Aesthetic Obsessions...

SMALL CAT!!!!!!!! :D :D :D (=^.^=) <<< Like-a-dat :D

2011-10-05T05:09:00.000-07:00

THIS IS SMALL CAT!!!!! He is smallish and cattish!! Isn`t he absolument gorgeouness and fantasticalism all rolled into one delicious stinky ball of poopy cuteness!?

There he is sitting on Princess` knee under the blankets and helping the Princess make his website :D

Well, he doesn`t poop everywhere anymore, he`s learnt to use his litter box so he DEFINITELY deserves a post! What have cats got to do with Aesthetic Obsessions you may ask? Well isn`t it obvious? They`re aesthetics incarnate and I`m totally obsessed with them :D Like I always say, Love cats because they are cool, not because they taste good (Coz they don`t, not really). Kinda stringy actually :D

(Just waiting for all the comments telling me to go back to China, where I am not even from and people don`t actually eat cats there. Kind of. WELL ANY COMMENT WOULD BE A CHANGE SO WHATEVS ;D)

So, the story of the Small Cat!

This stupid lady had a cat. Her poor cat had three baby cats. Two gingers and one mini tiger. She kept the two gingers and brought the mini tiger who was all of almost two weeks old to the local vet and said, "Oh hai, I`m going to have this cat killed if no one wants it. So yeah, if you guys at the veterinarian clinic don`t take it, you don`t really love animals and it costs too much to euthanize so I`ll be off to the river to throw it in merci beaucoup."

To which Vetboy replied, "Don`t you DARE threaten me!!!", and took it home.

After an initial "Why would I care about her killing a stupid little animal, I see enough youthinasia (AHHHHH!!! BDUM :D) all day!!! SHE`S SO MEAN!!!" rant, I cajoled him into letting Small Cat stay instead of finding a lame home for him where he wouldn`t be happy ANYWAY coz he wouldn`t be with me, and he happily started pooping everywhere. (The cat, not the Princess/Vetboy).

Potty training was a challenge, but I should write a huge how-to-potty-train-miawmiaws post next time so tata for now and suchlike :D

-J

OH YAH!!! I forgot, Small Cat DOES have a real name, Princess named him Temujin under the impression that he is going to grow up to become the Khan of all cats and unite the Catdom. I have no doubts :D Love hart love heart luv hart!!!! <3 <3 <3

Preludes and Nocturnes

2011-10-02T15:59:00.000-07:00

Oops... I don`t want to turn this blog into an Etsy thing, but I was reading Neil Gaiman`s "Preludes and Nocturnes" today and came up with this:

'Preludes and Nocturnes' by BorneoBatikraft

Whites to Purples to Blacks to WhitesWhat comes around, goes around. Preludes and Nocturnes.

rockpilewest $45.00	elisasdezignz $16.15	gabeadz $11.50	TheShutterbugE... $25.00
JurgitaMi $59.00	FlowersByKara $14.00	moonlightphoto... $25.00	WildnisPhotogr... $22.80
CreationsdeFlo... $37.00	CatieRoo $100.00	88editions $145.00	TheShutterbugE... $25.00
SpareTimeWoodD... $18.00	AngelaMichelle... $325.00	alexandrarosie $10.00	JoArtyJo $12.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

I dunno if that correctly represents the theme of the graphic novel but that`s sure what it brought to my mind :D

SO, if you haven`t heard of Neil Gaiman, you`re missing out and you should go check out his Sandman series! The first volume was Preludes and Nocturnes but it`s made up of a bunch of monthly issues before the issues were put into volumes. All 75 of them and their deliciousness. I could explain it all, but it`s infinitely easier to just Wikipedia you away here.

It was written in like 1989 and I first read it some 10 ish years ago, but revisiting it last night was like I had never read it at all to begin with!

Don`t have the other volumes anymore though. I so honestly returned them all to the DanDanBain when I obviously never should have done. Definitely time to get my hands on my own copies though.

Later days :D

-J

P.S. Blargh! What is up with this continuous font and size change completely beyond my control?!?!

Light and Shadows

2011-10-02T11:58:00.000-07:00

So!!! Turns out you can put your curated treasuries from Etsy on to your blog! A treasury is a bunch of Etsy items that you take from other shops and put them together to make something pretty and themed! People normally do it by color or pattern or whatever. Here`s one I made yesterday! As you can see it`s all light and bluey and pinky and creamy and greyish then gets darker as it goes along.

It real purdy innit?

'Playing with Light and Shadows' by BorneoBatikraft

Blue, Pink, Creams and Greys in misty to strong shades. Nothing serious, Just playing around with the colors of items and backgrounds today guys :)

GingerCB $80.00	todidesign $15.00	boutiqueseragu... $49.00	BijouxEmmElle $31.00
gabeadz $11.00	SweetPeasCommu... $2.50	AULDNNEW $285.00	tammiebowden $28.00
filoe $22.00	dreamsbythesea $22.50	evecollection $25.00	WildnisPhotogr... $22.80
SuzeeKue $20.00	boutiqueseragu... $60.00	uniquestyles4a... $9.99	WildnisPhotogr... $22.80

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

2011-10-02T09:51:00.000-07:00

So it`s been a while! But nobody reads this anyway so whatevs! Anyhoo, time to get this blog off the ground again and for the 312th time, for REALZ!!!

SO! Exciting news!! (For moi, that is) We is gots our new ETSY SHOP that is up and running so come one, come all, come buy my fresh Batik pastries!! I say pastries, I mean Hand Painted Silk Scarves amongst other things. That`s right, capital first letters and everything!

Here, hava looksie:

Tadaaaa :D
I have even included it in the wee side browser thing on the right. Pretty neat eh?

