BB/CC Creams Hype vs Ingredients: Do They Actually Work?

BB creams have been a steady trend that's been going strong for the past few years, and the trend has even been exported from Asia to the West. A lot of these BB creams make very outlandish claims that are not always backed up by their ingredients list, so I thought I'd write a post on what exactly BB creams are, as opposed to how they are marketed. Because, you know, you can't always trust the marketing!

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Part One: What are BB/CC creams? Why do they have so much hype?

First, what is a BB cream? Why is it getting so much hype? Well, a lot of this is due to the marketing that goes behind these creams. They look like tinted moisturizer or foundation in tubes, but the marketing that accompanies these products is often crazily hyperbolic. Often BB creams promise a myriad of skincare benefits all at once (the most common combination is typically whitening, anti-wrinkle, and UV protection), which leads to the perception that these creams are good for your skin. CC creams also promise similar benefits - they're really just souped up BB creams, if you will.

Some of my non-Asian readers may not be as familiar with BB creams, so let me show you how crazy the hype and advertising can be, by looking at some of these ads. I kid you not, they do promise everything and the kitchen sink:


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Above, your usual "whitening, anti-wrinkle, and UV protection" spiel. Below, a BB cream that promises to "supply moist and nutritional contents to keep smooth skin tone". I'm not too sure if "nutritional" is the right word...I mean, you don't exactly eat BB cream. Sure, what you put on your skin does affect the condition of your skin, but your skin doesn't really absorb nutrients in the same way that your stomach does, so you can't really supply nutrition to your skin this way. In fact, most of the time, the function of the skin is to act as a barrier between the environment and your innards, and keep germs and other nasties out.


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More "triple functional" BB creams, with the usual "whitening, anti-wrinkle, and UV protection" spiel. Many of them, in fact. This one below has some sort of snail extract, which is supposed to have extra skincare benefits. Now I believe you shouldn't knock something til you've tried it, but I can't help thinking that it's just a bit gross. Snails = gross, slimy creatures. Do not want on face!

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And this one below, besides your typical "whitening, anti-wrinkle, and UV protection" sales message, there is also some anti-pimple skincare promise too ("zero trouble").

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Contributing to the hype is the fact that some BB cream brands advertise themselves as having natural or organic ingredients, thus furthering the marketing story. As an example, this one below has "15 natural extracts an nutritious ingredients" for "added skincare benefits". Once again, I'm not sure exactly how BB cream (or any makeup product for that matter) can be nutritious to your skin.

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Of course, now that Western brands have jumped on the bandwagon, they're no different. 8-in-1 skincare benefits? Really? Sheesh.



Part Two: Why write a post on BB creams?

Now that we're all on the same page on BB creams and what they are, the reason why I decided to write this post is because I feel like given the disproportionate amount of beauty claims these creams are making, most of these BB creams don't actually live up to the hype. In fact, some can actually aggravate acne and sensitive skin.

Crazy Beauty Trends: Give Yourself Eyebags!

Tired of fighting your eyebags? Struggling to get enough sleep every night? Tired of spending money on useless eyecreams? Now here's your solution! Leave your eyebags be! Because apparently one of the beauty trends going around is to give yourself eyebags!

Apparently the inspiration for this trend is that Korean actresses have eyebags, and some people actually think that these acresses look better WITH their eyebags, than without. (You can view a rather bizarre post on this trend here.) Thus, Korean-actress-fandom reasoning says, if their stars look better with eyebags, so will the average girl! In the blogpost I mentioned above, there are some photos of celebs with/without eyebags and the comparisons are made between them.

(Source)
I don't know about you, but I've never been a fan of the "it-looks-good-on-a-celebrity-thus-it-would-look-good-on-me" line of logic. I mean, how many of us can pull off the runway fashions like the models? And in anycase, while I do agree that if you are an actress, sometimes eyebags give the character you're playing a certain realism, e.g. if you're playing a harried working mother-of-three, then I guess a flawless looking character won't look realistic. Still, I do think that by and large, most people look much better without eyebags than with. And I don't think I've ever seen a photo of a star with/without eyebags and thought "Man she looks much better with eyebags!" I think the whole trend arose because some girls felt that their eyes were too small, and that having those eyebags draws attention to them.

But in anycase, if for some reason you don't have eyebags but want them, here now is your problem solved! You can use double eyelid tape (yes, tape to stick on your eyes to fake that crease is quite commonplace in Korea already) to give yourself eyebags! Talk about double duty!

Source: Sasa FB Page
Blech. Seriously? This is the dumbest trend ever. First, I maintain that I don't think anyone looks better with eyebags than without, and secondly, keep doing this on a regular basis, and 5 years from now, your 30-year-old eyes will have 40-year-old wrinkles, thanks to all the pulling and tugging at the delicate skin around the eye area. Yucks.

In anycase, I am now at least on board with ONE trend. I've never been the trendy kind, but now I am, LOL! Yes, this is because yours truly has HUGE eyebags (blame the work schedules, and the little sleep). Look at the most recent photo of me on FB, taken at an event. Those eyebags, baby, are 100% real. No tape! (So are the pimples, I'm afraid - I do have problematic skin.)

Maybe I'm not a Korean actress, but you know, I kinda prefer myself WITHOUT those darn eyebags. But, hey, I'm totally fashionable now!

Of course, while this may seem a little strange, every country and every culture has their own crazy beauty trends - it's not just us in Asia! I just write about the Asian ones more because, well, I'm Asian, and I'm living in Asia, so this is what I come into contact with. But for what it's worth, the West sure has crazy beauty trends, and crazy people too - every now and then I come across news coverage on tanning addicts, and I always get a little freaked out. Now, can someone make pimples in fashion, so that my acne can be on-trend too? LOL.

Lacquerous Renting Nail Polish: Bad Business, or Brilliant Idea?

I recently got wind of this business called Lacquerous. Lacquerous might sound similar at first to existing businesses like Julep Maven (also mired in controversy from time to time), and Glossybox. It goes like this: you pay $18 a month, and each month, three polishes get shipped to you. Sounds like a beauty box subscription? Not really. It's more like a rental, like Netflix. At the end of the month, you send back the polishes they sent you, pay another $18, and are sent another three polishes for the next month.

