Beauty essentials for a cool summer

Laura Mercier, who recently went viral on TikTok for her Real Flawless Face foundations and brushes, also has color cosmetics so high-quality they deserve to go viral.

Laura Mercier Philippines recently tied up with The Beauty Edit to relaunch makeup essentials perfect for summer, and it was eye-opening (literally, if you use Laura’s Caviar Stick Eye Shadow).

“We want to reintroduce the brand as a total beauty brand that also boasts of color and complexion,” says Laura Mercier Philippines’s brand manager Christine Felix.

To get the easiest, chic summer look in seconds flat, you just need three products: the aforementioned Caviar Stick Eye Shadow — “The advantage is it’s very blendable, it’s 24-hour wearing and ophthalmologist- and dermatologist-tested, so if you have sensitive eyes, this is the perfect eye shadow product for you,” says Laura Mercier globally certified resident trainer Drew Curata. The Beauty Edit founder Nicole Limos-Morales used it on her eyes, and said it’s perfect for eyeshadow-averse Pinays because it’s mistake-proof and sets in 20 seconds flat.

Next is Laura Mercier’s Tinted Moisturizer Blush, a game changer inspired by Mercier’s Hall of Fame Tinted Moisturizer. This multipurpose product can be used on the eyes, lips, as a bronzer, and has skincare benefits as well, like hydration and anti-pollution. Plus, like the Caviar Stick, you don’t need brushes to apply it, just fingers.

The final essential is Laura Mercier’s new High Vibe lip color, eight shades inspired by the vibrant colors of festivals, concert and raves. Infused with moisture- and collagen-boosting ingredients like guava oil extract, it’s so pigmented you get bold color with just one swipe. I love the shades Love, a toasted nude; and Joy, a pale rose.

***

Laura Mercier is available at brand boutiques and Rustan’s The Beauty Source.

Makeup that treats you well

Avon continues its streak of encouraging women to embrace their power with the new Make-up +Care Range, a multi-benefit makeup line with an infusion of active skincare ingredients, improving skin instantly and even after you take it off, as it helps to treat, perfect and protect.

To celebrate the expansion of the Makeup +Care collection, Avon introduced vlogger Mimiyuuuh as its face. “I’m so excited to be part of a brand that believes in the power of beauty to improve the lives of everyone,” she said.

“At Avon, we believe that beauty is more than what meets the eye,” says Anna Garces, head of marketing for Avon PH and APAC. “That’s why we are excited to introduce the latest addition to our Makeup +Care Range: Hydramatic Shine Lipstick.”

Hydramatic Shine merges mirror-like shine with a Hydrating Hyaluronic Core, and is available in 10 shades, from everyday-wear Hydra Shine Mauve Crème or Nude to the striking  Hydra Shine Scarlet. Made with over 50% transformative ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin and SPF 20, it helps smoothen lips and reduce the appearance of fine lines, while the outer core delivers intense color.

Also new is Hydramatic Matte Lipstick, the first of its kind with a hydrating hyaluronic core, available in two new shades: Hydra Berry and Hydra Honey. Lastly, the 3-in-1 Serum Foundation, infused with SPF 30, is the key to a perfect glowing complexion, with skin that looks and feels healthier, brighter and smoother, instantly and over time.

The Avon Makeup + Care Range launched in time for the brand’s International Women’s Day campaign. In line with Avon’s commitment of encouraging individuals to speak out against violence and shine bright for women in need, P10 will be donated to Avon’s partner organizations that help rescue and rehabilitate survivors of abuse for every Hydramatic Shine Lipstick sold.

***

Follow Avon at https://www.avon.ph/ph-home, https://www.facebook.com/AvonPhilippines/, http://instagram.com/avonph, http://www.youtube.com/avonphilippines and https://twitter.com/avonph.

Firmer skin in just one week

As I get older and things start to go south, I appreciate skincare like Shiseido’s revamped Vital Perfection Uplifting and Firming Advanced Cream, which has been proven effective on Asian skin. This nourishing cream is powered by the combination of ReNeuraRED and SafflowerRED technologies: SafflowerRED is derived from the Mogami Safflower, which is commonly used to improve blood circulation and beautify the skin. This precious flower originates from Japan’s Yagamata Prefecture, where the women are renowned for their beauty.

On the other hand, ReNeuraRED allows the nerves in your skin to detect active ingredients better so that your skin can respond and regenerate faster, optimizing blood flow and oxygen level. These groundbreaking technologies work synergistically to enhance the skin’s nutrient network, ensuring optimal nutrient delivery to address firmness, lifting, and dark spots. In one week, you’ll see a ?35% firmer, brighter, and more lifted look with reduced wrinkles.

To accommodate different skin types and needs, the revamped Vital Perfection collection features two new creams: the Vital Perfection Concentrated Supreme Cream with twice the SafflowerRED concentration and face-sculpting properties, as it activates facial muscles and improves lymph flow for a sharper look after just one week of use.

For a cream with a lighter consistency, I recommend Vital Perfection Uplifting and Firming Advanced Cream Soft, which has a more gel-like, whipped texture for quick absorption.

***

Shiseido customers can enjoy campaign perks on and offline with pop-ups in prominent Metro Manila malls, expert consultations via the Skin Visualizer and expert beauty consultants, and 15-minute “Firm, Lift and Brighten” services that can instantly take at least one mm off your facial contours by visiting your local Shiseido counter.

