Beautyholics Anonymous

Beauty Tip of the Day

2008-10-30T11:10:00.000+11:00

Myth: You can shrink your pores with astringent or splashes of ice-cold water.

Truth: If only. Nothing has ever been proven to reduce them permanently, though remedies like clay masks and toners can make them appear smaller for a few hours. For the long run, dermatologists recommend retinol, salicylic acid, or alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) to keep pores from getting clogged, forming blackheads, and generally looking more obvious.

Allure: Confessions of a Beauty Editor

I Just Yearbooked Myself

2008-10-30T08:08:00.000+11:00

Something not related to beauty, but I'm a little out of my game today, so I thought I'd do something to cheer meself up. When I saw what Cheryl at Think Tank did with her hair, I knew I just had to do the same.

I looked like my Mum in 1976!

Ladies, you have to check it out. Go do it; just upload your passport photo on YearbookYourself.com and have a laugh. I guarantee you will. And if you want (and I hope you do), show us! :P

Poll: Do You Use Eye Creams?

2008-10-29T07:56:00.000+11:00

Happy Wednesday, ladies! How's the week going for you so far?

I just remembered that I haven't done polls in a while. I thought that this might be a good time to do one, since it's the middle of the week and I'm bored :p

My question for you today is: do you use eye creams?

This is actually quite a touchy subject to broach upon. There has been a lot of speculation as to whether we actually need eye creams. After all, when you really do look at the ingredients of eye creams, there really isn't much (if not any) difference to moisturisers. With that in mind, eye creams are also packaged to much smaller quantities and sold at pretty much the same price as moisturisers. So do eye creams really work, or are they just another genius marketing ploy by cosmetic companies to make us think that we do need them after all?

To be honest, for me, they don't work. I've yet to come across an eye cream that actually reduces the fine lines below my eyes, nor the massive eye bags. And I had to find out the expensive way by trying out different eye creams on the market to learn that there is no way of eliminating wrinkles and fine lines short of surgery. If there is, we'd all know of the miracle potion by now, and none of us would have any wrinkles!

For now, yes, I am still using eye creams, but that's just to finish up the previous creams I bought. After they are finally finished, I won't be purchasing another eye cream (unless I get them for free :P). Yes, certain eye creams do reduce the puffiness around the eyes, but this is just a temporary measure. Cold tea bags or even the back of a cold teaspoon gently pressed against closed eyes for a few minutes can do the trick.

This is not to say that you don't keep the skin around those peepers properly hydrated. If the skin around your eyes is dry, then you'd definitely need to moisturise that area. Personally, I don't think it's necessary to have to purchase a special eye cream just keep the area well-moisturised though when your moisturiser should suffice. Although I wouldn't recommend anything too rich and heavy around the eyes. Some people have claimed to have developed millia because of over-emollient eye creams.

These are just my opinions, of course. If you do use eye creams, and they worked for you, that's great. It's just too bad I've never seen any improvements on my fine lines and eye bags.

What do you think? Do you use eye creams? If you do, which eye cream did you use, and how has it helped you?

The poll closes in a month.

NARS Safer Set

2008-10-28T08:09:00.001+11:00

I love NARS, I really do. Am head over heels in love with the blushes and think that the eye shadows are swell. But when I saw this, I can't somehow make heads or tails out of it. NARS is selling condoms with their Multiples? No wait, not just any Multiple, it's the Orgasm!

Featuring two condoms and a Multiple in Orgasm

Okay, I know, it's all for a good cause and everything to promote global safe sex education initiatives (a portion of the sales go to Amfar programs), but the underlying meaning of the set confuses me a little.

You have sex (safe sex, mind you), but can't really get your kit off, so you use the Orgasm to look like you had? :p

This is available at Sephora at USD37.

Who Owns What?

2008-10-25T08:24:00.001+11:00

Do you know that ...

Estee Lauder owns Aramis, Aveda, Clinique, Bobbi Brown, Bumble & Bumble, Darphin, Prescriptives, M.A.C., Jo Malone, Origins, Ojon, American Beauty, Flirt, Good Skin and Creme de la Mer.

L'oreal owns Maybelline, Lancome, Helena Rubinstein, BioMedic, Vichy, Biotherm, La Roche Posay, Redken, Skinceuticals, Garnier, Keratase, Kiehl's, Shu Uemura and Giorgio Armani.

Proctor & Gamble owns Cover Girl, Max Factor, Olay, Clairol, Ivory, Noxzema, Pantene and SK-II.

Johnson & Johnson owns Neutrogena, Aveeno, Clean & Clear, RoC and Lubriderm.

Interesting, eh? Makes you wonder why there's such a huge difference in prices when it comes to the high-end and drugstore brands owned by the same company. It's marketing, people. Really good and expensive marketing.

