Posted by Luana | 9 Comments

How To Look Decent in a Photo

So you went on a trip to Greece with your besties and get back home to load up all the photos on Facebook, only to find that you look hideous in most of them, with the exceptions of the ones where your face doesn’t show (like me, minus the Greece trip.) Everything new slightly throws us off, which is why seeing our reflection in the mirror every day can be more comforting to us; we grow accustomed to it and come to accept and even like it (except for those inevitable off days…). Take a picture of us from a completely different angle in a different light and watch as we can’t decide whether or not to tag ourselves in there. Maybe you don’t like your picture taken, or you’re slightly awkward in front of a camera.

Natural beauty

• It is picture day; the entire high school has woken up an hour early just to get their hair right and to practice in front of the mirror. BIG mistake. It was 9th grade and I was one such individual. Once the photographer tilted my head and rotated my body a thousand times, I let my rehearsed smile shine. The result: a fake smile, unruly hair and earrings hanging awkwardly in the wrong directions. The only year I actually looked decent, was the year I didn’t put any effort into it. Be natural, especially when smiling! Think of something funny enough to make you smile but not overly hilarious to make you scrunch your face awkwardly. Tip: A real smile can be seen not only in the mouth but in the eyes.
• Experiment, take self portraits if necessary. Find your best angle and play up to it in photos, but vary enough so that you aren’t pouting with your head tilted slightly at a 30 degree angle, hand on your hip in every single photo. Again, keep it natural and relaxed!
• Posture! No slouching allowed, as it will make your belly pop out, your neck shorter and your boobage saggy. I struggle with this one, mainly because slouching is my natural state of being. I’ve tried to correct it, but I give up way too easily. At least photos are an incentive to be more aware of it!
• Spontaneous photos tend to turn out the best, or at least are good at capturing the moment!

Little touchups

• I’m not one to edit photos on Photoshop, regardless of where my pimple was, mainly because I find it tedious and it makes my computer incredibly laggy. Instead, I propose tackling those little things before the photograph is taken.
• If your skin is slightly oilier than average, a few touchups with those little blotting papers should keep the shine out of your face in photos. I hear great wonders about pressed foundation as well but have never tried it myself! Any other tips to eliminate shine?
• Concealer for panda eyes and little pimples or scars works, but don’t cake it on as this will show even more.
• For a radiant smile make sure you take care of those pearly whites! Same for skin and hair. Personally I think hands well taken care of go a long way in completing a stunning look ;)
• Remember the closer your hands/feet are to the camera the larger they will appear!

The rest depends on your style and whether it lets your personality show through; Knowing how to dress for your shape is always essential, but I don’t believe that wearing patterns is necessarily bad if that is your style. If it works for you then it works, period!

What tricks do you have for looking better in photos?

Posted by Luana | 11 Comments

Dealing With Nerves

Sweaty palms, racing heart, a little tug at the pit of your stomach…Nerves are physiological responses in anticipation of a certain outcome or situation.  How do you guys deal with them? They can be more or less intense depending on your personality and the type of situation; maybe you’re up for a huge speech, or you’re sitting by the phone to see if you got that job. I’m waiting for some pretty big news today, and while the event isn’t flashing constantly in my mind, it does make me nervous when I think about it.

Anticipating an outcome
If you crashed your dad’s car, you’ll be nervous as you walk through the door because you are anticipating that he will get angry. If you’re about to give a speech, you’ll be nervous that people won’t respond well to it or you’ll say something ridiculous and embarrass yourself. These thoughts are mental barriers we set up, and we get nervous as we find them hard to overcome; we anticipate a negative outcome even if there is the possibility of a positive one (for instance, job interviews). I don’t think there’s a surefire way to ‘overcome’ nerves, but there are ways to make them less intense.

When public speaking
This is probably one of the number one nerve-wracking situations for many. You’re about to give a speech to your entire class; everyone will be silent and the lights will catch any signs of nervousness. Generally you become more aware of your mannerisms because you feel observed, which will cause you to sway, or wonder where your hands should go, or whether you’re talking loud enough. To cope a little:

• Make sure you know what you’re going to say. Practice your speech out loud over and over like your life depends on it, changing things around a bit each time so that in case your PowerPoint messes up you know where to pick up the slack.
• Use an audience. Grab your parents, siblings or grandparents.
• Before the event (or class) begins, try standing around the front as people take their seats. This will help you familiarize with the space so that you can move around more freely.
• Take a deep breath as you get ready to say your first words. Start with a strong voice so you can follow in the same pattern. Make the audience believe in what you’re saying.
• Speak as though you were conversing; logical, bite sized sequence of events using natural language (not colloquial, but not extremely technical — specific enough to the subject area but easy enough that everyone understands.)
• Be interested in what you’re saying and you’ll bring your audience with you; rather than focusing on whether or not you said something right, they’ll be trying to grasp concepts and put ideas together.
• Once you’re done, think ‘that wasn’t so hard’. Remember this moment for your next speech!

