Thursday, May 29, 2008

Not Makeup: SYTYCD, Real Time!

Holy CRAP. So, I'm hardly one to go gaga over this emo, rolling-around-on-the-ground, Mia Michaels-esque contemporary dancing. (Said with utmost respect, of course) But YOWZA did you guys SEE this Brandon Bryant guy on So You Think You Can Dance? First, he looks like he's all of 5'8", but he's allll muscle. All of it. Everywhere. He's also gayer than a birdcage full of glitter*, all wearin' Chuck Bass scarves and talkin' bout his mama slappin' him upside the head for underage auditioning in Season 1.

And then he gets on stage, and it's like.... Spartacus. Doing ballet. Gracefully like he's on skates or something. This dude is like sweaty Roman soldiers doing battle-pirouettes on ice. It looks like he has perfect control over every single, plentiful, muscle in his body. He's just so JACKED! Total goosebumps!

And then he gets off stage and he's super gay again! Yaaayyyy! Super gayyyy!

Could Brandon be my new SYTYCD fave? He certainly looks like he'd have the technique to kill at other styles of dance. (And the technique to kill a bunch of Navy SEALS, for that matter.) Besides, he's already won "Star Search", and in fact was a finalist with David Archuleta, and look how far THAT kid got.


But let's not forget our resident Oscar the Grouch. Granted the "this is for you, Mom!" storyline might have swayed me, but I loved Markus Shields. He looks so thug, like Snoop Dog with the 'do rag and the long floppy limbs. I guess his style IS hip hop, but it's also so lyrical and flowy and just plain nice. They should definitely put him on the show, if for no other reason than to show how the magic of Mia Michael's choreography can break down stony walls and to let his manly emotions burst forth!

The rest of them were pretty unmemorable (well, Claire Callaway's extreme skinny-ness scared me, I guess). Fortunately, Nigel kept me entertained: "You look camouflage up in the dictionary, and you can't find it!" Oh Nigel.

2 other thoughts: 1) Cat hugs a lot of sweaty people. I wonder how much hand sanitizer she goes through in a day. 2) By the look of it, they cast (um, sorry, "put through to Vegas") one of the Wayan brothers. (He's the guy that ran into the door, at the end of the episode.) WTF??


And finally, to end all this randomness, Benji should totally do some DC Swing! It'd be haawwwt.

Oh, my phone's ringing, gotta jet! What about you, any favourite dancers so far?


* I don't know, that seems pretty gay, doncha think?



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Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Product Review: Malibu Secret

Anti-aging seems to be all the rage these days. Of course, there has always been the countless anti-wrinkle products, but fighting the signs of time no longer seems to be the exclusive territory of face-creams. Dove has a Pro-Age line for aging hair, scientists claim grapefruit scents make you smell younger, and food and beverage companies tout the anti-oxidant (read: anti-aging) properties of their offerings.

Well why should your face, hair, nose, and stomach have all the fun? There's like 95% of skin on our bodies that's not on our faces... why shouldn't it get some pampering?

Clearly, the mother-and-son team behind Malibu Secret* had the same idea.


Malibu Secret is a cream that takes some of those good-for-you (and expensive!) active ingredients in higher end anti-aging facial creams and puts them in something designed specifically for the rest o' your bod. After all, if they make your face look smooth, even-toned, and glowing, shouldn't it do the same for your arms, legs, and whatever body parts you'd like to show off? Some of these fancy ingredients include Thymulen 4 (French patented!), Bois 11, and Dermox SRC. Okay, so I don't actually know what any of these things do, but they sound impressive! You can read more about the ingredients here. Oh, and it's paraben free, which is always nice.

I can't really speak to whether Malibu Secret makes my limbs look younger (mostly because my limbs haven't changed that much over the years), but I really love Malibu Secret for its soothing and moisturizing properties. I had a spot of difficult eczema-ish irritation near my collar-bone, which is not exactly picturesque (hello, wedding season!). I'd tried everything I had (face creams too!) and nothing worked. But after a few days of using Malibu Secret, I could see a real improvement, and with 2 weeks of use, the irritation cleared up completely.

This soothing ability was extra-surprising, since the product has a fairly prominent scent. It's very beachy... floral and coconut, with a hint of suntan lotion. If you like coconut scents, you will LOVE this. I'm not much of a coconut fan, but I found the scent pleasant enough.

Thick and moisturizing, but quick to sink in... this generous tube (over 200 mL) is a great summery treat for the skin. Shimmy a bit of this over your shoulders and your legs and you'll feel ready for those patios and clubs in no time! You can order from their website, or find them at these fine Canadian retailers

BC: Beautilicious (South Surrey)
AB: Pink Door (Camrose), Smashing Cosmetica (Banff)
ON: Cosmetique (Hamilton)
Que: Abe & Mary's (Montreal)

If you'd like to see Malibu Secret in your favourite store, just leave a comment below or email the company!



* They look like beautiful TV people. Seriously! Also, the packaging is hilarious... if you look closely, you will see the words "I Love You" scrawled in the sand across the front of the bottle!



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