Lipglosses, lipsticks, and powders were my first makeup items from Avon. They have always impressed me with their vibrant colors and good staying power with an affordable price tag. The Avon Power Stay 24-Hour Liquid Foundation (P499) is my most recent discovery from the brand and here's what happened when I tried it out.

Shiseido has been busy lately, what with new releases that I think you’ll love for your skin. Today I’ll be reviewing the new Shiseido Synchro Skin Radiant Lifting Foundation and the Clear Suncare Stick!

My skin hasn’t been in the best state in the past year, so I still like wearing a bit of liquid foundation underneath even when I have a mask on. In fact, I find that it also helps my makeup survive a little longer. But not all liquid foundations are created equal in this use case. Some, like the Shiseido Synchro Skin Radiant Lifting Foundation (P3,000 /30ml in Lazada) may rule them all.

With cosmetics becoming more accessible and more affordable, many beauty lovers have found themselves with collections bigger than they can use up before expiry. Hauls are fun, to be sure, but it’s also important to be wary of when our love for beauty and shopping at are unhealthy levels that negatively affect our finances and the planet. 

I’ve long been a fan of a lot of Anastasia Beverly Hills products, from their Dipbrow Pomade and Powders, to the iconic Modern Renaissance eyeshadow palettes and celestial highlighters. Pure Hollywood, a nude liquid lipstick, was one of my first ever lip purchases back in the day! The brand carries a lot of cosmetics that seem to always be in line with the zeitgeist while maintaining high quality at par with the top brands in the world.

I love full coverage foundation, but that’s not what I actually wear every single day. I’d go for it if I need to look flawless for an event or a shoot, but if I’m just stepping out for a casual day or some light meetings, I prefer to use a base that’s more comfortable and fresh-looking. That’s why I found the L’Oreal Infallible 24H Fresh Wear Foundation (P650 or P553 if you use the code LOREALR15B in Lazada until August 31) interesting: it combines the famous Infallible long-wear technology with a skin-like, light-weight base.

Here’s a rundown of how the foundation performed for me!

Just when we thought that the K-beauty base hype has died down, something new and shiny came along and piqued our curiosity. The spotlight is on Banila Co’s recently released Covericious Power Fit line, which promises long wear, buildable coverage, and high skin adherence. What really intrigued me is that these beauty bases are formulated with hydrolized collagen for additional hydrating properties that cling better to the skin than regular collagen. As someone with dry skin that’s prone to flaking, I definitely needed to test that out!

I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but there’s a gold rush in the drugstore foundation category. All the drugstore brands are trying to become The Chosen One for bases; everybody is trying to outdo each other when it comes to quality, shade range (hurrah for inclusivity), packaging, and value. Revlon’s new Candid line holds no punches in this regard. They’ve recently come out with 31 shades from light to very deep - their most comprehensive selection yet - of which 12 are available here in the Philippines. It comes in cute millennial pink packaging to boot!

Let’s take a look at the Candid line and see what I think about this intriguing collection.

Fun fact: MAC’s Studio Fix Fluid was my first bottle of foundation. I asked my mother to buy it for me as a Christmas present, and the makeup artist matched me perfectly to NC42 (at the time). Since then I have been (time and time again) disappointed by other artists who have failed to match my shade properly, but I’ll always remember my first time. My uncle said I looked like a Korean - my skin was so smooth (helped by the pill at the time) and acne scars were non-existent. Flash forward to now: I have tried many a foundation in my day and have admittedly forgotten about the Studio Fix Fluid after emptying it, so I find myself pleasantly surprised about Ole Reliable.

There’s a foundation war going on in drugstores right now. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but affordable foundations have gotten better this year! Big brands are finally responding to our call for long-wearing, easy-to-blend foundation that won’t cost a ton of money while still performing close to a high-end foundation. Leading the charge is the latest from Revlon, just out this month: the Colorstay Full Cover Foundation (P825 for 30ml).

The MAC Studio Fix range is basically an institution, known for its wide shade range. In fact, beauty enthusiasts often refer to the MAC foundation shade coding system even when talking about other brands! Now, MAC aims to be even more inclusive than they already are by embodying All Ages, All Races, All Genders. They have looked at even more undertones and shades, and recognized what consumers have long been saying – one shade does not fit all.

I use filters for most of my Instagram photos because my iPhone has a crappy camera that just fails even in what should be sufficient lighting. It takes me extra time to edit my selfies, but it’s worth the effort to enhance the final image. And so here’s where Revlon asked and answered a question: what if your foundation already gives you the effect of app filters?

Let me be clear: not everybody needs liquid foundation. It's nice to have, but if you already have pretty good skin then a layer of powder (with coverage depending on your preference) over primer (depending on how dry or oily you are) could be all you need for a great, long-wearing base! I often go out with just that especially if I don't really need to look photo-ready or dressed up.

When the Pink Sugar Our Lil Secret Concealer came out a few years ago, makeup fans went nuts for its crazy coverage and staying power. It was a once-in-a-blue-moon drugstore concealer that actually can match high-end ones, for a change. At P299, it's one of the "secret" gems at Watsons and SM Beauty stores.

Pink Sugar's Laveen and Rohit Mirpuri knew that they had a winner in their hands and of course, wanted to expand the line based on what their customers are asking for.

I'm a liquid foundation gal. It does take a few extra minutes to apply, but the pay-off is worth it since it looks so much more like skin than pan foundation. It wears better throughout the day too! Recently I've been picking up the Estee Lauder Double Wear Makeup (P2,400 for 30ml) more than my other liquid foundations. It makes my skin look amazing plus it stays on my oily combination skin all freakin' day!

I have a (well-documented) bias towards high-end bases. Drugstore foundation, concealer, and powders can do the thankless job of creating flawless skin, surely, but luxury bases belong to another planet. The shade selection, pigmentation, finish, and staying power of expensive base makeup (upwards P1,500) are remarkably better than what you can find for say, less than 500 bucks.