Hair styling then and now

My friends are fans of curling irons for tight waves and straightening irons for gentle flips at the ends. Because we all think that wavy bouncy hair is much much sexier than straight hair. I can never get the hang of irons, though. My ears always get singed. So I rely on old-fashioned hair rollers.

Rollers from Watsons, P139.75/6-piece set. I use 2 sets.

Even back when I was just a wee lass!

I know, I know. I was much much cuter back then!

My friend is trying out Eyliplex, supposedly the best eye cream... ever!

Okay, I got this Eyliplex eye cream recently and it's touted to be a miracle when it comes to beating dark circles, bags and fine lines. Now, I have dark eye lids (which make people think I wear eye shadow all the time) but I don't have dark circles. I don't have eye bags but I already have the crepe-y skin around the eye area.

Still! I'm not an eye cream kinda girl. A co-worker told me she started using eye cream when she was 13--her mom forced her to--and I must say she looks amazing. She looks like she always has a full 8-hour sleep even though I know for a fact that she is a very busy bee! So this eye cream business must be effective... but I just can't do it!

So Mariel, my friend and former beauty editor of Cosmo Philippines, volunteered to try Eyliplex out. I'll give you a shout out as soon as she notices a difference. Meanwhile, do you put eye cream? How often? What's the brand you use? Does it work?


*photo by Elijah Mendoza

Longchamp has a cute new bag

Well, this French brand always has a fabulous new bag to offer but that one pictured I love for being especially whimsical. I love the new Pliage Badges. The four-leaf clover, the horseshoe and the ladybug are all good luck charms, and don't we all need a little good luck?

I already have two Longchamp bags--a beige envelope clutch I got from eBay and a tan Le Pliage shopping bag that Aida, my friend in France gave me as a gift.

What I want from Kate Spade

Aha, been gone again! I promised a Shiseido makeup giveaway and I already have the products (ack, whoever wins the prize is oh so lucky!) but I haven't had the time to take photos. I'm the laziest girl in the world really!

Anyway, I've been busy gathering beauty and fashion tidbits for you. And I found some things today in the mall that I wish I had in my closet instead. Totally loving these classic beauties from Kate Spade!

Eaton Square Maryanne Bag

Because I'm a girl and I love bags! Actually, I've noticed that a lot of my things are gray, black and white now. I wonder why this has happened and I don't recall when that happened because I've always been such a colorful girl. I'm changing! But I'm still stylish, folks!

So looking forward to the new NARS eye shadow base!

The fabulous ladies of Visions & Expressions and Shey Mazon of Rustan's invited me to a little beauty launch of something very big: the NARS 2010 Summer Collection! Now I'm a NARS user (For blush, I only use Orgasm--it's perfection!) so obviously I had to go. I was so excited that I forgot to bring my camera! So I'l have to use the press images but there was a part in the demonstration that was really unbelievably amazing and I wasn't able to take a shot to show you! Am I annoyed with myself? YES!

Anyway, Rustan's flew in NARS makeup artist Michael Hanz. He is so adorable with really fluttery eyelashes. And he's such a girlfriend! The first time he met us editors and he made us feel like we've been friends for life. So, anyway! I asked him who his favorite Hollywood clients are and he said quite bluntly, "Emily Blunt." He also added that Sarah Jessica Parker is a fan of the Multiples line, Serena Williams and Beyonce love everything, and Kim Kardashian uses Turkish Delight gloss.  

Now, while we all oohed and ahhed over the many new products (like the Orgasm Illuminator, Pure Sheer Lip Treatment, etc), what really had me AMAZED was this little tube:

Behold, the PRO-PRIME Smudge-Proof Eye Shadow Base! Michael said it best: "This won't make you breakfast but it will change the world!" And when he showed us just how, I became a believer.

Want to win a Lancome gift set?

I love Lancome. My favorite products are Bi-Facil Make-Up Remover, Genifique Youth-Activating Serum, and my super duper latest fave--the UV Expert Make-Up Base with SPF 50 (which I'll write about soon because I'm soooo in love with it).

Anyway, Lancome Manila (that's the Facebook page) is giving away fab gift sets and you ought to try your luck. Here's how (click to enlarge):

Good luck! Okay, I'm off to have pics taken of me and my UV Expert tube. I hope the so-called luck of pregnant women wins me a set. I've already won one contest. Please please let me win this one. I'm only going to be pregnant once!

P.S. Lancome Manila's Facebook page here.

Need to know more beauty and style blogs!

I just noticed that I really don't have a lot of beauty and style blogs on my blog roll. So to those of you kind enough to drop by, will you please tell me what your favorite beauty/style blog is and why? I want to discover more of these gems! Thanks!

Johnson's & Johnson's and Bayo: Show off soft skin!

Okay, picture-heavy post up ahead!

Recently, I was invited to the fashion and beauty collaboration of Johnson's & Johnson's Body, Bayo and Preview. Bayo was tasked to create clothes to show off lovely skin--courtesy of J&J, of course!--to be debuted in Preview and to be sold to the public this summer. I got two invitations, as a magazine editor and as a Nuffnang blogger (photo above stolen from Nuffnang!), which makes it hard now for me when I'm at the registration table since I want to register as both... but I always register as media; it is, after all, my job!

Me and Lee Shen Gee of Shen's Addiction