Poochi Couture

Rocio Olbes finds fulfillment in designing— and in her relationships

Behind the British fashion label ROCIO, which has popularized beautiful bags and purses made of acacia wood, is an equally beautiful face. Bag designer Rocio Olbes is both excited and humbled by the luxurious line’s growth since it was launched in London almost four years ago. l feel so blessed to know that the bags have gotten such an amazing reception around the world;’ she says. Created with the goal of making fashion art, the bags are now available in over 3 countries, and Rocio has showcased its collections at fashion shows in Paris, Tokyo, and London Fashion Week. “It is a very mature collection and the colors are very dark and warm. The inspiration is beautiful skins like python, snake, suede, and velvet.

“I never really studied bag design, but I have always been an artist and have always loved fashion. Designing was simply a natural progression for me;’ Rocio says. With her brother, she also recently took over The Scholarship and Community Building Foundation, which her grandfather founded over 30 years ago.” But what Rocio really enjoys is being busy with family and close friends.’ I love being with my family friends, and my boyfriend;’ she says.”I’m very happy, and feel very blessed. I have a lot of support and love around me, and I couldn’t ask for anything more:’

On makeup:’ I believe that less is more. I only wear makeup ill have an event or a special occasion. I never put on makeup during the day; at most I just slick on a really great lip gloss like Blistex Lip Infusion Moisture Splash, but that’s it! I also have this thing for pulling back my hair and showing my neck and shoulders. I never wear necklaces. I think leaving the neck bare is wonderful.

On skincare “I have no skincare regimen. I just wash my face with The Organic Pharmacy’s Rose Facial Cleansing Gel and apply moisturizer by Clinique at night:”

If you have trouble applying eye shadow or concealer smoothly because of yellowish eyelid bumps, the problem may he more than just cosmetic. In a long-term Danish study, people with lipid-filled bumps around eyes had a 48% higher chance of having a heart attack within the next three decades than those with smooth lids. The finding was especially true for women under the age of 55. In general, those with eyelid bumps also had higher levels of bad LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, and lower levels of good HDL cholesterol. But researchers were surprised to find that even when those blood tests were normal, heart attack risk was still elevated. So make sure your doctor takes a peek at your face while your eyes are closed. If she spies the eyelid sign, it may mean your body is prone to depositing cholesterol where it doesn’t belong—including in blood vessels—and that you’d benefit from a more aggressive approach toward all your risk factors.

Choosing the wrong foundation—it’s always too white. To pick the right shade, draw a line, close to your ear, from your jaw down to your neck, and wait a few minutes to see how your skin reacts to the product. If the foundation blends with your skin, then it’s the right shade. Make sure to check under natural light or white lighting.

What are the basics in makeup? Only conceal areas that need it, to recreate the illusion of healthy, perfect skin. Less is more, and the only hair that should be on a woman’s face is on your eyebrows and eyelashes. Other than these, the rest should be removed,

What are your skincare tips? Exfoliate, use eye creams to prevent problems around the eye area, Try glycolic peels, which do wonders for the skin, twice a year, and exercise to detoxify your skin. Exercising will also keep you healthy, and together with antioxidants, can slow down the process of aging.

How to handle common warm- weather ailments? Here are tips from expert;

SUNBURN
Grab a tube of hydrocortisone and smooth some on to tame inflammation. Once the burn begins to heal, use calamine lotion to soothe the itch. You can also take ibuprofen or an antihistamine to get some relief from irritation and inflammation.

POISON IVY
Clean the affected area with rubbing alcohol to get rid of the oil and then wash with soap and water. A rash will usually develop 24 to 48 hours later. That’s when you apply hydrocortisone to calm the irritation and itch. Still suffering? Then see your doctor for a prescription medication.

BUG BITES OTC
Hydrocortisone will calm inflammation and itching. Or you can try an OTC burn cream another quick fix for itchy skin. And don’t scratch! You’ll just make it worse.

Get ready to be gorgeous! These easy steps will trim minutes off your makeup routine

If you feel like there aren’t enough hours in a day, then, as it is with most of us, putting on makeup may usually be the last thing on your mind. But you’ll be surprised—a little makeup goes a long way in freshening your look. In a matter of minutes, some coverage and a subtle blend of color and shine can rake years off your face. When you need to cut your makeup time in half, it is best to stick to the essentials. Fashion and beauty expert says curling your lashes and adding a little gloss on your lips instantly gives you a put-together look. “Makeup should be simple: the result is the same, the simplest is better.”

Use a Primer

Choose a water-based primer with UV sun protection and apply it with your fingers using downward strokes, “Primer is very important because it allows your makeup to be long-wearing while giving it a velvety, flawless finish.” You can also use a pentagon sponge to evenly spread the product.

Apply a two-way foundation

Using a makeup sponge, swipe the powder foundation and apply it on one side of your face, and do the same on the other side. Then spread the remaining product from the sponge on your forehead, nose, and mouth area. ”This technique prevents skin from caking as the T-zone and the 0-zone tend to get oilier than the other parts of the face. Afterwards, dust your face with loose powder and use a fan brush to take out the excess product.

Slick on Gloss

To instantly create the illusion of full lips, add a layer of gloss on your lips. “It gives you a subtle finish that’s perfect for an everyday look.” For women with full lips, expert suggests using gloss in red, ‘vine, or plum. “Dark colors minimize and light colors emphasize:”

Add Blusher

Sweep powder blush upward from the apples of your cheeks to your ears and blend until just below your cheekbones to give your face a soft contour. Choosing a blush with a slight shimmer gives skin a dewy finish. ”I like shimmer for cheeks, especially in amber;’ expert says.

