How to Wear Nude Lips

This is a request from a friend of mine to do nude lips look. Well for me, its is great companion for heavy eye makeup or nude look, perfect for any skin tones any age, ideal for any occasions. By all means, its looks good for anyone, provided you have to choose what shades look best for your skin tone.

To get good pouty look, few step you have to consider. 

1. Exfoliate lips before to create a smooth surface. It is important to ensure the lips is fully hydrated and smooth. Hide the imperfection or flaw by apply a generous amount of lip balm and let it soak in for a few minutes. Then rub and blot off the excess.

2. Apply a concealer that is the same tone as your skin, just using your finger. Blend and cover the lips completely.

3. Set the lips by lightly dabbing with powder. This is will make your lipstick last long.

4. Define the lip with a lip pencil with same colour of your lips, and apply lipstick. I quite often  skipped lisptick by filling in my entire lips with lip pencil and add nude gloss. 
5. When choosing a gloss, go for either clear or neutral one. If you used a matte lipstick, it's oke to choose a gloss that has just a hint of shimmer to it. (me loves 27 pink kiss by Estee Lauder). Apply gloss to center of lips and you’re good to go.

I should add more pink blush. Aiseh!!

Add color somewhere on your face to avoid looking washed out. A natural makeup look with tones that mirror your skin tone is pretty, but add a bright blush or eye color to liven things up. And I agree with many that a glossy nude lip really compliments a smokey eye

How to Wear Red Lips

The inspirations

Few shades of red that I have : L-R, Spanish Red(Orangey Red), Scarlet (Deep Cool Red) and Bright Pink. All from Estee Lauder. I love Estee Lauder's lipstick as they are glide smoothly, the scent of fig and taste pleasantly. :)
For this tutorial, I opt for Scarlet.

a. Important, you have to make sure that your lips are ready to receive lipstick. To begin with, dab on a very small amount of lip balm or petroleum jelly to give your lips a little moisture. If you have lip primer, that’s better.

b. Next, draw a thin line along the edge of lips with a lip liner whose color is one shade darker than your lipstick (or almost same with your lipstick). Start at the center of the upper lip and work outward. For the inner corner part of lips, you need to open your mouth to line in the edged. If you skip this part, people will see a gap when you talk, so don’t skip this.

c. Fill in to entire lips to downplay excessively full lips.

** I skipped D sorry.**

e & f. Apply lipstick from the tube or by using a firm, small lipstick brush. Coat the lips evenly to fill in fine lines. Pay special attention to staying within the lips edges.

g & h. Take the brush and apply the concealer around outside of your lips to clean them up and take out any imperfection. This going to make lips pop, to get a defined lips and to avoid the lipstick from feathering

i. There you go.

Optional

If you love your red lips to be a matte and velvety finish, dab a red eye shadow to your lips using your finger. Or, to have a glossy finish, apply with red lip gloss. I just don’t have it so I put a small amount of clear gloss and dab it with lip brush that I used just now. Be precise don’t get it to bleed over.

**Tips**

Wear a rich and boldly colored lipstick to complement soft eye makeup.

I have a full and thick lips. If you have a small lips, give the illusion of a thicker top lip by lining its outermost edges and foregoing liner on the bottom lip.

Hair inspiration - Hantu Kak Limah. LOL!!

DIY : Green Tea Toner

To get Green Tea Toner, you’ll need 1 green tea teabag or loose green tea, and a plastic bottle with a spray head.

I use Green Tea by BOH, it comes on a teabag so I don’t have to use strainer.

It is really easy to prepare.

Brew one green tea bag in a container or in a cup and let it cool down. Then, put it in a medium sized container and put it in the fridge so it can last longer. That's all. Super easy.

When I put it on, it's cool and refreshing and makes the pores look smaller.

Oh yea. Don't throw away the used tea bag, you can use as a mild scrub onto your face. It soften the skin better. 

I spray the toner directly onto my face, or you can spray it onto a cotton pad and wipe it on the face. It’s all up to you. Follow with your moisturizer as usual.

It’s natural with no chemical at all, great antioxidants to your skin, slow down the aging process and soothing your skin. Bonus, it really softens my skin and my face being less oily. And it is great for your pocket. Oh I love this. 

Organic Virgin Coconut Oil and Its Wonderful Beauty and Health Benefit

My confession: I have digestive problem since I was kid. It leads to constipation that makes difficult for me to have a normal bowel movement. Previously, I depend on medicine to have a smooth digestion, until my sister gave me virgin coconut oil to help my digestive problem. And it works! How..? I consume 1 teaspoon of virgin coconut oil daily every morning. The saturated fats present in virgin coconut oil have anti microbial properties and help in dealing with various bacteria, fungi, parasites that cause indigestion. It also helps in absorption of other nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and amino acids.

