Virgin Coconut Oil

A quicky update. Been too busy to think about anything except work lately. I totally agree with Elisa when she describe the job as 'when you're busy, you're very busy, when you're free, you're very free' type.

Anyway as you may have read about the virgin coconut oil that Elisa, Kern and I bought recently, if you haven't please do, it contains the facts about VCO as well as some reviews.

I refrained from posting my reviews till about a week later as I wanted to see if I grew any new pimples and how it was like a week later. I've learnt my lesson from the MIOR soap that we bought earlier, as initially it was fantastic but a week later, our skin became too drying as we should cut down on usage and so forth. Unfortunately we were not told /advised to cut down and my skin was to the point of peeling.

Just for your information, Kern's advise to use both MIOR soap + VCO was good advise. My skin felt great without the usual tightness and itchiness from drying.

I digress yet again, my apologies.

After a week of using VCO my thoughts are, GET IT!! Initially, me and Elisa were a little reluctant to get the VCO oil because we weren't too sure about applying 'oil' on our faces. We had the impression of applying something similar to the texture of cooking oil. Boy were we wrong.
It does seem oily but considering that the molecule of the VCO is super tiny, it get absorbed into the skin fast.

I personally find that the VCO works as a better primer than my M.A.C prep and prime SPF 50 (RM130) but this is just my opinion. My make up last all day without much need to even blot it unlike when I use my M.A.C prep and prime which leaves me looking like I fell face first into a tub of oil before the day ends.

I do acknowledge the fact that I work in a fully air condition place but just as well there are time when I head out to meet customers under the hot Penang sun and my make up stays just fine even then.

If you're not into dewy face look and more into totally matte looking make up, then avoid this.
You can't totally mattify your face when you're using VCO.

And since the VCO is pretty cheap, it use it as a body oil too before going to sleep. Ahh~ I can almost smell the sea and see the Pina Coloda in my hands as I get transported to a beach in the middle of nowhere and just enjoying myself under the shade of the coconut tree. Also, I tend to smear the VCO all over my lips too and it could be just me but my lips has been looking a lot healthier lately. No longer the dry feeling after my lip gloss fades / disappears / gets eaten / licked off and the colour has been pinkish and healthy *shrugs*

Just remember to use sunblock after your VCO and on with powder / foundation / BB cream / whatever. Oh and another thing, take a whiff of the smell before you buy it, while some of us LOVE the smell and reminds of of coconut candies, it failed to impress both me and Elisa's boyfriend as it reminded them of something else instead.

Definitely head over to Elisa's blog and read all about the benefits of using organic VCO!

EDIT: I've used the virgin coconut oil in my hair as a leave in hair moisturizer and rise it the very next morning. I found it fantastic for the hair as my hair has become so much softer and lighter compared to just washing it with normal hair conditioner. My hair also has become much more shiner and healthy looking after I used it. I'm really loving it!!

Arabic style inspired make up contest

It's been some time since I last joined a contest. I know I'm a little picky when it comes to joining contest since I don't join because of the prize but because I happen to see the theme and like it. But anyway, a while back I came a cross Sharlene blog holding an Arabic style inspired make up contest as her thanks for having 100th followers (I wonder if my day will ever come, LOL!)

Rules & Requirements:
·First of all you must be a member of blogger.
·You must be a follower of my blog.
·Post as an entry to your blog. Copy these rules onto your entry and link back to this post.
·Take a picture of: Your face, one with your eyes opened and one closed. And a freestyle pose. ·Also include your inspirational photo, if any. Don't forget to list down and take a picture of the products you used.
·Send in your contest entry url as a comment to this post only [for organizational purposes].
All others will not be aknowledged, sorry!


Deadline:
August 31, 2009 11:59 PM Guam Time - That's about 3 weeks from now, so you have plenty of time.
Note: Guam time is advance a few hours from U.S.

But anyway congrats to Sharlene and here goes (Be warned: Picture heavy) ;

Inspired picture, Ain't she a beauty! I don't expect to be able to do the same
nor do I even own such a cool headgear

I ended up watching YouTube "Make up with Joelle" till 7am. FYI, Joelle is a famous Arabic make up artist. From the countless of videos, I gathered that Arabic concentrate on the flawless complexion, eyebrows and eyeliners. And I must say, to me Arabic women has always been the most beautiful women in the world, nothing seems to beat their features. *sigh* How on earth am I going to pull all this off? *slaps self* This is for fun, this is for fun!

Left to right: I couldn't decide where the colours goes so let's just put them anywhere and everywhere. Nyahahahahaha
Even everything out with a sponge

First off, I don't have flawless complexion, so it's something I'm going to have to fake. So I ended up using the colour wheel that E gave me some time ago. Smooth everything out so I have a nice base to begin with. Goodbye pores! Hello Flawless!

