Bobbi Brown has an amazing cosmetics line-up but what she's most famous for is her foundation. You see, in the time of pancake makeup in the 90s, she had this idea that womens' foundation should look like second skin. She came out with yellow-toned bases around that time and since then was a firm proponent of natural beauty and the power of yellow to brighten any skin tone.

Today, Bobbi Brown has created several foundation formulas to suit a wide range of skin concerns. My personal favorite is the Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Even Finish Compact because it's convenient to use while still giving me that flawless, natural finish that is usually possible only with liquid foundations. It wears well on my combination skin, too, so I never have to worry about it melting off!

The best seller, however, is the Skin Foundation. This looks like second skin - dewy and practically invisible while softening imperfections. The Long-Wear Even Finish Liquid Foundation has heavier coverage and is ideal for oily faces, while the Bobbi Brown Stick Foundation is more for dry skin types. There is also a new formula, the Extra Bright Powder Compact Foundation SPF 25 PA+++. This powder base is created for very oily skin that needs quite a bit of coverage!

Felix Nguyen, International Makeup Artist for Bobbi Brown, flew in to the Philippines some weeks back for the House of Foundation event. He talked about these five foundations and how best to apply them. Here are a few snippets from this super fun event!

The Bobbi Brown Foundation Bar. How awesome would it be to go up to the "bartender" and ask for a shot of Perfect Skin, on the rocks?

Last Sunday, I was at Samsung Hall in SM Aura giving makeovers and retouching people's makeup during the BDJ Social event. Ellana Minerals was part of it, so of course I had to be there! I also did a workshop later in the afternoon. Honestly, it was exchausting but exhilarating - i think it's my first time to ask random people if they wanted their faces done!

As you know I'm a huge fan of this local mineral makeup brand even from waaaay back. That's why I honestly forgot just how nice it is. Everyone was so amazed by how their skin looked after the Pressed Mineral Foundation + Sheer Velvet finishing powder! #PorelessPerfection is a real thing, guys. Ellana Minerals can do it for you. Swear.

I've been to a lot of parties and even throw some (modest ones) myself, but nobody - and I mean nobody - does parties like MAC. A couple of weeks ago I had the chance to attend the MAC Archie's Girls collection launch. In keeping with the well-loved comics' setting, the Mall of Asia activity center was transformed into a 50's paradise. There were sock hop dancers, vintage-y music, a jukebox, and a kissing booth. The food was right on theme as well with soda floats, burgers and fries, and mini desserts!

But of course the real star of the event was the eternal love triangle - Archie and his girls, Betty and Veronica. MAC released the Archie's Girls collection with two sub-categories. Betty had light, girl-next-door makeup, whereas Veronica had daring and vampy colors fit for boyfriend stealin'. 

Last Saturday was one of the best days of my life. I don't know how else to describe it or what else to say, just that I'm so happy that you guys came out to see me! We had about seventy guests in all, so the Beauty Bar in Bonifacio High Street was full of stylish and beautiful girls with perfect eyebrows (yihee) that day.

The venue started filling up by 2pm. Guests claimed their free The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf drinks and nommed on cupcakes from Spoonful of Sugar (thanks Patti for the yummy red velvets!). At 3pm, Karrots Nazareno of Live Love Lolz stepped up to host the program. Did you know that she has stage fright? Yet she agreed to host PVE! She's one of the few people I'm happy to call my friend. <3

I demonstrated how to achieve a quick but high-impact look on Den (she works with me and she's awesome - anyway). It's light and fun enough for day, but it can also be worn at night.

A lot of readers have requested me to do a meet and greet in the past, and I want to do one too because - what else - I want to meet you! Some of you guys have been reading this blog since the beginning, and you can't believe how much I'm choking up just thinking about that. It's been five years of vanity, of learning, and sharing how we could be better women both inside and out. Half a decade, huh? I want to do something special to celebrate that with you guys.

I've been thinking how to do this for quite a while, and I finally figured it out. What if I did it in one of my favorite places in the world, with some of my favorite beauty brands? And that's when my brain went ding ding ding! Haha. Presenting, the Project Vanity: Five Years of Vanity Event!

