December 2007

Even Ginger Cats Have The Christmas Spirit [Snap Judgments]

Animal pictures? You (and, er, Jessica) asked, we (and one of our readers, Miriam) answered. At left, a picture Miriam sent us of her Christmas cat, Carlo. (”He actually didn’t mind being dressed up at all.”) In the gallery which begins below, ten other cute critters we managed to find.
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[All gallery images via AP.]

Source: Even Ginger Cats Have The Christmas Spirit [Snap Judgments]

Acqua Di Gio Cologne For Men by Giorgio Armani [Shopaholics Daily]

Check to see if the price has changed. It was on sale the day I wrote the post (and that was before all the after Christmas sales hit). It might have gone down even more!! I just love it when I don’t have to pay full price for something and this fragrance is amazing!! And you do know that Valentine’s Day will be here before you know it.
List Price: $68.00
Price: $58.60
You Save: $9.40 (14%)

Acqua Di Gio Cologne For Men by Giorgio Armani

Technorati Tags: mens fragrance, Shopaholics Daily, Valentine Goodies

Source: Acqua Di Gio Cologne For Men by Giorgio Armani [Shopaholics Daily]

Mapping out Bodymap

People will probably feel that I have no right to be writing about something that is way before my time and that I had no physical contact with but from this very old V magazine interview and the accompanying images and this YouTube video of Fashion Aid in 1985, I am clamouring for Bodymap, a British label of the 80’s founded by David Holah and Stevie Stewart, that ultimately failed because of over-hype and under-funding (two failures of a lot of British independent designers…), to return and prosper in today’s enthusiastic fashion climate.  It’s hard to find the collections documented online but with names like "Barbie Takes a Trip". "Querelle Meets Olive Oil" and "The Cat in the Hat", I know I want to see more…

The archive pieces styled by Tabitha Simmons, and shot by Craig McDean here for V Magazine 27 highlight the resiliance of the pieces.  As in, I would wear any of these outfits straight away if I had the chance.  From the insightful interview with Stevie Stewart, it sounds like Bodymap’s failing was its inability to build a successful business model and it was through no fault of the clothes.  Perhaps their initial dreams of building a Bodymap empire are too far-fetched but I’m certain that a rail of Bodymap sitting in any department store or boutique today would fly.  Innovative cut stretch fabric pieces, sweatshirting with lycra, pseudo-ethnic prints, misplaced addition of volume…. I want me some of that even without the the attachment of the Bodymap label.   

Also, how much fun is everyone having in this Bodymap ‘catwalk’ show as part of 1985’s Fashion Aid (could we possibly handle a 21st century Fashion Aid..except minus any self-righteous U2 Bono affiliations…)?

Source: Mapping out Bodymap

Dark Circles, Fine Lines, and Wrinkles Oh My!

Today is New Year’s Eve; usually a time for reflection where we make a list of goals and changes we want to do in the new year that, lets face it, we (and I mean me) never follow through with. Sadly, I’ve come to the realization that my skin is not the same it was when I was 20. I know you’re thinking, “Gee, really? You don’t say?”. Sarcasm aside, I think I took for granted the fact that I was blessed with good Asian genes. Most Asians are known for aging gracefully. My mother is a good example. My mother is big on skin care and I’m not sure why she never really instilled it in me while I was growing up. But I did get my love of makeup from her and between the two being a skin care junkie might have been better. When I think about it, if I calculate how much I’ve spent on makeup since I was 10, I probably could have bought the best in skin care 10 times over! It may be an exaggeration but it’s pretty close I’m sure.

In my early 20’s, my skin was smooth, wrinkle and blemish-free. I didn’t have to use an expensive cleanser or moisturizer to make my skin glow. And even with all the late nights and the occasional lazy nights of sleeping with my makeup on, my skin still looked great with the random zit. It wasn’t until this past year that I really noticed my skin changing. When I was pregnant, my skin was in the best shape it had ever been in due to healthy eating and multi-vitamins. After I had my son, I’ll admit that I started slacking in both areas including drinking water. My fluid consumption has now been replaced with a couple mugs of coffee and the rare glass of water (usually when I’m dying of thirst and by that point I’m severely dehydrated already). Having a baby has definitely aged me faster and I’ll only be 29 this year! I’m not even 30 yet and grey hairs, dark circles, wrinkles and fine lines have crept up on me! It wasn’t until recently that my grey hairs and fine lines have started to really bother me.

