Coming from firsthand experience, I know how losing so much hair can take a toll on one's self-confidence and self-worth. Hair is such a visible, definitive characteristic that suddenly going bald is hard to accept. But it's not game over for us who wish for better hair days. Svenson, the country's premier hair loss and hair restoration center, has aesthetic surgeons who are able to do hair transplants.
The Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) or Strip FUT is a method that removes a strip of hair from the donor site, generally from the back of the head, and dissects it into smaller groups to implant into thinning and balding areas. It's a procedure that takes several months and quite an investment for results to show, but if baldness is a big concern for you, it's worth looking into.
Suki Salvador, Vice President, Creative Director & Editor at One Mega Group has decided he's had enough of early hair loss and got the procedure done recently. Here's his story!
When did you start to notice the hair-loss signs?
I started to notice it 5 to 8 years ago. A friend told me, ‘Hey your hair is thinning!’ That time, I kinda ignored it. It started to hit me when I got rained on one time. When the water dropped, it fell straight to my scalp. It was very alarming. And every time I’m sitting at my office desk, I could feel the air from the AC hitting my scalp directly. That’s when I decided to go to Svenson for a consultation.
How did hair loss affect your job?
I’m in fashion. Styling my hair is important and hair loss restricted me from pulling off fun, unique hairstyles. I couldn’t color my hair as wild or as crazy even if I wanted to. I couldn’t cut it too short or grow it too long, because it would weigh my hair down, which can make my hair loss problem more obvious.
What made you decide to have the hair transplant procedure done?
I just realized, people nowadays are very active; they travel a lot, myself included. So it’s hard to go to the centre as often as you should. When my trichologist at Svenson recommended hair transplant, I said yes right away.
How did the procedure go? Tell us about your whole experience.
During the first consultation, they did several tests to assess my hair-loss condition. After getting the results, they recommended the FUT (Follicular Unit Transplantation) procedure. The process involves taking a strip of your scalp from the back of your head, where some of your healthy and permanent hairs are planted, to replace the balding areas.
Before we started, they even asked me to choose what shape of hairline I want to have! I chose the square one. The procedure took hours but it was comfortable. I even posted what’s happening on my social media accounts and everyone was like, ‘How are you so calm?’. I just felt that I was in good hands, which only means that my doctors were great at what they’re doing. Three months after the surgery, here I am seeing great results. Can’t wait to see further hair growth in the next few months!
Why would you recommend Svenson Hair Transplant procedure?
I believe it’s the best option for those experiencing hair loss, because it’s permanent and the technology they are using now can guarantee a very high success rate. And it’s not something you should feel ashamed of, especially those who are young. Balding is actually a young man’s problem. It can start even in your 20s, but you can do something about it. When you’re young, you have plenty of options and reasons to save your hair. And the best thing about Svenson hair transplant is that it’s complete, comprehensive, and they got you covered from start to finish. It’s the trifecta of full service!
To know more about Svenson’s Hair Transplant procedures, go to www.svenson.com.ph/hair-transplant/ or call 892-4247 or Text/Viber 09175014915 to book your free hair and scalp analysis
If you’re ever wondered what you could do about short lashes or sparse eyebrows, you may have come across a beauty hack that suggests using castor oil. The tip simply says to apply the oil every night and you’ll wake up to lusher lashes and brows. I wanted to know if this actually works and what sort of results I could get from using it for a month. But first, what is castor oil exactly?
Castor oil is a medicinal oil derived from the seeds of a plant called Ricinus communis. It’s often used as a laxative but is also a common ingredient in cosmetics. Known for its antibacterial and anti-fungal properties, it offers skin benefits such as combating fungi and bacteria and helping to heal wounds.
Ready to take on the challenge, I bought a small bottle of castor oil from Watsons for about P80 for 30ml. For 30 nights, I simply applied it on my lashes and brows with my fingers right after finishing my skincare routine. If you want something a little more precise, you can use an old mascara wand that has been cleaned or simply dip a cotton bud into the bottle. The oil feels very thick but I did not have any allergic reactions or develop any breakouts. It just smelled a little bit like nuts but it wasn’t too bothersome.
Before I started using the castor oil, I took this photo and measured my lashes with a ruler (first time to do this, actually!) My upper lashes’ longest length was 0.7 cm.
After 30 nights of application, here’s how my lashes and eyebrows now look like:
I love how my eyebrows and lashes look thicker and lusher! To check that I wasn’t just seeing things, I used a ruler to measure my lashes again. My upper lashes now measured 0.9 cm, a full 0.2 cm from before! Even my lower lash line seemed to be growing more hair. Though naturally bushy, my eyebrows also looked fuller and darker, so I haven’t needed to use my eyebrow pencil as often. It feels like the castor oil even conditioned the hairs; they look pretty shiny and healthy!
The results of this challenge really surprised me but there seems to be a good explanation for this little miracle. Castor oil contains essential fatty acids like omega, linoleic, and oleic acids, which are able to penetrate into the skin and hair follicle. This enables it to nourish from the hair root, making it stronger and more resistant to breakage. The added moisture also serves as a protective layer, which makes hair look shinier and more pigmented.
If you’re in need of some hair help, I would definitely recommend trying this out! I’m thinking of keeping it as part of my regular routine so I can still be rocking full eyebrows and lashes ‘til I’m 80. I want to try it on my scalp as well to see if it can help with my falling hair. It’s pretty cheap, too, so it may work as an at-home hot oil treatment!
Have you tried using castor oil on your eyebrows and lashes? How did it work for you?
Makeup means different things to different people. Some turn their talent and knowledge into a paying job, others obsess about it like any other hobby, while many simply enjoy enhancing their good looks with it everyday. We get it though - not everyone understands our love for makeup. We don’t all have to die for the perfect MLBB lipstick or understand the importance of kilay but can non-makeup lovers just not rain on our parade? Some remarks are simply annoying, spoken out of ignorance, or even downright rude. We’ve compiled a list of the usual comments we encounter and our tips on how to deal with them!
“Are you sick?” (if you don’t have makeup on)
You may hear this if people around you are used to seeing you wear makeup and have never seen your dark circles before. There are just days when don’t have time to put on makeup or simply don’t feel like it. And that’s totally fine! Just brush off the remark, assure them that you’re fine, and go about your life.
“Why are you wearing red lipstick? May ganap?”
Red lipstick has a rep for glamour and sexiness. It may apply tediously but it’s such a flattering color, especially if you find the right shade of red for you. Wearing blue-based reds can even make your teeth look whiter. There’s no good reason why it has to be reserved just for special occasions – bust it out if you want to look put together without having to apply much else for the rest of your face! Give them a smile that shows of your pearly whites and reply, “Ang ganda, noh?”
“Eyeliner is for goths.”
First off, there’s nothing wrong with doing a gothic look. But if you wear a smudgy formula that gets all over your face or apply it incorrectly, you may end up looking like you have panda eyes. It’s possible that this comment means you need to work on your liner application. Make sure you use a good product and apply in a way that actually flatters your eye shape. If your line is fine and the other person is simply expressing a bias, ignore the remark or come up with a snappy “It didn’t say so on the product label.”
“Why buy a 1k lipstick if you can get it for P50?”
We pay a little more for good and safe ingredients and for what we value; if you can afford it, go ahead and treat yourself to luxury makeup. While there are great makeup products you can find for less, at the end of the day, it’s all about your priorities. If they’re bragging about a Kylie lip kit that they “scored” for a tenth of what you know it actually costs, consider carefully if you should tell them about fake makeup. While it’s technically the responsible thing to do, some people may just not be receptive.
“You have too much makeup on!”
IMHO, swiping on a bold lippie or sporting a cool eyeshadow look isn’t “too much makeup”. But to someone who barely swipes on lip balm, your tiny winged liner may look too dramatic. Consider also that you may have been using too much product or not blending it in well enough. Make sure to apply in thin layers, slowly building up to the coverage or color you desire. Always moisturize properly, and blend, blend, blend to avoid your makeup from looking cakey!
“May tinatago ka ba? Baka insecure ka.”
We all have our reasons for applying makeup. For me, it’s to feel extra ready to take on the day and add a spring to my step. Whatever your reason may be, just brush off what people say – we believe in the empowerment that makeup gives!
“Makeup is bad for your skin.”
This is a valid point, if you don’t take care to remove your makeup completely or buy fake cosmetics that have questionable quality. Otherwise, take this as an opportunity to tell them about local brands like VMV Hypoallergenics and Happy Skin, which focus on coming up with skin-friendly products that won’t irritate skin. Be familiar with what ingredients irritate your skin and research on what you should avoid.
“Pahiram ng makeup!”
Makeup is a personal thing, literally! Maybe you can lend say, bottles of foundations where the product is just pumped out but for things that require skin contact like powder, lipstick, eyeliner, mascara, and tools, there’s a good reason for you to be selfish and not want to share. Gently decline and explain that makeup can be a breeding ground for bacteria, and you certainly don’t want to pass on your germs to them even if you don’t appear to be sick for their own safety.
