Shiseido Essentials: An Exclusive BDJBox Luxe

Leave a Comment
Something black surprised me last Thursday. I knew BDJ released a new Luxe box and I honestly wasn't expecting to receive it. But when I called the house to ask if I have any packages, there was apparently two packages. I was only expecting one.

I asked if it was a box and asked our house help to open it. Then she read it: Shiseido!

I swear I wanted to go home the moment I heard that!

Shiseido Essentials: An Exclusive BDJBox Luxe

How I Became a #BetterMe!

Leave a Comment
Every time I look back at my younger years, it makes me smile and I'm always reminded of how tough I am for what I've gone through. You see, I didn't have the best life as some people would think. I was bullied at one point and had a fair share of having fake friends. Comments about the way I looked were never-ending, too.


#BetterMe with SkinWhite
left photo: with my half Japanese friend and half Australian friend
(Guess who my half Australian friend is! She has a lot of Anneventures!)
right photo: year 2015 #BetterMe

BDJ'S Veteran's Night

Leave a Comment
Last October 15, BDJ had it's annual Veteran's Night at Marco Polo Hotel. It was my first time to attend the Veteran's Night. I'm glad I didn't skip this one!

BDJ'S Veteran's Night BDJ at 10

Current Love: Maybelline Color Blur Lip Pencil

Leave a Comment
2015 must be the year of drugstore makeup for me. I've never been this hooked with drugstore makeup THIS much! It's even an understatement.

When I found out about Maybelline's Color Blur, I knew I just had to try them. Remember ombrè lips? Color Blur was inspired by that. Only this time, you can achieve ombrè lips with just one lip colour or "blur" it as the brand coins it.
Maybelline Lip Gradation

Food Escapade at Kuretake

Leave a Comment
Running out of options where to eat at Powerplant, we went outside to check if there are still restaurants we haven't tried. The last restaurant we saw was Kuretake so we decided to have Japanese.


Céleteque DermoCosmetics, Makeup and Skincare in One

Leave a Comment
Last week, Céleteque DermoScience officially launched their cosmetic line called Céleteque DermoCosmetics. Right off the bat, what makes this different from other makeup is that it is also a skincare. Their makeup has anti-aging components and glutathione to name a few. 

Céleteque DermoCosmetics

Palmolive Naturals Flawless Clean with Charcoal Powder*

Leave a Comment


Palmolive Naturals recently released their latest innovation in skin care! A soap with charcoal powder! The brand felt the need to do some innovation with their soaps to help us Filipinas maintain clean skin without feeling dry. Since Manila is tres tres polluted, the charcoal powder infused in the soap helps remove dirt that sticks in out skin whenever we're outside.

L and I have been using this soap since it was sent to me a few weeks back. Verdict? We like it! The scent is not too strong but you are sure to leave the shower smelling good. Males won't feel conscious using this because the scent is good for unisex. The soap doesn't melt easily, too, so it's worth every penny!

Palmolive Naturals Flawless Clean with Charcoal Powder retails for PhP38.90 [115g] at all leading department stores and groceries nationwide. It also has a smaller size [55g] in a flow wrap instead of a box and it retails for PhP14.00. 

Want to try this for free? Check out Sample Room! They might still have this on stock. That's where I got my this soap!


Follow me! No? Yes? Yey!

Oh Gosh, I'm nominated! Bloggys 2015

Leave a Comment

I was supposed to blog about lipstick today. But I received an e-mail from Bloggys informing me that my blog has been nominated for "People's Choice" category! Thank you to those angels that nominated my blog! I'm so overwhelmed!

That said, I'll need your help to vote for me to be able to bag the People's Choice award! Click on this link [http://bloggys.ph/section-4/] and choose rarevanity.net then leave your name, email, and mobile. You can also vote thru your Facebook account!

Let me know once you've voted! Thank you in advance! #Bloggys2015


Follow me! No? Yes? Yey!

