shu uemura + Karl Lagerfeld = FAB!

I love the new collection of shu uemura! It's a collaboration with famed designer Karl Lagerfeld. Yes, of Chanel fame. Which makes me wonder why he didn't work with Chanel's makeup instead! Well, Lagerfeld answered that question at the launch (via video, haha, he wasn't there personally!). He said that no other makeup brand has the amazing colors that shu uemura has.

That is true. My job as a magazine editor has exposed me to a lot of makeup but, yup, nothing beats the pigments of shu uemura. When it comes to color, get shu uemura. My eye shadows and blushes are shu uemura.

Anyway! Lagerfeld's line for shu is called the Mon Shu Uemura. It's French for My shu uemura. Lagerfeld's signature black tie and white shirt is worn by the Mon Shu Girl he sketched himself. It's so cute and quirky!

For a better idea on what the products look like (and their correct colors), here are the official product shots:

Two beauty icons! Karl Lagerfeld and shu uemura's premium cleansing oil!

Must have before makeup! UV underbase. 

Makeup palette

One of the shadow palettes.

The bestselling lash curler with the rubber pad in blazing red.

Need more lashes? Try these!

Red lipstick. It's all you really need actually. 

That is the most flattering shade of red polish!

Add nail art stickers for instant designer nails!

Fab fab fab! Okay, I turned the next photos black and white. A little tip to events organizers: Never ever use lights that are blue and pink and other colors. Never! It messes with people's skin tones. Everyone looked either 100% cyan or 100% magenta. Sorry, had to use print publishing terms.

And if it's a product launch—whether it's makeup or clothes—the colored lights mess up the products' real colors, too. That is not a good thing. For example, the makeup above. The eyeshadows look muddy.

So always mimic sunlight. Take my photo above, for example. I posed near a window. So I look normal. No blue tones on my skin. Blue tones give people a deathly pallor. Hence, the B&W pictures below. Everyone either looked like zombies (blue) or lobsters (red). Such a shame because everyone from shu uemura looked amazing!

This is the always chic Nina Solano. Happy birthday!

Super cute and stylish Karen Crisostomo. You met her here.

My friend, shu uemura makeup artist John Pagaduan, weaving his magic using the shu x Karl makeup.
John always makes me so beautiful (see proof here)!

Beauty bloggers cluster around John to learn his secrets.

The finished makeup on the models. Sorry, no colors! Really such a shame. The makeup was gorgeous.
But the cameras couldn't capture it because the lights washed out the colors.

The shu uemura Philippines team!

I super love shu uemura's new collection! Actually, I love anything shu. And so will you! The special shu uemura x Karl Lagerfeld Collection is available at shu uemura boutiques at Power Plant Mall, Shangri-la Plaza, Rustan's Makati, Alabang Town Center and Trinoma.

Kiehl's Power Plant now open for business!

Kiehl's just opened a new branch at Power Plant Mall. Hooray! My family has always loved Kiehl's. My husband Vince is the real fan—nearly all his grooming products are Kiehl's. I use the hair thickener and sunscreen. My babies use the foaming baby wash. Yup, we're fans!

But with their boutiques at Greenbelt 5 and Mall of Asia, I haven't really been able to buy the products my family loves. But now that there's a Kiehl's shop 5 minutes from my home, my new problem's going to be I ahve to stop myself from shopping too much!

I was at the opening event last week. It was an all-day affair and beautiful women and well groomed men were dropping by throughout the day. I passed by after lunch. If I had known there was going to be a buffet, I'd have eaten lunch there instead!

Here are photos of the event, plus the luscious products I brought home to try.

Kiehl's originated from New York City in 1851.

The decor is very NYC.

The pasta bar and other edibles.

Munchies and dessert station

With MEGA's beauty team, Kim Reyes-Palanca and Max Ignacio

This is the new Aromatic Blends Collection. It includes body cleansers, lotions and fragrances.
The scents are sourced from around the world in sustainable ways.

Here are the fragrances! I liked the bottle of Nashi Blossom & Pink Grapefruit best.

My husband's order. He super loves this facial foam.

This is my hair essential since I have the thinnest, finest, flattest hair in the world. 

The Kiehl's team recommended I try this. I'll give a review soon! I hope it works!

I love argan oil. It rid me of pimples! So I'll try it on my body, too, with these.

Truly excited that Kiehl's is so near us now! I urge you to drop by the new boutique at Power Plant. It's on the second level, near the center of the mall. You can't miss it. Now, if unlike me, you live noweher near Power Plant, other Kiehl's boutiques are at Greenbelt 5, Trinoma, Mall of Asia and Alabang Town Center.

Tod's presents its Autumn/Winter 2012 collection

Well, you all know how I'm dying to own a Tod's D Bag, right? So when Tod's invited me to their intimate soiree to launch their A/W 2012 collection a couple of weeks ago, I threw on a Missoni knit dress, lifted my then 2-month-old baby boy (he turned 3 months old yesterday!) in my arms and went to the Manila Peninsula Suite to view Tod's latest!

Here I am with Good Housekeeping's fashion and beauty editor, Pia Rojas. I am loving the blue of her nails! And we are both loving Tod's Signature Collection!

The Signature Collection features the distinctive Gommino pattern that is found on the soles of the driving shoes of Tod's. I like the texture. I am particularly liking that texture on the soft leather of these totes.

Here's another view. Can't decide which is prettier--the purple or the pink.

