Remember this Shu Uemura palette I picked up last December?

Here's a look I did with it! I find it a bit too cool for my warm skintone, but I think it looks ok. I love the taupe and black eyeshadow in the palette. I really can't get over how creamy and pretty these colors look when applied!

More details after the cut!

Last Thursday, I had the pleasure of finally meeting the product manager of Guerlain and Bulgari, Sigrid Villamil. She's a vivacious, beautiful woman who is obviously passionate about the brand. Over delicious food (thanks Sigrid for letting me know about Chelsea's cookie dough cheesecake!), we talked about Guerlain and how it is one of the oldest brands in the industry, representing quality, tradition, and the ultimate luxury when it comes to beauty.

Guerlain was founded in 1898 by Pierre-François Pascal Guerlain in Paris. His perfumes were so popular that he became the perfumer of the royals, first by the King of France, then by Queen Victoria in England, and also by Queen Isabella II of Spain, among others. Some of the Guerlain scents that are part of perfume history are Jicky (recognized as the first modern perfume), Après L'Ondée, Mitsuoko, and Shalimar, the flagship fragrance. Read my review! 

The 183-year old house of Guerlain eventually started producing skincare and makeup, the most famous of which is the Orchidee Imperiale skincare line and the Meteorites. 

Guerlain must-haves: Midnight Secret, L'Or makeup primer, Orchidee Imperiale Cream, Rouge G lipstick, Meteorites, Lingerie De Peau liquid foundation

According to Sigrid, Guerlain believes in beauty - the kind that a woman naturally has and in the things that she uses on herself. Hence, Guerlain products are always in beautiful, luxurious packaging which makes them keepsakes in their own right.

I've read about Mario Badescu years before in magazines, but my curiosity was piqued when Kristine of Temptalia raved about it in 2009. I never got to try it though because I had the impression that MB products are expensive, but that idea is quite off the mark!

On a trip to Rustan's Makati the other day I chanced by the wall of Mario Badescu skincare in the Essences section (near the Glorietta 4 area). I quickly checked the price and saw that the Drying Cream (for drying acne) was only P795. Well, it's not dirt cheap, but it's certainly not expensive.

Eeeeek! The article I wrote for OK! magazine is out! This is the first time I've ever been published on print. I've been featured a couple of times, but I've never actually written anything. OMG.

Okay, okay, I'll calm down. The article is about fragrances - how to pick one that suits your personality, great perfumes to try, and how to properly wear that hard-earned bottle of goodness.

Last Thursday I had the pleasure of going on a conference call with Anthony Gonzalez, the Senior Manager of the global research and development center of Avon skincare products. He's based in New York and wanted to share the latest Anew line called Reversalist to the Asian press. The talk happened at the Avon Philippines headquarters in Makati Avenue.

ANEW Reversalist's Activinol technology boosts Activin, to reactivate skin’s repair process and help recreate fresh new skin and dramatically reverse the look of wrinkles. Avon’s patent-pending Activinol Technology is shown to increase the production of Activin to help boost skin’s ability to repair itself and recreate fresh, new skin.

Anthony Gonzalez

Now I know a lot of you are jaded about anti-aging products since so many of them come out with claims of miraculously solving skin issues, so I cut straight to the chase and asked Mr. Gonzalez The Question: what makes the Anew Reversalist unique? He answered quickly and confidently, "Other anti-aging products focus on stimulating collagen and elastin. But we approach aging differently. We go to the cellular level and look at aging as a result of tiny wounds to the skin."

I was initially torn between getting a MacBook Pro and a 128 gig Air (they're priced about the same), but after watching great reviews online and seeing Marco loving his 13" Air, I decided that the Air is a better match for me. My work doesn't really require me to use heavy software so I don't need something as powerful as an MBP. I do need something portable and super fast, which is where the MacBook Air comes in.

As expected, I was wowed by the performance of this slim (to the point of skinny) and lightweight laptop. Heavy apps like iPhoto and Garageband open in three seconds with no fuss. Basically, doing ANYTHING is a breeze in this machine. It's now my work computer! It's a bit smaller than I'm used to, at 11 inches, but the high screen resolution more than makes up for it.

One of the lipsticks I reach for a lot lately is the L'Oreal NutriShine lipstick in Rose Guava (P675). It's a great shade but what distinguishes it from the other brands I have is the super cute packaging! You see, most of my lipsticks are in black tubes. It's kind of a hassle sifting through a heap of them when I'm in a hurry so I just grab what looks interesting. This L'Oreal lipstick certainly fits the bill!

