7 Eastern beauty tips you can start doing right now.

The Asian skincare industry is one of the largest in the world. Everyone is buzzing about South Korean beauty product and the western market wants these products as well. Though most women of the east have at least 10 products on there face from the morning and before bed.

Another big thing is the whitening chemicals that rule their products in India and China. I'm not about that. My one friend loves to bleach her skin and at the end of the day her dark spots looked even more prominent. Yet when she put on a simple BB Cream it just lit on her face. So flawless.

Here are my favourite Eastern beauty tricks:

1.Wash your face for longer.

Easy as that. Sounds dumb but it is that simple. Wet your face and wash yo' face for at least two minutes. Clarisonic is launching in SA but I don't have the R3000 for that. Just concentrate to really washing your face. Rinse it really well too. You will feel the difference.

2.Warm the product before applying them to your face.

Take your face cream and rub it between your hands/ finger tips and apply. Heating it helps absorption into the skin.

3.Pat skin product into your skin

Don't smear or rub it. Lightly tap it on to your skin. This stimulates blood flow and also assists the skin with soaking up the product. Recently I went away for a weekend break and had to move away from the ablution block to apply my cream. I didn't want to scare the small children.

4. Use an eye cream

I see many people my age who neglect their eyes. Don't get the most expensive one. Clicks & Dis-chem both have for under R50 and it lasts for up to 5 months as you really only do need a few specks. I like using African Extracts' Rooibos anti-ageing eye cream. I can really feel it work. Good burn.

5.Face massage

This helps circulation and puffiness. Follow my dodgy eyeliner arrows. Start at your neck and push up lightly. I usually do this with my face cream. Do it for as long as you have time.

6. Face masks

Here are a few options. Let's talk sheet masks. I first saw Bubzbeauty using them and then Michelle Phan as well. Living in ZAR I can't quickly pop in by Etude House and load a basket. I had to look for them. There are some awesome cheap ones but I don't want any whitening agents in them. There are ones that will tug on your pocket but this one from Dis-Chem at R14.95 (In the picture) was easy throw my money at them. It came with a serum enriched cream. Or make your own with tissue and rice. They are less messy than the muds and pastes in those tomato puree pouches. Though you could look alien:

I liked how this mask covers the neck as well. That's hawt

Another cool trick form India is a turmeric mask. Turmeric is the stuff that colours curries. In ZAR we use it in bobotie and yellow rice with raisins. The yellow brightens up skin.

I saw Promise Phan do a mask but Pinterest suggested this (also inspired by Promise):

http://www.healthbeckon.com/turmeric-face-mask-recipe-glowing-skin-acne-rosacea-eczema-dark-circles/

7.Do that sunscreen thing

Yup. Best anti-ageing thing you can do for your face. Driving in your car to work, sitting by a window, even jogging exposes you to the sun. One popular Chinese actresseven uses it while work in her laptop. I dunno if I'd be that fanatic. Choose products with SPF. BB Cream or foundations, even some day creams. When you are going out for a walk or a picnic apply day cream, sunscreen then foundation or BB. Sandwich the sunscreen between the two so your face isn't sunscreen shiny.

These are my favourite Eastern skincare rituals that I use. And they all are free to R15. Okay turmeric is R17 if you don't have in your cupboard already.

Ever tried a sheet mask?

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Choose-day: Making the best of load shedding.

No one asked for this. For my non-South African Readers: Our Power supplier can not meet the demand for power in our country so we have a “share power” schedule forced on us. I use the term schedule very loosely as there is more of a general time it might go off and on.

There are a lot of angry people out there and I would not want to be their social media manager. I personally love the hash tag Eksdom. Hilarious.

I want to give you suggestions on how to use this unplugged time to your advantage.

Read:

Yup. Sounds super obvi but do it. I realize some people find it to be a chore but read a book your interested in. There are really books out there for every person. Don't even read an adult book. Teen and young adult fiction has become more than Sweet valley high. . . In fact this is what FrancinePascal is writing now:

Exclusive books link

Draw: 

 

Get a B2 pencil, a sharpener, eraser and a book (a cheap one is about R18) and start drawing. Start easy by just drawing your hand. If you want to get good at drawing something specific search and print a how to before hand and practice. Link for pony. Link for Kio.

Many people are all like:”but I can't draw”. You don’t have to show your book to anyone. You don't even have to tell any one you are drawing. Even if you start by tracing and shading the picture or wringing your name in a creative way

Jonathan Harris

Get awesome candles:

Hit up Mr Price home. They have the awesomest range of colours and scents. I have vanilla, Espresso, Cinnamon, Gardenia, and the beachy Miami. Arrange them on a dinner plate. Check their bargain bin rack for single plates or serving dishes. Pudding bowls are also nice

 Feeling even cheaper? Buy a few shot glasses and cute coloured Costas candles. Just R17 for 6. I love the pink and purple. Why have the plain white standard 'We have no power' candle when you can have these pastel wonders.

