Best Facial Spray- from Avene

Singapore is humid and hot and most of us are enjoy staying indoor either for work or not. This tends to dry our skin a little especially under constant exposure of air conditioning and if you have busy schedule and needs flying or travelling, you are even more likely to "stress" out your skin. A good way to keep it moist and healthy is to use a good facial spray especially on the airplane or on the road.

This is not only refreshing and smoothing to your skin but it helps a lot too if you want to touch up or set your makeup. Simply give one or two light spray of at least a 30cm distance away from your face. Leave the moisture to dry up by itself or if necessary pat off the excess. You may apply the facial spray on your hair or body as well besides to your face.

Other applications are to use it after shaving or a laser procedure. I'm sure with the use of the facial spray it helps to relieve your face redness and "heat" over your face.

My personal favourite is from Avene. Retail at S$10.00/ bottle for 50ml. This product uses thermal spring water and is suitable for all skin types even if you have super sensitive skin. The nozzle is easy to press and the water does not have any"funny" smell at all. It is extremely hygiene and the packaging bottle size is easy to bring around. You can be put into your makeup pouch. The contents is very pure and tested with the right PH level.

Source:

Bella HK- January 2010

How to Brighten Skin?

Not many of us are that lucky to be blessed with flawless, white, smooth and glowing skin. It is important to take care the "inside" (intakes) and "outside" (applications) of our body to achieve this.

For external care or applications, we should start with cleansing, toning, moisturising, protecting, treatment and coverage. Always cleanse your skin well with the right type of cleanser that is suitable to your skin type. If your skin or complexion allows, try scrub at least one or twice a week. Toning is a must and should follow after cleansing. Choose alcohol free or AHA base (somehow with vitamin C or fruity acid formula) toning. This definitely helps to brighten your skin and helps to remove sebum which makes absorption of the moisturizer or other cream better.

Choose lightweight, oil free but hydrating moisturizer. Go for brightening or whitening cream. Protect your skin with SPF and UV protective face base. If necessary, go for brightening foundation and powder compact. If needed, choose Bobbi Brown Brightening Spot Treatment corrector SPF25. This helps to lighten your dark spots or freckles before applying the powder compact. I like this one. Price at S$75 and available at all Bobbi Brown retail outlets in major shopping malls.

For internal food consumption, always consume enough water, fruits and vegetables. Avoid smoking and if you are really stress don't take too much snacks but instead invest your time on exercises. Try having a good talk with your soul mates or close friends to bring up your mood. Remember don't eat too much sweet stuff or carbohydrates. Though taking dessert may make you happier but make keep it at a minimum as it not only make you gain some weight, it may also generate you more "pimples".

If you still cannot see improvements, try visiting a skin doctor or a Chinese physician to take care your diet and medical procedures. Good luck.

Prada MakeUp in Milan Fashion Week 2010

It is a pleasure looking at those models in the Milan Fashion Week, studying those top designer's fashion, makeup and hairdos. Personally, I like the Prada collection this season -spring/ summer 2010.

The emphasis is on silky and flimsy materials with "hot" shorts or skirts of sexy length. They selected mostly the solid colors like black or white in their pieces this season. My favourite is below series.

This range is very "holiday" with prints relating to coconut tree and beach. Look! They are very "business" and elegant despite the theme of being casual when in relaxation or holiday. This is really a surprise to me and it has caught my attention immediately. You can look so classy yet enjoying the sun and sea! The colors they chose consist of a mixture of blue, white, yellow and the grayish tone. Perfect match altogether.

As for the makeup; you will be drawn to the LIPS of their models. The hairdo, skin, eyes and cheeks are with very minimum makeup but their lips are super hot and sexy! It's painted bright red or orange. So juicy and kissable! This lip color coincides well with the summer season.

Try Love Gloss (glossy lipstick) from The Body Shop and Bourjois Sweet Kiss Shine (red tone lipstick).

(Source: Female- Spring/ Summer 2010)

Enhancing Smoky Eyes with Acuvue Colored Contact Lens

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_gDa7-ZpzM



Do you find creating smoky eyes makeup challenging? Besides selecting the right eyeshadow colors and having the right skill set to create this effects, there is also one another way to enhance it or make your job easier.

