Today's Dispatch: Everybody Needs a Hug

This post is brought to you by Toy Story 3, which made me bawl my eyes out just the other day.



- Two great moments happened this morning: Novak Djokovic won the US Open, and Shamcey Supsup of the Philippines placed third in the Miss Universe pageant. Honestly, I was more pumped about that epic Djoker-Rafa final than I was for Miss Universe (also because I had to go to work right away and the tennis game was just about to wrap up first) but all in all, a great finish nonetheless for both. Bravissimi!

- That said: Have you guys seen Miss Angola? That is one beautiful woman, there.

- And also, I can't wait for the Baseball Championship Series to start. Really.

- You know who's been really crushworthy to me lately? Joel Edgerton. Yes, he's also a ginger... and yet, there's something about him that comes across as huggable rather than spankable, especially when he's using his American accent. (Yes, I actually think he has a more convincing fake-New England accent than The Hotness. Sue me.) Maybe it's all those the family-man roles that he's been taking lately, though, because he's actually quite charming and convincing as a dad. Lurve.

- I've been looking at my schedule for this week and it looks like I've got a writing-heavy slate ahead: my students' essays are due on Thursday (except for one, who just went for the early submission credit), plus I've exchanged manuscripts with a critique partner who's looking at my work as we speak. (Thanks, Ladies Who Critique!) That means I have to focus on constructive criticism... and I hope it works!

Today's Dispatch: Updates on the Previous

Our first Dispatch starts with a few recurring players from the Domesticity archives.

- I have fallen in love again with the Levi's Mens 505 Slim Straight jeans that I wore in Queenstown this May. Yes, they're baggy enough to look like Walk of Shame jeans - and super comfortable, to boot - but not too baggy that they're practically dragging on the ground. Part of it has to do with the combination of the dark wash and the fade pattern on the front of the pants (sorry, not really up-to-date with denim terms), which still gives the impression that I have actual legs instead of tree stumps under them. I love them enough to wear them on days when I don't have to dress too formally, like non-teaching work days, casual trips to Manila, and girls' nights with my friends.

- On the other hand, I have fallen out of love with the dermatology situation on my face, partly because I got sick and tired of my post-cauterization skin care routine and partly because I could not go one more day without wearing makeup. Long story short, I broke down and got a second opinion with another dermatologist, who correctly diagnosed my skin as sensitive and dry and gave me a more suitable (and livable) solution for my face. One of the things he prescribed to me was a combination tinted sunblock and BB Cream, which - once again - has changed my life for the better. This one also has a high SPF and titanium oxide (last seen on my face at Bondi Beach), but it's tinted and covers smoothly (even under my eyes) without leaving a chalky finish. I try to put this on with my fingers as much as possible, and buff out any unblended spots with a sponge for good measure. My BB cream is a doctor's brand, but you can also get good ones from Missha, Dr. Jart, and Smashbox; there are also Asia-exclusive ones made by Maybelline, Estee Lauder, and MAC as well.

- Good news: Law and Order: UK is airing in the Philippines on Universal Channel Asia! Bad news: I'm only one episode in, and I'm already in full drool mode over Jamie Bamber. Odd, because I honestly did NOT get the big deal with him when Battlestar Galactica was still running... but put him in a suit, and have him keep it on for a good chunk of an entire season? Oh, hello, officer!

- Dear moviegoing public at large: Yes, that really is Rafe Spall hanging out with Anne Hathaway in One Day. Yes, he is a ginger. Yes, he really is that talented. (Did I mention that he's also turning up in Anonymous?) Yes, it looks like he's turning into the British version of Edward Norton. And yes, he is ten million times foxier without all that hair, plus he only looks like his Dad whenever he stops working out. Now will somebody please cast him in something more significant, for a change? (No, Domesticity: The Movie does not count. He's way too tall for the role of Potatoface McHotness.) 

Spotted in Sydney

From the ABC Shop inside the Queen Victoria Building. (Not to be confused with the ABC stores in Waikiki.)

Girlcrush:

Poh Ling Yeow cookbooks and mugs, right on the first row! (Yay swag!)

