High-wattage highlighter

Dear Rissa,

I’m confused as to how to choose a highlighting powder. Also, can you share tricks on how to do shimmer right?

Nina D.

Highlighting powders add instant radiance to a woman’s face. When it comes to choosing a good shade, make sure the highlighter you’re using looks as if it melts into your skin. Fair to medium skin looks most radiant and healthy in pale roses and golds, while bronze tones suit brown skin. Test the shimmer first on your hand — it should have a soft, even gleam, not chunks of glitter you might use for arts and crafts. You want it to look subtle yet glamorous.

Shimmer also comes in different formulas. Creams work best on normal to dry complexions because they make the skin look dewy. For a high wattage factor, go for powder form.

For an ethereal look, dust shimmer powder lightly over the entire face. I repeat — lightly! An extra from some sci-fi movie is the last thing you want to look like! For a softer, radiant effect, dust it where the light hits your face — the top of the cheeks, forehead, the tip of the chin and nose. Try a little highlighter under the arches of your brows. This little trick can make your eyes pop, but avoid using a shade that’s too white. You can also instantly create poutier lips by dabbing a bit of shimmer on the center of your bottom lip. Whenever we have fashion shows, we make sure to dust highlighting powder on the collarbones and on the shoulders to add extra radiance.

Right now I’m trying Lancome’s La Rose Liberté Illuminating Smooth Powder Goldenescent Glow (available at the Lancome boutique in Greenbelt 5, Makati, and all Rustan’s Department Stores). It’s so versatile! It can be used over foundation or bare skin. It can also be worn on its own or layered over other colors for added highlight and dimension. The blend of iridescent white and golden beige makes it a great highlighter for every skin tone. Use it on the face and body. But my favorite finishing touch? A pale, shimmery shadow on the inner corners of the eye. Use a small brush and highlight a V-shaped section on the inner corners and blend. This instantly opens the eyes and makes them look awake.  It’s a quick beauty fix to make you look well rested.

Rissa

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Ball Gown Alternative: The Tux

Dear Tingting,

I want to wear a tuxedo to a ball since I think it’s an innovative idea. Could you please tell me more about it?

Tux Girl

Here’s some info on the tux from the book The One Hundred by Nina Garcia:

The tuxedo jacket is often referred to as “le smoking,” because of the original English term “smoking suit,” referring to a suit intended for indoor use.

The tuxedo jacket was strictly men’s property until 1966, when Yves Saint Laurent turned out a spring/summer collection that invited women into “le smoking” world. In a revolutionary style instant, Saint Laurent sent his models down the runway in tuxedo jackets, turning the fashion world on its head. Overnight, he redefined the female silhouette and offered women a daring alternative to the little black dress. Countless style icons became instant and adoring fans: Catherine Deneuve, Betty Catroux, Francoise Hardy, Liza Minnelli, Loulou de la Falaise, Lauren Bacall, and Bianca Jagger.

YSL’s tuxedo jacket made androgyny chic and elegant. It gave women a sense of power and changed the way they saw themselves. As Catherine Deneuve once said, “It really does make you feel different as a woman; it changes gestures.”

It should not fit like a man’s tuxedo jacket, but rather should be slender and fit perfectly.

Try double-breasted if you are tall.

Put a flower brooch on the lapel.

If you are feeling daring, don’t wear anything underneath.

Tingting

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Foundation that makes you flawless, not flat

Dear Lucy,

How come when I put on foundation and blush, my face looks flawless but flat? Especially in photos, I don’t like how I look; it seems like my face is wider than it actually is. But whenever I have my makeup professionally done, my face does not look flat at all — there are shadows in all the right places but it all looks natural. What am I doing wrong?

Could you also suggest a moisturizer that will not make my skin break out? I have tried all the very expensive ones that most others swear by but they only work for me when I am abroad. For our climate I think I need a lighter formulation that will still do the job.

Leina

You just said it — shadows. And light. When you cover your face with foundation, yes, you will get a flawless canvas, but that canvas can also look flat, especially if you use a formulation with good coverage. What’s a girl to do? Get Make Up For Ever’s sculpting kit. It features a duo of complementary powders, light and dark, that contours and sculpts the face structure in a natural, flattering way. There are four combination shades available: #1 light pink, #2 neutral (this is the shade I use), #3 gold, and #4 dark. The powder is micronized and is very easy to apply. Use their 25-S brush to apply the dark shade on the hollows of the cheeks, temples and jaw line and the 18-S brush for the nose line. The light shade you should use on the prominent areas of the face. Blend well to get a natural finish. This is indispensable; every makeup kit must have this.  

When I travel I even use it to multitask as eye shadow. I use the light shade on the entire eye area and then the darker shade on the crease. Make Up For Ever is available at Level 3, Shangri-La Plaza mall, B8 Bonifacio High Street, ND on JP Laurel Avenue, and Bajada, Davao City.

As for the moisturizer perfect for your needs try Chanel’s Hydramax Active Serum. It provides a non-greasy surge of moisture for the face that feels light. The best thing about it is that it is not so rich that it will clog your pores and make you break out. The magical thing about it is that because of its patented technology, it can help maintain an optimal level of moisture from the deepest layers of the epidermis all the way to the surface. You can use this fresh, light gel serum day and night.

Lucy

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