By Zsarlene B. Chua, Senior Reporter

SPENDING months mostly indoors has inspired many people to take stock and make improvements on their skincare routines, especially now that skincare is widely considered as a form of self-care.

The past few weeks have been pretty exciting for skincare enthusiasts as established skincare brands have either launched new products or are making a case for why you should choose their products. This is a short rundown of new launches, promotions, and holiday bundles you might consider adding to your routines.

(NOTE: I have been sent some products and while I do intend to review them, I haven’t gotten around doing so because this writer typically takes at least a month to see if the product works or not.)

ELLANA COSMETICS
Local beauty brand Ellana Cosmetics, known for its skin-caring, clean, vegan, and cruelty-free cosmetics, has now expanded its line to include skincare products promising “clean, conscious, and concentrated products,” according to a press release.

The line is said to be made “with the latest in Korean technology” and features serums and serum sprays made from “pure extract bases,” to ensure “maximum amount of skincare results without buffers or ‘fillers.’”

The serums from the line are: Glass-C Skin Brightening Serum (P1,000 for 50 ml) which contains “74.6% Sea Berry Extract and 15% Ascorbic Acid.” The brightening serum is said to promise brighter, “glass skin” — skin that looks clear, poreless, and dewy, evoking a clear piece of glass — over time. The sea berry extract is said to protect against aging because of its mineral and phytonutrient-rich profile, while ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) is meant to fade dark spots, protect against environmental stressors, and promote collagen production. The serum also contains Niacinamide that helps with hyperpigmentation and includes lavender and chamomile to “reduce reactivity and ensure your skin is less prone to irritation.”

I will do a short review on this product because I have been using it for more than two weeks now.

It is not bad for its price, especially considering its size and the ingredients in it. It comes in an amber glass bottle with the longest dropper I’ve seen so far in a serum bottle, which I do appreciate because it ensures that I can get every single drop.

Since it has a pretty high concentration of Vitamin C, the amber bottle is non-negotiable because Vitamin C does oxidize very quickly when exposed to light.

If it’s your first time using a Vitamin C serum, here are two tips: you will experience tingling for a few days to a week once you start using it because your skin is acclimating, the tingling should be mild and if ever you feel the tingling is unbearable, please stop using it. The second tip is to apply it in the morning (to take advantage of the environmental protection) and to use sunscreen (SPF 30 is good but 50+ is better) because Vitamin C can make the skin more prone to sun damage.

In all, this is a good serum because it doesn’t have a strong fragrance and the watery texture makes it perfect for those with oily or combination skin, although I like it as well even if my skin is normal-dry.

The next Ellana Cosmetics serum is the Cream Skin Hydrating Serum (P1,000 for 50ml). It is made of a vegan alternative to snail mucin and is intended for those with dry, textured, sensitive skin. It has “89% Wild Yam extract,” said to protect the skin from irritation and provides “intensive hydration,” and Panax Ginseng Root to protect the skin from stress and further damage.

While I haven’t tried this serum yet (and I will, once I finish with my current hydrating serum), I am very excited to do so because hydration has always been a priority of mine. A note though, when putting on hydrating serums, make sure that you use a hydrating toner first and that your skin is moist (not wet) before using the serum because in my experience, putting hydrating serums on dry skin makes the serum pull out moisture from the skin and dry it further, and we don’t want that since the whole point is to introduce more moisture and not take it away.

The final serum in the lineup is the Clear Skin Clarifying Lightweight Face Oil for Oily Skin (P1,000 for 50ml). This clarifying oil serum fights pimples and redness thanks to a concentrated botanical blend of Boswellia serrata extract to reduce redness and inflammation, and grapeseed oil to treat microbes that cause blemishes.

Here’s a tip for those who are suffering from inflamed, irritated skin: temporarily replace your facial wash with a colloidal oatmeal wash — where you soak traditional oats (not instant) in water overnight and use the water to wash your face (let it stay for a seconds before wiping gently) in the morning and at night — the wash protects the skin from more irritants and harsh surfactants the facial wash may have. After cleansing with this oatmeal wash, you can introduce the clarifying serum, a moisturizer, and sunscreen in the morning.

