I got bored with my current shoe collection - which is not much to begin with - so I decided to get new pairs. Since I had some Gcash credits to spare, I decided to look in an eBay store I've been following for sometime now: teamchi.

I love that she has trendy, edgy shoes that are nicely made for under P800. The tan mary jane boots are only P750 while the gray studded peeptoes are only P650. How cool is that? I only spent P1,400!

I'm not into showbiz, but I've always admired the work and dedication that goes to making it in the entertainment industry. That's why I'm honored to be one of the judges for the finals of the Search for the Watchpad Crew. It's a contest for the next team of young endorsers for the online media streaming service of PLDT called Watchpad.

The girls

The guys

It was my first time to judge something, lol! It was a fun night just getting to know the contestants casually and finally picking the Blogger's Choice Awardee with fellow bloggers Hannah and Vince. To be quite honest, I initially didn't understand why bloggers were invited to judge a contest like this one. It was clear later on though - PLDT wanted representatives from the active internet community to help in picking winners that are well-versed in the cyberworld, and who better to know than bloggers? They also invited a panel of student journalists, lifestyle and entertainment writers from newspapers as well. 

Me and Hannah. I'm glad we got to hang out!

I love my junk food and my candies, but I always try to eat healthy anyway. I'm always on the look-out for tasty, quick and healthy dishes with low fat and manageable calories. I'm perpetually trying to lose weight but aside from that I have witnessed firsthand how a bad diet can quickly lead to terrible circumstances. My boyfriend had his gallbladder taken out last year, you see. The operation was a cinch, but the two weeks after that were extremely painful for him. I don't want to go through that.

Let this serve as a reminder that beauty comes from within. Eat good food to look good. It's not just skincare and makeup that will keep you looking your best! In the long run, its the food you eat and the lifestyle you maintain.

I love salads but I am generally too lazy to make them the way I like them! I prefer salty-sour salads with some sort of meat - it's already a complete, healthy meal that way. Anyway, let me share with you a simple salad recipe that I whipped up randomly. Loved it! Ate it for breakfast for two days straight.

Part of my job in the beauty industry is finding the latest news about products, events, and trends. One of the things that I have constantly heard about is BB creams. Frankly, I'm not a believer in the hype about these cream's power to give me perfect skin, but I am a fan of them as tinted moisturizers. They make for great makeup bases if you have the right skin type and coloring for them.

Anyway, when I read about BB creams, one name always pops up: Dr. Jart. Dr. Jart BB Creams promise you a lot of things - coverage, anti-aging, healing, and general skin improvement. I'm sure you'd like to know: are they worth their steep price tags? That's really the most important question, isn't it, when it comes to products like this.

I've used each one of these creams for almost two weeks. I can now finally deliver my verdict!

The Black Label is my favorite. It has light, buildable coverage and serves as a good makeup base. Out of all the Dr. Jart BB creams, this is the one that makes my skin feel the best! It makes my skin feel smoother and I noticed that my skin looks less dull - that must be the detox healing working. It has SPF 25.  SRP: 50mL - P1,940 / 15 mL - P845

Yesterday I went to do groceries at Market! Market! Very mundane I know, but to shake things up I wore bright, almost frightening, fuchsia lipstick. My face was bare except for the the Dr. Jart Gold Label BB cream (for the SPF45). As for clothes, I just had a plain white t-shirt and bleached shorts on. 

It's shallow, but I felt good. I felt powerful. I had enough confidence to wear a lipstick very few would dare to touch. Lol!

Lipsticks are powerful tools that have existed for hundreds of centuries. I love my lipsticks because they allow me to easily express myself even if I'm just wearing a bare face and boring clothes. Pinks and nudes are fine, but loud lip color is the easiest way to make a statement! Anyway, that fuchsia lip is brought to you by Revlon.

Will review the eyeshadows soon!

Revlon has just released a new line of lipsticks aptly called Colorburst. It's their answer to the popular Maybelline ColorSensational line of lipsticks. They're more expensive at almost twice the price of Maybelline - P575 per tube - so I'm sure you'd like to know. Are they better?

If you've been following my tweets then you know that last week was an extremely stressful week for me. To be quite honest, I hate being busy. That's why I took the freelancer route but alas! Reality does not agree with my theories about it. That's why when I got an invite to try Mandarin Oriental Hotel's Thai massage last week, I couldn't wait for my appointment! I was sooo looking forward to a couple of hours just lying face down, eyes closed, my mind completely blank...you get the idea.

The Spa at Mandarin Oriental is currently hosting a renowned Thai masseuse based in their sister hotel in Dhara Devi, Chiang Mai. Aside from taking part in the Thai Festival, Treen Paleeriam is here to train the hotel's spa staff. He's only going to be here starting today (May 31) until June 7, so if you want to experience an authentic, world class Thai massage, you better book him!

I was given the option of a Traditional Thai Massage or the indigenous Lanna Massage (natively called Tok Sen). The Tok Sen used to be popular in Northern Thailand, but has since been practiced rarely. Being the curious cat that I am, I went for the Tok Sen.

I have already introduced Dr. Jart BB Creams last week. This time around, feast your eyes on a photo essay of their public launch last May 29 at The Plaza, Ayala Museum. The dresses featured were designed by Jun Escario. I found the event super entertaining because each BB cream got its own mini dance and fashion show!

