Beauty Picks

Sketch up

MANILA, Philippines - “When I lived in Paris in the ‘80s, it was my dream to be drawn by him!” Roland Mouret told Vogue.co.uk. “We were at the same parties, and he was drawing all the people you wanted to meet; all the models, all the beautiful girls. When I was a model, I hoped, ‘Maybe, one day, I’ll be drawn by him.’” Mouret, of course, is referring to Antonio Lopez, the legendary fashion illustrator and star of MAC’s latest limited-edition collection. With Eyes x 6 Palettes, Lips x 3 Palettes and Face Palettes, each palette displays the fiercely individual faces of his model muses Marisa Berenson, Pat Cleveland and Jerry Hall (collectively known as “Antonio’s Girls”). “Our collection with Antonio Lopez is symbolic of a time when indulgence was at its peak,” James Gager, creative director of MAC Cosmetics, explained to The Cut. “There was a magic to his world and a time in history that hasn’t been recaptured; I think people are lusting after that glamour, which is difficult to come by today.”

Available at all MAC counters and in Rustan’s Department Store.

Eye spy

Following the success of Lancôme’s Absolue L’Extrait Regenerating Ultimate Elixir comes the  Absolue L’Extrait Ultimate Eye Contour Ritual. One of the most highly developed eye rituals created by  Lancôme, the Ultimate Eye Contour Ritual consists of three parts: the Absolue L’Extrait Regenerating Ultimate Eye Balm-Elixir, which is applied with a multi-faceted pivoting massage petal, specially designed for the delicate eye contour area, followed by with the Absolue L’Extrait Ultimate Eye Patch, to be used just 10 minutes once a week, in order to boost the effects of the Absolue L’Extrait Regenerating Ultimate Eye Balm-Elixir by up to 15 percent. After six weeks, testers reported that dark circles were diminshed by 63 percent, puffiness was diminshed by 63 percent and the eye contour appeared smoother by 83 percen. The ritual even proved beneficial for lashes: after six weeks, lashes were observed to be denser and longer.

Available at Rustan’s Department Store.

Oil see you

Here’s our word for the day: galenic. WTF is that, you ask? My thoughts exactly. Rooted in the name of Galen, the 2nd century Greek “father of pharmacy,” in modern day use, a galenic formulation, to quote Beauteberbere.com, is “the art of mixing ingredients in such a way that the resulting cosmetic product will be unique, efficient, easy to use and feel right.” Galenic is also a word that the marketing team over at L’Oreal Paris uses to describe their new Extraordinary Oils range. Thanks to an exclusive mix of active ingredients, the formulas in the Extraordinary Oils range supply the hair with nourishment, softness and shine — all with a light touch. No grunge-y, greasy roots here. L’Oreal Paris Laboratories designed Extraordinary Oils with six  precious floral oil extracts: lotus oil to nourish the hair fiber and protect hair, chamomile oil to restore shine and soften the hair fiber, tiare flower oil to prevent dryness, sunflower oil to restore vibrancy, rose oil to supply nutrients to the hair and flaxseed oil to provide intense nourishment to the hair fiber.

Smog off!

In a country where pan de sal is still a popular breakfast food, I doubt that we will ever wage war on gluten. At least not until we win the war against bigger issues, like smog. According to the beauty scientists over at Shu Uemura, pollution accelerates skin oxidation by 10 times. Is skin oxidation bad, you wonder? Well, when exposed to pollution, skin releases oxidative sebum and free radicals, which damage cellular function and hasten the aging process. Anti/Oxi, Shu Uemura’s best-selling anti-aging cleansing oil since it was launched 10 years ago, gets a “facelift,” so to speak, by incorporating moringa extract and green tea extract to help protect skin against pollution. Moringa extract works to capture and clear away harmful pollutants and oxidative sebum, while green tea extract is a poweful antioxidant. The result is naturally glowing and healthier looking skin with visibly refined pores. Doubtful? Well, let’s just say that Shu Uemura doesn’t sell one bottle of cleansing oil around the world every seven seconds for nothing.

Available at Rustan’s Department Store.

Eye openers

A Shu Uemura eyelash curler is a solid investment in any woman’s makeup kit — it’ll last you a lifetime (just don’t lose it!) and will give perfectly curled lashes for as long as you replace the silicon pad from time to time. There’s really no reason for you to buy another one, unless you’re looking at the brand’s new S Curler. Created with the same ergonomic design as its predecessor, what makes this mini lash curler different is the lack of sidebars, which prevents eyelid-pinching and allows precise, section by section curling — even for the difficult-to-reach lashes at the inner corners of your eyes. Without the sidebars, it’s also easier to curl your lashes after gluing on falsies! Try using it with Shu Uemura’s Tokyo Lash Mascara, which has a V-shaped “Kirenaga” brush head and crisscross bristles that catch even the shortest lashes, without having to wiggle the brush from your lash root to tip. The finish is glossy, lacquer black and is long-lasting and smudge-proof.

Available at Rustan’s Department Store.

Scent my regards

Makeup artist Cathy Cantada-Dizon recently launched a line of locally produced fragrances with her partner, Isabel De Dios, called Sparrow Fragrances. Named after the humble sparrow, a representation of God’s love, Sparrow Fragrances is the product of their shared enthusiasm for creating unique scents for their nail spas, Belle & Cat Nail and Wax Studio and Nail & Co. The first collection of eau de toilettes features Sky, a floral scent with a hint of sandalwood, Faith, which is reminiscent of a Mediterranean harvest with an infusion of Jasmine, and Summer Solstice, a blend of citrus and green tea. They also concocted a line of room and linen fragrances, like Grasslands, an Oriental-inspired scent created with a mix of bamboo and jasmine, Breakfast in Bed, which smells like a cup of hot chocolate with a hint of almond, and Nest, an infusion of lavender and earthy tea leaves. Check out their complete line of scents on Seektheuniq.com and follow @sparrowph on Twitter and Instagram for more updates.