Bad First Dates

A friend have been asking this girl out for the longest time to no avail. After going cold for some months, he asked again. This time, she said yes!

Having not been on first dates for a very long while, he was nervous like a deer. Googling places to dine, getting reassurance from friends the food is good, butterflies in his stomach, he was really looking forward to the date!

The date came and went.

When i asked about his date, he gave a four word review ...

SHE'S A GLUTTON.

Appalled, i asked, " you mean the magazines have been indoctrinating us wrong? I thought men like a woman with an appetite!"

I felt self conscious because man, i know i can eat, without the magazines telling me so.

"No, no." He assured me i wasn't the glutton like this one.

He noticed that she ate more than him and on 3 accounts asked if he wanted to ordered more. The first time she asked, he thought she was being polite. The third time she asked, he was pretty sure it was a personal request.

Then it was the heels. He noticed that she wore ridiculous high heels but it was really the confession that she is perpeptually in heels 24/7 that riled him. My friend isn't short so it wasn't an inferiority complex but its very interesting to know what men & women think on first dates.

And to also note not to confess too much on first dates!

New hires are made on impressions (and impressive CVs), without doubt impressions stick. So, i went around to ask my other friends their pet peevs of a date.

Most said they don't mind a girl eating as much as they want but the Chinese men said they'll be irritated if she ordered the main and only ate two mouthfuls or fork around her food. They felt she shouldn't have waste his money if she wasn't into eating. The Caucasians said they don't mind if she doesn't finish her first order but will think twice if she ordered a second and not finish it. That, would be gluttony.

Then, there were the other pet peeves like not saying "thank you" or being on the phone all the time, prevalent in today's mobile generation.

While the Caucasian said a "yes" woman irks him, the Chinese said one who debates with him all the time is tiring.

For the women, mostly said an egoistical man is a turn-off. They would also rather he be staring at her bossom than fiddling with his phone.

I have a high tolerance for most things so i don't really have much pet peeves but i remember a bad date where despite saying i am really tired so i wanted to keep this date close to home, he kept nudging me to venture further from my 10km parameters.

And despite me saying i'm hungry, he shooed the waiter away after ordering only two plates of chicken rice, one each  >_"<

Yes, he agreed to watch the movie i chose but he scoffed throughout the entire film. Then, at the end of the night, he even had the cheek to ask for a kiss!

I am glad no pretenses were put up for this first date, for i saw the inconsiderate man beneath.

This may sound very pompous of me, so i'll tell you the times i've been a bad date.

Probably that time i ate the LAST strawberry without considering his feelings, or the other time i wore my grostesque muscle leggings that totally scared my date to not call again.

Getting Naked with Maria Galland.

Advertorial

It certainly isn't easy being a model. Just look at this supermodel of hands.

As a model, there's a lot to upkeep and skin, being the largest organ that is seen on the outside, is the most important.

Most girls focus on their face, keeping wrinkles and acne at bay. Right now, my regime is

- a facial monthly ( i hear celebrities get one every 2 weeks)

- a manicure monthly (there's always a Groupon available)

- a hair treatment weekly (sponsored)

- a body moisturizer daily (home use)

- a body scrub and massage monthly

Sounds high maintenance? I love hawker food as much as my next door pudgy neighbour, but I do believe in treating my body good. After all, my goal is to be a MILF, maintaining hotness after marriage and after childbirth. 

After our hands, our neck (lines) and bust (sagging) are the two areas that betray our age. The Maria Galland Hot Modelling Mask pampers my bust and back wonderfully.  

                                

It starts with a sea salt peel first, then a massage with highly effective ampoules that has toning effects. Then, the self heating modeling mask will be smeared on to help the nutrients from the ampoule penetrate deeper into the dermis, resulting in softer, smoother, firmer and more radiant skin.  All in a serene treatment room with soothing zen tunes.

If you're experiencing pimples on your back, there's the detoxifying treatment. If it's to slow down the hands of time, you can get the remineralizing and firming treatment. 

If only i knew about Maria Galland earlier, i could have been getting my massages and at the same time body treatments. Killing many birds with one stone.

Get your sexy back.

Maria Galland Hot Modeling Mask Body Treatments are available at Phoenix La Beaute at Palaise Renaissance B1-07, Tel: 67334556.

