Androgyny

With the emergence of male make-up gurus on the internet, I decided to create an androgynous look with the use of little make- up on. To compliment my jacket which I bought in Singapore from my trip last year I decided to use a liquid eyeliner to create a cats eye and red lipstick to achieve an oriental look (please refer to previous post to know the products used). Make-up really enhances your beauty and completes a look and most importantly brings out more confidence. From my point of view though, make-up shouldn't be overdone.

Hope you like my post guys!

About the look:

Jacket: I got from a shop in Singapore.

Jeans: Zara Woman

Shoes: Zara Man

Beso! 

Why Every Women Should Have A Red Lipstick?

From the Suffragettes and Marilyn Monroe to Rita Ora and Rihanna, red lipstick has been used by women for decades as a means of attracting attention.

And now it has been revealed that wearing rouge really does makes women feel more confident.

In psychological terms, red is associated with warmth, positive energy, and motivation, with studies finding that red is the color which excites our emotions, as well as triggering feelings strength and ambition.

Not only is it a huge confidence booster, but studies confirm that red lipstick is officially the sexiest color.

Scientists at the University of Manchester found that red lipstick draws attention to the mouth, most notably from the opposite sex.

In their study, they tracked the eye movements of 50 men who were viewing different images of women and found that men spent longer fixating on the women wearing red lipstick.

They found that they spent 7.3 seconds staring at red lips, 6.7 seconds on those with pink lips, and 2.2 seconds on those who wore no lipstick.

A French study found that waitresses who wore red lipstick on the job received tips 50 per cent of the time from male customers, while those wearing brown, pink or no lipstick were tipped 30 per cent of the time.

The study asked men why they tipped those specific waitresses more and they acknowledged that it was because they found them more attractive.

Anna DeVere, formerly of Elizabeth Arden, now at Colour Me Beautiful, told the Huffington Post: 'During World War II, Elizabeth Arden created a red lipstick for American women serving in the US armed forces to help them feel confident and powerful.

And it seems that modern-day celebrities have been quick to notice the positive effects of a spot of rouge.

Speaking in this month's edition of Glamour, Rita Ora said:  Wearing red lipstick, in my opinion, is the simplest way to make an impact,

'As soon as I slick it on, I feel instantly pulled together, more powerful, more womanly. I wear it almost every day.'

Gwyneth Paltrow famously said in an interview: 'Beauty, to me, is about being comfortable in your own skin. That, or a kick-ass red lipstick!'

Celebrity make-up artist Charlotte Tilbury loves a red lip, she said: 'As the incredible Elizabeth Taylor said, “Pour yourself a drink, put on some lipstick, and pull yourself together.”  A slick of red lipstick instantly makes you feel sexier, empowered and like you can take on the world.’

Rihanna also loves a red lip and has even designed her own limited edition version for MAC cosmetics, Ruby Woo, which sold out in three hours of going on sale.

Credit Source; http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2397116/Red-revealed-sexiest-lipstick-colour.html

I may not be a woman but no one can stop me from wearing a red lipstick heheh!

Yours truly in red lipstick. Hope you like it guys!

 I don't use a lot of make-up, I basically have few cosmetics which make me good to go everyday. A lip and cheeks stain , BB Cream, Mascara and eyelash-curler and a loose powder to remove shine. The BB cream from face-shop is my favorite and I highly recommend it. It gives good coverage, it has SPF and it is very affordable.

In this particular shoot, I used the following products below.

Beso! 

Beauty Talk In The Kingdom 1: Skin Care

Since I have been receiving many inquiries about beauty care or treatments over the phone and emails lately, I would like to share my experiences with you guys about the skin treatments I have gone through in order to improve my appearance.

Skin care is a lifetime commitment. Achieving a beautiful skin doesn't happen overnight. It takes a lot of dedication and commitment in order to improve the appearance and maintain a good skin.

 Pimple Treatment

 Acne has been my biggest problem since I was in high school (gosh, I remember being bullied because of how my skin looks like those days). I have an oily skin which why breakouts was common. It became severe in my first year in the kingdom. I have tried almost all kinds of cream, facial wash and toner I could find in pharmacies and recommendations from friends but my skin problem remain unresolved. It became depressing that  affected my social life.. I remember crying while rubbing a dab of exfoliating solution on my face. I have visited many dermatological clinics in the kingdom. I've been prescribed with different creams and soaps by one doctor to another and tried antibiotics but nothing worked until my consultation in Dr. Layla Onaizi Polychinic in Rakah.I was advised then to take Roaccutane for 6 months. I had a liver check before I started with the medication. I was happy with the result and never had any acne breakout ever since.

