Happy Hump Day! How is everyone doing mid-week?

As you know, I went through a mineral foundation craze earlier this year but it’s funny how things have changed. I am now a BB cream freak and love having glowy skin as opposed to a matte finish. However, you can achieve a “glowy” look with mineral powder foundation: highlighter and a misting face spray. But since my skin had an attack of allergies (not just on my wedding day, but subsequently too which I talked about on Twitter), I’m still trying my best to use as few products on my face as possible so no misting spray for now.

Also, I really want to at least make a dent on my mineral foundation that has been sitting in my powder room virtually untouched. I did try to use it as a finishing powder but it’s not my favourite because I tend to look a bit blotchy at the end of the day. The mineral foundation I have is actually for full coverage which probably explains why it doesn’t work quite as well as a loose translucent powder.

Anyhow, my sister once told me that she sometimes mixes sunscreen with her mineral foundation so it is faster and easier to use. I think the key to achieving a flawless, uncakey finish for mineral foundation is to do it in layers and with very small amounts of product which is actually very time-consuming. I thought it was a brilliant idea and made my very own…

All you need is your favourite sunscreen (mine is the Hada Labo UV Moist Cream SPF30 that is free of additives like parabens, colouring, fragrance, and alcohol so suitable for my ultra-sensitive skin now), mineral foundation powder (from Meow Cosmetics; actually a blended formula with an Estee Lauder loose mineral powder), a small container for mixing (from Muji) and storage, and a toothpick.

I also used a spatula (pictured below) from one of my Naruko night jellies to scoop the mineral foundation powder into the small container. You can also use a tiny spoon or a small butter knife to transfer the powder.

Initially, I intended to use the spatula for mixing but my sunscreen was quite creamy and the mixture balled up much like dough so the spatula was too unwieldy for stirring. Solution: a toothpick came to the rescue! It took me under five minutes to get the following…

Just keep stirring the “dough”, plus I added just a touch more sunscreen, and it would eventually look like a cream foundation. In fact the slight greyish undertone of this foundation makes this look like a BB cream – lol! I thought I should’ve made more but this little container goes a long way because I think I chose a very creamy sunscreen to begin with — I opted for this because the weather is getting drier now.

The end result reminds me of a tinted moisturizer which is great for when I just want to even out my skin tone but I wouldn’t use this to a “nice” event or when I need to look more polished. I did try building it up but found the coverage to be light so I might experiment with more powder and less sunscreen for my next batch. One final note: I would still layer on some sunscreen before using the mixed version simply because I think having a generous amount of sunscreen on your face and body is essential to prevent sun-related skin damage.

There you go, a quick-and-easy way to use up mineral foundation if you are struggling with your stash or you would like a fuss-free type of application.

Are you a fan of mineral foundation? Yes or no, tell us your experience and share your thoughts on which brands you would recommend.

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Wow, I’m really enjoying our discussions at our Beauty Debate corner. I feel like I’m learning a lot from my readers and I’m just loving going through all your comments. I’m definitely looking forward to the next one…

Until then, here’s a DIY Solutions post today…

I became a convert in using salt in my beauty regimen when my homemade coconut oil salt scrub helped my acne-prone skin. But I would like to mention that I only use this on my body and not my face as coconut oil is a little intimidating for my sensitive, oily skin.

Back in Oct when I had rashes on my face due to using sheet masks, my mother advised me to pat salt water on my face, because nothing seemed to work, not even aloe vera gel. My mum said that she would pat salt water on our skin when we had rashes as babies so she remembered to tell me this when I moaned to her about my rashes.

For four days, the rash persisted but on the last two days, I used a sheet mask soaked with salt water on each night and the rashes looked less red and angry the next morning. I still use this salt mask occasionally when I feel like my skin is breaking out or has clogged pores.

What I love in Japanese drugstores are the plain sheet masks you can buy and you can soak them in any solution you like. In fact, you can make the best out of your hydrating lotion as sheet masks seem help the skin absorb more lotion as opposed to just slapping the lotion onto your skin, especially if your lotion is very watery.

