Geisha???

Hello readers! This post is going to be about cosmetics!

Ever taken a picture with the flash ON and mirrored Geisha and totally regretted the moment?

You might have accused the photographer of felony, you might have blamed it on the wrong lighting, you might have gone cuckoo figuring out the reason, so here you go the exact cause!

It's your foundation. Na-ah not a shade-gone-wrong case we are dealing here but a protection-turned-disaster issue. To be specific, it's the high SPF level of your foundation that's  bringing you the trouble. SPF reflects light/rays from your face, remember? And it scatters the light from the camera flash as well, eventually causing a wreck on all good shots.

TO be honest, of course SPF is important to protect your skin and stuffs yet why wear it at night when pictures demand flash and the sun is having a nap?

However, if you are too paranoid and can't live without the protection, opt for foundation which has SPF lesser than 10 (which is HARD to find) when there's a photography session. Otherwise, don't smear it for heaven's sake as the Cullens might get real offended and suck you dry. But for Halloween, why not?

My advice on this issue is, be on the safe side, and keep 2 foundations. One which checks SPF and another for occasions at night.

Just in case you are purchasing a new foundation in the nearest future scan for it's SPF level and also whether it contains Titanium Dioxide. They both make the ingredients for ghostly pictures!

Based on foundations that I have, Revlon and Benefit are a big No-No, and my vote certainly goes to Bobbi Brown when flash photography is in the agenda!

Good Luck staying gorgeous dolls!

Renuka G

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She turns 23

Happy 23rd birthday to my one and only sister, Uma!

It wouldn’t be complete if I were to not say a word or two about her, so here you go, 2 complete paragraphs ! ( my love for her can’t be described in just few words ok ?=D)

very old pic I suppose =p

She’s twice as stubborn as me. She’s someone who can be brutally honest with her opinions, which allows me to count on her to critique my make up, hair style, what I wear and also my actions. It’s really fun to see her make my dad agree to things which he often says ‘No’ to. Unlike me, she has tonnes of stories and tips to share. I’m not a big fan of her shopping choices, but sometimes she turns out to be right. One of the few people who taught me to love what i’m doing and develop passion for it. (Well, thank you is not enough for the words of encouragement you gave.)  When we were small, I used to bully her A LOT, lately though I’m the poor victim ( attention seeking =p). Her facebook page is very interesting to be stalked. Recently, she turned down my partnership offer to be a co-author of this blog .And did I mention she is a foodie who wears bollywood-like-shawls to movies? 

What else?

Well she is kind to the core. She chose my celebrity first perfume 3 years ago ‘Midnight fantasy by Britney Spears’, She bought me my 1st Bobbi Brown product which is the lip gloss, she also shared with me her Chanel lip gloss, and how can I forget the Charles & Keith and Mango bags! Most important point, all these she purchased using her scholarship money and not the F.A.M.A sponsorship (unlike me again). Considering what mentioned, she definitely mirrors my dad in money matters. They spend a lot for others but just a little for themselves, excluding the sugar cravings from Marks and Spencer ! Hehe

So what I bought for her birthday? Let’s see. Last year if i’m not mistaken I just bought her a bag, to be exact chose her a bag for my dad paid for it. What a scrooge you are Renuka! But  still it was me who decided to surprise her with a Secret Recipe brownie and a candle to blow in the car when we went to UPM to fetch her. That’s priceless ok? (Self-praise) This year I rebelled against my dad’s opinion of getting her another bag, yet he had it his way. And I had it my way too! HAHA Mr. Gs. The initial plan of mine was to get her a pair of shoes maybe a wedge, however, since my dad (as usual) freaked me out with the whole size-gone-wrong-fitting-gone-out-trauma, I opted for cosmetics. 

She introduced me Bobbi Brown and I’m treating her with Benefit. Benefit is a renown cosmetic company which is applauded for their cool product names and packaging. Celebrities like Kim Kardashian and the Olsen sisters are great fans who adore their products. In Malaysia, you can find Benefit counters in Sephora KLCC and Starhill. 

