My 2011 Great Finds (&Recommendations)

1. La Mer cream
Awesome for very dry skin.

2. Top Chef (reality TV show)
My favorite TV show, it is really impressive the creative dishes these professional chefs can whip up given short time limits.

3. Valencia, Spain (side trip destination in Spain)
I adore Spain, and I have been to some of the most popular cities. A business trip took me to Valencia, a relatively smaller city, and I loved how bohemian it was while still offering plenty of interesting architecture to admire.

4. Shiseido Tsubaki shampoo, conditioner, treatment and conditioning spray
Truly impressive results I had never experienced - my sun damaged hair became shiny and manageable. It was like miracle.

5. Shiseido Integrate swivel eyeliner/ shadow in golden brown color
My friend recommended this product to me in Japan drugstore. It glides on smoothlJy, no smearing for hours, and can be blended to work like an eye shadow. It's a beautiful product. My "HG".

6. Marks & Spenser thermo underwear line and heat-generating black leggings
Warm, nice looking and extremely comfortable, I cannot live without them in the winter. I wear them to sleep, and sometimes underneath my sweaters when I go out. As for the black leggings - they are soft like silk and very slimming. Suggest to buy one to two sizes larger than your normal size so the fabric stretches less and looks more black.

7. Sleepnaked.com for online bed linen
At such affordable prices, the bed linen is soft and smooth, of top hotel quality. Delivery is also extremely fast.

8. Boho-Betty.com for cute beaded wrap bracelets

9. Earl Grey martini at 001 Bar (Wellington Street x Graham Street)
It's one of my favorite hangouts, a quiet but quaint bar with a secret entrance in the wet market. No door sign. Just a black door. No photos allowed inside.

10. Gianicolo Trail in Rome
Very nice walk with a great view of Rome. Loved it.

11. Kiehl's original musk fragrance and body lotion
I feel so innocent when I have that scent on me!

12. Fragonard perfume, Paris
I was staying in this very charming boutique hotel where they supplied guests with the Fragonard fig scented toiletries. I fell in love with the scent, researched the brand, and dashed to the Fragonard museum to look for it - sacrificing a longer visit to the Louvre.

13. Crepes in Rue Montparnasse, Paris
Quite a few good creperies in this street.

14. Moka stovetop espresso machines
After making good coffee at home myself, I had trouble drinking bad coffee in restaurants.

15. Unforgettable brigadeiro made by my Brazilian friend, Marianne
It's a special Brazilian sweet made with condensed milk and cocoa powder. I love it way more than chocolate.

16. Amazing molten chocolate pudding in Sirocco restaurant, Soho

17. Po Toi Island for a nice island hike
Totally undeveloped island, it is a great way to spend a day away from the city.

18. A few true java outlets in Sheung Wan for a nice coffee in a quaint neighborhood
Honestly, I don't even remember the name of the place I went to. But, I read that Cafe Loisl is another special one.

19. Shore bone-in cowboy rib steak
Steak heaven!

20. Oolaa, best brunch restaurant / cafe in Hong Kong to spend a lazy afternoon
Love the all day brunch menu. Love the leather sofas. Love the space!

Pamper Yourself: Aesop Ginger Root Soap Slab

Went to Aesop shop with my friend and by chance I learned about this soap bar which smells heavenly!  The one I got was Ginger Root Soap Slab, it smells like mix of ginger, lavender and geranium - very invigorating as if you just came out of a spa.  Costs a little over HKD100 for a huge slab, you can cut it into smaller blocks to use.  It's costly to go to a spa in the city every week, but for about $100 I can take many daily spa-scented relaxing showers!  Hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Moroccan Hammam - DIY Procedures

A big part of Moroccan Hammam Bath is about scrubbing off all the dead skin on your body and nourishing the skin with Moroccan Black Soap (Beldi Soup).  It is a strangely invigorating experience, despite the rough scrubbing.  I have written about my experience in the following posts:
Authentic Moroccan Bath (Hammam) Experience
Marrakech - Hammam (Moroccan Bathing Experience)

I fell in love with the scrubbing, and started to DIY at home weekly after returning from Morocco.  I have also given my friends some of the items needed for the ritual, but I doubt they remember the scrubbing procedures so here's a detailed explanation:

What you need -
1. Moroccan Black Soap / "Beldi" Soup - traditionally made with Argan Oil from the Argan tree, it is highly nourishing while at the same time loosens up dead skin for exfoliation.  Sometimes Black Soap is made with olive oil.
2. Hammam globes / "Kessa" - an exfoliating glove with a rough texture.  Very important in the Hammam ritual to scrub off dead skin.
3. Pure 100% Argan Oil - while not a must, it does nourish your skin very well after the scrub.

These products are very inexpensive if you buy them in Morocco drugstores.  However, if, like me, you will not be traveling to Morocco any time soon, then you can purchase online from stores like Argan Oil Tree.

