Fashion Accessory For Your Eyes!

Colored contact lenses are the most amazing innovation of the fashion industry. Me, myself cannot live without them! It either enhances your original eye color or completely masks it behind opaque contact lenses. I'm a seriously shortsighted girl, so I need glasses to see the world but I hate wearing them! I feel like I'm not free to do my things somehow, as the spectacles tend to move or drop as I move around. So that's why I opted for lenses. I know it's a bit tedious job to insert them in your eyes every morning, adding one more step of getting ready in the bathroom, but once you get used to it, you'll like it! And you'll feel like your eyes are normal again! haha. When I was in school, I used to wear the clear lens but now I prefer the colored ones. Cuz I thought, while I'm wearing them, why not add a little glam to it by wearing the colored ones, right? It's like instant make up for my eye! haha. A lot of people are now switching from glasses to colored contact lenses as they are more attractive, handy, beneficial and can give you a complete transformation!

Light makeup application is required to create a blending-effect with the colored lenses.

The underlying fact behind every successful makeup application is to go “natural”. Do not self-assume that more makeup means more beautiful eyes. Remember: less is more! Unless if you have a costume party or glam dinner or something to go to, then it should be fine to wear a little more. Otherwise, if it's just a normal day, you should just go natural. "As long as you focus on natural strokes, you are staying pretty", a make up guru once told me!

Enhancing the way your eyes look with colored contact lenses by proper makeup application can beautify your eyes and add glamour if you wear them properly with the right technique. According to my make up artist that I used during my wedding, which was the amazing BOSCO, you can embellish your eyes with the right choice of eye shadows to complement your contact lenses. I still remember, he asked me what were my dress' color and the color of my contact lenses, before applying my make up on that day. He wanted to ensure everything synchronizes and complements with each other! --- And I loved my look that night!!!

I love how unique the lace detailing circling the lenses

Anyways, today I'm going to share with you some tips that make your eyes look sexy with colored contact lenses. I have one new product that I recently tried on! A brand called Lacelle by Bausch + Lomb. Their colors are amazing, perfect accessory for the eyes! So when wearing a colored contact lenses, it's all about blending with colors! - Your overall make up look, your eye color and of course, your outfit of the day plays an important role as well!

Eye Makeup with Grey Colored Contact Lenses

I'm using Lacelle by Bausch + Lomb in Frozen Grey 

While wearing grey lenses, apply beige highlighter on brow bones and stroke lightly on the eye lids. Apply brown eye shadow to create depth into the eye socket. Light warm pink blush on the inner corner of eyes will really open up the eyes. And don't forget, the eyeliner and mascara to pop the eye of course!

I'm wearing a grey/black outfit to complement my make up and lenses

Eye Makeup with Purple Colored Contact Lenses

I loveee how natural this Jubilee Violet by Lacelle look on me. It doesn't look weird or "too purple" for the eyes, even up close! 

Apply white or beige eye shadow as a highlighter on brow bones. This will also give volume to your eye lids if applied on sparingly. Apply purplish grey or dark brown eye shadow to give depth to the eye socket while wearing purple lenses. Some sheer light pink eye shadow application at the inner corner of your eyes will make them sparkle!

Does my eye match with my outfit? ;)

Outfit of the day: Purple!

Eye Makeup with Black/Natural Colored Contact Lenses

Wearing Modest Black by Lacelle

Highlight your eyes using gold eye shadow when you wear black lenses. Apply a thin line of eyeliner. Wear your blackest mascara. Lastly, add a healthy fresh look by adding a touch of soft peach at the inner corner of eyes.

Wear a natural color outfits like brown/black to go with the look!

Lacelle Colors daily disposable contact lenses come in five different colors that are sure to accentuate your eyes’ natural color. They are Jubilee Violet, Sparkling Brown, Frozen Grey, Tender Brown and Modest Black. Each daily disposable contact lens has an intricate lace pattern that gives your eyes a fascinating and more appealing look. Whether you’re attending a formal event or an outrageous party, the colorful and unique lace pattern will surely turn heads your way! Wear it for extended periods of time all throughout the night without worrying about protein build-up and dry eyes. These contact lenses are made with materials that allow for high water content with an especially smooth and build-up resisting surface that will keep you feeling fresh even after sundown!


XOXO,
Shazzy.

Banking On Water to Hydrate Skin!

