Valen’s Vanity Square

Besides skin problem, a fat belly and some white hair, I realized another sign of aging that is slowly and subtly creeping in. You know, that unsightly bump or ripple on your skin, especially around your thighs?

Yes, that’s IT–CELLULITE!

Cellulite is a natural build up of fat stored subcutaneously under the skin, and it hides oh-so well! You may not see a trace of it when standing or sitting, but just try this - squeeze your thighs with your two hands, see those bumps? Urrgh, cellulite!

I don’t think I will be able to totally get rid of those cellulite on my thighs, unless I go for a liposuction, ha! However, there are ways to reduce this form of fat before it gets ‘older’ and becomes harder to remove. Some people may try massaging thighs with anti-cellulite creams, but I don’t like the sticky feeling after applying the cream, and getting my pants or bed sheet or sofa all beginning to smell like the cream.

So, I’m only ended up with the most natural and cheapest way to do it - exercise! Burn more fat, burn more cellulite! Build muscles, so that cellulite has no place to hide! Sounds like a good motto for my 2009 health plan, ha!

Are you shaping up to get ready for bikinis, hot pants and strapless tops this summer? No matter what weight loss or slimming plan you are engaged in at the moment, there are 9 basic yet important steps that will determine how hot you will become at the end of your summer slimming plan.

Diet
1. Eat your breakfast, lunch and dinner at regular times. Skipping meals but munching on snacks in between will only unconsciously accumulate calories.

2. Drink plenty of water to help maintain your body’s normal metabolism. But be careful with sugar-loaded drinks. You don’t want to spoil the whole weight loss plan, do you?

3. One tends to crave for cold drinks during a hot day. But watch out, it may cause a certain degree of fluid retention.

Exercise
4. Besides aerobic exercise, try to do more stretching exercise as it helps to sculpt a better body figure, too.

5. You don’t have to spend hours exercising, but do it EVERYDAY for about 10-15 minutes.

6. Even if you are not exercising, try keep yourself active, like climb the stairs, or simply walk more.

Lifestyle
7. Establish a regular sleep schedule. Getting sufficient sleep is important for maintaining normal body metabolism and keeping hormones in balance.

8. Be happy. Learn to eliminate negative emotions and feelings, which will only cause hormone imbalance. And one tends to eat more when she is in a negative mood, right?

9. Praise yourself. Encourage yourself and appreciate the results you see, no matter how small a weight you lost. This will keep you motivated and move forward.

Wishing you a good shape this summer!

If you are planning for a holiday in Las Vegas this summer (probably an influence of the show Las Vegas?), what would be in the wheeled suitcase of yours as you check into one of the finest Las Vegas hotels?

Some suggestions here:

• A bathing suit, perhaps a bikini, for some relaxing moments by the pool (and for some attraction, too, hehe).

Animal prints never go out of style. Zebra print bikini from Michael Kors.

Too shy for a bikini? Go floral for a chic jet-set look for the beach or poolside.

• A pair of sunglasses to protect your eyes from the sunshine.

• Very important – sunscreen lotion! Put it one before you leave your room, and reapply frequently if you are doing outdoor activities.

Clinique UV-Response Face and UV-Response Body, SPF50, broad-spectrum UVA/UVB sun protection. Provides antioxidant protection from the sun, helps prevent long-term signs of aging. Water-resistant and oil-free.

• You bet you will walk a lot in Las Vegas because there are so many hot spots to cover - from one casino to another, from Night Club A to Night Club Z – you would want to walk in a pair of comfortable, walking shoes.

• As for apparels, comfortable wear like t-shirts, shorts and sport shoes will do in summer.

• But if you are planning to dine in a 5-star restaurant or to watch a gala show, then remember to bring along one or two evening dresses and matching heels and purse.

Lastly, don’t forget to bring along a camera to take snapshots of a happy you basking under the sunlight of the Sin City. Have a happy summer holiday!

That’s what Marion Caunter shrieked when she noticed her ugly heels as she was trying on a pair of open-back heels in a TV commercial.

I was shocked too when I accidentally touched my heels several weeks ago and went “Eeeeeeks~ Cracked heels!”.

Well, I didn’t really have cracked heels, but was certainly on my way there if I didn’t do something about it. My heels were dry with flaky skin, and thus rough to the touch. It’s not a nice feeling, but somehow I would still unconsciously touch my heels as I watch TV, trying to peel off some of the skin as though by doing that would give me back my smooth heels. That of course didn’t help at all.

So, what can be done to treat dry heels and prevent them from developing painful fissures (and deteriorating into unsightly heel)? Below are some tips.

• Soak feet in lukewarm water and use a pumice stone to scrub off dead skin. This helps reduce the thickness of the hard skin.
• Avoid wearing open backed shoes or thin soled shoes.
• Apply a moisturizing cream twice daily to the affected heels. If possible, wear socks to protect feet from dryness.

