Beauty is power

Style maven Elsa Klensch once said, “Style commands attention and respect, even when a woman is not beautiful. A stylish woman can go anywhere and achieve anything.”

If style can accomplish all that, what can beauty do?

From years of observation, I’d say lots more. Beauty commands more attention and more respect. A beautiful woman can go anywhere and achieve anything, but she doesn’t really need to achieve much because most everything will be handed to her on a silver platter.

No wonder beauty is a billion-dollar industry.

A survey in the UK revealed that a British woman spends an average of 9,000 pounds (P615,291) on makeup in a lifetime. From the age of 16, a woman will shop for foundation, mascara and lipstick at least five times a year, spending the equivalent of P1,793 each time.

Research also found that 70 percent of women never leave the house without applying some form of cosmetic, and that a fifth of the nation’s boyfriends have never seen their partners without makeup — even in bed!

In Japan, the tough economy has caused young women to buy cheaper makeup from drugstores or via mail order, but they’ll still spend on their favorite products, regardless of price. Before the tsunami hit, young Japanese women spent an average of $115 (P4,856) on cosmetics in a single month, over three times higher than women in Europe (P1,393) or the USA (P1,098).

Firm believers in the philosophy that “beautiful makeup rests on beautiful skin,” Japanese women — like French femmes and unlike makeup-loving Americans — spend more on skincare than makeup, and view items such as cleansers, facial washes, moisturizers and eye creams as vital.

While the global recession has caused many women — and men — to cut back a bit on their beauty regimens, it’s safe to say no one will ever give up completely on their efforts to look good. Their relations to the opposite sex and their jobs depend on it.

How much would you spend on beauty, and what’s your secret vice, makeup or skincare?

Mine is makeup, and let me add fragrance to the list.

Whenever I get a hankering for my form of candy — the non-caloric kind that trims inches from my hips rather than adds to it — I head to the Philippines’ ultimate beauty Mecca, The Beauty Source at Rustan’s Makati.

Rustan’s has turned its Grand Mall area — the corridor running behind Rustan’s Makati’s cosmetics floor — into The Beauty Source, with individual boutiques showcasing curated offerings of the best, most coveted brands in the world, many of which are featured on the following pages.

Starting Sept. 6, Rustan’s is holding a month-long cosmetics festival called “Beauty Tour,” which is fitting because browsing through these brands is like traveling around the world without ever having to buy a plane ticket.

The display windows feature beauty capitals like Paris, Milan, New York and Tokyo, giving shoppers a privileged glimpse into the beauty secrets of these glamorous cultures. You can even touch down in exotic Morocco via its argan oil — a miracle in a bottle said to beautify every part of the body.

This September, the focus is not just on shopping and consumerism; Rustan’s will also be holding workshops so that you can learn more about various beauty topics and how to maximize the benefits of their products (see page 15).

A little knowledge, coupled with beauty, of course, is a powerful thing.