Philosophy Returns

As much as I love science, I still believe that skin care, in the end, should still be relatable. Skin Care, to me, is like a friend that you look forward to having a cup of coffee with to celebrate the triumphs of the day and leave the negativities behind.

If there's one skin care brand that I'll always go back to no matter how many HGs I find along the way, it would still and always be Philosophy. My first encounter with the brand was in 2005, through my mother who deathly adores their perfume called Amazing Grace. (And I ended up adoring it to death too) The label of the said perfume had a quote and it read:

And that started a cosmetic affair that I knew would last a lifetime. Ever since, I relied on the wisdom of quotes for answers that I couldn't find elsewhere and banked on beauty products to cheer me up and change my mood whenever I'm having a gray day. And Philosophy was there, combining two of the essential elements of my personal happiness. 

Philosophy is a line with a heart. It speaks to you. Every product is something that you can genuinely relate to or derive inspiration from. As you spread their products across your skin, revel in the mist of their fragrances, and sing in delight as you cleanse with their shower gels, you are always renewed and reminded to hope, believe, and love.

The brand was pulled out from the Philippines last year (I think), and I felt my heart sank upon hearing the news. It was like a good friend had gone without saying goodbye. Well as long as there's Sephora, I could always keep in touch!

And now my good ol' friend is back! Even though I had so much work to do, I persisted to attend Philosophy Philippines' launch in Whitespace, Makati. I couldn't miss it-my friend and I had so much catching up to do!

To those who are new to this brand, here's a little background:

Cristina Carlino is a skin care entrepreneur with 30 years' worth of expertise under her belt, and works hand in hand with dermatologists for her products. Her first brand was called Biomedic, a medical line distributed to surgeons and dermatologists globally. One day, she felt the need to bridge the gap between the doctor's office and retail, thus she founded Philosophy, a consumer beauty brand grounded on the principles of skin care-It is comprised of innovative products made with the most advanced technologies. Simply put, having a Philosophy product is like having a doctor/dermatologist in a bottle. Cristina believes that real beauty can only be achieved if the mind, body, and spirit are united, hence she conceptualized Philosophy as a feel-good brand that aims to inspire and better the lives of its users as it helps everyone achieve great skin.

We were all treated to a skin care workshop using Philosophy's worldwide best- sellers. Get a lowdown of their products after the cut! I couldn't wait to introduce my good ol' friend to everyone! :)

Out with the old, in with the new. We started off with one of their iconic products, The Microdelivery Peel, a skin resurfacing kit that utilizes Salicylic Acid, Lactic Acid and Vitamin C. The consensus is it's just like Microdermabrasion, but Philosophy claims that it's 'light years ahead of Microdermabrasion'.

First, the Peptide Crystals were applied on my skin.

After 1 minute, Wilmer Cu, Brand Manager for Philosophy Philippines, poured a dollop of the Salicylic/Lactic Acid Activating Gel and it produced this warm, white foam.

After 3 minutes, he rinsed it off with water. The result? The part where he applied the products felt like it had no lines-'twas mega smooth! Promising! Looking forward to trying it on my facial skin!

Miracle Worker is their star anti-aging product-it's a set that includes a tub of facial pads and a solution. You're supposed to empty the entire solution in the tub to soak up the pads. Miracle Worker is made with new-age Retinol called hpr which is gentler, works faster, and is more efficient.

Hope In A Jar is their most popular moisturizer. It's so popular that even the queen of talk, Oprah Winfrey, was swept off her feet. Turbo Booster is the all- around product enhancer-this powder solution is meant to be mixed with other skin care products.

Hope In A Jar + Turbo Booster C Powder

A graceful dresser graced with the Grace body lotion line.

If I would recommend a scrumptious shower gel brand to you, it would be Philosophy. Cinnamon Buns is my eternal favorite!

These good-enough-to-eat lip glosses are absolutely calorie- free. My favorite lip gloss by Philosophy is still The Supernatural. It's not available here, I think.

The Grace perfume line! Hands down, I think Philosophy is one of the BEST perfume makers on earth. I have tried and owned everything in this line including Baby Grace and by far, Amazing Grace still owns my heart. 

I hope you have enjoyed this tale of Purity, Grace, Hope, Miracle, and Love. Oh! I'd just like to share my most favorite Philosophy quote from my most favorite Philosophy product, Falling In Love EDT:

When it comes to love, you need not fall but rather surrender, surrender to the idea that you must love yourself before you can love another. You must absolutely trust yourself before you can absolutely trust another and most importantly you must accept your flaws before you can accept the flaws of another.

Philosophy will open a store in Metro Manila by December 2013, wherein they will have a skin care cabin. Will be reporting on that soon!

Please visit PHILOSOPHY PHILIPPINES on Facebook for more information about their products.