Bra bra bra, Za za za....

It sounds nonsensical but please, it is not. I'm talking about lingerie (bras) and make-up (brand = Za). I don't care if I'm going to sound bimbotic because I mean to be :)

I attended a workshop on lingerie & make-up with Haz & XR over 2 evenings. It's something we all looked forward to at the end of a long dreary work day - not one of those boring 'professional' development workshops. It's through this workshop that I discovered how clueless I am about about bras.

PART 1
So, how do you know what bra cups are for? They aren't as simple as A B C. In fact, each type of bra cup is for different things.

1. The full cup. It's for people who are full and want better support.
2. The three-quarter cup. It's for those who want a cleavage.
3. The half cup. It's for those who want an uplift.

I can't believe it. I've been wearing bras for half my life and I didn't even know the difference in cups besides the ABC bit. And I also learnt that every bra manufacturer is different and therefore the 'vital stats' can be rather inaccurate. And I never knew that I had to lean slightly forward to put on my bra.

How do you know if you are wearing the right bra?

1. At the back, the bra strap should lay straight across the back - not 'curved'.
2. Move your shoulders in a left-right motion, as though you are doing a shoulder isolation (OK, that's the best way I can describe that motion). The bra should not move.
3. Turn your torso left and right at the waist. The bra should not move.
4. Raise one arm up. The bra should not slip up as you raise the arm.

PART 2
Make-up. Basically, it's all about blending. You always start wearing make-up from the eyes and the lips should be the last to be made up. That is, of course, after cleaning, toning, moisturising & putting on the foundation.

1. Do the 3-step thing.
2. Choose the right foundation. The foundation should 'disappear' onto your face. When you are testing colours at the make-up counter, NEVER put the colours on the back of your hand. In fact, they should be tested on the jaw line and the right colour will 'disappear' onto the face.
3. Eyes.
(i) Work on the eye brows. It is important to trim/pluck eyebrows so that they look neat. It's very important to work on the eye brows because they frame the face (Yes, yes, well-known fact. That's why I go to Little India to do eye-brow threading pretty regularly). Never draw lines. The eye brow pencil is for filling in 'hair'. So please, no lines on the eye brows.
(ii) Eye shadow. Use a lighter shade to cover the eye lids. NEVER EVER make it look like a fan - you start from the inner part of the eye to the outer corner of the eye and BLEND it onto the foundation. After which, use a darker shade to blend in. How? Close the eye and fill in just about where the eye socket is. Lucky you if you have double-eye lids because it's easier.
(iii) Mascara. Use an eye-lash curler first. Apply the mascara downwards. That is, you close the eye and apply the mascara in downward strokes. Open the eye, look up and apply the mascara in a slightly zig-zag motion upwards. NEVER curl the eye lashes after you have put on mascara because it will weaken the eye lashes.

No eye-liner unless it is night make-up. It is for a more dramatic effect.

3. Cheeks/Blusher
Smile. The fleshiest part is where you should start applying the blusher. Always blend it in by using an upward stroke so as to give the face a slimmed effect. The whole idea of a blusher is to give the face a nice warm glow, not 2 big round red dots on the face.

4. Lips
Apply the colour and for a lasting effect, blot the first application and apply another layer onto it. After which, coat a layer of lip gloss over the lipstick application. Not too much though, or else it will look as though you just had KFC or something.

So there, the essence of being a woman. The better you look, the better you feel about yourself. However, there should not be any obsession on keeping up with appearances. In fact, that is a sign of insecurity. The main thing is to know that you are beautiful on the inside and that will show on the outside. Afterall, your Creator made you in His own image :) SMILE!