Beauty Tricks Blog

Skin Myths

OMG, I am reading Allure magazine and it reveals some of the skin myths, I personally love to read the difference between the “common believes” and the argument from the scientific side (dermatologists!), I think I would share this piece with you as I am sure you will find them interesting too!

The dermatologist is ‘Jeffrey S. Dover, who devotes much of his book, The Youth Equation: Take 10 Years Off Your Face (Wiley), to skin myths, to debunk the ugliest ones.’

‘THE MYTH: Drinking lots of water will prevent wrinkles.
The TRUTH: “There is not one study that says water will make your skin look better. Unless you are severely dehydrated, you won’t notice a difference in your skin by drinking more.”

THE MYTH: Oxygen facials will amke skin look younger.
The TRUTH: “They’re hokey, and there is no proof they work. They’re probably not harmful, but glycolic peels or microdermabrasion treatments are more effective.”

THE MYTH: Using a rich moisturizer will stave off wrinkles.
The TRUTH: “It might temporarily minimize the appearance of fine lines, but there is no evidence that a regular cream will prevent aging. You need one with anti-aging ingredients.”

THE MYTH: Facial exercises will keep the skin from sagging.
The TRUTH: “It’s the skin that gets saggy - not the muscles. And you might even increase the lines in your face because you are making expressions that contribute to them.”‘

(sources: Allure Magazine May 2009 Issue)

Add comment | May 12, 2009 - 1:34 am | Ice Queen

Looking for Living Goddess

Posted in Personal/ Website Blah Blah

Living Goddess? Yes, we are talking about Living Goddess! We are looking for ladies who love taking care of themselves and working continuously to look and feel their best! Feel like we are talking about you? Then you must be the lost Living Goddess for whom we are searching!

We urge you to join our fabulous Facebook Group - Living Goddess - which acts as a focal point for all Living Goddesses to gather together to share your interesting skincare tips, latest makeup techniques and fashion styles, secret cooking recipes and wonderful cooking tips to make your dishes extra delicious…etc. Sounds great? Yes. We think so! But are those just what we could offer? No, oh no! Please read on!

To spice up the excitement, we will organize different competitions and send out invitations for you to join and have a chance to win our fabulous prizes. Now, your eyes are glowing with amusement and your mind is wondering what our fabulous prizes are (yes, we can see and feel that!). Why don’t you join our Facebook group - Living Goddess - now to find out more? Oh, please do not forget to spread the news among your Living Goddess friends too!

We promise, once we have “enough” members, our competitions will be released shortly, it’s always the more people, the more fun we will have! See you soon, Living Goddess!

Add comment | May 5, 2009 - 1:21 am | Ice Queen

Sunday Night Special

Posted in Face Care, Advice or Knowledge

Do you give yourself a special treat on the weekend so as to welcome the new week ahead? I do! I always make sure that I give myself a “facial” before another hard week arrives! It’s actually really easy and it doesn’t take that long, follow the following step and enjoy yourself *smiles*.

“1. Wet your face and put some cleaser on a clean wet cotton washcloth. The washcloth can be a little rough, but make sure it is absolutely clean. Cleanse your face by moving the cloth around gently in outward circular motions, which will also stimulate circulation. Take another clean washcloth and wet it with warm water. Gently blot your face - don’t pull, don’t rub - with the compress, all over, for two to three minutes to remove the cleanser. Then splash your face with warm water.

2. Put 1 to 2 tablespoons of loose herbs in a medium bowl. (Or use prepackage facial steaming herbs, such as Essentiel Elements.) For dry or sensitive skin, look for an herbal blend that contains lavender, chamomile, or rose. For normal skin, go for lavender, lemon balm, or rose. If you have oily skin, rosemary and sage are good choices. Comfrey works well on blemished skin. Pour boiling water on top of the herbs. Let cool for 30 seconds or so. Sitting abou 18 inches away from the bowl, drape a towel over your head and the bowl to keep the steam in. Close your eyes, and breathe deeply. (If the steam feels too hot, it is too hot. Wait for a few seconds longer before steaming.) Steam for only five to eight minutes, maximum, to soften your skin, loosen the dirt, and make yourface more receptive to moisturizers. Then pat your face with a clean, warm, wet washcloth.