I followed tips no.1 and no.3 for about 5 days, today my heels are no longer dry and rough!

One suggestion: instead of the conventional oval-shaped pumice stone, try a ceramic stone pedicure file.

Dual sided pedicure file from QVS

• For pedicures and regular maintenance of feet to gently and effectively remove callouses and hardened skin
• Use the coarse side to rub away the dead skin, and the finer side to finish off so your feet are left feeling silky-smooth
• Soak feet for 2-3 minutes in warm soapy water prior to using the file, or while showering or in the bath

I find this pedicure file really easy to use, and have made heel scrubbing my shower routine, haha!

You can get this item from Watson stores.

Hi! I’m back from my Chinese New Year holiday! I hope you all have had a great time with your family and friends.

The major part of my CNY holiday was spent on visiting relatives and having family gathering dinner, AND putting on make-up before leaving the house, haha! Hey, everyone would want to look their best during festive seasons, right?

Besides having fun in coloring my face, I also made sure that my eyebrows were trimmed and armpit hair removed, which to me is very important even if you are just wearing a short-sleeved top. (There are chances that people might inadvertently get a peek of what’s lurking inside the sleeves, hehe.)

I know it’s quite a fuss to have to remove underarm hair regularly with tweezers. Plus, I get a neck ache after the whole ordeal, haha! Sometimes I do wonder if I should go for a Laser Hair Removal to solve the problem once and for all. But I do know that one needs to go through several sessions of this treatment to complete the hair removal process, AND a full course of this treatment is definitely expensive!

Well, no loss no gain. There are really no free stuffs in this world.

So gals, if you happen to be in Australia and are searching for laser hair removal services, why not check out The Victorian Cosmetic Institute in Melbourne? It is indeed a one-stop center that offers a broad range of mainly non-invasive cosmetic treatments to cater to your various beauty needs. Besides laser hair treatment, they also provide treatment solutions on, for example, acne scarring, leg veins, skin pigmentation, and wrinkles.

Oh, they also have Laser Tattoo Removal. Hmmm, may be Cecilia Chung should have gone for that long time ago. You know, the recent Edison Chen sex photo scandal? Her body tattoos now seem to be the proof that the photos are real and not some tampered pictures after all.

Anyway, for me the tweezers shall remain my faithful hair-removal tool, until the day I can no longer stand having neck aches anymore!

Next weekend I will be attending the wedding reception of a high school classmate. And I’m sure I will be bumping into many old friends during the evening. Some of whom I might have not seen for more than 5 years!

You know, when attending occasions like this, all girls would want to look their best, right? So am I! Hehe. Besides taking good care of my complexion over these 2 weeks, I need to do something to my body! A fabulous evening dress needs a fabulous body. But mine is not anywhere near fabulous, that’s why I have to start , say, losing a bit of weight, or tone up my butterfly arms. Haha!

I don’t know much about losing weight. I haven’t tried any weight loss program or controlled my food intake coz I love to eat! But I read a book by Dr Peter J D’Adamo a couple of years ago, which says that if you eat right for your blood type, you could achieve the ideal body weight and stay healthy.

According to Dr D’Adamo, your blood type reflects how your body absorbs nutrients and handles stress, and how well your body’s immune system works. And depending on your blood type, there are specific foods that can benefit or harm your body, make you lose or gain weight.

Meaning, you can lose weight without having to stop eating, as long as you are eating right for your blood type! So, may be I could try the method and see if it would help me shed off juuuust a little bit of pounds in 2 weeks’ time.

A summary of what encourage weight gain and weight loss for the different blood types.

Blood type A (that’s me!)
Gain: meat, dairy foods, kidney beans, too much of wheat
Loss: vegetable oils, soya foods, vegetables, pineapple

Blood type B
Gain: sweetcorn, lentils, peanuts, sesame seeds, buckwheat, wheat
Loss: green vegetables, meat, liver, eggs

Blood type O
Gain: wheat gluten, sweetcorn, kidney beans, lentils, cabbage, Brussel sprouts, cauliflower
Loss: seafood, iodized salt, liver, red meat, spinach, broccoli

Blood type AB
Gain: red meat, kidney beans, seeds, sweetcorn, buckwheat, wheat
Loss: tofu, seafood, green vegetables, dairy products, alkaline fruits, pineapple

Looks like I need to increase my vegetable intake this week, and drink soy milk rather than coffee or tea. Need to cut down on meat and dairy products like milk and stuffs made of butter (cakes, pastries, cookies). Jeez, that would be so painful…

Oh well, the information is just for our own reference. No harm trying for a short period of time. If you find it works, then you would probably like to stick to it.

(Even if it works for me, I don’t intend to stick to the plan forever… coz I can’t live without good food! Hahaha!)

To learn more about Dr D’Adamo, go here.