I've forgotten a lot of things in my life, but one memory that remains vivid is the Doraemon theme song. "Do-ra-eh-mo-un!" would joyfully echo from our TV in the afternoon after school, which means it’s time for merienda. I recall eagerly anticipating the fun adventures of Nobita and Doraemon, as the futuristic, robotic cat lent a helping hand to solve Nobita's problems. So, you can imagine my sheer delight when I discovered that Anessa, one of Japan's leading sunscreen brands, has joined forces with Doraemon for a special collaboration.

I recently had the chance to attend an exclusive and intimate event hosted by Good Molecules Philippines. This skincare brand is known for its innovative and affordable products, and they invited us to discover their ucoming release scheduled for Q3, the 1% Retinol Night Oil. Today, I'll share my experience at the event and provide an overview of this new product, so you can decide if it's something you'd like to try.

One of Benefit Cosmetics' best sellers is the POREfessional Primer, with variants for minimizing pores, mattifying, or hydrating. It’s a personal favorite as it creates a smooth base and you can wear it alone if you just want to get rid of the skincare shine. But I still want to solve as much of my pore issues as possible – visible pores, clogged pores, texture! The new POREfessional Pore Care Collection is developed to help achieve that.

It’s crazy to think that January is already coming to a close. And with that, I hope you’re 2023 is going fabulous so far. In the world of beauty, there’s always something new each week, which just adds to the overall excitement and gratitude of being alive. Okay, I’m not trying to be existential here, but it’s just nice to have another reason to celebrate life. Okay, time for the roundup!

Last minute gifts for your Secret Santa at a holiday party can be tricky to find: you might need a Christmas-y gift, or a gift costing around P500 more or less. A good place to check out is The Body Shop where you can get skincare, lotions, bath products, fragrances, and a whole lot more!

If you're anything like me, you're always on the lookout for the best skincare products to keep your skin feeling its best. That’s why you should explore Augustinus Bader, a luxurious German skincare brand, which has recently become available in the Philippines!

We all know that this December rush comes with a wave of events and Christmas parties, and so do we really have time to squeeze in some extensive holiday shopping? Being the busy bees that we are, Burt’s Bees has made picking out gifts easier by releasing a collection of sustainable gift choices for everyone - naughty or nice!

I have to admit that I love using high end facial skincare products because they tend to work better than most things I can find in the drugstore. It really shows on the face when a brand is using good quality actives in high concentrations! I definitely don’t mind splurging for something that truly works. However, there is one drugstore brand that I can swear by when it comes to skincare. It’s something I always recommend to those on a budget because it’s iconic for a reason: Hada Labo.

Skincare is so personal that it’s almost impossible to tell which ingredient/s in your products cause your skin to react positively or negatively. And then of course there are also products that by their very nature cause your skin to “purge” in order to clear out pore blockages, such as those with chemical exfoliants (acids) and retinol. It can get confusing that even for me it’s hard to tell, but I do have some advice for you!

The brand first came to my attention when Liz reviewed the Drunk Elephant Sukari Babyfacial. Drunk Elephant was available at Sephora Philippines then and the Babyfacial was one of their bestsellers.

Founded by Tiffany Masterson in 2013, the brand took its name from the myth that elephants get drunk from the fallen fermented marula fruit. This is because Virgin Marula Oil is an ingredient featured in many of Drunk Elephant’s products!

I’ve been writing about beauty long enough to remember those ancient times when wearing sunscreen outside of a beach setting was almost unheard of. We’d whisper about the fussy few who’d do it but never really imagine slathering on this (previously) uncomfortable product on a daily basis. Look at us now. Sunscreen has become a religion, almost, and I for one have definitely reaped the benefits of using it regularly in the last decade.

If you’re not too familiar with Chemical Exfoliants, they sound downright terrifying. It certainly doesn’t help that they’re also known as Acids, conjuring to mind old Filipino movies and teleseryes with old-school physically abusive contrabidas! But those in the know cherish how their favorite acid exfoliant formulas are capable of being super effective yet surprisingly gentle. And I feel exactly the same way about the Puffy Pod (P995 for a jar of 60 pads).

Self-care became a beauty buzzword these past few years. Because of the pandemic, our collective focus shifted towards our physical and mental well-being. What may have been perceived as indulgence before has become a seeming necessity. Taking care of ourselves is essential after all!

Serums are usually counted beyond basic skincare and that’s because they have targeted benefits that add on to a routine. These concentrated boosters are often priced higher but Ever Bilena Plus recently released affordable serums for only P395 each. Let’s see how they fare on my skin!

How do you feel about having gold in your daily skin care routine? Pure Culture is a fairly new local vegan and clean beauty brand with products that aim to strengthen the skin’s microbiome while using sustainable, locally-sourced active ingredients in the process. It’s the first Filipino beauty brand that is Safe Cosmetics Australia-certified. I got to try both their Bulgarian Rose serum and moisturizer, and here’s my quick review!

Having scars may deal a blow to our self-confidence, but think of it as our skin getting stronger after every challenge. After all, the formation of scars is a natural part of our skin’s healing process! They can result from accidents, injury, burns, surgery, acne and illness.

Depending on the severity, age, and location of the scar, there are several options to fade them away. If the wound is not too serious and it’s still fresh, the best way to keep it from scarring as much as it would when left alone is to be proactive while the wound is newly healed.

Hey, PV Community! How’s the month of April going for you? Sorry if I’ve been MIA with the beauty roundup - I moved to a new place last week and have been unpacking ever since. Now that I’m finally done, it’s back to regular programming - time for this week’s beauty roundup!

I used to think of acne as a punishment for me not being careful enough with my skin, not being more mindful of what I expose it to. But overtime I realized it’s just a natural function of skin to let me know what’s not working out in my routine. Often it’s also because of my hormones or stress, which I can’t do too much about. I’ve accepted it as a part of myself - not a flaw, but a built-in feature that I don’t have to hate.

Remember the Dermaction sunscreen I reviewed last March? I ended up finishing the tube! It’s a really good formula that I especially enjoyed at the beach since it’s water-resistant. Dermaction is actually popular for their sunscreen line, but did you know that they have other products as well? Let’s explore everything!