I was invited to the launch of a new range from a Korea brand called Laneige, that was held at the Gardens Lifestyle Store & Cafe last week. Their new range is called the Water Bank series, which is Korea's latest and hot skincare in the market! I've heard about Laneige brand before, but I honestly haven't tried it before. But now that I've have tried it, I really think I should explore more of this brand because I love most of their products! Especially their Water Bank range, which is totally new with its ingredients, benefits and packaging!

 This Water bank series is targeted for hydration. We were told that this is one of Laneige’s bestselling ranges

Four bloggers were there to try out Laneige products too.

 Ashley, Daphne, Yuyu and me!

The fundamental of Laneige skincare line is to replenish the skin with moisture. So if you have dry or dehydrated skin then their products are extra-worthy for a try.

The new Water Bank range with the new and improved 5 SKU has 8 times stronger moisturizing power compared to its previous Water Bank range. Plus, it can penetrate into the 20th layer of skin and activates the 4 dormant moisturizing genes with its new moisturizing Biogene™ Technology and Hydro Ion Mineral Water

Anyway, today I'll be reviewing the Water Bank Essence_EX and Water Bank Moisture Cream_EX, which I would consider to be the most essential steps in your skincare regime if you have dry skin. If you're always keen to try new products/brand but not sure where to start, then this essence and moisturizer would probably be the best products to test and determine how much you like the line!

The Water Bank range is not really that new in the market actually. They're already famous in Korea for their awesome result! I always envy those Koreans celebrities who have flawless skin despite putting on heavy makeup for performances each time. Oh I want flawless skin too! T_T

For me, the brand and the products are quite new because like I said, I've never explored this brand before...but having tried, touched and tested more than 5 of their products, I think I'm gonna love it for it's uniqueness!

Beautiful decorations which makes me want to try these products even more! =)

This is the Water Bank Essence_EX

I have only started using this for 1 week for now, but this has worked quite well for me. My skin was flared up red and started to flake due to some medicines I took from my doctor a few weeks ago. I also had stubborn cystic acne on my cheeks for days now, but after a week of using this together with my DIY Manuka honey spot treatment for my acne and the Water Bank Moisture Cream, I can see that my pimple has started to come out faster and my skin felt smoother and less redness! I use this at night before bedtime and woke up with a happy face because my skin didn't look and feel oily at all!!! Amaaazing!

The essence itself is sheer white and very runny and liquidy! It's very easy to be absorbed by the skin. It has a very fresh scent too!  One thing I love about this product is that it absorbs very fast on my skin (within 30 seconds) and it doesn't feel sticky at all!

The Water Bank Moisture Cream_EX

The texture of this product is light and creamy, which I love it as if it's not sticky at all. 

This cream is ideal for normal to dry skin, as the package indicates. If you have oily or combo skin it is recommended to apply their Water Bank Gel Cream_EX instead. I use their set cream during day time and Water Bank Moisture Cream_EX during the night as it is more moisturizing and suitable for my dry flaky skin inside air-conditioning room.

Next, introducing the NEW Brightening Sparkling Water range which includes Brightening Sparkling Water Whipping Cleanser, Brightening Sparkling Pop Essence and Brightening Sparkling Water Capsule Mist

The Sparkling Water found in this range is obtained from the volcanic regions of South-Central France. It helps to promote the turnover of dead skin cells and stimulate blood circulation, which in turn makes skin looks brighter, clearer and more radiant. This bubbly range is so unique and sounds very promising at the same time, like this Brightening Sparkling Water Whipping Cleanser for example!

The texture is amaaaaazing! It's like putting whipped cream on your skin! This cleanser is infused with sparkling water, which is known for its effect on health and skin! Korean women showed great interest in sparkling water. They drink with it, cook with it..and even splash it on their skin for facials! 

Here's benefits of sparkling water

Other things that I would definitely purchase for more would be this Water Drop Tint lip product! Seriously, I'm in love with this lip tint!!

This is the first time I tried a really different kind of lip product! Water coating + Synergy Glow Effect, a new technology I suppose! It gives you a beautiful natural tint for your lips and left your lips moisturized with shiny effects! Smells great too! 

Comes in 10 beautiful shades!

I feel like collecting all colors now! Definitely my favourite lip product so far! I kinda addicted to apply this to my lips every now and then! I gave my sister to try it the other day, and she loved it too!

Natural pink lips! I'm using the color code Neon Pink in this picture.