When doing something for the first time
Skydiving. All your friends seem to have done it and they won’t stop raving about how amazing it is. If you’re deathly afraid of heights (like me), no amount of convincing will work on you; however if you’re naturally curious (though not exactly an adventure seeker) you might find yourself wanting to try this out. It’s your first time jumping off a plane though, and you are —with reason— scared as hell. In this case:

• Let it be known that you are nervous as hell. Communicate it to your friends who have done it, to the instructor and to the pilot if he’s around. You’ll get a biased response, but in this case you need all the positive feedback you can get: “It’s nothing!”, “You’re more likely to die from being struck by lightning”, “Nobody’s died from it — yet!”. You’ll still be scared as hell, but running these through your mind will help ease the tension (somewhat)
• Know how to get out of it in case of an emergency. In skydiving, if your chute doesn’t open you might be in big trouble (that’s probably an understatement.) But say you’ve decided to go rock climbing and get stuck somewhere. Make sure you know what you need to do to get out!
• Think about the risk and weigh it against the benefits. If it’s your first time asking someone out, think of the possible consequences. Worst case scenario: you’ll be rejected. Will you die? No. Will you be hurt? Most likely. But if they say yes, will it be the best decision you ever made? Then go for it.

When taking an exam
You have a huge final on Monday. It will determine whether or not you graduate, and again, you are nervous as hell.

• Nerves will only block your mind, and in this case they will arise from uncertainty. So you need to start by making sure you understand the material. Reading over your notes 15 times will not help if you still don’t understand how protein synthesis works. Break down the information until you understand it, and then connect ideas and new concepts; this way, even if you don’t remember minute details in the happenings, you’ll still be able to tell the whole story.
• EAT! I used to think this was a silly cliche, but it kind of seems obvious that if energy is required to process thoughts, and energy comes from food, then eating is a smart choice. Glucose is especially important in brain processes and is used up faster in the brain than anywhere else in the body. So have a hearty breakfast and a chocolate bar on your way to the exam and get thinking!
• Right before the exam, if you really feel there’s so much information in your brain that it might fall out, jot it all down on the margins before you even look at the questions. This way your thoughts won’t be tainted by tricky wordings and you can refer back to them if they come up.
• Divide your time, otherwise you might find yourself chewing away at your pencil until you realize time’s almost up. If it takes more than 5 minutes, leave it for later and move on.
• Read everything twice. Once you’ve answered, read over everything once more. Make sure you haven’t been tricked and that you actually answered the question! Nerves can make you read words that aren’t there, turn negative numbers into positives or even make you think that the entire question is a trick.
• When you come out, DON’T talk about the answers with your peers!! Everyone does this, it’s natural, we want to know how we did compared to the rest of the class and knowing that someone else put a for the first question makes us feel more secure. But if you find that your answers are completely different to everyone’s you’re likely to think you probably failed, when sometimes it may mean that you were the only one to actually answer right. Then you’ll just be thinking about it and feeling terrible until the official results come out.

When approaching someone
A lot of times we want to complain, or ask someone for directions, or just talk in a crowded cocktail party. For some reason we are embarrassed, and can’t bring ourselves to do it.

• Firstly, remember people are only fellow human beings. They’ve also needed help at some point or wanted to complain that the fries are too salty. If you are nice about it there’s no reason why they won’t help you out.
• Don’t over-think it. You’re at some event for a book that just launched and you find yourself alone. Instead of hanging over by the punch, go over to someone else. It may be easier to break the ice with someone who is also alone, or maybe two people. I don’t know about you, but if I’m also roaming around alone and someone comes up to me, I’ll be more thankful than annoyed.
• Classic advice: if you want to be interesting, be interested. Ask genuine questions, reply with personal experiences or simply comment a bit on their answer.
• Tip: if you aren’t speaking in your first language and can’t find a crucial word, say it fast in your own language. This way, the op will think they either misunderstood or don’t know the word. At the risk of sounding stupid, it is unlikely that they’ll ask you what it means, but if they do, just innocently say it again (in your language) and tell them that’s how you say it in your country.

When making an important call
I’m not a phone person; I don’t even like calling for pizza, but sometimes you can’t avoid it.

• If you have to call someone important, or have something important to say but know your nerves will get in the way, the best thing to do is to write down key points you want to touch upon. Keep them in sight as you’re talking to the person. Before you dial, rehearse how you’ll greet them and lead into the conversation. The good thing about phones is the other person won’t see your panicked face, or your pacing back and forth as you try to calm the nerves.

In the end, it all comes down to feeling under prepared (and therefore less confident) for a certain situation; prepare well and visualize success. Think of the moment the struggle is done and what you can gain from it. Life goes on whether you want it to or not, and even if it doesn’t end up being what you had envisioned it to be, it’ll still be Friday, and Saturday, and Sunday. By Monday you will barely remember the feeling, so get over it and try again!

