This stretch mark cream cares for moms

DEAR RISSA,

MARGA C.

Congratulations on the birth of your baby! I am a soon-to-be mom myself. I just wanted to ask: Did you get stretch marks after giving birth and what products did you use?

I’ve always made it a habit to moisturize my body religiously, every single day from neck to toes —and yes, even during summer. I believe that well-moisturized skin can better handle stretching (or any further abuse in the future). Moisturize as early as now so you prepare your skin. Having tried so many body lotions already, I realized there are a lot that give a false sense of moisture and are never really absorbed well by the skin. That’s good money sliding off your skin! During my first pregnancy 15 years ago, I used the thickest creams, body butters, cocoa butters, and body oils yet I still got stretch marks —  even if my body was younger and my skin more elastic. 

For this second pregnancy, I used Malin+Goetz Vitamin B5 Body Moisturizer from Adora (located at Greenbelt 5) as my everyday body lotion. But for the stretch mark-prone areas of my body, I used Mothercare Stretch Mark Cream (stores located at Bonifacio High Street, Greenbelt 5, Shangri-La Plaza Mall, TriNoma, Abreeza Mall Davao, SM Masinag). This soft cream is formulated with sweet almond oil and shea butter to effectively moisturize the skin, improve skin elasticity, and minimize stretch marks.  I would diligently massage this on my belly area — front sides and even the back part. After I gave birth, I had no stretch marks at all! I realized that even with older age and skin not as young and supple as before, the right products can make the biggest difference.

One last tip: Don’t forget to massage the Mothercare Stretch Mark Cream on other stretch mark-prone areas, too, like the thighs and breasts. 

RISSA

* * *

THE TRUTH ABOUT FALSIES

HI REGINA!

PATRICIA

My eyelashes are really short, and while lengthening mascara helps, it still doesn’t give me the effect I want. I’m thinking of trying false eyelashes, but I don’t know how to put them on. Any tips?                       

I love falsies, especially since removing waterproof mascara is such a chore! Full lashes are more than enough to define your eye area, no liner or shadow necessary. (And falsies are a great transitional option if you got eyelash extensions and they all finally fell out with a bunch of your natural lashes. You can still look fabulous while waiting for your own eyelashes to grow back.)

Pick up natural-looking ones; the dramatic ones are great for occasions but may look over the top on a regular day. (Beauty Bar carries a brand called Andrea with some selections of practical lengths and thicknesses for P195 a pair, and SM Beauty carries a crazy wide selection of Ardell lashes that are P350 a pair.) Also, falsies with a clear strip, as opposed to a black strip, are more versatile. If you get good enough at putting them on, you can wear them without a black eyeliner base to hide the strip. Make sure to buy clear lash glue (Duo’s a great brand); it’s neater than black glue.

Apply a little glue all along the lash strip, and blow on it to get it tacky. That’s when it’s best to put it on.

When it comes to application techniques, every makeup artist I’ve ever asked has suggested holding the lash strip on both ends and carefully positioning the center first, right on top of your lash line. Once you have that in place, you can position the ends. Keeping your head tilted up (so you’re sort of looking down at your face in the mirror) helps.

You can opt to apply liquid or gel eyeliner along your upper lash line once the glue has dried, right over the base of your false eyelashes, but if you applied them precisely enough, you can skip it.

Lash trip: Ardell Fashion Lashes is the cheap beauty secret of stars like Demi Moore, Rihanna, and Julia Roberts. Liu Jo dress

REGINA

* * *

SILK SHIRTS ARE SEXY

DEAR LUCY

GEORGE

I see a lot of silky, button-front shirts, but I am not quite sure how to wear it. If I wear it untucked, won’t it look like a pajama top?        

Not at all! I am in love with silky, button-front shirts because you can wear it to work, and way beyond! It is flowy and sexy and never makes you look like you tried too hard. First, you have to make sure that the fabric is not too tight in the bust area (it shouldn’t pull), and you can go for solids or prints although I prefer the former. Because it is loose, wear it with a sleek bottom. If for work, opt for a high-waist slim skirt to pair it with (tucked in) and for a night out, choose sleek bottoms (cropped tailored trousers or skinny jeans are foolproof). High heels are a must, of course. They just finish off the look in a very chic way. Use bold accessories to offset the softness of the silk top, like a chunky necklace under the collar, a statement ring, or bold earrings.

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 Belmonte your questions at vivatregina.tumblr@gmail.com or tweet her @vivatregina.

Shirting the issue: Silky, button-front shirts are so versatile you can wear them to work and beyond. Like this one from Neiman Marcus. Liu Jo dress