Lesson 1: Strut the Talk

When I was younger and more jaded about life or the “real world”, we were always taught that looks aren’t everything. Of course as an adolescent going through the awkward phase, having loads of insecurities and possibly a low self-esteem it does help to be fed with this idea for awhile since it somewhat gives a person “hope”. Hope that in some near future it would be better, you’ll be stronger as you become certain of who you are, when you know what you want and don’t want, etc. Character-building, you know?

But what I learned when I began working is that unfortunately sometimes, looks are accounted as something. No let me rephrase that, impressions are everything. Not the first or the one after that, nor is it about being physically good-looking per say (although God knows it does help for some), but it’s more about how you present yourself. It seems that you have to create an image for yourself if you wanted to be respected or be treated seriously like let’s say in my field of profession as an Interior Designer. 

If there’s one other thing that you should also know if you’re in your starting years as an IDr. as I am, or even in just a similar professional setting, it is that you got to own it. Like obnoxiously, nose up, I-am-Important owning it. Strut the talk, if you know what I mean. Before I don’t get why some if not most seasoned Interior Designers act snobby, bossy or even diva-esque, but recently I kind of figured why.

While walking around in a local furniture expo I saw someone I knew back in college who was participating in the said event. We were telling her how frustrated we are that a lot of the good items on display are for export only. While in the business or exporter sense it might be ideal for their income generation, as local consumers it’s just frustrating to learn that I have to go to another country just so I could purchase a product crafted locally. The logic is both perplexing and reasonably sound at the same time that you feel torn on whether to feel repulsed or remain indifferent about it.

Anyway, she was kind enough to give us tips on how we could be taken more seriously as buyers when we’re inquiring on some of the booths. Like some sales people in malls, some suppliers tend to judge or size you up the moment you stepped inside their territory. It could be based on how you dress up or talk to them. Even if you have a big project in your hands, if you don’t flaunt them literally about it or blatantly say that you’re a designer they would most likely act like closed clams that won’t show you their precious pearls (lame metaphor, but you get what I mean). Personally I’m not used to make “yabang” or flaunt my achievements and projects because it makes me feel uncomfortable. I wanted my work to speak for itself as I feel that it has more impact that way or maybe I just shy out when it comes down to it. Action speaks louder than words right? But in situations similar to this, there would be times wherein you have to because otherwise they won’t treat you the way you wanted to be treated.

In design school they only let you have a feel of how to interact with a probable client or how to conduct yourself in an interview through a session or two of simulation classes, but there’s still a lot to learn that only reality beyond educational institution could teach you. You mistakenly assume that once you got the license to be an Interior Designer suppliers would immediately fly through your doorstep. Wrong. Well unless you’re already a long-standing member of this industry. You have to learn the art of reading beyond what is being said (Master on it even). So the next time you inquired on a product and you initiated to be contacted by them instead of the other way around, better think twice if you’re expecting that they’d actually contact you.

BB vs TM

Summer arrived officially last month (well according to our local weather experts) and heat hath no fury like a city baked on thirty plus degrees of temperature. When humidity and heat combines, it’s not really a pleasant feeling to put on makeup with thick formulations on one’s face. As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve read some pretty informative articles on other beauty sites regarding some of the summer beauty must-haves and it usually boils down to either a BB Cream or Tinted Moisturizer.

I won’t elaborate anymore on what the difference is between a BB Cream and a Tinted Moisturizer since there’s pretty much a couple of good information out there already, but what I’m here to discuss is the comparison between two products from two brands: Bobbi Brown’s BB Cream SPF 35 PA +++ and the much hyped Laura Mercier’s Oil Free Tinted Moisturizer.

In my opinion, either are good for summer depending on what you really wanted to achieve. Please take note that I have combination to oily skin and a NC 37 on MAC (usually medium in other cosmetic brands). Bobbi Brown’s is the first BB Cream I’ve used so I could only compare the feel of it in contrast to a tinted moisturizer and Laura Mercier’s is only the second TM that I’ve ever tried.

