I’ve reviewed quite a few Myra products in the past and you know that I’ve been consistently impressed with the brand. Before, I thought that the low price points speak for the quality; I was obviously wrong. If you’re on a budget and you want affordable products that are similar to high-end brands, then Myra is for you. I really like their moisturizer with SPF, face powder, and lip balm.

My absolute favorite, however, would have to be the Vitaglow Tinted Moisturizer. It’s the cheapest and best tinted moisturizer in drugstores right now at only P150!

The best thing about the Vitaglow is that it's touted to be mineral makeup, which means that it doesn't clog pores and should help your skin in the long run. It also contains a powerful antioxidant. Vitamin E is vital in protecting skin cells from ultra violet light, pollution, drugs, and other elements that produce cell damaging free radicals. It also helps the skin by strengthening its moisture barrier and maintaining its oil balance whenever you cleanse.

I've read a lot of good reviews about the Human Nature Sunflower Oil. This is the very intriguing product description:

Radiant, soft skin touched by the sun! Our premium, cosmetic-grade Sunflower Beauty oil is packed with vitamins A, D & E to help fight wrinkles and naturally protect skin from infections and irritants. Best applied to the sensitive under-eye area. Many customers, including our Global Ambassador, Hollywood actress Rachel Grant, use this a make-up remover too. And due to Sunflower oil's properties, it can also help lighten dark circles under eyes and even stretch marks with daily use! A final tip - Rachel Grant likes to take a drop of it, rub it all over her palms then run her hands through her hair to add healthy-looking shine and vigor to her hair every morning. Is there anything our Beauty Oil can't do?!

With a killer description and a killer price (P120 for the 50mL bottle), who won't buy this? My curiosity got the better of me so I decided to get one when I visited Mercato Centrale.

Do you have a femstache, that is, a fringe of hair on the upper lip? Removing most of the hair on a woman's face (except her eyebrows) is considered part of good grooming. Women with mustaches are objects of derision because of that cardinal rule, but if you ask me, that cruelty is unfair and underserved! I think women have the right to keep their hair if they so choose, as long as said hair is clean.

All things considered, I choose to keep my upper lip hairless. The face is simply brighter and clearer that way since even a faint fuzz of fine hair can cast a shadow, thus making skin look uneven. Before, I denied the existence of my femstache. I thought nobody can see it - but it's one of those things we just gloss over until someone calls it out. And someone did call it out.

Since then, I started either plucking or shaving my stache. However, plucking is painful and shaving gives that sensitive area chicken bumps. So I get lazy. That is, until I discovered the joys of DIY waxing. It made the process faster with less side effects so now I do it regularly.

I like using the Veet Ready to Use Hair Removal Wax Strips, the small ones for fine hair. It's easy to use and can remove most of the hair in two swipes.

Guerlain makes some of the most luxurious beauty products out there, and this makeup primer is certainly no exception. The Guerlain L'Or Radiance Concentrate with Pure Gold is a "24-carat gold-infused cooling gel that sinks into the skin, retaining moisture." For me, it's as much as skincare as it is an excellent makeup primer. I highly recommend this if you don't mind spending big bucks for a serum and primer in one bottle.

Personally, I don't like relying on primers to make my makeup stay put. I prefer investing in good makeup with dependable lasting power, since I don't have the luxury of adding one more step in my routine on most days. However, when I need my makeup to look good for more than six hours at a time, it becomes a necessity to use a primer.

We're brainwashed to think that the higher the SPF number, the better. Well sure, higher SPF means that you get more protection, but did you know that the protection is not increased proportionally? "SPF 15" means that you will not burn/damage under the sun 15 times longer than when you are without it. "SPF 30" means that you can stay 30 times longer without damaging your skin.

Says the American Melanoma Foundation: "Consumers need to be aware that SPF protection does not increase proportionally with an increased SPF number. While an SPF of 2 will absorb 50% of ultraviolet radiation, an SPF of 15 absorbs 93% and an SPF of 34 absorbs 97%." Read up more about sun protection here and here.

All things considered, an SPF of 30 to 50 is already a good number for daily use. Any number higher than 50 is just a little extra - it's not a necessity. So you don't really have to HAVE an SPF130 sunblock like the one from Sun Play. But it would be nice if you did. 

The Sunplay Super Block with SPF130 (P349) is a white fluid with the consistency of water.

Are you lazy when it comes to wearing sunblock? Eh, tell me about it. I don't like how I have to blend blend blend just to remove the white cast and how I have to wait at least 20 minutes before the sun protection kicks in. However, thanks to technology, clear sunblock sprays are now available for us lazy daisies.

