MAKE-UP TIPS by Suraya Anuar


	Ask me any make-up query which has always bugged your mind! I will try my best to answer them for you =)
	Name: Siti Nazifa a.k.a Cipi Location: Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia. Problem: Wants a recommendation for good mascaras so that I can have full, thick eyelashes without wearing fake eyelashes. Sue, I want full, thick eyelashes without wearing fake eyelashes. Is there any good brand of mascara that you can recommend? Thanks! Assalamualaikum WBT Cipi =) Yes full, thick eyelashes changes the look of the eyes. From dull and boring to big, beautiful and WOW! :p The eyes is the window to the soul, and you can literally captivate anyone with your stunning gaze. Just think of the Middle-Eastern women who cover their aurah with burka or hijab and only their eyes are exposed, still the beauty of those mysterious eyes would haunt your mind for a long time. Answering this Q also reminded me of something I witnessed when I was in Osaka, Japan when I was 16. I went to the public restroom, and I saw some girls touching up their make-up. A usual scene in Malaysia would be ladies touching up their make-up with foundation powder due to the humid weather and of course the usual reapplication of lipstick or lipgloss. Surprising enough to me that time, I saw a few Japanese ladies took out their mascaras reapplying with layers and layers of new coat. They even brought eyelash curlers in their handbags! So that shows how important for us ladies to have big, beautiful eyes and that proves that by having thick eyelashes, our eyes would look bigger, more defined and definitely more beautiful. However of course it would be difficult and not recommended to wear fake eyelashes on a daily basis, in fact me myself don't even wear fake eyelashes on special occasions unless if I REALLY feel like I want to. Nevertheless, to substitute the power of fake eyelashes, the usage of mascara is A MUST. There are lots of good brands out there which offer amazing mascaras. These brands I am going to mention, are coincidentally the ones that I use or have used previously so I would recommend based on my experience, so please don't think the unmentioned brands are not effective ok :) The very affordable brand that I always use until now is of course from the company that has helped me to be what I am today from being a zero in make-up, Maybelline! :p Maybelline's mascaras are not only the bestseller mascaras in the United States, but they truly deserve the spot because their mascaras are not only affordable but the effect is great and long-lasting as well. FYI, Maybelline's first product was a mascara when Maybelline's brother invented the mascara to make the beauty of her sister's eyes outstanding. Well it succeed and as the history stated, Maybelline succeed to captive the attention of her dream man, and finally they got married. If it's true, so please remember always of the power of stunning, beautiful eyes :) Yes back to the Maybelline's mascaras, to volumize your eyelashes, I seriously recommend you to use Maybelline's Volum' Express Turbo Boost mascara. I have been loyal using this mascara, and ranked it #1 as my most favourite from day 1 I received my make-up kit from Maybelline. However you also need to be creative in doing your make-up because remember it's art. As for me I always apply some coats of lengthening mascara after applying the volumizing one. My favourite is the one which my father bought when he went to the US, a neon green tube named Define-A-Lash, also from Maybelline which is still not sold in Malaysia. However other types of lenthening mascaras will work as well. As for my personal preference, I always like waterproof mascaras because of the long-lasting and strong effect. Other good mascaras which I have tried are Bad Gal from Benefit but of course it's from a higher price range which is at about RM 90 plus per tube, the ones from Christian Dior which my mother uses (even now she loves the mascaras from Maybelline :p). Of course you will never go wrong with Fasio's mascaras because they're from Japan (remember how I told you Japanese girls are crazy of big eyes so Fasio mascara is perhaps the best brand for mascaras sold in Japan). The effect is like crazy strong and will really volumize your eyelashes till you will feel like you are one of the Kawaii (cute) Japanese Anime characters I'm not kidding! However of course, because of the extremely strong effect, it's very difficult for you to remove them off from your eyelashes. They have a special make-up remover recommended as well, however I will always prefer to wash off my make-up with Olive Oil when it comes to removing heavy duty make-up. As for Loreal's mascaras, from my experience using them, yes they really volumize your eyelashes but I don't reallly recommend them because the mascaras dry up really quickly making future applications to be clumpy. Nevertheless, don't make it a habit to push and pull your mascara wand in the tube when you are about to apply, because that will bring more air into the mascara tube and that will make the mascara to dry up quicker and this will make your mascara useless before you finish using it. Of course, you usually need to apply a few coats of mascara, especially for those with not much eyelashes. Highly recommended, as I will always do on myself, before applying your mascara, curl your eyelashes, and of course the best eyelash curler I recommend is Shu Uemura's eyelash curler which is their star product. If I'm not mistaken, you can purchase them now at RM 60 plus. Enjoy your mascara! =)
