Last Thursday, our friends from Smart gave me the best Christmas present EVER. I'm still so giddy because I thought they were kidding up to the minute that they handed it to me! A few months ago they asked, "Liz do you want an iPhone 5?" And I was like, "Seriously? Er okay sure."

All along I thought that they would send over a loaner or something haha. They were exceedingly kind to give me nothing less but the best phone out there - the iPhone 5! Yes it's finally here, and at crazy affordable prices with Smart. More on that later.

I was at the grand launch in Republiq last Thursday night to join the countdown for the iPhone 5. I finally got to really hang out with Lia, who I always chat with over on Twitter, and her husband Artie. Sisters Vern and Verniece were also there to join the fun.

What's your favorite holiday collection so far? There are so many, but it's good to have choices! There's something for everyone whether they're on a budget or cost is no object. :) I did observe a general theme though. Shine, glitter, and bright pops of red are du jour, but I've also been seeing a lot of twinkly purples and violets. This is good news - for me at least! - because I find that color group rather flattering on the Pinay complexion.

This time I want to talk about the Etude House Christmas Miracle Collection. I have photos, swatches, and quick thoughts on each product!

Let's start with the Etude House Mix & Mix Eyes PK001. This is a sleek palette of six sparkly shades in the lilac/ purple color group. There's also one in BR401 Holiday Dream that is on the neutral end of the spectrum. Go for PK001 if you're out for an evening party, while BR401 is better for more reserved occasions.

When I give gifts, I make sure it's something the other person will really use and appreciate. What's the point otherwise? Gifts are meant to be enjoyed by the other party and not just an obligation one must selfishly fulfill. :D Still, a good gift doesn't necessarily have to be expensive. I mean it's great if you can afford to treat everyone you love but that's not always possible! The good news is that there are brands like Zen Zest that come up with great products that are shockingly affordable.

I love the Zen Zest Holiday Sets because they're nicely packaged in a matte box and features products that were specially created just for this season. I'll talk more about them in a bit! For now I want to share lovely photos (from Chai) of the event I organized for Zen Zest last November. :D

We did a Diva-Off contest at Red Box in Greenbelt 5 one Saturday night. Why all the singing, you ask? Well bloggers usually go to sit down lunches and dinners. They're fun, but it can get too common and formal. I wanted to do an event where everyone can just sit back, eat a lot, and have a smashing time in a different setting. So, buffet diva-off it is!  

If you haven't tried Sample Room yet, you must run over there and avail of a couple of samples. They're free! To recap, Sample Room is a beauty sampling service that allows users to choose samples with free points. Users can get back those points by simply reviewing those items. Neat eh? The first wave had Kiehl's, Benefit, Shu Uemura, Calvin Klein and Kerastase for crying out loud. Kerastase gave away 50mil bottles of their best-selling serum!

The Benefit Porefessional and Kerastase serum ran out pretty quickly (naturally), but I honestly only wanted one thing: the sample of the Kiehl's Acai Damage-Correcting Moisturizer. I love Kiehl's, and I was then looking for a new moisturizer to use (I found a "new" one now teehee). I trust Kiehl's and I'm sure the moisturizer will do wonders - just read the reviews over at Sample Room, they're convincing.

It's a 15ml sample which means that I can probably stretch it up to two weeks if used sparingly.

Earlier today I had lunch with two lovely ladies - Ms Nelly See, the whirlwind behind Pinkbox, and Verniece Enciso, the prettiest blogger in the country (for me!). It was more of a "wala lang" lunch! I mean I wouldn't call it work since we just gossiped lol. It's always nice to spend time with these two, since the conversation is coming from three different...genres if you will. Verniece is a sweet young thing, I'm this pragmatic know-it-all, and Ms Nels is a super hyper mom and businesswoman. You'd think we have nothing to talk about but we do! Talk. Quite a lot.

Now that we're here, we should all start pressuring Ms Nelly to blog soon. I told her I'd make hers, plus it's not like she'd be short of content since she posts tons of Instagram photos everyday. She's @nellysee there btw! 

At the Pinkbox store in Greenbelt 5

Anyhoo. I'd just like to share my FOTD and (what sorta passes off as a) picture of my outfit. I just threw everything on in under thirty minutes because I was already rushing.

