The Bobbi Brown holiday collection is always a treat to look forward to every season. This year, it didn't disappoint with a beautifully-edited selection of luxurious lip and eye palettes, lip glosses and brush sets for the beauty enthusiast who wants to get - or give - the gift of glam.

(I think I fall under the former category, because Bobbi Brown is too precious to just give away. Haha.)

Quick product details:

So that's what's up. I'll review the Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick Eye Palette in Sequin (P2,700), a gift I received from the brand. It's a 10-color palette full of earthy, frosty shades. It's a good mix of cool and warm tones. I know you're thinking though: frosty? What?

When I was very young, I wanted to be a rock star. I'd spend most of my time learning to play the guitar and writing songs. I would dream about going on stage and rocking my heart out to the adulation of millions, wearing slashed tights and distressed leather jackets. It all sounded so awesome in my head. But like all of my adolescent aspirations, it went up in a cloud of smoky black eyeshadow. With a few glitters in it for good measure. :P

Anyhoo, today I want to show you the latest collection from Korean brand Too Cool For School. Glam Rock is inspired by the rock star culture, with emphasis on dramatic eyes and blanked out lips. I have a few items from TCFS here and a quick review of each. :) Let me know what you think!

I'll start with a lip color - the Glam Rock Smoky Nudy Lip Color in Satin Beige. This is a creamy lipstick that needs to be layered at least twice to get the same opacity as the swatch below. I don't mind, since most lipsticks need to be layered anyway and it doesn't take much effort. However, if you have pigmented lips then this won't cover everything. It can look a tad streaky since it only offers medium coverage.

Staying power is average, at three hours. I would recommend wearing a lip balm first since the matte texture can be drying.

I wish I planned my purchases while I was in Hong Kong. If I spared a thought on what I needed versus what looked interesting at that time, I would have grabbed all the available shades of the L'Oreal Infallible Eye Shadow! No dice about it - this is an awesome creamy eyeshadow that is worth. Every. Single Cent.

Thankfully, Bon Marche Page sells this locally for only P280. It's about the same price in HK! 

So what makes these eyeshadows awesome? Wow, let me count the ways! They are intensely pigmented, they're smooth and creamy, a  dream to blend, and they stay on ALL day with barely any creasing - WITHOUT the use of primer. Yes I need to capitalize those words. These L'Oreal Infalliable pots are everthing bold eyeshadow should be. 

And they're cheap.

These look and feel like cream eyeshadows but they are technically packed powder pigments with a bit of binder thrown in. You can use your fingers for a quick swipe of color but if you want a more refined finish, these shadows work perfectly well with both animal or synthetic brushes.

Hi Ms. Liz and fellow fans of Prject Vanity. I have a problem with eyeshadow colors. I wear glasses and I recently bought the Urban Decay Basics palette thinking It was noob-proof and safe. However I ended up looking bruised or ashen. I know I applied the colors right because Ive been watching Youtube tutorials using the palette. I guess I cant pull off the colors like gray or taupe. Maybe because of my skin's undertones or the glasses? I really dont know.

Can you recommend a good eye brightening e/s palette for beginners? Probably those which already have complementary colors. Would you recommend peach-y and pink e/s for everyday wear? Thank you in advance and looking forward to your answers! - Aubrey

Hey Aubrey! This is an excellent question. Like you, I have noticed that cool eyeshadows do not flatter my warm Asian skin. Instead of looking wistful and slightly smoky, my eyes end up looking like they were punched. Not quite the effect I set out to achieve but over time I've learned to work around it (will talk more about that later). Allow me to discuss cool and warm eyeshadows, and how to pick according to your skintone.

Warm what? When it comes to cosmetics, "warm" means colors with yellow, red, or golden tones. If your skin looks yellowish or reddish against a white shirt then you're warm. If gold jewelry looks better on you than silver, yup, you're warm. 

Martha of The Beauty Junkee is warm

There's a host of eyeshadow colors from black, green, blue, pink to beige, so how do you know when a color is actually warm?

It feels only yesterday when Majolica Majorca arrived in the Philippines, but did you know that it's been here for two years now? So much kawaii cuteness has been unleashed in that short amount of time! There's always something new to collect every quarter. ;) Now that the Japanese brand is celebrating its 10th year this 2013, expect even more covetable items than usual. 

Majolica Majorca has recently released its Spring Collection for 2013. Named Secret Blink, it's all about giving in to the whispers of your heart, of bold secrets that you can't dare speak of. Majo has always been an incurable romantic when it comes to its collections and that won't be changing anytime soon! Secret Blink features a limited edition rose gold case for the Skin Remaker, a Majoromantica scent, lash conditioner, new mascara, and a collectible palette.

I have three items from the collection, so here are quick reviews and swatches for you!

The Lash Expander was the first item I tried from Majolica Majorca, before the brand arrived here. I loved it because it lengthened my lashes and didn't smudge at all. This 2013, the Lash Expander shall be phased out and replaced with the improved Majolica Majorca Lash Expander Edge Meister (P795).

