Elicina review (acne)

I decided to buy a jar of Elicina cream after seeing adverts in the local newspapers and magazines.  The adverts claimed that this 'magic' cream could erase scars and reduce acne.

I have mild acne which is mainly hormonal, as I tend to breakout more before the time of month.  Then my skin will improve for a few weeks before breaking out again.  Sooooooo frustrating.  I've been to the dermatologist at least a dozen times since I hit puberty.  It was always the same: antibiotics, benzoyl peroxide and a lot of other creams/gels to apply.  Sure my skin would improve with these treatments but after 3-4 months, my skin would adapt to these creams and it would become just as bad as before.

So I've been applying Elicina every morning and night for the past 2 months... and I must say that it's a MAJOR disappointment.  Maybe it needs more time  to achieve its effect.  I'm a bit more than halfway through the jar and don't know if I'll be ordering again.  I'm a bit skeptical as to its effectiveness.  I've read many user reviews on acne websites and many have not noticed any difference in their skin with this cream.  Some have used it for several months and seen major improvements.  So maybe it does need several months for visible effects.

During the first few weeks, I applied only Elicina at night.  After 2-3 weeks my skin had a big breakout.  So I applied benzoyl peroxide over my face after Elicina.  My skin improved a lot but recently I had another breakout.  Sometimes I also use Sudocrem after Elicina at night.

It only made me breakout on the areas where I usually do have acne though, like on the cheeks and chin.  I didn't breakout on the nose and forehead.  So maybe it's making all the acne under the skin come out so that my skin can be better.

Last year I was using mainly benzoyl peroxide.  After a few weeks, my skin did get better but then again it began to adjust to the treatment and did not respond as well.

I've read many positive reviews about Sudocrem (yeah the nappy rash cream) which is also indicated for acne as it's an antiseptic cream.  I'll have to use it more consistently to see its effects.

I wash my face every morning and night with Clearasil, scrub 3-4 times a week and apply a mask once a week.  I also do a facial hammam once a week.  I eat a pretty much balanced diet as I'm quite health-conscious and drink lots and lots of water.  But still!!! That acne won't leave me alone aaarrrrgh.  I'm quite tired of this war against my skin :-(

Double eyelid glue + makeup mess

OK I guess the Eye Charm glue works fine, but only if you're planning on wearing no makeup.  I've tried it several ways and it always ends up in a mess! 

- I tried putting glue first, then makeup.  The makeup clumps on parts of the eyelid where there is leftover glue.  Eyeshadow becomes very uneven and messy.

- I tried putting makeup first, then glue.  Parts of my eyelid had the eyeshadow 'erased' due to the glue, and therefore the eyeshadow and eyeliner is uneven and all messed up.

On top of that, it is veryyyyy difficult to remove even with makeup remover + washing with water.  There is always some leftover glue and I fear it's not too good for the fragile eye area skin.

Maybe the double eyelid tape will be better.  It is more expensive than the glue, but maybe it won't be as messy to put on and take off.  Waiting for my order to arrive...

Royally ever after

It's the media event of the decade.  A dream wedding, a much awaited one in the world's most media-covered royal family.  After all, the most eligible bachelor of the world is getting married!  The effervescence will come to a climax this week, after months of speculations. 

Kate proves that fairy tales do come true, but only for one girl in a million.  As most fairy tales go:

"Once upon a time, there was a beautiful young girl named Kate.  She lived in the countryside with her parents who worked as farmers.  Kate had one cherished dream since she was a little girl: to get married to the handsome Prince William whom she secretly loved.  One day, the King organised a ball where all the maiden girls of the country were invited.  The Prince would have to choose his future bride on that night or he would be disinherited from the crown.  The Prince was very upset and had little hope of finding a bride that night.  Suddenly, his gaze set on a beautiful girl in the room.. She was the most beautiful girl he had seen and he immediately fell in love with her.....

... and they got married and lived happily ever after"

William and Kate's story are not that much different from the fairy tales we are told as children.  Their story is a fairy tale with a modern twist.  Kate is from a middle class family, and William was smitten since he first laid eyes on her.  They meet during their study years at the university.  How many girls have dreamed of being noticed by the prince and to become a princess?

Kate is surely very lucky.  Although she has some points that could have ruined her chances.  Like being a few months older than her prince.  Like not being from a royal bloodline.  Like not having a real job. 