3. Choose an exfoliating mask […]. Lightly pat the mask on, avoiding the eye area, and gently rub in concentric circles around your face. Leave on for five minutes, then rinse with warm water.

4. Depending on your skin’s needs, you can put on a commercial cleansing, tightening, or moisturizing mask. […] If you choose a commercial product, apply the mask a bit more heavily on the T-zone, an area that needs special attention. Lie down in a semidarkened room or in the bathtub, and put on some relaxing music. Shut your eyes and empty your mind, breathing as slowly as you can. Stay that way for 10 to 15 minutes. Rinse your face with warm water and pat dry with a clean washcloth.

5. Moisturize with your usual daily moisturizer, making sure to gently pat lotion or cream around the eye area using your fourth finger. (Remember, it’s the weakest finger and exerts the least pressure on your skin.)”

(sources: extracted from Beauty The New Basics by Rona Berg.)

Add comment | April 30, 2009 - 10:00 pm | Ice Queen

Beauty Tricks Online Store - FINALLY!

Posted in Personal/ Website Blah Blah

Finally we have our Beauty Tricks Online Store! YOUHOU!! Excited?

I am so happy because finally there is a place to share all the goodies we have found with you all. Our Beauty Tricks Online Store is currently focusing on female clothing and accessories. We aim at finding something cheap yet elegant slash cute slash sexy to suit your everyday needs! We want you to have the best, look the best and feel the best with a not over-the-top budget. We want you to look fabulously with as little effort as possible. We want you to look glamourous and make everyone wonder if your clothes and accessories are expensive. With all these missions in mind, we constantly remind ourselves to just pick the best for you.

Now you must be wondering it’s a Beauty Tricks Store and it should not just include clothes and accessories, what about skincare items and cosmetics, right? *laughs* Sure, we are here to offer that one-stop beauty service to you. We will be adding those items which we find marvelous (would try personally before recommending for sure) there at a later stage and we promise we won’t forget *smiles*.

But now, please enjoy yourself at our Beauty Tricks Store. Happy shopping and stay beautiful!

Add comment | April 21, 2009 - 5:19 am | Ice Queen

Home Solutions to Skin Problems - Part II

Posted in Face Care, Advice or Knowledge

Been on a break and let’s continue with what we were talking about before.

“Inflamed, Irritated or Sensitive Skin

Make a pot of chamomile tea. Pour into an ice-cube tray and freeze. Pop out a cube, wrap it in a thin cloth, and rub gently on face.

Soak a clean cloth in a small dish of milk, squeeze and apply the compress to the affected area for 10 minutes. Rinse off with warm water.

Oily Patches

Keep a small spray bottle of rose water in the refrigerator. Give yourself a wake-up spritz in the morning, after you wash your face, or saturate a tissue and dab it on at night after washing.

Pimples

Make a paste with water and coarse-grained sea salt, and apply it to the blemish twice a day until healed. Do not rub.

Dab a bit of toothpaste on your pimple(s) before bed. Repeat as necessary.

Dot a bit of clay mask on your pimple(s) and leave on overnight. In the morning, rinse off. Repeat as necessary.

Soak a piece of bread in milk. Place it on the pimple and lie down. Leave it there for up to 30 minutes. Rinse.

Red, Blotchy Spots

Put a few drops of Visine on red, blotchy spots. Because it constricts blood vessels, it will do for your skin what it does for your eyes.

Dab a yellow-based cream or pencil concealer on red areas after you apply foundation. Blend well with fingers.

Undereye Puffiness

Apply damp, ice-cold tea bags (with caffeine, a diuretic) or hold a bag of frozen peas to the eyes for a few minutes to reduce swelling.

Wrap grated potato in two little cheesecloth sacks, lie down, and place the sacks under the eyes. Leave on for 10 minutes and rinse.

Place sliced cucumbers on your eyes; cover with a damp, cool cloth; and lie down for 10 minutes.

Place a satin eye pillow filled with buckwheat or lavender over your eyes as you lie back and relax.”

(sources: extracted from Beauty The New Basics by Rona Berg.)

