3-in-1 Anti-aging, Brightening and Moisturising mask

I've been using this face mask for a long time! Very moisturising for the skin, smells good enough to be eaten. It has mild exfoliation properties.

 

 

 

Things you need:

• 1 tsp of roughly grinded rice powder - You can grind your own rice or purchase rice mask, e.g. Skin Food Rice Mask.
• 1/2 tsp of green tea powder - tea leaves are not a good idea because it doesn't stick well to the face.
• 1 tsp of raw honey - I'm using Manuka honey.
• Some pre-boiled and cooled water if you're using rice powder. Skip the water if you're using Skin Food Rice Mask.

 

Instructions:

1. Mix the rice powder, green tea and honey in a clean bowl. Add water bit by bit to dilute the mask into a semi-thick consistency. It shouldn't be too runny.
2. Apply to face and décolleté.
3. After leaving it on for 15 minutes, wet your fingers and gently massage your face in circular movements for 1 minute.
4. Rinse off thereafter. Preferably, use twice a weekly.

Annie's Way jelly masks & Supreme Diamond Light Feather mask sheets

If you're looking for a good face mask, I have a recommendation. Nothing I use is expensive but it's effective. That's what matters most. This is not a sponsored post; I write good reviews when the products show good results and vice versa.

I found this Taiwan made mask called Annie's Way (hate the name!). Nothing fancy or glamorous about its name here but the products, work like a miracle.

Annie's Way has gel type masks that come in a jar and face mask sheets. I'm using both types. The Arbutin + Hyaluronic Acid Jelly mask is wonderful! Instant brightening effect and skin stay soft and supple throughout the night. The trick here is not to wash off the mask but towel it off. Not a good idea to tissue it off because the leftover mask residue is really sticky. So, use a damp towel instead. I also bought the new Charcoal black jelly mask, which is more for oily skin, to draw out impurities from the skin.

 

The other type of mask that I'm using is the Annie's Way Supreme Diamond Light Feather mask sheet. It claims to prevent wrinkles, whitens, tones and moisturises skin in 1 easy step. An easy alternative for me when I need something quick to perk up my skin. The mask sheet is so thin (it looks almost transparent on my face) and its essence doesn't dry out as fast as other typical mask sheets in the market. The effect: my skin is well moisturised after each usage although the brightening effect is not as good as the Arbutin Jelly mask.

Currently Annie's Way is available in Malaysia. You can get it at any MaskSlim outlets. Not available in Singapore yet, I've checked. The good news is Mask Slim is also available online.

They're having good promos now. Jelly mask is selling for RM76.50 per 250ml jar at MaskSlim online store. If you shop at their outlets, the jelly masks cost RM85 (normal price) but it comes with FOC 3 pieces of mask sheet that cost RM7 each. Jelly masks are also available in trial/travel packs costing RM8 per 25ml pack. The Supreme Diamond Light Feather mask is selling for RM9 per piece. The promotion now is purchase 5 pieces, and you'll get another 5 pieces for free!

 

Green Tea Milk Bath: Anti aging & Moisturising

Milk contains vitamin A, D and E, some proteins and fats. Our skin will not be able to absorb those vitamins from milk through bathing (unless through consumption). However, milk proteins and milk fats do wonders for the skin by moisturising it. It also helps to soothe dry itchy skin during cold weather.

 

It is important to use whole milk for milk bath. Skim and low fat don't work as well as whole milk because the milk proteins and milk fats are what we want.

 

As for green tea, it is well known for its anti-oxidant properties either through consumption or topical use. Its sun protection properties are also well documented. Therefore, in my morning bath routine, I always include green tea as an extra sun protection.

Snow fungus - a natural loofah to gently exfoliate my face while soaking in the bath.

 

 

Bath ingredients:
• 1 litre of whole milk (i.e. full cream / fresh milk)
• 3 tbsp of green tea powder, or 5 teabags of green tea

 

Instructions:
1. Run a warm bath.
2. Stir 3 tbsp of green tea powder with warm water in a mug. If using teabags, infuse them in hot water for 5 minutes.
3. Pour the green tea into the bath water. You can also throw in the teabags if you like.
4. Just before stepping in, pour the milk into the bath water.
5. Soak for 20 minutes before rinsing it off. Apply light lotion all over your body to seal in the moisture.

