Last week I had the pleasure of meeting Pam, the Marketing Coordinator for VMV Hypoallergenics. I must confess that I was pretty excited about the casual meeting because I've always been curious about the brand. I've heard so many good things about their Armada sunblocks and line of foundations, and of course, their claim about being completely hypoallergenic.

Did you know that VMV is a proudly Pinoy brand? I was really surprised when I first heard about that a couple of years ago. VMV is so well-packaged, so well-branded, that many of us are not aware that it started right here back in 1979. It's local, but it has a global mindset. Currently, VMV can also be found in New York, UAE, and Hong Kong among others.

It's among the first brands in Asia to formulate a hypoallergenic line, going as far as creating its own rating system for each product.

Yes, yes, I know, Majolica Majorca again! Can't help it! I have a bunch of Majo stuff I still need to review. I like the products from the brand so I end up talking about them anyway.

This time, I'll be reviewing the Majolica Majorca Rouge Majex lip gloss (P495). 

What I love about the product

• Non-sticky. Doesn't feel tacky on the lips.
• Moisturizing. I don't even have to use lip balm underneath!
• Great lasting power for a lip gloss. Eating doesn't take it off, a feat not many lipglosses can achieve.

My mom and I are lipstick buddies. When I was still in school, I would always borrow her lipsticks. But now that I have a collection of my own, she would always borrow mine! So when we had lunch the other weekend she complimented my loud pink lipstick - mind you, she's 51 - and asked if she can wear it too. Of course I said yes. We went around the mall, arm in arm, wearing the exact same shade. Ah, how beauty products make fond memories!

The Colour Collection Color Intense Lipstick (P350) is supposedly patterned after NYX's wildly successful Round Lipsticks, but I dare say that CC lipsticks are better than NYX ones. Why? Color Collection has the intense pigmentation and moisturizing properties of NYX lippies, but they last longer and smell better (NYX lippies smell and taste kind of soapy).

Let's go through the pros and cons!

What I love about the product

• Intensely pigmented. One swipe will deliver rich color on your lips.
• Creamy and moisturizing, although I would still suggest a light layer of lip balm
• Delivers a satin finish (my favorite kind).

Call me typical, but one of my favorite movies of all time is Breakfast At Tiffany's. A favorite scene of mine is the one where Holly Golightly wakes up late on a Thursday. She fumbles all over her flat for her shoes and her dress, rushing down the stairs to visit mob boss Sally Tomato in Sing Sing prison. Nevertheless, Holly was groomed in five minutes, finishing her look with a nude pink lipstick and a few spritzes of perfume.

Holly is the kind of woman who loves beautiful things, carefully chosen pieces that she can afford with her limited "glamour girl" money. She's also the kind of girl who isn't ready until she has lipstick. "Hand me my purse, will you, darling? A girl can't read that sort of thing without her lipstick," she says.

This memorable woman is the first person I thought of when I tried the Guerlain Rouge G Lipstick in Galia. The beautiful packaging looks just like something Holly Golightly would carry in her purse or keep in her apartment cubbyhole if she were alive today. Of course, I'm sure she would love the nude pink color of Galia, which is similar to the lipstick she's wearing in the photos.

I'm not an addict, baby that's a lie! Says K's Choice in their iconic song. I have dozens of tubes of lip products, but I still keep on buying a few here and there. I can't help it. I blame it on my curiosity! It doesn't help that most lip stuff are cheap and easily accessible, what with all the online resellers out there. NYX is one guilty pleasure of mine.

The NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream is one of the brand's newest lip color lines. It promises to be "nothing you've experienced before" - and I agree! It's certainly unique, defying the definition of what lipstick or gloss should be. I love the color payoff and how it feels on my lips, but I find that it dries in a rather unflattering way. Here's a quick run-down of the pros and cons!

Antwerp

What I love about the product

• Pigmented. One dip is enough to make the whole lip opaque with color.
• Dries quickly enough.

Remember my post last February? Majolica Majorca is now available in the Philippines! You can already find it in SM Makati's Beauty By SM area. There was supposed to be a big launch at Opus yesterday, but due to the unforeseen disasters in Japan, it was only right that the event was moved as a sign of respect and mourning for the country's losses.

Moving on, I was so delighted when I received a gift from Majolica Majorca last Sunday. It was hanging by the door knob when I got home from my vacation - cute, but thank goodness it wasn't stolen! Haha. Here's what I got:

How do you feel about frosty lipsticks? Me, I wasn't a fan. I found them tacky and outdated. But hey, it seems that I haven't been looking in the right places! If the MAC Viva Glam IV lipstick (P1,000) is to be used as a benchmark, MAC frost lipsticks are actually pretty good. In fact, I do think I like them better than the Amplified Creme ones!

MAC frost lipsticks feel lighter on the lips and has a nice, smooth finish. The frost isn't too obvious to begin with - it has more of a luster than the usual frost effect. Like most MAC lipsticks, this has good staying power but it's not as good as, say, Satin or Matte types.

