Cut and face

Dear Lucy,

I read in your column once that you like using mineral makeup. What brands do you recommend? You said Bare Escentuals is nice, but I have looked all over and it is not available here. Is it only available abroad?

I watch The Sweet Life regularly because I love to check out what you and Wilma are wearing and I have seen you a couple of times in high-waist denim pants and skirts. I have such a hard time finding one that fits me well. What brand was yours?

I have a Yes magazine with you and Gretchen Barretto on the cover (this was in 2005, I think) and in one of the spreads, you were wearing a printed gown with crocheted details. That was so pretty and I clipped that page to have it copied, but my cousin borrowed and never returned it. Who made it nga? I want to have a version of that.

Still on you, Lucy, who colors your hair? It looks so nice, shiny and healthy, and whenever I see you, whether your hair is curled or straight, the cut and color are perfect. Do you mind sharing who cuts and colors your hair?

Obviously a fan of yours,

Evelyn

I was also under the impression that Bare Escentuals was not available locally, but a couple of months ago, I foundout that it actually is! What fun! They are locally distributed by Elaine (call her at 09189078831) and you will see that she has a pretty extensive selection. I like using mineral makeup because it allows my skin to breathe and makes it look so natural. Other brands to try that carry mineral makeup are Laura Mercier (available at Rustan’s), Youngblood (available at Beauty Bar), and Art Deco. I find that the nice brushes for mineral makeup are those from Art Deco.

I love the high-waist look because it really emphasizes the female shape and I actually have quite a few in my closet. I usually buy when I travel and if I super like the fit, I have the cut copied but in a different material and style by local designers. My favorite as far as denim is concerned is Ino Caluza of Viktor (he has a shop at the Podium). He has a really nice selection of fabrics and because it is custom-made, you’re almost sure it will be perfect on you. I am very happy with his work. I would not be surprised if the ones I was wearing when you saw me on tv were made by him.

I remember that crocheted dress, it is one of my favorites. It was made by Kate Torralba and I am also a fan of her trademark feminine and fun look. She has a shop at Greenbelt 5 called kt. Although you can always order from her, you just might find something there that is already ready to wear.

Lastly, Chrissy of Hairworks Salon is the one who colors my hair. Jas (also from Hairworks) is the one who cuts it. I do not know what color they use on me, all I remember is that it had some chocolatey name (I think that is even why I chose it in the first place). Chrissy will tell you when you go, just ask. They will take care of you. When I go there, I just sit and surrender and allow them to work their magic. It’s quite a busy salon so do call for an appointment at 888-4819.

Lucy

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Sweat Success

Hi Rissa!

I’m an avid reader of your column and decided to consult you about my problem. I’m an 18-year-old student and I have been experiencing sweating on my underarms. I’ve tried using different brands but to no avail. My underarm sweats all the time even if I am not doing anything and worse, the sweat leaves stains on my white uniform. It’s very uncomfortable and I’m starting to lose my confidence. Any effective anti-perspirant you can recommend? It would be great if it is affordable, too, since I’m on a tight budget.    Damsel in Distress  

Many factors such as humidity, increase in temperature, physical activities, stress, and fear cause us to sweat. Sweating is also the body’s natural way of regulating temperature; when sweat evaporates from the skin, it has a cooling effect. I’m not sure how bad your sweating is, but I read about a condition known as hyperhidrosis or excessive sweating of the face, underarms, hands or feet. It is believed to be a genetic condition and not related to being overweight. Why not try using a men’s deodorant? Men generally sweat more than women and anti-perspirants made for men are formulated to handle all that heavy sweating. Many women do use men’s deodorants or anti-perspirants. Who’s going to know that you’re wearing it other than you? I suggest you go for an unscented variant though.  I have a friend who used to sweat really badly and when she tried switching to a men’s deodorant/anti-perspirant, she bid her sweaty days goodbye. Now, that’s all she ever uses. But if you suspect you have hyperhidrosis and it has become unreasonably hindering and frustrating, I suggest you consult a doctor. 

As for the sweat stains on your uniform, there are a lot of simple and inexpensive solutions. A male friend of mine who had problems with horrible pit stains on his white shirts used a 1:1:1 ratio of baking soda, hot water, and hydrogen peroxide. He’s quite anal with his clothes and he shared that all he did was rub this mixture as a paste and leave it for half an hour. For tougher pit stains, he would cut the water a bit and add extra peroxide and the stains would come out after a little toothbrush scrubbing. He swears that even sweat stains that were years old look completely gone. This saved a lot of his favorite white shirts.

If hydrogen peroxide is too harsh for colored fabrics, other home remedies easily found in your kitchen are vinegar and water (try one tablespoon in half a cup of water sponged onto the stain or soak for 20-30 minutes) and lemon juice (rubbed onto the stain). But be careful not to use these on really delicate fabrics.

For clothing that needs to be dry-cleaned, it’s best to leave it to the experts. My friend also shared extra advice from his sweat stain removal experiences. He said never use bleach on a perspiration stain, especially on white cotton fabrics. It’s one of the worst things you can use to treat pit stains. The chlorine in the bleach will react chemically with the proteins in sweat and cause the stain to set even darker. When he first tried using bleach, the pale yellow stains turned almost mustard in color! He also advised to never iron or put a stained garment in the dryer — any heat will set the stain permanently.  Do not dry the garment until the stain is gone. Hope these tips will be of help. Good luck! 

Rissa 

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Makeup On A Budget

Dear Ms. Tingting,

What’s an affordable makeup for a housewife and working girl?

Lhynn

Fuller Life has been producing Sarah Lee cosmetics and marketing them. These are their premier lines — a combination of pore-reducing line and collagen enrichment creams:

• Pore Reducing Beauty Essence 30ml, with vitamin A, AHA, DHA, and papaya enzyme. Refines skin and reduces pores.

• Pore Reducing Cleanser 100ml, a cleansing gel with AHA, DHA, and exfoliating microbeads.

• Pore Reducing Facial Moisturizer, 50g, a light-day moisturizer with UV protection enriched with AHA, DHA, and witch hazel.

• Pore Reducing Facial Toner 145ml, a non-alcohol formula with witch hazel and aloe vera. Smoothens away dead and rough surface skin.

• Pore Reducing Wash Off Mask 50ml.

Fuller Life products are available through direct selling.

Tingting

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