Where do broken hearts go? Straight to the beauty section

At the Chanel counter in Rustan’s Makati, in the middle of a whirlwind of #beautygirls going gaga over all the perks of Beauty Addict’s fourth year, a young woman quietly browsed the Rouge Allure lipsticks. “My ex hates coral. He thinks it’s orange. Thank God I can now wear it every day,” she told no one in particular, swiping it on expertly. I gave her an imaginary pat on the back for her moment of triumph.

Contrary to popular belief, beauty addicts aren’t into makeup and skincare to get the attention of the opposite sex — at least not all the time. Sometimes we just really like it because we do. Like that woman’s orange (er, coral) Chanel lipstick, to which a personal equivalent would be my go-to nude lipbalm from Bobbi Brown. Popular opinion claims it makes me look pale. I use it anyway.

It was my first Beauty Addict event and I brought a friend, promising fun and excitement. She wasn’t disappointed, but was definitely culture shocked by the lengths beauty addicts would go to (parlor games, selfies, blisters and bruises) for discounts and free samples. To the rest of us, it was all in a day’s work.

Rustan’s The Beauty Source, the destination for the most sought-after cosmetic and skincare brands, recently held Beauty Addict for the fourth year, calling it “So Surreal.” Guests participated in activities and workshops from beauty brands such as Chanel, Clarins, La Prairie, Estee Lauder, MAC Cosmetics, NARS, Deborah Lippman, Acca Kappa, Diptyque, and Nuxe. Well-loved labels celebrating milestones also had designated counters at the event. This included year-old Korean brand Areum, 20-year-old makeup label Laura Mercier, nail care brand OPI, and French favorite L’Occitane, which respectively mark 2016 as their 35th and 40th anniversaries. Guests also got to try out newcomers to the Rustan’s roster like the algae-anchored Algenist, the all-organic Neal’s Yard Remedies, and perfumer Maison Francis Kurkdjian

The best part of the event for all beauty addicts is running into fellow addicts; it’s like bumping into old friends with whom you’ve literally never bonded with, save for that one debate over whether or not cushion compacts are actually worth your money. To beauty junkies, that’s pretty much all you need to make a friend for life. Anyone who can say to your face that your foundation is not the right color is a trustworthy ally.

In keeping with the Beauty Addict tradition, Rustan’s returns the favor with #RustansBeautyAddictGivesBack. Every photo taken at the Charity booth with the hashtag equals a donation to IcanServe Foundation, an organization that helps women with breast cancer in the Philippines.

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Use your Beauty Addict card at Rustan’s and get one point with every P200 purchase, which may be used to get premium cosmetics, fragrances, toiletries, spa services, and merchandise from Rustan’s The Beauty Source. Customers may avail of Beauty Addict membership with any single receipt purchase of P2,500 and above at the Rustan’s Cosmetics, Fragrances, and Toiletries Division.