Ahh, lip balms. I have already lost count of all the lip balms I have lying around the house. However, the Human Heart Nature Lip Balm in Peppermint (P60) is special to me because it's the first all-natural, organic lip balm I've tried. It's the most affordable too!

It's a nice lip balm. It won't knock your socks off but its best feature really is the fact that it's natural, with no petroleum or other chemicals in the ingredient list. If your lips are sensitive and have a tendency to darken easily, this organic alternative may help you in the long run.

Texture and feel. The HHN Lip Balm has a hard, waxy texture that will really pull at your lips if you insist on swiping it.

Because I'm shedding skin like a reptile, I have to miss two cool events that are happening this week. Go for me, will you? Then tell me all about it!

VMV Hypoallergenics will be having a Skin Soiree this Thursday, Sept 15, 2011 at the VMV Skin Research Center in 117 Carlos Palanca Street, Legaspi Village, Makati City. They've got free makeovers, freebies for your purchases plus discounts on VMV products, facials, and procedures. What's even better is we’re giving away full-sized Ooh-La-Lash! Volumizing Mascaras for free and we're giving you a first look at our Holiday Sets

Why you should go: FREE full-sized Ooh-La-Lash Mascaras! The Ooh-La-Lash is one of my fave mascaras, so if there's a chance you can get it for free, don't miss it!

Port 88: Ready, Set, SALE! will be held on September 17 & 18, 2011 at The Megatent Events Venue Ortigas from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

I'm sure that you've already seen the blogger raves for the Charm Travel Pro brush set. All I can add to the conversation is that yes, this is a great set that you really won't regret buying. It's expensive at P2,200 for the whole set, but then again it's an investment that you'll probably use until you're sick of it. ;)

What I like most about this set, aside from the portability, is how useful ALL the brushes are. Some brands throw in brushes just to pad the set and make you pay more for them, but in the end you just use five out of say, ten brushes. That's a waste of money. But this Charm set has a well thought out selection with no repetitive or ineffective brushes in it. 

Now, like the Version 2 set, this set is not exactly for makeup beginners since the brushes are designed for precision application. But I hope that with this post, you'll learn how to maximize this set whether you're a beginner or an advanced makeup enthusiast!

Face brushes

Eye brushes

The Concealer Brush (top) is perfect for hiding spots, eye bags, and uneven discolorations in your skin. It's best used with cream or liquid concealer.

Last night, Anna of Vogue Concepts dropped these Yves Rocher goodies by our place. I've been feeling a little down because my face is a mess and I can't stop touching it (!) so this gift cheered me up big time!

Quick recap: Yves Rocher is a brand founded in 1959 that's all about botanical beauty. Botanical beauty, what? It means that all their products are heavily based on plants with beautifying properties. They grow, harvest, manufacture, and distribute their own products from France. It's a one-stop store that has everything for your hair, body, face, and makeup needs. The prices are friendly too!

Out of all the stuff I got, I'm most interested in the Yves Rocher Couleurs Nature concealer kit (oh, you know me and concealers) and the Jardins du Monde Ylang-ylang body wash.

Congrats to Leila Lopes, Miss Angola for winning the Miss Universe 2011 crown! She's absolutely gorgeous and deserves the title. Our home girl, Miss Philippines Shamcey Supsup, is also a winner as the third runner up.

I've been breaking out heavily this past month - underscore on "heavily". I use a lot of stuff on my face for this blog then couple that with stress and you've got a dangerous playground for acne! I've lost track of what makes me break out at this point. I was running out of options so I turned to the House of Obagi, a clinic famous for their skincare products and medical procedures.

HOO has been asking me if I could review their Blue Peel since July, I think, but I kept saying no because while my skin was far from ideal, it was alright. Nothing makeup and my regular skincare couldn't solve then! But after the Skin Hell Month that was August, I was ready to try anything to get rid of the acne and the numerous dark scars it left behind.

I want to emphasize that I wouldn't do this if I didn't need it. But my acne and scars were out of control; this was the best solution.

Observe:

I've received a lot of inquiries from readers about the contact lenses that I use. If you've seen any of my FOTDs, you'd have noticed the nice greenish tint of my eyes! I used to wear only clear lenses but I found that boring. Besides, colored contact lenses can be worn for up to three months, whereas most clear lenses are only good for a month. I'm waaay too lazy to visit the optical store every month so colored lenses are a more practical option.

