In about a month or so, I will be handing my crown over to the new Miss Earth Singapore 2010 and I got to meet the girls a second time around at a photo shoot just recently. I thought as reigning queen I’d share with them some tips on how to prepare for a photoshoot, especially since some of them may be first time pageant contestants. I’m no expert but this is how to prepare for a first photo shoot from my personal experience.

1) Makeup
Although most well-organised photoshoots would have a makeup artist around to do your makeup and follow you on set, it’s still advisable to bring your personal basic make up kit to do touch-ups. Sometimes shoots involve lots of waiting and especially if there are loads of girls around, you might not be able to get your turn till much later. So spare yourself the waiting and do your own touch up with your own makeup.

2) Hairspray
The same goes for hairspray. Once the stylist is done with your hair, you may get just the slightest bit of flyaway hair. If it’s something you can fix yourself, why wait? Just whip out your hairspray and smooth that strand of hair away to look perfectly made up in a jiffy. Preparing yourself for a photo shoot is of utmost importance to getting good photos.

photo credits: Brad Lau Outfit: Dress Sense

3) A gorgeous dress
Clothes maketh a man just as they maketh a photo. Getting the appropriate outfit that fits your shoot theme is just as important as getting the right hair and make up. Imagine turning up for a bikini shoot in a rocker outfit, or a high fashion shoot in a Halloween costume. If the theme is casual chic, a little black dress is always safe. But if the theme is classy, then opt for a long flowing floor length dress that best accentuates your curves in all the right areas.

4) Skin coloured/nude underwear
Now, this is a definite must have in the things to bring for a photo shoot. As much as we like lace, frills and all things cute, it’s not something you want to subscribe to when wearing a fashionable figure hugging dress. A visible panty line is not in fashion and probably won’t be for the next 20 years. Stick with a seamless thong and keep your underwear as close to your skin colour as possible. If you really must bare it all, use nipple tape or them nude sticky bras which we affectionately call “chicken fillets”.

5) Body glitter/moisturizer
A little bit of sparkle never did anyone any harm. In fact, it’s puts a little dazzle into your photos. I like to moisturise well before I step into the studio, but bringing a bottle of body lotion to the studio works just as well. Keeping your skin smooth, soft and well moisturized before and during the shoot helps even out your skin tone and give you a flawless finish. If you have a glittering body moisturiser, even better! It’s a two-in-one!

6) Safety pins
Safety pins are great for improvisation. Sometimes when outfits dont exactly fit or a seam tears and you dont have the time to stitch it up, safety pins are your best bet. No one carries a sewing kit around all the time. You might want to put a sewing kit onto your list next time when preparing for your first photo shoot, but safety pins do the trick just as well, if not faster. Safety pins also help to tuck in loose clothes ends. Used creatively, you could even change the way an entire outfit looks!

There you have it. Some essential items I must have with me whenever I go for a photo shoot. Preparing for a photo shoot may seem like a lot of work, but hey, no one ever said it was easy being beautiful. If you’ve got a shoot scheduled in time to come, I hope this list helps you. Otherwise, pray tell me, what are some of the items you bring along for a photoshoot?

If you’ve never heard of What’s in my Makeup Bag, the idea is to showcase the items you carry in your makeup bag. Normally, people lay everything out so you have a full view of what’s inside. But since, I use a makeup case and I probably own LOADS of stuff that would fill a football field, I decided to separate the items out into the respective product types. While you get a peek into my massive make up collection, you may also just spot something you might like to start building your basic make up essential kit. Heehee.

Today, I decided to start with my all time favourite product: mascaras. And in case you are wondering, yes, that make up box, is just for me alone.

I LOVE mascaras and own a truckload of them. But in my makeup box, these are only the ones I have opened and used. There are more stashed away somewhere in my secret make up drawer.

