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TT model<br />
Heidi Walcott<br />
FREE! Issue #02
Contents<br />
Issue #02 (March - May 2012)<br />
* Machels Hat-trick - Page 4<br />
* TT Carnival 2012 - Pages 28 - 39<br />
* Bio - icki Minaj - Page 5<br />
* TT to become C’bean<br />
Fashion capital - Pages 6-7<br />
* Anya gets her spread with<br />
Marie Claire - Pages 8-9<br />
* Cooking With Ria - Pages 10-11<br />
* Health - Pages 12-13, 24<br />
* Home Decor - Pages 14-15<br />
* Makeup By Sathi - Pages 16-17<br />
* Lifestyle - Pages 18, 22, 26-27<br />
* Celine Dion wows - Page 25<br />
* Models - Pages 20-21<br />
* Top 6 shoe collections - Page 23<br />
A publication of<br />
<strong>Cariwak</strong> Digital Publishing<br />
Email: cariwak@gmail.com<br />
Phone: 1-868-343-1296<br />
Copyright © 2012 <strong>Cariwak</strong> Magazine®. All rights reserved.<br />
Rihanna stood out among<br />
other celebrities as she wore a<br />
beautiful Giorgio Armani black<br />
backless and front V cut dress<br />
that she co-designed and Neil<br />
Lane gold accessories at the<br />
54th Annual Grammy Awards<br />
Red Carpet Event held on<br />
February 12, 2012.
4<br />
MUSIC<br />
M<br />
achel Montano has copped an<br />
unprecedented soca hat-trick for 2012<br />
as his vibrant Carnival anthem "Pump<br />
Yuh Flag" was proclaimed as the 2012<br />
Carnival Road March. This is Montano's<br />
fifth Road March win.<br />
At a news conference held at the<br />
Queen's Park Savannah Grand Stand<br />
VIP Room in Port of Spain, Trinbago<br />
Unified Calypsonians Organisation<br />
(TUCO) president Lutalo "Brother Resistance"<br />
Masimba announced the results<br />
for the most popular songs played<br />
collectively at all band judging points.<br />
Montano's "Pump Yuh Flag" was played<br />
233 times at the Queen's Park Savannah,<br />
with his closest competitor, Fay-<br />
Ann Lyons-Alvarez's "Miss Behave",<br />
coming in second with 96 plays and Neil<br />
"Iwer" George's "No Pain" rounding out<br />
the top three with 84 plays. Montano<br />
was also Road March king for Downtown<br />
Carnival, with "Pump Yuh Flag"<br />
pumping 61 times.<br />
On Carnival Fantastic Friday, Montano<br />
had been crowned Groovy Soca<br />
Monarch for the tune "Mr Fete" and<br />
Power Soca Monarch with "Pump Yuh<br />
Flag", and this win gives him a hat-trick<br />
of titles.<br />
taking flight at the end of Montano's rendition<br />
of "Pump Yuh Flag". The crowd of<br />
20,000-plus people cheered as a man<br />
with a jetpack<br />
strapped to<br />
his back flew<br />
over them<br />
wearing the<br />
same<br />
clothes<br />
Montano did<br />
during<br />
his performance.<br />
The results of Fantastic Friday's<br />
Soca Monarch 2012 are -<br />
International Power Soca Monarch:<br />
1st Machel Montano<br />
2nd Neil "Iwer" George<br />
3rd Destra Garcia<br />
4th Prophet Benjamin<br />
4th Blaxx (Tie)<br />
Groovy Soca Monarch:<br />
1st Machel Montano<br />
2nd Kerwin Du Bois<br />
3rd Benjai<br />
4th Nadia Batson<br />
5th Kees Dieffenthaller.<br />
Machel Montano successfully defended<br />
his International Power Soca Monarch<br />
title and also dethroned Kees Dieffenthaller<br />
to claim the Groovy Soca<br />
Monarch title at the finals of the competitions<br />
which took place at the Hasely<br />
Crawford Stadium, Port of Spain, on Friday<br />
February 17, 2012 and into Saturday<br />
morning.<br />
Sealing victory for Montano in the<br />
Power category was the Rocketman
PEOPLE - BIO 5<br />
O<br />
nika Maraj (Born in Trinidad on December 8,<br />
1984 and migrated to the US at the age of 5),<br />
known as Nicki Minaj, is a female rapper from<br />
Southside Jamaica, Queens, NewYork. She grew<br />
up in a troubled home, with a father on drugs and<br />
a struggling single mother. Despite her hectic environment,<br />
Minaj went on to graduate from La-<br />
Guardia High School in Manhattan where she<br />
studied singing and acting.<br />
Working as an administrative assistant, she<br />
dedicated all of her free time to pursuing a potential<br />
music career. Nicki Minaj started off singing,<br />
from background vocals, to hooks for local rappers.<br />
Minaj wanted to “stand out” more, from the<br />
average dime-a-dozen, young aspiring singers<br />
and began writing raps. Starting out as the lone<br />
female in a group, (which she left in 2006)<br />
Nicki soon branched out and was noticed on<br />
Myspace by Dirty Money CEO Fendi, who signed<br />
her and put her on the front of his Dirty Money<br />
Label, and his The Come Up DVD.<br />
Appearing on The Carter Edition of the DVD series,<br />
Minaj was noticed by rapper Lil’ Wayne, who<br />
immediately called Fendi to negotiate a meeting<br />
with Nicki. He was convinced not only by her different<br />
style of rapping but also her ability to fullon<br />
write her own material, that she was perfect to<br />
be the face of his Young Money label. The two<br />
collaborated on mixtape-styled remakes of tracks<br />
such as “Sunshine”, “Big Spender,” and, more recently,<br />
a song titled “Higher than a Kite” which<br />
uses T.I.’s “My Swag” beat. In April of 2007, she<br />
released her first mixtape, titled Playtime is Over,<br />
where she posed as a Barbie doll on the cover.<br />
Lil’ Wayne appeared on the track “Can’t Stop,<br />
Won’t Stop.”<br />
Nearly a year later, Minaj released her<br />
second mixed CD, titled Sucka Free. Controversy<br />
surrounded this as Nicki paid tribute<br />
to rapper Lil’ Kim by posing with her<br />
legs spread for promotional posters.<br />
She describes it as something to “pull<br />
people in,” so that they would listen to<br />
what she had to say. Nicki Minaj graced<br />
the pages of the July issue of XXL magazine,<br />
giving a brief overview of her life<br />
up to that point in time.<br />
Originally using her real last name<br />
Maraj, Nicki boasts she started calling<br />
herself Minaj because she started<br />
“eating chicks,” with her vicious<br />
rap skills. Its pronounced as<br />
“menage,” only spelled to<br />
compliment her real last<br />
name with a ‘J’ instead of<br />
the traditional spelling.<br />
Aside from her original Onika,<br />
Minaj also uses an array of<br />
aliases to describe herself,<br />
such as; “Nicki Lewenski,” and<br />
“Sit on your favorite rapper’s<br />
face.”
6<br />
FASHION - TT<br />
T<br />
rinidad and Tobago is poised to become the fashion capital of the<br />
English speaking Caribbean. This year, the Ministry of Planning<br />
Economic and Social Restructuring and fashion industry stakeholders<br />
including Fashion Week Trinidad and Tobago Organisation (FWTT) the<br />
Fashion Association of Trinidad and Tobago (FATT) and the Caribbean<br />
Academy of Fashion and Design (CAFD) will join forces in a bid to boost the<br />
fashion industry and to host the world at a grand fashion week which<br />
according to the Minister of Planning, Economic and Social Restructuring,<br />
Dr Bhoendradatt Tewarie, will be hosted in late October or early November<br />
2012.<br />
Tewarie, who at the time was speaking to reporters at a press conference at<br />
the Ministry of Planning at Eric Williams Financial Complex, Port-of-Spain,<br />
Trinidad, last year, said this country is on the verge of a booming fashion<br />
industry.<br />
He noted fashion is on the verge to becoming a successful pillar of economic<br />
diversification.<br />
“One of the commitment of the government is to use fashion on the basis of<br />
developing a serious industry also for creating a cluster that is linked to<br />
other aspects of creative industries.<br />
All of this of course is linked with the tourism industry and the capacity to<br />
developed niche products in a diversified way for export. The governments<br />
commitment is really to build an industry,” Tewarie said.<br />
“In order to make a statement of what is possible in fashion in a Caribbean<br />
country and what is possible for TT in the fashion industry, the industry will<br />
bring together international collaborators from Puerto Rico and France as<br />
part of the discussion to help with a comprehensive plan to make a unique<br />
and successful fashion week in late 2012.”<br />
Tewarie said the fashion industry in TT has become better organised and<br />
much more impactful and effective over time. He noted the talent was<br />
always there, however, admitted that it was Anya Ayoung Chee’s success on<br />
Project Runway which has given the local industry additional momentum.<br />
“Fashion has developed at a point where it is ready to leap to another level.<br />
I think that Anya’s success on an international stage has given us an additional<br />
momentum and we are trying to seize the opportunity to be able to<br />
capatalise on this. The international exposure has also given us an opportunity<br />
because the international players are seeing the possibilities in TT,”<br />
Tewarie said.<br />
Fashion icon Meiling said FATT has always supported fashion week. She<br />
said for the first time the organisation will be collaborating with other stake<br />
holders. She said she is pleased that for the first time the fashion industry<br />
in this country will collaborate for the benefit of themselves and the country.<br />
Meanwhile, fashion icon Claudia Pegus also lauded the government’s<br />
efforts. She said she was happy that stakeholders are going to be assisting<br />
each other in creating a unique product that TT can offer to the world.
