Without eye makeup on

Apply the dark grey shadow on the outer lid

Sweep the silver shadow on the inner lid and on the browbone. Blend, blend, blend! I also lined the bottom lashes using a cotton bud.

Apply the liquid eyeliner and mascara

Never let a hair dryer be too hot or too close.

The greater the volume (you want), the bigger the brush (you need).

Hair longer than elbow length is too long.

When drying hair always finish with a blast of cold air; this will seal cuticles and add shine. Do not buy a hair dryer without a cold air option.

The optimum styling time for hair is when it is 85% dry. Hair drying = hair volume + a groomed finish. Drying hair with a hair dryer lifts the hair from the roots, and gives added body. Natural drying promotes natural curls and waves. Don't fry, attack or over-dry your hair. LOVE your hair.

Don't over wash your hair. Excessive shampooing and styling strips the hair of its natural oils.

Even if you are growing your hair, it still needs trims. Split ends lead to unhealthy, stunted growth, and then where will you be?

To give hair added luxury and shine, always do the final rinse using bottled water. That sounds decadent, but tap water around the world as a variety of different pH levels amd some harm the hair. Using bottled water ensures a neutral/balanced pH level. Within a month your hair will have a natural shine and improved lustre.

Except from How To Walk In High Heels.

Manicures have always been an indulgent activity of mine, for what is more fun, relaxing and cathartic (think Elle in Legally Blonde :p) than a manicure session? Still, if you're tired of paying a bundle for your manicures (they may not cost that much per session, compared to, say, that bag you just bought, but saving on a manicure a month can save you enough money for another bag!), here's a tutorial on how to do your own manicure.


TOOLS

• Nail polish remover or wipes
• Cotton Pads (not cotton balls; they tend to break off in bits of lint)
• Extra Fine Emery Board
• Cuticle Oil (olive oil or body lotion will also do)
• Cuticle Cream
• Orangewood Stick (a soft wooden stick)
• Base Coat Polish
• Colour Polish
• Top Coat or Sealant
• Hand lotion

Investing in these tools may cost you a bit of money initially, but certainly no more than the cost of one visit to a professional manicurist. Plus, you'll have them at your disposal for the next time you give yourself a manicure. All these items can be found at your local drug store like Watsons or Guardian.

Allow yourself 30 minutes - about 15 for prep work and application and 15 for nails to dry. You can shrink that time by using drying aids, like speedy topcoats or finishing sprays (you can also dunk freshly painted nails in cold water to speed the drying process).

METHOD

1. Remove old nail polish with moistened cotton dipped in nail polish remover. Press over the nail for a few seconds to soften the polish. Then with a firm movement, bring the cotton from the base of the nail to the tip. Repeat until all the polish is gone. Non-acetone polish remover is less drying to nails and cuticles than regular formulas.


2. Shape your nails with an emery board while they're dry, before soaking. File each nail tip from corner to center; do not file in a seesaw motion because it causes ridges in the nail and nail splitting. Overly abrasive files, including anything metal, will promote peeling so choose a fine-grade emery board.

Some suggestions on the nail shape to choose:

• Petite hands and fingers look best with almond shaped nails.
• Short and stocky fingers look best with squared-off oval shaped nails.
• Heavy set hands look best with squared off ends. This is also true for fingers with wide nail beds (the main body of the nail that defines its shape).

3. Soften nails and cuticles in a bowl of warm water mixed with cuticle oil, olive oil, or body lotion for about 10 minutes. Dry off and apply cuticle cream or lotion. Gently ease cuticles back by making tiny circles against the cuticle with an orangewood stick wrapped in cotton (a thin wooden stick with a slant-edge tip at both ends, available in drugstores).

4. Rub cuticles with a warm, damp washcloth in the same gentle way. The circular motion helps slough away that white membrane, which is dead cuticle skin. Many salons cut cuticles to get a clean-looking result in little time, but it's not healthy: The cuticle forms a protective seal between the nail and the skin to prevent irritants from getting into the skin, and cutting it can result in infection.