Try putting up the color contact lens to make your eyes bigger and louder. Acuvue Define 1 Day Lens. It's disposable (every day type), safe and hygiene to wear. Retail at S$50/box (of 30pair).

This new range is super natural with stacking colors by the edge and the flower patterns around the inner ring of the lens. See... it makes your eyes to appear natural than the usual type of colored lens so much so that some find it has no differences.



By wearing this lens, you can even eliminate the need of heavy smoky eyes. You can simply apply blue or purple or brown based eyeshadow to give the smoky looks, add a thin eyeliner and or fake eyelashes (and mascara) to enhance it. This is good enough to 'open' your eyes.

Or if you don't want the hassle of smoky eyes, you can use this lens with light pastel eyeshadow, coupled with eyeliner and mascara.

(Source: Cosy Cot/ Jessica HK Mar 2010)

Welcome to the colors of Spring 2010

Found this interesting range of SPRING 2010 colors recommendations by Robinsons. The concentrate is on minimum pale looking makeup. If you think no- makeup is too plain for you, you can try adding special effects on your cheeks or on your lips.

Try the golden or brown tone with high glitter effects to give the "hot" yet flawless looks concentrating the cheeks or lips.

Starting from the top left: Christine Dior Addict (S$40), Mac Glass Collection (S$35). These are super wet and glossy lipsticks that gives super sensational and sexy lips. Next, we have Bobbi Brown Natural Long Lasting Foundation SPF15 (S$71). This range is long lasting, natural and give good protection under the sun at SPF15. Texture soft and not cakey after applying. Good choice.

If you find glossy lips attracts too much attention, you may try Channel rouge, Allure in incogition (S$44). To match your makeup, try the brown nail Vernis Color from Chanel (S$35) with Channel Quadra Eyeshadow in kaska beige (S$83) and Radian Glow Highlight Power (S$82).

(Source: Elle present: The Robinsons bulletin, Spring 10)

Natural Makeup Look

Natural makeup can be refreshing and attractive if you know how to put it on or wear it.

I've always envy ladies with excellent complexion who that can carry neutral colors like beige or the neutral colors as nude to give the natural look.

In the past, I've only associate natural with nude and nothing else. But nowadays, I've started to open up for the concept of creating the natural look that is never be always restricted on nude colors or the pale or dandy type of looks.

You can also achieve natural makeup with minimum colors on eyes and cheeks and lips but concentrating the skin color or the choice of the colors of your lipsticks.

What about these looks? Healthy bronzed skins with attractive colors for the lips. This is easy to wear yet natural and simple.

There shouldn't be worries as it is easy nowadays to achieve this because we are flooded constantly by so many brands or varieties outside that can help us to get there. My personal favourite is still MAC.

(Picture source: Female, Spring/ Summer 2010- Presented by Citigems)

Dior Addict- Ultra Glossy Lipstick

Wet, thick and glossy lips are always sexy and sensational. Try the latest product from Dior- Addict (the Ultra Gloss)

Retail price at S$40.00 in major shopping malls.

There are 18 shades avaliable and it is divided into 3 different effects: Glow, Pearl and Flash.

Glow- provides nude colors which are natural like nothing is on but gives the wet glossy looks

Pearl- this range has more pastel or light pink or brown tones which are smooth and cool

Flash- Consists of louder color tones. It is super vivid when put on.

This gloss design is nicely and elegantly packed. Neat and easy to carry around. The texture is smooth and excellent for dry looking lips. Its gives good effects of a moistured, fully pumped and firm lips. Delicious.

The fragrance of this lipstick is acceptable and it is easy to apply with the roll on applicator.

(Picture source: from Christian Dior/ OCBC- brochure)

My favourite makeup in Oscars 2010

Are you a follower of the Oscars awards? How do you find the makeup and the fashion trends for those who had attended it?

I realised most female stars or celebrities have very nice and designed gowns not to say especially the extravagant accessories or jewelleries that they put on. Usually, their makeup are not over do or too showy. They emphasised on professionalism and elegance in this award presentation.

I like this one from Sandra Bullock (starred in The Blind Side). Her bright red cum pinkish lipstick is just captivating and sexy. She kept hairdo simple so most of attention falls on your gown, makeup and jewellery. Cool!

Kate Winslet is equally attractive with her sexy curly lock hair. Elegant YSL strap top with pants and look her large diamond necklace.