I like this brand of plain sheet masks from Kanebo because of the way it is stored — it has a cover for the sheet masks so it’s very hygienic and can keep for a long time. The only thing I don’t quite like about this brand is that the sheet masks tend to leave “wrinkles” behind. The texture of the sheet mask, like textured paper I suppose, leaves marks on my skin but it’s no big deal as they go away quite quickly, much like sleep marks in the morning.

I used my trusty stash of pink rock salt which I diluted with filtered water. I didn’t boil the concoction because I think the salt can be dissolved easily if you stir it in water.

Basically, I just placed one sheet mask tablet into the bowl of salt water, let it soak for a few seconds, and it would expand. Then, I just carefully unwrap it and place it on my face for 10-15 minutes. I have tried putting this mask on for 30 minutes but I found it to be a little drying so I think a shorter time period is more suitable for my needs.

In short, I would use this mask if I have rashes or acne on my face which is about every two weeks. I think it’s a gentle way to help acne-prone skin that is sensitive to harsh acne products which I generally try not to use, besides spot treatments. Since my skin is so sensitive, I have even stopped using clay masks for now and am trying my best to just let my skin heal. I think I might do a more in-depth post on my updated skincare routine.

I was such a sheet mask demon for the most part of the year but maybe I overdid it and my skin couldn’t take the overload. I feel a little sad because I have a huge stash of sheet masks which I’m still twiddling my thumbs over what to do with them.

Have you tried salt as a beauty treatment? Do you like to make your own sheet masks or do you prefer ready-made ones?

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Hiya, I see I have tempted some beauty fanatics out there with my Visee Smack Glam post — I’m especially loving the nude lip gloss. Go get it now.

We’re breaking away from reviews/hauls for a bit today and I thought I would share my latest DIY discovery. I was inspired by a video by Andrea’s Choice which talked about how great salt is for treating acne. You can use it in a mask or put it in your bath and it would heal your acne much faster. I was quite taken by her towel mask (she cut holes out for her eyes and nose) which she soaked in salt water and she also featured a honey salt mask/scrub which she demo-ed.

I wasn’t having a very good day with acne on my chest and back due to a moisturizer I was using (will not name names here but it broke me out!) so I wanted to do some heavy duty scrubbing. This scrub only needs three ingredients: salt, coconut oil, and lemon.

Instead of honey, I thought coconut oil would be a good idea because salt can be very abrasive so an oil could help move things along better. In fact, there are some amazing facts about coconut oil you could read here, and I’ll mention the most interesting one for skincare: it is actually great at removing dead skin cells from the surface of your skin!

My skin improved by leaps and bounds by the next morning — the pimples calmed down and were on their way to drying out and I would recommend just rubbing some salt water on subsequent days if you want to speed things up even more.

So let’s get down to how to make your own salt scrub that smells delicious and is good for getting rid of acne.

So take a tablespoon of coconut oil. It is always in solid form so you need to melt it. I wouldn’t recommend heating it in a pot over the stove because coconut oil melts with just a slight raise in temperature.

I put that small bowl containing the coconut oil and placed it in a bigger bowl half-filled with warm water. It doesn’t even need to be boiling water. The oil should melt immediately and you’ll get the liquid form in just a few minutes.

I know this is a bit bothersome but you could just mix solid coconut oil with salt but it would be more solid and chunky as opposed to a more liquidy oily texture that the store-bought ones have.

Just use a spoon to mix the salt (I used pink rock salt), lemon juice (1/4 wedge), and coconut oil. Be careful of how much lemon juice you squeeze into the concoction because you don’t want it to turn into a watery mix which is not ideal for a scrub.

I need to warn you that the rock salt I used looked a bit chunkier than refined salt and it was very very rough, so I would advise you to use very finely milled sea or rock salt if you dislike extremely rough scrubs. I can take very hard scrubs but this was was kind of pushing it for me. If you have a serious breakout, I would advise you to soak in a bath with salt dissolved in it, rather than this scrub because it could do more damage (in terms of open wounds – very stinging! – and just general discomfort scrubbing bumpy skin) than good.