“Drag makeup is only for drag queens.”
To be clear, you don’t need full-on drag makeup unless you’re going onstage and under bright lights. The queens’ techniques have found their way to everyday makeup though, like baking and applying contour. If you like how they make you look, just go for it and don’t be afraid to strut your stuff!
“Ka-vogue ka ngayon! May party ka, noh?”
High fashion or editorial makeup are best reserved for runway and the glossies because they’re often unrealistic and possibly even uncomfortable to wear IRL. But you can totally make these unwearable looks wearable! They can be adapted to play into your daily look, just like when we recreated the glossy eyes trend to not look out of place with everyday makeup. The technique is to keep things understated, and to keep the focus on a particular feature.
In any case, at the end of the day, it's none of anybody's beeswax how you choose to dress up your face and the rest of your body. You don't owe anyone an explanation, least of all an apology, for how you choose to live your life. If you're happy and spending your own money then do yourself a favor and don't let those around you control you.
Ever had the things above said to you before? How do you address them? We’d love to hear your stories!
In the last ten years, the most significant change we’ve witnessed in the beauty world is the evolution of our brows. Gone were the days when lipstick reigned supreme in our beauty kits! If we were made to choose just one makeup item to grab in a fire, most of us would undoubtedly pick our brow makeup. Now there are different kinds of eyebrow products to choose from but I personally favor the versatility of the brow pencil. You can easily score a decent one for less than P200 but if you want to know which one will give you the best kilay of your life, my month-long brow showdown reveals the answer!
I pitted seven brow pencils against each other and wore them the whole day for three to five days each. My lucky seven consisted of the following:
K-Palette 1 Day Tattoo Lasting 3Way Eyebrow Pencil
MAC Automatic Eyebrow Pencil
Maybelline Fashion Brow.
We did not include Korean eyebrow pencils here because that will need a whole other post on its own (let us know if you want it)!
Bare brows
These are my bare eyebrows for reference. With a clear brow mascara, I’m normally good to go on minimal makeup days, thanks to my semi-permanent brow tattoo. They look too light when I put a full face on, though, so I still need a little help in making them look lush and filled out.
Maybelline (1), MAC (2), Eye of Horus (5), and Benefit (7) all have slim rounded tips of the same size. K-Palette’s (3) is just a tad bit bigger while Ever Bilena (6) is about twice as wide. All pencils come in a twist up form with exception of Flormar (4), which needs sharpening.
The Benefit, Eye of Horus, K-Palette, and Maybelline pencils each come with a spoolie. The Eye of Horus (2nd in photo) particularly deserves special praise for the slim tapering spoolie that’s firm yet gentle at the same time! The Flormar comes with a brow brush (3rd in photo), while Ever Bilena and MAC skipped the blending tool completely.
From left: Benefit, Ever Bilena, Eye of Horus, Flormar, K-Palette, Mac, Maybelline
Here are the swatches! I drew a straight line with each pencil and added small strokes using light to heavy pressure to show how well you can control the pigmentation. Ever Bilena is undoubtedly the most pigmented, while K-Palette looks the most natural.
Benefit Precisely, My Brow Pencil (P1,400) Shades: 01 and 02 light, 03 and 04 medium, 05 and 06 deep / Available in Benefit stores, or online through Sephora.ph
The Benefit Precisely, My Brow Pencil is the priciest one of the bunch. I feel this is the best in terms of creaminess to hardness ratio, because it blends without completely smudging the brush strokes I’ve applied to resemble hair. The slim pencil makes it easy to draw hair-like marks but also takes longer to use on sparse brows with lots of bare areas. The wide shade selection also guarantees that you’ll find a perfect match for your hair.
Ever Bilena Brow Matic Liner (P180) Shades: Earth (terracotta brown) and Midnight (black) / Available at Ever Bilena counters
If you want something quick and easy, Ever Bilena’s Brow Matic Liner will allow you just that because it’s a chubbier pencil. This is the creamiest and most pigmented of the pencils I tried for this challenge, and it was easy to glide on and blend. It’s an ideal product for people who like the Instagram brow as you can build it up to look as strong as you like. You will need to have a separate spoolie and maybe apply some concealer to cleanup the edges and achieve better definition. If your hair color is more ash brown or even black, the shade Earth may be too red for your liking.
Eye of Horus Brow Define (P950) Shades: Husk (light ash blonde), Dynasty (medium cocoa brown), and Nile (medium dark taupe) / Available online through Glamourbox.ph
I find that this Eye of Horus product stays true to its name as it gives such a nice soft focus definition for clean, naturally lush-looking brows! It’s a hard pencil that’s best for mimicking individual brow hairs as the pigmentation is on the lighter side. That same soft pigmentation lends to that natural, almost undetectable brow to match light eye makeup that don’t need strong framing.
Flormar Brow Pencil (P249) Shades: 401 Gray, 402 Brown, 403 Taupe, 404 Black / Available at Flormar counters in department stores
Another pencil featuring a creamy formula, the Flormar pencil feels a lot like a toned down EB Brow Matic Liner in terms of pigmentation. Though I’m used to blending with a spoolie, the brow brush included actually worked better for blending since it gave me better control over the product. It’s very easy to blend but definition can be hard to achieve unless you sharpen the tip every so often.
K-Palette 1Day Tattoo Lasting 3Way Eyebrow Pencil (P795) Shades: Grayish Brown, Light Brown, Mocha Brown, and Natural Brown / Available at Beauty Bar
Out of all the pencils I’ve tried, the K-Palette pencil is the lightest in terms of pigmentation. It’s best for people who want soft-looking eyebrows that look like your own brows but better (BBB?). This is the most beginner-friendly pencil IMO because it still looks natural even when you use a heavy hand. On the flip side, it may look too light for a full glam look, unless you layer it with other products. To keep it fair, I only used the pencil side for this challenge but it also comes with a matching brow powder! You can use the pencil to create the shape and draw the hairs, and the powder to fill in all the other the gaps and blend everything together.
MAC Automatic Eyebrow Pencil (P900) Shades: Brunette, Fling, Lingering, Spiked, Strut, and Stud / Available at MAC stores
This is Queen Pia Wurtzbach’s weapon of choice for Miss Universe-worthy brows. Out of all the slim tip pencils, this one is the creamiest and most pigmented, so you can go as glam or natural based on how you use it. You wanna be careful with blending this one out because the creaminess can turn messy real quick! This is also non-retractable, so don’t make the mistake of twisting it all up to check how much product you get!
Maybelline Fashion Brow (P359) Shades: Gray and Brown Available through Maybelline counters in department stores
If you can’t justify splurging on the K-Palette just yet, I find that the Maybelline Fashion Brow is a pretty close dupe! This is my fave from the drugstore because of how easily I can achieve a natural-looking brow with this pencil. It’s true what they say on the ads: that you can’t mess this up. One caveat though – it's brittle and breaks easily! Make sure you dispense just about a 1-2mm long tip so you don’t end up wasting product that has fallen off.
Verdict: Overall, I can’t complain about the wear time that I got from any of these products. Even on my oily skin, they managed to stay fresh and plakado until I took them off (usually about eight to ten hours of wear). I find it hard to pick faves though, because I realized that sometimes you need different products to achieve different looks.
If I absolutely need to pick just one, I would have to go with the Benefit Precisely, My Brow Pencil. It has the perfect balance of creaminess and hardness, so I can use this to create a wide range of different brow looks! Blending the pencil in won’t make it look like you coated your brow with powder. I take my sweet time drawing my brow hair in strokes and I like how I get to retain that definition with Benefit, even after blending. If only the price was more friendly, this would be my everyday go-to!
So let me know, which one of these brows were your favorite? Did your HG brow pencil make the cut?
I've read the raves about the Yves Rocher Rinsing Vinegar (~P500-600 at Yves Rocher stores) many, many years ago and have occasionally tried it in the past. I didn't like it though. I found the fruity vinegary smell annoying and it did the opposite of what it promised; my hair felt heavy and sticky after a few hours. But that was then. Recently, I've been plagued by a scalp so oily that I've almost given up! I've lost all hope until I tried my old bottle of this legendary hair rinse.
But wait, what is it exactly? The Yves Rocher Rinsing Vinegar is based on the good ol' vinegar rinse concept, wherein you use vinegar to remove product build-up on the hair and thus improve its shine and bounce. There are many versions of this DIY rinse, but all of them are, well, made out of vinegar and smells like it too! The one from Yves Rocher is made out of vinegar and water, but the vinegar is mild and mostly masked by a pleasant berry scent. I quite like it now!
