How do you tell if your whitening products are effective?

Even if the freckles or pigments don't look less darker, do you still think you are using the right products?

My beautician told me that if they don't darken, at least they maintain their colour. So, the products are considered effective.

I'm not so sure but I would never go for more drastic treatment such as laser treatment.

To renew my membership

My membership is expiring. I was told that if I pay a certain amount of money I will be able to renew it and in addition, I'll be able to get service voucher equivalent to this amount. If I don't do anything, my membership shall be downgraded (to a lower one with less benefits).

Whenever I tell myself that I'm not going to spend a single dime at the salon, I will most of the time end up signing up for a programme and this means cash outflow, what else? Anyway, I have to replenish a few products, that's inevitable spending.

If you really do want to know the price, do drop a comment with your email address or better still email me.

Normal hair-conditioner won't do the job

I can't use normal hair-conditioner, my hairstylist advised me. Those available on the shelves will not do the job. With the texture of my hair, I need special hair-conditioner, those recommended by hairstylists and mostly not available widely.

So, this means burning a bigger hole in my pocket? Looks like it. Or, I'll just be extra careful when I use normal hair-conditioner so that it won't contact my scalp.

Can I do without hair-conditioner?

Of course not! Quipped my hairstylist. In fact, with my kind of hair, even a little hair-conditioner at the ends help a lot.

'It's obvious', she said, my hair looks dry with dry ends jutting out when I walked into the salon. Actually, I have stopped using hair-conditioner a few months ago. I thought this would help alleviate my oily scalp problem.

I have to heed her advice else my hair will look like hay.

All-in-one package for fresh locks

Hair highlight + trim + treatment, all these for RM168 (approximately USD49), not bad, right?

I wanted to just have my hair highlighted and a trim. The hairstylist recommended this package which includes hair treatment. Afterall, I had resisted any offer to have hair treatment for umpteen years, so I don't think it's sinful to give in this time. A normal hair treatment costs RM60 (hopefully my hairstylist is truthful as I've not done any treatment for the last, don't know how many, years).

So, for this amount of money, it's worth it. Of course, the most important is I love the result. Nice, freshly toned, soft locks.

Another way to prevent oily scalp

I have just learnt something new from my hairstylist. She said we should refrain from using warm or hot water to wash our hair. If possible, use cold water. Warm water will stimulate production of oil on our scalp especially those with oily scalp problem.

That's news to me. I never realise this. So, from today onwards, it's cold water to wash my hair.

When do we start using anti-aging products?

My beautician said we should start using anti-aging products when we reach 25 years of age. It this is the case, I had long broken this rule.

I didn't challenge her or ask her why do we need to start so young. She probably wanted to convince me to buy some anti-aging products...

Too much of facial treatment is bad

Is it true that too much of facial treatment actually thin the skin? If this is true, then this might explain why the sight of green veins on my face is becoming more and more obvious.

I remember my beautician told me that regular facial treatment cleansed the face off impuritants and make it clear. Hence, marks/stains or in my case the veins which were not clearly visible earlier will begin to be more obvious.

I don't mind if the above is true. Or else something may be very wrong if there is green stuff growing on my face!

Budget facial

With the increase of petrol price and the impending electricity tariff hike tomorrow, everything is expected to be more expensive.

So,what does changing lifestyle entail? One of my tactics is to phase out going for my ever important facial treatment. This means instead of the recommended 3 weeks (or the most one month frequency), I will be going after more than one month. Since mine is on programme, I will take longer time to complete my programme. Which means less cash outflow...

Is it better to use facial sponge?

I have been using facial sponge since a few years ago when I was first introduced to milky cleanser. Somehow, I feel not 'clean' if I remove the cleanser (after a cleansing regime) with my bare hands. Hence, I tried using a facial sponge as what my salon does. By using this, the first layer of milky cleanser is washed off first with the sponge. The subsequent washing seems much easier.

Anyone can enlighten?

