Notes from Noelle

New Blog Announcement

2006-01-12T15:43:00.000-05:00

Yes, I have a new blog - again. Why?

Since the purpose of my business blog is to reach more people and impart image management tips to them, I thought it would be great to partner up with a company who can do the PR part for me to reach a greater audience. Hence, the new entries will be posted on:

www.imageaide.com

The blog platform is created by KMM. The look and feel of the blog will improve as the team will continuously work on it.

Enjoy!

class system and image

2006-01-10T13:14:00.000-05:00

I was doing some internet research on different types of cruises, since I will be going on one soon. The trip was booked, but it didn't stop my curiosity about other cruises, especially the very expensive cruises on Cunard's QE2 and Queen Mary. Cunard is known to be the "high class" cruise company.

Interestingly, class system exists in Cunard's ships. I've been on a few cruises (not from Cunard) in the past, and even though people pay different prices for the cabins and luxuries they can afford, the restaurants within the cruise ships do not limit the type of people who go in. However, within Cunard's boats, people who pay for the highest price range cabins get to be in the best restaurant (with more choices and better services), while those who pay less, get to go to restaurants that are not as "high class" in food selection and services.

At first, I thought it was a bad rule to implement, since people who can afford to go on QE2 or Queen Mary will not be poor, to say the least. And presently it is beyond year 2000 - class system is mostly out. However, after contemplating the issue, I can understand why it was implemented, based on personal experience (not cruise related).

Take, for example, where I live. In the first few years people were courteous and quiet, and hardly anyone would litter the place. However, as newer people moved in, there were more noise and more litter. Some of these people also have kids. When they have parties, they are loud. They also bring their guests to the pool and sauna area, where they splash like crazy, and strip naked to enjoy the sauna heat. It is difficult to enjoy the facilities when these people are around. They also do not put their garbage in the chute properly, nor would they sort out appropriately recyclable waste in the right bins.

These new neighbours may or may not be rich. However rich they are, it is hard to consider them "first class". What distinguishes a person from "high class" from the normal class, is their etiquette.

It's not about how much money a person has, but about how considerate a person is. Does the person care about others enough not to create too much disturbing noise? Does the person care about others so that he won't litter public facilities?

This is why there are differences between people from "old money" and those who are from "new money". This sounds like talk of discrimination, but from what I hear, "new money" people have the type of ego that promotes selfishness while being inconsiderate to others. To say it in another way, they have terrible manners.

Good etiquette gives a person self respect and gains the respect of others, whereas selfishness promotes the class system (as no one want to be around those who are not considerate of others).

I got jipped - because of their great image!

2006-01-06T14:36:00.000-05:00

I've taken two weeks off resting my mind. I didn't go anywhere special, but it was nice not to think about business in that mini mind vacation. Now I'm back, gradually moving into a routine once again.

During one of my days off in Boxing Week, I was "dragged" to shop. Shopping under pressure only brings out two things in me: hunger and fatigue. Hunger arrived first. I was at Sherway, so naturally I went upstairs to the food court, expecting fast service. Hero Burger jumped out - so burger it was for lunch!

The whole counter looked great. I got the message that they made their burgers seriously. They even had Angus Beef. Plus, someone told me their burgers were amazing. It wouldn't hurt to try, even at $5.00 for a basic burger.

As soon as I took my first bite, I was disappointed. For $5.00 CDN I got something that wasn't up to the quality of A&W's famous Mama Burger (Mama Burger is half the price). The best part of the burger was the bun. The beef didn't taste as good, and the texture of the meat wasn't as great as Mama Burger. The whole burger experience was at best average.

To make the matter worse, I had a milkshake. The menu read: 90% ice cream, 10% milk. I expected a nice, thick vanilla shake. Hero Burger's milkshake sells for $3.00. What did I get? Vanilla tasting milk. NOT shake. It was the thinnest shake I've ever had in my life. I could do better than that at home! It must have been 95% milk, and 5% vanilla flavoring. Hence, the whole experience of eating Hero Burger's burger and drinking their shake, was definitely 2 stars at best. This is with compassion. One star if I had to count their lack of smile. I guess they didn't like McDonald's menu - smiles for free.

Lesson of the day: a great image may attract a customer once, but it will never make a customer return.

Make Up Tip #5: Fill in the Brows

2005-12-20T17:55:00.000-05:00

Smashbox Brow Brush from sephora.com
Originally uploaded by Noelle Wong.

This is an important step that many women miss. Many tend to think that they can pluck their brows, colour their eyes, lips and cheeks, and off they go, they are finished - wrong! Without properly groomed and coloured eyebrows, the face looks as if something is missing.

