Zombie movies! Ah, who doesn't enjoy a good ol' zombie brain-bashing flick with horrified mortals failing to run away from the living dead who are busy dropping limbs every 5 steps and moving at the pace of a crippled snail.

My most favourite zombie movies ever are "Shaun of the Dead" and "Zombieland"! With a genre as depressing as walking corpses, comedy zombie movies are always something to look forward to.

Action zombie flicks are insanely fun to watch too and the "Resident Evil" movie series are no exception. I have never played the game before (I should, really), but I've watched all 3 previous movies in the cinema (now that's zombie dedication for you) and enjoyed them immensely.

Now we can all enjoy watching Alice kick some serious zombie ass in the latest movie "Resident Evil: Afterlife 3D"!

The 4th installment continues as the world is ravaged by an infectious virus and victims are turned into the Undead, Alice (Milla Jovovich) continues her journey to find survivors and lead them to safety. Although a deadly battle with the Umbrella Corporation escalates, Alice gets some unexpected help from an old friend, Claire (Ali Larter). A new lead that promises a safe haven from the Undead takes Alice and her comrades to Los Angeles, but when they arrived, the city is overrun by thousands of Undead –and a deadly trap waits.

If you think the glorious sight of a zombie head exploding (non-existent) brain matter all over it's fellow undead comrades after being shot at close range with a gun is the most beautiful sight in the world, imagine it in 3D! Yea, everyone's doing 3D these days but I suppose "Resident Evil: Afterlife 3D" would be pretty awesome to watch.

Now if you'd like the chance to catch an exclusive screening of "Resident Evil: Afterlife 3D", Friendster Fizz is giving out passes! Yeap, the same Friendster Fizz that gave out passes to "Step Up 3D" recently are at it again.

If you prefer undead legs instead of dancing ones, here's how you can win some passes to catch "Resident Evil: Afterlife 3D"! Just be the first 80 fans of Friendster Fizz to email contest@friendster.com and tell them why Resident Evil is the best movie franchise ever in less than 25 words. Not only do you stand a chance to win passes, you could also snag yourself some swag! Be a fan and post a picture of yourself in your best zombie-inspired costume (clothes, make-up, the whole shebang) on to the Friendster Fizz profile and you could win a Sony 16GB Walkman and other exclusive "Resident Evil: Afterlife" premiums. The contest ends 1st September 2010.

In the meantime, I'm going to go for a jog and shoot Nerf darts at some empty beer cans. Y'know, just in case.

Brains... Brains...

As Baz Luhrman once said, "Wear sunscreen".

I've read a lot online about how important it is to wear sunscreen (or sunblock as the locals call it and I'll probably alternate between using it) everyday whenever we're outdoors. Such advice usually falls on deaf ears because for some odd reason, everyone associates sunblock with going on beach holidays.

And no one likes to be reminded that a beach holiday is the last thing they'll be doing when they slap on the sunblock before leaving for work :(

(oh wow, I just did a wiki-search and there is a difference between sunscreen and sunblock. cool beans!)

Now the whole SPF (Skin Protection Factor) thing is pretty confusing. Does a higher SPF number mean I get more protection from the sun? SPF doesnt exactly mean the amount of sun protection you get. Basically, all sunblocks give you about the same level of sun protection, but the SPF number means approximately how long you can stay out in the sun before the rays take effect and you start to toast.

For example, if you start roasting and turning red after about 10 minutes in the sun, a sunblock with SPF15 means you can stay outdoors for around 150 minutes before you turn in to a lobster. SPF 50 means your skin will need to be exposed to 50 times the amount of UV rays it takes for you to turn red before you burn.

Also, don't forget that because there's UVA and UVB rays, you'll be needing a sunblock that protects you from both (look for labels like "UVA/UVB" or "broad spectrum"). The difference between UVA and UVB? UVB rays penetrate only the top layer of your skin, the epidermis. It's the ray that causes you to tan and you can pretty much avoid it by staying under the shade, covering yourself up in swathes of cloth or be a princess indoors.

