THE first Drunk Elephant products I owned came from a set of minis that I received from an office exchange gift several Christmases ago. The set was in such great demand at Sephora.ph that the actual gift I got during the Christmas party was a note saying that it would be delivered to me once stocks became available.
That set included Drunk Elephant’s Virgin Marula Luxury Facial Oil. That wasn’t the first time I have used marula oil but I knew at once that this was different. Whenever I would apply it at night after all my skin-care products, I would wake up to soft and well-moisturized skin. The facial oil was not oily, nor did it clog my pores. Sometimes, I would mix it with my concealer or foundation during the day to thin out the products.
One other Drunk Elephant product I fell in love with was the Lippe Balm. I have very dry lips because I wear matte lipsticks a lot. There are a couple of lip balms and lip masks that I love applying before I go to bed but they’re too emollient for daytime wear. Drunk Elephant Lippe Balm is the lip balm I apply during the day before I put on lipstick. It’s moisturizing but it doesn’t change the texture of your lipstick.
Since then, I have gone through three bottles of the Drunk Elephant Virgin Marula Luxury Facial Oil and the same number of Lippe Balms. I also love the D-Bronzi Anti-Pollution Sunshine Drops, which my daughter calls “that thing you apply that makes you look golden.”
Fast forward to 2022: I received an invitation to preview Drunk Elephant, which has already been acquired by Shiseido, and will soon be available in the Philippines. At that time, I had just come from Singapore, where I purchased a bottle of the Virgin Marula Luxury Facial Oil at Sephora.
During a getting-to-know-you session hosted by Drunk Elephant for the Philippine media, I learned three important things about the brand.
One, Drunk Elephant is a biocompatible brand. What does that mean? Being biocompatible means the products work with our body’s natural biological processes and have no potential to irritate the skin.
Two, all Drunk Elephant products are formulated without the Suspicious 6 (essential oils, drying alcohols, silicones, chemical sunscreens, fragrances/dyes and SLS). The brand said that “removing these six ubiquitous ingredients allows the skin to return to its healthiest, most balanced state.”
Third, all Drunk Elephant products are formulated at optimal pH levels, blend together easily, and are highly absorbable, so they can be used to create customized skin-care “smoothies.” So, yes, here’s the fun part: When you use Drunk Elephant, you don’t need to layer the products. You can just make your skin-care “smoothies.” For instance, my favorite smoothie for daytime is the B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Serum, the Virgin Marula Luxury Facial Oil, and the D-Bronzi Anti-Pollution Sunshine Drops. Another great skin-care “smoothie” is the combination of the B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Serum, C-Firma Fresh Day Serum, and the Protini Polypeptide Cream.
Founded by Tiffany Masterson, Drunk Elephant was launched in the United States in 2013 with six products.
Finally, Drunk Elephant is excited to announce that the brand will be launching in the Philippines, with retail partners Watsons Philippines and SM in October. The brand will be available online at lookatme.com.ph and the LOOK At Me store SM Aura Premier, SM Megamall, SM Makati, and LOOK At Me SM Mall of Asia.
My favorite products from the brand, aside from the Virgin Marula Luxury Facial Oil and Lippe Balm, are the Protini Polypeptide Cream (this has a high level of peptides and amino acids), T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Night Serum (this AHA-BHA helps minimize blackheads and whiteheads), C-Firma Day Serum (this helps brighten skin), and Beste No. 9 Jelly Cleanser (best for oily and combination skin types, this helps remove makeup even though you’d still need to double cleanse).