Beautyholics Anonymous » Beauty Tips

Beauty Tip – Wear Sunscreen On Your Hands

Tine — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

You know what they say, you can have the smoothest, youngest-looking skin on your face. But one look at your hands, and I’d know how old you really are. Gulp.

Hand creams aren’t enough to keep your mitts looking young. To keep them soft, yes, but if you want to prevent crepey, wrinkly hands, you need sunscreen on them too, especially on the back of your hands. It doesn’t matter if you’re indoors either. If your desk is by a window, sunscreen is a must. UVA rays are a b***h.

Here’s a suggestion. The next time you slap sunscreen on your face and body, rub them on the back of your hands too, just as you would hand creams. I use Neutrogena’s Healthy Defence Daily Moisturiser SPF30. If they’re oil-free and good enough for my face, they’re good enough for my hands.

Here’s to younger-looking hands and a younger-looking you!

Beauty Tip: Clean Your Makeup Palettes With Something That Can Be Found In Your Camera Kit

Tine — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0000

I have OCD when it comes to my eyeshadow palettes. I need them to be clean. Like, not-a-single-speck-of-powder-out-of-place clean. This is not always possible because there will always be fallout onto the palette from the makeup brush when you lift the powders. Take the Urban Decay NAKED palette as an example.

What I did before was use a damp cotton swab and clean the fallout. Still, look at how narrow the eyeshadows are separated. One clumsy move, and I’d have smudged my pretty shadows. This is not the only makeup palette I’ve had trouble with. NARS, Dior, Chanel, Lunasol, etc – plenty of fallout, and slight dents to the powder because of my shaky hands with the cotton swab.

Well, if you’re looking for ways to shake that fallout off without damaging your makeup palette, here’s a little tip I discovered a few months ago. You know that camera lens cleaner that comes with your cameras? What I’d call the mini bellows?

It’s a fantastic little tool in removing the fallout of powder. The tiny nozzle lets you aim a narrow stream of air without affecting other parts of the powders. Just squeeze and blow!

I’ve been cleaning all of my makeup with this little baby, and it works like a dream. No messy palettes, AND you get a workout for your palms (don’t need to use that palm-squeezy thingy anymore! )

Another use for the lens cleaner? Remove eyeshadow fallout on the face. You have to be very careful with this though; always aim the nozzle downwards so that the fine powders don’t get into your eyes.

Hope it works out for you. Have fun squeezing and blowing!

PS: If your camera kit does not come with the mini bellows, you can get it from Daiso for AU$2.80. A cheap, nifty tool for the OCD in you and me

Top Ten Skin Myths

Tine — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 22:58:12 +0000

I stumbled upon a very interesting article when I was reading the December 2010 issue of Marie Claire US, on top ten skin myths, which I thought I would share with you. I admit that most of what was said, the myths, were things I have religiously adhered to for years. A little education can’t hurt us, right?

MYTH 1: A complete skincare routine must have three steps.
TRUTH:
Cleanse, tone then moisturise has been drilled into our heads, but feel free to skip the second step, says Cambridge, Massachusetts dermatologist Dr Ranella Hirsch. “People think that toning an oily complexion will make it better, but oil is protective and the body produces it in response to injury. When you strip your skin, it reacts by making a ton of grease.”
(Edit: I’ve stopped using toners and am now using facial mists instead. Love it!)

MYTH 2: You need to cleanse your face at least twice a day.
TRUTH:
Use a face wash in the morning is just an excuse to go through more product, according to Hirsch, who advises avoiding antibacterial soaps at all costs because they’re too harsh for your face. “In the morning, the best thing is water and your fingers, not a cleanser,” she says.
(Edit: If you really have to use a cleanser in the morning, try Cetaphil. It’s very mild and gentle to the skin)

MYTH 3: Scrubs make skin glow.
TRUTH:
Overexfoliating leads to extra oil production, so the glow you see the first week will eventually turn into a greasy mess. “Skin is a good exfoliator on its own, so I rarely recommend manual scrubs,” says Hirsch.

