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Yesterday, I shared with you news about the ongoing  Globe Online Beauty Fair, through which I got a box filled with Ellana Mineral Cosmetics, which is one of the beloved beauty brands, both local and from all over the world, that you can shop from the comforts of your own home. Until September 30, 2018, enjoy exclusive deals and discounts from your favorite beauty brands across four platforms: Amazon, Sephora, Althea, and Lazada (which is where you can shop Ellana Minerals). To enjoy a 10% discount on Lazada, just spend a minimum of P1,000 and use the voucher code GLOBEBEAUTYFAIR upon check out. 

Unboxed my Ellana makeup haul from the Globe Online Beauty Fair!

Now that I’ve shared with you this exciting beauty news, allow me to gush about my beauty haul from Ellana (pronounced Eh-lah-nah, not el-ya-na). Touted as the Philippines’ #1 mineral makeup brand, it’s manufactured locally from ingredients imported from the US, Japan, Korea, and Germany. Made of talc-free, vegan, cruelty-free ingredients, its products can be safely used by even those with sensitive skin or those with special needs such as pregnant or nursing women. This is music to my ears because I now know I can turn to its products when I finally get pregnant (hopefully soon)!

Ellana’s shade range was chosen to reflect the spectrum of Southeast Asian skin tones. The brand also has an eco-friendly refill concept: packaging is either reusable or recyclable (or both), with the pricing of refills incentivizing customers to save by reusing packaging.

Ellana Minerals recently introduced more skincare-infused makeup that’s supposed to make our skin better. The brand new additions feature skincare ingredients from our favorite beauty capitals, Japan and Korea. Check out the comprehensive new line below—I haven’t had the chance to try all of them yet because I wanted to post about the beauty fair immediately, but here’s what I know (and love) so far:

Blur Makeup Primer and DD+CC Primer

1. Blur Makeup Primer (P799) is meant to instantly blur fine lines, wrinkles, and large pores when you use it to prep your skin to achieve that “no makeup” look. The silicone-based gel easily glides on skin, leaving face silky smooth to the touch.

2. Daily Defense + Color Correcting Primer with Japanese Camellia “Tsubaki” Seed Oil. It targets skin issues like discoloration, dryness, dullness, and damage from dirt and the sun’s UV rays with its star ingredient, Japanese Tsubaki Oil, plus its skin-brightening peach tone. This product leaves a soft powdery finish and keeps makeup intact all day.

Stay Matte Poreless Powder and Large Mirrored Jar

3. Stay Matte Poreless Powder. It mattifies and fills in fine lines to create a poreless appearance that’s supposed to last long. It has a unique combination of talc-free, skin-brightening, and oil-absorbing ingredients like rice powder, yellow illite, and Kaolin Clay that’s supposed to improve skin. It comes in two variants: Sheer Translucent Finish and Sheer Buttercream, which is what I have. The latter possesses a skin-brightening yellow-peach tone that’s meant to banish discoloration.

4. Large Mirrored Jar (P199). Featuring a mirrored lid to allow you to easily check your makeup, this jar is designed to be used over and over with their loose mineral powder (I put my Stay Matte Poreless Powder in it). The sifter cap on the inside prevents spillage, even while traveling, with enough space to add half a puff, if needed.

L-R: Beam, Dream, and Romance

5. Loose Multipurpose Pigments (P299 each). Meant for use on the lids, lips, and even cheeks (if you’re feeling bold), these shimmers leave a glorious effect wherever you apply them. I have the Romance (copper rose), Beam (apricot gold), and Dream (white satin finish) shades.

From top to bottom: Love is True, Love is Life, and Love is a Rose

6. Lip in Luxe (P499 each). One of my favorites from the new collection, Ellana’s matte lippies have a creamy formulation that’s waterproof, smudgeproof, and kissproof (my husband would appreciate this, haha). It comes in 12 morena-friendly shades; I have three: Love is True, a bold red shade; Love is a Rose, a gorgeous metallic red shade; and Love is Life, a nude pink shade that’s also supposedly good as a cheek stain that stays. When mixed with the Blur Primer, it leaves a watercolor finish.

Clockwise from top left: Flirtation, Fulfillment, Light Roast, and Butter Rum

7. Multipurpose Pressed Pigments (P199 each). They’re called pigments for a reason, so a little goes a long way when used on your eyes, cheeks, and even lips—I love multitasking products, so I instantly fell in love with these. They’re created to enhance facial features and suit different skin tones. I have Fulfillment, a warm, watermelon peach with gold highlights that may be used as blush, highlighter, and eyeshadow; Light Roast, a matte, cool brown shade that may be used as eyeshadow and contour powder on the cheeks and nose; Butter Rum, an iridescent gold satin shade that may be used as eyeshadow and highlighter on cheeks and nose; and the super pretty Flirtation, a matte strawberry pink that may be used as blush and eyeshadow. Imagine having all these in just one palette! Imagine no more when you get the next item.

8. Selene Magnetic Palette (P299). This great tool features a lovely custom painting created by Soleil Ignacio, a local artist (you’ll see it at the center of the top photo). This palette is made of paper, making it biodegradable, yet it’s sturdy and beautiful. It features a mirror and magnetic pan which fits one of their pressed mineral foundations or four multipurpose pressed pigments—which are what I filled mine with, yay! It’s now an essential in my makeup kit.

9. Edible Sugar Lip Scrub (P399). Another favorite, this lip scrub is made with sugar and coconut oil that gently exfoliates and moisturizes lips, leaving them soft, hydrated, and well-primed. It’s meant to be used before applying lipstick to prime your puckers or after, to remove it. It comes in two appetizing flavors: Strawberry Vanilla (which is what I have and adore, also because I love strawberries) and Watermelon Mint. This small pot immediately went to my bathroom counter, ready for use. So yes, this one I’ve definitely been using since I got it, and I can guarantee it effectively removes my lipstick and leaves my lips so soft and smooth.

10. Stay Fresh Setting Spray (P599). This brightening face mist supposedly locks in makeup to prevent caking, fading, and unwanted shine. Enriched with the coveted Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) as well as apple and green tea extracts, this cocktail of skin-brightening botanicals helps make your look stay in place while also taking care of your skin. Just spray directly onto skin to set your look or on your makeup brush or sponge prior to makeup application for longer wear and more vibrant color.

11. Take It Easy Makeup Remover (P499). Its creamy, milky jelly formula dissolves waterproof, hard-to-remove makeup to leave skin bright, silky soft, and nourished. This skin-soothing, sulfate-free makeup remover is infused with rose and rose fruit extracts that are proven to even out skin tone by reducing dark spots and pigmentation, as well as rejuvenating tired and sun-damaged skin. You may pump a small amount on a cotton ball or pad and massage it gently on dry skin until all your makeup is melted away, then wipe your skin clean. You may also apply it on skin then massage with a towel or cloth and rinse with water. It may be used on the eye and lip areas, too.

12. Ellana Instant Brush Cleaner (P399). I really love this product, I got so excited when I unboxed this because I believe we can never have enough brush cleaners! It’s designed to clean our brushes, leaving them soft, sanitized, and ready to use. It doesn’t have as much of a solvent-like scent like other brush cleaners—it smells somewhat like sweet melon. Simply spray it on your brushes, wipe them clean using a tissue or towel, and your brushes are good to go! I’ve also been using this since I got this, and it really does clean my brushes more effectively than when I just spray them with alcohol before wiping them. I still recommend giving your makeup brushes a proper wash once a week to completely remove all makeup residue and all color on the brushes.

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