More than just an essence mask

I'm pretty sure that most of the ladies are consuming essence mask sheet as part of their beauty rituals. So am I. Nice scent and easy-to-use, and furthermore, no washing required! That's the best part of it.

I super love essence mask~ My weekly usage is about 2 pieces in average. What more can an essence mask supply to you besides the nutrients for your face? Have you think about it? Paying around RM6-RM30 for more than a 15-minute temptation on your face... =)

This is what I usually do after putting on the essence pulp onto my face.

Yogurt for your skin

Preface: I was offered a sponsorship on cosmetics by Korea Cosmetics recently. Thus from now onward I will make regular make-up tips once a week along with the sponsorship schedule. Babes please stay tune as there will be new released cosmetic products review from time to time. Perhaps... free giveaways for the readers too.

Yogurt... lassi, yogurt ice-cream, yogurt bar, yogurt drink, yogurt cheese cake....everything that goes with yogurt is irresistable! And oh...I lost 5kg last time with just a daily dose of 2 cups of yogurt in 2 months without exercise.... I tell you Yogurt is pretty kick-ass!

So why yogurt? Because it is natural, because it is easy to get, and the most important thing - because it is budget-friendly! Yogurt is good as a natural remedy for skin problems such as acne , dry skin, dullness or excessive oiliness. It cleanses and moisturizes at the same time, and also prevents premature aging.

公主的护肤论 - 蜜糖

护肤跟照顾健康一样的，有病就要吃药，但不是长期吃着，然后突然间停止服用，哪有人没事天天吃感冒药的，那是吸毒吧，戒毒时不痛苦是假的。护肤品就像维他命和保健品（supplements），可以用，但是只需使用你真正需要的分量，缺什么就补什么，也一样有人虚不受补哦。不过还是一句，同“肤”不同命。

很多时候我们真的要跟我们的皮肤好好沟通，至少了解它的“性格”到底是怎么样的，然后才能掌握应有的美容方式。我就是那么一个例子，我不上美容院的，因为太贵的，我还去不起，半途而废可能更糟；中等级的，可能产品不适合（亚洲人皮肤多数不能承受欧美产品的。。）；便宜的，我不想拿我的脸蛋给他当试验品。所以唯一可以符合我的原则，就是自己动手。

我偏爱用天然物品来护肤，最爱的就是蜜糖！蜜糖其实是很神奇的，不只治标还可以治本，又可以内服外敷，很棒！不过，要用的话，就用MANUKA蜜糖，高品质的才可以担保没有其他不适蜜糖的糖分在内。小龙女也只靠蜂蜜来续命，我想那是蛮有根据的，它也是我的灵药。

个人经验：我有个同事脸上长了一些斑点，就去找医生诊治，医生开了一瓶药膏给她，过了两天，不但没好转，反而恶化了。。不只脱皮、红肿，还好像灼伤一样。过后他就去找中医，中医说没大碍，只要停止涂药膏，只用清水洗脸，就会好了。两天后，我看她脸上笑容都没了，红肿紧绷着的皮肤。。看了都心寒。。

又过了两天我终于忍不住问她“你不痛的吗？！”

“痛！痛到我快疯掉啦！”

我就跟她说“相信我吗？你放工后去买瓶MANUKA蜜糖，然后回家用清水洗脸，轻拍掉脸上的水分后，把一茶匙的分量向整个脸涂一遍，15-20分钟后洗掉，你就会明白什么是舒缓痛楚的感觉了。”

周末后回来，我终于看到她的脸上有回笑容了，问她“怎么样？拯救成功了吧？”

“是噢，真的很神奇！连我的侄女都吓呆了。一涂下去的时候痛得真要命！不过很快的脸上就有点凉凉的感觉，好像很滋润。”

“消毒着哪有不痛的嘛。不消毒的话，你就严重了。”

“是咯。皮肤好像还润过之前也。。神奇。。”


分享到此，下回再接。。希望你喜欢我的文章。

（有什么问题也可以留言我的FB粉丝page啦~ 我也想知道大家对我文章的回应）

Eat These 3 Fruits for Great Summer Skin

Adapted from RealAge

Search Slather on that SPF every chance you get this summer. But for extra sun protection points, eat plenty of these fruits as well: cherries, nectarines, and watermelon.

