We all want to look our best, but we don’t need to go to the cosmetics counter for a make-over to achieve magazine perfection.  The secret is in the brushes, investing in good brushes, and looking after them can make all the difference.  Always test brushes on the skin to see how they feel.  If they feel great on your hand, they will feel amazing on your face.  Look out for full, soft and comfortable brushes, firm ones for shading and softer ones for blending and dusting.

Natural or Faking It?

If you ask a pro, they will almost always say natural, especially when it comes to powder.  The natural fibre holds the powder better, hence making blending more effective.  Natural brushes will tend to be camel, squirrel, sable or goat.  If you are offended by or allergic to animal products, then go synthetic.  Synthetic brushes, such as Nylon or Taklon are actually better for lipstick and concealer, when you need a sticker brush.  Top make-up artist tip: For the perfect air-brushed magazine look, use a stippling brush, which tends to be half synthetic, half natural to blend the make-up smoothly on the face after applying. Giselle eat your heart out!

The bigger the better?

With so many brushes to choose from , how do you know which size to choose?  This is pretty easy actually, this differs from person to person, but choose a brush that fits the area you are applying powder to.  Look at your crease width, (they will get bigger with age…booo), If you have large cheeks, you will want to choose a bigger blusher brush, if you are a cheek-bone girl (lucky you), you will need a smaller denser brush to show them off.

Dirrrrrty…

Would you use a tooth brush for years on end?  Apart from the fact that it would be looking grim, we know that bacteria and grime set in, and there is no way we would put it in our precious mouths.  Then how often do you clean your make-up brushes?  Brushes are a haven for bacteria, and dirt, but because of the colour, we cant often see it.  Dirty brushes can encourage acne breakouts, conjunctivitis, or even more serious skin conditions.  To clean your brushes, you can either buy a dedicated brush cleaner (see M.A.C photo), or use shampoo, lather and rinse.  Tease the brush into the natural shape, and let it dry naturally.  Beware of using hairdryers as this may make the hairs fall out.  Its recommended to clean your brushes once a week, at least do it once a month!  Top make-up artist tip:  For brushes such as eyeliner brushes, that may have caked-on waterproof products, start by working through a little bit of olive oil. This will release all the stubborn dirt.  Then follow with shampoo.

Brushes Going Bald…

No matter how much you spend on your brushes, it is normal for stray hairs to fall out, synthetic or natural.  Its best to test the before you buy.  Swipe the brush over your hand, and if lots of hairs fall out, then steer clear.  Some companies offer warranties against shedding, but you will be paying top-dollar for those.  Top make-up artists tip: Ask to see the demonstration brush in the shop, if it is in good condition, and hairs are not falling out, then the chances are that if you buy one, it will be a good-un too!

Which Brush For Which Bit?

With so many brushes available in the shops, which ones should we be using, and what are the minimum brushes we should have in our make up bag?  Well the top three must haves for brushes, even if you have no others are a good blusher brush, a soft eye shadow brush and a tapered eye-liner brush.  Mac have brilliant ones, namely the 300, 129 and the 226.  If you cant afford those ones, then look out for other brands in those shapes.

Brushes are expensive, but they are a great investment.  If you look after them properly, you should rarely need to replace them, just dont lose them!

More Top Make-Up Artist Tips

“Always apply your make-up in a good natural light, make sure there are no shadows over your face and treat yourself to a good mirror”

“You should hold your brush with no tension in your hand.  When you have a light touch the brush will glide back and forth on your face.  The handle should feel comfortable in your hand”

“fingers are good for blending but make sure they are clean and oil free”

“to keep your make-up looking fresh and flawless, tak care of your brushes by storing them in a neat brush roll (that has individual slots for each brush) or in an upright pencil cup.

Known for her fabulous body, acting skills, rock star husband and penchance for eating like a macrobiotic yogi rabbit, but it seems that Gweneth Paltrow has another little trick up her sleeve.   It has been revealed that her biggest beauty secret is quaffing a pint of Guinness.   Whilst discussing her amazing figure and flawless looks to The Mirror she said  ‘I always have a Guinness before an awards ceremony…Guinness is my favourite beer’.  So it seems that us mere mortals can have the Hollywood dream body by drinking a pint of the Irish nectar.

