DEAR RISSA,
I recently rewarded myself with a designer bag because I was promoted at work. My bag is a beautiful cream color in luxe suede. It’s one of my biggest splurges! What frustrates me is our rainy weather and how it can easily ruin such as expensive piece. Is there any product I can use to clean and protect my leather bag?
NISHA
Our wet and dry season weather is really a challenge when it comes to maintaining the quality of leather pieces. You deal with humidity, mold, rain, and even murky waters if you’re wearing delicate shoes.
I recently came across the brand Collonil. It was a gift to me by a friend who is a shoe and bag aficionado. Collonil is a German brand of leather and textile care products that’s used for leather and fabric shoes, bags, sneakers, and even jackets and upholstery. She shared that the brand has a strong presence in Europe and is officially recommended and sold by Mulberry for their leather goods.
I learned so much from my friend: Just like skincare for the face, care for leather goods involves a three-step regimen. After all, leather is skin, too. The first step involves waterproofing to protect leather and textile from stain-causing elements, then the care products to nourish and condition, and the clean products to dust off and keep articles looking just like new.
To solve your dilemma, protect your luxury goods with the 1909 Supreme Protect Spray. This is a waterproofer that you spray on shoes or bags, like hairspray, and it protects your goods from stain-causing elements. It can amazingly protect leather from oil, wine, and mud. If there is one thing that should be indispensable, it should be this waterproofer because you already do away with the cleaning part and save your articles from stains. Prevention is better than cure! It’s perfect also for kids’ shoes!
Suede is very absorbent and the rain will just ruin it. But in other countries with the winter season, waterproofers are widely used — it’s no wonder their shoes still look tidy even after walking in the snow and muddy slush. Waterproofers are the key to looking fabulous, rain or shine. Technically, rainy season here is longer than winter and we should learn to use waterproofers, too. If you want to be impressed with what a waterproofer can do, check out the Instagram and Youtube accounts of CollonilPH.
RISSA
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Covering up skin imperfections
DEAR LUCY,
My skin breaks out a lot. I go for regular treatments, but because I am a working girl, I cannot afford to just stay home until the marks on my face have subsided. There are times when I have to squeeze in a treatment during lunch break, but I have to put on makeup immediately after. I know this aggravates the condition of my skin, my pores being all open still. Is there a makeup product I can use to conceal red marks, one that will not clog pores?
YANA
The Belo Medical Group carries this product called Lycogel Breathable Camouflage. It is formulated like foundation, gives very good coverage, but is safe to use even minutes after a facial. It is a product that covers imperfections (red marks, swelling) as your skin recovers. I remember one time when I needed to get cystic acne drained and injected, and my dilemma was I had a dinner to go to immediately after. Dr. Guada of The Belo Medical Group treated my skin and she gave instructions for me to use Lycogel a few minutes. It was very easy to apply, felt light on the face, and no one even noticed at the dinner that I had just gone to the dermatologist.
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.