My skincare routine is not only basic, but relatively cheap. I wanted it to be quick without ignoring my skin's needs. The products have to be affordable too, since I use them for maintenance - I should never run out.

Everyday I follow the most basic skincare routine: cleanse, tone, and moisturize. I use additional products when the situation calls for it, such as eye cream, SPF tinted moisturizer, or makeup remover.

So now, presenting my skincare basics! This is everything I use to take care of my face.

RDL Placenta Soap

I've been using this product for more than three years now. It's super cheap at only ~P50 per bar, one bar lasting me for about 3-4 months of twice-a-day usage. Awesome right?

It keeps my combination skin clear from pimples and has a lightening effect. This is is not the best facial soap out there, however. It dries my skin and doesn't stop my pre-period breakouts completely. Nonetheless, in my rare skincare exploits, this is the best soap for me that I've found so far.

If you've been following this blog, you'll know that I've been working as a freelancer for the last three months. So how is it? Pretty cool, actually. I get to work on my own time. I get to attend events, nap, or play Xbox whenever I want to. It's great to stay inside the comforts of my place here in Makati most of the time, so if you ask me, I have zero regrets.

That is not to say that it wasn't difficult at the start. One of the most terrifying things I've done in my life so far is quitting my full-time job. Heck, I'm only 22. I was terrified that I haven't paid my dues enough and wouldn't make it as a freelancer. I was terrified of being poor. I was terrified of having to come back home to the province and live with my Mom (she's awesome, by the way, but living with my parents isn't my idea of a successful life).

The first month sucked. I earned very little money. However, on the second month, everything turned around. I got big PR gigs out of the blue, an editorial job, then the business boomed. It seemed like doors were opening everywhere - pardon the cliche, but that's the truth. I have never been this busy in my life.

I am in love with Urban Decay's eyeshadow called Shattered. It's an iridescent shade of teal that reflects fine gold shimmers and has a lovely mint green undertone to it. Perfect for summer! It's very tan friendly. I usually wear it with brown but in this look I decided on a smoky moss green called Misdemeanor (also from UD).

The technique I used in achieving this look is pretty simple! This is what I did:

Step 1: Pat Shattered all over the lid, subtly winging it out.
Step 2: Draw a thick line on the roots of your upper lashes with Misdemeanor. I used a small, round brush to achieve this. Also line your lower lid.

Step 3: Create a thick wing using your eyeshadow, as shown.

I have always believed that Filipinas are some of the most beautiful women in the world. We hate the color of our skin, the curl of our hair, the challenges we have to face right here in the Third World - but I believe that these things make us strong and beautiful. But come, I'm biased. 

Nationalism is a hot commodity right now because of the elections. We have t-shirts from Collezione, Bench, and now, a huge fashion show from Ayala Malls. Filipina, Bravo! is an exhibit  that seeks to pay homage to Filipina icons by interpreting them with contemporary fashion.

Participating designers include the legendary and timeless Patis Tesoro and Criselda Lontok; the unquestionable queen of knits Lulu Tan Gan; the famed femme favorite Patrice Ramos-Diaz; silk heiress Katrina Goulbourn; Bonne Bouche’s Michi Calica, Elena Bautista and Emi Jorge; contemporary and fashion forward designers Tippi Ocampo, Kate Torralba and Hindy Weber-Tantoco; easy fashion for the working woman from Yvette and Choc Religioso and Arlene Sipat; award-winning Mich Dulce for Myth; supermodel-turned-designer Tweety de Leon for Myth; acclaimed bag designer and SoFa founder Amina Aranaz; exquisite accessories designer Ana Rocha; and pearl excellence from Jewelmer. via The Daily Tribune

It's a grand showcase of the hottest colors and cuts this season. There's a lot of whites, nudes, and blacks mixed with shocking pops of color in blue, purple, and red. The designers have a preference for loose-fitting, flowy dresses as well as body-hugging empire cut cocktail numbers and high-waisted body cons. Of course, the traditional baro't saya was featured.

A ton of pictures after the cut! 

I am a fan of clothes with a healthy dose of romance. Nudes, whites, pinks, and beiges are some of my favorite colors to wear this season too! That's why I am floored by Johnson's Body Care and Bayo's collaboration called the Soft Look Collection. The well-designed pieces are done in delicate lace, chiffon, and satin, shamelessly featuring a lot of ruffles and runching. The whole collection's main focus was showing off one of our best assets this summer - beautiful skin.