These juicy treats not only cool your mouth in warm weather but may shield your skin from warm weather, too. Compounds in the fruits may boost your skin's natural resilience against wrinkles and sun damage, according to Allison Tannis, author of Feed Your Skin, Starve Your Wrinkles.

In-Season Skin Savers
What's so special about this trio of fruits? Check out their unique protective benefits.

Cherries: Eat a daily handful and you may enjoy fresher, less puffy skin. It's all thanks to the inflammation-fighting anthocyanins and melatonin in cherries, writes Tannis. Melatonin may boost UV protection and cell growth as well -- two great ways to keep wrinkles at bay. Tart cherries tend to be highest in melatonin. (Find out how tart cherries help fight cancer, too.)

Nectarines: These smooth-skinned sisters of the peach provide a mini-spa's worth of nutrients that may help correct sun damage from the inside out, according to Tannis. They offer skin goodies like lycopene, lutein, niacin, copper, and vitamins A, C, and E. The A, C, and E trio also works to control inflammation and free radical damage in both the watery and the fatty layers of skin. (Add nectarines to dinner with this recipe: Tarragon-Rubbed Salmon with Nectarine Salsa.)

Watermelon: Nibbling on watermelon wedges has the power to refresh your face as much as your palate, thanks to the high water and lycopene content. Lycopene helps protect and preserve connections between skin cells so skin is tighter, smoother, and better able to retain moisture. (Store your watermelon this way to get the most lycopene from it.)


5 Foods That Take Years off Your Skin
Perhaps the only food you associate with skin is a little whipped cream on Saturday night. But plenty of other foods (ones you can eat in public) can help protect your skin, so you look and stay younger:

1. Legumes, avocados, soybeans, nuts, and egg yolks: These contain biotin, and a lack of this chemical can lead to dry skin and brittle hair and nails.

2. Salmon: The carotenoid that gives this fish its pink color, astaxanthin, also improves your skin’s elasticity. And it’s full of the good fat -- DHA-omega-3 -- that makes your skin and hair look younger and healthier.

3. Green tea: Its polyphenols act to protect you against sun damage and help thicken your epidermis, your body’s primary barrier to the outside world.

4. Pomegranates: In addition to thickening your epidermis and helping to produce more collagen and elastin (the stuff that keeps your skin firm and springy), pomegranates contain antioxidants that seem to accelerate wound healing.

5. Tomatoes: The nutrients in tomatoes reduce the chance you’ll get a sunburn (but you still have to use an SPF 50 and 4-star titanium dioxide or zinc oxide sunscreen!). It may be due to their lycopene content, but we really don’t know the active ingredient. So if there’s a choice between a lycopene supplement and the real tomato, choose the product from the vine.

How many of the above have you consumed this week?

DIY Scrub Time!

Inspired by the question raised by one of my reader on the Korean Beauty Spa, I think it's time to share something on beauty regime.

Yo girls~ Everyone loves economic and DIY beauty products. DIY most of the time means natural ingredients and least chemical, that means being healthy and go green.

SO.. Let's talk about scrub today.


(1) DIY Chocolate Body Scrub

Ingredients:
3 tbsp. cocoa powder
1 tsp. vanilla oil
1 cup brown sugar
Olive oil

Directions:
1. Mix all the ingredients except the olive oil.
2. Add the olive oil gradually until the mixture looks like a paste.
3. Take a shower then apply/massage this scrub on your moist skin, using circular motion.
4. Rinse off with warm water.


(2) DIY Honey Ginger Mint Scrubs

Ingredients:
Honey
Freshly grated ginger root
Chopped fresh mint leaves
Olive oil
Brown sugar

Directions:
1. Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl — it’s up to you to decide how much ginger and mint you’d like, but a ratio of 1/3 olive oil to 2/3 brown sugar will provide a good base for the scrub. About a tablespoon of honey will provide an antiseptic quality to the scrub.


