Who can say no to "all-natural" beauty products? I know I can't! So when Kustie came out in malls, I was excited. Kustie is an affordable, easily-accessible "all-natural" brand that seemed to perform well according to blog reviews. 

Let's move on to the actual quality and performance of this body scrub and moisturizer!

I've been looking for a MAC 15-pan magnetic palette (P835) for MONTHS, but finally, MAC Glorietta restocked! I excitedly checked YouTube videos to touch up on my knowledge of depotting, or moving individual eyeshadows, to a magnetic palette. It would be so much easier to have all my eyeshadows in one place, making it more convenient to pick and use colors.

The procedure looked quite simple and quick to do - but I should have known not to judge appearances! It's harder than the YouTube gurus make it seem. However if you're careful, depotting your eyeshadows shouldn't be too much trouble.

Here's what you need:

Potted eyeshadows, thin knife (preferably dull), pin, candle

Thong, alcohol, tissue, small flat magnets with adhesive on one side (not in photo)

Step 1: Place the tip of the knife in the slot near where the cap locks in. Gently pry the eyeshadow loose. This is what it should look like:

This was supposed to be titled "my current skincare routine", but then I realized that I forgot to include a couple of regulars like the Myra e Daily Sun Protect Facial Moisturizer SPF 15 and the Eyliplex-2 eye cream. I also realized that I don't use everything every single day - as you know, I work from home, so I don't go out five days a week.

As such, I adjust my so-called "routine" into something less fussy. I'm vain, but I don't obsess about it!

Meet the team:

Left to right (click the links for reviews):  Muji Cleansing Oil for Sensitive Skin,  Pond's White Beauty Activated Carbon Cleanser, Burt's Bees Garden Tomato Toner,  Clinique Moisture Surge,  Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye, Smooth-365 Clarity + Smoothing Peptide Serum

Can I just say? I hate it that Muji hasn't yet restocked the Cleasing Oil!

Last Thursday, I was puttering around Megamall, trying to kill time before an event. Naturally I paid a visit to the beauty and skincare section to see if there's anything new - and there was!

Elite Paris sells what looks like professional-level makeup and tools for an affordable price. The brand has single eyeshadows at P300+, eyeshadow quad at P600+, foundations, blushes, and nail polish. It also features a few brushes, nail and hair tools, and hair styling products.

I wasn't able to try the blushes and foundations, but the eyeshadows are worth a mention. They are quite pigmented, with a smooth (albeit slightly powdery) texture. I think the P600+ price tag for the quad is a great deal since the quality of the eyeshadows is better than the usual drugstore brands.

Singles

I very rarely go out with my friends, which something I should definitely change this year. I have to stop being lazy about going out of the house no! So last Friday, I got Mara, Kira (plus Mark), and Ozy to have dinner and just chill. We went to Ristras for the homey Mexican food.*

Bad lighting, huhu

I wore a pair of one-of-a-kind leggings I got from Streets of Seoul. It has a mesh front with strips of black crisscrossing it, while the back part is actually opaque. Rad! It instantly adds an edge to any look. I got a lot of compliments because of this. Sadly, you can't get another one if you're interested, since it is literally only one piece at the store.  Still, you ought to visit since there are other great finds.

Thrifted leather jacket/ Hanes t-shirt/ Thrifted bodycon skirt/ Streets of Seoul leggings

A PR company sent me a 200ml bottle of the Vaseline Healthy White SPF24 sunscreen AGES ago, like half a year ago. For some reason or other though I never blogged about it, which is sad, because this has become an indispensable part of my skincare regimen. I actually finished off the huge bottle, so I purchased a 350ml one!

I love this mainly for its SPF 24 UVA/UVB protection. I never go outside the sun without slathering it on my skin. I know there are other SPF lotions out in the market, but this is perhaps the most affordable with a high SPF rating minus the thick sunblock-y feel.

