Purity is natural. We come to this world with all the right instincts, we are innocent and, therefore, perceive things as they should be, rather than how they are. Our conscience is clear, our hands are clean and the world at large is truly beautiful.

Who would've thought a facial wash would inspire me this way? You may have heard the exciting news already: Philosophy is back in Manila! This time around, the line of products are more expansive although the only makeup is the lip gloss. Who knows - maybe they'll bring their foundation soon.

Philosophy will have its flagship store in the new wing of Megamall this December 12. Please do visit it then. ;) In the meantime, here are some well-loved products to look out for and their prices!

The best sellers: Purity Facial Wash (P1,395), Amazing Grace Spray Fragrance (P2,495) and Hope In a Jar Moisturizer (P1,995)

The Grace Series: Shower Gel P1,495), Grade Spray Fragrance (P2,495), and Amazing Grace Firming Body Emulsion (P2,145)

I saw a quote the other week that went, "If you don't build your dream, someone else will pay you to build theirs." This is true. If you love something you're probably thinking of striking it out on your own, perhaps earning money from it. But there is that ever-constant fear of failing, so instead of chasing after what you really want to do, you just end up getting paid by someone else to do it for them. It's practical, yes. Also sad at the same time.

Moral lesson: if you're gonna slave away anyway, do it to build your own empire.

So. Let's continue BB Cream Week! On the chopping block today is the Kiehl's Actively Correcting & Beautifying BB Cream (P2,200+). This is a sheer, moisturizing base with SPF 50 and broad spectrum protection. It contains Vitamin C to help rejuvenate and clear skin, as well as soften fine lines over time.

Have BB creams gone the way of the dinosaurs? Certainly not. BB creams are here to stay no matter how many alphabet creams come after. It revolutionized the way everyday makeup should be, with its thinner texture, skin-friendly ingredients, and high SPF protection. Think about the options we had before BB creams came. This type of makeup opened up a whole dam of possibilities!

This week, I'll be talking about some of the newer BB creams I have in my kit. :) Let's begin with the best one I've tried to date: the Bobbi Brown BB Cream SPF35 PA+++ (P2,000+).

Yes, you heard it right - this is my new favorite! The best thing about it is that it comes in five shades* that are yellow-toned and works best with our Asian skin. You never have to worry if your face flashes gray or beige (a chronic problem with BBs); you can easily find a perfect match! I have yet to see a locally available BB cream with a better shade selection that this one.

Texture, coverage, and finish. The Bobbi Brown BB cream has a light yet creamy texture that would suit dry to combination skin best. It has a dewy, illuminating finish that looks like second skin - a trademark characteristic of all Bobbi face bases. Coverage is sheer but can be layered up to medium. It looks really beautiful when worn!

Everybody loves a multi-tasking beauty product. We get more value for money, plus it cuts down the time rummaging for stuff to use on separate parts of the body! My latest multi-use find is the MoringaO2 Malunggay Herbal Therapy Oil (P99 for 30ml). This is a blend of pure malunggay oil, olive oil, husk oil, and sunflower seed oil that may be used on the skin, scalp, and hair.

Malunggay is a super-ingredient with several anti-oxidants, vitamins, and minerals distilled from the plant. It's not only a great way to nourish the body, but the skin as well.

So did you read the product info? It sounds too good to be true I know, but only time will tell if the product can do ALL of the abovementioned miracles. I can however testify to it being an effective moisturizer for the body and hair!

I randomly found these Pond's wipes in S&R while I was doing my groceries. I normally avoid the beauty and body care section because the things there can get quite expensive, but this product just looked too good to pass up - especially when I saw the ingredients list!

The Pond's Original All Day Clean Towelettes (P129 at S&R) are designed to remove makeup and other impurities in the gentlest manner possible. Yeah, it's the first time I've heard of it too! As far as I know this is not available anywhere else in the Philippines aside from S&R - but do correct me if I'm wrong. 

This is a water-based makeup remover that contains extracts of chamomile, Vitamin E, green tea, white tea, and honeybush. These ingredients can help freshen up skin and improve its clarity. True enough, my face feels really nice and smooth after using the wipes! These don't sting or taste like anything AT ALL.

