You better work, work, work because this week’s roundup has got everything you need to brighten up your day! We’ve got FENTY Beauty’s surprise lipstick drop (now on Sephora btw), something new from Hourglass, and a brand spanking new collection from Happy Skin! We’ve got the glow, the glam, and the… scent? Happy reading!

I am a firm believer in the power of beautiful lashes. Long, voluminous, and charmingly curled - a good pair of lashes does so much to make your eyes look more awake and vibrant. I have been meaning to try lash perming forever but shelling out P3,700 for Yumi lashes was a little steep for my cheapskate heart. After reading several recommendations for Let’s Face It Salon from the Project Vanity community, I decided why not, and gave their P252 (!!!) lash perm a go.

I like to pull influences from all sorts of media, but the canon of film and TV is such a particularly great resource because it laces aesthetics with philosophies about beauty and identity. In film and TV, makeup moments say a lot about character and these moments are pretty intentional by design. We recently had a discussion about great beauty moments from film and TV in the Project Vanity Community group, and I’ve put together some our faves into this little list.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I like my eyes, but my eyelashes can be a pain. Like the hair on my head, my lashes are naturally rebond-straight, somewhat fine, and do what they want, which usually involves clumping together when curled or after more than one coat of mascara. On top of this, I have an odd eye shape: a tapering eyelid crease creates a “hood” which tends to swallow up my lashes. Because of this, putting on mascara can be a nerve-racking experience, as I’m constantly running the risk of getting product all over my lids.

A low pH cleanser is the best kind you can use for your skin, and this holds true for all skin types and concerns. The super gentle formula is perfect for sensitive skin, won’t dry out dehydrated skin, helps prevent acne in troubled skin, balances out oily skin, and leaves dry skin feeling soft and supple. Most low pH cleansers are formulated to match the skin’s natural pH level of 5.5, which allows the proper and healthy maintenance of the acid mantle.

When I was in high school and makeup was forbidden, my classmates and I got our beauty kick by being extra enthusiastic about skincare. During lunch breaks, face washes, moisturizers, and lip balms were whipped out of school bags and shared or traded. We only had our student allowances then so purchases were carefully budgeted. If only it were available then, we would’ve appreciated the compact and inexpensive skincare products of Fresh Skinlab!

How is September almost over?! It’s time to start planning your Halloween looks! You don’t need to wait that long for treats though, because we’ve got goodies for you in this week’s roundup. Get ready for the ultimate Disney Princess makeup collection of your dreams (that’s super affordable, btw), more MAC lippies to watch out for, and a new beauty brand from the Land Down Under.

One of the biggest news that shook the local beauty scene last year was the announcement that CosRX was coming to Watsons. The Korean brand has a devoted and growing following among skincare enthusiasts, and we were thrilled we could finally stock up on favorites without having to wait for our online orders. Now, we can expect to enjoy the same instant gratification with Neogen and Dear Klairs!

Stop and drop everything you’re doing right now for this important announcement: Urban Decay is now available at Sephora PH! Yes, we too had to slap ourselves to make sure we weren’t dreaming.

I use filters for most of my Instagram photos because my iPhone has a crappy camera that just fails even in what should be sufficient lighting. It takes me extra time to edit my selfies, but it’s worth the effort to enhance the final image. And so here’s where Revlon asked and answered a question: what if your foundation already gives you the effect of app filters?

When we posted about our tita-purse must haves, a lot of our readers shared that they tote around pain and stress relievers, too. Medicines, soothing balms, liniments, essential oils, and even bandages are now part of our purse essentials! To be honest, I wasn’t very surprised; it seems like we all deal with stress and pain on the daily. We may associate pain relievers with the elderly but the reality is any weekday warrior in the metro can do with some stress relief.

Enter Danarra, aromatherapy oils that combine the cooling sensation of a soothing balm with refreshing therapeutic scents! It comes in six variants: Classic Menthol (Destress), Green Tea (Clear Mind), Lavender (Relaxing Sleep), Young (Cool & Fresh), Flowery Citrus (Energy Giving), and Sport (Mood Booster).

