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!