To use, I shampoo my hair and then splash the Rinsing Vinegar all over my scalp. The bottle has a small opening that allows me to do this with some precision; it's simple but it works. Then I leave it on for a few minutes while I soap and exfoliate the rest of my body. I wash it off completely before I leave the shower.
I've been suffering from a ridiculously oily scalp, as I've mentioned above. Before I was able to fix it with some clarifying shampoo once or twice a week, but that stopped working! :( I tried changing shampoos and using dry shampoo, but those were only temporary solutions. I was at my wit's end until I randomly saw this bottle of Yves Rocher Rinsing Vinegar in my stash (it is probs almost two years old)! After just one use, it's like my scalp re-balanced itself and its oiliness has decreased dramatically.
I am so happy. Now I rinse with this about once a week and it keeps my hair fluffy and far from greasy. Definitely stocking up on this stuff! Have you tried a vinegar rinse before? How was it?
Yves Rocher Branches: Level 2 SM Aura Premier C5 Road cor MH del Pilar Drive, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
G/L SM Southmall, Las Piñas City (632) 478.2252
G/F Paseo Solano Wing Ayala Center Cebu, Cebu City (6332) 266.1458
The Project Vanity girls are a little bit - ok, a lot! - like me when it comes to choosing their skincare products. We’re very particular about brands, to the point of sometimes being snobbish about what we pick out at the store. There is, however, one thing that trumps our brand-conscious nature: how effective and good the product actually is. It’s even better when it’s affordable!
We’re no strangers to drugstore HGs, so when Silka asked the team to try their new lotions, we were game to find out what they had to offer. Here are some quick info on the two new variants!
Silka Whitening Lotion with Shea Butter
If whitening or evening out your skin tone is a priority, this new lotion is Silka’s premium variant. It features shea butter for moisturizing irritated and dry skin, as well as SPF23 for daily sun protection! It has a lovely cocobutter scent that’s almost edible. It’s 50ml / P41, 100ml/P70.25, 200ml/P124.75 at your favorite supermarkets and drugstores.
Silka Premium Moisturizing Milk Lotion with Avocado Oil and Almond Milk
If you’re looking for deeper, long-lasting moisture, this Silka lotion with avocado oil and almond milkcan give it to your skin sans the sticky, thick feeling. This has a creamy floral scent as well as SPF23! It’s a bit more expensive than the Shea Butter variant as this is 50ml / P45, 100ml/P77.25, 200ml/P137 at your favorite supermarkets and drugstores.
Which one should you try? Here’s what the PV girls think of these new releases! We split them up into two teams: the Shea Butter Team (Marielle and Angela) and the Avocado Team (Den and Kim). They used the lotions for two weeks to see how their skin would react. They have previously never tried a Silka lotion before but, spoiler alert: they loved it!
Personally, I am really enjoying the Shea Butter variant for everyday. I love the scent and the SPF23 the most, followed by how moisturizing yet light it is on my skin. Can’t beat the price too - I was previously using an SPF 24 body serum from another brand but the Silka one is like half the price! Will continue using it and keep it in my to-repurchase list.
Have you tried Silka lotions before? How did they work for you?
Editor's Note: We believe that virginity, birth control, and sex are still opaque topics here in the Philippines. A discussion about these things with our parents mostly involves them telling us never to have intercourse or get pregnant until we're married. However, that is hardly a deterrent for women to make unwise choices. At Project Vanity, our ultimate goal is to empower women by providing them information about their own bodies so they feel more confident navigating their world.
In The Sex Talk, a new section here at PV, we aim to consult with doctors and experts about common questions we feel should be answered by women, for women.
I always knew I wanted to have kids. No specifics on how many, what gender, and when, though. Whenever I would hear the phrase “family planning” it just went over my head, my brain stamping it with “N/A” and going on with my life. So I had a bit of a panic attack when I found out I was pregnant, a mere two months after I got married. I never thought I’d get preggers so soon! I felt very unprepared, and wished desperately that I had paid attention to the required pre-wedding seminar on birth control.
Don’t get me wrong—I don’t regret for one moment conceiving and giving birth to my beautiful babies. Still, I had thought my husband and I would enjoy at least a year or two of just being newlyweds. I realized with guilt that I had given more thought to planning our wedding than making specific plans for our marriage.
Here at PV, we want women to be informed of their options on this critical issue. Since we already talked about artificial birth control, let’s have a look-see at natural options. I sat down with Dr. Cecilia Vicencio, head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at The Medical City, for the low-down on natural birth control, and her expert opinion on its merits and disadvantages. We hope this article can give you the basic facts you need and encourage you to consult with your own doctor before you decide whether or not this is for you and your partner.
First things first
Natural birth control methods are also known as fertility awareness-based methods for good reason. All of these methods involve pinpointing dates when one is likely to get pregnant and avoiding unprotected sexual contact on those times. It comes as a bit of a shock but Dr. Vicencio reveals, “You are actually only fertile one day in a month, so that’s just 12 days in a year!”
Although the egg cell is viable for only 24 hours each cycle, sperm cells live for an average of 3 to 7 days, with the most tenacious ones surviving for up to 8 days in the womb. So it’s unsafe to have sex about a week before the egg drops, and until after the egg exits the body through menstruation. The key to success is accurately predicting when you will ovulate, since not all women get their menstrual cycles within regular intervals. There are several methods that medical practitioners recommend.
Image via mamanatural.com
Rhythm Method
Also known as the calendar method, this is probably the most commonly known and used natural method for birth control. It has been around since the 1930s, and just requires a calendar and basic arithmetic to use. To make this work, you’ll need to keep a log of your menstrual cycles for the past six months at least, and then use simple math to chart days when you’re likely to be fertile. Here’s the formula, as quoted from WebMD:
Subtract 18 from the number of days in your shortest cycle. Count that many days after you start your period. That’s your first fertile day. Subtract 11 from the number of days in your longest cycle. Count that many days from the start of your period. That’s your last fertile day. Don’t have sex on or between your first and last fertile days.
Advantages: You won’t need to spend much--all you’ll need is a calendar or journal. There are also free apps available to help you track your cycles. Once you know which days are “unsafe”, just avoid having sex on those dates. On the flipside, you can also use this same knowledge if you’re trying to get pregnant.
Disadvantages: The rhythm method assumes that your period follows a strict schedule. If your cycles is irregular though (as women who have polycystic ovary syndrome can sometimes experience), it’s hard to accurately predict your ovulation. It can work but it’s not completely fail-safe method for preventing pregnancy, and if you don’t use this method together with artificial birth control, it can drastically diminish sexual contact between partners.
From top: Day 1 (sticky and a little slippery = safe), Day 3 (cloudy and stretchy = not safe), Day 5 (clear, wet and stretchy = fertile), Day 7 (white and tacky = safe)
Images via readytogroove.com
Cervical Mucus Method
Also known as the ovulation method or Billings method, this involves checking the mucus from the cervix. On fertile days, there are detectable differences. Dr. Vicencio explains that as you reach your peak fertility, your cervical discharge becomes clear, thin, slippery, and spinnable. She demonstrates by putting her index finger and thumb together and slowly pulling them apart--the mucus feels more wet and stretchy.
You can check your discharge by wiping with a tissue, from front to back. Take note of the appearance (white, clear or cloudy), texture (clumpy and thick, or smooth and sticky), and feel (wet, dry or slippery). Like the rhythm method, it’s best to log these observations over a few months.
Advantages: There are no expenses involved with this method. Plus, if you track these changes and see a regular pattern, you can predict your fertile days for future cycles.
Disadvantages: Breastfeeding, menstrual flow, use of vaginal products like douches and spermicide, as well as certain medical conditions (like having PCOS or an infection) can affect cervical discharge, preventing an accurate interpretation. Some women also don’t produce enough mucus daily.
Image via babysounds.com
Temperature Method
Monitoring your basal body temperature (BBT) is another way to check for your fertile days. To measure this accurately, you have to check your temperature immediately upon waking up. An oral thermometer will do but a rectal one gives a more accurate reading. There will be a slight rise in your body temperature (about 1 degree Fahrenheit) when the egg drops into your uterus and falls again just before menstruation. Usually, you reach your peak fertility 2 to 3 days before the increase in your body temperature.
Advantages: Anyone with a thermometer can use this method. You can use this in tandem with other natural birth control methods.
Disadvantages: The differences in temperature can sometimes just be a fraction of a degree from day to day, so this is not an ideal method if you don’t have a large-scale thermometer that can track slight variances. Of course, you won’t get accurate results if you have a fever. Stress, excessive physical exercise, drinking alcohol, and an irregular sleeping schedule can also affect your BBT.
Images via maya.live
Helpful tools and aids
Practicing natural birth control takes quite a bit of effort and diligence but there are tools that can help you stay on course and get more accurate readings. A basal thermometer provides a more specific thermal reading compared to regular thermometers. Dr. Vicencio shares that there is a vaginal thermometer with a matching app that charts the results straight to your smartphone (but it’s not available locally). There’s also a gadget that can check for ferning patterns (due to crystallization of sodium chloride) in your saliva.
