In the competitive landscape of beauty products, where each brand jostles for a spot in our skincare routines and makeup arsenals, I couldn’t help but wonder: how do Filipino beauty brands stack up against the international behemoths?

Celebrity Andrea Brillantes has always wanted to be the CEO of her own cosmetics brand. She wanted her vision to be front and center and come up with products that are representative of her own beauty routine and ultra feminine vibe. And so Lucky Beauty was born. “Makeup is a wearable lucky charm,” Andrea says. For her, it helps her feel more confident and in control of her fate.

As a city girl with island girl roots, the sunkissed look is my version of the “no makeup” makeup look and bronzers are a necessity to achieving it. Yet, there seems to be very few local options to choose from as the majority of brands tend to push out contour products instead.

Lucky for me and my fellow bronzer-biased babes, Issy & Co. ended their trilogy of launches with their final release called Ode to the Sand. It comes in the form of fou bronzers and I’m excited to get into it!

One of the things that got me really excited over coming back to the Philippines is access to our local beauty brands. It’s quite exciting to see how as a consumer, we now have so many choices! From brands, shade options, and even skincare products addressing highly specific concerns, we have it all here. I’m rounding up the local beauty brands that I’ve been loving so far!

There’s a new local makeup line in town called Spotlight and I’m here to walk you through it! This is a pretty extensive line, which is great, because it even has some interesting eye makeup formulations. Everything is under P500 so it’s quite affordable. Still, this is targeted for those looking to level up their makeup collection as it has that pro MUA vibe to it (at least to me). You can check it out in Lazada and Shopee online.

Let’s see what Spotlight has to offer!

There’s so much happening in the world that it feels like the sixth year of 2020 rather than the sixth month. We all have our own ways of coping. The way I do it is by remembering that I still have power. I can’t control what goes on externally but I have a choice on how it affects me and what I’m going to do about it.

From a beauty perspective, one of the ways I exercise choice is through my purchases. Through everything that happened this year, let’s not forget that SMEs are the hardest hit businesses. We all know and love Ellana, Colourette, Pink Sugar and our own In Her Element but here’s a list of local small businesses with products that you might have overlooked!

ICYMI, homegrown brand V&M Naturals has announced that they will be taking a break from production until further notice. Their many fans immediately shared their messages of support on the Instagram post, and started getting backups for their backups! Now, this is the kind of hoarding that I can support (please don’t buy out all the alcohol and face masks - other people need to protect themselves, too) but apart from the CPC+G Oil that Angeli (and everyone else) keeps raving about, I had absolutely no idea what to get from V&M!

Filipinos may love their lipsticks but eyebrow makeup is what they can’t live without! Having a nice pair of kilay is something of a national obsession, so it only makes sense that this would be the focus of Issy & Co’s newest release. ICYMI, this new Filipino brand recently broke into the local beauty scene with their vegan lipstick line in pretty, minimalist packaging. If you haven’t tried anything from them yet, I’m here to rave about their latest drop, the Brow Refiner!

With super hip releases like multisticks and silicone-y lipsticks, it can be easy to forget that Ever Bilena Cosmetics is actually a decades-old company. They’ve done an amazing job of keeping on the pulse of beauty trends, and making them easily accessible to Filipinos at affordable prices. And yes, this includes using vegan and cruelty-free formulas!

College was the time I lived for all the potted and tubed makeup. Those precious mousses, creams, and gels were my way of looking presentable on the fly without requiring skills beyond a little dotting and blending. I think it’s coming full circle now that I’m back to looking for simple products for a more low-maintenance routine.

While going through the newly-opened Metro department store in Cebu, I stumbled upon the cute counter of Squad Cosmetics. I love discovering new brands, and this one got me intrigued because I was told it was local. With a little research, I discovered that they are a sister company of Detail Makeover. The products are formulated in LA but manufactured in China. I also found that a lot of YouTubers have been raving about this pocket-friendly brand, whose priciest product is only P230! So, I couldn’t help myself and picked out a few items to try!

I have a lot of Human Nature favorites that I like to stock up on, and while I can often get them from the grocery, I like being able to visit their stores so that I can check out their newest releases. Recently, I’ve been curious about the Marine Caviar moisturizer and their long-awaited Natural Shampoo Bar (maybe it will change my mind about shampoo bars?) so I went to visit their new store in SM Megamall as soon as it opened last week!

They're 36 and thriving! 2019 has certainly been a fruitful year for Ever Bilena. Earlier this year, the proudly homegrown beauty company expanded their range of products with Kris Aquino through the release of some seriously hydrating tinted lip balms. They then tapped Jodi Sta. Maria to be the latest face of the flagship brand. This was followed by celeb collaborations that were launched with Andrea Brillantes (Careline's Blythe Cosmetics) and Ara Mina (Ara Colours). The year may be almost over, but this local powerhouse is continuing to keep us on our toes!

Issy & Co. is a new local makeup brand that you’ve probably seen around on Instagram or from their celebrity endorser Alex Gonzaga. Apart from the star power though, I was particularly drawn to their minimalist packaging and thoughtful approach to beauty. Not only are they cruelty-free, gluten-free, paraben-free, their formulas are also vegan! 

As a 90s kid, I was thrilled to find lip gloss returning as a beauty trend in 2019. After seeing too many dry and cracking lip looks in the years that matte lipstick reigned supreme, I’m ready for juicy, shiny pouts to be back in business. And local brands are picking up the trend, too. Here are five local lip glosses under P600 that explore the different ways you can wear a super shiny lip!

From snail mucin to sunflower oil, many skincare lovers swear by certain natural ingredients as must-haves in their routine. While I don’t have a go-to just yet, this latest ingredient from Human Nature is a pretty strong contender. I usually have latô along with my favorite inihaw dishes, but I never thought it would be the star ingredient in Human Nature’s Marine Caviar HydroMiracle skincare line!

I’m a bit of a late bloomer when it comes to makeup. I started using a tinted moisturizer (with SPF) and lip balm in high school, but I didn’t buy my first lipstick until I had already started working. Part of my challenge was a limited budget, but the other was that there weren’t really any brands that had a teen-friendly style and price tag. I think that this combination is what makes Careline such an appealing brand for me even though I’m so much older now - the colors are trendy, the products are current, and the quality has honestly been very impressive.

Pink Sugar just seems to hit all the right notes with their product mix, affordable price point, and excellent quality. They offer great value for money, so you’ll often find their products making their way into our favorites! If you haven’t tried anything from them yet and are on the lookout for good budget buys, consider adding these picks to your collection:

Wearing SPF daily is Beauty Rule #1 here on PV, and we’re borderline obsessive about it! Sunscreen is the best anti-aging product, and of course it’s important for preventing skin cancer. As necessary as this step is, applying sunscreen can feel like a chore when there are several more steps to get your face ready. So some people may find using tinted sunscreen as an alternative solution – quick, easy, and perks up your look in no time. The fact that it offers light coverage plus sun protection makes it a busy gal’s go-to, especially when you literally just have five minutes to do your routine. But is it actually enough to protect your skin from sun damage?