Eye shadow just got easy

Dear Rissa,

I’m a Filipina flight attendant working for an international airline. We are always required to look groomed and polished — even our makeup. Part of our grooming standards is to wear eye makeup only in earth colors. I saw my colleague with really good eye makeup; she blends three eye colors so well. I only wear one color on my eyelids. How do I know which colors to combine and where to put them?

Joanne

Truth is, I also often just use one color on my eyelids — it’s the easiest way to use eye makeup. I usually go for a light, neutral color because even if you make mistakes, no can really tell. But I recently stumbled upon a cool new eye palette that allows makeup newbies to create a professional-looking and perfect eye look. Try the Wet n’ Wild Color Icon Trio Eye Shadow (only P299, available at Watsons and SM Department Stores). It combines colors that beautifully complement each other — no more buying separate eye shadows and guessing if they will go with other eye shadows. Best of all, the shades are embossed, telling you where to put which eye color, whether on eyelid, crease and brow bone. Next time you go home to Manila, get the Wet n’ Wild Icon Trio Eye Shadow in the palette “I’m Getting Sunburned.” This palette combines a beautiful bronze shimmer (for the eyelids), a warm smoky brown (for the crease) and a pale silvery pink  (for the brow bone) — perfect for your work! Don’t worry, the formula is long-wearing so the colors stay great even on long flights. When you’re feeling adventurous, try their other shades. The palette is available in six shades.

Rissa

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Spending Wisely On Work Wear

Dear Lucy,

Great fit, quality and price: Banana Republic trouser pants are available at Banana Republic stores.

I need stylish but durable work clothes, flats, bags and shoes included. I do not have much to spend so I want to spend wisely. Any suggestions?

Mia

Blanket suggestion: Do not spend on disposables. By that I mean items so cheap that they fall apart after a few uses or fade in color, etc. More often than not, you get what you pay for. In terms of clothes — pants especially — I like the pants at Banana Republic. Fits well, great quality, very reasonable for what it is. I buy mine in multiples because we need different lengths depending on the shoes we wear, whether high or low or flat.

For bags and shoes, Tod’s is a wonderful workhorse. Never disappoints. It is not outrageously expensive but is very stylish and durable, great quality for money!

Get pearls, real good-quality pearls — they are a gift to yourself that keeps on giving. Nothing says pretty and smart the way pearls do. They make your skin glow.

Scarves are wonderful at dressing up solid-colored outfits. There are a gazillion ways to wear them. Point is, the real price of an item is its cost divided by the number of times you can wear it, and how long it will last. Quality always over quantity.

Lucy

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Pimple Solutions

Dear Tingting,

Put a stop to pimples: Neutrogena On-The-Spot Acne Treatment is available at department stores and drugstores nationwide.

I have two questions for you. First, I have pimples on my face. How can I stop them from getting inflamed? Second, my pimples have left me with scars. How can I remove the scars?

Thank you.

Rose

On your first question, the minute that I feel pain caused by a pimple, I put an ointment that you can buy in drugstores called SansAcne or azelaic acid from Dr. Vermen Verallo, or clindamycin from Dr. Sylvia Huang and Dr. Filomena Montinola. A Kenacort injection by your dermatologist should stop the inflammation immediately and very fast.

Neutrogena has a very good ointment to stop pimples that you can buy at Neutrogena counters. There’s also a Johnson & Johnson Clean and Clear ointment.

On the second question, a continuous diamond peel could even out your skin little by little. I know that beauty parlors now have this machine and so do Dr. Vicki Belo, Dr. Imelda Cervantes or Dr. Val Herbosa.

There you have it — the dermatologists that I know that you can consult with and your drugstore options.

Tingting