Makeup brands always go all out during the holidays and this year, MAC’s is certainly one to look forward to. With gorgeous sets in hypnotic optical-illusion packaging, the Hypnotizing Holiday Collection dares you to “be your own masterful makeup MACgician!”

The first time I heard of Advent calendars was in college, when I saw a YouTuber take out chocolate from a Cadbury-branded Advent calendar. It looked like a fun idea to enjoy a little treat in the days leading to Christmas, though I had to wonder how much self-control I’d need to not open everything at once! Assuming you have enough impulse control, I can certainly imagine how “receiving” a small gift every day can set the mood for Christmas cheer. Now imagine doing that with beauty products!

Merry Cliniquemas! We recently went to the brand’s Holiday Preview in SM Mega Fashion Hall, and were dazzled by the numerous skincare, makeup, body, and fragrance sets curated for seemingly everyone. It’s like Ophra saying, “You get a set! You get a set! You get a set!”

On a scale of one to ten, how stressed are you this season? Christmas is juuust almost a month away, so I’m sure that you’re (like me) running like a headless chicken with all the errands and parties you need to get to. If your skin is looking a bit worse for wear, I think you should check out Kiehl’s best-selling serums to help out with some possible skin issues!

It’s never too early to start preparing your holiday looks for all those family reunions, office parties, and barkada meetups! After all, the festive season is the perfect time to be adventurous with your FOTDs. If you’re tired of the same old, same old, here’s something new and sparkly from Inglot to rival those brightly-lit trees and parols!

The holidays has descended upon us in full force, so your calendar is probably full of office parties, family reunions, school reunions, friend parties, possibly even weddings and engagements. ‘Tis the season to see people you haven’t seen in a while and that includes your nosy Tita and noisy Tito! So, for lack of anything better to say or maybe even just to feel a weird sense of superiority over you, they are going to be making some nasty comments about your looks. This article is to prepare you for the inevitable: the yearly sucker punch to your gut, squarely in that tiny space where your self-esteem resides, as they say “Tumaba ka! (You got fat!)”

I didn’t know what to expect when we received a very understated invitation from NARS Cosmetics to their holiday collection launch. All I knew was their theme was disco, as the collection was named Studio 54.

Sam Gallardo, NARS brand manager, kicked things off by reminding us what NARS was all about. More than beauty, NARS is all about crossing boundaries, defying rules, and inclusivity. As their founder Francois Nars once said, “I like beauty to be a bit edgy, not typical. For me, the only rule is looking good.” Sam shares that they wanted this attitude to be more relatable, so they decided to get local brand ambassadors who embody the brand.

‘Twas the night before Christmas… No, wait. It’s still November but it sure does feel like the holidays are here already! It’s a happy weekend indeed because this week’s beauty roundup will put you in the best mood. We’ve got the sparkly scoop on MAC’s Christmas drop as well as the arrival of ABH in the country. And despite being #cancelled, we were surprised to hear that Jaclyn Hill is relaunching her cosmetics line! Local beauty fans will also love the newest baby of one of our fave home-grown brands, so better read on to find out more!

It’s that time of the year again when beauty brands make a special effort to relieve us of our money via tempting holiday releases. Blk Cosmetics certainly rose to the occasion with new products, lippie shades, and—for the first time ever—MINIS! Let’s take a look at their complete lineup for the holidays, themed Little Luxuries.

One of my favorite things to do when Christmas comes is buying presents for the special people in my life. I just love the thrill of being able to find the perfect gift! One of the things I like to get for the more kikay crowd are beauty sets because of the variety of items you get to try. Need some inspo for your last minute shopping? Here are some of our Christmas gift set picks that you should definitely check out!

Before I got into makeup and skincare, my first foray into beauty was actually nail polish. I grew up accompanying my mom to her weekly manicure appointments, and one of my first beauty purchases was an iridescent blue-purple polish. These days, I don’t wear polish as much as I’d like because it seems impractical with all the household chores I do, but when Thai brand Tenten sent over their limited edition holiday collection, I just could not resist playing around and giving myself an extra special mani!

‘Tis the season for getting glammed up and doing a lot of picture-taking at all the holiday parties! If you’re like me and love a good makeup moment to ensure Insta-worthy photos, you’ll wanna step it up a little and put your fiercest face on. Need some inspo? From clean and simple to full-on party mode, here are eight looks for you to try!

As a big skincare enthusiast, I try to “influence” my family and friends to take better care of their skin. It’s not a frivolous pursuit - after all the skin is the body’s largest organ! It can be difficult for a complete newbie to buy into skincare though because there are so many products available now. Even I sometimes feel a bit intimidated and confused by all the options you can find in stores! This is why I am a fan of skincare sets - they usually cover all the basic steps, are united by a common effect or ingredient that can make them more effective, and are often cheaper than buying products individually!

As you read this, I’ll probably be at the mall making a mad dash to finish all my Christmas shopping. Yes, I have once again procrastinated on buying gifts as I have done all the years before, and I finally figured out why: I simply have no idea what to get for some people on my list!

The easiest people to shop for were all my friends who are into beauty as well. My plan was simple: if I want it, they probably would, too! But there are many different types of beauty addictions so if you want to really curate according to what they’re into, here’s a quick easy guide to follow.

The holidays have become a full-on production number with the grand displays of twinkling lights and the thoroughly planned decor themes.  For beauty lovers out there, the holidays take on another layer of fun as this is the most wonderful time of year to get glam, with emphasis on the shimmer and sparkle! Always on the pulse of the season’s trendiest, MAC thinks up a new and exciting way to bling it up with the Snow Ball collection.

To gift someone with a fragrance is a move that is both intimate and powerful. It’s a strong statement to make, but nevertheless true. Specific scents are intertwined with memories, like a place you visited in your childhood or the scent of a loved one. So when someone gives you a fragrance to celebrate a joyous occasion or to mark a milestone, the mind builds a connection that links that particular fragrance with the giver and the moment. In short, the gift of scent is a surefire way to make a lasting impression!

For most, the holidays conjure up a sense of wonder and joy. For me, however, the onset of December can only mean one thing: stress. The prospect of having to shop for my considerable list usually gives me tiny panic attacks, which is why I often find myself procrastinating Christmas shopping until the last possible moment... resulting in lackluster gift sets that even I know are destined for the “White Elephant” pile.

When shopping for beauty products, two of the PV girls' favorite stores are Watsons and the Beauty Section of the SM Store. Aside from getting great deals at their many sales, buying with an SM Advantage Card from either store also gets you discounts and points which you can then use for future purchases. In fact, I’ve been able to buy a few lipsticks just from my accumulated points! Getting to treat myself to something from SM Beauty is always a fun experience, and now I get share that joy with others!