Budget Beauty Tips - by Jaywalk

The brands are limitless. From Clarins to Clinique to Prescriptives to SK-II to Nivea to Kiehl's to Body Shop to Shu Uemura. The multi-billion dollar industry looks like a bottomless pit gnarling at the women's (and men's) wallets to no end. All because we are fighting every way and every day (even if it is a losing battle) to look and stay young.

Does it really have to cost an arm and a leg (and some say kidney) to do so? Here's the good news. Not necessarily. Below are some of the budget beauty tips that work just as effectively, although some may appear a tad obscure.

1) The Toilet Seat Cover.

This is my all-time favourite tip in terms of bizarre-ness. For those who have a oily face problem that requires you to carry blotting paper wherever you go, what would you do if you run out? Guys (yes, I know of guys who carries blotting paper) would simply say, use tissue paper to do a hard wipe. Perhaps not as simple a solution for the ladies especially when they have make up on. (And yes, some guys do use make up but let keep this entry simple, ok?) Allow me to present to you the toilet seat cover that can be found in the toilets of better establishments. These babies absorbs oil just as effectively as your blotting paper. I won't be surprised if they are of the same material sans the presentation. So, if it comes to the blotting paper emergency, you may want to give that ring of paper a shot.Unused ones, please.

2) Baking Soda.

I think we all know that the earlier tooth cleaning agents comprised of baking soda. The bicarbonate in itself is a little abrasive which makes it an excellent agent when it comes to remove dirt particles from your teeth. Also, baking soda has teeth whitening properties.Problem is that baking soda has got a salty taste that few people would take to it and also it may leave an odour in the breath thereafter. Solution? Get some strawberries. Mashed the strawberries up with the baking soda and you have a organic strawberry flavour toothpaste. The strawberry seeds also act as an abrasion agent to work in tandem with the baking soda scrubbing the teeth clean. The malic acid in the strawberries also helps to protect the skin surface and in this context, it is supposedly beneficial to the gums too.Most importantly, it is definitely easier to kiss a strawberry breath.

3) More Baking Soda!

This humble white powder is actually more useful that we thought! Again, utilising the mild abrasiveness of the powder, baking soda makes excellent facial scrub as the little coarse particles helps to exfoliate the skin, removing dead cells and hence gives you a vitalised complexion. However to everything, too much of it is bad and as such, moderation is key. 2 to 3 times per week max for facial exfoliation, regardless of brands.

4) Nude Pencil.

Well, not exactly a pencil with a naked lady where she would shed her clothes when you turn the pencil upside-down. We are talking about a skin coloured eye pencil. Usually as far as eye pencils are concerned, dark colours are usually more popular to create that smoky eyes effect or the make the eyes look kawaii-ly bigger. So why the need to have a colour at the opposite end of the spectrum? Easy. Dark circles, when overboard, will make you look like a panda and worse, if it is naturally occurring like a late party the previous night i.e. it is already dark before you do anything to your eyes. Application of the nude pencil along the inner eye should brighten them up and hopefully get away from your boss detecting that you come into his/her office less then 100%. Concealer also works in the inner corners of the eyes when it comes to brightening them up too.

5) Mint Tea Kosong.

I am sure everyone is familiar with the Evian Atomizer which in reality is a SGD 20.00 compressed can of mineral water that you spray on your face.
To suggest that one should just get a plastic spray bottle at those 1.99 shops and fill it up with tap water would have been too easy to make this list.
Instead, try putting mint tea (PLEASE, no sugar!) and sticking the bottle into the refrigerator. This is a tip adopted by both Jessica Alba and Hilary Duff as the mint tea not only hydrates the surface of the skin, but the mint tea also helps to cool the skin down and promotes better blood circulation on the skin surface.

6) Red Red Wine.

CelebrityBeautySecrets reported that Teri Hatcher pours her leftover red wines in the the bath tub. The key ingredient here is resveratrol which is a naturally occurring anti-biotic protecting the vines from fungus. Now, before anyone starts jumping into the bath tub to rid of her er.... fungal infection er.... downstairs, resveratrol for human use is more for the improvement of skin elasticity and cell regeneration.So for those, with er... certain fungal problem... er.... downstairs, please go see a doctor. Now, as far as this tip working in Singapore, I doubt if it would even work because of two very critical deal breakers. A show of hands:

• Who still uses a bathtub at home for baths? Bathing the dog/cat/baby not counted. Wait, do you even have a bathtub at home?
• Who actually has left-over wine?

JayWalk's tips above are adapted from beauty articles gathered from McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. JayWalk is proud to declare that he does not have fungal problems.... er... downstairs and as such allows him to drink up all the red wine without the need to save some for the bathtub which he hasn't anyway. As a result, JayWalk has a very elastic stomach that looked a tad big (it's the angle of the lighting!) due to excessive cell regeneration. Damn you, resveratrol! Damn you!


Image Credits: http://www.chiphi-pi.org; http://greenoptions.com; http://www2.dpi.qld.gov.au; http://www.beautybloggingjunkie.com; http://shopuncleharrys.dukestores.duke.edu; http://sa.rochester.edu

How To Get On Jay-Meister's A-List by JayWalk

How To Get On Jay-Meister's A-List
by JayWalk

(05 Aug 2008) - You don't have to be a supermodel or Ms Universe in order to be beautiful. All it takes is a little bit of effort and you could be the most gorgeous-looking girl in the room.

As the old Chinese saying goes, "There are no ugly women. Just lazy ones."

So if you would like to get into JayMeister's A-List, read on.

