If you've been to Watsons lately, you've probably seen these uber cheap brushes branded as "Marionnaud". Yes, the logo is even similar to Marionnaud as in the luxury beauty store at the Mall of Asia. I remember Marionnaud (the store) used to sell really expensive brushes at P1,000 to P2,000 per piece but I don't think they're the same as the Watsons Marionnaud brushes. I don't know what's the deal with that, but I was lured in by the cheap prices and good reviews I've read online.

I got the angled blush brush for only P167. So how is it?

What I like about it

• Soft and dense
• Didn't shed when I washed it
• No smell
• Fits my face well and the angle is really good for quick contouring.
• Doesn't feel or look cheap. The brush handle feels sturdy.

When I got sick, I ran out of my fave RDL Placenta soap. Of course I couldn't leave my bed, so I decided to just not be picky and use whatever cleanser is in the bathroom. Well, it so happened to be Pond's.

The one I'm using right now is Pond's Perfect Care (the one with the bright green cap). I really didn't like it at first. In fact, I severely disliked it! My face would get bumpy and lose its glow, so I'd keep on stopping after one or two times (which explains why it's in the bathroom shelf). When I used this for a prolonged period last week - completely out of necessity - I broke out along my jaw. But things ironed out eventually after around the 4th consecutive use, and now this facial wash and I are inseparable. I'm well enough to shop now, but I don't think I will be buying placenta soap soon.

I like that my face is smoother and clearer. In fact right now I'm at the office and I just have BB cream and mineral translucent powder on - no need for a concealer or skin-enhancing foundation. Since I've been sick, I've stopped my skincare regimen and only used this cleanser. Yeah, I was too pukey to be vain last week. Good thing the adventure turned out fine.

Wow, that week was harrowing. For most of it, I suffered a 38 to 39 degree fever, vomited, lost consciousness etc etc. Well I'm not too excited to remember that. Suffice it to say that I am feeling a lot better now. I am only just taking anti-nausea pills and antibiotics now. Thank you to all who wished me well - you can't believe how you helped. Thanks especially to Marco who never left my side and took very good care of me.  

So where were we? Ahh, the The United Colors of Benetton fragrances! Here's what happened during the launch, in a nutshell:

photo from Alex for thePOC

Gorgeous models

Got their shirts spray-painted on

Something called "Ultra Color Rich Mega Impact" can really set high expectations. The promise of Avon is that this line of lipsticks can give our lips high-def drama, with pinks pinker and reds redder compared to their other lipstick lines. Well, that's a fair enough claim, but I would have loved to get my hands on their older collections to see if there really is a difference. 

L-R: Pink Pop, Fuchsia Fun, Kicked Up Coral, Really Rosy, Brilliant Berry, Rockin' Red

In any case, I've been using these lippies for a week now and found them really good. However, they are not as pigmented as their name would suggest. I initially thought they'd be similar to Revlon Colorburst, NYX Round Lipsticks, and NYX Lips. No, this particular line may have meant differently when they went under the name "ultra color rich" and "mega impact".

These lipsticks have a brilliant, glossy finish that I haven't come across yet. I think they're on a class of their own - the finish isn't satiny, plasticky like lip gloss, or creamy. I'd call it lustrous. There are 11 shades available in the Philippines, from nude to daring red.

What I love about this product

• The texture is very creamy, which means that it glides on easily. It's very moisturizing - I don't even use balm underneath.
• I would agree that the colors are high-impact in the sense that they do stand out when they're worn. They tend to draw in light to my face!
• Wears comfortably. It doesn't feel heavy on the lips.

Binky Burrow is a brand that sells t-shirts and lifestyle products that are all about cute bunnies. Each bunny has a personality which may just match yours. They sent me a couple of shirts from their summer line, the ones with the Bunny In A Tea Cup and Rawr designs. Take a look!

My favorite out of the two shirts is this one. I'm not a huge fan of bunnies but I do love it when one of them terrorizes an entire city, lol. The fabric used is really soft, plus I like the distressed cotton they used for this particular design. The shirts are affordable at only P380 (plus shipping if you order online).

The kind folks behind Olay sent me these soaps, oh, almost a month ago! With so many things to blog, I have half-forgotten to write about these. That's ironic since I've been using them for a month now.

There are three variants: the Ultra Moisture, Age Defying, and Fresh Reviving. My personal favorite is the Ultra Moisture. It's so creamy that I just rub it on my loofah and then proceed to spread it around just like liquid body wash. Yeah, I'm too lazy to use soap as one normally would! The Ultra Moisture is highly rated at Total Beauty, scoring 9 out of 10.

There are brands that stick with us in our lifetime. Avon is definitely one that is closely intertwined with mine. My first ever makeup (it was a Simply Pretty blush), my first bra (a beige plain one, because my mom thought colored bras were scandalous) - they're from Avon. I'll probably patronize that 123-year old brand until I die! My Lola and my mom are also avid Avon fans.

That's why I like attending Avon events. I like being among the first to know about their products, as well as having first dibs on them. So what's new?

Avon launched three new beauty products last Thursday, July 15, at the Blue Leaf Pavillon. The very gwapo and debonair DJ Eri Neeman hosted the event. 