Many don't know that they can have a lot of fun creating different brow shapes just by using a brush and eyeshadow powder. If you want an arch yet do not have a natural one, you may blot one on! If your brows are too short, elongate them by drawing them in. If your brows are too thin, you may thicken it by blotting in extra "hairs", which are of course, the powder. If you have heavy make up on, darken the brows more. If you have light make up on, just use a little. It takes practice, but well worth the effort. Afterall, the brows frame the face.

First, choose an eyeshadow colour that is close to the colour of your hair. If your hair is very dark, choose dark brown. If your hair is blond, choose taupe. If your hair is red, choose reddish brown. If your hair is white, or gray, choose a dark gray. If your hair is black, you may choose a bitter chocolate brown or black. I'd use caution if black is used - it can look harsh if not applied well.

Second, use a proper eyebrow brush. This means no toothbrush or mascara wands, even though plenty of fashion magazines have advised that. Why? Because they don't work. An eyebrow brush may be made of real hair, or taklon, and should be very small at the tip. It is usually cut at an angle as well, for easy application.

Third, use the eyebrow brush to brush the eyebrows. Then dip the brush in the shadow, flick off the extra powders, and test it on your hand. If the colour is dark enough, begin to apply on the brows beginning from the inside (close to the nose), then work towards the outer end. Do NOT draw on the brow, but slowly blot the colour on the brow. If you brush it on, the effect will be harsh. Imagine planting a few hairs at a time on your brows in areas that are sparse - this is what you are doing. Blot the colours on bit by bit.

Towards the outer end of the eyebrows, stop the blotting, but lightly and sharply draw the ends, so that the ends are pointed, not blunt.

I must stress that the brows must be plucked once every few days to keep the stray hair away. They may need to be trimmed, if they are too long.

Stay tuned for Make Up Tip #6: Eyeshadow application!

They are Too Cool for Me

2005-12-19T10:45:00.000-05:00

Toronto's Queen Street West has a unique culture. It is a place full of creative people, people who are not part of the culture of the masses. It is cool, hip and trendy, supposedly.

Why supposedly?

Even though the culture of Queen Street is very different from the rest of the city, the "coolness" of it is rather tasteless. Some examples -

1. Fresh (the vegetarian restaurant): people raved about it. 2 friends of mine brought me there in 2 different times. Yet each time the food was unimpressive. The sauces were glue-like in consistency (eew!), their veggie burger pattie dry and crumbly, and their tofu tasted strange (a bit sour - as if it's bad. I'm Asian, so I know what tofu tastes like in almost all kinds of dishes. Heck, maybe the tofu was bad that day). Their cookies choked me because of the dryness. The prices were ridiculous for the quality of food served. The place was cool though, and the staff good looking.

2. Preloved: I previously wrote an entry about Preloved's line of clothing. I purchased a piece from Holt Renfrew. As I searched their website, I was overjoyed to see that they have their own store on Queen. So off I went this weekend to the store, just to be disappointed with the entire collection and their staff. The sales girls were pretty and hip, yet whatever I tried on they would compliment me, which would have been OK, but the clothes looked bad on me! The cuts didn't fit my bodytype. However, they were all very nice and were never pushy. The selection of clothes was disappointing. It's typical Queen Street style - mismatched fabrics that looked worn out. The prices are reasonable. Their best selection is at Holt Renfrew, where the buyer probably took a lot of time choosing the best pieces for the store.

3. Last weekend I was famished. I entered a restaurant that looked "creative", in that it used different, almost uncoordinated pieces of furniture for tables and chairs. The diners looked bookishly cool (NOT nerd like). Some of them were reading. Some were chatting. Some just sat and relaxed. The only table left was a make shift table with a heater as support with a piece of glass on top. Two old airchairs were placed as seats. I sat down, and after 10 seconds I decided this was not the place to eat. Too uncomfortable. I'm not cool enough to be uncomfortable. So I left and went to the nice restaurant beside them and enjoyed an eggs benedict lunch there.

In summary, Queen Street is cool without substance.

Since this is an image blog, what does the above has to do with image?

Queen Street has the image of people who are too into cultivated looks and attitudes (in this case, cool, hip and trendy) without taking into account the inner quality beneath the surface.

For an image to be successful, the outer image transformation must be integrated with the inner image. No matter how chic and wonderful the outer image is, if the inner image isn't cultivated to reflect all that beauty, the life won't change much. The outer image becomes an empty shell.

As an image consultant, I help people with their outer image transformation, with clothing and grooming, and communication skills. But the inner transformation depends solely on the person. People will at first respond to you positively when you look great. But they will also sooner or later detect who you are inside. Who says image transformation is easy? It's a lot of hard work.

