i received an email from natasha, who had just moved to singapore and was experiencing many problems with the heat here! welcome to the tropics girl! there ain't many places hotter than here!
"Dear Gilda, I found your blog and read all about your complaints with the heat in Singapore. I'm experiencing the same thing! I've just moved here from the US. I never knew it could get so hot here. I love your clothes but I'm wondering how you manage to wear them, when all I wanna do is lie naked in an air-conditioned room. What do you do to keep cool? And how do you keep your make up from sliding off?"
oh wow. very tricky. i do so many things to keep my sanity here, it might get a little too much for some people.
here are some ways to keep cool. well they work for me, and believe me when i say i'm a real sweater. literally. i sweat. like a pig. (apparently it's healthy because my body releases its toxins. but sometimes i'm jealous of my sister who hardly perspires. bah.)
1. drink tons of water. or fruit juice!!! dehydrated and parched skin = very not sexy!
2. have an icy cold lychee martini. my other favorites are strawberry or watermelon! also try pink guava or mango. it doesn't even have to be anything fancy. just some 100% thick yummy juice, and some vodka, and voila! or better yet, skip the alcohol, put the fruits or juice into a blender, throw in ice and make some gorgeous ice-blended drinks! yum!
3. icy-cold aloe vera masks. de-puff! i usually get my aloe vera masks in a mask pack, that i store in the fridge. so all i need to do is peel open the paper mask, spread it all over my face, and lie back for 5 minutes. it feels great! and there's usually some aloe lotion left inside the pack, and miss cheapskate me will always squeeze out every last drop and rub it all over my hands and feet. and yes, i think the best ones come from japan.
4. chill toiletries. especially things like your toner and moisturiser. keeping them in the fridge not only extends their lifespan, but totally refreshes you when you slap 'em on!
5. SPF 50. investing in a good sunscreen is investing in your skin. the rays from the sun are the primary cause of wrinkles - something i'm not dying to get. i'm a fan of shiseido's anessa, and i'm on my 3rd bottle now. i use "perfect pearly sunscreen" which doesn't clog my pores, doesn't slide off even during sports, and best yet, has a nice hint of pearly sheen to it.
6. hats. wearing a hat is the best way to dress up your outfit, no matter what style. i love love love hats and don't know how many i own. a hat in the winter keeps you warm, and a hat in the summer shields your face from the sun and provides much needed shade!! of course, don't wear any woolly hats in summer!!
7. wet tissues. they are life-savers and i swear by them. i carry them everywhere. the best brands are from japan. find those with the label "sara-sara sheet" or "powdered sheet". it's a shower in a tissue! ok, not quite, but almost!! they clean away perspiration and leave you non-sticky and feeling very fresh. i love them in a grapefruit or lavender scent.
8. jump in a sea/pool/puddle. go to the beach and swim in the sea and enjoy some sea breeze. or find a pool you can use. or make friends with people who have pools. or make friends at pools. or make friends with cute lifeguards at pools.
9. portable fans. no explanation needed. i get stares sometimes, but fuck 'em. i carry a fan with me at all times. i have several but here are my favorites. the first is a fan almost too pretty to use, from victor and rolf. it's baby pink with tassles! i love it! i got it from caleb from saks fifth avenue, when i went to buy their fragrance, flowerbomb. caleb was the sweetest thing and i hope he's still there when i go back to new york. the second is a hand-held fan, from smap! i got it during their concert last year. they've made hand-held fans for concert goods for like 3 years now, and i'd say it's the smartest thing. japan has the worst summers (40 degrees celcius and terrible humidity yo!) and this thing kept me from going crazy. good quality too! hah!
10. take a holiday. go somewhere winter!! if you can afford it, by all means do.
11. go horse-riding. i used to do this as a child, and my favorite memories are of me riding high up on a horse with the wind in my hair. it feels great.
12. go kayaking or wake-boarding or jet-skiing. if you're lucky enough to be able to try these water sports, please do! it's such fun!
13. take a road trip! preferably in a pink cadillac convertible but yeah, not all of us are so lucky. gather as many friends as you can squeeze into one car, wind down the windows and blast your favorite cheesy pop song, sing at the top of your lungs and go crazy giggling!
14. air-con. turn up the air-conditioner and give thanks to the guy who invented it everyday. if you don't have a/c at home, find a mall that does and hang out all day. or make use of friends. it's so hot out there sometimes, i take off all my clothes the moment i get in my room, crank up the air-con and just lie there on the wooden floor for a while. hahahaa. SO unglamorous.