By the way, in conjunction with the launch of this Water Bank range, Laneige also started a local CSR program, an initiative called the "Waterful Sharing Campaign" to raise awareness on rainwater harvesting. Laneige Malaysia is partnering with Malaysian Environmental NGOs (MENGO), targeting to raise RM 60, 000 through a 3 month campaign to facilitate the installation of rainwater harvesting systems in selected children shelter homes. To support this campaign, Laneige is launching its "Waterful Charity Kit" featuring limited edition packaging design where every RM 10 from the Charity Kit sold will be contributed towards the targeted fund.

The "Waterful Charity Kit" will consist of Multi Cleanser (30ml), Power Essential Skin Refiner Light/Moisture (50 ml), Balancing Emulsion Light/Moisture (50ml), Water Bank Essence EX (30ml), Water Bank Gel/Moisture Cream EX (20 ml), and Water Sleeping pack EX (20 ml) together with a limited edition mineral water specially designed for this campaign 

Available at Laneige beauty counters nationwide starting July 2014. - I think it's very reasonable price for a trial pack! Great for traveling too!

Also, Laneige will be having their Water Bank Promotion at Pavillion KL, Level 3 Entrance from 30th june to 6th July 2014! It’ll be super affordable, so those who are interested should head over and grab them while you still can!

XOXO,
Shazzy.

The Bachelorette Spa Party

A lot of planning goes into getting ready and prepared for a wedding, and a sensible bride should know that their beauty routines, should be ranked high on the priority list! - Right above floral arrangements and just below the reception hall reservations! hehe. I've got tons of special treatments needed to be done for my big day, blame it on the stress! So like any other bride, I needed the skin, the teeth, the nails, the legs, the hair (although I'm wearing hijab, but that doesn't mean I am entitled for having a bad hair day, no? I gotta ensure my husband thinks I have a beautiful hair! ;p), the body, and so on, are looking at their best! So for my wedding, I've been doing a lot of spa treatments in Indonesia, having made one of my wedding dresses there! - Kill two rats with one stone, ey? hehe. 

Although..I did cover most of the beauty essentials before my big day, somehow there are a few things I couldn't get my hands on it. Like my teeth for example. I was so busy running here and there, I missed my last appointment with my dentist to go get my teeth whitened! I got them cleaned, but I didn't get them whitened :( Well they're not that yellow..but you know, they're not perfect! I was supposed to get my teeth done and fixed (with filler), and whiten them on my last week before the wedding, but some things came up, I couldn't get them done! Sad. 

Oh man...I just wish my fave drink in the world, wouldn't stain my teeth so much! Ladies, don't drink coffee ever, if you wanna have a perfect  wedding  teeth! haha

And another thing that I didn't get to reach my goal was obviously my weight! I was 60 kg before, yes..obese. hahah. I wanted to be super skinny for my wedding. My target was 47 to 50 kg, but I only managed to get to lose 5 kg before the wedding. So 55 kg je lah yang mampu! tskkk - It's hard to lose like 15 kg in 3 months time, when your fiance always brings you out to makan! T___T 

Anyway, the other beauty treatments I did was pampering the skin, the hair and the body. I spent a lot of time in the spa place with my then-fiance-now-husband at the amazing Taman Sari Royal Heritage Spa, Jakarta. Well I'm lucky to have a partner who loves going to the spa just as much as I do! Hence, going to Jakarta for plenty of times before the wedding has given me the privilege to enjoy luxurious spa treatments at their massage parlour to calm those pre-wedding jitters! I've been a bridezilla for a few weeks..so with all the amazing treatment in Taman Sari, has helped me to decompress and ease my pre-wedding tensions a little. I'd spent like 4 to 6 hours every time I go to Taman Sari. It's an amazing place!

What's the difference between a BB or a CC?

Remember when BB Creams first came in the cosmetics market? They were HOT! Then not long after that, comes CC Creams and now I heard there's gonna be a DD Creams next! Well, now we're confused! haha. Which one do we use then? Which one does the job the best? Which one will be your new best friend?

It seems like we can't open a magazine or turn on the television without seeing an advertisement for all those flesh colored fluids, right? And I'm sure if you’ve set your foot in any beauty or drugstore or cosmetics counters these days, you've probably seen a lotttttt of those items! - Liquid Foundations, Creme Foundations, Powder Foundations, Tinted Moisturizers, Tinted Sunblocks, BB Creams, CC Creams, DD Creams, and the list goes on! The alphabet formulations like BB cream, CC cream, and DD creams, have joined the tinted moisturizers and standard foundation on the shelves, as potential skin-perfecting options. But what do they all supposedly do? What’s the difference between them? And most importantly: Which should you use? O___o

BB Cream or CC Cream? Or soon in the market...the DD Cream?

