Posted in Face on 11/09/2009 04:40 pm by bigpumpkin
The best way to get rid of acne scars is not to get them in the first place!
Thankfully, I don’t have many as I was taught very early on by my mother and grandmother never to pick my face. And I listened……
My husband, however, has craters on his face lasting more than 20 years! It’s a real shame because he is a good looker. There is hope yet though, if he is vain enough. You can now rid craters from your face by getting a laser micro face peel by your dermatologist. This may take several sessions over months, depending how bad your craters are. Do make sure you consult with a recommended dermatologist who has done many successful similar type procedures before.
There is also a process where they put fillers into your craters. But ewe…..it sounds gross so I shall not recommend it.
Alternatively, if your craters are not bad and just discoloured, you could apply fresh aloe vera gel from your garden to your face every night before bed. You will notice your scars getting lighter and lighter over time. Months, of course….but well worth doing if you want a smooth looking face.
Get educated on the different types of acne on your face. Is it a zit? Is it a whitehead? Or a blackhead? Is it ripe? Is it ready to pop? If you really need to pinch something out, at least make sure you hands are clean, and then do it with a tissue. You should really only squeeze out whiteheads or blackheads that are ready to come out but better still, use an appropriate face mask that will bring them out.
I have already started teaching my 5 year old girl that she should never touch her face. It is a bad habit and if taught early, can be avoided.
Posted in Eyes on 07/26/2009 05:16 am by bigpumpkin
My Mom bought this for me from abroad one day and although it sounded and looked really cool, I didn’t find it very effective PLUS the batteries always ran out after 1 or 2 applications! It must’ve been some Made in China product but nevertheless, I gave up on it after a few frustrating attempts. And I’ve since thrown it out.
But……….if you’re still interested, how it works is through heat and pressure. Let’s say you had a gadget that resembled a blunt blade. Turn on the gadget to heat it for a minute, then touch it to your lashes with a bit of pressure and hold it there. Your lashes will curl slightly. The nice thing about it is it’s so much neater to carry around than a bulky eyelash clamp.
If anyone comes across a GOOD battery operated eyelash curler, be sure to let me know and I’ll consider giving it another go. But for now, the eyelash clamp works beautifully for me.
Posted in Face on 07/20/2009 05:03 am by bigpumpkin
I bought this product when I did my big makeup purchase at MAC after my makeup vanity case got stolen (add link). I find it too thick and I really had to dig my fourth finger into the cream to get some coverage out. I also tried using it with a concealer brush but still found the texture too cakey.
The disadvantage of it being to thick meant that spreading and blending wasn’t a smooth affair because unless I wanted to stretch my under eye skin, I was going to take a lot of effort and time in getting a flawless, glowing finish.
Although it’s supposed to have sun block SPF15 (now with SPF35) and comes across as quite pricey for a little jar, which may go quite far, it’s colours were limited then so it didn’t quite work for me. It’s another product I’m about to chuck out. I’ve just checked recently with their range of colours and although there are a lot more colours, they’re more of a pinkish tint from the ivories to the browns and you know us Asians, we need yellow in the mixture. So unless MAC starts appearing with a range of products specially for Asians, it will be tough for me to use their concealers.
Posted in Face on 07/14/2009 04:32 am by bigpumpkin
First and foremost, if your lashes are like mine i.e. not very long and pretty damn straight, then you’re going to crave for a Shu Uemura eyelash curler (RM60). I bought mine centuries ago and it still remains my favourite. You just need to get new rubber inserts every now and then. I bought a MAC eyelash curler and a brandless one from the pharmacist but none worked quite like my trusty SU lash enhancer. Perhaps it was made specifically for oriental eyes?
Here’s what you need to do, or this is what I do anyway:
1. Heat your curler with a hairdryer for 10 seconds.
2. Put the curler into your innermost lashes (part nearest to your eyes) and clamp and hold for a count of 10.
3. Put the curler into your mid lashes (in between the tip of your lashes and your innermost lashes) and clamp and hold for a count of 10.
4. Put the curler into the tip of your lashes and clamp and hold for a count of 10.
5. Grab your black mascara and start application from under your innermost lashes to tip, stroking only upwards one way.
Many people claim you should apply your mascara on the top part of your lashes as well as your bottom lashes but I rarely ever bother because it already looks good with what I’ve stated above. Good luck experimenting!
