I eat lipsticks for lunch. Ok not really, but I can if I wanted to! Hehe. I think I have 140+ lip products lying around here - and counting. It's fun to have so many choices, but I often forget what I have! Need to do something about that soon.

Anyway here are some new lipsticks I received from my kind brand benefactors. Each of them has an amazing formula but if you ask me, that's just not as important as the color. ;) Which one is your favorite?

First up, I have the Artdeco High Performance Lipstick in 487. It's a dark plummy purple packed with silver frost. Kinda intimidating if you think about it, but that's precisely why I like it. it's a fierce, commanding color that says "take me seriously or else!" 

I'm currently reading the Fifty Shades Trilogy. It's interesting, in the same way that Twilight is interesting - overly self-aware girl doesn't know how pretty she is, domineering mega-rich guy falls for her. Same old. It does have a lot of, er, physical scenes. It takes the boredom away! :P

After Fifty Shades I plan to read the John Carter Barsoom series. I just watched the movie last Friday and holy hell, it was horrible! I like the premise though, so I'm looking forward to see how it originally rendered on print. What are you poring through these days?

And this is the part where I segue into makeup. Haha! I recently got my hands on the Beauty UK Lip Vinyl in Pure Pacha (P250 from The Makeup Suite). Long story short, I love this stuff! It's a liquid lipstick that's intensely pigmented without feeling thick or waxy on the lips. I'd say it has a watery texture that glides on smoothly.

The lasting power is very good at 4-5 hours before it starts fading.

Scenario: It's a busy weekend and you're out with your friends during the day, maybe for coffee and a bit of shopping. Afterwards you plan to go to a romantic dinner with your special someone (kilig!). However, you don't want to fuss around with changing your makeup since you're in a hurry! What do you do? Simple! Wear a different lipstick and add lots of smudged eyeliner!

I'm going to show you a step-by-step tutorial on how I did these looks, but first I want to share my thoughts on the new Etude House Dear My Blooming Lips Talk Lipsticks (which I'm using here). They're pretty good and costs only P478 locally! The colors are vibrant and opaque, with a smoothing and moisturizing effect on the lips. 

They come in several in-demand shades like Breathless Pink (hot pink), Love Pink (baby pink), Worrisome Beige (nude), Excited Orange, Thrilling Red, and Bashful Coral. The packaging is a cute princess pink color with a metallic ribbon accent.

Pretty, yes? So! Here are two looks using these Etude House lippies, and a guide on how I did them. They're super simple and fun, promise.

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.

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?

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.

Anne Curtis is the hottest celebrity right now. After seeing her in person last week, I understand why! Up close, she looks exactly like she does on celluloid and print - drop-dead gorgeous, with an ultra-slim bod. Someone commented that she looks like a live Barbie doll and I gotta say that's not too far off the mark! #starstruck

Anne's looks aside, I really appreciated that she seems genuinely happy and excited to be there. It seems to be a good fit, Avon lipsticks and Anne Curtis. Anne is famous for her trademark red shiny lips while Avon makes some of the best lipsticks around (at least for me) - call it destiny, predetermination, natural selection!

So, what's the deal with the Avon Shine Attract Lipsticks?

I thought very long and hard about what to pack for my long road trip up North last weekend. I brought all sorts of neat things, but I forgot something basic yet important: a lip balm. Yes, I brought several lip and eye palettes, cheek colors, and lipsticks, but I didn't think to bring a lip balm. Crud. I did bring my Clinique Almost Lipstick in Shy Honey (P1,100) though!

The Clinique Almost Lipstick served as a great lip balm slash tint topper during the five days I was out. It doesn't feel greasy, oily, or waxy, unlike some lip balms. On the lips it feels thin and super comfortable, much like lip balm, but it does last longer and offers a bit of pinkish shine.

When Blair Waldorf got married to her not-so-fairytale prince, everyone wanted to know one thing: what is her lip gloss? She was wearing a deep pink that set off her romantic, slightly smoked-out eyes beautifully. We've seen a lot of pinks before, but this one is a real knockout.

Everyone initially assumed it was a Chanel Glossimer since Blair is using a Chanel compact, after all. But some people have been saying that it was actually the Revlon Super Lustrous Lip Gloss in Pink Pop (P450), and they make a good case for it!

The packaging is exactly the same, but then again Chanel Glossimers look like this Revlon product too.

This is horribly late I know, but I thought I'd share these lipsticks anyway. They're too nice not to mention! The Avon Valentine Brights Colorbliss Lipsticks (P135) came out as part of Avon's collection for that season. They're specifically targeted toward teens, hence the brighter packaging and more affordable price compared to the Avon UMR Rose line.

I'm sure you're wondering what's the difference. Well, Simply Pretty lipsticks are also opaque, but they are drier and slightly waxier compared to UMR. They also have a lipstick smell but it's not super obvious like drugstore lipsticks. Overall, Simply Pretty lippies are not of the same quality as UMR, but for the price, they perform very well and feel comfy on the lips.

