6 Face Cleansing Mistakes That You Might Be Making

Posted by Editor on Jun 1st, 2015 in Beauty | 0 comments

Cleansing your face may seem like a pretty easy task – wet, lather and rinse. What else could go wrong right? However, if you’re committing any of these six mistakes, then there’s a chance that skin issues like irritation, dryness and breakout may occur and damage your fair complexion.

1. Using Face Wipes Excessively. While it may be the easiest option that we have when it comes to cleansing our face, it might actually be the time to finally stop using facial wipes. Most of the wipes that you use are loaded with chemicals, such as emulsifiers and surfactants, which removes your makeup but also causes some skin problems.

2. Applying Harsh Cleansers Even With Oily Skin. It may seem logical to go hard-core on your oily skin, but using grainy astringent washes can actually be too harsh for you skin, stripping off your skin’s natural oils and making your problem even worse. Instead of opting for such cleansers, use those milder astringents that works great with oily skin.

3. Switching Between Hot and Cold Water. We may believe that hot water opens our pores and cold water closes it, when it’s actually not true. In fact, frequently switching from hot to cold water only puts our skin to shock so it would be best to keep your water around mid-way or lukewarm.

4. Waiting for the Cleanser to Soak Up. Cream cleansers are great for soothing dry skin, but allowing them to sink in your skin will only make them less effective at cleansing your skin’s surface.

5. Scrubbing Excessively. A soft and freshly-scrubbed skin is what everyone wants but dermatologists suggest not scrubbing your skin daily as it may end up tearing your pores. Instead, they suggest performing it for only two nights each week and still get similar results.

6. Failing to Lock In Moisture. Another mistake that you may be making while cleansing your face is failing to seal in the moisture in your skin. Completely cleanse your skin by applying all the necessary products while your skin is still moist to maximize the effects of active ingredients as well as extra absorption.

Facial cleansing may seem like an easy task, but it actually has lots of considerations to think about. So avoid the aforementioned mistakes to get the most out of each of your face cleanse and to get the fairer complexion you’ve always wanted.

Smart Shopping: 5 Tactics to Cut Down Your Grocery Cost

Posted by Editor on May 10th, 2015 in Lifestyle | 0 comments

Regardless of whether you’re shopping just for yourself or for your entire family, you probably find that grocery shopping takes one of the biggest bites of your paycheck. Even worse, the dizzying selections of foods and goods on display make it even easier for you to spend more.

If you badly need to cut back on your expenses, you’ll surely find these sneaky shopping techniques helpful.

1. Pick In-House Brands

Some Singapore grocery shops carry more affordable alternatives to pricey brands with their own product line. These brands are usually much cheaper and carry a whole range of grocery items—from toiletries to canned goods—to choose from.

2. Avoid Prepared Produce

While prepared salads and pre-cut fruits and veggies are convenient choices for healthy fixes, they have lesser vitamins and usually wilt faster. Buy fresh fruits and vegetables instead and prepare them yourself. While it requires a bit of labour, it will save you a couple of bucks in the long run.

3. Say No to Temptation

Got a sweet tooth? You’re better off avoiding the chocolate and candy lanes. That pack of candies may only cost $5, but imagine how much you can save if you skip buying one every time you go grocery shopping in a month. The same thing goes to whatever food weakness you have. Also, don’t enter the grocery when you’re hungry, as everything tends to look more tempting than usual when your stomach’s empty.

4. Grow Some Produce

Grow your own fruits and vegetables at home to save more on expenses. Plant seeds or buy plant seedlings, give them TLC, and you’ll soon reap the benefits of fresh fruits and veggies without the price. For those leaving in condos, try growing a few potted herbs in the kitchen.

5. Forget the Basket

If you’re shopping for just a few necessities, forget getting a basket or a cart. It is easier to avoid impulse buying simply because you can no longer carry more items.

Since food is a basic human necessity, it’s impossible to say that we can skip buying them like when buying a new purse or a new pair of shoe. If budget is a major concern, the most important thing to keep in mind when grocery shopping is to know your needs in order to determine which things to buy and which not to buy.