Not only digestion, there are just so many good things about it.

1. Skin nourishing lotion

One day I was running low on my favorite lotion for cracked heels, so I decided to slather some virgin coconut oil on my extremely dry heels and cover with socks before I go to bed. The next morning I found that my heels were soft and smooth, and wonderfully hydrated. Oh it was wonderful! Then I try to make it solid like butter. Keep it on fridge for few hours and apply as usual. It is perfect for dry skin.

2. Eye cream

I don’t use any expensive eye cream as I found that buttered VCO do wonders for my eyes. Even it is oil, you don’t have to worry because it absorbed into the skin fast. It also delays wrinkles, and sagging of skin which normally become prominent with age.

3. Hair mask & moisturizer

Before this I use olive oil as hair mask, it is easy to find and cheap too. Since I use virgin coconut oil as hair mask, I can see the difference between olive oil and VCO, it softens and moisturizes hair much better, and leave shine as well. My auntie says it prevents hair from going premature grey.
I explained how I apply VCO on my hair : My Hair Care Routine

4. Weight loss & dieting

Coconut oil is very useful in reducing weight because it contains and medium-chain fatty acids that help in taking off excessive weight. It is also easy to digest and it helps in healthy functioning of the thyroid and enzymes systems. Further, it increases the body metabolism, thereby burning out more energy and helping obese and overweight people reduce their weight. VCO is often preferred by athletes and body builders and by those who are dieting because it contains lesser calories than other oils, its fat’s molecule is super tiny thus it is easily converted into energy and it does not lead to accumulation of fat in the heart and arteries.

So, for those people that listing ‘lose weight’ as new year resolution, get a virgin coconut oil now.


Read more about VCO

Eyebrow Threading

Another way to get my eyebrow in shape is by threading. I've been thread my eyebrow (and upper lips as well) for 4 years. I love to get my eyebrow threaded compared to tweezed or plucked by the reasons:

• Threading will get my eyebrow shapelier and neater. Perfect for who has thick eyebrow like me.
• Long lasting hair removal technique because it removes hair by the root/follicle. I do repeat visits after 3 to 4 weeks. Tweezing eyebrow only last for 3 to 4 days, depends on how sharp your tweezer is.
• The technique is not terribly expensive. It cost me RM7 while upper lips threading RM5.
• It’s clean, safe and sanitary because it does not require chemical ingredients, only needs thread and nothing but the thread touches the skin, and it’s thrown away after use. (of course the beautician’s finger touches my skin during the session)
• Your eyebrow can be done quickly. Well it depends on your brow condition and how good the beautician is as well. My thick brow takes less than 5 minutes, from start to finish. 
• Eyebrow threading also will not harm the skin like wax. If done correctly, the skin should not be red for more than a few minutes after the session. 

Now, have a good look at my eyebrows before get threaded.

Now the session begin. I ask the beautician to maintain my natural shape and I don't want my brow to be thin.

The thread is closely place to the area, then twisted and pulled along the unwanted hair from the root.

 I felt like my skin was being pinched. Damn it really hurt.

** My camera's battery flat, can't show you more**

After shaping the eyebrows, the beautician wipe off my face with dry cotton to remove hair fallen on the skin. The process leaves some redness and she apply a cream (I believe it was an astringent) to reduce the redness of my skin. Barely 5 minutes later the redness gone.

After the quick and hurting session

The area below the eyebrows also look much cleaner now

I love to use threading for upper lip as well

I'm pleased, really pleased with the result. 

DIY : How To Get Rid Of Dandruff

I have combination-oily skin and sometimes suffer from the oily scalp which can leads into oily dandruff. And I face slight difficulty to cure the oily dandruff because it happens again easily.

I hate dandruff because it can leads to my hair loss. Nevertheless, with a suitable dandruff home remedy and a regular hair care regimen, I believe that we can get rid off the hated dandruffs problem without using anti dandruff shampoo.

Oh before that, these are the reasons why I’m having dandruffs:

1. Poor diet (especially deep fried food)
2. Excessive tension and stress (work work work)
3. Hormonal imbalances (I quite often having oily skin during pms)
4. Weather
5. Too much use of different hair cosmetics (no proper guidance from the expert)
6. Daily shampooing - it can strip it off natural oils. Later my body reacts by pumping out the oils. I’m trying very hard not to shampoo my hair daily but only God knows how dizzy and sick I am at 10am in the office when I don’t wash my hair in the morning. Sad..

