My hair removal methods

Today I’m going to talk about my favourite hair removal method for different part of my body.
Truth to be told, I’m really hairy for a girl and very lazy! I mean when all the other girls out there can get away with nice almost hairless skin, I have to battle with hair issues everywhere – from my upper lips to my arms, legs and of course armpits.

I got my upper lip hair treated with IPL and so far so good. Slight hair can still be seen but nothing like before so I am  really happy about it. I didn’t do IPL for other parts of my body as I really cannot find time to pack all these beauty treatments in my very busy schedule and also, I’m a non-salaried worker for now so I won’t be able to afford all these.

The first removal method that I got here is Veet Hair Removal Cream. I use this mainly for my legs. There are different “flavours” and I chose the Velvet rose most of the time as it is blended with essential oils that can moisturize my skin at the same time.

Veet Removal Cream is really easy to use. Just spread sufficient amount of cream across your leg. Wait for 3 mins and scoop it off with the spatula given. It can remove even the shortest hair! I have no problem using this cream at all. It leaves my leg feeling smooth and hairless in just 3 mins time! I love using this on my leg instead of shaving as I won’t get the prickly feeling at all. The result also stays longer than shaving. The only problem is that you need to use ENOUGH to totally remove the hair. And you need to be patient as 3 mins in the bathroom doing nothing can be a long wait.

The reason why people say they cannot remove their hair totally with the cream is because they don’t use enough and they didn’t leave it on for a sufficient period of time.

I usually do it once a month when the hair grows noticeable.

The other method is non other than shaving. But I believe in getting a good shaver to prevent nicks and cuts and for a smoother effect. I’ve always been using Gillette Venus Shaver but earlier this year, I got myself the Gillette Venus Spa Breeze Shaver. The difference is that this comes with a built-in gel bar. Simply add water for a skin-loving, light lather and a smooth shave—there’s no need for a separate shave gel. Even better, the shave gel bars are infused with the fresh scent of white tea to soothe your senses.

With this shaver, I’ve not experienced any nicks and cuts. And it is smoother to do it with the built in gel bar. It is also very convenient to use!

The only problem I have is that it doesn’t give a clean shave as compared to the usual one I always use (without the gel bar). I don’t know, but I find that it can be difficult to reach certain areas.

I use this as often as I like since it’s so convenient! Of course, the best time to do it is during shower.

Acne Attack

Acne Attack, Treatments,Celebrities with Acne

Thought this was interesting enough to share with you girls.
I, myself, have actually tried using Oatmeal cleanser and lemon juice mask which I found them to be rather helpful.
Oatmeal makes my skin smooth and is gentle enough for sensitive skin while lemon juice helps reduce and flattens acne. It can be painful on wounds though so be careful.
Unfortunately I get lazy at times to even get these ingredients from the supermarket and prepare them.

A good massage aids good night rest

If I can be granted a wish immediately, I would wish to be a Sleeping Beauty. How nice would it be if I can sleep well and by well, I mean having to fall asleep in less than 5 mins time. Sometimes it really irks me that insomnia is always a problem for me when it comes to the holiday. Granted, I am not stress and I’m not emotionally challenged as well, but somehow to be able to fall asleep seem such a daunting task since December.

I was invited to The White Panda Foot & Body Massage by Street Directory to try out both their foot and body massage. I was standing across the roadside while taking this picture, hence the ugly dustbins around. lol. It was named after the Panda simple because Pandas are always found eating and sleeping. They lead a super relax lifestyle!

Located at Arab Street, this place was not difficult to find at all. A direction idiot like was able to spot this place rather easily.

My initial thought was, “YES!! I am finally going to have a massage to help relax my body and hopefully able to get a good night rest!” When it comes to massages, I am actually quite thrilled. Hehe. 

Are you confident?

Today’s topic is on CONFIDENCE.

Confidence by definition is “the feeling or belief that one can rely on someone or something” and “the state of feeling certain about the truth of something”. So as it goes, if you have confidence in yourself, you would feel the certainty about yourself and you would feel great about yourself. Confidence can be carried out through the way you walk, speak and behave.

