Product Review: Maybelline Dream Mousse Shadow in Lilac Cloud – A Great Complement to East Asian Skintones

I normally do not buy drugstore brand makeup, but Maybelline’s Dream Mousse Eye Shadow in Lilac Cloud 50 complements my skintone so well, I don’t know how I ever dressed up before without it. The lilac color looks amazing on Asian eyes. Applying with a makeup brush will help avoid contamination of the product, but heck I just go on ahead and use my fingers. Be sure to blend well. Use with black eyeliner and mascara for a fabulous clubbing look or with gray eyeliner for a daytime look. The mousse shadow is inexpensive, available almost anywhere, and will quickly become your go-to product for classy, subdued sexiness.

A Sweet Way to Exfoliate

 

Exfoliation is essential to smooth, clear skin. At home, I use St. Ives Apricot Scrub, but I buy it in the big clunky container that’s difficult to transport when traveling. Plus, I like to travel light and not be “one of those girls” that lug around everything in their bathroom with them wherever they go.

Thus, when I’m on an overnight trip, I use white sugar. Almost anywhere you go will have white sugar readily available. Or you can much more easily bring your own three or four packets of white sugar as opposed to a whole jar of facial scrub.

After cleansing, wet your face with water, then pour a small handful of sugar grains into your hand and rub over the face. Use as you normally would a facial scrub. The results are instant and amazing. Plus, it keeps those annoying blackheads and blemishes at bay.

If your skin tends to be dry, use honey with the sugar; this way, you exfoliate and moisturize simultaneously. Honey serves as an excellent facial mask for those with dry, parched skin or anyone who needs an oil-free moisturizer.

Recently I went on a weekend trip and forgot to pack my facial scrub. Due to stress, my skin began to break out a little and looked sallow. Fortunately the hotel supplied white sugar packets. Talk about saving face!

Gray is the New Black (for Eye Brows, that is)

I used to make the mistake of using black or brown to color in my eyebrows. Then I learned a better alternative from a makeup artist who is of Vietnamese descent. She taught me to use gray instead. This has been an invaluable tip.

When selecting a brow pencil, choose a gray. My sister is a fan of Lancome Le Crayon Poudre – Powder Pencil for the Brows in Sable or simply opt for gray eyeshadow. For those looking to try something new, look into Besame Masterliner Eye Brow Pencil, which comes in gray and taupe. The brow pencil pictured above is the Besame liner.

While we’re on the matter of eyeshadows, deep green looks amazing on Asians. Also, always have a brown on hand.

If you’re hesitant about the gray and want to remain with the more conservative brown, then compromise with a brown-gray color, such as NARS Eyebrow Pencil in Jodhpur.

Lemon Juice for a Paler Brighter Complexion

The obsession for pale skin has survived through ages of civilizations in Asia. Japan, Korea and China probably spend as much money coming up with new bleaching creams for women as they do on, oh I don’t know, military technology. My mother used this ridiculous Japanese whitening powder that allegedly contained pearls and what-not.

Personally, I advise against using any bleaching products you would buy at a store. Instead, head for the grocer’s and pick up a bottle of pure lemon juice. This bottle will be residing in your refrigerator, not your bathroom counter.

Every morning and every evening before your normal skin regime, apply lemon juice all over your face and neck the way you would a toner. Out of environmental concerns, I skip the cotton ball, applying the juice with my fingers directly.

Twice a day and within two months’ time, you will see results. Be sure to avoid contact with the eyes, though. You probably won’t turn significant shades lighter overnight, but gradually uneven splotches and acne scars do fade.

Lemon juice works as an astringent and thus also eliminates blackheads and helps to even out skintone. I’ve found that my skin is brighter, far more radiant than before, and allows me to be confident without makeup on in public. Friends are always commenting on my skin. “Are you seriously not wearing any makeup at all right now?” They ask. It’s true. Lemon juice is my holy grail beauty secret. It also seems to retard the growth of pimples and other blemishes. I haven’t had clearer skin since I was a baby.

Breath Freshener + Medicinal Perks

And nothing freshens the breath quicker than swirling a little lemon juice diluted with water in the mouth. I can get rid of morning breath and the sallowness of a tired face all in one go. Lemon juice gargle is also great for warding off colds, strengthening the immune system. To alleviate a sore throat, stuffy nose, and other flu symptoms, mix lemon juice and honey with hot water for a phenomenal home remedy.