Since my sister is not into eye shadows, eye liners and blushers, I got her their industrial strength concealer, better known as boi-ing. And as the purchase was made online (which is of course cheaper compared to the retail price in Malaysia), I was eligible for a sample of two of their other products. The ones I picked from the 4 choices offered were the total moisture packette and their primer, stay don’t stray. The order is scheduled to arrive by the end of this week, so i’m keeping my fingers crossed. Hope she will love it! 

And once again I want to wish a happy happy birthday to my dearest sister! See you when I see you =)

Lotsa love,

Renuka G

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Changes are learnt

Life is full of surprises, who dares to deny that? There will be a lot along the way but the best ones are the ones we reward our own-selves. They are only a few yet so priceless and memorable. Lately though, I'm experiencing a little too much of them that I got myself overwhelmed.

Maybe I should thank the slaps on the wrist which I volunteered to bow to sometime ago. How can I forget those moments? I even had someone calling me 'good-for-nothing' and doesn't deserve to live. Frankly speaking I really owe it to that person because it changed me forever. Of course words as such could break people forever and yes it did bear the same impact on me yet just for a while since I viewed  what was said from a different perspective. I considered it as a motivation and assumed that's the purpose I came across this person- to make my life better, to let me know things could be better, to make me realize there's so much to be done and improved. And of course my dad's usual advice, prove it to them, I took it seriously. Not to prove to them but to my own self, so one day I can look back and see how weak I had been once, how I naively hated a wonderful profession and how I missed the moments I should be great by playing mediocre yet be happy for I didn't sit there for long.

The recent event which filled me with much joy and surprised me to the bits is storytelling. Who knew I could tell a story spontaneously? I worked on the teaching aids for about 1 week, I changed the story and its plot like 20 times. Even worse, it was just a day before the session I was alerted about proficiency of the pupils which required me to change the words to further simply the chosen story. Finally on 'the' day, what I told those year 3 kids were not everything I memorized but everything that crossed my mind. I'm not so sure whether they fully understood the story, all I know is they had fun laughing at me for I was changing my voice a few times and overreacting as usual.  Plus, the magic wands that I made to be given away to the kids after the storytelling certainly added joy to them. Without a doubt, I went the extra mile and put so much hard-work into it and I sure did bask the best outcome. (If it was the old me, this surely had been  a post on how I don't care about the lousy session. Sorry, she's gone for good. I love the new me. )


Thomas A. Edison once said, there's no substitute for hard-work. Very true indeed. You can't survive with fluke for long. I'm glad I've learnt it at 20 =) And recalling the times my dad used to reward me for my average results believing I could do so much better, now I'm finally doing the 'better'.

Apart from channeling hard-work, the way I react and take life lately surprised me in a good way too. It has aided me to deal things calmly, one at a time giving me sooo much peace. Even yesterday, the 'epic' moment 1 page of my science assignment just disappeared like that at 2am. Of course I  felt like crying but I put emotions aside and continued to retype everything. Since I saved much time by not banging my head on the table and strong arming my macbook, I finished everything by 3 and had a deep slumber till 7am (dire importance!). *bliss*

Honestly, it has been weeks ( except last weekend for I went back) since I slept before 2 and I'm not giving work as an excuse to not go for jogging or eluding other daily routines, I think this change is for good. Embracing it happily!

I end it with a quote by Thomas Jefferson,
“Determine never to be idle. No person will have occasion to complain of the want of time, who never loses any. It is wonderful how much may be done, if we are always doing.” 

Keep working, Keep improving! Rewards will come your way and the results sure  blow you away =)

Renuka G 

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Rewarded!

Just when I’m biting nails trying to figure a way to get done the teaching aids and tasks that are to be submitted and presented next week besides having qualms about the trip back home for a short break, I was greeted with the best-news which highballed me the green flag! Rewards come unexpected indeed! 

