‘beauty tips’ Category Posts

31
Jan
2012

P&G Beauty Debate P&G Beauty Debate

The thing I love most about Spring is all the amazing colours it brings. Bright, cheery colours that you can add to your palette, both in your make up and your wardrobe. After attending the P&G Beauty Debate with Sarah from facesbysarah, I’d say I was on the right track for my Spring 2012 colour palette during my New Year visiting!

Experts from the beauty panel predicts several colour trends for Spring 2012 including:
- Sand Dunes: Everything to do with luxurious naturals, nudes.
- Visible Aura: Glossy healthy sheen with lots of natural shine.
- Tango: Bold strong colours like black/daring pink. Lots of lace. Inspired by Latin America.
- Beauty Graffiti: To do with DIY and personalization. Colour splashes in an artful way.

Outfit of the Day

These trends can be incorporated to both fashion and beauty so I decided to pull a little bit of the above 4 Spring 2012 colour trends during my Chinese New Year by getting this very beautiful teal Greecian Slant from The Velvet Dolls and coral Dipped Back Flare Dress from Jipaban! Going bold with colour splashes!

Face of the Day Makeup Look

As for my hair and makeup, I decided to go for a more natural, healthy look in tune with the Visible Aura Spring 2012 trend. Light eye makeup and a healthy flush of colour on the cheeks and lips was in order to match my coral dress. Then I top all that off with highlighters on the cheeks and nose bridge for a truly visible aura!

Face of the day
Face
Inglot Under Makeup Base
Bobbi Brown Colour Corrector in Dark to Medium Bisque
Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer
Burberry Beauty Sheer Foundation Luminous Fluid Foundation
MAC Prep and Prime Transparent Finishing Powder
MAC Pinch-o-peach blush
Sephora Sculpting Disk

Eyes
Too Faced Smokey Eye Palette
MAC Superslick Liquid Eye Liner
Acuvue 1-Day Define Contact Lens in Vivid
Maybelline Define-a-Lash Volumizing Mascara

Lips
Rimmel London Full Colour Lip Liner Definer in Pure
Lancome L’Absolu Rouge in 380

Outfit of the Day

The beauty and hair trend for Spring 2012 is all about hair being free to move with a glossy, healthy bounce. So to emulate the clean, freshly washed yet polished look, I ironed my hair out, worked some hair serum for a shiny finish and spritz a wee bit of hairspray just to hold it all down. Dont overdo the hairspray because hair needs to be light and made but not overdone!

Will you be incorporating any of the Spring 2012 Colour and Beauty Trends in your fashion and beauty routines this year? Which ones will you pick?

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27
Jan
2012

The idea of nail stickers isnt a new one. First, they were the cute little things you used to paste on your nails as additional decorations. Now, they’ve graduated to being pasted on your entire nail. I first bought nail stickers from Sephora because the idea of pasting your nail colour seemed fuss-free and convenient. Somehow, I never actually got about to using them.

Then, everyone started talking about the Sally Hansen Salon Effects real nail polish strips while I stubbornly resisted them. I continued resisting them because I was happy being old school and painting my nails. But eventually, I succumbed. I decided I would try out the Cut It Out floral design for Spring 2012. Flowers on my nails couldnt be better for the New Year! Plus, Watsons was having a 20% off the nail strips, so I only paid about SGD15 from the original SGD17.50! Yipee for discounts!

Sally Hansen Salon Effects Review

In each pack, you’ll find 16 nail stickers for you to find the perfect fit, a nail stick, mini nail file/buffer and detailed instructions; everything you need to DIY a salon effect manicure. Application of the Sally Hansen Salon Effects real nail polish strip is easy enough that I managed to perfect the application by the 4th nail. It’s really a simple technique of stick-and-go.

Sally Hansen Salon Effects Review

Peeling the strip off its backing, you’ll realise the strips are really quite thin and flimsy and need to be handled with care. But if you make a mistake pasting the rounded part at the base of your nail, you can gently wean the nail polish strip off your nail and readjust it without any loss in stickiness. Oddly enough, as much as I thought these were just stickers, they smell exactly like nail polish, though not as strong. I guess that’s why they call them real nail polish strips.

Because the strips are so thin, instead of buffing them like the instructions recommend, you can actually tear them off at the edges. On the first few applications, I made the mistake of pulling the Sally Hansen Salon Effects real nail polish strips a wee bit too much thinking they’d adhere better. But all I really did was tear the strip a little bit. Lol. I eventually found out a gentle tug is all that’s needed to ensure smooth and bubble-free application.