FASHION - TT 7<br />
Trinidad and Tobago<br />
fashion designers<br />
Meiling and Anya<br />
Ayoung-Chee takes<br />
the spotlight at<br />
Bombay Dreams<br />
fashion show, held at<br />
the Hilton Trinidad on<br />
October 22, 2011.
8<br />
FASHION - ANYA<br />
L<br />
ocal fashion designer<br />
and winner of season<br />
nine of the American<br />
reality television show,<br />
Project Runway, Anya<br />
Ayoung-Chee is featured in January's<br />
edition of international fashion magazine,<br />
Marie Claire. The fashion spread<br />
is part of her winnings after taking the<br />
title in the popular competition aired<br />
on cable television channel Lifetime.<br />
Ayoung-Chee blew last year’s<br />
Mercedes Benz New York Fashion<br />
Week away with what can only be<br />
described as a cool Caribbean breeze<br />
and local designers are singing praises<br />
to “Tobago Love,” the Caribbean<br />
themed fashion line which won her<br />
the title. Ayoung-Chee’s win was a<br />
great accomplishment not only for the<br />
talented designer, but also for<br />
Trinidad and Tobago. According to<br />
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-<br />
Bissessar the fashion designer’s win<br />
was timely, as in coincided with the<br />
world observance of the 100th<br />
anniversary of International Women’s<br />
Day. In fact, according to Ayoung-<br />
Chee, one of the first congratulatory<br />
emails she received was from the<br />
Prime Minister who also commended<br />
her for her bold and unique style, and<br />
her courage and composure under<br />
intense pressure and scrutiny during<br />
the season.<br />
Ayoung-Chee won the most challenges<br />
during the four-month, 14<br />
episodes run of the show.<br />
For the final she presented ten<br />
designs of “Tobago Love.” In addition<br />
to the fashion spread, her prizes<br />
included US$100,000 from L’Oreal<br />
Paris, a technological suite worth<br />
US$50,000 from HP and Intel, and<br />
the opportunity to design and sell a<br />
collection on fashion and accessory<br />
website, piperlime.com. Ayoung-Chee<br />
was also voted Fan Favourite and got<br />
US$10,000 for it. Since then she has<br />
designed and launched a section<br />
“I really did start<br />
sewing lessons in the<br />
four months leading<br />
up to the show.”<br />
called “The Runway”, in Tribe’s 2012<br />
Carnival presentation "Take Me To."<br />
Here is Ayoung-Chee’s fashion<br />
spread in which she is interviewed by<br />
a Marie Claire writer and talks abut<br />
procrastination, sewing skills and the<br />
legend of “Reggae Jesus”. The magazine<br />
does not say if Ayoung-Chee’s<br />
designs are for sale. It does, however,<br />
list the designers of and the prices for<br />
accessories worn by model Svitlana<br />
Glebova, Ayoung-Chee’s model on<br />
Project Runway, who is also featured<br />
in the spread, wearing designs from<br />
the “Tobago Love” collection.
FASHION - ANYA 9<br />
Marie Claire Magazine<br />
“MC: Has your win sunk in yet?<br />
AAC: It’s getting there. For Trinidad, where I’m from, this has been<br />
the equivalent of the World Cup. One of the first congratulatory e-<br />
mails I got was from the Prime Minister saying what it means not just<br />
for the country, but for the entire Caribbean region.<br />
MC: Last year, Gretchen Jones was blasted for winning over fan<br />
favourite Mondo. What reactions have you seen?<br />
AAC: Ninety-five percent of the comments out there are positive,<br />
with that small dissent of, “Well, Viktor (Luna) was a great tailor,” of<br />
that I didn’t show enough range in my collection. And I one hundred<br />
percent agree with all that. But the reality is, I can’t sew that range<br />
yet. It’s not that I can’t design it, but I wasn’t going to try to sew<br />
things I knew I couldn’t pull off on my own. So I went with my<br />
strengths.<br />
MC: You didn’t have any finished garments to show Tim Gunn during<br />
your home visit. What on earth were you doing during those five<br />
weeks?<br />
AAC: I landed in Trinidad and was completely overwhelmed.<br />
Suddenly the entire country knew I was on Project Runway, and<br />
there was so much anticipation. We’re a country of only a million<br />
people, so it sat very heavily on my shoulders that everyone expected<br />
me to do well. It really got to me.<br />
MC: So you suffered the designer’s equivalent of writer’s block?<br />
AAC: Absolutely! I’d blast music trying to inspire myself. I’d drape<br />
fabric on the form and rip it off. I’d go up to the roof to have a beer or<br />
wine, and then back down again. Nothing was working.<br />
MC: Was Tim’s visit a reality check?<br />
AAC: Yes. He wisely told me to lock myself in a room, ditch the<br />
sketches, and start making clothes. In the end, I came to New York<br />
with ten pieces — I didn’t love them, but at least I had them.<br />
MC: Were you the kid who started her book report an hour before it<br />
was due?<br />
AAC: (laughs) Oh, yes. I come from a last-minute culture, but I’m not<br />
going to pat myself on the back for that. It became such a workroom<br />
joke when people needed to redo a dress last minute, they’d say, “I<br />
have to pull an Anya.”<br />
MC: Halfway through the season finale, were you convinced that you<br />
had lost the competition?<br />
AAC: At that point, I ranked myself in last place. I felt so dejected<br />
because it wasn’t my best work. There was no question Viktor’s collection<br />
was strong; I really thought he would win.<br />
MC: Do you think that you would have won without that extra $500 at<br />
Mood?<br />
AAC: No. I made four brand-new looks in a day — 40 percent of the<br />
collection.<br />
MC: A lot of people don’t believe that you learned to sew just months<br />
earlier.<br />
AAC: That’s a roundabout compliment because that means I did it<br />
well. But I really did start sewing lessons in the four months leading<br />
up to the show.<br />
MC: Favourite critique?<br />
AAC: When Michael Kors called my look for Sam, the musician I<br />
dressed in the band challenge, “Reggae Jesus.” people in Trinidad<br />
actually dressed up as Reggae Jesus for Halloween — I don’t think<br />
Michael knows what he started!<br />
MC: What’s next?<br />
AAC: The truth is, a reality TV fashion designer is very different from<br />
a real one, and I want to prove that I am an actual designer. I’m<br />
incredibly grateful for this win, but I’m still standing in front of Mount<br />
Kilimanjaro. The press is great now, but it won’t last forever.”