Who would have thought girls?! What a perfect excuse to head down to Dublin Jacks for St Patricks day on the 17th March for a few pints of Beauty Beer!

How much is beauty worth to you?  With most beauty products that promise amazing results costing thousands of dollars, we cant help but wonder if its worth it, or if its all a big marketing and packaging campaign?  BBHK have hunted down and tested the five best affordable beauty products in Hong Kong that will help you achieve the results you want, and leave you with enough money in your wallet for a whole night of cosmos! Hurrah!

1)  Redskin Caviar Eyemasks – approx $5-$10 per mask (you may have to order them girls, so print out this picture to take along to the store) – Sasa

BBHK recently discovered these magic Korean gems in Sasa, and we can’t get enough of them.  Depending on the quantity or any promotions, they are super cheap, but better still they are super fab. The little packet opens to reveal two cotton caviar serum infused eyemasks that sit perfectly under each eye to reduce puffiness and increase moisture to dry tired eyebags. We then rub the rest of the lotion over our neck and face.  Most of the jargon is written in Korean, so we don’t know whats in them, but as they are always sold out and have to order we are sure the locals cottoned on to this little secret a long time ago!  We place them under our eyes after cleansing and toning in the morning, then gets ourselves fashionably ready for the day, perfect our hair, peel of the eyemasks and voila our bags are gone, and our eyes are bright for the day ahead and no one knew about the eight cosmos and the few cheeky glasses of Champagne the night before!

TOP TIP:  Always keep a few sachets in the fridge for a extra chilled and turbo charged depuff!

2) Hada Labo Super Hyaluronic Acid Moisturizing Essence -HK$98 -  Mannings 

So often BBHK trawls through the local section of Watsons and Mannings to find out what beauty products the local gals are using, however with most of them being written in Chinese, we haven’t a clue what they do.  Their questionable before and after shots don’t seem to appease the untrusting BBHK eye, so we were delighted to discover this Japanese product from a Malaysian beauty blog which was singing its praises.  Apparently they sell one every 4 seconds in Japan, so we couldn’t wait to try it out, and we were really pleasantly surprised!  Hyaluronic acid is one of the active ingredients that is in many of the most expensive beauty products on the market. In a nutshell Hyaluronic acid is a moisture absorber that attracts moisture to the layers of skin that need it the most, to maintain young, plump skin.  Its one of the buzz components of uber expensive skin-care products than make beauty experts go dizzy with excitement, so imagine our surprise when we discovered for under $100HKD we could find it on our shelves here in Hong Kong!  By placing a dollar size blob on your hand and patting it for a few seconds over the face, the paste-like liquid turns rather sticky, then after a few more pats it absorbs into the skin.  Finish off with your moisturiser.  If applied before bed, the lotion will continue to nourish the skin throughout the night.  BBHK tried if for a month, and was really happy with the results.

3) Nanoblur HK$175 /30ml – Mannings
This is one of those so called miracle products that just seem too good to be true.  This little tube of lotion claims to ‘Take 10 years off your appearance in 40 seconds or less’.  The before and after shots are so extreme that they seem quite unbelievable, however the stuff is quite fabulous and more importantly, it’s cheap!  Originally developed to cover up the imperfections in the skin of Hollywood celebrities for their new worst enemy, high-definition TV (which shows every lump, bump, wrinkle and open pore in complete large clarity for the whole world to see), this elixir of youth literally plasters in all the fine lines and pores to show the illusion of perfect, poreless youthful skin.  Used either under or over your foundation, the secret to this ‘finisher’ (not a primer) is in the millions of ‘microprisms’ that reflect and ‘blur’ over your natural imperfections.  Better still its safe, contains those magic peptides and amino acids, and is free of chemicals – Parabens, sodium Laurym and Suplhate.  Interestingly the company claims that it works 4x better on Asian skin, so we are sure our local sisters will be slapping this on their faces in no time!  Too good to be true? Well BBHK doesn’t think so, but at only HKD$175, its cheap enough for you to try for yourself!

