Beauty routines of women with many roles

Tips from women on the go.

WORDS HIGH LIFE STAFF | ILLUSTRATION TONE DAÑAS

Jane Cruz-Walker, VP of SEA, Country Operations, HOOQ

Enjoying a mojito after a tennis match—or several laps in the pool—will make you right as rain, according to Jane Cruz-Walker, who manages Southeast Asia for HOOQ, a streaming service. “This is something I do every week with a few friends,” she said. The 50-year-old added that sweating every single day and moisturizing are nonnegotiable.

Move your body
“Have a regular sport or anything that can make you sweat—like dancing, I love dancing. You need to sweat every single day. Your body needs it. Sweating releases toxins from your body. Our skin glows after. Of course, it’s important that you choose something you really enjoy. Endorphins released in our blood stream have a euphoric effect on our disposition so frequent doses is very good for us.”

Cleanse and moisturize
“In the morning, after gentle cleansing I let a cube of ice glide through my face. It feels really good and closes my pores. It’s a good pre-makeup routine. At night, it’s good to have boosts of collagen—frankincense, lavender—before I go to bed.”

Always have beauty oil handy
“Argan or Moroccan oil. I use it for my hair, skin, nails, and lips. This oil is high in antioxidants and has healing properties. You will always find a small bottle in my bag. I prefer using dry oil since I apply any time of the day and it doesn’t feel greasy and has the same moisturizing effect.”

In her handbag, you will find…
M Moroccan Oil, cleansing wipes, Shiseido UV protector SPF 50, Mac Liptensity Smoked Almond, YL Frankincense and Lavender oil mixture, and Urban Decay liquid eyeliner. — NFPG

Elizabeth Durado Clenci, Miss Grand International 2017 2nd runner-up

Prior to joining a beauty pageant, Elizabeth Durado Clenci suffered from eczema, a skin condition that causes redness and itching. After shifting to products with natural ingredients, her skin cleared up, allowing her to finish in the top five of Miss Grand International 2017.

Ms. Clenci credits her mom as her beauty role model for teaching her the benefits of organic products. “Ever since I had an issue with my skin and my health changed, I turned my lifestyle around. It’s always been my mom since day one who instilled that ‘natural’ way of life,” she said.

Moisture first
“I like to keep things quite natural. It really depends on what’s going on in my life. When I was busy with the pageantry and putting makeup on every day, I always had to prepare my face for makeup. I wash my face, moisturize with coconut oil, and then put makeup on.”

Use natural oils as makeup remover
“In the evening, I make my own makeup remover—it’s made from a combination of oils that I get from health food stores. I remove my makeup before bed. I try to never leave it on.”

Catch up on sleep
“Every time I’m stuck in traffic or at a shoot and there’s down time, I’ll take a nap and squeeze in as much sleep as I can. If my eyes are puffy in the morning, I freeze some tea bags. That’s how I reduce the puffiness.” — MAPS

Daphne Oseña-Paez, TV host and UNICEF Special Advocate for Children

Multi-hyphenate personality Daphne Oseña-Paez is a fan of staying fuss-free when it comes to makeup looks. “If you find something that works for you, keep it. If it’s not broken, don’t fix it. Just keep it simple. Less is more,” she said. Her routine includes one-on-one Pilates sessions twice a week, regular visits to the dermatologist, and basking in the early morning sun for a dose of vitamin D.

Center your body and mind
“I am obsessed with Pilates. It has centered my body and mind—literally and figuratively. Spine health is important for us, especially in our 40s. If you let go and abuse your spine, it may get back at you in your older years. A lot of us abuse our bodies just with the wrong posture, wrong breathing. Pilates has helped me get rid of my upper neck pain. And I’ve never had the lower back pains that I thought came with being a mother. Since Pilates, I can stand, sit, and walk long distances by using my core.”

Keep makeup natural or go barefaced
“My TV makeup is done professionally. Even if I have to put my game face on, I ask my makeup artist to keep it simple and natural, with emphasis on the eyes. I do not wear make up on non-TV or non-work days. I go about my day completely barefaced. I work out with zero makeup, not even concealer. I try to keep my skin well cared for, so I don’t need to cover it up. After Pilates, if I have to meet people for work or social reasons, I put on a little concealer, powder, blush, fix my eyebrows, a little lipstick, and I’m good to go.”

