Sock bun--the easy way to big sexy waves!

I love this big waves secret! It's so easy!



I'm going to try it out tonight. If you've tried this out, send me photos and other tips so I can post it on my blog!

Stop using it! Here's how to find out when

Here's a good tip about expiration dates! Look at the back of your beauty products and you'll usually find this symbol:

It's called a PAO symbol, or period-after-opening. There's a number followed by the letter M. The number says how many months before it expires. Here's the example from Wikipedia:Once you open the product, take a marker and count the months indicated by the PAO. So if the symbol says 6M and you opened the product today, then write Nov 09 on the container. This really works because then you know when your product expires and also when to start shopping for a new one!

My eye cream, for example, expired this month. So even if I still want to use the little cream left in the tube, I had to throw it away. My makeup remover, which I love, expires next month so I'm wearing makeup every day this month so I can really finish it and it won't go to waste!
Knowing the expiration date is very important especially for products that are liquid (like foundation) or that has contact with your skin (like mascara) or you dip your finger in it (like creams). Your finger, no matter how much you've washed it, can still have germs and a nice jar of cream can become a breeding ground for bacteria. So dispose when the PAO says so!

Now go grab that marker...

The Beauty Writer

Hot Brights from The Body Shop

Look at what just arrived on my desk today--a big bag of The Body Shop's latest makeup collection called Hot Brights! The collection has Lips & Cheeks (P795) in Rose Sunrise and Coral Sand, Eye Colour (P695) in Violet Sunset and Pearly Sky, Eye Liner (P550) in Purple Haze and Sapphire Sea, and Blush (P1,195) in Pink Skyline and Bronze Horizon.

What grabbed me immediately was the Lips & Cheeks. I love the Rose Sunrise (then again, pink is my kryptonite). Makeup artist Chase Aston loves it, too, and gives these tips on how to wear it: "Smooth and blend the pink stain onto your lips and cheeks for a sheer rosy hue, and follow by adding a wash of the sheer gloss to your lips. So pretty!"

Pretty indeed! Love it, love it!
The Beauty Writer

NARS and my new Orgasm!

NARS makeup artist and West Coast Lead Trainer Dawn Stultz was here last week and I was able to have a lovely chat with her about--what else?--makeup! First, I just want to say how incredibly mesmerizing Dawn's eyes were. I have no idea what color they are. Because of the warm soft light in Rustan's Essences, her eyes kept changing color from gray to blue to a light hazel. Incredible.

So anyway, I asked Dawn what makeup essentials a woman should have in her bag. She replied that it really depends on the woman since some girls love playing up their eyes or just having powder and blotting paper or really piling it on! However, she did quip, "Stop any woman in this store right now and I bet you'll find three kinds of lip products in her purse!"

For summer, Dawn recommends simple makeup so a powder, a lip gloss and a bronzer stick are enough to take a girl from day to night. She's really in love with the NARS bronzer stick in Palm Beach. She applied some on me and I looked healthy and glowing! The trick is to apply it in the figure 3--temples, cheeks, jawline--and blend, blend, blend. You can use the bronzer on your eyes, too, and on lips then just top with gloss. Simple and easy. I like that a lot!

Oh, and not only did I get to chat with such a lovely woman, I also got to take home these lovely products! Thanks, Dawn, NARS, Rustan's Essences and Visions & Expressions!

I did buy my own blush, the phenomenal Orgasm. Dawn says that NARS Orgasm is the bestselling blush in the entire world. I believe her. All the Hollywood stars and makeup artists swear by it--it's the only blush that looks great on every skin color and tone! Dawn adds that it's almost always out of stock. I believe her, too, since I've been trying to buy Orgasm forever. Just my luck, at her interview, NARS had new stocks! I immediately bought one! Now I look so pretty. Yey!

NARS cosmetics are available at Rustan's Essences, Glorietta 4, Makati City.

The Beauty Writer

*bronzer stick image from Sephora.com

How to do a smoky eye according to Bobbi Brown's Sebastien Tardif

What: Launch of book Bobbi Brown Makeup Manual
Where: Mag:Net Cafe, Bonifacio High Street
When: April 24, 2009

Bobbi Brown makeup artist Sebastien Tardif shows us how to do a simple smoky eye that anyone can do.

Step 1: Prep skin. Smoky eyes are dramatic so the rest of the face should be clean.

Step 2: Groom brows. Eyebrows frame and balance the face so never forget to groom brows! Sebastian used a stiff angled brush to apply brown eyeshadow on to the brows.

Step 3: Pat a black eyeshadow gel all over the lid, but only up to the crease. Beyond that, Sebastien says you'll look like a clown!

Step 4: Choose a color. Sebastien chose blue. Pat this gently over the black shadow. The result is a shimmering deep blue that has depth. Remember you can use any color you like but I think the darker shades are best (blue, purple, green, brown).

Step 5: Trace a thin line on lower lids with a black pencil. And apply mascara to open up those peepers!

Step 6: Use a lipstick shade that is close to your natural color. Sebastien's tip: Before applying lipstick, fluff powder on the sides of your lips to prevent color from bleeding to lines (in case you have them!).

Step 7: Finish with a peach blush on the apples of cheeks.

Voila! Simple smoky eyes in 7 steps! For more makeup tips and tricks, get a copy of the Bobbi Brown Makeup Manual: For Everyone from Beginner to Pro for Php 1,235 at Bobbi Brown makeup counters and Fully Booked.

The Beauty Writer