join this #projectvanity contest to win a fab facial from @lizlan http://goo.gl/HgKnM"

You know how much I love the Glow Facial at CACI 6750. Now, you can get a chance to try a facial at CACI too! I'm giving away five facials to five lucky winners in the next two weeks. Oh, these five girls will have such fab skin for the string of holiday parties ahead! CACI facials are super gentle (no pricking and scrubbing) and will really make the face glow. 

Glow and Defy begins with cleansing, toning and facial massage. Then, using the CACI Ultra machine's handpiece which contains ceramic and quartz pieces, bacteria and dead skin cells are dislodged without any visible peeling. This allows for a deeper cleanse and better absorption of the MD Dermatics products. After the ultrasonic handpiece is the masque. After this, using the same handpiece, MD Dermatics active correction products are applied (PureLight and RevitaPlus Brightener for Glow, C10 and Wrinkle Diffuser serums for Defy and c5 for under the eye). With the handpiece set to a certain frequency, these products are absorbed much more efficiently into the skin. After the active correction ingredients comes the moisturizer. 

Here are the super easy contest mechanics!

1. FACEBOOK ENTRIES: Like CACI 6750 on Facebook. Make sure to leave a message on their Wall just saying hi and that you got there via Project Vanity! (So we know that you did like the page ;P )
2. TWITTER ENTRIES: Follow me on Twitter (@lizlan). Tweet "Want skin that glows? Join this #projectvanity contest to win a fab facial! http://goo.gl/O5eXs"

Have you guys heard of BYS Cosmetics? It's the latest brand to hit the Philippines, all the way from Australia. I hear that they're very affordable - think NYX with lots of colors and sub-lines. I can't wait to check them out in SM Department Stores and Watsons. 

If you want to try BYS for free, just purchase Smart Call and Text Card P500 from any retail point inside theparticipating SM Malls, namely: Fairview, Mall of Asia, Makati, Manila. Megamall, North Edsa, Pampanga and Southmall. Then you get a coupon that you can redeem from the BYS inside those department stores. 

Here are the freebies that you can get! Oh and more details about the promo.

It's the start of the work week and I'm feeling fine! Maybe mostly because I've stocked a week's worth of my, er, hyper juice. You know that Nescafe iced coffee in cans? It keeps me charged without making me dizzy like the usual coffee. Amazing. Anyway here are some videos I started my day with - two of my favorite songs from college. 

I love Sarah Bettens because she's a great song writer and her voice is just incredibly raw. She always writes about things that are almost in your hands - almost there but not quite. I think discontent is a human body part. We're all always discontented, it's lodged right up there near our appendix. The key to being happy is accepting that it will always be there and appreciating that other things in our life are working just fine.

Fair-skinned girls are lucky in the sense that they can pull off a wider range of colors. Anything from pastels to jewel tones look good on fair skin! But, the basics first! If you have fair skin, here are a few tips on how to enhance it with makeup.  

1. Wear pink! Pink is a bright and cheery color that anyone can pull off. If you wear coordinating blush, lips, and nails, the pink will bring out your skin’s cooler (lighter) tones. If you have warm/yellow undertones, go for warm shades like hot pink and fuchsia. If you have cool undertones, go for blue-based and/or pastel pinks.