Beauty and Skincare

Skin care is not only about skin per se. It is also about your lips –yeah, whether you have pouty, upturned, fleshy, or thin lips, you have to take care of those frames that hold your smile. In fact, even if we go out of the house without makeup on, as long as we are wearing lipstick, it somehow “completes” our look – throw in a bewitching smile and we’re done.

Max Factor even once said, “A woman who doesn’t wear lipstick feels naked in public.” So, that’s how important lips and lipsticks are for us women. And years after Max Factor said his famous line, the desire to look and feel beautiful has not changed at all.

However, what is expensive lipstick if the lips are chapped and dry? It will only highlight what is wrong with the lips rather than camouflage the problem. What is worse is, the lipstick gets all the flack for not making a woman’s lips look good.

So, if you are so into lipsticks, treat and heal the basic “user” of your lip cosmetic – your lips, what else?

Here are some tips on how to have sexier and young-looking lips:

-    Exfoliate.  Although it is true that the lips have very delicate skin, you still need to exfoliate them in order for new lip skin to emerge. After brushing your teeth, lightly brush your lips as well (ensure not to brush with toothpaste on because it might dry out your lips).
-    Rub almond oil on your lips to keep them from chapping. It is best to do this as well during winter season.
-    Apply honey on lips to keep them looking moist.
-    Bright lipstick makes the lips look larger, so learn to tone down. As much as possible, choose lipstick color that is nearest your natural lip shade. For a youngish you, you might opt to brush lip-gloss on your lips during daytime in place of lipstick.
-    When you are applying lipstick, use a lip brush to evenly spread the color on the lips.
-    Use lip liner, but ensure to choose a shade that matches your natural lip color.

“No one else can love you as much as you love yourself” – and whenever I feel down, I head to my favorite spa to indulge myself in an afternoon of pampering. I love my skin so much that I don’t hesitate to try out new spa treatments. That’s how my craze about body scrubs began.

Through body scrubs, old and dead skin are exfoliated – making way for new skin to regenerate. Usually, when I go for a scrub session, I choose sea salt scrubs because salt is great for people who have rough and dry skin. Due to its rough texture, it is more abrasive than other scrubs but I tell you, after your spa session, you’d feel clean and smooth all over. By the way, I also ensure that I choose the salt scrub with eucalyptus menthol oil for a more relaxing and tingly feel.

During my last visit, I was introduced to sugar scrub, a milder version of the salt scrub, and honestly, I also kind of liked it.

Now, let me show you why people are raving about these scrubs:

So, from then on, I decided that since I go for sea salt spa sessions twice a month, I can do my own sugar scrub from home at least once a week. That way, I don’t damage my skin too much with salt scrubs and at the same time, to allow my skin to “breathe” as well.

Yay! Exciting times are ahead and I can’t wait to share with you the best sugar scrub recipe I can find on the net. Till next post! :)

There was a point in time when I had blotchy skin on my face – my darkest (and “reddest”!) moment in life as I usually call it. At times, they appeared swollen in some parts of my face, and flat in others. It was also characterized by itching and a bit of pain.

I received a lot of helpful information from well-meaning friends saying the patches were probably due to any of the following:

Sensitive Skin – well, I don’t really have sensitive skin (in fact, mom used to we are a family of thicked-skinned people LoL!) so,  I don’t think this caused the red patches and swelling. But for some, make up or the simple act of shaving can already cause skin reddening.

Alcohol – yep! Guilty! I do drink and not occasionally! I have regular drinking buddies . When I drink, I become red on the face and make my face look flushed and shiny. Primarily, this is because alcohol can cause dehydration and when we lose body water, this is how the body reacts.

Allergies – while some people are predisposed to allergic reactions, luckily, I am not one of them. Most common causes of allergies include exposure to dust, animal dander, pollen, and food such as nuts and chocolates. When exposed to these elements, one of the common indications of allergic reaction is red, blotchy face.

Skin Disorders – most skin diseases are characterized by reddening of the skin accompanied by itching and swelling. Some of these skin diseases include acne, hives, rosacea, and eczema. In some cases, intake of certain medications also lead to skin reddening, which is a side effect of the drug.

Changes in Weather – when the weather is either too cold or too hot, the result is also blotchy skin with skin dryness. Likewise, spending too much time under the sun can also cause sunburn, further adding to skin discomfort.

