Wednesday, August 22, 2007
From Cheek To Lid
Here’s a tip!
If you are in desperate need of a dash of colour on your face because you’re caught bare faced and you have no eye shadows in hand, you may give your eyelids a sweep of your pink-toned blusher (and then another sweep of shimmer over it if you have any!).
And to avoid looking totally “monotone”, use a brown- or peach-tone blusher on your cheeks instead! Glide on a coat of gloss and you’re ready to go!
P/S So it’s always handy to have blushers ready in your bag afterall!
When In Doubt, Put On Life Saving Jacket!
Don’t you just hate it when you can’t ever decide what to wear to work?
Invest in a good piece of crop jacket, it’ll bridge you through many occasions! From when you need to attend a formal meeting to covering that water-retention flab on your arms or tummy, jackets’ always a wonderful choice to consider as it pulls (rather covers!) everything in place and give you an overall tailored look.
The plus point? Instead of looking boringly dead formal, crop jackets are a cute option with bold embellishment, like this piece with the vintage huge buttons with the cropped bust with pleated panel.
Wear it over a simple tank top or nothing at all underneath! It can go with skirts and pants of all cuts and kinds. Just perfect for the day when you are lazy to think! Hah!
Labels: House Dressing
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Flirty Tuesday
I thought this get-up is simple, versatile, and simply gorgeous!
Just throw on a flirty short voile skirt that flatters, a long sleeved lycra top, and a short sleeved cardigan. (Psst, wear a pair of killer heels to up that sex appeal!)
After work, simply remove the cardigan (and change into flat pumps if you want) and hit the coffee bar with your friends for a lazy evening!
And to kill those pre-lunch hunger pangs, baby carrots makes an awesome nibble! Carrots are a healthy snack to feed the hunger and its high content of Vitamin A is beneficial and contributes to the function of the retina of the eyes.
Labels: House Dressing
Monday, August 20, 2007
When You’re Too Lazy To Makeup…
You should at least hit the base. The face, I mean.
Here’s my foolproof face makeup regimen under 10 minutes:
> If my face breaks out with unsightly pimples, I'd dab on some Tea Tree Oil for the anti-bacterial effect.
> Spread on a layer of sunscreen of at least SPF25 as base.
> Dab dark eye circles and pimple with concealer and gently blend with CLEAN (ring) finger.
> As I’m using foundation (and concealer) in powder form, I’d blend a little concealer into my foundation and use a brush to swirl on the powder combo all over my face, in downward strokes, starting from the under-eyes.
> Instead of using eye liner, fill in only the crease of eye lids with dark brown eye shadow, layer by layer to get just the right desired “lined” eyes effect.
> You may also use a dark brown / grey eye shadow to fill in the brows, then “comb” the brows with a brow brush. The results are always very natural, not to mention easy to control.
> Curl eye lashes, and apply mascara starting from the base of the lashes (important to keep the lashes out-standing, literally) and zig-zag out.
For plain, natural makeup, I prefer using a mascara that gives volume to my lashes for that extra hint of “drama”.
> A swirl of blusher on both cheeks.
> Use a clean brush to sweep on gentle strokes of bronzer/shimmer on the forehead, jawlines, and nose tip to give features definition.
> Apply lip balm, lip colour, and finally a coat of your favourite lip gloss.
And voilà!
But then again, this is only a routine I’ve developed myself, you may not find it appropriate for yourself, for example, mixing the concealer powder with the foundation powder; plus, it's not a flawless routine, but at least it brightens up my pale face. So share your routine with us instead. It is in sharing that we all learn, yes? :)
P/S I’m using mineral powder makeup products which I’ll do another post later on.
Killing (Monday) Blues
Now I don’t need to repeat the whole scenario in detail, you girls know the *problem* all too well - it’s workday / weekend / holiday / whatever-day, and *omg!* what to wear?!!!
Uhn ha.
