Reader V wrote to me a week ago after reading my post, Beauty Tips for Flights and she wanted to know more specific tips for those who are in planes very frequently – aka, working in one!
I was wondering if you have a tip for me, or possible post on the website about it. I read your post about how the lack of moisture in the aircraft can dry up your skin. I am a soon-to-be stewardess and you know how I will be exposed to ‘this’ dry atmosphere most of the time. So do you have a tip about how I can keep my skin healthy? Our 5 inches make-up surely is no help, and I’m not sure about the use of facial mist, with 5 inches make up on. Yeah, some stewardess tend to get worried about their skin because we can’t afford to look like we sped up our aging process.
I can relate to air stewardesses who are wary about speeding up the aging process – those working full time in cold, dry offices also have the same complaint (like my friends!). Thing is, unfortunately, I’m aware about the makeup stewardess are required to wear daily, so it’s quite a challenge.
No worries though, I have a few tips up my sleeves!
Here’s an idea to start you off – even though it’s just a plane, you can actually just research “winter skincare tips”, because, as you’ve guessed it, one of the main factors is the extremely dry temperatures. They have tons of tips for dry climates and would definitely help in your work environment!
Before the Flight
First of all, it’s vital that you start by cleansing your skin very well before your flight. Try switching to a cleanser made for dry skin. While in the shower, avoid very hot water as it will just dry out your skin more. Instead, opt for a luke warm temperature, and really clean your face well. (Read here for more tips on cleansing.) Basically, leave the cleanser on your face for at least 30 seconds to really let it work.
I’m not sure if they give you makeup to wear or if it’s your own, but if it’s your own, I highly recommend finding a mineral/organic foundation, as this will not clog your pores and irritate your skin. Find formulas made for dry skin, preferably a tinted moisturizer made for dry skin. Since you’ll be traveling a lot, you can go overseas and find winter-related skin care products that would cater to extremely dry weather conditions.
[read more…]
Reader A asked me this question recently and I thought it was perfect, because I’m the Queen of Split Ends.
What is the best way to get rid of all my split ends? And how can I prevent new split ends?
I remember the days back in highschool where I’d sit at the back of class and start trimming to pass time. I also started to do it to pass time when I couldn’t sleep (my goodness I’m weird) so I’d be lying in bed giving myself a trim.
I stopped with this obsession when one morning I woke up with a pair of scissors next to my face, because I had forgotten to put it away before sleeping. I vowed never to be so dumb again because cutting my face open and dying due to “obsession with split ends” kinda sucks. Anyway – on the the answer.
I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but there is no solution other then cutting them off. When your hair has split into three sections (or 8, in my case), then it’s beyond repair – hair can’t stick back together, so it’s best you just snip it off to prevent more splitting.
Also, prevention is better than cure – so to prevent split ends, here are some ideas:
- Before blow-drying, flat ironing or curling your hair, remember to use a heat protective spray beforehand. Also, try to keep heat styling tools to a minimum as much as you can and avoid using the highest heat level – they do unbelievable damage to your hair in the long run.
- Apply a deep conditioning mask at least once a week to keep hair soft so your ends won’t split as easily. You can read how to do a deep conditioning mask at home at my post, How to: Deep Conditioning Hair Mask.
- Get regular trims to keep your hair looking healthy and free of split ends. If you’re trying to grow your hair out, just get 1/4 of an inch trims each time, something called “dusting” – basically, an extremely short trim to keep your hair still looking great!
So to summarize: split ends can only be cut off, so it’s really better to take care of your hair and get regular trims. Sad but true. 
What do you do to prevent split ends? Do you get them a lot?
I was asked a great question from N a few days ago, and I think that all of us – men and woman – can relate to. Blackheads on the nose!
I was wondering if you could write a post on blackheads especially for those on the nose. Mine are big and are very noticeable, I hate it! Are there any removal solutions for the blackheads specifically on the nose?
Though blackheads are just clogged pores and could develop anywhere on our face, those damn things seem to love setting up a tent on our noses the best.
From my research, trial and error after all these years and people I’ve talked to, extraction is the only way to really get rid of blackheads.
Squeezing isn’t recommended for zits, but if it’s tiny blackheads on your nose … I say if you dare, do it. And by little I mean little ones. I had one tiny ‘crater’ on my nose thanks to me trying to squeeze the living soul out of a big one, so trust me, get too squeeze-happy and they will scar. The good news that since blackheads are normally much smaller than zits, the scars will go away after while. But still – don’t risk getting scars, so only attempt to squeeze the smaller ones.
The trick is this: start by warming up your face so the blackheads loosen up. Remember, pores don’t open or close, but I do think warm water and it’s steam also makes the skin much more soft and easier to squeeze the gunk out.
Next, take a clean tissue and aim for one of those suckers, and gently press down, then towards the blackhead – the trick is to squeeze from “underneath” the blackhead. Tiny blackheads normally come out with ease, but if you’ve tried a few squeezes and it’s not budging, STOP. Believe me when I say this: you will start to become frustrated, will start to get obsessed and will eventually scar your face.
