After a long day at school or work, the last thing you’d surely want to struggle with is removing your long-wearing makeup. While they may be convenient, the new brand of these long-wearing makeup can be more difficult to remove than anticipated. Sleeping with your makeup on is an absolute no-no, so make sure that you manage to remove every last bit of your makeup using these tips.

1. Use Makeup Wipes. Removing your heavy or long-wearing makeup is just like cleaning the floor, you need to sweep first before you start mopping. Start cleansing your face using some makeup wipes and waterproof eye makeup all over your face, then start working with your facial cleanser.

2. Treat Your Eye Makeup Properly. Most eye makeup products today are already waterproof, which makes rinsing it with water and soap quite difficult. Instead, use a makeup remover that’s specifically designed to remove your eye makeup. Opt for a gentle formula to avoid irritating your eyes.

3. Opt for an Oil-Based Cleanser to Remove Your Lipstick. When it comes to removing a long-lasting lipstick, you’ll need to use an oil-based cleanser. Using long-lasting lipsticks tend to dry out the lips, so keep them supple and smooth by creating a mix of olive oil and sugar. This mixture will also help in removing that stubborn lip colour.

4. Consider Using a Face Oil. Another great way to remove heavy-duty makeup is to use facial oils. Just use a dime-sized amount of cleansing oil and apply it in circular motions in your face. You can also add a bit of lukewarm water to turn the oil into a milky emulsification, then rinse your face afterwards.

5. Cleanse Any Makeup Traces with Toning Lotion. Since you’re using heavy-duty makeup products, cleanse off its remaining touches using a toning lotion. With this, you’ll be able to uncover any traces of makeup while rebalancing your skin’s pH level.

While it may seem difficult, removing waterproof makeup is actually quite easy. All you’ve got to do is get and use the right products to remove any makeup traces from your face to keep your skin looking fresh and healthy.

Quality time with your gal pals can come in many different ways. The important thing is that you’re having fun with each other’s company and taking some time off from your hectic lives. So if you and your friends are planning for some major girlfriend bonding, here are five creative ideas you may find fun and exciting for everybody.

1. Go For an All-Girls Getaway

Give the girls something to look forward to, like a fabulous island getaway, a shopping vacation, or a weekend retreat. For busy gals who cannot take a leave at work, plan an all-girls dinner and movie date, book a yoga class, or attend wine tasting with your friends.

2. Get Pampered

Every woman is pleased to get pampered at a spa. Go plan for an all-day spa indulgence with facials, massages, manicures, and pedicures. Doing makeovers are also great for busy women. Make an appointment with a beauty expert and ask for beauty tips that you and your girlfriends can incorporate into your daily beauty routine.

3. Fulfill Your Dreams

Think about the things that you and your friends have always wanted to do. Maybe you have always wanted to take salsa lessons, cooking class, or belly dancing. Fulfilling your dreams with your pals can be a fun and wonderful experience.

4. Go On an Extreme Adventure

Nothing is better than conquering new adventurous experiences with your friends. Go surfing, bungee jumping, skydiving, or explore exotic places together. After the excursion, you and your friends will feel so much braver and well-accomplished.

5. Help Those In Need

Spend quality time with your friends in the most meaningful way by doing charity acts or volunteering with a community service organization. Visit an orphanage or hospital, feed the homeless, or help with the community’s literacy programs. Take this chance to bond with your friends, while helping those who are in great need.

No matter what activities you choose to do together, remember that there are countless of ways to make sure you don’t lose your communication with your friends. As what Carey Bradshaw of Sex and the City said, “Nothing lasts forever; dreams change, trends come and go, but friendships never go out of style.”

Whether it’s cold or raining outside, or you just want to stay cosy inside, we have a couple of ideas for you and your spouse to enjoy an indoor date night.

1. Dinner and Movie

In the mood to re-watch your favourite series? Go for it! But trade the takeout for a home-made meal. Cook Oyster Sauce Chicken or your favourite pasta dish and pick up a bottle of wine. For the dessert, make your own version of the Mango Sago and Pomelo for a refreshing treat to end your meal.

