Beauty Grail

One of the reasons I’ve stopped obsessing over fashion and celebrity magazines is because of (most of) the “picture-perfect” faces that grace the pages. It is very easy to forget that the pictures often get tweaked (some overhauled) with PhotoShop as the pictures below from ellf.ru show.

picture: ellf.ru

So each time you flick through a magazine and find yourself getting depressed or jealous at all the perfect people in it, STOP…because most likely it’s been Photoshopped!

image credit: shielaz413 It’s my birthday in 5 days and I’ve organized a “Sex and The City” style celebration with my girlfriends. Problem is I haven’t exactly been a very good girl, going without exercise and good food for the past 2 months! Not only did I feel it (the consequence of an unhealthy lifestyle), I certainly saw it as well, especially in my face!

The skin doesn’t lie and mine told the story of a chocolate and ice cream eating marathon! With my “Girls’ Night” fast approaching, I decided to buy some decent foundation to try to mask the junk food-induced fine lines. Even the makeup consultant couldn’t help but describe the skin around my eyes as ”crepey”.

Crepey?! This wasn’t exactly how I wanted to look on my b-day!! I needed to get serious and tackle the problem PROPERLY - via anti aging packed nutrition.

Just like my Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle Cream, Mama Lotion came highly recommended in FutureDerm.

The “Ma-Ma” in MaMa Lotion

I was particularly curious with its main ingredients which I had not heard of before. These were, Mandelic acid and Malic acid.

FutureDerm’s Nicki Zevola explained that Mandelic acid is an alphahydroxy acid (AHA) derived from almonds. It is a powerful antioxidant which stops free radicals from causing cell damage. In addition, it has antibacterial properties (useful in controlling breakouts).

Malic acid, is also an AHA. It is naturally found in fruits such as apples. Some of its benefits are it is moisturizing and it stimulates the production of collagen (as you may or may not know, our skin’s ability to produce collagen decreases as we get older). Another thumbs up is that it is less irritating than other AHAs like glycolic acid.

What is MaMa Lotion good for?

I visited its website to see what else I could uncover about MaMa Lotion. Some of the results noted from its use were listed there:

• Evened out skin tone including removing age spots & freckles
• Faded acne scars
• Significantly reduced acne breakouts
• Tightened the skin & pores
• Shrunk or eliminated blackheads
• Reduced or erased fine lines and wrinkles
• Significantly reduced the symptoms of rosacea
• Faded melasma

(source: MCK Laboratories)

Results of MaMa Lotionon on acne scarring and melasma after 1 month of treatment

picture: MaMa Lotion

My own MaMa impression

When I first tried out MaMa Lotion, I applied about 2-3 drops to my freshly cleansed face. I did experience some stinging and the lotion felt somewhat tacky on my skin. These sensations went not long after. I then followed it up with my moisturiser.

After about a week of some minor peeling, I analyzed my face. At a glance, I saw no dramatic improvements. My fine lines were definitely still there. However, I did feel a difference. My face felt soooo much smoother. The only other time it felt this way would have been before I hit my teens!

Delighted so far, I decided to incorporate it into my night skin care routine (applied every other night when I don’t use retinol).

Mama Lotion can be purchased at various online stores and retails for around $44US.

Glamr Rating: (If and once it gets rid of my fine lines will I award it an extra star :-)

I haven’t had a chance to squeak, “hello” in some days now thanks to a nagging cold. Thankfully, I’m almost over it. I just need to distract myself with something light hearted.

I came across this funny quiz at Celebrity Cosmetic Surgery where the aim is to try to name as many celebrities as possible just by pic of their (enhanced?) decollage.

picture: Ayy!

I only managed to correctly identify one celebrity (#3), but then again I’m still recovering from my cold ;-)

Think you can do better? Read on for the answers.

It’s a dreary day, perfect for keeping dry indoors and reading up on blogs. I’m currently checking out the blog directory, BlogCatalog, and one post that caught my attention was Four Stupidest Things Americans Do To Their Skin at Anti-Aging Psychology Blog .

After being side-tracked into having a self debate about the title (“Most Stupid” versus “Stupidest”), I managed to read on and find out what the 4 stupid things were.

According to the author, Dr. Michael Brickey, some common mistakes Americans make (where it comes to skin care) were:

#1 Using Soap

image credit: Jon Evans I once declined a friend’s offer of her soap come time to shower after an exhausting workout. I decided I’d rather risk smelling bad from just a warm shower rather than lathering up with soap. Why? It’s because (some) soaps are alkaline and strip the skin of natural oils thus an be drying.

#2 Mineral Oils

There seems to be a debate on just how bad mineral oil is. Dr. Michael Brickey is obviously part of the camp that is totally against it. The downside he mentioned were:

” Mineral oil coats your skin, clogs your pores, and prevents your skin from breathing. It keeps your skin from exfoliating dead skin cells and toxins. It keeps your skin from absorbing vitamins, nutrients, and antioxidants in a moisturizer.”