Posted in Hair on 07/08/2009 03:56 am by bigpumpkin
All my life, I’ve had this love hate relationship with bangs (otherwise known as a fringe). The problem is that I have a very high forehead (1 good 3 inches from eyebrow to hairline), a good omen, I’ve been told but it can look pretty drastic if you’re not used to it. I had my first ‘lack of bangs’ complex when I was 8 years old. My Dad had told my Mom to “please do something about her hair” implying that the fringe I’d painfully pinned up in forming my beautiful orchid bun looked horrendous. Mom immediately unpinned my fringe and gave it a trim in order for it to hide my large forehead.
Twenty years later, I’ve more or less decided that I’m a ‘no bang’ girl. Of course, throughout these twenty years, I’ve had bangs for a year or two, then no bangs for another two years, and then back to bangs again for another year and it’s been this continuous limbo of myself getting easily bored with the way I look. But I’ve decided to be practical. Whenever I have bangs, I look extra sweet and my forehead starts having zits. I already look younger than I am and ‘bangs’ just makes me look even younger, like a teenager. As one friend told me recently, “You don’t look like a pregnant Mom, you look like a fat kid!”
Ouch.
I am now proud to show off my forehead. It’s a sign of intelligence and wealth, I tell myself. And more often than not, whenever I meet someone with a high forehead, they are usually that. The Chinese believe that showing off your forehead is of good fortune, almost like your forehead is the mirror that reflects away all evil. Look around you and observe, and get back to me.
So whether or not one should have bangs, well…..it depends on your face shape and how it enhances or knocks down your overall features. If unsure, send me a picture of yourself, and I’ll tell you if you’d look better with or without bangs. Toodles!
Posted in Stores on 06/29/2009 01:20 pm by bigpumpkin
I got an SMS alert from BCBG last week and I almost died bawling my eyeballs out. Why? Because if you knew me, you’d know that BCBG is one of my absolute favourite brand of clothes. Don’t get me wrong, I wear all brands, even brandless ‘pasar malam’ (night market) pieces but BCBG is like my staple.
I am pregnant!!! What can I possibly wear from BCBG right now and even if I could fit into XL, what’s the point of wasting money buying XL when very soon, I will no longer be XL. Well, I better not be!
*WAHHHHHH!!!!!!!*
So not to be sour grapes, I forwarded the sms to those I thought would be interested and tried to make myself feel better by browsing their US website to see what I would be missing. Thankfully, not much. The only pieces that got my attention were these 2 pieces :
A simple flowy blue dress with pockets and an off white lace embroidered top. Phew!
For those of you who have dough to splurge, the BCBG sale is happening at all outlets (Gardens, One Utama, KLCC and I don’t know where else) till this Friday, 3rd July 2009. Items are SEVENTY per cent off and if you show them your ’sale’ sms, you would get a further 10% reduction. *faint*
Gosh, I still want to go even though there probably will be nothing for me, but who knows?! Maybe there might be?! Oh, but I have to save money because we have a new helper to support now. Yish!
Posted in Eyes on 06/26/2009 04:35 pm by bigpumpkin
US24.50 for a little jar doesn’t sound very cheap, does it? But then again, eye creams usually last forever since you use just a teeny-weeny dab on your fourth finger to dab gently around your eye bone below your eyes…..
I first started using eye cream and I must admit I’m not a regular user of eye cream because I’m too darn lazy and my eyes are not showng wrinkles yet (although there is really no excuse!)…..where was I? Oh, I first started using eye cream in England when my aunt presented me with a brand new bottle of Lancome. It was lovely!
Many, many years later, I’m now on a Kiehl’s tub of eye cream but as much as I like the smell and texture of this cream, which probably works very effectively too; I can’t help but feel the slight smart in my eyes when I got to bed at night. Perhaps I am dabbing it too close to my eyes??? But however I use it, I still feel a slight smarting so maybe my eyes are just super sensitive as the product is supposed to be tested by ophthalmologist and what not.
Posted in Face on 06/26/2009 04:14 pm by bigpumpkin
This amazing face wash is the first face wash ever that I’ve tried which feels DIFFERENT. In that, I mean…..that when you apply it, you feel as though you’re applying a layer of cream onto your face rather than a face wash. And then when you wash it off, you feel like you can’t quite wash the entire face wash off because it has left behind a layer of water on your skin. At first, I had to get used to it because it felt different but after my second time, I loved it immediately because my skin felt so, so hydrated!!!