Salley Hansen Salon Effects Review

The Sally Hansen Salon Effects real nail polish strips are slated to last for up to 10 days but I couldnt decide if it was because of my weak nails or my rough and tumble that the nail polish strips chipped off at the nail edges like regular nail polish does within three days. I resorted to applying a top coat and to my surprise, found that I really liked the effect of the shine on the nail polish strips. It gave the nail polish strips a better finish. Perhaps if I had applied a top coat earlier, it would have preserved the condition of my Salon Effect manicure for longer.

Removal of the Sally Hansen Salon Effects nail polish strips is identical to how you would remove real nail polish: you’ll have to remove them using a nail polish remover! My only gripe about the Sally Hansen Salon Effects nail polish strips is the fit of the strips on the nails. Sometimes they dont cover your entire nail breadth-wise.

Otherwise, I simply love the ease of application of the Sally Hansen Salon Effects and the no dry-time. On top of that, you get all sorts of intricate designs without having to sit through 2 hours in the nail parlour. I think I’m going to search for more of these nail polish strips.

Have you tried the Sally Hansen Salon Effects nail polish strips or any variation of these nail stickers? Would you give up your nail polish for them?

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17
Jan
2012

As much as I love doing the black smokey eye for piercing eyes in photos, heavy dark eye makeup isnt quite so suitable for daily wear when you’re going to work. You wouldnt want your boss to think you just came from an overnight party! Haha. Black smokey eye makeup can also take up quite a bit of time, so you’ll probably need to get up at least 2 hours before reporting time to get ready. (Oh trust me, I know. Hahaha.)

That’s when I like to turn to what I call my 5 minute make up. Technically, it doesnt actually take 5 minutes but it’s easy enough that it sure looks like it. The focus of this simple day make up look is a a fresh, clean face. You want to look like you got out of bed and look this naturally beautiful every single day. Dark eye rings are a big no-no, so concealer and colour corrector IS. A. MUST.

If anyone were to ask me how to get rid of dark undereye circles, I’d have to say colour corrector or corrective concealers is the secret to getting rid of dark eye circles. Concealer seems like a misnomer because concealer actually lightens instead of changing the colour of dark eye rings. It’s all about neutralizing with colours.

For instance, if you have redness on your face, you’d want to use a green make up base to help reduce this redness, while a purple make up base can help correct yellow-colored skin. So depending on your dark-eye rings (either blue or grey-blue), you’ll need to the get the corresponding neutralizing colour to really rid your makeup face of dark under eye circles. Hip hip hooray to not having two white patches under your eyes anymore!

Here’s a look at the products I used in this simple day makeup video:
Face
Bare Minerals Matte Powder Foundation *
Bobbi Brown Colour Corrector in Dark to Medium Bisque *
Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer *
Bobbi Brown Sheer Finish Loose Powder
Sephora Sculpting Disk

Eyes
Sonia Kashuk Eyeshadow Quad
MAC Superslick Liquid Eye Liner
Maybelline Define-a-Lash Lengthening Mascara

Lips
Bare Minerals Lip Gloss in Chiffon

* must-haves for getting rid of dark under-eye rings

Simple Day Makeup Look

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4
Jan
2012

After the first official work day of the new year, there’s no better time to put those beauty resolutions to work! Resolutions always seem hard to keep and we normally go into the year with loads of fervour wanting to do everything! But I like to think of resolutions as new habits that need to be formed, so here’s my list of beauty habits that I would like to improve and change in 2012:

Mineral Makeup

Back to minerals
I have this thing with mineral makeup. Just as beauty and fashion trends come and go, my love affair with mineral makeup is seasonal. Mineral make up brands like bareMinerals and Everyday Minerals have been in my make up case for quite a while now. I used to swear by mineral foundation previously but found the loose powder format for mineral products a wee bit too messy, especially when it came to foundation or blushes.

Now in 2012, I’m going back to all that mineral goodness and I’m starting the year off with a brand new mineral foundation from bareMinerals! They never used to have bareMinerals in Singapore but the brand can now be found in Sephora Singapore! Yayyy! I havent seen a line of mineral lipglosses here yet (bareMinerals and Everyday Minerals have it at their online stores), but Watsons Singapore carries Rachel K Cosmetics mineral lip plumpers.

Kinerase Singapore

Taking better care of my skin
This sounds like a really general statement. And if it’s anything that I’ve learnt regarding making resolutions, is that it should never be a general one. Always make it specific. So what I really mean by the statement above is: just like how I go for regular facials to maintain my skin’s health, I’m going to take the effort to consult a skin doctor to keep my skin in tip top condition in 2012! I think anti-aging will be my focus this year. I want to look forever 21. Lol.

