Hey all! It's been a long time ever since I have touched on my blog site. And honestly, I have been exposed to South Asian culture ever since I was young. I have always seen Bollywood films and that's how I picked up my Hindi language. As I started to meet more Indians who come from India, I started to learn more about the South Asian culture on a deeper level and how girls and women there would dress up on regular days and festivals. And honestly, I feel like South Asian festivals are the times where I can actually express myself through the choices of clothing, jewellery and colours. The South Asian women that I look up to for my fashion statement... They express themselves through their fashion choice and do not try to be like one another. They aim to express and define themselves and that is what fashion is all about. Below are the South Asian women that I look up to. Anushka SharmaPriyanka Chopra JonasKatrina KaifAlia BhattSonakshi SinhaSonam Kapoor AhujaKareena Kapoor KhanAishwarya Rai BachchanBipasha Basu Singh GroverMahira KhanSajal AlyMimi ChakrabortyNusrat JahanNatasha Moor
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Now, there are different fashion icons in each region of the world and I will admit, some of my fashion icons do come from Asia, particularly in the East. I like having my inspirations from every part of the world because it does help me in becoming more open-minded and accepting of everything and everyone. Here are my beauty and fashion icons from the Asian region that you should check out! For your kind information, Asian in this post refers to women who are Asian but however, not from South Asia. Primarily, Asian women would come from East or Southeast Asia. Tiffany YoungTiffany is known to be able to rock all kinds of hairstyles, hair colours and all types of clothing pieces. Be it rompers or jumpsuits, she has it all. Not many women are lucky to be able to pull it off like she does. Tiffany, for me, is like the Korean version of Indian Actress Anushka Sharma. Both Anushka and Tiffany are able to rock all types of clothes and looks. Tae YeonTae Yeon's style of dressing, I would say... Is chic in a very simple, cute and experimental manner. There are some hair colours, that Tae Yeon carries stronger than the others. For instance, her look would suit dark hair colours such as brown and black rather than bright hair colours like yellow, pink and so on. Dark hair colours flatter her more. But nevertheless, I applaud her for not giving a damn about other people's opinions and just going on with the hair colour she wants to do! CLCL, for me... She is like the Korean Priyanka Chopra. Other than being the first Korean to represent South Korea, like how Priyanka Chopra Jonas was the first Indian Actress to end up represent India on a deeper level. Well, Aishwarya Rai and Sushmita Sen did represent India on a global level. However, I would say that Priyanka would have a stronger impact compared to Aishwarya and Sushmita. CL has a very unique sense of style. Her style is the style that defines her as a person. That way,Priyanka Chopra's sense of style is very unique because it is elegant and unique in her own way. Plus, they are both confident women who boost other women up. Lana CondorDespite Lana having the name of an American child, Lana is ethnically Vietnamese. There is a history to her name. Initially, Lana was born in Vietnam. She was in an orphanage. Until one day, she was adopted by an American couple, who were based in Chicago, Illinois, USA, few months after she was born. Lana's actual name is Tran Dong Lan. However, after being baptised and legally adopted by the American couple, her name gets changed to Lana Therese Condor. For Lana, I would say her style is multi faceted. I would say that her style is such that it just shows to the world how she feels inside. For Lana, style is something that allows her to express herself. Sometimes, Lana would want to feel sexy. Sometimes, she wants youthful. Sometimes, something chic and simple. She dresses up to her mood and I love that she uses style as a platform to express herself. Park So DamI would say Park So Dam, the Parasite (2019 Korean Film) actress, is someone who is chic in her style. She is someone who likes to keep it neat, clean and simple. She is someone who represents low-key fashion. After all, she is a Virgo. I would say Virgo people are bound to keep things neat and in order. Cho Yeo JeongCho Yeo Jeong has a rich, glamorous and elegant kind of style. I personally feel that her clothes in the film Parasite defines and suits her. Especially her dress at several off-screen events and at the Oscars Awards Ceremony 2020, her style just gives off rich, blinging, shining and elegant vibes. I like that Yeo Jeong stays true to her style and wears out what she feels.
