Don't you just hate it when you "run out" of your favorite makeup that's housed in a tube with a brush or doe foot applicator? You know you can probably pick up a few more drops of gloss or cream but you just can't reach the remaining product with the provided wand. This happened to me before. I tried cutting the tube with the knife, but I ended up *almost* cutting off my finger and wasting the contaminated product. So yes, I wouldn't recommend that.

Here's an easier way to make the most out of your tubed makeup: simply pop out the plastic, detachable rim with a thin knife. That rim makes sure that you get exactly enough product for one application, but it also prevents the wand from scraping out the product from the sides. If your makeup is almost out, removing the rim will allow you to get the rest of the product with your wand.

Removed rim

I just tune out on most weekends. As in, I try not to think or do anything that doesn't involve eating, reading, watching or shopping. And maybe checking this blog once in a while. Hehe. Anyway, I just want to share the stuff I can't live without lately, especially during weekends if ever I can be convinced to go out of the house.

I recently got these cheap shades from Forever 21. They were on 30% off, too! I don't get buying shades that costs more than P500. As long as shades shield my eyes from the sun and look good with my face shape, I don't know why I should spend more when I can spend less. But maybe I'm just ignorant? I don't know! Anyway I like this pair because of the vintage-y shape.

I've had these Ferretti espadrilles since, oh, July. I've been meaning to write a full blog post about them, but I never can seem to get a nice outfit photo with it! I do wear this pair all the time though.

A few weeks ago, Tretorn asked me if I wanted to participate in an international campaign called The Nylite Project. The rules were simple: they'd send me a pair of Tretorn Nylites then I am to wear it my way. Truth be told I'm not into sneakers, but I'm tickled pink by the concept of incorporating a vintage classic in my girly-preppy-sleek wardrobe.

I remember my mom wearing these exact same Tretorns in the early 90's with high rolled pants and an oversized tucked-in shirt. I'm not sure, but I may have also had a green version of these for my PE classes. LOL! Those were the days of gray cotton shorts and school-printed tees, jackstones, Pogs, and Chinese Garter. Nostalgia: commence.

Anyway, here's the outfit I came up with my new old Nylites. I got the dress and shades from Forever 21, but it was only when I got home that I realized that they look like soulmates together.

It's that time of the year again! The Clinique Bonus Time promo has a really, REALLY fab set of goodies this year. For a minimum single purchase of P4,500, you get this awesome gift. It's full of generous travel sizes of some of Clinique's best sellers, and it's worth P4,000!

What's in the set:

Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief 15ml / Moisture Surge Thirsty Skin Relief Face Spray 30ml / All About Eyes Rich 7ml / Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion 30ml / Rinse Off Foaming Cleanser 30ml / Super City Block SPF 40 Oil-Free Daily Face Protector / Superbalm Moisturizing Gloss Circle C Mirror with Pouch

Clinique's annual bonus time is a great way for you to try Clinique without paying full-price for them. Besides, the set is practically free. If you don't know what to buy yet, allow me to recommend some of my super duper favorite Clinique products. I use all these all the time, if not every day (I rotate depending on what my skin needs at the moment).

 Clinique Superbalanced Powder Makeup SPF15/PA+++ 

Clinique Derma White Cream / Derma White City Block Anti-Pollution SPF40 (recently bought this, will review soon! This is my super favorite face SPF product, and I've been using the samples for two months.)

It’s been only a little over a month since I’ve walked into Promod and Parfois, but I’m pleased to see that both brands have so many new stuff to ogle at! I visited their SM Southmall home this time. Speaking of SM Southmall, I noticed that it’s still being renovated, but I noticed that the look and feel of the place has brightened up since last I’ve been there. Can’t wait to see its new look!

Aside from the new interiors, SM Southmall has also been bringing in more trendy brands. I spotted Cache Cache, All Flip Flops, Charles & Keith, Terranova, and La Senza among the usual local names. Promod and Parfois, two of the most trendy yet sophisticated brands in retail right now, are heading the pack. Here are my top picks!

Promod is already raring for fall. Their latest collections have two color stories: on one hand, they have woodsy tan mixed with rich hues like blue, orange, and burnt pastels. On the other hand, the brand features a stark black and red palette for the corporate woman. 

Warning: lots of photos after the cut!

I'm a long-time user of the MAC Studiofinish Concealer. In fact, I'm about to finish my third pot already! On average, each pot lasts me for around 4-5 months of heavy use. That's not bad for a P1,000 concealer, eh?

I know there are more opaque concealers out there but I always go back to MAC because of an almost perfect shade match with my skin (NC30) plus how natural it looks when worn. It marries the right blend of opaqueness and naturalness for covering blemishes, and it comes at a reasonable price point too! And I never break out with it.

