An online shopper's guide to buying the best products from the best sites at the best prices
Just a few years ago, in the face of their beauty product going empty or a hot, must-try skincare item with a cultish following setting off a blip in their radar, the typical beauty junkie would resort to three courses of action:
- Ask for a relative abroad to bring it home on their next trip back,
- Check a brick-and-mortar shop or the nearest department store in the hopes they find what they’re looking for, or
- Head on over to what would become one of the first online beauty authorities Filipinos recognize: Beauty MNL.
Don’t get me wrong, I still love a good Beauty MNL spree (have you seen their sales?). But the recent years have seen the profusion of beauty e-commerce websites––many of which the typical Filipino beauty enthusiast remains clueless about. These beauty-centric shopping sites deserve our love and affection and skincare budgets not only because they make life easier, but because these days, they're quite literally our only options. But with so many websites to choose from, still some questions remain:
Which website do I buy which brands from?
Which website should I be poring over first when I look for a certain product?
Where are my favorite brands cheapest?
I mean, if you're going to quarantine shop, might as well do it efficiently, right? So many questions, to which you’ll find answers just a few scrolls ahead. For the first installment of this beauty column, five crowd favorite brands are in the spotlight: Glossier, The Ordinary, Pyunkang Yul, Dear, Klairs and Pixi by Petra, with the three most popular products from each brand highlighted as comparative basis. I’ve just combed over more websites and products than I can count (and naturally checked out my cart somewhere along the way), so hey, here’s hoping this helps you discover which websites to add to your bookmarks!
Glossier
The Contenders
Calyxta, The Makeup Store MNL and Today's Skin
The Products
GLOSSIER Cloud Paint |
GLOSSIER Boy Brow |
GLOSSIER Haloscope |
Images via Glossier
Cloud Paint
Glossier’s wildly popular cream-to-powder cheek tint costs P1350 on Calyxta, P1300 on The Makeup Store MNL and P1300 on Today’s Skin.
Boy Brow
The eyebrow-shaping and fluffing Boy Brow pomade retails for P1350 on The Makeup Store MNL and P1200 on Today’s Skin. Calyxta does not sell Boy Brow as of time of writing.
Haloscope
The skincare + makeup dew effect highlighter retails for P1650 on Calyxta, P1700 on The Makeup Store MNL and P1700 on Today’s Skin.
The Verdict
When it comes to the better Glossier source, it’s a solid tie between Calyxta and Today’s Skin price-wise. While both serve up similar price points, some items are cheaper by around P50 on Calyxta (Haloscope, Solution) while others are just a little more affordable on Today’s Skin (Cloud Paint, Boy Brow). In terms of inventory, though, hats off to The Makeup Store MNL (who stock all four shades of Boy Brow, btw) and Today's Skin.
The Ordinary
The Contenders
Calyxta, Go Bloom & Glow and Today's Skin
The Products
THE ORDINARY Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% |
 THE ORDINARY AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution |
THE ORDINARY 100% Organic Cold-Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil |
Images via The Ordinary
Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
Arguably the most popular product among The Ordinary enthusiasts in the country, the Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% costs P850 on Calyxta and P750 a pop on both Go Bloom & Glow and Today's Skin.
AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution
Intimidating yet effective, this liquid exfoliator retails for P700 on Calyxta and P650 on Today's Skin. Go Bloom & Glow does not stock the AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution as of time of writing.
100% Organic Cold-Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil
Everybody's favorite from The Ordinary's line of oils, the multi-benefit Rose Hip Seed Oil retails for P900 on Calyxta, P900 on Go Bloom & Glow and P800 on Today's Skin.
The Verdict
With an impressive roster of The Ordinary products and price differences of up to P100 compared to the other websites, Today's Skin is the obvious winner for this round! The lockdown has caused a wipeout of The Ordinary products on most sites, but Today's Skin announces restocks every now and then via their Instagram page.
Pyunkang Yul
The Contenders
Go Bloom & Glow, KbeautyCafe and The Skincare Curator
The Products
PYUNKANG YUL Essence Toner (200ml) |
PYUNKANG YUL Moisture Cream |
PYUNKANG YUL Moisture Ampoule |
Images via Pyunkang Yul
Essence Toner (200 ml)
The toner that won the world over, a 200 ml bottle of the widely famous Pyunkang Yul Essence Toner is available on Go Bloom & Glow for P950, KbeautyCafe for P925 and The Skincare Curator for P850.
Moisture Cream
Pyunkang Yul's Moisture Cream, which has notable street cred for being extremely moisturizing yet gentle enough for all skin types, costs P1600 on Go Bloom & Glow, P1450 on KbeautyCafe and P1400 on The Skincare Curator.
Moisture Ampoule
Texture-improving and moisture-retaining, the ampoule iteration of the brand's moisture line costs P1400 on Go Bloom & Glow and P1250 on both KbeautyCafe and The Skincare Curator.
The Verdict
Come on, take a look at those prices. The Skincare Curator is the source for Pyunkang Yul's blue-bottled skincare, hands down. Meanwhile, despite having the most highest price points out of the three platforms, Go Bloom & Glow has the widest selection of products from the beauty brand.
Dear, Klairs
The Contenders
Go Bloom & Glow, KbeautyCafe and Shop Pibu
The Products
DEAR, KLAIRS Supple Preparation Facial Toner |
DEAR, KLAIRS Freshly Juiced Vitamin Drop |
DEAR, KLAIRS Midnight Blue Calming Cream |
Images via Dear, Klairs
Supple Preparation Facial Toner
One of the gentlest toners out there (a personal favorite, might I add!) retails for P1150 on Go Bloom & Glow, KbeautyCafe and Shop Pibu.
Freshly Juiced Vitamin Drop
A scar-fading, complexion-brightening mix of vitamin C and centella asiatica, the Freshly Juiced Vitamin Drop costs P1200 across Go Bloom & Glow, KbeautyCafe and Shop Pibu.
Midnight Blue Calming Cream
A common favorite from Dear, Klairs' Midnight Blue line, the highly concentrated Calming Cream costs P1280 on Go Bloom & Glow and KbeautyCafe, and P1200 on Shop Pibu.
The Verdict
While all three websites offer impressive set deals and sell those handy samples for first-timers looking to test products for the first time, we're going with Shop Pibu as our go-to source for Dear, Klairs.
Pixi
The Contenders
Glamourbox, Today's Skin and Zalora
The Products
PIXI Glow Tonic |
PIXI Rose Tonic |
PIXI Glow Mud Mask |
Images via Pixi
Glow Tonic (250 ml)
A common pick for fans of exfoliating toners, the Pixi Glow Tonic retails for P1950 on Glamourbox and Zalora, and P1400 on Today's Skin.
Rose Tonic (250 ml)
Another favorite from Pixi's roster of toners, the rose and elderflower-infused tonic is available on Glamourbox and Zalora for P1850, and Today's Skin for P1400.
Glow Mud Mask
Pixi's purifying mud mask retails for P1290 on Glamourbox and P1400 on Today's Skin. As of time of writing, Zalora does not stock the Glow Mud Mask.
The Verdict
If we're taking price tags, dubbing a single winner is a little ambiguous. While the the tonics, which are easily the most popular Pixi product across the board, are most affordable over at Today's Skin, other products like the essences and mists are way cheaper over on Glamourbox and Zalora. Not to mention, Today's Skin doesn't have any of Pixi's makeup (save for their primer). We're calling this one a three-way tie––the winner depends on which product it is you're looking for!
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Any brands you'd like a comparative guide for? Sound off; we'll make it happen.
Art Alexandra Lara
