Bloom, Kris, bloom!

Long before her widely chronicled romantic liaisons, my "sinister" sister Kris Aquino has already been a certified newsmaker. Who would ever forget the bespectacled seven-year-old girl who campaigned for her father, the late Ninoy Aquino?

Kris was a celebrity even before she was born. And when she was, the world was never the same again. She is what she is, then and now. For her, it’s plain and simple, what you see is what you get. No more, no less.

After romancing the late Rene Requiestas on screen in Pido Dida where she had her first kiss onscreen, Kris moved on to conquer some of the most kissable lips in Philippine movies – Aga Muhlach, Richard Gomez, Christopher de Leon and Robin Padilla. Each time Kris kisses on screen, people sigh! People react fondly or violently. Her off screen love life has become legendary. It can polarize the whole nation. And just when nobody was looking, Kris kisses a new partner.

Kris is blooming these days. Her skin is more supple, lighter and more delicate.

"Yes, I have a new kissing partner," says Kris. "But it’s not a question of who but of what," she avers. What makes Kris glow, fair and radiant these days? "Kissa," she replies. "Kissa makes the skin whiter, smoother and more kissable."

Kris endorses Kissa Papaya Plus, her new kissing partner. Kissa is a revolutionary whitening soap and lotion, which has recently been launched in the market. Using the active ingredient known as Clair Blanche in combination with Papaya Extract, Kissa Papaya Plus Whitening Soap and Lotion whitens the skin inside and out in a unique Dual Lightening System to make the skin truly fairer.

Clair Blanche, developed by Ichimaru Pharcos Co. Ltd. Japan, combines the superior whitening abilities of root extracts from Peony, Scutellaria and Saxifraga Stoloifera. Clair Blanche has been found to prevent the formation of spots and freckles in sun-exposed skin by inhibiting the formation of melanin. In Kissa Papaya Plus Whitening Soap and Lotion, Clair Blanche penetrates the skin’s inner layers to keep it naturally lighter. Kissa’s formulation also puts to good use the legendary ability of papaya extract to gently exfoliate the outer layer of the skin, revealing a new and younger complexion. It also enhances with alpha-hydroxy acid and beta-hydroxy that aid in exfoliating dead skin, and Vitamin E and moisturizers to keep skin softer, smoother, cleaner and younger looking. It also has sunscreens to protect the skin from ultraviolet rays.

Kris is extra beautiful these days because of love. But the glow of her truly fairer, whiter and more kissable skin certainly comes from Kissa. Kris was photographed by April Son, the same photographer who took Gretchen Barretto’s photos for Plains and Prints. She wore clothes by JC Buendia.

Proud to be Pinoy

Barbato is great. Pacchioli is stylish. Blahnik is pricey. Marquina is stylish, great and Pinoy. Seventy-four shoe companies bonded together to form Marquina. These are Marikina shoemakers who pooled their resources to produce comfortable, durable and fashionable shoes. It’s about time again that the Marikina shoe industry becomes globally competitive. After all, Marquina shoes are world-class. Marquina prides itself with having the best-trained shoemakers this side of the globe. If you’re interested to find out for yourself, call tel. no. 948-8863.

The other star of Lara Croft

I’m sure many of you were left breathless by the exciting adventures of Lara Croft in the recent box-office smash hit Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Cradle of Life. But what many of you don’t know is that Angelina Jolie is not the only star of the film.

Sharing stellar billing with Jolie is Tissot’s T-Touch, which, just like its co-star, is highly desirable, and has been charming critics with its hot looks, sleek style and utterly cool performance.

The darling of Tissot’s innovative touch-screen technology, the T-Touch was specifically chosen by Paramount Pictures to make its big screen debut for its multiple functions, making it the only choice for this action-packed film. By simply touching the crystal, the wearer can activate an altimeter, barometer, thermometer, compass, chronograph and alarm.

Tissot embodies 150 years of innovation in Swiss watchmaking tradition. A world leader in the traditional Swiss watch segment, its mission is to offer to the public a wide range of high quality timepieces at an affordable price. As official timekeeper for the world championships in cycling, motorcycling, fencing and ice hockey, Tissot underlines the sporting values of quest for performance, precision and pushing oneself to the limit. Based in Le Locle in Switzerland, Tissot is present in over 150 countries worldwide. You can check out the official Tissot showroom in the Philippines, Montre, located at the Ground Floor of The Podium in Mandaluyong.