DJ Eri Neeman

Avon Philippines' President and General Manager Mr. Mike Gudgin welcoming the guests

Three new products were introduced: the Anew 360° White Intensive Correcting Serum, Skin So Soft Radiant Glow Whitening Hand and Body Lotion, and Avon Ultra Color Rich Mega Impact Lipstick.

I was super duper duper bored with my hair. All I can do with it before is just wash it and tie it up. My last hair cut was at a Korean salon called Beauty Brick, way back in March, so obviously my hair has grown a lot since then. I craved for something new, something I haven't tried yet! But what?

The answer was clear as day. I had to dye my hair for the first time. And get bangs! Now, if you have wavy hair like me, you know that bangs are slightly equivalent to having hell on your head. Okay, that's over the top. But you see, when I last had bangs (a decade ago) it was something I hated dealing with everyday so I just stopped having them. That's until last week, when I wanted to be challenged by my hair for a change.

The result, blow-dried:

Here is my hair washed (sorry for the yellow tinge, forgot to adjust my camera's settings):

I had a voucher to try L'Oreal INOA for free, so off I went to Regine's Salon at The Link, Makati to claim the free treatment. It was Karina Mantolino, the head stylist, who accommodated me. I asked her to give me a hair cut first before we got on to the dyeing session. The whole thing was pretty quick at less than 15 minutes since she just gave me layers, and it only cost me P450.

I have a confession to make: I cringe internally whenever I receive skincare products to review. Why? Because each new product holds a potential for breaking me out, and sometimes, I have so many to review that my face does not have time to rest or recover from the most recent pimple spree. It's not all negative though. Sometimes I hit the jackpot and find a product that works so well, so perfectly, that it alone is worth all the reckless product sampling that came before it.

I've already mentioned a few times that I am in love with the Pond's White Beauty Cream (in the tube). It evens out my skin, moisturizes it without the oiliness, and gives me a visible glow that I don't see in other products of its sort. I've been using it for two years now and it has been consistent in giving me nice skin.

Little did I know that its more expensive sister, the Flawless White Visible Whitening Day Cream, is even better!

As a beauty and fashion editor, my main job is to shape our section in The Philippine Online Chronicles. What do I want it to be? What do I want it to talk about? What image should it have? Well, I want the channel to be a source of valuable information on beauty and fashion for Filipinas. I want it to talk about our pressing concerns. I want it to empower women to be more confident about themselves, and try new things now that they know how. Basically, I want the section to be intelligent and encouraging, a useful tool for being a better version of ourselves.

I've been at this job for the past five months, and I'd like to believe that I have achieved the goals I set above. Of course, that wouldn't be possible without the team of writers who pour their experiences and hours of research on the channel: Lauren, Mara, Kira, Tanya, Gela, Gem, Lyn, Rizel, and Alex. I thought it would be fun to get all the girls under one roof, and I was totally right!

L-R: Tita Noemi, our boss; Lauren, me, Mara, Lyn, Alex, Kira, Tanya

Perhaps the most common complaint about NYX Round Lipsticks is their lack of staying power. NYX attempts to solve that problem by providing a slightly more expensive line called NYX Lips.

So how different is Lips from the Round lipsticks? For one, it feels smoother, creamier, and thicker. It is also more opaque and pigmented, and that's saying a lot since RLs are already pigmented as they come. 

Black Cherry and Love Angel

The staying power of this line is definitely better than the RLs. The RLs tend to fade and get wiped out as soon as you eat or drink, but Lips keep their color for at least four hours. Eating and drinking will remove them, but there will be a stain left. In the case of Black Cherry, a very, very strong stain.

There are fragrances for when you want to feel sexy, sweet, professional, glamorous, masculine or just plain clean - name it, and there's probably a scent for that! I never paid much attention to fragrances before, until I got to review a few of them for my blog. I think that scents can help create a good mood and accentuate your personal style. They're like a gorgeous pair of earrings or a statement necklace; your outfit looks fine without them, but once you have them on, they make a lot of difference! For scents, the difference doesn't lie in what we can see, but what we can smell and feel.

Acqua Colonia's specialty as a scent is to capture the essence of nature and use it to invigorate, stimulate, and relax the wearer. There are four variants available in the Philippines: Lemon & Ginger, the best seller, Vetyver & Bergamot, Melissa & Verbena, and Royal Riesling, which is what I have.

This cheerful fragrance is a tribute to the Riesling grape. It is the queen of white wine grapes and is considered to be the most precious type in the world. It is said to have euphoriant effects. 

According to Wikipedia, riesling is "an aromatic grape variety displaying flowery, almost perfumed, aromas". Indeed, Acqua Colonia's Royal Riesling variant has a light, sharp floral scent as a top note. It mellows down to a powdery, musky smell as it melts on your skin.

In this post I pledge to not buy anything kikay-related (except for toiletries and random thrifted pieces) for the rest of July. I've been spending waaay too much lately for things that I don't really need. I'd like to think of myself as a thrifty person, so the rate I've been spending this past month is already scaring me. Besides, I need to save up for two things: the Clinique Moisture Surge and the new Urban Decay Naked palette! Priorities, priorities.

Have you guys been to the Zara sale? The prices are batshit insane! Most of the stuff on the store were either 50% or 70% off. I visited the branch in Glorietta and couldn't help but buy this ultra-soft Trafaluc long cardigan and pink tiered skirt.

The devil is in the details