Yet another Pink thing

As I survey my apartment, through my bag, workout wardrobe, even my underwear drawer, I realize that I have a lot of pink things. Which is why it wasn’t difficult for me to find a pink thing to wear to last week’s Estée Lauder’s Health and Wellness Weekend.

Cool tool kit: My Japonesque Manicure Set is the perfect emergency kit for makeup jobs

Right now I’m loving the Japonesque Manicure set (P1,600, Beauty Bar) a cute little hard case that houses a pair of tweezers, nail clipper, nail nippers, nail & cuticle scissors, combination nail file, nail grooming tool, and nail scoop. I put this set to the test with my manicurist, who was pretty impressed with the features of all the nail tools. In between mani and pedis, I’ve made it a habit to use these gizmos to nip, clip, and upkeep my digits. The very first time I brought this to a magazine makeup job, it addressed all the talents’ needs: the female model’s ungroomed brows, to the male model’s unkempt arches, and the child model’s unclipped finger nails.

Precise. Pretty. Practical. Pink. Perfect.

Estée Lauder: Beautiful inside and out

I’ve been having a hard time finding the drive to blog about anything lately, what with the tragedy brought about by typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng. Mentioning anything about makeup or skincare in the middle of this turmoil didn’t feel right.

Time to wear pink! Estée Lauder celebrates Breast Cancer Awareness Month

But my hope in beauty was quickly restored when I came across Estée Lauder’s Pink Ribbon Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign. The Estée Lauder Companies Breast Cancer Awareness (BCA) campaign started in 1992 by Evelyn H. Lauder and SELF Magazine’s then editor-in-chief Alexandra Penney, when the two launched the Pink Ribbon, now known worldwide as the symbol of breast health. The campaigns have raised millions in educating women that early detection can help fight breast cancer.

Happy to support: Estée Lauder Group of Companies Ina Casas, Gay Lao, myself (representing Women’s Health and The Beauty Coach), OK Magazine’s Frances Amper and Kristine Ching, and Estée Lauder’s big boss Mel Lerma

Here in the Philippines, the Estée Lauder Group of Companies (comprised ofEstée Lauder, Aramis Fragrances, La Mer, Bobbi Brown and Clinique) take part in the BCA by holding a Health and Wellness Weekend at the Fifth Level of Rustan’s Makati. I attended this event-packed gathering last Friday, together with breast cancer survivors and members of the icanserve foundation. All of us attendees excitedly lined up at the different booths sponsored by the companies mentioned above.

Tired eyes be gone! My eyes got some pampering courtesy of La Mer

I had a soothing eye massage from the La Merbooth and still wanted to get my skin analyzed at the Estée Lauder booth, as well as skin treat from Clinique, find a fragrance that fit me at Aramis Designer Fragrances, and a makeover from Bobbi Brown, but it was time for the Iyengar Yoga session held by Rina Ortiz.

If you want to take part in this packed event, it’s not too late. Today is the last day of the Health and Wellness event (click here for a schedule of today’s events). Explore the pinkribbon.com.ph website and see how you can take home special treats from today’s event, while supporting the cause of breast cancer awareness. Now that’s what I call good news.

Photos by Wacky Gochoco, courtesy of Estée Lauder Group of Companies

I followed Sarah Jessica Parker’s advice

SJP says: In a pinch, use a toilet seat cover to blot unwanted shine. Photo courtesy of www.accidentalsexiness.com

In my effort to pack light for my European holiday, I pared down my makeup kit to the following necessities: Physician’s Formula Mineral Powder Foundation, Bloom Lipgloss, Shu Uemura Liquid Concealer, Za Brow Pencil, and Clarins Blush. I housed these beauty products in a smaller makeup kit, which neatly fit in my carryall.

Then on the plane I realized I left my trusty oil blotters. Fearing that my skin would experience an oil spill at the first sign of heat, I marched to the airplane toilet and allowed the spirit of MacGyver to take over. I looked around the rest room and found my salvation stuck on the bathroom wall.

Toilet seat humor: it may sound funny, but this actually works!

I remember flipping through Hollywood’s Black Book of Secrets (which is quickly becoming a favorite, as you will note in my past entry on Getting Fully Landscaped), on celebrity beauty tips, and came across SJP’s quick solution: use a toilet seat cover to rid your face of unwanted oil. I pulled a sheet out and kept it in my bag (neatly folded, of course!), ready for use should the need arise. When I landed in Oslo, the weather was cold and dry. The next four countries I visited were humid-free, so I didn’t need to use Carrie Bradshaw’s beauty secret. So there, it remained a secret in my bag, until one month later when I was back home. The weather was humid and sticky, and my skin was begging for some blotting, so I pulled out the seat cover (I tore just a small piece—heaven forbid I take out the entire piece of paper in public!) and pressed it against my skin. The oil quickly disappeared and my face was free of shine. Toilet seat covers aren’t popular here in Manila, and oil blotters are cheap, but if you find yourself in a predicament like mine, at least you know that the stuff really does work.

