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I was 14 when I started paying close attention to models in magazines like Dolly and Girlfriend. This was the time when the airbrushing of models and actors by paintstakingly meticulous graphic designers was still a secret and all teenage girls thought that what they saw of their favourite model and actor in their pictures was all natural.

On the quest to resemble any of the models in these magazines – clear skin, pouting lips, shiny hair – I spent many of my teen years trying to come up with some cheap home remedies. The results, as anyone can imagine, were disastrous and for which I can only blame Dolly and Girlfriend.


#10 How to get Longer Lashes

Eye Lashes
Old Wives' Tale : Cutting your eyelashes will make them longer

Alright, I am proud to say that I was not the creator of this little bright idea. That credit will have to go to my dear mother, who can probably spend the next ten years writing a blog about her million and one ideas and myths for beauty. I was never endowed with wide lids and I felt the only things that made my eyes stand out were the long curved lashes I had when I was a kid. My mum thought the same thing as well. But while I was satisfied with the current length of my lashes, my mum wanted them longer – to make up for the lack of eyelids, you see. I could just imagine my mum imagining the neighbours talking, “The girl may not have lids but she sure does have fine long lashes.” She truly believed in the myth that you have to cut something – ie, your hair, lashes, etc – to make them longer. So before I knew it, she had me sitting down on the bottom step of our staircase with a pair of stainless steel scissors in her hand. She told me to close my eyes and keep them closed until she was finished. I felt the cold steel of the scissors handle brushing across my cheekbone, my lashes being gripped firmly and the unmistakable sound of the scissors slowly snipping my lashes away. When I opened my eyes and narrowed them, I saw that I could no longer see the underside of the curve of my lashes. If I had known that was the last time I would see my lashes that long, I would have lovingly swept up the cut lashes and stored them somewhere safe – away from my mum. Contrary to my mum’s bright idea, my lashes never did grow as long as she planned. In my opinion, they never grew at all. So I’m stuck with these short lashes that stick out straight rather than curving up gracefully. All I can say is, thank goodness for those revolutionary mascaras!


Continued...

*image from www.wikipedia.com
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5) Once a week, use an exfoliator and a hydrating masque
The exfoliator will remove the build up of dry, dull surface skin cells and helps diminish blackheads while the mask locks in much-needed moisture. But I don’t recommend exfoliating more than once a week as I find this eventually dries up my skin.

6) Steam your face once a week or every two weeks
Sauna
Steam your face - and body
During the wintry and/or windy months, I also steam my face once every two weeks. Steaming opens up your clogged pores while also cleansing your skin. Steaming doesn’t have to be fussy. You can wrap a hot towel around your face and leave it there for about two to five minutes. You can boil a pot of water and put your face over it – careful not to put your face too close though – and put a towel over your head, or, and this is my personal favourite, you can steam your face and your body by spending about ten minutes in a sauna. I usually follow the steaming with the masque.


7) Exercise regularly
Exercising encourages blood flow and improves your blood circulation. If it’s good for your body, it’s good for your face. After exercising, I notice that my face actually has that healthy, luminous glow.

8) Get a Facial
Facial
Heavenly facials
Pamper yourself and get a facial at least at the change of each season. You may have a good treatment at home for you skin but nothing beats lying down for an hour with someone fussing over you and giving your face a heavenly massage once in a while.





9) Don’t over-moisturise.
I didn’t think there was such a thing but there it is. I once went overboard and slathered one hydrating product after another on my face and my skin, ironically, became drier. Which brings me to my final and most important tip :

10) Keep it simple
When you start worrying about your skin, it’s understandable to be swayed by the ads and the salesladies prompting you to buy one product after another – day creams, night creams, boosters, skin renewal creams, serums, etc. all promising the results of a healthy, glowing skin. I was once swayed myself that when I bought everything this saleslady recommended to me, she gave me a hug after the transaction. For the next three months, I spent 15-20 minutes on my face twice a day – with no results other than my face was breaking out more than usual. I realised that, with all these serums, boosters, creams, etc, my skin was getting confused. So I threw away most of the items and stuck to what I think are the beauty products you should have in your cabinet – cleanser, moisturiser, exfoliator and a masque. And if you manage to find a great eye cream, add that in too.
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It took me 20 years to figure out that, yes, I do have dry skin. This means that in the middle of winter, when my face is in direct exposure to the heater/airconditioner, if I skip the moisturiser for a single routine or I accidentally use alcohol-based products, my skin becomes taut and the small lines on my forehead, around my eyes and mouth are more visible. My skin also feels rough, due to the tiny bumps that are visible only under harsh lights but were enough at one point to alert my co-workers as I looked in the mirror and promptly screamed, certain that someone had cast a voodoo spell on me. In some severe cases, my skin develops red, itchy and flaky patches, especially the skin on the side of my nose where the pores are bigger and I get the tremendous urge to scratch away.