1. Maybelline Define-a-Lash Pulse Perfection Vibrating mascara
2. Covergirl Exact Highlights mascaras in Black Pearl
3. Too Faced Lash Injection Extreme Thickening and Lengthening mascara
4. L’OREAL Original Voluminous mascara
5. Kiss Me mascara
6. L’OREAL Lash Architect Carbon Gloss False Lash Effect mascara in Carbon Black
7. Green glitter mascara from Taiwan (also in Pink)
8. Majolica Majorca Lash Gorgeous Wing mascara
9. Covergirl Lash Blast Luxe mascara
10. Maybelline The Colossal Volum’ Express mascara
11. Maybelline Define-a-Lash Lengthening mascara in Black

What do you think of my mascara collection? Do you use the same mascaras as I do? In my next What’s in my makeup case post, I think I’ll show you the number of eyeliners I own. Haha!

image source Sephora.com

From purple eyeshadows to plum nail polishes, this plush colour makes a powerful statement for this Fall season. Out a different spin to your make up and sweep it on the eyes for a dramatic alternative to your usual smokey eye. A deep plum nail polish adds a touch of mystery and there’s even purple lipstick for the adventurous!

Think you might pull some punches with this colour?

Steal the look with these recommended products:
NARS eyeshadow in D. Gorgeous
Smashbox eyeshadow in Enchanted
Urban Decay eyeshadow in Retrograde
Sephora by OPI in Just a Little Dangerous

Did somebody say denim? Four eyeshadows, one blush, two lipsticks and two lip glosses housed in a single palette decked out in zipped-up, denim. Ahhh… That sounds absolutely fantastic to a denim fanatic like me.

The deep, shimmering blues and icy grey eyeshadows would go well with any shade of denim you deck yourself in. Pinks for eyes and fresh rose shades keep the entire look fresh making the Bobbi Brown Denim and Rose palette relevant for both day or night.

This limited edition Bobbi Brown palette is one that I would want to get my hands on once it reaches the shores of Singapore. I’m not going to miss out on this one. To make sure I get my Bobbi Brown Denim and Rose palette, I’m going to stalk all the store locations in Singapore until the shipment arrives!

Bobbi Brown Takashimaya
391 Orchard Road
Singapore 238872

Bobbi Brown Robinsons Raffles City
252 North Bridge Road
Singapore 179103

Bobbi Brown Tangs Vivo City
1 Harbourfront Walk
Singapore 098585

Bobbi Brown Isetan
350 Orchard Road
Singapore 238868

Bobbi Brown Nuance Watson
Singapore Changi Airport

Bobbi Brown Robinsons Centrepoint
176 Orchard Road Centrepoint
Singapore 238843

The colours of this new collection are deviously dark and delicious – deep plums, lush reds, devious purples and forest greens. They all dance in line with the upcoming Fall season.

I’m already quite enchanted by the lovely packaging and delightful colours. Do you think you’ll be getting anything from this collection?

It wasnt till later in my experimentation with make up that I found make up brushes essential. They allow for greater precision and accuracy of your make up application, on top of giving your make up a more flawless and even finish. Although there are so many brushes out there, I’ve come to realise certain basic make up brushes are the essentials ones that everyone should own. These are the brushes that you must have and absolutely cannot do without because they help you achieve a flawless make up face.

1) Large face brush

A large fluffy face brush is highly recommended as the first make up brush anyone should have. If you use pressed powder or loose powder, this brush’s purpose is simple: to allow even application of your powdered foundation. The bristles of the large powder face brush are widely spread out to form a rounded top. Because of its shape, it gently deposits powdered foundation over a greater area of your face, resulting in a smooth yet natural finish perfect for everydays.

2) Concealer brush

Some people believe that concealer should come before foundation, while others believe vice versa. But to me, it doesnt matter. As long as you have a concealer brush in your basic make up brush set, application of your concealer will be even and well-blended. I only started using a concealer brush recently; a change from using my fingers and I could instantly tell the difference. Bristles of the concealer brush are broad and flat, making it suitable for use with both powder and cream concealer. Of course, to fully ensure that your concealer blends well, the shade of concealer should exactly match your natural skin tone.

