Hi Shimmerpole,

There are a few reasons why your skin can still have pimples even though you have cleanse your face twice a day, exfoliate weekly, use a moisturizer.

Reason can be:

1) Using too harsh of a cleanser or cleanser not suitable for your skin type
2) Popping/picking at spots or subconsciously touching the face. (the chin, cheesks or nose)
3) Hormonal problem
4) Stress

1) It is important to need to know your skin type in order to find a good cleanser that your skin responds well to, and stick with it. Avoid bar soaps as they tend to dry the skin.Choose a creamy cleanser if you have dry skin or a clear cleanser if you have oily Skin.

2) Although popping pimples might make them look flatter, we run the risk of scarring, having the pimple come back the next day, and worst of all, instead of getting it out, we might pushed it further into the skin.
Likewise for those who have a tendency to touched their face while thinking or subconsciously, will cause the skin to have little "pumps" or
pimples.

3) Once your body reaches the age of puberty, the oil gland can become overactive, causing an excess of sebum. The more sebum in the pore,
the greater chance of a pimple forming.

4) Stress
Stress has a mental and physical effect on the body. When your body gets stressed, it activates your adrenal glands to produce adrenaline which in turn causes sebaceous glands to create excess amounts of sebum. The more stressed you become, the greater chance of excess sebum--resulting in more pimples.

Of course, there are alot of other reasons besides the above factors like Improper diet, lack of sleep, air-conditioning, smoking, too much exposure to the sun, etc.

You need to pay more attention as to when you have these break outs, is it when you are feeling stressed? Or when your period is near? Or when you take certain food?

I hope you are able to find out the reason behind it.
Read More...

Hi Ladies,

Hydrating toner is important & should be use day & night.
There are also skincare product that gives your skin mainly just moisture before lotion/toner.

Try Kose MSR (Moisture Skin Repair) a very good hydrating serum. Its key ingredient is Rice Power Extract No 11 which was originally use to make Sake, Japanese Rice wine. It was then that they discovered that those ladies who make rice sake may be old but they all have very beautiful, smooth hands & that Rice Power Extract 11 is responsible for the beautiful hands. It has very good hydrating properties. Use this before your toner, followed by day or night cream.
Besides this hydrating serum MSR, we can also use hydrating mask or tissue mask (for hydration) at least once or twice a week. For those with very dry skin or dehydrated skin, you can even use it up to 3 times a week. A good & affordable hydrating mask is L'Oreal Hydrafresh Water Plumping Mask or the mid price range is Biotherm Hydrating Mask. Biotherm is another brand that use PTP(Pure Thermal Plankton) spring water that has great affinity to the skin with lots of trace elements that energizes skin, giving skin it vitality.

Hydrating mask is best to use after you use a purifying mask or scrub (that removes all the impurities on your skin).
Do it faithfully & regularly besides your normal skincare regime & you will find your skin is more radiant, smooth & supple.
Read More...

You are most welcome, Meitain86.
My pleasure.
Read More...

Hi Juzdawn,

If you have very thin & sparse lashes, you can use a lengthening mascara first the followed by a volumizing mascara.
In this way, you can still achieve a natural look without hurting your lashes.
Do remember to use a proper eye makeup remover.
We should also take care of our lashes by using lash serum that helps to strengthen the eyelash root. Reason being if your lash root is weak it will drop off easily.
I'm a "mascara person" so I love to go round testing mascara & because I use alot of mascara.
But i also want my lashes to stay healthy so i use a serum every night before I sleep & in the morning before I put on my makeup, I will apply the lash serum first to help coat & strengthen my lashes.
The one that I'm currently using is L'Oreal Renewal Lash Serum & it works perfectly well for me.
Of cos there are a lot of brands that sells lash serum from economical price to really expensive ones.
Find one that you are comfortable with.
Read More...

Hi ladies,

Very true indeed.
Eyebrows frame the face & gives character to our personality.
Thick and straight eyebrow shape gives one a youthful, innocent look, just like a child.
Thin arch eyebrows gives a more matured look & if drawn too arch, one can end up looking mean too.
The most perfect eyebrow is one that's not "too thin" nor "too thick" (must look at the face shape) and with a soft arch.
This will give one a softer yet confident look.
My advice is keep to drawing,.
In this way, you have no regrets about "permanent eyebrows" where you cannot change the shape anymore.
Do remember that our eye area tends to droop as we grow older, so at that time our eyebrows may need a little changes by drawing the tail of the eyebrow higher so as to "lift up" the eye area.
When drawing eyebrows, always keep in mind to draw following the hair growth, not drawn horizontally.
Me too have very light eyebrows but I still stick to drawing and have no regrets at all.
My mum who have had her eyebrows permanently done (she did it without informing me first) regretted it as she can't do any changes over the years when her eyebrows drooped.
Read More...

