I mean, thankfully, due to regular hair care regime, it’s not doing too badly. But, my hair has definitely seen better days. Especially since I very rarely perm, straighten, or colour my hair beforehand!

In any case, when I received the opportunity to try Pantene’s Clinicare line*, I accepted the opportunity because I was planning on buying similar products anyway.

And, whilst I didn’t see any dramatic changes, I do think the Pantene CliniCare shampoo + conditioner combo did make my hair feel softer the next day.

I also liked having the added hair protection for my hair in the form of Pantene’s CliniCare leave-in treatment.

I do believe that for its price range, Pantene offers decent products in the CliniCare line.

* Full disclosure: Products featured in this piece have been provided by a PR agency representing Pantene.

Now, if you’re going to ask me if something was a Marc Jacobs, a Fendi, or a Coach handbag… well, forget it. My only way of knowing is if I actually recognise the logo (if you can see it on the bag prominently). But, even then, I won’t be able to tell you much more than just the name.

You see, when shopping for handbags, I generally just look at a bag and figure out if it can carry my “bare essentials” or not. Yes, admittedly, I tend to go big (not the best look for a petite girl like moi!). Although lately, I’ve been trying to carry a smaller or medium-sized handbag (a satchel, I believe!)… then, just adding on other smaller bags, when necessary.

In any case, I’m not really much of a handbag expert. Sure, I can appreciate a nice handbag. But, only from personal taste rather than what’s “in fashion” or “what’s popular” at the moment. In fact, I’m the sort of girl who can even appreciate using a freebie tote handbag from L’Oreal (after buying some mineral make-up!) — or even making my own bags.

That’s why when a spokesperson from Trendy Purse emailed me to ask if I can post a “favourite handbag” from their online shop on my blog for their $500 handbag giveaway, I wasn’t quite sure about it. But, I decided to take a peek at their site anyway, and was surprised to see the amount of stuff they’ve got available there. If I didn’t see anything I liked after a few minutes, I thought I’d give it a miss. I didn’t want to post a “favourite” just for the sake of posting one, you know?

Whilst browsing for bags, I can see how certain styles attract me more than others. Anyway, after just a few minutes, I found this hobo handbag from Gucci – and was instantly in-lust:

Ah. The evils of online window shopping.

What about you? Are you up for sharing your own favourite handbags?

PLOT: Four successful women who have been friends since their college years try to balance their careers and personal lives in New York City, with each other’s help.

MAIN CAST:

• Lucy Liu as Mia Mason (a publisher)
• Frances O’Connor as Zoe Burden (top business executive)
• Miranda Otto as Juliet Draper (CEO)
• Bonnie Somerville as Caitlin Dowd (marketing executive)

PRODUCTION:

• Directors: Joe Napolitano, Lee Rose, Matt Earl Beesley, Matthew Penn, Michael Pressman
• Writer: Chris Alberghini
• Studio: Sony Pictures

GENERAL REVIEW: Cashmere Mafia is not an exact copycat of other TV show hits like Sex and the City and Desperate Housewives. However, it suffered from such comparisons. And, unfortunately, it didn’t last very long as it was cancelled just after one season (7 episodes).

Well, Clearasil Ultra 4-Hours promises just that: a pimple treatment cream that will help you to have visibly clearer skin in just four hours.

At about US$10 per 1oz tube, it’s one of the more expensive commercial pimple treatment creams on the shelf (from the local pharmacy/department store, anyway). However, who doesn’t want to try a cream that promises to make those skin irritations vanish as quickly as possible?

So, with that in mind, we’ve decided to take Clearasil Ultra 4-Hours for a spin. And, here’s a quick review from our tester who has been using the product for over a week:

• The cream is simple to apply. And, you don’t seem to need a lot in order for it to have any effect.
• The skin may tingle a bit, especially when you first start using the cream at first. But, it seems to get better. Make sure you test the cream accordingly first (check the box for instructions) before applying it to your face.
• Pimples don’t really disappear within four hours. Not that we believed they would. The smaller pimples, however, did seem to lessen in appearance after 2 to 3 days of regular use (cream must be applied once in the morning, and again once at night). The more persistent type of acne needed about a week to show some improvement. It probably will take almost two weeks for these types of pimples to disappear completely.

