Benefit is a wildly popular brand worldwide, not just because of their cheeky names and packaging but also because their products deliver exactly what they promise. Ever heard of Benetint? This cult classic has actually been around since the 70s, when twins Jean and Jane Ford started a backyard business selling cosmetics. Over the years, it has become one of the most well-known cheek colors and one of Benefit's top-selling products.

The brand is finally arriving in the Philippines this December 15, and I want to show you what to expect! Think cute and vintage-y interiors, our fave Benefit products (of course), and friendly prices that matches Hong Kong's. Yes, the Benefit here is reasonably priced and is actually cheaper than in Singapore! You can check out the complete price list at the end of this post.

Okay, ready to see what happened at the blogger sneak peek in the Benefit office? Here goes!

If you are about my age then you know that Skechers was The Cool Thing To Wear when we were in elementary. I used to dream about owning those platform rubber shoes back then! Remember the heeled rubber shoes? Those were at the top of my list too. But I was just a student then and my mom didn't believe in high rubber shoes, so I could only dream.

Seriously, I had an obsession with Skechers when I was a kid. That's why when the brand asked me to visit a store and to pick my own shoes, I immediately said yes. I normally don't write about sporty brands like this but I thought I'd make an exception for something that was an inspiration during my childhood.

And so, here I have a virtual tour of the big Skechers store in Market Market, The Fort! Read after the jump to see the brand's latest selections and of course, what I took home with me.

Surprise, surprise. This is me raving about IN2IT for the nth time! I can't help it, not when they have amazing products that can rival expensive brands for only a fraction of the price. Remember their blush, eyebrow powder, eyeliner, and foundation? I have them and they are all super products. This time, I want to talk about their new eyeshadow palette called the IN2IT Eye Colour Palette (P380).

Shade selection and texture. These palettes come in four variants that contain wearable, flattering shades that is obviously chosen for Asian skin. The eyeshadows have excellent pigmentation and far from being powdery and chalky. They do contain a bit of sparkle which makes them grittier than I woud like, but overall the texture is fine and silky.

Vibrancy and staying power. You can definitely use these without primer and they will come out vibrant. They will also stay in place, but do expect creasing if you have oily lids.

We all have pores, but some of us have bigger pores than others. A lot of beauty products claim to cure you of them but the truth is that they can't work miracles - if you have large pores, you will most probably have them forever! It's just how your skin is. Short of surgery, the next best thing you can do is to use makeup and skincare that hides and fills pores.

One of the most promising pore fillers out in the market is the newly-released Z-Pore (P1,600). It's literally an instant pore-refiner since the silicon-based cream is super fine, slipping into those holes like a boss. It also has a matte finish that smoothens and evens out skin. 

I'm not going to scare you into using sunscreen. Seriously, you won't die extra ugly if you don't wear sunscreen. You'll just have a few sunspots, more wrinkles, and uneven skin, but really, nothing life-threatening! 

Now we have that out of the way, let me tell you about my new sunscreen discovery, the VMV Hypoallergenics Armada Face Cover 30. It's great! Now I understand why it's such a popular SPF product, after years of hearing about it from friends and magazines extolling its virtues.

The VMV Armada is a non-greasy, light day moisturizer that protects your face from sun damage while offering maximum comfort. It doesn't feel like a blanket of oil and sweat on my face. Better yet, it didn't break me out! I find that most SPF products give me pimples, but that's not the case with the Armada. It didn't block my pores either.

I've been thinking a lot about designer bags lately. Before, I wouldn't give them a moment's hoot - why blow P20,000 to P100,000 and beyond just for a bag? There are equally beautiful bags for much, much less than that. It didn't make sense to me. But now, it sorta does.

Let me tell you a little bit about my line of work. I work in the fashion industry as a PR and marketing person. I meet a lot of clients and people from the media, so it pays to reason that I always need to be at my best. You won't trust someone to represent you if that person looks shabby and all over the place, will you? Some people call it vanity, but I call it simple survival.

They say good shoes will take you to good places. That's true. But I do think that quote also applies to bags, too.

Let's make this Clinique Day! Since I just posted about the last Clinique Party, I thought I should also post a review of their newest product to hit the Philippines: Lid Smoothie Antioxidant 8-Hour Eye Colour (P1,550). It's a liquid eyeshadow that comes in a tube with a cooling silver applicator. It also promises to have ingredients to soothe skin and fill in lines.