	Name: Sarah Location: Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia. Problem: Face easily sweats even when wearing make-up. Hi Suraya, I always sweat on the face even when I am wearing make-up. Is there something that i can do about it? P/S* You are an iium student?? That's cool.. I was one, a BENLl student now I have graduated. Heheh, nice to know u.. Assalamualaikum WBT Sarah, Hey there it’s nice to know that you are from UIA as well! I am still a Law student by the way in Ahmad Ibrahim Kulliyyah of Laws (AIKOL) and of course nice to know you too. =) Regarding on your question, it is pretty tricky for me to answer because even me myself is not so sure whether there is a solid solution to it or not. Yes even I am not excluded of experiencing this especially when I am going through a long day in campus, floating from one lecture to another and have to walk under the hot sun. As Malaysians, how are we to complain? :p Actually I have previously answered about face which easily sweats which results in making the make-up blotchy, but I am answering your question because I know you want ways for your face to stop sweating profusely. The answers are more or less similar with the previous answers, but there are maybe some slight differences. Firstly, most importantly to me is for you to practise this practice. Take a few ice cubes and rub them on your face before you put on make-up. Reason being is so that the coldness of the ice cubes would minimize the pores on your face. I do it sometimes too and yes your face would feel cold, so it's quite difficult for your face to sweat too soon. It is also a tip to make the make-up lasts longer.My mother told me about this tip where she got from a make-up artiste long time back. I even read it once that a Bollywood actress practises this as well and she even makes a routine of rubbing on 8-10 ice cubes on her face everytime before she puts on make-up so that her make-up would last long. Haha I think that 8-10 are a bit too many but I recommend just 2-3 cubes would do fine. Besides that according to my personal practice, I always remind myself to bring tissues and oil blotters in my handbag. Whenever we go to the restroom, dab the sweat (the keyword is dab not wipe to avoid the wetness from smearing) with the tissues. A sweating face is usually oily as well, so after dabbing with tissues, dab your face especially the T-Zone area (forehead and the bridge of your nose where it is most oily) with oil blotters or some call it oil remover film. Johnson’s & Johnson’s have the most familiar ones, where they sold the blue smooth oil remover films. As for me, for my personal usage I am just more comfortable with the ordinary very thin paper oil blotters (which feel a little powdery to me). No difference actually with the Johnson’s & Johnson’s, just my personal preference. The tissues though are for you who sweats, if it’s just the case of oiliness you may just dab your face with the oil blotters. Besides that, one thing which I always have in my handbag is the facial moisturizer spray from Evian which refreshes, moisturizes and tones. Please refer about the usage of facial moisturizer spray in the mentioned previous make-up tips question (I guess future questions will have repetitive answers since it’s all very relevant to each other). My most favourite is the 50 ml spray can from Evian because its can is small and light to be brought around. It costs at about RM 17++ and for the bigger can (which I have in my make-up kit) is the 150 ml can that costs at about RM 38++. I always use it on myself and my clients as the number 1 thing to do before I start putting on make-up. You may purchase this from pharmacies such as Guardian & Caring Pharmacy (unfortunately Watson’s doesn’t sell this one). Yes you may wonder about the logic of spraying on moisturizer on your already sweating face. However I opine that sweat traps dusts and bacteria, so after dabbing your face with tissues and oil blotters, instead of washing your face with water since you feel uncomfortable with the sweat, but must be noted in mind that by doing that will result in producing ringworms or the white patches on your face. Thus the facial moisturizer spray provides you nstant freshness and a clean feeling on your face without actually ruining your make-up. Yes your face will feel wet for a while but it will dry in no time. Most importantly, you will get hygienic moisture for your face & yes it will be some sort of a quick touch up for your make-up because it evens your foundation and powder. Yes not to be forgotten, do touch up your make-up a little by dabbing some foundation (if you are using a two-way cake, not liquid) or if you use liquid foundation, dab it with the powder that you use. It may be done before or after you spray the moisturizer on your face. I hope my answers will help you Sarah. =)
