Beauty reboot: Skincare, makeup innovations cater to ‘new normal’ lifestyle
MANILA, Philippines — Apart from tapioca pearls, DJ equipment and inflatable pools, among the surprising things people are buying during the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is makeup.
In fact, in e-commerce site Lazada, the search for beauty products have grown by almost three times as compared to pre-pandemic period as some people now have more time to “perfect” the art of winged eyeliner, contouring and other makeup tricks they only fancied of doing before the lockdown.
“There was a surge in people trying to embrace their natural beauty by going bare face throughout the quarantine period,” the online selling platform explained in a statement sent to Philstar.com.
“However, with the occasional video conferencing and presentations many still have to be part of, the need to look good still help working adults have a sense of normalcy while working from home.”
Zoom-in to eyes
Since wearing facemasks is now the “new normal” especially when going on essential errands, the beauty industry has now put emphasis on highlighting people’s so-called “mirrors to the soul” through colorful eyeshadows, eyeliners and eyebrow tattoo that aim to emit a ray of sunshine amid the gloomy situation everyone is in.
Anxiety and natural aging tend to make tissues around the eyes get weaker, resulting in unsightly eye bags, said beauty expert Bianca Festejo.
As such, before the lockdown, Bianca trained with three of Brazil’s most-renowned creators of camouflage treatment and mastered her craft both on stretchmark and scar camouflage in Paris. This enabled her to arguably become the first in the Philippines to offer camouflage tattoo, a safe and non-invasive treatment option that uses special pigments to cover up both stretch marks and eye bags.
The normal fat that helps support the eyes can then move into the lower eyelids, causing the lids to appear puffy. And since this treatment is natural, lightly applied and targets the outer layer of the epidermis, Bianca assured people that it is a safe and totally worry-free semi-permanent procedure.
“Aside from hiding the dark and puffy undereye, the eye bags tattoo concealer treatment can further help fade the dark pockets below the eyes, creating the illusion of rejuvenation,” she said.
Whether or not a person’s eye bags are an inevitable result of aging, lifestyle, or water retention around the eyes, they are unflattering and add more years to someone’s age, Bianca warned.
“While the camouflage tattoo treatment is no magic, the secret lies in the aesthetician’s precise and well-trained hands using flesh-toned ink to cover up both eyebags and stretchmarks. Additionally, I invested my time and research in developing a distinctive guide for pigment formulation that allows me to create a unique tone based on the patient’s complexion,” Festejo explained.
At her beauty hubs in Ayala Bay, Essensa BGC, Taguig, Greenhills, Quezon City and Las Pinas, Festejo will resume other beauty services as soon as lockdown restrictions allow, including camouflage and eyebrows tattoo.
Eyebrows tattoo is another non-invasive treatment that aims to give one natural-looking eyebrow color and shape for a long time, enabling one to save on eyebrow products and on time and effort in maintaining the eyebrows’ upkeep.
For those who would like to experiment on new eyeshadow and eyeliner looks, SM Beauty recently introduced its summer forecast, which included colored eyeliners painted way outside the eye lines and neon eyeshadow shades like neon pink that flatters Asian eyes.
SM Beauty offers a selection of skincare and Korean brands all under one roof.
Instead of layering and blending eyeshadow colors, the beauty store espoused putting many colors all at once in a timeless camouflage pattern, seemingly putting one in battle mode against COVID-19.
Mask-proof makeup
For those going to the office, wearing lip color could be a problem as lipstick could smudge and stain one’s facemask.
As a solution, Maybelline New York recently launched its Superstay Matte Ink lip color line in six red “mask-proof” shades. Now available in makeup counters nationwide, the collection was formulated to stay for up to 16 hours without retouching needed as it does not easily smudge or transfer on one’s facemask.
‘Nude’ normal
Due to the pandemic, many people now work toward pragmatism and minimalism, including in their makeup kit. Hence, there has been a surge in multitasking makeup such as L’Oreal Paris Rouge Signature Baked Nudes Collection, an omnibus of nine matte shades that swipes easily on lips, cheeks and eyelids for a quick makeup look.
With its signature lightweight, buildable, and blendable texture, the collection boasts of baked earth and warm terracotta hues curated to flatter Filipina skin tones. The range is now available on Lazada, Shopee and L’Oréal Paris counters (Watsons, SM, Robinsons, Landmark Department Stores) nationwide. L’Oreal Paris is offering sweet 8.8 treats on Lazada.