Mancrush:

Rafe Spall. Desperate Romantics. Swoon.
(But wait: Anonymous AND M:I4 in the same year? Somebody wants me dead. Lulz.)

What's Your Fantasy: Trend of Two

Okay, so The List just got reconfigured.

I've already said everything that needs to be said about my new blog-boyfriend, so please don't disabuse me  of my notions by submitting more evidence to the contrary.* As far as the Meimei-verse is concerned, The Current Hotness is a lovely gentleman who showers with shampoo and good soap every time, and uses toothpaste on a daily basis.

(*T'hough, to be fair, I will accept blackmail-quality videos of him singing karaoke. Especially if his song choices involve the greatest hits of Burt Bacharach and/or Bruno Mars.) 

So I'll just go ahead and bring up Nathan Fillion.

Seriously, folks - don't you think he and The Hotness could almost pass for brothers?

Putting aside whatever rant I have about Fillion's career going into dormant mode when he should be getting the Statham-esque roles currently earmarked for The Hotness (dammit), or how Fillion has dealt gracefully with both his fans and personal life in ways that The Hotness should know best to emulate (double dammit), or even the fact that Fillion is definitely taller than The Hotness (come on, have you guys seen The Town? I rest my case)... well, I think that it's time for me to make a concise argument on why those two pretty much belong on the same page here.

Glosswatch 2011: Go, Baby, Go

If only you guys can see how this works in real life... 

The gloss: Tarte Rise and Shine Lip Gloss and Stain ($21 for full size; available at tartecosmetics.com)

What Sephora Says: The page for this product is not available at the Sephora site as of this writing. We'll go with the ad copy from the Tarte website instead: 

The gel-based lip tint imparts a natural rosy glow that stays all day, while the lip-enhancing gloss gives the appearance of fuller lips, for a pout that's pretty and polished. So even after gloss wears away the lip tint remains!

First impressions: I worked with the tint first, which I thought would give me a nice, deep stain. (My standards for stains are pretty high: the first one I ever used was the original BeneTint, and that stuff really did a number on my lips and cheeks - and clothes, and teeth - for years.) This one, I found, was a little too timid; the color was perceptible, even on my usually stain-product-averse lips. So I thought, why not layer the red gloss on top of that? One swipe of the thick red gloss, and I was sold.

Texture: Shiny. Almost syrupy. And yet, not even a hint of sticky-tacky.

Color saturation: Here it's almost looks nude... but in real life? POW! Sheer maraschino red. (The fun part: I wore this one to work, too. Hello, students!)

Minty fresh factor: None.

Hydration capacity: Not exactly as super-moisturizing and creamy as the Vitamin Infused Lip Gloss, but my lips were certainly not dried out with this one - not even after three straight hours of lecturing, plus cracker-eating and water-guzzling.

This product will remind you of: "Cherry Lips (Go Baby Go!)" by Garbage.




(Aside: I never liked anything else from Garbage after their first album. Shirley, Shirley, Shirley: love you, enjoyed you in Terminator, wish you'd hang out with Craig Ferguson more often... but I still think this song, and everything else, is weak sauce compared to "Stupid Girl.") 


The person you'd want to smooch while wearing this is: Hard to say. Too sheer for the porn-star look; too shiny for the rockabilly type, too earthy for any period drama, especially after ranting about... Wait, did I just say period drama?



Should've thought about it sooner.

My recommendations: First, there's no two ways about it - the only way to wear this is with the stain AND the gloss, together. It's a lot of work compared to the swipe-and-go ease of other glosses, but trust me - the more effort you put in, the less corners you cut, and the payoff is definitely worth it. I would save my tiny tube for special red-lippy occasions, but I do recommend getting the full-size if you're looking for a sheer, user-friendly red that you can wear almost every day. 

What's Your (Worn-Out) Fantasy: Baby, I Was Born That Way

FACT: Some guys get more interesting when they get older. Especially when they're actors.



Most British actors tend to go in this direction; Hugh Laurie (shown above) and Colin Firth, for example, were quite handsome in their 20s and 30s, and yet - oddly enough - more attractive now that they're older. (In Firthie's case, with a bit more meat on the bones; with Hugh, the natural world-weariness.) Same thing with Antonio Banderas and Javier Bardem: way hotter and more interesting now, but generic and kinda doofy-looking back in the day. Then there's Stellan and Alexander Skarsgard... so, yep, something in the water, I think.