Rose Guava is a warm pink with blue undertones. At first I thought it wasn't a good match for my yellow-toned skin, but since this pink isn't too cool, it still manages to flatter my color. However, I think this would look gorgeous on those with beige undertones, better than on yellow skin.

What I love about the product

• Has a glossy, shiny finish that works well in brightening the face. Great color for the day.
• Glides on smoothly. Love the watery, non-waxy texture.

A couple of weeks back, Kira and I were in a Make Up Forever classroom at The Fort. The whole line of MUFE merchandise was there, but I zoomed in on the MUFE Star Powders. I read that they're one of the best eyeshadows around, and I guess Makeupalley agrees with me because it has a 4.7/5 rating!  

The Star Powders are incredibly pigmented and smooth. It has only one caveat (and deal-breaker) for me: it's in loose powder form. It's quite messy to work with. But if you don't mind the extra hassle and if you're also ok going the extra mile to bind the pigments into a solid eyeshadow, then by all means, get these! They're a bit pricey at P1,080 but that's just about the same price as other similar brands like MAC or Smashbox.

I have swatches of the most interesting colors out of the bunch. They're sooo drool-worthy. My top three faves are the shimmery beige (their best seller), iridescent mint, and this black with multi-colored shimmers. Enjoy!

So yesterday Marco and I went to Makati. He attended a meeting, while I, well, I just tagged along and decided to work outside for a change. 

Marco recently bought a car and he's crazy about it. That's the first thing he'd think about in the morning and the last thing he'd think about at night. It's a Toyota Starlet GT, a rally car with a turbo engine. Yes I know that because he won't stop talking about it. It's supposed to be a rare car, which is why he chose it over a new car, but I don't get it. Men and cars. I just don't get it.

Here's an Avon post...again! I can't help it. Avon is probably the biggest supporter of Project Vanity. They don't pay me or anything, if you're curious. They just send me their latest products to try and it works out so well because I've been a huge fan of Avon even since I was a teen. Anyway, just the other day they gave me three bags of products not just for me, but for YOU! Yup, I'm going to have another major giveaway soon. If you haven't joined the current one, please do!

Today I want to share something they sent me a couple of weeks back. It's one of their newer collections called Desert Oasis, one inspired by the glittering sands of the hot dunes. The collection is quite extensive, with underwear, sandals, accessories, and bags under it. I have a few of them here. Check out the photos!

My life is SO much easier with a tripod. I used to take all my outfit photos by balancing my camera on Marco's design books. Amazing how I never seriously considered a 500-peso contraption of metal and plastic - until now, that is! Anyway, I just want to share the outfit I wore last Saturday. I know, I know, I look and feel like a secretary. I don't mind.

Thrifted blouse/ Bayo trousers/ SM braided belt/ Charles & Keith loafers

Also wanted to show you guys the Gold Dot shoes I bought last week. It was my size, but the strap wouldn't close properly because it's too short. Bummer.

The lipstick trend for this summer is all about fresh and bold shades. They're the colors that you can match up with gay sun dresses in florals or solid colors like white, lemon, orange, and lime. Hence, the Revlon Fire & Ice Collection is right on schedule! It consists of three new shades, with one classic red from way back in the 1950's. Here's my review of the Revlon Super Lustrous Lipsticks in the collection!

What I love about the product

• I love all the shades. Temptress and Demure may need some layering to make it really stand out, but I love the sweet, understated effect they have on my lips. Siren is a standout orange, while All Fired Up is a memorable, flattering red.
• Satin finish, my favorite kind.

I have already talked about my current favorite day scent, the Guerlain Herba Fresca. Today I'll talk about my default scent for the evening which is Guerlain Shalimar (P3,998). It's one of the most iconic fragrances in the world and toted as the first oriental scent ever created. It's got a lot of impressive history in a bottle!

Guerlain Shalimar was first created in 1925 by Jacques Guerlain. It's inspired by the passionate love story of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal, two familiar figures behind one of the eight wonders of the world: the Taj Mahal in India. The word "shalimar" is actually Sanskrit which translates to "temple of love".

I had high hopes for the St. Ives Blemish and Blackhead Control scrub (P195). I have too many blemishes lately and I'm desperate for a solution! On a visit to Purebeauty in Serendra a couple of weeks back, I bought this intriguing product to see if it's any good.

It's not. It makes my face feel amazing  - but the downside is, it makes me look like total crap. Yep, it broke me out, which is weird because it's supposed to have salicylic acid.