Feed My Vanity

Apologies for the crappy, grainy images; although I do have a DSLR, it’s too much of a pain to lug it around all the time. Top of my Christmas wishlist is an anorexic digital camera. Boyfriend, do take note.

Anyway, I came home to a pleasant surprise:

If the package above was a person, it would’ve died of asphyxiation. Yes, our Lucy the cat makes a cameo. She is very hairy, it’s annoying. I always find cat fur in unimaginable places. This ironically makes her cameo in this particular entry make sense.

After wielding a pair of especially sharp scissors and fueled by the need to instantly satisfy curiosity, my mom managed to open the package in less than a minute.

Yay! Tons of shampoos and conditioners from Sunsilk! Most specifically, the Sunsilk Co-Creations series, a brilliant campaign on Sunsilk’s part.

Co-creation is when, “two parties with complementary expertise and a shared vision work together to create something new, different and better.”  This innovation combines Sunsilk’s cutting-edge hair technology with the experts’ in-depth hair knowledge.

As soon as we hit puberty, we are immediately bombarded with marketing campaigns, general glitter on how this product will make you whiter and smoother, how this will make your hair silkier, how that perfume will make him swoon…

But how? Where is the logical explanation behind it? How will this moisturizing cream keep my skin “glowing”? For all I know, it’s just a placebo effect. But when you’re thirteen, “placebo” is not a word in one’s vocabulary.

This is what makes the Sunsilk campaign paticulary genius. They’ve gathered hair specialists all over the world, namely:

Paris-based Teddy Charles, the shape and lengths expert, has spent many years working with big time photographers such as Patrick Demarchelier and Karl Lagerfield while styling models on the catwalk of Luca and Luca and Marchesa and A-list celebrities such as Sarah Jessica Parker and Hayden Panettiere.

(Note: You had me at Karl, Teddy.)

Yuko Yamashita of Tokyo believes all women deserve to have glossy, poker-straight hair. “For my entire life, I have wanted to help girls get healthy, straight hair,” shares Yamashita. After intensive studies on the most efficient way to straighten hair, she developed the acclaimed YUKO Hair Straightening System which revolutionized hair straightening.

(Note: I wish I met you when I was a teenager, Yuko.)

Thomas Taw is founder of London’s “it” salon Bobsoho and is known for his stunning ability to resurrect dry and damaged hair. The cutting-edge stylist is obsessive in his passion for repairing damaged hair – usually caused by too much styling, too many products and intense heat – and is the trusted hair dresser to repair the damaged locks of world-famous musicians, models and actors.

(Note: I find the description on Thomas very intriguing. He “resurrects”, is said to be compulsive, and has done something for womankind.)

When it comes to hairfall and scalp care, New York based dermatologist and physician Dr. Francesca Fusco, who has constantly appeared on CNN and CBS News as expert dermatology resource and has medical advice columns in NY Times and, Cosmopolitan, Elle, and Allure, is the leading authority.  “Healthy hair needs a healthy scalp,” advises Dr. Fusco. “The scalp is an extension of the skin. Treat it the way you would treat the rest of the face!”

(Note: The description on the doctor is very Zen. But it really makes sense for a dermatologist to have something to do with hair).

Now when I tell people I have to wash my hair, I’ll just show this blog entry to show I’m not being sarcastic.

Half of the Philippine blogosphere has probably already sang praises for Forever 21, except for me. I remember when it first opened, people, especially my gay friends, would tell me YOU SHOULD GO THERE, with a “you-better-go-there-or-else” glint in their eyes.

Well, I’m happy to report I don’t live near Ortigas and my wallet was spared for a few months, until recently when we had to meet up some friends in Megamall.

Oh me, oh my, oh if there was a heaven for people like me who can rarely afford Zara, let alone designer brands, FOREVER 21 it is! It is too easy to say I love Forever 21, but mostly I love the brand for not turning up their noses to wallets like mine.

I recently went on a business trip in London. It’s not as glamorous as it sounds mind you but I will tell you about it in my next post. After London I went straight to Hong Kong for a short vacation. Again, not as glam as it sounds, I was jetlagged and spent the first day sleeping through the day. Also, it was raining buckets which accounted zero pics of me there as I gratefully traversed flea markets in crocs, cut-off shorts, and tees.

Going back, I remember that I went to a couple of wholesale stores and bangketas in HK and saw similar accessories sold by Forever 21 and other high-end stores in the Philippines. Dangling leafy (which I noticed is a trend on its way out) earrings sold for HK$15 (roughly P105). Necklaces and rings that I’ve seen in Multiply stores for P500 to P1000 is only HK$10 (P70.00)! AS IN. Some of the accessories I saw were exact replicas of what I’ve seen in online stores so beware.

With that said, I love Forever 21 not just because the boyfriend said that I looked like a kid set loose in ToyLand when I saw their store, but also because at the back of my mind I know they’re not ripping me off. Here’s two of my purchases.

floral cuff bracelet (P558), silver necklace with rose pendant (248)

Yes, I was in a flowery mood at that time.

It’s just P806 combined! It ain’t cheap, but it’s not ridiculously expensive also. 

For me that amount represents more than value for your money. It’s “I’m not ripping you off, I just need enough profit and enough to pay the rent, here ya go, Enjoy”. I’ve been in the habit of buying expensive accessories from time to time. In other stores, both would’ve cost twice, and even thrice as much ON SALE.

Til’ then, here’s a parting shot.

one of the many chica ladies in London

The fashion in London is amazing! Most people look like as if they just stepped off the runway (the towering height of the Brits helped a lot). My boss said “Maski mukhang janitor naka-LV” (Even people who look like janitors are wearing LV).

For a parting quote, here’s something to slap DOM’s with whenever they say “Age is just a number” while a gullible “Daisy” hangs on to their wrinkly arm.

“Age is just a number, but there’s still a difference.”  

Amen to that! Cheers!