Many girls out there (and even boys) do not have much confidence about themselves and this eventually lead to low self-esteem. They feel awful about their looks and just want to hide away. I too, were once a member of low self-esteem. Do you know that I hated the camera that much when I was young? And I hated pretty dresses and long hair. I didn’t feel that I could look good in them. I was very aware of the comments made about me.  But one fine day, I started picking myself up and believe in myself. Everything just turns better all of a sudden. I even have a chance to start my own beauty blog to inspire others! Heh heh.

Cos hey, who says everyone has to look like Angelina Jolie and Jessica Alba? Looks are subjective and looks are not everything. There are people who cringe at you for whatever reasons, but there will still be a handful of people who love you for who you are and accept you for how you look like.

1. Think about your talents

Do you know how to sing, bake, draw or play the instruments? Talents are what made you special and unique. Remember this, that very little talent of yours are put a thousand times bigger in people’s mind because they simply can’t do it or not as well as you.

Trust me, when they think of certain talents, they would think about you as well.

2. Pay yourself compliments

Start loving yourself cos if you don’t, nobody else will. Do you hide from the mirror, thinking that you are ugly? Start looking into the mirror and find your prettiest features. Pay yourself some compliments. I personally feel that my eyes and smile are the prettiest! My eyes are huge and I have a dimple that makes my smile very sweet. ^-^ It doesn’t matter if nobody else agrees with you because what matters is you yourself feel great about yourself.

3. Know your body

Look at your wardrobe, do your apparels make you feel comfortable and confident? Or are they just plain dull and boring? Know your body and start looking for clothes that suit your body frame. For example, I know I have a smaller frame with smaller shoulders, so I always look out for clothes that can help me look bigger. I would add shoulder pads to dresses and go for tighter fit so that I don’t look drown in them. I would avoid over sized shirts or clothes with butterfly sleeves. These just make me look smaller than I already am.

4. Start taking good care of your skin.

Having great skin is one of the key factor in looking good. And once you look good, you would feel good too! Moisturize your skin and never ever leave the house without sunblock. If you do apply makeup, remember less is more on a daily basis. And also, never ever sleep without removing your makeup.

5. Pamper yourself 

Honestly I am a really lazy person who hated bathing time. But sometimes I would try to make my bathing time more enjoyable by using nicely scented shower foams and I love lathering up using a sponge. The foam just makes bathing fun! I would also soak my legs into a tub of warm water as and when I feel like it. The Body Shop has great selections in all these bathing essentials. When I go out for the whole day, I make sure I spray some perfumes of my favorite scent.  At night before I sleep, I like to spray my room with lavender scent to put me into sleeping mode. In addition, I like to wear cute pajamas and just feel good about myself!
How else can you pamper yourself? Facials, massages, spa, food and travelling? Bring it on!

6. Make someone happy

Sometimes it’s not just about you, you and you. Try and make the effort to make the people around you happy. Don’t you just feel great when your friends are happy? Drop your friends a message occasionally even if you don’t meet up, just to let them know you are still around.

Make birthday cards for them! This year, I’ve made about 7 cards for those very special friends.

This is my latest art work! Hehe.

People always appreciate hand-made gifts.

7. Talk to new people

Honestly, every now and then when I talk to new people, I became more aware of myself at the same time. I also like to surprise people with fun facts about myself that they never know before they talk to me. It makes me feel that I have more character and personality. Talk to new people and find out what they feel about you. And when they pass you some compliments, remember to accept it graciously and say thank you. ^-^

Remember, everyone is beautiful. It’s just how you look at it.

I shall end this post with the following quote:

D.I.Y fray pants

Few months back, I cut my old jeans and made it into a frayed pants! As the jeans were a little loose on me, I had to wear a belt with it. But still, I kinda like how I give new life to my old jeans. ^-^

No sewing is required. Just cut away! Get a pair of your favourite shorts cutting and trace the outline on the old jeans accordingly and cut away! After a few washes, the frays will come out beautifully and naturally by itself. You can even bring it up to the next level by bleaching it or dip-dying it.

PS: If you don’t have any old jeans, you can try looking for cheap ones at Song and Song Fashion or Salvation Army!

Achieving an “egg” shape face with makeup

In an attempt to follow the tutorial on Vivi mag but failed terribly. lol. I don’t look like the vivi model at all. -.-
Nonetheless, posting this look up because I still think I look quite pretty. =D  The focus of this look is a round forehead, chub cheeks but small jaw， an “egg” face shape.

