Chinese New Year is almost upon us! All 15 days of Chinese New Year (plus an extra day if you count the Reunion Dinner) carry their own meaning and tradition, and I have compiled a list of products and tips to get you through these 15 days in style :)

Here's a little calendar that I put together myself, and listed below it are product descriptions and my reasons why I chose that particular product.

Reunion Dinner - Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream - Intense Hydration

This facial cream is absolute magic. It is intensely hydrating, and yet it manages to be so lightweight that I can barely feel it on my fingers when I scoop it out of the jar. This is one of Kiehl's latest launches (though the Ultra Facial Cream has been around for some time now, the Intense Hydration version is new), and I can see this fast becoming a favourite amongst Malaysians with oily and dry skins. This fluffy cream is perfect for the Malaysian humid weather, because it hydrates without weighing down or greasing up the skin. This was love at first touch for me, and I highly recommend using it to prep your skin before makeup as well as to add hydration throughout the CNY period and beyond.

Day 2 - Senka Perfect Cleansing Oil

Senka is quite well known for their foaming facial cleansers, but it is this cleansing oil that I really like from their range of products. The CNY period will be chock-full of (pore-clogging) long days, smoke (from all those darned firecrackers), and greasy food. Make sure none of that stays on your skin before you hit the hay by maintaining a double-cleansing routine - using an oil cleanser to remove dirt and makeup before following with a cream cleanser to finish the job. This particular oil cleanser is very effective, and washes away makeup much more quickly than some other oil cleansers I've tried. What's more - it is actually possible to use this in the shower when you have wet hands (with most cleansing oils, it is imperative that your hands and skin are dry when you apply them, otherwise they won't work). It leaves the skin soft and clean after.

Day 3 - Aupres Aqua Active Sleeping Mask EX

Traditionally, Day 3 of Chinese New Year is a day for staying home. The Chinese believe that receiving visitors on Day 3 is bad luck, and so this is the best time for you to pamper yourself and catch up on some beauty sleep. Slap on some Aupres Sleeping Mask to increase cell turnover and replenish your skin's moisture levels, which you most likely lost through common Chinese New Year activities. This increases the radiance and luminosity in your skin. This mask is hydrating and has a lovely relaxing baby-powder scent (it is marketed as lavender but doesn't really smell like lavender to me) so it helps you sleep. Perfect for days like this.

Day 5 - Hydrate your body!

You should always remember to drink plenty of water no matter what it is that you're doing, particularly since most of what makes Chinese New Year what it is, is the cookie-alcohol-gambling combination. Drink enough water to care for both your body and your skin's health.

Day 6 - China Glaze Ruby Pumps

Happy Chinese birthday, everyone! A South East Asian Chinese tradition is to 'lou sang' - which basically is everyone gathered round a table, tossing a 'Chinese salad' of sorts with their chopsticks. Make your hands stand out with my favourite red nail polish - China Glaze's Ruby Pumps. This is a gorgeous true red with tonnes of red glitter. It looks so beautiful on the nails, and the colour is perfect for ringing in the lunar new year!

Day 8 - Benefit Porefessional: Agent Zero Shine
Day 8 is when most people offer prayers late into the night, so keep your makeup looking fresh and matte with the Benefit Porefessional Powder, which reduces the appearance of your pores and keeps oiliness and shine at bay. Unlike other powders, this one absorbs oil beautifully, so when you re-apply it throughout the day, it still feels as if you just applied your makeup. The best thing about it is that it has a brush built in and can be used over makeup, so it's the perfect thing to toss into your purse for touch-ups throughout the day.

Day 9 - Shiseido Perfect Hydrating BB Cream
Give your skin a little rest from heavy coverage foundations with this hydrating BB cream from Shiseido. Why I like it? It gives great coverage (I would classify this as a medium coverage foundation), and goes easy on the skin with its oil-free texture, antioxidant ingredients, and UV protection. This reduces the appearance of pores, helps cover acne scars, evens out the skin tone, and gives the skin a lovely luminosity. Any extra imperfections on the skin can be covered with a little concealer and powder.