Personal Note : Consultation fee for first visit, Liver check (around SAR 500 at that time and Roacutane)

Acne Scars Removal

I was happy with the result of the treatment of my acne however the next problem came. The Acne Scars. 

It is important to identify the type of scar you have so you know what to expect from the treatment you are going to undergo to.

The Different Types of Acne Scars:

Rolling scars – relatively broad depressions in the skin that have rounded, sloping edges.  The combination of several of these types of scars in a region of skin gives it a rolling appearance, hence the name.

Boxcar scars – also relatively broad depressions, but have steep, defined edges.

Icepick scars – as the name implies, are deep and narrow scars.  In many cases, they resemble a large, empty pore in the skin.  In general, all the depression scars rest on top of a patch of fibrous, collagen rich scar tissue.  This fibrous tissue anchors the base (bottom) of the scar to the sub-cutaneous tissue, maintaining the depression and preventing the regrowth of healthy tissue.

Credit: http://thescienceofacne.com/the-types-of-acne-scars/

The Different Types of Acne Scars Treatment:

Treatments depend on how severe the scars are. In some cases, a doctor or dermatologist may suggest a chemical peel or microdermabrasion to help improve the appearance of scarred areas. These milder treatments can be done right in the office.

If you have serious scarring from previous bouts with acne, there are several things you can do:

• Laser resurfacing. This procedure can be done in the doctor's or dermatologist's office. The laser removes the damaged top layer of skin and tightens the middle layer, leaving skin smoother. It can take anywhere from a few minutes to an hour. The doctor will try to lessen any pain by first numbing the skin with local anesthesia. It usually takes between 3 and 10 days for the skin to heal completely.
• Dermabrasion. This treatment uses a rotating wire brush or spinning diamond instrument to wear down the surface of the skin. As the skin heals, a new, smoother layer replaces the abraded skin. It may take a bit longer for skin to heal using dermabrasion — usually between 10 days and 3 weeks.
• Fractional laser therapy. This type of treatment works at a deeper level than laser resurfacing or dermabrasion, Because fractional laser therapy doesn't wound the top layer of tissue, healing time is shorter. Someone who has had this type of treatment may just look a bit sunburned for a couple of days.

For "rolling" scars, doctors sometimes inject material under the scar to raise it to the level of normal skin. Finally, in some cases, a doctor may recommend surgery to remove deeply indented scars.

One thing you shouldn't do to deal with acne scars is load up your face with masks or fancy lotions — these won't help and may irritate your skin further, making the scars red and even more noticeable.

If you have a red or brownish mark on your face that you got from a bad zit, it should eventually fade. However, it may take 12 months or longer. Talk to your doctor if you're upset about acne marks; he or she may have advice on what you can do.

Credit: http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_body/skin_stuff/acne_scars.html#

Personal Note: I have both the rolling and  Ice-pick types of scars on my face which needs more than weekly exfoliation and the use of over-the-counter peeling cream so I decided to go through a laser treatment. My first-hand experience was at Al Dossary Hospital in Al Thuqbah, Saudi Arabia which I paid around SAR 500.00 only at that time. Recovery period is around 1 week. After A month, I revisited Layla Onaizi Polyclinic to try on their laser which costs around SAR 2,500 before and advised to have the treatment go together with the PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) after the recovery which costs SAR 1,500.

Platelet Rich Plasma

Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) is an exciting new method using your own blood to correct pitted acne scars on the skin. You may have heard about this acne scar treatmenttechnique, which is also known as the “Vampire Facial,” as it has gained popularity amongst celebrities and beauty insiders. The method of injecting your own blood into the face is new and is showing exciting results for patients looking to correct acne scars and rejuvenate their skin.

How PRP for Acne Scars Works

At Schweiger Dermatology, we use the gold standard SELPHYL system to spin the blood and separate the Platelet-Rich Fibrin Matrix (PRFM), which contains a plethora of beneficial growth factors that will help heal the skin and promote collagen and elastin regeneration. Blood is drawn from the patient’s arm and then put into the SELPHYL centrifuge, which removes white and red blood cells, leaving in only the PRFM. The centrifugation system converts your blood into “Liquid Gold,” a gel-like substance that contains only PRFM. Liquid Gold is called as such because it contains only pure platelets, which contains active growth factors. This platelet-rich blood is then injected into sites on the face with acne scars. The concentrated platelets release a host of beneficial growth factors that help to promote healing and stimulate regrowth of collagen and elastin.

Benefits

The platelets found in our blood do a host of beneficial things, such as stimulate the regrowth of collagen and elastin, the building blocks of young and healthy skin. When your own blood is injected back into your skin, the body naturally begins a healing process that helps rid of acne scars. We often recommend PRP as an add-on therapy to laser acne scar removal treatments, to deliver the best results possible to our acne scar patients. At Schweiger Dermatology, we strongly believe that combination therapy is the most effective approach to acne scar treatment.

