Face Good

December holidays are coming and many are undoubtedly planning to travel! It's snowing or about to snow in many popular tourist destinations and that's always novel for those of us who have lived in tropical weather all our lives. Snow also makes for beautiful scenery for photo-taking! Unfortunately, the cold weather also makes it mandatory for us to dress warmly in multiple layers and bulky coats, causing us to look regrettably tubby in those beautiful photos! But don't despair! With the right type of cut and accessories, you can keep warm without looking like a dumpling!

Dark colours
Wearing dark coloured clothes gives the optical illusion of looking thinner. But this does not mean that you have to dress up like a crow. Dark shades of brown, blue, red, purple and other colours too, do not add bulk to your body. On the other hand, pink and white coats make you look sweet and fluffy, but they can also make you look bulkier than usual.

Long coats
These coats that go down to knee-length are suitable for tall girls and when worn with knee-high, high-heeled boots, can really elongate your body and make you look slimmer! Petite girls too, can wear long coats, but bear in mind to choose one that is proportionate to your body. Something that goes beyond your knee could make you look like you have short legs.

If you're bottom-heavy, these are especially great for covering up your weaknesses while giving the optical illusion of a smaller waist. Shorter ladies who do not find long coats suitable for them may go for such coats that reach above the knees. Just be sure that it actually reaches beyond your butt or you'll look even more bottom-heavy.

November is typically a busy month for everyone. It's the month of exams for students, worries for parents and overtime for the working class.

If you've been sleeping late, your body will not be getting enough rest and it will be more difficult for your system to purge the toxins that have accumulated in your body. These results in premature ageing and ageing related problems such as wrinkles and uneven pigmentation. Dark eyebags and listless eyes are a given too. Although there are various methods to combat problems stemming from late nights, these are only temporary. If your body is not resting well, the problems will come back again, and your health will suffer.

If you have to stay up late for various reasons, here are some tips to keep in mind to make your short length of sleep as sound and productive as possible.

Don't eat before sleeping. That means no snacking, and try not to have dinner to late.

Sleep with the lights off. In fact, the ideal condition for sleep is when it is so dark that you can't even see your fingers when you raise your hand. In total darkness, your body rests and undergoes repair. However, when there is light in your room, your body is misled into thinking that it is not yet night and will thus not be able to rest as well as it should.

Sleep in a comfortable position.
If you like to sleep on your side, place a pillow or bolster between your legs, it will make you feel more comfortable. If you like lying on your back, place a pillow under your thighs. It will help to reduce the pressure on your back. Avoid sleeping on your stomach as it will cause discomfort in your back and neck the next day.

Find time to exercise. It will keep you healthy as well as relieve stress.

Power naps are good for quick replenishing of energy, but avoid napping for longer than 20 - 30 minutes or you will  not be able to sleep at night.

Rest well and keep yourselves healthy for the holiday season!

Just about two more months and it will be the end of 2010! Doesn't time fly by so frighteningly fast?

It's probably still too early to start cleaning your house for the new year, but it's definitely not too early to clean out your make-up pouch! Especially with Christmas around the corner and parties and gatherings to attend, you wouldn't want to spoil your skin with expired make-up, or get carried away by Christmas sales, only to realize that you still have loads of make-up at home!

Hygiene plays a part in good skin care. Keeping your cosmetics in a dirty environment can result in contamination. Here’s what to look out for when you tidy up your pouch.

Wash your make-up pouch. This is easily neglected, but it really is essential for good skin care. Just imagine putting a container of food into a dirty refrigerator. The food is likely to get contaminated too, even if it is separately packed!

Discard any product that has been kept longer than two years, including products that emit strange smells.

Discard balding brushes and worn out make-up pouffes and sponges.

If liquid products have solidified, discard them too.

Give away brand new products that you have not touched for the past 6 months. If you haven’t used them in such a long time, most likely you won’t ever use them. You might as well give them to someone who will actually use them before they expire.

Discard products that you’ve used and found to be unsuitable or ineffective.

Keep in mind what you own and don't buy more make-up unnecessarily. It's perfectly understandable to own loads of eyeshadow, lipstick and blush in varying shades, but it doesn't make sense to own several base-makeup sets with similar shades and functions. It may be cheap to purchase make-up at sales, but don't forget that you're still wasting money when you throw away unused make-up!