jennifer joanna aniston (born february 11, 1969) is an american actress, film director and producer. aniston gained worldwide recognition in the 1990s for portraying rachel green on the television sitcom friends, a role which earned her an emmy award, a golden globe award and a screen actors guild award. aniston has also enjoyed a successful hollywood film career. aniston received a star on the hollywood walk of fame on february 22, 2012.
in may 1998, aniston began dating actor brad pitt. they married on july 29, 2000, in a private wedding ceremony in malibu. for a few years, their marriage was considered the rare hollywood success. however, the couple announced their separation on january 6, 2005. it was finalized on october 2, 2005. during this period there was intense speculation in the media that pitt had been unfaithful to aniston with his 'mr. & mrs. smith co-star', angelina jolie.
in the following months, the public's reaction towards the divorce was reported in the press. 'team aniston' and 'team jolie' t-shirts appeared, with 'team aniston' shirts out-selling the 'team jolie' shirts four to one. well, life goes on and fast forward to 2012.
well, there was no lack of excitement in jennifer aniston and justin theroux's household over the weekend with an engagement party. the wanderlust co-stars celebrated with close friends including demi moore, ben stiller, tobey maguire, ellen degeneres and portia di rossi at the low-key bash, almost four months after first announcing their engagement. justin popped the question on a romantic dinner date to celebrate his birthday at new york city restaurant blue hill in august. the couple then enjoyed a weekend of private celebrations before Justin's rep announced the news in a gushing statement.
jennifer aniston previously admitted the proposal was a complete surprise. aww... that's so sweet. before we go, here's a collection of jennifer aniston's hair-do's over the years. any favourite?
as one ages, we often tend to give less attention to our outlook. it seems that life has this strange effect on us. we start to ignore little details like the extra pound, the new wrinkle and the thinning hair. i am a firm believer of slowing down the aging process with proper diet, exercise and of course, a body-care regime. for this post, i am going to talk about a problem that affects about 70% of men: baldness
more than 95% of hair thinning in men is male pattern baldness. male pattern baldness is characterized by hair receding from the lateral sides of the forehead (known as a 'receding hairline') and/or a thinning crown (balding to the area known as the ‘vertex’). both become more pronounced until they eventually meet, leaving a horseshoe-shaped ring of hair around the back of the head. a rough rule of thumb is that the incidence of baldness in males corresponds to chronological age. for example, male pattern baldness affects roughly 40 million men in the united states. approximately 25% of men begin balding by age 30; two-thirds begin balding by age 60.
there is a 4 in 7 chance of receiving the baldness gene. onset of hair loss sometimes begins as early as the end of puberty and is mostly genetically determined. it was previously believed that baldness was inherited from the maternal grandfather. while there is some basis for this belief, both parents contribute to their offspring's likelihood of hair loss.
well, know how we lose our hair is not most important. the question is if one can prevent and reverse hair loss.
medication: in the united states, there are only two drug-based treatments that have been approved by the u.s. food and drug administration (fda) and one product that has been cleared by the fda for the treatment of male or female pattern hair loss. the two fda approved treatments are finasteride (marketed for hair loss as propecia) and minoxidil.
there is currently no way to instigate permanent re-growth of hair that has been lost through genetic or hormonal causes. however, it is widely regarded that with early detection, professional consultation and specialist products, the effects of hair thinning can be reduced or delayed. if the cause is reversible, such as an underlying medical condition, it is possible to stop hair thinning by treating the deficiency. there are also several measures sufferers can take to give hair a thicker appearance and to create an optimum scalp environment for new hair to grow and thrive.
a variety of medications have been proven to slow hair thinning, help grow new hair or enlarge existing hairs to create better coverage. most require long-term use as, if stopped, hair loss returns. some treatments are topical and activated by being sprayed or rubbed into the scalp, while others are taken in pill form. one of the most popular medications, corticosteroids, are either injected into the scalp, taken in pill form or applied in an ointment and are used especially to treat patchy hair loss.
stress reduction: stress reduction can be helpful in slowing hair loss. in 2011, researchers from the university of california and the u.s. veterans administration found that mice who had been genetically engineered to produce excessive levels of corticotropin-releasing hormone, lost hair from their backs. the high amounts of corticotropin-releasing hormone created a chronic stress condition in the mice. after treatment with astressin-b, a stress blocker, the mice had regrown the hair they had lost, four months later.
surgical treatments: hair transplant surgery was developed during the 1950s. it is usually carried out under local anaesthetic. a surgeon will move healthy hair from the back and sides of the head to areas of thinning, helping to restore a natural look. the procedure can take between four and eight hours and additional sessions can be carried out to make hair even thicker. transplanted hair falls out within a few weeks but regrows permanently within months.
