Beauty picks

MAC throwbacks

MANILA, Philippines - Christmas came early this year, thanks to MAC, which just brought back MAC by Request, wherein the most loved shades from the ‘90s and the 2000s are revived for an encore performance. MAC followers started voting for their favorite shades on Facebook last July 8. Three lipsticks and three shadows with the most votes will return in Spring 2014. Has your favorite lipstick shade been discontinued? Visit MAC Cosmetics on Facebook to cast your vote.

Eye do

The easiest way to look older than you are is to have eyes that look less than stellar. Droopy lids, dark circles and dry skin around the eye area make you look tired and strip away that freshness factor associated with youth. This is why I am a fan of eye products — apply them after a long night (of work or excess, they don’t judge) and you wake up to semi-fresh peepers in the morning. Imagine what they can do in tandem with good sleeping habits! Chanel Hydra Beauty Gel Yeux delivers hydration and radiance in soothing, cooling gel form. It has Camellia Alba, antioxidant Blue Ginger and a precise eye complex that combats signs of fatigue. It makes skin around the eye area wonderfully taut. It also doesn’t have a strong scent (a plus!) and comes in a non-oily texture that you can sleep in without worrying about breaking out overnight. Available at Rustan’s.

Stop skin stress

Redness, blotchiness, dehydration and fatigue are signs of skin stress caused by a lot of different factors, but mostly by not giving your body time to recharge and rejuvenate itself. Kiehl’s Skin Rescuer is exactly as its name suggests –– a skin-saving invention that addresses the short-term signs and the long-term premature aging effects of stress on skin. It contains a Rosa Gallica Botanical Extract that minimizes the skin’s respone to stress by reducing the inflammation, as well as mannose, a barrier-protecting rare sugar that shields and helps promote recovery.

Ace of bases

It seems everybody wants that “lit-from-within” glow. You know, the kind that makes you look a little ethereal, almost Cate Blanchett-y. While Cate was born with great skin, we mere mortals can fake it with a good primer. Bobbi Brown Illuminating Face Base SPF 25 is an ultra-luxe primer that enhances skin’s own luminosity, while hydrating and smoothing it for flawless makeup application. It diminishes dullness and minimizes the appearance of pores, fine lines and wrinkles, as well as controls excess shine for up to eight hours. Available at Rustan’s.

BB for your body

Sometimes one has to wonder what kind of world encourages regular people to wear body makeup, but then again would we really have it any other way? I stumbled upon Make Me Glamorous Body BB Balm SPF 15 at The Face Shop during a trip to the brand’s mother ship, Seoul, Korea, for its 10th anniversary and I immediately snatched it up. On the packaging it says, “Body BB Balm makes the bodyline look three-dimensional.” Whatever this means, I assume it can only be good. After all, the product delivers subtle, flattering shimmer, SPF, translucent coverage and comes in a healthy rosy shade. Apply generously or sparingly, depending on your destination.