MYTH 4: Dryness causes fine lines.
TRUTH:
People confuse dryness and flaking with wrinkles, says Hirsch, who suggests smoothing things out visually with a little lotion. “Just moisturising will make wrinkles look better. The lines are still there, but you won’t see them anymore.”

MYTH 5: You should buy your best friend’s eye cream.
TRUTH:
“Everyone has different eye issues, so one size does not fit all.” reveals New York City dermatologist Dr Anne Chapas. if you have puffiness, choose a gel (heavy creams can boost swelling) with caffeine and store the tube in the fridge to maximise the benefits. If you have dark circles, look for a product with lightening ingredient like vitamin C and a collagen-builder like retinol.

MYTH 6: Leaving a mask on overnight gives you more for your money.
TRUTH:
Masks deliver a potent dose of active ingredients or moisture quickly into the skin, but you can overdo it, causing irritation or breakouts. “You should use things as directed. Rarely do you outsmart the people who have done the clinical testing for a product,” says Hirsch.
(Edit: This goes for leaving facial sheet masks longer than instructed too!)

MYTH 7: Wearing foundation with an SPF means you’re being sun safe.
TRUTH:
You should still apply a sunscreen underneath, says Chapas. “Unless you’re slathering on a mask of makeup, you’re not getting enough protection. You need to wear an SPF of at least 30 on your face every day, and nobody puts on enough foundation to get that SPF value out of it.”

MYTH 8: Nano-size titanium dioxide sunscreen causes cancer.
TRUTH:
“The majority of studies show that titanium dioxide nanoparticles are not absorbed through the normal skin,” explains Dr Chapas. “There are animal studies that show a link between nano-size titanium dioxide and organ damage, but the mice tested were ingesting or inhaling multiple times the amount that you would put on your skin. As far as we know, nano-size sunscreens that are applied topically are safe.”

MYTH 9: The more wrinkle cream you apply, the better your results.
TRUTH:
Morning and evening applications are a waste of money, says Hirsch. Most active ingredients work really well once a day, and anti-aging retinols should be used only at night (because they’re broken down by sunlight). Plus, slathering on too many retinols will cause irritation and make your skin look worse, leading to redness, peeling and inflammation.

MYTH 10: The best way to get rid of blackheads is extractions.
TRUTH:
Pulling and pressing on pores can cause scarring, warns Chapas. “After extractions, skin just fills right back up with oil. Using retionols and gentle acid peels at home is enough to unclog pores.”

November Beauty Round Up

Tine — Sat, 27 Nov 2010 22:54:11 +0000

November’s drawing to a close, and we’re only 27 sleeps till Christmas!

Here are some of my favourite posts for November from my beauty blogging sisters in Asia. They’ve been such a blogging inspiration to me when I first started beauty blogging three years ago. Big love to them!

I’m now thinking twice on shopping on Sasa.com. I’ve got to wait how long?! – My Women Stuff

Yani rocked some serious red lips with Barry M’s Lip Lacquer Crayon in Scarlet Red – Red Luscious Lips

Cheap and chic ideas to store your makeup. And all from my favourite stores too – So Loverly

Nikki shows us how to do achieve that smokey eye look for monolids. Perfect for us Asians! – Askmewhats

A Stila Lip Glaze Stick that might not last our hot summer – Prettybeautiful

Jenn gives us the lowdown on MAC lipglosses. Lipglass? Lustreglass? Dazzleglass? What? – Lipglosseater

Spend Wisely On The Strong Aussie Dollar

Tine — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 21:42:36 +0000

It’s been a heck of a week. The Australian dollar hitting parity (experts say it may surpass and come up to AU$1.10 to US$1 this week), and tweets and blogs have been going crazy about shopping online from US stores. No prizes for guessing who else just had to jump on board and buy from the US.

*wave frantically* ME!

Thanks to the strong Aussie dollar, my budget for September has blown wide open, with purchases from Skinstore.com (a Clarisonic. Whee!), Shopbop (a Tory Burch wallet. Okay I needed one, since I’ve been reusing my old wallets. I can’t ever get expensive designer ones because they get so beaten up in my bag), Feelunique.com (Steam Cream, and free worldwide shipping), and other sites for other knick-knacks. I wasn’t the only one. My husband’s been going nuts shopping online too.