10 RECIPES
RECIPES 11<br />
4 scallions, chopped (about 1 cup)<br />
1 bunch thyme<br />
1 medium onion, chopped (about ¾cup)<br />
1 pimento (not hot) or scotch bonnet pepper (HOT!!)<br />
Pelau is a savory one-pot Trinidadian favorite.<br />
Meat including chicken, beef or pigtails is first<br />
browned using “burnt sugar” (little past caramelization<br />
point), to which rice, fresh herbs, peas or<br />
beans, veggies and coconut milk are added resulting<br />
in the most comforting of dishes. A superb marriage<br />
of protein, carb and veggies made in heaven<br />
that makes me wanna say I do, I do to another plate<br />
or two!!<br />
Gatherings sometime revolve around this one pot<br />
dish, whether at someone’s house, a day at the<br />
beach, park or famous Trini “River Lime” where<br />
Trinis set up kitchen on the banks of a river, cook in<br />
the beautiful outdoors and “ole talk”. Heaping<br />
spoonfuls of Trini pelau are loaded onto a plate and<br />
served with a salad of greens (watercress), shredded<br />
carrots, tomatoes or cucumber, accompanied<br />
by home made hot sauce, kuchela (pickled mango),<br />
roasted coconut or vegetable chutney or even a raw<br />
scotch bonnet pepperand “washed down” with<br />
coconut water straight out of a coconut, a cold bottle<br />
of Carib beer or Mauby.<br />
This tradition continues with Trinidadians living<br />
abroad. A good plate of pelau can easily transport<br />
one back to the good old days at home. It surely<br />
gives me a sense of nostalgia and is reminiscent of<br />
the “home sweet home” life.<br />
Hungry yet? Let’s get cooking!!<br />
Ingredients:<br />
2 cups cooked beans or pigeon peas (1 cup<br />
uncooked/if using canned - wash thoroughly<br />
and drain)<br />
3 lbs of chicken pieces (whole chicken cut up,<br />
thighs or drumsticks), washed and drained<br />
1 tbsp tomato ketchup<br />
Salt and pepper (to season chicken)<br />
1 stalk celery, diced (about ¾ cup)<br />
1 medium red sweet pepper, diced (about ¾ cup)<br />
1 medium carrot, diced (about ¾ cup)<br />
2 cups parboiled rice, washed and drained<br />
3 tbsp brown sugar<br />
2 cups fresh coconut milk (dilute milk with water if<br />
using canned or powdered coconut milk)<br />
1-2 cups water or reserved liquid if using.<br />
Salt and pepper to taste<br />
Green seasoning for chicken<br />
(or use your favorite blend)<br />
4 large cloves garlic<br />
NOTE: If using dried red beans, soak overnight.<br />
Drain. Add 3 cups of water to saucepan, bring to boil<br />
add soaked beans or peas and boil until beans are<br />
almost cooked. Drain (reserving any liquid if you<br />
would like to use) and set aside. You can save time<br />
by using preservative-free canned beans or canned<br />
or powdered coconut milk (but there is nothing like<br />
FRESH!!).<br />
1. In a food processor or blender, add garlic, scallions,<br />
thyme, onion and pimento or scotch bonnet<br />
hot pepper and chop finely.<br />
2. To the chicken add half of the green seasoning<br />
(reserving the other half), ketchup, salt and pepper<br />
to taste. Mix well to coat the chicken with the seasonings.<br />
Marinate for at least an hour or overnight.<br />
(The skin on the chicken adds extra flavor but you<br />
can definitely remove before or after cooking).<br />
3. In a dry large deep heavy-bottomed pot or dutch<br />
oven, cook the sugar over moderately high heat,<br />
stirring constantly with a fork, until it is melted completely<br />
and starts to froth, bubble and darken (but<br />
not black and smoking), if black and smoking start<br />
over.<br />
4. Immediately add the seasoned chicken, turning<br />
frequently to coat about 5 minutes.<br />
5. Add the rice to the chicken, cook for 3 minutes;<br />
continue to stir frequently to prevent sticking to the<br />
pot.<br />
6. Add beans or peas, diced sweet red pepper, carrot,<br />
celery and the remainder of the green seasoning.<br />
Mix well. Cook for 1 minute.<br />
7. Pour in coconut milk and water or other cooking<br />
liquid. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix<br />
well.<br />
8. Cover pot and bring to a boil. When the liquid<br />
comes to a boil, reduce heat to low or simmer and<br />
cook for about 30 minutes or until rice is cooked and<br />
all the liquid has evaporated.<br />
Serve this delicious, mouth-watering Trini Pelau hot<br />
or room temperature (with a generous dose of hotsauce)<br />
and enjoy!!<br />
Serves 6-8<br />
http://www.cookingwithria.com
12 HEALTH<br />
Good fats, bad fats...<br />
How to choose?<br />
Eating fat can be heart-healthy if you<br />
pick the right kind. Too many of us<br />
cut fat willy-nilly and replace it with<br />
refined carbs, so we miss out on the benefits<br />
of healthy fats, says Suzanne Rostler, a<br />
registered dietitian and nutritionist in<br />
Framingham, Mass. What’s more, eating<br />
lots of refined carbohydrates — like white<br />
bread and white rice — can increase<br />
triglyceride levels, which can contribute<br />
to heart and blood vessel<br />
disease.<br />
Adults should get 20<br />
percent to 35 percent<br />
of their calories from<br />
fat, according to the<br />
2010 Dietary<br />
Guidelines for<br />
Americans. Here’s<br />
how to make sure<br />
you’re getting<br />
enough of the right<br />
kind.<br />
Trans fat<br />
Goal: Limit or eliminate<br />
Trans fats are liquid oils<br />
bombarded with hydrogen so<br />
they stay solid at room temperature.<br />
They’re found in many processed and fried<br />
foods.<br />
Trans fats increase total cholesterol and<br />
LDL, or bad cholesterol, and lower HDL,<br />
the good cholesterol. Food manufacturers<br />
can say a product is trans fat<br />
free if it contains less than half<br />
a gramme per serving. These<br />
can add up. Check a product’s<br />
ingredient list. If you see the<br />
words hydrogenated, partially<br />
hydrogenated, or shortening, it<br />
contains trans fat; you’re better<br />
off leaving it on the shelf.<br />
Animal or vegetable, saturated fat carries<br />
the same risks.<br />
Choose low-fat or fat-free dairy products<br />
to get their key nutrients while cutting saturated<br />
fat.<br />
The Dietary Guidelines recommend no<br />
more than ten percent of total calories<br />
come from saturated fat. So if you eat<br />
2,000 calories a day, for example, keep<br />
your saturated fat intake below 22<br />
grammes.<br />
Unsaturated fat<br />
Goal: Get more<br />
Unsaturated fats are<br />
mostly good guys —<br />
although trans fat is<br />
technically an<br />
unsaturated fat.<br />
However, healthy<br />
unsaturated fats<br />
are liquid at room<br />
temperature, while<br />
trans and saturated<br />
fats are solid. To<br />
increase your unsaturated<br />
fat, replace solids,<br />
like butter, with olive and<br />
vegetable oils, and swap red<br />
meat for seafood or unsalted nuts.<br />
(Seafood and nuts also contain saturated<br />
fat, but usually less than red meat.)<br />
The two main types of unsaturated fats<br />
are monounsaturated and polyunsaturated<br />
fats; their chemical structure is slightly dif-<br />
Saturated fat<br />
Goal: Limit<br />
Saturated fat increases total<br />
cholesterol and LDL, and may<br />
boost your type 2 diabetes risk.<br />
Meat, seafood, and dairy products<br />
are sources of saturated<br />
fat. Some plant foods, like palm<br />
and coconut oil, also contain it.
HEALTH 13<br />
ferent, as are their health benefits.<br />
Cholesterol<br />
Goal: Limit<br />
Scientific understanding of the dangers of<br />
dietary cholesterol has shifted. “It used to<br />
be thought that eating dietary cholesterol,<br />
like in shrimp or eggs, would raise cholesterol,”<br />
Rostler explains. “It does to some<br />
extent, but it’s more important to focus on<br />
not eating saturated and trans fats.”<br />
For people with normal cholesterol levels,<br />
Rostler says, the current recommendation<br />
is no more than 300 milligrammes of cholesterol<br />
daily, while people at high risk of<br />
heart disease should consume less than<br />
200 milligrammes daily. For perspective,<br />
one egg contains about 200 milligrammes<br />
of cholesterol.<br />
Polyunsaturated fats<br />
Goal: Get more<br />
You can find polyunsaturated fats in nuts,<br />
seeds, vegetable oils such as corn and safflower<br />
oil, and fatty fish. This category<br />
encompasses omega-3 and omega-6 fatty<br />
acids, which are known as essential fatty<br />
acids because our bodies don’t make them<br />
— we have to get them from food.<br />
Polyunsaturated fats can help lower your<br />
total cholesterol level, says Sari Greaves, a<br />
registered dietitian and nutrition director at<br />
Step Ahead Weight Loss Center, in<br />
Bedminster, NJ.<br />
Monounsaturated fats<br />
Goal: Get more<br />
Monounsaturated fats raise HDL (good<br />
cholesterol) and lower LDL. Canola oil,<br />
olive oil, peanut oil, nuts, seeds, and avocados<br />
are good sources. Trade sour cream<br />
dip for hummus (which is rich in olive oil) or<br />
guacamole; use veggies or whole-wheat<br />
chips to dip. Try peanut oil in a stir-fry to<br />
jazz up your diet while helping your heart,<br />
says Greaves, who is also an American<br />