15. take a cold shower. nothing beats it. sometimes i think i shower too much; my top count was at 6 in one day. i try to counter it by moisturising religiously at night. also, when i am taking "unnecessary" showers, i usually just spritz myself with water and not use soap so that i won't dry my skin out.
so there you have it. my guide to maintaining your sanity in blistering heat. take it from me, the girl who is permanently hot. haha ;)
here are some ways to keep cool. well they work for me, and believe me when i say i'm a real sweater. literally. i sweat. like a pig. (apparently it's healthy because my body releases its toxins. but sometimes i'm jealous of my sister who hardly perspires. bah.)
1. drink tons of water. or fruit juice!!! dehydrated and parched skin = very not sexy!
2. have an icy cold lychee martini. my other favorites are strawberry or watermelon! also try pink guava or mango. it doesn't even have to be anything fancy. just some 100% thick yummy juice, and some vodka, and voila! or better yet, skip the alcohol, put the fruits or juice into a blender, throw in ice and make some gorgeous ice-blended drinks! yum!
3. icy-cold aloe vera masks. de-puff! i usually get my aloe vera masks in a mask pack, that i store in the fridge. so all i need to do is peel open the paper mask, spread it all over my face, and lie back for 5 minutes. it feels great! and there's usually some aloe lotion left inside the pack, and miss cheapskate me will always squeeze out every last drop and rub it all over my hands and feet. and yes, i think the best ones come from japan.
4. chill toiletries. especially things like your toner and moisturiser. keeping them in the fridge not only extends their lifespan, but totally refreshes you when you slap 'em on!
5. SPF 50. investing in a good sunscreen is investing in your skin. the rays from the sun are the primary cause of wrinkles - something i'm not dying to get. i'm a fan of shiseido's anessa, and i'm on my 3rd bottle now. i use "perfect pearly sunscreen" which doesn't clog my pores, doesn't slide off even during sports, and best yet, has a nice hint of pearly sheen to it.
6. hats. wearing a hat is the best way to dress up your outfit, no matter what style. i love love love hats and don't know how many i own. a hat in the winter keeps you warm, and a hat in the summer shields your face from the sun and provides much needed shade!! of course, don't wear any woolly hats in summer!!
7. wet tissues. they are life-savers and i swear by them. i carry them everywhere. the best brands are from japan. find those with the label "sara-sara sheet" or "powdered sheet". it's a shower in a tissue! ok, not quite, but almost!! they clean away perspiration and leave you non-sticky and feeling very fresh. i love them in a grapefruit or lavender scent.
8. jump in a sea/pool/puddle. go to the beach and swim in the sea and enjoy some sea breeze. or find a pool you can use. or make friends with people who have pools. or make friends at pools. or make friends with cute lifeguards at pools.
9. portable fans. no explanation needed. i get stares sometimes, but fuck 'em. i carry a fan with me at all times. i have several but here are my favorites. the first is a fan almost too pretty to use, from victor and rolf. it's baby pink with tassles! i love it! i got it from caleb from saks fifth avenue, when i went to buy their fragrance, flowerbomb. caleb was the sweetest thing and i hope he's still there when i go back to new york. the second is a hand-held fan, from smap! i got it during their concert last year. they've made hand-held fans for concert goods for like 3 years now, and i'd say it's the smartest thing. japan has the worst summers (40 degrees celcius and terrible humidity yo!) and this thing kept me from going crazy. good quality too! hah!
10. take a holiday. go somewhere winter!! if you can afford it, by all means do.
11. go horse-riding. i used to do this as a child, and my favorite memories are of me riding high up on a horse with the wind in my hair. it feels great.
12. go kayaking or wake-boarding or jet-skiing. if you're lucky enough to be able to try these water sports, please do! it's such fun!
13. take a road trip! preferably in a pink cadillac convertible but yeah, not all of us are so lucky. gather as many friends as you can squeeze into one car, wind down the windows and blast your favorite cheesy pop song, sing at the top of your lungs and go crazy giggling!
14. air-con. turn up the air-conditioner and give thanks to the guy who invented it everyday. if you don't have a/c at home, find a mall that does and hang out all day. or make use of friends. it's so hot out there sometimes, i take off all my clothes the moment i get in my room, crank up the air-con and just lie there on the wooden floor for a while. hahahaa. SO unglamorous.
15. take a cold shower. nothing beats it. sometimes i think i shower too much; my top count was at 6 in one day. i try to counter it by moisturising religiously at night. also, when i am taking "unnecessary" showers, i usually just spritz myself with water and not use soap so that i won't dry my skin out.
so there you have it. my guide to maintaining your sanity in blistering heat. take it from me, the girl who is permanently hot. haha ;)
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