Meanwhile, I will not go to Queen Street for a long time.

Shopping in Hell

2005-12-16T23:49:00.000-05:00

Recently I had second thoughts about shopping for clients. When I shop at malls, all I saw were seas of people with screaming kids. Rude shoppers, rude workers and rude drivers. Shopping in weekends agitated me. I went to Sporting Life quite a few times, and if I had go one more time I'd kill myself. Shopping these weeks with frantic Christmas shoppers and Christmas songs blasting through the malls made me hate the holidays. I thought maybe I didn't want to go through this anymore. Shopping in malls felt like shopping in hell.

However, today, I remember why I am an Image Consultant.

I booked an early shopping trip with a client. Shopping this early with only a handful of people around keeps the mood pleasant. I found everything for this client in just 4 stores in 2 hours. As I looked at the client trying on the new clothes, I remembered my mission: to see and reveal beauty in people. I was so happy when I saw how wonderful the client looked in the new outfits. I felt excited at the new possibilities for him.

Seeing beauty in people makes shopping enjoyable.

(just no more Christmas carols, please!)

New Year's Resolution

2005-12-14T14:09:00.000-05:00

It's that time of the year again. I wonder if New Year's resolution work for anyone.

For me, I've never bothered. It seemed to be a silly idea to make changes in my life on that day. If I want to change, I'd do it now. Why wait?

A common list of New Year's resolution that people should just plunge in and do, rather than wait -

1. weight loss
2. better diet
3. exercise
4. find a new job
5. find a boyfriend/girlfriend
6. change your wardrobe
7. pamper yourself more
8. get out of debt
9. save some money
10. whatever else...

What is the point of waiting? You'll never know how long you'll live! Make the changes now, even if you have to do so in baby steps; don't wait.

Make Up Tip #4: Foundation - key to flawless complexion

2005-12-12T14:09:00.000-05:00

After applying concealer to the face, put on foundation. There are plenty of choices for foundation in the market, including: liquid, powder and stick. The rule is, the finer the foundation is, the better. However, very fine foundation does have a drawback: the talc (usually foundations are made of talc), are terrible for the health of your body. They are hard to wash away too. 3 years ago I bought a foundation stick made of fine talc. After using it for a week, I noticed my face was getting smoother - it was great! But now I realized the reason for the extra smoothness was because the talc powders got into my skin pores, and I couldn't wash all of it off even with the best cleanser I know at the time. In case if you didn't read my previous entry about talc powder - talc may cause uterine cancer and other bodily hazards. I know the foundation is just applied on the face, but imagine - if it cannot washed off from the face completely, that means it cannot washed off the hands completely. And people clean their bodies with their hands!!

Some basic knowledge: for oily complexions, choose water based foundation. For dry complexions, use oil based foundations.

Colour: choose one that matches your skin directly. Do not try on your wrist or hands when you shop for one. Apply directly on your face - preferably lower part of the face near the jaw. If it disappears, it's the one!

Application: dot foundation on your forehead, cheek, and nose. Use the 3rd and 4th finger (from the thumb) of each hand and blend the foundation on your face. Don't forget the hairline, around the nose, the chin, and last but not least, the eyelids.

Now stand back and look. If your face look flawless, you've done a great job! Make sure no part of the face is left out. Then, place a tissue on your palms, and press your face lightly against it for one time. This will get rid of any excess foundation from the face.

The next step is to dust face powder to "set" the foundation, meaning to lock the make up on your face so that it won't come off easily, and it serves as a nice base for you to put eye shadows, blush and lipstick on. Powders come in two forms: loose or compact. Loose powder is easier to put on, but not convenient to carry around for touch ups. I highy recommend buying a loose powder though.

Use a face powder puff to apply powder, or a large powder brush. If you use a puff, put powder on it, and press against face - don't wipe! Begin with the forehead, then press the cheeks, nose, eyelids and chin. If you wipe with it, make up will come off. If you use a brush, just lightly brush it on with large strokes.

Stay tuned for make up tip #5!

PS: being a natural make up promoter, I recommend The Organic Make Up Company's foundations and powders. I personally use make up from this company. Available at http:www.organicmakeup.ca

Company Party: Tips to Party Image Management

2005-12-12T10:28:00.000-05:00

It's near Christmas, and many companies throw parties for their employees. This is a critical time of image management, even though most think it's time to let loose and party. Here are some tips:

1. Don't drink until you puke - this seems obvious, but in almost every party someone always gets intoxicated to the point where the person embarrasses him/herself. Funny behaviour such as swearing, loud talking, taking off clothes, puking...they happen because of drinking. If you limit your intake, you'll limit embarrassing behaviour and your chance of getting fired. Limit yourself to a couple of beers, or a glass of wine. Many companies give out taxi chips - use them and go home safely if you're tipsy.

