Who says hair maintenance has to be expensive?

I first heard of the benefits of using coconut oil about a year ago, with the Extra Virgin Coconut Oil being the best of the crop.You can actually use coconut oil for everything from consuming it to applying it all over your body from head to toe. The most common uses of coconut oil are for frying food, makeup removal (including eye makeup), scalp treatment and hair mask, face and body moisturiser, and general oral health and treatment of mouth ulcers. These are so far what I have used them for. You can read more on the 101 uses of coconut oil from this link - 

http://wellnessmama.com/5734/101-uses-for-coconut-oil/

It's not easy to find coconut oil in Singapore. I could only find them at Holland & Barrett and GNC. GNC's Raw Coconut Oil retails at SGD70+ for a 32 FL OZ bottle. Both stores run out of stock for this sometimes. I tried checking out Jasons Market Place at Raffles City, can't find coconut oil in there either. So, since the raw coconut oil is so precious and I don't want to waste this on my hair everyday, I decided to go hunt for hair products that contain Coconut and I'm lucky to find them all at Mustafa Centre.

Dabur Vatika Enriched Coconut Hair Oil (SGD2 for 125ml). 

Made in United Arab Emirates. Read reviews on this product online and a lot people highly recommended this item. It is said to give hair and scalp extra nourishment for problem free and healthy hair. I use this product as a night treatment for my hair and scalp. I have been using this every night for the past 1 week and my hair texture is improving everyday and my scalp feels great after every wash.  It feels like you went to a hair salon to get a hair treatment. To use, massage the oil onto your scalp and apply some on the hair. Leave overnight and wash hair as usual the next morning.

Inecto Pure Coconut Shampoo and Conditioner (SGD4.90 each for 500ml). 

Made in England. The rating for this product on Makeup Alley is not so great. 3.3/5 for shampoo and 3.5/5 for the conditioner. Nevetheless since there are no other coconut shampoo at Mustafa Centre, I decided to just buy and give them a try. Again, it is not easy to find Coconut Shampoo in Singapore. Other brands I came across are Dessert Essence (Nature Farm might have it) and Palmers (BHG might have it). For start, I decided to go for the cheapest. So far, Inecto seems to work for me - just that you must remember to use the conditioner after shampoo or it will be a little tough to comb through the hair.

Inector Pure Coconut Glossing Spray (SGD5.80 for 100ml). 

This one is a real steal. I have never used any glossing spray that is so effective but yet so cheap. I use this as a finishing touch for my hair after I blow dry and style. A little goes a long way. There is a little coconut smell when you first apply it, but the smell does not stay for long. Highly recommended, especially for those who have frizzy hair!

Colour of The Year for 2014

If you are shopping for new cosmetics, clothes, accessories or shoes to prepare for the new look in 2014, here's a tip. Pantone - the king of colour - has revealed the colour of the year 2014 to be Radiant Orchard. So, expect to see more of shades like these in stores next year. For more information, visit  http://www.pantone.com/pages/index.aspx?pg=21129

Makeup for Asians: From Foundation to Finish

If you have always wondering on which shades to choose or what kind of makeup will suit you, here's a comprehensive article on Makeup for Asians: From Foundation to Finish. You can now start preparing for that year end party! :) 

http://lxedit.com/2013/12/04/makeup-for-asians/

More Halloween Looks Unveiled....

I had the opportunity to work with an amazing team last weekend. Since Halloween is coming up next month, we decided to create more goth and mythical look instead of the normal pretty fashion stuff that we always do on collaboration photoshoots. Colourvue (http://www.colourvue-lens.com/) was so nice to sponsor their CrazyLens contact lenses. I made use of 2 of them for this photoshoot - 22MM Warlock and 17MM Green Goblin. These are new designs recently launched by Colourvue. 

