Beauty Picks

With eyes wide open

MANILA, Philippines - To be honest, I have nothing against crow’s feet — you know, those wrinkles by the outer corners of the eyes? I think they’re lovely, an indication that you’ve spent a good amount of your lifetime smiling or laughing. If I weren’t blessed (or cursed, depends on how you look at it) with a Resting Bitch Face (Resting Bitch Everything, really), I’d probably already have them. What freaks me out, though, is the idea of under-eye wrinkles (I’m already starting to see some at 27) and eyelid sagging. Oh God, eyelid sagging. Nothing says you’re getting old quite like eyelids that start to droop. They make your eyes look smaller, they make the eye area look shadowy and darker; you are no longer that bright-eyed young ingénue. It’s probably inevitable, but that doesn’t mean you can’t waylay it for as long as you can — and Kiehl’s is here to help. Their new Super Multi-Corrective Eye-Opening Serum is a 5-in-1 anti-aging serum that helps to smooth, lift, and firm the orbital area, making it look more open, youthful, and bright. Rhamnose helps increase thickness in that particularly thin (and thinning, as you age) area, boosting firmness. Sodium hyaluronate is a hydration must, allowing skin to hold more water and look more plump and healthy. Illuminating minerals boost brightness and make the area appear more luminous. Best of all, the formula is silky and lightweight, and melts right into the skin for a comfortable feel. I don’t really need this yet — my eyes are mostly still good — but hey, I’m going to get a headstart.

Eau so Fiji fresh

Over the years, I have amassed quite the collection of perfumes. I have an eau du jour that I always keep in my purse — my everyday scent until I get sick of it. (It’s been Coco Noir for months.) I have fragrances that I only wear when with certain people — which means I’ve had to retire a good number of scents already.  (Goodbye, Fendi L’Acquarossa. I loved you for quite some time, but we’re over.) I have perfumes that I wear to suit certain moods. But what I always, always go back to are the fresh, watery, green scents. There’s just something so clean about smelling clean. The latest on my shelf: The Body Shop’s Fijian Water Lotus. Its top notes (mandarin and litsea) lead into the sweet scent of Fijian water lotus and rose, before closing with a marine accord. It’s light, it’s refreshing, and I like that it comes in perfume oil, mist, eau de toilette, lotion, body butter, and shower gel variants so that I don’t have to worry about my scents warring with each other when layered.

Chubby cheeks

At the rate Clinique is going, it’s not a stretch to imagine that they will have our makeup kits looking more like pencil cases in the near future. The latest of their Chubby Sticks (which started with lip balm, then a more intensely pigmented variant, then shadow sticks) caters to cheeks, depositing a natural-looking, easy-to-apply flush. Clinique’s Chubby Stick Cheek Colour Balm is a creamy blush balm that goes on smooth and effortlessly blendable, depositing just the right amount of even color (no blotchy tint here) and a touch of sheen for that healthy glow.

Brush up on your foundation

There are many methods for applying foundation, and I’ve probably tried them all. Densely-packed brushes? Yes. Stippling brushes? Yes. Flat foundation brushes? Yes. Sponges? Yes. Weirdly-shaped sponges? Yes. Airbrushing? Yes. My own fingertips? Yes. So when Estée Lauder’s new Sculpting Foundation Brush landed on my desk, I let out this odd little squeak of excitement and then started running it across my face (FYI, it feels luxurious!) because I have never seen anything quite like it. The bristles are laid flat, like some of the flat brushes I’ve used. But the bristles are also densely packed, like other brushes I’ve used. What’s new about it is the brush shape: wide, and curved to fit the contours of the face. I can already see how it’s going to be very useful for creating contour, but for filling in the whole face, you only need to cover three areas from the center out: 1) from your cheeks upwards towards the middle of your ears, 2) across your chin and over your lower jaw, and 3) from the center of your forehead and out towards the temples. Swirl gently to blend and gaze at your flawless finish in awe.