Wanted: Cheap, hardworking and long-lasting makeup

Dear Lucy,

I’m a professional dancer/instructor and I perform on TV for variety shows, but my schedule is also packed full with sidelines. Like I accept work as a ledge dancer in big clubs like Bykes. I need to use makeup for my job, but it is so expensive because I work almost every day. Can you please suggest a makeup brand that is cheap?  Could you also suggest a cheap eyelash curler?

I always read your SOS every Wednesday, but then I cannot afford most of the brands you’ve mentioned.

Gladys

Very recently, Fanny Serrano guested on The Sweet Life, the show I host with Wilma Doesnt, and he brought with him his makeup line. I was very impressed with the packaging and more importantly, the quality of his makeup. I tried the powder blush (in a shade called Silky Coral) and he also has this really innovative liquid lipstick called True Light. The square tube even comes with a tiny mirror on the side and the applicator even has tiny LED lights, making touch-ups fun and convenient. Try also his stick foundation and dual powder. They are very popular, especially with theater artists because they’re really long-lasting. Available at SM.

Lucy

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RX for spider veins

Dear Rissa,

I have a lot of little red veins on my legs and I’m really bothered by them. Even if they’re small and fine, they look unsightly. Is it because I wear heels every day for work? How can I get rid of these and prevent them from forming? Spiderwoman

Dermatologist Dr. Clare Palabyab explains that these web-like, dark red veins are called spider angiomas or commonly known as “spider veins.” These are little capillaries that have burst because of pressure on the legs caused by activities like standing too long, crossing your legs, pregnancy, and the condition is  also hereditary. You don’t have to wear heels ALL the time. When you have to be on your feet the whole day, Dr. Clare highly advises you wear REAL support stockings. There are many brands which claim to provide support. Dr. Clare personally recommends Hanes Alive. Support stockings exert pressure on the legs to improve circulation, to help blood flow easily back to the heart. Support stockings feel really tight, aren’t too sheer but can also be worn under pants. Aside from support stockings, massaging your legs can provide some help. To minimize these spider veins, do this mid-morning and mid- afternoon: Lie down and elevate your legs higher than your head. Dr. Clare explains this will help allow blood to flow back to your heart ... She also says that vitamin C also helps thicken blood vessels. Capillaries are less prone to burst. According to Dr. Palabyab, there are two ways to remove those veins: laser or sclerotherapy. The second procedure is an injective where a small amount of saline solution is used to help disintegrate the blood vessel. But you must remember that even if you’ve gotten rid of those unsightly veins through laser or scleotherapy, they can always come back if you don’t do anything to prevent them. Care and proper maintenance are always essential.

Dr. Clare Palabyab is available at Clinica Manila Megamall, Mondays and Wednesdays 10 a.m.-1 p.m. and Saturdays 1-4 p.m.; San Antonio Plaza Arcade, Forbes Park on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays 10 a.m.-12 p.m. and Fridays 3-5 p.m.
Rissa

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Chic Cheek Tints

Dear Tingting,

What brand can you recommend for a cheek tint, something that will last the whole day, doesn’t have a smell when you apply it, and is affordable.

Acel

Why don’t you try the Nars blush powder? It’s got all the hot colors you want. Or you can also use the blush-on in tubes, which stays on longer than powder blushers. Maybelline and Max Factor have them. Nars is available at Rustan’s while Maybelline and Max Factor are available in leading department stores.

Tingting

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