UVA is what we should be worried about because this bad boy is just as strong all year round, penetrates through shade, clothing and glass (like car windows) and goes straight to your dermis. This is the one that's going to make you look in the mirror in a few years time and pass out at the amount of sun damage like wrinkles, freckles and spots on your skin.


If you're going to wear sunblock, kiasu-ness is key. Take as high an SPF as you can go. SPF 15 is for wimps!

Personally, I never did wear facial sunblock on my face because sunblock has always been known to be kinda sticky, oily and feels thicker than a layer of mayonnaise on Elvis' sandwich. But technology has thus progressed just enough for us to enjoy the luxury of sunblock made exclusively for the face!

I think one of the more popular ones would be "L'oreal UV Perfect Fluid Protector SPF 50" sunscreen because it's been around for ages and is available everywhere you look. I've tried the tester product on my hands a few times when I'm at the pharmacy, but it didnt really drive me to buy a whole full-sized product.

This is where I show you, how effective a tool samples can be.

I was cleaning up my make-up stash one fine day when I came across 2 tiny sample bottles that I'd set aside for a rainy (or in this case, sunny. hur hur) day.


2 little sample bottles of the Biore UV products. One is "Biore UV Perfect Milk" and the other is the "Biore UV Perfect Face Milk". Both products look almost alike, but I decided to go with the face-specific one and see how it works for me. Both are SPF 50+ and PA+++ (not too sure what the "+" are for, but the more the merrier right?) and are broad-spectrum sunscreens so they protect against UVA and UVB rays.

I am so glad I decided to clean up my make-up stash because that's how I found the perfect sunscreen for my face!

I've tried a few face-specific sunscreens before and I always had the same problem - they leave an obvious white cast on my face. And I get all greasy like a bad burger a short while later. Good for my skin, not so good for my vanity.

The "Biore UV Perfect Face Milk", is a light milky (duh) liquid that goes on smoothly and dries to a matte finish, which is exactly what I needed. Matte is king!! Say it with me now! The label says it's suitable as a make-up base too, so that's a plus point (though I always use a primer anyway). There wasn't a visible white sheen to my face, but it did brighten up my skin a bit because of the sebum absorbing powder as one of it's ingredients. No intense greasing up too.

The small sample bottle lasted me (with daily use on my face and neck) for about 3 weeks and when I knew it had stolen my heart like a prince with a box of doughnuts, I went to the nearest pharmacy and bought the full-sized one.


My hunt is over! I'm still keeping the other small sample bottle which is the "Biore UV Perfect Milk" that's suitable for both face and body, but I'm a little skeptical of using something that's suitable for my body as well on my face because it might clog up my pores.

Won't be tossing the empty sample bottles too because they're perfect for travelling and I can just transfer some sunscreen from the full-sized bottle.

Another facial sunscreen that I managed to try is the "Garnier UV Protect Advanced Daily UV Blocking Lotion SPF 50 PA+++". I didn't pay for this of course. The full-sized bottle came free with a magazine a few months ago :P


Unlike it's Biore counterpart, Garnier's UV Protect has a few variants like purple for dullness, beige for a slight tint and plain normal white. The main difference for me is that while Biore's formula is light and liquid-y, Garnier's was slightly thicker in consistency, almost foundation-like.

Both offer pretty much the same level of sun protection, but upon application, my face was a little greasy with Garnier's and it had that typical sticky sunblock feeling that I dread. Biore's matte finish was most welcome.


The good thing about Garnier's beige tinted sunscreen is that it does offer slight coverage if you're the sort who doesn't need much foundation (I hate you, whoever you are) for going out.

Personally, if you have dry skin and need something a little more moisturising, go for Garnier UV Protect. If it's combination-oily skin that haunts you, Biore UV Perfect should be great. On the same note, L'oreal has just released a new version called "L'oreal UV Perfect Matte SPF 30" (why did they lower the SPF count?) which promises a more matte finish compared to it's previous formula.

Now that I've become more disciplined about sunscreen application on my face, it's time to get started on protecting the rest of my body! I keep forgetting to apply sunblock on my arms and legs before I leave the house. And get David to start using sunscreen. Seriously. Guys need to start tossing out that old-fashioned thinking that skincare is just for the ladies and look after themselves too.

