I recently went to Amsterdam and promptly freaked out when I realized that the city had a Charlotte Tilbury at de Bijenkorf Mall. I had long been a fan of the brand, especially when famed makeup artist and former Tom Ford Beauty director Charlotte Tilbury talks about her products with such passion. The video tutorials and general hype towards the makeup just added fuel to the fire.

Talk about the perfect way to “wake up when September ends”. This week’s beauty roundup has got the scoop on all things colorful and exciting! Get ready to shop online as Bobbi Brown officially drops on Lazada (no need to wait in traffic or head to a crowded mall - yay!) and Vice Ganda debuts an exciting Korean collab. We also found the perfect dupe for the FENTY gloss and clean-er beauty options from Avon’s newest brand.

Go to the beauty section of any drug store or supermarket and you’ll find an iconic white box with a winking geisha. Kojie San has been a solid mainstay in the skin lightening sector, and it’s become so popular among international Asian Beauty fans that you can find listings for the brand’s famous soap on Amazon! While we at Project Vanity are not interested in skin lightening and whitening per se, we find that the Kojie San’s soap is one fo the most effective products to help even out darker areas.

In just a few short years, the Philippines went from having just a couple of Etude House stores to having more Korean brand and product options than we can keep up with! If all the oppas visiting the country doesn’t convince you (looking at you, Park Seo Jun and Lee Dong Wook), maybe this will: even the big names in Western beauty brands are getting into the K-beauty craze! The latest to ride the Hallyu wave is none other than Avon, a well-loved beauty brand that secured its spot in our kikay kits and dressers long before Watsons even became a thing. 

From 3D sheet masks to shampoos and hair serums, we’ve raved a lot about the products by  Japanese brand Kracie. Now, they have something new to add to our skincare routines with a set of cleansing waters! The Creer Micellar Cleansing Water (P545 for 330ml in stores) joins the Cleansing Water and Clean Water Oil In as the latest in Kracie’s cleansing solutions. These micellar waters come in two variants, Clear and Moist, and are said to be made from Japanese hot spring water.

As a self-confessed pawisin girl living in a tropical country, I’m generally more wary about how the practically year-long “sweat weather” affects my skin rather than any sweater weather can. Even now that the Ber months are here and it’s monsoon season, I still sweat a lot especially while commuting or working out at the gym. Not only can the moisture ruin my #FOTD, it can even cause sweat rashes or “bungang araw” on my body. 

I’m not new to the world of luxury foundations but I’ve never heard of a self-refreshing foundation before. So when Shiseido launched the Synchro Skin Self-Refreshing Foundation with SPF 35 PA++++, my interest was piqued! This foundation features ActiveForce Technology which is supposed to enable the foundation to “resist humidity, respond to heat, rebound from facial movement, absorb oil, and diffuse light for a just-applied look”. It sounds like a great match for my oily skin and the tropical climate, so I decided to test it out!

This idea of bravery is the central point of the Project Vanity x Revlon Beauty and Bravery event that we recently held in Makati. Project Vanity community members gathered with us at Xception for an afternoon of milk tea, coffee, and sharing brave moments. It was a one-of-a-kind event as it was very intimate and really allowed us to talk and listen to each other. Plus, it turned into a bonding session as we became real-life friends with people we’ve only interacted with at the PVC Facebook group!

Who’s ready for another beauty roundup?! This week is packed full of exciting news, both global and local! First up, we’ve got the scoop on Aesop making its way to the Philippines, plus a rare Michelle Phan upload and launch. We’ve also got a detailed look into Victoria Beckham Beauty (think smoky and chic) and the new drops from FENTY! Also, if you still struggle to get your wings even, stick-on eyeliners might be your new bff. Happy reading!

Thanks to more salons offering them at budget-friendly prices, getting beauty treatments is something that more people can enjoy. Here on PV, we’ve tried and raved about lash extensions, lash perms, lash lifts, and even semi-permanent tattoo makeup. These services are becoming increasingly popular and for good reason: you can literally “wake up like this” and already look made up, so you save time on getting ready!

