When smoke gets in your eyes

Dear Rissa, 

For the holiday parties, I want to experiment with my makeup a little bit and want something different. I usually just use mascara and eyeliner on the bottom lid. I tried to do a smoky eye look but ang hirap! I can’t seem to blend the black eye shadow properly and the shape of my eyes doesn’t look even. Is there a quick and easy way I can do smoky eyes?

 Sarah

Smoky eyes are a popular yet classic party eye makeup look. What makes it so alluring is it can change your face dramatically. It easily transforms the girl-next-door into a glamorous diva. The key to the perfect smoky eye is proper blending. You want to make sure colors are blended together flawlessly, especially when you use a dark and strong color like black. Even after many years of modeling and having countless makeup artists do the smoky eye look on my lids, doing a smoky eye look still frustrates me and takes up so much time!

When it comes to eye makeup, I avoid dark and bold hues and stick to neutrals or light colors. Why? Because it’s hard to mess up. Even if it isn’t perfect, no one will be able to tell. But after sticking to neutrals for so long, I got tired of it and wanted to find a great but easy-to-apply color for a smoky eye. Black can really appear too harsh and mistakes will never be fool-proof. So I opted to hunt for a fuss-free but dramatic shade in deep grey. I fell in love with the eye shadow duo of Nars in Kalahari (available at Rustan’s Essenses). This eye shadow palette contains a duo of metallic brown and purplish grey metallic shade. Both colors will give you great makeup mileage. The metallic brown is a great fuss-free neutral shade that’s easy to blend — good for every day, from day to night. The other color may look purplish in the compact, but when applied, the color is a flattering dark grey (like pewter) with a hint of purple. I love it! I’ve been using it for all my holiday parties. A friend even asked if I was wearing colored contact lenses because my eyes looked sparkly and intriguingly different. She commented that I must be really happy and blooming. I was bowled over — imagine what a great eye shadow color can do! It’s such a breeze to apply. I simply sweep this dramatic shade on my entire lid as well as on my lower lash line, then line my eyes with an intense black eyeliner, and lastly apply two coats of mascara on my lashes. With this shade, you get an effortless but awesome smoky eye look that even a makeup rookie can do! 

Rissa

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The Perfect Gift For The Busy Woman

Dear Lucy,

What can I give a very busy woman who hardly has time to breathe?

A Friend

I would say you give her the gift of time, but when that is not possible, then Origins Calm To Your Senses will do. They have it in a milk bath and bath bar — it is the thought that will really count for more.

You can also give her a pretty tea set, one that will really make her want to sit back and just watch the day go by. The home department of Rustan’s has some really wonderful tea cups and tiered dessert stands. Really adorable!

Pillows from Tempur would make a lovely gift, too, and so would Egyptian cotton sheets and fluffy towels from Debenhams.

The thing you have to keep in mind is buying a gift that will pamper and relax her, and make her not want to rush through the day. It is all about making her enjoy everyday pleasures. There is also a great book entitled Endangered Pleasures. She might enjoy that.

Lucy

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Travel-Savvy Tips

Dear Tingting,

Kindly give me pointers on how to manage packing when traveling for business and leisure at the same time. I am scheduled to leave for the USA in February 2009.

Gigie

It’s terrible to go on a trip with packing as a huge consideration. As a general rule, pack things that you can mix and match. A black skirt can be worn with a blazer for an office meeting and can be used again at night, this time with an elegant top. A sports jacket can be worn with the same black skirt and also over jeans.

We must travel with clothes that don’t wrinkle like jersey knits or pleated outfits like Issey Miyake’s. To avoid wrinkles, turn your jackets inside out. For all clothes, zip and button them before folding to cut down on the creases.

Another advice: Pack sanitary hand wipes to keep you feeling clean, a sleep mask to help you relax, an iPod to help you chill out, and loose-fitting clothes.

The days of going to the airport in glamorous dresses or tight-fitting leather pants with a corseted top are over. Today, traveling in style means wearing loose clothes made out of luxury fabrics that are soft against your skin, don’t cut off blood circulation, are easy to slip on and off, and won’t wrinkle.

And finally, a healthy tip for you so you can avoid having jet lag: Drink lots of water during the flight to combat dehydration.

Good luck on your trip!

Tingting

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