One of the things that I wish I knew sooner in beauty was to shop for my skin type. In my rookie years as a skincare enthusiast, I would spend H O U R S watching and reading reviews of popular products that unfortunately turned out to be bad matches for my oily, acne-prone skin. I now mourn for all the time and money I could have saved! Fast forward to today, I have learned to tune out the hype and just listen to my skin and what it needs.

New York Times recently published an article about why essences may be more important than moisturizer. I beg to differ - I think that if you had to choose one, a good moisturizer for your skin type will serve you far well - but I do agree that essences are important to our skin. A serum, toner, and moisturizer in one, essences (or sometimes called lotions) can help moisturize and plump up the skin without adding extra texture underneath your moisturizer. Good ones typically contain actives for better results. You can use them alone if you layer them several times (read here about the Korean 7-Skin Method), but I find them most effective as a booster for my regular moisturizer.

Picture this: You’re getting un-ready after a horribly hectic day of rushing deadlines, running on coffee, fast food, and three hours of sleep. You change out of your clothes and pass out on your bed. No ceremonies, no frills - understandable after a rough day! The next morning though, you wake up to find makeup on your pillowcase and new pimples on your face. It’s a sucky start to what already feels like another sucky day, but it could have been avoided with just a bit of self-care.

While we know Elizabeth Arden mostly for its feminine fragrances (White Tea remains a personal favorite since trying it last year), they’re not one to be left behind on color cosmetics and skincare.

The introduction of the SUPERSTART Skin Renewal Booster has inspired a full-on SUPERSTART collection. This collection features skincare technology that focuses on improving the radiance and appearance of the skin’s topmost layer, the stratum corneum. The line heavily features probiotics, which aims to strengthen skin’s own natural defenses leaving your skin feeling resilient and refreshed.

I was sooooo excited to try the Mega Mushroom line formulated by Dr. Andrew Weil for Origins, since the products are specifically for people with sensitive skin. Formulated with a blend of “soothing” mushrooms, with the Reishi Mushroom as the active ingredient, Origins claims that the line helps “calm sensitivity and irritation, boost resilience and reduce visible redness.”

How true are these claims? I tested three products in two months: the Mega Mushroom Skin Relief Face Cleanser, Soothing Treatment Lotion, and Soothing Face Cream, since even skincare products that claim they’re perfect for sensitive break me out or make me itch.

Move over, Japan and South Korea: the newest beauty destination is Taiwan! I’ve been a big fan of Asian Beauty (AB) for a while now, and now the latest trend is moving towards the direction of our northern neighbor. What makes Taiwanese products so exciting is that they offer advanced research, technical expertise, and premium formulations at very reasonable prices, which is obviously a win-win for savvy beauty addicts. Luckily, we needn’t look too far or request for pasabuy to get our dose of Taiwanese Beauty!

Nivea is a pioneering skincare brand. Can you believe that their best-selling cream was first introduced way back in 1911? Personally, I have fallen in love with their Facial Cleansing Wipes for those long days where I'm simply too tired for multiple cleansing steps. But here’s exciting news that will #ChangeTheWayYouCleanse: Nivea just launched two new Zero-Alcohol Cleansers with Liza Soberano as the official ambassador!

We here at PV have all the feels for our fave sheet masks. I personally love using them at night, particularly after a very long and challenging day. It’s such a hassle-free and cost-effective way to relax, care for my skin, and have a spa experience right at home! I even gift them to friends and relatives because I feel like it’s something everyone could and should enjoy. When it comes down to it though, is it actually helpful to incorporate sheet masks into your skin care routine?

There are so many products swimming in a sea of beauty aisles that it’s easy to get confused, or worse, make a mistake about their usage. Experiencing a bad reaction after combining multiple things in your routine is not unusual but it can be avoided. This is why it’s important to know how to use certain products together by understanding the effects of each one so you can identify what you really need.

We’ve talked about the proper way to layer skincare products before, and the general rule is to apply them on your skin from water-based solutions to oil-based solutions. This can also translate to using thinner skincare products first to thicker ones, or lightest to heaviest. With actives though, things get a little more tricky.

When you pare it down to the basics, the easiest way to care for your skin is by hydration. Sure, skincare buffs can seek out anti-aging, brightening, and softening qualities in the lotions and potions that they carefully pat on but those are additional benefits that most often accompany the fundamental skincare formula: moisturizer. Staying hydrated both inside and out is the surefire way to get softer, smoother, and generally healthier in the long run.

