Tag Archives: singapore

Korea brand – Mizon, makes good quality skincare products. Interesting packaging, and my skin seems to like their products.

Many of my male friends have always been squeamish about the idea of putting snail byproduct on their skin. Snail cream is essentially made up of snails’ slime, or mucus (eek! I know) However, beauty always come with a price to pay, and in this instance, putting yucky stuff on your face isn’t all that disgusting as you may think. First launched by Korean brand Missha, the snail cream is touted to soothe, regenerate and heal skin. This magic wonder snail secretion, as it may sound, is said to reduce wrinkles, soothe acne prone skin, as well as heal scars and burns.

Using snails as a skin treatment is actually nothing new. It was dated back to the Ancient Greeks where it was reported that people crushed snails and used them to treat inflamed skin. Now, already into its third or fourth year since the initial launch of the first snail cream product, this is actually no longer a happening beauty fad.

7 Habits of People with Good Skin

October 17, 2014

Beauty, Skin Care

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Having troubled skin and think that achieving good skin is impossible? Well, I believe with the advancement of modern skincare technology, improving your skin is definitely not impossible! However, before you splurge on that extravagantly priced ‘magic’ skincare product that claims to reverse your skin’s condition, check out and practice these habits first. You may not think they make a difference, but these are what people with good skin swear by.

The Gorgeous’ Food Diet

August 21, 2014

Beauty, Diet & Nutrition, Skin Care

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In our pursuit to looking beautiful, many women succumb to splendid outfits and lavish accessories to look our best. However, it becomes pointless if you do not take care of your health and general well-being. By eating badly, you are depriving yourself to be at your most beautiful and gorgeous.

I can never stress enough on the importance of eating right and well. It not only brings you good health, it also gives you a healthy natural radiance and abundance of energy for your daily activities. Eating right also reduces the effects of premature ageing.

Here I share my ‘all-time’ grocery shopping list. It may seem to be boring to eat the same few types of food all the time. Yet, how can we get enough of these ‘super foods‘ that supposedly brings you endless health benefits?

Running with Bunions – The Suffering in Silence

August 2, 2014

Fitness

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Odd shape feet not fitting into your closed shoes? Struggling with bunions in your daily activities?

That’s me. And sadly, nothing much could be done to reverse my bunions unless I am ready for corrective surgery.

Bunions are not uncommon in ladies, with the belief that this condition is primarily caused by wearing ill-fitting and high heeled shoes. There are, however, men with this condition as well, which makes this allegation somewhat untrue. Recent research has said that about half of the population of people actually have this condition!

What I Talk About, When I Talk About Running

July 19, 2014

Fitness

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When you run, you are not just training your body, you are training your mind as well.

A couple of weeks back, I completed my 2nd run event. It is difficult for me to participate in running activities as I am hardly in town. A day straight after touching down from Paris-Japan back to Singapore, I was at the Jurong Lake Run running my 6km run. As I was not feeling my best with the whole last month of not sleeping and feeling well, my performance actually turned out not as bad as I expected it would be. I was running at a steady (probably kinda quite slow) pace all through to the 5km mark, without actually feeling worn out yet. I was later able to complete 6km without decreasing pace, which for my stamina, I guess wasn’t bad at all.

From naught to 6km non-stop, no doubt it came with a fair amount of training, this (little) achievement is largely mental. Here are some pointers I talk about, when I talk about running. Like all runners will always tell you : ‘If you can imagine it, you can do it!’

Update

June 24, 2014

Fitness

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It has been half a year since I made my presence on my blog. I have been away from home for a couple of months early this year. Made the decision to get back to the flying industry, I was in Japan for training during the whole of the winter season this year. And since then, I have been jet-setting for a couple of months now.

Living in Japan for a while was interesting for me. Besides the difference in culture, surprisingly hard to get less-carb food choices, and the endless shopping temptations, trying to keep fit without a gym (none in where I put up at) was challenging. I had, for the first time, ran in the cold bitter winter. Rocking bodyweight workouts in the hotel room with limited space was hilariously difficult. I did all that for 3 months.

Achieve Radiant Skin with Honey

September 12, 2013

Beauty, Natural Remedies

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Want good skin? Well, my secret is to constantly ‘nourish’ it. I like to ‘feed’ my skin just like how I give food to myself. I believe HAPPY skin means GOOD skin.