Too lazy to have a facial mask

Facial mask is very good for the skin. I have the mask and scrub too. Yet, I am too lazy to do it. After a scrub followed by a mask, my face feels smoother and fresher.

Sometimes, I wonder if there is a much faster way to do facial mask for lazy and busy people like me. For mine, I have wait for 5-10 minutes for the mask to absorb and then rinse off after that. Oh, yes, mask like SK II is more convenient but also costs a bomb.

When does a woman start using anti-aging products?

Want to make a guess? I thought it will be when a woman approaches her 40's or mid 30's (isn't this the time when the lines on our faces seem to become deeper or more prominent?)

My beautician gave me a shocking advice that a woman should start using anti-aging products as soon as she reaches mid-20's. What?! I suppose it's a preventative regime. You don't wait until those creases appear before you take any remedial action.

If this is the case, then mine is a delinquent case....

Is too much whitening products not good for skin?

Not sure if this is true. But, my beauty consultant advised me so.

I was using Loreal whitening foam cleanser alternating with Artistry whitening cleanser and that's when my beauty consultant told me not to overuse whitening products. Could she be referring to cleanser only or other whitening products?

The reason she gave me was whitening products contain 'harsher' ingredients which function to remove or reduce pigments. Maybe, she's only cautioning me to use less whitening cleaser and not other whitening products.

Is there a more effective way of thickening eye-brow?

I have thin eyebrows. Sometimes, I feel embarassed to ask my beautician to trim my eyebrow. There is practically nothing much to pluck, except for some hair growing on the upper lid that needs to be removed. With this kind of thinness, it takes some skill not to 'overtrim', alas not much hair will be left to be shaped.

I have to darken it a little to give it a sharper look with an eyebrow pencil. Otherwise, I will really look eyebrowless. So, this is a daily regime which I don't look forward to especially in days of blues. The stroke of the hand just doesn't seem right.

I was told that there is a type of liquid that can thicken eyebrow. This liquid is applied to the part where thickening is required, twice daily. My sister recommended it to me and she bought it from her beauty salon. She claimed that it worked on her eyebrow almost a few days after. I've tried for about more than a week but it doesn't seem to give any effect.

Sun block doubles up as foundation

One stone kills two birds. For a busy mom, that's what I need. It's SPF 25 and with tinted foundation. Also, not too bad as a concealer of faint marks or depigmentation.

I don't leave home without this sun block.

I wore the wrong sized bra

Shuts! I was wearing the wrong size again. I made a mistake, told by the promoter a few years ago. Got the right size with her help.

A few years later, whilst shopping for this armour, again I was told that I was wearing too small a size. Either I've grown in size or even the first promoter made a mistake.

Anyway, I wasn't very pleased with my 'development'. And, ever notice that big-sized bra is not available for cheaper brands and the designs don't really look so sexy.

Another way to have beautiful neck and yet not burn a hole in our pocket

If face needs a lot of pampering and care, so does our neck. Neck is just a few inches away from the face. So, take care of our neck.

Maybe we think that we don't need to nourish our neck with the same kind of care we accord to our face. It doesn't have to be a very costly affair. Apart from just applying moisturising cream, we put mask on our neck too. Think twice when you want to throw away facial mask which is almost expiring or probably you bought a newer and more suitable brand. Or when a sales promoter approaches you to try out sample of facial mask. Or you get those mask product when you 'Buy this free this' promotion, the mask may not suit your skin type.

Keep these for your neck.

Tips to avoid having oily hair

Eeeh, I can't stand oily hair and hair that looks oily. And I have this problem, Hellllppp!

I could only resort to washing my hair on alternate days. Else, it'll look like I just applied oil on it on the third day. Not to mention my laziness to wash my hair, it's also a 'hair-losing' experience each time after my hairwash. My hair drops while washing, drying with a towel and even combing. Sigh....

My hair, especially the fringe look greasy on the morning of the third day. As I usually wash my hair at night, I would shampoo the fringe in the morning before I go to work. So, at least the fringe would look 'clean' and dry. Looks more enticing than greasy looking hair.

