It was 4 hours past noon when Detective Whodunnit (Specialty: Myth Debunking) found a case file on her desk, with a note pinned to it: “Be careful, it’s a hairy jungle out there”.

The crime? Spreading A Rumour - “If you shave, your hair grows out thicker.”

The Detective laughed, and stroked her own eyebrows in mirth. If hair does indeed grow out thicker, then most women on the streets would resemble Chewbacca, the poster-child for over-active follicular growth by now.

The crime solving begins..

The hair strand consists of the root, the shaft and the tip. The root is the thickest part of the strand and the thickness lessens in circumference towards the tip. For some reason, if you are unable to verify that by pulling out a strand of your own hair, take a closer look at a cat’s whiskers (and resist the urge to pull it, please).

When you tweeze/ wax/ thread… you are removing the whole strand of the hair including its roots. The new hair that will grow in its place will take a relatively longer time to emerge than hair that is shaved. When it does emerge, its tip is what you will see, which is the thinnest part of a hair strand. Not all of it will regrow. I repeat, you will lose some along the way when this method is used regularly. Thus the danger of over plucking: you may end up with sparse brows if you too get trigger-happy with those tweezers.

When you shave… you are cutting the hair midway through its shaft, the thicker part of the strand compared to the tip. The hair will continue to regrow, as soon as within a day. When it does emerge, it is the middle section of the strand that you will see, which is thicker than the tip. No. It will not split into 2 individual hair strands like an amoeba. It will not regrow as permanently thicker in size or numbers.

Which is the better way?

It is sheer preference. Some women prefer the longer length of time between regrowth and prefer plucking compared to shaving. Some women who have sensitive eyes or are intolerant of pain will prefer shaving. Plucking the eyebrows causes certain redness, mild irritation and for some even a light swell that leaves the eyes looking puffy. Which is why it is not a good idea to pluck right before say, having a picture taken or before any important, look-your-best event.

“But mine don’t. I turn out all right every time..”

Well, that is because you simply don’t fall into the ’some women’ category. With regularity, you get used to the pain.

” My eyebrows are very long do I have to remove a lot of it for a manicured look? The lady told me not to cut it…”

Which lady? Moving on.. If you find that your eyebrows comes in long strands, you can trim it with brow scissors. They are curved, and some are sold with tiny brushes. Brush down the eyebrow and trim where needed to remove stray hairs.

“Are you sure they don’t grow thicker? “

Yes. This includes all hair on the body ( you know where they are ). You can have loss of hair but not thicker hair simply by removing it.

” But I started shaving my underarm when I was 13 and they did grow thicker over the years! “

For the love of god, its called puberty.

Puberty was an awful period of time for Chewbacca.

Detective Whodunnit files this case under ‘Myth - Debunked’, checks her reflection, and books an appointment for brow threading.

]]> http://tattlermag.com/2009/10/the-case-of-the-bushy-eyebrow/feed/ 0 http://tattlermag.com/2009/10/this-seasons-matte-look/ http://tattlermag.com/2009/10/this-seasons-matte-look/#comments Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:13:07 +0000 Laea http://tattlermag.com/?p=1082

This Fall/Winter season’s look ventures back to matte with models donning this shine-free look on the catwalk. Taking the lead from our favourite (and pricier) brands such as M.A.C cosmetics, Chanel and Revlon with their own seasonal matte collection, we at Tattler bring to you our own version of a matte look that is both affordable and easy-chic.

The Prep Work

To ensure a shine free face, apply a mattifying makeup base or primer. This will help keep the makeup from sliding and keeps your face matte longer. Try using ZA Pore smoother as a primer for the oilier parts of your face, typically the chin, nose and forehead. It is a lightweight balm that goes on silky and leaves the areas matte and smooth. I like how it comes in a handy little tub and how powdery and silky it feels.

