Hazel

Age: 30s

Location: Manila

Skin Type: Combination

Skin Concerns: Fine lines under the eyes, occasional dark circles and blemishes

I developed an interest in skincare during my late teens — I started wearing sunblock when I was 17. On the other hand, I started wearing full-on makeup when I was 27. I am mostly self-taught. My mom and sister couldn’t care less about skincare regimens, and they consider me the vainest one in the family. They both have good skin, by the way. I’m thankful to have good genes, but  I just felt that it wouldn’t hurt at all if I took care of my skin and wore a bit of makeup every now and then to make me feel beautiful and to be at my best.

Still, I consider myself to be pretty low-maintenance  — I’ve never had a facial, and when my skin is good I let it breathe and I don’t put on anything at all (except sunblock when I’m going out). I am also comfortable walking around barefaced.

When I started my journey to discovering skincare and beauty products, I looked up to blogs and beauty editors. I felt that they had the best job in the world — road testing a lot of products and then writing about them. I wanted to be like that too, someday, but I didn’t know how to pursue my passion.

Many years later (I’m 29), I am just as passionate about skincare as I was 10 years ago. Add to that the myriad of products that I have tested over the years. Some worked, while others didn’t. I feel that as a consumer I deserve value for money when it comes to skincare and makeup. These products need to deliver results, and they should be safe, especially for long-term usage. When I discovered the TIA website and community, I was very much impressed with the wealth of information on beauty and skincare, which is beyond mass marketing and big budget advertisements. I learn so much every day! It’s good to know that technology and research have come a long way and up to now we’re still discovering a lot of ingredients that are beneficial to the skin. At the same time, it’s great that consumers are being informed about ingredients that may be harmful to the skin in the long run. These developments empower a lot of people, including me.

My current work as a researcher involves several business sectors, including mining and energy — totally nothing to do with beauty! I’m so happy to be a part of the TIA community because it allows me to pursue my passion, which is to test beauty products and write about my experiences. The TIA community, together with my beauty blog, lets me express my opinions and share my thoughts on beauty and skincare. Truly a dream come true for me!