Beautyholics Anonymous » Polls & Questions

What Do You Do With Unsuitable Skincare Products?

Tine — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 20:54:30 +0000

There are times when I would stumble upon beauty products that do not suit my skin type. Some would be given to me, some I stupidly purchased despite knowing it might not work, some I didn’t know wouldn’t work. These products would often break me out, or cause my skin to produce my sebum especially on the T-zone.

If the products come in jars, there’s no point in giving them away because I would have used my fingers to dig into the cream. Rather than leaving them to expire, I use them on my body.

Too rich for my face. It’s now going on my arms and legs.

I’ve used face creams, eye creams, serums, facial sunscreen, etc on my body. Why waste good products, eh? The ones which are barely used, that come in tubes and bottles, I would give them away to friends if they would like them.

What about you? Do you use unsuitable skincare products on your body? Or do you give them away?

Where Do You Draw The Line on Online Shopping?

Tine — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 09:52:34 +0000

I started dabbling with online shopping when I was studying in the UK. I still remember the first item I bought. It was printer ink cartridge And then I discovered eBay, and the rest, as they say, is history.

These days, I mostly shop online. With the strength of the Australian Dollar to the USD, it’s more fun to shop for stuff you cannot get locally. Even with the items you CAN get locally, they are usually cheaper elsewhere.

If I want any NARS makeup, I’d have a play with what I want at Mecca Cosmetica, and then order them on Kiss and Makeup NY. Most of my skincare items are from Strawberrynet. I scour Shopbop.com and Net-a-Porter for bags. eBay is great for clothes (did I tell you about the time I scored a Sass & Bide jacket for only AU$32 including shipping?). Etsy is a joy to browse and shop for small, uniquely made items like accessories, bags, stationery, etc.

But there is a line I draw when it comes to online shopping, and that’s shoes. I have flat feet, which was further aggravated when I moved to Australia. It wasn’t that bad when I was still living in Malaysia, as I did not have to do much walking back then (I drove a lot, even if it’s probably only a 10-minute walk). But when I came to Melbourne, I didn’t have a car of my own (I still don’t). I live near bus stops and a train station, so I relied heavily on public transportation and do a lot of walking. I reckon that’s what made my foot condition worse. I need sturdy shoes with very good arch and heel support. As such, I need to be able to try shoes on first before I buy them. I would love to be able to buy the pretty flats and heels I see on the Internet, but without trying them on first, chances are high that they would eventually be a waste of money.

What about you? Where do you draw the line on online shopping? Perhaps it’s lingerie. Or groceries. Or maybe even a Russian mail-order groom

Do You Enjoy Dining Alone?

Tine — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 03:32:06 +0000

There was once a time when I wouldn’t even entertain the idea of dining alone. What? Just me? It would be so weird, with no one to talk to! Even though it would only take me less than 10 minutes to devour a plate of char koay teow at the hawker centre, I’d still prefer to do a takeaway. Even if I had to do the dishes.

It all changed when I went to the UK for my tertiary studies. There would be times when I’d have my lunch at a cafe, all by myself, and you know what? It felt great. I took my own time, I had a book with me, and I loved it. Don’t get me wrong; I enjoy socialising over drinks and meals. But there’ll be times when I like my me time, outdoors on my own, and dining alone gives me just that.

Here, I like to bring a book with me when I’m out at a cafe. During the weekends, when the hubs would jog along Brighton Beach (if I can’t own a place there, by george, I’ll walk on your expensive, sandy beach!), I’d be at a cafe, sipping coffee, and enjoying a good book. What can I say, jogging is not my forte. I’d have my journal with me, writing and reading. I don’t need a laptop with me. Just a book, with me and my thoughts. Ahh … bliss.

What about you? Do you enjoy dining alone?

Question: Do You Use Feminine Wash Products?

Tine — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 13:10:31 +0000

Today’s question is a little on the personal side, but I’d really like to hear what you think.