Zoe Saledana (in Avatar) with her nice purple suite.

It's always enjoyable to look at these stars in the red carpet.

(Picture source: Reuters/ Huffington page)

Best Hair Leave In conditioner

I've found a very good and effective hair leave in conditioner that you love it. You can get it exclusive from Icon (Shunji Mastsuo) Hair salon. SPICE water- Arimino. Volume -200ml. It is imported from Japan. Retail price at S$30.00 (exclude GST) per bottle.

The packaging of this product is pretty sweet and cute. Look at the pink color design. Unlike traditional types of hair leave in conditioner where they are usually packaged to be of pump or spray type. The direction to use for this one is to turn the grey knob (clockwise) and you can start to pour the conditioner out on your palm. Shake it before use. Normally, you just need at least a 2 fifty cents coin size of volume to apply on your short or medium length hair. Do not rinse off and apply it directly to towel dry or semi wet hair.

You will love this product since the texture of this conditioner is very smooth and it has easy to apply on. It will immediately be absorbed onto your hair straight after you apply it. The fragrance of this product is very pleasant (not heavy or too chemical) like the scent of a sweet apple. When the conditioner gets dry up, you will feel your hair gets softer, smoother and straighter. This is definitely a good advantage vs the rest of the other brands since I've tried some which are either not effective in terms of the moisturising aspects or when they leave your hair "hard" as the conditioner gets dried up.

Best Lip Balm- Your Lip cosemtics

Lips color or lip cosmetics plays a very important role in the entire facial makeup. Simply because it is easiest to apply and it attracts quite a fair bit of attention as we communicate with others through talking or even with our smiles.

Get rid of the chipped, dry and wrinkled looking lips through the use of a scrub (you can get it from Bodyshop). After that, you should look into getting your lips constantly moisturized or pumped up with a gloss. Due to globalisation and travelling, weather changes (getting so hot nowadays) and staying in air- conditioned indoor room for a long period of time are valid reasons for putting up a good lip conditioner.

In this era, we are blessed with many choices, brands and varieties of lip balm cosmetics. We have choices of high SPF lip balm, shimmer lip conditioner, tinted lip sticks or even lips balm of various flavours like banana, methol & etc. Hmm, don't you think we are lucky?

One of my personal favourite is from Cyber Colors- Avocado Lip Balm . It is cheap but effective. It is moisturising and there is no funny smell or taste. The texture of this lip balm is quite smooth and easy to apply too. Only disadvantage is that it can be too material is too soft hence good to store in cool and dry place. Also do not scroll it up high when applying, it may break easily. Selling at S$10.00 from any SaSa store.

It may not necessary to go for those branded brands like Kose, Shisedo or Mac for a lip balm. If you are looking at something more expensive, you can opt for Sussie Programme. It is harder in nature, moisturising and no smell and taste. Selling at ~S$30.00 from SaSa

Great Acne Product- Avene Diacneal Acne Lotion

How to you deal with oily, large pores or very sensitive face of yours that are highly prone to blemishes, acne or pimples?

Avene Diacneal Acne Cream is an excellent acne product. This acne lotion or acne cream helps to prevent skin thickening and the formation on spots like blackheads or whiteheads.

All you have to do is to apply a thin layer of this acne lotion on the affected areas or spots that are on your face. Normally, if you consistently use this products over a couple of weeks or up to one month, you will noticed great changes on your face. You will realised your skin texture gets smoother out and scars appears to be less visible. There will be fewer outbreaks too.

So far, Avene Diacneal acne skincare works well on my oily and sensitive skin. I've witnessed less imperfection on my skin with lesser acne and blackheads.

This is a yellow color acne cream that doesn't smell too nice (but not to the extend of awful) but effective in terms of oil control and excess sebum control. It contains ingredients like thermal water, Glyolic acid and Retinaldehyde. Glyolic acid gives the "peeling" or tinkling effects that helps to get rid of the spots and reduce the visibility of them. The spring water makes it smoothing so that it will not be too dry for us.

The product is retailed at major pharmacies and retail shops like Watson, Guidance, Robinson or JohnLittle. It is retail at S$50.90.

If you are lucky, you may even get it for at least 20% discount if any of the above stores are having sales. Good Luck!