(...Okay, fine. Robert Redford and Alec Baldwin. Still and all, though.) 

That doesn't always mean you can make the same case with other actors, though - especially those for whom "interesting" and "mature" does not always equal "hot." 

For example, would you believe that this is what Harvey Keitel used to look like back in 1973?  

Not to say that Harvey's ugly now, though; his face has always had character, and I would be heartbroken if he decides to get "freshened up" by a licensed professional. But back then? Hello, you can always buy me a drink any time any time you want, and thank you very much.

And then... there's Timothy Hutton.



Behold, a beautiful young man! Yes, Tim looks incredibly awkward and baby-faced here in Ordinary People, but put Justin Bieber and Robert Pattinson next to this guy and they're going to look like utter garbage by comparison. The fact that he won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor* - and, still, the youngest one to do so - makes this whole moment in time much sweeter.

(*Which reminds me: Hailee Steinfeld, hija, are you reading this? Because if you are, I just want you to know that you're not the only teenaged actor who has been nominated for the wrong category. Just read what I have to say next about your Uncle Timmy - and promise me that you'll pay attention, okay? Good.)

Then he had to ruin it with the terrible movies, the hard living, and the douchebaggery, plus the questionable relationship history - especially the part where Angelina Jolie and (if rumors are to be believed) Natalie Portman still seem to flinch at the mere mention of his name. Add all of that up, and we're looking at the same circle of hell where Shia LeBeouf has purchased his time-share, right next to Adrien Brody and Jude Law.

Not to mention: terrible on-screen kisser. (Especially in this one, though I suspect that mouth-wrestling Meg Ryan during her cutesy shag-haircut phase might have been part of the problem.)

Which brings us to this.

Not exactly Colin Firth, but not quite Harvey Keitel either... and definitely nowhere near the grave, for sure, even if there's still a bit of residual smarm in there. He's more like a good baseball glove that way: shiny when new, stinky during the breaking-in process, but much better after getting weather-proofed. Did I also mention that he still gets to play the magnificently sneaky Nathan Ford, without whom Leverage would only be half as awesome?

(Still a terrible on-screen kisser, though. Those of you who are less than impressed by Colin Firth's snogging skills should try to sit through any episode of Leverage where Tim/Nate tries to plant smackers on the ladies. Painful.)

So what I'm trying to say is, this: Jesse Eisenberg, Taylor Lautner, Michael Cera, and Zac Efron, consider yourselves forewarned.

****

One last rejoinder, from Go Fug Yourself: No, Matthew McConaughey! Not YOU too! (And somewhere in the world, Harvey Keitel is pouring himself a shot of Patron Anejo Reposado, shaking his head...)

Trendwatch 2011: When Kawaii Girls Grow Up

kawaii wallpaper by ~cupcake-bakery on deviantART

Before I start, let me make it very clear that I, as an Asian woman of a certain age, have no problem with cuteness in general, and everything that's considered kawaii in particular. In fact, if it were up to me, all of my bed linens and office supplies would be decorated with tons of tiny, happy, smiling Japanese cartoon characters, and be generously shameless about it as well.

I do, however, have a bit of a problem with the image of the Asian woman as the perpetual kawaii girl: slim build, pale skin, tiny high-pitched voice with matching giggle... and, yes, in certain instances, the occasional short skirt or low-cut top.

On one hand - and from an academic standpoint - there are some situations where the kawaii-ness actually works, especially when it involves a discussion of Asian culture. (I once had to use this line of reasoning to defend a colleague of mine who used her high-pitched kawaii voice in teaching Japanese.) That doesn't mean it can't be a problem for a grown woman; it's one thing to speak in a cutesy, high-pitched voice for cuteness' sake... but when you're, say, a news anchor in Honolulu reporting on a raging fire that has left several casualties in its wake, THAT might be a problem.

(No, I'm not naming names. For that, you will need to go to Scribey; just make sure to offer a week's worth of free babysitting in exchange for the information.)

Which is why I love watching the kawaii archetype getting turned on its own head by Asian women in mass media.