I’ve since discovered that the product includes a mild, gentle surfactant (molecules that LOVE water) - no wonder! It also has avocado oil and apricot kernel oil plus some weird herb called Allantoin, which is a European herb known for protecting your skin from bacteria. How cool is that? I highly recommend this product. Love it, love it, LOVE it!!!
Posted in Face on 06/26/2009 03:44 pm by bigpumpkin
This is what I’m currently using to remove my make up. Have I ever told you how much I love, love, LOVE……..Kiehl’s!!! I am so ecstatic that they have made it to Malaysian soil! We brought home a whole load of Kiehl’s products when we were in New York last year, yes…heavy cargo, but well worth it. Saved a bit of money.
This mild cleanser (US17.50 for a 250ml bottle) is made up of apricot kernel oil, avocado oil and wheat germ oil and so leaves your face clean and soft after you wash it off. However, it states that it is too mild to clean off your eye make up so you’d need a separate eye make up remover for your jet black waterproof mascara.
Just apply a moderate amount (10 cent coins) onto your cheeks, forehead, chin and nose and massage into skin evenly. Then wash off with cool water. Heavenly! Because of habit, I always need to use a foam cleanser after removing my make up and in this case, I use……..Kiehl’s Gentle Foaming Cleanser, which is priced the same.
Posted in Face on 06/26/2009 03:16 pm by bigpumpkin
I’ve not had very good relationships with Estee Lauder creams and moisturisers throughout these 15 years so this product is no different. I can’t say I really noticed any results from it and gosh, I really do not like perfumed scented creams. They smell too fake for my liking prefering the milder, more natural scents of nature…….
OK, to be fair, I haven’t been diligent enough to use it everyday so I haven’t noticed if my skin has actually lightened or not. But I have no doubt though that used diligently over time, ones skin would even out and lighten. I’m even sure that it would brighten your skin but hey, to each his own…..
Posted in Make Up on 06/26/2009 01:38 am by bigpumpkin
This Conditioning Lip Balm with SPF15 is also not my cup of tea. I guess I just don’t like wet, glossy and slippery lip balms, much preferring the solid ‘glue’ sticks. It has an angled tip applicator with a hole and you squirt out a bit of goo onto your lips then smear it on, I just find it too messy. Taste wise, it is tasteless but it’s supposed to include 11 different moisturisers! Too many, if you asked me!
I don’t mind their stick version though. They come in various flavours and even have a tinted one.
Posted in Make Up on 06/25/2009 03:18 pm by bigpumpkin
This was a complete waste of money for me. Urgh! I hate wasting money. What more, I remember when I made RM2000 plus worth of purchases from MAC one day because my make up vanity case had been stolen from my car in One Utama and because I needed make up for work, I had to buy a whole new set of make up. Stupidly, I did it all in one day. Sucker.
The MAC salesgirl who serviced me was over the moon and even told me a few months later when I’d returned to their KLCC branch that she’d won the salesgirl of the year award just because of me, which was an overseas trip to I can’t remember where now.
This product is retailing about RM70 for 15ml. I have thrown it out even though it has only been used thrice because I just did NOT like the taste and texture of it. It is soooooooo thick and glossy, tastes of something fake (supposedly jojoba oil) and is just too wet and gooey for my liking. I have no idea why I bought it. She must’ve been a darn good salesgirl. Sucker.
Posted in Body on 06/25/2009 03:08 pm by bigpumpkin
If you knew me any better, you’d know that I detest anything with a fake perfumed scent and this is what I got from this product. It says that the product is scented with C&E’s La Source Blue Water fragrance……well, I don’t like it. It smells perfumey and fake.
It doesn’t even feel like a nice moisturiser, more a water based lotion which is what I guess it is aiming to be but I have very dry skin and need something much stronger. For those who just want a light perfumey scent on their body with a light lotion texture, go for it. Not for me unfortunately. This was a gift. Thank goodness, I didn’t get it myself, but I wouldn’t have anyway since I would have put it back on the shelves the moment I smelt it!
Posted in Body, Face on 06/25/2009 02:48 pm by bigpumpkin
After years of searching for the most gentle body wash for my daughter with very sensitive skin, we finally found this, which is essentially gentle enough for face and body recommended by our dermatologist. PHEW!!! What a relief!!!