Source: The Beauty Bible by Paula Begoun

Update On Review Of The Face Shop Quick And Clean BB Cream

2008-10-24T11:19:00.000+11:00

I've updated the review on The Face Shop's Quick and Clean BB cream with more pictures of swatches and of it on my face. I hope this answers some of the questions y'all might have. I'll be doing a review on the BB creams by Skin Food and Missha very soon.

And yes, I have a lot of freckles :p

Do check it out.

Some Breast Cancer Facts and Figures

2008-10-23T08:39:00.000+11:00

Every day in Australia, more than 30 women discover they have breast cancer.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in women aged over 35 years - 29% of all cancers diagnosed.
9 out of 10 women who get breast cancer do not have a family history of the disease.
About 1 in 10 women in NSW will develop breast cancer by age 74 years.
Age is the biggest risk factor in developing breast cancer: more than 70 per cent of cases occur in women over 50 years of age.
11,400 people (11,314 women and 86 men) were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2000.
The average age of diagnosis of breast cancer in women is 59 years.
Currently in Australia, 100,000 women, their families and friends have had to cope or are still coping with a diagnosis of breast cancer and its consequences.
Breast cancer is the most common cause of death from cancer in Australian women.
Women aged 50–69 who have a breast screen every 2 years can reduce their chance of dying from breast cancer by at least 30 per cent.
During the period 1994 to 1998, the 5-year survival rate for women diagnosed with breast cancer was 85%.

Source: Mydr.com.au

My Very First FOTD

2008-10-22T09:08:00.000+11:00

Okay, for those of you who started reading my blog a year ago, you know that I've never done FOTDs (Face Of The Day) shots before. It's because
1. I'm pretty rubbish at makeup and prefer to stick to talking about skincare products,
2. I don't have impressive makeup to begin with, and
3. Even though in real life I love to camwhore (I keep that fact to myself :P), I'm embarrassed to show you what I look like in real life, because then you'll see the bags under my eyes which I'm not proud of, and the fine lines under 'em. In fact, before today, all you've seen are that tiny photo of me in my About Me page, and at the most, half of my face when I showed you some of the blush I used.

So after much deliberation, I've decided to break that pattern, and do a short, very simply FOTD picture for you (okay, it was mainly because I was bored :P). Now first of all, I don't fancy makeup well, so don't be expecting beautiful shots like you see on Temptalia (who does excellent FOTD shots, by the way).

My style of makeup is always understated, never too bold, even though I love experimenting with bright colours. Many a time you probably would not be able to see the actual colours of the eyeshadow unless I close my eyes. That's another reason why I've never done FOTDs. I'm boring :p

Now I've mentioned before somewhere that I used to wear blue eyeshadow and have regretted using it because they look like blue crayon on my lids. Despite that faux pas, I still love blue eyeshadow, but have learned to tone it way down. I've used Prestige eyeshadows for this look, and I love 'em (a review on 'em coming up soon!) to bits.

Without further ado, my mug. Tadah!

Without flash

Face:
Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream in No. 21
Makeup Forever Super Matte Loose Powder in No. 14

Eyes:
Bourjois D'un Coup de Pinceau Light-Reflecting Concealer in Eclat Beige Clair - 44 (only under the eyes)
Indelible Gel Eyeliner in Chocolate Mousse
NYC Automatic Eye Pencil in Bold Brown
Urban Decay Primer Potion (not pictured)
The Face Shop single eyeshadow in white (WH001) - used as base
CoverGirl VolumeExact mascara
Prestige single eyeshadows in Indigo (dark blue), Big Sky (light shimmery blue), Spearmint (light green), Glisten (even lighter shimmery light green)

Eyebrows:
Smashbox Brow ech Trio in Brunette/Taupe (I used the darkest shade on my brows)

Cheeks:
Everyday Minerals blush in Salon Fun

Lips:
Benefit The Gloss in Rave Reviews

With flash

When the eyes are opened, you can hardly tell that I have blue/green eyeshadow on, no?

So there ya go, my very first FOTD. Who knows, I might even venture into doing videos someday! :P

Win A $1000 Sephora Gift Card From Lucky

2008-10-22T08:02:00.003+11:00

For my American readers, here's something you might be interested in.

Lucky magazine is running a, wait for it, a $1000 Sephora gift card giveaway! Now how cool is that? (Makes me wanna pack my bags and move there right now!) They're also running a free shipping offer from Sephora.

Click on the link to check it out - http://www.luckylookout.com/katvond/

Oh, and while you're there, you can also check out daily makeup tips from celebrity make up artist, Kat Von D, and score more prizes. Do check it out now!

Beautyholics Anonymous on Singapore's Project Smitten

2008-10-22T00:12:00.001+11:00

Renee, from Beautyfool.net very kindly sent me this scanned blurb from Project Smitten, a popular fashion magazine in Singapore. Beautyholics Anonymous is very honoured to be featured in the Click Picks: Beauty Blogs section of the November 2008 issue.

