A “cool girl” is one who isn’t afraid of being extraordinary. She goes outside the norms of an everyday lifestyle or beauty routine. She doesn’t follow trends—she sets them. And she dons those trends with flair and confidence. Likewise, the brands she uses have a similar aesthetic and vision as hers. These are brands that have gained cult appeal and have proven that you need not be a juggernaut in the cosmetic industry to make it big.
Here are some topnotch “cool girl brands” girls that you should check out stat!
A staunch promoter of the no-makeup-makeup look, Glossier regards itself “a beauty company inspired by what girls need in real life.” The brand rose to cult status via the savvy social media campaigns spearheaded by its founder and former The Hills star, Emily Weiss. Their product arsenal mainly consists of “easy-to-use basics that form the backbone of your unique beauty routine.” Among its superstar lineup of items are the Glossier Boy Brow (Php1,150.00), which gives brows an oh-so-natural look, and its Priming Moisturizer (Php1,850.00), which makes pores appear smaller and leaves skin with a lovely dewy finish.
#LiveYourLook is Milk Makeup’s battle cry. Milk delivers a totally new take on makeup, and has developed multi-functional and easy-to-use products suitable for girls on the go. Some of its bestsellers include their Lip + Cheek Tint (Php1,750.00), which gives buildable and blendable color instantly (you don’t even need a mirror), and the Matte Bronzer (Php1,750.00), a matte finish cream stick that gives an instantaneous sun-kissed glow.
ColourPop is a brand almost synonymous to long-lasting matte liquid lipsticks in every color imaginable. Beyond lipstick though, it has a wide array of very affordable and high-quality makeup products, from eye shadows to highlighters and more. But if you haven’t tried any of their Ultra Matte Lippies (Php480.00), you’ve got to get on it, girl! They are highly pigmented and really make your lips pop, while staying on all day and night.
A Korean “cool girl” import, CosRX (Cosmetics + Rx prescription) offers a variety of affordable and well-researched products that are also incredibly effective in treating whatever skin woes you’re going through. Its Acne Pimple Master Patch (Php250.00) combats zits, blackheads, and whiteheads and make them disappear come morning. Another blackhead zapper is their BHA Blackhead Power Liquid (Php963.00), which contains 4% natural BHA that dissolves all impurities in your pores.
As far as revolutionary and cult-fave products go, the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge (Php450.00) tops most makeup tools. This little sponge made such an impact in everyone’s beauty routine that some of us can’t imagine our lives without it! It truly changes the way we apply makeup, and guarantees that your foundation, concealer, or BB and CC creams are applied and blended flawlessly.