It may be easy to get data for these methods but the true challenge lies in faithful tracking and accurate interpretation. Cycle beads can be used to track the days in one’s cycle while doubling as either a bracelet or a necklace.
Whether you’re practicing natural birth control or not, it’s a good to get a period tracker app for your phone. There are many free options for both iOS and Android such as Maya, Clue, Eve and SpotOn. Some even offer features like sending reminders before you get your period (so you can stock up on supplies!) and taking notes for temperature, cervical mucus, mood, etc.
Should you go natural?
Dr. Vicencio’s explained that natural birth control options are the safest ways to prevent pregnancy. There are no side effects, unlike hormone-based pills and IUDs, patches, and injectables. There are no major expenses involved, too. Should a couple change their mind and opt to conceive, there is no waiting period, plus they can continue using these methods to determine fertile days.
Although these are big reasons to consider a natural option, Dr. Vicencio admits that it is the least effective of birth control methods. Natural birth control has relatively high failure rates, though it helps if you use all three methods to boost efficacy. Women whose menstrual cycles are outside the normal range (21 to 35 days, or even up to 38) will have a challenging time making the rhythm method work. It’s also not for women who have uncooperative partners. To be candid, it takes a lot of work and advanced planning for both parties to use fertility awareness-based methods to prevent pregnancy.
Again, please see your OB before deciding to go for natural family planning. It’s best to do this with your partner, since it involves his willingness and cooperation to make it work. Even if you do decide that this birth control method is not for you, we hope it encourages you to be more attuned to your body, and how your menstrual cycles might be affecting your everyday life.
I currently have five foundations, four moisturizers, three serums, and six shampoos in circulation. It may not seem like a lot compared to other people’s stashes but having more than one product that pretty much serves the same purpose and isn’t differentiated by color is honestly more than I need. The truth is, being a beauty addict turns most, if not all, of us into product junkies as well. We fall in love with the pretty things and fawn over them until a newer, shinier object catches our attention and the cycle repeats itself.
It’s that same realization that helps me appreciate posts about empties. When we’re constantly trying new things, it feels like a rare feat to finally hit pan or squeeze the last drop of product out. Empties may not always read like a list of holy grails but I personally enjoy learning why people continue using them, even when other options have become available. This is what the PV team has used up so far for this year!
Den: I’ve just run out of another K-Palette Lasting 2Way Eyebrow, though thankfully not during mid-application. As one of my kit staples, I wish these were cheap enough to hoard backups for! After using them all of last year, my bottles of Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser and Avalon Organics Vitamin C Renewal Refreshing Cleansing Gel are now empty. I loved both: Neutrogena’s low pH formula was great for daily use while the vitamin C in Avalon had a nice brightening effect on my skin. I’m not sure if samplers would count as empties but I extended the tiny pack of CosRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid to three applications and promptly bought the full-sized bottle as a result. I tell anyone willing to listen that they absolutely need this in their lives!
Angela: I finished my Maybelline Clear Smooth All-In-One Powder Foundation. It covers some of my blemishes and keeps my T-zone oil-free. I also use it as a setting powder for my concealer. It's so affordable and performs really well so I'll definitely buy again!
Crystal: I've always prided myself on my ability to empty products because it (somehow) justifies my hoarding tendencies! This month, I emptied a whopping 30 grams of 3W Clinic Powder, which is a really nice, inexpensive setting powder with a floral scent. The Face Shop Natural Sun Eco Ice Air Puff Sun is the lightest sunblock I've tried to date with a nice, cooling effect that is perfect for our hot weather. The Body Shop Almond Oil Conditioning Hand Wash was a moisturizing hand wash with a mild scent.
I finished a Maybelline Brow Mascara even though it took me forever because there was so much product. Miller Harris is a perfume brand from the UK. I used up the lip balm and it's honestly one of the most moisturizing lip balms I've ever tried. Last but not least is a mini size of Belo SunExpert SPF60 PA+++ Body, which I got when Belo had a promo. I've always been happy with Belo SunExpert and will continue purchasing from the line. Overall, I'm happy with all the products I emptied for this month, which is exactly why they are empty now LOL!
Katsy: I'm nearly done with the travel-size skincare set I got from Laneige last November. The set lasted almost three months, although I did alternate with other skincare items once I reached the halfway mark. I will probably repurchase the line plus the Water Sleeping Mask as they really did hydrate my face well. I used the Laneige Moisture line as I have dry skin.
Claire: I go through conditioners, lotions, and makeup wipes really quickly. I have backups of the Pantene 3 Minute Miracle and Nivea Extra White Firming Body Serum but I'm not loyal to any brand of makeup wipes just yet. I picked up the Watsons 3-in-1 facial wipes in Malaysia a while back but haven't been able to find it locally. Too bad, as it effectively but gently removes makeup! I also enjoyed the Biore makeup remover wipes but I wish they were a bit larger. It's pretty rare for me to finish any makeup item but I really abused my Innisfree No-Sebum Mineral Powder. Will definitely repurchase this after I go through my loose powder stash!
Jenn: Super happy to finish my bottle of Merphil AC+ All in One Magic Cream - my holy grail when it comes to combating zits! This is one product that really changed my life, errr, skin. Designed for hormonal acne, it always either flattens my small pimples after overnight use or calms down big ones. It's a regular fixture in my routine so I always have to keep a backup of it.
Gett: I finally finished my bottle of Cure and a tub of Innisfree Super Volcanic Pore Clay Mask after more than a year of using them. These two helped improve my overall skin texture and kept my face thoroughly clean. I use both once a week, or twice if my skin looks meh. I'd repurchase these two in a heartbeat!
Did you empty out any products last month? What convinced you to keep using them?
The temperature keeps rising and humidity is at an all-time high. For me, this signals that summer is just around the corner and it’s time to take my makeup game to go sheer, sheer, sheer. But while going as au naturel as possible is in line with this year’s makeup trends, I know there are will be days when I’ll need to wear a proper face of makeup in order to look fresh and presentable despite the heat. Thankfully, L’Oreal Makeup Designer Paris has brought in their Infallible Makeup line to help us get battle-ready with #NeverFail makeup!
At the L’Oreal Infallible launch event, we were invited to put their makeup line to the ultimate tests. The first step was to have an Infallible Makeover to determine our shade matches then we could choose to head over to a workout station, an eating station, or a photo booth station to test out each of the product’s properties. As it turns out though, the true makeup test for me came after the event, when I took the products out for a spin in the real-world application of renewing my driver’s license!
The L’Oreal Infallible 24HR Foundation (P700) is a lightweight, liquid foundation that promises to last for 24 hours with a “flawless, full coverage”. From the six shades available, I was matched to the Shade 120 Vanilla, which surprised me because it was on the lighter side of the spectrum (I’m about NC35). It was a perfect match though! The line has offers a substantial shade selection, which will hopefully match more Filipina skin tones.
When I apply the foundation after my usual skincare routine, it blends on easily even just by using my fingers. It does have good enough coverage with a demi-matte finish, though I have to go over and apply an extra layer over areas like my dark under eye circles. In a pinch though, the L’Oreal Infallible 24HR Foundation does its job well and it left my skin looking fresh and ready for the day.
The L’Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte 16HR Powder (P600) promises to provide a matte finish to complete your look. It can be worn on its own or as a finishing powder to set foundation. Of the six shades available, I got matched to 200 Natural Beige, which I find to be a bit dark on me. I liked that it doesn’t look cakey when applied and really does extend the wear of the Infallible 24H Foundation. This also completely mattifies the demi-matte finish of the liquid foundation.
The packaging is also quite commendable as the sponge applicator is stored separately from the product, though I much prefer using a brush for both initial application and touch-ups.
The L’Oreal Infallible Pro-Spray & Set Makeup Extender & Setting Spray (P500) is a dream come true for making makeup last in our weather! A quick spray over ensures a longer-lasting makeup look, so imagine combining that with the promise of 24HR and 16HR finishes of the liquid foundation and powder respectively! While the powder mattifies the entire look, I didn’t want to look too matte and the Pro-Spray comes to the rescue by ensuring the makeup looks freshly-applied. I love the combo of the three Infallible products for an all-day flawless finish. Plus, the Pro-Spray can easily be used over base makeup, eye makeup, and even lipsticks!
Speaking of lipsticks, the L’Oreal Infallible 10HR Lipstick (P500) is available in 20 shades! These Infallible lipsticks promise to be food-proof, fade-proof, and dry-proof. I got the shades Always Apricot and Forever Frappe and have been testing them out since.
From left: Always Apricot and Forever Frappe
Do they stay true to their claim? Amazingly, yes! The lipsticks are infused with vitamin E, which make them creamy and glide on like a dream. My normally dry lips do not feel parched when using the Infallible lipsticks. A great bonus is that they fade evenly throughout the day, leaving a distinct demi-matte stain once they set.
