FanSided-sabshernandez

Hiyee!

Unfortunately, there are no products out there to tighten pores (yes, it’s all marketing). But the good news is, you can minimize the appearance of enlarged pores.

Firstly, let me tell you about the pores. Pores do not open and close. Pores appear larger when we oil, so as we grow older, they appear larger and larger because we produce more oil specially in the nose area :( Boooo…

However, you can do the following to minimize the appearance of large pores:

1. Cleanse your face in the morning and at night. Do not use anti-oil products because by using these products, your skin “gets the feeling” that you are lacking oil so you produce more oil (sad but true). Use a gentle cleanser. Cetaphil is very mild and good for the skin, but personally I like bubbles and suds so I use Clearasil.

2. NEVER SLEEP WITHOUT WASHING YOUR FACE. Nakakatamad, but this can clog your pores with oil and dirt so your pores appear larger and can cause build-up. Hence, blackheads! Which can make your pores appear large. So even without any makeup on, cleanse your face thoroughly. Change the “I was mostly indoors lang naman eh!” attitude and wash your face religiously!

3. Use a toner. It’s a myth that toner closes your pores after washing your face. Toners just removes any traces of any remaining oil, dirt, makeup and soap residue on your skin so your skin feels tight afterwards. Use twice a day as well after you cleanse your skin.

4. Exfoliate your skin. DO NOT use facial scrubs like St. Ives Apricot scrubs because these beads can scratch your skin. It may not be visible to the naked eye but microscopically speaking, your skin can be damaged after prolonged use. Exfoliate with a wash cloth (you know, like the ones for the baby?), soak the towel with hot water and put your facial cleanser and rub the cloth so you form bubbles (as hot as you can stand it), gently use circular motions on your face to exfoliate. By doing this, you can keep dead skin cells away from your pores. Do this once a week only, 2 times at the most!

5. Don’t over apply your makeup. Less is best! Using thick cream foundations and cake foundations can clog your pores. I recommend BB creams and just dust loose powder over it with a big brush. You get the coverage that you need and it has moisturizers, SPF, and anti-aging benefits in them as well!

6. Keep your makeup tools clean. Bacteria and oil residue can remain in your brushes after each use, so if you do not keep them clean, you transfer these things on your pores. EEW!

7. Try Garnier’s Pure Self-Heating Sauna Mask once a week. This really deep cleanses your pores and the effect lasts 7 days! I love using these on myself, apply on your T-Zone. Use as directed only, there was a time when I left it longer than what was instructed and my skin got irritated.

8. Pore strips for blackheads work, it’s everywhere so try these too. It can remove some, not all, but some of the bigger blackheads that make your pores look enlarged.

Just by keeping your skin clean, you can minimize the appearance of large pores. Sometimes it’s just dirt. The ice does work but it only constricts the pores that’s why it seems as if they “close”.

Try this for a month and let me know what happens! Never forget to moisturize and put sunblock after you tone in the morning, and moisturize only at night :)

Good luck!

Sabs

Q: Hello sabs! i have been following your blog for quite some time and am learning alot from you. i need help! i am morena and i have been wanting to look bronze and golden like some of your models in ur site. but my friends tell me that only women with fair skin can use bronzers. is this true? how can i wear bronzer that will make it look natural? thank u sabs! -nicole [Sent via ASK SABS on May 21, 2009]


A: Hi Nicole! First of all, I am obsessed with bronzers! I apply them to myself and on my models (even brides!) all the time... On the contrary with what your friends are saying about bronzers, I think morenas have the most advantage in wearing bronzers! You have natural beautiful tanned skin so you do not have to fake your glow!

If you are morena, you are a lucky one. Fair skinned women spend hours on the beach to fake a tan, while you already are blessed with one without the extra UV rays! But remember! You must NEVER give up products with solar protection factors (SPF).

