Makeup for me has never been a way to cover up my insecurities. Sure I'm grateful for the fact that my imperfections are hidden, but that's just secondary to how empowered makeup makes me feel. All these colors and bases and pretty little things allow me to express myself - that is, they allow other people to see me the way I see myself. 

How do I see myself? Well, I think I'm pretty even though my facial structure isn't traditionally beautiful. I've always thought of myself as an artsy person so I love expressing that through the color combinations I wear on my face. Is this how an insecure person with low self-esteem sounds? No. I hope the people who look down on us makeup lovers understand this one day!

Moving on! Today I'd like to tell you all about the Shiseido Face Color Enhancing Trio in RD1 Apple (P1,500+). This is the second Shiseido "blush" I've tried and I can tell you, it's really different! It's much less pigmented but it makes my skin glow gently. I say "blush" because it's more of a brightener and lifting powder than a color.

It's also not available in Japan. Momoko-san, Shiseido's trainer who recently visited the Philippines, actually got a few here since she won't be able to find it when she gets back!

This compact has three colors, a light pink, sheer tan, and peach highlighter. The powder is almost matte but it somehow gives the face a glow-from-within effect.

Do you need bronzers and highlighters in your life? Frankly, no. You'd look totally great without them. But if you want to take your skin to the next glowy level then yes, these skin-enhancing products would be a great addition to your kit! You need them if you feel like your foundation and setting powder are no longer enough to make your skin look amazing.

Highlighters/illuminators help your skin look fresh by reflecting light off your face with ultra-fine shimmer. They are normally skin-toned, although some have a peachy or pink tint to them. Bronzers on the other hand are used to simulate the look of lightly tanned skin and are often used for contouring as well. Some are pink/peach-ish, which makes them fabulous blushes in their own right.

Bronzers are also a great way to bring some golden warmth to your face - that's really useful when you're looking pale and tired!

That said, I thought I'd show off some of my current favorite bronzers and highlighters. ^_^ I have five bronzers and three highlighters here that are perfect for Asian skin and can work with different budgets. Would love to know which ones you're looking to try!

The Too Cool For School Pearl Bay Invasion in Baby Clam Pink (~P800) is a beautiful golden-salmon illuminator that can make your skin glow without the tacky shimmer. It has a thin texture that adheres to the skin well, and an almost translucent finish. 

The TCFS Pearl Bay Invasion is incredibly subtle. A lot of girls avoid illuminators because they don't want to shine like a sequined jacket under a spotlight - that's understandable! - but this one is quite hard to overdo. The coverage of the cream is very sheer and it's easy to blend out with your preferred buffing brush or just fingers.

I recommend three ways to use it!

• As an illuminating makeup base. If you want that glow-from-within skin, use a small amount all over your face, under your makeup. Let it dry, then add your foundation/concealer as usual. It's best under liquid or cream foundation to achieve that skin-like finish!

There are many ways to achieve a healthy flush on the cheeks. My favorite product to get that natural glow, however, is cream blush! Cream blushes give a sort of wet finish to the cheeks, and looks like it's coming from the skin instead of sitting on top. They're also quicker to use than powder blushes since they need no more than fingers for a beautiful blended finish.

One of the latest cream blushes to hit the market is Benefit Fine One One (P1,700). This tri-colored blush in stick form gives a wonderful peachy-coral flush on skin with just a couple of swipes. It has Pink Champagne, Sheer Watermelon, and Soft Coral shades in one tube to give the cheeks some "lift, shape, and pop". I quite agree with this. The well-chosen combination of colors and textures does give cheeks a sort of dimensional look, as if they're plumper (not chubby!) and healthier.

I also love how it makes my skin look brighter. Pink Champagne is a pretty good highlighter by itself, reminiscent of my fave Benefit Watt's Up! (read the review for a mini-tutorial on how to apply a cream highlighter). 

When I posted this foundation review yesterday a few girls asked me what highlighting powder I used to achieve that glow. One of them even asked if I was using Guerlain! Well, the Guerlain Meteorites powder is invisible and almost devoid of any shimmer. No, I'm using something more glowy with a hint of bronze: the MeMeMe Goddess Rocks (P825 from Makeupholics)!

I love this stuff. It's a shimmery highlighter with subtle bronze and rose tints. I wouldn't call it an all-out bronzer because using too much will make you look quite shiny; a little goes a long way but don't expect any obvious color. 

Sponge topper to keep the rocks in place. The packaging is just cardboard so I wouldn't recommend it for traveling. Just keep a couple of the rocks in a clear jar if you want to apply it on the go!

A product's packaging is important to the overall experience of using that product. It's not just how it actually looks like on you; it's also about how it looks like on your dresser, how it feels like when you hold it in your hands. That's why it's not surprising that people gravitate to good-looking products. The experience of using and keeping something gorgeous is just too good to pass up.

The Milani Illuminating Face Powder in Beauty's Touch (P490 at Digital Traincase) called out to me as soon as I laid eyes on it. I love the rosebud surface of the powder compact! It's too pretty to touch no? The compact itself feels like thick, sturdy plastic with a gold base. Very luxe and chic. 

Packaging oohs and ahhs aside, this powder packs a pretty wallop on skin. It has no visible shimmers or glitter but it gives this subtle pinkish glow on my face with only a few swipes.

I think that a lot of Filipinas are wary of highlighting and illuminating products because these might make them look oilier than they already are. It's not like the weather is forgiving, no? Which may be why there's that semi-obsession with a matte face devoid of anything that remotely glows.

But I think that's an awful way to go about face makeup. Faking a glow is the best thing you can do for your face - it makes your skin look healthier, more natural, just a subtle leap ahead of ordinary and blah. Ever heard of the Benefit Watt's Up! Highlighter (P1,600)?

Before anything else, I would like to apologize for yet another Benefit rave. The brand gave me a bunch of stuff for free so you might think I am biased - but I get a bunch of stuff for free and I don't rave about all of them. So. With that out of the way, let's proceed to the review!

 What I LOVE about the product:

• This cream-to-powder higlighter is the perfect champagne shade that works with my skintone, plus it has no visible sparkles!

Good Monday morning to you! Say hi to Nikki, who shall be talking about the latest L'Oreal foundation to hit the Philippines!

I’m a BB cream fan and I have been using BB creams for a while now, mainly because they are the most economic choice for me. Not only do they cover blemishes and make your skin dewy and delightful but they also offer additional perks like sunscreen and whitening (I’m not really big on whitening but hey, why not).

However, as my life is pretty hectic and demanding (and I have yet to master the art of time management), I’ve been searching for a better form of foundation because BB creams, like liquid foundation, can be a little time consuming and tedious to use. Musing on that thought, I realized that powder foundation is the easiest foundation to apply. I swear, we women go through so much to get perfect skin, but as Liz puts it, “You can call it vanity but I call it survival”. 

As my beauty guru and close friend, I told Liz about my predicament and she told me to try L’Oreal’s White Perfect Pearl Duo Powder Foundation (P995 / P795 refill only). I was really excited to use it because the packaging was really cute and it came with a highlighter too!