Bobbi Brown is one of the most underrated brands in the Philippines. The price intimidates most people, I suppose, but in my experience it delivers what you pay for. Each product does exactly what it is meant to do and some, even a little bit more! I don't want to play favorites but out of all the brands in my vanity, Bobbi Brown is one of the names I pick up the most. It's been consistently amazing since Day 1.

A lot of praise, I know, but it's from the very bottom of my heart. If you have a few gs to spare and want something that you will actually finish up, Bobbi Brown is a foolproof choice. :) Anyway! I actually want to talk about Bobbi's February release, which is called the Sparkle & Glow Collection.

Sparkle & Glow is designed to give the skin some much-needed lift and brightness. There's shimmer of course but it's very subtle and fine; just enough to bring light to the skin, but not too much that it looks tacky. I have one of the sparkle eyeshadows so I'll talk about that in a bit! In the meantime here's more information about the individual products in the collection.

I've read good things about the L'Oreal Lucent Magique Liquid Foundation (or Lumi Magique in the US) and I'm so happy to announce that it's finally here in Manila! Lucent Magique is all about "light-infusion" or brightening, but without the obvious accompanying shimmer. I immediately used the foundation as soon as I got it, and mark my words, I sniff a new favorite low-cost base! 

The liquid foundation is only P845. Very, very affordable yet it feels so high end. It reminds me of the Lancome Teint Miracle, actually. Same finish but the Lancome I think is more long-lasting.

Another interesting product is the Lucent Magique Concealer Pen. It's only P545 and works much like my favorite Clinique Airbrush Concealer, although the peg is the YSL Touche Eclat.

The holidays have come and gone, but the glittery glamour that accompanies it doesn't have to leave as well. The beauty holiday collections are still on the shelves, so if you want to score some good deals or collector's pieces, you better hurry for one final look at the counters!

The Lancome Holiday Collection is another memorable ensemble for me. The inspiration is Hemingway's "A Movable Feast", where he wrote about his life in Paris. It was the 1920s, a decade remarkable for its smoky opulence and subversive elegance. The Lancome collection imagines Paris dressed in gold, with shiny crystal chandeliers flashing on sequined dresses, as if in a dance of light.

The Ombre Hypnose Mono eyeshadows (P1,395) look fantastic! They feature a mesh/ sequin imprint on the powder, while the top of the compact has coated golden glitter.

How do you feel about face mists? I don't use them all the time but they're nice to have around. Say, you over-applied your foundation or powder and would like to take the thickness down a notch - spray some mist on your face. You want to intensify your eyeshadow or powder liner? Mist your brush before dipping it in the color. You want to moisturize your face in the middle of the day without actually removing all your makeup? Mist up! See I told you it's handy. ;)

Now there's an argument to be made for simply filling up an atomizer spray bottle with water. But I swear it's not the same. Proper face mists - the one you buy off the shelves for a price that sounds ridiculous for what is basically bottled water - is better than a DIY attempt. That's not to say that a DIY mist is not any good, I'm sure it will work fine, but it's not going to be quite as nice as a cosmetic mist.

The MAC Mineralized Charged Water is water infused with diamond powder (supposedly) and a nice citrus tea scent. It delivers a very fine spray to distribute the water evenly all over the face.

Hey guys! Good morning. So, let's get down to business. Today I thought I'd swatch one of my prettiest aqua eyeshadows for you. It's called the Shiseido Luminizing Satin Eye Color in GR222, an aqua green iridescent eyeshadow that reflects gold. I know, it sounds awesome!

The color looks like a swimming pool on a hot summer day, with barely any clouds in the blue sky. Ehem. Before I get overly poetic, here's a skin swatch of GR222.

Smoky eyes can be intimidating. There's the impression that it takes a lot of time, brushes, and expertise just to get it right. That's not necessarily true though! Smoky eyes can be quick, easy, and most importantly, clean, if you use the following techniques. 

This look is particularly perfect for girls with monolids and chinky eyes. Smoky gradient colors like this can make your eyes look bigger and more defined plus you don't need a crease to make it work. So, are you ready for glamorous, dramatic eyes? Here's my five-minute smoky eye tutorial!

Step 1: Use a black/charcoal creamy eyeliner, eye crayon (those jumbo fat ones), or cream eyeshadow as base. Key word: creamy! You can't use your normal pencil eyeliner if it's very dry. You're looking for something that's emollient and easy to smudge.

I'm using the Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Eye Pencil in Onyx in this look.

The best kind of eyeshadow palette is one where you can choose all the colors yourself. Agree/ agree? I've been collecting MAC eyeshadows in the 15-pan palette, but I haven't completed it yet considering it costs roughly P16,000 all things considered. I also have a Shu Uemura customizeable palette (one of my faves!) but it costs around P4,000 for a four-color case. Not too bad if you don't mind investing, but if you're a student on a budget, that can be unrealistic.

So when I was a student, guess what I got for myself? Artdeco eyeshadows! I think I had six of them back then. Since I was too cheap to buy the magnetic palette, I kept them in a small tin case that used to house chocolates. What can I say - when you're saving, you have to improvise!

That's not to say that Artdeco eyeshadows are cheap ha. They're still pricey at P350 each, with the palette selling for P450 (four slots, if I remember correctly).

