In one sense, quarantine has been “easy.” But in another sense, it hasn’t been. Here I will once again acknowledge my special circumstances: I am mentally ill, and my condition comes with depressive and anxious episodes. But even if I wasn’t a “clinical case,” the COVID-19 situation has produced feelings of fear and powerlessness - of being able to only watch through a screen as the world as we know falls apart - that have been incredibly difficult to push past.

While most people associate “peak winter” with the Christmas holidays, the best time to experience the cold season is actually at the beginning of the year. Between January to March, the weather strikes a perfect balance: cold enough for frost to form but milder than pre-solstice temperatures. This is the perfect time to travel to temperate countries if you want to experience the season. With skiing and snow festivals on the horizon, there’s tons of winter fun to be had before spring sets in! Except, if you’re a tropical tourist like me, there may be more to worry about than the price of the plane ticket.

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve noticed my preferences in makeup shifting. Perhaps it’s the fact that I’ve been working for a while, and so (ideally) better understand the value of money. Or perhaps it was the rude awakening that was destashing two train-cases worth of barely-used drugstore makeup. Whatever the reason, I find that beyond K-Pop related fangirling, I’m harder to excite in the cosmetics department, having shifted my “collector” tendencies to skincare products and generally sticking to (and using up) the same makeup staples and shades.

At 25, I’m still considered “young” by many standards. However, over the past year I’ve begun to notice the beginnings of “signs of aging,” no doubt exacerbated by my sleepless nights and hectic schedule (#millennialhustlelife). Considering my mother is famous for having been asked to show ID in bars all the way into her thirties, looking older than my actual age is admittedly an insecurity of mine, one made worse due to the fact that tons of people do actually assume my age as (much) older. True story: In a recent Facebook Live I did for work, when I asked viewers to guess my age, their average estimate was 33!

Throughout history, hair has been considered our “crowning glory” - status symbol, fashion accessory, and beauty standard all rolled in (or up) into one glorious ‘do. But, let’s be honest: there’s only so much our natural follicles can do, so many have turned to the power of the hairpiece to make their desired statement.

A few months ago, I started using adapalene, a third-generation retinoid that was recently approved for over-the-counter use. Supposedly, a Reddit user banished her textured skin and blackheads in just one month, using daily exfoliation and this “miracle” retinoid gel.

Despite the warnings every single website about adapalene mentions that it’s really only for cystic acne, and that skin will become dry and sensitive for up to two months - a process that is called “retinization” - I bought the product, began using it, and experienced the four worst weeks of my life, skin-wise.

It’s no secret that, here at Project Vanity, we love a good masking sesh! From sheet masks challenges to trying different types of clay and everything in between, the PV girls are always down for a good at-home spa day. There’s one problem with this, though: I often don’t have the 10 or so minutes to spare for the mask treatments. After a long day of working and attending music school, it’s a small victory that I even manage my current five-step skincare routine daily! But what if there was a mask that works in mere seconds?

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.

Long before I’d jumped on the K-Beauty hypetrain, I was already a big fan of The Face Shop. Their Lovely Me:Ex Angel Skin Powder Pact was my first upgrade from drugstore pressed powders (and still holds a soft spot in my heart for its finely-milled, soft-matte finish). I still hold their My Lips Eat Cherry Aqua Tint as one of the gold standards for Korean lip and cheek tints: viscous enough to not be messy and bleed into my teeth, as other, more watery tints are apt to do. I’ve grown to be such a fan of their products that, despite being on no-buy, I can’t resist at least taking a peek when I pass by their stores, excited to see what new products or deals are on offer.

While comparisons to similar celeb-preneur labels such as Kylie Cosmetics and Jeffree Star abound, there’s no denying that Vice Cosmetics - much like its famously unkabogable founder - is a brand all its own. Formulated based on the #GandaForAll philosophy, Vice Cosmetics’ debut launch promised luxury quality at mass-market friendly prices, and featured true-matte shades that were simultaneously trendy and wearable. Still, while this first launch definitely brought fashion-forward mattes to the mainstream market, there was a conscious effort to “tone down” on the hues and finishes: to be “relatable” instead of reflecting Vice Ganda’s trademark edgy style.