For the eye make up, it is actually the same tutorial I did before here so I’m not going to repeat myself . Well, except that this time round, instead of mascara, I applied falsies.

The part that I am most satisfied about this look is the base makeup. It is dewy and translucent enough! If you are someone who only loves matte base makeup, then this is not for you.

Prior to makeup application, I had used a 2B alternative for face mask for lifting effect.

These are the items I used for this look:
1 – Laneige Soothing BB Cushion (in 21 Natural Beige) 
This BB cream gives a smooth and very natural finish. It doesn’t change my skin colour at all, but makes it more even and dewy only.
2 – Guerlain Meteorites Powder in Teint Rose 
I love this loose powder as it is very light and has slight shimmer in it that brightens my skin and make it glow subtly. It also do not have the powdered look even if I accidentally use too much of it.
3 – Mac Cream colour base highlighter (shell frost) 
To make your forehead pop, use a highlighter to highlight it! I love how this cream highlighter is easy to apply and the shimmers aren’t huge specks that looks too obvious.
4 – Shishedo Bronzer in Shade 1 Light Clair 
I seldom use a bronzer but for this look I had used a bronzer on my hairline to reduce the length of the forehead. I also used it on my jaw to make my jaw slimmer.

Check out the Mac Highlighter …

I love the shimmer and the slight peachy colour!

1. Apply the BB cream by patting it in all over the face.
2. Dust loose powder (with slight shimmer) with a brush.
3. Highlight your forehead (in a huge “n” shape for a rounder forehead), chin and nose with a highlighter.
4. Brush the bronzer along your hairline on the forehead and your jaw for slimmer look. Do not use the bronzer on your cheek as this is one of the prominent feature in this look.

PS: I drew on additional 2 moles…can you spot them?

D.I.Y Green and Red Apple Enzymes

Science had proven that apple contains Flavonoids and Polyphenois, and when you consume both together will have a very good effect of preventing cancer and anti-oxidant. Also, it has an effect to help slim down and relieves QI. But for those who is lacking of energy （气虚者), it is better not to eat too much. Adding lemons can also help to kill germs and bacteria.

I knew about making the Green and Red Apple Enzymes from the La Mer’s event I attended the other day!
So may I share this recipe with you? ^^

First of all, get the apparatus ready – a chopping board, knife and huge glass jar (2 liter pack) like the above.
You will also need these ingredients:
300g green apples
300g red apples
300g lemons
700g brown sugar blocks

1. Wash green apples, red apples and lemons until clean and set aside to let it dry in the air. Wash knife, glass jar and other utensils until clean and put under hot sun to dry.

2. Remove green apples skin and red apples skin (it is fine if you don’t. I didn’t for mine.), remove the core and slice thinly Halve open lemon together with skin, remove seeds and slice thinly.

3. Spread all green apples on the bottom of glass, spread 200g of sugar, follow by all red apples, then 200g of sugar again and lastly spread all lemons and 300g of sugar. Just make sure the highest layer is sugar and remember don’t fill until too full, leave some space for the ingredients to ferment.

4. Cover the glass with lid. Do not close it too tight, leave a bit of air for the enzymes.

5. Lastly, keep the glass in a dry, clean and shady place for 4 weeks. If the enzymes smell sweet and didn’t grow black mildews or fungus or whatever, then you just need to strain away the bits and enzymes are ready!

6. Keep ready made enzymes fresh in the fridge. Mix 3 teaspoons of enzymes into 1 cup of water, stir to mix well and serve it every morning!

 

We looked so happy with all enzymes:

I’m still not sure if mine has succeeded or not. Would really love to try them if it does!
Let me know if you did try this out at home.

D.I.Y Oatmeal Cleanser

Having trouble finding a gentle cleanser that does not strip off excess moisture on your skin, leaving your skin moisturized? Why not try Oatmeal cleanser? It is easy to use and cheap to buy.

Oatmeal contains minerals that help soothe and heal even the most sensitive skin types, relief itchiness, redness, dryness and minor irritations. Oatmeal naturally absorbs and removes dirt and impurities whilst exfoliating the skin gently, leaving the skin feeling softer and smoother.