(Image from Lacquerous Facebook)
As a nail polish fanatic, and someone whose undergrad degree was in Economics, this business model just didnt seem right to me. And here are my thoughts on why:

1. The business has misread their customers' wants and needs, and would likely not appeal to two key customer groups.

I imagine a business like this would target two main types of customers: the polish fanatics (ahem, yours truly), and the "normal" non-fanatic consumer (aka plebeians who haven't discovered the pleasure of owning disgusting numbers of nail polish, LOL!). I felt that neither group would not be attracted to use Lacquerous.

(Image from Affinity Sutton)
For the first group of polish fanatics, part of their (our? my?) joy is in owning the bottles they have - even if they have so many bottles they only wear each colour once! A lot of us see collecting as a hobby, and would much rather buy than rent. Just take a look at the number of proud stash posts and pictures, and that will be apparent. We've got enough polish to last our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, and we still don't think we have enough! The fact is, we are collectors (or, if you speak to my family, hoarders) of nail polish for the love of it - it is a hobby much like collecting figurines or stamps. Try asking a figurine collector if he would like to rent a figurine a month for a fee instead of buying it, and see if he bites. Probably not. This first group of consumers can't imagine renting nail polish. So we're not likely to use Lacquerous.

Next, your average girl (you poor, unenlightened things :p). Anecdotally, most "normal" girls I know of (not nail polish fanatics) would rather buy, say, 5 bottles of polish and wear them to death than rent bottles. The truth is, they see a colour they like (or hear about the season's hot shade every now and then), and buy it, and they are perfectly happy to wear those couple of colours until they run out. They don't have the interest to keep up with the latest nail polish releases enough to covet them and want to rent them. For them, there just isn't such a need for this business - why would they rent different polishes every month when they are perfectly happy using the same 5 colours for years?

I'm sure there are other customer bases that would rent nail polish, other than these two key bases. I just can't think of any right now. LOL.

2. The price isn't right.

For a product to be rentable, it has to be fairly expensive - expensive enough to make renting a better option than buying. For example, high-end branded bags can be really expensive - 4 figures and up for things like LV and Chanel. Try out a ostrich skin Hermes and its going to be 5 figures at the least. This is part of the reason people rent them - it really may be too expensive to own. But nail polish isn't like that. Other than unicorn pee polishes (e.g. Clarins 230), or some pesky Lynderellas, even the most expensive non-indie nail polishes, like Lippmann, would only set you back maybe $25 - hardly enough to prompt you to join a nail polish rental service, especially when it's $18 per month! Unless Lacquerous suddenly starts buying bottles of Lynderellas and Clarins 230s (maybe they can take part in one of those crazy $200 eBay auctions), it's hard to see why anyone should spend $18 a month on polish rental. Sure, I'd pay to rent a Clarins 230, but the rest? I'm not sure if I'd want to rent Lippmann. Or D&G. Or Tom Ford. Or any of the other brands they have in stock now (at least they're smarter than to stock OPI and Essie...oh wait, they DID stock OPI.). The fact is, it's not the brand, it's just that the price isn't enough to drive people over the buy/rent hurdle. Even a Tom Ford nail polish isn't that expensive compared to a Tom Ford bag or dress, and certainly not expensive enough to prompt someone like me to rent, anyway.

(Image from 360Sync)
Since nail polish probably isn't expensive enough to rent out, renting nail polish out would only work if there are a group of clients who treat nail polish like they treat DVDs - rent once, watch once, never use again, and not care if they own it anymore. Either client base as described above wouldn't do this. The nail polish fanatics will want to own their bottles, and the non-fanatics would reuse their bottles, making either group unlikely to prefer rental to ownership. Once again, there may very well be a third, or fourth, or fifth, customer base that treats nail polish this way. But I imagine currently these would be the types of people who visit nail salons for every manicure, and each time just look at the display and pick a colour they want, who don't often do their own nails.


3. The icky-poo-poo factor.

While I know that the chemical soup that is nail polish is hardier to germ infestation than other beauty products (I have totally said so myself before, back when everyone was all like "I need to store my polishes in the fridge or they'll DIE!"), I don't want to rule out the fact that something might just slip through. I mean, I don't know about bacteria (would probably die) but what about things like fungal spores? I mean those things stay dormant through winter and then germinate again in warm, moist conditions right? And even if the polish itself is okay, what about the bottles or the brushes? Trust me, I've had nail polish bottles and caps grow small white mould on them (those pesky Nicole Miller bottles with the cork caps are just mould magnets in a hot and humid tropical environment! I swear my environment is clean and hygenic and all - I'm not a pig in a sty. Promise!). While it's certainly less risky than say, eyeliner or mascara, it's not a chance I'd want to take, certainly not by sharing a bottle that's had a different owner every month. To be honest, I've not read reliable literature to support either position, so I don't know.

(Immage from thedevilswearcollars.blogspot.com

But even assuming it was safe, that's still beside the point. The fact is, people perceive it as unsafe (Don't believe me? Check out the comments on this post.) For a business, particularly a B2C type, customer perception is everything. Lacquerous is essentially a distributor of used polish (used many times among many people), and this brings with it a lot of risk. What if a customer gets a nail infection after using Lacquerous and decides to sue the company? Lacquerous could probably check the polish and see if said germ is in the polish, but the time and money would probably be a large drain on a small business.

I mean, for the sake of a mind excercise, let's take another beauty product category, and see if we'd like to rent that product too. Would we want a makeup rental or skincare products rental? I guess not. Accessories, DVDs, even houses, those are possible to rent to others and from others, more or less without issue. But personal care and beauty products, of which nail polish is one? Even if it's safe, the initial reaction is still one of grossed-out-ness. Lacquerous would have to work hard to convince its customers that it is safe to rent nail polish, if indeed it is.


4. Vague, Arbitrary Customer Policies .

A lot has been said online about how some of the customer policies just aren't very smart, so I won't dwell on this.

Take such gems from their FAQ:
"You can use [each bottle] on yourself for up to 3 applications throughout the month. Lacquerous monitors the amount of nail lacquer in each bottle and we trust our members to abide by our policies because they appreciate luxury lacquer like us!"

Oh yes, because everyone uses the same number of coats and has nails that are the same length and width all time!

"Members share nail polish, as used by other members, at their own risk. Members understand that the nail polish is used by other members and agree to risks associated with sharing nail polish."

This statement, in their Terms of Service, is kinda incongruous with their FAQ stressing that used lacquer is perfectly safe.

