How to conceal those skin blemishes

Dear Rissa,

When I was younger, my face was smooth, clear and practically blemish-free. Sadly, now that I’m in my mid-twenties, my face is not as fresh and as flawless. I have a few tiny scars from those occasional breakouts, some freckles from overexposure to the sun, and I’m beginning to form slightly noticeable laugh lines! I know nature has to do its work and I’m perfectly fine with that. But while I haven’t found the fountain of youth, I’d like to have better complexion, even just sometimes for those special occasions. I’m talking about make-up. I’m not much into it and the only full-coverage makeup I remember is my mom’s cake foundation! And God forbid I’ll ever use that! Do they even still make it?!? Anyhow, although I hardly use make-up (just those face powders), I’ve been doing some magazine reading. I’ve heard of primers. What are they and what are they for? What’s a good concealer? And how do I pick the right foundation for me? Lastly, with all the makeup technology today, what’s the trend for makeup? Enlighten me. — Patricia

Dear Patricia,

The makeup experts are unanimous: The trend today is for transparency. "The goal is not to mask the face, but to bring out the beauty of the skin grain with supple, fluid textures that can be superimposed without excess buildup," says Pat McGrath, makeup artist for studios and runway shows and co-creator of the Giorgio Armani Cosmetics makeup line.

Today’s new makeup lines offer a three-step program for the face: primers, concealers, and foundations that ensure freshness, radiance, and a perfect, even complexion.

Don’t confuse primers with concealers. Primers act as "underwear" for the skin, smoothing out fine lines and reviving the skin’s natural radiance with extremely lightweight textures and light reflecting pigments. "They are not used like a foundation," explains McGrath. "Primers are applied either all over the face, using the fingertips and taking care to blend in thoroughly, or by mixing two drops into a liquid foundation, or by adding light final touches to the prominent parts of the face." Pink shades make the skin look fresh, whites add clarity and gilded tints brighten up dark or tanned skin.

Personally, I like Estee Lauder’s Idealist. After I put it on, my pores appear minimized and my skin feels incredibly smooth. Makeup and hairstylist Alex Carbonell of Propaganda shares that Clarins Beauty Flash Balm is his must-have tool. When he does weddings, it especially works wonders on the stressed-out faces of brides-to-be.

The new generations of concealers can do it all: smooth, blend, camouflage, and even "mattify." A good under-eye concealer is an all-purpose tool for fresh, great looking skin. For much sought-after makeup artist Patrick Rosas, the Shisheido UV White stick concealer is his latest beauty weapon. It not only acts as a concealer, technology allows it to act as a skin corrector as well. And right now, only he has it because it’s currently available in Japan. Given that, another option is Cinema Secrets Concealer #19. Alex confidently assures that it goes well with the widest range of skin tones.

The best technique is to dab light touches on the inside corner of the eye, on top of the upper lid, between the brows, on the lower lid, around the nostrils and on the tip of the nose. Because you’re dealing with sensitive areas of the face where skin is quite fragile, lightly tap with the fingertips to smooth it into the skin without spreading.

"If you want a beautiful complexion, you have to let your skin breathe," says Terry de Gunzburg, international director of creation and marketing behind the dynamic and highly sought after Yves Saint Laurent cosmetics line, "and stick to your natural color. A foundation is not camouflage paint. It should be present but imperceptible, in perfect osmosis with the skin." Supple, light and intangible as well as moisturizing, the latest foundations combine skin care functions and makeup effects with a great deal of superior technical skill and taste. Providing just enough coverage, they conform to the face’s contours to guarantee a perfect finish. Fluid, creamy, compact — they come in all textures.

Certainly, you don’t want a thick cakey finish when it comes to foundations. When choosing, you also have to consider your skin type. Liquid foundations work well for dry skin while powder is good for oily skin. There are also numerous products in the market that offer SPF protection. So consider your lifestyle to assess whether you need this or not.

When choosing your proper shade, you conventionally test it on your jaw line. But Alex says that the correct foundation is chosen when testing is done on the area of the neck. He also advises that when putting on makeup at home, it would be ideal to have a combination of both yellow light and florescent light.