In order not to add to the oilyness of my hair, I don't apply hair-conditioner on the scalp. I only concentrate on the tip of the hair. I think this is common sense.

A tip I got from my hairstylist is to blow dry our hair with hair-dryer after a hairwash. She said our hair would not look oily so easily. I tried that and yes, the hair does look 'drier' but blow drying with hairdryer is damaging to the hair la.

Does high metabolism help?

I often get compliments from my colleagues that I look slim despite being a mother of two. And, I always tell them that they should look at me before I had any children or after I had my first boy. I was much slimmer than. Now, I have expanded.

Thinking back, I shouldn't have complained then. I was always complaining about my weight.

I eat a lot, compared to a lot of other women. Fortunately, compared to the amount of food I take, my body didn't show. Yes, I've put on weight. But, it's just because I lack exercise and I don't cut down on my food intake. I eat when I like. I never remember myself going into any form of diet.

I could probably attribute my so-called 'slimness' to my high rate of metabolism. I burn fast whatever that I wallop. And I must have three meals. My breakfast is heavy most of the time. A lot of people don't believe that I take such heavy breakfast and yet remain how I look.

But, it's true. I can't live without breakfast.

How to have thicker hair?

Can anyone drop me some haircare tips on how to have thicker hair?

I have been having thinning hair since I was a youth. It wasn't very serious as sometimes there are still baby hair growing at the hairline. But, the appearance of the thinning hair at the roots especially on top of the head, is rather obvious, though not at an alarming stage yet. I don't want to wait til that day happens, though.

I've tried a few branded shampoo that target hair loss, from the cheaper ones available in any pharmacy (about RM30-RM40 or USD9-12) to those premium ones (RM60-100 or USD18-30). Sebastian, Kerastasea, Nioxin and Aesop.

I've even attempted tonic, or hair-conditioner for problematic hair such as the one I'm using. I've long stopped tonic as I find it very tedious applying it on my head. For the conditioner that I'm using which target the scalp, it's called scalp therapy. My hairstylist recommended it to me. His advice is to the scalp needs to be taken care of so that healthy hair follicles can grown. His theory makes sense as I have oily scalp and it'll turn red and itchy and slices of dandruff begin to surface when I don't wash my hair on the alternate day. If still left unwashed, flakes of dandruff will 'grow' from the scalp.

The light green-coloured conditioner has a very fresh, minty fragrance. And, the best is when applied on the scalp, it gives a very cooling feeling on the head. If I have the conditioning done in an air-conditioned hair salon, I can even feel the chill on my body because of the hair conditioner (I'm not exaggerating). We are not supposed to rinse away the conditioner straight away. For the best effect, the conditioner should be left to work on the scalp for 10-15 minutes. I don't use this conditioner as often as I should be simply because I don't waste unnecessary time in the bathroom. My bathroom regime doesn't last more than 10minutes (without hairwashing). Moreover, this conditioner doesn't untangle hair. For my fine hair, only Pantene Extra-Rich works for me now. So, I need to use both this Nioxin and Pantene conditioner if I need to use Nioxin. What a waste of time (which I don't have much)! This conditioner helps to soothe my scalp but has to be used together with the shampoo for the best effect.

I was introduced to Nioxin foam for the scalp. Frankly, I don't find this product of any use to me.I've used up one bottle (which is miserably small for the RM100 (or USD29) I parted with) and yet don't see any noticeable positive effects.

Unable to dispel the convincing persuasion of a sales promoter, I bought a bottle of Aesop Dual cleansing scalp shampoo, claimed to be effective for thinning hair. Perhaps, this brand would work better. Not only I don't experience any growing hair, my hair drops more than usual. I stopped after about 2 months of consuming it. I don't want to risk losing my crowning glory. There went my RM60 something (about USD19).

