Hello ladies! First and foremost, happy new year! Sorry for the late greeting and for the lack of blog entries as my December and January had been fully-booked with weddings and other makeup jobs. But I'm back and I'm introducing a new segment "My Top 5 Picks." Every month, I will be posting my favorite five items on a certain category. Today, it's going to be all about the best long-lasting makeup in the market today. All tried and tested by me.

1. Guerlain Tenue de Perfection Foundation (P3,000.00)

Guerlain, the master of texture, has dreamed up the perfect attire for the complexion: a velvety-soft foundation. Its newest long-lasting foundation promises to blend into the skin for ultimate correction, comfort and sleek matte wear. It was created with absorbent powders and corrective pigments that provide a fresh look and incredible hold while allowing skin to breathe for a full 16 hours. Silica beads capture excess oil to keep the polymer film intact, while the spherical micropowders act like a color stabilizer, ensuring the color does not change or darken during the day. 
Most of the long-lasting foundations I’ve tried have a heavier, drying formula that tend to be unflattering as the day goes except for oily skin types. The texture of this was surprisingly lightweight and the finish, natural. It was buildable to medium coverage; one pump yielded light-medium coverage, a pump and a half more like medium coverage. Two pumps was getting closer to full coverage, but it didn’t feel heavy worn that way. The formula evened out my skin tone and left my skin looking semi-matte. 

Wearing Tenue de Perfection in shade 13 Rose Naturel and Guerlain Meteorites to achieve a natural glow

"Silky-soft and sublime, the complexion has never been so alluring, even after the clock strikes midnight." as the ad says. I can personally testify that they're not lying. The first time I tried this was on a Saturday. I applied it at around 8:00 and went straight to a wedding job. After I did my bride's second look at the reception, I went to two birthday parties that ended at around 10:00pm. I arrived home at 11:00pm and checked out my face before removing all day's makeup and my skin was still silky smooth and pores were barely visible. I was surprised to see that my makeup was still intact even with me skipping blotting the entire day! Almost literally, this foundation really gives a flawless complexion until midnight! 

Available in Guerlain Rustan's Makati and Rustan's Shangri La.

2. Eye of Horus Smokey Eye Goddess Pencil (P990.00)


Want to add definition and intensity to your eyes without the smudge? This is the product for you. The exotic blackest khol effortlessly glides on without tearing even if it's 100% waterproof and smudge proof. Accentuate eyes with one thin layer for daytime and smudge (the pencil comes with a smudger tip) for evening wear. These pencils are uniquely formulated with creamy waxes for smudging, smoking and eye blending. I swear by this liner especially on my clients who request for smokey eyes. I don't need to worry for any smudging once they leave the door for their event. If you're more playful with your makeup, these pencils are also available in other shades such as teal, bronze and charcoal. Check out my review of their other long-wearing products here.

Available online at Glamourbox website and in selected Snoe Beauty stores nationwide.

3. Benefit Longwear Powder Shadow (P1,250.00) 


This silky and soft powder eyeshadow comes in a fabulous long wearing formula in 12 wearable shades and three finishes: matte, satin and sheen. The one I have (photo above) is named Raincheck (smoky amethyst) in a matte finish. Matte finish shadows tend to last longer than the other ones. I skipped my Benefit Stay Don't Stray primer and went ahead to sweeping these on my eyelids and the soft wash of colour didn't travel or fade for a good 6 hours. You can opt to layer for added intensity. If you don't had oily lids and instead suffer from dry lids, try Benefit's Creaseless Cream Shadow in the same product range. 

Available in Benefit boutiques in Greenbelt 5, Rustan's Makati, Rustan's Shangri-La, Trinoma and Mall of Asia. 

4. Ellana Mineral Lip & Cheek Gel (P220.00)


One of the brand's bestsellers, the Lip & Cheek Gel provides a rosy natural glow even after a strenuous workout (tried and tested!). It's perfect for everyday use especially if you're the kind who just wants a sheer no-makeup look. It's an ease to blend as it doesn’t dry quickly, giving you enough time to blend evenly on your cheeks. If you have oily skin that makes powder blush slide off it too easily, this tint is a better alternative for you. I have mine in Ruby, a universally flattering red shade. While the other shade, Amethyst leaves a plummy tint and is best suited for darker skin tones. For my review of some more of their other best-selling mineral makeup, click here.

Available in The Ramp Trinoma, Glorietta, Shangri La Plaza Mall and online atellana.com.ph. 

5. Diorific Lipstick (P2,000.00)

Shade 002, Raspberry Pop

This true to color lipstick dresses lips with a matte texture and soft-metallic finish. The long-wearing formula flaunts a brilliant intensity, with minimal risk of drying the lips. The formula is so pigmented and opaque, I hardly need to reapply even after eating. Compared to other long-wearing lipstick formulas I've tried, this one feathers less. If you're prone to lipstick feathering or 'bleeding', I suggest use a lipliner to seal the colour in. Read about my experience at the Dior PH counter here.
Available in Rustan's Makati, Rustan's Shangri La, Powerplant Mall and Alabang Town Center.
Stay tuned next month for another of my top five picks. You can email me at diorco@gmail.com if you have any requests or suggestions on a product category that I can feature next.