It’s said that keeping your nail polish in the fridge will keep them smooth and easy to apply. Frosted nail polish will not separate. I’ve not tried this beauty tip of putting nail polish in the fridge but definitely am sure mom wont be very pleased when she opens the refrigerator door to find that all the groceries have been replaced by my nail polishes!

I’m curious if this works though. Has anyone of you ever tried it?

I’m sure you might have already heard about the beauty tip on how to keep eyelashes curled. First, you heat your eyelash curler with a hairdryer for about 30 seconds. Then, wait for the eyelash curler to cool to a reasonable temperature before actually putting it anywhere near your eye area. As much as this method words, there is a safer and easier alternative to keeping eyelashes curled all day without risking a burn to your delicate eye area.

How to keep eyelashes curly is a fairly simple affair of using a clean mascara wand and some gel. Curl and apply mascara to your lashes like you normally would. The trick to keeping eyelashes curled is applying a thin layer of gel to your lashes, over your mascara afterwards, with a clean mascara wand. The gel should hold your lashes in the position keeping them prettily curled just the way you want it. Maybe using both the hairdryer and gel method will be the secret formula to keeping your eyelashes curled all day!

Really, who has the energy to go out after that and how is it possible to stay fresh after such a long day? Even more so when you have your period. Sometimes, it can feel like you have to work your schedule around your period.

But I’ll share with you a secret. The different days of your 28 day cycle actually have certain benefits to your daily life. I previously was one of the Whisper’s Happy It’s Here ambassadors who got some tips and insights into the secrets of the cycle. It showed me how I could maximise the benefits of our cycle! In reality, it’s not that big an inconvenience and you can actually stay fresh and dry throughout the day regardless of your activities. So with what I’ve learnt, I thought I’d share with you some of my beauty tips on how to stay fresh all day, more specifically Ultra Fresh.

1) Water

We all know the benefits of drinking water, and I cannot emphasize how important it is to drink water to keep your skin hydrated and fresh-looking. 2 litres of crystal clear water is the minimum we need a day. But here’s a simple tweak you can make to your lifestyle to help you through your periods: Instead of your usual ice cold water, drink warm water to help reduce those cramps.

2) Keep a bottle of fragrance in your bag

Regardless of wherever I go, I love to keep a bottle of eau de toilette or body mist in my bag. In fact, I have about 2 different scents in my bag at the moment. Whenever I’m in need of a pick-me-up, I just spritz on some of the refreshing mist and I’m ready to face my next challenge! Also, it’s hard not to get some heads turning when I smell this good.

3) Indulge in a little chocolate

Did you know that your body burns carbs the best on the first two days of your period? Yes it’s true! I will personally attest to feeling and looking much skinnier on the first two days of my period. Since your body is metabolising carbs so efficiently, it’s the PERFECT time to indulge in a little bit of delish chocolate. Your body deserves it, really. Go on, one little piece wont hurt.

4) Dance baby, dance!

Exercise helps to chase the blues away. And with Whisper Ultra, I get the freedom of movement without any worries! I feel, clean, dry and fresh all day long. I’m free to turn on my music in my room and dance like no body’s watching. I can break out in whatever funky moves I want without anybody judging! Hahaha. My all time feel-good track? Whitney Houston – Wanna Dance with Somebody

5) Get dressed in your favourite outfit

They say “clothes maketh a man” when it really should be “clothes maketh a WOman“. Dressing in my favourite best outfit never fails to make me happy. But if your period hits and you want to keep yourself looking perfect, Whisper Ultra keeps you fresh throughout the day. When you look good and feel comfortably dry all day, you naturally walk with your head held high. And you can be sure that in the fashion realm, confidence never goes out of style.

I’ve only sorted through half of them and looking through our photos, it was obvious Michelle and I looked terrible the first day we arrived in New York. I mean after flying for almost 24 hours without proper skincare, we were almost ready to be cast as zombies in the upcoming Resident Evil 4. Well okay, not THAT bad, but we didnt look like we were ready to be in front of the camera smiling.

