r/beautytalkph

I am a consumer that takes into account a brand’s actions and choices when purchasing a product. But lately, Issy has started to make me question if their marketing has any ethics at all.

Using a person’s likeness without their consent or awareness, which is very likely what they’re doing with this picture of Justin Bieber and what they did before with Jennie from Blackpink, is very questionable indeed.

Furthermore, is this picture AI generated? In this climate, wherein so many Filipinos are struggling because of the heat, it seems they’ve decided to normalize and perpetuate the use of AI.

I haven’t fully solidified my thoughts on their new marketing tactics, but it’s been rubbing me off the wrong way. Thoughts?

Edit: The AI use isn’t for sure, but people have discussed that they’ve suspected AI in their captions and from this photo itself, as the anatomy is off, the arm is oddly elongated, and the tattoos don’t match with every other photo. For legal reasons, I am not accusing them of AI use, merely speculating. But attached below is a comparison of the tattoos.

So here's me with a flashback proof makeup after years of trials and error.

Makeup Details:

Enigma Foundation Medium
Maybelline FitMe Primer
Saem Concealer
Dr Sensitive- Lilac Loose Powder
Careline Blush On- Rost Cheek
Issy Bronzer- Torch
Issy Contour- Storm
Issy Highlighter- Blonde
Issy Eyeshadow inserts
Benefit My Brow Pencil- Medium Brown
Maybelline Superstay Lipstick- Mover
GRWM Lip Liner- Dulce De Leche
Careline SpongeBob Lip Oil- Jellyfish Jam

Shot with Sony Cybershot Digicam w/ Flash

Hi! Detailed post ahead!
I shared here in October 2025 my everyday makeup on office days at the time and, now, I realized a lot has changed since then in terms of my routine and the features I used to focus on. I ran through my usual products again and it’s interesting to see how much my makeup has changed.

EYES

- Hourglass veil eye primer*: Completely mattifies my oily eyelids and helps eyeshadow really stick and last.

- Charlotte Tilbury eyeshadow palette (Sophisticate): I know, it’s a ‘boring’ palette, but it’s truly perfect for office makeup - only top shades for my usual day, and with the bottom two shades to give my eyes more definition when I need to hop on a video-enabled Teams/Zoom call 🤭

- Canmake creamy touch liner (dark brown): This is interesting, it’s kind of a gel texture but once it sets, it will stay. I use this to tightline and extend to a little wing (using my nails hehe). It looks much softer without losing eye definition.

- Heroine Make mascara primer: I stopped wearing lash extensions and for a while I had sparse lashes and this was a game changer. Thickens lashes without clumping and looking like I have a hundred layers of mascara on.

- Heroine Make micro mascara: I like it because it has a small brush lang so I get to reach the corners of my eyes. It also doesn’t dispense too much product. I use a lash curler before primer and this and hold is ok. Btw I’ve never had product fallout using this combo ever!!

- ABH brown pencil (ash brown): Shade match is perfect for me and the packaging is not flimsy. In terms of formulation though I’m not sure if it’s really something special.

BASE

- Chanel les beiges water fresh tint (Light): Peak no-makeup makeup look because this barely has any coverage but that’s perfect for me who just wants more evenness. Super soothing formula, perfect these days.

- Danessa Myricks blurring balm (translucent): I’m convinced nobody knows what this truly is and it took me a while to figure out: I layer it sparingly over my skin tint, on the t-zone. Keeps shine at bay. I was shocked when it worked for me like this lol.

- Nars soft matte concealer (Vanilla)*: Still perfect for covering up blemishes here and there as needed.

- Huda Beauty corrector (peach): I’ve managed to reduce my concealer usage with this. Pansin ko kasi medyo wala nang depth yung undereyes with just concealer so I also use color-correction, it looks more ‘natural’ this way kahit anong lighting. I think this shade is a bit dark for me though so I’ll replace with maybe pink pomelo when this runs out.

- Hourglass vanish airbrush concealer (Silk)*: Decent coverage and blends so smoothly.

CHEEKS

- Patrick Ta blush duo (Just Enough): Perfect baby pink for a cool-toned girlie like me 🥰 the cream is a bit patchy and takes a while to set so in terms of quality I’m not too impressed with that. Powder is ok though. Very buildable.

- Chanel baume essentiel (Sculpting): Been using this every single day since I got it! For lowkey dewiness that looks good in photos, this is it. I apply this on cheekbones, tip of nose, and cupid’s bow. Undetectable glitter.

