Description: Flawless, pure, fast and fun, simply so soft, wears so long and so light. Original Glo gives your face that added touch of dewiness and long lasting coverage, and is ideal for normal to dry skin.

As I have dry skin, I thought it’d be best to try out my first order of Everyday Minerals‘ foundation in the Original Glo formula. I got my samples in the Light, Light Neutral and Fairly Light shades.

Though the most of the shades seem okay on me, I think the Golden Light shade fits me best as it has yellow undertones which is perfect for my skin tone. The formula and application on this seems light and not shimmery at all, which is great for a neutral and light day foundation formula.

However, I find that the application does not last long and by mid-day at work, I’ve got to have my makeup touched up a tad bit as it’ll start to look a bit chalky. I’ve tried applying it in different layers, light, semi-light, heavy and what-have-you, but this formula just doesn’t seem to last on my skin as my Signature Minerals Foundation.

One other thing that I don’t quite like about it is that by mid-day, my skin would feel a tad bit dry – a feeling which I don’t have when using my Signature Minerals Foundation.

Coverage-wise, Signature Minerals definitely wins as Everyday Minerals’ formula provides a lighter level of coverage. At least, on my skin. No matter how much buffing I did, this formula leaves me with a blotchy, dry, chalky and powdery finish by mid-day – after about 4 hours of application. Perhaps EDM’s formulas is best on people with a little natural oil on their faces.

It does give out a natural, dewy finish which is what I like about it. Only thing that is sad about it is that it does not last all day long. I would have loved to use this in the day when heavy coverage is not exactly needed, but having to touch up often makes me not like this one too much. The fact that it doesn’t sink in properly on my dry skin and makes my skin feel patchy and dry is probably not something I appreciate much either.

On the whole, EDM’s formula just didn’t work for me. Though the shades were right, as my skin is dry, EDM’s formula just did not produce that “natural” finish that I have with my Signature Minerals Foundation.

Overall, this pressure sensitive balance board is bucketloads of fun. I’ve had endless priceless times laughing at myself and others doing all sorts of stuff on this board. It is, I must say, a rather interactive and amazing experience.

Personally, I’m not that much of a balanced games person and I truly suck at it. I pretty much use this board to monitor my weight every so often and jog, do yoga, muscle / toning workouts and do some of the aerobic workouts once in a while. Although I do prefer to exercise to my workout DVDs, using the Wii Fit to exercise can sometimes be a refreshing change every so often.

When you start off, the Wii Fit will take your body profile. It tests your balance and your weight and then gives out your Wii Fit age. This can be a riot sometimes. My Wii Fit age has gone up and down the scale from my current age all the way to 40. You can then choose a male or female trainer to assist you with your Wii Fit Training Program to reach your personal fitness goal.

The balance section is quite fun with a few particularly good games. Admittedly, I’m lousy at all of them and tend to avoid this section.

The aerobics section is my favorite as I can get a pretty decent workout with most of them. The hula hoop workout is a real killer and for some reason, I can only hula to the right and am forever failing whenever I tried to hula on the left. My sister is a natural at this. Maybe I’m just not a hula person. Anyhow, it is a really fun workout for that desired trim waist.

The step work out is really fun and though it feels as though you’re doing nothing, try doing it repeatedly and you can really start to feel the burn.

I personally love the jogging function and I can get a pretty decent workout after jogging around my apartment holding the Wii remote for 30 minutes.

For a toned body, try the muscle workouts. Trust me, you can really feel the aches and pains after that. Particularly if you tried to be a tad bit ambitious like me and attempted to do too many repeats on the one move. It hurts!! But, later, feels great anyway.

The yoga function is also quite easy to follow and good to do every so often to stretch and gain more flexibility. I would prefer for it to have a full sequence of moves rather than clicking on each one all the time as the flow is better that way, much like my yoga workout DVD. However, this is pretty good when you need to just get a little stretch and just do a few yoga poses to relax and strengthen your body.

Overall, I quite like this Wii Fit board and find it rather useful. My usual sequence of activity is usually to do the balance and weight test, then do some aerobic moves, followed by a few muscle workouts and ending with yoga poses. You can only use the board for about 30 minutes daily before the little wiggly machine on the screen tells you that you’ve done enough workout for the day.

My experience on this has been rather positive and I quite enjoy the workouts. It is fun, well, much more fun that pounding on the treadmill anyway. For a more physical and strenous workout, I do feel my workout DVDs are better, however, the Wii Fit does deliver in terms of stretching out my muscles a little bit.

My only criticism of it is that the exercises are all short, too short and has a lack of flow sequence. I do wish we can do some sort of programming so that we can plan our sequence of activities ahead and not waste time navigating around menus to get to the different activities.

