Wednesday, 14 September 2011
Wednesday, 10 August 2011
Being a Bitch
Oh no, not me. My skin!
T_T
No idea what my skin's decided on to become it's next favourite irritant, but it's flared up my cheeks again.
Tightness, redness, soreness, flakiness :(
For now, I've decided it's perhaps the overload of chemicals I slap on it every day and night so I'm resorting to natural remedies now.
This includes using milk and rose water on a daily basis to cleanse my face
and jojoba oil and sweet almond oil to moisturise.
I'm still using my Olay cream during the day, gotta have my sunscreen!
As a rather vain girl, I do like to put my make up on.
I'm not sure if just my Boots Soothing Eye Make Up Remover and a little milk and rose water will really get rid of all traces of make up so I've started looking for a skincare brand that uses primarily natural ingredients.
I've found two: Burt's Bees and Origins.
Burt's Bees is generally the cheaper option by far.
I have the rice face scrub by Origins but I don't think it lives up to its amazing claims at all. And it cost a bomb! £29! More on this in another post :)
I may try the Burts Bees Soap Bark & Chamomile Deep Cleansing Cream.
It doesn't foam and contains a multitude of nourishing ingredients.
So far, sounds great for my dry and sensitive annoying skin.
To all of those who live in England, please stay safe amongst all this rioting!
Amber
x
T_T
No idea what my skin's decided on to become it's next favourite irritant, but it's flared up my cheeks again.
Tightness, redness, soreness, flakiness :(
For now, I've decided it's perhaps the overload of chemicals I slap on it every day and night so I'm resorting to natural remedies now.
This includes using milk and rose water on a daily basis to cleanse my face
and jojoba oil and sweet almond oil to moisturise.
I'm still using my Olay cream during the day, gotta have my sunscreen!
As a rather vain girl, I do like to put my make up on.
I'm not sure if just my Boots Soothing Eye Make Up Remover and a little milk and rose water will really get rid of all traces of make up so I've started looking for a skincare brand that uses primarily natural ingredients.
I've found two: Burt's Bees and Origins.
Burt's Bees is generally the cheaper option by far.
I have the rice face scrub by Origins but I don't think it lives up to its amazing claims at all. And it cost a bomb! £29! More on this in another post :)
I may try the Burts Bees Soap Bark & Chamomile Deep Cleansing Cream.
It doesn't foam and contains a multitude of nourishing ingredients.
So far, sounds great for my dry and sensitive annoying skin.
To all of those who live in England, please stay safe amongst all this rioting!
Amber
x
Friday, 5 August 2011
Song Hye Kyo: Perfect Skin
There seems to be a misconception that all Koreans have amazing skin...truth is, there are people in every corner of the world who have good and bad skin, most of it is genetic, some caused by environmental stressors.
But but but! Song Hye Kyo, as everyone already knows, really does have perfect skin.
Yes she definitely is wearing make up in these pictures, but there's no sign of bumpiness on her skin, nor is there any foundation mask line suggesting she is using a foundation lighter than her own skintone.
Here, she doesn't seem to have a scrap of cover-up on at all. I can see a small patch of redness on her cheek, but this could be flushing, or maybe a bit of blusher? Or it could just be a spot of discoloration. So maybe her skin isn't 110% perfect, but it's pretty damn close.So today I'm just sharing some of the natural, inexpensive and safe remedies than Song Hye Kyo herself uses on her face. You've probably already read about them, but it doesn;t hurt to have another reminder, right?
Whitening
Mix one egg white with a spoonful of honey, apply to face and allow it to dry.
Rinse off with warm water.
Use fortnightly, preferably before bedtime.
Brightening
Mix honey with water in 1:2 proportions.
Use to massage face and then rinse.
This will also help to reduce fine lines.
Use fortnightly.
Moisturising
Apply a mixture of a spoonful of honey, a spoonful of powdered milk
and an egg white to the face with a cotton pad.
Leave for 20 minutes before rinsing, and use fortnightly.
Softening
Use milk to wash your face every night.
As a mask, use a cotton pad to dab a layer of milk all over the face.
You can also split the milk soaked cotton pad into layers to lay across your face.
