Nailing it with gel manicure

HI, REGINA!

What are your thoughts on gel manicures? I love getting my nails done, but they always chip so soon so I was thinking that a gel manicure might be better for me. Should I go for it?                 

DANIELLE

Personally, I have too short an attention span to get gel manicures on the regular. If you’re like me and you like to change nail polish colors fairly frequently (I switch at least once a week), then gel manicures might not be for you. I love them for traveling, though, because they really last forever. The thing is, if it’s a very long trip, you’ll see bare nail at the nail bed where your nails start growing out, and if you’re obsessive-compulsive about the way your nails look, again, a gel manicure might not be for you. If that’s not something you’re too iffy about, then gel manicures are perfect.

It’s also probably not advisable to get them too frequently, because the removal process can be very hard on your nails. To take gel lacquer off, they have to soak it in remover for quite some time, and then file and/or scrape it away.

If your problem is merely that you tend to use your hands a lot and as a result, your polish chips easily, then it might serve you better to purchase a harder topcoat instead. (I know Sally Hansen makes a few.) It’s ultimately easier to remove regular polish and repaint when yours has chipped (or you can go to the nail salon and instead of getting a full-on manicure, just get a polish change, which is cheaper) than it is to get a gel manicure and then have it removed. These things, in my opinion, are great, but are really just for special occasions.

REGINA

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MASSAGING SAGGING SKIN

DEAR RISSA,

Why do some face and eye products come with metal rollerballs? Are they really useful?                          

RAQUEL

Face products with rollerballs have long been a big beauty trend in Japan. The balls on roller are said to stimulate your facial skin and muscles to combat sagging skin and wrinkles. It’s such a big hit in Japan that they sell even tiny ultra-portable versions of the face massager with rollerballs — smaller than a razor! Japanese women keep it at home or carry one in their handbags for an instant “face lift” anytime.

I once interviewed international makeup artist Claire Allanson who has created looks for runway shows at Fashion Week. One of the makeup secrets she shared during our interview is to “take the time to actually massage the skin.” She explained that if you do this on a daily basis, it actually strengthens the muscles on your skin, it won’t sag as much later on. “Whenever I do a model’s makeup for a shoot or backstage, we always massage the skin for around 10 minutes because it makes so much difference,” she reveals. “If you get the skin looking amazing before you put makeup on, you don’t have to put much makeup on or it makes the time much quicker because the skin is already looking great.” 

I like right now The Body Shop’s Drops of Youth Eye Concentrate. This eye product has a built-in rollerball so you can massage the eye product onto your skin. Even if you’re clueless as to how to massage the eye area, this product comes with a cheat sheet of sorts on the box. It explains how to use the product and properly massage the eye area so that firmer younger-looking eyes are just a few massages away!                        

RISSA

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FACE LIFT WITHOUT SURGERY

DEAR LUCY,

I am nearing 50 and my face, I feel and see, is really beginning to sag.  A surgical face lift is not an option for me. My husband would never allow it.  But I would feel better if there was something I could still do outside of surgery, one that actually works. Can I do Thermage?  A girlfriend suggested that.       

PINTY

Although Thermage is a wonderful non-invasive treatment that can tighten skin, please visit the Belo Medical Group and ask about the Ulthera. It is a device that makes use of focused ultrasound that works to not only tighten and lift but also to contour the face. What is nice about this is that it acts on the deep dermal layer to stimulate the production of new collagen. The doctor that will do it makes use of the Deep-See technology, allowing her the simultaneous visualization of the layers of the skin that are being treated. Be sure to ask about downtime (there will be some tenderness post-treatment, some redness and warmth as well, and a feeling of tightness. The results are practically immediate, as you will notice tightening and lifting as the months go by. How long will the effects last? It is better that your skin is assessed professionally so that the whole procedure and expected results can be explained to you and a treatment plan presented for your specific needs.

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.