Say goodbye to acne blemishes
HI, REGINA!
I have lots of discolorations from pimples on my lower back. I’ve been using a body scrub regularly, but it’s not working. What are my options?
ABBY
Discolorations from acne tend to go a few layers deep, and skin takes at least four weeks to turn over, so that may take you a while. (I would know, I’ve had to deal with that problem, too!) Discolorations on areas that get more frequent washing like your face, twice a day, compared to the rest of your body if you only take one shower, exfoliate and turn over faster.
Scrubs really won’t cut it, and there’s a possibility that by using something abrasive so often, you could be aggravating and causing inflammation to your problem area, making even more blemishes flare up. If you’re going to use a scrub on a daily basis, make sure it’s one that’s labeled gentle and indicated for daily use.
If you’re willing to see a dermatologist, though, that will speed up the progress significantly. I recently paid a visit to Dr. Aivee Aguilar-Teo at her clinic on Burgos Circle to discuss exactly your problem, and she gave me some options.
One: You could ask your derma to give you a chemical peel. These work quickly, making your skin turn over faster; the only problem is that there is some downtime — your skin will obviously be peeling, and the area may be red and itchy, and this may last a couple of weeks. But you’ll see immediate results. The marks won’t be completely gone straightaway, but they won’t be as pronounced.
Two: If you don’t want downtime or don’t want to deal with discomfort, you can opt to do a series of laser treatments instead. These will have no downtime, but they will take longer to take effect, you will need to drop by the clinic with more frequency, and they will be more expensive.
Either option, coupled with safe bleaching agents that your dermatologist can provide, should help with that problem.
REGINA
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All-white is alright, too!
DEAR LUCY,
What is a more modern option to the little black dress? And I recently got some beautifully cut pencil skirts in bright colors. What can I wear with it? Colors are bright blue, green, and one in sienna/brick.
NICOLE
Although it is a classic and a staple, I do understand the desire to look for another option. How about an all-white dress? White looks fresh and, especially when the cut is simple but very sharp, can be very striking. Always wear sexy heels, bring a nice clutch, accessorize smartly.
You can also go for black-and-white. Always be particular about how the dress falls on and flatters your figure.
For your bright-colored skirts, you can pair them with white if you want to play it safe, or you can mix them with other colors. Sienna will look nice with a top in a shade of blue (powder or navy). Your blue skirt can be worn with turquoise or you can always experiment with colors in a shade of red. You can wear solid black with green to tone it down without making it look less interesting. LUCY
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You and eye makeup
DEAR RISSA,
I love watching beauty pageants! How can I achieve the perfect eyebrows and smokey eye makeup that beauty queens are so good at? Eye makeup is so tricky. Please share tips!
SASA
I love wearing eyeshadow! Modeling for so many photo shoots and runway shows, I’ve seen the magic it can do. The right eyeshadow can make eyes look bigger, brighter, more beautiful — even younger and well rested.
Most women are confused and intimidated by makeup — especially eye makeup. One tip that always works for me when I put on my own eye makeup is I avoid dark and bold hues and stick to neutrals or light colors. Why? Because it’s hard to mess up. Even if it isn’t perfect, no one will be able to tell. Browns wonderfully flatter the Filipina, can take you from day to night, and are perfect for a quick yet sophisticated look. Aim to find a palette with a good mix of neutrals. We easily get tempted to buy a palette with over a dozen eyeshadow colors, but the reality is, we only end up using three to four shades. Some eyeshadow palettes even come with cheat sheets. This way you can easily remember how to achieve different beauty looks.
For a makeup rookie, sweeping a light shade on the entire lid is an easy way to add oomph to your eyes. Clean and simple, a wash of color on the entire lid looks good on all eye shapes. Here’s another tip: a light frostier shade on the inner corner of the eyes helps bring them out. Resist going overboard with the shimmer and glitter. Don’t overdo it. You don’t want to look like an over-decorated Christmas tree! Remember, the goal is to call attention to your eyes, not your eye makeup!
To share more eye makeup tips, I tapped beauty queen, blogger, model, and host Maggie Wilson. She was crowned Bb. Pilipinas World in 2007. As a beauty queen, she’s trained to do her own makeup. She herself helps train other beauty queens who are competing for international titles. What I love about her is that she makes makeup sound so practical. Makeup is not intimidating with Maggie’s tips:
• “Eyebrows aren’t twins; they’re sisters! They’re never gong to look exactly the same. There’s always one that’s maybe a little thinner, and it’s fine. Learn to work with what you have.”
• “When people say ‘smokey’ eyes, girls tend to think it should be black. I like brown best.”
• “I always opt for darker brows, but that’s just me. Normally, here in the Philippines, to soften one’s look, they go for a lighter shade. It depends also on your hair color. What I normally do is I have my eyebrows dyed the same as my hair.”
• “If you’re going to buy eyeshadow, I think it’s really important to invest in a palette with neutral shades. Sometimes we go for those with purples and greens even though we know we’re never going to be able to use them.”
• “Makeup is not hard if you practice. If you practice a lot, you will be your best makeup artist!”
RISSA
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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. Send Regina Belmonte your questions at vivatregina.tumblr@gmail.com or tweet her @vivatregina.