At the moment I think this board is packed with bucketloads of fun and fits very comfortably in the category of recreational fitness. It allows you to have a few giggles while you attempt at burning off some fat, improve your balance, tone up your muscles and even if the fun element starts wearing thin, I think it can still be considered as a board that delivers a decent and reasonable enough exercise program that can keep you motivated and coming back for more every so often.

After reading Tine’s raving reviews on Softlips’s range of lip protectants and having gone through a quest on finding THE lip balm for myself, I’ve decided to give this one a shot. I must say, I’ve been very pleased with this product.

I bought myself the Lemon and Lime version. To be honest, the first time I applied it on, I didn’t quite like it as the mentholatum in it is quite strong and I hadn’t gotten used to the tingly effect yet. However, I persisted and after using it a couple more times, I am a complete convert and love, love this product.

The packaging is so so tiny and thus, so easy to bring around everywhere you go. Plus it’s moisturizing properties is simply fantastic and it has been great having this on my lips as it has really helped in moisturizing dry, chapped lips. I also like the very subtle sheen that it gives out thus making my gloss / lipstick application looks much, much prettier.

The balm goes on easily and smoothly on lips and is the lemon and lime flavor is delightful. Now that I’m in love with this product, I’m thinking of trying some of the other flavors too. This one’s a definite star-rated lip protectant and I’m so glad I persisted and gave it a shot.

I read this in September 2008’s In Style and thought I’d share it with you all.

1. No nasties - In a quest for all things natural, mineral makeup comes up trumps. It has the pigments and textures to match traditional cosmetics, but without any added chemicals or synthetic dyes
2. The color of the makeup is the color of the stone - The minerals lend their natural pigment to color blushers and eyeshadows. For example, ultramarine is blue, rose quartz is pink and mica creates a metallic sheen.
3. It’s gentle on the skin - The finely milled powders won’t clog pores and will cover acne without aggravating the skin. “100 per cent pure mineral powders are free from preservatives, oils, talcs, fragrance and dyes that can cause irritation,” says makeup artist Tonya Crooks.
4. It comes straight from the earth - Minerals like zinc oxide and iron oxide are mined from the earth then milled into cosmetic powder. “It’s minerals in their pure form – nothing else,” says make up artist Susan Posnick.
5. Textures can vary - The downside of some mineral powders is that they can be cakey, and consistency varies between brands. “Test them in store to find one that’s light,” says makeup artist Mary Greenwell. Look for products that are triple milled and feather light.
6. Mineral powder does triple duty - A mineral powder can do the job of concealer, foundation and translucent powder, providing a three-in-one cover up. “It’s a quick fix that saves you carrying around concealer and powder,” says makeup artist Lisa Eldridge. Thanks to it’s grease absorbing properties, mineral powder will also balance out shiny skin.
7. Mineral makeup contains natural SPF - The minerals titanium dioxide and zinc oxide contain natural sunblock properties that make them the perfect alternative to chemical sunscreens in makeup. Often products will have an SPF rating, but if you can’t see one, check the label. “The higher the percentage of these physical sunblocks, the higher the protection,” explains Posnick.
8. You’ll need to invest in a new brush - “Ditch your regular sponges and brushes – you’ll need a brush specifically designed for minerals,” says Eldridge. “The bristles are shorter and more densely packed so you can buff the product in rather than flick it over the surface.”
9. Not all mineral makeup is created equal - Some powders include fillers, such as talcum powder or cover enhancing ingredients. As a rule, non-powders such as eye pencils mix minerals with botanicals for consistency. “Despite the additions, they usually contain more natural ingredients [than most of the traditional cosmetics],” says Crooks.
10. You can wear it after a facial - Dermatologists have been giving mineral makeup to their clients post-work for years. Why? “It lets skin breathe and contains anti-inflammatory ingredients like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide,” says makeup artist Debbie Stone.

1. Creams go before powder – “Apply anything cream based before foundation powder,” says Greenwell. Start with concealer to banish eye bags and blemishes. Then dust on a mineral primer to create an even canvas and prevent your foundation powder from sticking to your freshly moisturised face.
2. Buff from the outside in - To apply, shake some powder into the lid, load up the brush, shake off excess and buff into the skin in a circular motion. Greenwell applies from the outside of the face in towards the centre. There’ll be less powder on your brush, allowing your natural skintone to show through.
3. Stick to powder - However much you love cream blush, it will just look patchy over a powder base. “Only layer powders on top,” advises Greenwell. “It’s best to go with a mineral blush, but you could get away with a regular powder blush or bronzer.” There’s no need to buff blush into skin as you did foundation.
4. Find a formula that fits - Don’t be afraid of applying loose eyeshadow and pigments. “Dip your brush into the shadow, tap off any excess, then press the brush onto your eyelid,” says makeup artist Chase Aston.