4)Snoxin Serum HK$295 /30ml Mannings
In recent years practically every skin-care brand has launched their version of a face serum, but what is a serum and why are they so expensive?  In summary a serum is the product in a skin-care range that contains the active ingredients that are supposed to be actually making a difference to your skin.  While the cleanser cleans your skin, the toner closes your pores and puts back in lost moisture from astringents in your cleansers, and the moisturiser acts as a final step to keep your skin topped up from being dry all day, a serum is then the missing link that in recent years scientists  have managed to develop to drive the active working ingredients into your skin.  Because the serums contain these pricey active ingredients such as peptides, nano-peptides, hyrolonic acid (see above) and amino acids, paired with the research and development to make these products possible, unfortunately makes them the most expensive part of your daily routine, however possibly the most important.  Until now…  According to Indeed Laboratories, makers of Snoxin serum, their potion is 4 times more effective than 10 leading department store serums which cost almost their weight in gold. Now BBHK cant verify their own tests, but by looking at the list of ingredients they do contain all the magic ingredients that are supposed to make the high-end serums do what they say on the tin.  By combining six of the most effective anti-aging peptides in their highest allowable non-prescription concentration, there is no reason why Synoxin is not as good, if not better than is more expensive counterparts.  To make your Mastercard (and the Husband) even happier, the makers suggest you use Synoxin instead of a moisturiser, saving you even more pennies.  They also claim that it works best on areas with the thinnest skin, i.e. the eyes, which is where we need it the most.  If their before/after shots are to be believed, the results are staggering.  BBHK are about to start their own 56 day trial (which is their recommended significant improvement time period), but for only HK$298, we think its worth the same risk that the uber expensive brands have to offer, but with more left in your Prada wallet!

5) NATS. Restore Cleanser HK$199 – Philip George Salon / Watsons
Now if you girls are as lazy as me, I tend to wipe my makeup off with Nivea facewipes that I keep by the bed.  Recently I was traveling through Heathrow airport when I was spot-searched and to my horror a red beacon started flashing above my head accompanied by a sobering fog horn.  Within seconds I was surrounded by a number of security personnel.  Having watched Bangkok Hilton many years ago, and numerous episodes of the harrowing Banged Up Abroad, my toes started to curl in my Jimmy Choos and I started to freak out about the true contents of the various packets of tea and After Eight mints I had smuggled into my luggage by my so-called friends.  I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life in a cockroach infested prison cell chained to a prostitute called Porn.  “Are you aware Madam that you have traces of TNT explosives on your person?” said the burly immigration officer.  “WHAT?! No!”  As my life flashed before my eyes they pulled the Nivea face wipes out of my bag and said, “Ah! These often show up as TNT on the machine, the chemical compound of the wipes mimic explosives.”  I was packed up with a smile and sent on my merry way back to Hong Kong, and needless to say I have never used those wretched wipes on my face ever again!

Finding a great affordable cleanser has always been a concern of mine, they are either super expensive or really drying on the skin, and make my eyes sting.  This new-to-Hong-Kong cleanser from NAT, does the job perfectly!  It removes all traces of make up, including stubborn mascara as well as cleaning the skin without causing any harm.   Concocted from various  pure pressed plants, flowers and herbs from plants that have known healing benefits, the NAT range is using aromatherapy at its best, with a really reasonable price.  Three Cheers!

Founder of the hugely popular and successful skincare company Murad, Dr Howard Murad came to Hong Kong last week to launch his new book “The Water Secret” and his new water based product, “Daily Eye Lift”.  TVB host Rebecca Yeung, had a chat with him last week at the launch, and BBHK were there to eaves drop…

Q. Hello Dr. Murad, How are you? Welcome to Hong Kong!
Dr. I’ve many questions want to ask you today. First, many women nowadays very concern about aging, is it really difficult to slow down the aging process?

By focusing on Inclusive Health, a three prong approach to care, you can not only slow down the aging process but also help reverse the visible signs of aging. The Water Secret demonstrates that the fundamental marker of youthful good health is the ability of the cell membrane to efficiently hold water. This can be accomplished by tending to your internal, topical and emotional self care. Everything from getting regular exercise, taking daily supplements, getting a good night’s sleep and taking time for oneself will encourage an increase in intercellular water.

Q.Dr. Murad then what is the Three-Tropical Solutions that you just mentioned?

To help with the topical prong of Inclusive Health, look for a simple three-step process that addresses 1) Cleansing/Toning, 2)Treating/Repairing, 3) Hydrating/Protecting and that meet the needs of your unique complexion. A fool proof routine is one that you’ll follow faithfully as consistency is a key factor in long-term skin health

Q.Dr. Murad, today I know you’re going to introduce a new breakthrough anti-aging patent ingredient?

