Here we go again! I visit Charles & Keith in BHS once in a while, you know, just to see what's up. There have been a lot of pretty shoes throughout the last few months, but I've been able to resist so far. Not this time, obviously. I can't let this pair go!

I've actually been vacillating between three pairs: white snakeskin platform pumps, camel pumps with gold chain, and this one. In the end I picked this pair because it's extremely comfortable. The footbed is sort of cushioned plus the heels are not that high. I think they're three inches, minus the half inch platform. Very walkable.

I haven't had the occasion to wear them yet, but I'm thinking these go best with the sexy secretary look.

Last Saturday, I hosted a Clinique Party for my friends and readers. It was an afternoon of beauty consultations, kikay talks, and discovery. Mira, the Marketing Manager of Clinique, said she thought that everyone knew each other. I guess that's a compliment to everyone, because most of them met each other only for the first time!

I think everybody had fun because the event was so chill yet very informative. Clinique has its own beauty system - philosophy, if I may call it - that's been consistent since it was founded in the 60's. The core of the brand is the skin consultation where a Clinique expert determines your skin type and prescribes products for your personalized 3-step skincare system.

Aside from the 3-Step System, Clinique has the half face makeup demo. This is perfect for beginners who want to learn how to apply cosmetics on themselves. The Clinique consultant does half a face of makeup and then teaches you how to duplicate it. Neat right?

Here are more photos!

My mom and I are lipstick buddies. When I was still in school, I would always borrow her lipsticks. But now that I have a collection of my own, she would always borrow mine! So when we had lunch the other weekend she complimented my loud pink lipstick - mind you, she's 51 - and asked if she can wear it too. Of course I said yes. We went around the mall, arm in arm, wearing the exact same shade. Ah, how beauty products make fond memories!

The Colour Collection Color Intense Lipstick (P350) is supposedly patterned after NYX's wildly successful Round Lipsticks, but I dare say that CC lipsticks are better than NYX ones. Why? Color Collection has the intense pigmentation and moisturizing properties of NYX lippies, but they last longer and smell better (NYX lippies smell and taste kind of soapy).

Let's go through the pros and cons!

What I love about the product

• Intensely pigmented. One swipe will deliver rich color on your lips.
• Creamy and moisturizing, although I would still suggest a light layer of lip balm
• Delivers a satin finish (my favorite kind).

Here are the winners of my last contest, as drawn by the representative of Inches Off!

I've ranted before that I don't like liquid eyeliners. I found their built-in applicators difficult to use - they're either too thin, too stiff, too awkward to maneuver around the contours of the eyes. Don't get me wrong, I love the precise effect and lasting power of liquid liners, but the applicator is usually the deal breaker for me.

And then I met the Majolica Majorca Perfect Automatic Liner (P695).

I am in love with the brush of this automatic pen. It's made of synthetic hair that's actually close to the quality of a professional makeup brush. It's soft and delivers a perfect line with no fuss. It does take a bit of practice,so you have to try it for a couple of times to get a feel for it.

I like the brush so much that I plan to use it for my gel eyeliners when I run out of the Majo liner! :D Anyway, it's time to talk about the formula.

What I love about the product

• Stays on all day with zero smudging

I promised you guys that I'll show you what I got from Bambu, and here it is! 

I like Ipanema's strappy flip flops, but I'm usually too lazy to adjust and fix the straps before I leave. I want fuss-free flip flops that still look stylish and I think this pair, the GB Hot Sands Thong Fem with a ribbon, fits the bill.

If you know your local fashion ABCs, then you should know who Bianca Valerio is. Aside from being fashionable and multi-talented (she's a makeup artist, TV and events host, and model, among other things), Bianca sets herself apart by being intelligent and incredibly frank. She's honest where other celebrities would play coy. Example: when asked where she got her jacket, Bianca said, "From Hong Kong! It's only P500!" If she said it was from Chanel, we would have believed it.

Bianca has a knack for looking expensive from head to toe, but this girl is a bargain hunter at heart. Her "designer" bag? From a tiangge. Her accessories are only a couple of hundred pesos from Bangkok. Thus, it's no surprise that she agreed to be Colour Collection's Chief Makeup Artist considering her passion for spotting great, affordable finds that work.

I'm sure a lot of girls are wondering what Colour Collection is by now. It's Tupperware's makeup brand! Who would've thought that the plastic container giant dabbles in makeup?

Call me typical, but one of my favorite movies of all time is Breakfast At Tiffany's. A favorite scene of mine is the one where Holly Golightly wakes up late on a Thursday. She fumbles all over her flat for her shoes and her dress, rushing down the stairs to visit mob boss Sally Tomato in Sing Sing prison. Nevertheless, Holly was groomed in five minutes, finishing her look with a nude pink lipstick and a few spritzes of perfume.

Holly is the kind of woman who loves beautiful things, carefully chosen pieces that she can afford with her limited "glamour girl" money. She's also the kind of girl who isn't ready until she has lipstick. "Hand me my purse, will you, darling? A girl can't read that sort of thing without her lipstick," she says.

This memorable woman is the first person I thought of when I tried the Guerlain Rouge G Lipstick in Galia. The beautiful packaging looks just like something Holly Golightly would carry in her purse or keep in her apartment cubbyhole if she were alive today. Of course, I'm sure she would love the nude pink color of Galia, which is similar to the lipstick she's wearing in the photos.

I went to a couple of events yesterday - Estee Lauder's launch of their reformulated CyberWhite Brilliant Cells skincare line and Paul & Joe's annual Birthday Bash (they've turned 4). I really enjoyed both events since they were quick and straightforward! I'm not fond of fussy events. When I know the event will have a long program and a lot of people, I rarely go anymore. That is, unless I know it's a hot topic or if I personally know the PR/brand manager.