 

Tips: Letting your hair down to soak in the milk goodness helps to condition dry, brittle hair. Be sure to rinse off before stepping out of bath to avoid smelling like stale milk though.

  

Nivea In-Shower Extra Whitening Skin Conditioner

 

Big yay!

 

Look what I found during my Bangkok trip? The new Nivea In-Shower Skin Conditioner with extra whitening power! No SPF though! The unforgiving hot sun has moulded me into a skin-whitening beauty junkie. Anything that has extra whitening power and SPF in it attracts me like magnets.

 

Earlier this year, I wrote a review on Nivea skin conditioner and I wished it has the whitening with SPF variation. When I spotted it in Boots, Bangkok, I quickly grabbed a few bottles without hesitance. Selling for 1050 THB each, it's way cheaper than the ones sold in Singapore.

 

However, after trying it out, I was actually quite disappointed. The unpleasant slippery feeling and stickiness after towel-drying remain similar to the variation for normal-skin that I've purchased earlier this year. The scent is indifferent as well, except that this one has Camu Camu for skin whitening effects and the one for normal-skin contains Sea Minerals.

 

Since whitening power need consistent usage to see result, I cannot write how effective the product is, for now. My skin is definitely smoother, but not softer. Like hair conditioners, it sort of 'coat' the skin with a layer of moisture for long lasting smoothness. Although it should have come with SPF for extra points, I am just as happy to have it for I-am-too-lazy-for-lotion days.

 

The wonders of peeling gels

Peeling gel exfoliators are becoming a hit in Asia, especially in Taiwan, China, Korea and Japan. I am one big time user of peeling gels. It is better than conventional granular face scrub, if you ask me.

 

Peeling gel is not similar to chemical peel. It is a type of cellulose gel that 'scrub away' corneous layer (dead skin) accumulated on the top layer of the skin. It has proven to be effective, at least to me. This post is a personal comparison reviews between 4 brands of peeling gels that I have been using over a period of 1 year.

 

The brands are:
1. Cure Natural Aqua Gel (Japan)
2. Gowoonsesang Brightening Peeling Gel (Korea)
3. Coreana Premium Peeling Magic (Korea) - brand name changed to Lavida on newer packaging.
4. Ginvera Nutri White Marvel Gel (Singapore)
 

Which peeling gel is most effective for me? The winner is Cure Natural Aqua Gel!
 

In spite of the fact that each one of them states it should be used once or twice a week, I'm using the peeling gel every alternate days.

 

Cure is the mildest of all. So I can actually use it every night to thoroughly removes traces of make up. It is unscented and preservative-free too.

 

For whitening or brightening purposes, Gowoonsesang is the best. My skin was instantly brighten but it can be too drying to be used every alternate days. Thus, I am using it once a week in place of Cure. For best results, use on towel-dry skin despite the instruction says it should be used on damp skin.

 

Ginvera is the most affordable of all four but I dislike the gel scent. However, it does the job pretty well, I say. It leaves the skin feeling squeaky clean.

 

At the bottom of the list is Coreana/Lavida. The gel texture turns watery once I gently scrub it on my skin but the cellulose residues seem to stick onto my fine facial hair when I'm done scrubbing. Rinsing off the gel takes a lil' more effort too.

 

Warming the body with ginger bath and moisturising honey

Ginger is well known for its potent antioxidants and they are really good for the body and skin. Think anti-aging! Besides having it for my afternoon tea, I love to use it for my bath especially before bedtime or during cold and wet weather when my body need that extra warmth. To make soothing ginger bath, you need a couple of ginger roots and some honey. Honey contains antioxidants, enzymes and anti-bacterial properties. Besides being used to treat hard-to-heal wounds, honey is super moisturising for skin. I use Manuka honey because I am also using it for my ginger tea.

There are 4 common types of ginger, namely blue ginger, young ginger, old ginger and yellow ginger (turmeric). Blue ginger is said to contain the highest amount of antioxidants. For my tea and bath purposes, I use young ginger. You may also use old ginger but it is not advisable to use yellow ginger because it will stain your clothes and the white bathtub. Cleaning the stain thereafter will be a hassle!

