Metro Beauty Awards 2021: Best Skincare Products
We round up some of the most promising skincare products you need to have in your arsenal right now!
Beauty junkies, rejoice! It's that time of the year when we at METRO celebrate all things beauty and bring you some of the best we've ever tried. The 2021 Metro Beauty Awards aims to highlight the power of beauty to help bring a much-needed boost despite trying times.
Truly, there's nothing like spending a little more time on your skincare routine in the morning and at night, or finally receiving that much-awaited new fragrance in the mail after ordering online, or swiping on a bold shade of red lipstick to brighten up one's day. These seemingly little acts of self-care, when added up, make up for a lot. As the year soon comes to a close, let's celebrate all there is to be grateful for, and acknowledge the empowering effect of beauty!
Skincare is one of those things we beauty gals are always busy with. And when we say busy, we mean we're always on the lookout for the next best thing to help keep our complexions healthy and glowing in its best state. From cleansers to creams, anti-aging powerhouses to holy grail serums, essences to masks—we've rounded up some of the best we've tried as of late. Swipe through the gallery below to check out our selection of winners:
Best Skincare Products
Best Skincare Products
Biore Foam Makeup Cleanser
10/10 love this product! No matter how set or water resistant our makeup is, this foamy makeup removing cleanser does the trick quite well and works so fast. It combines makeup removal with facial cleansing and we definitely see it break down and strip product gently so we can avoid (as much as possible) rubbing our skin. Plus points for its affordability!
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Oxecure Acne Sunscreen SPF50
People with acne prone skin tend to shy away from cream products, including SPF, but it needs sun protection just the same. Oxecure created the perfect answer to that dilemma with the Acne Sunscreen SPF50, a lightweight, oil-and-fragrance-free that protects skin from both UVA and UVB rays. It's mineral-based, with Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide that forms a protective barrier on the skin's surface. The great part? It even prevents future acne from forming!
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Senka Perfect Whip Collagen-in Cleansing Foam
The latest addition to the Senka lineup of cleansers is infused with collagen that promotes serious hydration for the skin. Rid your skin of dirt and grime, and expect plumpness, not dryness to go with it! A real steal too!
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Skin by BYS Extra Glow Face Cream
We were surprised with this product because the hydration after use left our skin feeling super tight and hydrated! Definitely a bang for your buck for how much you spend for it.
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Collagen by Watsons White Regeneration Purifying Peeling Gel
Tthe formula really works in getting rid of dead skin cells! It was formulated in Korea and it is surprisingly effective. We massage it in and within seconds, dead skin falls off. We love using this when we feel like our skin is dull and I need a super exfoliant/scrub. It's a great pick for times like this when we can't go to a professional dermatologist for peels.
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Snailwhite Whipp Soap & Gold Whipp Soap
We love using it on the face and body because of the whip and lather! It really does feel like such a treat in the shower. It deep cleanses without drying out skin. Its star ingredient is collagen from Snail Potion which promises to accelerate your skin's regeneration, while jojoba oil and 24k gold both work to reduce appearance of wrinkles and combat free radicals. Skin feels taut, moisturized, and soft to touch, even without applying lotion.
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Garnier Sakura White Hyaluronic Acid Booster Serum
Just when you need it, these capsules deliver a momentary relief. It's simple, it's upfront, it's all you'll ever need for this purpose alone. It's said to promote a pinkish, glass skin glow, and with constant use, you'll get just that!
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Celeteque Acne Solutions Acne Spot Corrector Gel
This product is a staple in our kit, as it just proves to be effective with diligent use. Just a small droplet applied on the affected area for a couple of days visibly reduces redness and helps minimize the size of the breakout.
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Celeteque Brightening Micellar Milk
It's micellar water, but better. Cleanse skin and brighten it at the same time, with a few drops of this product on a cotton pad. It contains Vitamin B3 and rice milk that work together to soften skin and even out skin tone. It also has chamomile extract that moisturizes as it cleanses. A must for your dresser!
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AHC The Pure Real Eye Cream For Face
AHC, the no. 1 Korean skincare brand brought us this innovation: the eye cream for face, which sells one tube every three seconds in Korea! This OG skincare product is able to tend to your eye area, as well as the entire face—with its 91% natural ingredients and Ultrafine Microemulsion System that allows for faster, deeper absorption. It has a light consistency that's easy to apply, and is an innovative product that's hard to live without these days. Expect a facial lifting effect, and moisturized skin for up to 24 hours, keeping aging at bay!
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Acwell pH Balancing Soothing Cleansing Foam
Acwell may be well known for its cult favorite Licorice Toner, but we're already loving their new pH Balancing Soothing Cleansing Foam—a non-irritating cleanser that gets the job done. It has salicylic acid that deeply exfoliates and treats acne, for smoother, brighter skin.
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Innisfree Black Tea Youth Enhancing Ampoule
Korean skincare isn't complete without an ampoule product! Innisfree's Black Tea Youth Enhancing Ampoule is the surge of energy your skin needs after a tiring day. It's an intensive formula that has Reset Concentrate, which promotes skin vitality and rids it of fatigue. This can be used in place of essence, after toner.