Dietetic Association spokesperson and<br />
coauthor of The Cardiac Recovery<br />
Cookbook. Unsalted nuts contain monounsaturated<br />
fat, but they’re high in calories.<br />
Sprinkle them on salads or yogurt, rather<br />
than eating a 170-calorie handful.<br />
Omega-3 fatty acids<br />
Goal: Get more<br />
In the world of good fats, omega-3s are<br />
superstars. They fight inflammation, help<br />
control blood clotting, and lower blood<br />
pressure and triglycerides. Fatty fish like<br />
albacore tuna, salmon, mackerel, and sardines<br />
are good sources, Greaves says.<br />
You don’t have to break the bank to get<br />
them; canned Alaskan salmon and canned<br />
sardines are okay too. Vegetable sources<br />
include soy, walnuts, and some vegetable<br />
oils. There are no specifics on how much<br />
you should consume, but the American<br />
Heart Association suggests eating at least<br />
two 3.5-ounce servings of fish each week.<br />
Omega-6 fatty acids<br />
Goal: Jury still out<br />
Most of us have no trouble getting<br />
enough omega-6s, which are found in vegetable<br />
oils and many snack foods. The<br />
ratio of omega-6s to omega-3s in the typical<br />
Western diet is around ten to one.<br />
Some research suggests that between a<br />
two-to-one and a four-to-one ratio reduces<br />
the risk of death from heart disease. There<br />
has been some controversy over whether<br />
omega-6s can actually be harmful to the<br />
heart, but Greaves and Rostler agree that<br />
as long as you’re eating them instead of<br />
saturated or trans fats, and you make a<br />
point of upping your omega-3 intake, you’ll<br />
be helping your ticker.<br />
(Anne Harding, www.health.com)
14 HOME DECOR<br />
O<br />
pen plan designs are becoming the<br />
modern, must-have option for living<br />
and dining rooms.<br />
Too often, a dining room sits unused, gathering<br />
clutter and dust. So why not combine a<br />
relaxed and friendly living room and dining<br />
room into one area?<br />
Your family will be able to enjoy spending<br />
time, all together in one room - an important<br />
point to consider when modern life seems to<br />
mean so much less time for family life, and<br />
family leisure time.<br />
If you are considering making two small<br />
reception rooms into one open plan area, or<br />
would like to reclaim a bit of that unused<br />
hallway or corridor into a useful living area,<br />
read on for great, practical tips...<br />
* Don't go knocking any walls down without<br />
taking advice from a structural engineer -<br />
particularly for any load-bearing walls!<br />
· Will you keep any structural divides within<br />
the room? Such as a large archway? Or<br />
sliding or folding doors?<br />
* Try to incorporate alcoves into your living<br />
space at the planning stage of your interior<br />
designs for living room/dining room - these<br />
can be very useful for storage - and for creating<br />
the idea of a change of 'role' or 'mood'<br />
in your open plan area. For example - an<br />
alcove under the stairs would be the ideal<br />
spot for a desk - tucked away - with the separate<br />
function and role of studying, or computer<br />
work, confined to a specific area. You<br />
could also use an alcove for a big, comfy<br />
sofa, and create a quiet reading area.<br />
* Consider your natural light sources for<br />
an open plan room - will the only window be<br />
at one end? So creating a dark half to the<br />
room? Can you knock through to create a<br />
porthole, window or glass-tiles, to give more<br />
light, and a feeling of space to the room?<br />
* Think about your lighting carefully as you<br />
plan your interior designs for living room/dining<br />
rooms - use a good combination of task,<br />
mood and accent lighting, to enhance different<br />
tasks and areas, and to create different<br />
moods and feelings in the different parts of<br />
the room.<br />
* One of the main challenges when planning<br />
open plan interior designs for living<br />
room and dining room areas, is whether to<br />
design for one large, single room, or to section<br />
the separate areas for living, dining or<br />
study, off from each other. The ideal is to<br />
create a combination of both, with each separate<br />
area combining to form one unified<br />
room.<br />
* The key to achieving this in your open<br />
plan interior designs for living room/dining<br />
room, is in good organisation, layout, and<br />
colour and style. The layout can be cleverly<br />
devised to create several separate areas<br />
within the whole:<br />
* Don't line all the furniture up around the<br />
edges of the room, with a large, empty<br />
space in the middle.<br />
* Use a modular sofa as a 'divide' to separate<br />
the living and dining areas.<br />
* Centre the living area around a coffee<br />
table, to create a cosy feeling of intimacy.<br />
* Create visual 'screens', with storage<br />
walls and shelving systems (put these at<br />
right angles to the walls) or folding screens,<br />
or beaded door curtains.<br />
* Define the separate dining area with a<br />
low-level pendant light.<br />
* Rugs can also help to visually define<br />
separate areas within your open plan space.<br />
* If your open plan area also incorporates<br />
an area that people have to walk through to<br />
get between rooms, this can cause some<br />
problems in your interior designs for living<br />
room/dining room. People will naturally take<br />
the shortest route between two points - and<br />
this can be very off-putting, if you are sitting<br />
watching TV, and trying to relax, and someone<br />
keeps walking through.<br />
Try to re-arrange your furniture, so that<br />
people will not need to walk through the<br />
actual living or dining areas. You may need<br />
to screen or section off two areas, creating a<br />
kind of 'passageway' in between, so that<br />
your relaxing, studying, watching TV or eating,<br />
does not get too disturbed!<br />
* Although open plan interior designs for<br />
living room/dining rooms create more space,<br />
don't be tempted to fill the room with loads<br />
more furniture. Open plan areas can easily<br />
appear overcrowded with furniture and look<br />
cluttered. If it fits with your style, try glass, or<br />
clear acrylic furniture. This gives you a clear<br />
path of vision, so making your room appear<br />
less cluttered.<br />
* Remember, in an open plan area, you<br />
don't have a room where you can dump a<br />
load of clutter and close the door, keeping it<br />
nicely out of sight. Take care that your open<br />
plan room does not get too cluttered.<br />
* Take your storage options seriously for<br />
your interior designs for living room/dining<br />
room. Include lots of it! Shelves and storage<br />
units can be ideal solutions, and can double<br />
up as screens/room divides. Try to find<br />
shelving units that can be accessed from<br />
either side, so that they will look attractive<br />
from both angles - and you will be able to<br />
catch little glimpses of the room beyond...<br />
* Make sure your open plan room has a<br />
focal point - a window, dining table or attractive<br />
picture. Consider if your room arrangement<br />
actually requires two focal points.<br />
* Keep your separate areas unified by<br />
keeping to one style and color scheme as<br />
you plan your interior designs for living<br />
room/dining room.<br />
One option is to choose one strong colour,<br />
to unite the two rooms. Add white, cream or<br />
neutral colours to any alcoves to add dimension<br />
and interest to the room. Or you can<br />
choose a colour scheme based on two main<br />
colours, for example red and green, (these<br />
are complementary colours). One area could<br />
be decorated in red with green accents,<br />
whilst the other could be decorated in green<br />
with red accents.<br />
* Use the same fabric for napkins and<br />
table-runners, in the dining area, as the fabric<br />
for the sofa, chairs, cushions or throws in<br />
the living area.<br />
* Cleverly thought out, open plan interior<br />
designs for living room/dining rooms, can<br />
create gorgeous, multi-functional areas - but,<br />
before you strike that first sledgehammer<br />
blow, and give up your two separate living<br />
and dining rooms, consider if you are really<br />
ready? Two separate rooms will be far simpler<br />
to create a layout that works, and will<br />
probably fit more furniture in sensibly, as<br />
there is far more wall space. You will have<br />
two rooms with easily defined functions and<br />
roles, and you can create two separate<br />
styles or themes, and get to choose two<br />
separate colour schemes.<br />
Are you prepared to have lots of different,<br />
noisy tasks going on in one place at once?<br />
Lots of people in the same room at the<br />
same time? More mess? Less privacy? And<br />
no really quiet, private little spot to study,<br />
read, listen to music or watch TV on your<br />
own? If you do think that this is the layout<br />
for you, an open plan living/dining room can<br />
give a really modern feel, make the most of<br />
available space and give you a really welcoming,<br />
practical space - so why not go for<br />
it!