Day 11 - Shiseido Lacquer Rouge in Drama
These are the most fantabulous lipsticks in the world. Somewhere between a MAC cremesheen and the YSL Glossy Stain, this lipstick was inspired by Japanese laquerware, and provides a creamy, glossy, pigmented finish. Though creamy and glossy, this lipstick lasts forever on the lips, and barely needs touching up throughout the day. The colour 'Drama' is the perfect red for the Chinese New Year season, and the tiny wand applicator makes touching up on the go so easy and quick.

Day 13 - Simplicité Exfoliating Face Treatment
Day 13 is known as the day of cleanse, when the Chinese take a break from all the rich foods and drink herbal soup to cleanse their system. Take this opportunity to draw impurities from your face as well, using the Simplicité Exfoliating Face Treatment, which draws dirt and impurities towards the surface of your skin so that you can treat them. Follow with something like the Simplicité Waratah and Beetroot Plant Mask for a full-on treat for your skin.

Day 14 - Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage
The combination of food and lack of sleep is bound to cause a couple of break outs (unless you are blessed with perfect skin, of course), so I highly recommend the Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage concealer to hide them until they go away. The peachy-toned colour is perfect for under-eye circles, and by mixing the two colours together, you can custom-create a colour that is perfect for your skin tone, depending on which area of the face you need to cover. The texture of this is also perfect, because it is thick and pigmented enough that it will cover almost anything and won't budge once you apply a bit of powder to set it, yet light enough that it is easy to blend and won't cake on your skin.

Day 15 - TheBalm Mary Lou-Manizer
You all know I adore this highlighter, because it is so natural that it resembles a cream highlighter, but its powder form makes it so much easier and quicker to apply to your skin. The finish of this luminizer is one of the prettiest I have ever seen in a highlighting product, and even though I've gone through my fair share of highlighters, this has managed to stay at the top spot until now (this was one of my first ever highlighter purchases). Day 15 is a day of lanterns and fireworks, so use this highlighter to illuminate your best features - you will look gorgeous in that candlelight!

However, a lot of people also know that the wrong foundation can give you the most unflattering ghostly-white skin in flash photography. The good news is, that avoiding certain products when you know that you will be photographed can eliminate that dreaded flashback completely! I myself am no stranger to the dreaded phenomena, as you can see in the picture below *cringe*

Here are some things to take into account:

SPF

Sun protection is essential in the afternoons, but the Titanium Dioxide contained within almost all sunscreens is the major cause of flashback in film photography. There are also claims floating about the interwebs that Titanum Dioxide combined with Zinc Oxide can cause more severe flashbacks - though I am not personally able to comment, not having tried a product like this.

Please note that a small amount of SPF in foundations is not detrimental (which is why you will find that most foundations do contain a small amount of SPF, and can be used without issue), however you should try to avoid anything with an SPF of 30 and above.

Please also note that this applies purely to film photography! Digital photography is largely unaffected by SPF with regards to flashback on camera.

Silica

Setting powders that contain silica (the Make Up For Ever HD Setting Powder is a cult favourite) are preferred over regular setting powders, because these powders mattify the skin, and give you a tiny bit of flashback on camera, which contributes to a perfected, airbrushed effect. Using silica based powders is perfectly fine, as long as you don't use too much.

Another thing to take into account is that silica powders have a mattifying effect, and should not be used on a dry skin type! Silica powders were made to sink into normal to oily skin, and to absorb the excess oil. Applying the powder to a skin without any moisture would basically just cause the product to 'sit' on top of your skin, therefore causing a white flashback.

The best way to apply these powders is with a soft, sparsely packed brush. Tap a tiny bit of the powder onto its container's lid, then swirl your brush into it, and tap off the excess before you apply it to your skin.

Mica

Some mineral foundations contain a high amount of mica in them, and should be avoided in flash photography, as they can cause quite severe flashbacks.

When you are going to be photographed, opt instead for a liquid foundation or cream foundation, which have the best finishes, both in photography and in real life.

Shimmer

Shimmer is the cause of a multitude of things gone wrong in flash photography, but shimmer used and placed correctly can also look beautiful on camera. 

As a general rule, brightening products should be avoided, especially underneath the eyes and in the contours of the face. I highly recommend purchasing your products matte, and then adding shimmer only where you need it.

One thing that you should take into account when buying a shimmer-based product is the type of shimmer contained within the product. For the most natural finish, choose a cream-based shimmer that is multi-coloured - with flecks of gold, pink and purple. These reflect the light in the most natural way, and give your skin a beautiful, natural glow. Avoid shimmer that is only one colour, and that looks too 'bright' or 'neon'.

