Honeytips
Active Member
Hi ladies! 
Not sure if this was posted already, but I just came across this article. Seems like really good advice for hair and body (most I'm sure we already do know) and thought that I'd share -I'm personally going to try the egg white mask tonight!!
Next time you visit another country, give yourself a few hours of active people watching. What you’ll discover: the disparate beauty that comes from different cultures – white blonde locks that can’t be found in a bottle, complexions that appear poreless, and make-up techniques that aren’t taught at a MAC counter.
Though we regularly tout the best tips and tricks from Aussie beauty gurus, this article celebrates the secrets of women around the world – including tips from editors at some of Women’s Health’s 10 international editions. The best part: in most cases, you don’t have to travel any further than the local shops to start reaping the benefits.
France
“Women in France do their own manicures, often with red polish,” says French-born make-up artist Laura Mercier. “First they soak their fingers in warm water with lemon juice. It erases the yellow tinge that red polish can leave behind.”
Singapore
Because humidity levels hover at 90 per cent year-round in this country, women coat the ends of their hair with a few drops of coconut oil before bed and leave it overnight to keep hair frizz-free, says Azreen Noor, a local magazine editor. For glowing skin, women mash avocado or papaya, slather it on their face, let it sit for 15 minutes, then rinse with water. Avocado is loaded with skin-friendly oils; papaya has papain, an exfoliating enzyme.
Sweden
It’s not just cold here, it’s freezing. Most Swedes have a dry sauna in their homes to stay warm and speed up circulation, “which makes your complexion look its best,” says Swedish-born make-up artist Catherine Lehtonen.
Philippines
“Women here use aloe to make their hair glossy,” says Lara Parpan, editor of Women’s Health Philippines. Break an aloe vera leaf in half and massage the juice into your scalp, then rinse. To smooth rough skin, combine ¼ cup grated fresh ginger and ¼ cup finely chopped limes and rub the mixture onto dry spots.
Romania
An Eastern European trick for pretty nails: make a soak of warm olive oil and a few drops of vitamin A oil to moisturise nails and make them less prone to splitting or peeling (a result of dryness). “Do it every two weeks to keep them healthy and strong,” says Ana-Maria Gheorghiu, a Romanian manicurist.
Ivory Coast
“Women all over West Africa use shea butter to soften their skin,” says model Nina Keita, who was born on the lvory Coast. It’s also applied thickly to hair as a hydrating mask, or in a smaller amount as a leave-in conditioner. The “butter” is derived from nuts of the karite tree, which grows in the savannah region across West Africa. You can find shea butter in Palmer’s Shea Butter Formula Concentrated Cream, $7.40.
India
For centuries, Indian women have lined their eyes with kajal (aka kohl), a homemade blend of ash mixed with an oil such as almond butter. The result is a gleaming gunmetal hue that makes eyes pop. “Historically, it was applied around the eyes and along the inner eye rims to deflect sun glare in the desert,” says Sumita Batra, author of The Art of Mehndi.
Italy
“The sun in southern Italy is very strong, and drying for hair,” says Giovanni Giuliano, an LA hair stylist and a native of Naples. To prevent damage and boost shine, Italian women make their own mask: Whip two eggwhites into a frothy mousse and apply to
wet hair for 10 minutes, then shampoo and rinse.
Brazil
To ease the sting of sunburn, pile oats onto a large piece of gauze bandage, twist it up like a sack, and tie it around the tap of your bathtub, says Monica Gailewitch, editor of Women’s Health Brazil. Let water flow through the bag, then bathe in this water for 20 minutes to soak up the grains’ anti-inflammatory goodness.
China
“Many women in China use rice water to cleanse their faces, because rice has antioxidants that help prevent premature skin ageing,” says aesthetician Christine Chin. Soak Chinese rice (from Chinese delis) in water for 20 minutes. Strain, then dunk a flannel in the water. Rest the wet cloth on your face for 10 minutes, once a week.
Israel
Mud from Israel’s Dead Sea has long been used as a cleansing mask for the face and body. “It’s loaded with nourishing minerals,” explains Shally Zucker, a make-up artist from Tel Aviv. “Women cover their bodies with mud, then float in the salty water, or jar it and use it at home.” Buy Ahava Dead Sea Mineral Mud, $11, from pharmacies.
Costa Rica
To temporarily shrink pores, combine equal parts fresh orange juice and water and swab the mixture across your face (avoiding the eye area) with a cotton ball. “Leave it on for a few minutes, then rinse,” suggests Rebecca Ugalde, editor of Women’s Health’s Central America edition. Want to get rid of redness or bumps on your elbows or armpits? Add the juice of 2 lemons to 1 tbs baking soda; rub the paste onto your skin and leave for 20 minutes, then rinse off with water. Follow this up with a moisturiser.
