Saturday, July 25, 2009

99 Red Roses

Any girl who says she doesn't like flowers is a liar. No, no excuse at all. All girls love flowers. Yeah so what if they are not the most practical gifts? A little romanticism goes a long way. A maximum-wow-effect gesture surely won't go unnoticed. And a bouquet of red roses to greet me in the morning still puts a wide smile on my face. Every single time I look at it.

Ninety-nine red roses to be exact. That's the number of roses in this bouquet. The scarlet red roses bled envy from other girls, and invited admiring stares from other guys. That is the full effect of a hugh bouquet of flower. And I cannot say I did not enjoy the attention.

Flowers are really one of the prettiest thing in this world. I love watching them bloom into their full grandeur, I love running my fingers through the powdery-soft petals, I love putting my nose against them and taking in the floral fragrance.

Ninety-nine roses. A very special birthday gift indeed.

I'm a woman, let me indulge in romanticism, fairy tales, beauty, love. And impractical resplendent gifts.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Miss Say Reviews: Nexcare Acne Patch

I don't know if it's the weather back home, or the unhealthy -- but totally to-die-for -- local cuisine that has unleashed a wave of pimple outbreak on my face. The weather back home is so hot and humid I don't even use moisturiser after I wash my face. Bad, I know. I only slather on night cream before I go to bed at night to make up for the lack of diligence in moisturising during the day. And even that has not been a nightly ritual. That's in addition to stuffing my face with the much-missed local cuisine which are more often then not unhealthy -- but oh so super yummy! No wonder my body is reacting in protest to such abuse.

First there was only one painful pimple. (Ok, I can handle that.) When I woke up the next morning, there were two. (Alright, just don't touch them.) And by the end of the day, three (THREE! *pitiful sobs*) are threatening to rise out of of T-zone. Except I know they won't because they are all headless pimples. These are the real killers, aren't they? Painful, swollen, and yet there is nothing one can do about them since there is no pus to squeeze out. I complained of my situation to my bestie while hanging out with her yesterday and she recommended me Nexcare (3M) Acne Patch. Well, she also swears by Clinique's anti-blemish solutions Spot Treatment Gel. But since Clinique doesn't do anything for my skin judging for past experience, I decided to try her other suggestion.

Nexcare Acne Patch works this way. Each patch is a water-based gel which reduces the swelling and redness of the pimple when applied. It works by absorbing the oil secretion of the pimple onto the gel patch. It also acts as a protective layer that prevents infection. Sounds simple and convenient enough to tempt any acne-tortured soul to give it a go. Last night before I went to bed, I apply three patches over the reddish swollen pimples. One was a ginormous size zit so I had to use the bigger size patch over it. The other two were milder so I patched the mini-me size ones over them.

I woke up this morning eagerly to investigate the result. Have the patches work their miracles overnight? Have they sucked enough oil out of my volcanic pimples to power up a whole village?

Well, I am happy to report that two of the smaller pimples are less swollen, and thus "flatter". They are almost invisible unless I press hard into the skin. Good job there. However I am not convinced the patch has much effect on the kingpin pimple. The zit is still quite swollen and red, and painful. I can't tell if much oil has been absorbed since the patch appears pretty clear to me. I believe the resistance from the monstrous zit is much too strong for the little acne patch's prowess.

So go ahead and try the acne patch on small, new-grown pimple. Patch them on immediately upon discovery. (They are clear and match one's skin tone closely. I like that.) As for for cosmic-sized zits, expect little effect but use it as a shield to prevent the infection from getting worse. I just replaced the patch over that massive zit with a fresh one. Work, little patch, work! Work your wonder!