I grew up watching a lot K-beauty YouTubers. Everything I know about makeup and skincare, I learned from them (and Project Vanity, of course!). One of my top beauty idols is Hye-Min Park or Pony Syndrome, who is hands down the most famous makeup artist of the K-beauty world! She works with the biggest K-pop idols like 2NE1 and Wonder Girls, and has even released a few books. And then three years ago, she launched Pony Effect, her very own makeup line. 

Tolerated, but not accepted. While this year’s #PrideMarch was more successful than ever, the Philippines as a country has a long way to go before truly becoming a safe space for the LGBTQI community. Just recently, there was news about a trans woman who experienced discrimination in a Quezon City mall. Gretchen Custodio Diez just wanted to use the female restroom, but was humiliated and arrested. 

Have you ever been to a beauty convention? If you’re the type of beauty lover who loves staying ahead of trends and getting in-depth knowledge of the industry, this is the place to be! I’ve only attended a couple of local cons so far, but I found my current go-to sunscreen stick (it’s not available locally) at the one we attended a few months ago. There are free demos and talks, and hair, makeup, and nail competitions. You might even find an exclusive sale or convention-only prices.

When we say that Project Vanity is the source for your daily dose of beauty, we mean it! In this year alone, we have published over 200 stories so far, and we still have so much more to share. It’s honestly not easy work but we love what we do because of commenters like Monalisa Bio, who regularly shared her thoughts and insights after reading each story. Thank you for the support and for making Project Vanity part of your daily habit, Monalisa! You are our Commenter of the Month. Please email me at den[at]projectvanity[dot]com to claim your prize.

Filipinas have definitely become a lot more interested in eyeshadow in recent years because of YouTube and Instagram. Before, we felt that eyeshadow wasn’t worth the kerfuffle so long as we had mascara, eyeliner, and kilay on, but now it’s become a fun way to dress up any look! There are hundreds of palettes in the market though, so allow me to share a recent Revlon find that’s under 900 pesos: the Looks Book Eyeshadow Palettes (P875 at Revlon counters).

“Blooming ka” is a usual compliment that describes a general improvement in one’s appearance. Sometimes it’s as obvious as a whole new FOTD, while other times it’s a positive change to the overall aura that’s hard to explain. Then again, maybe it’s just a new skincare routine that’s been formulated for glass skin levels of radiance!

If there’s one word to describe this week’s beauty roundup it’s NEW! We’ve got the latest foundation from Kat Von D Beauty (plus the gorgeous face fronting the campaign), NARS’ newest baby to mark 25 years in the industry, and L’Oreal’s newest Oscar winning face. We also have the official release date of Victoria Beckham Beauty, and deets on Lancôme’s quest to further empower women! 

Is it just me or is 2019 passing by quickly? The Ber months are here, and holiday season is right around the corner! With everything going at full steam ahead, stress and lack of sleep can become your daily companions. We don’t need to worry though - Make Up For Ever has just launched their newest solution to helping us stay fresh faced: the Make Up For Ever Reboot Foundation (P2,700).

K-beauty isn’t just about a quest for glass skin. While many brands develop products according to specific age brackets, some labels were made in response to more particular needs such as atopic skin disorder relief or solutions for oily/acne-prone skin types. Commleaf answers the call for a back-to-nature approach to skincare, focusing on natural ingredients and hypoallergenic products. Even the brand’s name origin story speaks of its humble philosophy: “comma” indicates a pause, while “leaf” represents nature.

I was in Hong Kong last November for a beauty convention when I spotted a simple booth tucked in amongst hundreds of others in the massive venue. I almost missed it, but a glimpse of luxe brushes caught my eye. When I entered I found out that my hunch was right: the brushes were indeed luxurious and made by Uyeda Bisyodo, an artisanal brush brand founded in Japan in 1945.