So! While I love the Studiofinish, when the time came to buy a new pot, I decided to try the MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer (P1,000) for a change. I wanted something creamier, a little bit more emollient than the harder Studiofinish. Actually I was just sawa (tired) of seeing Studiofinish after two years of using it, hehe. Do you ever do that, buy something else even though what you have is already perfectly alright?

Coverage and finish. Coverage of the Studio Sculpt is the same as Studiofinish. Both don't go completely opaque though, so for really dark blemishes, I use something super heavy duty like the Makeup Forever Full Cover Concealer.

I'd just like to announce something that I'm extremely proud about. Been working on it these past weeks, and now it's out!

Yes, Ferretti now has an online store! The 16-year old Marikina shoe brand has now gone the e-commerce route. We decided to do it because, well, so many of our followers have been asking us to open stores in other provinces as well as parts of Metro Manila other than the branches we have now. We're definitely going to expand futher soon, but for now the quickest way to address these requests is to open an online store.

Did I say the shipping is absolutely free? It doesn't matter how many you buy or where you're based in the Philippines - we will ship it for free using Xend. If that's not convenience in a nutshell I don't know what is.

Anyway, enough rambling from me for now. Here are some of the designs we have in the store! They're my favorites. :D

Yes, we also have Accessories. You'll remember my favorite turquoise necklace from Ferretti. It's out of stock now, but there are other cool designs in the store.

The Bobbi Brown Tortoise Shell Palette in Sand (P3,000) was designed specifically for women who wear glasses, but if you ask me it's still a great all-around palette even if you don't don frames. It has a well-selected mix of eight shades that provide a soft focus effect, as if there is just a natural haze of color around the eyes.

I've been using it this past week and girls, I think I've found another permanent mainstay in my kit! The eyeshadows are well-milled and pigmented.

I was specifically looking for robin blue nail polish in the department store, but it seems that I had a misguided notion of what robin blue is. I ended up getting something that's closer to baby blue or even sky blue, but I'm not complaining! The shade looks pretty on my nails.

That does not, however, mean that you won't be seeing a robin blue NOTD one of these days.

The nail polish I used here is from Klik in a shade called Baby Blue. You've probably seen these before - small bottles with a price tag of only P15. It was a bitch to apply since the formula was so streaky and the brush sucked but hey, it's the result that matters right?

Lipsticks are the kind of products that drgustore brands do extremely well. True, prestige brands have amazing shades and textures, but you can easily blow P400 on a lipstick and you won't even know the difference!

One amazing lipstick line is the Cover Girl Lip Perfection (P395). It does everything a lipstick should, and beyond. Pigmentation, texture, shade selection, lasting power, and moisturizing properties are all ace - I'd say it's unbelievable for the price, but I have tried other cheap lipsticks that deliver these things well, too. The main difference of Cover Girl with the other drugstore brands is how slinky and moisturizing it is to the point that it feels like lip balm.

What I love about the product

• Rich pigmentation that goes opaque in one or two layers (depending on the shade). 
• Smooth, creamy texture glides on the lips. It's quite moisturizing so I suggest you skip the lip balm. Actually, you MUST skip the lip balm if you have normal lips or the lipstick will feel too slippery already.

I have had this uneasy impression that organic products, owing to their lack of synthesized chemicals and special ingredients ("chorva complex"), don't work as well as the usual drugstore brands. Sure they're good for the skin and the environment but I don't want to sacrifice instant comfort and efficacy for something as vague as those things. Besides, organic products tend to be more expensive than what we can find in drugstores.

Thus, I had very minimal expectations for the Human Heart Nature Natural Feminine Wash in Chamomile Fresh (50ml/ P60 and 200ml/ P160). I've been using this drugstore brand for almost ten years now and I'm completely happy with it, so why take a chance with a new - and oh no, organic - product? Simple, I ran out, and this HHN wash was there waiting to be opened. :P

I'm glad I tried it!

What I love about the product

• The citrus-chamomile scent is not overwhelming and disappears after rinsing. 
• Gel lathers very well even if you use only a small amount. Area feels clean and fresh after washing.

I recently bought a Blackberry. My boss uses one, an acquaintance swore by it, and Robert Langdon kept on mentioning it in The Lost Symbol (I have a feeling those are sponsored mentions though, hrhr). What was that advertising idea that claimed that if you hear positive things about a product three times in separate sources, you're bound to buy it? Anyway, when I was looking for a new phone, I thought a Blackberry would be a pefect fit for me.

Well, I instantly regretted my purchase a couple of hours after. :/ The Blackberry felt like a dinosaur. I've been using a Samsung Corby this past year and I thought that was a dinosaur too; apparently not! Not to sound like a snob but I'm used to the Apple paradigm. If you want something done, the OS opens up to reveal the quickest and most convenient way to do it. The Blackberry not only looked like a brick, it functioned like a brick, apps-wise.

A couple of days after using this though I have come to regard it with a certain fondness.