	Name: Shasa Aziz Location: London, United Kingdom. Problems: The easier ways to remove & touch-up make-up before and after performing ablution or wudhu'. Assalamualaikum Suraya, I love wearing make up and all but my question is, how to perform wudhu' in an easier way when you wear make up almost the whole day? Hahah.. I hope that makes sense.. Because i have heard that if you perform wudhu' in the morning, and you wear your socks later, you will only need to sweep your feet in your socks on the carpet or floor when you perform another wudu' ie. you do not need to take off your socks to wash your feet. Does it goes the same way with make up? For example, with my mascara, it will not 100% come off if I wash it especially if I'm out and about. I guess that's all for now. Thank you dear. Salam Waalaikumussalam WBT Shasa, It's really nice to hear from someone in the UK :) Thank you for this very interesting question which is relevant to us Muslimahs. Firstly, to be noted I am not an Ustazah who is qualified to answer about hukm (ruling) so my answers would be strictly based on my humble opinions and from my limited knowledge of what I have learnt previously :) Yes it is always quite difficult to wash off our make-up for our wudhu' but usually I would have my wudhu' first thing first before putting on my make-up, and hope not to have it invalid due to other reasons I bet you get what I mean :p Well, about the sweeping of your socks on the carpet or floor for example, I learnt in Usul Fiqh lecture that it is actually a Hadith, based on the act of the Prophet Muhammad SAW and the people at his time that they used to wipe off their boots in order to take place of washing their feet for Wudhu. However my Ustazah told me that according to her opinion, during the time of the Prophet SAW, the boots were worn especially during their long journeys and especially in the war field (sometimes in extremely cold weather) and the boots were believed to be tied up high, therefore making it difficult for them to take off the boots for wudhu. Although my Palestinian and other Arab friends told that they do the same, probably according to their Mazhab (Sect), it is allowed. However my Ustazah told me, since in Malaysia we are not in war (Nauzubillahi min zalik/ God forbid) and we are not in extremely cold weather, therefore it is not afdhal (preferred) to be applied here. Perhaps in UK it would be different and might be applicable Sasha. However we need to remember that taking off socks is not as tedious as taking off boots. Nevertheless, we also need to remember that make-up is not a necessity as shoes, so I personally do not think that we could apply the Hadith on us. However I do pray using my previous wudhu' if I am convinced that my wudhu' is still valid. That is based on the practice of Istishab or presumption of continuity. If we have a firm belief that our wudhu' is still valid we may not have to refresh our ablution. If not I will refresh my ablution. Yes the make-up needs to go off, but then I would do touch ups with a simple one. So basically my beautiful make-up would only last until the afternoon only, and then there you go the simpler, not so attractive Suraya would come out. :p Anyways I don't put very proper and fine make-up if I know I am going to have a long day out, but would have better make-up if I have special occassions or outings, an important appointment and yes definitely when I am having my period (but unfortunately this is the time when the uninvited zits pop out usually). So my classmates, they have seen Suraya's Make-up Days and No Make-up Days. :p But yes as a normal human being, I admit sometimes I miss my prayers especially at shopping malls when I felt I had such good make-up, and felt sad to wash it off but THIS IS NOT TO BE AN EXAMPLE BUT TO BE AVOIDED, I just don't want to be regarded as a hypocrate and later be sinned by Allah by lying here that is why I am telling. Nevertheless, I keep telling myself, who cares if we look hot in this world but going to look UGGLLLYYYY in the Jahannam right? This is a reminder to yours truly as well. But gradually you will become more comfortable and would not think of it as a difficult task to wash your make-up and apply a simple but nice one back after your prayers. For example, to save time I usually would have my Zohor prayer quite late and wait for Asar prayer then re-apply my make-up but usually by then I would be too lazy to have my make-up on properly anyways. :) About your mascara, try not to wear waterproof mascara in the day, but preferably in the evening. Always bring with you the very affordable facial or baby wipes which you could purchase in any pharmacy or drug store in your bag to wash off your make-up (no need facial cleanser or make-up remover, or else you will risk having it leaked or poured in your bag, not a pretty scene). It'll take a quick minute to wash your make-up and makes your face feel cleaner and fresher at the same time. Then only you perform your wudhu. I hope this answers your question Sasha. And an advice to myself too, don't let make-up be the hindrance for you not to fulfill your responsibilities as a Muslim which is to perform your prayers, because no matter how beautiful we are in this world, it could never be compared with the beauty in the Here After. Wallahualam bil sawab (Allah knows best). ps* Whoa I feel so great after answering this Q, thanks so much for the brilliant Q! :) Take care dear, Assalamualaikum WBT.
