no more sweaty pits

Light, lighter, lightest, white? Garnier's deodorant stops the pong in the
tracks, makes dark armpits lighter and helps say goodbye to sweat stains.

Dark armpits are the bane for many a woman. Whether you're light-skinned or dark, an obviously darker shade of skin at the pits is definitely not a sexy way to show off their apparent smoothness when you don a sleeveless top.

There are plenty of deodorant products out there that claim to get rid of that unsightly darkened patch, while getting rid of the pong to boot. If it's also an antiperspirant, what a bonus!

Actually, I doubt that they work. After all, dark skin patches are caused by overworked melanins and this is something that occurs at the cellular level and if something that costs RM6.90 at Guardian can work so effectively, I might as well forget bigger, more expensive brands like Kose and Shiseido that also claim to do the whitening trick on your face and smear that deodorant all over my cheeks instead.

But after having tried several beands, Rexona namely, I've decided that Garnier's deodorant works the best. It's not too sticky and dries considerably fast, doesn't leave a stain on the inside of your sleeves and it doesn't have an apparent deodorant-y smell. The scent is light and lemony and will not overpower your perfume.

Also, as an antiperspirant, it works. I've tried the sprays, the sticks, the roll-ons. I'm the kind that has a bad sweat. Sometimes, being in the air-conditioned room even causes my pits to sweat. Garnier's takes care of that.

So am I a happy customer? Definitely.

And oh, if you really want to get rid of your dark patches, do regularly scrubbing with a loofah and remember to use a sharp razor. That ought to minimise the problem.

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get your free Malay Mail copy HERE

A lot of people have enquired about where they can get their free copy of The Malay Mail. THE Malay Mail folks, THE. The THE is back. So anyway, I'm posting a list so any random bugger who googles for its distribution locations will be able to know where they can head to today at 3pm.

Hotels
Traders Hotel
Nikko Hotel
Concorde Shah Alam
Palace of the Golden Horses
Shangri-la Hotel
Mandarin Oriental

Hospitals
Institut Jantung Negara
Tawakkal Medical Centre
Sunway Medical Centre
HUKM
Kelana Jaya Medical Centre
Pantai Medical Centre
Gleneagles Intan Medical Centre
Assunta Hospital

University
UTAR

Carrefour supermarkets

Maybank branches

Celcom outlets

Naza-Kia outlet

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Weet-Bix my life

If you're opting for healthier breakfasts, why not try some Weet-Bix? Not as mushy as oatmeal, you can eat it soft or crunchy depending on how much milk you add to the bowl. And with a sprinkling of sugar on top (not too much now), you start your day feeling less bloated than when you gorge on a piece of too oily roti canai to get the daily motors running.
Anyway, I'm opting for Weet-Bix as a morning alternative to NOT EATING AT ALL (which used to be the norm) because as you would have read countless of times before, I have a bowel movement problem. That is to say, it wouldn't move as often as it should. Because I'm not having enough fibre intake, you see, and so this is where a box of Weet-Bix comes in.

And really, it's not too bad although it does not make for a very filling breakfast.

I also happen to be trying to... lose some fat. Not weight, mind you, just fat in all the wrong places like my tummy and thighs. Cutting on food, in my mind, is not very healthy although yes, we should reduce our food intake if we are in the habit of overeating.

It's much better to substitute what we usually have for meals with something healthier and come in less calories, less sugar, less sodium and less fat. That way, the little things add up and you end up feeling much better about your own body.

Anyhow, I read this article yesterday about how Malaysians, despite being more conscious about their health and body image, are still not ready to give up on their favourite foods - which of course means what? That on the whole, we're still relatively unhealty AND fat.

I read it and was like, bravo! Spot on! Because it really reflected the kind of lifestyle I lead. I read up on nutrition, am well-versed in the pros and cons of a specific kind of diet and know the kinds of exercises I should do to tone up specific kinds of body parts but do I practice what I read? No! And the reason is simple: Because I still want to eat my tom yam, my lamb chops, my pancakes and my chocolate balls! (While forgoing exercise altogether, such a lazy bitch, me.)

So well, I'm trying to change before I end up a roly-poly. I don't have money for a lipo and I sure as hell am not going to staple my stomach. Sounds like ouch. So I'm taking small steps OK, instead of blowing all my money on a gym membership card that's going to rot in my purse.

Weet-Bix today! Constipation gone tomorrow! And finally, farewell to fat!

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fun at the Big Bad Books sale

I bought six books at RM8 each. What happiness it is to be able to afford books! And the best part is that the big books (senior citizen's edition?) and the hard cover books also cost RM8 apiece! People were buying by the boxful, it made me wonder if they're buying because they do read or because it's a sale and a most 'kiasu' thing to do (plenty of Chinapeks abound at sales, if you get my drift).

Earlier me and Melisa were at the Zara warehouse sale. Not too good stuff left because practically everything was in size L. I did get two pairs of colourful linen pants for my Mom and that's about it. Zara's stuff are starting to look wonky. Not too mention dowdy.

And we ended our shopping escapade with a late lunch at a Subway outlet.

Ahhhh!!! Blis!!!

And Noel's having tea with me later!!!
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yummy mentaiko

Next time you're at the Jusco supermarket (preferably the one at One Utama or MidValley as they have a wider selection of Japanese grocery products), head to the fresh seafood section and check out the 'karashi mentaiko' or spicy fish roe (Alaskan pollock, Wikipedia says) - if you like spicy AND fish roe THAT'S raw, that is.

At first glance, sure, I agree with you that there's nothing appetising about the mentaiko. In fact, it looks like some shapeless foetus thingie that if given more time, may have grown into a baby cat.

But I'm just being disgusting as usual.

Anyhow, a package of mentaiko may be a bit pricey but the beauty of this Japanese (originally Korean) product is that a little goes a long way with a bowl of hot rice. And best of all, it doesn't taste raw. Think of it as some kind of a spicy paste and you'll love it, promise.

That's what I like about the simple Japanese meals. A little of something always works well with rice without having to bother about having other side dishes.

Take for example, the 'furikake'. Basically, it is a dry condiment which I prefer to call "rice sprinkles" because that's essentially it: You sprinkle a small portion over your rice and upon tucking in, you discover delicious sweet and salty tastes that you'd never have imagined would come from something that seems so ordinary.

There's another version of the furikake called the 'ochazuke'. This one, you add water to the rice and it is delightful to guzzle down the 'soup' that is left in your bowl after you've finished your rice.

Both come in a variety of flavours but typically I'd go for the egg flavour.

With such simplicity in a packet, I sometimes like to think of them as the poor man's meal or in today's world, the lazy man's meal. No cooking required. (Except for the rice and even then the Japanese sell packages that you just pop into the microwave and it comes out just like rice cooked in a rice cooker.)

I just love Japanese meals.

I'd like to take Noel out to try more, more than what we eat at Sushi Zanmai, my most favourite affordable sushi restaurant in the Klang Valley. If you haven't been to it yet, do give it a try although I'd recommend that you don't go during peak hours as the lines get very long and the restaurant no longer allow for table bookings. Once you go there, you'll never want to set foot in Sakae Sushi (which was never that good to begin with) and Sushi King (whose quality of food has gone down the drain in years) ever again.

Believe me, it's THAT good. And they've also just updated their menu with new yummies. Check it out!

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