My earliest memory of makeup was watching my mother put on this gorgeous deep red on her lips as she got ready for Sunday mass. And like all children I thought my mother with her lipstick on must be the prettiest woman in the world.

Although my memory of lipstick only goes back twenty years, this iconic product has been glamming up the women (and men) of history for centuries.

Beauty brands are stepping up these days in incorporating treatment with their makeup. Issy and Co’s Hydragloss (P209) has made waves in being a lip treatment and lip color in one cute tube. Let’s test it out!

The Hydragloss colors I have are Jell-Oh, H.O.T. and Punch. They appear super pigmented on the tube, making one think of fruity summer colors. Upon smelling, there was no fragrance or “flavor” that I would usually get in some lip glosses. I swatched them on my arm and it was surprising that I didn’t get a sticky texture. It glides more syrupy and didn’t leave an overt residue when wiped off with a tissue.

Here I am again with my search for mask proof makeup. This time around, the focus is on lips and I’m happy to find a product from one of my favorite local brands, Happy Skin! The Kiss & Bloom Glossy Tints (P349) are part of the Generation Happy Skin line up. It was mid-2020 when these products were first launched and included in the Here to Bloom collection with the shades Tanned and Crimson. Four new shades have been added since then: Blossom, Bud, Calm, and Sunny. The shades are sold separately but you can also get all four in the Generation Happy Skin Glossy Tint Set (P1,396).

Taking inspiration from cherry blossoms, MAC’s Spring 2021 offering is the Black Cherry Collection. Perfectly capturing the spirit of spring, cherry blossoms are no stranger to MAC’s limited edition collections. The collection contains a spectrum of products for the eyes, lips, and skin. For this review, I was able to try and test the Extra Dimension Blushes, Glow Play Lip Balms, and Matte Lipsticks. Here are my thoughts!

I lurk around Shopee and IG a lot, and if you’re like me, you might have heard about Perfect Diary. There is a sea of products available on Shopee but this brand always stood out for me with their eye-catching graphics and packaging. I was given a chance to try a set of the Perfect Diary Rouge Intense Velvet Slim Lipsticks (P789 per tube/ P2,139 for the set), so here’s what I thought about them!

We all have go-to lip colors for certain occasions. I don’t know if it’s just me but I always have a shade in mind for a particular purpose and I’m glad to report that these shades have worked well for me every single time. Whether for work or when I’m attending events as a diplomat’s wife, my lip color was and will always be picked for a particular reason. They say fashion is a great way to send a message and I agree but that philosophy extends to my makeup, too. So not only am I intentional with the clothing I wear, I also choose shades that support my message - whatever it is for that day.

Collaborations have been the name of the game in the beauty industry lately, so a lot of people expected one when Detail Cosmetics (formerly Detail Makeover) teased an upcoming launch on Instagram. What took everyone by surprise, however, was how the collaboration was with 12 Filipino beauty gurus!

Called Powder Pout (P199), the newest lipstick line of Detail Cosmetics features 12 of the biggest names in the local beauty community scene with their respective signature lipstick shades. I have a lot of things to say about this collaboration, so let’s go straight into the review and lip swatches, shall we?