	Name: Fairuz (Yui) Location: Perak Darul Ridzuan, Malaysia Problems: Functions and the proper ways to use each item of a face skin care set. Salam, Yui here. I would like to enquire, recently I have tried to use a face skin care brand. I have purchased the complete set from Safi Rania. It is quite confusing for me to use since it has 7 items in total. I would like to know the functions of usage for each item, proper ways to use it also why do we have to massage each cream in a circular motion. Also why we should avoid to apply other creams on the eye area except for the Eye Contour Cream. The items are as mentioned below: 1. Facial Wash Cream 2. Facial Scrub 3. Toner 4. Face Lifting Serum 5. Eye Contour Cream 6. Day Moisturizing Cream 7. Night Moisturizing Cream Thank you so much for providing this section, it's now very convenient for me to enquire :) Wassalam Assalamualaikum wbt Yui, Thank you so much for your question. I am actually very glad to share this little knowledge of mine with the viewers of my website. Besides that, I can also learn the things which I did not know before :) Congratulations because you are concern with face skin care because without clean and healthy skin, make-up would not look good. As the tagline of prominent make-up brand Shu Uemura, “Beautiful Make-up Starts with Beautiful Skin.” It is better to purchase the skin care products from the same brand so that each product may give the optimum reaction and effect. Further more, if we purchase one complete set, the price is always cheaper. Regarding on the brand Safi Rania I am not very sure of its usage because I have never tried it before. It might depend on the type of the products in its skin care set so that optimum results would be evident due to consistent usage. Remember, consistent usage is needed to give a good effect regardless whether the brand is expensive or cheaper. Most importantly, we have to be patient because a good product and does not give dangerous side effects to the skin works its magic slowly and not abruptly. For your information, the cream needs to be massaged in a circular motion so that it could be applied to the whole surface of skin, making it absorb into the skin and according to blood circulation. Besides that, it is need to be known as well that only cream which is specialized for the eye area only could be used there. This is because the eye area is the skin which is the thinest on our body, making it the most sensitive towards any chemical substance being applied on it. The creams which are meant to be applied on other areas most likely to give a negative effect on the eye area skin. Now I would like to start with the usage of each product which you have mentioned Facial Cleansing Cream Facial cleansing cream or gel is compulsory to be used to cleanse your face especially your pores which are clogged with dust and dirty residue. There are a few ladies whom I know have the bad habit of feeling lazy to wash their faces everyday, however dream to have a beautiful and youthful face, definitely it would be impossible. It is best before you cleanse your face, wash your face with lukewarm water so your pores would open. Next cleanse your face with the facial cleanser. When you are done, it is best to wash your face with cold water so that the size of your pores would minimize. Cleanse your face 2x per day once in the morning when you start your day and once before you are off to bed. Although I am too sometimes too disregard to wash my face before I sleep due to exhaustion, but it is best not to be disregarded. Facial Scrub Facial Scrub is good to exfoliate all the dirty residue and the dull dead skin on our face. Besides that, by exfoliation, our skin will also feel much cleaner and fresher. It is sufficient to do it only once in two or three weeks for those who do not have any skin problems. For those who have problems, do it once a week. Remember not to over exfoliate because that harms the skin and would result in causing the skin to be dry and worse, gives the stinging effect. Toner Although personally, I never used toner, however both my mother and sister use toner. It is believed that toner cleanse the face better. Actually toner refines the skin besides able to minimize the size of the pores. Indeed beauty experts recommend 3 compulsory products to be used which are cleanser, toner and moisturizer. Toner is used by applying some amount of it on a cotton pad, dab it all over your face and dry your face after you wash it off. Face Lifting Serum According to me anything which lifts up the skin is best to be used by those who are older, whom have seen the signs of aging on their skin. Although it is suitable to be used by young ladies to delay the process of aging (everybody will be old only that we can endeavour to delay its process) so it would not be wrong for us to try. Usually it will make the skin to be more firmer and youthful, prevents the formation of pigmentation or dark spots which is prone to appear when one is aging. Although I am nit sure of when is the right time to use it or how to properly use it, I suggest you to enquire from the beauty advisors of this product. Eye Contour Crem Eye Cream is compulsory to be used to get beautiful eye area skin. Massage it with a circular motion from the upper part of the eye skin towards the inner, lower part so that the skin would always be beautiful and firm. Use it in the morning before you start doing your make-up (and even when youn are not applying any make-up) and at night before you go to sleep. Day Moisturizing Cream Moisturizing Cream is needed to be used as a basis of your make-up so that your make-up would not end up looking dry and patchy. Even if you don't feel like having any make-up on, use it still to retain the moisture of your face skin and so your face would not look dull and tired. It gives us the refreshing feeling and resulting in a fresher and softer skin. There are make-up artistes whom suggest the compulsory usage of Sunblock Cream due to the hot weather of Malaysia, giving us the risk of over exposure to the dangerous UV rays. No matter what, it is sufficient to me to use a good moisturizing cream which has the protector from the UV ray. However never ever forget to use sunblock cream if you are going to play sports such as swimming or running so that your skin would not burn or sting due to the hotness of the sun! Night Moisturizing Cream Night Moisturizing Cream gives the same functions as Day Moisturizing Cream but maybe it has some different elements since at night we are not exposed to the sunlight. Perhaps it is suitable to be used at a different temperature for example in the dry and cold air-conditioned room. Use it before you go to sleep. I hope that my answers this time will give you ease Yui! Please do try these tips and be istiqamah or consistent in using these products without changing to different brands. If you have found the best brand for you, stay loyal with it because better effects will be seen from time to time. J