I got my first bottle of the  Nivea Sun Invisible Protection SPF30 PA++ spray more than a year ago. It became my constant companion during beach trips since it's idiot and lazy-proof to use: just spray and go! I also like using it when it's super EXTRA hot since I can't stand how lotion becomes so sticky when I sweat. Oh, this is also waterproof so it doesn't disappear as you sweat or swim.

Let's run through the pros and cons!

What I love about the product 

• Super easy to use. The spray covers a lot of skin, and there's on need to rub it in to remove the white cast - there is no white cast. The product is a clear liquid.
• The spray works even if you turn the bottle upside down to get to your back and lower legs.

Say hello to my new favorite facial wash - the Clinique Liquid Facial Soap (Oily Skin Formula)! I've been using it everyday, twice a day for the past two weeks and my skin has definitely improved. I am a lot less oily, I don't break out as much, pores are tighter, blackheads don't bother me anymore (!) and my skin is generally smoother. I so, so love this product.

My first experience with a Clinique facial wash was about two years ago. I got samples from an event and was pretty psyched to use it. However, I found it disappointing since it didn't lather (not a fan of washes that don't soap up), made me oilier, plus it also broke me out! So since then I stayed far away from Clinique facial washes, thinking they're all like that.

Well, I was obviously wrong. About a month ago during my first Clinique party, I was talking to Mira (Clinique's Marketing Manager) about my search for a new cleanser.

This post is a little late, but that's only because I was waiting for the second Clinique Party attendees to write about our private event. I thought it would be fun to narrate what happened using their own words! 

Photos from Kari

The cute-as-a-button Kari was the first girl to come in. She narrates, "I decided to go ahead with the skin consultation and makeover while waiting for everyone else. Dindin, one of the Clinique consultants, helped me go through a comprehensive skin test and patiently explained the reasons for each of my skin problems...[she] gave me tips on how to keep those skin concerns in check, which basically boiled down to: 1.) exfoliation and 2.) sun protection. My dry-combination skin (type 2) needed regular but gentle exfoliation to scrub old skin cells away (which caused flaking) and sun protection to take care of the new ones that emerge."

The bubbly Angeli (who I met before) enjoyed meeting her fellow beauty enthusiasts. "Another best thing about Clinique party is that I had the opportunity to meet other beauty afficionados from different walks of life

As I was browsing through my photo galleries this morning, I came by a product which I simply forgot to review: the Olay Natural White SPF24 Day Lotion (P189). Bought it last February pa. It's actually a pretty good SPF product, although I've stopped using it some time ago. 

Why? Well, it's not the lotion, it's me! My skin reacts with face sunscreens/sunblocks for some reason (well those that I've tried anyway). The worst reaction is I break out, but that's not always the case. Sometimes my skin just doesn't look its prime (I get small bumps that are not quite pimples, dull skin) so I go back to my default moisturizer. Weird.

To protect my face from the sun, I prefer using makeup with SPF. Makeup doesn't get absorbed by the skin so it doesn't have the same effect as sunblocks/sunscreens.

So yes, it's me. Otherwise, this Olay lotion is something I would recommend!

What I love about the product 

• Very light, watery consistency. Applies easily with no white cast and absorbs quickly.
• Not sticky or greasy as long as you apply just the right amount.

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.

As much as I want to pretend I'm a beauty amazon with every inch of me sparkling and perfect every single day, I can't. Sometimes I don't groom my nails. Sometimes I don't bother with moisturizer. And sometimes, like any human being, I get lazy to wax or shave my legs.

I find the whole process tedious, to be quite honest. That's why I'm happy that there are instant "de-hairing" products like the ones from Veet.

At a lunch for bloggers last week, I asked Veet's Assistant Brand Manager, Issa Marfori, what sets Veet apart from their competitors. She said that their products have managed to get rid of the strong, chemical smell that other depilatory creams and waxes have. Is it a deal-maker? For me, it is. I can't stand smelly skincare products because I feel that they damage my skin more than they help.

Anyway, bloggers had a chance to meet Veet's hunk, Daniel Matsunaga, during the lunch at Via Mare in Greenbelt. It wasn't anything fussy, just the way I like it. Daniel (dah-niel, not dayniel) was very accommodating with our questions and photo op requests.

Oil-based makeup removers are recommended for waterproof makeup, especially eyeliners and mascaras. The oil breaks down the product easier and faster than cream removers. I like the Muji Cleansing Oil, but I find that it doesn't do much against stubborn mascara which is why I opted for a more potent makeup remover: the Clinique Take the Day Off Makeup Remover (P1,300)

I've heard a lot of good things about this product so I didn't hesitate to spend P1,300 for a bottle. I've been using it for the past three weeks, and this is my demonstration and verdict!

