Just in case you’re wondering what the heck am I on about, EVOO stands for Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

I know; yummy, right? It’s the stuff you dip your crusty bread into. The stuff you mix into your al dente pasta. Or your salad if you are slimming.

What some of you don’t know – and trust me, it grossed me out the first time I heard it too – is that EVOO could actually replace all the skincare products you’ve been using all your life. It works as a cleanser, make up remover and an all-over excellent moisturizer either for your face or body.

I’ve been using EVOO to replace my usual skincare routine for about a month now and it is safe to say that it gives more benefit than any other expensive skincare that claims to make my skin more beautiful. As some of you already know, I have an oily skin with occasional breakouts. Recently, I’ve developed these tiny pimples that are hard to get rid of. And I’ve tried different skincare after skincare starting from cleanser, moisturizers and toners and none of them does jack shit to my pimples.

Even Himself had suggested stopping the usual skincare routine because I might be allergic to one or some of them. He did have a point though because when the pimples started occuring, I was using this moisturizer and toner from The Face Shop (which claimed to help blemished skin, ironically), BRTC Blemish Recovery BB Cream (again, notice the blemish bit, I WAS obsessed, clearly), and Revlon ColorStay Mineral Foundation.

So I went back to the old Vitamin C Body Shop facial moisturizer and Body Shop Mineral Powder Foundation. I did notice improvement but the one thing I was concerned was that I did put on make up at work too and I was worried I might not have been cleaning my face properly, which might cause the pimples developing on my face!

Then I noticed someone in FemaleDaily.com forum mentioned something about OCM (Oil Cleansing Method). She said she never used facial cleansers, just oil. I was like, “Whaaat? My face is oily as it is, thank you very much!”

She said she used EVOO mixed with Castor Oil and it helped remove make up so much better than any other make up remover there is on the market. Now I’ve noticed that oil make up remover is quite in now, since Shu Uemura produced theirs.

So I started gathering information from Google and stumbled upon many sites claiming the benefits of using EVOO to remove make up as well as being used as a skincare in here, here and here. There are tons of other sites claiming EVOO as a great skincare product to use, just Google it!

So what the heck, I’d give it a try, right? As much as it grossed me putting more oil onto my already oily face.  I went to the supermarket, bought a bottle of Filippo’s EVOO, mixed it with a bit of Lavender Oil and put it in this special bottle that comes with a pump. I used Lavender oil because I couldn’t find Castor oil anywhere. If you know, let me know where, because I really want to get one!

At first I applied the oil on a cotton pad and just used it to remove my eye make up and clean my face – no water. But then I worried about the waste – imagine using so many cotton pads everyday! So I opted for just applying the oil straight to my face, while it was dry and all, massage it a bit and just wash with whatever facial cleanser I have.

Amazing results – it helped clear my skin and remove the stupid freaking whiteheads I’d been so desperately trying to unplug from my pores! Sometimes I mix a bit of baking soda with EVOO and use it as a face mask and it practically clears and take out all the whiteheads, you can actually see them coming out, which you can just remove using a hot damp towel.

Not only that EVOO is an all-purpose skincare product, it is 100% natural and does not contain any preservatives nor chemicals that might damage your skin in the long run. Imagine all those products you’ve been using; some of the ingredients you can’t even read because they’re so freaking long! You know what I mean, stuff like methylizoparabeneoylinone… like, seriously?!

I’m so glad I’ve started using EVOO now – I’m doing my skin a favor by saving it from the torture of being sucked into the beauty industry – most of the skincare that promise beauty are all marketing gimmicks anyway!

What I learnt from putting on a make up is that:

Eyeshadows don’t have to be expensive – my current favorites so far are the Me:ex from The Face Shop (a Korean brand), type YL701 in pale ivory, PK104 in baby pink and BR 804 in shimmery brown. I also love the La Tulipe eyeshadows in no. 03, which is Indonesian-made and costs  only Rp. 32,000 for a set of four shadows in one compact case. I might dare say that the shadows from La Tulipe actually last longer than the ones from The Face Shop or Revlon. I had bought the Revlon Colorstay 12 hour Eyeshadow Quad in Neutral Khakis and it ended up creasing along my lids in the afternoon.

Also, it turns out my eyelids are not as big as I thought. Perhaps this is a good thing since I’d save more on eyeshadows, as in I don’t have to apply as much.