It sprays out as a light foamy soap and it is the ONLY soap that my daughter can use without screaming out loud in burning pain. It is our life saver. Unfortunately, it is not easily available and since our dermatologist gave it to us, I now need to revert to find out if he has more stock (because if I remember correctly, it was a special order or a trial sample, something to that effect). Otherwise, we’re going to have to import it in from Singapore which is where I think they might have it. I found a Singapore website that sells it for $12.90 but it doesn’t say if that is in Sing Dollars or in US Dollars……Hmmm…….
Hopefully we’ll be able to get it from here. It is a FANTASTIC cleanser. It doesn’t really smell of anything and if anything has a very, very, very, very mild scent. But at least I know it works and I have peace of mind that my daughter has been cleansed!
Posted in Body, General on 06/25/2009 02:18 pm by bigpumpkin
No, this is not my bum. But I think mine does look a bit like that right now. Gross…..I know.
Unfortunately, I have been genetically blessed with the dreaded orange peel disease called cellulite. Ever since I was 14, I noticed that I had a dimple on my upper thigh near my bum. I wasn’t even fat then. Seriously! Yet, I had this uneven skin. No smooth velvet skin for me but a leg with a rippled effect. I’d a habit of squeezing the area everyday in hope that it would go away but it never did.
Twenty years on, I’ve given up. It’s never going to go away. I’ve tried various anti-cellulite creams including the famous Elancyl, Christian Dior, you name it; massages, machines……nothing worked. At most, it would make the skin of that area softer but that’s about it. I’ve come to realise that the key to reducing cellulite is exercise and diet. Healthy food and lots of water combined with a good regular exercise routine is what is going to improve the level of your cellulite. Seriously.
Eat lots of greens and fruit. Drink 2 to 3 liters of water to drain your body of toxins every day. Perform regular cardio exercise at least 3 times a week and include strength training for those areas with cellulite. Combined with regular specialised massages of that area and some anti-cellulite cream, then only will you see some improvement on your ripply thighs.
After my pregnancy, I will be doing just that so do check back for results in a few months time!
Posted in Face on 06/25/2009 10:35 am by bigpumpkin
Hmm…what can I say about this product? It’s cheap? Honestly, I did not derive much satisfaction from it. It smelt too strong for my liking and I didn’t see nor feel any results from it so I used up the whole tub on my neck. It’s like any other cream…..it provides some extent of moisture and it’s supposed to keep your skin hydrated all day, all 24 hours of the day.
Funnily, Nivea has come up with some fabulous beauty products but this isn’t one of them. And for a German brand, this particular product was made in Italy. Well, many British brands are made in China so what am I saying? Despite it being relatively cheap in comparison, why not just pat your face with real water every hour on the hour? Hahaha…..that’s what they’re professing, right?
This is a newer product of the older Nivea Visage All Day Aqua.
Posted in Hair on 06/25/2009 06:12 am by bigpumpkin
Because I received a L’Occitane birthday voucher this year, I had to go into L’Occitane to claim my birthday present and although I didn’t really need anything, I had to come out with something. My initial plan was to get my daughter’s favourite Lavender Handwash but it was out of stock.
Thus after a long time browsing, I ended up getting a bottle of shampoo and particularly chose one which I could use every day.
I found that with just a 20 cent coin sized portion, I could get a good lather for my shoulder length hair, meaning this bottle of 250ml was going to last quite a while, but better than that, it made my hair super, super soft!!! I didn’t need any conditioner at all! My hair felt silky smooth and smelt mildly of sweet olives…..
It was almost like using a hair treatment and one that you could use everyday. Priced at RM75 for 250ml, I’m not sure if everyone can afford such expensive shampoo but for its quality, I suppose it is worth it.
Posted in Face on 06/25/2009 05:46 am by bigpumpkin
This non-oily (at all!) lotion hydrates your skin and is supposed to minimise fine lines. I love it because of it’s very light scent and texture but unfortunately, Clarins have discontinued this particular product though I’m sure they’ve come up with an even better one. I just haven’t figured out which one it is yet.
It used to cost US45 for 50ml but mine was presented to me by a dear Italian friend and I still have a teeny weeny bit of it left so I’ll be making a trip to Clarins soon to get a new bottle of its equivalent.
Posted in Good tips on 06/25/2009 05:20 am by bigpumpkin
If you are thrifty and cannot stand wastage, here’s a great tip for you to make your liquid hand wash double it’s life span. Some of us have guests who don’t care about saving as they haven’t paid for it and it isn’t theirs and some of us have children who just LOVE wasting. Well, they’re children so it really isn’t wasting to them. It’s just more fun squirting lots of soap to get more bubbles!
