When I think I’m going to get a cold or sore throat, I always think to myself, “I totally need a huge dose of Vitamin C right now.” Then I turn in early and sleep it off – always works like a charm for me. Or if I have a break-out and want my skin to heal faster, I would also make sure I pump more Vitamin C into my system.

Vitamin C is also essential in the production of collagen, just to let you know, and all the more reason to drink up.

So I whip out my old blender, of course, and set about to make this juice…

Recipe:
2 peeled medium-sized kiwi
1 cucumber
1 apple
1/4 lime
1/4 lemon
2 cups water
1 spoonful Meiji Amino Collagen Apple & Ginger

Hope you enjoy this juice! I love how this one puts me back on track when my health and skin aren’t doing so well. By the way, kiwis have more Vitamin C than oranges so it’s worth consuming these lil’ babies even though they can be a bit tart. Start off with one kiwi if you don’t like your drink to be too sour and the sweetness from the apple will help cover the tartness.

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Hello my lovelies, I am still in Australia as I’m writing this on my brand new iPad. By the time you read this, I’ll be flying from Brisbane to Sydney.

At first, I wanted a net book which is Windows-based but my “internal IT support team” aka my fiancé thought an iPad would be way more awesome as a business travel tool. Not complaining at all here!

Very excited to be so IT-savvy while traveling. So here’s today’s topic….

You wouldn’t believe this but my oldest brush was a MAC blusher brush (on the extreme right) bought in 2002 when I was in Toronto on holiday. The brush was so full that it could even be used as a face powder brush.

In the middle was my go-to eyeshadow brush that was taken from a Paul & Joe eyeshadow compact, while the blusher brush on the extreme left was nicked from a Chanel all-in-one travel compact.

They were functional but made poor bedfellows in my makeup bag. Everytime I used these three brushes, I would say to myself,”I should really get new ones. They are shedding hair!”

So on my Singapore Airlines flight out of Nagoya on my way to Singapore, I promptly bought a set of Shu Uemura brushes made out of sable, goat, pony, and squirrel hair.

This travel set cost SGD101 (USD73) and so far I am totally loving these soft, refined brushes. I especially adore the blusher brush that picks up an ever so tiny amount of product and spreads lightly over the cheek area.

Though I’m quite cost conscious in my expenditure, I think there are just some things that are worth spending more on quality. What do you splurge on that is worth every penny?

And it comes in a simple sleek case…

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Here are a few pictures to give you an idea of where I am…

I mentioned that I bought a Paul & Joe Protective Foundation Primer UV 02 a month back and after using it consistently for three weeks, I think it’s safe to say I’m a fan. Last winter, I found that my skin had many creases when I put on just liquid foundation and loose powder and read that a primer would help decrease the look of fine lines emphasized by foundation.

I chose this product because it was number one last year in its category on Japanese cosmetics ranking site, Cosme.

Yeah, I’m a sucker for ultra-girly packaging.

My thoughts: It has a thin liquid finish that sits well under my foundation and loose powder. My crease lines were reduced by 80 per cent so I’m very pleased with this product. Usually I have fine lines from my nose to my cheeks when I smile but with this primer, I don’t suffer from these at all. Yay.

The fragrance is a light rose scent which thankfully I love. I hate wearing makeup when I don’t take to the fragrance and it follows you every second of the day so it’s important to me what a product smells like.

Would I buy this again? YES! It’s affordable at 3,600JPY (USD37) and I only need a tiny bit daily so I can forsee this lasting for at least six months. Does anyone have positive reviews of other primers?

Here are the freebies that came with my purchase…

A small satchet of cleansing milk which I probably will use while travelling — I’m more of a cleansing oil girl so this doesn’t excite me very much.

Ooo, this one looks interesting: Protective Powder Compact Foundation. I’ve not tried it yet but will do so to see if this is something I would switch to.

Alrighty, time for me to head off to my couch again. We’re going to watch Avatar at the open-air cinema on the beach and munch on dinner from the pub next to it. Just gotta love being in an Aussie resort. Don’t forget to take part in our fabulous Summer Giveaway — you’ll get a chance to win a tin of Meiji Amino Collagen Apple & Ginger, a Vit C mask set (5 pieces), and a Hanayuki Gel Cream perfect for summer and has collagen essence!

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Hi everyone, I’m blogging from Changi Airport Terminal One in Singapore as I’m waiting for my flight to Brisbane. Getting an Internet connection this past week has been challenging to say the least but I haven’t forgotten about putting up a video this week.