treating the scalp: as an extension of facial skin, effective cleansing and moisturizing of the scalp can help keep follicles open and create an optimum environment for healthy hair to grow and mature, preventing miniaturization and controlling thinning. certain products on the market are specially designed to remove the styling build-up, environmental pollutants and excess sebum that block follicles and inhibit hair growth, and nourish the scalp skin and hair to reduce breakage and promote health.
so we started the content posts of the week with hair removal and i will wrap up the week with the topic of hair. instead of hair removal, it's to help us understand the various hair treatments and the side effects. this is a topic applicable to not just the women but the men as well though most of the procedures are usually done by the ladies.
hair colouring is the practice of changing the colour of hair. the main reason for this practice are cosmetic, e.g. to cover gray hair, to change to a colour regarded as more fashionable or desirable, and to restore the original hair colour after it has been discoloured by hairdressing processes or sun bleaching. today, hair colouring is immensely popular, with over seventy-five percent of american women dyeing their hair. hair colouring involves the use of chemicals capable of removing, replacing and/or covering up pigments naturally found inside the hair shaft. use of these chemicals can result in a range of adverse effects, including temporary skin irritation and allergy, hair breakage, skin discolouration and unexpected hair colour results.
side effects of various products result in loss of hair and in extreme cases balding. if consumed by the body by means of inhalation or digestion certain hair dye brands have shown evidence of causing constipation and other dangerous disruptions within human organs. additionally, there is ongoing discussion regarding more serious health consequences of hair colour usage, including lead poisoning.
next, hair relaxing, or lanthionization, is when the relaxer is applied to the roots of the hair and remains in place for a 'cooking' interval, during which it alters the hair's texture by a process of controlled damage to the protein structure. the hair can be significantly weakened by the physical overlap of excessive applications or by a single excessive one, leading to brittleness, breakage, or even widespread alopecia. when the chemicals in hair relaxers comes in contact with the scalp skin, it may cause burns and irritation on the scalp surface. if there is severe chemical burns, then red, itchy skin rash may appear on the scalp.
in hair relaxing treatment, the chemical solution is allowed to sit on the hair for about half an hour. during this time, the chemicals strip off the natural oils and moisture from the hair. they also destroy the natural proteins of the hair. at the end, you find that your hair have become extremely dry. such harmful effects can be avoided if the treatment is followed by deep conditioning of the hair. hot oil treatments and application of hair masks are also proved to be highly beneficial for hydrating the hair.
finally, hair weave is a very general term used to describe human or artificial hair typically utilized for the integration with one’s natural hair. weaves can alter one's appearance for long or short periods of time by adding further hair to one's natural hair or by covering the natural hair all together with human or synthetic hairpieces. however, hair extensions and weavings can also lead to further hair loss or thinning. when the weave is done too tightly it can pull on existing hair and lead to premature shedding. weaving can also damage hair follicles causing breakage at the point of attachment.
since for the rest of the week, the images are going to be 'interesting', i decided to start off with something less stomach churning. what is the first thought that comes to your mind when a lady raises her arms and you see an unshaven, hairy underarm?
a fashion convention that we have accepted is the image of the shaven woman. truly, it seems like society at large is unable to accept ladies who do not shave. hence, one of the processes that women (and some men) subject themselves to is hair removal. we are not talking about just haircuts but the process of waxing and shaving so that they can fall into the category of 'soft, silky and smooth'. it's always interesting to note reactions when people catch a glimpse of a hairy situation. literally, faces change colour. hence, whether we like it or not, society has created processes for hair removal. let's thus explore the methods:
1) waxing is a form of semi-permanent hair removal which removes the hair from the root. new hair will not grow back in the previously waxed area for two to eight weeks, although some people will start to see regrowth in only a week. almost any area of the body can be waxed, including eyebrows, face, bikini area, legs, arms, back, abdomen and feet. there are many types of waxing suitable for removing unwanted hair.
2) shaving is the removal of hair, by using a razor or any other kind of bladed implement, to slice it down to the level of the skin. shaving is most commonly practiced by men to remove their facial hair and by women to remove their leg and underarm hair.
