Lipstick tricks

Dear Rissa,

I’ve been attending a lot of Christmas parties and sometimes, my lipstick stains my teeth. It’s embarrassing especially when I’m talking to someone and they politely point it out. I didn’t even know that I had lipstick on my teeth! How do I prevent this from happening? Hope you can share some tips or tricks. I don’t want this to happen again at the upcoming New Year parties I’ll be attending.

— Michelle

Lipstick seems to be everywhere – on your coffee mug, on your white shirt, on your teeth – but not on your lips. Before you pout that mouth, read my lips for some tips on how to make that lipstick last longer.

• Before putting on your lipstick, start with a base of either powder or sheer foundation. This gives lipstick something to adhere to.

• To make the color last longer, apply your lipstick and then blot with a tissue or a sheer dusting of loose powder. Then reapply your lipstick.

• If you’re working with lip pencils, choose a lip pencil in a shade that matches your own lip color and fill the entire lips by blending in from the edges. Since pencils are drier, they last longer than anything you put on top of them. If you only outline the lips, within an hour or so, all you’ll have left is the line.

• For more intense color, add another thin coat of lipstick and blot with a tissue again.

Here’s a simple trick models use to keep lipstick off their teeth. It sounds funny, but it really works. After applying your lipstick, stick your index finger in your mouth. Pucker up and close your lips around your finger and pull your finger out. This should remove any excess lipstick that would rub off your teeth.

— Rissa

* * * RX For Bad Breath

Dear Lucy,

I enjoy reading Philippine STAR online. I am now in the United Arab Emirates. I have this bad breath problem. I already tried different kinds of mouthwash but to no avail. I have my teeth cleaned every six months but still, my breath smells awful. My dentist prescribed a toothpaste for my gingivitis but still, my gums are bleeding. Please help me find a medicine which will cure my gingivitis and bad breath. I am ashamed to talk in front of my friends because of this problem.

— Loviey

Have your gingivitis treated by a dentist, follow his prescription religiously, and to complement that, use a product twice or thrice daily to combat bad breath. I highly recommend Ora Care. I think it is one of, if not the best, products on the market today. Other mouthwashes rely on added mint flavors to camouflage bad breath, but Ora Care, which is sugar-free and alcohol-free, breaks down the odor-causing sulfur compounds in the mouth. Try Ora Care, you will be a convert in no time at all.

— Lucy

* * * From Dark To Light Underarms

Dear Tingting,

I’m 30 years old and married. My problem is my dark underarms. I have tried several types of cream to whiten them, but there’s been no improvement or I don’t see any changes. Is there something I can apply to whiten my underarms?

— Jen

Dark underarms can be due to a lot of things: friction from wearing too tight clothes, excessive sweating, infection, shaving, dead skin buildup, chemicals or the strong fragrance in deodorants.

There’s a popular home remedy, which I’m sure you already know: Rub lemon (or calamansi) slices on your armpits. Or try any of these: Use alum powder instead of deodorant. After a shower, r ub some baking soda. Apply vitamin E oil on armpits. Wash with coconut oil. Use anti-fungal powder instead of an anti-perspirant. Wear cotton clothes. Instead of shaving, wax your armpits.

— Tingting

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Send e-mail to tingtingcojuangco@yahoo.com, ltg@pldtdsl.com, and rissa_samson@yahoo.com.