From left: L’Oreal Infallible 10HR Lipsticks in Always Apricot and Forever Frappe, L’Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte 16HR Powder in 200 Natural Beige, L’Oreal Infallible 24HR Foundation in 120 Vanilla
Here is my #FOTD using the L’Oreal Infallible line! I’ve taken to reaching for the entire line when I know I need to be out and about for hours without fear of constant retouching. I get oily around the T-zone area after 3 to 4 hours but nothing an oil blotting paper can’t solve.
Wearing the Forever Frappe lippie!
Have you tried the L’Oreal Infallible makeup line? If not, which product has caught your eye?
Skincare is an easy obsession to fall into. It could start as a small feel-good reward at the end of a long day, or as a solution to a specific concern (wrinkles, dullness, acne, etc.). Some of us even go as far as trying out the full 10 Korean skin care steps to get soft, smooth, radiant-looking skin! In all this pomp and pageantry though, we often neglect that other used and abused part of our face: the lips.
We use drying matte lipsticks, forget to drink enough water, eat spicy, sour, or greasy food, and do some lip-biting when nervous or obsessing on a flaky bit of skin. Our lips regularly take a beating, so it actually makes sense to incorporate products in our beauty regimen to make sure that they stay healthy. There’s a lot more out there than just our standard lip balm, so we put together several treatment options and tried one nightly to find which solution takes the cake!
Kiehl’s Scented Lip Balm #1 in Pear (P535 at Kiehl’s)
This is a standard petroleum-based lip balm. It lends a velvety, coated feel on the lips with the addition of a slight sheen. In the morning, it doesn’t feel like there’s a lot of moisture left over from the overnight application so it may be more appropriate to use this (and reapply it) throughout the day. The formula sits well under other products though so you can apply a coat before putting on a drying lipstick formula.
Nivea Lip Butter in Vanilla Macadamia (P129 at department stores)
Lip butters offer more moisture in a thinner, more emollient form compared to balms. It has none of the waxiness of solid lip balms, and it doesn’t feel oily at all! I find the Vanilla Macadamia scent particularly comforting for bedtime use, and the resulting softness of the lips lasts well into the next morning. If you hate the thick, heavy feeling of regular lip balms, go for lip butters instead!
The Saem Eco Soul Lip Oil in Honey (P320 at Althea Korea)
Have you ever shopped for face serum with the assumption that the formula would be a gel or liquid but then it turns out to be an oil instead? Well, the reverse happened here. I expected lip oil to be slick and greasy as the name suggests. However, I was surprised to put on what felt more like lip gloss. Eco Soul has the high-shine and slight tackiness of a good-quality gloss.
Initially, I felt silly wearing this before bed but my fears were unfounded as the formula turned out to be quite moisturizing. I woke up feeling like moisture was locked in, and the tackiness had faded into a velvety texture. Also, the honey scent (which is actually flavorless) smells like breakfast cereal. Yum!
Petitfree Oil Blossom Lip Mask (P400 at Althea Korea)
I was expecting a bouncy, whipped, jelly-like lip texture but it felt more like a traditional lip gloss with the heaviness of an extra thick balm. It has more tackiness than the lip oil, and there is a strong floral scent that strikes me as a little bit strange to have on the lips. It smells more like something that you should be spraying on your body instead! The next morning, the texture feels similar to your average balm but I feel like it doesn’t particularly add or lock-in moisture.
Pure Smile Choosy Lip Pack in Peach (P40 at Althea Korea)
I thought the packet would contain a lip-sized cotton sheet mask but I was surprised to see a cellulose-like hydrogel patch instead! I followed the instructions to leave the moist, silicone-like pack on the lips five minutes but it honestly felt bitin for something that is supposed to be a deep moisturizing treatment.
Aside from the interesting sensation of having a cool, jelly-like patch covering my mouth, it didn’t actually feel like I was soaking up a whole lot of moisture. The formula even stung on the edges of my lips. Perhaps this would be more suitable going over another layer of lip product to help keep the treatment from evaporating too quickly.
And the winner is
The most cost-effective lip treatment with the most long-lasting effect is the Nivea Lip Butter! My lips stayed super soft and moist until the next morning, and the available scents are all crowd-pleasers. The runner-up is The Saem Eco Soul Lip Oil for doubling as a moisturizing layer that can be worn day and night. It’s also available in Berry and Grapefruit scents, in case you want something fruity.
Have you been kind to your lips? What steps and overnight treatments do you use to keep them soft and flake-free?
Yep, you heard it right - this one is one of those hidden gems at the drugstore! We actually featured the Deborah Milano Absolute Lasting Liquid Lipstick (P649) last October as one of our 10 most long-lasting drugstore makeup picks, but never really got around to doing a full feature as we only had a single shade. Yes, yes, excuses, but here's a review finally!
Before, when people asked me what the most long-wearing lipstick I've ever tried is, I'd always say that it's the Make Up For Ever Aqua Rouge Waterproof Liquid Lip Color. It had to be applied in two steps: the satin base that sets like cement must be swiped first, to be followed by the clear gloss. It works because the gloss moisturizes the drying color base, and "seals" it in much like a nail polish top coat would. This is truly water and transfer-proof! It's my go-to when I know I won't be able to retouch much during special events or a long day of errands.
The catch? It's around P1,300. That's why I was surprised to find something that performs exactly like it in Watsons for only P650! The packaging of Deborah Milano is similar - nay, identical - to the MUFE liquid lipstick. It works and feels exactly the same way too! The wear time of the DM lipstick is about 6-7 hours without retouching, and will barely fade after a full, oily meal. It also does not transfer on cups and skin, same as the MUFE.
To maximize the formula, try not to apply lip balm before the first coat of color so that it will set properly. The gloss coat will take care of any dryness (unless you have severe chapped lips in which case you shouldn't be wearing something like this) without the sticky feel! Then, enjoy the rest of your life as you frolic without worrying if your lipstick is smearing after that leg of lechon.
I have three shades here. Shade 07 is almost the exact same color as my lips, which makes it my ideal nude! Shade 09 is a berry-ish mauve that's versatile yet eye-catching. Shade 11 is a deep red with some fine gold sparkle - I wore this a lot during the holidays. The colors when freshly applied are demi-matte while the gloss adds a healthy amount of shine. Do note that you can't wear just the color or your lips will protest. It is waayyyy too drying by itself! You can wear the gloss as is though, or on top of other colors.
Overall, I highly recommend the Deborah Milano Absolute Lasting Liquid Lipstick to anyone who's looking for a bulletproof lip product. There are plenty of pretty shades available! I'm really loving 07 as it's a beautiful nude on me. Perfect for chill days and smoky eyes!
What do you think of these lipsticks? Have you tried one already?
Deborah Milano is available inside SM Beauty and Watsons stores.
Gone are the days when we can actually spend an hour or more in front of our vanities doing our makeup. Traffic in the metro is just insane, so unless you’re able to do your full makeup in the car while stuck in EDSA, a five-minute face before you leave the house is a practical life skill. It's like knowing how to do your taxes or plan for your groceries!
This time, we’re doing a fresh and youthful FOTD popularly called the “polbo and lip tint” look. It’s inspired by Ellen Adarna’s no-makeup makeup at last year’s Star Magic Ball, which was refreshing amidst all the faces that had been contoured and highlighted to perfection. It’s easy but pretty - perfect for on-the-go, busy girls who want to keep their look natural and their makeup light.
Here's what you’ll need!
Eyebrow mascara
Brightening concealer
Lip and cheek tint
Oil-controlling pressed powder
Lip balm
Step 1: Brush up your brow hairs with an eyebrow mascara like Happy Skin Glam Squad Arch Definer & Brow Mascara (P949 at happyskincosmetics.com). If you already have full or thick brows and your hair is not colored, you can opt to use a clear brow gel instead of a tinted one to simply fix the hairs in place.
Step 2: Apply brightening concealer on the undereye area to keep those dark shadows at bay and look like you got your full beauty sleep. The recently launched Happy Skin Bye Bye, Blues Brightening Concealer in Light Beige (P899 at happyskincosmetics.com) is a great option! You can also apply a bit of the concealer down the center of the nose for a subtle highlight effect.
Step 3: Fake a natural flush with a lip and cheek tint. The Skin Genie Lip and Cheek Stain Alive in Tulip Red (P80 at beautymnl.com) is one of our cheap beauty thrills for this purpose. Apply on your cheeks and lips and blend, blend, blend!
Step 4: Lightly dust powder all over the face to set the concealer and even out the complexion. Use a large fluffy brush for a more natural finish. Oil-controlling powders like the Avon Belle in Bloom Ideal Oil Control Pressed Powder in Neutral (P199 on sale at avonshop.ph) are particularly helpful to keep shine at bay for longer.