Aside from serums, Ellana Cosmetics also introduced two serum sprays: Uplift Hydrating Niacinamide + Vitamin C Serum Spray and Unwind Clarifying Green Tea + Tea Tree Serum Spray (both at P799 for 60 ml). Both sprays promise hydration and brightening and clarifying in a convenient spray bottle.

Of all the Ellana skincare products they released, this is probably the line that doesn’t excite me, mostly because a face mist for P799 is too much despite saying it’s a serum. The thing about face mists is that it refreshes the skin but does not offer a lot of skincare benefits because a spray releases a very small amount of product and most of it does not even land on your face. But then again, my rule in skincare is if it makes you happy and if you feel it adds something to your routine, and as long as it’s not damaging, go ahead because skincare is personal and it can be different for different people.

All in all, this is a solid first skincare launch and I do appreciate the accessible price point, the packaging and the overall promised skincare benefits.

The Ellana Cosmetics skincare line is currently at 15% off on the Ellana Cosmetics website www.ellanacosmetics.com as an introductory offer. The brand plans to hold a sale on Nov. 11.

CETAPHIL BRIGHT HEALTHY RADIANCE LINE
US skincare line Cetaphil, known for its gentle products, has launched a new line of products focused on this year’s most popular skincare ingredient: Niacinamide.

(If you noticed, Ellana Cosmetics also has several products with Niacinamide, as do several other skincare brands.)

If 2019 was the year of Hyaluronic acid and hydration, this year is all about brightening as Niacinamide is touted to be able to do.

Called the Bright Healthy Radiance Line, the new line includes seven products: Brightness Reveal Creamy Cleanser (P480 for 100g), Brightness Refresh Toner (P725 for 150ml), Daily Brightening Protection Cream SPF15 (P1,035 for 50g), Brightening Night Comfort Cream (P1,035 for 50g), Brightening Lotion (P1,035 for 245ml), Brightness Reveal Body Wash (P679 for 245ml), and Brightness Reveal Bar (P363 for 100g).

First of all, I really appreciate such a complete line of face and body care products, and secondly, I’m so excited that Cetaphil has finally expanded its repertoire from the usual gentle cleansers and creams.

Cetaphil has always been my go-to skincare product, especially in the mornings when I require a gentle cleanser, and I am looking forward to trying the new products.

A piece of advice for those who will be buying the Daily Protection cream, while it has SPF, I would still recommend using an SPF50 sunscreen because SPF15 is not nearly enough to protect your skin from sun damage. Yes, even indoors.

The Cetaphil Bright Healthy Radiance is available in Lazada and Shopee.

KIEHL’S HOLIDAY GIFT SETS
It’s that time of the year when American skincare brand Kiehl’s comes out with limited edition packaging of its best-selling products and promotes its gift sets. This year’s designs are crafted by Lyon-based graphic artist and illustrator Maite Franchi, known for her colorfully bold and graphic designs.

The Kiehl’s special packaging features Ms. Franchi’s colorful style, presenting vibrant and playful depictions of Christmas ornaments and symbols and a dancing Mr. Bones clearly infected with holiday cheer.

The gift sets start at P800 for a bath and body set and can go up to P6,895 for its Radiant Essential package which includes the Powerful Line-Reducing Concentrate 50ml, Powerful Line-Reducing Eye and several deluxe samples.

This writer’s personal favorites from the brand are the Midnight Recovery Concentrate, the  Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado, and the Powerful Line Reducing Concentrate.

Kiehl’s also opened a pop-up store in Bonifacio Global City (BGC) at One Bonifacio High Street for those who want to see the gift packs in person before purchasing.

Starting Nov. 1, Kiehl’s is giving away a free Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream for the first 50 customers who purchase P5,000 worth of Kiehl’s products. The next 150 customers will get a deluxe lotion hand and body set, while the first ones to visit the BGC pop-up store can get first dibs at the Kiehl’s Holiday Advent Calendar Set (P6,000).