HOME DECOR 15
16 BEAUTY<br />
Y<br />
our wedding day is the most auspicious and important<br />
day in any woman’s life. While this day<br />
will be filled with excitement and love it can also<br />
be hectic and overwhelming.<br />
The last thing you want to have to worry about is your<br />
makeup on your most special day. Here are a few tips to<br />
help guide you to choosing the right make-up artist<br />
for you!<br />
1. Do your research.<br />
Search online for a Make-up Artist in your<br />
area or visit your local salons to see what<br />
they may have to offer. You can even ask<br />
friends and family for referrals, as they<br />
may have or know of people who have<br />
had their makeup done in the past.<br />
Each MUA (Make-up Artist) should<br />
have a portfolio showcasing their work,<br />
whether it be an online website or physical<br />
album. Look at the different styles<br />
and techniques of each MUA you find<br />
and assess whether it works for you,<br />
while keeping an open mind. The more<br />
options you have the better.<br />
2. Schedule a Make-up trial.<br />
After you have found a couple MUA’s that<br />
you are interested in, this is the time to contact<br />
him/her to schedule a trial. The trial is the<br />
most important thing when choosing your MUA<br />
and will definitely determine whether or not the MUA<br />
is right for you.<br />
* The Look.<br />
Every bride is different and has a unique style. You may want a<br />
natural, sun-kissed glow, a classic pin-up “cat eye” with red lips or<br />
a bold Arabic inspired look for your wedding day, or you may have<br />
no ideas at all and this is perfectly fine as well.<br />
If you are unsure of what look you want, definitely ask your MUA<br />
what look would be most flattering for you. The key to achieving<br />
your goal is to have an open mind.<br />
Tip: Providing pictures and examples to your MUA will be highly<br />
beneficial to you when you book your trial.<br />
* Technique and Execution<br />
Your MUA should be knowledgeable and be<br />
able to evaluate your needs and wants before<br />
the first brush stroke. Ask questions about<br />
products used and make sure the MUA’s<br />
utensils are clean and sterilized.<br />
Tip: This is also the perfect time to disclose<br />
any allergies or reactions to any<br />
products to ensure that the final product<br />
is flawless.<br />
* Overall experience.<br />
When choosing the right MUA, the<br />
personality of the MUA can be big factor.<br />
During the trial, you just want to<br />
make sure you feel comfortable.<br />
After the trial is complete asses the<br />
skills, products and final outcome of the<br />
trial. How do you feel and look? Are you<br />
happy with the results? You should feel excited<br />
and your makeup should have that<br />
“wow” factor.<br />
Tip: Also, bring a camera with you to the trial and<br />
request that the MUA take a picture of your makeup.<br />
Having the picture will help you to remember the artist and<br />
their work, if you go to multiple trials with other artists. This will<br />
also help you visualize how the makeup looks when photographed.<br />
3. Choosing your MUA: Budget and Arrangements.
BEAUTY 17<br />
At the time of the trial, be sure to go over pricing and packages with the<br />
MUA. The prices and packages may sway you into choosing one MUA over<br />
the other, but remember not to choose quantity over quality! Your wedding<br />
day will be immortalized with pictures and you want to look and definitely feel<br />
your best on this day.<br />
Also go over wedding day arrangements in regards to location(s), time(s)<br />
and date(s).<br />
* Is the MUA available the date of your wedding and reception?<br />
* Do you want your makeup to be done in the comfort of your home,<br />
or at the MUA’s studio/location?<br />
* Do you want your makeup done differently for your ceremony and<br />
reception?<br />
* Do you want your MUA to stay on site for touch-ups?<br />
Tip: You want everything to run smoothly the day of your wedding, therefore<br />
having the MUA “come to you” is a great option. It lowers the risk of running<br />
late and will be less hassle for you. Request that your MUA arrive to<br />
your location at least 10-15 minutes early to set up.<br />
If these are some of the must-haves for your wedding day, make sure your<br />
MUA can make the necessary accommodations, as this can be a deal<br />
breaker.<br />
Each element is essential in creating the perfect wedding day as there are<br />
many factors to consider. But I do hope that these tips help you in finding the<br />
perfect Make-up Artist. Wishing you all the best on your wonderful journey<br />
into wedded bliss!<br />
Divine Beauty ~ Professional Make-up Artist,<br />
Sathi Ganpat<br />
Sathi Ganpat<br />
Divine Beauty<br />
Professional Make-up Artist<br />
https://www.facebook.com/divinebeautybySathi<br />
http://www.divinebeautymakeupbysathi.webs.com
18 LIFESTYLE<br />
Why we fall out of love<br />
By Laura Schaefer<br />
“W<br />
hen the moon hits your eye like a big<br />
pizza pie, that’s amore!” sang Dean<br />
Martin. We all know the delicious<br />
feeling of new love, but what about the flip<br />
side? Love doesn’t always last, and its retreat<br />
can leave us bewildered, confused or downright<br />
depressed.<br />
Even if you were raised on a plentiful diet of<br />
fairy tales, you know that “till death do us part”<br />
can be a rare thing. Even staying with someone<br />
forever is no guarantee of experiencing lasting<br />
love. But why do people really fall out of love?<br />
Is there anything we can do to make love stay?<br />
Do some of us give up too easily? To understand<br />
the phenomenon of love’s end, we asked<br />
the experts’ opinions on the subject. Here are<br />
the top three reasons they shared with us:<br />
1. A distancing “Wave” can topple a good thing<br />
if you let it. Ken Page, psychotherapist and<br />
author of the Finding Love blog for Psychology<br />
Today and founder of the Deeper Dating website,<br />
has identified a phenomenon that can<br />
destroy new love: “The ‘Wave’ occurs when we<br />
unconsciously push a caring and available person<br />
away by inwardly diminishing his or her<br />
worth.” Think about how Carrie Bradshaw<br />
behaved when she first started dating Aidan<br />
Shaw: Aidan was “too available” and Carrie<br />
freaked because she wasn’t used to being with<br />
someone so open. “When someone is available<br />
and decent,” Page explains, “something inside<br />
us knows (this person) can get to our nest, our<br />
soul - the place where we care the most and<br />
can be hurt the most. And our unconscious gets<br />
panicked.” If you find yourself breaking up with<br />
someone awesome for no good reason, check<br />
yourself; you might be acting out of fear. After<br />
all, real love is a big deal. It involves a leap of<br />
faith, and that can be a scary thing. Those who<br />
give in to the Wave fall out of love before they<br />
even give themselves a chance to fall properly<br />
in love, and that’s kind of sad.<br />
2. Unwillingness to discuss relationship problems.<br />
OK, let’s say you’ve taken that leap and<br />
you’re in a long-term, committed relationship.<br />
Good for you! Now, don’t forget to communicate<br />
with your partner regularly. Guy Winch, Ph.D.,<br />
author of The Squeaky Wheel: Complaining the<br />
Right Way to Get Results, Improve Your<br />
Relationships and Enhance Self-Esteem, says<br />
that people fall out of love because they don’t<br />
talk through their relationship peeves with each<br />
other: “Research shows that couples who are<br />
able to voice complaints well and discuss them<br />
productively have greater marital satisfaction<br />
and much lower divorce rates than couples who<br />
are unable to do so.” If you’re in a newer relationship,<br />
iron out the kinks early on to keep love<br />
alive over the long haul. “It is much easier to<br />
address issues earlier in a relationship than<br />
later, just as it is much harder to mold cement<br />
once it has dried and hardened,” explains<br />
Winch.<br />
The key word here, however, is “productively.” It<br />
usually doesn’t help to fight and blame your<br />
partner for all of the relationship’s problems. Dr.<br />
Fran Praver, author of The New Science of<br />
Love: How Understanding Your Brain’s Wiring<br />
Can Help Rekindle Your Relationship, says that<br />
“when couples play the blame game, they wage<br />
a war of being right where both parties lose. It<br />
may seem like a strong personality to insist on<br />
being right, but in fact ‘rightness’ is born out of<br />
rigidity and weakness, not strength.” Couples<br />
fall out of love when they can’t find a way to<br />
make the partnership good for both people<br />
involved. Creativity and open minds are the<br />
stuff of lasting love; silence and blaming,<br />
though? Not so much.<br />
3. People change or get bored with each other.<br />
April Masini, the relationship expert behind<br />
AskApril.com and author of Romantic Date<br />
Ideas, says: “Over time, people can change - or<br />
more often, they become who they really are.<br />
Someone who loved his steady business career<br />
may suddenly realize he always wanted to be a<br />
stand-up comedian and throw caution to the<br />
wind to chase his dreams.” People evolve; circumstances<br />
change - and sometimes, relationships<br />
can’t be sustained as a result. But if you<br />
really know your partner down to the core, the<br />
changes won’t be as shocking. “The kind of<br />
change that leads to love lost is always about a<br />
buried desire to be someone that’s repressed<br />
inside,” continues Masini. “It’s important to really<br />
know your partner to avoid this lost-love syndrome.”<br />
In other words, don’t neglect someone<br />
you care about. You cannot get to know a person<br />
thoroughly right away - rather, it’s a lifelong<br />
journey. There’s a whole universe inside the<br />
person you fell for, and if you don’t check in<br />
with that individual on a regular basis, you<br />
could wake up one day hearing this: “I’m<br />
unhappy. I’m moving to another country to start<br />
my life over fresh, and you’re not invited.”<br />
If you find yourself perusing faraway rental<br />
homes and thinking, “He’s changed!” or “I’m<br />
just so bored with her,” think about holding on<br />
and digging a little deeper first. “At a certain<br />
point in a relationship, according to Imago<br />
Couples Therapy,” says Page, “each partner<br />
feels that the thing they most need from their<br />
partner is the very thing that their partner can’t<br />
give. At that point, many people feel that the<br />
relationship has run its course and they leave.<br />
The reality, however, is much different. This can<br />
be the beginning phase of an entirely new level<br />
of intimacy, if they each decide to learn to grow<br />
and try to give that partner what (he or she<br />
needs most).”<br />
Then again, love doesn’t necessarily have to<br />
last decades (or a lifetime) to matter. Romantic<br />
relationships can also evolve into dear friendships<br />
- and that’s perfectly fine. Dr. Lissa<br />
Coffey, author of the book, Closure and the Law<br />
of Relationship: Endings as New Beginnings,<br />
agrees. “We may come together for a certain<br />
period of time to help each other learn and<br />
grow, and when that has been accomplished,<br />
we’ve gotten everything we were meant to get<br />
out of the relationship. Then it changes,” Coffey<br />
explains. “It doesn’t have to end; it’s just redefined.”
20 MODELS<br />
These promotional<br />
models was captured<br />
by our photographers<br />
at the Panorama<br />
Semi-Finals at the<br />
Queen’s Park<br />
Savannah, Trinidad on<br />
February 5, 2012 during<br />
the Carnival season.
