Fashion Magazines' Beauty Advice - 2

Despite the ever-growing Beauty sections in fashion magazines and normal newspapers, most of the beauty secrets that work long-term and make you beautiful outside do not need of advertisement. They are free or economical, and they are based on a holistic view of what beauty is. No cream, serum, make-up or fashion item can work if you do not have a healthy (or healthy-ish) lifestyle and your self does not come out from within. Unless you are really deformed, have an obvious birth mark or burnt, you do not need any special beauty product. Do not let the fashion magazines tell you differently.

Here the secrets to any lady's long lasting beauty:

1. Go to the gym regularly, so your skin cleanses itself from inside out and blood is pumped to it fast. If you are not into gyms, jogging or having any other fitness routine should do. The after-workout glow is amazing! No cream or facial has ever done the same for my skin.
2. Walk to most places, and take the steps not the lift. 
3. Eat well, everything you fancy but in moderation. Avoid living on junk food and take-away food. Do not diet unless you are obese. 
4. Drink water, limit the amount of fizzy drinks you have, and drink alcohol in moderation.  
5. Do not smoke and do not take drugs.
6. Sleep soundly and at least 7 hours a day. Do not over-sleep!
7. Clean your skin every day. You need water and a bit of mild soap/cleanser. There are plenty of cheap hypo-allergenic products out there.  
8. Moisturise regularly (any medium brand would do; choose the brand that better suits your skin).
9. Apply make-up to highlight your best features not to turn you into somebody that is difficult to recognise once you remove it. (Any medium brand would do, adjust it to the specific needs of your skin).
10. Use ammonia-free hair colouring, translucent colour-free shampoos and mild masks and conditioners.
11. Avoid baking under the sun in the hottest hours of the day, especially in summer.
12. Use mild +30 sun-block or a sun-smart moisturiser. Most brands are good. Some of them are allergenic, so choose the one that suits you, specifically. Price does nothing to do with their quality.
13. Use beauty products that are low in chemicals.
14. Use Aluminium-free deodorants. There is an increasing number of alternative  cheap plant-based brands that do not irritate your skin.
15. Dress for your body shape and dress age wise.
16. Smile and laugh as much as you can. Those wrinkles make you even more beautiful.
17. Keep your stress levels under control. Do not stress for what is not under your direct control, and learn to cope with those people or circumstances that are making your life stressful. 
18. Learn to relax doing whatever activity relaxes you.
19. Live a life that fulfils you - that gives you a happy beautiful glow that no cream would ever do. 
20. Most importantly, feed your soul and brain, so the beauty you have comes from within, not just from your body, and you still will have it when you are 50, 60, 70 or 80y.o.a.

It sounds obvious. It is! 

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Fashion Magazines' Beauty Advice - 1

If you are into fashion magazines and you purchase or browse them regularly you might have noticed three facts that make of our delight less passionate.
 
FACT NUMBER ONE. Most magazines seem to have the same content, cover celebrities, products, and articles. There is a reason for that. Big corporations hold most women's magazines. Just to use an example, the Hearst Corporation owns, amongst many others, Harper's Bazaar, ELLE, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan,  and Woman's Day; Condé Nast owns the Vogue and Glamour magazines, while Time Inc owns Instyle and Mariclaire UK among others.  

FACT NUMBER TWO. They preach one thing and do another regarding women body issues. They preach and talk about real women, women accepting our bodies no matter the size and the dimples, and about women needing to love ourselves. However, they keep featuring models and celebrities that are extremely thin, women that represent a minuscule percentage of the population. Not only that, those celebrities showcased are airbrushed to remove any sign of imperfection and humanity from their physique, so we feel -in comparison- inadequate, big, fat, and ugly. No wonder why we avidly peruse the beauty section to fix ourselves.

FACT NUMBER THREE AND THE POINT OF THIS ENTRY. The number of explicit, implicit and coveted marketing ads has been multiplying progressively, and the marketing techniques used are every day cleverer at reaching our psyche. Which sort of advertisement do we find in our favourite fashion magazines?

