Blemish Concealer

10 days ago I made the grave mistake of squeezing a blackhead on my cheeks. You'd think that I'd know by now after reading countless beauty magazines the beauty commandment that thou shalt not squeeze your pimples/blackheads by yourself. But this time I really couldn't resist since it feels like that blackhead has been there forever and no matter how much I exfoliate it didn't look like it was coming out anytime soon. So I gave in- and now I'm still living with the mistake.

I now have a huge red bump on my cheek- after 10 days! :( So I've tried many methods to try to conceal it. I don't want to wear foundation everyday nor use some really heavy concealer that might block my pores even more and make me break out. Here is what I've been through so far...
I first went for my trusty Bare Minerals foundation, using my concealer brush to blend it. The beauty of this of course is that it is minerals so it won't block your pores and cause more pimples AND it absorbs oil so you won't look shiny. The downside though is that the coverage is too sheer (and you cannot use more as otherwise it'll look patchy) the area gets kind of dry and obvious that you're covering up something.
The next thing I used is the Benefit Galactic Shield because the texture is more creamy (less dry and flaky!) AND has salicylic acid to prevent pimples! Except it only has three shades and the coverage is still not that good and looks kind of obvious. Maybe its just me and my lack fo skills?

Clinique just came up with something similar. I'm thinking of trying it.... anyone tried it yet? And any other suggestions for blemish coverage that won't cause more pimples??

Image Source: Sephora

A Big, Roomy Messenger Bag

My favourite trend from SS07 (which I assume will carry onto FW07) is big messenger bags that double as handbags. They are SO useful and cool.

I'm on summer holiday at the moment so I've been able to use my non-school-bags. I haven't bought a bag since last summer so I've hit a bag dry spell. Luckily, my mum bought a few bags for herself and I managed to 'borrow' her Marni balloon bag. I'm really loving it right now. It's SO roomy so it fits pretty much everything in it -when I went to the hair salon, I stuffed a magazine and book in; after I bought skincare products, they fit into the bag too. It's just so convenient to be able to just grab a bag and run out of the house. Plus I love the dark purple -it's the perfect shade of purple to make the bag look pretty, but just dark enough to make it look almost black thus making it versatile. Plus, huge messenger bags seem to go with volumous clothes. Right, I should stop gushing. Here are some others that I found online:

Kooba's Charlie bag from SS07 is so pretty and simple that I can't get why shopbop still has stock (-on sale!) The style reminds my a bit of a less feminine version of Miu Miu bags. And the metal hoops add some detail to the otherwise boring design.

Urban Outfitters has this canvas convertible bag online. It looks kind of like Balenciaga's motorcycle bag. Think what a great school bag this would make!

I usually don't like Marc by Marc Jacobs' handbags, but it surprisingly has a collection of pretty bags this season. Now this Dr. Q tote would make a fantastic travelling bag because it's huge and soft (so you can stuff the bag into hand luggage comparments.)

I absolutely adored this Miu Miu bag when it first hit stores last FW. Who knew it would still be around, albeit in different leather and colours? It's super girly yet it's still practical. Why oh why didn't I buy one last FW?

Because I love this bag so much, here it is in another colour. I can't decide whether a mono-coloured leather version (the one before) is better or this one. There is a contrast between the brown leather and tan kanvas that makes this bag seem more casual and easy-to-use. OK, I'm going to stop obsessing over this bag now -but don't you just love it?

Lastly, I just can't resist tagging on a picture of Ashley Olsen with one of last season's hot bags, Givenchy's Nightingale. I'm not in love with this bag myself but see what I mean about messenger bags? The bag looks so practical and pretty, and you can just throw things in quickly!

Image credits: www.barneys.com, www.shopbop.com, www.justjared.com, www.urbanoutfitters.com

Office Fashion: Dresses

Having been in my black suit "uniform" for a month now, I am ready for something different. Something a little more girlier and fun, but still suitable.
Rummaging through my closet, I came up with my Ralph Lauren shirt dress this summer. I've always thought it was a bit formal for everyday casual wear (though I wear it anyway), but now thinking about it for work, it just seems too casual. Kind of like I'm going to spend a day at the country club instead of a serious day at work. Although it IS a shirt dress, complete with a collar and all.
Going a bit deeper, I found this black silk and chiffon dress. I actually thought about wearing it to dinner and then to a club the other night. But decided that it was too formal for a club and it looked like it was for work. Then again, the chiffon and the silkiness of the dress makes it seem too dressy for work.....Next in my wardrobe comes my Diane von Furstenburg wrap dress. I ended up wearing this to dinner and club the other night. This is classic. It is supposedly perfect for all occasions. But then my only worry is (and yes, I know, I worry too much, people probably don't even care), is this too nice for a summer intern?

So ladies, what do you think of the dress in the workplace? Is there such a thing as too formal for work? And what does it convey about our professionalism?

Image Source: Net-a-Porter, Ralph Lauren

Hair Style Makeover?

When it comes to hair styles, there are so many different options today to make changes. You can change your color, add highlights, add layering and even add length or thickness with hair extensions to suit your characters and lifestyle. (if you want to!). Makeover is getting more and more popular recently even TV shows outline how makeover is done and dramatically change the hair styles.

So what is this makeover fuss all about? Makeovers cover color correction, which can be highlights, color, gloss and haircut or style, along with makeup application. The total process can take around 4 hours to complete.