Tightening
Rub an ice cube over your face to firm and tighten the skin.
There have been warnings related to this though, as the sudden decrease in temperature can cause broken capillaries. I suggest using cool water to rinse your face, followed by cold water, then finally colder water before using the ice cube. This'll allow your skin to gradually cool down, so it won't go from warm to freezing in a matter of seconds.
Of course just skin remedies alone won't make for perfect skin. What you feed it from the inside is also of paramount importance. Stay away from high sugar, high salt and high fat foods, ban fried and junk food, and Song Hye Kyo is also known not to drink black tea (maybe it makes her skin darker?)
Okay that's it for now!
Amber
x
It's been a while!
Over half a year in fact!
Let's see, what has happened...well I managed to graduate...I've been in a rowing boat for the first time in my life...I need a new job...and to put it blunty, I couldn't be happier ^^
I can finally do the things I like without the niggling thought of uni at the back of my head ^^
This includes learning to play the piano and e-guitar, learning languages, keeping fit, baking and general cooking, travelling ^^
Well, here's to the new start to my blog, be prepared for the randomness of the posts ^^
Amber
x
Let's see, what has happened...well I managed to graduate...I've been in a rowing boat for the first time in my life...I need a new job...and to put it blunty, I couldn't be happier ^^
I can finally do the things I like without the niggling thought of uni at the back of my head ^^
This includes learning to play the piano and e-guitar, learning languages, keeping fit, baking and general cooking, travelling ^^
Well, here's to the new start to my blog, be prepared for the randomness of the posts ^^
Amber
x
Thursday, 16 December 2010
H&M Promotional Posters
I'm sure all of you who shop at H&M have already spotted the new posters they have up for this season. They all consist of a couple of the same race posing together. My favourite was the one with the two oriental girls. No I'm not choosing them because I am oriental myself, I just thought that the picture represented oriental beauty very well.
One model carries the typically known oriental features, namely her almond shaped eyes with ssok ssang a pul eyelids and oval face shape. The other has features that most people wouldn't associate with orientals but they certianly exist, she has large eyes and a 'tall' nose.
These two women are Sun Fei Fei and Du Juan. Their elegance and poise in the picture actually had me rather mesmerised, their make up was clean and fresh, enhancing their features without it being too heavy. So I thought I'd give my break down on their make up.
First, Du Juan.
This is the model in the red dress
Make sure your skin is perfectly even and smooth, then draw a thin line of liquid liner with a small wing on the upper lid. Keep eyebrows thick, natural and defined, fill them in with a dark matte colour if needed. Add some orange blush at the outer part of the face underneath the cheekbones, finish with some berry red lipstick with just a hint of shine.
Next, Sun Fei Fei.
Also ensure skin is smooth and flawless, apply blusher to the same place as stated for Du Juan and make sure eyebrows are thick, natural and softly defined too. For the eyes, add some smokey grey eyeshadow to the lid only, then line with black matte shadow and create a small wing. For the lips, apply a dark pinky red colour, but keep the colour more matte.
Add some red nail polidh and there you have it.
Their looks are just so simple and easy to achieve.
The contrast between milky white skin, dark dark hair and dark red lips just screams sophisticaton and elegance to me.
Have a lovely Christmas!
^^
Amber
x
One model carries the typically known oriental features, namely her almond shaped eyes with ssok ssang a pul eyelids and oval face shape. The other has features that most people wouldn't associate with orientals but they certianly exist, she has large eyes and a 'tall' nose.
These two women are Sun Fei Fei and Du Juan. Their elegance and poise in the picture actually had me rather mesmerised, their make up was clean and fresh, enhancing their features without it being too heavy. So I thought I'd give my break down on their make up.
First, Du Juan.
This is the model in the red dress
Make sure your skin is perfectly even and smooth, then draw a thin line of liquid liner with a small wing on the upper lid. Keep eyebrows thick, natural and defined, fill them in with a dark matte colour if needed. Add some orange blush at the outer part of the face underneath the cheekbones, finish with some berry red lipstick with just a hint of shine.
Next, Sun Fei Fei.
