People who say Christmas isn’t about the gifts don’t know what they’re talking about. Not that we’re condoning materialism or greedy gift-hoggers who equate price tags with thoughtfulness. (At
YStyle, we really do believe it’s the thought – and not the budget – that counts).
Christmas is all about showing your loved ones (and Christ) how much you care by gifting them with things that make them happy.
Of course, happiness doesn’t always mean a Goyard tote. It could be anything really – the CD your sibling’s been dying to purchase, a hardbound copy of some war novel to replace your dad’s dog-eared paperback version, that flash drive your colleague always seems to lose, or a whole day with your mom doing the beauty rounds (you can treat her to a facial or haircut by an expert – not you, cheapskate).
YStyle’s made the rounds – to make that shopping list easier to fill – and found some great stocking-stuffers that range from cheap to out-of-your-league. If you feel like splurging on a special someone, then good for you! (Feel free to send us some love over here, too). But if budget-friendly gifts are on your mind, then we’ve got that too.
No matter the gift, know that what really matters are the people who love you. And if they want to give you that Goyard bag you’ve been drooling over, then so much the better.
Send me your Christmas greetings over at oohbea@gmail.com. Havaianas is helping
YStyle make Christmas better by giving away three pairs of their flip-flops to our readers. Now you, too, can be part of the cult. Enjoy the buttery-soft rubber soles and vibrant patterns of this Brazilian export. Soon you’ll be tattooing Havaianatico on your forehead once you slip into these babies.
E-mail
ystylecrew@yahoo.com with the subject head "Havaianas hoedown", include your full name and contact information and tell us why you deserve it.
What’s that old adage? Dress like a winner and people will treat you like one? OK that’s not really an adage, I just made that up right now but you get my point. It’s like Anderson Cooper’s mom, the famous Gloria Vanderbilt, would tell him before job interviews, "Wear blue – it’s the color of confidence."
Clothes don’t make the man, but they do add a spring to his step. Take note of all the dapper gentlemen who never failed to make women swoon: almost all of them knew how to wear the clothes (and not the other way around).
YStyle recently celebrated its third year helping people dress better. This commemorative T-shirt, designed by the savvy kids over at Team Manila, makes our point. It’s three years down the road and we’re just a little bit smarter, better-looking and better dressed. (And, yes, even our skin has cleared up a bit. Maybe adolescence is over. Here’s keeping our fingers crossed.)
We’d like to celebrate this little birthday with you, our wonderful readers, by gifting you guys with 10 shirts available in small, super small and large. E-mail us and tell us how you’ve grown this year – and hopefully with no thanks to the
noche buena feast you’ll be snarfing in a few days – with the subject head "Tee partay" and include your contact details. There’s no better way to celebrate the holidays than in this cool black (it’s slimming!) tee with friends and family ogling your choice fashion goods.
Thanks to accessories designer Happy David now you can bring
YStyle wherever you go. And keep it close to your heart. Happy designed a series of exclusive brooches, featuring some of our latest covers. Stick them on your bag or shirt and you’ll instantly be the belle of the ball. The king of the world. The queen of the castle. Well, you get our point. With this cute thing on your side, you’ll have the world at your feet. Well not quite, but at least you’ll look really cute. At the end of the day, isn’t that all that matters?
Happy made three brooches, all of which are up for grabs. E-mail us at
ystylecrew@yahoo.com with the subject line "Pin head" and tell us why you want it.
Rock the tanned look this Christmas with this bronzing range from German label, Art Deco. The affordable brand’s mantra – that looking good shouldn’t have to cost an arm and a leg – is a particular boon to shoppers and beauty booty-lovers alike. There’s nothing like purchasing a little something for a good friend and yourself to perk up the Christmas spirit. In this case that purchase includes a bronzer in compact, Golden Glow shimmer gel and powder brush. The two-color compact comes in five shades to choose from and is suitable for any skin type. It includes a UV filter (SPF 12) and has micro fine components and special pigments for an even, silky finish.
The powder brush is a nifty tool that has all the golden particles inside. A little twist of the brush releases it and a good brush on the cheekbones or collarbone adds a little sparkle that’ll surely make the season brighter.
Available at Rustan’s Essenses, SM Department Stores andRobinsons Place Ermita.
| L’Oreal Pure Zone moisturizer |
Listen, not all complexions are created equal. Mine always looks like it’s straddling the desert and an oil field – talk about an extreme T-Zone. This amazing moisturizer is just the trick for people who still need to moisturize (and, honey, we all do) but don’t want to clog pores with a greasy cream. The solution comes in a little white and blue bottle. The new deep control anti-imperfection moisturizer prevents uneven skin tone, excess oil and skin imperfections. And, yes, it still moisturizes your skin. I’ve been using it for the past year consistently and it’s really made a difference. I no longer look like I crawled out of an oil well. And that, folks, is a great thing.
