Party-ready eyeliners for New Year

Hi, Rissa!

I’m an avid follower of your column. It has become my habit to read it every Wednesday. 

I was wondering if you could help me with my eyeliner problem. You see, no matter what kind of eyeliner I use, it still smudges. I hate seeing it okay one minute and horrible the next. The smudge emphasizes my dark circles and makes me look like a raccoon. I often use a pencil eyeliner to draw on my peepers. Can you share some tips and tricks on how to prevent smudging? Also, could you recommend a good brand of eyeliner, preferably a pencil (for easier application)?

Smudge-Free 

When it comes to the eyes, no woman wants smudged eyeliner and end up looking like a panda. Personally, I use eyeliner pencils from Make Up For Ever, MAC, and Ever Bilena. These brands of eyeliners have glided on smoothly on my lids without any unsightly smudging at the end of the day. 

An affordable eyeliner I can rely on is Ever Bilena (available at leading department stores, supermarkets, and health & beauty stores). It’s a cheap beauty trick I learned long ago from top makeup artists whenever I’d inspect their tools backstage during a fashion show or shoot. Their eyeliner pencils have great color intensity and don’t smudge, even for everyday use. Unlike most eyeliners from foreign cosmetic brands, our very own Ever Bilena’s eyeliner formulation can wonderfully withstand our humid weather.

I’ve also recently fallen in love with MAC’sTechnakohl Liner in the shade Smooth Manoeuvre — a dark black with silver sparkle (P1,000, you can find MAC at Rustan’s Shangri-La Plaza, Glorietta 3, Makati, and Marionnaud in Mall of Asia). It goes on smooth and creamy — a big plus because that means no unnecessary tugging as you apply it on your lids. But because it had a soft, glide-on creamy formula, I was worried it would smudge and fail me. But it was surprisingly long-wearing — lasting eight hours with no smudging, budging, or migrating at all. It performed so well that I’m confident to use it for the New Year’s celebration that will last till wee hours of the morning! 

On the other hand, it may also not always be the eyeliner’s fault. You can also blame smudged eye makeup on long lashes or moist under-eye skin. I once read that supermodel Cindy Crawford often coats only her top lashes because she has long bottom lashes that rub against her skin. When she coats mascara on her bottom lashes, they only cause dark circles under her eyes. So skip the bottom lashes and make sure you use waterproof mascara. 

You may also be the type who sweats a lot, causing makeup to run. If so, then waterproof eyeliners are your best bets. You can try Make Up For Ever’s Aqua Eyes Waterproof Eyeliner Pencils (P980, stores located at Shangri-La Plaza Mall and Bonifacio High Street). Make Up For Ever is popular for their waterproof range of products. The color really stays in place even in the most extreme conditions — while sweating and even underwater.    

Now, you know which eyeliners are party-ready for New Year!             Rissa

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Three Top Tips To Start The Year

Dear Lucy,

Can you please share three beauty tips to start off the new year?

Also, I remember in a TV interview that you mentioned you have this one lipstick shade you love so much that you hoard it because the color can take you from day to night. What was the brand and shade again?              Inah

To start off the New Year on a beautiful note, here are three top tips:

Skincare to the max: Give your skin the care and protection it deserves with Innoderm.

1. After the holidays, it is time to embrace BeloSexy Solutions. I know so many people who lost weight and became sexy because of it.

2. Get sexy heels in a nude patent. They make legs look endless.

3. Ladies, take care of your elbows. Yes, your elbows! I have seen far too many persons with smooth and flawless faces who have neglected their elbows. They are dry and too wrinkly with skin that looks really old. Please give your elbows some TLC. They make you seem older than you actually are if you don’t devote some attention to it. 

Whatever cream you use on your face, use the excess on your elbows. They will respond very quickly.

The lipstick you are asking about is a cream formulation that gives a lovely pop of berry hue, making lips look luscious. It is YSL’s Rose Stiletto. I hope they never discontinue that color! I think it will look good on everyone.

Lucy

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Home entertainment etiquette

Dear Ms. Tingting,

It is around this season that we have lots of gatherings in the house. My problem is, when we occasionally host dinner parties, my husband always serves himself first and begins eating before other guests. There is almost always enough food to go around so I can’t understand his manners. I once reminded him that we should serve the guests first (or allow them to serve themselves first) or at least have lunch or dinner together. But my husband would say its old-fashioned and silly. 

What can you say about this? 

Charie

If you can persuade your husband to reverse his ill and embarrassing practice, do so. Talk to him nicely. And my suggestion is if you can’t avoid the situation, you probably might use a better excuse: As he begins eating, tell your guests, “Wait a minute, please, my husband always likes to make sure the seasoning is just right before he lets our guests eat this dish.”

Tingting

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Send e-mail to Tingting Cojuangco at tingtingcojuangco@yahoo.com. E-mail Lucy Torres-Gomez at ltg@pldtdsl.com. E-mail Rissa Mananquil at stylesos_rissa@yahoo.comor follow her on Twitter@RissaMananquil.