Makeup (above, centre image) -  I made use of  #Temptu SB Airbrush Makeup in Porcelain, #NYXCosmetics Gel Liner & Smudger (Jet Black), NYX Waiting for Tonight Eyeshadow Palette (Launching soon in Singapore & Malaysia. Holiday 2013 Launch.), NYX Glam Liner Aqua Luxe (Glam Azure), NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil (Milk, Purple Velvet and Electric Blue), #MACCosmetics Cremesheen Lipstick (Go For It), MAC Mineralize Blush (Soft Meow), MAC Powder Blush (Dirty Plum) and some purple Rhinestones.

For the #Vampire look, I made use of Temptu SB Airbrush Makeup in Porcelain, NYX Gel Liner & Smudger (Jet Black), NYX Waiting for Tonight Eyeshadow Palette, MAC Mineralize Blush (Soft Meow) and artificial blood from #MakeupUpForever.

Credits to: Photographer: Chris Tan (http://500px.com/christan) | Models: Cattleya Clarissa (Below, Left), Elena (Below, Right) | Wardrobe (Clarissa): Don Christrobol | Wardrobe (Elena): Ben Low | Contact Lens: ColourVUE Crazy Lens (Warlock & Green Goblin) | Hairstylist: Francisco Raquiza | MUA: Rezani Ramli | Makeover Magix

Unveiling.... Halloween Look 2013

These few weeks, I have been received calls and emails everyday requesting for Halloween makeup. The events happening around Singapore this year, seems to be geared very much towards Zombie. It's seriously Zombie craze everywhere. And so to be different, here's a proposed makeup that I hope can inspire you. Come on let's look like an alien or some weird creature instead of Zombie. So here you go..the face design and products I use to create this look. 

Contact Lens: Colourvue Crazy Lens (Green Goblin)
Eyebrow / Double Eye Liner: #NYXCosmetics Gel Liner & Smudger (Jet Black)
Eyeshadow: #NYXCosmetics Smokey Look Kit palette
Designs on forehead / eyelid: #NYXCosmetics Glam Liner Aqua Luxe (Glam Lagoon)
Cheek: #MacCosmetics Mineralized Blusher (Soft Meow) & Powder Blush (Dirty Plum)
Lips: #MacCosmetics Cremesheen (Go For It) 

Beware of Cheap Cosmetic Lenses

In creating Halloween makeup, using cosmetic lens is the the surefire way to achieve a scary or mysterious look easily. If you have a deep set eyes, your look will appear more convincing even with no horror makeup applied on your face. However, do be aware that not all cosmetic lens are safe for use. As always, there are suppliers trying to win market share buy selling the lens so cheap online or at non-optical shops. Obviously, they could sell cheaper because they just copied the design from the original brands and bypass quality and safety checks.

So, before you commit on buying any, here are two good articles to read. I'm sure there are many other cases and articles that you can Google online. Eyes are one of your most important asset. Getting cheap lenses from unreliable sources are just not worth it. You may spent so little on the lens because you want to save $100, but if your eyes are damaged, there is no turning back.

Interesting topics covered in these articles are:
1. You should never buy lenses from street vendors, salons or beauty supply stores, boutiques, flea markets novelty stores, Halloween stores, record or video stores, convenience stores, beach shops, Internet (unless the site requires a prescription).
2. True story on the negative implications of cheap cosmetic lenses.

Read the full article here:
- http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm275069.htm
- http://www.hsa.gov.sg/publish/hsaportal/en/health_products_regulation/safety_information/product_safety_alerts/safety_alerts_2011/counterfeit_coloured.html

If you are looking to create character looks such as Zombie, Vampires, Black Swan or Mad Hatter,  contacts lenses such as ColourVue Crazy Lens offer a lot of choices and is one of the most reliable cosmetic lenses to consider. These lenses are sold at optical stores and can therefore be trusted. For more information on ColourVue, visit http://www.colourvue-lens.com.

The pictures below are taken from www.makeovermagix.com. Makeup by Rezani Ramli. Contact Lens using ColourVue Crazy Lens - [L] Red Devil, [R] White Out.

 

Various Ways on Applying Blue / Emerald Eyeshadow

The main product used in the face chart below is NYX Cosmetics Love Affair with Louis LIP04 eyeshadow palette. I really love the emerald green and blue shades in this palette. It's moderately shimmer which means you can use it for day or night.