A Songbird of style

She arrived at the GMA 7 studio, in a simple T-shirt and jogging pants, sans makeup and with her bed-head tresses still un-coiffed.

But as makeup artist Jay Feliciano started dolling her up in the dressing room and as she slipped on the mini-dress designed exclusively for her by Rajo Laurel, Regine Velasquez quietly assumed the glamorous persona of Asia’s Songbird for a taping of Search for a Star.

But before the Songbird could soar, she must deal with the nitty-gritty.

"I’m cutting up the false eyelashes in half because my eyes are too small," she explains. "Regular falsies are too big for me."

Her chinky eyes also limit her choice of eyeshadow shades, she shares.

"I don’t have a lot of makeup secrets," Regine points out. "It’s just that I stay away from light colors because I have small eyes. I prefer brown. I cannot use white and pastels."

She gleefully informs her trusted makeup artist Jay that she likes Demi Moore’s smudged eye makeup in Charlie‘s Angels 2: Full Throttle.

"They put eyeshadow on the sides of the eyes, to make it look wider," Jay explains.

"Another trick is the liner, what we call the tungkil," Regine volunteers. "That also makes your eyes seem bigger. Same with false eyelashes which really open up your eyes."

For mascara, she swears by Maybelline. "It has always been my choice for mascara," she asserts. "For lipstick, I go for Christian Dior."

Lipstick and mascara, are two cosmetics she will never leave home without, along with a bottle of cologne to keep herself fresh and peppy.

Aside from Jay, of course, Regine she also admires Fanny Serrano, among local stylists. "I’ve always liked his work."

In the past, she was under the care of such makeup masters as Jerome Chang and Biba and Mutra.

"I learned how to do my own makeup by watching Biba and Mutra," Regine remembers. "They were the ones who handled me when I was starting. I learned just by watching them."

These days, she relies on Jay for her makeup needs.

"Especially if I’m not in the mood to do my own face," she pipes up.

"But Regine still insists on being part of the process," Jay chimes in. As such, Regine would usually apply her own foundation or cut the false eyelashes herself, even if Jay is around.

Collaborative is her makeup style.

Indeed, Regine can be one tough customer on the makeup chair. She is not shy to point out what she wants when it comes to her on-cam look.

She can be meticulous, in fact.

"That’s what I like about Jay," Regine says. "He doesn’t mind. And he listens to my suggestions."

The same collaborative approach applies to sartorial matters.

"Rajo and I discuss what we’re going to come up with a certain season," Regine reveals. "For now, we are into mini-skirts."

Regine first thought of wearing short, short skirts because she wanted to highlight her stunning stilettos.

"And I love shoes," she gushes. "Especially Fendi and Gucci."

She also goes gaga over bags and watches.

Another weakness, believe it or not, is the humble duster. Or to be Americanized about it, the good old sundress.

But when it comes to gowns, Rajo Laurel is the first name on her list.

"I like working with Rajo because he knows my body very well," she relates. "I also like Inno Sotto. And, of course, Louie Mamengo. He was the one who started me on the backless gowns."

Her Louie Mamengo phase in the early ’90s signaled the birth of the sophisticated Songbird.

"Everyone went "wow,’" Regine recalls. "I had this really short boyish haircut and yet I was wearing all those sexy Mamengo gowns."

For her ever-evolving fashion ideas, she gets inspiration from just about everywhere, from fashion Bibles (like Vogue, Elle, InStyle) to people-watching. She also follows Fashion TV on cable. And when she has the time, she surfs the Net.

"I also consult the Internet because you can get a lot of bright ideas from there," she shares.

Such fashion innovations are showcased in her countless concerts and two TV shows: S.O.P. and Search for a Star.

If she is forever trying out new styles and trends, it‘s not just because of an aching need to shock or gain attention.

"I have a very simple philosophy when it comes to reinventing myself," she divulges. "For as long as I am comfortable in it, I will wear it. Even with my music, I like to experiment, but only up to the extent that I am at ease with it. For as long as I know that I can get away with it, I will stand by it."

Suffice it to say, she adds, "I will not experiment and leave it half-baked."

"There’s no conscious effort on my part to always reinvent myself," she elaborates. It‘s not something I plan and prepare for. It‘s just that I really love fashion. I like changing. I like experimenting. I hate being stuck in just one style. I easily get bored. And it’s also fun to experiment. And being an artist, that sort of gives me the license to try out different things. I can’t help it. My being an artist comes out in my choice of clothes."

So if you’re not impressed with her bindis and cowboy hats, her wild orchids and mini-skirts, her hair extensions and cornrows, tough luck.

"I only do it for myself; no one else," she proffers. "I am not affected by what other people say. For as long as I like it, I will wear it with pride."

That’s Regine, the willful Songbird of style.

Catch Regine Velasquez Live at the Aliw Theater on Sept. 12, then at the Shangri-La Makati on Sept. 18 for a benefit concert for the Bridges Foundation. On Sept. 20, she will be in Iligan City and on Sept. 27 at La Salle Gym in Lipa, Batangas. From Oct. 19 to 23, she will be on board the Star Cruises for a special performance. She‘ll also have a series of shows at Onstage Greenbelt from November to December.