| | | Cocoa Evenings | | | 可可黄昏 – Page 6 – feisty, whimsical, makeup enthusiast, mobile phone photographer, learning to live life to the fullest

Beauty 301: Top 11 Tips and Tricks for Tweezing Eyebrows

August 2, 2015

In response to The Daily Post’s Postaday Daily Prompts, Practice Makes Perfect.

Practice makes perfect the skill of tweezing my eyebrows.

The training over the years has taught me the following:

1. An affordable pair of tweezers performs the task as well as an expensive pair.

2. A good pair of tweezers has pinching ends that close up perfectly on each other and has it sides aligned.

3. As such, use a small hair rubber band or a little bit of tape to hold the pinching ends shut for storage if you do not have the Tweezerman.

4. Also, keep the pair of tweezers from dropping as the pinching ends shift once the pair of tweezers knocks hard. The ends will never align again.

5. Straight-cut or slant-cut pinching end is a personal choice that varies with habits and hand motion, not on the recommendation of beauticians, makeup artists, beauty gurus and the likes.

6. Use a handheld magnifying mirror when tweezing eyebrows so that the mirror can be held up as close as needed and angled for maximum comfort.

7. Pain is minimal when tweezing eyebrows.

8. Tweeze the brow hair out from the direction of its growth.

9. Look in the opposite direction of pulling the brow hair. In other words, do not look when plucking.

10. Ease the itch by taking a warm bath before tweezing and moisturising after tweezing.

11. Tweeze the stray brow hairs, not the whole eyebrows. Leave the full eyebrows to professionals such as beauticians or makeup artists to trim, cut, and shave.

Do you tweeze your own eyebrows? What is one challenge that you have overcome after practice?

Enjoy!
Travel Theme: Wind | Power and Livelihood

August 2, 2015

In response to Where’s my backpack? Travel Theme: Wind.

Power and Livelihood

The wind is ever-present but always invisible.

The wind sometimes appears as a form of energy that provides power supply to industries and homes. The wind is considered clean and green energy as it is a renewable natural resource. The wind turns turbines such as those in the photo below, and kinetic energy is converted to mechanical energy. The mechanical energy is then either used to perform work or converted to electricity to power various machines and applianaces.

***

The wind at others times is harnessed to drive sailboats that provide a form of livelihood to people who live with the seas. The wind blows and the sailors turn the sails to catch the wind, and that properls the sailboats forward. The sailors adjust the angle of the sails to suit the direction of the blowing wind so as to steer the sailboat. The sailors fetch travellers and tourists around islands and earn their income from the service. The sailors sail themselves home at the end of the day. In that way, the wind provides a form of livelihood for the islanders.

The ever-present invisible force that the wind provides bring power and livelihood to people.

Do you enjoy the wind? What are your best or worst memories of the wind?

Enjoy!

[Photo 1: Taken from Karom View Point, Phuket, Thailand, 2011

Photo 2: Taken in Boracay, The Phillippines, 2013.]
Flower of the Day – August 1, 2015 – Iris | cocoaevenings

August 1, 2015

I believe this flower is an Iris.

Enjoy.
When I See Your Dreams

August 1, 2015

In response to The Daily Post’s weekly photo challenge: “Inspiration.”

Krista asked on The Daily Post,

What is your inspiration? What moves you? What is it that never fails to motivate you, to get you going, or make you happy?

Readers who have been following Cocoa Evenings for a while would have guessed the answer – sunsets. Thank you so much for your support.

I agree with the guess. However, I hope to bring things a little deeper today. Rather than say sunsets inspire me, I will say that the dreams in the sunsets inspire me.

A sunset brings out that vision for tomorrow, and it is that vision that pushes me forward.

A vision as reflected in such a sight in the image below.

Visions and dreams always move me, never fails to inspire me to build them, and make me happy seeing them progressing closer to reality.

Plan every day as though you will live forever, live every day as though it is your last.

Fight, carpe diem!

[Photo 1: Taken from the west gardens of Gardens by the Bay, Singapore, 2012.

Photo 2 & 3: Taken from ME@OUE, Singapore, 2015.]
You Have Always Been There

July 31, 2015

In response to The Daily Post’s weekly photo challenge: “Close Up.”

You Have Always Been There

You have always been there

Though I have never known

Have I not looked down

Have I not zoomed in

I would have never known

That you have always been there

Have you spotted what I saw? =)

Enjoy!

Cocoa’s notes:

The fish spotted in the water under the bridge is known as the Stripe-nosed Halfbeaks.

[Photo: Both taken at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Singapore, 2013.]
Half and Half: Beauty Edition – featuring Sephora Kiss Me Lip Balm in #01 Creme Brulee | Product Review

July 31, 2015

In response to The Daily Post’s weekly photo challenge: “Half and Half.”

Sephora Kiss Me Lip Balm in #01 Creme Brulee

The Sephora Kiss Me Lip Balm (picture below) is similar to the EOS Lip Balm in concept, with the product popping out in the shape of a hemisphere from the lower half of the container. It comes in three shades, plain white, pink, and red.

However, the top half of the Sephora container is clear transparent instead of opaque. As such, one could see the product through the container when it is closed.

The container shuts tight but opens quickly.

The product is well-shaped and holds in the heat.

But the product does little for my lips. It runs on too oily for lipstick in the day and dries my lips fast.

My lips peel so I prefer to use the product before bed as an overnight exfoliator.

In all, the product looks more elegant than the EOS Lip Balm but is ineffective as a daily and daytime lip moisturiser for my lips.

Have you tried any of the Sephora Kiss Me Lip Balm? How has it work for you?
Flower of the Day – July 31, 2015 – Carolina Roses | cocoaevenings

July 31, 2015

The rose fascinates endlessly with its brilliant array of petals. The golden yellow Carolina Rose stuns limitlessly in spite of being common.

Enjoy!
A Photo A Week Challenge: Recording History

July 31, 2015

In response to Nancy Merrill Photography A Photo A Week Challenge: Recording History.

Dusty Electricity

I was in the control station of the KTM Rail that connected Singapore to Malaysia for an estimated one hundred years. I noticed the electricity switch box, electricity meter, and many power points for three-pin plugs. I took a particular interest in the thick layer of dust that had settled on the exposed areas of the power points and could not help but wonder how much history is being held under the dust.

I stood there for a long while in an attempt to transport myself back in time and step into the shoes of the men who operated the rail.

I imagined that they might have been drinking coffee while reaching out to press the switch. I imagined that they might have been perspiring hard by midday. I imagined that they might have been talking about their wives and children.

I wondered how life was for the people who worked the railway day in and day out.

I might never get an answer, but I am glad I got to capture this piece of history.

Enjoy!

Do you find yourself staring at dust that had settled on exposed areas too?

[Photo: Taken at KTM Rail, Singapore, 2011.]
Flower of the Day – July 30, 2015 – Poinsettias (Euphorbia Pulcherrima) | cocoaevenings

July 30, 2015

The Poinsettia is well-known for its bright clear red leaves and recognised for its wide usage in Christmas floral displays.

Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first United States Minister to Mexico, gave the plant its common English name Poinsett when he introduced the Poinsett into the U.S. in 1825.

Enjoy!

[Photo: Taken at Gardens by the Bay, Singapore, 2012.]
Flower of the Day – July 28, 2015 – Tulip | cocoaevenings

July 28, 2015

I have a penchant for white and pastel pink. I think the colours are so sweet and feminine.

This flower looks like a rose but is actually a tulip.

Enjoy.