There are a myriad of techniques and styles when it comes to applying eyeshadows, but I like to keep it simple for an everyday and versatile look. By simple, I mean using only three colors and one brush. Yes, one brush. :) Brushes are fun to use but only for advanced and very detailed eyeshadow work. For a basic day look, one brush and three colors is really all you need!

I love doing colorful eye looks but for this tutorial, I thought I'd show you a universal way to highlight and contour your eyes. Knowing how to do neutral, enhanced eyes is crucial knowledge; with it, you can wear virtually any shade of blush and lipstick. If you have to know only one eyeshadow look, this is it.

Here's the step-by-step tutorial!

Step 1: Prime your lids with an eyeshadow base. An eyeshadow base is a MUST when wearing eyeshadows because it intensifies their color and extends their lasting power. Pat on a thin layer and wait a few seconds for it to dry. I love the Urban Decay Primer Potion and the ArtDeco Eyeshadow Base.

Not gonna lie - I prefer to use premium products over cheaper alternatives. You can call me a brand snob but the fact remains that pricier products look, feel, last, and color better. But hey, that doesn't mean that I don't buy cheap things! I'm still on the lookout for bargains to play with so I always visit Watsons and other beauty stores.

A few weekends ago, I bought some Ever Bilena eyeshadows in Watsons Mall of Asia. I did some major swatching all over the place but these won me over because of their cheap price tags and nice color payoff. They're not quite like the high-end stuff, but for the price, it's really hard to nitpick. 

First off, we have EB cream eyeshadow in Peridot. This is a nice leafy green with gold shimmer. It's not opaque, but it shows up nicely on the lids.

Hi guys! I just want to share a look that I'm particularly proud of, mainly because I haven't done anything like it before. It was inspired by the dress I wore and since I was going to a party I thought I'd be more adventurous. I had so much fun with this look!  

Celine dress / Parfois heels / Pinkbox necklace and bangle / Marc by Marc Jacobs hobo bag

So! I concocted a blue, green, and brown eye, matched by MLBB lips so as not to overdo things. I lined my lower lids heavily with brown eyeshadow and connected it to the extended eye shape. I listed the details and the eyeshadow diagram below. :D

Face: Lancome Teint Miracle, Cinema Secrets Concealer, Clinique powder foundation to set

Are you the kind of girl who doesn't have fifteen minutes to spend in front of the mirror every morning? Do you love super natural but still polished looks? If yes, then I think you'll love the Shu Uemura Eye Crayon in Misty Brown and Soft Brown (P1,375). It's a neat product that can work as an eyeliner or a cream eyeshadow, and you don't even need any brushes to make it work!

This is a good choice for girls who have no choice but to apply makeup in the car or (god forbid) the company/ school bathroom. :P It's super easy and convenient to use due to its creamy texture. However, it's not so creamy that it slides off and smudges messily. It pretty much stays put once you draw it on, with minimal smearing.

I really love the color combination, too! Misty Brown is a taupey brown that looks nice as a lid color or as a lower lid shader.

Bed Head is famous for its hair care products, but did you know that they actually made makeup? Yes? Bah. I had no idea. When the brand sent me the Bed Head 4-Play Eyeshadow Palette, I thought it was going to be a crummy product simply because makeup wasn't their specialty. Buuut this palette is actually pretty good!

What I like most about this palette is how sophisticated its colors are. There's a dusky purple, a white gold, a taupe-purple, and a pretty pink in the mix. They're something you can wear for the day then intensify for night time. 

Brigitte is a true-blue makeup addict who started collecting, reading, then blogging about cosmetics a few years ago. Then, she moved on to study and practice makeup artistry professionally. Finally, she came out with her own cosmetics line called Beauty PRO Cosmetics only recently. If that's not passion, then I don't know what is!

I like to think of Beauty PRO as makeup made by a makeup addict for makeup addicts. It has the perfect pigmentation and texture, with carefully chosen colors that are designed to be wearable (the Sweet and Smoky palette) and exciting (Crazy Colour). Let's go through the pros and cons, shall we?

What I love about the product

• Beautiful colors that offer amazing color payoff. You don't need a base to make them pop out.

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.

Sometimes, all it takes to have and spread good vibes is to just look the part. I was all about good vibes last Friday when I went to a shoot for Ferretti. I knew it was going to be a fun day, a good one, so I made sure my whole outfit was in tune with it.

Topshop blouse/ Soiree jhodpurs/ Ferretti tan wedges/ Parfois gold leaf necklace and ring 

I really liked my outfit that day but, yes, I should really learn how to pose. Never mind! The color combination and silhouette was what mattered. For makeup, I wanted to road test my Color Atelier palette from Shu Uemura for the first time. I only had 10 minutes to do my face since the call time for the shoot was early, so I just lined my eyes with two shades for that nice cheery pop of color.

Face: NARS Sheer Glow Foundation, MAC Studio Finish concealer, Makeup Forever Full Cover Concealer (for those really pesky blemishes), Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer Kit (for dark circles), Clinique translucent loose powder, Guerlain Meteorites