Gladiator Heels are back!~

I am starting these heels back in action; as I flipped through some of fashion magazines or female blogs which highlighted this as one of the 'In' thing now.

I guess it does make a fashion statement when you see folks from Tinseltown donning them and strutting in style onto the red carpet, eh?

(For illustration, taken from web)

At the same time, I've also noticed that the latest heels are carved to be slightly wedge-shaped with a broader tip at the bottom.
It's like a chunky bit at the bottom of your shoe.

These shoes look good with dresses, I must say, as these stars proudly show off
(Pictures do not belong to me, taken from web for illustration)

I used to think that these shoes are just like nozzles for dogs; and are not too flattering on feet. Oh, I don't know, to an extent, I find it weird to put them on although I do have a pair at one point or another.

Now, I am wondering, since these look so good, is this a cue for me to get myself a pair of Gladiator heels too?
(That's a glamourous name!)

Psst...that guy's gossiping!

It is a common scene to catch a woman engaged in a heated and exciting conversation with another woman at any time of the day or in any corner/place you may be; or as we say, gossiping about other people.
Typically, we just nod it off while our guys would probably roll their eyes in our face and give us that, "Why are girls like that" kind of look.

Well, it is part and parcel of a girl's life; just like maternal instinct, these are like primitive natures in them where they just tend to love to share stuffs with each other.
I am not really into the gossiping part, seriously, there are girls who are not into gossiping about other people or celebrities where we just love to moon over their dirty lives.
When we are talking or whispering to each other, we are NOT always gossiping or sharing dirty bits about others' lives.
Puhhh..lease, we have other things better to do than that.

It has become such a general or rather, stereotyped perception that each time girls gather and huddle closely to each other, whispering into each other's ears, it means we are Gossiping.
Perhaps we are sharing some news or updates about each others' lives or something which concerns another friend which is to be discussed in private and not to be publicized.
Either way, it is still generally accepted that women gossip.

However, when men do it, it seemed like a whole new thing to us, I don't know why.
Perhaps we have been conformed to think that we are the superior gender who owns this privilege and priority that it is hard to imagine that our male counterparts are doing the same.

Just the other day, I was having dinner with my friend in a coffee shop and I did not mean to eavesdrop as this guy did not make an effort to keep his voice down anyway, but I couldn't help hearing how he was telling his friends about this b*tch at work.
I was surprised and totally taken aback by this kind of talk coming from a guy.

He was totally making a big story out of it all; and the way he described the woman and calling her names just made me feel so disgusted with his behavior.
I mean, no offense, but that is certainly not how a gentleman should behave in my own standards.
It was a loud and clear statement that this other woman whom he was working with had angered/annoyed him but there is still no reason to call others' names; man or woman.

Besides the fact, I was also surprised to find that men too, indulge in an activity which they frown upon when it's done by the fairer sex.
Then, it dawned upon me that MEN do gossip, and probably love it as much as the women do.

I still remember how some of my guy friends often shift closer to us girls when we start to lower our voices to share some tiny secrets.
They would also edge towards us to huddle together when they hear names mentioned; and want to know, Who's with who now, who broke up with who, and what, how, etc.
Well, that was pretty normal since that's probably part of the fun that they want to participate in.

However, THIS, is different though; where the guys are the ones doing the gossiping and with other guys.


I could barely imagine,I mean, what kind of topics would they talk about?

Alright, that whole b*tchin' thing about some other women at work/home who annoyed them but what else?
We've always thought that the topics which interest guys are (besides women and sex) football, cars, sports, finances, investments, properties, or all practical topics.
Perhaps we are wrong, but it just seems equally wrong to have guys discussing about how good Brad Pitt looks with Jennifer Aniston, etc.
Don't even dream of them sharing a hobnob on how romantic the scene is where the guy told the girl he loved her in a particular Korean drama.

It's just something which is unique; girls gossip about almost everything. There are so many topics which interest them; from make-up to beauty products, to clothes, accessories, family, work, friendships, celebrity news, dramas/movies, books, shopping...the list is almost to infinity.
It is just so easy to strike up a conversation with a girl which could probably go on until the cows come home.

If you are wondering how we girls can do that; chatting and hopping from one random topic to another/gossiping, well, it is again, back to the natural instinct in us and the enjoyment from the activity.
To us, it means spending quality time with our best girl friends and catching up with each other.
Where you catch up on sports and cars, we catch up with our girls on the latest happenings in our lives..and that of course, involves other people in our lives and their other people in others' lives.