For light coverage, I use MAC Studio Fix (a favorite of many models, I noticed) and dust it on my face like loose powder. But for more coverage, I use the sponge to apply it on my face. Another product to try is Clarins Hydrating Foundation. It provides excellent yet natural looking coverage while moisturizing the skin.

For Alex, Cinema Secrets is the best when it comes to foundation. "It makes the skin really flawless and it covers all blemishes." On the other hand, Patrick enjoys very much the Shisheido UV White stick foundation. He also uses Shisheido powder to set the makeup.

The important thing, according to Terry, is to "take time to try out the product — as always, it’s a question of affinity."

* * * Scarf Art

Dear Rissa,

I noticed that accessories are very big right now. All those dangling earrings, large belts and colorful bags — I see those kinds of accessories on my daughter and other teenagers. Since I’m a working woman in my early 40s, I don’t feel such accessories are appropriate for me. Going to office everyday with accessories like that may be quite distracting. Plus, I certainly don’t want my clients to doubt my professionalism. So while at the parlor, I was going through the pages of a foreign fashion magazine and I saw women stylishly dressed with scarves as their accessory. I really feel that among all the accessories, scarves will better suit my lifestyle. They seem very versatile and can be used in work or during leisure time, as suggested by the pictures in the magazine. I’d like to invest in a good one. What are the things to consider and look for when buying a scarf? Can you also give me suggestions on how to use them? Thank you for all your help. — M.C.G.

Dear MCG,

Since you seem to work in a conservative environment, scarves can be a style lifeline. Scarves are pretty, versatile, and practical. They’re unusual accessories in that the best ones easily make the jump from casual to professional and even to formal wear, which is why you can hardly have too many. A scarf can also shield you from the sun and protect you from the cold.

The best dress scarves are made from ultraheavy silk. Hermes, Ferragamo, Gucci and Versace are some of the names to watch for. The best scarves are soft so they tie and drape beautifully and feel good against your skin. Natural fibers like cotton, silk, and wool are good, but so are many of the blends.

The designs on most silk scarves are screenprinted, which means every single color required a separate procedure to put it there. The more colors in a printed scarf, the more complicated the production, and the higher the intrinsic value. Hermes scarves are the most colorful, featuring up to 25 different hues.

With printed silk scarves, the coloration is usually less intense on the reverse side. Check to see that the color and print are almost, if not exactly, the same on both sides so it will look great however you tie it.

The finest silk scarves have hems that are rolled and sewn by hand. Hermes is so proud of the beauty of its hem that it’s meant to be worn facing outward. A hand-sewn hem should also be slightly puffy rather than flat. If it is flat, the scarf has suffered hard pressing.

There are almost as many styles of scarf — square, oblong, pocket, shawl, muffler, wrap, bandana, kerchief — as there are ways to tie them. A square scarf is your smartest buy because you can do so many things with it. Fold it diagonally so the fabric is on the bias. This makes it easier to drape and tie. If you want your scarf to be less bulky, twist it just enough to control the fullness. The fabric shouldn’t look tortured.

Pick your knots carefully. Few women can pull of the Audrey Hepburnesque teeny scarf knotted at the base of the neck. But if you have a graceful neck, go for it. The cub-scout neckerchief style works fine with sweaters and tops, but with button down blouses, a high knot can look fussy — a looser, lower knot may be more appealing. The choker works with almost every type of open collar, but this style isn’t flattering for women with short necks. Avoid knots that turn scarves into droopy loops. Another turn around the neck usually prevents this.

A scarf works equally well as a sash, or folded diagonally and tied around the waist with the point falling over the hip. With enough practice, it can also be worn as a turban. Twisted and tied around your forehead, it keeps the perspiration out of your eyes when working out.

Larger scarves, can become a sarong dress in the summer. In printed soft cotton, it goes over swimsuits and can also be tied diagonally over the bust to make a strapless top, or even tied over the hips to make a skirt. When travelling, large scarves can be used as blankets, or even rolled into a pillow.

Play with your scarves in the privacy of your bedroom so you can learn to wear them unselfconsciously.

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For more beauty and fashion tips, watch The Kikay Machine daily on Juice TV and FTV (Fashion TV) every Sunday from 11 to 12 p.m. on ABC-5.