Because It's Never Too Early to Plan for the Holidays...

Two entries ago, I mentioned that I wanted this on my gift list:

(Buxom City Slickers holiday set, $39 at Sephora.) 

And because I tend to have a wandering eye when it comes to these things, I thought I could put this on my wish list too. 

(MAC 5 Sassy Neutral Lassies, $29.50; screenshot from MACcosmetics.com) 

That, however, does not compare to some of the things that I actually do want: 

Jillian, you affectionate little meanie, you. I'm already getting 30 Day Shred from Scribey, so this would be a nice addition to my stash of workout videos. 

Also:

OMG BRITISH LAW AND ORDER OMG OMG OMG!!! 

Corny-sounding, I know, but you're looking at the person who will deliberately watch old Law and Order reruns whenever they're on. (But only the first three seasons, though, especially the ones where Chris Noth was still quite hot.) While people may scoff at the UK edition ripping off scripts and plots wholesale from the first few seasons of Law and Order: Original Recipe, I personally think it's a reminder of why the original series was so great in the first place. 

And then: 

OMG MARTIN FREEMAN OMG OMG OMG!!!!!

A friend from NaNoWriMo Philippines recommended this series to me; apparently it has become quite a popular torrent download, which is weird because Filipinos don't always lean much towards the Anglophilic end of the TV spectrum unless it involves Mr. Bean. Also, it has been a while since Mr. Freeman has appeared on my radar - especially after last year's constant marathon of Hot Fuzz - so I'm pretty optimistic about how he does in the Watson role here. 

(Benedict Cumberbatch, on the other hand, will always be on my good side, especially since I'm used to watching him run around frantically in The Last Enemy. I wouldn't worry about his career just yet, is what I'm saying.) 

...Santa? 

Domesticity Halloween Spectacular 2010

A note from Meimei: 
Now, here's a Halloween entry for you, chock full of shocking revelations and terrifying twists. Unfortunately, I had to put this entry under a break due to the sensitive nature of its contents - especially when you consider  that the bulk of this entry contains memos and documents retrieved from the offices of TLC Southeast Asia (and/or possibly hallucinated by yours truly during a Dairy Milk binge) which may prove to be extremely scandalous. If you have a low tolerance for scandal (and/or satire), proceed at your own risk...

Video Style Moments, Pt. 1: "Cold War" by Janelle Monae

I love Janelle Monae - not just her music, but her whole quirky style and vibe.

For this I have to thank both Afrobella and that one Gap ad I saw of hers not too long ago - I'm just so glad that she's getting a lot of love lately, both from the critics and the fans.

While "Tightrope" is her big single, I'm more partial to "Cold War," shown here.



This video has been shown extensively on Channel V (we get the Malaysia/ Singapore feed on that, by the by - not that I'm complaining, since Channel V Philippines sounds like a big snooze to me), so imagine my surprise seeing this video on YouTube after weeks of thinking that her skin and lips looked a tad orange.

Though I'm guessing that Janelle would rather that we focus on the music, I have to say: Seriously - that lip gloss, with that little hint of gold in there, is just gorgeous. Same with the lashes and the eye makeup, too - paired with the hair and the skin, the whole thing is quite reminiscent of Annie Lennox, and I mean this as a serious compliment. Something tells me that the stylist in charge also used some MAC here, as well, since the colors remind me of the collections that came out this year.

As for the video itself: We've seen videos where the singer starts crying while lipsyncing (see also: "Warwick Avenue" by Duffy) but I think the point here is about control. Look at how she just loses it and fans herself in the middle of it all, before she sheds that one tear without ruining her mascara; it's the straight-up stress of getting this whole thing done in one take, which goes well with the lyrics of the song.

All in all, a great video for a great song, made even better by gorgeous styling.

Tough Love Comes Free

Here's the best way for me to describe my current fascination with VH1's Tough Love Couples: You know how Discovery Channel always has these shows, like I Shouldn't Be Alive and I (Almost) Got Away With It? Well, this show is almost like that. Except that it should be called I Honestly Shouldn't Be in This Relationship. Or, for that matter, I Really Should Be Prevented From Reproducing Any Spawn. 




