First there was the liquid, then the cream, and finally, Revlon has the powder version of their popular PhotoReady line. The Revlon PhotoReady Two-Way Powder Foundation (P995) is an oil-free and fragrance-free foundation that promises to provide a flawless look under any lighting, with a "medium to full yet undetected coverage". Sounds cool, right?

It is. Even with a heavy layer, I like how this foundation doesn't look like a chalky mask. It definitely delivers on its promise of making me look photo ready, too! The pics will speak for themselves. ;)

What I love about the product

• Medium to heavy coverage still looks natural. I think its because the powder is very fine and well-milled. This foundation will cover redness and minor blemishes.
• Good at oil control. I can go for four to five hours without looking like an oily mess.

Last Thursday was an extra busy day for me. I speedwalked between Greenbelt to Glorietta for four different meetings all spaced an hour apart! I was thinking of wearing flats, but since the meetings require me to be presentable, I had to wear high heels. Call it vanity but I call it survival. Lol. Good thing I had a magic pouch with me.

Yup, foldable flats! These are from Yosi Samra, an international brand that just recently landed in the Philippines. Celebs like Anne Hathaway, Hayden Panettiere, Nicole Scherzinger, Carmen Electra and the uber-stylish Sarah Jessica Parker, have all been spotted wearing a pair.

I like, nay, LOVE boxes. It's a good thing that my line of work ensures that I recieve boxes regularly. Wait, that can be a bad thing. I don't know. It doesn't matter!

Ok, before I start babbling endlessly I just want to share some of my new boxes and how I've recycled them.

I recieved this vintagey box from the Belo team (thanks Denise!). It's actually the same box that Ferretti in Glorietta uses to house accessories! It's cute and it's roomy. I decided to use it for storing products I have yet to review since it's easier to keep track of them this way.

Raise your hand if you're from Cebu! I have good news for you. :D If you love MAC makeup or if you've always just wanted to try it personally, then you don't have to order online or go to Manila to get your hands on it. MAC will be in Ayala Center Cebu in a 31-square meter location starting November 11.

Avon used to be known as a frumpy, outdated brand patronized by our lolas and old aunts. Sure it has noteworthy products, but us young 'uns would always go for edgy brands that we can proudly carry around as a sign of well, coolness. Being "in".

However, unless you're living under a rock, you probably know that Avon is quickly remodeling itself as a hip, classy name with more updated products that can compete with the trendy brands we know today.

New Avon rings

Avon proved it with their new designer collection launched last October 20 at Salon De Ning, The Peninsula Manila. Three new jewelry sets designed by the House of Ungaro (inspired by Paris), Shaill Jhaveri (India), and Maria Politis (New York) were showcased to the press that evening, as well as a Manzzini bag collection inspired by Verona.

Here's the designer collection, as modeled during the event!

Ruffa Gutierrez wearing the House of Ungaro x Avon accessories

PRESS RELEASE: “La Ville-Lumière” or “The City of Light” is the setting of Avon’s first international luxury brand collaboration – Parisienne Bloom Collection. Avon invited its guests to enjoy life’s finest pleasures as it virtually took them to the romantic city of Paris.

I was skeptical the first time I saw the Jane Iredale Magic Mitt (P895). A product that removes makeup only with warm water? Is that possible? Yes it is, actually, but warm water doesn't really take off makeup completely, especially mascara, eyeliner, and heavy concealer. You need an oil-based makeup remover for those products.

I saw the owner of Jane Iredale Philippines test the Magic Mitt on Shen around a month ago, but still, I didn't believe that it was an effective makeup remover. Until I tried it out for myself.  

What I LOVE about the product

• The microfiber cloth removes makeup effectively and completely (not counting waterproof mascara) with only warm water. Water-soluble mascara/ mascara that dissolves with warm water, waterproof concealer, eyeliner, heavy liquid foundation, eyeshadow over primer, lipstick - the Magic Mitt takes it all off!

I'm a huge fan of Sophie's brushes. Not because we're friends, but because I know that her product is something she thought long and hard about, painstakingly honed to near perfection. She's a little bit OC and a workaholic, which is what makes her a successful businesswoman AND the ideal person you want working on your brushes.

Thus, I'm very happy to present her new tools: the Charm Vegan Brushes. She has been developing this for a year! She explained that the synthetic vegan hairs are a challenge to get as stiff or as soft as you need them to be. If you've tried synthetic brushes before, you'll notice that they're harder to control than animal hair brushes especially if you attempt to use them with powder makeup.

That's not the case with these vegan brushes - at least, from what I've tested so far.

I told myself that I won't be one of those people who spoil their dogs to no end. I always thought that the money and time for that can go to better indulgences (like shoes). But really, how can you not spoil a dog like Snaps? He is sweet, friendly, and usually well-behaved.