Step 5: Pat on a lip balm like the In Her Element Nourish & Cleanse Balm (P595 at inherelement.ph) over the lip tint for that trendy glossy lip look. You can also apply it on top of your cheekbones for a natural glow and added moisture!
It actually took me less than five minutes to get done, and I’m pleased with how well it makes me look for just a tiny bit of effort. The power of makeup, indeed!
The PV girls have been obsessing over Korean beauty since last year, and we’re so glad that the K-beauty wave is here to stay! It’s gotten such a huge following over the past few months that another website has set up shop to indulge our lemmings. Meet Yeppunonnie, an online shopping destination from the Korean words “yeppun” (beautiful) and “onnie” (big sister). Unlike other retailers, however, Yeppunonnie will be open to wholesale purchases to support their vision of making the Philippines “a nation of confidently beautiful and happy women.”
Koreans have some pretty interesting makeup techniques as their approach to beauty is pretty different from the more mainstream Western practices that we’re used to. At the soft launch of Yeppunonnie, we learned that instead of applying foundation in a downwards motion (supposedly to brush any fine facial hairs down and thus create a smoother-looking appearance), Korean makeup artists recommend applying foundation starting from the neck going up to help prevent sagging skin. Considering how ageless Korean women seem to look, this tip surely merits looking into!
The year 2016 may have come and gone but when it comes to enduring beauty trends, we are definitely still loving liquid lipsticks! More and more local brands are coming out with their own versions while old faves add new shades or improve existing formulas. There can be a bit of a learning curve to applying liquid lippies perfectly but with so many offerings under P500, you can practice painting on the perfect line with no stress.
Today, our focus is on six local liquid lipsticks that have caught our fancy and become mainstays in our stash. We tested them out to see which ones lasted well throughout the day, with a full eight hours of drinking and eating. Ready to see which ones will survive?
From left: Happy Skin Glam Squad Liquid Matte Lipstick in Mickey See, Features & Shades True Light Liquid Lipstick in Coral, Jazzy France Lustrous Lip gloss in Nutmeg, Everyday Love+ Nude Lips #03, Pink Sugar Sugar Tint Lip & Cheek Tint in Purrfect Pout, Happy Skin Shut Up & Kiss Me Lip & Cheek Mousse in The Morning After
This is honestly one of my personal favorites, so much so that I actually collected all four shades from the Glam Squad collection! The texture is smooth and non-drying on my lips. It is highly pigmented and reapplies easily. The color looks vivid when freshly applied, and stays true to the shade even after eight hours of wear. While it does fade around the middle area of the lips like most liquid lipsticks, I find that I can go without retouching by simply pressing my lips together to “refresh” and even out the look.
Features & Shades True Light Liquid Lipstick in Coral (P350 at SM Beauty)
The ingenious packaging of this illuminating tube is what drew me to it in the first place but the formula is A+ as well. This liquid lipstick is of a slightly runnier consistency but pigmentation is still great. The wetness of the formula actually lends to an easier application as it glides on smoothly and evenly covers the lips. It also fades out into a light stain, which looks okay if you’re dressed down. In my case though, I had to reapply after 5.5 hours because I was headed to a meeting.
Jazzy France Lustrous Lip Gloss in Nutmeg (P349 at department stores)
The name is really a misnomer as it certainly does not behave like a lip gloss. The pigmentation is insane! My freshly applied lip swatch went on really matte, with full color. It is admittedly patchy but this can be expected from most dark liquid lipstick shades. It also clung to the flaky bits of my lips, unfortunately.
Nutmeg is a very lovely color though, and the lippie didn’t feel like anything that I almost forgot I was wearing such a dark shade. Reapplication is a must for this liquid lipstick as any fading on darker shades is immediately noticeable.
Everyday Love + Nude Lips #03 (P199 at Instagram @everydayloveph)
This is such a pretty color in person but features a very drying formula that looks and feels desert-like immediately upon after application. I did notice though that as the day progressed, the dryness I felt lessened and the color started to blend with my lips more. Maybe I just had a bad batch but the gorgeous nude shade really made me want to make it work! I feel like this is a close dupe to Kylie’s liquid lipsticks. The shade still looks presentable after three hours, which is good, but at 8 hours, reapplication becomes a must.
Pink Sugar Sugar Tint Lip & Cheek Tint in Purrfect Pout (P349 at SM Beauty)
Featuring a moussey texture and a sweet fragrance, it dries down to a soft matte almost immediately after application. I needed a few passes for it to completely cover my lips but I didn’t mind too much as, compared to the other liquid lipsticks I tried in this battle, it felt softer and lighter. It certainly makes it easier to blend on the cheeks! This held up quite well as shown by the hour 6 lip swatch; I just have to purse my lips to refresh the color a bit and it’s good to go. It also did not dry out my lips as much as other liquid lipsticks normally do.
Happy Skin Shut Up & Kiss Me Lip & Cheek Mousse in The Morning After (P699 at Happy Skin)
Compared to the brand’s own Liquid Matte, this has a creamier, moussier texture that helps it apply smoothly to the cheeks. The almost demi-matte finish looks like a healthier version of your lips’ natural look. It fades evenly except for the build up around the edges, so you may want to reapply even at just the 4-hour mark as the formula can’t be easily “refreshed” by just pursing the lips.
Verdict: After thoroughly testing and documenting the six liquid lipsticks, here’s where they stand in terms of longevity, moisture and consistency, as well as overall performance.
Best in Longevity: The Happy Skin Glam Squad Liquid Matte Lipstick remains my favorite for this! Even when it starts to fade a little, it can easily be “refreshed” even without reapplication.
Best in Moisture and Consistency: The Pink Sugar Sugar Tint Lip & Cheek Tint wins this for me as it did not dry out my lips and also applies well to my cheeks.
Best in Overall Performance: I have to say that the Features & Shades True Light Liquid Lipstick is the top winner! This is a sleeper hit for me as I knew it performed well enough but I only realized just how good it actually performs after comparing all six lippies. While it doesn’t dry down immediately, it lends a lovely looking finish to the lips that eventually settles down into a soft matte.
Do you have a favorite among these liquid lipsticks? If not, do tell us what other lippies past the 8-hour mark for you!
Happy Skin just dropped a new collection called Festival of Colors last week, and here's your first look into how some of the products perform! I don't have the Lip Kits, Glisten Up! Kit, and Air Touch Sponge, but I've tested everything else. Here's what I think of these colorful additions to the beloved homegrown brand after rigorously trying them out for a few days.
Y'all know that I have no time or patience for substandard eyeliner. I am pleased to report that the basic Eye Am Here To Stay 24H Gel Pencil Eyeliner(P599 for .5 grams) of Happy Skin is super good! The mini ones they released in the past are nice, but only as an occasional addition to my look. I can see that the Perfect Black (opaque matte black) and Chic Brown (shimmery brown) liners will be mainstays in my routine as they're pigmented, fairly creamy with minimal drag, and sweat-resistant.
Perfect Black is mostly matte, but it has this strange smattering of fine sparkle when drawn on. It's not obvious at all, but you will see them if you look closely. I love how ridic black it is that even I was surprised when I took my first selfie with it! It's solid in one or two layers for me. Chic Brown is pigmented, and is more of a bronzy brown to me. I like wearing it a bit below my iris or all over my waterline to add some shadow to my eyes. By itself, it creates a natural line on the upper lid.
A single swipe the Bye Bye, Blues Concealer in Medium, Perfect Black, and Chic Brown
Staying power is really good. The Gel Pencil smudges a teensy bit when worn for over five hours, but it retains its integrity for much for the day. I wore it during an intense tennis session to see how sweat-resistant it is and as you can see in the photo, it did not fall apart after an hour! There was some smearing on the bottom lid and it has faded on the upper waterline, but it still looks decent.
Left: Before tennis | Right: An hour after tennis and buckets of sweat
I love that these pencils are automatic; there's no need to sharpen. It does come with a detachable plastic sharpener on the butt part but I don't have a good experience with these gizmos so I won't recommend it. You might end up breaking the tip of the eyeliner.
Overall, I highly recommend the Eye Am Here To Stay 24H Gel Pencil Eyeliner to anybody who needs reliable liners. These should do well even on oily lids, when applied properly.
The Happy skin Bye Bye, Blues Brightening Concealer (P899 for 7.5ml) is an entirely new product. It comes in two shades, Light Beige and Medium Beige. I have here the latter and it's a great match for my NC35 skin! It's yellow with a strong peachy undertone to it - perfect for eye bags.
This concealer has heavier coverage and thicker texture compared to the Happy Skin Eye Need A Miracle Correctorwhich I reviewed previously. As promised, it brightens the under eyes without looking like a caked-up mess even with the good coverage. Here is it + the Perfect Black eyeliner in action.
