IKEA 2008 Catalogue

IKEA’s 2008 catalogue is out! 

IKEA catalog 2008

Not very beauty-related for today, but if you’re an IKEA fan like me, you might wanna check out their latest catalogue. I’m still only at page 52. Lots more to go.

I’m a major fan of IKEA, and it sucks that there isn’t an IKEA in Penang. I reckon my new place will be done up with loads of IKEA stuff; it’ll look like a page from the catalogue!

I’ll be heading to KL in a few weeks, and I’ll definitely be dropping by the place. Who knows what small (can’t lug home the furnitures. Shucks) goodies I’ll be able to scour?

PS: Oooh, and do check out Ikea Hacker while you’re at it. Great site about sprucing your place with IKEA stuff :p

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The Importance of Sunscreen

From our last poll on Skincare Products You Can Do Without, it shows that 25% of those who voted (thanks!) reckon you can do without sunscreen. For me, I can do without the serum, but not sunscreen.

Well, I’m not about to shove sunscreen down your throat, but here are a few important facts about sunscreen which I think will benefit us.

According to the good people at About.com, the sun gives off ultraviolet (UV) radiation that we divide into categories based on the wavelength. UVC radiation is absorbed by the atmosphere and does not cause skin damage. UVB radiation affects the outer layer of skin, the epidermis, and is the primary agent responsible for sunburns. UVB does not penetrate glass, and the intensity of UVB radiation depends on the time of day and the season. UVA radiation penetrates deeper into the skin and works more efficiently. The intensity of UVA radiation is more constant than UVB without the variations during the day and throughout the year. UVA is also not filtered by glass (meaning you’re still exposed to harmful rays when you’re sitting by the window indoors!).

The SPF measures the amount of UVB absorption, but there is no method of reporting the UVA absorption. The only way to determine if a sunscreen protects against UVA and UVB radiation is to look at the ingredients. A good broad-spectrum sunscreen should have an SPF of at least 15 and contain avobenzone, titanium dioxide, or zinc oxide.

Exposure to ultraviolet light, UVA or UVB, from sunlight accounts for 90% of the symptoms of premature skin aging such as wrinkles and skin cancers. The most important skin-care product available to prevent wrinkles and skin cancer is sunscreen, but most people do not use sunscreen correctly.

Okay, all the technical mumbo-jumbo aside, here are a few common mistakes made by many (me included) of us who do use sunscreen.

1. It is not applied soon enough.
You cannot apply it while you are sitting in the full sun watching a football game. For the best protection, you need to apply it 30 minutes before you are exposed to the sun. I see a lot of people doing this at the beach; who only just apply their sunscreen once they hit the beach, and not before.

2. You don’t apply enough.
Your face requires about a teaspoon for the best coverage, while your arms and legs require about a tablespoon. Adjust accordingly for the torso. This is something I’m guilty of, as I often forget to apply sunscreen on my arms and legs as well when I’m out.

3. You don’t by a sunscreen with a high enough SPF factor.
This really becomes important if you aren’t using as much as you should. Too little of a sunscreen with an SPF factor of 15 is reduced to about half or less of that protection factor if you don’t use the suggested amount. For our Malaysian weather, I use SPF50. SPF25 and above would do the trick.

4. You don’t apply it often enough.
One application a day is not enough if you sweat or you are in and out of the water. There are sunscreens formulated for this very purpose, so keep this in mind when you make your next purchase.

So there ya go, some information about the use of sunscreen. I’ll be doing a review of the current sunscreens I’m using in the next few posts to come. I know that a lot of people do not use sunscreens because of the smell (I do admit that I was turned off by a lot of the sunscreens in the market, mainly because of the bad smell), but rest assured that there are some sunscreens out there which do not stink, but smell quite good as a matter of fact.

Stay tuned!

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Review: Maybelline Dream Mousse Blush

The next “mousse-on-face-not-on-hair” product which I’m going to review today is another product of Maybelline, which is the Dream Mousse Blush. 

Maybelline Dream Mousse Blush

Like the mousse foundation, it was my first time with a mousse blush. I’ve always used powder blushes, and after using the mousse blush, well, let’s just say I’m sticking to my powders.

Description:

Air-soft formula provides luminous, long-lasting color on cheeks. Glides on smoothly and blends easily for seamless colour and a natural, radiant finish. Air-whipped mousse delivers satin-soft feel on skin. Long-wearing formula will not clog pores. For best results, With your fingertips, pat a small amount of blush onto the apples of your cheeks. Use feathery strokes to blend gently from your cheekbones to your temples. To build colour intensity, apply more blush.

The thing with the mousse blush is that it is to be applied after foundation, before loose powder. The colour which I have is the Peach Satin, which is a pretty coral. From first glance, it might seem a little too orange, but the effect’s quite nice. One thing about the blush though; you have to apply quite a lot before the flush on your cheeks show. I do not mean to dig out a chunk and slather on your cheeks; gently apply layer upon layer till you’re satisfied with the results.

As the mousse blush goes on my cheeks, which are drier than the T-zone, the blush did not cake, but gave me a rather nice dewy look on the cheeks. I’d recommend the foundation and the blush mousse, but hold the loose powder (unless it’s just a very light sweep of the powder on the cheeks, T-zone and chin) for the dewy effect.

I have no complaints with the mousse blush, but as a personal preference, I reckon I’d stick to powder blushes as they’re less messy and definitely less bulky.

Available colours are:
Pinks – Pink Frosting, Whipped Strawberries
Mauves – Soft Plum
Plums – Cloud Wine
COrals/Reds – Peach Satin
Browns – Coffee Cake

Maybelline’s Dream Mousse Blush retails at RM44.90 at Guardian or Watsons.

What I like about it: Sheer blush when lightly layered, pretty colours

What I did not like about it: Bulky container

PS: You can also check out Paris’ review on the mousse blush here.

6 comments

Dangers Of Wearing Crocs

I read this on Shoewawa today, about the dangers of Crocs shoes, and I thought I’d share it with you folks here. 

Now I hate Crocs. Really hate ’em. The design’s rubbish, and I don’t care what other people say about how bloody comfortable it is, I just hate it. They’re uber-ugly. I’ve seen grown men at my office, wearing a nice pair of slacks, shirt, and a bright-yellow pair of Crocs. Talk about fashion faux pas.

Crocs

Anyways, the Washington Post mentioned about the dangers of the Croc’s soft material being clipped by the teeth of the escalator’s step, and the resin blogs ending up mangled, or even ripped apart. So far, the injuries incurred are minor, as people have been able to pull their feet away from their trapped shoes in time. Still, the stories told about Croc-related injuries, e.g. a little girl’s right big toe being ripped off in a mall in Singapore when her fake Crocs were stuck in an escalator are enough to make me shiver.

This doesn’t just apply to Crocs (although I say it’s an excellent excuse to get rid of foul shoes), but to flip-flops and soft sandals as well. All I can say is, be careful when standing on the escalator. It’s not a playtoy.

And down with Crocs! (sorry, I couldn’t resist :p)

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