The Canvas Base

Powder and Cream Foundations are the best to achieve this look. Try not to be too over-zealous with the powder and move as physically far away as possible from any 80’s images. You don’t want to go there, sister. The Body Shop Flawless Skin Protecting Foundation is a fun cream-to-powder foundation that offers smooth blending, a good dose of SPF protection and mineral shield complex that protects from sun damage and giving you an even and a healthy, natural-looking complexion.

Dressing the eyes and cheeks

I used two eye colours for Laura’s beautiful Hazel eyes, Revlon Matte Eyeshadow in Aubergine and Peach Sorbet. Using the Peach Sorbet as the base colour, I swept it across her eyelids, midway on her lower lash line and into the crease of her inner eye corner to instantly brighten her eyes and reduce any redness. Next, I applied Aubergine from the outer corners of eyelids to the midway point and a repeat on her lower lash. If you have any difficulties on finding your ‘ midway ‘ point, all you have to do is look to the front and detect where the mid point of your pupils naturally are.

On her cheeks I swept on Revlon Matte Blush in a wonderful colour called Perfectly Peach. Starting from the outer corners of her cheekbones and then blending it out for a natural finish.

On the Peckers

A light coat of Revlon Matte Lipstick in Nude Attitude and Laura was set to go!

For upkeep of this look whilst going about your day or night, do carry along some blotting papers and powder to touch up. Don’t be afraid to change up your looks once in awhile and have great pleasure in trying this out!

]]> http://tattlermag.com/2009/10/this-seasons-matte-look/feed/ 0 http://tattlermag.com/2009/09/review-tanaka-white-from-bio-essence/ http://tattlermag.com/2009/09/review-tanaka-white-from-bio-essence/#comments Tue, 29 Sep 2009 13:05:04 +0000 Laea http://tattlermag.com/?p=1027

Tanaka White, Bio-essence’s latest line of Whitening and Firming skin care range has recently been launched in the market. The product claims to whiten, cool, firm and hydrate skin all packed with the potent goodness of Tanaka Tree Bark.

I have always been attracted to products that are derived from or inspired by nature, so this addiction naturally had me giving the new line a try. I took 3 of the products off the shelves and tested their Rejuvenating Whitening Day Cream, Renewal Night Cream and White Perfecting Lotion for a period of 14 days.

The product claims to whiten and brighten your complexion by reducing dark spots and evening out skin tone, firming your skin by strengthening and improving skin elasticity, fully hydrating skin with a cooling effect. Their secret break-through ingredient, Tanaka Tree Bark — purportedly a traditional whitening secret used by Myanmar women for 2000 years, cherished for its cooling and whitening properties.

After 2 weeks..

I am neither whitened nor brightened by the products. Overall there was a very slight lightening of spots, unfortunately it’s hard to tell if it is by my own skin renewing or by the product itself. I have no indications to tell if the firming qualities worked on me since I am still quite firm. * chuckles – Hence may not entirely be helpful for mid-twenties and below. I am perplexed however that none of the 3 products had the acclaimed ‘cooling properties’, they were not warm per se but they weren’t cooling either.

The Rejuvenating Whitening Day cream has a beige pinkish colour and like most other reviews I’ve researched on, I concur that it did make me look ‘fairer’ but I did not become fairer. Honestly, it’s the corrective colour in it that makes you look a tad lighter in shade. The cream has to be spread evenly with a little effort to blend the colour into the skin.

The White Perfecting Lotion, like many other sunscreen lotions, contains SPF in it. It is not greasy, a little on the thick side and has the same odd drying feeling after applying. Give it a few minutes and the drying feeling will cease once the lotion is fully absorbed. SPF a day helps the skin a long way.

The Renewal Night Cream is again like many whitening night creams: rich and indulgent on application. It spreads smoothly and is a little too greasy for me. Every morning, my skin feels suffocated with a layer of grease -  the cream is not entirely at fault here as I do have combination skin – which makes me despair that it didn’t work at the end after battling the sticky nights.