Getting Hitched Series: High on Love! #LawLovesGem Turns 1!

1 comment
It's our first year wedding anniversary today! Yup, L and I got married on 10.12.14! The date wasn't a coincidence. We really planned to have a sequence on our wedding date!

Well, this won't be a blog post. Let me show you guys what transpired on our wedding day!

But first, let's star with out prenup shoot!




Now, to our wedding day!



Photography | Benjie Tiongco
Videography | Bob Nicolas
Bridal Makeup Artist | Gery Penaso for MAC Cosmetics
Bridal Hair Stylists | Felicity Son and Aries Manal
Entourage HMUA | Donnarence and Regine
Groom's Suit | Felipe & Sons
Preps | The Peninsula Manila
Ceremony | Santuario de San Antonio Parish
Venue | Wack-Wack Golf and Country Club
Caterer | Hizon's Catering
Florist | Teddy Manuel
Coordination | Kiss the Girl Events
Event Stylist | Drew Menor
Music | Manila Philharmonic Orchestra
Photobooth | Baicapture
Wedding Bands | Meicel
Lights and Sounds | Rejectkrew
Projector and other systems | Metrotech


I hope you guys like it!


Follow me! No? Yes? Yey!

Experience Natural Care "Down There' with pH Care Naturals*

Leave a Comment

Everyone’s going all-natural these days, whether we’re talking about organic food, health supplements from plant and animal extracts, and even personal care and beauty products. And, why not? Ever since, people have long used natural ingredients to effectively address their woes and concerns.

This is why pH Care bottled up nature’s wonders through two popularly used ingredients, papaya and guava leaves, to come up with their all-new pH Care Naturals line in pH Care Naturals Papaya and pH Care Naturals Guava. The folks behind best-selling feminine wash pH Care have an intimate understanding of the importance of caring for your feminine area, and they expertly combine the properties of these winning natural ingredients with their mild and effective intimate care products. 

pH Care Naturals Papaya
There are a lot of factors that can influence a woman’s confidence when it comes to donning that swimsuit, including puson problems and cleavage consciousness. But one other common insecurity many women have is dark skin in and around the feminine area, and this is something they can feel self-conscious about even in the comfort and privacy of their own rooms and bathrooms. And, while there are many products for whitening dark skin in other parts of the body, most of these aren’t safe or suited for use in intimate areas. But now, pH Care has a new whitening feminine wash variant that uses natural ingredients, so you keep the sensitive area fresh and fair. The new pH Care Naturals Papaya is powered with papaya extract, so you get fairer skin in as early as 14 days! And since we know papaya is one of nature’s wonders when it comes to skin-whitening, you’re sure to get only the best results with the mildest ingredients.

pH Care Naturals Guava
Even if you’re not overly concerned with dark skin, you may still want a feminine wash made from natural ingredients that will still keep your intimate area fresh and clean. After all, in a hot country like ours, sweat can lead to discomfort, even body odor, and infection—and it’s worse when it involves the feminine area! But no need to worry; pH Care Naturals Guava has been specially infused with guava leaf extract, which is well-known for its cleansing and anti-bacterial properties. In fact, the use of guava leaves for intimate care is a traditionally renowned practice passed on from generation to generation. So if you’re among the 33% of Filipinas constantly seeking for natural solutions “down there,” then give pH Care Naturals Guava a try. It will naturally deodorize the area so you can feel confident regardless of outfit, activity, or even weather. It has quite a refreshing scent, too!

Now, you can be assured of natural care “down there”, para fresh and clean na, odor-free pa!

The NEW! pH Care Naturals Intimate Wash is available for P49.50 (50mL) and P104 (150mL) at leading supermarkets, drugstores, and beauty stores. For more information, check out facebook.com/pHCare. You can also follow them on social media networks:

Instagram: @pHCarePhilippines 




* write-up provided


Follow me! No? Yes? Yey!

