Capsule Reviews: My top five picks from Club Clio

Have you heard the good news? Club Clio is now available at SM Makati's beauty section! No need to travel all the way to Trinoma or Lucky Chinatown mall if you're a Southern gal because these hot K-beauty brands are now within easy reach. If you've never tried anything from Goodal, Peripera, or Clio and don't know what to get, you've come to the right place. I got to pick up items during the store’s grand opening, so I'm sharing my finds and giving the lowdown on which products have made their way to my regular makeup routine!

The very first thing that caught my eye when I entered the store was the Nudism line, particularly the Nudism Water Grip Cushion (P1,550). With a unique-looking cushion base, it looked somewhat like a cross between a honeycomb and a spa bathrobe. When I went in for a swatch with my fingers, I was surprised to get a watery liquid combined with globs of color. WTH?! It was strange, for sure, but it was also intriguing. I proceeded to swatch with the the sponge applicator, and the ingredients appeared as normal once the rubicell sponge soaked everything up. As the Kylie Minogue song goes, I just couldn’t get it out of my head. Obviously, it had to be part of my cart!

Wearing the Nudism Water Grip Cushion

Remember when I mentioned earlier that this cushion compact reminds me of the spa? Well, that’s because it’s also one of the most comfortable cushion compact formulas I’ve ever had the pleasure of using. It features sheer, lightweight coverage without a hint of stickiness - almost as though I'm just patting on an essence! 

The result is a chok chok glow with a bit of coverage for my dry skin. After two to three passes, the appearance of dark spots and redness is reduced but not completely covered up, so you'll definitely need a concealer. The coverage starts to face from my nose by hour three. 

The Nudism Water Grip Brightener (P920) is a click-pen concealer/brightener with a brush tip that also comes with a marquise-shaped marshmallowy sponge for blending. I find this a little tricky to use as the click function is kind of awkward: two clicks aren't enough to dispense any product but then a whole glob comes out on the third click.

I’ve tried using the included sponge both wet and dry to see how well it blends, and I find that a damp sponge feels slightly less tacky as it smoothes the brightener onto the skin. You can also just use fingers to dab and blend the product in place, though the sponge is nice if you don’t want to deal with the tackiness directly.

Applied concealer with (from left) a wet sponge and a dry sponge

Just like its cushion foundie counterpart, it gives off more of a brightening effect rather than any hardcore coverage. For kicks, I tried it on dark spots, pimple scars, and redness, and it honestly didn’t do much. When set with powder, it starts to crease ever so slightly at  4-5 hours but I only notice this when I get close up to the mirror. It isn’t prone to settling deeply on fine lines, which I appreciate. 

For a face base that covers more ground and offers a dewy finish without drying out skin, I suggest the Kill Cover Liquid Founwear Ampoule Cushion (P1,650). I was so impressed to discover that a single pass is enough to make redness disappear and significantly fade and even out hyper pigmentation and pimple scars! If you find a great color match with this line, you may even choose to skip concealer altogether.

Wearing the Kill Cover Liquid Founwear Ampoule Cushion

Like the Nudism cushion, I get three hours after setting with powder before I see that the color on the tip of my nose has completely gone. The only negative thing I have to say about this is that the included sponge applicator has a very thick rim at the edges. Whenever I accidentally touch the edge part to my skin, it tends to create an unsightly line of disturbed foundation that I have to pat down again.

Wearing Peripera Peri’s Ink Velvet in Dollish Beige Rose

For someone who hasn’t quite gotten on the liquid lipstick and lip tint bandwagon, the Peripera Peri’s Ink Velvet (P450) sure makes a convincing case for both! The whipped-textured Ink Velvet is airy light, easy to apply and layer, and has a grape candy scent. I don’t have to fret about how thick or thin the application should be (as with some liquid lipstick formulas), and the velvety finish is forgiving on lip lines.

I got the shade Dollish Beige Rose, which is said to be the best-selling color in the collection. It is an eye-popping medium coral that dries with a rosy pink tinge. Now, the Peri’s Ink line is known for leaving behind a stain. The actual velvet lip color transfers normally with eating and drinking like the average liquid lippie, but if left to settle for at least 30 minutes on the pout, a hot pink stain does remain.

Wearing Clio Mad Matte Lip in Russet Rose

Another lip product I’m loving is the Clio Mad Matte Lip (P750). It might easily get lost in the sea of trendy matte lippies but I recommend that you give this line a second glance. If you are a traditionalist when it comes to matte lip formulas, you’ll appreciate the creamy-smooth glide, delectable chocolate scent, and 4 hours of comfortable wear.

The round shape of the tip can be a bit awkward to work on the edges of the mouth (as it typically is with round lipstick shapes), but careful angling should take care of it. My pick, Russet Rose, is a medium dusty pink that has a luxurious look to it. The color can be worn daily, but it has a va-va-voom factor that goes beyond an MLBB.

From left: Clio Nudism Water Grip Cushion, Kill Cover Liquid Founwear Ampoule Cushion, Nudism Water Grip Brightener, Peripera Peri’s Ink Velvet, and Clio Mad Matte Lip

The verdict? I did not experience any cakiness or dryness from either cushion compact, so both are ideal for my dry skin attempting to achieve the Koreanovela star level of glow. From what I recall, they only offer three shades for their base products and those tend to lean light. The formulas are great, but cross your fingers that you get a good match. As for the lippies, I would love to explore the other shades from Peripera and Clio! They feature a lot of bright and bold shades, so it will be fun to challenge myself.

Have you shopped at Club Clio yet? Which products are you most interested to try?