Seven brands that broke our hearts when they left the PH
Our beauty-loving hearts beat a little faster whenever an international brand becomes available in Manila but some pull-outs have also left us in a state of despair. Okay, it's not that bad but we're definitely having a hard time getting over these brands leaving the country. Here are some of our faves that we now have to find alternative sources for!
Philosophy
This American brand used to be available in Beauty Bar, then pulled out, then came back with a couple of boutiques and a pop-up store. Their products were easily recognizable with their minimalist packaging and the uplifting quotes in every bottle. We've tried the Purity 3-in-1 cleanser, Amazing Grace Spray Fragrance, and the tube version of Oprah Winfrey's favorite Hope in a Jar moisturizer. Currently, a limited selection of skin care is still available at selected Beauty Bars as well as Sephora.ph while fragrances may be found in department stores.
Paul and Joe
This French-Japanese brand used to be sold in Rustan’s department stores. Their intricately-designed packaging was nothing short of spectacular! Everything looked so gorgeous, it felt almost wrong to use the products and mar their perfection. If you wanna add some serious eye candy to your collection, you can find some of their products at beauty online stores that offer international shipping such as Beauty.com.
Heroine Make
This popular Japanese cosme brand used to be available in selected Watsons and SM Beauty stores. Their manga-inspired packaging added a fun Japanese feel to our vanities and we're seriously missing seeing them in drugstore beauty runs. What to do when our backups of their HG-quality mascaras run out? And we like their BB cream, too! If you're not heading to Japan anytime soon, you can get your fix at Sasa.com, which ships internationally.
Too Cool For School
This Korean brand just closed down earlier this year. Their quirky and occasionally dark packaging set them apart from the sea of mostly cutesy KBeauty cosmetics. They had a lot of interestingly conceptualized makeup, including the Dinoplatz Multibox U.F.O which is very popular in Korea. If you missed the chance to try this, some of their products are available online at Althea PH.
Pixy
This Indonesian makeup brand (but licensed by Mandom from Japan) was previously available in selected Watson’s and SM Beauty stores. Their Perfect Matte Two-Way Cake was (and is) one of the best and cheapest powder foundations we'd ever tried, but we'll probably have to ask friends going to Japan or Indonesia to pick up some refills.
Image via www.bloomcosmetics.com
Image via walmart.com
Bloom Cosmetics
This Australian brand of makeup and organic skincare used be easily available in Beauty Bar stores. The packaging was simple but chic, and those of us in our mid-20s to early 30s fondly remember this as go-to makeup brand in high school and college! Our allowances went to collecting their lip glosses and eyeshadows, even though we barely knew anything about makeup. If you feel as nostalgic as we do, fret not, for Bloom Cosmetics ships internationally!
Citre Shine
This used to be easily available everywhere, including groceries. It became a big hit in the 90s, when everyone swore by the Anti-Frizz Serum as their favorite hair styling product. The brand seems to have fallen off the radar but there are a couple of listings for it on Amazon.
Are you missing any other brands that used to be available locally? We're so glad to have Origins back, and we're hopeful that other brands will also stage a comeback in the future!
