My control freak self always likes to be prepared, but on the days that I get lax about it, things will go wrong. Case in point: last year, I was visiting nearby towns from Tokyo. It was summer, and I was dying from the heat. While I tried my best to summer-proof my makeup, I’m an oily gal and things are bound to move around. When I checked on my makeup in the bathroom, I was met with Grease Kelly and discovered that I had left my powder at our Airbnb! Luckily, there was a nearby department store that housed several beauty brands. I grabbed a pack of the blotting papers, and have never been without them ever since.

Boo! Happy October, PV fam! Despite Halloween being just around the corner, we’ve got a roundup that won’t scare you as much as it will excite you! We’ve got the 411 on Origins’ latest launches (think makeup and skincare in one) and the long-awaited restock of Sunnies Face lippies. Rumor has it that Kylie Jenner is working on a skincare collection, and while waiting for your STUNNA package to get to your doorstep, you’ll want to start planning for FENTY’s icy holiday collection!

Is the Revlon Kiss Plumping Lip Creme (P375 for 7 grams) a lip gloss or a lip balm? The answer, for me, is both. I was pleasantly surprised by these new gloss balms from Revlon. Off the bat, I thought they looked like a basic lip gloss, but I found them more interesting due to the fact that they feel more like an ultra glossy lip balm than anything else!

The MAC Studio Fix range is basically an institution, known for its wide shade range. In fact, beauty enthusiasts often refer to the MAC foundation shade coding system even when talking about other brands! Now, MAC aims to be even more inclusive than they already are by embodying All Ages, All Races, All Genders. They have looked at even more undertones and shades, and recognized what consumers have long been saying – one shade does not fit all.

When beauty lovers obsess over the face, hair, and nails, it’s easy to forget that body care isn’t always as simple as soap and water. Proper TLC is a must in maintaining healthy skin all over, with activities like full-body exfoliation sessions to regularly slathering on lotions. Sometimes, it can even mean nipping fungal infections in the bud, and being honest about the need to address this kind of issue is the first step to regaining flawless skin.

I wrote about Happy Skin’s Honeymoon Glow lipstick when it launched four years ago. It was an instant hit for me, as the color is beautiful and flattering on any skin tone! That’s why it’s no surprise that Happy Skin decided to create a full collection inspired by the shade. There’s now a quad eyeshadow palette, a contour and highlight duo, lip & cheek tints, and a nail polish in addition to the existing Honeymoon Glow lip products (two lipstick formulas, one liquid lipstick, and a liner).

The very first product of In Her Element when it launched almost two years ago is the Nourish & Cleanse Balm. It was a multi-purpose balm that you can apply all over your body but we had to discontinue it since we wanted to focus on new products down the road. Some months back though, a friend of mine shared that her friend LOVED our balm in the harsh Australian winter since it was the only thing that kept her lips alive. That’s when I had the idea of making a more portable version of the balm - something people can travel with or just casually throw in their bags everyday!

I’m on a high from SEVENTEEN’s concert last weekend - it was AMAZING! I have been crazy for Korean pop idols for almost a decade, and seeing them perform knife-like choreography while singing AND maintaining perfect hair and makeup at the same time amazes me. K-idols are one of the reasons why I got into makeup and skincare (and particularly K-beauty) in the first place. Most of them are brand endorsers and while we PV girls have been known to buy into these endorsements, I really wanted to find out what they actually use. So, I have been on the lookout for backstage clips, shows, and news to see what products are in these idols’ kits. I’ve managed to hunt down five lip products that idols have been spotted using - and they’re all under P500!

You better work, work, work because this week’s roundup has got everything you need to brighten up your day! We’ve got FENTY Beauty’s surprise lipstick drop (now on Sephora btw), something new from Hourglass, and a brand spanking new collection from Happy Skin! We’ve got the glow, the glam, and the… scent? Happy reading!

I am a firm believer in the power of beautiful lashes. Long, voluminous, and charmingly curled - a good pair of lashes does so much to make your eyes look more awake and vibrant. I have been meaning to try lash perming forever but shelling out P3,700 for Yumi lashes was a little steep for my cheapskate heart. After reading several recommendations for Let’s Face It Salon from the Project Vanity community, I decided why not, and gave their P252 (!!!) lash perm a go.

I like to pull influences from all sorts of media, but the canon of film and TV is such a particularly great resource because it laces aesthetics with philosophies about beauty and identity. In film and TV, makeup moments say a lot about character and these moments are pretty intentional by design. We recently had a discussion about great beauty moments from film and TV in the Project Vanity Community group, and I’ve put together some our faves into this little list.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I like my eyes, but my eyelashes can be a pain. Like the hair on my head, my lashes are naturally rebond-straight, somewhat fine, and do what they want, which usually involves clumping together when curled or after more than one coat of mascara. On top of this, I have an odd eye shape: a tapering eyelid crease creates a “hood” which tends to swallow up my lashes. Because of this, putting on mascara can be a nerve-racking experience, as I’m constantly running the risk of getting product all over my lids.

A low pH cleanser is the best kind you can use for your skin, and this holds true for all skin types and concerns. The super gentle formula is perfect for sensitive skin, won’t dry out dehydrated skin, helps prevent acne in troubled skin, balances out oily skin, and leaves dry skin feeling soft and supple. Most low pH cleansers are formulated to match the skin’s natural pH level of 5.5, which allows the proper and healthy maintenance of the acid mantle.

When I was in high school and makeup was forbidden, my classmates and I got our beauty kick by being extra enthusiastic about skincare. During lunch breaks, face washes, moisturizers, and lip balms were whipped out of school bags and shared or traded. We only had our student allowances then so purchases were carefully budgeted. If only it were available then, we would’ve appreciated the compact and inexpensive skincare products of Fresh Skinlab!

How is September almost over?! It’s time to start planning your Halloween looks! You don’t need to wait that long for treats though, because we’ve got goodies for you in this week’s roundup. Get ready for the ultimate Disney Princess makeup collection of your dreams (that’s super affordable, btw), more MAC lippies to watch out for, and a new beauty brand from the Land Down Under.

One of the biggest news that shook the local beauty scene last year was the announcement that CosRX was coming to Watsons. The Korean brand has a devoted and growing following among skincare enthusiasts, and we were thrilled we could finally stock up on favorites without having to wait for our online orders. Now, we can expect to enjoy the same instant gratification with Neogen and Dear Klairs!

Stop and drop everything you’re doing right now for this important announcement: Urban Decay is now available at Sephora PH! Yes, we too had to slap ourselves to make sure we weren’t dreaming.

I use filters for most of my Instagram photos because my iPhone has a crappy camera that just fails even in what should be sufficient lighting. It takes me extra time to edit my selfies, but it’s worth the effort to enhance the final image. And so here’s where Revlon asked and answered a question: what if your foundation already gives you the effect of app filters?

When we posted about our tita-purse must haves, a lot of our readers shared that they tote around pain and stress relievers, too. Medicines, soothing balms, liniments, essential oils, and even bandages are now part of our purse essentials! To be honest, I wasn’t very surprised; it seems like we all deal with stress and pain on the daily. We may associate pain relievers with the elderly but the reality is any weekday warrior in the metro can do with some stress relief.

Enter Danarra, aromatherapy oils that combine the cooling sensation of a soothing balm with refreshing therapeutic scents! It comes in six variants: Classic Menthol (Destress), Green Tea (Clear Mind), Lavender (Relaxing Sleep), Young (Cool & Fresh), Flowery Citrus (Energy Giving), and Sport (Mood Booster).