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Anessa Perfect UV Sunscreen Skincare Gel
SPF is a sticky topic—quite literally. People are turned off by the idea of a sticky, oily SPF product for daily use, leaving it for days when they're headed to the beach. Anessa has solved our dilemmas and created SPF products that are not just highly effective, they're a treat to use too! Their Sunscreen Skincare Gel is moisturizing, protective, and leaves a dewy texture. It doesn't wear off easily, but is easily cleansed using soap and water. We love its light, citrusy scent, and the fact that we can use it as a makeup primer!
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The Body Shop Youth Bouncy Eye Mask
It's a good option for those wanting an instant boost! For those wanting an easy fix to de-puff and brighten the under eye are, you are looking at the right place. It's enriched with cucumber extract and plant stem cells to give your eyes a 'power nap'! It's a pocket-friendly skincare pick too!
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Pili Ani Deep Detox Volcanic Exfoliating Mask
Finally, a volcanic mask that doesn't mess up our hands! We find it always troubling to use volcanic or clay masks as they tend to go into our eyes or dirty our hands that it messes our space. With the brush that comes with it, problem solved! We're a fan of the ingredients and the fact that it's made here in the Philippines, makes it a great choice to support a brand that delivers the promise of their products.
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Pili Ani Self-Care Night Recovery Oil
Still not a believer in skin oils? This product aims to change your mind, with its power-packed formula that helps skin recover while you sleep. Bet you didn't know that our skin gets dehydrated overnight, so it's vital to keep it nourished while catching ZZZs. It has the brand's signature Pili and Elemi Oils, which are proudly Filipino, so this is a good buy through and through!
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Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum
Interested in the power skincare ingredient retinol but scared of its side effects like redness, flaking, and sensitivity? Get the benefits of retinol without these, with Kiehl's innovative Micro-Dose formula. It allows your skin to get acquainted with retinol, along with ceramides and peptide, for a period of time to help it be more accepting of its efficacy over time.
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Kiehl's Calendula Toner
A cult favorite for us, this toner is one of those products that are simply no-brainer additions to our skincare lineup. It's great for acne-prone skin, as it gently tones and prepares it for the next steps of the routine.
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Peter Thomas Roth Cucumber Hydragel Eye Patches
Tired, exhausted eyes? It's literally like a slice of cool cucumber for your peepers. These patches are a great way to perk your eye area up, especially for days when you stayed up a bit too late binge-watching Netflix. Pop in the fridge for a cooler experience!
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Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant
This mud-like product is a great way to exfoliate skin off dead skin cells, dirt, oil, grime, and any impurities that may be trapped in your pores. Simply add a bit of water to activate it, apply on your skin, gently massage it, and wash off!
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Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Florale
Another must-have for our kits is the Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse, this time, in the Florale variant. It's a dry oil that's great for lots of uses: for your hair, body, and hair! We particularly love the soft, floral scent that lingers for hours.
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Clarins Double Serum
If you're getting serious about skincare, investing in a product such as this may be a good idea. This anti-aging serum is iconic in that it is powered by 21 plant extracts like turmeric oat, and avocado that work together to smooth skin, reduce wrinkles, hydrate skin, revive radiance, and visibly minimize pores. Just a few pumps spread all over the face before moisturizer is all it takes.
Photo Credit: Available at Clarins SM Makati
Estée Lauder Micro Essence
Yes, you need an essence in your skincare routine. This power pick from Estee Lauder allows for skin strengthening and nourishing, as well as renewing and rebalancing to prepare it for the next steps of the skincare routine. Just a few drops on your hand or cotton pad is enough to apply all over the face, and with consistent use, get to see a much more vital, more beautiful complexion.
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Shiseido Future Solution LX Total Regenerating Cream
Getting serious about your anti-aging regimen means you're not slacking off on your regimen at night! And while you're at it, we recommend using a power-packed moisturizing cream that can address pesky issues like fine lines, wrinkles, and sagging while you sleep. It's a luxurious, ultra rich formula that contains the highest concentration of SkingenecellEnmei, Shiseido’s youth pro-longing ingredient. We love the subtle scent that's a great plus to this beautifying ritual. Wake up to restored, lifted, regenerated skin—what we all really want for our creams to bless us with!
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Guerlain Abeille Royale Double R Renew & Repair Serum
Get the best of luxury French skincare with Guerlain's Double R Renew & Repair serum—a two-in-one formula that targets loss of radiance and loss of firmness. It contains Ouessant Black Bee Honey as well as Exclusive Royal Jelly, active ingredients that provide the lifting effect we so need. Apply both day and night before cream or moisturizer for best results.
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Dior Capture Totale Super Potent Serum
A Dior product always delivers a spa-like experience. From the scent to the texture and the application, we always feel like we're pampering ourselves. What more if it's a product that works like this one? It's plumping and rejuvenating after just a few days of use! We like the pillowy effect it leaves our skin without making it feel weighed down.
Photo Credit: Available at Dior Boutiques