Both of my eyebrows are not even close to being twins. I read somewhere in a beauty magazine that they’re supposed to be shaped like twins not clones, but sadly to say mine don’t even come close to being related. I still can’t figure out how to correct them using the eyebrow pencil without making me look like a scary aunty. I am using the eyebrow pencil from Revlon.

Using a foundation is a vicious and addictive cycle – it gives you a flawless look as it acts like a second skin, but then I’d get these tiny little pimples if I don’t clean it off properly. Nevertheless, it’s probably the best foundation I’ve ever used as it does last for the whole day and doesn’t transfer. I’m using the Revlon ColorStay Makeup with SoftFlex for Combination/Oily skin in 180 Nude, and Revlon ColorStay Mineral Foundation in Light Medium (40) in replace of a normal face powder. Previously I was using Body Shop’s Nature’s Mineral Foundation as well as the Nature’s Mineral Foundation brush which I still use for powder foundation application.

I have to tread using blush-ons carefully – too little and it doesn’t look like I’ve put any; too much and I’ll look like a clown. I have three products that I’ve used so far; Instant Cheekbones in Purely Plum from Cover Girl which comes in a set of three shades from light to dark pink, Blush Mousse in Peach Satin from Maybelline and the latest one from The Face Shop Illuminating Cushion Blusher in pink, pictured above. I use the one from Cover Girl for a natural look, the peachy one from Maybelline for a softer, subtler look and the one from The Face Shop for a more dramatic look.

Ditto with mascara; too much and the whole thing catches on under my eyes and I’ll look like a panda. I have been using two products alternately; the waterproof one from Body Shop and the other one is Revlon Double Twist Waterproof Mascara  in Blackest Black, also waterproof, pictured above and below in red cylinder packaging.

Then for the lips I either use any lip glosses from Body Shop or the old faithful Revlon Lipgloss & Glitz in BrrBerry, which I have used for eight years and it’s still half full! The packaging is Bond-inspired because at that time, they had Halle Berry as the face of Revlon in which she starred as Jinx.

Actually, pink is not my favorite color and yet it grows on me. Also, how freaking cute is my make up bag?! That make up bag also contains a blotting paper, a small comb, a mirror and a vanilla oil scent (bought in Bali, lasts for ages!)

I am a girl after all.

It is a common knowledge that Indonesian police officers often use their authority to bully and frighten us into thinking that we’ve broken some rules, when in fact they’re just on their usual duty prowling the streets looking for extra money (bribe money, that is).

This afternoon, I became one of their victims when I was just exiting the freeway gate at Bekasi Barat on my way home.

As usual, I always took the far left side because I wanted to turn left so I could drive past the entrance of Metropolitan Mall shopping centre and go straight home (my house is located right behind the shopping centre). The traffic was heavy as usual, so I could only get as far as being on the second left, but the road that led to the entrance of the mall could only fit two lines of cars anyway, and I’d driven past the same road hundreds of times and never had any police officers stopping me before.

As a driver, I drive politely – I always indicate before I turn, and I detest people who refuse to queue in line because I am always queueing and I never take over anyone’s car.

This afternoon – maybe because I was driving a tiny car, or maybe because I am a female driver, who the fuck knows – the asshole police officer decided that I would be his next victim. As I was turning left, out of nowhere a police officer walked right in front of my car and forced me to go on the right path because he said I wasn’t supposed to turn left, even though I was lining on the second left path and I was well inside the fence, not outside. I was adamant and I was still in the driving seat when I told him I wanted to turn left. He was still standing right in front of my car and he wouldn’t let me through.

Asshole.

Knowing that I wouldn’t budge, he walked right to the window and I told him I didn’t break any rules. I told him the whereabouts of my house but he wouldn’t listen to me. He kept telling me I should go right instead because I wasn’t allowed to turn right even though I was on the second left lane. I thought, “This fucker thinks he can get money out of me. Fine, I’ll fucking play his game!”

He asked for my car’s license and I refused to show it to him. He asked again for the second time so I took them out and he took my car’s license. He told me to take my driver’s license out of my wallet (I showed it to him while it was still inside my wallet)and he told me to pull over to the left side. When I did, he just walked off and continued (or pretending) to manage the traffic, still confiscating my car’s license in his hand.

