There's a kind of blushby Rissa M. Samson of the Philippine Star’s YS

Dear Rissa,

Hi! Let me just say I like your column and I’m really glad it exists. Now on with my question.

I‘m a pretty basic girl when it comes to makeup. I have a few tubes of lipstick, but I usually just wear lipgloss. I have a few nice tubes of mascara in various colors (blue, black and brown), but I usually just put on the clear one. I use moisturizer (tinted, sometimes) and that’s it. I can live without every single one of these items, and I would still be fine. But, I cannot live without cheek tint or gel blush. I absolutely need it, and I don’t know where to get it in this country!

It’s the only kind of blush that I can actually figure out, and my face thrives on it. I am on my last tube of Benetint! If you can, please tell me which works the best (I still love Benetint but in its absence I’m willing to take your word for an alternative), how much (cheap would be a good bonus) and where to get it. I don’t know if it’s just the salespeople I came across or just my luck that it’s really out of stock, but I really need it. Help!

Thanks! — Andie

Dear Andie,

I use Benetint too! I think we love it for the same reasons: it’s so easy to apply and the color suits practically every kind of girl. But consider running out of your favorite blush a beauty blessing. When I ran of Benetint, I discovered other blushes out there in the world of makeup.

And so my model friends and I stumbled upon Bench’s blush called Pretty When Pinched. Super cute name, yes, and one tube of this cheek tint costs just around a hundred. You’ll probably like it because like your old blush, it comes in gel form. Don’t forget to blend it just like any blush, or else you’ll end up with two pink patches on your cheeks. Although it comes in one simple shade, it flatters every kind of girl from morena to mestiza and chinita.

When I ran out of Pretty When Pinched, I happily discovered another new blush: Maybelline Pure Blush. It’s super cool, and costs only P265. This water-based powder blush comes in a round disc shape. So when you take the lid off, you simply dot it on the apples of your cheeks and the color glides on smoothly. Plus, it blends really well. You can either use your fingers to sweep and blend or fluff it on with a blush brush! If you’re very particular with color, Maybelline Pure Blush offers four natural shades: pure apricot, pure berry, pure hazelnut and pure rose. If you’re tired of the pinkish hues, you can try warmer colors for a toned and tanned look.

I really like blush! It instantly brightens the face like no other makeup can. I’ve tried Benetint, Pretty When Pinched, and now that my Pure Blush is near empty, I wonder what new blush I’ll fall in love with next? Hmmm...

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Hunting For That Great White Shirt

To Rissa,

Hi! congratulations for having a nice column "Eye Style." I’m really into fashion, and loved dressing up even as a student. Right now I’m working in a government institution as one of the staff doing linkages and external assistance. I have to deal with different VIPs so I want to look my best.

I read in your column, about the Spanish brand Amichi in Rustan’s. I love white because it goes well with any other color and I love wearing it with black pants.

I have some white tops which I only wear for important appointments. My aunt gave these to me from the States. I can’t purchase the same things here since these are branded like Esprit, YSL and Guess. I would like to try Amichi but is it as expensive as the ones I’ve mentioned?— Frances Nicole Fernandez

Dear Frances,

You’re right. White is a fabulous color. It makes you look immaculately clean and polished. White also takes you a long way because it can be paired with absolutely any color — from pastel pink to ruby red, from mustard yellow to charcoal gray. A white shirt is certainly one of the most versatile items in our closet, next to the little black dress, of course.

When we modeled for the Amichi fashion show, we had a chance to "roast test" on the ramp some of Amichi’s white shirts. Priced P795 and above, Amichi’s white shirts range from sleeveless cotton tops with a blend of spandex to luxuriously knitted collared blouses.

Finding the perfect white shirt isn’t really very easy. There are some who easily find it as they walk in the first store. To some, to find a good one, they must have a hundred try!

Check out Bench. Their underwear line offers not just thongs, bras and panties. They’ve got basic tees too. For just P319, you can get yourself quality tees — 95 percent cotton, five percent spandex. This kind of blend can take you from a movie date, to the gym and even to the office when paired with that smart black blazer. Take your pick from round-neck or v-neck shirts, whichever flatters you.

You definitely have to check out Benetton as well. Their latest collection just arrived! Not only do they have those much-sought-after basic white shirts (at a very affordable P395), Benetton has put a fresh twist to those white shirts with eye-catching designs. "Invigorating UCB Energy!" "Rave Energy!" I’m honestly not a fan of printed shirts but I couldn’t resist buying them!

Then again, spaghetti strap tank tops are undeniably more feminine than white basic tees. They’re much more fun to accessorize too with their open neckline. Benetton has them as well for just P295. And to be very Benetton, you can count on the store to carry other colors aside from white. This is the same line of tank tops they made me wear when we shot the spring/summer campaign in New York.

Another mecca for those lovely white tees is the department store. I remember back in high school when we were required to take CAT once a week, our prescribed uniform was dark blue jeans, black leather shoes (well-shined of course!) and a white T-shirt. While all my other classmates borrowed their kuya’s white shirt, I didn’t want to attend CAT every Saturday morning in a loose, ill-fitting and very unflattering white shirt! And so I did my own hunt for a fabulous fitting white shirt. I went to the men’s department of Robinsons and happily went home with two great white shirts — one from Hanes and one from Rusty Lopez.

Hope my list helps you! Happy hunting!