Makeup Artist Raffy So Turns the Iridescence of Capiz Shells Into a Luminous Beauty Look

Before a capiz shell shows its shimmer, it has to be stripped down first. For Allure Philippines’ Global Beauty Issue, that same transformation—from dull to iridescent—becomes the starting point for a makeup look built around the shine and shimmer of capiz shells. 

Filipino makeup artist Raffy So takes inspiration from the soft luminosity of capiz shells, creating a chromatic makeup look that highlights beauty that comes from the Philippines’ waters. 

In this Allure Philippines exclusive, Raffy So breaks down how he turned the iridescence of the capiz shells into a wet, chromatic editorial look that catches light with every turn. 

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How the look came together

While conceptually taking inspiration from capiz shells, the beauty look takes its cues from makeup artist Pat McGrath’s mannequin makeup look for the Margiela Artisanal show in 2024. The model’s face was treated with a peel-off mask to create a plasticky finish on the skin, with So later on adding duochrome shimmers all over the mask to create the luminous effect.

He started with the eyes: applying a lighter concealer on the lid to keep the eyeshadow from muddying against skin tone, followed by a simple color placement: mint green on the inner corner, purple on the outer corner, and pink at the center. 

Once the peel-off mask was set, So used duochrome shimmers from the Issy x Slo Lopez Curated Eyeshadow Palette in Surreal to place shimmers on top, layered by color family for that iridescent finish—blue with pink, green with a touch of yellow or gold—and finished with chunky glitter on select areas. 

“I think ‘yong pinaka naka-help talaga na magmukhang capiz shell-inspired makeup look ‘to is hindi lang sa eyes ang duochrome—it’s all over the face,” said Raffy. The rest of the skin was left bare.

The key products he used

Raffy So leans heavily on local brands for this look. He started with the Enigma Skintroduction Longwear Liquid Foundation as the base, followed by a lighter concealer on the eyelids. For the plasticky skin-like finish, So mixed the  MEGAN Peel Off Cucumber Mask and water in equal parts and applied three thin layers. 

For the eyes, So used the Issy x Slo Lopez Curated Eyeshadow Palettes—Scream and Surreal—placing mint green on the inner corner, purple on the outer corner, and pink on the center. The duochrome shimmers came next, layered across the face and the earlobe by color family rather than confined to just the eyes, using shades including the Kaleidos The Space Age Highlighter in Moon Cruiser for the blue.

Brows were set with the Chu Chu Beauty Brow Swift Clear Hold, and lashes with the Absidy Lash Lock Waterproof Mascara. 

For the lips, So applied the same equal parts peel-off mask and water mixture, topped with lip balm and the same duochrome shimmers used across the rest of the face.

The look didn’t stop at the face—So extended it down the body, using a thick layer of Johnson’s Baby Oil paired with an equal mix of water and glycerin to mimic the look of sweat and water on the skin, reinforcing the capiz shell’s wet, iridescent quality.

Like the capiz shell itself, the look only reveals its full shimmer from up close—proof that iridescence isn’t something you add on top, but something built in layers.