I’m at this point now where I’m putting on way more makeup than I used to in hopes that I’ll conceal those flaws. But the fact of the matter is, and I’ve always believed this, if you’re not taking care of your skin no amount of makeup will help! And because I have been applying more makeup my skin has been breaking out more. The little blackheads on my nose are more noticeable and blemishes and old scars are more pronounced. My skin has also been more sensitive lately resulting in red, dry and sometimes itchy patches. I know most of this might be due to drier winter weather, but the fine lines and wrinkles are becoming a problem.

My skin just looks dull and lifeless. And while I love my Cetaphil cleanser and moisturizer it just doesn’t seem to be cutting it. The cleanser is perfect for someone that has sensitive skin and doesn’t wear too much makeup, but since I wear more I need something a little more heavy duty. The moisturizer has been great at soothing my skin flare ups, but doesn’t really do anything to reduce or minimize wrinkles and fine lines. For the longest time I had been using M.A.C.’s Fast Response Eye Cream which was great for calming my puffiness but it didn’t really hydrate the eye area or minimize the dark circles. A few months ago I ran out of it and decided to try something different and a lot cheaper. I picked up Aveeno’s Positively Ageless Eye Serum on sale and was confident in the product since many from the line have had rave reviews. It definitely brightens up my eyes and has a nice cooling effect perfect for morning puffiness, but it doesn’t give me enough moisture and my fine lines seem more prominent. Even when I have let it set, I’ve found that my makeup has flaked off when applied over top of the eye cream. So, to say the least I’m not happy with it.

There are many areas of my life that I’d like to improve and keeping my skin looking as youthful as possible is one of them. I’m not into plastic surgery (but I never say never) and prefer to age au naturel with the help of some really great skin care and healthy living. Here is my beauty resolution list (don’t laugh, I’m sure you have one too right??!):

1. Drink 8 glasses of water a day
2. Take multi-vitamins
3. Start eating more healthy and cut out all processed foods
4. Sleep earlier and get at least 8 hrs of sleep.

5. Change my facial cleanser. I’d like to try Philosophy’s Purity Made Simple. It’s supposed to be gentle yet strong enough to get rid of makeup and deep cleanse the pores. I’ve read many rave reviews so I’m hoping I’ll love it just as much!

6. Change my moisturizer. I’ve also been reading rave reviews of Philosophy’s Hope in A Jar. It boasts to bring a more youthful and radiant glow to the skin.

7. Change eye cream. I’m not scared to spend a lot on eye cream because the eye area is where my aging is the most noticeable. However, I would prefer not to spend over $100 on one. I know more expensive doesn’t equal better, but I’ve tried drugstore and have had no success. So, I think I’m going to try Clinique’s All About Eyes eye cream. I’ve seen a lot of reviews, some bad but mostly good and I’m willing to give their smaller pot a try.

If anyone has any other recommendations, I’d love to hear it. Well, that rounds out my list. I could have added exercise more and spend less on makeup but who am I kidding? Those are on my list every year and I’ve never stuck to it but I’ve always made an effort. That counts right? lol Do you have any new year resolutions or do you think it’s a bunch of crap? Maybe so but it’s not bad to make some change and have some goals. I’m really excited about my gift certificate for a total spa day of pampering that was a wonderful gift from my mother-in-law and sister-in-law (I’ll be getting my first facial! Can you believe I’ve never had one?)! I think that’s a pretty good start to the new year! I hope everyone out there has an amazing New Years!!

Source: Dark Circles, Fine Lines, and Wrinkles Oh My!

Nintendo’s DS overtakes PlayStation 2 in lifetime Japanese sales

We already knew Nintendo’s DS was quite the popular handheld, and while the PSP recently overtook it in Japanese hardware sales, the most recent numbers show that the Big N’s famed DS has actually rocketed above the mighty PlayStation 2 in lifetime sales (in Japan). Notably, the numbers do combine DS and DS Lite units, but there’s no mention of how the systems stack up worldwide. Nevertheless, the feat is a fairly impressive one when you consider how much longer the PS2 has been available compared to the DS, and unless Sony somehow lightens the PS2 load even further and starts bundling them in with cereals, we doubt it will reclaim the top spot anytime soon.

[Via DSFanboy, thanks J]

Source: Nintendo’s DS overtakes PlayStation 2 in lifetime Japanese sales

All I Got For Christmas Was This Stupid Abortion Protest [’Pro-Life’ Losers]

Okay people, it’s not puppytime just yet. There’s been a series of anti-abortion mishaps out west this month. On December 6 in Albuquerque, abortion provider Dr. Curtis Boyd’s clinic was destroyed by arsonists, reports the New York Times. This past Tuesday, two other abortion centers in the New Mexico city were seriously ravaged by fires. Police have arrested two 22-year-old men, Chad Altman and Sergio Baca, on suspicion of arson. Outside of Denver, paternalistic protesters are picketing outside the homes of contractors who agreed to work on a new Planned Parenthood building. Even on Christmas morning these jerks planned to show up outside the contractors homes to picket with signs of dead babies. What a truly Christian gesture!