I think the applicator is a cool (literally and figuratively) add-on, but overall, I can do without it. It's easier to spread the eyeshadow with a finger or a concealer brush instead of trying to use the silver tip to even out the color. 

As for the eyeshadow itself. It's sheer, like most of Clinique's eyeshadows. Clinique is a brand that's all about natural-looking makeup so I'm not surprised!

I know, I know, this is rather late but I wanted to share what went down at the Clinique Real Women Party anyway. It was, as all Clinique parties go, an intimate affair. All my favorite people were there plus I got to meet one of my readers, Mina! It was chika all afternoon at the Clinique Rockwell counter and even most of the evening as we had dinner together. Super fun. 

The new Clinique counter in Rustan's Essences, Powerplant Mall

That's Mina and that's me!

Are you sick and tired of your blackheads, white heads, and pimples? Tell me all about it. I know how it feels to try lots of treatments and products, get so hopeful, and still end up where you started. It may be that your acne is a genetic pre-disposition, which means that there's not much that you can do to cure it except lessen the appearance and discomfort.

My ongoing battle with acne

But maybe, just maybe, you are doing a few things that you don't know causes or worsens acne. Acne is generally caused by over-production of oil, bacteria, and uncleared dead skin cells which clog pores. Using the wrong product will trigger acne, but sometimes it's what you do rather than what you use that causes the problem.

Here are five common habits that cause acne. Any of these sound familiar?

1. Over-drying your skin. It sounds like common sense to strip your face of oil to prevent more oil, so a lot of people use drying products such as harsh facial washes, alchohol-based toners, and abrasive exfoliators to get rid of the sebum. But it doesn't work that way.

We all know makeup testers can be home to bacteria and diseases, but of course sometimes we need to try them first before purchasing. I wonder: what do you do to avoid risking your health when you want to test products in the store? Thanks! -Leng

Hi Leng! Thanks for your great question! A lot of girls can be careless when it comes to swatching makeup before buying them. They're not aware that it's not safe or even if they are, they disregard the issue because they really want to test the makeup before they buy it. I can understand that; I mean, who wants to buy something that's been untested? 

So here's my main rule for testing makeup on the counters: don't put anything on your face unless you know it's been sanitized. 

We love pink and peach blushes best because they flatter our skin so well, but have you ever considered a rose brick shade like the MAC Mineralize Blush in Love Joy (P1,500)? I thought it was an odd color, at first, but it looked beautiful on me when I finally gave it a chance.

This is a scary blush because it's SUPER DUPER pigmented. When I first used it, I looked like a clown with two solid stripes of muddy red on my cheeks! After a bit of experimenting though, I found that taking off most of the product from my brush by rubbing it on the back of my hand delivers the color I want.

The last time I've used Smashbox was waaay back in 2009. Hoping to remedy that with some of the new products from the brand! Here's a quick peek plus a bit of info about these beauties.

Smashbox Studio Skin 15-Hour Wear Hydrating Foundation (P2,100) - Blurs imperfections using light diffusing spheres and delivers natural-looking, buildable medium-to-full coverage while keeping skin hydrated and shine-free all day.

Smashbox Photo Finish Luminizing Foundation Primer (P2,050) - This formula delivers the perfect amount of luminosity to the skin while also extending the wear of foundation and filling in lines and pores.

Lulur originated from the royal palaces of Java, Indonesia, and was used by brides-to-be in a beautifying ritual shortly before their wedding. Since lulur came to the Philippines last year, it became an instant hit! It cleansed and smoothened skin wonderfully so it's no wonder that more brands are coming in.

When I heard about the Purbasari Lulur Mandi Putih, the first thing I wanted to know was if it would match or even best my favorite lulur scrub - Asian Secrets. I don't want to play coy. Both products are housed in the same jar, they also look and feel the same, and can be both be purchased in drugstores for P130. Which is better? 

The first thing I noticed about Purbasari is the smell. I didn't particularly like it. It's this heavy, soapy, grandma smell that turned me off. I didn't want to use it but for the sake of this blog...it was a pleasant surprise.