What are some of the benefits of using Honey on our skin?

Antibacterial – Honey has antibacterial properties and helps to fight pimples and mild acne, especially that caused by hormonal changes. It also reduces infection and inflammation.

Antiseptic – When honey is diluted with water, it produces hydrogen peroxide. This is an antimicrobial agent (fights against microbes, a micro-organism), helps to relieve abrasion and over-exfoliated skin.

Good cleanser – Honey is able to soak up the impurities from within your pores and give your skin a good and nice clean feel.

Effective Moisturizer – Honey forms a barrier on the skin to help retain skin’s natural moisture and keeping it radiant, supple and moist, preventing drying.

Protect Against Harmful Sun Rays – Honey’s natural antioxidant properties help protect the skin from the damage of sun’s rays, supports the skin’s ability to rejuvenate and refresh depleted skin.

Prevents wrinkles – Honey is considered a natural ‘preservative’ and it is said to prevent wrinkles, and slows down the aging process.

Natural Honey Green Tea Facial Mask

Here, I used Green Tea powder mixed with honey to achieve a simple yet effective facial mask. Add half a teaspoon of green tea powder into one full teaspoon of honey.

The green tea powder granules act as a peeling scrub for the face. Apply and leave on for 20 mins on clean face, and gently scrub in circular motions.

Wash off with lukewarm water after. Make sure you give your face a clean wash to avoid finding ants being attracted to your face.

Green Tea Benefits

Contains antioxidants which are effective against free radicals. Free radicals are formed when skin is exposed to harmful sun rays, that leads to premature aging.
Helps safeguard skin against sun damage.
Aids in cell renewal process of our skin. Aged cells are energized by the polyphenol compounds in green tea, synthesizes the DNA and prevents premature aging.
Soothes irritated and inflamed skin.
Helps in acne and pimply skin, as green tea has antibacterial content.

DIY masks are inexpensive yet effective. Though it has not been proven scientifically that applying food topically on your face does anything for your skin, the results I get makes me believe that they do indeed work. I DIY my facial masks once every 2 days, and my skin is kept looking fresh and energized. On days when I religiously do it everyday, I see even better results. Give it a try, but if you have sensitive skin or wants to be sure if your skin reacts adversely to any ingredient, please always start with a patch test on the chin area a day before. This will ensure you do not get any undesired reactions from your DIY facials.

Give it a try today! And let me know your results!

Awesome August!

September 7, 2013

Fitness

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August training has been awesome! Took a total of 9 days off workouts, but on other days I am sweating like insane! I may not be training hard to lose weight (because I am all skinny bones) but I definitely want to build some killer muscles.

This is undoubtedly the best thing I can do for myself right now. It keeps me focused, gives me more push, makes me feel better in the day and improves my sleep at night. I now feel great in my daily activites, and feel awesome working out! If I had been evading exercise for the last 16 years of my life and I am reversing it now, I am sure you can do it!

Quote credits to Spark-Fitness.

The Life-Changing Transformation You Really Need to Start Looking at Now

September 5, 2013

Beauty, Diet & Nutrition, Fitness

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Are you comfortable in your own skin, by just being yourself? Do you need a lot of makeup before you step out in public? Do you need to put on your best outfit to feel empowered? Do you need lots of material stuff to make up for your feelings of personal inadequacy?

I was, before. Or probably worse. I could not feel comfortable with who I really was. Even with the newest outfit that I thought would make me look fabulous, didn’t give me that confidence. I was in the habit of constant denial and always worrying about how I think people would judge me.

If any of these sound like you, it’s time to relook into your life and make a total adjustment. Feelings of insufficiency will only give rise to growing materialistic craves, to make up for our ‘skin’ which we are not totally at ease with. I found my purpose, and I have reversed most of what had mattered to me before.

Read on, and follow these first few steps you need to start making that BIG transformation.

Have a vision of who and what you want to achieve. Do you want to break your bad eating habits? Or perhaps you want to look lean and strong. It could be as simple as wanting to look and feel younger. Set a target, and work towards it. Write it down somewhere where you can remind yourself everyday.

Identify your true character/personality. This is almost like creating an look for yourself. Are you sporty? Young and funky? Sophisticated and classy? Relaxed yet chic? Whichever it is, identify your true self. Know which look makes you feel the most comfortable in. Identify it and stick with that ‘theme’.