So! I bought these contact lenses at Executive Optical. They're called Flexwear Colors and are surprisingly cheap at only P650 a pair. Did I say they were graded, too? They're really affordable. I used to buy my clear contact lenses at Sarabia, but they cost around P600 for a pair. At EO, the clear lenses are only P200 (I think).

I recently got this delightfully huge ring from Parfois. It makes me think of a monster toad. Mostly I think of it as an effective combat weapon, similar to brass knuckles. If i ever get in trouble, I can use my monster ring finger to deliver a punch with more satisfying results.

Kidding aside, I find the ring chich in a tough girl kind of way. It's also the sort of piece that no one will miss because of its size! I think it would look best with indie/boho/rocker type of clothes.

I am not a techie, not in the sense that I keep up with the latest gadgets or know the difference between a Froyo and a Gingerbread. I only buy tech stuff when I need them and then forget about them as I use them. There are only two things I look out for: the functionality and look, all the other specs aside. And of course the price has to be reasonable.

The new SMART Netphone, I believe, fits the bill! As a thoroughly kikay person with moderate tech kung fu, I think the Netphone is something that can complement whatever I wear while still keeping me connected to my social networks and email for only P20 a day.

The SMART Netphone is a solid Android phone that's fully integrated with Smart's services. The thing that sets it apart from other Android phones though is the Blackberry Messenger-like network called Smartnet that SMART built around it. It allows you to look for people using their Global Directory (given that who you're looking for is on the Netphone) and then add them with their permission.

And now, for the unboxing!

If you've ever been to a Tony Moly store, you'll know that the place is stocked with beauty products from floor to ceiling. The Megamall store in particular is small but the first time I went there, I spent 15 minutes going through everything! There was just so much to take in. However, even though Tony Moly carries an extensive line already, that doesn't stop the brand from bringing in more, more, more.

Here are some of the brand's latest products. A few of these may not be available yet so better inquire at the Tony Moly Facebook Page to be sure.

It's a lot! There's something for the hair, feet, face, and of course TM's cute makeup. Oh, the makeup. They look like toys so I wasn't initially inclined to take them seriously. Well I do now after using them!

Berry Trendy Style Hair Glaze (P378), Backstage Paint Eye Pot in Lavender (P448), Shiny Foot Baby Skin Heel Patch (P178), Petite Bunny Gloss Bar (P278), Lovely Girl Eau de toillete (P748)

I love me a brand that innovates and constantly tries to improve on its past products. Human Heart Nature, for instance, never sits on its laurels. It recently released three new products for organic lovers out there. Check out the latest goodies!

 Kids Natural Shampoo & Body Wash with Protein Care System (P139), 100% Natural Lip Balm(P70), and the Mineral Eyeshadow in Enchanted Evening (P275)

I am super intrigued by the new eyeshadow palette, if only because of its lovely packaging! I particularly like the box, but other than that I think the dusky violet shades are quite classy and wearable.

Morning guys! I just woke up. While sleepily browsing my Twitter timeline (please follow me!), I saw the pictures of the national costume that Miss Philippines-Universe Shamcey Supsup will wear to the upcoming Miss Universe pageant in São Paulo, Brazil. I don't really follow beauty pageants but my gosh, this costume made me wake up pronto.

Shamcey looks beautiful...and shiny! Two things: one, why can't we have our beauty queens wear something, er, fashion-forward? Dress her in Michael Cinco if that's what it takes.

Free services at a fab salon + cupcakes + beauty bloggers is always a recipe for WIN. When FAB Salon invited us to a beauty boot camp, we were so ready. 

Obvious ba? Lol.

FAB Salon is a relatively new salon in Newport Mall, Resorts World. It's owned by the same guy who is behind Bruno’s Barbers - but not to worry, FAB Salon is specifically for women and the staff are trained by none other than celebrity hairstylist Lourd Ramos. The staff also underwent a workshop on professionalism and ettiquette by Patty Betita. 

Even with the suave interiors and the mid-range to high-end products used on the clients, FAB Salon has attractive prices. A basic cut starts at P300, color at P1,300, and hair treatments from P800.

