Related: Get Stylish Nail Extensions by Student and Self-Taught Nail Technician Nika Pascua

Painting your own nails doesn’t have to be boring! You could achieve showstopping manicures just by using artisan nail polish handmade right here in the Philippines. An independent local brand, Paint Polish offers a wide selection of nail polish in a variety of colors and finishes, from dark, witchy multichromes to ethereal pastel holos.

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ABOUT PAINT POLISH PH

Four years ago, Jerrica Galope’s day job was temporarily halted due to the pandemic. Around the same time, her interest in nail polish grew from a simple hobby to a business opportunity.

“There are no independent, handmade polishes in the Philippines and it was expensive to ship internationally,” she shares. During the pandemic, she was able to research how to mix her own formulas, source raw materials, and start her own business from scratch. Now, while still a small indie brand, Paint Polish is Filipinos’ own version of international brands specializing in specialty-finish polishes like Mooncat, Cirque Colors, and YouTuber SimplyNailogical’s Holo Taco.

BUILD YOUR COLLECTION

Paint Polish offers locally-made, artisan polish that is free of 5 of the harmful chemicals commonly found in nail polish formulas. They also offer base coats, top coats, nail care products, custom polishes and even a DIY nail polish kit where you can mix up your own unique nail polish using pigments and glitters. Unleash your creativity and wear your heart on your nails by checking out some of their products below!

Holographic Nail Polish

Holographic nail polish makes use of glitter that reflects all the colors of the rainbow. The glitter could be different shapes and sizes and could also be suspended in different base colors and formulas. Paint Polish offers holo nail polish in rainbow colors, as well as specialty finishes that have a subtle holographic shimmer.

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Magnetic Nail Polish

Magnetic nail polish is one of the most fun nail polishes to use. You need special magnets that will attract the magnetic pigment in the polish to create different lines, shapes, and designs. You can wear the polish on its own—it’ll look like a simple, shimmery duo- or multichrome—but when magnetized, the pattern creates depth and elevates your manicure to new heights. Paint Polish’s Zodiac and Spells collection (inspired by Harry Potter) include several magnetic polishes.

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Duochrome/Multichrome Nail Polish

Duochrome and multichrome nail polish are where it’s at if you want to get people’s attention. The way the metallic-finish polish shifts from one color to another depending on the angle the light hits it makes for a versatile nail look that’s sure to get you compliments. Duochromes refer to pigment that shifts two colors, and multichromes refers to pigment that shifts to three or more.

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Special Effects Polish

Paint Polish is known for releasing themed collections that look just as amazing on a shelf as the polish does on your nails. They’ve released a university campus-themed collection with metallic-finish nail polish, a coffee-themed collection in different shades of brown and mocha, a 7-piece BTS-themed collection, and even a boba milk tea-inspired collection. Among these collections, specialty finishes range from speckled and iridescent to holographic and even reflective!

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Paint Polish primarily operates online, but has popped up in bazaars where they also offer DIY polish-making sessions where customers got to customize their own polish!

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As nail polish and nail art grow in popularity in the Philippines, this nail polish brand is bringing what is huge abroad back home in its own unique ways. Explore ways you can experiment with local brands and see what our vibrant creative and beauty culture has to offer!

Continue Reading: 12 Nail Designs that Serve Big Barbie Energy

Deep browns reminiscent of cola syrup and cherry reds are at the core of the lip trend. 

Related: What Is Girl Dinner? A Tiktok Food Trend That’s Actually Relatable

Another day, another rapidly rising beauty trend, as Tiktok content creators have been swapping in the ‘latte makeup’ for something similarly caffeinated. With 13.9M views, we’re introducing the Cherry Cola Lips. Guess what? It’s serving Lana Del Rey realness. Think cherry reds, soda pops, and southern gothic-esque—the trend is totally screaming the Americana aesthetic and LDR lore. 

Given that she literally has a track titled ‘Cola’, Tiktok’s take on the Cherry Cola Lips style is slightly juicier, rather than leaning towards the nostalgic, melancholic, and coquettish ambiance of Lana Del Rey.

All About the Cherry Cola Lips

@lydiafowlermua1 🥤🍒 would you wear it? #cherrycolalipgloss #makeuptrend ♬ Say Yes To Heaven – Sped Up – Lana Del Rey

If you’re down to try out the Cherry Cola Lips look, you gotta grab a red-brown lip liner, a few shades darker than your skin tone, and a cherry gloss. If you don’t have ’em, no worries, we’ll recommend locally available lippies later.