Okay if you're a little confused, I'm gonna share with you what I know about these two popular creams in the market, the BB and the CC.

BB Cream, which stands for Beauty Balm or Blemish Balm, was originally meant to be an all-in-one product. So supposedly, instead of spending five minutes applying your essence/serum, moisturizer, base/primer, foundation and sunblock, you could just apply a BB Cream and you're all set. While its benefits seem to be endless, BB Cream is the world's best tinted moisturizer, packed with tons of benefits as well as SPF.  So most BB Creams would tackle additional jobs like shine protection and, my personal favorite, covering up some of those imperfections such as red marks/acne scars and discoloration that I have on my face. They’re lighter than foundation but heavier than tinted moisturizers. Although, personally I feel that BB Creams made my skin a little oilier. In terms of coverage, it differs from brands to brands, just like foundations. Some gives you medium coverage. Some gives you full coverage. You just need to try them on, to know if it's for you

This is my BB Cream that I tried on my hand that I purchased in a drugstore. This one gives me medium coverage. But the shade seems a little too white on my hand (my face is a bit fairer than my hand) But most BB Creams are available in three different shades: Fair-light, light-medium and medium-deep. - BB Creams are best for women with normal skin that don't really require a lot of coverage. 

Thanks to the moisturizer, serum and sunblock, you also have the added benefit of protecting your skin from the sun and decreasing skin damage with anti-aging properties. If you've used BB Creams before, you know that it goes on as smoothly as a tinted moisturizer, and it's also lighter than foundation! BB Creams would give you an instant sheer coverage and some SPF benefits delivered! It's perfect for a younger woman whose skin needs a little pick-me-up! - Great for people who don't like applying so many products on the face.

So anyway...in general, BB Creams tend to be more preventative...and CC Creams tend to be more corrective.

Okay now the CC Cream. The CC abbreviation actually stands for Color Correcting or Complexion Correcting. It is similar to BB Cream, but is more focus on the skin care part. Packed with vitamins C and E, the Complexion Corrector cream is similar to the BB cream.

While a BB cream will likely have an anti-aging elements and treat breakouts, a CC cream will focus on existing issues. What I like about the CC Cream is that it's lighter than a BB cream, it just feels like a moisturizer! And it also less oilier than BB! - CC Cream's primary purpose is to correct color-related skin issues, such as sallowness or redness. They're a little heavier on anti-aging, helping with uneven skin tone, age spots, wrinkles and other simple skin issues.

Just like the BB Cream, the CC Cream contains moisturizer, sunscreen and has the same amount of tint with the usual choices in fair-light, light-medium and medium-deep.

I bought mine from Hansaegee.com. It's white in color though. Not a tinted one. But I love the fact that it brightens the skin, not whitens it! 

Btw, Korea/Asia seems to be the trend setter for a beauty/cosmetics products, as opposed to Europe. So of course when I first heard there's a CC Cream in town, I'd try one from a Korean brand first! hehe

Normally the SPF in CC Creams would be higher than in BB Creams in an effort to help prevent additional skin problems caused by the sun. CC Creams are best used on skin with minor skin issues since it really tries to focus on fixing those problems! Because of its matte texture, it works great as a base for foundation! It's also less oily than the BB Cream..which can often give you the illusion of brighter skin and even diminish the look of discoloration! (BB Cream gives my skin a lot more shinier than it already is, to be honest! That's why I prefer the CC)

My CC Cream

The CC cream is a great addition to the makeup regime because of its multi-purpose use. So after reviewing some CC Creams in stores, I find that most of the CC Creams in the market are tinted with flesh colored. Honestly I don't prefer to use the CC Cream alone, on my skin. I needed more coverage on my face as I told you before, I still have my red marks from my acne that I suffered few months ago. Hence I wanted to use it with my foundation that I love. Personally I would prefer to use CC Cream + Foundation than a BB Cream alone, or a BB Cream + my foundation - although this may sound a little weird cuz the BB Cream is already like a foundation, so why would I wear both. haha. This is because the CC Cream is less oilier than the BB when applied on my skin. So if you're an acne-prone, or have dull skin, dark spots or constant redness, CC cream is for you.