Also ensure skin is smooth and flawless, apply blusher to the same place as stated for Du Juan and make sure eyebrows are thick, natural and softly defined too. For the eyes, add some smokey grey eyeshadow to the lid only, then line with black matte shadow and create a small wing. For the lips, apply a dark pinky red colour, but keep the colour more matte.
Add some red nail polidh and there you have it.
Their looks are just so simple and easy to achieve.
The contrast between milky white skin, dark dark hair and dark red lips just screams sophisticaton and elegance to me.
Have a lovely Christmas!
^^
Amber
x
Monday, 8 November 2010
BB Cream Application
BB cream is becoming more and more popular, with its multitude of benefits it isn't difficult to see why.
However some people may have realised that they're not receiving the promised effects of their BB cream, stopping them from achieving the flawless, glowing effect often found on Korean celebrities.
This post is just a translation of a rather useful video I found about applying BB Cream, it's all in Cantonese so I thought I'd help out those for those who don't speak the language.
Find the video HERE
I have summarised the general methods of applying BB cream here, if you would like the rest of what Will Or said translated, just drop me a comment :)
Basic BB cream Application
1) Apply an eye cream/serum to reduce puffiness.
2) Apply a primer with oil-controlling properties.
3) Spray a fine mist of 'moisturising water'. I'm not sure what else to call it, Shu Uemura and RMK have their own versions of this water. Evian and Avene also have a water mist spray.
4) Squeeze a small amount of BB cream onto the back of your hand. Apply with a sponge on forehead, nose, cheeks and chin and spread the BB cream evenly across your skin from the middle of the face outwards.
5) Using fingers or a sponge, apply more BB cream to under eye area.
6) Press skin with fingers so BB cream adheres better to skin.
7) Apply a light dusting of loose powder, use extra on the t-zone if needed.
More Advanced BB cream Application
For the Korean celebrity look!
*Prep skin as stated above before applying BB cream*
1) Apply a BB cream with highlighting properties to the forehead, cheeks, nose bridge and chin with a sponge.
2) Apply BB cream to remaining bare areas of face.
3) Use concealer to hide dark circles and apply loose powder.
4) Contour jawline and cheekbones.
5) Add eye make up, blush and lip colour.
Hope this was helpful!
Amber
x
However some people may have realised that they're not receiving the promised effects of their BB cream, stopping them from achieving the flawless, glowing effect often found on Korean celebrities.
This post is just a translation of a rather useful video I found about applying BB Cream, it's all in Cantonese so I thought I'd help out those for those who don't speak the language.
Find the video HERE
I have summarised the general methods of applying BB cream here, if you would like the rest of what Will Or said translated, just drop me a comment :)
Basic BB cream Application
1) Apply an eye cream/serum to reduce puffiness.
2) Apply a primer with oil-controlling properties.
3) Spray a fine mist of 'moisturising water'. I'm not sure what else to call it, Shu Uemura and RMK have their own versions of this water. Evian and Avene also have a water mist spray.
4) Squeeze a small amount of BB cream onto the back of your hand. Apply with a sponge on forehead, nose, cheeks and chin and spread the BB cream evenly across your skin from the middle of the face outwards.
5) Using fingers or a sponge, apply more BB cream to under eye area.
6) Press skin with fingers so BB cream adheres better to skin.
7) Apply a light dusting of loose powder, use extra on the t-zone if needed.
More Advanced BB cream Application
For the Korean celebrity look!
*Prep skin as stated above before applying BB cream*
1) Apply a BB cream with highlighting properties to the forehead, cheeks, nose bridge and chin with a sponge.
2) Apply BB cream to remaining bare areas of face.
3) Use concealer to hide dark circles and apply loose powder.
4) Contour jawline and cheekbones.
5) Add eye make up, blush and lip colour.
Hope this was helpful!
Amber
x
Wednesday, 8 September 2010
Magical Honey
Here's my second post on natural skincare, this time I'm concentrating on
HONEY
http://www.yogsandesh.org/articles/131/1/Benefits-of-Honey-in-Ayurveda/Page1.html
Honey has been used for centuries for its benefits to skin and body, the most well known honey remedy for skin is probably the milk and honey mixture used by Cleopatra herself during bath time.