2. Wear appropriate attire - many women like to wear plunging necklines and other sexy pieces in company parties, just because it's party time. Don't forget, it's "company" party time, not any wild party time. Wear clothing that's more tamed. Play up the colours, not cleavages. Classy and elegance are always in. This way you will not be the talk of the company afterwards.

3. Gift exchange - someone has told me he always gets shafted whenever there's a gift exchange. He takes the effort to buy a $10 gift, but usually others are not as thoughtful. You don't have to spend the limit that is suggested, but do get an item that you know people will general like and use. A box of chocolate/cookies/mixed nuts is always good. Same with a plant. Please don't dig out trash from your home and repackage it into a gift. Stay away from dollar store items, because they are very obviously "dollar store" like.

4. Potluck time - a person working part time at a well known company told me that the salaried full time staff "competed" to bring the cheapest items - such as forks, knives, and napkins, and left all the expensive items such as appetizers and main courses for the lower paid part time people to sign up for. Please, think about those who are earning less in your company, and pick the potluck items according to your means. Otherwise you'll just show your worst self - cheap!

5. Arrive on time and leave on time - too many people think it's good to be "fashionably late" for parties. Well, there is nothing fashionable about it. Sometimes people politely wait for these latecomers. This is a company party, not a club. Show up on time, because people do not like to linger all night long. And do leave the party at a decent time - think about those employees who have to stay in to close up the place. Be courteous to them.

Have a great time!

Product Review: Benefit's She-Lac

2005-12-09T14:02:00.000-05:00

uploaded from benefitscosmetics.com
Originally uploaded by Noelle Wong.

I use powder eyeliner, and it smudges easily. I refuse to use pencil liners because it pulls on the delicate skin around the eyes. Plus, with a brush and powder, I have more control of the kind of line I want to draw: precise and thin, or smokey.

The disadvantage is that the line smudges after 1 hour (for others it may smudge sooner or later, depending on their skin type). Even though someone sold me an "eyeliner sealant" which I used to "coat" the line, it still smudges. Then a friend came along and introduced me to She-Lac. She said nothing worked for her except for this product. It works with brow colour and lip colour too! The only thing is, I'm pro natural cosmetics, and the ingredients in this bottle don't impress me. However, since I use an organic powder and face cream, I hope my body will not absorb too much She-Lac. So I bought a bottle of it from sephora. It's pricey, $40.00 including taxes.

I tried it on yesterday. I drew my eyeliner, then covered it with a smidgen of She-Lac with one of the 4 brushes that came with the package. It worked like a charm - no smudge! I had my eyeliner on for at least 5 hours.

Trouble came when I tried wiping my eyeliner off at the end of the day. It was harder to get rid of than powder alone. I had one bit of colour that almost wouldn't go away even when I wiped it a few times with a make up remover as well as soap.

Verdict? If no smudge is your goal, this is the perfect product. However, make sure you have the patience to get the the colours and the residue of this product off - afterall, She-Lac is strong and it takes longer than usual to wipe everything off!

Shoppers, have some manners, please!

2005-12-08T15:30:00.000-05:00

When I'm shopping, I'm always shocked by how selfish people are. Here are a few incidents that happened today and a few weeks ago:

* at William Sonoma in Yorkdale, there were samplings at parts of the store today, including their yummy ginger bread cake, spiced tea and hot chocolate with peppermint. I approached the cake counter and asked what the cake was. After the server answered me, an old lady jumped out and took the next piece served. Another old lady jumped out from nowhere and did the same. After that, another one jumped out and did the same. 3 times later, the server finally took the hint and give me a slice. I'm beginning to wonder who was more rude - the old ladies who didn't bother to line up (maybe it's the seniors' first mentality), or the server who thinks serving 3 people before me was the best thing to do. Some of these old ladies took 2, 3 and even 4 slices. Talk about greed.

* at T&T Supermarket, there was food sampling all over the store in the weekend. I had no problem waiting in line and then getting food when it was my turn. The problem was some people behind me couldn't wait to get their food, and stick their arms within the loop of my arm to get it! As I stood there, limbs were popping out right, left and centre, all grabbing slices of something from the counter. I felt like I had a few arms that didn't belong to me.

* at Pusateri's at Lawrence and Avenue Road, people don't care about hitting others. They expect others to move for them, especially if they have carts. They think carts have the right to move through without stopping or yielding for others.