Wanna hear about a vampire-inspired beauty product has captured the imagination of girls everywhere? The Majolica Majorca Blood On Cheek Tint (P495) is a blush and lip color in a balm formulation. It feels exactly like lip balm, actually, but it's a very, very thin one and isn't waxy at all.

To be quite honest, I was lukewarm to the idea of a balm tint. I was worried that it would feel sticky, thick, and that it would clog my pores. But none of those things happened.

I've rambled on and on about the Colour Collection Color Intense Lipsticks (I do that if I like something consistently) for the better part of the year. However, until recently, I didn't know that CC makes other lipstick lines! Silly me. Let me introduce you to the Colour Collection Moisture Intense and Sheer Coverage Lipsticks, two products with different formulations that target specific lipstick needs.

Colour Collection Moisture Intense Lipstick (with SPF15)

Color Intense is a little on the dry side (which helps its lasting power), so if you don't like that particular feature, you must check out Moisture Intense instead. It's more moisturizing and less waxy than CI, but it also comes in high-impact (read: loud!) colors that can give NYX or MAC a run for their money.

My advice to girls who don't like wearing a lot of makeup but still want to look pretty: just swipe on mascara and some tint! If you already have fairly good skin, a little bit of enhacement here and there is more than enough to bring out your natural beauty. Long and full lashes draw eyes towards them (involuntarily at that!), while a healthy flush makes you look fresh and happy.

That said, there are a couple of new Majolica Majorca releases that got beauty enthusiasts into a tizzy: the Lash King Mascara (P795) and the Blood On Cheek Tint (P495). Both were launched around two weeks ago, to good reviews! 

Let's start with the Lash King Mascara.

The name's cute and so is the shade! MAC Plink! is a shiny baby pink with lots of fine silver shimmer. I think it's perfect for fairer girls since it can work as a delicate MLBB shade. It's a bit trickier to match with medium to dark-skinned girls though, due to the pale color.

It's sheerer than I would like and the frostiness is not helping. However, once I layer it on, the color shows up nicely. I suggest wearing a nude lip liner underneath to really make the color pop (if you have darker skin).

As with all MAC lipsticks, Plink! has a good staying power due to its drier texture. It also has that signature MAC vanilla scent!

I need to fly out the door so I'm making this super quick! The Snoe Beso Balm (P149) is a slinky, lightweight lip balm that doesn't feel waxy at all. It's also pretty moisturizing, and doesnt dry up into flaky clumps on me.

It feels quite like my fave lip balm Aquafina, actually! It is super minty, however. It also has a sting. I've tried minty lip stuff before, but the Beso Balm is in a class of its own!

My heart always skips a beat whenever I get a package from Avon. They send a lot, but there's always something new that I get excited to share with you guys. This time, it's the new Avon Ultra Moisture Rich Rose Lipstick (P199 intro price).

What's the difference between the UMR Rose and the original one? This collection is done exclusively in ten rose shades - from baby pinks to a deep almost black red - and has a wonderful sweet vanilla rose scent to show for it. The black tube also has a shiny pink band around it, versus the silver of the normal UMRs.

But this is the most important thing: I think they reformulated! The lipsticks are creamier, more opaque, and more moisturizing than ever. They just glide on like a dream without the waxiness of normal lipsticks. Lastly, the annoying glitters are completely gone from this version of the UMR. Before, Avon lipsticks would always have at least two colors with chunky shimmer in each collection, but this time they are nowhere to be found!

And now, for our favorite part: the swatches. Thought I'd show a full face here so you can see how beautiful the shades are. The photos are a little saturated and blurry but in my defense I am still not used to the settings of my new camera. Hope you get the idea though!

French Lace Rose is a delicate nude shade that is brown-based with hints of pink

Okay so you packed your makeup kit with the utmost care because you want to look your best in a meeting or an out-of-town wedding. But alas! You forgot your blush! You brought three lip balms, gazillions of brushes and all manner of eyeshadows, but you didn't bring something as basic as a blush. What do you do?

a. Fall into pieces and cry like a little girl.

b. Run to the nearest mall or drugstore and buy a blush. Being late be damned.

c. Borrow a blush from an acquaintance/ semi-stranger and revel in what might be a bacteria-infested party on the compact.

d. Use your lipstick as a blush!

Kidding, just kidding. The best answer is D. You can actually use your lipstick as a blush, provided that it's matte or satin, that is.

In a world full of lip balms that you can buy for close to nothing, it's quite a challenge to tell a product apart. Lip balms are made of practically the same ingredients to begin with. The EOS (Evolution of Smooth) Lip Balm, however, became popular not just because of its formula, but how it looks like.

I finally got hold of my an EOS Lip Balm in Summer Fruit (P250) from Digital Traincase, and this is what I think about it!

What I love about the product

• It tastes sweet, with a hint of peach. I've tried quite a few lip balms but none has tasted this good! Even if I lick it a little the balm doesn't come off.
• Smells great, like a confection of fresh fruit - thus the name of this particular variant, Summer Fruit.