Last Thursday, I had the pleasure of finally meeting the product manager of Guerlain and Bulgari, Sigrid Villamil. She's a vivacious, beautiful woman who is obviously passionate about the brand. Over delicious food (thanks Sigrid for letting me know about Chelsea's cookie dough cheesecake!), we talked about Guerlain and how it is one of the oldest brands in the industry, representing quality, tradition, and the ultimate luxury when it comes to beauty.

Guerlain was founded in 1898 by Pierre-François Pascal Guerlain in Paris. His perfumes were so popular that he became the perfumer of the royals, first by the King of France, then by Queen Victoria in England, and also by Queen Isabella II of Spain, among others. Some of the Guerlain scents that are part of perfume history are Jicky (recognized as the first modern perfume), Après L'Ondée, Mitsuoko, and Shalimar, the flagship fragrance. Read my review! 

The 183-year old house of Guerlain eventually started producing skincare and makeup, the most famous of which is the Orchidee Imperiale skincare line and the Meteorites. 

Guerlain must-haves: Midnight Secret, L'Or makeup primer, Orchidee Imperiale Cream, Rouge G lipstick, Meteorites, Lingerie De Peau liquid foundation

According to Sigrid, Guerlain believes in beauty - the kind that a woman naturally has and in the things that she uses on herself. Hence, Guerlain products are always in beautiful, luxurious packaging which makes them keepsakes in their own right.

One of the lipsticks I reach for a lot lately is the L'Oreal NutriShine lipstick in Rose Guava (P675). It's a great shade but what distinguishes it from the other brands I have is the super cute packaging! You see, most of my lipsticks are in black tubes. It's kind of a hassle sifting through a heap of them when I'm in a hurry so I just grab what looks interesting. This L'Oreal lipstick certainly fits the bill!

Rose Guava is a warm pink with blue undertones. At first I thought it wasn't a good match for my yellow-toned skin, but since this pink isn't too cool, it still manages to flatter my color. However, I think this would look gorgeous on those with beige undertones, better than on yellow skin.

What I love about the product

• Has a glossy, shiny finish that works well in brightening the face. Great color for the day.
• Glides on smoothly. Love the watery, non-waxy texture.

The lipstick trend for this summer is all about fresh and bold shades. They're the colors that you can match up with gay sun dresses in florals or solid colors like white, lemon, orange, and lime. Hence, the Revlon Fire & Ice Collection is right on schedule! It consists of three new shades, with one classic red from way back in the 1950's. Here's my review of the Revlon Super Lustrous Lipsticks in the collection!

What I love about the product

• I love all the shades. Temptress and Demure may need some layering to make it really stand out, but I love the sweet, understated effect they have on my lips. Siren is a standout orange, while All Fired Up is a memorable, flattering red.
• Satin finish, my favorite kind.

Are you considering red lips for Valentine's Day (or any day)? A lot of women are a little scared of this color because it's loud AND fussy, but I think it's in keeping with the occasion's theme. A bit of fuss during the first application, when done right, is worth it since you probably don't have to apply it again during the day.

Here are some quick tips as well as some lipstick suggestions:

• Prime your lips with balm. Don't slather on too much. A very thin layer is enough to moisturize; too much and your lipstick will just stay on top and slide off.
• Apply a red lip liner just a little bit inside your natural lip line. Red can be an overwhelming color and you don't want your mouth to look like one huge stoplight! Thin but juicy red lips are more sophisticated compared to thick red ones. 

Lined

Shaded with lip liner

Cute story. So I met celebrities Tweetie De Leon-Gozales last week and Andi Eigenmann last Tuesday. I asked them what their must-have product is and guess what they both said? Carmex lip balm! Yes, Carmex. It appears that you're never too mature or too young for something as basic as lip balm.

So why Carmex? I always hear this brand thrown around but I've never gotten to try it. That is, until I Tweeted some weeks back that I'm curious about it. Carmex then kindly sent me their products to review.

The original form of Carmex when it was invented in the 1930s

After some light Googling I found the interesting story of Carmex. It was created by Alfred Woelbing from out of his kitchen stove in the 1930s. He started selling it to pharmacists from the boot of his car. Eventually, as the product gained a cult following through word-of-mouth, Carmex opened a factory in 1957 and became one of the well-known lip balm brands in the world. To this day it is still owned by the Woelbing family. Alfred Woelbing himself ran it until he was 96. He died in 2001, at 100 years old.

Read this detailed article on the fascinating history of Carmex. It's a compelling story of one man's entrepreneurial spirit and hard work.

Anywaaay, here's my review of this intriguing product!

I have tried quite a few lipsticks already, from extremely cheap, to midpriced, and to reasonably expensive. I love all my lippies in some way, but if you must ask me what my current favorite is, I'd say that it's the Avon Ultra Moisture Rich Lipstick. It's got everything I'm looking for in a lipstick: unique shades, lovely effect, and creamy, non-drying texture.