On hindsight, I did not get any mini breakouts more than I’m supposed to. As for the whitening bit, despite me hoping it would work, the products did not do what they claimed to be capable of. All in all after considering the slight lightening of some spots, I give this try a 2 out of 5 stars.

The whitening phenomenon. The western world is obsessed with tanning themselves while we Asians on the other hand are obsessed with whitening. In the West, someone sporting a tan usually suggests that he/she has money and time for a beach holiday. In parts of the East, anyone with fair skin means he/she has money to work indoors and not have to spend hours under the sun doing hard labor – half a century ago anyway.

Whitening any part of your body takes relatively much more time unlike tanning for a new bronzey glow, but there are 3 features that you can whiten that can give you the most and fastest impact to your appearance are your eyes, teeth and complexion.

Eyes

First contact is always eye contact. Celebrities and models are known to use special eye drops that helps to brighten their eyes to make them more captivating. It is fad that is much raved about in the States but isn’t at that popular here (yet?). Personally I think it should be about time – it definitely is one of the best kept secrets of makeup artists in helping out weary-eyed models.

There are many brightening or whitening eye drops available online. One of my favorite is Visine. It’s active main ingredient is Tetrahydrozoline HCl that helps to constrict blood vessels, making the eyes appear whiter and brighter.

There are other types of eye drops that helps to counter the redness in our eyes by using blue dyes in the solution. But like any other over-the-counter drugs and medications, it is absolutely important to read and follow the instructions. Honestly, if Panadol can be misused then so can these.

On a lighter note, this is a personal choice for me because it generally is a brand that helps allergy sufferers from eye irritants and other such symptoms. There are also an array of supplements that boast eye brightening benefits available over the counter.

Pearly Whites

Our teeth are naturally stained by the food that we consume, but especially more so if you’re a caffeine addict, tea lover (me) or if you smoke. There is so much to say on how a brighter smile helps. Who doesn’t want brighter teeth?

Now dental whitening treatments are expensive – almost everything dealing with teeth is – so until you save up for a professional treat, brushing your teeth everyday with whitening formula toothpaste helps. Brushing with a whitening paste helps to rid off superficial staining that you got from your morning coffee. It is affordable and totally worth shelling out the extra pennies for.

Complexion

Now I’m quite a cheater on this one. I have a love and hate relationship with my tan. Sometimes because of my job – sun, sea and sports – my tan makes me feel healthy, sporty, vibrant and glowing. But there are other times when surrounded by models, I feel dull in comparison. Before somebody shoots me, I have nothing against dark complexions. It’s just my going-out clothes don’t match my tanned colouring and when I’m lazy, neither does my foundation.

I try to lose my face tan as fast as possible when I can… by cheating. I use whitening spot treatments every spare night – no point trying to be fair if you’re going to be out on the beach the next day – all over my face. Instead of applying on imperfections and spots, I use these treatment creams all over for a ‘faster’ whitening effect.

Unfortunately most of these treatment creams or serums are too rich for my oily skin. So instead, I only use them at night and I always exfoliate for better absoption!

Part 6: Chill out Sunday

Studying done, getting updates on hot news, done. Time to have some fun under the sun at the nearest body of water you can find. (That’s the sea for me.) Truth is, I love my sailing job but I don’t really love the tan. So one day I thought to myself: I might as well get some highlights while baking under the hot sun!

To do this, all you need are some lemons and water. Citric acids help to lighten hair naturally, but if you apply it directly onto your hair, it will cause your hair to become brittle – you need to first dilute it with some water. Mix juice from 1 lemon with 3 cups of water. You can use a spraying bottle to coat your hair as you tan or you can rinse your hair and leave it to dry. There you go, a sun kissed new you.

Another hair rinse you may want to try on a rainy Sunday, is by using chamomile. Steep 3 bags of chamomile in warm water and use as rinse after shampooing and conditioning. It helps to bring some shine and gloss naturally in time for your next week of school!