With that in mind, today’s theme is all about incorporating the venerated H2O the smarter way into your daily life! Here are a few trusty tips.

Pimples are stressful little buggers that always pop out whenever we least expect them. Hormonal cystic acne will need to be treated with medication, but pimples that are just sitting on the surface of the skin all red and angry can be managed topically with a few well-chosen products. Here's what I do whenever I get one (or a few)!

One of the reasons I enjoy watching K-dramas so much is because they give me #skingoals; both male and female actors always seem to have smooth, glowing complexions! I've always been more of a skincare addict than a makeup junkie, so the Korean beauty concept of glass skin definitely appealed to me. In a jiffy, makeup can be used to mimic the look but I wanted something that was a bit more permanent. Was it at all possible to get my skin to look like glass, without needing a K-idol budget?

This was a last-minute airport purchase as I was speed-walking to my departure gate at Narita. I had a few loose coins which I typically save for boxes of Royce chocolate as pasalubong, but this time I gave in and finally tried DHC! It's a popular skincare brand in Japan but they're especially famous for their cleansing oils that some say are better than Shu Uemura. I think that it does give Shu a run for its money!

I was late to the face mist party as was the rest of my skincare routine. Liz shared about getting into the misting habit as early 2013, which unfortunately was circa 3 BB (Before Beauty) for me. Now that I regularly use mists, I wish I’d started using them earlier! Before I thought face mists were just an excuse for beauty brands to sell overpriced water in a spray bottle. When I finally got to try it though, I was de-mist-ified as to why they’re so popular. Good ones truly do hydrate my skin whether I'm wearing makeup or not.

Still, I’m glad that I got into it when I did, as I’m so spoiled for choices. I’ve tried quite a few PV-approved mists, as well as awesome finds for under P500. Here are more mists that deserve to be in our radar!

At 21, I often struggle with #adulting. I’m still learning how to be smarter with time management and planning for the long-term, and had never had to deal with very adult things like taxes until my internship. So when Den asked me to try Celeteque’s Advanced Anti-Aging line, I was initially baffled. Am I not too young to be worrying about wrinkles? Then I realized that it makes sense to use anti-aging products BEFORE my skin actually needs them. Prevention is better than cure, after all! But how could I adapt that concept into my own state of mind?

Acne is a common problem that affects many, and while it may not be a life-threatening disease, it's a condition that can affect quality of life. Last year, I had to deal with the worst acne of my life and it honestly affected my self-esteem. Fortunately, I found a solution in the use of retinoids, and recently discovered that the combination of AHA and BHA works so well on my skin.

Getting breakouts can be annoying but dealing with its hyperpigmented aftermath is the real headache!

Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, or PIH, happens when injury or inflammation causes increased pigment production on the injured part of the skin. PIH is characterized by flat, red, brown, or even black spots on the skin, and can occur in different parts of the body. One of the common causes of these dark spots is acne, but you can also get it from other skin injuries like psoriasis or burns.

I was blowdrying my hair at the country club after tennis when I heard two women conversing about their makeup routines. One woman said, "You just really need BB cream. It's already sunscreen, moisturizer, primer, anti-aging, and foundation in one!" Her friend was obviously impressed by this and went on to ask about which BB creams are good to try. I wanted to butt in and give my feedback but I didn't know them and it might be weird, so instead I'm writing this post in the hopes of helping everybody out!

The very first sunscreen I ever purchased was a Kojie San sunblock. It came in a little white and orange bottle, and I picked it up from a convenience store when I realized I didn't have any sun protection for my beach trip. Not gonna lie - that formula turned out to be greasy and scented but I cared more about preventing sun damage than being comfortable!

The brand is best known for its amazing kojic acid soap for lightening skin (I love using this as a body exfoliant!), so it only makes sense that they also offer products that protect skin from sun damage. No one likes a sticky, heavy sunscreen, and so I was happy to see that Kojie San has made great improvements in their formulas since I last tried them.

We’re no strangers to the wonders of Althea, the online shop that delivers K-beauty treats, so when we heard that they were coming out with a skincare line (on top of a powder release last year), we were thrilled because it just made sense!

With information generated from sales, reviews, and customer feedback, Althea is in the perfect position to understand the K-beauty consumer’s mind. And what did they think the Althea fan want? Apparently, a skincare line designed for all skin types that simplifies the daily regiment into just three steps! Positioned as a makeup prep set, Althea claims that “great makeup starts from great skin,” which probably explains why glycerin (which is used to improve skin’s smoothness and moisture content) lists high on the set’s ingredients.