In my last post about makeup expiry dates, a lot of girls asked how I sanitize my cosmetics. So here's the answer: Casino Ethyl Alcohol in Ecomist Spray! This is amazing because it gives a super fine, even mist. I'm not kidding. The mist is even finer than Evian!

First of all that means you're not wasting alcohol since you're getting the perfect amount every time you use it. Two, it's the perfect makeup sanitizer because it doesn't douse the makeup when you spray. It covers every centimeter without making your stuff wet and miserable.

How long should you keep your makeup? There are recommended lengths of time for each cosmetics type but I have to admit, I don't follow them. I just have one general rule: if the product starts to smell rancid, separate, or just stop working the way it should, then in it goes to the bin!

Expiration dates for me are suggestions at best. I find that a product's shelf life is ultimately dictated by the limitation of its fomulation. For example, wet makeup like mascaras and liquid liners simply flake and dry up after four or five months. Lipsticks and glosses will start to thicken and just feel generally weird after two years. The waxes and oils in the formula will naturally dry up the more you use them, and you'll notice this when the product starts to separate (i.e. sweating lipstick, stringy gloss). The smell is the final giveaway though!

Gel products dry up faster than cream products, but you can tell if they're no good by checking the texture.

No one makes lipsticks like Guerlain. The brand not only creates beautiful shades that end up being classic choices, the lipstick tubes themselves become collectors' items. It's not the sort of thing you get because you want a pretty shade of lipstick; it's something you buy for the explicit purpose of treating yourself, of owning something you'll keep for the next ten years at least.

I've already made my case for luxury in another post, so you can read that (and the comments) for a more in-depth discussion of spending for beauty products. :) Here I shall review the Guerlain Shine Automatique Lipstick in Pamplelune (P2,200).

Packaging. The Guerlain Shine Automatique line boasts of a one-gesture opening. It's unique because it has no cap, instead replacing it with a button that when pressed downwards opens the top to reveal the lipstick. I lost my composure there for a moment, saying "oooooh" aloud to myself the first time I opened the lipstick. LOL! It's fun. 

Hi Liz! Where I work, the company Christmas party has always been THE event of the year for us so most of us really go all out on the preparations. I already have a peg for what I'll be wearing that night and I was thinking of using your Irene Adler makeup look (but perhaps with a more neutral lip) to go with it.

Would it be possible for you to make a step-by-step guide on how to do it? Mucho thanks in advance! - Chenyl

Fun fact: Chenyl is one of the first few Project Vanity readers ever. She was there when no one has ever heard of this blog! So when she requests, you can bet I'm on it! It's been a while since I did a step-by-step like this because all told it takes me 5-6 hours to accomplish. But yes, for my favorite readers, the time is very well spent. ;)

Anyway Chenyl referenced an old look I did. It was a purplish wine smoky eye. I don't have the palette I used there anymore, so I thought I'd show off the new Etude House Mix & Mix Eyes PK001 Christmas Holic palette. It has these gorgeous metallic purples that I think fits the mood of the season! Lots of sparkles, shine, and general extravagance are what Christmas 2012 is about. Gold and red are defaults, but for once let's try out a dramatic purple eye. Here goes!

Step 1: Do your foundation (Clinique Pore Refining Solutions Foundation + Clinique Perfectly Real Foundation), eyebrows (Avon Perfect Eyebrow Pencil + MeMeMe Archangel), and then prime your lids with your favorite eyeshadow base (I used the Artdeco Base here). 

Step 2: Dampen the eyeshadow brush with water.

I slept most of the weekend off. I've been feeling ill these past few days so I didn't have energy to do much of anything else. Thankfully I am better now, so this blog is back on track! I want to start the week with my monthly list of favorite finds. Let's go!

I just recently discovered some old Revlon cult favorites: Cherries in the Snow, which is a fuchsia red lipstick released in 1953, and Pink in the Afternoon, an all-around flattering pink. If you're planning on getting a new drugstore lipstick, you must try these shades! 

What is it they say? You don't look back on those nights you spent watching TV and liking stuff on Facebook. So if someone asks you to do something that sounds fun yet horribly inconvenient and unhealthy, just do it. Not all the time if you're really not the type but every once in a while is good for your sanity. These make for great stories to tell your grandchildren someday!