Procedures at home (note that it uses a lot of water, so it is not very environmentally friendly):
1. Wet your entire body in a hot shower for a minute or so.  Hot is the keyword.
2. Leave some hot water running (through the tap) in order to keep the shower stall steamy, while you step away from the running water and apply the black soap paste to your entire body from neck to toe, avoiding the face and the hair.
3. Let the paste stay on your body for around 5 to 10 minutes while you stay in the hot and steam shower stall.
4. Wash the paste off your body with warm or hot water.  Do NOT use soap.
5. Turn off the hot water.  Use your hand to wipe excess water off your body, then use the glove to scrub your body in small circular motion.  Feel the skin being scrubbed with your other hand: you should feel the dead skin being scrubbed off.  If not, then the glove or your body is too wet.  Keep scrubbing from neck (too rough for the face) to toe, and rinse your body as needed.
6. When done, apply Argan oil to your body to finish the procedure.  If you do not have Argan oil, you may use other nourishing body oil or moisturizer instead.  Your skin will feel soft and have a nice glow.

This procedure is ideally done weekly.  At least that's what Moroccan women do, and they have beautiful skin!  Argan oil is ultra rich in Vitamin E and essential fatty acids, increasingly known in the cosmetic world to be a highly nourishing oil for the skin.  If concerned, feel free to google and read about it.

Things that make me happy: Trilby Hat - Suncare

Being under the sun every weekend for hours due to my much loved outdoor lifestyle, suncare catches my attention increasingly as I get older and need to protect skin more.

Never really a hat person, I recently bought 2 hats for an upcoming trip to Koh Samui.  I played with the hats for hours at home, trying them with loose braids, tight braids, messy braids, chignon, ponytail, hair down, hair up, with shades, without shades, etc.....  Felt a bit silly but I had loads of fun!

I did a bit of research online and learned that trilby hat is supposed to be very versatile, and depending on the size and shape of the hat it looks good on almost everyone.  Some common tips I came across:
- Wear it slightly tilted
- Wear the front of the hat slightly lower till it is just about eyebrow level for a sexy look
- Wear it with a light and loose shirt over shorts for the perfect look
- Wear it with messy braids for a romantic look (didn't really work on me though)
- Don't wear it too high up, defeats the purpose of wearing a hat
- If you have big / curly hair, tie it back or to the side to avoid looking like a crazy woman

Pantene Clinicare Hair Time Renewal One Wash Treatment

Never a fan of drugstore hair care products - because my hair is fine, processed and damaged by sun and sea water - I recently came across this Pantene treatment and was pleasantly surprised.

My hair was usually quite rough to the touch unless I blew dry it, and was frizzy, brittle and dull looking.  I got a sample of this Pantene treatment from a women's magazine, tried it and liked how the product felt so "foamy" on the hair when applied.  You apply this after normal conditioning, and wait for 3 minutes before rinsing off.  After 3 treatments, I could really feel the difference.  See my picture below - my hair is rarely this shiny and smooth if I don't blow dry my hair.

You can find this in Watson's and Mannings.  Sold at around HKD 79.9 for 10 tubes in one box.  It's a weekly treatment, but you can use more often if your hair is as dry as mine.

Tarte Cheek Stain

Most females I know cannot live without mascara and lipstick.  For me, it's blush.

Years ago I had a male friend bring back from US for me Tarte cheek stain, in Blushing Bride shade I think.  I loved it to death!  Unfortunately I cracked the container after some months and I had to give up the leaking tube.

When I was in Phuket with my female friend some months ago, I noticed she was using this product too, which I had forgotten for years.  So recently when a friend from US came to visit, I begged him to buy them for me.  As far as I know, they aren't available in Hong Kong yet.

It is like a stick of delicious smelling juice, and is perfect if you are after the natural blush-after-a-run (blush-after-sex) look.  Gel based, it is ultra moisturizing and gives your cheeks not only a very natural color but also a healthy glow which other cream based or powder based blush can't.  It is long lasting and you can layer it for more color, and the texture is very easy to blend with your fingers.  I got the product in Sunkissed and Tickled.  Sunkissed gives you a tanned, bronze look, and Tickled a subtle blush.  Since I am already very tanned, I use Sunkissed first, to add more color and add an extra layer of Tickled.  (If I use Sunkissed alone, I would look "fried" as it is a brownish shade.)

Hope you can order it online or find it in some rare cosmetic shop!

Fleece Flower Root Herbal Tea for Hair Growth 黑棗首烏茶

**Reminder (Oct 18, 2010): This is not a medical blog so for this and similar health food recommendations, please do your own research and check with medication professionals if needed.  As mentioned below in the original post, fleece flower root is reather "heaty" according to Chinese medicine and should not be taken if your body is heaty at the time.  According to the old man at the medicine shop, if a person is heaty, usually he/she finds his/her mouth dry and bitter during the day (not just in the morning), in which case one should have some cooling food or drinks (e.g. winter melon soup, sweet herbal tea like Chrysanthemum tea, etc.) to cool down the body.  He said that drinking Fleece Flower Root tea while one's body is heaty would make the person feel unwell.**

I've heard about 首烏 (fleece flower root) and its medical benefits to hair growth and shiny hair for years but never had the time to make this tea each week.