Hello? What about our mortgage?!

September budget. Way, way overboard.

After scouring Sephora.com for hours over the weekend for something to buy, just so I get free shipping (orders must be over US$50) and have them sent over here via HopShopGo, I realised something. I wasn’t actually buying something I needed. The feeling of “Oooh that’s nice, I want that one!” didn’t even reach me. I was simply throwing items into the shopping cart just because I thought it was cheap. The idea of shopping just because I simply HAD to keep taking advantage of the strong AUD, not because it was actually something I wanted, alarmed me. I immediately closed the webpage and stayed away from the computer since.

Sure, I could buy stuff from the US, ‘cos they sure as heck are a lot cheaper than getting them in Australia. But if I don’t need it, never really wanted it in the first place, aren’t I just spending frivilously, regardless of how cheap it is?

Case in point, my trip with Beetrice to Bangkok. Oh my goodness, things were so cheap there. Clothes, beauty products, etc. I shopped, I hoarded. I came home with an extra duffle bag just for my shopping. In the end, I hardly wore most of the shoes or clothes I bought because in the end, I found that they fit badly. My recent purchase from Victoria’s Secret? I found out that the so-called cashmere blend sweaters were 15% cashmere (instead of more), didn’t fit as well (even though I was meticulous and checked the sizing charts), and were made in China.

Here’s my point. Set a budget and stick to it. I know that the Aussie dollar is doing very well against the USD, but know what you want to buy, and stick to it. Don’t be like me and simply shop for the heck of it. Even if it’s Sephora. Because in the end, you’re the one who has to open that credit card statement and gasp at the huge bill (and the international transaction fees that go with each purchase).

Just like me.

PS: I bet you were hoping to find websites on where to shop when you read this, huh? Nah, my friends at Lilpil, Indulgent Reviews and The Plastic Diaries have already done such a good job at that. Go check them out, especially Lilpil‘s very informative post. Again, spend wisely!

Time To Check That Shower Cap!

Tine — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 20:30:04 +0000

A few nights ago, I was about to hit the shower. Picking my good ol’ shower cap, I was just about to put it on, when I realised, to my horror, that there were green mouldy bits growing on the elastic and several spots of them on the outside!

EEEUUUUWWW.

I don’t wash my hair daily, but on alternate days. The days I don’t wet my hair, I would secure ‘em in a shower cap. In my new home, I placed the shower cap on a hook outside the glass screen. Unfortunately, the ventilation fan in the bathroom is rather weak, which kept the bathroom walls and surfaces rather moist (okay, who else hates that word?) most of the time.

The incessant moisture must have encouraged the growth of icky green mould on my shower cap. I threw it in the bin without another thought.

So there you go. A kind reminder for those of you who use shower caps, that it’s time to check if it’s clean and free of the green stuff. It’s a good idea to change it every couple of months or so. Or at least, give your shower cap a good wash weekly.

I’ll be sure to keep my shower cap nice and dry from now on.

*shudder at the thought of the mould*

Beauty Commandments – The Thou Shalt Nots

Tine — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 23:13:36 +0000

I received Paula Begoun‘s newsletter in the mail today, and her article on the ten beauty commandments everyone should know had me cracking me up big time. Not just because it was funny, but I nodded vigorously at every “thou shalt not” commandment. Really, how many of us has fallen into the traps below?

*sheepishly raising my hand*

THOU SHALT NOT believe expensive cosmetics are better than inexpensive cosmetics.

THOU SHALT NOT believe there is any such thing as a natural cosmetic (or that natural means better).

THOU SHALT NOT believe in miracle ingredients that can cure skin-care woes.

THOU SHALT NOT covet thy neighbor’s perfect skin (or believe her perfect skin came from a particular product or cosmetics line; skin is more complicated than that).

THOU SHALT NOT believe everything a cosmetics salesperson tells you.

