DEAR LUCY,
I have three problems.
1. My torso is short, but my legs are long.
2. I am blessed with very good skin, how can I use shimmer to my advantage?
3. How do I use lip liner so that my lips are enhanced but still natural-looking?
LALA
1. Accentuate your legs even more! Wear high heels! You can also wear tunic dresses in a short length, and choose solid-colored pants and skirts to balance out your proportions.
2. How wonderful that you are blessed with good skin! The nicer your skin is, the less you have to use cosmetics to hide flaws. Gloss, mascara, a little cheek tint, and you’re good to go. You can also use shimmer to highlight the angles of your face to add dimension and enhance symmetry and balance.
3. Never use a newly sharpened tip, the line you draw will be so harsh. I would suggest that you use a rounded tip to define the Cupid’s bow (that is, the top of the upper lip) and the mid portion of the bottom lip. Use light feathery strokes. Apply color using your ring finger, patting the pigment into your lips. Blot and then repeat. The more you layer the color, the longer your lip color will last.
LUCY
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GOTH-CHA!
HI, REGINA!
I love the dark lipstick look, but I look like an extra from The Craft whenever I have it on. How do I wear it without looking so pasty?
NATASHA
The trick is to have a touch of color on your cheeks. A light dusting of bronzer should do the trick; it won’t clash with the red tones of the lipstick, but it’ll give your skin a subtle, healthy, warm tint.
Also, you want your skin to be absolutely glowing. Dull skin may be part of the reason that you think you look like Fairuza Balk. Use a moisturizer to give your skin some much-needed hydration, and top it off with highlighter on the tops of your cheekbones. You can use a powder formula, like Laura Mercier Matte Radiance Baked Powder in Highlight, or if you’re more comfortable applying and blending a product with your fingers, use a liquid one like MAC Strobe Cream, which goes on clear and sheer, or The Body Shop’s or Benefit’s cream highlighters, which come in universally flattering champagne shades.
Apply a little on your brow bones, too, and in the inner corners of your eyes, so that they’ll catch the light and make your skin look lit from within. You’ll be glowing, not Goth.
REGINA
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BETTER THAN GEL POLISH
DEAR RISSA,
I love gel polish but they cost so much and removing them destroys my nails. I’m looking for a nail polish brand that stays shiny and chip-free. What do you recommend?
A.P.
I love gel nails! But yes, removal is not the most pleasant and all that scraping damages the nails in the long run. I’m not so happy about having my hands regularly exposed to UV light, too, which is why whenever I have gel nails done, I bring a tube of sunscreen and ask the hand technician to apply them on my hands (avoiding the nails, of course) prior to the gel polish application.
The nail polish brand I’m crazy about right now is Anny (available at The SM Store in SM Aura, SM Megamall, SM Makati, SM MOA, SM North Edsa, SM Southmall). Founded by certified professionals, German nail care brand Anny offers 108 regular shades and boasts the latest hues straight from the runways. It offers some of the best products in nail care and maintenance, too.
I’ve been using Anny for the past few months. As a mom, hands-on entrepreneur with a new business, and a writer, I’m always working with my hands and they really are the most abused body part. I’ve fallen in love with Anny because this German brand is so reliable. Whenever I use them, I feel like my nails are as strong and as shiny as a BMW! I can’t stop staring at them! You get an amazing coat of color in one swipe, it dries quickly and has a long-lasting finish. The nails on my hands can last over a week beautifully chip-free and shiny!
I use Anny polish on my toenails, too. Over the holidays, I could not find the time to visit my favorite Nail Spa at Shangri-La Mall. Since we were leaving for a trip, I wanted my toenails shortened since we would be doing a lot of walking in boots during our Korea trip. I ended up trimming my toenails on my own. Even if my toenails had polish on, I was able to cut my nails with a nail cutter and my polished nails amazingly remained intact and chip-free. Other brands would easily crack and chip if you attempt to cut nails with the old polish on. But with Anny, they withstood the nail cutter and filer, and looked as if my feet just came from a fresh pedicure! I really love how Anny makes my nail polish as strong, shiny, and durable as German engineering and technology! It’s really like BMW at my fingertips! My current favorite is combining two old shades: the orange Trick or Treat and red Boogie Woogie. The result is a red-orange color that’s perfect for summer! RISSA
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Send e-mail to Lucy Torres-Gomez at ltg@pldtdsl.com. E-mail Rissa Trillo at stylesos_rissa@yahoo.com or follow her on Twitter and Instagram @RissaMananquil. Send Regina Belmonte your questions at vivatregina.tumblr@gmail.com or tweet her @vivatregina.