I've cooked this tea before and it tasted quite okay.  Supposedly you can feel the benefits if you drink it every week. 

The original recipe used red dates instead of black dates.  I was at the Chinese medicine shop where the staff, an old man, told me black dates would be better than red, because not only do they have the same blood replenishing (補血) benefit, it also could 去濕.  After some googling, I also read that fleece flower root is good for the liver, bladder, sperms (!!! yes!  ha), and improves sex drive.   This tea also will also improve blood circulation and give you a nice natural blush.

This soup can be slightly heaty.  Not suitable if you are menstruating or having stomach problems.

So here's the recipe:

Fleece Flower Root 首烏 - 1 兩
Dried Black Dates 黑棗 - 5 pieces  OR Dried Red Dates without Pits 去核紅棗 15 pieces
Sweet Dried Dates 蜜棗 - 5 pieces
Water - 8 bowls

Wash the ingredients.  Bring the water into a boil in a pot.  Put all ingredients into the pot, cover with lid, and boil over medium flame for roughly 1.5 hours to 2 hours, until water is reduced by half or a little more. 

Enjoy!

Love/ Fear Relationship with the Sun

Rare picture of me covering up under the sun.
Getting old, have to take better care of my skin especially since I am outdoors every weekend.

Beauty rituals

With life very slowly getting back to normal, and more spare time available, I have started some of my beauty rituals again.  失戀也可以失得漂亮些...

1. Sugar scrub - Buy some inexpensive brown sugar (ideally fine sugar, and as natural as possible) and use as a mild scrub on face and body.  Do this in the shower to help the sugar melt faster after scrubbing, and leave on for 5 to 10 minutes (after melted) before rinsing off.  Helps to polish the skin by remove dead skin, and to bring back a glow to the skin.  Do this once or twice a week.

2. Yogurt mask - I still swear by this mask to bring extra glow and moisture to dry/ dull skin.  Particularly effective on sun-exposed skin, this natural remedy is very common in Indian culture.  Just use about one teaspoon of unsweetened plain yogurt and apply to entire face like a mask.  Wait until it dries (about 10 minutes) before rinsing off.  In Hong Kong, I prefer to use Natural Valley brand instead of Dairy Farm.

3. Kohl powder as eyeliner - in Arabic culture Kohl powder is often used as eye liner and to improve vision.  I got a bottle from Morocco and fell in love with it.  The ultra black shade really defines the eyes, while the powder texture gives it a soft effect.  It's lovely.  If you are worried about potential lead content in Kohl powder, you could try Guerlain's Terracotta Loose Powder Kohl Liner.  Comes in a beautiful moorish bottle, and the effect is supposed to be similar to authentic Kohl.  I haven't tried it yet but will check it out myself soon.

So much for now.  Will update more as I discover new beauty secrets.

Marrakech - Hammam (Moroccan Bathing Experience)

Hammam is Moroccan bath, typically includes the beauty ritual of:
- pouring buckets of very hot water over you from head to toe
- cleaning and moisturizing your body with black soap (looks like a brown paste in a huge bowl)
- scrubbing you down from head to toe with a very rough mitten and pumice stone
- pouring buckets of very hot water to rinse you off
- washing your hair with some herbal shampoo and conditioning it with huge amounts of herbal conditioning paste
- applying mossy green body mud all over your body
- rinsing off with more very hot water
- then you are good to dip into very cold water bath before finishing with another splash of very hot water

Sounds like torture but it was a really nice experience - like a nanny bathing you when you were a few years old, scrubbing you hard from head to toe.  My skin had never felt so clean after the ritual.  When the lady scrubbed my face hard, I wanted so bad to ask her to be gentle, but I forgot if "gentile" was the right word, so I let her do her thing - and was pleasantly surprised how my delicate skin reacted well to the scrub!

All this took place in the hammam - which was a cave-like steam room especially for bathing and such rituals.  Typically you have to be completely naked, but since I had this inside my riad, I was allowed to wear bikini bottom.  I loved the experience so much and thought modern spa was nothing compared to this.  It was a different kind of pampering experience - in a rough way perhaps.

Plump Skin: Ultima II ProCollagen line

After months of traveling, my skin has become so stressed-looking, lacking a natural glow, and always looking dry and tired.  Despite continuous usage of Skinceutical treatment products, and upgrading face cream to La Prairie, nothing helped at all.

Finally, I decided to try Ultima II's ProCollagen line for the first time.  I did not know anyone personally who used Ultima II, and did not read any recent articles/ ads/ blog entries when I bought the product - just based on some advertorial I came across almost a year ago.

Result was truly amazing!  Within days my skin restored the glow I had had before.  My face no longer felt dry and sensitive, but moist and plump.  The texture of the products was gel-based - not greasy at all and not easily "evaporated" (dried up) like some other gel products did.

I've been using it for 2 weeks now and am 100% happy with it.  After applying the serum, I put on very little face cream and I'm ready to go.

Strongly recommend!