Honey contains a multitude of nutrional benefits, it carries vitamin B6, thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid along with calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and zinc (<--the spot healer). When eaten in moderate amounts, (no more than about 10 teaspoons a day and don't consume for prolonged periods at any one time), honey can help clear cholesterol and other fatty deposits in our body. Its low GI value also means you won't have sudden energy crashes after eating honey. Don't forget it can also help soothe a sore throat! Honey's antioxidant content and anti-microbial functions (helps to kill and prevent growth of bacteria, fungi etc) means it can help to soothe your skin after a day in the sun, prevent premature aging of the skin and help prevent skin infections. Honey is also a humectant, meaning it absorbs and retains water, so can help keep skin moisturised and soft when applied to the skin. Due to its healing benefits and zinc content, honey can be applied to burns and wounds to help with the healing process and keep scarring to a minimum. Using a honey cleanser or mask regularly can therefore help with acne prone skin. I've rambled on for quite a bit there, so here are some honey recipes you can try out.
A moisturising and healing mask/scrub
2 tablespoons of honey
2 teaspoons of milk
Mix together and apply to face and neck, leave for 10 minutes and rinse.
You can also apply this to elbows and knees, or anywhere else that needs some honey goodness.
To make a scrub, add a teaspoon of ground almonds to the mixture above and apply as stated, but use circular motions to exfoliate the skin when removing the mask.
A soothing and moistursing bath
Could it be any simpler?
Add 5 to 6 tablespoons of honey to your bath water and relax.
Hair mask
2:1 ratio of honey to olive oil
Mix well and apply to hair before shampooing and leave for a minimum of 10 minutes. Wrap a towel around your hair for increased benefits.
This is especially good for damaged and dry hair.
Cleanser
1 tablespoon honey
1teaspoon milk
1 tablespoon olive oil
Mix together and use to cleanse face and neck in circular motions.
Rinse off and moisturise skin if needed.
That's the end of my post, hope it was informative!
^^
Amber
x
http://www.yogsandesh.org/articles/131/1/Benefits-of-Honey-in-Ayurveda/Page1.htmlHoney has been used for centuries for its benefits to skin and body, the most well known honey remedy for skin is probably the milk and honey mixture used by Cleopatra herself during bath time.
Honey contains a multitude of nutrional benefits, it carries vitamin B6, thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid along with calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and zinc (<--the spot healer). When eaten in moderate amounts, (no more than about 10 teaspoons a day and don't consume for prolonged periods at any one time), honey can help clear cholesterol and other fatty deposits in our body. Its low GI value also means you won't have sudden energy crashes after eating honey. Don't forget it can also help soothe a sore throat! Honey's antioxidant content and anti-microbial functions (helps to kill and prevent growth of bacteria, fungi etc) means it can help to soothe your skin after a day in the sun, prevent premature aging of the skin and help prevent skin infections. Honey is also a humectant, meaning it absorbs and retains water, so can help keep skin moisturised and soft when applied to the skin. Due to its healing benefits and zinc content, honey can be applied to burns and wounds to help with the healing process and keep scarring to a minimum. Using a honey cleanser or mask regularly can therefore help with acne prone skin. I've rambled on for quite a bit there, so here are some honey recipes you can try out.
A moisturising and healing mask/scrub
2 tablespoons of honey
2 teaspoons of milk
Mix together and apply to face and neck, leave for 10 minutes and rinse.
You can also apply this to elbows and knees, or anywhere else that needs some honey goodness.
To make a scrub, add a teaspoon of ground almonds to the mixture above and apply as stated, but use circular motions to exfoliate the skin when removing the mask.
A soothing and moistursing bath
Could it be any simpler?
Add 5 to 6 tablespoons of honey to your bath water and relax.
Hair mask
2:1 ratio of honey to olive oil
Mix well and apply to hair before shampooing and leave for a minimum of 10 minutes. Wrap a towel around your hair for increased benefits.
This is especially good for damaged and dry hair.
Cleanser
1 tablespoon honey
1teaspoon milk
1 tablespoon olive oil
Mix together and use to cleanse face and neck in circular motions.
Rinse off and moisturise skin if needed.
That's the end of my post, hope it was informative!
^^
Amber
x
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