If squeezing doesn’t work, you can try nose stripes. I recently asked if you all still use nose strips and a few of you wrote that they do work, so it could work for you too! Basically you apply it to damp, freshly cleansed face. Leave the stripes on for 10 minutes, and gently pull off.
Another method you can try is a blackhead extractor. It looks pretty scary, but this tool is very simple. After a shower, when your face is damp and warm you position the “head” of the tool on a blackhead and gently press. The blackhead should shoot out and the blackhead vanish (for now)! I’ve tried it before and it doesn’t work too well on the bigger ones but it might work for you. Worth a try, no?
To sum it up, the only way is through getting the blackheads out, and regularly. Unfortunately you will always get blackheads – they clog up our pores, (which are always there, obviously) so there is always a chance a blackhead will form in it.
Just remember when extracting, make sure your skin is fresh from the shower and your skin is damp and warm. Also be extra careful when focusing on one blackhead – if after one ‘try’ it doesn’t budge, leave it alone. Also, if you can, getting a facial will help too – they know how to really extract it properly (although their way is always more painful!).
What do you do to get rid of blackheads? Do you have any other tips to add? And, as always, if you have a question just e-mail me and I’ll try my best to help. 
Images: eHow.com
Speaking of eyeliners (guyliners to be exact), V asked me this question recently and I thought it’d be a good post – no one likes smudged eye makeup, do they?!
How do I put on eyeliner so it doesn’t smudge within a few hours?
It may be extra hard for those with oilier lids to keep eye makeup and eyeliner on. Apart from getting a good eyeliner that doesn’t smudge (waterproof formulas are the best), there are a few tricks you can try out.
First, sweep your eyelid with some loose powder to soak up any oil. Apply your eyeliner, whether it is ink or pencil. (Here’s how to apply eyeliner).
Next, take a fine eyeliner brush and apply a eyeshadow over your eyeliner line to really ’set’ the eyeliner. I like to do this step twice, just to be extra careful – and I never get smudges. It also works for the lower lash line as well.
So to sum it up – the best way for eyeliner to stay put and not smudge is to have a base and top ‘coat’ of powder.
What do you do to keep your eyeliner from smudging? Oh, and if you have beauty question as well, just e-mail me and I’ll be more than happy to help!
You know the number one makeup rule is never to sleep with your makeup on, right? I am sure this cultivates a lot of worries that some may not be removing every trace off properly! This was the case for BC, who wrote in asking about removing makeup:
I have progressed from not putting any makeup to putting some light makeup now that are sweat/water resistant and give protection from UV rays oil control.
However, I am not too sure if I am removing my make up thoroughly. I am using baby oil to remove makeup from the eyes and cleansing gel for the rest of the face. Can 1 type of cleansing gel remove the different characteristics (e.g. like what I mentioned, some have spf included, some give oil control) of the makeup applied?
Can I request for a post where you share your experience on makeup removing? For instance on steps on how to thoroughly remove mascara, eyeshadow, lipstick etc.
Of course! I admit, when I got this question from BC I was a little dumbstruck at first. For one thing, I had to actually recall what I do to remove my makeup – it’s something I never really think about! So for BC and others, here are my experiences and tips.
Face
- Double cleansing.This is the method I personally do. When I feel like I’ve had a long day and the makeup has been sitting on my face too long, I double cleanse. While in the shower, use your normal cleanser and massage your face to get all that grime out. Rinse off and repeat. The second time is to cleanse your skin, while the first was purely for makeup removal. For those who use heavier foundations, sunscreens, makeup primers, etc., this may not be enough for you and you may want to be ‘extra safe’ when removing everything – in this case, I would recommend a cleansing milk/oil cleanser, as I will explain further next!
- Cleansing milks/oils. Some cleansers on the market are made specially to cleanse off every trace of product from your face. I personally do not use any cleansing cleansers so I cannot recommend specific products or brands. However, you can approach your favorite skin care brand and ask the sales lady what she recommends and try it out. If you feel it doesn’t leave any oily film on the face, make you break out, and you feel it cleans your makeup very well; you have a winner! (Readers, if you do use cleansing milks and oils, please recommend us some good ones!)
Eyes, Lips and Cheeks
- Waterproof makeup. I find waterproof makeup very hard to remove (especially waterproof mascara, I always lose a few eyelashes!) and all the tugging and pulling from normal warm water or makeup removers can’t be doing any good! So if you wear waterproof makeup on the lips and eyes, there’s nothing else I recommend but waterproof makeup remover.
- Non-waterproof makeup. For non waterproof makeup, any makeup remover will do, to be honest. Personally I don’t use waterproof makeup so removing makeup is fairly fast and easy for me; no wonder I couldn’t even remember what I did when BC asked her question! What I do – kinda weird but works for me, is that I step into the steaming hot shower with my makeup still on. This may only work since my shower and mirror area is attached – I remove my makeup. Yes, mid shower I am looking at my face and removing my makeup!
The thing is, by then all mascara has slide off my face (pretty much like that picture above!) and everything is SO unbelievably easy to wipe off. Of course I am not recommending this, but if for some reason your mirror is in your shower, try it! If not, the ‘usual’ way is to remove all traces of makeup before you step into the shower, then cleanse your face.
