ISSUE: Summer 2012
DEPT: Beauty Kit

• The lifetime risk of developing cervical cancer for Asian women is more than double the lifetime risk in non-Hispanic white women?
• Almost all cervical cancers are caused by HPV?
• At least 80 percent of sexually active females will acquire genital HPV by the age 50?
  The human papillomavirus, or HPV, usually causes no symptoms, so a person can have the virus for many years before it is found or causes health problems. That means a man or woman can pass on HPV without realizing it. So what can you do? There are two ways women can screen for HPV and cervical cancer, which is the easiest female cancer to prevent:

• The Pap test (or Pap smear) helps find pre-cancers, or cell changes on the cervix that might become cervical cancer if they are not treated appropriately.
• The HPV test checks for the virus (there are 40 different types) that can cause these cell changes on the cervix. It may be used to screen for cervical cancer, along with the Pap test, in women 30 and older.

The bad news is there is no HPV test for men, and the virus is spread by sexual skin- to-skin contact — it does not require penetration or an exchange of bodily fluids, like some STDs. So while a condom reduces the risk significantly, it does not eliminate it. The only sure way to prevent it is not to have sexual contact or get vaccinated by your mid-20s.

ISSUE:Summer 2012
DEPT:Beauty Kit

Protecting your skin from the sun is no laughing matter, especially when such rampant sun worshipping leads to premature aging, unsightly sunspots and even cancer. But what’s not commonly known is that while skin cancer affects more Caucasian Americans, Asian Americans and other people of color are more likely to diefrom melanoma than their Caucasian counterparts. (Did you know that reggae musician Bob Marley died of skin cancer at the age of 36?)

Strangely enough, melanomas in Asians, including Filipinos, Indonesians and Native Hawaiians, most often occur on non-exposedskin with less pigment — in fact, up to 60-75 percent of tumors show up on the palms, soles, mucous membranes (the mouth!) and nail regions. And among non-Caucasians, melanoma is a higher risk for children than adults: 6.5 percent of pediatric melanomas occur in non-Caucasians.

So what do you do? First, get checked. Look for moles or spots that change over time, get crusty or bleed. The Skin Cancer Foundation is once again launching their Road to Healthy Skin Tour (skincancer.org/tour) this summer. Get a free full body skin cancer screening, the latest info on preventing skin cancer, and samples of the latest Aveeno products, including their genius Hydrosport Sunblock Spray (yes, you can spray on wet skin).

Secondly, always, always, always wear sunscreen, even on cloudy days. Confused by all the different ingredients and SPF labels? One easy way is to look for the Skin Cancer Foundation’s Seal of Recommendation (check out skincancer.org/sealfor details).

Contouring’s always gotten a bad rap, but when I read recently that the best makeup tip Kate Moss — that icon of bone structure — has ever gotten was contouring, I decided to give it a second look. “The contour powders of today are much softer, more natural than in the ’80s,” says Filipina American celebrity makeup artist Mally Roncal, creator and president of Mally Beauty. “Contouring doesn’t warm your skin like bronzer does; it just mimics the natural shadows of the face.” The secret is to blend well, “so you get that soft, shadowy effect.” We asked Mally to get us started.

ISSUE: Summer 2012

DEPT: Beauty Kit

What kind of contour powder should we look for?
Look for a product that is actually meant for contouring, with words like “contouring” or “shaping” in the name. They are less pigmented and super easy to blend, so they won’t be too heavy or dark. Never use a brown or taupe eye shadow, which will be too heavy and too pigmented.

Can we use concealer to contour?
Yes, absolutely! This is one of my favorite makeup artist tricks. On moisturized and primed skin, take a concealer one to two shades darker than your skin tone and apply it in the hollows of the cheeks, along the top of the forehead, on either side of the nose. The darkness is going make everything recede. Then, take a concealer one to two shades lighter than your skin tone, and apply it on the tops of the cheekbones, on both sides of the mouth, down the center of the nose, on the brow bone, and in the center of the chin — the lightness is going to bring everything forward. Gently blend any edges, then apply your foundation as you normally would.

What kind of lighting is best when I’m contouring?
If you can work in a room with lots of natural light, that is going to be your best bet. If you don’t have access to natural light, just make sure to avoid overhead lighting, which can cast unnatural shadows.

Contouring 101
Chinese-Malaysian American Audrey Cleo, a reporter for the TV Guide Network, knows contouring. “Under harsh TV lights and especially under what’s called ‘flat lighting,’ the natural angles of my face get blown out and dis- appear. Not hot,” she says. Here, her own step-by-step guide to chiseled cheekbones: 

1. After applying concealer and foundation, coat the top of a flat topped contour brush with a powder three to four shades too dark. Suck in your cheeks as if you’re making a “fish face.” With a light hand, apply the dark shade in a line from the highest part of your cheekbone into the hollows of the cheeks, right underneath the apples. It will look like you just drew two lines in the shape of a “V” on your face.

2. Continue applying the dark shade along your jawline and blend a little under the chin and into the throat area. This creates shadows along your face and neck.

3. Using a small powder brush, apply a powder three to four shades too light just under the dark “V” lines. Blend to soften lines.

4. Dip your small brush into your highlighter and apply above the apples of your cheeks towards the temples and above the “V” shading from step 1.

5. Finish with blush on the apples of your cheeks and soften any harsh lines by applying your regular face powder with a buffer brush in a light circular motion.

The only consolation about fighting acne and wrinkles simultaneously is that I’m not alone in this sad, sad battle — anywhere from 25 to 50 percent of adult women (yes, even those over 40) suffer from adult acne. Fortunately, skincare lines have responded to our need to fight these two banes of our existence with super advanced formulations made to baby our grown-up skin.

ISSUE: Summer 2012

DEPT: Beauty Kit

 
Get skin as clear as 30-something China Chow, host of Bravo’s Work of Art: The Next Great Artist.

Salicylic Acid
An anti-inflammatory that unclogs pores.

Benzoyl Peroxide
Kills the P. acnes bacteria.

Tea Tree Oil
Not into chemicals? Try a more au naturel approach.