We're brainwashed to think that the higher the SPF number, the better. Well sure, higher SPF means that you get more protection, but did you know that the protection is not increased proportionally? "SPF 15" means that you will not burn/damage under the sun 15 times longer than when you are without it. "SPF 30" means that you can stay 30 times longer without damaging your skin.

Says the American Melanoma Foundation: "Consumers need to be aware that SPF protection does not increase proportionally with an increased SPF number. While an SPF of 2 will absorb 50% of ultraviolet radiation, an SPF of 15 absorbs 93% and an SPF of 34 absorbs 97%." Read up more about sun protection here and here.

All things considered, an SPF of 30 to 50 is already a good number for daily use. Any number higher than 50 is just a little extra - it's not a necessity. So you don't really have to HAVE an SPF130 sunblock like the one from Sun Play. But it would be nice if you did. 

The Sunplay Super Block with SPF130 (P349) is a white fluid with the consistency of water.

When I was in high school and college, you can bet good money that you won't catch me wearing flip flops outside. It was a principle thing. I considered the flip flop as a fashion faux pas when worn to somewhere else other than the house, palengke, or beach/resort. I didn't understand why girls insisted on wearing these rubber slabs to everywhere thinking it's cool.

Well, now I'm a little older and (I guess) wiser, so I've learned the value of this thing called compromise. Rubber slippers are quite comfy so they're my default choices for running errands like going to the bank or doing a grocery run. They're also perfect for a lazy stroll in the mall, just window shopping.

Sooo...I'd like you to meet my first ever pair of Havaianas! I know, I'm late. Very late. But the brand generously gifted me with one of the styles from their newest line called Slim Dolls. It features two traditional dolls from Russia and Japan - the Matryoshka (symbolizing health and family) and Kokeshi (for good luck and happiness). I got the Slim Kokeshi in Grey Silver (P1,495).

Tony Moly, the Korean cosmetic brand similar to Etude House and The Face Shop, quietly opened its first branch last April 30 in SM Fairview. I've never tried anything from the brand because I'm not so interested in Korean makeup, but I've read promising reviews of some of Tony Moly's very affordable products. 

Photos from Timeless Confection. Read her full blog post, she has more shots!

Tony Moly has the usual Korean fare: BB creams, face masks, skincare, perky makeup. Overall, I can't wait for a nearby branch to open so I can buy a couple of stuff for myself. Here's a list of future branches and their tentative opening months

I attended a couple of meetings last Thursday in Makati. They weren't really the formal type so I wore something comfortable, heat-friendly, and non-fattening! Anyway, I've been wearing this block-striped bodycon dress a lot lately. It's my absolute cheat dress right now, if  you must know. Thought the Ferretti wedges matched the dress's stripes so in they went.

No brand dress/ Thrifted chambray polo/ Satchel from Muradito/ Accessories from Avon/ Ferretti wedges

For the FOTD, I chose to wear as little makeup as possible. Since I like my skin lately, I opted for a sheer formula, lush lashes, and fool-proof red lips. It's my good ol' red lippie look only with different products.

Hi girls, hope you can grab Manila Bulletin's Style Weekend issue today! Aside from its the excellent cover story on our homegrown international supermodels, there's a great article on BB creams by Pierra Labrador. A couple of weeks back, she asked me for a quote about my fave BB creams, to which I wrote down an 890-word treatise. MY GOODNESS. 

What can I say, I got carried away. Pierra expertly cut it down to some two paragraphs. Whew. Here's the ish, plus my quote. :D Hope you like it!

I usually politely decline whenever PR companies and brand managers invite me to events about products unrelated to Project Vanity's niche. But last week, I made an exception for two events hosted by PLDT MyDSL! You see, Marco is crazy and I mean crazy about cars right now. Most of his free time is spent tinkering with his race car, watching car films, and reading car websites. It's quite irritating (to put it mildly).

In his favorite talyer (auto garage) in Fairview. Fairview! The things I do for love.

He watched the last four films of The Fast and the Furious franchise because, while he thought the story sucked, the fast cars alone are enough to make up for it. So when PLDT myDSL invited me to the exclusive movie premier of Fast Five last week, I knew he'd love to come! I do like seeing him happy.