You see, we girls are just highly networked that we can weave everyone's life together into one picture and sometimes, it is just so amazing.

For guys though, I am trying to picture the topics you discuss and dismissing the giggling part to maintain a macho image of the guys.

I am not trying to stereotype here; but just as guys always setting a certain standards for us girls, in the roles of childbearing, mothering, feminine, ladylike, soft-spoken, etc, we too have some unspoken standards for guys.
For instance, guys are expected to show courtesy by offering the seats to us, taking our heavy grocery bags, holding the doors open for us, etc.
Just as how guys do not like holding hands with each other or crying in front of us, it is also the same with gossiping.

It is considered a girl-thing, too, right?
I mean, there is nothing wrong when guys do want to share their juicy finds with other guys or b*tchin about others, but it is not honorable to be at the top of your voices in public places, ain't it?
Even we girls do not do that!

The whole concept about gossiping is about keeping it low, as we do respect others' privacy as well as the person we are talking about. Don't go washing all these dirty linens in the public, we say.

So, we have nothing against guys who would like to gossip, but for Pete's sake, before you indulge in our so-called 'sport', please learn the rules and be subtle about it.

Could you please keep it down a little?

New Pantene Pro V Hair Mask

I've just read about this new product launched by Pantene; which claims to be the handy and convenient leave-on hair mask for us.

It is supposed to protect/shield your hair from the environmental damages or harsh assaults from the UV rays, dust, etc and envelope your hair with a protective layer to preserve it until you wash it.
It's supposed to be great for folks who are often outdoors (or whenever you need to go out) and your hair would be softer or more manageable after application.

There is no need to rinse it off after application and leave it on when you go out.
You can wash it off during your next shampoo/bath.

The compact size makes it handy to be carried around in our handbag for that quick fix you need wherever you are.

Sounds great, right?

I've not seen it on the shelves yet, and I am thinking of giving this a try but I've read several not-so-good reviews which claims that it can leave your hair turning into dead-grass like o_O

Anyone who has tried this before?

(Illustrations not available)

Back to more girly issues...

It's been a while since I've been away from this blog but I'm back, armed with a load of interesting topics waiting to be posted soon!

For those who have been following this blog, I apologize for the lack of updates and promise to be back as soon as I can with more juicy stories, articles and reviews of products to be shared with all you lovely ladies out there =)

Stay tune for more...this November...and thanks for the patience and support!~

Mega Sale/Merdeka Sale is here!

It is again, the season for sales (actually I think the whole year has been lined up with sales!)

Starting from end of last month towards mid-September, it seems like everything is on sale.

At the same time, knowing us girls, it is also the time to keep a good eye and hand on your cashflow and not just buy anything which you think is nice or you just fell in love with it.

Of course, it is still good to go shopping and oogle at everything which you will want and desperate to buy.
Well, that is, if you have a really fat paycheck to pay all your bills and not go hungry by the end of the month.

Stay tune to the next post on spending during the sales, and the shopaholic inside you...coming soon!~

How HEAVY is your handbag?

Handbags are often the best friends of a girl; as they hold most of the stuffs which we want to carry when we go out of the house.
It is what we carry around; sometimes to flaunt off that designer bag or the unique design which we are sure no one else would have in their inventory.

Most of the basic items that can be found in our handbags or bags are as below:
1. Purse - cash, credit cards, membership cards,photos, coins, vouchers, etc
2. Coin purse - coins or small items
3. Cell phone - some may have 2-3 phones
4. Mirror - this is a vanity item which I am sure most girls will carry
5. Keys - House/car
6. Tissues
7. Access Cards - office/home (if you stay in an apartment)
8. Lipstick - chapstick, lip balms, lip gloss, etc

The above are basically the essential items and most commonly found in our handbags.
They are things that we believe are important and are must-bring items.
(Obviously, duh, how else are we going to pay or check our look or clean our mouth or even drive our car and get into our house/office)

Essential as they are, they actually add the weight to what we have to carry on our shoulders and our hands and could cause immense pressure.
Some of us may complain of back pains, shoulder pains and stressed arms/wrists.

Reason is the extra weight that we have to carry in our hands which have put an underestimated pressure on our spine and also our skeletal system.

