Invest in dresses that look good on you

Dear Lucy,

What items should I get to instantly update my wardrobe? I am stuck in a rut — jeans, sneakers and tight top. My best friend teases me and tells me I am too loyal to the early ’90s and that I cannot move on. 

Sunshine

Fashion is so much fun now. The silhouettes are languid, the material luxe and classic. To instantly update your wardrobe, get high-waist trousers with wide/flared legs (you can still wear them with your sneakers when you need to do a lot of walking). Get those slouchy silk blouses you can wear with your denims. Heels! Get them in shiny gold or silver or both. Layer chains when you need to wear something around your neck. Red lipstick! A bright and happy red. Dresses are always nice to have. I love how the right dress can simplify getting ready — you just slip it on and forget about it. So invest in dresses that look good on you. Jumpsuits are great, too, and are so versatile. Linen is great for summer, while sweater or cardigan keep you toasty on chilly summer evenings.

Happy shopping, Sunshine!                                      

Lucy

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Skincare for lazy girls

Dear Rissa,

I can’t find the time to take care of my skin even if I know I should. What skincare products can I use if I’m lazy or what should I look for? 

Callie

Time is so precious for the modern woman today. The biggest pain point of the Filipina is finding a regimen that’s quick, easy and visibly effective so they can actually commit to it.

There are so many new skincare products out there but if you want to be able to commit to actually caring for your skin, here are three things a lazy girl should look for:

1. Find a regimen that gives you results in just three steps. Products in a three-step routine are often very hard multi-taskers, which give the benefits of several steps in one product. What makes them effective are the use of tested ingredients like vitamin C or salicylic acid combined with new emerging ingredients like chardonnay extract (from grapes and wine for anti-aging) and umbrella pine extract (which works like an umbrella to protect skin by generating antioxidants). Ampoules and serums are also more potent and work harder to give skin what it needs.

2. Make sure to use a low-pH facial wash. This keeps skin at its natural pH level, thus you can eliminate the extra step of toners, which balance skin back to the right pH level. When skin is at its optimal pH level, it allows your skincare products to be better absorbed by your skin too!

3. Find a moisturizer that’s compatible with your makeup. Why? Because the wrong one can waste more time for you. Many creams don’t work well with makeup causing your makeup look to be greasy, shiny, slide off and even get all blotchy limiting the amount of coverage your favorite face base can give. You end up spending a lot of time battling and correcting your makeup application. When you find a moisturizer that allows makeup to sit well on top of moisturized skin, you save time while achieving results you really want: healthy-looking skin under makeup.

For a while I was hooked on the 10-step Korean skincare routine. I actually enjoyed doing it but the big wake-up call was when my husband one day asked, “Are you going to do your one-hour Korean thing tonight or are you going to spend time with us?” I realized you don’t have to compromise the more important things just to achieve better skin. It’s essential for a woman to find an effective three-step routine that empowers her so she can really commit to it.

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Send e-mail to Lucy Torres-Gomez at ltg@pldtdsl.com. Email Rissa Trillo at stylesos_rissa@yahoo.com or follow her on Instagram @rissamananquiltrillo.