Fashion Archives

5 Most Loved K-Beauty Brands in PH

17/12/2023

Skincare and makeup are two of the most well-known things that make South Korea famous. They made their signature through brown soft eyeliners, aegyo sal eyes, shimmer lids, soft brows, face masks, face serums, and gradient lips. Curating products have a formula of rich skin-loving ingredients that are healthy and beneficial inside and out. Korean brands also prioritize products that are well-made for Asians. So it’s no surprise why Filipinas and even Filipinos go crazy about their brands. As a makeup and skincare junkie, let me share with you the five most loved K-beauty brands that have been famous for awhile and are still sold here in our country. Innisfree. This brand is known for its products, which are mostly made with ingredients that come from Jeju. Green Tea, one of their well-known signature products, is made from real green tea leaves that, according to them, take 5 years for its tree to grow. They experienced 20 years of attempts at creation and a series of tests in order for them to master and deliver the green tea variety ‘solely dedicated to skin.’ Innisfree’s main products, which are included in the Green Tea line are Green Tea Seed Hyaluronic Serum and Green Tea Seed Hyaluronic Cream. While the famous endorsers of the brand are Lee Min Ho, Girls’ Generation’s Yoona, Seventeen’s Mingyu, Twice, and Ahn Hyo-seop. Nature Republic. If you’re an OG skincare addict, you’ll probably remember the most hyped Aloe Vera Gel that everyone loved that was originally released by Nature Republic. For just P250, you’ll get a 300-ml round plastic green tub that contains a gel that imitates a real aloe vera gel that Nature Republic claims to be formulated with 92% organic California aloe vera that gently soothes and moisturizes all skin types. This famous gel can be used as a moisturizer or a leave-on face and body mask. Yes, it can also be used to moisturize and soothe your body. This aloe vera gel and other products under the aloe vera skin line, like foam cleanser, facial mist, eye serum, shower gel, toner, cleansing water, mask sheet, gel cream, and eye patch, can still be purchased through their physical stores and official online stores. The Face Shop. While Nature Republic gained popularity over the famous Aloe Vera Gel, this brand called ‘The Face Shop’ innovated an improved version of the gel and called it ‘Jeju Aloe Ice.’ This aloe ice retails for P250 for 300 ml, just as much as the Nature Republic ones. It also claims to deliver a soothing and moisturizing gel, which is more effective if it is stored in a refrigerator before application for a more cooling effect. Laneige. As my personal favorite, I can truly say that Laneige only provides the best of the best quality that everyone deserves. One of the most-loved products from them that I can truly vouch for is their Lip Sleeping Mask, which can hydrate and heal your cracked, dry lips overnight. According to the product’s name, this lip sleeping mask will only take one night for you to see the difference that it can provide. It gently peels the dead skin from your lips, and you’ll surely wake up with a soft, luscious, and healthy-looking pout. Also from the brand, Water Sleeping Mask is a good contributor to glow and hydration for your skin. However, all of these excellent and beneficial products will cost you thousands but are guaranteed to be worth your money. Banila Co. Just like the previous list of brands above, Banila Co. has also focused on skincare, which drives them to offer the most well-known cleansing balm called ‘Clean It Zero.’ While they don’t limit themselves to the skincare line, as they also offer makeup products, they have mastered the formula of this cleansing balm to effectively remove dirt and makeup. It also acts as a deep double cleanser before you proceed with washing your face. It claims to have active botanicals, spring waters, and vitamin E and C for luxurious, healthy skin. As we explore these beautiful and powerful brands, Capstone-Intel shared their social intelligence report, which reveals that these top five k-beauty brands greatly influenced Filipinos through their famous endorsers, which helped them boost their marketing sales. From August 10 to October 10 of 2023, Capstone-Intel collected data that shows the Facebook performance of the following brands: With 73 posts, Innisfree got a total of 414 comments, 222 total share counts, and a total reaction of 3,568, which, if broken down, is 1,560 likes, 1,971 ‘heart’ reactions, 1 ‘haha’ reaction, 22 ‘wow’ reactions, 1 ‘sad’ reaction, and 13 ‘angry’ reactions. While, Nature Republic, with 153 posts, got a total of 452 comments, 1,189 total share counts, and 5,154 total reactions, which, if broken down, a total of 2,896 likes, 1,886 ‘heart’ reactions, 280 ‘haha’ reactions, 280 ‘wow’ reactions, 45’sad’ reactions, and 12 ‘angry’ reactions. On to the third, with 728 post counts, The Face Shop got a total of 4,037 comments, 4,263 total share counts, and 52,921 total reactions, which, if broken down, a total of 41,372 likes, 10,941 ‘heart’ reactions, 226 ‘haha’ reactions, 290 ‘wow’ reactions, 57 ‘sad’ reactions and 35 ‘angry’ reactions. Fourth is Laneige, with 27 post counts, with a total of 406 comments, 4,263 total share counts, and 10,493 total reactions which if broken down, a total of 6,305 likes, 4,176 ‘heart’ reactions, 1 ‘haha’ reaction, 11 ‘wow’ reactions, 0 ‘sad’ reaction, and 0 ‘angry’ reaction. And lastly, Banila Co., with the fewest post counts of eight, got a total of 39 comments, 23 total share counts, and 260 total reactions, which, if broken down, a total of 41,372 likes, 10,941 ‘heart’ reactions, 226 ‘haha’ reactions, 290 ‘wow’ reactions, 57 ‘sad’ reactions, and 35 ‘angry’ reactions.