"Oh, it's just the basic items and they are all so small! How much could they weigh?"

Much as I would like to agree on that, unfortunately, that is not the case as some of our handbags can be a few kilograms heavy (or even pounds) - no joke!
These little items; accumulated, could actually sum up to a weight which could lead to strains on our muscoskeletal system.

Furthermore, recently, the trend of large handbags are in and we see more and more girls carrying those huge handbags.
This is a trend which we are thankful for as it allows us more room to fit in stuffs which we want to bring but couldn't in those sling bags or clutches.

However, this is also another dangerous trend to follow as we tend to overload our bags to the limit and end up suffering from the pains.

Referring to the article published by The American Chiropractic Association here, carrying a bag with a delectable weight of more than 10 percent of your body weight could pose risks to your bone and muscle system.
When we put the bag on our shoulder, it interferes with the natural balance and movement by our limbs as we try to balance ourselves to adjust to the weight we are carrying.
This in turn could cause the spine to slightly bend towards the weight; and is definitely unhealthy.

It is really a scary statement; to me at least.
I know we do need to reduce the number of items and weight we have to carry inside our bag; and we MUST do it.

So, stop using the excuses that "I need this" or "I need that" or "It's just so small, it probably doesn't weigh much"

We need to stop all these excuses and re-review all the things that we are currently carrying in our bags.
If you are carrying a cute purse, check all the items in it and make sure that you remove some of those outdated vouchers or receipts and also the cards which are not necessary.
All these little cards, or small sheets of paper actually add considerable weight to the purse itself.

There's also the vanity case you are carrying, which probably includes your lipstick, mascara, compact powder, etc....do leave those at home if you can help it. Put them on before leaving the house and don't carry them around, it does not just add to the weight of your bag but it could also affect the quality of the cosmetics when you carry them around in different temperatures.

Keys, cell phone...you can carry them but make sure they are only the needed ones.

In short, make sure you accessorize..and re-arrange everything.

When I look at the contents of my bag, I know I have a lot of work to do!!

Can Women Pack Light for Travel?

Is there any woman on this planet Earth who can actually pack LIGHT for travel?

If you have heard of that question thrown by your dad, your brother, your spouse or boyfriend, then welcome to the club, you have officially made it to the statistics of another woman who need to re-organize their priorities and take Light Travel Packing 101 lessons.

Don't get me wrong, I am not a really good light packer myself...and not exactly one either, although I know I have to learn this myself, to PACK LIGHT!

My Daddy used to tell me this all the time, priortize and travel light.
It is always good to travel light, he says.

Sure it is, but it is not as easy as what one thinks.
(I know someone will probably lash back and tell me that it's not as hard as what I think either)

If that comes from a guy, then I think you need to hold your tongue as I list out the reasons why we face this dilemma all the time.

1. We do not own monotone types of t-shirts and pants.
Admit it, guys only have 3 types of shirts: a Polo tee, a T-shirt, and a ironed work shirt.
Variants? Of course they have their assortment of patterns
Striped, checkered, plain
With or without pocket
With or without buttons
With or without logo/brand on the right side of the shirt

That's it! Of course it's easier when it comes to packing. You don't even have lots of variants in your pants/trousers either.
Jeans or slacks....and light or dark-colored.
Shorts or bermudas.
You pack one of each and it goes well with everything.
I know some do that even on long period of travel!

We have blouses and tops (frilled, lacy, knitted, crocheted, wool, cotton, cheese cloth, silk, puffed sleeves, linen, etc)
Then there's skirts to go for formal occasion and those for beach, and some are only meant for light walks.
Dresses for light summer wear or evening wear
Shorts for the pool or the beach, bermudas for cooler weather, mini hipsters for beach wear, khakis for jungle trekking or adventure, jeans (boot cut, tight, acid-washed), tight leggings, slacks...the list goes on.
They all go for different occasion; and we like to be prepared for any occasion without buying on the spot.

2. We have definitely more important toiletries besides a toothbrush and a toothpaste.
Some of us can't even use the shampoo or shower gel and lotion provided by the hotel due to the sensitive skin and scalp we have.
We have to bring our own; and that adds to the load.
Then there's those facial cleanser (totally a different thing from shower gel and soap!), moisturizer, toner, masque, day cream, night cream.
Then there's those lotions; lightweight and heavyweight...for different times of the day
Shampoo, conditioner, hair masque, hair oil, tonic, etc

I think this list already beat the ones that a guy have on his list
Toothbrush, toothpaste, shaver, shaving cream, comb?

