Falling in Love with Roses

Taking out a few petals of a rose has been a habit of mine since I was a child. I used to lightly rub them on my cheeks. I loved how smooth and soft they felt on my skin, and it also gave me the feeling of being part of a royal family a la Cleopatra. THAT was a long time ago, and I had forgotten how a simple flower can actually make me feel pretty—until this year.

Ever since British beauty brand The Body Shop was absorbed by L'Oreal, their products (from quality to packaging) have never failed to catch my eye. For this spring, they launched a makeup collection with the rose as their muse: roses etched on the powdered compacts and lipsticks, with subtle scents of roses infused in the products that make you feel like you've stepped inside a dreamy garden of roses. My favorite from the lot is their Roseflower Radiance Stick that serves as a great highlighter stick, and gives a dewy finish for a healthy radiant look.

They come in super cute packaging , and are perfect for Pinays who are into pretty pastel hues.

M.A.C. released their own rendition of the classic rose with their Rose Romance collection late this month. If I fell in love with the wearability and the ingenious infusion of the rose scent in The Body Shop, I swooned over the highly-pigmented playful makeup of M.A.C.

Beauty powders are presented in 3D rose illustrations, P1300, in and Shimmer Rose (soft violet pink with pearl) and Blush of Youth (clean pink with gold pearl). So pretty to look at! I don't think I can bring myself to use them :o

Making a debut through this collection is their gel blush in Just a Pinch, P1250. It's in gel form, so it feels light on your skin and will give you a rosy healthy glow without the heaviness of a cream.

If you're into stained lips, then their See Thru Lip Colours, P870 each, are perfect for you. They're not as thick and heavy like their Lipglass versions, but give just the right healthy tint on your puckers. I love how my lips absorbed the shimmery light cream, and how cool it feels when applied.  I'd use them everyday—very wearable!  

L-R: Loving Touch (sheer pearly light pink), Tender Trysts (sheer pearly plum), and Secret Crush (sheer red berry).

And if you have extra moolah to spare, I suggest you include this in your beauty budget. A limited edition of their fix spray, P800, that comes in—what else?—rose scent. A concoction filled with vitamins and minerals (a blend of green tea, chamomile, cucumber and 100% natural rose water) that's good for your skin. Spritz this on after applying makeup; your skin will quickly absorb the water to keep it moisturized. It also finishes off your makeup with a nice radiant glow—try it!

So, why don't you reward yourselves with these rose-inspired picks? :D