It has a lotion-y, slightly floral scent that I don't find overwhelming. As for the texture, it's certainly lighter than the usual sunscreen/sunblock lotions

Yesterday, The Body Shop invited beauty bloggers to their Megamall branch to have fun with their famous Body Butters. I particularly enjoyed the part where we were asked to make our own Body Butter scent out of the existing variants! 

TBS Body Butters fall under three types: Nutty (Shea and Olive), Fruity (Wild Cherry, Strawberry, Satsuma, and Grapefruit) and Floral (Moringa, smells like jasmine). The bloggers were divided into four groups of three people, and I got grouped with Tanya and the fab Frances. Here's what we came up with:

Scent 1: Olive + Wild Cherry

I went to a Body Shop event yesterday (will blog about that shortly). I knew I was going to see my blogger friends in a laid-back atmosphere so I chose to swathe myself in lightweight cotton, cotton, cotton. 

Topshop burnout tee/ Zara cardigan/ Folded & Hung skirt/ Muji sock tights/ Charles & Keith platform heels

In other news, I just enrolled myself in driving school! I chose A1 since that's what everybody recommended. I'm a little nervous since I can get careless when I'm on the road, plus why drive when there are cabs?

The Avon Ideal Shade Liquid Foundation (P530) came in a gift pack along with other makeup and skincare products from the brand. I didn't expect much from it because, well, I got this idea that Avon makeup is just "okay" (not counting the lipsticks, which I have raved about before) - nothing to write home about. To begin with, it's hard to ask a lot for the price. 

Nonetheless I am surprised. The foundation gives a really beautiful finish that instantly enhances the skin and I have pictures to prove it! I haven't worn it out though because the shade (Natural) is rather light on me so I can't tell you about the lasting power. What I'll just talk about is the texture, consistency, and finish.

The Ideal Shade foundation is marketed to have light-adjusting pigments that provide a good shade match and natural coverage.

Last week, I had the pleasure of being a guest for Net 25's morning show called Homepage. I talked about the fashion trends for 2011 and, needless to say, I had so much fun. The hosts, especially Ivy, were super nice and accommodating. There was no room to be shy! Of course, the researchers Steph (who invited me) and Blueberry (yes that's her name!) made sure that I felt welcome. It definitely made my trip from The Fort to far away Quezon City worth it.

This is my third time to be on TV. I think I'm getting the hang of it, lol. The first two times were embarrassingly awkward. Anyway, here's a photo diary of what transpired last Wednesday!

The new year is in full swing as major brands come out with their latest products and promotions. Interested in what they may be? Read on!

High-street fashion brand Promod just released its Trendy Jet-setter Collection. It's designed with the chic traveler in mind, thus including coats, scarves, and turtlenecks for the cold weather abroad.

Complement the classy floral top with a gray cardigan, gray beret and a maroon knit scarf to turn heads anywhere in the world.

A friend of mine recently launched her own online shop called Streets of Seoul. Chrissy is a professional fashion merchandiser venturing in the world of e-commerce, and I have to say, she does a wonderful job! The clothes are edgy, looking like something you can find off Topshop or Mango. Nonetheless, they're very affordable, selling for only an average of P500-700.

Check out my top picks:

Everyone needs a faux leather biker jacket in their life. Now that the biker look is hot stuff at 2011, there's no reason not to get one that looks like it will fit gorgeously - for only P900, too!

One of the more interesting products that came out late last year is the Revlon PhotoReady Compact Makeup (P945). It's the answer to the prayers of the fans of the PhotoReady Liquid Makeup since it has none of the shimmers everyone complained about. It also toes the fine line between liquid and powder, a plus if you're the type who likes powder more than liquid foundations.

The PhotoReady Compact Makeup is a cream foundation that comes in a long, rectangular compact that features a "liquefying mesh". This mesh presses through the foundation to sort of squeeze it out. Intriguing eh? There's a small sponge that comes with the whole package.

What I like about the product

• As with other products in Revlon's PhotoReady line, this foundation gives a smooth, matte finish that registers well on camera. That is really the product's main selling point!