Remember, sun damage and wrinkles do not discriminate.

Blush!

If you can't make it real 24/7, fake it! Lately, I've been going on abit of a blusher-binge and it's finally showing signs of slowing down. Honestly, how many different colours can one paint one's cheeks in?

A lot apparently.

My first "official" blusher was a Clinique blusher I bought from the Estee Lauder warehouse sale way back when(speaking of which, it's this Saturday). Yea, I like to think that I started out with the big boys and went downhill from there.

Ever since I discovered NYX (read all about NYX obsessions here, here and here), I've been buying their products like a woman possessed (especially the NYX Round Lipsticks) because it's so disgustingly cheap. And now that I've tried some of their blushers, I dont know if I can ever go back to using anything else.

Over the past few months, I've bought 4 different NYX blushers and now that they've all finally arrived, swatches aplenty!

Note: Most of the blushers I buy are pretty strong colours because light peachy/pink colours appear non-existent on my face. Heartbreaking, I know.

On with the blush parade!


Powder blushes are pretty much foolproof. If you put too much on, just dust on some loose powder or swipe several times with a tissue. NYX Powder Blushes are known for their staying power and after trying it in Desert Rose, fact confirmed!!

NYX Powder Blushes have amazing staying power and can pretty much last almost the entire day, even when the rest of my face has melted off. They're incredibly pigmented too, so you really dont need to load up your brush with a lot of product.


Another good thing to note is that the blush powder is err.. How do I say this? Packed on pretty tight? When I stab my brush into it (I'm like the dominatrix of the blusher world), I don't get flying bits of powder everywhere. A puffy pink mess on your clothes is not the best way to start the day.

If I have any complaints at all about it, I'd say the packaging looks really cheap (well, that's because it is, Captain Obvious), like it's some un-branded eyeshadow I bought from the supermarket. Also, the colours on the websites are horrendously unreliable. Most of the product colours look nothing like that in real life, so best to Google some swatches before buying (I learnt that the hard way).


Desert Rose is a raspberry-ish wine pink that doesn't need a lot for application or I'll look like I have bruised cheeks.

I only have 1 powder blush from NYX so far. Let's see how long I can hold up for before I cave and buy 10 more.

On to my most favourite NYX product ever - NYX Rouge Cream Blush!

Cream blushes are the best things since sliced bread and tweezers. Depending on the type of cream blush you have, you can get a nice pink healthy glow, or a touch of shimmer on your cheeks that never fades! The secret to cream blushes is to blend like mad until the cows come home pink. Just tap your fingers onto the surface of the blush and tap it onto your cheeks to build up the colour.

I admit, my first encounter with a cream blush ended with me in my best clown impersonation. Cream blush 1, Jen 0.

I had an amazingly tough time trying to pick my first cream blush from NYX, thinking which one would be the most versatile and practical for everyday use. A few months ago, I started using it and it's been a regular ever since.

Pardon the sad condition of my cream blush surface! I've been using it for well over 2 months now and I use a duo-fibre stipling brush for this, so the beautiful surface is riddled with prickly brush marks. Just 1 dip with my brush is enough to give colour for 1 cheek.

The top layer of the blush seems to have oxidised a little to a rather dull colour, but as I swiped away with my finger for the swatch, the true colour underneath shows better.

Glow is a slightly muted bubblegum pink shade. A very light hand is needed with this one and lots of blending. Patience!!


Once I started using Glow, I just knew I had to get my hands on more cream blushes!

My cheeks now feel complete.


After deciding that perhaps Glow was a little too intense of a colour sometimes, my next cream blush aim was for something a little more natural, and Rose Petal looks like it was a good choice!


I spot mineral oil as the first ingredient and I've read that there are some people whose skin is not on speaking terms with mineral oil. It's been fine for me so far.


Rose Petal is a nice dull, pale pink with a slight hint of peach. Where Glow was more of a cool-tone, Rose Petal is warmer.


Nice eh? Very natural and exactly what I was looking for.

Now that I had "natural" sorted out, I decided to branch out into the wild and unknown with my next cream blush! Since normal pink blushes are a dime a dozen, I figured I need at least 1 random colour in my blush collection for good measure.