Click to enlarge

Nikki from Askmewhats is in it too, and oh, isn't that Paris B at the corner of the page I see?

Thanks very much, Renee. And may I say, you've hit the nail on the head when you said I'm an extremely chatty person. I remembered my first day at primary school. I was the first person to get in trouble with the teacher for chatting in class! :p

Using Good Facial Cotton

2008-10-21T10:13:00.001+11:00

Reading Plue's blog post on Etude House's Cotton Puffs, it reminded me on something I'd like to share with y'all. And that is on using good facial cotton.

I used to buy my facial cotton and cotton swabs from 2-dollar stores. Hey, why spend so much money on something which you're going to use for a few seconds, and then throw away, right? It's only cotton wool, after all. When it came to stuff like this, I was cheap. I'd spend lots of money on makeup, skincare products, but scrimp and save on application apparatus. Cheap makeup wedges, cheap facial cotton, the works. Heck, I even used Tesco Value facial cotton once. Don't, by the way. It's crap.

And that was where I learned my lesson.

Cheap facial cotton can easily tear, leave cotton fibres on your face, and are far too thin. When a piece of facial cotton is too thin, it absorbs a lot of liquid thus wetting the whole piece of cotton. When you apply toner with a thin piece of facial cotton, you'd risk applying too much, and it's a waste.

I absolutely hate it when the cotton fibres stick on my face. It's like having extra facial hair which I have to tweeze out. Ugh.

Most importantly, cheap facial cotton tend to have tiny balls of rolled up cotton weaved in between the fibres. You might not realise it when you run your fingers on the piece of cotton. However, when you apply toner onto the facial cotton and then to your face, you'd feel tiny scratches as you swipe the cotton on your skin.

I used to buy the cheapest Priceline facial cotton available, and many a time, I've scratched my face with the cotton. Once it got so bad, it left a faint red line on my cheek! Now this isn't good, because this can cause fine lines to prematurely appear on your face with scratchy facial cotton.

The same goes for cotton swabs, especially when you use them to remove your eye makeup. Cheapo cotton swabs with tiny scratchy rolled-up fibre balls in them can scratch your delicate eye area.

I wouldn't even recommend the cheap and thin facial cotton to remove nail polish either. When you swipe nail polish remover on your nails, the cotton fibres would tear, and you'd need to use another piece of cotton to swipe the other nails. This wastes cotton and nail polish remover. When you use a good piece of facial cotton, you'd only need to use one per hand/foot because the piece of cotton would not tear.

I highly recommend embossed facial cotton, like the ones by Swisspers or The Body Shop. The cotton fibres tend to hold together better, thus reducing tear upon friction. I found that I used less facial cotton when I'm using higher-quality ones.

Unfortunately, good quality facial cotton and cotton swabs are slightly more expensive than generic brands, but at the end of the day, your skin, your pocket and the environment (less waste would be generated from used facial cotton) will thank you for it.

Falling Out Of Love With Mineral Makeup

2008-10-20T14:47:00.002+11:00

My friends, I'm afraid to say, that I've pretty much outgrown mineral makeup.

*GASP*

My stash of mineral foundation, veils and concealers

Remember when I told you I was having problems with my skin? Using the process of elimination, I found out that the root of the problem was the mineral makeup I was using. To be specific, it was the mineral foundation. For some reason, I started having very dry patches on my chin, which then spreaded to my right cheek. It also started itching badly, and it took me a lot of willpower to not scratch my face off. They then turned into pink welts, which resembled acne. This went on for over a month.

Taken in August, when the problem started. It got a lot worse.

After I came back from my honeymoon, I didn't change my skincare routine, but started using the BB cream from The Face Shop instead of mineral foundation. I don't think it was the BB cream that helped, but that I've stopped using mineral foundation which cleared my skin up. Come to think about it, it could actually also be the oil-control primer from Silk Naturals that caused the rashes. The problems soon came in after I started using the primer. Hmm. Anyway, I've stopped using that and the foundation, and a month on, my skin's finally smooth once more. Phew.

Digressing a little, not that this has anything to do with my skin, but man, bringing mineral makeup when traveling can be a real pain. Thank God for my ziplock bag, without which I'd have powders all over my makeup in the makeup bag. I really thought it would be easier bringing the small jars along, y'know, for portability sake. Guess I was wrong.

Anyhoos.

I don't think I'd be going back to my mineral foundation, at least not for now. I still love the mineral blushers I have though, and so far, I haven't had any recurring problems when using them. But in general, it's bye bye to mineral foundation, veils, concealers, etc. At least for now.

Don't worry, I still love you, my pretties.