Do you use feminine wash products? Do you believe in using one? If you do, which brand of feminine wash do you use? Or do you douche instead? Have you had any bad experience with feminine washes and/or douching?

Would really love to hear your opinions in the comments below, as it would help me with an article about feminine washing that I’m currently writing. If you like, you may remain anonymous.

Thanks, and looking forward to reading your comments!

Question: What’s Your Favourite Body Moisturiser?

Tine — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 01:22:23 +0000

Happy Wednesday, ladies!

My question for today is a simple one – what’s your favourite body moisturiser?

I’ve got way too many body moisturisers to begin with. Tubs of barely used body butters, bottles of body lotions and creams – seriously, if I were to stop buying body moisturisers, it would take at least two years before my current supply depletes. Everytime I’m at Priceline or Myer/David Jones, I’m tempted with different types of lotions and potions.

No wonder the husband thinks that these places are evil

Of all the body moisturisers I’ve tried, there were a couple which I repurchased due to actual supply depletion – The Body Shop’s African Spa cocoa butter (the range has been renamed to Spa Wisdom Africa Spa) and St Ives Whipped Silk Advanced Body Moisturiser. I used the former when I was in the UK and Japan. I remembered using Johnson’s Baby Lotion religiously, trying to get rid of the increasingly-peely dry skin and rashes from my body due to the very low humidity, but to no avail. In the end, my mum handed me a tub of the African Spa cocoa butter and advised me to use it. To be honest, I don’t like the smell of cocoa butter (I still don’t), and I really disliked using it. However, after a week, the rashes disappeared and the dry peels healed. I don’t know why but it never occurred to me to get another version of body butter; I just kept using that smelly ol’ African Spa for years

Golly, I went on and on there and I didn’t even mention my favourite body moisturiser!

It was by chance that I stumbled upon St Ives’ Whipped Silk. A small tube of it came free with a bottle of shampoo I purchased, and the moment I slathered it onto my skin, I was hooked. I simply adored the scent (not overpowering) and how light and non-greasy it was. This worked very well in Malaysia and during Australian summers, but it’s not moisturising enough for winter use. So I save this for hot seasons, and go back to my thick rich body creams come winter. This way, I have an, erm, excuse to shop for summer and winter body creams. Schneaky

So that’s my story. What’s yours? What’s your favourite body moisturiser? Do you use different ones for the day and night? I want to know of the body lotions and creams you love. Y’know, just in case I want to get a new one *winketty wink*.

Expensive or Cheap Makeup/Skincare When Traveling

Tine — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 04:32:55 +0000

Happy Thursday, ladies. Hope the week’s been treating you fine. Finally, after months of staying away from new makeup, I broke the spell and got myself a lovely compact powder from Chanel. I’ll have plenty of time to feel guilty later *gulp*. But for now, here’s a question for you:

Do you bring your expensive makeup and/or skincare items along with you when traveling? Or would you prefer to carry cheaper alternatives?

I’m half and half on this one. I’d carry my usual foundation, powder and blush but I’ll bring the cheap drugstore stuff (as much as I can) when it comes to eye shadow and lippies. I wish there were cheaper options to setting the canvas when I’m traveling that would not break me out. As for the rest, I’d keep the expensive palettes at home and bring cheaper, more versatile colours with me. If the expensive ones were to break during my travels, I’d be heartbroken.

As for skincare, I never compromise on what already works for me. I’ve tried using different brands of travel-sized samples but somehow, when I’m holiday, the skin tends to have a mind of its own. It’ll break out if I do not stick to my usual stuff. Yeah, naughty skin, that one. For that purpose, whenever I buy my usual skincare products, I’d ask for samples, and if they aren’t available, I’d depot them.

What about you? What’s your take on this? Ever brought along an expensive compact with you and then having to discover it *gasp* broken in your bag? Do share those horror stories, if you have any.