To really get an idea of how ridiculous some of their T&C's would sound to potential customers, you can check out the comments on this Time article (yours truly felt moved enough to comment too! In fact, that comment formed the basis for this post). People are calling out all sorts of practices - credit checks, deletion of legit customer questions on the Facebook page, how impractical it is to decide exactly how much polish use exceeded the 3-applications per month limit. There was also concern about the fact that Lacquerous didn't seem to have any measures in place with sneaky swappers - people would decant polish, replace a more expensive polish with a cheaper dupe, and so on. Lacquerous doesn't seem to have thought too much about what to do in those situations (fortunately nail polish isn't too expensive to replace, I guess).

(Image from Lacquerous Facebook)
So there you go - my $0.02 on this business. I don't want to write Lacquerous off entirely though - you never know with these things (remember the iPhone? Supposedly another phone in a saturated smartphone market...). People might actually want to rent polish, or customers may not actually care that they are sharing nail polish that has a different owner every month. But the fact that your potential customers are ridiculing your business even before it goes live...well, that can't be a good sign! What do you guys think? Bad business, or brilliant idea?

I'm Not Dead! I Was Just On A Work Trip!

Hi everyone! If you follow this blog a little more often, you'll notice I've not been updating for the past week or so (feels like forever doesn't it?). This is not because I'm no longer blogging (heaven forbid I stop sharing my crappy NOTDs and product swatches with you, eh?) but because the past couple of weeks have been crazy-balls for me, having had to prepare for an opening ceremony, internal reviews at work, and an overseas working trip, and portfolio changes, in addition to the daily grind. But hey, sometmies real life gets in the way of stuff I do online.

So, I haven't been blogging for the last week, because I was overseas in Japan for work (if you follow me on Instagram - I'm Musicalhouses there too - you'll be seeing pics of the stuff I've been eating over there!) and I just couldn't find the time to blog during the trip. So I just ended not blogging. Normally if it's a planned leave away from my blog, I will try to schedule at least a couple of posts in advance, but as things stand, I couldn't even find the time to do that.

Fortunately, I'm back now, so if all goes well you'll see this blog up and running and posting normally again in 1-2 weeks (another eternity in blogosphere time). I'll see how it goes. I want to get this up earlier - I have so many posts and photos ready to go, I just need to find the time to actually sit down at my computer for a couple of hours.

I don't know about you other bloggers or working ladies out there, but for me, it's always a challenge balancing between blog, work, and my non-online life (because contrary to popular belief, I actually have - gasp - friends whose faces I see in real life! OMG!). I work on weekdays, blog on weekends, and while it's my choice to spend my time this way, it's still tiring. Right now, I manage by squeezing all my blogging activity into the free spaces I have on weekends (when I'm not busy with family/friends/work), and I do work hard on weekends to schedule as many posts as is necessary to tide me through the week, so that when Monday comes around, I don't have to worry about blog, and I just focus on work. It's worked so far, but sometimes, I barely make it through the week with just enough posts. And sometimes, like last week, I can't make it.


Anyway, so much for that ranting. I don't normally talk about my personal life/work/whatever else on the blog, because I want to delineate clearly the boundaries between personal life, work life, and blog life, but I just felt that after a week's absence on the blog, it would be nice of me to say something to you guys about why I wasn't around. (If you were following me on Twitter/Instagram you'd have seen my I'm-away-overseas messages, but not everyone does.) In anycase, I'm glad to be back, and I look forward to catching up with all you guys!

Autumn/Winter 2012/2013 Nail Trends: Not Impressed! Yawn.

You know that although I don't really follow trends all that much, I do like to see what happens on the catwalk - I like taking a look at which trends are showcased, and the different designers' takes on the trends. I'm not talking about the clothes of course, or even the makeup (although I watch that with interest too), I'm talking about nails!

This year, the Fall/Winter 2012-2013 nail trends are just so yawn-inducing, I found myself thinking "Dammit, that's boring" and "Sheesh, I've seen that a gazillion times done by other bloggers". Let me give you three reasons why:

1. The "Oops, I Ruined My Mani Look" is in Again

Sigh. I just hope this doesn't spark a rush of copycat blogposts. The last time some celebrity wore the "I ruined my mani" look in a magazine, it was all over my Google Reader. I'm a bit of a traditionalist in that I like my nails to look like painted nails, not ruined manicures passing off as artistic statements. To me, it's one of those "works for the runway, not for me" type things. Nice silver colour, though, very sleek. Does it even look a little holographic?

(Source: Vogue)
2. Shatter and Crackle Nail Polish (Or Stuff That Looks Like It)

Come on guys, you're supposed to be like the pinnacle of the fashion world, right? Shatters and crackles are so, like, two years ago. This is defiitely a yawn for me. I'm not sure exactly what was used to make that thing below, but man, it sure looks like plain ol' black crackle polish. (I just learned it's called croc nails from a reader who commented below. Thanks Joanna! The nails though - sheesh. Almost the same thing, just a different name.) Boring. Next!

(Source: Vogue)

3. Boring Colours and Combinations

For fall, the look seems to be - you guessed it, deep dark vampy shades, and nudes, and some new neutrals (like grey). Yawn. I mean, for sure these are classic shades, but man, I was hoping that with the Pantone colour palette for Fall including some kick-ass shades (Olympian Blue, Bright Chartreuse), the nails would be something a little more bright, colour-wise.

Even the nail art was boring. There was minx (which is cool, but not if you're a polish lover like me), and then there was stuff like this: Nude and black (or in this case, dark brown) french tips for nail art. That's a french manicure with a dark tip. I've seen this done before on so many blogs. It's a nice look, but not groundbreaking or anything.

(Source: Vogue)
And then there's this. I can't figure out what it is. It looks like a deep vampy base (or possibly even black, hard to tell in that lighting), with random strips of grey painted on it. Still, it looks sort of cool, I guess:

(Source: Vogue)
Okay, not all of it was bad. There were pops of colour here and there, primarily blue (must be Olympian Blue). Some fashion houses got lazy and just painted the nails straight-up blue. Some, this, got a little more interesting, and even did all-out nail art. This was the highlight for me, I guess.

(Source: Vogue)

(Source: Vogue)
So, this is why I'm totally not impressed with the nail trends as seen on the runway for Fall/Winter 2012. Despite all the hoo-ha that surrounds Fashion Week, I really only have one response:

(Source)
(For the record though, I absolutely love MaKayla Maroney. Falling on your butt and STILL getting an Olympic silver medal? That's still quite the acheivement in my book!)