Seriously, people, I cannot look away. This is everything I could ask for in a trashy reality show, with more questionable fashion choices than a Real Housewives franchise, more surgical enhancements than Patti Stanger's entire body, and enough hissing and clawing to fill up an entire weekend of programming on Animal Planet. Heck, this show has so much manufactured drama that it practically puts to shame every single primetime telenovela produced in the Philippines.

All that, and a host who's practically Mills Lane stuck in the doughy body of The Situation's slightly less troglodytic older cousin. (Sorry, Steve Ward, but I had to say it.)

In fact, I'd rather watch this than the fake-schmoopy "I have finally found my soooouuullll maaaate" business that we usually see on The Bachelor: not so much out of schaedenfreude as it is about showing the brutal business of making relationships work in the long run. It's not called Tough Love for nothing, after all, and even Steve admits that no amount of TV spin or matchmaking skills can help any of these people with Their Major Issues.

(Which reminds me - and don't play like you didn't think of it, either - don't you think that a great majority of  reality-show relationship dramas would have no reason to exist if most of these girls stopped concentrating on getting/ keeping a man and started working on, you know, being a better person in general? I swear, most of my friends who are in happily committed relationships would not even get to where they are now if they didn't get that notion into their head first.) 

It's just like what Candi Staton sang so many years before: "Young hearts, to yourself be true. Don't be no fool when love don't really love you."

The Aforementioned Fun Post, aka This Blog Entry? Is Bananas.

After much wallowing (and philosophical musings on how the best way to honor the dead is to keep on living, blah blah stop watching TV news already) I've decided that it was about time I gave myself something to smile about.

Hence: Rachel Zoe.



I don't know what it is about her; she used to come across as stuck up and annoying, but I actually found her endearing on The Rachel Zoe Project. I caught the episode where her assistants are trying to style her to deflect rumors about her weight, and she almost cries because she was attending a friend's event and didn't want it to be about her, even with the press around. No wonder she looks and feels haggard all the time. 

(Side note, as far as body issues are concerned: Every time I look at my batwing arms and wonder whether or not I should get plastic surgery for them, all I need to do is look at Rachel Zoe's triceps and remind myself that - regardless of weight loss or exercise intensity - arm flab is a common reality for most women. I mean, So. Real.)

Then there's the Harper's Bazaar shoot, which - gallows humor aside - is actually a better rendering of "I Die" than the similar spread that Preview did on the same topic of accessories. Whereas the Preview story focused more on gorgeous shoes worn by tragic suicides, this one strikes me more as endearing mockery, as if to remind people that it's pretty ridiculous and OTT to die die for fabulous accessories. Besides, the whole Rachel Zoe-and-frenemies concept reminds me of Mel Brooks and Jerry Zucker... and I'm a fan of that kind of comedy, so I'm biased.

So, yeah. I'm liking the former Rachel Rosenzweig a whole lot more now. And that's just cool.

What's Your Fantasy: Vigilante Outlaw Edition

I'm not ashamed to admit that this was the first time that I was exposed to Christian Kane.



The movie, I could take or leave... but, let's face it, the hair and the voice really worked their wonders on me ten years ago. (Heh.)

I admit that I skipped out on him when he showed up on Angel, but that's because I don't dig vampire shows in general. So you could imagine how I reacted when I found out that he'd turned up on a cable show called Leverage... and that the early reviews for said show bemoaned Mr. Kane's lack of a decent haircut.

But that was before I saw the actual show.



Yes, his character really needs to be reintroduced to the concept of shampoo... but do I care? No. Leverage is still one of my favorite shows on this planet, and I can't imagine any other actor playing that token hardened-goon-with-a-heart-of-gold character without a good measure of Christian Kane's charm. He's pretty enough to be believable when he's rescuing victims in distress, and still possess the right amount of menace when it comes to unleashing copious amounts of whup-ass on bad guys. 

That said, it still doesn't hurt to post a picture of him without the country-western outlaw hair. 

Somebody Please Explain This To Me

Curtis Stone showing up on Celebrity Apprentice? Baffling.

Curtis Stone showing up on Celebrity Apprentice with THIS haircut, on the other hand?

Credit: Screencap taken from Television Without Pity. 