No Secret about Hair Sciences

Advertorial
Dear Diary, I just found out that i've been DOING IT WRONG!

I thought applying hair masks religiously gives my hair what it needs to be shinny, healthy and bouncy.

Little did i know that targeting the hair scalp where hair grows from should be the way to go!

Since finding out that secret, i've been visiting Hair Sciences in Orchard.

Hair Sciences customizes treatment to treat my individual needs and problems. Using a combination of the Western technology and Asian premium plant extracts “Pureria Mirifica” also known as “Miracle Maker” that stimulate hair growth, color and strength.

My hair used to be waist length. I would get a handful of hair strands whenever i wash, comb or simply run my fingers through. So much that my ex boyfriend laments he has to vacuum after my visit. I carefully counted how much i actually drop and i was relieved to know 80-100 falls within the norm.

Still, i would rather not drop any than to be dropping the average.

So i chopped off my dry ends and "restarted". At the same time, i embarked on the Hair Sciences journey. DR. I. SANDFORD SCHWARTZ, known as "Dr. Sandy" is the R&D consultant behind the success of Hair Sciences. Dr Sandy has been involved in nutritional research, therapeutics and alternative healing for more than 3 decades. For the past 9 years, Dr Sandy has been dedicating his time to the studying of a plant that only grows in Thailand named ‘Pueraria Mirifica’. In Latin, mirifica means “miracle maker”.

This root stimulates the growth and color of our hair follicles. It also restores the lost vibrance, hair and radiance with no side effects, no hormones and no harsh chemical substances.

Since the start of treatment (6th session now), i don't even drop more than 20 strands a day now. Cutting my hair shorter (lighter) could be one of the reasons, but i bet Hair Sciences played a part too.

Quote "Chrispytine Blog" for a complimentary customized scalp treatment with head and shoulder massage worth $360.

Terms & Conditions:

·       Valid till 31^st August 2012

·       Valid for Singapore NRIC/PR/EP holders only

·       Valid for female & Male customers aged 23 years and above, and strictly by appointment only

·       Customer has to arrive 30min before appointment time for the complimentary hair & scalp analysis.

·       Call 6100 1698 for appointment.

Going under the Knife

Men are clueless when it comes to detecting the fake breasts, the fake eyelashes, the fake contact lenses or make-up. So i wrote this post to help.

I remember wearing grey contacts for a month because they were given. A male friend whom i've gone out with many times, one day in that month, gripped my hands, paused, gazed deeply into my eyes, and said with his jaw wide open in awe,

"Christine, i don't know why i've never noticed this before but you have the MOST amazing eyes EVER.

They're grey..." 

I wished i could turn back time and play along with his innocent belief then. I laughed (abit too loudly) and said, "Don't you know the latest trend are coloured lenses?!?"

He blushed like a fool (mental note: never bruise a man's ego in public).

I blame Memoirs of a Geisha. Movies always make people can't separate from reality.

Then, there was the boyfriend who always thought i don't use make-up. One day, he was wearing white and i was leaning against his shoulder. When i lifted my head up, i panicked to see his white shirt stained with a big beige patch from my cheek!

I acted nice and gave him a shoulder rub, discreetly trying to rub off the stain. Men like women looking natural and i guess i wanted to keep up with that fantasy. Besides, a beauty director once told me the best make-up is when you look like you've nothing on at all.

The truth however, is i am really poor with make-up skills. Was never taught, and never had the urge to learn.

Using make-up to transform one's self is now passe.

Increasingly, more Asians are going for permanent fixes.

Before, plastic surgery is taboo and a procedure most will not be proud of. Then, plastic surgery started getting affordable with our increasing affluence to travel and spend. Now, plastic surgery is largely accepted and discussed openly amongst friends.

Before, i knew no one in Singapore who have gone under the knife. In this year alone, i know 5.

Before, movies and celebrities have a huge influence on the definition of beauty. I remember when i was a teenager, we all wanted golden bronze skin. Today, it's the Korean celebrities defining beauty but where do their inspiration come from? Is it the Western?

Bloggers today have a part to play in influencing the acceptance of aesthetic services. That's how formidable social influencers are.

