How to look beautiful anywhere around the world

DEAR RISSA,

I want to invest in a set of makeup brushes, but I get overwhelmed and intimidated with the professional makeup brands at the malls. I’m curious — what brand do you own? Can you recommend practical brushes that real women like me can use? Something reasonably priced also, please!

DIONNE

Since brushes are something that you will use on your face almost every day, it’s important that they feel soft (and not prickly!) on your skin. The brand I really like is Charm — their vegan brushes are the best! I first came across the brand in 2010 and I continue to stay loyal. I’ve been using them for many years already and they have stayed incredibly soft on the skin — yes, even after countless washes! They’ve never shed on me, too. They’re as soft as branded brushes but at a fraction of the price. Charm’s vegan brushes also perform so well. The quality of the brushes is so superb that they pick up the right amount of product and blend makeup so flawlessly. 

Since you are starting to build your own brush set, go for the Charm Double Duty Makeup Brush Set (P1,599 only, available online via beauty-and-minerals.myshopify.com). This is one of the most brilliant beauty inventions ever and I wish I had this long ago. The Charm Double Duty Makeup Brush Set includes nine brushes, all in all, on dual-ended handles. The brushes are made from vegan, 100-percent cruelty- free bristles and are housed in a soft, vibrant pink, rollable pouch with a string closure. The set features the most useful kinds of makeup brushes any woman will need: powder and blush brush duo, liquid foundation and concealer brush duo, eyeshadow and blending brush duo, angled eyeshadow and pencil point brush duo, and a lip brush. The pouch rolls into a slim, compact shape that doesn’t demand space in the luggage. The brushes are secured by detachable Velcro straps and the pouch also features two protective flaps on each side so your brushes stay clean, safe, and secure. I adore them so much because they’re the perfect space savers and the set is perfect for traveling!        

RISSA

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Applying eyeliner 101

HI, REGINA!

How do you apply eyeliner evenly? It’s so hard to duplicate what you did on one eye to the other!         

CAMILLE

When I apply eyeliner, I always start with the wing. If you’re lining part of your lower waterline, too (which I do; on a regular day, I’ll only line it halfway, with the line tapering thin closer to the inner corner of my eye), then it might help to start from there. What I do is, I start lining my lower lid a few centimeters from the outer corner of my eye, then I wing it out. This serves to establish the angle of my wing on one side. Then I do the same to the other; I find it’s easier to create a symmetrically angled wing when drawing it from below. I then line my upper lashline, connecting it to the tip of the wing I already drew, then I fill in any gaps between the lines of the wing.

If you’re only lining your upper lashline, the same principle applies: Draw the wing first, and then draw the rest of your line.

Everyone makes mistakes, though, and when I do, I use a pointed Q-tip (Nippon Esthetic Solutions has it) saturated in eye makeup remover to clean up my lines, or to alter the wings just a bit to make them even. Don’t worry, practice makes perfect and you’ll get the hang of the technique eventually! These days, I can even do my winged liner in a moving car. You’ll get there!

REGINA

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Partial to neutral

DEAR LUCY,

What is a good neutral to have in my wardrobe?  Everything I own is so bright, I want to slowly bring in some nice neutrals.

CARMINA

I have always been partial to gray and sand.  I like gray because it is elegant and classy, and is easily accessorized with both white, yellow, and rose gold.  It works well with pastels and with jewel tones as well.  With white, it can look very fresh.  Sand, on the other hand, especially in a flawless cut, can look very expensive.  It goes with everything, and looks good on every skintone.  Don’t be afraid to wear both these neutrals purely on their own.  They never fail.  Accessorize well, and keep your makeup pared down. Especially if you already have good skin, just use makeup lightly — peach tones, a little shimmer so that skin seems lit from within, liner that is softly done, lip gloss.  You can wear gray and beige with brights, too, for a pop of color.

LUCY

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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 @RissaMananquil. Send Regina Belmonte your questions at vivatregina.tumblr@gmail.com or tweet her @vivatregina.