Let me tell you about my hair care routine before! I shampoo and then...that's it. I normally don't wear conditioner unless my hair is feeling dry (maybe once a month?). As for styling products, I just use serum and then mousse when I'm going somewhere important.

I make a conscious effort to keep my hair low-maintenance because my scalp is very sensitive, and besides, all the hair care products I've used in the past simply don't do much for my unruly, curly hair. But! All that changed when I started using the Bed Head Tigi Styleshots Hi-Def Curls Shampoo and Conditioner. 

Bed Head had an event for bloggers at Basement Salon a few weeks ago, which is where I first experienced their products. Allow me to tell you why I LOVE my Styleshots Hi-Def Curls set. I have photos to prove it, too.

What I love about the product

• As promised, the shampoo and conditioner defined my curls and lessened frizz. My hair also feels smooth, soft, and bouncy instantly after I use them. Like I just came from the salon.
• Smells phenomenal! Hi-Def Curls has this sort of fruity candy scent that really stays until I wash it off.

I am a foundation monster. I love foundations. By now you should know that I have far from perfect skin, so I try to enhance it as best as I can.  

I already have a few favorites, but right now I am really loving the Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation Mineral Makeup SPF15 (P2,200). It's the most natural-looking foundation that I have ever had the pleasure to try! It really looks like skin - silky, luminous skin - an effect that some foundations can fake but never truly mimic. With other foundations, I still add a luminizing finishing powder to get that effect, but I don't need to do that with Bobbi's mineral foundation.

What I LOVE about the product 

• Natural, beautifying finish that looks like skin. Check out my photos!
• Pretty good lasting powder. It stays put for 5-6 hours without primer. Longer with primer, of course.

One of my readers requested for a tutorial on how to apply mineral foundation. I thought that was an interesting question. After all, mineral foundation IS different from normal powder foundation and therefore requires a slightly separate set of tools and techniques. 

But wait, why use mineral makeup? It depends on your needs and preferences. MMU is great if you want a smooth, luminous finish without all the added chemicals traditional foundations have. You also don't need to use a lot of MMU to get the skin you want, which means that you only use a thin layer that lets your skin breathe.

Unlike normal powder makeup where you just pat it on to get your desired coverage, you have to sort of break down and really spread mineral makeup all over your face. That's why even if you only use a small amout of mineral powder (well, good MMU anyway), you get a lot mileage out of it. It's basically concentrated pigment, unlike traditional makeup where there are comparatively more binders, extenders, and preservatives included in the formula.

That said, I'd just like to share the tools and techniques I use in applying loose mineral foundation!

Choose your weapon

Dense brushes allow you to break down and spread the MMU efficiently.

I've always wondered how it would be like if I were a glamorous celebrity. I would imagine the lights, the makeup, the beautiful clothes, and a score of people attending me as I prepare for a fab shoot. But I am not a celebrity, so all I can do is wonder (and D-I-Y to death) - that is, until Sunsilk asked me to join a shoot by one of the country's top photographers, Niccolo Cosme!

Sophie, Shen, Nikki, and I

I've been blogging for a few years now. In the course of my "career", I've luckily experienced a few cool milestones, but being part of a real photoshoot is definitely a first. It's all thanks to Sunsilk, who chose four beauty bloggers to celebrate with them after they reached 1,000,000 fans on their Hair Experts Facebook Page.

What do you think? I normally hate this angle of me, but Niccolo Cosme has some magic in his shutters. ;) Anyway, would just like to share a photo diary of what transpired at the shoot. You'll see a lot of Sophie, Nikki, and Shen as we prepare for the shoot behind the scenes.

Nikki is bright and sunny as always

Hey folks! Just wanna share some news from my end of the world. Quick lang.

Check out how I did my fall look over at Miss Match. Wait, what's Miss Match? It's a cyber-styling website that has locally available fashion and beauty stuff you can play with! It's like Looklet and Polyvore, but it's proudly Pinoy-made. I love how it has prices of the products, too, so it's also a sort of catalogue shopping but with a huge number of different brands.

Eco bags are not just a passing trend. They're more convenient to use than plastic bags, inexpensive, environment-friendly, and donates to charity! One of the latest bags to hit the market is the Grubbies Eco Bag.