Part 5: Sizing up Saturday

With Saturday finally arriving, it’s time to hang loose with some friends and catch up on what’s new and hot. Deep purple is the new black for shadows and liners – according to Allure August 2009 issue – with purple and blue popping up in the S/S looks of MAC and The Body Shop collections whilst Estee Lauder has its new Sensuous Gold collection which pushes through rose, amethyst and amber colour palettes.  Look out for shimmery blue or denim to dark blue if you do not want to be mistaken as an aircrew wannabe. If all else fails in your colourful attempt and that dastardly colour just doesn’t seem to blend well on your lids, don’t throw it out too soon. Use it to line your lower lash, especially the outer corners on black kohl lined eyes for party nights because black matches with anything – and party night calls for a little extravagance.

Part 4: Finishing Friday

You are almost through with the school week – and feeling almost lifelessly dull. Try using a creamy to sheer foundation for a tired face. If you are using powdered foundations, I highly recommend only patting it on our forehead, nose and chin to avoid looking too matted-out or heavy.

To blend with the rest of your face, use a face brush or a clean blush brush and sweep on the foundation lightly on your jawline and cheeks. Powder Foundations with light reflecting properties are good investments as they are good for any time of day to bring light to your face. Although some shimmer is good for the face, avoid shimmery and glittery eye shadows for puffy eyes. They make your eyes look power-puffed. One trick I do is to put some neutral or beige shimmer colour only on the inner lower eye on lining it on the water line of the eyes. This helps to cover the redness of tired eyes.

Honestly, a quick dose of eyedrops really works wonders too.

Part 3: Twirling Thursday

So you’re done spending the first few days of the week doing damage control, it’s now time to perk up your mood a little bit with perky pretty eyes.

Now let me lay this out on the table first: the heat curling eyelash tool was an overrated, over priced fad. Seriously. Don’t even start with vibrating mascaras. Now someone had to have too wild of an imagination somewhere. I’ve worked along side makeup artists and have peeked into their bags, and had them peek into mine, and we’ve yet to find any of the two abovementioned items in them. Sorry girls, you’ve been duped by clever marketing.

That normal, humble and metal eyelash curler you’ve had all along works just fine. You want lasting curled lashes? Get a hairdryer or a good long-lasting mascara, or a waterproof one  to make sure it’ll be melt-proof  in this humidity. First blow your eyelash curler with the hairdryer, then check the heat by the putting it on your chin – and you’re all set to curl! If you’re still using plastic eyelash curlers, just get rid of them already. They’re more of a disposal item, so don’t even let yourself pay more than $3 for it, when you can buy a metal one for just $2. They last longer and cleans easier.

If you really do need to ask about ‘vibration’, all you have to do is coat your lashes from the roots to its tips while moving gently sideways. Nothing too vigorous! And there you go: vibration. :)

Part 2: Washed Out Wednesday

Bad limp hair days attack. It’s bad enough that humidity kills styling, but bad limp hair days take the cake.

Even after daily washing, does your hair fall flat and greasy by lunch time? You might be the victim of product build-up. Invest in an anti-residue shampoo or shampoos that are meant to wash out gunk from your hair. Gunk meaning the remnants of your styling products and leave-in conditioners. Depending on your hairy situation, you can alternate your normal shampoo with the anti-residue shampoo every 3 days or once a week. If you find your hair still becoming too greasy too soon, consider changing your normal shampoo to something less luxuriant or creamy.

One trick to reduce greasiness is to apply your hair conditioner away from the roots of your hair and scalp. The lower ends of your hair tends to be dryer and in need of conditioning, not the roots. Though I must say, the lack of directions on the bottles does not help anyone- ” ..apply on wet hair after shampooing. Rinse clear.”

One trick to reduce greasiness is to apply your hair conditioner away from the roots of your hair and scalp. The lower ends of your hair tends to be dryer and in need of conditioning, not the roots.

I’ll recommend the Anti-Residue Shampoo from Neutrogena – value for money and suitable for all hair types (and no – they’re not paying me to say this..yet :) ).