It fades minimally during the day when set properly with a thin layer of powder. It creases after about 3-4 hours, but i just pat it back down with a clean finger and it's like nothing happened. Do I like this new concealer more than Eye Need A Miracle? I think I need more time to see, but so far so good! I'd say Bye Bye, Blues lasts better but Eye Need A Miracle is more light-reflecting and thus more brightening.
Finally, I've got the Tickled Pink Skin Perfecting Super Absorbent Charcoal Blotting Sheets (P149 for 50 sheets). I've tried A LOT of oil blotting sheets but I'd say this one is the best so far! It's thicker and bigger than your average oil blotting paper, which means that you only need one sheet to remove all traces of oil. I've always found it counterintuitive that we have to use at least two sheets for the oil-blotters to do the job. Maybe we boys and girls are just oilier here in the Philippines? In any case, I'm happy that a local brand found the perfect solution to a very greasy problem.
I love the thickness of the paper here as the oil doesn't get into my hands when I press into it. I love that it has some bamboo charcoal and kaolin incorporated in the paper that boosts its matifying power. Overall, a great find! I understand it's more expensive than the ones you can buy in drugstores but for 50 uses, P149 is not too bad for me.
Hope you enjoyed reading through my review! Let me know if you're looking forward to trying out anything from Happy Skin's Festival of Colors collection. Currently, you may pre-purchase them only online at happyskincosmetics.com. Starting February 8, you can get these at Happy Skin's retail locations.
Coming from firsthand experience, I know how losing so much hair can take a toll on one's self-confidence and self-worth. Hair is such a visible, definitive characteristic that suddenly going bald is hard to accept. But it's not game over for us who wish for better hair days. Svenson, the country's premier hair loss and hair restoration center, has aesthetic surgeons who are able to do hair transplants.
The Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) or Strip FUT is a method that removes a strip of hair from the donor site, generally from the back of the head, and dissects it into smaller groups to implant into thinning and balding areas. It's a procedure that takes several months and quite an investment for results to show, but if baldness is a big concern for you, it's worth looking into.
Suki Salvador, Vice President, Creative Director & Editor at One Mega Group has decided he's had enough of early hair loss and got the procedure done recently. Here's his story!
When did you start to notice the hair-loss signs?
I started to notice it 5 to 8 years ago. A friend told me, ‘Hey your hair is thinning!’ That time, I kinda ignored it. It started to hit me when I got rained on one time. When the water dropped, it fell straight to my scalp. It was very alarming. And every time I’m sitting at my office desk, I could feel the air from the AC hitting my scalp directly. That’s when I decided to go to Svenson for a consultation.
How did hair loss affect your job?
I’m in fashion. Styling my hair is important and hair loss restricted me from pulling off fun, unique hairstyles. I couldn’t color my hair as wild or as crazy even if I wanted to. I couldn’t cut it too short or grow it too long, because it would weigh my hair down, which can make my hair loss problem more obvious.
What made you decide to have the hair transplant procedure done?
I just realized, people nowadays are very active; they travel a lot, myself included. So it’s hard to go to the centre as often as you should. When my trichologist at Svenson recommended hair transplant, I said yes right away.
How did the procedure go? Tell us about your whole experience.
During the first consultation, they did several tests to assess my hair-loss condition. After getting the results, they recommended the FUT (Follicular Unit Transplantation) procedure. The process involves taking a strip of your scalp from the back of your head, where some of your healthy and permanent hairs are planted, to replace the balding areas.
Before we started, they even asked me to choose what shape of hairline I want to have! I chose the square one. The procedure took hours but it was comfortable. I even posted what’s happening on my social media accounts and everyone was like, ‘How are you so calm?’. I just felt that I was in good hands, which only means that my doctors were great at what they’re doing. Three months after the surgery, here I am seeing great results. Can’t wait to see further hair growth in the next few months!
Why would you recommend Svenson Hair Transplant procedure?
I believe it’s the best option for those experiencing hair loss, because it’s permanent and the technology they are using now can guarantee a very high success rate. And it’s not something you should feel ashamed of, especially those who are young. Balding is actually a young man’s problem. It can start even in your 20s, but you can do something about it. When you’re young, you have plenty of options and reasons to save your hair. And the best thing about Svenson hair transplant is that it’s complete, comprehensive, and they got you covered from start to finish. It’s the trifecta of full service!
To know more about Svenson’s Hair Transplant procedures, go to www.svenson.com.ph/hair-transplant/ or call 892-4247 or Text/Viber 09175014915 to book your free hair and scalp analysis
If you’re ever wondered what you could do about short lashes or sparse eyebrows, you may have come across a beauty hack that suggests using castor oil. The tip simply says to apply the oil every night and you’ll wake up to lusher lashes and brows. I wanted to know if this actually works and what sort of results I could get from using it for a month. But first, what is castor oil exactly?
Castor oil is a medicinal oil derived from the seeds of a plant called Ricinus communis. It’s often used as a laxative but is also a common ingredient in cosmetics. Known for its antibacterial and anti-fungal properties, it offers skin benefits such as combating fungi and bacteria and helping to heal wounds.
Ready to take on the challenge, I bought a small bottle of castor oil from Watsons for about P80 for 30ml. For 30 nights, I simply applied it on my lashes and brows with my fingers right after finishing my skincare routine. If you want something a little more precise, you can use an old mascara wand that has been cleaned or simply dip a cotton bud into the bottle. The oil feels very thick but I did not have any allergic reactions or develop any breakouts. It just smelled a little bit like nuts but it wasn’t too bothersome.
Before I started using the castor oil, I took this photo and measured my lashes with a ruler (first time to do this, actually!) My upper lashes’ longest length was 0.7 cm.
After 30 nights of application, here’s how my lashes and eyebrows now look like:
I love how my eyebrows and lashes look thicker and lusher! To check that I wasn’t just seeing things, I used a ruler to measure my lashes again. My upper lashes now measured 0.9 cm, a full 0.2 cm from before! Even my lower lash line seemed to be growing more hair. Though naturally bushy, my eyebrows also looked fuller and darker, so I haven’t needed to use my eyebrow pencil as often. It feels like the castor oil even conditioned the hairs; they look pretty shiny and healthy!
The results of this challenge really surprised me but there seems to be a good explanation for this little miracle. Castor oil contains essential fatty acids like omega, linoleic, and oleic acids, which are able to penetrate into the skin and hair follicle. This enables it to nourish from the hair root, making it stronger and more resistant to breakage. The added moisture also serves as a protective layer, which makes hair look shinier and more pigmented.
If you’re in need of some hair help, I would definitely recommend trying this out! I’m thinking of keeping it as part of my regular routine so I can still be rocking full eyebrows and lashes ‘til I’m 80. I want to try it on my scalp as well to see if it can help with my falling hair. It’s pretty cheap, too, so it may work as an at-home hot oil treatment!
Have you tried using castor oil on your eyebrows and lashes? How did it work for you?
Makeup means different things to different people. Some turn their talent and knowledge into a paying job, others obsess about it like any other hobby, while many simply enjoy enhancing their good looks with it everyday. We get it though - not everyone understands our love for makeup. We don’t all have to die for the perfect MLBB lipstick or understand the importance of kilay but can non-makeup lovers just not rain on our parade? Some remarks are simply annoying, spoken out of ignorance, or even downright rude. We’ve compiled a list of the usual comments we encounter and our tips on how to deal with them!
“Are you sick?” (if you don’t have makeup on)
You may hear this if people around you are used to seeing you wear makeup and have never seen your dark circles before. There are just days when don’t have time to put on makeup or simply don’t feel like it. And that’s totally fine! Just brush off the remark, assure them that you’re fine, and go about your life.
“Why are you wearing red lipstick? May ganap?”
Red lipstick has a rep for glamour and sexiness. It may apply tediously but it’s such a flattering color, especially if you find the right shade of red for you. Wearing blue-based reds can even make your teeth look whiter. There’s no good reason why it has to be reserved just for special occasions – bust it out if you want to look put together without having to apply much else for the rest of your face! Give them a smile that shows of your pearly whites and reply, “Ang ganda, noh?”
“Eyeliner is for goths.”
First off, there’s nothing wrong with doing a gothic look. But if you wear a smudgy formula that gets all over your face or apply it incorrectly, you may end up looking like you have panda eyes. It’s possible that this comment means you need to work on your liner application. Make sure you use a good product and apply in a way that actually flatters your eye shape. If your line is fine and the other person is simply expressing a bias, ignore the remark or come up with a snappy “It didn’t say so on the product label.”
“Why buy a 1k lipstick if you can get it for P50?”
We pay a little more for good and safe ingredients and for what we value; if you can afford it, go ahead and treat yourself to luxury makeup. While there are great makeup products you can find for less, at the end of the day, it’s all about your priorities. If they’re bragging about a Kylie lip kit that they “scored” for a tenth of what you know it actually costs, consider carefully if you should tell them about fake makeup. While it’s technically the responsible thing to do, some people may just not be receptive.