Longchamp Bag by Kate Moss

2011-05-27T09:31:00.000-07:00

Good Gawd I haven`t blogged here in forever!!! But Aesthetic Obsessions is BACK once again and for good this time methinks! :D With lil sis in tow and everything! If you haven`t checked our her cute cupcakes you should! Scroll down scroll down.

K, so I`ve been living in France these last few months and what better place to get a French designer bag than France eh??? We`ll talk about the Louis Vuitton stuff later, but first French Bag Post belongs to this super cute Longchamp handbag! (Or Lhongshomp you should say if you wanna be French about it!)

So, mommy comes a visiting and off we go to Galeries LaFayette à Clermont-Ferrand. One great thing about shopping overseas is that you can get tax refunds (for France, that`s as long as you spend over €175 in one store). One great thing about Galeries LaFayette is that the entire building counts as one store, so you don`t have to go around filling out millions of tax refund forms!

This particular limited edition piece they only had 3 of, and this was the last one. Twas a designed by Kate Moss one and came with this cute neckerchief that matches the inside lining of the bag! So zebra!! Mommy has rightfully decided to tie it to the handle instead of around her neck though. They also had this in a foresty, armyish green, but this beige one definitely kicked more ass than the green one.

I`m certainly no big fan of Kate Moss, but her bag is definitely win!

-miawmiaw-

Babycakes!

2011-05-26T08:27:00.000-07:00

My first post! - I is the baby sister - no.3 :D

So a couple of days ago a friend of mine told me she needed cupcakes.. URGENTLY! It was meant to be "beer themed" cos it was for her hubby - this was the best I could come up with. The round green things are suppose to be beer bottle caps......... since they didn't turn out so good... I had to spell out I heart B-E-E-R... just in case! >_< Anywho, the end product is a bit girly i think, but I am a girl after all... whaccagonnado....

Here we go....cakes.. that are babies! Feed'em and they might just grow.

-Momo

FIRST MANICURE EVER OF LIFE!!

2010-11-17T04:32:00.000-08:00

I took pictures! I don't know where my pictures are but I most definitely took pictures! Will have to search then put them up!!!

So, I got rid of my super long nails. Got a real life manicure done which I have never done ever before in my life! Well, as a non-drinker, non-smoker, non-gambler, and non-drug abuser, I don't see why I can't spoil myself once in a while right! SO!

I went to the nail parlour and took detailed notes about what she did just for future reference! Read on if you want a really professional manicure at home!

1) She took a regular pair of nail clippers and cut the rounded top off all my nails. She left them square and it felt really weird and flat and uncomfortable. And sharp on the edges.

2) She filed them off roughly first, then used a finer file to smooth down the edge and tops of the nails.

3) She took what looked like an icicle stick and scraped out the nail bits that got filed and stuck under the nail and filed off the bits.

4) She put moisturizer on the cuticles in blobs then left it there for about 10 minutes. Then she rubbed out the moisturizer on my fingers and cuticles before using a cuticle cutter to trim back the cuticles and push them back with another icicle stick.

5) Then she put on a base coat and let it dry. Followed by two coats of pink polish, first a darker pink then a lighter pink. She finished off with a top coat and let it dry.

DONE!!!!! It looked like a really cheap and simple and cheat-ish way to get a french manicure and really looked like one too!

I was impressed! Gonna try it myself as soon as all this lazily chips off :P

Miaw! ^^

FIXING A BROKEN NAIL!!!!

2010-10-26T23:20:00.000-07:00

Ok, I've been asked to do an article on this subject as it is one of those nightmare situations that happen to every woman eventually.

You know, you zip up your jeans, snap. You turn on a switch, snap. You press a button, snap. You open a pop can, snap, dammit. Let's work on this.

Now, I don't have any pictures because I haven't properly broken a nail in a long while and I'm not about to go wreck one for the sake of pictures! So I'll add some pictures later maybe when it happens, but most definitely not now!

So, I'm talking about fairly long nails here. If your nails are just starting to grow, or not really long enough to go through the trouble of salvaging, then just get rid of 'em and start over. It'll save you much heartbreak and frustration in the long run and you'll thank me later. True story!

Ok, let's get started.

You've broken a nail. *Piak* <--- nail breaking sound! Here's what you do:

If it hasn't completely broken off and is just torn from the side, first thing you gotta do is get some really good quality and super strong super glue. The scary kind. The kind that can stick your fingers together. The kind like this:

Don't get the rubbery kind of glue or the white kind that dries out bouncy and definitely don't use paper glue or a glue stick. Get Krazy Glue. Extra Strength. That's what I use! :D

It should come out watery and transparent so you won't even know it's coming out if you don't pay attention, so pay very close attention or risk getting glue everywhere.

What you need now is a toothpick, so if anything gets glued, it's the toothpick and not your fingers.

Now, apply a tiny bit of glue to the crack, and use the toothpick to spread it out evenly. If you don't abuse your nails a lot like I do, then a thin layer should be fine to keep it together until you want to trim it out next. Hold it there for at least 20 seconds to make sure there are no air bubbles or weaknesses.

After it dries, you should be able to use a buffer to even out the roughness the glue has caused on the surface of the nail. Then you can paint over it and it should be as invisible as an invisible thing. All done!

HOWEVER, if you have a nail that's completely fallen off or only hanging by a thread, then you want to do this:

Make sure you know exactly where to stick your nail back to. Align it up properly and precisely, then apply glue on one side of the broken nail and very carefully stick the nail back to it's exact alignment so you don't get wonky nails. If you need to adjust the alignment of the nail, do it immediately because this stuff dries FAST.

Now, you'll want to carefully squeeze some glue on the surface of your nail following the line of the crack. The glue will drip out like water and it's very thin, so it will easily seep into the crack, giving both sides of the broken nail a little more strength. Make sure you hold your nail there firmly to squish out any air bubbles and until you feel that it's strong and stable enough to stay there on it's own.