Bottomline: It may not make all your pimples vanish in four hours, but it’s still worth giving it a go.

Petite Celebrity in Profile: Lucy Liu (or also written up as Lucy Lui)

Height: 5’2

Birth Date: 2 December 1968

Country: USA

Celeb Claim to Fame: Appearances in several TV shows (from the original “Beverly Hills 901210″ and the popular “Ally McBeal” to the short-lived series “Joey” and “Cashmere Mafia”), as well as movies like “Charlie’s Angels”, “Chicago”, “Kill Bill: Vol 1″ and “Shanghai Noon”. She has also voiced over animations like “Kung Fu Panda” and “Mulan 2″. She has won several awards, including an Emmy for her role in “Ally McBeal”.

Why We Love Her: Not only can she act (both on TV and the movies!), model, and be a voice talent – she can also paint! Yes, this multi-talent beauty has a lot of tricks up her sleeve. How can you not admire her for such versatility?

Petite Celebrity Style: Just like her talents, Lucy is also versatile when it comes to style. She can look like a fierce, tough, and butt-kicking chick one minute, then appear as a glamourous celeb in a gown during a Hollywood event in the next minute.

In the photo you see here, Lucy appears in a chic tailored white suit by Christian Dior, with matching Dior bag. Four fabulous petite style tips that she uses in this look:

1. Create a singular block of colour in clothing – In this case, Lucy wears an all-white ensemble. This elongates the body.

2. Consider lines in clothing! – The V-neck and vertical lines in her suit helps to flatter petite figures.

3. Wear shoes in the nude – To create an illusion of longer legs, petite women are often advised to wear shoes that match their skin tone. Lucy follows this advice well in this look.

4. Make sure your clothes are well-fitted – Need we say more?

Each razor cartridge comes with double blades, as well two scented shave gel bars. The razor cartridges are replaceable. And, a new pack either has 1, 2, 4 or 12 cartridges.

TIP: To activate the moisturising shave gel bars, make sure to run the razor head under the tap quickly so they’re moistened. Otherwise, you’ll have trouble using the razor.

Approximate Price: US$10-12

You can purchase the Venus Spa Breeze Razor from Amazon below -

Here’s a summary of the tips on choosing the best bathing suits for petites from the video:

1. Wear swimsuits that have a high-cut bottom. This is a good way to elongate your legs.

2. Choose casual footwear with height. Forget flat flip-flops. The stylist suggests to wear wedge espadrilles to add extra inches. It’s a good idea, but I will probably suggest a more neutral-coloured pair of shoes than the one featured on the video.

3. Wear a string halter top or a french top with padding. It’s meant to be a good, feminine look for petites.

4. Use short cover-up clothes. Again, this helps to show elongated legs.

5. Choose simple bandana or triangle tops. Avoid heavy straps and/or too much detail on your swimsuits.

As always, these are just guidelines or ideas for you to consider. Hope you find them useful!

Image source: Gabriella Fabri (duchessa at sxc.hu)

Well, okay. It’s not really named after me per se. But, these babies share my name and I’m just so stoked about it. Yes, they’re called Shai ankle boots from Hot Kiss -

How eerie is it that I get to share a name with a pair of boots? With 3.5-inch heels (great for us petites!). And a Victorian-style one at that! Available in black and brown.

You see, everyone who knows me knows that I have a bit of a boot-fetish. I love ‘em and collect as many of them as I’m able to. So, it won’t be a surprise if I’ll keep sharing a lot of boot-loving in this blogzine.

And yes, the Victorian style just appeals to my love of all things Jane Austen and the old British era.   