I only applied them at the back of my hand. I didn't apply them on my fingers, to let you see the difference it made on my skin. The BB Cream made my skin a little whiter, while the CC Cream made the skin brighter!

Choosing your favorite BB cream and CC cream will often come as a result of the trial-and-error, because there is no uniform formula. It gets more confusing, when the BB or CC benefits and coverage vary greatly among different brands! Perhaps because it is a relatively new product to the beauty marketplace. So you have to be diligent in reading their ingredients and most importantly, trying them out to figure out what you want and need. Brighter or lighter or whiter or whatever.

When trying to decide between these two creams, start with deciding which type of coverage you need the most and your skin type. If you're looking for something that has more coverage, and are happiest with a quick make-up routine, I suggest you head to the BB Cream counter. But if you fall into the category of needing something that has a more of a natural look, and wants a liquid that works just like moisturizers but also can combat skin discoloration and age spots, then the CC creams will be your best choice!

Umm.....Still confused? haha. Just think of the BB Creams as the "makeup with skincare benefits", as it has more coverage and usually has primer included.. Plus more good for the skin ingredients than traditional tinted moisturizers and foundations.
And the CC Creams are more like "skin care with cosmetic benefits", so it has more of a skin benefit, with added vitamin C & E and dark spot correcting ingredients...and a sheer coverage.

Haha. Sounds almost the same, no? LOL. Just go and try them out and then figure which works best for your skin! Good luck! ;)


XOXO,
Shazzy. 

The 2-Step Mask!

I did a little browsing on Hansaegee's website recently. And I found out that they have a new addition in their masks range! They have the 2-Step Ampoule Masks now! So I did a little comparison between all the masks that they have there, and I give the AC Dressing Laser Mask a try!

It's a 2-step mask! It's the first time I try a sheet mask that have a two-step way of using it!

The mask has a special serum that makes the skin look moist and relax. It's great for irritated skin like mine! I read that by using it often, it can help reduce the scar on your skin as it contains an ingredient called azulene, a-bisabolol and arnica extracts which is great for brightening the skin and lighting the scar marks.

So there are 2 steps for wearing this mask. First step is to take the ampoule and tear off at the top-left corner of the packet 

Take the ampoule out and spread it all over your face.. The ampoule in this little packet is a lot! Spread it evenly on your face and maybe on your neck too, if you have the balance.. The texture is like gel-ish. Very light weight and has a sweet scent

Then take out the sheet mask..

As usual, their masks are awesomely wet with ampoule!

And apply it on your face, on top of the ampoule that you just applied..

I fell in love with the mask when I put it on my face cuz it feels just like a second skin! - It's so thin and fit my face shape perfectly.. The silky surface of the mask is so cooling too, and it does not slip off easily. Like I said, it adheres to my skin like a second skin that I didn't really feel uncomfortable like I did with other sheet masks I used before! ;)

After 30 minutes of wearing this mask, I have a clean, fresh face! It instantly brightens up my face..not whiten okay. It's BRIGHTEN. hehe. Like.....the face look fresh or something.. Dunno how to explain. hehe.

I'm so gonna use masks every week now, until my wedding day... I hope by then my scar has reduced a little and my face will glow like the spotlights! hahaha ;p

Have a great day peeps!



XOXO,
Shazzy.

This entry is specially for acne sufferer like me

I'm not really one of those girls who always have a perfect looking, flawless skin. I do have my good skin days and bad skin days. However, my skin has never really been at its worst, until recently...thanks to my imbalance hormones! >_<

Just after I told you guys that I had almost 100% score for the skin test that I did with SK II last time, I developed kinda severe acne on my face! I don't know what happened. Maybe I was just really, really stressed out for the wedding.. (yes, say hello to this Bridezilla! :p) or maybe they've been there, underneath the skin actually, and something triggered them to come out, all at the same time! - I don't know whether it was the Clarisonic brush that I used like I told you guys last time...or what! But the acne just came out all of a sudden! Sekali keluar banyak-banyak pulak tu! My worst case everrrrrrrr! I never had this kind of pimple before! It's just SO weird...and ugly...and sad. However I do think that this is more like a "disease" or hormonal acne or something. Cuz it's not like my usual once-a-month-PMS case...Sigh. Hormonal acne is a whole new beast, I tell you! :(

My pimples were so bad and my period was irregular too. My hormones were unstable I suppose. In just one month time, my face become from that clear, acne-free skin...to really bad severe acne on my face! :( It was SO bad that I always locked myself up in the room, not wanting to go out and face people! I had to cancel events, cancel going here and there, cancel appointments, cancel doing what I'm supposed to do, etc. Just because I just want to avoid seeing people. I even tried to avoid seeing my own family! Always locked myself up in my room! Yes...it was thaaaaat bad! I was always moody and sad. To be honest, I was so depressed.