2. Game Night

Invite your friends and their partners for a friendly competition. Prepare finger foods, snacks, and drinks for everyone to enjoy. Play cards or your favourite board game and throw in a friendly bet to see who gets the most wins.

3. Relive the Memories

Enjoy a bottle of the same champagne you had on your wedding while watching your wedding video together. Talk about the new things you discovered about your partner since you exchanged “I dos”. Keep the talks nice and sweet—no gripping about your spouse’s annoying traits.

4. Catch a Sunset Together

If you haven’t done this during your early dating days, why not do this today? While this idea may be cliché, it can be a very romantic experience for the both of you. Get a blanket and a bottle of wine, and snuggle each other while waiting for the sun to beautifully set.

5. Make a Scrapbook

Collect pictures, starting from your wedding, followed by honeymoon, moving to your home, and the rest of your trips together. Relive all the great times you had together, while filling in blank spaces with photos and sweet quotes.

6. Play “Wish List”

Spice things up between the sheets with this game. To start, each of you should write down three sexual things you always wanted to try on pieces of paper. Fold them and mix them together. Take turns in drawing out one of the wishes, agreeing beforehand to at least try doing everything that’s written down.

Sometimes, the sweetest dates happen in the privacy of our own home. With no one around and having your partner all by yourself makes it comfortable for you to express your love fully and meaningfully whether through words or actions.

Wearing the right workout clothes and gear can really make a big difference when it comes to staying motivated and working out effectively. Some of these gears can aid in speeding up your workout recovery, while some can provide more support for your workout routine. To help you know which workout essentials a fitness buff like you should be keeping in his gym bag and locker, here is a list of six extremely useful fitness items.

1. Wireless Headset: Having wires running and hitting your body as you cycle or run is just plain annoying. To avoid such inconvenience, opt for the sweat-resistant ear buds that will allow you to listen to your workout jam wirelessly via Bluetooth.

2. Yoga Towel: One of the ruling yoga towel brands present in the Singapore market today is Yogitoes. What made this brand popular is the unparalleled grip that their towels provide. Apart from that, their yoga towels are also very absorbent and washes easily. So, if you happen to sweat a lot, just layer it over your mat to avoid slipping as well as to extend the wear of your yoga mat.

3. Charger: There’s nothing worse than discovering that your phone is about to die out while you’re still in the middle of your routine. A good way to avoid this? Always carry a super-lightweight mini external battery with you to keep your workout jam going throughout your workout sessions.

4. Glow-in-the-Dark Sneakers: Anyone who has driven in the dark knows just how difficult it is to immediately spot runners. So if you plan on running at night, ensure that you’re properly dressed. The well-known running shoes brand, New Balance, released their new collection of glow in the dark sneakers, which is perfect for providing head-to-toe visibility. Wearing this will surely make you eye-catching even at night.

5. Thick Yoga Mat: If you’re suffering from joint problems, or is a novice yoga practitioner, we suggest that you opt for a thick yoga mat. Not only is this kind of mat durable, it will also lessen your chances of slipping on your mat if you happen to sweat a lot.

6. Massager: Most people, whether they’re physically active or not, don’t usually stretch as much as they should. To ensure that you perform some passive stretching, keep handy massager with you always. Look for good brands that have massagers that target all parts of your body starting from your neck down to your feet.

Working out can be made easier and more effective by using the right fitness gears. So before you start your road to becoming a healthy individual, make sure that you have all the aforementioned essentials packed in your gym bag first.

Washing our face daily has already been our second nature even after our teen years. Still, there are times that we slack in cleansing our faces. Nonetheless, there’s just no valid excuse to skip this important step in taking care of our skin. To help you feel motivated in cleansing your face daily, here are the five easy steps on how you can properly rid your skin of any impurities.