THOU SHALT NOT believe in the existence of wrinkle-eliminating, firming, toning, lifting, or filling-in creams, lotions, or masks that can permanently erase wrinkles. Aging skin can become firmer and more resistant to future signs of aging with the right products, but even those aren’t going to get rid of wrinkles or replace what cosmetic surgery or cosmetic corrective procedures can do.

THOU SHALT NOT be seduced by every new promotion, new product, or new product line that the cosmetics industry creates. (slap that “sucker” sticker on my forehead, for I fall for this every time)

THOU SHALT NOT get a tan; sun is your enemy, not your friend; it is the primary reason that skin wrinkles and develops skin cancer (and it isn’t just about getting a sunburn—turning the skin brown is equally as damaging when done on a regular basis).

THOU SHALT NOT buy a cellulite cream, nor shalt thou assume it’s possible to dissolve fat from the outside in, because you absolutely cannot. If these products worked, who would have cellulite?

THOU SHALT NOT see pictures of pubescent, anorexic models (who spend two hours getting their hair and makeup done and another two hours posing while the photographer and a corps of assistants determine the most flattering lighting, after which the resulting picture goes through a battery of digitally enhanced touch-ups and adjustments) and believe you will get the same (or even similar) results from using the products being advertised. That is, unless you happen to be pubescent, anorexic, and a model and can somehow stay in the right lighting all the time.

I would also like to add the following:

THOU SHALT NOT forget to keep simple items like makeup brushes, hair brushes, combs, shower caps, shower sponge/mesh clean. There’s nothing ickier than slapping bacteria onto your skin.

THOU SHALT NOT believe that a 1 hour facial session at your favourite beautician’s will miraculously remove eye bags, wrinkles, etc. SImply enjoy the relaxing and pampering session without expectations that those problem areas will disappear for good.

THOU SHALT NOT share makeup with anyone else. Unless you spritz your makeup applicators (e.g. makeup brushes, sponge applicators, etc) with a brush cleaner or rubbing alcohol everytime you dip into makeup.

What about you? Is there anything you’d like to add to the list? What are your “thou shalt nots”?

Beauty Tip of the Day: Do Not Brush Wet Hair

Tine — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:49:24 +0000

Never use a brush on wet hair, and do not over-brush wet hair. Wet hair is more easily damaged than dry hair (when hair is wet, its hydrogen bonds have been broken and the hair is therefore in a more vulnerable state). On wet hair, it is best to use either a wide-toothed comb or a wide-bristled brush with rounded tips.

Don’t Go Shopping for Hair-Care Products Without Me by Paula Begoun

When I was younger, I used to use a fine-toothed comb to comb my wet hair. You know those sort of combs where you get for free from hotels? Or the god-awful orange combs boys love to slip into the back-pockets of their jeans? (Malaysian readers would know this very well) Yep, those. As I have really thick and coarse hair, it takes longer for it to detangle, so I would really force that comb down. It didn’t make my hair look any sleeker when it was dry, and the amount of split hair I had was crazy. I don’t even mean split ends; strands of my hair would tear, right in the middle. And my itchy fingers would break those strands just for the heck of it, leaving me with uneven, split-ended hair.

After I learned of this tip, I purchased a wide-toothed comb to see if it made any difference. I’m glad to say that although it didn’t lessen the split ends much, the amount of torn hair in the middle reduced significantly. It also helped to comb it less, especially when it’s wet.

So lay off that brush when your hair is wet

The Safety of Eye Makeup

Tine — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 23:07:48 +0000

I recently received Paula Begoun’s Beauty Bulletin in the mail, and first article caught my eye. Thought I’d share with you on the safety of eye makeup. I have to say that I’ve been guilty on many accounts years ago when I was sharing makeup with my friends, dipping the same sponge applicator that we share into the few eyeshadow palettes we have. Blame it on us being young, ignorant and utterly skint

Mascara, eyeshadow, and eyeliner are intended to make women more attractive. One thing they shouldn’t do is harm the eyes! Yet each year, many women suffer eye infections and eyelid skin irritation from cosmetics. At the time of purchase, most eye cosmetics are free from bacteria that could cause eye infections. Problems happen when they aren’t adequately preserved against microorganisms, if they are tampered with in stores, or if they are misused by the consumer after being opened. Poor preservation or misuse of an eye cosmetic can allow dangerous bacteria to enter and grow in the product. Under these circumstances, when the cosmetic is applied to the area around the eye, an infection can happen.

