Coming Soon | GC 2.0

‘Sup y’alls!

Hope everyone is enjoying the World Cup action as much as I am.

In non-related, but relevant news, glamitycalamity.com is currently undergoing a fundamental upgrade from GC 1.5 to GC 2.0. During this time the website may be inaccessible for some periods of time. As you probably have guessed, posts will also not be as forthcoming during this time, but never fear, we’re working over time to be up and running like old times soon. 

On Facebook? “Like” GlamityCalamity  to receive updates, tips and tidbits. 

Cheers!

GlamityCalamity.com

Waka Waka! | World Cup Fever

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World Cup 2010 | South Africa | June 11 – July 11 2010

It’s on, the world is watching. May the best team win.

“Tsamina mina, eh eh
Waka waka, eh eh
Tsamina mina zangalewa
This time for Africa”

Music video by Shakira featuring Freshlyground performing Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) (The Official 2010 FIFA World Cup (TM) Song). (C) 2010 Sony Music Entertainment

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be Freakin’Fabulous

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Preggo | The New Black

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Is it just me or is everyone all of a sudden preggos? It must be the biggest ‘on trend’ for 2010.  Congratulations to all my billion and 1 friends who are all preggos or have given birth in 2010.

As the mother of a seven year old, I suddenly feel like a grandma. :-/ Sooo been there done that. And never again.

It’s not that I had a difficult pregnancy per se, as a matter of fact, in terms of how first pregnancies go, I’m considered purdy blessed. No monster cravings, no significant irreparable change in my body postpartum, as apart from a protruding  basketball there was no massive weight gain, no 76 hour labour or anything fun like that. It’s just that, in terms of contributions that I can make to the world, I truly believe that there are other ways in which I can make my presence felt. My guy is well equipped to run the world anyways, so that’s more than enough for me.

Pregnancy brings with it a lot of joys.

The relief of just letting it all ‘hang out’; the tummy that is. Getting the royal treatment everywhere you go, because after all you are ‘with child’, and what can really top that? At least most people see it that way, so it works for you. The rosy, glowing look as a result of  the increased volume of blood that is being pumped around the body coupled with an increase amount of sebum (skin’s oils) that gives the skin a more waxy appearance, strong, fast growing nails, thick abundant hair – depending on where it’s growing this can be a lil too much, but anyways, all in all, it’s a fantastic thing.

Pregnancy can also bring with it a lot of unexpected things too. Thanks to good old hormones.

During the time when your hormone mosh pit is trying to get it’s act together (if it ever even manages to), may the force be with you cause all kinds of what-the-what can occur, wreaking mass havoc on womankind. Mood swings and excess hair growth instantly come to mind. Damn you hormones.

Other not-so-glorious things associated with being preggos include:

1. Increased breakouts

This is expected as the increase in the hormone progesterone – the same one that leads to the waxy, glowy glow – can overdo a good thing and produce waaaay too much sebum. Oil slick central.

The condition of your skin before preggos can determine how much this increase in sebum will affect you. If your skin is naturally dry, then you may just be relieved of the chronic dryness, however if you naturally have an oily or acneic skin type, you may find that you may develop more blackheads or your acne may worsen. 

The Fix:

This just means that you will have to be more vigilant with your skin care to keep your affairs in order.

Clay masks that contain certain clays like bentonite, kaolin or even charcoal can assist in sopping up some of this extra goopy mess. Hydroxy acid ingredients such as glycolic acid or lactic acid (preferably) can also go a long way in helping keep this extra thick layer of oil under control. If you prefer not to use hydroxy acids during pregnancy, you can always opt for enzymatic ingredients such as papain (from papayas) or bromelain (from pineapples) instead. Much milder yes, but still will assist in exfoliating the skin.

2. Pigmentation

Welcome to what is generally called melasma; Chloasma and Linea Nigra.

Chloasma, or mask of pregnancy, occurs mainly in pregnant women but can also occur in women who are taking birth control pills, or have certain ovarian disorders (hormonal issues again). This hyperpigmentation is usually concentrated on the face (forehead, temples and around cheek area) may be permanent, or may disappear and re-appear with subsequent pregnancies. 

What determines if you’d develop melasma during pregnancy? Apparently there are quite a few factors involved, including race, hormones and exposure to the sun.

Another common type of pigmentation that occurs during pregnancy is Linea Nigra, a darkened line right down the middle of the abdomen.

The Fix:

If you are going to get melasma you are going to get it. There is really nothing that you can do to prevent it per se, but indiscriminate exposure to the sun does either make it appear earlier, or make it worse so don your broad spectrum sunscreen.