‘Clean girl’ fragrance

Transparent and fresh, Diptyque Fleur de Peau embodies the “clean girl” aesthetic and is perfect to wear to work yet will take you to date night thanks to the underlying sexiness of fruity ambrette seed, powdery iris and spicy pink peppercorns. The good news is that you can get the scent in more ways than the eau de parfum now.  Called “perfumed gestures,” Fleur de Peau is now available in a hair mist, cleansing hand and body gel, hand and body lotion, and perfumed hand cream.

I love the hair mist, which has nourishing camellia oil to protect your hair while leaving it beautifully scented.  The cleansing gel is a luxurious bathing experience, while the lotion is the secret to making Fleur de Peau last and boost its scent trail of that cottony-soft, musk scent.

***

Fleur de Peau scented products are available at the Diptyque boutique in Central Square Mall and Rustan’s The Beauty Source.

Beauty for even the most sensitive skin

NYC-based aesthetician and herbal medicine expert Victoria Leung started Elvis+ Elvin (named after her two sons) when she couldn’t find any products mild enough to use on their skin. Thus, E+E features naturally derived ingredients like African marula oil in cutting-edge East-meets-West skincare formulations based on Leung’s Chinese heritage.

Made in the USA, products like the bestselling Lilac Revitalizing Treatment Mask and makeup like Hyaluronic Setting Powder with Fullerene are made in small batches to guarantee that their ingredients are active when purchased. All of their solutions are formulated to be effective but delicate enough for the most sensitive skin types. Elvis+Elvin even have hair and body care and solid and liquid perfumes featuring star ingredient rose combined with fresh notes like black currant.

***

Elvis + Elvin is available in select Beauty Bar stores.

Anti-aging for the whole eye area

Nuxe just launched its Super Serum [10] Eye, which concentrates all the anti-aging effectiveness of its Super Serum [10] but designed specifically for 360-degree correction of the eye area, including lids. Like the OG serum, this eye product is composed of golden pearls encapsulating 100%-natural fractionated botanical oils and concentrated natural hyaluronic acid to stimulate natural youth mechanisms and lock in moisture. Botanical caffeine is also added to de-puff and provide antioxidant, decongesting and refreshing properties. I like it because it’s light, instantly absorbs into the skin with no greasy finish and makes my eyes feel and look instantly bright.

***

Nuxe is available at Rustan’s The Beauty Source.

A luxe yet efficient way to eliminate dandruff

Kerastase made a breakthrough in anti-dandruff solutions with its Symbiose Anti-Pelliculaire range. The Anti-Dandruff Solution shampoo and conditioner have lasting action for eight weeks, and made my hair shiny and bouncy.  The Symbiose intensive anti-dandruff cellular night serum acts for eight hours continuously while you sleep — during your scalp’s most regenerative moment — to help eliminate dandruff at the source and prevent it from reappearing, while Kerastase’s renowned quality and luxurious sensoriality make you and your tresses feel pampered.

***

Trial sizes are available at the Kerastase store on Lazada.

Get your glow on in 10 days

Singaporean brand Dewha is all about glow, and achieving it in 10 days with their glow-focused formulas.  Dewha’s Perfect Glow CC Cushion SPF 30+/PA+++ brightens and hydrates skin while blurring imperfections; the Pore Perfecting PHA Serum minimizes pores with hyaluronic acid, ceramides, antioxidants and a gentle exfoliator; while the Intense Hydrating Essence Mask is powered by award-winning microcurrent facial technology, generating tiny electrical currents and releasing negative ions so its skin-rejuvenating ingredients can penetrate deeply and repair skin intensively.

***

Available at www.dewha.co.

Chic, affordable makeup from Milan

Kiko Milano is an affordably priced brand from Italy that offers beauty trends filtered through the chic Milan perspective, and 99% of their 1,200-strong product range is made in Europe. I’m a fan of their colorful eyeshadow quads and right now, their Little Mermaid quad is on sale at Zalora. I also like their innovative Water long-lasting wet and dry-use eyeshadow singles, which are baked with an embossed thumbprint, illustrating the brand’s philosophy of self-expression. For lips, I’m partial to Kiko Milano’s 3D Hydra lip gloss: 02 is a lovely nude shade with gold sparkles, and their Maxi Mod Volume and Definition mascara makes your lashes pop in a jiffy.

***

Kiko Milano is on sale now at Zalora and has an official online shop at Shopee.

This eye pencil’s Brown tone COMPLEMENTS any eye color

I recently fell in love with KissMe Heroine Make Soft Define Cream Pencil, a Japan-made eyeliner pencil that is beginner-friendly and brown-toned to complement any eye color! A makeup artist supervised its “soft-focus” color design and formula to create perfect shades that aren’t too dark or light, but adds natural contrast to the eyes. Its creamy, super-smooth texture allows you to effortlessly draw from the inner to the outer corner of your eyes; I like filling in the gaps between my lashes for the most natural look. With a waterproof formula resistant to sweat, sebum, and tears, it lasts the whole day and once it sets, it’s smudge-proof. As if that wasn’t enough, it contains six types of moisturizing beauty serums: hyaluronic acid, collagen, Rosa Canina fruit oil, panthenol, Lipidure and Swertia Japonica extract.

***

Available at Shopbeautyboxcorp.com.