My recommendations
For both waterproof and non-waterproof makeup, I would recommend Clinique’s Take the Day Off Makeup Remover for Lids, Lashes and Lips. I was given it a few years ago and it has been great, so I haven’t really been looking around for another one.
For a cheaper – and just as good alternative, I would also recommend L’Oreal’s Dermo Expertise Gentle Lip and Eye Makeup Remover. I use both and love them equally! They remove everything fast and doesn’t leave any oily residue behind.
Another very cheap and easy alternative is Vaseline. If you’re into something else, may I recommend Vaseline! This baby can really remove all the dark shadows, eyeliners – water proof or not – in a few seconds.
The only reason why I stopped using this is because it felt too oily on my lids and I was scared of getting zits or even worse, those tiny milia seeds that never goes away. However, if you have no problem with oil on your face, Vaseline is an excellent choice.
So, those are my tips and experiences!
Let’s go back to BC’s question. She says she uses baby oil for the eye area and cleansing gel for the rest of her face. I think, as long as you cleanse your face with your normal cleanser afterward, and after a shower you can see your makeup gone – and your skin feels like it’s clean – then I think what you’re doing is perfectly fine!
Does anyone else have something to add, or want to share their makeup removing experiences and tips? Also, please do add some product recommendations, especially for cleansing milks, oils or gels! Thanks in advance.
Image: Patric Shaw for Glamour magazine
I got another reader e-mail the other day from S, that asked about hair coloring that could help others wondering the same thing:
I really love the Hollywood trend of dark black hair with Megan Fox and Angelina Jolie leading the way. Should I dye my hair jet black? I have quite fair skin but I really want black hair to suit me.
I do agree that there seems to be a dark hair trend, but if you look closely, these ladies do not have jet black hair – instead, it is a very deep dark brown. I suspect it might have to do with the fact that black is a very permanent color (and you know how those Hollywood ladies change their look a lot!)
For Stef, and another one else considering to dye their hair, there are a few things to consider:
- Black does not fade – ever!
- You can’t color over it if you change your mind.
- Since you can’t do anything about the color, there will be a long growing out process before you can do anything about the color again.
So think long and hard if you are tempted to get jet black hair. Also, black hair is quite a contrast on fair skin and can wash some people out, which I believe was a concern for Stef, but I have also seen it being done beautifully.
My advice will be dying your hair the darkest brown, like Brown Black from Revlon; it will look black enough, trust me. It is really up to you though, but remember those warnings!
Any dark-haired girls that can help Stef and others who want to go dark out?
Oh, and if you have beauty question as well, just e-mail me and I’ll be more than happy to help!
Images: JustJared.com
The very first reader question! Let me hyperventilate.
OK done. Reader K writes:
Been looking around your site and it has some great beauty tips for general use. I am having a spring wedding though, and was wondering if you had any more bridal specific beauty tips?
Congratulations on your engagement! I am sure you’d want to look your best possible on your special day – not to mention, the wedding photos last a lifetime, so it’s vital to look your absolute best! I am nowhere near getting married so I don’t have any personal tips, however I can imagine, and plus I did some research online. Here’s what I found:
Hair and Make Up
- Keep the whole look classic and timeless. Don’t experiement with any new hair colors or haircuts right before your wedding, try it out at least one month before. Same for makeup – no trying on blue eyeshadow or some lipstick that flakes everywhere on your special day! Take photos of your makeup so you can access how you will look like in your wedding pictures!
Schedule your hair and makeup trial appointments about a week before the wedding – that way, if you do like it, the stylist can remember what they actually did! Trying on makeup and hairstyles months before the wedding is not such a good idea; 1) because you might change your mind, and 2) the stylist might not remember exactly how he/she did it.
- Have a test day for your whole ensemble. Sometimes, the hair can look beautiful – but when it’s with your dress it might look completely different and make the proportions look all wrong!
- This is a recommendation from a friend … she says Bobbi Brown has some of the best natural looking makeup, and Bobbi herself has always said your wedding day should just be a more beautiful version of yourself, and I couldn’t agree more! Opt for something natural and beautiful, like this picture from her Spring makeup collection above! Stunning.
Skin care
- Do not try any new skincare products closely to your wedding. If you can, go to a dermatolgist a month before so he/she can sort out any skin problems you might have. If it’s nothing serious, get a facial – but at least 2-4 weeks before the wedding, in case there are any reactions.
- Waxing should be done at least 4 days before your wedding day, in case you get irration or ingrown hairs.
- Two words for the big day (apart from I do of course!): BLOTTING PAPERS. Or a makeup artist lurking around somewhere. Blotting papers are quick touch ups that soak up any nasty sebum or mishaps that has happened with your makeup. Try getting powdered ones – it’s a more natural, light alternative to piling on lots of applications of powder throughout the day.
One last tip … waterproof mascara – for everyone in the family! (And take some time to de-stress and relax through all that planning!)
Does any other brides, soon to be or not, have any other bridal beauty tips? And if anyone else have any beauty questions, I’d be happy to help out, just contact me.
Loading ...