1/ Direct explicit advertisement.  Wonderful stylish, lavish creative photos that not only sell a product, they do reflect the brand's style, philosophy, age group, luxe level and social group to whom the ad is directed.

2/ Promotional paid spaces that clearly state they are. For example, a page devoted to a new cosmetic cream in which the scientific research and testing of the product are specifically mentioned, and comments from celebrities or consumers provided. They are still ads, but masked by a "scientific" coat. They do not lie, just showcase anything good about the product and disregard the rest.  

3/ Promotional spaces that do not say to be so, but they are. A clear example is the article "Art of Happiness" by Eugenie Kelly published in the December 2012 Harper's Bazaar (pages 112-113). The article has a full page with a photo of a bottle of  "La Vie est Belle", the latest perfume by Lancôme, and a page devoted to the creation of the perfume and Julia Roberts' direct involvement in it; there is an interview with her, but her photo cannot be seen anywhere. The article is all about the perfume. No promo sign is to be seen anywhere. I consider this a coveted promotion disguised as journalism, which would make sense in a marketing magazine or a magazine just devoted to perfume, not a fashion magazine directed to the general public. How do we know it is advertisement? Easy! Go go page 205 in the same magazine, to the Bazaar's gift list section, and there you have the same perfume. Your eyes are drawn to this specific perfume immediately because its positioned right in the centre of the page, and there is a read heading over it. 

4/ Editor's Pics section. Who better than a beauty editor to tell us about the virtues of any beauty product, the latest products released, and what's not? We guess a magazine's beauty editor receive tons of samples from gazillion beauty brands. I have not doubt that they know the latest of the latest. However, there is no guarantee that those showcased in a magazine are the best, or that the product has been thoroughly tested by the editor or the magazine team before being recommended. Many times they pass the info package provided by the brand without further addition. Not always, but many times. On the other hand, there is a tendency to recommend luxury (from fashion corporations) items, those that are burden to our wallets.

5/ Products of the Year Awards pages. Many magazines have this sort of awards held yearly or half-yearly. They gather a panel of professional make-up artists. beauticians and fashion experts -most of them with direct links to the beauty industry- to decide on the best products: face make up, hair, nails, body, and perfumes. There is not a clear description of why they are chosen. They are professionals and I trust them; however, the opinion of consumers is rarely asked, and if it is -like in In Style- is just an addenda. 

I am not saying that the products recommended are not good. I am saying, that I have tried plenty of the things you find recommended from big brands, and many of of them are as remarkable as the medium-quality brands we buy from any supermarket or beauty store. To me, my opinion on a beauty product is better than the one of a professional because a) has no commercial interest behind it b) it is based on direct experimentation on me for a certain period of time. 

Recommendations on perfumes and creams are especially silly, as the perfume react to your specific skin's Ph, and smells differently on different people. A moisturiser or serum could be heaven for your skin, but hell for mine whether it is de luxe or not.  

6/ Interviews with celebrities about their beauty's case, beauty routine, or favourite beauty products. Most of these celebrities are openly sponsoring certain brands, which means that they are being paid to be the face of a brand or product, to say that they use it, and to be photographed using it. So, if a  magazine interviews them, which products do you think they are going to recommend? Right, you've got it. 

***

I do love creative advertisement and fashion photography. So much so that I enjoy watching TV and photo ads. However, what most fashion magazines are doing at the moment is not fair dinkum. The consumer and reader psychologically approaches any given advertisement with different levels of trustworthiness and openness regarding the explicitness of the ad. The normal ads, we tell ourselves, are selling things to us, so we decide whether we are interested or not - consciously. The other ones go directly into your subconscious and convince you of the goodness of an ad based on apparently scientific, honest, and sincere reviews and recommendations. They have a bigger impact on your psyche. How do I know? Despite being very aware of this issue, I have found myself frozen in space, my hand holding one of those very beauty products that I have seen showcased and recommended by a fashion magazine. Oh Dear. I am human. I am not alone. thousands of women are doing the same without even realising that what they call choosing is subconsciously induced by publicity.