Alright, for step one, it’s all about overlining those upper and lower lips, keeping in sync with their natural shape. Now, step two is where we tackle those outer corners using a trusty (not crusty) lip liner. For the final touch, take your go-to gloss and get those lips looking extra juicy!

Need recos?

Chu Chü Beauty

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Juicy Dew Tint in Cherry Cola

Colourette Cosmetics

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Easybalm in Cool Down and Colourbalm in Tropic

Detail Cosmetics

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Glass Stain Summer in Fling

Vice Cosmetics

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Perfect Kizz Lip Liner in Kizz & Tell and Perfect Kizz Lip Glozz in Boombells

Continue Reading: 5 Must-Have Eye Makeup Products for Your Everyday Kikay Kit

It’s time to give the spotlight to up-and-coming makeup artists Violet and Marlyn Ocampo as they are taking over, one avant garde look at a time.

Everybody loves a glam moment. But a fresh face with hand drawn graphics, chunky glitter, or the use of vibrant and colorful eyeshadow just hits different. Whether it’s Halloween or a themed event, creative makeup is definitely a way to stand out from the crowd—Alexa Ilacad and Awra Briguela did just that. Last Halloween, they showcased their iconic costumes on social media, and everyone was astonished by not only their looks, but the production design and makeup artistry as well.  

These local celebs don’t just wake up looking that extra though. Behind the scenes is a creative force; an artist that connects beauty and expression together to make magic. It’s all thanks to makeup artists like Marlyn and Violet Ocampo, for transforming a blank canvas to a fascinating beat. 

NYLON Manila had an exclusive interview with two of these up-and-coming makeup artists to explain the process behind Awra Briguela and Alexa Ilacad’s Halloween looks.

Both self-taught, Marlyn and Violet Ocampo started their love for makeup like any other beauty enthusiast; growing up watching their mother apply makeup, and taking inspiration from beauty vloggers during the golden age of YouTube. They started from the basics: base makeup application, learning how to draw on eyebrows, understanding the structure of the face to apply contour, and so much more. Through time, they managed to gain skills by collaborating techniques that they learned. Although they rarely practiced on each other’s mug, they acquired their shared skills through practicing individually. 

After learning the basics, the sisters were able to find their own artistic style. Having been exposed to the queens of Drag Race was the beginning of their artistic journey. 

MARLYN OCAMPO

Marlyn was an expressive child, and just like us, she had an emo phase, which started her love for experimenting with graphic liners. Through lots of practice on herself, she branched out with avant garde looks, heavily influenced by the things around her; from people, paintings, illustrators, fashion, and much more. In 2017, she joined the NYX Face Awards PH and won first place.

AWRA BRIGUELA AS A BRATZ DOLL AND SPACE ALIEN

Two looks are definitely better than one, and we’re all amazed by Marlyn’s execution of both. Her secret to achieving hand-painted Bratz eyes, and Awra’s blue head to upper-body look was by using water activated pots and pans by local beauty brand, HeyHue. She also fancies using stage and theatre makeup. 

Marlyn started both looks by sketching out the eye design on Awra’s face, used HeyHue for the blue base, and applied cream contour and highlight to emphasize the shadows. One of the most important steps was using a technique called baking, using powder to set the areas that were applied with cream products for a long lasting effect. 

VIOLET OCAMPO

Violet is the name, and her unforgettable and eye-catching hair color is the same. Like her little sister Marlyn, Violet had a creative upbringing, due to having been exposed to family members who shared their love for art and music. It’s clear that she was encouraged to express herself freely, from makeup, down to her clothing. 

As the ate, Violet was the first from the two to experiment with makeup. She gets inspiration from nature; water, fire, earth, and the galaxy. 

ALEXA ILACAD AS CORPSE BRIDE

Corpse Bride was Alexa Ilacad’s dream Halloween costume. Of course, Violet delivered, and then some. Despite working together for the first time, she was able to execute Alexa’s requests and in a matter of an hour and a half too! Having mastered drag makeup techniques, Violet glued down her brows to her face, as to have a smooth and even base, and used HeyHue to paint her body blue. She then baked her body to set the makeup, a technique both sisters do to keep the products from budging.

