Aging is a natural and inevitable process that we all experience. In fact, we experience it every day, in every part of our bodies! As the largest organ and an external one at that, our skin is where the signs of aging become most obvious. With decreasing elasticity and our body's repair processes slowing down, skin becomes thinner and more fragile as we age. Applying products won't stop the wrinkles, age spots, or sagging, but they can definitely slow down the process and help protect your skin against external damage. The key is to make sure that the anti-aging products you use actually have ingredients that work! 

On a scale of one to ten, how stressed are you this season? Christmas is juuust almost a month away, so I’m sure that you’re (like me) running like a headless chicken with all the errands and parties you need to get to. If your skin is looking a bit worse for wear, I think you should check out Kiehl’s best-selling serums to help out with some possible skin issues!

From snail mucin to sunflower oil, many skincare lovers swear by certain natural ingredients as must-haves in their routine. While I don’t have a go-to just yet, this latest ingredient from Human Nature is a pretty strong contender. I usually have latô along with my favorite inihaw dishes, but I never thought it would be the star ingredient in Human Nature’s Marine Caviar HydroMiracle skincare line!

Sharam sharam, sharam sharam... Only 90’s kids will get the reference, but that Donna Cruz song’s catchy portion has been stuck in my head since I received the Avon Anew Reversalist collection. The ageless beauty is the brand’s ambassador, and her flawless skin is definitely something to behold. The Anew Reversalist line is a brand best-seller and customer favorite, so I’ve taken on the two-week challenge to see if it can help my papery dry skin achieve even a fraction of Donna’s enduring awra.

Wearing SPF daily is Beauty Rule #1 here on PV, and we’re borderline obsessive about it! Sunscreen is the best anti-aging product, and of course it’s important for preventing skin cancer. As necessary as this step is, applying sunscreen can feel like a chore when there are several more steps to get your face ready. So some people may find using tinted sunscreen as an alternative solution – quick, easy, and perks up your look in no time. The fact that it offers light coverage plus sun protection makes it a busy gal’s go-to, especially when you literally just have five minutes to do your routine. But is it actually enough to protect your skin from sun damage?

I grew up seeing Pond’s being used by my female relatives. My mom would talk about how Pond’s was a luxury back in the day, and how they had to source the famous Pond’s Cold Cream all the way from Hong Kong! Today, Pond’s is one of the most accessible and affordable beauty brands around - you can find their products pretty much anywhere you go. And it’s that accessibility and pocket-friendly price tag that made the PV team excited to hear about the new Pond’s Cleansing Balm. 

The most potent skincare potions usually get the revered label, “Sleep in a Bottle”. As someone who doesn’t get a lot of sleep on the regular, the Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Intense Reset Concentrate (P4,800 for 20ml) promise of waking up to better skin certainly appealed to me. I especially I wondered how it could possibly improve on a routine that already included the iconic Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex II (P4,200 for 30ml) which made my skin smooth and glowy despite being sick.

I recently went on a trip abroad, and while my skin was totally fine during my travels, all hell broke loose when I arrived back in Manila. My skin suddenly became a flaky mess after days of cold and airplane conditions, and my period arrived and brought hormonal acne with it. I routinely get post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH), so my skin pretty much went from flat and somewhat even-toned, to dry and dotted. Nice one.

Last September 17, Clinique Philippines mounted this gorgeous event called Pink Oasis in Okada Manila. With it, they re-introduced the Clinique Moisture Surge 72-Hour Auto Replenishing Hydrator (P2650 for 50ml, at Rustans.) The Moisture Surge line has been so successful that several variants have come out, including an Intense variant. I have previously tried the most basic variant, the Moisture Surge, through travel-sized gifts and have always enjoyed the lightweight hydration the gel format brings.

Go to the beauty section of any drug store or supermarket and you’ll find an iconic white box with a winking geisha. Kojie San has been a solid mainstay in the skin lightening sector, and it’s become so popular among international Asian Beauty fans that you can find listings for the brand’s famous soap on Amazon! While we at Project Vanity are not interested in skin lightening and whitening per se, we find that the Kojie San’s soap is one fo the most effective products to help even out darker areas.