Antioxidants like ginko biloba and Vitamin C can help prevent the skin from damaging UV rays.

3. Dry Brittle Nails

Of course not everyone benefits from strong, fast growing nails. In some women nails get dry and brittle, they split, and are prone to otherwise breaking quite easily. 

The Fix:

Keep nails short and treat with cuticle oil regularly, especially before bed at nights. A coat or two of clear or coloured nail polish (if you are okay with wearing it during pregnancy) can also help the nail plate to hold on to it’s moisture. 

4. Dehydrated Skin

The body in general can become dehydrated as well, more and more so with time when the bladder becomes under pressure and needs to be relived every half second. 

The Fix:

Hydrating ingredients such as Hyaluronic acid, Sodium PCA, Lactic acid and Cucumber in skin care can help the skin maintain it’s moisture level. 

Silicones such as cyclomethicone and cyclopetasiloxan help keep the skin’s protective layer in tact while allowing it to breathe. Emollients such as shea butter, squalene (found in olive oil) and aloe also work at protecting the barrier function of the skin, and of course up your water intake. 

5. Spider veins

Increased blood flow along with overactive pregnancy hormones can cause the normally teeny tiny blood capillaries just below the skin’s surface to become more visible during pregnancy.  

Spider veins can also pop out on the face and on the white part of the eyeballs during pregnancy (okay that sounds scary) and strong, flush-in-the-face pushing during delivery can go so far as break these tiny blood vessels, a condition known as nevi. 

The Fix: 

Although nevi can take pretty long to disappear, makeup, when appropriately applied, can camouflage these tiny burst blood vessels. Some spider veins on the legs or torso may never disappear on their own, so if you feel it is imperative that they not be there, a dermatologist can remove them using injections. 

Anti-inflammatory ingredients such as lavender, cucumber, rosewater and oatmeal treat sensitization and help to keep the redness at bay. Bioflavonoids such as grape tea and green tea extracts, red raspberry or anything from the berry family really, help with the skin’s healing and repairing function.

and the MOTHER of all peeves…

6. Stretch marks.

Uuugh. 

Stretch marks are caused by rapid weight loss or gain. They are formed from the overstretching of the skin’s walls, which in turn interrupts the normal production of collagen thereby causing a scar. 

Stretch marks typically appear first as reddish/ purple lines (depending on skin tone) but usually fade to a lighter colour.

The International Dermal Institute states:

The stretching occurs in the dermis, the middle layer of the skin that helps the skin retain it’s shape. Once the dermis has been stretched continuously over time, certian parts of it “overstretch”, losing all elasticity and causeing the connective fibres within to break. The result is what we know as stretch marks.

The Fix:

There are NO topical remedies to cure stretch marks. Read… NONE. However, invasive procedures can remove them if you feel that strongly about their presence.

As far as prevention being better than a cure, I’m not sure if you can prevent stretch marks as it’s really a function of how the deeper layers of your skin reacts to certain trauma. However, in MY opinion, there are things that you can do to minimize the degree of pressure that your skin is bombarded with.

Keeping skin hydrated, avoiding rapid weight loss/ gain, keeping skin moisturized and supple, following a healthy lifestyle that includes a balanced diet/ exercise/ suppliments, getting enough sleep… stuff like that would help your skin’s general health I’d imagine. Just a guess.

Be Freakin’Fabulous

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Pedi-telligent

Choosing the right hairstyle for you is dependent on many things – your lifestyle, your face structure, your skin tone, the texture of your hair etc. (more…)

TT Vid | Good Vibrations

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It took this week’s episode of “Glee” to totally throw my already set Throwback Thursdays schedule in the recycle bin. Ah well. So it go sometimes.

Marky Mark y’all. Had almost forgotten about all that man meat. To quote Avvies, “Awwwwww Heeeeeeellll Nawwwwww! Sheeeeeeeeeeet.” 

Couldn’t act worth a daymn, but Sexy as hell, so he must get a mention. ” Making you feel the rhythm is my occupation, so feel the vibration… It’s such a sweet sensation… Come on, Come on. Feel it, Feel it. Feel the vibration!” 

Yes Marky Mark. I can certainly feel your vibrations from all the ways over here buddy. 

<<C-C-Come on, swing it>> Whole day, everyday.

Imma get mine, so get yours. 

Spotlight: Good vibrations | Marky Mark and the Funky bunch. 

***MODERATELY NSFW***

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.b FreakinFabulous

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Tofu Anyone?

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Protein, not just any deep-fried ‘n fatty, fake protein, but lean, mean-machine protein is going to be my best friend for the next few months, at least. Well, with any hope, it really should be my friend moving forward from this point in my life.

