It normally takes me a week to write about press junkets, but this time I decided to try writing everything down while my memory is fresh. I want to remember everything! El Nido, Palawan is the most beautiful place I've been to so far. Thanks to Nivea, I was able to experience it and #embracethesun!

I was invited along with fellow bloggers, press, and celebrities to attend this annual event. We stayed in a gorgeous resort for three days - El Nido in Lagen Island - and got to visit the surrounding islands. I'll write about our stay in a separate post, but in the meantime, I'd like to introduce to you the latest product from Nivea.

Guys, meet the Nivea Sun Protect & Bronze Spray (P599)! It simply lets you tan beautifully and safely, without having to resort to self-tanners or tinted oils to get bronzed. The liquid is completely clear as it works in such a way that your skin develops its most natural tan, versus orangey and fake-looking tans out of a bottle. It promotes the skin's natural melanin production so that you get a color that is truly yours.

It comes in SPF 20, 30, and 50, which means that you can choose the level of protection as you need it. If you're in the beach though, you should go for the PF50! It protects your skin from UVA and UVB rays for about 4-5 hours (depends on your skin). Did you know that you actually don't need to go higher than 50? It should bounce off 93% off all harmful rays from the sun! (If properly applied, that is.)

This is already available in all major drugstores and supermarkets. ^_^ Keep an eye out for it if you're soaking up some sun soon! Anyway, here are photos of the actual launch.

I saw a quote the other week that went, "If you don't build your dream, someone else will pay you to build theirs." This is true. If you love something you're probably thinking of striking it out on your own, perhaps earning money from it. But there is that ever-constant fear of failing, so instead of chasing after what you really want to do, you just end up getting paid by someone else to do it for them. It's practical, yes. Also sad at the same time.

Moral lesson: if you're gonna slave away anyway, do it to build your own empire.

So. Let's continue BB Cream Week! On the chopping block today is the Kiehl's Actively Correcting & Beautifying BB Cream (P2,200+). This is a sheer, moisturizing base with SPF 50 and broad spectrum protection. It contains Vitamin C to help rejuvenate and clear skin, as well as soften fine lines over time.

Serums traditionally provide intense care and repair for our face. They usually have more concentrated ingredients in a clear, gel-like, sometimes oily solution for better absorption on skin. I was pretty excited when I first heard about a new serum for - are you ready - the body. How fabulous would it be if we can lavish our whole body in intensified skincare?

The Nivea Body UV Whitening Serum SPF25 PA++ (P219) promises radiant and whiter skin with ingredients like Vitamin C, licorice, red seaweed, and Hydra IQ. Does it look and feel like the other serums I've tried before? No. It's white, watery, and feels like lotion. I was a little disappointed because "serum" was the word that hooked me in, but for P219 /200ml I don't see how it could be more than lotion.

But I love it nonetheless. :) Three things: it's the lightest lotion I've tried EVER, it has SPF25 PA++, and has a pleasant citrus smell - no chemical sunblock-y scent at all! Did I say it was super light?

Hi Liz! I just want to understand how the SPFs on multiple products work. If I use a facial moisturizer with SPF 15 and then layer it with a facial powder with SPF 15, does that mean that I'm wearing a total of SPF 30 on my face? I just want to make sure if my understanding is correct. If this is the case, then I can sparingly use a more expensive facial moisturizer with SPF 30 and then simply use the moisturizer-powder combination more frequently and I will have the same degree of protection either way. Thanks in advance for the clarification. - Maybelle

Hi Maybelle! Thanks for your question. I talked to a dermatologist before about this, and she said that it's not possible to layer SPF products to get a higher number. You will just get a higher volume of the sun screening ingredients, which means you get better protection, but it's still on the same SPF15 level. If you mix SPF15 with something that has SPF30 though, the higher number is the amount of protection your skin will receive.

When I started Ask Liz! I just wanted a centralized, public place to store all my answers to your questions. Now, 275 questions later, I find that it has evolved into a sort of micro-community for beauty enthusiasts. I love that you guys are interacting with each other and answering other questions that I can't help with. How awesome is that? Cheers to everyone who posts! :D

Here are my answers to some recent questions.

A higher SPF number doesn't necessarily mean considerably better protection against the sun. SPF 30, for example, blocks 97% while SPF 50 blocks 98% of UVB rays (the sun's rays that cause sunburn) already. A sunblock with SPF70 or 130 surely has more protection, but it is negligible and not enough to block 100% of the sun's UVB and UVA rays.