I guess some people are just born under a lucky star (sigh).  But for all the envious girls out there, just think of the downside of being a princess.  Like not being allowed to dress even a teeny bit provocatively even to go out (IF you can even go out).  Like being dragged from ceremonial to ceremonial and forced to put on an interested face.  Like having to look good in ALL circumstances as you will always be followed by paparazzis...

I know, this doesn't really help to overshadow the glamour of being a real princess.  But we can all find our prince, one who will treat us like a princess as we too deserve it!

Happy Easterday!

Happy Easter bloggers and blog-readers!
For many people, Easter equals chocolate eggs, bunny rabbits and all the beautiful chocolate artwork that you see in supermarkets at this time of year (yummy!).

The real meaning of Easter is the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day after his crucifixion.

For me, Easter day reminds me of another exceptional person.  A bit similar to Jesus, this person bears the weight of the cross daily.  This person is Kenny Easterday.  Here is an excerpt of the Wikipedia article on him:

"Kenny Easterday is an American man born with a rare disability called sacral agenesis. To improve his mobility, his legs were amputated at the hip when he was six months old.  Easterday gained some notoriety following the 1988 release of the Canadian movie The Kid Brother (1988), in which he played a fictionalized version of himself. To this day, Kenny Easterday refuses to use a prosthesis, preferring to walk on his hands or use a skateboard.  He was married at the age of 19 to an able-bodied woman named Sarah; they were divorced two years later. He was a regular on The Jerry Springer Show as The Messenger."

 Here is the link to watch a video of one of his appearances on the Jerry Springer show:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9DgFabuCWM&feature=related

Sadly the woman on the show was scared of him and was not very friendly to Kenny.

For more pictures:

http://acidcow.com/pics/8696-the-story-of-kenny-easterday-33-pics.html

I recently watched a documentary on him, and being a physiotherapist, his case really caught my attention.  I watched in awe how he walked on his hands, and did pretty much about everything- the dishes, household chores and even his manly duties (yes he does have his private parts).  He plays pool, goes bowling and even drives.  I remember watching his movie The Kid Brother when I was a little girl.  All I remember from the movie was a boy with only the upper half of the body but who was very agile.

The world is full of exceptional people.  I've also seen on TV:

- people with no arms playing the piano with their feet

- a woman suffering from the same condition as Kenny giving birth to 2 kids

- a blind boy who moves around using sounds to guide him (using echolocation like bats do)

I'm sure there are many other extraordinary people I have yet to see. 

Now that's what I call inspiring!!!

Stupid slippery shoes!

Had another is-shoe today.  I had decided to go to the capital city to do some stuff.. and mainly shopping!  I dressed in a city chic style and put on some peep-toe ballet flats I bought not so long ago.  I had worn them only twice before.. and although I thought they were slippery, they didn't give me any trouble.  But today, I hardly took a few steps outside my grandma's city house that I slipped!!  My left foot went forwards and I landed on my right knee on the tar! Ouch!

Luckily I had only superficial grazing, but does that hurt! Even after 12 hours it's still hurting.. it's like it's throbbing.  I cannot imagine the pain one can feel for more serious injuries.  I'm just glad I wasn't more seriously injured.

If I hadn't been so sloppy and had gone to the cobbler to put on anti-slip soles, this wouldn't have happened.  It totally ruined my day.. and could have caused more serious injuries.

So if you have slippery shoes, get them fixed!! Or just don't buy them! 

Glue for creating double eyelids

About a month or so ago, I never imagined something like double eyelid tape or glue existed.  For me, you were either born with single or double eyelids.  I thought the only way to change that was surgery.  This kind of product is very popular in countries with a majority of Chinese, Koreans, Japanese...(the most likely to need this product) which is not the case here in my country.

While watching some videos about Asian makeup on youtube, I discovered double eyelid tape and glue.  I became fascinated by it.  So much that I ordered Eye Charm glue on Ebay.  Got it for US$ 1.89.  I finally received it after 5 long weeks of waiting for it to come.

Isn't Ebay the best thing ever?  You can buy products you would never see in your country :p

The reason I chose Eye Charm is because it was inexpensive and can also be used as eyelash glue (I also became fascinated by fake lashes lately).  It comes in a tube, with a forked prod and a user manual which is not very explicit and not in very good English.  Luckily, you can easily find helpful tutorials on youtube.