 

To make warm ginger bath:

 

1. Wash the ginger roots and slice them into pieces.

2. Boil the sliced ginger roots in a small pot for 5 minutes.

3. While waiting for the ginger water to boil, prepare the honey. Dilute 3 to 5 tablespoons of honey (depending on the size of your bathtub) into a cup of slightly warm water. Do not use hot water because it will destroy the enzymes of the honey.

4. Prepare the bath water (ideally warm to touch as hot bath tends to dry skin out) and pour the ginger water and honey into the bathtub. To test the water temperature, dip your elbow and upper arm into the bath water. Add cool water if it's too hot.

Soak in and enjoy your warm ginger bath for 20 minutes.

Radiant skin with Laneige Water Supreme Base SPF 15 PA+

I used to have at least 15 minutes after shower to put on my make up. That was before I have my 2 kids. Nowadays, I have 10 minutes max, including shower time before the 2 monsters come screaming and pounding on my bathroom door. 10 seconds late in opening the door and I swear the door will see a hole through it.

If you're looking for a short cut to healthy, bouncy skin, try Laneige Water Supreme Base. I have been using it for almost a year now and it works wonders on my dull skin. It's great for mothers like me who barely has time to put on full make up but still wants a great looking skin with minimal efforts.

Laneige has 3 colours for the Water Supreme Primer Base:
• Light Pink (to even out skin tone)
• Light Purple (to brighten up dull skin)
• Light Green (to reduce redness on skin)

I am using the purple one. Just like the name suggests, it doesn't only act as a base to hold your foundation but it helps to maintain moisture on your skin, resulting in supple and translucent skin. It also has SPF 15 to block out harmful UV rays.

After a light moisturiser, I apply an even layer of the primer base (2 to 3 pumps) all over my face and neck. Due to its watery texture, it doesn't feel sticky on my skin.

Fluid texture

Yes, that's my dry looking hand. Evidence of brighter, dewy skin.

I hardly use foundation nowadays (unless for special occasions) but I replace it with loose powder, just to set a matte finish on my skin. After that I use an eyebrow pencil to fill in some mahagony brown onto both eyebrows and dab on some tinted lip balm on the lips.

Now, here comes the downside. It is too sheer to be able to cover any blemishes unlike BB creams. Its function is to achieve radiant looking skin. If you've dry skin, this product is definitely for you.

Fermented rice powder, grandma's beauty ritual

I'm back to Singapore again after a considerable long break for Chinese New Year. The weather seems to be hotter now, and I'm not liking it. I wished it could stay 25 - 26°C all year long. The last I checked, it was 33°C. Damn hot laaa!

I'm in dire need to cool myself. Switched on the aircond, set it to 18°C but the air doesn't seem to be cooling enough for me. I almost wanted to shut myself in the refrigerator, then I thought of my grandma's bedak sejuk which I got it from her during my visit to Ipoh on CNY! Wow, this got to be my skin saver (no joke).

Jasmine flower, used to lightly scent the bedak sejuk. - pic from wikipedia

Grandma's homemade bedak sejuk.

It took my grandma 6 months to make those skin saver, okay. I took out a small piece, place it on my palm and add in 6 to 7 drops of cold water to make it into runny, watery paste before slapping it onto my face, neck and arms! While doing this, I sat in front of the aircond for maximum syiok-ness!

I have been using bedak sejuk (direct translation: cooling powder) ever since I was a toddler. They do not have miracle creams or face mask back in those ancient days when grandma was young. Just like everyone else, grandma made her own. Have you heard of using rice water for clearer and brighter skin? What about fermented rice nutrient called Pitera that every beauty junkies would pay a bomb for? Tsk... my grandma's cooling powder has it all!

So, allow me explain briefly how it was made and what it is good for. Raw rice (grandma used white rice) is soaked in the water for 6 months until all the rice are fermented, dissolved and turned into white sendiment at the bottom of the 4-inches deep tray. She would change the water once a week. At the end of the 6th month, she poured away the excess water and added in white jasmine flowers to the sendiment before drying it under the sun. Once the sendiment is completely dried, she would break them into small pieces before storing them in an air-tight container. I remembered the whole kitchen would stink when the fermentation took place.

Good for:
1) Preventing heat rash (prickly heat) on skin.
2) Minimising large pores.
3) Control excess sebum production on oily skin.
4) Improves skin texture for sure! You should see my grandma's skin. She's 83 but her skin's as smooth as my 3-year old. (It is 100% au-naturel so don't expect overnight miracles with short term usage).