Yes, that is the newly-groomed, newly-vaccinated, and rather sick Snaps. He has a bacterial disease at the moment (major sad face), but he is already on medication and we hope that he will get through it safely soon. According to the vets, he probably got it from the water in Tiendesitas. They mentioned that they had a confined dog patient recently who has the same malady - like Snaps, the dog was also bought from Tiendesitas.

So let this serve as a warning: as soon as you get your dog, get him vaccinated and tested for common diseases like this. (The name of the disease escapes me at the moment). Check his stool, too. It should be firm and formed, not mushy.

Anyway, we went to Dogs and the City in Burgos Circle, The Fort to have him groomed as well as to shop for some essentials.

My love affair with Clinique is pretty young, but there is none a love more passionate and consuming. Lol. Theatrics aside, Clinique is probably my favorite brand out of all I've tried so far - because of it, I have come to realize that there is so much more to skincare and makeup than the drugstore products I've been using before.

Adik! Most of my Clinique stuff. Some I've already repurchased. Read my reviews here.

So why am I in love with the brand? Simple. Before Clinique, my skin looked like crap. Now, I use AT LEAST three Clinique products everyday: the Clinique Liquid Facial Soap (Oily Skin Formula), Derma White City Block Anti-Pollution SPF40, and the Moisture Surge.  Barring any hormonal stuff and new products breaking me out, these three keep my skin glowing and smooth. I've tried other cheaper and more expensive products before, but I always go back to Clinique.

Wearing the Superbalanced Powder Makeup here

Now, I don't want you guys to go off thinking that Yves Rocher is exclusively a skincare brand. It does have a few nice makeup products, you know! I have an Yves Rocher Eyebrow Pencil as well as the Bronzer and Shimmer Powder Duo which I will talk about today.

The Yves Rocher Bronzer and Shimmer Powder Duo (P680) is a lovely combination of matte contouring powder and a shimmery, apricot bronze shade. You can use them separately - shimmer as highlight and the matte powder to shape your cheekbones - but you can also use them together as a bronzer.

I really like the texture and color payoff, although I do wish that it would stay on longer. As it is it's something you have to retouch if you will be out all day.

Have you watched No Other Woman yet? You should! It's fun and it's funny. I watched it by myself a couple of weeks back and IT IS WILD. I felt a little strange chuckling to myself whenever the immortal lines are uttered by the characters, but hell, the whole experience was worth it.

One of the memorable lines there was spoken by Cristine Reyes' character to Anne Curtis (the "other woman"). Background: Anne was lounging by the pool in her snakeskin bikini. After exchanging barbs, Cristine asks with her fight face on, "Bikini mo ba yan? O balat mo? (Is that your bikini? Or is that your skin?)". LOL!

Anyway, that's what I was thinking of when I bought these new pumps from Ferretti. It's actually our best-selling design but I've never tried it on...until yesterday. It felt so nice on my feet. Also, with the faux white snakeskin + camel suede combination, I was sold!

Did you know that what you put in your hair can make you break out? The usual culprits are hair styling products, but shampoos and conditioners can also get to your face and cause pimples or irritation. That's why it's important to pick hair products that work for your skin, not against it.

You already know that I love the Sebamed Face & Body Wash because it's great to use when my skin is being extra sensitive, dry, or just plain breaking out. I recently got hold of its perfect partner, the Sebamed Everyday Shampoo! 

So what is it? The Sebamed Everyday Shampoo is an extra mild cleansing product for your hair. If your skin is sensitive, irritated, or inflamed, this is a good alternative since it calms the skin down.

Here's Sara again of the blog I Play The Villain. This time, she's writing about the Mary Kay Foundation Primer.

Fact: I'm not big on primers. It's not that I don't like them, I just don't use them enough for me to consider them an important part of my routine. I only wear primer when I go to events or when I have meetings that would require me to be out of the office for a good chunk of my 8-hour shift. Other than that, I find that I have little use for primers as I do not oil up as much and I like my foundations to be long-wearing to begin with. 

Still, my last primer - a sampler of the Korres Quercetin & Oak Age-reversing Primer - ran out and I've been searching for a possible replacement. So when I got hold of the Mary Kay Foundation Primer (P1,300), I decided to give it a spin!

I only apply a pea-sized amount of product on my face using my fingers, dotting it all over before blending it out. Not a whole lot, mind you, just on the T-zone where I tend to oil up a bit (there are areas where my skin isn't a complete desert) or where I need the foundation to last longer or where I have rough patches.

 The primer's consistency is gel-like as opposed to my Korres which is reminiscent to that of a moisturizer.

You know what, I've never done an all-out pink makeup before. I just didn't think that pink looked good on my eyes, or maybe I just haven't found the right combination of pinks for my skin tone. The latter was actually the correct assumption, once I found these In2It eyeshadow palettes (my review of which is super overdue).

Anyway, I actually built this whole look around the new Clinique Lid Smoothie in Pinkgo Biloba since I wanted to try it out as an eyeshadow base. It's a pretty simple look (just three eyeshadow shades), but I was really pleased by how the pinks flattered my skin and made it look fresh - at least, to my mind. Hehe. I enjoyed this look so I'll definitely wear it again.