Add comment | April 15, 2009 - 4:56 am | Ice Queen

Home Solutions to Skin Problems - Part I

Posted in Face Care, Advice or Knowledge

Sometimes we have little skin problems and we all need a little remedy to fix it instead of spending on an additional product. I think the following might come in handy *smiles*:

“Chapped Lips

Dab a bit of Vaseline on your lips and rub gently with an old toothbrush. No, it doesn’t hurt!

Crack open a Vitamin E gel capsule and rub the gel on your lips.

Rub olive oil or sesame oil on your lips.

Dehydrated Skin

Mix 2 drops of lavender oil with baking soda and water until it becomes a paste. Put on face and leave on for 5 minutes. Rinse. Moisturize. This light, exfoliating mask makes skin more receptive to moisture.

Dull, Tired-looking Skin

Wrap grated cucumber in cheesecloth, lie down, and apply to face for 5 minutes. Rinse with cool water.

Refrigerate aloe vera gel for at least 1 hour. Pat it on your face, and lie down for 10 minutes. Rinse.

Lie on your back and hang your head over the side of the bed for 5 to 10 minutes. It will feed oxygen to your face, and improve your color and tone.

Flaky Skin

Rub half of an apple on skin to help even out the texture.

Place a sprinkling of sugar in your palm and dampen wiht water. Gently massage on the flaky areas. Rinse.”

(sources: extracted from Beauty The New Basics by Rona Berg.)

Add comment | March 31, 2009 - 4:55 am | Ice Queen

Dos and Don’ts for Sensitive Types

Posted in Face Care, Advice or Knowledge

Sensitive skin types could be irritating and sometimes really hard to deal with. My skin is rather stable unless the weather is changing, then I have to pay extra attention in taking care of my skin. Here are a few things you could pay attention too!

“Your skin can be easily upset if its protective lipid barrier, which keeps water in and irritants out, is damaged. Here’s how to toughten it up:

Do ‘Build up the barrier with a moisturizer containing fatty acids like ceramides, stearic acid and colesterol,’ says Dr Leslie Baumann, director of the University of Miami’s Cosmetic Medicine and Research Institute.

DON’T forget your antioxidants. ‘They have an anti-inflammatory role,’ adds Dr Baumann.

DO repair your skin from the inside with an evening primrose oil supplement.

DON’T use tap water! ‘The UK’s hard water is both irritating and drying,’ explains Avene pharmacist Bao Tam Phan. Try tissue-off cleansers instead.

DO be ingredient smart. ‘Wash with soap-free products and avoid fragrances and colourings,’ adds Bao.”

(sources: Glamour March 2009 UK Edition)

Add comment | March 20, 2009 - 9:39 pm | Ice Queen

Tea that Slows Down Aging

Posted in Health, Advice or Knowledge

Tea that actually slows down aging, it sounds exciting, isn’t it? Tea is proved to be one of the healthiest drinks and different kinds of tea offers different benefits. Today I will introduce you to Oolong Tea and it’s one of the most famous teas in China. Oolong tea isn’t only for improving the digestive system, it also contains antioxidant which is believed to slow down the aging process.

Of course, you can drink it plain, but I think it would be a bit more interesting to mix it with other ingredients to have some taste *winks*. Let’s see if you would like this:

Ginger Oolong Tea

Ingredients:
1 1/2 tablespoons Oolong tea
4 cups water
1/4 cp ginger pieces

Syrup:
3 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup water

Method:
1. Crush the ginger gently with the flat side of a knife. Bring the syrup ingredients to the boil and until the sugar dissolves. Turn off the heat.
2. Boil water. Put in the ginger and cook for 15 minutes.
3. Put the Oolong tea into a teapot. Pour in the ginger soup and cover the lid. Leave it for 5 minutes. Pour in tea cups. Add syrup and serve.

It tastes really nice and if you have it in winter, ginger would help to keep your body warm too!

If you like tea and would like to explore more, you are welcome to click on the Tea Recipes and make yourself a nice cup of tea to relax and enjoy!