As for mineral eye shadows, I haven't developed a strong love for them just yet as I still find them pretty messy to use. I'm waiting for my empty palette and metal pans from Coastal Scents to arrive though, so that I can press them in and test 'em out. Will let you know how that goes when it happens.

Goodbye, oh mineral makeup. You and I have had a good run. It's been fun. But for the sake of my skin and sanity, I'm going to have to let you go.

Review: CoverGirl Lash Blast Mascara

2008-10-16T23:20:00.002+11:00

There was a lot of hoo-ha about this mascara when it was first launched. The huge brush simply screamed volume, and the tiny bristles promised clump-free lashes. I've read many good reviews on it, and when it was finally launched at Priceline, I grabbed one (the waterproof version), just before my holiday.

Description:

Get a blast of lush, volumized lashes! LashBlast's patented volume-boosting formula and patent-pending brush are designed to max-out each and every lash, leaving you with the ultimate big lash look. Now in waterproof, too!
Instant volume and fullness
Smudge and smear-proof
Hypoallergenic and suitable for contact lens wearers

Unfortunately, this did not work for me. Not at all. I'm afraid I have to say that this does not work for Asian eyes (please let me know if any of my Asian readers who have tried this actually liked it, yeah?). The brush is simply too big to accommodate our short eye lashes. I don't have very short Asian eye lashes, but they're not long either. When I tried this on, I had to be very careful not to smudge my face, simply because the brush was so big.

Many a time, when applying the mascara, I did smudge my skin. And I really hate this from mascaras, especially after I've done up my face and still have to be very careful in removing the smudge without creating a hole in the foundation.

In comparison with Max Factor's Aqua Lash

Left brush - Max Factor's Aqua Lash. Right brush - CoverGirl's Lash Blast

So nope, I didn't like this mascara at all. As the brush was freakin' huge, it did not curl nor volumnise my lashes at all. I'd be better off sticking to mascaras with smaller, normal brushes. Plus the tube is huge compared to other mascaras, thus taking up valuable space in my makeup bag. To those with short Asian eye lashes, I'd suggest you to give this one a miss.

Lash Blast? More like lash blah to me. Who wants to take it off my hands? It's yours for free :p Just make sure you have eye lashes that go on for miles. If you do, I hate you. Okay I don't *fingers crossed behind my back*.

Cover Girl's Lash Blast mascara retails at AUD17.95 and is available at Priceline.

What I like about it: As a mascara on the whole, it's okay, I guess.

What I did not like about it: Massive tube, massive brush for my Asian lashes. Sigh.

Review: The Face Shop Quick and Clean Oil-Free Blemish Balm

2008-10-15T13:04:00.003+11:00

I think I've got to be the last person on the whole beauty blogger network thingy to jump on the BB creams bandwagon. Sigh, but can you blame me? I only started hearing of it AFTER I came to Melbourne, and these are either unavailable to me, or ridiculously expensive (what to do, everything is expensive here). So when I went back to Malaysia a couple of months ago, I knew I had to check it out. I bought two tubes of BB creams; the first one was by Skin Food, and the other by The Face Shop. I have yet to open the one by Skin Food, so I'll review the one by The Face Shop first.

Description:

Formulaed with our enhanced Quick 'n Cleaer Complex and Malt extract, this oil-free protective moisturiser soothes the skin while providing natural coverage to hide flaws.

For those who do not know what BB creams are (it can't be, right, if I'm the last to know about it? :p), the letters BB stand for Blemish Balm. It's pretty much a moisturiser, foundation and concealer, all in one package. It's one of the most popular beauty product in Asia at the moment. BB creams are particularly good on those with acne-prone skin. Apparently, prolonged used of the product will also help improve the overall texture of the skin and fade acne scars.

Well, I don't know about the last bit of that claim, but this is the way I see it. It's somewhere in between tinted moisturiser and foundation. I find it slightly thicker than tinted moisturiser, but still lighter than foundation, which means it gives better coverage on the skin whilst it evens out your skin tone.

I haven't used other BB creams before, so I can't make any comparisons just yet. But I have to say, damn, the Quick and Clean is good. It contains tea tree oil (you can even smell it!), which targeted my blemishes well. I had some pretty bad red welt-like rashes going on on my chin and right cheek, and it's now gone. This BB cream glides on smoothly on my skin, giving it medium coverage, which I like. It's also oil-free, which is great for my usually-oily T-zone. In fact, this controls oil pretty well. My nose stays oil-free for at least a couple of hours. And that's saying a lot.

Now, the problem with this BB cream is that there is only ONE shade available. Actually, that's pretty much the problem with almost all BB creams; there is a very small selection of shades per cream, if not just one. This, unfortunately, only favours those with fair skin. Ladies with darker skin will find this unsuitable as it would make their skin look ashy. I find this wholly discrimating, I must say. I mean, I'm glad it worked out well for me, but what about the rest of us with darker skin? Hello The Face Shop! Time to make some changes here if you want more customers!

