There was a striking paradox in beauty on the second day of Bench Fashion Week Holiday 2026, held on September 27, as two contrasting visions of Filipino style shared the runway at One Ayala for an annual celebration of fashion and beauty. 

Under flashing lights, Human x Proudrace opened the show, titled I Love U, by excavating early 2000s nostalgia in the Philippines. Designer Rik Rasos looked to Manila’s underground scene and familiar objects in everyday Filipino life, reworking the era’s visual codes into fashion. Think Good Morning towels turned into tops, a DVD-inspired graphic shirt, and the plastic tablecloths that once covered many a Filipino dining table finding new life.

Later in the show, Lucy Torres-Gomez’s collaboration with Kashieca made a case for polished ease for the Filipina woman, with pieces designed to move easily through the day and make the wearer feel put-together. “I wanted the lady to feel beautiful [with this collection], to feel beautiful with her clothes. I wanted easy-dressing; I wanted clothes that, when you put [them] on, you don’t fidget too much.” 

Naturally, the beauty looks were just as memorable.

At Human x Proudrace, the face became another canvas for experimentation. Frosted silver eyeshadow, smudged black liner, bleached brows, microbangs, and deep side parts brought back familiar beauty codes of the 2000s. Curly-haired models kept their natural texture full and visible, adding another layer of shape and volume to the lineup. No single beauty look dominated—the fun was in seeing how differently each detail could be worn.

At Kashieca, the makeup was pared-back and luminous. Models were seen with brushed-up brows, lifted blush, glossy cheekbones, and slicked-back hair, giving the collection a polished finish. The makeup was clean and luminous, allowing the face—and the woman wearing it—to remain the focus.

Two collections, two contrasting perspectives. From metallic washes and bleached brows to dewy skin and defined brows, these are the looks that stole the spotlight on Day 2.

Human x Proudrace

High-shine, frosted eyeshadow

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Streaked across the lids in icy silvers and blues, high-shine frosted eyeshadow caught the runway lights at Human x Proudrace—delivering an instant, futuristic nod to 2000s beauty. Some looks kept the shimmer tightly controlled; others diffused it all over the lids for a hazier, almost nightclub-like effect. 

The result was pure Proudrace—bold, glamorous, and effortlessly cool. Against the collection’s exaggerated proportions and distorted silhouettes, the reflective chromes were pulled straight from how people wear beauty now—playful, referential, and a little undone.

Anti-blush on the runway

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With the eyes already doing the work, the rest of the face was deliberately restrained. Blush was noticeably absent for the most part, or kept to a minimum, and it was up to the bronze contours to give the face structure and natural warmth. The lack of a rosy flush made the frosted eyes feel even more pronounced, creating a beauty look that was cooler and more graphic than traditionally romantic.

Smudged-out grunge

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Photo: Human (@human_official) Proudrace (@proudrace)

The makeup got darker, too. 

Black shadow was worked beneath the eyes in deliberately imperfect strokes, creating a lived-in smokiness reminiscent of a night that went on long after the makeup was first applied. Some models wore a concentrated wash of black on the lids, extending slightly toward the temples. There was no single, perfectly blended smoky eye. Instead, each look retained its own messiness—more spontaneous, and all the more sensual for it.

Side parts, everywhere

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There was plenty of variation in length, but the side part was a common thread across the looks. Shorter bobs were swept softly across the forehead, while longer hair was parted deeply, with the lengths falling dramatically over one side of the face. It was a small detail, but one that kept the different hairstyles feeling connected.

Microbangs

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What says youth culture more than a bang moment cut to the micro gods? With models dressed in oversized pieces that hid almost their entire frame, the microbangs gave the face a moment of its own. Cut high above the brows and worn with sleek, chin-length hair, the tiny fringe stood out against the collection’s exaggerated proportions.

A celebration of natural texture

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Much as I Love U was a celebration of Manila culture, it was also a celebration of natural hair. Models wore their natural texture in different ways. Short, rounded crops with curls framing the forehead were seen alongside fuller, shoulder-length curls with plenty of volume and body. The hair was left loose and textured, allowing the curls to take up space on the runway.

Kashieca

Full, brushed-up brows

Photo: Kashieca (@kaschiecaph)

While the Proudrace runway played with the return of the barely-there brow, Kashieca went in the opposite direction. Brows were full and brushed upward, giving the face definition without looking overly drawn. The plush texture made the arches look polished—never rigid, complementing the collection’s feminine ease.

High-shine skin

Photo: Bench/ (@benchtm)

Flashing lights caught the skin in all the right places. Pearlescent highlights traced the highest points of the cheekbones of the Kashieca woman, giving the complexion a luminous, almost angelic finish. Rather than an all-over glow, the sheen was strategically placed, keeping the skin looking polished rather than greasy.

A romantic lift for the blush

Photo: Kashieca (@kashiecaph)

Blush, meanwhile, sat higher on the models’ faces. Instead of concentrating color on the apples of the cheeks, the pigment was swept upward toward the cheekbones and temples, subtly lifting the complexion while adding a romantic flush. The placement gave the face dimension without heavy contour, keeping the overall effect fresh and feminine.

Slicked-back hair

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The hair was pulled away from the face, keeping the front of the look clean and allowing the clothes and jewelry to share the spotlight. There was something satisfyingly practical about the styling, too: hair that stays in place without sacrificing polish.

Silver inner-corner highlight

Photo: Kashieca (@kashiecaph)

A small detail punctuated the eyes: a flash of silver at the inner corners of the eyes. The placement was subtle, but it caught the light whenever the models turned, adding a touch of coolness to an otherwise soft and feminine makeup palette. 

A touch of bronze

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Warm bronze tones brought dimension back to the complexion, softly sculpting the face without taking away from its luminous finish. The subtle warmth kept the makeup from feeling too cool or overly glossy, balancing the pearlescent skin with a sun-kissed touch.

Frequently Asked Questions

Human x Proudrace leaned on early 2000s beauty codes for its I Love U show: frosted silver eyeshadow, smudged black liner, bleached brows, microbangs, and deep side parts. Curly-haired models wore their natural texture full and visible.

Kashieca’s makeup was pared back and luminous: full, brushed-up brows, pearlescent cheekbone highlight, upward-swept blush, and a flash of silver at the inner corners. Hair was slicked back to keep the focus on the face.

Anti-blush means leaving blush out or keeping it minimal, letting bronze contour provide structure and warmth. At Human x Proudrace, the missing flush made frosted eyeshadow look more pronounced and the face cooler and more graphic.

Sweep the pigment upward toward the cheekbones and temples instead of concentrating it on the apples of the cheeks. At Kashieca, this lifted the complexion and added a romantic flush without heavy contour.

Human x Proudrace showed deep side parts, high-cut microbangs, and natural curls in short crops and shoulder-length volume. Kashieca went the opposite way with slicked-back hair pulled away from the face.