Available at SM Department Store, Watsons, PCX, Shopwise, Robinsons Department Store, Metro Gaisano Department Store and selected Mercury drug stores.
Store your beauty booty in this gorgeous makeup box. With its black finish and minimalist design, the new Shu makeup kit will make all your friends drool with envy. Roomy enough for all your essentials but not so large it makes an unwieldy travel kit, this makeup companion is practical and pretty. Removable trays makes it easy to stack blushes and brushes with eyeshadow cases. A discreet logo stamp at the bottom front makes this even more of a catch.
Available at Rustan’s Makati and Rustan’s Shangri-La Tower.
There are some blushes that leave you looking like a tranny’s love child. Some are so dull they hardly deserve the title. L’Oreal’s Blush Delish adds a vibrant glow that doesn’t look at all faux. It comes on transparent for a more natural effect (solidifying the notion that you’re actually rosy-cheeked) and has a fresh finish.
Shades come in pink grapefruit, fresh papaya, iced cinnamon, rosy cheeks, true rose, sandalwood veil, rosewood, pink marshmallow and sugar praline.
Available at SM Department Store, Watsons, PCX, Shopwise, Robinsons Department Store, Metro Gaisano Department Store and selected Mercury drug stores.
| It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas |
Want it? It’s yours! The Christmas elves at
YStyle have been working overtime to get you all this for free. Thanks to our super persuasive skills and the generosity of all the brands featured here (like Oprah, we didn’t bother including the brands that didn’t want to give our fab readers a chance at prize-winning glory and freebies), you guys get to go home with any of the products above. We’re giving away three of each, so get your pencils, err, keypads ready and start messaging!
Tell us if you’ve been naughty or nice and we just might give you a prize. Write to us at
ystylecrew@yahoo.com with the subject head, "Sexy Santa, gimme the _______!" and just fill in the blank with whichever product you like. (Example: Sexy Santa, gimme the Shu Uemura Makeup kit!) One entry per person only. Hurry! The first to send his/her entry wins! Don’t forget to include your full name and contact information. Merry Christmas, everyone!
| Guerlain Insolence gift set |
Gift sets take all the guessing out of gift-giving. For some people, that’s a good thing. For others, that’s a great thing. No one wants socks for Christmas. Or mugs. That counts for birthdays too.
From the people that brought you Shalimar and Kiss Kiss, the Guerlain gift set includes the perfume Insolence, endorsed by Hilary Swank, which smells of violets and berries and iris, and shimmering body milk. The perfume’s gorgeous bottle, a model of fluidity and balance, is a gift in itself, but the scent is equally pretty. A sweet top note with musky bottom notes, the scent has a clean finish and charming personality. A great gift for any girl, this gift set will make some person’s Christmas a very merry and nice-smelling one.
Available at Rustan’s Makati, Rustan’s Shangri-La Tower and Marionnaud at Mall of Asia.
| Kerastase Reflection range |
Your hair takes a beating each time you submit it to your color-changing whims. To win back your hair’s former shine, Kerastase created a range specifically for color-treated hair. The shampoo allows hair to regain former shine and vibrancy while the conditioner’s radiance-enhancing treatment milk makes hair richer and, well, more radiant.
Available at First Aid at Greenbelt 3, Bench Fix and other salons.
| Shiseido Silky Eye Shadow Quad |
This limited-edition eyeshadow compact captures the festive shades of the season. Mysterious star struck blue, luxurious gold, deep brown with gold pearlescence and intense twilight purple round out the quad. Highly lustrous, the eyeshadows add shimmer and color to any face. Layer for depth or use a single shade for a high-impact look.
Shiseido is available at most department stores with freestanding boutiques in Glorietta, Power Plant, Podium and Robinsons Galleria.
You’ll no longer have to worry when zits catch you by surprise. This latest conclear matches skin texture – so it doesn’t look like your spackling on clay to cover up an embarrassing skin disorder. Its opti-blend formula creates a texture that easily covers up patches while opti-match technology creates four skin-true shades to meet your skin color. A brush applicator makes the process of application more hygienic so you won’t have to rub the product on your face with your germ-filled hands.
Available at SM Department Store, Watsons, PCX, Shopwise, Robinsons Department Store, Metro Gaisano Department Store and selected Mercury drug stores.
