I wasn’t sure if I should bother putting out a Best of Beauty when half of our faces have been covered up for the better part of two years, but since I’m sick of the C-word disrupting our beauty rituals and lives in general, here we go: Some of the products I discovered and loved in 2021.

Squad Cosmetics Eyeshadow Palettes

Whether you opt for one of Squad Cosmetics’ nine-pan or four-pan eyeshadow palettes, any of these are incredibly affordable, ranging in price from Php 99 to Php 199 or even less, with sales and Shopee vouchers.

I was a bit skeptical at first because I’ve come across many a palette in the same price range that left me nothing but underwhelmed: almost nonexistent color payoff, chalky, difficult to pat on, and/or disappears after half an hour. Eyeshadow palettes are among the makeup categories I splurge on since ya girl really loves her eyeshadow, and getting the right color and consistency takes a lot of research and development from makeup manufacturers.

I was so pleasantly surprised that these Squad palettes (I bought three to be “sure”) are so easy to work with, and even without any primer, there’s minimal creasing even after 10 hours of wear. Blending is easy and pigmentation is buildable, so this is good for those still practicing. The shimmery shades are also awesome and easy to control without sparkle flying all over the place. I definitely used these palettes the most last year in my collection.

Shop the Squad Cosmetics Mini Eyeshadow Palette on Shopee

Monea Keratin Blondie Purple Shampoo and Conditioner

I have fellow beauty enthusiasts, including g.spot PH’s own editor-in-chief, to thank for this affordable alternative to salon-distributed (and salon-priced purple shampoos). I have been highlighting my hair since I was a teen (so around three years ago… ha… ha), and it would turn yellow without fail because I was very late to the purple shampoo party.

The purple tone and sulfate-free formulation have made all the difference in not only keeping my hair from turning yellow and brassy, but also keeping it soft, thicker, and healthier-looking.

Shop the Monea Keratin Blondie Purple Shampoo at Watson’s

H&M Brow Specialist

Most of the time, my brows were the only thing I would bother doing up in 2021 for errands or for video calls. My pencil cup runneth over with brow pencils, and one of those I enjoyed using the most was the H&M Brow Specialist. It allows me to fill in my brows quickly without needing to be too precise (because the video call is starting in three minutes). My brows still look groomed but soft even if I’m not very careful, unlike other pencils where I feel like if I apply just a tiny bit too much pressure, I’m in for a bold brow that day.

This pencil does start to fade on me after about four hours because I have an extremely oily T-zone, but it helps to sweep powder on the brows first before applying the pencil if you have this problem. Best to pick a translucent powder so that your brows aren’t white, lol.

Shop the H&M Brow Specialist at H&M

Julep When Pencil Met Gel All-Day Waterproof Eyeliner

Eyeliner is the other pencil product I hoard because I go through them fast, after brow pencils. Because my eyes are naturally droopy, enhancing with eyeliner makes all the difference with someone saying I look well-rested versus looking tired. Eyeliner immediately makes my lashes look thicker and lifts up my eyes.

Most of the time I use pencil; eyeliner pens are great for really crisp, black lines, but I don’t always have the patience for it in the morning. I picked up this Julep pencil years ago in Ulta and finally remembered to use it before it expires.

This is a truly jet black pencil, even blacker than Urban Decay’s version, and is slim enough to draw a thinner line with. This is also blendable for a few seconds after applying; it looks great when blended out with an eyeliner brush, then sets the entire day without smearing or giving you black eye boogers.

MAC 240S Large Tapered Blending Brush

I left the priciest item for last, but this is on the list since this is the brush I used the most last year and I will probably keep using it almost every day. This was an investment, but I’ve had this brush for a few years now and it’s still good as new. (I still own a Php 70 eye brush that I bought almost 10 years ago; if I like something, I’ll take care of and use it.)

This brush does all the work for me to blend concealer beneath the eyes, but I also like using it for focusing powder on certain areas (like the aforementioned oily brow area) without piling on product. It’s also great for “one and done” eyeshadow looks, controlled highlighter application, and almost undetectable contour on the eye and nose areas.  

Shop the MAC 240S Blending Brush on MAC Cosmetics