'Self-care' is the beauty buzzword

Self-care” is still the beauty buzzword du jour.  The industry is all about sensorial experiences and achieving the professional results you’d normally get at a salon, spa or aesthetic clinic with DIY products right in the comforts of your own home.  Here we’ve collected an assortment of skincare, hair care, makeup and scent that not only make you look great; they lavish you and all your senses with a little love.

HERMÈS: A fragrance as comforting as cashmere

Eau des Merveilles has truly been a “Water of Wonders” for Hermès since 2004, when the woody-amber fragrance changed the definition of feminine fragrance forever by omitting the use of florals.

After three iterations (one with candied orange and chocolate, another with vanilla and patchouli, and a third evoking the scent of sea spray), for the holidays Hermès has released the fourth interpretation of EdM, L’Ombre des Merveilles (Shadow of Wonders), a lovely woody-oriental scent that balances light and shadowy notes of black tea, vanillic tonka bean and mysterious incense.

Contained in a bottle that’s flat on one side and rounded on the other, it resembles a magnifying glass you’d use to look at the stars, and the elixir inside is as warm and comforting as wrapping yourself in the softest Hermès cashmere.

The Hermès perfume universe is now available at Rustans.com.

POND’S: A skincare star is reborn

We’ve all been Pond’s girls at one time in our lives.  I remember when Pond’s cold cream was the way to take off my makeup and beautify.

Pond’s Age Miracle was another favorite, and this beloved bestseller has been reborn with a new look and new formula boasting the latest trending actives:  prebiotics, 10 percent Retinol-C, Niacinamide complex, hyaluronic acid, activated collagen, and ceramides.

The skincare routine consists of only three steps: Pond’s Age Miracle eye cream, Youthful Glow Double Action serum and Youthful Glow Day Cream SPF 18 in the morning; and the eye cream, Ultimate Youth Essence and Youthful Glow Night Cream in the evening. I did this for seven days and woke up to more youthful, smooth and glowing skin.

Pond’s is available at Shopee and other ecommerce sites.

NARS:  Extreme lash drama

Nars’ new Climax Extreme mascara is the mega-dramatic sequel to Nars’ lifting, curling and volumizing Climax mascara. Its Loaded Pigment Complex and XXXL ribbed-bristle brush saturates lashes with the deepest black micro-pigments and conditioning oils to deliver maximum volume, length and a latex-like finish — a party in a tube next to its more daily-friendly sister. Of course, the most extreme way to go would be to layer the two — Climax first then Climax Extreme on top — and shade your eyes with the accompanying Extreme Effects eyeshadow palette: 12 sexy shades in super-matte, shimmer and latex-like finishes.

Nars is available at Rustans.com, Rustan’s Makati, Shangri-La Plaza, Alabang, Cebu, Adora Greenbelt, Central Square, Rockwell Power Plant and SM Mega Fashion Hall.

AHC: Korea’s cult eye cream for the face

Around 2012, AHC, Korea’s top aesthetic skincare brand, spotted a big trend among Korean celebrities: they were using very expensive eye creams all over their face to reap the benefits of potent anti-aging formulas for delicate skin, which became a huge beauty hack/secret among the elite.

AHC believed that such professional results should be accessible to everyone, so they formulated an equally potent but affordably priced version called The Real Eye Cream for Face, and it’s become the No. 1 eye cream in Korea, with one sold every three seconds. They’ve expanded the line to include AHC Age Defense Real Eye Cream, clinically proven to fight seven kinds of wrinkles in seven days, and The Pure Real Eye Cream for Face, an anti-aging moisturizer made with over 91-percent-natural ingredients that an Ultrafine Emulsion System breaks down to ensure faster, deeper and better absorption into the skin.

The result: a glowing, youthful complexion in 21 days.

AHC is available at Lazada, Shopee, and BeautyMNL.

KERASTASE:  Salon-smooth hair at home

I have a confession to make:  I hate styling my hair because I’m so bad at it, so prior to the pandemic I always left the blowouts to the salon experts.

But now that I’m mostly at home, I’ve been forced to pick up my old nemesis, the blow dryer, once again. 

Mindful of women like myself who just want smooth, manageable hair without the hassle, Kérastase has developed Discipline, a product line that will give you salon-smooth hair without actually having to go to a salon!  The secret lies in their Morpho-Keratine Complex, with ingredients like arginine and polymers that promise 72 hours of protection against humidity and frizz.

Bain Fluidealiste shampoo disciplines unruly hair to satin softness.  Highly concentrated Discipline Maskeratine conditions hair until it shines.  Keratine Thermique is a leave-in milk that you apply before blow-drying to smooth and tame rebellious hair until it’s fluid poetry in motion. 

There’s hope for even styling klutzes like me.

Kerastase is now available on Lazada.

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