Fans of Korean skincare are probably very familiar with the sheet mask. This supercharged K-beauty innovation basically acts a concentrated “booster shot” for the skin, delivering a potent dose of active ingredients in the form of a saturated cotton or hydrogel mask. Skincare junkies swear by them, and any pretty unnie worth her salt probably has a preferred brand. Here at PV, our editor-in-chief Liz swears by Leaders, while the other ladies prefer more familiar labels like Etude House, The Face Shop, and Skinfood. Personally, I am solidly #TeamInnisfree.

Or, well, I was. Until a KPop group shook up my life, and my skincare routine.

With love songs playing everywhere and girls proudly showing off bouquets, it might easy to feel a little left out on Valentine's Day. As an “NBSB” (no boyfriend since birth), I know that I do. Still, over my twenty-odd years of flying solo, I’ve learned it’s best not to listen to those “single blues!” Instead, fill your mind with words of wisdom from these fabulously independent women who'll show you how to celebrate love even if you aren’t necessarily in love!

The beauty industry is fast-paced and constantly evolving with new trends, techniques, and tools popping up seemingly overnight. Some of them, like these skincare “innovations” we reviewed, are fun but ultimately passing fads that soon go the way of butterfly clips and elephant pants.

While some trends are destined to delight then disappear, there have been a few survivors that have made the jump from beauty gimmick to beauty staple. While the fate of “washing machine” brush cleaners, jade face rollers, and pizza-cutter eyeliner are still up in the air, these tools have weathered disbelief, dissing, and dupes, and look like they’re here to stay!

After years of worshipping at the altar of perfectly-matte, shine-free face base, I've learned to embrace my natural shine, thanks to the cult of chok-chok. This dewy, bouncy glow had all of us falling back in love with moisturizing, with some swapping out foundie faves for the ultimate KBeauty staple: the BB cream.

For most, the holidays conjure up a sense of wonder and joy. For me, however, the onset of December can only mean one thing: stress. The prospect of having to shop for my considerable list usually gives me tiny panic attacks, which is why I often find myself procrastinating Christmas shopping until the last possible moment... resulting in lackluster gift sets that even I know are destined for the “White Elephant” pile.

Ah, the holidays. Carols are playing on the radio, tinsel and ornaments hang everywhere, and traffic is overwhelming. The current state of our streets and malls might rob even the most festive person of the Christmas spirit. Thankfully, online shopping giants like Zalora and Lazada can mean that gift hunting doesn’t have to involve burning through a tank of gas and the last of your patience!

Any self-respecting beauty girl knows that one of the core tenets of millennial beauty is this: kilay is life. Full, perfectly-groomed Insta-ready (though not necessarily Instagram) eyebrows are "in", leading to any number of products catering to them, from liquid brow liners to peel-off “tattoo” tints. But while women have embraced rocking the power brow, one had to wonder... how might guys feel about trying the trend?

In the era post-2000s bushy brow revival, there are #blessed girls... and then there’s me.

Ladies and gentlefolk, I will not mince words: my brows are a pair of jerks. While practice has allowed me to more-or-less perfect the rest of my makeup routine (even the dreaded winged liner causes me no anxiety), the very thought of having to shape my brows has me exhausted. Not only are they sparse to begin with - they’re also very uneven and ridiculously unruly. While getting K-pop bangs has helped my struggles some, I still spend a ridiculous amount of time and effort getting my eyebrows anywhere close to presentable. In fact, I was even tempted to spring for microblading, if only to cut down on my daily prep time. Unfortunately, my fear of needles trumped my need for better arches.

As a beauty addict, I eat, sleep, and breathe makeup recommendations. To be specific, I really love giving them! But while I can dash off a laundry list of fave eyeshadows and lippies, foundations have always posed a bit of a problem for me. See, while I have generally resilient skin (combination-oily, with a tendency for breakouts now controlled by the In Her Element Low pH Rose Gel Cleanser), many of my friends fall on the more sensitive side of the spectrum, meaning I don’t often have recommendations - especially for liquid formulations - I feel I can safely recommend.