What I do next to keep it considerably stronger, is to get a bit of netting material to make sure the nail is bonded back. I empty out a tea bag and snip off a bit of the material and use that. I have heard of people using sheer pantyhose material and the like, so whatever is thin and strong enough to do a good bondage job, hur hur hur, will do.

Snip off a bit of material and cut it nicely so it follows the shape of your tear and covers the entire crack. Now, drip some glue over the material, and again it will seep through the material, sticking it to the nail. Use the toothpick to hold it down and shift it to align it if you need to, quickly, because again this is super fast drying stuff, then wait for it to dry. I often use the toothpick to add some glue to the inside of the nail as well, to make it thicker and stronger.

You'll find that when it dries, you'll have a bump on the surface of your nail due to the glue and the netting material. What I do then, is to go krazy and cover the entire surface of my nail with glue. Yes, this sounds a bit extreme but hear me out.

Once the entire nail is covered, it should even out the bump a little. Hold your nail up to your eyeline to see how different the bump is the rest of your nail. Once the glue dries out completely, use a nail file to file off some of the netting material that might have been too large and went outside the surface of your nail, as well as any hard glue that is giving your nail a jagged edge.

Now, use a rough buffer and buff up the entire surface of your nail in an ourwards direction. Keep putting your nail up to your eyeline, and buff out the bump more until you can see that the whole nail is level and smooth.

Finally, shine your nails with the shiner if you're using an all-in-one file/buff/shine stick like I do. Your nail should be looking pretty good by now and stable as hell. What you should end up with is a nail that might look just ever so slightly thicker than what the original looked like, much like an acrylic nail would look if you went to a beautician. But only you will notice that because they're your nails and you're feeling insecure about them. You might still see the crack, but a coat of polish ought to cover that up! Maybe you'll see a bit of glue on the inside of the nail from before, but only you'll know it's there so that's fine too!

I've done this to my nails a gazillion times and no one's ever been able to tell, until I show them the inside maybe. It can last for weeks, and you can just keep adding glue and buffing if it starts to weaken. While in the meantime, you can keep trimming and filing the nail down as it continues to grow until you got nothing but nice, new nails. Tadaa!!! WIN!

Growing Long and Pretty Nails.

2010-10-23T01:04:00.000-07:00

I'm not the girliest girl out there, nor do I work hard on maintaining the look of important and obvious parts of my body the whole world gets to look at say, like my face or hands... which is terrible to say the least. One should always pay special attention to bits and pieces you show the most! In the case of one's hands, that attention should be even more so since you use your hands on a daily basis to do pretty much everything! From cooking to cleaning, writing, carrying stuff, typing, opening pop cans and so on and so forth... if you've been blessed with hands you better appreciate them because life would be a whole lot different if you were that guy from "My Left Foot". But I digress.

What I meant to talk about today was nails! That's right, fingernails that is, and how I love mine too! So back to what I was saying in the beginning: I may not be the girliest girl and I most definitely do not look after my hands or nails, but I *have* been asked this question on numerous occasions, "how do you grow your nails so long?" That's right people, I don't have much but I do have a talent for growing out my nails without chips and flakes... (Mmmm... chips and flakes ^^ *sigh* -_-; To see how my weight loss/health kick/getting-back-into-shape pains is going, check out my updates should I have any :P)

Uh, CHIPS AND FLAKES! That's right, without chipping and flakiness and without problems of brittleness or discolouration. I mean, no point in having long nails if they're going to look witchy and yellow eh? "But HOW?!", you cry once again. Well, that's what I'm going to try and figure out today! I've never paid them much attention but now I have to cut them all off for an upcoming martial arts tournament so might as well blog them a tribute! Enough rambling! Let's get started.

Here's what I don't do:

- I don't bite my nails. This is a biggie! I no longer chew and gnaw on them when I'm bored, which is not only great for nail growth and smoothness, but also means you're not sucking up germy bacteria that can give you sore throats. Not to mention, biting on your nails can put tension on your poor teeth and even chip them over time!! You don't want to be walking around with mangled nails and teeth while hacking away with your sore throat do you?! That's what I thought! Not attractive. Next point.

- I don't wear dark coloured nail polish for a very long time. "Very" depends on the individual. Some people get yellowish nails after wearing dark nail polish for just a week, others can take months of dark nail polish punishment before it starts to show. To avoid yellowish nails due to dark nail polish, just use a base coat before applying your colour. Not only will your nail colour last longer but it will glide on smoother and look sleeker than if you didn't.

- I don't smoke. This might seem like a weird one, but I used to know a smoker who had dark yellow fingers and nails especially on her right hand. I always thought she did some kind of bad henna or something and the colouring had run to her fingers. Later on however, she told me that the nicotine from smoking had caused the skin on her fingers and nails to go yellow, especially on her right hand, as that was the one she used to hold her cigarettes most often... Eep x_X

- I don't use nail polish remover. Mostly because of laziness, I just let the colour chip and die off on it's own which is hideous by the way and not recommended due to ugliness but the other reason one shouldn't use conventional nail polish remover is because a lot of them contain Acetone which dries out nails REALLY badly. This will lead to dry and flaky nails and cuticles. Bad bad bad. When you buy nail polish remover, look at the ingredients list first! Pay a little more for good quality nail polish remover if you have to.

Here's what I DO do:

- I try not to think about them too much. That way, I'll forget I'm trying to grow them, and like Santa Claus - if you don't stay up all night waiting, will turn up! :)

- I trim them when I notice they're growing out at odd angles. Sometimes you'll notice that when your nails get long enough, some of them tend to slant to the left or right, or look half rounded and half squared. If they get even longer, you might even start to notice that some of them tend to curve inwards at the side or at the tips, giving your fingers that extra witchy feel. Like hair, different parts of your nails are bound to grow at different speeds. Trim them to a nice convenient length where they

a) won't get in the way of your daily life, and

b) are at the same length AND shape with each other.

