Despite the heavy rain on a Saturday afternoon, Robinsons Department Store successfully staged on 2 September its Standout Beauty Fair event at the Midtown Atrium Center of its Ermita branch in Manila.

Top beauty and self-care brands, from multinational companies L'Oreal and Unilever to homegrown startups Colourette Cosmetics and Gluta, had their special displays and interactive booths providing customers with an immersive experience and opportunities to score exclusive prizes and discounts

Beauty experts, such as Colourette Cosmetics' chief executive officer Nina Dizon and beauty/lifestyle content creator Toni Sia, led an informative and engaging discussion on beauty and self-care. Meanwhile, actors and brand ambassadors Bea Binene, Jeric Gonzales and Kelley Day also took the stage to perform several songs.

Dizon, who founded Colourette Cosmetics in 2015, talked to DAILY TRIBUNE backstage about her company and cosmetics in general. "The industry is thriving," she said. "Ang dami nang (There are so many) local brands sa (in the) market. How's the competition? There's still a lot of room to grow talaga (really) in the industry. It's not just saturated. It's getting more competitive. It drives us to be better."

That's why, her company continuously develops new products that are vegan, cruelty-free and paraben-free, like mascaras. "We're filling up the whole roster to be a full makeup line for the entire face," she pointed out. "Doors are opening for us offline. Our goal is to make our products more accessible. We've available nationwide in major stores and on e-commerce."

Brown for the brows

Dizon also shared some makeup tips: "I don't believe in using black [for the brows]. So it's just brown, ash brown or grayish brown. Even if your hair is black, use brown. Black is so strong. If your hair is more blond, you can use the gray one. Mga ash brown, ash gray. But not black. 'Yun ang mga nauso before for eyebrows, 'yung mga makapal (That was the trend for eyebrows before, thick brows). Now mas natural na lang (Now it's more natural)."

On choosing lipsticks: "Binabagay ko s'ya sa damit (I try to match the shade with my clothes). I like gloss, hydration. Okay lang sa 'kin (It's okay with me) to retouch. You have to choose: you want it long-lasting or you want it moisturizing? I like moisturizing. I like gloss also. Uso pa naman ang matte, pero gusto ng consumers, light matte. 'Yung hindi mo nararamdaman (Matte is still in, but customers like light matte, something that they can hardly feel they're wearing)."

She added, "If you're morena, super bagay talaga mga corals, mga nagba-brown (corals to brown tones are most suitable), very warm. Ako, I like playing around with cool shades, like pinks." Needless to say, she uses her brand's best-selling Colourtints. "It's a single product you can use on eyes, cheeks, lips. You can use three ways."

Additionally, Dizon explained what makeup expiration means. She showed us a Colourtint product and pointed to where the manufacturing date is printed on the box. The shelf life is usually from 20 months to 24 months, or two years. So, if the manufacturing date is October 2022, it's going to expire in 2024. But once you open the jar, the product is going to expire after 12 months, even if it's supposed to last until 2024.

"Mandatory 'yan," she said. "Lahat ng products kahit hindi Colourette. Expiration dates are there for a reason." Thus, her advice to get rid of expired makeup to avoid bacteria buildup and clean up your makeup kit.