22 LIFESTYLE - VACATION<br />
Top destinations of 2012<br />
By Helga Trim<br />
A<br />
re you planning your vacation for<br />
the New Year and is wondering<br />
where does one start deciding which<br />
destination is the one? What makes<br />
some countries or cities the “it” city while<br />
others waddle along under the radar?<br />
There’re are so many places to see. One<br />
factor that’s certainly a drawing card for<br />
all the world is the Olympics.<br />
Host the Olympics and people will flock<br />
to that city. This year, London is on the<br />
top of all the travel experts’ lists, but<br />
there are other places that may just whet<br />
your appetite for travel. London already<br />
attracts about 14 million visitors but in<br />
2012 the city is poised to see that figure<br />
rise significantly. The city has already<br />
spent nearly US$15 billion on a facelift<br />
that will hopefully keep the visitors and<br />
athletes coming back long after the<br />
games are over. The pageantry, like only<br />
Britain can do it, begins with Her Royal<br />
Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond<br />
Jubilee celebrations on June 2. This is<br />
followed by the London 2012 Festival,<br />
which begins June 21 and ends<br />
September 9. The festival brings together<br />
hundreds of artistes and performers from<br />
around the world for a series of events<br />
where all of London becomes a stage.<br />
Many of the events are free. The World<br />
Shakespeare Festival also runs at this<br />
time and many well-known actors will be<br />
a part, so you may not want to miss it.<br />
For the Harry Potter fans reading this,<br />
who may not be overly impressed by the<br />
Olympics or the arts festival, there is<br />
something on offer that will thrill you. This<br />
year, Leavesden Studios will begin The<br />
Making of Harry Potter Studio Tour. All<br />
eight Harry Potter films were shot on<br />
location at the studios. This may be your<br />
opportunity to learn some film secrets.<br />
There are other places of interest on the<br />
experts’ lists. I scoured the internet to<br />
see what sparked travellers’ interest this<br />
year. Some people chose destinations<br />
because they had been flying under the<br />
radar for a while and this year the time<br />
had come to take centre stage.<br />
Other destinations had something unique<br />
to offer. Either way, I based my selection<br />
on these criterion and the fact that they<br />
appeared on more than three lists. Travel<br />
and Leisure Magazine, Conde Nast<br />
Traveller, National Geographic Traveler<br />
Magazine, Lonely Planet, Frommer’s,<br />
TripAdvisor.com and some other lists<br />
were as varied as the specific audiences<br />
for which they cater.<br />
My top destinations for 2012 are in no<br />
particular order. Hope there’s a place on<br />
this list that will interest you even if you<br />
don’t get around to visiting it this year:<br />
Guimãres, Portugal, which is sharing the<br />
honour of European Capital of Culture<br />
2012 with Maribor, Slovenia. Both cities<br />
have medieval towns designated as<br />
United Nations Educational, Scientific<br />
and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO)<br />
World Heritage Sites.<br />
Curacao, that little Dutch island that<br />
recently became independent, is a destination<br />
which has the travel world abuzz.<br />
The country will celebrate its first independence<br />
this year. This little island with<br />
the colourful capital of Willemstad has<br />
plenty to offer. One of the best private<br />
museums with antiquities and a documented<br />
history of the slave trade that<br />
includes a life-size replica of the section<br />
of the ship where slaves were stored, the<br />
Kura Hulanda Museum is a must see.<br />
Don’t miss the Curacao Underwater<br />
Marine Park either. You will find many<br />
world-class hotels on the beach, but<br />
don’t expect the typical lush tropics of<br />
Trinidad and Tobago. Curacao is very<br />
dry, but that makes for very interesting<br />
vegetation. The beaches are white and<br />
sandy.<br />
Other top destinations include Trinidad<br />
and Tobago, Sweden, New Zealand,<br />
Australia, Spain, China, including Hong<br />
Kong, Turkey and Chile. Colombia,<br />
though it’s still on the US list of countries<br />
under warning, is a country ready to<br />
shake off all the negative images of<br />
drugs and ready to start afresh in 2012.<br />
Mexico and Belize made it to the list for<br />
their Mayan heritage.<br />
Let’s not forget this is the year that the<br />
Mayan calendar comes to an end. Belize<br />
meanwhile, is taking full advantage of<br />
showcasing its Mayan heritage with several<br />
events around the predicted apocalypse<br />
beginning on December 21, 2012.<br />
Happy travels in 2012. As long as we<br />
have life, we have hope and an entire<br />
planet to explore for the good.
FASHION 23<br />
Top 6 shoe collections for Spring/Summer 2012<br />
Fashion for shoes is not as changeable as for clothing but<br />
every season we see certain styles come and go. It is<br />
normal and logical.<br />
For Spring/Summer 2012 designers have offered plenty of<br />
designs to choose from. And it was really hard to pick out only 6<br />
collections from dozens other lovely ranges. But these 6 are<br />
reflections of my own style and they are the sources of inspiration<br />
and dreams for me (Don’t think I’m a shallow blonde! I just<br />
love shoes so much I can barely breathe when I see just another<br />
perfect pair!). So, let’s start - Top 6 designers shoe collections for<br />
Spring/Summer 2012:<br />
www.millionlooks.com<br />
1. Chirstian Louboutin<br />
2. Manolo Blahnik<br />
3. Gaetano Perrone<br />
1. I would start from Chirstian Louboutin shoes.<br />
They are the best for me. I know you would say<br />
it is banal but these shoes are really special.<br />
Yes, they aren’t very comfortable, and those<br />
heels are often hard to walk in but they are<br />
worth the pain we suffer. The designer was<br />
right.<br />
2. Manolo Blahnik shoes are fabulous. They<br />
are more diverse in styles and colors and are<br />
perfectly comfy. Maybe they don’t look as<br />
impressive as Loubooutins but they certainly<br />
do look more feminine and delicate.<br />
3.Gaetano Perrone has released just one collection<br />
under his own name but it has already<br />
found its fans. It is not surprising at all considering<br />
the fact he has been creating footwear for<br />
Alexander McQueen for a few years. His shoes<br />
are spectacular – extravagant but incredibly<br />
beautiful in design they will soon appear on the<br />
red carpet as often as shoes of other exclusive<br />
brands.<br />
4. icholas Kirkwood<br />
5. Prada<br />
6. D&G<br />
4.I was impressed with Nicholas Kirkwood’s<br />
first footwear collection and immediately<br />
remembered the name of a young but very talented<br />
designer. His Spring/summer 2012 range<br />
isn’t as impressive but it is womanly and chic<br />
and features amazing floral prints.<br />
5. Prada has returned us to the ’50s fashion<br />
era with its clothing but shoes with those flame<br />
tips looked like they were ready to transport us<br />
back to the present at any time.<br />
6. D&G Spring/Summer 2012 collection seems a<br />
little out-of-place here due to the fact it is casual<br />
and shoes presented in it are far from being cute<br />
or elegant but don’t we all from time to time turn<br />
to comfier styles – flats, wedges, even sneakers?<br />
We do, and for such moments this range is ideal.
24 HEALTH<br />
H<br />
ow many of you get home from<br />
work so tired you don’t even know what to<br />
do with yourself. Well, one thing you can do<br />
is treat yourself with aromatherapy. If you<br />
have a bath tub at home you can fill your<br />
tub with warm water and add a mixture of<br />
herbs and essential oils and just soak for<br />
an hour just before bedtime to ease your<br />
mind, body and soul.<br />
Many persons don’t know how effective<br />
aromatherapy is for helping many problems.<br />
In fact, aromatherapy is good treatment<br />
for insomnia, stress, anxiety, depression,<br />
muscle aches and pains, circulation,<br />
cellulite, menstrual cramps, inflammation,<br />
heat rash, acne and much more.<br />
You may, however, wonder what mixtures<br />
may work for you. For persons suffering<br />
from insomnia, you can add eight to ten<br />
drops of lavender, chamomile and enroll<br />
aromatherapy essential oils and some fresh<br />
rosemary leaves.<br />
This helps you feel totally relaxed and<br />
allows you to have a good night sleep.<br />
Persons suffering from anxiety and depression<br />
can add ten drops of lavender, eight<br />
drops of chamomile, eight drops of rose<br />
and seven drops of bergamot aromatherapy<br />
essential oil. In addition, you can have a<br />
cup of chamomile tea while you are soaking.<br />
Persons who are stressed out can add<br />
ten drops of lavender, eight drops of<br />
chamomile, eight drops of jasmine, six<br />
drops of neroli and six drops rose aromatherapy<br />
essential oils. Those who don’t<br />
have a tub can still benefit from the treatment.<br />
These persons can use the same<br />
oils, but the required measurement will be<br />
half of the amount mixed in a ½ ounce of<br />
grapeseed oil and applied all over your<br />
body at bedtime. Regular massages with<br />
these oils also help tremendously.<br />
Aromatherapy has been around for many<br />
years and has proven to be one of the<br />
most effective forms of therapy in helping<br />
persons. I have used this form of therapy<br />
on many persons during facials and therapeutic<br />
soaks and they always feel renewed<br />
and energised at the end. It is important to<br />
know that not all oils are pure. Some are<br />
fragrance and perfumed oils.<br />
Pure aromatherapy oils, however, come in<br />
a dark brown, blue or silver-coated bottles,<br />
and one should check the labels for where<br />
it was originated. Aromatherapy massages<br />
are very good for getting rid of toxins that<br />
have accumulated in your body along with<br />
foot detox and an herbal body wrap. Also,<br />
soaking your feet in warm water and<br />
adding five drops of spearmint and Epsom<br />
salts can really help your aching feet.<br />
For those who have never tried aromatherapy,<br />
it is one of the best things you<br />
can give yourself to relieve tension and<br />
pressure from the anxieties of life. We all<br />
know stress is the number one killer, and<br />
we all need that “me” time for ourselves at<br />
the end of the day. Soaking in the tub or<br />
simply massaging our feet at the end of<br />
your day can help to prolong your life. This<br />
may be difficult for some of you to do but<br />
think about this way; if someone told you<br />
that they have a remedy that can extend<br />
your life span for about ten to 20 years,<br />
what would you do? Surely you would take<br />
it. So here is my remedy for you, a little<br />
aromatherapy in your life everyday equals<br />
ten to 15 years added to your life.<br />
Try it.
