Well they're not exactly new seeing as I've been using these for almost a month now. Thought I'd let you know what I like about them though!

The Avon Outspoken Intense Body Wash (P250) is an offshoot of Fergie's Outspoken fragrance line. Specifically, this body wash is a partner of Avon Outspoken Intense which was released last year. I liked the fresher, floral take on Outspoken, and this body wash certainly has the same gorgeous scent.

If you liked Outspoken Intense, I suggest you get the body wash as well. It's an open secret that in order to make your scent last longer, you have to layer it over the same body wash and lotion. Crossing my fingers for an Outspoken Intense moisturizer! X

Next up, you know how much I love the Avon Ultra Moisture Rich Lipsticks. The brand released a new shade for a special collection called Smoke and Mirrors. The shade is named Apricot Mystery (P375), a sheer deep pink with pretty blue shimmer.

I can't think about ArtDeco makeup without being nostalgic. I first discovered it when I was a poor college student somewhere in Padre Faura. I was just starting my blog then and didn't have that much money to build my makeup collection. I didn't want to buy the usual drugstore fodder because I wanted to invest in the good stuff, but I couldn't afford the high end brands either. 

ArtDeco, a cosmetics brand from Germany, was my best solution. The products felt consistently high-end, but the price was quite affordable. Most of the items were less than P600; the face makeup topped at around P1,200. I remember that I bought the foundation, eyeshadows, concealer, blush, and lip gloss before! They were worth all the saving I had to do. :P

Makeup wonderland

So, I hope you understand why I'm super psyched that ArtDeco is back in the Philippines. I was bummed when they left two years ago, but now the brand is back with the complete line at the same affordable prices. I was actually expecting that ArtDeco would be more expensive since Beauty Bar (of SSI) brought them in but that's not the case.

Here's a mini-tour of the ArtDeco stand in Beauty Bar, Greenbelt 5!

The eyeshadows are to die for! The're only P350 each too.

I've worn this dress and this eyeshadow look before, but I think it's the added little details that make them new. I don't have a bottomless closet, you know, so a girl has to reinvent her things every so often!

Topshop coverup / Forever 21 dress / Pinkbox bangle / SM necklace / t0nic heels

I wore this outfit to the Charriol event last week at Skye. It was a rather wet afternoon so I threw on this coverup and stable glittery heels. Yeah, I don't want to fall on my face, what with all those slippery pavements I have to navigate. My mantra: look good, but be practical.

Anywhoo, here are the details for the makeup! I created this grape eyeshadow look with the help of an Ever Bilena Mousse Eyeshadow. It's pretty awesome. I've never done purple as crazy as this before.

Face: Lancome Teint Miracle, MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer, Clinique Airbrush Concealer (for eye bags), Bobbi Brown mineral foundation to set

This is funny. I've had this product for a week and I keep on using it as an eyebrow pencil! I thought it was an eyebrow pencil, I mean, it looks like one. It has a nutty brown shade that looks perfect for brows...right? I only noticed right now that it doesn't say anything about eyebrows, which means its an eyeliner. Oops.

Whatever the case is, I do like using the Nichido Minerals Precise Eye Pencil (P138) for my eyebrows. It's the right color for the job, although it takes quite a bit of blending to achieve natural looking brows. Still, for P134, I can't complain!

I'll be reviewing it as an eyebrow pencil since I haven't used it as legitimate eyeliner, okay. :) Now, this pencil is quite soft, which means that it coats my hair as a brow wax would.

I used to think that Bench was "jologs". I know, so uncharitable! But during the few times I've visited it in the past years I only saw tacky printed shirts and more jeans. All that has changed though! Bench now has a lot of cool finds at really good prices.

Bench top / Landmark skirt / Tonic shoes / Pinkbox accessories / Nine West bag

This newfound love of mine started when I was in Powerplant Mall a couple of months ago. This was before Bench contacted me for anything ha. I saw their Bench Edited store and got really curious - what's a Bench Edited? Exploring the place revealed it to be a well-curated version of Bench.

Their best pieces were displayed in a really classy space, and I loved it so much I went home with a shirt dress (that everyone asked about! I'll show it to you one of these days) and a pair of khaki capri pants.

Hi guys! If you've been following my Facebook page and Twitter, you may have seen the announcement for my weekly advice column. Every Saturday, I'll be giving young women advice on how to deal with their love and career problems. I'm not saying I can fix your life. But I sure am hoping that I can help you look at (or solve) your problems from a different perspective.

You may be wondering why I'm doing this, and why here. Frankly I just want to take a break from writing about makeup all the time. Haha. But seriously.I've been through a lot and I've always dealt with my problems in a freakishly calm and rational manner. More girls should do that. All the movies, TV shows, even books are telling women my age to be melodramatic and to feel entitled about certain things in their lives. That should never be the case. I'm just here to tell you exactly that.