That said, last November 29 was epic. Ferretti and our blogger models helped break the world record for the most number of people in a catwalk! I believe 2,255 people walked that night, beating Turkey's 1,967 models at the Guiness Book of World Records. It was predictably a stressful event but everyone had their game face on. 

Murphy's Law

I was in Glorietta as early as 8:30am for the briefing and rehearsals. I limped most of the day because I stubbornly wore these new shoes that ended up giving me a centavo-sized wound on my left foot and minor ones on both feet.

One of the most pigmented - not to mention the prettiest - blushes I've tried is the Shiseido Camellia Compact (P1,998). It's a limited edition blush released by Shiseido to celebrate their 140th anniversary! It has three shades - Rich Rose (reddish), Spring-Petal Pink (light pink), and Icy-Cool Platinum (shimmery white). They can be used individually or swirled together to get a beautiful flush that glows.

Spring-Petal and Icy-Cool Platinum are just moderately pigmented. It's Rich Rose that brings it all together! It's so pigmented you can use it as an eyeshadow and forget about the base, please.

I love how flattering the mixed shade is on me and how I can customize it according to my preferences. Reddish blushes tend to look good on my yellow medium skin, and this blush isn't an exception!

I've always wanted to own something from Japonesque. I have this impression that the brand is serious about makeup artistry and craftsmanship, being such a well-loved name by makeup artists all over the world. I never tried it earlier though because of how expensive it is. One basic brush can fetch more than P2,000!

Truth be told that's not an uncommon price for high-end brushes. However, seeing as I just apply makeup on myself, I don't want to spend that much on a single brush just yet. So imagine my surprise when I saw a pro-sized Japonesque brush for only P895 at Beauty Bar!

I literally stopped in my tracks and asked the sales assistant to take it out from the box. I actually wanted to buy a brush like this from MAC a few limited ed collections ago but again couldn't justify a ~P2,000 splurge for a single brush. P895 isn't peanuts either but it's reasonable because, well, it's Japonesque. 

Okay sorry about rambling on about the price. Still can't get over it. :P I think the reason this is cheaper compared to the normal Japonesque brushes is because half of it is synthetic hair. It's also made for makeup enthusiasts like me - not beginners but not professional either. It hits the sweet spot between quality and being reasonably priced.

News alert! Clinique is finally re-opening a counter in Mall of Asia this December 8. They will be located beside MAC, in the same row where Forever 21 is. :) To celebrate the opening month, they are giving a new door gift, free (one per client) for a single receipt purchase of at least P1,995. This is valid for opening day only on December 8. Starting December 9 to 31, this exclusive gift will be available for a minimum purchase of P3,000.

If you're at a loss about what to try from Clinique, you can try the Moisture Surge (best moisturizer for me!), Airbrush Concealer, Pore Refining Solutions Foundation (will be reviewing soon), and their popular Chubby Sticks. :) Those are just a few, there's a lot to love from this brand. You can check all my past reviews for reference.

You can also looks into the special Clinique Holiday Sets for 2012. They're a great way to get a lot of stuff for a fraction of the cost - great for first time Clinique users as well as those who need to restock their faves. :) Do note however that you can't buy the set then avail of the free door gift.

Here's detailed info with prices!

Taste of Honey

A sweet treat for lips.  Cult favorite Black Honey is a shade any woman can wear, yet somehow looks different on everyone. 

Someone on Twitter, I forget who, said that you can only feel truly burnt-out about something you love. If you don't love it then you'll simply be tired of it, but to be burnt-out requires a mixture of infinite exhaustion, double-guessing, and regret. Thankfully it's something most people recover from. Those who don't move on and the rest of the world continues, nonchalant. 

Am I feeling a rash of blogger burnout? Oh dear, no. I do sometimes find it difficult to start a post, nay, to even choose what to write about, but I get over it. I read a book. Watch a TV show. Do my other work. Then get back to writing a post and before I know it I'm all set! It's easier now since I've been doing this for a few years - I know the vocabulary, how to plan the content, basically the whole process starting from the point I decide which products to use down to that "Save & Close" publish button. It's easier but that doesn't mean it's not difficult, which is why there are still days when I don't feel inspired at all.