Here’s $1000 For You

Tine — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 03:45:48 +0000

Happy Wednesday, ladies, and April Fool’s Day!

How’s the week been for you? Played any pranks on your family/friends/colleagues today? I remembered playing my very first joke on April Fool’s Day, when I was in Primary One. I told a girl who was sitting in front of me that a lizard has fallen on her back from the ceiling. She screamed bloody murder, and I got told off by the teacher. Okay, it was a lame joke, I know, but I was only 7, for heaven’s sake

Anyway, that aside, let’s head to my question for the day. This should be interesting – If you were given $1000, what is the first thing you’d buy? You can choose from either clothes, bags, shoes, accessories, makeup, skincare products, etc. Just for fun, you’re not allowed to save the money. To stimulate the economy (I always get tickled by the words “stimulation package”. Tee hee hee!), you have to spend it all. What would you buy?

As for me, hmm … I have to say that this is a hard one. I could either splurge it all on one item, or a lot of cheaper items. I won’t be able to buy the beautiful Chanel 2.55 though, as it wouldn’t even be enough. Dammit.

Image: Vintage Paris

I’d be very boring and say that I’d be stocking up on the skincare items I’m using. Keep them in the refrigerator so that they’d last longer. Maybe get myself a Coach bag to satisfy my bag-junkie urges. And maybe a couple of pairs of come-do-me heels. Oooh and maybe a tennis bracelet!

Oh hang on. The last item just blew it all, didn’t it?

What about you? Here’s your $1000. Go crazy

Update: To make it easier for everyone, it’s US$1000. That’s a lot of greens

Q&A: Types of Makeup Brush Bristles

Tine — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 04:21:03 +0000

Ollie wanted to know what the differences between natural-haired and synthetic-haired makeup brushes are, and also the use of a kabuki brush.

As you know, makeup brushes come in many different types, shapes and sizes. The main difference between the brushes is the type of bristles used (for different purposes). They are either synthetic- or natural-haired.

Physical Difference between Naturals and Synthetics

Synthetic brush bristles are softer and smoother upon touch. Now I know that natural hair bristles can also be very soft, but at first touch, synthetic brushes are softer and appear more shiny. Natural-haired brushes feel just a tad rougher compared to synthetic-haired brushes. That does not mean they are better; just that they are meant for different uses.

Synthetic-Haired Makeup Brushes

Man-made, using either nylon or polyester filaments.
Common types are taklon and nylon. These are very similar to the taklon or nylon paintbrushes you see at art stores.
Less prone to damage from makeup and solvents
Easier to keep clean compared to natural-haired brushes as the filaments do not trap or absorb pigment.
As the bristles are very smooth, they don’t hold powders very well. Thus, they are better suited for soft layering of powder, or best for application of creams (liquid/cream foundation, cream blushes, cream eyeshadows, etc).

Natural-Haired Makeup Brushes

Natural-haired brushes are made from natural hair like squirrel( very soft) , badger (firm), pony and kolinsky.
Slightly more difficult to care for compared to synthetic-hair brushes.
Used for powder makeup applications – face powder, powder eyeshadow, powder blush.
You can learn more about the different types of natural-haired brushes from Urban Apothecary.

The brushes can come in a variety of colours; it’s just a matter of dyeing the hairs. In general, synthetic-haired brushes can come in a slightly more colourful variety (I’ve seen them in brown, pink, blue, white, etc) compared to natural-haired ones (mostly black, brown or white).

I learned the difference between the brushes the hard way when I used synthetic-haired eyeshadow brushes to apply powder shadows. I experience a lot of powder fall-out upon application. Also, using a synthetic-hair brush on powder (loose or compact) gives me a sheerer cover, whereas the natural-haired one packs more punch per application. I like using a natural-haired blush brush when I use blush which are less pigmented on me, e.g. Benefit Dandelion. When it comes to NARS blushes (except for the Orgasm and Deep Throat, they are extremely pigmented), I use my synthetic-haired blush brush (from Eco Tools) instead so that I have more control over the amount of flush I want.