If you want round nails, round them all up, and if you want square nails, square them all up at the same length! If a terrible accident happens and you break a nail, then too bad, you'll have to bring them all back to the length of your shortest nail because uneven nails are the worse as wasteful as it seems :( But don't worry, they'll grow again in no time ^^

- I don't chew or rip off hangnails. Never do this! Chewing off or ripping off hangnails or bits of chipped nail can result in an even bigger tear or almost always damage living tissue if it gets too deep. You'll ruin your cuticles and worse of all, it'll hurt like a bitch. Don't be lazy, find a nail clipper and cut 'em off.

- I file and ocassionally buff. If my nails are just starting to grow out at odd angles, I do file them to consistency. If my nails get chipped or tear a little, then like the old saying goes, "A stitch in time, saves nine". Once, I didn't take care of a little, tiny, itsy, bitsy tear, and the next thing I knew, the entire thing tore off deep into the skin and bled everywhere. Yummy. Sometimes, if I get little ridges or corrugations, I'll buff gently to even it out. You can also use a Ridge Filler, but I'm way too lazy for that, myself.

What I don't do, but should:

- I should paint my nails more often. Why bother having nice long nails if you don't show 'em off?! GAH! Again, a laziness issue, but if you are planning on growing out long purdy nails, do spend some time with them now and then. There's all sorts of fun stuff you can do when inspiration strikes! Paint on your own motifs and designs with bits of twinkly bling! But more on that next time. Also, if you do paint your nails when you're just starting out and they've grown to a decent moderate length, coloured nails will help you pay attention to them as you'll notice them more often. You will be aware of your hands and start to unconsciously use them in ways that will protect your nails. Furthermore, any chips or tears that start happening will be more noticeable and you can take care of the imperfections immediately therefore. (Wow that was weird sentence structure...)

- I REALLY SHOULD use rubber gloves!!!! This is kind of a big deal! If your momma has ever told you to wear gloves while washing dishes or hand-washing clothes, then for heaven's sake do yourself a favour and listen to her!! Rubber gloves are cheap as poos and cost like a buck and two seconds to put on. You'll not only be protecting your nails from water damage, tears (rips, not the crying kind!), dryness and softening but also saving your entire hand(s) from wrinkles, irritation and chemical damage due to harsh detergents.

What I shouldn't do, but unfortunately can't help myself, gosh darnit x_X:

- I shouldn't type with the tips of my nails. Or text, or poke things. That's just asking for jagged edges or destroyed nail beds and cuticles.

- I shouldn't use my nails as a multipurpose tool. Oops... I mean SURE, once in a while a wee scratch is nice when needed, but I tend to do horrible things to my nails like rip off labels from beer bottles or scratch off bits of leftover sticky from tape on a surface or open soda cans or scratch down a blackboard to make a class shut-up... uh, DON'T! Especially, the last one! That just gave me a cold spine ^^ oh ho ho :D Using your nails as tools will result in broken nails! Also, watch out when you're zipping up your jeans with long nails. They might get caught and get zipped off. Now you see 'em, now you don't. A little bit of "There's something about Mary," but not that bad :) Also, never use them to pick out stuff from your teeth. Not only is that unsightly and unattractive and will scratch and flake off your nail surface, but I knew someone that got her nail caught between her teeth and had to rip it out right there and then, or leave it in super embarassingly!!!

- I shouldn't play with my nails! I have a terrible habit of using my fingers to bend my nails back and forth and inside and out. Gawd, that's awful! For obvious reasons of course: basically, you're just breaking them slowly and making them grow all curved and inwards faster! Stop, Me!

- I shouldn't rap my nails on the table when I'm bored. Or any other hard surface. The impact will damage your nail beds and cuticles over time. Hard habit to break! I'm lucky to have a mommy that admonishes me for it all the time <3

She also tells me that soaking your nails in a solution of half a cup of warm water and the juice of one lemon will get rid of yellow stains on your nails. Do it once a week for 15-20 minutes. What other words of wisdom from my cosmetologist and beautician mom? Ah, she says to moisturise your hands and even your nails to help with brittleness and peeling cuticles. Use a nail streghtener and/or growth formula if you have to, but really, patience is good enough if you're looking for length. Hmm, I think that's about it for now! :D I'll have a whole new blog article in a bit about how to dress up your nails without painting them! Lazy is as lazy does! Huzzah!

Later Days!

-J

AESTHETIC OBSESSIONS IS BACK!!!!

2010-10-20T21:26:00.001-07:00

Good gracious!!! After more than two years of nothingness, (forgot I even had this blog!) One has decided to come back and keep it going for vainness sake! :D

I wonder where everyone else is? Must search! :S

First experiment of the brand new start! I am currently kind of an unfit fatty with zero stamina. However, I *am* exercising every night out of necessity for an upcoming martial arts tournament.

Perhaps before and after pictures and workout schedules might be in order to observe what rigorous training can do to an old body that has a penchant for delicious cakes x_X

Who knows!? If not to serve as getting-back-in-shape inspiration for anyone else, then at least a testament to me, from me, that once upon a time I forced myself back into being healthy!! After all, I did it three years ago, surely three years of laziness and gluttony can't make THAT much of a difference?! Can it?

Anyway, this time Imma do it on a public channel that should therefore help me avoid cheating my way through diet and exercise oh ho ho ^^

Having looked through my old picture archive, I haven't a single fat picture of me from three years ago! Must have eaten them along with the cake :( Won't make the same mistake this time! I'm off home to take some big tummy pictures now!

Watch this space!