The Food and Drug Administration has taken numerous steps to make sure that eye cosmetics are free from contamination when they reach you and that they contain preservatives to inhibit the growth of bacteria. Generally speaking, the cosmetics industry makes products that will not harm you. Nevertheless, I urge you to follow these 11 tips from the FDA on the use of eye cosmetics:

1. Discontinue immediately the use of any eye product that causes irritation. If irritation persists, consult a doctor.
2. Recognize that bacteria on your hands could, if placed in or near the eye, cause infections. Wash your hands before applying cosmetics to your eyes. (Editor: Better yet, keep a bottle of hand sanitiser on your dresser. This way, you have no excuse not to wash your hands before apply eye makeup).
3. Make sure that any instrument you place in the eye area is clean; this includes makeup brushes, which should be washed periodically and not shared with others.
4. Do not allow cosmetics to become covered with dust or contaminated with dirt or soil. Wipe off the container with a damp cloth if dust or dirt is visible. (Editor: If you do wipe down your makeup palettes with a damp cloth, remember to let them dry first before closing ‘em up and storing ‘em away. You don’t want more buildup of bacteria)
5. Do not use old containers of eye cosmetics. If you haven’t used the product for several months, it’s better to discard it and purchase a new one.
6. Do not add saliva to eye cosmetics. The bacteria in your mouth may grow in the cosmetic, and subsequent application to the eye could cause infection.
7. Do not share your cosmetics. Another person’s bacteria in your cosmetics can be hazardous to you.
8. Do not store cosmetics at temperatures above 85 degrees Fahrenheit (~30C). Cosmetics held for long periods in hot cars, for example, are more susceptible to deterioration of the preservative.
9. Avoid using eye cosmetics if you have an eye infection or if the skin around the eye is inflamed. Wait until the area is healed and replace any eye cosmetic used prior to the infection.
10. Take particular care in using eye cosmetics if you have any allergies.
11. When applying or removing eye cosmetics, be careful not to scratch the eyeball or other sensitive areas.

This reminds me, I’d better go give my palettes a good cleaning!

Pressure Buildup in Tubes

Tine — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 03:16:29 +0000

I’m not sure if this has happened to you before, but it happened to me very frequently, especially when I’m traveling. Any creams or lotions I have in tubes will burst out in abundance whenever I uncap/unscrew them either on the plane, or when I’m unpacking my toiletries bag. This happens too with handcreams in my purse. It’s not as though I didn’t cap or screw them on tightly; the stuff just explodes out of the spout. I’ve experienced this with hand creams, body lotions, and even lipgloss.

I remembered wiping down my tinted moisturiser, handcream and lipgloss on a flight back to Malaysia. Thank goodness I had enough wet wipes and tissues. Let’s just say that the passenger next to me was none too pleased with the amount of mess I made on the fold-down table

Now what happened was that air pressure had built up in the tubes. This can happen when you’re at high altitudes, or even just moving the tubes a lot (e.g. a tube of hand cream can burst on you if it hasn’t been uncapped in a long time, and you’ve been moving your bag a lot).

What you can do to reduce that pressure build-up is:
1. Shake as much lotion/cream to the bottom of the tube as possible (away from the cap).
2. Uncap the tube.
3. Squeeze out some air from the tube with your index finger and thumb.
4. With your finger and thumb still holding the tube, put the cap back on.

The next time you uncap the tube, there will not be as much built up pressure, and the lotion will not burst out of the spout. Please note though that up till now, I’ve only experienced this problem with tubed products, not bottled ones.

A word of advice: never depot or decant your lotions to the max (not all the way to the top!). Leave some room for the pressure buildup, or by the time you reach your destination and uncap the tubes (even bottles), it will explode.