Left to right: Put on your thickest foundation and smooth it out like your life depends on it!!

Put on your foundation, make sure it too has good coverage after the base is set and colour corrected. Set your make up with your loose powder and remember to add loose powder under your eyes to catch whatever fall outs

I primed by eyes with E.L.F eye primer first. I'm using pigments this time instead of my usual eyeshadows so I really need something to make them stick. The yellow I used for the inner corners will unfortunately remain nameless because I think it was a free gift in a baggy. But whom gave it to me I don't recall nor the brand since it wasn't labeled. Next I put on Mineral Mate Ancient Gold. This was a mistake. I swatched a little on my hands and it turned out light and shimmery but when it went on my eyelids, it was darker than I though. Oh well..

Just to fast foward a little, I applied Sweet Scents's Shamrock (one of my all time favourite) on the outter corner and Etude House's Teal eyeliner on the bottom. I lined my eyes with a Kajal eye liner on the top and bottom. I draw my eyebrows using Virgin Vie's Medium Brown Eye brow pencil and darken it with some black eyeshadow.

I soften the Kajal eye liner with MAC typographic and highlighted and blended everything with NYX Pearl White pigment. Add falsies and MAC Fleurry on the cheeks with The Body Shop's Shimmer Wave in Peach all over face. Lip colour came from a U2B lip colour palatte. Add some clear gloss.

Final look

I prefer the pale lips to the red ones but since I wanted to somewhat follow the inspired picture, I ended up putting on red lipstick

The blue scarf was a little overpowering(?) so I switched over to a white on instead so the eyeshadow colour is a little easier to see. This is tough for me to do considering that like what, 99% of Arabs probably has double eyelids and I don't.

Right: Last shot on the camera, Big Big Smileeeeeeee!!


Left to right: I used the 2nd colour on the top row for the pale lips and the 1st colour on the bottom for the red lips.
The colour wheel

Halfway typing all this, I had to run to run to the toilet and try to puke. I think the plastic smell of the color wheel was too over-powering and gagged me. This is the first time I wanted to puke from putting on make up o.O;;

Items used

Face
U2B colour wheel
Elianto Fresh Whitening Foundation in 03

Eyes
E.L.F Eye Primer
MAC eyeshadow in Typographic
NYX loose pigment in Pearl White
"Forgotten brand and name" Yellow pigment
Mineral Mate in Ancient Gold
Sweet Scents in Shamrock
Kajal eye liner
Virgin Vie eye brow pencil in Medium Brown
MAC Kohl pencil in Smoldering
Etude House eyeliner in Teal

Cheeks
MAC blusher in Fleurry
The Body Shop Shimmer Wave in Peach

Lips
U2B lip palette
Secret Lipstick in WildBerry
Estee Lauder clear lip gloss

Eye spy with my little eye and I see fine lines!!!

It's been a while since I last updated. Work has been keeping busy now that I am to head one of our latest products and handle everything to do with it. From scratch all the way to how to market it to the public. Damn that's tiring. While I'm at that, I'm to help out another department during my mornings that's short on hands besides doing my own stuffs. Please increase my pay! I need it for all the anti-aging creams I would need *sniff sniff*

One morning while looking at myself in the mirror, I discover I have fine lines under my eyes and I'm not even 26 yet! This can't be happening! NOOOOOOO!!

Then again, a few years back when E mentioned that at the age of 25 we should start using anti-aging stuffs, guess she wasn't kidding. Forget all the whitening shit or acne whatever, I need anti-aging stuffs. I don't wanna look any older, I've been getting enough nasty rumours about me dating a younger guy (They were referring to JH) when JH is actually 3 years older than I am!

Every time I smile, the lines bothers me T.T

I actually have a secret paranoia on eye creams, I remember that when I was younger, I bought Virgin Vie's eye cream to try and I woke up with a deep line under one eye. I was so pissed. A few months later, I tried it again and the same thing happen. I got so pissed I chucked the entire barely used eye cream into the dust bin. I regret that now since the bottle was really nice :P but after that, I avoided eye creams like a plague. I look better without it. But I digress.

So since budget is tight, (STBM - Sucks to be me) I search around for an affordable eye cream that I won't have to go rob the bank for. In the end, I couldn't afford Aqualabel by Shiseido and I wasn't too sure if the Pure Beauty eye cream was any good since there was no reviews yet, so I opted for something safe - Olay.

Hmm, reminds me of NYX's concealer :D

Olay total effects anti-aging eye cream (15 ml for RM48.90) that is suppose to improve dullness for a radiant glow, lessens the appearance of dark circles, visibly reduces the look of fine lines (pleaseee!), evens out skin tone, intensively hydrated dry skin, noticeably softens uneven texture, helps minimize appearance of puffiness.