Cosmetics aficionados will tell you that Meteorites is an all-around champion. Packaged in a beautiful Marie Antoinette-inspired box or compact, Meteorites consists of several shades ranging from a rich brown and maroon to a pale pink and cream. Mixing the shades with a brush combines to create a translucent finish that instantly brightens and evens out skin one. Thanks to its multi-color formula, Meteorites works as a luminizer, color corrector and powder, creating highlights and a natural depth. No one will call you
espasol after you’ve tried on this winner. The pretty package makes it a great gift that doesn’t require wrapping. Genius.
Available at Rustan’s Makati, Rustan’s Shangri-La Tower and Marionnaud at Mall of Asia.
| Kerastase Nutritive Gluco-Active |
If you’re lucky to be blessed with naturally silky hair, then good for you. But if you don’t maintain your luscious locks, they’ll slowly break down into the same haggard, split-ended mess your colleague is sporting thanks to regular exposure to the sun and pollution. Salt water doesn’t help either.
Maintain your tresses with the Nutritive Gluco-Active. The light nutrition shampoo nourishes hair and leaves it shiny and supple while the conditioner selectively treats damaged areas of hair.
Available at First Aid at Greenbelt 3, Bench Fix and other salons.
Not many people know about the fabulous secret of some Shiseido boutiques. Some offer facial massages that’ll leave your skin looking young and dewy. A great gift for moms or harassed friends, this treatment pampers your loved ones and gives them the much-needed break they’ve been craving.
Japanese-trained facialists offer soothing treatments for the skin. The process begins with a computer that scans your skin to check for its type; then the facialist selects the kind of treatment, using Shiseido’s high-end skincare range, to match your skin’s needs. After an hour or so, you’ll emerge refreshed and revived. Treatments are by appointment only.
For more information, call 752-7307/898-1606.
| Shu Uemura Shimmer Brocade false eyelashes set |
These faux lashes are better then fireworks. The brand’s signature lashes just got a bit kinkier with a little bit of tinsel thrown in. For their 2006 Grand Opera Christmas Collection, Shu Uemura wanted to razzle and dazzle the crowd with these showstopper lashes. Gold and silver threads are woven into the black lashes for a Christmas-y – but not scary – effect. They come in a set for your upper and lower lashes. Flutter them and the gifts will follow.
Available at Rustan’s Makati and Rustan’s Shangri-La Tower.
| Shiseido White Lucent Brightening Moisturizing Cream |
Dry skin, meet your match. Shiseido’s cream works on skin overnight to treat dry, dull skin with nourishing moisture and a lasting infusion of brightening ingredients. A capsule emulsification technology allows the skin to absorb the formula’s effective ingredients immediately. It leaves skin satin-smooth with no trace of stickiness.
Shiseido is available at most department stores with freestanding boutiques in Glorietta, Power Plant, Podium and Robinsons Galleria. | Shu Uemura Rich Velvet Eyeshadow Palette |
Call it a good year when you figure out what color eyeshadow doesn’t make you look like a prostitute. The Rich Velvet Eyeshadow Palette has all the shades for the holidays which keep your look up-to-date. These new limited-edition shades come in a sleek new metallic palette that easily fits into your palm, while a double sponge-tip applicator makes application much easier. The best part? All the colors are infinitely wearable. And they’ll last you till way past the holidays.
Available at Rustan’s Makati and Rustan’s Shangri-La Tower. | Kerastase Oleo Relax range |
Remember the film Hideous Kinky? It was a movie starring Kate Winslet. Anyway, a curly-haired girl I knew garnered the nickname when her untamed frizzy locks would get in the way of people’s view. (Kids can be cruel, I know.) Her life would’ve been much easier if she’d known about the Kerastase Oleo Relax range. The smoothing shampoo soothes dry and rebellious hair, while the mask adds suppleness to the hair, making it silkier and smoother.
The lesson of the story? If it takes you – or your younger sibling – hours to detangle your hair, then it’s time to gift yourself with something magical.
Available at First Aid at Greenbelt 3, Bench Fix and other salons. A Nothing’s more luxurious than the finest caviar. Now imagine smearing that gloppy mess onto your face. Not so luxurious anymore, right? Well Art Deco’s packaged the minerals, nutrients and trace elements in caviar, which stimulate cellular metabolism and strengthen and repair the skin, into a four-piece skincare range. The caviar cream hydrates the skin for a glowing complexion and softer, smoother dermis.
Available at Rustan’s Essenses, SM Department Stores andRobinsons Place Ermita.