What makes you nervous and how do you cope? Any strategies to help us calm down in the face of fear?

Posted by Luana | Add a Comment

How To Wear Prints

Not only is it the Chinese Year of the Tiger, it is also the year of prints! Animal prints, floral patterns and geometric shapes will define S/S10. Excited? Prints are nothing new, however, and we all know there is a fine line between sex kitten and…tacky. So if trends are your thing, read on before you stock up on this one!

The Golden Rule: less is more

• An entire leopard print outfit is overkill. I don’t think I need to elaborate on this!
• Stick to one print and keep the rest of the outfit plain so that the piece stands out.

Start small

• If you’re not sure about the whole leopard or zebra thing, try going for accessories first. I’m obsessed with scarves and cardigans right now, and those are always safe options to start with! Bags and belts can be cute as well, but watch out for cheap looking ones.
• Find a cute wallet in a floral pattern, a head band, or go for some tights! I love floral pattern tights but unfortunately doubt I could pull them off. Trying couldn’t hurt anyone though, right?
• Bold square bangles or triangle necklaces (extra points if they’re wooden!) can help pull the earthy-Tiger Lily look together.

Flatter your shape

• Choose prints that are moderate in size (particularly  in the floral department); not too big or too small, as these will end up making you look bigger than you actually are.

What do you guys think? Will prints be making their way into your closet?

Posted by Luana | 8 Comments

When Your Body Gets Sick

What do you guys do when you’re so ill you can barely move? And I’m not just talking about headaches, I’m talking about some of the unpleasant ways your body has of de-toxing (i.e. vomiting)? Tuesday night I went through one such unpleasant de-toxing for a few hours, and I’m not usually the weak stomach type. It’s times like those when you realize how great it feels to feel alive and not so close to death.
I could barely keep water down, which was frustrating because by the end of it all I was so dehydrated and exhausted. Luckily my grandmother came around with an amazing remedy: flat Coke. Half a cup of it and I was fast asleep! The next day my meals consisted of plain mashed potatoes for lunch and bread and flat Coke for dinner. My stomach muscles are a bit sore today but I have my appetite back and have re-discovered my love for water and fruits. Yay for being healthier!

Posted by Luana | 4 Comments

How To Avoid Looking Like a Tourist

Hi lovelies! How is everyone and what have I missed?
Barcelona + Tom = amazing weekend! It was incredibly windy and cold (as opposed to last week’s 16 degrees!) so we were wrapped up and kept walking into shops and cafes just to keep warm. The city was beautiful, though, so it was all worth it. I hadn’t had a sore throat in a while, so of course my body decided this would be the best time to act up, but Tom is a sweetheart and got me some hot chocolate before bed and lemons in the morning so our Valentine’s was saved! We mostly spent it eating and in the metro talking about important things like the soul/body division and space. It was perfect.

So being a tourist for the weekend made me realize the importance of not looking like one; we all know pointing upwards every few meters and wearing a camera around our necks are obvious no-nos, but having a huge sign in red print that reads ‘I’m a tourist — come get me’ may lie in the subtleties. Here’s how to avoid that and a few tips to keep in mind while you’re out exploring the world:

• Know where you’re going. Metro stations you need to get off on, bus numbers and relevant street names.
• If you must check your map, do it in a cafe or inside a shop.
• Bring only the cash you’ll need for the day, preferably in small bills (seems simple enough, but I’ve seen a couple of people flashing big bills around! The reason they are so noticeable is because not many people walk around with them…And they tend to come in pretty colors.)
• Keep change and metro/bus tickets separate from your wallet so you don’t have to keep reaching for it.
• Dress as you would at home, keeping in mind the local weather. Unless of course, you’re going on a Safari across India or something that would require shorts or hiking gear. Keep in mind dress codes you might have to adhere to depending on the culture you’re visiting. *There seems to be a common misconception that Southern Europe (France, Spain, Italy) are always warm and sunny year-round. This is only really true in the summer months, but even then there are alternatives to wearing shorts and sandals: skirts and dresses for women, light pants for men, stay away from synthetic fibers and you’re good to go!
• Pay attention to your choice of bag — big sporty bags are usually a good sign you’re a tourist.
• Be wary of people who stop you for help/conversation/etc in the middle of the street; just keep walking and shake your head in a “No, sorry” motion.
• Look for street names subtly, definitely not pointing or straining to look upward for them!
• Keep your camera in a regular bag or purse, avoiding camera bags and backpacks! While taking a photo, do hang it around your neck so that nobody can snatch it from you. But as soon as you snap just put it back in there.
• Be polite — research local customs before your trip and if possible learn a few keywords in the local language; most people try to help out someone making the effort to communicate in their language.
• If you want to experience the authentic local culture, stray away from tour guide books and guided tours and ask at your hotel lobby (or in any shop) what areas of the city might be interesting for you to check out.

The point isn’t to blend in completely, but to avoid becoming an easy target for savvy local robbers. Always keep an eye out and notice your surroundings!