Natural beauty is more ‘in’ than ever
One of the consequences of this quarantine is that it’s made us assess what’s really important in life. Beauty-wise, it made me want to shift to brands that are clean, green and natural, and I think the same goes for most people I know.
Since we’re mostly working from home, there’s no need for elaborate makeup; a natural, “no-makeup makeup” look is perfect for all those Zoom meetings and events. And in terms of skin-, hair- and body care, I’m always on the lookout for products with natural, organic ingredients. Here are new products and brands that fit the bill.
Cream Silk: Deep conditioning from organic, natural ingredients
Cream Silk’s latest innovation addresses the Filipina’s desire for a hair conditioner with more natural ingredients. The R&D team sifted through almost 100 ingredients and a number of formulas before hitting upon the ideal combination with Cream Silk Rich Organic Powerfusion, two “ultra” conditioners that solve the most common problems of extremely dry and lifeless hair with all-natural ingredients.
“We combined Cream Silk’s advanced conditioning technology with natural oils and rich organic balms for luscious hair that gleams with light,” said Jerika Vilan, senior assistant brand manager for Cream Silk Philippines.
These balms include 100-percent-organic shea butter and coconut oil, according to Hair Research and Development manager for Unilever Philippines Dani de Leon. The oils include naturally sourced sunflower seed oil: “We tested this ingredient and discovered that it naturally nourishes up to the core of the hair,” she said.
In the Rich Moisture variant they used Damascena rose oil, honeysuckle dew and hibiscus essence; the Rich Lustre variant contains Cinnamomum Cassia leaf oil, bamboo extract and aloe vera essence.
The face of Cream Silk Rich Organic Powerfusion is Heart Evangelista, who says she uses the Rich Moisture variant every day: “I really do love the smell of this particular variant, and the Rich Lustre smells good, too,” she said. “I massage it through my hair from the roots to the tips. I like to leave it in for a couple of minutes before I rinse it afterwards.”
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Cream Silk Rich Organic Powerfusion Ultra Conditioners are available for P150.50 (150-ml bottle) in all supermarkets, department stores, drugstores and ecommerce channels nationwide. For more information, visit creamsilk.com.ph.
Bench Beauty: 5 essentials for a natural beauty look
Bench Beauty recently had a sale on its lip kits, which led me to want to make a kit of my own, containing the essentials I need to look good in five minutes (or less). What I love about Bench Beauty is that their makeup is so high quality — made in Korea, no less — but so affordably priced, so the cost of these five essentials (plus a pretty pouch that can hold all of them) would still be less than one luxury makeup item!
First, make your skin look even with Bench Beauty’s powder foundation, which instantly mattifies oiliness, fills in pores and comes in a beautifully designed compact.
Second, kilay is life because it frames your face. I just love B/B’s eyebrow pencil because the angled tip fills in your brows with hair-like strokes, plus it has a spoolie on the other end to brush everything out for the most natural look.
Third, the contour stick is genius because not only can you make your face look more chiseled, you can also use it as a quick eyeshadow in your crease.
Fourth, give yourself an instant healthy glow with the Prettywhenpinched Cheek & Lip Tint. Just three dots blended into your cheek will bring your face to life.
Lastly, you can also use the tint to color your lips, but Bench Beauty has two Matte Lipsticks — Swoon and Moondust — that are the perfect nudes.
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Bench Beauty is available at shop.bench.com.ph and Bench stores nationwide. For more info, like “BENCH/beauty” on Facebook and follow @bench.beauty on Instagram.
Kiehl’s: Opening its largest retail destination... online
Kiehl’s Philippines is opening its biggest flagship store online tomorrow, Sept. 17, with its Kiehl’s Grand Lazada Live Party at the Lazada PH app, with hosts Alodia Gosiengfiao, Camille Co, Laureen Uy, Kryz Uy, and David Guison.
The NYC heritage skincare brand known for using natural ingredients partnered with Lazada to make shopping over mobile phones easy for Kiehl’s customers.
“Our LazMall store will allow both Kiehl’s newbies and loyal friends to customize and create a Kiehl’s routine for themselves through our tailored shop-in-shop that echoes the informative yet quirky and fun experience that we offer in-store,” says Lerizze Tan, product manager for Kiehl’s. “Plus, trained e-Kiehl’s customer representatives are available to address any specific questions or concerns.”
Each influencer put together a kit of their favorite Kiehl’s products — Alodia Gosiengfiao picked Calendula faves for her Fresh Skin Essentials, while Laureen Uy chose Kiehl’s Clearly Corrective Dark Spot products for her Spotless Skin Essentials — and these will be sold as exclusive bundles only on Lazada.
Tomorrow’s launch will be a day full of surprises as five timed offers will be available. Make sure to follow @KiehlsPhilippines on Instagram and Facebook.com/KiehlsPhilippines to join the exclusive giveaways and get the latest updates. For more information, visit Kiehl’s Philippines on Facebook, and online at http://www.kiehls.com.ph.
Lush: Natural detoxifiers for a digital detox
Lush, the natural, sustainable beauty brand known for its indulgent bath and body products, held a Digital Detox Day on Sept. 5 in collaboration with influencer Zoella and the mental-health organization I Am Whole to raise awareness about the negative impact social media can have on our mental health. Together they encouraged the public to put down their devices and participate in a day of self-care that included relaxing with Lush’s aromatheraputic and just-plain-fun products.
Personally I feel like a kid again whenever I use Lush’s bath bombs and bubble bars. They actually have colored bubble brushes that paint your bathwater candy hues, and are reusable for multiple baths. Other new products include The Big Comforter, a huge bubble bar that smells like fruity berries, and The Olive Branch, an orangey-fresh shower gel with fair-trade olive oil that feels like soothing arms wrapped around you.
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Lush stores are located in major Metro Manila malls. Products are also available online at lush.com.ph.
Oxecure: Hand sanitizer with natural extracts
To combat the drying effects of alcohol-based hand sanitizers, Oxecure has added moisturizing natural ingredients to its version, High Five.
The Thai-based company specializes in skincare solutions to combat acne, but since I’ve graduated from that pimply stage, I’m more interested in their 70 percent-ethyl-alcohol spray proven to kill 99.99 percent of viruses and bacteria.
Previously I’d been spraying on pure, 70-percent alcohol, but using it constantly dried out my hands. Oxecure has added natural extracts like aloe vera, vitamin E, chamomile, and neroli essential oil so it’s lightly moisturizing and keeps your hands soft and fresh-smelling. You can even use it to disinfect surfaces like your desk, doorknobs and cellphone screen.
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Oxecure is available at Watsons and ecommerce sites like Shopee, Lazada, Zalora and BeautyMNL. Follow “Oxecure PH” on Facebook and @oxecure.ph on Instagram for more info.
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For the latest beauty news, follow the author on Instagram and Facebook @thebeautytraveler_ph.