There are protein supplements sure, but there is only so much of that stuff one person can drink in a day. Vegan protein supplements, that which those of us who are plagued with allergies/ intolerances (gluten, lactose or I guess even peanut to name a few), would have to stick to, are not only difficult to find, but they ain’t CHEAP!

As a result, I’ve been on the hunt to find alternative sources of complete protein sources other than usual suspects – chicken breasts, egg whites, red meat (which I try to not overdo anyways) and fish. As I understand, tofu is the only complete plant protein source, i.e. it doesn’t have to be combined with either a grain or a vegetable (like in the case of legumes for example) to get that complex amino acid thing going on, so I thought I’d give it a try.

In all honesty, it’s really not that much to look at – a large block of a semi-solid something that reminds me of paneer every time I see it. Every single time. I also find the consistency similar to the paneer in palaak paneer, but I am very aware that I’m probably alone with that view, and I totally understand that, so moving on.

Although I consider myself creative culinary extraodinaire (arguably, delusions of grandeur), I have never used tofu. I have never even eaten tofu, so I was in tad of a quandary as to what exactly I needed to do with it once I reservedly got it out of its packaging. My super duper sis came to my rescue with some tips that I thought worthy of sharing:

“Tofu absorbs flavour quite easily. It can be stir fried in a little bit of  stock (chicken, beef, vege – your choice) for added flavour.

It’s also a great source of protein, so you don’t need to eat as much as when you eat meat. a little goes a long way.”

Thanks Krys!

As this advice was on short notice and my extensively stocked pantry isn’t that extensive, I tried ‘seasoning’ the firm tofu with regular salt and pepper, and then stir frying it in my makeshift wok with veges, using sesame sauce that I borrowed from my other sis. (Yes, this makes me look like quite the sponger).

One surprising word? Yummers.

Here’s to finding new and yummy ways tofu-ll my tummy!

b FreakinFabulous

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Battle of the Acids

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In an effort to keep the fountain of youth flowing, alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs) have taken up permanent residence in almost any talk that mentions exfoliation.

AHAs are naturally occurring acids derived from plant sources, which are often used as exfoliants in skin care.

Types of AHAs

There are many AHAs, for example:

- Tartaric acid (grapes),

- Citric acid (citrus fruits),

- Malic acid (apples), and

- Mandelic acid (bitter almonds).

However, Lactic acid (derived from milk) and Glycolic acid (derived from sugar cane) seem to be the most popular.

These acids are used in professional treatments, both by skin therapists as well as medical practitioners, but they are also popping up in over the counter skin care remedies as well, in lower strengths of course, usually less than 10% acid.

Part of this may be attributed to the fact that AHAs appear to be replacing Retin-A (commonly referred to as retinol), which was commonly used in skin care formulations in the past. I can only imagine that the reason for this is that AHAs are less harsh and irritating on the skin than Retin-A is (remember that!).

How does this exfoliation occur?

AHAs contain molecules small enough to penetrate the outer superficial layers of the skin (the layers that you see), into the skin’s lower, the dermis or ‘true skin’, where all the action happens (that which you don’t see).

This is done by breaking down a ‘cement’ of sorts that bind dead skin cells together, hereby assisting cell turnover, i.e. the time that it takes for new, fresh, hydrated skin cells to make it’s way to the surface, replacing any lingering old, dead skin cells that contribute to giving skin it’s dull, lackluster, sallow appearance.  Sounds similar to what happens in Hollywood.

Lactic vs. Glycolic Acid

So what’s the difference, if any, and which is ‘better’?

No one is necessarily ‘better’ but, because of the differences, one may be better suited to certain skin conditions than the other.

Both lactic acid and glycolic acid function similarly in their ability to ‘exfoliate’ the surface layers of the skin, in order to reveal softer, smoother skin, as well as reduce the appearance of wrinkles, decreased blemishes and lightened age spots.

However, in addition to exfoliating, lactic acid has also been found to

-       Brighten and

-       Hydrate the skin.

Because of this, the use of lactic acid over glycolic acid can prove beneficial and less irritating on certain skins, for example those who are genetically prone to  skin sensitivity (usually found in those plagued with asthma, eczema or allergies like hay fever) or have skin that is easily sensitized. See the difference between sensitive and sensitized skin here

Skins that are prone to darkening (or hyper-pigmentation) like Asian or darker skins, may also be better off using lactic acid as opposed to glycolic acid in skin care treatment. Why? Lactic acid gives that additional brightening oomph, which would be beneficial as irritation on these particular types of skins often lead to darkening of the skin. Not cool. 

b FreakinFabulous

Photo: luigi diamanti / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Sensitive vs. Sensitized Skin
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