Revia Hair Color by Verona*

Leave a Comment
I've been dying to dye my hair because my roots have grown to about 3 inches already. God must have heard my prayer and Revia reached out to me and sent me 5 packs of their hair colour for me to try.
Revia Hair Color by Verona review

I used it the following day after receiving the products! I'm thankful that my mom was more than willing to apply the hair colour on me. I don't think I can do it by myself!

LA Splash Cosmetics Lip Couture, Studio Shine Lip Luster, & Smitten Liptint Mousse - Again!

Leave a Comment
I tried hard to resist buying another matte liquid lipstick from LA Splash Cosmetics after I've reviewed it because I already knew what to expect. But I couldn't help myself because I was really curious how the others shades would look on me.

While I was browsing Instagram's popular posts, I saw a photo about LA Splash Cosmetics being available at The Ramp with testers! Twas like a blessing in disguise to me! Went to The Ramp after work for a swatchfest and went home with 4 new matte liquid lipsticks. I can't quite remember where I bought the other two.

LA Splash Cosmetics Lip Couture, Studio Shine Lip Luster, & Smitten Liptint Mousse

Seems like I'm only partial to a certain family of colour. It comes with age, definitely.

Ask Me Mondays: How To Know What to Blog About

Leave a Comment

Hi Ms. Gem,
I've been reading a lot of beauty blogs since 2013 and one thing that I can't seem to figure out is how beauty bloggers choose what makeup to blog about. Yung iba pansin ko pare-pareho. Siguro it's for a campaign or sabay sila na-contact ng Brands. But for your usual blog post, paano mo pinipili? thank you and more power to your blog!
- Marie M.

Hi Marie,
To be quite honest, sometimes I also don't know what to blog about regardless of my makeup stash and few PR kits I received. Some (PR) products are time sensitive which is why you see product X on different blogs published on the same week. As for the products that are not time sensitive or not sent by PR, I blog about them once I'm already comfortable with the product or when I am really unsatisfied with it. Although I'm trying hard not to blog about products I regret just to keep the positive vibes on this blog. But hey, there is also something good that comes out of the negative since the readers become more aware of what NOT to buy. So, I guess it also pays off. Right now, I itemized the makeup products that I have to see which one I have a lot of - which turns out to be lipsticks. To get it out of the way, I am blogging more about lipsticks and also because I noticed that women love lipstick. Most of the hits I get in this blog are from my lipstick posts. At the same time, I'm also trying to balance out the makeup products that I have. That's why you'll see a different makeup product review in between. I want my blog to be a well-rounded blog from drugstore makeup to high-end makeup. My readers have also validated that I have a good mix of the two so all the more that I intend to keep it that way. I stopped blogging about my Monthly Favorites because as of the moment, I do not have all of my makeup with me. I feel like if I try to post a Monthly Favorite post, it  would be too trying because it won't be that accurate since 70% of the makeup products I have with me now are those that I have and currently stuck with. My only consolation is that I'm lucky these products don't break me out but it's still not enough for me to call them my favorite. I still have a few favorites now but I just choose to review them instead.

One of the channels that make me decide on what to blog about is Instagram. I sometimes click on the hashtags or browse at the popular posts and when I see a photo of a particular makeup, I get motivated to blog about it [if I have it]. I also highly take into consideration the suggestions and requests that I get.

I hope my answer was enough! It was kinda tough!

if you have a question you've been meaning to ask, ask away! Just click the link or you can click the link on one of the tabs 'Ask' or send an e-mail to hello@rarevanity.net. I'll try to answer them here on a timely manner :)



Follow me! No? Yes? Yey!

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Treatment Makeup

Leave a Comment
I still wonder why there are a lot of makeup variants that are not available here in our country. Case in point: Maybelline. I've always loved this brand and it always excite me when I find out that they have a new product or a new range.

Their Instant Age Rewind has been around for 3-4 years now and I was able to get one last year. I'm a bit confused with this product because it doesn't say what it is. There is a slimmer version of this which is a concealer. I assume this is a foundation so I use this more as a foundation rather than as a concealer.

