The Beauty Finds That Caught Our Eye at Allure Beauty Lab

The recent Allure Beauty Lab at SMX Aura was a playground for beauty enthusiasts and content creators—but for our editors, it was an opportunity to take a closer look at the products, formulas, and brands shaping the future of beauty.

At the end of the much-visited Senses Tour, which transformed beauty concepts into a tangible experience for the five senses, guests arrived at the Allure Beauty Shop, where a roll of the die determined which beauty discoveries they could take home. While every guest walked away with a different mix of products, we spent two days exploring the shelves to spotlight the formulas, brands, and launches that stood out most to our editors.

Drew Co

Think of this less as a complete catalog of everything inside the Allure Beauty Shop and more as our editor’s shortlist. Some are established favorites. Others are newer brands quietly building a loyal following. Together, they offer a snapshot of where Philippine beauty is heading—and what we think is worth adding to your radar.

UPMAKE Tone ID™ All Day Lightweight Powder Foundation

Kim Santos

With 20 shades made to complement Filipino skin, the UPMAKE Tone ID™ All Day Lightweight Powder Foundation is proof that the claim “shade inclusive” doesn’t have to stay a buzzword. This one’s built for a variety of skin tones and undertones that only select brands have—think warm, olive, and deep tones that are common across the Philippines, not the “universal” picks usually seen everywhere. 

The product applies differently with tools—full coverage with a puff and light coverage with a brush—and feels light on the skin. 

B/YOND Cooling Dry Shampoo / Antibacterial Dry Shampoo 

Kim Santos

The B/YOND Cooling and Antibacterial variants have built quite the TikTok following, thanks to a fast-drying, invisible finish that disappears the second it hits your roots. Both are formulated with 4D Hyaluronic Acid, a Peptide Complex, and a 5-Protein Complex rounded by Triple Keratin and silky Sericin—so you’re refreshing your scalp and conditioning your strands in one swipe.

The detail that really stood out: both variants are Halal-certified, making them a rare find for Muslim beauty consumers in the country.

Mirai Hokkaido Milk Body Scrub

Kim Santos

Delicate skin deserves a good body scrub, too, and Mirai’s Hokkaido Milk Body Scrub delivers gentle exfoliation without the sting. Formulated with ingredients such as niacinamide, oat kernel extract, pecan shell powder, and sea salt, it swaps out the synthetic microbeads several countries have restricted in rinse-off products for biodegradable exfoliants. It’s built around Mirai’s SensiSooth™ Complex, designed to soothe irritated skin, visibly reduce redness, and help calm flare-ups, making it a fit for even reactive, sensitive skin types.

Penshoppe POPP Soft Prime SPF50 PA++

Drew Co and Kim Santos

More primer than sunscreen, the Penshoppe POPP Soft Prime SPF50 PA++ smooths and blurs skin for a seamless base, all while working with broad-spectrum SPF50 PA++ protection. Infused with Vitamin E and squalane, it keeps the skin lightweight and hydrated instead of cakey or greasy.

A plus: since it’s a primer, midday SPF touch-ups don’t mean redoing your base makeup. Just swipe it on, and you’ve just reset your primer and topped up your sun protection in just one step.

Penshoppe Sweet Series EDT 

If you’re on the lookout for a selection of light, sweet perfumes for everyday wear, Penshoppe’s Sweet Series Eau de Toilette comes in four variants, each built around a different mood. From a sweet and woody scent to fruity florals, each is easy to reach for, day after day.

For a sweet and woody fragrance, reach for Vanilla Dew. For a fruity floral scent, Honey Nectar is your choice. Floral fruity aroma lovers can choose from Sweet Lilac and Pink Bloom.

Penshoppe Juicy Tropics Perfume Balm

For a subtle, skin-close fragrance you can bring in your bag wherever you go, Penshoppe’s POPP Juicy Tropics Perfume Balm fits right in. The balm melts into the skin, leaving a soft and intimate trail of fragrance throughout the day, and can be layered with other fragrances to make it last longer. 

The lineup includes four scents: Vanilla Beach for a warm, gourmand amber; Floral Punch and Fruity Oasis for a fruity musk scent; and Island Cocktail for a fruity and floral musk.

Penshoppe POPP Brow Trio and POPP Easy Eye Pen

For a quick, no-fuss eye makeup look, Penshoppe’s POPP Brow Trio and Easy Eye Pen cover both brows and lids in a few steps. Fluff and fill in your brows in just three steps with the Brow Trio, and then add a swipe of color from POPP’s Easy Eye Pen collection—Gold Beam, Muted Mauve, Rose Glow, and Soft Sienna.  

Penshoppe POPP Jelly Blush in Rose Jelly 

Jelly blushes have picked up steam in the past year, and Penshoppe’s POPP Jelly Blush in Rose Jelly has its own twist. A few taps on the cheeks and a couple of dabs with a sponge give you an instant flush of color. The buildable formula means you can go from a sheer wash of color to a full, saturated pop. 

Penshoppe POPP Cool Glow Stick in Iced Champagne 

Glowy bases, glowy highlights—Penshoppe is hopping on the trend with its own glow stick. Instead of an instant, greasy shine, this one delivers a cooling effect on contact, leaving skin refreshed rather than slicked.  