Philippines: The Pageant Capital of Asia

05/12/2023

As we all know, Filipinos are into pageants just like how we love basketball. Every candidate that represents our country has been fully supported and watched, from their walk, to their gowns, how they present themselves, how they answer questions, and how they leave a mark on everyone’s mind. Recently, the 72nd Miss Universe 2023 was held at the Gimnasio Nacional José Adolfo Pineda in San Salvador, El Salvador, on November 18, 2023. Eighty four beautiful contestants competed for the title, but Sheynnis Palacios, the candidate representative of Nicaragua claimed the title this year. Michelle Marquez Dee, the Philippines’ candidate representative and the daughter of Melanie Marquez, our Miss International 1979, ended her course as a top 10 finalist, which made our fellow citizens feel disappointed not at her performance but at the management of Miss Universe. According to some, the decision was a bit suspicious as they saw a Facebook post from Miss Universe management, an initial announcement of the finalists, and it shows that Dee is included on the list. However, a few minutes have passed, and it was deleted, and the management posted another announcement that they claim the real and final list of the contestants that will proceed to the next level. Despite all of these frustrations, Filipinos congratulated Michelle as they saw her efforts and journey before she got to the pageant. On Facebook, here and there, it was all spread all over feeds. What people mostly appreciate is her positive character and, of course, her gown inspired by Apo Whang Od’s unique tattoo technique called “pagbabatok,” a handcrafted manual way of doing tattoos. The gown dedicated to the Philippines screams sexy, elegant and passionate, but at the same time, features our beautiful and one of a kind culture, proudly made by our very own Mark Bumgarner. In the study of Capstone-Intel, there were a total of 11, 438 posts regarding this event and Michelle, 22,660,802 reactions which breaks down into ‘love’ reactions with 54.8 percent (a total of 12,429,117), ‘likes’ with 38.8 percent (a total of 8,803,430), ‘haha’ reactions with 3.4 percent (a total of 759,749), ‘sad’ reactions with 1.7 percent (a total of 384,720), ‘wow’ reactions with 1.1 percent (a total of 254,356) and ‘angry’ reactions with 0.1 percent (a total of 29,905). It was also revealed that the Miss Universe 2023 pageant got 77 percent of positive mentions regardless of Michelle’s unsuccessful try of taking home the crown and 23 percent of negative mentions that were obviously because of everyone’s disappointments and frustrations. While some may think that this ends here, we can also remind ourselves of how strong, brave, and passionate a Filipina is, and that’s what we should be proud of because that’s what makes us stand out among others. We are unique in our own way. Even though we didn’t get the chance to bring home the bacon, somehow, we showed the world, how beautiful our culture is, how supportive Filipinos can be, how we can face and accept defeat and how we move forward to be the best version of ourselves. Michelle Marquez Dee is definitely the best example of a successful woman and how every Filipina should be, as what Pia Wurtzbach said, we wanted to show the world how Filipinas are confidently beautiful with a heart.

Korean Beauty and Fashion Trends Sweep the Philippines

29/09/2023

Korean trends are dominating the beauty scene worldwide, with the Philippines not being an exception. As South Korean entertainment, such as idols, bands, movies, and shows, gain popularity in the country, so does the style that goes along with them. K-pop idols like Twice, BTS, and Blackpink, as well as Korean famous actors and actresses such as Kim Soo-Hyun, Song Hye-Kyo, Park Seo-Joon, and IU, are probably the major influencers of Korean style here in the country. They have big fanbases in the Philippines, which are proven by their concerts and visits here being almost always sold out, and more often than not, they are the local brands’ choices of endorsers due to their big following, which helps the company in marketing their products. Aside from recruiting Korean personalities, local fashion brands have adopted the Korean style of clothing. They commonly release limited edition collections in collaboration with Korean celebrities. Apart from the reasons cited above, Korean fashion is considered to be comfortable yet stylish by many. Their style is generally recognized by oversized shirts, jogger pants or ripped jeans, baseball caps, and white sneakers. Some have also adopted the use of accessories, even men, which is progressive in its way as necklaces, earrings, and bracelets are now not viewed as something that is limited to women only. The Filipino youth are often seen wearing these types of clothing, which is sometimes not suitable for the hot weather, but as the saying goes, “tiis ganda”. It is without a doubt that global beauty standards have become more apparent through social media, and as humans, it is only natural to keep up with the latest trends either to be “in” or for some, to actually adopt these fads into their lifestyle as they deem it suitable for their personality and way of living. In addition to the fashion style, Filipinos have grown fond of Korean skincare and makeup products. Just by looking at the K-pop idols, one can definitely say that their skin looks well taken care of. K-Beauty is recognized for its clean, dewy, and natural look, which of course starts with a good skincare routine. Filipinos have become more concerned with the health of their skin, which is also beneficial to us holistically as it is considered self-care. The K-beauty industry definitely helped us incorporate sunblocks or sunscreens into our daily routine, which should be considered a must as the sun becomes a little bit more detrimental to our health nowadays. Lots of Filipinos now prioritize looking clean and well put together thanks to the influence of Korean beauty. The quality of their product is also top notch as it is being recognized all around the world for its effectiveness and price point. Filipinos can often be chronically online, which makes it easier for us to absorb and be influenced by others’ cultures. Korean culture is also magnified by the ease of accessibility of their products, especially through online shopping platforms. Local influencers also played a part in promoting these Korean trends. Overall, Korean fashion and beauty standards have made their way into our country. Many have changed their preferences to adapt to these trends, especially the younger generation. The combination of Filipino and Korean styles continues to develop and influence the local beauty scene.