I decided to put this advice column on Project Vanity because it's basically in the same spirit: I want to help women accept their problems and then deal with them. Whether it's a pimple before a big night or a big fight with your asshole boyfriend, I want you to know that we can talk about it. :)

Okay? Okay! So here's the first letter from someone we shall call the Girl with the Temper.

I'm 22 going on 23, so I consider myself a pretty mature person. However, a recurring problem in my current relationship is my short fuse. I can be really patient with other people. As a matter of fact, I had a tutoring stint with grade school children and not once did I get angry even though I used to dislike children.

However, when it comes to my boyfriend, all my patience goes out the window.

Kris Aquino is on Preview magazine's cover this May! Saw it on Twitter the other day and I was instantly transfixed. We've seen Kris in ball gowns, elaborate cocktail dresses, even smart casual wear, but never in a menswear-inspired look. I think it's a fresh and interesting take on her, even though "gorgeous" is not the first word that comes to mind.

Try "whoa".

More behind the scenes photos from Stylebible!

No matter how well I try to take care of my skin, I still break out a week or two before my period. Sometimes I get puny pimples that are easy to manage. But sometimes, like last week, I get red and angry cystic pimples on my chin or temple! Ugh. I need to see a derma for this hormone problem soon.

In the meantime, I've come across an awesome pimple treatment called the VMV Hypoallergenics Red Better Spot Corrector (P400 for 8 grams).

It's part of VMV's recently-launched Red Better line. Red Better is designed for those who suffer from rosacea, but while the rest of the line is for dealing with irritation all over the face, the Spot Corrector is specifically for inflamed acne. Oh, sign me up. I used it as soon as I got it.

I hate suspense, so here's a before and after photo of my horrid cystic pimples!

Last May 1, Ferretti opened its doors on the ground floor of Glorietta 1. We're very happy with how it turned out, considering that everything was done in a rush! Lol. Think 30 days of no sleep for my boss, the visual merchandiser, and contractor!

Okay, so the concept is like a girl's dream walk-in closet. There's a dash of Victorian flair in the furniture and cast iron chandelier, but everything was kept clean, refreshing, and feminine - just like the shoes Ferretti is known for. We hope that the shopping experience is better with the bigger and brighter store!

Here are more pics to entice you. :P

Bright candy colors for teens and teens-at-heart

When you have 130 lipsticks and counting, it becomes harder to tell each of them apart. You will find yourself grasping for words to describe them. There will be long, awkward pauses between sentences and not enough adjectives to fill them with. But every so often a special lipstick comes along. My life is instantly a lot easier.

The Makeup For Ever Rouge Artist Natural (P1,280) was launched a couple of weeks ago to beauty bloggers in Bonifacio High Street. It's the sweeter, more wearable version of the Rouge Artist Intense line, so you can expect to see lots of shiny and sheer shades. Well, "sheer" is the operative word, but actually these lipsticks can be opaque in only two layers!

I got the shade N39, Soft Apricot. It's now my current favorite lipstick. Yes, I have a lot of favorite lipsticks, so sue me. It's my first truly salmon-apricot shade, I think, which makes it special in my book. I don't have a color quite like it yet.

So how is it?

How do you feel about new foreign brands coming to the Philippines at breakneck speeds? I'm loving it! More brands mean more options for picky shoppers like me. The important bit is that prices become more competitive. Gone are the days when new brands can enter at prices that are 50% more than their SRP abroad. (Or am I just kidding myself? Still, let's not forget to buy Pinoy!)

Anyway, there's going to be a new clothing brand in town! It's called Ever New, a  brand founded in Melbourne, Australia. Ever New emerged in late 2006 as a start-up retailer and now trades over 120 stores across seven countries including New Zealand, the United States, Singapore, and now, the Philippines.

Their PR sent me a few photos to whet the appetite. If you like elegant, feminine clothes, then I think you'll love Ever New. 

A product's packaging is important to the overall experience of using that product. It's not just how it actually looks like on you; it's also about how it looks like on your dresser, how it feels like when you hold it in your hands. That's why it's not surprising that people gravitate to good-looking products. The experience of using and keeping something gorgeous is just too good to pass up.

The Milani Illuminating Face Powder in Beauty's Touch (P490 at Digital Traincase) called out to me as soon as I laid eyes on it. I love the rosebud surface of the powder compact! It's too pretty to touch no? The compact itself feels like thick, sturdy plastic with a gold base. Very luxe and chic. 

Packaging oohs and ahhs aside, this powder packs a pretty wallop on skin. It has no visible shimmers or glitter but it gives this subtle pinkish glow on my face with only a few swipes.

When I was younger, I used to buy clothes because I had to, I just had to. There was this feeling that the more I had the more fashionable I am. Predictably, I ended up getting stuck with crappy clothes that I only used a few times before feeling ridiculous in them. You know what I'm saying? I wasted a lot of money because I gave most of my old clothes away.

So now I try not to buy clothes and shoes unless I feel I can't live without them, unless I can't see myself wearing them for at least a year. I'm still a bargain hunter at heart, but if a really nice (although pricey = more than P1,000) piece comes along that I just can't let go of, well, I won't.