Here’s my take in curbing this daily headache. I’ll be posting up an ensemble everyday, and well, hopefully that’ll help me fine tune my dress sense (oh, fingers crossed!), and maybe giving you an inspiration or two too! :)
So kicking off on this drizzly, lazy Monday morning, to work I had to go. And yeah, total blah.
But let’s spruce things up a bit with this beautiful cashmere Kimono Cardigan.
You can pair it with
> A simple racer back singlet / a clean-cut sexy tank
> A pair of skinny pants / pencil skirt
Then dress up or down with
> Ballerina flats / 3.5” heel pumps.
> Leather tote / satchel
And finally wrapped it up with a hearty breakfast of omelette sandwich and tea before heading out!
Now is that yum or is that yum?! Happy Monday girls! :D
Labels: House Dressing
Friday, August 17, 2007
Fittingly A Medieval Princess!
I just bought a gorgeous piece from Etsy!
It’s a beautiful necklace hand made out of brass with a Chalcedone drop delicately hung as the “centre piece”.
Jody McGill of 1ofmykind is a wonderfully talented artist with an eccentric taste. Her collection is mostly limited pieces that sell like hotcakes.
I love this piece titled “Swoop” (USD$39.01) so much! The soaring bird adds a touch of vivacity to the piece while the turquoise Chalcedone drop simply exudes tranquillity. It makes me feel like a Medieval princess. Haha!
Labels: Accessories
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss
If you ask me what makeup product I can’t live without, it has got to be lip colours, hands down! The little make up pouch in my bag is full of nothing but, erm, lippies - 1 aloe vera lip balm, 1 lip tint, 2 lipsticks, 1 tub lip colour, and 1 lipgloss.
And one of the many affordable brands of lipgloss that I’ve been using for the longest time is Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss.
This baby comes in lovely juicy shades of reds, browns, and pinks (I'm using Cherries In The Glow), which although the colours look kinda strong from the bottle, it actually leaves only a lovely sheer smear of tint on your lips; great wearing on its own, or over a coat of matte lipstick, which softens the colour and give a gorgeous boost to your pouts.
The only *slight* downside which puts me off at times is the stickiness. As I keep long hair, so when strands of my hair come in contact with my lips, the gloss will be smeared all over my cheek, making it sticky; which is unglam, really.
But one reason I love using lipgloss is that it moisturises the lips as mine chaps easily, unlike most matte lip colours. And for that, I shan’t be complaining about the stickiness eh.
Now, it’s about time I stock up already. The last I bought the tube was for RM24.00 plus minus from Guardian. However, the Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss is easily available in all major pharmacies and Revlon counters.
Another new product from Revlon I want to try so badly is this:
We’ll keep that for another day now, shall we? :)
Labels: Lips
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Jean-eonlogy
…when asked what made a perfect pair of jeans, he had a quick answer.
"Same as always. It comes down to how your behind looks when you wear them," grins Kumarasiri.
"No matter how good the wash, the detail or the label, if it doesn't look good on your behind, it won't sell."
Now, that explains why I love sneaking into my sis’ pair of jeans, I've always thought I looked more… womanly (dang!) whenever I’m in it and otherwise when I’m in other pairs! It’s the behind!!! Doh!
Labels: Fashion Wisdom
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Gotta Love Lip Tints!
It’s the weekend all over again! How “yay” is that?! :)
Remember to bring along a red-tinted lip balm with you wherever you go! They make a great blusher during emergencies (like… when you meet a hunk at the dance floor and you have no blusher in hand to touch up?).
Just smear a small amount onto cheeks for that blushing-bride look and you’re ready to attract some serious attention (Psst, and the clear ones make great emergency moisturizers!)!
I’m using Stila’s Lip Pot in Cerise. It makes my lips moist and supple minus the gooey feeling and my cheeks a healthy, pretty cherry pink! Love it!
Have a great weekend y’all!