So yes, that should set the record straight about SPF numbers. Most experts would recommend an SPF30-50 for daily use. A higher SPF number may mean a bit more protection, but the formula of the sunblock usually suffers. It's whiter, thicker, thus making it harder to wear without looking like someone hit you with a flour sack.

Not the VMV Hypoallergenics Armada Sport 70 though. I've had this sunscreen product for months now and I can say that it's pretty good! It's SPF70 but the cream, while thick, feels like a gel.

I won’t be the first nor will I be the last to wonder, but what’s up with summer this year? It’s quite harsh. Even though I’m lazy with sunblock, I now make it a point to wear one all over my body and face every time I go out. In fact I’ve hoarded a few bottles in preparation for this very month!

Speaking of sunblocks, I want to talk about one that I’ve been using for a while now: Sunplay. I’ve had the chance to try it last May. While it took me some time and practice to get used to this fairly unique liquid sunblock, I ended up liking it a lot! Read my old review first. Done? Here’s why I stuck with this product:

• It’s something I can use over my favorite moisturizer. I don’t like most sunblock lotions because they can get sticky and greasy, but before I thought it’s just something we all need to put up with.

Christmas celebrations will start tomorrow, so you should be done with your gift shopping by now. In case you aren't though, troop to VMV Hypoallergenics to get rescued! They have gorgeous holiday sets available, like this one:  

There are tons of sets out there but I think VMV trumps them all. The packaging is gorgeous - boxes come with tissue and some fluff inside, neatly tied with a grosgrain ribbon accented with mistletoe - plus you get products that your recipient will probably love. It looks expensive (but it's not since one set is on averge P1,500). It's already wrapped. The products of VMV are amazing. 

Everybody wins!

The set I have here is called Merry Goin' Round.

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.

We're brainwashed to think that the higher the SPF number, the better. Well sure, higher SPF means that you get more protection, but did you know that the protection is not increased proportionally? "SPF 15" means that you will not burn/damage under the sun 15 times longer than when you are without it. "SPF 30" means that you can stay 30 times longer without damaging your skin.

Says the American Melanoma Foundation: "Consumers need to be aware that SPF protection does not increase proportionally with an increased SPF number. While an SPF of 2 will absorb 50% of ultraviolet radiation, an SPF of 15 absorbs 93% and an SPF of 34 absorbs 97%." Read up more about sun protection here and here.

All things considered, an SPF of 30 to 50 is already a good number for daily use. Any number higher than 50 is just a little extra - it's not a necessity. So you don't really have to HAVE an SPF130 sunblock like the one from Sun Play. But it would be nice if you did. 

The Sunplay Super Block with SPF130 (P349) is a white fluid with the consistency of water.

Are you lazy when it comes to wearing sunblock? Eh, tell me about it. I don't like how I have to blend blend blend just to remove the white cast and how I have to wait at least 20 minutes before the sun protection kicks in. However, thanks to technology, clear sunblock sprays are now available for us lazy daisies.

I got my first bottle of the  Nivea Sun Invisible Protection SPF30 PA++ spray more than a year ago. It became my constant companion during beach trips since it's idiot and lazy-proof to use: just spray and go! I also like using it when it's super EXTRA hot since I can't stand how lotion becomes so sticky when I sweat. Oh, this is also waterproof so it doesn't disappear as you sweat or swim.

Let's run through the pros and cons!

What I love about the product 

• Super easy to use. The spray covers a lot of skin, and there's on need to rub it in to remove the white cast - there is no white cast. The product is a clear liquid.
• The spray works even if you turn the bottle upside down to get to your back and lower legs.

A PR company sent me a 200ml bottle of the Vaseline Healthy White SPF24 sunscreen AGES ago, like half a year ago. For some reason or other though I never blogged about it, which is sad, because this has become an indispensable part of my skincare regimen. I actually finished off the huge bottle, so I purchased a 350ml one!

I love this mainly for its SPF 24 UVA/UVB protection. I never go outside the sun without slathering it on my skin. I know there are other SPF lotions out in the market, but this is perhaps the most affordable with a high SPF rating minus the thick sunblock-y feel.

It has a lotion-y, slightly floral scent that I don't find overwhelming. As for the texture, it's certainly lighter than the usual sunscreen/sunblock lotions