A Freebie or Two... or Five :)

2008-07-27T22:33:00.000-07:00

I did say I would be posting up free stuff and samples from time to time when they come my way! These aren't affiliated with any third/fourth/fifth party Brandarama style marketing programs or anything like that, nor will take you to other ads. Those kinds of roundabout things annoy me so much. They always seem too good to be true and you never end up getting what they promised you!

Anyway! So I always go out of my way to find freebies that are from the original manufacturer website instead of from other people's blogs or "free stuff" pages to make sure these take you straight to the freebie and back. No pop-ups, no poos. Hoho!

Lacoste Essential for men! I just sent off for mine, and after the registration, it asks you to fill in another form for your friend so he or she may receive a sample as well. Funfunfun! There's a list of countries that can receive this. Forgot which ones besides U.S.A and Canada, so go see for yourself at the official Lacoste website here.

Another perfume sample! Hugo Boss Pure for Men! Same deal as the Lacoste one. Get one for yourself, send the other to a friend. A lot of countries listed. China being one of them. Er... some other ones too... that's all I can remember, sorry!
Anyway! Click this link to get to the Hugo Boss Fragrances official website! All the other samples are out of stock, only Pure is left so act quick!

I like this one! It's so cute! The site is called TheSoapLady and it offers handmade soap loaf. Here's the offer from her site (Canada only):
For free samples of our handmade soap
send a S.A.S.E. (self addressed 1.15$ stamped envelope) to:

Caroline Guenette
a/s free soap sample offer
C.P. 306
Bearn QC J0Z 1G0
Canada

If you're 18 or over and live in the U.S.A, you can get this sample from Dove. I'm not sure why you have to be a certain age, but I'm guessing that this particular product might not be suitable for younger skin. Anyway, come here to get your free Dove Pro-Age!

This one is especially for Kris W. of Vancouver. Enjoy and I love you :P well... slightly. Anyone else who feels like spreading the love but not the STDs can click here. This is a Canadian site so I'm not sure if they ship anywhere else. I'm also not sure if they'll send you exactly what the picture is but you can only try and ask!

American readers, click here! So sue me, it's really hard getting good free stuff online you know. If you don't need such things pass them on to your married friends you good moral and pious people you.

Must run! Leave a comment or five :)
-J

Calculate Body Mass Index (BMI)

2008-07-14T15:34:00.000-07:00

First things first! Your Body Mass Index or BMI is supposed to be an indicator of how healthy your weight is by comparing it to your height. I say "supposed" because it is only a rough guideline and will not be accurate if you are super athletic and musclemanish, i.e. muscle weighing approximately 3 times as much as fat.

However, if you're the average person, and like the rest of us blobs you eat when you're hungry and exercise when you have to, and throw up on mom's shoes after running 300 metres uphill before passing out... (hohoho poor lizliz ^^), then you're good to use this means of "overweight", "underweight" or "proper weight" estimation :)

So! The Imperial formula is as follows:

BMI =	(weight in pounds * 703 )
	————————————
	height in inches²

And, here's the metric one, if you are that way inclined.

BMI =	weight in kilograms
	————————————
	height in meters²

*For those of you who are not so mathematically inclined, 1 meter = 100 cm and 1 foot = 12 inches.

And thus, Using our Imperial formula as an example,

First, weigh yourself. Write down your weight in pounds. (For argument's sake, let's say you're 100 pounds, you skinny creature.)
Multiply 703 with your weight. (In this case, 100 x 703 = 70300)
Measure your height. Write that down in inches. (For example, if you're 5 foot 4 inches, you would have 5 x 12 + 4 = 64 inches.) Square it. (64² = 64 x 64 = 4096)
Divide your weight figure with your height figure. (70300 ÷ 4096 = 17.16 which you would round up to 17.2)

Body Mass Index
cm/kgin/lb
Height:
Weight:

BMI:

To rate your BMI:
Underweight = 18.5 or less
Healthy weight = 18.5-24.9
Overweight = 25-29.9
Obese = 30 or greater

At 17.2, this would make you severely underweight, and you should eat more until you're fat and happy. Hurray!

Remember, just because you happen to fall into the healthy weight category doesn't necessarily make you healthy!! We all know those annoying people that eat nothing but junk food and drink buckets of lard all day, never, ever exercise, but won't gain an ounce. Probably have a high percentage of body fat, but it doesn't show and no one can tell, so they go around pretending to be skinny all day. Grrrr...This is what I term as the SECRETLY FAT phenomenon that I am OPENLY JEALOUS of. But more about that next time. Byebye!

p.s. If you're lazy like me, forget the math and just use the calculator up thar. XD

Blogging away Fat??

2008-07-14T00:07:00.000-07:00

Recently, I've been reading a lot about the phenomenon of blogging away excess weight. It seems like the wait at the supermarket is so much more bearable with these interesting articles in female magazines, about strong willed individuals who were once unhappy with their heavier selves, and are now enjoying a much more fulfilled and energetic life..hmm.. all from starting a blog and letting the world know how their progress is. It does sound very weightwatchers-ish, but I suppose that's the main thing in any venture. Support and Encouragement.

I can't see why it would hurt to try! Why, even sakuraku has gone and done it, and although all you can gather is a lot of starvation and cheating and apples and fainting... It's a start :)

*Sakuraku! - This is Lynngirl's personal blog. Go visit!

Weight Loss?

2008-05-19T11:10:00.000-07:00

Want to lose weight? I guess you’re not alone. Slimming centres and detoxing teas proliferate in the market. The media assails us with beautiful photoshopped images of slim figures.

Practically every female that I have ever known has mentioned, at some point or another (and some chronically bring up), that they would like to lose some weight. Even the ex-housemate with the pretty great body, and the frail-looking ex-classmate have mentioned wanting to lose weight – and both girls are definitely underweight for their height.