Head protester Will Duffy went on Denver’s local Fox morning show to speak out against anyone even remotely involved with Planned Parenthood, right down to the cleaning ladies and contractors. They all deserve to be picketed, he said, because they are helping PP “rip the arms and legs off unborn children.” Uh, what? I’m pretty sure they don’t do that. Fox also interviews Vic Barta, whose Denver Security Services were hired to protect the Planned Parenthood lot from security breaches. Barta has since abandoned the lucrative contract because the protesters outside his house scared his 14-year-old child. Vicky Coward of Colorado Planned Parenthood puts it pretty succinctly: the protesters “say they’re pro-family, but they’re really terrifying families and communities.”

Albuquerque Has Renewal of Attacks on Abortion [New York Times]
Contractor Opens Up About Abortion Protesters [My Fox Colorado via feministing]

Source: All I Got For Christmas Was This Stupid Abortion Protest [’Pro-Life’ Losers]

Um…techno-tribe?

So a new season rolls in, and you start hearing words constructed with hyphens bandied about.  These mini trend nuggets are designed to be used very liberally for the next six months without much thought as to whether the item of clothing actually encapsulates that word or not, but it’s always best to bung things into trend categories right?  Examples being nu-rave, nu-grave, boho-tec and drum roll please, for SS08, comes techno-tribe.  The Observer fashion supplement by Tank describes this ‘as the most complex trend to emerge’ combining multicultural pillage and 90’s raving lunacy with prints and plumes clashing with dip dye and reflective surfaces.

The former part of this post was really an excuse to rant about trend nugget words but the latter part is far more positive and though people may attribute Toga’s SS08 collection with the aforementioned phrase, I’d rather not think of it as a collection that is simply going with the trend flows but is mixing it up in a very unique way.  Toga is a Japanese label that is little known outside Japan but has three stores in Japan.  Yasuka Furato, the designer created ‘Toga’ in 1997 and no, she doesn’t create draped Grecian dresses every season but rather an eclectic mix of textile research and play on volume. 

The SS08 Trojan Horse collection references not just the Greek myth but also the definition of the term as a ‘concealed strategem’ or a ‘destructive computer program’.  So in other words, a collection with a lot of hidden messages, depth and if you REALLY MUST attribute it with a trend phrase, ‘techno-tribe’.  I love the way fabrics look like they have been selected in a ramshackle way but then pieced together with great symmetry.  Kind of like an clever usage of fabric remnants. 

Sadly Toga is a damn hard difficult label to find in Europe but thanks to Dover Street Market, the situation is not completely destitute.  Apologies if this post went a bit rant-y….just stare at the image and hopefully, it will obliterate all traces of fash-bitch.   

Source: Um…techno-tribe?

Sasha Does a Bob for 2008! [Beauty Bento Box]

I know I just had a haircut a month back but I had intended to get something shorter. I wish I had met Phoebe then. I so loved her funky, edgy hair when I first saw it during the Blogger Mixer and I had told myself, “she has got to take me to her stylist!” Yes. That’s how badly I wished to get away from my boring long locks. Gah.

Thank god for Phoebe, who did take me to her stylist over at F Salon and helped me find a fabulous hair style, I went and got “BOB-ed”. I had needed her to tell the stylist what I had wanted done and not to mention the moral support!

Rather than bore you guys with a copy heavy post on the haircut, I thought it’d be interesting to photo document the entire thing.

“Huwaaat? Cut my long locks?!?”

As you can see I tie my hair in a bun most of the time anyway so might as well cut it off, huh?

“No way! That’s how my hair looks from the back?! Eeek.”

Honestly. My hair looks more red than brown. It’s the light in the salon that made it look that, er, disastrous! But if my hair really looks that dry then twas a good thing to cut it!

“Ahhh! I can get used to this!”

So that’s how it feels like to have a paparazzi on you. Heh. Look, I didn’t even know Phoebe took a photo of me with my hair all wet. Gah. I’m the girl on the right, btw.

“Am I doing the right thing? Hmmm.”

The stylist chopped the ‘excess’ hair to a more manageable length and had it blow dried. Turned out cute but I wanted it just a lil bit shorter and less bland-looking as blunt cuts. Heh.

“Alas! Tis’ short!”

The world is lighter! Hahaha. Yea, after having had long hair since 1999 (if I remember it correctly), it certainly is a huge change for me.