So, even though Coachella is slated to happen on the 10th to 12th of April and the 17th to 19th of April, which would basically be 2 full weekends, I am sure that there are people who would plan their wardrobe for one of the biggest music fests of the year! I mean... Who wouldn't go crazy over Coachella? Even though I am in Singapore, I am going crazy over the event! I am crazy over the facts that:
So... Coachella isn't any normal annual music festival. Coachella is one of the biggest festivals for the Youth. Youngsters go crazy during this season and just start packing the wackiest, yet most fashionable clothes for the event. Though there are some youngsters who choose to be fashionable mainly and avoid making their clothes wacky. Below are some tips on how one can dress up for Coachella Keep accessories like waist chains and hats in your luggageWaist chains and hats are a must! Especially if you want to add up to your outfit's vibes (That is, if your outfit's theme is Country or Bohemian). These accessories just add up to the Country or Bohemian vibes of the outfit and just makes it look more authentically Country or Bohemian. If you want to step out of your comfort zone, decorate your face!There are some people, I am sure, who are willing to get creative. And, if you are willing to get creative, here are some idea for you. You can:
If you want to play it safe, yet, be chic, keep items like rompers or high-waisted shorts in your bagThere are some people, like me, who would honestly play it safe for this event. I would not have much confidence to go all wacky, though I do admire people who actually step out of their comfort zone and actually wear something crazy! I wish I had that much of confidence, which I honestly do not have. But yes, coming back, if you still want to play by the themes such as a Bohemian attire or a Country attire for the event, do keep items like rompers, high-waisted shorts and crop tops as they help in making your attire more Bohemian or Country-ish. But one more tip, make sure that the colours you pick for your clothes give off the vibes you want to give off. If you feel like being wacky, you can dress yourself up in wacky costumesThere are people like James Charles (Makeup Influencer) who would actually step out of his comfort zone and wear clothes that does show off his assets. Now, he is one confident guy. One good thing about James Charles that I do admire is that he is very confident. AND, he is very sweet... So, make that two things that I admire about him. If you want to wear crazy costumes for Coachella, that would be great actually because I guess being wacky in your fashion is one of the main themes at Coachella I guess. But yes, if you do want to look wacky for the two weekends, here are some tips on how you can get the crazy look you want:
To go country or Bohemian for this fest, you must keep boots in your wardrobeOther than keeping waist chains and hats in your wardrobe, it is a must to keep boots. The main thing about boots is that they would actually add to the outfit by actually helping in making your outfit more believable in the sense that your outfit would look more like a Bohemian or a Country outfit. So, here are a few ideas for you on how you can look your best at Coachella! Sharing is caring and if you would like to share these tips with your friends, please do! We should boost women up, not compete with each other! Every woman deserves to look her best at all times.
Ok, so I was just watching this music video called "Hey Ma!" from the soundtrack of the 2017 film The Fate of the Furious, also known as Fast & Furious 8. And honestly, I fell in love with Camila Cabello's wardrobe in this video and how she carried off the clothes. Then slowly, I started to realise that the looks I found fashionable are usually those that would be summer looks or fiesta related. Whether it is Demi Lovato's look in "Cool For The Summer" or Christina Aguilera's look in "Your Body"... I realized that the fashionable looks are really sexy and usually involve shorts or rompers or sexy tops. Now, this topic I am touching on is very controversial and may spark some anger with some girls especially. Before you go on reading this post, I just want to warn you that my intention is not to spark anger in anyone or hurt anyone's sentiments. It's just constructive thoughts that I am intending on writing out. So, continuing on this topic. Everyone has different fashion taste and there is no "correct" fashion sense. Fashion is a very subjective thing and plays a part in a person's identity. It is something that allows someone to express himself/herself through her choices of clothes and thus, what she chooses to wear. Truth being is, most of the fashionable women we have seen are women who have donned super sexy and stunning clothing pieces because one, they have the body for it and thus, have the confidence to flaunt their body in these hot pieces. Very rarely, we would see women in conservative clothing being fashionable. Although I have seen a few cases, where some Indian girls or Indian women are really beautiful and have good taste for sarees and churidars. I do not want to sound narcissistic but I am a fashionista and I love fashion. I do not wear sexy clothing pieces as I do not have the body for it. But, one way I can express myself is through my choices of Indian clothes. I love Indian clothes as much as I love jumpsuits and jeans. So, with whatever I can flaunt in, I just make the best use of it. And by the way, I have a desi side as much as I have an urban side to me. So, I love Indian clothing pieces as much as I love Western clothing pieces. People often adore my clothing pieces because of the good choices I make. And the fashion icons I look up to are the works of Priyanka Chopra, Kareena Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Anusha Mani and many other stunning Indian women. Even Kuchipudi dancer Sandhya Raju is one of my fashion icons despite her being seen in Kanjeevaram sarees most of the time. This is because she makes amazing combination choices in terms of jewellery and bindi colour or even the colour of her sarees. Sandhya Raju is an icon for South Indian fashion because she definitely does not make South Indian fashion look boring! She makes it look so glamorous yet so beautifully traditional that even North Indian or Bengali women would want to try it out! So my conclusion is...