3) intense pulsed light, commonly abbreviated as ipl, is a technology used by beauty studios and medical practitioners to perform various skin treatments including hair removal and photo rejuvenation. light travels through the skin until it strikes the hair shafts or the bulb (root) of the hair. the bulb is usually where the highest concentration of melanin is located, as opposed to the rest of the hair shaft. as the light is converted to heat energy, the bulb and most of the hair shaft are instantly vaporized. the intense heat radiated by the hair also destroys the hair-producing papilla or the entire hair follicle. contrary to what is often claimed, photoepilation is not a permanent hair removal method but a permanent hair reduction method. this means that although IPL treatments with these devices will permanently reduce the total number of body hairs, they will not result in a permanent removal of all hair.
a) hair removal of any kind can cause some issues: skin inflammation, minor burns, lesions, scarring, and increase in rate of growth, thickness of hair, ingrown hairs, bumps and infected hair follicles.
b) waxing can be painful when the strip is removed from the skin. although the pain is not long-lasting, it can be intense, particularly in more sensitive areas. just watch this video.
c) when removed against the direction of hair growth, the wax strip may disturb hair follicles, causing hair to begin to grow in different directions. this may cause hair growth to be more noticeable and make other methods of hair removal more difficult. fortunately, this risk is negligible if the waxing is performed properly.
d) another drawback of waxing is that some people experience ingrown hairs, red bumps, and minor bleeding. this is more likely to occur when waxing areas with thick hair, especially the first few times when follicles are strongest.
e) razor burn is an irritation of the skin caused by using a blunt blade or not using proper technique. it appears as a mild rash two to four minutes after shaving (once hair starts to grow through sealed skin) and usually disappears after a few hours to a few days, depending on severity. in severe cases, razor burn can also be accompanied by razor bumps, where the area around shaved hairs get raised red welts or infected pustules.
so the road to silky smoothness is not so smooth after all.
the renaissance period started about 1450 in italy and ended about 1600. the word renaissance came from the Italian word "renascrere" meaning to be re-born. many would say it was the age in which intellectual and creative energy was re-born. in the 15th century fashion was re-born and beauty of the human body was discovered once again.
renaissance dress makers considered the human form in two parts - hips and shoulders. the clothing was made to fit the wearer, yet on the outside it was padded to show the body in a completely different form than the natural one. a person's wealth was shown in the jewels sewn in the cloth, fabric, and layers of clothing.
toward the later renaissance, fashion began to reflect mannerism. sumptuary laws decreed that commoners only to wear clothing of one color. in order to circumvent the sumptuary laws, men and women cut open the outer surfaces of their clothes to expose the contrasting color beneath, which was called slashing.
during the early renaissance, the necklines varied in cut and height. little changes in necklines, waistlines, sleeves and such help identify the dress to the different time periods and different rulers. with the change of rulers came a change in what was considered fashionable depending on what the queen or king wore.
women's undergarments were also important in the renaissance when it came to being fashionable and distinguishing status and social class as with other, more visible fashions, such as outer dresses, head dress and footwear.
the main women's undergarments was the chemise, or as it was also called, camicia or underobe. the role of the chemise was to form the shape of the dress and in the later years was shown at the neckline and sleeves of the dress, and therefore had to be decorated and fashionable. fashions of the renaissance were very complicated and elaborate and undergarments, even though rarely seen, were no exception.
women's hair and head dresses were the most elaborate, ever-changing and time consuming parts of women's fashions in the renaissance. women spent hours plucking hair from their foreheads and side of their face to achieve a high forehead, which was considered fashionable during the Renaissance. They pulled the remaining hair into a tight bun or braid and then covered their heads with some kind of head dress, depending on what was fashionable, which went from to turbans to veils and was always elaborately decorated with jewels, embroidery and rich fabrics.
in the later renaissance, venetian women would arrange their hair into twin buns that resembled horns at the front of their head. sometimes these horns would be up to half a foot, and with the combined height of hair and shoes, women could appear to be up to a foot and a half taller than they really were. what was considered fashionable for women's hair and head dress changed considerably many times throughout the renaissance.
close to the turn of the century, women wore what was called the gable or kennel headdress. these were very elaborate head dresses, consisting of many different parts to complete the style. the hair was center parted, and fell loosely down the back, and a white under cap was worn directly over the hair and was tied under the chin. pinned to the under cap was a stiffened tight fitting cap, or coif, with the front and the lappets, or loose flaps, were covered with black material. the front edge of the coif was decorated and rigid with use of metal. pinned to the coif was placed a semi-circular black hood, decorated around the front, that was like a veil, covering the top of the chest and back. women's hair and head dress during the renaissance most likely were as influential in determining status and social class and being fashionable as the outer dress. thus women spent a lot of time doing up their hair and arranging their head dress and most probably took great joy in creating their elaborate styles.
the shoes were very extravagant as was the rest of the outfit. the platform could add height to the wearer and came in a height of up to thirteen inches and jeweled ornaments adorned the leather. although very fashionable, these high shoes were never actually seen in public, as they were covered by the long skirts the women wore. during this period the gracefully curved heel became known as the french or louis XV heel.