I'm not a huge fan of overall body whitening simply because I think that Filipina skin is beautiful. It has a golden warmth to it that can never compare to the pale complexion of the Japanese, Koreans, or Caucasians. Why whiten when you're already born with a gorgeous shade? That's just me though. I also believe that a girl (or guy) should do whatever makes her feel most confident and most beautiful.

That said, while I'm not into whitening, I think it's essential that we try to lighten our darker areas. Mosbeau presents some possible solutions with some of its best-selling products: the Underarm and Inner Thigh Cream and the Placenta White All-In-One Set.

The Mosbeau Underarm and Thigh Cream (P980) is supposed to lighten the aforementioned areas by inhibiting the production of melanin.

I have a confession to make. It's quite embarrassing, actually, but here we go: I have never used Cover Girl cosmetics before. There! It's out! How can I be alive for 23 years without using Cover Girl? I don't know!

I'm glad that there's a first time for everything because the first time is always the sweetest. ;) When Cover Girl launched its latest innovation called the Lip Perfection Lipstick, I knew that there was a love affair just waiting to happen. The lipsticks are AMAZING. I am thoroughly impressed. I'll write about the lipsticks in a separate post (hopefully today!) but for the meantime, I just want to share what happened during the launch (plus previews of my Cover Girl haul).

Makeup + macarons = always a winner combination!

I had the pleasure of meeting Angelica Panganiban in person sometime last June. I always thought she was pretty, but she's one of those celebrities that look waaaaay better in person than on cam. Her face was flawless and glowing, yet I can barely see any makeup! I've seen other celebrities before and the truth is that they really pile it on (part of the job description I guess) but Angelica's face looked very natural, as if she was born with a radiance that sets her apart from us mere mortals. 

She was very gracious and warm that night too!

Bloggers with Angelica (photo from Askmewhats)

Because of the overwhelmingly positive response that Angelica recieved as the Pond's White Beauty Naturals endorser, Pond's decided to give her followers a chance to meet her. All you have to do is install the Come Face to Face with Angelica Facebook app, nominate three friends, and you get a "personalized" video and email from Angelica. You and your friends will automatically nab a Pond's Naturals sample pack too. 

Here are more details.

I went to the office yesterday so, again, I wore a neutral look. Actually I just really wanted to play with my new toy, the Bobbi Brown Tortoise Shell Palette in Sand. Will write a full review on it soon! Off the bat though, I find the palette gorgeous when it comes to the unique packaging and the timeless shade selection. Bobbi makes the best neutral eyeshadows; they never look like makeup, instead melting and blending into the skin as if they've always been there.

I also wore my new favorite foundation, the Clinique Superbalanced Powder Makeup SPF15/PA+++. Other than concealer, I didn't use any other face product - no silicon base, illuminators, or finishing powders yet the finish is absolutely fantastic! I didn't edit my photo here except for a retouch of the eye bags (my eyes are SUPER puffy lately due to late nights), so you wouldn't believe that I have several dark, big acne scars underneath.

Ahh, the power of opaque concealer and a glowy foundation.

Face: Makeup Forever Full Cover Concealer, MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer, Clinique Superbalanced Powder Makeup in Medium

Disclaimer: I'm loathe to recommend oral supplements here given that I don't have any training or background when it comes to these things, but I guess an occasional FYI wouldn't hurt. Use the products at your own discretion and consult your doctor first if you have any prevailing condition.

As you know, there are tons of whitening supplements out in the market right now. One of the latest brands to join the scuffle is Vitapack 3-in-1, a health supplement that comes in two variants: Beauty Pack and Energy Boost Pack. The Beauty Pack contains three pills that supposedly whitens, slims, and boosts the immune system, targeting women who are looking for a more holistic approach to beauty. The Energy Boost Pack, as the name sugests, is designed to give an energy boost and is marketed primarily towards men in the BPO industry.

Vitapack Beauty has three things going for it: first (and most importantly) these pills are designed and manufactured in the Philippines. They are BFAD/ FDA approved, with the ingredients neatly categorized at the back.

One of my top three favorite songs on The Phantom of the Opera is Masquerade. It carries a joyous tune but there's a strong undercurrent of malice and fear in between the lyrics, a contrast that I really appreciate. The whole sequence in the film draws heavily from Edgar Allan Poe's masterpiece, The Masque of the Red Death - even the Phantom himself comes as the Red Death to the party. I have always found this story chilling, up there with Annabel Lee and The Tell-Tale Heart.

Anyway! If you haven't watched the movie yet, I hope this clip of Masquerade will convince you.

The rambling is brought to you by this pretty ring I got from Ivy. She was the Commenter of the Month winner for July, and while I was perfectly fine with shipping her prize, she asked if we could meet up. Of course I said yes! I love meeting Project Vanity readers, they are almost always cool. And Ivy is cool. She just started her own beauty blog, you guys should encourage her. ;) There's nothing more inspiring than someone going out of her comfort zone to share the things she loves.