PEOPLE 25<br />
C<br />
anadian singer Celine<br />
Dion wowed thousands of<br />
fans at the 16th Jamaica Jazz<br />
and Blues Festival held at the<br />
Trelawny Multiple Purpose<br />
Stadium in Jamaica, January 26 -<br />
28, 2012.<br />
The international superstar not<br />
only put on amazing performances,<br />
but looked stunning in her<br />
outfits as well.<br />
What stood out more was a white<br />
and gold short number Dion<br />
wore. Looking fit and toned, the<br />
43-year-old mother of three<br />
showed off her toned figure and<br />
amazing legs. She also gave the<br />
front row seat more of her than<br />
they had hoped to see.<br />
"The short gold dress was<br />
Balmain...was that short<br />
enough?" Dion reportedly told<br />
The Trend, a fashion series on<br />
Zappos Couture. "Because normally<br />
when people are level the<br />
length is fine. But people were<br />
like this (looks up). So it was like<br />
I didn't think of the people downstairs<br />
and me there."<br />
The Jamaica Observer reported<br />
that Dion's splendid performance<br />
has catapulted her to the list of<br />
international acts who have distinguished<br />
themselves on stage<br />
at the Jazz and Blues Festival.<br />
Other international acts that have<br />
rocked the stage included The<br />
Isley Brothers, Kenny G, Patti<br />
Labelle, Erykah Badu, Regina<br />
Belle, Jill Scott and Alicia Keys to<br />
name a few.<br />
Walter Elmore, chairman of Art of<br />
Music Productions, and his son,<br />
Martin, were reportedly brought<br />
to tears by Dion's professionalism.<br />
"I couldn't help but cry when I<br />
looked at my father and saw how<br />
emotional he had become,"<br />
Martin Elmore told The Gleaner.<br />
"He worked so hard to bring this<br />
festival to where it is today."<br />
Canadian singer<br />
Celine Dion gave<br />
smashing performances<br />
at the 16th Jamaica<br />
Jazz and Blues Festival<br />
held at the Trelawny<br />
Multiple Purpose<br />
Stadium in Jamaica.
26 LIFESTYLE<br />
So You Wanna be a Pr<br />
M<br />
aybe you've dreamed of gliding down the<br />
catwalk in Milan, flashbulbs popping all<br />
around, hundreds of people focusing their<br />
attention on your grace and beauty. The closets of<br />
your Paris apartment are stuffed full of expensive<br />
designer clothing, and tomorrow you fly back to<br />
New York just in time to catch a party attended by<br />
your good friends, Kate Moss, Keanu Reeves, and<br />
Ben Affleck. Nice dream. Now wake up.<br />
First things first: you've taken the trouble to do a<br />
little research, so you're not a moron. That's good.<br />
Regardless of prevailing stereotypes, you need<br />
smarts to break into modeling. Those same smarts<br />
will also help you realize that your chances of<br />
becoming the sort of supermodel who lands multimillion-dollar<br />
endorsements are only a little better<br />
than your chances of being killed by a charging rhinoceros<br />
- even if you're beautiful. The success stories<br />
are few; even models represented by the best<br />
agencies in the world often take other work to supplement<br />
their income. Now, if you're still reading,<br />
congratulations. You aren't easily discouraged, and<br />
you're gonna need that kind of pluck to endure the<br />
rejection which is part of every model's stock and<br />
trade. There are several different types and levels<br />
of modeling, and if your expectations are realistic,<br />
you needn't feel discouraged.<br />
1. Learn about the industry<br />
There are many different kinds of models, including<br />
child models, plus-size models, and parts models<br />
(whose hands you see in all those diamond<br />
ring ads). Fashion models must usually conform to<br />
rather rigid physical criteria, but there are others<br />
models called "real-life models," who are often also<br />
actors. They are just what the name suggests:<br />
ordinary looking people used in catalogues and<br />
commercials to represent someone the average<br />
consumer can identify with. The white-haired guy<br />
with the potbelly on the Golf Resorts billboard is a<br />
real-life model. If it turns out that you aren't quite<br />
what they're looking for in a fashion model, consider<br />
this sort of work (or consider becoming a character<br />
actor). There are other paths to the pot of<br />
gold at the end of the rainbow.<br />
For the purposes of this SYW, though, we're<br />
focusing on the model that gets all the attention:<br />
the cat-walking high-fashion model.<br />
What it takes to be a fashion-model<br />
If you're female...<br />
You should be somewhere between 15 and 22<br />
years old, though probably closer to fifteen. Models<br />
don't have careers that last as long as say, doctors,<br />
so agencies tend to want to invest their time<br />
in someone young.<br />
You should be tall, long-legged, and lean. The<br />
minimum height is usually about 5'8", and average<br />
weight for a model is 108-125 lbs. These characteristics<br />
are partly aesthetic and partly practical:<br />
this type of frame looks good on the runway and in<br />
front of the camera (which, they say, adds 15<br />
pounds); and a somewhat scrawny build drapes<br />
clothing nicely and ensures a good fit in the standard<br />
wardrobe. There are always exceptions to the<br />
rule, of course - Kate Moss is 5'7" and Gabrielle<br />
Reece is a giant 6'3" - but, in general, the closer<br />
you are to the industry norm, the better your<br />
chances.<br />
If you're male...<br />
You can start out a little later, roughly between<br />
the ages of 18 and 25. They won't want you to look<br />
too childish. The good news is that a man's modeling<br />
career usually lasts longer than a woman's,<br />
and since ten-year-old boys more often dream of<br />
blowing things up rather than strutting the Hugo<br />
Boss runway, this side of the biz tends to be less<br />
competitive as well.<br />
Average dimensions for a male model are a<br />
height of 5'11"- 6'2" and a weight of 140-165 lbs.<br />
You should also be fit (not bulging with muscles,<br />
but definitely healthy). All right, so let's assume<br />
you've got all of these qualifications. You are, for<br />
example, a willowy 16-year-old girl who's on the<br />
basketball team, could squeeze her body through<br />
a set of prison bars, and causes old men who<br />
shouldn't be ogling you to stumble over their walkers.<br />
That's great. On top of that you have clear<br />
skin, perfect teeth, and your own brand of je ne<br />
sais quoi. Fantastic. It's time for the next step.<br />
2. Make your break<br />
Although there is a little bit of freelancing in the<br />
business, almost all models work through an<br />
agent. Your agent is responsible for getting bookings<br />
and ensuring that you show up on time, no<br />
matter how hungover you may be. Good agents<br />
will also advise you about clothes and hair, and<br />
generally guide you through the various stages of<br />
your career.<br />
There are several tactics you can employ to get<br />
an agent:<br />
Many successful models started their careers<br />
effortlessly. They were strolling through the airport<br />
with mom and dad on the way back from<br />
Disneyland, when a scout from a top agency spotted<br />
them, recognized their potential, and gave<br />
them a business card. Must be nice. Since you<br />
probably haven't been quite this lucky, proceed to<br />
the next method.<br />
Periodically, agencies open their doors to hundreds<br />
of local hopefuls. This is known as an "open<br />
call." You herd together in the hallways of an<br />
agency with all your competitors, you wait and wait<br />
for a turn, and when you finally do get to see<br />
someone, it seldom takes more than 30 seconds<br />
for the pros to size up what they consider to be<br />
your potential. Welcome to the world of big-league<br />
rejection. And the good news is that open calls are<br />
almost always free. Dress casually in form-hugging<br />
clothes so the agent can see what your body is<br />
like. Keep the hair simple, and the makeup naturally<br />
minimalistic. They want you to present a blank<br />
canvass to them-not your glamour look. Don't<br />
waste money on professional photos. If you want,<br />
you can just bring in a few informal snaps: full<br />
body shots (in a conservative bikini or trunks) from<br />
a few angles, one nice head shot, and a casual<br />
clothed shot.<br />
Here are some of the top agencies (all of which<br />
are based in New York):<br />
Elite<br />
111 East 22nd Street<br />
New York, NY<br />
Phone: 212-529-9700<br />
Ford<br />
142 Greene St, 4th Floor<br />
New York, NY<br />
Phone: 212-219-6500<br />
IMG Models<br />
22 East 71st Street<br />
New York, NY<br />
Phone: 212-529-9700<br />
Metropolitan<br />
220 5th Avenue, Suite 800<br />
New York, NY<br />
Phone: 212-989-0100<br />
Email: MetroModel@aol.com<br />
Next<br />
23 Watts Street<br />
New York, NY<br />
Phone: 212-925-5100<br />
Boss Models (mostly for male models)<br />
1 Gansevoort Street<br />
New York, NY<br />
Phone: 212-242-2444<br />
E-mail: newyork@bossmodels.com<br />
You don't have to wait around for an open call. If<br />
you get on the phone and the agency tells you<br />
their open call is six months off, ask if you can just<br />
drop by. Don't stop at one; go around to as many<br />
of the top agencies as you can.<br />
Several large agencies tour the country with a<br />
model search, a beauty contest with the purpose<br />
of finding the next Christy, Tyra or Claudia. Thanks<br />
to events like these, all the seemingly gawky Betty<br />
Sues out there can get a shot at proving their exotic<br />
supermodel potential (they never would've got<br />
off the farm if the fashionistas hadn't come to Pig<br />
