These days, I never leave the house without wearing perfume. It's the final finishing touch to my look, that factor that holds the whole thing together and establishes the mood I want to hold for the day. Yes, a scent is that important!

One perfume I recently got the chance to try is the Mary Kay Bella Belara (P2,300) EDP. It's a sweet floral scent that's not too young or cloying, if you get my drift. The top notes have fruity elements like nectarine and apricot, while the mid-notes sing of rose and jasmine. The dry-down is a subtle wood and moss combo, the perfect finish that sets everything to ground.

My verdict? It's nice! The Mary Kay Bella Belara is something I'd wear with floral-printed dresses and lacy tops since its subtle sweetness complements that particular look. I recommend this happy scent to women who are quiet, elegant, and always smiling.

And now, for the contest! If you want to get your own bottle of Bella Belara, simply accomplish the steps below to join the raffle. It's super easy to join! :D

One product I've only recently tried is the Dove Foaming Makeup Remover (P350). It was introduced to beauty writers just last Tuesday at the Watsons Beauty Lab so it's literally fresh off the shelves.

It's a great product, but I have to say that it's not new. Pond's has the same thing called the Gold Radiance Boosting Cleansing Mousse which they launched last October. I'm a fan of it alright (I finished off a 150ml bottle), but it has limitations - it can't take off eyeliner or mascara so it's really more for removing face makeup. The Dove Foaming Makeup Remover has no such limitation! It comes with a couple of caveats though.

What I love about the product

• Melts off face makeup (foundation, concealer, powder, blush) quickly and efficiently. It dissolves eyeliner and non-waterproof mascara with gentle rubbing so it's a one-stop makeup remover for the whole face.
• A little goes a long way. I use three pumps for my whole face.

Last week, I was complaining to Kira that I am running out of content. "It's such a struggle! I have nothing to write about! How am I going to maintain my two posts every weekday routine?", I moaned. The universe must have heard me and decided to send a deluge of stuff all at the same time. My place is a mess right now since it's full of press material!

I'm not complaining of course! I only wish I have a minimum of three faces so I can churn out reviews faster. As it stands it's going to take a bit of time to go through everything I received from all the kind brands who support this blog (thanks so much, you know who you are!). In the meantime, I'd like to share some of the things I'm excited to try! Out of everything I got, these are the most intriguing and promising. My beauty product sense was tingling as I swatched these.

Skincare and illuminator in one? Why not! Estee Lauder recently launched their Idealist line which features a Cooling Eye Illuminator and an Even Skintone Illuminator serum. I've been using the eye cream, I am always amazed that the applicator is cold even though I never put it in a fridge. I can also skip under eye concealer with it!

I squealed (internally!) when I received the Clinique Superbalanced Powder Makeup yesterday. I'm on the hunt for a new HG powder foundation and who, knows, this might be it!

I know, Tony Moly again! Can't help it, I have quite a number of TM products here. They're too intriguing not to review! This time, I'd like to talk about the Tony Moly Nail Polish in NEO2 (P178), a traffic cone orange that really grabs attention. This is the brand's latest color and will be out later this August.

To be honest with you, I didn't think I'd like it. I've never worn orange on my nails, much less a bright neon one that can go dangerously wrong in so many ways. I was afraid that this kind of orange will look tacky, but surprise surprise, it actually looks quite classy on the nails.

I'm sure you've seen this kind of brush before - a brush with two ends, a flat, angled one, and one with a spoolie. I never appreciated them because they didn't do much for my eyebrows. Sure the spoolie end is good for blending, but the angled end doesn't pick up enough brow powder nor apply it evenly because the brush is made of synthetic hair (which is best for cream/liquid makeup).

I like this dense eyebrow brush from Nichido for applying eyebrow color but I find it too stiff and hard to wield properly. The tiny brush that comes with the In2It Waterproof Eyebrow Color works well except that it's too small to be comfortable. Yes, I'm Liz McWhiny! I don't know of any brand that makes the perfect eyebrow brush for me!

That is, until Charm made THIS.

Why is this different from brushes you can find in the mall? The thing that sets the Charm Double-Ended Eyebrow Brush apart from all the other brushes is its thick, natural hair that is the right density and stiffness for applying eyebrow powder.

I'm low on eyeshadow primer so I went on a swatching spree a couple of weeks back to decide on a new one. I LOVE the  Urban Decay Primer Potion and the  Too Faced Shadow Insurance - two cult favorites in their own right - but I still want to check out other locally available eyeshadow primers. Laura Mercier's primer looks promising, but I didn't want to spend P1,000 at that time.

I ended up buying the E.l.f. Eyelid Primer Collection (P249)

The E.l.f Eyelid Primers aren't comparable to UDPP or TFSI, but hey do the job of intensifying eyeshadows and keeping them more or less intact during the day. That's not too bad considering the friendly price tag they come with. 

The set has three shades of the primer: Champagne, Sheer, and Pearl. Champagne is a dirty, shimmery beige-brown that looks weird on my lids as a primer. It definitely doesn't look like the usual champagne shade! Sheer is, well, sheer, although it leaves a whitish cast on my medium skintone that I still need to blend out afterwards. Pearl is white with big, gritty glitters that really look off on skin. 

