We know beauty: Gela Laurel talks about facial skincare and SM

MANILA, Philippines - As one of the country’s top makeup artists, Gela Laurel knows that good skin is the perfect canvas for her work. Flawless looks, after all, begin with flawless skin.

“It’s important to take good care of your client,” she says. “And one way to do it is to teach them to follow the right skin care regimen before and after wearing makeup.” She adds that hearing her clients thank her for making them beautiful is the most rewarding part of her profession.

In her nine years in the business, SM Beauty has been her floor of skincare essentials, her one stop haven for “skin care vitamin.”

Gela, who says that she knew she wanted to become a professional makeup artist when she was young, studied makeup artistry at the Trained at Empire Academy of Makeup in California. Here she took up Basic Makeup Artistry; Expert Artistry and Corrective Makeup; and Airbrush Makeup.

In Manila, she is a freelance artist with  her home base at the makeup studio of House of Laurel. She’s got a happy personality that shows in all of her great work, whether for print, TV or bridal, which is one of her specialties.

Here, she shares with us her three steps to perfect-looking skin and her favorite picks from SM Beauty.

• Cleanse. “It’s very important to cleanse your skin properly every day and night,” says Gela. “I prefer to use non-foaming cleansers for normal to combination skin in milk form like the Gentle Cleansing Milk from Le Couhvent des Minimes. It’s a cleanser and makeup remover in one. It also does not have any mineral oil component that may block the pores.”

“For those with problematic skin, Sebamed products have great range of cleansers for you. For those who are concerned with whitening, try Biokos Brightening Cleansers.”

• Tone. “I love that in this day and age, technology plays such a great role in simplifying our needs. The Biokos Brightening Line carries an Intensive Brightening Toner that cleanses and brightens at the same time. For oilier skin types, try Sebamed Deep Cleansing Facial Toners.”

• Moisturize. “I like combining serums with thicker moisturizers because it penetrates the skin more. It’s Skin has a serum line from Korea that is wonderful for all concerns.”

Botu Like also has the Anti-Wrinkle Intensive Correcting Serum for day and Anti-Wrinkle Overnight Treatment is great for those who are concerned with aging.

Gela also suggests using foaming cleansers for combination skin and oily skin to balance out the moisture.

“Women should be makeup savvy,” advises Gela. “Start using fresh cosmetics, know the shelf life of products to avoid breakouts, and for those with sensitive skin, try products by testing these products before applying to one’s face.”

Worth the splurge

“Invest in a good skincare line like It’s Skin. Likewise, always use sunblock. Though some products are already infused with SPF, it’s still important to apply it separately when going outdoors.”

Beauty secrets

 â€œSome things our face will always need: vitamin C, collagen, vitamin E, fruit acids, vitamin A and SPF. Your skin needs protection from the harmful rays of the sun.”

Beauty basics

 â€œDon’t miss your daytime and nighttime skincare routine. Daytime: cleanse, tone, moisturize, apply sunblock or BB cream. Nightime: Remove makeup with makeup remover, cleanse, tone, moisturize alternately with serum or night cream.”