Beauty-wise, most of 2021 was all about skincare, though the latter half saw a return to makeup brow products and eye shadow, especially as we went out socially or back to the office on a more regular basis.
Though a whole world of products is available online, I limited my picks to brands available locally and easy to shop for phygitally.
Local brands made a strong showing this year, with new brands even joining the fray. Here are my picks of the best:
Best oil-based face cleanser/makeup remover
Prestige: Laura Mercier Conditioning Cleansing Oil – The essential first step in a satisfying double cleanse.
Available at Rustan’s The Beauty Source
Budget: Issy & Co. Cleansing Butter – Melts into your skin while melting off makeup.
Available at issyandcompany.com and Shopee
Best foaming face cleanser
Luxury: Cle de Peau Beauté Softening Cleansing Foam – Lathers into the most refined, rich foam that leaves your face clean yet hydrated.
Available at the Cle de Peau popup in Greenbelt 5
Prestige: Pili Ani Gentle Facial Cleanser – Removes even tough makeup with pili and elemi oils.
Available at www.piliani.com.ph
Budget (Tie): Senka Perfect Whip – Japanese brand that whips up into the biggest foam, with a variant for every skin type.
Available at Watsons and ShopSM
Cetaphil Gentle Foaming Cleanser – A dermatologist favorite that removes dirt, oil and makeup without leaving a tight or dry feeling.
Available at SM Beauty
Best facial scrub
Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant – Gentle on skin while leaving it looking and feeling its best
Available at Rustan’s The Beauty Source
Best Micellar Water
Prestige: Skin by BYS Extra Gentle Micellar Water – Not only is it great at taking off makeup; the bottle pumps it directly into your cotton pad.
Available at Shopee
Budget: Bioten Skin Moisture – It’s 100% natural, sustainable and gentle enough to be used on eyes and lips.
Available at Shopee
Best toner
Luxury: Cle de Peau Beauté Hydro-Clarifying/Softening Lotion – Re-texturizes, hydrates and plumps while luminizing skin.
Prestige: Kiehl’s Calendula Herbal Extract Toner – This Hall of Famer is still the best at calming, soothing and prepping skin.
Available at the Kiehl’s store on Shopee
Budget: Y.O.U Beauty Essential Toner – Has 10x the vitamin C of most toners, along with Niacinamide to brighten skin.
Available on Shopee
Best Anti-Aging serum
Luxury: La Prairie Anti-Aging Rapid Response Booster – Dramatically reduces visible signs of aging in just two weeks.
Available at Rustan’s The Beauty Source
Prestige: Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate – Now with ImuGenerationRED Technology to boost skin immunity and circulation.
Available at https://shop.shiseido.com.ph
Budget: Pond’s Age Miracle Ultimate Youth Essence – Contains 10 collagen-renewing ingredients to provide 10x the anti-aging power.
Available at Watsons and Shopee
Best brightening serum/spot corrector
Luxury (Tie): Sisleya Radiance and Anti-Dark Spot Serum – Acts on the main causes of loss of radiance to regain luminous skin.
Available at Rustan’s The Beauty Source
Cle de Peau The Serum – This celeb fave gives you radiant and youthful-looking skin.
Prestige: Kiehl’s Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Corrector – Clinically proven to reduce hyperpigmentation by 49%, dark spots by 39% and post-acne marks by 27%.
Budget: Garnier Vitamin C Serum – Has 30 times the vitamin C concentration of typical vitamin-C serums.
Available at Watsons, Shopee and LazMall
Best moisturizer
Luxury: La Prairie Skin Caviar Luxe Cream – This bestseller/award winner firms and elasticizes skin while deeply hydrating.
Prestige (Tie): Murad Intense Recovery Cream – Soothes any irritation and redness while deeply moisturizing.
Both are available at Rustan’s The Beauty Source.
Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream – This icon will moisturize and protect even the driest skin in the desert.
Budget (Tie): Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel – Great for oily skin
Cetaphil Rich Night Cream – Contains hyaluronic acid and is good for sensitive skin.