Now I want a pair of them pronto! So please, pleeeaaaasee tell me I can get them here in Australia.

Hat Tip: Thanks for sharing the link with me, Stef!

Being part Australian, I can’t resist featuring one of my favourite petite celebrities – no other than Aussie pop singer from Neighbours fame, Kylie Minogue.

Petite Celebrity in Profile: Kylie Ann Minogue

Height: 5’0

Birth Date: 28 May 1968

Country: Australia

Celeb Claim to Fame: Originally a soap star, Kylie rose to fame in the Australian television show, Neighbours. She managed to reinvent herself as world-famous pop singer – and won several awards, including a Grammy. She was also granted an OBE by the Queen of England for her contribution to music.

Why We Love Her: Kylie is an Aussie icon. And, she has shown a lot of heart and spirit throughout her career. What’s really great about her is that she is able to reinvent herself to make herself ‘current’ and popular for many years – from being a soap star (“Neighbours”) to her girl-next-door music (“I Should Be So Lucky”) then to a sexy pop diva (“Spinning Around”). And of course, she makes petites look sexy and stylish! Proof that small women can definitely rock.

Petite Celebrity Style: Kylie is able to wear just about anything and make it look absolutely stunning – from jeans-shirts combos or hot pants to dresses and evening gowns. One petite styling tip that she seems to do very well is to wear matching colours from head to toe to make her look taller. In this photo of her leaving her flat in London, for example, you see her wearing black- sunglasses, dress, and high heeled shoes. Even the bag! Smooth, flowing and absolutely stylish!

That’s why I became a late bloomer when it comes to skincare. I’ve only recently started to find good products and routines. And, one of the first skincare products that I’ve tried properly are Clarins Paris products.

The lady at the Clarins counter over at Myer’s department store was very helpful. No wonder I ended up with a lot of items that I wasn’t exactly planning on purchasing. The power of retail persuasion in action. Heh.

In any case, of course, skincare products really depend on the type of skin you have. It’s always good to get some advice before starting the journey of buying. Especially since they can definitely eat in to your savings account. While I know the advice that I received was biased, it was still useful for me to learn that:

• There are 4 essential items that every woman should have in their facial skincare cabinet: 1) a good facial cleanser; 2) a toner; 3) a facial day cream (preferably, with SPF protection); and 4) a facial night cream/moisturiser. If there’s room for one more, it should be a day/night eye cream. The rest are optional items that you can build on.
• A good body moisturiser/lotion is definitely useful too.
• Additional items that will be useful include: a mask; an exfoliating cleanser; and a hydration serum or cream.

For my first official foray in to serious skincare, I ended up purchasing the items you see above (some were in a package/came for free). And, some of these Clarins products are (Face skincare line):

• Clarins Gentle Foaming Cleanser – To be used after shower in the morning, and before going to sleep at night, to wash the face.
• Clarins Toning Lotion – To be used after washing the face with the cleanser, using a cotton ball.
• Multi-Active Day Cream (for all skin types) – To be applied to face and neck after cleansing and toning in the morning. Just before applying make-up!
• HydraQuench Cream – To be applied to face and neck after cleansing and toning at night time. I really like this product, as you can immediately feel the smoothness of your skin. But, it’s quite pricey! That’s why I’m on the hunt for possible alternatives.
• HydraQuench Intensive Serum Bi-Phase – This is meant to be applied before either of the day/night cream. Depending on the severity of your dry skin, you can opt to use this either once a day – or just once a week.

The last Clarins product I purchased is in their make-up line. And, it’s called Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch (labeled as Lisse Minute). And, it’s absolutely gorgeous. Possibly my favourite purchase of the lot. It’s basically something you apply after the morning skincare routine. It acts as a foundation/concealer. Smoothens the face and serves as a ‘second skin’. You can then build on it with your favourite make-up.

So, what about you? What’s skincare routine like? Any skincare products that you wish to recommend?