Hello Project Vanity readers! I'm really curious about skin purging. Is it really true, or is it just a hoax? I'm trying out a new skin care regimen, but I'm breaking out. When I asked a representative of the product, she said that I was just experiencing "skin purging", and that my pimples are coming out now but it will discontinue later as my skin adjusts. How do you know if you are actually skin reactive to the product, or just purging? Hope you can help me on this one! Thanks. - Beth

Hi Beth! This is a very useful question. I checked out the topic online and yes, skin "purges" (and this is only in a figurative sense okay) when we use new skincare (especially those for curing acne). Certain active ingredients like retinoids or a new exfoliating regimen can cause deep-seated dirt, dead skin, and oil to rise to the surface of the skin. So you get pimples. It's the only way for all that junk to get out of your pores.

Sometimes, your skin simply adjusts to the new ingredients in your new skincare. You're basically shocking your skin into accepting these alien ingredients, which is why it's okay to cut your new products some slack...to a certain degree, that is.

I've tried A LOT of products since I started beauty blogging, and here's what I've experienced: a product is fine for me if I just break out for one week.

Honest talk: I am sometimes turned off by Human Heart Nature's marketing tactics. I like what the brand is doing, creating a beauty brand that is sustainable, pro-poor, and pro-environment. But I don't like how they are always scaring people off perfectly fine ingredients. They don't go out and say, this-and-this is toxic and will kill you, but they will slyly say that their ingredients are 100% safe and don't you want to be safe when using personal care products? Don't you want to avoid risks?

So maybe I'm not qualified to talk about what ingredients are safe or not. But cosmetic chemists are. I am more inclined to believe them because, you know, science. Facts. I always research ingredients when I have the time and try not to be scared into submission by fear-mongering organic/all-natural brands.

Nonetheless, I'm going to introduce some of Human Heart Nature's latest products today. ;P This local, socially-conscious brand never rests on its laurels, hence the new releases every quarter or so.

Okay! The most interesting thing here for me is the Human Heart Nature Natural Day Moisturizer (P150/50ml). This has a light, non-greasy texture that smells wonderful too! It has 15 vitamins and minerals, namely Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B12, Vitamin D, Selenium, Lecithin, Zinc, Potassium, Iron, Calcium, and Magnesium.

It also has no silicone and dimethicone, two ingredients that help products feel smoother on the skin. These -ones also fill in pores and lines, which is a good way to seal in moisture and even out the surface of skin. However they can cause pimples if your skin doesn't agree with these ingredients. 

Sounds interesting! You should try it if you're conscious about ingredients like that.

Good serums, I find, come at prices that will make you unconsciously swallow. A lot of research and technology goes into making them so that they actually work! But do you need them? If you already have great skin then you could skip using serums. However, if you feel that you need that extra healing power, nourishment, or a boost in solving a particular skin concern, then yes serums help a great deal.

One of the serums that I loved to use was the Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair. This serum has been around for 31 years now and is reputed to sell one bottle every 8.5 seconds! I wouldn't be surprised, considering how well it works. I actually did a weekly report the first month I used it. I've seen a visible improvement in just one month with my blemishes fading quicker and my skin getting a nice glow.

That was last year. I'm constantly reviewing new skincare so I haven't been exactly faithful to ANR, but it's still on my top five list of serums. Perhaps it's time to try it out again? Estee Lauder just created a new version of it. It's called the Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex II (P5,300).

This new formula is said to be lighter yet more moisturizing with hyaluronic acid added into the mix. I have yet to try it out since I have just committed to a new skincare line, unfortunately, but it looks really promising. I don't know if I mentioned this already in my past reviews but I wished that ANR is more moisturizing; I'd prefer to skip moisturizer on top of it to immediately see the full effect.

Anyway! I'm rambling. Here are more details about the new serum, for your reference. :)

Zenutrients is not your typical beauty brand. Aside from hair care and body care products, Zenutrients has these nifty troubleshooters that can get hasten the relief of headaches, body pain, skin irritations, and insect bites, among other things. 

Health and wellness is at the core of the brand. The ingredients are herbal in nature, with a local heart. Think virgin coconut oil, gugo, ginger, and essential oils!

I have a couple of body care and ginger-infused balms from Zenutrients and I really enjoyed using them. ^_^ Let's start with the Zenutrients Organic Opaque Herbal Soap in Blueberry, Vanilla, Milk & Caramel. I don't have the price right now but it should be around P100 to P150. This is a yummy smelling soap that lathers wonderfully. It doesn't dry my skin too, which is always a good thing to have in any soap.

My bathroom always smells good when I use this! Downside though, this runs out easily. It becomes gooey quickly too so you need to cut the soap up in segments before your first use.

