I just came across a great new magazine that has hit the shops here in Singapore in the past few months. Its call Chic and touts itself as ‘The only magazine for Shopping experts’.  It looks awfully like smitten with its cool illustrations and I wasn’t surprised to see that the previous editor of smitten is also the editor for Chic. It looks more like a newsmagazine than a glossy but with a price of SGD2.80, who’s complaing. My favourite sections are the trend alerts, new shops, foreign exchange (shopping in different cities around the world),  and the lifestyle section. At first glance, the clothes do appear to be for the very young or very young at heart but when you get past this, there are some great ideas and fun ways to put an outfit together. It comes out twice a month and its just what I need to keep an eye on the latest trends and get my fashion fix at the same time:)

I am often asked about my skincare routine in my line of work and what is my must have beauty product; my answer is always the same: sunblock. This is the most essential item in your beauty bag, especially here in Singapore. It is an essential in keeping your skin looking fresh, young and protected from sun damage. Most people think that foundation with a built in factor of 15 is adequate but I am of the opinion that a separate sunblock with a minimum factor of 50 is required. Another mistake that people make is to apply the sunblock only on their face; I recommend that sunblock also be applied to your neck and chest area as these areas age very quickly in the harsh sun. I often see women with badly sun damaged chest areas which significantly ages them and it could have been prevented so easily. There are some treatments out there to improve the appearance of sun damaged skin but they are expensive and can be painful. The treatments may only work in some cases depending on the extent of the damage. My advise is to start today with a 50+ sunblock - It doesn’t have to be expensive; try Cetaphil or Neutrogena brands. They are inexpensive and work well under foundation. Do you use sunblock? and if so what brand & factor do you use?

A friend of mine Beth Talbot has recently started her own business and I am always in admiration of women who take the plunge. She has a really novel product imported from Japan and any wine / champagne and even beer collectors/ lovers out there will love it. If you want to save the memories associated with a great bottle of wine, then this label remover is just the thing for you and you can even order an album for your labels - How cool is that!
I encourage to have a look at her site:  www.label-a-peel.com

One movie I am really looking forward to seeing is Food Inc. I truely believe that good food goes hand in hand with good looks and health. If you haven’t shunned processed food to date, then you may certainly consider doing so after this movie. See trailer and a synopsis of movie below:

In Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil the western nation’s food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that has been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government’s regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Our nation’s food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment. We have bigger-breasted chickens, the perfect pork chop, herbicide-resistant soybean seeds, even tomatoes that won’t go bad, but we also have new strains of E. coli—the harmful bacteria that causes illness for an estimated 73,000 Americans annually. We are riddled with widespread obesity, particularly among children, and an epidemic level of diabetes among adults.

Featuring interviews with such experts as Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation), Michael Pollan (The Omnivore’s Dilemma, In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto) along with forward thinking social entrepreneurs like Stonyfield’s Gary Hirshberg and Polyface Farms’ Joel Salatin, Food, Inc. reveals surprising—and often shocking truths—about what we eat, how it’s produced, who we have become as a nation and where we are going from here.

I was power walking along the other morning with my mp3 blasting away on shuffle mode, when Shania Twain’s ‘What a way to Wanna Be’ song came on. Its been a while since I heard it but as I listened to the lyrics, I realized just how hard us women are on ourselves. We are endlessly striving to look our best, take care of our families, do a great job at work and still be feminine and desirable at the end of the day. This song reminded me to take stock and let go a little bit. I don’t have to be perfect and be outstanding at every single thing I do. Maybe its time to book that massage or even just put my feet up for one afternoon. In a quest to remind myself of this I have actually put Shania as my ringtone and you never know, maybe I will actually believe it someday soon.  Shania’s Album ‘UP’ is actually fabulous and all her songs are inspirational and explore many of the peeves we have as women so if you feel like treating yourself………… In the meantime I have put the lyrics of ‘What a Way To Wanna Be’ below:

I don’t wanna wear that
It only makes me look fat
Time to tone my thighs
Gotta lose another size, yeah!
What a way to wanna be

Exfoliate–look great!
Feel guilty ’bout what you ate
You’re buyin’ all the books
To learn the latest looks, yeah
What a way to wanna be

We like to buy, we like to spend,
To keep up with the latest trend
But we don’t get no satisfaction
Living like a slave to fashion
No more thinking for yourself,
Just get it off a shelf

Oh–oh, why be perfect–no–oh, it’s not worth it
Don’t be so obsessed–c’mon give it a rest
This is not some contest–just do your best
‘Cause nobody’s perfect!
What a way to wanna be

Moisturize, exercise, erase the rings around your eyes
Cover what you can, get a Coppertone tan, yeah
What a way to wanna be!

Stabilize the mood you’re in
You’re back on diet food again
Bigger is the best, but only in the chest, yeah!
What a way to wanna be

If you haven’t been checking out U tube for learning some new skill, then you are definitely missing out. You can pretty much find a video to learn whatever you want and best of all it’s free:)  I love trying out new makeup looks so I am always on the lookout for something new - Beau Nelson is one of my favorite makeup artists as his looks are always natural and easy to follow - Check out three of his looks below on the perfect brow, voluptuous lips and the ever popular smokey eye :

I am reading a great book called ‘Still Healthy at 100′ by John Robbins at the moment and I just have to share it with you as it talks about a new approach (backed by recent medical research) to a long and healthy life. It describes in detail the lifestyles and diet of some of the longest living peoples in the world. Heart disease, cancer and other illnesses that afflict elderly people in most places on earth, are non existent in these people. I was very surprised to read not only of the importance of diet but also the importance of healthy relationships in prolonging life. Its an interesting and easy read so do check it out if you want to learn the secrets of the world’s healthiest people.

One of my chief complains as an hourglass is that I have a rounded tummy (Now much worse since giving birth). I have a few tricks I keep in mind when disguising my tummy:

1. Wear empire tops that flow over tummy.

2. Avoid tucking in tops .

3. Avoid belts worn on waist - Instead try a thicker diagonal belt worn over thickest part of tummy (Works well for straight hipped hourglass figure).

4. Make use of shapewear - I especially like spanx pants  that go right up to just beneath bust.

5. Wear pants/ skirts with waistbands that cut widest part of tummy.

6. Wear semi-fitted layered tops with inside layer peeping out below outside layer which elongates torso and draws attention away from tummy.

The straight up & down or rectangular figure is a dream for fashion designers as it is easy to make it look good especially when slim. The objective with this body line is to create curves by pulling the eye out at the bust line and above and out at the hip line and below; this will make the waist look smaller. Defining the empire waist is a good option as  this will divert attention away from thicker waist.

When choosing a two piece swimsuit, try to find styles with hip ties on bottom and frills or detail at bustline and above.

Colour blocking is also a great option - (See picture). This will create the illusion of curves.