(3)DIY Rose Mint Scrubs

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of coarse salt (ie sea salt, kosher salt, margarita salt)
Olive oil 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon rose flower water (I picked up this one at a Middle Eastern store)
1 rose
3 stems fresh mint

Directions:
1. Combine salt and rosewater, but don’t mix.
2. Shred or cut the mint leaves into small pieces, add to mixture, and use a blunt object (I used the back of a screwdriver) to muddle (basically, bash and twist the mint into the mixture so the scent and oils are released).
3. Take 3/4 of the petals off the rose and do the same.
4. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and mix. Feel free to add more, but be careful — it gets too greasy very fast!
5. Use the rest of the rose as a garnish, either keeping the bud whole or adding bigger chunks of petals.


(4) DIY Classic Milk Mask

Ingredients:
1 tsp. powdered milk
1 tbsp. runny honey
1 tsp. aloe vera gel
2 drops essential oil
1 tbsp. pulverized almonds

Directions:
1. Mix all the ingredients well in a bowl.
2. Apply to freshly cleaned face and leave on for 15 minutes.
3. Wash off with warm water and pat dry.


(5) Milk & Honey Facial Mask

Ingredients:
4 tbsp. powdered milk
1-2 tbsp. warm water
2 tbsp. honey

Directions:
1. Combine the powdered milk with enough water to make a paste-like texture.
2. Blend in the honey until smooth.
3. Wet the washcloth with as hot water. (only as much as you can stand)
4. Spread mixture over face and relax with the washcloth over your face for 10-15 minutes.
5. To finish, remove mask with washcloth and pat dry


(6) DIY Coffee Scrub

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/4 cup ground coffee beans
3/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp honey
3-5 drops essential oil

Directions:
1. Mix sugar, ground coffee beans, and olive oil in a bowl until fully combined. Add honey followed by the essential oil.
2. Transfer the mixture to a container with a lid (the scrub can keep for 1-2 weeks sealed at room temperature).

Some people suggested cane sugar as it is a natural exfoliator. Sea salt can be substitute as the exfoliator too! As for the essential oil, you can always substitute the essential oil with lavender or ylang ylang or other oil of your choice.

The main ingredient is actually the ground coffee. Any brand will do, just get it from the supermarket. Most important thing you need to remember is to store the paste in an air-tight container and finish it within 2 weeks.

Remember to wet your body before you apply this scrub. Always apply in circular motion, as this will help to reduce cellulite and varicose veins!


Till then, stay pretty healthy~

洁肤DIY

>>今天起会继续分享我的美容知识啦，公主小小美容教室>>
(click on the translator on your top right bar if you cannot read chinese)

每天洗脸，是不是真的够干净呢？保养肌肤的第一步，就是把脸蛋洗得够清洁呀。

有些人，拼命地把所有最滋润的面膜往脸上贴，但是做面膜之前的洁肤步骤却做得不够好，结果就弄巧反拙了，还长了满脸豆豆，吃力不讨好。

所谓好的开始就是成功的一半，所以护肤就该从洗脸开始咯。正确的洗脸方式应该是选择真正安全、有效的清洁产品，错误的方式和护肤品选择，反而会使精心呵护的肌肤越来越多问题。

每日关爱与呵护您的肌肤，从洗脸做起吧！



完整洁净的四大要素
TIME 时间
每天早晨起床与下班回家后，是两个洗脸的最佳时间。特别是经常化妆的女士们，更需要将带妆的时间降至最低，因此最好一进家门就洗掉脸上的污垢与彩妆。

AMOUNT 次数
不要以为洗脸次数越多越好，其实每天洗脸2-3次就以足够，超过3次就太多了。一般来说，干性肌肤1天2此，油性肌肤1天3次，再加上正确地使用洗面乳，就可维持肌肤的清爽与洁净。

HOW 方法
在用了洗面乳后，需要用大量的清水将洗面乳洗干净，最佳的清洗次数为10次左右。这样，不仅可以让肌肤喝饱水，也能避免清洁产品堵塞毛孔而产生粉刺。

GOODS 工具
除了优质的洗面乳之外，毛巾亦是清洁的重要工具。一定要用自己专用的毛巾；洗脸用的毛巾应和洗澡用的毛巾分开；洗脸用的毛巾，应该用吸水力强、容易风干的那种。