Some years back, I had a brief stint as a part-time model. I was really skinny back then (I was more than 10kg underweight) and didn't realize it.
One day, one of the other girls came over to me. I chatted with her briefly, casual-acquaintance-type talk, as I didn't know her all that well. Then, all of a sudden, she lifted my shirt, and scrutinized my stomach. The weirdest thing, she was “checking how fat” I was! My bony frame was proclaimed as “ok”, and she left – presumably to examine other girls’ stomachs.
Being inspected so abruptly was an incredibly awkward experience. It made me think about how obsessive some people can get about losing weight.

Comparisons with guys in terms of body fat seem to be a sore point for some girls (especially when the guys eat enormous amounts of food but never gain weight). Girls naturally have a higher percentage of body fat than guys do, because males have higher testosterone levels and burn fat much better than females.
Like a male friend so aptly said “A girl with 5% body fat looks like a guy with 5% body fat. Girls need boobs and ass.” Or something like that..

Ana and Mia communities are all over the internet. Girls looking for their thinspiration, dying to be more skeletal and emaciated. This body dysmorphic disorder is not only physically harmful, but it corrodes self-esteem as well.

A majority of girls look to dieting in order to lose weight. This is very unhealthy, and dieting can actually make you gain more weight over time (starvation mode causes the body to react by storing more fat). If you're looking to reach your healthy optimum weight, the best, and only truly effective way to lose any excess weight is the combination of controlling your eating and exercising regularly.
On the other end of the spectrum are the fat acceptance advocates. Against the mass media, they fight back with bold statements and positive messages for the overweight. They term themselves curvaceous, voluptuous, or full-figured..And while it’s great they are confident and happy with their bodies, it’s also terrible to watch some of them flaunt their excess flesh – in exactly the same way as watching slimmer girls showing off their perfect legs is sickening.

I’d visited a few pro-fat sites, and while some were genuinely pleasant and morally encouraging, others seemed crass, grating, and as offensive as thinspiration sites. Vanity in a confident, collected display is beautiful to behold, while obnoxious exhibitions are just unappealing. Fat or skinny, don’t show off.

Aesthetics are a personal preference, and everyone has his or her own cup of tea.

Asian Eyes

2008-05-12T02:29:00.000-07:00

I was flicking through the Asian Pacific Post yesterday when I found this:

Looks like Asian women (and men!) have started changing their minds about eyelid surgery, as in, instead of getting eyelid surgery to create wider, Westernized eyes, more and more of them are beginning to request double eyelids, while still retaining the oval, oriental shape and look, known as "Asian Blepharoplasty".

Statistics indicate (I really should quote my references but I'm too lazy! Sorry!) that Western Eye Surgery is still the most popular request in the plastic surgeons offices across Asia, while in North America, it seems that eyelid operations are the third most popular body enhancement choice after breast augmentations and nose jobs, although now, more Asian American women want their double eyelids to still look Asian instead of Western. Hmm. Even though the reason for surgery may have changed for Asian women in the West (to look like the other 50% of Asian women who are born with double eyelids, instead of trying to look Western), the actual number of Asian American women requesting surgery continues to rise rapidly and exponentially year after year. Apparantly, "Beyond the aesthetic benefits of the procedure, women patients who have had double eyelid surgery frequently cite greater ease of applying eyeliner as a major benefit of doing the surgery." Double hmm.

So it seems that the double eyelid craze has gone down a notch so Asian women are beginning to choose to retain their identity although still opting for surgery. What do you think? Is it aesthetically viable? Too severe? Too permanent? Fantastical? Gorgeousness?

My opinion: both the mono-lid and the crease can look amazing depending on how you work it. Wouldn't it be great to have temporary ways to create double eyelids so you can mix and match your eyes to your outfits? (More on that coming soon! Watch this space.)

What DO you think? Leave a comment.

More Freebies!!

2008-05-07T22:57:00.000-07:00

So I was having a wee browse around after writing my first "Free Stuff" article and decided to post a few more beauty samples up for grabs. I do this now for two reasons. One: It is actually quite a good idea to have a look at some of the beauty samples and get feedback from readers who might have tried them so we can decide whether we at Aesthetic Obsessions would like to endorse the brands more (and for free!! might I add!) or throw them to the dogs and flame them to bits, and Two: because there was a comment with a :( sad face :( saying that the offers were not valid for Malaysians.

WELL!! Turns out free beauty samples for that part of the world don't come so easy doncherknow. However, I have managed to churn out a few for all those (read: Creativebitchin, whoever you may be) avid (or rabid?) Malaysian (but not limited to!) reader(s?)! Woot!! So, enjoy!

Fresh-Up is a new "whitening" product on the market which promotes the break down of excess melanin (due to smoking, sun etc) on certain areas of the skin. It is formulated with only natural plant extracts and this product targets dark skin and nipples... hmm. Dark pink areas I suppose, "pinkening" more like?

After giving Fresh-Up a go, and it works for you, you are invited to write a testimonial about your pinkening experience, and the company will send you a free gift. Worth a shot I say if you are the *Puteri Lilin type! Available in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Phillipines, Vietnam, China, India, USA, UAE and UK. Get it here.

*Puteri Lilin - "Candle Princess". One who dislikes turning a delicious honey tan colour under the sun, opting instead for the pale and pasty so-ten-years-ago look of one's coloners. Me? Bias?? How dare you!

Everyday Minerals is a gorgeous brand of makeup which uses only superior, all natural ingredients for their products. So shiny and sparkly, it's sure to add dimension and angles and light-bounceyness in all the right places! Remember the celebrity mineral craze a while back, when all the celebs were using crushed minerals to give them that natural earthy glow? Well turns out it never died down. Everyday Minerals ships out free samples through their website worldwide, but you have to pay for your own shipping. I believe that's around US$5 (RM15.76 ish) but you get 5 little pottles of mineral powder. It's a good way to see if the whole mineral thing is for you. I've had a look around the web, and have seen nothing but rave reviews so far. This brand is only available for purchase online. To get your free sample, Click here.