Now that she doesn't live with us anymore but in Ipoh, I missed her nyonya cookings, bedak sejuk and homemade aloe vera gel mask very much. But above all, I miss her the most!

Nivea In-Shower Skin Conditioner

 

Couple of months back I invested in the new Nivea whitening serums which did give some satisfactory results on my skin tone. Walking under the blazing hot Singapore sun barely a year has turned my skin so dark and dull that I knew I have to regain my original skin tone with some combinations of effective whitening products.

 

When I saw Nivea skin conditioner in Caring pharmacy, I knew I simply have to try this. It's a big WOW to lazy mommies like me. I am never a fan of body lotions (even when I was single) because it's a hassle. Now that I have 2 kids on tow, applying body lotion is even a bigger hassle. Skin conditioner is the answer to my laziness!

 

The new skin conditioner by Nivea has nothing to do with whitening but it claims to leave the skin feeling silky soft, with the convenience of using it in the shower. So, that means I can simply slather it all over my body and rinse it off thereafter. No mess and no need to wait for the lotion to be absorbed. How convenient is that?

 

Upon first time usage, my skin is:
• silky smooth to the touch (when skin is completely dry).
• mildly scented.
• soft? No, not really. More like smooth.
• feeling moisturised all over (including hard-to-reach places and butts crack). Okay, that was gross but hey, it's an honest review.

 

Do I like it? I'll give 2 out of 5 stars for the innovation and convenience. For the other 3 stars, Nivea has to improve on:
• reducing the slippery feeling it gives me after rinsing.
• reducing the sticky feeling on my damp skin after towel-drying.
• making the skin soft to touch besides feeling smooth.

 

Currently, Nivea in-shower skin conditioner has 2 variations; for the normal skin and dry skin. I will repurchase only if Nivea comes out with whitening variant with SPF for dull skin.

 

How to effectively whiten (and brighten) your skin

To be honest, I was born with fair skin. And I thought my skin would stay that way since I don't tan easily and even if I did, my skin goes back to its original tone after a couple of weeks. So yeah, like I said, I don't need whitening products..... until I had my second child.

Besides putting on 30kg (lost 10kg right after my baby popped out, leaving me with 20kg to deal with) and saggy boobies (I miss those perky times! *sobs*), now I have to deal with dull and darken skin? People tell me to look at the bright side but hey, they're not the ones turning brown and losing their best assets, right? They wouldn't understand, I guess.

So, what's the big deal about turning brown? It's no big deal really, but I do prefer to stay fair. There's a chinese proverb that says (direct translation), 'A fair (skin) conceals 3 flaws.' It simply means if you are fair and rosy (think Snow White), and you've a crooked nose, some misaligned teeth and a pair of flat buttocks, your lovely fair skin shall minimise the so called imperfections. True or not, that's an ancient proverb.

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of products out there that claim to whiten skin from 7 to 21 days of usage. I chose 3 different products as my whitening regimen. So this is not a sponsored post, nor a review of the 3 products but my experience on how to effectively whiten or brighten your skin.

Products:
1. Nivea Body UV Whitening Serum SPF 25 PA++
2. Nivea Body Whitening Night Serum
3. Kinohimitsu J'pan UV Bright Drink

UV Whitening Serum - SGD 9.70 / RM17.90 per bottle or RM23.90 for 2 bottles during promotion.
Whitening Night Serum - SGD10.50 per bottle or SGD16.80 for 2 bottles during promotion in Watsons Singapore. Not available in Malaysia yet.

 

 

 

SGD 39.90 for 6 bottles in Singapore / RM 159.90 for 16 bottles in Malaysia

 

Why these 3 products? Simply because they are relatively affordable and widely available in Guardian, Watsons and perhaps your local drugstores or pharmacies. Trust me, you don't want to travel half the globe just for replenishment.

 

Usage:

1. I apply Nivea Body UV Whitening Serum SPF 25 PA++ in the morning after shower.

2. Drink 1 bottle of Kinohimitsu J'pan UV Bright Drink in the morning before going out into the sun.

3. I apply Nivea Body Whitening Night Serum after my shower at night and one more time before going to bed.

 

I did all the above mentioned for a total of 21 days since Kinohimitsu clinical results show effective skin whitening and brightening after 21 days of consumption, although Nivea Body UV Whitening Serum claims to work its magic in 14 days.

