MAKING FACES: DO WE HAVE TO WEAR MAKE UP EVERYDAY?

June 9, 2012
9:23 AM

This actually has been hanging on my head for quite some time. Do we have to put on make up everyday?

I actually love make up. I love it, but I do not wear heavy make up every day. I will be lying if I said that I put on heavy, full on make up every single day. Most of my days are in a rush balancing work and business. The least that I do would be putting on my facial moisturizer and my vit. e lip gloss and I am good to go (sometimes minus the lip gloss). I am more into taking care of the skin.

But then with the advent of social media and of course, the ever trust worthy (?) magazines it seems like everyone is always on full on make up --- or at least at first glance. Then there is this sudden pressure to always look flawless and 'fashionable'/pretty. That is why, I think, there is a resurgence of people out there who says that 'make up is superficial'.

I wonder then do we have to put on make up everyday, if we do, are we shallow?

When I took a step back, I have realized that wait a minute, it's their (social media related to fashion and magazines) job to always look like they have full on make up. Geez! Just realized that it was only my own lack of understanding that is why I feel the pressure.

What we see in the social media and fashion magazines, as Angela Alarcon of Mega Magazine, puts it are 'hyper realities'. These pages both in social media and magazines, related to fashion, are an escape for our own day to day existence. They are made to excite. They are made to provoke thought. They are made to sell through those ways which is the visual effects of everything in it!

For short, we don't have to take it literally, but the level of how we take it (lightly or heavily), now depends on our own perception. Make up is a personal thing (men and women alike). It's a way of expressing our own preferences, just like in clothes. We are all not required to do it and we are also not required to judge anyone for using it.

Putting on make up does not necessarily mean you are shallow or insecure of your looks, while not putting on make up does not make you 'less beautiful'. At the end of the day, it depends on your own personal reason that you don't have to explain to anyone else.

So for me, my personal opinion is, I put on heavy make up whenever I need to for the rest of the days, I do not. How about you?

DEAR ERZULLIE: 'HOW CAN I BE A FASHIONISTA?'

JUNE 9, 2012
8:51 AM

I have read this email 2 days ago and again, it was requested to be published publicly. So I hope that I helped a little with my answer.

Dear Erzullie,


I hope that you girls are having a great day. I really love your line of clothes, hoping to buy one really soon. 


I actually wrote this email because I want to know how can I be a fashionista like your models? What do I need to buy and should it always be expensive and branded? 


I'm a newbie when it comes to fashion so, I really don't know much. 


Ria D.


MY ANSWER:


Dear Ria,

Glad that you love our clothes. Hope that we see you very soon as well! We have an upcoming bazaar this July, where we will launch the PRE-HOLIDAY 2012. So we hope to see you there again.

With regards to your question, it all depends on how you view what a 'fashionista' is. I guess it varies from one person to another. For me, being a fashionista is a person in love with fashion. When it comes to love then, there is definitely VARYING DEGREES of it so we can go on forever with this. Lol.

Again, I really don't know if my models considered themselves as 'fashionistas' as well. But I do know however, that they are women with their own personal style.

I admire how Jhaki and Loren is always glam cosmopolitan corporate, how Andrea looks grounded in casual to formal, and how Karen is all about fun and youthful looks. So I guess ultimately what I can answer is how can you have style?

Style is determined by the lifestyle (no pun intended lol) that you have. Jhaki and Loren are about glam cosmopolitan corporate looks because they are working in the office that permits that. Andrea is more on the formal professional because she works in a school setting which of course needs a sense of conservative look. Karen on the other hand is young and into entrepreneurship so she loves to experiment with her fashion pieces.

It is further refined by your own preferential taste in color and silhouette. Jhaki is more of the cosmopolitan, urban jungle, full of vibrance. Loren is a little bit more dark in color choosing but she always blings it up with something bright. Andrea, as far as my observation goes, is more focused on the comfort and its elegance. Finally, for Karen it's more on the combination of textures of the clothes that makes it fun and youthful.

So with regards to you, you have to ask yourself --- what is your lifestyle? Then combine it with your favorites. You will know what is right for you.

With regards to does it always have to be expensive and branded? OF COURSE, not. It's actually more admirable if you look expensive in items that are in budget price. It shows that you are not bound by price tags, but your own preferred style. Also, with regards to the brand, I'm pretty sure that no one cares about it, so feel free to carry some items that you find here and there.

I do know for a fact that my models, Jhaki, Loren, Andrea and Karen (current ones) are not bound by just one brand name. What I love about them is their ability to combine different types of clothing in different price ranges and brands to create an exquisite looking ensemble.

Really chic.


Hope this helps,

CHEERS!

Aries