Every new year brings us all an opportunity to shed away our mistakes and start anew. With the arrival of 2020, we’re given a shiny blank slate ready to be written on—so in an effort to start off on the right foot, it’s nice to look back on the things we learned NOT to do. Through the years of our deep dive into beauty, the Calyxta Crew has gone through many beauty faux pas; let’s get 2020 off to a good start with the Crew’s first batch of top picks of the year, as well as a beauty mistake and resolution that these goodies have helped us with.
Sometimes, self-discovery comes in the form of bringing yourself out into the world. In my case, it came in weeks of constant galivanting through bars across the Metro; while this is all in good fun, my skin was definitely not pleased with me. I’ve fallen asleep with makeup on more times than I’m proud of! For 2020, my resolution is to ALWAYS remember to double cleanse—no matter how lazy I get at the end of the day! I’m a big advocate of Banila Co.’s balm cleansers, but the Purifying variant has been extra good to me lately as my lifestyle choices have made my skin a little bit more sensitive than I’m used to. The CosRX Salicylic Acid Cleanser is also a top-of-mind choice for me, as it’s wonderful at getting rid of sebum and clogged pores while staying gentle enough for everyday use!
– Julia Benito, Content Marketing Associate
This year, I want to continue my goal of drinking about 1,600 ml of water a day. I started this late last year, especially after discovering an app that tracks my water intake and reminds me to drink every hour. I noticed the change and improvement in my body right away! I felt more energetic, and my skin looked clearer and healthier! To boost my skin’s hydration, I never miss a night of applying COSRX’s Hyaluronic Acid Hydra Power Essence. (Read: Hydrating vs. Moisturizing: What’s the Difference?) Another resolution is to physically, emotionally, and mentally prepare myself for all the big changes happening this year. My husband and I are moving into our forever home soon—should the construction of our house finish on time. He also wants to have a baby already, and even though I’m not mentally and emotionally ready for it, I want to be physically prepared—and drinking Vitamin C (like Royale Wellness’ Royale-C) to strengthen my immune system is one way I keep myself healthy!
– Gretchen Gatan, Managing Editor
Sun protection is just as important as drinking water. Wearing sunscreen is not just for the beach but is also essential for our everyday lifestyle! Without sun protection, it can only take as little as 15 minutes for your skin to get damaged and increase signs of aging. Do your present and futur self a favor and invest in a sunscreen! It will take less than a minute to save your skin from short and long-term sun damage. I like Glossier’s Invisible Shield in particular because of its light formula that easily absorbs on my face. It dries so fast that I can easily apply my makeup right after!
– Trixi Ruiz, Account Executive
I used to be okay with using just any kind of face or body soap to clean my face. But I realized after researching and reading reviews that it’s very important to find the perfect skin care product that fits with my combination skin! Knowing your skin type helps you know how to protect and keep the outermost surface layer of your skin intact. So, this year, I will continue taking care of my skin the right way! I use COSRX LOW PH GOOD MORNING GEL CLEANSER for my morning routine because it’s very gentle and refreshing—my skin always looks brighter and cleaner after using it! For my night routine, I finish off by using the COSRX ULTIMATE HONEY OVERNIGHT MASK to keep my skin soft and hydrated.
– Mellissa Gelline Manalili, ICT Solutions Developer
Working in Calyxta taught me that in order to protect my skin from harmful and damage-causing UV rays which cause sunspots, sagging skin, and wrinkles, it is important to wear sunscreen every day. As they always say: “NEVER, EVER, EVER, EVER FORGET YOUR SUNSCREEN! EVER!”
I used to think that sunscreen was only necessary when you go on trips or swimming outdoors since you will be exposed directly to the sun—even so, I still always forgot to apply! That being said, my resolution for 2020 is to use the Super Screen Sun Gel SPF50+ from Face Republic every day. It’s my first good investment for the new year and I already have it handy in my skincare bag, so I won’t have any reason to skip this important part of my everyday skincare routine!
– Anne Concepcion, Administrative and Technical Assistant
I personally like Glossier Lash Slick for my everyday use. Among all the items in my makeup bag, I can say that this is my most valuable possession! At first, I found it difficult to take off—like with other waterproof mascaras. A lot of rubbing and pulling is needed to completely remove it, and this caused some of my lashes to fall out. Good thing I read from an article that applying regular mascara before a waterproof one does the trick! Now I am ready to face 2020 with my pretty lashes and without the hassle!
– Alyssa Laureola, Merchandising Assistant
My past year was an adventurous one! I traveled quite a number of times, hopping from a tropical country to colder ones. This left not just my skin, but also my lips dry and chapped! Thankfully, I remembered my former colleague who recommended me the Ellana Mineral Cosmetics’ Strawberry Vanilla Lip Scrub. It gets rid of dead skin, exfoliates dirt and keeps my lips moisturized. Never knew lip scrubs can make such a huge a difference!
– Tris Sese, Merchandising Manager
Written by:
Julia Benito
Julia is Calyxta’s resident crazy plant lady with an unstoppable caffeine addiction and an ever-increasing love for glitter eye shadow. When she’s not staring out the window mulling over the correctness of her grammar, she can be found drawing on eyeliner, watching anime, reading books, or petting strangers’ dogs.
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