How Makeup Artist Jigs Mayuga Elevates the No-Makeup Look

Since becoming a professional makeup artist in 2004, Jigs Mayuga’s artistry seems to impart a bold yet nostalgic sense of whimsy in every look he creates. From newspaper ads to local celebrities such as Shaina Magdayao, Tweetie De Leon, and Joey Mead-King, Mayuga now demonstrates his storied expertise on stage at this year’s Allure Beauty Lab.

A couple of hours after the doors opened for the event’s second day, pink-colored tablescapes of the Allure Beauty Lab’s Activity Center were filled with beauty creators and enthusiasts alike, all anticipating the event’s first-ever Allure Workshop, in partnership with Pond’s Philippines. “More than our usual masterclass, we want our Allure audience to experience beauty like no other,” says Allure Philippines brand manager Mark Cruz. “We proudly welcome you to a space where beauty is holistic, fun, interactive, and entirely immersive.”

Tin Villanueva

Afterwards, host and beauty creator Marga Sayson took to the stage to kickstart the afternoon event, later introducing Mayuga alongside content creator and muse Gela Macalalad to showcase the makeup artist’s approach in creating an elevated makeup base using Pond’s Serum Day Cream collection. But before he picked up his palette, Mayuga’s first instruction was to apply skin care.

Tin Villanueva

Tin Villanueva

“‘Beautiful makeup starts with beautiful skin,’ which is a saying I picked up from Japanese makeup artist Shu Uemura, whom I look up to,” says Mayuga. As attendees finish off with removing their base makeup, Mayuga immediately guides them to apply their respective Bright Miracle Ultimate Clarity Serums to set in that Pond’s glow filter. “It acts as a primer for your makeup. So it preps the skin to create the perfect canvas for your makeup, and at the same time, it does help brighten the skin.”

As he begins setting the foundation for Macalalad’s no-makeup-makeup look, Mayuga explains that emphasizing the skin’s natural appearance encourages users to apply less makeup, which in turn prioritizes a proper skin care routine to be part of the process.

After applying the Serum Burst Cream on Macalalad’s c-zone (the cheek area of the face), Mayuga then shares his approach to blending skin care with foundation to create his version of skin tint with a soft filter glow. “If you want to achieve a glowy finish, one hack that you can do with your skin care is to mix your serum with your foundation. It’s a trick that we makeup artists do, especially when we’re working with full-coverage looks,” he details.

Tin Villanueva

Tin Villanueva

As Mayuga moves on to applying his powder-based products to add contour, highlights, and blush to Macalalad’s look, he then shares how, despite the growing popularity of makeup-skin care hybrids, they should not replace one’s actual skin care routines. “As much as possible, you want to apply a separate skincare product before setting in your foundations. Yes, they have those same benefits, but these skin care benefits don’t compare to actual products designed to provide that. So, always make sure to prep the skin before applying any makeup,” Mayuga explains.

He later adds that though products like the Pond’s Serum Day Cream collection can be categorized with other hybrids, its skin care-focused formulation prioritizes maintaining a moisturized yet nourished look, while letting its powdery finish help prime, tone-up, and blur skin in one step. Mayuga adds, “It’s important that you prep your skin to address the skin concerns you may have. At the same time, if you prep your skin well, it will make sure that the makeup sits nicely, it looks more even, and it makes it last much longer.”

To Mayuga, exploring what works best for your skin is what he describes as the best part of the journey. And as he finishes off the final look for the afternoon, he expresses how the audience should never filter out their creativity throughout the process. “Don’t be afraid to be creative with your looks because the great thing about makeup is that you can erase it. I know you’re probably gonna be late to your event if you do so, but at least you look good—not to say that you should be late!” Mayuga adds.