I waited for him for a few minutes and I realised he wasn’t going to let me go that easily. So I put on my epaulet (which I had taken off from my uniform since they were so stiff), and I got off the car and walked right up to him.

Not surprisingly, he seemed to experience a constant attitude change the minute he saw me. Still, he managed to advise me that I was supposed to be on the far left side. I told him that I would be so happy if I could, but the fact was that the traffic was too heavy, it was freaking peak hour and I was actually lucky I could get into the second left lane. He was still babbling and I kept saying “Yes” to him just to hurry him up so I could go home. I told him I was sorry but I didn’t break any rules. I just wanted to shut him up.

Finally, he stopped talking and he let me go with no warning and no bribe money.

The fact was that, I didn’t break any rules. He didn’t stop the other cars who had gone before me, so why did he choose me? Was it because I happened to be a female? Was it because he thought he could scare me by abusing his authority as a police officer, who was supposed to protect and serve the people, aka me? Or was it because it had worked with other people and he was surprised that I wouldn’t buy into his game? Or maybe because it was almost the end of June and he was broke and in need of extra money to buy some cigarettes?

Whatever the reason was, I chose to fight back. I know that my uniform might play a big part on it, but he was abusing his rights by wearing the police uniform, so why couldn’t I? Besides, I was more than prepared to take this further should he force to send me to his office. I was even thinking about writing to the newspaper about this.

It was funny in a way, that he was a bit intimidated by my uniform. I guess he had never felt that way before, since it had always been the other way around for him.

It baffles me why a person must use so many monitors at the same time, but maybe an expert programmer like Eru or an experienced 3D animator like Woelank could explain.

Anyways, here are the selected photos of my favorite workstations;

Check out the amount of monitors on this one! This guy must be minting it.

I love how almost everything is white and decorated with random pictures and tiny knick-knacks here and there. This is a very girly computer setup though.

This one has Intuos, so it’s gotta be a favorite, although to be honest I’m much more worried about one of the laptops being knocked over since the workstation is so close to the kitchen!

Glass table, monitor attached on the wall – very neat, with just enough amount of colors shining out.

Himself obviously loves this one just because it has a Korg MIDI controller which is the same type as his.

I bet by now you’re drooling – can’t really blame you, I was too. But we must, after all, go back to reality and realise that our own workstation only looks like this..

Coming from a family of big-breasted women, I suppose I have nothing to complain, although it did feel odd having a pair of breasts that were growing up much more quickly than the rest of my body, that even during junior high I was already wearing underwire bras.

Unfortunately, women with big breasts need a lot of support, so underwire bras are necessary, not to mention the fact that my dear mother always regaled me with stories how big-breasted women are so easy to sag, so wearing these bras really help. Being the obliging daughter I was, I followed her advice strictly and religiously – until I developed red marks underneath my breasts from all those wires that had started to dig into my skin. Which was why I opted for sports bra – no underwires, and very snug – and have been converted ever since. I wear underwire bras very occasionally, though.

Nevertheless, being big-breasted – despite all the dramas that go with them – is nice most of the times, especially when friends always comment on how perfect their size are and how they’re just the right size to hold (from boyfriends), not to mention the involuntary attention I get from people (both men and women) whenever I walk around wearing tight tops and all. Plus, I don’t need any paddings to stuff inside my bra.

The truth is though, my boobs aren’t that big. The types of bra that I wear on the other hand, can give illusions that make them look twice as big. Here’s the hint: underwire bras equal big boobies, sports bra equals normal size boobies.

Everytime I look at people who have barely-there boobies like Keira Knightley, I feel lucky because I am blessed with naturally ample breasts that are just right and adorable. I think this must be what Scarlett Johansson feels whenever she wears low cut dresses. I’m pretty sure she thanks God everyday too for blessing her with such nice-looking boobs that are huge and bordering on obscene but still great to ogle at.

Talking about low-cut tops, maybe there is a reason why Scarlett bares her boobs so brazenly, because according to the illustration below …

Yes, people, happily married people tend to cover more. But hey, if you disagree, blame the cartoon, don’t blame me!

The following people are tagged – to ensure the boobs get around – Eru, Silly, Ivy and Ecky! You guys are booby-trapped! Haha!