Juzdawn, with regards to the Salicylic Acid, it is good for oily skin to control the oil secretion as well as removing the accumulated dead cells. IIf your washing foam has Salicylic Acid, I would recommend that you usevit 2 or 3 times a week (as you need it to clear off the sebum, dead cells, etc) and the rest of the days use a washing foam meant for normal/ combination skin (without Salicylic Acid in it). This way, you will find that your skin is clear of whiteheads, blackheads but not so dehydrated.

Another tip is when cleansing or washing your face, always spend a little more time on areas that have a tendency to have whiteheads, blackheads, "little pumps". Very gently massage in circular motions on these areas, like the area around the corners of the nose, nose, chin and forehead. Spend about a minute each of these areas.
Do it every time you cleanse or wash your face, in no time you will definitely see improvement.
Of course, together with sufficient sleep, proper diet and water your skin will be even better.
Read More...

Good tips there, any recommendations on product brands?

Hi Ladies,

Both Jackie & I always believed that it is important to have good skin so a good skincare regime is very important

The most important point in having good skin (irregardless of what skin type you have) is to use the right skincare product suitable for your skin type.

Secondly, whether you have make-up or no make-up, you will still get whiteheads, blackheads or pimples if you do not cleanse or wash your face properly everyday. The Key factor is to use the right product & right quantity (alot of people tend to use less in order to save cost but they do not realized that they are compromising on their skin's condition.) How can our skin be beautiful when we do not use the correct quantity which result in not doing a good cleansing or washing of our face which in turn leaves our skin with residues of make-up, dirt and dust.

Thirdly after proper washing, it is important to hydrates the skin. Our skin consists of oil & water. Moisture gets evaporated easily due to external & internal factors(like air-conditioning, stress, improper diet, radiation, etc) but not the oil. So we must use a Toner/Lotion to replenish the moisture. Remember our skin constantly needs moisture, if the skin is lack of moisture, the skin will look dull, dehydrated & it will eventually lead to premature aging. When the skin is well hydrated, the skin will have a natural glow, luminosity, firm & supple.

Last but not least, weekly care is important as our skin's condition really starts to go downhill when we hit 25years old. So prevention is better than cure. That's where serums, masks(for purifying & hydrating), scrubs and massage comes in.
People with sensitive skin can try this range & sensitive people should not scrub their face, instead they should use a wash off mask.
A purifying mask to get rid of impurities, dead cells, oxidized sebum(oil), makeup residues, etc. Purifying mask comes in 2 types: peel off or wash off. After which use a hydrating mask to hydrates the skin.
People who do weekly care regularly will see the improvement in their skin.


Some of the good brands that you can choose from.

[b][u]Mid range with good effective ingredients:[/[/u]b]
Boitherm, founded by a Biologist.
Biotherm uses PTP in all its skincare products.
PTP is Pure Thermal Plankton, natural spring thermal water. This natural, pure, effective ingredient has the capacity to strengthen the skin's natural defenses. It also works to stimulate and improve skin quality as well as enhances skin resistance to external aggression and evenness for softer skin. It has alot of trace elements that energizes and gives vitality to the skin.
It has a wide range of skincare cater according to your skin requirement.
I love their Skin Ergetic, an Anti-Fatigue serum (very powerful anti-oxidant serum)gives skin back its radiance, vitality and softness. Use it after your toner followed by moisturizer/day cream or night cream in the night. You will see healthier, more radiant skin.
They also have the exfoliating mask as well as the hydrating mask which is very important as a weekly care besides your normal skincare regime.

Affordable range:
L'Oreal has a wide range of skincare from whitening to anti-ageing and the price range is affordable.
I love their Hyrafresh Water plumping mask, very good for hydrating the skin & really value for $.
Suitable for all skin type, even oily skin as your skin can be oily but dehydrated (meaning lack of water, the tell-tale signs is you still have whiteheads & blackheads, shiny on the T zone but on certain areas there are fine lines or flakiness, these are actually dehydration lines & if you still do not do something about it. It will eventually lead to pre-mature aging.