Now, few home remedies made up from natural ingredients to get rid off the dandruffs (especially oily type)

1. Tea tree oil

Tea tree oil has an anti-fungal quality. This is because the oil produced by the plant which is also known as Melaleuca Alternifolia. I’m using Tea Tree Oil from Aiken and its 100% pure.

Few drops of Tea Tree Oil into favorite shampoo I regularly use, and wash as usual. Softly massage scalp by fingertips, not nails. It really soothes and leaves my hair so manageable after. I follow the above procedure twice a week and my dandruff start to disappear within a week time. It really works! 

2. Apple Cider Vinegar

Yes I know the smell unpleasing but this is an excellent remedy to cure oily dandruff and itchy flaky scalp problem.

Mix together the Apple Cider Vinegar with some warm water (1:1). Fight the unpleasant smell by adding a few drops of essential oils of your choice (me likes rosemary), its help to add a little fragrance to your hair and cleanse the scalp further.

Option 1 – Apply the mixture directly to the scalp. Be careful don't get the mixture contact with eyes. Leave it on for about 15 minutes or so and then wash the cider out with favorite shampoo.

Option 2 - Put the mixture in a bottle and spray onto scalp. Massage it in and let the mixture dry. I don’t rinse my hair out when I add essential oils into the mixture.

3. Lemon/Lime Juice

If you don't have either Tea Tree Oil or Apple Cider Vinegar, lemon/lime juice can also be used instead. It is easily available in the market and easy on the pocket.

I need two limes for my hair. Take the limes, cut into pieces and using strainer, take out the juice. You can scrub the cut pieces direct to your scalp but I just don’t do that because I only need the juice, not seeds or sacs. Massage the juice onto scalp gently and leave it for few minutes before washing it off thoroughly. 

Be careful don’t get the juice contact with your eyes. This remedy will not only help to remove dandruff out of your hair, but will also help to make your hair glowing.

Then what to do with the squeezed lime..?

I applied to my face, directly. Lime juice that contains AHA (Alpha Hydroxy Acids) which is citric acid. It’s good for:

• Acne treatment, reduce blemishes and scars externally. You might feel initial sting from the juice.
• Promoting skin elasticity and helps new skin cell growth rise from underneath by sloughing off the dark dead skin
• Skin lightening by flushes out pores and keeps skin feeling fresh and bright
• Bleaching skin and nails. You will find your nails become white and it removes stains.

Good luck! 

DIY : Homemade Pore Strips

Blackheads I hate you. Warning : this entry contains lotta picha of my wide nose.

I’m having blackheads on my nose and I believe it is a very common problem to most of us. Blackheads are a mixture of sebum, blood and lymph fluid. These are the cause of the pores to be hardened and blocked the exit.

take a look, my nose with black head on it

So I’m going to show you how to make home made pore strips using 2 basic ingredients. To success, you will need:

·                        A clear gelatin

·                        Milk/soy power

·                        A small bowl

·                        A clean paint/makeup brush

Now let's get started. :)

Add 1 teaspoon of clear gelatin into a bowl.Add same amount of milk/soy powder into the bowl.

Mix ingredients and add hot water (not boil water) and stir until the mixture become wax and turn into a light yellowish-brown color. If you notice that the mixture are quite dry, added another couple drops of hot water into the mixture.

You need to wait the mixture to cool down a bit and take your brush. I applied the mixture to my nose, but you can apply this to anywhere you feel your pores could benefit like chin, cheeks or between your brows.

Then, rinse your brush immediately. If you don't, it will turn into a sticky, gluey mess. Allow the mixture to dry for about 10 minutes or so.

Mixture will dry quite stiff and form a "stiff film". Now its time to peel off. The strips came off so easily, no pulling hard or pain on 1 side of my nose but the other side a bit hard because I have piercing stud. Haha. But hey it did a fantastic job picked up the dirty blackheads.

My nose after removing the pore strips.

and 

Now you can make your own pore strip at home too. It is easy, convenience and effective. For me, it's better than store bought pore strips because I found that:

• It doesn't hurt your skin because it's not like glue.
• It’s natural. No harmful chemical ingredients at all.
• It reaches all the hard to reach areas on your face.

 

My Haircare Routine

First entry about my haircare. 

