In the three covers of Allure Philippines’ Truth Issue, every single one of cover star Nadine Lustre’s beauty looks was intentionally created to speak a truth about beauty—or to dismantle damaging ideals.
The cracks in the mask
Take for example, Lustre’s glass-skin makeup, which was highlighted in the first cover that was released. Working with Lustre’s longtime makeup collaborator, Jelly Eugenio—a beauty industry celebrity in his own right—the Allure Philippines team conceptualized a creative way of using makeup to convey the tension between society’s expectations and the truth of natural, stripped-down beauty.
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Building on renowned makeup artist Pat McGrath’s glass-skin look from Maison Margiela’s Spring/Summer 2024 runway show, Eugenio used his expertise to create peeled layers on the face, revealing natural skin alongside glamorous makeup. “Ever since [Pat McGrath’s] look came out, I bought the product, because I was sure I would use it in a shoot,” Eugenio shares. “Today is the day, and it’s very special, because I used it on Nadine.”
Eugenio continues, “This was the hardest look to pull off, because there are two dimensions in the makeup—one with pure makeup on, and one that you have to peel off or remove.”
The break from the cage
To symbolize Lustre’s release from the bounds of perfection, big, blown-out hair took center stage, celebrating raw freedom. Paul Nebres, celebrity hairstylist and together with Eugenio, one of Lustre’s self-coined “fairy godmothers,” prepared meticulously for the shoot. “I bought two big wigs, because to achieve that big hair, you need a crazy amount of hair.”
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But having a sheer amount of hair alone wouldn’t cut it. Texture mattered, too. “To add the texture, you need products like hairspray and texturizing powder,” Nebres explains, revealing that he used a texturizing and volumizing powder from Got2B. He also used a hairspray from his own brand, set to launch later this year (you heard it first on Allure Philippines!).
The details at the tips
At Allure, a beauty look isn’t complete without the perfectly-executed manicure. On Lustre’s recommendation, we worked with Elina Jung, a South Korean nail artist based in Manila.
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“I wanted the nails to go with all the layouts that she’ll be shooting,” shares Jung. “So I thought of water droplets, but not the typical water droplets on top of the nails. I put water droplets with reflective elements under the nails.” This slight, but crucial change, transformed the nails to become even more reflective and water-like.
Jung also used her own custom nude base and revealed the extra-glossy topcoat—her secret weapon—that completed the look for the cover of Allure Philippines’ Truth Issue.
Secure your copy of The Truth Issue at shop.allure.ph.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nadine Lustre’s makeup for all three Truth Issue covers was created by Jelly Eugenio, her longtime makeup collaborator. For the first cover, Eugenio executed a glass-skin look inspired by Pat McGrath’s work for Maison Margiela’s Spring/Summer 2024 runway — adding peeled-layer detailing to create the visual tension between flawless makeup and natural skin beneath.
Eugenio built on Pat McGrath’s glass-skin technique from the Maison Margiela Spring/Summer 2024 couture show, using a specialist product to create peeling layers on the face — one dimension showing full glamour makeup and another revealing natural skin underneath. He described it as the most technically demanding look he had executed, with two simultaneous dimensions to manage on set.
Celebrity hairstylist Paul Nebres used two full wigs to achieve the volume required for the cover look, supplemented by a texturizing and volumizing powder from Got2B and a hairspray from his own forthcoming personal brand. He noted that sheer volume alone was insufficient — texture was equally critical to the final result.
Lustre’s nails were created by Elina Jung, a South Korean nail artist based in Manila. Jung designed a reflective water-droplet motif — placed beneath rather than on top of the nails — using a custom nude base and an extra-glossy topcoat as the finishing layer. The inversion of the droplet placement made the nails significantly more reflective and water-like.
Each beauty element in the Truth Issue covers was designed to engage with or challenge beauty ideals. The glass-skin look with peeled layers addressed the tension between societal expectations and natural beauty; the oversized, textured hair symbolized freedom from the constraints of perfection; and the reflective nail detailing extended the issue’s visual language of transparency and authenticity across every element of the look.