Ultra Moisture Rich...Moisture Seduction? Yes Virginia, Avon has a new lipstick line coming out this June! The Avon Moisture Seduction Lipstick (P249) is built on their best-selling Ultra Moisture Rich line. They already have a winner formula in the UMR lipsticks, but it seems that the brand wants to push the envelope a little bit further by creating something ultimately more moisturizing.

The Avon Moisture Seduction line has 10 shades ranging from nudes to deep reds. It's infused with white swirls that seem to be lip balm, charging the colors with much-needed moisture.

Ribbons of moisture

What I love about the product

• Super moisturizing to the next level chuva. It feels like you're wearing lip conditioner. You definitely don't need to slather on lip balm before using Moisture Seduction.
• Zero flaking and drying. As in zero.

Don't you just hate how our faces turn into impromptu grease pans when the heat goes up? When I know that I'll be out the whole day, I take extra precautions to keep oil at bay. I use a reliable primer (Guerlain L'Or) and dust a generous amount of loose translucent powder on top of my makeup.

The Clinique Blended Face Powder and Brush in 20 Invisible Blend (P1,800) has been a trustworthy ally this past month or so. It's a huge help in absorbing oil! I like that it has very little coverage; since it's translucent, it doesn't make my face look too white. I love using it on top of tinted moisturizers like the Clinique Supermoisture Makeup and the Colour Collection Gluta-White BB Cream. This combo feels lighter than full makeup, plus it looks more natural since coverage is sheer. I just cover up spots with concealer.

What I like about the product

• The powder is fine and well-milled. It is easy to distribute evenly with a big fluffy brush.
• Helps control oil. When I have it on, oil becomes a problem only after four or five hours. (But then again, I use the Clinique Liquid Facial Soap for oily skin, which helps tremendously).

It's been two years and BB creams are still popular. They're not a topic for hysteria anymore, but there are still fans out there. And why shouldn't there be? Claims to providing blemish-free and beautiful skin aside, BB creams are awesome makeup bases or even substitutes to foundations. One such BB cream that's just been recently released is the Colour Collection Gluta-White BB Cream (P379 for 40mL).

I'll save you the suspense and tell you straight out that CC's BB cream is a pretty good product at a crazy cheap price. Never mind the BB cream label. It's a great makeup base and tinted moisturizer that doesn't make Pinay skin too oily or too white! It also has sun protection.

What I love about the product

• It's the right shade for me. I do wish it comes in a slightly darker shade though but it works for me as is. The shade is best for medium to light-medium skin with yellow undertones.
• The coverage is sheer, but it evens out my skin nicely and hides lighter blemishes. It basically lets my skin shine through while concealing minor imperfections.

I've held off wearing red lipstick for a while because summer demands more flirty colors, but now that the mood seems to be coming to an end, the classic palette is back. But that's just me though so don't take my word for it. ;) Hehe.

Anyway, one of my favorite shades of red is this new color from VMV Hypoallergenics. It's their Lip Glitter Gloss in Cherry Fizz (P1,200), a bright red with silvery blue glitters. I know that this is probably sounding a few alarm bells in your head, but don't worry - the glitters are quite fine so they don't really show when you have the gloss on.

The Lip Glitter Gloss formula is closer to being that of a lipstick than the usual lip gloss. It's highly pigmented and doesn't have that goopy feeling on the lips. You only need very little (like one dip) to apply the color evenly, so it feels comfy and cushy when worn.

Beauty cheers me up, in whatever form. God knows I need cheering up. Thanks to Elizabeth Arden for the gorgeous bouquet and their latest scent, Pretty Hot. It smells divine and sexy at the same time!

I hate going out during the day. However, work and errands beckon, so I really don't have a choice! I've been out in the sun for the past four days (!!!) but I'm not too worried since I'm currently testing out a sunblock with SPF130. Yeah. I'm smug.

Anyway, it's too hot and bothersome to wear eyeshadows so I depend heavily on eyeliner and mascara to keep my eyes looking good. After much experimentation, I discovered the best combination to get an absolutely smudge-free eye - it doesn't matter how long I was out or how much I sweat and oil up. This combo is deadly. I've been to Tagaytay, Batangas, Marikina, and all over Manila with these two products on and they've never failed me.