Credit: http://www.schweigerderm.com/prp/

I hope this post helps. Thank you guys!

Beso! 

The Best Dermatologist in Khobar, Saudi Arabia

The Challenge: To look for the best Dermatologist for a laser treatment

I miss blogging! Its been more than a month now of not being able to at least open my blog as I've been busy looking for a new job and a new home to move into and so many other stuffs (whew!). I'm happy to be back to the travel industry. Working for a new company definitely needs extreme beautification and a new approach to style to start anew and fresh.

I thought of undergoing a laser treatment for the second time around and Botox (yes! you heard it right!) this Eid Holiday. But the question was, where? I had my first laser treatment (Fraxel) with Dossary Hospital in Khobar. It was affordable at the cost of SR 500/session but the result wasn't what I expected it to be.

I've been very prone to having pimples and acne since high school and had breakouts in my first year in the kingdom. With so many dermatologists I have visited, only Elite Derma Care at Layla Onaizi Polyclinic was able to treat it. I may be enjoying a life of being pimple free after the treatment but I continue to struggle being conscious with the way I look with my acne scars. So this is when I decided to go through laser skin resurfacing.

For those who doesn't know, laser skin resurfacing also known as laser peel or laser vaporization and lasabrasion reduces and improves the appearance of wrinkles, scars and blemishes using beams of lights and Elite Derma Care, Layla Onaizi Polyclinic is definitely the place to go if you want to undergo such kind of treatment with their reputed resident dermatologist Dr. Saad Al Sogair.

There is more to this good looks (hehe! cant help it). Consultant Dermatologist, Dr. Saad Al Sogair,

 a Board certified Dermatologist and active speaking member of multiple international Aesthetic and Anti Aging societies and academies. Including the Saudi Society of Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery, the American Academy of Aesthetic Medicine and the American Academy of Anti Aging Medicine. Dr. Sogair has quickly established himself as an expert in Dermatology and Aesthetic Medicine and he is especially knowledgeable about Anti Aging practices and Preventative Medicine. 

Since obtaining his M.B.B.S. in 2003 he has attended over 20 training courses throughout Saudi Arabia, the U.A.E., Lebanon and as far away as the U.K., South Korea and the United States. These courses have covered every aspect of modern Dermatology including facial rejuvenation procedures, laser treatments, aesthetic dermatology and hair transplant procedures. In addition, he is viewed as a leading expert in the field of Dermatology and has been asked to speak and present at seminars and conferences throughout the world.

Dr. Sogair specializes in a wide variety of Dermatological practice areas including skin rejuvenation, laser resurfacing, BOTOX injections, soft tissue augmentation, skin peels, body contouring, acne treatment, hair removal, tattoo removal and the treatment of pigmented lesions, leg thread veins and vascular lesions as well as hair transplantation.

He takes pride in the quality care provided in his clinic; Elite Derma Care, where he currently resides in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia.

Here are some photos of the whole process of the Laser Skin Resurfacing.

On the first day, skin is red and swollen. It is advised to put an ice on the treated area. You will be prescribed with antibiotics and some creams.

On the fourth day, skin started to peel. Try to avoid sun exposure as much as possible.

On the fifth day, The old skin is almost gone.

Overall, I am very satisfied with the service.

Beso! 

Make-up for Men?

Gone are the days of housewives basically to serve their husbands and children. Women nowadays are showing that they are just as good as men in any fields they embark career on.   They can be pilots, engineers, soldiers and even presidents. Hail and salute them for bringing excellence in men's world. "Android women empowerment" indicates diminishing stereotype amongst women thus society embraces modernity.

On the other hand, negativity connotes if a man does anything associated with women. Most especially in the name of vanity in any form amongst men, to the extent of using make-up  is a big "No" But why? You heard it right, make-up for men! make-up have hit stores and dont wonder when one day you'll come across a section dedicated to cosmetics for men. They have the same needs as women in resorting to make-up. With men's activities which makes their skin susceptible to skin damage, Make-up comes to rescue. Men have got to hide some flaws too and look good when he's out there to face the world.

Finally!  There are concealers specially designed for men like The Men Pen and Menaji which help conceals skin problems on the face like acne, scars, redness and other imperfections.

(Image from: www.themenpen.com)

 (Image from: www.menaji.com)

Anti-shine powder from Menaji.

Eyeliner and Mascara for men from Guyliner ( www.guyliner.com)

I hope this is as far as make up goes for men. There are already few men left in this world! We don't want all of them be looking fags right?

Beso!