Historically, women like buying affordable luxuries like red lipstick and face powder after a crisis. But after COVID-19, I bet most of us will be keeping our masks on and our lips covered. With the bottom half of their faces covered, people are choosing to play up their eyes and brows. Sales of eyeshadow palettes and other types of eye makeup have increased dramatically, according to Inquirer. They called it the “eyeliner effect”.

I was browsing through Instagram last week when I saw local haute couture designer Mak Tumang post about his mask collection. I was interested because I’ve been following his work for years - before taking Catriona Grey to the finish line as Miss Universe 2018 with her famous Mayon Gown (also known as Lava Gown), he has been making stunning bridal and couture gowns for his dedicated clients. I love his obvious attention to detail and appreciate the craftsmanship that goes into each piece. I can’t afford a Mak Tumang gown, but it’s free to look! I think of his pieces as wearable art because of the vision he incorporates into his work.

Constant hand AND dish washing both make it easy for my hands to dry up like a prune if I don’t watch it. I use gentle cleansers yes, and I moisturize regularly, but sometimes I need a heavy hitter like the Lush Dream Cream Hand and Body Lotion (P345/45 g and P1,150/240g at Lush PH). The Lush Philippines team sent this to me a couple of months back - they have an online store btw! - so I’ve been testing it out. The verdict? It works.

I’ve taken to wearing perfume at home, usually right before I sleep. Is that weird? I think it makes perfect sense. I get to enjoy my favorite scent on my pajamas and pillowcase, and this helps me to relax as I listen to the Calm app before sleeping. If that’s not one of the best ways to use perfume, I don’t know what is!

Last week, my younger brother asked for my help in taking his photo for a school project. After showing him what I felt was the best shot, he told me that his skin doesn’t look so good. I offered to do his makeup for the photo, because I knew that all he needed was a bit of concealer and powder. My brother declined. He said that he is simply not comfortable with wearing makeup. When I asked if it’s because he thinks makeup is just for girls, he said no.

Happy Skin first came out with their Lip Mallow formula last February and reviews confirmed that it stays true to its “velvety air-whipped formula that wraps the lips in a weightless cloud of smooth color with a cushion-soft powder matte finish” promise. Just a couple of months after and we are getting six additional shades in the line. The bonus? These new ones are coffee-inspired and mostly nude tones that are perfect for every day.

Two months of isolation have left me sorely in need of a haircut and a good wax. While we ladies might emerge from quarantine with slightly longer hair, the men are starting to look downright shaggy.

Most guys go to the barbershop every three weeks to refresh their ‘do and to have their facial hair professionally landscaped. We show how three guys dealt with a 12-week barbershop ban in different ways!

We don’t want to jinx it, but F-Beauty may just be the next big trend you’ll hear the global beauty community buzzing about. Earlier this year, Nylon published an article heralding the entry of Filipino Beauty to the global stage. Nylon’s fearless forecast? Filipino Beauty, or F-Beauty in short, is on its way to achieving K-Beauty status.

I am a self-confessed lipstick lover but I found myself reaching for a different type of lip product lately. Even with 16 lip balms currently in rotation, I’m afraid I have a couple more ready for checkout! There’s something comforting about slathering moisture all over my perpetually dry lips as I usually get flaky bits that hurt and bleed when accidentally peeled. I’ve grouped the balms according to “function” for ease. Let’s discuss!

Since puberty I’ve had to deal with painful, cystic acne and the deep pitted scars they’d leave in their wake. It was a long journey but these days I wake up with clear skin - a vast improvement from just a few years ago. I still have some scars but they’re on their way out. I even stopped wearing foundation recently!

The difference between then and now was a PCOS diagnosis, and learning to avoid foods that trigger it.

If you clicked on this then, like me, you probably enjoy looking through someone’s kikay kit. Some people might call it nosy; I call it curiosity! After all, isn’t it fun to discover someone’s favorite products through their makeup bags? It’s also quite exciting when you find out that someone owns a product you also love.

I’ve been using the Kiehl's Ultra Light Daily UV Defense since last year and I love it. It’s lightweight and doesn’t dry my skin, so it was especially useful during my travels when the weather is cooler! It wears well under makeup and never makes my skin feel greasy during the day. Recently, I’ve been trying out the Kiehl’s Ultra Light Daily UV Defense Aqua Gel SPF 50 PA++++ (P2,100 /30ml or P3,100 / 60ml from the Kiehl’s PH website) which is supposedly an even lighter version. So is it better?

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!

If you’re working from home for the foreseeable future and are in video calls day in and day out, you might be thinking about getting a ring light. Lighting is everything when it comes to looking presentable online, after all! However, if you don’t want to spend on a fancy rig, I’ve got a super easy DIY solution for you that you can source from the hardware store and/or the department store and do in five minutes. Let’s go!

Many beauty lovers temporarily put the makeup away in favor of renewed vigor for baking and skincare when summer 2020 was “canceldt” due to the pandemic. Admittedly, I went down the same path, in addition to doubling my efforts in balcony vegetable gardening! Even during the intense heat and lagkit though, my dry skin is still a high-maintenance piece of work that gets exacerbated by the frequent baths and hand washing. Here’s what works for me - my current hot-weather skincare routine that’s preventing my face from getting as leathery as the backs of my hands.

My first bout with tretinoin was not a good one. In fact, it caused me my first trip to the dermatologist. I was in middle school and suffering from acne. And since I was a teen who didn’t know any better and would pick at my pimples, I ended up with many dark scars or hyperpigmentation! I would constantly look for quick ways to get rid of the marks. Out of curiosity, I tried using Maxi Peel’s #3 Exfoliant Solution (because I was a badass - don’t be like me) after seeing ads about it.

It’s tough for beauty businesses to keep going during the pandemic, but Ellana Cosmetics was fast to adapt and create a new line of products despite drastic limitations during the lockdown. They were actually able to come out with new soaps and sanitizers in April! I’ll review those next time, but today I’d like to show you the new Ellana Mood Mask Washable Face Mask (P199) which is currently available in their website.

Imagine your hair brush riddled with hair after every brushing. Or when your shower drain gets clogged from way too much hair each time you shampoo. This became my story post-partum. I would even wake up to the sound of my husband vacuuming beside our bed because there are strands everywhere and our baby likes to pick them up. Now my doctor did advise me that some hair fall is to be expected after giving birth, so I wasn’t initially worried about the amount I’m losing. But of course, I did not want to lose as much if I can help it!

Yesterday Happy Skin released the Fresh Morning Dew Collection, which aims to deliver a fuss-free fresh face that’s comfortable to wear during the crazy hot summer. I find this collection tight and well-conceptualized; if you don’t like spending a lot of time on makeup, hate the makeup-y feeling on skin, and love to use flattering multi-use colors, then this line-up is made for you.

Let’s take a look!

In one sense, quarantine has been “easy.” But in another sense, it hasn’t been. Here I will once again acknowledge my special circumstances: I am mentally ill, and my condition comes with depressive and anxious episodes. But even if I wasn’t a “clinical case,” the COVID-19 situation has produced feelings of fear and powerlessness - of being able to only watch through a screen as the world as we know falls apart - that have been incredibly difficult to push past.