I was intrigued by the Pond's Gold Radiance Boosting Cleansing Mousse because it promises to remove makeup while also serving as a facial wash. Who doesn't want to save one step in their routine, right? Also, when Gold Radiance first landed on Philippine shores, this particular product wasn't available because it sold out in other Asian countries. Now if that's not enough to make you curious I don't know what is!

As promised, the product is a foamy mousse that becomes a rich, thick lather when you lightly rub it on your skin. It feels quite soft on my face which makes it enjoyable to use! It does melt off makeup in one wash, but it doesn't remove all kinds of makeup. The mousse removes foundation, blush, concealer, and unprimed eyeshadow, but it does a poor job taking off primed eyeshadow, mascara, and eyeliner (or most eye makeup).

Let's get on the nitty gritty, shall we?

What I love about the product

• Literally melts off powder makeup. Once you get it to a lather, all the junk just comes off.
• A little goes a long way, surprisingly. I use half a pump of the product for each side of my face. The trick is to massage it in small circles.

Lookie what arrived on my doorstep this morning! I can see this with my favorite little black dresses and heels. It's such a conversation starter don't you think? I love the peacock design! But you know what it makes me think of whenever I see it? This line from The Other Guys: "I'm a peacock, you have to let me fly!" Haha.

More photos after the jump!

When the kind folks at Pond's invited me to a soft product launch last night, I was wondering: knowing the extensive skincare lines the brand has come up with to address every Pinay skin concern, what else can they possibly have up their sleeves?

The answer is delightfully surprising: gold! I was completely caught off guard. Can it be that something as luxe as real gold be available in drugstore skincare products?

I've already shared my first impressions on Pond's latest offerings, the White Beauty Facial Foam and the Flawless White UV Cream. This is my in-depth review of the products after using them for around three weeks.

Pond's White Beauty

Its main ingredient is activated carbon, which is a form of processed carbon that is designed to absorb and neutralize impurities. It is used in different fields - medical, industrial, environmental, and now, beauty. Just 1 gram of the stuff has a surface area of 500 square meters, which according to Wikipedia is 1/10 the size of a football field!

What activated carbon looks like

Left glass contains water purified with activated carbon while the right glass is untouched The dirty water (beaker behind) both passed through a filter.

The product itself is a pearl gray color

You've probably seen these from the shelves of all major drugstores and department store beauty aisles: the new Flawless White Blemish Prevention UV Cream and the Pure White Deep Cleansing Facial Foam. I've been using the UV cream for less than a week, while I've been washing my face with Pure White for two weeks now (yes, I bought my own bottle before the official launch. I was that intrigued!).

When I got sick, I ran out of my fave RDL Placenta soap. Of course I couldn't leave my bed, so I decided to just not be picky and use whatever cleanser is in the bathroom. Well, it so happened to be Pond's.

The one I'm using right now is Pond's Perfect Care (the one with the bright green cap). I really didn't like it at first. In fact, I severely disliked it! My face would get bumpy and lose its glow, so I'd keep on stopping after one or two times (which explains why it's in the bathroom shelf). When I used this for a prolonged period last week - completely out of necessity - I broke out along my jaw. But things ironed out eventually after around the 4th consecutive use, and now this facial wash and I are inseparable. I'm well enough to shop now, but I don't think I will be buying placenta soap soon.

I like that my face is smoother and clearer. In fact right now I'm at the office and I just have BB cream and mineral translucent powder on - no need for a concealer or skin-enhancing foundation. Since I've been sick, I've stopped my skincare regimen and only used this cleanser. Yeah, I was too pukey to be vain last week. Good thing the adventure turned out fine.

I have a confession to make: I cringe internally whenever I receive skincare products to review. Why? Because each new product holds a potential for breaking me out, and sometimes, I have so many to review that my face does not have time to rest or recover from the most recent pimple spree. It's not all negative though. Sometimes I hit the jackpot and find a product that works so well, so perfectly, that it alone is worth all the reckless product sampling that came before it.

I've already mentioned a few times that I am in love with the Pond's White Beauty Cream (in the tube). It evens out my skin, moisturizes it without the oiliness, and gives me a visible glow that I don't see in other products of its sort. I've been using it for two years now and it has been consistent in giving me nice skin.

Little did I know that its more expensive sister, the Flawless White Visible Whitening Day Cream, is even better!

It's nice to indulge in trendy clothes, but one should never be without classic pieces that you will keep on wearing for the rest of your life - provided you don't gain too much weight, of course! Aside from black, colors that will never go out of style are red and white. Combine them with classic, flattering cuts and you've got clothes that will serve you well in any occasion and setting for years to come.

Pond's, the skincare brand, collaborated with Plains & Prints to deliver a collection that is inspired by prominent women in the beauty and fashion industry. The muses Rissa Mananquil, Patty Betita, Divine Lee, Bianca Valerio, Mai Kaufmann, Kelly Misa, Apples Aberin and Celine Lopez are known for their beauty and sophisticated style, so these qualities are reflected in the 22 dresses created by Plains & Prints.

In the picture are Pond’s senior brand manager Jacqueline Yuengtian and Plains & Print's creative head and owner, Roxanne Farillas talking about the collaboration. Both brands wanted to celebrate the beauty and style of the muses. The colors, red and white, are taken from Pond's Age Miracle and Flawless White themes. The launch happened at Red Restaurant in Makati Shangri-La hotel.

So, without further ado, here are pics from the fashion show as well as the gorgeous eight muses!