Yesterday I was at a lunch meeting with an editor from Working Mom, along with my boss from Pinkbox.

We were happily chatting when Liz Uy and Raymond Gutierrez (who btw truly lost a lot of weight, as advertised!) walked into the restaurant. My boss is interested in working with Liz Uy, so I got up, chatted with her a bit, and asked for her number. I was SO SHY about the whole thing!

I was surfing through the interwebs yesterday when I saw a young personal blogger wearing a questionable outfit. I won't go into details but the look is so wrong on so many levels! I'm not being mean or trying to position myself as a fashion expert, but I will think of myself as sensible when it comes to clothes. And the things that I am seeing some young women wear these days do not make a lot of sense.

I wore this when I met Daniel Matsunaga last year. I wish. I didn't.

I know I've worn some questionable outfits in the past myself (above), but I have learned not to repeat my mistakes thanks to some people's catty comments. Criticism is painful - often unbearably so - but they need to be said and heard if anyone is to move forward. And this is what I think about the fashion blogger culture and their truckloads of followers.

Do not aspire to (e.g. copy) everything that fashion bloggers show you. That sounds harsh, but again, I am not trying to be mean. Famous fashion bloggers are famous for a bunch of reasons - they are pretty, with (usually) svelte and willowy figures, and they are one step ahead of local trends.

If you are not any of those things, then restrain yourself from copping all their looks.

This is what my bathroom shelf looks like.

[I need a bigger shelf]

Products come and go, but there are a few good ones that I keep coming back to - and one of them is Asian Secrets. :) I've been using it since 2010!

I don't use a proper body scrub all the time because I'm a busy girl, but whenever I want to treat myself to a long, satisfying bath, it's Asian Secrets all the way. I also like using it before a special occasion, as it really helps smoothen my skin for the big day.

Okay so you packed your makeup kit with the utmost care because you want to look your best in a meeting or an out-of-town wedding. But alas! You forgot your blush! You brought three lip balms, gazillions of brushes and all manner of eyeshadows, but you didn't bring something as basic as a blush. What do you do?

a. Fall into pieces and cry like a little girl.

b. Run to the nearest mall or drugstore and buy a blush. Being late be damned.

c. Borrow a blush from an acquaintance/ semi-stranger and revel in what might be a bacteria-infested party on the compact.

d. Use your lipstick as a blush!

Kidding, just kidding. The best answer is D. You can actually use your lipstick as a blush, provided that it's matte or satin, that is.

I woke up early today, before sunset, and walked my dog. It always puts me in a contemplative mood. I was remembering a conversation with someone about makeup. She asked, why do you love makeup? I said, I love collecting them. I love having them. But that's a stupid answer, isn't it?

I had the whole weekend to think about that. Hehe. And here's my answer: I love makeup because it helps me enhance the things I love most about myself. I love it because I think of it as a toy, to play around and just have smashing fun with. That's it, really.

Anyway, I just want to share a look I wore last Friday!

Face: MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer, Colorescience pressed mineral foundation

Sunday fun day! I am bringing Snaps later to a dog meet in Bonifacio High Street. I hope it's fun. Anyway, I just want to share a contest that Benefit Cosmetics Philippines is running as part of their grand launch on February 7!

The prizes at stake are pretty major - P10,000 worth of Benefit goodies, the chance to model at the grand launch in Greenbelt 5, and a meet & greet + makeover + photoshoot with Maggie and Annie Ford Danielson, the daughters of Jean Ford, founder of Benefit Cosmetics.

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Cool right? So join! But if you just want to be part of Benefit's official and exclusive launch at Greenbelt 5 this February 7, I am giving away two passes to one lucky girl. That's right - you can get the chance to attend a fun event and inhale Benefit for an evening. The mechanics are super duper simple:

I am a big believer in fingers when it comes to applying concealer and liquid foundation, but for other products, I have a small coterie of brushes that I prefer to use on a regular basis. I have other similar brushes that I reach out for but this set is always my first choice! 