To sum this piece up, I offer one last piece of advice. Always, always check your face before you leave the house! The best way to do this is to take a 'test shot' of yourself with a camera, with flash.

I hope this post helped you! x

The story was about Jennifer Aniston's beauty routine. It listed a whole bunch of high-end products, but there was one product in particular that caught my eye. It was affordable, and surprisingly simple. Every night, after applying the rest of her skincare, Jennifer Aniston spreads a teaspoonful of Vaseline underneath her eyes to hydrate the area and reduce wrinkles.

I myself have used Vaseline countless times over the years. I used it for chapped lips and particularly dry areas of skin.

Recently, I have been more drawn to Vaseline's body lotions, mostly because of their attractive prices and the fact that they genuinely work. They aren't too heavy (I hate those thick, overly rich creams because they leave my skin feeling sticky and greasy) and they have just the right amount of scent to them.

But when I read this article, I gladly went back to their basic petroleum jelly and tested it out in a few different ways. The Vaseline PR gave me a helpful list of the various functions you could use Vaseline for, but I'm just going to list my favourites and add a couple that I discovered myself.

• Rub it onto your feet and pop a pair of socks on at night - this gives you soft, moisturised feet come morning
• Gives you that dewy look when applied to the high points of your face - this mimics what the 'subtle' highlighters do, so if you don't have cash to drop, this is the perfect substitute
• Keeps eyebrows in shape - again, this is a cheaper alternative to eyebrow gel. If something cheaper works just as well, I say don't waste the money :)
• Glossy effect for makeup - I love using this to finish up my makeup when I need a glossy finish. I love using this over a long-lasting black cream base to create a really grunge-y looking makeup. It is also beautiful over a shimmery purple eyeshadow. This is my absolute favourite way to use Vaseline. If you are doing a decorative lip that requires glitter, I would recommend applying Vaseline over your lipstick, and then pushing the glitter onto the Vaseline with a lip brush. It gives you the perfect glossy/glittery finish!

Please note that the image above does not reflect the full prize pack. Refer to the list above for the complete list of products contained within the prize pack.

Here are the terms and conditions of the giveaway:

1. You must be aged 18 and above to enter, or obtain parental consent to enter if you are under 18.
2. The prizes in this giveaway can only be sent to Australian addresses (sorry, international readers! I will be hosting a giveaway on my YouTube channel soon so stay tuned!)
3. This competition will run for about 3 weeks, and will close on the 30th of August at 12AM AEST.
4. In order to be eligible to enter, you must do the following:
1. 'Like' my Facebook page, subscribe to my YouTube channel, or follow me on Twitter
2. Fill in the form below, and tell me your favourite way to use Vaseline petroleum jelly
5. For extra entries, you can do the following:
1. Tweet the following*: I just entered @EmilyQuak's Vaseline Giveaway! Win 1 of3 prize packs here: http://bit.ly/RuMq3q
6. The winners will be drawn via random.org, and will be notified via email. If the winners fail to respond to the email within 24 hours, they forfeit their prize, and I will draw new winners.

I am finally sharing with you all my anti-ageing, facial contouring massage. I have had amazing success doing this every night, and I thought I might share it with those of you who are committed enough to add this 4-5 minute massage into your nightly beauty routine.

I want to share a couple of pictures first, to show you guys how much it has helped with my puffy face.

These are some pictures taken before I started the massage:

And here are a couple of photos from after I started the massage - these are about 4-5 months in:

I haven't lost any weight - I know because all my pants fit the same :/

So here are the videos! I've broken them up into two parts

Being from a hot, humid, tropical country like Malaysia, I never really had to pay much thought to luminous skin. There was shine everywhere on my face, and if I put a powder over it, it still looked moisturised and dewy.

But then I came to Australia, where the weather just sucked my skin and hair dry (why is it that my hair has more bounce and volume when I'm in Malaysia, where it's hot and humid?!) and my face started showing signs of moisture loss. My skin became dull and lacklustre, and the one thing I focused on with constant devotion was getting luminous skin.

If you're from a country that is pretty dry in general, or if you are in the cold, or even if you are in a tropical country and have dry skin (yes, it happens!), here are a couple of makeup products that will really boost the luminosity in your skin!