Just until recently, I still could not identify a specific cause for those red patches. However, when I tried to analyze the situation, I realized that probably, the reason for my skin problem was due to changes in the weather. I don’t have sensitive skin but my system, when exposed to pollution and dust, would often react by making my skin red, itchy, and dry. Added to that, I also get sneezing bouts, which further aggravates my problem.

For years now, I have successfully evaded the nasty red blotches and I intend to remain that way. So, if the same thing happens to you, don't panic as there are lots of possible known causes for blotchy skin.

Limp hair is simply a no-no if having beautiful hair is what you want. My friend Jeannie has always battled with this hair problem since 5th Grade when we started noticing boys were beginning to have an interest on us.

So, the hunt for the best “Jeannie Hair Treatment” was on. Jeannie tried having curls for a year but she was so bothered by it and felt her personality changed together with the change in her hairstyle. She tried cutting her hair short, and still did not feel it was the right hairstyle for her. After changing her hairstyle (for the nth time) and using different hair products to add bounce and shine to her long tresses, she finally decided to just grow her hair and torture herself by blow-drying her mane every morning.

Until she discovered from another friend the secret to her (the other friend) frizz-free and permanently perfect straight hair.

Thermal reconditioning, also known as thermal hair straightening, became Jeannie’s new best friend that allowed her to save more time rather than spending almost an hour setting and blow-drying her hair and applying all sorts of hair leave-on conditioners.

Since she talked to her hairdresser for the possibility of having a permanent straight hair, she did a lot of research on the internet about this hair technology and was convinced that it’s what she wanted.

Features of Thermal Reconditioning:

-    Good for any type of hair
-    Manages frizzy hair
-    Uses a ceramic flat hair iron
-    End result is straight and smooth hair
-    Results could vary if you have over-processed hair (meaning, you subject your hair to different hair treatments such as excessive blow-drying, perming, hair coloring, highlights, etc)
-    Cost ranges from $250 to about $500 depending on the length and volume of hair

You might get turned off by the sheer cost of the treatment, but try to factor in that this is a permanent solution to your hair straightening woes and with this method, you greatly reduce the amount of time you spend straightening your hair and buying all sorts of products for maintenance. All you have to do is invest in a good moisturizing shampoo and conditioner and you’re all set. Of course, you also have to maintain this at least once or twice a year, but remember that regrowth treatments become cheaper as you go along.

Thus, I recommend that you follow the same route my friend Jeannie did – talk to your stylist and get an approval if this is the best option for you. Don’t just go to any salon as for some of them, it’s more about the business than your precious tresses.

Super smooth legs are what women want – and men, too (for their partners, that is)! Ever wondered how some women achieve smooth and shiny looking legs? The truth of the matter is some women are lucky enough to have more money to spare than the rest of the women out there, thus, they go for waxing (hot or cold) or even permanent hair removal.

For the others, shaving is the only option that allows them to have a semi-smooth, hairless skin. Joanna, my friend, is one of them. It’s been a while since I accompanied her to the waxing salon as the last time she went there, she almost ran out screaming in pain. Well, of course, that is just an exaggeration, but in all seriousness, the waxing attendant accidentally spilled more wax than she intended to use. So, instead of having a smooth and even-toned skin, Joanna now has an inch-sized scar on her left leg to remind her of that fateful incident.

So, she went back to her age-old leg hair removal and smoothening option: shaving. Although the cheapest way of removing leg hair, the problem with shaving is it leaves chicken skin-like shapes on the skin, which is a no-no if one wants silky smooth complexion. However, this chicken skin problem can now be remedied by following two simple pre-shaving routines.

1.    Drench your legs with warm water. Doing so will encourage the pores to open due to steam while at the same time softening the hairs.

2.    Use a shaving cream. Don’t just purchase the first shaving cream you see on sale, but rather pick a shaving cream that contains coconut oil and glycerin. Coconut oil will protect your skin from razor burns, while glycerin will help create a thick lather for shaving. Veer away from shaving foams with benzocaine or menthol as both ingredients close the skin’s pores and thicken the hairs.

Using soft-bristle painter’s brush, slather the shaving cream on the legs. Ensure that you brush the cream in upward motion so that the hairs will rise up and with your sharp razor, you can cut the hairs closer to the skin.   

These may be very simple techniques on how to achieve smooth legs when shaving, but some women actually take shaving for granted – thinking that there is no specific way of shaving leg hair. So, in order to get the look you want, follow the steps above and don’t forget to shave against the direction of the hair.