3) Blush brush

A blush brush may look similar to a large face brush but really is smaller in size and has bristles that are packed very closely together. The denser blush brush can be used for both contouring cheekbones and applying blusher to the apples of your cheeks. Unlike the usual brushes that come with blushers, the rounded head of a blush brush allows for better distribution of blusher across the cheeks. This helps to closely mimic your face’s natural flush. If there was another must have make up brush that I think everyone should own, it’d be this.

4) Eyeshadow brushes

If you pay attention carefully, you will probably realise there a dime a dozen eyeshadow brushes and they come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. But if you are not doing make up professionally, and are only looking to start your first brush set specially for make up, you might want to start small. An all-over eye application brush and a blending brush are probably the 2 basic eye brushes you might want to start with.

The all over eye brush helps deposit eyeshadow all over the eye socket and should be generally flatter and wider than the blending brush. I personally love a good blending brush because it softens and makes your eyeshadow melt into each other. Definitely one of the essential make up brushes especially for the eyes. Blending brushes are usually fluffier (it’s so fluffy!) and rounded in shape to help eliminate any harsh lines in your eyeshadow.

5) Lip brush

I find lip brushes to be sorely underrated and sadly, have only been paid lip service (pun fully intended). Lol. I have to admit, I love lippies and lipglosses, but I never got about to using a lip brush until just last week. So, this brush you see right here is the latest addition to my basic make up brush set.

Lip brushes are used for precise outlining and filling in the creases of the lips. The pointy tip of the brush gives you better control and accuracy when it comes to plushing up your pout, something that you don’t always get with the wand of your lipgloss or lipstick. And I must say having a lip brush keeps your lippies and glosses that much more hygienic.

There you have it, 5 basic make up brushes I think every girl should own. You might have realised that all my brushes are from various sources. I pick them up as I go along and discover a need for it instead of buying an entire set. But stick with the essential brushes and you probably wont go wrong. I know that most people think a nice soft brush is the defining mark of a good brush, but it’s actually about finding one that picks up your pigments well. Remember girls, good brushes arent cheap and cheap brushes arent good.

I honestly never tire of walking into Sephora. Be it in Singapore or in New York, the wide selection of makeup available in Sephora is what makes it a true makeup addict’s playground. Other than the Sephora-only brands like Urban Decay, Too Faced, Pop Beauty and Bare Escentuals (just to name a few), I absolutely adore the special collections carried solely by Sephora.

To add to that and really spoil make up addicts rotten, the in-house Sephora brand has a mind boggling array of make up at affordable prices too! Plus, they ALWAYS have samples of the products lying around for you to meddle about with. You get to test out the products before you make a decision. Is it, thus, any wonder why Sephora is one of the places I get make up from when in Singapore?

Currently located in three different locations islandwide, Sephora Singapore will soon open in Marina Bay Sands. I wonder what the size of the Marina Bay Sands outlet will be. Do you think it’ll rival the ION Orchard one for the throne for the largest Sephora outlet here in Singapore?

Sephora ION Orchard Shopping Mall
2 Orchard Turn #01-05
Singapore 238801

Sephora Ngee Ann City
391 Orchard Road #B1-05
Singapore 238872

Sephora Great World City
1 Kim Seng Promenade
Singapore 237994

As a Singapore Beauty Blog, it is my duty to blog how much my country means to me on its birthday. Although a young nation, we have made good progress in many areas: education, national security, politics, economy growth. Sure there are times we lament and gripe about how much we have to pay and pay, but travel overseas and you’ll realise how truly blessed Singaporeans are in so many other ways.

We are well known for the beauty of our greenery and cleanliness, transportation hardly ever breaks down and we can walk the streets safely at night without the fear of being mugged. Education here is recognised all over and with our multi-cultural society, we experience a multitude of cultures in every nook and cranny.

Here to many more good years ahead, Singapore. There is definitely no place like home.

In this week’s tutorial I combine both techniques from previous tutorials to show you how to paint your shoes. We’re going to DIY our shoes with a design you cant find elsewhere! I’m sure you’ve seen those painted canvas shoes retailing in shops. We’re going to give life to an old pair of sneakers using the same method. Here’s how you do-it-yourself.