Use Bobbi Brown BB Cream if you prefer sheer coverage with a very light feel on skin. It also has a high SPF property which makes it ideal if you’re more exposed under the sun. When set with Bobbi Brown’s Skin Foundation Mineral Makeup, any redness from the skin that isn’t covered by the BB cream vanishes and for a mineral powder it somehow reduces or delays the appearance of oil on my skin (which isn’t usually the case for other mineral powders I’ve tried). A primer and mattifier underneath the BB Cream is also ideal.

The Bobbi Brown BB Cream might be a bit pricey, but I think this single tube could last more or less half a year with an almost daily use since a pea-size is all you need for the entire face. I compared the size to a tube of MAC’s Studio Sculpt foundation as both contain 40 mL and this Studio Sculpt lasted me for almost more than half a year!

Proof that both contains 40 mL. I find that it’s better to use your fingers when applying the BB Cream and with a help of a good primer other than helping it stay longer, it makes it spread easier.

Use Laura Mercier’s Oil Free Tinted Moisturizer if you prefer light to medium coverage (otherwise, it’s buildable). I feel like it has more pigment than the Bobbi Brown BB Cream, so if you want more coverage without having to use foundation then this could be your safe bet. It lightens but doesn’t totally cover dark scars or face redness, but a dab of concealer on those problem areas can easily solve the problem. However, I find that I had to blot more often when I use this compared to the Bobbi Brown BB Cream.

So depending on your need, I think both products are great additions to your makeup routine for summer. If I had to keep only one though, I think I’d choose the Bobbi Brown BB Cream, only because it feels lighter on skin (as in comfortably light — a concept that I’m recently addicted to when picking on cosmetics lately) and when set with its Skin Foundation Mineral Makeup (loose powder) of the same brand, it delays the appearance of the dreaded oil on my face.

Disclaimer: I am no professional make-up artist and this review is based on my personal purchase and experience with the product.

Let’s “Face” It

Last year, my make up product obsession was all about lipsticks—MAC lipsticks to be specific. I love how a single swipe could make you look more polished or at least presentable. But for this year, I decided that I would focus more on face products or what the professionals would call as “creating the perfect canvass”. So here are a few of my favorite finds (and a bit of product review for each) this year:

1) Bobbi Brown BB Cream SPF 35 PA+++
A lot of people have been raving about these BB Creams for quite sometime now and I myself have read a handful of articles regarding it and in comparison to Tinted Moisturizers (read) to learn what the fuss was about. I live in a country that is ridiculously humid and much more so during in summer so I wanted a make-up base that would not feel heavy or wouldn’t cake and melt when exposed to these kind of weather conditions.

I heard that one of the common problems of BB Creams is that they tend to look ashy when applied to medium-dark skin tones, and I come in medium (NC37 in MAC). I heard from some reviews that Bobbi Brown’s was one of the few that tried solving that problem. I’ve used their concealers and cream foundation before and loved it so I decided to go ahead and try this one. It’s quite pricey, but I think it’s worth it. Will do a more in-depth product review of this in the future since I’ve got more to say about this product :)

2) L’oreal Hydrafresh Anti-Shine Icy Gel
I think I found my “Holy Grail” moisturizer. Before I thought Celeteque’s water-based moisturizer was it since I’ve practically used it for more than five years, but when I’ve gotten rid of my bangs and there’s no more hiding of my shiny slash oily T-zone I found myself searching for a good mattifying product. Lo and behold while tagging along the grocery I found myself staring at this product. On it’s box held the description that could only scream me, me, ME! Haha. Here are some of the lines in the packaging that my eyes immediately zoomed in or highlighted upon:

Pollution, humidity and stressful lifestyle can provoke an excessive sebum production. At the same time, it can cause perspiration: skin loses water, becomes dehydrated, and yet appears shiny.

Things I love about this product is that it mattifies and feels cool on the skin (thus help reduce, but not necessarily eliminate, oil production or the appearance of it). Combined with a good primer, it also helps in melt-proofing your make-up. So far it hasn’t broke out on me and I’ve been using it day and night. I recommend it for combination to oily skin exposed to humid or summer weather. Loved it much that I also purchased its toner counterpart!

