Grab all your favorite beauty remedies at the country’s premiere department store
Rustan’s has long been the go-to retail haven for the latest in leading luxury brands, not the least of which are the cosmetic world’s crème de la crème. Recently, the moguls of merchandise feted beauty addicts to a showcase of all things beautifying and beautiful at “So Surreal,” the fourth installment of the annual Beauty Addict event.
With an alluring touch of whimsy and fantasy, “So Surreal” proved every beauty junkie’s dose of glamorous gratification.
The event brought to the forefront hair, makeup, skincare and fragrance products, which are regularly (and, in the case of some brands, even exclusively) available at Rustan’s department stores. Reality and fantasy melded in one seemingly surreal beauty trip at Rustan’s Makati’s first floor. For the evening’s fun-filled festivities, the expanse of the selling area was decked into a whimsical pastel, sunset, and neon-hued wonderland, complete with optical illusions and larger-than-life installations, all in the name of winsomeness. Customers were treated by their fabulous favorites on the beauty scene to games, freebies, makeovers, and other exciting activities. The end result? A beauteous blowout fit for the biggest, most addicted beauty-head.
Beauty blowout
Participating brands under Rustan’s The Beauty Source went all out with the glitz and glam, to the delight of their die-hard devotees. Clarins’ spread the fun with their Beautiful at Any Age game, Dermalogica played rounds of Truth or Myth, while CHANEL’s Ink and Shoot photo booth allowed attendees to bring home tangible memories in the form of flip-style photo books. Korean beauty brand Areum had guests taking part in a Bring Back the Dice game. Murad challenged everyone’s
coloring abilities in their Beauty Art Challenge, while Sisley put the guests’ skills to the test with their mind-boggling color twist cards. Crowd favorite Estee Lauder delivered some good old Lip Service and luxury anti-aging label La Prairie literally sent guests fishing in their light-hearted Catch of the Day activity. Meanwhile, Perricone MD dared everyone to face their greatest fears with their No Makeup Skincare Challenge. Neal’s Yard Remedies hosted a free tasting of their organic teas and L’Occitane served refreshing slushies. Hermès treated guests to hand massages, while cosmetics experts Laura Mercier boasted a Meet the Icons photo booth. Guests were also invited to take photos and videos by the Cinemagraph booth, giving illusions movement in still photos.
A beautiful tradition
To make things all the more lovely, and in keeping with Beauty Addict tradition, Rustan’s The Beauty Source continues to give back with the Charity Photo Wall. Every photo taken at the Charity Photo Wall and uploaded online with the hashtag #RustansBeautyAddictGivesBack was matched with a corresponding donation to the chosen charity of Rustan’s The Beauty Source. This year, donations were given to the ICanServe Foundation, an organization in the Philippines which is dedicated to promoting early breast cancer detection, and to uplifting the lives of breast cancer survivors, as well as the lives of those women still battling the disease.
 
By ANGIE DUARTE