Snout, Nebraska). As long as there's a reputable<br />
agency behind it and the entry fees aren't too<br />
extravagant (most, though not all, model search<br />
contests will have entry fees), a model search is a<br />
good way to at least meet people in the industry.<br />
The most expensive option is to attend a modeling<br />
convention. Entry fees tend to be high, but you<br />
get the opportunity to meet representatives from<br />
several different agencies all at the same time (and<br />
the chance to learn more about the industry in<br />
general). If one of these should happen to open in<br />
your city, by all means, check it out.<br />
Register with www.modelsandtalent.com on the<br />
net. This is a well-respected service through which<br />
model scouts browse. It's a place to post an electronic<br />
profile so that the pros can check you out.<br />
Also try Minx Models.<br />
Once the agency gets a look at you and decides
27<br />
ofessional model?<br />
it likes what it sees, an agent will arrange for<br />
you to have portfolio pictures taken, a composite<br />
card printed, and a résumé put together.<br />
Again, you must remember that you are<br />
trying to make money, not spend it (see Step<br />
3), so don't waste cash on portfolios until you<br />
get signed up with a manager. The agency<br />
will probably have a specific look in mind for<br />
you anyway, and they'll want to start from<br />
scratch. A portfolio (or "book") is what you<br />
take along to modeling job interviews, called<br />
"go-sees." In your portfolio are a series of<br />
shots taken by an agency-recommended<br />
photographer, and it reflects the agency's<br />
marketing strategy for you. Composite cards,<br />
or comp cards, are what you leave behind<br />
with the prospective employer: a single printed<br />
sheet of photos to help them remember<br />
you.<br />
3. Avoid scams<br />
There are really two modeling industries:<br />
the legitimate one that pays models a fair<br />
price for their services; and the evil one<br />
which preys on the hopes and dreams of<br />
foolish young people (a.k.a. "suckers").<br />
To avoid getting snookered, you have to<br />
remind yourself again and again that you're<br />
getting into modeling to make money, and<br />
not to give it away. This is business, so be<br />
stingy. There are lots of con artists posing as<br />
photographers, and there are lots of shady<br />
organizations calling themselves "agencies"<br />
and "schools." So here's what you have to<br />
watch out for:<br />
Photographers who try to sell you expensive<br />
portfolio shots before you approach any<br />
agencies. This is a common one. They tell<br />
you that you'll never get anywhere with an<br />
agency unless you have a professional portfolio<br />
to show. Not true. Agencies are connected<br />
with photographers who understand<br />
and express a particular style, and they usually<br />
just end up trashing any pictures you<br />
walk in with. That's why snaps are best. Let<br />
the agency you sign up with arrange all the<br />
portfolio photography for you.<br />
Fly-by-night "agencies" that charge socalled<br />
"registration fees," and are more interested<br />
in getting you to pay for expensive<br />
portfolios than finding you work. In such<br />
places, the phones aren't ringing as they<br />
should be, and the pictures on the walls are<br />
of models that have no connection with their<br />
business. So when you approach an agency,<br />
check them out, make sure they've been<br />
around for more than three months, and<br />
have a nice big ad in the Yellow Pages.<br />
Contact the Better Business Bureau to see if<br />
there have been any complaints levelled<br />
against them.<br />
Modeling schools. Some people believe<br />
that they are an outright scam, while others<br />
believe that they're a pretty good way to gain<br />
a little experience, so long as you have<br />
money to burn. It's your call to make. Just<br />
don't let anyone tell you that you must go<br />
through a school (which always seems to be,<br />
coincidentally, their own in-house school)<br />
before they'll even consider you. No one<br />
absolutely needs to go to modeling school in<br />
order to become a successful model.<br />
Sleazeballs. Flattery, promises to get you<br />
working immediately, unusual fees and highpressure<br />
tactics are all signs of a sleazeball<br />
operation. When they ask you to pose naked<br />
or to have sex in exchange for jobs, then<br />
you'll know you've hit rock bottom.<br />
Alert the authorities. And keep in mind that,<br />
although this sort of thing is more common in<br />
less classy operations, it is not altogether<br />
unknown at a higher level. Recently, two<br />
executives (President Gerald Marie of Elite<br />
Europe, and Xavier Moreau, head of the Elite<br />
Model Look Contest), were compelled to<br />
resign after a BBC documentary caught them<br />
treating their business as a sex farm. Yes,<br />
this was rather idiosyncractic, but it proves<br />
that you should be aware.<br />
4. Build your career<br />
You finally got yourself an agent...good for<br />
you. That's nine-tenths of the battle. It's<br />
sometimes said that if you're serious about<br />
modeling, you should pack your bags and go<br />
straight to New York, and that's partly true.<br />
New York City is the U.S. jump-off point for<br />
the modeling world's Grand Tour, and most<br />
supermodels live in the Big Apple for at least<br />
part of the year. That doesn't mean, however,<br />
that a couple of years in Miami or L.A. are<br />
gonna kill your career. Hard work, charm,<br />
connections and luck all play a part in where<br />
you end up. No matter where you're based, if<br />
you sign with a big agency that's based in<br />
New York (as most of them are), there's a<br />
good chance that you'll end up there. But<br />
also keep in mind that there is still a demand<br />
for models in secondary markets such as<br />
Chicago, Philadelphia and Phoenix.<br />
So as you get ready to embark on your<br />
career, keep the following points in mind:<br />
Be prepared to spend your mornings<br />
schlepping burgers at McDonald's. Well all<br />
right, maybe it won't be that bad, but the fact<br />
is that most models (even at the higher levels)<br />
need a supplemental job to pay the bills.<br />
In addition to that, the average model can't<br />
expect her career to last more than eight<br />
years, so don't skip college! Parties, money<br />
in pocket, and a busy schedule make it very<br />
tempting to bypass the standard education<br />
route, but if you get hit by a bus and one leg<br />
becomes 8 inches shorter than the other,<br />
your modeling career will be in the toilet and<br />
you'll be stupid. So stay in school. Linda<br />
Evangelista may be earning millions a year<br />
well into her thirties, but you probably won't.<br />
Make sure you have contingency plans in<br />
place.<br />
Shenika Hernandez from<br />
Trinidad and Tobago were one<br />
of three models that were<br />
selected to represent the<br />
Caribbean at the Elite Model<br />
Look World competition that<br />
took place in Shanghai, China<br />
last year, on December 6, 2011.<br />
The actual work is never quite as romantic as the dream.<br />
Think endless hours in airports, rushing from appointment to<br />
appointment, shoots that seem to drag on forever, and chaffed<br />
thighs from changing into eighty different swimsuits in two<br />
hours. Yes, there's a lot of great partying. (For some strange<br />
reason models seem to get invited out a lot.) But there's an<br />
obvious potential downside to unlimited fun: the collapse of<br />
your career and a stint in the Betty Ford Clinic.<br />
If your agency uses a contract, take the trouble to have your<br />
own lawyer look at it before you sign. Also, find out what<br />
unions you may be required to join, and whether or not you<br />
are free to sideline at a different agency. Consult an accountant<br />
about which receipts you should be saving, and keep careful<br />
track of the money you earn. A little attention to business<br />
now will save you many headaches later on.<br />
And those are the essentials. Memorize them, get out there,<br />
and take your own personal shot at runway nirvana. The 21st<br />
century needs a new face - it could be yours. Be smart, be<br />
brave, and be beautiful.<br />
http://www.soyouwanna.com
28<br />
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO CARNIVAL 2012 MASQUERADERS
<strong>Cariwak</strong> Photography - Copyright 2012<br />
29
30<br />
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO CARNIVAL 2012 MASQUERADERS<br />
Miss Universe<br />
Trinidad and Tobago<br />
2011 and Miss World<br />
2nd runner up 2008<br />
Gabrielle Walcott<br />
displays this beautiful<br />
costume which she lead<br />
Carnival mas band Harts<br />
on Carnival Tuesday<br />
February 21, 2012.
32<br />
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO CARNIVAL 2012 MASQUERADERS
34<br />
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO CARNIVAL 2012 MASQUERADERS
36<br />
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO CARNIVAL 2012 MASQUERADERS
38<br />
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO CARNIVAL 2012 MASQUERADERS<br />
Miss Universe 1998<br />
Wendy Fitzwilliam from<br />
Trinidad and Tobago<br />
displays her costume<br />
on the streets of<br />
Port-of-Spain on<br />
Carnival Tuesday<br />
February 21, 2012.
Models displays<br />
fashion designs by Zadd<br />
and Eastman (Z&E) from<br />
Trinidad and Tobago at the<br />
annual Caribbean Fashion<br />
Week (CFW) held last year<br />
in Jamaica. A trio of<br />
Trinidadian fashion designers<br />
- Meiling, The Cloth and<br />
Zadd and Eastman (Z&E)<br />
represented the country<br />
at CFW 2011.