It could have been that blogger who did surgery but refused to admit, thus inviting another blogger revealing her "dark secret" through her blog and a war including threats of a lawsuit ensued. It could have been that model blogger who proudly documented her boob job, then another about her nose job, and then many others who followed suit. Most justify that people are going to see the obvious change, so might as well come clean before the trolling starts.

Very valid reasons to blog about their plastic surgery and share experiences with their curious readers. This in turn spur readers to brave it too, which girl haven't contemplated plastic surgery honestly? We all have insecurities, even men. After all, good looking people get more doors open.

My uncle said my nose is too big when i was 16, a date said i looked a lot better in person than in pictures (meaning my pictures are ugly), but ultimately all men told me small natural breasts are still better than big fake ones.

Aesthetic services, permanent or not have never been allowed to advertise in mainstream media. With digital media, it's a grey line. An opportunity for service providers, they seek win-win situations with bloggers.

I've received couple of offers since last year. I don't think i need botox (yet?) nor fillers but i've read the twenty somethings bloggers who tried it.

Is it credible to have a twenty something to write about a botox treatment reducing fine lines? Can you see a difference, if any? Oh right, there's the kind of botox that relaxes your jaw muscles, creating a V shape.

The grass is always greener on the other side, human nature to stand out, to want something more when its unattainable. Thus the phrase, "play hard to get". When you ask an Asian who is the epitome of beauty, we'll say Angelina Jolie. The deep set smokey eyes, high brow bridge and thick lips.

There's nothing really to be jealous actually. The high brow bridges actually make a Caucasian look older and that matters when we age. To illustrate my point, see 43 year old TVB actress Christine Ng (purely coincidental, haha) and 43 year old Hollywood actress Julia Robert.

Ok, maybe i'm biased. I chose the best looking, possibly photo-shopped to death picture of Christine Ng (i can't help it, shares the same name!) VS a possibly un-photoshop Julia on the red carpet.

To be fair, i Google Searched again.

It's not just me, but someone else did a Youtube video if Jessica Alba looked Asian.

While the Caucasians find our slit eyes beautiful, we don't see them doing plastic surgery to achieve those eyes so why are we Asians undergoing surgery for double eye-lids?

Paris runway supermodel from China. Hardly attractive to us Asians isn't it?

Is it because Asian men lust after large eyes so we do it for them? Or will larger eyes make us see more? Like how wide-screen TVs offer that advantage.

It's unfair that in Singapore, Caucasian models are seen as superior and can command a higher price in any commercial job. If an Asian model poses nude, it's Club Snap. If a Caucasian pose nude, it's Avant Garde.

With increasing number of social influencers or personal friends leading the way on cosmetic surgery, think twice about altering looks. What if down the road, you require repair work or constant refilling (whatever that means). I understand that not everyone is blessed with good looks, but are you judging yourself with an unbiased view? Perhaps there should be a truth machine, like the Evil Queen's mirror so that only the real ugly can undergo the knife knowing they absolutely need it to succeed in life.

Because otherwise, many girls do not need the cosmetic surgery. Like how the skinny girls say they're fat, or girls who blot their fries with tissue paper (seriously, why are you eating fries at all?!?)

We already have the first ABSURB case of a husband suing (and won) his wife for $120,000 in Northern China because he felt his wife convinced him to marry her under false pretenses.

The story was, when their baby girl was born, the husband found her so ugly that it horrified him (honestly, all newborns aren't exactly pretty things. So i wonder HOW HORRIFIC it can be).

Perhaps like this?

As the baby resembled neither of the parents (husband thought he looked ok, and his wife is absolutely stunning),

he demanded to know who the father was. An inquiry led his wife admitting that she underwent "intense plastic surgery" in South Korea before meeting him.

The woman had paid $100,000 for the surgery to make her pretty (and marry-able) and now she has to pay $120, 000 to the man who well, loved her for the looks she paid for. How f***ed up is the world?

Until then, stick with the fake eyelashes, make-up and push-up bras to enhance your looks. One day, i believe Asians will rule the world. Single handedly  eyelid-ly.

Asia's 5 Deadliest Food

Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong may be called a food paradise but is it really a paradise with some of the "deadliest" food?