Tweetie De Leon-Gonzalez have always celebrated her tanned golden skin. So when I did her makeup for this Kerastase Advertorial, I took advantage and used bronzers. I emphasized on her skin more than I did on eyeshadow. Tweetie already is gorgeous so she didn't need much makeup, so I used foundation that matched her skin perfectly and a whole lotta bronzers!

Try bronzers with an illuminating effect to dust on your forehead, cheekbones, nose bridge and your chin, while use a matte one for contouring your cheeks and temples!

Here are some bronzers that I use... I recommend never leaving home without it!



Lancome Tropiques Minerale
Mineral Smoothing Pressed Bronzer SPF 15






LANCOME STAR BRONZER
Bamboo Powder







NARS
Bronzing Powder in Casino





LANCOME BRONZING SPRAY
Bronzer for Legs






PHOTO CREDITS
Makeup of Model by Sabs Hernandez
Model: Tweetie De Leon-Gonzalez
Prducts shots courtesy of Google Images

Q: Hi Sabs! I just graduated from Makeup School at Frank Provost (where you studied!) and I can never organize my makeup kit. When I am doing makeup, I always end up scrambling around looking for products. I heard from a friend that you are very organized and obsessive compulsive with your stuff. Can you give me tips? I really appreciate it! Thanks so much! -Sandra [Sent via ASK SABS on May 19, 2009]

A: Hi Sandra! Organizing and cleaning my makeup kit is one of my pet peeves. After every shoot, I clean my palettes and make sure that everything is in place and intact. Any broken shadows I have I remove from my kit and recycle them. I even taught my assistant where to put everything and I can get pretty anal about it. Remember, no one wants to see a dirty makeup bag.

I like organizing my makeup in the order I will be using them. So the way I talk about the kit is exactly the same order I put makeup on. I took pictures of my kit so I can better explain this to you:

Q: Hi Sabs! I have extremely dry skin on my face and when I put makeup on, my skin flakes and my makeup looks blotchy. HELP! I tried every heavy moisturizer there is and they leave my face looking oily and uncomfortable. What product do you recommend? What should I do? Thanks Sabs!" -Gina [Sent via ASK SABS on May 18, 2009]


A: Hi Gina! Not to worry! I have the perfect solution for your problem. Although results may vary, but so far, it has never failed me yet (knock on wood). My cousin from Canada (photographed) came home for her wedding last December. I was expecting her skin to be very dry because it was winter in Canada, but when I was doing her makeup, her skin was supple and smooth considering that the temperature in Canada during the winter time can sometimes get 20-25 degrees below freezing!

I asked her what she uses and she said that she uses AVEENO INTENSE RELIEF Body Lotion on her face because during the winter, nothing else worked on her skin. I did my research, and asked my dermatologist and she said that it was perfectly ok since AVEENO is noncomedogenic (meaning it won't clog pores). Unconvinced, i bought myself a big tube of AVEENO INTENSE RELIEF OVERNIGHT CREAM and tried on myself. I must say, it certainly did its job! I applied a small amount of product on my patches of dry skin (around the nose, cheeks and forehead) and within minutes, my skin was makeup ready! It didn't feel heavy at all. Put this on before you go to bed and when you get out of the shower. It gives you such amazingly soft, protected skin. If you want, you can also put this on your face before makeup! Just allow it to set and dry for 10 minutes before you start applying your base.

Also, try these amazing AVEENO products which I use and reviewed as well, they too promise to do their jobs!:

PHOTO CREDITS
Photographed by Nelwin Uy for Gretchen Legaspi-Tan's wedding
Makeup by Sabs Hernandez
Hair by Tony Dusich
Product Shot courtesy of Google Images

Q: "Hi Sabs! I love how you do your smokey eyes on the girls in your blog. I know that you have already posted a few topics on this but here goes: I love make up but I am stuck with using just eyeliner. As a fashion student in La Salle, I would like to update my look into something more sophisticated. I have big round eyes and I am not sure if I can pull off the smokey eye look. What do you suggest? Thanks Sabs!" -Cha (send via Ask Sabs on April 25, 2009)


A:
Hi Cha!
The nice thing about the smokey eye is that it can suit just about anyone. Some girls are afraid that if their eyes are big, it will look bigger. Some would say that if they are chinita, it would make them even more chinita. I beg to disagree...


