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Friday, 9 December 2011 | (0) Leave A Comment

Dark circles, be gone!

5 quick steps to reducing dark circles

By Shermaine Lee

Dark circles. The persistent enemy of most women, making them look older than they really are. There are many factors that contribute to these unsightly marks, ranging from heredity to the lack of sleep. The trick that most of us do is to hide them behind layers and layers of concealer, touching up on them every few hours. But even this is not enough- many want to get to the root of the problem.

I myself, a victim of dark circles and have been trying very hard to get rid, or at least reduce the appearance of them. Most of the home remedies that I have tried were unsuccessful, (e.g. cucumber slices, freezing table spoons etc.) till I tried this, and have been faithful towards it ever since.

It is a simple home recipe that I chanced upon while looking for remedies on the web and though skeptical about it, I decided to give it a go (what could I lose?). The results were by far the best out of the many home remedies that I have tried and I would like to share it with you.

By using natural ingredients, not only is it inexpensive, you also do not need to worry about harmful chemicals or preservatives. Tea contains tannic acid, which acts as a natural clarifying agent and Catecholase, an enzyme which is found in potatoes helps the skin lightens.

You will need:

1) A medium size potato

2) Two black tea bags (any brand)

3) Two pieces of paper napkins
4) ¼ cup hot water

5) Grater

Steps:

1) Empty contents of tea bags into hot water, stir it

2) Set mixture aside in refrigerator

3) Grate ½ potato
4) Add cooled down tea mixture with grated potatoes

5) Place equal amounts of mixture onto napkins (2 table-spoons), place on dark circles for 10-15 minutes

The results:

Before

After

*100% natural. Pictures used were in no way photoshopped or post-processed.

I used this remedy for 10-15 minutes every day for three days in order to have those dark circles reduced. Depending on how bad your dark circles are, the duration and results may vary according to individuals.

For more details, you can refer to the video attached:

Labels: Dark Circles, diy, Fashion and Beauty

Thursday, 1 December 2011 | (0) Leave A Comment

Wonders of Make-Up: Plain Jane to Rock Chic
Our very own writer goes for a simple transformation

By Farhana Aziz, Shermaine Lee and Vivian Koh

Photos taken by Shermaine Lee

Sneakers, shorts and tee-shirts are what defines her. Vivian does not go the extra mile to better her appearance and dresses like that every day. Wanting to help her shed that image, I (Farhana) asked her to be my model for make-up.

I thought that it would be good if she tried something new. Upon several attempts to convince her, she finally agreed to my request.

These are the make-up products I used:

1. Silkygirl Blush Hour 04 Honeywood

2. Studio M.A.C Fix NC 42

3. Silkygirl Shimmer Duo Blusher

4. Canmake Liquid Eyeliner

5. The Hypercurl Volume Express Waterproof Maybelline

6. Faceshop Lovely Stick Concealer

7. Blusher Brush

8. Eyeshadow Brush

I started off with giving her a nice foundation base powder to complement with her skin tone. I used a blusher brush since her face is wide to make sure the powder spreads out evenly.

To conceal off her dark circles, uneven skin tone and blemishes, I marked out the spots with a concealer. After that, I blended the concealer to even it out.

I used a blusher to highlight her overall features such as cheekbones, chin and forehead temples. Silkygirl Honeywood was used as it has an orangey glow that brings out her sun-kiss tan. Then, the Shimmer Duo Blusher was applied next to bring out her rosy cheeks.