What I love about the product

• Takes off even the most stubborn waterproof mascara and other eye makeup easily (yes, even the Majolica Majorca Lash Expander mascara). I massage my lashes gently with my fingers to break down the product, then I wipe it off with a cotton pad. 
• Important: doesn't sting my eyes or skin. It also doesn't make my eyes cloudy when it comes in contact, unlike other makeup removers!

I don't have any major scars thanks to the fact that my skin heals pretty well. I had a nasty bout with chickenpox when I was a high school junior, but most of the scars have faded way within two years. My childhood scars are still here, but they're hard to detect unless you look closely. So yeah, I am not that concerned about any skin disfigurement.

What I am obsessed about though are my face blemishes. While my skin heals easily, it also becomes damaged easily. I get a blemish whether I pop a pimple or not so I look like I have freckles when I'm not wearing concealer. If we are to be technical about it, I guess we can say that my face is full of small scars. Ugh. My only solace before is that the blemishes fade in a month, so I just buckle down and wait them out.

When Hiruscar sent me a tube a couple of weeks back, I practically forgot about it. But I had a crazy idea the other day - can Hiruscar remove blemishes?

When I first used the Strivectin-SD Instant Retexturing Scrub, I immediately thought: "Oooh! It's a facial in a tube!" My face felt as if it just came out of a 30-minute facial, which is saying a lot for a couple of minutes of scrubbing. My skin was moisturized, smooth ("retexturized"?) and my pores were flushed out.

What I like most about this scrub is that the beads are very fine, so the skin doesn't feel rubbed raw after using it. The product felt gentle on my face, but Strivectin strictly recommends that you use it only twice a week because of its potency. 

Estee Lauder is essentially a Western brand, but you have to give them props for being responsive to Asian needs. More than just whitening, we are obsessed with achieving brighter, more even skin. That concern is something tha Estee Lauder seeks to address with its reformulated, Asia and Europe-exclusive CyberWhite Brilliant Cells line.

According to Estee Lauder, there are four key factors that contribute to dullness and discoloration of Asian skin: dehydration, uneven skin texture, disorganized collagen and poor microcirculation.

Estée Lauder’s scientists developed a comprehensive and advanced brightening system ever with NEW CyberWhite Brilliant Cells. Incorporating exclusive Full Spectrum Brightening technologies, Estée Lauder now addresses the four key factors that contribute to dullness and discoloration to reveal translucent, luminous skin, while highly targeted Anti-Spot technologies address all four key dark spots that can cloud your complexion.  This powerful system helps reveal fresher, fairer, brighter cells delivering full spectrum brightening results to illuminate every facet of skin for a beautiful translucency and luminosity that seems to radiate from deep within. 

Liz of Estee Lauder discussing CyberWhite

The launch was short and sweet, with guests having delicious canapes from Bizu while the Estee Lauder girls talk about their latest product.

Last Saturday, I hosted a Clinique Party for my friends and readers. It was an afternoon of beauty consultations, kikay talks, and discovery. Mira, the Marketing Manager of Clinique, said she thought that everyone knew each other. I guess that's a compliment to everyone, because most of them met each other only for the first time!

I think everybody had fun because the event was so chill yet very informative. Clinique has its own beauty system - philosophy, if I may call it - that's been consistent since it was founded in the 60's. The core of the brand is the skin consultation where a Clinique expert determines your skin type and prescribes products for your personalized 3-step skincare system.

Aside from the 3-Step System, Clinique has the half face makeup demo. This is perfect for beginners who want to learn how to apply cosmetics on themselves. The Clinique consultant does half a face of makeup and then teaches you how to duplicate it. Neat right?

Here are more photos!

I'm 23 but the sad fact is that I still break out regularly. Sometimes it's before my period, often because I am trying out a new product for a review. I've heard from countless magazines that Mario Badescu is good for acne-ridden skin but thought that it's too expensive for me - wrong! It's quite affordable so I decided to buy the Mario Badescu Drying Cream (P795) when I was at Rustan's some weeks ago.

The Drying Cream promises to "heal and conceal under surface blemishes". I was a bit baffled about what the copy meant when it said surface blemishes, but I suppose it means pimples. The cream does heal pimples (albeit slowly), but I wouldn't recommend that it be used as a concealer since it's too white!

What I love about the product

• As promised, it dries pimples. I give it two to three nights, depending on the pimple's severity. Really bad pimples won't get worse if you use this cream.
• Great for pimple poppers (I'm guilty!). It covers up the wound, dries it, and sanitizes the area without stinging.

It's quite silly to wear makeup during a vacation, unless it's the type where you're going to meet a lot of new people you expect to see more of in the future. Why wear makeup when you should be spending time exploring the place right? I brought a bunch of makeup but I only used the concealer, powder, and eyeliner during my trip to Bellarocca. The goal is to just chill.

I used a nifty pouch from Estee Lauder. It can house my stuff securely without having them bump around too much.