Penshoppe POPP Powderpopp Lipstick and Penshoppe POPP GlossyPopp SPF50

For lipsticks that fit different moods, Penshoppe brings two to the table: the POPP Powderpopp Lipstick and the POPP GlossyPopp SPF50. 

The Powderpopp lipstick is for days when you want a full, matte, velvety finish that stays comfortable from day to night. The product is infused with Vitamin E to keep the lips moisturized and is transfer-proof, too. The line comes in four shades: Terracotta Cloud for a brick-red finish, Red Haze for a cool-toned red, Velvet Fig for a neutral-toned pink, and Barely Mauve for a neutral berry pink shade.

On the other hand, the GlossyPopp lip gloss is for days when you’re in the mood for just a natural, dewy look. It delivers a mirror-like shine, a splash of color, the same vitamin E-infused formulation for moisturized lips, and SPF 50 for sun protection. The four shades are all easy, everyday wears: Pink Lemonade for a sheer MLBB gloss, Lychee Gloss for a splash of neutral pink, Sheer Plum for a pop of berry, and Berry Sorbet for a hit of hot pink.

Penshoppe POPP Dewy Set Mist SPF50

Penshoppe’s POPP Dewy Set Mist SPF50 keeps makeup looking fresh, dewy, and set in place—no matter what the day throws at it. It carries broad-spectrum SPF50 protection, shielding skin from UV rays while topping up hydration with every spritz throughout the day.

Hada Labo Gokujyun Hydrating Lotion (30mL)

Drew Co and Kim Santos

Japanese skin care has been having a moment lately, with Hada Labo leading the local scene with its Gokujyun Hydrating Lotion. Formulated with a High-Performance Penetrating and Deep-Moisturizing (HPP&M) Technology, it infuses five types of hyaluronic acid to actively hydrate each layer of the skin, leaving it soft, supple, and unmistakably “mochi mochi.”

It’s also known as the best-selling face lotion in Japan, having been a cult favorite since its release in 2004. 

Posh Skin Patches

Drew Co and Kim Santos

Posh Skin brings Gen Z’s playful aesthetic into skin care with its line of pimple patches. Think trendy designs—flowers, stars, animals, metallic finishes—paired with a formula of salicylic acid, tea tree oil, and hydrocolloid technology. Together, they keep pimples at bay, absorb excess oil, calm redness, and shield skin from dirt and bacteria.

The brand also offers patches tailored to specific routines: active lifestyles, daytime wear, overnight use, and micro-needle ones—so there’s a fit for however your day (or night) routine goes.

Vice Cosmetics Perfect Kiss Velvet Blur Lip Shaper

Kim Santos

For a blurred, diffused lip with a velvety finish, Vice Cosmetics’ Perfect Kiss Velvet Blur Lip Shaper delivers exactly that. Formulated with peptides, the lipstick deeply nourishes and supports collagen production to keep the lips smooth and healthier-looking over time.

The lip line comes in eight shades, sorted by undertone: warm (Forbidden Kiss, Fresh Kiss, Soft Kiss), neutral (Sweet Kiss, Dreamy Kiss, Midnight Kiss), and cool (Gentle Kiss, Sugar Kiss).

Kit & Co Serum Foundation and Daily Skin Mist

Kim Santos

Founded in 2025, Kit & Co is a Filipino-founded skin care and makeup label built on undertone science and climate-aware formulation. Its products are designed to adapt easily across skin types, with a philosophy that favors skin-first finishes over heavy coverage.

The Serum Foundation is a lightweight and buildable liquid foundation formulated with centella asiatica and Japanese knotweed extract, which keeps the skin hydrated and refreshed. It comes in 18 shades, covering olive, neutral, and warm undertones.

The Daily Skin Mist is a mist formulated with rose water, althaea root, and Japanese cedar bud extract, which hydrates, calms, and softens the skin. A licorice root derivative rounds out the formula, visibly calming redness and evening out tone. It doubles as a primer for those with oily skin, sets softly on the skin for a dewy finish, and can be spritzed throughout the day for a refreshed, glowy look.

Tadhana Pause Collection Discovery Set 

Kim Santos

Filipino fragrance brand Tadhana offers a collection inspired by stillness, bringing together six fragrances that each capture a different shade of rest.

The Discovery Set comes as six 3 mL bottles: Breathe, Darling, a citrus tea fragrance for slow mornings; Hello, Silence, a cool, introspective fragrance; Gentle, Now, a powdery and clean aroma that inspires creativity; Stay, Awhile, a lingering blend warm spice and cocoa; Unravel, Here, a soft and gentle scent inspired by falling rain; and Ascend, Love, a light floral that settles with notes of linen, ambrette, and sandalwood.

If there was one takeaway from Allure Beauty Lab, it’s that beauty discovery doesn’t end with what’s already on your vanity. The most exciting finds are often the ones you weren’t looking for—and this year’s lineup proved there’s no shortage of brands worth paying attention to.

So the next time you’re restocking your vanity or looking for a new brand to round out your collection, maybe skip your usual favorites. There’s a good chance your next go-to product is on this list—you just haven’t met it yet.