The advantage is that it changes your eyes temporarily and painlessly.  No need for surgery.  And you can apply makeup over it.  I've only tried it on twice, and still have to get the hang of it.  It takes a few tries to be able to create a crease that best fits your eye. 

My left eye has a tiny double eyelid whereas my right eye is a monolid.  Sooooo frustrating.  My right eye looks smaller and droopy.

Before glue                                   After glue application

I still have to practice in order to make the crease bigger.  But even with a tiny crease above the eye, it DOES make a difference.  The eye appears bigger.

However my eyelid is tacky when I put on the glue, and I wonder how it will look like if I apply eyeshadow over the lid.  It could cause the eyeshadow to clump.  I have yet to try it.

Welcome to Paradise Island

Ladies and gentlemen, we have just landed in Mauritius.  We hope that you've enjoyed your flight.  Local time is 3.30pm, temperature is 28 degrees celsius with 80% humidity.  We look forward to welcoming you aboard Air Mauritius again.

Hurray, you've made it, you've landed on the small island in the middle of nowhere (technically in the middle of the Indian Ocean).  And you look forward to enjoying the sunshine, beaches and clear blue water.  To seeing those smiling welcoming faces of the Mauritian people.  To savouring your stay in this multicultural country where all races live in harmony.  Aaah Mark Twain was right, this IS paradise.

Then why are so many things wrong on paradise island?

Take any newspaper, you'll see headlines screaming about rape, murder, theft, fatal car accidents. 

Listen to the news, you'll hear about child abuse, medical negligence and crimes committed in broad daylight.

Take a walk outside, and you'll probably be victim of street harrassment.  Especially if you're a member of a minority group just like me.

About the street harrassment: have been a victim of it since my teenage years.  If I'm walking alone, and there's a group of people (esp boys), I just know they'll make inappropriate comments or insults.  Many girls are victims of street harrassment, but this is even worse for chinese girls.

Chinese people represent less than 3% of the population here, and probably the most street-harrassed community in this country.  And in a country with mostly dark-skinned people, it's not easy to go unnoticed.

I don't really know how to react to those insulting comments about my ethnicity.  Mostly I just ignore them and walk by quickly.  If they are in cars and driving away, I may insult them back.  Hatred generates hatred.  The hatred and rage I feel inside at these times is beyond words.  These waste-of-space losers should be the ones in wheelchairs or bedridden.  Maybe that will change their perception of the world and make them less full of themselves.

I don't like to wish ill to other people, but if they cannot tolerate me, then why should I have kind feelings for them?

How to fix pump shoes that are too big

So about this is-shoe I was having, the pump shoes that were too big (bought them from the internet).  Went to the shop and they still hadn't restocked the insoles (the ones that you glued at the back of the shoe).  Went to several pharmacies and they didn't sell the product.  So I came back home frustrated and impatient.  I get very impatient sometimes when I want something fixed.  I needed it fixed right now!

So I remembered having saved some foam that had come with new shoes a couple of years ago.  So happy I kept them.  I knew they would come in handy one day!

I placed them at the back of my shoes and tried to walk, and my foot didn't slip out of the shoe!  Plus if you add the ordinary insoles that cover the whole sole of the foot, or just the front half (as in the picture below), the shoe now totally fits!

So I cut them out nicely to fit the shape of the back of the shoe and glued them on with powerglue.  It took me 30 mins.  Gosh I wish I had thought of that earlier! 

When I put them on, no one can see I glued the foam inside the shoe.  The shoe (which was probably a size too big) now fits perfectly. 

Isn't that genius? :p

To make a living out of fashion

OMG I sooooo want these shoes!!!! :(

I love fashion.  Clothes and shoes.  I spend all my free time browsing through fashion galleries on the internet, checking out the latest trends.  Budget has been pretty tight lately, and I cannot really afford to go on a shopping spree.

I've been thinking about starting a small business.. selling clothes and shoes.  To make a living out of my love for fashion.  Isn't that every girl's dream?  To see all those beautiful clothes and shoes in front of your eyes, neatly arranged on shelves & racks.. even if they won't end up in your own closet, it is a pleasure just seeing them.  Better yet, if you sell them, you will make a profit and be able to buy newer trends and enjoy seeing even more beautiful things.. aaaah.  I dream of beautiful clothes, shoes and bags everyday.  If I could become the owner of a fashion boutique, I'd be the happiest girl in the world.