What does "organic" mean when it comes to the beauty industry? It's murky and confusing until today because there is no industry-standard meaning to the word. There is also no agency that regulates organic beauty products. A company can come and say, "We're organic" or "Our product is 90% organic" and no one can stop them from lying outright or tiptoeing around the truth. 

For example, a brand can claim that their moisturizer is 90% organic. That's true if the base of the moisturizer is something like shea butter. But the remaining 10% could consist of all sorts of chemicals and preservatives traditionally found in cosmetics/body care. They aren't necessarily "bad", but it's certainly not what people have in mind when they bought into the organic catchphrase.

"Organic" is usually attached to terms like green, healthy, safe, chemical-free and natural.

This year has been good to me, skincare-wise. I've discovered a lot of new, amazing things that really helped my skin be its best possible version. I still break out every once in a while due to new cosmetics; that's just part and parcel of the job I guess!

One of the readers asked me why I just don't go to the derma to fix the blemishes and occasional acne. It's because I already know what works - if I just stick to it, then I'll be fine. But testing out new foundations and creams, even though I screen them beforehand, is necessary if I am to properly review them. It's risky yes but it needs to be done.

Anyway! Here's my current skincare routine. My core skincare as you know is the Shiseido Ibuki line - I can't say enough just how awesome this stuff is. Seriously. Not sponsored. No agenda. The facial wash, softener, and refining moisturizer works SO well on my skin! 

Cleansing Skincare. I've tried a hoarde of products from various brands, but for cleansing, no other country does it better than Japan. It's probably because the Japanese have a better appreciation of Asian skin than Westerners in general - I don't know! But I tell you, Japanese skincare is the best at clearing off makeup, lessening oil, and preventing blackheads.

My favorite makeup remover is Bifesta, specifically the Moist variant. It's not as drying at the Sebum one (blue bottle). For waterproof mascara, I prefer to use the Shiseido Instant Eye and Lip Remover. This is crazy expensive, for a makeup remover that is, but it's gentle and doesn't irritate my eyes and lips.

As you know I love the Shiseido Ibuki Gentle Cleanser to bits. I'd probably bite you if you try to take it away. Then there is the Cure Natural Aqua Gel, which is the BEST exfoliator for me. I don't have to worry about blackheads because of this! Check out how economical it is. I haven't opened a new bottle since April, and I never fail to use this at least once a week. 

I'm crazy about facial mists lately. I've used them before, irregularly, but now I spray my face right after I'm finished with my makeup routine! This new habit started while I was traveling last July and August. It was the height of summer in Japan and Hong Kong, so I needed something that works to dispel the icky, hot feeling on my skin - a feeling that won't go away with just powder and blotting sheets.

I discovered (rather late!) that spraying on a facial mist is a great way to refresh your makeup in the middle of the day. My skin also feels re-energized because of the cool water, taking away the sensation of being a wilted flower. 

It's obvs not that hot in the Philippines right now, but I continued misting because it's also an excellent way to remove that powdery look.

How terrible are your eye bags and wrinkles? I think they're never as ugly as we think they are. I have met celebrities before and believe me - their dark circles and lines are as real and obvious as any of ours. They just wear a lot more makeup than average and have the luxury of having their lesser features edited out in print. This gives us an unreasonable expectation on how much better we should look like, when in reality we already look perfectly fine.

Still, that's not an excuse to be complacent when caring for our skin. :) Eye cream, for instance, is something anyone from their early 20s up can appreciate! The earlier you begin, the more regular your routine is, the less damage your eye area will take in the decades to come.

So! Today I'll be sharing my first impressions + info on the Lancome Visionnaire Yeux, Advanced Eye Contour Perfecting Corrector (P3,295). 

Visionnaire Yeux is the first eye contour care to incorporate LR 2412, for high  performance combined with uncompromising tolerance, suitable for all skin types, even sensitive.  

Dark circle correction: immediate and long-term effectiveness 

The formula, composed of Haloxyl™ and caffeine, offers spectacular results. It has been clinically proven: week after week, dark circles fade away. A 26% improvement in their colour and 8% reduction in their size are observed after four weeks.

I'm not going to be modest - a lot of people have commented here and in person about how my skin seems to be glowing lately. They've asked me to post my current skincare routine, as well! I've been holding out because I don't want to rave about something that isn't available yet, but finally, it's here!

I've been using the Shiseido Ibuki Skincare Line since I first experienced it in Tokyo last July. It's been two months and I have seen visible and even drastic results. You know how petal-like, translucent baby skin is the trend in Asia now? The Shiseido Ibuki products made that happen for me. It also helped fade blemishes quicker (wasn't even using my favorite anti-spot serum) and made my face feel considerably softer and smoother.