All are available at Shopee and Lazada.
Best eye cream
Luxury: La Prairie Essence of Skin Caviar Eye Complex – Lifts, firms and smoothens the eye area to make you look well rested and youthful.
Prestige: Clarins Double Serum Eye – Offers all the benefits of the iconic serum.
Available at Rustan’s The Beauty Source
Budget: Varens Beauté Bio Beautifying Eye Care – Has caffeine and green tea to depuff, is vegan, 100% natural and made in France.
Available at Watsons and Lazada
Best overall hydrator
Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Natural Beauty Oil – A blend of seven botanical oils that results in one stellar, multipurpose dry oil that moisturizes face, body and hair.
Available at Rustan’s The Beauty Source
Best tinted moisturizer
Prestige (Tie): Nars Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30/PA+++ - Gives you beautiful medium coverage and a real glow.
Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Oil-Free Natural Skin Perfector – This Hall of Famer just keeps getting better and better.
Both are available at Rustan’s The Beauty Source and brand boutiques.
Budget: Issy & Co. Active Skin Tint SPF 35 UVB/UVA – Oil-free, with niacinamide and more shades to suit all Pinoy skin tones.
Best liquid foundation
Luxury: Cle de Peau Beauté Radiant Fluid Foundation Natural SPF25 PA++ - Veils your complexion in a flawless finish.
Prestige: Shiseido Synchro Skin Radiant Lifting foundation SPF30 PA++++ - Its glow makes your face look lifted, plus it’s self-refreshing and has the ideal sun protection.
Budget: Y.O.U Beauty Noutriwear Velvet Liquid Foundation SPF25 PA+++ - Flawless full coverage with 24-hour Litestay technology and anti-aging immortelle essence.
Best powder foundation
Luxury: Chanel Le Teint Ultra Tenue Ultrawear Flawless Compact – Infused with amino acid-coated pigments, this perfects skin with a light-diffusing complex.
Available at Rustan’s The Beauty Source
Prestige: A three-way tie between MAC Cosmetics Mineralize Skinfinish Natural, Shiseido Synchro Skin Self-Refreshing Custom Finish and Bobbi Brown Skin Weightless powder foundation.
Budget: Bench/Beauty powder foundation – This weightless powder blurs and mattifies skin for a velvety complexion.
Available at https://shop.bench.com.ph
Best concealer
Prestige (Tie): Nars Radiant Creamy concealer – Perfect skin-like texture
Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Brighten & Correct Duo – All you need in one handy pen
Budget: LA Girl Pro.Conceal HD High-Definition – Pro quality at a fraction of the price.
Available at Watsons
Best setting powder
Prestige: Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder – Possibly the greatest of all time
Budget: Issy & Co. Weightless Loose Powder – Developed by a makeup artist, this is talc-free and blurs pores for a seamless finish.
Best mineral makeup
Powder: Jane Iredale
Cream: RMS Beauty
Both brands have complete lines of cosmetics with skincare benefits.
Both available at Rustan’s; RMS is also available at Adora.
Best brow products
Prestige: Overall this has to go to Anastasia Beverly Hills: My go-tos are her Brow Wiz, Dipbrow pomade and gel.
Available at Rustan’s and Beauty Bar
Budget: So many great options from our local brands, like Bench/Beauty’s Eyebrow Pencil, Ever Bilena Careline Wow Brow Liner, and Issy & Co.’s Brow Pencil Pro and Precision Brow Pen.
Best liquid eyeshadows
Stila’s Magnificent Metals Glitter & Glow have statement shine.
Laura Mercier’s Caviar Chrome Veils are more everyday- and work-friendly.
RMS Beauty Eye Polishes are mineral and the most natural.
All are available at Rustan’s The Beauty Source.
Best powder eyeshadows
Luxury: Chanel’s eyeshadow quads and palettes are the most on-trend and effortlessly chic.
Prestige: Made by and for makeup artists, you can’t go wrong with MAC, Nars, Bobbi Brown and Laura Mercier.