Weight-watch freak

I'm a weight-watch freak.  I weight myself almost everyday, sometimes several times a day.  I'm currently 1m70, 54kgs.  That's a BMI of 18.7.  Borderline underweight, as many would say.  I have always been slender but never athletic.  My body is anything but firm.

During university years, I didn't have time to work out.  Even if I did have time, I was too tired and chose nap over gym.  That's when the bathroom scales started to shoot up.  I weighed myself occasionally, but did not worry about the weight gain.  I thought I could easily lose them whenever I wanted to.  After all, I had the asian genes right?  I could eat anything I wanted and not exercise, and still not become fat right?

WRONG!!

After hitting the twenties, your body starts accumulating fat more easily.  It's not like the teenage years, where you could eat, never exercise, and not gain weight.  Your metabolism slows down after adolescence.  Even with asian genes, you eventually put on weight if you eat too much and don't exercise. 

No exercise= weight gain.  It's as simple as that.  Yeah life's a bitch.

The best way to not put on weight, is to prevent it.  Last year I lost around 4kgs, and have since regained 3kgs.  I am currently watching my weight very carefully as I do not want to gain more kgs.  I am careful about my diet and try to exercise everyday.  Mostly walking/jogging for around 30 mins everyday.

Last year I cut off anything too fatty (>12% fat) or too caloric from my diet.  And exercised twice a week, sometimes 3 times.  It was very effective, I had become skinny and lost 4kgs.  However it was too rigorous for me, and I have since abandoned the strict diet.  I do indulge in caloric and fatty foods sometimes, but try to control myself.

If I hadn't started to become more aware of my weight and diet, I would have continued to gain 1-2kgs per year.  That really adds up to a lot over the years.  The earlier you start taking care of your body, the better.

Sometimes you may not have the will to exercise, but just think about the results: a slim slender body.  That should boost you!

And it's time for me to hit my daily 30-min walk!

Another shoe issue

Seems like I'm having a new is-shoe (issue) now. Sigh. The more shoes you have, the more is-shoes you get.  I bought this pretty pair of red peep-toe pumps, and the left shoe is slightly larger at the back than the right shoe.  And it doesn't help that my left foot is less strong than my right foot.  So now everytime I take a step, my left foot just comes out of the shoe.

Asked the cobbler if he could do something about it, but apparently the cobbler cannot solve all is-shoes.  He referred me to a store where they sold Scholl shoe inserts that you glue at the back of the shoe, but they were out of stock.  I just have to wait a few more days before they restock.  Hope this will solve my problem... sigh.

How to.. shorten a (too) high heel

Got my shoes today!  The cobbler did a pretty awesome job.  I'm very satisfied.  The heel is visibly shorter.  When I measured it, it was shortened by only 1cm, but it makes a huge difference!

1) The heel looks much less daunting

2) The balls of my feet don't burn as before.  Much more comfortable and I'm more confident in them now.

3) I'll be able to wear these more often and even to dance!



Before



After

Shortening the heel didn't affect the balance or the shape of the shoe.  That's because the cobbler took off only 1cm.  So if you have super high heels that are just sitting in the closet, go to the cobbler and ask him if he can shorten it!



Shorten a high heel?

I bought a pair of heels yesterday.. Length of heels: 4 inches.  Thats the highest pair of heels I've ever bought.  I've never worn anything higher than 3.5 inches.  I'm 5 feet 6" (around 1m70) and always thought super high heels made me too tall.  People in Mauritius are short, I've always been the tallest girl in my class and I know few girls as tall as me.

The high heels are quite uncomfortable as I'm not used to them.. and I walk funny in them. So I've been thinking about shortening them.. I've read about some people taking their too-high shoes to the cobbler and have 1/2 inch removed.  I'm gonna go to the shoe repair shop tomorrow and enquire.. I hope they'll accept to do it  :(

Blogger newbie!

My very first attempt at blogging!  It seems like everyone has a blog nowadays, and I thought, hey this could be a nice way of sharing the things in my average girl's life.  I'm 24, live in the tropical island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean, population 1.2 million.  100% Chinese, born in Mauritius, grew up here and went to college here.
Finished college last year, currently unemployed, working as a freelance physiotherapist.  Have loads of free time and so.. decided to start my blog!