5. Apply a base coat polish (choose a quick-drying one). After it dries, apply a color polish of your choice. I suggest investing on nail polish of known brands like Sally Hansen, Revlon, etc. The quality of nail polish of cheapo brands are compromised, and they tend to stain.


6. Sweep on the polish in three strokes, from base to tip. Go up the centre, and then on each side. Use one dip per nail, and wipe the brush once per dunk before applying to nail. This helps you apply the thinnest coats possible. A shiny and protective topcoat will offer a long-lasting protective shell. This helps to strengthen the nail and prevent chipping of the nail polish. You can also use the base coat polish as a top coat, provided it is not matte.

7. Finally, after your nails are dry, apply a moisturizing cream or lotion to your hands and cuticles.

There ya go. A how-to on doing your own manicure. You can save a lot of money on salon manicures once you're used to doing it on your own.

If you're not so keen on doing it on your own, do it with your girlfriends. Have a night in with the girls, do girly things, like give each other manicures. I did it at one of my best friend's hen night, and we had such a blast. Plus, it's a great way to check out all the different colours your friends have which you don't.

Have fun!

Question of the day: What's your favourite brand of nail polish?


Source: Wired Berries and SoYouWanna.com

Being Asian, you know that the majority of us aren't blessed with double eyelids and deep-set eyes. International magazines tend to focus eye makeup techniques for Western women. Which is great for them, but not so much for us, because as much as we try to apply colour on the "crease" of our eyes, a lot of us are going to go "Eh? What crease?? I don't even have double eyelids to begin with!"

Smokey eye makeup has always been an Everest for me. If I may say so, it could well be a feat for a lot of Asian women too, because it is difficult to create that smokey eye effect without looking either like a raccoon, or that someone has punched the daylights out of our eyes. I tried it many times in the past, and all I ended up with were black eyes. Literally BLACK eyes. Not a pretty sight, if I may say so myself.

It was only after I went for a makeup and grooming course with Stella-in International that I finally learnt how to create the smokey eye effect correctly. Even then, I still need a LOT of practice because a bit too much dark grey or brown, and you'll end up looking like a zombie.

So there I was, on a lazy Sunday afternoon, suddenly struck with the desire to paint my face, and I finally got it right (YAY!! :p). But not before I checked out these videos. Man, there sure are a lot of good makeup videos on YouTube :p


This is done by the Asian Beauty Blog. I quite like it as it is not overly dramatic, as most smokey eye makeup are. However, she tends to use a lot of MAC, which I'm not so in favour of (other than the foundation). They're not too bad, but I guess a lot of the sales assistants in MAC (and I can vouch for many consumers who share the same view) are pretty arrogant, which pretty much turned me off even visiting the store. Not all of them, of course, but sadly, a majority are.


Okay, I know, the model isn't Asian (even though the makeup artist is), but her makeup tips are pretty good. This was by Your Look.


This is quite a good tutorial (okay, okay, she's pretty :p). Michelle Phan has quite a number of video tutorials in her blog too, so do check it out.


This is by Pursebuzz. Man, she has a LOT of video tutorials on Youtube, ranging from hair style tips to more makeup tips. Worth a watch, but look out for more use of MAC.

There are so many more smokey eye makeup tutorial videos out there on YouTube (plus other makeup tips), so do check it out. Remember to practise this style of makeup several times before an actual function, so that you'll get a hang of it (especially if you aren't used to applying makeup on a regular basis). You don't wanna only try it out when you have an actual function to attend, 'cos there are chances that you might muck it up because you aren't used to the amount of dark shadow to apply on your lids (yep, happened to me once. Wasted my time removing the mess and applying something else which I was more used to). So, ladies, practise, practise, practise. Good luck!

And most of all, have fun! :)

PS: Oh, and remember to clean out your brushes after you're done with the makeup. Some eye shadows tend to stain and remain on the brushes, especially the nondescript, cheapo (aka cap palang) ones.