(source: Anti-Aging Psychology)

Beauty Brains sits on the end of the pole on this debate citing that the bad rap on mineral oils is totally bogus.

One that sits in the middle is FutureDerm . She says it is okay so long as it is not used in conjunction with other products containing comedogenic (pore-clogging) ingredients and that it’s benefits are not blown beyond ‘hydrating’.

I find myself sitting somewhere in the middle too. My fav lipbalm to date happens to be Vaseline Lip Therapy and most of my body and hand lotions contain Mineral Oil. I prefer my face products however to be Mineral Oil free as it is tends to be very sensitive and fussy.

#3 Fragrances and Dyes

What good is a cream that smells like a dream if it causes irritation to the skin? That unfortunately is the side effect for some people to fragrances as well as dyes. It is therefore advised that to keep your skin happy, best to try to steer clear of these.

#4 Sun Damage

image credit: Alan Light

The effects of over exposure to the sun can be very detrimental. We’re not just talking about a bit of reddening or peeling of skin. There’s premature aging and more importantly, increased chances of skin cancer and other skin disorders. These just make baking out on the sun totally unglamorous and uncool.

picture: Amazon

I just love starting my Mondays with a package!! One was delivered to my door early this morning. Like an excited little girl on Christmas, I ripped open the box, very curious to see what was inside.

There I found 3 bottles of Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle Creams. I almost forgot that I won these through eBay about 2 weeks ago! Undeterred by my recent negative MAC eBay experience, I went ahead and purchased these after reading a post about it in one of my fav blogs, FutureDerm.

In the blog, Nicki Zevola of Future Derm, compared 3 products containing retinol. They were Skinceuticals Retinol 0.5, Philosophy Help Me Retinol Night Treatment and Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle Cream. Out of the three, she found Neutrogena to be the best value for money whilst containing a high percentage of retinol!

After carefully cleansing my face, I applied a pea-size amount. I really liked how it glided onto my skin and left no sticky feeling afterwards.

I did experience some mild stinging sensation. However, like it says on the packaging, it’s only temporary and it quickly went away.

So far so good. I do hope it proves effective for me so I can add it to my (ever growing) list of top skin care product “must haves” instead of “money waster”. Stay tuned.

I’m in the process of adding my blog to the directory BlogCatalog. You may want to check it out as it lists some interesting blogs on beauty (not to mention many other topics).Cheers!

picture: Lift Magic

It’s the weekend so I decided to try to get up to date with my Google Reader (as it stands, I have over 1000 posts to read!). I was up to Celebrity Cosmetic Surgery subscription when I came across a link to Lift Magic.

Lift Magic is a website which allows you to simulate some popular cosmetic facial procedures like eye brow lift, nose reduction and lip augmentation.

Apply these enhancements (if you are not too chicken or coy) to your own photo. Else, you can use the already uploaded image or browse through the internet for other pics.

I have given the program a go a few times and the results I’ve managed to achieve so far looked more like poor Photoshop jobs. It is by no means accurate, however it does give you some idea of end results. The least, it’s a bit of good fun.

image credit: Dove

I had no plans announcing my turning 30. It just happened. Literally out of the blue, friends and family started saying, “You’ve got wrinkles!”

Even my uncle, a man who normally missed such things couldn’t help but say, “Oh, you have lines”. Yes, hello “new 20’s”.

#1 Chronoligical or Genetic Skin Aging

Up until that stage, the only aging I was aware of was the type that was related to birthdays. That is Chronological Aging or Genetic/Biological Aging .

In my teens, I lost my baby fat. The only upset I had were angry pimples and overly excited sebaceous glands;

In my twenties, more baby fat went along with some pimples. My hair thinned and sprouted premature gray hairs;

Come 30…well you already know, the development of wrinkles or what I liked to call ”happy lines” (as they became more pronounced whenever I smiled). Unfortunately, I also still had very persistent adult acne! (Grrr)

image credit: peterdconroy

#2 Environmental Skin Aging

On my first trip to Vietnam, I couldn’t help but notice most of the women fully clad complete with masks and gloves in sweltering heat! It was disbelief as I was wanting to jump out of my shorts and singlet for a little relief.

However, perhaps the last laugh was on people like me who freely basked in the elements as this is attributed to the 2nd type of aging, ”Environmental Aging”

Factors such as over exposure to the sun, extreme climate, pollution, harsh chemicals, dust and cigarette smoke (whether first or second hand) can throw havoc to your skin and cause premature aging.

So no more sunbathing (more precisely, sun-baking) or going without SPF for me and I always make it a point to wear gloves each time I do the dishes. These are just some of the simple and common sense habits I’ve taken up.

#3 Hormonal Skin Aging

I came across this concept when reading an interview with Celebrity Dermatologist, Dr. Kaplan.