Click to enlarge

One thing about this BB cream is that it does not contain SPF. Well, okay, no chemical sunscreen ingredients, if you look at the list of ingredients on the tube. This might be good for those who prefer natural sunscreen ingredients though. The Quick and Clear BB cream contains titanium dioxide, and from the position of it in the ingredients list, it looks like there's a significant percentage of it (the higher the ingredient in the list, the more of it is used). Titanium dioxide, amongst other uses, is also a sunscreen ingredient, which protects skin against UVA and UVB radiation.

Oh, and all that claim about malt extract? It's close to the bottom of the list, which means there's very little of it to actually be effective. I mean, whatever it's effective for. I'm afraid I have no idea.

Having said all that, this still beckons big love from me. It's not too heavy, which means I could use it in hot and humid countries like Malaysia without feeling as though my face was going to melt. I still use a light moisturiser and sunscreen prior to this though. It's just part of my skincare routine that I can't break out of regardless. In spite of that, it still doesn't feel like I've had much products on the skin, which is good.

The Face Shop's Quick and Clean Oil-Free Blemish Balm is available in The Face Shop boutiques at RM55.90. I'm not sure if this is sold in The Face Shop Australia though. Australian readers, if you do see this, do let me know and how much it costs here, yeah?

Would I repurchase this? Oh yes. It works for me! :)

What I like about it: Gives me good coverage, evens out my skin tone, and it's oil-free.

What I did not like about it: There's only one shade available, and there's no proper SPF. Boo!

Update:
I've added pictures of the BB cream on my skin.

The shade from The Face Shop's BB cream is a tad cool against my skin, giving it a very slight bluish-ashy tint on the back of my hand. However, when I evened it out on the skin, it matched back with the original skin tone.

You can't really tell much difference in the before and after picture shown above, but there is some coverage on the freckles I have on my cheeks. No concealer was used on the blemishes and discolouration to show you the difference.

Family Emergency

2008-10-14T09:25:00.001+11:00

My apologies for the sudden absence on the blogfront. There had been a family emergency which required my husband and I to fly back to KL on Friday.

Tim's maternal grandmother had passed away. She was 88.

It was a very sudden and short trip for the both of us. We just returned to Melbourne this evening. All his brothers flew back as well, from Sydney and Glasgow, UK. It was a good reunion, albeit a solemn one. In the rush of everything, I wasn't able to go back to Penang to visit my family, which really was too bad.

Regular blogging will resume very shortly. Thanks.

Tine

Carry-On Travel Checklist for Jetsetting Ladies

2008-10-07T07:23:00.000+11:00

Let's face it, what with the LAG restrictions on carry-on luggage on the plane, it's really cramping our style on what we can and cannot bring on board with us, isn't it? Next thing you'd wonder is how to bring all your makeup and skincare nessesities on the plane in that miserable little 1-litre sandwich bag!

Well, I did. And it's a miracle on how I managed to squeeze them all in. That's for using a proper see-through makeup bag. If you use a Ziploc sandwich bag, you can squeeze even more stuff in.

Here are some items I recommend bringing on board with you when you're on a long-haul flight. Do make sure each item is 100ml or less though.

1. Face mists

These are great when you need a little pick-me-up on the flight. I normally spray some on my face when I get on the plane and then some more during the flight. Try Avene or Evian.

2. Small jar of your favourite moisturiser

Do you know that the in-flight air on the plane is drier than any deserts in the world? Relative humidity is 20-25% in the Sahara or Arabian deserts, while optimum comfort is around 50% humidity. In-flight cabin humidities gradually fall on long-distance, high-altitude flights in many cases approaching 1%. That's a scary number, isn't it?

So other than keeping yourself properly hydrated by drinking lots of water (not anything with caffeine, and definitely no alcohol if you can help it), keep your skin moisturised by applying your moisturiser every hour or two. I'd suggest using night cream; it's richer in texture and more emollient. For some reason, the skin around my mouth always peels when I'm on long haul flights. I had to keep that area properly moisturised constantly.

You can also use tinted moisturiser, which gives you light coverage on your skin. I normally use this just as the plane is about to land.

3. Peppermint oil/cream

This is to combat travel sickness, headaches and nausea. Just put a few drops on your fingers, inhale slowly and deeply, rub a bit of the oil on your ears, temples and back of the neck. I do not recommend camphor oil such as Minyak Cap Kapak as the scent is very strong and will most likely irritate your fellow passengers. By all means use it when you're not stuck with a whole lot of people in the same room. Do try Origins Peace of Mind On-The-Spot Relief. This works wonders for me.