Anyhoo, I just want to share what I wore:

This airy linen tunic is from my online store, Flair For Drama. Speaking of, I have a lot of summery pieces at the site! Here are some of my favorites:

Rose Brier, P450. Romantic, indulgent, exotic.

I'm 23 but the sad fact is that I still break out regularly. Sometimes it's before my period, often because I am trying out a new product for a review. I've heard from countless magazines that Mario Badescu is good for acne-ridden skin but thought that it's too expensive for me - wrong! It's quite affordable so I decided to buy the Mario Badescu Drying Cream (P795) when I was at Rustan's some weeks ago.

The Drying Cream promises to "heal and conceal under surface blemishes". I was a bit baffled about what the copy meant when it said surface blemishes, but I suppose it means pimples. The cream does heal pimples (albeit slowly), but I wouldn't recommend that it be used as a concealer since it's too white!

What I love about the product

• As promised, it dries pimples. I give it two to three nights, depending on the pimple's severity. Really bad pimples won't get worse if you use this cream.
• Great for pimple poppers (I'm guilty!). It covers up the wound, dries it, and sanitizes the area without stinging.

I'm not an addict, baby that's a lie! Says K's Choice in their iconic song. I have dozens of tubes of lip products, but I still keep on buying a few here and there. I can't help it. I blame it on my curiosity! It doesn't help that most lip stuff are cheap and easily accessible, what with all the online resellers out there. NYX is one guilty pleasure of mine.

The NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream is one of the brand's newest lip color lines. It promises to be "nothing you've experienced before" - and I agree! It's certainly unique, defying the definition of what lipstick or gloss should be. I love the color payoff and how it feels on my lips, but I find that it dries in a rather unflattering way. Here's a quick run-down of the pros and cons!

Antwerp

What I love about the product

• Pigmented. One dip is enough to make the whole lip opaque with color.
• Dries quickly enough.

You guys know that I'm already happy with the jeans I have, so when Promod launched their Denim Bar, I wasn't that interested in getting a pair. They gave the guests GCs to spend on whatever we want so I went around the store looking for something to buy. A new bag? This cute cardigan? So many nice finds inside the store! Jeans were frankly the last thing on my mind. The Promod product managers insisted that I try a pair, but I politely declined.

But then I saw Shen, Tara, and a couple of other ladies clutching jeans to the cashier. I asked them why and all I got were raves! That was the point I decided to try the jeans on for myself. And this, my dear readers, is what the fuss is about.

Nine West heels/ Warehouse blazer/ Flair For Drama top/ Promod jeans

Love the fit, love the stretch fabric, love the understated wash.

The Majolica Majorca Trick On Powder eyeshadow (P795) is easily one of the best drugstore brand palettes I've tried to date. The quality is at par with the high-end eyeshadows I have in terms of pigmentation, texture, and staying power. P800 might seem steep, but for me it's already a bargain considering that, say, MAC and Shu Uemura palettes are P2,500!

I've read a lot of raves about the Majo palettes, but I thought that while it's good, it's still a reduced-quality Shiseido product. I haven't tried it then. Thank goodness I was wrong.

What I love about the product

• Smooth, silky texture. Not gritty or powdery at all since it's finely milled.
• Highly pigmented, even without a base.
• Good staying power even with no primer. I would still suggest using a primer though because it will crease a bit without it.

I first heard about Golla bags three years ago when Marco, the forever gearhead, started using them for his iPod Classic. I was like, "Wow, why buy an expensive pouch when any other pouch would do?" to which he said, "I invested a lot in this gadget and I want the best pouch to protect it." That wasn't verbatim, but you get the point!

Anyway, if you want to score a Golla bag for yourself, perhaps you'd be interested in joining this contest!

Clinique contacted me last week and asked if I'm interested in holding a Clinique party for Project Vanity readers. What a cute question - of course I am! As you know, I am crazy about the Clinique Moisture Surge and Clinique makeup. I would like you, dear reader, to try Clinique for yourself with no pressure to buy.

If you've always been curious about Clinique but never got around to trying it, going to my party is the best time. ;) Clinique agreed to lower the minimum purchase for their Clinique Bonus Time promo exclusively for Project Vanity readers. Instead of P3,900 worth of products, you only need to spend P3,000 to receive this gift.*

Avon accessories are getting better and better, don't you think? These pieces will speak for themselves:

The Spring Green Jewelry line has this faux jade centerpiece set in silver. It has tiny stones in an ornate pattern which I think makes it look oh-so sophisticated! The Spring Blossom Jewelry line, on the other hand, is gold with white enamel flowers and clear stones. 

The first skincare product I EVER reviewed was the Pond's White Beauty cream. That was in 2008! I loved it, and I used it for two years until I switched to the Flawless White variant (more potent and slightly more expensive than White Beauty, but almost the same thing). I switched moisturizers again - I found awesome, expensive ones in the course of trying out so many things for this blog - but at the back of my head I sometimes wonder if they're better than my first love, Pond's.

Best skin ever with Pond's: A few pounds lighter, two years younger

I encourage you to click the links above because they document my long-time affair with Pond's, and maybe you'll also understand why I work with the brand. :) If you read beauty blogs, I'm sure you've already seen that there is a Pond's Flawless White Blogger Contest where bloggers and their friends document their 14-day experience using the Flawless White line exclusively.

It's a contest with a prize, so of course everyone wants to win. I think that fact may make you think that the point of the contest is undermined. You may think that our "reviews" are already compromised because of the campaign. There's a high probability that you'll be reading raves for Flawless White from all the contestants, and it may also be difficult to believe 100%.

As a beauty blogger, the only thing I can really be proud of is credibility