Month: November 2012

THIS IS HOW 21ST CENTURY ROMANTICISM LOOKS LIKE

Hand painted floral prints, Japanese inspired with key items such as tunic jackets and caftans presented by Veronica Etro, for ETRO Spring Summer 2013.

Apparently, in clear rejection of speedy computer-generated prints, ETRO chose the art of hand painted prints. Expect to see more simplified shapes fashion with unbelievable wearability factor which will work for any type of body. And those clutches are to die for. Look at the one with an Origami’s knot style, isn’t it gorgeous?

UNMISTAKEABLY GIFTS

Inspired by traveling the world, these scents will be a perfect gift for those who love to pack and go for the holiday.

The scent journey starts from London via The River Thames, China, Provence, Canada all the way to (surprise surprise) Indonesia. Five exclusive fragrances from Molton Brown, named “Navigations Through Scent”, come in a soft black leather box. Each named Londonium, Lijiang, Valbonne, Rogart and Singosari (guess which one is which?).

From floral musky, spicy woody or woody fresh, be prepared to embark on a lovely journey with these unisex scents. 

YOU LOVE THE RED SOLED SHOES, BUT WILL YOU LOVE THE BAGS?

I think my question above already covered it all.

The man behind the famous red soled shoes, Christian Louboutin is still working hard to bring the awareness of his handbag collection. I believe it might be slightly hard to par with his shoes collection, no?

Check out the Resort 2013 collection above, and you’ll be the judge.

FINISH WHAT I STARTED

This month empties from my adventure on beauty and body care products.

1. Neutrogena Visibly Clear Pink Grapefruit Cream Wash
I’m an old fashioned woman who loves my facial wash to be foamy. Lots of them. As I like my oily face to be squeaky clean at the end of the cleaning process, this probably the first Neutrogena product that I didn’t like. It might be cleansing gently, but with the creamy texture and a weird scent of pink grapefruit which didn’t produce any foam at all, this is certainly not my favorite. I think it might work for drier skin type. Repurchase? No.

2. L’Occitane Radiance and Colour Care Mask
I change my hair color every month, so hair treatment is a definite must for me. And this hair mask did wonder to my chemically treated (read: dry and coarse) hair. I love the green notes which remind me of freshly cut grass and the not so thick texture it has. I put this on once a week after shampoo & conditioner. I leave the mask on under the shower cap while I cleaned the rest of my body, then washed it away at the very end of my shower. Unlike any other hair mask I’ve tried, this won’t put any oily trick on my oily scalp, so it’s a bonus. When my hair dries, it does feel more relaxed, easier to comb and look shinier. Repurchase? Yup, definitely.

3. Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs
Uneven skin tone is a total blah. For me, this product works like concealer slash foundation for my legs. OK, I admit, sometimes I used it on my arms as well. Not just covering any imperfections, but I use this to make my pale skin look more tan. Although they recommend to spray it straight from the can, but I feel better if I mixed it with my daily body lotion, then applied with hands. I think it does spread evenly using my technique. Repurchase? Yes, I need this when I’m on my skirt and sleeveless mode. 

FAST & PAINLESS WAY TO GET RID OF DARK CIRCLES

Spare your lunch time to do this treatment and you’ll come back looking fresher than ever. I did.

Look at those dark circles. You can blame it on your hormones, lack of sleep, smoking, or  too much computer related works, but what are you going to do about it rather than complaining? I chose the fast and painless way, for sure. 

One that I’ve tried was ACT (Advanced Cells Therapy) for Dark Circles from Euroskinlab, one of the beauty clinic in Jakarta. This treatment is specifically designed for those who have serious dark circles problem, for only 45 minutes duration. The whole process is just like standard facial (cleansing, scrubbing, massage) with extra pressure massage on the eyes area (with special eyes serum). Then, the therapist will use the ACT machine with a spiral movement under both eyes. It was painless, even though the machine uses electricity for power. I actually enjoyed those vibrating feeling under my eyes for about 15 minutes.

“If we use eye cream or serum every day with our own hands, the absorption of the product will be very minimal (about 100 daltons-that’s molecules). But with the help of ACT, we’re expecting 1.5 to 3 million daltons per treatment,” explains dr. Riska from Euroskinlab. I did this once, and can you spot the difference from my eyes pictures above? The dark circles were slightly faded, even the whole skin was looking brighter. They said the result will last longer after 5 to 6 treatments (once weekly), depending on how dark your circles are. 