Call me paranoid all you want but lines around the eyes are one of the easiest way to tell a woman's age; besides the hands and necks anyway in my opinion. Consider yourself very lucky if you got fleshy hands.

Please work!

I also went ahead and bought the ... hell, I don't even know what is it called but anyway it's part of Olay's total effects range (RM22 for 20g). It's 'designed' to replace your moisturizer and comes with SPF15. So it says on the box.

So starting today, I'll be using these items religiously till I see some sort of results. Preferably good ones. While I'm at that, I also got some eye mask to try out.

Bone Glue zymoden eye membrane, Dilute the fine lines... WTF?!

Damn, if I have read the name properly before buying, I probably wouldn't have bought it. I hate things that makes no sense. I don't wanna buy something that is as good as reading the Egyptian hieroglyphs. Remind me to name my products something no one can even pronounce like Ashley's Good Zxygmugcein eye patches super! that promises to 'rubber off' fine lines. Sheesh.

Collage Crystal Eyelid Patch

Lets see how good these even are. Wish me luck. Now excuse me while I go 'rubber off' some lines.

Oh me oh my, CURRY!

Hmm, this Chinese New Year was definitely interesting, I discover quite a number of new things.

Firstly, no new surprise, the weather here has been at a consistant 35-36 degrees Celsius and has been one of our hottest. The weather is unbearably hot and dry.

Ah, and there's where the fun starts.

Due to the weather (yes I blame the weather for everything) I broke up badly and my face was so itchy. I started suspecting just about everything from the Egyptian Magic Cream to Garnier Aqua Defence cream to my new BB cream, Dr.G. It was only when I went back to my fail proof, Estee Lauder moisturizer and Etude House Precious Mineral BB cream and was still scratching, did I realize all this has nothing to do with the products but my face.

So I used Mior. And it was the love-hate relations all over again. Love because it really did dry up my pimples in two days and hate it because it dried up my skin like the Sahara desert in two days. Two washes to be exact..

So many scratchings and peeling later, (a friend asked if I was a snake and was shedding, my reply, "Yea, ever heard of Madam White Snake?" *flips hair*, Nyahaha it's some old Chinese folk story)

So anyway since every moisturizer I had was making me itch, I ended up using my Orifera Virgin Coconut Oil which helped stop the itch and moisturize my face in just a few days! Yay C-o-c-o-n-u-t!

It sure made a difference to my face alright, especially the smell T.T

Since I was staying with JH, I had my not very usual bunch of skincare. One of them being a sample packet of the the Origins Skin Rejuvenating Treatment. AHA! For those that has never smelled it before, it smells of Lemongrass.

Lemongrass + Coconut Oil = Curry smelling face!!!

I'm serious. I took a sniff at the scent and wondered if I was dreaming when I thought I smell of curry so I asked JH.

"Do I smell of curry?"

"Yea"

I nearly died. Both of embarrassment and then horror.

JH later suggested we go for some Indian food for lunch. I had to ask if the smell from my face made him crave for Indian food. Thankfully, we went to Japanese food with his mom instead. I don't wanna go for Indian food and end up with my shirt smelling of curry and become a walking advertisement for Indian food.

If Pina Colada can transport you to a tropical beach paradise, try the above combo, you'll get a whiff of Malaysia on your face. I kid you not.

Chinese New Year + Valentines Day

Since the two days fell on the same date (14th February) it thwart my plans of some romantic dinner somewhere with me love.

No romantic candle light dinner somewhere dark and romantic, gazing into each other eyes while holding each other hands and having the type of conversation to make the people unfortunate enough to be seated close by puke their dinner out.

*sigh* Tsk tsk, what a shame..

Family came first for the both of us but in the afternoons, JH lured me to his uncle's house with the pretext of 'Come collect Ang Pow'. Met his side of family (huge) for lunch and yes, ang pow collecting.

Best part was as soon as I step into the house, my heel got firmly stuck in the gap of the sliding door. Fantastic! My face turned as red as my dress as everyone looked. Thankfully, his 80+ aunt came to the rescue while Mr. *ahem* Hero didn't even notice.

JH's prediction for the New Year: You'll be getting stuck on doors the whole year through.

Gee, thanks!
We celebrated our first V-day together the following night with dinner. A small quiet place in town, cozy and quiet (no one puked their dinner out)

I must admit that I really enjoyed myself this CNY. I loved everything about it and it made me glad that I could finally have both family and loved ones celebrating in Penang and not having to choose between one.

I didn't really get anything for V-day so nothing to show, hee hee heee.. :D

And after many many days of the Beauty Diary's Aloe Vera mask (which scared JH) and coconut oil, my face has started to heal. Yay!

Now, time to do something about the love handles...