Last week, Net 25's morning show called Homepage invited me to talk about this year's upcoming fashion trends. Here's what we talked about! Enjoy.

What are the fashion trends or the "in" look for 2011?

I don't use planners, but I can see a lot of ladies (and gentlemen) loving this planner by Sunlife, in cooperation with actor Piolo Pascual, called Sunpiology. This stands out because it's a planner that encourages you to help save the environment as well as accomplish your goals every month. There's none of that pretentious crap that planners seem to promote these days (e.g "this planner will change someone's life"? O rly?)

It also features Piolo's photos from all over the world. It's all about nature, to show us what we'll lose if we aren't more careful of our environment.

More photos of the planner inside!

The last event I organized in 2010 was for a brand that's very dear to my heart. I invited beauty and fashion bloggers to experience the Asian Secrets lulur body scrub the best possible way - why, in a spa, of course! You'll remember that I really enjoyed my time at Qiwellness in Salcedo Village, so I managed to hook up the two brands for this relaxing event.

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Happy bloggers!

It was a very casual get-together as bloggers lounged in the soft white chairs of Qiwellness. I just gave them a short introduction about how lulur is part of an ancient Indonesian beautifying ritual for brides.

thePOC covered dozens of shows by young and upcoming designers last September during the PFW S/S 11 festivities. I think I mentioned before that I found many of them rather uninspired, but there is one designer that really stood out to me: Chris Diaz. It's not so much because his designs are groundbreaking or unique - it's because the clothes he sent down the runway are exactly my style. Re-imagined 60's fashion in florals and pastels? Don't say another word!

TDF cardigan with floral appliques

Not friendly to most body types, but I like mint with white. Very fresh.

I didn't like the Paul & Joe Creamy Cheek Powder in 03 (P1,000+) the first few times I used it. For starters, it's not even decently pigmented. It takes at least three layers for me to get the color I want. Also, the actual color is a whole world away from the one in the pan! I also had difficulty applying it as no brush will pick it up properly and apply it evenly; I have to use my fingers.

I eventually grew to like it though. After all, it gives my cheeks a gorgeous peach/coral blush that stays on for at least five hours. It's also not sticky, plus it has a really nice citrusy scent.

Of course, I can't not mention the beautiful packaging. As usual, this Paul & Joe product is housed in a cute plastic case that reflects gold shimmer and features a floral design on top.

I just bought a basic sewing machine yesterday. I haven't taken pictures yet since I was busy tinkering with it all day (and all of last night), but I'll share with you what I've done with it once I have something! Anyway, for today, I'd like to talk about this Purederm hair mask.

I'll make this review short: I love it. It smells super minty, and feels minty on my hair. Come to think of it, it's like I put toothpaste on my head! The white cream itself feels heavy and luxurious yet easy to rinse off.

When I started getting into makeup, I would always ogle at beauty bloggers who use mostly MAC eyeshadows in their FOTDs. It seemed to me that the best eyeshadows in the world are made by MAC. I've always dreamed of owning a full customized palette, but I couldn't afford to start my collection since these eyeshadows aren't cheap at P870 per pan.

Three years down the road, I realized that there are other great eyeshadows that offer more value for money (like Urban Decay). Nonetheless I still want to complete a 15-pan palette someday even if I have to buy one pan of MAC eyeshadow every month or so! Haha. I actually just bought an empty palette after waiting for MONTHS for one to become locally available, but that's for another post. Today I'll just review the eyeshadows I have. Most of them I bought from Duty Free, while two came from a swap.

Predictably, they're all neutral. I want to start my collection with a solid foundation, hence the wearable colors. Later on I'm going to add more adventurous shades! For now I have some of MAC's more famous eyeshadows.

What I love about the product

• Extremely pigmented. I don't even need to use a base to make the colors pop.
• Amazing texture. Each eyeshadow is smooth and blends in without a fuss.