HAPPY HALLOWEEN! MOST families and friends I know are going to some extravagant costume party and having a blast trick or treating this weekend. Here are some cosmetic pieces you can wear until February 2010 without looking like you are trying to scare your neighbors.

Orly Gemz Collection is one way to go bling-bling. These jewel-toned nail polish come with a fancy gem ring. Favorites: Midnight Star—purple grape with very fine shimmer that is always a hit on holidays; Star of Bombay—deep glossy inky blue that is so dark. Makes hands look pale as it cancels out yellow tones; and the red glossy crème which is Mandalay Ruby.

If you love dark-colored nails, use the following: 1. glossy blacks—Orly Vinyl and Revlon’s Black Lingerie 2. Chanel’s Vamp—blackened red or the color of dried blood 3. Revlon’s Raven Red

Sagging skin on the face and neck may come in useful as part of a Halloween costume, but it is definitely not cool in real life.

The fact is, Asian women’s skin starts sagging when they (Asian women) are in their mid-30s. This becomes more pronounced as the age of 40 approaches. If your skin is visibly sagged and you need a quick boost, use Refirme, also known as Firm Plus. This was my painless secret weapon on my wedding day. Despite the harassment of preparation, my skin looked plump, contoured, poreless, without double chin and eye bags on the big day. I was at Belo clinic every three weeks for three sessions for Firm Plus before that big day. My face and neck were contoured and lifted.

As I changed residence, I found Aesthetic Science in Jupiter that now carries the Refirme machine. The treatment is painless and quick, but the results get better up to three months after the treatment. Initially, one is advised to go back every three to four weeks for the first six sessions and every two to three months for maintenance. The first session alone yields visible results that are noticeable the next day, as people will ask if you lost weight because your face is smaller. What it can’t do: Remove pigmentation like freckles or blemishes like acne.

For maintenance, I’m satisfied with Lancome’s Rénergie R.A.R.E. line targeted for women who are 35 and above and who have sagging skin on the face and neck. The Lancome Rénergie range is expensive, but it definitely delivers. Most anti-aging products just deal with wrinkles and dryness but do nothing for firmness, which is the problem of Asian women next to pigmentation. I have been using the toning lotion, repositioning serum, neck cream, night cream and eye cream together with my own cleanser and SPF 50 sunblock as day cream after the serum.

My face is no longer puffy in the morning, plus, pillow marks disappear in minutes upon rinsing. The lines at the base of my nose running down until past the sides of my mouth have also not come back since completing my Firm Plus aka Refirme treatment. It does not feel oily, which is a plus. The eye cream has reduced my puffiness by about 40 percent. During PMS, the true test of a woman’s water retention problem, the eye cream, serum and night cream have kept things at a minimum around the face and neck. Also try: Shiseido Contour cream for men and L’Oréal Revitalift Face Contour and Neck.

Call the Belo hotline at +632 819-2356 /+632 819-BELO or Aesthetic Science +632- 899-3643.

E-mail the author at kinnysalas@yahoo.com.