Stay beautiful from within too! *winks*

(sources: recipe and photo from icookeverything.com)

Add comment | March 13, 2009 - 9:28 pm | Ice Queen

Hair Dos (And Don’ts)

Posted in Hair Care, Advice or Knowledge

Today I am a bit bored, staying at home, looking out the window and only see the overcast sky - how “fun”! So I started flipping through some “forgotten” books, I came across a piece of article and decided to stop there. The piece of article is about some very basic “Hair Dos (And Don’ts)” and I thought it would be nice to revise on the topic again *laughs*.

“DOs

Massage your scalp for a minute - or have someone do it for you - every night before you go to bed to stimulate the blood flow to the roots of your hair.

After shampooing your hair, rinse with cool water. This makes the hair cuticles lie flat, and your hair will look shinier.

When you shampoo, don’t scrub the ends too much. Excessive scrubbing dries them out and makes them brittle.

Since chlorine and salt water dry out the hair, apply a little conditioner to the hair before swimming.

Blot - don’t rub - your hair dry. Rubbing hair can cause the strands to snag and tangle.

DON’Ts

Do’t apply conditioner or styling products to the scalp; they can clog pores and cause flaking. Restrict these products to the hair only, especially the ends.

Don’t wash or rinse your hair in hot water. Hot water dries hair just as it dries skin. It also opens the hair cuticles, which makes it more absorbent. This is a particularly bad idea if you use styling aids - gels, cremas, mousses - because they will absorb into the hair, weigh it down, and make it look greasy. Stick to a warm or tepid temperature.

Don’t pull your hair back in tight ponytails, braids, headbands, or combs for long periods of time because they can break the hair and even cause “traction” alopecia, a type of hair loss.

Don’t brush your hair too much when it is wet. It will snap and break.”

Now, we have reminded ourselves again on what to do and what not to do. Let’s drop our old and bad habits (if any) and start treating our hair right *winks*.

Add comment | March 8, 2009 - 3:37 am | Ice Queen

What Your Food Cravings Really Mean

Posted in Health, Advice or Knowledge

Just browsing through Glamour March 2009 and came across a very interesting piece of article, thought would be nice to share it with you *smiles*.

“Because your snack choices could signal more than just the munchies

Constantly craving chocolate? Always reaching for yet another bag of chips? This could be your body’s way of telling you to stock up on vitamins and minerals, say nutritionist Joanna Hall and Nadine Masseron of the British Naturopathic Association. Here they give the healthy alternatives you should be reaching for.

YOU’RE CRAVING Burgers, chips and takeaways
YOUR BODY NEEDS Salt
‘When your body is working hard, through exercise, stress or even working in an air-conditioned office, it loses salt,’ says Hall. ‘Fast food is an instant way of getting it, but you’re taking in more than you need, which restricts your blood vessels and rises your blood pressure, as well as piling on calories.’
SO EAT Sushi. This is full of sodium-rich seaweed and fish. Or you could go old school and have sardines on toast.

YOU’RE CRAVING Crisps and bread
YOUR BODY NEEDS Protein
‘A high metabolism means you burn food quicker and so crave carbs that will fill you up,’ explains Masseron. ‘But you’ll be hungry again soon after. Protein takes longer to digest, so you’ll feel satisfied for longer.’
SO EAT Meat, fish, chicken or eggs - have one of them in every meal (and as 50% of your meal portion).

YOU’RE CRAVING Chocolate
YOUR BODY NEEDS Magnesium
‘Magnesium helps the body’s metabolic system give your energy,’ says Hall. ‘When we’re tired, chocolate is tempting as it contains magnesium, but sugar will just make you lethargic. Avoid.’
SO EAT Nuts, seeds and wholegrains (found in wholemeal bread and porridge).

YOU’RE CRAVING Caffeine
YOUR BODY NEEDS Iron
‘Women lose a lot of iron during their period,’ says Masseron. ‘If you don’t replace it quickly, you’ll feel tired because it helps distribute oxygen around the body. You may crave coffee to perk you up, but after the caffeine wears off, you’ll feel tired again.”
SO EAT Crudites, such as raw broccoli, or dried fruit, such as apricots and figs. For a sweeter snack, try liquorice.”

Interesting, isn’t it? Hope you all now truly understand the meaning behind your cravings and eat right! *winks*

(sources: Glamour Magazine British March 2009)

Add comment | March 4, 2009 - 4:40 am | Ice Queen