At the end of the day, fashion is subjective. If you love wearing short clothes and you feel that it defines you to the world, please wear them. If you feel that sarees and churidars represent your identity more, don it. Nobody is stopping you in your clothes choices. There will be people who love your taste and people who hate your taste. I love good fashion. I do not care if one is seen in sweatshirts or plunging neckline dresses or a saree. As long as it just looks appealing to me, then I know that it is a good choice made. People will evaluate from the choices of clothing in the sense of how appealing it looks. A sweatshirt can sometimes be more appealing than a super sexy romper because maybe it is more casual and comfortable. Sometimes, a sexy romper can be more appealing than jeans because maybe it allows a woman to embrace her body features and body shape. Sometimes, a saree may be more appealing than a gown because some may feel that a saree can bring out the grace of a woman. It totally depends, to be frank. Just remember, being fashionable is not about being in the trend always. It's always about the good choices of clothing pieces you pick. It is about how appealing the clothing piece is to one person's senses and his/her emotions. The one thing you learn from Miss Universe and Miss World? You learn that beauty is not just about your physical looks or the size of your body. But, it is also about how talented you are and how compassionate and kind-hearted you are on the inside. These women, below, not only do they have the looks, but they also have the brains, talent and most importantly, the heart of a real and genuine human being. Sure, USA, Australia and Colombia may have said something that has come off as racist and insensitive to netizens. However, despite all of that, they may not intend to hurt anyone and were possibly just expressing their views and expressing the brutal truth of how not knowing English could possibly make you feel isolated. Or maybe how not knowing someone who speaks the same language as you in a totally new environment can make one feel out of place. Click here for the Controversial comments during the 2018 Insta Live show of Miss Colombia 2018 (Click on 10:48 and 14:50 for the controversial comments) Trust me, I have experienced it. I was in an environment full of people who would speak Tamil or Chinese or Malay most of the time and I felt out of place. It's not that these people didn't know English. But, yes, they do speak in their own language most of the time and since I do not know any of these languages, I would feel left out, isolated, alone. Anyone else who has experienced this would understand how I feel and how the feeling is like. Miss Universe Australia 2018, Francesca Hung, has expressed that despite being half Chinese ethnically, she does not understand Chinese and that whenever she is in a group with people who speak Chinese most of the time, she would feel left out because she does not understand the language. Miss Universe Colombia 2018, Valeria Morales, has expressed that Brazil may be a South American country. However, in Brazil, people do not speak English but rather, they speak Portuguese. Miss USA 2018, Sarah Rose Summers then expresses that there are other people who speak Portuguese such as those from Portugal or maybe the older generation of people in Goa (State in West India) since Goa was under the Portugal regime until 1961. Other than Cambodians, there is nobody who can understand the Cambodian language, known as Khmer. This is definitely isolating because that will mean that you can only speak to Cambodians and communicate with them. English is a linking language for different ethnicities and nationalities. Anyone who only speaks their own language and can't find anyone who speaks their language, will probably find it hard to blend in to a new environment. Coming back to the main thing, these women are beautiful inside out and you will appreciate their looks and confidence. United States of America (USA) - Sarah Rose SummersAustralia - Francesca HungColombia - Valeria MoralesPhilippines (Miss Universe 2018) - Catriona GrayCanada - Marta StępieńNepal - Manita DevkotaHungary - Enikő KecskèsWe all know that Miss Universe 2019 comes from South Africa. She is an African native. Her name is Zozibini Tunzi. She is an inspiration for young girls out there because she does not adhere to the standards of beauty as per the perception of our society. She was just comfortable in her own skin and loves herself. She believes that she is beautiful the way she is, accepting herself eventually and just standing out from other contestants. Even being a more confident woman than Vartika Singh (Miss Universe India 2019, top 10). How did Zozibini break the norms of physical beauty?In terms of her looks, she has:
Did you know that during the competition, people in the Miss Universe Organization have asked her to wear a wig just so as to fit in with other contestants? She told them firmly that she is not going to wear a wig for her competition. Because if she does, she is then showing that beauty is just one standard and everyone has to meet them, which is something she wants to break. She wants to show to the world that beauty does not look a certain way and that everyone has their own beautiful qualities, which makes them stand out from other people in their own way. Like I said the same thing earlier, Zozibini has shared with the audience that beauty is not just about your physical looks and your hair. It is about accepting yourself for who you are and how different you are from the rest. She wants to inspire girls to just be themselves. She shares about how society has shaped the perception of beauty for other people: “In the past, I think that beauty has been stereotyped to look one certain way,” she continued. “When you open a magazine, that’s what you see. When you open television, that’s what you see. And it becomes embedded within society and ourselves.” - as told to Business Insider And this was what Zozibini Tunzi said about her win at Miss Universe: “Anything that is considered unusual and unconventional can still be beautiful too,” she added. “That’s why I feel so proud about this win.” - as told to Business Insider Singapore Zozibini Tunzi's final answerDuring her final question-and-answer round for Miss Universe, she was asked what is the most important thing that the society should be teaching young girls today. This was what she said:
"I think the most important thing we should be teaching young girls today is leadership. It's something that has been lacking in young girls and women for a very long time. Not because we don't want to but because of what society has labelled women to be. I think we are the most powerful beings in the world and that we should be given every opportunity. And that is what we should be teaching these young girls to take up space. Nothing is as important as taking up space in society and cementing yourself, thank you," Tunzi said. Ok, so I've been binge watching The Voice USA lately and boy! You have to admit, America produces a lot of talent. Whether one can sing, dance or act, America has it all. Even their makeup artists, they can do lots of looks. From Bridal to Fashion to Special Effects makeup. (I do wish that this music show was on Netflix though, so that I can watch the past seasons.) As much as America has it all, I think just the countries in the West, as a whole, has all types of talent. I never get disappointed by the talent in the West. Plus, the contestants, actors and dancers are very attractive there! So, coming to the main point, how does being talented actually make you more attractive? Personally, I have always been attracted to good-looking people. However, it only lasts for a short time. Most of my friends are stunning people not just in looks, but with their heart and personality as well. But for me to be attracted to a man on a deeper level beyond the surface, he has to be intelligent and talented. Of course, confidence, which includes his personality, body language and his voice, plays into one's attractiveness as well. But yeah, I've always been attracted to men who are confident, kind, who have good voices, fashionable, talented, intelligent and positive, who have great music taste and all the works. I think you guys will get what kind of men I get attracted to. Your confidence boosts upOk, so these two singers, Shawn Sounds (left) and Matthew Johnson (right) are singers from The Voice USA Season 16, where their coach for season 16 is the singer John Legend. (We all know who John Legend is and we love him. For those who do not know him, I'm going to attach a song sung by John Legend himself after this section of the blog) Ok, so Shawn and Matthew aren't those hot jock 6-pack sort of men. (Shawn is anyway taken) But, why is it that the audience enjoys them as a whole and go gaga over them during the competition? Because while performing, they just think to themselves "We will just enjoy and be ourselves on stage while performing. What the audience thinks doesn't matter to us." And that is the attitude a performer has to have. To not care about what people think. As long as you know you are doing it right, that is the most important thing. And in fact, this is the attitude that I need to develop and that everyone needs to develop. I enjoy them and appreciate Shawn and Matthew because of their voices and their personality. Not looks obviously. I enjoy watching them perform and would love to see them as a duet group in the future because they are just so free and themselves when they are with each other. Ok, so below is one of John Legend's most famous song, All Of Me. Hear it guys! You become happier as a personLisa Ramey (Woman on the right) and Betsy Ade (Woman on the left) are women who literally liberated themselves while singing against each other. Though it did not look like it was a battle, it looked like they were just in the moment, getting into the feel and emotions of the song called "The Joke", which was originally sung by Brandi Carlile and was released in November 2017. And when you liberate yourself while doing something you passionate about, which is normally something you are talented at. Whether it is singing, dancing, painting or whatever you enjoy doing, you just become good at it and you will love the process, which thus, makes you happier as a person. You start finding your self-identityOther than becoming a happier person, which will show through the glow on your face, you will also start knowing yourself better. Your talent shows you who you are, eventually helping you find your self-identity. This singer above, Sawyer Fredericks, now 20 (Turning 21 in March 2020), participated in The Voice USA Season 8 in 2015, when he was only 15. He became the winner of the season under the coaching of singer Pharrell Williams. Why? Because Pharrell has helped him in finding his identity in music, finding his style of singing, which eventually got Sawyer to stand out from other singers. The moment you have your self-identity, the more people will notice you. But of course, stand out in the right way. And I can guarantee you that Sawyer Fredericks is an amazing singer that you'll just go "Wow! This dude is amazing!". Below is a song sung by Pharrell Williams. Check it out guys! You get to know more people, eventually making more friends through a common talentCompetitions do not mean that you should not be friends with competitors. In fact, competitions or camps help you to make more connections and friends with people who have the same interest and dreams as you. Similar interests and similar mind sets bring people closer together, creating positive vibes in your environment.