I really had no words to say when I first laid my eyes on it. It's so.. Orange! I love it!! :D



Out of all the NYX Rouge Cream Blushes, this one is the most appropriately named and has the most accurate colour shown on the website! How hard can it be to get orange wrong?


I have no idea what made me buy Orange because it seems like such an impossible colour to wear! I think people are taken aback by their first impressions of the shade because the orange is really bright and pretty intense. But once blended properly with a light hand, this shade actually really suits more yellow-based skin tones.

I was complaining about how difficult it is to find a peach blush for myself, but with a really light hand and proper blending, Orange turns out to be a good dupe!

Btw if you noticed, Glow and Rose Petal have different packaging compared to Orange. I'm not too sure which one is the latest though. Both Glow and Rose Petal have a shiny plastic casing while Orange has matte black casing.

All cream blush colours look really strong and intimidating in the pan, but you're only meant to use very little and blend it out anyway.

What I like about cream blushes is that they make a great base for powder blushes. I just put on some cream blush as usual (but a little lighter), then layer over it with a dusting of powder blush in the same colour (or as similar as possible).

I will then have achieved blush nirvana.

Hooray for dance movies! I'm a closet (well, not anymore now) dance movie fan and I secretly relish any opportunity to watch them. Sure, the storylines don't usually differ much from movie to movie, but I'm really all for watching the dance moves. The finale dances are always the ones worth waiting for.

One of the more popular dance movie franchises are the "Step Up" movies and after 2 pretty successful ones that pretty much confirmed that I can never dance, the latest one is "Step Up 3D" (yes, Step Up, I noticed the play on words there)!

"Moose (Adam G.Sevani) who missed his flight back to Baltimore when the Maryland School of Arts (MSA) goes to Paris for an international dance competition. He soon makes friends with an American away from home and beautiful French sophisticate. They introduce Moose to the red-hot Parisian underground dance scene, and before long he is wowing the local dancers with his unique moves as they prepare for an underground dance competition. With time running out before the big event and their routine stolen by a rival crew, Moose turns to his loyal MSA crew in Baltimore for help.

Can Moose, the MSA crew and the French crew pull together a new dance number at the last minute? And will it be good enough to beat the world’s best street dancers? Will Moose kiss the frog?!"

Interested to catch a special screening of "Step Up 3D"? Check out "Friendster Fizz"! It's a brand new Friendster Official Profile that Malaysian Friendster users can join as a fan. The interesting bit? There's freebies to be on on "Friendster Fizz" all year round, and they're kicking it off with preview pass to "Step Up 3D" and other gifts as well like movie premiums and Celebrity Fitness vouchers.

To win some passes, just join be a fan of the "Friendster Fizz" profile and post a comment on why you'd like to win those preview passes to "Step Up 3D". The contest ends 18th August 2010, so get cracking!


P.S. There'll be other movie-related contests on "Friendster Fizz", so watch out for an update real soon.

A bet has been conceived (with clothes on) between 1 eager individual and 1 rather unwilling participant.

Said bet (from here on known as "The Bet") will be a test of will for 1 month commencing from the auspicious date of 1st August 2010 to the somewhat auspicious date of 31st August 2010.

Terms and conditions of The Bet will be laid out in full to avoid what is known as Bailing Out.

Individual J (aka Her Royal Awesomeness) is not allowed to purchase any unnecessary goods pertaining to facial beautification, physical articles that are to cover the outside of one's body, shiny baubles and trinkets for external use and footwear meant for the foot.

A breach of the above terms, also known as a case of Jelly Willpower, will result in immediate loss of The Bet and is punishable by a fine of pre-determined amount agreed upon in advance by Individual J and Individual D (aka Stupid Fellow).

If however, Individual J successfully fulfills said part of The Bet until the somewhat auspicious date of 31st August 2010, the rewards shall be great. And highly satisfactory, which includes (but not limited to) financial happiness, massive amounts of gloating and proof of eternal supremacy. Biatch.

• 
  Hsu Jen
  jen2wyvern@hotmail.com
  
• @serpentinegal

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