From the perfect reds to the most flattering pinks, we are always on the hunt for that perfect lipstick. A bright, eye-catching pout instantly elevates any FOTD but there are days when you just wanna keep things low-key. The answer is, of course, the coveted MLBB (my lips but better) shade that gives that extra oomph with zero effort! It makes for a great go-to everyday lipstick that you’d want to stash in your purse since it can go with any look and outfit.

Bobbi Brown is your best bet when it comes to high quality neutrals and classic looks. We’ve done a lot of rave reviews about their products, including their Luxe Lip Colors which remain a favorite even to this day. One would think that 30 satin shades is a good number to pick from, but these tubes are so successful that Bobbi Brown added three more lines under the House of Luxe Lip Color!

I am absolutely weak for minis (see Exhibits 1, 2, and 3). Since I like lugging my beauty essentials around, collecting travel-sized skincare and makeup has always been my happy pill. Recently, I swooned over the new shades of blk Cosmetics #blktravels when I spotted them on Instagram. Paris, Los Angeles, New York, and London are bold additions to their initial collection of MLBBs and more classic hues.

I have been a big fan of the Colourette Colourtints ever since I got my hands on them last July. Pigmented, long-lasting, and easy to blend, both Fresh and Matte formulas have found a special spot in my makeup kit. This is the reason I was really excited to attend their third anniversary party where they launched the latest addition to their best-selling tint family. Say hello to the newest Velvetints – a multipurpose velvet formula for your eyes, cheeks, and lips!

I am not as well versed in J-beauty as I’d like to be. Unlike the rest of the PV team, my experience with Japanese cosmetics can be condensed to a few award winning skincare, cult-favorite mascaras, and the ever famous Shu Uemura lash curler. I’m currently on a streak of more natural makeup looks so Canmake Philippines’ newly-released matte lip tint and cream blush were welcome additions to my current rotation!

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!

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!

Rejoice, Mainenatics! MAC Cosmetics has finally unveiled their lipstick collaboration with Maine Mendoza. Welcome @MaineDCM: a muted peachy beige shade with a Matte finish. She chose this shade because she wanted an MLBB that will flatter Pinay skin tones. 

Editor’s Note: Before Buwan ng Wika ends, we want to celebrate a Filipino language that has risen in popularity in recent years - Swardspeak! More popularly known as Bekinese or Bekimon, this gay lingo has also become common in the beauty world, especially with the arrival of the Vice Ganda brand. A glossary of terms has been included below for those who are not familiar with the terminology. We hope you enjoy this article as much as we did producing it!

Here's a fact of life: women don't buy lipstick because they need one. They buy because of the way it makes them feel. We tend to pick up our bullet of the day because of our mood or even according to who we want to be like; is it chic and elegant, sexy and hot, smart and practical? The permutations are endless, which is why lipstick is one of the easiest beauty products to sell even in an already crowded market. We can't have too much of it because we assign a unique and personal value to each of our carefully chosen shades.

Remember back in 2016 when Heart Evangelista-Escudero collaborated with Happy Skin for a limited edition collection? The mini lippies and liners were such a hit that they've relaunched the two bestselling lip liners as full-sized matte lippies!

This is the first time ever that Happy Skin has relaunched a limited edition collection, which goes to show just how amazing these two shades are! And like the other matte lippies of Happy Skin, these new arrivals are packed with Cupuaçu Butter to provide hydration and a bit of sun protection as well. The #HappySkinxLoveMarie Moisturizing Matte Lippie (P649) comes in the shades Heartthrob (deep red) and Skinny Dipping (peachy nude).

Are you the kind of person who hates retouching lipstick during the day? Do you hate the feeling of greasy or waxy lips as you eat your food? If your answer to both questions is yes, then you're in luck with Revlon's Colorstay Overtime Lipcolor (P575). This is designed to be food-proof, water-proof and pretty much resistant to anything you throw at it until you remove it. It's not exactly a new concept (remember the Make Up For Ever Aqua Rouge Waterproof Liquid Lip Color?) but it comes at an affordable price point and lots of shades to choose from.

I have been hearing great things about the Colourette Colourtints from the Project Vanity team and community. Pigmented, blendable, and with strong lasting power – for P249 each, they definitely sound like a steal! Recently, the Colourette team launched new formulations of this cult favorite to be even better. The original Matte shades now have an even richer pigmentation, and they introduced a new Fresh version for fans that prefer a lightweight, my-lips-but-better tint.

I had a lot of not-so-positive misconceptions about going to the Chinese mainland for the first time last month. I thought it was going to be dirty, noisy, and full of rude people, but that was certainly not the case! I found Shanghai to be a beautiful city that was as mighty as it was poetic. I loved the food, the painfully fashionable Chinese wandering the streets, and the amazing architecture. The Bund, a waterfront area facing the Huangpu River and looking out to the Lujiazui skyline, is a sight to see at night. I wasn't able to explore the city very long but one thing is for sure: I will definitely visit Shanghai again!

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.

Have you ever experienced falling in love with makeup in a very real, heartbeat-skipping sort of way? I've been a fan for a long time but something about luxury lipsticks just stop my heart. Now, I honestly don't get excited over lip products because I'm more of a face base fan, but when the sleek black box stamped with Tom Ford in gold lettering arrived for the PV team, I knew this was going to be a very different experience.

Lip liners are underrated makeup products here in Asia. It’s a shame, though, as many miss out its abilities to define the shape of our lips and help keep our lipstick in place. If you haven't yet, you should consider adding lip liners to your arsenal because Ever Bilena recently released a new collection of Matte Lip Liners with very budget-friendly prices!

When the PV team received the invite for the launch of the Laura Mercier Velour Extreme Matte Lippies and found the venue was at Yes Please, BGC, we were pretty shocked, to say the least. Laura Mercier has long been a staple for the Titas of Manila, so it was a little jarring to experience the new products in a blacked out, neon-lit bar.