If you are like everyone else, it’s hard to look like a supermodel after flying 15 hours. Not unless you flew first class, teleported from one place to another in an instant or just are one of them anomalies. But here are some ways you can look picture perfect the moment you get off the plane:

1) Water, water, water
We all know the benefits of drinking at least 2 litres of water a day. But when flying, it’s even more important to keep yourself well hydrated. Cabin air is dry and spending long hours in the aircraft naturally dries your skin out, so dont be afraid to ask your cabin crew for a bottle the moment you board. During meal times, skip the free alcohol, coffee and tea because these drinks dehydrate you.

2) Moisturise
Hand moisturiser, face moisturiser, lip moisturiser. If you name it, you better get it. You wont believe how dry our lips, hands, face got after flying. It felt like our lips and face would crack everytime we moved. Moisturiser helps to keep your skin soft and smooth so when you get off the plane you’re ready with your best face forward.

3) Skip the makeup
Your skin needs to breathe, so dont pile on the makeup while you’re flying long haul especially since the air in the cabin is already limited. If you must, sweep on some blusher, apply mascara or use tinted moisturiser to keep you looking that little bit made up on board.

4) Sunblock
Although you’re not wearing makeup, the one thing you should wear is sunblock. Sun rays get through the aircraft window and at that altitude, you’re that much closer to the sun. The sun’s rays, especially UVA, cause aging.

5) Dont fight the sleep monster
Ever lamented about the lack of sleep we get? Well, getting on board a plane is the best place to fall asleep and not worry about waking up. Except for when they serve your meals, that is. But there certainly isnt anything else you really can do except to eat and sleep. Yay! On a more serious note, sleep, of course, helps to renew cells and is the best natural concealer for dark rings there is.

Thinking about it, 5 tips just arent enough! There are so many things that you really need to prepare to ensure your flight is as comfortable as possible. So let me add on some additional stuff we wished we had done better or did to make ourselves more comfortable on the plane.

6) Keep wet wipes in your hand carry. You’ll need them for everything.

7) Get a neck pillow for a comfortable slumber.

8 ) Pack a sweet or two in your hand carry.

9) Wear comfortable sneakers with socks on board.

10) Carry a leave-in hair treatment or hair serum to get rid of frizziness and static.

I hope I didnt miss out anything. Just in case any of you are frequent flyers or are planning for your next holiday, I really hope this list helps you. I’m definitely keepimg this list close to me the next time I fly.

What do you do on board your flights to make flying that much easier?

1. You might have heard that applying Vaseline to your lashes helps them grow longer. I’ve tried it and I dare say it works! Before you go to bed, apply one coat to your lashes using a clean mascara wand and in a couple of weeks, it’ll make your lashes grow longer and thicker.

2. Run out of lipgloss and got a hot date tonight? If you’ve got a bottle of Vaseline in your cupboard, rub some over your lips for that juicy pout.

3. Applying a small amount to the ends of your hair helps to smooth frizziness and split ends.

4. Mix equal amounts of Vaseline and your favourite powder blusher to create a lipstick of the same colour!

5. In need of something to tame unruly eyebrows? Smooth a tiny amount using your ring finger to keep brows in place.

6. Rub Vaseline on your cuticles during manicures to soften cuticles.

7. Vaseline doubles up as a makeup remover. Put a small amount on a cotton pad or tissue and rub gently over your eyes and face. Makeup should come off easily with no oily feeling!

8. Hate loose eyeshadows that seem to spill all over? Mix them with some Vaseline to create a cream eyeshadow.

9. Vaseline can be used to protect cuts and scrapes preventing water and bacteria from entering your wound.

10. Apply a generous amount to your dry feet and heels before covering them with socks and jumping into bed. You’ll wake up next morning to softer and smoother feet.