I was at the PFW Opening Night last Wednesday to witness the top designers and retailers in the country show off their latest designs. I made it to the Visions and Trends/Design Fusion Collection where Anna Leah Salvador, Aries Lagat, Benjie Pañizales, Don Protasio, Enrico Carado, Happy Andrada, Harley Ruedas, Jaki Peñalosa, Jan Garcia, Martin Bautista, Mitzi Quilendrino-Bustos, Nolie Viñeza, Norman Noriega, Patrick Galang and Raoul Ramirez presented. SM also showed off their latest designs already (or soon to be) available in their department stores.

Click here for more photos by Francis Tuason for thePOC

I love PFW for what it is trying to do - to showcase Filipino talent, especially young designers who are trying to get a leg up on the first rung of the fashion ladder. However, I think that the designs, while beautiful and obviously made with attention to detail, are too safe. To put it bluntly, some of the designs were unoriginal. A lot of the pieces showcased in the Visions and Trends show were cocktail dresses or evening gowns that capitalized on existing trends or took their inspirations too literally to the point of becoming costume-y.

Hi Ms Liz!

Where can I buy affordable but good quality tinted moisturizer? Im not exactly the kikay type but I do take the time to wear even just a little makeup when I go out. Right now, I use Mary Kay liquid foundation even during the daytime (I know it's a NO NO but Im not satisfied unless I get a really even complexion even if I already have blemish-free skin. Im that insecure). I only apply tiny dots all over my face before I spread it. Problem is, even if I only use little, there are still some "flakes" near my hairline and chin area which I have to tediously brush away. Is this normal? This prompted me to give tinted moisturizers a try. Maybe you have cheap but good ones in mind?

Also, how do I get rid of my dark undereye circles? People either think Im insomniac or a junkie! But I do sleep as early as 9pm during workdays and I've never actually seen, much less use, "shabu". So far Ive tried Mary Kay and Garnier eye roll-ons but to no avail. Do you have an effective but affordable recommendation? 

Hi Weng! If there is flaking when you apply foundation, it could mean one of two things: your foundation sucks, or you have very dry skin. The first step to fixing the latter is to get properly hydrated - drink lotsa water! Then pick a heavy moisturizer that's especially designed for dry skin (if you don't have one already, that is). Unfortunately I can't suggest anything as I have oily-combination skin. You should visit Nikki's blog since she has dry skin and has a lot of recommendations.

Tinted moisturizers...if by cheap you mean less than P500, I can't help you with that. The cheap drugstore ones like Nivea, Skinwhite, and Maxipeel feels like cheap crushed face powder mixed with body lotion. Well that may be a little OA, but yes, I hate the texture and the feel. You're better off investing in higher-priced TMs. To start off, the Etude House Magic BB Cream is really nice. Only P598, too.

Pureology is well-known for its line of hair color care shampoos and conditioners. Their products has Anti-Fade and ZeroSulfate properties to ensure that colored hair is always in top notch condition. Now, the popular brand has branched off to provide not only products, but hair care and styling services!

Alex Carbonell of Studio Fix by Alex Carbonell and Chrissy Calderon-Uy of Hairworks Salon attended the Pureologist Certification Training held last April 27-29, 2010 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Ms. Lynna Choi, the Asia Regional Education Manager of Pureology, facilitated the three-day training and certification.

The beauty writers with Alex Carbonell (photo grabbed from Nikki)

If you've visited a Watsons lately you have probably seen this suavely packaged line - the GrapeBella range. They come is sophisticated-looking, dark purple bottles that really catch and hold your attention if only to make you intrigued about what they are. If you didn't know better, you'd think you're looking at bottles of fine wines!

The Watsons GrapeBella product range is the latest innovation from Watsons, which provides a total solution for perfect skin. Truly, it is the new secret to a more youthful beauty.

It has been proven by scientific researches that grapes have antioxidant benefits to provide nourishment to the skin to keep it soft and smooth. 

Hello hello to everyone. How's your Monday? Me, I have a writing deadline. I also have a few errands today at The Fort, huhu. Anyway, I'd just like to announce the addition of two new features to Project Vanity that I hope you'll find useful!

If you check the sidebar, you'll see the feeds of the Beauty & Fashion Channel of thePOC. Now you can read my site updates and the POC's all in one place! Oh by the way, please don't forget to like us on our Facebook page and follow our Twitter account. You don't want to miss what's up at our channel.

I've also set up a Press Releases page on this website. So, why? Two reasons:

It's a muggy, lazy Saturday for me. I have a ton of stuff lined up for this week so this is probably the last day I have for myself in the next few days. I better start vegging out in front of old DVDs and doing random useless things around the house (I'm in my mom's house every weekend) while I still can.

One of the random useless things I thought of doing is posting some photos I took recently. Here you go!

Margaux is a writer for Sense & Style magazine. I first met her in a Clinique event last November - she was wearing a super hot pink lipstick, so I just had to ask what it was! It's NARS Schiap. I met her again last Thursday at the Dr. Jart launch and when I saw her I blanked out for a while before screeching "MARGAUX!" How can I forget her? I'll drag her and Marbbie to hang out with me one of these days. I'm a bit shy though because I know that these girls are insanely busy. Heehee.

This is my favoritest snack in the whole wide world. I haven't seen these for years though! I was so happy when I found them at Cash & Carry in Makati. I live far from there now, so I don't think I can drop by to buy these heavenly things anymore. Sad, sad.