1. Shoes - There is Attitude when there is Altitude. I am referring to dressing occasions here. So sporting occasions (sneakers, trainer, running shoes) or wet marketing occasions (flip flops, sandals, crocs(!) and birkies) are not relevant in this particular discussion.
   
   I don't like flats on a lady regardless of how tall you are. Even if you are 1.85m, a little bit of heel say 1" to 1.5", would make you look more poised and elegant. Flats just make the lady look frumpy.
   
   If you are taller than your man, it's really not your problem. It's his. He is the short fart. I have dated taller girls before and I never had any problems having them towering over me. Not that I am short, but there will always be that someone taller. Besides, it's always fun to be the couple that everybody stares at. The guy will be the envy of all his peers simply because he had you.
   
   Then there is the question of open toe vs covered shoes.
   
   Personally, I prefer covered shoes and partly due to the fact that many ladies don't pay enough attention to their pedicure which can be quite horrendous in a pair of open toed shoe. Then again, covered shoes may encourage the ladies to continue to be tardy with their pedicure as out of sight, out of mind. So I guess there are pros and cons in a covered shoe. Still, I prefer the prior because they look better on the lady. Personal preference, of course.
   
   Perhaps almost due to our Singaporean culture where we leave our shoes at the front door then walking inside the house in slippers or bare feet, the wardrobe is, as a result, separated from the shoes, where the prior is in the bedroom or next to it. In other words, the ladies would pick the shoes after they have picked the dress.
   
   Try this for a change, do the opposite and pick a dress to match the shoes. Go out to the shoe cabinet (if you don't own a walk-in wardrobe like Carrie Bradshaw), pick out the shoes you would wear for the day, then come back in to pick out a matching outfit to go with. You'd be surprised how different the whole experience would be.
   
   
2. Bags - That's my daughter's second word after "papa". There is no need to starve yourself silly in order to get that Hermes. Get something nice within your means, if the prior is too rich for your blood.
   
   Seriously, what is the point of living on bread and water for 2 months just to get that Louis Vuitton? If it is deemed out of your league, people are going to assume that you are carrying a fake anyway.
   
   Then there is the issue of "fad". It's has an expiry date that it will go out of style at some point in time. So after you have painstakingly plonked $$$$$ on that latest "IT" bag, what do you do with it when it is no longer in fashion?
   
   Rather than selling a kidney to get that one mega-expensive Prada, why not buy 3 nice classic Coach or Kate Spade?
   
   
   
   

   Kate Spade - Classic Noel Tracy Bucket

   
   

   D&G Dolce & Gabbana - Small Tote With Strap

   
   Anyway, a nice tote is a must-have as ladies have been known to carry shitloads of rubbish with them. That's all fine and dandy for the working weekday but come the weekend, a nice shoulder sling or handbag would be better.
   
   Now come the evening where dressing takes a bit more than just the usual, a quaint little clutch is a Yes, especially if you are wearing something strapless. The word strapless means no strap from the dress and neither from the bag. Think about it, strapless because you want to flaunt that beautiful curvy shoulders of yours. So wouldn't you agree that it is really dumb to put the strap back on with the bag?
   
   If you are worried about the tiny little clutch not being able to hold in everything, there is this other thing that would resolve that problem.
   
   It's called the man's pocket. Just hand it to the guy to hold it for you.
   
   
3. Outfits. It's the 80-20 rule. You wear 20% of your clothes 80% of the time. Perhaps it's time to take stock of your wardrobe and you'd be surprised to discover how many new outfits you actually have to choose from inside. Add a little mix and match, the number is even bigger.
   
   Now, new outfits do not necessarily translate to good ones. There will be those what-was-I-thinking-when-I-bought-that types. I say, clear them out. Sell it, donate it. Just don't hoard it. Make space for new outfits to come in.
   
   As for accessories, it is better to keep it simple. There's a thin line separating crass and class. Don't over-bling yourself. Especially the ears, don't overload it with ear chandeliers that are so heavy that they threatened to rip the flesh off your earlobes.
   
   Guys prefer to kiss the naked nape of the neck, nibble the back of the shoulder and flick the lobes of the ears, without having endure a mouthful of jewelry.
   
   Oh yes, throw in a nice scent while we are at it. Thanks in advance!
   
   
4. Underwear. Granny panties are for grannies. Period. Wear something that you would enjoy looking yourself in the mirror. Doesn't matter if the average guy on the street will never get to see it. It's your own little secret.
   
   There is nothing sexier than being in power.
   
   So what's is so special about underwear? If you think about it, it represents the last line of defense to finally reach the land of milk and honey. Men are weakest at this point in time. Call it the thunderous calm before the storm, the blinding darkness before the dawn, the shattering tension before the orgasm.
   
   Oh yes, one more thing, please get rid of the Hello Kitty, Dear Daniel, Winnie The Pooh, Ultraman, Cars, The Incredibles, Toy Story, Barbie Doll, My Little Pony, Care Bear, Spongebob Squarepants, Dora The Explorer, Snow White, Mulan, Ariel, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Pochahontas, Powerpuff Girls, and Kim Possible matching underwear set if you have past your 6th birthday.
   
   
5. You. Last but not least, you, yourself and you. The above points (1) to (4) are nothing if you can't get Point (5) right. The above points are sitting on the basic foundation of You. If you don't feel good about yourself, none of the above will do anything for you. You may wear the nicest outfit, shoes and carry the most fabulous bag, it would still amount to nothing if you look and feel like a train wreck. Just the basic proper eating, proper rest, and proper water intake will see you in good stead.
   
   Oh yes and GET OFF that lazy butt and get some exercise! Get the muscles toned and your heart rate up. Put that glow back on your cheeks and I don't mean the rouge kind.
   
   
6. Smile. 'nuff said.