Tips for travel make-up

Chuseok holiday is comming in Korea!! It’s time for travel! But… it is impossible to bring your whole box of cosmetics with you. So what do you need in your suitcase to stay chic? Let’s count on the MUST brings in your tiny cosmetic bag.

For skin care:
Travel pack (miniature) of your current skin care series. This is to avoid allergy or irritation to skin, it’s not worth risking during travelling.
(1) Cleanser
(2) Toner/Lotion
(3) Moisturizer
(4) Sun block
(5) Facial cotton pads
(6) Acne gel (if you have acne problem)
(7) Face mask (scrubs and essence mask sheets)

For make-up:
Bring what is essential that will make you look stunning in photos.
(1) BB Cream or Foundation
(2) Loose powder
(3) Blusher
(4) Eye shadows
(5) Eye liner
(6) Mascara
(7) Eye brow pencil
(8) Lip balm or lip care

If you’re travelling in spring…
Usually you look a bit pale due to the cool windy weather, and when flowers bloom, you look even pale in the picture!
Brown or warm color series eye shadow.
If you want to look young and sweet, you can choose orange and yellow eye shadow.
Apply a little orange tone blusher.
Try die your hair brown!

If you’re travelling in summer…
The problem with summer is the humidity and long hours exposure under the sun. That means freckles as well..
Avoid putting too much of make-up, let your face go nude.
Besides the basic foundation or BB Cream, apply a little pinkish blusher and mascara is good enough.
If you want to enhance your beautiful face with glamorous eyes, blue and purple shades work just fine.
If you want to look young and sweet, purple and pink eye shadow can do the wonder.
Either apply only lip gloss for nude lips or choose pink/peach color.

If you’re travelling in autumn…
Autumn is romantic, but it is always dry and windy, which means sensitive skin can easily becomes flaky or dehydrated.
Always remember to boost the moisture in your skin by applying extra hydrating essence.
Avoid shocking colors, blend in some natural shades. Glittering brownish blusher is good.
Shape your face by touching up your jaw line with powder which is one tone darker than your skin.
Try the fake eyelash alongside with gray shade eye shadows.
Lip color can be darker tone of red, and choose the matte type.

If you’re travelling in winter…
It means Christmas is just around the corner. What can you think of Christmas?
Go sweet, or go wild.
If you like to be sweet, glittery pink, blue, silver eye shadow work just perfect.
If you like to go wild, you can apply white eye shadow with dark eye liner, or just go smoky eyes.
Eyeliner and mascara are very important, because it makes your eyes look glamorous.
Why not try red glossy lips?

Happy Chuseok!! Happy travelling!!


published in KoreaCosmetics.kr as "Tips for travel make-up"

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）

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。

DIY yogurt facial masks

Have you ever try DIY your beauty mask at home? It's actually very simple and because you are using natural ingredients to produce the mask, it causes less irritation to skin (my skincare ritual experiences).

During the weekends, you may wanna try making one of these while lazing around the living room reading magazines, or when enjoy watching your favourite drama~ I used to spend my weekend afternoon feeding nutrients to my face.

For lazy babes-

• Honey Yogurt Face Mask
  Ingredients you need:
  - 1 cup of plain yogurt
  - 2 ½ tablespoons of honey
  Mix the yogurt (plain) with honey. Rub it onto your face, neck and décolletage. Wash off well with warm water after about five minutes.


• Orange Yogurt Face Mask
  Ingredients you need:
  - 1 tablespoon of yogurt
  - juice of 1/4 of an orange
  Stir to mix and then dip fingers into mixture and smooth onto face. The sensation is both cool and relaxing. Leave on for a five minutes and then rinse. If you are feeling sluggish, this is the perfect mask for you. Yogurt will cleanse and nourish, the orange is full of Vitamin C and AHA's.

Scrub and cleansing-

• Buttermilk Yogurt Face Mask
  Ingredients you need:
  - 1/2 cup of melted butter
  - 1/3 cup of skim or normal milk
  - 2 tsp. of oatmeal
  - 1 inch slice of a mashed cucumber
  - 1/4 cup of yogurt
  - 1 tsp. of honey
  - 2 tsp. of naturally squeezed lemon
  Mix and blend all these ingredients together until it has become a liquid. Then apply it to your face in a circular motion. Wash it off then in 15 minutes. It helps with getting rid of blackheads and cleaning your pores. After your face will be very soft, fresh and shiny. You'll see a new you!


• Oatmeal Scrub
  Ingredients you need:
  - 2 tablespoons regular oatmeal (instant is fine)
  - 4 tablespoons plain yogurt
  - 1 tablespoon lemon juice (Fresh or bottled)
  - 1 tablespoon olive oil
  - 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
  Mix all the ingredients in a bowl until a paste is formed. Massage it onto cleansed skin and leave on 5-10 minutes. Then rinse with warm water. This is for oily or irritated skin, or skin that has broken out with a few pimples.

