I never stopped exploring beauty during the months I have not been blogging. It was during these times I gave lipsticks a little more attention as I've always been a balm-and-tint girl, too afraid of lipsticks emphasizing my already full lips.

It wasn't easy looking for a shade and finish I didn't feel like tossing out after a few swipes, post-purchase. I wanted something close to my lip color and is almost sheen-free. Let's talk about a lippie I've been using a lot lately-- VMV's Velvet Matte in Roustabout.

How much: P1,050.00/ 4g
Where to buy: VMV counters in SM department stores, Trinoma Mall

You can classify Roustabout as an MLBB shade. It's brick brown on the tube and salmon on my lips. I'd say it's a notch more pink than my normal lip color and I love how it lights my face up.

Here, indoors and using flash photography:

And under natural light, without flash:

Roustabout is neither lip staining nor long-wearing. I notice major fading after the 3rd hour.

This is a nice color but I can't say it's a good buy. The finish may be wonderfully velvet, but it's a pain to put on! With or without lip balm, there's an uncomfortable drag when I use it. Also, it takes several swipes to get an opaque coverage sans a lip conditioner. Its weak formulation and barely satisfactory wear time doesn't justify the price tag. I've tried Shiseido's version of matte and they are buttery against the lips and covers fully at first swipe.

A few weeks after getting Roustabout, I learned that VMV holds a "Buy 1, Take 1" promotion for their lipsticks; had I gotten this on sale, it would've been a wiser purchase.

I know I could've gotten a similar shade from a more trusted lipstick brand for the price I paid for. What I'm unsure of is if the shade is as sheen-free as this one. VMV Velvet Matte Lipstick in Roustabout is still a tube-for-keeps as it is a nice warm shade and has a quality matte finish that's most flattering for my lips!

Naww, I'm not in Spain. The final quarter of 2013 has just been too eventful for me.

The most trying matter I (and my family) had to hurdle was my dad's heart operation last Christmas. A year after dad's long confinement in the hospital for some serious pulmonary condition, he again finds himself strapped to the hospital bed via ECG leads and a peripheral IV line.

Papa's heart's main artery has been 99% occluded. Another artery, 96%. We have been so blessed to be surrounded by the best support group and medical team, dad survived the heart attack and is currently working on getting his newly revascularized heart stronger.

     A similar looking cardiac catheterization room dad got into during his angioplasty  -SOURCE-

Celebrating the holidays was bittersweet. It can be daunting knowing that papa has been hospitalized a little too frequently in the recent years. However, I quickly turn to a happier state when I think of how blessed we are for still having papa around, surviving a series of serious health conditions.

To doctors J. Jison (interventional cardio), A. Cabalu (adult cardio), J. Foronda (adult cardio, critical care), J. Anson (nephrologist), R. Javelosa (adult cardio), and G. Florentino (cardio fellow)-- we thank you for your excellent professional service; to the wonderful nursing staff of Makati Med-- you've made my dad's stay in the hospital most comfortable.

More good news: I have more time to read my fave blogs and to update my page! Reviews, tips and new learnings will be shared and I can't wait to work on them in the coming days!

I haven't used anything new for my skin lately except for the Shiseido Ibuki duo that broke me out badly. Now that my skin cleared up and has recovered from the post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation from fractional CO2 laser therapy, I'm ready for new skintastic treats before the month ends.

1. Camaru Naturals Amazonian Clay Face Mask - cleanses, detoxifies and purifies the skin for visibly clearer complexion
2. Paula's Choice RESIST Pure Radiance Skin Brightening Treatment - imparts instant radiance, reduces dark spots and diminishes wrinkles
3. Paula's Choice Shine Stopper Instant Matte Finish - controls oil, minimizes pore appearance and smooths-out imperfections
4. Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid - creates radiant and even-toned skin and unclogs & diminishes enlarged pores
5. Paula's Choice RESIST Anti-Aging Clear Skin Hydrator - silky gel-cream that hydrates and firms the skin

I'm thrilled to learn that Proudly Filipino brand Camaru Naturals' has come up with a face mask that contains the very ingredient that makes my fave bar soap from the brand tick, activated bamboo charcoal! Their soap brightens the skin on my body and I can't wait to see how it fares for the face.