Another to look out for is the Revitalift Night essence that targets at the 8 zones of aging on our face. These are the 8 natural lifters that lifts our skin when we are young but as we age, these lifters are not able to work so well. The Night Essence works on revitalizing the 8 zones, Hydrates, Firms & gives Suppleness to our skin.

A budget saving & good range that works:
^_Garnier, it is a range that I highly recommend to those who wants a good effective skincare products that works but do not burn a hole in their pocket. It is ideal for all ages from teenagers, young ladies who just step out to the society to work or anyone who wants a good affordable skincare product that works.
Their Aqua Defense is a range that gives hydration. Mothers who're bothered their young kid face but do not know where to get a good gentle washing products, I would highly recommend Garnier. Use Aqua Defense if the skin is quite sensitive or dehydrated.

I hope this is useful to you ladies.
Happy shopping for the right product. Do go down to the counters & asked to feel the texture, smell and then decide which one you want to use.
Read More...

Hi Carmen,

You may also refer to the question asked on Eyebrow pencils which I just answered.
The pencil that you use is very important besides trimming.
Actually for you, all you need is to use the correct color eyebrow pencil and knowing how to draw it correctly.
For us Asian, always get the highest point (arch)of our eyebrow right. This will determines the shape of your eyebrows as well as giving your face a slimmer silhouette.
To determine where the arch of your eyebrow are, hold a mirror or stand in front of the mirror, look straight at the mirror.
Look at your eye, use a pencil or brush point at the outer corner of your iris, and follow it up to the eyebrow.
This is highest point of the eyebrow. Once you know where it is, start drawing stroke by stroke from the arch to the end following the hair growth.
Then draw the inner eyebrows, again following the hair growth.
Do not draw horizontal line across the brows which most people did, you will end up with unnatural looking brows.
Hope these tips are useful to you.
Read More...

Hi ladies,

There are many different types of eyebrow cosmetics in the market cater to different needs.

The gel type is good for dark, thick eyebrow that do not require much drawing but just to keep the "rowdy hair" nicely in shape.

Powder type is good for those who do not like pencil and are more comfortable with using powder. It is suitable for all kinds of eyebrows, be it thick, dense, thin eyebrows. The trick is get a good angle eyebrow brush. If not try Palgangton for their powder eyebrow pencil taht come with a sponge tip for easier and more natural application. Available in a few colours.

As for mascara type, it is good for those with dense eyebrows but eyebrow colour is fairly light and do not require to draw much but just darkening the hair colour. This will also keep the brows in shape.

Pencils comes in different grade and texture of the lead which will determines the outcome of the eyebrows.
I personally prefer lead that are a little harder so that it sits on the eyebrows nicely without smudging.
If the pencil's lead is too cakey, your eyebrows will end up with patchy and uneven looking.
The good ones are Shu Uemura Hard Formula, Lancome & Dior but price alittle steep.
The cheap and good one is Maybelline with colors well suited for Asian skin tone. Only minus point is no eyebrow brush but it's ok for me cos i prefer a separate eyebrow brush.

There is another which comes in liquid type which is quite natural & the brand to try out is Dodo.

The trick is you need to go to the counters and try out the eyebrow cosmetics for its texture, color and find one that you are most comfortable with.

Happy trying
Read More...

Hi ladies,

As everyone is born with different brow shapes, colour, hair texture and hair density, the Best way to get a "Perfect shape eyebrows" is to trim them. You can use a tweezer to pluck off the excess stray hair nearer to the eyelid but not those that are near to the highest point of your eyebrows. (the eyebrow bone, the area where it's the highest point, just above the socket area)
Trimming is a perfect and less painful way of getting a perfect eyebrow shape. (especially those with very thick and dense eyebrows.) Because the eyebrows are thick and usually long, it is not easy to get a perfect shape if you were to just pluck them. you may end up plucking off too much hair. You need a trimmer to get the curve around the eyebrow bone perfect.
Always remember not to have your eyebrows too thin or the ends of your eyebrow lower than the head of your eyebrows. One always look more matured or mean with thin brows and those who draw their eyebrows with the ends lower than the head of the eyebrows will end up with droopy eyes..
There are a few trusted make-up brands that do good eyebrow trimming.
Once you found your trusted make-up artist to do your eyebrows, just go back to the same one.
Hope this answers to your question.
Read More...