Now that the mega drugstore retailer, Watsons, carries BB creams in their shelves as if they were candy, there is no doubt that the Philippines has been converted to the BB cream religion. And why not? BB creams are extremely convenient for the busy career woman - or even man, for that matter - and they usually provide instant sun protection which is a must in the tropics.

I use one or two BB creams on occasion, myself, usually when I step out of the house. These creams are great, but just don't expect them to deliver their promise of being skincare too, because they're not. BB creams are now completely makeup, far from their original lofty ideals of being "blemish balms" for damaged skin.

That said, meet some of Watsons best BB creams! (And don't forget to read my BB cream/ tinted moisturizer battle royale post).

The Gluta & Placenta BB Cream by Glorious Skin (P169) is probably the cheapest one out there. It's perfect for teens who want to try their first foundation, especially since this one provides natural but good coverage at a nice price.

I bought this nail polish maybe two months ago, at the height of my green phase. I was looking for a nice yellow green, specifically! This nail polish called Cutex in Green Tea (P110) looked like the best choice out of all the colors in the mall at that time.

I applied it as soon as I got home but I was disappointed by how sheer it was. As in, it was super sheer. For a P110 nail polish, you'd think it would have more to offer. The drying time was also dismal plus you'll only get 7ml for your trouble.

Yesterday though I was looking for a new color to use, and decided to give Cutex another chance. These are the results, after FOUR layers:

I absolutely love the color on me.

Have you guys seen the Revlon CustomEyes Shadow & Liner Duo in Metallic Chic? It's pretty no? The textured palette reminds me so much of cozy cableknit sweaters. That aside, you'll find that this palette is better than Revlon's last few ones. 

Shade selection. The CustomEyes Shadow & Liner Duo has five eyeshadows (the darkest of which you are supposed to use as an eyeliner) that are decently pigmented and nicely chosen.

I unfortunately only have one face. Even though I want to review everything I get personally, I just can't, at the risk of breaking out continuously! Besides, it'd be great to hear from other skin types. This time, Nikki, a good friend, reviews the Nivea Visage Sparkling White Day Care and UV Blocker.

Say hello to Nikki!

I think we all know that sun protection is key to beautiful skin and living in this awesome tropical country, the sun is both a blessing and a curse! So when asked me to try Nivea's Sparkling White line, particularly the Day Cream and the UV Blocker variants, I was ready and willing!

Now, I just have to give you a background on my skin type. It sits in the very delicate balance between oiliness and dryness. You see, my skin is super oily. After putting on makeup, I oil up like a middle eastern country by two hours! But I can't skip moisturizer either because I have seborrhoeic dermatitis which means that my face gets flaky when not hydrated properly. So, you can see my dilemma: I need something that isn't heavy which may cause oiliness while at the same time, something that effectively hydrates my skin! Enter Nivea's day cream! 

The Nivea Visage Sparkling White Day Cream (P315) promises to whiten and control shine, bringing out your inner glow.

You've already read my review of the wonderful Lip Perfection Lipsticks, so now get a load of the Cover Girl Lip Perfection Lipliner (P325)!

I don't normally wear lip liner because I'm lazy (hehe), but you have to admit that it's useful when you're wearing a really loud, hard-to-control color or when you want to slightly make your lips fuller. There's a ton of lip liner shades out there but the perfect color for you should be something very close to your lips. Think of it as if it were foundation - it evens out the color of skin and creates the perfect base for your makeup. 

I like the Cover Girl Lip Perfection Lipliner because it has a creamy texture, but not so creamy that it slips right off  your lips.

Yes, that's me. I'm a closet Kate Middleton fan. I don't get rabid like the others do, but I'm certainly an ardent admirer of her taste in style and beauty! She is exactly the kind of woman I want to be someday.

One thing I really like about her is that even though she's a Duchess, and possibly Queen in the future, her style is not snooty and unreachable. Sure she wears designer clothes, but she also has a penchant for high street and even drugstore brands. She's the kind of woman who wears what works for her - whatever the brand is.

In this Kate Middleton photo gallery by InStyle, Kate is seen wearing a pair of Sebago shoes. I am completely in love with my own pair of Sebagos