Marlyn and Violet are proof that makeup goes beyond technique. It’s artistry, a form of self-expression. Both sisters have mastered painting the face by honing their combined skills and executing looks through what inspires them on the daily. Let these women be your source of inspiration to grab that vibrant palette, or play around with a few graphic liners. Explore different products and use them beyond what they’re originally for. You might just fall in love with avant garde makeup like these two. After all, with makeup, the limit does not exist. 

Related: Makeup Artist Jelly Eugenio Talks About How He Made *THAT* Bloody Shoot Happen

Makeup isn’t always just about beauty. Sometimes it’s about making a statement, and Flormar is ready to help you show your truest colors

Whether it’s carefully color-coordinated streaks of eyeliner or a dashing pair of glossy lips, the iconic beauty look of your dreams needs an equally-iconic cosmetic brand to make it happen. Crafted essentially for all shades of skin and all manner of quirky personalities, Flormar has arrived in the Philippines to support every young Filipina in making their bold statement. Check out what this young trademark is all about right now.

Related: 10 HALLOWEEN MAKEUP LOOKS FOR WHEN YOU’RE RUNNING OUT OF IDEAS

Let’s get unapologetic

Here’s one undeniable fact: everyone loves incorporating a little piece of their personality into everything they wear. While a lot of us do that with clothes, there’s nothing quite like expressing yourself with a tastefully-coordinated makeup look that just screams your overall vibe for the day. 

Luckily enough, there is one beauty brand that isn’t just crafting the highest quality products out there today, but also tailors each of their offerings to allow young women to add a tinge of authenticity, as well as a pop of color to each of their OOTDs. The name of this trailblazing brand is Flormar, and they recently arrived in the Philippines to bring their most beloved products—from the Kiss Me More Lipstick to the Waterproof Eyeliner—right to your beauty kit, ASAP.

Exploring the slices of life

As this Turkey-based brand shifts its focus towards our generation, Flormar has looked to enrich and expand its spectrum of colors to help young women capture the various moods they feel on a daily basis and put it on display for the whole world to see. From quirky to melodramatic, the opportunities for making unapologetic expression with Flormar are endless.

Being a young person at this day and age is challenging enough. With the onset of a crazy pandemic, the difficulty levels can get dizzying pretty quickly. This is why it’s never been more important to not just be aware of your feelings, but to also express it in any which way you can. Luckily, Flormar is ready to support you as you translate your message into a fiercely beautiful statement piece.

For more information visit Flormar at their official website for the latest updates. 

Curly hair, just like any other type, is a very beautiful thing. Powerful and liberating on its own accord, we got down to business on how to care for it properly.

“Basta kulot, salot!” and so the tired saying echoes in my mind as I continue threshing out the push-and-pull of my relationship with my curly hair. Trust me, it wasn’t my choice to be born with thick, natural, and almost always tangled tresses. Being the only curly girl in a sea of females with long, shiny hair became my source of insecurity (not to mention my dark, bold eyebrows) and had easily turned me into one of the targets of big-boned bullies—both boys and girls, the young and old, causing me to have my hair rebonded for more than 10 years straight—pun intended. It was only a year ago where I lost care in the world and decided to wear my natural hair out, which to my surprise was met with a lot of kind and lovely words. It felt liberating. I felt powerful and thank goodness, I never looked back since then.

Not too long ago in the internet sense, it came off as a surprise when Ariana Grande tweeted an image of her sans the signature high and tight ponytail. In it, she posed with a fascinating revelation—her naturally curly hair. Not all was lost though, because her winged eyeliner was well in place, of course. It might be the effect of the quarantine, or just a general IDGAF attitude, but lately, a lot of ladies have been letting their twists and curls rock out, and it is quite the most refreshing and beautiful sight to see. More than just the bounce and volume of the curls, it is in this distinct sense of liberty emanating from within that is most arresting. How many times do we have to reiterate, natural is always a good thing. So, to anyone who called someone kulot as salot, you’re the only stressing yourself out, because clearly, we are loving this freeing hair moment.

Curls have long been shamed by the media for as long as I can remember, but ever since the rise of Russian Doll’s Natasha Lyonnes, Euphoria actress Zendaya and Rihanna’s flawless Fenty selfies, countless celebrities are embracing the curls (natural or not) more and more. Below are 5 tips on how to take care of your mane that I’ve learned along the way.

