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The long and short of formal wear | Philstar.com
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Fashion and Beauty

The long and short of formal wear

STYLE S.O.S. - Lucy Torres-Gomez, Rissa M. Samson, Tingting Cojuangco -
Dear Tingting,
What type of a long gown do you prefer for formal wear?
Carla


Back in the Sixties, I wore satin, brocade beaded ball gowns by Christian Espiritu. Those were the years when he made me gowns with petticoats in varied dyed colors. But once, entering the town plaza with my congressman husband Peping Cojuangco, I felt light and my gown became deflated! When I glanced back, I saw two of Peping’s guards speedily jumping over a white stiff net standing alone in the middle of the Plaza of Gerona! Both men hastily scooped it up, folded it against their chest, and rushed out of the spotlights. Quite an experience, right?

I have a sexy aqua lace gown with flesh colored lining by Auggie Cordero. It’s very classic elegant but sexy. I thought I could wear it for a town fiesta. When I put it on, my companions said, "Ah ah, no, no!"Remember this rule: What one wears in Manila may not be appropriate for the provinces.

At the Cultural Center, I wore a piña maria clara, again by Auggie, with a tail. Anybody walking behind me got a warning about keeping his/her distance, to give me lots of space to manuever safely without losing or ripping my tail. A gentleman in Gucci shoes nearly stepped on my tail, almost pulling me down backwards.

Would I wear these gowns again? Yes, constantly! After all, practice makes perfect. Those rehearsals and stage acts certainly taught me a lot.
Tingting
* * *
How To Zap Those Back Zits
Dear Rissa,
I feel so embarrassed about the pimples on my back. I’ve never had them before and I’m not really sure what caused them. They aren’t that many – I can still count them with one hand – but they’re bothering me. I want to get rid of them soon because after Christmas, I’m spending New Year in Boracay with my barkada and boyfriend. I really don’t want my pimples to spoil this trip! What’s the quickest way to get rid of them?
— Bina


I had a few pimples on my back when I was in college. But before I treated those ugly zits, the very first thing I did was to look for the cause of the problem. Treatment may make those pimples temporarily disappear, but to keep them forever away, you have to go down to the root of it all. In my case, it was stress. All those school projects and papers kept me up studying till early morning. Yup, anxiety can aggravate acne. It seems that stress can increase the production of some hormones, which affect the sebaceous glands.

On the other hand, sensitivity to your shampoo can cause an allergy-like reaction. My friend’s smooth back was one day filled with unsightly zits. A visit to her dermatologist proved that her new shampoo was the evil culprit. Your back could be as sensitive, too. (Or your shampoo as harsh!) So a visit to your dermatologist would definitely help clarify the problem – and your back!

According to dermatologist Dr. Sylvia Jacinto, "bacne," as it is popularly known, is pimples caused or aggravated by the yeast fungi pityrosporum folliculitis, and can only be properly treated by a good dermatologist. There are some drying products that you can get over the counter, but they don’t treat the root causes of the problem, which are overactive oil glands and the aforementioned yeast fungi. To find a qualified dermatologist, you can call the Philippine Dermatological Society at 727-7309.

Banishing those pimples permanently is no hard task. Treat your back the same way you treat your face. First of all, always keep your back clean. As you step into the shower, don’t neglect washing your back. Though the back is quite hard to reach, that extra stretch will be worth it. In treating those zits, you can use the same products you use to treat the pimples on your face (unless your pimples are a special case and your dermatologist specifically prescribes otherwise). After all, it’s the same zit – only it’s now located on your back. And while those zits haven’t made their disappearing act, you can hide them by using a medicated concealer. Body Shop has one with tea tree oil. It’s got anti-bacterial agents that can help zap those zits goodbye.
— Rissa
* * *
Send e-mail to tingtingcojuangco@yahoo.com, ltg@pldtdsl.com, and rissa_samson@yahoo.com.

AT THE CULTURAL CENTER

AUGGIE CORDERO

BACK

BODY SHOP

CHRISTIAN ESPIRITU

DEAR RISSA

DEAR TINGTING

DR. SYLVIA JACINTO

PIMPLES

WHEN I

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