UNDERNEATH YOUR CLOTHES

Underneath your clothes, there is a smart, lovely, girlie girl - BUT...you already know that :O)
There is also a set of helpful, little tools to make your clothes look even more flattering.

There is a mound of fashion inventions with hidden magic to transform a simple dress into a stunning dress, but the 3 below have helped me in the most recent occasions. And I have become a firm believer in their magic.

1) Double-sided tape

Remember J. LO's scandalous, green dress? That's when the double-sided tape was introduced. Now, they are everywhere and going nowhere, solely because they really work for those super sexy, super low cut numbers.

Photo Credit: www.vogue.co.uk

2) Strap Perfect Bra Clips

Its claim is that it helps hide bra straps sneaking out below your clothes and gives your boobs an instant lift.
Skeptical? Don't be!
The clips worked well to hide my straps with "tricky" outfits. Plus, the "lifting" effect was no lie.























3) Nu Bra

In my backless halter last year, this braless bra really did its job. Compared to Victoria's Secret Multi Way Bra, Nu Bra wins all the way by providing a more natural look, confirmed by Hubby :O)

The clip in the middle helps secure

RETINOL, THE ANTI AGING AGENT

Of all the anti-aging, wrinkle-reducing and sun damage-correcting products we have been bombarded with, Retinol is one that has been clinically proven, time and time again, to heal and prevent breakdown of skin's collagen - No wonder my dermatologist insists on Retinol every time I visit her!

There are many skin products using Retinol, but I find Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle cream a great choice. (I prefer using its night cream, btw)



Truth is, we can't stop aging. But we can age gracefully with a little help.

For extra reading on benefits of Retinol, here are some useful articles:

http://healthmad.com/beauty/the-anti-aging-benefits-of-retinol-for-your-skin/
http://www.thewrinklereport.com/the-benefits-of-retinol-in-wrinkle-creams.html

QUICK MEAL IDEA: TOFU AND CUCUMBER SALAD

Last month I was in Shanghai visiting Grandma and this is the salad she taught me how to make. Hubby and I had it again for dinner and I really love the taste. So here I am, sharing Grandma's wonderful but very quick and easy TOFU AND CUCUMBER SALAD recipe.

WHAT YOU NEED:
A block of firm or super firm tofu (organic is better)
A couple of cloves of garlic
2 stalks of scallions
1 med cucumber
****
Soy sauce
Black vinegar
Salt
Chinese white powder pepper
Sesame Oil



WHAT YOU DO:

STEP 1: Chop garlic and scallions and set aside in different bowls



STEP 2: Peel cucumber and chop off each end


STEP 3: Half the cucumber in the middle



STEP 4: Cut each half of the cucumber length-wise into 2 pieces. (Now you have 4 pieces of cucumber)

STEP 5: For each piece of the cucumber, use a spoon and scrape off the middle, where all the seeds are. You don't need this part.



STEP 6: Slice each piece of the cucumber (again, length-wise) into thin noodle-like slivers. Pile into a bowl and set aside

STEP 7: Cut tofu into pieces of squares (like picture below)


STEP 8: Fry each piece of tofu in a heated pan with oil until each tofu square is golden on each side. Spread a pinch of salt and pepper to each side if you wish.

Set the fried tofu square aside to cool.



STEP 9: While the tofu is cooling, fry up the chopped garlic and scallions in a heated pan with oil, until they are also golden


STEP 10: At this point, tofu should be cooled. Cut each piece into thin slices just like the cucumbers.



STEP 11: In a large mixing bowl, pour in the sliced cucumber and fried tofu.



STEP 12: Add the following ingredients in:

Salt (Add by the pinch. Use your own judgment on how much.)
1 pinch of Chinese white pepper powder
1 teaspoon of soy sauce (add more if it's not enough)
1 teaspoon of black vinegar
1 teaspoon of sesame oil


STEP 13: Add the fried garlic and scallions and MIX, MIX, MIX


DONE!!!! Delicious, nutricious TOFU AND CUCUMBER SALAD...Straight from Grandma's kitchen :O)

WHAT'S IN YOUR MAKEUP BAG?

