Allure Philippines’ 2025 Holiday Gift Guide: Self-Care Experiences
These curated beauty and wellness services turn self-care into a meaningful gift—one that lingers long after the celebrations end.
There’s a growing philosophy we’ve all heard in recent years: choose experiences over things. And when it comes to beauty and wellness, that rings especially true. So much of feeling our best is deeply experiential—sometimes it takes the hands of an expert, the right technology, or a moment of stillness to unlock the kind of results no product alone can give.
Self-care treatments also carry a different kind of generosity. They don’t just look good wrapped under a tree—they help someone slow down, breathe, reset, and tend to parts of themselves they might normally ignore. In a season defined by giving, what could be more meaningful than that?
This year, Allure Philippines rounds up the beauty and wellness experiences worth gifting. From medical-grade facials to restorative hair therapies, pampering nail sessions to life-changing health screenings, these are gifts that don’t end in one moment—they ripple into someone’s confidence, well-being, and the way they greet the year ahead.
A top-to-toe self-care day at Bench Hair & Skin Expert
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Bench Hair & Skin Expert takes everything people loved about Bench Skin Expert and adds hair and scalp health into the mix. Because for many Filipinos, hair is just as important as skin.
Located at The Curve in BGC, Taguig, the modern, light-filled space combines expert care with science-backed treatments designed for Filipino hair and skin. This is Bench’s first clinic to combine the expertise of dermatologists and doctors trained by the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS), convenient for when you don’t want the hassle of hopping between specialists.
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From scalp-care solutions like PRP therapy and mesotherapy to Celluma Light Therapy and skin-care treatments like New Cellular Treatment Factor (NCTF), the clinic offers beauty and wellness innovations that restore confidence while keeping routines fuss-free.
An appointment here is a great present for anyone who loves self-care, or for your own post-Christmas reset. With board-certified dermatologists and hair restoration specialists on hand, treatments are effective, natural-looking, and long-lasting. — Leira Aquino
A facial or laser procedure at QuAD Clinic
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For those who want more than a surface-level glow, QuAD Clinic is a go-to for medical-grade dermatology without feeling intimidating. With medical director and board-certified dermatologist Francesca Sy-Alvarado, MD, FPDS, who’s known for being approachable, thorough, and genuinely hands-on with her patients, the clinic combines clinical expertise with a welcoming, personalized atmosphere. From facials and brightening treatments to lifts and laser procedures, everything is personalized for your skin’s real needs.
Gifting a visit to QuAD Clinic, whether for yourself or for your hardworking mom, is thoughtful, practical, and guarantees results that make you and your loved ones feel pampered and ready to ring in the New Year. — Leira Aquino
A skin pick-me-up with the Belo Medical Group
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The brain-skin connection is real, and a growing line of skin-care products and services called neurocosmetics emphasizes that link. Think of the calm you feel after slathering lavender lotion on your skin. The neurocosmetics effect is similar—only more targeted—using neurotransmitters to create tangible skin-specific benefits like soothing, brightening, and tightening.
In the Philippines, neurocosmetics is making its arrival through the Belo Medical Group’s new line of treatments. “These [have] a more focused approach rather than traditional facials that just focus on the skin,” explains board-certified dermatologist Elle Aquino, MD, MBA, DPDS. “There’s a neurotransmitter to calm down the skin, one to tighten, one to brighten the skin, one to repair.” Allure Philippines tried first-hand the NeuroGlow Facial (PHP 12,990) and the NeuroBright Eyes (PHP 3,800), both product-centric facials that use neurocosmetic cleansers, toners, serums, masks, and exosomes, and have minimal machine intervention.
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The NeuroGlow Facial, good for sensitive and acne-prone skin, uses an ingredient derived from the noni plant, to help “block bacterial communication” and reduce acne and redness flare-ups. The NeuroBright Eyes is an immediate under-eye brightener that uses plant-derived acids to depigment the sensitive eye area. Our verdict? The price tag is hefty, but the immediate soothing and brightening results—considering minimal machines were used—are remarkable. Consider giving this to yourself, because you know you deserve extra pampering this season.
A pamper session at New Lounge
New Lounge has you covered with their Express Nail Care, Dry Foot Spa, and Lymphatic Foot Massage wrapped all in one in their Pamper Express service.
And because ‘tis the season to be extra, their nails, lash extensions, and hair removal services will have you feeling fully glammed and ready for all the festivities. Choose from a range of nail designs, from iridescent finishes to Swarovski sparkle. We also love how the nail artists take care of your nail beds and skin by using spot UV to cure gel nails instead of exposing your entire hand.