I think I better forget about being adventurous and stick to the tried and tested brand, my faithful Nioxin scalp cleanser.

Women with hips wider than 36 inches can live longer

Wow! What a welcoming news! I read about this from a female magazine. Just want to share this with women who desperately want to lose weight or just don't feel satisfied with their body.


1. Have better skin
Not trying to be a sour grape but didn't you notice mature slim women normally has wrinkled or sagging skin? Fleshier women have ample 'padding' under their skin, thus, you often see 'stretched' skin.

2. Fall sick less often
We should be proud of the little extra fat because without these fat, we'll feel cold sooner in an air-conditioned room. The layer of fat is also burnt in our body to provide the extra energy.

3. More fertile
There surely must be a reason why women are created to carry children. The extra fat functions to nurture babies healthily.

4. Less prone to bone injuries
Extra fat means extra cushion, needless to say, compared to skinny women, we are less prone to injuries in the event of falls. So, stop complaining!

5. Have better sex life
NO comments.

Despair no more. Count your blessings! We have to look at things positively,yeah.

No need to do hair treatment in hair saloon

Hair stylists never fail to ask me if I want to do hair treatment when they touch my hair. My ends do appear dry and they are dry. The scalp, however, tells a different story.

Without even thinking, the answer would always be a resounding 'NO'. I don't believe that doing hair treatment once in a blue moon would really smoothen hair or give it moist. So, why bother to spend the money at saloon?

Many,many years ago I come across a product called hair treatment cream. I bought it (can't remember the price) and tried on my hair. You just need to apply the cream after your hairwash while your hair is still wet. Wrap your towel and let it stay for, I think, 15 minutes or so. The result? Soft flowing hair, but rather oily at the scalp.

If I'm diligent enough to try a few times, I can almost bet the result could be better than one done in a saloon. Unfortunately, patience and time are not with me. I didn't bother to try more.

I don't take enough fruits

Does it show on our face if we don't have sufficient intake of fruits? Possibly.

How to make sure I take enough fruits? Or rather, take fruits everyday. Make sure favourite fruits are easily available and in abundance may be a good idea.

I'm very lazy when it comes to eating fruits. The best is banana, you just eat them out of their skin straight away. No need peeling or cutting. But, too much bananas can be too bored. How about grapes? Good choice but I loath those Red Globe grapes, though round and big but full of seeds. It's cumbersome having to eat and make sure you don't bite or swallow the seeds at the same time. That's because I just eat them as a whole. I don't bother to take a few bites out of a grape.

Seedless grapes are better. But costlier. And, worse still, fruits are sprayed with excessive pesticide that it's not safe anymore to consume fruits without soaking or washing them properly. Again, lots of work.

Apples, yes. I don't eat apples with their skin. Didn't your teacher tell you most of the nutrients are on the skin? Yeah, I know but again with the wax and pesticide all concentrated on the skin, is it safe to consume them?

Price increase again!

It's another price increase again. There was one increase last year and now come 1 April 2008, the products will be more expensive again.

Right after receiving an SMS about the price increase, I rushed to the salon today. A little budget conscious nowadays (thanks to someone!), I only bought what's necessary to me. My face sunblock. I can't leave home without it. This one costs me RM127 after discount.

Luckily, it's Members' Day (I didn't realise this until I reached the salon) and I got to pick a mystery gift. It's a travel set. Plus, I also receive a RM150 voucher (only redeemable against facial treatment, not products) as I am a member for more than 5 years. Hee.. hee..Good deal. Just the right timing. Looks like I'm getting more out of this visit.

Is depigmentation facial treatment effective?

At almost RM280 (about USD88 at date of posting) per session, it better be. It's cheaper if purchased during promotions.

Having a fair complexion is not a blessing afterall when it comes to pigmentation. (okay, okay, i'll stop complaining). Some say if your face is free of acne, high chances that it'll be plagued with pigmentation problem. Well, mine is acne-free,so, you can gather what's my problem,la. God is fair, isn't it?

