Easy (but long-lasting) eyeliners
Dear Rissa,
I’ve tried those Japanese liquid eyeliners that claim to last 24 hours, but once I try curling my lashes, the liquid eyeliner sticks to my lash curler and leaves a bald spot on my lash line. What should I do?
Aimee
Most liners come in either liquid, felt-tip pen, a pot of gel or pencil form. Since using eyeliner takes a steady hand, pencil is best to work with because it’s easier to control. Pencils are user-friendly and more natural-looking, too. Liquid or felt-tip pens give great precision but require steady application, while gel eyeliners are known to give long-lasting intensity.
Throughout my modeling career, makeup artists would use gel eyeliners encased in pots. They had to dip their brushes to apply it. It doesn’t sound easy for a makeup rookie, but gel eyeliners truly deliver a long-lasting pigmented color.
The latest beauty innovation right now is gel eyeliners in the form of pencils. They provide the best of both worlds: the intensity and long-lasting quality of a gel liner with the ease of a pencil. You’ll also appreciate how gel pencil eyeliners glide on smoothly on your lids without any tugging or pulling feeling. Gel pencil eyeliners also give a great intense black color that never fades. Unlike other eyeliners, which would smudge to the lower lashes with a mere blink, gel pencil liners never budge, no matter how close to the lash line you apply it. In fact, you can even apply it to the waterline (for extra intensity!) without ever worrying it will come off. Say goodbye to bald spots, which liquid liners tend to leave because this liner really stays put. There are many brands out there, but try to find an automatic gel pencil eyeliner, which comes with a concealed sharpener on one end so you can shape the tip to the perfect point you need.
Rissa
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Go Slow, Go Healthy To Get That Beach Body
Dear Lucy,
Please help me lose weight. I’ve tried all sorts of diets, I just see-saw, it’s depressing! Results are never permanent. Help! How do you maintain your weight? The fact that it’s almost summer does not help my anxiety about my body at all during this bikini season. I’m afraid I will look disgusting in a bikini! A
You’re a bit too hard on yourself. No, you will not look disgusting (and who says you absolutely must wear a bikini anyway!) and yes, there is something you can do about your weight if it’s really bothering you.
What do I know for sure: Crash diets are never worth it. Never. I have fallen prey to those when I was in my 20s and it wasn’t until after I became a mother that I really started to learn to love my body in a healthy and holistic way. And I still continue to work at it. Every effort matters, you must remember that.
Go slow, go healthy. Choose whole foods and go for nutrient-dense meals. I like filling myself up with the good stuff first, thus leaving very little space for less-healthy choices that I may be tempted to indulge in. It works. There are days when it is a conscious effort and there are days when it comes naturally. I do eat healthy, but I also do not deprive myself too much. I’ll eat what I want to eat, but not so much of it always. Make little cuts in your diet — take out soda, lessen dessert and you need not have rice every single meal. The weight will fall off. And I’m sure you already know that you can trim down faster if you engage in some sport.
There are so many choices for beachwear now. There is something flattering for everyone. Don’t beat yourself up about it. But know that there is no magic to a beautiful and healthy body. To achieve that, you must put in some effort. Grandma was always right, it boils down to basics — healthy food choices, exercise, everything in moderation. And while you are a work in progress, as is every other human in the world right now, settle first for choosing swimwear that will highlight your assets, and cover your flaws.
Enjoy the beach!
Lucy
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Send e-mail to Lucy Torres-Gomez at ltg@pldtdsl.com. E-mail Rissa Trillo at stylesos_rissa@yahoo.com or follow her on Twitter @RissaMananquil.