Beauty it up:

Clean your nails and paint them properly. By that I mean actually waiting for each coat to dry before applying the next.

Do an oil facial with some olive or coconut oil. Do any face mask. You have the time to switch off and relax.

Start a journal:

Buy a really nice pen and start wringing. It's doesn't have to be a diary entry (tho' some people use twitter and facebook for that). I could be for your reference to see who you have changed or for inspiration, like a to do list.

Here are some ideas. Write about things you love, places you like to go or where you would like to be. Answer some questions about yourself. After these rolling black outs, pick a time to write. Every Sunday or before bed or while you are waiting for someone.

Also remember don't only limit your journal to writing. Draw a picture, add an inspirational article. Just keep it positive. Don't weigh yourself down with the deep shit. The world has enough of that.

What are your ways to keeping yourself amused when Eskom is unamusing?

#nowifi #nolife #eskdom

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Haulling like a trucker

My hauling has become slower because of my wedding issues. I don’t twit as much either but when I did this is what I tweeted :

Full on Queen bedding from Mr Price Home.
 

I’ll be for reals with you. I don’t what I’m doing but I have inspiration and a Pinterest Board with a name : For the Home. I don’t have a house nor an idea what it looks like inside but I had to have 5 star hotel white bedding. It’s neutral and I can add any pop of colour. I also see it’s Aloe “infused” (there were anti bacterial ones too)


 Silk pillow case:

Everywhere I read about growing hair they recommend silk pillow cases. I bought this one also at Mr Price home for R39.95. (That awkward moment it’s the same material as your My Little Pony’s princess dress . . .)

Dischem add buys:

Dquip Facial cleaner: I enjoy YouTubing BubzBeauty and she raved about Clarisonic. I can’t throw my money at them because I enjoy eating and mascara. I picked up this at Dischem with my gran’s Christmas voucher (Last year’s was a NYX pallet). What a cool machine. My skin texture already feels different. I actually buffed out my one zit. It started getting red and ‘hatching’ but that thing just washed it out before it became an issue. Buy two AA batteries.

Basics heated eyelash curler: 15 years ago there were annoying infomercials with a heated eye lash curler. I bought this one. When it’s heats up, the rubber pads turn white. Don’t worry, it won’t fry your eye balls. I’m still out if I like this concept. I’m use to seeing through the curler so it feels awkward.

Compact mirror: Because Leopard print.

Gingerbon

Something about this sweet makes me feel super healthy. Maybe it’s the ginger, maybe it because I can actually understand what the ingredients are.

Have you tried any of the above products?

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Domo arigato Mr Roboto: Samsung S3 mini

I'm not always up to speed with the latest cell phones and gadgets. It just gets too expensive to buy the latest and greatest that will be outdated in a few weeks. When I do buy Tech I choose something I know will last. I still have my same old phone while other people paid a ridiculous price for a few phones. No thanks. My budget is more important than trying to keep up with the Jones. Jones must mind their own business if they want to mock me.

My last upgrade I got a Samsung S3 mini. I love Android. He is so cute. I know that that's no basis to get a phone on but I know a few things about Linux and Open Source. This is being written on OpenOffice and I only use Firefox.

Here are my apps I just had to download.

Of couse the obligatory Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. No big surprise there. Those are my top Social networking sites. I know new social networks get started everyday that people claim are better and ya know maybe they are but these are the three that are just sticking. All of my accounts are interconnected. It's where I connect with my people and where I share my stuff.

Pinterest: Finally I have a good enough phone for this app to work!! I don't necessarily pin and browse on it but when I pinned a recipe or a pattern I can just go on my phone and recall that info in the shop. Brilliant.

PaintUp: I wanted to download an app that I could draw on. I enjoy doodling and this takes it to the next level. You can save your doodle or Paint it up. This is what I do when I can't sleep. I also use my master pieces as back grounds for my phone.

PhotoGrid: I really like using this app because is so easy to use. You pick the photos you want to gird up and shake your phone to change up the types of girds. On a recent update they added stickers. Unfortunately you have to upload them separately. I downloaded Rage Comics (I just love derps) and Doodle. Now shake shake shake!!!

My Bar Free: I love cocktails. Probably making them more than drinking. There was a reason why I always got good marks for 'Drinks' in Hotel and Catering. This is an awesome app where you mark all the spirits and ingredients and it tells you what drinks you can make from the official IBA drinks as well as a few classic extras.

 

Ymail: My personal email is yahoo. I always procrastinated with stuff with my email. It just helped me get more organised.

Pou: This is my only little game app. It's a pet rock Tamagotchi type game. You feed it and can buy it clothes. It's not a very demanding creature. Very low maintenance. But with in this game it has games where you can win that world's coins. Games like bubble puzzle, a matching game and all types of other mini games. Great to get your mind thinking.

Another  two are ConverterPad and an add free Kitchen Timer

And that sums up of what I downloaded on my phone for now. What apps have you downloaded on your phone? Am I the only one that's unnaturally attached to old cellphones?

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