I love, love, love the Soft Look Collection. It is so me! Anyway, I took photos of the complete line for your viewing pleasure. Tell me what you think! Check out last year's Johnson's Body Care launch too, and compare.

The gorgeous, skinny, and elegant Sarah Meier was host for the night. I love her blue eyeshadow and nude lips. Her makeup was immaculate.

Class and simplicity 

Last Friday, Paul & Joe celebrated its third birthday and launched their 2010 Spring Collection with a small, intimate gathering. The theme was Wild Flowers, based on Shakespeare's Twelfth Night.

Cute birthday cake! So Paul & Joe, don't you think? The brand is known for its cute and classy packaging.

The host looked absolutely fresh and stunning

2010 Spring Creation Makeup. If you like elegant, wearable and long-lasting colors, this is a collection that you should check out. The eyeshadows come in three finishes: satin, silk, and suede. There are 27 colors to match the season. You can create your own palette by picking any three colors that suits your fancy, which makes it rather convenient since it maximizes the products' cost-per-wear (you know you'll be using everything all the time!). The price is rather steep though - for the whole palette, you need to shell out P2,980. Each eyeshadow is P820 while the palette itself is P520.

One of the things you may not know about me is the fact that I cook. I love food, but I'm not a foodie! I just like to try new things both in the tasting and cooking department. My cooking philosophy is pretty basic: make simple, healthy, but tasty dishes. I'm always trying to lose weight and I don't really have that much time to spend puttering around the kitchen, hence that kind of thinking.

Anyway, I'd like to share some recent recipes I whipped up with the help of Epicurious. It's this site that aggregates recipes all over the Internet, which makes it an awesome place for those who are always looking to cook something new, or add a twist to what they're already making.

Sauteéd Chicken Cutlets with Asparagus, Spring Onions, and Parsley-Tarragon Gremolata

This recipe has a very herby taste. Instead of cutlets, I used huge chicken breasts which worked pretty well with the whole thing. The creamy herb sauce infused with a spark of citrus flavor is quite surprising but still very much delightful.

More recipes after the jump!

When you Google for NYX Round Lipsticks you will find that two of the most popular shades are Thalia and Tea Rose. Every makeup enthusiast worth her salt has these shades in her arsenal! They're cheap, plus they're extremely flattering on most skin tones. The swatches were very tempting so I decided to snag these lipsticks when Carefree Shopper's next shipment came in.

Thalia and Tea Rose. They look the same in the picture, but Tea Rose looks a lot pinker in person. Swatches up ahead!

Kate Torralba is best known for her bright and quirky designs that cater to those with young, adventurous hearts. For this summer she has created a daring but still wearable collection called Tightly Knit. I say daring because the collection has her trademark bright colors while also showing a lot of flesh and wearable because I can see Pinays, however conservative, wearing the pieces on the beach. I know I would!

Fit and lean. KT was inspired to do the collection when she did one of the pieces that's part of the grand prize in the Nestle Fitnesse Challenge contest last year. “I was inspired by a project with Nestle Fitnesse earlier this year, wherein a coat dress I made was given as a prize to one of the winners of the weight-loss challenge. It made me think about getting fit for the summer and showing off a great body,” she shares with Style Bible.

Close-up of the pretty knit fabric

I love the embellishments on the straps and neckline. Kate used large, colorful stones. Perfect for the beach!

This is my favorite outfit in the collection. It proves that you don't have to wear skimpy bikinis to look sexy.

This is pretty late, lol. A few weeks back I got interviewed by Jori Pamintuan, a columnist from The Philippine Star, about fashion and beauty blogging. As you all know, that's my favorite topic so I was really happy to ramble on about it. 

Here's the full article online. It's surreal to be on print - I'll never get used to it although I've been on print a couple of times (once in UNO Magazine October 09, a mention in Smart Parenting Dec 09) and once on TV (Fit N' Fab on beauty bloggers - I'm embarrassed to share). I don't know! It's fun, it makes me feel good that all my hard work is actually manifesting itself physically.

Anyway, the feature just has a few snippets of the full interview so I want to share the whole thing. I must warn you that it's pretty long but I hope you get a few useful insights from my ramblings.