Make a list. In fact make two lists. One of your bad habits, and one of planned good habits you want to keep to. Brainstorm as many points as you can, and start by keeping off the bad, and keeping to two or three of the good a day. Slowly build up upon it. Try to focus on the positive!

Stop buying too many clothes. If you are a spendthrift, quit the habit of randomly buying fancy clothes. The true fact is when you are not feeling your best, nothing you wear will actually make you much (MUCH) better. Even if it does, the feeling is pretty short-lived. You will start to pinpoint your own flaws again. You get better value out of buying something that can inspire you to change for now.

Find a buddy. Or identify a goal. Look out for someone who can help to motivate you. Your best friend, your sister, or try some of the online fitness personalities. They look good, radiate goodness. This is what you need. You need a source of positive influence.

Identify your best asset. It could be your eyes, your arms, legs…Play it up. If it involves sifting through your wardrobe, pick only the best out of what’s available. Leave the rest out. You don’t want anything on you to deter your confidence and pull down your faith. You want to feel good today, and better tomorrow.

Book in for a good haircut. A fine haircut frames your face, and enhances your features. Get a cut that can be easily maintained, yet make you look a million bucks at any time of the day, without the fuss!

Invest in a pair of good kicks. A good pair of shoes give you the right support for a proper posture. A good posture is key to suggesting your level of confidence. Would you want to slouch if you can look hundred times better by standing tall and straight? Find shoes that can bring you walking around the globe yet not compromising on style and highly versatile to match any outfit that will bring out your true character.

Invest in one health product. Making transformational change is not easy if your health is working against you. Make an investment. Having spent money will create a sort of awareness for you. Trust me on this, buy a all-rounded nutrition powder, or herbal concentrates or cod-liver oil etc. Make it a habit to start on this product faithfully. It serves as a constant ‘reminder’ that you are on your way to rebuilding yourself. When you achieve discipline with one, you know you can start on others.

Eat healthy. Feeling good is tied largely to our diet. A well-balanced diet can actually alleviate our mood swings. A well nourished body reduces cravings, and cravings are not happy thoughts. You need to be well aware of what you put into your body and how they actually make you feel. If junk food makes you feel guilty after eating it, then it really isn’t worth it at all.

Get physically active. If you dislike exercising, you really should be starting it now. If you hate running, you really ought to be trying now. When I hate increasing the intensity on my treadmill or elliptical machine, all the more I go fiercer. Exercising helps release endorphins which not only help with moods of depression, it actually makes you feel happy and accomplished. The fact that you are putting in effort to work a change in your life is enough to make you feel fulfilled. You may be whining and screaming in pain and agony at the start but its worthwhile.

Adjust your mindset. Believe in yourself. Believe in your ability. Believe in your faith. Your brain tells your body what to expect so long you can get the message across to your brain. Nothing is unachievable if you are committed to make the change. Believe you can and you are halfway there.

Real transformation happens when we have emotional and mental shifts in ourselves and these shifts change us physically from the inside out.

Many of us live our lives day in and out doing what’s best for others. Whatever age you are at now, it is never too late to make a change. You only live a day in everyday of your life ONCE. Why not give it the best it deserves? Nothing is easy, but….. (read on)

Good luck lovely ladies! 🙂

The Simplest Ever (and you must follow) Tips to Great Skin

August 28, 2013

Beauty, Skin Care

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Like everyone else, I don’t claim to have perfect skin. In my thirties, my skin is showing signs of aging and I am constantly battling the problems people in my age group have regarding their skin. Enlarged pores, sagging skin, uneven skin tone etc. On my ‘skincare-sabbatical’ days, I find my skin looking dull, tired and congested!

Here, I share with you some of the simplest skincare tips that everyone should be committed to follow. They are the ground rules for good skin, the most basic practices you must follow. You wouldn’t need to buy any products I use or endorse, just stick with your favorites. A little more mindful and extra awareness will show you great results in your skin!

Spend an extra minute removing your makeup.

If you are using a oil based or cream makeup remover, increase your makeup removal process by an extra minute than your usual time. Go in circular motions with your fingers and clean out every inch of your face, especially the T-zone area. This process should take not lesser than 3-4 minutes.

Spend an extra minute washing your face.