You know how your liquid hand soap has a pumping nozzle that you can pump from top to bottom? Well, the trick is to reduce the height of this pumping action to release less soap than needed. Now, how can we do that?
Think of a way how you could insert something in between the neck of the pumper so that it restricts the movement of the vertical pump from going all the way down. You could use a piece of rubber foam or cork or even fabric or string. Cut it to shape or tie it around your pumper and voila! Instead of pressing the nozzle all the way down to release lots of unnecessary liquid soap, you only get half the amount of soap. Try it!
Posted in Body on 06/25/2009 03:57 am by bigpumpkin
With Sea Salts and Aloe Vera……
I first used this product when I was staying in New york at Tee’s Godpa’s apartment in Greenwich Village. I figured it belonged to his girlfriend because why would a macho guy like him be using a Lavender scented bubble bath, hehe…..
I tried some and the scent was so divine!!! I couldn’t get enough of it and started using it everyday of our stay there. I did admit to ‘her’ that I’d been using her bath gel as shower gel and said I’d replace it. Of course, she brushed it off……being the sweet Puerto Rican chic.
Yesterday, I allowed Tee to have a bath in a new bottle of this which we brought back from New York and let me tell you, my girl was in seventh Heaven. She is such a sucker for smellies and she totally devoured her entire senses in this wonderful bath experience. At four years of age!
And because it is such a quality product, with 2 zig zag squirts out of the bottle, we managed to produce a thick foam of lather which every four year old would go crazy in, so I left her in the bath for a whole hour to indulge that little body of hers. She was making snowmen and who knows what else. After an hour, I didn’t even have to wash her with soap as every bit of her body just smelt divine. It really did. We washed her important parts and got dried up and then I reminded her, that this was a very expensive product (US30 for 500ml) so we couldn’t use it everyday!
If you need to really relax after a difficult day, I would highly recommend a bath with Kiehl’s Lavender Foaming-Relaxing Bath with Sea Salts and Aloe Vera.
I bought this product when I did my big makeup purchase at MAC after my makeup vanity case got stolen (add link). I find it too thick and I really had to dig my fourth finger into the cream to get some coverage out. I also tried using it with a concealer brush but still found the texture too cakey.
US24.50 for a little jar doesn’t sound very cheap, does it? But then again, eye creams usually last forever since you use just a teeny-weeny dab on your fourth finger to dab gently around your eye bone below your eyes…..
This is what I’m currently using to remove my make up. Have I ever told you how much I love, love, LOVE……..Kiehl’s!!! I am so ecstatic that they have made it to Malaysian soil! We brought home a whole load of Kiehl’s products when we were in New York last year, yes…heavy cargo, but well worth it. Saved a bit of money.
This was a complete waste of money for me. Urgh! I hate wasting money. What more, I remember when I made RM2000 plus worth of purchases from MAC one day because my make up vanity case had been stolen from my car in One Utama and because I needed make up for work, I had to buy a whole new set of make up. Stupidly, I did it all in one day. Sucker.
After years of searching for the most gentle body wash for my daughter with very sensitive skin, we finally found this, which is essentially gentle enough for face and body recommended by our dermatologist. PHEW!!! What a relief!!!
No, this is not my bum. But I think mine does look a bit like that right now. Gross…..I know.
Hmm…what can I say about this product? It’s cheap? Honestly, I did not derive much satisfaction from it. It smelt too strong for my liking and I didn’t see nor feel any results from it so I used up the whole tub on my neck. It’s like any other cream…..it provides some extent of moisture and it’s supposed to keep your skin hydrated all day, all 24 hours of the day.
Because I received a L’Occitane birthday voucher this year, I had to go into L’Occitane to claim my birthday present and although I didn’t really need anything, I had to come out with something. My initial plan was to get my daughter’s favourite Lavender Handwash but it was out of stock.
This non-oily (at all!) lotion hydrates your skin and is supposed to minimise fine lines. I love it because of it’s very light scent and texture but unfortunately, Clarins have discontinued this particular product though I’m sure they’ve come up with an even better one. I just haven’t figured out which one it is yet.
I first used this product when I was staying in New york at Tee’s Godpa’s apartment in Greenwich Village. I figured it belonged to his girlfriend because why would a macho guy like him be using a Lavender scented bubble bath, hehe…..