4. Pantyliners

Do bring some with you on long-haul flights. Unless you're going to be bringing a change of underwear as part of your carry-on luggage, on a long-haul fligh, you're going to be wearing the same underwear for many, many hours as you did when you got on the plane. Keep your woohoo clean and fresh by changing pantyliners :p

5. Body cream

This can double up as hand cream as well. Remember the dry in-flight air? You'd want to keep your skin moisturised. Do massage some of the cream onto your cuticles as well, as they can get very dry.

6. Toothbrush and toothpaste

For fresh, minty breath after a long flight. I like to brush my teeth after meals and before I go back to sleep. Do bring these along just in case you're not supplied with any. Always ask the flight attendants though if you could 'em. More often than not, they'll oblige. Sigh cattle class.

7. Moisturising lip balm
Suffice to say, keep those smackers soft and peel-free with lots of lip balm (not lip gloss). My lips tend to get very dry on the plane. I normally slip a lip balm into my jeans pocket when I'm traveling. This way I'd always have access to it without having to reach into my purse for one.

8. Hand sanitiser and/or wet wipes

Believe me, the toilets on the plane, no matter what class you're traveling on, can be downright filthy. People who splashes a lot of dough to travel on first/business class aren't always the cleanest people on earth.

9. Eye drops

This is for waking tired and soothing red eyes. This is great for long-haul flights. Although slightly more expensive, I'd recommend using eye drop vials instead of eye drops in a bottle (think artificial tears in small, plastic vials). If you don't use eye drops regularly, that is. Once a bottle has been opened, it will expire in 3 months, after which you'd need to chuck the whole bottle even if you haven't finished using it. Vials last much longer, because you only use them when you need to. Plus they're much smaller.

Oh, and ditch your contact lenses when you're flying. You don't need an extra factor to dry those peepers out.

10. Lip and cheek stain

This is great when you want to touch up with a bit of colour on your lips and cheeks, just when the plane's about to land. I don't have to bring separate lipstick, lip gloss or blush; the lip and cheek stain is versatile like that. Try Benetint or The Body Shop's Lip and Cheek Stain.

11. Hair brush

Gotta brush those tangles out and look presentable before you land ;)

12. Medicine

Bring some with you when you're traveling. This does not have to go into your 1-litre see-through bag, but at least it should be in your carry-on luggage or purse. I was having very bad air-sickness on my Singapore-Taipei flight, and the flight attendants only had paracetemol. I took some in the end, and just had to sleep it out. Bring some flu meds, antihistamines, something for stomachaches, etc with you when you're traveling. Goodness knows these basic items could cost a bomb elsewhere.

And ... that's it!

You can also throw in some eye makeup if you have a bit more space. As for me, I concentrated on prepping my skin for the journey. You can always add in some mascara when you land (I suggest using the proper restroom in the airport terminals for that, just in case you encounter a bumpy ride on the plane when you're about to land).

It's a basic checklist which worked very well for me, on my overall-19 hour journey to and fro the US. I hope it works for you too :)

Paint It Pink Contest

2008-10-06T08:52:00.003+11:00

In line with supporting the Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Connie from Skin Deco is having a Paint It Pink contest , where you can show us how you rock the colour pink in your makeup. It's going to be fun!

And oh my, would you look at the prize?

Click to enlarge

Together with Connie and Gio from Beautiful With Brains , I'll be judging the contest (for the love of me, I don't know why I was selected as a judge, but I'm tres honoured just the same :p). So ladies, feel free to send me some love in forms of anything if you wanna get some love from me for the contest. Okay okay, I'm kidding! :p

Head over to Skin Deco now for more details!

Beauty Bits - Breast Cancer Awareness Beauty Shopping Guide

2008-10-04T08:48:00.001+10:00

TotalBeauty.com content:

Breast Cancer Awareness Beauty Shopping Guide

Make October 2008 prettier, pinker and more powerful! Shop pink products and support a great cause!

What can you do to help in the fight against breast cancer? Something simple. Shop today from this collection of exclusive pink products -- because for every one of these products sold, a donation will be made to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Who knew that looking good could make you feel so incredibly good too?

Browse guide

Note: I'm trying out the Beauty Bits (previously known as Daily Beauty Bytes) on a weekly basis now, on articles I think would benefit this blog's readers. It will not be posted daily as before, and is subjected to change without notice.

A Gentle Reminder: Do A Breast Self Examination

2008-10-04T08:06:00.000+10:00

It's been a year on, and although I do know how to do a breast self examination now, I admit I haven't been doing it regularly. And that is not good, because I was supposed to be doing it once a month. Breast cancer is, after all, the most common cancer in women today.

A year ago, I blogged about how to do a breast self examination. This is a soft reminder to those of you who haven't yet done a breast self exam to go fondle your boobs now :p

Remember that the best time to do an exam is about one week after the start of your period. There are two important ways* to check your breasts. The first is by looking. A mirror should be used to check the breasts for pulls, dents, odd colouring, or lumps. The best positions for inspecting are leaning forward, arms on hips tightly, or standing upright with both arms over your head. When checking the breasts, keep in mind that both breasts should look the same, especially around the nipple.

