Skinimalism: Makeup And Skincare Merge In Issy & Co.’s New Active Skin Tint And Loose Powder

Minimalism has really taken off since last year and it says so much about how we have reacted and adjusted to the global situation created by the pandemic. We’re aware of how the pandemic has impacted so many lives, how it has deprived many of the right to live and the opportunity to live well—and that translated, albeit maybe subconsciously, in the way we approach our everyday life.

In terms of design, minimalism is about finding beauty in simplicity. In terms of lifestyle, it’s about being more intentional about the things that you welcome in your life, so that you buy and own less things, but you see more value and meaning in what you have.

In terms of our skincare and makeup routines, minimalism—or as experts call it, “skinimalism”—has also become not just a trend but more of an effect of living in the new normal.

Skinimalism

Skinimalism, as the word suggests, is about adopting a minimalist attitude in terms of your skincare and makeup. It’s about cutting down to the bare essentials to finally let your real self shine through.

In a time where health and safety takes priority, and skin issues like maskne and stress-induced breakouts take center-stage, the world has finally started to step back from the unrealistic standards of beauty set by heavily edited billboards and glossies. As the world takes a break—maybe your skin needs to take a break, too. Ergo, skinimalism.

This is what inspired Issy & Co.—a local brand dedicated to formulating beauty essentials that are uncomplicated, easy to use, and accessible for all Filipinos—to create a new collection that invites us to pare back down to the basics.

“Our newest collection is all about enhancing what makes you unique and what makes you, you. Rather than covering you up, our intention isn't to hide imperfections, because it's the differences that make you stand out,” says Joel Andrade, Issy & Co. creative director.

And after 2 years of development, Issy & Co. finally perfected their newest skincare-slash-makeup collection that’s perfect for the times.

Active Skin Tint – The Actives

The Active Skin Tint is the first in Issy & Co.’s new Skin on the Go collection. Is it a foundation? Is it a BB cream? A CC cream? Well, Joel prefers to call it a “triple threat.” Because it’s a skin tint, sunscreen, and moisturizer all in one. For the sake of clarity, let’s call it a tinted moisturizer. Because this product promises to deliver the goodness of skincare while working hard to bring the beauty of makeup.

As a moisturizer, the Active Skin Tint is packed with good actives that are starting to gain traction in the skincare cult circles. First, niacinamide. Niacinamide or Vitamin B3 is a favorite skincare ingredient of many because it has anti-inflammatory properties, can reduce pore appearance, helps improve skin texture, and controls sebum production.

Next, Glycerin—a humectant that people are calling the ultimate moisturizing ingredient because it can replenish and restore hydration in the skin. It works by drawing water from the air or from the lower layers of the skin into the surface to achieve that surface hydration.

And finally, Squalene. Once you have all the water and hydration thanks to your humectant, you want an emollient to trap in all those hydrating goodness. Squalene is an amazing occlusive emollient that does this job properly, and can even squeeze into the tiny spaces between skin cells to make your face feel smoother.

Before, both glycerin and squalane (squalene’s older sister) were derived from animals. But now, Issy & Co. makes sure it only extracts its glycerin and squalene from plant sources to keep their products 100% vegan.

With the combination of these three actives, the oiliest and most dehydrated of skins will benefit so much from using the Active Skin Tint. And if there’s a secret formula to achieving great skin, we know that it’s all about hydration, hydration, hydration.

Active Skin Tint - Coverage

In terms of coverage, the Active Skin Tint does the job well. It’s a lightweight, oil-free formula, so oily-skin girls will not have to worry about the tint sliding off of their faces. The product glides on the skin like a lightweight moisturizer, and applies so well with a brush or even just with your fingers.

The goal of the Active Skin Tint really is not to hide all those curves and shadows, but just even out your complexion so that your natural beauty illuminates. We find that this works best as an everyday routine, because you know you’re not clogging your pores with unnecessary product. However, if you need more coverage, the Active Skin Tint is definitely buildable.

It comes in 6 adaptable shades—vanille, fawn, beech, hazel, brulee, and sienna—that you can mix and match to achieve your perfect skin shade. It should also be transfer-proof, making it wearable even under your face masks.

One of the things we noticed about the formula is that since it’s super lightweight, you won’t find a cake-y effect or heaviness at all throughout wear. We tried to put on the Active Skin Tint for hours in full humidity and heat, and instead of looking greasy or cake-y, it gave a nice warm glow. In fact, Sylvina Lopez, the makeup artist who worked with Issy & Co. to develop and test the Active Skin Tint, says that when they tested it on men, they were very much willing to wear the tint despite their initial reluctance to wear makeup because it weighs nothing on their skin.

It’s just your skin, but better.

Active Skin Tint - SPF

On top of its moisturizing properties and unbelievable lightweight coverage, this Active Skin Tint finishes it all with a broad spectrum UVB/UVA SPF 35 sunscreen. As skincare junkies would know, it is a mortal sin to not wear sunscreen, so slapping SPF on it gives you one less thing to worry about when you’re wearing the Active Skin Tint.

For the sunscreen geeks out there, it’s important to note that the Issy & Co. Active Skin Tint is a hybrid sunscreen that minimizes the drawbacks and highlights the benefits of physical and chemical sunscreens. Moisturize, cover, and protect—this is the promise of skinimalism: one product packed with tons of use and benefits.

Weightless Loose Powder

To top of your gorgeous natural glow thanks to the Active Skin Tint, dab on a bit of the Weightless Loose Powder—a talc-free, finely-milled loose powder for that “matte but not flat” finish. They’ve decided to go talc-free to formulate this photo-finish powder because talc has been known to irritate sensitive skin. Just like the tint, the powder is made to delivery a non-heavy and non-cake-y finish.

Choose from three of their different finishes: Illuminating, which has diamond powder to reflect light and highlight areas that need that extra lift; Translucent, which delivers a smooth, velvety finish for normal to dry skin types; and Mattifying, which is an oil-absorbing formula best for oily to combination skin types to remove the shine, but not the glow.

One thing that we love about the powder is that it adds no whiteness or heaviness to the face. Instead of drying your face like a Sahara desert, it delivers on their promise to “remove the shine, but not the glow.” Check out the unedited below and after photo of their model, Laura, below to see this demi-matte finish in action.

There’s also much to say and fawn over in terms of the product design of the loose powder, because it’s created so that the powder does not go all over the place upon opening. Upon unscrewing the cap, the powder puff sits on another cover that prevents the powder from spilling. For on-the-go girls, you’ll also love that there’s a mirror embedded on the cap for easy touch-up.

Final thoughts

It’s high time really for the local makeup and skincare market to up their game, given the rise of Japanese and Korean brands in the country. And it’s nice to see brands like Issy & Co. take this challenge seriously, to bring Philippine brands on a level that we deserve to be in. Even though it may take them years to formulate and develop a product, it shows how much Issy & Co. is truly a brand that’s grounded on solid research and development, with a heart and a set of ears that listens to their customers’ needs.

At Issy & Co, beauty is truly easy.

Issy & Co. Active Skin Tint and Weightless Loose Powder are now available to shop on the Issy & Co. official Lazada store. For more makeup picks, you can also check out their Instagram page at @issyandcompany.