This blue Bayo dress is one of those purchases. Like my other new blue dress, it was a love at first sight thing for me. Never mind that I don't have the arms and shoulders to pull it off - I like it, I feel nice in it so to hell with the self-conscious bitch inside. :P

I wore this electric blue maxi with a white crochet necklace and bangle from Pinkbox. My official summer tote is this hot pink woven one from Ferretti so I pair it with everything!

I taught myself everything I know about makeup. That may not sound as impressive as going to makeup school, but my skills are not too shabby, I think. :P What with all the YouTube tutorials and beauty blogs out there, there's no excuse not to master at least the basics of makeup application!

Nonetheless, it pays to learn from the professionals. They have lots of insights to share, and of course joining a personal, on-hand class is a richer learning experience! That's why I decided to take the Shu Uemura Yume Advanced Makeup Class. I know for a fact that Shu has some of the best accredited makeup artists out there, who've done countless magazines, ads, and celebrity clients here in the country. 

True enough, John Pagaduan taught the class that day. John is a well-known makeup artist here. I frst met him four years ago, when he did my face for an event. He was very kind and humble back then, filled with raw talent, and until this day he's very much the same artistic guy. I was very happy to get him as my instructor!

I brought all my favorite makeup, of course. Those Beauty Pro Cosmetic Palettes are perfect for trying out looks, since they have all the colors I can possibly need.

Okay, let's start! I'll show you my looks and some tips on how I did them. :D

What is your ideal lip product, the kind that you will actually use everyday? Many of us love shine, moisture, and beautiful color on our lips. That kind of effect usually involves three layers of product to pull off - balm, lipstick, then gloss. However, with the new Avon Shine Attract Lipstick, you can skip all of that and just go straight to pretty lips!

Before I proceed with my glowing review, lemme just say that these lipsticks are not the kind you expect to stay on all day. They dry up on the lips within three hours, although the bolder colors leave a nice stain. If you're okay with re-applying (like me) then I think you'll love this. But if not, there are other equally affordable brands that can give you better lasting power.

What I do love about these lipsticks is the fact thay they give me a nice, glossy color while moisturizing my lips at the same time. They also don't feel like anything once you have them on. Well okay, at most they feel like a thin, slinky lip balm. The moisture lasts until it dries, around three hours from application.

Some people may be discouraged that, upon getting the product, they find out that they're not as pigmented or even as normal lipsticks. So, I made a video on how to apply it correctly! WATCH.

Done? Now here are the swatches.

A higher SPF number doesn't necessarily mean considerably better protection against the sun. SPF 30, for example, blocks 97% while SPF 50 blocks 98% of UVB rays (the sun's rays that cause sunburn) already. A sunblock with SPF70 or 130 surely has more protection, but it is negligible and not enough to block 100% of the sun's UVB and UVA rays.

So yes, that should set the record straight about SPF numbers. Most experts would recommend an SPF30-50 for daily use. A higher SPF number may mean a bit more protection, but the formula of the sunblock usually suffers. It's whiter, thicker, thus making it harder to wear without looking like someone hit you with a flour sack.

Not the VMV Hypoallergenics Armada Sport 70 though. I've had this sunscreen product for months now and I can say that it's pretty good! It's SPF70 but the cream, while thick, feels like a gel.

The Evian Facial Spray (P459/300ml) is probably the single most expensive bottle of water I've ever bought. Yes, it's just fancy water in a fancy aerosol can and not much else. I rather felt silly when I went home and unpacked it. Almost P500 for water? What the hell was I thinking?

Well, I got it because I've heard so many good things about this mist. It's supposed to make your makeup look more natural, and hydrate + cool down your skin whenever you need it. In this heat, you can't say no to something like that!

I've been using this Evian spray for a few weeks now and I can say that it's useful. Is it a must-have? Not really, but it's very handy to have around. Here's why:

• You know how sometimes your makeup looks too thick and obvious and you wish there was a way to tone it down? The Evian mist can tone it down. A couple of spritzes and your makeup will look more dewy, more like skin, since the water breaks down the binders of the makeup a little.

Sharing (and knowing) things as they happen is probably one of the coolest things in the 21st century. It's mindblowing that you can snap a photo and have it up within a minute for all your friends to see, and vice versa! I usually use my cellphone to share photos but sometimes, if I just happen to be in front of my Macbook Air, I take pics with Photobooth instead. 

I've already mentioned our Huawei MiFi device before. It's a handy portable router that you can use ANYWHERE - at least, in all the places I've been to! We use a SMART sim with it and are patrons of the Smart Bro UnliSURF 50 (unlimited browsing for 24 hours). It's hella reliable.

Let me tell you a story. Last year we were in Bellarocca, Marinduque, when the devastating earthquake hit Japan. Bellarocca's internet wasn't working at that time, so we had to resort to using our MiFi to get information. We wanted to know if we would be hit by a tsunami! Lol.