The second way to check the breasts is by feeling. There are two ways to do this part of the exam and it is best to use a different one each month. One method uses water or oil on the skin to help fingers glide over the skin more easily. The shower can be a good place for this kind of exam. The second way is to use a thin T-shirt or sheet over the breasts. In both of these ways, the little skin lumps and bumps are less noticeable. Feel the breast tissue for any areas that feel different from the rest of the breast. Sometimes a difference will be a ball or lump. Yet other times it will be a thickened band or a deep, hard area that does not move like the rest of the breast.

Don't be alarmed at the first touch of a lump on your breasts. Our breasts are made of fatty tissue; of course there will be lumps. Just be alert and mindful on where you felt those lumps, and if they are hard. It doesn't hurt to consult a doctor if you aren't sure. It's better to err on the side of caution.

Please bear in mind that a breast self-exam is not a substitute for mammography or for regular exams by a doctor. Be sure to keep regular appointments as recommended by your doctor.

*Health First

Bobbi Brown's Exclusive Deluxe Beauty Trunk

2008-10-03T10:26:00.000+10:00

Tell me if you don't think this is gorgeous. Especially if you are a Bobbi Brown fan.

Holy schmokes! I haven't tried any of Bobbi Brown's products before, but if I want to try all of 'em together, it would all be in this cool beauty trunk, available exclusively at Neiman Marcus.

It's hand-crafted in genuine leather, and provides a refined and luxurious way to house and display your makeup. It's also custom-filled with an array of Bobbi Brown makeup and treatment products such as:

3 pan palette
6 pan palette
Creamy Concealer Kit in Sand
Luminous Moisturizing Foundation in Sand
Foundation Stick in Warm Sand
Moisturizing Cream Foundation in Warm Sand
Extra SPF 25 Tinted Moisturizing Balm in Light to Medium
Eye Shadow in Bone
Eye Shadow in Heather
Eye Shadow in Mahogany
Shimmer Wash Eye Shadow in Rose Gold
Metallic Eye Shadow in Lavender
Metallic Eye Shadow in Brown Stone
Long-Wear Cream Shadow in Bellini
Long-Wear Cream Shadow in Navajo
Long-Wear Cream Shadow in Galaxy
Blush in Tawny
Blush in Pale Pink
Bronzing Powder in Light
Pot Rouge in Pink Raspberry
Shimmer Brick Compact in Copper Diamond
Lip Gloss in Buff
Lip Gloss in Petal
Shimmer Lip Gloss in Rose Sugar
Shimmer Lip Glossin Pink Sugar
Lip Color in Brown
Lip Color in Slopes
Lip Sheer in Rosy
Creamy Lip Color in Pink Ballet
Creamy Lip Color in Nectar
Metallic Lip Color in Pretty Pink
Metallic Lip Color in Vintage Rose
Metallic Lip Color in Kir
Lip Liner in Brown
Lip Liner in Slopes
Tinted Lip Balm in Pink Popsicle
Tinted Lip Balm in Rose Petal
Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner in Chocolate Shimmer Ink
Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner in Black
No Smudge Mascara in Black
Everything Mascara in Black
Lash Glamour in Smoke
Instant Long-Wear Makeup Remover
Hydrating Eye Cream
Overnight Cream
Intensive Skin Supplement
Almost Bare Fragrance
Buffing Grains for Face
Concealer Brush
Blush Brush
Face Blender Brush
Ultra Fine Eye Liner Brush
Eye Shader Brush
Bronzer Brush
Empties

And it's all yours for a hefty price at USD2000.

Bobbi Brown, anyone? :p

Don't Chuck Those Crappy Makeup Brushes

2008-10-03T07:04:00.000+10:00

A lot of good eyeshadows sadly come with rubbish makeup sponge applicators or brushes. More often than not, we often chuck these makeup applicators and brushes in favour of our own. It's such a waste, isn't it?

Instead of throwing them away, or storing them in your drawer, why not put them to good use? I found a great use for those mediocre makeup brushes I get for free as gifts with purchase.

I use them to clean my notebook keyboard!

Our computer keyboard traps a lot more dirt than we think, and if you were to remove the caps, you'd be disgusted at how filthy it would be. The small eye shadow brushes are fantastic in removing dirt and dust that settled into those nook and crannies of your keyboard.

Just give the in-between holes a good swipe with your makeup brush (depending on the area of need; for a keyboard, you'd most likely only need a small brush), and then wipe the brush clean with a damp cloth. Do not wet your brush when cleaning the keyboard when the computer is turned on. If you wish to use a moist brush, remember to remove all excess water, and turn off your computer before you commence with the cleaning.