Go pretty with FRUIT-

• Fruity Face Mask
  Ingredients you need:
  - 6 or 8 ounces of plain yogurt
  - 1 carrot
  - 1/2 peach (fresh, not canned)
  - 1/2 cucumber, peeled
  Chop the carrot, peach, and cucumber into small pieces. Put it in a food processor (or your handy little chopper). Mix it until it becomes a paste. If it turns runny, don't sweat it, it's still fine. Apply the mask to your face and forehead and leave it on for 10-15 minutes. Then rinse with water.
  The mask itself is for deep cleansing and unclogging the pores. The carrots are a natural anti-inflammatory which is good if you have breakouts. Carrots have a soothing property in them. The cucumbers are a softening agent for skin. It refreshes and moisturizes the skin. The peaches have emollient properties, and also soothe inflamed (or not) skin.


• Face Food Mask
  Ingredients you need:
  - 1 banana
  - 1 tablespoon honey
  - 1 tablespoon yogurt
  - 1 tablespoon oatmeal
  Mash banana. Blend ingredients together (you may need to add a bit more oatmeal to get the mixture into a nice paste). Smear over face. Leave for 15 minutes. Wash face and rinse well. Store the remaining portion in fridge.


• Re-hydrating Avocado Mask
  Ingredients you need:
  - 2 teaspoons mashed avocado
  - 1 teaspoon plain live yogurt
  - 1 teaspoon honey (liquid)
  Blend ingredients. Spread mask over your face, avoiding the eye area. Leave on for 15 minutes. Rinse off with warm water and follow with moisturizer.

Disclaimer: This post is meant for sharing purpose. If you have severe skin issues, please discuss with your dermatologist.

The story of yogurt and I

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, it's easy to get, and the most important thing - it's cHeAp~ I always opted for simple ways to do my skin care routine, and I seldom spend $$ on expensive deals because $$ not enough. But of course, if you have lotsa $$$$ to spend, go for SKII. With just less than RM2, everyone gets to replenish and enhance your face complexion, SO WHY NOT? I enjoyed eating yogurt while doing my DIY yogurt mask in my university days, it has been the savior to my skin especially when I lived in a city like KL for 4 years....a place so dusty and its water quality is also questionable.


I started to get blemishes a week after the uni orientation because the tap water was yellowish! I didn't even dare to boil it and drink, so I bought RO water from the water vendor machine for drinking. But what about bathing?! I can't afford to bathe with RO water...broke... As of what a poor student can afford, I use plain yogurt to calm my skin by spreading it over my face like a clay mask after washing my face. Then I wiped off with tissue/facial cotton before rinsing with RO water. As easy as ABC. And besides facial purpose, I add 2 teaspoon of honey and ate the remaining cup of yogurt. 1 and a half tablespoon is already more than enough to cover a face. So I killed 2 birds with one stone with just RM2 - facial and slimming. But when I'm lazy to buy yogurt, I would just apply honey (those raw honey with minimum artificial sugar) without yogurt. It helps to kill bacteria.

As read in other articles, yogurt can be used topically for dry skin treatment, all you need to do is just slather it on your face every morning, then wash it off with cold water. I've tried that a few times for the last minute make up S.O.S before attending a ball or dinner. If my skin is too dry or flaky to apply the foundation, I usually do this yogurt mask 1 or 2 hours before I start applying make up base. After rinse off the mask, make sure you apply your moisturizer/emulsion as per normal routine to keep the moisture locked in, and also to prevent the make up elements from clogging your pores.

Ok I know I look freaking tired in this photo...that's why I do facial!

Keep your health and skin care regime simple, and one of the best steps that you can take to a healthier body and better skin care is eating yogurt every day. I love to travel thus natural ingredients I could easily get (you can get from the convenient store) is perfect for my skincare regime. I could still survive my skin through the worst weathers with a simple cup of plain yogurt! Or...I bring along this -- my favourite fruity tutty yogurt pack, it's only RM15.90/4 packs and I could use up to 8 times. But it is not meant for eating purpose. Everytime I go travel or vacation, I'll just throw 1 or 2 packs into my suitcase then done!


Grapefruit yogurt mask pack


Strawberry yogurt mask pack

Well here's an interesting post about how yogurt can help to fight HIV! And if you would like to learn how to make your own yogurt at home, read this.

Let's go yO yO yO...with yOgurt today~

Disclaimer: This post is meant for sharing purpose. If you have severe skin issues, please discuss with your dermatologist.