I’ve read snippets of Victoria Beckham’s That Extra Half an Inch and was so inspired by it that I insist on writing this down, just so I can reread this blog many years from now and marvel at how being beautiful was so simple then. Too bad the book isn’t available in the Philippines and in the US yet.
Head to Toe, that’s the way to go. For starters:
HAIR. I have low maintenance hair. If it weren’t for occasional trips to the salon for the requisite trim, and the hair color I seemingly can’t live without, then I totally have no business in the salons. Like Victoria, I’ve been born with rod straight locks, a little on the dark to medium brown side, which I tend to highlight with the occasional blond streaks, because it fits my Ibizan features perfectly (as Basky put it). I never went for rebonds or hair relaxing treatments and the like. On the contrary, I find big wavy curls sexy, and have actually invested in curling irons to jazz up my hair for important occasions. I don’t do treatments, wax, hair packs and the like. It bores me, costs bloody much, and I really don’t need it. I stick to my shampoo and conditioner and that’s about it. I don’t blow dry, I electric fan-dry. Might have to find a good hair dryer with cold air as substitute before I leave.
SKIN: Sigh, the bane of my existence… After my teenage bout of acne anxiety, I have been careful with my skin. I’ve tried and tested every imaginable product and some procedures (Read: been going to the derma since age 13! yikes!) and found out that the way to go to have an even-toned complexion without the acne scars, the dreadful break-outs, the outrageously-sized pores was to….surprise, surprise…get enough sleep, rest when you can, and let the wonder of the years work its magic. Yes, hormonal problems abate at a certain age. Whatever product you may try can only give you so much. It’s what happens deep down inside, down to the level of the cortisol receptors, and the testosterone and estrogen receptors that really matter. I had horrendous break outs even until my internship years in Metro, and I resigned myself to the fact that this will all go away in due time, after the stressful period of internship is over. And it did!! What remains a mystery until this day is how not one zit crossed my face since day one of my review for the boards until well after the oath taking and the testimonial dinners and other celebratory gatherings. Of recent times, my breakouts were limited to periods of sleep deprivation (cousins vacationing in Manila, me on vacation in Bicol, out of town trips and the like, where endless nights out and staying up late are a staple). Now my skin care routine mainly consists of washing my face in the morning and before going to bed with my trustworthy papaya soap, and putting Benzac 5% on spots that need it and I’m off to dreamland. Egad! NO toners, moisturizers and creams for me. I know, I know. I’m flouting all the rule books. But, this is what works for me. If I start applying cream, the comedones crop up, and the oil can fill a tank the next morning. So, I stick to my routine and it hasn’t failed me for the year that I’ve been on it. I don’t wear sun block, another no-no I know, but i do use an umbrella conscientiously. In fact too conscientiously that Ben has mastered this robotic movement of opening up an umbrella even when there’s no sun around whenever he’s with me. I never, ever go out without an umbrella, except maybe at night. I have always told friends, and believe me, are they sick of hearing this: even without the sun, the UV rays still penerate the clouds, meaning wrinkles, melasma, and burnt skin galore! I may get around to making sunblock a staple when I go abroad, but for now, the umbrella thing is just as good. Another no-no, a fashion crime I know: I have occasional bouts of xerosis due to my adamant non-use of lotion. In the humidity here in the Philippines, I find applying lotions a nuisance. Maybe with the right temperature I may get around to making it a routine, but for now, hey, I’m enjoying tropical bliss: meaning, Lotions off! Maybe at age 30, I may actually start following the rule books and apply toner, moisturizer, and sunblock religiously, but for now, only the bare necessities. When it comes to facials, I’m really partial to not having one at all after a mishap once upon a time when, the attendant, obviously with not so impressive hygiene, caused a lot of mini-furuncles to pop out on my face after the pricking session. Never again have I had a facial after that one, and that was three years ago! I am a fan of diamond peels, though. I usually have it only on a monthly basis,(on my third session now) and was just starting to make it a regular habit only to be cut short by my departure. When I get back, I’ll be sure to have the prerequisite 10 subsequent peels. See if I don’t go poreless! These things are bloody expensive in the States and in Europe, so I’m saving my sessions when I return to the Philippines. Other things on my agenda for skin care include IPLs and maybe Obagi, but these are drastic measures for drastic occasions which the present does not really mandate.
