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Allure has landed in the Philippines—and somehow, it feels less like a beginning and more like a long-overdue arrival. We’ve always had the faces, the flair, the formulas, and the talent; now, the world is finally paying attention. Off the page and into the room, one half of the debut cover Bretman Rock arrived at the launch in sculptural white and full command. The makeup? It was classic Carissa Cielo Medved—and in this exclusive, she breaks it all down for MEGA.
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A Tale of Two Glamazons
“We call it Da Baddest Snatchest Glamarama,” Carissa tells MEGA, the only acceptable name for the look, we argue.
You’d think this level of glam synchronicity was an Allure launch makeup chair meet-cute, but let it be known: Carissa and Bretman go way back to 2016. “We met backstage at Miss Universe when it was held here in the Philippines. I was part of the official MAC Cosmetics team.”
Then, they officially reconnected on Drag Race Philippines—she was the chief makeup artist, he was the guest judge. “After filming, she told me she loved the glam look I did on KaladKaren and said, ‘Girl, you have to do my makeup next time.’” The rest, as they say, is booked and blended.
Why call it Da Baddest Snatchest Glamarama? One look and it’s obvious. Bretman’s moreno skin glowed like it had its own lighting crew. Not a single eyebrow hair out of place. Snatched to the heavens by no other than Carissa herself, and worn, of course, by the ‘baddest.’
The inspiration was Bretman’s Oscars red carpet look. “I told her how obsessed I was with that look; that’s where we got the inspo,” Carissa reveals. “So I went for a snatched, soft, smoky bronzed glam with lifted eyes and made sure to highlight her glowing morena skin to give that proud Pinoy energy.”
Beauty Breakdown
What products graced his face? Ahead, Carissa spills it all.
She began with the sunscreen from the blk x bretman collection. The base was a mix of light layers from Louboutin and blk to achieve a silky look that reads expensive from every angle.
For the eyes and all the sculpting, she pulled from the legends: Danessa Myricks and a Dior contour. A soft bronze smoked up the lids, while a berry-toned blush brought the cheeks to life. He set it all with the buzzy ube baking powder from Huda Beauty.
The Bret Effect
It was already emblematic enough for a Fil-Am social media star so brazenly proud of his Pinoy roots to grace the cover (alongside fashion icon Heart Evangelista, no less). We say it’s this cultural and creative synergy that explains why he and Carissa came up with this type of glam.
“That’s also what we love about Bret,” adds Carissa. “She’s very collaborative and always game for any glam we pitch as long as it still gives her signature baddest bitch glamazonian vibe. Like every time the photographers ask for her angle, she goes, “Girl, I can do any angle. Period!” Carissa laughs.
Sure, the glam was immaculate. But more than that, it’s something that only happens when a muse knows exactly who they are—and a makeup artist knows how to meet them there.
Featured Image and Photos: CARISSA CIELO MEDVED (via Instagram)
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