Makeover 911 Staying indoors for romance By Kinny Salas Philippine Daily Inquirer First Posted 00:16:00 02/15/2008
MANILA, Philippines—Valentine’s Day may have just ended, but we all know it’s the weekend after that counts most. For married couples it is all about waking up pretty for your significant other and smelling great to keep the romantic mood going. Let me share with you certain tactics that work for me.
Sleep well or sit back and relax. Men apparently like the smell of lavender. It seems to calm them. Perhaps it has something to do with their being tense from work and sports all day.
The point is, as long as they are calm, they are in a good mood and that goes for women, too, so both of you may cuddle up in a leisurely manner and savor every minute of it.
My secret is to find the most potent scented lavender shower or bath gel I can lay my hands on. The lavender scent lingers in the bathroom for hours.
My top choices from strongest to mildest:
L’Occitane Bain Moussant lavender, tea tree and geranium foaming bath, (500ml, P1,245 or 75ml, P295); Crabtree & Evelyn Bath & Shower gel (500ml, P1,395); Kiehl’s Lavender foaming relaxing bath with sea salts and aloe (P1,250); and The Body Shop (P495).
The following are a lot milder but budget-friendly: Essenses Lavender & Ginger (200ml, P195); and Brook and Ivy Lavender Garden (200ml, P165).
For that the fragrance may have more staying power outside the room, you may also use the scent’s matching lotion, scrub and scent.
Start the day happy and refreshed. This is also perfect if you are both tired from the day’s activities and need to energize for a romantic evening.
Shower with L’Occitane mint pine rosemary shower gel (250ml, P995), Origins Ginger Burst, or Brook and Ivy Green Tea Infusion.
L’Occitane and Crabtree are, of course, the strongest scent-wise. Even the neighbors can smell them.
Pretty without makeup
I am a believer of skin-brightening a.k.a. whitening products for the face and body. The aim, you must understand, is not to turn you Caucasian-white, but to repair skin damage and make your skin even-toned even without makeup on.
The moment skin darkens, damage has occurred. That is why even if an adult’s skin appears smooth and unblemished, it will never compare to a toddler’s glow in photos.
Safe products even for pregnant women are those that do not peel your skin and make it sore. Those who are trying to conceive must especially stay away from tretinoin, hydroquinone and salicylic acid, which have been linked to birth defects.
My tried and tested products that are safe for pregnant women and reasonably priced are:
Olay White Radiance foaming cleanser, day cream and night cream; The Face Shop Flebeaute white crystal (the whole line, from toner to eye cream); Godiva Licowhite cleanser (P139), face scrub (P149), Vitamin C serum (P249), and liquorice cream for night and green tea sun block for day; and Fasio foaming cleanser gel, toner and emulsion.
If you have the budget for it, go ahead and splurge on the Japanese brands like Kanebo and Shu Uemura or the European brands like Lancome Blanc Expert, Guerlain, Chanel, Estee Lauder cyber white and Clinique dermwhite.
Do take note that the brands I have recommended do not work as fast as those with acids, tretinoin and hydroquinone, but they are safer.
Note: There have been lots of follow-up inquiries from single ladies about last week’s article on feng-shui scents such as Joy Lim’s Lucky Fragrance in Peony (P500), which is supposed to attract sincere love from a good and rich person, and Pomelo, which reportedly removes bad luck. Charm’s and Crystals has five branches in Metro Manila you may call or simply drop by: Tomas Morato, tel. 4134171; Sta Mesa Heights, 7422597; Robinson’s Galleria; SM Mall of Asia, 5560854; and Alabang Town Center.
While you’re there you may want to inquire about the rose quartz mandarin duck bracelet that has done wonders for love lives.
Copyright 2008 Philippine Daily Inquirer. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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