	Name: Farah Hazwani Location: Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia Problems: Face easily sweats resulting in patchy and not lasting make-up. I would like to enquire, I am a user of Loreal's True Match foundation powder but it does not last long. In the morning it looks fine but when noon comes my make-up fades off. My face easily sweats especially in the areas of my under eyes and around my mouth. My foundation would look patchy whenever I sweat. What is the solution for me to make my make-up lasts and what type of foundation powder suits my skin type? I have normal skin but it looks dull and dark under my eyes. Please help me... Assalamualaikum w.b.t Wani, Thank you for your question Wani. Actually the problems of easily sweat face and not lasting makeup are very common among women who live in Asia. It is a norm that the hot and humid climate makes our skin easily sweats. Besides that, the global warming phenomenon makes the weather gets hotter until our skin is prone to feel sticky and uncomfortable due to sweating. Therefore, you have to always bear in mind that it is impossible for make-up to last long till the end of the day regardless of any brand or type of foundation that we use. It is an undeniable fact that we always have to touch up our make-up from time to time. Bring along tissues and oil blotters anywhere you go and use it so our face would not look oily and sticky. Use them before we touch up the foundation on our face every time our make-up starts to fade or faint away from our face. I also suggest for you to bring along face moisturizing spray which is available at beauty counters as well as pharmacies. I personally love to use Evian Facial Spray. It is cheap and is easily found at pharmacies like Guardian and Watson’s. I also like the ones from Crabtree & Evelyn and L'Occitane. Although they are quite pricey, however they offer a range of high quality fragrances. This spray moisturizes skin making the foundation looks even and would reform our make-up to the original state. Besides that it refreshes a tired face. It is also easy to be carried anywhere since it is contained in small spray cans or dainty bottles. You may also try the Fix+ (Fix Plus) spray from M.A.C. This spray is used by professional make-up artistes whenever they want to initiate make-up, as well as when the make-up is done to make the make-up lasts. However for those of you who do not do make-up for special purposes for example photography or bridal make-up, I do not think you should spend a lot to purchase this spray because it is quite expensive. It is sufficient for you to use oil blotters and face moisturizing spray as I have mentioned above since the prices are affordable. Regarding on dull and dark under eyes skin, please check out the make-up tips on under eyes dark circles which I have given previously. I hope that the tips I give here could help you. Please don’t be lazy to touch up your make-up! :)
	Name: Wasima Location: The Philippines Problems: Causes of eyebags and the ways to prevent them. Hi! May I ask what causes eyebags? :) Sister can you give me suggestions on how they can be prevented? Also what causes dark circles under the eyes? By the way I am a student in The Philipines and I have my tita/aunt there in your country Malaysia who is taking up Masters in Political Science in IIUM hehehe... Thanks. I will wait for your suggestion big sister! Lots of kisses and hugs.. Hi Wasima! So good to hear from someone in The Philippines :) Sure dear you may ask me anything related to beauty and I will try my best to answer them. As for the questions on dark circles, please refer to my previous make-up tips below on dark circles. As for eyebags, yes I notice that it is quite a common problem to both men and women, but of course it worries women more if it happens because it would make our appearance look really dull and chronically tired, which is ugly!! Alhamdulillah I am not affected much by this problem, however that does not mean I could just ignore its tendency to happen on me. Since to cure it is very difficult, it is best if we prevent it. Most people say that causes of eyebags are due to lack of sleep, especially the good 8 hours sleep, but yes due to our hectic schedule it is easier said than done to religiously commit to the 8 hours of beauty sleep everynight. There are many other reasons to eyebags but we will come to that later. Eyebags, fine lines and hollowing under the eyes are common signs of ageing. However when seen in a young person, particularly someone that squints from myopia, this could be due to over-activity of the eye muscles (orbicularis hypertrophy). Such eye bags are usually well defined and more obvious when the person squints. The eye bag is also closest to the eyelid. Such eye bags respond well to Botox, which has an added effect of widening the eye aperture, resulting in larger eyes! However I personally would not dare to take up this measure, since in Islam it is definitely haram or prohibited as stated in the recent Fatwa given, but maybe it could be applied for those who really have chronic problems until it makes them look terribly bad until they feel ashamed to face other people then the hukum would be harus or permissible. However always remember not to over do it, or else the side effects would harm you. Eye bags can also be caused by excess fat tissue in the area under the eyes. There are 3 distinct fat pads, lying in a straight row below the eyes. These herniated out below the eye muscles, causing a distinctive bulge slightly lower in the tear trough area. There is a large genetic