You really never know what is going on inside someone’s house.
From tongue scraping to nail slugging, the beauty space has been eschewed with seemingly foreign terms as of late—all in the name of looking and feeling your sexiest. Perhaps a night of pampering needn’t look like a bubble bath (though, of course, that helps too), but a much-needed refresh for the bits and pieces that slip in-between. Turmeric for your underarms, solid gargles and more oral care à la Olive Young—the most effective hacks are never the most glamorous, after all; and sometimes the best treatments can already be found at home.
If you’re feeling a bit lost as to where to begin—or maybe you’re just up for some fun reading—this one is for you. Ahead, the Vogue Singapore beauty team dives into the personal treatments they’re working into their beauty rituals at home. Unsexy is the new sexy.
Nail slugging
With cracked cuticles and a keratin deficiency, I worry about the state of my nails. Whilst it’s a trend that picked up a while back, I’ve only recently jumped on the nail slugging train. Once a week, I massage my nails with jojoba oil—coconut oil in a pinch—and wrap them in either aluminium foil or saran wrap. The foil has a purely occlusive purpose: to keep the oil sealed in. After removing the protective layer, I am left with smooth and nourished nail beds, strengthened considerably by the infusion of jojoba oil. Massaging each nail carefully is key to making sure everything is properly moisturised. — Poorva Maithani, digital intern
Tint your brows with men’s beard dye
Pink tax at its finest. Though “men’s beard dye” seems oddly paralysing (much like “men’s shampoo” or “men’s face wash”), this really is no different to any other dye—and the epitome of seemingly high-maintenance steps to be low-maintenance. It’s a game changer for those with lighter-coloured brows, or those with sparser hairs in certain areas. As you cannot wash your face for up to 24 hours after application—if you want the dye to last longer, that is—I tend to do this straight after showering, right before bed. I simply apply the dye using a cotton bud, using only one layer on the front of my brows and two or three layers on the ends. I recommend going slightly darker than you think, as the dye will settle after two or three face washes; and last up to two weeks. — Agnes Shu, digital writer
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Overnight blowouts with sock curls
I love blowouts, but the amount of prep work that is required for that means it’s unlikely that I’ll catch enough shuteye and make it to work in time. The best compromise is sock curls—I braid my hair into tiny twists and tie them off with knee-high socks. Socks are a great option because they’re soft, easily malleable and the fabric doesn’t snag against my strands. I do, however, look ridiculous whenever I wake up but I think it’s a small price to pay for effortless curls. — Emily Heng, beauty editor
Morning jumps
Nothing launches my sluggish body out of its slumber like my morning routine of slow jumping on the spot. A simple way to introduce easy movement to my body for the day, I like to pair my on-the-spot jumps with some arm swings and forward stretches to decompress my tense lower back. The routine not only gets my lymphatic system going and helps me build up a morning appetite, it’s also a great way to clear my muddy mind before my usually hectic day truly kicks off. — Azrin Tan, associate digital editor
Take advantage of Vaseline’s occlusive properties
I love a good lip combo, but that also means I’m constantly dousing my lips in a myriad of products: lip liners, glosses, matte lipsticks and everything else in between. Between eating and cycling through different formulations, there are days where my lips decide to protest by drying out or developing little bumps. Rather than just turning to lip balm, my tried and true remedy is to go to sleep that night with a thick layer of good old Vaseline over top—a layer so thick that it makes speaking impossible. Its occlusive properties help create a protective barrier, locking in moisture so I wake up the next morning with softer and calmer puckers. — Aileen Liang, beauty writer
Homemade potato-based masks for hyperpigmentation
Treating hyperpigmented and dry skin is no easy task, especially if you dislike the feeling of moisturiser on your skin. Regardless of viscosity, moisturisers are a product I struggle to use consistently. For me, this means using natural ingredients whenever I can instead. The concoction that I apply to my skin at least thrice a week consists of potato juice, ricewater, a spoonful of honey, a hearty squeeze of lemon, and the occasional bit of aloe vera. After a few hours, I wash the homemade mixture off my face with a water-based cleanser. Feeling cooled and refreshed from the aloe vera, the natural ingredients are deeply nourishing, clearing dead skin along the way. After a long day out under the sun especially, this feels like a treat for the skin. — Poorva Maithani, digital intern