Rejoice, Mainenatics! MAC Cosmetics has finally unveiled their lipstick collaboration with Maine Mendoza. Welcome @MaineDCM: a muted peachy beige shade with a Matte finish. She chose this shade because she wanted an MLBB that will flatter Pinay skin tones. 

If you’re part of Facebook beauty groups or wedding planning, you may have seen the viral post that sent online beauty community into a frenzy over the weekend. Originally shared by a user named Makiko Yoshizawa, the post is a scathing review of celebrity makeup artist RB Chanco. Makiko claimed that RB was unresponsive in the months leading up to her wedding, leading her to cancel their service agreement. She also detailed how RB insisted on keeping the reservation fee despite the cancellation of the contract, which happened mere weeks before the event. The post includes screenshots of OP’s exchanges with the artist.

It was in my many travels to Japan that I first heard about “petal skin”. I’ve observed that the Japanese prefer matte yet bouncy skin that’s supple to the touch, as they don’t like a lot of shine or shimmer on their complexion. I’ve since tried to duplicate the petal skin effect in the way I apply my makeup, but then I thought: what if I could achieve it with my skincare routine?

It may be raining like crazy outside but things are shining bright for this week’s roundup! If the weather’s got you down, don’t you worry because we’ve got nothing but good news for you. Get ready cause Innisfree and Jeffree Star Cosmetics are BOTH coming to the PH (yes, we’re talking actual stores), and Too Faced’s epic holiday collection is finally out! We’ve also got a luxury lipstick inspired and named after a rapper, and the fanciest eyeshadow we ever did see Happy reading!

I’ve taken my oily skin for granted and it has bit me in the backside, hard. I feel like I’m going back to my teenage years with the way my skin is now. While I’m still trying to find the right routine for me, I learned a little bit more about my skin at the Leaders Grand Launch.

At the launch event, one of the activities offered was a skin consultation. I sat opposite the attendant, confident I’d hear the usual feedback. But as the attendee began interpreting the results, I felt my stomach knot up. And it wasn’t the coffee I had downed earlier in the day - it was dread.

I love taking my time with my daily skincare routine as a form of self-care. Still, as a working woman with two young kids, I do dream of getting the benefits of a 10-step Korean skincare routine with just three products and wayyy less time! So, when I saw that Althea’s collaboration with Get It Beauty (a super popular beauty show in Korea) was all about super quick and easy skincare, my curiosity was definitely piqued.

If you’re a member of the Project Vanity Community, you may have seen one of my (many) posts raving about the Human Nature Hydrating Face Toner. I’ve used up two big bottles of this since discovering it sometime last year, and that’s a big deal for me as someone who often has to try a lot of other products as part of my job. There was a point when I regretted sharing about it though because it was out of stock at several stores by the time I had to repurchase!

When I got an invitation to attend a Laura Mercier workshop featuring their all new Blush Colour Infusion with celebrity makeup artist Anthea Bueno in Rustans Department Store Cebu, I did not hesitate to say “Yes!” Known for her incredible skin work, I was more than excited to learn about Anthea’s techniques for blush application, and of course, the chance to meet and chat with her in person! Tellie wrote a feature on her last year but it’s quite a different experience to see her artistry come to life and to hear more about her story firsthand.

I know that hair vinegar sounds like a sketchy concept, but it's an idea that's been around for a while. You might have read about hair rinses that includes vinegar to better cleanse the scalp, but no one actually wants to smell like they did it. Right? Enter commercial hair vinegars. Thank me later.

So why do you need hair vinegars anyway? Think of it as the first step to double-cleansing your scalp properly. Most of the time, normal shampoo isn't enough to rid your hair of product build-up (this one more than anything), dead skin, oil, and dirt, so you'll need a separate product to break it all down. If you have that feeling of your hair being heavy and greasy at the roots, then it means that you need something with more cleansing power than your everyday shampoo.