Pickles n' Tickles by JJ

WHEN a friend passed me a container of  Laura Mercier Mineral Cheek Powder in Pink Spark, I was my usual skeptic self. The last few times I tried on cheek powders, I ended up looking like a TV newscaster from the 80s - with strong colour and unnatural shine on the cheekbones, minus the big hair. I hated it and so I stuck by my matte blushers till I started using this product a few months ago - the rest is history. These days, my matte blushers only rise to very few occasions. Most times they lie at the bottom of my make-up box. The mineral cheek powder is super-duper fine. Finer than you can imagine, really. It has this amazing ability to cling onto your skin like it knows it belongs there, and it stays for a whole day, taking durability to another level. Just be careful not to dab too much powder on your cheeks when powdering your face. Otherwise you'll end up toning down the glorious radiance. It gives my ...

 That's right. It was near Halloween and during an Xcelerate Fit Boot Camp  session yesterday, we remembered the celebration with some pumpkins. But here's the thing. The fruits weren't glowing at us with hollow, orange eyes and we were not in Dracula costumes. Instead each one of us had a pumpkin in hand while we did various exercises during the session led by trainer Ben Yeoh.  The pumpkins acted as weights when we did countless crunches, lunges, streching, runs and squats. A pumpkin next to an  exercise mat Most pumpkins were about 2 to 3kg and mine  was 2.2kg. I thought it was an easy weight to begin with, but when I did 20 repetitions of everything for three sets, 2.2kg felt a lot more heavier as the body got weary. The session would have been a lot more fun though if the field we were training at was not wet due to an earlier rain. I scurried in between s...

I was walking in Desa Sri Hartamas with a photographer friend, Chan Tak Kong on Wednesday and witnessed the incident above. Obviously the owner/ driver of the Wira, which was carelessly parked at the wrong side of the narrow street, had left his brains at home on that day. As a result, the poor Hyundai could not make a right turn, so the driver kept on blasting the honk (I totally understand his frustration). Making matters worse, there was a long queue of vehicles behind the motorbike, also stuck due to the brainless driver's action. How rude.

When I went for the Asian launch of Max Factor's False Eye Lash Effect Mascara (FLE) in Beijing in July, I was blown away by how big mascaras were in China. The launch gambit and all that hype about FLE seemed like the company had chanced upon a secret formula that liberated women from lash woes. Everyone around me fluttered their lashes and swore by it. Brand ambassador and celebrity make-up artist Pat McGrath said she carried at least 5 of those magic wands in her handbag wherever she went - not that I checked. But with that kind of launch exposure, I was compelled to believe that women of the world could really (and finally) say goodbye to false lashes. Two weeks later, I tested it on several occasions, and concluded that better not dump your fake lashes into the bin just yet. FLE actually coats the lashes well, literally separating lash by lash, giving them full coverage. The end result is natural in a very girl-next-door way, but I do...

I find Estee Lauder Projectionist High Definition Volume Mascara , a projector of the lashes to some extend. The narrow bristles at the end allows me to reach onto the tiny hair at the inner corner of my eyes. The product's formula which isn't very thick, allows colour to spread well to full length of lashes. Although it does it's job fairly well, you've got to be a little careful not to over-coat with it because it can eventually result in clumping. Unfortunately for fine lashes like mine, I need a few coats to make it work best. Perhaps if the bristles were a little more dense, it could work better. I feel the mascara performs at its best after some time of opening the seal (in two or three weeks) because as it gets thicker, it provides a better hold and definition.  Removal of the washable range is bliss. Though I like it, you can get something cheaper and as functional from your local pharmacy range.

I must say this is my current favourite mascara. Chanel Inimitable   Multi Dimensional (in Navy) works for me in a way I never imagined it would. I am happy with the results after a week of testing it. There is something about the bristles because it loads colour well and spreads it evenly onto each lash, while instantly curling it upwards and helping it stay that way till I remove it at day end. It also makes my moderately long but very fine lashes to appear thicker than they really are, without clumps. I can do a few coats for some drama without fearing for that doomed 'crimped' effect. I also like the fact that the colour Navy actually stays navy without turning into an electric blue once it's on the lashes. Some mascaras say navy or dark blue on the labels but once applied you realise it's actually some cazy blue with which you can't get pass the office elevator without quirky looks from your colleagues! Removal is a breeze. Wash gent...

Nothing opens up the eyes like a good, lengthening, volumising, curling or darkening mascara, depending on what effect/ effects your eyes need. I've always been a huge mascara advocate because a perfect mascara goes a long way in making me feel good about establising eye contact with people. So I never leave home without a healthy coat of mascara. Personally when I buy or sample a mascara, I make sure it is a non-waterproof product. For those who do not have sensitive, thus teary eyes, I recomend the washable types because A) it's easy to remove B) it does not dry the lashes C) so it's gentle and good for daily use. If you are one who is sporty and active, especially at water sports (swimming, etc)and still want gorgeous lashes to charm-wink the hunk at the next swimming lane, a good waterproof mascara with long-staying power is crucial. You don't want something that claims staying-power but slowly grains out after an hour of pool...

I figured Rude Malaysians need a label of their own since there are so many out there. At food stalls, posh restaurants, ticket counters, government offices, on the road and communal living arrangements such at condominiums, testing on decent Malaysians'sanity. It's an ugly phenomenon, really. For a long time, I chose to ignore and avoid such people but these days, I just speak out loud and tell to their faces of their rudeness. My rational is that maybe they are not aware of it so by telling them, they might realise something (and in my own straight-faced, demonic effort to hurt their ego!). I don't know if it works to move them from a lifetime of cutting queus and speaking at a rude decibel in hospital wards, but the idea is to basically get them thinking (if they think at all) of their actions.   Under this label, I will be relating stories of my rude encounters as I go on my daily chores. A few...