And it still feels surreal I'm looking at skincare from Paula's Choice. I'm very excited to find out which of these four my skin will love best!

Disclaimer: This non-paid post contains products sent to me for review purposes

Last October 2, 2013, Paula's Choice Philippines celebrated their formal brand launch at the Manila Marriott's The Den. You can say I was more than excited to finally catch their top acne-clearing products as I once wanted to get hold of their Skin Perfecting line. It was also difficult back then not to get curious about their RESIST Skin Resurfacing System when Trang blogged about how effective it was.

What is Paula's Choice?

Lifestyle & Beauty bloggers were all ears as Paula's Choice Pte Ltd. Southeast Asia Managing Director, Naree Mongkol,  introduced everyone to the brand's role in catering to individual skin concerns. One of the highlights include an apple experiment showcasing the Vitamin C serum, RESIST C15 Super Booster (for brown spots and wrinkles, to be made available in the coming months), as it effectively reverses the rusting of an apple.

Paula's Choice's wide range of effective skincare products originates from its founder, Paula Begoun's, discriminating habit of choosing what she puts on her skin-- a habit formed from a past trauma when she realized acetone was in her skincare staple.

The brand banks and puts emphasis on the science of skincare in coming up with each product, making sure they contain well-researched and proven effective ingredients. Since its creation, consumers worldwide have been drawn to their serums, exfoliants, sunblocks and anti-acne & redness line.

Paula's Choice Bestsellers

The brand's crème de la crème include:

• Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid (P1120/100mL)
• Skin Perfecting 8% AHA Gel (P1120/100mL)
• RESIST Super Antioxidant Concentrate Serum (P1420/30mL)

I've had my eye on the BHA and AHA bottles for the longest time as I've read countless great reviews for both. What I appreciate more is that the brand cared enough to get these two powerful exfoliators in separate bottles. Most brands would have AHAs and BHA in one bottle when there are skin types that are highly sensitive to salicylic acid (BHA).

What's exciting is that these two exfoliators are modestly priced at P1,120! I'm definitely getting the BHA Liquid ASAP before others beat me to it. 

Paula's Choice Philippines

Paula's Choice products can be purchased via placing an order on:

• Paula's Choice Facebook page
• Phone: (02) 8410468
• Email: info@paulaschoice.com.ph

Soon, they will also be available via Zalora and Lazada shopping sites.

Special Prescription

After the event, I grabbed the chance to talk to Ms. Naree Mongkol, who I learned was also the Advisor to the World Anti-Aging Academy of Medicine. She coyly confesses she's 41 when I asked how old she was. Naturally, I shot her the how-can-i-get-that-skin? question and she started to examine my face and asked for my skin type.

She noticed some obvious redness (from my previous fractional CO2 laser treatment) and jotted down a two-phased recommendation:

Part I- Anti-Redness:

• Skin Recovery Cleanser
• Clinical Anti-Redness Relief
• Skin Recovery Moisturizer

Part II- Youthful, Lustrous and Zit-Free Skin (after completely addressing redness):

• Hydralight One Step Cleanser
• Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner
• Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid
• RESIST Super Light Antioxidant Serum (a lighter, fast-absorbing counterpart of the best-selling serum listed above)
• RESIST Anti-Aging Clear Skin Hydrator

She advises I stick with the products that already work for me and pick out the "new stuff" I'd like to try out in strengthening my skin care. We decided I should go for all those listed in phase 2 minus the Hydralight cleanser.

Before leaving, I had to ask what her top three favorite Paula's Choice products are. And she starts gushing about how she cannot live a day without her three favorites and we find ourselves chatting for another 30minutes!

• Earth-Sourced Cleansing Gel
• Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Lquid
• RESIST Super Light Antioxidant Serum 

I am too excited for words about Paula's Choice coming to Philippine shores! Its unexpected popularity in Thailand and Korea is a good sign that there's something about these tubes and bottles worth trying out. I am now too addicted surfing their website as it offers so much information for each product. If you have any recommendations from the brand, drop me a note so I can finalize my to-buy list!