If earning more income is one of your New Year resolutions, you may want to consider getting into online selling. Sure, it’s a small operation compared to the likes of Sephora PH and BeautyMNL, but it’s proven to be a lucrative one. Shoppers still appreciate having a trusted suki who can give recos and address issues at a personal level, and it’s easier to give feedback on what products they’d like to see next! But, how to start? We got in touch with two popular online sellers whose shops we’ve frequented and trust.

When K-beauty first started gaining popularity a few years back, I was one of the many who became obsessed with the idea of glass skin. Also known as chok chok, this look is all about a complexion that’s bright, smooth, and glowy! One look at any K-idol is enough to understand why this became such a craze. While you can cheat a little with strategically placed concealer and a lot of highlighter, skincare is the real foundation to this look.

At the start of every new year, we look forward to seeing what trends will become popular. Glossy lips? Baby bangs? More foodmetics? All sorts of makeup in Living Coral? Trends come and go and only time will tell which ones would come to define the year ahead. What we know for sure is that we’re saying goodbye to 2018 and its beauty hypes that were just not worth it.

Since discovering the Miss Hana (花娜小姐) gel pencil liner during my last Taipei visit, I knew that Cosmed/Watsons/Ximending and I had unfinished business. Armed with a week’s worth of research and P3000 (converted to NTD1765), I set off for my Taiwan trip with the aim of trying out more of their makeup products. You might be wondering: what about Dr. Morita, My Beauty Diary, My Scheming, Naruko, and 23.5N? The skincare brands are slowly making their way to our shores, so we decided to focus on makeup instead! So if you ever find yourself in Taipei, Kaohsiung, or any of Taiwan’s beautiful cities, consider picking up these local finds.

When I first went to Korea to study makeup, I expected to be swamped by K-Beauty brands, idol endorsements, and their collectibles. And while that was certainly true, I honestly didn’t expect for luxury Western brands to have a place of respect among my friends and makeup instructors.

For Koreans, beauty brands follow a pretty tight market classification - a pecking order, if you will. They tend to look at consumers in terms of age, and will cater very specifically to each group. Koreans have a word 대 (dae) which means “generation” and pertains to the age bracket that a person falls under: teens, twenties, and so on.

Ah, award shows - perfect fodder for commentary, shade, and (the occasional) inspiration. This year’s red carpet saw a lot of corals and nudes, which are perfectly safe but are also kinda boring. So we’ve picked out a few standouts from the bunch so you can look at pretty people who’ve really. Gone. For. It.

I’ve always been curious about Dior makeup but I’ve never tried any of their products - until recently, when they invited me to explore their newly opened boutique in Mall of Asia. This is right in between the two escalators in the Main Atrium so you can’t miss it! The space is much larger than their old one on the second floor; it’s also more inviting, with a spacious area on the side so you can get immersed in the Dior experience.

I was reading a science-fiction novel the other day about a galactic empire that’s on the brink of collapse. The head of the empire is thrust upon the responsibility with little choice, and she expresses doubts about being able to save people in the chaos. She asked one of the characters how she always seemed so confident. The answer, “Confidence is not about knowing you’re right. Confidence is about knowing that you can make it right.”

Last January, our K-beauty chinggus were heartbroken when Laneige Philippines started holding massive sales and, eventually, closed all branches. We thought they’d be gone forever, but Laneige is officially back in SM Makati, The Beauty Source!

One of my favorite things to do when Christmas comes is buying presents for the special people in my life. I just love the thrill of being able to find the perfect gift! One of the things I like to get for the more kikay crowd are beauty sets because of the variety of items you get to try. Need some inspo for your last minute shopping? Here are some of our Christmas gift set picks that you should definitely check out!

The Philippines cheered when Catriona Grey took the crown home yesterday at the Miss Universe pageant in Bangkok. From her Mak Tumang dress inspired by the Mayon Volcano and stunning Tessera Jewelry cuff earrings, every detail of her look was perfectly crafted to represent the Philippines. One question in my mind remains, however: what is that stunning red lipstick she wore to the finals?

‘Tis the season for getting glammed up and doing a lot of picture-taking at all the holiday parties! If you’re like me and love a good makeup moment to ensure Insta-worthy photos, you’ll wanna step it up a little and put your fiercest face on. Need some inspo? From clean and simple to full-on party mode, here are eight looks for you to try!

Last November 23, Club Clio opened a new store on the second floor Atrium of Robinsons Galleria. This isn’t any old store though - it’s the Philippine flagship store which will carry new and limited edition products first. True addicts for house brands Clio Professional, Peripera, Goodal, and Dermatory should keep this store on their radars!

K-Beauty has taken over the local beauty scene with so many Korean brands that have washed up in Philippine shores. There is one brand, however, that many have been pining to see here and now it has finally arrived. Innisfree just opened its first branch at SM Mall of Asia and boy, is it huge!

My average week can get pretty intense. I get asked about how I do it all and where I find the time to run a company (with different verticals - retail, PR, media), attend speaking and hosting engagements, and still do a little sports or art in between.

In the last three years, many rumors and conjecture have spawned over superfamous brands allegedly private-labeling their products, to the shock of many a beauty addict. But what is private-labeling and why are people mad about it?

Around this time last year I was giving a talk at a Belle De Jour event. I can’t remember what the topic was exactly, but it’s somewhere along the lines of mistakes I made that brought me where I am today. (Note to self: I must share that here too!) There was a Q&A portion after the talk. Somebody asked: how does a person know what their dream is?

Over the years, preservatives have gotten such a bad rap, particularly for cosmetics. The damaging effects of parabens and formaldehyde, among others, have effectively vilified a whole ingredient component which is actually a vital element for most consumer products! Since most cosmetic products contain water (as well as other liquids and aerosols), they are highly susceptible to pathogens like bacteria and mold. If you don’t want to find funky stuff growing in your favorite moisturizer, broad-spectrum preservatives are non-negotiable.