Say hi to Laea, sailing instructor/freelance make-up artist and now writer – our latest addition to the Tattler team. She shares with you beauty tips to get you through the school/work week in this 6-part series. Look out for her tips throughout the week!

Bearded lecturers, assignments, leaky pens and cab fares. That pretty much describes another day of school for me. For most, this is the time when we brace ourselves for the next wave of maddening madness brought to you by ( insert name of institution ). As you all whine and toss in your sleep in the face of the impending semester, I’ve no such troubles only because my endless seat warming pursuits have no end. So count yourselves as lucky. We, part-time students, relish no holidays or semester breaks. Just a continuous cycle of work life and books, until death or graduation, do us part. Though not paying your school fees would make a good parting gift as well.

I love studying, period. But I love flexibility too. I am probably suffering unconsciously from some syndrome that makes me school hop. We’ve heard of job hopping, but school hopping? I do finish my new learning adventures, 90% of the time. Okay maybe 75%. Maybe it sounds a little erratic, but you’re reading the life snippets of a sailing instructor/makeup artist/writer and not forgetting, student. So seeing to it that I count myself as a ‘veteran’ seat warmer, I’ll share with you guys beauty tips for a good school week.

1 Moisturising Monday

Fortify yourself with a good breakfast; welcome to the start of Moisturised Monday. Before we start buckling under the stress of suffocating makeup and super-drying air conditioner, we need to begin with good prepped up skin! I’m sure you have heard of the not-so-recent fad of yogurt facial masks. Those deliciously illustrated and flavored concoctions from Taiwan and Korea often boast of the beautifying properties of strawberries, kiwis and whatever fruits and yogurt blend they manage to come up with. I’ve often wondered though – how beautifying can artificial preservatives really be? After all, most of our skincare are blended with chemicals and preservatives of sorts. So if you’re gonna start on the au naturel route now and pile on the yogurt and fruits, homemade should be the new old school – more bang for your buck, without the chemicals.

Monday’s and Tuesday’s tips after the jump!

Here’s how to do it: Buy some plain yogurt – you want to really make sure it’s plain – and some bananas. Bananas have some kick ass potassium, iron, manganese and are rich in oils that are both moisturising and nourishing. As far as homemade masks go, I am not a fan of using raw egg whites. You should never put raw eggs on broken skin, and especially not on blemishes. Besides, the smell does not turn me on at all. Cut and mash 1/2 of a banana and a 1/4 cup of yogurt. Mix it, slick it , lick it, lie back – and listen to some Ipod, girrrl.

If you want to pamper your body with some accompanying fruity delight, try The Body Shop’s new Wild Cherry Body Butter. The butter is absolutely smooth and melts into your skin with a cherry goodness.

2 Black Tea Tuesday

So we got through Monday’s classes and the lecturers managed to rip our holiday assignments apart. Late night reparation works and schmoozing with deadlines have left your eyes looking like your favourite panda biscuits. Oh come on, everybody knows Hello Panda, they come in chocolate, strawberry… You can save yourself in two ways, you can do it hot or you can do it cold. Say you choose hot, or well, you would want it warm actually, find some tea bags. Take 2 tea bags, run them in some water, squeeze excess and put them on your eyelids. Any black teas, green teas or chamomile teas works fine. Though I would stay away from funky flavoured Mango or Strawberry Teas, as they tend to be more sticky than I’d like. The caffeine helps to constrict vessels and the tannin reduces inflammation.

Tip: cheaper teas tends to have more tannin so you don’t have to pay more for the fancy ones.

If teas are not on your daily grocery list, a spoon will do. Pop a spoon in your freezer before you shower and by the time you’re done with it, the spoons are ready to be pressed – lightly – onto your eyelids. To accompany your wake-me-up regime, try cooling shower soaps to invigorate yourself. No other shower gel packs the right essential oils and smells better than Original Source.

Next up: how to fight Washed-out Wednesday