component to these fat pads, which are also diet and exercise resistant (they don’t go if you go on a diet). Traditionally, surgery was needed to remove the excess fat. With greater experience with Mesotherapy, some doctors now inject the fat-dissolving cocktail directly into the fat pads, thus reducing the need for an operation. Up to 3 sessions may be needed for optimal results. Moving on, as a person gets older, the quality of facial circulation and lymphatic drainage reduces. The stagnation of toxins and fluid produces puffy eye bags. The size changes from day to day and also varies at different times of the day. As the situation tends to worsen with time, the extra fluid collection stretches the skin in the delicate eye area. Outside of eyelid surgery to remove the excess skin, there have been few effective treatments available till now. Many cosmetic products have come up with many anti-ageing lines, however since I am still young so I am not sure whether they really work or not! :p However, my mother uses the range from SK II & Christian Dior and she is very satisfiedwith the results. So we could see here, that problems such as eyebags could only be permanently removed by surgery and make-up does not help much. No matter what, I do not think we could attempt to make them disappear until that far where we have to be put under the knife, but in order to prevent them always remember to always apply on eye cream which is suitable with you, as I said before go to your nearest pharmacy and enquire your pharmacist. Besides that, try your best to get enough sleep and try not to cry too much because that would make your eye area looks bad! So next time when you are facing with any life issue, if it's not death or something dead serious try not to cry, for example if your boyfriend makes one of his silly antics and you just feel like bawling the whole night, just bear in mind " Hey I don't want to look uglier the next morning!" then hopefully that would prevent your eyebags from attacking you. :p I hope that my tips this time would help you Wasima and others as well! :) By the way Wasima please convey my regards to your tita k! Maraming salamat ho! :)
	Name: Shiema Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Problems: Finding the suitable eyelashes and its proper way of apllication also the suitable shades of blushers. Sue.. 1) I’m having this crave over false eyelashes, but I’m having trouble putting them on. It’s either the eyelashes are too long or that my eyes aren’t suitable for those false eyelashes. 2) Then I have trouble getting the right colour for blusher. I bought a bunch of colours just to get it right, but then after I put it on, it looks weird on me. I ended up throwing them all. Too frustrated!! Hehe.. help me please... Thanks.. ;p Hi Shiema thank you for the questions =) 1) Yes I adore the application of false eyelashes as well especially on my clients or models. Personally I feel it’s quite difficult for me to wear it myself (I guess it is easier when someone else apply it on you) and I am pretty happy with my natural eyelashes, but yes when I wear it myself sometimes I cannot help to feel prettier :p It could really give you a total different look, more glamourous and more dramatic and that could affect your mood as well. Local celebrities whom I noticed to be wearing false eyelashes in most of their appearances in any media be it printed or electronic are Nora Danish, Rozita Che Wan, Waheeda and Eja. Sometimes I wonder how they would look without wearing false eyelashes! :p Datin Seri Siti Nurhaliza too is also often seen to use upper and bottom fake eyelashes in most of her music videos (this method is originally practiced by Guess? models in their ad campaigns). Indeed the application of false eyelashes really changes your look from boring to more captivating. Currently, a new technology has been invented where we can 'plant' the false eyelashes together with our natural eyelashes or better known as Eyelash Extension. However I have met a few people whom experienced this technique, and I discovered that it actually comes with a painful side effect and according to me it looks too fake such as the lashes look too stiff or too black. Besides that, need to be noted that this technique is Haram or prohibited in Islam. Thus for Muslims, I advise not to attempt using this technique because it would be as though we are trying to change Allah's beautiful gift towards us. It is sufficient for us just to beautify his gift for us, but never ever try to change its form permanently. Coming back to the usage of fake eyelashes, the problem is when the eyelashes give you an over-do look. Instead of making you look more beautiful, it scares people away from you! That is why we need to avoid a too long or over glamourous eyelashes or I refer to it as the ‘Fan’ eyelashes. It would not be wrong if we want to have an extraordinary look for fashion photoshoots or runway fashion shows, but it's a no-no for normal purposes. I always advise to find the most full, but natural looking eyelashes. Have a zig-zag cut lashes (where the lashes overlap each other in a zig-zag pattern). For me the most beautiful eyelashes are the ones which make people compliment the beauty of your eyes without noticing that you are wearing false eyelashes at all! (unless if he or she is a make-up artiste he or she should notice it right away or else he or she is not a good make-up artise! ;p) The most popular eyelashes are definitely from the Shu Uemura’s Tokyo Lash Bar range. Datuk Seri Siti Nurhaliza had worn the zig-zag ones on her beautiful wedding ceremony in KLCC. In 2006 it was priced at RM55 per pair. One pair is quite pricey but seriously when you apply the ones from Shu Uemura you could feel the difference from using the cheaper ones, the application is way easier than using the cheaper ones. You do not need to cut a bit of the eyelashes to adapt it with your eyes and it is really easy and not messy for you to stick it on. However you could find cheaper ones in stores like SaSa, Sinma or many other Chinese beauty stores in Sungei Wang Plaza, Bukit Bintang. However you really have to analyze the ones that you admire before you purchase and then only choose the nicest one. It is undeniable that you have to experience try and error until you find