Your first makeup kit: What should be in it

Mav Duran sent me this question:
I'm thinking of buying my first makeup set. What would you recommend I should buy first? I mean what are the essentials that I should be getting?

When choosing products for your first makeup kit (and forever afterwards!), there are just three things you need to know:

Set the base. 
Concealer hides a multitude of skin sins, foundation creates a smooth canvas to paint on and powder sets your foundation so that it won't melt and move around your face.

However, if you've been very good to your skin, you won't need to exhaust yourself on this first step. So the real first step is take care of your skin! Eat healthy, sleep well, have a good skincare regimen. If your skin is clear and glowing, you won't need to cover up your gorgeousness!

Add color.
Once you've set the base, the face can look flat and pale. Here's where color comes in. Color is really just needed on cheeks (for a pretty glow) and lips (for extra juiciness!). But since eyes are the oft-called windows to the soul, prettifying your peepers is a great idea.

Accentuate. 
This is simply adding structure to your face. Eyebrows must be defined, lashes curled and plumped, eyes lined  to make them pop. You can also use bronzer to contour cheekbones. These products are the dark products--blacks and browns--and are designed to ground your look.

So what do you need in your first makeup kit? Here's a basic list:
Base: concealer, foundation, powder
Color: eye shadow, blush, lipstick
Accents: eyebrow powder, mascara, eye liner

Yes, just nine products. That's the foundation of your makeup arsenal. Then once you become more confident, you can add these fun things: primer, correctors, highlighter, bronzer, lip gloss, fake lashes, and tons of various lip colors.

Here's what's in my makeup kit:
Base: La Mer concealer, La Mer foundation, La Mer powder, Lancome pressed powder, La Mer lip balm

Color: NARS blush in Orgasm, shu uemura eye shadow palette, Bobbi Brown eye and lip palette, lipsticks from Avon, Laura Mercier, Bobbi Brown, Revlon, L'Oreal

Accents: ModelCo eyebrow kit, Lancome mascara, Stila eyeliner, Bobbi Brown bronzer

Hope that helped, Mav!

Want to win a Lancome gift set?

I love Lancome. My favorite products are Bi-Facil Make-Up Remover, Genifique Youth-Activating Serum, and my super duper latest fave--the UV Expert Make-Up Base with SPF 50 (which I'll write about soon because I'm soooo in love with it).

Anyway, Lancome Manila (that's the Facebook page) is giving away fab gift sets and you ought to try your luck. Here's how (click to enlarge):

Good luck! Okay, I'm off to have pics taken of me and my UV Expert tube. I hope the so-called luck of pregnant women wins me a set. I've already won one contest. Please please let me win this one. I'm only going to be pregnant once!

P.S. Lancome Manila's Facebook page here.

I'm baaaaaack, beauties!

I haven't blogged here since forever! Beauty blogging is hard, folks. I thought it would be easy, given how many products I get as the editor of OK! Philippines. But the beauty industry is beyond huge! Every week, there's a new product launch, a new innovation, a new technology, new stuff to review... and I just can't keep up. The products and press kits have made mini-mountains at my desk at work and at home. My bosses and my husband are complaining!!!

Here are just some of the lovely boxes I've been getting from...

Olay
the new Regenerist Cream

Lancome
Magnifique perfume and body lotion 
with a tiny tube of mascara

Bobbi Brown
lip glosses and an eye shadow palette
with a personalized pot of lip color

I have a lot more. You won't believe how many more I have--boxes and crates and cabinets of this fabulous stuff! I almost posted photos of my office and my overflowing product cabinet but I got embarrassed at my mess. So I'm finally going to blog about the stuff I've been getting--for the sake of my marriage and my job!

I do want to say that the beauty industry's been pretty exciting this 2010. So many new things for primping and prettification! So do visit this blog soon as I have a lot of things to tell you about--all of them beautiful!

Lancome sale!

Remember my rave review on Genifique? Well, this July, make sure you visit the Lancome boutique in Greenbelt 5, Makati, because there will be a big sale. I'll be dropping by. Need to get a new bottle of Eua de Bienfait Clarte 3-in-1 Cleansing and Toning Lotion for Face and Eyes. It's my makeup remover and I love it super duper!

Hmm... my blog is turning into a Lancome review site! Just so you know, I am not getting paid for any of my reviews and promotions. But when I get free stuff, I will obviously blog about them more, and Lancome has been very very generous.

The Beauty Writer

Lancome's Genifique is so good!

So today is the eighth day since I started using Lancome's latest anti-aging serum, Genifique and, as promised, here's my review. Genefique boasts that you'll "See visibly younger skin in 7 days." Now, I really look young for my 32 years (see photo below!) so I thought that if people start asking what college I go to, then Genifique works!

The serum activates our genes to promote the production of certain proteins that will make skin look young again. It's simple to use--just warm a few drops between your fingers then apply to freshly washed skin, then you can follow with your usual skincare regimen. Yes, you won't have to throw the stuff on your dresser! For the purpose of testing Genifique, I used it exclusively this week. I was promised the following results:

• Vibrant with youth, skin looks like it's lit from within, breathtakingly radiant
• Skin is cushiony soft, velvety to the touch
• Skin's tone is astonishingly even; its texture dramatically refined

At the end of 7 days, here are the results I saw:

I'm trying out Lancome Genifique

Whenever I get stuff from beauty brands, I get excited. But when they come in mysterious white boxes, that means the product is so new that only I and a few others have the coveted bottle!

Lancome Weddings for the lovely bride

Just a little announcement that brides-to-be may find useful... Lancôme Paris has a special gift for all brides with its recently launched Lancôme Weddings, which offers beauty packages to help prepare the bride become even more beautiful for her big day.

Brides can expect the following:

• Professional makeup services by Lancôme Makeup Artists and Lancôme Makeup Experts
• Personalized Lancôme skin care regimen
• Pre-wedding pampering with Lancôme facial treatments
• Luxurious gifts and bridal kits from Lancôme Paris
• Supplementary Rose rewards points for MYLANCÔME members

Sounds exciting, right? And it's pretty affordable, too. You can choose from 3 packages:

• Noces de Or (starts at Php 16,000),
• Noces de Diamant (starts at Php 19,000), and
• Noces de Platine (starts at Php 23,000)

Interested parties may visit the Lancôme Paris Boutique, Greenbelt 5, Makati City, or may call (632) 729-9394 to inquire or to book a Lancôme Wedding.

The Beauty Writer

*that's me on my wedding day! I'm a L'Oreal bride, though. Makeup given as a gift by Jigs Mayuga, L'Oreal Paris Chief Makeup Artist. Hair by Ney Guesse.