I used this scrub after I washed my body with my regular shower gel and my skin felt extremely oily after I washed everything off. I was a bit dismayed but after drying off, my skin felt fine. And it was soooo smooth right after and the next morning, plus my zits started healing straight away.

Do you have any salt beauty treatments that you like? Do share!

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Have you heard of dry body brushing for detoxing and unclogging of pores? Your skin is technically your largest organ and a lot of toxins are got rid of via the skin, so it makes sense to “brush off” the crap that is produced. Many blogs talk about it: you can click here, here, and here. And Kris Carr, a health and wellness guru, puts it so succinctly in her post on dry brushing here.

I’ve been aware of it for a few years now, especially when I plunged into raw food three years ago. At the time, it seemed like a very “hippie” thing to do, I’m not going to lie, and I was pretty skeptical of what it could do. “And why can’t I exfoliate just as well when my skin is wet?” was a question that I had in my head. Basically I think if your skin is wet, the dead skin cells can’t be sloughed off as easily as when your skin is dry because there is more friction when your skin and the brush bristles come into contact.

But as you know, I went through a period of terrible breakouts, and this my friend, would make any sane woman try anything to relieve herself of scarring spots.

So I got myself a 1,000JPY (USD13) synthetic brush with a long sturdy handle from Muji six months ago. I have to admit it took me awhile to get going because it seemed quite tricky to be dry before taking a shower. I tend to work out every other day and with the onset of a very humid summer, I found myself to be constantly damp.

But once I started dry brushing myself regularly, I got into the groove. I don’t do it daily though it’s the most ideal situation but I slowly began to see the effects of it. The weather was so hot that I’d taken to turn on the air-conditioning more often so I was quite dry before taking my shower. There was a three-week period in July that I dry brushed myself every other day and the skin on my chest and back was so smooth and blemish free which gave my skin the chance to heal from acne scars.

Another thing I noticed was that my KP (Keratosis Pilaris) has diminished significantly. For those who do not know what KP is, it’s a skin condition where your pores are clogged which results in “chicken-skin” or bumps typically found on the back of arms or your lower buttocks. I had a pretty bad case on my left arm but it looks so much better these days.

Because of this, I was so encouraged and continued to dry brush as much as possible. But I got really busy mid-Aug, and alas, clogged pores bit my behind (or rather my back) again. This experience has truly convinced me that dry body brushing could be a valuable step in my beauty regime.

Tips on how to dry brush:

+ Buy a brush that has strong but soft bristles as you do not want to scratch yourself.
+ Brush your skin in an upward, circular motion. A lot of sites encourage you to “brush towards your heart and to start from your feet” — but I couldn’t find a concrete reason on why both are absolutely necessary so I ignored these points and just brushed my legs, arms, chest, back and buttocks.
+ Your skin should be dry. I have tried brushing on damp skin and it feels yucky and it drags the bristles.
+ Avoid sensitive areas like the underarm areas and open wounds.
+ Wash your brush with soap and hang it up to dry. There is no point brushing yourself with dirty bristles as they would clog your pores more.

Have you tried dry body brushing before? Has it worked for you?

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Ever since my apple cider vinegar discovery, I’ve been on the look out for more amazing DIY beauty solutions.

A few weeks ago, I finally admitted to myself that my nails were doing poorly for a very long time. In fact, for the past six months, my nails were incredibly brittle and peeled constantly. They would bend like pliable plastic if I pressed them on a hard surface. I stopped wearing nail polish all the time and only applied it on special occasions like an evening out or a wedding, but even after just wearing polish for a day or two, my nails (however little they recovered from the last wear) would just get worse and worse.

I looked into cuticle oil on sale at drugstores and I really didn’t like what I saw. Mineral oil and all sorts of unpronounceable chemicals were in the ingredients list and wondered how could my cuticles improve with something that sounded so inferior? Why not just slather on a heavy hand cream or oil?