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"Sita Sings the Blues" by Nina Paley (2008)

The movie can be watched online at Nina Paley's website.

Sita Sings the Blues is an animated film based on one of the episodes in the Ramayana, but adapted to modern sensibilities, that has Sita -Rama's wife- as the centre of the story. The movie deals with love, longing, faithfulness, exile, search for love and destiny.

The movie intertwines four different types of 2-D colourful animation, each one offering four different approaches to the same chapter of the Ramayana:
1/ There is the story on how the movie was created and how the author came to think of it, how her personal life got mixed up with the project. 
2/ There is the story of the chapter told straight forward. 
3/ There is a musical version of it in which Sita -the main character- sings some classic blues that convey what is happening in the story, and in which Sita expresses her feelings and mood. 
4/ Finally, there is a review of comment of the story told made by two h-i-l-a-r-i-o-u-s Hindu shadow puppets, who offer a witty interpretation of it expressed in an every-day language. 
5/ There is even an intermission, as still happens in Indian cinemas, with a cute and kitsch show.

The movie can be confusing at the beginning, but once you understand the different parts,  you will immerse yourself in a movie that is original, witty and very entertaining. Something completely different from what you are used to watch in modern animation. 

There are not many independent animation movies being made by women. Just this deserves praise. However, what makes the movie so good is its originality, the concept lying behind, and its wittiness. The music is great, not just because of the blues. 
 
The film has been controversial because Paley was not aware that the Annette Hanshaw's songs used in the film were still under copyright, despite the singer being dead for many years. Hanshaw's heirs sued Paley for an astronomical sum, but they reached an agreement and settled for $50,000, which is a tremendous amount of money for an independent artist who made this film using her own money, donations, and counted with the free help of Indian musicians and actors.

You can donate by visiting Paley's website.

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Carmen Steffens (Perth WA)

93-93 William St
Perth Western Australia 6000
(08) 9324 3556
Website
Hours:
    Mon-Thu 10:00 - 18:00
    Fri 10:00 - 20:00
    Sat 10:00 - 17:00
    Sun 12:00 - 17:00

Carmen Steffens in a Brazilian franchise with hundred of shops overseas that sells both women and men's leather and silicone shoes and bags.

Semi-hidden in the Raine Square, the Perth shop is relatively small, but very spacious, with a nice seating area in the centre. It has a very European feeling. They have a focus on good quality, bright colours, attention to the detail, glitter and sexiness. They only bring a few pairs of each model, so you get a very exclusive thing when you buy one of their products regarding both style and colour.

I especially like their flats and ballerinas, which are not only beautifully designed, but also very comfortable. The silicone flats are beautiful, cute, and comfy, and they are not smelly or sticky on your feet.

Customer service is wonderful, with very warm and accommodating staff. Even if you are just browsing around and do not buy anything, they are extremely friendly and welcoming.

They really put a lot of effort in packing your shoes. They put a big of fancy in their carry bags, provide wonderful satin-red silk dust bags for your shoes, and even give the payment receipt in an elegantly designed paper wallet.

DOWNS
+ Pricing is a bit high. Wait for discounts and sales.
+ The sizing can be a bit awkward sometimes for Australian standards. They have the Brazilian, American and European sizing marked on the shoes, but some of the pairs fit one size and a half, if that makes any sense, so they can be a bit small or loose on your feet, if your feet, like mine are a bit uneven. You might need to buy insoles to find the right fit.
+ Their International website is partially written in Portuguese. 

UPDATE JANUARY 2013
The shop at Wesley has closed down.

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Sayers (Leederville, Perth WA)

Shop 1/ 224 Carr Place
Leederville WA 6007
(08) 9227 0429
Website
Facebook
Hours:
    Mon-Sun 7:00 - 15:00


Sayers is one of those places that epitomises what a good café and restaurant can be and sets an example for other cafés that aim to get a name amongst foodies without overcharging or hype. Sayers ticks most things that need to be ticked when evaluating a restaurant: good location - good ambience - good food - decent coffee - moderate pricing - decent serves - cozy layout - fresh local produce - and good service. Bingo!