Turkey
“Women with blonde or light brown hair use daisy water as a highlight booster,” says Ezgi Tanlak, beauty editor of Women’s Health Turkey. Boil one cup of daisies in two cups of water for five minutes. When cool, remove daisies, pour water over your hair and let it air-dry. To smooth rough heels, Turkish women sprinkle coarse salt (such as sea salt) into a palmful of lotion and use it as a scrub.
Greece
For shiny, bouncy locks, women in Greece rinse their hair with rosemary water; it deep-cleans and removes build-up. “Boil fresh rosemary in water, let it cool completely, strain the rosemary and pour the water over your hair,” says Yiotis Panayiotou, an Athens-raised hair stylist. To ditch frizz on a humid day, Greek women will tie a scarf tightly around their hair and wear it for a few hours. The compression “de-puffs hair and brings it back down to earth,” explains Panayiotou.
United Kingdom
Tap water in London is very “hard” (it has high mineral content – mostly magnesium and calcium – making it difficult to work up a lather), which makes hair brittle. “The less you’re exposed to it, the better,” says hair stylist Kevin Murphy, who regularly works in London. “Some girls here don’t wash their hair more than three times a week.” Dry shampoo is the key to keeping hair fresh: try Batiste Dry Shampoo, $9.95.
Japan
To get glowing body skin, Japanese women take a sake bath. “Add three to four glasses of any kind of sake to your bath water,” says Keiko Takagi, a make-up artist from Gifu, Japan. Kojic acid in the sake exfoliates and helps lighten age spots and other discolouration.
Jamaica
“Combine baking soda with waterand dab it onto a pimple,” suggests Nadine Luke, a Jamaican-born make-up artist. “As it dries and hardens, it sucks dirt and oil out of your pores.” If your skin is dry and showing signs of age, add vitaminE oil to moisturiser and apply to trouble spots (around mouth and eyes). “Besides being a skin hydrator, vitamin E is a potent antioxidant that helps skin stay young-looking,” says Francesca Fusco, Women’s Health US dermatology advisor.
Mexico
Mexican women use teaspoons as lash curlers, says Brenda Legorreta, former editor of Women’s Health Mexico. Here’s how: hold the spoon horizontally so it’s cupping your eyelid. The edge should touch the roots of your upper lash line. Using the thumb of the same hand, gently press your eyelashes upwards against the back of the spoon. Slowly push the edge up towards the ends of your lashes. Repeat until you’ve achieved the degree of curl you want, then apply mascara. Simple.
Not sure if this was posted already, but I just came across this article. Seems like really good advice for hair and body (most I'm sure we already do know) and thought that I'd share -I'm personally going to try the egg white mask tonight!!
Next time you visit another country, give yourself a few hours of active people watching. What you’ll discover: the disparate beauty that comes from different cultures – white blonde locks that can’t be found in a bottle, complexions that appear poreless, and make-up techniques that aren’t taught at a MAC counter.
Though we regularly tout the best tips and tricks from Aussie beauty gurus, this article celebrates the secrets of women around the world – including tips from editors at some of Women’s Health’s 10 international editions. The best part: in most cases, you don’t have to travel any further than the local shops to start reaping the benefits.
France
“Women in France do their own manicures, often with red polish,” says French-born make-up artist Laura Mercier. “First they soak their fingers in warm water with lemon juice. It erases the yellow tinge that red polish can leave behind.”
Singapore
Because humidity levels hover at 90 per cent year-round in this country, women coat the ends of their hair with a few drops of coconut oil before bed and leave it overnight to keep hair frizz-free, says Azreen Noor, a local magazine editor. For glowing skin, women mash avocado or papaya, slather it on their face, let it sit for 15 minutes, then rinse with water. Avocado is loaded with skin-friendly oils; papaya has papain, an exfoliating enzyme.
Sweden
It’s not just cold here, it’s freezing. Most Swedes have a dry sauna in their homes to stay warm and speed up circulation, “which makes your complexion look its best,” says Swedish-born make-up artist Catherine Lehtonen.
Philippines
“Women here use aloe to make their hair glossy,” says Lara Parpan, editor of Women’s Health Philippines. Break an aloe vera leaf in half and massage the juice into your scalp, then rinse. To smooth rough skin, combine ¼ cup grated fresh ginger and ¼ cup finely chopped limes and rub the mixture onto dry spots.
Romania
An Eastern European trick for pretty nails: make a soak of warm olive oil and a few drops of vitamin A oil to moisturise nails and make them less prone to splitting or peeling (a result of dryness). “Do it every two weeks to keep them healthy and strong,” says Ana-Maria Gheorghiu, a Romanian manicurist.
Ivory Coast
“Women all over West Africa use shea butter to soften their skin,” says model Nina Keita, who was born on the lvory Coast. It’s also applied thickly to hair as a hydrating mask, or in a smaller amount as a leave-in conditioner. The “butter” is derived from nuts of the karite tree, which grows in the savannah region across West Africa. You can find shea butter in Palmer’s Shea Butter Formula Concentrated Cream, $7.40.