Rouge Magazine is a cool beauty mag with all the latest tips, tricks, beauty news, offers, contests and product samples delivered right to your door for FREE, 3 times a year. Pretty neat eh? Only catch - for Canadian residents only. Subscribe online here.

Garnier Fructis Strength and Repair! I was just thinking about split ends last night! Who knew this would turn up! Request free samples of the shampoo and conditioner and also receive coupons worth $6 you can use for further purchases of this product if you like it. Available for Canadian residents only. If that sounds like you, come get your free samples here!

On to some slightly iffier samples. I wasn't quite sure if these ones should make it into the blog, but then I thought about it and decided that "Why Yes! These are important components for looking good and feeling sex0ry!" (Coupled with the fact that Malaysian samples are so awfully difficult to come by makes these two shoe-ins dammit!) Allow me to explain.

Poise products are sexy. They're sporty. They make you feel fun and free again and give you the sudden energy burst and motivation you need to start playing tennis and rock climbing and other extreme sports. Sound like a tampon commercial? Why yes! So it should! Because bladder problems will affect one in every two women after childbirth! And 56% of statistics are made up. WHATEVER the case, no, incontinence is not fun, and yes a convenient pad-like contraption could make life a helluva lot easier or at least slightly less embarassing. No matter how old you are, incontinence will affect everyone once in a while, including you! Yes you! Maybe the old hand in the warm bucket of water while you sleep trick really works WHO KNOWS. Either way, not peeing yourself = sexy. Peeing yourself = not so much. Come get some confidence here. For Malaysian residents only.

Ok! So Yes, this is a beauty blog, and No, HIV isn't on the top of my list for things we should be aesthetically obsessed about. Hence, I shall list condoms and free samples thereof, as beauty AIDS in a roundabout manner. (AhHAha GeDDIt??) Ahem. Anyhoo, shalln't get into any debate aboot the Malaysian government's hoohah plans to give out love rubber to students versus only letting married people have them. As far as one is concerned, the law states 16 as the age of consent, and 16 it is. Socially acceptable or not, at least be safe aboot it and don't catch anything nasty, because scratching your genitals in public is sooooo not hot. True Love is a website doing just that. Helping you "care for your loved ones". Very nice. These guys are on a mission. Get some clean love, or at least some humorously shaped water balloons here. Malaysian residents only.

And remember! Free samples are supposed to help you decided whether you might want to use a product in future. Some are legit, and some aren't. So don't be so cheapo and easy with your name and address. You end up giving out your contact and credit card information to everyone and getting loads of junk mail and gay pr0n that will cost you a bundle.

Have fun, see you soon!

FREE STUFF!

2008-05-07T00:27:00.000-07:00

What better way to start off a beauty blog then with free beauty samples! So I've scoured the internet for GOOD free samples. None of that "buy this first" or "participation required", samples. Not even incentive affiliate type ones! Nonono, I'm not making a penny out of these. These are the Real McCoy. The most you have to do is answer a couple of questions about your hair/face/skin and fill in your address of course for mailing purposes.

This is what I've come up with so far! (And believe me, these are hard to find! That's why I've only got a few!)

Here's a Redken one if you need a little help for your curly hair. It doesn't seem to be for any product line in particular, but it does ask for your hair type, then they will send out samples accordingly.

Available for U.S residents only. Click Here.

Olay is giving away some samples for Canadian residents. You need to join Club Olay first, which is just your email address and mailing address. When you become a member, you have the option of letting Olay alert you of future free samples which is very handy!

Available for Canadian Residents only. For those with "Panda Eyes" (puffy of dark eye bags), get your Olay Regenerist Here.

For Olay's Definity Intense Hydrating Cream, Click Here. Again for Canadian residents only.

The Olay site is great! You don't only get free samples but also chances to win more products and their sweepstakes too!

For youthful looking skin, using state-of-the-art cellular rejuvenation technology, try Loreal's newest skin line, Loreal Derma Genesis.

For Australian residents only. Click Here.

Welp, that's all for now folks! I spent a lot of time looking for real samples, so you won't be receiving any spam or unsolicited emails. All samples will be available until stocks last so register quickly if you don't want to miss out! (I don't know when any of these offers expire, but I'm guessing that if it takes you to a 404 error page, or a completely unrelated site, then we can safely assume the offer has expired!)

I will be posting a lot more samples every time I find them, so keep coming back or bookmark this site for future beauty goodies!

Tata for now!

Fair Skin?

2008-05-05T13:04:00.000-07:00

I spent a weekend by the beach and am now quite tan. I went out and bought a whitening infusion mask pack. This was the first time I had ever bought or used such a product, or felt the inclination to do so. The fancy-shmancy packaging might have been a contributor, I don't know.. Heheh.

But still, after using one and wondering if it made any difference*, I was thinking about why I actually tried it out. So, yeah, this post is kinda about the role of skin colour in the concept of beauty.. (the Yahoo Answers link in this post actually has tips for fairer skin, if that's what you want..)

I looked it up and there are a bunch of questions on this on the Yahoo Answers thing, such as How to get fair skin? Thing is, lots of comments were from people saying "check your attitude, not your mirror", "love who YOU are", and similarly themed stuff.

Guess the desire to be fair is regarded by some as a kind of self-esteem problem? But beauty is only skin deep. Who you are has nothing to do with what you look like, right?

Personally, what I look like always surprises me. Sometimes when I look in a mirror in some shopping mall I even fail to recognize myself.

Stereotype me for a bit - Asian female, not very well-educated, desires fairer skin - probably has issues with ethic identity, might even regard the whole fair skin thing as some sort of status marker maybe? That's racism even within the same racial group!

