Yellow teeth make you look older
DEAR RISSA,
I’m conscious about my teeth because they seem yellowish. I’d love to have whiter teeth like the artistas. They look so young and fresh! I can’t afford professional teeth whitening services at the dental clinics. Is there an easy way to obtain the illusion of whiter teeth?
ROWENA
Yellow teeth stains not only make your smile appear dull and dingy, they also make you look older than you actually are! Fact is, a great smile can instantly make you look younger. With just good habits and a few beauty tricks, it’s so easy to achieve a whiter celebrity smile.
Lipstick is actually a magic wand that can make your yellow teeth disappear. Just like the color black can make you look slimmer and white can make you look bigger, the lip color you choose can also make a difference. Go for true reds and berry shades. Choose lipsticks and glosses with blue undertones as these are the shades that will make your teeth look whiter. That’s because the blue tones counteract with yellow in enamel, making your smile appear instantly whiter. My personal favorites are MAC Russian Red (a timeless red lipstick) and Chanel Rouge Coco in the shade Gabrielle No. 19 (a glamorous red — sexy and elegant at the same time). I carry these two lipsticks in my makeup kit all the time.
In the supermarket, you can easily buy a tube of Close Up White Now. This toothpaste leaves your teeth with a coat of blue film, giving you a whiter smile. I’ve tried it and its optical effects do give whiter teeth in an instant right after you brush. I always have this in my toiletry kit because I love how it easily gives me whiter teeth in just one brush!
To prevent yellowing and teeth stains in the long run, it’s best to stay away from coffee, soda, tea, and red wine, which are the biggest culprits to teeth discoloration. If you can’t give these up, make it a habit to rinse with water or brush your teeth after eating and drinking teeth-staining culprits like these. Remember, good habits give good results.
RISSA
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Lucy’s off-the-rack fashion
DEAR LUCY,
Where do you buy your dresses, who makes your Filipiniana gowns, and what are your favorite jeans?
MARIVIC
I buy off-the-rack, some I have custom-made. For brands I’ve already tried and loved, I can order online because I am already familiar with their sizing. I normally wear a US 4 but go up a size for European brands because their cuts are almost always slimmer. Luckily for us, so many of the good brands are already available here in Manila. One that just opened at Bonifacio High Street Central is Karen Millen, an English brand. They have good fabric and sharp tailoring. On the hanger, a Karen Millen dress can look deceptively simple, but once worn, it hugs the curves in a very flattering way, in addition to holding you in. I think the latter is what makes this brand well-loved. Even their shirts and cardigans are special. For custom-made, there are Noel Crisostomo and Roland Alzate, Ivar Aseron and Joey Samson. Their works are very neat.
For Filipiniana, I like Randy Ortiz because his style is very feminine and mabango, and the embroidery is just wonderful — the skill of his burdaderos and burdaderas is testament to Filipino talent and heritage. It is a celebration of talent in so many levels.
For jeans, I still like 7forallMankind, AG, and I recently replenished my American Eagle stash. They make the most comfortable jeans, even if they are cut slim. My favorite is the Artist cut. I live in them daily. LUCY
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The skinny on exfoliating
HI, REGINA!
I heard it’s good to exfoliate, but I have really sensitive skin. Should I still try those scrubs with exfoliating beads anyway? IZAH
Exfoliating helps slough off dead skin cells, which can make your skin look dull and can even contribute to acne (if it builds up on your skin and traps the sebum), so yes, it’s definitely a good thing. Regular exfoliating helps boost skin turnover, which, if you’re trying to fade leftover dark spots from previous blemishes, is awesome. However, using an abrasive scrub to exfoliate sensitive skin can do more harm than good. (While they can be good for other skin types, you don’t want to take the risk with yours.)
If you have dead skin or flaky areas that are really bothering you, though, why not try a non-abrasive exfoliant? Gentle ones, like water-based Cure (which you can get at Beauty Bar), help remove dirt and dead skin cells when massaged gently onto your skin; Perricone MD’s Blue Plasma (available at Rustan’s) doesn’t even need to be washed off; it leaves your face looking smoother and more radiant in a matter of days.
But, do a spot test (somewhere near your jaw is safe) before slathering any skincare products all over your face, just to make sure you don’t have a bad reaction. REGINA
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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.