Lemon Juice as a Nail Soak

Mix one part lemon juice to two parts warm filtered water for a great nail soak. This brightens and strengthens your fingernails. Soak for at least 15 minutes, then pat dry. Rubbing a little Vaseline or olive oil into the nails afterward gives it a nice sheen.

Unless I’m dolling up for a special event, I skip the polish altogether and this habit is all I need to keep my nails healthy and handsome.

Tofu

One of my aunts, a former pageant queen, revealed to me her secret for flawless skin texture: tofu. This woman would eat fresh unseasoned tofu for lunch, by itself. I wouldn’t be able to tolerate that on a daily basis, or at all, but I did adapt her tip to my lifestyle.

I try to eat about one carton of tofu per week.

As a sweet dessert or snack, drizzle sweetened condensed milk over silken tofu or edamame tofu (light green in color) and serve with fruits, like mangoes, lychees or watermelon. Westerners who claim to dislike tofu have never had it served up this way!

Firm tofu can be stir-fried with any assortment of vegetables and meats. In spite of the warning to avoid too much soy sauce, soy sauce and tofu make a delicious combination. When making dumplings, crab cakes, or deep-fried shrimp balls, I always make sure to include mashed up tofu.

This isn’t a cooking blog, so recipes will have to be found elsewhere. Google is your friend.

The Indispensable Egg

I don’t know what I’d do without eggs. Aside from being one of my favorite foods, they’re also one of my favorite beauty tips.

Egg White Facial Mask for Oily and Combination Skin

Egg whites make for an amazing facial mask if you have either oily or combination skin. Separate the egg white from an egg and beat until frothy. Apply to face and neck and let dry. Keep it on your face for 10-15 minutes before rinsing off.

You’ll immediately see that your skin is tighter, pores are smaller, and that oily sheen is gone. Don’t apply more than once per week.

Egg Yolk Hair Conditioner

I make sure to do this treatment at the same time I do the egg white facial mask. Separately, mix the egg yolk and apply to clean hair as you would any hair conditioner. Be sure to concentrate a generous amount of the yolk at the tips. Leave on for 10-15 minutes, like the mask. I then step into the shower to rinse both off with minimal hassle. I used to get horrible split ends and nothing I tried other than this egg yolk hair treatment would alleviate the problem. Now my hair is shiny and split-end free.

Egg Yolk Facial Mask for Dry or Mature Skin

For those with dry, parchy skin, use the egg yolk for a facial mask instead of the egg white. I’ve never tried this before as I do not have dry, parchy skin. Just the opposite. I could deep-fry the darn egg in all the oil on my face that collects in a day. However, friends have tried this and love it.

Egg yolk facial masks are also fantastic for older women who want to keep the wrinkles and age spots under control. Both my mother and grandmother used to mix an egg yolk, milk, and honey for a face mask that has kept their skin ageless. They aged very gracefully and I can only hope for the same.

What To Do With the Eggshell

Make an excellent compost with crushed up eggshells and coffee grounds. I then use the compost in my potted plants, which I’ve found to be just as effective as Miracle-Gro or other commercial plant foods.

Listen to Mom: Avoid Soy Sauce

Soy products are great for you, with all that antioxident-rich goodness; but dark soy sauce I stay away from. Many have heard the old wives’ tale to avoid soy sauce because it will darken your skin. True or not, the stuff is just unhealthy. For one, it’s extremely high in sodium.

This doesn’t mean I don’t add a spoonful of natural-brewed light soy sauce to my spinach and tofu soup or drizzle it over broiled salmon, but I do cut it out of my diet as much as possible. And if you’re a cooking snob, soy sauce is the amateur’s way of flavoring Asian cuisine, so consider it a culinary challenge to find alternatives for soy sauce.

Admittedly, few ingredients in the kitchen are quite as versatile as soy sauce. Thus, if you must, at least invest in the higher quality kind made from black bean (as opposed to glutinous wheat, which is what the standard variety is made of). Always read the label! A good rule of thumb is if there’s English on the label, it’s probably sub-standard.