They say you can tell a lot about a person’s grooming just by looking at her nails. If that is the case, then surely one can just as easily assess a girl’s personality by the color of nail polish she chooses to wear. Loud, bright colors usually indicate a strong personality while soft, subdued hues are for the quiet and reserved. But with a seemingly unlimited range of nail polish in every color, texture, and finish available, selecting only one seems difficult. Just like your wardrobe, nail polish should be chosen according to the event or occasion. And like makeup, there are trends and easy guidelines to follow when matching your polish to your complexion. Whether you prefer to wear hot pink or clear nail polish here are some factors to consider when choosing a nail color.

Choosing for a particular event or occasion.

Nail polish that is work-appropriate is different from polish you would wear to a date or a party. When in a professional environment, it is best to stick to neutral, muted, or clean shades. The color should not stand out or call attention, so hues in soft pinks, beiges, and pastels are ideal. The time to wear bold colors in glittery or metallic finishes is for a hot date or for a night out. You can go all-out with the color, with vibrant pinks, reds, and purples as your best bets.

Basing it on the season or trends.

The “it” colors of the season usually determine which nail colors will be sold out in the coming months. While all shades of pinks are still popular choices for nail polish, venturing out in this summer’s trendiest hues will bring out your more fashionable side. Try summers most delicious hues: neon pink, orange, coral, turquoise, and gold.

Selecting one to match your skin tone.

If you have fair skin, look for nail polish with pink and blue undertones. Red looks especially good on you, and so will bright pinks and light shades of pink and violet. For an olive complexion, gold, beige, and chocolate will play up your skin tone, making it look more golden. Also, orange-reds will look amazing on your nails- For dark skin, colors in strong purples or reds work, and so will any dark shade.

It’s time for curly- haired girls to reclaim their crowning glory with these effective products.

Naturally curly hair is usually dry, and as a result, is fragile and more prone to breakage. This hair type requires different caring and styling techniques, as well as a specific set of hair products. A healthy dose of conditioners gives curly hair its bounce and shine: deep-conditioning masks should be worked in the hair weekly, extra moisturizing conditioners applied daily, and leave-in conditioners used whenever needed, To keep curls manageable and frizz-free, “Hair should always be conditioned and rinsed with cold water, then combed while wet and allowed to dry naturally.’ For gorgeous curls, apply a curling mousse and an anti-frizz product to damp hair. Then, twist sections of your hair with your finger and pin each segment in place. When hair is 90% dry, take out pins, flip your head, and shake the curls out to give them volume. Finally, set the curls by misting a shine-inducing spray and blast with cool air to keep hair in place.

The perfect eye- shadow brush!
Most of us know that those teeny-tiny brushes that come with our blush and bronzer compacts are not the best brushes for puffing on these products—their super-small size leaves streaky results. But don’t toss ‘em—use them for your eye shadow. They’re the perfect size to sweep a sheer wash of color over your lids and brow bones!

File your nails like a pro!
Nail files are great for perfectly shaping your nails. But there are a few tips to filing that’ll keep your nails long and strong. First, use an emery board instead of a metal file, which can tear and split your nails. Second, don’t file your nails when they’re wet—that’s when they are at their most vulnerable and more liable to break. And last, file in one direction so you don’t cause the layers in the nail to split!

An eye-opening trick!
If you’d like to make narrow-set eyes look wider apart, make your lashes thicker at the outer corners, says celebrity makeup artist Berta Carnal. To do, either turn your mascara wand slightly diagonal and tilted outward so more of the lash-thickening formula reaches the outer lashes, or dip individual false lashes in a dab of lash glue and use tweezers to apply them right at the outside corners. Either way, your eyes will instantly look bigger and wider!

Out of hair gel?
Try using shaving cream! The foam will melt into your hair and keep each strand in place. Just use a tiny bit and make sure it’s a shaving cream, not gel, which will leave your hair a lift le sticky.

Play up one feature and best for you? Make sure to keep the others subtle. Want to know which bright colors will work. Let your skin tone be the guide.

Fair Skin

Make your- skin really glow with shimmery gold shadow on eyelids (apply it right up to the brow bone), a swirl of bronzer on your entire face, and a swipe of matte red lipstick on lips.”

Medium Skin

Highlight the warm tones in your skin by sweeping on emerald eye shadow from your lash line to your crease. Dust peach blush on the apples of cheeks and finish with a pink lip-gloss.

Dark Skin

Brilliant colors pop against darker skin. Try a teal shadow as liner—apply it just above the lash line. Illuminate cheekbones with pink blush and lips with shiny golden gloss.”

Max Factors chief makeup artist Chechel Joson’s beauty philosophy doesn’t begin with a good base. Rather, it begins with one’s skin. “Always take good care of your skin from the inside out. It’s better to take preventive measures than to cure what has already been damage,” she says. With clear and healthy skin, Chechel says more makeup looks are possible, or better yet, as she believes5 even less makeup can be applied to achieve the much-celebrated “natural look.”

Preferring the natural look, she advises,” Your best and safest bet is good skin, looking as natural as you can during the day and perhaps emphasizing eyes with mascara:’ For evenings our, make sure to adjust trendy looks to match one’s skin tone, such as the timeless red lipstick. “Make sure to mix the shade to achieve one that works for you:” she says. Having studied makeup at the Makeup Designatory in Burbank, California and London Makeup Academy in UK, and after on-the-job training at fashion shows and photo shoots, Chechel got most of her knowledge from striking it out on her own. She recently wrapped up taping Project Runway Australia Season 2, where she was chief makeup artist, it was the best experience!’ she says.” My experience throughout the years as a makeup artist—sometimes doubling as fashion stylist—helped me perform my best under time pressure. She also recently returned from attending the Global Cosmetic Convention in Barcelona, Spain. “I believe that if you don’t have passion and love for what you do, it will show in your work.