One of the killing questions you will ask “…how damaged will my hair be after a color correction?" Believe it or not, color correction is not as damaging as it used to be. The old way of stripping hair color out with bleach is history. Modern day products allow hair stylists to remove 'artificial pigment' only, meaning that it will not open, damage, or split the cuticle of the hair in any way. This allows hairdressers to remove the most intense colors from hair, and allow it to be re-colored in the same appointment time.

You and your stylists might have different vocabularies. Hence, photos of styles that you like are very helpful to hair stylists. However, thanks to advance technology and internet, some stylists now do keeps a computer at their work station to look up hair styles online (such as a past hair style of a celebrity) if you do not have photos or cannot remember certain styles you like. The computer eliminates the need for bulky portfolio books.

To get more comfort, do remember to discuss with stylist what it will take to get the your current hair to that new hair style. Most of the time the exact cut and color are achieved in one day. But for some of you that are growing yours hair out may take several months and appointments to reach your overall goal.

Guys and Skincare

In recent conversations with guy friends, I've noticed that more and more guys use skincare. But right after admitting they use skincare, some people's reactions are like, err but you're a guy! Really people, we're in the 21st century. People in our generation are generally fickle and vain. We're into taking loads of photos every time we go out with our digital cameras that have ever-increasing mega-pixels. Who can blame guys for using skincare when we girls spend so much on similar things?

I think it's actually cool when guys admit they use skincare. I mean, at least they care enough about their hygiene and skin condition to buy and use it daily. That actually requires money and effort. While there's obviously something wrong if a guy spends more time than you (girl) getting ready to go out, guys using skincare should not imply they're gay.

All this aside, I do love talking to guys about skincare. One guy was telling me how much he loved H20+'s products because they are all oil-free (which I totally connected with because I thought the same back then,) and one guy was recommending me an eye product. Skincare's such great conversation topic!

So girls, next time a guy admits he uses skincare, don't give him a weird look! And guys, do bother!

Image credits: www.dior.com, www.biotherm.com

Backpack is a trend or necessity?? Any comment?

As men's clothing shifted from baggy and comfortable to well cut and restricting, a new dilemma arose for well dressed men across the globe: what to do with all the things we carry in our pockets. While women pack their handbags full with makeup and receipts, men surprisingly carry a lot of things; we've got our keys, wallet, checkbook, PDA, bluetooth devices packing our pockets to the brim. This is something that hadn't been dealt with since the '80s, with cell phones the size of cinderblocks, and the best solution they came up with then was the neon colored "fanny pack."

But there was a serious dilemma. Backpacks were too large, briefcases were for office papers, fanny packs were too retro, and purses were for women. The re-emergence of the messenger bag brought the perfect solution--a fusion of briefcase and purse, while still large enough to be "manly." Yet, ever since the messenger bag became an accepted carrying device for men, the size of these messenger bags has steadily decreased in both volume and area. Now, more than ever, men's bags are crossing the line of masculinity and entering into the realm of purses.

While one could argue along with Jerry Seinfeld, that it's simply a "men's European carryall," the man-purse at your hip is what it is. And don't think you're getting away with using the ever-popular designer fanny pack or daypack, as I once overheard someone calling it. It's simply a glorified purse, and you know it.

So, what's the solution you ask? I'll leave it entirely up to you. If you think you can pull off the man-purse look, just make sure the balance between messenger bag and purse is leaning towards messenger bag. Also remember, the more leather, canvas, and sporty the bag, the more masculine it will appear. Of course, another option would be to simply consolidate your wallet, checkbook, credit cards, etc. so they don't take up so much room in your pants. One unique, effective, and classy way to do this is to use a large slim cigarette box or business card holder in which you can keep all your paper, coins, and cards. Check out some antique stores, tobacco shops, or leather goods stores in order to find the perfect one for you.

Choose Your Watch

Watch, a most single piece of accessory that represent male, his characters, hobby and of course his wealth too. A design of watch can range from very fun/fashionable to classic and prestige. As time go by, there are getting more and more models, designs for different occasion, activities and even different purposes to suit different taste of people. Choosing a watch that suits might be a difficult and headache task for some if not everyone here. What is the preferred watch for someone else has absolutely no bearing whatsoever on what would be the preferred or optimal watch for other. Hence, the following tips are just some of my thoughts on how to choose a perfect piece.

So what is the right watch for you?

What do you normally get up to during the week and weekends? Do you intend to buy multiple watches or are you looking for one that can cover it all?

Find out the needs?

- Do you wear the watch for workdays or is it for the weekend or specific activity or is it the one watch for everything?
- What kind of attire during your workdays? Formal or smart casual?
- If you're getting the watch more for weekend or other activities, then the question is what are these activities? Pulling at the pub, clubbing, diving, swimming, jogging, skiing etc

What are the features you are looking for?

- Overall design, the case shape, dial layout and intricacies, color and look of the hands
- Size: tiny, medium, large or a clock on the wrist
- Prestige or beauty or uniqueness in its inner workings
- Story, romanticism, classicism, history
- Refined or rugged or swings both ways
- Certain key functions you are looking for (see appendix at the end of this post)
- Exclusivity (you want to be the only one you see with it or you like being part of a community or somewhere in between)
- Fancy things about it, gadgety stuff about it

Price Range Buy only if you are affordable. Do consider the other commitments such as family expenses, mortgage, car payments etc before even setting your sights on a potential next acquisition. Don't spend above your means.

If possible, always look for those with good re-sale value, if you are regret on what you just bought, it still can demand a good second hand value.

Impulse Purchase

Don’t rush if possible. Don’t buy on impulse.