3) Laura Mercier Secret Finish Mattifying
Speaking of mattifiers, it is only recently that I’ve learned that there are actually products of such thing. I only heard of MAC, but when I saw that Laura Mercier also carries one I decided to try it as well. You only need little, and for me I dab it usually around the forehead and chin. Combined with L’oreal Hydrafresh Anti-Shine Icy Gel and primer, it does help keep oiliness at bay. For me it takes more or less around 4 hours before I feel the need to blot.

4) Laura Mercier Oil Free Primer
Again, I’ve heard a lot of positive reviews for this product. Will probably do another review of this along with my other recent LM acquisitions (haha). What I like about it aside that it’s oil free is that it has no silicone which tends to clog pores so if you wear foundation and the like often it makes it quite ideal to make it stay longer. I’ve been trying a lot of LM products lately since I’ve also heard good feedback with the brand. Again, I’ll save the other comments for another entry as this one is getting long haha :)

5) Shu Uemura Face Architect Mousse Foundation
For the past year I’ve sworn to MAC’s Studio Sculpt Foundation. I thought that for a foundation to be good it must match with your skin tone, has good coverage, doesn’t cake and of course reasonably priced. All these I found in MAC which is why I loved it. But then only recently when I lack sleep or feel stressed and when foundation doesn’t stick well to a tired face that I realize how it also tends to feel a bit heavy on skin sometimes. The feeling that you know it’s there. When I tried Bobbie Brown’s BB Cream, I was addicted to the like “second skin” feel of it. It was so light, but obviously coverage was a concern as it is but so light.

Then I found out about Shu Uemura’s Mousse Foundation, which claims to feel like “second skin” but with coverage. I’ve tried their liquid foundation before and their mousse under base, both I also loved because SU’s bases does feel light and hydrating so I was almost immediately sold. And sold happy I am with this :) I think I’ve been using this more often than my Studio Sculpt now :P

6) Laura Mercier Loose Setting Powder
Again, another from Laura Mercier. Makes me think that I might as well have made this or another post dedicated to this brand haha. Again, it was a result of a positive review that got me curious to purchasing this product and so far it has been good. I got the translucent shade. I’m not sure if it’s because of the mattifiers or the combination of this with the mattifiers, but it also helps delay the appearance of my oilies :)

Neutral Minimalist

Minimalism is described as “a concept of using streamlined forms, clean geometry, unadorned finishes and a simple or neutral color palette”. (source) Like Contemporary Interiors, it is free from any period-inspired designs. However, clean lines or “streamlined forms” doesn’t necessarily translate to boring shapes. I think it is more of having to do with the use of minimal finishes and decor to create a simple yet elegant space just like in many of the modern/contemporary Japanese interiors.

TIP If you want to recreate a style like this in your home or office, one trick or unofficial “formula” you could use is to combine the following finishes above. By looking at the images below you would notice that the common thing between them is that they’ve used wood, stone or concrete and a neutral (tints of black and white) palette to create a similar feel of space.

House Among Trees by Martín Fernández de Lema & Nicolás Moreno Deutsch.

Villa Lea by A69 Architekti.

Baltazar House by Public Architects.

By Atelier Zhanglei.

House Bierings by Rocha Tombal Architects.

via Nordic Bliss.

Checkered

One of the oldest (if not most used) type of floor pattern is the checkered design. It is one of my favorite patterns since it gives the space a more graphic and less “plain” feel, plus it’s easy to install since it’s simply a bunch of alternating materials. Not a lot of people appreciate this type of floor design, but hopefully the following images could make one feel or think otherwise.

By Lefèvre Interiors. Checkered Flooring could instantly make a space timelessly chic. Here it is in classic black and white.

By Dorothy Draper for Greenbrier Resort. It doesn’t always have to be a perfect square to create the same effect. Use tiles that are more rectangular in shape to create a distorted look on the floor that still works :) Of course, the polished/glossy finish instantly gives the space a luxe feel.

By Windsor Smith Architecture and Designs. Here’s a softer version of the pattern by mixing the whites with light gray instead of black. It makes it look contemporary and gives a more casual feel.

By John Malick and Associates. Need an easier way to lift up your boring floor boards? Try painting it like the photo above :)

By Hermogeno Designs. Who says that checkered flooring should only be on the inside? Here’s a refreshingly modern take using grass as the other element for this pattern.