Margs, Kate and Daphne have different eye shapes and skin tones. I did the smokey eye on all 3 of them and the effect is different on each one. Depends on the color of your shadow, it can make jus about anyone look glam and sophosticated in an instant.

The smokey eye is even nice during the day. Having to do the smokey effect doesn't have to be limited with black, grey, silver, or brown. You can use colors such as shades of green, pink, purple or even blue!


Just keep in mind that depending on the intensity of your smokey eye, you should really know how to tone down your lips. If you have a light smokey eye, you can go a little bit darker on your puckers!

Just have fun and play around with makeup! The best thing about it is that you can erase it!







GET THE LOOK:

1. Cleanse, tone, and moisturize your face. Always start here.
2. Do your base as you would. Don't forget to highlight and contour but make it as natural looking as possible. Remember, you are not going on stage! (unless you are...)
3. Groom your eyebrows. These are your frames and they make the character of your look.
4. I like starting with the blush. Because depending on the shade of my blush will then I decide which colors would go best with it. Also, the blush tells people your mood. Are you feeling sultry? Romantic? Fierce?
5. Choose a shade of eyeshadow that is in the same color tone as your blush. Warm for warm, cool for cool.
5. Start with the darkest shadow of your color choice and blend from your lashlines to your creases. Then, with the medium shade of the same color family blend the edges of your dark shadow at the creases. Remember to blend! Then, with a bone color or anything that has a bit of shimmer: silver for cool, and gold for warm, highlight your brow bones for that extra UMPH!
6. Line your upper lash lines with an eye liner formula that you are used to. With a smudge proof pencil liner, line the inner rims of your eyes. If you feel a bit weird about this, skip this step and apply liner as close to your lashlines as possible and blend with a Q-Tip.
7. Gloss up your lips!

Thanks for your email Cha! Enjoy and hope to hear from you again soon!



PHOTO CREDITS
Photographed by Filrobes
Hair and Makeup by Sabs Hernandez

Q: "Hi Sabs! I am morena, and I have always had trouble with eyeliner. With my dark skin, I have even darker skin under my eyes. And because of this, every time I wear eyeliner, it makes my under eye area even darker. Help! Many thanks -Julie" [Received via Ask Sabs]


A: Hi Julie! Don't panic! I can give you tips and a possible solution to your beauty problems. I have many clients and have worked with talents and models with your same beauty concerns.

Meet Laura. I have attached her photo here so that we have a model for our little discussion (hehehe...) She was one of my models in Hong Kong. Laura is a Filipina, working as a model there. Anyway, Laura didn't exactly have dark under eyes, but she had some discolorations under her eyes because of lack of sleep and dehydration. During the shoot, I needed to make her fresh.

Before you put on your makeup, make sure that your face is clean. Tone and moisturize, then allow 5 minutes for the products to set. If you use an eye cream, do so before makeup.

For Laura's eyes, I used a peach-tone or an orange based concealer for her under eye area that is about 1/2 shade lighter than her skin color. Then i used a setting powder that matched her skin color and tone exactly.

If you are using liners, use waterproof ones, and don't line the inner rims of your eyes. Our eyes naturally produce tears when they get dry so running the liner is a common faux paz when applied at the rims.

Try lining your eyes at the lashlines, and use a peach-tone liner (or nude) for the inner rims. This will open up your eyes but still gives you that dramatic look.




PHOTO CREDITS
Photographed in Vogue It Is Beauty School, Hong Kong
Hair and Makeup by Sabs Hernandez
Model Laura Bautista Chan