Life has a funny way of dealing us cards we can never truly be prepared for; luckily, while our days may be turbulent and our emotions all over the place—looking at you, Mercury Retrograde—we can at least look like we’ve got it all handled through these hardworking beauty products!
A POTENTIAL MAKEUP MELTDOWN
You know when you leave the house for a night out feeling so good about the makeup you just put on then see the photos the morning after and just die a little bit on the inside? Yeah—me, too. Saving my face from a makeup meltdown is tough work, especially since I have an oily T-zone! I found that what works the best for me is getting a setting spray that goes the extra mile. This one from Ellana is awesome because it can be used three-ways: a primer, a setting spray, and a facial mist. I pop this on before makeup, after makeup, and throughout the day when my skin needs a little boost to make sure I don’t look like a hot mess on my friend’s Instagram stories!
A DAY MY ALARM DIDN’T GO OFF
I’d like to think I’m a very chill person, but when I’ve woken up an hour after my alarm for a brunch plan with friends that I KNEW was going to have photos, there is no chill left in my being! Being in a hurry while still looking great is tricky stuff, but when you start stocking up on multi-purpose goodies like Detail’s lip and cheek tint, your life gets infinitely easier. Simply dabbing some onto the lips and blending a tiny bit on the apples of your cheeks already makes a world of difference! With its bright pigmentation and super blendable formula, this water/gel hybrid makes haphazardly getting ready in a Grab while in a rush is so easy. Plus, it doesn’t sit awkwardly on the cracks of my lips! Finally!
A FULL DAY AND A NIGHT OUT
Packing this deodorant when I knew I was going to have a fully booked schedule was the best decision ever. For one thing, its size and packaging makes it is so easy to bring around while still being discreet; if you’ve ever felt dyahe for opening your purse at security and having a roll-on deo staring the guard in the face like I have, then you’ll thank the heavens for Dove’s adorable lotion-esque shape. It’s also super quick drying, so applying is easy—especially after being forced to attend your nephew’s laser tag party. But what I love the most about this deodorant (one of three variants!) is that, while it performs so well at such a steal, it has a great formulation that really targets my biggest concern: underarm pigmentation. Because it’s a serum deodorant, it’s packed with ingredients like Collagen and Vitamin B3 (or niacinamide, which we stan!) that help your skin turn over faster—giving your underarms a more even-toned appearance. It also doesn’t clump up and leave white residue like other deodorants! Perfect for raising your arms unashamed at the club even after a long day!
AFTER A REALLY LATE-NIGHT NETFLIX BINGE SESSION
While claiming to be an organic botox mask may be a stretch (pun intended), this peel off mask does wonders for cramming beauty sleep! We all have days where we stay up a little bit too late binge-watching the entire season of Stranger Things and need a good pick-me-up the next night—this mask is just that! Locally made and purely organic, this mask soothes the skin with its gel-like texture then dries into a crisp, peel away mask, allowing you to lift away dirt and impurities left on the skin! This gives you a brighter, much more radiant appearance in just one use.
A TERRIBLY HUMID HAIR DAY
Having curly hair in the Philippine heat is a nightmare, and some days are truly worse than others. To prevent my hair from puffing up after a stressful commute, I’ve found that using this multi-purpose oil from Makiling Herbarium is a fool-proof way of taming my unruly tresses! I simply rub a few drops onto my palms and work the oil through my hair! Depending on how hot the weather is, I may need to do this repeatedly throughout the day to keep it from frizzing back up, but honestly, with a bottle that big, it’s not even a problem; it’s hard to even get halfway through of the product! This oil can even be used for your nails, to moisturize and remove makeup on your face, and much more. Is it a steal? Uh, duh!
AFTER BEING SCORCHED FROM A MUSIC FESTIVAL
My sunburns can get pretty intense. Especially on events spent sizzling under the sun (for two days straight), the need to find a good soothing cream was not even up for debate. That’s where this skin-soothing emulsion from OIAM comes in. With its vegan, cruelty-free, and paraben-free formulation, I knew I was getting the best care for my irritated skin. It did an excellent job soothing the areas that were painful to touch because of the sunburn and kept the dry areas that were exacerbated by the heat well moisturized. A need for us tropical island dwellers!
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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