I love the multi-layered and open layout, which goes from the inner place and spreads around the footpath, to the quiet intimate alley beside the building -my fav area-, and to the inner backyard. The space between tables is sometimes very small, but nothing uncomfortable.

The place is fully packed most days, any time, with patrons of all ages and conditions, but the atmosphere is always relaxed and enjoyable, casual, intimate and classy.

I have tried everything at Sayers, breakfast, lunches, after-hour counter lunches, sweets, coffee and teas, and every single thing has been good, very good or outstanding. They seems to succeed at creating dishes that are well textured, with great taste combinations, and beautifully plated.

The croquette breakfast is yummy, filling, and full of flavour and textures. Delicious to the utmost degree. They are a sort of Eggs Benedict with a big croquette, and Bearnaise -sort of Hollandaise sauce-. The best breakfast I have had this year, and I have had plenty!

Despite its simplicity, the Salmon & Orange salad is wonderfully textured, tasty, light and very refreshing. It is perfect if you want a light lunch or want to leave room in your stomach for a dessert.

The pan seared rare tuna salad is a high-cuisine kind of dish, wonderfully plated, fresh, filling, light and very colourful. I missed some type of bread or bread-ish product to accompany the dish, though.

Their selection of savoury tarts is eye-catching, and, to me, much more tempting than their sweets. They are good, very tasty and textured, not just good looking.

 

Their cakes are gorgeous-looking but some of them are overly syrupy and sweet for my taste. However, the Chocolate & Strawberry Cake is divine, rich but not overwhelmingly so, and with the right amount of sugar, so the chocolate flavour stands out. The Orange & Poppy Seed Tart is also great. However, I did not like the Pine Nuts and Apple Cake, which looks wonderful, but was sickly sweet, and the wonderful flavour of the apple was lost in an overwhelming mass of sugar and syrup.

Sayers has a name for their coffee. However, I am very picky with my coffee, and theirs is not among my favourites. It is good and well prepared, but their Five Senses mix is a bit weak and not especially flavoursome to me, and I need to order a long topped-up macchiato to get the flat-white I want. If you are into smooth coffees your will certainly like it. One thing that I love is that they do mugs, yes, actual mugs, because mugs are sexy. They also have a good selection of teas, which they serve in hyper-cute porcelain cups and teacups, which are very good, too.

The service at Sayers is quite fast despite the huge amount of patrons they attend to every day; many times the staff run, literally, all over the place. The staff are very friendly, courteous and smiley. If they are not too busy, they drop by to ask you how things are going and if you are happy with your dish. They are also very accommodating about any requests or adjustments you need.

Price is moderate for the quality of food you get.  If Sayers can do so, why are we being ripped off by most Perth restaurants?

ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT
-  They should allow payment at the end of your meal, and have one waiter to take orders from tables. At the moment, you have to pay in advance, and get up again and go to the counter to reorder anything else you want. It is not a bad system, it is that they could do better. 
- More self-service water areas could be easily placed in the alley and backyard.
- More magazines and newspapers would be much appreciated.
- Sometimes, food, drinks and bread arrive at different times. That is a problem for dishes that have bread as part of them. Shouldn't be better serving both things together?
- They need to make sure that any change in ingredients in the printed menu is mentioned upfront to patrons, or the menu changed before they change.
- Their toilets need an overhaul. Not bad, but not good either.

MIND
+ They do take-aways!
+ They do cater!
+ You can book by phone weekdays! 

Location: 8/10
Layout: 8.5/10
Ambience 8.5/10
Food: 9/10
Coffee: 6.5/10
Service: 8/10
Pricing: 7/10

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"Waltz with Bashir" by Ari Folman (2008)

Waltz with Bashir is a documentary animation movie that narrates director Ari Folman's personal trip to recover his memory regarding his participation in the invasion of Lebanon and in the massacre of Sabra and Shatila (1982) while he was a soldier in the Israeli Army.