What is a Kabuki Brush?

A kabuki brush comes in a very short handle, with a lot of bristles firmly packed at its circular base. It’s used for application of mineral foundation, or face powder. The very short handle makes it very easy to buff the powder onto the skin, and the firmly packed bristles in a circle give it more coverage. Its principal purpose is to create an even and thorough coverage of the powder on the face.

This is not to say you cannot use a kabuki brush as a blush brush. But in general, it’s not used for that purpose because you don’t want to accidentally puff too much colour onto your cheeks, making you look like a clown. A proper blush brush is better used for even distribution of colour and natural looking definition on the cheeks, because of its tapered, flat head.

The difference between a face brush and a kabuki brush is that the kabuki brush packs more coverage onto the skin, whereas with a face brush, you’d just want to sweep some powder onto your face to set your liquid foundation. A light sweep of powder will do to avoid the cakey look, and a face brush does just the job.

I hope this has answered your question, Ollie

Keep the questions coming!

Question: Which Makeup Item Did You Regret Buying?

Tine — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 13:42:40 +0000

TGIF, ladies! How’s the week been treating you? Looking forward to the weekend? I know I am. I’m looking forward to a movie, or maybe just hang out at IKEA (oh yeah, I could spend all day there). I’m definitely keeping my fingers crossed for good weather.

No poll for today, but here’s a question for you. Amongst all the makeup that you have, which item did you regret buying? I’m sure we all have our makeup regrets once in a while.

I actually have quite a lot of purchase regrets (talk about throwing money away, huh?), but I’ll just state one for now. Mine would be the CoverGirl Lash Blast Mascara.

The brush is simply too big, and whenever I tried applying it on my lashes, the huge brush ended up smudging the lids. ‘Tis a pity, because I’ve read good reviews about this mascara. I guess this is more catered to those with big eyes and long lashes. Or maybe just with a much steadier hand.

I don’t know if anyone would want to take this off my hands. I’ve actually only used it twice (I gave it another chance, but failed). Sigh. What a waste.

What’s your makeup purchase mistake and why? Are you still using it, or have you given it away/chucked it? Would love to know I’m not the only one who’s made bad choices once in a while

Have a good weekend for now!

Poll: Do You Use Serums?

Tine — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 20:54:24 +0000

Good Wednesday, ladies! I hope the week is treating y’all well so far. I’m still packing for my trip to Malaysia so the room is looking pretty messy at the moment. As in bags, clothes and plastic bags all over the place till there’s barely room to walk. Tsk tsk.

In the meantime, I thought I’d bring up a poll for you. Today’s question is – do you use serums?

I introduced serums into my skincare routine 4 years ago. Even though Clinique’s Dramatically Different Moisturising Gel and Moisture Surge are my favourite moisturisers, they serve nothing more than a hydrating medium for my skin. As I grew older, I knew that my skin needed more. This is where the serums came in.

Different serums are used for my day and night skincare routines. During the day, before applying my moisturiser, I use Cellnique’s Pro Sebum Gel (to prevent breakouts) and Olay’s Regenerist Serum. It might seem a lot for the day, but these gels are so light, that they do not weigh my skin down nor cause any breakouts.

At night, just before I sleep, I’d apply Clinique’s Turnaround Concentrate Visible Skin Renewer and Paula’s Choice’s Skin Balancing Super Antioxidant Mattifying Concentrate (I’ll do a review on this soon). The former works as a skin exfoliant, and the latter is a boost of antioxidants for the skin. I apply them daily without fail, and have achieved good results.

It seems like a lot on the skin, I know, but I use serums very sparingly. Only a smaller-than-a-pea-sized blob of each serum is needed for the entire face and neck. As a result, my skin has become a lot smoother, and my skin tone a lot more even.

What about you? Do you use serums too? If so, do you just use one, or many like me?

The poll will close in a month.