Dear Ms. Tingting,
My aunt who is a thin and gorgeous 54-year-old still wears mini-skirts and I think she looks okay. But her children say she should stop wearing minis at her age. Can you give some do’s and don’ts on dressing for women in their 50s and 60s?
Lyn
Never wear above-the-knee skirts at 50 and 60. Always wear below-the-knee skirts. But let me tell you remedies for women whose loose skin is dripping down the knee.
Knees have become the new signifier of age. Just when you thought you had all the sagging and bagging under control … look down! They there are — chubby or wrinkly — belying all the hard work you’ve done on the rest of yourself.
What really makes a great knee? It’s being lean without being bony, perfectly taut and tan, perhaps a hint of underlying muscles. It’s sort of like elbows. Does anyone expect a person to have gorgeous, swoon-worthy elbows?
For chubby knees, the best treatment is liposuction in conjunction with more extensive liposuction of the leg. Lipo is very effective for the inner knee, where most women have that bulge. It’s also effective for the front of the thigh, which includes the knee area.
A laser currently used to treat baggy knees (by rebuilding collagen and tightening skin) goes under the brand name Cool Lipo. Thermage, which uses radio frequency, is another device designed to firm skin.
The best bet for wrinkle removal is the simple, direct, albeit brutal approach of cutting out skin. Less common is the knee-lift alone, where skin is excised just around the knee area. But where do you hide the scars? I don’t think any woman ever lost a date because some guy said, “She’s wonderful, but, my God, those knees.”
Tingting
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Just Pore You: Extra Virgin Minerals Foundation
Dear Rissa,
Can you recommend a good face foundation that is non-comedogenic and suitable for ultra sensitive and oily skin?
Kate (@funfanfab via Twitter)
One of the foundations I’ve recently tried is The Body Shop’s Extra Virgin Minerals Foundation. This line features its award-winning 100-percent Community Fair Trade, pure Italian cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil combined with ultra-fine mineral pigments, which make the foundation incredibly easy to blend. This newest line is suited even for sensitive and blemished skin. It is non-irritating, fragrance-free, paraben-free (parabens are the most widely used preservatives in personal care products which have been linked to breast cancer), and is non-comedogenic (meaning it won’t block pores and lets skin breathe). Another reason why it’s great for ultra-sensitive skin: Mineral makeup is actually good for your complexion because it provides SPF. Sensitive skin tends to burn easily and the built-in SPF of this mineral makeup line helps protect the natural beauty of your skin.
The Body Shop’s Extra Virgin Minerals Foundation comes in three formats: a cream compact foundation, a liquid foundation, and loose powder foundation. The Extra Virgin Minerals Cream Compact Foundation SPF 15 (P1,695) is convenient to use because of its built-in brush and mirror. Don’t be scared if it seems greasy at first. It actually transforms to a lightweight matte finish. Packaged in a sleek hygienic glass pump bottle, the Extra Virgin Minerals Liquid Foundation SPF 30 (P1,395) glides onto the skin perfectly. I actually like this more than the cream foundation because to me, it provides more buildable coverage.
The Extra Virgin Minerals Loose Powder Foundation SPF 25 (P1,495) is my absolute favorite among the three. Truthfully, I was never a fan of mineral makeup. Others I’ve tried give off an unflattering sheen and shine, magnify pores and creases, and give off a yucky metal smell. But this made me change my mind. If there’s any makeup that can make your skin really look like skin while providing ample coverage, this would be it. When I tried it, I asked my fiance if he could tell I was wearing makeup and it took him so long to answer. He even had to inspect up close before saying yes. To further test it, I took photos of myself with my camera — both with flash and without flash. Even if you zoom in, it simply looks like real skin! It was able to provide good coverage on imperfections, redness, blemishes, and even the spider veins on my cheeks. No metal smell. No unsightly shine (which makes it perfect for oily skin). No cracks and creases even when you smile. And no fake powdery trace of makeup up close or in photos. Pores are minimized and the powder is so finely milled that it sits so smoothly on skin with a barely-there feel. The Body Shop’s Extra Virgin Minerals Loose Powder Foundation really delivers what it promises: immaculate and flawless skin.
Rissa
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Wanted: Long-Wearing Makeup
Dear Lucy,
I have dusky skin and as such, I play it up a lot by wearing makeup in neutral shades. I have a very dynamic job as an executive in a real estate firm, one that takes me from office to field and back. I need makeup that lasts long, I am vain, but I cannot be bothered by having to retouch every hour or so. What brand can you suggest? And maybe new colors that I can check out, too? What is the best curlash that I can get? Is there anything better than Shu Uemura?
Raven
MAC recently came up with a Pro Longwear line that, as the name suggests, promises to stay on fresh for hours. It’s got creamy eye shadows, a lip gloss that boasts shine all throughout six hours of wear, a lip pencil that will not tug at your skin, skipping and pulling here and there, foundation and concealers, too. If lipstick is more your thing, they also have lip crèmes.
From this line, I suggest these nudes and pinks (although you may want to explore corals and oranges, and frosts because these will look stunning on your skin tone): Infinitely Likeable Lipglass, a light pink that is gorgeous especially when you carefully curl your lashes and line your eyes softly with brown liner, enhancing them and making them look natural still even if you played them up a bit. Staunchly Stylish is a pink beige lipliner, while Sweet Satisfaction is a neutral beige that will open up the eyes when you dab it on the area right under the crease.
MAC’s Pro Longwear concealer comes in a variety of shades so there is a perfect one for every girl. If you get a concealer, I always suggest that you also get a concealer brush — the flat brush with the slightly pointed tip will make for a precise application, which is necessary when using concealers because you really would not want to use more than absolutely necessary.
Finally, whenever you use foundation, loose powder and an oil blotter are key to making you look fresh all day. A common mistake is when you keep on applying powder to take out the shine as you will only succeed in trapping oil and dirt. All you really have to do is blot and then apply a soft dusting of powder.
Personally, it is Shu Uemura that really works for me. I do not have to try so hard and I do not lose lashes along the way. It really cannot get easier than Shu Uemura curlash for me. I am loyal to it, in the same way that I am loyal to Maybelline’s Great Lash. I am beginning to love very much though Maybelline’s Volum’ Express Cat Eyes Mascara. It makes lashes look fabulous!
Lucy
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Send e-mail to tingtingcojuangco@yahoo.com and ltg@pldtdsl.com. E-mail Rissa Mananquil at stylesos_rissa@yahoo.com or follow her on Twitter @RissaMananquil.