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.

I used to consider mascara as an unnecessary part of my makeup routine. It’s a hassle to wear and a hassle to remove, plus they keep hitting my glasses whenever I blink! Don’t get me wrong, it’s a nice extra to wear for special events, but I don’t use them every time I go out. That is, until I started wearing contacts recently.

A lot of things changed since I started wearing contacts. I’m now more meticulous about my eye makeup since every mistake is easily seen. I’m more careful about the junk I put near my eyes too, since I can’t risk irritation or worse, infection. I also started going crazy over mascara - I rarely go out now without at least one layer of it. 

So, I’d like to share my current favorite mascara: the Colour Collection Triple Effect Mascara (P499). I didn’t like it at first, but when I got the hang of it, this mascara and I have become inseparable! 

What I love about the product

• Looks very natural, close to real lashes. I haven’t tried mascara like this before! Although one layer doesn’t do much, it’s in the second coat where the magic happens. It makes my lashes look like a thick fringe, thanks to the small fibers in the formula.

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:

Ok, I've found my current favorite mascara: the L'Oreal Curl Impact Collagene Mascara (P795) which was released just this month. I admit I didn't like it as much when I first started using it. It was so stubborn to remove (automatic major minus points), and I actually lost more than a few eyelashes in the process! I had to rub and wipe with at least two different makeup removers before it finally came off. That was stupid of me. I should have just read the instructions: it washes off with warm water.

Yep, you got that right. I've tried other mascaras that wash off with warm water, but this is the easiest one to take off. It almost melts on contact with the water plus there isn't that much residue left to wipe off. Winner!

The L'Oreal Curl Impact Collagene promises to deliver curl and volume - and it does. It may have something to do with the special spiral wand. There is a noticeable curl even without using an eyelash curler, but if you want something more dramatic, I suggest using that tool. As for the volume, this mascara fattens up and blackens my lashes quite nicely that I can skip eyeliner when using it.

Let's run through the pros and cons!

Another item I got from the We Have It 43 store is this well-raved mascara called the Majolica Majorca Lash Expander (P750). Majolica Majorca is a Japanese brand, a low-end line of Shiseido (the way Kate is the drugstore line of Kanebo). I've been reading about this mascara for years, but since Majolica Majorca isn't available in the Philippines, I can only wonder! Good thing the We Have It 43 store, well, has it.

I find this mascara deserving of all the rave reviews - it does bring my pudgy lashes to such great heights, never before known! Check out the Makeupalley rating at 4.3/5. It has one major caveat for me, however: it's extremely difficult to remove.

What I love about the product

• Majorly lengthens and volumizes lashes with only one coat. Two coats and you'll look like you're wearing falsies. It's because the formula has these tiny fiber hairs that helps thicken and bridge your natural lash hairs.
• Zero smudging. It's also waterproof, tear-proof, and sweat-proof. 

One coat

Grow Luscious by Fabulash is Revlon's latest mascara offering. It just came out last month! The kind folks at Revlon sent it to me for review. It's supposed to lengthen and strengthen lashes overtime, but I can't vouch for that because I reckon it will take at least a month of regular use to see any difference. What I can talk about though is its formula, texture, packaging, and overall performance.

Grow Luscious has three shades: Black Noir, Black Shimmer, and Blackened Brown. They come in two formulas, Regular and Waterproof.

What I like about this mascara

• Minimal clumping. Take note to work quickly while coating your lashes to avoid clumping.
• Didn't smudge or budge on me. I used it the whole day, but I was mostly in cabs and airconditioned rooms. I didn't sweat much.
• No flaking that I noticed.

The only mascara I've been using in the past year is the Clinique High Impact Mascara. You can glean from the review that I didn't like it that much, but that was only at first! As soon as I figured out how to get the dramatic lash I want, this mascara and I have been inseparable. Even more so when I discovered that it's so easy to remove - wet with water, wipe a bit, and voila! All gone! I like it so much that I bought a tube.

That said, I had high expectations of the newest Clinique mascara called the Lash Power Volumizing Mascara. The Clinique counter assistant tried it on me during my visit and I was impressed by the volume and length that it gave my lashes - with only one coat. Two coats and I get lashes that look like I'm wearing falsies, and that's an achievement for sparse and thin lashes like mine.

The best way to go about this it to just show you!