Ready?

I'm always hovering in department stores in the hopes of scoring something great, something other people may have missed. Last Tuesday, I hit gold! I visited the department store at Market! Market! to buy nail polish when I spotted this awe-inspiring, crazy cheap powder brush right across the nail polish aisle:

It was incredibly soft, had shiny hair, had the right density and - best thing EVER - it only cost me P119! I've been mooning over a high-quality powder brush from Suqqu since I saw Lisa Eldridge use one in a video. But since Suqqu is not available here and I probably can't afford it, I'm happy that I found a nice alternative. It's not the same shape but guys, you really need to feel how soft this P119 brush is. <3

This brush has fine synthetic hair very similar to the one Ellana uses for their brushes.

Last week, I was asked by Avon to pick one set from their latest jewelry collection. You know that I'm into green at the moment, so I picked their Retro in the City set. It features faux peridot stones that are encased in a goldtone pavé cage inlaid with clear stones. What I like most about the pieces is how big the peridot stones are, effectively making them statement pieces!

Caged Pavé Peridot Ring, P699

Every girl should have a matte blush. It's the best kind to use when you're having your photos taken or if your skin is oily! Used the right way, matte blushes can look more natural than shimmery ones since your skin's natural oils somehow enhance them.

One of the prettiest matte blushes I've come across is the Majolica Majorca Puff de Cheek (P795). These blushes are housed in a tin can that's shaped like a sweet macaron, with the same colors to boot. Aside from the packaging, the biggest strength of these Puff de Cheeks are their lovely, flattering shades. Even though Majo is a Japanese brand, it seems like the Sugary Trap Collection is made for warm skin tones like ours. 

What I love about the product

• All four shades look good on me. My favorite has to be Apricot Macaron (OR302), followed by Peach Macaron (PK301). I don't have these shades in my blush collection so I find them unique.
• The powder is well-milled, with a velvety texture. It has a smooth, matte finish that don't sit on the pores.

Hi everyone! Sorry this is late, as I've been thinking long and hard about the prize I'm giving to the second commenter of the month. :D But I'm getting ahead of myself! I'd like to announce the commenter of the month for April.

And she's...Mia Estrella! She's been commenting frequently on my blog since August of last year. I always appreciate her insightful comments. I'll be contacting her for her shipping details so she can get her gift.

Now, for the commenter of the month prize for May!

So lately I'm rather attentive to my nails. I used to be the kind of person who didn't give a damn about nails because, after all, they're just nails! Who cares? I bit my nails a lot and picked on my cuticles (eww and yes, painful). But now I realized that on top of well-manicured nails being a sign of good grooming, nice nails can really uplift one's mood. I feel more cheerful when I'm wearing a color I love, during those moments when I happen to glance at my nails while I type or do a chore.

Shallow, yeah, but I want to be the kind of person who delights and finds wonder in little details like this.

This is my current nail color. I used two shades: the Bobbie Glaize Parasail (P35.50) as the base color and Caress Christmas Polka (P20.75) for the glitters. I love the effect! I keep imagining a small galaxy in my nails, lol. The Bobbie polish I used was just so-so since it applied unevenly but I was really impressed with the Caress one. It dried up quickly and the glitters applied smoothly. Such a steal for P20!

I used the Sally Hansen Hard As Nails as a base polish to keep the colors from chipping.

Are you lazy when it comes to wearing sunblock? Eh, tell me about it. I don't like how I have to blend blend blend just to remove the white cast and how I have to wait at least 20 minutes before the sun protection kicks in. However, thanks to technology, clear sunblock sprays are now available for us lazy daisies.

I got my first bottle of the  Nivea Sun Invisible Protection SPF30 PA++ spray more than a year ago. It became my constant companion during beach trips since it's idiot and lazy-proof to use: just spray and go! I also like using it when it's super EXTRA hot since I can't stand how lotion becomes so sticky when I sweat. Oh, this is also waterproof so it doesn't disappear as you sweat or swim.

Let's run through the pros and cons!

What I love about the product 

• Super easy to use. The spray covers a lot of skin, and there's on need to rub it in to remove the white cast - there is no white cast. The product is a clear liquid.
• The spray works even if you turn the bottle upside down to get to your back and lower legs.