One of my beauty secrets is to have a “green drink” or two a day. There are so many green juice recipes out there and you can certainly work your imagination, but if you are a newbie to this idea, perhaps you would find a basic recipe a safe way to begin your relationship with more fresh fruit and veggies in your diet.

I find that having one or two green juices a day flushes out toxins and puts a glow to my skin. Let me share a tried and tested Green Drink recipe that was made famous by none other than Dr Oz and Oprah.

Recipe (in a high-speed blender):
1 apple
1 cucumber
1 celery stalk
1/4 lime
1/4 lemon
1 inch ginger
1 big handful of curly green parsley
2 cups water
1 spoonful Meiji Amino Collagen Apple & Ginger

Strain the pulp away from the liquid with a nut milk bag, a baking sieve or strainer, or a clean sock. Drink this first thing in the morning on an empty stomach so your body can absorb as many of those juicy vitamins and minerals. Don’t be afraid of the color green!

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Thanks for the response to my Summer Blog Giveaway — it’s still very early in the game and you can definitely take part now because the deadline is Aug 9. Coincidentally that’s Singapore’s National Day, too.

I returned from a great weekend in Hokkaido but I think I over-indulged again. That’s a running theme for me this summer but being away from home exploring other places is just too exciting to miss out on.

I went back to basics and made a frozen banana smoothie with spinach and water. That’s it. No added superfoods or powder and it tasted great and I felt nourished. You should try to have one for breakfast — it’s filling, yummy, and energy-giving.

Anyway, I’ll like to raise a question to you: “Do you ever let your skin breathe?”

So this is me, without an ounce of makeup on. I used to feel shy and not publish photos of myself without any foundation, powder, and blusher on, but I was out in the boonies full of fresh air and water, that I thought, how could I not?

One of the habits that grew on me since I moved to Tokyo is I put on my “going out” face pretty much everywhere I go. Okay, not when I jog or make a dash to the supermarket, but other than that, I put on makeup almost every single day from morning to night.

Here’s a more daring close-up.

I think it’s important to give your skin a break, as with wearing contact lenses, or even work clothes. It’s so so so essential to just let your mind and body rest and that was just what I did in Hokkaido. I slept early but I let myself wake up when I wanted to — usually nine or 10 hours later! I did that for three nights in a row except this morning when I had to rise early to catch my flight back to Tokyo.

Here’s a picture of me wearing makeup the day after zero makeup. Do I look terribly different?

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For July, I’d like to do another one, but before we get into the details, check out what you can win this time:

One tin of Meiji Amino Collagen Apple & Ginger, USD28. Read more here.

One pack of five Kose Clearturn Vitamin C paper masks, USD10.50. Read more here.

One Hanayuki Gel Cream, USD48.50. Read more here.

All you have to do is…

1. Follow us on Twitter or Facebook

AND

2. Say you have done so in the comments box below.

The deadline is Aug 9th 2010, midnight Tokyo time.

That’s it!

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+ Gazing at summer yukatas (cotton kimonos) and wondering when I’ll get around to wearing one. Usually, Japanese women wear yukatas to a matsuri (festival), eg. fireworks, called hanabi, , or watching fireflies like the one I went to in Nagano two weekends ago.

I heard the yukata is actually quite uncomfortable, with its tight obi (belt) and wooden geta, traditional wooden slippers, but it looks so sweet and feminine… I like dark blue yukatas with pink and purple prints like this, and this, and this.

+ My new Esprique loose powder. Love its fine texture and keeps me looking fresh.

+ Summer sales. The hot weather makes me want to get more airy tops and cotton Capri pants to stave off the heat.

+ Taking two showers a day, turning off the hot water tap and just dousing myself in ice cold water… and loving it. You should try it — it’ll get rid of any sluggishness instantly.

+ Paul & Joe cosmetics. I’m a fan of pretty packaging but what’s inside must be good, too! I have a review on a makeup base I bought recently coming up in this space.

+ Giving and receiving omiyage (souvenirs; usually snacks or dessert-like munchies). If you go on a trip, you’re sort of expected, or it would be the polite/nice thing to do, to buy some snacks as small gifts for co-workers and friends. I don’t approve of it if you feel obligated, but if you really want to give a gift, it feels lovely to have someone say “Thank you!” and like your tiny token. It’s a great way to build relationships in Japan where I’m learning that actions truly speak louder than words.

Photo credit: here

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Hi my lovelies, how was your Monday? I hope you made it through with finesse and calm. I had a whirlwind of a weekend in Sado Island, a beautiful, lush island off the coast of Niigata (northeast of Tokyo). It was a friend’s hen party so a big group of us girls went up on a bullet train to celebrate it with her.

