Easy beauty for women on the go
OTG Easy Beauty is a minimalist, Filipina-designed brand that caters to modern Filipinas “On The Go,” created with Filipino and Asian skin in mind.
“OTG Easy Beauty was created by women, for women,” says cofounder Joy Go. “We aim to create makeup products that offer quality and affordability at the same time.”
Cofounder Carmina Sanchez-Jacob says OTG’s products fit every on-the-go lifestyle. “Nowadays, the definition of beauty is becoming more expansive and intertwined with an individual’s sense of well-being,” she says. “As such, we create cruelty-free, multi-use, and functional pieces that provide users the ease of doing their makeup and help them to focus on more essential things in their day-to-day life.”
OTG’s products are made in Korea and infused with quality ingredients and rich pigments that blend well and last long. Another of the brand’s goals is to produce zero-waste products, therefore packaging is devoid of unnecessary boxes and plastics.
I tried OTG and am in love. With just four easy-to-use products (all of them are double-ended and portable), you can create a polished look in five minutes flat.
OTG’s Brow Stick Duo has a retractable kohl gel pencil on one end and a spoolie on the other. The teardrop-shaped pencil (formulated with rice bran oil, which is rich in Omega 3 and 6), creates natural, hair-like strokes in three shades — Latte, Espresso, and Ash — for only P295 each.
The Precise Liner Duo (P395) boasts a brush liner on one tip and a buit-in eraser on the other. This eyeliner is not only waterproof, budge-proof and smudge-proof, it also helps moisturize, improve skin elasticity and hydrate with pro vitamin B5. I wasn’t afraid to try winged liner because I was able to erase any mistakes in seconds flat. It comes in two essential shades: Jet Black and Espresso.
OTG Easy Beauty’s 3D Fiber Mascara Duo is two mascaras in one: one end volumizes and curls, while the other lengthens and defines. Plant-based oils nourish and moisturize the lashes, while oleic acid helps calm and repair skin. Like the liner, it’s available in Jet Black or Espresso for only P395.
Complete the look with a healthy flush: OTG Easy Beauty’s All Over Creamy Blush Stick Duo is a multi-use stick that you can also apply on eyes and lips. Featuring non-comedogenic ingredients that absorb oil, the berry- and rose-toned cream is a snap to blend with the detachable brush on the other end (P695).
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OTG Easy Beauty is available at the LazMall store. Buy in bundles to get discounts (available in Easy Eyes, Easy Face and Easy Essential Bundles). Follow @otgeasybeauty on Facebook and Instagram.
This New York brand loves the philippines
Filipinos love Kiehl’s and the feeling is mutual, so the New York-based apothecary brand recently released Kiehl’s Loves the Philippines, local bestsellers like Calendula Herbal Extract Toner, Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream, Retinol Skin Renewing Daily Micro-dose Serum and Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution in limited-edition packaging bearing colorful illustrations of jeepneys, “dirty” ice cream carts and Mount Mayon.
Kiehl’s first declared its love for our country in 2018, when New York-based artist Ali Mac drew her take on our whale shark and Chocolate Hills. In 2019 Simone Massoni whimsically depicted Philippine flora like the gumamela and coconut trees.
Then the pandemic happened, but it’s good to see that Kiehl’s has remained steadfast in its love, which is not just about packaging but also about supporting local NGOs and their initiatives.
This year Kiehl’s is partnering with Save Philippine Seas by helping fund “Earthducation: Change the Current,” which aims to teach 150 public school teachers about climate change and how to take action. Thirty teachers will then be selected to receive P15,000 to implement projects within their community.
It’s the kind of love that keeps on giving.
An ode to summer in three acts
Last May Issy & Co. launched its first product for 2022, Phyto Complex Skin Mist — Act I in a three-act launch: Ode to the Sea.
The hydrating spray has a complex called Biophytex LS 9832, a soothing blend of botanicals like Centella Asiatica and Calendula Officinalis extracts to prep skin before makeup or refresh it throughout the day.
Dermatologist-influencer Dr. Erin Tababa-Santos explained that even if you have oily or combination skin like the majority of Filipinos, your skin could still be dehydrated. “If you don’t address the skin dryness, you can experience symptoms like itching and visible flaking,” she said.
The derma herself uses the mist “when I’m stressed or feeling a need to refresh my skin. It helps me relax and, if you have flaky skin, you can actually smoothen the skin’s texture and it gives your moisturizer something to hold on to.”