As a teenager, I have problem-free skin except for the rare occassional pimples break-out. Pigmentation only started to appear after I had my kids. Problem become obvious after the second child. If only I take action earlier, I won't be living with the problem now. Early precaution always pays, I just don't learn fast enough! (Not a slow-learner, you know.)

Childbirth related pigmentation is easily curable, so I was told by the beauty consultant. At least, easier to remedy than exposure to sun and hereditary. Is this a sales gimmick to ask me to sign up for the course of treatment? Whatever it is, if I don't do something about it, I may end up having patches on my face.

With the price I'm paying, the treatment isn't something pleasurable. No pain, no gain! So, no choice lo. Generous amount of whitening serum is applied to an applicator (which is also connected to the machine) and the applicator is run through the part of the face where depigmentation appears. As the applicator contacts the face, a feeling of 'stinging' is felt. A little like mild electrocution. For normal skin, it's almost sensationless except for the smooth wet applicator. For an uneven or problematic skin, the feeling is more tangible. If only I can doze off during this session. But, hardly.

Massaging the face with whitening serum on the face to ensure deeper penetration follows. Emm, feels the best.

What is the best hair-conditioner brand to detangle fine hair?

I have super-fine hair and fragile too. Hairstylists who touched my hair before can testify this. And I've never find this as a blessing except that it's smooth to touch. It can mess up easily too. When it comes to taking care of my hair, it can be a hair-pulling experience, literally.


I used to use Dove extra-moisturising hair-conditioner. Other brands don't seem to work. Believe me, I've tried. It's like applying tonnes of them and yet my hair doesn't seem to feel softer, the knots are still tight. I've even tried a couple of premium brands such as Kerastasea and . But they are not smooth enough to detangle my easily-tangled hair.

When I can't find this Dove hair-conditioner in supermarkets' shelves, I almost panicked. What happened to this brand? I can't find the exact type, Yes there are still other Dove hair-conditioner but not the particular one I was using. Wonder why Dove phased this one out from their production line? Anyway, I was still using Dove until I can find another replacement.


My prayers are answered when I found Pantene! I never used to be a loyal consumer of Pantene shampoo. Their shampoo is a little costlier than others. But, when I stumble upon this travel size leave-on extra rich hair-conditioner, I didn't think twice to buy it.

True to its description, this conditioner solves my problem. I find it a little odd that the regular sized one is not widely sold. Most shelves are stacked with the travel size. Probably, due to its price which doesn't make it so saleable. As for me, I'll never switch to other brands unless it's taken out of the market again. Maybe, I should just stock up one or two bottles???

Which hairstyle would you choose?

Which hairstyle would you pick if you have thinning hair?

This one is unattractive and not sexy, very 'school-girl' and not versatile. Not corporate-looking too. Can even look 'ah soh' (you know the aunty look and housewife type la, what else?) when you are not dressed up appropriately. Or just one look and nothing else. You can't play around with a hairclip or a hairband if you are bored with letting it down. But, easy to maintain, dry faster after a hairwash, needs less or can even do away with hair-conditioner. Almost tangle free even in the worst sleeping pattern. You can practically walk out of the house without combing your hair. The best is, and that's the whole idea, there is less hair dropping. :)

Annddd... this look is sexier, more feminine too. You can create a few looks with it, bun it up, tie it up or the occasional braids. The price to pay, though, is tangled hair after a hairwash with rich hairconditioner, strands and strands of hair in the toilet. The result, thinning hair. Thank God there is none on my pillow or bedsheet.

For the sake of a crowning glory, I will choose the suitable hairstyle.

What happens if we miss cleansing our face at night?

I've missed it for a few nights (sometimes 2 or 3 maximum) in a row or sometimes once in a few days. And this can happen a few times a month.

Despite this, sometimes my beauty consultant even commented my skin is good when I go for my routine facial treatment.

I could only attibute this to having a stable skin. I think, for long term, if I continue to slack, it would take a toll on my skin. Better don't be lazy. I must be disciplined to cleanse every night.