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Treatment Makeup review

I got the shade in 200 Creamy Natural. I just guessed on a shade that would match my skin tone and I''m glad that it matches!

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Treatment Makeup review

Wasn't able to take a photo of me wearing it as a foundation but I get compliments whenever I'm using this as a foundation. It dries matte of my face but it's not flat. It works well with any setting powder. The only thing I don't like about this is that it's not that hygienic. You twist the bottom for the product to come out of them foam then you apply it on your face.

I don't remember how much I got this from but this is around USD10 - a tad pricy for a 20ml product especially if you use this as a foundation. Used this around 10 times and I've already used of 1/3 of the product. Hehe.

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind range is still not available in Manila but there are a few online shops that sell this. I'm just not that particular about the price. Let me know below if you've tried this!


Follow me! No? Yes? Yey!

His & Hers: Safeguard Derma Sense*

Leave a Comment
A few months ago, I attended an Image Branding seminar. Majority of the participants were females because it the seminar was always mistaken as a makeup artistry class. It's part of it, yes. But it's not entirely about it. For the batch that I had attended, there were only 5 male participants.

We were asked one by one by the facilitator what we use as skin care. The facilitator asked the males because it is common that men do not have a skin care routine/regimen. Out of the 5 males, there was only 1 who has a skin care regimen. It's very simple actually, he just washes his face with Cetaphil to keep his face moisturised.

As per our facilitator, most men do not care about skin care because it is still quite taboo for their gender. But regardless of gender, we should take care of our skin as our body is comprised mostly of skin.

Then I remembered my Safeguard stash that I received a few months ago. Growing up, I've never used Safeguard bar soap regularly because I thought it's a soap for men. Haha! So, when I received the facial wash and the body wash, I tried it right away [save for the fact that it claims to reduce acne]. I also made L try this and alas, he wasn't hesitant to use it!


I've been using this for three months now [2 months for the facial wash] and I like it. It never gave my face any rashes. It did lessen my break out. Last time I had pimples was last July and it was due to lack of sleep and dehydration. As for the body wash, I'd say this is just like any other body wash I have tried that isn't moisturising. It's not drying either. I've read from some reviews that the body wash can lessen bacne, which isn't the case for me. My bacne wasn't reduced at all. I love the smell of the body wash though which is why I bought another two bottles when I saw that it was buy 1 take 1 at Watson's.

Safeguard Derma Sense facial wash retails for PhP199 while Safeguard Derma Sense body wash retails for PhP120. They are widely available at all leading department stores, groceries, and Watson's branches nationwide.


Follow me! No? Yes? Yey!

September 2015's Commenter of the Month and What's in Store for October's Commenter of the Month!

Leave a Comment
I feel guilty for not being to pos as much as I want to last month. I have a lot in store this month for this blog. I hope I meet the deadlines on time.

As for the lucky Commenter of the month for October, she will be receiving the items in the photo below!

LOL cream eyeshadow palette
Virgina Olsen mineral eyeshadow
Safeguard bar soap
Hygieniz hand spray
Calchews
Essence XXXL Shine gloss
Carmex lipbalm
Vitress hair shine
Jergens body lotion
Sephora Sampler
Benefit Porefessional sampler
Mary Kay powder sampler
Max Factor liquid foundation sampler

This loot comes with a book-type box!


The MECHANICS are really simple but make sure to follow them! Mandatory guys!

1. LIKE Gem of Rare Vanity on Facebook.
2. FOLLOW Rarevanity on Bloglovin'.
3. Comment away! But remember, quality over quantity comments!


For September's Commenter of the Month, it's no other than..

Elle | Style and Glow


Congratulations on winning the loot above! Please e-mail your full name, shipping address, and mobile number at hello@rarevanity.net with subject September Commenter of the Month.

Cheers to another month! Christmas is so near!


Follow me! No? Yes? Yey!