Keeping dry in the humidity.

Another great find to help keep you looking fresher longer. Face it, if the ad for the deodorant says ‘you will feel dry for 48 hours..’ Reality…. It’s probably more like 48 minutes here in humid Singapore. (Today, it must have been 34 deg and 180% humidity,,)

I recently tried a product called Perspirex. It’s probably one of the better ones in the market. And I really do feel ‘drier’ longer. Worth a try if you run around a bit. It’s on the pricey side at about S$29 . You will need to apply it for about 5 consecutive nights. Good news is that you won’t need to put anything on in the morning!

It is effective for about 4-5 days. I’m sure that will differ from person to the next. So check before you leave on that date!

You can also purchase the Perspirex hand and foot lotion. The lotion is meant to keep sweaty palms and feet at bay! So, where can you find this product? In Singapore, at Guardian, Watsons and Sasa. Everywhere else, try your local chemist.

A client with a severe sweaty palm issue recently told me that it’s the most effective product he has tried thus far. He managed to keep dry for a couple of hours. (Did I mention ‘severe’..) Sometimes, an hour or so to complete your meeting or interview is all you need to keep your cool and confidence.
Try and let me know!

Managing oily skin in humid, hot weather…

One of the things I miss most about the land down under is the weather. Okay, Bondi Beach is pretty high on the list as well….(you can find some pretty awesome bagels in Bondi)

Living in Singapore has its’ perks as well but that is for another day..For now, I am sharing what is working for me in managing the shiny T-zone. As many of you living in Singapore will know, the seasons are…rain or no rain. The only constant is the humidity. It does not go below 22 (at night, one night, many moons ago).

So how does one keep one’s face from the dreaded shine? We want our skin to be hydrated, supple, bright BUT not dripping from over active oil glands. We shall leave that to the oil-producing countries.

Here are some products that I have found helpful.

1. “Off with those heads!” – Other than the fact that I lurve the tagline, it works better than most of the black/white head products I have used in the past.
   I have been using it at night as I find that it works best for me. No signs of blackheads after 2 months. Nada! I’m surprised. Pleasantly surprised as there were no painful extractions to endure!
   The whiteheads..well, they are a bit tougher. It’s reduced it significantly but it has not totally cleared it.
2. In the morning, a good wash with Kingo, Kingo (see earlier post about the fab japanese face wash.)
3. Followed by Vichy moisturizer which promises 6 hours of no-shine but for me, I’m lucky to get a couple of hours. (If I sit still and not move in an air-conditioned room – set at 18 degrees, I may get 3 hours..).
4. I mix my Vichy foundation with the Vichy Normaderm. It allows me to use less foundation for maximum coverage.
5. A light coverage of powder (try Revlon’s powder foundation.) to seal.
   Note: During the day, when the shine starts to show, use a tissue to dab your skin. Then follow through with a dusting of face powder. If you don’t dab the oil off, you may find that your powder will ‘cake’ up. Not a good look. Using oil blotters are fine for the exceptionally busy days but I find that they more I use them, the more active the oil glands.
   

Enjoy! Let me know if you are using any revolutionary products that are keeping the oil glands at bay!

 

 

 

 

Put up a good front – Step 1: find a fabulous face wash!!

And…..I found this fabulous face wash – Kingo Kingo at Isetan. It’s made from volcanic White ash.
It’s worked for eczema, White heads, black heads and leaves the skin smooth and clean, without the dried out feeling. There’s no need to scrub hard! (Great for keeping the skin in place..)

– Use it with the special mesh that makes the product foam up.
– Apply the foam on skin.
– Or leave it on your skin for a few minutes.

Love it for its texture and the clean skin feel. It’s like putting whipped cream on your face! For about S$68, it’s currently one of my favourite buys!

Tips to staying fresh and…desirable

One of the perils of living in a country that is constantly running at 854% humidity (ok, slight exaggeration..) is that staying AND looking fresh is a constant challenge. So it is my never-ending quest to find solutions that I can share with family, friends and clients. My current favourites:

1. Once a week deodorant – Carrefour (under S$4.oo) Bargain!
   It comes in 3 pre-pack wipes. One wipe should supposedly keep you ‘odour free’ for up to a week. Mind you, a piece of wet wipe did not give me 100% confidence that it would do what it said it would do! So, I stayed home the first day of trialling the product. What I do like about it is that, it feels like.. nothing. It’s not sticky or heavy or dry. It just feels like ….nothing. It definitely keeps the sweat in check. It doesn’t quite keep you 100% dry but it definitely works better than most antiperspirants I have tried in the market.
2. Klorane , dry shampoo – Fabulous, fabulous! Love it and at about $14 a can, you can’t go too far wrong. In Australia, you can find great dry shampoos at Priceline, chemists, Kmart etc. at very, very reasonable prices. In Singapore, we need it MORE and yet our options are less.. Yes, you can get the more expensive versions at  most good hair salons but really, it is not necessary. The $2.00 spray cans I got from Oz – works like a gem. So, here in Singapore, go Klorane for the price and the product. Spray directly to the roots of your hair. Leave it for a few minutes and then shake the excess off. It is also fab for adding the extra oomph! to flat hair and rescues you on bad hair days better than any knight in shiny armour!

Definitely phat finds!!!