the change from platforms to heels changed the whole idea of shoemaking. walking became considered an art with wearing heeled shoes and a hoop skirt moving forward and backward. hemlines were hiked up to the ankles and thus the costly foot attire was shown off to the public.
the renaissance period caused fashion to change forever. it was a period that set the stage for years to come. elaborate details, along with colorful fabrics and expensive jewels were just a few elements of the renaissance fashion. people went to any length to outdo each other in their garments. as the period went on the decorative details got more and more elaborate leading up to the elizabethan age. the italian renaissance influenced all the countries around them. many countries copied the renaissance "look", because of the elegance and beauty of the clothing. the fashions of the italian renaissance were so influential that, when italy was conquered by spain, france, and austria, the fashions in europe changed and were never the same. the fashions of the renaissance period were truly in a league of their own.
no event or production in this world would be perfect. the question is, even when there are flaws, can we accept them and move on? like i promised in my earlier post, i would take this one to talk about things that got under my skin about sentosa spooktacular. after reading this, some of you might say that i am nit-picking and just overly fussy. perhaps i am but i guess, when attention paid to detail, the mileage earned is geometric. just think of the blankets and hot tea that chanel provided during their haute couture show.
so this post is going to be about the little tweaks that can be made to sentosa spooktacular to make the experience truly memorable...
1) getting out of touch with my roots
during any halloween events, there are bound to be the generous usage of wigs. so i would pay attention to the talent's real hair sticking out. this is something that can be easily resolved with hairpins.
see what was wrong? i didn't noticed the bandana during the event because it was dark but in photos, the bandana stood out like a sore thumb. my guess is that the talent was supposed to keep his hat on with the bandana holding up his hair but he took it off and got caught on camera by a fussy blogger.
2) do you see my true colours?
while the hair faux pas were acceptable, i cannot say the same for make-up. one of the biggest rules in the application of make-up is: when putting on foundation, do not end at the jawline. this is even more important when you are creating the illusion of a character.
compare the two photos (picture on the right is from another halloween event)... one definitely had more attention paid to makeup. notice that you do not see any skin in the picture on the right. you can afford to use a thinner layer when it comes to the neck and body but it is still essential to avoid two distinct skin tones... lots of blending is needed to prevent patches of bare skin (the other way is to apply beyond the costume line.)
next, you will get your best pictures at the beginning of the night because by the later part of the night, most of the make-up on the faces of the talents have faded due to perspiration. i felt bad for the talents because i know how it feels like to have on theatrical make-up in an outdoor event. well, i do have a couple of tips for those of you putting on scary makeup this halloween but i'll share them later in the week.
so my tip for you: if you want to take pictures with the 'spirits' that have elaborate make-up, do it as early as you can...
3) spot the brand under my costume
generally, the costumes were fantastic and gave a whole list of photo opportunities. but some attention can be paid to what the talents were wearing underneath. there was too much 'sticking out' of tee-shirts for me. it's like 'hey, i know where that is from because i have the same thing in four colours'. the worst part of this undershirt glitch is when one can actually name the brands (and probably the price!)
after all, halloween is the season of creating the ultimate illusion of spirits back to haunt us. i want to be chased by a ghost who wants my soul, not one who is fighting me for the last discounted piece. ghosts were people too but after these people pass on, i would appreciate if we shopped at different stores.
4) land of lost soles
i saved the best for last. after three pointers, i think i'll allow the pictures to do the talking in this one...
not that scary anymore eh?
yes, i'm picky, fussy and every mean word that you can find in the dictionary but here on the online edition, details are important. after all, there is a reason why haute couture is in a class of its own.
nah, i'm not telling you the five commandments of fashion... i'm going to talk hair. since this is really a week of basics, i'll just give you the terms and then we will leave to it till another time to talk which hairdo suits which face shape, what kind of clothes go with the hair, what accessories to use and all.
let's strike a deal. if this post alone climbs to top five of the week, then i'll do a full-week feature on hair. till then, here are five do's that one should be familiar with.
1) a bob cut or bob is a short haircut for women (and sometimes men) in which the hair is typically cut straight around the head at about jaw-level, often with a fringe (or 'bangs') at the front.
2) hime cut (or 'princess cut') is a hairstyle consisting of straight, usually cheek-length sidelocks and frontal fringe. the rest of the hair is usually worn long and straightened.
4) a perm involves the use of chemicals to break and reform the bonds of the hair. the hair swells, stretches and softens, then moulds around the shape of the perm rod.
5) razor cutting is a hair cutting process in which sharp, knife-like razors are used to excise, slice and texturize hair. this is a practical method to create movement in straight hairstyles.
anyway, if you can't wait till my full-week feature on hair, do visit here. final piece of advice when it comes to trying out different hairdos... don't fret. hair grows back!
