Bite-size beauty

MANILA, Philippines - Eight hours of sleep, two liters of water, a stress-free lifestyle — ask any impossibly gorgeous, radiant woman for the secret behind her glow and, unless you’re besties, that is just about all she will reveal. Hitting the genetic jackpot doesn’t make one immune from dark eye circles, whether you were dancing salsa (or working to beat a deadline) until sunrise, now, does it?

We all get by with a little help from the tender loving care of a dermatologist’s lasers or our own potent regimen. On some days, however, we need more smoothing and soothing and the downtime from in-clinic treatments just won’t do. This is where Guerlain comes in. Eight hours of sleep, two liters of water, a stress-free lifestyle — in this case, we can fake it ‘til we make it.

Out this month is My Super Tips, five 15 ml variants targeting every modern-day concern. Be they side effects from a life well lived or some straight-up hard work, Guerlain has covered the bases.

Stop Spot is a green-toned concealer that not only covers but also cancels out the redness from pimples and blemishes, whatever your skin color and tone, while calming and treating the zit, drying and purifying the spot so it doesn’t leave a mark.

Crème SOS instantly soothes dry spots caused by anything from a sudden change of weather, tiredness, stress, or pollution. Jet-setting YStyle girls would do well to stash one in their carry-ons for those long-haul flights.

Super Lips, unlike most lip balms where the goo just sits on top of your puckers, actually hydrates so there is no sticky feel. The secret is grape seed extract which results in suppler lips with continued use. Guerlain’s luxe signature is in the scent, a subtle mix of bergamot candy and a little madeleine.

Recovering after burning the midnight oil? Midnight Secret’s blend of eight active ingredients hydrates and regenerates skin, aiding the body for less time while you sleep. No matter how tired you are, never neglect proper cleansing before bed and apply it as you would a masque. Wake up to tighter pores and a freshened complexion.

For those who need more help, apply Radiance in a Flash before your sunscreen to smoothen and tighten enlarged pores, the root cause of dull, saggy-looking skin. It’s so lightweight, you can just apply the rosy pearlescent serum and forget about it. As a primer, it improves the look and wear of your makeup; that is, if you’ll even need it.

 It’s also interesting to note that it retails for less than the rest of the brand’s offerings (the cult Orchidee Imperiale line, for example, is priced in the thousands). Each tube is P1,600. The variants, based on anti-inflammatory ingredients, are also a veritable anti-aging measure for those in their twenties. It’s the little things, with continued use that goes a long way.

A motivational adage goes, “Never let them see you sweat.” The road to success is never free of breakouts and dry skin but if you take care of yourself, nobody has to see them. This is Guerlain’s love letter to the millennial hustle.

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Get a special surprise when you use my promo code marbbiet005 at Guerlain’s pop-up store in Greenbelt 5, Ayala Center, Makati.