Got any other innovative ways to use Vaseline? Drop me a comment and share it with everyone else!

It is with the beginning of dweam.com as a Singapore Beauty Blog that I say goodbye to my previous direction. It is today I welcome a new beauty direction in my blog.

I’ve always toyed with the idea of starting a full fledged beauty blog. I can tell you it was difficult to do so. The beginning is always tough. I never thought that I was qualified to do so despite spending all my years in University on stage dancing; never thought that all the time I spent in front of the camera and on the runway was enough for me to tell anyone how to do their makeup. In fact, why would they listen to an ugly duckling like me?

Can you guess which one is me? Hahaha. Fresh faced into Uni. Taken when I was in Year 1 in 2004.

But maybe it was really when I finally ventured into the pageantry circuit and had to “fend for myself” that I finally got the courage to start. Afterall it was then that I had the most “drastic” changes in terms of how I looked. Hahaha. No, it was not plastic, but merely a refining of the basic techniques I already had. With this experience in dance, modeling and pageantry, yes, I’ve decided to give myself the go ahead. That’s not to say, up to this point, my beauty tutorials, makeup reviews and DIYs come from professional backgrounds. They are simply genuine reflections of what I do, use, experience and feel for the products on a regular basis.

Fast forward 4 years later, 2008.

However, beauty, to me, is not merely about who has the biggest eyes, the fullest lips, using the best makeup or having the most extensive number of products. I have to say that coming from a Psychology background (oh yes, I’m trained in Psychology. Let me read your mind now) that beauty to me is really just a mental state. I fully believe that we can and all should dream of the beautiful to be truly outstanding. My one month in the Philippines representing Singapore as Miss Earth also taught me that exact same thing. It wasn’t the girl who had the flashiest clothes, biggest eyes or the best hair that eventually won the crown. It was the girl who could compose herself well in times of duress that finally got crowned Queen. It was her who could smile despite not having things go her way. It was her who was a friend to all. Despite landing only Top 16, I have to admit, I learnt a lot during that trip to last me a lifetime.

Being beautiful is an art, but more importantly, being beautiful is a holistic development. As I share with you what makes me beautiful outside and in through my DIYs, reviews, tutorials, outfit posts, the not-so-newly conceived SneakerSunday and the occasional lifestyle posts, I hope new readers and potential followers will take my hand (albeit a virtual one) and join me in my beauty journey. For those who have been following me for a long time, I thank you for your unfailing support. There are so many people I have to thank, because without them dweam.com would not be where it is now. But, I will leave that for another day.

As an ending note, my dream for this blog is to inspire you, my reader, to become more beautiful inside and out as you explore uncharted territories with me, in this new chapter of dweam.

2010. Photo credits: Brad Lau

This is me. This is dweam now.

Not everyone can be a beauty queen, but everyone can be beautiful.

Remember, feet are friends, not food the forgotten.

So why not indulge your friends a little as a way of saying thank you? I promise they will thank you and show you some fancy footwork afterwards. No no, I’m not talking about any expensive foot treatment or treatments that require live fish. This blog is about going green remember? We do it DIY style here.

To pamper your feet, here’s how you do it:
1) Soak it. Prepare your spa by filling a small basin with warm water. You can add in one or two drops of essential oils, bath salts or even soap to really pamper your feet. When that’s ready, put your feet in and relax for about 10 to 15 minutes.
2) Scrub it. It’s time to scrub the dead skin and hard calluses off your feet because the skin has now softened thanks to the soaking. I use a foot file or foot scrubber for the deed and target stubborn areas like the heels and balls of my feet. Remember be gentle while scrubbing because it’s your foot you’re working on, not a piece of wood.
3) Moisturise it. Once your feet is all smooth and dead skin free, moisturise your feet with your favourite foot cream and throw in a little foot massage too. Oohhh… Ahhhh.. Tickly.
4) Nail it. I like to paint my nails at the end of it all. Because to top it off, other than having nice soft feet, pretty nails just completes the entire foot pampering session. I’m quite predictable with my pedicures. I usually go for red nail polish or a classic french pedicure (pictured).

