What’s a makeup product or service you can’t live without? I’ve observed most women will say either brows or lips. And I think I’ve cracked the code as to why.
Brows frame the face. If you shape your brows right, you can give yourself a thinner nose line, and even accentuate your cheekbones. This is what Benefit Philippines national brow artist Celina Fernandez said as she turned me into a waxing loyalist.
Last November, I met Celina at the Benefit store in Greenbelt 5 for my first brow waxing appointment ever. Prior to this, I would shave my brows or have them threaded. Out of the three, I’d say waxing, especially by an expert, will revamp your makeup process a lot. You’ll also look at your brows differently.
What Fernandez does is to groom you brows based on their current condition and in the best way to compliment your face. She starts with brow mapping, where she marks what your brow should look like. Anything out of the brow map is waxed off. Ideally, your brows should be aligned to the dimple of your nose and the arch should be at the end of an invisible diagonal line from the edge of the nose that pierces your pupil. The end of your brows should be aligned to the outer tip of your nostril.
Afterwards, she’ll test the wax on your wrist to see if you have any allergic reaction. If none, she’ll proceed to waxing your brows. It’s not as painful as one would think, the sting is over as soon as the patch is pulled. It’s over in less than 10 minutes. This is immediately followed by Celina fixing your brows with Benefit’s generous line of brow products that include Gimme Brow and Goof Proof Brow Pencil.
Last week, I returned to Celina. I told her that I appreciated how I couldn’t see a single brow hair grow back for a whole month after our waxing session. This is because waxing eliminates hair from the roots. If you have full eyebrows like mine, all you need is to brush them in place. If you need a little help, Celina along with the other Benefit brow artists at the brand’s various boutiques in the country, will coach you on how to get those thick and well-sculpted brows.
Once you’ve got your brows ready, most of the time on a “no makeup” makeup day, all you need is a good lipstick. Drawing attention to your lips helps you get away with everything else.
If you’re hunting for something new, I suggest you try the Rouge Signature, the latest lip product from L’Oreal.
Launched officially last week, I managed to get my hands on the full range of 10 shades and went to work immediately. I tested out the formula which promises the consistency of a lip tint but the pigment of a lipstick.
According to L’Oreal, Rogue Signature was created with technology inspired by Giorgio Armani’s lip magnet and YSL’s Tatouage Couture. So get ready for a high-end experience for just P390 a tube.
Being the good beauty writer I am, I had reservations. Swatching the product on my hand, it felt watery, a little bit like kid’s paint, though we all know that’s not the true test of a lipstick. Applying the lipstick is easy, which I was surprised given the consistency. For the darker shades like I Play and I Enjoy, you don’t need more than one swipe to get full coverage. I needed to put a few extra layers when using the lighter shades like I Embrace and I Choose. But I have no complaints as my lips are a bit dark on their own.
For me, the Rouge Signature dries down to a semi-matte. Blotting your lips on a napkin is much recommended if you feel you’ve put on too much, and particularly for this formula, it helps your lips pick up the color even more.
Throughout the day, it doesn’t feel sticky or slippery on the lips. Nor does it make it dry. I would advice to put some lip balm from time to time as the color can sink into the lines of your lips.
What I loved the most is how it faded throughout the day. True to its claims, it leaves a stain on your lips like a lip tint so you don’t have to worry about re-applying often. The color stays on even after eating a light snack. This stain has quite a long-lasting formula that I would advise using an oil-based makeup remover when taking it off.
If you’re looking to fool-proof your makeup game this year, these are my initial suggestions. After all, you can play a lot with you lips given the various colors, while good and well-shaped brows anchor your look all the time. JB
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