How media girls glow on the go

Carin Dreyer, ANM Community Manager

"I live by the motto, ‘Keep things simple'. A no-frills face wash like Johnson & Johnson followed by a really good moisturiser and SPF (sun protection factor) does the trick for me. I've recently been using La Mer products, which I love.

"Also, nothing beats a healthy glow on the face - which is always made possible by MAC Strobe Cream - even on the dullest days. This is of course followed by my very faithful Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge lip and cheek stain - it's certainly a winning combination!

"Lastly, I say flaunt those pearly whites - it's your number one beauty formula as a great smile covers up anything!" 

Sue-Maé Easton, Senior Designer, ANM magazines

"I love to wear dramatic red lipstick. To make lipstick last longer, line and colour the lips with a lipliner in a similar shade to the lipstick. Then apply two coats of lipstick, dabbing the first coat with a tissue. Finish off the look with a bit of lipgloss.

"The focal point of any face is the eyes and eyeshadow adds definition. I always wear matt white eyeshadow as a base colour before applying other eyeshadow shades. Start from the inner corner of the eye and blend towards the brow bone. White opens up the eye to give you that fresh look. To accentuate the eyes, dab a bit of shiny white eyeshadow underneath the eyebrow on the outer corner.

"Go for an even skin tone on your face, but try not to use something heavy. In summer I prefer to wear a tinted moisturiser rather than foundation. It feels much lighter on the skin and works great for days spent on the beach. Choose one with an SPF for added protection. If you don't own a tinted moisturiser you can mix a bit of foundation with your moisturiser, this works just as well."

Lena Moosa, Features Editor, InsideOut

"I love my cleansers and creams, L'Occitane being a favourite for shampoos, body creams, bath salts, lotions, etc and Shiseido for my face. This is where my money goes! As much as is possible, I always opt for products with natural ingredients. The one thing that I haven't used in more than two decades is a bar of soap (which doesn't mean a lack of hygiene!) but I prefer to avoid harsh soapy products. Moisturising gels and cleansers are my preferences, as they don't overdry the skin. I mainly use The Body Shop and L'Occitance bath gels and scrubs. Sometimes even a standard generic cleansing gel from the pharmacy for my face, followed by a toner and cream, will do. Other than this cleansing regime I must admit I'm not very good with regular pampering like facials, etc. In fact, I had one last year after nearly a decade.

"I like to keep make-up a very simple, no-frills affair. My rule of thumb for make-up: I should be able to apply it without looking into a mirror.

"Things I use: A sheer luminous Armani foundation, rub-in Body Shop lip stain and eye shimmer. And I'm good to go." 

Silvia Baron, ANM Photographer

"I am a staunch believer in you are what you eat and prefer to eat natural, wholesome, organic super foods. It's not a fad for me to eat healthily. I simply love my food that way. Eating healthily has a direct impact on your skin's condition. I have had no facial massages for more than a year as I feel eating the right stuff, even if it is more expensive, is a far better option than applying creams on the outside when your eating habits are unhealthy.

I follow a few dos and don'ts in my daily skin care regime:

Melany Demetillo, Designer, ANM magazines

"Dead skin needs to be sloughed off periodically. Exfoliation is great for micro-circulation and keeping your skin soft. For me exfoliating my face is important. I use this instant home-made body/facial scrub made from everyday kitchen ingredients (just remember the 3-2-1 ratio for its ingredients): Take 3 tbsps of virgin olive oil, 2 tbsps honey and 1 tbsp granulated sugar. Mix them all up and store in a clean glass jar with an airtight lid. Exfoliate your face and body once a week with this scrub and let the ingredients stay on your skin for ten minutes. Then rinse off using a mild facial wash. This will also help moisturise your skin during summer.

"For my eyes I go to great lengths to keep a natural look. One of my favourite tools in fixing my stubborn straight eyebrows is an eyebrow brush. I prefer using a flat brush. Just dip your brush in water a little, then dip it in the shade of powder that matches your brow colour and glide the brush along the shape of your brow.
 
"If you want to depilate smoothly and without stress, follow my mother's tip: Apply Johnson's Baby Powder to the area you wish to depilate. The powder helps the depliator glide really smoothly. It makes the whole operation quick and easy."

Naheed Akram, Features Writer, InsideOut

"Among my cosmetic must-haves is eyeliner. I use Rimmel's Glam liquid eyeliner in black/brown - it's my ultimate beauty quick-fix. I can't live without it. It's a great way to enlarge the eyes and gives you that instant glam look without having to apply full make-up. I've used every eyeliner applicator you can think of but I would recommend that you opt for a thin brush. Start with a very fine line on the upper lid close to the lash line and keep practising until you get it right.

"A fragrant body cream not only helps moisturise your body, it also keeps you smelling good the whole day. I love to pamper myself and the best time to do this is in the morning after a shower and at night before I go to sleep. Right now I'm using Wild Honeysuckle body cream from Bath & Body Works in the morning, and in the evening an organic body lotion I bought from Thailand. It is packed with essential oils and it helps me get a good night's sleep.

"A good sunscreen with the right SPF can work wonders for your skin. I always get a nice glow on my face. A good SPF is always tricky to find, especially if you have got sensitive skin. I've been using the Avène sun care range for a few years now. The local pharmacies often have three-for-two promotions on their products - so I'm addicted!"

Yvette Kikuyu, Account General Manager, ANM magazines

"I am finicky about hand care and after a cleaning session at home during weekends - when I use harsh floor cleaners - I rub a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil on my rough hands, put on gloves and keep them on through my afternoon siesta. By evening the roughening effect of the chores wears off and I get a pair of soft, smooth hands.

"Applying foundation on dark skin is a tricky affair and all of us with dark skin have a few unwritten rules. I wear MAC foundation to work which is always a shade or two darker than my skin tone. This is a ground rule which all girls with African skin tone follow. If you wear something that is an exact match for your skin tone it gives you a pale glow and in photographs you end up looking like a ghost. The darker shade blends better with my skin tone to give a more normal-looking effect. I use just a basic foundation and eyeliner to work.

"Since I have particularly oily skin, I take care on weekends to follow a regular exfoliating regime; I steam to unclog pores and then use a toner to balance my skin's oiliness. I usually skip make-up and leave my skin free to breathe during weekends.

"Occasionally, I apply an organic mud mask as it is very helpful in absorbing oil and dirt and leaves my skin feeling supple and soft." 

Grace Paras, ANM Photographer

"I go for the simple, natural, no make-up look. My skin care routine is simple. I always moisturise my face after a shower, use a sunscreen with SPF15 and a sunblock of 30SPF. The sunblock cream is usually greasy so I lightly dust my face with compact powder to reduce the shine.
 
"As I have Asian eyes, I am particular about using a few eye make-up tricks to make them look wider. So I never use an eyeliner on my lower eyelid. I use Sephora Liquid Eyeliner and draw a very thin line on the rim of my eyes and to give a fuller look, here's the trick, lift the top part of the eyelid and use an eyeliner on the inner side!

"Occasionally, I use a liquid cheek tint. I squirt a drop on my cheek and rub it in so it spreads evenly. I never apply lipstick full on my lips. I just rub a little colour from the stick on my finger and dab it on. Then I hold a tissue to take away the excess and later use a lipgloss and it stays on longer that way. Lipstick, eyeliner and cheek tint are products I use on special occasions.

"I believe that using less make-up keeps the skin youthful and glowing for longer. I know some people, who have been using make-up since their teenage years, who now have skin that's showing its age."