Not sure how to do a pedicure? Violet’s latest Sneaker Sunday post shows you how to do one with cute nail art. Combine both my post and hers and you’re on your way to having happier feet for the entire week!

Sunday’s still not over yet, so break out your nail polishes and start your Sneaker Sunday right this instant!

Actually Earth Day was yesterday, 22nd April, and I must say I had a pretty good one.

I actually spent the morning at Pasir Ris Park walking through the mangroves on a boardwalk. Yes, who would have thought that our very own “pristine” little park in Pasir Ris has a mangrove. I was pretty surprised too. I mean I’ve of course heard of Sungei Buloh but never thought there was another one closer to home. We spent time with the Handicapped Welfare Association and NParks volunteers who walked with us through the Kitchen Garden and the mangroves.

With Stella (3rd Runner up) and Amira (1st Runner up)

I got a chance to flex my muscles that morning and pushed a wheelchair the entire way through in the sweltering heat while listening to the tour. The various plants of Kitchen Garden are commonly used in culinary cooking and the garden that grows them is, hence, affectionately named Kitchen Garden. The mangroves were full of various biodiversity but probably not as much as I remember seeing in Cek Jawa.

Coincidentally in line with the Earth Day theme, it’s also the time of the month where I feature a green beauty and her eco-friendly tip from the Miss Earth calendar. What better month to feature my dear and close friend Miss Earth Philippines, Sandra as she was here just last month. I had a good time showing her around and doing all sorts of girly stuff together. Also, this month is when the Miss Earth Philippines pageant comes to a close! This means Sandra will be handing over her crown to her successor.

In fact, I’m going to her Coronation in Manila tomorrow and I’ll see the crowning of the new Miss Earth Philippines 2010 first hand! Whoooohoooooooo!

So as part of her farewell routine, I will help her share her green tip featured in our green calendar.

Iron clothes twice-a-month mass to save electricity.

Instead of ironing one shirt a day, why not be economical and efficient and iron your clothes mass?

Sometimes when we’re swamped with work and don’t have the luxury of indulging in a nice long bath, hair can get oily if not washed for several days. Ive heard that if you don’t shower for 30 days your hair/scalp will start to clean itself. I don’t really know how that works and don’t think anyone would be willing to wait that long to find out if this was true. Haha.

A easier, and much quicker, alternative to keeping your hair matt and oil-free during busy periods is to apply baby powder at the roots of your hair. The powder works to absorb the excess oil from your scalp to keep your hair baby clean!

Dust an appropriate amount on your scalp at the roots, massage gently and then, shake the remaining powder off.

If you choose to use a scented baby powder, not only does your hair get oil-free, you get a hint of a fragrance along with it too!

Remember to thoroughly dust off the excess powder from your head when you’re done though. You don’t want to look like your hair is growing out white! Well, only maybe when you’re trying to look like Einstein.

Most scrubs have fine or rough particles in them that work to exfoliate the dead skin on the surface. A lot of them are also beautifully fragranced. Some come with moisturing properties. So other than removing the unwanted dead skin cells from your body, the scrubs help moisturise and keep new skin underneath soft and supple.

To keep your skin looking beautiful and smooth to the touch, scrub no more than twice week from neck to toe. You don’t want to overscrub and bruise tender skin. While you’re scrubbing, dont be shy to give yourself a massage. Remember to scrub those often neglected areas like your elbows, knees and heels! You’d be amazed what a scrub once a week can do for your overall skin condition and your mood.

Some recommended products:
Body Shop – Olive or Papaya Body Scrub
Origins – Incredible Spreadable Scrub

What body scrub do you use? I never used to like the Olive Scrub from Body Shop, but now it’s one of my favourites. I find it so rejuvenating. If you don’t use a body scrub, you totally should start today!