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[title]All those festivals and parties mean one thing – lots of late nights out. Too much partying can wreak havoc on your body, while KL’s party scene is also likely to put a big dent in your funds. If you’re in need of some pampering to get you back on track but can’t afford a trip to a salon or a spa, there are plenty of treatments you can do on your own at home, for a fraction of the cost, as Susan Young (who owns the Susan Young Beauty Clinic in Abu Dhabi), explains.
Banish dull skin
Sue says: To brighten up your skin, use a body brush. Gently brush up towards your heart over the whole body (on dry skin) to bring blood to the surface of the skin, which will carry oxygen and nutrients with it. This will help in the production of collagen, which enhances your skin’s elasticity. It also gets rid of dead skin, so already your skin is improved as this will eliminate waste and toxins and increase your circulation by up to a third.
Dark circles around the eyes?
Sue says: Place cotton discs in rosewater or water in the fridge. Apply eye-mask gel to the skin around your eyes, then place the cold cotton discs over your eyes and relax for ten minutes. The cold will dilate the capillaries and the gel will rehydrate your skin. Your eyes will look good as new.
Have problem skin?
Sue says: Bicarbonate of soda makes for a great exfoliant for oily skin. It has been used for hundreds of years in beauty therapies; it is gentle and softens sebum (oily/waxy matter produced by glands in the skin). For congested skin, mix oats, strawberries and argan oil, or try milk of magnesia with oats as a face mask. Oats have lubricating fats and natural cleansers that will clean out your pores, while strawberries contain a gentle acid that will clear away dead skin cells. For dry skin, mix and apply egg yolk with honey, or avocado with egg white and lemon juice. Honey’s anti-bacterial and healing properties combined with egg yolk, which draws impurities out of the skin, make for a cooling and softening face mask. Lemon juice has healing and toning properties to give skin a new lease on life.
For your insides
Sue says: A really hydrating drink is ginger, mint, lemon and honey combined. Add boiling water and allow it to cool by popping it in the fridge – it’s amazing.
Brighten up your make-up
Sue says: For a last-minute brightener that will remove dead skin and bring a glow to your face, first exfoliate, then use honey and oats as a quick brightening mask. To brighten your smile, use an old, soft toothbrush (or a nail file) on your lips to softly brush and remove dead skin, then use a good, hydrating lip balm. When you’re ready for the party just pop your lipstick on. Your lips will look sensational. Want to make them look larger? Place a small amount of shimmer just across the bow of your lips. Another trick is to take your lip pencil and draw a straight line across the bow of your lips. Lessening the bridge of the bow enlarges your lips.
Longer lashes
Sue says: Apply almond oil to your lashes (or Vaseline) before you go to bed to keep your lashes soft and supple. This stops them from breaking. Waterproof mascara makes your lashes particularly brittle.