Beautiful hands without manicure
DEAR RISSA,
My work is sometimes so hectic that I don’t really have time for manicures anymore. With all the typing and paperwork (and the constant office aircon!), my hands feel so dry and abused. Is there something I can do to make my hands look and feel nice even without a manicure? LEN
Yes, our hands are some of the most abused parts of our body together with our feet. But here’s a beauty alert: The hands are also one of the biggest indicators of age! That’s why caring for my hands is essential in my beauty routine. I highly recommend you try Malin + Goetz Vitamin B5 Hand Treatment (available at Adora, Greenbelt 5, Makati). What makes it different from all other hand creams? You see I’m a huge fan of their vitamin B5 body lotion, too. It moisturizes deeply without the stickiness. It wiped out stubborn ingrowns and made my legs younger-looking and smoother than they’ve ever been. You realize what a good body moisturizer is really supposed to do and you never look back at others you’ve tried. So when I saw they also offered a hand treatment cream, I knew this would be another staple on my bathroom shelf.
The Malin + Goetz Vitamin B5 Hand Treatment intensely moisturizes hands, cuticles, and nails. I really love how you immediately get softer and smoother hands. It’s also perfect for conditioning the cuticles. Every time I use it, my hands look like they got pampered from a manicure and hand massage! It boasts vitamin B5, soothing almond extract with absorbent fatty acids for a nourishing performance. Penetrating deeply but is non-greasy and non-sticky, it relieves even the most dry and chapped hands. It doesn’t feel sticky — it absorbs quickly and instantly soothes any cracking, roughness, and flaking. It even aids in the healing of irritation associated with the sun and other skin disorders. It is ultra-moisturizing but oil-free and residue-free so you never get a sticky feeling and can use your hands immediately for work, be it on the computer or for paperwork. Yup, it eliminates wait-time for the use of your hands. This is suitable for all skin types. Quick tip: Slather it on before you sleep for an intensely reparative overnight treatment. With its handy size, this is especially perfect for traveling to four-season countries. For the brides who want their hands to be as flawless as their engagement and wedding rings, and photo-ready on the big day, this is also a big must in achieving immaculate hands when you say “I do.”
RISSA
BROWN IS BEAUTIFUL!
HI, REGINA!
I’d really like to wear makeup, but I don’t know where to start or what colors to use. I’m morena, what should I go for?
KRISTA The first and most important thing to take into consideration when doing makeup for morena skin is that you need base that matches your skin tone. The wrong shade will look too obviously light, or make your skin look ashy instead of healthy. Go for concealer, foundation, and powder that are warm in tone (usually with a yellow undertone, which is most natural) and exactly your shade. Try a few, and the one that disappears into your skin is the right one. But just to be sure, get some assistance from the attendant at the counter. Remember that if you don’t need foundation, you can skip it! If you can get away with tinted moisturizer, do it. The less makeup you wear, the better.
I’ve honestly never understood the obsession with whitening when morena skin is so, so gorgeous. You want to enhance
your natural color, so definitely pick up some bronzer! Dust it wherever the sun hits for that fresh-from-Boracay faux glow, and emphasize your bone structure with a warm-toned highlighter (Benefit’s Watt’s Up is champagne-toned and looks fab on everyone). Go for an orange- or peach-toned blush; they’ll look way better than light pinks.
As for lips, deep berry shades of gloss and lipstick will really set off your glow, but if you want to try brights, take your cues from Rihanna, Kim Kardashian, and Beyoncé, and go for a show-stopping fuchsia. If you prefer nudes, always get the ones that look like your lips, but better. One or two shades darker than your natural lip color’s usually your best bet.
If you want to veer away from basic black and brown for your eyes, try creating looks with deep jewel tones, like emerald, sapphire, and amethyst, whether it’s just eyeliner or it’s a sexy smoky eye. (Just remember that the cardinal rule is to play up one feature at a time! Focus on either eyes or lips, never go big on both at the same time.)
WHAT MAKES GOOD MAKEUP?
REGINA DEAR LUCY,
Why do makeup artists sometimes spritz water after they apply powder? Is it just an extra step that is unnecessary?
How do I choose comfortable shoes?
ALTHEA The water that is spritzed on the face is for setting the makeup. If you notice, makeup that is newly applied looks so powdery and cakey. Good makeup should make friends with
the skin, in no way should it float over unnaturally. A facial mist does the job wonderfully and will come on very handy even when doing touch-ups.
In terms of choosing shoes, they should be comfortable from
the onset. Don’t believe the salesperson especially when he/ she says the shoe will stretch. To a certain degree it might, but not enough to magically make it comfortable. What it feels like from the start will be a good gauge of what it will be like over
the next few weeks/months/years. If it hurts, it just might
continue to be so with every step you make.
LUCY
Send e-mail to Lucy Torres-gomez at ltg@pldtdsl.com. E-mail Rissa Trillo at stylesos_rissa@yahoo.com or follow her on Twitter @ Rissamananquil. Send Regina your questions at vivatregina.tumblr@gmail.com or tweet her @vivatregina.