1. KNOW YOUR CURL TYPE

Figuring out your curl type plays a huge role in maintaining them. It’s a number-based classification system referring to different curl families such as 1 (straight, no curls at all), 2 (wavy), 3 (spiraled curls) and 4 (kinks and coils). It serves as a blueprint in identifying your hair care routine.

2. CHOOSE SULFATE-FREE PRODUCTS

Listen to what your hair needs and stay away from harsh chemicals as much as possible. There’s no specific formula for each curly girl, but opting for natural products and reading the labels make styling it a little easier.

3. JUST KEEP SQUISHING

Discovered by Melissa Stites of Naturally Curly in 2009, “squishing” is a curl-enhancing technique where you wash the hair with your head upside down, soaking wet and you squish it with conditioner. It may take a few tries but tighter curls need a lot of time to be properly hydrated and revived in order to distinguish your hair type’s pattern.

4. TIME YOUR WASHES

Washing your hair everyday can cause more damage than you know and curly girls are definitely no exception. Plan your hair in advance. For example, if you’re going to a party on Saturday, wash it no later than Thursday for more defined and textured curls.

5. SAVE SOME TLC FOR YOUR SCALP

Do weekly scalp treatments to exfoliate dead skin, avoid dandruff and any product buildup in your hair. It’s easy to make your own DIY hair masks too. Reduce frizz and create volume with some ingredients you already have at home such as banana and olive oil. Bananas are filled with potassium and natural oils to keep it well-moisturized while olive oil has a high amount of anti-oxidants to keep it healthy. The internet provides and there are lots of recipes that you can definitely try from curly-friendly sites such as naturallycurly.com or curlsandbeautydiary.com.

(This article first appeared on MEGA.onemega.com)

Riri, our favourite bad gal, outdid herself once again with Vol. 2 of the hour-long Savage x Fenty show. Word of caution? Looks. Were. Served.

1. MULLETS

 

 

 

 

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TOMORROW!! Get ready… ⚡️⚡️ #SAVAGEXFENTYSHOW VOL. 2 on @amazonprimevideo #SavageNotSorry @badgalriri

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The 80s have been big this 2020 and one of the most unexpected trends that made a comeback from this dominantly pop era is the mullet. The catch? Rihanna’s been ahead of the game, sporting the hairstyle since way back in 2013 at NYFW. We don’t know about you, but something about the mullet is giving us that effortless, big female energy everyone needs.

2. QUEEN BEE

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You know what they say, the higher the hair, the closer to heaven. Famously worn by the late Amy Winehouse, the Simpsons family’s Marge, and Frankenstein’s Wife in the cinematic universe, the bouffant hairstyle made its debut almost 60 years ago. What you need to get the ‘do ala Bella Hadid? Lots of hair spray and a teasing comb. Lock that in and you’re guaranteed to feel like the ultimate HBIC any time of the day.

3. POP ART

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Another thing that Riri has done for us? School us on modern art 101. The moment these models stepped out on the first few minutes of the show, we remembered the notable works of American artist Roy Lichtenstein. But Rihanna is Rihanna, and in another interview, global makeup artist for Fenty’s Priscilla Ono revealed that they took inspiration from the Bad Gal’s actual drawings. “We wanted the models and dancers to look like they were a part of Rihanna’s drawings, so we created a unique line work application using both liquid and pencil liners for varying effects and finishes,” says Ono.

4. BANG BANG

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The lob? Don’t know her. ‘Cause the micro bangs and bob combo is the real shaggy deal. If mullets are too extreme, then this is the perfect low-maintenance hairstyle for you, which is guaranteed to emit femme fatale vibes. Bonus: wear a tight latex outfit.

5. FLORALS? GROUNDBREAKING.

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The ethereal jungle segment might just be the most breathtaking part of the show. The fluttery eyelashes made out of actual petal cut-outs by Ono were inspired by “the ethereal nature of the set and wanted to interpret Rihanna’s vision of a garden through dramatic eyes.” Dreamy and surreal, Riri’s entrance via a gigantic flower in bloom makes us want to put on our Poison Ivy suit just in time for Halloween.

What was your favourite part of the show? Let us know in the comments below.