Beauty Enthusiast in Cebu

I don't think cosmetics have to be imported nor expensive to be good, so I do buy local and natural when I find a line that I feel I can trust. So far I have bought from Echo Store at Streetscape and from Skin Potions, who has a reseller in Cebu, and I have enjoyed pretty much everything I've tried from there.

I was pleased when the seller of Faith Hope Love Soap contacted me and kindly offered to send me some natural, locally made products. This review will be on the Argan Glow ultra hydrating lip and cheek balm in the shade Hillarie. The seller says this product is vegan, organic, and cruelty-free. Ingredients include argan oil, shea butter, sweet almond oil, grape seed oil, and virgin coconut oil, all known for their hydrating and nourishing benefits. If you prefer using natural lip balm, this is a good one to try.

A Google search told me that Flormar is a Turkish brand. I was intrigued, since I'd never tried Turkish cosmetics before. The first shade I picked up was 210, which doesn't have any other name on the label.  I wore 210 for several days straight and fell in love with the formula and color, so I ended up getting two more! I got 212 Vintage Pink and 207 Lovely Pink.

210 is a beautiful burnt rose color; a muted red with berry and brown tones. On my NC25-30 skin this looks a little bit dark, but not too much that it stops being office appropriate. I normally don't look good with reddish browns, but I really like this one because the brown deepens the red just enough without getting too warm. I can imagine this would be a flattering color on many skin tones.

212 is called Vintage Pink but doesn't look pink to me at all, more of a lightened terracotta. On my lips, it looks a little more orange than the swatch. Another beautiful shade that is the most subtle of the three.

207 is called Lovely Pink and is in fact pink in the swatch, but pulls more coral on my lips. This is a wearable coral-pink that is not too neon and I think will brighten up fair to medium complexions.

All of these apply creamy, smooth and pigmented, with a lightweight, comfortable feel on the lips. The texture reminds me a lot of the matte Rimmel Kate Moss lipsticks in the red tubes, but these ones are more pigmented than the Rimmel line's lighter shades. One application of Flormar Supermatte gives full color payoff, with no slip since it is matte, and lasts about five hours on me. It does not feather but does fade in the center, although without that ugly ring. It has a slightly citrusy smell that I don't notice after application. The tapered bullet tip makes it particularly easy to apply on the corners of the mouth. I feel like the color selection is perfect for Filipinas because these will suit many skin tones, whether light or dark, and any undertone too.

Flormar Supermatte lipsticks are P399 each at Watsons in SM Seaside City. The last time I visited, many colors, including 210, had already sold out, so it must be getting popular! For similar shades of matte lipstick at a cheaper price, check out my review on Jordana Modern Matte lipsticks.

Because I live in a humid tropical environment, it's a habit to wash my hair on a daily basis. It's not really advisable to, though, if you have colored hair like I do. Every time colored hair gets soaked and washed, color is more prone to fading. There are days when my hair feels dry on the ends and I really feel like I shouldn't wash it, but then I don't want my scalp to get greasy, either. 

Here's where dry shampoo comes in. It's not a particularly popular product here because everyone is so used to washing their hair daily, but here are four I've come across and what I think about them. 

Dry shampoos: Eva NYC, Batiste, Lush Cosmetics No Drought, That Girl's Got Attitude

Batiste dry shampoo was the first one I've tried. I bought this in Australia years ago and I can't remember how much I bought it for. It's long been used up, but now that I'm getting this blog post done, I can finally throw away the can! I had high hopes for this because Batiste is supposed to be one of the best affordable ones, but whether in Australian autumn or Cebu summer, this did not live up to my expectations. The spray does produce a very fine mist, which is good, but the product itself does not really do much for helping keep an oily scalp at bay. 

Next, I got this Eva NYC Freshen Up dry shampoo for P795 at Beauty Bar, and "That Girl's Got Attitude" Pink Daisy dry shampoo for P395 at Rustan's. If you are new to dry shampoo, I would suggest the latter since it's cheaper. Both are quite similar, but the Pink Daisy one helps keep my scalp fresher. 

Both of these, to me, are not the best for preventing oiliness, but they are great for volumizing the hair! I would use these to give fine hair a lift or to give hot-iron curls more body. Tip for using spray dry shampoos: Hold an arm's length away from the head, so you don't get too much product on. 