1. Remove any traces of makeup. Taking off your makeup is an essential step before you start cleansing your face. Wipe off traces of foundation, eye shadow and mascara. Singapore dermatologists suggests using pads like Clean & Clear Makeup Dissolving Facial Cleansing Wipes to remove any dirt, or makeup from your skin.

2. Wash using a lukewarm water. Although water temperature might not seem to be that important, it’s actually ideal to wash your face with lukewarm water. This kind of water temperature makes it easier to wash the dirt without stripping off the natural oils of the skin.

3. Avoid scented facial cleansers. When choosing a facial cleanser, avoid going with the scented types whenever possible. Opt for an unscented face cleanser and gently massage it on your face in a circular and outward motion. This gentle motion will increase the blood flow in your skin, keeping it healthy and younger-looking. Also, don’t skip out areas like your jaw, neck and hairline every time you cleanse and massage your face.

4. Pat your skin dry using a soft towel. When drying your skin, avoid doing rubbing motions with a rough towel. Also, avoid using the towel that you used on your body or hair, as it might already be filled with bacteria that will clog your pores.

5. Apply creams and serums. After a minute of cleansing your face, start applying your facial creams and serums. These products will help in locking the moisture of your skin, keeping it hydrated throughout the day.

Having a healthy and younger-looking skin is just easy. Start working on these skin cleansing steps now, and enjoy your gorgeous, fair skin.

Ice cream is a famous dessert of refreshment here in Singapore. Before the coming of yogo or gelato, ice cream is solidifying its presence here. With the coming of different desserts offering different nutritional contents, the popularity of ice cream is somewhat declining.

Despite its declining popularity, there are still Singaporeans who prefer ice cream. If we are health conscious but still love ice cream, there are certain ice creams that we can try. The good news is that there are ice cream treats for less than 150 calories.

Here are some:

• Weight Watchers Giant Chocolate Cookies and Cream: If we love chocolate inside and out, this is the best choice. The ice cream boasts of high-fibre ice cream bars. Each bar is only 130 calories.
• Lucerne Neapolitan Ice Cream Sandwich: If we want to taste three flavours in one, we should try this ice cream. The ice cream will treat us with chocolate, strawberry and vanilla ice cream. The sandwich is at least 150 calories.

• Creamsicle Orange and Raspberry Ice Cream Bars: A bar is at least 100 calories. This ice cream is refreshing because of its combination – sherbet and vanilla ice cream.
• Klondike Slim a Bear Vanilla Bars: A bar is at least 100 calories. This ice cream will indulge us – creamy vanilla ice cream concealed in milk chocolate coating.

We have to remember that too much of something is bad enough. When eating ice cream, it is imperative that we do not overdo it. Little servings or small portions can make a difference at the end of the day. The key here is discipline.

There are people who suffer a rare condition that if they are exposed to the sun, it will provoke cancers. This condition is called Xeroderma Pigmentosum (XP). There is no news if there are patients here in Singapore suffering from this rare condition but there are two patients who are famous.

These patients are from France and they are twins. The twins are Thomas and Vincent Seris. During their normal days, we can see them wearing spacesuits. This sounds out of this world but the suits keep the twins safe from the sun’s exposure. Apart from spacesuits, the twins also wear ski masks and thick gloves to protect their skin.

XP is colloquially referred as “Children of the Night” (or in French Les Enfants de la Lune). It was mentioned earlier that any exposure to the sun could cause serious skin cancer. Patients are not only at risk outdoors because if they are exposed to neon lights and halogen lights, they will suffer fatality. As long as the light emits UV, XP patients are at risk.

According to the Association of Les Enfants de la Lune, there are 5 to 10 thousand cases in the world. The family of patients are living in darkness just to protect the people they love. In the case of the twins, their mother installed shutters and eventually UV-blocking film so her kids can live a normal life even inside the house.

It did not stop there because their school at the University of Bordeaux also installed protective filters specifically on their windows to allow the twins to have a regular education. No matter the condition, the important thing is the understanding of the people around them.