If you want to try it out for yourself, the trick is to get the right shades of pink for your skin tone. Fair women can pull off most pinks, medium-toned girls can go for warm peachy-pinks with golden shimmer, while those who are dark-toned will look good in deeper, heavier pinks. Still, this isn't a hard and fast rule, so feel free to experiment!

Face: Jane Iredale Dream Tint, MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer, Clinique Superbalanced Powder Makeup, Guerlain Meteorites

When I was younger, I was very reckless about using skincare products. I thought, "What's the worst that can happen?" Indeed, what? I found out the hard way after allergic reactions and several breakouts later. Thus, I've taken to reading (or at the very least, scanning) the label of each product I use. You'll also notice that in most of my skincare and makeup reviews, I provide a snap of the ingredients (when applicable).

I usually Google the ingredients I'm concerned about. Now if you've tried doing that before, you'll notice that getting the results you want can be a challenge. The EWG Skin Deep Cosmetics Database is very helpful, but you'll have to wade through a lot of data to get the info you need. I also like Cosdna since it's more straightforward, but it's not as comprehensive as EWG. 

So where else can we go? Fortunately, Human Heart Nature decided to develop an app that functions as an ingredients database.

Bright lipstick is my default preference on most days, mainly because I tend to wear boring eye makeup. I apply neutrals in different variations but yes, it all comes down to the same thing. Bright lipstick is the best and easiest way to look rad and daring. It's like cheating!

And that is why I'm not often in MLBB (my lips but better) colors. However, when I got my hands on the MAC Viva Glam VI Special Edition Lipstick, I ended up liking it more than I expected.

It's a pink-purple shade that goes on smoothly and stays on for a good four hours if I don't eat. Unlike other MAC lipstick formulas, it's thin and moisturizing, so I even skip lip balm.

Expect me to be excited when one of my favorite brands comes up with something new. This time, Clinique is bringing in a reformulted version of one of their best-selling products, the Clinique Turnaround Concentrate Radiance Renewer (P3,250) and the Lid Smoothie Anti-Oxidant 8-Hour Eye Colour (P1,550).

The Turnaround Concentrate is a "fast acting exfoliating serum that instantly creates a luminous-from-within radiance. Reveals skin's finest texture, too. Works to optimise natural cell renewal, gently, continually, unveiling skin that's brighter, healthier, more uniform." Intriguing.

The great thing about makeup is that there is no one way to do it right. Each makeup artist has her own set of techniques and picks up new ones along the way from different sources. Brands, too. You'll notice that each beauty brand has its own story - mission and vision, if you will - and this is reflected in every product they release and makeup looks they create.

Shu Uemura is famous for its clean, colorful, and whimsical makeup that can go dramatic if the occasion calls for it. The colors are applied on a fresh, dewy face, and while the intensity of the shades vary they never smother the wearer's natural beauty. Shu Uemura is definitely one of the few names who are consistent with their "brand look"!

Amazing right? If you want to learn Shu Uemura's techniques, they're now offering a certificate makeup class at their Rockwell studio. The 9-hour course is divided into 3-hour classes, to be held within a week. Each class will only have six students to guarantee hands-on teaching. Best yet, the whole thing is only P5,000 at Dealgrocer.com (discounted from P10,000)!

Shu Uemura's classy studio in their Rockwell branch

I love makeup and clothes but hey, that's not all there is to me. So I think I'll be posting something not beauty related every weekend from now on. A change of topic is always fun for everyone.

So! I found this website called Food Wishes some weeks back and IT IS AWESOME. I like all the recipes, although I can't cook many of them because I don't have a food processor, outdoor grill, and oven (I should definitely get an oven soon). Still, I love watching Chef John's videos because of his clear and concise way of explaining things. He's like the Lisa Eldridge of cooking, if you know what I mean!

Chef John's Bacon Ranch Chicken Skewers

I got inspired after marathoning Chef John's videos so I decided to cook some of his recipes. Take note, they're just, at best, approximations of what he made. The exact ingredients were not immediately on hand so I made do with what I found in the supermarket.

A lot of people have been doing this lately, and so I decided to join the bandwagon. Lol. It's fun! I've actually done it already last year. However, a lot of things has changed since then, so my bag also "evolved" along with them.

What's in my bag depends on what kind of bag I'm using (which in turn depends on my outfit), what I need to do that day, and where I'm going. Yesterday, I was in the office for a presentation, so I didn't wear much makeup. I decided to bring a makeup kit so I can do a full face for a media event I'll be attending later in the evening.

Forever 21 shades, Majolica Majorca makeup kit, alcohol, mint gum, keys, Tony Moly pressed powder, Estee Lauder Sensuous, wallet, iPad (forgot to add the Blackberry in the photo)

As with last year, I still don't bring a makeup kit on a regular basis, but I sometimes do when the need arises.