Seriously, I had a reaallllly hard time dealing with it. What's more when no one is giving you hope, and all you hear is negative words from them. Thank God my darling didn't mind with it.. But still, can you imagine, coming down to eat your dinner or sahur, and hearing your family talk about your acne, look at them and made you feel bad about yourself for having acne? Every time you sit in front of them with a bare face, just makes it even harder when their eyes can't stop looking at your acne when they're talking to you... And then the stress of going out to meet your friends or even strangers pulak, and they came up to you and said, "what happened/is wrong with your face?" Sighhh... 

Ok, I know those people who asked meant well, and worried about me. But imagine the stress I had to handle and to deal with! - The pain from having the acne is one story, the pain of looking at yourself in the mirror with that ugly bumps and redness is another story... And the pain of hearing people talk about it as if YOU DON'T KNOW IT ALREADY...is yet another story!!! T__T

I now understand the feelings of those acne sufferers. I'm with you darlings.. :(

God...I hate pimples. I feel so insecure. I understand deeply for whoever has had pimple problems..and really hate those people who thinks that making fun of it is funny. Because it's not. It really is not! Hmm..I guess, this is a test that God gave me..to remind me to always be thankful and take a good care of His creations and to not always be proud of what I have or anything like it...because actually everything you own in this world belongs to Him, not you. He only lends you his wealth or beauty or health or whatever. And He can take it back anytime He wants. So I guess this test was more like a reminder for me, I think? Although I don't think I was proud last time. I was more like.........happy, I think? But oh well.. whatever. Things has happened now. But after two months, I'm quite surprised that I wasn't as depressed as I used to be. Probably cuz I kinda get used to my face being inflamed already. Heck, it has been 2 months that I live like this! Or probably because I have accepted this test that God gave me with an open heart, and have accepted my flaws...and have agreed that God can take anything within a few seconds. Saya terima. Saya redha dengan ujian ini.  =/ (So okayyy God....I have understand it and learnt my lesson...errr...so can you heal me up already? heheh :p)

I have gone to the clinic by the way...to get help. It has been about two months that I'm on medication. As of now, my skin hasn't really recovered fully. But it's getting there, inshaallah. It's better than 2 weeks ago. I don't have that many bumps like I did, a month ago. Just maybe 2 or 3 more bumps to cure. But....I do have acne marks on the skin which is yet to heal in time. The doctor said, my acne is the kind that's quite hard to cure compare to the other types of acne. - By saying hard, she meant it'll take longer time to heal. Sigh... Because my acne is inside the skin. It doesn't wanna come out, and it doesn't wanna go and disappear either. It just stays there. So the doctor gave me some medicines for the acne to come out. As of now I'm at the stage where I need to heal my acne marks that I have on my skin.. I have quite some red marks on my cheeks... (Sorry, I won't show my naked face, before and after picture. Because like I said, it hasn't cleared yet. Maybe when I get back my normal skin again (inshaallah), I'll do the post in detail! So if you wanna know exactly how I treat my acne problem, please pray for a fast recovery for me! hehe)

My pimples were kind of like this one! Scary, no? :(

[image: googled]

...and now it's sort of like this picture. The healing stage..where there's some red marks on the skin

So anyways, like all the dermatologists/skin doctors in the world, I was forbidden from wearing any make up while I'm on the treatment. Except for mineral make up, as I was told by my very own skin specialist. Of course I knew that. I knew make up is not really good for the skin. I don't even like depending on make up too, actually. But since we're living in the world where some people would judge you based on how you look, sometimes you need those extra help to cover your imperfections! Not because you wanna be fake or be/look like someone else or anything like that. But because you just wanna look and feel good about yourself, so you can have a little confidence and be happy with life. Especially for people that is not perfect like me..