Yes, a powerful Peptide sequence, Immuno- Skin Complex, that communicates with your skin-sending a signal triggering a vigorous immune response against the factors that age your skin. Encourages skin to produce more collagen and Elastin so it’s stronger , firmer and more radiant, just like young skin.
We’ve launched a complete anti-aging skin care line called Murad Professional, all the products contain this powerful ingredient Immuno-Skin Complex to comply with 3- step skin care routine.

Q.Dr. Murad, since eyes area is the most fragile and fast aging area, any product can help to delay the aging process?

Yes, our new Daily Eye Lift is a targeted, concentrated formula that immediately relaxes fine lines while lifting and tightening skin. The under eye area will be noticeably firmer after the first use. Continued use will boost skin’s resilience through increased production of collagen and elastin. Daily Eye Lift features Immuno-Skin Complex™, a proprietary compound comprised of immune modulators that help boost the skin’s defense to fight future fine lines and next generation peptides developed to repair existing damage.

Q.Dr. Murad, then how do we know our skin already shown sign of aging and take appropriate care as earlier as possible?

We have a high technology skin diagnosis machine called Reveal Camera can detect different types of problems beneath the skin that we’re not aware in our daily life. i.e. pigmentation, fine lines, dryness, oiliness and resilience etc.  Today we’ve a demo to show how this machine can detect the skin problems

Q.Dr. Murad, then how could we solve these kind of problems on eyes area?

Beauty eye care tips and how the Murad Professional Daily Eye Lift can help!

Q.Do we need to drink eight glassfuls of water a day?

Eight glasses means eight trips to the bathroom, flushing the system of vital nutrients and minerals. Colorful raw fruits and vegetables are the best form of water for your cells as they provide structured water so that the hydration stays in your system long enough for your body to put it to good use, not to mention the nutritional benefits of raw fruits and veggies over plain H20. Try to replace one glass of water a day with a raw fruit.  Eat your water and you won’t need to count your glasses. If you replace at least one glass of water a day with one serving of raw fruits or vegetables, it’ll help you to stay hydrated significantly longer.

Q. People always said cells don’t renew themselves quickly or easily, is it true?

False! The common pathway to aging and disease is cellular water loss. The health of our cells is the ultimate marker of the true health of our body. Within 10 weeks, virtually every cell in your body has turned over. By practicing Inclusive Health, you will give your body the best opportunity to produce healthy, strong cells in as little as 10 weeks.

Q. Is it we can get the nutrition we need from “healthy” organic foods?

False! Although there are some foods that should always be purchased from the organic section of the produce aisle, you should try to incorporate a few select organic products into your diet where possible. Don’t subtract form your current eating plan, just add to it!

Q. Dr. then we should buy what kind of organic fruits?

The most important fruits to buy organic are apples, Cherries, Pears, Nectarines, Peaches, and Strawberries. When not organic, these fruits often trap toxins – enemies of a healthy body and beautiful, glowing skin!

Q. Is it true that exercise causes dehydration?

No. By eating your water and taking daily supplements, you are flooding your body with nutrients that are vital in keeping your cells hydrated during exercise and regular activities.

Q. Are our looks mostly genetically determined? Just like some people say about Shanghai women, are they born with beautiful skin?

No. You may have no control of your genetic makeup but you do have control over the health of your skin and your cells. Beautiful skin is healthy skin. Healthy skin is beautiful.

Q. Dr. is it true that Modern stress is unavoidable?

False! Cultural Stress® is a phrase I use to describe the type of constant and pervasive stress through living a maxed-out, multi-tasking life. Cultural Stress takes a dramatic toll on overall health so it’s important to understand it so you can address your stressors. Take steps to combat stress by surrounding yourself with people you care about, quieting your mind by turning off your cell phone and television long before bed, participating in a physical activity, and of course, smiling and laughing freely. These small efforts will bring you big emotional changes, helping you to de-stress and enjoy life!

Q. Then how we can make relax our emotion? Is it we should ignore the naysayers from without and, more importantly, those from within?

Allow yourself to achieve your maximum potential and always remember, the best is yet to come.