3. We do not use one pair of shoe for all occasions
Thongs, sandals and slippers are different! So are sneakers and loafers.
Every girl will pack at least one mid-height heels for any occasion they may need to go with the dress

4. We need to have our accessories
Cotton buds, cotton pads, nail clipper, brushes, sanitizer, etc..

Of course, all those can be emitted and much as we would like to defend ourselves, to a certain extent, I have to admit that we are guilty as charged.
Most of us who wanted to or even had the slight intention to pack light always end up packing more!

Women are naturally a cautious lot, and we want to be prepared at all times. We do not want to arrive at our destination and regret that we did not bring this and that.
I am sure most of us have had the experience where we deliberately leave something which we figured would not be useful just to find that we actually need it when we are there.
Talk about irony.

That's where we could have kicked at ourselves for leaving that behind, and just wonder and imagine how lovely it would have been if we dropped it into the suitcase at that time!

Another point is the tendency of us looking at each thing to pack as one that is small in size and easily fitted.
"Oh, that bottle of shampoo is just so small, it should not be heavy"
"I reckon I should bring my nail clipper and emery board too, it does not take up too much space"
"I think I need an additional pair of socks in case it gets really cold there"

All these extra bits of stuffs we need end up in a large amount when compiled together, UNFORTUNATELY!

If you are travelling with a mother, do not blame her for not being able to pack light as it is a mother's nature to make sure that everything is complete to provide for her children.
They will fuss over the amount of milk powder to bring, diapers, clothes, medicine, etc.
It is in the nature of being a mother.

Another thing to remember is to inform us how many days we are travelling; whether it is a short or a long vacation.

"As if it makes any difference!" someone once snorted at me.
It does, actually, the bulk is slightly smaller.

I have learnt to travel light; since I have to fly frequently on business trips and sometimes they are really short.
I have to make sure I do not pack too much stuffs, and make sure that it is not too heavy.

Reason is due to the weight I have to lug behind me in airports upon arrival which causes so much pain. Furthermore, it creates a lot of inconvenience when I want to travel from place to place, or if I need to take a bus/train and having to watch over the many luggages around.
Even if it is only one suitcase, the weight could be unbearable and it is embarassing for me to be seen tugging hard at my bag and avoiding all those stares.

I have learnt my lesson; bitterly.

It is not easy, but I have slowly enjoyed the privileges of travelling light.
However, there is still one part I need to put in mind,
I may need extra weight after the trip, because of the newly bought things!!

So, you see, even when we try to travel light when we are heading there, you have got to be mentally prepared that we may need another luggage when we come back here because of the things that we buy.

Of course, we can always be controlled in terms of whether to buy or not, but sometimes, they are just too adorable to resist and after all, we have already flown so far and for so long to that place, how could we not bring back something for a souvenir?

It is a never-ending argument on packing light, but it is still a good practice to start which motivated me to pack light too.

For a start, perhaps a simple list would help
1. Pack only essentials.
Ask yourself whether you really need that extra dress, skirt, blouse.
Count the number of days, and add an additional shirt will do. Try to bring light-weighted clothes.
If you are expecting cold weather, bring ONE thick sweater.

2. Request for travel packs when you buy your cosmetics/toileteries.
When you buy your regular sized toners, cleansers, moisturizers, etc, ask the counter if you could get a sample size or even the travel packs, do so.

3. Bring one pair of sandals and a pair of sneakers.
If you can help it, get either one pair of sneakers/loafers for walking purpose.
There are lots of footwear designs out there which are suitable for multipurposes.

4. Try to avoid bringing too much accessories
You just have to leave that pair of earrrings or that necklace at home. Drop as much accessories as possible, go with only the essential.
bring the most versatile set, and that's it. Only ONE set.
After all, it is risky to be bringing so many. You don't want to lose any of your precious earrings, don't you?

5. Go easy on the jeans and those heavier material clothings.
These outfits put a toll on the weight you have to lull behind you; not exactly a desirable sight.

These are all the tips and pointers, just bear in mind that you want to travel in style, sashaying your way through the airport and those stations to your hotel without panting all the way.

So, start Packing LIGHT!