This new local brand offers super affordable makeup under 230 pesos (seriously!)
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!
Squad Brow Mascara with Fiber (P129 for 5.8ml)
Squad offers four shades to choose from: Mocha, Chocolate, Brunette, and Taupe. I got the shade Chocolate (a warm red brown) since it matches my colored hair, but if you have natural dark brown hair, Brunette and Taupe are good options. The brush tip is very tiny but enough to grab my brow hairs and brush them into place.
This is best for someone who has uneven brows with bald spots. The fiber is very tiny, and it adds volume and thickness. It also does a good job of creating hair-like strokes if you want to go for the Cara Delevingne look because the gel is thick. Of the Squad products I tried, this impressed me the most because it really set and tamed my oily brows throughout the day!
Squad You Can Face It BB Cream (P159 for 34ml)
Squad Cosmetics actually has a foundation product but there were only three shades available at the counter. None of them suited my skin tone (two shades leaned towards NC10-15 skin tones and one was maybe for NC35 skin tones). The BB cream has a wider selection consisting of five shades with a yellow undertone: Warm Light, Warm Beige, Beige, Tan, and Light. Warm Light was a perfect match for my NC25-30 skin tone.
The BB Cream comes in a travel-friendly squeeze tube with a pump, and has SPF 20 with Vitamin C. It looks very light when swatched on my hand, but it blends well on my face and evens out my complexion. It has a tendency to oxidize though, so I suggest going a shade lighter. Also, expect some flashback since the formula contains SPF. The finish is semi-matte with medium coverage, so my acne scars are still visible. Set with the pressed powder, the staying power is good and it did not make me look greasy. It actually stayed put for a good 6 to 7 hours without retouching, and only had minimal fading. I got a bit oily on my T-zone but it still looks put together!
Squad You Can Face It Pressed Powder (P229 for 11g)
Unlike the liquid bases, the powders have an impressive shade selection with six Pinay skin tone-friendly options: Beige, Tan, Warm Beige, Ivory, and Warm Light. As with the BB Cream, I got the shade Warm Light for my NC25-30 skin tone.
This is the most expensive item they have, but the price is still budget-friendly. You can also opt to just get the refills for P99, which is a major plus! The packaging is very sturdy, with a mirror and applicator sponge for easy touch-ups. The formula is very lightweight, and it did a good job in setting the BB cream into a matte finish without looking thick or heavy. Using the BB cream and powder together is a winning combo for me! The powder alone gives me a semi-matte finish for a good 5 to 6 hours.
Squad Contour and Blush (P199 for 20g)
There are two palettes available, Low Key and Spill The Tea. Spill The Tea blushes are more on the neutral side and seem like a better fit for those with fair skin tones, so I opted to get Low Key. It contains one shade for contouring, two blushes (old rose with tiny shimmers and matte peachy pink), and one highlighter (icy champagne).
This turned out to be my favorite because it really exceeded my expectations! The contour shade has a warm reddish tone, so make sure to dip only once and tap off excess. The highlighter gives me a natural shine, and the blushes have good color payoff. They are all well pigmented, so I suggest tapping lightly and carefully building up color. The staying power is impressive - after a good 8 hours, my contour, blush, and highlight are still noticeable!
Squad Eyeshadow Palette (P199 for 17g)
They offer four palettes in Berry, Peach, Natural, and Boss. The Peach variant stood out to me the most, with a mix of 4 shimmery and 5 matte shades. I was really surprised by the quality of these shadows! There is little to no fallout, and even the matte shades are a breeze to apply and blend.
Some matte shades have a bit of powder kickoff, but you can just tap off the excess before application. The shimmery shades can also use a little help from eye primer since they aren’t as blinding as I’d like them to be. To improve intensity, I lightly mist my brush before applying the eyeshadow for an intense pop of color. Still, I highly recommend this palette as the eyeshadows pretty much stayed on throughout the day, even without eye primer. Very impressive!
Squad Lip Tint (P75 for 5ml)
Of the five shades available, I got Monika - a classic red orange tint. It has a water-based consistency similar to Benefit’s Benetint. However, I didn’t like using these on my lips though because water-based tints have a tendency to be a bit drying for me. Instead, I used it for my cheeks! I dab a little on the back of my hand before placing it to my cheeks because it dries very quickly. The payoff is very sheer and gives a natural-looking flush to the cheeks. I had to build up the color to get that drunk blush effect but it held up for a good 4 to 5 hours of wear.
Squad Soft Matte Lipstick (P149 for 4.1g)
The selection of eight shades range from nudes and soft pinks to reds. Headstrong was a no-brainer choice for me since it’s a warm rose pink that would suit all skin tones. It has a very pigmented and creamy formula with a soft matte finish. No tugging at all and the color applied smoothly! I found it to be moisturizing and very comfortable to wear, but I wish it was more long-wearing. The color fades after just sipping a drink, and I had to reapply all the time. A lipliner might come in handy if you want to extend the wear time of this lippie.
I am quite impressed with the range of products that Squad Cosmetics has to offer, and my experience has been mostly positive. I am a fan! I hope they add more foundation shade options, and that they provide product swatches to make online shopping easier. Check out Squad Cosmetics on Instagram for a list of their stores, or shop them on Shopee, BeautyMNL, and Lazada.