What can we expect from this selfish world? Competition and bitterness. Good manners enable a person to cultivate a compassionate heart, and think of others. Good manners train a person to be more caring.

Almost everyone needs an etiquette lesson in dealing with day to day life. It'll make shopping a more pleasurable experience.

Makeover in 2 Minutes

2005-12-07T14:14:00.000-05:00

This article is posted also on www.in-image.com, and ezinearticles.com.

Title: Makeover in 2 Minutes

Make up does wonder to the overall image. It makes the face polished and pretty looking. I have met one too many women who told me they have no time for make up application. These women are definitely at a disadvantage in the job market, because women who put make up on, makes about 35% more than those who don’t.

A perfect make up application has many steps. However, some days, women have to wake up and run out for work, with no time for breakfast or a long make up routine. If you are a busy woman with no time in the morning, follow this quick make up routine that will guarantee you looking simple and fresh.

These are the tools and make up you must have on hand – face powder, big powder brush, lipstick, eyelash curler, mascara and concealer.

Be sure the concealer is a shade lighter than your face. By the time it covers the dark blemish, the colour of the coverage will be very close to your natural skin tone. The face powder colour is to match your own face colour. Use a lipstick that is a shade or two darker than your lips – for radiance. As for mascara – if you are a brunette, you may choose very dark brown to black. However, if you are blond or very fair, use taupe or medium brown instead for more harmony.

Here are the steps for a 2 minute make up application:

1. Wash, tone and moisturize your face, apply sunscreen, then put some lipbalm on the lips.

2. Dab on concealer using your finger tip – preferably your ring finger. Dab it on on any blemishes you have, as well as on your undereye circles. Blend well.

3. Dust on face powder with a big fluffy powder brush.

4. Put on lipstick.

5. Curl your eyelashes, sweep on mascara.

Voila - simple and fresh. Now you are ready to rush out!

Written by Noelle Wong

Telemarketing and Image

2005-12-07T13:03:00.000-05:00

I wish the telemarketers will leave me alone.

Today I received a call from a company who asked to speak to the person who designed my website. I said I'd take a message for the person. Then she used another tactic, saying whether she could speak to a person who hired the web designer. I said I can take a message for the person. She said: are you the one who hired the company then? I repeated: may I take a message?

The conversation went on like this for a while, with her trying to talk to someone who is responsible, and with me answering her using the same phrase: may I take a message? I said this so that I can avoid those who cold call my company. I don't like wasting time listening to their pitch.

I guess the person got frustrated, because she exclaimed: this doesn't make sense! I retaliated: this doesn't make sense to me either! She asked: why not? I said: because you wouldn't let me take the message!

She got even more frustrated, and said: it's OK. Don't even worry about it. Then hung up.

She should have done more work before calling me. She could have looked at the website, and see that I am the only person listed as the contact. She could have asked for my name, rather than asking for "the person who hired...", etc.

The telemarketer must have received terrible or no training from the hiring company. Because of the "telemarketing" image I had of her since the first phrase she uttered, she didn't even have a chance on pitching me!

Telephone etiquette is the first step to image management for telemarketers.

Make Up Tip #3: Secret to a Young Looking Face

2005-12-05T15:14:00.000-05:00

uploaded from www.organicmakeup.ca
Originally uploaded by Noelle Wong.

This is an important tool for those who look tired, not just for those who have blemishes. Applying concealer to the right spots will liven your face.

First, choose the right concealer for your skin colour. A shade lighter than the normal skin colour is good. A concealer has a thicker texture than a liquid foundation. You may use your finger to dab on the concealer, or a concealer brush to "paint" it on. My personal recommendation is concealer from the Organic Make Up Company, since it is true to it's name, organic. Know that whatever you put on your face, it WILL go into your body and perhaps affect the internal organs. Be careful of the kinds of chemicals you allow in the body.

Second, use either your ring finger (4th from thumb) or a concealer brush to dab concealer onto your dark eye circles. Just pat it on, or lightly brush it on. Be sure the concealer is not thick and pasty though. Do this lightly and evenly. Also pat on concealer all around the eyes, aside from the lids. This is the big secret to looking young.

A note about concealer brush - they are not made of natural hair, as it is too soft for concealer application. Taklon concealer brushes are great. The brush should be small, maybe less than 1cm x 0.5cm.

If the area of the under eye circles are puffy, you are best to leave it be, since applying a concealer on puffy skin will highlight its puffiness. I hear that applying ice or cold tea bags on the area helps, especially if you are prone to puffy eyes in the morning. Some also say it's from allergies (food or air). There are those who are affected by water retention. If that's the case, record your food intake daily to see what foods may cause the puffiness around the eyes. Eliminate them if necessary. Alcohol is one culprit. Salt is another. But each body is different, and you will have to narrow down the culprits on your own.