“You have too much makeup on!”
IMHO, swiping on a bold lippie or sporting a cool eyeshadow look isn’t “too much makeup”. But to someone who barely swipes on lip balm, your tiny winged liner may look too dramatic. Consider also that you may have been using too much product or not blending it in well enough. Make sure to apply in thin layers, slowly building up to the coverage or color you desire. Always moisturize properly, and blend, blend, blend to avoid your makeup from looking cakey!
“May tinatago ka ba? Baka insecure ka.”
We all have our reasons for applying makeup. For me, it’s to feel extra ready to take on the day and add a spring to my step. Whatever your reason may be, just brush off what people say – we believe in the empowerment that makeup gives!
“Makeup is bad for your skin.”
This is a valid point, if you don’t take care to remove your makeup completely or buy fake cosmetics that have questionable quality. Otherwise, take this as an opportunity to tell them about local brands like VMV Hypoallergenics and Happy Skin, which focus on coming up with skin-friendly products that won’t irritate skin. Be familiar with what ingredients irritate your skin and research on what you should avoid.
“Pahiram ng makeup!”
Makeup is a personal thing, literally! Maybe you can lend say, bottles of foundations where the product is just pumped out but for things that require skin contact like powder, lipstick, eyeliner, mascara, and tools, there’s a good reason for you to be selfish and not want to share. Gently decline and explain that makeup can be a breeding ground for bacteria, and you certainly don’t want to pass on your germs to them even if you don’t appear to be sick for their own safety.
“Drag makeup is only for drag queens.”
To be clear, you don’t need full-on drag makeup unless you’re going onstage and under bright lights. The queens’ techniques have found their way to everyday makeup though, like baking and applying contour. If you like how they make you look, just go for it and don’t be afraid to strut your stuff!
“Ka-vogue ka ngayon! May party ka, noh?”
High fashion or editorial makeup are best reserved for runway and the glossies because they’re often unrealistic and possibly even uncomfortable to wear IRL. But you can totally make these unwearable looks wearable! They can be adapted to play into your daily look, just like when we recreated the glossy eyes trend to not look out of place with everyday makeup. The technique is to keep things understated, and to keep the focus on a particular feature.
In any case, at the end of the day, it's none of anybody's beeswax how you choose to dress up your face and the rest of your body. You don't owe anyone an explanation, least of all an apology, for how you choose to live your life. If you're happy and spending your own money then do yourself a favor and don't let those around you control you.
Ever had the things above said to you before? How do you address them? We’d love to hear your stories!
Today I turn 29. Now if you've been following Project Vanity and my old personal blogs for a while, you might have already pieced together my story - how, as a poor college student, I started blogging and turned my hobby into the beauty company it is today. I'm not particularly rich or famous (and I might never be), but it's a point of pride for me that I'm able to run my own business, employ an amazing staff, and pay myself my own salary all before I turned 30. I stay in my own place and I can afford to travel occasionally.
But how did I get here? And why do I want to talk about this now? The latter question is easier to answer. I know many women who were or are currently in a situation similar to mine when I was younger. They feel like their dreams are impossible or just too hard to even look at. They feel like they're not rich, pretty, smart, or confident enough to go after the thing that they know would make them happy. Not for lack of trying, they fail. Eventually it hurts too much to try again.
I'm writing this because I'm a good example that with some luck - that is, when a person works hard enough and takes enough risks that she is able to maneuver herself into a position to be lucky - anything is possible. Take it from a crude girl from the province who could never have imagined writing something like this in a fancy tea restaurant in the middle of the day because dammit it, she's the boss.
How I got here has a longer, more complex answer. I started working full-time two weeks after I graduated college, but I've actually been freelancing since my third year at university. I left my full-time job after eight months - I liked it well enough, but I wanted to be able to blog more. Can you imagine how ridiculous that sounded at the time? I was 22. I didn't know jack shit about anything.
Fortunately, due to my blogging connections, I was able to score freelance projects from different media and ad agencies. Eventually I grew my own list of clients - still blogging almost everyday all this time! I would do community management as well as marketing and PR for them on retainer. That's fun but I had to scale up. Should I open an agency or can I turn Project Vanity into something else? The answer was obvious. In late 2015 I raised money from investors, incorporated a company, and now here we are.
I was - still am - afraid every step of the way. I often feel inadequate for the job and the goals I set for myself. I make a lot of mistakes and I fail often. But I also succeed often and I do many things right. It's all part of the process of learning to navigate the next stage of my personal development!
I have so much advice I want to write down but since this is getting long and I don't want to repeat all the things I've said before, let me just say one thing.
If you already have a goal but don't know what to do to get there, find someone who has already done it or is in any stage of doing it. I would use the word mentor but it doesn't have to be so formal; the relationship could be as simple with you being curious and your friend being willing to share his or her experiences.
Ask them a lot of questions. Ask them for their story, their opinion, the things that keep them busy day to day. I was fortunate enough to work with amazing women early on in my career, and I was able to observe how they solve problems and how dedicated they are to their businesses first hand. If you have someone that you work with and look up to, learn from them. If you don't work for them yet, well, what are you waiting for? (Kidding, I know it's not always an option. But if it is, stop dawdling.)
No dream is impossible until you exhaust all means of making it possible. Dreams are like Schrödinger's cat - they're both possible and impossible until you actually open the box to check. The sooner you accept this, the less time you waste on meaningless distractions and pointless what ifs.
So, do something for yourself today. Ask someone you look up to for coffee. The worst that can happen is they say no or ignore you. Otherwise, you might just pick up a new idea that will inspire a change in the way you think or go about your life. That's priceless and worth the risk of rejection.
The local beauty scene has gotten a lot more exciting in the last few years as so many more brands and tons of new products become more readily available to Filipinas. It’s definitely a great thing but it can also feel so overwhelming! When I was in makeup school, my classmates and I would ask our teachers about the products that they considered to be their “holy grails”. They would sometimes admit that it’s sometimes difficult to find a product that they really liked because you often had to try so many meh ones before finding one that became a favorite!
Another barrier: artists usually have different styles, so what works for one is often pretty unique to them. The upside to this is that there’s a variety of products for us to choose from and to consider for our own needs. I talked to four wedding makeup artists and asked them to dish on the products that they rely on to turn their clients into their bridal best. Here’s what never leaves their kits!
I always use Physiogel Lotion to prep the skin before applying any makeup. Moisturizer is an important pre-makeup step, and this does a great job of making skin feel smooth and supple. It also works well for all skin types so I don’t have to buy different moisturizers! It has enough moisture for dry skin, yet it has a light consistency that is easily absorbed by the skin, making it good for oily skin. Those with sensitive skin can also use this because it’s gentle and unscented.
Having a good primer is important for building the base. For this, I’m loving my Happy Skin Insta Beauty Blur Cream! It blurs the imperfections of the skin and also controls the production of oil. When I use this before foundation, I find that it really helps the foundation apply more smoothly. I like that it feels like a creamy foundation and is very comfortable on the skin. The tint also blends well with our Filipina skin tones.
Foundation is the most important product in my kit because it will hold all the other products that will be applied to the skin. I love using the Kryolan TV Paint Stick for this. Because it’s a full coverage cream foundation, it can easily cover imperfections like discolorations, dark undereye circles, and acne marks with just one layer. Sometimes I don’t even need to use concealer anymore. It can even cover tattoos if applied correctly together with a color correcting concealer. As a cream type foundation, it doesn’t dry too fast like liquid foundations do, so I have enough time to blend and adjust the color as needed.
I can't live without my Kryolan Dermacolor Camouflage Crème concealer kit. It’s my magic potion for making sure the skin looks flawless! It has heavy coverage and stays put even if you don’t set it with a lot of powder. Shade D4 is my favorite as it fits the Filipino tone. When I apply it on the undereye area, it instantly covers the dark circles. I like applying concealer the traditional way even when I do airbrush makeup so that it doesn’t get on the lashes, and this is the only concealer that works with my airbrush products.
I also love the Anastasia Contour Kit because it gives my clients the superstar effect! This palette is more than just hype--it creates the perfect balance of glow and shadow. I find that the six shades included are enough to suit every skin tone, including a warm-toned highlighter that glows without looking too shiny. The texture is also not too powdery so I always seem to pick up just the right amount of product that I need; no need to tap the brush to remove (and waste) excess product!
I love my BECCA Champagne Pop highlighter! It glides on smoothly and doesn't leave chunky patches of shimmer. I find that this product gives an intense highlight that still looks wearable. It reflects flawlessly beautiful on every skin tone, and lasts about 6 hours without having the need to retouch (which is a long time in Philippine weather). It is best used with Real Techniques Setting Brush.
What are the HG products in your kit? What makes them so important to you?