I’ve personally tried it before some time back but back then, I didn’t really take extra effort to notice the changes in my skin. So yesterday night, I started using Oatmeal as my cleanser again and this time round, I’m going to observe carefully on how Oatmeal is doing to my skin. For the first night, I noticed my skin feels moisturized, soft and smooth after using Oatmeal cleanser. The aroma of the Oatmeal is also very soothing and that makes cleansing an enjoyable task to do.  I’ve also noticed my skin brighter and more radiant after using it. I believe with prolong usage, I’ll be able to see more of such effect.

This Oatmeal cleanser is good even for the sensitive skin and people with eczema issues. Oatmeal protects the skin from irritants and help soothe the skin that’s itchy, painful and irritated. Some also said that Oatmeal cleanser also healed their acne issues in the long run.

You can use any brand of Oatmeal for this, just don’t use Oatmeal that has added sugar, water and other ingredients to it.
Quaker is a good choice in my opinion.

How to

1. Take a palm full of oatmeal and run your fist in lukewarm water for 15 seconds.
2. Gently open and clench your fist to allow the water to soften the oatmeal.
3. Slowly massage the oatmeal onto your face or body in circular motions for a couple of minutes.
4. Rinse off using lukewarm water to reveal brighter, smoother skin.

[Recipe and Oatmeal provided by Lactacyd]

Note: Smearing Oatmeal all over your face can get rather messy and your sink may not be able to take it. Remember to use a trapper while doing it. And stay close to the sink so that the Oatmeal does not go all over your shirt.

Enjoy and I would love to hear from you if you’ve tried it!

How to deal with hormonal Acne

This post is for the girls with acne issues, especially the hormonal ones.
A month ago, I was on my internship. I was dealing with stress everyday and resorted to eating more junk food everyday to relieve stress. I couldn’t help myself as my parents often buy some and stock them at home. During the period, the sun was blasting almost everyday. I also ate more ice-cream than usual. And that also means my sugar intake went UP!

My hormones went haywire and I got a breakout! Now, people say you are what you eat. It’s true! If you eat more junk and sugar, you will get more junk on your skin. Your skin reflects what you eat. I had clogged pores everywhere on my chin, jawline, temples and my right cheek. Soon, these clogged pores emerged into pimples. They are not huge pimples (thank god), but they are relatively bigger than the usual ones I get. If you have acne on those areas I mentioned, it’s most probably hormonal.

So what can you do about it? 

#1 Cut down on

junk food.

I’m not saying that you cannot eat them. Sometimes we do have cravings but we have to control ourselves and not indulge in them everyday. Too sinful and harmful to your body. Or, pick healthy snacks like EDANAME. It’s easy to prepare and very healthy. I love it!

#2 Cut down on

sugar intake 

Sugar can cause many skin problems such as acne and eczema. Excessive sugar can also cause depression.

#3 Take

supplements

There are many supplements out there in the market that can help regulate hormones. Take vitamin Bs to help cope with stress. It is also essential for healthy skin. Take  Evening Primrose Oil to regulate hormones and maintain good skin, hair and nails. Take fish oil to regulate oil production and boost hydration and prevent acne. What’s more? It can also help your brain to function properly.

There is also another supplement by Kordel called Herbal Anti-Acne. Made of herbs such as burdock and red clover, traditionally described as powerful blood purifier, are believed to clear the bloodstream of toxins. This is specially formulated to help in preventing skin outbreaks and soothes problem-prone skin from within. Echinacea supports the immune system; marigold, celandine and burdock act as anti-microbial agents to help reduce bacterial growth on the skin. Sarsaparilla and red clover contains natural phytoseriods that can help to balance hormonal changes and anti-inflammatory effect.

Now, before you mix and match your supplements, please make sure you ask more advice from pharmacists or your family doctor. I’m currently taking fish oil and Herbal Anti-Acne now.

#4 Don’t worry, 

Be HAPPY

I can’t teach you how. But just always remember not to worry too much and be happy! If problems can be solved, why worry? If problems can’t be solved, why worry? Don’t be so serious, nobody gets out alive anyway. Do your favourite things and smile. Be thankful and grateful always. My favourite thing to do is to blog and read a book. Reading gets me out of this realism for awhile. Oh and I also seek pleasure in watching plays. ^^

#5 If all else fails

see a dermatologist 

It could be serious hormonal imbalance that you are getting. Go and see a doctor and let them tell you what to do. You can be on birth control pills to regulate hormones. You can also be taking accutane to help cope with acne.