Third, apply concealer on any blemishes on the face. Again, lightly dab them. Some people may be concerned about infecting a blemish, such as a pimple. I have never had aggravated pimples on my own face with make up. However, if you are sensitive, you may want to go easy on infected spots. Look at your forehead, your cheeks, nose and chin - apply to spots that are off in colour from your skin.

Next, take a step back. You will notice that the face is liven up just by applying a few strokes of concealer! What a difference a concealer makes - the difference between a tired face and a fresh face. What would you choose?

I realize that being beautiful takes work. There's work on food intake, narrowing down what's good for your body and what's not, and how these foods affect your face. Then there's the inner personality work because that shines through, whether you know it or not. Then there is the outer image transformation. All for making a good impression to build rapport with others. The thing is, we DO judge others by how they look, and they do the same to us. This is how it works, and that's why we put some effort in it. Just don't get obsessed - I used to know a girl who wouldn't go out when she had a pimple. That is extreme. Life is more than just our appearanace. We are born with our bodies, and it's up to us to treat it well and make it look great, so that we can live happily.

Feeling better

2005-12-04T13:32:00.000-05:00

Cold F/X really works! In fact, it works on early on the second half of the first day that I was sick. My body felt lighter and I was energized. I highly recommend this.

The company website is www.coldfx.com

Etiquette for the sick: stop working!

2005-12-02T09:51:00.000-05:00

cold f/x
Originally uploaded by Noelle Wong.

I woke up feeling terrible...limbs as heavy as lead, the body colder than usual, and the throat feels dry and sore. So I cancelled a client appointment today.

In the past, I worked in companies where people went to work sick. They wouldn't heal until a week or two later. If they had stayed at home, it may take them one or two days.

This is especially prevalent in some cultures, in which people would accuse themselves of being lazy if they stayed at home with a "little sickness". Maybe that's why SARS has spread so quickly in Asia.

For a company, isn't it better to have a staff stay home for a day or two, rather than passing germs to the other staff, making the whole company sick?

Unfortunately my parents believed in the same thing when I was young. Unless I had a fever or a stomach flu, I was sent to school, even if I had a bad flu. Apparently, many parents had the same belief. Hence, in my elementary school years, I've seen kids with mumps and chicken pox. Also kids throwing up in school. All because the parents sent them to school, thinking these are just a "little sickness".

So today I will be resting at home, taking Cold F/X. This is a herbal pill made of ginseng extract. People who took this swore that it worked wonders! It's available at Loblaws and health food stores.

Bad Manners: Image Buster!

2005-12-01T13:27:00.000-05:00

I just got off the telephone with a cake company, fuming with anger, and swearing never to buy from them.

Someone recommended this bakery to me because of the reasonable pricing and good quality of its products. With excitement, I picked up the phone, called them and asked whether they will open on December 26th - my grandmother's birthday is on that day, and I want to get a great birthday cake for her.

The first question the reception asked, was: who are you?

I thought it was a strange question. So I repeated my question: do you open on that day?

She said: no, that's a Sunday. And who are you? Where are you calling from?

I ignored her question, and said: will you be opened on the Friday prior to that Sunday?

She said: yes. Where are you calling from?

I said: um, I'm calling from home!

She said: we strictly wholesale only.

I said: that's strange - someone I know always gets cakes from you, and it's not wholesale!

She said: who is that? What's the person's name? Is it the drycleaning lady?

I said no, she proceeded asking for the name. I refused to give her the name of the person who recommended me to this place, since I know she'd be ordering from them again. We hung up after that.

A company's image not only depends on the logo and how it executes its marketing plan. But also how staff deals with customers, down to telephone etiquette.

The receptionist's phone etiquette was terrible. Instead of saying: may I know what company is this, she said: who is this? This is very rude, for a company who provides cakes to the Second Cup. (it looks like they need some image and customer service training!)

The receptionist single-handedly busted her company's image. I will not recommend this place to anyone, wholesale OR retail!!

Make Up Tip #2: pluck those hair!

2005-11-30T16:48:00.000-05:00

Make up is not just about putting colours on your face. There is much to do to prepare the face in order for it to be ready for make up application. I've explained the first step - wash, tone, exfoliate and moisturize. This step enables make up application to be smooth and easy.

The second step is plucking stray facial hair, such as stray eyebrow hair, stray hair above the lips, and anywhere else on the face.