I've been struggling with bad combination-oily skin for most of my adult life. Ibuki made me realize that my face could be so much more.

The truth is, I didn't even intend to use the Ibuki to begin with! I was breaking out in Tokyo while I was there (summer humidity + stress) so I was mighty unsure if I should even be experimenting with new skincare.

But the Shiseido presentation and overall company culture convinced me to try this new line out. A scientist from Yokohama, Mr Aoki, even went to discuss how they structured the formula. Ibuki was born out of Shiseido's desire to address the needs of busy young women. They wanted to create a skincare line that can keep up with us - something that can battle the effects of stress and pollution on our skin. 

Shiseido is dead serious about these kinds of things. Going to their headquarters, meeting their people, experiencing their rich history in person made me realize how Shiseido values the customer and our needs.

So. Here's my review of the Ibuki Skincare line! This'll be a little long since I've been using these products almost everyday since I got them. Ready? ^_^

One of the most memorable conversations I've ever had is with this lifestyle writer. He was a famous socialite in the 80s and 90s, and he told me all about his life in Europe. He also shared some of his beauty and health tips - I just HAD to know, because he looked 40 when he could've been pushing 50 or even 60!

I remember that he had this off-shoulder blouse on (we're Facebook friends, it's like his trademark look). He dared me to touch his shoulder. I did, and I swear he had the softest skin I've ever touched. Softer than mine, at any rate! Of course I asked him what his body lotion was. He said that he has been using Physiogel religiously for a long time.

I keep meaning to pick up a tube of the stuff but I'm very rarely in Mercury. Good thing Sample Room sent me one! 

The Physiogel Intensive Cream (P574.50) is a heavy moisturizer specifically formulated for moderately dry to dry skin. It smells like a blend of coconuts and butter - not too overpowering but you won't miss the scent. The texture is very creamy and is absorbed by the skin easily enough.

I just found out that this girl I've been seeing for the past few months has some issues with underarm hair. She says that she's "balbon" in the said area and the strands are fatter than common underarm hair. It had always been an issue for her since adolescence and has slowly grown into an insecurity. Because of this, her parents paid for laser hair removal sessions; she's about to go into her 4th of 15 sessions.

She says it's working fine naman daw, and she's seeing some improvement. However, session intervals are long, and are getting longer as she progresses with the program. In between these sessions, she would simply let the hair grow out, and settle for clothes with sleeves. She won't shave because she's afraid that it may darken her underarms. She only does so when absolutely needed, like when she has to attend an event where she has to wear a dress or something.

Anyway, I heard about epilators from my girl friends. I'm thinking of getting her one for her to use in between sessions. I googled about them and ran into this blog. Now, I ask, would you recommend that I buy her an epilator? Would it work on underarms? Kasi, most product reviews I read say na the product is for legs only. Also, do consider that she's getting laser sessions.

Miss Liz, and other Filipinas out there, I hope you can help me help my girlfriend. Thank you! - Thoughtful Boyfriend

Hi Throughtful Boyfriend! You are thoughtful indeed! And sweet. I like that your letter was well-written and thought out, so I thought I'd answer it on the main blog. :) 

I'm glad you asked me this question because one of the worst things your girlfriend can do is epilate while on a laser regimen. Epilating pulls out hair from the roots (well, most of it) - hair will take longer to grow out and it shouldn't damage the skin as much as a razor would. However, laser requires hair follicles to be present. Otherwise, there won't be anything to zap off permanently. Laser works best when there's some hair growth!

In other words, it's not recommended to wax or epilate while she's doing her laser.

What I'm curious about though is why it would take 15 laser sessions to remove her hair permanently. Is she doing IPL laser?

There is a dichotomy in my personality: I'm a creature of habit, yet I am always actively searching for change. My day is dictated by a strict routine since it's the only way for me to accomplish all my tasks for each account and project I'm working on. However, I also have an eye out for new hobbies, acquisitions, any sort of plans. Once I go on a new, erm, rampage I simply can't stop until I'm done with it. Sometimes something else outside of my own actions change. Whichever it is, my routine is then ruined. 

It takes me some time to recover and get back to regular programming, so I'm working v. hard to make sure my Priorities are in The Right Place. I ask myself, "Do I really need to do this right now?" Glob I'm weak. I wish I can buy focus and turn into a low-calorie drink for whenever I need it.