Let me tell you the story of this pleated chiffon dress. I found it in a moldy thrift store somewhere in a dusty corner of Manila. I knew this dress was made for me so I wasted no time taking it home and cleaning it up. The first time I wore it, everyone gave me nice compliments! I was on a high. Then, that same day around a year ago, I got food poisoned while wearing it.

That's probably not a big deal to some, but I rarely ever get sick. That food poisoning incident was the only time I got seriously sick enough to go to a doctor last year. Now, I know it's irrational, but since then I just didn't want to wear this dress. It hung untouched in my closet - until last Friday, that is!

I'm over the stigma now and I'm happy it still fit.

Thrifted chiffon dress/ Topshop blouse/ Forever 21 belt/ Schu clogs/ Ferretti satchel/ Pinkbox accessories

Guess where I was!

The theme revolved around soft florals - green, yellow, pink, and cream were the predominant colors. I really enjoyed this look, if it were up to me I'd wear this head-to-foot every day.

Face: NARS Sheer Glow Foundation, MAC Studio Finish concealer, Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer Kit (for dark circles), Clinique translucent loose powder, Guerlain Meteorites

Cheeks: Estee Lauder Silky Powder Blush in Tender Petal (wearing this a lot lately, looks so natural and pretty on cheeks plus the lasting power is amazing!)

This year has played host to a few successful beauty brand debuts - and it's only August! This time, let's take a break from Asia and give the floor to an intriguing French brand that has been around since 1959.

Saw this big store-to-be last weekend when I visited SM Southmall

Yves Rocher has different skincare lines for myriad concerns (aging, blemishing, even slimming among other things) as well as everyday natural makeup for the uncomplicated woman. Yves Rocher sets itself apart from other brands by being in charge of harvesting natural ingredients used in their beauty products, manufacturing them, and distributing them. That is how the brand can maintain the quality they claim while keeping the prices down. Yes, it's not super expensive!

Lip tints are handy for that pretty oh-I-really-didn't-try look or for those days when you're really in a rush and don't have time to dally with lipstick. The Tony Moly Berry Berry Magic Lip Tint in Green Apple (P198), I find, is a nice option to keep in your bag if you like hassle-free lip color!

What I like about the product

• Delivers a sheer, berry shade that looks even when applied. Love it! The clear green gel gets that berry hue once it touches skin. It leaves a stain on skin so the color lasts for a few hours.
• It's a bit like a lip balm so it's moisturizing.

I'm finding it a teensy bit difficult to begin this post, which is why I've been putting it off. I want to be able to sound sophisticated and knowledgeable while writing this review but I can't seem to get it right! You see, all I really want to say is this: Shu Uemura makes some of the best, if not the best, eyeshadows out there. Get one if you can, I'm not kidding!

I own a Shu Uemura travel palette but I never really appreciated the brand's eyeshadows until I got to try their singles from the Color Atelier. The colors are absolutely amazing, and the texture, my gosh! So soft and buttery. You don't even need a primer to make them stay on and look intense. These eyeshadows have no cons for me, although I do know P695 for a refill pan is steep. Still, that's considerably cheaper than other similar high-end brands pricing their singles at P900 up.

Shu Uemura recently released a customizeable palette that you can fill up with eyeshadow singles and/or blushes. It sells separately for P1,095 and also comes in one and two-pan versions. It's a well-designed case but you may also opt for a magnetic palette from a different brand to hold more Shu eyeshadows. Because seriously, are you going to stop with just four? I'm not!

Here are the colors I chose for my customized palette. I wanted to get ones I don't have yet; the rainforest paradise vibe was an unconscious theme! Hehe.

ME Soft Blue 655

IR Soft Gold 370

It's 2 am as I'm writing this. I am starting this week with a feeling of anticipation, mixed with a healthy dose of dread - I'm going to need a lot of patience and energy to get through it! Today, Monday, is going to be dedicated to meetings so I need to finish my tasks as early as humanly possible!

So anyway, let's talk about moisturizers (again). Body moisturizers don't need to do a lot of things to impress me. I just require three things: that it moisturizes, feels comfortable, and smells good but not overwhelming. One product that I am loving right now is the Nivea Express Hydration Body Lotion because it delivers these three requirements exceptionally well. I am pleasantly surprised because it's unlike the other Nivea lotions I've tried before!

Texture and feel. The Nivea Express Hydration is, hands down, the lightest body lotion I've tried to date. It's watery and absorbs almost immediately on skin without any sticky or greasy residue. It doesn't feel "thick" even when it's super hot and I'm all sweaty. Plus plus plus points - I can't stand greasy lotion.

You'll remember that I liked the Nivea UV Protection Body Lotion because of its lightness compared to other Nivea lotions. Well, the Express Hydration is considerably lighter than UV Protection!

Fluffy, watery texture

Have you guys heard of Pinkbox? It's the mother of all cute accessories in the Philippines and has been around for almost ten years now. The owner, Nelly See, started the business because she couldn't find nice hair accessories for her daughter and, she said, "I hate Disney!" So she brought in her own merchandise to Pinkbox's first kiosk in Robinson's Galleria. The rest, as they say, is lost to the misty fringes of history in a puff of pink and purple. The brand is now available in practically everywhere!