FINISHING/SETTING

- Cle de Peau translucent loose powder (1 Light)*: A bit of brightening and mattifying, very finely milled. For setting around the center of my face, especially undereyes.

- Hourglass ambient lighting palette (vol. 1): This is what I now use for dusting all over my face. I swish shades 1 and 2 and swipe gently on my whole face then use shade 1 on the higher points. Shade 3 as a very light substitute for contour under my cheebones and jawline.

- Tarte setting spray: Smells so fresh. I apply this after my base/cream products and again when I’m done with everything. Can’t attest to longevity because I’m in aircon everywhere but it works for me.

LIPS

- Clarins lip stain (Purple Water): As you can probably tell, it’s almost empty, because it’s well-loved. It’s very long lasting without being drying (even without lip balm beforehand), and I love the color.

- Dior lip glow balm (Tutu): This is the new version, and the shade is a more neutral pink; I chose this so it won’t clash nor add any color to my chosen lip product. Has glitters that give just the right amount of sparkle 🤭
I still do a rotation of my lip products but these are the ones I reach for the most.

*Remained and not swapped out of my routine.

I’ve noticed a few things: Now I don’t like looking really matte, I can truly embrace my natural lashes (I got so used to lash extensions, for a while I thought removing them was downgrading my look, but turns out I only needed to figure out my makeup!), eyes > lips when it comes to work video calls (imo retouching lips tend to look too ‘made up’, I can’t really explain it!).
What does remain is I still very much focus on skin evenness instead of coverage and still embrace my bright winter color season.

How has your makeup evolved through the months/years? 🤗

First time trying full face makeup in late 2022 vs now — in my 30s who's still learning (and just enjoying) makeup.

And also 25lbs lighter. 😭

I really hate the first photo (edit: I mean the before photo). But it's a good reminder of how much I have improved and taken care myself over the years.

First photo makeup products used:

- Strokes foundation in Fair Olive
- Naturale concealer in Tabi
- JMCY eyebrow mascara in B03
- Detail Cosmetics color tonic in Haze and Flamingo
- Vice Co contour stick in Dusk
- Veecci loose powder
- WakeMake mix blurring volume shading in 02 Soft Cool
- Morphe x PONY constellation sky palette
- Hyntoor duo eyeshadow in 032 Bluebell
- FlowerKnows circus series blush in 03 Wonderful Festival
- Girls Crush highlighter in Moonlight Dance
- Sea Makeup stayput prime and set to melt everything

Lip combo:
- GRWM cloud blur tint in Tulle
- Peripera ink mood glowy tint in 01
- FlowerKnows unicorn series in J05
- Veecci double water glow tint (only the gloss)

IM SO HAPPY TO SHARE MY JOURNEY (2023-present) skin type : Oily

as someone na very insecure sa skin lalo na at tadtad ako ng acne growing up Im so happy na i already cleared my acne and acne scars (not perfect) but u can see the difference!!! My skin barrier was ruined since I tried many things on my face such as rejuv sets from every sellers before, trendy tricks from the internet and things I read online that destroyed my skin and confidence :(

Took almost 3 years to achieve this skin 🥹

I consulted a derma regarding my situation and she also referred me to check under an obgyn dr so I checked and discovered I had pcos. Did a lot of tests ofc!!

Took bcp for a while which caused me a week of purging but got less oily and minimized my acne ! I would say this was the one that helped me cleared out my acne. I still get break outs pero if my period is near nalang and already stopped taking bcp.

Going back to my derma she prescribed me tret which i still use until now and said less is more. Hydrate, Hydrate and Hydrate, Less sugar, dairy and carbs consumption (I’m still trying to do) and umiwas din me sa chicken. and most importantly ay mag exercise! sweating is good for the skin.

I learned, cried and gumastos ng malaki for this journey and it was all worth it. Listening to experts really helped me a lot to save more time and effort and to accept that hindi lahat ng good result ay mabilis makukuha need ng matinding patience and discipline. I am far from my dream skin and I hope I can do co2 laser or microneedling again (suggest pls).

Procedures I did :

I also did 1 session of prp microneedling under lueur davao. (it was expensive but worth it)

2 session of Glycolic Peel - derma

Products I currently use :

Lux Organix Niacinamide Serum

Rohto Melano Cc - vitamin serum

Skin1004 centella sunscreen

Myra E - moisturizer

Tretinoin - 0.05 % ( derma prescribed )

Human Nature Ceramide Moisturizer

Luxe Organix Glow Potion Toner

I do sandwich method!!

when im not on tret :

the ordinary glycolic acid

paulas choice toner

facial wash :

celeteque (night only)

Finally decided to share products I use on an everyday or event basis.
Setting Sprays
CT setting spray - great for everyday use. Keeps my makeup in place.