 

Result:

 

  

Home prenatal massage

If you're pregnant and having problems with body ache, water retention or stretch marks, here's an affordable yet effective solution... call for a home urut (massage).

I always thought urut is for postnatal but someone told me that prenatal massage also helps to eliminate unwanted water retention in a pregnant body. All you need to do to make it more effective is to buy a good massage oil which does the job. Since it's quite difficult to find home prenatal massage in Malaysia, here's my recommendation for those who are totally clueless. 

Personally, I'm using Clarins Tonic Body Treatment Oil. It helps in toning and stretch marks prevention. Clarins has 3 types of body treatment oil but I only tried 2 of them; the Tonic Body Treatment Oil (RM181) for prenatal and Anti-Eau Body Treatment Oil for postnatal. The urut lady comes once a week and she charges RM75 for an hour of massage. Massage oil is included but I prefer to use my own. I've had 3 sessions with her and so far she's quite good. She also offers postnatal urut at RM100 per session (minimum 5 sessions) which includes urut, body herbal steam, hot stone and bengkung (tummy wrap).

Verdict: Good prenatal massage. I haven't tried her postnatal massage yet. 

For booking, call Madam Shirley (yes, she's chinese) at 012-350 0057 or 016-354 7897.

I also have another urut lady whom I use for postnatal massage previously but it's quite hard to secure appointments with her due to whatever reasons she has. She charges RM80 for prenatal massage (only for pregnancy 6th month onwards) and RM120 for postnatal massage (buy 6, free 1). There is no body herbal steam for postnatal treatment and she'll sell you the bengkung lilit (tummy wrapping cloth) at RM70 (FYI, you can get it much cheaper outside or online at RM30 - RM40). She uses ginger cream for the urut but she'll suggest for you to get the Clarins Anti-Eau Body Treatment Oil and Body Shaping Cream.

Verdict: Very good and effective postnatal massage but her schedules can be quite unpredictable. I bought 6 times of postnatal massage from her and supposed to get 1 free but she didn't turn up after that.

For booking, call Kak Siti at 019-330 9622.

Anyway, if you have the luxury to splurge like some real Datins (I've seen too many fake ones), go for Clarins Mothers-To-Be treatments.

Slimming program, the urut lady vs. advance-looking machines

I signed up for a slimming program which cost me (or rather Dear Hubby since I'm going get him to reimburse me. hehe!) a bomb. They hooked me up to various advance-looking machines for 45 minutes, followed by steam bath, salt scrub and a warm blanket wrap. Was it really as effective as they claimed? Not really. I'm into the 5th session and sadly, there's not much reduction to be seen.

Then I hired an urut lady (a female masseur who provides postnatal massage services) who gives extremely painful massages that many have claimed to lose unwanted pounds as fast as after the first session itself. Does it work? Absolutely. I lost half a kg and my body curves are well defined after my first two-hour session with her. And it merely cost me RM120 (equivalent to about US$37) per session. She even has buy-6-free-1 ongoing promotion and I don't have to pay in advance but only after each session with her. Talking about getting my money worth.

To read more on prenatal and postnatal massages, click here.

Granny's 70 years of beauty ritual

 

My granny (or Ah Mah as I call her) is one extremely simple lady. Her attire is simple one-design blouse and pants, only in different floral patterns and colours. Her hair is always in a small bun. She uses one piece of soap for her entire body and face. Her beauty ritual? Almost non-existence. BUT... she has one simple beauty ritual that she practices each day without fail. She applies homemade bedak sejuk on her face, décolleté, hands and legs after each shower.

Bedak sejuk is fermented rice powder, made from fragrant white rice soaked in water for 6 months or more until all the rice is dissolved into powder. The fermented rice powder is then dried out in the sun for a day and kept in an air-tight container.

She often takes a small piece of the bedak sejuk on her palm and dilute it with few drops of water before applying it all over her body. At 79 years old and for a person who doesn't use any kind of lotion, she definitely has GREAT skin (think Carmen Dell'Orefice)!

Carmen Dell'Orefice. 78 years old.
Photo taken from Huffington Post.

Read more on how to make your own bedak sejuk.

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