4 Common Contact Lens Mistakes That Are Detrimental to the Eyes

Posted by Editor on May 7th, 2015 in Eye Care | 0 comments

 

People wear contact lenses for different reasons; some to treat visual conditions (e.g. nearsightedness, farsightedness), some purely for aesthetic reason. But regardless of your purpose, contact lenses require extra care in handling.  Little mistake can mean excruciating eye infection, which can lead to permanent eye damage or worst blindness. Be aware and be sure to avoid these common mistakes that many contact lens wearers make.

1. Cleaning the lenses or the case with water

Many people are not aware that contact lens and its case shouldn’t be washed with water. Water can cause the contact lens to change in shape or make it swell and stick to the eye. This can lead the lens to scratch the cornea, giving germs an access to the eye.

2. Sleeping with contact lenses on

When you sleep, the closed environment in your eye creates warmth and moist. This increases your eyes susceptibility to microorganisms that might be already living on your contacts. Moreover, sleeping with contact lens can scratch your corner when the lens slips out of place while you’re unconscious.

3. Topping off the old solution with a new one

Many people think that there’s no harm in adding new solution to old solution in their contact lens case, but they’re wrong. Mixing new solution with old one makes the disinfecting properties lose its effectiveness. Ideally, the solution should be changed every day to ensure that the contacts are completely sanitized every time.

4. Going into the water with contact lenses on

It might seem like no big deal, but showering and swimming with contacts on is dangerous to the eyes. Most water sources, including pools, lakes, batroom sinks, and hot tubs, contain a microorganism called Acanthamoeba. If it gets into your eyes, this microorganism can cause tremendously painful infection and can potentially cause blindness.

Contact lenses can be a safe alternative in correcting the vision. However, its safeness depends on the user’s way of usage. To make sure you’re not jeopardizing the health of your eyes, follow your optometrist’s instructions and handle your contacts the right way.

5 Self-Tanning Mistakes That You Might Be Making

Posted by Editor on Apr 24th, 2015 in Skin Care | 0 comments

Most women just love the results that they get from self-tanning. However, this process can be such a hassle and if it’s not done right, it could end up into a huge disaster. If you find yourself full of tan streaks, then you might’ve committed one of the following self-tanning mistakes.

1. Forgetting Your Sunscreen

Just because you’re wearing a self-tanner that doesn’t mean that you should already skip your sunscreen. If you’re worried about mixing your lotions, then apply your self-tanner the night before, leave it on overnight, and rinse it off the following day. After that, apply your sunscreen all over your body. Always remember, it’s still possible for you to tan and burn yourself even through a self-tan.

2. Applying Too Little Self-Tanner

We get that you don’t want to be overly tanned, but skimping on your self-tanner application might give you a streaky result. Our skin only absorbs a certain amount of tanning agent, so you don’t have to worry about using too much tanner. Keep your skin completely covered and you’ll get a perfect and even result. Streaky and uneven patches will only occur if you use too little of the product, or when you over rub it on your skin.

3. Failing To Use Moisturizer Before Application

Forgetting to moisturize your wrists, elbows and knees is what will give your faux tan away. So before you start applying your self-tanner ensure that you’ve first applied a barrier cream – a paraben- and petroleum-free moisturizer. Before applying your self-tanner, ensure that your wrists, elbows, knees, feet and even the back of your heels are well moisturized. This will dilute the self-tanner in the said areas, guaranteeing an even and natural-looking self-tanning result.

4. Getting Discoloured Hands

Having stained palms is another giveaway for your fake tan. Make sure that this never happens by using an applicator mitt while self-tanning. These sponge tools will aid in evening out your tan application, avoiding any tan streaks or stripes from happening. After that, rub a tiny bit of your tanner in your hands to further even out your look.

5. Skipping Exfoliation

Moisturizing is not the only thing you should do with your faux tan. You should also exfoliate it to make it last longer. Expert tanners suggest performing light exfoliation on your self-tanned skin every two to three days to prevent colour build-ups and to ensure that the tan fades evenly. Use a gentle body polisher in exfoliating your tanned skin to keep the tan even as it starts to fade.

Getting that perfect tan is actually easy. Just avoid making any of the aforementioned mistakes and you’ll surely enjoy your natural-looking self-tan.