Friday, August 10, 2007
DIY Beauty: Aspirin Mask
When I first heard of the Aspirin Mask, I was totally befuddled! I mean, dude, seriously, you mean the aspirin that you pop?!
But at the same time, I was also very moved by the rave reviews and results from the ladies (who also tried the mask on their boyfriends!), and that got me to work a bit. I started googling and researched on the mask.
Aspirin (Salicylic Acid) is a form of Beta Hydroxy Acids or BHA’s, which are found inmany skin creams and work by exfoliating the dull, dead layers of skin, revealing fresh new skin underneath. Over time, BHA’s can help clarify skin tone and promote healing of blemishes.
By the end of it, I was sold. I went out and bought myself a box of Aspirin (x24 tablets) from Guardian (RM5.40; if you are from the States, then lucky you, you can get a bottle of Aspirin (x200 tablets) easily for USD$0.99, a steal!), a small tub of honey from Tesco (RM 4.50), and plain yoghurt (RM1.69). And I’m all set.
Recipe
>2-3 tablets of non-coated aspirins (that’s salicylic acid, NOT Paracetamol), sprinkle a little water over the tablets, just a dot or 3. (2 tablets give perfect coverage for me)
>Squeeze 2-3 dots of honey (yes! Those you eat with your pancakes!) on the tablets.
>And for a kick of AHA - that’s alpha-hydroxy acid, add a few dots of plain yoghurt to the concoction. You can then lick up the rest of the yoghurt :)
>Use a teaspoon to crush the tablet, mix well. The tablets should dissolve easily and you should get a grainy texture, but it shouldn't be too runny.
Application
>Simply spread the mixture on your freshly cleaned face, carefully avoiding the eye area and from breathing in the aspirin (I don’t think it’ll cause you permanent head damage, but it’s always good to be careful, yeah?), and leave it on for awhile and chill out as it dries. I’d leave it for 10 minutes, and no more than 15 minutes, just in case it got too drying for the skin.
>After the times’ up, wash it off, and at the same time, very gently rub the aspirin grains in circles with your fingers tips for about 10 seconds, that’ll exfoliate your skin.
>Then rinse off with water. Remember to apply toner and moisturiser to clean off any residues, tone; and moisturise.
Result
I’m of a sensitive skin type, and it has always been blotchy and pimply, though not serious, but it does bother me for the longest time. After the mask, my skin has improved significantly - no longer red and blotchy, minimal to no breakouts, the pores’ shrunk, and the blackheads are clearing off (softened, and so much easier to squeeze ‘em out).
Though not flawless, but it’s visibly cleaner, more stable, and fairer. And that’s 4 applications by far. And I can layoff those fancy-schmancy skincare products now with this extremely affordable mask!
Use this mask no more than 2-3 times a week, and apply at night, it’ll thoroughly cleanse and allow your skin to breath and rejuvenate. You should know your skin better, so monitor any changes in the skin as you go.
But...
The mask is not for people who are allergic to Aspirin. If you are unsure, run a patch test at the back of your palm, leave the aspirin concoction on for a few minutes, wash it off, and give it 24 hours to observe any reactions. Better yet, consult your doctor before you apply anything.
If you do decide to try out the mask, don’t take my word for it, read up and do some research yourself first. And then let me know how it turns out! :)
P/S You may also try adding a dot of fresh Aloe Vera gel to the mixture (though I haven’t yet tried this myself); I believe it’ll give a great skin-tightening result on top of the moisturising effect.
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Let's Get It Started!
Before nine is the time before you get to office and begin a hectic day.
Before nine is the time before you get out of your house eager to meet your date at night.
Before nine is the time you unearth little, little tips on skincare regimens and beauty tricks as you *gasp* age.
Before nine is the time you prep your face to greet the world and those around you.
Before nine is the time you pump up your confidence, click your 4-inch stilettos, and say, hellooo world!