Feature in Fabulous Magazine: Globe-Trotting Glamour

Fabulous Magazine's 22 July issue has this article entitled "Globe Trotting Glamour", where they featured four beauty bloggers from around the globe (some are really based in the UK, where Fabulous Magazine is published, but were originally from other countries). There's a Carribean blogger, an Indian blogger, an African blogger, and an Asian blogger - who just so happens to be yours truly!

I'm glad, of course. The print version of Fabulous Magazine is available for download here (you'll have to flip to page 42 in the online version), but the article has also been republished online, also under the same title, Globe Trotting Glamour. So do take a look at it if you can! (I've uploaded a pdf version of the entire article here.)



Now, while I'm always happy for any press coverage (even when sometimes they steal your photos and don't bother to credit you correctly), the thing about doing such pieces is that you never know how the final article will turn out. Of course, this is to be expected, since every publication has its own editorial and advertising requirements. While I enjoyed reading the final article that went to print, I thought it would be a good idea to include the original list of questions that were emailed to me, as well as my answers, because I think it might be pretty interesting for some readers who want to get a glimpse of the editing process, or who just want to see the original transcript. I've left out the "What is your name/How old are you/What is your job"-type questions since if you're a regular reader/follower I imagine you'd know, so I've taken the liberty of jumping straight into the meat of the interview - the beauty-related stuff! (Also, I'm not a senior government officer, although I am a government officer...there was slight mixup between my job title and description. Oops!)

So here we go, no further ado:

Why did you decide to write and create your beauty blog?
My blog, Of Faces and Fingers, was started in 2009, when I was in University. It seemed like the perfect amalgamation of my interests in writing, photography, and, of course, beauty products. Most of my real-life friends aren’t as crazy over beauty products as I am, and were tired of me boring them to death with details of my favourite lipstick or the eyeshadow I just bought, so I took it online! Fortunately there was an online community of like-minded beauty fanatics, so I felt at home there. On my blog, I chronicle my experiences with beauty products – what worked for me, and what just didn’t. I make it a point to be honest, even if it’s a less-than-favourable review.

What is your skin type?
Sensitive, oily and acne-prone – the worst kind! It makes me very picky about skincare and some types of makeup, especially foundations and blushes.

What is your make-up style? Please give an overview
I’m up for trying any style once! But on a day-to-day basis, my look has to be office-appropriate. I usually go for neutral eyes with a pop of colour on the lips and cheeks – it’s a very fresh-faced look that’s universally flattering on everyone.

What is your skin-care routine? Do you do anything or use anything in particular?
Since I have sensitive skin, I’m choosy about skincare products. I love Cetaphil cleanser, as well as The Body Shop’s Aloe Soothing Day Cream. I also like Biotherm’s Aquasource Moisturizer for Oily Skin. Another one of my staples is also the Vitamin C Retinol Antioxidant Moisturizer I get online from Natural Skin Shop.

Do you find women of your country of origin do anything/use anything in particular to keep their skin looking tip top?
In Singapore (as in Asia) there is a lot of focus on having glowy, young-looking skin. So skincare, especially brightening or whitening serums, is very popular. Sunscreen is also a product that does well in this market – here, manufacturers race to have the product that can claim the highest SPF value! I’ve seen sunscreens with SPF values of 130+, as consumers tend to think that higher SPF equals more protection. I actually wrote a blog post on sunscreens and how SPF value can be misleading as a measure of protection for uninformed consumers.

What the one beauty trend that Asian women really buy into?
Blemish Balms, or BB creams – it’s a huge fad here that has slowly been making its way over to the West, although I’m not totally convinced about the skincare benefits of BB creams. Most of them are formulated with lots of silicones, which may not be so good for skin that has silicone sensitivity. A couple of them even have ingredients lists that read more like a typical foundation than a skin-healthy product.

What is the one concern that Asian women have when it comes to their skin and make-up needs?
In Asia, girls want to be as fair as possible – the whiter the better! Over here we have lots of whitening creams, lotions, dark spot correctors, and even pills you can ingest that claim to make your skin whiter. This is in contrast to the tanning salons and self-tanners that I see lining drugstore aisles in the West – you’ll be hard-pressed to find a single tanning salon here (if you do find one, it probably caters to expatriates and foreigners).

Do you find beauty brands (which ones?) recognized the need for asian shades and tones when it comes to make-up?
Asian skintones can be tricky to match foundation to, because Asian undertones aren’t really the same as Caucasian undertones, and a lot of brands don’t always successfully reproduce Asian shades. Due to this, Asian girls find it hard to discern their skin undertone and hard to find foundation matches. I actually have a blog post on undertones for Asian skin, showing how to differentiate between cooler-toned Asian skin and warmer-toned Asian skin, and it has remained one of the most popular blogposts although it was written 2 years ago.

That said, generally, brands which have a wider range of shades in their foundation range tend to have better matches. Chances are, if a brand has just 3 or 5 shades of foundations, it’s not going to cater for some types of skintones. MUFE in particular has a very large shade range that would be able to suit most skin shades and undertones. In Asia, Lancome also has Asian-specific skin shades in their foundation range, so although the colour range is slightly smaller, it’s a well-edited mix of colours.

What are your top three make-up products and why?
1. I always like a good concealer that doesn’t break me out – most concealers tend to irritate my skin. I personally like Prescriptives concealers, especially their Anywear Makeup Stick and their Flawless Skin Total Protection Concealer. Sadly, the entire Prescriptives line has been discontinued, so I’m using my backups carefully. For girls with less sensitive skin, I recommend Kevyn Aucoin’s Sensual Skin Enhancer, as well as Laura Mercier’s Secret Camouflage.

2. I also love my lip products! Lipsticks and lipglosses make up the bulk of my collection – I keep them in shoeboxes because they won’t fit on a countertop. But I digress. I personally like Revlon’s Super Lustrous lip gloss YSL Gloss Pur, as well as Chanel Glossimers. I also love NYC lipsticks – they’re cheap and have a nice texture.

3. Lastly, but certainly not least, I’m going to clue you in to my ultimate makeup secret: silica powder spheres! I love generic silica powder spheres, as these are great for oil control, and give a nice matte-but-natural finish. The best thing about this is that it’s cheap and easily available – I get mine from a wholesaler, and a bag costs me a few dollars and lasts me for years. I’m still on my first bag after 3+ years – I’ll let you know when I run out! There are various ways to use silica powder, but I like mixing in mine with my loose face powder for easier application.