I think the demand for cuticle oil also lies in the ease of application — you want to put on just enough product on your cuticles and not have the rest of your hands feel greasy, hence the standard nail polish brush and roller ball applicators are common features in cuticle treatments.

I searched online and discovered a plethora of pages containing cuticle oil recipes, and I think as long as you have a mix of nourishing oils, you’re good to go. Vitamin E seems to be a popular choice for nail treatments so I definitely wanted to put this in mine….

I’ve got extra virgin olive oil, jojoba oil, vitamin E oil, and rosehip oil.

To lend a bit of sparkle, I also put small drops of lavender, ylang ylang, and grapefruit essential oils. I actually had these as part of an Afternoon Tea essential oils set I received as a housewarming gift a few years ago and they even came with their own droppers — how convenient!

The set I have came with two droppers so I used one for the olive oil and one for the essential oils.

I bought this roller ball bottle for 360JPY (USD4.60) from my local drugstore but I think it’s quite easy to get if you look into aromatherapy stores, or online shops (Sephora has a lovely one here; Amazon also sells them here)

Since I had four oils I wanted to use, I filled up my roller ball bottle with a quarter of each oil but I used less of the vitamin E oil since it was so viscous and figured a little bit would go a long way. I left a bit of volume for one drop of each essential oil and I’m just in love with the lavender-ylang-ylang-grapefruit blend I’ve got going on here.

I shook the bottle well as the vitamin E oil settled at the bottom, then I rolled the stuff onto my cuticles (basically the skin all around the nails). My fingers didn’t get oily because the roller ball gave out just enough product and since it was a fairly thick oil, it didn’t drip at all — the oil just stayed put on my nail beds and I could type on my computer straight after.

I’m just loving this treatment!! It smells gorgeous, has a nifty application, and is just made up of pure oils and has zero nasty chemicals.

Have you tried making your own cuticle oil? What’s your fave cuticle oil to buy? What kind of applicator do you prefer the best?

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Hello, my fellow beauty warriors, I do feel like I’m in the battlefield sometimes lately. I’ve had some mini breakthroughs in my regime and would like to share what I’ve been doing.

My winter routine was quickly replaced because I found various products to have made my skin worse or unchanged. For one I have completely stopped all commercial acne spot treatments — I just couldn’t find one that worked for me.

I watched a video on how to make your own scrub/mask to fade acne scars and all you need are green tea, honey, sugar, and apple cider vinegar (ACV).

I’ve tried applying manuka honey to cystic acne (thanks, Sonum!!) and it helps to bring it to the surface and the life span is shorter than if I left it alone, so this led me to be adventurous about this concoction. It turns out the “force” of this mask/scrub is really the ACV.

I used 4 teaspoons of green tea (I waited for the hot water to cool down to a warm tepid temperature before soaking my tea bag — didn’t want those precious anti-oxidants to be zapped), 2 teaspoons of ACV, 10 teaspoons of white sugar and 1 teaspoon of honey. I mixed them all into a bowl and it just smelled of honey to me. I thought of adding lemon but I figured ACV is pretty acidic already.

This would yield A LOT and give you two generous portions. I thought I could keep the remainder in the fridge but the sugar dissolved and it was no longer a scrub but you could use it as a mask.

So far, I have only used this twice. As a scrub, I was very pleased with it the first time round. My skin felt baby smooth due to the coarse granules of the sugar and I even used it on my face. I rubbed it in gently and then left it on while I washed my hair.

However, I will not use this on my face again because I think it makes it more sensitive. I usually spray Silk Naturals’ Strawberry Spritz on my face to set my makeup and my skin turned bright red. It took about two weeks for my skin to stop turning red with the spritz. Maybe I should’ve stopped the spritz? Yes I did but my skin was fine before the ACV treatment so I think I might pass on this on my face.

The second time round, I changed the brand of sugar that was an even coarser quality which made my shoulders, back and chest skin even smoother. I have to say that I’m someone who loves rough scrubs so if this is not your thing, you shouldn’t try this.