the one that suits you the best. Now let's move on to the application method of false eyelashes. Firstly you have to cut a tiny length of both ends on each eyelash. This is so it could be applied just right on the skin nearest to your real lashes. I suggest you to purchase the Duo surgical adhesive which is a glue for false eyelashes which you could get it from M.A.C at about rm30, it’s quite a big tube which contains 14 grams of glue so please don’t fret. This is the brand of glue which proffessional make-up artistes use, and it is not displayed on the display shelfs so you have to ask from M.A.C's beauty advisors in order to purchase it. After you have a good quality glue in hands, put on a small amount of glue on the false eyelashes, and then wait for approximately 5 seconds while you blow slowly on the glue so it would not drip nor be too sticky. Then apply it slowly on the skin nearest your real eyelashes and press it bit by bit (like you fold the ends of Malay Curry puff) until it sticks strongly on your real eyelashes. Be sure not to have a gap in between your false eyelashes with your real ones to have a natural effect. Finally use an eyelash curler and curl it for about 10 counts. You will see the false eyelashes look awesome on you ;) * For hygienic purposes, use one pair of false eyelashes only up to maximum 3x and then you must throw them away so bacteria would not affect the health of your eyes. 2) Firstly for one to find the suitable shade of blusher we must find the one which is suitable with the shade of our skin.For those with fair complexion, they are luckier because they manage to use almost any shade especially the soft and sweet shades such as pink also strong colours like bright red where most dark-toned people could not really carry the look. However do not feel strange if you see African-American celebrities such as Tyra Banks or Beyonce and even Rihanna from Barbados could have beautiful photos wearing sweet coloured wardrobe and make-up, this is because with the help of heavy duty photography make-up which is loaded with proffessional make-up artiste's techniques also with great lighting thus it should not be a wonder that the results of the photos are superb. Therefore for those with darker skin tones, try your best to avoid soft and sweet coloured blushers so it would not give you an awkward look, however try to use more of earth tones colours such as brown, orange and bronze. As for medium skintones, I advise to use orangey or peachy shades which I personally like. Among the shades which I like to use on myself is Apricot from Maybelline, also a few orangey shades from M.A.C and Christian Dior. Orangey shades are very good in giving the natural looking effect for my skintone. However if I wear sweet-coloured attire such as baby blue, baby pink, apple green and purple I would use pink blusher such as Rose from Maybelline to complete the look. However the perfect selection of colours would not be benefited to the maximum if you do not own a good blusher brush. It is advised not to use the blusher brush which comes with the blusher because the brush is not too thick, thus the effect would be too deep and too harsh. Please purchase a blusher brush which is big so you could put on the blusher in a wider stroke on the cheekbones. Not only for blushers, in fact make-up brushes should be owned because it is actually an investment to create mesmerizing make-up. The best brushes are usually made from horse tail and may be purchased from M.A.C, Bobbi Brown, Shu Uemura etc. Although they are quite pricey, but as I have mentioned before it is considered as an investment especially for those who dream to be a proffessional make-up artiste. For those who are very new to make-up and do not have that high of a budget, you may purchase from Elianto because the prices are more affordable. You too must be aware of the shape of your face. If you have a long slim face, be sure that you put on the blusher in a horizontal stroke. Whereas if you have an oval or a round face, be sure that you put on the blusher in a slanting, upwards stroke so it would give you a slimmer illussion for your face. Besides that do make it a habit to smile when you put on blusher on the apple of your cheeks to give a more beautiful and girlish adorable blush as we have always seen on the Indonesian singer, Rossa. I would like also to remind, although there are many types of blusher in the market, I still prefer the powder blusher. Cream or liquid blushers indeed give a light effect and I use it sometimes too, but it must be avoided from those who are prone to get pimples. For the chubbier ones too, please avoid shiny blushers so it would not outstand your chubbiness. I hope that the tips I've given this time could settle Shiema's problems as well as for other readers. Have fun trying out! =)
	Name: Nurul Farah binti Mohd Elias Location: Ampang, Selangor, Malaysia Problems: Tired looking Eyes, Dark Circles Under the Eyes & Unsuitable Lipstick Shades for Thick Lips Assalammualaikum w.b.t... 1) I have a problem regarding to my under eyes. I have dark circles and my eyes often look tired. When I put on make-up I will put on concealer however the dark circles are still obvious. How can I have bright beautiful and fresh awake eyes besides covering the dark circles under my eyes? 2) How can I have the lipstick which is suitable with my lips? I always have a problem in finding the right tone for my lips. I have thick lips so what are the shades that will suit my lips? I love to wear red lipstick but sometimes it does not match my outfit. Thank you, Wassalam. Wa'alaikumussalam WBT Farah, 1) The dark circles under the eyes are actually not a very alien problem for most people. It is more synonym for Asians whom are blessed with larger eyes such as Indians and some Malays (to be noted that Asians with smaller Chinese eyes are not really tend to have eye bags or dark circles problems). The first action you must take is by using eye cream to get rid of the dark circles gradually. Eye cream is supposed to be applied since in your teens 2x a day in the morning and night before you are off to bed (do not wait until it is too late for example when the signs of aging is visible, must be remembered that youthful eyes will 'maintain' a youthful look for you. Please