Champneys Spa Indulgence

Better body care
We often spend so much time and effort taking care of the skin on our faces and neck, but hardly take the time to pamper the rest of our bodies. This year if I’m not in a spa, I’ll be using expert formulas from Britian’s spa professionals to give myself a good scrub every week or so! Boots Asia carries Champneys Spa Indulgence and these things smell so good I could eat them.

The coarse scrub of the Oriental Opulence Body Glow does wonders for your skin. I love the coarse texture of the scrub because it removes dead skin effectively to leave behind soft baby skin. And the body cream! Rich luxury in a tub. Mmm… Delicious. Did I already mention how the products leaves you smelling as though you walked through a daisy field? Now if only I could get someone to do all that for me at home just like a real spa. Hmmm….

Beauty Expiry Date

Pay more attention the expiry dates on beauty products
Through all these years, products come and sometimes they dont go. When we use a product and decide we dont like it, what do you do with them? I’m guilty of sometimes leaving them there past their beauty expiry dates without bothering to throw them out. I’m glad I dont use them past their expiry dates, but I’m going to be more diligent about throwing things out if they’re expired. It’s time to clear the clutter!

These 4 beauty resolutions dont seem all that difficult to adhere to. And now that I’ve got them down in writing it’ll be easier for you guys to police me! I’m going to make a real effort!

What are your beauty resolutions for 2012?

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29
Dec
2011

I dont know how and I dont remember when I started taking an interest in having a little pointy nose tip. It probably starts when the company you keep comprises especially of girls from other countries who have had their nose tips augmented on a compulsory basis. Little by little, you start to pay more attention to their nose tips and wonder how their noses all look the same. Is it a country thing or is there a template that the doctors use and keep to year after year?

Short of going under the knife, contouring does have a profound effect on making your nose bridge look higher. But when it comes to making your nose smaller, I decided to try something new just so I could have a pointy nose tip that maybe I’ll one day use while turning my nose up at someone I dont fancy. Haha.

How to Make Your Nose Smaller Making Your Nose Smaller

So my method of making my nose look smaller by using this “Nose Up” clip which I got at a steal for $2. I previously saw this contraption at other beauty shops, but refused to pay $6.90 (or anything more than $2 really) for something most people call a clothes peg with pads on it. It seems to be pretty big with the Japanese and Taiwanese who are all about changing their faces with massages and/or a mind-boggling array of gadgets.

The idea is to keep the peg on your nose, applying pressure on the parts where you want to make smaller. Of course you dont entirely clip your nose shut because that would make you keel over from the lack of oxygen and fall flat on your nose, defeating the purpose completely.

I’ve been putting it just above the nose tip where it applies pressure on part of the nose cartilage. There is no discomfort although I do suspect that it reduces the amount of oxygen I inhale so I cant wear the clip on for more than 5 minutes each time. It seems to have shown some results because my nose looks so cute and pointy from the side in this photo! YAY!

How to Make Your Nose Look Smaller

I’m going to keep trying and see if the results will last because it seems now that I’ve given my nose a rest for a couple of days, it’s gone back to being less pointy.

Do you think this nose clip works? How do you make your nose smaller?

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18
Dec
2011

Vintage Wedding Vintage Style

Vintage Flowers Vintage Makeup

The recent union of Daphne (@daphnemaia) and Nicholas (@furryphotos) was 60s inspired and the beautiful couple took great pains to theme everything about their wedding to the 60s.

It was admirable and a very beautiful wedding because every single element of the Daphnick wedding down to the smallest detail, including flowers, seating tags, table displays and decorative postcards, was carefully styled to the 60s. Naturally, to complete the 60s wedding, the guests had to be dressed in 60s hair styles and makeup.

From the list of suggestions they gave, I had originally wanted to do an Audrey Hepburn, but was lucky I didnt because the gloves wouldnt have been a pretty sight sticking to my arms no thanks to perspiration. Another style icon of the 60s was Twiggy and I thus adopted Twiggy’s iconic makeup look.

Twiggy Inspired Makeup

I did some research and figured out how to do a Twiggy inspired makeup look. The focus is all on the eyes. Here’s how to do a Twiggy’s 60s inspired makeup:
- Apply dark eye shadow on the crease and eyelids.
- Define the eyes with thick black eyeliner ending in a wing tip.
- Add dark and voluminous fluttery eyelashes whether with volume mascara or a pair of falsies.
- Blend dark eyeshadow on the bottom eyelids for a smokey eye effect.
- Draw clean bottom eyelashes with a pencil.
- Fill in the eyebrows to get strong eyebrows.
- Blusher is not necessary. So, skip the blusher unless it’s a very light pink one.
- Twiggy’s make up style had nude lips. Conceal your lips before applying lip balm or choose a matt nude lip colour to finish the look.

Twiggy Inspired Make Up

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