If you're into makeup for personal use, then you don't really need an elaborate set of specialized brushes to apply your products. Just get few basic brushes and you're good to go for everyday looks. Like me. :P

So, here are my favorite brushes!

From left to right: Sigma E55 / E40 duo, Estee Lauder lid brush I got from a set, fake NARS crease brush, Charm blending brush (from the Charm Travel Pro V3 brush set)

Okay so, I've been using the Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Concentrate for a week now. And these are my observations!

• My skin is incredibly smooth right now. The roughness from dry patches, blackheads, and random bumps are very much reduced. 
• Skin is more even and has a glow, so I tend to use less makeup.

Okay, here's something I've been looking forward to since last year! Colour Collection, one of my favorite "dark horse" cosmetic brands (read my reviews here) has invited me to do a university tour. Along with Bianca Valerio and Ning Hilario of Meg Magazine, I'll be visiting a Manila campus to talk about - what else - beauty!

We're still finalizing the schedule at the moment, but I'll definitely update you when I have the date and school. In the meantime, you can catch the first leg of the Colour Collection University Tour: The Colour Collection mobile store will be at UP Diliman from February 1 to 3. It will be located at the College of Arts and Letters.

Whoever invented eyeliner has bestowed womankind a great gift. From the ancient Egyptians, to its rise in the 1920s flapper era, to today's modern woman, eyeliner has served us remarkably well by opening and enhancing our eyes. A simple black line can do wonders for our face - provided it's applied correctly, of course.

Eyeliner can be difficult to use in the beginning, but trust me, practice is the best way to get your perfect line. Why when I started using it in my teens, I was such a klutz! I couldn't get an even line for all I was worth. I just kept repeating and repeating though until my wobbly line became straight and fine.  

Tools: Charm Vegan Pointed Eyeliner Brush and Kanebo Kate Gel Eyeliner

Now, there's no one true way to apply eyeliner. The techniques I'll be sharing here is what I prefer to do with my own eyes, so feel free to experiment and find a method that works best for you. I used a gel eyeliner and a pencil brush for this tutorial but the principle is still the same for pencil, powder, and liquid liners.

Ready? Here goes!

Step 1: Start in the middle of your lash line, then draw outwards.

In a world full of lip balms that you can buy for close to nothing, it's quite a challenge to tell a product apart. Lip balms are made of practically the same ingredients to begin with. The EOS (Evolution of Smooth) Lip Balm, however, became popular not just because of its formula, but how it looks like.

I finally got hold of my an EOS Lip Balm in Summer Fruit (P250) from Digital Traincase, and this is what I think about it!

What I love about the product

• It tastes sweet, with a hint of peach. I've tried quite a few lip balms but none has tasted this good! Even if I lick it a little the balm doesn't come off.
• Smells great, like a confection of fresh fruit - thus the name of this particular variant, Summer Fruit.

Annika Wester is a famous illustrator who has done work for big names like Vogue, Anna Sui, MAC (to name a few) and has shown her art in galleries all over the world. According to her blog, her "...work presents a various number of characters, silhouettes and items displayed throughout her own stylish way of drawing. The features are softened and the colors often bright, which gives the viewer a feeling of joyful indolence..."

The Etude Girl illustrations by the talented Annika Wester

Cool right? And now, Ms Wester has partnered with Etude House for their Wannabe Collection! It's a rather expansive collection with a face palette, powder, lipsticks, nail polishes, scent and gloss combos, and even falsies all incased in Ms Wester's trademark artwork.

The Etude Girl is, surprise surprise, Sandara Park of 2NE1

Okay, this is a rather long intro, but I am just amazed by Annika Wester and Etude House's awesome idea in partnering with her. Whoever said that art and makeup can never mix is deadly wrong! So! I'll be reviewing some of the Wannabe pieces I have with me.

Bed Head is famous for its hair care products, but did you know that they actually made makeup? Yes? Bah. I had no idea. When the brand sent me the Bed Head 4-Play Eyeshadow Palette, I thought it was going to be a crummy product simply because makeup wasn't their specialty. Buuut this palette is actually pretty good!