Here is the Medium Tote and the Clutch. That blue looks much better in person. But I'm not a blue bag person. So I'm still thinking about the purple and pink!

Woah! And then you have these wild girls! Not only are they in loud colors and trimmed in luxe fur, they're also in sumptuous suede. Yum yum. These babies should star in their own ad campaign.

Signature Collection still, but accessories, like this iPad 2 case. I love that orange!

Well, hello there, D Bag! I see you've got a makeover, too. Is that fur trim? In orange, no less! Hmmm. I should've taken a photo of the bag beside it! It looks pink and trimmed in white. Very sweet and sexy!

These are big bags. Perfect for travel or as carry-on luggage. But the leather is so luxurious, I wouldn't put it in the overhead compartment. Ya, I'm not that rich yet that I can throw my bags just anywhere! Anyway, these beauties can fit enough stuff for a weekend or, if you're not a light packer, for an overnight stay.

Ooh, small D bags in teal and fuchsia! This is the zippered-pockets kind. Very nice handbag but I'm really gunning for the D-Styling Medium one. Although I love that pink!

And they have matching suede booties, too!

As you can see, teal and fuchsia, together with orange, are the colors of the A/W collection. Those shoulder bags also feature a signature Tod's element--the key lock.

More accessories in yummy soft leather and colors. There's actually a lot more in the A/W collection but I had a baby with me so I wasn't able to take a lot of photos. But I'll definitely browse the line at the Greenbelt 4 boutique as soon as I can!

Event: Pond's launches new and improved Age Miracle and Flawless White skincare lines

I knoooooow. I've been gone forever! And what's a great post to come back with than a super fabulous glamorous and sumptuously romantic event hosted by Pond's?

The mega beauty brand invited select media to a "stay-cation" at the Midas Hotel along Roxas Blvd. After we freshened up in our individual rooms, we had high tea with scrumptious hors d'oeuvres (I ate a LOT) as the Pond's team outlined what to expect in our two-day stay. With the help of this iPad!

Each guest had an iPad, which was to announce what will happen next. That's Jacqe Yuengtian of Unilever. She was the host of the affair and so appeared on the iPads every so often to tell us what to do. Well, we were told to dress up in red and proceed to the special Pond's bus.

This TwitPic was taken by Style Bible's Isha Andaya-Valles. From left, that's Divine Lee, Preview's Pauline Juan, me, Pond's Age Miracle spokesperson Rissa Mananquil Trillo and Tim Yap.

As we were driven to the mysterious location, everyone seated at the back Tweeted. Well, everyone except Pauline and me.

There was videoke on the bus so Isha, Phil. Star columnist Zo Aguila (pictured) and Saga Events' Robby Carmona entertained everyone on the bus with the cheesiest songs ever. After winding about Manila and Makati, we found ourselves in Top Shelf at Fully Booked, which was decorated in the color of the season--red (the event was held just before Valentine's Day).

That's former model now Unilever's Global PR Manager for Pond's Apples Aberin. She told us all about the new and very much improved Age Miracle because now it's called Cell ReGEN. As in, this new formulation is called the Intelligent Pro-Cell Complex which promises to regenerate your cells!

I've actually tried Age Miracle but the old formulation, which said my skin would be changed in 7 days. Y'all remember that campaign? Well, on the fourth day of use, my husband stared at me and then said, "You look really good. Like you're well rested." O, diba?! That's just the fourth day!

Anyway, after our skincare seminar, we were treated to a delicious dinner. I think it was catered by Cibo but I'll have to confirm. Even though I was still full from all the canapes and mini desserts from the afternoon tea, I forced myself to eat because the spread was just so good!

Oh, this is me. Yes, look at my big tummy. BURP! Joke, joke. That's my almost-7-months-pregnant tummy! I tell ya, my baby Wiggle was super happy that night from all the rich food Pond's served us!

After dinner, I went home because I wanted to be with my husband and baby boy. But the rest of the media invited went back to Midas and continued the party there.

The next morning, my darling husband braved the traffic to drive me all the way to Pasay for the second launch--the new Pond's Flawless White with GenActiv Formula.

Now this one is really exciting, folks. I didn't get to take photos of the skincare seminar (which everyone attended clothed in various shades of pink) but I was very impressed. Pond's announced that after 10 years of research, they found a way to manipulate the gene that caused skin color so that you lighten and brighten naturally.

I especially like that the new formula does NOT mess with our melanin. Melanin is the skin's primary protection against the sun's harmful rays. Basically, it's why we darken when we're exposed to the sun. Melanin increases its production of pigment much like little umbrellas that open to shield our skin. Of course that means you darken. Most whitening products lighten our skin by destroying melanin. The problem with that is, sure, you look white but your skin's defense against the sun's rays is gone.

The new Flawless White line whitens safely and naturally and your melanin stays put. Basically, it undoes years and years of skin damage so that your skin becomes as fair as it once was when it never felt the sun (yep, the day you were born!).

Anyway, after the very informative talk, we all had a lovely lunch at Midas.

Below is very pregnant me with Good Housekeeping's Tisha Alvarez Angluben and Inquirer's Cit-Cit Sioson.

I'll talk more about Pond's Age Miracle Cell ReGEN with Intelligent Pro-Cell Complex and Pond's Flawless White with GenActiv Formula after I tested them. For now, I hope you enjoyed this beauty event!