Taking a break is important for physical, mental, and emotional health but when was the last time you were able to disconnect and relax? To be honest, this is a real challenge for me because of how busy and fast-paced life can get! But the truth is: the busier you are, the more important it becomes for you to recharge. Slowing down and resting to take care of yourself also means you can find new energy to do what you have to do without burning out.

From a brand that we used to only see in Thailand, Snailwhite has become a staple in many a Filipino’s beauty routine. Launched in the Philippines just last year, their Whipp Soap has fast become a bestseller. We don’t recommend it as it has a pH level of 10 (way too high for cleansing!), but fellow PV girl Gett found their Snail Secretion Filtrate Moisture to be a great moisturizer option for oily skin, so I was very curious to try the Icy Mask and CC Sunscreen SPF50/PA+++ that the brand sent over.

I’ve been an avid fan and collector of liquid blushes since NARS released their version in 2017. I’ve tried a bunch of options from Glossier, Inglot, and Peri Pera, but I always come back to NARS for its longevity and luxe feel. Imagine my surprise to find ads of Nee Cara Liquid Blush (P260 for 15g, at Shopee) that look so much like the NARS blushes, down to the shade range. Now imagine the electric charge in the air when my editor proposed to compare the two, plus the liquid blushes from O.TWO.O (P300 for 15g at Shopee), a Chinese company that also sells liquid blushes in the same packaging and shade range! And so I tested the three formulas to investigate how similar they are and why the Nee Cara and O.TWO.O blushes look the same.

Snail secretion filtrate is a popular ingredient in a lot of Korean skincare. The snail’s mucin (aka, the slimy trail they leave behind) contains ingredients like hyaluronic acid and humectants, and is scientifically proven to have anti-aging benefits. It is also an ancient remedy for burns and wounds as it helps skin repair itself. Apparently, brands like AmorePacific harvest the mucin by “letting snails crawl around a mesh net in a darkened room for half an hour, and then transferred back into their natural habitat to rest.”

At the start of every new year, we look forward to seeing what trends will become popular. Glossy lips? Baby bangs? More foodmetics? All sorts of makeup in Living Coral? Trends come and go and only time will tell which ones would come to define the year ahead. What we know for sure is that we’re saying goodbye to 2018 and its beauty hypes that were just not worth it.