Visit a dermatologist
“I get regular facials and Power Peel at Belo Medical Group, I am able to do without creams and skincare products. I am also able to go out completely free of makeup or powder. Power Peel is amazing. It keeps your face poreless, smooth, and exfoliated. It’s important that I keep my face clean.”

Get good sun for vitamin D
“For daytime, I start by washing my face with soap—a soap with a detergent like Acne Aid. It was once recommended by a derma about 15 years ago when I had oily skin. And I just kept it as a habit. And that’s it. I don’t wear sunscreen or any creams. I go out of the house with bare skin. I do keep away from the sun by wearing big dark sunglasses or hats. And if I must walk for field work, I either wear baseball cap or use an umbrella. The past couple of years though, I deliberately try to get sun, as long as it’s good sun. I sit in my veranda for about 20 minutes before 8 a.m. That’s for vitamin D.”

Pamper your eyes
“At night, I just remove traces of makeup with BioDerma Hydrabio H2O Micellar Water. You can opt to not rinse it off. However, I still rinse it off using my face soap. I sleep with no creams or moisturizers. However, if I find that the areas under my eye needs a boost, I use eye cream. I alternate with Neal’s Yard Frankincense Intense Eye Cream, Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Supercharged Complex Synchronized Recovery Cream, or Dermalogica MultiVitamin Power Firm. I also make my own serum using essential oils like frankincense, lavender, and rose. I use them only for the under-eye area.”

Wear SPF when traveling
“When I travel and need sun protection and moisture, I use either Belo sunscreen for beach trips or just use a BB cream base with SPF 30 or 50. Here are my tried and tested ones: MAC Lightful C Tinted Cream with SPF 30 PA+++ with Radiance Booster; Shiseido’s Maquillage Perfect Multi Base BB SPF 30 PA++; and Esprique Pore Cover Perfect Base CC by Kose.” — MAPS

Shiela Valderrama-Martinez, theater actress

Stage makeup is notoriously heavy and thick, projecting—as it were—to the back of the theater. To help her skin recover from performance-level makeup, Ms. Martinez has regular facials and prefers a basic, less dramatic daily look (in accordance with her beauty motto: “Positivity is my youth elixir, and less is always better.”)

Know when to keep it light or heavy
“My everyday makeup is just BB cream with SPF, light blush because I’m so pale, and lipstick. My stage and show make up is heavier. I use eye makeup, concealer, and contour. But I go light on foundation, or none at all.”

Skincare over makeup
“I’m obsessed with skincare. I do the same ritual: makeup remover at night, facial wash, toner, moisturizer, eye cream, and sunblock. Then, I make regular visits to Facial Care Center for my skin maintenance.”

Keep mom’s advice
“Never sleep with makeup and always use sunblock.” — MAPS

Alice Dixson, actress

At age 44, film star Alice Dixson became an FHM Cover Girl, to the confusion, then admiration, of several men and women. The beauty titlist was once a commercial model, and a star of movies and television. When High Life asked her about her beauty routine, she answered in jest, “What beauty routine?”

Routine facials
Actually, that answer wasn’t too far from the truth. Ms. Dixson sticks to a simple routine of cleansing, toning, and moisturizing, with some routine facials at the Belo clinic for good measure. “That’s about it,” she said.

Confidence is better than any cream
As for her products, Ms. Dixson uses a cleanser from Zein Obagi, which costs about US$150 on Amazon. Her toner is a custom blend from her dermatologist, and she moisturizes with a variety of brands, but most recently gave one from Origins a shot. When asked about the most expensive item in her beauty arsenal, she admits to buying a toner that cost Php35,000 when she was younger. She has since stopped using it, saying in the vernacular, “That was just a luxury. I didn’t really need it.”

She added, “I’m more frugal now that I’m older… I think that creams are all the same. If they contain the right moisturizing ingredient, even if it’s made of gold, or priced like gold, it’s still going to do the same.” When asked what her rather simple beauty routine says about her, she said, “I don’t look to expensive things to define who I am. I’m not insecure about myself.” — JLG