From 3D sheet masks to shampoos and hair serums, we’ve raved a lot about the products by  Japanese brand Kracie. Now, they have something new to add to our skincare routines with a set of cleansing waters! The Creer Micellar Cleansing Water (P545 for 330ml in stores) joins the Cleansing Water and Clean Water Oil In as the latest in Kracie’s cleansing solutions. These micellar waters come in two variants, Clear and Moist, and are said to be made from Japanese hot spring water.

As a self-confessed pawisin girl living in a tropical country, I’m generally more wary about how the practically year-long “sweat weather” affects my skin rather than any sweater weather can. Even now that the Ber months are here and it’s monsoon season, I still sweat a lot especially while commuting or working out at the gym. Not only can the moisture ruin my #FOTD, it can even cause sweat rashes or “bungang araw” on my body. 

“Blooming ka” is a usual compliment that describes a general improvement in one’s appearance. Sometimes it’s as obvious as a whole new FOTD, while other times it’s a positive change to the overall aura that’s hard to explain. Then again, maybe it’s just a new skincare routine that’s been formulated for glass skin levels of radiance!

K-beauty isn’t just about a quest for glass skin. While many brands develop products according to specific age brackets, some labels were made in response to more particular needs such as atopic skin disorder relief or solutions for oily/acne-prone skin types. Commleaf answers the call for a back-to-nature approach to skincare, focusing on natural ingredients and hypoallergenic products. Even the brand’s name origin story speaks of its humble philosophy: “comma” indicates a pause, while “leaf” represents nature.

Not that I need much help in figuring out my next beauty purchase, but I enjoy browsing through store bestsellers to see what everyone else is loving. That’s how I stumbled on V&M Naturals CPC+G Oil while looking for an oil for both the face and body on BeautyMNL. It had over 500 5-star reviews and I couldn’t help but feel intrigued, especially since it was just P350 for a 30ml bottle.

From a brand that we used to only see in Thailand, Snailwhite has become a staple in many a Filipino’s beauty routine. Launched in the Philippines just last year, their Whipp Soap has fast become a bestseller. We don’t recommend it as it has a pH level of 10 (way too high for cleansing!), but fellow PV girl Gett found their Snail Secretion Filtrate Moisture to be a great moisturizer option for oily skin, so I was very curious to try the Icy Mask and CC Sunscreen SPF50/PA+++ that the brand sent over.

Whenever Japanese beauty cult faves come up in the Project Vanity Community, Hada Labo always makes an appearance. The brand is a particular favorite among skincare enthusiasts, but until recently, we were dependent on Tokyo-bound friends and pasabuys to help us get our J-beauty fix. With Hada Labo’s arrival in the Philippines, we can now stock up on their best-selling products by visiting Watsons! 

Hello, it’s here! My team and I have been working on the In Her Element Sunflower Wash-Off Cleansing Oil (P695/110ml) since late last year and I’m so pleased that it’s finally out! As someone who adores ridiculously loud eyeshadow, thick lashes, and full-coverage foundation, a good cleansing oil that removes even waterproof makeup is a non-negotiable for me. It has to wash off cleanly with water, too, without me needing to do a second pass to erase everything. I ain’t got time for non-emulsifying cleansing oils!

The skin I have now is different from the skin I’ve had even just three years ago. Before, my face always seemed to be on the brink of breaking out especially around my chin area. Even if I don’t use a new product or change anything in my routine, pimples would just come out - randomly it seemed! I wasn’t even particularly oily (I have combi skin) and I was also hyper aware of my skin due to the nature of my job as a beauty writer. I thought ALL my breakouts were just hormonal and went about my life tiptoeing around and hoping not to anger the skincare gods.

More than just serving as overnight relief, it’s now common to wear acne patches even during the day. We now have patch options that are thin and almost invisible, with some claiming to even be wearable under makeup! If you feel self-conscious about an angry red bump, covering it with an acne patch before applying a face base allows it to heal better compared to direct contact with makeup. But will it actually work?