Here is a picture of my hair:

My hair type - My hair is naturally straight, silky, very fine but a bit fried at bottom. Even my hair is dry, my scalp can get quite oily if I don't look after it properly. People keep asking me if I’d rebond or straighten my hair when I haven’t done anything to it. Yes it kinda straight, naturally. I won’t rebond my hair because my hair is fine and thin and I’m afraid after rebonding my head look flat and my face look chubbier. 

Products in my current routine

1. Lakme Teknia Deep Care Shampoo

I would describe the scent as sweet and fruity. The scent heavenly sweet and it last throughout the day. It doesn't lather as much as drugstores shampoos like Pantene or Sunsilk, so it takes a bit to get used too. I applying shampoo everyday and made my hair dry, but no worries as it contains Wheat Amino Acid that cares hair by acting in depth from inside out. I found this product to be moisturizing and because it is creamy it does not leave hair feeling dry.

2. Lakme Teknia Deep Care Moisturizer Gel

Description – Natural Moisturizing Factors – rich supply condition by moisturizing in depth. Manageability is visibly and immediately approved. 

Yes it leaves my hair silky smooth and oh so manageable. Bonus, it smells amazing and u can rinse it very easily. It gives to my hair a smooth effect. 

3. Loreal Elseve Smooth-Intense Anti-Frizz Serum (I love this product so much)

I fell in love so much with this hair serum for it makes my hair more manageable than usual looks. I have first used this product about 3 - 4 years ago when I walked into Watson for nothing and grab the serum without any recommendation. U will not find it hard to look for this item in the store. Bonus, this item is not that expensive the fact that it is a product of Loreal. So I never had a second thought of buying this hair serum.
I love using this product daily, every morning when my hair is still wet. 2 pumps of this transparent hair serum and after I gently massage on my hair, my hair miraculously became shinny. Since I dyed my hair, I concentrate more at the end of my hair because that part is a bit dry. Result..? My hair does not only looks healthy but it also smells good and well-blended with my shampoo and conditioner even they are not in same line.
I have tried other brands of hair serum like the one from Watsons but the Loreal Elseve Smooth-Intense Anti-Frizz Serum is remarkably far different. My hair never feels sticky or uncomfortable even I am sweating. It makes my hair healthier, no split ends, and no more frizz.  It does not bring flakes or dandruff in my scalp.
This hair serum is a very good for everyday use, definitely a high recommended.


4. Lakme K.Style Finish Up Monoi Balm
It says “Let your hair know who the boss. You choose the hold and texture, your hair obeys.”
For me, it was more of a leave-on conditioner that made my hair softer but not shinier and frizz free. So I just dry my hair first and apply the balm after. I warm it up with my hands so that it’ll work better just as if I blow-dried my hair. It really moisturizes and control to my hair. The best part of the balm is it makes my hair silky feel and fantastic orange smell.


5. O2 Hydramoist Aroma Ironic Series Mono Fiber Restructuring Complex (what a long name)
Unlike other serums, this is very thick version. Thus, you’ll only need a small amount on your hair. It comes in a packaging that u pop the top and squeeze out the right amount you want. Because the serum is very thick, you can easily control how much comes out of the bottle.
I like to use just a tiny drop and warm it on my hands before applying it onto my hair. Also, it’s best applied to partly-dried hair, even dry hair. Anyway, I really like this product because it adds shine to my hair. When I applied this product, there was an instant smoothness that I could feel. This product fixes everything wrong with my hair. Dull? it brings the shine. Dry? it brings the moisture.


6. Gliss Kur - Liquid Silk Gloss Express Repair Conditioner
1 word. Regret. I wish that I could have glossy hair but too bad it doesn't work. It leave my hair oily, no shine or glossy at all and it smell bad. It doesn't smell like fruity or flowers, it smells a bit like cough syrup..? I don't know but it makes me dizzy. But I couldn’t blame the product as I don’t use shampoo and conditioner within the same range.

7. Organic Virgin Coconut Oil.

I apply this product to my hair as a leave in hair moisturizer for whole night and wash it in the next morning. I shampoo my hair twice. The first round is to get rid of the oil in my scalp, the second wash is to let my hair absorb the essential oils in the shampoo. I found it fantastic for the hair as my hair has become so much softer and lighter compared to just washing it with normal hair conditioner. My hair also has become much more shiner and healthy looking after I used it. An old saying tells us that coconut milk/oil great for healthy and shiny hair. 

**Tips: Before I wet my hair, I comb it with a wide-tooth comb to remove tangles. Then, shampoo as usual.

I got this wooden tooth comb for RM 1.50 at Pasar Malam Cina. :)