Four color families: Sheers/Nudes, Pinks, Plums, and Corals/Reds

There's really not much to say as the swatches will speak for themselves, but allow me to run a quick review before I post pictures of the 19 out of 20 available shades.

What I LOVE about the product

• Super creamy and smooth texture. The lipstick just glides on easily.
• Non-drying. Although to prolong the moisturizing effect, apply a thin layer of lip balm underneath. 
• Feels comfortable on the lips. It doesn't have that heavy, waxy feel.
• Minimizes lines on the lips, making it look plumper and juicier somehow (you'll know what I mean when you try it). 

I received a bag full of goodies from Revlon today. Among the things they sent me where some of the latest/ reincarnated shades from their Super Lustrous Lipstick line. Of course, the first thing I did was take photos! My favorite out of the bunch is this orange lipstick called Siren. It looks bright orange in the tube, but it's more of a coral-orange mix than just neon orange.

I don't have individual pics of the tube, unfortunately. Don't worry, I'll be reviewing the Super Lustrous lippies in a separate post.

I think Pinays should wear more orangey lipsticks for three reasons - first, orange looks strikingly beautiful on morenas, second, it's always summer here and third, it's trendy right now!

When I started to get into makeup I harbored the secret fantasy of becoming a makeup artist. I never did push through with it though, because I'm not as happy about applying makeup on other people as writing about it! My forte really is writing, hence this blog. I enjoy the process of gathering information and sharing it.

As my dreams of becoming a makeup artist faded away, I do still want to own a makeup artist's ultimate symbol: the train case. That's why I was blown away when Avon handed me this awesome train case made by Suesh. The huge case was full of goodies Avon thoughtfully put in! This will sound really cheesy, but thanks Avon for making one of my dreams come true! Haha. 

Curious to see what's inside? Click click!

Oh my gosh! It's already the 31st! Can you imagine that it will be next year tomorrow? I try to backtrack everything I've done on 2010, but it's too overwhelming. Suffice it to say that I immensely enjoyed this year, and it has made me grow so much in both the professional and personal departments.

As for Project Vanity, we have enjoyed modest success, closing the year with more than 500 entries and thousands of readers every month. This could not have been possible without you! :D

So, allow me to close the year with something this blog does best: a makeup review.

The Avon Smooth Minerals Lipstick (P375) is supposed to give "luminous, luxurious color", and it does! It's sheer upon first application, but I believe that it's designed to be buildable. Avon is not really known for their excursions in the shocking color department, which is just as well because every girl needs a beautiful lipstick that feels comfortable on the lips.

What I love about the product

• Smooth, glides on easily.
• Has a glossy, luminous finish. Really gives dimension to the lips and draws light to the face.
• Non-waxy, light feel.

MAC Blankety is the first ever MAC lipstick that I bought. I regret it. It's an okay color, but it's not something that I would rave about. I wished I got something reliable like Cosmo, famous like Pink Noveau, or classic like Russian Red. I don't know what got in my head!

Okay I do. I was looking for a shade in the nude color family since I only have a few nudes while I have quite a lot of pinks, reds, and everyday shades. I picked the Amplified Creme type because I read that it's smooth and creamy, unlike Satin (I owned MAC Twig, which I gave away to my mom) which I found too dry. Blankety is one of MAC's more famous nude lipsticks so I chose it.

Anyway, on to the review!

What I love about the product

• Glides on smoothly and feels creamy on the lips
• Good wear time at four hours, barring any eating
• Opaque and pigmented

The Colorescience Lip Polish is perhaps the most misleadingly named product I've ever come across. One can reasonably expect that something named "lip polish" will give gloss and shine, but that's not the case with this one from Colorescience. The finish is matte, and it's unlike any gloss - or lip product, for that matter - that I've tried.

Instead, I'd say that this is the best lip stain ever. It sticks like no one's business; at times I like to think of it as a semi-permanent lip tattoo. Okay now that's just a hyperbole, but I want to give you guys an idea of the level it performs.

The texture of the lip product itself is not waxy like lipstick, tacky like gloss, or watery/gel-like like your normal lip stain. Instead, it's oily. Yes, oily. That's what it will feel like on your lips when you apply it, but later on it will turn a bit sticky. 

The color on the tube looks like a dark berry red, but when applied, it's a very natural red-pink.

Last week, I received a beauty loot from Anne, a friend who lives in Canada! You remember that I swapped with her last September. This is our picture with Noemz, another friend I met online, who kindly shipped the package to me even amidst her busy schedule!

me, Anne, Noemz

These two girls are the sweetest. We only met online, eventually met in person, and, thanks to the Internet, we manage to keep in touch! I can't wait for Anne to visit the Philippines again so we can have a proper dinner or something. 

Anyhoo, this is what Anne sent me: