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Basic beauty must-haves
Three years ago, a college friend invited me to join a large
US-based cosmetics firm as a beauty consultant. I was exposed
to the whys, hows and whats of basic skin care, and was taught
how to analyze the different skin types and to determine which
product is best for each type. Whew! Before going through
thick readings, I never thought “basic” skin care
could really be complicated. The complete regimen takes five
steps: cleansing, exfoliating, toning, moisturizing and protecting.
Yes, each step is important but even if we have the extra
cash to buy all the products, not all of us have the time
and patience to do this daily.
The same goes with make-up. I learned the nitty-gritty of
cosmetics and their application during a basic course on make-up,
starting from what tools and brushes to use, which foundation
shade and type are best for a skin type and color, trimming
brows, applying blush on and eye make-up, textures of lipsticks,
etc., etc.
In reality, most women don’t really wear all this make-up,
except during special occasions like weddings and parties.
Reflecting on the courses I attended, if you were to ask
me right now what top five basic beauty products each lady
must have, I would say these would be (in order of priority):
cleanser, sun block, lipstick, eyeliner/mascara, and face
powder.
Cleanser: The face is exposed to dust, grime and pollutants
daily. Being more sensitive, the face needs special care.
Ordinary body soaps are best avoided on the face because of
their strong and drying ingredients.
There are special soaps, foams and lotions specially formulated
for oily or dry skin or a combination of both. The first step
is to determine which skin type you have. Dry and oily skins
are easily identifiable. Dry skin tends to look dull, be flaky
and rough to the touch while oily skin looks shiny and is
more prone to breakouts or pimples. Combination skin is oily
on the T-zone (forehead, nose, chin) and dry in other areas.
Most cleansers are labeled according to which skin type they
work best with. Cleansers now are also more advanced, with
some featuring moisturizers or exfoliants. Clean your face
everyday to rid it of impurities.
Sunblock: I could leave home without sunglasses but
never without facial sunblock! We all know the sun is the
major cause of skin damage. After years of prolonged exposure
to the sun, dark blotches soon develop causing an uneven skin
tone. Sunblock not only delays or prevents this from happening;
some sunblocks also keep dust from penetrating the skin. Wear
sunblock to ensure an even skin tone even in your golden years.
Choosing the right cleanser and sunblock for your face is
quite tricky. What works for a friend may not necessarily
work for you. Even more expensive brands with the “hypo-allergenic”
label cause break-outs after prolonged use. The best way,
I believe is experimentation. If an irritation occurs or your
skin dries out or after a few weeks pimples start to sprout,
you’ll know the product is not for you. There are limited
choices available. Find one which works best for you.
 Lipstick:
Lipstick is one tool we could use anytime and anywhere to
add color to our face. We know lipsticks come in a myriad
of colors but more than this we should also know that lipsticks
have different textures: neutral, creamy, sheer, glossy, stained,
metallic, matte and penciled. For the subtlest effect, try
lip stains, glosses, sheers and neutrals. For long lasting
wear and a sophisticated look, use matte lipsticks; for ordinary
wear, creamy lipsticks and if you want to go funky, use metallic
ones.
 Eyeliner
or mascara: Eyeliner opens the eyes and dramatically changes
how one looks. There are two basic types – the eye pencil
and the liquid eyeliner. The latter creates the most drama
and is best used at night. Eye pencil also now comes in different
colors aside from the standard black – white, beige,
brown, gray and pastels, which are gaining popularity.
If you think eye lining takes much of your time, grab a mascara
wand instead and tame those lashes. Sweeping the mascara outward
and upward lengthens the lashes while moving it from side
to side thickens it.
Using both eyeliner and mascara works best; with the lipstick,
they give you a made-up look.
 Face
powder: To finish off, pat some face powder onto yourface
for a matte and fresh look. Again, analyze your skin type
first and look for the powder to complement it. *
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