I'm not just talking about the Fugu (pufferfish with lethal doses of the poison tetrodotoxin in its organs if not removed carefully, the eater will have a slow death) or the Sannakji (live octopus that could suffocate you if the suckers latch on to your throat) which i'm not sure if there're any health benefits eating it live. The Koreans believe it builds stamina and gives you virility (as with all other unexplainable food). Remind me not to video myself eating it, because it certainly does look like tentacle food porn.





Asia's deadliest food are however, closer to us than we think. 

Char Siew

From food blog camemberu.com

The best char siew are the ones that is a little blackened at the sides. Food colouring aside, all grilled or roast meats contain high proportion of  triphenyl sibing topiramate, a carcinogenic substance that causes cancer. When this chemical compound comes to contact with the stomach, and the gastric mucosa, the possibility of getting gastric cancer is always very high.


A roasted meat is equivalent to the toxin of as much as 60 cigarettes.

Instant Noodles

When i was in UK, i craved Chinese food so much i went to the supermarket for instant noodles. I was sorely disappointed to find the lack of variety as compared to the supermarkets in Asia. Instant noodles are present in our diet. Indian food stalls and Korean food stalls sell them (some people really pay $5 for that kimchi ramen when they can buy it themselves for $2!). Some eat it as comfort food, some eat it as a companion in late nights. Even i myself get the craving for kimchi instant noodles every now and then.

When my friends visit Indonesian, they come back with boxes of Indomie because it isn't available here. Or when they visit Taiwan, they return with instant noodles with real beef pieces. Even i contemplated buying them back as souvenirs, just because.

Instant foods contain very high content of salt, coloring and food additive which means instant foods have only high calorie but no nutritional value at all. As they lack trace elements and essential vitamins and minerals, the intake of instant foods may lead to nutritional deficiency. The prolong intake of these foods may cause cancer, obesity, hypertension and other underlying diseases.

Bubble Tea

I introduce bubble tea to my Caucasian friends as one of the unique foods in Singapore. They would all try but i've never seen them drinking a second cup ever. Why is bubble tea uniquely attractive to Asians? So much so that even a forum-er commented that "drinking Koi is like being hugged by mama".

                               

Bubble tea has got a very bad rep since it's birth because of how it's made. Milk essence is the main ingredient and this essence is actually not real milk but made of milk protein, milk sugar, vegetable oil and maltodextrin. Then, there's the tapioca balls that reports claim is harmful because of what is added to make it extra chewy. It's an ongoing debate if bubble tea is really cancerous or not because there seems to be equally justifiable debates on both camps. I occasionally drink but i ask for zero sugar and less pearls.

Lup Cheong Clay Pot Rice

From almostbourdain.blogspot.com

Processed meats are rubbish to our body. The more we dump these processed foods in our body, the more weakened our body will be. These processed meats have large amount of sodium add-in during the food handling process and thus they will cause or indulge hypertension. Besides that, the high content of sodium found in the meats will increase the workload of the kidneys. The more you eat these meats, the shorter the life span of your kidneys will be, which finally wearing off within your unexpected age.

Shilin Chicken Cutlet

From danielfooddiary.com

Deep fried food have been identified as the culprit of the cardiovascular disease as they contain substantial amount of carcinogenic substances. Acrylamide is one of the chemical substances found in the deep-frying foods. This chemical substance is also found in the vehicular emission and potato chips. Another harmful compound is alum, which can impair memory, brain and nerve cells, besides causing irritability and depression once it is absorbed into our body.

By the way, your diet determines how YOU TASTE LIKE too. So if you want to taste and smell nice down south for your partner, you know what to do.

Now, I'm hungry. Which poison should i take?

Brow Perfect

Advertorial

Painting skin is not quite my forte. If I'm pressed for time in the shower room, i can even put on my make-up with one hand while my other holds the hair dryer. It's not skill, it's because i never knew elaborate make-up.

This is done by a professional make-up artist at a TEENS magazine shoot and i assume this is how my brow should look like. 

After all, 

But when i draw on my own, it's far from getting it professionally drawn.

Then i received the Perfect Brow kit (now $128.40, u.p $191.80) from Erabelle.

It includes
1. A brow pencil ($34.24)
Delivers precise, natural lines to create perfectly defined brows. Its highly pigmented formula ensures long-lasting hold.

