Ever since the start of the community quarantine, online marketplaces like Shopee have helped give us convenient access to certain things from the outside world. Learning a new hobby? You're likely to find competitively-priced supplies. Forgot to pick something up from the last supply run? Perhaps one of your favorite sellers has it. Want to try something new? There’s tons of listings to discover.

With so many beauty brands on the market, it’s not surprising for one brand to remind yourself of another. Whether its packaging or the shade range, it’s nothing new to see similarities between or even among beauty brands.

However, given the similarities, one couldn’t help but wonder if they are merely a coincidence, an inspiration, or a blatant imitation. This begs the question - where do we draw the line between inspiration and imitation?

If you’re an avid deal-browser on Shopee, odds are you’ve seen Sace Lady around. This Chinese makeup brand is often on sale, and the prices are sure to pique the beauty bargain hunter’s interest. So to kick things up a notch, I created a complete one-brand FOTD that cost less than P800 after sale discounts and vouchers were applied. And now I’m here to answer the age-old question: Sulit ba?

Oh dear, I don’t think our wallets are ready for this jelly! Things are about to get spendy but the good news is that we have options. Do you deserve to splurge? We spill the tea on FENTY Beauty’s newest launch, a reformulation of Laura Mercier’s OG makeup base, and new highlighters care of Benefit. Feeling thrifty? Check out a huge lippie sale from Ever Bilena, and stock up on beauty essentials while supporting worthwhile advocacies.

While there are obvious perks to being able to swatch and test products in person, I find myself doing most of my beauty shopping online. There are no busy crowds, no hovering sales people, and no traffic or parking issues to deal with. I like the option of being able to easily canvass and compare for the best prices, and most especially enjoy being able to quickly research for blog reviews before adding items to my cart! We've already listed our fave online stores to purchase from but there's one marketplace that we've become (mildly?) addicted to: Shopee!