HE SAYS, HAIR STYLING.

I always get so pumped up when it comes to hair. As far as I can remember, I began styling my hair religiously since 1994 when I got inspired by Jim Carry in Ace Ventura. On hindsight, I’m sure my kindergarten teachers must have been peeved by my outlandish hairstyle - but never mind the history.

Hair.

A good place to start when it comes to hair care is a good haircut. A good haircut - one that is not necessarily exorbitant - makes styling much easier. To put things into perspective, it is going to take you twice as long to comb an Armani if your haircut is a Faux Hawk. Likewise for women, it’s going to take a miracle to turn a choppy concave bob into a precision cut.

So let’s assume that our haircut is all swanky. What I do next (or at least try to) is to blow dry it out and then start creating some texture with wax or clay. The common knowledge is to buy those that are not too greasy. Otherwise it adds weight to the hair making it flop and look unnatural. The wrong hair product not only makes your hair look dry but also affects the health of your complexion when you perspire. Trust me, I’ve had my share of bad hair moments.

After you have your general shape it is best that you secure it with some hairspray. Hurrah! (Tempting as it may be, the word ‘some’ is key here, not ‘hairspray’! So apply sparingly) It is handy to note that you can spray some onto your fingertips when styling the ends of your hair for greater definition. As a rule of thumb, never, NEVER, twirl a lock of hair till it forms some semblance of a spike (this is the common tactic when your hair doesn’t stand naturally). Such crafty science projects often result in a bunch of Churros on the head, and it ain’t pretty. If you find yourself in that precarious situation, you’re probably using too much hair product or you didn’t blow-dry enough.

Well, this is certainly no rocket science and I’m sure most of you have already put these tips into good practice. If not, why not get started; it takes time to master this art.

*This is not a product review or an advertorial.

Images By Dinie Rahman.

Nabil.

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L'OREAL BRANDSTORM SINGAPORE NATIONAL FINALS 2010.

Yesterday saw the crowning of L’oreal Brandstorm Singapore 2010 champion at the Klapsons The Boutique Hotel. The view from the seminar room was spectacular, overlooking the newly upgraded Sentosa Island and the vast view of the Central Business District area.

Team Modish reign supreme beating more than 230 participants and three other teams at the finals this year. The undergraduate team from NUS (who brought along many supporters, banners and all) also bagged the people’s choice award trophy. The winning team will be representing Singapore at the international Finals in Paris to compete against 40 other countries. Finger crossed, we will be anticipating Diesel’s first ever men’s grooming line and it better be by you guys!

From us at ONESIXTYNOTEPAD, congratulations to all four teams and it’s been a joy working with you and it certainly was a rewarding journey. Best wishes to everyone, the end of this competition marks the start of something wonderful so try and try again!

Images By Ridhwan Sesapar.

Dinie.

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THE TEAMS OF L'OREAL BRANDSTORM SINGAPORE.

(Team Maverick, Team Modish, Team TLQ, Team Zalvado)

Going into the assignment that L’oreal proposed, I didn’t know what to expect. Our intention was to support the young talents participating in the competition but little did we know that we would learn a lot ourselves. Introducing the four groups competing for this year’s L’oreal Brandstorm competition.

The first team I interviewed was Team Zalvado, an all-girls team. Call them the Powerpuff of L’oreal Brandstorm if you must, this group is equipped with girl power, spice and everything nice. The one thing that sets them apart from the rest, that would be their chemistry. Their take on the competition; Nothing will ever be as big as this L’Oreal Brandstorm, so prestigious.

Meeting Team Modish from NUS, I was rather puzzled to how this team came about. They’re three really different individual, really. Half-Japanese Caroline and two boys, Jon and Colin each have different personality, which ironically works! When asked what’s the one thing that will work to their advantage, the team agreed that they posses ‘good balance’ that will take all the way to the finals. I agree too.

I’ve never understood the term ‘boys will be boys’ until I interviewed team TLQ, juniors to Team Modish. They speak like one and think like one. Being an all-boys team will work to their advantage, as they were direct (like boys do) with their approach yet inspiring. The boys are driven; you can see the fire in their eyes. I’m expecting something playful in the finals.

Oh my was I blown away with the last team presentation, I didn’t have to ask much. Team Maverick’s strength would have to be their hard work and intellectual thinking. This team is definitely the one to look out for in terms of marketing strategy, will give the rest of the team a run for their money and they mean business.

Images By Ridhwan Sesapar.

Dinie.

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HE SAYS, FACIAL CARE.

So I present you with a mind-boggling conundrum: which facial care products do you buy off the shelf when you’re spoilt for choice?

Deciding on a facial care product is a major deal, like choosing an ‘It’ bag that defines you or buying that signature fragrance; it has to be a perfect fit. And I’m sure like most of you have discovered, when you chance upon that one and only, it feels like a life-changing moment and you feel a great sense of comfort.

There are many things to watch out for when buying facial products but I’d like to focus on just one that I feel applies universally. From my personal experience, I like to choose a product that provides balance. Finding the toughest cleaning agent is easy but it might leave your skin excessively dry making the skin susceptible to other conditions. On the other hand, there are plenty of ‘water treatment’ facial products in the market that honestly work just like plain water. Hence finding the right product isn’t going to be so easy after all. Most people go by trial and error.

The product I'm using meets all my needs and comes in a sleek cylindrical dispenser. It purifies the skin with cleansing pearls and the oxygen revitalizes it, giving your skin a warm natural glow. It is water-based so it is mild yet effective. It is so wholesome that it is the only facial cleanser I bring with me to the Army. I have been using this for four years, ever since I found out Madonna goes for regular Oxygen Skin treatment to keep her youth. I’m glad I found a substitute for less than $10!

But like I have said, a product may be one’s antidote but another’s poison. So press on in your quest if you haven’t already found one. Though, if the problem is severe you ought to consult a doctor who will be able to tailor the treatment to the condition of your skin. At the end of the day, you know a product is good, if it pulls you through army - or anything as equally traumatic for the skin – unscathed and glowing.

This post is part of a collaborative effort between OSN and L'Oreal for the L'Oreal Brainstorm competition.

Images By Ridhwan Sesapar.

Nabil.

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L'OREAL BRANDSTORM SINGAPORE.

L’Oreal is larger than you think. Glossy hairspray and bouncy curls aside, the Singapore office also manages a wide range of brands that includes Giorgio Armani and Ralph Lauren. This year, the group is bringing back L’Oreal Brainstorm, an international competition that is targeted at tertiary students with dreams to build a business empire.

In its ninth year in Singapore, the theme for the competition is Men’s Grooming and the teams play the role of L’Oreal’s International Brand Manager in their challenge to revamp the Diesel brand. As it stands, 4 Singapore finalists have been selected out of 77 participating teams. The remaining contending teams will battle it out on 18th May 2010 at Klapsons The Boutique Hotel. The victor ultimately gets to represent Singapore in the finals in Paris, vying for a chance at being handpicked to work for L’Oreal.

One Sixty Notepad will be following the developments of this competition closely and will be feeding you with the necessary 411s. If you are a shameless L’Oreal brethren like myself (I used to gel my hair with Ultim Fix Gel every morning without fail back in Kindergarten), you ought to await the feeds. And plus, I heard they are also giving out freebies. Join the L'Oreal Brandstorm Singapore Fanpage and look up the OSN Facebook fanpage for more details. Sounds good? Yes, ‘Because You’re Worth It‘.

Nabil.

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