Looking for a hand lotion with a manly scent?
DEAR RISSA,
My husband has dry hands and moisturizing them with lotion is a must for him. Unfortunately, most hand lotions have very feminine scents. Can you recommend a hand lotion that smells manly or is at least unisex in scent? KAREN
The hands are some of the most abused body parts. Kudos to your hubby for making it a habit to care for his hands! I myself am not crazy about fruity, floral, and feminine scents for lotions. Do check out Penhaligon’s Lavandula Hand & Nail Lotion (exclusively available at Adora, Greenbelt 5, Makati. Contact 09175577402 or visit www.adora.ph). Don’t be misled by the name; it may contain lavender, but the scent is anything but girly. The brand is said to use high-altitude lavender in Lavandula, grown above 1,000 feet, which gives the plant a smoother and purer aroma. The scent features musk, vanilla bean, and amber as base notes and top notes of basil, white cinnamon, and black pepper. To me, the scent is very unisex, maybe a tad bit masculine even. This is perfect for your home because both you and your husband will enjoy using it. Lavender has always been used for its therapeutic powers and its ability to balance emotions and reduce stress. Penhaligon’s Hand & Nail Lotion also contains natural antioxidants sweet almond oil and cocoa seed butter to keep hands soft and protected, as well as grapeseed which helps strengthen nails. I think this will make divine gifts for your favorite couples, men who like to take care of themselves, and powerful women who have everything. RISSA
The perfect gift for your favorite couple, men who like to take care of themselves, and powerful women who have everything: Penhaligon’s Lavandula Hand & Nail Lotion features an entic-ing unisex scent that makes use of high-altitude lavender grown above 1,000 feet, which gives the plant a smoother and purer aroma. Available only at Adora, Greenbelt 5, Makati. * * *
BRING ON THE BLING, BUT TRY NOT TO LOOK LIKE A CHRISTMAS TREE
HI, REGINA!
I keep buying accessories (because they’re so affordable these days!) but don’t really know how to wear them together. Are there any tips, or dos and don’ts? KINA
Oh, I know what you mean! The Forever 21 accessory section is a black hole of money, but everything is just so nice, I can’t help myself either!
If you can pull off piling it all on, by all means, go right ahead. But if you’d like to tone it down, I like to apply a rule I follow when it comes to wearing makeup: Focus on just one feature. (Dramatic eyes or dramatic lips, but never both at the same time.)
How does that work for accessories? It’s simple: Big earrings or a big necklace, but not both at once. (Simple earrings and a simple necklace can look good together, though.)
I’m one of those girls who own five rings for each finger, so I do like to wear at least one on each hand (or two rings on one hand and a stack of bangles on the other), but you can do whatever floats your boat. It’s really the adornments near your face and on your neck that are most immediately noticeable, and I’m sure this has been said in the past by many other women (because it’s just so true!), but you don’t want to look like a Christmas tree.
If you think what you have on looks like too much (and “too much” is not what you’re going for), it probably is. Trust your taste! REGINA
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THE BARE FACTS ABOUT THE FRESH LOOK
DEAR LUCY,
I want the bare-faced look that I see in makeup ads. I take my children to school every day before going to the office and, I do not want to be that mom that looks like she spent way too much time putting on makeup. I just want to look fresh and, I hope, youthful. How do I achieve this easily? JESSICA
I agree with you. Makeup, when applied with a heavy, hand can be aging! To get that fresh look you described, here are some tricks I use:
1. First, incorporate in your skincare regimen AHA and retinol as they encourage cell turnover. Great skin is key so you must target that level of healthy and glowing skin that will allow you to not be heavily reliant on foundation.
2. Mix foundation (preferably one with SPF already built into the formulation) with a moisturizing cream. My favorite combination is Anew Genics Treatment Concentrate mixed with Clinique’s Even Better Liquid Foundation or Anew Genics Treatment Concentrate mixed with Make Up Forever’s Face and Body Liquid Foundation. Work into skin with clean hands. Anew Genics Treatment Concentrate acts as the base and because it has anti-aging technology, your skin actually becomes even nicer after a few weeks! It is a staple in my daily beauty regimen. Remember also that foundation looks most natural when it matches your skin tone perfectly, so be very careful in choosing.
3. Try to do away with concealer unless you really need it — for example, under and around the eye (use your ring finger, and choose a creamy concealer please).
Other things to remember:
Bright is right: For that fresh look, Clinique’s Even Better Liquid Foundation immediately brightens and evens out skin tone with naturally luminous minerals. • Define your eyes, but please smudge the line.
• Sculpt your cheeks, instead of using blush-on.
• Set with loose powder. Blot often with paper. Never retouch without blotting first (otherwise you clog your pores and face powder will look cakey.
• Tint your lips with color for that just-bitten effect. Choose a bright shade, but make it look natural by patting on color carefully, transferring the pigment to your lips. Forgo liner, but if you must use it, again smudge the edges. Keep lip balm at the ready to make lips look luscious.
• Use a bit of shimmery white powder down the bridge of your nose, and pat on the excess right on the cheekbones so skin looks dewy yet not oily. LUCY
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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.