For the remaining green tea, I added one part ACV to three parts green tea to make a toner. After two weeks of using this toner once at night after a shower, I do find that it helps to prevent more acne from appearing and also heals active ones faster. I have also read that you can apply ACV neat on acne to help them go away more quickly but I have yet to try it. For MUA reviews on ACV toners, you can click here. The toner lasts for two weeks but I find that a bit of mould builds up from the green tea on the rim of the bottle even when refrigerated so I tossed it out after one week.

Now there is a second amazing use for ACV and it can clarify your hair from residue-buildup. You can read the raves on Makeup Alley here and Viva Woman did a comprehensive post on it too (and I have yet to try her aspirin and ACV remedy).

So what I did was to mix two teaspoons of baking soda with 1 teaspoon of ACV and the concoction frothed immediately — how fun! I added a touch of water so that I had enough to massage it all into my hair and scalp.

The raves at MUA were not unfounded at all — this is amazing! My hair feels super soft and light afterwards. I was worried it could dry my hair out but it didn’t! I used my shampoo and conditioner as per normal and then massaged the ACV and baking soda in which I left on for only a minute or two and then washed it all off.

I know it would be better if I left it on longer but I didn’t really have the time or patience to do that. I think you could massage it in, put your hair up in a towel and then step out of the shower, or treat yourself to a bath, and then rinse your hair 10-15 minutes later (will try this next weekend!)

If you suffer from heavy residue on your hair, I would highly recommend this with two thumbs up. And for the acne scrub/mask, I would only use it for my body and not my face since I have sensitive skin so you could give a go if you aren’t super sensitive.

Do you have any DIY beauty treatments you love?

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Remember my big clean-out? I have gone one step further after being inspired by Catherine at Strawberry Mochi — I’ve purchased a stationary storage set from Askul (3880JPY = USD47) to house my cosmetics on my bathroom top counter. I wanted to get some boxes from Muji but these were cheaper so I got them instead…

I love how organized everything looks. Gone are the mornings or nights when I am rushing out to an appointment or dinner where I am digging through a pile of products just to look for a particular lipstick or a tiny single eye shadow palette.

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You know I’m always searching for efficient ways to pack my beauty essentials while globe-trotting (here and here) so this travel-sized perfume bottle set was quite a thrill to find.

Check out the teeny tiny tube that covers the nozzle…genius!

I’m ashamed to even call myself a perfumista because I’ve always resigned myself to using miniatures bought/given by the brand or just transferring perfume from non-spray bottles into smaller ones or just stuffing a whole bottle into my check-in luggage; but you know I don’t travel with check-in anymore.

Although this is new to me, it’s probably seriously old news for Japanese women, like my beloved new foam net.

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Hi gorgeous bubbles, how was your week? There were two public holidays in Japan so I was pretty much MIA. Last weekend was a long one with Monday as Respect The Elderly Day, so I took off to Niigata, northwest of Tokyo, for a camping trip at a three-day music festival in the boonies.

I love nature but I’m not sure if I’m a hardcore camping girl. I could pull through it all but not without some discomfort and longing for my own powder room. Though I would definitely go camping in the Japanese countryside — it’s just so beautiful!

As promised, I’m going to show you what I brought with me to this camping trip.

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I live in a small apartment with only one bathroom so when I have guests, I need to find a mirror to do my hair and makeup.

Unfortunately, I don’t buy compacts much and threw away very old ones recently. My solution? My MacBook!

I turned on iMovie and it reflected back my image. I put on my makeup in a jiffy.

The other solution is to use my digital camera whose viewfinder has a mirror-like surface when it is turned off. This was a lifesaver in Nepal three years ago when there were no mirrors in the guest houses I stayed in and I cannot put on my contacts without one.

My fiancé held up my digital camera so I could have both hands to navigate the lenses onto my eyes. I feel like laughing every time I think about this.

I sometimes swipe lipstick and lipgloss without a mirror and I think it looks okay. Plus, there are mirrors in almost every subway station in Tokyo. I always catch women (or men) checking their appearance and it’s no wonder this is a city full of spiffy-looking peeps.

What do you when you can’t put on your face in your powder room?