MAKE-UP: Ahhhh, this section can go on forever. Seriously, though, I may do make up on some people, but my staples are really quite basic. Because of the oily nature of my skin, I skip the moisturizer routine prior to make up application. Maybe I haven’t really found the right moisturizer just yet, but when I do, it’s back to the rule books for me. For now, I’m content with washing my face prior to applying make up. Then I put on foundation (when the time comes when I have perfect skin, I’ll probably smugly skip this, hehe), blend it well, carefully putting some on the eyelids and above and around the lips as well so my face don’t look like it had cut outs in photos, a mistake I sadly learned in college when I started experimenting with just powder foundation. Then I do everything form top to bottom. I start with applying my eyebrow powder. Amazing what eyebrows can do to a person’s self esteem. For years I have battled with having the wrong eyebrow shape, and only recently have I truly seen the light! O what joyous discovery. The happy things in life really are for free. Seriously, having the right eyebrow shape can really do wonders for your face. And as having been born naturally with the sparsest of eyebrows, I was continually on a quest to find that ever elusive shape that would make or break my Ibizan face. I found it not so long ago, under the dim light of my reading lamp, when after much speculation I decided that both upper and lower hair needed the weeding out, not just the lower portion which I only ever have tweezed out since time immemorial. I’ve also battled with Japayuki looking eyebrows garishly shaped with the ever unflattering eyebrow pencil. 
I ended this battle when, during an ER duty, a resident asked me if my eyebrows were tattoed. That was the end for me, goodbye eyebrow pencil! Then I dress up my eyes. (NOTE: I am speaking of make-up application here with an occasion to go to, not on an everyday basis, because on a daily basis, it’s just eyebrow powder and lip gloss for me.) Dressing up my eyes is a continuing education program for me as everyday means a new discovery for eyeshadow application. My staples include the DAY LOOK, SMOKY EYES LOOK, GLITERATTI LOOK, BRONZED GODDESS LOOK. Anything else in between is just a combination or a variation of the four. For the day look, I usually use just earth tones, browns, beige, and pinks.
For smoky eyes, and believe me, this is one of my favorites as it brings out my eyes in the best possible way, I use the blackest black. It’s still MAC in CARBON black for me. The miracle of brushes is that you can virtually blend seamlessly everytime a la-Oscars look, provided you use the right tools. Of course, with brushes, quality is a must and Shu Uemura still comes first. 
For the Gliteratti look, I use irridiscent powders. This works best if you want to appear all wide-eyed, innocent, and fairy-like. 
Of course, there is a way to make this look DIVA-esque. You simply just have to pile on the shimmer, line your eyes up and down, do your lashes outrageously,and you’re all set. Never be stuck in a make-up rut, as Mrs Beckham put it. Amen to that. Never be afraid of experimenting. It may sound crazy and a waste of such expensive, valuable make-up, but I do spend time practising at home with or without an occasion to go to in mind. The bronzed goddess look is easier to pull off in those with morena complexions. bronzing powder is the way to go. You can use it on your eyes, cheeks, chin and even your shoulders. Versatile, huh. Even if you overdo it, it isn’t all that obvious, although for me, this look takes a mighty lot of effort since it involves whole body tanning to look convincing. Finally, to complete my eye make-up, I usually use eye liner (none of the liquid stuff for me at the moment as they tend to break up after application, see my eyes crinkle when I smile), and a generous helping of volumizing mascara. I never had any occassion to use fake eye lashes just yet, but when the time comes, I’m not saying no.
I don’t usually use concealer. God is good. When he gave me rough skin, he took away the eye bags and the dark under eye circles. There is justice after all. So the concealer is a rarely, rarely used tool in my make-up bag. When I have zits, I don’t usually cover them up with concealer. What I do is blend my foundation well so that it acts as a concealer at the same time, covering those problem areas that need it.
Then the blusher. This will all really depend on one’s skin tone. Since I have fair skin, blushers with just pinkish hues work best for me to give me that flushed English rose look. However, a variety of blush tones can work for you provided you have the right overall look for it. For example, at times when I don’t want to look too European, I use bronzer, without any pinkish or orange undertones, just to sculpt my features to give me that exotic look. At times, I’d use reddish toned blushers for more dramatic winter looks (even without the winter here). Other times I’d go peachy. This works best for day looks without the too obvious hint of make-up. The rule is to not look the same all the time. Of course, you’d have to have a reliable look you can pull off each time you don’t feel like putting on make-up, specially if you work on a daily basis, but variety is always a welcome change. Remember: MAKE-UP RUT= NO-NO. 