drop by at a pharmacy and seek help from the pharmacist in order to get the suitable eye cream for you. Besides that try your best to get enough sleep and do not ignore the fact that you have to wash off your make-up before you go to sleep. The usage of concealer too is crucial because it could give you a perfect looking make-up. For a natural looking concealer usage, use a liquid concealer. I suggest for you to try Maybelline's Perfect Concealer which costs at about RM20. For medium skin tones such as Malays use code 02 whereas for fairer skin tones such as Chinese use code 01. I personally use it for my make-up to lectures or anywhere which only requires me to have thin and simple make-up. Use the concealer before you put on foundation and dab it lightly using your middle or fourth finger so that not much pressure would be applied on the sensitive skin area of the eyes. If the brand I've mentioned above would not be able to solve your problem, I suggest you to try concealer from M.A.C, although the price is a bit more expensive however the coverage is better. No matter what, try to make it a habit to put on eye cream before you try to use any concealer because it would not be worthwhile to try your best covering your flaws without even trying to heal it. Besides that, I would like to share a few tips in order to attain bright beautiful eyes is by using eye drops such as Eye Mo before you apply your make-up on so that your eyes would look fresher. Do not forget to practise this old folks' remedy which is to put on dust or kohl eyeliner while reciting selawat 3x before you go to sleep so that your eyes would always look bright and shining, insya Allah I am confident with this practice =) If you are a fan of carrots, try to munch carrots whenever you need a snack or drink its juice because it is rich with betacarotene which is good to protect the eyes. For those of you who have extra budget, you may try to drink Brand's InnerShine Berry Essence everynight before you are off to bed because this essence is beneficial in protecting and refreshes your eyes so it would be beautiful and shining. 2) Lipstick shades are difficult to be determined according to one's suitability. We have to try many types of lipstick and choose the ones which suit us best. If it looks good on us in our eyes, that is the one to choose. There are some lipsticks which look good on our friends but look awkward on us when we wear them ourselves. Red is indeed pretty to be worn because it is the most classic shade of lipsticks. However we have to try many until we find the perfect red shade for us. Red lipstick suits many outfits but try to avoid wearing red lipstick when you are wearing sweet-coloured outfits such as baby pink, baby blue or apple green because the combination would look awkward. Preferrably for those colours of outfits, use pink, brown or peach lipstick. Red lipstick is also best worn with a simple and thin eye make-up, it is because red lipstick is strong enough to be the focus point of our make-up. Since Farah has thick lips, try to avoid lipstick or lipgloss which is too shiny or glossy because that would only increase the size of your lips. Also avoid colours which are too bright. Try to opt for darker shades which would give the illusion of smaller lips. Matte colours are also beautiful and classic looking, and I always put on a little amount of powder on glossy lipstick and dab it with tissue so that it would instantly becomes matte so you do not have to waste your money to buy a matte lipstick from the same shade! However Farah, perhaps your thick lips is not actually a flaw, but instead it is a beautiful asset (try to think of Angelina Jolie who is proud to flaunt her sexy thick lips) so please do not worry too much however do not forget to shape your lips with lip pencil so the shape of your lips would be more pretty. Have fun trying! =)
	Name: Nor Hazwani Location: Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia. Problems: Tips to get a natural looking Day Make-up Assalammualaikum Sis Suraya.. 1) I would like to know what are the make-up items that we need for day make-up besides foundation? Can you explain from the very basic way to do it? 2) I like natural looking make-up. Can you give me tips on lipstick, blusher and eyeshadow from Maybelline/ Loreal .. including their codes so that it would be convenient for me to purchase them. I hope that you can help me, please help me.. Insya Allah one day I would like to learn personally with you.. Thank you so much... Wa'alaikumussalam WBT Hazwani, 1) Day make-up actually depends on the individual's personality. If she prefers a simple appearance, it is sufficient for her to use lipgloss and foundation only. However if that person likes to have a more proper look, she may use foundation, eyeshadow, blusher, eyeliner and mascara. For example, make-up which is suitable for lectures it is sufficient to use moisturizer or lipgloss so that the make-up would not look too heavy. Since Malaysia has a warm and humid climate, we are often exposed to the hot sun, so do not forget to initiate your make-up with moisturizer or sun block cream so that our skin would be protected and so the make-up would remain looking fresh. 2) Natural looking make-up usually relates to earth tones or pastel colours such as brown, orange, peach, Solekan semulajadi selalunya berkaitan dengan warna-warna tanah atau pastel seperti coklat, jingga, peach, brick red or brownish dark green. The Maybelline's range is actually catered for young women who are new to make-up thus the colours are not too bold so you would not be intimidated to try them out especially to wear them to lectures. The price range is affordable for students as well. As for Loreal it is more targeted for more matured women who might be working thus its range is suitable to be used to the office or functions. Regarding to the products, I cannot explain in too detailed, but I advise you to buy products which are suitable with our skin types, also try to focus on to buy products from the colours I've mentioned above. Do not be easily influenced to puchase every newly launced product. Ask for advice from the Beauty Advisors at the sale counters, inform them the things that we like and we don't about our make-up. I hope that my tips may help you Wani! =)