Beauty Picks

Latest in lip

MANILA, Philippines - It’s all about shine in the summer months — the kind of shine you want, which is on your lips, and not dripping all over your face. Swipe on a little sheen.

MAC Patentpolish Lip Pencil

I wasn’t quite sure what this was when I first twisted it up out of the tube. Is it a lipstick? Is it a lip pencil? Is it some kind of gloss-balm-thing? Lipstick innovations are happening at such a fast pace that even an admitted lipstick whore like me is having a little trouble keeping up. Whatever MAC’s Patentpolish Lip Pencils are, I love ‘em. They swipe on smooth and easy, with way more color payoff than I was expecting from a creamy formula, and they come in all the obnoxiously loud shades I lean towards. Application is made extra easy by the rounded end that requires no sharpening; you could do it in the dark. It’s a noob-proof way to put on color.

Estée Lauder Pure Color Envy Shine Sculpting Lipstick

When someone says “sculpting,” I always think in terms of contour; sculpting the face, creating definition where there is (unfortunately) none. Apparently you can sculpt your lips, now, too. It’s never been a problem for me (what, with my trout pout), but I’ve had many a friend who has complained about not-so-significant lips. A hint of shimmer and gloss is always the trick to making your mouth look fuller than it is, and you definitely get that with Estée Lauder Pure Color Envy Shine Sculpting Lipstick. This high-shine lip lacquer goes on evenly (in spite of the glossier formula, a problem that plagues lots of glossy lipsticks) and stays on, giving lips the aforementioned definition, depth, and delicious juiciness.

Bobbi Brown High Shimmer Lip Color

If you’ve always been partial to mattes, then you’re well aware that their fabulousness on your lips is often directly proportional to how drying they are. Seventy percent of my lipstick haul is made up of mattes, hence the ginormous pot of Vaseline I keep at the ready on my sink for much-needed nighttime rehabilitation. Lately, though, I’ve been setting my matte reds and violets aside in favor of soft nudes and sheer, shimmery ruby stains — perfect to pair with a smoky eye, and far more forgiving on the pout. Bobbi Brown’s High Shimmer Lip Color is packed with emollients like shea and muru muru to keep your kisser comfy, all 12 shades contain a pearl blend that makes them extra reflective to amp up your Jolie pout, and they’re the perfect level of sheer, giving you a touch of color that’s definitely there, but never over the top.

The skinny on sunscreen

With almost everyone still lounging around on a beach somewhere, it couldn’t be more obvious that summer’s far from over. Yes, you still need SPF. Try these.

Blanc de La Mer SPF 50 UV Protecting Fluid

Made with Asian skin — and Asian whitening obsession — in mind, La Mer’s Blanc de La Mer range infuses the healing and renewal qualities of the brand’s Miracle Broth with a brightening VibraWhite Ferment Blend. Perfect for anyone who wants The Glow. The latest in the range? Only the most essential beauty product ever created: sunscreen. Blanc de La Mer SPF 50 UV Protecting fluid goes on lightweight and sheer, and is infused with the special ingredients La Mer’s legendary for (duh, obvs), not only providing protection from the insidious aging powers of the sun, but also helping to correct and prevent hyperpigmentation. Of course, La Mer’s always an investment, but hey, so is your face.

Clean up your act

Washing your face with oil to combat oil…what? Sounds illogical, I know, but it works, because oil removes oil. And really, nothing takes makeup off better than a good cleansing oil. When I first started piling the stuff on my face (I’ve since learned to apply makeup properly), I would take it off the way my mom used to: with a generous amount of cold cream cleanser, wiped off with tissue, repeating the process until there was no makeup residue visible on the Kleenex. Then, followed by washing my face with regular foaming cleanser. It was rather tough on the skin, and I always looked more than a little red afterwards.

Cleansing oils are a different story. You massage a few pumps of the stuff onto your face, then wet it a little to emulsify, gently massage a little more, then wash it off with water; no stress to the skin, no pulling and tugging, and you see your paint spiraling down the drain like magic. Fantastic.

If you’ve always been oily-skinned and have thus shied away from cleansing oils, a greasiness-free one is finally hitting the shelves — and your sink, we hope. Shu Uemura’s POREfinist Anti-Shine Fresh Cleansing Oil promises to make your skin feel fresh after cleansing, and it’ll also help keep blackheads from happening to your face. Blackheads are basically the result of your skin producing too much oil. When sebum gets trapped in your pores, it eventually oxidizes, causing the tiny black plugs that we all love to loathe. This cleansing oil, made for oily skin, feels lighter than most of Shu Uemura’s other oils, but removes makeup just as thoroughly and leaves your skin feeling cleaner than clean. Love.

Human Nature Safeblock 100% Natural Sunscreen

For as long as Human Nature’s been in business, churning out environment-friendly, pro-poor, pro-Philippines, all-natural product after product, I’ve been waiting for them to come up with what I feel is essential in every human being’s beauty arsenal. Yes, sunscreen. Finally, that day has come. With PA+++ protection (meaning it wards off age-inducing UVA rays) and SPF 15 (which is actually enough if you just take the time to reapply), it definitely does the job. Admittedly, the formula goes on a little white, but that’s due to physical blockers that also help deflect the sun’s rays. The best bit, though, especially if you love to snorkel, is that this sunscreen’s formula contains none of the typical sunscreen ingredients that tend to cause coral bleaching, so you can enjoy marine wildlife, and leave it alive and thriving enough for someone else to enjoy it, too.