Q. Is inflammation bad for us ?

Inflammation is routinely advertised as something bad for your health. In truth, inflammation is a warning sign that the body is trying to heal itself and thus a key to survival. To put this into perspective, disease causes inflammation, inflammation does not cause disease. Inflammation is a symptom of something else going on in the body that ushers the inflammatory response for help. It is very difficult, if not impossible, to “treat’ inflammation as you have to treat the causes of inflammation thus helping to heal your body and improve your health.

Q. What are the 10 steps to Inclusive Health?

1.   Eat Your Water
2.   Hydrate & Take Supplements
3.   Maximize Cellular Water and Muscle
4.   Practice Self Discipline
5.   Savor Sleep
6.   Try Something New
7.   Give Back
8.   Water Your Skin
9.   Relax
10. Celebrate Your Successes!

Dr Howard Murads new book The Water Secret and his new Daily Eye Lift featuring Immuno-Skin Complex™ is out now in Hong Kong.

The best bit about this fab 1999 clip is Linda Evans of Dynasty Fame. She is rumored to have had face work such as lip Collagen, chemical peeling, cheek implants and a brow lift.

It is possible for a celebrity her age to have had a face lift since her neck doesn’t show any sagging skin.  Other of the procedures that Linda probably got is a blepharoplasty or eye surgery, removing the bags that appears under the eyes with age in some people and lifting the upper eye lid in case that is needed.  But the question is, did she use the Rejuvenique Electric Facial Mask?

From your late 20′s to your early 30′s you may start to see the first signs of aging.  These changes may be small at first, but crow’s feet, dark eye bags, crows feet and open pores are all things that are almost inevitable…almost.  Find out what our lady friends across the big pond are doing to combat aging.

1) Small lines in the corners of eyes, or crows feet, are usually the first area of the face that is prone to aging.  Small but increasingly deeper lines from the corner extending outwards are more likely to make you look older that you are.  It is best to try not to get them in the first place.  Living in a hot place like Hong Kong, we are more exposed to the sun that in other parts of the world, but make sure you wear sunscreen and sunglasses everyday to prevent early offset of these lines.

Doctor’s Fix – Botox or Dysport, known as Botox’s twin or cousin,  is still the treatment of choice for this problem in the USA.  Botox is a substance derived from botulinum toxin that works by preventing nerve impulses from reaching the muscle, causing the muscle to relax, whereas the newer Dysport is also an injectable form of botulinum toxin Type A, but it is 3 times cheaper, but also 3 times weaker, so therefore ends up costing about the same.  But the good news is it is said to last up to a year, whereas Botox tends to last about 3 months. Therefore more ladies (and men) are turning to Dysport in the USA.

2) Dark Circles and Eyebags. “No matter how much concealer I put under my eyes, they always look dark and tired”.  Sound familiar?  As we age, the fat beneath out lower lids start to protrude and  the muscle becomes loose.  Genetics have a massive part to play in the problem, but add to that late Hong Kong nights out,  with too much drinking, eating and sun exposure is a recipe for eye-bag disaster.

Doctors Fix -In America it is becoming more popular in inject hyaluronic acid fillers into the hollow parts to give the illusion of less eye-bags.  There is therefore no place for shadows to hide, therefore visually removing the dark circles and eye-bags.  Ladies as young as their early 20′s are having this treatment to prevent the eye-bags developing in the first place.  Other methods being used are chemical peels, IPL lasers or fractional lasers to help tighten the skin in the area, or of course there is the last point of call, the surgical lower blepharoplasty, or lower eye-lift.

3) Nasolabial Folds are the lines that start to appear from the nose around the sides of your mouth, otherwise known as smile lines.  However the older you get, you don’t need to be smiling for them to appear.  They appear when fat is lost from around the area, and start to appear in the mid 30′s but become very apparent in the 40′s.

Doctor’s Fix – Again, hyaluronic acid fillers like Juvederm and Restylane are the most popular treatment of choice in American patients.  If the fold are more pronounced, then cheeks may be injected too to plump out the area.

3)Age Spots.  Years of spending time in the sun causes damage to the skin.  Age spots or sun spots are caused from sun exposure and burning from possibly as far back as when you were a child.  It takes years for them to develop, but once they pop out they start to appear at an alarming rate.  If they are not looked after, they may become darker and cause your skin to turn crepey. Nice.