For the lips, I’m more of a lip gloss person than a lipstick person, unless the occasion calls for it. The key is finding reliable lip gloss that won’t fade after a few minutes. Trust the MAC lip glass line, Lancome juicy tubes and the more expensive Dior addict. Victoria mentioned the Versace line was great. Might try that one out. She has the most amazing lip-glossed pout after all. Lipliner is an occasional thing for me. Too-high maintenance I think. I think what I need is a collagen implant on the upper lips, and just a little on the lower to make it look more fuller. I am personally not keen on surgery but if I had to, this would be the one I’d definitely go for. Lip glosses come in many color, and don’t just think pink. Right now, I’m crazy over the frosted look. I also like nudes, browns and peaches. For lipstick, my favorites are plum colored hues and bronzes or coppers. I have yet to try blood red lipstick though. It’ll be something to pull off this look. Maybe I’ll try it abroad.
For the finishing touches, I usually sweep some powder on to seal in the look, so to speak, and that’s about it. I usually do my own make up in 10-15 minutes flat. On others, it depends on the look and on the occasion. For the most recent bridal make up I’ve done, it took me 20 mintues to finish the job and the make up lasted till the evening celebrations (wedding was at 9:30 am). 
I’m still no guru at make-up but i do well by most standards. I’ve come a long way from disastrous to tasteful. My fascination with make up may have been born out of my frustrations at never, ever having had the right make up at any one occasion that truly mattered. My graduation pictures were all disastrous that not one of them is on display anywhere, not even my bedroom. They remain hidden in their rusty old portfolios, away from prying eyes and sneering commentaries. I’ve come a long way from the wrong shades of face powders, to hideous eyebrows, to fake-looking blushers, to pathetic attempts at eye make up. I’ve still a long way to go, but this isn’t bad for starters (I started in the last quarter of 2004.)
BODY. I’m no gym and diet fad person. NEVER tried out ANY of the trends: South beach, Tae-bo, Pilates, Yoga, Atkins, Badminton, whatever. My mantra- GOD IS GOOD: Bad skin, slim, proportional body type, with a bust line and a butt to boot. After having lost my baby fat in college, I never really regained it back. Even at my fattest, at around 118 lbs, I think, during my first year in Med school, I didn’t really look overweight, just healthy. A true provincial lass, I eat to my heart’s content. Carbs, sweets, cholesterol-laden food. My diet is teetering on the dangerous side. I love overly-cooked barbecue (think carcinogens), I love deep fried things (think VLDL, TG), I love canned goods (preservatives), processed foods, I don’t chew junk food, I swallow them whole. I love cheeses, creams, mayonnaise, cakes, am a big fan of ice cream. I eat street food - fish balls, squid balls, barbecue, mangga-on-a-stick, cheese sticks, kwek kwek, mani ( but I do this in the sidewalks of Bicol and in UST only, not in downtown Manila, that’ll be suicide then). I can out-eat guys during pizza marathons ( can finish 6 large thick crust slices in 15 minutes, the whole box in 30 minutes). So many people, from so many different places have made a comment at one time or another just how passionate I am with food. My good friend Krigi even said it was orgasmic how i ate and relished good food. I was brought up in a household where, we may not have been always well off, but we surely had good food around. My great grandmother was a caterer, and decades later, my aunt and uncle have continued the legacy. My mother is a great cook. Heck, I’m a great cook. So it all adds up to…good food, good appetite, and in my case, even after all that, a still good figure at 28 years old due to good genes. There is justice after all. Swimming remains my only form of exercise, albeit, done only on occasions. This is the only thing I can do without thinking that I’m doing it for my figure, because truth be told, I might not be a beach person, but I am pool mermaid. I enjoy swimming so much, not for its health benefits but for the sheer joy of frolicking in non-salty, scary fish-free water. The health benefits are just a welcome extra. Of course the true test of good genes still is postnatal weight. So watch this space .
LEGS: like the rest of my body, I don’t really go to extra lengths to tone my legs. I don’t put on lotion, shave or wax my legs. I don’t do body scrubs either. I just let them be. They may not be mile long, but they’re shapely. If drastic measures will be needed anytime soon, cycling, walking and swimming will still be my best bets.
FEET and ANKLES: I have pedicures only occasionally. I’m not a fan of foot spas and foot massages. My main pedi color is transparent nail color (if that’s a color), as it gives a more refined look. I’m really strict about pedis. I always caution the attendant to cut my nails in a square shape and not the ubiquitous triangle shape most Filipinas have out of a hundred or so pedis when the attendant got all gigil and cut, cut, cut all the surrounding skin away. Oh what harbinger for in grown nails. I feel sorry for those countless souls (my mother included) with unnatural looking nail contours that come in a variety of triangular shapes. Toe nails should be a gentle sloping square, and if others say so otherwise, then they probably are not of the human species. (The feline family have claws: a variation of the elongated triangle)
So that’s about it for now. I may be writing on fashion soon. So that when I’m old and grey, I’ll have a blast reading how low maintenance I really was back in 2006. Tut-tut.