Just as you will spend an extra minute removing your makeup, you should spend an extra minute more than your usual to cleanse your face. Pores are small pits in your face, and just a simple ‘wipe-across’ will not remove all traces of dirt and makeup trapped in your pores. Keep going in small circular motions around every part of your face. Again, ideally give it a nice gentle massage for about 3-4 minutes.

Hydrate yourself well.

Drink more water. A good gauge will be going to the toilet about 5-7 times a day. Again, this is personal. I try to drink 2 litres of plain water a day. Increase your water intake so long you are comfortable with it. Keep to it for a week and you will see a difference.

Exfoliate frequently.

Dermatologists and experts always recommend exfoliate once or twice a week. I myself like to exfoliate at least 3-4 times a week with an everyday mild scrub. These ‘everyday’ mild scrubs are like what their names suggest – safe for everyday use. The key is to instead be scrubbing your skin really hard, go for gentle circular motions but increasing the time you scrub. Over-exfoliation with harsh scrubs may cause irritation.

Change your face towel once a week.

Imagine the dust that settles on your towel, and not to mention how facial oil and filth that can be rubbed onto your towel. Change them at least once a week to make sure you are not having dirty objects in contact with your face.

Change your pillow cases once a week.

When we are at rest, we perspire, our skin secretes oil, dead skin cells slough off while our skin repairs itself, our hair tends to produce oil and we salivate at times. The bacteria remains on our pillow every night as we sleep. Changing our pillow cases will ensure our facial skin keeps contact with clean surfaces.

Wash your makeup brushes and sponges once every few days or at least weekly.

Most of us tend to ignore the cleanliness of our makeup brushes. Again, think keeping everything we use on our face clean. Brushes collect dirt and bacteria as we use them everyday sweeping makeup and mixing our skin’s sebum on our faces. Wash them regularly also ensures clean and neat application of our makeup.

Do not touch your face without washing your hands.

Avoid having to touch your face with unclean hands. In fact, our hands are ALWAYS unclean unless you have just washed them. Bacteria and germs are invisible to the naked eye. Always wash your hands with soap and warm water before you touch your face.

Avoid clogging your pores with facial products.

Using non-comedogenic products that promises not to clog your pores? Everyone’s skin has a different absorption ability. Some people have skin that absorbs moisture and products faster than others (probably due to drier skin). Because this varies, piling on many types of skincare products one after another could possibly be causing too much product residue on your skin. They will, eventually, be absorbed in. However, to improve the efficacy of each product, try to allow for a 5-min interval between each skincare product so to ensure they get absorbed in properly before you apply the next.

Don’t ignore the peripherals of your face.

We tend to look front-on into the mirror, and because many of us tend to focus on the T-zone area (esp. so if we have oily or combination skin), we may at times overlook the peripherals of our face. Even application of skincare products is essential to ensure our face gets the same treatment evenly. Always remember when cleansing, washing and applying skincare products, get to the edges of our hairlines, chins, under our jaws. You want every inch of your skin to look beautiful and pampered.

Use a sunblock. Always.

Many people do not realize the importance of sunblock. UV rays are the number one energy when it comes to premature aging, uneven skin tones and pigmentations. Staying indoors does not mean that if you are out of the sun, you will be safe from UV rays. UV rays are everywhere where you can see light. I recommend anything from SPF 30-50 for daily use, with PA+++. SPF protects again UVB rays, and PA+++ protects against UVA rays that does more long term damage. Opt for the more +’s, the better.

No excessive tugging of your skin.

Why do we emphasize on not tugging your skin downwards? Imagine years of age with skin losing its elasticity, resulting in sagging of our skin. Every time you have to apply products, do so in an upward and outward motion. It is said that if this action is done religiously without fail, it can delay facial sagging and creates a lifting effect.

Moisturizing.

Lastly, remember to moisturize your face ideally every time after you wash your face. Some cleansers strip off the moisture on your skin and moisturizing after washing is the best time to replenish the lost moisture. Be sure to moisturize twice a day, ideally once in the morning and once before bedtime.

Keep these in mind, and practice them everyday faithfully. Make them a habit of your skincare routine. Remember, with the right effort and dedication, you can change anything. Discard bad habits, and learn good ones. Be disciplined and you will definitely see results. Regardless of age, you can make a change. 🙂