What are your top three skincare products and why?
1. Sunscreen is important – it’s the skincare that’s probably more effective than any lotion, potion or jar! It’s much cheaper, and proven to actually work to prevent signs of aging caused by sun damage. I have to admit, I don’t understand girls who spend large sums of money on anti-aging creams, but don’t use sunscreen – it’s like they have it backwards. I like Avene’s Very High Protection Spray with SPF 50+ as it doesn’t aggravate my sensitive skin, but any kind suitable for face use will do.

2. A good moisturizer is essential. Different types work for different skins, but I personally like and use The Body Shop’s Aloe Soothing Day Cream and Biotherm’s Aquasource Moisturizer for Oily Skin as good basics. For more power-packed moisturizers, I like Natural Skin Shop’s Vitamin C Retinol Antioxidant Moisturizer, as well as their Vitamin C HA Peptide Serum.

3. Lastly, you need a good makeup remover. I can’t stress this enough! My skin is a little sensitive towards mineral oil, so my personal favourites are the cleansing oils from DHC and Fancl, as they don’t contain mineral oil, and emulsify and wash off easily without leaving much oily residue on your face.

What are your top three hair care products and why?
I’m not particularly fussy over haircare – I just buy whatever is on sale in the drugstore and use that! Fortunately I don’t have major hair/scalp issues, and I don’t treat my hair and I don’t style it (believe it or not, I’m a hair virgin – no dying, colouring, straightening, or perming ever), so my hair fortunately is very low maintenance. I just wake up in the morning, run a comb through it, and that’s it!

And that's it really! Here's a screenshot of the page I'm featured on, in case anyone wants to take a look! You can see some difference between the original email questions and the final print version, but I'm not gonna complain, since it's tough work cramming all those questions into a tiny column. And of course, doing this was a little bit of fun for me! It's definitely cool seeing stuff you typed end up in print.

Behind the Scenes of Blogging: Drop of Pink's Blog of the Week

Yours truly is Blog of the Week on Drop of Pink, a lifestyle and beauty website. When I was informed about the news, I was told that I was given this award because the site had received a lot of messages from readers who wanted this blog to be featured. I wasn't aware of this Blog of the Week feature, so thank you to whoever thought of this humble blog! I may not know who you are, but I really and truly appreciate the gesture!

Anyway, I don't usually toot my horn about features or awards, because I know that you guys come to read about makeup and beauty posts, not to hear me brag (and I have a page for that). But I really wanted to share this with all of you because unlike other "You're Featured"-type posts, I got to voice my thoughts in freeform! For most features, they tend to just put you in a list, write about you, or else interview you with a list of questions (and then sometimes butcher your answers). But for Drop of Pink's Blog of the Week feature, I was given free rein to speak my mind. So instead of doing the generic "I started my blog 3 years ago, when I got into makeup and was looking for a job"-type background story that you usually see in such features, I took the opportunity to really bring you guys behind the scenes!

On my blog, I make it a point to remain professional (i.e. drama-free, no name-calling/dissing etc.) and honest (i.e. If I don't like it, I'm not going to give it a good review). So the juicy behind-the-scenes stuff wouldn't really make it online, except through features like this that let me do whatever I like. So if you've ever wondered what it's really like trying to be an honest blogger in a competitive blogosphere, what it's like dealing with the occasional PR person who demands that you say only good things about their product, and my general philosophy towards blogging, then check out this week's Drop of Pink Blog of the Week feature - I'm guarantee you'll find it entertaining!

Stuff I'm Using Up: NYX Stone Blush

OMG, I'm actually using up a colour product! This lovely baby is NYX Stone Powder Blush, and man, obviously it's showing some wear. And why not? It's only showing wear because it's one of the best go-with-everything blushes I've come across. I bought this online a long while back, when Cherry Culture had a discount, and I'm so glad I did.

I mean, granted, it doesn't look like much in the pan - if anything, it looks kinda brown and muddy and blah. But once on your skin, it just amps up the wow factor so much. On my skin, it's a perfect neutral pinky-brown without any shimmer or glitter. This really makes it go with every kind of makeup look out there. It's also super massively pigmented, so if you apply too much you run the risk of looking like a sunburned clown, especially if you are fair. But that's not necessarily a bad point - I like how I can use a sheer wash of the colour on my cheeks for a barely-blushed nude look, or layer a tad more to give a more rosy flush.

I know my pan of NYX Stone looks really crummy and all smashed up, and that's because I've been bringing this blush with me whenever I travel (well, until it got smashed up anyway). Poor Stone baby got all messed up on a United Airlines long-haul flights from USA to Singapore. Damn. 22 hours on a plane (even with a stop-over) isn't any fun. Especially if the airline smashes your makeup! *Shakes fist at United Airlines*



Anyway, the good thing is that I do have a backup of my beloved NYX Stone, so all is still well (no, unlike these guys, I'm not going to write a United Breaks Blushes song and upload it on Youtube..but I am going to make sure that all my stuff is bubble wrapped the next time I have to fly with United). And if you haven't gotten Stone yet, don't wait! The fact that I'm almost done with this blush (okay, not almost done, but you can see pan) when I have enough cheek stains, blushes and tints for my children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren must surely tell you how awesome this is.

Stuff I'm Actually Using Up: Smashbox Vapor Eyeshadow

Look, look! Here's another item in my vast makeup stash that I'm actually using up! This is non other than Smashbox Vapor eyeshadow, and you can actually see more than half the pan of the eyeshadow! I'm so proud of myself!

Please excuse the really, really gross looking container. I know it makes the eyeshadow look that ancient, but it's only been with me for less than 2 years. It's just that the rubberized packaging gets dirty sooo fast, and I never bothered to clean it. Also, I dropped it a couple of times (as you can tell), so the eyeshadow got all smashed up in its container, and some of the eyeshadow powder got stuck onto the rubberized packaging. I did have a how-to clean a sticky case tutorial on my blog, but sheer laziness, that greatest of obstacles, prevented me from cleaning this particular eyeshadow. I kept thinking, "Oh well, I'm going to use it up anyway, why do I need to clean it?" LOL.