Hairstyle that's too young for me

I was at the saloon to have my hair highlighted. I can't resist taking picture of this young girl who was having her hair done. I like her youthful hairstyle. It's cute, carefree and is the 'in' fashion for Japanese youngsters.

I wish we have this kind of trend when we were younger.

My trinkets

These are hand-made from czech beads.
These black chokers are bought from a boutique in a shopping mall (forgot which one) and costs RM10 each (about USD3.40).

Here are some of my favourite accessories that I often wear to the office. Picked up the habit of accessorising with chokers and necklaces since about 2 years ago. Ever since then, I feel naked without wearing them.

Creative Accessorising

I like to accessorise my somewhat dull-looking or ordinary or plain blouses, whenever I can. Plain coloured blouses are given a new refreshing and interesting look by just adding an accessories such as a scarf or a flower brooch.

A more professional or attractive look can be created by just adding the right accessories. Need not be too many or chunky or you will look like a Christmas tree. Just a simple flower brooch will make a difference, as pictured.

How to prevent cracked heels?

Instead of taking picture of my own cracked heel, I thought of just getting a picture from the net and post it here. Too shy la...

So, what's an effective home remedy to rid of this,apart from the many products available in the market? The following methods are said to work:

1)using pumice stone to scrub off the hard skin and smoothen the cracks. I think this would just be a short-term solution to remove the cracks but doesn't prevent cracks.

2)wearing socks at night if you sleep in an air-conditioned room. This is to prevent loss of moisture from the skin as dry skin will crack easily.Better still, right after applying moisturiser.

3)avoiding turning on the air-conditioner. The point is that air-conditioned environment is drier and promotes easy cracking or peeling of the skin. If you can't sleep without an airconditioner, then practise method (2)

4)never stay bare-footed anywhere even at home.Again,this is to prevent roughage to the skin and exposure elements that promote cracking skin.Concrete and even tiled floor is said to cause dryness to the feet.

5)comfortable and suitable footwear should help to alleviate this problem.

I've tried (1) and (4) and I don't think my shoes are not suitable for my feet. The problem persists but not as serious. At least, it's not obvious even when I'm wearing slip-on shoes or slippers/sandals. I just need to put layers and layers of moisturiser to prevent dryness. If I'm not disciplined, my heels will tell!

Cracked hands

It all started during my confinement of my son. Overly obsessed with hygiene, I washed my hands with Dettol handwash each (I mean each and every time) time I handled my son's feeding bottles, pacifier or drinking bottles. And mind you, one can imagine how many times an infant feed and drink in a day! That would be the number of times I wash my hands with Dettol.

My problem came a few months later. I realise whenever I lack water or get in contact frequently with water and detergent, my hands would start to dehydrate, peel then crack eventually.

To mitigate the problem, I resort to frequent moisturising of the hands. It helps to reduce dryness and onset of crack. But, when cracks appear, an effective method to heal my hands is by applying Fucicort cream. I've tried a few creams but this one work the best.

The cheapest neck cream

Do you have the following items and wish to throw or give them away:


1)Moisturiser that had expired (not too long) and you are scared to put it on the face for fear of any outbreak.
2)hand or body lotion
3)moisturiser samples which does not suit your skin type
4)moisturiser,a gift you received that does not suit your skin type
5)moisturiser/eye-cream left in the tube that you want to discard because you want to switch to a different brand


Think twice because these can be put to good use. Apply these on the neck. Most people neglect moisturising the neck even though this part of the body is the part where the signs of aging show the most. They neglect either out of ignorance or they simply don't think it's necessary to take care of the neck as it's cosily covered by the clothes.

Award winning shampoo

My shampoo is an award-winning one! I've been using this for my thinning hair.

I recently bought a jumbo-sized (this is the first time I bought this size) as it's definitely cheaper than the regular sized one and shops selling this kind of shampoos are not easy to come by.