Hey everyone! Last March 1, I had this awesome, awesome privilege of finally being able to attend a Sample Room event.

I haven't been on their radar previously, despite being an avid Roomie. It just feels so sad when a brand you love doesn't even know you exist (ick, high school drama. Feelings of unrequited love I thought I'd left you!) Anyways, I've always wanted to be approached by the brands I mention and I keep dreaming of the day when I get so big that brands have no choice but to work with me, because I'm just too darn influential. HA!

Dreams of beauty world domination aside, I think I know where I stand at the moment and I couldn't be happier. I do not get the same volume of PR and ad offers that my idols and peers get, but I am so very happy to be quietly popping up on influencers' radars.  That's no small feat considering that I haven't exactly been working hard to be in anyone's good graces.

Ultimately, my goal is steer people into paying attention to the issues I wanna pay attention to, and to see things the way I see them. I can't do that by white-washing my reviews, kissing brands' asses or posting endless hauls with no critical substance in them.

So I write as honestly as I can.

Early on, I realized that I can't just parrot back what the marketers want me to say. They lie to us consumers all. the. time. Which is why I refuse to copy-paste PR feeds on this blog and always seek to find a unique or personal angle. I've never been able to make those feeds work nor fit with my general writing. And if I'm being real, it's that decision that pulls my marketability down amongst brands. Of course, they'd want an easy and obvious plug. But my insistence on drowning that out under my own persona means less exposure for them.

And now... This? It's a huge relief to get any form of affirmation, if at all. Refusing to sell-out is such a difficult decision to stand by. Selling-out is so easy to hide and would be fantastic for my freebie-hoarder side... But where would that leave me? This blog started as a passion project and I simply do not see any reason to keep working on it just for the sake of freebies. I'll pick from what's offered and wait for what I want or buy what I don't get. In return, I get to keep my integrity and the trust of my readers. A tough deal to make, but I wouldn't have it any other way!

But anyway, back to the original topic: HOT HUES by Colour Collection and Sample Room!

Sample Room Does Everything To The Nines!

So here I was, expecting a simple dinner and a bit of chit-chat about Colour Collection's latest lipsticks but upon registering there were already so many fun activities in store for us!

"What Does Your Lip Shape Say About You" -Colour Collection

Here's a lipstick personality chart near the registration booth. It was a great conversation-starter for bloggers and I hung out at the booth longer than necessary analyzing this, haha! I think I have really full lips and according to the chart I'm "proud of (my) achievements," among other things. Quite fitting given my little monologue above, don't you think? :)

Colour Collection Ultimate Wear Lipsticks

Also, we were given kiss cards. We were provided tons of fresh Colour Collection Ultimate Wear Lipstick samples near the registration table. Arranged by color family, you just pick the shade you like and stick on the kiss board! I wanted to use mine like a pen so I could write a special message but that would have been really unsanitary and orc-ish of me.

The Kiss Board!

Now, I don't even remember which one is mine, HAHA!

Off to the side, I spotted Zandra Villagracia doing awesome lipstick paintings LIVE! All colors on her artworks were from the Colour Collection Hot UWL line. I wanted to win one of them sooo bad but unfortunately, it was only raffled off and I wasn't picked :( I think Marge and/or Aya won? At least I got to take home postcard versions of her works, along with the other loot :)

Sophie Uy, creator of Sample Room

The program opened with a few brief words from Sophie Uy, mega-talented creator of Sample Room. She is just a one-woman business cyclone! I know she maybe has partners for each of her various businesses but she is just so in-charge and talented. She has ten million things going on and she has got them all together, man.

Bianca Valerio, Beauty Maven and Host for the Night!

Bianca Valerio took us through a couple of the latest, trendiest lipstick looks. I swear, the talk went on longer than scheduled, but it was a hilarious gig just the same. I admire her transition from print to media personality. She translates really well across a crowd! (and I love her hair + dress!)

Bianca's Trendy Lipstick Looks (clockwise, TL:) Coral, Ombre, Dark Ombre, Red and Color Blocked (Did I get them all right?)

Who knew color blocked lips were seriously a thing? The colors seem unremarkable but paired together, they look chic and trendy. I was mostly surprised because I assumed it would look corny, but then it's not?

Scene at the bar

I've never been this unsure of event details this much. I mostly blame it on the delicious food and basket of testers left on our table. They were sitting there. Just taunting me to mess them all up on my hands. There was even a thoughtfully-provided makeup remover (from Colour Collection!) and some cotton. Swatches, swatches, endless swatches :) Whenever my attention would flit, I'd just grab lipsticks and swatch away :P

Interlude: Are You Having Fun?

With Helen And Her 3D Ombre Lips!

There was an Instagram contest that I couldn't enter because I don't have a smart phone. (Feeling so third-world :[ ) It was a lipstick contest where the most creative look gets a prize. Well even if I had a smart phone, I didn't feel confident snapping my look 'cause the ombre looked a little too slutted-it-up-in-a-dark-back-alley rather than innocently-nibbled-on-some-freshly-picked-berries. In contrast, Helen's 3D ombre looks amazing!

Happy table with Helen, Abby and Judy :)

Here I am again looking like I made out with a hotdog. Oh well. Can't win them all.


I left as soon as the official program ended, 'cause my boyfriend drove me and I didn't want to make him wait longer than necessary. BUT MOTHER OF ALL BAD LUCK, two minutes after I walk out of the venue, I catch the tail-end of an announcement that encouraged everyone to pick up the leftover samples at the table. They could take home everything. Even the makeup removers! I cried and stomped my feet on the ground because I couldn't come back now; how embarrassing!

Colour Collection Loot ft. Bianca V's Limited Edition Collection (BV Items Have White Casing and a Kiss!)

I just thought to myself: I already got to take home more than enough. Having the BDJ Elite Box featuring Colour Collection had me started on a CC kit. Plus the kit they gave us to try out their latest stuff. Plus the additional lipsticks Colour Collection shared with us for giveaways to friends and readers... Well I'm just trying to soften the blow. The truth is, I'd have loved to have gotten all the shades of UWL. I think I'm missing around 4? But oh well. I'll get those soon enough. I could just buy them when I can't stand it already, hahaha!

And yep, you read that right. There's a giveaway! It goes live within the week, stay tuned :)