Anyway, all that muck on the eyeshadow casing is why I absolutely HATE the NARS/Smashbox/Becca packaging - it just gets sticky and dirty so fast, and normal soap and water, or wet wipes, doesn't clean it at all. But gunky packaging aside, Smashbox does have great powder eyeshadows, in general I've found them to have a nice soft texture, and be quite blendable. Some shades are more pigmented than others, but the good ones are excellent. Vapor, this particular shade, has been one of my go-to all-over lid shades, for days where my eyes look tired and I want a MLBB (My Lids But Better) shade to even out the colour tone and make them look more awake.

Smashbox Vapor has really accompanied me everywhere for the past nearly 2 years, including on major translantic flights (24 hours on a plane, oh joy), as well as moving house (and not just house, moving country!) not once but twice! So I guess it's also so gross-looking because it's seen a lot of wear and tear. Due to rough handling by baggage handlers, house movers, and just me dropping the eyeshadow, lid is cracked and broken in two parts. But it still fits the container, and it still works! That's not too bad, right?



Anyway, apologies that I don't have any swatches this time round (I suck I know, but there isn't much of the eyeshadow left for me to swatch with), but it's somewhat similar to Smashbox Strike, which I've featured before, except that Strike is slightly darker and yellower. But anyway, there you go - another item I've used up. Now I can feel at liberty to acquire yet another eyeshadow! :P

Sudocrem's Beauty Blogger of the Week: Guess Who?

I just had to pop by to share some exciting news! Yours truly is Sudocrem's Beauty Blogger of the Week! Surprisingly, it was not my previous post on Sudocrem that got reproduced on the Sudocrem blog, but the lipgloss of another brand, BeautyUK! That's pretty cool to me. Anyway, feel free to check out the post, and the Sudocrem blog for skin care articles. I've had a look through it, and it is chock full of healthy-living tips, but also covers skin care and beauty, as well as some general women's lifestyle topics (e.g. fashion). Do pop by to take a look!

Get Your Bagology Reading at Sudocrem Tube's Facebook Page!

Can the contents of your bag tell your personality? Can you read someone's character by what they carry in their bag? I know what you're thinking - how much can your bag tell about you, anyway? Well, maybe how much money you have, or maybe, how neat or messy you are? Well, you'll be surprised!

As part of the launch of the Sudocrem Skincare Cream Facebook page, the Sudocrem folks are having Debbie of handbagtherapy.com perform bagology readings for anyone who uploads a photo of the stuff in their bag to the Sudocrem Facebook page! Isn't that cool?

Now for the unintiated, Sudocrem is a skincare brand, most famous up to now for their nappy rash cream. Now, Sudocrem has branched out into facial skincare, and the brand has launched a blemish cream, the Sudocrem Skin Care Cream. And as part of their launch, they have tied up with the handbagtherapy.com folks to give you a shot at having your personality read through your bag!

This personality analysis works for guys as well as girls (come on, guys, don't pretend you're not curious!), and I couldn't resist giving this a go. Here's the photo I uploaded (OMG, everyone knows now that I carry a hot pink plastic purse and a neon orange plastic purse in my bag, and we can see how ancient my mp3 player is....)




And here's the analysis I was given. As you can see, it's really, really thorough - not just "you like bright colours":


"Thank you for being so excited about your handbag reading which I hope you will enjoy. So let’s get on with it... I can see that others describe you as popular and sociable. People will see you as someone who has a lot of friends or that you know a lot of people. I sense that friends will say that you are a very polite, and courteous lady. Your friendliness is genuine! You are a proud lady – perhaps of your skills, or maybe of your friends and family. This is a wonderful quality about you –to take such pride in work or loved ones. Please remember that you can still be polite AND be more honest with expressing your feelings or your own needs. I sense that this might be difficult for you to do sometimes. Your bag is encouraging you to be brave! Be confident knowing that people who count will love you even if occasionally you put you first! I think when you write then you can be very positive and find a great clarity of words and thoughts, so perhpas you can build on this in other parts of your life. I sense two more important things from your bag: firstly that you are looking for some inspiration in your life, or in a new project- I suggest you look for inspiration connected to health or something about growth. Secondly You are a very sympathetic and empathetic lady but please,please, please - make sure that you are not spending time with people who are cowardly (hiding from the truth) or who are deceitful in nature as they will ‘suck you in’. If you spend time with anyone sick or ill, it is not your only duty – you also have a duty to be young and active and healthy. So, seek out things and people to help you achieve that too! Above all, take care of YOU! Find balance and keep things in perspective. It has been a pleasure to talk about your bag with you, thank you."

Wow! Is that analysis amazing or what? Now to be fair, I'm not sure I totally agree with the reading - I don't think I'm popular or sociable, LOL! But she's spot on in that I do love writing, and writing helps me sort out my thoughts. I guess that's why I'm writing a blog, right? And for some of the rest, I feel a bit ambivalent, like the bit about finding inspiration. But it definitely is thought-provoking, and gave me a lot of food for thought!

So if you want your bagology reading, head over to the Sudocrem Skincare Cream Facebook page and upload a photo of the contents of your bag soon! The bagology readings run until 10th May, so we don't have all day!

Selling my Makeup and Shutting Down the Blog!

Over the years of being a makeup fanatic, I've accumulated tons and tons of makeup. More than I could ever use up, actually. Enough for my children, my grandchildren, and their grandchildren.

I've actually posted pictures of my entire makeup stash over a year ago, when I first started blogging. Since then, my stash has only grown exponentially. So yes, those shock-inducing photos of makeup overload are actually a bit outdated. Oops.

So, what's a girl with too much makeup to do? Well, I've decided enough is enough. So, this might come as a surprise to some people, but I'm closing down my blog, and selling off all my makeup and nail polish. That's right. Everything that was featured on this blog, that was ever in a stash picture, that was ever in my possession has to go. And because I have so many, I'm not even going to set a price for it. Just leave a comment in this post and let me know what you want, and how much you're willing to pay for it. Please also remember to include shipping in your price. I'm located in Singapore, so it will probably be international mail for most of you.

Well, so what are you waiting for? Make me an offer! I'll start off by posting some pictures of some of my stash, and you can start by browsing through my blogposts and see what catches your fancy.

First up: nail polish, lots and lots of it. Many brands available. OPI, Essie, China Glaze, Orly, Nails Inc, RBL, Zoya, Barry M - the list goes on. You name it, I probably have it.




Some eyeshadows. These were from 1 or 2 years back. So they're a bit outdated. But brands I generally have are MAC, Stila, Smashbox, Bobbi brown, Urban Decay, as well as some Shu Uemura. Cheaper brands include Wet n' Wild, Milani (oh, these are old-style Milani we're talking about, not the crappy new formulation), and I have some miscellaneous brands like Korres, Tarte, Too Faced, and so on.




