By Zsarlene B. Chua

NOWADAYS, the beauty world is all about skincare-in-makeup or multipurpose products that provide skincare benefits, but which still fulfill their role as color cosmetics. And this is a trend that I’m currently loving as someone who prioritizes skincare.

One of the brands that was born out of that current trend is Y.O.U. Beauty, an international beauty brand “committed to providing all women accessible beauty with innovative technology and fashionable design.”

The brand recently sent me some of their face base products to try and here are my initial thoughts on them as I have been using them on-and-off these past few weeks.

CLOUD TOUCH BLURRING SKIN TINT (P678/20ML)Y.O.U.’s Cloud Touch Blurring Skin Tint is actually more of a medium coverage foundation rather than an ordinary skin tint. It is said to be a “lightweight skincare-infused blurring liquid foundation designed for acne prone skin, enriched with Ceramide and Centella Asiatica Extract that instantly delivers a soft-focused skin filter effect.”

It also has SPF25 PA+++ so there is some sun protection there, but please do still use sunscreen under it (and reapply as necessary) as it will not guarantee full sun protection.

I was sent the shades N402 (Shell Ivory) and W708 (Creme Beige), and while N402 was too light for me (and the wrong undertone — too cool) and W708 was too dark (but with a warmer undertone), combining the two gave me the perfect shade. I do like the texture of the product as it does apply well, and a small pump goes a long way. I just wish they had more shades than the four currently available on the online shops (Lazada, Shopee) so they can serve more skin tones.

I do like the way it looks on my skin as it does cover up some of my hyperpigmentation and redness and gives that blurring effect where your skin looks like it’s blemish-less. It also does have reasonable staying power as I didn’t have to reapply it indoors, but outdoors, I saw that it had started to fade four to five hours in.

Overall, this is a good product if: you’re looking for a light-to-medium coverage foundation and if any of the four shades suit you.

NOUTRIWEAR COMPLETE COVER CONCEALER (P299/4.5G)After foundation, let’s go to concealer. Gone are the days of the early 2010s when you needed to apply concealer to half of your face just to keep up with the trends. Now, it’s all about strategically placing concealer under your eyes to give you that “I slept for a full eight-hours” and lifted look.

How I usually do mine now is to put a little dot in the inner corner of my eyebags and a little bit on the outer edge of my eye. I then blend it out and can try to fool myself into thinking I’m well-rested. The Noutriwear concealer works well in this regard as it not only has somewhat of a warmer orange tint (for shade 04 Light) that neutralizes my gray-blue eyebags, it also has a lot of skincare ingredients including Centella Asiatica and a formulation that is said to boost skin elasticity, hydrate, and calm skin. But again, makeup with skincare should not replace your regular skincare. It’s an added ingredient, not its primary function.

This concealer does stay on and will not budge for an entire day, indoors and outdoors, for which I will always be thankful. It’s also small enough to carry around in my bag and Light is my perfect shade and I didn’t have to mix and match shades to find one that fit. What I’m trying to say is, I really love this concealer and you should try it too. (It does come in limited shades though).

NOUTRIWEAR AIRY FIT LOOSE POWDER (P349/15G)To lock in your look — and if you’re a matte girl like me — a loose powder is a must to finish your routine. That’s where products like Noutriwear Airy Loose Powder come in. Like the other products in the Noutriwear line, it has a host of skin caring ingredients and Centella Asiatica which can help calm your skin, and help with elasticity and hydration.

I wear the shade C302 Classic Ivory and I use it to set my entire face really since I’ve never been a fan of the dewy look. Unlike the other two products I’ve reviewed here, the loose powder has a bit of a scent, kind of like those aloe soothing gels. If I had to describe it, I’ll call it having a refreshing scent, so it’s not irritating. But for those who are allergic or prefer a fragrance-free product, note that this one is not for you.

As for application, the container dispenses a small amount of product each time, which is good as it allows you to build up as you prefer. I do prefer using the provided puff under my eyes and a powder brush everywhere else.

It does stay for a few hours but reapplication is definitely needed. All in all, it’s a pretty good loose powder for quite a reasonable price (it does also have only four shades, but one is transparent).

So, do I like Y.O.U Beauty products? Yes, they do perform well for what they promise and for its price point, but I do wish that they had more shades to choose from.

Y.O.U Beauty products are available in Shopee, Lazada, Tiktok Shop and select Watsons branches, SM Beauty, Robinsons Department Store, Metro Retail, LCC Department Store, Gainsano Capital Group, Prince Retail Group, KCC, Mart one, and The Landmark.

Zsarlene Chua is a former BusinessWorld reporter who is now a fledgling PR girl. She’s all about skincare, makeup, and video games. None of the products recommended are the writer’s clients. Contact the author at zsarlene.chua@gmail.com.

Neil Banzuelo