2. An eyebrow techno tweezer ($61)
Specially fabricated with a unique polymer tip to provide added protection to skin. It won't hurt if you accidentally pinch your skin! The expensive price is justified by the manufacturer Rubis, who is Swiss tweezer maker known for their quality and precision.

3. A sharpener ($10)
That sharpens to perfect point with no wastage.

4. An eyebrow scissor ($56)
Expertly crafted by Swiss maker Rubis again with fine curve cutting edge.

5. An eyebrow comb and brush ($5)

All packed in a feminine black pouch.

Now, i'm equipped to draw the perfect brow!

 My oval face should have a soft arch with some thickness.

This is how you should angle your pencil to know where you should lengthen your brow till. Shade in till a balanced thickness.

The other end of the brow pencil has a brush to even out the colour. My old pencil never had this brush!

Here's my improved brow! It's not drawn as thick as the first picture because my make-up isn't as heavy as a photo-shoot.

Win 1 of the 5 Erabelle long lasting brow pencil (dark brown) i have for you! 

Email me your name, mailing address and what you hope i'll blog about to win.
Contest ends 27th July 2012.

Erabelle also provide spa as well as cosmetic artistry services like semi-permanent brow,eye liner and lip colour.

Erabelle Outlets
#02-25 Bugis Junction Tel: 6883 1151
#03*27 Bedok Point Tel: 6753 2322
#01-06 Vision Crest Commercial Tel: 6836 8388
#02-01 Vivo City Tel: 6376 8336

Let Erabelle help you with instant beauty. The girl below is not me but now i know what that comb is for!!! I've always thought why would my eyebrows need a comb. It never tangles.

THE WINNERS HAVE BEEN CHOSEN

1. Shenny Fu

2. Rex Lee

3. Xin

The Games Girls Play

Women tend to lead men on. Sometimes consciously, most times not. Mostly confused, often influenced by cultural factors to marry or innate desires to procreate.

Women naturally like the courtship and the attention and it's fair, considering how much sacrifice she has to make later in life, going through childbirth etc.

When a man sets sights on a woman, is he a fool for courting to no end? How does a man know when to stop the pursuit, or should he even try?

A girl may go out with you once, twice or even thrice. That doesn't mean she have the same level of interest! A man should know a girl is not interested with the below signs.

1) It's always you asking her out but she has never initiated once.
2) She doesn't say "thank you".
3) She doesn't offer to pay.

Here's the brutal truth of our mentality: If i ain't interested in you, why should i spend money when i can get it free from many other suitors? It can boil down to poor upbringing and bad manners in the self obsessed society but it also makes some sense in practicality.

It's an interesting dynamic between men and women. I've asked around and a man cannot be with a woman if he isn't attracted to her in the beginning. Thus, men don't usually lead women on if they are not interested. There's no "maybe", it's a clear "yes" or "no".

However, its the opposite for a woman. Women from stone age have always seek for the strongest and the the fittest to form a family with. Later, it evolved to women to seek for the most handsome and the richest because it translates to better genes and the ability to provide basic needs and then material desires as a bonus. Interest or chemistry is secondary, feelings can be cultivated over time.

Have women evolved? Probably not, yet. A handful of girls around me are examples. All having dated too many boyfriends, they finally settled and married a man they weren't attracted to but soon grew to love. It wasn't that they're anxious to get married or that growing old (after all, men age like fine wine, women age like toufu) but they've conceded defeat knowing that love can't put bread on the table, knowing blessedness comes from being loved first.

I'm beginning to think like them, but for the last 18 months of going out with old friends and new, i still found chemistry very important. Only because i find it repulsive to go near to someone i am not attracted to.

It reminded me of my school days where me and my best friend would doodle away on A&W tray paper after school. We would then pass each other our drawing and give critiques.

One afternoon, we decided to visualize our "dream".

This is her picture.

The text with arrows are my silly comments, "critiquing" her dream. Not surprising, her dream is to marry 4 years later have a baby, own a car combined with A DOG AND MONEY.

Mine was simpler, an idealistic dreamer i am. I dream of a sunset (sunsets are always romantic right?), and a declaration made with candles which my girlfriend mocked. Ok, fine i drew a MERCEDES too (female innate materialism, haha).