One size setting spray - certified hulas proof makeup when you use this

Powders
CT powder - only powder which does not cake on me. I can retouch using this and hindi nagbubuo! Makes my pores appear smaller rin.

Laura Mercier Setting powder - ang tagal maubos! Works well.

Decorte eyeshadow
Boosted my confidence! I attended a wedding and just used this and everyone complimented me. With zero eyeshadow skills, I felt that there's no need for me to book a makeup appointment as long as I use this! Haha

Concealer
Nars pot concealer - hides my acne marks. Previously, I use saem concealer lang but this really made a difference. I can't live without this.

Foundations
Nars soft matte foundation - holy grail but I heard this will be replaced already. Medium-full coverage

Clinique serum foundation- ang ganda! Skin but better plus medium-full coverage na sya. Bought this online tapos sale pa!

Dior foundation stick - nakakapanibago kaso mabilis magset and powder like finish. Trying to love this kasi ang mahal but I think mas bagay 'to sa mga flawless na ang skin.

Benefit primer - does the job. Makes a difference to hide pores.

Blush and highlighter
Luckybeauty - sulit for the price. Long lasting
Canmake/Cezanne - similar lang and cheap. Not too glittery and parang fresh lang talaga.
Rare beauty - very blendable

Here's my post 2 years ago about my textured forehead and skincare routine. Although I saw improvements when I changed products, after some time, babalik yung bumps sa forehead pati yung dryness and itchiness. 😭 What I think went wrong: My sunscreen, since may alcohol component pala si Biore, I think ito talaga naging cause ng dryness sa forehead ko. Altho yes maganda yung velvet finish, pero laging dry yung forehead ko. Pwede din na nasira talaga yung skin barrier ko when I tried some products (Cosrx cleanser and Human Nature toner 😭) way back before that post pa. Pwede din na hindi moisturizing enough yung Klued for me.

So I changed ALL of the products I used. Pero I introduced the products slowly. For example, may new product, gagamitin ko muna for 1-2 weeks bago ako mag introduce ng bago.

Here's my updated skin care routine that I tried for more than A YEAR bago ako mag introduce ng retinol cream 😂 Sobrang takot ako mag retinol kasi nga baka masira nanaman skin barrier. I use retinol cream 2-3x a week only.

Skin type: Combination
Routine:
Morning 🌞
Step 1. Cleanser: Soul Apothecary Calm + Soothe Oat
Step 2. Serum: Dear Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin Drop (TTHS) or 2. Good Molecules Hyaluronic Acid (MWF)
Step 3. Moisturizer: Purito Oat in calming gel cream
Step 4. Sunscreen: Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun Aqua Fresh Rice + B5

Evening 🌝
Step 1. Cleanser: Soul Apothecary Calm + Soothe Oat (MWF) or 2. Soul apothecary Gentle Salicylic (TTHS)

Step 2 TTHS. Moisturizer: Purito oat in calming gel cream

Step 2 MF or MWF. Serum: Good Molecules Hylauronic Acid Serum
Step 3 MF or MWF. Retinol: Good Molecules Gentle Retinol Cream
Step 4 MF or MWF. Moisturizer: Purito Oat In Calming gel cream

For the attached photo, taken indoor with minimal sunlight from the window and apologies if I have already applied my sunscreen and moisturizer. With this routine, never na ako nagkaroon ng dryness and itchiness sa forehead. I only started using retinol cream this February 2026 and mas nag improve pa skin ko. In a way na nareduce talaga yung fine lines, feeling ko mas may glow na din yung skin. Take note ha, reduced ang fine lines or wrinkles, hindi naman completely nawala dahil botox lang ata makakagawa nyan 😊 But overall I am happy with the results. 🫶🏻 Hope this helps!

Price: Php 2,200 (from a reseller)

I bought this lippie at around Aug 2024

I really love the formula of this one because of its sheerness yet you can build up the product to make it more opaque. I prefer this over Sunnies Fluffbalm though it still has this silicone-y feeling, it’s not as drying as the other one. I might’ve panned this sooner if I didn’t stop using for months because I was trying out other lippies.

Would I buy again? Maybe yes but not sooner since I still have other 3 bisou balms in rotation. Also, the steep price is something I’m considering since MAC has their own version for half the price. Cheaper alternative would be Detail Cosmetics but the size is a smaller than the two.