You can elevate your look even further with their premium antibacterial sable lashes that are soft, natural-looking, and customizable in both length and thickness. New Lounge will tell you they last about two weeks or more, but we’ve personally worn them for up to six weeks. To top it all off, their waxing and threading services offer a gentle, precise way to get smooth skin and groomed brows, giving you a polished finish from head to toe. — Bianca Gozon
A holiday mani at Extraordinail
Holidays aren’t really complete without your holiday mani, and Extraordinail knows how to make nails feel festive. From soft, minimalist designs to bold, gem-studded creations that scream “Pasko na!”, their technicians pay attention to every detail. Their gel extensions and polishes last through holiday prep chaos including wrapping gifts, cooking, dishwashing, and last-minute parties.
Booking a session is like giving someone (or yourself, of course!) an instant confidence boost. Perfect for a friend who lives for beauty details, a cousin who’s hosting reunions, and you, who deserves a little luxury this season. — Leira Aquino
A Christmas feast at The Peninsula Manila
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Christmas in the Philippines is defined by gatherings, and often, a sense of hurriedness and holiday chaos—and that’s when places with a legacy of hospitality rise to the occasion. Spending the most important dates of the season at The Peninsula Manila—one of the city’s most iconic holiday landmarks, which sees its own annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony in the famed Lobby—lets you skip the stress of preparation without compromising the magic of the moment. Choose from a variety of festive dining options: Christmas Eve and Day lunch and dinner buffets at family-favorite Escolta (starts at PHP 3,800), a Christmas Eve dinner buffet at The Lobby (starts at PHP 7,400), or a five-course set dinner at the dining institution Old Manila (starts at PHP 8,800). — Larissa Joson
A wellness getaway at The Farm at San Benito
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Allure Philippines spent our first Wellness Destinations at this self-care enclave in Lipa last September, and we haven’t stopped thinking about the retreat since. For someone notoriously difficult to give to, share something that’s equally challenging to give: the gift of a reset. The Farm’s Renewal Rise package was created by their in-house wellness and integrative medicine team, and is designed for anyone seeking digestive balance. The package comes with doctor’s consultation, an abdominal Hara Puri treatment that aids digestion, a cleansing session to detox, and concludes with a relaxing massage. — Larissa Joson
A mental health reset care of one of MindNation’s programs
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You know that year-end ritual of taking stock of your life, and setting goals for the coming year? Why don’t you take it a step further for someone you care about by treating them to one of MindNation’s licensed therapy sessions? The global mental health and wellbeing organization offers many options for mental health aid—from 24/7 support, licensed therapy, their copyrighted 8-Minute Connects©, psychological assessments, and digital tools, such as their app, all designed to help both individuals and teams. — Lia Cruz
A mammogram or breast ultrasound
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At an Estée Lauder breast cancer awareness event in October, it was shared by medical oncologist Marvin Mendoza, MD, MCMMO, FPSMO, FPCP, that breast cancer causes the most deaths of all cancers in the Philippines. This holiday season, give the important women in your life a chance to screen for this killer by gifting them with a mammogram or breast ultrasound at a leading hospital or health clinic.
Dr. Mendoza recommends that these screenings should be done annually for women with no family cancer history or co-morbidities, starting between the ages of 40 to 44. However, for women who have a history of cancer in their family tree, Dr. Mendoza says that screenings should begin as early as 30 years old. Plus, he advises that if your mother had breast cancer, then you yourself should begin screening at an age that is ten years ahead of the age that she was diagnosed. “For example,” he explains, “she was diagnosed at age 38, then you should start regular screening at age 28.” — Lia Cruz
A SPOT-MAS test at the Wellness and Aesthetics Institute of The Medical City
Give a loved one the opportunity to screen for a clean bill of health—or to prepare for the future—with the SPOT-MAS test at the Wellness and Aesthetics Institute, which can detect ten kinds of cancer in your blood through a single blood test, even if the patient has no symptoms. The test screens for DNA fragments—or DNA tumor markers—in your blood, for breast, lung, colon, stomach, liver, pancreas, ovaries, uterus, head and neck, and esophagus cancers. This is a wonderful investment gift for someone who is aged 40 and above, who leans towards unhealthier lifestyle habits such as smoking, drinking, or being sedentary, or who has a family history of cancer. An upgraded version, the SPOT-MAS 360, screens additionally for 15 hereditary cancers and 13 hereditary cardiovascular diseases.
The SPOT-MAS test is available at the Wellness and Aesthetics Institute at The Medical City. — Lia Cruz
