About

Hi there!

My name is Myrthe-Carine (1985) and my mission with this blog is to inform, help, educate and inspire fellow expat women living in tropical South East Asia with beauty tips, tricks and reviews. The hot and humid tropics impact the way we look and feel in many ways. Fortunately there's a lot we can do to battle the climate and even more to gain from the technologically advanced products or century old mythical ingredients of the beauty-obsessed nations around us! This is why...

I try out local products and brands, as some proof to be true gems– anything from bizarre Asian ingredients to  the latest makeup trend amongst South East Asian women

I’m your test bunny. It’s a human tendency to stay away from anything we culturally aren’t used to and thus find strange; especially when it concerns products that we apply to our own precious body, hair and face. Think placenta or snail slime in skincare, eyelid tape and lip staining gels. We tend to stick with what we are familiar with and even though we live in Asia, we habitually repurchase our own ‘safe’ Western beauty brands.  Yet, when we come across the Asian beauty products in drugstores and makeup counters, some of them looking like they’re from another planet, we can’t help but be curious about these mysterious Asian creams and potions. What do these beautiful Asian women around us apply to their skin? And Why? What happens if I would use it…? Does it works for Western skin too? I’m here to find out for you, as there are many gems to be found amongst Asian skincare and cosmetics that outperform our own Western products with results you could only dream of.

I give you tips & tricks tailored to specific beauty needs in the hot & humid tropics

From what I hear, all ladies living in South East Asia pretty much face the same beauty  issues. I love anything that has to do with beauty and worked for several Luxury Cosmetics Brands in Marketing Communications. During this period of about 6 years, I had the benefit to be trained internally by make-up artists, dermatologists and other pro’s. When I moved from The Netherlands to Singapore in 2015, I seriously needed to adjust my own beauty routine and I am still learning to do so. Many products that I used back in Europe are hard to find here, or simply don’t do the trick anymore; the humid climate, continuous exposure to aircon and sun make staying beautiful and feeling good about ourselves a challenge. I’m a firm believer that it’s the inside that matters, but let’s be honest: we all feel so much better if we look good. Talking about beauty with fellow expat women, it hit me that beauty tricks that (because of my background) are common knowledge to me, can be major beauty hacks for others. Therefore I share with you my findings on a.o. how to avoid your makeup from melting due to the heat, how to find the best sunblock  and what perfumes to wear in our humid and sweaty daily lives.

I provide you with interesting insights & baffling background info on cross-cultural beauty

Besides the superficial 'looks' part of beauty, I am incredibly passionate about the deeper meaning of beauty and all that goes on behind cross-cultural beauty ideals - and not to forget the crazy stuff that women all over the world do and use as a result. My academic degree in Psychology and curious personality make that I can't rest before I learn the how's and why's. Apart from just practical tips and tricks, I will therefore provide you with some background information on beauty ideals and products as well to come to understand both the Western and Asian world of beauty.

I hope to help you solve some beauty issues and inspire you embrace the tropics as a great experience to try out and even add some new products and tricks to your beauty routine! So you can be your best and most beautiful self!