It will be held at Beauty Bar Bonifacio High Street (on top of Muji) on March 9, 2-4pm and will be co-sponsored by K-Palette, Fairydrops, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, and of course Beauty Bar. It will be a fun afternoon of mingling with other beauty enthusiasts, coffee, and freebies! I will be doing a demonstration showing a quick but high-impact everyday look, and of course I'll be doing a Q&A on all your beauty concerns. It's like Ask Liz! live and on crack. ;)

MAC's biggest collections always come during the holiday season. Their limited edition sets are legendary, and the holiday selections usually have an unforgettable theme. This 2012, we have Glamour Daze, which impersonates the aura of couture, the drama of the dressing room, and the glamour of getting ready to step out for the holidays. It's all about a soft color haze around the eyes and gilded skin matched with sweet lips.

There was a big party to celebrate this collection. Whitespace was positively bursting with celebrities, the press, and of course your usual beauty blogger gang. :P I really enjoyed the swingin' music and the general ambiance that was so artfully created with Glamour Daze installations and models clad in their pastel uniforms.

Do you know how the "pinup girl" came about? During the Second World War, American soldiers would put up posters of sexy women on their walls or lockers. Sex symbols of the day such as Betty Grable, Marlyn Dietrich, and other girls who became pinup stars had an honored place in these testosterone-filled military camps. Popular pinup artist Gil Elvgren also drew women for these posters, one of which is this:

Photo from Oh, for the love of vintage

So that's a short history lesson for you. :) Anyway, today I want to talk about MAC's latest collection to hit the Philippines - Hey Sailor! It's inspired by the nautical pinup girl, with shades of bronze and tan capturing beautiful beach skin while brilliant blues and greens remind us of the sea. Here's the price list for your reference.

I went to the launch to have my makeup done (will show you in a bit). Of course, the girls from MAC were also there to join in on the fun. Check out their Hey Sailor! looks:

Rizel Magno in navy blue smoky eyeshadows and a bright red lip (Red Racer, a bright yellow red)

Benefit Cosmetics held an exclusive party for beauty bloggers last Wednesday and holy hell, I haven't had that much fun in ages! The Benefit gals really know how to throw a girlie bash!

The girls of Benefit

The event was held at Sweet Bella in Burgos Circle. Even though it was stormy that night, the cafe was close to bursting with giggles, makeup, and Sweet Bella's signature macarons and cakes.

So! Here's a rundown on what transpired that fateful night. Warning: expect to see your favorite poised beauty bloggers doing lots of silly things! :P

I am super duper mega excited for Friday! I will giving a beauty talk to Adamson University students as part of the Colour Collection Tour. I am just this close to bursting with all the things I want to share to the students, not only when it comes to makeup and fashion, but how to cultivate their self-confidence and hopefully go into a career they love.

It's really more of me sharing my story. I was a reclusive college kid pretty much, and now I'm in PR and marketing. Makeup plays a big role in my life beyond the fact that I write about it almost everyday. It helped me find the courage to face a future that I wasn't sure would happen to me. 

The purple bus!

When I was younger, I was very reckless about using skincare products. I thought, "What's the worst that can happen?" Indeed, what? I found out the hard way after allergic reactions and several breakouts later. Thus, I've taken to reading (or at the very least, scanning) the label of each product I use. You'll also notice that in most of my skincare and makeup reviews, I provide a snap of the ingredients (when applicable).

I usually Google the ingredients I'm concerned about. Now if you've tried doing that before, you'll notice that getting the results you want can be a challenge. The EWG Skin Deep Cosmetics Database is very helpful, but you'll have to wade through a lot of data to get the info you need. I also like Cosdna since it's more straightforward, but it's not as comprehensive as EWG. 

So where else can we go? Fortunately, Human Heart Nature decided to develop an app that functions as an ingredients database.

Heads up! I'd like to share the most interesting news I got in my inbox. ;) Enjoy.

Ensembles x Religioso

Ensembles has a new collection this September! It's designed by Choc and Yvette Religioso, the duo behind that luxe store in Greenbelt 5. The collection "embodies the stylish empowered woman of the new millennium, inspired by the genteel well-dressed women of the past.  Each piece origininates from the classic button down shirt, given a dash of drama that is the signature of the line’s designers".

Here are my top three pieces! My favorite is this shirtdress. It's so moderno! I wonder if it comes in other colors.