Some blushes. Also I have more than this. This was taken 1 or 2 years back also. Typical brands are Bobbi Brown, Stila, Becca, Cargo (the awesome old-style tins, by the way), Rock and Republic (better know in makeup-fandom as R&R), and some others.




Lipstuff. Lots of gosses and lipsticks, all from various brands. I have MAC, Stila, Smashbox, Chanel, YSL, Rimmel, Lancome, Revlon, probably almost every brand. I really can't keep track.





And of course I have eyeliners, mascaras, powders, foundations. I'm NC20 in MAC, so feel free to ask me if something would be a match for your skin.

And finally, the most valuable thing I have in my possession to be offered up here....














































A good laugh!

Awww, come on, you guys didn't actually think I was going to give up on my love for makeup and close down my blog, did you? :)

Happy April Fool's everyone!

Vote and Win a $89 Full Sized CUSkin Cream!

Yes, you read it right! You can win a full-sized CUSkin Pure Whitening Cream! If you appreciated my honest product review on the CUSkin BB cream, please do click on the picture below, find my photo out of the bunch there are (mine is the 7th photo from the top I believe) and click on the "Like" button below the photo! One lucky voter is going to get a jar of cream worth $89!

And you should vote because mine is the only blogpost that doesn't give a raving "OMG THIS PRODUCT IS AWESOME" review to the product. LOL, okay that was a joke. But if you've liked any of my posts so far, be they swatches, reviews, or random posts on Asian undertones, please do click on the link and "Like" the post :) I hope the winner of the cream will be one of you guys!

Nose Clips: The Crazier Side of Asian Beauty

Growing up as an Asian girl in Asia, I couldn't help but notice that the girls around me were concerned with looking beautiful. Now the desire to look good is, of course, universal to all women (and men, I'm sure), but in the Asian context, it seemed to me to focus on two specific areas: the eyes, and the nose. I always found this a little bit funny, because it seemed to just be an Asian thing, perhaps. Girls around me were always trying to make their eyes look, bigger, rounder, and have a more prominent crease - basically, they were trying to make their eyes look more Caucasian. And then there was the nose. Basically, if you have a nose with no bridge, and a nose tip that isn't well defined - in Asian-speak, a nose that isn't Caucasian-looking - then your nose isn't as pretty.

Now of course, not all Asian girls want to look Caucasian, and not all Asian girls are obsessed with beauty, but it just happens to be a trend I've noticed over time. I always like to tell my American friends, just like how American girls are obsessed with boob size (and again that is another generalization), Asian girls are obsessed with the shape of their eyes and noses. I guess it's just human nature - there's always something about yourself you're not quite happy with, and it doesn't matter whether you're Asian, Caucasian, or Alien. LOL.

So it puzzled me when I discovered this little invention. I know most of my Asian readers will know what this is, but I bet my Caucasian friends are going to be a little confused as to what this contraption is:



It's a nose clip. Yup, you heard me right, a nose clip. It's been around in Asia for awhile, and seems to have a steady stream of buyers, despite looking a little like a torture device. But what is it used for?


(Picture from: http://texyt.com/plastic+clip+diy+nose+job+cheap+00078)

Yes, you are indeed supposed to clip your nose, as in the illustration on the package. Basically, if you are one of those girls with - heaven forbid - a non-Caucasian-looking nose, you can now clip it into shape with this handy little gadget.

Don't believe me? Check out the product description, complete with Engrish explanations exhorting you to "be a Cleopatra nose" (what!):


(Picture from: http://texyt.com/plastic+clip+diy+nose+job+cheap+00078)

Personally, I'm not a fan of these devices. I mean, I can understand girls who are unhappy about their nose - in fact, if you take a trip through any of my FOTDs, you'll see that I have the most bridge-less, flattest, un-Caucasian-like nose you can ever find. So I fully emphatise. But to go to the extent of clipping your nose like that? Personally, I'd rather whip out the contouring powder. More painless, and still effective, and it wouldn't make me feel like I was selling out by trying to reshape a part of my body in a rather painful way. (For the record, I don't actually have any contouring powder. I'm too lazy.)

That said, these little nose clips were all the rage for a period of time. Everyone and their mothers had one. Heck, even my roomate had one - and back then, we were studying in Chicago, and she had hers flown in all the way from Singapore just so she could use it! I never had one, but I thought it was crazy. I mean, I borrowed my friend's nose clips and tried it out once, and I couldn't keep that clip on for more than 5 seconds. It was PAINFUL, because those nose clips were made of hard plastic, and they were basically no more than glorified clothes pegs. Try putting a peg to your nose and telling me it isn't painful! In fact, I distinctly remember my roomate clipping her nose so much that the flesh on her nose became red and tender. Not very sexy, but at least it made her happy.

But nose clips aside, what really bugs me is also the advertising of these nose clips. Take a look at this photo on the packaging, advertising the nose clip:


(Picture from: http://texyt.com/plastic+clip+diy+nose+job+cheap+00078)

Asian girl looking longingly at Caucasian girl, check. Caucasian girl is on a TV screen while Asian girl is sitting at home, check. Asian girl is having this "I-wish-I-was-like-you" look while gazing wistfully at Caucasian girl, check. I don't know about you, but something about that image just unsettles me. It's almost as though that image is saying "Hey Asian girl, we both know you would rather be Caucasian, because Caucasian girls are all prettier. So why not use our nose clip, and you can be just like her?" I've always been a bit annoyed by ads that play into this whole "buy our product and you'll look more Caucasian" mindset, becaue it seems a little bit sterotypical. And I'm not too keen on companies attempting to cash in on sterotypes to make a quick buck.

Anyway, just in case anyone has questions about the efficacy of these products - well, I suppose if you did have the patience to clip your nose til it almost resembles Michael Jackson's, these products might just end up working - but only a tiny little bit, and only for a very short while. This is because these products just mold your nose by applying constant pressure to it. Over time, the pressure deforms the nose, and it attains a slightly different shape. However, this effect is only slight, because the underlying shape and structure of the nose remains unchanged. Furthermore, because this change is brought about only through sheer pressure, the result is that the change is not permanent. So the pressure has to be constantly applied in order to maintain the effect. It's kind of like Botox - it may help things for awhile, but it's not a permanent fix, and it doesn't do any real change. I also wouldn't be surprised if in the long run, it actually damages your skin and tissue underneath - I mean, all that pressure and squeexing can't be good.