Welcome, MAC!

Beauty junkie's paradise: MAC is finally open!

This morning, MAC opened its doors at the Power Plant Mall in Rockwell. Loyal users of this Canadian brand can now get their tubes of lipglass, palettes of eyeshadow, pots of concealer, sticks of bronzers, and other show-stopping makeup—all under one roof. ”We’re thrilled to open our first MAC free standing store. This is a new generation store designed to maximize the customer’s experience,” says Gay Lao, MAC’s sales and marketing manager.

That's me rubbing elbows (well, hips) with Gay Lao, MAC's sales and marketing manager

Another reason to stop by the store is MAC’s latest collection—a showcase of three artists: painter Richard Phillips, illustrator Maira Kalman, and photographer Marilyn Minter. All three provided inspiration for the brand’s latest shades and offerings: a mix of bright, vivid colors and dark, rich hues. I managed to browse through the store this morning but will go back another day (er, actually, tomorrow).

The new MAC store is located at 105b G/F, Lifestyle Wing, Power Plant Mall, Rockwell Center, Makati. Tel # 898-2045

Pass the sugar, pore favor!

Sticky and sweet: I loved the exfoliating power of sugar! Photo courtesty of http://www.bbcgoodfood.com

Mary Poppins knew what she was thinking when she said a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down…in the most delightful way. In my case, it helped me get rid of the dry film of skin that has formed as a result of traveling to much cooler climates. Over the past week I have been visiting family and friends in Holland and Norway, and the change in temperature has taken a toll on my skin. I forgot my trusty facial scrub(s—I have five bottles sitting in my shower rack!), and with the Euro/Norwegian Krone to Peso conversion, I saw it pointless to spend on a 6th bottle. So I decided to go the natural way and get some sugar from the kitchen of my Norwegian hosts Lars and Marie Cecile. I mixed  in two teaspoons with my regular Sekkisei facial cleanser and worked up a thick consistency and massaged it all over my face for about a minute. I pat it try and put on my trusty La Mer The Tonic and Crème de la Mer (Sandra you are a life saver!) and proceeded to get some beauty sleep. I woke up this morning with ultra soft skin. The flakes and rough patches from the day before disappeared, and my clogged pores have been cleaned out. Sweet revenge, I say.

Love your boobs!

Give your girls some love, read spot.ph

I recently wrote a piece for spot.ph on how to get great-looking breasts—no surgery required. Check it out here: http://www.stylebible.ph/article.php?id=772

Oh, baby that’s what I like!

Nice, nice, baby. The Body Shop's infant care range isn't just for kids.

I’m not a mom, but I am aunt to 11 nieces and nephews, all of whom I have, at one point in their lives, given them a bath. Recently I played baby sitter to my nieces Erin, Iana, and Faith. The first two are eight and seven years old, so they’ve got their shower rituals down pat. The third, just turned six and needed help in the shampooing department. She stood in the shower with her eyes shut tight. Her cute little belly stuck out, and her long hair was in knots as I tried to untangle them carefully. “Owww, the shampoo is in my eyes!” This tense Tita quickly rinsed Faith’s face and closely observed if the suds were gone. Her eyes were still shut and she wrinkled her forehead and complained “owwww!!!! My eyes hurt!” Minutes and splashes of water later, she finally opened her eyes. Whew. What an ordeal.

Sleeping over beauties: my nieces Erin, Iana, Faith after a shower.

That’s why I am making a mental note to get The Body Shop’s Buriti Baby range, for the next sleep over with my nieces. The entire line is pediatrician-approved, dermatologically-tested, and suitable for sensitive skin, so I’m sure they’ll get cleaned and moisturized safely and gently, thanks to the buriti oil ingredient, which contains beta carotine, pro-vitamin A, oleic fatty acids, and essential fatty acids. The scent is a gentle baby fragrance that has a hint of powder laced in it— so fresh and light. It’ll be hard to keep my hands off of these products until the next sleep over, so girls, pack up your bags and come over.

The Body Shop Buriti Baby range will be available at The Body Shop by end August. Prices start at P550.

Pump up the volume!

Guess who got a new Lab partner? Kerastase did.

