Banking on BEAUTY
Investment banker by day and beauty blogger by night, Grace Velasco has orchestrated a merger on her two biggest passions
Although I'm a tomboy, I'm really a girly girl deep down.
With her extensive experience in curating the beauty products of lots and lots of women, Grace shares a few of her favorites: five on the pricier side and another five which are affordable and just j as effective. ff
A round year 2000 or so, Grace Velasco was just a senior in college, looking to make an online account of her life in New York. It was a very personal blog focusing more on food, beauty, travel, and pop culture. When she turned 30, she switched to a brand- new platform and her blog served more as an online supplement for the column she wrote for a daily.
Soon enough, with some urging from her friends, she took a cue from one of her favorite beauty blogs, " Into the Gloss," and created a space where she can get women to share their favorite beauty products, as well as their beauty regimen. Her blog, " Divasoria," follows a similar format and as a tribute to the source material, tags the women she features as the " glossy girls." Divasoria has now hit a certain rhythm and has moved to its own host, enjoying a bevy of opportunities coming up.
Grace is not a beauty blogger by trade. The blog is more of a hobby for her— a refreshing palate cleanser from all the technical number- crunching she does in her job as an investment banker. " Although I'm a tomboy, I'm really a girly girl deep down. In my early years, in the ' 90s, I was really into MAC Cosmetics. I used to hang out in the MAC counters," she says. Grace also adds that when she got older, she focused more on skincare.
' SORIA! ' SORIA!
Perhaps being in the business and finance industry has made her become more aware of the value of money. While she doesn't scrimp on good products, she does know when to save her pennies. As a self- confessed " kuripot," she often uses the blog as leverage to convince herself to buy things she might never buy herself. " I have an excuse whenever I go shopping," she says. " Oh, ' This is for the blog,' or something like that."
She still makes the rounds of the cosmetic counters when she is abroad. An unusual thing she stocks up on every time she goes shopping outside of the country is bronzer. " You can't buy bronzers here because everybody wants to be fair," she says. As someone with fair skin, she likes using bronzer to look a bit more radiant. " When you get older, you really need to amp up the glow so you don't look dull."
Luxe
1 Aesop Oil- Free Hydrating Serum
" I've been looking for Aesop since forever because I like their philosophy, the labeling, and the design. Actually, design and beauty junkies like it."
2 Tom Ford lipsticks
" It's like heaven on your lips. It's like a lip balm and it lasts long." 3 Fluid sheer Armani
" You just put it on like a primer or on top of your tinted moisturizer and you'd look like you're glowing."
4 Clarisonic Mia
"I was a non-believer at first because e it was $125 or something just to wash your face. It's supposed to cleanse your face six to seven times more than just using your hands."
5 Chanel Nail polish
" I like the colors, they're not the usual. Sabi nga nila, you just feel
sosyal when you wear it."
Steal
1 Jergens Natural Glow
" I like it because it gives you color. It doesn't look too fake." 2 Benzac AC
" I like it because it helps prevent breakouts. 3 Bioderma Solution Mecellaire
" It's very light. It's like water. You can use it as a cleanser. I use it as a toner, as well."
4 Dove Hair Repair Therapy Shampoo Hair Fall Rescue "I like Dove because it's not so expensive. For some reason, my hair is more alive after each shampoo."
5 Superdrug Deep Action Shine Control Anti-bacterial Moisturizer " It's oil- free and it also helps mattify your face."
Grace's Top Five Beauty Tips
1. Wear sunblock. 2. Wear moisturizer even if you have oily skin. 3. You can do bright lipstick. 4. [Wear] white eyeliner near the edges [of the eyes]. It kind of opens up the eyes. 5. Buy a Clarisonic Mia. The Clarisonic Mia times your [ facial] cleaning.
It's very important.