From ‘kikay’ to ‘care’ kits
Because of the pandemic, some skincare brands began to call their regimen sets as “care kits” to emphasize that self-care is a necessity, not just vanity.
For those still into the “no makeup” look, the stay-at-home time can be used to rejuvenate one’s skin by following a skincare routine like Hada Labo’s three-step process. Available in Watsons, the Japanese skincare brand was launched last year in the Philippines.
First, cleanse your face with the Hada Labo hydrating face wash. Next is to apply Hydrating Lotion all over the face and neck. Lastly, lock in all the hydration with the moisturizer, Hydrating Light Cream for oily skin or Hydrating Water Gel for dry to normal skin.
Besides for the face, there is also a “recovery” kit for the underarms. Natural beauty brand One Earth Organics recently re-launched what is touted to be the pioneer and first Underarm Therapy Set in the market.
Available in Shopee, the set includes Antibacterial Whitening Deo-Spray that naturally controls underarm sweat and odor through its antibacterial and whitening natural and organic ingredients like antioxidant agents that aim to restore, regenerate and repair skin cells. Also in the kit is Healthy Glow Booster Serum, infused with non-chemical and intensive skin lightening ingredients to gives a soft feel and to visibly restore and refine skin tone and texture, thereby lightening acne scars, removing pigmentation and dark spots.
Completing the set is Underarm Deep Whitening Cream, which contains a peptide technology formulated with a cocktail of exfoliants and whitening agents that naturally remove skin discolorations and chicken skin due to waxing, shaving and plucking, without harsh bleach or hydroquinone.
To emphasize on hygiene, SM Cares and Safeguard recently teamed up for the "Safe hands at SM" campaign to educate and encourage mallgoers to practice proper handwashing especially in this time of the pandemic.
“As part of our safe malling commitment, handwashing is our first line of defense against illnesses, and is also crucial during a global health crisis. We very excited to partner with Procter & Gamble’s Safeguard, the leading brand in health and personal care, to raise awareness on the importance of this matter,” said SM Supermalls President Steven Tan.
“Safeguard, being 54 years in the country, has become much of a household name. From our beige bar soap from long ago to our hand sanitizers and liquid hand soap now, we have always committed ourselves to serve the needs of the Filipino people, just like SM has. And in the same way, I believe that both have been ingrained so much in Filipino culture that it is only natural to do this partnership,” said Procter & Gamble Vice President for Skin & Personal Care Shweta Sharma.
As part of the campaign, the skincare brand made its liquid hand soap available in restrooms of all SM malls across the country to help the community fight the spread disease-causing germs. Information materials on the five steps of handwashing are also deployed in restrooms and high-traffic areas to remind customers while in the mall.
This partnership forms part of the mall's programs to ensure "Safe Malling" as all of the company's malls continue to carry out strict safety and sanitation measures to assure the community that the malls are safe, clean and compliant with health and sanitation protocols over and above government regulations.
Video call-worthy smile
Even during lockdown, dentists like Miguel Librojo of Librojo Dental reminded everyone to still brush their teeth twice a day.
“As the lifestyle of our consumers evolve, we see the need for an all-in solution that’s able to give all around oral care in just one product. It is for this exact reason that we’re proud to launch the All Around Fresh,” Carmy Guno, Closeup Brand Manager explained.
As the first ever brand to combine the strength of fluoride with the protection of anti-bacterial mouthwash in a breakthrough gel toothpaste five decades ago, Closeup takes it commitment of delivering oral care by launching the new All Around Fresh, a fluoride gel toothpaste made with a zinc-packed anti-bacterial mouthwash to protect your mouth from bacteria. The product also contains deep-cleaning silica that lifts plaque to give the mouth a clean slate with each brush.
Its two variants, Cooling Mint and Soothing Menthol, contain fluoride to guard teeth against cavities, a function usually reserved for specialty dental products.
“When it comes to toothpaste, choose one that can deliver the all-around oral care that your mouth needs — from cleaning your teeth, tongue, cheeks and gums, to fighting bacteria, reducing plaque build-up and preventing cavities while freshening your breath at the same time,” said Librojo.
“Fresh breath is a sure sign of overall oral health.” — Video by Deni Rose M. Afinidad-Bernardo