This makes me wonder:

- Does this mean American audiences will finally be exposed to Surfing The Menu - or any variation thereof involving Australian food? (Please please please please please make it so!)

- Considering that Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution just started running around the same time as Celebrity Apprentice, is there some kind of unknown clause that prevents two messy-haired blond chefs (with matching accents and Oprah-approved credentials) from showing up on American network television at the same time? And if this clause does not exist, does that mean that we can finally have Jamie Oliver and Curtis Stone in the same room without the risk of the universe imploding unto itself?

- Speaking of Jamie Oliver, and apocalyptic scenarios: Does this mean Anthony Bourdain will start raining insults on Curtis Stone for being the hunky embodiment of Everything That's Wrong With Cookery These Days? And if so, will said insults involve graphic descriptions of grievous bodily harm? (Remember, kids - there used to be a time when your Uncle Tony was a big meanie.)

- Will this serve as a sign for Guy Fieri to get a new look? 

- Can we start the betting pool on how long it will take before Curtis shows us his lamingtons on television? (Hee hee, I said "lamingtons.")

- Between this and the entire roster of this season's Dancing With the Stars (Evan Lysacek, how could you?) have the casting directors for celebrity-packed reality shows been smoking some industrial-strength hallucinogens lately?

- And the most pressing question of all: What, was Sandra Leeway too busy for Celebrity Apprentice?

Packaging FAIL: Or, When Hotness Detracts

In a just world - or at least the same "just world" where dark chocolate has more antioxidant properties than fat grams, and Manny Pacquiao does not have a singing career (oh, wait) - the DVD packaging for that one great season of The Unusuals would've looked a little like this:

Part of the reason why people like me watched The Unusuals (besides the slight chance of seeing Jeremy Renner with no clothes on) was that it was an honest-to-goodness ensemble show. No single character or actor dominated the show; everyone had the chance to steal a scene or two, and the stories were quirky without being way too precious - like Pushing Daisies, but with more guns and less pastry.

So it comes as no surprise that I'm not alone in decrying the actual DVD packaging for this series:

Repeat after me: The Unusuals was an ensemble show. ENSEMBLE SHOW.

It was never about Mr. Studly Cop (Who Happens To Look Like The Guy From The Hurt Locker) and His Damsel In Distress Partner (Who Used To Talk To God) - it was about a crazy precinct full of deeply troubled characters, each of them fleshed out beautifully between the writers, actors, and all-around episode direction in general. The relationship between Walsh (Renner) and Casey (Amber Tamblyn) was actually as platonic as it got on television; Walsh was already sleeping with somebody else in the precinct, and Casey was a rich kid in the middle of an ongoing love/hate relationship with a family lawyer (or was it her former trust-fund manager?) who looked like Don Draper Jr., so it was closer to an office bromance than a Soulmate/ One True Love OMG!!! pairing.

Side note - and spoiler alert for those of you who didn't watch: One of my favorite episodes has Casey scheduling a date with Draper Jr. [my nickname for the character], which becomes disastrous for both of them as the day's events lead to a violent shootout. The end of the episode has Casey going to Draper Jr.'s apartment first thing in the morning with a box of pastries and this declaration: "I came here to have sex with you. Now get out of my way." Clear, direct, to-the-point... and surprising enough for me to not want her to end up with Walsh.

That the packaging would emphasize the pretty "leads" and leave out the rest of the excellent cast - up to and including Adam Goldberg and Harold "WALT!" Perrineau - is annoying, if not downright criminal.

*****

Anyway, I am of two minds about the way The Unusuals ended: On one hand, I was sad to see this show get unceremoniously cancelled without having a chance to say goodbye - or at least steer everyone to the inevitable moment where everything and everyone blows up, irrevocably. On the other hand, there's probably a good reason why it ended when it did; maybe it was a good thing that we we didn't have to watch the TPTB-mandated hookup scene with Renner and Tamblyn, just as we probably would not have survived watching the Goldberg and Perrineau characters face their (seemingly) inevitable deaths.

Perhaps, like the last remaining episodes of Pushing Daisies, it was better to end things unfinished, just so the rest of us could fill in the blanks as we pleased.