Valen’s Vanity Square

‘Bumped’ into this photo on the internet yesterday… pink mobile phones by Nokia!

You would probably guess what followed after that. Yeah, the photo ignited my pink desire, making me searching high and low on the web for my dream pink mobile phone, hehe. I actually don’t make many phone calls, and hardly chat on the phone. But I definitely want to look good when I do, haha! Hey, you can’t deny that mobile phones are also one of the fashionable items today, can you?

So, after browsing through the web, I’ve shortlisted four here. They all carry different specs in terms of dimension, weight, memory space, ring tones, camera pixel, etc. I don’t really know what differences they will make. To me, as long as the phone functions like a phone, is able to access the internet, take simple shots, play MP3 files, AND look good, that will be fine by me. Haha!

Sony Ericsson Z610i
I like its smooth, glassy, mirrored front. Comes with a 2-megapixel camera and support for 3G.

Sony Ericsson W580i
More of a walkman than a phone, actually. Still, it’s cool. Comes with Walkman 2.0 music player, 2-megapixel camera and Bluetooth.

Nokia 7373
One of Nokia’s L’Amour Collection. Totally love its artful exterior! Offers a 2-megapixel camera, an integrated MP3 player, Bluetooth, and a built-in Sudoku game (my favorite game!).

Nokia 6120
I think this is quite a powerful one. Besides offering music player, 2-megapixel camera and MP3 ring tones, it is also packed with Office software.

The next thing I’m gonna do, is to check out reviews of these phones as well as the price. Hopefully at least ONE of them is below RM1,000, preferably between RM500-RM700 (is that possible?). After that, hehe, I need to think of how to get rid of my current PDA phone….

*Sigh* Why am I not in KL….

Saw a cut-out coupon in yesterday’s newspaper. If I were to be the first 50 people to bring along that coupon to Dior’s counter in Metrojaya @Midvalley this week, I would be able to redeem a free make-up service plus one free portrait (worth RM180) taken by a professional photographer! I have been wanting to do that but didn’t really want to spend money on it, hehe. This is a good opportunity and I’m not in KL!

Anyway, this promotional activity is held in conjunction with the launch of Dior’s Goldrush Collection Summer Look 2008. The collection of course consists of a range of cosmetics, from blusher to eyeshadow, lip gloss and a whole bunch of stuffs. But what is so special about this collection is…

Limited-edition luxurious pendant adorned with dazzling crystals on a chic satin ribbon to tie around the neck. Open it and you’ll find a creamy golden highlighter for eyes, lips and cheeks, to help you create the perfect sun-kissed glow.

How much is it? I only know that it costs USD55! May be I should drop by Dior’s counter at Gurney Plaza this weekend and find it out myself. Nope, not going to buy it, just checking out for fun, hehe.

I’m one woman who doesn’t own many accessories. Most of the time I’m just wearing a necklace with a jade pendant (given by my late grandmother), my wedding ring, and a watch. Other accessories I keep in the box are just a bunch of cheap stuffs.

Anyway, I came across an article that gave a few suggestions on wearing accessories. I think the tips are practical, so I’m sharing them with you here.

• Try mixing and matching different accessories, but it’s important to choose those that best reflect your personality. Go for classic styles that are forever in style; avoid buying accessories with design that will go out of style next year.

• When trying to put two necklaces on yourself, remember to match big pendants with small ones, and long chains with short ones to keep things in balance.

• Let one accessory be the attention-grabbing point, rather than hanging too many all over. Earrings and necklace, for example, are worn near to each other. Unless you are wearing a pair of small earrings, one pretty necklace is enough to put you at the center of attention. Similarly, you only have to wear a very simple necklace if you already have a lovely brooch pinned on your blouse.

• When you are wearing a turtle neck top, don’t match it with a short necklace that appears just right at the bottom of the collar. Instead, wear a longer one that drops nicely on the chest.

• Basic mixing and matching of silver accessories are okay during the daytime. But if you need to attend an event at night, remember to keep an extra accessory in your handbag for a change of look in the evening.

I so totally understand how insufficient sleep and work stress can make a woman look 5 years older!

I have been swamped with a sudden flood of projects since two weeks ago, such that I’m basically living a life of a night owl now, haha! When I have to juggle between work (that brings in money) and the daily chores of a housewife (that I’m not paid for), I started to slack in my personal beauty care.

It’s horrible to see what I saw in the mirror yesterday - a dull, haggard face, with noticeable open-pores and greasy appearance. Ouch!

I definitely need to do something to salvage this disaster. So what I did last night was:

• Got back to my weekly exfoliation routine, using the recently bought Biotherm Line Peel Polisher.

• Put on a cheap but lovely facial sheet mask from Watson Taiwan that has hydrating and firming effects (while watching The Desperate Housewives, hehe).

• Applied the recently bought Biotherm Line Peel night cream.

• Switched off the laptop and went to bed before midnight.