I think I've walked in a Pinkbox kiosk or store a couple of times before, but I didn't find anything compelling enough to go home with. The brand was more for moms and their kids so I couldn't really relate for obvious reasons. Just last week though, Pinkbox has come out with trendy accessories targeted towards teens and yuppies. My verdict? Worth checking out if you like dainty, cute, and feminine trinkets in your wardrobe!

Photobombed by two teens, one who dragged her friend, squealing, to check out the accessories 

When I first saw this kiosk at Shangri-La Plaza, I thought it looked small and that there was nothing to see. Was I. So wrong. I have 47 photos to prove it, so click to get a tour of this mini-wasteland of cuteness! I can only imagine how many good finds there are in the actual stores.

I know that I don't have any earth-shattering new tips and techniques in applying makeup - I don't use crazy colors and I have a pretty standard way of doing eyeshadows - but I share my FOTDs mainly because I want to document what I wore and hopefully give you an idea of how to better maximize the colors you have. My philosophy in makeup (and style) is simple: have fun, but make it wearable.

So yes, green again. I've been wearing some form of green all week! I don't have any particular explanation, I just like it right now. Here I have mint on my lids.

Face: NARS Sheer Glow Foundation, MAC Studio Finish concealer, Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer Kit (for dark circles), Clinique translucent loose powder, Guerlain Meteorites

I've been applying makeup on myself for years now. It's all routine so I don't make many mistakes when putting on tricky products like eyeliner, mascara, and heavily pigmented lipsticks. Still, I do get shaky hands or I rush the whole process sometimes, which inevitably lead me to uneven application! Does this happen to you?

To correct makeup mistakes, I dip a cotton bud in either foundation, concealer, or makeup remover (I love the Clinique Take the Day Off for this purpose) and try to erase the errant makeup. It's a neat trick but the problem with using a cotton bud is that it's not precise; I tend to remove more product than I actually intended. Also, this is ridiculous, but I'm too lazy to do the cotton bud routine. That's why I just usually use a finger to even out lipstick or remove mascara from my lid - again, messy!

So yeah, I felt like a total barbarian when I got hold of Tony Moly's Simply Style Makeup Eraser (P398). It's the first time I've ever tried something like it! 

How it works. The rounded yet slightly pointed felt-tip marker is damp with a thin, oil-based makeup remover, which means that you can apply it directly on the messed-up makeup without having to use a clicking mechanism or a separate product.

During the SuperSale Bazaar at Rockwell a couple of weeks back, I got a chance to chat with Sol of Digital Traincase about our favorite topics: makeup and nail polish! That aside, I find her to be one of the most inspiring businesswomen in the online beauty niche. Even with a hectic job at an international organization, she managed to start her online store selling NYX cosmetics, a venture which later on proved to be a major success. Even celebs like Pia Magalona buy from her!

So anyway, while I was at her booth at the bazaar, I was browsing for some NYX Girl Nail Polishes to buy. She said that she didn't like these polishes before, but the revamped version, which she has, really impressed her when her supplier offered her to try samples. That coming from a nail polish fanatic who has Dior, Chanel, and other expensive brands in her extensive collection, I was sold.

I got three NYX Girls Nail Polish bottles: Luscious Green, Fire Amber, and Pacific Blue. Did I say these are only P150 a pop? It's pricier than local drugstore brands, but I swear, the quality and finish is similar to high-end polishes! The formula is smooth, easy to apply, extremely pigmented, dries fast and has pretty good staying power. I've been wearing them for the past two weeks so I can say with conviction that they're awesome.

I tried Pacific Blue first.

What are your favorite ways to de-stress? Mine is tea (iced, hot, or with milk), shoes, makeup, and Scrabble. When I'm sick of work I turn to whichever is more accessible at the moment. Right now I'm playing Scrabble on my iPad and writing a makeup review, so yeah, I'm feeling ace. 

Moving on! I saw the Wet n' Wild Coloricon Eyeliner Pencil (P119) last time I was in SM Makati. I was impressed by how creamy the texture is, plus it was so cheap, so I grabbed one immediately!

What I love about the product

• Super creamy. It glides on the lids easily so there's no tugging or pulling. 
• Pigmented. It's no MAC or Urban Decay, but the color payoff is very good for the price.

Have you guys seen and heard the rain? It's furious. Take care while commuting to and from work! Of course, don't forget to wear your fabulous boots out. With this kind of weather you can't even call wearing boots a fashion decision - it's a practical one!

Weather ramblings aside, I just want to share a look I wore yesterday. It's subtle but I think the colors work together. I chose green eyeshadow, peach lipstick, and a pink-orange blush.

Face: NARS Sheer Glow Foundation, MAC Studio Finish concealer, Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer Kit (for dark circles), Clinique translucent loose powder, Guerlain Meteorites

Cheeks: Tony Moly Partylover Shine Blusher in Love Orange, NARS Laguna Bronzer