Best blush
Luxury: Rose Hermès – Silky with just the right amount of pigment, these give you the loveliest flushes.
Available exclusively at Rustan’s Makati
Prestige: The makeup-artist brands mentioned above plus Benefit, for its pretty shades in cool retro packaging
Budget: Issy & Co. Crème Blush, Sunnies Face Airblush, Colourette Coloursnap and Happy Skin Color Play.
Best lip balm
Luxury: Rose Hermès Rosy Lip Enhancer – Super-nourishing with a flattering tint, and its waxy texture makes it last a long time.
Prestige: Burt’s Bees – The original, responsibly sourced beeswax formula is so beloved it’s now available as lip tints, shimmers and treatments.
Available at Beauty Bar
Budget: Nivea Moisture Essential Lip Care – Infused with jojoba oil and shea butter
Available at www.shopsm.com
Best lipstick
Luxury: Rouge Hermès – In the limited-edition autumn-winter 2021 collection check out Orange Brûlé, a darker, sexier version of the house’s iconic orange; Rose Magenta is a cool red-pink, while Rose Tamisé is purplish rosewood.
Available only at Rustan’s Makati
Prestige: Dior Addict, Rouge Dior and Diorific – There’s a fashionable shade and texture for everyone from Dior’s vast range.
Available at Dior Beauty in SM Makati and Mall of Asia
Budget: Avon True Power Stay 16 Hour Lip Colour - These liquid lipsticks are a fave because they stay on the whole day, and come in 16 shades.
Available at https://avon.ph
Best lip gloss
Luxury: Chanel Rouge Coco and Rouge Double Intensité – High-fashion, high-shine, and ultra-luxe.
Prestige: Clarins Lip Comfort Oils – So soothing and nourishing, and now available in shimmer form
Budget: Maybelline Lifter Gloss – Plumps lips with hyaluronic acid and a tingling sensation.
Issy & Co. Hydragloss – Like a drink of water for your pucker.
Best bronzer
Prestige: Nars Laguna powder bronzer and Multiple sticks – Laguna is the universal shade to contour and bronze most skin tones.
Budget: Bench/Beauty Bronzer – These handy sticks make drawing on contour and blending it in supremely easy.
Best highlighter
Powder: Anastasia Beverly Hills Glow Kits – Each palette comes with four to six huge pans that you can wear solo or mix to customize your own glow.
Cream: RMS Beauty Living Luminizer – All you need is a finger to bring the high points of your face to life.
Budget: Bench/Beauty Highlighter – These also come in stick form that give you a golden glow in seconds flat.
Best facial sunscreen
Anessa – These lightweight milk and gel sunscreens boast triple sun protection and 50% beauty ingredients to nourish and moisturize. No wonder they’ve been Japan’s No. 1 sunscreen for almost 20 years.
Available at Watsons
Best body sunscreen
SnailWhite Body Booster SPF30 PA+++ - Lightweight and non-sticky with a cumulative brightening effect
Available at Watsons
Best hair care
Luxury: Kerastase – Genesis Scalp Serum addresses hair fall, while the Discipline line gives you salon-smooth hair at home.
Prestige: L’Oreal Professionel and Serie Expert – Gone gray? Go silver with L’Oreal’s Silver Shampoo. For damaged hair try Serie Expert Absolut Repair Gold Quinoa + Protein shampoo, conditioner and mask.
Both brands are available at www.lorealsalonshop.com.ph.
Natural: Aveda – For hair fall, this sustainable brand offers the Ayurvedic Invati line; those with damaged hair should try the Botanical Repair range.
Available at Aveda Greenbelt 5 and www.hairmnl.com.
Best bath products
Lush – Definitely my go-to whenever I want a heavenly-smelling treat, whether it be a bath bomb, shower gel or massage bar.
The Body Shop – The brand that started the cruelty-free beauty movement with ethically sourced natural ingredients is still going strong, releasing new collections of skincare, hair care and makeup.
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