To find out more, visit their website.

EFFORTLESS WAY TO BODY SHAPING

Are those trips to the gym and suffering diets really don’t work anymore? Time to change your training to eliminate those flabby tummy, now!

Why did I say effortless? Because I tried it and I rarely sweat or feel super tired. Hypoxi is a simple 30 minutes workout that combine alternating high and low pressure with exercise to help target fat in the areas that won’t budge. Dr Norbert Egger, the Austrian scientist behind Hypoxi invention, spent many years working in the weight loss industry. He noticed that many women struggled to reduce fat in their problems areas, such as stomach, hips, buttocks and thighs despite regular exercise and healthy diet. As a sport scientist, he knew that good circulation and exercise are critical to achieve weight loss in a specific area. So, he created a fast and sustainable weight loss treatment, that claim to be up to 3 times more effective than regular training for targeted fat loss. 

So I decided to give Hypoxi a go. First, consultation and measuring. They will ask you about your body shaping target, measuring and decide which machine to use (they have different devices to suit our needs). I’ve got the size ’S’ machine, which target on my lower body part only. Later, I’ll have my own sort of Private Trainer (PT) who’s in charge to put on my corset like attire (which look like a futuristic tutu skirt for me), before I got inside the pod. She said, it’ll shrink and bloat while I pedal, giving pressure to the tummy area only. She also attached two more things, to measure body temperature and heart beat while I train. Then, my PT set the RPM according to my body weight and height, and she told me to pedal below my pulse rate (125). Then, all I have to do is sit inside the pod and pedal my way until 30 minutes is up.

I didn’t sweat much during the training, and my PT said it’s totally normal. She also suggested, before any training in Hypoxi studio, eat carbohydrate two hours before. Then, 4 hours after the training, we’re suggested not to eat any carbo, stick to protein, no fried food and no sugar drinks. 

Since this was my first session, I have 11 more to go if I want to see great result. My PT said, three times a week will be good for me. She only suggested not to train if I have serious abdominal pain while having my monthly period. I’ll keep you posted on how many inch I lost after my 12 session, so stay tune. 

For those who live in Jakarta, Indonesia and would love to have a free trial, visit their website.

SCREAM IN STYLE

20 years old Brit’s own supermodel, Cara Delevingne, known for her full eyebrows and such in high demand in fashion world, shows off DSquared2’s Resort 2013 Collection campaign video.

Designers Dean and Dan of DSquared2, together with director Senio Zapruder, shows the supermodel acting a scene from the 1996 iconic horror movie, Scream. Check it out.

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)

LIKE MOTHER … LIKE DAUGHTER?

Following her late mother’s footsteps, Dannielynn Birkhead, daughter of Anna Nicole Smith will front the new childrenwear campaign for Guess. 

She does look a lot like Anna who fronted the Guess Campaign in 1992. Even Guess creative director, Paul Marciano said in a statement “Dannielynn has the same playful spirit that her mother had on set.”

Now 6 years old, this is her first modeling job as the new face of Guess Kids for Spring 2013 campaign. And just like her late mother who created controversy, parenting experts are already concerned about Dannielynn’s father (Larry Birkhead) decision’s to put her into the limelight since such a young age. Well, what do you think?

NO GLOVE, NO LOVE

Keep it safe and stylish with these fancy packages for FDA-tested condoms, designed by famous designers.

Yigal Azrouel, Jeremy Scott, Christian Siriano, Charlotte Ronson, Alexander Wang, Isaac Mizrahi, Rebecca Minkoff & Vena Cava were surely know how to add a creative gig to their resumes. Proper Attire Condoms Company asked these designers (and more) to design an exclusive line of condom packaging and all the proceeds will benefit Planned Parenthood. 

These limited edition packaging are available online.

AS PRETTY AS BALLERINAS

Inspired by dancers’ clothing, French very own footwear label, Repetto will soon launch their ready to wear collection.

Named Garde-Robe, the collection consists of 18 piece of tops, skirts and dresses in a color palette of black, white and pastels. True to Repetto style, known for their iconic ballet-slippers which are so comfortable to wear, the collection features simple and wearable items like flowy skirts and dresses.