So obviously, you can tell I'm not really a fan of such gadgetry. But I know lots of girls are. And I know this because the inventors of the nose clip have come out with yet another grotesque-looking nose-shaping device to make more money:


(Picture from http://inventorspot.com/articles/nose_jobs_without_surgery_devices_fix_your_flaws_39881)

Yup, I guess that must be for those who are REALLY unhappy with their noses, because it clips not just the nose, but the entire friggin nose bridge. Can you just say OUCH?

Anyway, like I've said before, I don't judge anyone. I don't judge people who wear only neutral makeup, I don't judge people who paint blue eyeshadow pigment all over their faces, and in the same vein, I don't judge people who wear nose clips. It's really that person's choice, after all, and what other people do to their noses is not in my purview.

But as I've said before - there is always something about yourself you're not going to like. If you're Asian, it could be your nose or eyes. If you're Caucasian, it could be your boobs. If you're Indian, it could be that you wish to be fairer. If you're African-American, it could be your hair. And the list goes on. What I'm saying is that no matter what ethnicity we are, no matter whether we think nose clips are OK or not, noone can ever be 100% happy with themselves, because nobody is perfect. So, past a certain point, we just have to accept ourselves for who we are. And I know that this going to sound odd on a beauty blog, but there is only so much makeup and skincare can do. At the end of the day, no matter who we are, or what our race is, beauty products and beauty companies can't love us, and they can't make us love ourselves more, although they can make us look more pretty. At the end of the day, we just have to love ourselves.

UBS Dress Code: Someone up there has Control Issues

It looks like if your boss has control issues, he gets to decide when you should apply perfume as well. According to the WSJ, UBS has issued a very draconian set of regulations on what you can and cannot wear. I work in a client-facing organization, and my work involves managing company accounts and attending meetings with my client's management, so I am totally sympathetic to having some sort of a dress code at work, and I believe in projecting a professional image through your dressing. But when a company decides to tell you when the ideal time to spray perfume is (after a hot shower, apparently), that's overstepping the boundaries and going a little too far. And apparently the entire dress code is 44 pages long. Micromanaging much?

Here are some gems, as highlighted by the WSJ, the Vancouver Sun, and the Huffington Post.

Let's start with the ladies:

"The ideal time to wear perfume is directly after taking a hot shower when your pores are still open."

"You will extend the life of your stockings and your tights if your toe nails are well-trimmed and filed."

"In general, a blouse is worn with a jacket. When it very hot, and after validation of your superior, you can wear the shirt without a jacket."

Now the guys:

"At the neck, the shirt must be of sufficient magnitude to leave a space of at least one finger... The neck shirts must exceed approximately about 1 to 1.5 centimeter above the jacket collar.."

"Do not wash, nor ever iron your ties yourself."

"Schedule barber appointments every four weeks to maintain your haircut shape."

And for both:

"Hands - do not have:
• Dirty and badly maintained nails
• False nails and fancy colored nails
• rough or cracked skin"

"Not adpated to the morphology of the face" - what on earth is that supposed to mean? And now I have to seek my bosses' permission to not wear a jacket with a blouse on a hot day. And when I buy my shirts, obviously I need to bring a ruler with me so I can measure the 1 to 1.5cm spacing my collar is supposed to have. Geez, obviously someone up there in UBS has control issues.

Thank goodness I don't work for UBS, because it would make me miserable to know that my boss is scrutinizing my nails and hands to ensure that I don't have rough skin or coloured nails.

Hey UBS - if you're losing money and want to earn back some of those millions, why not think about actually improving your business strategy and reviewing loss-making operations? I'm sure that's easy for me to say because I'm not a banker, but you know, it seems to me that getting better business sense might just earn you more money than micromanaging what your employees can and can't wear (while you're at it - don't forget to bring a ruler the next time you go shopping for clothes).

Happy BlogaBirthday: The Evolution of my Nail Skills

A year ago, I was a student in London, cold, soaking wet, and bored out of my mind merely studying for exams. I remembered that Sleek palettes were all the rage then, and that some of my American friends would want to view swatches of them. So I swatched a couple of palettes, and posted them on my blog, and OFAF was born. Fast forward to a year later - 12 months, 300 posts and 1000 followers later, OFAF is still the same, albeit with better photography and writing (I hope!).

I don't have a blogivesary giveaway, because I am already running a giveaway for a Karmin G3 Salon Pro Flat Iron, and there's another giveaway that I'm excited about (hint: it's perfume!). But in the spirit of things, here's a look back at how my skills have evolved over the year.

Here is my first ever post on the blog - it was an NOTD (Nail of the Day), the awfully chic Nails Inc Jermyn Street. OMG, my nails were awful. They were just mere nubbins back then, and they weren't even all the same length or shape. The fact that the polish wasn't splattered all over my fingers is a testament to the awesome Nails Inc quality.



Here's another really ugly NOTD. The colour is gorgeous, however, it's Sally Hansen's Opulent Cloud, still one of my favourites.



Over time, I tried out Konading. Here is my first ever Konad (and it sucked):



And then I started experimenting with flakies, and more adventurous colour (previously my stash was ALL exclusively pinks and purples - WTF was I thinking at that time?!) Such a waste...all those months spent painting on boring pinks and purples when I could have worn something cool. Like a duochrome. Or a flakie. Or something.

This was one of my first flakie manicures.



And then I had dry skin. As you can see in the previous photo, it was REALLY BAD DRY SKIN. I didn't know what to do about it! Fortunately you girls clued me in, and I got myself some Burts Bees Cuticle Cream, and some CND Cuticle Remover. I also just got in Lush Lemony Flutter, and I hearts it!

Also, back then I didn't know a thing about shaping my nails. They were long enough, but I didn't shape them, because I didn't realize how important shape was to the look of the nail. But after seeing a few more pictures, I wanted square tips. I really like the look of square tips, although my nails seem to naturally grow out in a squoval shape.



So I started shaping my nails, and slowly my skills started improving:



And eventually, slowly, my nails started looking a little better, and my skills improved a little too. This is the latest nail post I did, and I do think it's come a way from my first post on the blog, although it's nowhere near the awesome skills of some other bloggers I know of.



Isn't it awesome how, if you put a little effort, your nails can improve? It just goes to show that no matter how terrible your nails are, there is always hope!