In these 20 years, through many trial and error runs, I managed to learn some tips on how to combat symptoms of a dry skin :

1) Know that you have dry skin
This sounds simple enough and makes sense, but I’m still surprised at the number of people who don’t know what their skin type is. I know a lot of girls who continue to buy normal to combination skin-type products and yet complain that their skin feels very dehydrated and they break out often. When I ask them, “Do you have normal skin?”, they look at me blankly and ask, “How am I supposed to know?” To know what your skin type is, put some tissues on your dry, cleansed face. If the tissue doesn’t stick to any spots on your face, your skin is dry. If it sticks to your forehead, nose and chin, aka your t-zone, you have normal skin. If it sticks to the majority of your face, your skin is oily. So, first things first, know what your skin type is and use only the products suited to your skin type.

2) Avoid Soaps and Foam Cleansers– use Cream Cleansers instead
Soap
Soap - enemy # 1
Soap – and alcohol – are the two worst enemies of dry skin. Both strip your skin of its natural essential oils. Foam cleansers, in my opinion, are equally harsh. Not everyone may agree with me but I find foam cleansers have the same effect on my skin as a soap does – it makes it dry and tight. It doesn’t matter if the label on the foam cleanser says it’s suited for dry skin, or the saleslady and even the beauty therapist herself recommend it. I can say for a fact that I have not used a foam cleanser that has NOT made my skin itchy, taut and flaky after three days of use. I suggest using cream cleansers instead. I remember recommending a cream cleanser to a fellow “dry-skinner” and she initially complained that she didn’t feel her face felt cleansed at all, having the mentality that a substance needs to behave like soap in order to clean. Not so. Cream cleansers are alcohol-free and are designed to gently cleanse your face, without stripping your skin of its natural oils.

3) Ask yourself : Do I really need a toner?
I don’t know about these 3-step skincare systems : cleanser, toner and moisturiser. As with soap, foam cleansers and other alcohol-based products, I feel that toners make my skin dry. Again, many people may disagree but since I stopped using toners, I’ve actually noticed my skin improving with less breakouts. Toners, technically, are used to get rid of any traces of grime and impurities not picked up by a cleanser. I think that if you have a good cleanser, you don’t need a toner so maybe you should invest on a good cleanser instead.

4) Wash your face in lukewarm water
Tap Water
Tap Water - is it bad for your skin?
Many beauty therapists say that you should never wash your dry skin with tap water as tap water contains impurities. They say to rinse your face with cotton pads drenched in mineral water. Oh yeah, I can just imagine filling up my shopping trolley with several mineral water bottles just to rinse my face for the week. I may want to take good care of my skin but I'm not about to waste precious water good enough for drinking, not to mention, money. Seriously? I think it’s perfectly ok to use tap water, just as long as it’s lukewarm – not too cold and definitely not too hot, as not to cause broken capillaries.

Continued...


*images taken from www.wikipedia.com
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Dermalogica’s Skin Brightening System consists of 3 products – Daily Microfoliant, Day Bright and Night Bright, each of which you can purchase individually. This system was recommended to me after I decided to get rid of the discolouration around my mouth and nose once and for all as the three products combined contain Dermalogica’s "brightening complex to restore the skin’s healthy glow while balancing pigmentation and protecting against future discolouration".

Dermalogica Skin Brightening System
Dermalogica Skin Brightening System


For around AUD$180, it’s not cheap but it’s supposed to last you close to three months. And with the promise that you’ll see visible results in 8 to 10 weeks when used twice a day, every day, it’s certainly cheaper than cosmetic surgery or chemical peels.

The Daily Microfoliant (13g) is a rice-based enzyme powder which activates when applied to damp skin after cleansing. You massage it into your skin for about a minute or two and wash it with warm water. The product gently microfoliates and promotes cell renewal, leaving your face visibly soft, smooth and brighter. It’s gentle enough to use everyday.

The Day Bright (30ml) is used in the morning and contains SPF 15 to protect the skin during the day. It contains optical illuminators to work with light and shadows to illuminate and produce glowing, translucent skin.