From the 5 taxing submissions, only 2 ( 1 considered done) is in the list for the coming week! And you know what that means? I can have a peaceful, joyous stay at home without having to fuss like some wannabe ( at least not at home). Even better, I would be able to chanel channel all my focus into making my storytelling session with the year 3 pupils a great one. Really am looking forward to it. 

Back on rewards. I’m more gratified than ever! Some of us here seriously had a tough tough tough week with so little sleep and excessive working hours , I’m one of them. The corporate video thingy, CD sticker-making,task presentations, SDP coursework, Children’s cartoon Act out session which my group played spongbobsquarepants, me being Squidward (my voice turn out quite successful I should say), lesson plan presentations for Grammar yada yada totally sucked our energy better than how the Cullens suck blood (vaguely stating only for I’m not Twilight-savvy).  Therefore, this teeny tiny reward really mean a lot and I’m so freaking sure everyone would make the most out of it, for I’m already all into it! =D

To the lecturers and AJKs in charge, Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Off pursuing my happy clouds in the south! Bye Bye Macbook. See you when I need you. Probably Sunday =p

Renuka G

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Time held captivate

The way things are going, I just wish the world would cease for an hour or two so I could a take a break from the irksome load of courseworks, lesson plans and tasks. I even think about them as I eat, jog and even before I fall asleep. Well, that might have sounded like I have found my new beau in orthography etched papers, trust me, even I was, for a second convinced of the slapdash information. And ‘No!’, we are not declaring it on facebook or any social networks for there’s another 56  who are pursuing the mentioned ‘beau’ as well.

Amidst the around the clock schedule and routines which frazzled even my shoe soles, the one thing which I’m missing very much is reading. It’s like I can’t recall where I placed which anymore, I mean the books,  for all that is in my sight right now is ‘The confession’ by John Grisham only. Others? I certainly am clueless since it has been some time you know. The guilt, my god! When you are used to reading then you stop, you would definitely feel it especially if you are dealing with language every day. Even though I still read newsletters via email and online mags, they are nothing compared to sitting down with a good book and a highlighter, mesmerizing the sentences and get blown away.

However, being fully conscious of what’s approaching after the courseworks bid adieu, which is the semester exam, I can pretty much conclude there is zero chance of finishing up even one book in the nearest future. SO  let’s save it for the year-end holidays! 2 months is incredibly long to appease my  literature cravings and of course my HUGE appetite for shopping.

Hang on Renuka!

Whatever it is, I’m not distracted and also am not giving up for elbow grease is the best polish. Reading can wait, leisure can take a rain-check but a dream I’m giving my all to, that for sure demands all my attention.

Yes I’m not there yet but I just wish to share this one thing. Maybe most of you already know, for all I care nothing wrong in reminding good stuffs. So here you go,

 If you want something so bad, dream. Everything starts with a dream. I have read about successful people, and they all had a dream and lived it the best. The world has thousands of ways to remind you why you can’t, shouldn’t and musn’t, just smile.  Circumstances would beat you down, it’s ok dust it off, start moving again. If you can dream, if you can protect it, you are so close to achieving it. And always remember, life isn’t all about success, it’s who you were once, who you are and who you can one day become.

 Hence,

 Live to inspire, not to impress.

Renuka G

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Better kept less

A disastrous storm could end up a slave to the wind, a major triumph might get stepped by ill wills, nobody knows.

Certainly agree, hopes at times do keep us going. Meanwhile expectations, mirrors a foolhardy trick we play upon ourselves, of what it should and should not be.

You could even be armed by the best forecast, who knows maybe the lady luck herself , but believe me friends, it's worth so less, for reality, it strikes so well.

Save the disappointments, save the fuss,
Expectations are risks, don't play to regret.
Today it might seem like a pretty bird in hand, tomorrow perhaps, its the feathers that remain. 

So let me remind you to save the stress, expectations, they are better served less!
But if you still want to pursue a mess, I sure wish you all the best!

Renuka G

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