The weather in sunny old Singapore has been fickle of late - sunny one minute, and rainy the next, but humid all the time, and it doesn't show any sign of letting up. That's thanks to our tropical equatorial climate, plus the tail end of the monsoon season joining forces to irrigate the land, and all. These rain / shine moments aren't just any kind of sketchy weather - they're unpleasant, uncool (when your new shoes are ruined by rain), and unpredictable - they're almost like a bad relationship, actually!
So what's a girl to do in times like these? The thing is, just because the weather is going mad, doesn't mean your skin has to. (Neither does your wardrobe, for that matter - just because you're in the tropics doesn't mean that sloppy dressing should be the order of the day!) Hence, here we go: 5 easy-to-follow rules that I remember to think about whenever the weather decides to pull a fast one on me. Because no one wants to end up looking like they're doing a good impression of a prune, it's something I thought I could share here, too. ^~^
1) Always, always moisturise (even the odd bits no one else sees)
Moisturising is a tall order at the best of times, when you're beat after the trials of a long day. Furthermore, when you're like me and stuck in an air-conditioned office or classroom for the better part of the day, having changeable skin is pretty much a foregone conclusion too. This spells sad times for elbows, knees, lips and hands, because they'll be the ones bearing the brunt of the extreme weather. If moisturising isn't in your beauty ritual (and I mean it when I say "ritual"), start doing it now! It makes your skin softer, and more resistant to outside influences by reducing the evaporation of moisture from the skin (remember, we want to keep prune city at bay).
This means moisturising even when you're at your most tired, paying particular attention to all extremities (hands, elbows, knees etc) and any other dry spots that may show up from time to time. Even though the weather is hot, I'd say use a creamy moisturiser for your body, and a light one for your face. For lips (because we can't forget those) , your favourite lip balm will do just fine. I like Soap & Glory's The Righteous Butter and the Body Shop's range of Body Butters to lend a helping hand in the oft-neglected body moisturising department.
2) Heels are your friend
What? I hear you cry. That's right, in rainy, schleppy, unpredictable weather, the one thing that keeps people happy is keeping their feet dry. Don't believe me? Well, then picture this - you're on the way to town, and everything is a-ok, until you step in a puddle, and you have no choice but to walk the rest of the way to your destination with soggy feet and unidentified pond organisms nesting between your toes thanks to the dirt of the street that the water has mixed with.
Yep, not so nice. The moral of the story is, when the weather gets tough, the tough wear heels! Heels elevate your foot and (well, most of the time, anyway) protect your feet from the outside world. This means rainwater, mud etc and your feet? Never the twain shall meet. Your average ballet flat or flip-flop, in this case, just doesn't cut the mustard, because your feet still get wet, or muddy, or worse still, your calves get drizzled with backsplash., which is just a little bit nasty. With heels, there's a much reduced likelihood of you having to scrape grainy street residue from the soles of your feet.
Not to mention, heels make you walk taller, and with more confidence. What's not to like? It might sound scary, or crazy, for that matter, and it might take a bit of getting used to, but once you settle into the prospect of wearing heels and recognise how snug as a bug your tootsies feel, no matter the weather, you'll never go back. Trust me on this one. ^^
p/s: Bad image, I know, because the shoes are suede-y and wouldn't stand a chance in a heavy downpour. But it just goes to show that not all heels have to be big and bad, they can be nice and manageable too! Just don't get suede heels as your wet-weather shoe.
3) Never leave home without...
No, that would not be your American Express card, no matter what the ads might say (although it might help pull you out of a financial pinch, a rectangular piece of plastic isn't going to help your poor skin much!). What I mean is in times like these, a girl should never leave home without an umbrella and a cardigan. The best thing is, getting dressed for the inclement weather can be fun, too! Even office ladies can always be prepared, come rain or shine ^^
The more I look at these lovely umbrellas and cardigans, the more I want to complete an individual set for each. Think that'll be my project whenever I next get a moment!
4) Put your face on
What's like your skin, but better? Simple answer: Make-up. Modern make-up is chock-full of vitamins, minerals, sunscreen and a bunch of other things that claim to make your skin better, brighter and more youthful with every use. Not to say that you should believe all of it (because, let's face it, a good bit of money does probably go into advertising), but if you find something that works, stick to it. It couldn't be worse to confuse your skin by using a dozen different products all at one go.
By make-up, in this case, I mean foundation, or using a base to even out skin that sometimes is a little dull and lackluster, or needs some heavy-duty cover-up. I have friends who aren't fans of make-up, but what's not to like? Base, especially good ones like Skinfood's Aloe Sun BB Cream, which has SPF 20 and is right up the alley of sensitive-skinned people (like me!), makes skin look airbrushed, giving your skin a much-needed boost where necessary. Not to mention it acts as a barrier between your skin and the outside world. All you need is a good cleanser at the end of the day, and you're good to go. Not to mention, a little base goes a long way (a couple of smears is all you need).
5) Keep hydrated and get enough sleep
I think this might be far and away the hardest rule to abide by. As a generation we are constantly busy, and constantly trying to keep busy, even when we aren't. It gets hard to stop and smell the roses, much less get enough sleep, when it comes down to the crunch.
I'm a big tea drinker, which means that unless I have a water bottle at hand, I'd much rather reach for a cup of tea than load up on some H2O. This, unhappily, means that my body is less hydrated than it should be, and results in my throat feeling like sandpaper, when it shouldn't be. That, coupled with the fact that I already don't get enough sleep, makes for a very sad Ting indeed. Not to mention that your immunity is probably lowered, and the bad weather makes you susceptible to a cold. :(
The way to beat this can be done in two steps. One, get a water bottle. An ordinary mineral water bottle will do, or if you're shallow (ahem, ahem) like me, then you can get one with a pretty pattern. Once you fill it up, stick in a place that is easily accessible, and most importantly, near you. Reach for it whenever you get thirsty, and you'll feel the difference in less than a week. Two, settle down, grab a plushie (Domo-kun does just fine!) and get some shut-eye.
Ta-da! Not that hard, right? There's nothing more important than feeling at ease, and I feel that changing up your routine just a little bit can make things swing for the better - be it by turning around bad habits, or making life that much easier. So if any of these strike you as interesting, go for it and give them a try! Hope they'll be as useful for you as they are for me :3