What I like most about this palette is how sophisticated its colors are. There's a dusky purple, a white gold, a taupe-purple, and a pretty pink in the mix. They're something you can wear for the day then intensify for night time. 

I'm not a mother yet, so I can't presume to know how it's like to be one. But I do have a general idea because I have a mom, after all! I'm pretty sure that moms must always be busy and exhausted, with very little time to spend on primping themselves. So how do they ever find the time?

Super mom May Samson with her daughter

They should make time. It's understandable that family always comes first, but it's important that moms - or any person, for that matter - set aside some personal time to maintain their looks. It doesn't have to be a lot, but it has to count. It's not just vanity at stake here but one's self-esteem. 

So, here are some beauty and fashion tips for busy moms!

1. Ageing is a natural course of things, but there's no need to hasten it by being remiss in your skincare routine. It's a fact that the older you get, the more your skin is prone to sun damage and dryness. Invest in a great day moisturizer with SPF, a night moisturizer, serum, and eye cream to keep your skin elastic and glowing.

Some product suggestions:

VMV Hypoallergenics Armada Face Cover 30

Lancome Visionnaire Advanced Skin Corrector 

The name of this product cracks me up. Get this: according to the label, it is the Snoe Body Ritual Recipes Scrumptious Body Spritz in Honey Dew Melon Yogurt (P249). The person who thought of the name is a sigurista, that is, he or she definitely wants to cover all the bases when it comes to naming things. :P 

Kiddng aside, I like this cologne. It smells of sweet melon candy, with a touch of the creaminess of yogurt. Lasting power is not too bad for a cologne at two to three hours too.

I've done quite a few looks in the past, but I think this purple eyeshadow confection is my favorite yet. This deep-socketed, sunken eye look gives the face a sense of drama and mystery without looking overdone, methinks.

For this look, I used the Lancome Teint Miracle + Benefit Watts Up highlighter to get luminous skin. I did my eyebrows using the Benefit Brow Zings, contoured with the NARS Laguna Bronzer, and blushed with Benefit Hervana. And now, for the eyes!

Step 1: Apply an eyeshadow primer like the MAC Prep + Prime Eye Base. Then, apply a matte purple like Allure from the Sigma Flare Eyeshadow Palette on your lids.

There is a dizzying bevy of anti-aging products out there, with extraordinary claims to bring back your skin's youth. How do you find out what actually works? Simple, you try them! After some research on reviews and ingredients, of course.

That said, I want to give you a bit of information about Avon's latest anti-aging product: the Anew Genics Treatment Concentrate (P1,799). It claims to help skin look ten years younger with the help of the brand's patented YouthGen Technology. It is supposed to re-activate one's "Youth Gene", that genetic component in our cells that keeps skin elastic, wrinkle-free, and glowing - young, in other words. 

Sounds too sci-fi? Perhaps, but it is quite intriguing. Promises aside, the quality of the serum itself is pretty good.

What's your ideal lipstick like? For me, it has the comfortable texture of a lip balm but with the opacity of normal lipsticks. I've always wondered why companies don't make a product like this more often. Perhaps it is too expensive? Not enough demand? In any case Revlon took it upon themselves to make a kickass lip product called the Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter (P525).

There are serious raves about these lipsticks online, and I can see why!

What I love about the product 

• As the name promises, it does glide on like butter and feels moisturizing on the lips. It doesn't feel waxy or thick at all. Girls who can't stand lipstick will love this!
• Colors are gorgeous and trendy, with great color payoff. It feels like balm but doesn't look like one when you have it on.

I was going through my traffic stats when I noticed that a lot of people were coming in from a US website/forum called Makeupalley. In case you don't know - I love Makeupalley! It's a sort of bible for me, my ultimate reference when it comes to information about products I want to buy or review. So, it's a big deal for me that one of my links is over there. 

Of course I clicked to the page where the link is. Apparently, it's a forum thread about guesses on how old I am. The general consensus is that I am in my thirties, although a couple of people threw in some forties guesses. The guesses were based on this post. 

I was mortified! At first. I know I look quite mature for my age, but I always thought the general perception is that I am in my mid to late twenties.