Doctor’s Fix – The first point of all in The States for sun spots is hydroquinone, generally applied in a gel, it helps to disperse the menaline more evenly in your skin.  A retinoid is then used to remove the top layer of skin to hopefully reveal sunspot-less, younger looking skin.  For deeper and more stubborn spots, then lasers are used to zap them away.

BBBHK TOP TIP- Before resorting to cosmetic surgery, try using a lemon daily on the spots to lighten them.  The vitamin C in the lemons act the same was as the hydroquinone by dispersing the menaline more evening and lighting the skin in those areas.

Next look out for the Top American New Cosmetic Beauty  Innovations…

To commemorate American Independence day we are celebrating all things American this week on BBHK.  From the top beauty treatments, surgery procedures and cosmetics, competitions, where to stay when you pop over there to get ‘things done’ and where you can get the same treatments here in HK.

Enjoy and let the pampering begin!

They say that beauty is only skin deep, but how can we ensure that our skin is in tip top shape from within?  By drinking adequate amounts of water, we can stave off dehydration and get our circulation pumping for bright, plumped and youthful skin.

We need water for virtually every function such as digestion, bloody circulation, regulating body temperature, and detoxification.  Our blood is made up of 83% water, our brain is 74% and our bones are 22%,  therefore it is no surprise that water is necessary for our survival, the function of our body system and vital to our health.  Most importantly with regards to beautiful sparkling skin, and dark eye circles, we have to combat dehydration.

Many conditions can be improved by drinking water.  Cracked lips and dry mouths only occur when you are extremely dehydrated, so by drinking 8 glasses a day of the magic elixir, many common ailments can be treated such as exhaustion, constipation, asthma, headaches, depression, as well as visual benefits fine wrinkles, dark circles and sallow skin.

WeightLoss
Another health benefit of water is in fat metabolism.  So by drinking water, you can kick start your fat-loss.  The kidneys need water to aid in the detoxification process.  If we don’t have enough water in our body, then the waste from our kidney is passed onto our liver, which then cant do its own job properly.  One of the livers main jobs is to assist fat metabolism, so if the kidneys are clean and functioning properly, then so can the liver.  Voila, water can help you lose weight!

How much water should we be drinking?
A simple way to check if you are drinking enough water is to check the colour of your urine.  If it is light and clear, then you are drinking enough water, however if it is dark in colour, and opaque, then you need to up your intake.  Try to gradually increase your intake to about 2 litres a day so your body gets used to it.  Try drinking little and often, rather than gulping down gallons at a time.

What else counts as your daily intake?
Coffee, tea, sodas and alcohol all contain toxins so are therefore not included in your quota.  In fact if you do drink a cup of coffee or wine, then you are advised to have a glass of water after to process the toxins.  In the real world that is unlikely to happen, but fresh fruit and vegetables do help in hydrating the body, so tuck in!

New Natural Mineral Water for Nails, Skin and Bones
Tap water in Hong Kong can be safely consumed, however there are many health benefits to natural mineral water than cant be obtained from the tap.  For a water that is strong in health and beauty benefits, try new Snowy Mountain from Australias premium spa and natural spring region.  Snowy Mountain is high in silica which  has been long been regarded as nature’s building block and is our answer to healthier, younger looking, more radiant skin, hair nails and bones.

It also contains a neutral PH, which is our own body’s natural balance and calcium and magnesium for strong bones and teeth, muscle re-generation. All these natural factors combined are responsible for a smooth, soft and silky taste.

John Milionis, Managing Director of Snowy Mountain said “We are very excited to finally bring Snowy Mountain Water to Hong Kong. Bottled water containing silica is very rarely found in most bottled waters, we believe that Hong Kong will be able to reap the health and beauty benefits fully. Being in such a hot climate, water helps regulate and maintain body temperature. Drinking enough water daily will help remove all the pollutants and toxins from your body and will keep your body going throughout the busy workday.”

So the million dollar answer for beautiful, youthful skin and a fast metabolism.  Drink Water. Gambei!!

Snowy Mountain is available in the following retailers in Hong Kong: Park N’ Shop, Park N’ Shop International, GREAT Food Hall, TASTE and Fusion by Park N’ Shop.  www.snowymountain.com.au

Fed up with your small or saggy flat bottom?  Californian psycologisy Dr Karin Hart has come up with the answer to your woes .  The Biniki, the bra for your buttocks.