So with this Raya festive, you'll meet a lot of people during open house events - friends, family, relatives, etc, and I'm sure many of us imperfect ladies, wanna look perfect or almost perfect if we can, in front of those people, right? - Cuz like it or not, people tend to judge based on your look. They would look at you and sneer if you don't look like they do or if you have something that is not quite right according to their eyes. So how else can you hide your imperfect face, other than wearing make up..right? (Plastic surgery is another story la, ok? hehe)

Anyway, the picture below is my recent Raya picture. You see those red spots on my cheeks? This is after 2 months of treatment from my doctor...the acne bumps isn't really showing up here, thanks to the antibiotics and steroids pills I took. But I do still have some red marks/acne marks that is quite hard to cover even with my make up! - Will share my meds and topical products for my acne in another post.

Look, it is still visible even after I have covered them with my full coverage foundation + powder! Some of you might say that it doesn't look that bad like how I explained/told you earlier in this post. But bear in mind, I wore thick powder in here...and this is after 2 months of treatment, and my cheeks are actually burning red without the make up on! :(

And I gotta say, I put quite a lot of powder there to cover them...but they still show up! So imagine if I don't have any make up on to cover them?! Imagine how red my face actually is! 

T____T

(Whoever invented make up is a genius! God bless you. hehehehe)

For some, wearing make up might mean that you're being fake as you're not exposing the real you...or worse, some narrow minded people would think that wearing make up means you're an attention seeker and calling them vain and give them names or whatsoever it is that they try to put you down, when really..it's just a resentful cover for their own ineptitude and lack of action to make themselves look better. Pffft - Maybe yes, if it's too much. And yes I have to agree, that there are some women who wear makeup which also happen to be vain and attention-seeking, but that's a really different story altogether.  I'm talking about those women who complain about how they look, but yet do nothing about it! And worse, trying to put others down who look good, just to make themselves feel better. Sigh.... What is wrong with the world laa.. huhu. Anyhow, I just don't see anything wrong with wearing make up, if you just wanna have a little confidence by enhancing the way you look!

Like for me, in this case...wearing make up is like my shield, my savior and my protector.. from those cruel people who judged me based on my flaws.. I never really appreciate make up until I got this test from God. I know it's bad for the skin but...I really can't help it. I need to hide them whenever I meet anyone. Yesss...anyone! Even mom, or dad..or even Mr. Fiance - although they already seen the real bumps and redness.. haha. And although my fiance actually didn't mind at all and always say that he loves me for who I am, not because of my look or anything - But I still didn't believe him as I think he just wanna make me feel good about myself (cuz he's a darling like that), and I'm a worrier who worries about anything and everything. haha. - So I just didn't feel comfortable to let myself out there...to anyyyy one especially to the ones I love/who knows me. The feelings of looking into your beloved eyes, and knowing that they say things like "..your face has changed a lot. Poor you" in their thoughts and in their mind, is a bit melancholy and depressing for me. So yes, wearing make up is the answer for me when I'm going out to meet people! Otherwise, just stay at home/your room and slap on some colored acne cream that would stay on the skin (I don't like the absorbed kind!), so the mom won't be so worried and nag at me when looking at my horrible inflamed skin! 

Oh gosh..I have typed quite long already regarding my acne story. Hee..I just realized this! ;p Now I want to share with you; the acne sufferers, who want to look good and gain back your confidence..even if it's just temporary! Yes, there is still hope..although it's not a permanent solution, but this is how I do to hide my imperfections! - Hey...at least there's a way to minimize our misery, right?! hehe. I know as we're in the midst of healing our skin, we're not supposed to do this often. So what I'm about to share with you now is for you to do it on emergency days. OK? But for those who is not really an acne sufferer/undergoing treatment like me, but has some little imperfections that you wanna correct, this trick would do just fine for you! Be it freckles, redness, moles, dark circles, etc!

Remember those days when we were in art class in school, our teacher used to teach us what are the primary colors and which color to mix with what color to get a certain color? Remember those days? Now...try to apply that on your red face! - Green is made up of two primary colors; blue and yellow. While red and blue mixed together gives you purple. Yellow added to purple gives you BROWN - or light brown/beige in this case when you mix a green concealer with a beige/yellow concealer, which is the kind of tone you're looking for when you're concealing your redness on your skin!

Corrective color palette basically follow the simple rule of ‘neutralizing’ an opposite color on the skin and then hiding it to match the respective skin tone just as in a Color Wheel where we learn last time in school...to get to where the color opposite to a particular shade that neutralizes it! These concealers usually come in various colors ranging from the natural skin tone color to colors like green and purple.

