Photos from Toni Sia, Teree Daisuke, Marj Maroket/Instagram 

MANILA -- Gone are the days when quality makeup means expensive brands. The Philippine beauty industry has been leveling up its game with more brands releasing products at par with international brands and for almost half the price.

This Valentine’s Day, what better way to spoil your kikay loved ones than to gift them with makeup they can use on a daily, on date nights, and even for casual days out?

Here are some tried and tested products from Filipino brands you can give as gifts this love month, as seen on some beauty influencers:

BASE PRODUCTS

A good makeup look needs a good canvass, so here are some good base products influencers swear by:

Issy Active Foundation

This was just released in 2023 but it immediately made a buzz on TikTok and became a cult favorite. This made it to “budol queen” Toni Sia’s recommendations, saying it has an “undetectable” and “skin-like” finish that is perfect for the Philippine weather.

Colourette First Base Skin Tint

Also Philippine weather-friendly, this made it to Marj Maroket’s “Best Filipino Makeup of 2023” list, boasting on its longevity and its demi-matte finish that could suit a lot of skin types. This also has SPF30 so you can get flawless skin with an added protection from the sun. 

Detail Cosmetics Fresh Filter Foundation

This has been in the market for a while now, but it still made it to the favorites list of some influencers. Belle Rodolfo, one of the TikTok content creators who swear by this, described this as a “lightweight” foundation with a “fairly good coverage.”

BRONZER/CONTOUR

Strokes Face Sculpt

Another cult favorite, this cream contour and bronzer always makes the cut when it comes to Filipino makeup favorites. This also has different undertones for different skin tones, making it perfect for deep and light skin. This melts on the skin like butter and sculpts and brings warmth to the face without any patchiness or harsh pigment buildup. Influencers like Sia, Maroket, Nate Javier, Teree Daisuke, and Belle Rodolfo approve of this product.

BLUSH

A makeup kit staple, blush never leaves any beauty girl’s bag. Here are some blush recommendations from beauty influencers that are worth trying.

GRWM Cosmetics Milk Tint 

This was all over TikTok when it was relaunched with better component and more secure and luxe packaging. But the hype does not stop here — this liquid blush has 17 shades that could cater deep to light skin tones. This was mentioned by makeup artist and beauty influencer Nate Javier on his “Best of 2023” makeup list on TikTok. This was also described by Sia as having “perfect pigmentation” and blendability.

Issy Desaturated Blush 

What’s better than a good blush palette? A customizable one! Not only does this give you the freedom to mix and match the shades that you want, this also comes in 15 gorgeous shades so there’s surely something for everyone.

This made it to Maroket’s list of the best Filipino makeup of 2023, with the beauty influencer emphasizing on its “beautiful shades” that give a “soft blushed look.”

Vice Co Dew It All Blush

Proving this can cater to a wide range of skin tones, Sia, who has fair skin, and Maroket, who has a beautiful morena skin, both recommend this blush. Both these beauty girls love the dewy finish of this blush, which makes the skin look healthy.

LIP PRODUCTS

Makeup is not complete without a good lip color, so here are some lip products with different finishes beauty content creators recommend.

Happy Skin Lip Mallow

This has been part of Sia and Maroket’s makeup recommendations since this was released, with both of them citing its non-sticky and non-drying finish that leaves a long-lasting stain on the lips.

“I don’t know how many of this I’ve gone through,” Sia said in one of her YouTube videos.

GRWM Cosmetics Lip Contour 

A long-lasting and budge proof lip liner, this prevents lipsticks from bleeding while defining the shape of the lips, giving it a fuller look.

“Hands down the best lip liner,” Maroket said. 

Chu Chu Beauty Lip Oil

Don’t be deceived by its cute and tiny packaging, because this feeds the lips with deep moisture while giving a slight tint of color. This made it to beauty influencer Teree Daisuke’s favorite lippies list, which he said has good hydration properties. 

BROW PRODUCTS

It’s the bushy brows season and a lot of Filipino brands have jumped into the trend by releasing their own brow gel or laminators.

Lucky Beauty Brow Grip

This holds brow hair in place for a long time, keeping it groomed and bushy all day. This product makes more sense as this brand is owned by Kapamilya star Andrea Brillantes who is known for her thick and feathery brows.

GRWM Brow Lift Maxx 

This brow laminator has a very strong hold keeps the brows up for the whole day, achieving that feathery and bushy brows with just one product. This can also be used to groom the brows, making it versatile. This was part of Daisuke’s “Best Makeup Products of 2023” list and was described by Sia as the “most long wearing” brow laminator.