A Guide to Your Skincare Product Must-Haves  

Posted by Editor on Apr 20th, 2015 in Skin Care | 0 comments

Overwhelmed by the beauty products you find at the drugstore? Are you looking for a simple skincare regimen that perfectly fits your hectic schedule? Then, look no further. We’ve cut down the clutter and listed the five skincare products that every woman should have in their medicine cabinets.

1. Cleansers

Never ever hit the sack without cleansing your face. Cleanse your face using a lukewarm or cool water, then massage a dime-sized amount of cleanser in your face. After that, rinse the cleanser residue with a lukewarm water and pat dry your skin.

For choosing your cleanser, opt for the one that is appropriate for your skin type. If you have a dry skin, go for milky cream cleansers, while cleansers in gel formula is perfect if you have an oily complexion.

2. Exfoliators

Want to have a smooth and healthy glowing skin? Then exfoliators are your must-have items. Facial scrubs or exfoliators help in speeding up the production of skin cells by clearing the old skin cells away. If you have a sensitive skin, use exfoliators made with natural fruit enzymes instead of those with scratchy grains.

As to how often should you exfoliate your skin would depend on your skin type. If you have a normal or dry skin, exfoliate once or twice a week, and about thrice a week if you have an oily skin.

3. Moisturizer

Applying moisturizer day and night is a good way to keep your skin healthy. For your daytime use, opt for a light formula moisturizer with SPF 15 to help in protecting your skin against UV rays and in retaining its moisture.

Night time calls for a richer, thicker formula. Your night creams should contain elastin, collagen and the essential lipids to refresh your face as you sleep. For extra hydration, spray some facial toner in your face before applying your moisturizer.

4. Serums

If you need to take on a specific skincare problem, then purchasing serums is the answer. Unlike moisturizers, serums penetrate deep into the skin, allowing it to deliver the skin’s much needed nutrients and hydration. In purchasing serums, buy based on your specific need – brightening, anti-aging, or for acne.

5. Eye Creams

Tired of waking up with dark circles under your eyes? Then apply some eye cream around your eye area. Eye creams work great in adding moisture, and addressing the fine lines and wrinkles. Girls with oily skin should look for gel eye cream formula. This light consistency won’t turn greasy, but will still prevent skin dryness. If you have dry skin, stick with balmy-textured eye creams, and if you want to deal with dark circles, choose a cream that has vitamin K on it.

Properly caring for your skin is a good way to maintain your youthful glow. So make sure that you have these skincare products always available in your cabinet to keep your skin healthy and younger-looking as you age.

Global Market Share Comparison of Smartphones  

Posted by Editor on Apr 11th, 2015 in Technology | 0 comments

Singaporeans love gadgets and new technologies. In the case of smart phones, our choice is often between only two brands – Apple or Samsung. Whatever we choose, we’re still sure to get a good phone. But in case you want to know which brand has more appeal, just check their market share.

The success of the newest iPhone fortified the position of Apple in the global market. Samsung on the other hand is still doing its best to outwit the competition. Apple paved the way for modern smartphones after releasing its first iPhone way back 2007. However, Samsung has actually been the frontrunner since 2011 with their supersized smartphones.

The International Data Corp showed the changes of market share in 2013 and 2014:

• 2013: In the 4th quarter of 2013, the market share of Samsung was 28.8%, which made them the leading seller of smartphones. Apple has a market share of 17.4% followed by Lenovo at 4.7%, Huawei at 5.7% and Xiaomi at 2%.

• 2014: In the 4^th quarter of 2014, the market share of Samsung was 20%; they are still the leading seller of smartphones followed by Apple at 19.6%. With its new models, Apple almost overtook Samsung for the lead. The company is followed by Lenovo at 6.6%, Huawei at 6.2% and Xiaomi at 4.4%.

The figures above prove that Samsung need to contend with other smartphone companies aside from Apple. The competition is fierce for low-priced Chinese manufacturers like the Lenovo, Huawei and Xiaomi.

At the end of the day, those who are in top exert more effort to keep their positions. We will see what will happen in the market in the coming months.