So yesterday, I went to watch Mardaani 2 in cinemas and the film was rated NC16, which meant that the film was not meant for kids under 16. So I turned 21 this year in July. And I reasoned out with the lady serving me but however, the lady did not believe me and asked me for my Identification card (ID card). I asked her if she doubted my statement and thought that I was a liar. She said that she just needed to double check. I said ok, fine. Then I asked her how old she thought I was. She said 17 or 18 years. Then I asked her what was the need for her to check my card if she thought I was 17 or 18. She just wanted to make sure. So, I just let it go. So then, an Indian lady commented that it is a good thing to look younger than your actual age and I honestly felt really good about it. Besides, I had no makeup on as I had no mood to put on makeup for the evening of course. So, then I started to realise that a lot of factors affect the youthfulness of your face other than your food choices. Choose the people you associate with carefullyThanks to some of the most important friends of my life, I have learnt one thing: that your choices of friends and the people you associate yourself with does affect the glow on your face. People who are overrated, who are fake, who are hypocrites, who are just full of negativity and all of that definitely are not the ones you should be associating yourself with. Now, what you consider overrated or fake or hypocritical is really up to you because everyone has different perspectives. Everyone wants to have a personality of their own. Only accepting, positive and genuine people can give that. Now, who is full of positivity or who is open-minded is subjective. Everyone thinks of positivity and open-mindedness in different perspectives. Guys, take my advice and pick people who:
And what not. Be thankful and grateful to those who have changed you into a better person, who keep you happy and who are supportive of you. Be thankful to those who have accomplished the list above and have only raised you up. Keep check on how you feel insideWe need to always keep check about how we feel. We should track the activities that we choose to do. The activities we should keep in our lives are those that:
And so on and so forth. Pick activities that benefit youWe need activities in our lives. As they say, an idle mind is a devil's workshop. Negative thoughts start creeping into our mind the moment we stay idle. And that is what happens to me at least. I honestly hate being idle and love being occupied with something.
The activities we should inculcate into our lives are those that benefit us physically, spiritually, mentally and emotionally. Be it singing or going for walks or shopping, we should feel good after doing a certain activity. So, I have just resumed watching Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj and have just finished watching the episode that touches on the ugly truth of Fast Fashion. Trust me, I have never felt so uninformed until this episode. This show has taught me lots of things, from technology to the environment to the clothes we wear. Yes, I am talking about Fast Fashion. What is Fast Fashion?Fast Fashion is basically producing as many clothes as possible to respond to the fashion trends at the current moment, to keep up with the fashion trends in the society of course. So for instance, let's say that floral prints are a trend for the first three months. So, Fast Fashion companies like H&M and Zara would produce a lot of floral printing clothes to earn their company revenue. And then, the next three months, let's say that the colours of America become a trend. So then, Fast Fashion companies will produce clothings that represent America as a country. Fashion is constantly on the go and rotating 24/7 to keep up with trends at the current moment. The thing we did not know about Fast FashionWe buy clothes that produce clothing pieces fast such as H&M and Zara as it is affordable, cheap, stylish and comfortable. However, do you know how the fabrics of these clothing pieces were made?
