I've tried quite a few products to get the best contour, but the best, and I mean THE BEST contouring product for me so far is the Happy Skin Feeling Sculptacular Face Contour Kit (P1,199). Why? Let me put it this way. I used to only contour my face when there's a special occasion as the process used to be time-consuming (it involved a lot of blending). With the Happy Skin kit though, contouring has become a breeze! The results look totes natural in only a few minutes. 

Here's a quick rundown on what makes this product special!

What I LOVE about the product

• The warm brown contour shade is perfect for my skintone! It's neutral, not too tan or too muddy. 
• Pigmentation is ideal for contouring. It's lightly pigmented, but not so light that you have to do a lot of layers to make it show up. Two is enough for day-to-day. It looks super natural and diffuse when you're done! 
• Staying power is pretty good at 5-6 hours. It fades, but I don't feel the need to retouch even after 8 hours.

Do you remember your first love? More than the person, it's the feeling that nothing else could be more important than the longing - that rush of blood to the head whenever you see the one who holds your heart, the depth of sadness when you doubt he will love you back. Then, finally, the serenity that comes when both of you realize at the same time that you're meant to be with each other.

Love is sweet, not necessarily permanently so, but one moment could well be an eternity.

Turning that emotion into a scent may be impossible, but the Coach Love Eau de Toilette may be as close as it gets. It's joyful, refined, and romantic as two soulmates intertwined. It opens with notes of sparkling mandarin, dewberry, green violet, and freesia, while the heart is a sophisticated floral bouquet of magnolia, jasmine, and gardenia. The base is woodsy (sandalwood, patchouli) sweetened with fresh florals and caramel. It leaves a musky sillage for a few hours.

I just came from my third trip to Tokyo a couple of weeks ago, but I'm already planning another one in the fall! I love the place, plus I believe it's important to have something truly exciting to look forward to. That's one of the beauties of traveling - the anticipation of it. 

If you've caught the Tokyo bug as I have, allow me to be helpful by listing down the five most important things you need to have you when you travel there. Of course, a passport, visa (if applicable), and cash are required, but these five things should make your trip a lot more enjoyable and fun. 

Let's go!

#1 Tokyo Essential: Comfortable shoes. Socks too, if you can. A trip in to Tokyo involves A LOT of walking, unless you're extremely loaded and don't mind springing for crazy expensive cab rides (one of the priciest in the world). Even places of interest near train stations require a quite a bit of serious leg work. Walking is also a great way to explore the city and you really don't want your feet to expire too soon!

One of these days, I'm going to write a post on the x number of things I bought because of Lisa Eldridge. She's probably the most influential beauty guru in my life - I believe everything she says, with all my heart and soul! Seriously though, I love her. I hope I can get to meet her one day or at least see her in person. It would be a dream come true for me if she visits the Philippines!

Anyway, I first heard about Bourjois, a French drugstore beauty brand, from Lisa. She always uses the brand's foundations and blushes in her video tutorials. One of the things she's been featuring in her recent videos is the Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream (~P900 or JPY1,800), so when I saw it in Tokyo a couple of weeks back, I had to get one! The reasonable price was the other factor that convinced me to pick it up.

I'm not going to let the tension mount - it was love at first swipe with this CC Cream! It has a beautiful skin-like finish, sheer but decent coverage, and it brightens my face up with only one layer. Staying power is pretty good as well, and I'm saying that while in the midst of a massive heat wave in Manila. SO MUCH LOVE. I wish I got a couple more tubes.

Here's a detailed rundown of the pros and cons of this Bourjois base!

What I love about the product 

• It delivers a gorgeous skin-enhancing effect. It reminds me a bit of the Bobbi Brown BB Cream, but at less than half the price tag. It sets into a demi-matte finish.
• Sheer to medium coverage. It's not buildable, but one layer is enough to cover minor imperfections and tone down redness, sallowness, and uneven areas. 
• Texture is runny and easy to spread with just fingers. It's hydrating, but feels lightweight in the heat.

As long as there are gorgeous lipsticks making their way out in the world, I'll be a happy beauty blogger. Haha! One of the newest lippies to drop into my clutches is the Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy Shine Lipstick in Surreal Sunset (P1,700) which will be out in counters today. It's a beautiful coral pink shade housed in an elegant navy blue bullet. In terms of formula and color, I'd say Estee Lauder outdid itself on this one!

I actually put off wearing this for a week because I thought it was orange, and I am just not feeling that color for this season (odd but what can I do). I was pretty surprised that Surreal Sunset is anything BUT orange! The color off the tube would suggest otherwise, right?

Anyway, here's a quick rundown on what I like and don't like about Estee Lauder's latest lipstick!

What I love about the product

• It's pigmented! One layer is enough to get this rich, vibrant color.
• Amazing texture. It's creamy and buttery, but it hugs the lips tight without being uncomfortable. This is designed to be longwearing, and it does indeed last 4-5 hours!
• It's hydrating enough that I don't need to wear balm underneath. Note that I don't have dry lips, however.