The undergarment is worn under your knickers, to give your bottom a helping hand.  Say goodbye to your pancake bum, say hello to your new toned looking, round and fabulous behind,  just like  JLo and Kim Kardashian.

The Biniki uses a patented belt around the waist, with step-in adjustable loops, to lift the buttocks, making them appear firm, round and pert, and is invisible under clothing.  Genius!

Dr Hart stumbled on the idea whilst trying to solve her saggy bottom problem after losing weight.  After wrapping adhesive tape around herself in various ways, she found the soloution, thus the Biniki was born.

Little bottomed men (like my friend Jay…), you can shake your booty too with pride, with the Maniki.

The Biniki costs $29.99USD, while the Maniki costs $39.99USD, plus postage.

For further information, visit www.biniki-fashions.com.

Why do some girls always get their own way?  No man can resist the flutter of perfect lashes, accompanied by a pearly white smile!  Here is Beauty Buzz HK’s guide to the top five mascaras in town, so you can bat you way to the top!

1. Maybelline Great Lash Mascara $TBC
This iconic mascara should be in every woman’s make up kit.  After thirty five years in the market, it is still going strong and loved by celebrities and make up artists world wide.  Maybelline Great Lash mascara is a definite staple when it comes to top mascara steals.  The non-gloopy formula seems to coat and lengthen every lash perfectly, for a pristine, natural long look.  Its also cheaper than any of the other fab five, so its a steal!  Available in a good variety of colors and shades as well.

2. Lancome Definicils $TBC
Lancome Definicils is a fabulous mascara that does exactly what is says on the tin.  The patented wand coats every separate last from tip to root, for a semi-realistic fan effect. Its uber strong formula keeps lashes in place after curling for hours, but may be a little hard for some peoples taste.   Defincils would be a hot runner for our number one spot, but the price point of the Maybelline just beat it to the post.  Available in five colors to match every outfit.

3. Chanel Inimitable Mascara $TBC
With a unique rubber wand, this mascara manages to lengthen and volumise without sticking together or clumping at all.  The regular formula is perfect for everyday, bu the waterproof version is a must have for any beach beauty that wants luscious lashes even in the water.  The only problem with this mascara is that is tends to dry out really quickly, so they only last a few weeks, however you should throw mascaras away after six weeks anyway, but who ever does that?

4. Diorshow Mascara $TBC
A classic favourite for those who favour extremely long, thick eyelashes.  Even better when applied over fakies! For the just-stepped-off-the-catwalk look, this is the mascara for you.  Can have the tendency to clump eyelashes together, so can take a bit longer to apply, as you may need to brush out clumps to separate.  Great for night out on the town!.  Available in three great colors, including a ultra-cool royal blue.

5. Clinique High Definition Lashes Brush then Comb Mascara $TBC
Beauty powerhouse Clinique came up trumps with their ingenious dual edged, high definition mascara.  The award winning product giving you a double sided wand to help coat each lash and then build and separate for the most natural look of the fab five. It is also small enough to give you a great coat on your bottom lashes too.  A wonderful wand, but can be a little time consuming. Available in two colors, black and brown.

Some mascara application tips:
1. When you pull your wand out of the tube, bend it slightly, so you have an angle. Professional makeup artist use their wands this way to get as close to the lash line as possible.
2. When you notice your mascara getting clumpy, clean off the excess by wiping your brush on a tissue.
3. If you use mascara everyday, you should toss it in about 6 weeks.
4. Don’t pump your mascara — air gets pushed into the tube, causing bacteria to harbor.
5. Don’t share mascara.
6. Don’t think you can add life to your mascara by adding water. This just makes it easier for you to get an eye infection.

There you have it.  BeautyBuzz Hong Kong’s Fab Five Mascaras.   Go ahead, bat those lashes.

1 available from Manning and Watsons.

2-5 available from Lane Crawford.

LANE CRAWFORD IFC MALL
Podium 3, ifc mall, 8 Finance Street, Central
tel: +852 2118 3388

LANE CRAWFORD PACIFIC PLACE
Level One, Pacific Place
88 Queensway, Admiralty
tel: +852 2118 3668

LANE CRAWFORD CANTON ROAD
3 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
tel: +852 2118 3428

LANE CRAWFORD TIMES SQUARE
1 Matheson Street, Causeway Bay
tel: +852 2118 3638