If you’re an avid deal-browser on Shopee, odds are you’ve seen Sace Lady around. This Chinese makeup brand is often on sale, and the prices are sure to pique the beauty bargain hunter’s interest. So to kick things up a notch, I created a complete one-brand FOTD that cost less than P800 after sale discounts and vouchers were applied. And now I’m here to answer the age-old question: Sulit ba?

While going through the newly-opened Metro department store in Cebu, I stumbled upon the cute counter of Squad Cosmetics. I love discovering new brands, and this one got me intrigued because I was told it was local. With a little research, I discovered that they are a sister company of Detail Makeover. The products are formulated in LA but manufactured in China. I also found that a lot of YouTubers have been raving about this pocket-friendly brand, whose priciest product is only P230! So, I couldn’t help myself and picked out a few items to try!

I have been a Kpop fan for more than 10 years now, and I have them to thank for my love of K-beauty as well! Following idols have given me the chance to see the evolution of Korean makeup trends, from the era of thick eyeliners paired with nude lipsticks, to adventurous burgundy eyeshadows, and to the current obsession with more natural, almost bare-faced looks. 

My oily skin has always plagued my makeup game. Creasing bases, transferring foundations, fading colors, the general icky oil pool – I could go on and on why I’d prefer to be dry-skinned if I could choose my skin type! One particular drawback that I hate about being oily is (accidentally) smudging my mascaras. The point of having curled and coated lashes is to make my eyes look more awake, but panda eyes from my oily lids causing my mascara to smudge make me look like I put on dark circles. No thanks!  

When I first saw Esfolio products a few years ago on BeautyMNL, I was intrigued. Like most other Korean skincare brands, they have products that highlight natural ingredients like aloe vera, coconut, green tea, and milk. Upon closer inspection, though, I was surprised to also find skincare favorites like niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, and collagen. Even more surprisingly, the products were priced very reasonably. They had a LOT of products, too, at over 80 variants! But since I like trying on products before buying, I found myself wishing these products were available not just online but in physical stores, as well.

Hi, I’m Stacie and I am obsessed with SM Beauty. I feel the urge to pass by whenever I’m in an SM mall, even when I’m not actually looking for anything! Recently, I’ve noticed that more and more products are becoming available in sachet packaging, including face bases. Ranging from P25 to P99, they’re a tempting option for those on a tight budget or for when you need a quick fix. Sure, they’re quite cheap but are they worth it?

When I was in high school, we didn’t have any Watsons in my province. The only way to buy makeup was through Avon and Ever Bilena resellers. Because shopping options were limited and so were our allowances, I would see my female batchmates sticking a finger inside their bags, quickly ducking down, then reappearing with red lips and a red-tipped finger.

When I was first started out using makeup, I would always check out the Wet n Wild counter because it was easy to find and had budget-friendly prices. Drugstore makeup may have a reputation for having poor quality products but Wet n Wild has always impressed me with the performance of their products. Even now that I’m better versed with beauty, I keep an eye out for WnW’s latest releases and find new faves to add to my collection! The quality is comparable to high-end makeup, and it’s cruelty-free, too! If you’ve never tried anything from the brand, you’ve been missing out, so I’ve put together a wishlist of my Wet n Wild favorites that you shouldn’t sleep on.

I am a firm believer in the power of beautiful lashes. Long, voluminous, and charmingly curled - a good pair of lashes does so much to make your eyes look more awake and vibrant. I have been meaning to try lash perming forever but shelling out P3,700 for Yumi lashes was a little steep for my cheapskate heart. After reading several recommendations for Let’s Face It Salon from the Project Vanity community, I decided why not, and gave their P252 (!!!) lash perm a go.

Who's not guilty of indulging in a little retail therapy when they need some cheering up? I used to love stopping by the Watsons store that was on my route home from work, and picking up some random cheap item: a brow pencil, a lip balm, maybe a bottle of nail polish. Nothing wrong with that but the thrill was often short-lived. I'm a bit wiser about my spending habits these days, so while I still love browsing at Watsons, I've learned to shop for items that actually support my goals for self-care!

One of my big beauty lessons in 2017 was the importance of wearing blush. I didn't think it was crucial to my makeup routine until I realized how it instantly gives life to my face even when I'm feeling haggard. Different blush shades could also give a different feel to my monochromatic “natural” look: blue-based pinks make me look sweet and innocent, while a warm orange gives me a back-from-the-beach flush! 

If you've ever watched a K-drama or seen photos of K-idols, you probably noticed how incredibly smooth and flawless their skin looks. No pores, blemishes, or uneven coloring - they're almost too perfect to be real! The glass skin trend is pretty common among Korean stars though, and this ‘’dewy skin made dewier" look has become the ultimate #skingoals for many. 

With so many brands coming in and new product releases, 2017 was a truly exciting year for beauty. As much as we loved welcoming the likes of Tom Ford and Fenty Beauty into our shores, our wallets found relief in more affordable discoveries! Drugstore beauty isn't about cheap, forgettable formulations anymore and we're definitely expecting even better things this year. Here are ten budget beauty finds that raised the bar on drugstore beauty! All were released in the Philippines in 2017

If you ask me, it is my genuine belief that makeup palettes are the gateway drug to starting a makeup stash. Finding a reasonably priced palette that contains a lovely mix of shares and/or all the products you'd need for a proper #FOTD is just the thing that fires up your imagination. How many different looks can you come up with? Isn't it great that you can tote so many options in one nifty container? It's definitely worth going for, even if you’re already more of a hoarder than a beginner building a collection. A cleverly curated palette seems like the perfect excuse to add another prize to your collection!

You've seen our beauty budgets, our most expensive buys, and our recent splurges but a true PV girl lives for cheap finds that we'd gladly pay more for (though of course, we'd rather not!). We're actually pretty kuripot at heart, so nothing compares to thrill of discovering a product that performs really well at a price that our wallets won't complain about. If you're itching to just add an inexpensive item to your cart, consider these #ragrets-free choices!

We feature a lot of budget-friendly stories and products here on PV because we believe in making smart beauty buys and stretching our peso as far as possible. We love discovering drugstore dupes, whip up our own DIYs, and even challenge ourselves to do P500 faces. But not all penny-pinching habits are equal. Some of the may even turn out to be very expensive in the long run! Here are six common scenarios that you should watch out for.

Whenever we get new assignments for Project Vanity, I always look forward to the makeup throw downs and challenges the most. So far, we’ve done micellar waters, makeup wipes, brow pencils, and tints to name a few. This time, I’ve been tasked to wear two full faces of makeup, reflect on how each one fares, and try to come up with an answer to this question: is it still worth splurging on high end makeup?

We’ve set some parameters for the comparison: all the products for the more affordable makeup look should be below P500 while the higher-end look is comprised of products worth P1,000 and above.

Have you ever found yourself in a makeup emergency? I’ve certainly had days when I regretted going out without makeup on and itched to slap my face with some color! While it’s true that the best look to wear is confidence, it wouldn’t hurt to know you’ve got options when you’re truly stuck in a makeup crisis. If your makeup bag and the next drugstore are nowhere near, you might be surprised with what 500 pesos can do at your neighborhood convenience store. I certainly was with this Convenience Store Beauty Challenge! I raided a nearby 7-Eleven to see what they've got.