A color like yellow/beige helps to tone down and even out the skin tone. However, it does not ‘hide’ anything specifically which is why we need other colors to do the hiding work! Like purple or green for example!

So apart from the natural skin tone color concealers, the colors available in the cosmetics market are: White, Beige, Yellow, Orange, Mint Green, Light Green, Lavender Purple, Mauve, Light Blue, Pink and Light Peach. My personal favourite to do the hiding work would be the green and the purple one!

Just for your info:

• White: Used with Beige to cover up heavy under eye dark circles. 
• Beige: Used to conceal slight shadows and brighten up the complexion and under eye area. Used with White to conceal heavy under eye dark circles and around the nose area to conceal slight shadows. 
• Yellow and Orange: Neutralizes redness and brown discoloration. Used to conceal red blemishes, bruises and tone down any redness on the face near the nose, lip area, cheeks etc and on brown spots. Orange helps to neutralize the blue toned under eye dark circles and purple bruises. 
• Mint/Light Green: Neutralizes redness as well. If the redness is too dark, mint/light green is used with/without yellow to neutralize it. Works the same as the Yellow concealer except only on darker red spots and scars. 
• Lavender Purple: Used to neutralize yellow-colored bruises or imperfections, yellow under eye or cheek area due to an illness/flu etc on bronze-olive skin tones. 
• Mauve: Used to cover up dark/black spots and visible veins on the face. 
• Light Blue: Used to neutralize orange spots, tan lines/spots, age spots and freckles. 
• Pink: Used to conceal dark gray shadows just below puffy under eye dark circle area and and shadows around the nose. 
• Light Peach: Used to brighten up olive skin tones and balance out slight color discolorations. Can be used for slight coverage of blue veins.

So for this Raya...I hide my redness and inflamed skin with some mineral make up. My doctor said, if I really have to wear make up while under her treatment, she suggested me to wear a mineral make up at least. And so I did!

So this is what I used. All mineral-base make up..
I didn't have the colored concealer palette like I showed you above though. But I do have a green colored make up base from Vacci, a Korean brand make up. The best part of this green colored liquid is that it's easy to blend with the skin. It's not really a "concealer" actually, but rather a make up base! So the texture is really nice and dewy, unlike the normal concealer palette where it is quite dry. And oh, Vacci is a mineral make up brand too! I bet my doctor would approve this brand as well! hehehe
(I didn't use their foundation because their foundation that I have with me is a little too fair for my skin..that I can only apply a bit on my face, otherwise I'll look like a ghost! - I need to apply a thick amount of liquid to hide my imperfections, remember? hehe. Plus, I needed a beige/yellowy tone to cover the redness too)

So anyways..just letting you know that mineral make up generally contains less chemical-based ingredients such as parabens, binders, artificial oils, talc, preservatives, synthetic dyes and fragrances, which can help eliminate some of the skin problems. That was why my doctor said it's okay to wear mineral make up if I really need to wear one. Another major benefit of wearing a mineral make up is that it generally does not clog the pores, allowing the skin to "breathe" naturally. As such, it is less likely to aggravate an acne condition or cause flare-ups! - Which is great for people like me who is undergoing a treatment, no? hehee

So how do I wear it?

I pumped my beige foundation and my green liquid make up base side by side onto my hand...and I mix them up!

I like to put my concealer on my hand first rather than applying it straight to my face...so I can figure out how much liquid I actually need on my face, so I won't overdo it.

Mix until you get your perfect color that can hide your redness!

Just like working with a normal concealer, after applying the corrective concealer on the spots, set it with powder..

Check whether you have blend the color well or if you need to add more..

Here's a before and after I used the normal beige concealer (left) 

And after I have mixed the beige color with green liquid (right)

The redness appearance is reduced a bit! ;)

Awesome product!!

Now..get yourself the three major colors you need to have on your make up table. You never know when you might need it! You can purchase it here!

NOTE: Under eye dark circles come under blue, purple and brownish tones.. therefore they are neutralized by yellow or beige.


Hope this helps you ladies out there who are struggling with concealing those tough under eye dark circles and red blemish/scar marks.

Happy concealing girls! And happy visiting to your relatives house this weekend! Selamat Hari Raya! ;)



XOXO,
Shazzy.