Brand/Product: Violette_FR Bisou Balm
• Shades (Top to Bottom): Calisson, Rose Latte, Guimauve, Mon Chéri, Sucette, Bonbon Coquelicot (Note: I accidentally misspelled Calisson and Guimauve in the image text!)
• Skin tone/Undertone: Light-medium
• Lighting: Natural indoor light
• Swatch type: 1-2 swipes, unblended

​

I've panned a lot of hair and skincare from the past couple of months, and locked in to empty the good stuff, so that I can try out new ones this time. It also took me to get back on reviewing as some stuff came to my life.

Skincare and Bodycare empties

1. Nivea Luminous 630 Skin Glow Serum (WR) 9.7/10

• strong fragrance, I don't mind with the alcohol tho. It delivers and promises what it claims. My spots faded quickly, almost comparable to my HG Pond's Bright Miracle Night Serum (that worked faster in my end). I love how it is enriched with antioxidants like Isoquercitin and Glucosylrutin. I pair this with my Melano CC men.

1. Celeteque Acne Solutions Micellar Water (WR) 8.7/10

• does the job done on deep cleansing or at the first step of cleansing skin. Skin feels fresh and hydrated, as if kakahilamos mo lang. Has a lot of skin loving ingredients and people with oily skin may love this. Super underrated micellar water.

1. Skin Aqua Tone Up UV Essence Rose Tint (Probably WR) 8/10

• perfect sa mga people na gusto ng no-makeup makeup look. Undeniably mabilis mag blend and easily spreadable yung 2025 formula nila, and I have tried its predecessors which I hate to the core. This one can withstand the Philippine weather, thank goodness or I'll end up with sweat streaks. I might wanna try their 2026 formula but I'm more of an Anessa/Biore/Nivea UV/La Roche Posay guy.

1. Nivea Super 10 NiaC Glow Activ Body Serum (Probably WR) 8.3/10

• Bought this since my skin that time was super dry, tas crush ko si Yaya Urassaya hahahaha. Yun lang. But I'm more of a Vaseline Guy, medj may konting bias. Nothings wrong with this lotion, maganda! It is packed with vitamins and superfruits, and has a decent amount of spf. I like how light and quick absorbing this is, and the scent is ang ganda I layer with other fragrances. No spf scent which is I'm happy naman. In terms of brightening, evening out skin tone, Vaseline still wins.

1. Vaseline Gluta Hya Flawless Bright 9.6/10

• I tried the Philippine Made Vaselines and it did not disappoint naman. Surprisingly kaya na ni Unilever mag manufacture ng lotions dito. I tried the Old formula compared to the Astaxanthin one and in my honest opinion, I like the results more with the reformulated one na may astaxanthin. My tanning got even, but in the PIH removal, it may take a little bit of time to see the results.I pair this with Luxe's KP corrector nightly, and sometimes with my Nivea Sun lotion during daytime

Nivea Sensitive Micellar Water with Amino Acid Complex 9/10

- I hate using micellar waters but this one is my go to and one of my favorites. It does the job done as a micellar water, and after cleansing my skin feels soothed and refreshed. This one however also feels more hydrating compared to its Derma Skin Clear one. I don't feel any stinging post-cleanse.

Ponds Hydra Miracle Ultra Light Biome Gel 9.2/10 (WR)

- one of the commonly endorsed yet underrated variant from Pond's. It's light enough to use on our Filipino climate yet hydrating and moisturizing at the same time. Surprisingly the moisturizer itself is great at improving skin barrier recovery, the ceramides are near at the top which is nice, and fragrance in this is subtle. This plays well with sunscreens and foundation, I tried mixing it with my Shiseido Synchro Skin Matte foundation, and goes along naman. Faster yung barrier repair ko with this one.

Rexona Men Antibacterial+ Invisible Dry

8/10 (WNR)

- does its job but I'm more of a stick or dry spray kinda guy. Has a slightly sour note. Dries a bit late due to no alcohol

Dove Acne Clear Body Wash 8.5/10 (WR)

- finally, a 1% SA body wash. Luxe was a bit too much but this one was the perfect balance of cleansing and acne control. It claims to control bacne and has a spa-like scent, and the post-wash felt really gentle on my hand. It's not the best bacne exterminator, Panoxyl still wins my heart, but this one did a job well done on curbing my body acne.