Illuminating Primers



Illuminating primers fill in any crevices you may have in your skin, and provide a smooth canvas for your makeup to adhere to. There are tons of illuminising primers on the market that also add luminosity to the skin.  The above primers - the JK Jemma Kidd Mannequin Skin Complexion Enhancer and the L'Oreal Paris Lumi Magique Pure Light primer - are some great options. You don't have to worry about obvious shimmer or oily-looking skin - these are subtle enough just so your skin has a 'glow' about it, without looking like a disco ball. Here they are swatched below:


Both these primers are subtle enough to work on any skin tone, but if you love a pastel, cool-toned look then go for the L'Oreal Pure Light Primer, and if you love that warm golden tint then the Jemma Kidd is perfect.

Illuminators


You can also add an illuminator on top of your makeup to add that glow and luminosity to your skin. The Bloom Illuminiser in Glow, Face of Australia Mineral Therapy Liquid Illuminator in Angel Flame, and the INIKA Light Reflect Highlighting Creme are all illuminators with a subtle shimmer running through them without being too obvious. They suit almost every skin tone because the shimmer in them is multicoloured and therefore doesn't lean too far either way on the warm/cool scale. Again, I've swatched them below:


The Face of Australia product should be used with a very light hand because it is extremely pigmented and is more suited to be used as a blush instead of an all-over highlighter. All three illuminators posses very fine shimmer pigments so you won't look glitter-crazy.
Illuminators look particularly lovely in the winter when the light is very subtle. It brings out a gorgeous glow in your skin.

Shimmer Infused Blush


If you don't like the added step of putting on an illuminator, you might want to try a shimmer-infused blush. Depending on what products you use, shimmer-blushes are very versatile and can give you anything from a healthy, glowing daytime look to a more glamorous nighttime shine.

I highly recommend the Clinique Fresh Bloom Allover Color for a subtle daytime sheen. If you're a fan of pigmented blushes, definitely try the Sleek MakeUP blushes in Pomegranate and Rose Gold - the Pomegranate has a more subtle shimmer whilst the Rose Gold is very glamorous without going over-the-top with shimmer. A huge plus is that they are extremely affordable. The Bobbi Brown Shimmerbrick needs no introduction - this cult product is gorgeous and subtle enough for day, but can be layered to create a more intense evening look. Here they are swatched on my arm:


Eyeshadow Colours and Textures




Eyeshadows used to be plain, powder pigments that added colour to your skin. With the latest technologies, you can now add texture to your eyeshadows and create an eye makeup that adds to the overall moisturised, polished look of your skin. Use the Too Faced Intense Eyeshadow in Poison Orchid in the daytime as a liner or at night as an all-over eyeshadow - purple eyeshadow is perfect for adding a gorgeous glow to both cool and warm-toned skins.
If you have more mature skin, stay away from glitter. Instead, play around with texture with the Clinique Lid Smoothie in Imprompt-blue (the perfect everyday colour for winter!) and the new Bobbi Brown Long Wear Cream Shadow in Nude Beach (launching in August 2012). Here are swatches:


Balm-textured Lipsticks




Hate the stickiness of a lipgloss? These new hybrid lipsticks are perfect for winter. Your hair doesn't stick to them, and you don't have too much shine on your lips, which can look a little bit unprofessional. The pinky tones of all three lipsticks - the L'Oreal Color Riche Nutri Shine in Rose Guava (AUD 22.95), the Bloom Princess (AUD 28) and the Clinique Almost Lipstick in Shy Honey (AUD 36) - all add a subtle glow to the skin. The balmy shine also makes the lips look more moisturised and plump.

Brighten Your Décolletage




Spray the Bobbi Brown Shimmering Fragrance Oil on your décolletage and on the tops of your arms to add to your overall glow. The oils (essential oils of olive, sesame, avocado and jojoba) plump and moisturise your skin, and the shimmer is undetectable, yet so effective, it's insane. The Beach Fragrance (which smells of frangipani) might be a little out of place right now in winter, but you all know I never believed that a fragrance has to be season-appropriate anyway.
This fragrance is available from August 12 at Bobbi Brown counters.

I hope you found this post helpful! Do you have any special tips that you use to enhance your glow?