Tried it, loved it, recommend it!

I have been writing this column for several years now and through all this time I have come to realize that the best message I can ever give my readers is this: You don’t have to spend a million bucks to look like one. The years I have tested skin care, makeup and other retail products have convinced me that paying extra bucks does not always mean getting better quality. This summer, I would like to share products and services that I have found to be more than worth their retail price.

de Facto Jeans

Sure, you can buy jeans anywhere for as low as P350. Jeans were originally created to be working pants for laborers and farmhands in the West. Jeans, however, have evolved into a fashion statement and the better the fit of the jeans, the better your body’s silhouette will look. I personally consider good fit to be crucial and so I do spend a bit more on having my jeans tailor-fitted. Customers get to choose from a wide array of fabric, thread and cuts. I was very pleased with how my jeans turned out that I ordered five pairs and am certain that they will be the workhorses of my casual wear ensembles.

(de Facto Jeans is located at 112 Mile Long Bldg., Amorsolo cor. Herrera St., Makati City; 818-4708 or 0920-4291393; look for Tats.)

Firm Plus and Aurora Photofacial by Belo

As you get older, the dermal layer below your skin begins to thin out, resulting in a loose, sagging face that just gets more pronounced with time. In the past, women would go to their plastic surgeons and would most likely end up under the knife via facelift. Thankfully, those Michael Jackson days are over and middle-aged men and women have more non-invasive alternatives to choose from. Firm-Plus makes use of ELOS Technology (Electro Optical Synergy) that safely combines radiofrequency and infrared light energies delivered into the dermal layer of the skin, thereby stimulating growth of new collagen. It is a very quick walk-in, walk-out procedure that immediately and visibly firms up loose and sagging skin, especially of the face.

Simply put: The concept of Firm Plus is to rejuvenate your collagen back to your younger days (when you were in your late teens or early twenties). Healthier sub-dermal layers mean more radiant, youthful looking skin

The Aurora Photofacial, as the name implies, uses gentle pulses of light with radiofrequency energy to improve the appearance of the skin. It effectively reduces blotchy skin pigmentation, sun damage, and melasma, resulting in a clearer, fairer skin. It can also be used for hair removal. I have a small brown spot on my cheek brought about by melasma. I have noticed a meaningful evening out of my skin as a result of this treatment.

Both procedures take about 20 minutes and are not at all painful. In fact, the Firm Plus radiates such gentle warmth that clients tend to sleep, lulled by the soothing waves of warmth. The day after my first treatment, my banker husband looked at me and said, “Hey! Your skin looks great! What did you do?” Kaching!!!! If I was getting this comment from my first treatment, what more when I finish my fifth treatment. (Clients are asked to undergo the 20-minute procedure every three weeks. After that, follow up treatments would be done every six months.) Don’t forget to ask for Belo’s Easy installment plans!

(For services of Belo Medical Group in Rustan’s, please contact 0917-8541529; look for Doreen.)

Skin matters

 I take skin care very, very seriously. My battle cry is “You can afford to pinch pennies on makeup but never with skin care.” This does not mean, however, that all skin care products are expensive. Seriously folks, Cetaphyl cleanser has been hailed for generations for being a gentle, pure cleanser that even babies can use. Same goes for Dove scentless soap. Moisturizers are crucial for aging skin and the way I see it, famous brands like Olay, Pond’s and Neutrogena all have age reversal creams for day and night. Which one suits you? Ask for samples and try them out for a week. I can tell you that Olay night cream has a thick, rich emollient that fully moisturizes a woman’s face and neck. Pond’s Flawless White, however, has an easy to apply cream that does not feel greasy and has SPF 15 which is great for working during the day (provided you do not go out under the sun for an extensive period of time).

Let me tell you here and now that I am not in favor of people going to such lengths to alter their skin color for the purpose of looking like our anemic colonizers. I do believe, however, in protecting our skin from UVA and UVB rays. During these very hot days, I slap on a Belo Whitening Cream (Okay, once again, I have to say that I am not for the concept of whitening!). It has SPF 15 and is totally greaseless. I can wear it and forget about it as I go about my day. This mixture is so thin that you would not mind re-applying it later in the day. For days where you can’t escape prolonged sun exposure, I swear by VMV’s Armada Sport 70. I am apparently not the only one who swears by this product. Oprah’s O magazine, In Style and Elle also love Armada.

Makeup

During a TV commercial shoot, Fanny Serrano sat me down and unfurled a brilliant array of his products. That day I fell in love with both the man and his makeup line. Everything from his brushes, powders, lipsticks, foundations and mascara screamed “professional.” I grew up using Clinique, Shiseido, MAC and Bobbie Brown. The stuff Fanny had in front of me were in that same league. I still go to Fanny’s stalls in Robinsons Mall to buy my concealers, lipsticks and shadows. They are brilliant, well thought of products sold at reasonable prices by one of the foremost makeup experts in our country.

Another makeup line that is enjoying very brisk business is Ever Bilena. I totally get the reason behind the boom. EB studies the most popular beauty brands in the world and tries to approximate them for a fraction of their real cost. Good value for me there if you ask me! Their 50-plus color palettes are sold for under P500 and will last you well over a year. Another favorite of mine is Ever Bilena’s apple flavored Careline lip balm that has the same fluidity and protection as the super expensive Lip Ice lip balm that I buy from HK. The Careline lip balm has the same features for a quarter of the cost. Now that is great value!

Fanny Serrano and Ever Bilena products are found in major stores nationwide.

The most natural looking hair extensions

Over a year ago, a mentally confused (I did not know it then!) hair colorist ruined my hair resulting in my having to cut my locks off. Unwilling to live with short hair, I checked out the European Hair Factory. They had the most fascinating array of real human hair that could be braided into your natural hair. In two hours, I had glorious, healthy hair that touched my waist. In the months to follow, I totally forgot about the extensions. I bathed with them, played sports and swam with them. After almost six months, I felt that my real hair had grown sufficiently and asked the Factory to take the extensions off. Hair extensions are perfect for men and women who are suffering through a bad haircut, have naturally thin hair, are suffering from propaecea. The European Hair Factory also has a wig division for people who are completely bald. WIth these wigs is a system that would keep the wig permanently and painlessly attached to the skull.

(European Hair Factory: 0917-8960185; look for Myr.)