As with all indulgent weekends, I felt the need to give my skin some extra love so I whipped out my greens and fruit from my fridge and made one of my all-time faves: a cell renewal juice.

I always juice one or two cucumbers when my skin is dull from too little sleep and too much fun. Some people may feel icky about drinking cucumber juice but this recipe will knock your socks off.

Recipe (in a high-speed blender):
1 cucumber
1 apple
½ lime
1 big handful of mint leaves
2 cups of water
1 spoonful of Meiji Amino Collagen Apple & Ginger

Strain the juice away from the pulp with a nut milk bag, or cheesecloth, or baking sieve. Pour into a glass of ice and serve.

This juice makes me feel like I’m drinking a mojito without the bad stuff (alcohol….). It’s also perfect for a quiet girls’ night in. Kampai (cheers in Japanese)!

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And it’s summer and I’ve got to wear my bikini on a few beach holidays I’ve got lined up!

I totally enjoyed her Post Pregnancy Workout so I quickly bought her Dance Cardio DVD because she said that if you do both daily five-six times a week, you would see your arms shrink and abs tighten. She doesn’t promise that it would deliver quick results but she claims it would work.

It’s probably me, but I can’t do both workouts daily for six days a week. Each workout is about 45 minutes long and they are really hard. I’m usually sweating buckets by the end of each routine and I feel pretty sore later in the day and the day after. My level of fitness is moderate and I’m not the toughest of people, so for me, this has to be an every other day thing.

For the past two months, I run on one day, the next day I’ll do the Post Pregnancy Workout, then rest for a day or do light exercise like hooping or stretches, run the next day, then whip out the Dance Cardio, rest the next day and then repeat. That’s roughly my exercise regime and I spend about an hour on each session.

The big question is, is it working? To date, I’ve not lost any weight, but that’s not my primary reason for trying out The Tracy Anderson Method. I want toned arms, legs, abs, and butt which I think I would get if I keep at it. Right now, I feel stronger in the sense that I don’t feel the workouts are killing me — they are still extremely challenging but I’m slowly seeing my fitness level rise and the recovery period is much shorter.

The Dance Cardio DVD is totally fun, I must say. There’s good music and the routines are cool and funky, and you sweat loads from twirling and jumping around. It took me about four to five sessions to get the gist of the eight basic routines that make up the entire 45-minute workout. I think some people feel that the routines are too difficult to follow and I agree with them to a certain degree.

If you want a straight up bootcamp style aerobics workout, then you shouldn’t be doing this. It’s easy to imitate classic exercise routines (push ups, crunches, jumping jacks etc) but it’s not overly fun in the long term, in my opinion.

With the Dance Cardio, I feel like a girl and even though my coordination sucks, I feel like I’m dancing like crazy in the privacy of my own home. It literally feels like you’re dancing your heart out – wheeeeeee!

So if you are impatient, maybe Insanity might suit you better, but I would highly recommend The Tracy Anderson Method if you are looking for a more feminine style of working out.

Another bonus in the DVD is an interview with Gwyneth Paltrow who confessed that she was absolutely terrible at the Dance Cardio routine but after a year she felt that she could do it properly. I liked hearing that because there’s no magic formula that is a secret only celebrities know — you just have to keep at it and you’ll get there eventually.

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Hording is one of those things that disguises itself as being frugal or not being wasteful, but if something is not serving you, why let it hang around?

What does this have to do with my new loose powder? Well, if you’re a long-time reader of this blog, you would know I’m a creature of habit (for certain things) and this applies to my foundation and powder.

I used to be deathly afraid of breaking out because my skin used to be very sensitive like that, but honestly, since I cleaned up my diet in a big way, I find my tolerance for different brands to be better. I stuck with Clinique for ages before I switched to L’Oreal (a friend’s recommendation). But lately, I found L’Oreal to crease easily (or is my skin aging – quite possibly!) and I didn’t like how I looked. And in winter, I even found the liquid foundation to be drying so I had patches of peeling skin on my face. Sounds horrible? Well, only if you looked closely, I guess.

So, I decided to experiment with Japanese brands. Duh, I live in Japan but I haven’t tried any of the multitudes of foundation makeup available.

I took a punt and bought Beaute de Kose’s Esprique Precious Loose Powder.

I’ve been using it for two weeks and I love the texture — it’s finer than the L’Oreal Translucide Loose Powder. I’ve used both the puff and my MAC powder brush and I prefer to apply with a brush. The puff doesn’t spread the powder very evenly and I had to shake the powder onto the puff several times to get the amount I want which is quite time-consuming.

And it looks very pretty. Japan has that effect on me — I’ve grown from living with boring primary colours to more pinks and purples in my things…

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