So, should a man give up courting if the girl is not interested? There's no correct answer. Often, it's being at the right place at the right time. She may be moved at the right time, or she may decide to give it a shot because there isn't anyone else right. Should a man be egoistical and say, "i'm not going to play second fiddle"? Probably he should be open minded and generous, accepting that this is our natural instincts.

However with evolution, women are becoming independent, pursuing their own careers, being able to hold their own fort. With that, hopefully, they will stop leading men on. Feeling assured with their own achievements and building self confidence as they mature, they'll come to realise that if they don't meet the right guy, they don't need to settle. A dog, a dildo, a bolster and many shopping trips can satisfy her like a real man can.  

Fruits for your Skin

Fruits have always been considered a rich source of fibre and vitamins. In fact fruit packs are also used in high end beauty salons. You too can experience the benefits by taking heed of these tips. Read on to find out which fruits should be a part of your daily skincare routine.

Banana is extremely nourishing for the skin, because it contains Vitamins B and C and is a rich source of potassium. In fact, potassium helps to soften the skin. It also tightens and tones the skin. Bananas can be made into a pulp and applied on the skin, or added to face packs.

Apples are wonderful skin toners, helping to tighten the skin and stimulate blood circulation to the skin surface. Apples also have anti-oxidant properties. Raw apple pulp or apple juice can be applied on the skin daily. Apple cider vinegar has great benefits for the hair too, helping to restore the normal balance of the scalp and preventing scalp problems, including dandruff.

Papaya contains papain, an enzyme. Papaya is useful for removing dead skin cells and may be applied on the face and body. It also helps to lighten skin colour if used regularly over a period of time. Ripe papaya pulp can be applied on the face, or can be mixed with otheringredients like oatmeal, curd and honey to make face masks. Papaya pulp mixed with curd can be applied on the body.

The mango is rich in Vitamins A and C, which helps in toning and rejuvenating the skin. It helps to delay the visible signs of ageing of the skin, and also has a softening effect on it. Mango pulp can be applied on the face to keep the skin soft and supple. It is suited toall skin types. It is an anti-oxidant and used regularly, it can reverse oxidation damage.

Like lemons, the orange is also rich in Vitamin C. The fruit pulp can be included in fruit masks. Orange peels can also be collected and dried in the sun, then ground into a powder and added to face masks. It has a cleansing and gradual skin lightening effect. Orange juice can also be added to masks for the face and hands. In fact, raw orange and lemon peels can be rubbed on the nails to remove discolouration. Orange peels rubbed regularly on the hands can help to lighten skin colour and also tighten the skin.

Strawberries are powerful anti-oxidants and therefore help to prevent oxidation damage, which leads to ageing signs, like lines, wrinkles, sagging skin, etc. In fact, they also strengthen the supportive tissues and keep the skin youthful. Apples are rich in Vitamin C and thus beneficial for the skin, as Vitamin C keeps the skin healthy. Crush them and apply on the face, for a fruit pack. Leave on for 20 minutes and then wash off with plain water. They can be mixed with other fruits too. Or, mix crushed strawberries with curd and apply on the face. It will lighten skin colour over a period of time.

Like other citrus fruits, grapefruit also has a cleansing and toning effect on the skin. It is particularly good for oily and pimple prone skin. It reduces oiliness and also helps to reduce tan over a period of time. Grapefruit also helps oily skin problems like open pores and helps to tighten them. Apply the fruit or juice on the skin and wash off after 20 minutes.

Cherries contain vitamins and minerals, which help to nourish the skin. They have anti-inflammatory effects and help to heal and soothe irritated skin. They also help in cases of sun-damage and exposure to UV rays.

It has excellent benefits for skincare, as it helps to moisturise the skin and is a powerful antioxidant. It helps to improve the skin’s moisture retention ability too. It is said to boost the process of cell renewal and thus helps to delay the formation of skin ageing signs. Used regularly on the face, it can remove tan, lighten skin colour and also brighten the skin.

Watermelon helps dry skin. It helps to seal in moisture and keeps the skin hydrated. It also helps to soothe and improve dry, scaly skin. Applying watermelon pulp or juice helps to soften and smoothen the skin.

A repost from http://porcelainfacespa.com/blog/, facial sponsor of me.