I came with no expectations during the last Clinique Party, but I have to say I was impressed by all the readers who went. They looked gorgeous! I would like to claim that it's because of the tireless efforts of this blog (hihi) but I'd be fooling myself. Good-looking women are that way because they're confident about themselves and their daily sartorial or beauty choices. Beauty has always been in how you perceive and value YOU.

To everyone going to my Clinique Party tomorrow, I'm excited to meet all of you! Look good ha, but no pressure. :P Here are the outfits of the readers who went to the first round:

Kira in her cute modern boheme outfit

That's Marbbie looking electric! Color blocking wtf!

The French-Japanese cosmetic brand, Paul & Joe, has been in the Philippines for four years now. It seems only yesterday when I first heard about it. I was still in college then, and I would read so many raves about their foundation (which is really good btw)! Fast-forward to four years and the brand has grown stronger, releasing new collections every month or so.

The brand celebrated its fourth birthday here by throwing an intimate afternoon party for the press in Lusso, Greenbelt 5. A lot of prizes were given away with the grand prize being P20,000 worth of Paul & Joe products! *whistles* The girl who won that is sooo lucky! Anyway, here are the photos:

Clinique Philippines was happy with how the first party for Project Vanity friends and readers turned out. So, upon insistent public demand (humor me) we have decided to throw a Clinique party again!

Who is this party for?

• It's exclusive only to Project Vanity readers
• Girls (and boys too) who want to experience what Clinique has to offer
• People who want to make new beauty addict friends!

What's going to happen?

• You'll get a Clinique skin consultation. Are you oily, dry, combination? What products will best work for your skin type?

The Vanity Fair is the second event I co-organized this year. It was stressful but totally worth it of course! I got to hang out with the beauty and fashion bloggers I see in other events. Better yet, I got to bond with new young 'uns like Krissy, Ava, and Ana! I was also happy to see Karl and Nicole (of Soule Phenomenon) - such a chic duo. I think that Vanity Fair proved that we have a vibrant local blogging community in the beauty and fashion niche.

So what was the event about anyway? Held last Friday at SM North EDSA Skydome, it was a health and beauty expo featuring brands like The Body Shop, The Face Shop, Organique Acai Berry, Philips hair and body tools, and the like. There was a special segment exclusively for bloggers where they participated in a game, a short essay writing contest, and listened to talks held by a rep from John Robert Powers (poise and posture), The Body Shop (makeup tips), and me (blogging).

Enough talking and on with the pictures!

Bloggers! photo by Kira

The Face Shop's busy booth. They did free hair and makeup for everyone!

More photos after the cut.

It's a muggy, lazy Saturday for me. I have a ton of stuff lined up for this week so this is probably the last day I have for myself in the next few days. I better start vegging out in front of old DVDs and doing random useless things around the house (I'm in my mom's house every weekend) while I still can.

One of the random useless things I thought of doing is posting some photos I took recently. Here you go!

Margaux is a writer for Sense & Style magazine. I first met her in a Clinique event last November - she was wearing a super hot pink lipstick, so I just had to ask what it was! It's NARS Schiap. I met her again last Thursday at the Dr. Jart launch and when I saw her I blanked out for a while before screeching "MARGAUX!" How can I forget her? I'll drag her and Marbbie to hang out with me one of these days. I'm a bit shy though because I know that these girls are insanely busy. Heehee.

This is my favoritest snack in the whole wide world. I haven't seen these for years though! I was so happy when I found them at Cash & Carry in Makati. I live far from there now, so I don't think I can drop by to buy these heavenly things anymore. Sad, sad.

Last Friday, Paul & Joe celebrated its third birthday and launched their 2010 Spring Collection with a small, intimate gathering. The theme was Wild Flowers, based on Shakespeare's Twelfth Night.

Cute birthday cake! So Paul & Joe, don't you think? The brand is known for its cute and classy packaging.

The host looked absolutely fresh and stunning

2010 Spring Creation Makeup. If you like elegant, wearable and long-lasting colors, this is a collection that you should check out. The eyeshadows come in three finishes: satin, silk, and suede. There are 27 colors to match the season. You can create your own palette by picking any three colors that suits your fancy, which makes it rather convenient since it maximizes the products' cost-per-wear (you know you'll be using everything all the time!). The price is rather steep though - for the whole palette, you need to shell out P2,980. Each eyeshadow is P820 while the palette itself is P520.