The skin’s youthfulness can be attributed to 3 basic materials. These are Collagen, Elastic Tissue and Hyaluronic Acid.

1. Collagen, which acts like rope to give our skin strength and prevent sagging.
2. Elastic Tissue acts like rubber bands, and gives our skin elasticity and “bounce back.”
3. Hyaluronic Acid keeps our skin plump and hydrated.

(source: Care Fair)

Dr. Kaplan explains that hormones maintain and regulate the production of these, thus fluctuations, imbalance or decline in hormone levels can lead to undesired consequences such as increased skin sensitivity and dryness; acceleration of fine lines and wrinkles; uneven skin pigmentation and occasional itchiness or breakouts.

Mention hormone imbalance/decrease and people often think menopause. However there are other factors that can play in hormonal decrease or fluctuation. Some examples are stress, bad diet and lack of exercise!

That said, I’ve decided to take a break, tuck into some berries and then take my puppies for a brisk walk up Red Hill. Catch you all later!

picture: Sweet Spot labs

I first learnt about these special women’s hygiene products from Makeup & Beauty Blog.

There seems to be a marketing niche for women’s nether region products. There was Beauty Betty, the pubic hair colouring and now Sweet Spot , the cleanser, deodoriser, perfume and freshener for your “sweetspot” / vajayjay / or whatever you want to call it.

Part of their argument is, ”Do you brush your teeth with shampoo? Wash your hair with toothpaste”? Ofcourse I don’t but I have yet to experienced any undesirable consequences from using my shower gel for down there. As for keeping odour at bay, regular showers / washes work fine for me.

picture: Hiking around Tassie’s Overland Track Out of all the Sweet Spot Lab products, the On-The-Go Wipettes appeal to me the most. These could come in handy camping…though I managed to go smelling like a daisy hiking around Tasmania’s Overland Track with facial wipes (cheaper and equally as effective, I think).

What do you think? Yey or ney for special feminine hygiene products?

It’s morning and I’m behind my computer as usual. Checking for emails, I find one from Coastal Essence announcing their new section called Body Enhancements. Hmm, not something I wish to think about so early in the day but I spy on the phrase “Non Surgical Face and Breast Lifts” so my curiosity is piqued. .

Under their new Body Enhancements section are Bring It Up™ Instant Breast Lift and Bring It Up™ Instant Face Lift.

Image credit: Coastal Scents

These are transparent, waterproof, hypo-allergenic, single-use tape. You create a more youthful appearance by lifting sagging skin and then securing it with these.

I personally don’t (think I) need them…yet. I’m inclined however to give them a go to get a preview of what I’d look like should I decide to go ahead with the more invasive procedures.

Are you thinking of undergoing breast and/or facelift (but like myself) are too afraid of going under the knife? If so, then perhaps Bring It Up™ Instant Breast Lift and Bring It Up™ Instant Face Lift are products worth trying.

The Breast Lift kit contains 8 pairs of breast tape. The Face Lift kit contains 16 pairs of brow lifts, 16 pairs of neck lifts and a special headband. Both Lift kits are priced at 21.95USD.

Have you tried these products? Do you recommend them?

The MAC 187 impostor I’m a little red faced to admit that I was duped. I know that there are countless warnings about purchasing brand items such as MAC brushes on eBay.

However, I thought I did my homework and covered all my bases.

Somehow, doing all that did not lessen the sinking feeling of realizing that the worse still happened- unwrapping a parcel only to discover a fake. In my case, a MAC 187 Duo Fibre brush impostor.

After applying sunscreen, it is imperative to that you wait at least 30 minutes before going outdoors and/or exposing yourself to the sun. This allows the product to be absorbed into your skin for maximum effectiveness. Going out under the sun straight away would be like going out without sun protection at all (well, until the product kicks in)!

picture: Heelarious

I saw this ‘twit’ by fellow Twitter, Fashion Fling, on Twitter today. I just had to check it out as I couldn’t wrap my mind around the concept of high heels for babies.

Heelarious®, the a soft high-heeled crib shoes, was the brain child of Britta Bacon & Hayden Porter, childhood friends turned business partners. It is designed for babies up to 6 months old (strictly for crawlers as the heel is collapsibility and does not bear weight). It is available online and in stores for about 35USD.

I can see its novelty and how it can be cute and funny. However, should I ever have a daughter or niece, I’d be more inclined to buy them their very first sports running shoes.

What do you think? Would you buy your daughter/neice/granddaughter their first high heels?

I’ve just received this email announcing a Mimco Sale though it did not come with text on the particulars ( I went to their site and it’s not there either).

I have yet to own a Mimco bag however, I really like the story behind the brand. It goes that Amanda Briskin started by using $5000 of her own savings to travel to China to source bags. She came up with two design and 11 years later manage to build and sell up a multimillion dollar business. Very impressive! Also inspiring for young entrepreneurs!

Are you a budding entrepreneur? What ideas (be it Fashion, design etc) do you have?