Nowadays, euphemisms of whitening lotions or luminosity boosters replace the Michael Jackson-esque term bleaching products. But the concept's the same.

Blatant stereotyping continues:
Backward-thinking Asian girl, somewhat naive maybe, thinks looking fairer makes her look better. Does it really make her look better? And isn't beauty in the eyes of the beholder?

A typical Asian with a geographically-limited social circle would likely agree that a fairer-skinned girl would be more attractive. And if that's her world, her social-circle, who's to argue with that? A paler Caucasian who thinks a "healthy" tan looks great is also molded by her own culture and experiences (doubtless experiences not related to skin cancer, heheh).

There's no right or wrong, it just goes to show that different people have different perceptions of beauty. Physical traits have always been part of the construction of ideal beauty. Beauty is outward, beauty is shallow. Beauty is vain and beauty is for display.

Who you are on the inside, who you really really are, is a totally different matter.

I guess it doesn't matter what you look like, or what you choose to look like, as long as you know who you are inside.

Vanity is not to be confused with pride.

So, back to my original musing.. I suppose I bought the whitening product just because I felt like it. Partly to see if it worked, and partly because I might look better fairer, but for the most part just because I wanted to. And I think I look fine with or without fairer skin anyways.

Dressing like a bimbo make you no less smart. It just confuses people more. And isn't that more fun?

* decided it was inconclusive, might be a placebo effect?

Short Haircut

2008-05-04T07:48:00.000-07:00

I recently got a super short haircut after having had long hair for practically forever. And frankly I love it. I'm seriously contemplating keeping my hair short from now on. So I figured why not make a post for all those people out there who are thinking about making a change but don't really know if it's the right move to make. So all you people considering going short, this is for you.

The great thing about short hair is that it's so versatile, it can be sassy, sweet, sexy or sophisticated; all you need is a little styling product and a little flare and imagination. Slick it back, muss it up, spike it, crimp it, accessorise it with pins and clips or a headband, and suddenly you've got a whole new look! Short hair won't ever get boring either since it's so easy to change your style, as it grows it will change its shape so you always have the option of getting a different cut or wearing it longer of shorter.

Getting a hair cut is also the fastest and easiest way of changing your image. Cutting long hair short is dramatic and different, and it will defiantly get peoples ' attention! Changing your hair is the easiest way of making a personal statement. Cutting your hair short doesn't mean losing your femininity either, just look at the Hollywood stars such as Reese Witherspoon and Halle Berry who have gone short and still look stunning. I know that I've been told that I actually look sexier with short hair. Short hair can help accentuate your neck making it look longer and more elegant as well as helping you look slimmer.

And in this day and age, the one thing we really don't need to worry about is buyer's remorse. With extensions, wigs, half wigs, clip on ponytails and other hair add ons there are plenty of ways of changing short hair to long whether you're tired of waiting for your hair to grow or you want to go long for a day.

So have I convinced you to give short hair a shot?
If I have keep reading to find out how to go about getting that perfect short haircut.

First of all you need to find the cut that you want and that suits your facial shape and hair type. Remember that not all cuts will look the same on everyone! At this site you can view yourself with over 7,000 hairstyles and help you match your physical characteristics to the right haircuts. Look through some hair magazines or find an online hair gallery like this one - you should choose several different potential cuts.

Once you've found the cuts that you like, bring the pictures of the cuts to your stylist, remember a picture is worth a thousand words. If you want to dye your hair, bring along a picture of the colour you want as well. Ask your stylist which cut would be most flattering on you and don't be afraid to discuss what you want with your stylist, be very specific about what you like and don't like in a hairstyle.

If you find that you have your heart set on a style that might not usually suit your facial characteristics, bring a picture along to your stylist anyway, after all, rules were meant to be broken and you may find that your stylist can modify the style to suit you.

Finally remember that while you should listen to other peoples advice and opinions, at the end of the day, it is your hair and the final decision should rest with you. Then all you'll have to do is sit back, relax and enjoy all the flattering comments you'll get about your gorgeous new haircut!

Team Members! Go Team! Wouw wouw!

2008-04-28T01:38:00.000-07:00

Ok, Have added Lizliz, Eds, Jo and Lynngirl to be part of TEAM and such so can all be FRIENDLY in our fight against ooglyness! Am sure they shall have OODLES to share and contribute with much sensitivitiness and emotionalism. Am excited and surely they must be too! Especially, Eds coz he is PHD and must know loads about everything, especially about how not to smell like Star Trek Fan, and look URBAN and pretend that mudding is uncool.

Although, Lizliz and Lynngirl have started playing MapleStory together an awful lot and it's getting quite worrisome :S No matter, I'm sure it's just a phase...

Intro and Such!

2008-04-28T01:11:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I finally decided to start my own blog, and have come to the conclusion to make it about looking good or at least *trying* to look nice or at the very least attempting to be not gross and disgusting - not that there's anything wrong with being gross and disgusting of course, if that's your thing then, Hey! Why not!
But if you're fat and yuck and stinky and flaky and clammy and armpitty... and would RATHER NOT BE!!! - then this blog is probably for you. Or at least a public guideline for me. Nothing wrong with all of the above things of course, if that's what you dig, I are experts at dat too! Hoho! Some of us might swing that way and I understand it does wonders for lubrication purposes, what with all the extra grease and sweats and that, hur hur.

But I digress!

New Blog! Gorgeous Creatures! Look Hawt! Hooray! And Such!

Ok Lazy now! Will think aboot what to post next!

Fla.

So it are DO!

2008-04-27T20:14:00.000-07:00

Yay! So it does! Wow so many things to try! Fonts and LAYOUTS and what not! Must play around with this. OK! So decided to start a blog ala LynnGirl. Don't know how to link to her page yet though. Hmm... http://lynngabriel.blogspot.com ? Is it werking yet?