Issy’s recent Act II was Ode to the Sun. Cofounder and chief creative officer Joel Martin Andrade launched eight Solar Balms — lip screens with SPF 30 PA+++ in matte Natural and creamy Glow finishes. “We use jojoba and meadowfoam seed oils as the main emollients because they have lots of antioxidants and improve sunscreen efficacy,” Andrade said.
He asked Dr. Santos if we need SPF on the lips and she replied, “Of course, because it’s special skin. It’s actually thinner (than facial skin) so dapat hindi natin siya naiiwan.”
Andrade is proud of the fact that the balms boast a hybrid sunscreen, combining chemical and physical filters so they provide broad-spectrum sun protection. “If you have both in one product, you get the best of both worlds because then you have protection against UVB and UVA,” affirms Dr. Santos.
The four Natural shades include Petal, a cool rosy pink; Melodrama, a berry mauve; Sherbet, a warm peach; and Undone, a nude brown. Glow provides shiny, creamy versions of Natural: peachy Bloom, berry Promiscuous (named so because it has a “dangerous-girl vibe,” according to Andrade), cool-pink Playdate and nude-brown Slick. Makeup artist Slo Lopez’s pro tip is that you can even use Issy’s brow pencil as a lip liner for Undone and Slick!
Ever the innovator — not only in terms of products but marketing — Issy & Co.’s ode to summer has one more act to go. “The trilogy of launches aims to bring back a sense of emotion and awareness to how product and makeup, especially, can not only serve their purpose but also make one dream and even at times escape,” Andrade says.
I’m looking forward to the third and final act.
Get smooth, bouncy mochi skin
Get the smooth, bouncy mochi skin of your dreams with Hada Labo’s Gokujyun Hydrating face lotion. The cult J-beauty brand has two variants you can choose from — both infused with four types of hyaluronic acid.
First is the classic: Japan’s No. 1 hydrating face lotion formulated for dry to normal skin. It deeply hydrates skin, replenishes moisture and creates a moisture-locking shield to prevent moisture loss and enhance absorption of other skincare ingredients.
The second is the Hydrating Light face lotion, which has all the goodness of the original version but a lighter, non-greasy texture for those with oily and combination skin.
To complete the mochi skincare routine, Hada Labo also has a Hydrating face wash and Light Cream with formulas meant to lock, replenish and store moisture deep in the skin.
Look like your fave Disney Princess
Face it: every woman wants to feel like a princess, and BYS has tapped into that deep-seated desire with its Disney Princess Collection — a complete range of hypoallergenic and paraben-free products that will make you feel like Belle, Ariel or Cinderella, whether you’re 12 or 52.
The dynamic beauty brand even tapped celebrity photographer BJ Pascual to shoot the collection’s campaign, transforming beauty queens Rabiya Mateo, Bea Gomez and Celeste Cortesi into Ariel, Belle and Cinderella, respectively.
BYS’ Disney Princess collection includes Longlasting Liquid Eyeliner in Black Beauty (P699); Plumping Mascara in Hero (P699), 3-in-1 Eyebrow Pencil in Dark Knight and Fairy Lights (P899); Sun Tint SPF 36 (P799); Flawless Primer (P799); Liquid Lipsticks in Dance in the Moonlight, Ever a Surprise, and Wanderin’ Free (P549 each); Lip and Cheek Tint in Pixie Dust (P599), and Serum Blush in Fantasy, Celestial, and Mermaid (P799 each).
Aside from makeup, the collection also includes a Clarifying Face Mask with camellia japonica flower extract, Japanese cherry flower extract and salicylic acid; a Smoothing Face Mask with Korean blackberry, acai extract and niacinamide; and a Hydrating Face Mask with pomegranate extract, black chokeberry extract and emulsified ester oil. All the masks cost P99 per sheet, or P499 for a box of five.
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The BYS Disney Princess Collection is available at Watsons, The SM Store, and online on Amorfia, Watsons, and ShopSM.
Smoother skin in just 48 hours
Based on 100 years of skincare expertise, Nivea has two new lotions that address the issue of dry, rough skin.
Nivea Intensive Moisture Body Milk promises to give you deeply moisturized, softer and smoother skin in 48 hours with Deep Moisture Essence, a combo of vitamin E and avocado oil.
For the Asian market Nivea developed Extra White Smooth & Firm with Q10, UV filters, and Deep White Essence with 50x the vitamin C of most body lotions. It not only moisturizes and protects but also helps to brighten and repair signs of dull, damaged skin. With regular use, the essential Q10 helps to firm and restore the skin’s elasticity.