The real truth we do not know about Fast FashionYou would always think that donating the clothes could always improve someone's life. However, that does not happen sadly. Even if we donate our clothes, nothing much happens. Most of our clothes just end up becoming trash. One Salvation Army centre in New York can produce 18 tons of unwanted clothes every three days. And if donated clothes do not get sold to buyers within a month, your clothes gets burnt in Africa and becomes a waste and a lost to the Africans as they have already purchased these clothes. How does Fast Fashion hurt our environment and people?First up, most of our clothes are made from materials like plastic, water and oil. The fact that 10.33K Litres of water is used to make one person's jacket shows us how much water is wasted in the name of fashion. It eventually becomes waste because people will be throwing away their clothes or giving it away to the Salvation Army, thinking that poor people will use their clothes. But truth is, if these donated clothes do not get sold within a month, they become waste being emitted into the air as carbon dioxide because these clothes get sent to Africa and since the Africans either have the clothes or do not use them as they do not find the clothes useful, they just burn these clothes into air, releasing the emission of carbon dioxide in the form of fire's smell. I can't stop buying clothes. But, I want to save the environment. What should I do?Now, I am not saying do not buy clothes. We all should buy clothes and we all deserve new looks. However, we should keep our current lot of clothes in our wardrobe for a longer span of time rather than just throw them or give them away after three times of usage. We should keep our clothes for a year to two before giving them off for donation. That way, we prevent more water and oil from being wasted and we prevent hurting the environment more. We will be showing that we care for the environment and for the future generations.
So, for the last two weeks, I have been studying for my finals. And of course I spent a lot of time devoting myself to my makeup course textbook to learn something. Normally, I hate reading. But this time, I have started to find reading interesting, IF it is useful for your life. So, coming back to the point, while studying for my exam, I have learnt that there are different skin types that every person has. One person can have oily skin and the other can have sensitive skin. Not everyone's skin texture is the same and that means we can't be using the same type of foundation on everyone's skin. Using power foundation on a dry or dehydrated skin will make your skin look more flaky and using oil-based foundation on oily skin will make your skin look even more oily. So below are the types of skin textures and the best foundations to use. Dry SkinPeople with dry skin will have a skin texture that looks thin and fine. For some people, they may have broken capillaries at the cheek and nose area. Because your skin lacks sebum, your skin looks dry and after washing your face, your skin may look tight and rough. People with dry skin are prone to premature wrinkles around the mouth, eyes and neck areas. Best foundation types for people with dry skin:
Oily SkinPeople with oily skin will have a shiny-looking skin texture. Their faces could appear sallow due to excessive sebum production. Oily skin may make one appear coarse and greasy with enlarged pores. Those with oily skin may have blotchy-looking skin and will have spots and/or blemishes. More than picking the right foundation, those with oily skin would need to eat more vegetables and keep to a regular skin care routine to reduce the sebum production. Best foundation types for people with oily skin:
Normal SkinHonestly, if you ask me, I would say people with normal skin are very lucky, although this is seen in children and young teenagers. People with normal skin will have skin that looks fresh, young and healthy as they are not affected by hormonal changes or ageing. Their pores look small and their skin feels soft and firm. Best foundation types for people with normal skin:
Sensitive SkinPeople with sensitive skin will have skin that reddens easily. Their skin is often dry and may get irritated easily. Best foundation types for people with sensitive skin:
Combination SkinMajority of us have combination skin texture. Even I do. Some areas are dry, some areas are normal and some areas are oily. Usually the T-Zone area of one's face is oily and the cheek and eye area of one's face is either dry or sensitive. Best foundation types for combination skin:
Dehydrated SkinPeople with dehydrated skin will have a skin texture that often looks dry as the skin lacks moisture. One's skin becomes dehydrated due to excessive sun, illness or even working in a dry environment with low humidity. People with dehydrated skin will have skin that looks dry and feels tight. Fine lines and flaking can be seen on one's face. Best foundation types for dehydrated skin:
Mature SkinAs we age, our skin starts to become dry as the sweat and sebaceous glands start to become less active. Our skin starts to look thin with lines and wrinkles. Our muscle tone and facial contour becomes slack.
Best foundation types for people with mature skin:
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