Beauty Blunder No. 5

NOT EXFOLIATING

Skin cell turnover happens every 28 days — longer as you age. That said, if you want to maintain porcelain like skin, you need to exfoliate. The best time to do this is at night (twice a week at most), when skin rejuvenates as you sleep. Make sure to choose a product with rounded beads; sharp-edged ones are too abrasive.

Try our Managing Editor, Beverly Dalton’s, choice of scrub — Salt of the Earth Ritual Salt Scrub!

Beauty School: Nails Tale

The past days’ heavy rains may have had all of us stuck at home, if not in flooded streets with heavy traffic! Now there’s really not much reason to do your make up or curl your hair. If you haven’t much to do, you can still get a beauty boost by giving yourself a manicure!

By Olivia Tan

Today, manicure has been every woman’s ritual but not many can do it on their own. In reality, it’s an easy process of cutting, buffing and painting — without getting overzealous, of course.

Step One: TRIM

Begin by soaking fingernails in a bowl of warm water so nails are softer and easier to cut. Using nail clippers, trim nails to desired length.

Step Two: PUSH

Before pushing, apply a drop of cuticle oil to fingernails. Using the flat end of the cuticle pusher, gently push the cuticles back. Take out any excess skin with a nipper.

Step 3: BUFF

Start by using the coarse side of the buffer. Gently rub back and forth across the nail to remove any visible roughness in the fingernail. Then use the smooth side to make nails shiny or until surface is even. Tip: Do this only once a week. Too much buffing can thin out your nails.

Step Four: COAT

Make sure fingernails are clean and dry. Use a clear base coat to create a smooth surface. Allow nails to dry for a minute then apply two coats of colored nail polish with two minutes drying time in between. Finish off with a clear top coat as it helps the colored polish to settle smoothly. Clean any excess polish with a cotton-covered tip dipped in nail polish remover. Tip: Dry nails for 20 to30 minutes to avoid smudging.

Now you can be proud of doing your own manicure! To make it more fun and edgy, you can experiment with nail art next! ;)

Blush Answers: THE Purple Lipstick!

We’ve been getting quite a few questions about that lovely lip color on Anne Curtis’ fuller-than-full lips…

Makeup Artist Robbie Pinera brought a shocking amount of lipsticks (as all makeup artists should have), mostly MAC, as seen in this picture:

Spot the tube in Robbie’s hand… Definitely a MAC!

It would either be Up The Amp, an amplified creme with a lavender violet pigment…

…or Girl About Town, also an amplified creme but with more of a fushia (pinkish purple) pigment.

Sometimes, makeup artists even mix colors to get the perfect shade for a certain skin tone! A lip brush would be perfect for applying a combination of rouges as what Robbie did.

You can try that out too! What could be better than a lip color that’s custom-made for you? ;)

Be sure to grab a copy of our ANNE-iversary Issue! It’s packed with everything about beauty that you can think of… We are, after all, THE Ultimate Beauty Source! 

Add us up on Facebook too! Just click on this LINK!

Blush Magazine Online Exclusive: Behind the Scenes with Anne Curtis

Behind the scenes of Blush’s First Anniversary Issue Shoot — Blush Magazine Online Correspondent, Isabella Jose, catches up with Manila’s most sought after actress, endorser, cover girl, and overall it girl, Anne Curtis as she reveals her top beauty secrets exclusively to our blog readers…

Photographed by Isabella Jose

What makes you Blush?

A lot of things make me Blush — when I’m shy, embarrassed, awkward! Flattering comments too!

What, to you, makes a woman beautiful?

I think what makes a woman beautiful is when she’s genuinely happy and when she doesn’t have to put a front up for anyone — being able to genuinely smile, laugh, and be herself.

How do you keep yourself looking as fresh as you do despite your long work hours?

I think the key to staying fresh is being happy and loving what you do. If you’re not happy with your life and with what you do, you won’t have the passion, the excitement, or that glint in your eye. These are the things that make me get up everyday and enjoy life!

What is your daily beauty routine?

I just take my make up off at the end of the day and put moisturizer!

That’s it?

Yuh!

(Wow! How lucky is she?)

What is your favorite beauty trend?

Red lipstick! (She says this without even batting a heavily mascara-ed eyelash!)

What are your top 5 go-to beauty products?

Red lipstick - any that suits me, cheek tint, bronzer, eyelash curler, mascara… That’s all I use, basically! Oh can I add? I forgot to add really nice face powder… although sometimes it isn’t necessary anymore!

Lastly, did you ever have any insecurities about yourself or your looks while growing up and how did you overcome them?

Yes, I did! My father would call me lubra-lips! I grew up thinking it was bad to have big lips! Then I saw Liv Tyler and Angelina Jolie, so okay na ako doon! Happy na ako sa lips ko! That was really it. If these beautiful women, these Hollywood stars, are comfortable, then I should be too! Their lips are the hottest thing about them, then mine too! Also, as I grew older, my dad finally stopped teasing me about it!

Now that’s Anne Curtis for you! Despite all the fame and fans (oh, even celebrities alike) fawning over her, she’s still as normal as normal gets. How can you not love that?

Grab a copy of our First Anniversary Issue to see more of this season’s top beauty trends on Anne Curtis!

Oh and make sure to visit this blog soon, specially all you Anne Curtis followers out there! ;)

Summer Beauty Trend: Bright Eyes

Good news for all you makeup beginners out there! You can still get away without blending your shadows because this summer, a single wash of color is all you need!

Opt for the brightest yellow, orange, green, sky blue, or violet lids to create the perfect contrast for that sun-kissed glow. Finish of with a contrasting bright liner and a baby pastel pink lip and you’re sure to look shining the whole summer long!

Before summer ends, we’d like you to get a chance to win an overnight hotel stay for two at the A. Venue Hotel, PhP1000 worth of services at Salon de Manila, and other beauty products! Like BLUSH PHILIPPINES on Facebook and see our previous post HERE for mechanics!