By Zsarlene B. Chua, Senior Reporter

THE PANDEMIC has forced most people to wear face masks for health and safety reasons, which means that more than half of people’s faces are now covered. But that doesn’t mean that they should stop enjoying playing with makeup and that is what the newly launched beauty brand, Ready Set Glow, wants to do.

Launched in February, the local brand has an impressive array of colored eyeliners, eye shimmers, and lipsticks, with the eyeliners touted to be “smudge-proof and waterproof.”

This writer was given a selection of the eyeliners and lipsticks to try out and at first glance colored eyeliners can be intimidating, especially for someone like me who has only been using either dark brown or black eyeliner.

But then again, if people are discouraged from going outside unless absolutely necessary and to  wear masks when venturing into the wild outdoors, this may be the perfect time to experiment with colors.

And that’s what this writer did over several days: try creating graphic eyeliner looks.

Graphic eyeliner is a makeup style where eyeliners are not only placed near the lash line but are made to highlight the entire eye using sweeping lines over the lids, under the lids, etc. Many of the more popular styles were inspired by ancient Egyptians’ eye makeup.

In the kit delivered to this writer, there were three liquid eyeliners: the royal blue OMG! Liquid liner, the ocean green Slay! Liquid liner, and the bright yellow Lit! Liquid liner (P249 each); and three gel liners: the Unicorn Magic (pastel violet), Frilly Tutu (crimson), and Wild Tiger (tiger yellow (each for P599).

Over several days, this writer has almost exclusively used the liners for her online events and true enough, the liners (both liquid and gel) were smudge-proof and waterproof as they managed to survive 12 hours on my usually sweaty eyelids.

The felt tip on the liquid liner had enough stiffness and flex for enough control — putting on a cat eye was a breeze. The liquid liner does take a few seconds (half a minute maximum) to dry, so please try not to blink in that time, otherwise, an eye look that took 25 minutes to do will be ruined in seconds, as what happened to me. It wasn’t a complete disaster though, as a good Micellar water — I recommend Bioten Skin Moisture Micellar Water (P350/400ml) and a pointed cotton bud to fix mistakes.

The gel liners — called Badass Gel Liners — are a bit more workable, though I suggest that if you find it too stiff, run the liner back and forth on the back of your hand first to soften it a bit because you really don’t want to keep tugging on the very thin skin on your eyes.

While stiff, I found that the gel liners are workable enough if you want to use it as eyeshadow, just move fast otherwise it sets and it’s on forever (until you remove it with a cleanser, that is.)

Here’s a pro-tip for you: the three gel liners I got also work perfectly as color correctors — the Wild Tiger is great to use under the eye to cancel those under eye circles, while Unicorn magic is to correct yellow undertones and you can also use it under the eyes, and the Frilly Tutu can color correct blue undertones for those with deeper skintones. Again, blend fast and use a little at a time.

OTHER PRODUCTS AND NEW ENDORSERS
Despite being a less than a year-old brand, Ready Set Glow has definitely set itself apart from other brands in the color cosmetics space because of its vibrant products, but the brand is not stopping there as it does plan on introducing more products soon.

“We have in the pipeline a very good variety of products coming in maybe at the late 2020, before this year ends, or early 2021. There’s so much in the lineup and we are so excited about it,” Carla See De Castro, assistant marketing head of Ready Set Glow, said during the launch on Oct. 24 held via Zoom.

“Being a versatile brand, we’re not just focused on color or graphic makeup but we will come up with something that is more for daily use — but one that’s definitely unique because that’s our character and our brand’s statement,” she added.

The brand also announced its two new endorsers: actress Ina Raymundo and her daughter, singer Erika Rae Poturnak.

“We really wanted the mother and daughter tandem because we wanted to show that our products can be used by your daughter or tita (aunt) or even your cool lola (grandmother), who loves colors and who’s still creative and enjoys life,” Marian Lao Siggaoat, co-founder and creative director of the brand, said in the same conference.

Ready Set Glow products can be purchased on its website: https://readysetglow.ph/. From Nov. 6-11, the brand is holding a Buy 2, Take 1 promotion for all its items, and free shipping for purchases over P899.