Anyway. I thought I'd do a quick review of something I've been sitting on for a while - the Too Cool For School Super Cleanser TAKKOZA Cleansing Tissue (P555)! This is awesome. I know I should have told you sooner but I get sidetracked so easily! So why is this awesome? It removes pretty much all types of makeup, even water-resistant mascaras (tube, film-type) with the exception of waterproof mascara. This is a water-based makeup remover after all, so I'm alright with that. I don't regularly use waterproof mascara anyway!

The smell is clean and mild while the liquid in it doesn't sting my eyes at all. I also did not get any breakouts; I feel that this cleanses my skin well. 

Blackheads are possibly the most annoying things ever. They're not quite pimples, which would inspire fury to all they plague. But they are mean. They are tough to kill. Blackheads are mocking little things that can make you want to just squeeze them out of existence (thus damaging your skin), but it doesn't have to be that way! There are a lot of ways to prevent them and cure them once they begin to multiply.

What causes blackheads and how to prevent them

But wait, before you go charging into combat, you need to know what causes blackheads in the first place. Blackheads are formed when too much oil gets backed up in your pores. The oil then mixes in with dead skin cells. When this yucky combination is exposed to air, it darkens, hence the term "blackheads". 

In other words, the best ways to prevent BH is to:

1. Make sure the oil lessens or flows freely onto the surface of your skin. Hormone imbalance can cause excessive oil production - you might need to take some oral medication as prescribed by your dermatologist, if this is the case. Otherwise, if you're just oily because of your genetic makeup, then the best thing you could do is to wear cosmetics that don't clog pores, and to blot the oil ASAP.

2. Regularly slough off dead skin with an effective cleansing and toning routine. Choose facial washes with a mild exfoliating and anti-oil feature

Do you notice how I rarely review skincare or foundation here? I might feature them and give a bit of information about them, but I probably don't use 90% of the facecare products I receive. It's because I am deathly afraid of breakouts. They come in swiftly if I happen to use a product that has ingredients I am reactive to. They multiply even if I only use the product once. It takes about a week to heal the damage, and a couple of months to fade out the acne scars left over. 

This is the "unfun" part of beauty blogging. It's always a serious risk to try a new face product, so I usually only test those from brands I already trust. Stuff from brands I'm not familiar with get relegated to the "I'll Review It Someday When My Face Is Clear Enough To Take Any Potential Damage" box. Something like the Dermalogica Sheer Tint SPF20 (P2,250).

Dermalogica is a brand that's famous for cosmeceutical products. I remember severely wanting to try their spot corrector and exfoliator after Lisa Eldridge talked about them, but I was unsure where I could find them. Apparently, there's Dermalogica in Rustan's! I checked out a display once and found a wide selection of items to choose from. Also, the pricing isn't unjustifiably far off from the US price. Always a good sign.

So okay, let's talk about the Dermalogica Sheer Tint! This is primarily a gel-based illuminating moisturizer that promises to improve skin texture and reduce the appearance of dehydration lines with powerful plant extracts. A mouthful, but the summary is that this. Stuff. Works. It immediately brightens up my skin and makes it feel smoother and healthier after application. It's also a great makeup base, in the sense that it helps your makeup adhere better, though not necessarily last longer.

Many tinted moisturizers/ BB creams today are foundations masquerading as part skincare. The Dermalogica Sheer Tint is primarily a skincare product. You can feel it once it sinks on your skin.

I only started using Kiehl's last year, but since then it's been a staple in my skincare regimen. I'm a huge huge fan of the Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleanser, the Ultra Light Daily UV Defense, Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution, and the Midnight Recovery Concentrate! I find Kiehl's to be gentle on my skin while still being extremely effective at the same time. The products also never cause me to break out.

A couple of months back, the brand sent me some new products to try. I've been using two of them regularly until I switched to a new regimen - purely for review purposes mind you, not because the Kiehl's stuff didn't work out. Anyway, here's a review of the new Skin Rescuer and Line-Reducing Concentrate! I'll save the Beautifying BB Cream for next time as I have only used it once.

The Kiehl's Skin Rescuer Stress-Minimizing Daily Hydrator (P1,700) is a basic moisturizer that is formulated to lessen the effect of stress on our skin. Its key ingredients are the Rose Gallica Extract (limits the release of stress signals), Mannose (a sugar from the wood pulp of birch and maple tress, said to increase the moisture barrier), Chamomile Extract (to sooth skin), and Squalane (from olives, to prevent dehyhdration).