There are a few common reasons why beauty and fashion bloggers stop blogging, or at least take a "hiatus".

The lip balm is perhaps the most basic beauty product a girl - nay, anyone - should own. They lock in moisture on the lips, help heal chapped skin, and provide a bit of shine to instantly enhance that area. Now most lip balms do the same thing, but some are more equal than others (to borrow a phrase). The elements of scent, packaging, and overall efficacy comes into play.

So what lip balm should you get? It depends on what you need and how much you're willing to spend. You can get a P60 lip balm from the drug store and you'll probably be happy with it. But if you're willing to spend a little for a lip balm with more features then here's a nice list! These are the lip balms I always reach for.

Mentholatum Lip Ice lip balm. This is my all-around basic lip balm. It's slinky, never waxy, and really hydrates my lips instead of just sitting on top. It's also easily available in any Watsons branch for only P89. I keep backups of this, and have at least three lying around the house at any given time!

MAC Suntints SPF20 Liquid Lip Balm in Au Rosé. I gave a rather lukewarm review of this balm, and for that I am kicking myself. It has become my favorite lip balm to use before makeup. It smoothens the lips like nothing else I've tried, as if it deeply conditions those dry areas!

I've always thought of BB creams as just another form of foundation. Most of them have pretty good coverage already, but of course with the added SPF and skincare properties that can't be found in your usual bottle of face makeup. It's a marvelous idea for women who need multi-tasking products - who doesn't want their sunscreen, serum, moisturizer, primer, and coverage in one bottle? Provided that there's a good shade match that is.

One of the latest BB creams to hit the market is the Etude House Precious Mineral BBdation (P848 / with applicator P1,678). It's an out-and-out foundation that promises "zero defect skin", whitening, and anti-wrinkle. Let's go back to the zero defect skin part. What? Is that even possible? Well not really! However this does a bangin' job making skin look great. It doesn't cover dark blemishes but it blurs out lighter ones and fills in pores/ minor wrinkles as well, thus delivering a super smooth finish. You'll see a photo later.

Texture. It's a bit mousse-y, surprisingly. It applies thinly and is very emollient so I'm inclined to think that it moisturizes skin. You will only need one full pump to cover your whole face, which makes it economical.

Oh boy do I have a treat for you! One lucky Project Vanity reader will win a Michael Kors pouch set from Estee Lauder. It's basically a small clutch full of Estee Lauder goodies! I love the design as it looks very classic and easy to match up with any outfit. ^_^ 

Basically, Estee Lauder would like help in reaching the 80,000 mark on their Facebook Page. Once this has been reached, all four blogger partners will raffle off an MK set each on their blogs. So let's make quick work out of it, yes? Like the EL Philippines page now!

Full mechanics

1. Like the Estee Lauder Philippines Facebook Page. Say hi on their page and let them know you came from Project Vanity. 

I'm kind of embarrassed that I'm only writing about this now, considering I'm one of the people who made this much pink happen in one afternoon. Lol. It's certainly one of the most memorable events I've taken part of this year. Good food, good friends, and exciting new things always make for a fab soiree, after all!

The Pinkbox event last October 24 introduced amazing hair products that I'm sure you'll love - the Hair Donut and Hair Puff. I've already showed you how to use the hair puff to get an instant bouffant! The Hair Donut is for creating the famous sock bun with actually bothering with socks. It's made of an ultra-light foam that doesn't feel heavy and hot on the head, and makes these huge Korean buns a breeze even for hair noobs.

Do you guys still like FOTDs? I rarely post them these days because, well, I don't often wear interesting looks. On a normal day out I'd be in neutral makeup and a bright lipstick. It's only for parties and events that I go all out! As it should be, at least for me.

Yesterday I was taking a few standard photos of my face since I used a couple of new products. Yes it's vain but because of this blog I have the valid excuse of, erm, documentation for purposes of reviews. Hehe. Anyway I was really surprised with how the photos turned out.

Zero editing. At first I thought it was the light, but I don't get photos this good at 4:30pm when the light is starting to fail. So what could it be?