This morning I woke up and looked so, so much better. The pores appeared smaller, the skin felt tighter and look brighter. I’ve earned back the 5 years I’d lost, hahaha!

I am a fan of Desperate Housewives. Which woman isn’t?

I know I’m a lot behind because I’m watching it on 8TV and not Astro. I’m now just at the beginning of Season 4, where Susan is pregnant with Mike’s baby. There are two mommies-to-be in this season – Susan’s a real one, Bree’s a fake (you probably knew why already).

Anyway, while no bump can be seen on Susan’s tummy, the anxious daddy-to-be Mike has already started making a baby crib. That’s so sweet!

If the dad has the necessary wood cutting and sawing skills, it’s always a nice thing for him to make a baby crib for his own child. But I wonder how many daddies today actually make baby cribs for their children even if they are carpenters by profession.

Oh, I just can’t wait till next Tuesday to see if everybody will find out that Bree is actually carrying a pillow in her ‘bump’. Haha!

I didn’t know that titanium can be used to help relieve muscle aches and pain until recently.

Saw a flyer from a company called Phiten, which is selling a range of titanium products such as necklace, bracelets, tapes, lotions and gels. Many sportsmen and sportswomen seem to be wearing these titanium ‘accessories’ nowadays.

The designs of the titanium necklaces and bracelet look quite trendy, huh?

These products are said to have several benefits, including:
• Relieves joint muscle and pain
• Improves blood circulation
• Prevents fatigue, reduces headaches
• Enhances athletic abilities and flexibilities

It is said that there is weak flow of ‘bio-electric current’ (i.e. signals send to and from cells from the brain) in our body that governs our actions, moods and health conditions. Environmental factors such as electromagnetic waves emitted from computers and work stress upset the smooth flow of this current. This leads to headaches, stiffness at the shoulder, lower back pain, and other health problems. Titanium is believed to be able to stabilize the disturbed flow, thereby helping our body to heal naturally and thus reducing those uncomfortable symptoms.

I wonder how effective it is because I do need something to relief my constant shoulder ache. But before getting a titanium necklace or bracelet (which must be very expensive!), may be I should try the titanium tapes. Just have to stick a piece or two on the shoulder. But you can’t get these products anywhere; so far Phiten outlets are only available in Klang Valley.

If you are interested to find out more, just visit their website at www.phitenmy.com.

I haven’t really started using the Biotherm products I bought last month as I still have Estee Lauder’s day use moisturizer to finish. One thing about Biotherm creams and gels is that they don’t contain SPF ingredients, even if they can be used for both night and day.

Naturally, to use it during daytime, I need to apply a sunscreen lotion for the face following moisturizer. So, I went to Sasa last week and bought its SunGuard with White Tea extract with SPF30 and PA++, which costs RM32. Hey, that’s RM100 cheaper than Biotherm sunscreen lotion with SPF50!

I tried using it last Sunday morning together with my Biotherm Aquasource gel when going out for exercise in the park. Hmmm, SunGuard really …. smelled weird. I mean, I can accept rubbing a sun block cream with that smell onto my arms and neck, but on my face? I did hesitate when I smelled it… but I applied it anyway. May be it’s just me. May be I’m not used to the smell.

As I mentioned before, my first ‘impression’ on a product at first encounter determines if I will continue to use it. This, is not so a pleasant one. But I will try my best to finish it. May be I could keep it till I have my holiday on sea on one of the caribbean cruises, haha! (That would be so way passed the product’s expiry date.)

Oh well, guess I just have to do outdoor exercise more often to finish it up as quickly as possible.

First of all, I want to make myself clear that I’m not advocating losing weight with weight loss pills. I’m no weight loss expert, but I strongly believe that the major chunk of a weight loss plan is really about two things - diet and exercise.

Well, it may be easy for me to say so because I haven’t gone through weight problems in my life. For some people, trying to lose that few pounds could seem like a lifetime struggle. I know I won’t be able to understand what overweight people are suffering.

So, to be fair to them, say if one of my friends or relatives is overweight, I would support him or her to try weight loss medications or natural weight loss pills. However, I will tell them to first find out more about the product (e.g. consult a healthcare professional, read reviews) before consuming it. It’s important that one chooses a weight loss supplement that is proven safe. Effective or not, it’s rather subjective, hehe, and also depends on many other lifestyle factors. Agree?

Would you be please to know if there is a brand of cosmetics that is stylishly packaged, and comes with printed instructions, but will not burn a big hole in your pocket (compared with other brands, such as Benefit or Stilla)? Well, now we have one; our very own Malaysian cosmetic brand – Beautilicious, which was launched last September.

I’m not going to say much about it, just look at some of the products they carry:

Aren’t these make-up kits gorgeous? Felt excited by just looking at them, right?

You know what, I think you’d better head to their website now and see more for yourself, as well as to find out where to get them. Yes, you HAVE to visit their website. It’s so cool, so chic. I bet you will fall in love with it at first sight.

To read about the founder and how this beauty brand was brought to the world, click here.