Many women get lazy about plucking facial hair. It is time consuming, especially the first time. And after that you have to do it daily, or a few times weekly, depending on the rate of hair growth. But trust me it is worth putting the time in.

Shape your eyebrows - they either provide a great frame for the rest of your facial features, or they could be messy, uneven hair above your eyes. The best way to begin is to stand back and really study the shape of the eyebrows in front of a mirror. Then move closer to the mirror, and you'll see stray hairs that do not belong to the shape. Pluck them out with an eyebrow tweezer. I like Tweezerman's eyebrow tweezer - it is easy to hold, and easy to pluck the hair away. Clean up the area between your eyebrows by taking off the stray hairs. Then clean up between the eye and the main eyebrow shape. Step back and look again - you'll see how much cleaner the whole face looks.

If you have thick features, be sure not to overpluck your brows - otherwise your brows will just look too thin compared to the rest of the your face! Likewise, if you have delicate features, you may pluck your brows to match them. Go easy - you may need a few days to get this right. Do not pluck from the middle - always begin from the top, bottom or the sides. This way, you may avoid making mistakes that you will regret - such as a gaping hole in the midst of your brows.

After working on your brows, work on the upper lip. Too many women have hair above their lips - it can be distracting! You may choose to pluck each hair, or you may wax them. Without the distracting upper lip hair, your face will look neater and cleaner!

Have some aloe vera gel or tea tree oil ready if you are prone to infections. Use a cotton ball to wipe the areas after working on them.

Stay tuned for Make Up Tip #3!

Hair Care

2005-11-29T14:27:00.000-05:00

uploaded from www.drbronner.com
Originally uploaded by Noelle Wong.

Since I've written a post on Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap, I thought I'd write about how I am currently using this wonderful soap for hair care - for those who are interested in using this natural soap.

My hair has been nice and glossy for 4 years now, since I've used this formula. All the other shampoos I previously used, made my hair dry (maybe because of the SLS).

I put 1/4 spring water into a bottle, then fill the rest of the bottle with Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap (baby mild soap). I'd wash my hair with it, rinse it out, then apply the apple cider vinegar rinse on my hair to rid any soap residue, and to balance my scalp PH. You see, when the scalp is not balanced in PH, it can get itchy. I leave it in for about 10 seconds, then rinse the rest out. This leaves the hair smooth and easy to comb.

You may have to adjust the water level for the shampoo, according to your own hair. If you like it strong, then leave the soap undiluted. Also, if you want your hair to be more "conditioned", so to speak, then leave the rinse in longer. However, if you have oily hair, just leave it in for 5 to 10 seconds.

I haven't had the need to change my shampoo after I began using Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap. In previous years I'd hear people who use other shampoos, saying that they have to switch shampoos once in a while. Thank goodness I don't have to be adventurous about trying out new shampoos anymore.

Some people use this shampoo not only for the skin and hair, but also as a toothpaste! I tried it just once and decided to forsake the idea - it tastes yucky in the mouth! However, these people do have a point, because most toothpastes have SLS in them. It won't harm you if you use this soap for your teeth, but if you want something that has a better taste, I suggest going with a natural toothpaste without SLS; afterall, they are available.

Another great source for beauty secrets

2005-11-28T12:51:00.000-05:00

I have posted Erich Keller's book as a great resource for natural beauty tips and recipes. Another one I personally use is this

Paavo Airola is one of my favourite authors of books about natural health. I have followed "Swedish Beauty Secret" for 3 years now and my skin has improved as a result. In the future, I will post another book that helped me a great deal - for health.

Make Up Tip #1: create a nice canvas

2005-11-28T10:24:00.000-05:00

uploaded from www.drbronner.com
Originally uploaded by Noelle Wong.

Cleaning the face is the first step to make up application. Many companies will tell people "don't use soaps - they are harsh for your skin". Well, that's a load of crap! It's the chemicals that are harsh for the skin, chemicals that are in products called "face cleansers".

When you read the ingredients of these cleansers, most often you'll find one called "sodium laureth sulphate", or "sodium laurel sulphate". I will call it SLS in this entry. This is one of the ingredients that you should definitely avoid, as many are unknowingly allergic to it (they think they are allergic to the perfumes instead). Studies show that SLS enters the body through the skin, irritating it as well as other organs of the body, including the eyes. Moreoever, SLS is good enough for scrubbing floors! Now, do you really want to use something that is strong enough to scrub floors, on your skin?

Unfortunately, SLS is in about 90% of the products we see in the market - be it body or face cleansers. I feel that we are left with only two options: a vegetable oil based soap, or an animal fat (tallow) based soap. I choose the former.