I visited Bench Fix Lab (G/L Glorietta 4 between Ascott Hotel and Modern China Restaurant; 815-6913), who recently partnered with Kérastase to give birth to the Kérastase Lounge, a private area dedicated solely to haircare. Oliver Salva, Kérastase’s product manager, gave me the tour of the swanky-looking lab, which not only has an extensive menu of haircare and makeup services, they also have private rooms for full body massages, waxing, and threading services (ooh, another place to get fully landscaped!).

Oliver then sat me down in front of a scanner, which magnifies one’s hair and scalp up to 1,000 times (before you get any kind of treatment in the Kérastase Lounge, you have to get your head and strands checked to see what treatment suits you).

Getting my head checked: That's my scalp a thousand times magnified.

Aaak, my hair strands looked sooo thick and the little capillaries on my scalp looked huge under the microscope—I got flashbacks of Darth Vader’s head—sans his helmet—in the Empire Strikes Back). Oliver knew what my head had been through the day before. “Did you wear a cap yesterday?” he asked, pointing out that my scalp looked a bit red and slightly irritated (yes, I wore one in the race I joined the day before). I was amazed. It was like I was in a confession booth, and Oliver knew all my sins.

Thankfully my hair and scalp were in pretty good shape (whew!) so I was cleared to receive the salon’s latest offering—Kérastase Volumorphose, the solution to limp, flat, and volume-less locks. The process is simple: your hair is sectioned and then applied with the volumizing ingredient Intra-cylane, which penetrates the core of your hair strand. It supposedly causes your strand to expand, thus giving it volume and body. Your hair is massaged for 20 to 30 minutes, and then rinsed and shampooed, then your locks are blown dry. What?! That’s it?

Those fat black cables are my hair strands.

Nope. You see the effect the next day. I washed and air dried my hair (I let it air dry), and was surprised to see that I looked like I got a professional blow out. No kidding! People that I saw or worked with that day couldn’t quite put their finger on what made my hair look good (whew), but now YOU know my secret. One thing I forgot was to shoot myself before and after. You have my word though: my hair looked pretty good.

What to ask for at Bench Fix Lab: The Volumorphose Treatment
How much it costs: P1,000
Added treats: A hot stone massage (it comes with the service) while you wait for the product to set in.
How long it lasts: Up to 10 shampoos. After five, however, I noticed that it’s not as voluminous, but it still looks good.

Something to make you smile

I was styling beauty products for a Get The Look Beauty story for OK Magazine last Thursday. I twisted the cap of Maybelline’s Clear Smooth Minerals Luminous Blush (P499, leading department stores), and I was thrilled to find this:

Step 1: Twist off cap

Step 2: Peel off sticker (take note of application tips before discarding)

Step 3: Look behind the sticker and smile

Okay, okay, so this smiley face may not be an added feature of Maybelline’s Mineral Line, but it was a pleasant surprise for me.

Even more pleasant was the effect of the blush on my cheeks. It was very easy to apply and blend, and gave off a very fresh, natural finish. I used it on the the bridal entourage whose makeup I did yesterday (members ranged from 30 to 60 plus!), and all five women were glowing. Now that’s something to smile about.

Water world: Ace Water Spa's numerous massage sytems are perfect for post-race winding down.

Yesterday I joined the Run For Home 21-Kilometer race sponsored by Globe. All of the conditions were perfect—the sky was clear (although that was a bit difficult to see because the assembly time at the starting line was 4:30AM), my running team and I were complete, and I was set to have a pleasant training run (three months four months to the New York City Marathon). I slathered my feet in Vaseline, massaged a good deal of Murad Waterproof Sunblock on my face, downed my trusty bottle of Hornet Juice, and I was off. I recognized a lot of seasoned runners and newbies, and enjoyed observing participants’ outfits, gadgets, hydration packs, running shoes, and running styles.

Two hours and some minutes later, I crossed the finish line feeling like a million bucks (thanks, Hornet Juice!). I couldn’t think of a better reward than a visit to Ace Water Spa in Del Monte, Quezon City to help soothe my labored muscles. In this hydrotherapy center, water soothes and invigorates muscles, improves blood circulation, and releases toxins. Aquatic jets release high-pressured water in and out of the warm pools, so I experienced different massage techniques for different body parts. The nine-pool center is perfect for kids, too. My nieces and nephews came along (thanks, Simon, for helping me babysit!) so they enjoyed the lazy river, waterfalls, floor fountain, and even some of the massage systems. My favorite part—the hot lavender herbal pool where I sat for 2 or 3 minutes and let my skin breathe while my tight leg muscles relaxed. Then I dipped in the cold whirlpool (I lasted only one second). Two hours later, we headed for home, my head hit the pillow, and I slept like a baby.