So off we go to more cutting. Snip here. Snip there. Layered the tips.

“Awww. I have two Rico’s in my life now.”

Trivia: Meet Rico the boyfriend and Rico the stylist. You can guess which is which, right? Hehe. Oh, did I forget to mention that the stylist’s name is Rico, too? Well, it is! I reckon it’s fate. Heh.

“It’s taking shape!”

There you go. You can now see that it’s taking shape. We’re quite at the end of this hair escapade.

“Ta-da! All done!”

Brushing off some stray hair on my top, you can see the final outcome. Oh, didja notice that my hair is a bit longer down the front? I love that bit especially.

“Time for a kodak moment!”

I reckon this is my way to start a new year! I’ll be sporting a bob for 2008!

So, how do you guys like my new hair?

Photos © 2007 Phoebe Ramos

Useful Info:
Stylist: Rico
Schedule: Wednesdays off
Location: F Salon (inside First Aid), 2nd Level, Greenbelt 3, Makati City
Contact Number: 757 4976

Asian Beauty, Beauty Bento Box, Bento Box News, bob, Eastern Experiments, F Salon, First Aid, Greenbelt 3, Hair, haircut, hairstyle, Hairstyle Tips, Phoebe Ramos, Sasha Manuel

Source: Sasha Does a Bob for 2008! [Beauty Bento Box]

“I Went Home, Grabbed Some Spraypaint, Took The Train Back And Waited Until 4am To Climb The Scaffolding.” [Love Letters]

I’m still a little bitter over the months I spent making $9 an hour clearing out their dressing rooms, but I have to credit the ethically exploitative, generically-trendhumping corporate paradox that is American Apparel for its ceaseless bloggy news flow. Just last week, the company ran a New York Times ad advocating the sort of immigration reforms that would make life easier for the folks that weave and sew those gym tees and hoodies our generation so loves. Then on Monday, the company officially listed itself on the American Stock Exchange, finally subjecting its financial results to the scrutiny of public shareholders who will no doubt at some point wonder if that whole “living wage” idea was such a smart one. Monday’s announcement came on the heels of about a year the company spent trading opaquely under the name Endeavor Acquisition as a so-called “backdoor” listing, which reminded us of another “backdoor” thing about the company: that fucking billboard. We recently heard from the guy — yeah, guy! — who claims to have defaced it earlier this year. His letter is probably the best Christmas gift a bunch of whores like us could have gotten, not least because he admits he has a “lot to learn.” Don’t we all.

A friend just forwarded the american apparel story link and said: “dude, you’re efamous…kind of”. I was totally amazed and happy that such a debate was sparked by my humble offering.
First off, i’m not a graf writer. Honestly, I was just reacting to the constantly degrading images of women that AA creates. That ad in particular - headless, bent over, composed so that the focus was irrefutable… I went home, grabbed some spraypaint, took the train back and waited until 4am to climb the scaffolding.
Now that i’ve read all of the comments and reactions posted on jezebel, i feel regret at having chosen the word “get”. The people who mentioned “are” as a better choice of wording were right. I struggled with the thought of leaving such an open-to-interpretation message, but eventually just decided to go with my gut-reaction and get the hell down from there.
It was horrifying to read that some people interpreted it as “women deserve to be raped” or that i was probably some uneducated/ignorant/misogynistic graf writer promoting my justification….(geez, talk about a stereotype!) I also took offense to the comments that suggested i need to re-evaluate my concept of feminism… duh! of course i agree that women should be able to dress as they please and not have to worry about others interpretation. That said, i couldn’t let this advert slide by without a protest. This wasn’t a run of the mill ad by some faceless corporation. This was Dov Charney’s “art” and ideology.
I’ll be the first to admit that i have a lot to learn. I’m not much of an academic, and have only recently started reading books which address gender, feminist theories, body image… i have my own (imperfect) ideas and reactions to the world around me and accept that i am going to make mistakes, and grow as i learn more…
As an act of civil disobedience/direct action, i believe that this form of protest was effective(if only momentarily) in that it caused AA economic damage(well over $10,000.), inspired an open discussion on many levels and was a learning experience for all.
I don’t mean to ramble on and on, so i’ll just end this by saying thank you for bringing this topic/discussion onto your website. In the future, i will take greater precautions to be more clear in my meaning…

Sign Of End Times: Porn-y American Apparel Billboard Is Probably Fake. Not That Anyone Can Tell!

Source: “I Went Home, Grabbed Some Spraypaint, Took The Train Back And Waited Until 4am To Climb The Scaffolding.” [Love Letters]