My pick is Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap (shown on picture), available at Whole Foods, and health food stores. They are my favourite because it is 100% natural, and they have an organic line too. I wash my hair, face and body with it. There are various sizes. I usually go for the biggest 4L size, because that's the only soap I use. Scents include: lavender, peppermint, almond, tea tree, eucalytus, and baby mild (unscented with aloe vera added). I use the baby mild soap, and have been for 4 years.

From my own observation of friends and customers, those who switched to natural soaps, improved their skin condition, including dryness and eczema.

So clean your face properly with a good soap - dilute it if you find it strong ( it won't be as strong as chemically based cleansers). Then tone your skin. Toning is important to balance the PH level of the skin - the skin becomes fragile overtime if the PH level is not balanced. Once you tone the skin, it'll feel softer and smoother. I would recommend against store bought toners, laden with chemicals. Many natural skin care supporters use floral waters, which smell wonderful but I find them useless in toning my skin. My pick? Diluted apple cider vinegar. It doesn't smell as pleasant as floral waters, but it works best. Just 1 part spring water, and 9 parts vinegar, mixed in a bottle. If you find it weak, then use more vinegar. Adjust to the level that's right for your skin.

Use a scrub afterwards to get rid of dead skin if necessary - grounded almonds with yogurt is a good home made option. Then moisturize. You may moiturize yourself with cold pressed extra virgin olive oil, sweet almond oil, or even jojoba oil. Emu oil is also a good option (a posting about Antonia's emu oil is available from an entry here http://www.livejournal.com/~in_image/). Then your face is ready for make up application.

I learned most of my natural skin care tips from this book:

I highly recommended those who truly care about their skin, to have a copy in the bookshelf!

Hot Oil Treatment

2005-11-25T16:22:00.000-05:00

photo from www.oliveoilsource.com
Originally uploaded by Noelle Wong.

From time to time I'd see women of all ages going to their hairdressers to treat their dry, damaged hair. In my opinion (from experience), I find that damaged hair, whether it's split ends or very dry portions, cannot be treated by hot oil treatment. The only way you can get rid of it is to cut the damaged hair. A hot oil treatment from your dresser can only artificially "cover up" your damaged hair for a few days, until the treatment is worn / wash off.

So is there a way to prevent hair from getting dry and damaged? First, minimize using synthetic hair styling products, and the use of blowdryers. If you think you must use hairstyling products and blowdry your hair everyday, consider getting a new haircut. I personally refrain from complicated haircuts that require me to spend more than 10 minutes to style.

Second, treat your hair with a do-it-yourself, homemade warm oil treatment. It protects, treats and restores your scalp and hair. Here's an easy way (for dry and normal hair):

* do not wash hair before treatment
pour a tablespoon or two extra virgin olive oil into a small dish (the amount of oil used depends on the thickness of hair)put some on your palms, use your palms to massage the oil first into your scalp, then work all the way to the ends of your hair.

* put on a shower cap to warm your scalp. Wait two hours. Take off shower cap and wash your hair with a natural shampoo, and rinse with natural hair rinse

*treat your hair once every month.
However if you need to do this more often, it is of no harm.

If you have very dry hair, you can leave the oil in overnight - do not put on the shower cap to bed. Just lay a towel on your pillow to keep the oil from staining it. Wash your hair in the morning.

For dandruff hair, add 10 drops of tea tree oil to the above recipe, and leave the treatment for 2 hours only.

Third, if you wash your hair everyday, try washing your hair less often. I used to wash my hair everyday because I thought the oil produced from the scalp was dirty. I had very clean yet dry ends. Then I learned that the right amount of oil produced by the scalp actually protects the scalp and hair. So I now wash my hair every other day. It's been working well.

Last but not least, why use olive oil rather than the regular hot oil treatment from a hairdresser? From my observations of my family and friends, those who use the natural olive oil method has glossier, better looking hair than the ones who use the "chemical laddened" hot oil treatment. Why let your scalp and hair to absorb synthetics when you have the natural option?

Past Entries

2005-11-24T16:45:00.000-05:00

All my past entries are posted at

http://www.livejournal.com/~in_image/

Postings include -

This Crazy World
Throwing Make Up Away
Creative Suit
Formal Suit
FAQ
Jewellery Making Class
Baby Powder - My Pick
Metrosexuals
Eliza's Handcrafted Jewellery
Insincerity: A Major Image Buster
Winter Wear from Lacoste
Don't Follow Celebs (and my 5 seconds infomercial)
See you this Saturday!
All About Money
Great Winter Moisturizer
Hair Putty
Blazers for Men and Women
Wildhagen Hats