#6 Zap those 

Zits 

So I’ve been talking about getting rid of those pimples and preventing them within the body. But taking care of your skin physically is also important. Cleanse well and exfoliate. REMOVE MAKEUP ALWAYS. To help with deeper cleansing, I use Sonic Cleanse twice a week. It makes my skin soft and smooth and maintain clean pores. Click here to read my review.

These are also some of the products I’m currently using.

• Thursday Plantation 100% Tea Tree Oil
• La Roche Posay Effaclar K Renovating care for oily skin Anti-Relapse
• La Roche Posay Corrective and Unclogging Anti-imperfection care

Tea Tree Oil is known for its inflammatory and anti-bacterial benefits. Use it on your pimples and you will notice swelling goes down the next day.

La Roche Posay Effaclar K Renovating care for oily skin Anti-Relapse

Daily transformation skin texture and reduction of mild acne symptoms through the exclusive combination of Retinyl Linoleate, Salicylic Acid and Micro-exfoliating LHA.

Daily care to refine pores and transform skin texture. Clears acne blemishes, refines texture, and prevents reoccurrence of acne.

La Roche Posay Corrective and Unclogging Anti-imperfection care 
The pores are purified. Even the most severe imperfections disappear. The skin is smoother and cleaner. Lasting balance-replenishment to restore all the qualities of healthy skin. For severe skin imperfections.  It is a complete skincare product that combines 4 active ingredients to act on the two main symptoms of skin with imperfections: Severe localised imperfections: Niacinamide and Piroctone Olamine to fight against bacterial proliferation and eliminate imperfections. Pores clogged with sebum: the combination of LHA and Linoleic Acid unclogs pores while eliminating the accumulated dead cells responsible for blockage. These active ingredients are combined with soothing, anti-irritant La Roche-Posay thermal spring water to reduce redness.
Paraben-free formula.

 

My thoughts on them:
Tea tree oil works slowly but effective. It controls the pimple and not let it gets worsen. It also does not dry out my pimples and have no side effect.Takes about 3 days for a pimple to go away.
Both the la roche posay products works effectively and fast to get rid of clogged pores without going for facial. Most of my clogged pores are gone now! I switched the products as and when I feel like it, so as not to get immune to them. I find that switching them makes the products work more effectively.

I’ve blogged about La Roche Posay before, so check them out here.

I hope you find this post informative and useful. So hungry now. Gotta run!
See you! ^^

How to: Curling mid-length hair

It’s been very long since I last used my curler. Decided to take my curler out and play with it!

My hair isn’t very long to begin with; it’s slightly above my chest area. I used an 1 inch curler for this look.

The trick to this look is not to curl too much length of the hair, only concentrate on the ends. And since I am using a relatively small curler with a small barrel, take big pieces of hair to curl for a more natural look.

Here’s how the back looks like! Only curls at the end but it is still very bouncy and lively!

To achieve this look, here’s what you have to do: 

1) Prep your hair by spraying a styling mist/heat protectant to the ends of your hair. I’m using Fuwarie Hair Styling Mist and it works great to give me bouncy curls!
2) Heat up your curler. My babybliss curler has a total of 25 heat setting and I usually use the number 23 setting. The hotter your tool is, the faster you take to curl your hair.
3) Divide your hair into two sections; upper and lower. Clip the upper layer up first.  If you have more hair, you might need to do divide them into more sections.
4) Take about 3 inch of hair and put it inside the clamp of the curler. Make sure the clamp is facing outwards if you want to do inward curls like mine. If you do it in the wrong direction, you will end up with funny curls with a bent on the hair.
5) Slide the curler all the way down to the bottom and roll it up. For my look, I only rolled it up two to three rounds.
6) Make sure that the curler is 45 degree away from the face.
7) Repeat it until all the hair has been curled.
8) Let the curls cool down first. Always remember not to touch the curls when they are still hot or the curls will die off faster.
9) Run your fingers through the curls to soften the look.
10) Spray the curls with your favourite hair spray for the curls to last the whole day!

Check out my video tutorial here.

PS: This is my new hair colour! Not very obvious cos I asked for a subtle dye this time round. Goodbye to black roots!  But my hair quality is still surprising GOOD after the hair dye! Will share with you more on this next time.