You will need:
- blank canvas shoes (preferably clean and washed)
- paint markers (they dont run when in contact with water)
- fabric paints
- paint brushes

First, draw on any design you like on your canvas shoe using the paint markers. Feel free to customise your shoe with whatever design that comes to your mind. I randomly doodled and drew a butterfly, some flowers and leaves on the sides before painting with the fabric paints.

The best thing about DIY shoes or sneakers, is that you are only limited by your imagination. You dont even have to make both sides of the shoe design the same! I was inspired by a pair of sneakers I saw in New York and decided I’d draw a pair of wings for the other side of my shoe.

Using the blue paint marker, draw in the wings on both sides.

Then, paint the wings blue and blend in white and silver for that extra dimension. I decided to paint the entire shoe black thanks to a suggestion from my mom to make the wings stand out.

Once you’re done, admire your latest pair of DIY shoes!

I hope you enjoyed this DIY sneakers tutorial on how to paint your shoes. With a little creativity the number of DIY sneakers that you can come up with are infinite! Violet’s got a DIY shoes design that quite signature of herself. Since it’s the long weekend here in Singapore, maybe someone might even paint their sneakers red and white and make a food trip down to Chip Bee Gardens to celebrate. With my newly jazzed up sneakers, I’m ready to head out for a food adventure with the food blogger who took these photos!

What if I told you behind this face lies cancer? A cancer that does not reveal itself until the later stages is eating away on the inside showing symptoms only too late. Cancer does not strike based on age, looks or how much money you have; anyone can be a victim of cancer. Most cancers are terminal, but cervical cancer is different.

Cervical cancer is the second most diagnosed cancer in the world and in Singapore, the numbers are astounding. 1 woman dies from cervical cancer every 5 days and 200 new cases are reported each year. But why would we be alarmed at these figures? It is sad knowing that a cervical cancer vaccine is available yet so many women are dying from something we have control over. Hahaha. There IS a prevention and treatment for cervical cancer, but the best way to protect yourself from cervical cancer is to start with education. Here are the facts:

Cervical Cancer Symptoms
* Abnormal bleeding
: in between periods
: after menopause
: after intercourse
* Watery or bloody discharge
* Lower abdominal pain during intercourse

Cervical Cancer Risk Factors
* Being a sexually active female
* First sexual intercourse at the age of 12++
* Multiple sexual partners
* Being a smoker increases the risk 10x
* Previously suffered from STDs

What are the available cervical cancer treatments available and appropriate preventions you can take to keep yourself safe, you might ask. Cervical cancer results from an infection of the cervix by the HPV (human papillomavirus). Because it’s transmitted via sexual activity, higher sexual activity naturally means higher risk of cervical cancer. But keeping yourself free from cancer is possible with the cervical cancer vaccine. Other than that, to fully protect yourself from the cervical cancer virus, below is a list of some prevention methods.

Cervical Cancer Prevention
* Go for your regular pap smear
* Stay faithful to one sexual partner
* Quit smoking or avoid secondhand smoke
* Get your cervical cancer vaccination

The cervical cancer vaccination is a total of 3 jabs taken over several months. I figured it was a good start for me to get on the right track to protecting myself from cervical cancer. I got my first jab done last week and it was swift, although not exactly painless. Which injection is truly ever painless you tell me. But, it’s a temporary inconvenience for a lifetime of protection.

My mom was actually brave enough to get her pap smear done and she willingly signed up for the vaccination too! I’m so proud of her. But when she got to the clinic, she was told she didnt need the vaccine. The cervical cancer vaccine is actually recommended for women below 25 years of age in Singapore.

You know the saying, I am woman hear me roar. Dont let the symptoms of this women specific cancer tell you it’s too late. Take charge and be the change you want to see. If you had the power to control one thing in your life and make a difference, what would it be?

I’ve taken power over cervical cancer, will you?