Different elements are shown in the movie, all interconnected.
1/ The story shows how post-traumatic disorder works in soldiers, how tricky and fanciful human memory is, and how memory hides from our conscious anything that causes us pain and shock. The trips and chats Folman had with some of his old Army fellows and one journalist who covered the events helped him to understand what happened to him.

2/ There is a depiction of the reality of war, with its drama, blood, death, fear, and normality. We see young teen soldiers doing a job that overwhelms them, and their fear being the trigger to kill, not hatred. We also see the happy every-day moments lived in their fight idle days and moments: soldiers listening to music, talking about girls, life plans, and  longing for home and a normal life.

3/ There is the narration of the events leading to the massacre of Sabra and Shatila, in which thousands of Muslim civilians (mostly women, children and old people) were pitiless slaughtered by a group called the Christian Phalangists, with the passive connivance of the Israeli Army. We witness with horror the impact that such barbaric acts had on the victims and on those who witnessed the events.

The movie succeeds at presenting such a harsh story by combining different elements in a masterly way.
[1] The movie creates an animated world that is alien and intimate at the same time. This is done by using an unique animation style that is very realistic (very similar to  rotoscopy), by using and odd combination of orange & beige hues, and great chiaroscuro, which create an ominous atmosphere that is surreal at times. The recurring image that Folman remembers -he and two soldiers emerging naked from the beach with a gun (as shown in the movie's poster)- shows very well the sense of spiritual abandonment, alienation and regret that permeates the movie.

[2] The movie paces and presents the research for Folman's memory as if it was a mystery movie. We walk side by side with him while he puts together the pieces of his past; the tempo (and the uneasiness) goes in crescendo and ends in the shocking non-animated final minutes of the movie. They moved me to tears.

[3] The movie uses an impacting and soulful soundtrack that will touch you. It mixes some classical music pieces, well known songs of the 1980s, and some songs and musical pieces specifically written for the movie.

[4] The movie showcases the importance of our oniric world to understand our present and to retrieve pieces of our past that lay dormant in our subconscious;  they are -and were for Folman- a doorway to any locked-in memories. In fact, the movie starts with a dream, and contains several oniric surrealist scenes.

[5] The movie mixes the harsh images and sub-stories with others full of intimacy, lyricism and poetry, and shows different facets of the life of a soldier and of War. 

My main criticism to the movie is that Ari Folman does not explicitly condemn the Israeli involvement in the massacre. He does so implicitly and from a personal point of view, which is full of regret and shame. In a way, the movie is politically correct for the Israelis. To me, the fact that only the Christian Phalangists are depicted as the barbarians and slaughters is a bit washing one's hands. If you see somebody killing frail people and do nothing to stop it or succour them, you are as guilty as the butchers themselves. Most of the victims were women, children and elderly people. How could a soldier do nothing to stop the slaughter? 

***

This is one of this movies that everybody should watch, not only because it is a piece of art, but because it as powerful reminder that War debases us all, destroys the lives of all the parties involved, except of those politicians who started them, and whom we elect.

One of the most amazing films I have seen in the last years. Multi-layered.  Confronting. Lacerating. Unforgettable.

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Good Service - 3

One of the things I have noticed lately is that, as soon as the staff spot you taking a picture of the food, the staff's behaviour changes dramatically and the service improves remarkably, while the level of "smileness" duplicates. 

It is great, on one hand, and a bit pitiful on the other. 

I have experienced the rudeness of a lady behind a counter being dramatically changed -going from mutant monster to an angora fluffy bird- as soon as my camera was taken out. The lady could change her behaviour while I was there, but the reviews on her restaurant always pinpoint the rudeness of the staff. So you cannot fake what you do not have. 

Angry staff should never be dealing with patrons. 

Any staff member should be genuine and nice to me whether I have a camera or not. Is that too much to ask?

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