Lastly, my most recent purchase from Lush Cosmetics Hong Kong. I got the No Drought dry shampoo for HKD110, I think. It's my first time to try a powder dry shampoo, as all the others were aerosols. I figured a powder would be best at absorbing grease. So far, I think I like this one the most. It has a fresh but not strong grapefruit scent, and the cornflour "absorbs oil very well" as the label says. My peeve with this is the mess. I got it all over my face when I poured some on my hand then tried to plop it onto my head. It's better to just sprinkle some onto the scalp directly from the bottle. This disappears when rubbed in, so no fear of white residue! Now, if only Lush would open a store here in Cebu...

Piandre has been open in Manila since the 80's, creating a following of ladies who lunch and a number of celebrities too. After many years, Piandre's owners have finally made their dream come true and have recently opened in Cebu at Oakridge Business Park, A.S. Fortuna Street. This is not a franchise, so the owners fly in from Manila as much as they can and are very hands-on with this branch.






The salon is very spacious and quiet, with low piped in music. It feels airy and inviting, done mostly in white. The salon owner said her sister designed the space with quite precise overhead lighting for each seat.

Aside from the main space, the salon offers private VIP rooms for an additional P150, or free with P3,000 worth of services.

When I was seated, I was offered water, coffee, or tea. The salon also serves these signature cookies that are flown in from Manila. Another touch that is minor to some people but really tells me I'm in a good salon is the plush quality of their towels, most of them with "Piandre" embroidered on. Many salons offer threadbare or stained towels, but not here.

I noticed that the services menu offered "lifting" hair color. Proprietor Andrea Zulueta-Lorenzana explained that Piandre uses three types of coloring products by Lakme, a boutique coloring company in Barcelona. "Lakme's main principle is preserving the hair's integrity," said Andrea. "We don't do things that will further damage the hair." Lakme offers three different kinds of coloring options: Collage, Gloss or Chroma. Collage "lifts" or lightens hair color by several shades without bleaching, or covers grays. Gloss is a non-ammonia demi-permanent color, used for in between Collage coloring. Chroma is so far the most popular in Cebu, a non-ammonia permanent color without bleach.

I actually really wanted to try having my hair colored here but I just had it done a few weeks before my visit, so I wasn't quite due for a touch-up yet. Instead, I tried out the Lakme signature deep conditioning treatment for colored hair, which was a pretty straightforward treatment with the deep conditioner thoroughly combed and massaged all over the hair. While it's left on the head for about half an hour, you get a back and arm massage for a full relaxation experience.

What makes the experience so luxurious is that the staff take their time massaging the scalp when applying the treatment and when shampooing and rinsing. When the hair is blown dry, the hair dryer is not too hot and your hair is not all over your face the way it usually is at salons that don't take as much care with their customers.

I also got a manicure and pedicure, because I always feel more human when my nails look their best. The manicurist was super gentle (a must for someone like me who always has to instruct the manicurist to be careful because I get cut so easily) and I could hardly feel her working on my nails, even though she had thoroughly cleaned them and removed any excess skin painlessly.

The salon offers Essie and Barielle nail polishes. I had never heard of Barielle before, but it is a non-toxic brand so safe that pregnant and breastfeeding women can use it too. Piandre's retail section offers Barielle nail polish for sale, as well as a number of hair care products, including the highly coveted Macadamia line.

Upon leaving, I noticed that there is a special cubbyhole on the wall with a slot for each of the staff. No need to wander through the salon looking for the person who handled you or having to push a tip into someone's hand. It was the first time I have seen something like that. Again, another touch that ensures this salon has really thought of everything.

To give you an idea of Piandre's rates, their manicure and pedicure together is P500. Most of their other treatments are about the same as other higher end salons around the city. But with the exclusive ambiance and staff who have been trained for six months and some even up to 10 years, you get what you pay for. You leave Piandre feeling pampered and looking like a million bucks with soft, shiny, bouncy, "rich girl" hair.

One of the best things about the salon is its extended opening hours: 7 AM to  9 PM Mondays to Saturdays, so that those of us who work full time can actually go before or after office hours, and 10 AM to 6 PM on Sundays. Contact Piandre Cebu at 412-1824.