Staying at home all day doesn’t mean that we should stop looking pretty. In fact there are more meetings now than before (how is that even possible?) so there’s a constant need to look presentable on a webcam! If you’re looking to do a complete look without spending a lot on extra products, allow me to present a solution that’s multifunctional and affordable.

If Issy & Co. Cosmetics is still not on your radar then you’re missing out. This Filipino brand - only less than a year old - is hitting its stride with amazing releases so far, and its newest collection with celebrity Alex Gonzaga is the brand putting pedal to the metal! In line with the brand’s promise of “beauty made easy,” this big release features three multifunctional and no-fuss products: highlighter slimsticks, créme blushes, and lip mousses. Here’s my review and swatches of the entire collection!

Generation Happy Skin has always been about high-performance, everyday-wearable makeup. And with superstar Kathryn Bernardo as the face of this line, her minimalist beauty philosophy of combining healthy, glowing skin with touches of flattering color is a spot-on fit with the brand’s latest releases. After trying several pieces out, I have to say that the Here to Bloom collection isn’t just an inspiring statement. It’s a promise.

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!

I have a naturally round and fleshy face. I honestly feel it looks fine in person, but it renders much, much larger on camera. I know I shouldn’t care, but it’s difficult not to care when people are always so surprised to see me in person not being as large as they thought I was! This is why contouring is a key part of my makeup routine. Thank goodness it doesn’t take a lot of time, especially with products like the Revlon Photoready Insta-Sculpt Duo (P775 for 7.6 grams on Lazada)!

Last September 17, Clinique Philippines mounted this gorgeous event called Pink Oasis in Okada Manila. With it, they re-introduced the Clinique Moisture Surge 72-Hour Auto Replenishing Hydrator (P2650 for 50ml, at Rustans.) The Moisture Surge line has been so successful that several variants have come out, including an Intense variant. I have previously tried the most basic variant, the Moisture Surge, through travel-sized gifts and have always enjoyed the lightweight hydration the gel format brings.

I’ve been an avid fan and collector of liquid blushes since NARS released their version in 2017. I’ve tried a bunch of options from Glossier, Inglot, and Peri Pera, but I always come back to NARS for its longevity and luxe feel. Imagine my surprise to find ads of Nee Cara Liquid Blush (P260 for 15g, at Shopee) that look so much like the NARS blushes, down to the shade range. Now imagine the electric charge in the air when my editor proposed to compare the two, plus the liquid blushes from O.TWO.O (P300 for 15g at Shopee), a Chinese company that also sells liquid blushes in the same packaging and shade range! And so I tested the three formulas to investigate how similar they are and why the Nee Cara and O.TWO.O blushes look the same.

Ah, the multi-pot - endlessly desirable (at least for me) yet somewhat difficult to manage. We already love cream blushes, but I love the idea of having one product I can use for multiple applications that I can toss into my bag. They’re also a hot topic due to the new Sunnies Face Airblush release, so for those who want to be more conscientious about their beauty purchases, we decided to test it out together with other cream products to find out which one reigns supreme.

When you barely have a minute to put your face together, swiping on a favorite lipstick is a fast and easy way to elevate your look. If you’ve ever been told that you look pale or sickly because you skipped your usual full face of makeup, putting on lipstick literally brings color back to your face. But what happens if you’re too busy to reapply throughout the day? We discovered that Pink Sugar’s Sugar Tint Lip & Cheek Tints (P349 each) is a great solution to this problem!

It’s a great time to be a makeup junkie. The past few years have witnessed the birth of several new local makeup brands, and each one of them has been bringing their A-game to the table. One of these new players is Vice Cosmetics, which just launched last year. With the success of several lines of lipsticks and their first collab, Vice is upping the ante with a range of powder highlighters, blushes, and contour called the Aura Collection.

I am not as well versed in J-beauty as I’d like to be. Unlike the rest of the PV team, my experience with Japanese cosmetics can be condensed to a few award winning skincare, cult-favorite mascaras, and the ever famous Shu Uemura lash curler. I’m currently on a streak of more natural makeup looks so Canmake Philippines’ newly-released matte lip tint and cream blush were welcome additions to my current rotation!

While tints may currently be the more popular option, I'm a big fan of lip and cheek balms. They're multipurpose (which saves money as well as kikay kit space) but also generally easier to use than liquid tints. Locally, we've got great new options from two well-loved, homegrown brands!

How did we get from being afraid of looking even the slightest bit greasy to attempting to replicate dewy skin with the clever use of makeup? I’ll tell you how: pure, shimmery magic! Highlighter has become a permanent fixture to the #FOTD in recent years, deflecting from tired eyes, subtly defining bone structure, and adding brightness to dull skin. We’ve gone the Splurge vs. Save route and even dished on the ones that we can’t live without. So it’s pretty much a no-brainer to revisit the budget picks that’ll help you shine more for a lot less!

One of my big beauty lessons in 2017 was the importance of wearing blush. I didn't think it was crucial to my makeup routine until I realized how it instantly gives life to my face even when I'm feeling haggard. Different blush shades could also give a different feel to my monochromatic “natural” look: blue-based pinks make me look sweet and innocent, while a warm orange gives me a back-from-the-beach flush! 

Loving a blush feels a lot like being in a long-term relationship. People don’t tend to swap around blush shades as often as they would lipstick or eyeshadow. For as long as it jives well enough with your collection of lippies, then you can keep wearing the same blush shade again and again! In that sense, a blush is like an investment piece in your makeup wardrobe. And while we love ourselves a popping pink or a plush peach, a dusty rose shade spells refined flush and versatility across various skin tones and lipsticks. Dare we call it the MCBB (My Cheeks But Better) blush?

A good blush goes a long way in elevating your look. Done right, it can make a face look younger, slimmer, brighter, and even cuter. Naturally, we tend to favor pinks for a natural flush, oranges for a sun-kissed feel, or even reds to show up on stage. But I bet many of us never thought that purple is actually a great blush color! My fellow PV writer Stacie recently raved about using purple blush in our Halloween live vid. If you've been curious about how it works, I'm sharing tips on how to use it!

When we say ‘face or base products’ in cosmetics, we automatically think of different kinds of foundation, maybe primers and setting products for those who use them. However, this category actually includes a larger, oft-forgotten collection of products, including those that you do not necessarily put all over your face. These are bronzer, blush, contour and highlight.

Environment-friendly and proudly Filipino, VMV Hypoallergenics boasts of more than 30 years in the beauty industry. Their products, both skincare and makeup, are rated on their hypoallergenicity and are well-known for their incredible #skinthusiasm. Since Liz previously reviewed and loved both the Skintangible SPF30 and the Fine Finish Pore Minimizing Skin Mattifier, we've got high hopes for their latest release, the Boldly Glow Coconut Oil Skin Bloom Blush Sticks!

Blush is the easiest way to freshen up our face but it's also notorious for not being able to keep up with our day. So, for today’s beauty throwdown, we are pitting some of our favorite powder blushes against each other to see which one looks the best even after hours and hours of wear! Who doesn't want that pop of color to still be as vibrant and flattering at the end of the day, right? Let's go!

Building a beauty empire out of a blog is no longer an impossible dream, thanks to entrepreneurs like Emily Weiss who paved the way for the rest of us. Into The Gloss is one of my favorite websites from years ago and I'm glad that its offshoot beauty brand, Glossier, has become an international sensation as well.