Beauty and the beach: How to have a tanned and toned body

Dear Rissa,

Can you recommend a hassle-free tanning product? I’m fair-skinned so after a trip to the beach, my tan fades quickly and does not last very long. I really like having a bronzed look because it makes me look slimmer. Also, my hair gets very dry after a beach trip. What hair care product can I use to protect my hair from the sun?  Lastly, please recommend a nice lip gloss that will complement a tan.

Cathy M.

Beautiful tanned skin really makes any girl look slimmer and nothing can compare to that sexy healthy glow a tan gives off. Most of the self-tanning lotions my co-models and I have tried give off an uneven color that leaves streaks and stains and when we sweat, you can see stains of the tanning lotion dripping! Truthfully, the best tanning products that come to mind are from the Australian beauty brand Model Co (exclusively available at Beauty Bar). Model Co is responsible for the tanned and glowing bodies at the Victoria’s Secret fashion shows. Celebrity fans of the brand include Kylie Minogue, Jessica Simpson, Lindsay Lohan, Hillary Swank, Uma Thurman, Cate Blanchett, Kate Winslet, Rene Zellweger, Kate Beckinsale, Jade Jagger, and Sienna Miller. I personally love Model Co because their tanning products don’t give a fake orange tan and they truly give a streak-free and fuss-free glow. Try their Tan Self-Tanning Glove. The glove fits perfectly onto your hand, is durable, and will not tear.  The glove also makes it easy to apply on hard-to-reach places like the ankles, hands, knees, and feet. Model Co explains that each glove contains the exact amount of a quick drying and non-sticky tanning formula. Their promise? A natural tan that immediately develops and lasts up to seven days. The great thing about this is that it’s conveniently packed in portable single-use sachets so you can take these gloves wherever you go.

Another Model Co product is Tan Airbrush in a Can. This is another self-tanner that gives you safe sunless tanning. It puts an end to stained hands and uneven coverage. It’s non-greasy, smells great, and is so easy to use. It simply sprays on like a fine mist, resulting in a smooth, even tan (no streaks and patches, no uneven tanning). Infused with golden pigments, it delivers an all-over healthy glow. Model Co promises a long-lasting tan that develops further within hours. For a toned and tanned body, also try Model Co Body Meringue Bronze Glow. Model Co explains that this weightless foam gives you an instant bronze plus skin-firming benefits that reduce the orange peel effect of cellulite.

For your hair, try Beach Hut Hair and Scalp Clear Spray Sunblock SPF 20 (available at leading department stores, drugstores, and personal care stores). It’s important that you also protect your hair and scalp from dryness caused by exposure to sea air, saltwater or chlorine. More must-try products are those by French hair expert JF Lazartigue. (JF. Lazartigue is located in Level R2 of the Power Plant Mall, Rockwell. Their products and services are also available in selected salons like Studio 546 Shangri-La Mall, Basement Salon in Power Plant and Shangri-La Mall, Hair Watch in Manila Polo Club Makati, Palms Country Club Salon in Alabang, and Salon de Ayala in Alabang Country Club.) Their Sun Protection Oil offers dry and non-greasy protection from swimming, sun, and wind exposure for all hair types. If you love being on the beach or pool waters or get into a lot of sports, I suggest you equip yourself with the JF Lazartigue After-Swimming Shampoo & Salt Neutralizer which removes salt, sand, chlorine, and traces of sweat.

Lastly, my summer picks for lip gloss include one of my favorite brands Bloom in the shade Sugar, a sheer blush pink shade (available at the Beauty Bar) or MAC Lip Glass in Oyster Girl, a delicate pale pink shade (MAC is available at Glorietta and Rustan’s Department Stores.) My latest lip gloss find is Smashbox Hybrid 2 in 1 Color and Shine Lip Gloss with Moringa Seed Extract (exclusively available at Beauty Bar). Smashbox products are created to meet the needs of makeup artists, photographers, and models at the Smashbox sudios in LA. This is an amazing two-in-one gloss that has a brilliant color on the inner tube and a super shiny clear gloss on the outer tube. I love the way color and shine combine together when you squeeze the tube and apply it on your lips. Other lip glosses can get really sticky on the lips, but when I tried this, it didn’t give any thick, heavy sticky gloss feeling to my lips at all. It felt light and smooth but gave a great picture-perfect lustrous shine. I have mine in Azalea (rosy bronze), but it’s also available in Marigold (golden shimmer) and Pink Lily (sheer bright pink). For the environmentally conscious, the Smashbox Hybrid 2 in 1 Color and Shine Lip Gloss is part of their Green Room Collection, where all Green Room packaging are biodegradable or recyclable. And for every purchase of a Smashbox Green Room product, a Moringa tree (which is a source of nutrients and provides a self-renewing food source) will be planted in a developing country by Trees for the Future.

For more info on these eco-chic cosmetics, check out www.smashbox.com.

Rissa

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This Antiaging Cream Hydrates And Protects

Dear Lucy,

I always read your column and I have followed many of your suggestions, with happy results no less! I am a 38-year-old mother of three and I have maintained my pre-pregnancy weight (for all three kids), but I really want to start on an antiaging skincare regimen. My skin was never dry, but now, I feel some tightness. I am getting old, I think. Point me to a cream that will work for me, please!

Judy

I am glad to know you were able to maintain your weight even after three pregnancies! I hope you are eating the right food and you have some form of physical activity. For your face, I would suggest supplementing your existing skincare regimen, assuming it works for you, with a hydrating cream. Sisley’s Hydra Global cream hydrates, protects, and smoothes. Its unique formula reactivates the natural hydration mechanism of the skin, which is slowed down by cellular aging. Its active ingredients are vegetal, mineral, and aromatic. Using it will restore your skin’s hydric balance by encouraging the circulation of water in the epidermis, as well as its retention.

Sisley is vailable at Rustan’s.

Lucy

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Balms Away

Dear Ms. Tingting,

It’s summer and I’m suffering from dry hair, chapped lips, and dry skin. Help me find an all-in-one remedy to these problems, something practical to use and bring along in my small bag.

Hunny

There’s a lip balm by Burt’s that you can use as an all-purpose fix. Three of them are out in cosmetic stores with salves that are rich enough to hydrate lips but light enough to groom eyebrows and seal split-ends. Burt’s Bees Outdoor Miracle Salve combines pumpkin seed and olive oil in a beeswax base that tames flyaway hair and softens the rough patches on elbows.

Another product is Liz Earle Naturally Active Skin Care Superbalm made of shea butter and echinacea. Then there’s Trilogy Everything Balm that’s loaded with rosehip, organic marula, and evening primrose oils. All these have a natural oil base which makes them lighter in weight and less greasy; plus they come in a lipstick package that’ll fit into your purse.

Tingting

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Send e-mail to tingtingcojuangco@yahoo.com, ltg@pldtdsl.com, and stylesos_rissa@yahoo.com.