Haircare:

Dove Peptide Bond Repair Mask 10/10(WR)

- one of the besr drugstore hair masks of all time. The fragrance smelled nice, during and post wash hair felt wonderful, and my previously bleached hair felt alive and like silk after use. On virgin hair, my hair felt like the lightest silk known to my existence.

Sunsilk Power Shot Treatment Smooth Revival 8.9/10 (Probably WR)

- for nostalgia lang. Pero ang bango ng old Smooth and Manageable scent, this mask also made my hair soft and smooth. But on my previously bleached hair, this kept the frizz on bay, and my hair felt okay lang. Bring back Sunsilk Conditioners and Masks pls.

Khaokhao Thalaypu Conditioner with Bergamot 8.5/10 as a pre-wash mask, 7/10 as a conditioner alone (WNR)

- for a silicone-free conditioner to work decently, I'm impressed. I have a deep rooted hate for conditioners without silicones, it defeats its own purpose. Using this a conditioner alone will give you half-day frizz control results. I use this as a scalp and hair mask or pre-wash, and delivers its results. I love the scent tho, it's relaxing on its own.

Success Medicated Hair Tonic 8.9/10 (WR)

- it uses t-flavonone as its anti-hairloss ingredient. Not commonly found in the shelves, but on Japanese drugstore aisle tho. I like how this is in carbonated format, so that I can spread the product well. Fragrance-free yet cooling. In terms of hair growth, nothing much and I might need a couple of bottles, but on hair anchorage, it did anchor my hair better than the Elvive Aminexil Serum.

Minus 1.1 points due to availability.

Elvive Full Resist Aminexil Scalp Serum 8.7/10 (WR)

- it's a semi-thick, gloopy scalp serum, plus points for the direct applicator. It sits well on scalp but it kinda leaves an extremely tiny residue on scalp/hair. I feel like my hair had gel while using this one. I might go for a few bottles to see its full effect but in terms of hair anchorage, it does what it claims. You just need to consistently use it or else, hair just falls like the way it does. It kinda adds a bit of a volume. I like the fresh floral scent.

Tsubaki Premium Damage Care EX Shampoo 8.8/10 and Cool and Repair Conditioner 8.4/10(Probably WR)

- It's the 1st time I've had Tsubaki in a couple of years. It's 2018 predecessor was meh. My full experience with this was pleasant. On my previously bleached hair, it gave the manageability and damage care benefits it promised. It made my bleached hair soft, smooth, and in control. There was a significant reduction in breakage as well. On virgin hair, you may skip conditioner or just use a leave-on instead. The conditioner on the other hand is goopy, light, yet delivers its promise to condition hair, but this is perfect for hot or summers only. It delivers what it claims to repair hair, it gave me smooth and soft hair but during bleached hair days, my hair needs something oomfed conditioning. I don't wanna use this during cold weather.

I've had better Japanese hair products than Tsubaki itself.

Dove Peptide Bond Repair Bi-Phase Oil Serum Spray 9.2/10 (WR)

- HG Leave-on spray plus fragrance in one. It promises what it claims on damaged hair, it's also good on virgin hair! Light leave-on and has great heat protection properties. This was one of the leave-ons I tried when I intentionally damaged my hair due to experimenting drugstore bond repair products, and this lives up to its claims naman. My hair kept in control, softer, and manageable.

Okay but d’Alba really knows how to make unboxing feel special 🥹 I only bought their cover up sunscreen during 5.5 sale online yet the amount of freebies they include is honestly so generous. Felt super appreciated as a customer 🤍

some flatlays of my base products and also brushes

took this photo almost 2 weeks ago so some items not here are: RT angled finishing brush, RT setting powder brush (extra), RT cat paw blush brush, Hourglass Veil Skin Tint, Hourglass Vanish Concealer, Girls Crush Corrector, Tower28 Concealer, d’Alba spray, Sephora Smudge Brush, Saie All Over Powder Brush, Dior Foundation Stick

My current go-tos:
- Hourglass Illusion Foundation
- Colourette First Base Skin Tint
- Natasha Denona Concealer
- Huda Beauty Easy Bake
- d’Alba Spray
- Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette
- MBM F4 Brush
- HL Concealer Brush
- RT Powder Brush
- Saie Double Brush

My faves / ride-or-dies:
- Natasha Denona Foundation and Concealer
- MBM F4 Brush
- BK Beauty Brushes
- RT Setting Powder Brush
- Skindinavia Spray
- Gucci Primer
- Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette
- Hourglass Pressed Powder

💖