Material World: Local Elements Become Beauty Language
From veined marble to worn leather, luminous shell, and earthen clay, these textures find new expression in beauty.
By Liam Sanchez
photography by Wilmark Jolindon
Burnished
Wilmark Jolindon
Wilmark Jolindon
Wilmark Jolindon
The prominence of unglazed earthenware traces its path from the palayok of the Tagalog to the kulon of the Visayan and continues to shape the story of our people. Makeup artist Kenric Carpio mimics the natural earthen hues of the clay pot using the GRWM Cosmetics Face Card Shadowplay in Icon. Meanwhile, hairstylistHairstylistA beauty professional who specializes in cutting, coloring, styling, and caring for hair, combining technical expertise and creativity to enhance individual style, confidence, and self-expression.Go to Hairstylist Glossary Jan Edrosolan plays with the ovoid silhouette of the hair as a banga balanced on top of the head.
Tidal light
Wilmark Jolindon
Wilmark Jolindon
Wilmark Jolindon
Capiz shells, which once served as windows of the past, are immortalized as a province’s name in the Eastern Visayas. The mother of pearl mirrors the prismatic colors of the waters. To reflect these tones, makeup artist Raffy So uses the Issy x Slo Lopez Curated Eyeshadow Palettes, along with the Kaleidos The Space Age Highlighter in Moon Cruiser. Reminiscent of the winding rivers of Panay, hairstylistHairstylistA beauty professional who specializes in cutting, coloring, styling, and caring for hair, combining technical expertise and creativity to enhance individual style, confidence, and self-expression.Go to Hairstylist Glossary Matt Ledesma creates an undone double ponytail with sculpted tendrils swathed in gel to achieve a wet-look finish.
Woven and worn
Wilmark Jolindon
Wilmark Jolindon
Wilmark Jolindon
Visit Marikina and you’ll see an industry thriving in shoe-making and the purveying of leather goods. Just as this craft is laced into the city’s fabric, hairstylistHairstylistA beauty professional who specializes in cutting, coloring, styling, and caring for hair, combining technical expertise and creativity to enhance individual style, confidence, and self-expression.Go to Hairstylist Glossary Matt Ledesma weaves soft, fine leather into multiple hair sections through twisted sculptural knots. To contrast the softness and sheen of the leather, makeup artist Raffy So draws a dramatic black graphic eyeliner using the Glam Hour Everyday Eyedust Palette.
All in vein
Wilmark Jolindon
Wilmark Jolindon
Wilmark Jolindon
The marble deposits nestled in Romblon are proof that some of the most beautiful things are formed through time. HairstylistHairstylistA beauty professional who specializes in cutting, coloring, styling, and caring for hair, combining technical expertise and creativity to enhance individual style, confidence, and self-expression.Go to Hairstylist Glossary Jan Edrosolan translates the intricate veins of marble into soft-waved strands using hair molded by hand. Makeup artist Kenric Carpio then mirrors the natural tones of marble, ranging from ochre on the cheeks using the Kaleidos Mono Blush in Joyride to obsidian on the lips using GRWM Lip Contour in Brownies and Kaleidos Cloud Lab Lip Clay in Cold Smoke.
Art direction and beauty direction by Mikiyo Ricamora. Photography by Wilmark Jolindon. Makeup by Kenric Carpio, assisted by Paolo Cabañero. Raffy So, assisted by Jison Alon. Hair by Jan Edrosolan. Matt Ledesma, assisted by Gabriel Garcia. Modeled by Lake Cabrias of Monarq Agency and Sally Valencia of Luminary Model Management.
Frequently Asked Questions
This Allure Philippines editorial draws on four Philippine materials: unglazed clay pottery, capiz shell, Marikina leather, and Romblon marble. Each material’s texture, color, and cultural history shapes a corresponding makeup and hairstyling look throughout the story.
Capiz shell’s iridescent mother-of-pearl surface inspired eyeshadow tones from Issy x Slo Lopez and a Kaleidos highlighter. Hairstyling referenced Panay’s winding rivers through an undone, wet-look double ponytail with sculpted, gel-swathed tendrils.
Marikina, long known for its shoemaking and leather industry, informed a hairstyle where fine leather strips are woven through multiple hair sections into twisted sculptural knots, paired with a dramatic graphic black eyeliner for contrast.
Romblon’s marble deposits inspired soft, hand-molded waved hair meant to evoke natural stone veining. Makeup echoed marble’s tonal range with ochre blush on the cheeks and an obsidian-toned lip from Kaleidos and GRWM Cosmetics.
Makeup was created by Kenric Carpio and Raffy So, hairstyling by Jan Edrosolan and Matt Ledesma, under art and beauty direction by Mikiyo Ricamora, with photography by Wilmark Jolindon and modeling by Lake Cabrias and Sally Valencia.
Liam Sanchez
Liam Sanchez is a registered medical technologist and Wellness Writer at Allure Philippines. Combining training in laboratory medicine with experience in science journalism, he specializes in evidence-based reporting on wellness, nutrition, longevity, and beauty trends. A Cum Laude graduate of the University of Santo Tomas, he previously served as Science and Technology Editor of The Varsitarian. At Allure Philippines, he translates complex health and beauty science into accessible, reader-first stories that help consumers make more informed decisions about their well-being.
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