India
For centuries, Indian women have lined their eyes with kajal (aka kohl), a homemade blend of ash mixed with an oil such as almond butter. The result is a gleaming gunmetal hue that makes eyes pop. “Historically, it was applied around the eyes and along the inner eye rims to deflect sun glare in the desert,” says Sumita Batra, author of The Art of Mehndi.
Italy
“The sun in southern Italy is very strong, and drying for hair,” says Giovanni Giuliano, an LA hair stylist and a native of Naples. To prevent damage and boost shine, Italian women make their own mask: Whip two eggwhites into a frothy mousse and apply to
wet hair for 10 minutes, then shampoo and rinse.
Brazil
To ease the sting of sunburn, pile oats onto a large piece of gauze bandage, twist it up like a sack, and tie it around the tap of your bathtub, says Monica Gailewitch, editor of Women’s Health Brazil. Let water flow through the bag, then bathe in this water for 20 minutes to soak up the grains’ anti-inflammatory goodness.
China
“Many women in China use rice water to cleanse their faces, because rice has antioxidants that help prevent premature skin ageing,” says aesthetician Christine Chin. Soak Chinese rice (from Chinese delis) in water for 20 minutes. Strain, then dunk a flannel in the water. Rest the wet cloth on your face for 10 minutes, once a week.
Israel
Mud from Israel’s Dead Sea has long been used as a cleansing mask for the face and body. “It’s loaded with nourishing minerals,” explains Shally Zucker, a make-up artist from Tel Aviv. “Women cover their bodies with mud, then float in the salty water, or jar it and use it at home.” Buy Ahava Dead Sea Mineral Mud, $11, from pharmacies.
Costa Rica
To temporarily shrink pores, combine equal parts fresh orange juice and water and swab the mixture across your face (avoiding the eye area) with a cotton ball. “Leave it on for a few minutes, then rinse,” suggests Rebecca Ugalde, editor of Women’s Health’s Central America edition. Want to get rid of redness or bumps on your elbows or armpits? Add the juice of 2 lemons to 1 tbs baking soda; rub the paste onto your skin and leave for 20 minutes, then rinse off with water. Follow this up with a moisturiser.
Turkey
“Women with blonde or light brown hair use daisy water as a highlight booster,” says Ezgi Tanlak, beauty editor of Women’s Health Turkey. Boil one cup of daisies in two cups of water for five minutes. When cool, remove daisies, pour water over your hair and let it air-dry. To smooth rough heels, Turkish women sprinkle coarse salt (such as sea salt) into a palmful of lotion and use it as a scrub.
Greece
For shiny, bouncy locks, women in Greece rinse their hair with rosemary water; it deep-cleans and removes build-up. “Boil fresh rosemary in water, let it cool completely, strain the rosemary and pour the water over your hair,” says Yiotis Panayiotou, an Athens-raised hair stylist. To ditch frizz on a humid day, Greek women will tie a scarf tightly around their hair and wear it for a few hours. The compression “de-puffs hair and brings it back down to earth,” explains Panayiotou.
United Kingdom
Tap water in London is very “hard” (it has high mineral content – mostly magnesium and calcium – making it difficult to work up a lather), which makes hair brittle. “The less you’re exposed to it, the better,” says hair stylist Kevin Murphy, who regularly works in London. “Some girls here don’t wash their hair more than three times a week.” Dry shampoo is the key to keeping hair fresh: try Batiste Dry Shampoo, $9.95.
Japan
To get glowing body skin, Japanese women take a sake bath. “Add three to four glasses of any kind of sake to your bath water,” says Keiko Takagi, a make-up artist from Gifu, Japan. Kojic acid in the sake exfoliates and helps lighten age spots and other discolouration.
Jamaica
“Combine baking soda with waterand dab it onto a pimple,” suggests Nadine Luke, a Jamaican-born make-up artist. “As it dries and hardens, it sucks dirt and oil out of your pores.” If your skin is dry and showing signs of age, add vitaminE oil to moisturiser and apply to trouble spots (around mouth and eyes). “Besides being a skin hydrator, vitamin E is a potent antioxidant that helps skin stay young-looking,” says Francesca Fusco, Women’s Health US dermatology advisor.
Mexico
Mexican women use teaspoons as lash curlers, says Brenda Legorreta, former editor of Women’s Health Mexico. Here’s how: hold the spoon horizontally so it’s cupping your eyelid. The edge should touch the roots of your upper lash line. Using the thumb of the same hand, gently press your eyelashes upwards against the back of the spoon. Slowly push the edge up towards the ends of your lashes. Repeat until you’ve achieved the degree of curl you want, then apply mascara. Simple.