The Night Bright (22ml) contains maximum strength formula to reduce pigmentation or discolouration caused by the sun, hormonal imbalance and age spot.

VERDICT : Wow. I can’t believe I paid AUD$180 for something that did absolutely nothing for my skin. For this price, I could have had 3 facials. Ok, let me retract that – I did like the Daily Microfoliant and, as per their promo, it did make my skin visibly smooth as soon as I rinsed it off. But, although it says that the product is gentle enough to use everyday, my skin was dry after two weeks and I had to reduce my usage to only once a week. As for the Day and Night Bright – I saw absolutely no results. To make matters worse, the Day Bright actually made the skin dry and I was afraid it was going to cause more discolouration to the areas already affected. Sadly, I can’t recommend Dermalogica’s Skin Brightening System to anyone – maybe just a sample of the Daily Microfoliant.

RATING : 2/5
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Loreal Revitalift Eyes

June 13th 2007 18:49
Loreal Revitalift Eyes Anti-Firming & Firming Cream is the first eye cream with ‘Nanosomes of Pro-Retinol A and Par-Elastyl’. They contain firming ingredients to fight signs of ageing around the eye area, smoothing the delicate skin, lifting it to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and eye bags. Results are apparently visible from the very first application. By the end of the first week, there should be a 29% reduction in the appearance of wrinkles. By the end of the second week, an 81% visible firming effectiveness. Within four short weeks, the eye area should appear more vibrant, smoother and younger-looking. Sounds good to me…

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Loreal Hydrafresh Aqua Liquid

June 12th 2007 18:31
Loreal Plenitude Hydrafresh Aqua Fluid is marketed as a moisturiser with a very unique texture : the moisturiser is half cream/half gel which is supposed to literally melt into your skin. It is enriched with vitamins and ‘essential’ minerals – the box doesn’t quite say what these minerals are that make them so essential, but the moisturiser should leave your skin hydrated without the greasiness.

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When you query beauty therapists about other beauty products besides the ones they’re selling and using on your face, it’s understandable for them to be ranting and raving about how these other products never live up to their promise. Then they go on to rant and rave about how good their own products are and how pleased you’ll be with the results after the facial.

Ask them what they think about Sothys and they’ll be silent for three seconds before grudgingly, pulling-their-teeth-out reluctantly mumbling, “Yeah, they’re ok.” And that’s as close as you’ll ever get to an approval before they manage to swallow the bitter pill in their mouth to brightly say, “But let me tell you about our products…”

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For a while, I had heard nothing but rave reviews about SK II. What apparently sets it apart from other beauty products, and probably the main reason for the high prices, is the main ingredient contained in all SK II products – Pitera – a clear, rich liquid naturally extracted during the sake fermentation process. It’s supposed to restore the ‘skin’s natural 28-day renewal cycle’ for a younger, more radiant-looking skin.

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Loreal REFINISH Microdermabrasion Kit is a home kit that promises visibly resurfaced, radiant-looking skin "in 2 steps, 2 minutes, twice a week".

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"A milky cleanser for drier skin conditions to gently lift impurities and remove make-up. Water-soluble, this soothing emulsion rinses off easily, leaving the skin refreshingly clean, soft and supple. Contains no artificial fragrance or color.” – www.dermalogica.com.au.

[ Click here to read more ]
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Day Spa Review : Ding House

June 5th 2007 00:37
DING HOUSE BEAUTY & SLIMMING SALON
Lower Ground Floor, 410-420 Sussex Street, Sydney


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Clinique 3-step Skincare System

June 3rd 2007 11:49

My mum recommended Clinique’s 3-step skincare in my late teens when I realised that using the cheaper products like Neutrogena, Ten-O-Six and Clearasil were giving me dark circles around my nose and mouth so that, sometimes, in certain light, it looked as if I had a five o’clock shadow.

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I impatiently waited for my local chemist to stock the new Olay Total Effects Anti-Aging Eye Cream on the shelf. After being pleasantly surprised by the results of Olay Total Effects moisturiser on my face, I had high hopes about this particular eye cream. Yes, I had been burned and been very disappointed by the empty promises of Avon Anew Clinical Eye Lift but I thought, the Olay moisturiser didn’t turn me down so this one has to be better than Avon.

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Olay Total Effects Moisturiser

May 28th 2007 12:54

A therapist once advised me to beware of products you can easily buy from supermarkets – they may be relatively cheaper than ones you buy at David Jones counters, but there’s a reason for it. After my experience with Clearasil and Neutrogena, I thought she may be right.

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