Clean slate

Before resolutions about work and life make their way to our lists come New Year, some wish for a blemish-free visage, a bright and glowing complexion and a fail-safe, trouble-free beauty regimen that won’t break the bank or leave you lacking sleep. There are a few easy tricks to starting over, beauty-wise.

Checks And Balances

Keep your bases covered. Instead of throwing everything out to start anew for 2008, check your products. Have they gone past the expiration date? Does the melted cream pot of your lip gloss or blush make your stomach turn? Then it’s time to give them the heave-ho. A regular six-month evaluation of your products (the lifespan of mascara, now that I think about it) helps keep your products from rotting on your beauty counter. Edit constantly and keep only the products that look good. If you’re wary of throwing out your favorite eyeshadow or lipstick, worry no longer. Almost every department store stocks all the beauty supplies you need and this pattern of product evaluation makes for a more hygienic beautifying process.

The Brush Off

Everyone knows mixing brushes with people is a no-no. You wouldn’t share your toothbrush, so why mix palette or lip brushes with someone else? The makeup borrower could be hiding an STD or a skin rash or warts! Brushes can carry germs from her bronzing palette to yours, so think well and hard before you hand over that Shu Uemura ponyhair brush to the girl next to you in the powder room.

To keep your brushes clean, invest in a good cleanser so you don’t have to chuck these pricey applicators every year.

MAC’s brush cleanser (P560 at MAC Glorietta, Rustan’s Tower Shangri-La, and Marionnaud at SM Mall of Asia), according to its makers, cleanses, disinfects and conditions brush fibers, ensuring a longer shelf life and a cleaner brush stroke. Thanks to its reasonable price, makeup artists everywhere regularly opt for the cleaning agent. For a mild wash, simply dampen a tissue with the MAC solution and gently wipe the brush against it. For a more thorough cleansing, dredge the brushes in a small amount of solution (or dunk it in a thimbleful of the formula) and then rinse lightly and dry flat so the bristle don’t get all whack.

Heavy makeup users can clean their brushes at least once or twice a month, while more sparing devotees can do so every other month.

Bobbi Brown’s more luxe version, the Bobbi Brown conditioning brush cleanser (P950 at Rustan’s) was designed to prolong the life span of high-quality brushes. If you’re going to throw all your money on one set, might as well invest in their care is the cosmetic company’s mindset. And it’s a practical one. Natural bristle brushes need more TLC than their synthetic counterparts. To make them last longer, a conditioning cleanser, which not only strips them of residue and leftover makeup, maintains the quality of the brushes.

Bobbi Brown recommends working a small amount of the concentrate on the damp brush head and then lightly massaging the formula into the bristles to get all the leftover makeup and dirt out. Finish by rinsing, patting on a towel, and once again leaving it flat to dry.

Now You See It, Now You Don’t

Everyone’s had a tricky relationship with makeup removers. Some of them appear to do the trick, but come next morning the mirror will tell you otherwise. Leftover mascara and eyeliner have dropped to your lower lid, giving you extra-large eyebags, while some residual rouge and cheek tint have made you look like a hooker past her prime. Some new makeup removers on the market are just the thing to keep your skin healthy and clean this coming year.

Revered the world over, Shu Uemura’s latest addition to the cleansing oil family is the Cleansing Beauty Oil Premium A/I with soothing phyto-ingredient for smooth, moisturized skin (P6,450 at Rustan’s Makati and Rustan’s Tower Shangri-La), which is recommended for delicate skin conditions. According to the label: “Inspired by skin-conditioning herbal plants, Cleansing Beauty Oil Premium A/I blends Oriental plants from the East and herbs from the West. This luxurious cleansing oil gently removes makeup and impurities without stripping away skin’s necessary lipids. It soothes delicate skin while respecting its natural moisture balance.” Like the original cleansing oils, makeup removal and skin purification occurs in one single step. Application of the oil, followed by emulsification results in residue-free, refined skin.

Their tagline might not be the makeup of makeup artists but it might as well be. Make Up For Ever has become the cult label that has all the makeup artists panting for their products. In the makeup remover department, their range can’t be beat.

The Make Up For Ever Extreme Cleanser (P 1,950 at Make Up For Ever Shangri-La and SM The Block), a balancing cleansing dry oil, is a dual tool, just like Shu Uemura’s, since it’s a cleanser and makeup remover in one. Non-comedogenic, this efficient cleanser instantly dissolves impurities and calms and softens skin while keeping it moisturized, thanks to regenerative active ingredients.

Make Up For Ever Sens’Eyes (P800 at Make Up For Ever Shangri-La and SM The Block), a waterproof sensitive eye cleanser, is a boon to contact lens wearers everywhere. If you’re prone to tearing easily, then this is the eye makeup remover for you. This perfume-free solution makes removing makeup from sensitive parts, like inside your lid, a cinch. For a finishing touch, this dermatologically- and opthalmologically-tested cleaning solution moisturizes and soothes eyelids.

Thanks to Make Up For Ever So Divine (P1,550 at Make Up For Ever Shangri-La and SM The Block), a moisturizing cleansing cream, using a two-step makeup removal process (if cleansing oils cause breakouts or you’re just loyal to your cleanser) isn’t quite as hard as it used to be. Like those tried-and-tested cold creams your mother used to apply before bedtime, So Divine is ideal for dry and delicate skin, providing a soft, velvety finish while leaving your face free of impurities and makeup.

Mr. Clean

If you got down and dirty in 2007, start afresh with superclean skin. Origins Get Down deep-pore clay cleanser (P1,050 at Rustan’s Makati) sucks the dirt from pores pronto. White China clay and bamboo extract purge pore cloggers, while lecithin and sage work as cleaning agents, refreshing and refining skin, meanwhile ylang-ylang soothes the skin post-refining to give skin a healthy glow and not a rash-fest of red. Eucalyptus provides a refreshing finish. Ideal for oily and combination skin, this potent potion leaves you feeling clean and totally ready to ring in the New Year with dirt-free pores.

The Japanese do cleansing right with Kose Junkisui Foaming Wash (P895 at Rustan’s Essenses Makati), an oil- and colorant-free facial wash formulated with herb extracts. This non-stringent gets rid of excess sebum and dirt thoroughly, while leaving pores smaller and skin clear.

For a taste of Provence, L’Occitane’s A L’Huile d’Olive daily facial cleanser (P995 at L’Occitane Rustan’s Makati) will instantly take you — and your skin — there. Enriched with oxygenated olive oil and olive water, this cleanser doubles as  a makeup remover and skin cleanser. Instead of stripping the skin of its natural oils, its combination of olive oil, which enhances micro-circulation, and olive water, which protects skin from oxidation, leaves you with a healthier glowing complexion.

Fresh Approach

Now that you’ve got all the cleansing bases covered, Estee Lauder’s Vita-Mineral Energy Lotion (P2,450 at Rustan’s Makati) from the Nutritious line hydrates skin for a revived and detoxified visage. Pomegranate juice, rice bran extract and eukarion help eliminate external toxins while carnitine and creatine boost skin’s natural metabolism, strengthening moisture barriers that protect the skin. Minerals, like calcium, magnesium and zinc, hydrate the skin — which tends to get stripped of its natural oils from cleansing agents that are too strong or contain too much alcohol or from a general lack of water (i.e., drinking less than the required eight glasses). This hydrating potion keeps your complexion bright and vibrant, enough to make 2008 look like a breeze in the beauty department.

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