Today at work, I randomly asked a couple of the cutest co-workers, who are also girlie girls, to share their makeup bag. I wanted to show real products that real women use everyday. And here is what I found:

Girlie Girl 1: Vee's Makeup Bag


1) Eye lash curler by REVLON
2) Anna Sui Mascara DOLLY GIRL LIL' STARLET SUPER MASCARA DX LONG LASH
3) Anna Sui Volume Up Mascara
4) MAC blot powder

Girlie Girl 2: Tee's Makeup Bag


1) PRESCRIPTIVES All Skin Mineral Makeup Foundation
2) E.L.F Shimmering Facial Whip
3) Cover Girl Professional Clear Mascara (this one she uses to smooth out her brows. Good tip Tee!)
4) Anna Sui Volume mascara
5) Anna Sui Lip stick in Lip Rouge

Hmm...Looks like Anna Sui is a hit with these girls :O)

A BETTER BACK: BENT ROW EXERCISE

Today a friend asked for a good back exercise and I introduced to her one that I am particularly fond of: The Bent Row.

It's easy to do, and you can do it both at home or in the gym. All you need are 2 free weights of the same heaviness or a bar bell.

Today, I used free weights of 10 pounds each. It's less than what I normally use, but this is a good start for small-framed females who are just starting to work out. (You have to assess how much weight you can handle. But please be honest with yourself. If you go too heavy, especially in the beginning, you might risk injury.)

Step 1: Stand with your feet shoulder width apart.



Step 2: Pick up the weights (or bar bell) with your hands. Keep your back straight and bend your legs. Lower your upper body forward, at the hips and not the waist. Your arms in the front and straight down.

Start

Step 3: Keep your forearms straight and bend elbows at a 90 degree angle. Keep your elbows close to the body. Stop bending when your elbows have hit the same line in your back.

Finish

Want a good tip? Keep your head up and maintain looking forward throughout entire exercise. Also, keep your torso steady.

Do 3-4 sets of 12-16 reps each.

Why a better back? Because you want to strengthen the core so you can stand taller, improve posture and look strong and confident. There are many ways to achieve this but hopefully the Bent Row exercise helps.

THE 5 MIN HAIR STRAIGHTENING ROUTINE

Got thick, unmanageable hair? Don't worry! You are not alone. Some days...okay, most days, like today, my hair has a mind of its own.

"What's wrong with you?" I ask it (my hair). In some parts it's wavy, in other parts it's straight.



This is when I use a hair straightener to tame this crazy hair's ways. But with hair so thick, it'll take an hour to section the whole head and get it straight.

No problem! Here is a way for hair straightening that will take only 5 min:

1) Heat straightener up

2) Comb hair and part whichever way you wish



3) First, straighten just the hair that frames your face


** NOTE: in this picture I pulled the hair piece around my face towards the camera

4) Then straighten just the pieces of hair that's on the outside. Go all around your head.



5) Try to get to the back by taking the straightener through the front.
Remember: you don't need to do it all, just a few sections will fit the trick.



DONE!!!! Sleek, straight hair in no time!!!!

Hair Before: Crazy :O(



Hair After: Cool :O)

FRIED RICE IN LESS THAN 30 MINUTES

Fried rice made easy...and delicious too. When I'm stressed on time, this is the recipe I always default to. In less than 30 minutes, you can have a delicious and nutritious plate of chicken fried rice. Here's how:

What you need:

• 2 med eggs, scrambled
• Diced onions, scallions and garlic
• 1/2 can of unsalted diced tomatoes, drained
• 2 cups of cooked white rice (I prefer jasmine)
• 2 chicken breasts
• Condiments: Chinese white powder, soy sauce, dark vinegar, rice wine, salt, chicken stock mix, corn starch.

What you do:

Step 1: Cut the chicken breasts into slices

Step 2: Add and mix the following into the sliced chicken breasts

• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 pinch of chicken broth mix
• 1 pinch of Chinese white pepper
  
• 1 teaspoon of soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons of rice wine
• 1 teaspoon of corn starch

Step 3: Pan fry the chicken with olive oil until they are cooked


Step 4: In another pan, heat it up by setting the stove on high

Step 5: After the pan is heated, add 2 table spoons of olive oil. Turn heat down to medium.

Step 6: Pour in the onions, scallions, garlic and diced tomatoes. Let them fry in the pan for about 3 minutes.


Step 7: Pour in the rice. Stir a little bit. At this time, add the following to the rice:

• A pinch of Chinese white pepper
• 2 teaspoons of soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon of dark vinegar
• If you want a sweeter taste, add some terriake sauce. But for mine, I just added some curry powder

Step 8: Continue to stir the rice until everything is mixed in the rice. (about 2-3 minutes)


Step 9: Add cooked chicken and scrambled eggs, and stir, stir, stir!



And...DONE!!!!



Yum! Looks delicious!