You can even use the makeup brushes to clean your audio and photography equipment as well, e.g. dusting your hi-fi set, your camera, etc. See, you don't have to waste those lousy makeup brushes. They have a good use to them after all, if not for makeup.

Have fun!

A Side Note

2008-10-02T08:37:00.000+10:00

Hello ladies,

Just thought I'd let you know that I have a lot of overdue reviews which are coming up this month. First of all, I'd like to apologise for taking so long with them; I've been swamped with other things, but rest assured that I am on it, and will get them up here as soon as I can.

Secondly, with the reviews, there will be a giveaway coming up too, which I'm very excited about, so do keep a look out for that.

Have a good Thursday!

Tine

Reese's Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Scented Lip Balm

2008-10-02T07:46:00.000+10:00

Taking a break from the shopping haul, remember the yummylicious Reese's Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups?

And now we have Reese's Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Scented Lip Balm!

I saw this on eBay a few months ago. I think it was selling at AUD4 or something. It looked so cute; I had to snap it up.

It smells like chocolate and tastes just like chocolate peanut butter! This is one of the lip balms that I "eat" rather than actually using it to moisturise my lips. In terms of a lip balm, it doesn't do much for me. It's pretty dry actually. But hmmm the taste is amazing.

Just one of the novelty makeup things I found on eBay. Next thing you know, they'll be coming up with fried chicken-flavoured lip balm! For those who really like their KFC :p

Beautyholics Anonymous is Going Pink for October

2008-10-01T07:22:00.001+10:00

Has a year passed by already? How time flies! We've entered October, and you know what that means ladies. It's Breast Cancer Awareness month, and Beautyholics Anonymous is going pink for October!

Okay, the whole site's not really going pink, but it's wearing a pink ribbon the whole month of October to signify the occasion. I will be blogging about breast cancer, and how we can educate ourselves to issues related to breast cancer. The knowledge can be used to tell other people what you've learned, in hopes that they'll learn it too and be aware of it.

Why not subscribe to Pink For October for news and information regarding breast cancer? You never know what you might learn. Our breasts are more important than just filling out a good top, y'know ;)

Let's go pink!

Holiday Shopping Haul, Part 6: The Bags

2008-09-30T07:47:00.000+10:00

Please click on the images to enlarge.

On the third day that we were in the US, my aunt brought us to Gilroy Premium Outlets for some, well, outlet shopping. Tim and I are really into outlet shopping, and do not believe in paying the full retail price for anything unless it's on sale, or absolutely necessary. Factory outlet shopping was something we wanted to do when we were in the US.

Gilroy Premium Outlets was huge. There were so many outlet stores, e.g. Ann Taylor Loft, Kenneth Cole, Hugo Boss, etc.

Tim bought a shirt at Hugo Boss for his dad, and a shirt for himself at Kenneth Cole. The Kenneth Cole shirt was really cheap; if I recall correctly, it was under USD25.

As for me, there was only one store I was interested in, and that was Coach. I'm afraid I didn't take any photographs of the store; the excitement of seeing the bags got the better of me :p I died again and went to bag heaven!

It was a really good thing that I went to the Coach outlet during that time, because they were giving out additional discounts to the already discounted bags. Some were even going at 50% off the outlet prices. It was crazy, I tell you. I had sales assistants coming to me, bringing bags and more bags with them, whispering excitedly to me, "OMG, these bags are only USD80! So cheap!" Every bag they brought me was gorgeous, and I wanted 'em all. It came to a point where I had to tell them to stop bringing me those lovely bags, because they were killing me with choice!

I could really go crazy on buying Coach bags, because so many of them were going at less than USD100. It was with MUCH self-restraint that I decided to not buy more than two bags (I had to consider baggage space, and bags can take up a lot of space). And you know how difficult that is for me to do :p

I was never really interested in Coach's monogrammed bags, and I've always loved the soft leather bags Coach have. In the end, I bought two very simple leather bags, with classic designs.

Simple, aren't they? They're both made of really soft leather, and I love 'em! The larger bag on the left came up to USD146, and the smaller white bag was USD91. I thought those were great bargains, compared to how crazy expensive Coach bags are everywhere else. It's ridiculous, I tell you. Coach bags can cost thousands of ringgit in Malaysia.

A majority of the customers in the Coach store were Asians. A lot of them were buying bags upon bags like there was no tomorrow. Bad economy be damned, they say ;)

On a different note, another bag I bought during the trip (this wasn't at Gilroy), was an Andy Warhol bag. I got this at Ross. I thought it was super cute, and would make a good shopping bag.

Campbell soup, anyone?

This concludes my holiday shopping haul. It was totally crazy, I know, and I'm stoned-broke now, but I had fun sharing it with you :)